Words from the Heart

A while back, I introduced a fellow New Englander and author, who grew up not too far from my hometown to my readers, Melissa Ann Goodwin .  Melissa had just released her book, The Christmas Village , which is a wonderful holiday tale (for all ages!) about a troubled boy and his adventures in finding himself. Of course, being a tale that takes place during Christmas, there is magic as well as adventure! At the time, I read the book and was just captivated.  I had wished the story had continued.  Well, wishes do come true!! Melissa is about to release her sequel.  In Return to Canterbury , Jamie Reynolds once again takes us on an adventure.  This time to solve the mystery of his missing father, who has been gone for a year. On his adventures, Jamie will meet up with some of the friends he made in The Christmas Village.  Can the find Jamie's father?  Can they save Canterbury? I, for one, cannot wait to read the sequel!  I highly reco...

I am so excited to share a recent interview with Julie Cavacco, author of a new children's book, "My Worst Best Friend."  She is a Children's Librarian (12 yrs) and former substitute (15 yrs). Julie has become dedicated to getting the right book into a student's hands. She says, "There is so much self esteem wrapped up into when and how we start reading. I have seen the natural, and not necessarily bad, competition of first graders talking about how they can read Harry Potter. The delayed reader can't join in on that conversation, and eventually, they notice the difference, which effects self esteem and eventually classroom behavior."  Julie's own two kids, now adults, were not early dedicated readers, but, she says, they had the skills. "I've seen them, as teenagers, ignore electronics with all the bells and whistles in favor of a good book. Now, they can join in on conversations, because reading has bolstered their vocabula...