GAP FAMILY BLOG

Would you like to win a copy of the book, Poodle and Doodle? Of course! If you click this link, you'll find out how to enter!

http://mymcbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/book-reviewgiveaway-poodle-doodle-ends-feb-11th/#comments

Shellie wonders what it would be like to be a different animal. After all, some can fly, leap, hop, flutter, and so many other things. Her big brother explains to look inside yourself and like what you see to find true happiness.


A young boy, Frank, moves to the Moon. He realizes that things he took for granted on earth are now much more difficult to overcome. Learn how he adapts to his new environment and share in his new life lessons on the Moon.



Rooty Rooster ignores a new chick because he finds him both scary and disgusting. The new chick, a baby vulture, struggles to win Rooty’s heart. And when he does, Rooty invites him to join him in a crowing session on top of the barn roof.

Traditionally the first few months of the new year have always been the months my kids struggle to stay interested in their studies. So I have gotten creative to help my kids study in surprising (and possibly annoying) ways that have prove effective.

I started this when my children were still young enough to have weekly spelling tests. We all know that studying anything weekly can get monotonous. Our traditional way of studying for spelling was to give our children a test at the beginning of the week to determine which words they needed to study. Then we would have them write out each word five times and spell it out loud as they wrote it down. The audible aspect proved just as successful as the repetition for memorization.

However, that method became less enjoyable and a bit tired after the holiday hoopla left them staring at a long stretch of school days. We’d still give them the test at the beginning of the week to determine which words they needed the most support in learning, but then we’d switch things up. All bets were off and studying could happen at all hours of the day.

Stumbling into the bathroom early morning to take a shower, they might find their words written (in soap) on the bathroom mirror. Or perhaps I’d write one with syrup on their breakfast pancakes. My favorite was the ‘earn it’ method of index cards. I taped index cards all around the house; on the pantry door or refrigerator, on the door frame of the playroom, their bedroom, the bathroom, anywhere I knew they were going to be, with one spelling word written on each card. Then we’d require our studying child to write the word three times before entering, or getting a snack, or a drink. Over the course of a week, they wrote their words far more times than our traditional study method.

An added benefit to the public display of spelling is that all the children in your household benefit, regardless of their education level. I sort of miss the whimsy of writing on the mirror with soap. Plus there is no guarantee the mirror is washed weekly any more. Hmmm … maybe I’ll start leaving them soapy love notes.

If your child is struggling with academic doldrums, get creative and surprise them with a new way of studying.

About Kai Strand:

Kai is a children's author of middle grade and young adult novels. Her debut tween novel, The Weaver, is available now and her second middle grade novel, Save the Lemmings! will be published in 2012. Kai is a regular contributor to Knowonder, a website dedicated to publishing a daily read aloud story for children ten years old and younger. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, "Do your dishes!" Obviously she likes to write. She reads a lot as well and calls it research. She loves to garden, though she doesn’t consider herself very good at it. She sings incessantly; you might very well find her singing in Latin while browsing at Target. Most of the time she doesn't realize she’s singing aloud. She and her family love to hike and geocache in beautiful Central Oregon.
About The Weaver:

In a town of word weavers, Mary suffers through her third year of Novice Word Weaving. Mary thinks her troubles are over when she meets a gnome-elf who grants her a wish. But instead of weaving a better story, she's weaving strange yarn charms to accompany her still pathetic tales.

The Weaver is a lyrical tale that offers a little magic and a lot of storytelling, for children 9 – 12 years old. The Weaver is a finalist in the EPIC eBook Awards. Click on the link to read an excerpt from the book.
You can find out more about Kai and her writing on her website: http://www.kaistrand.com/.

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


The beginning of a new year usually brings a time of reflection on the year gone by and hopes of the new year filled with health, happiness, and success. As I get older, I conduct a mental housecleaning of simplifying my life and taking a concerted effort to enjoy the moment of the current day, instead of worrying about the "what if's", because often times the "what's if's" don't even come into play. It takes time to break the "what if" habit, try it today and focus in on your tasks of the day instead of obsessing about tomorrow. I know for myself I find myself not as drained if I focus on the here and now, instead of what I think the coming days, weeks, and months should be.

Our January 2012 theme for the month is all about siblings. Come along and reminisce about your childhood through the delightful poetry and stories in this month's issue and don't forget to share your memories with your children.

Letter from the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Donna M. McDine

Featured Books:

My Sister is My Best Friend a TRILINGUAL Flip Book by Nicole Weaver, illustrated by Clara Batton Smith
My Brother the Frog by Kevin McNamee, illustrated by Alexander Morris

Children's poetry, SHORT STORIES, and articles:

“My Little Brother” by Katie (age 10) – the antics of a little brother and big sister’s frustration.

“Hailey’s Homework,” by Juliana Jones and illustrated by Jack Foster – Young Hailey is too little for homework and makes up her own assignment with unhappy results.

“Monsters and Brothers,” by Judy L. Forney and illustrated by Samantha Bell – The roller coaster ride of brothers and how they tease one another.

“Keys to Help Your Child Score Well on Standardized Tests,” by Nicole Weaver - Tips to help you prepare your child for standardized tests beyond the studying.

Featured Drawing, Games & Activities:

Draw and paint your brothers and sisters with Painting Board

Featured Games from Guardian Angel Publishing Books

Visit Guardian Angel Kid today and www.guardian-angel-kids.com and enjoy a child safe and ad free Ezine.

We also invite you to stay connected with Guardian Angel Kids through our Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guardian-Angel-Kids-Ezine/163785080346247.

Please feel free to drop Editor-in-Chief, Donna McDine an email at submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com and let them know what you think of Guardian Angel Kids and what you'd like to see in the future. They aim to please.

The Guardian Angel Kids Ezine staff and contributors look forward to your visit. Thank you for your time and interest.

Here is another New Year's resolution from a member of the GAP family. Cheryl C. Malandrinos is the author of Little Shepherd.

I stopped making New Year's resolutions a long time ago. This year, however, I am in the middle of many changes in  my life and resolutions in regards to my writing seem more important than ever.

In 2012, I resolve to work hard at finding homes for the six picture books I wrote during May 2011's Picture Book Writing Week. Two have been rejected by literary agents already, but I will spend part of 2012 revising them and sharing them with my critique groups to see if I can change that. In addition, despite the fact that I plan to return to working outside my home for the first time in eight years, I resolve to finish my two works in progress--Hold Your Horses (Christian juvenile) and Amelia's Mission (middle grade historical)--and get them ready for submission.




Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer, children’s author and editor. Her first children’s book, Little Shepherd, was released in August 2010 by Guardian Angel Publishing. She is also a member of the SCBWI, a book reviewer and blogger. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two children. She also has a son who is married.

Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com/ or visit the Little Shepherd book blog at http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/

Wishing all our readers a happy and healthy new year! Thank you for your continued support of Guardian Angel Publishing, its staff, authors and illustrators.