Friday, March 25, 2011

Book Review ~ The Golden Pathway - powerful story of good and evil

I'm pleased to share with you the latest book review of The Golden Pathway.

Title: The Golden Pathway

Written by: Donna McDine

Illustrated by: K.C. Snider

Ages: 8-12

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Hardcover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-081-1; 1616330813

Soft cover: ISBN: 978-1-61633-088-0; 1616330880

eBook: ISBN: 978-1-61633-082-8; 1616330821

Published: August 2010

Abused by a callous father, David, a sensitive boy, knows by his kind and compassionate nature, the difference between right and wrong. When he observes his father’s cruel and constant punishment of Jenkins, a sixteen year old slave, David knows he must save him. But, how?

Follow David as he tends to Jenkins’ wounds from Pa’s relentless beatings. And be there as David gathers information as to how a slave can make his way to freedom, a dangerous undertaking for the brave and caring boy.

Award winning children’s author, Donna McDine, has produced a powerful story of good and evil, a must read for every child. She defines, in a beautifully written and poignant way, one man’s inhumanity to man and the redeeming qualities of his son.

The author also provides the reader with a strong bibliography and an interesting Author’s Note section, giving insight into the various terms used during the Underground Railway years.

The well known Oregon artist, K.C. Snider, has done heroic work with her illustrations. They are not only realistic, but timeless. They provide a compelling backdrop to the author’s commanding prose. She gives one a tender glimpse into a world gone mad, where one boy stands alone and makes a difference.

Please take a look at Donna McDine’s web sites and learn more about this talented author:

http://www.donnamcdine.com/

http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/

http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com/

K.C. Snider’s beautiful artwork may be viewed at:

http://www.kcsniderart.com/

http://blog.kcsniderart.com/



Review by: Nancy Stewart, children’s author and university professor of education, specializing in Children’s and Young Adult Literature






Thank you for your time and interest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Dallas Woodburn ~ New Release: Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today’s best youth writing


Please join me in giving author, Dallas Woodburn a warm welcome as she shares with us today her latest project.

New Release: Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today’s best youth writing

“The best children’s book writers are not people who have kids, but people who write from the child within themselves.”

— Andrea Brown

In 2010, I founded the youth publishing company Write On! Books with the belief that young people need and deserve a vehicle to share their unique voices with each other, and with society as a whole. Our debut anthology, Dancing With The Pen, features stories, poems, and essays by more than sixty young writers in middle school and high school from across the United States and even abroad: Singapore, Canada, and New Zealand.

Write On! Books has a twofold goal: give young writers an outlet for expression, while also publishing exciting, creative work that gets kids excited about reading. Dancing with the Pen is a book for young writers, young readers, and the young at heart. I like to tell young people, “Even if you are not normally a big reader, this book is still for you. Maybe you'll recognize yourself in these pages.” I hope people who read this book are inspired to pick up a pen, step out on the dance floor, and go for a whirl themselves.

The idea to start Write On! Books was sparked within me more than a decade ago, when I released my first book, There’s a Huge Pimple On My Nose: a collection of stories and poems. I was in fifth grade, and the book – and my writing dreams – snowballed in magical ways I had not thought possible. Pimple was reviewed in national media outlets including CosmoGIRL!, Girls’ Life, and The Los Angeles Times. I was interviewed by newspapers and radio shows. I spoke at various writers conferences and book fairs, and the Santa Barbara Book Festival had a “Dallas Woodburn Day.” Perhaps most important of all was the thrill of seeing my own words in print. I felt proud and energized – the excitement of Christmas morning paled in comparison. My self-confidence blossomed. My love of writing intensified. I wanted to be a writer. I saw myself as a writer!

In the thirteen years since Pimple debuted, I have published a second collection of stories; contributed pieces to dozens of magazines, newspapers, websites, and Chicken Soup for the Soul books; written plays that were produced in Ventura and Los Angeles, California; and am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in fiction writing at Purdue University.

When I visit schools to speak about my own personal writing journey, I always ask the students if any of them are interested in writing. Usually a few tentative hands raise. In contrast, at the end of my talks when I ask the same question, nearly all the students excitedly thrust up their hands as if trying to touch the ceiling. Many young people tell me they didn’t know kids could be writers. Not only can kids be writers, they can be brilliant writers! They can write imaginative, touching, thought-provoking pieces, as Dancing With The Pen attests. And writing, especially for young people, can create many amazing opportunities.

The mission of Write On! For Literacy, which I founded in 2001, is to encourage kids to discover joy, confidence, a means of self-expression and connection to others through writing and reading. Activities and projects include writing contests, fun creative writing workshops, and an annual Holiday Book Drive that has collected and distributed nearly 12,000 new books to disadvantaged kids. For every copy purchased of Dancing With The Pen, a new book will be donated to Write On’s Holiday Book Drive to benefit disadvantaged youth.

Copies of Dancing With The Pen are available on Amazon:

Discounted bulk orders are also available through our website:

http://www.writeonbooks.org/writeonbooks.aspx
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dancingwiththepen
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/writeonbooks

Bio: Dallas Woodburn is the author of two award-winning collections of short stories and editor of Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today’s best youth writing. She has written more than 80 articles and essays for national publications including Family Circle, Writer’s Digest, The Los Angeles Times, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Creative Writing and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Fiction Writing at Purdue University, where she also teaches undergraduate writing courses.

Website: http://www.writeonbooks.org/

Blog: http://dallaswoodburn.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/writerdallas

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dallaswoodburn

Be sure to follow the author's of VBT Writers on the Move at the next stop when Shelby Patrick hosts Heather Paye http://writershotspot.blogspot.com/.

Thank you for your time and interest, it's been a pleasure having you visit.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Writing Mama, VS Grenier interviews Donna McDine

Hello All:
Hope you had a wonderful weekend and your Monday is off to a terrific start.
The Writing Mama, VS Grenier is hosting me today at http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/2011/03/vbt-guest-author-spotlight-donna-mcdine.html. If you can, please stop by and leave a comment, I'd enjoy interacting with you.

Thank you for your time and support!
Have a great day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Friday, March 11, 2011

What Reviewers Are Saying about The Golden Pathway


What Reviewers Are Saying about The Golden Pathway

"This story by author Donna M. McDine, with full-page, full-color illustrations by K. C. Snider, is an attention-grabbing way to introduce students to the fact that slavery once existed in this country and also illustrate how the “Underground Railroad” helped slaves to escape north so that they might gain their freedom. It is a great book.” – Wayne S. Walker, Home School Book Review

“Author Donna McDine pulls you in from the first sentence, and doesn’t let you go. Her writing is filled with sensory detail that puts you into the story and the era. She has created living, breathing characters, so much so, that I strongly felt their lives before and after the tale.” – A.R. Silverberry, author of Wyndano’s Cloak

“Once children have read about David and the part he played in the Underground Railroad, they’ll be eager to find other stories to enhance what they’ve learned in The Golden Pathway.” – Beverly Stowe McClure, author of Rebel in Blue Jeans, Just Breeze, and Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines

“The Golden Pathway, will teach children how people can come together and overcome seemingly impossible odds and learn a bit about American history and how to deal with a situation of bullying and abuse.” –Lauren S. Smith, She Writes http://www.shewrites.com/

“A tale sure to inspire anyone who doubts their own courage.” – Lori Calabrese, award-winning author of The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade

“The Golden Pathway is a story about courage and friendship.” – Renee Hand, author of The Crypto-Capers series and the award-winning, The Adventures of Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill: Case #1: The Great Pie Catastrophe

“In Donna McDine's debut book witness a poignant depiction of the best and worst of humanity. The portrayal of the brutality dealt a slave and a white boy's sense of right and wrong are expertly exposed. K.C. Snider is a fine artist and each illustration is a masterpiece. The historical fiction picture book's succinct and imaginative story coupled with the illustrations are a buffet for readers of all ages. I highly recommend this book.” – J. Aday Kennedy, award-winning multi-published author of inspirational/Christian pieces and of children’s literature

“The best thing about this book is that it raised other questions… Any book that can cause a child to crave more knowledge on a subject is a good one.” – Lynn’s Reading Corner

“I thought this was a very well written story for children to understand.” – Chrissy’s World of Books

Interested? Read an excerpt at: http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Monday, March 7, 2011

Celebrate e-Book Week ~ March 6-12, 2011


"E-BOOKS TURN 40! That's right - it's been forty years since Michael S. Hart created the first "e-book". For a more in-depth look at the history of e-books please see http://www.ebookweek.com/partners.html"

Be prepared to stay for awhile at this wonderful and in-depth website. The adventure continues....

In celebration of e-Book Week I'm thrilled to announce my children's historical fiction story book, The Golden Pathway is available in PDF e-Book format through immediate download or CD purchase at: http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm.

Thank you for your time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Shapes, Concepts, and Colors Swirl through the March 2011 Issue of Guardian Angel Kids













M E D I A  R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Donna McDine, Editor-in-Chief, Guardian Angel Kids Ezine
Email: submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com
Website: http://guardian-angel-kids.com/

For Immediate Release

Shapes, Concepts, and Colors Swirl through the March 2011 Issue of Guardian Angel Kids

A great way to spark enjoyment of learning in our young muses is to use the environment around us by discussing how shapes and colors develop into concepts for ease of understanding. For many individuals are visual learners and by developing their visual thinking skills it will certainly enhance their knowledge of their world.

Without further ado we invite you to come explore the March 2011 issue of Guardian Angel Kids Ezine http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/ through poetry, short stories, non-fiction, and a parent/teacher article. To add to your child’s learning enjoyment be sure to partake in the interactive activities, games, and videos.

FEATURED BOOKS:
Shaping Up the Year Flip Book written by Tracey M. Cox and illustrated by Samantha Bell

Shapes at the Beach Activity written by Lynda S. Burch

CHILDREN POETRY, STORIES, AND ARTICLES:

“Gray,” by Claudia Ann Sodaro mesmerizes what gray comes across as.

“Shapes All Around,” by Alice Knisley Matthias pulls in the world with the shapes around us.

“Magic Green Writing,” by Claudia Ann Sodaro turns the tables on how to adapt. Rosemarie Gillen’s illustration brings the joy of flexibility to life.

“Shape Friends,” by Stephanie Hoina teaches the joy of shapes and how we are enriched by individuality. Maureen Brodsky’s illustration brings forth the differences that join us.

“Colors of Danger,” by Carla Mae Jansen teaches the reader the warning colors in poison dart frogs.

“Building Self-Esteem in Young Children: Teachable Moments Provide Coping and Language Skills,” by Dorit Sasson is an insightful and important article on guiding our children to be comfortable in their own skin.

Grab your favorite snack and pull up a chair alongside your child and enjoy the interactive world of Guardian Angel Kids where the delightful stories take you on awe inspiring adventures.

Thank you for your time and interest.

###

Full Media Kit and more are available upon request electronically.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm