Back in 2018 I posted My Twelve Days of the New Year. It’s a writing class I took back with Julie Hedlund. Tonight I’d like to show you how to find it on my Pinterest boards. I have 156 posts pinned across the 8 boards titled Pictures and Text. They’re sorted into Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.

Pinterest is THE easiest way for kids to find facts for a school report. Teachers, it’s also a great way for you to find content for your classroom. Here’s the link for this post: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/the-twelve-days-of-the-new-year 

If you’d like to learn how to find it, try clicking on this link. It will take you straight to all of my Pinterest Boards.  https://www.pinterest.com/rindabeach/

I have 8 boards of pictures and text from my website’s blog. The post about Twelve Days is on my language arts board. You can click on it from Pinterest or from this link: https://www.pinterest.com/rindabeach/pictures-text-language-arts-posts/
 
My Language Arts board is divided into 15 sections. You can browse, or slide down to Writing Friends/Classes. This is where you’ll find those Twelve Days.
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Then click on Writing Friends/Classes and it will take you to the 6 pins in this section. The link doesn’t work so I won’t share it. Sorry!

 Here are the 6 pins from this section. The only one that’s labeled is Twelve Days. I’m working my way through all my pins, adding in the TITLE and STRANDS. My goal is to finish it by the end of February. Now, all you have to do is click on the pin titled The Twelve Days of the New Year. It works! So does this link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/201325045826994590/

t will take you here, with this image. It will tell you the TITLE, the Twelve Days, and the STRANDS. This one is only for Language Arts. If a book is listed several places, it will tell you here. Finally click on the image, and it will take me straight to my Blog. 

If you want to practice, try starting at my original Pinterest Board. See if you can find those Twelve Days again. If you get lost, no problem! You can browse my boards and see if there’s anything you’d like to read. Happy New Year!
 
PS – My next post will be on this year’s class. I’ve been with Julie Hedlund since 2017.  Her classes have shaped who I’ve become as a writer, and I’d love to share my new one with you!

I found this site when I was researching and writing Neil Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel Dream. I didn’t understand how a wind tunnel worked, and that was kind of key to the story, no LOL! Since then, Instructables have been sending me emails with ideas, and I’ve been looking for the right projects to share. This one came yesterday, and it’s perfect. Here’s the link:

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Christmas-Ornaments/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

                                                      Ready . . .  Set . . .  Let’s make some ornaments!

​#1 - First up is something easy-peasy. I could make it, and I’m not crafty at all. All you need is a bulb and some foam letters.
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https://www.instructables.com/id/Emoticon-Ornament-/
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​My Idea: I’d change it up with other foam shapes because I love re-imagining things. Must be the writer/editor in me!

#2 - This is an Oregon Duck Christmas Tree, as in the University of Oregon.

It’s a little harder to make because you sew sequins onto one piece of green felt, and then onto another piece. If you do it their way, it’s just a little longer, just a little harder, but very doable for someone like me.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Sequin-Christmas-Ornament/

​My Ideas: First I’d make it an OSU tree, as in scarlet, gray, and buckeyes. I also wouldn’t sew all those sequins on. I’d attach them with a clear glue, and I’d only do one side. I’d put something on the back, like a kid’s picture and date, but then I love to edit things!

#3 - This is an X-Wing Fighter Ornament. I loved the idea, and I thought you might too.
https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-X-Wing-Fighter-Ornament/

My Ideas: This is way too complicated for me. I like easy peasy. Do you have a Star Wars or Lego toy that would work? All you need to do is attach a hook.
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If you and your family want to make one yourself , try this idea with Legos or K’Nex. They’re easier to work with!

#4 – Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree! I wanted to post this ornament last night, but I couldn’t decide whether I should keep it or pull it down. I slept on it.
 
This ornament is SO difficult to make! It has 15 steps, and most of them are highly technical. That’s because this ornament is an LED Circuit Board Christmas Tree Ornament.
 
I decided to save it because it might help you win a contest, teachers only, for a 3-D printer. I know – a 3D printer! WOW!
 
https://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Circuit-Board-Christmas-Tree-Ornament/
 
My Idea: I wouldn’t even attempt a circuit board! I’d get something in a shiny green material. I’d find great stickers and sequins, and I’d try really hard not to over-decorate. I love this tree’s simplicity!
here to edit.

#5 – If you have a 3D printer, try making this floating snowflake ornament. The secret – tulle, the stuff you use for tutus and veils. If you like this idea, you can also make jewelry using the same idea. Click the printing on tulle trick.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Floating-Snowflake-Ornament/
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My Idea: Go to the craft store and buy your snowflake and frame. You could use tulle to hold the snowflake in place. But if your frame comes with plastic, just lay your snowflake inside. Done!

#6 – This ornament is hands-on. It’s a diorama inside a glass ornament – with sand. The hard part – fitting things like trees and photos inside.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Snow-Diorama-Glass-Ornament/
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My Idea: If you can’t find a fillable ornament, try decorating on the outside, but be careful! Sometimes flat images don’t fit well on round objects. You may have to do a little nip/tuck surgery.

​#7 – If you’re crafty and have a 3D printer, this is the project for you! Who doesn’t love Star Wars?

https://www.instructables.com/id/Baby-Yoda-Ornament/
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My Idea: I don’t have a 3D printer so I’d look for my figurine in the nearest toy store. Just be careful that it fits inside your ornament.

Teachers, could your school use a 3-D Printer? Check out this link!
https://www.instructables.com/contest/stem2019/https://www.instructables.com/contest/stem2019/

From Instructables – “This contest is for ALL teachers (professional and otherwise) and open to any projects that have a definable STEM focus.

We are looking for projects that are replicable in the classroom or other educational setting, that teach skills related to Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math.

There is a special Judges' prize for the project that best uses the Makey Makey invention kit.
Only 39 days left to enter the STEM Contest!”

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​Sometimes ideas just come. That’s what happened last night when I posted my review for The Best Seat in Kindergarten. I loved the story! I thought it was perfect for its audience, Preschool and Kindergarten kids. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars. But when I went into Amazon, it had one review, for one star.
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If you’re a writer, that hurts. It’s not easy  to get a book published traditionally. The bar is high, and everyone involved works hard to do it well.

​ My Review Title: The Power of Helping Others
 
My Review: This would be a great first day of school book, but it’s also something more. It’s about the power of friendship, of helping others. The first day of school finally arrives, and his teacher takes the class outside for a nature walk. The assignment – find something and bring it back for show-and-tell. Guess who finds the best thing of all? Sorry, you’ll have to read to find out what Sam found. 
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My Additional Paragraph: I'm a retired teacher, and I read the other review. I never saw this as a story about buying friends. For me it's about a sweet little boy who likes to help others. In over 33 years teaching 2nd grade I've seen lots of kids who have trouble making friends. One of the best ways to help them, is to teach them how to be a friend. Often these same kids push others away. This story has lots of small examples of kindness that can help kids learn how to be a friend.
 
My Final Thoughts: Writing reviews is a wonderful thing! Readers get a peek into the best/not so best parts of the story. It helps them to decide whether or not to buy that book.
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For a writer, a good review is priceless. It sells our books, sometimes to people who have never heard of them. Did you know 50 or more reviews puts a book at the top of Amazon’s search list?  I have 17. I’d given up on getting more, but then I thought why not try? It never hurts to ask!

If you’ve read Neil Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel Dream, please consider writing an honest review. The best part – a kid or their parents might read your review and pick my book. Whenever I autograph one, I always write about dreams. Neil’s first one was the wind tunnel, and you know where it took him. Mine was to write and publish a book. Thanks to Neil, I did it!

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​Do you see that silver badge? Neil earned it from Readers’ Favorite. They only give out four or five stars. If you get 1, 2, or 3, they’ll send you your review, but they won’t post it. No one likes a bad review.

Readers’ Favorite reviews are incredible! First is a 125-word summary of the book. Last is 125 words on whether or not the reviewer liked it. I thought about becoming one of their reviewers, but I don’t have time. I’m happier writing my short reviews.

If you’d like to read my Readers’ Favorite review, click on this link: 
​http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/im-a-star-a-readers-favorite-star5555029

I always start with an idea. This time, my missing critique. Then I go searching for images, usually on Pixabay – they’re free.

Pictures help me plan the post. For this one, I started with the four images below. The first 3 are for the missing critique. The last one – a lost ring. Then I begin writing. By the time I’d finished the first 2 images, the post changed. 

I switched the 2nd and 3rd pictures around (see below) to show you what a critique looks like, and that’s when my words took over this post. I had an idea what I wanted to write, but it always changes along the way. It’s like magic. The words take on a life of their own, and they guide me. This time they sent me back to Pixabay for 2 more images. 

Do you see the 2 new images? One’s above, and one’s below. I saw them and knew they’d fit. They remind me of Hallmark movies and their happy endings. The first 4 became Part 1. I wrote its story, then edited and revised it. No more changes! My words and I were in sync.  

​The last 2 images became Part 2. I started writing, but an unexpected twist found me – I started writing the advice I give myself. I thought it might help you. I needed another image for my new ending. I did a final round of editing and published the post! Done!

This is the last On the Scene interview, and we’re finishing strong with Jennifer Buchet’s interview with her main character, Little Medusa. Their interview is hair-raising, and a little knotty!
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https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/a-chat-with-little-medusa

​ Meet Melayna Evans and her debut novel, JAGGER JONES AND THE MUMMY’S ANKH. Her post this week is the recipe for her debut book. 

Ingredients –            ¼ Inspiration                           ¼ Perspiration                   ¼ History                      ¼ Fantasy
Directions –     1. Mix up the ingredients.        2. Revise to taste.         3. Submit till done.         4. Enjoy!

Click this link for her actual  recipe: https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/part-inspiration-part-perspiration-part-history-part-fantasy-and-voila-a-debut-novel

This is Annette Schottenfeld, and this is the dummy cover for her debut book. It was supposed to come out in 2019, but its book birthday has been moved back to 2020.
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The book business, especially children’s books, is so hard to break into. I was lucky – I self-published so I had control over my book, but I was still delayed. It was only 17 days, but it seemed like forever.

What do you do when your book is delayed? You work on book business like this, or you work on the next one.

Annette wrote a blog post for OBI’S MUD BATH . . .  with 5 reasons why you’ll love it. I hope you check out her link below, and keep an eye out for Obi’s book birthday. I read her 5 reasons, and I can’t wait to read the real book. https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/five-reasons-why-youll-love-the-picture-book-obis-mud-bath

Meet author/illustrator Laurie Smollett Kutscera. This week she interviewed herself. What else could she do? She wrote her debut middle grade novel and illustrated it too. It sounds funny, like hitting a tennis ball across the net, then running over to return it. It worked for Laurie! She did a great job with both her questions and answers. Click on the link below to see for yourself.

Meet author Tina Shepherdson. This week she interviewed her main character, Maddie, about a walkout at school. Read Tina’s interview to discover why Maddie and her friends decided to walk.
 
https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/character-interview-author-tina-shepardsons-interview-with-main-character-maddie-from-walkout

​This interview is a two-fer with Andy from Bear with Us Productions, and Eduardo Paj, illustrator of LLAMA DRAMA.  Andy runs the production company, a one stop shop for anyone who wants to self publish a book. He’ll help you  with the ins and outs of the business. Continue reading, and you’ll learn how Eduardo Paj made the words come to life on the pages of MY LLAMA DRAMA..
 
https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-bear-with-us-productions-and-illustrator-eduardo-paj

​We have something new for you this week from author June Jacobs McCrary. She interviewed Weston Gregg about his role as main character in her book Res-Q Tyler Stop, What a great idea!

https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/character-interview-author-june-mccrary-jacobss-interview-with-main-character-weston-gregg-from-res-q-tyler-stop-a-middle-grade-historical-adventure-set-in-northern-california-in-1968    

I think I should try this on my latest Work In Progress (WIP). My critique partners think I need to push deeper into the plot. Maybe if I interview the characters, they’ll help me figure out how.
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​Here’s my acrostic ode to Neil Armstrong – thanks to Vanessa’s inspiration!
 
     Neil loved airplanes.
     Every day he worked to build better ones.
    If he failed, he didn’t quit. He
    Looked and looked till he built a better plane.
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This is what happened 2 nights ago. I was packing to travel, and I started searching for a critique I needed. I thought I’d finally have time for it. It was almost midnight, but I searched for an hour before I gave up. I knew I should have quit sooner.

​​I tried to sleep but my thoughts ran circles through my head  - it’s lost – where could it be – my fault – my husband’s – it’s lost – If I could edit this photo, that search arrow would be spinning like those thoughts.

​This is what a critique looks like. It shows what a reviewer thinks can be done to improve a story.

I was searching for one from the Cleveland writing conference for a manuscript that’s moving closer to publication. I have someone who’s interested in the story, with changes of course.

I felt like my critique was irreplaceable. I wanted to sob, but I was too tired.
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I tried talking to myself. I backtracked through all the places I’d been, the things I’d done with that critique. I came up with 2 new places to check and a backup plan, just in case it was truly gone.

The last time I remember seeing the critique was in Texas. I went to  my grandgirl’s shower. I checked with my daughter-in-law. It wasn’t there.
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   After Texas we stopped at the lake, and I unloaded a bag. I checked it. No critique so I gave up, at least for a TV break. I turned it on . . .

​AND I FOUND IT – beside the remote control, right where I’d left it, Forgotten. Minds and memories work like that. It’s sad but true.

But finding it, that was a Hallmark movie moment! Perfect like this photo! I had my critique. I could work on my manuscript, and life was good! I wish Hallmark moments lasted longer, but I savor them as long as possible!

My husband told me I’d find my critique, and he was right. He loves hearing that!

Tomorrow I have another story that’s lost – devastated – found – grateful! My husband was right again!

This is an aquamarine. It’s the March birthstone. I have an aquamarine ring, not this big of course. Mine is much, much smaller, but it’s precious to me.

​I lost a baby when I was  pregnant. I’d only known about it for a couple weeks, but it was devastating.

It took a year to recover, and by that time I was pregnant again with my daughter. She was due the same time as the baby I lost. Both babies were due in March. 26 years later, it feels like a Godwink moment from a Hallmark movie.

About a month ago, I lost the ring. I looked everywhere, in all the usual spots. I was sad, but not devastated because my husband said, once again, you’ll find it.

​And once again he was right. I found the ring a couple days later when I stopped looking. It was laying downstairs close to the laundry room. This is how I felt, like I was starring in a  summer Hallmark movie!

I’d laid it there when I was doing laundry. I wanted to put it in a safe place. I did! An unusually safe place. So safe even I couldn’t find it.

My advice – when something is lost – search carefully by backtracking through all the places you remember being. Search again, like once a day. Also search your memory, maybe you’ll remember a place you’d forgotten. You’ll look, and there it will be.

Another tip – pray. I do. I pray that it will be found, and if it isn’t,that it will find its way to someone who needs it, like the ring. But if it’s like the manuscript, I pray for another way to recover it. I did have another plan, to email the conference for another copy of the critique.
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Finally I try to learn from my mistakes. With my critique,  I’d make another copy, put it in a special folder so it would be easier to find. Good luck to you and to me, because eventually we all lose things, and hopefully we won’t lose ‘it’ either. We’ll keep our cool and make the best of a disappointing/devastating situation!

​Screenshot #1 - ​ Do you want to read about Veterans for Veterans Day? I have two posts, but how can you find them? Go to my Pinterest boards at https://www.pinterest.com/rindabeach/  This is what you’ll see , two boards with soldiers. Bingo! You could check the Economics board, but the Government one is better. I peeked!

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Screenshot #2 - If you clicked on Government, then you’d come to this page. You’re still looking for veterans so I’d go straight to the pins for Serving your country.

If you need Citizenship, International rules, or state government, you can look them up later. If you’re interested in the DACA kids who are in the news, I have a post about them too.

                                   Screenshot #3 –  Here’s the screen you’ll see for Serving your country.

​The first post is titled Stories Matter, and they’re all about the life of President George H. W. Bush. I was inspired by all the stories I heard during the week leading up to his funeral.
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The first one tells how George joined the Navy the day after he turned 18. A year later he was the youngest Navy fighter pilot, and he almost didn’t live to tell. You’ll have to read to discover the details.
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Screenshot #4 - The middle post is titled There’s More to Soldier, More to a Veteran.​

I interviewed a Facebook friend who has since become my son-in-law. He went to West Point, became a Captain in the Army. I wanted to know what inspired him to join, and why he’s still inspired with his mission.
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Today and every day I thank Jesse and his fellow soldiers for their service, for giving their time and talents to serve our country. They could have taken an easier route, but they didn’t. They’re out there every day making a difference for us. Thank you!
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​Screenshot #5 – The Final Post is Semper Fi! The 14 Marine Corp Leadership Traits. They’re the same traits I taught my second graders back in the day.

​I found this story because my friend Mark emailed me about Jesse and his service. Mark wanted me to know that our servicemen don’t do their jobs for appreciation. They do them for love of country, because they want to serve.
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Then he told me about the character traits that changed his life. I was so impressed that I saved his email so I could write this post.

I want these posts to live, to be rediscovered and reread. That’s why I decided to use screenshots for my illustrations. I want you to be able to find them and use them again and again.
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               Part 2 - Finding Great Books on rindabeach.com                           

​Here’s how to find a good book from my 2 Pinterest boards for Classroom Reads. One’s for Chapter books, and the other’s for Picture books. I have Veterans Day books from each board. Look at the next screen shot, and see how to find them.

​I have Chapter Books divided into 7 sections with 41 pins (41 books). This section is for realistic fiction. 

​This is the book I picked last year to honor our veterans. Daisy is a rescue dog, but no one will take a chance on her, not even a Veteran with PTSD (Post Tramatic Stress Disease). Daisy’s story is incredible! It’s one of my favorite books!

I have Picture Books divided into 16 sections with 77 pins (77 books). This is the book I picked 2 years ago to honor our veterans. 

​Sheepdogs explains in story form what our police and military do for us day in, day out. They look scary, but when the wolves/bad guys come around, you need a good sheepdog. If you know someone who serves in the military or law enforcement, this is the perfect gift. It will help their children understand the difficult job they do. It’s another one of my favorites! 

​I found Readers’ Favorite in August. Someone on my 12 x 12 writing forum had earned their star, and they were sharing their good news.  I decided to check out Readers’ Favorite. You can pay for an express review. That means you get the review within 2-3 weeks, but it doesn’t affect the quality or rating of your review. 
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​Readers’ Favorite also has free reviews, but you are not guaranteed one. Reviewers choose the books they want to do. They look over a list in their favorite genres. They look at the cover, read the description, sometimes a little of the book. Then they make a choice. Half of the submissions are reviewed within 3 months. Some are never reviewed. 

​I decided to opt for a free review. I sent my submission out August 30th. September came and went. I was busy working on other manuscripts, and I forgot about the review.  Then October 14th I received an email from Readers’ Favorite. I was afraid to open it, afraid of what was inside. I knew it would be an honest review. I hoped for a 5, but I’ve been hopeful before and been disappointed. I prepared myself for a 3. Then I opened the email, and this is what I found: 

Reviewed By: Emily-Jane Hills Orford
Review Rating: 5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review!
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​Reviewed By Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite
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Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon in 1969, had a passion for flying and aeronautical engineering from a very young age. An outing with his father to watch an airplane race in 1932 launched his passion. In 1935 he had his first airplane ride. As a boy, he built one model airplane after another (and a few paper airplanes in between), always looking forward to sending the finished craft zooming across the yard outside his bedroom window, just to see how far it would fly. He worked odd jobs, earning the money to finance his ever-growing fleet of homemade airplanes and to pay for his much-desired flying lessons at the nearby airfield. As a teenager, he researched and designed a wind tunnel, a project that earned him recognition. He graduated from high school in 1947 at sixteen, the youngest graduate at his school. He earned a Holloway scholarship to study aeronautical engineering at Purdue University. Little did anyone know then that this passionately brilliant young man would someday walk on the moon.

I remember that day in 1969. I was twelve. Not usually allowed to watch television during the day, I sat down with my grandmother to watch the historic event on a small ten-inch black and white television. My memories of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon parallels that of author Rinda Beach. A lot has been written about this astronaut’s accomplishments, but what’s interesting is the story Rinda weaves in her book, Neil Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel Dream. Written with young readers in mind, the story tells of a young Neil Armstrong and his growing passion for airplanes, flying, and the world beyond the skies. With occasional black and white sketches to parallel the story, the author develops a plot that will appeal to young readers and encourage them to dream big, to never lose sight of one's dreams and to work hard to achieve them. Every famous adult was once a child with a dream. Having fond memories of this historic event fifty years ago, it was a pleasure to read this story and learn more about the man whose passion encouraged all of us to dream big. A wonderful addition to the library of young people’s stories about flying and space travel.

​If you’d like to see the review online at Readers’ Favorite, click on this link:
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/neil-armstrongs-wind-tunnel-dream

I’m a winner, but I had to buy my own chicken dinner!   LOL!

​I won 4 books this summer, and this was my 1st win. If you want free books, follow an author’s newsletter, especially the ones that feature brand-new books and contests. Authors want to get publicity. They want you to know their books are out there. They want you to look at them and either buy them or  check them out from your local library. Book contests give you attention, but they may/may not bring in sales. 

When I won this book, I looked at it, read a page or two, then put it away for later. It never called me back. Then I read an email from the 4th book I won. The author asked me to take pictures of the book, write a review, post it on Amazon and other sites, and finally share it on social media.
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I don’t post reviews unless I can give them 4 or 5 stars. All of these books are worthy of those scores. I’ll post their reviews here, and on Amazon too. So, here goes!
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​Untitled
Written and Illustrated by Timothy Young
Age Level: 5 – 6
Grade Level: K – 3
 
UNTITLED is an unusual book because it breaks the 4th wall. If you’re wondering what that is, it means the characters are talking directly to you, the reader. In this story the 2 main characters are trying to work out the title and plot for this book. One’s a coatimundi, and the other’s a capybara. I’m not sure which is which, but one is the largest rodent, and the other is a social raccoon. I  didn’t enjoy the book till the middle. That’s when something dangerous and unexpected happened. I love when an author can twist the ending. Without giving it away, I hope the coatimundi and capybara live to tell another tale.

​A Wonderful Day!
Written by Michael Samulak
Illustrated by Louise charm Pulvera
Reading Level: Early Reader
 
This is a simple, easy to read story about a day at the zoo. It’s designed so that you and your child feel like you’re there in the story, meeting each animal at the zoo.
 

​You Can Call Me Katelyn
Written by Keri T. Collins
Illustrated by Marcia Adams Ho
Age Level: 1 - 12
Grade Level: P – 4
 
Poor Carlee Ashley Myers! She’s hated her first name since the day she was born. Carlee decides she has to change it. She picks a new name and comes up with ways to persuade her family and friends to use it. Katelynn/Carlee is so very clever. She’s actually training the grown-ups to adopt her new name.
 
I  discovered by writing a review, that this book is a great tool. Katelynn can encourage your kids to learn to solve their own problems. She can also model for parents and teachers how you can allow your children to become problem solvers. A kid who can solve problems can go anywhere, do anything! The world is their oyster!

​Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Make Waves
Written by Lauren H Kerstein
Illustrated by Nate Wragg
Age Level: 4 - 8
Grade Level: K – 2

This is a great summer read, but it’s also perfect for indoor pools. Charlie loves his pet dragon, but Rosie has a horrible time with rules. Follow Charlie as he tries to teach Rosie proper pool behavior. Then enjoy kid/dragon fun on every page. Surf’s up for Rosie, Charlie, and You too!

​It’s fall now, and time to enter a few more book contests.
Win or lose, it’s fun to try!
Here’s to winners and chicken dinners!

​​Have you ever been out somewhere, and something caught your eye? You wanted to know more about it, but how? Sunday I ate lunch at Texas Roadhouse. I looked up and found something looking down at me. I thought it was a buffalo.

​My husband thought it was either a buffalo or bison, but he wasn’t sure which. Now I was curious. Same animal, or different? There wasn’t a computer in sight, but, I had my phone so I asked it, “What’s the difference between buffalo and bison? I couldn’t believe the answer!

The animal we all know from the Wild Wild West isn’t a buffalo  – it’s a bison! Real buffaloes come from Asia and Africa. So what’s the difference? Read the paragraph below. Then test your knowledge. 

First look at the head. There are 2 clues. Bison have huge heads. Buffalo have smaller ones. Bison have beards. Buffalo don’t. I read that bison are the cool cows! LOL! I thought that was funny!
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Second bison have huge humps for their shoulders. They can use them as snowplows. I could use one this winter – LOL again! Now, can you tell which is which?

                                    #1 and #2                                Which is Which?                          Buffalo or Bison?    

#1 is a bison. See the beard, big head, and shoulder hump? It’s a dead give-away! #2 is a buffalo from Asia. See its small head? It’s missing a beard and a hump! A dead give-away! Did you know Asian buffalo have horns that span 6 feet. This one sure looks that wide! 

                                      #3 and #4                                   Which is Which?                         Buffalo or Bison

#3 is a buffalo. It’s from Kenya, in Africa. Its horns are much smaller than an Asian buffalo, but it’s head is small, and there’s no beard or hump. #4 are American bison. All 3 have big heads, beards, and shoulder humps.
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So how did this happen? How did bison get turned into buffalo?

The mix-up started when the first Europeans came over, before Jamestown and the Pilgrims of Plymouth. Think of the explorers in the 1500’s from  countries like Spain, Portugal, England, and France.

Those explorers had been to Asia and Africa. They’d seen buffalo there, and they thought they saw them in America too. Now looking  at them side by side, it’s easy to see the difference, but those explorers couldn’t.  And that’s how buffalo and bison got misnamed.
Google Source: https://www.livescience.com/32115-bison-vs-buffalo-whats-the-difference.html 

​​Same day, same lunch, I was telling my husband about a movie I’d seen called The Fifth Quarter. The 2011 movie was based on a miraculous college football season from 2006, but I couldn’t remember the name of the college. Guess what – I googled it!
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_5th_Quarter
The team – The Wake Forest Deacons. The movie is about what happens when a family loses their 15 year old son in a car accident. They turn a tradgedy into a miracle for the team, for organ donors, and for families who lose their teenagers in car accidents.