When You Meet a Dragon - Children's Book

 

Title: When You Meet a Dragon

Author: Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Illustrator: Udayana Lugo

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers

Publication Date: April 16, 2024

Reading/Interest Level - Grades K - 2

About the Author
Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the award-winning author of more than thirty books for children and young adults. 
Udayana Lugo is a self-taught illustrator of mixed heritage. 

It Takes A Village
Things look very bleak when a young girl sees a huge dragon in the sky above her. She knows she can't fight the dragon alone, so she starts recruiting friends, family, and community members to help her. She finds people of all races, ages, and ethnic groups to help fight the dragon. There are even animals that join the fight. 

This is a difficult battle but the girl and her friends do not give up. The dragon eventually grows tired and flies away. The girl knows that the dragon could return, but she also knows that she has nothing to fear.

My Thoughts
This is a wonderful story that spotlights the values of resiliency, perseverance, and courage. The young girl organizes a group of determined people who refuse to give up. I love the diversity of the people in the town. This is my favorite quote;

"You and your friends keep each other going. 'Don't give up,' you say. 'We can't give up!' You say it even when everything is dark. You whisper it when you're scared. You repeat it to anyone who will listen. We won't give up."

 The illustrations are outstanding and add great value to the story. 

The story ends on a positive note because the girl knows she is not alone.

MY RATING: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an excellent reading opportunity.

Finding Happy Starts With a Decision

Finding Happy: 10 Keys to Living an Extraordinary Life

Author: Chad Kneller

Publisher: Clovercroft Publishing

Publication Date: October 1, 2018

Length: 124 pages








About the Author
Chad Kneller is the founder and CEO of Made For More Inc; a company dedicated to bridge the gap between reality and possibilities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Mr. Kneller served as an Army officer after pursuing a music career in the rock and roll industry.

Resilience, Perseverance and Faith
Mr. Kneller has penned a book that is both memoir and motivational. He defines ten keys that will help you find happiness and live a rewarding and fulfilling life. 

The author tells how he went from failure in his early years to fortune by becoming a successful husband, father, businessman and leader. 

My Thoughts
I want to begin by thanking Mr. Kneller for his service to our country. He served two stints in the U.S. Army and completed the requirements to earn his college degree and become an Army officer. As a military mother, I have a great deal of respect for his hard work and dedication to our country.

The author is very transparent about the mistakes and bad choices he made as a young man. However, he was able to put these things behind him and work hard to achieve a better life for himself and his family.

Mr. Kneller boldly credits his Christian faith for giving him strength and guidance to become the man he is today. He shares passages from the Bible to support his quest for finding happiness and joy.

"Finding happy starts with a decision. It's deciding you are going to be happy and starting off each day with an attitude of gratitude...The key is deciding to be happy."

This book gives you motivation, inspiration, encouragement, and journaling prompts to help you reflect on what you read. "Finding Happy" is an excellent selection to get the new year off to a great start.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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The Pillow Parade Teaches Children About Passion and Resilience - A Book Review

The Pillow Parade: Children's Bedtime Book

Author: Edward Dron

Illustrator: Hong Anh

Publisher: Noisy Orchard Press

Publication Date: December 9, 2017

Length: 38 Pages


About the Author
Ed Dron enjoys writing fun little stories that capture a child’s short attention span. He loves the challenge of condensing a story into as few words as possible, without losing its charm or narrative.

Ed believes that, first and foremost, a children’s book needs to be fun. It should not only nurture their curiosity but also spark a lifelong love of books and reading.

No Sleep - No Problem!
Olive the rabbit loves to leap and bounce all over the place. One day, she meets a sheep and challenges him to a race. He does not have time to race because he is late to his jumping club.

Members of the Pillow Parade Jumping Club jump over a fence to help children fall asleep at night. Everyone knows that counting sheep will make you sleepy, right?

Olive wants to join the jumping club because of her passion for jumping and her desire to help the children. Unfortunately, only sheep are allowed to join the jumping club. Olive is a rabbit and would not be accepted in this exclusive club for sheep.

Olive does not let this rejection get her down and she does not give up. She BOUNCES into action and hatches a great plan for helping children who are not able to see the sheep jumping over the fence because they live in a tall apartment building.

But, Olive did not pout or cry.
She simply smiled and waved goodbye.
And as a clever bunny would,
She had a plan that was quite good.

Olive becomes an honorary member of the Pillow Parade Jumping Club because of her great jumping skill and her kind heart.

Never Give Up Until You Are Proud
This book illustrates a wonderful growth mindset and the power of passion, perseverance and resilience. 

The rhyming text is fun and the beautiful color illustrations provide value to the story. I read a digital version of this book on a 7" Kindle ereader and the formatting is very good.  

This book is a bedtime story for children and so much more. Rejection is very difficult to deal with for children (and adults). We all want to be accepted and embrace a feeling of belonging. When Olive was not allowed to join the Pillow Parade Jumping Club, she immediately started thinking about "Plan B". She did not waste time feeling sorry for herself or getting revenge on those who rejected her. She "had a plan that was quite good."

I highly recommend this book for children of all ages.  

My Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS

FYI ~ The author sent me a free digital copy of this book and asked me for an honest review. 

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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth - A Review

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Author: Angela Duckworth

Publisher: Scribner

Publication Date: May 3, 2016

Length: 353 pages




About the Author
Angela Duckworth, PhD, is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the founder of the Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development in children. 

“Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.” 
Grit has two components: passion and perseverance.
Passion means having enduring interest in the job you are doing.
Perseverance means being persistent and never giving up.

Are You Gritty?
Dr. Angela Duckworth developed the Grit Scale to measure an individual's grit score. The Grit Scale correctly predicted which cadets at West Point would pass the Beast Barracks, which National Spelling Bee participants would advance to the next rounds and which sales people would be able to retain their jobs. 
I encourage you to test your grit level by completing this short survey.

“as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.” 
Effort helps develop skill. Talent x Effort = Skill
Effort also helps put our skills to good use. Skill x Effort = Achievement.

Interest, Practice, Purpose and Hope
You must be passionate about something that interests you most.
Practice requires that you do things that interest you better than you did yesterday.
It is essential to identify how your work is connected to your own well-being and the well-being of others.
We must be able to get up after a setback. Hope prevails. Hope is an expectation that things will be better tomorrow.

My Thoughts
I was introduced to the work of Angela Duckworth in the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization on Coursera. 

This book offers many examples about how effort, perseverance and resilience play important roles in achievement and success. Finding something that you are passionate about is the key. It is natural to want to practice and improve skills that you are passionate about. After many years of effort and practice, you can use your skills for the greater good of society.

In our public schools, the children who have the highest IQ scores are often put in special "gifted and talented" classes. It is good to challenge children who have natural talent, but Dr. Duckworth found that these gifted students sometimes lack the grit that is needed for academic and professional success. Grit is not the only predictor of future success but it is an important part of the equation.

The chapter on gritty parenting gives some specific strategies that can be implemented to encourage the development of grit in children. These same strategies could be used by teachers. Parents should be demanding and supportive of their children. Wise parents are loving, warm, respectful and demanding. Children will emulate their parents, so parents must demonstrate perseverance and passion for their own personal goals. 

Dr. Duckworth believes that you can grow grit from "the inside out" by developing your most passionate interests with practice, purpose and hope. Grit can be grown from "the outside in" by seeking guidance and direction from parents, coaches, teachers, mentors and friends.

There is a reading list at the end of this book that provides more information on the topics that are covered in this book. My goal is to be a "gritty reader" and read all the books listed in this bibliography. 

I found this book fascinating and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subjects of psychology, achievement and success.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I read a print copy of this book from my public library.

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Book Review: The Day I Met Dr. Seuss by Anne Emerick

The Day I Met Dr. Seuss

Author: Anne Emerick

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Date: September 8, 2012

Print Length: 22 Pages



About The Author
Anne Emerick is a self-published author of 10 books for the Kindle e-reader. She writes a blog that helps other authors with self-publishing and marketing issues.

A Dream to Meet Dr. Seuss
This ebook began with an "Author's Note" that told about Ms. Emerick's admiration and strong desire to meet Dr. Seuss when she was a child. She actually wrote a letter to Dr. Seuss in 1989 and asked for an appointment and interview. She received a polite letter from a secretary saying that Dr. Seuss was not available for an interview.

This is a rhyming fiction story about a girl who met Dr. Seuss.  The girl in the story was named Annie G. Magee and she had her heart set on meeting Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss).

Annie traveled to California and did not give up until she met Dr. Seuss and asked him to reveal his secret for coming up with the ideas for his stories.

The author listed some interesting facts about Dr. Seuss at the end of the story.

My Thoughts
I am a HUGE Dr. Seuss fan and I loved reading his books to children when I worked as a school librarian. I could never go wrong with a Dr. Seuss book!

"The Day I Met Dr. Seuss" was a delightful story with rhyming words and a very believable plot. The girl in this story displayed persistence and perseverance in her quest to meet and interview her favorite author.

The Author's Notes at the beginning and end of the story were very interesting and showed that Ms. Emerick also displayed persistence and perseverance in her quest in getting this story published.

This would be an excellent story to share with children and encourage them to think about questions they would like to ask their favorite author.

I recommend this short story to readers of all ages. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI - I downloaded this ebook during a free promotion on Amazon.Com. Please check the current price before purchasing.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Caarina the Cooking Fairy by Julia Dweck

Caarina the Cooking Fairy (KiteReaders Fairy Series)

 

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Gemini

 

Publisher: KiteReaders

 

Date: December 1, 2012

 

 

 

About The Author

Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Fairy Cook vs Gremlin
Caarina is the best cook in the fairy kingdom. She lives among the master chefs and learns all of their techniques.

One day, the Fairy Queen decides the fairies need a special feast. Caarina is given the honor of cooking for all the other fairies.

Unfortunately, a wicked gremlin decides to ruin everything that Caarina cooks. He dumps salt into the food cooking on the stove, he pricks her yeast bread and makes it fall and he pours hot pepper onto her honey cake!

Caarina does not know what is causing all of these mishaps. She is confident in her cooking skills but can't understand what is going wrong.

Suddenly, she hears a small gremlin laugh. She knows that she must use her wits to defeat this pesky little creature. Caarina cooks up a special brew that she hopes will cause the gremlin to flee.

Will Caarina outsmart the gremlin? Will Caarina prove that she is the best cook around?

My Thoughts
This is an excellent story for the young cooks (both male and female) in your family. Caarina is determined to prove that she is up to the task that the Fairy Queen assigned her. Caarina demonstrates intelligence, determination and persistence is this delightful story.

I read this story on my Kindle Fire. The story is designed with a landscape orientation and full-screen illustrations. There are four lines of rhyming text on each screen view.

Gemini did a fantastic job with the illustrations in this book. The soft colors in the background contrast with the bright facial features of the characters. Children will notice the details in the pictures...it looks like Caarina is always surrounded by fairy dust.

I recommend this book for children of all ages. Caarina demonstrates what it takes to overcome adversity and make a dream come true!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ This story is a FREE ebook on Amazon.Com TODAY! These promotions do not last long so grab a copy NOW!

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Children's Book Review: Dream Something Big; The Story of the Watts Towers



Dream Something Big [The Story of the Watts Towers]

Author: Dianna Hutts Aston
Illustrator: Susan L. Roth
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers

Date: August 18, 2011





About The Author
Dianna Hutts Aston is the author of many books for children. In addition to writing for children, Dianna has established an annual Teen Writer’s Workshop for underprivileged Mexican teens and manages her non-profit foundation, The Oz Project.

The Towers
Between 1921 and 1955, Italian immigrant Simon Rodia transformed broken glass, seashells, pottery, and a dream to "do something big" into a U.S. National Landmark. Readers watch the Watts Towers rise from his little plot of land in Watts, California, through the eyes of a fictional girl. 

The story is illustrated with beautiful collages made from cut and torn paper, cloth, fibers and other "found" things.

My Thoughts
I had never heard of The Watts Towers until I read this picture book. I am astounded and amazed that one man could accomplish this task. Simon Rodia was a pioneer in reusing and recycling discarded items to create something new and unique. He worked on this project for over thirty years! I can just imagine what his neighbors were thinking.

The towers are now a National Historic Landmark and are considered an example of non-traditional vernacular architecture and American folk art.

This book does a great job presenting American history, art and architecture in a way that children will find interesting and fun. There is a section at the end of the book that shows children how to create their own Watts Tower from pipe cleaners, assorted beads and buttons, magazine clippings and foam shapes.

This is an excellent story of possibility and perseverance for children of all ages.
Highly Recommended.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I checked-out this book from my local public library. I {{heart}} my public library!

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Book Review: Spectacular Comeback by Harry Munns

Spectacular Comeback; The revolutionary, 24 day program that will rebuild your life one step at a time

Author: Harry Munns
Published: Paramax Productions, Inc.
Date: July, 2012




About the Author
Harry Munns has spent his adult life traveling, observing and recording the world around him. The richness and depth of those experiences make up the substance of Spectacular Comeback. He's known around the world as a best-selling author, lecturer and coach. He lives in southern California with his son Micky.

The Program
This book is actually a program that gives readers 24 daily exercises that include recording personal information, setting goals and developing a strategy to acomplish the goals. Readers learn how to de-clutter their lives and adopt habits that will increase productivity and improve their overall situations. Each exercise builds on the one that came before it. Readers who work through the program will experience a feeling of accomplishment as they begin to take positive, decisive action to help themselves.

This book tells about portions of Mr. Munns' journey from a life of contentment through a period of loss and despair then back to a state of hope and promise.
He has taken the material that he learned from these experiences and organized them into a self-guided course. Mr. Munns shares several case studies about people who have been down on their luck but achieve a spectacular comeback through hard work, determination and perseverance.

The program has a companion workbook to use with the course. It follows the text and provides space for each daily exercise.

My Thoughts
Do you feel like you need a fresh start?
Do you feel like you are spinning your wheels and never accomplishing your goals?
Perhaps you need a Spectacular Comeback!

This program is designed to rebuild your life one step at a time. The author explains how to clear your mind and environment of clutter and things that might delay or disrupt your plans for a spectacular comeback.

When you are ready to make your spectacular comeback your top priority, the author guides you through the steps of setting goals, recruiting help and creating a strategy.

The bottom line is that you get out of a program like this exactly what you put into it. If you are willing to work at this program as if it were your job, then it will be a tremendous help in putting you on the road to success.

The author states that his program is not based on psychology but lessons that he has learned in the school of life. Highly recommended to all who are seeking a spectacular comeback and are willing to do some serious work.

This program is available from the Spectacular Comeback site for the price of $19.95. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ Mr. Munns sent me a complimentary book and workbook to read and review.

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My Wild Hiking Journey

A good book will sometimes inspire you and change your life in a special way. It might motivate you to take the first steps toward making your goal a reality. It might change your thinking and help you see the world as a friendlier place. I was pleasantly surprised when my husband agreed to read "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed (Oprah's Book Club Version 2). I read the book on my Kindle and he read on his iPad. We didn't always read at the same time but we stayed together and finished the book on the same day.

We were inspired to take our own hike after we read about Cheryl Strayed's journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. We chose the 6.8 mile Chinquapin Trail at Huntsville State Park. This was the second time that we hiked this trail. The first time I suffered a nasty fall and decided that hiking was not my cup of tea. I also have to cope with the fact that I have two metal plates in my right leg.

Dean and I decided we were up for the challenge so we arrived at the park at 11:00 am on Saturday morning. I was equipped with three bottles of Gatorade and an old broom handle that I was going to use as a walking stick (no more falls!). The temperature was in the mid-90s and the heat was major factor that we had to deal with.

I really like the following quote from "Wild"....this explains exactly how an adventure like this can change your attitude;

Miles weren't things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate struggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and stretched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet hitting the trail one step at a time and the click of my ski pole. The PCT had taught me what a mile was. I was humble before each and every one.

I think I hit the "wall" at the 5.5 mile marker. I still had more than a mile to go and I wasn't sure I could make it. I was hot, my leg hurt and all the Gatorade was gone. My husband encouraged me to "finish strong." He told me that I could make it. I was praying for strength to take one more step. I really learned the meaning of a mile in that last hour of the hike.

I made it to the end and I am glad that I pushed myself to do somthing out of my comfort zone. If I can do this, there must be other challenges waiting to be conquered if I am willing to stay the course.

Are you ready to break out of your comfort zone and attempt some new challenges?

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Book Review: Wild by Cheryl Strayed (Oprah's Book Club)

Wild (Oprah's Book Club 2.0 Digital Edition): From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Author: Cheryl Strayed

Publisher: Knopf (June 1, 2012)

About the Author
Cheryl Strayed is the author of three books: WILD, a memoir , TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, a selection of her "Dear Sugar" columns from TheRumpus.net, and TORCH, a novel .
She holds an MFA in fiction writing from Syracuse University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota.



A Life Lost And Found
Cheryl Strayed was dealing with grief and a loss of direction in her life. She could not move forward because she was stuck in the muck of the past. Her mother had died of cancer, her family had scattered and her marriage was broken. One day she noticed a booklet about Pacific Crest Trail in a store where she was shopping. She later went back and bought the booklet and started planning a trip that would change her life forever.

This book is a true story about Cheryl Strayed's solitary hike from California to Washington state. She did not have any hiking experience but her spirit was compelling her to do this. She learned that she was stronger and more courageous than she ever imagined. She completed the 1100 mile hike and escaped the demons that had haunted her in the past.

My Thoughts
Cheryl Strayed shared the physical and spiritual journey that she experienced when she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995. I had never heard of this trail and knew very little about hiking and camping when I started this book.

I felt like I was hiking right along with Cheryl as she faced heat, cold, hunger, loneliness, pain and many other challenges on the trail. She expressed the feelings that we all feel when we doubt ourselves and our capabilities. She was not defeated by the hardships that she faced during her journey. She proved to herself that she had what it takes to survive and thrive in a world that sometimes seems hostile and dangerous. She did not give up when she found herself in seemingly hopeless situations.

Cheryl had been running from herself and her feelings for her entire life. This journey gave her time to be alone and realize that her life was just as it should be and that she could accept herself just the way she was.

This book will challenge you to try things that are difficult. It will inspire you to do the impossible. The questions and comments in the Oprah's Book Club edition of this book are excellent. This is the kind of book that you will want to share with your friends and family members. Highly Recommended!

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased this digital book with my own funds. The large link at the top of this post is my Amazon affiliate link.

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Book Review: Santa Flies A Bushplane

A 9-year-old Alaskan boy finds two large packages in the middle of a snowy field.
Did they fall from Santa's sleigh?

"Santa Flies A Bushplane; a Christmas Revelation", by Lance Brodie, is a touching story about a young boy's quest to find Santa Claus....and the real meaning of Christmas.

Where Is Santa?
A young Alaskan boy's sister tells him that Santa Claus does not exist. The boy is determined to prove her wrong.

Lance finds two large Christmas packages in the middle of a snowy field. The packages are right out in the open and have large red ribbons on them. He believes these presents must have fallen from Santa's sleigh and some unfortunate children would be very disappointed on Christmas morning.

The boy decides to open the boxes to see if he could find out where the packages came from. There are no toys in these packages. Instead, he finds baby bottles, infant formula, a disassembled wheelchair, old eyeglasses, some pills and metal leg braces.

Lance knows that these packages must have been going to a hospital or orphanage where they will be urgently needed.  He knows that he has to chase Santa Claus down and get these packages back into his hands, or die in the attempt.

My Thoughts
The boy embarks on an amazing adventure to find Santa and return the packages before it is too late. He displays perseverance, courage and determination in his quest to return these packages to the original owner.

This short Christmas story is a FANTASTIC read for the entire family. It proves that Santa Claus really does exist and he has many helpers. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com ~ I received the book while it was offered as a FREE digital download. Please check the price before ordering.

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