Do You Love Reading Children's Books?

Do you enjoy reading books for children? Not reading children's books to children for their education, entertainment, and enjoyment. But do you - the adult-like reading them?

Several years back, my spouse and I contemplated the idea of writing books for children. We even had ourselves tested to see if we had the necessary skills and aptitude. We were looking for a means of earning income while working from home and caring for our young children and thought this might be a viable solution. The test results were persuasive, so we decided on this path to pursue our financial goals. We will never know if we would have been as successful as the author of the Harry Potter books. After a few manuscript rejections by various publishers, we turned our efforts to more practical, more immediate, income-earning opportunities.

Although no longer interested in writing books for children, I discovered something about myself that I did not know. I thoroughly enjoy immersing myself in children's books. Not reading them to my children or to children, but I like reading them for myself. Yes. It's an indulgence.


Many books for children, adolescents or young adults are about 100 to 250 pages and are a quick read. Those marvelous children's picture books with their exquisite illustrations are even shorter reads; about 25 pages, pictures included. But what a wonderful distraction they are from the daily grind of work, housework, grocery shopping, and other mundane chores. They're so adventurous and other-worldly. Reading children's books actually refreshes and energizes me.


During the course of our failed attempt at becoming children's book authors, I found numerous writers in this field that I wish I had been introduced to when I myself was a child. I had never heard of many of them and yet they were award-winning, outstanding, notable, respected authors. Laurence Yep, Katherine Paterson, Madeleine L'Engle and Jane Yolen are four such writers.

So, if you're wondering what would be a guilt-free indulgence to set yourself free from your daily routine for just a few moments, try reading a children's book. Choose books by the authors mentioned above, or if you don't know where to begin, visit Al's Book Club for Kids. Oprah also publishes a Kids' Reading List. Although these lists were created with children in mind, they are perfect for those of us who want to indulge our inner child.



References:

• Paterson, Katherine. Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1983. Print.
• L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1962. Print.
• "Jane Yolen." Fantastic Fiction. Web. 27 Apr 2011.
• "Al's Book Club for Kids.", TODAY.com: Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, TODAY Show Video, News, Recipes, Health, Pets. Web. 27 Apr 2011.
• "Kids' Reading List - Oprah.com." Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Web. 27 Apr 2011.
• "Author Katherine Paterson After Bridge to Terabithia - Oprah.com."Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.
• "FIND A BOOK: L'ENGLE, MADELEINE." Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac. Web. 27 Apr 2011.

Suggested link: Children who have published books and have made an impact on the world of literature. Click this link to read Literary History: Children Authors. It's fascinating!


Original Source
( NOTE: Full article previously published a YAHOO Voices.  YCN website shut down.  Portions of republished various places around the web. )


Browse books by the authors:
Laurence Yep
Katherine Paterson
Madeleine L'Engle
Jane Yolen

[Children’s Book Recommendation] The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen

Ever notice a small child look up when an adult walks into the room? Especially a very tall adult. Do you ever notice their eyes widen and how they bend their heads back almost to the point that you think they might break their little neck trying to look up in awe at this giant!

Do you wonder what they might be thinking? 

Do they think:

- How does a person get to be so big?

- Will I ever become a giant like that?

- I am so small. Will that big person hurt me?

- They're looking at the wall. Do they see me down here? I could get crushed!  Better move to some place safe like next to my mom.

Now imagine you're a small child in a home filled with giants. A giant father. Giant brothers. Giant sisters. All of them doing gigantic enormous things every day! Always busy all of the time. So busy they never even see you. You're so tiny. So tiny that your family gives you the name that means “the smallest one”. 

You think to yourself:

• Do they call me that because I'm not as big as they are and never will be?
• Or is it because they think so little of me that I might as well not exist? 

Though not her exact words, these were very likely the daily thoughts of Princess Djeow Seow, fourth youngest and smallest daughter of the Emperor of China.

Such was her world. Her brothers were allowed to help her father rule the kingdom. Her sisters brought the food to their father's table.

What was she permitted to do?  Go fly a kite! Literally.

But not everyone disregarded the tiny princess. There was a humble monk who always watched her whenever she hoisted her favorite kite into the air. Each day he would repeat the same prayer to her and each day she would always thank him in the same way. Every day. Each day. Each day. Every day. Except … one day.

Sometimes being “the smallest one” can be a very good thing.

*The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen is suggested reading for 3rd and 4th graders.

Jane Yolen is one of my favorite authors of books for children and young adults.  She has been writing for decades, mainly the fantasy genre.  The sweetness and simplicity of her style is what makes her work so appealing.

Original source

* * *

Book Lovers – An Assortment of Books for Your Reading List or Personal Library

Once stayed in a temporary residence when my family was being relocated from one state to another.  We stayed in this house for a few months until we found our permanent home.  What a memory!

This house was right out a dream home magazine.  My favorite room in this house was the office/library.  Public libraries have always been one of my favorite places.  But I had never lived in a house that was big enough to have my own personal library where I could retreat to and shut off the rest of the world.  

If you had your personal library, what kinds of books would be on your bookshelves?  Here are some of the books you might find in my library.


♦ Picture Books for Children (or for grown-ups who never grow up)

• "The Eagles Are Back" : Jean Craighead George tells the story of how the American bald eagle was saved from extinction.
• "Annie and the Old One" : Written by Miska Miles.  It is an introduction to the customs and traditions of  the Navajo people and touches upon a very sensitive subject for children: explaining the death of a loved one.
• "The Emperor and the Kite":  Jane Yolen tells the tale of a young child who saved a kingdom all because she knew how to fly a kite.  So the next time someone says to you "Go fly a kite!", just imagine yourself on a secret mission saving an empire.

♦ Hot and exciting reads. Suspense Thrillers or Romance.

• FC Etier Writes Political Thrillers : "The Tourist Killer" was FC Etier's first novel; followed up by "The Presidents Club". Two novels written for those who enjoy a web of conspiracy and intrigue with lots of political overtones.
• Two Thrillers and One Romance : Just the titles of these books should tempt you. "Power Of Persuasion"; "Trusting Evil"; and "All the Beautiful Sinners".  Which one do you think is the romance?  :)
• Irresistible Historical Romance Novels : “A Rose in Winter” and “Shanna”  ~ Both books authored by the late Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, the lady who pioneered the historical romance genre and should be credited with it being one of the most popular book genres, based on book sales in the USA.

♦ History or Mystery.

• Dickens Junction Mystery Series : Love Charles Dickens and murder mysteries? Perfect!
• The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence : History and mystery set in the ancient Roman empire, written to encourage children to learn history but adults will equally be fascinated.
• Book Selections From the Vintage Series : Choose from reading about the American Civil War to life in 1930s Bombay.

♦ Science Fiction or Fantasy.

• Books by Kev Heritage, S. M. Reine and other popular authors in the sci-fi genre
• Gifts for the Tolkien Enthusiast - Can't say the word fantasy and not mention Tolkien.

♦ Inspiring Biographies.

♥ ♥ ♥ 

Now that you've picked your book (or books), 

settle down for some good reading!  :)

Book Review: The Signature of God (and Other Book Reviews)

Wrote some book reviews a few years back. 

Sharing the links.  The first is actually my favorite; published 2013.  

How do we know that God wrote the Bible? Simple! He signed it!

Book Review: The Signature of God by Grant R. Jeffrey

The Handwriting on the Wall - St Benedicts Catholic Church | Source: Wikimedia Commons

● ● ● ● Other Book Reviews:

• A wonderful book for children written by Miska Miles, which was published in 1971: “Annie and the Old One”.

• "Unstoppable Me!: 10 Ways to Soar Through Life"  ~ Dr. Dyer's first children's picture book where he lays out a plan that encourages children to achieve their dreams.

• If you like true stories, mysteries that are finally solved, and ever wondered about ships that set sale and then disappeared - here are four books about Ships Lost at Sea that tell the tales.

• Into classical literature?  Voltaire's "Candide" has been deemed his most significant work.  I disagree.  But that's just me. Brief Bio of Voltaire and Intro to Candide.

The Seven Kings of Rome

The Seven Kings of Rome

There was once a group of villages on seven hills which grew into an empire. But how did it happen?

If your curiosity is peaked by this brief presentation of the history of ancient Rome and wants to learn more, you will find two book recommendations at the end of the article.

Entertainment: Books: Biographies of J.R.R. Tolkien

Anyone who has done even scant research on John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892 – 1973) knows that even though he was a very private man, there is no shortage of biographical information about this famous British writer and medievalist. Hardcover, paperback, digital and audiobooks, letters, and other materials abound. His son, Christopher Tolkien (1924 - 2020) was is extremely protective of the legacy of his father and has only ever authorized one official biography. His father is highly respected as a literary hero and a mythmaker, and he wanted to keep it that way!

Image credit:  Hobbit House, Movie Set, New Zealand: Photo by Jeff Finley on Unsplash

Understandable, however, that did not stop others from publishing their unauthorized unofficial versions. (Even moi! I tried my hand at publishing an unauthorized biographical sketch.) These unapproved life stories (see listing below.) are just as appreciated by Tolkien fans, as the approved biography written by Humphrey Carpenter. Furthermore, the commercialization of  “all things Tolkien” may have started with the success of the “Lord of the Rings” books, but when these works were adapted to film, Tolkien fever infected the masses around the world. A loyal Tolkien-ite can not only build their own personal library, but can purchase puzzles, games, collectibles, and more!!

Tolkien: The Authorized Biography

Unauthorized Tolkien Biographies  ( Name of Author )

• J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century ( Tom Shippey )
• Tolkien: Man and Myth, a Literary Life ( Joseph Pearce )
• J. R. R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend ( Colin Duriez )

• Mythmaker: The Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, Creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings ( Anne E. Neimark )
• J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator ( Wayne G. Hammond )

>BR>

Source:  Webnuggetz.com

Culture: Book Lovers: First Impressions Can Be WRONG!

Have you ever put your prejudices and fears aside and found out that you would have missed out on something awesome?

It’s embarrassing to say, but I confess that this has happened to me more times than I count.

My first impression was WRONG!

Here is one indisputable example.

I am American and have lived in the USA all my life. If you live in America and particularly if you are a black American (African-American, Negro, colored … I don’t know which box to check anymore! LOL.) or rather a person of color (O.o), when you hear or see the word CONFEDERATE, you already have an expectation or an impression.

While browsing Instagram, I came across an account called confederatebooksquito.

My first reaction was to immediately turn off or turn away from it because .. well … it said CONFEDERATE. In plain English, ‘Dem iz fightin’ words!

But I turned off MY reject button in my head and went to have a look.

Turns out it’s a bookstore in Ecuador that specializes in used books in English in South America.

WHAT????  I love used books!!

Look what I would have missed if I had followed my first WRONG impression!!

Bet this never happens to you, huh?

♦

Source: Virily.com

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Confederate Bookstore Quito (@confederatebooksquito) on Jan 12, 2017 at 7:45am PST

Joie de Vivre Magazine: Recommended Reading: "The Book of Negroes"

There is no need to elaborate on this recommendation with a lengthy blog post. The title of the book says it all. 
(Linking back to my partner blog.)

Joie de Vivre Magazine: Recommended Reading: "The Book of Negroes" 

The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews: Five (or seven) GOOD things to come out of 2016 (Reblog)

Happy to reblog and share this Featured Post from a fellow blogger, Davida Chazan, who is a "Go To" person if you're searching for good reads. Here is her suggested reading for 2016:

The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews: Five (or seven) GOOD things to come out of 2016

Her reviews and other writings are so good I invited her to contribute to my group board on Pinterest: Freelance Writer. We crossed paths because we both contribute short posts to a site called "Daily Two Cents".  This site has a revenue-share plan for those who have a Google Ad Sense account and allows you to earn 100% of your commissions, if your post includes an affiliate referral link.  It's reasonable.  Don't you think?  This is the link to her DTC profile: drchazan aka Chocolate Lady.
(This is my DTC author profile, if you're interested: cmoneyspinner, if you're interested.)


Book lovers will probably appreciate her faves lists for previous years too!

Chocolate Lady's Favorite Books of 2015

Chocolate Lady's Favorite Books of 2014

Chocolate Lady's Favorite Books of 2013

I love her blog's tagline.  It reads:

• 
  Davida Chazan's Blog for mostly book reviews and literary musings (and maybe some chocolate). 
  

What a hook!  So of course I had to find something chocolate at her blog.  Found it!

The REAL Chocolate Wars

The REAL Chocolate Wars

It's all because of Ms. Brenner's writing style. Ms. Brenner brings even the very mundane into the world of extreme interest. She makes much out of the intrigue so that although it's really economics, it's still interesting. She works her way around marketing so that it's suddenly as moving as a love scene.