Tonya Duncan Ellis's Blog, page 16
August 5, 2018
My Mid Year Book Reviews: Girl Power!
“If you want to be a writer, you must two two things above all others; read a lot and write a lot.” -Stephen King
The year is more than halfway over and I am nearing my goal of finishing at least 50 fiction books. When choosing books I make sure to include many books in the genre that I write in, middle grade fiction, to keep up with what my audience enjoys.
I’ve noticed that there’s been a theme to what I’ve been checking out lately, GIRL POWER! Maybe it’s because Sophie Washington, the main character of my books, is a girl. I think I’ll add in more books with boy protagonists for the second half of the year to mix things up.
Here are some girl-focused books that caught my attention:
The Friendship Code (Girls Who Code) by Stacia Deutsch – I enjoy figuring out how computers and software work as much as a cat likes taking a bath, so it’s strange that I’ve been absolutely in love with coding lately. Could be because my niece told me a friend of hers made almost $50,000 on a coding summer internship, and I’m trying to turn my boys’ obsession with Fortnite into something constructive. This was a fun book about a multicultural group of girls excited about learning to code and uncovering a mystery. It should appeal to middle grade girls and spark their interest in the computer coding field.
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine – What happens when a black girl passes for white in racist, integration-embroiled, 1960s Little Rock, AR and makes a white best friend? This historical fiction piece is enthralling and shows two young girls growing up, making a difference in their world, and expanding the minds of the adults around them.
Sugar Plum Ballerinas (Plum Fantastic) by Whoopi Goldberg – I’m glad I sneaked this oldie but goodie out of my daughter’s storage box to read. Main character Alexandrea is forced to leave her small town home behind to move to Harlem, NY, and she’s not a happy camper. Her costume designer mom signs her up for ballet classes, dressing her in an over-the-top tutu, and the fun begins. This cute book is laugh out loud funny at times, as expected since the author is a famous comedian, and includes a diverse group of friends that young readers will want to follow along throughout the series.
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes -With vivid descriptions of the sights, smells and sounds of New Orleans, sprinkled with elements of the supernatural, author Jewell Parker Rhodes sweeps readers up in the eye of the storm along with main character Lanesha, her caregiver Mama Ya-Ya and newfound friend LaShon. Reading this book, I heard second line music playing, felt heavy, humid air on my skin, smelled the stench of the French Quarter and tasted the sugary sweetness of a piping hot beignet. I experienced the terror of the young main character as the storm hit her home and the waters rose, and the triumph when she was finally safe. This beautifully written book will remain with readers long after the last page is turned.
Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows – A few reviews of Ivy & Bean I’ve read slammed it for the main character’s bratty behavior, but I enjoyed it. Bean reminded me of a modern day Ramona Quimby, and her mischievous pranks will keep the pages turning with new and reluctant readers as they devour this cute series.
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
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July 22, 2018
Hurricane Harvey Anniversary
“An uplifting disaster story that touches on kids’ real concerns.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The story is very exciting, and will keep the reader captivated. The book accurately describes the fear of going through a hurricane. I was hooked by the first page and I never wanted to put the book down.” -Readers’ Favorite
Almost a year has passed since Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and I still get PTSD when it rains. That is definitely a time we Houstonians will never forget, and hope to never relive again. To commemorate Hurricane Harvey’s one year anniversary, Sophie Washington: Hurricane is going on a blog tour!
Organized by Goddess Fish Promotions, the tour will run from July 25 to August 15. Amazon bestseller Sophie Washington: Hurricane will be featured at the blogs listed below, and followers can enter a raffle to win a $20 Amazon gift card. Hope to see you there!
Check out the Sophie Washington: Hurricane book trailer:
Buy the Book!
Sophie Washington: Hurricane Blog Stops
July 25: Andi’s Middle Grade and Chapter Books
July 25: Splashes of Joy
August 1: Fabulous and Brunette
August 1: Long and Short Reviews
August 8: The Reading Addict
August 8: Locks, Hooks and Books
August 15: Kit ‘N Kabookle
August 15: Sharing Links and Wisdom
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
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July 11, 2018
Christmas in July
It feels like Christmas in July in Sophie Washington’s world! I’m hard at work on a special holiday installment to the series. Look for it this fall! It should make a great stocking stuffer for Sophie Washington fans!
Speaking of gifts, from now through July 21, Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica is on a book blog tour. with the Singing Librarian Books. Check out the postings for a chance to win some cool prizes.
Here’s the schedule:
Mission Costa Rica Tour Schedule
July 9-cherylbbookblog
July 11-Paulette’s Papers
July 14-A Baker’s Perspective
July 17-Singing Librarian Books
July 19-Locks, Hooks and Books
July 20-Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
Hope to see you on the tour. Have a great week!
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
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June 4, 2018
New Release: Sophie Washington: Mission Costa Rica!
Welcome to the Jungle…
The sixth book in my series, Sophie Washington: Mission Costa Rica,has just been released and is already ranking on Amazon! Sophie has all kinds of exciting adventures in this hilarious read, just in time for summer!
Here’s what early readers are saying:
“This series is adorable. I read the last book Hurricane and enjoyed it. I also enjoyed this one too! The writing about Costa Rica was so vivid I thought! Between the descriptions about the wild animals and the food and everything else I felt like I was there.”
“The author has made the jungle come to life with brilliant descriptive writing. There are also very funny sections to the book too, especially the encounters with the monkey. Overall, a perfect book for young girls to enjoy.”
The ebook version is on sale from now through July 5 for just 99 cents and print copies are $7.99.
Buy your copies here! https://www.amazon.com/Sophie-Washington-Miss…/…/ref=sr_1_1…
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June 3, 2018
Summer Journals: Up Your Kid’s Writing Game
Summer vacation is in full sw
ing, and in many homes, the video game consoles and cell phones are charged and working overtime as kids relax and unwind from the busy school year. Don’t let your child’s pencils and notebooks get dusty over the summer months. According to Scholastic, It takes teachers up to six weeks to reteach skills forgotten during the summer, and some kids never catch back up.
One great way to keep young minds active and elevate your child’s academic skills is to have them keep a summer journal. Writing a summer journal gets creative juices flowing, sharpens grammar skills, and can even serve as a special keepsake in years to come. Not sure how to get started? Follow these tips:
Choose a Special Notebook -Let your child select a special notebook or small binder they will be writing in. The paper should be lined in a style they are accustomed to using or prefer, i.e. grammar school or college lined.
Add Decorations– Buy stickers, or cut out photos, pictures, and/or drawings that the young writer will use to jazz up the outside of their journal with and then laminate it to preserve (Clear contact paper works well).
Decide Journal Entry Length and Writing Frequency– Journal entries should be a paragraph or two for early elementary school and younger writers, or a page or two long for older kids. Ideally, have your child write each day, but if this is not possible, choose several times a week, or at least once a week. Writing sessions can be 30 minutes to an hour.
Select Writing Prompts – The Internet is rich with writing prompt exercises that can give your child topics to write about. It’s a good idea to have twenty or so prompts ready when you begin this project so writing session time won’t be spent finding topics. A few examples to get you started include:
The third Sunday in July is “National Ice Cream Day.” What is your favorite ice cream and what is it about this flavor that you like so much? What are some of your favorite memories about eating this particular flavor?
Name your favorite sport and describe step by step how to play it.
If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?
What is your favorite summer activity and why?
If you could travel to anyplace for summer vacation where would it be and what would you do there?
Describe your favorite movie character.
Draw your own comic strip and add character dialogue.
Write about a current event (Help your child select a news story to write on).
What are your ten favorite things to do and why do you like them?
Have fun – Not all children, or even adults, enjoy writing; many times because they aren’t quite sure what to say. Keeping summer journals is a great way for kids to stay in the habit of expressing themselves, and maybe even improve in these skills during the summer months, so they can hit the ground running when the school doors open again.
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
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May 25, 2018
Behind the Scenes of My New Book!
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
The sixth book in my Sophie Washington middle grade chapter book series, Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica, releases in a couple of weeks, and I can’t wait to show it to the world! In this book, Sophie, her friends and family have a wild and suspenseful adventure in the jungle after they sign up to help at a Costa Rican village during spring break. Memories from a family vacation I took to Guanacaste, Costa Rica in 2012 inspired me to write the novel. Below are some photos that highlight what I saw. Some of them sparked ideas for things found in the story. Look for Sophie Washington: Mission Costa Rica on Amazon this June.
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
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May 21, 2018
Read the Book/Watch the Movie (Summer Reading Plan)
A good way to entice kids to read during summer vacation is to promise to watch a movie with them after they finish the book. I couldn’t find any kid book adaptations coming out at the cinema this June, July, or August, but there are plenty on hand for sale or for rent at your local library. After watching, discuss how the movie version differs from the original and get your child’s view on how they may have adapted the book to the big screen if they were the director. Here are a few suggestions for middle grade readers:
Historical Fiction
The Watsons Go to Birmingham based on the book by Paul Curtis – It’s 1963, and the Flint, Michigan-based Watsons decide to deliver older brother Byron down South to his grandma’s house in Birmingham, Alabama to straighten him out after he keeps getting in trouble. Worse problems ensue when they get there and grandma’s church is bombed with four little girls inside, and the family becomes embroiled in the Civil Rights Movement.
Old Yeller based on the book by Fred Gipson – A story about a boy and his faithful yellow dog, Old Yeller was published in 1956 and adapted as a film by Disney in 1957. My kids thought the old Disney film was corny, but the movie does bring to life scenes from the Old West that many modern-day youth aren’t familiar with. It is a well written book and a moving story.
Little Women based on the book by Louisa May Alcott – There are many movie adaptations of this book about the March sisters and their passage from childhood to womanhood during the Civil War, with the most recent coming out in 1994 and starring Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, and Kirsten Dunst.
Science Fiction
A Wrinkle in Time based on the book by Madeleine L’Engle – This movie, directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling, was released this past spring and tells the story of a girl and her little brother’s search for their scientist father in a new planet after he travels through a wrinkle in time.
Ready Player One based on the book by Ernest Cline – The Steven Spielberg movie is rated PG-13 and may be inappropriate for younger children. It was a hit at the box office. The futuristic movie details a teen’s search for an Easter egg in a dangerous virtual reality game, where he has the chance to win a fortune.
Realistic Fiction
Wonder based on the book by R.J. Palacio – “If you have a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind,” is the theme of this warm-hearted movie about a disfigured boy named Auggie and his struggle for acceptance when he enters school for the first time. Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson star in the cast.
The Great Gilly Hopkins based on the book by Katherine Paterson -Eleven-year-old Gilly Hopkins struggles to leave her foster family in this tear-jerker, until her grandmother comes to get her and she realizes she doesn’t really want to go. The movie stars Kathy Bates (of Misery fame), Octavia Spencer and Glenn Close.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul based on the book by Jeff Kinney -This movie grossed me out with the bathroom humor, but my kids liked it, as they did the other movie adaptations in this series. The main characters from the other movies appear to have grown up so they use new actors in this one.
Fantasy
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief based on the book by Rick Riordan – Kids are the children of Greek gods in this movie adaptation, released in 2010. Another movie based on the book series, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, came out in 2013.
The Hobbit based on the book by J.R. Tolkein – This was the first book in the Lord of the Rings series and tells the tale of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who take a journey to save Middle Earth. There are many movies and books in the series, so this could keep the interested reader busy the entire summer or beyond. The 2012 film adaptation grossed over $1 billion.
Obviously, this list only scratches the surface of fun movies your child could watch after completing books this summer, but hopefully it gives you a good start. Happy Reading!
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
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May 14, 2018
Start A Kid’s Book Club!
Organizing a book club for your
kids is a great way to encourage them to read and form friendship bonds to last a lifetime. Here’s how to get started:
Invite Club Members – To encourage participation from all members, the group should include no more than eight to ten kids. Try to keep the kids in the same age range to ensure the books you choose will be on a common reading level. You could have same sex book clubs or include both boys and girls.
Pick a Meeting Time and Place -Most book clubs meet on a monthly basis at the same time, say 2 p.m. the third Saturday of the month, or 3 p.m. on the second Sunday. Try not to vary the times and dates so members can include book club on busy schedules. Groups can meet at a central location, such as a reserved room at the public library, or at members’ homes, local tea rooms, etc. Your meeting place could rotate each month, or stay at the same venue. Some clubs have members take turn hosting, for example. Just make sure you communicate upcoming locations with group members at the end of each meeting.
Choose a Club Name -Having a club name adds excitement and unity to the group. Name the group based on the kids’ shared interest in reading, or other unifiers (i.e. The Book Bunch, The Razzle Dazzle Readers, The Middle School Stars…) Get the kids involved. You can also search the Internet for ideas.
Design Group Tee Shirts/Mascot -Once you come up with a book club name, design a tee shirt that the children can wear to meetings. If the kids like animals you could even bring in a stuffed animal mascot, like an owl or bear, to preside at each meeting or be included on the shirts.
Decide Which Books to Read – Choose books for the next six months to a year, if possible. Mix up the genres (fiction, nonfiction, adventure, mystery, romance, classics, modern) so the children get exposed to a wide variety of books.
Plan Field Trips/Author Visits – There are film adaptations of many popular books so you might mix things up by planning an outing to see a movie version of a book you’ve read. You could also contact authors to schedule Skype or in person visits to your club to add excitement, or go to see a favorite author at a book signing at a local book store.
Manage Menus– Good food is part of the fun at any book club. Serve either light bites or a full meal. Some clubs make the menu fit the theme or locale of the story being read, for example, serve crepes when the book is set in Paris, or Mexican food if the focus of the story is the Day of the Dead. Make it festive and fun.
Dress Up As Your Favorite Book Character– Around Halloween time, or several months after you’ve been hosting your meetings, have the kids dress up as their favorite character from their favorite book or one of the books you’ve read.
Share Stories – If you have children who like to write in the club, designate time at the end of meetings for them to share portions of their own stories.
Have Fun – The sky’s the limit with the ideas you can bring in to make your kid’s book club exciting for new members. The key is to keep the kids reading, and most of all, to have fun!
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
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April 26, 2018
2018 Reading Challenge Update
This past January, I took a Goodreads challenge to read at least 50 fiction books before the clock strikes midnight on December 31. A quarter of the year in and I’ve finished 15 novels. My Goodreads timeline says I’m on track, so I guess I’m well on my way to not being turned into a pumpkin!
Most of the books I read impressed me in some way. Here are a few of the standout kid stories. *I put stars on books for young adults.
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff- I absolutely loved this book! It kind of reminded me of Wonder in that the main character, Albie, was different and struggled for acceptance. Poor Albie is bullied both at school and at home. This book made me laugh, cry and root for the main character until the end.
*Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – Roll The Black Panther, The Hunger Games and Harry Potter into one and you get Children of Blood and Bone. Tomi Adeyemi has created an exciting and unique world that should translate beautifully into the upcoming film. There is a lot of blood and plenty of bones in this story, which doesn’t hold back on the brutality, so if you close your eyes on scary movies like I do, be warned.
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt – I was on a plane when I finished this story about a 12-year-old girl’s relationship with her foster family and had to hide my eyes to keep other passengers from seeing my tears. It is a sweet, touching book.
*The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas -This is one of my favorite reads, EVER! This book is a classic that beautifully captures the Black Lives Matter Movement and humanizes those labeled as “thugs.” Much love for The Hate U Give.
Two Naomis by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and Audrey Vernick -What I liked most about this interesting book about two girl’s reactions when their divorced, dating parents encourage them to be friends is that it showed young girls learning computer coding and being excited about reading and being smart. The fact that one Naomi is white and the other black added another dimension.
I’ll be back in four months with my next reads and hopefully I can keep to my schedule. So many books, so little time!
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
Like Us on Facebook: @tonyaellisbooks
Follow Us on Twitter: @TonyaDEllis
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Tonya Duncan Ellis Upcoming Events
Saturday, May 5 – Book Signing – Fort Bend County Library
Sunday, May 6 – Appearance – Little Literati Book Club, Missouri City, TX
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