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Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus by Kristen Tracy

Camille is having a rough time as a fourth grader.  Her best friend has moved to Japan, and Camille has not gotten a letter from her yet.  She has low blood sugar and has to carry extra food to school in a cooler which makes her stand out from the others.  Her desk is right under a dangling hornet.  And to top it all off, she fell under the bus when she was trying to get on.  It’s enough to make someone give up entirely!  But not Camille McPhee.  Instead she is hopeful that things will get better.  She even has a plan to avoid making new friends by acting like a lone dingo.  And how could that fail?

Tracy has created a book that is modern and fresh.  It speaks to everyone who has been accident prone, or a misfit, or just has days or years filled with things going wrong.  In other words, it will speak to everyone.  Camille is a great heroine with a spot-on voice that is wry, funny and entirely herself.   Throughout the book, we can see Camille grow despite her own best efforts at staying the same.  The secondary characters are equally interesting from her warring parents to the girls who just might become her friends if she lets them.

A funny book about self-esteem, friendship and life in general, this book is a winner of a novel.  Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Check out Kristen Tracy’s website.

Advice guides for tweens are always tricky. They can't talk down to readers, and they can't sound too much like your mom. Every girl wants to see herself somewhere within the pages, and when she recognizes herself, she wants to feel good about the changes that she can make.

Marlene Wallach, the President of Wilhelmina Kids & Teens Modeling Agency, and along with Grace Norwich, has put together a lifestyle guide that gets it right.

Using a magazine style format, girls can easily read through sections of advice about confidence, fitness and friendship. From the "Ten Commandments of a Better Body Image" (involving advice such as surrounding yourself with supportive friends, the importance of wearing clothes that are comfortable to you, and respecting your body) to fun activities for boosting self esteem (talking positively to yourself in the mirror, doing improv with your friends, and finding activities to do on your own), readers are bound to find something that speaks to them. Quizzes and lists round out the chapters, and I can picture friends breaking this book out during a sleepover and discussing their answers. There are also real girl stories, dealing with an assortment of topics such as being biracial, starting a business, and moving to a new country.

This spiral bound book mixes photographs of girls, with tween friendly cartoons and graphics. Inspiring quotes from famous people ranging from Oprah to Confucius pepper the text.

While the girls shown are of differing races and ethnic groups, it would be nice to see girls of varying body types and sizes in the pages. Since Wallach is the head of a modeling agency, I am assuming most girls featured are models. It is nice to see many smiling faces with braces, since so many tweens are going through the same thing, but a few more differences might be nice!

Overall, this is exactly the kind of book that I recommend to parents when they want to help their daughters out with self esteem and the tween/early teen years. There are 3 additional titles in the series: My Beauty: A Guide to Looking & Feeling Great, My Life: A Guide to Health and Fitness, and My Look: A Guide to Fashion & Style.

No doubt, I am an official Catherine Ryan Hyde fan!

When Bill is taken by their grandparents but she is not, Cynnie is devastated and starts to implode. She sinks farther and farther into an abyss. In her reappearance she discovers how she is like and unlike her mother, a difficult discovery. The ending is perfect!

Another great story from the author of Pay It Forward!


ENDERS' Rating: 5 stars!

Catherine Ryan Hyde's Terrific Website

Guest blogger Maia Haag is an author and CEO of I See Me!, publishers of very high quality personalized children’s books. If you purchase these award-winning personalized storybooks at www.iseeme.com using code fsj11435a at check-out, you will receive free domestic standard shipping and I See Me! Inc. will donate $10 per book sold to First Book!

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to live a charmed life and others seem to face problem after problem? Some of my friends are almost always happy, while others experience one drama after another. What makes the sun shine brighter in some people’s lives than in others?

I would argue that it all comes back to what we heard from our parents during our childhood. If a child is repeatedly told that she is special and can accomplish anything, she grows up believing that she has the power to overcome obstacles. She is willing to try new things, knowing that if she fails in her endeavor, it does not mean that she herself is a failure. Believing that she is in control of her destiny, she has a positive outlook on life which leads to greater happiness and success.

On the other hand, if a child is repeatedly told that he is not good enough, he will start to put down his own talents and abilities. He is less likely to try new things for fear of failure. When life throws challenges his way, he is more likely to feel as if he is a victim without the ability to affect the outcome. He easily becomes overwhelmed by the challenges of life.

Parents can make a significant impact on their child’s self-image through daily communications. How can you as a parent build self-esteem in your child?

• Tell your child regularly how much you love him or her and how glad you are that your child is part of your family. Don’t assume that your child knows this.
• When your child does something well, tell your child how proud you are of him or her. Describe what you thought your child did well. Use this opportunity to remind your child that he or she can accomplish anything with enough effort.
• If your child does something that you do not like, talk about the fact that your child made a wrong choice rather than implying that your child is a bad person. This gives your child the power to make the right choice the next time and it maintains your child’s self-esteem.
• If your child is nervous about trying something new, help your child envision success.  If your child can see himself or herself completing the challenge, it becomes less daunting.

I strongly believe that parents can help shape their child’s self-image.  As a parent myself and a children’s book author and publisher, I have made it our company’s mission to help build self-esteem in children through our books.  Our storybooks are all personalized, made one-by-one for each child to make the child feel unique and special.  Since reading at bedtime is a quiet time when parents can focus on their child, we have developed personalized storybooks that describe the child’s positive character traits.

We enthusiastically support First Book’s mission because giving children their very own books and helping them learn to read builds children’s s

The dynamic trio that make Van Etten has created another entertaining saga of poor Mallory, inspiration and writer for her own soap opera "Likely Story." (Sorry I have only a photo of Levithan, but he is cute and he writes amazing books). Mallory's heartaches continue as her nemesis, Alisha, has joined forces with Alexis to bring her down. Mother-dearest is still prickly. And Mallory is not going to take any of it any more! She begins an offensive against those opposed to her with the climax the night of the Emmys when her soap and actors are nominated for four awards after just a few months of televising. WHAT IS SHE THINKING??? Join the fray and read the series. Just for fun. (FYI: There is a cover band in Southern California by the same name).

ENDERS' Rating: Soap fans will enjoy the inside jokes and drama

Likely Story Website

Liam is handsome as his striking model mother is beautiful. He wears the best designer clothing, he has style, he has magnetism, he does not have his father's love.

Caught in a compromised position, drunk, on top of his father's desk, with an ugly girl he normally would not even glance at, Liam is sentenced to moving to Nevada with his grandparents, his version of Siberian exile with Stalin as his roommate. His beautiful but emotionally blugeoned mother intercedes by leaving his uncle's telephone number for Liam to call and beg mercy. Now Aunt Pete is quite a difference from the grandparents, and a secret solution kept from his father. Liam packs his amazing wardrobe and toiletries to find himself in a roach-infested trailer without a closet or an iron. As the story unfolds, the reader sees that Liam's mother is not the only casualty.

Written in her amazingly funny, poignant style, Going delivers another illuminating teenage story for us to consider. If you have not read Saint Iggy or Fat Kid Rules the World....stop that right now! Love the cover, btw.

ENDERS Rating: More, more!!!

K.L. Going's Website

I think this video is important for girls and women, especially, to watch–it reveals the distortions the media uses with models to convey their idea of societal beauty, instead of just letting the models look beautiful as they are. I think it’s an eye-opener for those who don’t know about it.

When we’re pushed on so many sides with ideas for societal beauty of women–movies, TV, magazines, and even some books–this is important. Yes, it’s an ad that promotes Dove–but it’s a great video. What do you think?

Thank you to @SairzBillington and @purpleshoes, great book peeps on Twitter, for the link.

an inappropriate book for young ladies*(*or, frankly, anybody else)by laurie rosenwaldbloomsbury 2008when rosenwald's first book came out, and to name but just a few: RED YELLOW GREEN BLUE, i snatched it up because i had this funny feeling it wouldn't be around long. her picture book of colors, made of jaunty rhymes and bold collage graphics, was a feast for those hip to, well, bold graphics.

Check out the lovely trailer Kim McDougall of Blazing Trailers made of my Christmas picture book, The Magic Violin. Make sure your volume is up so you can hear the second movement of Vivaldi's "Winter".




The Magic Violin is available on Amazon, B&N, the Publisher, and your local bookstore.

The “Purple Wig Theory” in the Shine Through program is all about appreciating and respecting yourself, no matter what. The entire program is created in order to teach ways to be yourself and not change who you are. But, of course, there are exceptions to the rule…

When you learn to Shine Through, you learn to focus on becoming the person you wish to become. This means trying your best to be your best, no matter what others think. The goal is to improve upon yourself in the best possible ways, and not to worry about how others perceive you.

Say you’re a superhero who needs a secret identity. (Let’s make this fun…) You have always wanted to become a math teacher. Your super-friends don’t exactly agree with this idea. (They all are becoming journalists at local newspapers…) But, because they are your true super-friends, you realize they are still alright with your decision!

So, you choose a math teacher as your secret identity. But, of course, you need to go to college first. You have already learned how to Shine Through, so now what? Let’s say that, along with the ability to fly, talk to animals, and shoot heat beams from your eyeballs, you have the power of super-procrastination! (Ta-da!) In order to get to college, you have to learn to refrain from procrastination.

But, wait! The Shine Through program teaches to never change who you are! That may be true, but by improving upon your school skills, you are changing yourself for the better. You aren’t doing it because someone told you to, but because you wanted to. See the difference?

Now, Ms. Superhero, you have mastered the ability to accept the fact that you are different from your super-friends, to learn to like yourself the way you are, and to improve upon yourself to become the person you wish to be! See how easy that is?

I have my own example of improving upon yourself for the better. Last month, I was in my high school production of “West Side Story” as Maria. So, to play the part, I decided to dye my hair a lot darker. This seems pretty shocking from the creator of the Purple Wig Theory, huh?

Well, I decided that, by dying my hair, it helped me to become the character and improve upon my acting skills. Because drama is so important to me, it was worth it! I didn’t change who I was inside, but I improved upon myself as an actor. Still see the difference?

So, the next time you have an opportunity, improve upon yourself! It could be as simple as straightening up your sock drawer, studying an extra hour for your next Spanish test, or choosing to eat more fruit every day. Try it! And never lose sight of that person you wish to become.

Have you ever attempted to search through your entire back yard for a single four-leaf clover? Did you tear out every last flower in your grandmother's precious garden and every blade of grass in your father's precious lawn in a desperate attempt to find luck? Okay, maybe you haven't. I haven't done that either. (Except for those couple of times....last week...)
We all search for luck, whether it's by searching for four-leaf clover (and getting grounded for it), finding a penny on the sidewalk, or chasing a rainbow to it's end. (Or, of course catching Lucky the leprechaun before he uses his marshmallow powers to disappear.) But can't we bring about our own luck?
It's always fun to believe in luck - and, who knows? Maybe you really can get lucky-but you shouldn't rely completely on it. Maybe the reason you aren't getting lucky is because you aren't being proactive. Maybe, if you go after your dreams, the luck will come to you. It's worth a try.
For your next science test, feel free to wear your lucky underwear, but be sure to study well ahead of time. Your underwear can only do so much when it comes to acing that test. Trust me.
If you have a great idea, don't just dream about it or simply wish on a star for it. (That only works for Gepetto-and I'm sure you don't want a fairy breaking into your house and bringing your puppet to life. That would be creepy.)
Instead of waiting for your dream to come true, make it come true. Go after it! Keep a positive attitute and try your best. Lucky the leprechaun won't be able to resist you!

I know I'm going to sound like a curmudgeon, but at the risk of it, I'll tell you what's on my mind. I'm not sure why we need to have a Valentine's Day.  Say, what?  Yes, you read this correctly. While it's sweet and all that we have one day dedicated to acknowledge the love we have for the special person in our life, and vice versa, for some reason, it just seems so lame to me.  The fact we need

Susan Berger is the author of Jamie's Dream, a children's picture book she collaborated with her son, Christopher Corbin.

Did you always want to be a writer?

No. I wanted to be a ballet dancer. Then I wanted to be a nurse. (I was reading the Cherry Ames, Girl Nurse Series) Then I wanted to be a reporter. (I was reading the Beverly Gray, Girl Reporter series.) In my defense, I did not want to be everything I read. I never wanted to be an inventor (Tom Swift Series) or a detective (Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys) In my daydreams I wanted to be queen of the world so I could end all hunger and give all the orphans good homes. Then I wanted to be an actress.
By this time, I was twelve and knew myself for a fickle person since I wanted to be so many things.

I did not want to be a writer. I knew I was a writer. I won my first writing prize at St Cyprians School in Cape Town, S. Africa in 1955. It was a very nice story about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. It began... "Far away in the land of Holidays, where no mortal child has ever been, lived the Easter Bunny...." I wish I could remember the rest of it.

In 8th grade, in Westport Connecticut, I had a poem published in anthology of high school poetry. I suppose I wrote some more after that, but it must have been schoolwork. By the time I was in 9th grade, all my extracurricular activity was acting.
When I started to write again in 1992, the first story I worked on was Jamie's Dream with my son Christopher.

Tell us about your recent release. What was your inspiration for it?

I was attending the 1992 Pacific Northwest Writers Conference. They gave out an exercise. "Write about a saying as if it were real" i.e. 'There is a skeleton in my closet.' I chose "Buy a Dream". I came home and discussed it with Christopher. I asked him "Where would you go to buy a dream?" He gave me that LOOK that children give grownups when grownups are being particularly stupid. "Dream's R Us, of course" he answered. And so our collaboration began. Chris was 9, but he was going to a school where writing was highly valued. His school mornings began with 20 minutes of creative writing. Then they read their work aloud. They critiqued each other, just as they did in my adult writer's group. He was a great partner. Over the next 12 years, Jamie was sent out many times. It was rewritten at least 16 times. Then Guardian Angel said they wanted to publish it. The joy of that moment is equaled only by the moment I first saw Kim's Illustrations.

What are you working on now?

This week I worked on Disasters Happen: Earthquake which will be published by Guardian Angel in 2008. It is a non fiction book for the science series. It is aimed at first - third graders. (What causes earthquakes? Can we predict them? Where do they happen? How do we prepare for them? What to do during a quake? What happens afterwards.)

I am also working on a storybook called Brittany's Wall, (Needs a better title.) and a mid grade chapter book called Tasha the Magnificent. Brittany is going into its 8th rewrite. Tasha is going into its 9th rewrite. I have contacted the SCBWI for a new critique group for Tasha. I find re writing to be both drudgery and magic. When I finish a story, I am always convinced that I have written the best story I am capable of writing. It is amazing to see how much better it can become.

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

It is not your business to question your talent. It is your business to show up at the page. (okay, it's short, but it's great advice.)

Do you have a website or blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?

http://jamiesdream.com/ links to my live journal and to mine and Christopher's IMDB.com pages. I am looking forward to making another website where I can list other books as they come out and link to other authors.

What is the IMDB?

It is the internet movie data base (http://imdb.com/) It is a wonderful site. You can look up any movie or TV show and see the full cast and credits. You can also look up any actor and (hopefully) see what movies and TV shows they have done. I say hopefully because I cannot seem to get my Hannah Montana Episode added. I don't have a large Movie and TV resume. Most of my professional work is theatre.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers?

Andrea says to Melina in The Magic Violin, "I'll tell you what's magic-believing in yourself. That's magic!" Jamie says in Jamie's Dream "But mom, you said I could do anything I believed I could do." I think Andrea and Jamie's mom give very good advice. May you always find the magic.

--Interview by Mayra Calvani

retold by Cynthia Rylant pictures by Mary Blair Disney Press 2007 No, wrong. This is not acceptable. Mary Blair worked for the Disney studios from the 1940 through the 1960's and she is responsible for the production art, the "look" if you will, of several key Disney projects including Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland, the "It's a Small World" attraction, Peter Pan and, Walt Disney's

Kirsty OUP-UK

After ten years as Prime Minister, Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is being succeeded by Gordon Brown. Today I’m taking a look back at Tony Blair’s time at the helm with a little help from the Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations, edited by Antony Jay. Below are some of the best and most recognisable quotes from the last decade or so, as well as a few words about Tony Blair by others including Margaret Thatcher and Jacques Chirac. If there are other quotations you can think of, then please feel free to leave a comment below.

“Labour is the party of law and order in Britain today. Tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.”
speech at the annual Labour Party Conference, 30 September 1993, when Blair was Shadow Home Secretary (more…)

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