On the Spotlight: ‘Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters’ by Donna McDine
Donna McDine’s latest children’s picture book is a charming, fun tale about first day jitters. Be sure to check it out for the kids in your family who will be going to school soon!
Title: Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters
Genre: children’s
Author: Donna McDine
Website: www.donnamcdine.com
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
Purchase link: www.donnamcdine.com and Guardian Angel Publishing and Amazon
About the Book: The anxiety of finding one’s own place and friends in kindergarten without the comfort of having her fraternal twin sister nearby at first overwhelms Dee until she realizes even without her fraternal twin sister, Dee and her classmates for the most part are in the same boat.
About the Author: Multi award-winning children’s author, Donna McDine’s creative side laid dormant for many years until her desire to write sparked in 2007. Her latest release Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters joins the four early reader children’s picture books, A Sandy Grave(January 2014), Powder Monkey (May 2013), Hockey Agony (January 2013) and The Golden Pathway (August 2010) all with Guardian Angel Publishing. Join McDine as her adventures continue as she ignites the curiosity of children through reading. She writes and moms from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI.
Connect with Donna on the Web!
Trailer Spotlight: The Locket: Surviving the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, by Suzanne Lieurance
Title: The Locket: Surviving the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
Author: Suzanne Lieurance
Website: http://www.suzannelieurance.com
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Purchase on Amazon
———————————————————–
Galena, an eleven-year-old Russian-Jewish immigrant, lives in New York City with her family and works at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory with her older sister Anya. The factory pays low wages and has terrible working conditions, making Anya yearn to join a union. Soon a horrible fire guts the factory leaving Galena with painful, horrific memories. Follow author Suzanne Lieurance in this dramatic historical fiction novel, as she describes how Galena uses the support of friends, family, and Jewish traditions to inspire her to fight for workers’ rights.
About the Author
Suzanne Lieurance is an author, freelance writer, writing coach, speaker and workshop presenter. She is a former classroom teacher and was an instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature for over 8 years.
Lieurance has written over two dozen published books and her articles and stories have appeared in various magazines, newsletters, and newspapers, such as Family Fun, Instructor, New Moon for Girls, KC Weddings, The Journal of Reading, and Children’s Writer to name a few. She offers a variety of coaching programs via private phone calls, teleclasses, listserv, and private email for writers who want to turn their love of writing (for children and/or adults) into a part-time or full-time career.
A Sandy Grave by Donna M. McDine
Title: A Sandy Grave
Author: Donna M. McDine
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Page Count: 24
Price US Paperback: $10.95
Price Us Hardcover: $19.95 on sale now for $15.95
Genre: Tween chapter book
Author’s WEBSITE
Purchase the book on Guardian Angel Publishing.
Also available on Amazon.
The anticipation of summer vacation can put anyone in a great mood with the excitement of adventures to be had–especially at the beach. But what is a group of friends to do when they discover mysterious men poaching whale teeth at the beach?
The Water Cycle: Water Play Series, by Mayra Calvani
Title: The Water Cycle: Water Play Series Book 1
Author: Mayra Calvani
Illustrations: Alexander Morris
Genre: Children 4-8
Print ISBN: 9781616332372
Pages: 20
Price: $10.95 print; $5.00 e-Book
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
Purchase on Amazon
Includes FREE 29-page educator’s guide. Perfect for homeschooling!
————————————————
How does rain make you feel? What about snow? Or hail?
Follow the water droplets in their journey from the clouds to the earth and back to the clouds again. Written in a lyrical style, this delightful book takes a new angle on the water cycle by showing the emotions it evokes in people.
Includes a vocabulary list and two pages of fun, educational activities.
A teacher’s manual is available for free from the author’s website.
Author’s website: www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com
A Christmas Kindness by C. C. Gevry – Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card
Title: A Christmas Kindness
Genre: First chapter reader
Author: Cheryl Malandrinos
Publisher: 4RV Publishing
Pages: 24
Language: English
ISBN – 978-0985266141
Eight-year-old Robert is eager to share his wish list with Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve. When he meets Glenn, who has only one request for Santa, Robert is confused over what he should do. Can he cast aside what he wants and ask Santa to bring his new friend a special gift?
Excerpt:
Inside the mall, Christmas music and the tinkling of jingle bells tickled Robert’s ears. With his mother, Robert weaved through the crowd of shoppers. He smelled fried food from Burger Mart. The sweet scent of warm chocolate chip cookies from the bakery made his mouth water.
Purchase your copy:
C.C Gevry is a children’s author from Western Massachusetts. A Christmas Kindness is her first book with 4RV Publishing. She is also a member of the SCBWI. Ms. Gevry is married with two young children and a son who is married. Visit her online at http://ccgevry.com
Book Trailer: Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow
Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow
Salvatore “Sal” Barbera
Sweetles Press
Children’s picture book
The story of “Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow” takes us on the journey she travels to figure out how to get the cows at a new farm to like and accept her.
While she hopes to find friendship at her new home, instead she learns what it means to be different from everyone else. (Spotless!) Mary Elizabeth uses clever ideas and a sense of humor to help her on her quest for friends at the new farm.
This inspiring tale shows how perseverance in spite of obstacles, using a sound thought process to arrive at solutions and the importance of having fun, using humor and enjoying playtime can build friendships.
Purchasing information: During the month of October, purchase Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow from the Sweetles website for only $12.00 (List price: $17.99). When you buy this book, 50% of net proceeds go to Phoenix Children’s Hospital Child Life Program. Visit http://www.sweetles.com/product/books/mary-elizabeth-the-spotless-cow-book/ for more information.
———————
About the Author
Sal is the author and illustrator of “A Sweetles Dream”® book series. As the Creative Director for Hartman-Barbera llc, a family media & entertainment company, he is also an animator, sculptor, painter and all around fun guy. Sal lives the phrase: “A day without laughter is a wasted day”. To that end, he uses his writing, illustrating and animation skills to create endearing characters and comedic stories.
Sal’s sense of humor and empathy for his characters explore personal and social situations in ways that makes it enjoyable for both adults and children to experience together. Born in New York City, Sal moved to North Bergen, NJ where he grew up on a steep hillside neighborhood with his four older sisters. He currently lives in sunny Arizona with his wife and artistic partner, Sheri, who he defines as his inspiration. On any given day Sal might be painting, sculpting, drawing, animating, writing or enjoying one of his favorite pastimes: cooking, television, movies and golf.
Visit Sal Barbera’s website at http://www.salbarbera.com.
Book Trailer Spotlight: Bella Saves the Beach by Nancy Stewart
Bella Saves the Beach
Nancy Stewart
Children’s picture book
Guardian Angel Publishing
About the book:
Bella and Britt are worried about all the trash appearing on their beautiful beach. But what can they do? Britt is leaving on vacation, and Bella can’t solve the problem alone. Without adults to lend a hand, can they possibly save their beach?
Purchase from:
Book Trailer: Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage
Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage
Nancy Stewart
Chapter Book
Guardian Angel Publishing
ABOUT KATRINA AND WINTER: PARTNERS IN COURAGE
All Katrina Simpkins longs to be is a normal girl. Because she must wear prosthesis as a leg, she feels anything but. When she meets and befriends Winter, the tailless dolphin, at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, everything changes, including Katrina’s whole life.
ABOUT NANCY STEWART
Nancy is the bestselling and award winning author of the four Bella and Britt Series books for children: One Pelican at a Time (eighteen weeks on 
Amazon Bestselling List),Sea Turtle Summer, Bella Saves the Beach and Mystery at Manatee Key. All are published by Guardian Angel Publishing.
One Pelican at a Time and Nancy were featured in the PBS Tampa special, GulfWatch. Pelican has won the Literary Classics Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite Five Star Award and was nominated for a Global eBook Award.
Her travels take her extensively throughout the world, most particularly Africa. She is US chair of a charity in Lamu, Kenya, that places girls in intermediate schools to allow them to further their education. Nancy is a frequent speaker at conferences, including the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Nancy’s latest book is Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage. She and her husband live in Tampa and St. Louis.
Visit Nancy online at http://www.nancystewartbooks.com.
Book Trailer: The Golden Pathway by Donna McDine
The Golden Pathway
Donna McDine
historical storybook
Guardian Angel Publishing
ABOUT THE GOLDEN PATHWAY
Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David leads Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.
ABOUT DONNA MCDINE
Donna McDine is an award-winning children’s author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest
Writing Competitions, Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2010 Top Ten Children’s Books, Global eBook Awards Finalist Children’s Picture Book Fiction, and Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient Picture Book Early Reader ~ The Golden Pathway.
Her stories, articles, and book reviews have been published in over 100 print and online publications. Her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has four more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, Hockey Agony, Powder Monkey, A Sandy Grave, and Dee and Deb, Off They Go. She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids, Publicist for the Working Writer’s Club, and owner of Author PR Services from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI.
Book Trailer for Clutter Cut, Inc. by Lester Lex and Illustrated by Guillermo Piloto
Clutter Cut, Inc.
Lester Lex
Children’s picture book
SilverHouse Books
About Clutter Cut, Inc.
Open Cloot’s door and it’s quite revealing.
Clutter, clutter right up to the ceiling.
If he hadn’t a roof it would rise to the sky.
Will Cloot part with some? He doesn’t see why! One day Cloot’s dad peers into his room to see a mountain of unused toys.
Together they form Clutter Cut, Inc. and get a box ready to be filled.
Cloot spends hours in a jam though—
which toys will go and which ones will stay.
There’s nothing great about giving toys away— or is there…?
About Guillermo Piloto
“Ever since I was a little boy I have loved cartoons. It’s not as bad for you as they say, because from them I developed a passion to draw and this is what I now do. And when I’m not drawing I still watch cartoons.” Guillermo Piloto
Find out more about Clutter Cut online at www.silverhousebooks.com/ClutterCutInc.html
Book Video Trailer: Sea Turtle Summer by Nancy Stewart
Sea Turtle Summer
Nancy Stewart
Children’s Picture Book
Guardian Angel Publishing
Produced by Blazing Trailers
About Sea Turtle Summer
Bella and Britt think living by the beach is the coolest thing ever. When they discover a Loggerhead Sea Turtle laying her eggs in broad daylight, the girls go into action to help. 
No one, though, seems to care about the nest. The beach is a busy place and is getting busier by the minute on such a beautiful summer day. What can they do? Who will help, and what do they learn about themselves?
As a bonus, Sea Turtle Summer contains kid appealing facts about sea turtles.
About Nancy Stewart
After having been both an elementary school teacher, a university professor of education and a consultant for New Options, Inc. in New York City, Nancy Stewart writes children’s books full time. She, her husband and three sons, lived in London for eight years, where she was a consultant to several universities, including Cambridge.
Her travels take her extensively throughout the world, most particularly Africa. Nancy is US chair of a charity in Lamu, Kenya, that places girls in intermediate schools to allow them to further their education.
Nancy is the author of the Bella and Britt picture book series, One Pelican at a Time, Sea Turtle Summer, Bella Saves the Beach and Mystery at Manatee Key. All are published by Guardian Angel Publishing. Pelican was nominated for a Global eBook Award.
She was featured in the PBS Tampa (WEDU) series, Gulfwatch. It concerned the writing of One Pelican at a Time: A Story of the Gulf Oil Spill.
She and her family live in St. Louis and Tampa.
Nancy’s web and blog sites are:
Book Video Trailer: One Pelican at a Time by Nancy Stewart
One Pelican at a Time
by Nancy Stewart
Release Date: February 20, 2011
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Bella and Britt love living by the beach. When they find oil washing to shore from a gulf spill, they want to help but are told there is nothing for kids to do. But when their old friend, the pelican, becomes covered with oil, they help save his life by their quick thinking and action.
Book Trailer: Little Shepherd by Cheryl Malandrinos
Title: Little Shepherd
Author: Cheryl C. Malandrinos
Paperback: 16 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Language: English
Print ISBN-978-161633-085-9
eBook ISBN-978-1-61633-086-6
Obed is in the hills outside Bethlehem when the angels appear to announce the Savior’s birth. Can he trust that the miracle of the first Christmas will keep his flock safe while he visits the newborn King?
Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. A regular contributor for Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children, Ms. Malandrinos is also Editor in Chief of the group’s quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens.
Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. Little Shepherd is her first children’s book. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two young daughters. She also has a son who is married.
You can visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com or at the following blogs:
COLONEL TRASH TRUCK by Kathleen Crawley
Colonel Trash Truck
Kathleen Crawley
Children’s Picture Book
Big Tent Books
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Kids love trucks and are most familiar with the truck that visits their house every week – the garbage truck. So, there is no better way to teach them to respect the environment than to
introduce them to Colonel Trash Truck – a likable, fun-loving hero who is extremely focused about his mission to win the garbage war. He sees the world and nature as a beautiful gift that we all need to appreciate and protect. Colonel Trash Truck believes cleaning up trash and recycling is something we all must do and he wants nothing more than to have kids join him in his quest. Now’s the time to become a member of his Clean and Green Team! KARUNCH!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathleen Crawley has been an advertising executive for over fifteen years. She resides with her husband Ronald Thomson in Redondo Beach, California. She is a native Californian having graduated from UCLA with a B.A in sociology. Colonel Trash Truck is her first book. About writing for children, Kathy says, “I have a number of books I want to write for kids because I think children are fascinating. They are open, creative, and interested in everything; they bring out the kid in me.”
You can visit Kathleen online at www.coloneltrashtruck.com
EMILY WAITS FOR HER FAMILY by Carol Zelaya
Emily Waits for Her Family
Carol Zelaya
Children’s picture book/nature
Richlee Publishing
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Read Emily Waits for Her Family and follow the true story of the special bond between a tiny bird and a little girl, from first meeting
to leaving, from new life to old friends. This story is told in a timeless, three-part series, with an easy-reading rhyme, and is certain to delight and touch your heart.
About the Author:
Carol Zelaya lives and writes in the Portland, OR area. She has written Emily’s story in hope of educating children about nature’s precious gifts that are all around us when we take the time to notice.
Zelaya is touring the Pacific Northwest in 2008 and is donating signed copies of her book to several low-income neighborhood schools and libraries to share her love of reading and nature.
You can visit Carol online at http://emilythechickadee.com/about-carol.html
MISS L’EAU by T. Katz
Miss L’eau
T. Katz
Children’s Chapter Book
Windstorm Creative, Inc.
About the Book:
T. Katz, a resident of Southern California has been involved in the children’s entertainment industry since the early 80’s working on hundreds of episodes of animated television and as a music instructor to hundreds of very animated children. She is also the honorary conductor of a four-part harmony household, consisting of her two children (three if you count the spouse on a bad day) and Alice the cat. The people that surround her help her to continue seeing the world with all its magic, beauty and potential. She lives by the motto “a good book, a cup of tea and somehow all is right with the world.” Her adventures in life are adding welcome lines of character to her face and scattered optimistic silver linings all over her head. You can visit her website at www.tkatz.com.
Two young boys in a coastal town discover a secret about their mysterious elementary school teacher, Miss L’eau. James and David had always known there was something unusual about her, but they could never quite put their finger on it. David discovered their first clue had been there all along, in her eyes.
The boys lived their whole lives near the ocean, but had never thought about how important it was or how vulnerable it might be. Through Miss L’eau, and her unexpected relationship to the sea, they develop a deeper love and understanding of the ocean and become involved with the nearby aquarium to organize an annual seaside clean-up.
About the Author:
T. Katz, a resident of Southern California has been involved in the children’s entertainment industry since the early 80’s working on hundreds of episodes of animated television and as a music instructor to hundreds of very animated children. She is also the honorary conductor of a four-part harmony household, consisting of her two children (three if you count the spouse on a bad day) and Alice the cat. The people that surround her help her to continue seeing the world with all its magic, beauty and potential. She lives by the motto “a good book, a cup of tea and somehow all is right with the world.” Her adventures in life are adding welcome lines of character to her face and scattered optimistic silver linings all over her head. You can visit her website at www.tkatz.com.
The Crypto-Capers in the Case of the Missing Sock
The Crypto-Capers in The Case of the Missing Sock
Renee Hand
Children’s Mystery
North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.
About the Book:
In this story siblings Max and Mia Holmes, along with their good friend Morris and their flamboyant Granny Holmes, are know as The Crypto-Capers. They are a group of detectives who unravel crimes by solving cryptograms that criminals leave behind. Mia is an expert puzzle solver. Max is great at deduction and reasoning. Morris is a computer genius, and Granny…well, Granny is the muscle of the group. Don’t let her size or age fool you—she is quite handy.
The Case of the Missing Sock leads the Crypto-Capers to Florida, where they are hired by a Mr. Delacomb. The mystery leads the team to different locations. Clues flourish throughout the mystery. Suspects by the handful seem to pop up at every turn, but who committed the crime? Help the detectives solve the case by solving the cryptograms and puzzles.
About the Author:
My love for reading and writing started when I was a child. I always had a passion for it. I remember frequently wearing out the stone steps to the local library. When in a bookstore I would sit in the middle of an aisle perusing a novel that I was eagerly going to purchase but couldn’t wait to read. Often, when I had extra time, I would write stories that would pop into my head locking myself in my room for hours. Now that I am older my love for reading and writing has not diminished. In fact, it has only become a bigger part of me. It is because of this that I chose to share my interests with other readers who love books as much as I do.
My goal in writing is to entertain, but more importantly it is to build a connection with my readers. If I make another person feel some kind of emotion while they read my books, whether it be love, anger, or compassion, then I did my job as a writer and that makes me feel good about what I write about. Romance is something in all of us. It is something that brings passion to our lives and happiness to our hearts. It is the strength, courage and determination of when two souls find each other and their journey, that inspires me to write in this genre. It shows that love, of any kind, is not an easy path to take. You must fight everyday to keep it for it is never easily attained and can so easily be lost or forgotten.
Since my first novel has been published I have done over 50 events. I have been on radio, TV, and have been in over 30 newspapers. I have experience talking in classrooms about writing. I have presented at various libraries, have done several book signings and many other venues with more going on in the future. My family has encouraged my talents and creativity and I couldn’t have gotten this far without their support and love. Having Magic Hearts published really was a dream come true and I am thankful to God for all of the blessings in my life. I have also received an award for Magic Hearts for Best 2006 Fantasy Romance. I am thrilled. My second novel Seduction of the Lonely Heart has won a National Literary Award for Best Romance of 2007. I am thankful for these two awards.
I have also ventured in writing other genres. I have a new children’s detective series that will be coming out. The first book of the series, The Crypto-Capers in the Case of the Missing Sock, is currently released. This story is filled with adventure and heart. With relatable characters and you, as the reader, are a part of the story, helping the detectives solve the case. I love being an author! Thank you for all of your support.
You can visit Renee online http://www.reneeahand.com/
If Books Could Talk 