Digital Media Mom: blog tour

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Tween Children's Book Review and Cash Giveaway - Miss Priss: One and Off the Court

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the tween chapter book "Miss Priss: On and Off the Court" by Judy Phillips and Brenda Nichols from September 15 to 21, 2015.

MISS PRISS: ON AND OFF THE COURT is book one in the new tween chapter series by Mom’s Choice Award winning writer-illustrator Team, ‘Brenjudy’. On and Off the Court introduces Priscilla Penelope Paxton (Miss Priss), a ten year old whose interests and curiosity land her in, sometimes, sticky situations. A unique coming-of-age story bound to bring giggles and enjoyment to all its readers as Miss Priss encounters and overcomes a slew of challenges, even the one that will continue to grow—self-awareness. The book features full color illustrations.

About the Book

Title: Miss Priss: On and Off the Court | Author: Judy Phillips | Illustrator: Brenda Nichols | Publication Date: August 20, 2015 | Publisher: Tadpole Press ...4 Kids (a division of Smooth Sailing Press) | Pages: 230 | Recommended Ages: 8 to 12 Summary: Priscilla Penelope Paxton is a witty ten year old whose inter-ests and curiosity land her in, sometimes, sticky situations. Dance classes, Girl Scouts, school assignments, friends and hanging out at her family's drug store, and the local Piggly Wiggly would leave any other person with no time for any-thing else. Yet, the thrill of basketball and joining the Little Dribblers finds its way into Miss Priss' heart. Though this interest will prove to be a dream that requires overcoming the greatest of challenges; Mom’s opposition. A task that will require ingenuity, perseverance and a little help from some loved ones.

Amazon * Smooth Sailing Press * Goodreads

Book Preview

Book Review

Simply a delightful read! My 11 year old and I chuckled quite a bit throughout the story. The illustrations were entertaining as was the story. My daughter loves basketball, so was immediately anxious to read the story. And Miss Priss, one busy 10 year old girl, didn't disappoint her. Judy Phillips did an amazing job with keeping the reader engaged and the illustrations by Brenda Nichols complimented the story.

My daughter and I highly recommend this story. Miss Priss: On and Off the Court is packed with lots of humor and plenty of kid growing moments.

About the Author: Judy Phillips

Judy Phillips is an educator with over twenty years of experience and is currently a counselor at Samuel Houston Elemen-tary School in Huntsville, Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas and a Master of Education degree in Coun-seling from Sam Houston State University. Phillips volunteers locally with university students through local ministries and mentor programs.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About the Illustrator: Brenda Nichols

Brenda Nichols was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and is an educator at university level, with over twenty years of experience. She is currently the Head Women's Basketball Coach and Professor of Kinesiology at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Nichols holds an Associate of Arts degree from Western Texas College in Snyder, Texas, a Bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and a Master's degree from The University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida. Nichols volunteers locally by mentoring students and through motivational speaking engagements at schools and various civic organizations.

Facebook | Goodreads

Miss Priss Blog Tour Schedule (2015)

September 15

Mother Daughter Book Reviews (Launch & Author Interview)

Cherry Mischievous (Excerpt)

Blooming Brilliant (Book Review)

September 16

Girl of a 1000 Wonders (Book Review)

BeachBoundBooks (Guest Post)

Sher A Hart: Written Art (Book Review)

September 17

Don't Judge, Read (Book Review)

Not Your Ordinary Psychic Mom (Book Review)

September 18

Rockin' Book Reviews (Book Review)

K&A's Children's Book Reviews (Interview)

Icefairy's Treasure Chest (Book Review)

September 19

Bookworm for Kids (Excerpt)

Brit Bear's Book Reviews (Book Review)

September 20

The Blended Blog (Book Review)

Bookroom Reviews (Book Review)

September 21

Crystal's Chaotic Confessions (Excerpt)

Tea Time and Books (Guest Post & Book Review)

Heart of Philanthropist (Book Review)

* Blog Tour Giveaway *

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choiceGiveaway ends: September 28, 11:59 pm, 2015 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the publisher, SmoothSailing Press and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, January 10, 2014

Book Review and Tour: Zoe and Zak and the Yogi's Curse

About the Book

Title: Zoe & Zak and the Yogi's Curse (Zoe & Zak Series, Book #2)

Author: Lars Guignard

Publishers: Fantastic Press

Publication Date: September 9, 2013

Pages: 340

Recommended Age: 8+

Summary

Zoe and Zak are back in India. Again. And this time they're attending Moonstock Himalayan Boarding School, which might seem fun except for the fact that the school itself is a little strange. Students ride elephants instead of school buses, snarling monkeys work as security guards, and angry parrots monitor the halls. And even when they manage to get used to the wildlife, the food is absolutely terrible. But living with a bunch of other kids their age can be a lot of fun, too, or at least it seems that way until Zoe's roommate goes missing. Following the directions written on a steamy bathroom mirror, Zoe and Zak fly through the clouds on their magic carpet to learn that the two of them have been chosen yet again. This time they've been asked to lift the Yogi's Curse. It's not going to be easy. Zoe and Zak don't even know what the Yogi's Curse is let alone how to lift it, but like it or not, they soon discover that a whole lot of people are depending on them. Now, if they're going to save the day, Zoe and Zak are going to have to fool the monkey guards, avoid the nasty parrots, and maybe even develop a supernatural ability or two. Because lurking beneath Moonstock is a powerful new enemy. And if Zoe and Zak can't stop him, nobody can.

My Personal Review

Zoe and Zak and the Yogi's Curse was entertaining and full of adventure! And I highly recommend it as part of your children's book collection!

As a parent, I look for books that not only are fun and entertaining for my kids to read (if they aren't, then it's like pulling teeth out of their mouth to get them to finish it), but also ones that teach them values and morals. This creatively written adventure, fantasy story (which is full of many twists and turns) will make the reader think more deeply (there is quite a mix of problem-solving, which today's kids could value from). The topic of trust came up quite often. That is who should Zoe and Zak trust and who shouldn't they trust. This is a topic I'm always trying to get my kids to think about. And Lars Guignard was able to tackle such an important parenting topic with fun and zest. In addition, he brought in another theme about how bad luck may possibly be good luck in disguise. I enjoyed following this theme as I read the story because I'm a true believer that even bad things can somehow end up a positive. We live in some tough times. This story left me believing that any thing is possible--even elephants flying which happens in the Yogi's Curse. Kids need hope. They need creativity. They need to believe. Zoe and Zak and the Yogi's Curse does just that.

The only con that I found while reading this story was how detailed it was. I felt as if sometimes Zoe (who narrated the story) gave too much detail in her description of areas and events for her age. Other than that, I think this is a great read for a tween and teen!

Purchase

Amazon (Print) | Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Audiobook) | iTunes (Audiobook)

The Buzz

"I have a 10 year old son who is an avid reader!! He loves books, (but he's picky too) he loved Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. He was so excited to read the 2nd book in this series! When I presented him the first book he was not sure he would like it but changed his mind quickly, then when I heard about the 2nd book being released he almost jumped out of his chair! (no exaggeration) He is anxiously awaiting the 3rd book! I would say that any child who enjoys fantasy/adventure books should read this series! It is a well written page turner! It's a fun story that adults can even enjoy the storyline without getting bored! According to my son, 'every kid should read this series'. " ~ 5-Star review from SavyGreenSaver, Amazon

"I loved this book, even as an adult reading it. I was completely sucked into the plot and was constantly finding myself staying up "just a little longer" to read one more chapter. Different twists and turns in the book have you constantly guessing who is behind what and who Zak and Zoe can trust. I could definitely see myself being involved in this series as a middle schooler considering how much I enjoyed it even now. Another thing I liked about it is if you missed the first book, you could still follow along with this one and not be lost." ~ 5-Star review from Staci, Amazon

"Lars Guignard has done a fabulous job with this series. I loved the `Ghost Leopard' & love this one even more. For late-elementary to middle school age readers, you can't beat this series. It's fun and fast-paced. Even my picky fifth grader enjoyed every page. There are bits of magic thrown in keep the action exciting. Mr. Guignard has a brilliant imagination & readers are blessed that he's chosen to use it for YA fiction. If you've yet to read the first installment in this series, do yourself a favor and read these books back to back. Don't limit it just to kids! Adults will have a blast reading these too!" ~ 5-Star review from Liz Terek, Amazon

About The Author: Lars Guignard

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="154"]

Lars Guignard[/caption] Prior to writing novels, Lars Guignard wrote for film and television. As a teenager he attended boarding school in the Indian Himalayas and his experiences there provided the inspiration for the Zoe and Zak series which now include: Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard, Zoe & Zak and the Yogi’s Curse, and Zoe & Zak and the Tiger Temple. He lives in the Pacific Northwest where he dodges bears and cougars while hiking & skiing the magnificent Coast Mountain Range. For news about new releases, please join his email list here: Zoe&ZakAdventures@gmail.com