How Libraries Will Fight Hunger in America This Summer

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Scepter by Scott L. Collins, A Book Review by Colleen M. Bratley #YA #Gift

An adventure sprinkled with fantasy and fun every child, teen and young adult will love. What am I saying, I am an older adult and I really liked it.

Available at Amazon: Scepter by Scott L. Collins

Getting near the end I wondered how Scott was going to end it so quickly, unless of course it had a sequel. Yup, that is what's going to happen because the next adventure must commence especially since this one wasn't really a finale. It certainly reached a summit, but there is a realization when reading the story that a whole lot of things can happen in the end, and of course while getting there.

Creating a story of characters that are already friends is one thing, but bringing in strangers to become friends and weaving their lives together can be a task. Scott does that with a charm and detail that brings them to life. You enjoy meeting them, and really enjoy joining them on their journey. You wonder, revel and sympathize with their situations, thoughts and emotions. Turning the pages to find out what happens next is the only thing you can do. Unless of course it becomes a movie, then you can watch that too, which is really what you see in your mind as you read this book. Honestly traveling with these characters was fun and exciting.

This book is one of the reasons I really love to read fantasy. You can create anything you want and the readers will gobble it up asking for more. The story can weave, dodge or jump with something new, and well written stories keep you seated easily adapting to the change. The story marches forward and you are steadily beating the drum stomping forth for more.

One of the things I hate with some books is beginnings that drone on trying to set the stage for the storyline or characters. This book's beginning set the stage if you will, but you really didn't realize it until further into the story. Then you had your ah ha moment that tied it up with a bow. And then realizing what was going to have to happen still didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the story. That's due to not only the story, but how it was written. The moving forward never stopped or slowed down; it just flowed like a river over an obstacle course as you thought about what pool it would settle in.

Scott created a story of two brothers and then two sisters and then two more brothers who become not just friends but comrades, allies and fighters for not only themselves and their families, but strangers and creatures alike. Their special gifts allow them the abilities needed to help and succeed whether others felt no hope. Their greatest gift to others was not the fighting they did, but the hope and love they offered.

Get this book for your children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and strangers. They will love the characters and truly enjoy the tale.

About the Author

Scott Collins was born and raised in Southern California but relocated to the Denver area following the birth of the first of his two sons. Days' End was his debut novel and Scepter is the first in a middle grade fantasy series. In addition to writing, he enjoys spending his free time (with two kids that's not much time) running and cycling. Please feel free to visit his website at www.scottlcollins.com.

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I am the author of children's and young adult books. Reading and writing fiction is more fun than anything else. Reading other author's fiction is enlightening and enriching. You can learn more about me and find my books at http://www.bhbooks.co/. Buy Scepter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Scepter-by-Scott-L.-Collins,-A-Book-Review&id=8099956 Scepter by Scott L. Collins, A Book Review

Who Better to Review Kids' Books Than Another Kid #KidLit #ChildrensBooks

There are tons of blogs around about children’s books, but so far most of them have been written by adults. But now junior bookworms are having their say as children start to blog about the books they love reading.

TOP 10 CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW BLOGS WRITTEN BY KIDS

We think it’s really cool when children blog about the books they read. Blogs like this are a great way to tell the world about a book you’ve enjoyed, or to get ideas for books you might like to read, or just to find other bookworms like you.

And if you’re an adult wanting to find ideas for books for your child to read, book blogs written by children are a great place to look. Not so much from the horse’s mouth as from the bookworm’s eyes.

Here are some of our favourite book review blogs written by children and teens:

SecondHand Spooks by De-ann Black #KidsLit #Kindle Reading Level 9-12 Years

12-Year Old Murphy & his mother have just moved to a new town for a fresh start after his father vanished while at the carnival aboard the Ghost Train attraction.

Now they live in Twilight Street across from the Second Hand Spooks shop where Murphy and his new friend Evie get acquainted with characters like Raggety Wraith and Un-Dead Fred the cat.

About the Author:
De-ann Black is a bestselling author and illustrator, with over 40 books published, scriptwriter and former newspaper journalist.
She splits her time between Scotland, Dublin and London.
Her latest children’s and young adult books include: FAERIEFIED, POISON-WYND, and SECONDHAND SPOOKS - DECEMBER 32ND.

Secondhand Spooks - December 32nd (Children's fiction) Here just in time for Halloween!

Great British Authors of Children's Books By Carolyn Clayton

There are not many authors who can write compelling stories that both adults and children can both love. John Boyne, who wrote 'The Boy in Striped Pyjamas' is one such author. He says himself that it's not a matter of writing books for children that adults will like; it is all about good story telling. John Boyne did a degree in literature at Trinity College in Dublin after which he took and year out and then went on the Malcolm Bradbury's creative writing course at the University of East Anglia. Here he won the Curtis Brown award and never looked back.

Another great children's and adult author is Roald Dahl who was born in Cardiff in 1916. He didn't get much praise for his writing and was even told by his English teach he would never succeed in writing. This put him off going to university. After a stint in the Royal Air Force he rose to fame in the 1940's and went on to become one of the world's bestselling authors. In 2008 the Times places Dahl sixteenth in its lit of 'The 50 great British Writers since 1945'. His books are known for their un-expecting and surprising endings, often using very dark humor. He worked at Cadbury the chocolate company which is where he got his inspiration for writing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which he wrote in 1964 and made in a film 1971 but renamed Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. Apparently he dreamed of inventing a new chocolate which would impress Mr Cadbury himself. Instead he used his imagination to create the famous chocolatier and factory. Matilida was his most successful book which sold over half a million copies in 6 months, capturing hearts of many children and adults alike. Like most of his bestselling books Matilda was made into an award winning film.

JK Rowling is probably the most recent author of childrens and adults books who is on everyone's radar thanks to the great success of the Harry Potter Series. She has won numerous awards including an OBE in 2001, in 2010 was voted the most influential women in the UK by leading magazine editors. According to the Sunday Times Rich List J K Rowling is now worth an estimated �530million. Joanne Rowling which is her real name is also just as famous for her 'rags to riches' life story. She went from living on benefits as a single mum to become a multi millionaire within 5 years.

The Harry Potter books are a great example of stories that appeal to people of all ages. From the research I did for this article I found out some useful tips on writing great children's and adult stories. For a start you shouldn't write for a specific age group, just write your book and let its market find it. Build a believable world and write about universal themes. J K Rowling does this cleverly in the Harry Potter series. She manages to incorporate the classic causes of bullying, racism, snobbery and jealousy into her magical world of Hogwarts. This gives readers a chance to identify the characters regardless of the actual setting.

For more information on going on a [http://britmovietours.com/bookings/harry-potter-walk/]Harry Potter Walk or the popular [http://britmovietours.com/bookings/harry-potter-london-tour]Harry Potter London Tour why not check out Brit Movie Tours who are a London based tour company offering many other London film Locations tours.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Great-British-Authors-of-Childrens-Books&id=6570710] Great British Authors of Children's Books