Welcome to my new audiences in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Just as I begin to think that I have completely saturated the world-wide readership on the subject of children's literacy, a new country or two appears on the "stats" page of one or the other of my two blogs' reports.
Thank you for your interest. You represent the 50th and 51st countries to join us since I started this blog in early November of 1910. (There are actually about 150 other countries on this planet still to be reached with these messages, and I hope to continue finding new ones.)
This is the 152nd post published on Jump Up to Chapter Books. Several had to be deleted when I signed an exclusive agreement with Amazon some time ago. I had originally published most of my stories as separate chapters in an old-fashioned serial format. I had an opportunity to extend the exclusive contracts every 90 days, and now have cancelled them for most of my eBooks in favor of having an expanded market that includes Barnes and Noble's Nook readers.
One year ago I decided to further focus my interest in the use of digital readers for children when I began publishing an additional blog entitled Ebooks 4 Kids. I currently have 21 posts on it with lists and prices of children's eBooks for Amazon's Kindles and Barnes and Noble's Nook readers. Some of these also contain information about parental control and security of the electronic devices. Others have links to internet comparisons of the different types of readers.
Although I often use my blogs to recommend my own eight eBooks, they also cover other topics of interests to young readers, parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians.
Some of you may have been with me on this entire journey, and I appreciate your indulgence while I offer some of my new readers this overview. I appreciate your loyalty.
Next time I will cover something fresh and new, and hopefully, we will all be on the same page (no pun intended).
I plan to write about the rationale and suggestions for partner-reading between adults and children. Some call it simply "read-aloud". Please join us.
Meanwhile, please keep reading.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
#151 Ten Reasons to Read Books
Welcome to our new readers in Ireland. My blog stats indicate that you represent the forty-ninth country to join us on one or both of my two blogs. Thank you for sharing our interest in children's literacy.
In this post, I will share a list of reasons why children might want to read books. When given kids' many choices, what makes reading books all that important--especially when the young readers already know how to read, and they don't actually need the practice?
My list is not complete, and I invite you, my audience, to add additional reasons in the comments section at the end of this post. I will feature them next time.
And so, without further discussion, here are ten reasons for kids to read books:
1. You can become someone else. This is not limited to a real person. It might be an animal or a two-headed alien from outer space. You may find that you have powers or abilities that the real you lacks. Let yourself imagine that you are the one in the story doing amazing things. The trick is to "get into it", and allow yourself to experience what the main character is doing in the story.
2. You can go someplace else, and it can be a free ride. This could be a favorite place where you have been or it can be a trip to the moon and back. Just identify with the character in your book, and you can go right along with him/her.
3. You can go to some other time, even moving backwards and forwards--to the past or the future. Books can be your very own time-travel machine.
4. You can decide how things should look in a book. Reader are given permission to use the words in a story to create their own mental images. Think about this; anyone who has seen Disney's Peter Pan is forever tied to Disney's images of the story, but if readers have never seen the movie, they are allowed to create the pictures for themselves. What creative power!
5. You can explore new ideas. For example; what if we could travel at the speed of light? What would animals say if they could speak to us? What if we could trade places with one of our parents for a day? What if we could control the weather?
6. You can learn how to use words in new ways. You might learn some phrases from other languages, or how to compare unlike things to each other. You might learn to create new ginormous words by combining two existing ones (like giant and enormous?).
7. Books can provide inexpensive or free excitement. If you really let yourself get into the plot of a book, the climax sometimes feels like the huge, steep hill on a roller coaster. Your heart pounds, and you can't put the book down until you get past the nerve-wracking part. That thrill is even free when the books are borrowed from libraries or friends.
8. Books are exercise for your brain. There's a lot being said in today's world about the need to exercise our bodies, but brains need exercise too. When we read, we constantly anticipate what will happen in the story. This kind of prediction works like a filter of our memory and previous knowledge when we try to figure out a book's plot. That mental exercise helps to keep our brains sharp and strong.
9. You can use books to escape from the here and now. No one has to be bored when they can get into the excitement of a good book. Just let it carry you into the middle of something more interesting than whatever is not happening in real life. Books can change your mood.
10. Books can inspire you to do things you never knew you wanted to try. They allow you to dabble in experiences without risk of failure, and try something new.
In this post, I will share a list of reasons why children might want to read books. When given kids' many choices, what makes reading books all that important--especially when the young readers already know how to read, and they don't actually need the practice?
My list is not complete, and I invite you, my audience, to add additional reasons in the comments section at the end of this post. I will feature them next time.
And so, without further discussion, here are ten reasons for kids to read books:
1. You can become someone else. This is not limited to a real person. It might be an animal or a two-headed alien from outer space. You may find that you have powers or abilities that the real you lacks. Let yourself imagine that you are the one in the story doing amazing things. The trick is to "get into it", and allow yourself to experience what the main character is doing in the story.
2. You can go someplace else, and it can be a free ride. This could be a favorite place where you have been or it can be a trip to the moon and back. Just identify with the character in your book, and you can go right along with him/her.
3. You can go to some other time, even moving backwards and forwards--to the past or the future. Books can be your very own time-travel machine.
4. You can decide how things should look in a book. Reader are given permission to use the words in a story to create their own mental images. Think about this; anyone who has seen Disney's Peter Pan is forever tied to Disney's images of the story, but if readers have never seen the movie, they are allowed to create the pictures for themselves. What creative power!
5. You can explore new ideas. For example; what if we could travel at the speed of light? What would animals say if they could speak to us? What if we could trade places with one of our parents for a day? What if we could control the weather?
6. You can learn how to use words in new ways. You might learn some phrases from other languages, or how to compare unlike things to each other. You might learn to create new ginormous words by combining two existing ones (like giant and enormous?).
7. Books can provide inexpensive or free excitement. If you really let yourself get into the plot of a book, the climax sometimes feels like the huge, steep hill on a roller coaster. Your heart pounds, and you can't put the book down until you get past the nerve-wracking part. That thrill is even free when the books are borrowed from libraries or friends.
8. Books are exercise for your brain. There's a lot being said in today's world about the need to exercise our bodies, but brains need exercise too. When we read, we constantly anticipate what will happen in the story. This kind of prediction works like a filter of our memory and previous knowledge when we try to figure out a book's plot. That mental exercise helps to keep our brains sharp and strong.
9. You can use books to escape from the here and now. No one has to be bored when they can get into the excitement of a good book. Just let it carry you into the middle of something more interesting than whatever is not happening in real life. Books can change your mood.
10. Books can inspire you to do things you never knew you wanted to try. They allow you to dabble in experiences without risk of failure, and try something new.
*****
There now, go find a book and really shadow the main character as he/she moves through the story. Get into it.
And remember, if you can think of some more reasons to choose reading books, please add a comment in the space provided on the bottom of this post. I will publish any that I receive next time.
My other blog, eBooks for Kids currently has a post about a way you can borrow eBooks for your Kindle. Check it out by clicking on the link above.
For now, please keep reading...
Sunday, January 13, 2013
#150 How to Pick Out a Good Book
Welcome to our new audience in Saudi Arabia. You represent the forty-eighth country reading one or both of my blogs as reported on my stats pages. Thank you for joining us in our efforts to develop children's reading interests.
I am using a special promotion from Amazon.com to offer a free Kindle download of my middle-grade chapter book, Tiny Others (Agent C Series) by Lynda, on January 19, 20 and 21. This eBook may also be ordered using a Kindle App on computers, smart phones and various tablets as well as on your Kindles. Just click on the Amazon link above and enter the full title and author in the search window on the appropriate dates.
Don't you wish you knew a bit more about the book though?
In this case, Amazon's order site will give you more information, but what if you were looking for a good book in a book store or library and you had no idea if you wanted to read a book like Tiny Others, (only one that was in paper and print instead of an eBook for Kindle).
What are some ways you can tell if you will enjoy reading such a book before you buy it or check it out?
*****
The first thing you will probably see is the book's spine:
It might look like this. The author's name is Lynda (first name only? Yes.) The book title is Tiny Others, and it is part of a series called Agent C. The reading level says it is 4.3.
*****
Pull it off the shelf and take a look at the cover:
It looks like a pencil is writing the title on some paper. Does the paper look old or something? Why are some of the words faded? It looks like Lynda also has done some illustrations. Pictures might be good, don't you agree?
There is some kind of a stamp near the top. It is an old Santa-looking guy, and the tiny words under him read, "Agent C".
*****
Turn the book over. There is usually some stuff about the story on the back cover:
Did you notice a couple of trees and some information about the book's setting, "Summer vacation in the mountains"? Two of the characters are named Savannah and Chip. Savannah is twelve, and she has found a story hidden in in some old paper.
*****
Let's open the front cover:
Here is an inside title page with those same trees as we saw before. Didn't you think that the forest would have pine trees?
*****
A dedication page is next:
DEDICATED TO:
Lynn, who knows for certain that a fairy princess born without wings can learn to fly.
(Is there something about such a fairy princess in the book?)
*****
Then we find a page about Agent C:
Agent C is an embedded reading coach. He makes a cameo appearance in several of Lynda's stories. In Tiny Others, he takes the role of Mr. Pippin, the little shopkeeper who delivers something special to the main character, Savannah.
This object, a mysterious ream of old paper, causes the story to change from that point forward.
When something causes such a dramatic change, it is called a "catalyst".
The "C" in "Agent C" stands for the word "catalyst".
*****
The table of contents page can give some interesting clues about the story--especially if the chapters have titles, and they do:
CONTENTS
Chapter 1----Pippin’s Market
Chapter 2----The Geode
Chapter 3----Chips
Chapter 4----The Forest
Chapter 5----Awakening
Chapter 6----Naming a Princess
Chapter 7----Frolic in the Wind
Chapter 8----Secrets Shared
Chapter 9----Surprises
Chapter 10---Broken Ties
Chapter 11---Taming the Wind
Chapter 12---Whispered Warnings
Chapter 13---Whirligigs
Chapter 14---Crossing the Chasm
Chapter 15---Dark Wings
Chapter 16---Confronting Fear
Chapter 17---Into the Caverns
Chapter 18---Forest of Despair
Chapter 19---Suspended Time
Chapter 20---Promise in Gossamer
Chapter 21---A Seedling
Glossary of Plant Names
There is lots of information in there. Looks like this book has some adventure, doesn't it?
*****
And now we come to the first page with an illustration:
0000.jpg)
Chapter 1
Pippin’s Market
“Bump!
Bump! As our tires rolled over
tar-filled cracks on the wet mountain road, their vibrations pounded my senses
like the beat of a kettledrum.
Windshield wipers added a sound like brushes on snares, and raindrops on
the car roof tied the whole thing together like a crazy syncopated melody.
Suddenly, I realized that my brain was
doing it to me again. It was spinning
another wild idea for my entertainment.
*****
Just two more book parts to talk about--
Did you notice the page at the end of the table of contents called "Glossary of Plant Names"? The Tiny Others in this story all have the names of plants or plant parts because they are inhabitants of the forest. This dictionary tells you more about the real-life plants they name. For example:
Aloe...a plant with thick leaves, believed by some to have healing properties
*****
...And finally we come to the author's page. It looks like this:
*****
That ends our little tour of Tiny Others (Agent C Series) by Lynda.
If you are interested, I have a summary of the plot on my other blog at http://ebooks4kids.blogspot.com. Just click on the link to go there.
And don't forget to download your free eBook on January 19, 20 or 21. Please let others know about this offer too. (If you miss this opportunity, the book will still be available on Amazon.com for only $3.99.)
As always, please keep reading...
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
#149 Techniques for Increasing Comprehension and/or Desire to Read
I had planned to discuss reading comprehension in this post, but when I received a parent's comment concerning the need to increase their child's desire to read, I decided to combine the two subjects.
They are are often closely related, but unfortunately, even when young readers have the skills required to comprehend, they may not be using them, and therefore, find no joy in reading books.
Reading Level is not always the best indicator of success or lack of it. When J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books came out, I observed children plowing through books far above their tested reading abilities. Thank you, Ms. Rowling.
On the other hand, I read A. A. Milne' Winnie the Pooh for the first time in college when some of my friends made fun of my lack of cultural awareness. I still loved my reading experience, and I'm glad I didn't miss it.
In the 1970's at Harvard, Howard Gardner began to publish his research on the subject of multiple types of intelligences. He originally identified seven of them; visual-spatial, body-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and logical-mathematical.
A child who is strongly intelligent in linguistics, for example, might love books, but one who is visually-spatially intelligent prefers illustrations, drawing, or arcade type games. (Gardner's work is summarized nicely on the following web site: http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html )
Learning styles are related to these strengths, and it is important to offer appropriate support if young readers are to choose to read books just because they like to.
Comprehension might be increased with auditory input. Reading aloud, alone or with a partner can help. Some readers are auditory learners and need to add this sensory tool. Encourage them to try mumble reading. (Don't we, as mature readers sometimes have to resort to reading difficult instruction aloud in order to understand them?)
Attention to detail can be increased by providing a drawing pad and pencils. Drawing characters, settings, maps, and floor plans often taps into spatial abilities, and helps readers learn to visualize the "word pictures" they are reading.
Try selecting books in a child's high interest areas. Animals lovers might like reading The Trouble with Tuck by Theodore Taylor. (When Helen faces a difficult decision about her blind golden lab, she comes up with an amazing solution.) Sports lovers will find a wealth of stories--both fiction and biographies. (Matt Christopher's books fill one or two shelves in every school library, and he writes for girls as well as boys.)
Another factor might involve the reader's need to multi-task. Young readers who are especially bright sometimes lose interest in reading because is too "single minded" for them. They find the process boring.
I have provided a little "treasure hunt" at the back of my middle-grade eBook, White Rabbit Time (Agent C Series) by Lynda. It offers readers a list of elements common to both my story and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Some readers have the ability to keep a list like that in the "back pocket" of their brain as they read a story. Oh, those busy, busy brains some children have!
Some developing readers complain that reading a book "takes too long". Any librarian will tell you that some children choose books by the width of their spines. Actually, this isn't a problem if the thinner books are still good literature.
A sample of wonderful "thin" books is provided below:
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
100 Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
The Twits by Roald Dahl
The Great Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater.
I have also been guilty of tearing apart a paperback to offer it as an old-fashioned serialized story--one chapter at a time. I once had chapters secretly delivered and hidden in various places around my classroom.(Hoboken Chicken, in the list above was a big success this way!)
Reluctant readers often need more support, especially in the first chapter or two, because books tend to have more description and less action just when their readers are trying to get interested.
Maps can help with establishing settings. Theodore Taylor's Teetoncey: Stranger from the Sea always makes me want to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This book is also a trilogy, and there is nothing like a dangling thread at the end of a book to encourage reading the next one in the series!
Mystery books also tend to pull the readers along.
Some books need to have historical foundations established. Ellen Klages' The Green Glass Sea and its sequel White Sands, Red Menace about the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, New Mexico are examples of these. They offer fascinating stories told from the perspective of the children who lived on the site with their families.
Sensitive children will love reading about the courage
of August Pullman in R. J. Palacio's wonderful book entitled Wonder. Born with a facial deformity, August was home-schooled until he entered fifth grade.
I hope you will find some of this information helpful.
Don't hesitate to ask your children's teachers to share their thoughts about their learning styles.
Visit with the school librarian. He/she will probably have more book lists to offer, and prowl through a book store or two. I think the best ones have old, used books-- sometimes those that are out of print and unavailable anywhere else.
In the mean time, please keep reading.
They are are often closely related, but unfortunately, even when young readers have the skills required to comprehend, they may not be using them, and therefore, find no joy in reading books.
Reading Level is not always the best indicator of success or lack of it. When J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books came out, I observed children plowing through books far above their tested reading abilities. Thank you, Ms. Rowling.
On the other hand, I read A. A. Milne' Winnie the Pooh for the first time in college when some of my friends made fun of my lack of cultural awareness. I still loved my reading experience, and I'm glad I didn't miss it.
In the 1970's at Harvard, Howard Gardner began to publish his research on the subject of multiple types of intelligences. He originally identified seven of them; visual-spatial, body-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and logical-mathematical.
A child who is strongly intelligent in linguistics, for example, might love books, but one who is visually-spatially intelligent prefers illustrations, drawing, or arcade type games. (Gardner's work is summarized nicely on the following web site: http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html )
Learning styles are related to these strengths, and it is important to offer appropriate support if young readers are to choose to read books just because they like to.
Comprehension might be increased with auditory input. Reading aloud, alone or with a partner can help. Some readers are auditory learners and need to add this sensory tool. Encourage them to try mumble reading. (Don't we, as mature readers sometimes have to resort to reading difficult instruction aloud in order to understand them?)
Attention to detail can be increased by providing a drawing pad and pencils. Drawing characters, settings, maps, and floor plans often taps into spatial abilities, and helps readers learn to visualize the "word pictures" they are reading.
Try selecting books in a child's high interest areas. Animals lovers might like reading The Trouble with Tuck by Theodore Taylor. (When Helen faces a difficult decision about her blind golden lab, she comes up with an amazing solution.) Sports lovers will find a wealth of stories--both fiction and biographies. (Matt Christopher's books fill one or two shelves in every school library, and he writes for girls as well as boys.)
Another factor might involve the reader's need to multi-task. Young readers who are especially bright sometimes lose interest in reading because is too "single minded" for them. They find the process boring.
I have provided a little "treasure hunt" at the back of my middle-grade eBook, White Rabbit Time (Agent C Series) by Lynda. It offers readers a list of elements common to both my story and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Some readers have the ability to keep a list like that in the "back pocket" of their brain as they read a story. Oh, those busy, busy brains some children have!
Some developing readers complain that reading a book "takes too long". Any librarian will tell you that some children choose books by the width of their spines. Actually, this isn't a problem if the thinner books are still good literature.
A sample of wonderful "thin" books is provided below:
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
100 Dresses by Eleanor Estes
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
The Twits by Roald Dahl
The Great Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater.
I have also been guilty of tearing apart a paperback to offer it as an old-fashioned serialized story--one chapter at a time. I once had chapters secretly delivered and hidden in various places around my classroom.(Hoboken Chicken, in the list above was a big success this way!)
Reluctant readers often need more support, especially in the first chapter or two, because books tend to have more description and less action just when their readers are trying to get interested.
Maps can help with establishing settings. Theodore Taylor's Teetoncey: Stranger from the Sea always makes me want to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This book is also a trilogy, and there is nothing like a dangling thread at the end of a book to encourage reading the next one in the series!
Mystery books also tend to pull the readers along.
Some books need to have historical foundations established. Ellen Klages' The Green Glass Sea and its sequel White Sands, Red Menace about the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, New Mexico are examples of these. They offer fascinating stories told from the perspective of the children who lived on the site with their families.
Sensitive children will love reading about the courage
of August Pullman in R. J. Palacio's wonderful book entitled Wonder. Born with a facial deformity, August was home-schooled until he entered fifth grade.
I hope you will find some of this information helpful.
Don't hesitate to ask your children's teachers to share their thoughts about their learning styles.
Visit with the school librarian. He/she will probably have more book lists to offer, and prowl through a book store or two. I think the best ones have old, used books-- sometimes those that are out of print and unavailable anywhere else.
In the mean time, please keep reading.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
#148 Plot Diagram for Jessie's Journey
Welcome to our newest reading audiences from Chile and Italy. You represent the 46th and 47th countries reported on the stats page for my blogs. Thank you for joining us.
In this post I will be discussing the plot plan for Jessie's Journey, my current work-in-progress for young readers.
Since, by definition, the plot describes a story's action and the reader's emotional reaction to it, I think it may be helpful to compare it to a roller coaster ride.
A diagram of the plot to Jessie's Journey might look like this:
In this post I will be discussing the plot plan for Jessie's Journey, my current work-in-progress for young readers.
Since, by definition, the plot describes a story's action and the reader's emotional reaction to it, I think it may be helpful to compare it to a roller coaster ride.
A diagram of the plot to Jessie's Journey might look like this:
1. The Back Story gives the reader needed information about the setting and the main character. The action is moving along without too many bumps until...
2. A Catalyst changes things. Suddenly there is a need for action.
3. Caught in the middle of the Rising Action, the main character tries several things in an attempt to stabilize the rocky situation, but nothing works. In fact, each seems to complicate it more. The reader's heart begins to pound as the main character races toward...
4. A Climax. This is the peak of the action, and it is followed by...
5. Falling action. The tension dissolves, but the reader still doesn't completely understand why things happened as they did. That is revealed in...
6. The Denouement. The translation of this French word is something like "untying the knot". Everything is cleared up, and the main character realizes...
7. In the Conclusion, that she has changed in some very significant ways.
*****
Next time I want to discuss some techniques for improving comprehension in young readers. The post will not focus on any specific book, but will cover subjects such as adjusting readability and/or interest levels, shared and "mumble" reading, drawing, and mapping.
*****
And don't forget to visit my other blog at: www.ebooks4kids.blogspot.com. I have offered some recommendations for Christmas reading on Amazon's Kindles and/or Barnes and Nobles' Nook devices.
*****
Until then, please keep reading.
Friday, December 7, 2012
#147 Characters in Jessie's Journey
The following list contains most of the characters in my developing ebook entitled Jessie's Journey:
Jessie is the main character. She is a fourteen-year-old girl who trusts technology more than any of the people in her life.
Jessie's mother has become increasingly ill and dependent on some kind of medicine.
Rosie and Daisy are Jessie's four-year-old twin sisters.
Granny Annie is Jessie's grandmother. She sometimes takes the twins to her house because Jessie isn't able to care for them and her mother too.
Cookie is Granny Annie's black and white cat.
Agent C (Catalyst) takes the role of a worker from the Animal Control Department in Jessie's Journey. (He takes different roles in other ebooks of this series.)
Mr. Forester owns a used bicycle shop and also repairs computers in his back room.
Ran is a sixteen-year-old boy who works for Mr. Forester. His name is short for "Random".
Mr. Wolf is the wealthy man who owns Jessie's house and many other buildings in town. He wields enough power to frighten most people.
Percy is Jessie's friend. The girls have identical electronic journals and communicate long distances with the devices until Jessie's stops working.
Readers can expect Jessie to change over the course of this story. Main characters do that.
Secondary characters mostly support the activities of the main character. They don't usually develop and change very much.
This story follows the usual literary pattern with a conflict between the protagonist (in this case the "champion" is Jessie) and an antagonist ( the "bad guy" she opposes is Mr. Wolf).
Next time I will discuss the plot structure of Jessie's Journey. However, don't expect me to fill in too many details. You will have to read the ebook when it is published to find out how everything turns out.
Jessie is the main character. She is a fourteen-year-old girl who trusts technology more than any of the people in her life.
Jessie's mother has become increasingly ill and dependent on some kind of medicine.
Rosie and Daisy are Jessie's four-year-old twin sisters.
Granny Annie is Jessie's grandmother. She sometimes takes the twins to her house because Jessie isn't able to care for them and her mother too.
Cookie is Granny Annie's black and white cat.
Agent C (Catalyst) takes the role of a worker from the Animal Control Department in Jessie's Journey. (He takes different roles in other ebooks of this series.)
Mr. Forester owns a used bicycle shop and also repairs computers in his back room.
Ran is a sixteen-year-old boy who works for Mr. Forester. His name is short for "Random".
Mr. Wolf is the wealthy man who owns Jessie's house and many other buildings in town. He wields enough power to frighten most people.
Percy is Jessie's friend. The girls have identical electronic journals and communicate long distances with the devices until Jessie's stops working.
*****
Readers can expect Jessie to change over the course of this story. Main characters do that.
Secondary characters mostly support the activities of the main character. They don't usually develop and change very much.
This story follows the usual literary pattern with a conflict between the protagonist (in this case the "champion" is Jessie) and an antagonist ( the "bad guy" she opposes is Mr. Wolf).
*****
Next time I will discuss the plot structure of Jessie's Journey. However, don't expect me to fill in too many details. You will have to read the ebook when it is published to find out how everything turns out.
*****
I am able to offer you an opportunity to download a free copy of Pomegranate (Agent C Series) by Lynda for your kindle reading devices on December 8 and 9. Just log on to Amazon.com and enter the ebook title in the search window.
Pomegranate is the book in which Jessie was first introduced as Percy's friend (in Chapter 5), and this book will give you a nice connection to Jessie's Journey.
*****
Feel free to read the latest post in my other blog too. I have recommended some Christmas ebooks for kids on www.ebooks4kids.blogspot.com.
And, as always, please keep reading.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
#146 Setting of Jessie's Journey
Before we begin to examine the setting of my latest writing project, Jessie's Journey, I want to extend a warm welcome to our brand new audience from Spain. You represent the 44th country in my pageview stats provided by Blogger for www.jumpup2chapterbooks.blogspot.com.
Learning to read is really a universal need. It's amazing, isn't it?
In the Mind of a Cat, by Lynda, a picture book about my cat, Topper
Circles in the Wind, by Lynda, a picture book about the life cycle of a dandelion
Monkey Tales, by Lynda, for a beginning reader
Margaret's Christmas Cookies, by Lynda, a short chapter book for middle-grade readers
Tiny Others (Agent C Series), by Lynda, a chapter book for middle-grade readers
Pomegranate (Agent C Series), by Lynda, a chapter book for middle-grade readers
Lucky Alana (Agent C Series), by Lynda, a chapter book for middle-grade readers
White Rabbit Time (Agent C Series), by Lynda, a chapter book for middle-grade readers
Next time we will examine some of the characters in Jessie's Journey.
Learning to read is really a universal need. It's amazing, isn't it?
*****
The setting of a story is sometimes divided into three parts; time, place, and mood or atmosphere.
The time element in Jessie's Journey was partly developed in my earlier book, Pomegranate (Agent C Series). As I explained in the previous post, Jessie was introduced in that book as Percy's friend.
The Prologue of Pomegranate reveals that Percy's story takes place nine years after the great Techno-Crash. In other words, it is futuristic. In Chapter 13 of Pomegranate, we discover that Jessie has moved away from her friend, but now their stories continue in Jessie's Journey.
We have also move forward in time a bit, perhaps a year or more.
*****
Jessie is living in a different place with her mother and her twin sisters. Her only means of communication with her friend Percy is through their electronic journals that they call "Pomegranates". That seems to indicate that they live some distance away from each other.
*****
The mood and atmosphere at the beginning of our story might be described as desperate. After Jessie finds herself alone, she returns to her love of technology. Unlike the people in her life who always seemed to let her down, computers have remained consistent and undemanding. However she has trouble feeling the same kind of trust for people.
*****
Two of these three, the place and mood or atmosphere will begin to shift and change as our story progresses.
And of course, time marches on.
*****
Now for a bit of business. I have made some changes to the availability of my eBooks. All eight titles are now offered exclusively for Kindles on Amazon.com. I signed an agreement with them for at least 90 days, and after that I will decide whether or not to resume sales through Barnes and Noble for their Nook.
I will notify you if I make any further changes around the beginning of March, 2013.
My current eight eBook titles on Amazon.com for Kindles are:
In the Mind of a Cat, by Lynda, a picture book about my cat, Topper
Circles in the Wind, by Lynda, a picture book about the life cycle of a dandelion
Monkey Tales, by Lynda, for a beginning reader
Margaret's Christmas Cookies, by Lynda, a short chapter book for middle-grade readers
Tiny Others (Agent C Series), by Lynda, a chapter book for middle-grade readers
Pomegranate (Agent C Series), by Lynda, a chapter book for middle-grade readers
Lucky Alana (Agent C Series), by Lynda, a chapter book for middle-grade readers
White Rabbit Time (Agent C Series), by Lynda, a chapter book for middle-grade readers
Next time we will examine some of the characters in Jessie's Journey.
Until then, please keep reading...
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