Three (3) Engaging Book Series for Young Readers

People make distinctions between Gen Z kids, Gen X kids, etc. Kids are kids. No matter what generation, all kids should be encouraged to read. Here are 3 book series young readers might enjoy. AGREE?

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The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence 

The goal of the author was to teach students about life in ancient Rome. She accomplished her goal by incorporating mysteries, set during the period of the Roman Empire, that four intelligent, adventurous, and curious kids solved on their own. 

Meet the kids:

• Flavia Gemina, the daughter of a wealthy sea captain;
• Nubia, an African girl who was a princess before being captured by slave traders;
• Jonathan ben Mordecai, a Jewish/Christian boy; 
• Lupus: a mute beggar boy.

This book series won awards, was adapted for television, and many episodes are on YouTube.

Redwall by Brian Jacques (1939–2011) 

There are 22 novels but the TV series was based on only 3 of those novels: “Redwall”, “Mattimeo”, and “Martin the Warrior”. The anthropomorphic animal characters are peaceful creatures who inhabit Redwall Abbey and the Mossflower Wood countryside, must rise to the call and become warriors to defend themselves. As expected in troubling times, a hero emerges known as Martin the Warrior. This book series was adapted as an animated series. Many episodes are on YouTube.

Chronicles of the Stone Series by Fiona Ingram 

These tales written for children were inspired by the author’s own family trip to Egypt. In ancient Egypt, a scarab was a gem cut in the form of a scarab beetle, often engraved with hieroglyphs on the flat underside. They were mainly used as amulets and impression seals. This series is a trilogy and in Book 1 readers are introduced to Adam and Justin Sinclair, a 5000-year-old mystery. The 2 young boys are searching for the 7 ancient Stones of Power.

Favorite Childhood Movie: National Velvet (1945)

If parents want to choose a vintage movie to watch with their kids, especially young girls, pick "National Velvet" (1945), which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney.

One of my favorite films as a kid was “National Velvet” which starred a 12-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, alongside Mickey Rooney. This child had a horse she believed could win a race if only she could ride him to victory. She entered the race and her horse won. But they disqualified her as the champion. Why? Because she was a girl and girls were not allowed to compete. Her spirit was not broken. She beamed with pride and joy. She was so proud of her horse because she proved that he could win the race and that they could be "the best that they could be". I loved that movie!!

For those who enjoy watching the movie and reading the book, National Velevet was adapted from a book by the same name, written by Enid Bagnold.

In my humble opinion this movie is a timeless classic that children of every generation would enjoy; especially young girls.

Useful Parenting Tips From Dr. Seuss' Books

Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904–1991), aka Dr. Seuss, understood how children need to be carefully taught about the world and motivated to be the best that they can be. Are you are raising or influencing the minds of young children? Below is a friend link to my article published via Medium.com.  These 5 Seuss quotes are very helpful.

5 Insightful and Positive Dr. Seuss Quotes That Are Useful Parenting Tips

‘The Secret Garden’ Review: It’s as Lovely as You Remember | NYT (Reblog)

Are you in the mood to watch a delightful family movie?  

This is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett that has been adapted to film several times and I have watched various versions at one time or another, from my childhood to my adulthood. I know the main character in the story is the little girl but I am inclined to recommend you watch the film adaptation which stars Colin Firth because I am a huge fan.  Any movie with him is worth watching.  Here is the link to a wonderful movie review published via the New York Times (NYT).  "This version, featuring Colin Firth as the haunted uncle, hits the same notes as the 1911 novel and previous films, and that’s fine for this uncertain moment."

‘The Secret Garden’ Review: It’s as Lovely as You Remember

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Related or Similar Links:

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Books for Children: The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence

Think you might like reading a historical mystery book series set in ancient Rome?  (Written for young readers but nobody has to know you’re an adult. One of my guilty pleasures is reading children's books.)  Here is a recommendation. This series has won awards. It’s called The Roman Mysteries and was written by Caroline Lawrence. Her goal for undertaking this task was to entertain children while reading and educate them about this ancient civilization. She succeeded. In fact, her books received praise from teachers and parents, as well as awards and recognition. This is not the only mystery series she has written but since it deals with life in ancient Rome which is one of my favorite topics, it is being suggested for mystery lovers who also have an interest in the Roman Empire.

Set in 1^st century A.D., Book 1 of the series is titled “The Thieves of Ostia”. The last of the series, Book 17 is “Man from Pomegranate Street”. The reading material targets ages 10 through 14 and the novels are available in various formats: hard copy, audio, digital, etc.
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The books were adapted to film and you can watch the episode on YouTube.  Below is the complete Roman Mysteries book series:

The Thieves of Ostia (1)

The Secrets Of Vesuvius (2)

The Pirates Of Pompeii (3)

The Assassins Of Rome (4)

The Dolphins Of Laurentum (5)

The Twelve Tasks Of Flavia Gemina (6)

The Enemies Of Jupiter (7)

The Gladiators From Capua (8)

The Colossus Of Rhodes (9)

The Fugitive From Corinth (10)

The Sirens Of Surrentum (11)

The Charioteer Of Delphi (12)

The Slave-Girl From Jerusalem (13)

The Beggar Of Volubilis (14)

The Scribes From Alexandria (15)

The Prophet From Ephesus (16)

The Man From Pomegranate Street (17)

The Slave-Girl From Jerusalem

This exciting adventure recreates the siege at Masada.

Caroline Lawrence has also written other historical mysteries. View Her Author's Page.

Source:  Webnuggetz.com

Books for Children: The Chronicles of the Stone by Fiona Ingram

In ancient Egypt, a scarab was a gem cut in the form of a scarab beetle, often engraved with hieroglyphs on the flat underside. Their popular use was as amulets and impression seals. In “The Chronicles of the Stone: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab” (Book 1), author Fiona Ingram brings to life a 5000-year-old mystery and introduces us to Adam and Justin Sinclair. 

These tales written for children were inspired by the author's own family trip to Egypt. If you enjoyed reading Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence, you'll probably like this series as well.  Like Ms. Lawrence, Ms. Ingram's books have also won awards.

Visit the author's Amazon page for her books and blog.

Four (4) Authors of Books Recommended for Juvenile and Young Adults

At one time I wanted to write children's books. But that aspiration was never achieved. In the process of trying to learn how to write books for children, I developed a guilty pleasure. I started reading books for children. There are four (4) authors who writes books for juvenile and young adults. There is no reason why old adults can't enjoy reading their books too.

Madeleine L'Engle ( 1918-2007)

The late Madeleine L'Engle (born in New York City) established herself as a young adult writer. Her last book, The Joys of Love, was published in 2008, posthumously. But I will always remember her for her book A Wrinkle in Time, published 1962. Like Ms. Paterson's book, Ms. L'Engle's book was also turned into a movie . Per Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac: "On March 12, 1963, the New York Times wrote 'A housewife and an artist today won the nation's top awards for the most distinguished children's book published in 1962.' This statement doesn't even hint at the truth-that the most courageous committee in the history of the Newbery and Caldecott Awards had just announced its results. [...]" There is only one thing that puzzled me about this book. Why wasn't this book listed as "required reading" in my school curriculum? That was then. Perhaps it's different now, as my teenage daughter has Ms. L'Engle's book on her desk, along with other books that were required reading during my school days. Books like: Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird; George Orwell's, Animal Farm; Charles Dickens', Great Expectations, and Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter. Madeleine L'Engle's, A Wrinkle in Time has earned a place among them.

Katherine Paterson (1932 -)

Katherine Paterson (born in Huai'an, China) is another writer of books for young readers who may now be well known because of the movie Bridge to Terabithia , which was based on her book by the same name. I know Ms. Paterson because of her book "Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom", a tale about a secret God-worshipping group and the Taiping Rebellion,set in 1851 in China. Ms. Paterson was born in 1932 in China to missionary parents and was a teacher and a missionary in Japan. No doubt this background was integral to the writing of this piece of historical fiction. Oprah recommends her!

Laurence Yep (1948 -)

Laurence Yep (born in San Francisco, California) holds the reputation as the premier Chinese-American writer. He is best known for his book Dragonwings . Dragonwings is the first in a series of nine books collectively called the Golden Mountain Chronicles . It is a fictional work that combines the historical event of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the experience of Chinese immigrants in California and a flying machine. I'm sure that unique mix sounds intriguing and you want to know more.

JaneYolen (1939 - )

I stumbled upon Jane Yolen (born in New York City), in the juvenile section of the library, when I was trying to get ideas for subjects to write about. To date, Ms. Yolen has authored 300 children's and fantasy/sci-fi books. In addition, she has written thousands of poems and short stories. Ms. Yolen has been called, "the Hans Christian Andersen of America" by Newsweek; and the "modern equivalent of Aesop" by The New York Times. It is very difficult to pick a favorite from her writings, because every time I read one of her works, it easily makes it to the list of "Favorites". I love reading Ms. Yolen's fantasy writing. According to Fantastic Fiction Limited, a UK based website, which provides bibliographies for over 30,000 authors of fiction, "Jane Yolen is one of the acknowledged masters of fantasy today."

Books written for young adults are often a very quick read (less than 300 pages). You should try it. Select any of the books by the authors profiled above. If you would like more suggestions, check Al's Book Club for Kids or the Kids' Reading List published by Oprah Winfrey. Or, if you have an opportunity to go to your local public library, consult the librarian for advice. Go ahead and indulge your inner child.

“A book, too, can be a star, “explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,” a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.”

~ Madeleine L'Engle, "A Wrinkle in Time"

“Houses don’t mean much. It’s the people inside them that are important, ...”

~ Laurence Yep, "Dragonwings"

“Under Heaven all men are brothers....”

~ Katherine Paterson, "Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom"

“The thing I want to know is, if you tell your brain not to do stuff... and it keeps doing it anyway, does that mean your mind has a mind of its own? And if it does, then who's in charge here, anyway?”

― Jane Yolen & Bruce Coville, "Armageddon Summer"

♦ ♦ ♦ REFERENCES:

Paterson, Katherine. Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1983. Print.

L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1962. Print.

"Jane Yolen." Fantastic Fiction. Web. 27 Apr 2011.

"Al's Book Club for Kids.", TODAY.com: Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, TODAY Show Video, News, Recipes, Health, Pets. Web. 27 Apr 2011.

"Kids' Reading List - Oprah.com." Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Web. 27 Apr 2011.

"Author Katherine Paterson After Bridge to Terabithia - Oprah.com."Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Web. 27 Apr. 2011.

"FIND A BOOK: L'ENGLE, MADELEINE." Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac. Web. 27 Apr 2011.

Books: Joseph Jacobs – Father of Fairy Tales

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

This quote is often attributed to Albert Einstein.  But do you know who they call the Father of Fairy Tales?

Fairy tales or stories about fairies are probably in every culture but with regard to fairies in British folklore, many would be happy to thank Joseph Jacobs. In England, he is called the “Father of FairyTales”.

Have you always been fascinated by legends, myths, and folklore – giants, ogres, and fairies (faeries)? Especially, fairy tales? To me, they reflect the wonder of a human’s uninhibited imagination. There is no reason to restrict the flow of creativity. Why not let your mind wander and explore “worlds” that you would probably never get to visit otherwise?

“Fay” is the archaic English word for faeries (fairies), and it means“enchanted” or “bewitched”. Fairies are very popular imaginary creatures, particularly in British folklore. Interesting that just like they were supposedly good witches and bad witches, apparently some fairies or faeries were thought to be mischievous and malicious, while others possessed more noble characteristics and helped the human race.

In England, Joseph Jacobs (1854-1916), is considered the “father of fairy tales”. He is credited with collecting them and then presenting versions of these stories in a form suitable for reading to young children. His diligent preservation efforts helped transform these traditional tales into timeless children’s classics.

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● Where To Find Fascinating Facts About Fairy Tales

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Book Lovers ~ An Assortment of Books to Add to Your Reading List

Once stayed in a temporary residence when my family was being relocated from one state to another.  We stayed in this house for a few months until we found our permanent home.  What a memory! 

This house was right out a dream home magazine.  My favorite room in this house was the office/library.  Public libraries have always been one of my favorite places.  But I had never lived in a house that was big enough to have my own personal library where I could retreat to and shut off the rest of the world.  

If you had your personal library, what kinds of books would be on your bookshelves?  Here are some of the books you might find in my library.


♦ Picture Books for Children (or for grown-ups who never grow up)

• "The Eagles Are Back" : Jean Craighead George tells the story of how the American bald eagle was saved from extinction.
• "Annie and the Old One" : Written by Miska Miles.  It is an introduction to the customs and traditions of  the Navajo people and touches upon a very sensitive subject for children: explaining the death of a loved one.
• "The Emperor and the Kite":  Jane Yolen tells the tale of a young child who saved a kingdom all because she knew how to fly a kite.  So the next time someone says to you "Go fly a kite!", just imagine yourself on a secret mission saving an empire.

♦ Hot and exciting reads. Suspense Thrillers or Romance.

• FC Etier Writes Political Thrillers : "The Tourist Killer" was FC Etier's first novel; followed up by "The Presidents Club". Two novels written for those who enjoy a web of conspiracy and intrigue with lots of political overtones.
• Two Thrillers and One Romance : Just the titles of these books should tempt you. "Power Of Persuasion"; "Trusting Evil"; and "All the Beautiful Sinners".  Which one do you think is the romance?  :)
• Irresistible Historical Romance Novels : “A Rose in Winter” and “Shanna”  ~ Both books authored by the late Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, the lady who pioneered the historical romance genre and should be credited with it being one of the most popular book genres, based on book sales in the USA.

♦ History or Mystery.

• Dickens Junction Mystery Series : Love Charles Dickens and murder mysteries? Perfect!
• The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence : History and mystery set in the ancient Roman empire, written to encourage children to learn history but adults will equally be fascinated.
• Book Selections From the Vintage Series : Choose from reading about the American Civil War to life in 1930s Bombay.

♦ Science Fiction or Fantasy.

• Books by Kev Heritage, S. M. Reine and other popular authors in the sci-fi genre
• Gifts for the Tolkien Enthusiast - Can't say the word fantasy and not mention Tolkien.

♦ Inspiring Biographies.

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Now that you've picked your book (or books), 

settle down for some good reading!  :)

Also published at partner blog.

Books: Children's Books: Korean Folktales

Reading to children is a wonderful activity for both the child and the reader.  They are saying that coloring books are proving to be an excellent therapeutic activity for senior citizens.  I'm not really into coloring because I spend so much time online blogging,  They should also say that reading books for children is great therapy for adults as well.  This I know for a fact!  Children's books are usually very quick reads and provide me with a delightful escape.  They have tremendous therapeutic value.  

A specific genre that I enjoy reading is folktales from different countries.  I discovered folktales because when I first decided to work from home, one of the work-at-home ideas suggested was translating folktales.  I did not pursue this endeavor but I did find that our local public library had a treasure trove of folktales in the children's literature section.  I could suggest several; however, for this blog post, I'll only suggest one. Tales of a Korean Grandmother: 32 Traditional Tales from Korea

There is a description on Amazon that described this book better than any words I could come up with.

"This multicultural children's book presents classic Korean fairy tales and other folk stories—providing a delightful look into a rich literary culture."  

Tales of a Korean Grandmother: 32 Traditional Tales from Korea

Enough said. Need a diversion from the arduous grind of your daily work? Read a children's book. Pick a folktale.  Do you have a favorite folktale?

10 Children's Books Everyone Should Read

Meet Shaloo Walia, vlogger and book enthusiast. I am subscribed to her channel and you should be too. She shares her reviews and recommendations for books to add to your reading list.  I personally enjoy her videos about children's books, but she shares suggestions for a wide range of books, for children and adults.

Here are her 10 Children's Books EVERYONE Should Read

Check to see if Shaloo's suggestions are audio books available at Audible, an Amazon Company:  Books for Children

Three (3) Vintage Classic Movies That Created Wonderful Childhood Memories

I was born in the 1950s. That means that I am from the first generation that got to experience television in the home. What a marvelous invention! I know my late mother never intended for the TV set to become her babysitter but my sister, my brothers and I spent hours in front of the television. There were so many wonderful programs to watch that educated and entertained us. I especially loved to watch movies with my big sister. The movies back in my day were memorable and made a lasting impression on my young developing mind. Below are three (3) films from my childhood that created indelible memories.

Heidi (1937) ~ This is a classic children's story written by Swiss author, Johanna Louise Spyri, adapted to film. Famous child star Shirley Temple played Heidi, the little orphan girl who was taken to live with her grandfather. After she and her grandfather had bonded and become close, she is tricked into leaving “the grandfather” and sold to be a servant in a wealthy man's household. If I tell you more and you have not seen the movie, that would spoil everything. So I'll stop right here.

The Wizard of Oz (1939) ~ I loved this movie!! It was a musical but everything about it was magical. The Yellow Brick Road, the Wizard, the Munchkins, the Wicked Witch, Glenda the Good Witch, the ruby red shoes that Dorothy wore, and that song she said that melted everybody's heart: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Judy Garland was cast as Dorothy. Yes, it was also based on a book. L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy novel titled “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”.

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National Velvet (1944) ~ This is a film about a horse race. Not just any race. England's Grand National Sweepstakes horse race. There is a young girl who has a dream that she can win. It is based on a story by Enid Bagnold. Famous child star Elizabeth Taylor played the role of Velvet Brown. Did she win the race? You'll have to watch the movie.

Do you have any favorite childhood movies?

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