With all thoughts turning to summer and summer reading, I kickd off  our celebration for new readers with an illustrated chapter book that’s fun for all audiences: boys, girls, mixed ages … Head on over to Share a Story to see what I’ve picked.

This is a monthly festival dedicated to emerging and developing readers! For the next three days you can visit Share a Story to…

• Post a review of a favorite easy reader, short chapter book and/or series;
• Offer tips and ideas for nurturing the developing bookworms; or
• Share an idea on ways to engage readers this summer.

What makes this festival fun, is that we can dig back into our archives to find old posts and share them anew. If you has something you wrote last summer, go to Share a Story – Shape a Future and paste in the link! It can be an easy reader that is fun for a summer read aloud, a must-have short chapter book that we might have missed; ideas for summer reading, or even just ways to keep literacy skills strong during the summer. The sky is the limit!

The blogosphere is teeming with summer and summer reading in mind … which reminded me of this book.

Bugged! (Science Solves It Series)
by Michelle Knudsen; illustrated by Blanche SIms
Kane Press, 2008
reading level: 2.3

Mosquitoes love Riley, but Riley doesn’t love them. He is tired of being a mosquito magnet. Riley and his friends try lots of ways to stop the biting, but nothing seems to work. After several failed attempts, they visit Professor Hayes, a bug expert! He has a few ideas, but will they work? This is an easy reader with a science-themed story.

A Reader’s Thoughts: The practical basis of the story will resonate with kids, who may be inspired to conduct their own tests. This is a story perfect for rising second and third graders. Its fun, kids can relate to Riley’s plight, and there is some science in there (which parents love!). It is also comfortable for a read aloud.

The illustrations take up most of the page, limiting the text to a third (or less) of the space. This works well for the content. Through direct text (mostly conversation) and inset boxes, the author relays lots of information about mosquitoes and the scientific process.

I like how the book engages the reader in thinking about science beyond just mosquitoes. For example, there are two illustrations on the last page and readers are asked to determine what experiment the girls are conducting.

The Science Solves It series of easy readers are a nice choice when you want to sneak in a little bit of nonfiction, and make an excellent read aloud or partner read.

To learn more about the I Can Read Festival, visit our information page. No time? Then here are the four things you need to know …

• These are books with a reading level for Kindergarten through third grade (think: reading by 9);
• They are meant to be read aloud by the reader;
• They are are sized for a young reader’s hand; and
• Even as a short chapter book, they include illustrations to help the reader decode the words on the page.

We would love to share your post – fresh or recycled – with an audience looking for ideas to help kids become successful readers. Summer reading is a necessary evil, so let’s make it a fun summer. Here’s the link to the I Can Read Festival post on Share a Story.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend with lots of special, memorable moments. It’s fun to have a day just for us, but moms around the world know that every day is Mother’s Day, as we treasure those inexplicable, unpredictable treasures of everyday life!

Ditto Children’s Book Week. Spending the week reading and talking books is wonderful … did you see the video with Jarrett J. Krosoczka and Jon Scieszka (still wearing his Ambassador’s ribbon)? O.M.G.G.

Reading and sharing stories is something many of us strive to do in our lives everyday. Raising awareness of literacy and paying forward a love of reading are what the Reading Tub is all about.

So why not keep the buzz of Mother’s Day and Children’s Book Week going all summer long … AND help young readers understand the importance of helping those less fortunate?

This is where American Girl’s Read-a-Palooza can help!

American Girl is inviting girls and their moms to discover the joy of reading while helping a great cause! Read-a-palooza is a summer reading program that started May 1, 2012 and runs through September 3, 2012. The campaign is not just about reading and reading incentives, but also about making a difference. One dollar from every book purchased from American Girl will benefit Save the Children’s US Literacy Program, which works to raise literacy rates in impoverished communities by providing basic education and equipping schools and teachers with reading materials.

This fall, American Girl will donate books to Save the Children. This is the third donation of books to Save the Children, and raises the value of the company’s total book donation to nearly $1.5 million.

From the American Girl Press Release: To participate in Read-a-palooza, girls can visit americangirl.com/reading,. There they will find colorful bookmarks to download and free book-related content, such as tips and materials for starting a book club. They’ll also be able to do reading challenges and take fun, interactive quizzes.

Starting in June, girls can participate in the Read-a-palooza summer reading campaign by visiting an American Girl retail store, where free reading events will be offered all summer long. provides girls with fun activities and incentives to inspire them to keep their reading skills sharp and encourage engagement in a variety of different literacy activities!

Read-a-palooza is a summer reading program for girls ages 8 to 12. Although it is designed to help girls maintain their reading skills over summer break, it can be a lot more than that. It is a chance for moms (and dads) to create those special every-day memories we treasure, and strengthen their communication bonds as we approach the (dreaded) teen years.

With those ideas in mind, the Family Bookshelf is hosting a giveaway of American Girl books. Think of it as a belated Mother’s Day present and a way to make summer reading easy! American Girl has graciously donated nine books, something to meet every young reader’s interests. Several are classic-style that are extensions of the American Girl doll experience, and some are “Smart Girl’s Guides” that engage readers and promote positive, personal growth.

So how does our Read-a-palooza summer reading giveaway work? We will have three winners, selected by random. Each winner will receive three books.

To enter, add your post about Mother’s Day and/or the joys of reading with your children in the InLinkz box below.

• Does it have to be about girls?  No, so long as you have a girl in your life (or your library – hint!) that you want to give the books to.
• Do you have to be a mom? Nope! We love that dads read with their daughters!

Here are the books in the collection …

As has become our custom, Carol creates a  Roundup of Children’s Literacy and Reading News – Month in Review (in this case April) and then Jen and I each add a couple of extra nuggets we’ve found but didn’t get to Carol in time. So be sure to check out Jen’s roundup, also titled Children’s Literacy and Reading News Roundup: April in Review.

April was all Poetry all the Time … that’ a good thing, in case you’re wondering. Among the many great events Carol highlighted, she include a collection of  Travis Jonker’s Spine Poetry. Speaking of Travis, we want to extend our heartfelt huzzah! for being named to the 2014 Caldecott Committee. Just knowing that he is taking his ” bringing my brand of Abraham Lincoln-impersonating school librarianship” has us smiling. The Committee will never be the same again!

Carol also has lots of links to get you in a summer reading frame of mind, and Jen adds to more events to get you going.

• The first one is this week: Children’s Book Week. The winners of the 2012 Children’s Choice Awards will be announced. In honor of Children’s Book Week, Sylvan Dell will be offering all 70 eBooks on their site license free all week long.
• MotherReader has announced the date for this summer’s 7th annual 48 Hour Book Challenge (June 8-10). This event is not to be missed by book lovers!

Anyone going to BookExpo America will be well-stocked with books and galleys to enjoy all weekend long. Long-time readers know that is practically a running joke that Carol and I never seem to be at a literacy event at the same time … we are crossing our fingers that this year’s BookExpo in New York will change that.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, I was excited to find learn about the Women and Literacy in Our Backyard 2012 campaign in the TribLocal blog (Chicago Tribune). Study after study has shown us that a key predictor to a child’s literacy success is the literacy of their mom. “The [Women and Literacy in Our Backhyard] campaign aims to raise awareness of the social, educational and economic importance of improving the literacy levels of women in our communities.” The program is, in part, a tribute to Cora Wilson Stewart, an early 20th century crusader for adult literacy and women’s leadership, who created the School and Tutors on Wheels program in the Chicago area.

The Reading Connection in Arlington, VA, is one of the community programs the Reading Tub supports. The organization, which provides literacy outreach to homeless families, is celebrating 20 years of reading with children this year. On Saturday, May 12, 2012, from 2:pm to 5:pm, The Reading Connection is hosting a Community Reading Festival at the Arlington Central Library.

What are the odds that we would have two chapter books for middle school readers by the same publisher? Both have middle school as an element, though one is set as school is going back into session and the other is the beginning of summer vacation.

I’d encourage you to check out the I Can Read MEME for new readers, hosted here this month. We had some great reviews of easy rearders, as well as ideas for engaging new readers.

You can always see what we’ve added so far on our 2012 Books We’ve Read Page. Book reviews on the Reading Tub website will have the requisite link. Each Bookmark has basic info and an original blurb / overview. You’ll meet the key players, we’ll add our reader reaction, and then we’ll ask the author and/or illustrator a question or two.

Noteworthy April Bookmarks

Falcon Quinn and the Crimson Vapor
Jennifer Finney Boylan
Katherine Tegan Books, 2011
Audience: Middle school readers

Try as he might to fit in, Falcon Quinn learns over and over again, that friendship is fleeting and he just doesn’t belong. Anywhere. His mother’s people, the Guardians, don’t trust him; but neither do the monsters … and neither do the Filchers, a group of gypsy-like thieves that move between those two worlds.

Who are the key players?
Falcon Quinn, an angel,  is the central character. Over and over again, Falcon is misunderstood or in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although subtle at first, Falcon is on a quest to stop the two sides from an all-out, winner-take-all war.

Falcon’s father is The Crow, the leader of the monster “nation.” He is integral to the story, even though he is “gone” from it for long periods of time. This is our first Falcon Quinn book, but it seems that The Crow is unlike many of the other monsters bent for war or some of the other traditional and over-the-top creatures on Monster Island.

It is pretty obvious that Cygnus (a Guardian) is a big player. Having come into this story late in the game, we don’t know all of the key points, but the story adds enough perspective so that readers aren’t completely lost.

A Reader’s Thoughts
Frankly, I go back and forth on this one. There are some laugh-out-loud moments, and the author does a fabulous job turning the world to a monster’s point of view (e.g., monsters take a “haunted house” ride that is nothing but mundane human activities). Middle school readers will find the events, references to vampires and monster teachers hilarious.

Still, I found the story bouncing all over the place and trying to do too many things. The crimson vapor – which is part of the title – seems like an add-on to the other elements of the book. I did love this passage ..

Falcon looked around at the roaring ocean, the strange cloud-filled sky. “Why not? There’s some law that you can’t kill a librarian?”
“There should be,” said Mr. Lyons. “That is a law I would surely endorse.”

Question for Jennifer Finney Boylan
There were times in the story when Falcon reminded me of Harry Potter: feeling set apart, not fitting in, unique academy classes, moral dilemmas. If the two could meet, what do you think they’d talk about?

Where did you get this book? The publisher donated a copy for review.

The Family Hitchcock
by Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett
Katherine Tegen Books, 2011
audience: upper elementary and middle school readers

Maddy and Benji Hitchcock have plans for the summer … and so does their dad. The Hitchcocks of Chicago are swapping houses with the Xavier Vadim family of Paris, France. Tres fun, oui? Everyone but Dad sees it as a disaster, and their fears are confirmed when the Vadims arrive in Chicago early: Mom, Dad, goth teen girl, and 3-year-old boy! What on earth will they find when they get to Paris? Let’s just say its an adventure!

Who are the Key Players?
Roger Hitchcock (aka Dad) is a nerdy-verging-on-naive guy who adores his family. He works so hard to make everything wonderful, yet is disappointed at every turn because nothing ever goes as planned.

Teenager Maddy Hitchcock tries to be a dominating character. She knows everything about everything and peppers the story with thoughts, opinions, and suspicions that add depth to the story. She would much rather be spending the summer by the pool with her friends and rarely misses a chance to rain on Dad’s parade … or Benji’s or her mom’s.

A Reader’s Thoughts
Any preteen who has a younger sibling will love this! Parents of pre-teens and teens will enjoy it, too! The family dynamics are spot on, and the story moves fast with plenty of day-in-the-life humor.

What makes the story particularly fun is the way that many of the misconceptions – often dropped into the story by Maddy – unravel. Upon arriving in Paris, the Hitchcocks unwittingly land in the middle of an international police investigation.

Suspense and mystery are balanced and yet keep pace with the events themselves. Xavier Vadim has stolen a vial of a chemical that could “change the world.” The bad guys think Roger Hitchcock is Xavier Vadim, and the family is, literally, running for their lives, trying to sort it all out.

The best part of the story is that not only do you learn more about the characters, you see that they learn about themselves and each other, too!

Question for Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett
Will we get to go to Rio with the Hitchocks?

Where did you get this book? The publisher donated a copy for review.

What We’re Reading

The Secret Life of Mrs. Finkleman
by Ben H. Winters
HarperCollins, 2012
audience: middle school readers

Initial Thoughts: This is going to be a fast read. I can already see that I’m going to like Bethesda Fielding. She thinks outside the box!

Click here to see other Reading Tub book reviews, including chapter books, this month. Use these links to take you to your favorite children’s and young adult book categories.

• Picture Books & Bilingual Books
• Easy Readers & Illustrated Chapter Books
• Middle Grade Chapter Books
• Young Adult Chapter Books
• Nontraditional formats

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Note: Book covers and titles link to Amazon.com, with which the Reading Tub has an affiliate relationship. We may earn income from purchases made through these links. They are offered for convenience and do not represent an obligation to buy from this vendor.

Donna is off to a good start. Her first book, The Golden Pathway (Guardian Angel, 2010), an historical fiction story for new readers, has won a number of awards, including Literary Classics 2011 Silver Award Recipient Picture Book Early Reader, Literary Classics 2011 Finalist Picture Book Early Reader, Finalist in Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards, and Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2011 Top Ten – Children’s Books category.

Donna lives in Tappan, New York. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Please welcome award-winning author and public relations expert Donna McDine to the Family Bookshelf.

RT: Hi Donna, and welcome to the Family Bookshelf and the Reading Tub. In describing your books for children on your website, you offer visitors this description: 

Be prepared for the adrenaline rush of escaping via the Underground Railroad, the slip of the ice beneath your skates, the harsh reality of the Royal Navy Press Gangs, or the discovery of whale poachers at the beach. The roller coaster action in each escapade will transport the reader into a specific time period.

In doing the research for your historical fiction books for kids are there things you learned or influential people whom you had never heard about?
Donna: My aim for visitors is to learn my books are not just one specific genre, whether historical fiction, sports, or modern day events. For The Golden Pathway, which is a story built around the Underground Railroad, I was tickled to find information about plantation life that suggested that just because a specific plantation owner had slaves, not everyone in the whole family agreed with that point of view. That is how  David’s story came to life.

RT: In a related question, as you dug through the events and learned about the people in these different eras, did they spark ideas for other books? If so, can you give us an example of an untold or little-known story that you think deserves to be in the reader’s view?
Donna: As a matter of fact, that has happened. Through my research of the Underground Railroad I read about the specific event of Major John Andre impersonating as a soldier in General George Washington’s army, when in fact he was a British soldier attempting to deliver the secrets of West Point to the British. This is what sparked my interest in my middle grade manuscript, “Images of the Past.”

RT: The Golden Pathway is an “early reader” that is available in both traditional print as well as an e-Book. As someone who grew up with the joys of holding what some would call a “real” book, was it difficult to embrace the new media as a way of telling a story for children?
Donna: Yes, I initially had difficulty in accepting e-Books. I love the feel and smell of a brand new book and always dreamed of holding my own published book in my hands. So when I began the submission process I researched and specifically sought out publishers that handle both print and e-Books.

RT: We talk more about your children’s books in our Reading Tub interview, but I do have one last question: if you could have a soundtrack playing in the background as you read The Golden Pathway aloud, what music would you select?
Donna: Classical music, specifically Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.”

RT: In addition to writing and publishing your own work, you also offer  public relations (PR) services to other writers. Could you tell us about your journey to that path … were you a marketer first and then an author, or vice versa?
Donna: Believe it or not, I was neither an author nor a marketer first. I originally worked in corporate America as an administrative assistant for many years. After I had my second child, I was longing for something more fulfilling and one afternoon while flipping through a magazine I came across an ad for the Institute of Children’s Literature. My interest was immediately piqued and I sent away for their aptitude test. Once received, I eagerly completed and mailed back. Happily I was accepted and now I’m here with one published book for children in my hand and three more under contract.

The marketing path came later. VS Grenier, creator and owner of Stories for Children Magazine, hired me as the magazines Marketing Director after seeing my own book marketing efforts. I have since moved to being the Publicist for The Working Writer’s Club and, with encouragement from founder Suzanne Lieurance, I have expanded my efforts and services to my own book publicity firm, Author PR Services.

RT: You also review children’s literature on your blog, Write What Inspires You. What do you find the most difficult part of the review process?
Donna: If the book doesn’t pull me in from the onset and I know in my heart I can’t continue reading and provide an effective review for the author to use in their marketing efforts, I respectfully decline.

RT: Given the volume of books (and manuscripts) you read, do you see any patterns or trends relative to writing for specific audiences?
Donna: In recent years, many of the books are geared toward vampires and fantasy. In my opinion to be able to do this effectively the author needs to bring a new twist to it, so that it’s not a copycat of the more successful books on the market.

RT: When you are looking for a “comfort read,” what are the kinds of books you tend to turn to? Why?
Donna: I tend to lean toward Danielle Steel’s romance novels. It is nice to climb in to someone else’s world and escape.

RT: What would you like to do next to stretch yourself as an author?
Donna: I’m currently stretching myself on my middle grade historical fiction manuscript where it takes longer to tie the past and present without repeating events in both.

RT: Is there a book – from your childhood or as an adult – that has stayed with you more than any other book? What is it about that book that made it so meaningful to you?
Donna: Katherine Marsh’s middle grade novel The Night Tourist. The author easily brings to life the wonders of New York City history through mystical storytelling of those gone before. Having traveled through Grand Central Station and New York City with my father growing up and as an adult the places came to life again through Marsh’s book.

RT: Thanks Donna for joining us.

If you’d like to read more about The Golden Pathway and her works in progress, visit the Reading Tub. You can keep up with Donna and learn more about her public relations (PR) services via these social media platforms.

Donna’s Website: www.donnamcdine.com
Write What Inspires You blog: www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com
The Golden Pathway blog: http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com
Author PR Services: http://www.authorprservices.com