Sunday, February 9, 2020

~ MMGM S.T.E.A.M. FEATURE KID SCIENTISTS ~

~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADE
MONDAY S.T.E.A.M. FEATURE ~
--  'KID SCIENTISTS: TRUE TALES OF
CHILDHOOD FROM SCIENCE SUPERSTARS'  --
AUTHOR DAVID STABLER
ILLUSTRATOR ANOOSHA SYED

  LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS

ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:

With the best elements of KID PRESIDENTS, KID ATHLETES, KID ARTISTS, and KID AUTHORS--colorful illustrations, kid-relatable subjects, and real stories of childhood conflict, comedy, and triumph--KID SCIENTISTS tells true tales from the childhoods of a wide range of the world's most brilliant scientists before they were famous.

Did you know:
Jane Goodall, who would become the world's foremost expect on chimpanzees, had a stuffed chimpanzee named Jubliee as a child. She loved animals so much that she was constantly bringing them inside--including worms and snails--much to her mother's horror!

Although he would one day become a brilliant theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking hated school as a child, and spent his free time assembling model airplanes, inventing board games, and even building his own computer.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who became a famous astrophysicist, ran a dog-walking business after school to save up money for a telescope, which he used to observe the skies from the roof of his family's apartment building.

The diverse and inclusive cast ranges from physicists like Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Marie Curie, and Stephen Hawking to inventors like Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Nikola Tesla, and includes astronaut Sally Ride, mathematician Katherine Johnson (of Hidden Figures fame), primatologist Jane Goodall, and many more, making it a perfect addition to libraries, classrooms, and kids' home collections alike.



With Anoosha Syed's whimsical illustrations bringing every caper, scrape, and sticky situation to life, this book is a fun and approachable introduction to the giants of the scientific world.

MY THOUGHTS:
This volume is a collection of short biographies of famous scientists—with a twist! The biographies are focused on how these ground-breaking scientists behaved and learned as children. Readers learn details about the featured individuals' educations, inspirations, gifts, strengths, and weaknesses.

I will admit that I had never heard of many of these individuals, and that is why I loved this book so much. I learned about people who truly made a positive impact on our world through their study of and innovations in science and math.

One thing I noticed as I read through the biographies was that several of the featured individuals were not considered to be ground-shakers as children. Albert Einstein did not speak until he was ready, and his parents feared something was wrong with him because his speech was so delayed. He had a terrible temper and a rebellious streak.

Stephen Hawking did not learn to read until he was eight years old. He hated school, but he always enjoyed learning on his own.

Temple Grandin
did not speak until age four, and was eventually diagnosed as being autistic. Her mother spent time with each day reading aloud from The Wizard of Oz. Temple was entranced by the illustrations and soon began reading entire paragraphs independently.

One thing all of the featured scientists had in common was that they had someone special in their lives who nurtured their curiosity and their love of discovery. This encouraging, nurturing, even mentoring caused these individuals to go far.

Another element of this book which I particularly enjoyed was the diversity of the included scientists and mathematicians. Women and men, a variety races and cultures and religions, people from around the world--this book shines a light on the accomplishments of many diverse people with well-deserved respect and admiration.

Highly-recommended to classroom teachers, librarians, parents/grandparents, youth group/science club leaders, and lifelong learners who want to learn something new about these ground-breaking scientists from around the world.


I borrowed this book from the local public library's non-fiction section in the children's collection.


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Find the links to read more great Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from middle-grade authors and bloggers at Greg Pattridge's 'Always in the Middle' Blog.



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*********ENTER TO WIN A MULTI-AUTHOR MIDDLE-GRADE PRIZE PACKAGE OVER ON MY 'CURRENT GIVEAWAYS' PAGE!********* HERE'S THE LINK TO THE ORIGINAL POST:   
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Thursday, February 6, 2020

~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE THREE LITTLE THINGS ~

~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE ~
BLOG TOUR STOP
--  'THREE LITTLE THINGS'  --
AUTHOR PATTI STOCKDALE
~Post Includes: Book Spotlight,
Author Bio, Excerpt, Unique Author
Guest Post & Giveaway~
Three Little Things JustRead Blog Tour 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for Three Little Things by Patti Stockdale, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!


ABOUT THE BOOK
Three Little Things by Patti Stockdale Title: Three Little Things
Author: Patti Stockdale
Publisher: Smitten Historical Romance
Release Date: February 4, 2020
Genre: Historical Romance

One forbidden love. Two broken hearts. Three Little Things.

Hattie Waltz should forget the troubled neighbor leaving for boot camp in 1917. He forgot about her ages ago. It had always been the Waltzes verses the Kregers, his family pitted against hers. When she hands him a farewell gift, a chemistry lesson unfolds. The good kind.

Arno Kreger can't leave Iowa or his old man fast enough. He's eager to prove his worth on the battlefield and stop blaming himself for his brother's death. Before entering the train, he bumps into Hattie. He's loved her forever, always from the sidelines, because nobody crosses Hattie's pa.

One innocent letter soon morphs into many. Arno and Hattie share three little secrets in each letter and grow closer together. But he's on his way to war across the ocean, and she's still in her father's house. Their newfound love will need to survive dangers on both fronts.

EXCERPT:

I miss 2,084 things about you. Maybe 2,085. Unfortunately, there’s not enough stationery at my fingertips to record all your positive qualities. Plus, you might turn proud after reading them, how awful for your fellow soldiers. That said, I’ll mention three little things.

I miss how your smile seeps into your voice when you speak words I’ve only dreamed about hearing, especially from you.

I miss dancing together. Every night I close my eyes and remember the box social. To be clear, I fixate on the part when your arms held me tight, not the fight that followed. In my opinion, we moved in concert to our own music, not the notes performed by the band.

I miss your hand holding mine, especially when you rub your thumb across the inside of my wrist.

Write back soon. I’ll wait by the mailbox, not literally, of course. It’s cold outside.


As always,
Hattie


PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patti Stockdale

Patti Stockdale loves hope, history, and a good happily ever after. She can’t remember numbers, so she married a statistician. Thanks to him, she’s lived all sorts of places and worked all sorts of jobs. While employed by an NFL team, she once answered the phone by the wrong team name. She doesn’t work there anymore. For 11 years, she directed the programming at a nonprofit senior center and hosted an annual talent show, rocking a Dolly Parton wig, Annie Oakley boots, and a sweet—although snug—Batman costume. She no longer works there either. These days, Patti writes books and occasionally educational assessments and magazine articles.

GUEST POST FROM THE AUTHOR:

Ten Little-Known Facts About This Book:

I named three of the characters after my grandparents: Arno, Hattie, and Lena.

The book, inspired by letters my grandparents exchanged, started as a young adult novel.

I sold the book through FaithPitch and didn’t have an agent at the time.

From start to finish, it took 20 years to write the book and sell it. But the manuscript hid in a box much of that time while I worked at a busy nonprofit.

My paternal grandma, Lena Elliott, lived to the age of 99 and remained sharp until the last couple of years. She mailed me letters full of stories about her youth, terms of the times, and descriptions of clothing, chores, and settings. Her memories and advice helped shape the book.

My ancestry is German-American, which plays a part in the book. Some of my earliest memories include going to my grandparents’ house every afternoon at three o’clock for teatime. The adults spoke German. I wondered what secrets I missed.

The historical museum in my Grandpa’s hometown houses his army uniform and other items from his military days. To write the story, I visited there, his farm, one of his boot camps, and the WW I Museum in Kansas City. I also read approximately twenty-five books, fiction and nonfiction, on the war, epistolary writing, the Spanish flu, anti-German American abuse, and life on the home front.

My favorite chapter of the book is the first one. The week before I submitted it for publication, I rewrote the first paragraph.

I tend to overedit. It’s nearly impossible to stop making changes, take a breath, and push the send key on the computer to whoosh the manuscript onto the next step of the publication journey.

Maybe I’ll write a sequel.


CONNECT WITH PATTI: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram



TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a prize package including a signed book with a bookmark, a pair of socks with a proverb tucked inside, a $10 Amazon gift card, and a vintage bookmark!

Three Little Things JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight February 3, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on February 10, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN mailing addresses only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.



Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

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Tuesday, February 4, 2020

~ BLOG TOUR STOP GUARDED ~

~ BLOG TOUR STOP ~
-- 'GUARDED' --
AUTHOR SARA DAVISON

~Post Includes: Book Spotlight,
Author Bio, Excerpt & Giveaway~
   
Guarded JustRead Blog Tour 


Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for Guarded by Sara Davison, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!


ABOUT THE BOOK
Guarded by Sara Davison Title: Guarded
Series: The Night Guardians, Book 2
Author: Sara Davison
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: February 1, 2020
Genre: Suspense / Thriller

The tip the stranger left sent Nicole a painfully clear message. The past is no longer in the past.

Nicole is fighting to bury the memories. Someone else is fighting to keep them exposed.

Detective Daniel Grey is back in town, and diner owner Nicole Hunter isn’t sure how she feels about that. It’s been almost seven years, and now she doesn’t just have herself to think about but her six-year-old son as well. If she does find the courage to take a chance on love, her heart could be smashed into pieces. Again.

And it’s not only her heart that is in danger. Someone is working hard to disrupt her present with reminders of the past she has worked hard to forget, especially her darkest memory—of the night her husband was gunned down in the street in front of her. As much as she might want to push Daniel away, Nicole needs him closer now than ever before.

 But the one she trusts to keep her and her son safe has a secret that may prove to be the biggest threat of all.

EXCERPT:  

“I thought …” Her voice broke and she dropped her gaze to her hands. “I thought the risk would be lower for you since you’re a detective and not in uniform anymore.”

He measured his words carefully. “It likely is. I’m definitely not in the direct line of fire as often. Today was an exception since Sharleen and I were the only cops in the vicinity when the call came through.”

Daniel reached over and tugged her hands loose, pulling one of them into his grasp. He forced himself to not let the pain that shot through him at the movement show on his face. Her hand was ice cold, and he ran his thumb in circles over the back of it. “Normally, I’m probably not in much more danger than any civilian who walks down the street at night. Anyone can get shot, even sitting in their homes sometimes. Thankfully it doesn’t happen all that often in Canada, but it does happen. There are no guarantees, for any of us.”

“I suppose not.”

“But Nic …” He lifted their hands, pressing his palm to hers and linking their fingers. “If the worst did happen, I’m ready to go. You know that.”

“But I’m not ready to let you.” The words were soft, but woven through with steel and a hint of bitterness that tightened his muscles.


PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Davison

Sara Davison is the author of the romantic suspense series, The Seven Trilogy and The Night Guardians. She has been a finalist for eight national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol Award, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to.

CONNECT WITH SARA: Website | Facebook | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Guarded and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Guarded JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight February 1, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on February 8, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN mailing addresses only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.



Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
cropped-justread-logo.png
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

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*********ENTER TO WIN A MULTI-AUTHOR MIDDLE-GRADE PRIZE PACKAGE OVER ON MY 'CURRENT GIVEAWAYS' PAGE!********* HERE'S THE LINK TO THE ORIGINAL POST:   

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Sunday, February 2, 2020

~ MMGM 2ND BLOG BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ~

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~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADE
MONDAY SPECIAL FEATURE ~
-- READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC'S
SECOND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION! --

~Post Includes: Guest Posts & Prizes~

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I launched Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic on January 29th, 2018. My first Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday post was on February 5th, 2018. Today I'm thrilled to share a special MMGM feature with you to thank you all for your support, interest, and involvement on my blog.

With the help of a few wonderful authors, we have some fun guest posts for you that will let you know what's going on with the authors of four of the MMGM posts with the most page views over the past two year. There will be a grand prize of four e-books and a second prize of one audiobook and a third prize of one e-book. All prizes have been donated by the authors and the publisher of Music Boxes.

Without further ado, here are the Top Five Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from the past two years along with a few words from the authors of the four fiction books:


~MIDDLE-GRADE FANTASY~

LINK TO ORIGINAL POST FOR 'MUSIC BOXES' BY TONJA DRECKER


I’m so excited and honored to have the chance to drop in and help celebrate Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic’s two-year anniversary. I’ve been peeking in since mid-2018, and always enjoy the personal touch and warmth in the posts—like stopping in for a cup of tea. So, when she agreed to present and review my debut middle grade novel, Music Boxes, last February, I was over the moon.

Last February seems like an eternity ago. Music Boxes released about a week after June’s post and took off with more gusto than I could have hoped for. Shortly after release day, it was presented on the Kidlit Picks news segment of News15 (KADN), and a few months after that, BNKids Blog highlighted it in their ‘5 Spooky New Middle Grade Books for Campfire Chills’ post…and that as second among novels from the big publishers! This launched a slew of signings at Barnes and Noble stores, and the chance to meet so many amazing young readers (my favorite part). My publisher topped all of this off around September with another huge surprise—the release of the audio book format. The narrator, Nance Weber, is amazing and does such a fantastic job.

Although things have calmed down a little during the last months, I’ve already heard whispers of another, up-coming highlight. And maybe more. But no matter what may still await Music Boxes, I’ll continue to grab my cup of tea, read June’s posts, and enjoy every moment of it.



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~MIDDLE-GRADE HISTORICAL ADVENTURE~

LINK TO ORIGINAL POST FOR 'RES-Q TYLER STOP' BY YOURS TRULY 

 
'RES-Q Tyler Stop', my historical adventure, is set in Sonoma County, California, in the summer of 1968. Even though I have previously had three adult inspirational romance books published, this was my debut children's release. As an elementary school teacher for over twenty years and as a literacy mentor for primary grades, my love of children's literature extends from my own childhood to the present. I love reading, writing, and blogging about middle-grade fiction! 

The acceptance, support, and friendship I have found in the children's literature community from fellow/sister authors and bloggers has been a gift which I will always treasure. These individuals are always available to lend a helping hand; answer questions; pitch in and post, tweet, or share about a book release or giveaway; and generally boost each other up when things get tough. You are all appreciated very much.

I am currently working on finishing the second book in my Tyler Stop series. The Gregg siblings, Weston and Wendy, and their friends will have many new challenges and adventures to share as they search for ways to minister to those in need in their small town community of Tyler Stop. 

Another exciting outcome of my release of RES-Q Tyler Stop is that the book is on the curated list of middle-grade novels on the Flinch-Free Fiction {formerly, Clean Indie Reads} website. This website highlights 'clean' fiction written and published by independent authors. I consider it a great honor to be on this curated list. Here's the link to my book's page:  FLINCH-FREE FICTION PAGE FOR RES-Q TYLER STOP

A special thank you to all of the readers, reviewers, bloggers, and other authors who contributed to the success of my debut children's book. A big shout-out also goes to the wonderful publicity company, JustRead Publicity, who helps me to get the word out about my new releases. I honestly could not have done it without each and every one of you!


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~MIDDLE-GRADE S.T.E.A.M. NON-FICTION~

LINK TO ORIGINAL POST FOR 'MAKE: FABRIC & FIBER INVENTIONS' BY KATHY CECERI

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~MIDDLE-GRADE BIOGRAPHY OF
A FAMOUS AMERICAN~

LINK TO ORIGINAL POST FOR 'NEIL ARMSTRONG'S WIND TUNNEL DREAM' BY RINDA BEACH

 

1.) Greatest lesson from writing and releasing:

I was incredibly busy after NEIL ARMSTRONG’S WIND TUNNEL DREAM launched last May. I had no idea how crazy success would be. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve dreamed about this, worked towards it for twelve years, but I felt like I was on a roller coaster that never stopped, especially last summer.

As a debut author/publisher I was balancing book signings, managing inventory, tracking it, publicizing Neil, finding new stores and new speaking opportunities to share Neil with more readers. AND I needed to start on the next book to self-publish. To work on manuscripts for traditional publishing.

I felt like I was in the dark without a flashlight. I had no experience in sales or marketing, but I had a critique partner who was prepping her second Indie book. Thank goodness! It saved my sanity! Here’s what I learned in 2019:

#1 – You don’t know what you don’t know, and that’s OK.

#2 – And even more important – Forgive yourself for what you didn’t know.

#3 – Learn from your mistakes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Occasionally mistakes even turn out better than the plan. I’ve done Julie Hedlund’s 12 days 4 writers for years. It always gives me time to pause, to look at what I’d learned, the mistakes I made, and the things I did right.

#4 – The last part of Julie’s class – make a plan, a road map for the future. Then use it.

*Here’s the link to my blog about my 2020 road map:
http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/january-20th-2020

2.) Next project:

A picture’s worth a thousand words. Look down to see an illustration from my next book, coming out in May, LAKE FUN FOR YOU AND ME.


I wanted to write a story about fun at Norris Lake, my lake, but I also wanted to leave room for the reader to find their own fun, their own lake too. If you’re planning a lake vacation, this book is perfect – a story AND a souvenir.

The left side of the spread is my Norris story/illustration. The right side is the reader’s page to write and draw their own lake. To tie the sides together, my kid characters are on a hunt for lake fun. So is my reader. They score points by finding answers to Mom’s lake questions. It’s a scavenger hunt, with a watery twist.

LAKE FUN is part realistic fiction, part journal for readers in grades 2 – 4. It’s designed for a niche market. By March, I’ll be scouring the Norris Lake marinas and vacation rentals to find places to sell it. Then I’ll repeat at St. Mary's and Indian Lakes in Ohio. I hope the force is with me!

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~MIDDLE-GRADE BIBLICAL FICTION~

LINK TO ORIGINAL POST FOR 'THE HEART CHANGER' BY JARM DEL BOCCIO


1.) What is the greatest lesson you learned about being a children's author when you wrote  and released The Heart Changer in 2019?

Jarm:  Oooh, that's a difficult question — I've learned so much!

Well, I knew books don't sell themselves (unless you were already a best-selling author), but I assumed bookstores, schools, conferences and other author’s venues would be calling to book me for various events.

Not so! I've had to do tons of cold-calling, reaching out and brainstorming, because, being a former teacher and school librarian, I love to connect with young people. But, after working so hard (my word for last year was perseverance), I have had only a handful of events. I realized it's ultimately all in God’s hands. The Heart Changer is His story and it's His decision how and when I share my writer’s journey with my readers. God knows who needs to hear its message of hope and forgiveness, so He will make it happen — I must rest in His sovereignty.

For 2020, I aptly chose the word CONTENTMENT — in all things and in every situation. And do you know, once I decided to rest in God’s Will, He's been opening doors in amazing ways!

2.) Please tell us about your next project.

Jarm:  At this point, I'm not writing, other than short inspirational pieces (flash fiction?) focusing on various biblical characters. What I am doing is submitting the three middle-grade historical novels I have written and revised. One is set at the Chicago World Columbian Exposition of 1893, another about 22 orphan boys aboard a Spanish Galleon who are charged with a special mission (1803), and a third centering on a Huguenot girl who has escaped persecution (1672) and flees across the ocean to Bath, England looking for a new start in life.


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~ NEW SEWING PATTERN FABRIC FLOWER TOWELS ~

~ NEW SEWING PATTERN FABRIC FLOWER TOWELS ~