Wanda Luthman's Blog, page 28
April 9, 2018
Sugar Foote and the Magic Crown by Anitra Ferguson
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Hello, everyone!
I would like to introduce you to Anitra Ferguson today. She writes amazing children’s books with wonderful messages for kids.
Please welcome, Anitra!
Hello, My name is Anitra Ferguson and I am a native Texan. I was born and raised in Paris,Texas. However I currently reside in Fort Worth , Texas. I have always had a fascination with words and a passion for writing.
I hope to inspire people to pursue their passions and dreams at any age. I write urban fiction and children’s literature. My first book was self published in 2016 through Xlibris. My current book Sugar Foote and the Magic Crown was published in 2017 geared toward promoting self esteem in young girls.
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I believe that if we gain that self awareness and pride in self at a young age we will a better chance in navigating through life as we get older.
Purchase Sugar Foote and the Magic Crown on Amazon or CreateSpace
Connect with Anitra on Facebook
Check out Anitra’s website here
Thank you, Anitra, for being with us today and sharing about your newest book, Sugar Foote and the Magic Crown!
And thank you, everyone, for stopping in and reading my blog post today! I appreciate each and every one of you!!
April 5, 2018
Children Love Franky the Flamingo!
[image error]Mrs. Laynie Fulton, Teacher at Dr. W. J. Creel Elementary School pictured reading to her students
I have to tell you the life of an author is an exciting one! You just never know which twist and turn is going to occur on any given day.
About 2-3 years ago, I met a lovely retired elementary school teacher at a craft fair I was doing. One of my very first and I was quite nervous talking to people. But, her and I, well, we just clicked. Her name is Rita Hewett.
She is part of a fabulous group of retired teachers who purchase books and then find a matching toy to go with it. They package the book and toy together and then give them away for FREE to children who would otherwise not have a book of their own.
I think they are amazing and I wanted to be part of it!
So, I donated my books to Rita and she found toys to put with them.
Well, when my recent book, Franky the Finicky Flamingo, finally came out in paperback in January, I wanted to get her a copy. She lives about 35 minutes south of me. We were trying to find a weekend and just things weren’t lining up.
Then, my first order or books sold out before I could get her one. So, I ordered a second set and we tried to match our schedules again.
Finally, I said to her that I didn’t know when I was going to get down her way and could I just put it in the mail to her. She had an even better idea and told me to put it in the school courier since I work in a school and she has a friend at a school who agreed to receive it for her.
Guess who that person was? Yup! Mrs. Laynie Fulton, pictured above! Turns out, she is a flamingo lover herself and their classroom mascot is Mrs. Fulton’s Flamingos. When she realized the book she was receiving for Rita was about a flamingo she asked if she could read it to her class.
You know as an author there’s nothing better we like to hear, right?!
“Yes, yes, please read it to your children!!”
She did read it and even sent me pictures!!
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Mrs. Fulton wearing her pink class t-shirt with their logo on it and there’s Mrs. Fulton’s Flamingo sitting right alongside her enjoying the book too!
And she actually when one step further and had the children write a response to the story!! They drew cute pictures of Franky and wrote what they liked best about the book.
[image error]Children’s written responses and drawings of Franky the Finicky Flamingo (the one coloring page pictured was actually from a different class visit but I loved it, so wanted to share it too!)
Wow! What fun it is to be an author and see your book being read to children and seeing them enjoying it! And then receiving their cute drawings and reading what they enjoyed about your book!
Here are some of the things they said,
“I like the part that he got light pink”
I like the part that Franky did not like the food”
“I like the part he did not eat the worm” (and they had a cute little worm drawn saying, “don’t eat me!”)
“The book was funny”
“Thank you for making this story”
I am truly blessed!
Thank Mrs. Laynie Fulton for your generosity in taking your time to share Franky the Finicky Flamingo with your students and having them write/draw responses to me. I appreciate it more than you can know.
And thank you, Rita Hewett, my dear friend, whose support I appreciate so much! You are a gem! You knew what you were doing when you asked me to send my flamingo book to your friend, Mrs. Fulton.
April 4, 2018
My Books are Going to a National Convention!!
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I’m so excited!! Dr. Valerie Allen, whom you all know as our favorite school psychologist, (she has a regular post on this blog) was awarded a Tiny Grant by the Children’s Fund of School Psychology and she made these adorable red t-shirts that say, “Kids Who Read Succeed.”
“The convention is the National Association of School Psychologist. The Children’s Fund of School Psychology is part of this larger organization. TheKids Who Read Succeed is my personal project which provides these Tee-shirts and books to the Florida Retired Teachers Association, Brevard Chapter. They distribute them to selected schools in Brevard County,” says Allen.
She is so generous and so kind that she featured not one but 4 of my books in this display that is going to a National Convention!!
Thank you, Dr. Allen, you rock!
And don’t we all agree that kids who read succeed? Let’s all read to one child today and make a difference in not only their life but make a better tomorrow for the world as well because when kids succeed so does everyone.
Pictures courtesy of Dr. Valerie Allen who was recently featured in Psychology Today and who has raised 6 children of her own and written several children’s books including Bad Hair, Good Hat and Summer School for Smarties.
April 2, 2018
Amanda in New Mexico–Ghosts in the Wind Children’s Book
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Welcome everyone! Today, I’d like to introduce you to a world-traveling children’s author named Darlene Foster. You are going to love her and her books and I know your children will as well.
I’ll let Darlene tell you about her latest book, Amanda in New Mexico–Ghosts in The Wind, in her own words…
Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind by Darlene Foster
The questions most asked of authors is, where do you get your ideas. Well, I get most of mine from my travels. I visited Taos, New Mexico a few years ago and was so taken with the history and art found in this area. We visited the St. James Hotel in Cimarron, which is purported to be haunted. It felt pretty spooky to me! I kept saying to my travel companion, “This would be a great setting for an Amanda story.” The seeds were planted and a couple of years later I wrote Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind, the sixth book in the Amanda Travels series. Many of the sites we visited are mentioned in the book.
About the book
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Amanda Ross is on a school trip to Taos, New Mexico with several of her creative fellow students. She is sharing a room with Cleo, an anxious classmate who insists she keeps seeing ghosts. Amanda doesn’t believe in ghosts and is determined to prove there is no such thing. When weird, unexplainable things start to happen to Amanda, she questions her denial of the supernatural.
Join Amanda and her classmates as they visit a rugged and beautiful landscape, where a traditional hacienda, an ancient pueblo, and a haunted and spooky hotel hold secrets to a wild and violent past. Does Cleo really see ghosts? Can Amanda escape the eerie wind that follows her everywhere? Perhaps the Day of the Dead will reveal the mysteries of Taos in this latest adventure of Amanda’s Travels.
One reviewer has this to say –
“The most amazing aspect of this book is Ms. Foster’s description of the New Mexico geography, architecture, and artifacts. Ms. Foster brings New Mexico to life for readers as she details Amanda’s travels. A good story with a beautiful backdrop!”
Darlene Foster’s Biography
Darlene Foster is the creator of the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old Canadian girl who loves to travel. Readers of all ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Darlene dreamt of travelling the world, meeting interesting people and writing stories. Her short stories have since won a number of awards and many are included in anthologies. Her books include: Amanda in Arabia – The Perfume Flask, Amanda in Spain – The Girl in The Painting, Amanda in England – The Missing Novel, Amanda in Alberta – The Writing on the Stone and Amanda on the Danube – The Sounds of Music. Darlene, an avid traveller herself, divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Spanish Costa Blanca with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot. She believes it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.
To Purchase Amanda in New Mexico, use these links below
US
Canada
UK
On Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/amanda-in-new-mexico
Wal Mart
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Amanda-in-New-Mexico-Ghosts-in-the-Wind/55988356
To connect with Darlene on Social Media
Twitter@supermegawoman
Thank you, Wanda for featuring me and Amanda’s latest adventure.
Thank you, Darlene, for sharing this wonderful book with my audience. I know children will love the adventures and learn a little about different places in the world at the same time.
March 29, 2018
FREE Children’s book for Easter
Hi everyone, one of my books is on sale for FREE today and throughout the weekend. Download and enjoy with your child today at myBook.to/NewLP
Just one way I can give back and say “thank you” for being a follower of my blog!!
Happy Easter!!
March 26, 2018
John Dony presents Emily and the Spider
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Hello, everyone,
Please welcome John Dony from the UK today as he shares about his first book that addresses a topic near and dear to my hear, character development.
John was born in Bedford 1967 and studied English Literature in Dunstable where he grew up, he now lives in Devon with his wife Jill and 5 daughters.
His early writing career consisted mostly of short stories told to his children. His first children’s novel ‘Emily and the Spider’ has received praise from schools and Libraries across the world, where it has been used as a study aid for Primary school pupils in Story and Character development.
Here’s what it’s about…
Emily lives in a large white House on the edge of the Jungle with her parents and housekeeper.
Join Emily on her greatest adventure as she journeys through the Jungle to help her new best friend, Bes, find her father.
On the way she encounters new friends, dangerous rivers, Monkeys that can’t be trusted and Stripe the Tiger, the self proclaimed King of the Jungle, who’s only plan is to have Emily and her friends for Dinner!
Emily and the Spider is a must have for all young readers book collections.
John’s other titles include, Leah’s Lions. Victoria Swan. A boat, my brother and the end of the world. Henderson the Hedgehog. The lonely Christmas tree. The Witch Makers. 2 Tickets, Scarlett and the Fairy Death Squad and many more.
He has a Passion for telling stories that value family, love, friendship, heroes and villains with plenty of adventure thrown in!
His books are available at in the US at https://www.amazon.com/John-Dony/e/B0034PPTMW/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1517951431&sr=1-2-ent
and in the UK at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Store-John-Dony/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A341677031%2Cp_27%3AJohn%20%20Dony
and also at many good booksellers.
Connect with John Dony via the links below
http://www.twitter.com/pickleford
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dony-38ab0220/
Thank you, John, for sharing with us about your awesome first book! And thank you, everyone, for reading this post. Please leave a comment to open a dialogue with John today.
March 19, 2018
Award-Winning Author, Kandi Siegel
Today, I’d like to welcome a prolific author, Kandi M. Siegel.
I met her a couple of years ago at a local training seminar put on by Jaimie Engel.
Kandi also writes children’s books so it was a natural topic between us. She was easy to talk to and I felt like she was going place. Then, I had a table next to her at a recent Holiday Book Event called Authors in a Box held at the Melbourne Mall in early December.
I have to say that Kandi is a kind and warm person and incredibly engaging! I learned a lot from her that day about friendly sales.
Without further ado, here’s Kandi’s award-winning books….
B.R.A.G. Medallion multi-Award Winning Author, Kandi M. Siegel, currently has eight published books. They include “My Summer Triumph” (B.R.A.G. winner), “A Dog for Leo” (B.R.A.G. winner), “Rainbow of Mine,” “Rainbow of Mine; the coloring book,” “Bubby the Baker,” “Sammy the Helper,” “Cooking with Kandi,” and “Looking Back No Regrets Memoirs from the Heart.”
She has been a member of the Space Coast Writer’s Club since 2012 and recently was honored by having one of her poems selected to appear in the guild’s book “Gratitude,” which is available for purchase through Amazon.
She also won Editor’s Choice for her poem “What Will I Do” which is in the National Library of Poetry 1997 edition.
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https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Mine-Kandi-M-Siegel/dp/1517671701/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
A poem formatted book that describes the meanings of the colors of the rainbow in a way that preschoolers – first graders can easily understand.
This book is geared for preschoolers – 1st graders.
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https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Mine-Coloring-Kandi-Siegel/dp/1530304806/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
A coloring and activity book based off the original book Rainbow of Mine for preschoolers – 1st graders teaching about the order of the colors of the rainbow
This book is geared for preschoolers – 1st graders.
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https://www.amazon.com/Bubby-Baker-Kandi-M-Siegel/dp/1534844198/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Bubby the Baker loves to bake all kinds of goodies and she recently opened a bakery. As your child reads through this book, they will see all the different items Bubby has in her store. At the end of the book, there are a couple of recipes that you can make at home. This book is geared for preschoolers – 1st graders.
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This book is about a young boy named Sammy who tries really hard to help out the members of his family but every time he does, something seems to go wrong. With some encouraging words from his grandfather, Sammy tries harder to accomplish what he sets out to do. This book is geared for preschoolers – 1st graders.
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INDIE BRAG AWARD WINNING BOOK, “My Summer Triumph,” is about a young girl’s first experience at overnight camp proved to be more of a learning experience then anything else. Through the many challenges that she had faced during the three weeks at camp, Kaila learned a lot about herself and how to triumph over defeat.
This book is geared for 2nd – 6th graders
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INDIE BRAG AWARD WINNING BOOK, “A Dog For Leo,” is about a young boy who wants a dog of his own, but his parents don’t feel he is responsible enough to take care of a pet. Leo will have to prove to his parents that he is responsible enough, but not without a few snags in the road first.
This book is geared for 2nd – 6th graders
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https://www.amazon.com/Looking-Back-Regrets-Memoirs-Heart-ebook/dp/B00NPKZ7UK/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
“Looking Back, No Regrets, Memoirs from the Heart”, shares a woman’s relationship struggles from childhood through adulthood in 9 honest and touching short stories. Her unique experiences will make you laugh and cry as you walk with her through her different relationships from teenhood to adult.
For ages 18+
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“Cooking with Kandi” is a cookbook specifically designed for those people who love tasty foods, but don’t always have a lot of preparation time. From appetizers to desserts, this cookbook is filled with all kinds of yummy recipes.
You can check out all of her books on her website: www.kandimsiegel.com
Connect with Kandi through the links below
My Webpage
http://www.kandimsiegel.com/
My facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kandi-M-Siegel/1558638421041643?ref=bookmarks
Follow me on twitter
https://twitter.com/KandiMSiegel
Thank you so much for being with us today, Kandi, and for everyone who read this post!
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March 17, 2018
Happy St. Patty’s Day
I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
You may not be Irish and that’s okay. We all like to celebrate this day as if we are. The Irish really know how to live!
My husband did one of those genetic tests and turns out he is 26% Irish (the most percentage of anything) which surprised him. I think he thought something more along the lines of Belgian or German would take the seat as the most genes in his gene pool, but alas it is the lucky Irish that he has the most of!
I have Irish in me too but I haven’t done a genetic test yet. I want to but geez, they are expensive!
We have a favorite place we like to go to eat cornbeef and cabbage and that’s a restaurant called Meg O’Malley’s in Melbourne, Florida. They have a huge festival every year with Irish dancers and music and of course, beer! (I don’t drink beer though because it doesn’t taste good to me. I guess I never acquired a taste for it!) But, the festival is a lot of fun!
What about you? If you’re Irish, do you know how much you have in your gene pool? Do you celebrate? If so, where or how?
Leave your answers in the comments. I’d love to hear about it and connect with you on this luckiest of days!!
March 12, 2018
Spikes for Hank Teaches Self-Acceptance
Hello, everyone! Thank you for stopping in today. I want to introduce you to a very talented children’s author named Anita Kovacevi. She will be introducing us to her newest book, Spikes for Hank, today. I have read one of her other books and just loved it! I can’t wait to read this one. Please welcome, Anita…
SPIKES FOR HANK by Anita Kovacevic
What can you do when you are a tiny hedgehog, and your parents keep telling you to roll into a ball and defend your life with your spikes? So much worry and constantly having to hide from danger leaves you with no fun, no play and no friends. Or does it?
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Hank Hedgehog lives in a beautiful forest surrounded with all sorts of animals, both dangerous and friendly. His parents love him so much that they try, a little too much, to protect him from harm. Eventually, Hank starts hating his spikes and becomes very lonely. However, all good families have problems – once they talk them out, and with a little bit of help from friends, the world can be a wonderful, fun and exciting place again!
Having over 20 years experience in teaching and storytelling with children and adults, I know very well that children need to be involved in a story while it is read, and what helps them relax and open their minds and hearts up in that reading niche is having someone they trust ask the right questions at the right time. Sometimes adults who read the stories with children need a little help in that department – some of them don’t realize talking to kids while reading is a good thing, whereas others know it is good, but lack ideas for questions. Therefore, just like all my children’s books, Spikes for Hank also contains simple illustrations and questions after each chapter to help both children and adults enjoy themselves, using the story as starters of more conversations, developing empathy and strengthening children’s problem solving skills. These questions do not interrupt the flow of text, but follow each chapter, and one does not need to read them to be able to follow the story line.
The book also contains riddles and coloring pages in the final chapters.
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From the FOREWORD:
We are all born with some part of ourselves we don’t especially like. In fact, sometimes we hate it and wish we were different.
But with time, and a little help from our friends and family, we all discover we are as we are for a reason, and each of us is special and unique in our own way.
Sometimes, quite often in fact, what we thought our weakness turns out to be our most prized possession. Would it not be a dull world if we were all the same?
From one of the chapters:
‘I’m a tiny hedgehog, love my spikes and all,
When danger comes my way, I just roll into a ball.
If you want to harm me, know my spikes can sting.
Just let me go my way and I’m a happy thing.
My spikes are superpower – they help me do some good –
No winter is too long when I gather food.
Apples, mushrooms, pears, they all stick when I roll.
So no one goes hungry when deep snows fall.’
From the riddle section – about Hank’s unusual animal friend:
YES, ALAS, MY FATE IS SUCH.
I’M SNEAKY AND SLEEZY WAY TOO MUCH.
SO EVEN WHEN I’M NICE AND KIND,
YOU WONDER WHAT IS ON MY MIND.
THE AUTHOR’S MESSAGE from the AFTERWORD:
Everyone always talks about the magic that happens when a child reads a book or hears the story. I love it, too.
But you want to know what my favourite moment is?
It is when children finish reading the story and step out of it, bringing the magic with them into the real world. When they finish Alice in Wonderland and realize there is always more than one way of looking at the world. When they read The Little Prince and know the box can contain anything you wish – it is all up to us.
There are so many stories which can empower us all to be better and stronger versions of ourselves. May we all find them and spread that magic to the world.
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BOOK LINKS:
Spikes for Hank ebook https://tinyurl.com/y8np4as5 ppb https://tinyurl.com/y86wkq56
ENDORSEMENTS FOR SPIKES FOR HANK:
In “Spikes for Hank” Ms Kovacevic has drawn upon her experience as an educator and her knowledge of children to create a tale that will entertain and reassure as well as teach and spark the imagination.
Erica (E J) Gore, Author, Speaker, Teacher; Taya Bayliss Mysteries for young readers; The Gummshoe Gang – Taking a stand against Bullying; The Tooth Fairy Tales
I really enjoyed reading “Spikes for Hanks” by Anita Kovačević and I would highly recommend this book to children and adults – parents and teachers – everyone who likes tales and believes that good stories can develop our imagination and creativity! A wonderful story for all ages!
Ana Vlahek Horvat, parent, educator and cultural management expert
Anita Kovacevic adheres to the same learning philosophies I do: children learn best through interaction and questions, paired with relatable themes and characters.(…) Her stories integrate life lessons in a subtle and engaging way, without being preachy, something parents and kids will appreciate.
Traci Sanders, Award-winning author of parenting, children’s, and romance titles
By using simple illustrations and describing a well-known situation in a child’s life, the author helps children understand the problem. She provides an interesting way to actively engage children in the reading process by adding questions after each chapter. Children can give different answers, have new ideas and form their own opinions, which is what makes every child unique and exceptional. A book like this one can be very useful and helpful in the life of a kindergarten child, as well as to us, preschool teachers.
Sandra Perko and Tanja Petric, parents and preschool teachers (early foreign language development)
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AUTHOR BIO
Anita Kovacevic is a multigenre author and teaches English as a second language. Her parenting, teaching and storytelling experience is blended into all her children’s books. She enjoys using stories as teaching tools and never misses a chance to do so, relishing storytelling lessons in which she not only teaches children, but also learns a lot from them. Her books include children’s literature, but also adult fiction and stories featured in various anthologies, including charity ones.
Anita always has several works-in-progress, and you can read her interviews and reviews on her WordPress blog Anita’s Haven (https://anitashaven.wordpress.com/ )
ANITA’S OTHER CHILDREN’S BOOKS ON LULU:
Winky’s Colours ebook https://tinyurl.com/yb5a76wx ppb https://tinyurl.com/yask4nhy
Mimi Finds Her Magic ebook https://tinyurl.com/y8tmw9nc ppb https://tinyurl.com/y7a7oe8y
The Good Pirate ebook https://tinyurl.com/y9dejlha ppb https://tinyurl.com/y77htxrg
ALL BOOK LINKS:
Amazon universal link Author.to/AnitaKovacevicAmazon
Barnes & Noble all Nook https://tinyurl.com/ybfpg9gb
Kobo all Rakuten https://tinyurl.com/ycxuds4g
iTunes all Apple https://tinyurl.com/ydfyn8hq
Book Gorilla http://tinyurl.com/le5h4x2 Lulu http://tinyurl.com/ltbvq54
Goodreads http://tinyurl.com/jwovbbv
(find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as Anita’s Haven)
Thank you, Anita, for sharing your newest book with us! I just love little hedgehogs and Hank is just adorable. Plus, the lovely message he shares with children is one we all can use (learning to accept ourselves just as we are).
March 5, 2018
Maureen Larter, Children’s Author
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Hi, everyone,
Today, I’d like you to welcome someone very special to me. Her name is Maureen Larter. While I met her through social media, I have come to know this woman as incredibly generous and kind and one of those people that is spreading seeds of goodness so very much needed throughout our world today. And an extra special birthday, her 70th, will be on Wednesday, March 7th. So, leave her a Happy Birthday message in the comments. I know she’ll love it! And now, please welcome, Maureen Larter.
Writing for children is not easy.
You have to think like a child.
And, as I am far from my childhood, I decided to think like a parent instead. So now, when I write my stories, I consider what the parents would like to be reading to their children.
I am aware that many children are growing up these days with a love of toilet humour and violence – they see so much on television if they are allowed to watch it. But I decided to go down the path of fantasy, trying to teach children lessons in a pleasant and entertaining way.
Most of my picture books have a message about life, and at the back of my ‘Alphabet Animals of Australia’ series, I have purposely written a list of projects connected with the stories for school teachers to follow up. For example, in the book ‘Betty Bee’s Birthday Bash’ I suggest researching into other colony type insects.
In ‘Frank Frog feels Foolish’ I recommend a day excursion to a pond or swamp land to find ways to keep our waterways clean.
My latest release is ‘Kathy Koala’s Kerfuffle’, I ask that the students do a project on any animal beginning with ‘K’
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My name is Maureen Larter and I was born in England in the late 1940’s and came over to Australia when still a toddler. I teach piano and violin, and live in New South Wales, Australia. Other than my children’s picture books, I also write chapter books and gardening guides I’ve also written a self-help book, as well as an adult novel under the name Marguerite Wellbourne. There are more books to be launched in 2018. Send your email to maureenlarter@gmail.com if you would like advanced notice.
I live on a small-holding of 12 acres, and try to live self-sufficiently, while taking care of the soil and the environment. In the past, I have taught English, Social Studies, Music and Mathematics in High Schools in Australia. In the last ten years, I have travelled, living in China and Cambodia for a short time, teaching English.
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To connect with Maureen or follow her on social media, please follow the links below:
Email:- maureenlarter@gmail.com
facebook :- http://www.facebook.com/eBooksByMaureenLarter
and http://www.facebook.com/AlphabetanimalsofAustralia
blog:- readeatdream.net
