Violet, written by Tanya Duprey Stehlik, illustrated by Vanja Vuleta Jovanovic (Rated: C)
Second Story Press
ISBN: 978-1897187609
Published September 1, 2009
Hardcover, 24 pages, Ages: 5-8

Publisher's Synopsis:
Violet is happy that her father has come to pick her up after her first day at a new school. But as she races over to meet him, one of the other kids asks, “How come your Dad is blue and you’re not?” Violet has never even thought about this before. Her mother is red, and her father is blue – so why isn’t she red or blue? Why is she violet? Upset and confused, Violet goes to her mother. Using paints, her mother shows her that when you combine red and blue, you get violet! Like many people in the world, Violet is a beautiful mix of colors.
Our thoughts:
My children and I liked this book for its originality—both in the story and the colourful quirky illustrations. By using the metaphor of colour to show being different is okay, the author has allowed for its application to all differences, not just skin colour. It could encompass physical and intellectual differences, multi-cultural and linguistic differences, as well as religious differences.

Two weeks ago I reviewed the The Journey Takers by Leslie Albrecht Huber. You can read my review here. Her research and compelling way of writing non-fiction sparked my interest. And if you think your life is busy because you got kids, read on. Please help me welcome Leslie as she tells us more about herself, her writing and her book.

1) Tell us about yourself and what you do.

My first book, The Journey Takers, just launched July 1st. So, lately about all I do is book stuff. Before my book took over my life, I used to write for magazines, mostly history and family history magazines, as well as some family magazines. Some of the publications I have written for include The History Channel Magazine, Family Chronicle, Ancestry, Family Tree Magazine, History Magazine, and Family Fun. I also speak to genealogy and history groups. By the end of 2010, I will have spoken in fifteen states! I love writing and I really enjoy speaking too.

I live in a small town in western Massachusetts in a cute, old, red farmhouse. I have four children, ages nine months to ten years. Between kids and writing, there isn’t much “spare” time left over!

2) How long have you been writing?

I have wanted to be a writer since I was five years old. I started writing for magazines nearly eight years ago and have written about 100 articles. I actually started working on my book before that…It’s just been a long time in coming.

3) Where do you get your inspiration to write?

I love doing research about different times and places. As I learn more about people in history, my mind often fills with ideas and thoughts about what their lives were like.

4) Where do you like to write? What type of writing schedule do you follow?

With four children, my schedule has to be very flexible! I usually write at night for a couple of hours after my children go to sleep. I also try to write a few hours on the three mornings a week that my third oldest goes to preschool (if it happens to coincide with the baby’s nap.)

I used to have an office, but that got converted into a nursery when the fourth was born. Now, I often just sit on the living room couch with my computer.

5 ) What genre do you write and why?

I write nonfiction. My book is narrative nonfiction, so in some ways it is very similar to fiction. It tells a story and has emotions and characters. When I write for magazines, it is more how-to or informative nonfiction.


6) Tell us more about your book The Journey Takers and where it is available for purchase.

My book is called The Journey Takers. The description on the back cover states: Leslie Albrecht Huber’s ancestors were journey takers, leaving their homes in Germany, Sweden, and England behind to sail to the US and start new lives here. Huber sets out to trace these journeys and to understand her family – who they were and what mattered to them. But as she follows in their footsteps, walking the paths they walked and looking over the land they farmed, she finds herself on a journey she hadn’t expected. Based on thousands of hours of research, Huber recreates the immigration experience in a way that captures both its sweeping historical breadth and its intimately personal consequences.

You can learn more about it at my website: www.thejourneytakers.com. It is available through my website, on www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, or at local bookstores (ask them to order it in if they aren’t carrying it.)

7) What have you done to promote your book?

Basically – everything I can think of! I set off on a cross-country book tour on July 5, driving from Massachusetts to California. Along the way, I did book lectures and signings in Pittsburgh, Madison, Des
Moines, Burbank (CA), and Bakersfield (CA). Currently, I am speaking at the BYU Family History Conference. Throughout the month of August, I am doing other lectures and book signings in Utah, Nevada, and Tennessee, before returning home in time for my kids to start school. I have more lectures booked for the fall. I have also sent the book out for review, arranged to write articles for magazines about it, and even had the opportunity to do a brief television interview.

8) Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you to overcome it?

I actually feel like I don’t get writer’s block very often. I usually have more ideas in my head then I have time to write them. However, I do sometimes get stuck on a certain passage or section. When this happens, I skip to another part and start writing there. I never write anything from start to finish. In fact, I wrote the chapters of my book out of order, and have answered these questions out of order too!

9) If you are self-published, why did you choose this option instead of traditional publishing?

I chose to work with a distributor (actually a couple of distributors) instead of a traditional publisher. It allows the book to get into the “regular” distribution channels, but also makes it easy for me to sell it at my lectures and other events which works out nicely.

10) What is your next project?

Right now, I am very focused on spreading the word about The Journey Takers. However, I do have some ideas for the future stirring around in my head. I have done some work on a historical fiction novel.

11) What advice do you have for new writers?

Don’t give up. Gain as much experience as you can by writing other things besides your book. Also, get feedback from others so you can improve your writing. Join a writing group, attend a conference, or take a class. Keep working to improve your skills.

Thank you for sharing all this with us, Leslie!

Badhat: A Wild Western Legend, written and illustrated by Harry McLaughlin (Rated: C)
Zaptoons
ISBN: 978-0615368542
Published April 2010
Paperback, 134 pages
Ages 10 onward

What a pleasant surprise this book ended up to be! With vivid characters in the memorable setting of the Wild West, rip-roaring scenes and witty, Western dialogue, I chuckled throughout this heartwarming and adventurous story.

The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen (Rated: P throughout)
Viking Canada
ISBN: 0670021660
Published July 2010
Hardcover, 320 pages

Reviewed by Sandra

The title of this book intrigued me – is Hardscrabble Bay the name of a place? As I began the novel I learned that the story takes place in Bay Chaleur, New Brunswick in 1916. Hardscrabble is a state of being. Webster’s Dictionary disclosed that the word “hardscrabble” was first used in 1804 to mean getting a meager living from poor soil. As “Wild Bill” Hillock, one of the main characters says in reference to his surroundings, “it was a hardscrabble land and a hardscrabble bay – not easy to get a living out of.”

The story is about two sisters, Idella and Avis Hillock whose childhood is filled with adventures on their “hardscrabble” farm. However, life changes for them suddenly one day when their mother dies at home in childbirth. The first chapter of the novel movingly describes the events of that day. Their father never fully recovers from the death of his wife. He has no idea how to raise two girls. I felt sad for them as they were moving into adolescence for they had no one to clue them into the proverbial “facts of life”. In the words of Avis “we none of us got too good an introduction to things of that nature. No one told us a damned thing. We had no mother. We used to lie there in the bed, me and Idella, and try to put the pieces together.” The novel is a tale of their lives from then on into old age—for Idella, a fairly normal life, despite a philandering husband; for Avis, a series of unsuitable men, who fail to dampen her zest for life. The story spans about 70 years.

The book is full of wonderful descriptions. For example, Avis and Idella as children throw their shoes on a tree branch. When the shoes are retrieved, “they found their cast-off shoes, dangling like drunken crows from their laces…” The author’s description of the clothes their mother wore, her hair, her feelings, her scent, is very convincing. There is good character development of the main players. Bill, the father, also known as “Wild Bill”, is a hard-drinking, tough-talking man, filled with anger following his wife’s death. The reader feels that anger reflected in his daily life. This has a very direct influence on Avis and Idella. They can’t wait to leave the farm and their Dad. However, drinking and swearing become part of their lives.

There is swearing and irreverent language on practically every page, as well as a sexual scene between Idella’s philandering husband and his mistress that potential readers should be aware of.

This is a novel that is poignant, funny, wry, moving. It is a story of survival despite humble beginnings. It is also the story of the close ties that bind families.

Disclosure: Thanks to Barbara Bower from Penguin Group Canada for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Lots of books in the mail last week. Makes up for the previously slow weeks. By the way, this meme is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. You should check out her blog and see what others have received and to play along. Here's what I got:

Repairing Rainbows: A True Story of Family, Tragedy and Choices by Lynda Fishman (from publicist)


At  thirteen years old Lynda’s life comes to a disastrous halt when her mother and two younger sisters are killed in a plane crash. Her father, overcome by despair, simply continues to exist, in a state devoid of hope. After burying a wife and two young children at the age of 44, the overwhelming responsibility of raising a daughter alone completely immobilizes him. Teetering on that tender brink between childhood and adolescence, Lynda faces the responsibility of a father in a complete state of shock, a house to take care of and hundreds of decisions about how to proceed with their shattered lives. In Repairing Rainbows she candidly describes the agonizing memories, deafening silence and endless hardships that are the fallout of incredible loss. As we follow her through marriage, motherhood and her own spiritual journey, Lynda reveals her complex feelings of hope, anger, pity and determination. Most importantly, she learns the crucial difference between “truly living” and the existence that is so often mistaken for being alive.
A true story, written by a woman whose normal and abundant life hides a terrible past, Repairing Rainbows is loaded with lessons that will undoubtedly touch the hearts of its readers.

The Sixth Surrender by Hana Samek Norton (Penguin Group Canada)


In the last years of her eventful life, queen-duchess Aliénor of Aquitaine launches a deadly dynastic chess game to safeguard the crowns of Normandy and England for John Plantagenet, her last surviving son. To that end, Aliénor coerces into matrimony two pawns-Juliana de Charnais, a plain and pious novice determined to regain her inheritance, and Guérin de lasalle, a cynical, war-worn mercenary equally resolved to renounce his. The womanizing Lasalle and the proud Juliana are perfectly matched for battle not love-until spies and assassins conspire to reverse their romantic fortunes. Populated by spirited and intelligent women and executed in flawless period detail, The Sixth Surrender is a compelling love story that heralds the arrival of a major new talent in historical fiction.

The Jewel of St. Petersburg by Kate Furnivall (Penguin Group Canada)


Russia, 1910. Valentina Ivanova is the darling of St. Petersburg's elite aristocracy-until her romance with a Danish engineer creates a terrible scandal and her parents push her into a loveless engagement with a Russian count. Meanwhile, Russia itself is bound for rebellion. With the Tsar and the Duma at each other's throats, and the Bolsheviks drawing their battle lines, the elegance and opulence of Tsarist rule are in their last days. And Valentina will be forced to make a choice that will change not only her own life, but the lives of those around her forever...


Violet by Tanya Duprey Stehlik (Second Story Press)

Violet is happy that her father has come to pick her up after her first day at a new school. But as she races over to meet him, one of the other kids asks, “How come your Dad is blue and you’re not?” Violet has never even thought about this before. Her mother is red, and her father is blue – so why isn’t she red or blue? Why is she violet? Upset and confused, Violet goes to her mother. Using paints, her mother shows her that when you combine red and blue, you get violet! Like many people in the world, Violet is a beautiful mix of colors.

The Contest by Caroline Stellings (Second Story Press)


Young readers from all backgrounds will delight in the story of Rosy, a humorous, spirited, dark-haired, girl who being half-Mohawk is the first and only Native to enter an Anne of Green Gables look-alike contest. Convinced that being "kindred-spirits" and well versed in everything Anne is actually the true nature of the contest, Rosy bravely sets forth to do what she must to win. Preparing for the contest is an adventure in itself. As Rosy overcomes setbacks with her health as well as financial hardships, readers will experience along with Rosy her discovery of the true value of friendship, family, and community.

A Woman's Agenda 2011 by Karen Helm (Second Story Press)

This durable, coil-bound agenda provides inspiration along with organization Stay organized and inspired throughout the year with this favorite agenda. Each month includes the profile of an amazing woman whose story will motivate and inspire. Features include: easy to read layout, advance planning calendar, address book, full page for each day, and lay flat spiral binding.


Bobby the Brave (Sometimes) by Lisa Yee (Scholastic)


In his last adventure, Bobby Ellis-Chan got stuck to a stinky tree, had underwear attached to his back, and faced down a whole wolfpack of girls. What could be scarier or more humiliating than that? Oh, how about playing sports with his football-hero dad ...a cat with 27 toes ...an asthma attack in public ...dancing on stage in the school musical ...

And the list goes on! Bobby will have to overcome his fears if he's going to come out on top.

Justin Fisher Declares War by James Preller (Scholastic)


At Spiro Agnew Elementary, the fifth graders rule the school. And class clown Justin Fisher rules them all.
Or, at least, he did. Justin has always been the funniest kid in school. But this year, his new teacher isn't amused. And when Justin gets in trouble with Mr. Tripp over and over, the other kids turn on him, too. No one wants to be friends with the class troublemaker. But Justin Fisher isn't going down without a fight.

AND...

A Stainless Steel Teapot that I won at Tina's blog Bookshipper! It's a giveaway from CSN Stores.

So what did you get in your mailbox?

Home Free by Sharon Jennings (Rated: C)
Second Story Press
ISBN: 978-1-897187555
Published March 1, 2009
Paperback, 154 pages

Funny, nostalgic, and sad but hopeful, this book made us explore a range of emotions. My 9-year-old daughter loved it. Home Free allowed us to talk about topics perfect for her age group: friendships, loss of a loved one, and pursuing one’s dream.

Terry Fox: A Story of Hope by Maxine Trottier
Scholastic Canada
ISBN: 978-1-443102506
Published July 1, 2010
Paperback, 40 pages, Ages 7-12

Few, if any Canadians, have never heard of Terry Fox, the young cancer-fighting man who ran across Eastern Canada in his Marathon of Hope to raise funds for children suffering from cancer. (I remember watching him on TV when I was a kid.) The most amazing part was that he ran with a leg prosthesis since his right leg was amputated shortly after he was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 18. Painful and arduous, but with determination and courage Terry ran an average of 26 miles a day (the equivalent of a marathon) for 143 days until one morning he woke up and couldn’t do it anymore. The cancer had reached his lungs. He died one month short of his 23^rd birthday.

The 39 Clues Book Nine: Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (Rated: C)
Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 978-0545060493
Published May 25, 2010
Hardcover, 190 pages

Having read all the books in this series so far, I am now most anxious to read the final book that is due to come out in August. Every book has captured my attention and Book 9: Storm Warning is no exception. It is aptly titled and if you are an astute observer some things are revealed even before you read the book. That’s one of the things I love about The 39 Clues.

My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira (Rated: P mild and V for war scenes)
Viking USA
ISBN: 978-0-670021673
Published May 18, 2010
Hardcover, 384 pages

Oh. My. Goodness. What an unforgettable book. Author Robin Oliveira has created a heroine unlike any other and a powerful story that captures the despair, horror and agony of one of the bloodiest battles in American history.

About three weeks ago I posted that CSN Stores contacted me about reviewing one of their products. I chose a bookshelf since I really needed one now that my book pile has grown. So I ordered the Winsome Espresso Wide 3 Section Storage Shelf.

It was delivered 13 days later which is very good for international shipping (US to Canada). It was well-packaged and arrived intact. My husband put it together in 20 minutes because it was easy to assemble. For the finishing touch we noticed one of the wood plugs (to cover the screws) was a tad larger than the others and did not fit into its hole. But it was a minor problem that was quickly rectified by sanding it down a little and gently hammering it in.

This wood bookcase is sturdy and looks very good in my living room corner. It can hold books of various sizes, and I could still put some small paperbacks in front of the books since the shelves are wide enough. I like the look of it and the fact that you can mix and match with the other bookshelves—both narrow and wide—in this collection. You can even purchase storage baskets to change the look and function of this product.


This bookcase currently sells for $79.99 USD and the shipping is free. I ordered it with a gift certificate and although the product and the shipping was free I still paid $1.45 tax and $29.01 international fees. So my total cost was $30.46 USD, ($32.34 CAD) which is 38% of the product price. In view of this, I think the international fees are not advantageous for those living outside the US.

Apart from this drawback, this bookshelf is a great addition to my home and a perfect place to hold my beloved books!

It's happening again! And I am in. Do you need to catch up on your reading? Then join the bloggers who are participating in this Readathon hosted by Karen at Bookworming in the 21st Century.

When: It takes place from today, Monday, July 19 to Sunday, July 25th.
Where: Bookworming in the 21st Century or on your own blog.
What do you need to do? Just read and read to lessen your TBR pile. To join, just go here and sign up with Mr. Linky.

Are you thinking of joining?

No books in the mailbox last week, BUT....I received the bookshelf that I will be reviewing for CSN stores! Yay! So stay tuned for that review coming up on Wednesday. By the way, this meme is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. You should check out her blog and see what others have received and to play along.

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis (Rated: C)
Scholastic Inc. (Little Apple)
ISBN: 978-0545206945
Published June 1, 2010
Paperback, 112 pages

I finished reading this book in two sittings with my 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son. Suspenseful, well written, and filled with interesting characters, my kids didn’t want me to stop reading the second night so that it was 10 pm when we finally turned the last page.

The Journey Takers by Leslie Albrecht Huber (Rated: C)
Foundation Books
ISBN: 978-0-578052144
Published July 1, 2010
Trade paperback, 332 pages

Leslie Albrecht Huber has the talent for making history come alive. Her non-fiction book The Journey Takers is definitely not a dry account of her ancestors but an appealing narrative that blends her own life with that of her past relatives, making this book feel like a novel. It was a real pleasure to read, the pages turning quickly as I was transported into the arduous, interesting, and exciting lives of common people who became immigrants and started a new life in a strange and hard land. It made me stop and think of my own ancestors and parents.

Julia Gillian (and the Dream of the Dog) by Alison McGhee
Scholastic Press
ISBN:978-0-545033510
Publication Date: July 2010
Hardcover, 336 pages

By the time we got to chapter 4 (p.48) my 9 year-old daughter said, “Mom, I’m bored.” I suspected as much because she didn’t beg me to read this book to her every spare moment as she did with some of the other books we’ve read. She was also somewhat irritated that the main character was always referred to as Julia Gillian. “Why don’t they just call her Julia?” she asked. Dare I say what the other characters were called? Bonwit, Cerise, Lathrop and … Zap. We had a good laugh over the last one. Needless to say, I think my daughter couldn’t relate to the characters and their story didn’t interest her.

This book is the latest in the Julia Gillian series. Readers who enjoyed her other books may also enjoy this one. As for us, we’ve decided to skip this series altogether.

Disclosure: Thank you to Nikole from Scholastic Canada for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Another week has flown by! Summer is moving along quickly and it's time for one of my favorite memes. By the way, this meme is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. You should check out her blog and see what others have received and to play along. Here's what came in my mailbox last week.


The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen (Penguin Group Canada)

Product Description:
In 1916, Idella and Avis Hillock live on the edge of a chilly bluff in New Brunswick-a hardscrabble world of potato farms and lobster traps, rough men, hard work, and baffling beauty. From "Gone," the heartbreaking story of their mother's medical crisis in childbirth, to the darkly comic "Wake," which follows the grown siblings' catastrophic efforts to escort their father, "Wild Bill" Hillock's body to his funeral, the stories of Idella and Avis offer a compelling and wry vision of two remarkable women. The vivid cast includes Idella's philandering husband Edward, her bewilderingly difficult mother-in-law- and Avis, whose serial romantic disasters never quell her irrepressible spirit. Jensen's work evokes a time gone by and reads like an instant American classic.

Beverly Jensen died of cancer at the age of forty-nine without publishing her work. Since her death, her fiction has been championed by a dedicated group of supporters, including Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates.

Babushka's Beauty Secrets: Old World Tips for a Glamorous New You by Raisa Ruder and Susan Campos (Win from Reading at the Beach)

Product Description:
Esthetician to the stars Raisa Ruder learned her time-tested beauty techniques from her Ukrainian grandmother (or babushka, as they say in the old country). Now everyone can discover the all-natural, better-than-botox secrets the Hollywood stars use to shine on the red carpet! Ruder reveals her sought-after beauty recipes that can fight wrinkles, plump lips, and eliminate crow's feet and acne, using inexpensive, everyday grocery items like eggs, honey, vegetable oil and strawberries (and a splash of vodka for freshness!). At last, by popular demand, Raisa Ruder opens up her babushka's secret pantry and shares her most amazing and effective beauty advice:

• Skin-saving Soufflés - whipped up wonders that shrink pores, brighten skin, and diminish lines
• Chocolate weight-loss wrap- a moment on the hips, tightens, tucks, and nips!
• Hot hair- a cayenne pepper blend that leaves locks silky, soft, and full
• PediPure- a soothing, smoothing foot scrub made with milk and mint
• Lustrous Lashes - a simple castor oil serum that thickens and lengthens
• Perfect Pucker- a mix of salt, green tea, and fruit that plumps up lips naturally
• And much more...

The "O, MY" in Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy: How to Prepare Your Child for Surgery by Dr. Laurie Zelinger (Rated: C)
Loving Healing Press
ISBN: 978-1932690743
Published November 2008
Paperback, 28 pages

This is an excellent guide for parents whose child will (or might) undergo tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy. The author, a school psychologist, play therapist, and parent of four who has had one of her own sons experience this procedure, certainly knows what she is talking about.

Viking Canada
ISBN 97806700691
Published June 2010
Hardcover, 352 pages

Reviewed by Sandra


The character development is very good. I felt that I knew each person by the time I was mid-way through the story. The last half of the book is very poignant, particularly if the reader has experienced the loss of a friend/family member to cancer. The narrative reminded me of the hospital vigil with my mother as we hopefully looked for even the tiniest indication of improvement. However, the intensity of the narrative is relieved, curiously enough, by the delightful addition of recipes. It somehow works.

By the end of the book the reader understands that the extended family will survive and prosper despite their year of tragedy and sadness. Romance, babies, security, contentment, and peace are on the horizon. Life does indeed go on.

One negative is the use of expletives. The story is not enhanced by their usage. Otherwise, this is a book that I recommend. It is a portrayal of the love and support that family members bring to a tragedy. In fact, it is a love story in all its various facets.

Disclosure: Thanks to Barbara Bower from Penguin Group Canada for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Sandy's Incredible Shrinking Footprint, written by Femida Handy and Carole Carpenter, illustrated by Adrianna Steele-Card (Rated:C)
Second Story Press
ISBN: 978-1897187692
Published March 1, 2010
Hardcover, 24 pages

We live during a time in history when man is ruining the earth faster than any solution can be implemented. From oil spills to overflowing garbage landfills, we need to take more responsibility as consumers. And it’s never too early or late to instill good habits and environmental awareness in our children.

The Book About Tony Chestnut by Laurie Monopoli, Illustrated by Wendy Sefcik (Rated: C)
Hug-A-Chug Books
ISBN: 978-0-615311395
Published March 1, 2010
Hardcover, 48 pages
Ages 3-7

When the package of this book promptly arrived in the mail, I told my 6-year-old son it was for him. He eagerly tore open the slim box and pulled out the attractive hard covered book. He was excited to find it also came with a read-along and sing-along CD!

Here are the books that made their way into my mailbox last week. My kids were happy! By the way, this meme is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. You should check out her blog and see what others have received and to play along.