***GUEST POST BY 4TH GRADE CRAIG***

In September, when Darla reviewed the excellent book, The Secret of Wellington’s Map, the PR folks for Planet of the Dogs contacted us and asked if Craig would be interested in reviewing it, since he’s the perfect age for the series. This is Craig’s first book review. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoyed the fact he finally got his nose in a book.

Planet of the Dogs, by Robert McCarty is a great book. This book is about two people from planet Earth helping the dogs on Planet of the Dogs to harvest their food. Then the dogs on Planet of the Dogs decide to help make peace on planet Earth when the Stone City warriors attacked Green Meadow on Earth.

My favorite character was a man named BIK (pronounced B-I-K.) I liked him because he was very active and caring for his friends and family.

My favorite part was at the end when they were in the woods and then the dogs started barking and then troops started chopping down trees and BIK told BIC — another captain — that he was in charge. Then BIK ran out to his children and he saw a crash site over a hill into water. BIK knew they could not swim, so he jumped down and saw two vicious dogs. He thought they killed Nikki and Nik, then he took a sword out of his picket and heard a deep voice say they did not kill your children they saved your children. He turned around and saw troops armed and then he booked across the river.

His children were there and they said, “We will give them back if you declare peace.” BIK reached in his pocket and took out a horn and blew it and then he said, “I declare peace.”

People my age who dogs would love this book. I recommend it!

What does passing the torch mean to you? Is it teaching? Passing traditions? Or good news about youth? Join us each week for Pass the Torch Tuesday.Former PTT posts.

My sixth-grade daughter is periodically asked by PR professionals to review books for children and teens. I can personally attest to the fact her nose was glued to this one! I hope you enjoy Darla’s review.

The Secret of Wellington’s Map is an outstanding book, one of my new favorites actually.

If you were looking at your friend, covered in red splotches, struggling to breathe surrounded by furry animals with wide dog-like noses and long tails, what would you do?

The Secret of Wellington’s Map is an exciting mystery of two teenage girls named Jamie and Nicole who find a magical map. With one touch, they can walk into any time, anywhere, as long as they have a picture in their minds.

When their friend Charlie — an antique-pawn shop owner — is kidnapped, they leave on a mission to find their lost friend. They end up enjoying an amazing journey testing their friendship, revealing family secrets of the past, and having an experience like no other.

I love the mystery in the story, with the magical map. It really makes you think as you read it. The “time-keeper” part was confusing at the beginning, as were the strange names, but when as you go deeper into the story, it all comes together.

You want to be Jamie, bouncing around time in places you can only imagine in this book. It is exhilarating when she discovers the map, and scary every time Nicole almost dies. You have to guess friends and enemies, so almost every one in the book is what I would call a “frienemy,” including the cat.

With so many amazing things going on in the story, in my everyday real life, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that was happening to these two (almost) normal teenage girls. I asked myself, if I were Jamie, would I have enough courage and curiosity to keep jumping through an old piece of paper to another time, and not be sure if I would still be able to get out?

If you’re like me, when your parents physically take away the book so I will talk to them, you’ll still be sitting there (or hiding from your book-stealing parents,) wondering what will happen next, and wondering what you would feel and do if you were Jamie.

This is an awesome story that I would definitely recommend if you want some adventure. Mollie Kehl Penrod was very successful at writing a great book.

Other torch-passers:
A Man Named Ted

What does passing the torch mean to you? Is it teaching? Passing traditions? Doing the right thing? Or good news about youth?

Join us each week for Pass the Torch Tuesday.

Former PTT posts.

(CLICK ON THE PHOTO)

In less than a month, my book will become available, and my publisher has launched the book’s landing page. Want to see what it looks like? Just click the image above and it will take you there.

Becoming an Author series:
Part One — Winter 2006
Part Two — Spring 2006
Part Three — Summer 2006

For more Wordless Wednesday, please visit here or here.

Sorry - this giveaway is now closed.

Thank you all for participating and congratulations to the winning comments:

number 2 - Julie
number 58 - Mama Zen
Thanks to Random.org for its integer generator.

(Check out our Parenting Preteens giveaway too.)

I purchased the book, Parenting Preschoolers with a Purpose, when I went back to work last fall as a school counselor. I thought it would give me good insight for tips to share with the parents of the four-year-olds in my classrooms. After reading it, I only wished I had it as a resource when my kids were that age.

I think this comment on the back cover is right on:

Parenting Preschoolers with a Purpose will steer you from the turbulent threes through the finicky fives with warmth, imagination, and common sense.

With an easy, conversational style, author Jolene Roehlkepartain connects with parents, and encourages them to take care of themselves, in order to do the best job of caring for their kids. With common-sense, she offers clear, do-able strategies to address preschool child issues (like discipline, naps or dealing with hitting.) Each chapter spotlights at least one Developmental Asset that is promoted by the strategy. And I especially like the “Bonus Ideas” that are peppered throughout the book - fun or informational suggestions to help parents find joy with their kids.

Search Institute Press will give away a copy of this book to TWO readers. To be eligible for the giveaway, please visit Search Institute and come back here to tell us another title that looks interesting as well. (Scroll to the very bottom of this post to find the comment form.) I’ll randomly choose the winners on April 11.

I host regular giveaways for parents and educators - two more big giveaways are planned for April. Please consider signing up for updates by email. I will never spam you or give out your address.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JENNY, COMMENT NUMBER 48! YOU’RE THE WINNER - PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS AND DEBORAH WILL SHIP YOU THE BOOK! Thanks to all who participated - this was lots of fun.

Shannon at Bloggy Giveaways is hosting a giveaway link-fest, and author Deborah Reber is generously offering to give one of my lucky readers her new book, In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe their Amazing Careers.

Deborah had asked me to review In Their Shoes and I have have truly enjoyed it, reading much of it over the shoulder of my 11-year-old daughter.

In Their Shoes is a fun, easy-to-read resource book for girls starting to explore career options. Deborah interviewed 50 women in various careers — from senator Barbara Boxer to a forensic scientist to educational psychologist Alice Wilder (Think It Ink It.) Some of the careers are well-known, while others help girls to think outside of the box — like “actionist” or “environmentalist” — encouraging them to find their passion and figure out what career might relate.

In addition to interview quotes and basics about the career, Deborah gives insight to dress code, stress factor, and the nuts-and-bolts of what it takes to get to where these women are in their careers. And at the end of each profile, she lists additional related career titles to help girls consider other paths that might fit their interests. She’s also enlisted young women to pose questions to those profiled, getting to some meaty details relevant to youth, that might otherwise go unrevealed.

In all, I see this as an outstanding resource for girls. It’s been fun to watch Darla flip back and forth through the pages - checking the table of contents and index to find the answers to her questions — her interest perked in avenues she hadn’t previously considered.

To be included in the drawing, please just click over to Deborah’s site, Smart Girls Know and come back here to comment about what you like about the site. You can participate even if you don’t have a blog. Just make sure you leave a working email when you leave your comment. A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, February 1. US addresses only please. Thanks for participating!

I’m also hosting a giveaway for the Career Expedition Boardgame. Check it out!

Like this post? Subscribe to Pass The Torch