Enter Giveaways! Win Books! (And of course, a Giveaway)

 Congratulations to Joyce Hostetter who won For To See The Elephant from last week's blog.

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Book Winner Extraordinaire!

I haven't counted how many books I've given away since I started this blog over ten years ago. All I know is that I love doing it and appreciate the authors and publishers who supply me with books and the people who enter the giveaways. You don't know how fun it is for me to put your names into random.org (a long way off from writing names on slips of paper for my mother to draw out of a hat) and see whose name is chosen.

Margaret Federlin picks a winner of Lisa Kline's book, Summer of the Wolves, 2012

One of my frequent winners is Connie Saunders. I thought that she'd won about 10 books, in fact, it's over 25!  Here's what she had to say:

Shortly after I retired as a public librarian in 2015, I discovered Carol's blog dedicated to books and literacy. Many of the books she features are for children and young adults and I was especially eager to stay informed since my granddaughter Isabella was born shortly after my retirement. Carol often shares a giveaway for the books that she features and I've been very fortunate to win several of these books. My latest win was Just Between Sam and Me by Cat Michaels and Rosie Russell. 

In May, I won Through the Wardrobe by Lina Maslo. It's a great introduction to C.S. Lewis's books.

Here are some of the other books that I've won for Isabella:

I urge all of you to read Carol's blog. She features outstanding books and gives you a chance to win some of them. You can earn multiple entries by sharing on other social media so you need to Read--Enter--Share!

What are Your Favorite Giveaway Blogs?

I win children's books from Kathy Temean's blog, Writing and Illustrating, and from Rosi Hollenbeck's blog. How about you? Where do you win books?

Giveaway

This blog wouldn't be complete without a giveaway. Today I'm giving away The Middle School Writing Toolkit by Tim Clifford; it will be an asset in every middle school classroom. If you're homeschooling (and who isn't these days?) and feel stuck on writing instruction, this book will help you plan and execute lessons. 

Leave me a comment by January 15 and I'll enter your name. MAKE SURE you leave me your email address if you are new to my blog. I've had several "Unknowns" leave me comments and I can't enter you without a name and email address. If you follow my blog OR share this on social media, I'll enter your name twice. 

Thereasea Elder Wore Many Hats

 One of the good things about writing historical fiction set in the not-so-distant past is that you can interview people who lived through the conflicts you are writing about. 

One of the hard things about writing "recent" historical fiction is that the people you interview--your experts--are elderly and die. 

Ten years ago I posted my first blog about six people I interviewed for Half-Truths. Only one is still alive. In 2014 I wrote about four women who shared their histories with me. Only two are still living. 

Yesterday, I heard that one of these women, Thereasea Elder, passed away on January 5, at the age of 93.

                                Thereasea as a U.S. Nurse cadet in World War II.

Thereasea's Legacy

I met Thereasea in 2011. With open arms and a smile that never quit, she welcomed me into her home. At the same time, she welcomed Half-Truths into her life. A conversation wasn't complete without her asking, "How is the book coming along?" She encouraged me every time I visited her.

As I tried to understand the city of Charlotte in which she grew up, there were no questions or topics that were off-limits. She told me about the dangers she faced as the first nurse to integrate Mecklenburg County's Public Health Service and the asbestos waste products which coated their window screens from the factory in their Greenville neighborhood.  

In 2014 she proudly showed me the exhibit she helped put together at Johnson C. Smith University honoring those who integrated the medical profession in Charlotte. 

Thereasea's list of accomplishments is long. She was a strong advocate for public health, helped register Black voters, served as president of the Greenville Historial Association, was active in the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women, served on the board of the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross, and started the Black Heritage Committee in Charlotte. 

Whenever we talked she had a new cause or passion. She was concerned about local drug dealers and gun violence; government officials heard her concerns over the phone and through letters. She received innumerable awards for her service to the city of Charlotte, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine (North Carolina's Highest Civilian honor) and the Maya Angelou/Elizabeth Ross Dargan Life Time Achievement Award. 

But man, oh man, she loved her hats.

Dozens and dozens of hats were stacked in boxes in her closets. She wouldn't go out without one on her head that of course, coordinated with her outfit.

One day we had a "photoshoot" and Thereasea enjoyed every minute of it.

So did I.

Thereasea was brave and courageous. The same things my protagonist, Kate Dinsmore, wants to be. The same things I want to be.

In 2013 her biography, T.D.'s Truths was published. She was so proud!

The author's note includes an observation that resonated with me:

I was mesmerized by our first meeting. I was struck not only by the power of her narrative, but her ability to cause transformational change in our community. Her nurturing attitude was characterized by unselfish caring, supportiveness, and a willingness to share her time.  

Thereasea's inscription to me reads:

Dearly Beloved Carol,

God has blessed me with your Friendship and Love. To God be the Glory and Power always. 

On a Personal Note

Thereasea quoted this Bible verse to me when she was talking about some of the prejudice she faced growing up:

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Certainly, the Lord used Thereasea's talents, energy, and love.

One time my husband and I took her out to dinner at a favorite fish restaurant. After that, she never failed to end our conversations by sending him her love. She always reminded me to give him a hug and a kiss; her love for family inspired me.

I will miss Thereasea's hand clasping mine when we gave thanks for our food. I will miss her hug and her voice. I will miss her encouragement and pride in what I was doing. 

And I will miss her beautiful hats.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116: 15.

For to See the Elephant: A Novel in Verse and an Autographed Giveaway

 Congratulations to Tricia Clark who won Letters from Space.

Six months ago, author Tammi J. Truax contacted me after reading my review of Orchards on Goodreads. She deduced that I liked free verse historical novels and offered to send me a copy of her book, For to See the Elephant (Piscataqua Press, 2019).  Come with me into the pages of this amazing chronicle of the first two elephants who came to America, their keeper, and the people whose lives these honorable animals touched. This is a work of fiction, but as the author notes, "the found poems included in the work are taken from diaries, newspaper articles, advertisements, and songs from the time period." It is a saga of the enslaved.

REVIEW

For to See the Elephant is written from several different points of view including the men who purchased the elephants, the slave boy William who is their keeper, the elephants, and Hachaliah Bailey. A different font is used for each point of view and their voices are all distinctive. To best see the beauty of the poetry, I'm sharing excerpts from several different entries. The elephants' POV are written in narrative.

GAJA, At leaving Bengal, India, October 1795

My mahout was conflicted that day. I could tell by the silent language of his body. Further, I could tell that he needed me to go where he was leading me, but that in his heart he did not really want me to go. I also knew I had been sold...I let out a trumpeting roar, one I knew he could hear as his little bare feet flew across the wharf in the opposite direction that I was headed. I was but a baby and had never been left alone before. (p. 2, 5)

Captain Jacob Crowinsheild at sea. December 1795

I say with certainty

I've never heard 

a sadder sound 

than the cry of 

The Elephant.

Adding to the misery

of the cries,

the beasts thrusts itself

in rhythm with the rise

and fall of the sea,

against the pen

built to hold her.... (p. 9)

William at sea 1795

captain said

I'm to take care of

the Elephant

me

the smallest one here

captain said

I'm African 

so I should know-

what that mean

captain said

get the beast 

to calm down

and clean up

all her mess

captain ain't said

how (p. 11)

Mister Welshaven Owen, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. June 1976

Tonight she makes

her stage debut!

I have rented out

the Elephant

to the Philadelphia Theatre.

I'll have the boy

wash and oil her all up.

Not sure if I'll let the boy

take her on stage

or if I'll do it. 

She seems to like the boy

much more than me. (p. 21)

William on the Maine/New Hampshire border. late 1802

i know why 

folks call her

ugly or beast

or whatnot

i been called

lots of names too

some folks just dont

see things proper

sure she all wrinkled

an got a funny nose

an ears big enough

to make lookers laugh

but they missing somethin

so important

they not having

a good up-close

honest look

in her eye

all her beauty there

in her eye

it looks like

a topaz marble

a boy once showed me

an her pretty eye

have long lashes

that flutter like

a little birds wing

a big beautiful

round eye

full of feelings

.....(pp.54-55)

[Gaja is seriously injured when she falls from a bridge spanning the Connecticut River. ]

William, Amherst, Massachusetts. November 1803

she was hurt bad

I tole em all

she couldn't get up

gave her what comforts I could

I was so sorry

for what happened

but what I mos felt

was angry

I couldn't barely

stand for it

when they drug her

up the hill like that

finally got her

in the barn

master said hes

going to charge

people a nickel

for to see

the dying elephant

an he did...

....me and gaja

we lived likewise lives

I think she knew it  (pp. 74-76)

BIG BETTE IN A BARN AT BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. January 1804

I CAN TELL THIS IS NOT MY HOMELAND. I DIDN'T THINK I COULD BEAR IT WHEN I DETERMINED THAT FACT SHORTLY AFTER OUR ARRIVAL. I REALLY DID NOT. WHEN I WAS DELIVERED TO MORE STRANGERS AND MY LEG WAS CHAINED IN THIS NEW BARN I CALCULATED HOW I COULD TEAR DOWN THE WALL WITH MY LEG IF I USED ALL OF MY STRENGTH, AND PICK UP ANY OF THE MEN THAT CAME NEAR ME. SIMPLY PICK THEM UP AND CRACK THEM AGAINST A BEAM IN THEIR OWN FILTHY BUILDING....

AND THAT IS WHEN I MADE THE ACQUAINTANCE OF THE NEW MAHOUT I BELIEVE HIM TO BE FROM MY HOME LAND. HE DOESNT SEEM TO BELONG HERE EITHER. HE SHOWED ME THAT THE MEASURE AND CONTENT OF HIS HEART IS THE SAME AS MY OWN... (P. 84)

Hachaliah Bailey in a tavern at Danbury Ct. Spring, 1806

Of course I need to make some changes.

This is my livelihood.

I need the keeper to understand that.

I want him to teach

the Elephant

some more amusing tricks.

I intend to purchase more animals

we can pull along in cages.

And we must take to traveling by night.

Far too many people

are getting a free look at

the Elephant. (p.92)

[Big Bess is shot by a man who had been drinking. William is forced to help dig her grave.]

William, April 1816

...the thought that struck me was

maybe its just time

for me to go

to walk away

theres no more elephants

for me to take care of

this is a place

where maybe

maybe I can

make my own way

in the world

those merry dancers [Shakers]

told me I'd be welcome

at their holy land

and theres indians

up in the woods

where a man can live free

some kind of way

....

dug the dang hole

dug til my hands bled

   my back ached

but my back

wasnt the part of me

   hurtin most

(p. 173-4)

Hachaliah Bailey, Town Hall at Alfred, Maine. April 1816

I can't state plainly enough

that I want that man, that criminal

brought to justice. Further I expect 

to be reimbursed for my losses

which since I came to this town

have been egregiously high.

That elephant was worth

more than a thousand dollars!

And how my elephant keeper

has gone missing!

He's worth nearly that much.

My stop in your town

may just bankrupt me. (p. 176)

Boston, 1797

THE END...PERHAPS THE SPIRIT OF BIG BETTE THE MATRIARCH TODAY

I WAS MURDERED, WITHOUT CAUSE, AND, JUST LIKE GAGA, MY SKIN AND BONES WERE TAKEN IN A GRUESOME WAY AND PUT ON DISPLAY. OLD MAN BAILEY STILL PROFITED BY MY EXHIBITION, DRAGGING THE DEAD ME FROM PLACE TO PLACE. UNTIL AT LAST MY FLESH AND BONES WERE SOLD TO P.T. BARNUM, TO BE SHOWN FOR PROFIT, IN HIS LITTLE MUSEUM OF ODDITIES...IT IS OFT CLAIMED THAT MY REMAINS WERE LOST TO A FIRE THAT CONSUMED BARNUM'S BUILDING AND CREMATION IS AT LEAST, A MORE RESPECTFUL WAY TO TREAT SACRED REMAINS....  (P.191)

CURRICULUM RESOURCE

This novel would be an excellent curriculum resource for middle and high school language arts or history classes. I would love to hear students discuss the content as well as the beautiful way in which Ms. Truax delivered the story.  For more information on her other poetry projects, please consult her website.

BACKSTORY

When I asked Ms. Truax what inspired her to write this story she replied, "I had interviewed an elderly woman who still lived on property that had been in her family for a couple of hundred years. She told me that once long ago "an elephant had stopped by to drink from the well". I was intrigued by that but didn't get serious about research until I heard about the murder of an elephant in Maine and thought that must have been the same elephant. Then I took in on as a NaNoWriMo project in 2015."

                                      Tammi J. Truax next to the roadside marker

                                      in Alfred, Maine where Big Bette was killed.

GIVEAWAY

I have an autographed copy ready to be mailed to one of you. Please leave me a comment (along with your email address if you are not a frequent commenter) by 6 PM on January 8. If you subscribe to my blog I'll enter your name twice!

Letters From Space: A Picture Book Review and Giveaway

 Former astronaut Clayton Anderson is not a stranger to my blog. I reviewed his previous book A is for Astronaut (also from Sleeping Bear Press).  Letters from Space is just as informative and engaging. As you'll see in the samples below, the illustrations by Susan Batori are full of humor. Kids will laugh out loud as they learn about disposable underwear; food, spiders, and plants in space; and how astronauts fly EVERYWHERE within the space shuttle. 

All of this is communicated through fictional letters "home" to friends, young fans, and family. Because of course, no one has perfected receiving mail from space... yet!

REVIEW

Flight Day 3

In a letter to his mother, Clayton describes his excitement at liftoff. 

It was loud, it was scary, and the entire space shuttle shook like crazy...We went faster and faster, and then--everything went quiet. I started to rise out of my seat. I was weightless!

Flight Day 22

In response to a young fan who just got a puppy, Clayton writes,

We can't have pets in space. It would be neat to have a dog or a cat, but what a mess with no gravity! Where would it go to the bathroom?!

Flight Day 45

Clayton takes a space walk and tells his brother, We were out there for over seven hours and I rode on the robotic arm. I was like one of those guys who fix wires on utility poles. But in SPACE! Man, did I have some great views of the Milky Way and the space station!

Flight Day 125

Clayton shares his favorite foods in space. I love to start my meal with a can of stuff they call "appetizing appetizer." It looks kind of like baby food. Yum. After that I always love a nice can of lamb with vegetables or pork and potatoes. It looks a lot like cat food. Maybe it even smells like cat food But I swear it doesn't taste like cat food.

Flight Day 134

It turns out that when Clayton was little he used to read Superman comic books.  Now that he's in space...he is Superman every day!

Flight Day 148

Clayton is coming home and he's so excited that he's doing flips in space! He writes to his mother, The time has flown by up here (ha ha) and life in weightlessness has been really fun.

End Notes

The book ends with two pages of facts about growing food in space, training to be an astronaut (in a pool!), gravity, teamwork, and lots of other things you didn't know. 

A STEAM book, this will be a great addition to the K-3rd grade curriculum. Not only will children learn science facts, but as Astronaut Anderson says, "Kids LOVE THE LETTER FORMAT. It encourages reading AND writing." 

By the way, most of the names used in the letters are real people in Clayton's life. It was his way of paying tribute to his teachers, college professors, childhood friends, mission control, and his family.

GIVEAWAY

Do you want this book for the child or student in your life? Leave me a comment by January 1 at 6 PM and I'll enter your name. Make sure you leave your email address if you are new to my blog. If you share this on social media (and tell me what you did) I'll enter your name twice. 

Letters from My Tooth Fairy: A Picture Book Review

 Congratulations to Susan Rice who won TAILS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER.

Letters from My Tooth Fairy, is Brooke Hecker's debut picture book. Written with a great sense of humor, I'm sure it won't be her last. Deborah Melmon's lively illustrations enhance the text. Together, they have created a book that belongs in every home and dental office. 

I have worked in my husband's dental practice and appreciate the facts that are intertwined with an entertaining story of a child losing her teeth. By the way, these letters are based on real letters Hecker's daughters received from their tooth fairy. 

REVIEW

Natalie loses tooth #1, the bottom central incisor, and her tooth fairy congratulates her on good tooth brushing and informs her that as she places lost teeth under her pillow, she will receive a "bit of money" in return.

Tooth #2 is lost during a blizzard, but the tooth fairy finds her way to Natalie's house. Tooth #3 is knocked out when Natalie runs into a wall.

Natalie worries about how big her teeth will grow, but the tooth fairy reassures her that she will not look like a walrus forever.

Throughout the book, the thoughtful tooth fairy knows a lot about Natalie's life, so when her baby sister is born, the Tooth Fairy leaves a necklace for Natalie. When Natalie moves and is afraid the Tooth Fairy won't be able to find her, she leaves her a shimmery fairy night-light.

Natalie worries about swallowing a lost tooth, and the smart Tooth Fairy answers her fears.

The story ends when Natalie is twelve and has her primary molars removed to get ready for braces. "It's always sad for me to say goodbye, but I am so proud to have watched you grow up." The tooth fairy says as she flies away with Natalie's two last baby teeth.

But she'll be back. Natalie's younger sister has her first loose incisor.

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Sorry, no giveaway this week. I gave this book to my grandchildren so they could learn more about losing teeth!

But, this would make a great gift for a child or grandchild who loses his first tooth--or for your family dentist! 

TAILS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER: A Picture Book Review and Giveaway

 Congratulations to Carol Nelson who won A Girl Like You.

I hope you are enjoying hearing about the wonderful books that Sleeping Bear Press publishes; here is one for the young animal-lover in your home or classroom.

REVIEW

From the title, readers will immediately understand what this book is about. What they will find are poems on the left side of the page about animals who end up in shelters, and more details about these animals on the right.  Kid-friendly illustrations by Liza Woodruff draw the reader into the text.

The book invites the reader to meet the six and a half million pets who arrive at community animal shelters every year. Some are strays, some have been rescued from natural disasters, some are given up for adoption.  

The author, Stephanie Shaw, provides reasons why or why not a family might want to adopt a cat, dog, or another animal.  These pointers will help a child and family who are considering adopting a pet.

For example, would you want to adopt a skunk?

Or, a handicapped dog or cat that requires special medical attention?

There are also farm animals that need adopting. 

Personally, this wouldn't be my pet of choice, but along with turtles, lizards, and bearded dragons, some people want a quiet pet that doesn't have fur or feathers!

Rabbits and kittens are popular adoptees, but did you ever consider a bird? Since they have a long life span, sometimes cockatoos outlive their owners. A bird rescuer in Vancouver, Washington created a rehoming program for parrots as companions for veterans. 

Whichever pet a young person is considering adopting, this is a great book to consider all the options. Two end pages provide information on how shelters began, things to consider when adopting a pet, steps a child should take when thinking about adoption, and other resources.

GIVEAWAY

Leave me a comment by 6 PM on Saturday, December 19 if you would like to be considered for this giveaway. PLEASE leave me your email address if you are new to my blog; I can't enter your name without that. Want an extra chance? Share this on social media and tell me what you did!

A GIRL LIKE YOU: A Picture Book Review and Giveaway

 Congratulations to Cathy Ogren who won WINGED WONDERS.

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Last year I reviewed Frank Murphy's book, A Boy Like You.  Today I'm showcasing the companion book, A Girl Like You (Sleeping Bear Press, 2020)  that is co-authored with his wife Carla Murphy. Both books are beautifully illustrated by Kayla Harren.

REVIEW

And the world needs a girl like you.

This is the opening of a book that affirms the unique contributions, attributes, and potential of every girl in the world.

The authors and illustrator show how the world needs girls who are strong, caring, brave, bold, and willing to try new things. 

Readers are encouraged to be diligent at whatever activity they try,

and to persevere through ups and downs.

Girls are encouraged to speak up because their thoughts and opinions matter.

Friends are important-- to share good times and to be there when a friend is hurting.

A Girl Like You encourages girls to show kindness, be thoughtful, take care of their hearts, seek help when necessary, and be themselves. 

Because,

This book will be useful in the K-second grade classrooms. It can be a great jumping-off point for important conversations in home or school. 

GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment by 6 PM on December 16 to enter this giveaway. Remember to leave your email address if you are new to my blog.

WINGED WONDERS: A Picture Book Review and Giveaway

 Congratulations to Tricia Clark who won Fly, Firefly! from Monday's blog. She's an "old" friend, but a new follower to my blog. 

Author Meeg Pincus is a gifted author who I featured on my blog a year ago. I am new to Yas Imamura's work but as you'll see in the color palette she used in the illustrations, she is also very talented. This is another fine picture book published by Sleeping Bear Press.

REVIEW

In this way, Meg Pincus begins the story of how two Canadian scientists, many volunteers, a young married couple, and a village in Mexico worked together to solve the monarch migration mystery.

In 1976, the world finally learned the answer...with a groundbreaking discovery.

It began with Fred and Norah Urquhart, two scientists who spent 30 years studying the monarch mystery. In his lab, Fred tagged the butterfly's wings with--of all things--small price tags. Norah placed ads in newspapers throughout North and Central America asking for volunteers to tag butterfly wings. She kept track of every "tidbit of information" that was returned to her.

Thousands of science teachers, backyard gardeners, and other curious souls answered Norah's ads and became citizen scientists. 

Ken Brugger and his Mexican wife, Catalina, rode through Mexico for two years trying to track the butterflies' "twisting trail." 

Villagers in central Mexico directed the couple to look for the monarchs in their oyamel tree groves. 

Catalina kept 40 notebooks of monarch data and "crunched through early morning snow, high in the Sierra Madre mountains" and was rewarded by being the first to spot them.

But who provided the proof that Fred Urquhart needed to announce the discovery of The Great Monarch Migration?

CURRICULUM RESOURCE 

Winged Wonders ends with a plea to help save the diminishing monarch population. The last spread encourages readers to be a part of preserving landing spots and airstreams on which the monarchs depend. The back matter includes more about the migration discovery as well as ways in which everyone can help monarchs. I'm going to see about planting milkweed in my garden! Here are some links to educational activities. 

PUBLICATION JOURNEY

Since I'm always interested in an author's journey, I found Meeg's interview on Kathy Temean's blog to be inspiring. If you've ever been discouraged by what appears to be a dead-end in writing a picture book biography (as I have!) here's another way to look at a topic. 

GIVEAWAY

Leave me a comment (with your email address, if you are new to my blog) by December 12 at 6 PM. Share this post on social media for an additional chance to win the book!