Everyone needs a present on their birthday

Remember we started something new just to change it up a bit here on my blog.  I am going to give the opening line of a famous children's book and hopefully you can guess what book I took it from.  You can leave answers here or just have fun with it on your own.  The next day I will give you the answer. Here's today's book..

"The first place that I can remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it."




Today's featured book:

Title:  The Birthday Presents
Author: Paul Stewart
Illustrator: Chris Riddell







So what's it all about?

Rabbit and Hedgehog are two unlikely friends, but good friends they are.  One day they are chatting away and realize that they have never had a birthday or even a birthday present  - why in fact they didn't even know when their birthdays were.  Now that is sad isn't it?  Together they decide that they would officially declare tomorrow a grand day to celebrate and then they realize that gifts are required for each other for the happy occasion.  Both wonder what they could possibility give to make each other happy?  Hedgehog thinks and thinks and then discovers a glass bottle glimmering in the moonlight when he is down by the water's edge.  He has an epiphany....the perfect gift for his friend he is sure.  Rabbit curls up asleep in his cozy, safe, dark rabbit hole and, thinks of his friend sound asleep out in the open in the wild.  He too has a revelation and voila he now knows exactly what to give to Hedgehog tomorrow.  The friends accept the original gifts half-heartedly but find when they put their own personal thumbprints on them everything works out perfectly and meets their needs to a "t".  Best of all the two friends find the best gift of all... their ongoing friendship, and they immediately begin to plan another birthday party very soon.

The illustrations are soft and full of expression and emotion.  The characters are adorable and you just want to hug them.  They add so much to the narrative and together : text + illustrations= perfection. Highly recommended.

About the author:

Paul Stewart is a highly regarded author of books for young readers - everything from picture books to football stories, fantasy and horror. Together with Chris Riddell, he is co-creator of the bestselling Edge Chronicles series, which has sold over three million books and is now available in over thirty languages. They are also co-creators of the Far-Flung Adventure series, which includes Fergus Crane, Gold Smarties Prize Winner, Corby Flood and Hugo Pepper, Silver Nestle Prize Winners, and the Barnaby Grimes Series.

About the illustrator:

Chris Riddell is an accomplished graphic artist who has illustrated many acclaimed books for children. He has won the UNESCO Award for Something Else, has twice won the Kate Greenaway Medal, and was shortlisted for the Kurt Maschler Award. He is also the acclaimed political cartoonist for the Observer.

    Book Review Rating:  8 (Fantastic!)

Read on and read always!   Have a great day everyone.

  

For the love of reading.....

Good Saturday morning to everyone!  First of all let me give your the answer to yesterday's first line of a classic children's book riddle.  The answer is:  "The Poky Little Puppy" by Janette Sebring Lowrey, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren.  Hope a few of your got it right.



This morning I am going to try to give you some tips on ways you can get your kids to love reading. Some kids are born readers.  And let's face it....some aren't.  But, all children can grow at least to like reading if not love it if you use some of these techniques to help them along their own unique reading path.

1. Embrace technology....yes you heard me correctly.  It is here to stay, it is exciting, fun, interactive and yes, kids love it.  Use it as a reading advantage for your child.  An e-reader can entice your reluctant reader (or any reader for that matter) to actually sit down and start exploring the wonderful and magical world of books.  Plus there are so many free books out there, including classics, that your child might actually read more if given the chance to dig around and find out what's available.

2. Create a reading hide-out or a cozy spot for your little reader.  Throw a blanket over a table or pile up the cushions from the sofa to make a reading fort....your child will love it, I promise.  Lure him in by making the spot so enchanting and fun, he'll want to to read just to be able to enter.  Stack the space with fluffy pillows and of course the piece de resistance.....a big stack of books.  Put a bowl of candy inside with a note that reads: "For every chapter that you read, please eat one of these."  Also put a little chart with some fancy stickers or stars that he can stick on once the book is finished... his /her own GPS for tracking his reading journey. 

3.  Hook 'em, then reel them in.  I heard a story about a mom who will start reading aloud to her kids and then excuse herself to make dinner.  The kids are already "hooked" on the story so they will take the book themselves and continue the story just to find out what happens next. They in turn read the rest of the story to her aloud.  Great plan mom!!

4. Make the Library an adventure.  Gather up the flock and head off for a field trip to that grand place.  Get them their own library card that they can hand over temporarily for a great book.  Let them check out their own. Suggest that each child chooses at least five books.  When you leave head to the yogurt shop, or ice cream shop then off to a park. Pull out a book once there and read a story aloud to them while they enjoy their snack.  Then it's playtime.  The kids will eat this up, I am sure.

5. Read out loud to reluctant readers.  Even if your child can read on his own, keep reading to him.  This will allow you to gauge what interests him and holds his attention.  It will also allow you to read books that might be too difficult for him, but he still enjoys the story.  There is nothing wrong with letting your child read magazines, the sports section of the newspaper or other 'non-book' material.  Anything including words is fair game.

6. Don't make reading a punishment. If you have a non-reader, it can be tempting to use reading as a discipline tool.  "If you hit your sister again, you're going to have to read for 20 minutes!" This tactic will only discourage your non-reader and have him dread even more the printed page.

7. What is your child interested in?  What captivates him or keeps his attention?  Try different genres - adventure, non-fiction, biographies - until you hit upon the one that will make your child want to read.  Show them that reading can be fun and exciting.  Model you and your other family members enjoying reading a good book.  

8. Start reading to your child in the womb.  From the get-go have piles of books around the house so that reading is a pleasurable, social time for everyone in the family.  Be enthusiastic when it comes to books.  Cheer, praise, laugh, be silly, act the books out, hug both books and kids..... go for it.....your kids will catch the "reading bug " and you can give them daily doses of words and stories to keep their reading skills healthy, strong and ever growing to their full potential.  Be the "book doctor"..... three books a day should do it very nicely (if you have the time), one for sure is required and be just what the doctor ordered.  

  Read on and read always!  Have a great weekend everyone and see you back here again on Monday.  

  Go.....get your read on........!

Three Ring Rascals are at it again...

I am going to do something a little different for the next little while here on my blog. l  am going to give you the first line of a children's book to see if you can figure out which book I drew it from.  I will give you the answer the following day.  It will be fun.  Let's go....good luck!

"Five little puppies dug a hole under the fence and went for a walk in the wide, wide world."

Title:  The Greatest Star on Earth
Author:  Kate Klise
Illustrator: M. Sarah Klise
Ages:  7-10
Grades: 2-5

What the author is saying about the book:

This book asks a simple question: Is there anything more important in life than winning a trophy? I remember as a kid craving a trophy more than anything else on earth. A trophy seemed to symbolize everything I wanted: achievement, success, respect from others. So in this story, I wanted to explore that yearning we all sometimes feel to be best, along with the competitions we participate in to determine who’s a “winner” and who’s not. The truth, of course, is that we’re all talented and successful in different ways.
In writing this book, it was helpful for me to recall my old days as a figure skater. In one competition, I won first place. Later the same day, I skated in a different division and came in dead last. I remember thinking, Wow. I’m a winner and a loser. Not a bad lesson to learn early in life. That’s why I chose this Serbian proverb for the epigraph of this book: Be humble, for you are made of earth. Be noble, for you are made of stars.
So is there anything more important in life than winning a trophy? I think there is. At the risk of spoiling the ending, I’ll just say that I hope The Greatest Star on Earth celebrates the power of teamwork and the pride that comes from helping a friend in need. I also hope young readers will discover through the characters of Bert and Gert that you’re never too small to save the day.
—Kate Klise

What I am saying about the book: 

This is book number two in the series and it's always fun to pick up a book when you are familiar with the characters and you know a bit about the flavour set before you between the covers.  The book is packed full of fun, creative wordplay, wit and the illustrations bring the text to life.  The message is positive and upbeat and should be discussed and taken to heart by everyone reading the book.  Sir Sidney's Circus is the best there is but the Circus Times is having a contest to see who will be the star of the show.  This causes rivalry amongst the performers and a big worrywart to appear on Sir Sidney's, nose of all places.  His doctor orders him to his Peanut Farm for total rest and relaxation.  He once again puts the novice ring-master, Barnabas Brambles in charge while he takes a well-deserved time out to recuperate and shrink that wart.   You might be surprised at the outcome and who finally receives the trophy.  Through co-operation and care for each other the performers find out the true meaning of being the greatest star on earth.

The Greatest Star on Earth is a warm story overflowing with humour, heart, gentle character education, and some clever arithmetic and vocabulary.  Your child will love it I am sure and be asking when the next book in the series will be available. 

About the illustrator:

M. Sarah Klise is the illustrator of Three-Ring Rascals #1: The Show Must Go On! and Three-Ring Rascals #2: The Greatest Star On Earth, as well as numerous other middle-grade and picture books written by her sister, Kate Klise. Their recent series, 43 Old Cemetery Road, has been nominated for reading awards in nearly twenty states and is a Junior Library Guild selection. 

  Book Review Rating:  8 (Fantastic!)

Read on and Read always!   Have an amazing Friday everyone.

Out of the mouths of babes...and some adults too

A riddle for you today......

"What word in the English language has three consecutive double letters?"
                                           (answer embedded in the blog somewhere.....can you find it)

Title:  My Mouth is a Volcano
Author:  Julia Cook
Illustrator: Carrie Hartman




Louis is a smart kid with a voracious aptitude of unleashing his pent-up, repressed thoughts at the most inopportune times.  Whether at school or at home his mind wanders to other things while those around him are speaking. His words start to wiggle, then they jiggle, then his tongue pushes all his important words against his teeth and he erupts....just like a volcano...spewing forth wordage to the entire world. His interruptions often cause him to require time out or be sent to his room.  Then one day Louis has to speak in front of his class and it's there he learns first hand what it feels like to be interrupted and cut-off by his fellow peers right in the middle of his dissertation.  From that day forth he has a new perspective on barging in when someone else is trying to talk. When that happens to him at school he feels those interjecting are very rude and insensitive indeed and stole his moment of fame away from him.

This book is witty, expressive and a good learning tool to teach children how to control their emotions. The illustrations are amazing, capturing the message of the book perfectly.  The nice thing is that Louis gets a plan from his mom as to how he can implement a simple technique for the future  that will help him focus and not be known as "the great interrupter." This would be a great book to read aloud the first week of school or at bedtime if you have a little "butt-er inner" living in your midst at home.  This is a valuable lesson to teach children (and some adults need this lesson too) regarding respectfully waiting your turn and being respectful of what others are saying. Listening is becoming a lost art in our world and we all need to be reminded to sit quietly, listen up to what others are saying and then, ......it's our turn. I highly recommend this book.

About the author:

Julia Cook was born and raised in Salt Lake City Utah. While living in Utah, she became actively involved in teaching children how to ski. That experience led to a love of teaching in general.

Julia now lives in Fremont, Nebraska. She has a Master’s degree in Elementary School Counseling. While serving as a guidance counselor, Julia often used children’s books to enhance her classroom lessons. She is now nationally recognized as an award-winning children’s book author and parenting expert.

Julia has presented in more than 800 schools across the country, regularly delivers keynote addresses at education and counseling conferences, and has published more than three dozen children’s books. The goal behind all of Julia’s books and efforts is to actively involve young people into her fun and creative stories and teach them to become life-long problem solvers.

Inspirations for her books come from working with children and listening carefully to parents and teachers. Julia’s books have been referenced in such publications as Parent’s Magazine, The New Yorker, Green Child Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Yahoo.com, DrLaura.com and BabyZone.com has. She has also been featured on CNN’s HLN News, and several large metropolitan networks.

In her spare time, Julia enjoys spending time with her husband and family.

About the illustrator:
                  bookkeeper

Gender	Female
Industry	Arts
Occupation	Illustrator - Author - College Instructor
Location	Woodbury, MN, United States
Introduction	I am a freelance illustrator and instructor at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. My work includes illustrating picture books, editorial work, character development, animated projects, advertising, posters, greeting cards, and whatever else comes my way.

Book Review Rating:  8  (Fantastic!)

Read on and read always!  Have a great day.

My Mouth is a Volcano

Red - a most beautiful colour

                                                                           

Quote of the Day:

"I love bright red drinks, don't you? They taste twice as good as any other colour."

                              - L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

The book I am highlighting today hits close to home.  I grew up with red hair and I did not like it one little bit.  I got called names at school such as Woody Woodpecker, or told red hair comes with a bad temper.  Today's bully names include: ginger, tomato, Little Orphan Annie and I am sure there are hundreds more that the intimidating tongued bully can throw out there.  Not only did I have red hair I had a face full of freckles that went with that skin colour package.  There was not a spot on my face where you couldn't find a freckle.  They were so smooched together on top of my nose there were no spaces at all between them....like someone took a paintbrush and swiped a light brown landing strip across my nose....and yes I hated them too.  I remember putting lemon juice on them and sitting in the sun so they would disappear.....hey what did I know....I was just a kid.  It didn't work.  As an adult I have healed from my red hair trauma and guess what?  The only freckles I own are on my arms so I guess the lemon juice worked after all because my facial specks have disappeared.  I wish I had had this book back then maybe I could have come to love my red hair too.....

                                 Title: Red is the Color of....

                                 Author: Tiffany Haisten

                                 Ages:  6+

"I hate my red hair!" and the story takes off.....

Tiffany feels like her red hair sets her apart from the rest of the kids around her.  She just wants to be "normal" and blend in, not feeling all weird because her red hair makes her stick out from the rest of the pack. Her wise mom sits her daughter down and they have a tête-à-tête regarding the beauty that Tiffany possesses on top of her head.  Her mother explains that the colour red is a beautiful colour. Why after all,  roses are red, red is a colour in the rainbow and Christmas stockings are red....the world badly need the colour red.  Red is the true colour of love.  

With rich language and adorable, sweet illustrations Mom convinces Tiffany to accept her red hair which is one of her assets that makes her unique and special.  This book is beautifully written and is sure to boost your child's self-esteem.  It is a perfect read-aloud and will evoke lots of discussion about your own child's uniqueness, a uniqueness to celebrate not shy away from. I highly recommend this book.

About the author:

born

The United States

gender

female

website

https://www.facebook.com/HaistenScribbler

twitter username

HaistenScribblr

genre

Children's, Storytime, Young Readers

influences

Patricia Polacco
C.S. Lewis
J.R.R. Tolkein
Suzanne Collins

About this author

edit data

I am a mother, a former elementary school teacher, and I love writing. Many may think that I spend my days locked in a cozy home library, sipping lattes, and writing the next best thing in literature! This is far from the truth, most of my days are spent playing with my son, doing dishes, conquering the laundry ( which is the never ending story in my house), navigating the grocery store, and in the evenings carving out a little time to write. I get inspiration from my crazy daily life, which one cannot get in a cozy home library! Everyday is a new story to be written...
I wrote "Red is the Color of..." because I wanted to make children aware that the things that make us different from one another are the very things that make us wonderfully special. The book deals with my own experiences with being bullied and how my mother helped re-shape my self esteem and encourage self acceptance. This is my first published work and I hope that someday I may add a few more!

                                                                                                                                   (goodreads)

                                      Book Review Rating:  8  (Fantastic!)

Read on and read always!  Have an amazing day everyone.

Halibut Jackson - a book review

Quote of the Day:

"You're BRAVER than you believe, and STRONGER than you seem and SMARTER than you think."
                                           - A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

Title:  Halibut Jackson
Author and Illustrator:  David Lucas





My take on the book:
This book is about a boy named Halibut Jackson...

"Halibut Jackson was shy.
Halibut Jackson didn't like being noticed.
Halibut Jackson liked to blend into the background.
But one day he made a mistake, he was noticed-
and his life changed forever. "

Halibut styles his clothing so he will blend in with his surroundings, kind of like a chameleon does.  He does not want people to notice him but is happiest when he can go on about his business anonymously.  One day he receives a party invitation in the mail from the Queen inviting him to her big birthday bash at the palace.  Halibut is very flattered by the invite but unsure if he should take it in. How in the world can he blend in to such opulence?  He is moved so much that he has to search deep inside himself to see if he really could attend and overcome his shyness or should he pass because he would be too shy to step out and party with royalty.  He did take that bold step after dreaming of creating a rich, silver and gold suit that he made into a reality.  The suit is magnificent and blends perfectly with the luxuriousness of the palace setting, or is that the correct setting he should be focusing on?  What happens to him at that party changes his life forever.  Not only does he attend the party of the Queen but he becomes the star of the party, overshadowing even her Majesty, herself.  He comes away from the celebration with a great feeling of self-confidence and with many new found friends. They inspire him to explore and exhibit the amazing talent that he possesses within himself.  With much success in in his life now his shyness fades into oblivion.

The illustrations are whimsical and magical done in pen and ink with watercolours. Each page is packed with people, curlicues, domes, geometric shapes and fantastic details that keep you coming back again and again to find something new tucked in them  The feel is vintage and the clothes retro-inspired.  The simple text is written in third person with short repetitive sentences with important words highlighted in italics or capitals.

This book was published in 2003 and was chosen as Amazon.com's favourite children's book of 2004.  It was also selected as Best Children's Book of 2004 in both Publisher's Weekly and Child Magazine.

About the author:

I am a romantic: I believe the world is alive with gods and spirits and magic.
My drawing is picture-writing – I never draw from life – I make patterns,
as if I was knitting with ink.
I love medieval art and folk art – art that is decorative not just to be beautiful,
but because pattern-making is a magical ritual.
Writing, for me, is pattern-making too – putting words together as if they were simple shapes,
making story-patterns that are a mixture of autobiography and myth and fairytale.

I was born in Middlesbrough, the third of six brothers, and as children
we were all dressed the same – same haircut, same jeans, same jumpers.
My mother was a teacher and my father worked in the steelworks.
We came to London when I was five (my father had decided to go to art college),
and at first we lived in a tent before moving to a council flat in Hackney.

As a child I always enjoyed drawing and in my teens I became fascinated by mythology
and folklore, magic and the occult, and began writing stories and inventing imaginary
worlds and characters.
But I turned my back on all that in my twenties: I studied illustration at St Martins and the Royal College
and tried my best to be fashionable, and it wasn’t until I was in
my thirties that I rediscovered my old love of fairytales and began writing stories again.

I live in east London, close to where I grew up, beside Victoria Park.

 ”as remarkable a writer as he is an illustrator.” Publishers Weekly

“Lucas’s work brings to mind such great exponents of graphic art as
Saul Steinberg and Paul Klee.”
Ian Beck, The Times.

A recent interview: 
http://www.playingbythebook.net/2011/06/08/an-interview-with-david-lucas

Book review rating:  8 (Fantastic!)

Read on and read always.  Have a superb day! 

You are the wind beneath my wings.....

Quote of the day:
             "The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding."  
                                              -Aesop, Aesop's Fables

Title:  Rigby

Authors:  James Huggins and Mike Outlaw

Illustrator:  Sam Moss

This is the very first picture book written and illustrated exclusively for Me Books! Based on the character Rigby, from The Land of Me, this heartfelt and moving tale is about an eagle's first flight, his courage, and the beautiful bond between mother and child. With sensational illustrations by Sam Moss and written by their very own Mike Outlaw and James Huggins, this beautiful tale is sure to bring a tear to your eye. Their  is hope is that you will enjoy and treasure it just as much as they do!

My take on the book:

First let me preface by saying the illustrations are truly stunning.  Big, bold, action and emotionally packed-  they could morph into a wordless book no problem all on their own.   They enhance, enrich and elevate the level of the text because of their richness. Both illustrations and wordage together create a perfect marriage.  The story thread is soft, loving and gentle, poured out from a proud mother eagle's heart.  Her dedication to her little one and her unfathomable wisdom in successfully raising him from egg to his taking flight will resonant with mother's of every species.  She raises him to fly away, leaving you with a lump in your throat and a sadness in your heart because you can empathize with her empty-next syndrome whether it be upon you now or in your future.  I highly recommend this book.  It would be perfect to give to a mother who is sending her child off to kindergarten, college or into marriage for the first time.  

About the authors:

Founded in 2009 by brothers-in-law James Huggins and Mike Outlaw, Made in Me has since grown and now boasts a wealth of expertise covering a broad range of children's media industries and experience.
From a charming little corner of Shoreditch in East London we dream up new and exciting ways to help the very best children's stories and characters reach the audience they deserve.

Whether we're working with new ideas and brands or those that children already love, we pour heart and soul into our work. Whether it's a digital strategy or a single app, we think the best ideas are the simple ones.

A website is all well and good but there's no substitute for a good chat. If you have any ideas about how we might work together we're all ears so feel free to get in touch.

Find out more info at:  www.madeinme.com

Join the Me Book Club - App available 

Why the Me Books are amazing for your kids:

Listen: Stories are brought to life with fabulous narration by well known celebrities accompanied by immersive sounds.  You just touch the words and pictures to hear them.

Read:  They collect old classics and modern day favourites with no book alternations.

Record:  With Me Books you can add narration  - anything from individual words, phrases, and even sound effects to re-telling the whole story!

Treasure:  Can't decide which take is best?  You can save up to 3 versions of each Me Book, making it possible to enjoy your best performance time and time again.

                           Book review rating:  8      
                          (Fantastic!)

Read on and read always!  Have an awesome day everyone.

       

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold - book review

Quote of the day:

"During the gold rush its a good time to be in the pick and shovel business. "
                                         -Mark Twain

KITTY HAWK

and the

CURSE OF THE YUKON GOLD

Book #1 in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series

by Iain Reading

YA Mystery/Adventure

324 pages

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations. 

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada. As the plot continues to unfold, this spirited story will have readers anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves. 

                    
My take:

I liked the book a lot once I got into it.  There seemed to be a lot of detail included which kind of bogged me down at first but since this is the introduction to a whole new series I know it was imperative to the setting, characters development and plot.  I loved how easily Iain wove history into the storyline and I learned a lot about that time period and especially the greed surrounding the gold rush.  Kitty Hawk has just enough spunk and attitude to get a pass from parents and an "alright" from peers.  Her curiosity and detective-like attributes keep the storyline moving along brilliantly and keeps the reader engaged,  encouraging them to keep turning pages to see what she will be up to next.  I love the fact that she is a strong, brave, female character which will empower other girls to step out and emulate her as they read about her amazing adventures. She is a good role model as she is responsible, very into her family and extremely caring towards others around her (even her kidnappers).  At first the little inner voice dialogues with herself were distracting but I actually got to like it, and yes even smile about it,  as the book progressed.  After all, admit it or not we all indulge in self-negotiations in one form or another don't we?  I recommend the book highly and am thrilled there will be more Kitty Hawk adventures to come our way.

There currently are three books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series available on Amazon.

About the author:

I like Root Beer.

For me there is no other beverage that is quite as magical and mysterious and inexplicably smooth as a cold mug of Root Beer. From the very first sip this enchanting brew tingles your palette with a plethora of blissful sensations and slides slippery cool down into your stomach as it warms your heart. And don't even get me started talking about that sublime frothy icy mess that we call a Root Beer Float.

When I was younger I fancied myself a bit of a Root Beer connoisseur, drinking my favourite brand A&W from tall, narrow champagne flûtes where the ice clinking against the side of the thin glass created a magical tinkling ambiance as I looked down my nose at all the other inferior Root Beer vintages. As I grew older and began to travel across the globe I naturally was inclined to seek out the very best Root Beers that the world had to offer. Surely somewhere deep in some ancient temple in the heart of the Mongolian desert there was a hitherto unknown type of Root Beer brewed by a secretive order of monks using ancient methods passed down through generations.

Sadly, as I was to discover, Root Beer is very much a North-American thing and you can't really find it anywhere else in the world. The closest I ever got was in the jungles of Sierra Leone which smell a bit like Root Beer and diesel oil. (In fact, most non-North-American people to whom I have introduced this magical elixir have first cautiously taken a small sip then made a sour face, stating that "it tastes like medicine". Perhaps this is because the sarsaparilla root that gives Root Beer its name was originally used for medicinal purposes - typical for North-Americans to turn medicine into soft drinks, right?)

I was crushed. If there was no Root Beer out there in the whole wide world, then what was the point of leaving my house in the first place? No one really needs to leave the house, after all. Everything you could ever need can be delivered right to your front door, including pizza and Root Beer and books and everything else you can find on amazon.com. But as it turns out the world is a pretty great place even without Root Beer. There are a million amazing things to see out there and as many more ways for all of us to see them, as our heroine and friend Kitty Hawk finds out in the course of her adventures.

Whatever you want to call it, "holidays" or "vacations" (I prefer to call them "adventures" and thus lift them out from the realm of the mundane because I believe that it's always an adventure any time one of us dares to go out and see just a little bit more of this world we inhabit), I always like to try and live life with what I call a "Hemingway Complex". I even once wrote a travel book using this as a title.

And what exactly is a "Hemingway Complex", you ask?

Well, some people might describe Ernest Hemingway as being "larger than life". But to say that is not entirely accurate. He was merely larger than other people's lives. He was certainly larger than my life, for example, but he fit quite comfortably into his own. My life isn't extraordinary like that of the great Ernest Hemingway. I've never run with the bulls or told people that I fought in wars or hunted German U-Boats in the Caribbean while drinking cocktails on a yacht. But to me living life with a Hemingway Complex means living in pursuit of the impossible. And it's the only way that I ever seem to do anything interesting.

Don't forget to check out the latest happenings in the world of Kitty Hawk at www.kittyhawkworld.com and it you're interested also head over to www.secretworldonline.com and check out some of the songs that I write and record in my spare time in an effort to try and convince people that I am much busier than I actually am.

                                             Book Review Rating:    8  (Fantastic!)

Read on and read always!  Have an awesome weekend everyone and see you back here on Monday!