IDITAROD: a novel of The Greatest Race on EarthBook Review and Interview with André Jute

I recently read IDITAROD a novel of The Greatest Race on Earth, a thoroughly gripping story. When I picked up this book I expected to learn something about the Iditarod, the Alaskan terrain and it's people. I was not disappointed there. What I was surprised to find inside was a beautiful tale of the natural human instinct to prevail and a budding love story to boot.

“Marchez! -- A race for survival

“When Rhodes Delaney challenged James Alderston Whitbury III to a grudge match she chose the most grueling of all tests — the Iditarod: a lethal dogsled race across the perilous wastelands of barren Alaska.

Book Reviews by YOU:The Story of America’s Birthdayby Patricia A. Pingry

Today, I bring you a review by Abby of Mommy Moments with Abby. She runs a day home in addition to caring for her own two children. She always has great ideas for activities to do with kids, and today she is visiting Cookie's Book Club to share a children's book recommendation.

The Story of America's Birthday, written by Patricia A. Pingry and illustrated by Stacy Venturi-Pickett, offers "a simple introduction to the American Revolution, the writing of the Declaration of Independence, and the significance of the Fourth of July." ~ Google Books

Abby's Review:

This 24 page board book is great for all ages.  The content explains to young children America’s quest for freedom and the Revolutionary War.  The illustrations have clean lines and are well done with actions in the pictures complimenting the pages content.  I enjoyed that there are enough bright colors to draw in younger kids and enough written details of the events for the older kids to follow. 

The story itself is a simplistic outline of the events of the American Revolution.  It is a great book for younger kids or a great starter book for the older kids experiencing interest in America’s History.  The words used are basic so all ages can understand the storyline.   I enjoyed that there aren’t too many words per page so I can get 1½ year olds to stay focused, while allowing the older 3 and 4 year olds to be excited over the events taking place in the story.  Don’t discredit the books ability to teach about the Revolution because the words per page are digestible even to little ones. 

It offers an outline with the key words highlighted in red, blue, or green.  The addition of some words in colors opens them up for questioning as the older kids notice the colored words.  I enjoy this because they are new words or topics such as “tax” or “colonies” that may not have been seen before by the child.  They can be explored further by becoming flash card words or just plan vocabulary words for kids 4 and above.

The illustrations depictions of the events were good representations of what was being described.  The people were dressed in period clothing with soft coloring which fit well with a story that is outlining a historical event.  The detail of the illustrations wasn’t overly complex and resultantly, did not take away from the content.  That said, kids are kids and they enjoy some bright coloring and flash.  Some additional flare could have been added to the book with glitter on the fireworks or scratch and sniff added to the page talking about tea.  Maybe, some glittering on the flag on the last page could have ended it with a little more bang. 

While, I may have added some scratch and sniff or glitter, I enjoy this book and the kids enjoy it too!  I’m hoping that I can keep this book in good shape to save for my kids, but may need to get a back up to save for them.  I light up 4 ½ birthday candles out of 5 on this American Birthday cake, losing half a flame for one or two pages which could have been combined and maybe more historical content added. 

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The Story of America's Birthday, by Patricia A. Pingry, illustrated by Stacy Venturi-Pickett is available from Amazon.com and other booksellers.

The Wicked Day (The Tormay Trilogy) is now available!

ANNOUNCEMENT 

Just had to let Christopher Bunn's fans know that The Wicked Day, the third and final installment in The Tormay Trilogy, is now available! - $2.99 at Amazon.com

Book two in the series, The Shadow at the Gate is also just $2.99 at Amazon.com. The first book in the series, The Hawk And His Boy, is just $0.99!

Check out my reviews of the first two books in the trilogy and interviews with the author, Christopher Bunn: 

The Hawk and His Boy
The Shadow at the Gate (guest post for Kindle Obsessed)

Click here to view a recent Off 68 article on Christopher Bunn and The Tormay Trilogy.

Once Upon A Time Read-a-Thon Day 3

Today is day three - the final day - of the Once Upon a Read-a-Thon reading challenge. It's definitely been a challenge as these were some busy days for me, but I did manage to read a few books.

My Reading List

Here is what I was hoping to read:

SHAKEN: Stories for Japan - various authors
Perfect Health - Deepak Choprah
The Scrubs - Simon Janus
The Zoo - David Monroe
The Sevenfold Spell - Tia Nevitt

And here is what I have read so far:

SHAKEN: Stories for Japan - various authors
Perfect Health - Deepak Choprah
The Sevenfold Spell - Tia Nevitt

There's still time - I might knock one more of these books off the list before the day is done. It was fun to have a goal and fun to participate in a reading challenge.

Happy Reading!

Once Upon A Time Read-a-Thon Day 2

It's day two of the three day Once Upon a Read-a-Thon reading challenge!

Today, I'm participating in a read-a-thon challenge hosted by The Bookish Type. The challenge is to write a synopsis for one of my read-a-thon books based solely on the cover. I chose the cover of The Sevenfold Spell, because... well, just look at it! It's a great cover.

Tired of never being noticed and longing to be loved, Maddy took a very big chance. The wizard has promised beauty and admiration would be hers. All she had to do was help him to hold time still, just for a moment, but what happened in that moment was something she would give anything to undo. Her beauty was hypnotic – the people were hers to command - but she was tortured by the evil she witnessed that night and felt more lonely than ever. Her world was filled with tragedy, and her mind was turning to dark thoughts. The world was collapsing around her. What had she done?

Hmm... I think I'll stick to book reviews! I'm not sure writing synopses is my thing. It was pretty fun though. Thanks for the challenge, Casey!

My Reading List

Here is what I am hoping to read in the next three two days. Wish me luck!

SHAKEN: Stories for Japan - various authors - DONE - I read many, but not all, of these stories - there are some very good ones - I'll share my favourites in a future post. Perfect Health - Deepak Choprah - still working on this one! The Scrubs - Simon Janus The Zoo - David Monroe The Sevenfold Spell - Tia Nevitt

By the way, I am still reading:

this book about about Ayurvedic Medicine. It's so fascinating. I should have known better than to pick a non-fiction book for this challenge, but it was just its time. I am spending more time highlighting sections of the book on my Kindle than actually reading. I may set it aside just for a little bit. The other books are calling to me.....

 

Happy Reading!

Once Upon A Time Read-a-Thon Day 1

Today is day one of the three day Once Upon a Read-a-Thon reading challenge. It's definitely going to be a challenge as I've got both of my 'boys' (BIG and small) home with me today and tomorrow. However, I have been granted two hours to go to the library for some shhh time, and then there's always some time to read before bed. Let's see how I do!

My Reading List

Here is what I am hoping to read in the next three days. Wish me luck!

SHAKEN: Stories for Japan - various authors
Perfect Health - Deepak Choprah
The Scrubs - Simon Janus
The Zoo - David Monroe
The Sevenfold Spell - Tia Nevitt

Of course, I may not probably won’t get through all of these, and I reserve the right to change my mind if I start reading one of them and do not enjoy it!

I am currently reading:

I'm starting off with a book of short stories and a book about about Ayurvedic Medicine.

You can read my previous post about SHAKEN here. The proceeds from this book go to support victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

HAPPY READING!

Children's Author Spotlight: Raffi

Pre-kids I used to cringe at the thought of listening to Raffi. But then... it happened. A Raffi song made my son smile and I became and instant fan.

You probably know Raffi as a songwriter and performer. Raffi has written some fun versions of popular kids songs and in 1987 began releasing his Songs to Read series of books.

We sing a lot around here, so many of our books are really songs to read (see my previous spotlight on Sandra Boynton as an example).

Here are three of our favourite Raffi Songs to Read books:

Wheels on the Bus

This song has been a popular choice of parents and teachers for decades and for very good reason. It's a happy rhyming song about the adventures of the people who ride the bus. The illustrations by Sylvie Kantorovitz Wickstrom are equally jovial and bring the song to life.

Down by the Bay

"Down by the Bay is one of the best-selling Raffi Songs to Read. Irresistible art by Nadine Bernard Westcott depicts wonderfully amusing creatures such as a bear combing his hair, a goose kissing a moose, and a whale with a polka-dot tail." Source: http://www.raffinews.com/raffi/renaissance

If You're Happy and You Know It

"Children everywhere love to sing and clap along with this classic song... brought to life by Cyd Moore’s energetic artwork. The song becomes a delightful story about a surprise party where all the animals work together to do something nice for someone else." Source: http://www.raffinews.com/raffi/renaissance

At the back of these books, you can usually find the music for accompanying on an instrument, along with all of the verses.

"With two honorary degrees, the Order of Canada, and the UN’s Earth Achievement award, Raffi is a respected international figure, a global troubadour." Source: http://www.raffinews.com/raffi/renaissance

Plus, he makes kids smile, and that makes me smile!

What Keeps You Reading? Crazy for Books Blog Hop

I submitted a question to Crazy for Books, and it was selected for this weekend's blog hop.

"What keeps you reading beyond the first few pages of a book, and what makes you want to stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?"

For me, the writing needs to be really good right from the start. I can judge this in a page or less. Next, I'm looking at the storyline itself and the pacing of the story. Is the author efficient in his or her writing from the start or does it seem that the story is dragging? I stop reading a book if the writing is not up to my own personal standards, but assuming that it's written well enough I'll continue to read so long as the story is interesting and coherent, the characters are believable and relatable, and the topic is of at least some interest to me.

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What do you think? What makes you pick up a book and keep reading? What makes you put the book back down? Share your answer here or link up!

WWW Wednesdays (June 29)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Comment below or link up:

I am currently reading IDITAROD a novel of The Greatest Race on Earth by Andre Jute. I'm having a hard time putting it down. Stay tuned for my review of this book and interview with the author.



I just finished reading The Shadow at the Gate (The Tormay Trilogy), book two in the series, by Christopher Bunn. Click here to go to my review of The Shadow at the Gate and interview with the author. This is a beautiful story that I gave a 5/5 stars on Amazon.com.

Next up is SHAKEN: Stories for Japan. Click here for more details on this collection of short stories to aid victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to Japan relief.

The Shadow at the Gate: Book Review and Interview with the Author Guest Blogging at Kindle Obsessed

Today, I'm guest blogging at Kindle Obsessed. Pop on over to view my review of The Shadow at the Gate and interview with the author Christopher Bunn (click here for the review and interview).

The Shadow at the Gate is available at Amazon.com for $2.99. The first book in the series, The Hawk And His Boy, is just $0.99!

Thanks to Misty at Kindle Obsessed for hosting me today. Her reviews are poignant and honest. She also regularly shares her finds on free and reasonably priced e-books. If you love books as much as I do, you'll want to check out her blog!

Christopher has been featured on Cookie's Book Club before.
--> Click here to view my review of The Hawk and His Boy and interview with Christopher Bunn
--> Click here to view Christopher's Guest Post, "Moral Compass and Character"

Repetition is Good for Kids: Books for Babies and Toddlers

Kids love repetition, and it's good for them. As parents, reading the same story over and over again might get to be a little boring, but we do our kids a disservice if we force them to read something different thinking it will expand their minds (and keep our own from turning to mush).

According to the February 2011 Frontiers in Psychology article, "Get the story straight: contextual repetition promotes word learning from storybooks", children who read the same stories repeatedly are more likely to increase their vocabulary as a result. In the study, 3-year-olds were either read the same story three times or were read three different stories. Each story contained the same novel (made up) words. Children who heard the same story over and over learned the novel words and retained the words over the long term, thus increasing their vocabulary, whereas the kids who were read the three different stories did not.

In addition to allowing your kids to choose the same book night after night and reading it to him two or three or four times in a row some days, you can choose books that are written to emphasize repetition.

Children naturally love books and songs that use repetition. Some great books for babies and young children are the Child's Play Classic Books with Holes series of books (available at Amazon.com). Many of these books illustrate popular 'building' stories - stories that start with a concept and add on to it creating lots of repetition and lots of fun!





I bought a book for Jack before he was born and read it to him each night. It was still one of his favourite bedtime books for at least a couple of years after he was born. That book was The Napping House.

The Napping House employs the same cumulative rhyming technique found in the above Classic Books With Holes books.

There is a house,
a napping house,
where everyone is sleeping.

A similar story that my son liked, but that I think might be enjoyed more by little girls, is Emily's House.

Emily lived in a little brick house
With a creaky old door and a little brown mouse.

These are just a few of the options when it comes to books that incorporate repetition. Remember, as much as it numbs our own old and tired brains at times to read the same thing over and over again, it's just what our children need. Plus it makes the little gaffers happy!

It's Father's Day: Some great books to celebrate dad!

Here are a few great ideas for Fathers Day. Did you get dad an Amazon gift card for Fathers Day? Need a last minute gift idea? Check out these books just for dads:

Fiction

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern - Kindle eBook

Buy: $13.71

   (575)

Product description from Amazon.com:
After being dumped by his longtime girlfriend, twenty-eight-year-old Justin Halpern found himself living at home with his seventy-three-year-old dad. Sam Halpern, who is "like Socrates, but angrier, and with worse hair," has never minced words, and when Justin moved back home, he began to record all the ridiculous things his dad said to him:

More than a million people now follow Mr. Halpern's philosophical musings on Twitter, and in this book, his son weaves a brilliantly funny, touching coming-of-age memoir around the best of his quotes. An all-American story that unfolds on the Little League field, in Denny's, during excruciating family road trips, and, most frequently, in the Halperns' kitchen over bowls of Grape-Nuts, Sh*t My Dad Says is a chaotic, hilarious, true portrait of a father-son relationship from a major new comic voice.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan - Kindle eBook

Buy: $9.34

   (412)

Product description from Amazon.com:
After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt their beloved Camp Half-Blood, where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own: Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, To storm or fire the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. Now, in a brand-new series from blockbuster best-selling author Rick Riordan, fans return to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Here, a new group of heroes will inherit a quest. But to survive the journey, they'll need the help of some familiar demigods.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Kindle eBook

Buy: $5.59

   (2,842)

Product description from Amazon.com:
Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards
In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut--young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Non-fiction

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey - Kindle eBook

Buy: $9.56

   (1,038)

Product description from Amazon.com:
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity -- principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.  

  

Decision Points by George W. Bush - Kindle eBook

Buy: $9.99

   (954)

Product description from Amazon.com:
President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions of his presidency and personal life.

Decision Points is the extraordinary memoir of America’s 43rd president. Shattering the conventions of political autobiography, George W. Bush offers a strikingly candid journey through the defining decisions of his life.

In gripping, never-before-heard detail, President Bush brings readers inside the Texas Governor’s Mansion on the night of the hotly contested 2000 election; aboard Air Force One on 9/11, in the hours after America’s most devastating attack since Pearl Harbor; at the head of the table in the Situation Room in the moments before launching the war in Iraq; and behind the Oval Office desk for his historic and controversial decisions on the financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina, Afghanistan, Iran, and other issues that have shaped the first decade of the 21st century.

President Bush writes honestly and directly about his flaws and mistakes, as well as his accomplishments reforming education, treating HIV/AIDS in Africa, and safeguarding the country amid chilling warnings of additional terrorist attacks. He also offers intimate new details on his decision to quit drinking, discovery of faith, and relationship with his family.

A groundbreaking new brand of memoir, Decision Points will captivate supporters, surprise critics, and change perspectives on one of the most consequential eras in American history – and the man at the center of events.

Please verify price before purchasing, as prices are subject to change.