Where Wishes Grow by Chris Sarracini

Title: WHERE WISHES GROW
Author: Chris Sarracini
Publisher: Brownridge Publishing
Pages: 56
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

BOOK BLURB:

Where Wishes Grow… is the story of eight-year-old Maggie, a pensive and courageous dreamer, whose big heart starts to break when her grandmother becomes bedridden and sick with no recovery in sight. Fortunately Maggie has some wishes in mind to breathe life into Nana and is about to learn the secret for making them come true.

Watching Nana’s health fail has been difficult for Maggie and so now much of her time is spent dreaming up wishes for ways she can help her. Maggie conjures up three wishes for Nana she desperately wants to come true: for Nana to see again to enjoy her favorite beautiful things, for her to walk again to visit her favorite places, and for her to speak again so that she and Maggie can sing their favorite songs. The problem is, with wishes this important, Maggie wants to be sure she can realize them; wishing upon stars that may be long dead or relying on birthday candle hoopla just won’t cut it. Thankfully, Maggie’s mother knows the secret for turning wishes into reality…you’ve got to write each wish down and then go plant each one in just the right place. And, as Maggie discovers, retelling the story of how each wish was planted turns out to be the most magical part.

This book is whimsical and makes you feel as if you are with Maggie right there making her wishes for her Nana's health.  I made many connections reading this book as my own mother who will be 81 on Jan 6th is in poor health.  All the wishes I'd love to give to my mother...good health  yes I know that the new body she will have as she passes from earth to Heaven and at this point in her life that is the only relief she'll get when God calls her home.  She's ready to go Home and be with Dad and my brother.  But we are sad for her to leave us.  The book makes you dream along with Maggie that is for sure.  The illustrations help set the mood.  Very well done for sure.  

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

______________________

Meet the Author

Chris Sarracini has been working in the comic book and film industries for over 15 years. In addition to writing for a number of successful comic book favorites including TRANSFORMERS, STREET FIGHTER and DARK MINDS, his own creations include FATE OF THE BLADE and CASA NOSTRA. As a screenwriter, he has worked with Universal Pictures, Disney and Nasser Entertainment. His most recent publication is the children’s picture book WHERE WISHES GROW…

Chris lives with his family in Toronto where he continues to create and write.

Website Address: www.chrissarracini.com
Twitter Address: www.twitter.com/chris_sarracini

The Nutcracker And The Four Realms with giveaway

The holidays are coming and so is the Nutcracker and the Four Realms in theaters on November 2

This quilt I made with love for my mother.  It took 3 &1/2 years from start to finish to make it.  I completed it for Mother's Day 2014.  She asked that I make her the cross-stitch saying so I found a picture to go with the saying.  Then had nieces and nephews each make a block which features the cousins and their offspring to go along with the saying.  My mom had no idea this was being made for her.  She tells me it will be gifted back to me at her memorial service whenever that may be.  Lots of love was put into this quilt.

You can read the full quilt saga at this link

About The Movie (Synopsis)

All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.  “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” releases in theaters on November 2.

For more information, please go to:  https://movies.disney.com/the-nutcracker-and-the-four-realms

Please leave a comment to  be entered in a drawing we will be giving away a digital Fandango gift card to see this wonderful holiday movie.  The gift card has a $40 value for you to enjoy this delightful film with your family and/or friends.

 

Dog Days coming to theaters Aug. 8th

Our daughter and son-in-law had their dog in their wedding last aug.

Izzy, the dog, was well dressed at the wedding with a tutu made by my daughter

Izzy let us know real quick.  Tutu or not she was going to be in all the pictures.

and I mean alllllll the pictures. 

 

SYNOPSIS:  DOG DAYS is a hilarious and heartfelt ensemble comedy that follows the lives of multiple dog owners and their beloved fluffy pals.  When these human and canine’s paths start to intertwine, their lives begin changing in ways they never expected.  This is a sweet film about the joy our furry friends bring into our lives and what they can teach us about treating people with kindness and compassion.  DOG DAYS releases in theaters in August 8.

Staring.....

Nina Dobrev

Vanessa Hudgens

LaLa feels Blah-la by Tela Kayne

Inside the Book

Title: LALA FEELS BLAH-LA
Author: Tela Kayne
Publisher: The Virtue Agency
Pages: 30
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

BOOK BLURB:

Welcome to LaLa’s World: Where kids learn how to be the change!
In this newly released children’s book, “LaLa Feels Blah-La,” a young girl and her stuffed bear wake up feeling blah for no apparent reason. LaLa’s mom teaches her to be mindful of her feelings and turn her mood around with the flip of a coin. Perfect for young readers, LaLa Feels Blah-La , teaches children to be more mindful of their feelings and manage their mood swings.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

LaLa Feels Blah-la is nice short story to help children learn that they have control of their feelings.  They are the only ones that can turn their feelings around.  No one change their feelings except them.  It is a short quick to the point read.  Not many words on a page which is what many kids look at when they open a book.  An excellent teaching tool/resource.  The illustrations are big and bold.  They are easy for a whole group/class to see if you wish to read it for a class read aloud.   

___________________

Meet the Author

As the daughter of a librarian, Tela Kayne grew up reading countless literary works of all genres in quiet corners of the local library. She developed the love of writing at an early age, penning theatrical productions that were performed in the family living room for an audience of loved ones. She officially began her creative career as a young actress in Atlanta, having appeared on stage in a variety of roles including Puck of Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice in Alice in Wonderland.

After graduating college Summa Cum Laude from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and working a short stint in the “real world,” she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film. After securing her Screen Actor’s Guild membership through appearances on television shows like G vs E, The Parkers and Get Real as well as films like Down to You, Almost Famous, and Disney’s The Kid, she decided to garner more behind-the-camera experience. She secured internships at Scott Rudin Productions, one of Hollywood’s most prolific and demanding producers and Mostow Lieberman Productions (U-571) at Universal Studios. She soon accepted a paid position with executive producer Chris Sievernich and discovered her love of screenplay development, running the coverage department for Kinowelt USA and assisting in the development of projects like Nurse Betty, The Wedding Planner and Welcome to Collinwood. After several years of working in Hollywood, she returned home to Atlanta in 2001 to focus on a career in strategic marketing.

As president and founder of The Virtue Agency, an integrated content development and marketing agency, Tela has spent the last fifteen years writing content and maximizing brand exposure and engagement for clients. She has authored articles that appear on MarketWatch (WSJ), Yahoo! Finance, MNN.com, EWG.org, and HealthyChild.org. She is also entering into the literary world with the release of LaLa Feels Blah-La, Book 1 of her debut children’s series, LaLa’s World.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Fun Summer adventrue books with Ellie

I have two books I want to spotlight here.  They both are fun summer here to find out more information about these picture books.  The pictures are real photos of Ellie visiting the farm or on a camping trip as with her other themes. and I love them I've read other books that have been written about Ellie and haven't been disappointed yet.  Visit EllieAdventures.com

reading themes:  camping and farm.  What better way to enjoy and spend a summer day than to go visit a farm or go on a camping adventure.  Those are just the adventures your child will go on with Ellie the Elephant when
you read these two amazing adventure books.  Ellie books are so awesome.  I've added them to my classroom library and the students love to pick them up and look at them and make connections with the book.  

Grandpa Hugs by Laura Neutzling

Book Description

Grandmas are for kisses, and grandpas are for great big hugs! Grandpas are fun! They go on adventures, tell silly jokes, say funny things, and love to eat treats. This adorable board book celebrates how wonderful spending time with Grandpa can be!

Little ones and grandpas alike will love Grandpa Hugs, the charming, rhyming storybook about how special a grandpa can be to a child. This companion to the acclaimed Grandma Kisses celebrates grandfathers and all the love and fun they bring to the special grandkids in their lives.

Whether it is a gift from a grandfather to his grandchild, a grandchild to her grandpa, or as a sweet, creative birth announcement for a first-time grandpa, Grandpa Hugs is bound to warm the hearts of everyone who reads it.

Sweet, adorable, charming are just a few words that describe this book telling of a Grandpa and grandchild relationship. It describes some of the fun and memorable things that they find to do together.  The soft pastel colors in the illustrations match the tone of love that is shared in the grand bond.  The cover is cushioned hardback  and the pages are durable cardboard to withstand the reading and rereading of this wonder treasure that I'm sure any child is going to want to put the book through.  This book will be added to the church nursery library.  

For more information click here.

*Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of “Grandpa Hugs” from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for my review. All opinions are 100% my own.

The SockKids by Michael J. Sullivan

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for Author Michael John Sullivan and the SockKids. The SockKids are partners with Friends of Kids With Cancer, a non-profit organization that helps kids be kids during their cancer treatments. We are honored to help out with YOUR help too. The blast will run from April 30 - May 14, 2018.

The Socks

The Socks are available for purchase at http://thesockkids.storenvy.com/.

Sale of the Socks will benefit Friends of Kids with Cancer.

About the Book

The SockKids – Solving The Mystery Of Your Missing Socks! Where do our missing socks go? Readers find out in our children’s series, The SOCKKIDS. We follow the Socker family through many adventures; from encountering the slobbery mouth of the family dog to meeting Santa as he comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve to helping a fireman save a baby to the most shy Socker going to the school dance for the first time. Thanks to the time-travel opportunities afforded by the spin cycle of the washer, they learn about some of the most important humans in the world. Children two and up and their parents will be drawn to the diversity of the family and the universal and timeless lessons they teach: don’t be afraid of new experiences, treat others as you would like to be treated, and of course, beware of the spin cycle!

Where Do Our Missing Socks Go? We tell you! Readers find out in our children’s series -- The SOCKKIDS. We follow the Socker family through many adventures, from encountering the slobbery mouth of the family dog to meeting Santa as he comes down the chimney to helping a fireman save a baby to the most sky sock going to the school dance for the first time. Thanks to the time-travel opportunities afforded by the spin cycle of the washer, the Sockers learn about some of the most important humans in the world. Children two and up and their parents will be drawn to the journeys of the family and the universal and timeless lessons they teach: don’t be afraid of new experiences, treat others as you would like to be treated, and of course beware of the spin cycle! In this book’s story, we read about Sudsy landing on the foot of inventor Ben Franklin. Sudsy, the bug-playing boy sock, discovers with Ben Franklin the wonders and dangers of electricity. The book includes safety rules and discussion questions put together by an experienced classroom teacher in helping parents and children respect the power of electricity. 

The SockKids focus on educating children and adults how bullying affects us all and what we can do about it.

Do you know where your socks go when they go missing in the washing machine? Well, the SockKids know! The SockKids are a mismatched family of socks that sometimes time travel through the spin cycle, teaching universal lessons of love and kindness, and focusing on creating a greater awareness of the many social issues that children are faced with today. The SockKids help to educate and encourage children from 2 to 92 to find solutions in helping to make this a better world.

In this story, Sudsy and Wooly discover their human is being bullied at school and team up against bullies with Ethan’s newest friend, Olivia. They discover bullying hurts everyone and staying silent is not an option.

More Inside! Children’s counselor and licensed therapist, Jamie Ross, gives adults and children guidelines on how to handle bullies.

Catalina and the Kings wall by Patty Costello

Title: Catalina and the King's Wall |  Author: : Patty Costello | Illustrtator: Diane Cojocaru Publisher: Eifrig Publishing | Publication Date: May 5, 2018 | Genre: Children's Book | Number of Pages: 32

Description: One day Catalina overhears the king planning to build a wall and fears her family will never be able to visit. Catalina tricks the king into building walls that droop, drip, swirl, and swoosh away. But now the king demands a wall that will outlast even a Twinkie. Luckily, Catalina has the perfect ingredients to bake up a family reunion!

This was a cute book.  If your kids love jokes then they'll love the trickery Catalina uses to build the wall and keep a way for her family to come and visit her.  I used this book with our school's reading joke day.  It was very well loved.  

Take peek inside the book...

About the Author Patty Costello lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, a crazy awesome toddler, a dog named Pippa, and a dog named Spencer. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of St Thomas and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota. She currently works in higher education. Catalina and the King’s Wall is her first book. At all hours of the day (and night) she can be found standing at her desk, helping her university run smoothly and working on her next story. https://www.beachboundbooks.com/blogging-about-books/blog-tour-sign-ups-catalina-and-the-kings-wall-by-patty-costello Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram   Amazon ~ Eifrig Publishing

The ABCs of Living Green by:Theresa A McKeown

Inside the Book

Title: THE ABCS OF LIVING GREEN
Author: Theresa A McKeown
Publisher: The ABCs of Everything, LLC
Pages: 56
Genre: Picture/poetry book for children and tweens

BOOK BLURB:

“The ABCs of Living Green” completes the ABC trilogy of picture books focused on raising happy, healthy, conscious children in body, mind and spirit. Written from the voice of Mother Earth, every letter of the alphabet and corresponding word gives readers a multitude of fun ways to be mindful not only of the planet we all share, but of the people with whom we share it. A book that focuses on the beauty and fulfillment of stepping up and doing our part in taking care of the environment and each other, “The ABCs of Living Green” is truly a book for the enlightened child of the 21st century.

 

 The ABCs of Living Green is a beautiful poetry book to get children interested in poetry and learning what it means to be Green.  I've been sharing the poems in my classroom with the students as we've been talking and learning about Earth Day and all here in April.  It's an awesome book.  My students have enjoyed the poems as well.

Meet the Author

Theresa McKeown spent over two decades in the entertainment arena before embracing her true passion of writing children’s books. After producing hundreds of hours of television for a host of cable and network outlets, Theresa is now on the path of what she considers her highest calling.
Theresa and her sisters have created “The ABC’s of Everything, LLC”, a family endeavor solely focused on publishing several series of children’s books, digital content, and educational curriculums.  All will be written and produced with an awareness of the true possibilities that children of the 21^st century can realize.

As an author, Theresa is dedicated to estimating rather than underestimating the wisdom of children. Her philosophy is that kids are fully adept at understanding nuance and meaning and it’s not necessary to talk down to them.  She is dedicated to creating a new paradigm in the children’s book world by introducing work that fully embraces the insightfulness, perception and unlimited intellectual potential of today’s youth.

Her books are meant to plant the seeds of education and awareness early in a child’s development, knowing full well that children will ultimately blossom into the best versions of who they are meant to be.

In her role as producer, Theresa traveled worldwide, filming from locations as diverse as the White House, NORAD, the Pentagon, FBI headquarters, maximum-security prisons and from the top of the World Trade Center.  Along the way she “tail-hooked” onto an aircraft carrier in the Pacific, yachted through South America with jet setters and chased bad guys with the LAPD in a helicopter.  She survived both OJ Simpson trials, shot live from heart of the LA Riots and drove through a wall of flames during the Laguna fires.  Yet, with a background like this, building a community to celebrate children promises to be the most exciting adventure of all.

As George Elliot once said, “It’s never too late to become who you might have been”.
…Words this author has taken to heart.

Amazon

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK