Matylda, Bright and Tenderby Holly M. McGhee
Sussy and Guy are best friends, fourth-graders who share their silliest thoughts and deepest hopes. One afternoon, the two of them decide they must have something of their very own to love. After a trip to the pet store, they bring home a spotted lizard, the one with the ancient face and starfish toes, and they name her Matylda (with a y so it’s all her own). With Guy leading the way, they feed her and give her an origin story fit for a warrior lizard. A few weeks later, on a simple bike ride, there is a terrible accident. As hard as it is, Sussy is sure she can hold on to Guy if she can find a way to love Matylda enough. But in a startling turn of events, Sussy reconsiders what it means to grieve and heal and hope and go on, for her own sake and Matylda’s. By turns both devastating and buoyant, this story is a brave one, showing how far we can justify going for a real and true friend.
MY REVIEW: (LAWonder10) Matylda - with a "y" - Bright and Tender is a wonderful, poignant tale of a close friendship which ended tragically. It is about developing love for someone, or something, difficult to love. Additionally, it is about the process of grief each individual must go through in her/his own way and how others can allow them to work through it. Finally, it us about unselfishness of caring individuals and of redemption. The author has created a unique, captivating story which induces the reader too become very endeared to the characters, The reader is "drawn into the story" to the point he/she will feel he/she is there. The writing of the author, Holly M. McGhee was very effective, coupled with the most outstanding narration of amazing Jenna Lamia. makes this a truly DYNAMIC Children's book on CD! Jenna Lamia is, by far, the most talented and entrancing "voice" i have ever listened to on tape. Her voice for each character is very concise. She never deviates. When she speaks of the background scenes its in a separate voice, also. If an educator wants a beak or if a audio story is needed for Summer Reading Programs, rest assured, this young voice will captivate children more than most anyone! This is not only an entertaining book but has a multitude of lessons one can use for several discussions. This is a very STRONG Five Stars rated book on tale, in this reviewer's opinion *I Won this Book on Tape. I was not asked to offer a positive review. This is my honest Review. 
AUTHOR"S BIO:
Twitter |Growing up in the Steuben Valley of upstate New York, I never guessed I'd ever write a book or be a literary agent . . . I was pretty busy singing loudly in the hay barn with my middle sister, selling sweet corn out of my dad's red pick-up truck at Gerry Blood's gas station, playing with our kittens, and building my own balance beam with a 4X4 piece of lumber and two sawhorses—I dreamed of being a gymnast . . . my back up was meteorologist.! What I did know from pretty early on was that I wanted to live in a city. So during college I did a publishing internship in New York, and I fell in love with the place, all these millions and millions of people living in relative peace astonished me, how was that even possible? I was hooked. And eventually I became an editor at HarperCollins, and years later, when a few projects I was crazy about didn't make it through the acquisitions process, I decided to start Pippin Properties, a literary agency. It was born from a longing to see stories I loved in print. And a little less than a decade after I opened the doors at Pippin, I was as surprised as anybody when the character who would narrate my first book came marching into my life while I was pleasantly reading on NJ Transit. She came in loudly and demanded I write down her story, in her words. That was my first real experience in writing (all in a spiral-bound notebook), and it led to the publication of the Dessert First trilogy, which led to my three picture books, two about a boy named Mitchell who was born to drive and one about my own son Marshall, who believed gingerbread men could run (I think we both still do). I wrote all of those under a pen name, Hallie Durand, because I wanted them to be judged on their own merit, not influenced one way or the other because I owned a literary agency or was a publishing insider. But these days I'm writing under my given name, Holly M. McGhee. My first middle-grade novel, Matylda, Bright and Tender came out in 2017 as did Come with Me (a picture book illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre). Because the books are inspired by my own emotional journey, it felt right to weave all of the strands of who I am together. I so look forward to continuing both writing my own books and bringing books I love into the world at Pippin. Look for Listen, again illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre, in Fall 2019. Twitter |Facebook | Tumbler |Website | 
$10.00 Amazon Gift Card GIVEAWAY!
[Ends 6/28/18]
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Book Details:
Book Title: Buckaroo Buckeye: A Little Nut with Big Dreams Author: Kristin Anderson Cetone Illustrator: Nadia Komorova Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 36 pages | Publisher: KLAC Enterprises, LLC | Release date: September 1, 2012 Genre: Friendship, Social Skills & School Life, Bullies, Growing Up & Facts of Life | Content Rating: G Tour dates: May 21 to June 15, 2018 Book Description: Winner of the Mom's Choice Silver and OneBookAZ Awards! There's a new cowboy in town! Hit the trail with Buckaroo Buckeye, a lovable little nut who falls from his tree in Ohio, as he dodges the bumps and bullies along the way in a magical journey to find his true place in the world. Created by Reading Specialist Kristin Cetone, Buckaroo Buckeye teaches children 4-8 to: • Learn to ignore bullies • Improve their self-esteem • Connect with reading • "Dream, Believe and Achieve" no matter their size! Your child will be inspired by Buckaroo's determination in this touching story with unforgettable characters illustrated by Nadia Komorova. Get yours today! BOOK TRAILER:
Book Trailer:
GUEST POST: What inspired you to write this book, and when? Book publishers and other authors often tell aspiring writers to write from what they know and have experienced in their life. This is the foundation for all writers. I witnessed so many young children with low self-esteem because they could not read. Many were bullied. I knew I wanted to write a story of encouragement and not discouragement, for children and their parents. Believe in yourself and follow your dreams. Everyone has this tiny ‘seed’ within them and with determination, perseverance and nurturing, they will succeed. They will have to rise above the bumps and bullies along their journey to self-discovery as there will be many who cross their path! I know, because through the years I have had many who felt I was too shy and too afraid to reach for my dreams. Telling my story was my dream, but what kind of character should I have? It’s very hard to find a relatable character to tell such a universal story, so I decided I wanted to create a unique, but adorable character for readers to love. I got my inspiration from my own ‘roots.’ Born and raised in Ohio, the tiny buckeye nut ‘seed’ was a natural part of my life. I thought to myself, “this tiny buckeye nut seed could represent the tiny ‘seed’ we all carry within us with our passions and dreams. With proper nourishment from family, culture, education, and life experiences this tiny seed will sprout and grow mighty…despite discouragement and self-doubts along the way, just as the majestic buckeye tree grows from a tiny seed. So, I brought Buckaroo Buckeye to life. Did I mention, that as a child I was always fascinated about the days of the cowboy and the old wild west. So, I decided to transform my buckeye nut seed character, into a cowboy, ten years ago! Yippee! The focus of my book came from my father. He would ask many times, “do you know what a buckeye nut is?” To be respectful, we would say, “No, Dad, what is a buckeye nut?” He would always respond, “It’s a worthless nut!” This is the starting point for Buckaroo. He starts his life journey of self-discovery to find his purpose and worth and place in the world despite discouraging words and self-doubts on the long journey, when in the end, this tiny seed finds his true place in the world and discovers it was within him from the very beginning. He always believed in himself and his dreams. We are all born with the potential for greatness! So as Buckaroo will tell you, “Dream, Believe, Achieve.” “Success comes from a tiny ‘seed’ within each of us. This tiny seed contains our hopes and dreams and passions in life. When we receive encouragement and nourishment from family, culture, education, and life experiences, the seed will sprout and grow mighty, and rise above the bumps and bullies and setbacks along the way. Discouraging words…discourage dreams, Encouraging words…sprout dreams, Parents plant the seeds.” -Kristin Anderson Cetone 
About the Author:
Buckaroo Buckeye grew out of author Kristin Anderson Cetone's imagination and joy of reading. Born in Dayton, Ohio, she traveled many miles before putting down roots in the Arizona desert. Influenced by family, education, life experiences, and a desire to teach others, Mrs. Cetone discovered her purpose---just like Buckaroo Buckeye did. Her true calling and passion is writing and helping others become successful readers. She created Buckaroo to encourage children to believe in themselves and follow their dreams while dodging the bumps and bullies along the way. Reading will help guide the way. Being a Reading Specialist, she has also created Nuts About Reading™ an informal, supplemental, online reading service. She shares her insights and suggestions to help parents strengthen their children's reading process and become successful readers. Her joy now is to inspire and help kids to find the Buckaroo Buckeye in themselves. Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram
Giveaway:
Prize: Win a signed copy of Buckaroo Buckeye plus a $5 Amazon.com gift card (open to USA & Canada - 1 winner) (ends June 23, 2018) 
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