State of Wilderness review

If you click the title of this posting, you will be taken to Beth Bence Reinke's page where she has posted a review for State of Wilderness. I'm glad to see folks are still enjoying the first book. I would like to see more sale but alas for now I have to be happy with what I have.

Thanks to all the folks who have reviewed the first two books. See you in the postings - E :)

Blogtalkradio - kickoff show for the Robin Falls Children's Stories show

For any of you who would like to listen to the show, click here and scroll down to the on demand shows section and you can listen there. I think the kickoff show went well. I don't think we had many listeners as we didn't have many questions at all. Hope you all will tune on a later date to hear other authros. E :)

Looking for the perfect job - a tour with Dilly

JOBS

As adults, we all have had many jobs in our lives. Most young adults start working around the time they start driving. Children don't really have to worry about jobs. Their occupation is limited to being a student. That in and of itself is a tremendous job.

What would you do if you really wanted something and you needed a way to get it? In A New Job For Dilly, we find Dilly, the rat in a predicament of loving pickles and not able to obtain them without "stealing" and we all know stealing is wrong. Dilly goes in search of the perfect job by going through the alphabet. He finds the perfect job, so all will end well.

So if you love something and want it bad enough, how about trying out a job to fit your needs.


Don't forget the contest for a signed copy of A New Job For Dilly by leaving comments on at least four of the seven blogs for an entry in the drawing.

Meet the author and creator of Dilly

AUTHOR PROFILE

Rena Jones always loved writing. She spent most of the 1990s writing letters to pen pals. Around the same time, she self-published three newsletters for pen pals. She began writing for children in 2003, after visiting Glacier National Park in Montana. A little mountain goat inspired her to write a story about him and her love for writing children’s stories began.

Rena lives in Bigfork, Montana with her husband, four children, and two cats. She is a home educator to her children and has been doing so for 11 years. She also enjoys photography, wildlife watching, camping, national parks, kayaking, music and even sour pickles. When not writing or taking pictures, she is usually being entertained by the crazy wildlife that frequents her mountain home.

A New Job for Dilly is her first published work.

A New Job for Dilly --Written by Rena Jones and Illustrated by Lisa Oakman

Published by 4RV Publishing, LLC

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLC (April 22, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0981868533
ISBN-13: 978-0981868530
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.7 ounces

Rena Jones’ Website

Rena Jones’ Blog

Lisa Oakman’s Website

Looking for the perfect job - a tour with Dilly

Dilly the rat is looking for the perfect job in order for him to obtain the thing he loves the most - pickles. See what all he goes through to find the perfect on the blog tour of A New Job for Dilly. Stop by the following blogs and be entered for a signed copy of A New Job For Dilly.

Author Rena Jones will be giving away a copy of her newly released book. See below how to enter the drawing -


Blog tour schedule for A New Job for Dilly
Week of – June 21st to June 27th

June 21st – Sherrie Petersen (author interview)

June 22nd – Beth Reinke (pickles)

June 23rd – Elysabeth Eldering (jobs)

June 24th – Sharon Spray (reading to children/ABC books)

June 25th – Adrienne Saldivar (rats)

June 26th – Nikki Shoemaker (interview)

June 27th – Vivian Zabel (Dilly interview)

Win an autographed copy of A New Job for Dilly! All you need to do is leave a comment on at least FOUR of the seven blog stops. Rena will put your name in a pot and a winner will be chosen at the end of the tour. Please make sure she has a way to contact you by leaving your email in the comments (you can do this as such - eeldering at gmail dot com - to avoid spammers). But remember, you have to reply to at least FOUR different stops to qualify. Rena will contact the winner at the end of the tour to find out how they'd like the book to be signed. Thanks and good luck!

Hope you all enjoy the tour - see you in the postings -

Summer Reading Blog Talk Radio Show

JUST A REMINDER THAT ELYSABETH WILL BE ON THE BLOGTALKRADIO SHOW ON JUNE 24, 2009 AT 10 AM CDT (THAT IS 11 AM EST, 9 AM MOUNTAIN TIME AND 8 AM PST). HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE

Tune in every Wednesday, starting June 24, for seven weeks of fun and getting to learn more about children's authors. The Red River Writers will present five authors each week as per the schedule below. This is a facebook event but the link on the title will take you to the blogtalkradio site where you can listen to the shows. All comments will be pulled from the facebook event wall (looking for kids to ask questions of the authors, which will be read on the air).

I will be making the first appearance on Wednesday, June 24, at 10 a.m. central time (11 a.m. eastern, 9 a.m. mountain, and 8 a.m. Pacific time). I am scheduled to do a reading but my presentation will be more of how the JGDS series came about fromthe original story, Train of Clues. Hope to see you all there - E :)


All references are to the facebook event page. To leave comments on the event's wall, you must have a facebook account. The call-in number and the blogtalkradio site are not part of facebook.

BLOG TALK RADIO SHOW EVENT

Host: Red River Writers - Works of Writers & Artists Worldwide
Type: Music/Arts - Exhibit
Network: Global
Start Time: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 10:00am
End Time: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 10:00am
Location: Central Time at Online link or by phone number provided in event

Description

The Wall (on the event page on facebook) is reserved for comments from kids ages 2 to 18. All comments left on The Wall will be read over the air at one of the shows. These comments should be either a statement or question. If possible, it needs to be directed to a particular guest. We need only the following information: first name (this can be a nickname), age, and State. Example of a comment: April Robins, is the deer a girl or a boy? (OR) April Robins, I like the picture on your book cover. My name is Austin. I am eight years old. I live in Texas.

Any adult with a question or comment that they would like to ask, can do so at:
Robin Falls Kids Story Time Questions


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WIN 20+ free Children's or Young Adult book! Go find the following book covers in the “Photo” section and leave a comment:

I'LL TUCK YOU IN, DEER by April Robins
THE MOONQUEST by Mark David Gerson
JANOOSE THE GOOSE by J.D. Holiday
REBEL IN BLUE JEANS by Beverly Stowe McClure
BERTHA SPEAKS OUT by Fran Lewis
WHERE IS GOD, GRANDFATHER? by Candy O'Donnell
SILLY KITTY by Irene Brodsky
THE GREAT DOG WASH by Shellie Braeuner
GONE FROM THESE WOODS by Donny Bailey Seagraves
DOGGIE DAY CAMP: Verb and Adverb Adventures by Cynthia Gagnon Reeg
SUMMER LOVIN' by Laurie J. Edwards
THE CURSE OF ADDY MCMAHON by Katie Davis
MYTHIKAS ISLAND by Diana Hurwitz
ROAR OF A SNORE by Marsha Diane Arnold
DAY'S END LULLABY by Karen Cioffi-Ventrice
ACROSS THE POND by Barry Eva
HOORAY FOR THE CIRCUS by Ginger Devine

Margot Finke intends to give all who call in a FREE Audio of her reading one of her stories + illustrations.

April Robins will give away 3 copies of "Keeper of Happy Faces" in a drawing taken from comments on "The Wall."

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GOOD MORNING ROBIN FALLS KIDS!

I want to welcome you into our Summer Reading Program for school age kids. We have a wonderful line up of Children’s and Young Adult Authors who will read from their books to you. Many will even tell you how their story came to life. Some will read a story to you that has not been published. We will call those are “Unread” stories. This means that you are one of the first to hear them. The book covers of their books they are reading from are posted under“Photos.” You can learn more about each author at their website or blog list under “Links.”

Robin Falls Kids Story Time Host are April Robins, Barbara M. Hodges, Dellani Oakes, J.D. Holiday, and Laurie Zieber.

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June 24 - Children's Book Authors, and their books they are reading from, at 10 am Central
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Elysabeth Eldering - "Train of Clues" (JGDS), 50-state, mystery, trivia series
Barbara Ehrentreu - "The Trouble with Follow the Leader"
Ginger DeVine - "Hooray for the Circus"
Dawn Stephens - "The Little Pot"
Margot Finke - "Rattlesnake Jam"
Jay A. Miller - "Bingo the Banjo Picking Bear"

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July 8 - Children's Book & Young Adult Authors, and their books they are reading from, at 10 am Central
======================
Edna Cabcabin Moran - "THE SLEEPING GIANT: A Tale From Kaua'i"
Karen Cioffi-Ventrice - "Day's End Lullaby"
Jan D. Holiday - "Janoose the Goose"
Sue Dent - "Forever Richard"
Mj Gillot - "Zola Yearned for an eXcellent Waffle: A Backwards Alphabet Story"
Laurie J. Edwards - “Summer Lovin”

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July 15 - Children's Books & Young Adult Authors, and their books they are reading from, at 10 am Central
======================
Linda Bryan - "The Sound Snatcher, How the vacuum got its Noise."
Candy O'Donnell - "Where is God, Grandfather?"
Laurie Zieber - "Do You Know what I Know?"
Cynthia Gagnon Reeg - "Doggie Day Camp: Verb and Adverb Adventures"
Scott Heydt - Mice Don't Taste Like Chicken (Due out Spring 2010)
Judy Cox - "Mrs. Millie Goes to Philly!"

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July 22 - Young Adult Authors, and their books they are reading from at 10 am Central
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Donny Bailey Seagraves - "Gone From These Woods"
Barry Eva - "Across the Pond"
Mark David Gerson - "The MoonQuest"
L. Diane Wolfe - "Circle of Friends, Book III...James"
Dellani Oakes - "Indian Summer"
Vonda Skinner Skelton - "Bitsy & The Mystery" series for kids

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July 29 - Children's Books & Young Adult Authors, and their books they are reading from at 10 am Central
======================
Shellie Braeuner - "The Great Dog Wash"
Beverly Stowe McClure - "Rebel in Blue Jeans"
Fran Lewis - "Bertha Speaks Out"
Irene Brodsky - "Silly Kitty"
Diana Hurwitz - "Mythikas Island"
Katie Davis - "The Curse of Addy McMahon"
Barbara M. Hodges - Wynd Stallion (Work in Progress)

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Aug 5 - Children's Books & Young Adult Authors, and their books they are reading from at 10 am Central
======================
Lisa Cottrell-Bentley - "Wright on Time"
Marsha Diane Arnold - “Roar of a Snore” & “Prancing, Dancing Lily”
Crystalee Calderwood - "Angeline Jellybean"
Deb Lund - "Monsters on Machines"
Virginia S Grenier - "Babysitting SugarPaw"
April Robins - "I'll Tuck You in, Deer"
Michelle Buckman - "My Beautiful Disaster"

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To attend and participate in the shows dial the
Call-in Number: (646) 649-1005
To view or hear the shows online, go here

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The Crypto Capers series reviews

BOOK 1: The Case of the Missing Sock
AUTHOR: Renee Hand
RATING: 3 stars

Product Details
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc. (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0878393048
ISBN-13: 978-0878393046
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces


This is a new series using cryptograms to help lead the reader to the resolution of the case. Max and Mia, and Granny Holmes (all descendents of Sherlock Holmes), along with their friend , are known as the Crypto-Capers. They hail from England and work closely with Scotland Yard (for those of you who don't know what this entity is, it is like the FBI in the United States). Their skills at cracking puzzles and solving cases is well noted. They have been recommended to Mr. Delacrumb to help him solve the case of his missing sock. This is not an ordinary sock nor was it the only item stolen.

Follow the gang as they travel around to different places to solve miniature cases of missing items with the help of puzzles.

I give the first book in the series a 3 stars as I felt everything was readily handed to the reader and you didn't really need to solve the cryptograms throughout the story to figure out where the "clues" were leading you to next.


BOOK 2: The Case of Red Rock Canyon
AUTHOR: Renee Hand
Rating: 3-1/2 stars

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc. (March 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0878393099
ISBN-13: 978-0878393091
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces


This story takes the gang to the United States to solve a mystery.

Again, this story was fun but I felt all the cryptogram clues were just readily handed to the reader because as you read the following passages you pretty much knew what the cryptogram spelled out. The series is fun if you like puzzles and working a bit to get the answers.

Ms. Hand has a new series out as well and not sure how many more are available in the Cryptogram Capers series, but for an enjoyable quick read, pick up the series and have fun.

Where are the readers?

I have 22 followers and only two of you are subscribed to my email subscription. For updates in your email box, click the box to the right and sign up and you will be notified on the days I update. I hope you all are still interested in what is going on with the states. How about leaving some comments on what all you would like to see on this blog. I need feedback from my fans (the few I have so far). Remember to tell your friends and family and teachers and homeschoolers - anyone who works with 9-12 year old or has kids in that age group who would be interested in my series. Come on folks - I know you are out there. Please leave comments and let me know what you want to see me post about - E :)

Stories for Chldren Magazine announces two new contests

I would love to hear from some of my readers who enter either contest (children get permission from your parents to leave a comment and let me know what you came up with), drop me a comment - see you all in the postings and good luck to all who enter - E :)



For Immediate Release - Contest for Adult writers

Stories for Children Magazine Announces Amazing but True (nonfiction) Contest

For this new annual contest, send Stories for Children Magazine an amazing event or true story (nonfiction) for children. What age group you choose—3 to 6, 7 to 9, or 10 to 12—is up to you, but remember the event or story has to be true and for children, which means no sexual content, violence, or anything related to drugs.

Submissions will be accepted between May 4, 2009, and July 30, 2009.
Who may enter? Adults (18 and older)

Contest Fee: $10

Contest Prizes:
The top article in each age group category will be published in the following months:

Ages 3-6 winner: September SFC issue
Ages 7-9 winner: October SFC issue
Ages 10-12 winner: November SFC issue

The SFC Amazing but True Grand Prize Winner: December SFC issue

In addition to being published in Stories for Children Magazine, all winners will receive a Winner’s Certificate and

SFC Grand Prize: 3 months’ membership in the Children's Writers' Coaching Club (an $81 value).

1st Place in each age group category: a one-year subscription to Children’s Writer (a $19 value).

All entries may be considered for publication in Stories for Children Magazine at a future date.

Contest Rules:
Your article must be for one of the following age groups at Stories for Children Magazine:

DISCOVERY (ages 3-6): Learning about the world around them. WORD COUNT: 150 to 400

HOW AND WHY (ages 7-9): Understanding the how and why of things. WORD COUNT: 400 to 800

TELL ME MORE (ages 10-12): Covering the basics and digging deeper for a better understanding of their world. WORD COUNT: 500 to 1200

Your maximum word count, not including your title and byline, may not exceed the word count listed in the age group you choose.

Winners will be selected based on quality and appeal to our readership here at Stories for Children Magazine.

Go here for submission guidelines.



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For Immediate Release --- Contest for young writers

SFC Magazine Announces Stanley Bookman Spooky Sounds Young Author Contest

Contest Description:

The Stories for Children Magazine mascot, Stanley Bookman, needs your help to write a story about the spooky sounds you hear at night, in the backyard, or when you are camping.

Your story needs to be original, unpublished, and written by you. A parent/guardian may help type your story, but you have to write the story yourself. Make sure you use your imagination!

You must email all stories, along with the attached permission form signed by a parent/guardian, by midnight on August 30, 2009. Stories will not be returned, so make sure you keep a copy for yourself. Please send only one entry and make sure to put your name, age, email address, home address, and parent/guardian name in the top right hand corner on the first page of your story.

Will you help Stanley by writing a story between 500 and 1200 words long?

Submissions will be accepted between June 1, 2009, and August 30, 2009.
Who may enter? Young Authors (17 and under)

Contest Fee: No Entry Fee (Parental approval needed)

Contest Prizes:
The top three stories will be published in the following months:

1st place in the October SFC issue
2nd place in the November SFC issue
3rd place in the December SFC issue

In addition to being published in Stories for Children Magazine, all winners will receive a Winner’s Certificate and:

1st Place: a 6 months’ personal membership to BigUniverse.com (a $30 value).

2nd Place: an autographed copy of Babysitting SugarPaw by VS Grenier (a $14 value).

3rd Place: a McDonald’s Book of five $1 Gift Certificates.


Go here for submission guidelines.




All the best,

VS Grenier
Founder & Owner, Stories for Children Publishing, LLC

Editor-in-Chief, Stories for Children Magazine
a division of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC

SFC Newsletter for Writers
a division of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC
Voted one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer's Digest 2009

SFC: Families Matter
a division of Stories for Children Publishing, LLC

VS Grenier Children's Author
Critiques, School Visits, and more

Stories for Children You Tube Channel

One more 5 star review

I have been given permission to use Wayne Walker's review (which will be posted on Stories for Children Magazine as well as amazon.com and b&n.com when they get it in the schedule).

Here is Wayne's review:

BOOK REVIEW
STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINE
BOOK: State of Quarries
AUTHOR: Elysabeth Eldering
ILLUSTRATOR: Aidana WillowRaven
PUBLISHER: 4RV Publishing LLC (2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9797513-9-4
ISBN-10: 0-9797513-9-X
READING LEVEL: Grades 5-6
RATING: 5 stars

REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker

Do you think that you know the United States? Then maybe you would be willing to take the "Junior Geography Detective Squad" challenge. Thirteen-year-old Matt Patterson's mother has given him a hand-held geography game that has both a screen and a voice. It gives a set of clues, going from obscure to more well-known, about one of the fifty states. There are also "bonus clues" about one of the five territories which are part of the United States. I had the privilege of reviewing the first book of the "Junior Geography Detective Squad 50 States Mystery Trivia Series," which was entitled State of Wilderness, for Stories for Children Magazine back in October of last year, and it was fascinating.

In State of Quarries, the reader follows Matt and his eleven year old sister Mary Beth as they listen to the clues and try to guess the state. The challenge is to determine which state is being described before they do. Like its predecessor, this book is written in a very interesting style, and the drawings by Aidana WillowRaven help the reader see what the "Junior Geography Detective Squad" is experiencing. At just 69 pages of text, it is perfect for young readers, although there are additional pages at the end with more information about the state, discussion questions, and a bibliography of resources for further study. Statistics show that the average high school student cannot go to a globe or world map and point out where Russia is located. This series won't help you find Russia on the map, but it will give you a better understanding of American geography. What a fun way to learn more about our country! The next book in the series will be State of Reservations.

Related websites: series website, series blog, publisher's website

A new 5 star review

If you click on the title of this posting, you will be taken to another review of State of Wilderness and State of Quarries. I'm very pleased with LadyD's reviews as I had no idea what she would say until the message showed up in my email this morning that she had posted.

I also am part of the Summer Sandbox Reading Festival this summer with Rhonda Clark on her Beach Reads blog, but she has been swamped with many other things of late and so hasn't had a chance to get me scheduled in. When she does, I will be running contests on a weekly basis for the kids to answer some trivia type questions. I will have the state bird listing and questions pertaining to that; state flowers and trees and state butterflies and insects. The prizes will be a USA Map puzzle and some state related items - pencils, pins, stickers, et cetera.

I will keep everyone posted as to when reviews and contests are up on her blog, so keep checking back.

On another note, State of Reservations has finally made it to my publisher for her edits and hopefully Aidana will be able to work on the illustrations soon and then we can have a publish date ready. I'm looking forward to getting #3, #4 and #5 completed and published.