SYLVAN DELL PUBLISHING TO OFFER SEVENTY EBOOKS FREE IN HONOR OF READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY
Mount Pleasant, S.C. (Feb. 29, 2011)–Sylvan Dell Publishing will be participating in Read Across America Day by offering all of its award-winning eBooks FREE to read at www.sylvandellpublishing.com on March 2. Participants will have access to Sylvan Dell’s full eBook Site License including eBooks with auto-flip, auto-read, and selectable English and Spanish text and audio. This is in addition to the free activities available every day including a “For Creative Minds” educational section, 40-70 pages of free teaching activities, three quizzes, and a related websites page for each title.
Sylvan Dell co-owner and editor Donna German states, “We are proud to offer children a simple way to participate in Read Across America Day. By offering our full eBook Site License we also make it easy not only for children to read and explore our great books, but we make it easy for parents and teachers to use each book as stepping stone to learning with our “For Creative Minds” section and our free teaching activities.”
Sylvan Dell Publishing’s mission is to excite children’s imaginations with artistically spectacular science, math, and nature-themed stories. Founded in November of 2004, Sylvan Dell has grown to include more than 75 authors and illustrators in the United States and Canada, and 70 titles—honored as finalists or winners of over 70 book awards. Sylvan Dell’s Science and Math Through Literature Program integrates science, math, geography, character skills, and language learning through fun, cross-curricular activities.
To participate in Sylvan Dell Publishing’s Read Across America eBook event, simply visit www.sylvandellpublishing.com on March 2and click on the Read Across America icon in the upper right-hand corner of the website. For questions or concerns, call Sylvan Dell Publishing directly at (877) 243-3457 or email info@sylvandellpublishing.com.
If you have tweeny boys, or girls for that matter, that love adventure then they will get along with Adam and Justin, two cousins, in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab really well. However, they aren't seeking the adventure they are put into. If you love everything about Egypt, desert storms, pyramids, their dress and culture, whatever it is then this is a good book for you. I thought the book started out on the slow side; it took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did get into it I almost couldn't put it down. Now I can't wait to see what the next adventure that Adam and Justin might come into contact with.
A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. They survive terrifying dangers in a hostile environment (such as a giant cobra, as well as sinking sand), pursued by enemies in their quest to solve the secret of the sacred scarab. They must translate the hieroglyphic clues on the underside of the scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza, before time runs out. They must also learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another!
Young explorers will enjoy an interactive journey through Egypt, following Justin and Adam’s exciting adventure on www.secretofthesacredscarab.com. Readers can also browse the first chapter of the book. Those who survive the journey and manage to translate the Curse of Thoth will be able to read the first chapter in Adam and Justin’s next adventure—The Search for the Stone of Excalibur—as they hunt for the Scroll of the Ancients.
The Secret of the Sacred Scarab has received the following awards:
Book Award Nominations & Wins:
Finalist Children’s Fiction USA Next Generation 2009 Indie Book Awards
Finalist Juvenile Fiction USA National Best Books 2009 Awards
Winner Pre-Teen USA 2009 Readers’ Favorites Awards
Number 2 in the USA Children’s & Teens Book Connection Top Ten Favourite Books of 2009 for Kids, Tweens & Teens
Winner Silver Medal Teen Fiction 2010 Nautilus Book Awards
Finalist Children’s Fiction 2010 International Book Awards
Winner Bronze Medal Pre-Teen Fiction 2010 Moonbeam Book Awards
Finalist 2011 Rubery Book Awards
Winner Gold Award Mystery Pre-Teen 2011 Children’s Literary Classics Awards
Although Fiona Ingram has been a journalist for the last fifteen years, writing a children’s book—The Secret of the Sacred Scarab—was an unexpected step, inspired by a recent trip to Egypt. The tale of the sacred scarab began life as a little anecdotal tale for her 2 nephews (then 10 and 12), who had accompanied her on the Egyptian trip. This short story grew into an award-winning children’s book, the first in the adventure series Chronicles of the Stone. The author has already completed the next book in the series—The Search for the Stone of Excalibur—a huge treat for young King Arthur fans.
Although Fiona Ingram does not have children of her own, she has an adopted teenage foster child, from an underprivileged background who is just discovering the joys of reading for pleasure. Fiona’s experiences in teaching her daughter to read has resulted in her interest in child literacy and in creating ways to get kids more interested in reading, as well as helping parents to instil a love of reading in their children.
Naturally, Fiona is a voracious reader and has been from early childhood. Her interests include literature, art, theatre, collecting antiques, animals, music, and films. She loves travel and has been fortunate to have lived in Europe (while studying) and America (for work). She has travelled widely and fulfilled many of her travel goals.
Fiona’s latest book is the middle grade adventure novel, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab – Book 1 in the Chronicles of the Stone series.
It was posted as a children's book; however, I believe any aged person will learn from Jekyll's thoughts throughout this book. He has advice for all ages from 1-99 and beyond. You'll get wise advice and wisdom from a cat's point-of-view when you read this book. If you need advice for the day just look to Jekyll....he will give advice from eating habits to bathing to dressing (fashion) and attitudes; he has it all covered in one book. The illustrations are just as cute as the messages that Jekyell gives. Instead of Dear Abby it is Jekyell says... oh to have the life of a cat.
“Jekyll Says …” (Good Deeds Cats Do That You Should, Too!) is a series of amusing and educational poems told from the perspective of a wise and warm-hearted cat named Jekyll. Each perky poem epitomizes something about Jekyll’s vivacious personality and the lessons he teaches are designed to encourage people of all ages to be healthy and happy.
The poems in “Jekyll Says …” consist of rhyming couplets with equal syllables. They have a merry meter and rip-roaring rhythms which make them lively and lyrical and fun to read (or sometimes sing!) aloud.
More than anything, “Jekyll Says …” is perfect for Cat Lovers of all ages, as well as anyone who has ever known and/or loved a companion animal. This book is also appealing to those who desire a break from their busy lives and who want to read something that is joyous and uplifting.
Profits from the sale of this book benefit animal adoption, care, liberation, rescue, and welfare organizations.
D.C. Blackbird is an American poet, songwriter, and author, along with being a world-renowned adventurer and traveler to places that stamp passports with bark and tree sap. In case you never heard, D.C. is one of the world’s greatest feather & leaf jugglers and has performed this great skill before Royal Courts throughout Europe as well as in diners throughout New Jersey between snacking on corn muffins.
You probably know that D.C. is the best-selling author of titles that include: Jekyll Says … (Good Deeds Cats Do, That You Should, To!), Jekyll Says More! (Lessons & Trends For Felines & Friends), and Dreaming of Kittyland, but there is more to this remarkable human being, so please don’t just judge D.C. by the pretty words.
Blackbird is one of “those vegans” you have probably heard about and maybe you have even seen hanging out at health stores ordering wheat grass juice. But don’t worry! D.C. does not glow in the dark (except after drinking grape juice), but veganism IS contagious. You have been warned.
Oh, yeah, and D.C. is also one of those animal-loving folks that cares for dogs, cats, birds, and runs into traffic with a cardboard box to save turtles in the middle of the road.
If you ask nicely, D.C. Blackbird may be available to come to your home for Roasted Tempeh and Marzipan treats.
Courtney Walsh is a published author, scrapbooker, theater director, and playwright. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, will be followed by two additional novels in the series. She’s also written two papercrafting books, Scrapbooking Your Faith and The Busy Scrapper. Courtney has been a contributing editor for Memory Makers Magazine and Children’s Ministry Magazine and is a frequent contributor to Group Publishing curriculum. She works as the PR Manager for Webster’s Pages from her home in Colorado, where she lives with her husband and three kids, who range in age from 4 to 10. Courtney drinks entirely too much coffee.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Suzanne's daughter, Campbell, journeys there in search of answers to her questions about her mother's history.Suzanne's three friends-Lila, Jane, and Meghan-were torn apart by long-buried secrets and heartbreak. Though they haven't spoken in years, each has pieces of a scrapbook they made together in Sweethaven. Suzanne's letters have lured them all back to the idyllic lakeside town, where they meet Campbell and begin to remember what was so special about their long Sweethaven summers. As the scrapbook reveals secrets one by one, old wounds are mended, lives are changed, and friendships are restored-just as Suzanne intended.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My teaser today is little different. I'm going to post a picture of one page of the book for my teaser. Did that make sense???? probably not. click on the picture to make it large enough to read....
taken from this book.... see my review and tour today here.
be sure to check out the tour schedule as there are giveaways for copies of this book.
If you asked me to describe my dream home, without pause I'd respond, "My dream home would be an old vacant library where I would remove all the fixtures except the bathroom and the bookshelves and then I'd move my bed and desk into the center and start filling the shelves with my books." At which point you would stare at me quizzically.
My love affair with books and the library began as a child and continues to this very day. I remember as an elementary student begging my mother to take me to the library. She'd pull up to the curb in front and let me out, reminding me she would be back in an hour. Every time, I'd race up three sets of steps, fling open the double doors, run inside and stop. I would stand perfectly still and inhale the fragrance of the books. True love.
The library was my refuge. It provided a safe and silent haven from the noise and chaos of my home. But more than that, it opened doors for me, doors to the past, doors to the future, doors of adventure, and doors of romance, most importantly doors of wisdom.
I learned so much at the library. I learned that as a woman I could be brave and bold like Amelia Earhart or save lives like Florence Nightingale or Clara Barton. I could write poetry like Elizabeth Barrett Browning or books like Jane Austen. The library gave me hope!
Over the years I have continued to be a library patron. Sometimes I take my laptop and head to the library to work on a project. With the world at my fingertips, both digitally and in hard copy, I can research any topic to my heart’s content. Hardly a Saturday goes by that you cannot find me at some point in the day at the local library, perusing the new arrivals for the week.
Or sometimes I just sit quietly in one of the easy chairs wishing that the books could talk and wondering what they would say if they could tell the stories behind the stories.
I may never have the unusual, almost bizarre, home of my dreams. But the library is still my refuge, affording me a place that’s safe and silent, where dreams are born and hope exists.
Gerry Wakeland is the President and CEO of CLASSEMINARS, Inc. She loves helping Christian communicators identify their passion, clarify their vision and define their mission so that they can articulate God’s message effectively. Gerry is the mother of two grown daughters and grandmother to three precious grandsons. She makes her home in the land of enchantment, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her favorite pastime is reading and one of her favorite places is the public library.
In March, the CLASS website will release news of the 2012 Christian Writers Conference: www.classeminars.org. Come meet Gerry and the rest of the CLASS faculty there!
This article content is provided free of charge by the author through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications.
(I will be hosting sometime in 2013 she is that far booked ahead)
This week I hit the jackpot with books. I can't believe. They all came in one week......and one I had to go hunting for because my teenage daughter took it no sooner than it was out of the envelope.
Q: I recently lost a lot of weight and started high school at the same time. I'm getting all sorts of attention from boys, and I just don't know what to do about it because it's so new to me. I kind of like it. . .but I'm nervous. What should I do?
That's a question I would have asked if I'd written to Girl Talk at the start of my freshman year of high school. But, I didn't know to ask. I didn't know I was facing a challenge. I simply reacted to things as I faced them. And I made mistakes. Many of them.
Each of us has a set of experiences and circumstances, some within our control, and some not, that shapes the way we look at choices, temptation, sin, peer pressure, and everything that comes up along the way. If we can help prepare girls before they find themselves staring peer pressure in the face, they'll feel more equipped to stand strong. To say NO to whatever life throws at them.
Why girls?
Hmm. What is it about girls? That's a great question. I guess I relate to them because I am one. But, more than that, I have an ache in my heart that wants to help 'em out. I've said it 1000 times, but I'll say it 1000 more, I'm sure. It's the memory of the poor choices I made as a teen, and the results of those choices, that motivates me to help today's teenagers avoid those same mistakes.
And bad decisions are one thing, but there's also the stuff girls deal with that they have no control over: Divorce, Abuse, Loss, Grief, Illness, financial strain, etc. . .etc. . . Those life-altering circumstances make it even more difficult for girls to stand against the pressure when all they want is friendship, acceptance, and love.
It takes pro-active, intentional effort to make the necessary preparations to help teens combat peer pressure.
That's why my daughters and I started the Girl Talk Column on my blog. We wanted to give girls a place they could go with those tough questions about life. The column grew and the questions built up to the point when we, along with Barbour Publishing, decided to put 180 questions from readers and our answers into a book. But it's not just any book--the vibrant, trendy format has a scrapbook-y feel as each page is full color with graphics galore. Take a look at the trailer to get a better feel for what it looks like:
And here's some info right from the back cover:
Q: My mom is always on me about what I wear. I just don’t see why it should matter to her. I mean, she got to wear the things she wanted to wear when she was young–the styles are different now, though. She won’t let me wear any shirts that show even a fraction of my stomach, and I have to actually bend over in jeans to prove to her that nothing shows in the back—if you know what I mean. She even says there’s stuff in the Bible about the way to dress right. Is that true? What should I do to change her mind?
Q: I have a friend who is pretty skinny, but she thinks she’s fat. . . . I actually heard her make herself throw up in the school bathroom a couple of times. What should I do about it? Or is it none of my business?
It’s Time for Some Girl Talk! . . .
Popular blogging trio—mother, Nicole O’Dell, along with daughters, Emily and Natalie—offer trustworthy, biblically-based advice for all your ups, downs, and in-betweens. Culled from actual questions they’ve encountered on their blog site, this fabulous resource offers real-life helps for issues including relationships, character, body image, fashion, gossip, and more. You’ll find 180 questions along with answers and related scripture selections that will both encourage and challenge you in your faith walk.
Nat, Em, and I hope you'll pass this resource along to the teens in your life. Also, the Girl Talk column is ongoing. You can write to us with your questions anytime! Contact us here.
And if you'd like to win a copy of Girl Talk, signed by all three of us, just leave a comment here. Tweeting about this post will earn you another entry if you let us know you did. I'd also love it if you signed up for my Choices e-Zine/newsletter, too--that will earn you a third entry!
Remember, it's all about choices!
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Nicole O'Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Teen Talk Radio, is a mom of six—ranging from 20 all the way down to a set of toddler triplets. She writes fiction for teens including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates Series. Her nonfiction focuses on helping teens make good choices and bridging the gap in parent/teen communication. On Teen Talk Radio, Nicole talks with teens and special guests about the real issues young people face today, and she loves getting out among teens and parents when speaking at youth groups and conferences. Visit www.nicoleodell.com or www.facebook.com/nicoleodell.
Emily is a straight-A fifth grader at Eastlawn School in Paxton, IL. She lives with her mom, stepdad, three sisters, and two broth- ers. Never found without her iPod, Emily loves to dance and sing. She’s a busy girl who enjoys swimming, skateboarding, and hanging out with friends. She’s active in her community and local church, and plans to be a teacher when she grows up.
Natalie is an honor student in the eighth grade at PBL Middle School in Paxton, IL. The oldest daughter of six kids, Natalie is a very loving and hands-on big sister. She’s passionate about her walk with Christ, and almost as passionate about the game of volleyball. She holds first- chair clarinet in the school band and looks forward to high school marching band. At this point, Natalie aspires to a career in the culinary arts, but is open to other possibilities.
I just received this book in the mail yesterday so I haven't had too much time to spend on reviewing the book; however, it does look like a most wonderful book. Questions and Answers from teen girls written by mother/daughters team. From what I've seen glancing through the book it looks like an excellent resource to have on hand for those issues that are bound to come to light in your daughters life. The question is asked and then it is responded to by one of the daughters (either Natalie or Emily) and also Nicole, mom, answers the question from a mom's prospective. Each Q&A has a scripture tagged to it that goes along with the question. Below is a sample page of the book. If you click on the picture it should blow it up so you can read it. Also feel free to watch the video trailer below. Visit Nicole with some Qs&As here. I hope that I can review more of her upcoming books. My teeny has read Nicole's Swept Away book and The Wishing Pearl. She has totally enjoyed them.
Here is a page of the Table of contents:
(again click on the image to blow it up)
"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become." -C.S. Lewis
