sarahsbookreflections

My husband spent his career as an economist—first as a professor and then with his own firm devising ways to save money for consumers of electrical power.

But what soothes his soul is playing his guitar and writing songs.  The title of this blog is about what he would do to make our world a better place if he could.  He now also plays the fiddle, mandolin, harmonicas and a penny whistle.

So my blog this week is about children learning what is special about them.

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The first story is about a girl who wants to follow in her father’s footsteps, but also find a way to keep him close in her mind while he travels for his job.

A Photo for Greta

Anna Alter

Illustrated by Anna Alter

Greta loves to spend as much time as possible with her dad, who travels all over the world taking photographs of famous people and events.  She really misses him when he’s gone and wishes she could do something photo worthy so her dad will take her picture.  When he goes to the circus, Greta dresses in circus clothes and when he comes home he takes her picture.  The next day she wears her tutu because her dad is photographing a ballet.  Again he takes her picture.  On the nights she goes to bed before her dad gets home, Greta’s mom shows her the photo album.  The book is a sweet story of the daughter/father bond reflecting the author’s time with her own father.  The suggestions at the end of the book about projects a child can do related to photography are nice, but a bit old for the intended audience; although probably doable with the help of an adult or older sibling.  The exercises and the book itself might help a child expand her visual horizons.

BIBLIO: 2011, Read to a Child!/Borzoi Book/Alfred A. Knopf, Ages 3 to 5, $16.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-375-85618-1

ISBN: 978-0-375-95618-8

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Errol doesn’t think he’s special until his dad helps him understand his uniqueness.

Errol and His Extraordinary Nose

David Conway

Illustrated by Roberta Angaramo

All the other animals at Errol’s school seem to have a talent, but nobody, including Errol, thinks the little elephant does.  He can’t swallow lots of stuff as the anaconda can or change color as the chameleons can or hide in plain sight as the zebra can. He falls down with a bump when he tries to dance.  So when the students are to participate in a talent show, Errol is very sad; after all what can he do?  But his father gives him a book about elephants and he discovers there’s lots he can do—especially with his very useful nose.  In the talent show, Errol picks up a feather, snorkels in a tank of water and gives a water and light show, astounding and amazing the whole audience.  He wins the talent contest with his extraordinary nose!  And, along with the other students, he learns he has a great talent for making friends.  The obvious theme of finding one’s talents is sweetly told and the drawings are cute.

BIBLIO: 2010 (orig. 2009), Holiday House, Ages 5 to 7, $16.95

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-8234-2262-3

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The last book has a moral, as do most books.  But the moral of this one is stop sitting inside playing a video game when you could be outside getting exercise playing a real game.

Surprise Kick

Tad Kershner

Illustrated by Andrés Martinez Ricci

Written under the pen name of Zach Riley, the message of this book is to have confidence in yourself and to try real sports rather than just video games.  Cody is the champ at video soccer, regularly beating his best friend, Mud.  But when Cody’s parents take away his video game and insist he actually play soccer in a field, with real opponents, the protesting champ discovers real soccer is a different game entirely.  He feels his teammates don’t have his back and even Mud sort of abandons him, he thinks.  Even worse, he’s an awful player.  He keeps feeling sorry for himself and jealous of how well Mud is doing. But after hearing his grandfather tell stories of crashing in the jungles of Vietnam, Cody decides to stop complaining and start practicing.  Things start to get better for him and his team, eventually heading to the league championship game.  Of course Cody makes the winning goal, thrilled with the trophy he gets to take home.  His parents have a party for the team.  His mother says Cody and his teammates may play a soccer video game, but Cody opts for a real game of soccer.  Nice story, with lots of energy, but I find it strange for parents to be called by their given names when the action is from the child’s point-of-view.

BIBLIO: 2013, SportsZone/ABDO Publishing Company, Ages 8 to 12, $27.07.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT:  Middle Reader

ISBN: 978-1-61783-536-0

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Please leave me your comments and remember that we are all special in our own ways.

For me dreams are important to have in my life.   Whether they come true or not, in a way, is beside the point.  But you have to try to make them come true.   We try by submitting our writings…

Source: Following Your Dreams

For me dreams are important to have in my life.   Whether they come true or not, in a way, is beside the point.  But you have to try to make them come true.

We try by submitting our writings and illustrations to agents and editors.  If we succeed there, we try to make our work be seen by a large audience.

Hard as it may seem, following your dreams is worth the effort.  Who knows what will come of your life, if you don’t.

My brother, Richard Bunker Maury, felt he was destined to be an artist.  He went to Florence, Italy, to study in 1960.  He met his wonderful wife, who came from Vermont to study, and they have been there ever since.  Richard is considered one of the world’s finest realists and the Italian government has published three of Anne’s books on Italy’s native plants and trees.  A nice outcome for following your dreams.

My sister, Anne Maury Costello, pursued her dreams of raising children, but along the way wrote a book called Bittergreen, which was published by Avon Books back in the late 1970s.  My brother, William Magruder Maury, pursued his dreams of getting a PhD in American History and then getting a couple of master’s degrees in other fields.

Our younger son and family baby, Steve, pursues his dream of being a jazz saxophone player and teacher in the Baltimore, Maryland, area and our younger daughter, Michelle, sings her songs in coffee houses around northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland. Dean, our older son, is advancing in his career managing health databases. Our older daughter and oldest child, Susanne loved animals, in particular horses, so she learned to be a horse shoer.  But when she got married and discovered that female horse shoers were looked down on, she took up another of her skills and was making a name for herself as a chef when her life was cut short.  Anyway, all my children pursued their dreams.  And I’m proud of them all.

I am having great success with my novel, Terror’s Identity.  I have garnered several excellent reviews and a good response from other readers of my book.

So let’s dream away and see where it leads us.

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I liked the energy in this first book, in addition to the determination of the main character.  Plus, I learned a thing or two about designing clothes.

Chloe by Design: Making the Cut

Margaret Gurevich

Illustrated by Brooke Hagel

Chloe Montgomery admits she loves fashion.  She designs and makes her own clothes, so she’s beside herself with glee when the emcee of Design Diva, a television show set up to judge aspiring fashion designers, announces a contest for teenagers who want to be designers.  Her family urges her to try out and she does, but not without lots of urging by Alex, her best friend, who makes up names like Courageous Chloe.  Our aspiring fashion designer is afraid she’ll fail, but because her arch rival, Nina, is trying out, Chloe drums up the moxey to design three outfits in two weeks.  She makes it to the New York City Final Fifteen, where the TV show films them incessantly.  Of course Nina also makes it to the finals and does her best to undermine Chloe’s successes, but Chloe’s confidence grows with each challenge she surmounts.  Her mom and Alex are her back up crew and cheering squad.  Chloe is a likeable and creative teen and her support crew is very believable.  Even for the fashion indifferent among readers, Chloe pulls us into her world and Ms. Gurevich gives enough scenic backdrop to ground us in Chloe’s emotional and physical locations.  Ms, Hagel’s illustrations are exactly what a fashion illustrator produces, because that’s what she is.  This is a very enjoyable read and has many points of discussion about believing in oneself and holding on to one’s sense of moral rightness.  Plus, even the “blue jean” crowd likes to dream about wearing a dress that turns every head.

BIBLIO: 2015, Capstone Young Readers/Capstone Press, Ages 14 to 18, $14.95.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-1-62370-112-3

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This one gives you an inside look at making movies, in addition to making you root for the better of the two boys involved Paige’s understanding of human foibles.

Famous in Love

Rebecca Serle

Paige Townsen’s dream of acting in movies comes true.  A dream she’s had all her seventeen years, eclipsing her earlier roles on stage and in commercials, this first movie role has her cast as the female lead in the movie version of a best selling series of novels.  Not only that, but her co-star is the red hot Rainer Devon, who takes her under his wing and shows her the ropes of being a celebrity.  To make things even dreamier, they’re filming on the Hawaiian island of Maui.  But then Jordan Wilder shows up as Paige’s character’s boyfriend and soon she’s in the middle of a love triangle paralleling the movie’s plot.  Paige learns a lot about herself, growing up, her family and navigating the world of acting and stardom during the course of this book.  The reader develops a closeness to all the characters, including Paige’s two best friends getting on with their lives in Portland, Oregon.  Plus, it’s a fun way to gain a rudimentary understanding of the backstage machinations on a movie set.  It’s a good read all around.

BIBLIO: 2014, Poppy/Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group, Ages 13 +, $18.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-316-36632-8

ISBN: 978-0-316-36634-2

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Life is not always easy and sometimes your dreams take a twist you’re not anticipating, but perseverance pays off.  This book will give you an education on the life of a clam fisherman.

Swim that Rock

John Rocco & Jay Primiano

Illustrated by John Rocco

Jake Cole’s fisherman father disappears during a boat accident.  His dad left a mountain of debt to a nasty loan shark, who threatens Jake and his mom.  But people come to the Coles’ rescue.  Gene takes Jake on his quahog clamming boat and then a fellow named Captain takes him out at night to do shady things like claim possibly abandoned motors from boats stranded during a hurricane.  The girls who work at the diner also help by planning a cabaret evening.  When Gene is badly injured in a boating accident, Jake and Captain take him to the hospital in a neighboring town.  At first Jake is uneasy about taking Gene’s boat out, but he will garner much needed money with a big haul from a bit of the bay just opened up to the quahoggers.  Gene’s hospital bills are going to be humongous and Jake must pay back the money his dad owes.  Jake gets to the new clamming ground early and positions the boat where Gene told him was the best spot. His friend Tommy arrives to help. A kid in his fancy boat with the latest fishing gear pulls up nearby and it is readily apparent he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Jake helps him out.  Jake ends up with an excellent catch for which he gets a fair price.  Once back at his home port, Jake takes the money to the loan shark, but it’s not enough, until the loan shark discovers Jake helped his son.  So the rest of the debt is forgiven. Jake finally admits his dad is dead, but knows the whole town wants the family to stay. This well told story has lots of information about the life of a shell fisherman.  Read the book to understand what swimming the rock means.

BIBLIO: 2014, Candlewick Press, Ages 13 +, $16.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-7636-6905-8

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Dream on and we’ll all pray for our dreams to come true.

Spring is here and the earth is warming up.  Time to be outside and share our space with the other creatures that inhabit our planet.  Most people have some kind of pet, so one story is about dogs, another is about cats and the third one is about sharks, though I doubt most people want a pet shark.  It’s rather like to trying to keep a venomous snake as a pet.  It’s a good way to get hurt by an unhappy critter.  And sharks in the ocean, if they’re hungry or you get too close, can bite you if they think you’re a tasty looking morsel.

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The first book is about learning the best way to adopt a dog.  And to understand how the dog feels about things.

A Dog Wearing Shoes

Sangmi Ko

Illustrated by Sangmi Ko

Mini’s mom brings their car to a hair-raising, screeching halt when she sees a small dog trotting toward them on a busy street.  The dog has on yellow boots and loves to play, but when they get home to their apartment, the dog barks in misery.  Mini takes the dog to the park, but first chance she gets away the dog runs.  Mini and her mom find the dog at the animal shelter and take it back home.  But this time, Mini puts up signs in the neighborhood and soon the dog’s owner comes to get his dog.  The next day, Mini and Mom go back to the shelter and get Mini her very own dog. The message in this story is to get your new pet at the animal shelter and then make sure your animal is always properly identified.  This story is a good introduction to taking care of your animal.  The illustrations, with a generous nod to Dr. Seuss, are enchanting and humorous.  The reader easily sees the dog’s energy and Mini’s reactions to the unfolding events.  The only color in the wonderful pencil drawings is the dog’s yellow boots.

BIBLIO: 2015, Schwartz & Wade Books/Random House Children’s Books/Random House LLC/Penguin Random House Company, $16.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-385-38396-7

ISBN: 978-0-385-38397-4

ISBN: 978-0-385-38398-1

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The second book is about an extraordinarily independent cat, who isn’t sure he wants a pet human.

My Pet Human

Yasmine Surovec

Illustrated by Yasmine Surovec

A black and white cat is proud of his independent status.  He doesn’t want a pet human.  He eats at local restaurants and hides in tree holes.  He has animal friends, what does he need pet humans for?  They are sure to squeeze him too tight and not feed him when he’s hungry.  They won’t appreciate the presents he brings them and probably they won’t let him go outside to wander around.  But one day, while hiding from the animal control officer, he notices a little girl and her mom living in a house he thought abandoned.  Soon he’s eating mac and cheese with tuna and olives.  And there are empty boxes to play in, so he decides to train these humans to do what he wants.  The girl is easy to train, but the mom takes longer.  He and his animal friends concoct a plan to get a lonely boy and the cat’s little girl to meet.  All goes as planned and the children become friends.  But cat worries he no longer has a pet human, until the girl and her mom rescue him from the animal control officer.  Cat decides he has the perfect pet humans.  The story is nice introduction to caring for pets and also shows the need for friendship.  It lends itself well to classroom discussions of the correct way to care for pets and make friends. The illustrations are simple and charming.

BIBLIO: 2015, Roaring Brook Press/Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings, Ages 6 to 9, $12.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Early Reader

ISBN: 978-1-62672-073-2

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The third book is about a boy who has to fend off a hungry shark. Fortunately, he’s quite a clever boy.

Surrounded by Sharks

Michael Northrop

Davey Tsering is on vacation with his parents and younger brother, Brandon a.k.a. Brando. All of them crammed into one hotel room on a tiny key just off Key West, Florida.  Davey feels 13 ½ years old is too old to share a room with the rest of his family. When he wakes up early, he decides to do some exploring—it’s impossible to get lost on an island so small he sees it all just by pivoting 360^o in front of the hotel, right?  He explores a while, until he discovers a sheltered part of the island, sporting a “No Swimming” sign. Well, he wasn’t planning on swimming anyway. He settles himself by bushes up from the beach to reread one of his favorite books.  But it’s turning into a warm day and he decides to explore the water’s edge; he’s not really breaking the rules if he just wades along the shore.  After hiding his glasses and book and shoes under a bush, Davey walks along the shore, but when he wanders a bit further out into the surf he’s sucked in by a rip current and carried out to sea.  When his parents discover he’s missing, they enlist the help of the hotel manager and local police, plus the resident Coast Guard officer.  But not once do they ask Brando for his opinion.  The rest of the book is about the search to find Davey and Davey’s experiences trying to stay afloat and then ward off sharks. The tone of this book is quiet, because Davey is quiet, but the author does ratchet up the tension.  A nice read, with a variety of temperaments amongst the characters in the book.

BIBLIO:  2014, Scholastic Press/Scholastic Inc., Ages 8 to 12, $17.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Middle Reader

ISBN: 978- 0-545-61545-7

Hope you enjoy the reviews and please let me know what you think.

Also, if you have read my book, Terror’s Identity, and you liked it, please put a review on Amazon or GoodReads or anywhere you think it will be noticed. If you haven’t read it and would like to see what it’s about , please check it out on Amazon or http://www.sablebooks.org . Thanks.

Do you remember the story about the little  engine that was sure, if he tried hard enough, he could pull a heavy load up the mountain?  “I think I can, I think I can,” was his mantra.  Sure enough he did and impressed everybody.  70 some years later, I still remember that story and use the mantra to keep writing and sending my stories out.

Here are three stories that echo that same sentiment.

Were you ever the little kid who tried to enter the school talent show, but didn’t have a talent? Read what happens to Penny and how her dog, Jelly, helps her out.

Penny & Jelly: The School Show

Maria Gianferrari

Illustrated by Thyra Heder

Penny is doing her best to find a talent to show off during her school’s talent show, but she fails miserably.  Without even trying Penny knows singing and dancing are out, either each by itself or together. Well, how about playing the tuba? Nah, the instrument is bigger than she. Or juggling?  Nope, Penny can’t keep more than one object in the air or catch it on its way down.  Yodeling just scares the animals away, and Penny gets herself and her dog, Jelly, tangled up in the jump rope.  Penny tries her hand at being a “dog fashion” designer, but Jelly hates her designs. The attempt to be a ballroom dancer leaves Jelly hiding under the bed and Penny covered in bruises.  Her attempt at being a magician is another failure, as are all her other ventures in the talent realm.  Finally she accepts defeat and crawls into the closet, with Jelly by her side.  Jelly howls in sympathy and Penny joins in.  Then she comes up with the perfect thing for a talent.  She and Jelly harmonize on their howling tune. Penny blows her kazoo and Jelly sings along. This is a sweet story about determination and the illustrations are adorable.  Penny is depicted as the far from perfect little girl with plenty of spunk and belief in herself.

BIBLIO: 2015, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Ages 7 to 10, $16.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-544-23014-9

Some times we want to be what the rest of our family is, but something is blocking our way.  Read what happens to Princess Pinecone when she doesn’t get the warhorse she wants.

The Princess and the Pony

Kate Beaton

Illustrated by Kate Beaton

Princess Pinecone wants a warhorse for her birthday present, but what does she get?  A pony!  And not just any pony, the fattest, the roundest, and the fartiest pony imaginable, who is not at all interested in being a warhorse.  Still Pinecone figures the pony is better than even more soft sweaters like the ones she already has stacked in her wardrobe.  Princess and Pony go to the battle field anyway, because that’s what warriors do.  Princess P. looks for a spot to weasel her way into the middle of the tussle, and is just about to jump in when the most fearsome warrior there is, Otto the Awful, charges right at the pair.  Just as our stalwart princess readies her first spitball, Otto the A, comes to a screeching halt and hunkers down in front of Pony.  “Who could hurt such a pony?” he asks.  Then, one by one, all the warriors come to cuddle with Pony, and Otto explains that warriors hardly ever get to show their cuddly sides.  Princess Pinecone has just the thing to keep peace.  Cuddly and warm sweaters are just the thing!  Princess and her pony earn the Most Valuable Warrior of the day trophy.  The book is fun and once the reader gets used to the idea that the pony looks hardly anything like a horse, the illustrations are cute.

BIBLIO: 2015, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, Ages 4 to 8, $17.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Picture Book

ISBN: 978-0-5456-3708-4

The final book for this blog will rip your heart and soul apart, only to put them back together in a better fashion.  It definitely fills the bill of doing what you think you can.

Everything Everything

Nicola Yoon

Illustrated by Daniel Yoon

Madeline Whittier is sure she’s read more books than anybody else on the planet.  What else can she do in her white room in her sterile house? She can’t leave her house since she’s allergic to the outside world.  Her only physical visitors are her nurse, Carla, her mother and just one of her tutors. At seventeen, she has accepted her life. But things change in Maddie’s soul when Oliver—Olly—moves in next door, with his rebellious younger sister, enabling mother and abusive, alcoholic father.  Olly sees Maddie at her window watching him and starts communication through sign language, pantomime, notes and eventually their electronic devices.  It doesn’t hurt that he’s drop dead gorgeous and compassionate.  As their relationship deepens, Maddie wishes to meet Olly in the flesh, though she knows they may never have physical contact.  Carla arranges everything while Maddie’s mom, a doctor, is at work. The reader matures along with Maddie and begins to wonder where her quality of life is?  Secretly she arranges a trip to Hawaii with Olly.  Olly is resistant at first, but Maddie, now eighteen, feels she can make her own choices.  She does get sick on their trip and ends up in the hospital with an infection in her heart.  But she doesn’t die and comes home stronger than she ever thought possible.  The Hawaiian pathologist sends her a letter informing Maddie that there is no sign of disease.  So Maddie goes to a specialist who confirms that Maddie is not sick.  Turns out her mother, after losing Maddie’s father and brother in a car accident, can’t deal with the thought of losing her daughter.  She made Maddie’s illness up.  Now the girl has to deal with the aftermath of this revelation.  This is a fantastic read.

BIBLIO: 2015, Delacorte Books/Random House Teens/ Random House Children’s Books/Penguin Random House, Ages 14 +, $18.99.

REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 978-0-553-40664-2

ISBN: 978-0-553-40665-9

ISBN: 978-0-553-40666-6

So keep having dreams and trying to make them real.  You can do it and so can I.

Until my next blog, hope all goes well with you.  Sarah

P.S. If you want other inspiring blogs, check out Linda Martin Andersen’s blog, https://lindamartinandersen.wordpress.com

and

Joan Y. Edwards’ https://joanyedwards.wordpress.com

There are simple ways of promoting your book, but you do need to get over being the shy and retiring type. Stuck waiting in a doctor’s office or anywhere, for that matter? Strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you. For instance today I waited in the Surgery Waiting Room while my husband had knee replacement surgery at the local hospital. Plenty of time to chat with people. The fellow sitting opposite me waited for his mother, just diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, to have lymph nodes removed and a medicine port installed. So we had plenty of time to chat and at the appropriate time I mentioned my first novel was due out next week. I didn’t say anymore until he asked me what it was about, so I told him. When asked where he could get a copy, I told that and gave him my business card which now includes information on where to order the book.

I also plan to enter the book into the next Writer’s Digest “Self-Published Books” contest and any other contests I can find.

I have more places in which to hold book signings than I did last week and Sable Books is sending me a press release to send out, plus Melissa is sending copies to her contacts.

In the meantime, I’ve found two recent books that address on my book’s themes of terrorists and people in witness protection, but from different angles.

The first one, Fake ID by Lamar Giles, is about a sixteen-year-old boy whose father keeps getting the family into trouble that attracts the FBI’s attention. Nick Pearson, at least that’s what he’s called at the moment, is trying to fit into school and keep a low profile, but he gets caught up in a web of deception in which his father is deeply involved. Nick’s new friend, Eli, is murdered, though the police called it a suicide at first. Eli’s sister, Reya, convinces Nick to help her solve the mystery. In the meantime, Nick is trying to figure out his father’s involvement in this. Things get more and more dicey, all while Nick is trying to be a normal teen. It’s a good read with several intriguing subplots and lots of action. The characters are believable and appealing.
2014, Amistad/HarperCollins Children’s Books/HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 14 +, $17.99.
ISBN: 978-0-06-212184-4

As I’ve come to expect, Alan Gratz’ latest is a winner. Code of Honor tells the story of Kamran Smith, a Muslim/American senior in high school who plans to go to West Point as his older brother had. But things go bad when his brother is accused of desertion and treason. Kamran knows his brother would never break their Code of Honor and sets out to prove his brother’s innocence only to get himself imprisoned and begin to doubt his brother’s motives. The plot is complex and compelling and the message is strong that we must change our views on how we view people with different heritages or religions.
2015, Scholastic Press/Scholastic Publishers, Ages 14 +, $17.99.
ISBN: 978-0-545-69519