Blog Archives
Clean Your Plate! Thirteen Things Good Parents Say That Ruin Kids’ Lives
Preparing our children for their inevitable independence as self-sufficient adults is a full-time job that begins long before our kids ever realize the complexities that lie ahead of them. From managing money to teaching them how to treat others, parents have a never-ending list of skills on which to instruct children and numerous opportunities throughout each day to do so. Parenting never gets easier, but listening to and learning from others who are living the same struggles helps.
Clean Your Plate! 13 Things Good Parents Say that Ruin Kids’ Lives, by Liz Bayardelle, lays out the most commonly uttered phrases we, as parents, say to our children as they grow. Bayardelle provides sound advice for how to make some of life’s most challenging struggles go more smoothly. Many times, just stating the phrases we have been told by our parents is far from sufficient. The author gives readers wonderful how-tos in order to meet the changing needs of their children.
My own two children are grown, but I can say I would have greatly appreciated the advice on chore charts. I haven’t been as on top of chores over the years as I should have–of that I am well aware. Bayardelle’s common sense approach to the chore chart is an excellent take-away parents can put to immediate use.
I love the breakdown the author gives in each chapter. She doesn’t simply tell us the bit of advice; she analyzes the psychology behind why we say what we do to our children. In addition, Bayardelle explains what the research reveals our kids actually hear when we utter those famous words over and over. It’s a fantastic approach to parental reading. One of the most spot-on aspects of Bayardelle’s writing is the parenting-versus-reality tone she takes. Both the writing and scenarios are incredibly relatable and will be appreciated by readers in all stages of parenting.
I highly recommend Clean Your Plate! 13 Things Good Parents Say that Ruin Kids’ Lives, by Liz Bayardelle to any parent interested in stepping up their game or to anyone interested in understanding the science behind our kids’ reasoning–it’s a fascinating read, indeed. Peppered with humor any parent will appreciate, Bayardelle’s book is a must-have.
Pages: 160 | ISBN: 1950328791
Milli Mermaid’s PEARL OF WISDOM: An important Discovery
![Milli Mermaid's PEARL OF WISDOM: An important Discovery by [Amelia Gleeson]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Hd4vaRtXL._SX260_.jpg)
Milli Mermaid’s Pearl of Wisdom by Amelia Gleeson, is a charming and fun filled children’s story about a young girl, named Milli, who finally gets to be a mermaid. She wakes up in the ocean to find that she is a mermaid. With her seahorse friend Sammie by her side, she is able to explore the ocean and learn a valuable lesson along the way.
Author Amelia Gleeson has written an enchanting kids picture book. The hand drawn art provides a unique touch that I enjoyed and added to the overall charm of the book, but I felt that the mixing of art style made things feel a bit inconsistent. The story follows Milli as she learns to love who she is. This is a valuable lesson to teach young kids and this book makes it easy to approach that topic in a fun and gentle way. This is a great conversation starter for parents and a good topic of discussion for teachers. The book includes simple rhymes that move the story along and keeps the text engaging.
Milli Mermaid’s Pearl of Wisdom is a fascinating kids book with an amazing message. I think children will be able to relate to the hand drawn art, and there is plenty of fish and other interesting things on the page for children to point out, giving this book an interactive element. This is a good book for parents and children to read together.
Pages: 43 | ASIN: B08P4X9Y37
Voyage To Bravery
Sam is tired of the hospital and tired of treatments. Wishing for the life he considers normal, Sam tries to reacclimate himself to his life at home and away from the life to which he has grown accustomed in the hospital. When Sam’s mother brings him home, he is greeted by a most wonderful display of love and support. Even the amazing show of generosity by a local running group isn’t enough to fully lift Sam’s spirits. He yearns to feel normal and he wants, more than anything, to know his purpose. Will he recognize it when it presents itself to him?
Voyage to Bravery, written by Jeremiah Shelton and illustrated by Sarah Hameed, is the beautifully woven tale of Sam, a young boy seeking his purpose in life. When he decides to follow the signs he is being given and push himself to overcome his feelings of despair, things begin to turn around for Sam and in a big way.
As I read, I couldn’t help but think what a wonderful companion book Shelton has written. Each year, my third graders complete a unit study on Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Sam’s story is a fantastic paired reading for Sadako’s story. There are some great parallels between Sadako’s real-life experience and Sam’s. The focus on strength, bravery, and power is an important one for readers of all ages.
I am giving Voyage to Bravery, written by Jeremiah Shelton and illustrated by Sarah Hameed, an enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars. Hameed’s intricate and breathtaking illustrations are beyond stunning and pull readers even further into Sam’s adventure. I intend to use the story of Sam and his fantastic voyage in a theme unit on strength of character with my students. I highly recommend Shelton’s work–a definite must-read for young readers.
Pages: 72 | ISBN: 1649531060
www.VoyageToBravery.com
Harrison Waits
Harrison Waits follows a boy who is waiting. Who is he waiting for? You’ll have to wait and see. This book will help children understand the sometimes nebulous idea of waiting. What are you supposed to do while you wait? Just sit there? No way! Author Missy Hagen, teaches children how taking up different activities can help the time go by.
Harrison Waits is quite simply the cutest book I have read in quite some time. Each page has a cute picture, illustrated in a soft color scheme, that is reminiscent of the classic cartoons in newspapers. I know that I have told my young child plenty of times to ‘wait’, and I just expected them to know what I was talking about. This book gives parents and care givers the perfect opportunity, and resource, to talk about the idea of waiting. It also helps give children the tools they’ll need to wait, by showing them different activates they could be doing while waiting.
Author Missy Hagen has written a wonderfully charming book, with rhymes and cute images, that will keep children’s attention and educate them as well. This is perfect for parents or teachers that are caring for young children that find themselves waiting.
Pages: 30 | ISBN: 0988904888
Feeling Good is Good for the Brain
Your Brain Kids Edition educates readers on brain health and nutrition with fun imagery. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book is important for me to write because I train many seniors and stroke survivors in my line of work. I personally have seen my father extremely ill at his age. I feel that the earliest in life we understand that eating well and exercise is not just for the way we look and our body health it is our brain health.
What were some key ideas you wanted to share in this book?
The brain is the engine to the body. When we are treated kindly it makes us feel good. Feeling good is good for the brain. Being kind to others and not bullying, is healthy for others brain health. So, I encourage kids and adults to eat well, hydrate for overall brain and body health as well as being kind to themselves and others for mental and emotional care. This book is the children’s version of my adult book The Engine to Your Body, a Fitness Trainer’s Guide to Brain Health. I woke up one morning and thought, making a Kid’s edition of this book would be a great idea to help kids understand this at a younger age. Plus, it can help it be fun to learn about the brain. And with covid and home schooling I thought parents would like it as they help kids with homework and reading.
The art in this book is colorful and cute. What was the art collaboration like on this project?
The little girl in the book is the young kid version of my logo I use for my business. I thought if I could get an illustrator to make the kids version of my logo that is a cartoon type character of me it could be cute. So, I use Fiveer for my muscle illustrations and formatting my books before publishing. I ask a person there that re does logos if he could make a little girl and a teenage girl version of my logo. Then I would ask him now can you make her in the garden with my dog as a puppy. I sent him a picture of my dog, and so he did. All the pages are me having an idea or finding a pic I like and asking him to make it in our version of things with my girl in it. And since I wear hearing aids, I wanted a girl who had to wear hearing aids playing on a swing and jump roping to show that kids with hearing g aids can play just like other kids. Wearing hearing aids when you have a hearing loss is good brain care.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have four books in my series of books on Stroke Recovery, a book on spine care, a book on fall prevention and my two books on the brain. My next book is on Hearing loss. I have severe hearing loss and wear hearing aids.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Your Brain Kids Edition
Filled with tips on brain health, nutrition suggestions, and the benefits of drinking water, Your Brain: The Engine to Your Body. A Fitness Trainer’s Guide to a Healthy Brain is exactly what the doctor ordered. Tracy L. Markley, fitness specialist, has gifted readers a phenomenal book that is brimming with ideas that readers can put to immediate use in their daily lives. Whether they want to improve their quality of life or are recovering from a brain injury, readers will find a long list of wonderful and practical tips that are all backed by science.
As a mother of two and a teacher who was recently diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, I am especially interested in the tips regarding improving brain function. Markley’s research and experience in brain health are thorough and organized for readers in an easy-to-follow, relatable format. Markley also gives many tips for gentle exercises that can further improve balance and thereby enhancing both hearing and brain function.
I highly recommend Your Brain: The Engine to Your Body. A Fitness Trainer’s Guide to a Healthy Brain to anyone that is dealing with issues surrounding brain health or any caregiver that wants to learn more about ways to encourage brain function for their loved ones or patients.
Pages: 13 | ASIN: B08KHNVH1Q
Merren and the Heron
![Merren and the Heron by [Tony Dow, Darya Shchegoleva]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+EmLZMqvL._SX260_.jpg)
Merren and the Heron, by Tony Dow is an adorable story about a class of children visiting the zoo. Their teacher instructs them to take a picture with an animal that rhymes with their name. As the children wander around the zoo, they struggle to get their pictures. Then, an even worse problem arises, they can’t find their classmate Merren! As the kids continue to search for Merren, they still haven’t gotten their pictures and now there’s too much to worry about!
Tony Dow’s story is filled with lovable characters and exciting rhymes. It engages young readers, allowing them to learn rhyming structure, while solving a fun mystery. The drawings on every page have colors that pop, making it even more appealing. Overall, Dow provides a story that children can read many times without getting bored.
I am giving Merren and the Herren, by Tony Down 5 out of 5 stars. Its mystery filled storyline and use of engaging literary techniques makes the story stand out from most children’s books. Its colorful drawings bring the characters to life and makes the audience even more absorbed with the story. Merren and the Heron is one of the most unique children’s stories I have read this month.
Pages: 13 | ASIN : B08LBQX961
Inside the Head of a Bully
Bullying: What Are We Really Scared Of challenges our current response to bullying and explores successful ways of dealing with bullies. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I was able to get inside the head of a bully, learn all the secrets as to how they bully and why. Stemming from this, I was able to devise an action plan to stop bullies from hurting me. After many years of implementing this plan, learning that it worked every time, seeing the world was in such a state with bullying problems, saddened, I felt it was imperative I shared the secrets to defeating the bullies to help victims with this worldwide problem.
What were some ideas that were important for you to focus on in this book?
Divulging the truth about bullying, that it is not just the schoolyard bully or domestic violator, but that bullying is in every aspect of our lives. Exposing their secrets and sharing how easy it is for bullies to be retrained during counselling from being a physical violator to a psychological abuser because that is when they are most dangerous. Demonstrating, with examples, how easy it is to fall victim to bullies and what to look out for to be safe from the manipulations of bullies. Explaining to victims that the Justice system is more often than not, a lame duck when it comes to seeking help from them so they don’t fall into the abyss of depression when it fails to help them. Most importantly, I wanted to empower victims to be self reliant, to help themselves to stop the bullies in their lives.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about bullying?
That bullying is scary, that once they fall victim to a bully it will never stop, that they cannot defeat it and no one would believe them.
Do you have plans to write other books on this topic?
Yes, I am in the midst of writing a book for younger children (ages 3-8) to help them understand bullying and what they can do to stop it.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Winner of the Best Self Help Book for 2018 by the Pacific Book Awards, Finalist for Self-Help Books for 2019 by the Book Excellence Awards and a Gold Winner Award for Education/Reference for 2020 by the Elite Choice Book Awards.
This informative book challenges the current “system” response of victim blaming and punishment and lays the foundation for a successful way of dealing with bullies.
The author gives:
• Realistic, affordable and easy solutions to the bullying problem.
• Empowering victims to overcome their fears so they can stop the bullies easily.
• Aiding victims to diffuse bullying situations.
• Educating bystanders to understand their role in helping victims
• Educating parents to understand the situation their child is in and how to help.
• Educating school staff how to help the victims instead of punishing them.
• Educating the Justice System to help victims of all forms of abuse.
• Educating governments and education departments on better policy and decision making.
Bullies are really not that scary when you understand them, in fact, they are easy to control when you know how. Put all bullies in their place today, order your copy of Bullying What are we really scared of?
LITERARY TITAN 