Come to the party....you are welcome

Quote of the day:  "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." - Frederick Douglass

Title:  Armond Goes to a Party

A book about Asperger's and Friendship

Author/Illustrator:  Nancy Carson

and her friend Armond Isaak

                                                         Title available April 15, 2014

Every child loves to go and celebrate at a friend's birthday party.  Every child loves the gifts wrapped just so, the swarms of excited, happy guests and the blissful chaos that these parties entail.  Or do they?

Armond is a boy who has been diagnosed with Aspergers and he finds socializing and parties quite awkward and yes, quite stressful.  His good friend Felicia and her understanding mom invite Armond to her birthday party because he is such a special friend. Together they ease his anxiety and help him not only to make it through her birthday bash but to aid him in actually enjoying it and having fun.  When he gets overwhelmed with the lively crowd, the loud sounds, the pungent smells, and the chaotic hubbub, Felicia's mom leads Armond to a quiet room away from the partying where he reads his beloved dinosaur book and sedately plays with lego.  He needs a time out to regroup and refocus and then he rejoins the party ready to partake of more celebrations.  When his mom finally arrives to pick him up he is able to honestly say he had a good time and was glad he attended Felicias's party.   The illustrations are colourful, kid-friendly and expressive.  The message of the book is positive and educational.  I highly recommend it.



About the author:

Teaching Kids About Themselves With Fun Drawings and a Few Good Words.

Nancy Carlson is an accomplished children’s book author and illustrator who has published more than 60 books. She is one of the few people who knew even back in kindergarten what she wanted to do for a living: “Make pictures and tell stories!”

Nancy is a life-long Minnesotan. Born and raised in Edina, Minnesota, Nancy had a happy and fulfilling childhood surrounded by an outgoing family. Her parents read to her and her brother and sister every night. The comic books she loved to read as a child have influenced her style of drawing and use of color. Many of Nancy’s stories are taken from her own childhood experiences.

Nancy graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a major in printmaking, and shortly afterward became fascinated with children’s books while working at Minneapolis’s Walker Art Center. Nancy began to write her own stories and created accompanying drawings. It wasn’t long before she found herself approaching publishers with her own ideas for children’s books. She had numerous art exhibitions before getting into the publishing world and her artwork is held in many private and public collections. Recognition for her published work includes several Reading Rainbow selections, the Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading Association and Children’s Book Council, the Minnesota Children’s Museum Great Friends to Kids Award and several others.

Nancy believes that life should be fun for everyone, but especially for children. This optimistic message permeates her picture books and provides a positive counterpoint to much of what children are influenced by in today’s society. Her characters aren’t always perfect. They often have fears, anxieties, and disabilities. Through her books, kids learn to cope with different challenges. They can learn that they don’t have to be perfect to be a good person. Her characters also convey positive messages without being “preachy”. They gently remind children what is right.

Nancy is also a guest author and illustrator at over 150 school classrooms each year, and has touched the lives of thousands of children across the country.

Today, Nancy lives in Minnesota with her husband, three children, and her dog named Lily. Nancy’s entire family is into sports and enjoys the outdoors. Nancy herself enjoys running, hiking, biking, swimming, skiing and golf.

email me at: info@nancycarlson.com

About Armond Isaak:

Armond Isaak taught himself to read when he was three years old and hasn’t stopped since. Besides books, his loves include Legos, acting, playing the trumpet, and he is a proud Boy Scout. Now in middle school, Armond has been learning to embrace his uniqueness instead of fight it, and he has a small circle of friends with similar interests. He reached out to Nancy to do this book because he wants to help every young boy or girl with Asperger’s realize they are not alone in a world where they often feel lonely and out of place. Armond lives with his mom, dad, sisters, cat, and dog in New Hope, Minnesota.

Book review rating:  8 (Fantastic!)

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