The Mystery of the Crying Ghost

October 23, 2007

Let’s Get Ready For First Grade!
by Linda Desimowich and Stacey Kannenberg
Cedar Valley Publishing
Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

Let’s Get Ready For First Grade! is a must for all parents with young children, I myself as both a mother and grandmother highly recommend this for your children. This book is a must and one that I have been searching for, it is packed with great information, it is beautifully illustrated and was created with style. Let’s Get Ready for First Grade! will capture your child’s attention as it is packed with fun activities and colorful illustrations making learning fun for all.This series will delight not only the children but parents as well, allowing you to take an active role in your child’s education even before they enter school, allowing children to make the transition with confidence with advancement in each grade level.

This book is wonderful and again I would like to stress is a MUST for all parents and grandparents looking for that perfect educational tool before sending our children off to the first day of school.

When my daughter was small I tried to find the perfect tools to help her before sending her off to school and so wish this series had been available, I will make sure to purchase each for each grade level to help to assure my grandson is ready and is confident before he starts each grade level beginning with kindergarten (see previous review of Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten!). An additional plus for these books are that they are durable, they allow the children to write in them with a dry erase pen and wipe off with ease for future practice over and over again.

Again I would like to say these are GREAT and are a MUST and come highly recommended!!

I found both of these in this series to be invaluable tools for our children’s education and a MUST, I applaud the series.

Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten!
by Linda Desimowich and Stacey Kannenberg
Design: Dori Schmitz, Creative Direction
Illustrations: Joyce Bable-Worth, Two Bit Productions Inc
Printing Consultant: Tracey Jackson, Jackson Marketing and Printing Services, LLC
Web Design: Dave Pethan, Two Bit Productions Inc.
Consulting: Judy Bridges, Redbird Studio
Visual Consulting: Julie Thorn
Cedar Valley Publishing

For and by parents, kids and teachers.

Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! is a must for all parents with young children, I myself as both a mother and grandmother highly recommend this for your children. This book is a must and one that I have been searching for, it is packed with great information, it is beautifully illustrated and was created with style.

“Parents wrote Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! with approval from a panel of teachers and curriculum specialists as a solution to “no child left behind.” The book is 32 pages and is a dry-erase book for children ages 2 to 6. This book is great for parents and grandparents by allowing them to take an active role in their children’s education even before they enter school, allowing children to make the transition with confidence.

Most parents want to be involved with their children’s education but are unsure of what to do, kindergarten is not like it was when we were younger, now kindergarten has a much more advanced curriculum requiring parents to work with their children before beginning school. This book is wonderful and again I would like to stress is a MUST for all parents and grandparents looking for that perfect educational tool before sending our children off to the first day of school.

When my daughter was small I tried to find the perfect tools to help her before sending her off to school and so wish this series had been available, I will make sure to purchase each for each grade level to help to assure my grandson is ready and is confident before he starts each grade level beginning with kindergarten. An additional plus for these books are that they are durable, they allow the children to write in them with a dry erase pen and wipe off with ease for future practice over and over again.

Again I would like to say these are GREAT and are a MUST and come highly recommended!!

I found both of these in this series to be invaluable tools for our children’s education and a MUST, I applaud the series.

A Wild and Woolly Night
by Lorraine Lynch Geiger
Illustrated by Sharon Vargo
The RGU Group
Children’s book, Fiction, 32 pages, $15.95
ISBN-10: 1891795252
Reviewed by Terry South for Bookpleasures

“A Wild and Woolly Night” is a children’s picture book for children ages 4 to 12. A hardback edition with a cover that is beautifully illustrated with a boy in his bed surrounded by a variety of animals.

This is an enchanting story of a little boy named Phillip, he is different from most children as he is eager to go to bed and sleep. But Phillip’s bed time is a great adventure filled with different animals with each change of his bed covers.

Every page leads to a different adventure and discovery of a new animal: “he found a purple spread with tiny polliwogs. But when he climbed back into bed They all grew into frogs.” The pages are beautifully illustrated and the stories rhyme which will delight both you and your child. The art work is superb and will ignite the imaginations of all. A highly recommended children’s book that can be enjoyed by the entire family and will make the perfect bed time story.

Lorraine Lynch Geiger is the mother of five, grandmother to fifteen and resides in Sebring, Florida, and spends part of the year where she was born in Newfoundland, Canada. She has published a young adult novel “Trouble at the Blueberry Patch”, and is a prize winning poet.

Sharon Vargo is the illustrator of many children’s books. She is also the author and illustrator of “Senor Felipe’s Alphabet Adventure”. She has also had her acrylic paintings appear in magazines, murals and limited edition prints. She currently resides in Carmel, Indiana with her husband, and their pet frog named Romeo, they have four grown sons. She graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Stone Pizza
by Susan K. Mitchell
Illustrated by McNevin Hayes
The RGU Group
Children’s book, fiction, 29 pages, $15.95
ISBN-10: 1-891795-26-0
Reviewed by Terry South for Bookpleasures

“Stone Pizza” is a children’s picture book for children ages 4 to 12. A hardback book with a cover that is beautifully illustrated with a coyote on the cover wearing a purple bandanna with yellow polka-dots, a pair of green sunglasses and holding a stone pizza.

A delightful tale involving the critters of the desert where food is hard to find. Coyote finds no hospitality when he wanders into that stretch of the highway in the desert. The story of Stone Pizza focuses on team work and sharing. The book is engaging and a pure delight and offers a wonderful cast of characters.

The pages are filled with bold and vibrant imaginative illustrations, the art work is superb to ignite the child’s imagination. I highly recommend this children’s book, both you and your children will enjoy reading this story together time and time again all while delivering a great lesson of sharing and team work.

Susan K. Mitchell is a full time preschool teacher with two young daughters of her own. Stone Pizza is her first published children’s picture book. She has written for several children’s magazines, she also writes monthly for Style & Living magazine. She has also written non-fiction books, and a biography of actor Will Smith. She currently resides in Texas with her husband and their two daughters.

McNevin Hayes currently resides in Pittsford, New York with his wife and their son. His artwork has appeared in magazines, murals and galleries.

The Black Sheep
by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
ISBN: 978-1-4231-0156-7
YA, Fiction: Ages 12 and up
Hyperion Books for Children
Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

The Black Sheep is a funny and entertaining read. The setting is New York and then off to California. It begins as Kendra Bishop a fifteen year old who has had enough of her parents and all their rules; they even keep a binder filled with these rules. There is a reality TV show that offers teens a chance to swap families, so Kendra decides to write to the show for her chance to get away from it all. The winner is chosen on the basis of the most pathetic letter written, Kendra is excited to find she has actually won.

Kendra is taken from her apartment in Manhattan to California to live with the Mulligan family. They are so different, the parents are both hippies, have five children and a pet ferret. Kendra learns quickly the chaos of sharing a bathroom with so many, having to watch her belongings, and living with a ferret that wants to sleep in her bed. But her biggest problem is the pushy producer who will do anything to get higher ratings. And to top all of this Kendra falls for one of the Mulligan’s, Mitch who is seventeen and despises everything this show stands for. Will Kendra win Mitch over or will things continue to decline for her?

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout bring us a cast of characters who are engaging and winsome. The story is well crafted and pulls the reader into the conflicted feelings and reasoning of Kendra so well.

Edgar Font’s Hunt For A House To Haunt
Adventure One: The Castle Tower Lighthouse
by Patrick H. T. Doyle
Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

An enchanting story that introduces Garrett and Audrey to some pretty wondrous adventures that delivers a positive message to children everywhere. Garret and Audrey are brother and sister, and as they head to China to join their father they have no clue of the great adventure that lies ahead. The children usually stay with their aunt while their father is off on his trips as an architect but this year the children’s aunt is asked to join their father for the summer in China. The children end up spending most of their time with Edgar Font, their grandfather. Edgar is on a quest of finding the perfect place to haunt when he passes away, and their summer adventures begin, their adventures will be remembered a lifetime. Their first adventure begins at an abandoned lighthouse which is full of puzzles, ghosts and mystery. As their adventure continues through the lighthouse they must rely on everything they know and the lessons that they have learned along the way to ensure they will make it out without being harmed.

The Castle Tower Lighthouse is a children’s book that everyone will fall in love with no matter your age. The author writes with such skill that lights an imaginitative spark in the reader. The illustrations are absolutely wonderful and the message the story delivers is of a positive one. This is sure to be a series you will want to keep and treasure for years to come. I intend to collect each in the series for my grandson to enjoy, which I am sure will ignite another book lover in our family. I cannot wait until Edgar Font’s Hunt For a House To Haunt Adventure Two: The Fakersville Power Station comes out in July. I am ready to enjoy another great adventure with Edgar Font on his search for the perfect place to haunt.

You will not want to miss the website and blog devoted to Edgar Font, they will add to your enjoyment, check them out at:

http://edgarfont.com

http://edgarfont.blogspot.com

The blogspot gives you so much informative information, which includes how the author came up with the story. Here you will find the information about Edgar Font, Audrey and Garrett. Be sure to read the top 10 questions that are asked relating to the story as you will find some very interesting facts.

The Edgar Font series is highly recommended for everyone. It has been such an honor and a pleasure to be able to review such a treasure that will be added to my collection to pass on from generation to generation. A message to the author: not only have you created such a great story for children, you have accomplished reaching readers of all ages with this series and need to be commended. I personally thank you, Bravo!

The author has created a treasured collection for readers of all ages!!!!!

Toaster Pond
By Peter de Witt
Fantasy/Adventure
ISBN: 1-933255-21-8
www.toasterpond.com
DNA Press
PO Box 572 Eagleville, PA 19408
www.dnapress.com
Reviewed by Terry South for Bookpleasures

Toaster Pond is a wondrous adventure for children. The setting is a place called Waterville. In Waterville during the summer the teens are ready for their championship game of Hide and Seek. But this is not your normal regular game.

The story will captivate your child’s imagination. You can discover within the pages six toed fairies, as well as a wealth of different characters. The stories main characters include Doug, Skip, and Pierce, and they are on the Hide and Seek team termed the best team. Peter de Witt transports the game to a magical place of Sangerfiled, here the main characters must put their expert skills into action. Will they be able to save Sanger Castle? To find out you will need to pick up a copy of this great adventurous tale, you will not be disappointed.

Toaster Pond is a quick compact read, once your child has started they will not be able to put this one down. This is Peter de Witt’s debut and is an excellent creation and there will be a high demand for more. This is one enchanting and magical read that the entire family will want to read. This title will win the parents approval, and will be captivating families for generations to come.

Peter de Witt is an author, a adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY., and he is also has been teaching elementary school for eleven years. He currently resides in New York.

The Story of Kitten Cuckoo
Written and illustrated by Ed Baker
www.kittencuckoo.com
ISBN: 1-933572-04-3
Centro Books
200 E. 90th St., New York, NY 10128
www.centrobooks.com
Reviewed by Terry South for Bookpleasures

The Story of Kitten Cuckoo, written and illustrated by Ed Baker is an endearing picture book with cartoonish characters that are simple yet adorable.

The story is for children of all ages, teaching children the concept of friendship. Ed Baker has developed a loosely rhyming poem to enrich this tale of an unlikely friendship. Kitten Cuckoo and a baby elephant named Paquile E. Derm are best friends, despite their obvious differences. The animals at the zoo would stare, giggle and make fun of the unlikely pair.

Paquile escapes from the zoo with Cuckoo and ends up being captured and sent to Africa. Cuckoo returns home to find Harrison Cruz has moved; now homeless he decides to do what any friend would do, travel to Africa to find his best friend. In the end he finds not only Paquile but Harrison Cruz too.

The story delivers the perfect idea of true friendship and will engage young children while teaching them not to give up on friendships formed.

You will find games, wall paper, art and other goodies located on their website at http://www.kittencuckoo.com/

The game located on their website is addicting to both children and adults alike.

Happy Birthday to Whooo?
by Doris Fisher
Illustrated by Lisa Downey
Sylvan Dell Publishing
976 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Ste. 3, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
ISBN: 978-0-9768823-1-2 $15.95
Reviewed by Terry South for Armchair Interviews

Happy Birthday to Whooo? A Baby Animal Riddle Book is designed for children ages 4 to 8, has a handsomely designed jacket displaying owls on the front cover and the back displays12 additional animals.

Doris Fisher effectively reaches her intended young audience. The book contains bold and vibrant images of illustrator Lisa Downey, the pages alternate with oil paintings of an animal family and a birth announcement. The birth announcements contain clues to the animal’s identity, offering facts of the weight and height and turn the page and you find more facts about the baby animal. The book contains riddles introducing 12 different animals and will engage and amuse the young reader. The book contains a section entitled “For Creative Minds” that everyone is sure to love, this section contains information about the animal families and fun facts about the 12 animals introduced in the birth announcements.

As for illustrator Lisa Downey, her page design is colorful, vivid and eye-friendly that transports the reader into the heart of the story.

You will find “Learning Links” and “Teaching Activities” on Sylvan Dell Publishing’s website that will help both teachers and parents expand the learning possibilities. The website is: www.SylvanDellPublishing.com

The book is addressed to children and young readers, but can be enjoyed by the entire family. The book will excite your children and they will want to read this one over and over again. As an added bonus in the back of the book there is a “Make Your Own Birth Announcement” great for a new baby in the family whether it be human or animal. I highly recommend this one and give it 5 stars!

Do You Know Why Butterflies Fly?
By Tom McWhirter
Art work by Mary Meade
Chupp Road Press
ISBN: 978-0-9761853-0-7
Reviewed by Terry South for Bookpleasures


Do You Know Why Butterflies Fly? Is beautifully written, the hardback cover is amazing and with the movement of the book you can see the butterflies fly. The author Tom McWhirter has a great imagination and has produced a lovely children’s book for all to enjoy and treasure.

The story contains bold and vibrant imaginative images of illustrator Mary Meade, the art work is superbly done to ignite the imaginations of all. The story is for children of all ages and in the process is teaching children to have courage to face their fears and to have faith in themselves to change and become something much greater than they every imagined. It delivers the idea of not being afraid, to try new things and to pursue their dreams. The story is both engaging and amusing, although addressed to children and young readers, can be enjoyed by the entire family together.

The children’s book will appeal to both the young readers and their parents and will be a treasure to read together time and time again.

The author grew up in rural North Carolina, he had a country boy heart and soul, and his best friend was his imagination. His parents were concerned and gave him a stern lecture on his imagination and its proper place in reality. “Tom McWhirter took this discussion to heart and immediately shut down his imagination.” Years later he began a daily practice of meditation and rediscovered his imagination, and this book is full of his new re-found imagination.

I highly recommend this children’s book, it is a delight and a treasure to keep for generations to come.

Coomacka Island Anansi Jr And The Mango Truck
by Don P. Hooper
Illustrated by Darnel Degand

Check out their website at: www.coomacka.com
Great website for both you and your children to enjoy.

Coomacka Island, Anansi Jr. & the Mango Truck by Don P. Hooper is a Caribbean tale that involves Anansi Jr., a spider who loves mangoes and is a tale of learning a lesson in true friendship.

This is a enchanting, delightful, and stimulating read for young readers, it has bright colors, wonderful graphics & illustrations (Illustrated by Darnel Degand)which are so vivid they will have your children using their imaginations and asking questions.

I look forward to all the adventures to continue, and will honestly being collecting each one for my grandson Caden to enjoy. This is a wonderful book for all young readers and is highly recommended as a must for the children in your life.

A Definite 5 Star children's book!