🔦In the Bookish Spotlight🔦Evan's Gift by Karen Charles

 

 

Paperback $15.95

Evan's Gift

By Karen Charles

When Evan trades his dream of a new bike for compassion, he discovers the greatest gift of all—helping others. Perfect for classrooms and families, “Evan’s Gift” celebrates empathy, courage, and the beauty of giving in a warm, uplifting story about generosity and the power of choosing kindness.

╰┈➤Book Details

• Genre:children’s fiction
• Sub-genre:Social Themes / Friendship
• Age Range (years):5 – 12
• Language:English
• Pages: 48
• Paperback ISBN:9798317824341
• Publisher: BookBaby

Ethan’s Gift is available at BookBaby.

╰┈➤Here’s What Readers Have To Say!

“What a lovely story! This is a life lesson wrapped in an engaging and beautifully illustrated package geared toward readers 5 – 12. Charles opted to provide an abundance of sensory details for her readers, so the younger ages might need assistance from a parent if they are not fluent readers. Middle-grade readers ages 8 – 12 will appreciate the additional details. Knowing this is inspired by a true story makes it extra special. With stunning artwork by Roger Feldman, Evan’s Gift is sure to delight readers with its touching story and expressive illustrations.” – The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

“Even’s Gift is a story that your youngster is able to relate to the characters. The message will stick with your youngster for a longtime after they’ve read the story. This story can be used by teachers or parents to help open conversations. The words are perfect for emerging and middle grade readers. Kids and adults will love this book. I love the discussion questions and activity guide at the end of the book.  If you are looking for a book with the following themes then this would be a good book to read” – The Blended Blog

Read if you love…

Adventure

Empathy

Courage

Friendship

Generosity

Kindness

 

 

 

 

 Karen Charles grew up in West Africa and traveled to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Her rich background and lifetime experiences are reflected in the depth of her writing. In her stories, she transforms real-life narratives into gripping fiction thrillers. Her novels intricately weave the threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. She is the author of two children’s books, “Freeman Earns a Bike” and “Evan’s Gifts,” and three thrillers based on true stories. “Fateful Connections” takes place in the aftermath of 9/11, and “Blazing Upheaval” takes place during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake. “A Glimpse Too Far” offers all the mystery and heart-pounding suspense of a psychological thriller and is based on a true story.

Karen Charles has two businesses—a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she currently resides with her husband. 

Visit her website at www.weaveofsuspense.com. 

Connect with her on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

📖Authors To Watch: Cheryl Carpinello Author of Grandma's & Grandpa's Tales #authorstowatch #interview #PUYB @ccarpinello

 

Cheryl Carpinello taught high school English for 25 years. During that time, she worked with numerous students who didn’t like to read for a variety of reasons. However, she discovered that even the most reluctant readers became engaged in the classroom and in reading when she introduced units on King Arthur and the works of ancient world writers. Upon retiring, she set out to write fast-paced, action-filled stories in these setting to encourage young readers to read more. Her success with readers aged 8-16 led her to reach out to the youngest of readers and those readers just starting out. Revising stories she had written for her own children, she created Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales for ages 4-7.  Her four grandchildren’s conversations created the stories in Book 3 of this series.

Visit her on Twitter and Facebook.

Grandma and Grandpa’s Tales books 1-3 encourage early readers with fun stories incorporating difference aspects of nature. Book 1, Wild Creatures In My Neighborhood and What if I Went to the Circus, explores the wildlife around neighborhoods and introduces decision-making. Book 2, Singers of Songs and The Not Too Stubborn Humpback, explores a common, but not so common insect, and lets readers see that being stubborn isn’t always good. Book 3, Vampires in the Backyard and A Fish Tale, introduces readers to an extended metaphor and lets them decide if the fish story is real.

Book Information

Release Date: Grandma’s Tales #1 (2016), Grandma’s Tales #2 (2018), Grandma’s Tales #3 (2021), Grandpa’s Tales #1 (2016), Grandpa’s Tales #2 (2018), Grandpa’s Tales #3 (2021)

Publisher:  Silver Quill Publishing

Soft Cover: Grandma’s Tales #1 – 39 pages; $9.99

Grandma’s Tales #2 – 66 pages; $13.99

Grandma’s Tales #3 – 64 pages; $14.99

Grandpa’s Tales #1 – 39 pages; $9.99

Grandpa’s Tales #2 – 66 pages; $13.99

Grandpa’s Tales #3 – 64 pages; $14.99

Amazon Ma 1:  https://amzn.to/3374bEX

Amazon Pa 1:  https://amzn.to/3uHMKpA

Amazon Ma 2:  https://amzn.to/3Jan0X5

Amazon Pa 2: https://amzn.to/34HGt2g

Amazon Ma 3: https://amzn.to/3wELnJj

Amazon Pa 3: https://amzn.to/3GyXTLJ

Welcome back to My Bookish Pleasures, Cheryl! Writing children’s books is a different genre than I’m used to of yours. How did you get into writing children’s books?

Cheryl: Thank you. Writing Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales is really an extension of my MG/Tween/YA stories. As an educator, I’m always exploring ways to get more kids reading. Reaching out to a younger audience made sense. If preschool and kindies become frustrated with learning to read, then chances are that frustration will continue as they grow. And most of the stories in the Grandma/Grandpa series had already been written.

Do you think it’s particularly hard to write children’s books?

Cheryl: I think it’s really hard to write picture books! At a glance, the books look easy because there doesn’t appear to be much to them: no more than 15 words per page and lots of pictures. However, to get those words just right so that the reader is pulled into the story takes a lot of trial and error. And, I scour the internet searching for just the right images to connect with the text and the reader. These two items take several months. By the time my illustrator is finished with the final images, the cover and layout are finished, 11-12 months has gone by. I can get one of my novels done in that time!

What is your special place to write?

Cheryl: My house is like Grand Central Station most days and so writing becomes a challenge. I still write from my couch with a concert DVD playing, but I’ve also found new writing spaces. With my home being the classroom for three students and one teacher during the lockdown, I’m frequented the local library when open. I’ve also discovered that my favorite breakfast restaurant is a good place for me to write. No one talks to me—although people are talking, I can just ignore them—and no phone is ringing for me! In fact, this is where I’m writing this interview! I look forward to heading back down to Mexico this summer where devoid of all distractions—except the sun, sand, and sea—I’m able to get some good progress on my next story.

Can you tell us a little about your illustrator (who incidentally did a fantastic job!)?

Cheryl: I always go to the Fiverr platform which only lists freelancers. Zeeshan Shahid, from Pakistan, did the images for both books 2 & 3. We collaborate on the images, and he always goes that extra mile for me.

When you are not writing, what are you doing?

Cheryl: Our grandkids frequent our house so one of them is always around. I love to read. Currently I’m reading series the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica by James A. Owens which incorporates literary history with Arthurian Legend and mythology. I’m always reading nonfiction books about the ancient worlds, like Amelia B. Edwards’ A Thousand Miles up the Nile. We love to travel and pair our trips with college football games and my research which takes us on international trips.

If you could choose the perfect place to write more children’s books, where would that be?

Cheryl: For the most part, I’ve learned to just sit and write wherever I’m at. My grandkids always check in on what I’m writing. They don’t hesitate to read and comment on the story and the illustrations. That said, my living is my perfect place to write children’s books!

How To Eat Your ABC'S Book Blast

We're happy to host Theresa A. McKeown's HOW TO EAT YOUR ABC'S Book Blast today! Please leave a comment to let her know you stopped by!

Title: HOW TO EAT YOUR ABC’S
Author: Theresa A. McKeown
Publisher: The ABC’s of Everything, LLC
Pages: 30
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

How to Eat your ABC’s” is a cleverly written and illustrated book, which encourages children to get excited about healthy eating, while also developing a genuine love for reading.  Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a fresh fruit or vegetable and is narrated by BuzzBee, (a friendly honeybee who adores children). Written entirely in rhyme with a melodic tone, it is meant to be read aloud.  Not only will it inspire kids to fall in love with fresh healthy food, but it will also build their vocabulary and phonemic awareness.  “How to Eat Your ABC’s” will instill a healthy, happy, conscious way of looking at life from a young age.

We invite children and parents alike to follow BuzzBee and his friends as they show everyone how to eat their way through the alphabet.

Amazon

Book Excerpt:

About the Author

Theresa McKeown spent over two decades in the entertainment arena before embracing her true passion of writing children’s books. After producing hundreds of hours of television for a host of cable and network outlets, Theresa is now on the path of what she considers her highest calling.

Theresa and her sisters have created “The ABC’s of Everything, LLC”, a family endeavor solely focused on publishing several series of children’s books, digital content, and educational curriculums.  All will be written and produced with an awareness of the true possibilities that children of the 21^st century can realize.  

 As an author, Theresa is dedicated to estimating rather than underestimating the wisdom of children. Her philosophy is that kids are fully adept at understanding nuance and meaning and it’s not necessary to talk down to them.  She is dedicated to creating a new paradigm in the children's book world by introducing work that fully embraces the insightfulness, perception and unlimited intellectual potential of today’s youth.

Her books are meant to plant the seeds of education and awareness early in a child’s development, knowing full well that children will ultimately blossom into the best versions of who they are meant to be.

In her role as producer, Theresa traveled worldwide, filming from locations as diverse as the White House, NORAD, the Pentagon, FBI headquarters, maximum-security prisons and from the top of the World Trade Center.  Along the way she "tail-hooked" onto an aircraft carrier in the Pacific, yachted through South America with jet setters and chased bad guys with the LAPD in a helicopter.

Yet, with a background like this, building a community to celebrate children promises to be the most exciting adventure of all

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