June McCrary Jacobs's Blog: ~ Author June McCrary Jacobs ~, page 81

~ BLOG TOUR THE TROUBLE IN WILLOW FALLS ~

~ BLOG TOUR STOP ~--  'THE TROUBLE IN WILLOW FALLS'  --AUTHOR PAT NICHOLS~Post Includes:  Book Spotlight, AuthorBio, Excerpt & Giveaway~ 
   
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for  The Trouble in Willow Falls by Pat Nichols, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!ABOUT THE BOOK Title: The Trouble in Willow Falls
Series: Willow Falls #2
Author: Pat Nichols
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: November 8, 2019

After a scathing blogger review and a negative Atlanta television newscast tarnish Willow Falls’ reputation as a secluded North Georgia tourist destination, the town council votes to use the remainder of its annual budget to hire a PR firm to restore the town's image. At a town-hall meeting, angry residents brainstorm ideas to boost Willow Falls’ appeal. When a second Atlanta television station announces plans to film a segment for its Around Georgia series, residents invest their time and limited resources to spruce up Main Street’s appearance. Willow Post editor Emily Hayes can't help but shake her head at her town's desperate efforts.

For months, Emily has submitted her novel to numerous publishers but received only rejections. When famous artist Naomi Jasper offers Emily much-needed cash to finish writing, then cast and direct a play about Willow Falls’ colorful history, Emily faces a difficult decision—postpone the rewrite of her novel or accept the project. After convincing her sister, Rachel Streetman, to partner with her, Emily puts her dreams on hold and agrees to take on the play. Failure to deliver is not an option.

All her life Rachel has dreamed of becoming a stage actress, so when she receives an invitation to audition for a respected Broadway director, Rachel abandons her sister and the Willow Falls play. But an incident with the director sends her reeling back into the arms of Charlie Bricker, her one true love. Out of options, Rachel reluctantly accepts her part in the town play with the slim hope that her performance might kick-start her career.

If anyone understands broken hearts, it's Willow Inn’s beloved innkeeper, Sadie Liles. Sadie has learned to live with the fact that love is the last thing she'll ever find. Then he walks through the front door.

As the town prepares for Redding Arms’ grand opening, five newcomers and one British tourist test the town’s quirky, lovable, argumentative residents’ souls. Digging deep to deal with the strife, bickering, and personal backstabbing will test Willow Falls in ways the small town never imagined. Could it be that the trouble in Willow Falls is the very thing that reminds its residents that honesty, love, and loyalty to one another is what binds them together?

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

EXCERPT:
Rachel Streetman stood on the sidewalk in downtown Atlanta and imagined living on the street. Sleeping in a doorway or on a bench in Centennial Park. Penniless. Alone. Men and women stepping around her as if she was nothing more than an obstacle blocking their paths. Children staring at her.

She tilted her head back and gazed at the top of the seventy-three-story circular Peachtree Plaza Hotel. Until a dizzy sensation threw her off balance and forced her focus back to ground level. She pressed her hand against a light pole. A week away from the most important audition in her life, she couldn’t risk passing out and breaking her arm or a tooth.
When the spinning stopped, she glanced at her watch. Fifteen minutes before lunch with her former assistant. She walked across the street and spotted a young man crouched on the sidewalk. His dog sprawled beside him. Brown hair brushed against his shirt collar. A scruffy beard covered the lower portion of his face. Was he the guy she’d befriended last year, before she resigned as vice president for her father’s company?
She moved closer and pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. “Dennis Locke?”
His eyes widened. “Ms. Streetman?” He stood and wiped his hands on his jeans.
“It is you.”
He nodded.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around in a while.”
“No need to apologize. I didn’t expect a fine lady like you to keep coming back.”
She swiped a layer of sweat from her lip. Should she give him money and walk away? Or do some audition pre-work for the role—Penelope, a homeless woman who finds a winning lottery ticket. She stepped beside Dennis, relieved he smelled of soap and shampoo. “Are you still staying at the homeless shelter?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She leaned back against the wall. A man wearing expensive shoes and a three-piece suit tossed a handful of change toward the ball cap serving as Dennis’s collection plate. A quarter and three pennies missed the target and landed on the pavement. He moved past without making eye contact or uttering a word.
Heat crept up Rachel’s neck. “I guess he didn’t want those pesky coins rattling around in his pocket.”
“Don’t give him a hard time.”
“He could have said hello or at least nodded.”
Dennis shrugged. “Why would he?”
Rachel turned her attention to men and women rushing past without acknowledging their existence. “It’s like we’re invisible.”
“Easier for them.” He slid back to the pavement. She sat beside him and imagined this was her spot, her cap poised for contributions. How would it feel to be hopeless and invisible, then suddenly have enough money to turn your life around? Frightening? Challenging? What if she had no place to go? No one to love?
She swallowed the lump in her throat as images of Charlie, Mama Sadie, Emily, and Willow Falls played in her mind. Her refuge. She glanced sideways at Dennis. Maybe he needed something … or someone to motivate him off the street.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Retired from a twenty-seven-year corporate career, Pat Nichols draws on her experience in seven different management positions working with hundreds of amazing women from all walks of life to create stories about women facing tension-laced challenges and heart-warming triumphs in the pursuit of their dreams. Her debut novel, The Secret of Willow Inn, Willow Falls series book one, released January 2019. Book two, The Trouble in Willow Falls, released November 2019 and book three is slated for 2020.  She received the 2017 CRW Woman of the Year Award and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers International.

CONNECT WITH PAT: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
TOUR GIVEAWAY(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card!



Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 10, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on January 17, 2020. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE  
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

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~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE ON WINGS OF DEVOTION ~

~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE ~ --  'ON WINGS OF DEVOTION'  -- AUTHOR ROSEANNA M. WHITE~Post Includes:  Book Spotlight, Author Bio,Unique Guest Post by the Author,Excerpt & Giveaway~
 
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK  Title: On Wings of Devotion
Series: The Codebreakers #2
Author: Roseanna M. White
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: January 7, 2020

Against Every Warning, She's Drawn Ever Closer to the Man Known as "Black Heart" 

All of England thinks Major Phillip Camden a monster--a man who deliberately caused the deaths of his squadron. But he would have preferred to die that day with his men rather than be recruited to the Admiralty's codebreaking division. The threats he receives daily are no great surprise and, in his opinion, well deserved.

As nurse Arabelle Denler observes the so-dubbed "Black Heart," she sees something far different: a hurting man desperate for mercy. And when their families and paths twist together unexpectedly, she realizes she has a role to play in his healing--and some of her own to do as well. 

With Camden's court-martial looming, an old acquaintance shows up, intent on using him in a plot that sends the codebreakers of Room 40 into a frenzy. With their fragile hopes for the future in the cross hairs, Arabelle and Camden must hold on to hope--and to each other--if they want to survive.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Christianbook 

EXCERPT: 

Making sure his usual smirk was in place, Camden moved to his host with a hand outstretched. “Thank you for having me, Your Grace. It wasn’t an entirely wretched evening.”
Stafford laughed and clasped his hand. “The highest of compliments from the likes of you. But why are you off so early?”
“Things to do.” He had to find someone with an auto to lend him tomorrow. And petrol enough to drive it out of London, where he could intercept Arabelle Denler on her way to visiting her friend. And determine a way to get said borrowed vehicle back to whomever he ended up borrowing it from. He could just show up at the Denler residence and lay his case before her. But if he was going to disrupt someone’s entire life, he might as well give her a story to tell about it. And who else could claim to have been kidnapped by the infamous Black Heart? With her father’s permission, but no one needed to know that part.
“Stay out of trouble, Camden.” Perhaps with some, it would have been a teasing farewell. But the duke was serious.
Cam grinned. “What fun would that be?” He backed up a step, two, and raised a hand in farewell to the collection at large. “Good evening, gentlemen. Give the ladies my regards.”
A few minutes later, he had coat and hat and was back out in the frigid night, whistling his way to the nearest tube station.
It was going to work. It was. He had some details to sort out yet, true, but they’d fall into place. Or be wrestled there. His mind flipped through the puzzle of it during the ride home. There were a few chaps at the office with automobiles. He hated to owe any of them a favor, but . . . well, desperate times and all that.
He hurried to his flat, let himself inside—it was much tidier after Mother’s visit—and stopped dead in his tracks. Someone was here. The lights were on, the scent of tea drifted over him, and a hum came from the sofa that he’d recognize anywhere. He let a curse slip out, largely because he knew it would put an end to the humming. “What the devil are you doing here?”
The intruder rose from the couch with a smile. “Trying to chase the devil out of you, Phillip.” He snorted and moved to give his kid brother a crushing hug. “Good luck with that one.” He grinned as he pulled away. “Actually . . . your timing couldn’t be better. You’re going to help me kidnap a girl tomorrow, Jer.”
His brother didn’t wince. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t moan. He just sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “Heaven help me. What have you got us into this time?”


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

CONNECT WITH ROSEANNA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

*** UNIQUE GUEST POST BY THE AUTHOR:

Writing each book is always an adventure…one that always comes with fun and behind-the-scenes that never make it into the finished product or that readers might not know. I always love to share some of them though! Here are a few things you might not otherwise know about On Wings of Devotion.

When I first developed the character of Arabelle, she was a pampered daughter of a plantation owner in Jamaica, gorgeous and a bit shallow. In a second story I’d tried her in, she lost the stunning beauty but became an heiress with a distant father and a mother who always thought she should spend her inheritance (from an aunt) on the rest of the family. In this version, her father’s the only relative she has left in the world, but she herself is very much like Version 2.

Arabelle’s adventurer father was partly inspired by a book I was reading to my kids, Twenty-One Balloons. It’s all about a retired teacher who intends to take a leisurely hot-air balloon trip around the world and ends up on Krakatoa when it erupts—an adventure he ends up reporting to an Explorer’s Club. I loved the idea of an explorer character!

When I first developed the character of Camden, he was a pirate instead of a pilot.

The life expectancy of a Royal Flying Corp pilot in World War 1 was only a few months! By surviving the whole war, Cam was definitely an anomaly.

In each of the previous stories I created for Ara and Cam, Arabelle begins it engaged to a man named Brax…with whom Cam has a bone to pick so decides to kidnap his fiancée. In the previous ideas, this was the bulk of the story—is this final version, it becomes merely a means of introduction.

For my birthday last year, my best friend sent me a recreation of a historical map of London, perfect for my settings! And for Christmas, my husband framed and hung it for me.

On Wings of Devotion is the only book in The Codebreakers series that has two fully English main characters—no foreign languages required! (Book 1 has a Belgian heroine and a half-English/half-Spanish hero…book 3 has a Russian hero.)

One of the reasons I chose a Cocker Spaniel as the puppy that would make an appearance in the book is because I have a super-cute knitting pattern for a spaniel and knew I’d enjoy making another one as a giveaway! Her name, however—Cadbury, Caddie for short—was chosen by my fans on Facebook.* * * * *

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a On Wings of Devotion inspired prize pack including a Recreation RFC Pilot Wings pin, a mini globe, Cadbury Chocolate, Caddie the Cocker Spaniel (handmade by Roseanna), and One Seat and Tea Package for an Online Tea Party Book Club with Roseanna (Winner's choice of scheduled dates. Includes treats, loose-leaf tea, and book club goodies. A $25 value! For more information, visit http://www.roseannamwhite.com/tea-party-book-club/.)!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 7, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on January 14, 2020. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!





*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
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~ CEDAR FORT 30% OFF PROMO ~

~ 30% OFF PROMOTION FROMCEDAR FORT PUBLISHING ~

~ MMGM S.T.E.A.M. THE OCEAN CRAFT BOOK ~

~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADEMONDAY S.T.E.A.M. FEATURE ~ -- 'READ, LEARN & CREATE: THE OCEAN CRAFT BOOK'  --  AUTHORS CLARE BEATON & RUDI HAIGILLUSTRATOR CLARE BEATON

 LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS 

ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:
With topics sure to stimulate creative thinking and artistic prowess, these fun ocean crafts will motivate little ones to venture outside for inspiration. Perfect for your preK explorers and your elementary artists. Make a craft inspired by ocean--and learn something, too!

What can you create with just a cardboard box and some construction paper? Your very own coral reef! Use easy-to-follow directions to make thirteen crafts (and one recipe), each one focused on the ocean. Crafts include fun facts and additional resources, giving covert learning opportunities for your little explorer and reducing screen time.
PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK: "Young makers will learn ways to use (and reuse) everyday items in craft projects based on various kinds of ocean life, but this book goes above and beyond, also teaching about those creatures and the waters they call home. The double-page spreads are well organized, keeping all informational text about the given subject on the left-hand page, while placing all instructions for a related craft on the right-hand page. Beaton’s illustrations of the animals, such as dolphins and sharks, are colorful, and they are accompanied by helpful templates as well as an image of the finished craft. Steps are clearly described and can be completed by children with little to no adult supervision. Interesting facts about each animal will help children understand more about marine life, the dangers of pollution, and what they can do to help. Written in a knowledgeable voice and combining fun facts with creative ideas, this informative craft book is a must for any nonfiction children’s collection."
—Booklist 
CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXCERPT OF THIS BOOK ON THE PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from Goodreads}: Clare Beaton illustrates in felt, pen and ink, and paper collage.
MY THOUGHTS:This colorful craft book is a treasure trove of fun and appealing projects for primary-grade and middle-grade learners. 
The book kicks off with an introduction about Earth's five oceans and two of Earth's seven seas. Readers learn the difference between ocean plants and animals and freshwater plants and animals. The authors warn that oceans "are all under threat from pollution created by people." (page 1)  
A brief section entitled, 'Activities', gives an overview of materials to use for the projects and how to use the templates in the book. Readers are encouraged to use as many recycled items as possible when making their projects.
Next come the delightful projects including Paper Cup Penguins, Crafty Sea Turtles, Amazing Sea Creatures Paintings, Starfish Cookies {recipe}, Toilet-Paper Tube Crab, Your Own Coral Reef, and several more. 

What makes this a S.T.E.A.M. book in my opinion instead of an arts and crafts book is that the authors include a non-fiction narrative about the subject of each project before they present the instructions for the particular project.

Stepped-out instructions include a 'What you Will Need' materials list and detailed instructions. Instead of photos of each completed project, the illustrator has provided labeled illustrations for the ocean creatures and the projects. 

There is even a section on Beachcombing and Ocean Boats with suggestions for craft projects. I'm not too sure about the suggestion to have children to collect plastic and other trash on the beach and take it home to use it for art because of safety concerns and also environmental protection regulations about not taking anything from a protected seashore, but the recycling crafts and boat hat they present look like fun for kids.

The final section was really unique, in my opinion. It's entitled, 'Nautical Flags', and includes drawings of the twenty-six flags which represent the alphabet used to allow ships and boats communicate with each other and/or people on shore. 

Quoting from this book:  "Ships can use the flags to spell out a message or use a single flag that stands for an entire message. For example, the flag for the letter A--alpha--tells other ships to keep clear because there is a diver underwater." This was all news to me, and I was glad to learn about this communication system!

Highly-recommended for primary and middle-grade students, librarians, teachers, parents/grandparents, and youth/camp/scout leaders.

I borrowed this book from the non-fiction 'new book' shelf in the children's section of the local public library.

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Find the links to read more great Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from middle-grade authors and bloggers at Greg Pattridge's 'Always in the Middle' Blog.
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~ MMGM HOLIDAY PICTURE BOOK DASHER ~

~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADEMONDAY HOLIDAY PICTUREBOOK FEATURE ~ --  'DASHER'  -- AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR MATT TAVARES

LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS  
ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:
From the celebrated creator of Red and Lulu comes the story of a brave little doe who meets Santa and changes Christmas forever.

Dasher is an adventurous young reindeer with a wish in her heart.

She spends her days with her family under the hot sun in a traveling circus, but she longs for a different life -- one where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head. One day, when the opportunity arises, Dasher seizes her destiny and takes off in pursuit of the life she wants to live. It's not long before she meets a nice man in a red suit with a horse-drawn sleigh -- a man named Santa. And soon, with the help of a powerful Christmas wish, nothing will be the same.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from Goodreads}:  
Matt Tavares was born in Boston, and grew up surrounded by books and reading. From the time he was very young, his mother read to him every night, and his family made countless trips to the public library. Years later, as a studio art major at Bates College, he rediscovered his love for picture books, and decided to try to make his own.

For his senior thesis project, Matt wrote and illustrated a story called Sebastian's Ball, which eventually became Zachary's Ball, Matt's first published picture book. Zachary's Ball went on to win a Massachusetts Book Award Honor, and was named one of Yankee Magazine's 40 Classic New England Children's Books.

Since then, Matt has published eighteen more books and has won several awards, including three Parents' Choice Gold Awards, an Orbis Pictus Honor, and two ALA Notable books. His artwork has been exhibited at the Museum of American Illustration, the Brandywine River Museum, and the Mazza Museum of Picture Book Art.

When Matt's not working in his studio on his latest book project, he travels the country speaking (and drawing) at schools, libraries, conferences, and bookstores. He has presented at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Eric Carle Museum, the White House Easter Egg Roll, and he's even done a few book signings at Fenway Park.

Matt lives in Maine with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters.

MY THOUGHTS:
Beautiful picture books and the holiday season have always complemented each other in my life. As a child, I treasured books. As a classroom teacher, I shared my love of books with my eager students. As an adult, author, and blogger, my passion for beautifully-written and illustrated books knows no end.

'Dasher', written and illustrated by award-willing author-illustrator Matt Tavares, can best be described using two of my favorite words--exquisite and extraordinary.

This story is told from the perspective of a young reindeer doe named Dasher. She and her family were members of a traveling circus in the late nineteenth century. Nowhere is it stated that this is the time period of the story, but the illustrations depict the dress and realia from that era.

Dasher loves her family, and she especially loves the stories her mother tells her at night about days gone by and the magic of the North Star. These stories become meaningful later on in the book as Dasher strikes out on her own in search of freedom and happiness.

Younger children will enjoy the story because of the adventure and surprises Dasher finds along the way. Middle-graders will enjoy the story because of the deeper meanings threaded throughout the narrative about yearning for a dream to come true, family, love, freedom, hope, and joy.

I highly recommend this beautiful book to children and families alike. I found it to be a unique, inspiring tale about some common Christmas icons.

I borrowed this book from the new book shelf in the children's collection at the local public library.

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Find the links to read more great Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from middle-grade authors and bloggers at Greg Pattridge's 'Always in the Middle' Blog.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT--BLACK FRIDAY BOOK SALE

~ MMGM THANKSGIVING FAMILY READ ALOUD ~

~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADEMONDAY THANKSGIVINGHOLIDAY FAMILY READ ALOUD ~ --  CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING  -- AUTHOR WENDE DEVLINILLUSTRATOR HARRY DEVLIN

LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS 

ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:
Today was Thanksgiving, Grandmother's favorite day of the year. The cooking was done and her famous cranberry bread was cooling on the wooden board. Every year Grandmother invited a guest for dinner and allowed Maggie to do the same. "Ask someone poor or lonely," she always said.

She wasn't happy upon learning that Maggie had invited the unsavory Mr. Whiskers to dinner. Would her secret cranberry bread recipe be safe with him in the house?

After a long absence this delightful 1971 classic is back and so is the secret recipe for Grandmother's Famous Cranberry Bread!


ABOUT THE AUTHORS {from the publisher's website}:

Wende and Harry Devlin 
Wende and Harry Devlin graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in fine arts and both evolved into accomplished painters.
They later moved to New Jersey, where they became lifelong residents, to raise their family.
The Devlins first collaborated in the 1950s on a syndicated comic strip, Raggmopp, based on the antics of their seven children. 
After this, for more than thirty years from 1963 to 1995, Harry and Wende delighted young children with their Cranberry and Old Witch series. Some of these stories contained more than just happy endings, featuring recipes pleasing to children and adults alike. In fact, many people remember Old Black Witch as the “Blueberry Pancake Witch,” and this beloved series went on to sell over a million and a half books. 
Wende’s words, brought to life by Harry’s vivid illustrations, will continue to enthrall future generations as an unforgettable legacy in children’s literature.
Each of their books comes with a recipe on the back cover, take a look on Pinterest for all of them:   Recipes from the Devlins.
Our favorite recipe is the Cranberry Upside Down Cake. The Blueberry Pancakes and Cranberry Bread are soooo good too!
Don’t forget to check out all the cool facts at Wende and Harry’s
Website:  http://harryandwendedevlin.com/  

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHER
MY THOUGHTS:Cranberry Thanksgiving was one of my favorite read alouds when I taught primary grades. Kindergartners, first graders, and second graders all loved it. And they didn't just love hearing it read aloud at Thanksgiving time. They wanted to hear it well after we returned from our Thanksgiving break from school. 

I recently saw a reading level of 3.7 listed for this book, but I didn't work with students who read this book independently. It was a storytime favorite, and I think I know why . . . 

Harry and Wende Devlin were the parents of seven children. Like Beverly Cleary, it has been reported that the Devlins included the antics of their own offspring in their books. As I mentioned in my post about Author Beverly Cleary in 2018-- https://authorjunemccraryjacobs.blogspot.com/2018/08/mmgm-retro-fiction-beverly-cleary.html
-- the Devlins understood children and what made them laugh, cry, become angry, and a host of other insights to be gained by working with, living with, and/or loving children.

If you have a chance this Thanksgiving season, find a copy of this holiday classic and share it with your family, friends, or neighbors no matter their age. Read it aloud to a group and experience the magic that only a well-written, beautifully-illustrated classic children's book can inspire.

~ MMGM THE HERO NEXT DOOR STORY COLLECTION ~

~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADEMONDAY DIVERSE AUTHOR STORY COLLECTION FEATURE ~ --  'THE HERO NEXT DOOR'  -- EDITOR--OLUGBEMISOLA RHUDAY-PERKOVICH

LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS
From We Need Diverse Books, the organization behind 'Flying Lessons & Other Stories', comes another middle-grade short story collection--this one focused on exploring acts of bravery--featuring some of the best own-voices children's authors, including R. J. Palacio (Wonder), Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer), Linda Sue Park (A Long Walk to Water), and many more.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some heroes teach martial arts. Others talk to ghosts. A few are inventors or soccer players. They're also sisters, neighbors, and friends. Because heroes come in many shapes and sizes. But they all have one thing in common: they make the world a better place.

Published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, this vibrant anthology features thirteen acclaimed authors whose powerful and diverse voices show how small acts of kindness can save the day. So pay attention, because a hero could be right beside you. Or maybe the hero is you.

AUTHORS INCLUDE: William Alexander, Joseph Bruchac, Lamar Giles, Mike Jung, Hena Khan, Juana Medina, Ellen Oh, R. J. Palacio, Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Ronald L. Smith, Rita Williams-Garcia, and short-story contest winner Suma Subramaniam

"As with the two previous anthologies from We Need Diverse Books, this collection admirably succeeds in making available to all readers a wider and more representative range of American voices and protagonists." -The Washington Post

MY THOUGHTS:I would like to highlight three of my favorite selections from this short story collection.
--  Home, written by Hena Khan:This is a touching story written from the point of view of a twelve-year-old girl, Aleena, who lives in Virginia with her parents and teen brother, Bilal.
The family arranges to adopt a three-year-old boy, Hakeem, from an orphaniage in Morocco. Hakeem speaks no English, and Aleena's family speaks no Arabic. The process of adopting this child has taken over a year. The entire family is anticipating the arrival of Hakeem in their home with great joy and excitement.
As you can imagine, there are many adjustments to be made for Hakeem and the entire family along with some rough patches along the way. The powerful ending of the story brought tears to my eyes. This story is filled with realistic emotions and life lessons. Highly-recommended!
--  A Girl's Best Friend, written by Cynthia Leitich-Smith:I featured one of this author's (who is herself a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation) story collections for Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday earlier in 2019. Here's the link if you wish to read it: 

Indian Shoes Story Collection Post

A Girl's Best Friend focuses on the relationship between a twelve-year-old girl, Sophie, and her neighbor and landlord, Miz Wilson. Sophie has had to explain several times to Mis Wilson that she is a Muscogee-Osage girl and a Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen leading Sophie to feel that the landlord is nosy about the Bigheart family.

Even though there is tension and some emotional trauma in the story, the fact that Sophie and her mother volunteer at a local animal shelter will delight young readers as much as it did me!

Through some significant misunderstandings, Sophie and Miz Wilson work together to break down some walls, leaving the reader inspired about how communication and trust can improve relationships. Highly-recommended!

--  Reina Madrid, written by R.J. Palacio:

This well-written and poignant story will stay with me for a very long time . . . 

Maria Eugenia Madrid, called 'Reina' by her parents, lives in Queens in the 1970s. Reina's father passed away recently, and she and her mother are adjusting to a new apartment and a new job for Mrs. Madrid.

The author enriches the story with her detailed description of the neighborhood dynamics at the time and place of the story's setting. Life was definitely different back then, and I enjoyed reading about a time period with which I was personally familiar.

Reina, who is now a ten-year-old, becomes best friends with a girl from another building in the complex, Franny, who is one year older than Reina. The girls spend a lot of time together, but Franny never invites Reina over to her apartment. The reasons for this are revealed late in the story. Reina's mother takes Franny on all sorts of outings with she and Reina.

The final section of this story is meaningful on many levels. Suffice it to say that Reina learns many life lessons at a young age. Highly-recommended!

I borrowed this book from the children's collection at the local public library.

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Find the links to read more great Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from middle-grade authors and bloggers at Greg Pattridge's 'Always in the Middle' Blog.

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~ MMGM ENCORE POST FOR VETERANS DAY 2019 ~

~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADEMONDAY BIOGRAPHY FEATURE ~ --  'THE POPPY LADY:  MOINA BELLE MICHAEL AND HER TRIBUTE TO VETERANS'  -- AUTHOR BARBARA ELIZABETH WALSHPAINTINGS BY LAYNE JOHNSON



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ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:Moina Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, successfully established the Flanders Field Memorial Poppy as a universal symbol of tribute and support for veterans and their families during World War I and II. Known as the Poppy Lady, Michael dedicated her life to servicemen and women, buying and placing fresh flowers in rooms where they would gather before heading overseas.
Author Barbara Elizabeth Walsh and artist Layne Johnson worked with experts and primary documents, as well as Moina's great-nieces to better understand Moina's determination to honor the war veterans.
A portion of the book’s proceeds will support the National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple®, which benefits children of the U.S. military.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from Goodreads}:
Barbara Elizabeth Walsh has fond memories of poppies and parades honoring her father and other veterans. During World War II her father knew Moina Michael, the Poppy Lady. A former elementary-school teacher, Barbara has written articles for Highlights for Children and Cricket. The Poppy Lady is her first children's book. She and her husband live in Mantoloking, New Jersey, and Key Largo, Florida. For more information, visit barbaraelizabethwalsh.com.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR {from the publisher's website}:
Layne Johnson has illustrated more than twenty books for children, including the Western Heritage Award--winning Off Like the Wind!: The First Ride of the Pony Express by Michael P. Spradlin. Mr. Johnson speaks frequently in schools and libraries. He lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife.

MY THOUGHTS:
In honor of Veterans Day, 2019, I am sharing a post from November, 2018, in an effort to honor veterans, their families, and current members of the military along with first responders.
On a personal level, I like to pay tribute to the veterans in my family on Veterans Day each year: My grandfather who served in the US Army during World War I and his three sons, my uncles, who served in the US Army and US Marine Corps during World War II. Two of my uncles saw overseas combat, and one was wounded three times in the South Pacific and was honored with the Purple Heart and many other awards.

Here is the encore post featuring a very popular picture book biography about an amazing woman, Moina Belle Michael. A friendly reminder, don't miss the link at the end of the post for an opportunity to read the moving and poignant 'In Flanders Field' poem mentioned in the following post:

With the centennial of the World War I armistice approaching on November 11th, 2018, I decided I wanted to feature books about 'The Great War' or World War II each Monday of this month for my Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts.

A couple of months ago I began searching the local library's online catalog for appropriate titles, and I was thrilled to find this gem in the collection!

Moina Belle Michael was raised in the small community of Good Hope, Georgia, after the Civil War. Families had lost everything in 'The Surrender' and could not afford to hire a teacher for the local children. Moina's mother was determined to help her daughter become educated so Moina could teach her younger siblings and the neighbor's children.

After three years of boarding school fifteen-year old Moina cleaned out an abandoned slaves' cabin on the plantation and opened a school for her siblings and a few local children.

In the summer of 1914, Miss Michael had been traveling in Europe when World War I broke out. When the Germans sank an American ship in March, 1917, she prayed the United States would not enter the war.

At this time, she was a teacher and dorm mother at the University of Georgia's Normal School. She dreaded the U.S. Congress's vote on whether the nation would enter the war. When it was announced that the United States was joining in the war in Europe, Moina vowed to do whatever she could to help the soldiers. She wanted them to be remembered for their service and sacrifice.

She knitted sock and rolled bandages with other local women. She delivered treats to the nearby military camp and invited soldiers to share a meal at her home.

In the autumn of 1918, she completed the training presented by the YMCA and held at Columbia University in New York City so she could become a canteen worker. She applied to go overseas but was denied due to the fact that she was too old. {She was forty-nine years old at the time.}

She wanted to help out somehow. She reflected upon what she could do to help the war effort. She decided it would be worthwhile to help the soldiers before they left for their assignments overseas, so she opened a reading/meeting room in the basement of a hall on Columbia's campus.

Men and women in the military along with university secretaries visited the room each day to read, sing, and visit with others. Miss Michael used her own meager salary to buy flowers to brighten up the dreary basement. She felt called to do more to ease the stress of these soldiers who were serving or had served their country in war.

By chance, Moina read a poem in a magazine written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae who was a Canadian physician. The poem, 'In Flanders Fields', was a tribute to the soldiers who perished on the battlefields of Flanders. In the poem, the battlefield was covered with white crosses and bright red poppies.

Then and there Moina Belle Michael vowed to buy red poppies to give out to others and to always wear a red poppy herself in honor of the poppies of Flanders Fields.

She went out shopping in New York City to purchase red poppies. She found one large and twenty-four small silk poppies in a single department store. She pinned one poppy to her collar and hurried back to the basement room. She placed the large poppy in a vase and handed out the twenty-three smaller ones to the men and women leaving for France.

It is striking that two days after she purchased the twenty-five poppies, World War I ended. She was not ready to rest. She saw how difficult it was for the returning troops to find jobs and get the medical care they needed.

She decided to help out by trying to get various organizations to honor and support the veterans by adopting the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy. People around the world began to donate money to the funds to help veterans, war widows, and orphans.

Many unemployed and disabled veterans made and distributed poppies. Moina was named the 'Poppy Lady'.

Moina Belle Michael died at the age of seventy-four and was honored with a military funeral in her honor in Athens, Georgia.

The 'Author's Note' tells the touching story of how her own father had met Miss Michael when he was a soldier in World War II. The soldier, Pat, told his author daughter about how nice Miss Michael was. This prompted Barbara Elizabeth Walsh to research and write this compelling biography.

The 'Legacy' section tells how the Flanders Poppy is still recognized as a symbol of remembrance. These poppies are still distributed by several veterans groups in America.

A 'Selected Biography' is included.

The original paintings by artist Layne Johnson are beautiful and contribute greatly to this amazing woman's biography.

If you would like to read the touching poem which began this red poppy tradition, you will find the text of 'In Flanders Fields' and a brief biography of the poet who wrote it at the following link:
'In Flanders Fields' Poem

This biography is highly recommended to parents/grandparents, librarians, teachers, and fans of American history/World War I history/military history/twentieth century history. It is inspiring and engaging and will show a true-life example of a woman who dedicated her life to serving others.

I borrowed this book from the local public library.

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Find the links to read more great Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from middle-grade authors and bloggers at Greg Pattridge's 'Always in the Middle' Blog.



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