CONGRATULATIONS to Cindy Flores, commentor #28! You’re the winner! Thanks to all who participated and be sure to return in July for our next round of giveaways!

Here’s a great giveaway for the teen/self-help book, Picture Perfect: What You Need to Feel Better About Your Body.

Psychotherapist Jill Zimmerman Rutledge uses her experience working with adolescent girls to help readers discover ways to establish realistic expectations about appearance. She offers case studies and real-life conversations to illustrate the ways girls can create positive messages and special statements to recognize and celebrate their special gifts.

For example, in Chapter Two, Should I Eat This? When Worries about Food and Weight Kidnap Your Life, teenage client, Brandi, felt bad about her body because she was larger and more athletic than most of her friends. Her Special Statement, “I’m Strong, Not Fat,” helps her interrupt the cycle of feeling too big so that she can relax and enjoy her life.

In the book, Brandi says:

I asked my best friend if she thought I was fat. She said, “No, you’re strong, but your not fat. You’re the best athlete I know.” So that became my Special Statement: I’m Strong, Not Fat. I say that to myself a lot…Thinking so much about my weight made me sad and worried all the time. I was scared to have pizza or french fries or anything with fat in it. Now I try to concentrate on having a good time. When I eat with my friends, I try to remind myself that I’m being normal. I think it helps me feel better about myself.

If you have a preteen or teenage daughter who has ever voiced thoughts about negative body image, this may be the perfect book for her.

This book is a straight-forward, useful and fun read and might be the key to unlocking a strong sense of self in a girl you know!

To be considered for the contest, please leave a comment describing what interests you about the book. You can participate even if you don’t have a blog. Just make sure you leave a working email when you leave your comment. I’ll choose the winner at random after 5 p.m. CST on Friday, June 20. US addresses only. Thanks for stopping by!

We host regular giveaways for parents and educators. Please consider signing up for updates by email or feed. We will never spam you or give out your address.

Thank you all for your excellent comments. It’s so great to know that people want to read fun books about history. We have a winner!

Congratulations Morning Rose, comment #1! Please email your address!

****DARLA — FIFTH-GRADE GUEST BLOGGER****

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review this book, and even more excited that Darla was so engrossed in this story of a twelve-year-old’s heroic actions during the American Revolution. I’m a history nut, so it’s especially satisfying for me to witness my kids show glimmers of interest in history. I thought it was only fitting that she write the review, especially because of our travel to Boston last summer, so what follows is her reaction. Please find giveaway instructions at the end of her review.

The book Spitfire, by Kate Messner was great. It feels as if you were pulled into the past, watching Abigail’s amazing adventure, posing as a boy named Adam. You wonder if there will be any more battles aboard, wondering if they are going to be attacked by pirates or the British, or which ship she will board next.

It feels as if you were actually on the ship being Abigail or Pascal by the ways Kate Messner used the words, telling exactly what was happening, like looking through their eyes, and using their hands. It was amazing some of the things they did back then, like surgery was cutting of their arm and dipping it in hot tar to stop the blood. Abigail and Pascal usually make the choices you would make, so it’s like a second life as Abigail or Pascal, trying to keep secrets, is helpful, and make a living at the same time.

It feels as if it actually happened, not ending as “They grew up, got married, and lived happily ever after.” It has the kind of twist that you love, that is so “wow” that you never know what is going to happen next, always wondering, always wanting to pick the book back up again and just skip homework for a night. The chapters switched from Abigail to Pascal every other one, so it can be confusing at time, but that just makes it more interesting.

I highly suggest this book to people who like reading nonfiction, or who like unusual twists and saying “oh my gosh” often in a book. I would rate this book 4 ½ stars. It is very good and I definitely recommend it.

To be considered for the contest, please leave a comment describing what interests you about the book. You may also like to learn more about the author — Kate Messner — she has a new book due for release in September. You can participate even if you don’t have a blog. Just make sure you leave a working email when you leave your comment. I’ll choose the winner at random after 5 p.m. CST on Friday, June 13. US addresses only. Thanks for stopping by!

Please visit our other current book giveaway here.

We host regular giveaways for parents and educators. Please consider signing up for updates by email or feed. We will never spam you or give out your address.

UPDATE: Great news! GuestBook Store has offered a great discount to readers here - 10% off any GuestBook purchase! Just enter the code “THANKS” at checkout. Also, many of you mentioned that your favorite covers were sold out - and I’m informed that they’ll be back in stock in one week. Go check it out! Thanks!

Congratulations to the following winners during our big week of bloggy giveaways! Thanks so much to the hundreds of you who participated here at Pass the Torch, as well as the businesses who donated their excellent products!

Hidden Treasure of Assets Boardgame - Stacy, comment #33 and Jenny Up-the-Hill, #24

Announcements Galore $30 gift certificate - Playful Professional, comment #15

GuestBook Store $75 gift certificate - Suzie, comment #69

Winners have 48 hours to claim their prizes. Thank you!

I host regular giveaways for parents and educators. Please consider signing up for updates by email or feed. I will never spam you or give out your address.

UPDATE: Great news! GuestBook Store has offered a great discount to readers here - 10% off any GuestBook purchase! Just enter the code “THANKS” at checkout. Also, many of you mentioned that your favorite covers were sold out - and I’m informed that they’ll be back in stock in one week. Go check it out! Thanks!

This giveaway is now closed.

Thanks so much to the hundreds of you who participated in the giveaways this week here at Pass the Torch, as well as the businesses who donated their excellent products!

Congratulations to the GuestbookStore Winner - Suzie, comment #69

I’m so pleased to offer you all this excellent giveaway! GuestBook Store is your one-stop shop for fun and unique testimonial style guestbooks. Their headline is the wedding guestbook, which has been celebrated at more than 10,000 weddings to date. But they also offer these testimonial-style guestbooks for wedding showers, baby showers, birthdays, graduations, and other family occasions.

Rather than the traditional “book of autographs” these guestbooks capture guests’ memories and heartfelt wishes. Each guest receives his or her own page to share special messages. After the event, you simply place the completed pages in one of the guestbook album designs and enjoy!

I’ve been giving GuestBook Store guestbooks as wedding and shower gifts for years. I first saw them when my sister- and brother-in-law got married (GuestBook Store is their company.) We all had so much fun completing the pages — it was a hit. The little blonde curls on the right are Darla’s.

Here’s a customer testimonial from the site: “This book is one of the most awesome and unique ideas I’ve seen. It was so much fun reading the pages when we got home from our honeymoon. My husband and I were cracking up at what people wrote as well as touched by their words of wisdom for us. I am so glad we did this, it is a hundred times better than a book where people just sign their names. Thank you so much!”

This giveaway is for a $75 gift certificate to GuestBookStore.com. This is more than enough for any guestbook offered on the site. To enter the contest, please visit the GuestBook Store website, and then come back here to leave a comment telling us the album cover design you’d like the best. You can participate even if you don’t have a blog. Just make sure you leave a working email when you leave your comment. I’ll choose the winner at random after 9 p.m. CST on Friday, April 25. Thanks for participating!

I host regular giveaways for parents and educators. Please consider signing up for updates by email or feed. I will never spam you or give out your address.

Please check out our other current giveaways here and here.

For more awesome giveaways, be sure to check out Bloggy Giveaways!

This giveaway is now closed.

Thanks so much to the hundreds of you who participated in the giveaways this week here at Pass the Torch, as well as the businesses who donated their excellent products!

Congratulations to the Announcements Galore winner — Playful Professional, comment #15

Announcements Galore features a wide variety of photo cards, collages and magnets for any occasion!

They offer birth announcements, graduation invitations, birthday and baptisms invitations, wedding announcements and save-the-date cards, as well as photo collages, magnets and a u-print option.

They describe their photo cards as, “high quality, real, 4×6 matte finish photographs.” And their designs are completely customizable. All fonts, colors, photo placement, and wording can be changed to fit the needs of the customer. If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for, Announcements Galore can custom design a product for you at no extra charge.

The photo cards and magnets come with free, white, square flap envelopes for mailing, and they offer quantity discounts on both our collages and magnets.

This giveaway is for a $30 gift certificate for Announcements Galore. To enter the contest, please visit the Announcements Galore website, and then come back here to leave a comment telling us specifically the type of announcements you hope to win. You can participate even if you don’t have a blog. Just make sure you leave a working email when you leave your comment. I’ll choose the winner at random after 9 p.m. CST on Friday, April 25. Thanks for participating!

I host regular giveaways for parents and educators. Please consider signing up for updates by email or feed. I will never spam you or give out your address.

Please check out our other current giveaways here and here.

For more awesome giveaways, be sure to check out Bloggy Giveaways!