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November 2015 VOL. 1 / ISSUE 15<br />
TM<br />
Great Reads for Growing Minds<br />
<strong>Jeff</strong> <strong>Kinney</strong>:<br />
Diary of a Bestselling Author<br />
Jesse Ventura<br />
Goes Off the Grid<br />
with New Book, Talk Show<br />
Fampoints<br />
Offers a Simple,<br />
Fun Way to Reinforce<br />
Positive Behavior<br />
Travel to Newfoundland<br />
and Labrador with Author<br />
Necie Mouland<br />
www.StoryMonsters.com<br />
$9.95 US $12.95 Canada<br />
The Neon<br />
Tiki Tribe:<br />
Educational Superheroes<br />
That Teach Children<br />
About Real-Life Issues<br />
What’s Behind<br />
the Bullying?
MEET THE STAFF<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Linda F. Radke<br />
Linda@FiveStarPublications.com<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Cristy Bertini<br />
Cristy@FiveStarPublications.com<br />
WRITER<br />
Melissa Fales<br />
DESIGN<br />
<strong>Jeff</strong> Yesh<br />
Science & Nature Editor<br />
Conrad J. Storad<br />
PROOFREADER<br />
Debbie Greenberg<br />
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Laurie Herring<br />
Advertising<br />
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Info@FiveStarPublications.com<br />
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Cristy@FiveStarPublications.com<br />
Special Contributors<br />
Shirin Zarqa-Lederman, Joshua Bloomfield<br />
Darleen Wohlfeil, Olivia Amiri<br />
TM<br />
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2 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Story Monsters Ink<br />
November<br />
2015<br />
Welcome to the November issue of Story<br />
Monsters Ink! This is a very special issue for a very special<br />
month. With over 150 million copies sold worldwide since the first<br />
one was published in 2007, <strong>Jeff</strong> <strong>Kinney</strong>’s books are perhaps the most<br />
recognizable and most loved by kids today. Meet the big kid behind<br />
the wimpy kid in this month’s issue. Also in this issue, Jesse Ventura<br />
talks about his new book, American Conspiracies, an updated version<br />
of his 2010 title of the same name. Learn about a new tool developed<br />
by Roger Doumanian that allows parents to digitally track, monitor<br />
and reward their children’s behavior, take a trip to Newfoundland and<br />
Labrador with author Necie Mouland, find out how some educational<br />
superheroes are using books to teach children about real-life issues,<br />
and take a look at what’s behind bullying. We hope you all have a<br />
wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We are thankful for our readers!<br />
Tell us what you think of this issue! Email your comments<br />
to Cristy@FiveStarPublications.com.<br />
Features<br />
04 <strong>Jeff</strong> <strong>Kinney</strong>:<br />
Diary of a Bestselling Author<br />
08 Jesse Ventura Goes<br />
Off the Grid<br />
with New Book, Talk Show<br />
10 Fampoints<br />
Offers a Simple, Fun Way to<br />
Reinforce Positive Behavior<br />
14 Travel to Newfoundland<br />
and Labrador<br />
with Author Necie Mouland<br />
18 The Neon Tiki Tribe:<br />
Educational Superheroes<br />
That Teach Children About<br />
Real-Life Issues<br />
20 What’s Behind<br />
the Bullying?<br />
22 Conrad’s Classroom<br />
24 I am Thankful<br />
26 Monster Munchies<br />
28 Holiday Gift Guide<br />
32 Activity Page<br />
34 Book Reviews<br />
38 Juicy Jack’s Spanish Corner<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 3
Feature Cover Story<br />
<strong>Jeff</strong> <strong>Kinney</strong>:<br />
Diary of a Bestselling Author<br />
by Melissa Fales<br />
Sales of the books in the Diary of a<br />
Wimpy Kid series have been anything<br />
but wimpy, with over 150 million<br />
copies sold worldwide since the first<br />
one was published in 2007. <strong>Jeff</strong><br />
<strong>Kinney</strong>’s latest effort, Diary of a<br />
Wimpy Kid: Old School is due out<br />
November 3. According to <strong>Kinney</strong>,<br />
the adventures of the series’<br />
selfish, yet undeniably likeable<br />
protagonist, Greg Heffley, are<br />
not exactly autobiographical.<br />
“There are definitely some<br />
shared references,” <strong>Kinney</strong><br />
says. “I would say that Greg’s<br />
story is similar to mine. The<br />
DNA is there.The basics are<br />
all there, but the particulars<br />
have changed.”<br />
4 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Feature Cover Story<br />
<strong>Kinney</strong> grew up in Fort<br />
Washington, Maryland,<br />
as part of a family that appreciated<br />
a good story, especially one with<br />
comedic elements. “We’d always<br />
indulge my grandmother and<br />
listen when she’d start one of her<br />
own tales,” he explains. “She’d tell<br />
and retell the same stories again<br />
and again, and we’d never say<br />
‘Gram, we’ve all heard that one a<br />
million times.’ We’d just listen.”<br />
Thanks to <strong>Kinney</strong>’s mother, an<br />
educator, his childhood home<br />
featured a library of awardwinning<br />
books for him and his<br />
three siblings to read. However, it<br />
was <strong>Kinney</strong>’s father who provided<br />
his favorite reading material. “He<br />
brought home lots and lots of<br />
comic books,” says <strong>Kinney</strong>.<br />
The comics left a lasting<br />
impression on him. While<br />
attending the University of<br />
Maryland where he studied<br />
criminal justice, <strong>Kinney</strong> started<br />
drawing “Igdoof,” a cartoon for<br />
the school’s newspaper. While<br />
<strong>Kinney</strong> had been a top student in<br />
high school, he found himself just<br />
getting by in college as he devoted<br />
more and more of his time to his<br />
comic strip and spent less time on<br />
his studies. “I had my priorities,”<br />
he says.<br />
<strong>Kinney</strong> credits his decision to<br />
pursue a career as a newspaper<br />
cartoonist to the confluence of<br />
his lifelong interest in his father’s<br />
comic book collection with the pop<br />
culture prominence of cartoons<br />
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.<br />
“I came of age during the height<br />
of Bloom County and Calvin and<br />
Hobbes,’” <strong>Kinney</strong> explains. “I<br />
wanted to be a part of that.”<br />
After college, <strong>Kinney</strong> spent three<br />
years unsuccessfully trying to<br />
get his comic strip syndicated.<br />
“It was clear that I needed to<br />
head in a different direction,” he<br />
says. During this time, <strong>Kinney</strong><br />
actually did keep a diary. “The<br />
idea behind the diary was the<br />
hope that it would motivate me to<br />
keep working on my comic strip.<br />
Instead, it gave me the idea for<br />
a new format.” In 1998, <strong>Kinney</strong><br />
came up with the concept for Diary<br />
of a Wimpy Kid, a book peppered<br />
with his simple but effective<br />
illustrations. “I consider this to be<br />
long-form cartooning,” he says.<br />
<strong>Kinney</strong> worked on that first draft<br />
of Diary of a Wimpy Kid for years.<br />
“I was originally writing it for<br />
an adult audience, as more of a<br />
nostalgic thing,” he explains. “Then<br />
I brought a draft with me to the<br />
New York Comic Convention and<br />
found a publisher who liked it,<br />
but he envisioned it as a children’s<br />
book instead. The rest is history.”<br />
An online version of the book<br />
came out in 2004. Due to popular<br />
demand, the first print copy was<br />
released three years later.<br />
Each book takes at least six<br />
months to create. For <strong>Kinney</strong>, it all<br />
starts with the jokes. “I typically<br />
come up with about 350 jokes<br />
before I begin writing each book.<br />
I do all of the drawings as the last<br />
step, but I usually have them in my<br />
head all along.”<br />
<strong>Kinney</strong> attributes much of the<br />
series’ success to the inclusion<br />
of what he sees as universal,<br />
pre-adolescent experiences. For<br />
example, the series’ compelling<br />
recurring references to the moldy<br />
slice of cheese left behind on the<br />
schoolyard and the social curse<br />
of the “cheese touch” affixed to<br />
anyone who touches it. “Every<br />
group of kids has something like<br />
that,” <strong>Kinney</strong> says. “Of course it’s<br />
not always cheese. Maybe there<br />
are all orange chairs except for<br />
one that’s yellow. If you sit on the<br />
yellow chair, you’ve suddenly got<br />
this condition. You’re the outcast.<br />
You’re basically a pariah. That’s<br />
how kids are.”<br />
With two sons of his own, Will<br />
and Grant, <strong>Kinney</strong> says he feels<br />
fortunate to have a window into<br />
their realm. “It’s nice to be able to<br />
have a second look at childhood<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 5
Feature Cover Story<br />
through my own kids. I don’t necessarily draw<br />
ideas directly from them, but I do take in<br />
inspiration from the world that they’re living in.”<br />
In addition to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books,<br />
<strong>Kinney</strong> created Poptropica, a video game that<br />
offers a virtual world for children to play in.<br />
Where others might see books and video<br />
games as competing mediums for children’s<br />
attention, <strong>Kinney</strong> sees congruity. “What they<br />
share is storytelling,” he says. “Both a book<br />
and a video game are only as good as the story<br />
behind them.”<br />
<strong>Kinney</strong> is also busy with An Unlikely Story, a<br />
bookstore he and his wife, Julie recently opened in<br />
their adopted hometown of Plainville, Massachusetts.<br />
“A bookstore is an unusual choice, but the demand is<br />
suggesting that there was a really big need for it in the<br />
region,” he says. “We’re in a good location. We seem to<br />
have found that sweet spot. Now, the store feels like<br />
an integral part of the community. It already feels like<br />
it’s been a part of the town forever.”<br />
“I didn’t set out to write for children,<br />
but now I think that it’s meant to be.<br />
I think it’s because I like the same things<br />
that kids like. I like junk food. I like sports.<br />
I really like jokes. I’m basically just a kid<br />
at heart.”<br />
Looking ahead at future book projects, <strong>Kinney</strong> says<br />
he would like to branch out someday and write<br />
something other than the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.<br />
“Whatever I write, I’m guessing that it will be for kids.<br />
I didn’t set out to write for children, but now I think<br />
that it’s meant to be. I think it’s because I like the same<br />
things that kids like. I like junk food. I like sports. I<br />
really like jokes. I’m basically just a kid at heart.”<br />
For more information about <strong>Jeff</strong> <strong>Kinney</strong> and his<br />
books, visit www.wimpykid.com. •<br />
6 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Book Reviews<br />
10th ANNIVERSARY, Revised 2nd Edition<br />
Offers Ways to Aid and Empower Children Towards a Restful Night’s Sleep<br />
A children's picture book with an important lesson--for a good night's sleep. Highly recommended! - 2014 Midwest Book Reviews<br />
Needing some sleepytime help? Try these books - "Guardian of Dreams," by Wendy Torrel is a beautiful book about how to get<br />
back to sleep after a nightmare. It also includes some pre-reading and post-reading activities you can do with your children if<br />
they are having trouble with nightmares. - Nicole Villalpando – Raising Austin, Austin American-Statesman<br />
Award Winning!<br />
Available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and White Tulip Publishing -- Order your copy today!<br />
www.WhiteTulipPublishing.com<br />
White Tulip Publishing<br />
It’s the first day<br />
of kindergarten<br />
Presents<br />
10th ANNIVERSARY, Revised 2nd Edition<br />
and Offers Dee Ways to Aid is and Empower nervous!<br />
Children<br />
GUARDIAN OF DREAMS: A Bedtime Story (Rev. 2nd Ed.)<br />
Towards a Restful Night’s Sleep<br />
Things get worse when she finds out her twin sister<br />
isn’t even in her class! The anxiety of finding one’s own place<br />
in kindergarten without the comfort of having her sister<br />
nearby overwhelms Dee, until she realizes that she’s<br />
not the only one who has first day of school jitters.<br />
Coming December 2015—Now Available for Pre-Order<br />
www.donnamcdine.com<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 7
Feature Story<br />
Jesse Ventura<br />
Goes Off the Grid<br />
with New Book, Talk Show<br />
by Melissa Fales<br />
It’s hard to pin down a definitive description of<br />
Jesse Ventura. During his pro-wrestling days, he<br />
was known as “The Body” and played the part of a<br />
brazen bad guy. Towards the end of his wrestling<br />
career, Ventura began an acting career, appearing<br />
in such films as Predator, The Running Man, Major<br />
League II and Batman & Robin. From 1999 to 2003,<br />
residents of Minnesota addressed him as “Governor”<br />
and embraced him as a political reformer. In the<br />
newly released second edition of his book, American<br />
Conspiracies, Ventura continues his outspoken<br />
criticism of the United States government that has<br />
earned him a diverse collection of additional labels<br />
ranging from paranoid zealot to hero, depending<br />
on who you ask. Even Ventura himself doesn’t have<br />
a conclusive answer. “Personally, I consider myself<br />
multi-faceted, very much like my career,” he says.<br />
Ventura was raised in a family with a strong duty<br />
to country. “Everyone in my family served in the<br />
military,” he says, including his mother, a nurse in<br />
North Africa during World War II. They talked politics<br />
at the dinner table, where a young Ventura listened<br />
incredulously as his father told him in no uncertain<br />
terms that everything he was being taught in school<br />
about the Vietnam War was a lie. “He said the reason<br />
the U.S. was in Vietnam was because someone was<br />
making big money off of the war,” Ventura recalls. “And<br />
lo and behold, my dad was right. He passed away in<br />
1991, but I like to say he gets smarter every day. My<br />
father, with his six bronze battle stars from World War<br />
II, opposed the Vietnam War way before the hippies<br />
ever did.”<br />
According to Ventura, his father was so vocal<br />
about what he saw as the failings of the American<br />
government, not<br />
despite his deep-seated<br />
patriotism, but because<br />
of it. “Our forefathers<br />
knew that in order for<br />
this great experiment<br />
we call the United<br />
States to succeed, the<br />
citizens would have<br />
to remain vigilant,” he<br />
says. “We’ve dropped<br />
the ball. Today, if<br />
you question the<br />
government, you’re<br />
considered unpatriotic.<br />
But really, it’s the opposite. You’re a patriot if you do<br />
question the government. That’s the only way it works.<br />
We’ve lost sight of that. We’ve become a bunch of<br />
lemmings.”<br />
Although he vehemently opposed the war, Ventura’s<br />
father didn’t stand in the way of both of his sons<br />
entering the military. Ventura joined the U.S. Navy<br />
right out of high school and became a “frogman,”<br />
completing two tours in Southeast Asia.<br />
Returning to American soil, he enrolled at a<br />
community college, earning a 4.0 GPA his first quarter.<br />
A natural athlete, Ventura had gridiron aspirations,<br />
but ended up on stage instead, including a production<br />
of Aristophanes’ The Birds. When he discovered the<br />
world of pro-wrestling, Ventura was hooked. “I loved<br />
how it combined my athleticism and my theatrical<br />
background,” he says. “I like to refer to pro-wrestling<br />
as ballet with violence. Yes, it’s choreographed, but so<br />
was everything Nureyev did.”<br />
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Feature Story<br />
Jesse “The Body” Ventura became<br />
a World Wrestling Federation<br />
superstar. He still looks back fondly<br />
on the early days when he drove to<br />
each match in his 1975 Mercury<br />
Cougar, including one grueling<br />
stretch of 63 consecutive nights in<br />
the ring. “It was a real grassroots<br />
effort back then,” he says.<br />
After leaving the WWF in 1990,<br />
Ventura ran for mayor of Brooklyn<br />
Park, Minnesota as a Reform<br />
Party candidate. His success<br />
set the stage for his election as<br />
the Reform Party candidate for<br />
Minnesota Governor in 1998. “I’m<br />
dangerous because I’ve beaten<br />
the Democrats and Republicans,<br />
not once but twice,” Ventura says.<br />
“When I was governor, I was the<br />
most powerful man in America.<br />
I had a Democratic Senate and a<br />
Republican House. My last year<br />
in office, they teamed up against<br />
me. I forced the Democrats and<br />
Republicans to get together. Who<br />
else could do that?”<br />
In 2004, Ventura taught a popular<br />
class at Harvard University that<br />
touched on the parallels between<br />
pro-wrestlers and politicians. “The<br />
role you play as a pro-wrestler may<br />
be nothing like who you really are,”<br />
he says. “Most of our politicians<br />
are the same way. I was Jesse “The<br />
Body” Ventura in the ring and he’s<br />
part of me, but he doesn’t define<br />
who I am. I was performing. Many<br />
politicians are performing.”<br />
Similarly, Ventura says the<br />
mainstream news has lost the<br />
public’s trust and deteriorated<br />
into entertainment. “It’s not about<br />
informing people anymore,” he<br />
says. “It’s all about ratings, and<br />
they’ll package it any way they<br />
can to get them.” In response,<br />
Ventura hosts “Off the Grid,” an<br />
online political talk show he films<br />
in Mexico. He says he loves the<br />
“The role you play as a pro-wrestler may be nothing<br />
like who you really are. Most of our politicians are the<br />
same way. I was Jesse “The Body” Ventura in the ring<br />
and he’s part of me, but he doesn’t define who I am.<br />
I was performing. Many politicians are performing.”<br />
freedom he has with the program,<br />
free of FCC regulations and<br />
government intervention. “I’m in<br />
total control of the show,” he says.<br />
Ventura delves deeper into<br />
some of the topics he tackles<br />
on his talk show in American<br />
Conspiracies, an updated version<br />
of his 2010 book. “The great thing<br />
about the government is that it’s<br />
always giving me material for new<br />
chapters,” says Ventura. “You can<br />
count on the fact that it’s going to<br />
do something bad and try to cover<br />
it up.” The latest edition includes<br />
new revelations about 9/11, the<br />
Gulf oil spill, and Monsanto. “It’s<br />
great reading,” says Ventura. “It’s<br />
as mysterious as any Tom Clancy<br />
novel. The difference is that I’m<br />
writing about real people. This<br />
book should be in the horror<br />
section. It’s non-fiction horror.”<br />
What’s behind Ventura’s dogged<br />
determination to disseminate<br />
this information to the public?<br />
First and foremost, he says, is an<br />
unquenchable desire for the truth.<br />
“I despise being lied to and I feel<br />
like I have a government that lies<br />
to me constantly,” Ventura says.<br />
Secondly, Ventura wants people<br />
to pay more attention to their<br />
government. “The government<br />
takes half of the fruits of your<br />
labor,” he says. “Shouldn’t you<br />
pay attention to the people<br />
who take half of your pay from<br />
you?” Finally, Ventura feels a<br />
responsibility to keep tabs on the<br />
government because no one else is<br />
doing it, at least not as loudly and<br />
unflinchingly as he is.<br />
Ventura recalls an encounter he<br />
had as Governor of Minnesota<br />
during the 2000 presidential<br />
election between then-Governor<br />
George W. Bush and then-Vice<br />
President Al Gore. Ventura was<br />
visiting New York City and his car<br />
passed a construction site. “One<br />
of the construction guys stopped<br />
working, pointed at me, and in<br />
this big, baritone voice says, ‘The<br />
wrong governor is running for<br />
president.’” That moment left an<br />
indelible impact on Ventura. “That<br />
showed me that for all the trouble<br />
I get into, it’s all worth it. When<br />
everyday people beg me to keep<br />
doing what I’m doing, that just<br />
tells me that I’m right and what I’m<br />
doing is honorable. I’m just going<br />
to keep doing this. I have to. If not<br />
me, then who?” •<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 9
Fampoints<br />
Offers a Simple, Fun Way<br />
to Reinforce Positive Behavior<br />
By Melissa Fales<br />
Inspired by his own experience raising a strong-willed child,<br />
Roger Doumanian has created a free tool that allows parents<br />
to digitally track, monitor and reward children’s behavior on<br />
a Smartphone, tablet or computer.<br />
10 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Feature Story<br />
Doumanian got the idea for the<br />
program after grappling with his<br />
son Julian’s behavioral issues.<br />
“Our troubles started when he was<br />
three,” he says. “He was a smart<br />
kid, but rebellious and a little<br />
spoiled.” Wondering if Julian’s<br />
behavior might stem from some<br />
type of disorder, the Doumanians<br />
brought him to a therapist. The<br />
therapist found nothing wrong<br />
with Julian and recommended<br />
that the family implement a<br />
rewards chart, assigning stars for<br />
positive behavior and removing<br />
them in response to negative<br />
behavior. “The beauty of a chart is<br />
that it’s visual,” says Doumanian.<br />
“It lets kids see the consequences<br />
of their actions.”<br />
However, the chart didn’t work<br />
for Julian. For example, it was<br />
problematic if he acted up while<br />
the family was out. “We’d have to<br />
wait until we got home to remove<br />
a star,” says Doumanian. “The<br />
time that elapsed between Julian’s<br />
actions and when they were<br />
recorded on the chart made it hard<br />
for him to make the connection.<br />
Sometimes, by the time we’d get<br />
home, we’d forget altogether.”<br />
Doumanian looked for something<br />
digital that would be more<br />
portable and more manageable.<br />
“I couldn’t find anything that<br />
would do all the things we needed<br />
it to do,” he says. So, Doumanian,<br />
the CEO of tech firms Fresh<br />
Element and Harvester Holdings,<br />
spent two years developing and<br />
building Fampoints. The program<br />
launched in August to much<br />
acclaim and great feedback from<br />
parents and medical professionals.<br />
“Fampoints is a great tool<br />
for parents to help children<br />
understand their expectations,<br />
and to make sure the change in<br />
behavior and work to achieve goals<br />
and contribute to the family are<br />
recognized and rewarded each<br />
time, so that these sought after<br />
behaviors continue to shape the<br />
child’s positive participation in his<br />
or her environment,” says Nikki<br />
Miller, licensed psychotherapist.<br />
“It’s easy to use, either at home or<br />
on the fly, and offers options and<br />
flexibility for individual/family<br />
needs and preferences. It’s a win/<br />
win for the whole family!”<br />
Fampoints is based on the idea<br />
behind those old-fashioned<br />
behavior charts comprised<br />
of stickers on posterboard,<br />
but totally revamped for 21st<br />
century families.<br />
Parents simply create a Fampoints<br />
account for each child and<br />
generate a list of actions or<br />
behaviors. Each item on the list<br />
is assigned a certain number of<br />
points. “It works both ways,”<br />
Doumanian says. “Just as a child<br />
earns points through positive<br />
behavior, they lose points through<br />
negative behavior.” Parents can<br />
easily edit the list at any time.<br />
Parents also create rewards and<br />
determine how many points each<br />
reward requires. “You can make<br />
rewards something small like a<br />
special snack, something bigger<br />
like a movie ticket, or something<br />
huge like a trip to Disneyland,”<br />
says Doumanian. Since Fampoints<br />
is completely customizable,<br />
parents call the shots. “You create<br />
the rewards that will motivate<br />
your child,” says Doumanian. “The<br />
only limit is your creativity.”<br />
Children logging into Fampoints<br />
can see how many points they<br />
have, what kind of rewards they<br />
can earn, and how many points<br />
they need to redeem each reward.<br />
“They aren’t able to see how<br />
many points their siblings have,”<br />
Doumanian says.<br />
Every request to redeem points<br />
for a reward requires parental<br />
approval. “Mom or Dad receives<br />
an email that their child has<br />
requested a reward,” explains<br />
Doumanian. “Parents can approve<br />
or deny the request, and send<br />
a message back to the child<br />
explaining why. For example, a<br />
parent might decline a request<br />
to redeem reward points for a<br />
movie ticket if a child has been<br />
misbehaving. The Fampoints<br />
system encourages parents and<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 11
Feature Story<br />
children to talk to each other.<br />
“We always send the kids back to<br />
their parents,” says Doumanian.<br />
“We believe it’s very important<br />
to maintain that communication<br />
between parents and children.”<br />
As children progress, they can<br />
earn certificates upon reaching<br />
behavioral therapist. “The concept<br />
implements the use of technology<br />
to reward children and allow<br />
them to keep track of their own<br />
behaviors. Parents create goals<br />
and children follow through. It’s<br />
almost like a game, that’s probably<br />
why it works so well. Ultimately,<br />
fampoints is an easy tool to use,<br />
“At Fampoints, we’re focused on<br />
putting out positive solutions in<br />
today’s world.”<br />
children. Parents, and their<br />
creativity with this tool, are what<br />
really create the desired result of<br />
good behavior.”<br />
Doumanian says he knows<br />
Fampoints works and he hopes<br />
parents struggling to raise a<br />
difficult child will give it a try.<br />
“My wife and I went through<br />
some very hard times,” he said.<br />
“Julian’s doing great today and we<br />
can laugh about it now, but being<br />
in that situation is no laughing<br />
matter. At Fampoints, we’re<br />
focused on putting out positive<br />
solutions in today’s world.”<br />
special milestones and goals, such<br />
as going 30 days without receiving<br />
any negative points. Parents<br />
can even have the suitable-forframing<br />
certificates printed out.<br />
“It gives the child something<br />
they can put on their wall,<br />
encouraging them to be proud<br />
of their accomplishment,” says<br />
Doumanian.<br />
Fampoints also has the capacity<br />
for guest administrators. “That<br />
comes in handy for Grandma<br />
and Grandpa, or perhaps a<br />
behavioral therapist who can<br />
use the app remotely and access<br />
the progress of a child they’re<br />
working with,” says Doumanian.<br />
Even schools have expressed<br />
interest in Fampoints, seeing an<br />
opportunity for teachers to work<br />
in conjunction with parents in<br />
reinforcing positive behaviors.<br />
“When I first heard of fampoints,<br />
I really saw the potential of this<br />
project. Families are given the<br />
ability to reinforce their children’s<br />
positive behaviors through a point<br />
system,” says Kayane Doumanian,<br />
fun for children and parents, and<br />
most importantly, completely<br />
free!”<br />
Julian, now nine years old, is a<br />
Fampoints success story. He and<br />
his sister, seven-year-old Alexa<br />
are avid Fampoints users. “They<br />
love it,” says Doumanian. “Every<br />
morning they log in to see what<br />
we might have added for points.<br />
They even ask what they can do<br />
to earn some extra points.” He<br />
went on to explain that his family<br />
assigns points for behavior that<br />
goes above and beyond what is<br />
typically expected. “We don’t give<br />
them points for doing regular<br />
chores, like making their beds,”<br />
Doumanian explains. “We don’t<br />
want to reinforce the mentality<br />
that they should expect rewards<br />
for basic behavior.”<br />
Doumanian stressed that active<br />
parental involvement is key<br />
to success with Fampoints.<br />
“Fampoints is not a magic solution<br />
that creates good behavior by<br />
itself. Fampoints is a tool. Parents<br />
need to invest the time in their<br />
To learn more about Fampoints,<br />
visit www.Fampoints.com.<br />
You can also visit Fampoints on<br />
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,<br />
Instagram, Tumblr and Snapchat. •<br />
12 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 13
Feature Story<br />
Travel to Newfoundland<br />
and Labrador with Author<br />
Necie Mouland<br />
The people who live in the picturesque Canadian<br />
province of Newfoundland and Labrador have a<br />
colorful approach to all aspects of life. Author Necie<br />
Mouland writes children’s books extolling this unique<br />
part of the world. Mouland’s books are designed<br />
to appeal to Newfoundland and Labrador natives<br />
as well as the rest of the world, those whom they<br />
refer to as “comefromaways.” These books reflect<br />
Mouland’s efforts to record the province’s ancient,<br />
distinctive customs before they fade away. “As the<br />
world modernizes, some of the traditions and old ways<br />
are becoming less commonplace,” Mouland explains.<br />
“I decided to write and illustrate children’s books to<br />
preserve our culture and heritage as a means to share<br />
it with the world.”<br />
Mouland grew up in the small fishing village of St.<br />
Bernard’s, Newfoundland. Today she lives just outside<br />
the capital city of St. John’s where she works as a web<br />
designer for the provincial government. Due to limited<br />
work opportunities, many natives of Newfoundland<br />
and Labrador have had to move to other areas over<br />
the years. In recognition of those who have been<br />
forced to leave the area, many communities on both<br />
the island and the mainland plan “Come Home Year”<br />
celebrations, offering a reunion of sorts during a week<br />
of festivities. “All these little towns turn into bustling<br />
places as people return to see friends and family,”<br />
Mouland says. “It’s a very special thing.”<br />
When St. Bernard’s celebrated its “Come Home<br />
Year” in 2007, Mouland designed a website for<br />
the event. As a way to raise money for a church in<br />
the community, she wrote There’s No Place Like My<br />
Newfoundland and Labrador Home, a children’s book<br />
about growing up in the province. The book was such a<br />
hit that Mouland even received an invitation from the<br />
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to talk about it on<br />
television. “That was a ‘pinch me’ moment for sure,”<br />
she says.<br />
That’s how it all started,<br />
but as Mouland puts it,<br />
“That was quite a few books<br />
ago.” She’s since followed<br />
up with Jack Likes Salt Fish<br />
and Scrunchions, Do You?,<br />
Bays, Bights and Tickles,<br />
Pop’s Rubber Boots, The Great<br />
Ferryland Dig and You’re<br />
Some Crooked. Mouland<br />
has also illustrated a<br />
Newfoundland and<br />
Labrador coloring book.<br />
14 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Feature Story<br />
Mouland’s delighted that her books have ended<br />
up all over the world. “Many of my books leave the<br />
province to go to people who once lived here, such as<br />
grandchildren of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians<br />
who have moved away to ensure they learn about their<br />
roots, to people who have visited our beautiful home<br />
and fell in love with it, or people who simply have<br />
an interest in the province,” she explains. She added<br />
that Newfoundland has taken on a new, sentimental<br />
significance for the thousands of Americans who were<br />
stranded there in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001<br />
attacks when the U.S. airspace was closed and airplane<br />
travelers heading for American airports had to remain<br />
there until airplane travel was resumed.<br />
Isolated by its geography, the province retains much of<br />
the heritage of the Irish and English who settled there.<br />
“There’s so much history and culture here,” Mouland<br />
says. “For so many years the bulk of the province’s<br />
population lived on the island of Newfoundland,<br />
untouched by the outside world. There are still places<br />
today where if I dropped you there, you’d think you<br />
were right smack in the middle of Ireland.”<br />
The province boasts intriguing place names such as<br />
“Nickey’s Nose Cove” and “Indian Tickle,” which lend<br />
themselves well to children’s books. “Kids get a kick<br />
out of the funny names,” Mouland says. While she has<br />
written these books for children, they’ve found favor<br />
with adult readers, too. “I’ve been happy to find out that<br />
there’s not really an age group for my books.”<br />
unique Christmas<br />
traditions. “One of the<br />
biggest differences is<br />
that Christmas lasts for<br />
twelve days,” she says.<br />
This latest book will also<br />
delve into the dying<br />
art of mummering, a<br />
Christmas tradition<br />
where a group of<br />
people wearing masks<br />
and strange costumes go from door to door. “These<br />
costumes are nothing you’d buy in the store,” she<br />
says. “There might be someone with gloves on their<br />
feet or all wrapped up in a pair of ugly curtains. The<br />
more outlandish they look, the better!” If allowed<br />
inside, the mummers will sing and dance as the<br />
residents try to guess who they are. “It was once a big<br />
part of the Christmas celebration, but now you see it<br />
less and less.”<br />
Mouland says she plans to continue to write about her<br />
beloved homeland. “With a place as rich in history as<br />
Newfoundland and Labrador, there are endless topics.<br />
I love to paint a picture of what it’s like here. I’m so<br />
happy to be able to share my little corner of the world<br />
with everyone.”<br />
For more information about Mouland and her books,<br />
visit www.overtheclothesline.com. •<br />
One of Mouland’s favorite topics to write about is the<br />
unique food served in Newfoundland and Labrador<br />
homes. Her books introduce treats such as “fish<br />
and brewis” (often served with small pieces of fried<br />
pork fat called “scrunchions”), “toutons,” “molasses<br />
buns,” and “figgy duff.” Mouland also focuses on the<br />
celebrations that bring families and friends together<br />
around a shared meal. “In a world of fast food, it’s<br />
important to remind people about the value of eating<br />
real food in the company of those we love,” says<br />
Mouland.<br />
Children especially seem to enjoy learning some of the<br />
Newfoundland and Labrador jargon Mouland uses in<br />
her books. “If you eat way too much, you say you’re<br />
‘stogged,’” she explains. “If you’re in a bad mood, you’re<br />
“crooked,” and if you’re a mischievous little rascal,<br />
you’re a ‘sleeveen.’ Kids love that one.”<br />
Soon, Mouland will be releasing A Newfoundland and<br />
Labrador Christmas Wish, a book about the province’s<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 15
The<br />
Azurite<br />
encounter<br />
“This book was a joy to read.”<br />
“The Azurite Encounter… can be read and<br />
appreciated by teenagers and parents alike.”<br />
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading this wellresearched,<br />
page-turning adventure story.”<br />
In her award-winning debut novel,<br />
Jane Frances Ruby takes the young adult reader into<br />
the deepest chasms of the Grand Canyon, where an<br />
ancient pueblo culture secretly thrives.<br />
Find out what happens when a high school geology<br />
field trip goes bad, and the students encounter<br />
more than just the canyon’s natural forces.<br />
The perfect holiday gift!<br />
www.TheAzuriteEncounter.com<br />
Available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com<br />
16 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Burton’s Harvest Party<br />
by V.A. Boeholt<br />
The fall harvest is over, and it’s time for Farmer<br />
Green and his grandchildren to celebrate with a<br />
barn-stomping Harvest Party! The guests have<br />
been invited, and the band is ready to play…yep!<br />
But the farmer, Rod and Chelsea need some help<br />
making final party plans—food, decorations,<br />
activities. There’s so much left to do! With Aunt<br />
May sick in bed and Grandma Green away<br />
judging the State<br />
Quilting Contest,<br />
what will Farmer<br />
Green do? Thanks<br />
to Burton, Ribbon<br />
and their little<br />
farmyard friends,<br />
Farmer Green, his<br />
grandchildren,<br />
and their eager<br />
guests are in for a<br />
wonderful Harvest<br />
Party Surprise.<br />
When the Sun Goes Down<br />
A Yum & Yuk Halloween Tale<br />
1 st Place Winner Purple Dragonfly Book Awards<br />
Be the first to enjoy a new tradition of<br />
Halloween poetry, music and animation<br />
Get your copy at www.whatsupwithyuk.com<br />
For every book sold,<br />
another is given to a child who could use a hand in life.<br />
Join our friends for a fun birthday celebration.<br />
All guests are asked to dress in their very best<br />
pirate costume for this original, wordless picture book<br />
where YOU create the story.<br />
www.picturereadit.com<br />
Available at Amazon.com<br />
We draw it... you tell it.<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 17
Feature Story<br />
The Neon Tiki Tribe:<br />
Educational Superheroes That Teach Children About Real-Life Issues<br />
by Melissa Fales<br />
The word “tiki” typically calls to mind a wooden<br />
carving with exaggerated facial features, as<br />
featured prominently in Polynesian culture.<br />
However, the word has an entirely different<br />
connotation to Greg Devlin and David Thompson, cofounders<br />
of the Neon Tiki Tribe, a group of brightly<br />
colored superheroes featured in books that help<br />
teach children how to make good choices. “To us, tiki<br />
stands for a thoughtful, intelligent, kind, individual,”<br />
explains Devlin.<br />
There are already 13 different action-filled adventures<br />
of Zeke, Tia, Dar and Mowah, collectively known as<br />
the Neon Tiki Tribe, with more on the way. The Neon<br />
Tiki Tribe has addressed issues such as illiteracy,<br />
cancer, autism, bullying, sportsmanship, body image<br />
and Internet safety. Mobile apps are available to<br />
complement each of the books.<br />
Devlin says he believes teaching children through<br />
storytelling is more effective than lecturing them.<br />
“People remember stories over facts,” he says. “If you<br />
tell a child, ‘Don’t get into a stranger’s car,’ they may<br />
or may not even hear that. But if you tell them a story<br />
about what could happen if they do get in a stranger’s<br />
car, that’s something they’ll remember.”<br />
The Neon Tiki Tribe books are designed for children<br />
in grades one through five. “We wanted to reach them<br />
before they hit middle school when they start to<br />
encounter the more challenging issues kids face today,”<br />
says Devlin. Thompson says the modern-day storylines<br />
address real-life issues. “Green Eggs and Ham is a funny<br />
story, but it doesn’t help them in the street. These<br />
stories do.” The books and the accompanying apps give<br />
parents a starting point for discussion on these topics.<br />
“We just want to open up the conversation,” Devlin says.<br />
“Parents can take it from there.”<br />
It was Devlin who came up with the concept of the<br />
Neon Tiki Tribe. At the time, he ran a tree-removal<br />
business and had just removed a 1,200-pound stump.<br />
“I carved a tiki face in it, just for fun.” On a whim, he<br />
added a pair of large sunglasses and put the figure on<br />
his lawn. “That guy drew so much attention, he almost<br />
caused crashes because drivers were looking at him,<br />
not the road,” says Devlin. The tiki’s popularity gave<br />
him an idea. “If someone sold the idea of Teenage<br />
Mutant Ninja Turtles living in the New York City<br />
sewers, I bet I could come up with something even<br />
better with neon tikis.”<br />
In 1992, Devlin wrote a story about thinking<br />
positively, called “Think Neon,” featuring four brightly<br />
18 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Feature Story<br />
Dave Thompson<br />
colored Tiki characters. It was<br />
enthusiastically received by those<br />
who heard it, but Devlin lacked<br />
the resources to get it to print. He<br />
took the Neon Tiki Tribe as far as<br />
he could on his own. “It took me<br />
about a year to realize I needed an<br />
investor,” he explains. From his<br />
Florida home, Devlin ran an ad in<br />
USA Today seeking one.<br />
Devlin is clearly passionate about introducing the<br />
Neon Tiki Tribe to as many children as possible, and<br />
with good reason. He was 21 years old and serving in<br />
the United States Air Force on Sept. 19, 1980 when he<br />
narrowly survived a Titan II missile explosion in a silo.<br />
The explosion sent Devlin sliding 60 feet on his back.<br />
In addition to severe burns on his face, neck, back and<br />
hands, he suffered a ruptured eardrum, a shattered ankle<br />
and a severed Achilles tendon. Devlin’s story is featured<br />
in Eric Schlosser’s book Command and Control.<br />
Greg Devlin<br />
Roughly 1,000 miles away in<br />
Indiana, David Thompson saw the<br />
ad. The successful janitorial service<br />
contractor reached out to Devlin<br />
and the two began the partnership<br />
“We wanted to create characters that<br />
would actually teach children, not just<br />
waste their time. We wanted<br />
something meaningful.”<br />
To Devlin, it’s clear why he survived that horrific<br />
accident. “I believe there are two reasons God kept<br />
me alive,” he said. “One is for my wife and our four<br />
daughters who wouldn’t have been born. The second<br />
reason is to bring the positive message of the Neon Tiki<br />
Tribe to as many children as I can. I got a second chance<br />
on life. I want to make a difference by helping as many<br />
kids as possible. I know I speak for both Dave and me<br />
when I say that in the end, it’s all about the kids.”<br />
For more information about the Neon Tiki Tribe, visit<br />
www.neontikitribe.com or find them on Facebook. •<br />
that continues today. Initially, the pair envisioned the<br />
tikis as non-violent action heroes. “We learned that<br />
that’s an oxymoron,” says Devlin. “Where do you get<br />
the action?” The two were unable to make it work and<br />
the project went under.<br />
Devlin credits Thompson with motivating him to<br />
continue. “At that point, I was crushed, exhausted and<br />
broke,” says Devlin. “Dave was the one who said, ‘Hey,<br />
let’s revamp this and make it work.’ If Dave and his wife<br />
Jane weren’t there, this never would’ve happened.”<br />
Seven years ago, the pair headed back to the drawing<br />
board. “We decided to focus on the idea of creating<br />
educational superheroes,” says Thompson. “We wanted to<br />
create characters that would actually teach children, not<br />
just waste their time. We wanted something meaningful.”<br />
The pair has spent the last seven years building the<br />
content for the project. They even brought in a team<br />
of educators to write Common Core teaching guides<br />
available on the Neon Tiki Tribe website. They’re<br />
currently working on promoting the Neon Tiki Tribe<br />
books and apps to elementary schools. Additionally,<br />
each of the Neon Tiki Tribe books is printed in<br />
Dyslexie, a font designed to be easier for dyslexics to<br />
read. According to Devlin, people often question why<br />
they pay to use the special font in their books. “‘Who<br />
cares?’ they ask. The little boy or girl who struggles<br />
with dyslexia cares. If we can do it, why not do it?”<br />
A Special Gift for<br />
Story Monsters Ink Readers<br />
from the Neon Tiki Tribe<br />
3 Free Apps for 3 Days Giveaway –<br />
Just Download to your Favorite Device!<br />
Available November 1 – 3<br />
Strangers: The Ku Kidnapping<br />
(Android/Kindle - English)<br />
(Android/Kindle - Spanish Version)<br />
Desconocidos: El Secuestro Ku<br />
(Apple iPad/iPhone - English)<br />
Bullies: Playground Push-Around<br />
(Android/Kindle - English)<br />
(Android/Kindle - Spanish Version)<br />
Acosadores: Intimidación en el pati de recreo<br />
(Apple iPad/iPhone - English)<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 19
What’s Behind the Bullying?<br />
by Shirin Zarqa-Lederman, BCPC, LCADC, LPC, MA, MS<br />
If we really think about it, calling one a bully has become “bullying,”<br />
the same way calling a child “four eyes” or “a pencil neck geek” (there’s<br />
a blast from the past) is bullying. “Bullies” are children. For one reason<br />
or another, that child is lacking a basic need that is not being met and is<br />
acting out to let someone know. Children have limited verbal skills and<br />
often using nonverbal communication such as hitting or poking is meant<br />
to invoke an adult’s attention, not their peers.<br />
I can hear the roars of those<br />
“mother bears,” who want to<br />
attack any child that attacks their<br />
own, but let me put things in<br />
perspective: your child exudes all<br />
the confidence that those “bullies”<br />
envy. So rather than teach our<br />
children to be on the defensive,<br />
maybe we could teach them to<br />
stop and recognize that their<br />
peer is experiencing a problem<br />
and they, too, need empathy and<br />
understanding.<br />
A few years ago, I was called into<br />
my daughter’s preschool because<br />
there was an “incident.” Another<br />
child—a child who just the day<br />
before was her best friend—had<br />
bitten my child on the arm. I<br />
immediately asked her teacher if<br />
her parents were having another<br />
baby, since biting is a common<br />
reaction to change when children<br />
cannot vocalize how they feel. Her<br />
teacher said, “Actually, her mom<br />
just had a baby yesterday!”<br />
My child, of course traumatized<br />
and upset, came home with me<br />
20 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
and on the car ride home, we discussed how her friend<br />
may be feeling with a new baby in their home. She had<br />
been through the same feelings only a few months<br />
before. We talked about how she felt when her sister<br />
was born and what she liked about it. She loved the<br />
idea of being a big sister. So rather than run home in<br />
a fury looking for a new preschool, my daughter and<br />
I stopped at the craft store and bought a t-shirt and<br />
some fabric paint and made her friend a “I’m the big<br />
sister shirt,” complete with stick figures of her and her<br />
new baby sibling.<br />
We tend to talk about bullies as these evil little<br />
monsters that creep up and destroy a child’s sense<br />
of safety. We relish shows like Bully Beat-Down. I’m<br />
not quite sure if it’s the therapist in me or simply<br />
the mother in me, but there seems to be little to no<br />
empathy for the “bully.” But in my line of work, every<br />
troubled child is a victim, and though they may exist,<br />
I’ve never met a child who woke up one morning and<br />
decided, “Today, I am going to be a bully.”<br />
“What we really need to<br />
arm our children with<br />
is empathy.”<br />
I am sure you’ve noticed, there is a rise in the number<br />
of reported bullying incidents from Pre-k through<br />
elementary school. In response, as expected, there<br />
have been hundreds of campaigns targeted at arming<br />
children with self-defense tactics to thwart off these<br />
destroyers of positive self-esteem. Empowering<br />
children with self-defense is imperative, and by no<br />
means do I want to minimize it. However, what we<br />
really need to arm our children with is empathy. •<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 21
Science & Nature<br />
Photo by: Linda F. Radke<br />
The Earth<br />
Beneath Your Feet<br />
by Conrad J. Storad<br />
Earth is a very special place. Our little world is the<br />
third of eight planets that orbit a star called Sol. Earth<br />
is home. And it’s really the only home we know.<br />
But astronomers and planetary scientists have<br />
another name for Earth. They call Earth a “Goldilocks<br />
planet.” Why? Because the range of conditions that<br />
exist on Earth are “just right” to support all kinds of<br />
living things.<br />
Rock layers that make up the top part of the Earth’s<br />
crust are visible in the Grand Canyon.<br />
Photo by Conrad J. Storad<br />
The poles are the areas at the top and bottom of our<br />
planet. The temperatures there are usually freezing<br />
cold. The equator is the area that wraps around the<br />
middle of Earth. Rain forests grow there. It is usually<br />
quite hot and humid.<br />
Near the top of Earth’s highest mountains, the air<br />
is much too thin to breathe. And the pressure in the<br />
deepest trenches beneath the oceans would squash<br />
us flat.<br />
Despite these extremes, most of Earth’s surface boasts<br />
conditions that can support all kinds of living things.<br />
To date, even at the extremes, the only place life has<br />
been found is on the surface of our planet. The surface<br />
is the thin layer between the atmosphere and crust.<br />
Take a few steps outside of your home. Now look<br />
down at your feet. You probably are standing on grass<br />
or dirt. It could be concrete or blacktop. You also are<br />
standing on the Earth’s crust.<br />
Our planet’s crust is hidden from view in most<br />
places. It might be covered by the water in rivers or<br />
lakes or oceans. The crust hides beneath cities and<br />
streets and parking lots. Or it might be buried under<br />
forests or beneath fields of wheat and corn. But<br />
there are places where you can see the Earth’s crust.<br />
The Zoroaster Granite at the bottom of the Grand<br />
Canyon is almost 2 billion years old. This layer of rock<br />
is one of the oldest parts of the Earth’s crust that a<br />
human can actually touch.<br />
Photo by Conrad J. Storad<br />
22 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Science & Nature<br />
Rocky cliffs near the seashore are part of the crust.<br />
So are the steep walls of deep canyons, like the Grand<br />
Canyon in Arizona.<br />
The crust is a layer of rock that covers our entire<br />
planet. Below your feet the crust goes down as deep as<br />
40 miles. Under the ocean the crust is much thinner.<br />
It might go down only three miles. Forty miles sounds<br />
kind of thick. But it depends on your point of view.<br />
Use your imagination. What if the entire Earth were<br />
the size of a basketball? At that size, the Earth’s crust<br />
would be a thin layer. It would be thinner than a single<br />
hair on your head. The tallest mountains would be<br />
specks almost too small to see.<br />
What if you could slice the planet in half and look<br />
inside? It might look like a giant peach with four<br />
different layers. Some layers would be thin. Others<br />
would be very thick.<br />
Geologists are scientists who study the parts and<br />
layers of the Earth. They study how the layers formed<br />
and how the parts of our planet work. Some geologists<br />
like to compare the Earth to a giant hard-boiled egg.<br />
The Earth’s crust would be the egg’s hard outside shell.<br />
With one difference. The crust is thick in some parts<br />
and thin in others. The crust is thickest under the<br />
continents. It is much thinner under the oceans.<br />
Below the crust is a very thick layer of rock. This layer<br />
is called the mantle. The mantle is more than 1,800<br />
miles thick. It is kind of like the springy white part<br />
of the giant hard-boiled egg. Deep inside Earth is<br />
still another layer called the core. The core is like the<br />
yellow yolk of the giant egg. The Earth’s core has two<br />
parts. The outer part is made of super-hot melted rock.<br />
Scientists think the outer core may be as hot as the<br />
surface of the sun. It is more than 1,300 miles thick.<br />
The inner part of the core is solid metal. Geologists<br />
think it is made of iron and nickel. The inner core is<br />
more than 1,500 miles thick.<br />
Of course, the Earth is much bigger than a basketball.<br />
And it is much more complex than a peach or an egg.<br />
But you get the idea. Our planet is made of different<br />
parts. And it’s all right beneath your feet.<br />
Resources to learn more<br />
about Earth’s crust:<br />
WEBSITES:<br />
• Geology for kids<br />
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-forkids/0021-earths-crust.php<br />
• Easy science for kids<br />
http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-aboutearths-crust<br />
DOCUMENTARY FILMS AND BOOKS:<br />
• Earth Story<br />
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/earth-story<br />
• Uncovering Earth’s Crust<br />
by Conrad J. Storad<br />
• Earth’s Changing Surface<br />
by Conrad J. Storad<br />
Conrad J. Storad<br />
The award-winning author and editor of more than<br />
50 science and nature books for children and young<br />
adults, Conrad J. Storad expertly draws young readers<br />
into his imaginative and entertaining “classroom”<br />
to help them better understand and appreciate the<br />
natural world.<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 23
I Am Thankful<br />
“I am thankful for my happy,<br />
healthy family and<br />
wonderful friends.”<br />
Alex W., age 8<br />
“I am thankful for the<br />
holidays because it brings<br />
families together.”<br />
Haley C., age 9<br />
“I am thankful for the people I<br />
love: Tom, bro’s, Mom, Dad, love.”<br />
Chelsie S., age 7<br />
“I am thankful for all the things I<br />
have in my life. I am thankful for<br />
my mommy and my daddy and my<br />
brother and my teacher.”<br />
Ava W., age 6<br />
“I am thankful for Daddy, Jack,<br />
Mimi, pancakes, princesses, candy,<br />
toys, monsters and Jesus.”<br />
Danielle R., age 3 ½<br />
“I am thankful for big dinosaurs<br />
and Star Wars Legos.”<br />
Jack R., age 6<br />
“I am thankful for my awesome<br />
new school and for my great family<br />
and my hermit crab, Thomas.”<br />
Noah F., age 9<br />
“I am thankful for my grades.”<br />
Hope C., age 13<br />
“I am thankful for my dog Bink<br />
because he is beautiful and helps<br />
me through any hard times.”<br />
Joshua B., age 12<br />
“I am thankful for having<br />
good parents.”<br />
John E., age 10<br />
“I am thankful for my friends and<br />
family.”<br />
Ruth E., age 7<br />
“I am thankful for my puppy.”<br />
Meghan E., age 4<br />
‘I am thankful for my family and<br />
friends and for the roof I have over<br />
my head. I am also thankful for my<br />
glorious life.”<br />
Raya W., age 10<br />
24 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
I Am Thankful<br />
“ I am thankful for my dog, my cat<br />
and my brother.”<br />
Molly M., age 5<br />
“I am thankful for all of my family<br />
and my cool friends.”<br />
Emily., age 9 ½<br />
“I am thankful for<br />
my mom and dad.”<br />
Erin M., age 8<br />
“I am thankful for my family<br />
and my dog.”<br />
Emma B., age 9<br />
“I’m thankful for having my friend<br />
over today. She’s a really joyful spirit<br />
and brings a lot of joy into my life. I<br />
really like to have her over because<br />
when I’m sad she kind a of let’s me<br />
go through it and then I find the joy<br />
in life. She let’s me be myself.”<br />
Olivia A., age 8<br />
“I am thankful for my dad.”<br />
Amelia T., age 3<br />
“I am thankful for Legos because I<br />
love to build creations with them<br />
like airports.”<br />
Calvin H., age 6<br />
“I am thankful for my Barbies<br />
because I love playing with them<br />
in the jungle.”<br />
Cady H., age 6<br />
“I am thankful for having my<br />
mom take care of me when I don’t<br />
feel well.”<br />
Erin E., age 9<br />
“I am thankful for having a caring,<br />
loving family.”<br />
Christopher E., age 10<br />
“I am thankful for my family”<br />
Keira Y., age 9<br />
“My sissy!<br />
I am thankful for my sissy! ”<br />
Hanna Y., age 7<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 25
Monster Munchies<br />
Spiced<br />
Pumpkin Seeds<br />
Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere, but what to do with all<br />
the seeds? Make a delicious and healthy snack! Kids will<br />
love to help prepare them … and eat them!<br />
Ingredients<br />
1 ½ tablespoons margarine, melted<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt<br />
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce<br />
2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds<br />
Directions<br />
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).<br />
Combine the margarine, salt, garlic salt,<br />
Worcestershire sauce and pumpkin seeds.<br />
Mix thoroughly and place in shallow baking dish.<br />
Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.<br />
Recipe by Carolyn<br />
Photo by Jessica<br />
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2015 Allrecipes.com<br />
The Slug You’ll Want to Hug!<br />
This energetic and fun-loving bug is<br />
curious, adventurous, and full of personality!<br />
Join him on his misadventures as he learns<br />
valuable life lessons in a unique setting<br />
with whimsical illustrations.<br />
Visit www.LittleLambTales.com<br />
for free, printable activities!<br />
Also available on Amazon.com<br />
26 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 27
Holiday Gift Guide<br />
The Gift of Sunderland<br />
by Jeanne Rogers<br />
A rift has been created in the Ayers’ lineage. Roland Ayers, Guardian of the Forest, knows<br />
that he must obey the voices of past Guardians and declare the next in line. When the<br />
announcement is made, two estranged brothers will be torn further apart, causing the<br />
forest to rise from its long sleep. Follow Fergal, Waylond, and the rest of our heroes as<br />
they trek across Sunderland to the depths of Mt. Olga where evil dwells. It’s there they<br />
will discover the importance of family and friendship. A glossary at the back of the book<br />
provides information about the endangered animal heroes within the story. Awarded<br />
gold medal, 2015 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.<br />
Bart’s Heart<br />
by Dr. Cargill H. Alleyne Jr., M.D.<br />
Bart’s Heart, the second in our series of educational children’s books, presents facts about the<br />
human heart in an entertaining, colorful manner. The book consists of 16 verses in limerick<br />
form written by a neurosurgeon and masterfully illustrated by a seasoned professional. A<br />
glossary at the end of the book provides meanings and pronunciations of medical terms.<br />
There is also a small heart hidden in each illustration for the reader to discern. We also hope<br />
that it will spark children’s interest in the human body.<br />
Lonnie the Loon Learns to Call<br />
by Barbara Renner<br />
Have you ever heard the haunting calls of the loon on a northern Minnesota lake? Lonnie<br />
is a curious young loon who wants to learn how to make these calls, so his dad offers to<br />
teach him. Not only will the reader learn the significance of each call, the sounds can be<br />
heard through QR codes using a free QR Code Reader App. Fascinating facts about loons<br />
are found on almost every page. Readers’ Favorites states, “This is a delightful story for<br />
young readers that educates as well as entertains.” Lonnie the Loon Learns to Call is the third<br />
book in a series about Lonnie the Loon. All three books can be ordered by contacting the<br />
author through www.rennerwrites.com. Mention that you read this in Story Monsters<br />
Ink’s special holiday issue.<br />
Luna: Puppy Detective #2: No-Slack Jack<br />
by Kesmine Hickman<br />
Once upon a time, there was a little Shih Tzu detective named Luna who never thought<br />
she would ever end up in an animal shelter. But when an escapade to slice and dice Pip the<br />
Siamese cat goes awry, Luna finds herself trapped in the Sierra Sunrise Animal Center with<br />
her two sidekicks, Leia and Creeper. Worse, a slippery and dangerous apparition known<br />
as “The Ghost of No-Slack Jack,” terrorizes the animals each night. Desperate to solve the<br />
case and return home, Luna must sort through the clues before the eerie ghoul can get the<br />
best of the clever detective and her pals. Can Luna rise to the challenge or will the shelter<br />
continue to be haunted by the supernatural phantom? www.kesminehickman.com<br />
28 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Holiday Gift Guide<br />
Buddy and His Pals: True Stories of Horses, Llamas and Cats<br />
by Loretta Radeschi<br />
Buddy and His Pals: True Stories of Horses, Llamas and Cats tells the story of Buddy and the<br />
friends he makes on the farm. At the end of each true story is a message about friendship.<br />
Among those lessons are that friends don’t have to look like us, friends are found in<br />
unexpected places, friends are important in our lives and they teach us patience. All the<br />
events are true and the pastel illustrations were created from actual photographs. The book<br />
was written for pre-schoolers to eight-year-olds. Signed and inscribed copies are available at<br />
www.Lradeschi.com.<br />
Posie Pixie And The Christmas Tree<br />
by Sarah Hill<br />
Posie Pixie And The Christmas Tree is the 5th installment from Sarah Hill’s enchanting 35-book<br />
Whimsy Wood children’s series for children ages 5 - 8. Each wonderfully descriptive book<br />
is written for a specific month in the calendar, so the flora and fauna within this magical<br />
woodland changes as you read through the series. Posie Pixie And The Christmas Tree is of course<br />
written for the delectable month of December! In this wondrous woodland tale of snow and ice,<br />
copper kettles and snowberry pies, you’ll meet Florence Fox as well as Mr. and Mrs. Dusty the<br />
doormice. So come and follow Posie and her best friend Wibble Woodlouse on this fabulously<br />
festive heartwarming adventure in Whimsy Wood this Christmas!<br />
The Adventures of Detective Luke:<br />
The Disappearing Dog Bowl<br />
by Wilson Hickman<br />
Detective Luke is a highly professional detective who just happens to be a dog! He and his<br />
two sons, Leo and Baron, lead lives of busting crime and enforcing justice. Nowhere in that<br />
routine did Luke plan on babysitting, so when his owners agree to watch an Akita named<br />
Bernard, Luke is anything but happy. His resentment of Bernard reaches its peak when<br />
mysterious thefts begin popping up all over town, including the disappearance of Luke’s dog<br />
bowl! Is Bernard the culprit? Or is someone else to blame? One thing’s for sure—Luke and<br />
his sons have another exciting mystery on their paws! www.wilsonhickman.com<br />
A to Z Character Education for the Classroom<br />
by Sherry Hoffman, B.S., M.Ed.<br />
A Valuable Resource For Parents and Educators! A to Z Character Education for the Classroom is<br />
an award-winning activity book that teaches key social skills through fun activities and poetry<br />
while developing positive character traits. Written by Sherry Hoffman, K-12 reading specialist<br />
and author of other classroom stories, this book can be used to encourage readers to be the<br />
best version of themselves. 2014 Mom’s Choice Award: Gold, 2014 Eric Hoffer Book Awards:<br />
Honorable Mention, 2014 Story Monster Approved (Grades 4 - 6), 2014 Purple Dragonfly<br />
Awards: Honorable Mention, Second Place. www.SherryLHoffman.com<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 29
Holiday Gift Guide<br />
The Adventures of Keeno and Ernest: “The Diamond Mine”<br />
by Maggie van Galen<br />
Keeno and Ernest are the best of friends living in the jungle. Keeno, a very mischievous<br />
monkey, wants to give his mom a beautiful diamond from the local mine and plans to swap it<br />
out for the river rock he has found. Ernest explains this would be stealing, but Keeno decides<br />
it’s just a trade. Follow the adventure as Keeno finds himself in great danger and relies on<br />
Ernest to rescue him. In the end, Keeno learns two very valuable lessons about friendship and<br />
asking before taking. To learn more about Keeno and Ernest’s adventures and to find out how<br />
to have them come to your school, visit www.keenoandernest.com.<br />
There’s Something Wild In There<br />
Words by Children of Wind Dance Farm, Maryam Keeley, Samantha Stewart, Cleta Ullom,<br />
illustrations by Don Saint Denis<br />
A “seek and find” book, There’s Something Wild in There presents the exquisite illustrations of<br />
artist Don Saint Denis, who has created an array of lush forest scenes featuring a variety of<br />
creatures who seem to challenge sharp eyes to find their hiding places. Accompanied by eight<br />
original poems by Children from Wind Dance Farm—a rural school providing supplemental<br />
instruction for homeschoolers—There’s Something Wild In There provides a feast of sight and<br />
sound for young readers and non-readers and their parents too. Midwest Book Review calls it<br />
an “unforgettable read-aloud treasure.”<br />
The Legend of Hobbomock: The Sleeping Giant<br />
by Jason J. Marchi<br />
In this dramatic story of a young Quinnipiac brave named Blackbird, award-winning author<br />
Jason Marchi and painter Jesse Bonelli teamed up to capture the history of a time before<br />
our own. Through young Blackbird’s eyes we learn the Quinnipiac tribal legend of how the<br />
Sleeping Giant landform in Hamden, Connecticut came to look like a giant man sleeping<br />
on his back. Winner of a CT Press Club Award. A 2015 REVERE Awards finalist highly<br />
recommended for schools and libraries. Available at discount direct from the publisher at<br />
www.fahrenheitbooks.com or call 203.453.5700.<br />
The Growing Sweater<br />
by Jason J. Marchi<br />
Granny Quigley has knitted a very unique sweater. To her surprise, every time she washes<br />
and dries the purple sweater with the white lace collar, it grows ... one size larger! What can<br />
she possibly do with a sweater that keeps growing? Will it ever stop growing? Ashley and<br />
Morgan, Granny’s granddaughters, take charge of the situation in attempt to solve Granny’s<br />
dilemma. As the sweater grows unexpectedly for each new owner, the three travel the<br />
countryside looking for a home for such an unusual article of clothing. Available at discount<br />
from www.fahrenheitbooks.com.<br />
30 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Holiday Gift Guide<br />
Ned’s Head<br />
by Dr. Cargill H. Alleyne Jr., M.D.<br />
Ned’s Head, the first in our series of educational children’s books, presents facts about the<br />
human brain in an entertaining, colorful manner. The book, which won an Honorable<br />
Mention at the Fall 2012 Royal Dragonfly book awards, consists of 16 limericks written by a<br />
neurosurgeon. They are masterfully illustrated by two seasoned professionals, one of whom<br />
has previously illustrated 12 Curious George books. A glossary at the end of the book provides<br />
meanings and pronunciations of medical terms. There is also a small head hidden in each<br />
illustration. We hope to spark children’s interest in the human body.<br />
Kandy Hamm<br />
by Michelle Path<br />
Kandy Hamm is not a normal girl. In fact she is a very strange and eccentric young lady with a<br />
big secret. When she wins a gazillion dollars in a raffle, she goes on a quest to put her winnings<br />
to good use. With her talent for craft and a love for shopping, Kandy Hamm begins to fulfil her<br />
secret wish. Join her as she makes her dream come true and the mystery of her true identity is<br />
revealed. Kandy Hamm is the latest release by children’s author Michelle Path and her 7th book<br />
to be published. Copies can be bought from www.rowanvalebooks.com and amazon.com.<br />
The Duckling’s Daring Deal<br />
by Regina Connors<br />
The Duckling’s Daring Deal, when facing danger—imagined or real, reminds us to stay<br />
confident on our heels, so that our courage can itself reveal. A mom’s voice planted firm in<br />
our mind, can keep us out of a serious bind, that sweet gentle voice loving and kind, will<br />
bring us back home safe and fine. Available on amazon.com.<br />
Poppie the One-Eyed Pug Visits the North Pole<br />
by Sharron Hopcus<br />
Poppie the one-eyed pug is back, and he finds himself in the midst of trouble yet again.<br />
At the airport, Poppie finds a new toy to play with but it’s actually a luggage conveyer belt!<br />
Eventually, Poppie’s adventures lead him to the North Pole where he meets all kinds of new<br />
friends. Will he make it back home safely, or will he find a new home with Santa and the<br />
elves? Find out in Poppie the One-Eyed Pug Visits the North Pole.<br />
Creatures in the Kitchen<br />
by Dr. William C. Schirado<br />
A colorful book of rhymes about the five senses—TASTE, SMELL, TOUCH, HEAR and SEE.<br />
The author continues his series of children’s books with his third book of rhymes for children<br />
and parents to read, talk about and enjoy together. Children discover their five senses in<br />
the fanciful farmlands and kitchens in the land of Lorem Ipsem. “Delightful, whimsical<br />
illustrations...written with contagious exuberance”<br />
Click on the book’s cover to purchase any of the above titles.<br />
To advertise your book in our Reading Guide, contact Cristy Bertini at Cristy@FiveStarPublications.com for rate information.<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 31
Activity Page<br />
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Fill in the blanks with the letter that matches each<br />
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picture from the box at the bottom of the page.<br />
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Thanksgiving Puzzle<br />
Decode and solve the secret Thanksgiving message.<br />
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32 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Meet Liv...<br />
Prepare to Launch!<br />
The Liv On Life Series features<br />
Olivia (aka Liv) and her best<br />
friend, Bowie, a Boxer dog.<br />
Liv is the go-to girl for kids<br />
and parents looking for advice<br />
on how to navigate our fastpaced,<br />
technological world.<br />
Keep on the lookout<br />
for upcoming titles in<br />
the Liv On Life Series including:<br />
Join the lovable Josh, who uses his brilliant<br />
imagination—and his mother’s laundry basket—<br />
to take off for the stars and sail on the high seas!<br />
Story Monster Approved and Purple Dragonfly Award-Winning Author<br />
Donna LeBlanc crafts unique worlds in which readers can play and explore,<br />
with the promise of many more adventures to come!<br />
www.sdppublishingsolutions.com<br />
Available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com<br />
I Love to Read<br />
What’s In My Backpack?<br />
I Don’t Wear Jeans<br />
I Know What Time It Is<br />
Just Smile!<br />
You Go, I Go<br />
SUNday!<br />
Scootie and Me<br />
Visit www.livonlife.com for recipes, coloring pages, and more!<br />
Available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com<br />
and most major retailers.<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 33
Monster Reviews<br />
The Kingdom of the Sun and Moon<br />
by Joshua G. Bloomfield, age 12<br />
This is a very positive story by Lowell H. Press about the bond between two mice brothers<br />
named Sommer and Nesbit. It is set in the past in Austria, taking an alternate history<br />
approach where not only humans but also mice have formed countries, complete with<br />
“cities” of sorts and a leader. It includes great morals as the two main heroes are brave<br />
and kind, and aren’t afraid to show their true feelings. However, the author isn’t afraid to<br />
put major violence and have characters die, often venturing into mature and dark topics,<br />
especially with the fact that death seems to be common in the area. Both heroes get close to<br />
dying multiple times. The plot is that the tyrant in charge of the mouse-country where the<br />
heroes live forces Sommer to join the mouse equivalent of the army, and Nesbit gets sent to a deadly forest with<br />
a high change of death for insulting the leader for taking away Sommer. They face a deadly journey each, with two<br />
intertwining plotlines ending with one grand ending—read to find out how it ends!<br />
Rating: Five stars, age range: 12+ for whole book, 8+ if some parts are skipped by parents.<br />
Seefus the Slug series<br />
by Darleen Wohlfeil<br />
Author and illustrator Laurel MacQuarrie brings us a series of delightfully humorous tales<br />
of Seefus, a little bug of a slug. Each story has a pleasant rhythm and rhyme that children<br />
will easily follow, as well as additional activities to help with alertness and reinforcement.<br />
Seefus is a lovable little slug which will keep children eager for his next adventure! In Seefus<br />
Learns to Obey, rules are everywhere! Seefus is faced with them morning, noon and night.<br />
It’s not that he is opposed to rules. Some of them make good sense and he knows they are meant for his safety,<br />
like never, ever, touch salt! But some rules just make no sense, and their reason to follow them is quite unclear. He<br />
could see no danger, and his desire for something new leads him into quite a pickle. What will become of our little<br />
bug slug? Will he learn his lesson? Life is full of choices, and many who made those choices before us wrote down<br />
their outcomes. We have come to know them as rules. Seefus Finds A Friend is a delightful tale of friendship. Seefus<br />
finds himself bored counting his rocks all alone. Mum is too busy with tasks at hand to join him in finding fun and<br />
encourages him to set out in search of a friend. In his search, Seefus discovers that friendship can be a tricky thing.<br />
It’s not all about him, as he delightfully supposes. No, finding and having a friend is much more. It’s also about<br />
learning to be a good friend as well. Seefus Goes to Sleep carries the same rhythmic form that delights in each tale,<br />
bringing us up close to a head-to-head struggle that frequents most homes at one time or another. Mum keeps<br />
her cool and outsmarts our little slug. In cleverly presenting him with his option, he willingly accepts it is best he<br />
remain in his own bed, and finds sleeping alone a very good choice.<br />
34 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Monster Reviews<br />
Nap-A-Roo<br />
by Darleen Wohlfeil<br />
Oh, there is nothing like the little board books that introduce our little ones to the joys<br />
of reading! Nap-A-Roo, written by Kristy Kurjan and illustrated by Tyler Parker, is true to<br />
its genre. Simple words that flow with ease, bright colors and animation to capture the<br />
attention and a rhyming rhythm that carries it through. It’s fast, fun and engaging, and will<br />
keep them wanting to read it ... one more time!<br />
Sophie’s Animal Parade<br />
by Darleen Wohlfeil<br />
Sophie’s Animal Parade, written by Amy Dixon, brings us face to face with pertinent issues at<br />
the earliest stages. First, we encounter the connection between thought and word upon our<br />
reality. Then gently led into the ability to think a thought through to a satisfactory end from<br />
the beginning. These are major concepts to be learned and embraced, and the younger we<br />
do so, the better it is. We watch Sophie grow in life skills as we turn each page. We look on<br />
as she discovers the magic of her mind, and the ability to bring forth reality from its inner desires. She then helps<br />
us realize thought must be full and able to fill its intended purpose. In her desire to have a tea party with friends,<br />
she begins to imagine her intended guest. We quickly learn all things desired may not be appropriate. Our first<br />
guest is an adorable polar bear, who quickly becomes uncomfortable in the warmth of Sophie’s room. With quick<br />
wit, she brings forth a ready solution, an igloo, and our party goer is comfortable once again. However, now he is<br />
unable to reach the table holding the party’s tasty morsels. Sophie decides to think of a new guest, who may be<br />
more suitable to her intentions, but one by one, each is presented with limitations. Trial and error, patience to try<br />
again, the ability to restructure and regroup, are all amazing life lessons we need to succeed, and we see their value<br />
in the parade of guests that lead Sophie to her perfect guest, and ultimate outcome. Illustrations by Katia Wish fill<br />
in with color, and yet again, reinforce the wonder of bringing concept to life. From thought to reality, Dixon and<br />
Wish have successfully brought us an engaging experience with the possibility of lifelong effects.<br />
Home Alone: The Classic Illustrated Storybook<br />
by Darleen Wohlfeil<br />
We all remember the outrageously funny film version of our story, Home Alone. It tickled the<br />
funny bone of the nation, and still holds a Number 1 slot among the greats. It’s always fun<br />
to watch a good movie over and over, and it’s equally fun to re-read a good story. So often we<br />
find things we may have missed the first time around, or a fresh mood may gravitate to new<br />
points of interest we never considered before. But, no matter how many times we see the film<br />
or read this story, one thing is always clear. What we think we want in a heated or saddened<br />
moment, may not be what we want at all. Kevin thought he wanted his family to disappear. He thought it would be<br />
great to be alone, and for a moment or two, it was! The moments stretched into hours, and the hours into days, and<br />
Kevin began to realize he missed his family and he really wished they would come back. Kevin also learns in his time<br />
alone that quick judgements may not always be accurate judgements, like fearing the old man next door, who turned<br />
out to be a helpful friend. Our familiar story has much to lead us from rash emotion to the benefits of a well thoughtout<br />
plan.<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 35
Monster Reviews<br />
Born To Run: The Story of Johnny 99<br />
by Darleen Wohlfeil<br />
Anyone who remembers that great summer sensation of driving fast with the wind<br />
in your hair and belting out Bruce Springsteen hits will enjoy sharing this cute story<br />
with their little ones. At sixteen, Wendy Parnell created just such memories that<br />
led her to later write music-inspired books for all ages. One of Springsteen’s most<br />
successful albums, Born to Run, showcased his talent for finding grandeur in the daily<br />
struggles of American life, and his strong musical influence flows heavily through Parnell’s book of the same<br />
tittle. Born To Run, the story of Johnny 99 depicts one of life’s greatest lessons. Johnny 99 feels cramped in<br />
his small town beginnings. He’s fast, and cool, and he wants big things. He decides it’s time to let his engine<br />
roar, and ventures out on his own to make his mark in the big world. When Johnny 99 returns home again,<br />
he is a changed car. His journey taught him many important things along the way, and humbled his great<br />
expectations. Johnny leaves us with the understanding that sometimes the best part of leaving ... is coming<br />
home! We all seem to take this journey, and we all find our priorities along the way. The direction we go, the<br />
desires we chase may all be different, but they all bring the hungry seekers to the same fork in the road, and<br />
a cozy reality that where we started wasn’t so bad after all. Matt Hall’s animation and color schemes are a<br />
perfect collaboration, bringing the book full circle, and leaving us with a sense of satisfaction.<br />
Night of The Living Worms<br />
by Olivia Amiri, age 8<br />
Night of The Living Worms by Dave Coverly teaches lessons in a fun and adventurous<br />
way. The cartoon style really makes you laugh. Speed Bump (the main character) was<br />
not born with some of what he thinks is the “good stuff” his brother, Early Bird (who<br />
always gets the worm) has. Speed Bump has tiny wings and a big head but he does<br />
have a best friend, Slingshot. Slingshot and Speed Bump go on adventures together<br />
in the forest and Slingshot really brightens Speed Bump’s days. This story teaches<br />
lessons of not comparing or judging yourself to anyone (even a family member) and<br />
that friendship and love really change your life for the better.<br />
Become a Monster Reviewer!<br />
Story Monsters Ink publishes book reviews written by adults and children. Authors of printed reviews receive<br />
a free Story Monsters T-Shirt for their first published review. Reviewers with five printed reviews get to<br />
choose a free book from the Little Five Star bookstore, www.LittleFiveStar.com.<br />
Youth reviewers will need a parent or guardian’s permission slip submitted along with their reviews.<br />
To obtain a permission slip or for more information, email Cristy@FiveStarPublications.com.<br />
36 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
An Instant Classic<br />
by Susan Andra Lion | $16.99<br />
A stunningly illustrated, beautifully<br />
crafted tale about trees, Mother<br />
Earth and her many life forms,<br />
and the relationship of all living<br />
things. An award-winning best<br />
seller, this is the perfect holiday<br />
gift for children ages 3 and above.<br />
A book they’ll cherish – and<br />
remember – for years to come.<br />
“Sue Lion has produced a beautifully illustrated and thought-provoking book that<br />
can open your eyes and hearts to the subtle yet ever present communication from<br />
all of life, particularly trees. It will inspire you to listen more closely<br />
to the natural world with all your senses.”<br />
~ Dr. Steven Farmer, author of Earth Magic and<br />
Children’s Spirit Animal Cards<br />
How the Trees<br />
Got Their Voices<br />
Susan Andra Lion<br />
Available from www.satiama.com | 719.487.0424<br />
Also available from amazon.com or your local independent bookstore<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 37
Juicy Jack’s Spanish Corner<br />
¡Hola,<br />
Amigo!<br />
ACTIVIDADES (Activities)<br />
¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to<br />
Juicy Jack’s Spanish Corner!<br />
¡Bienvenidos! Juicy Jack wants to play with you.<br />
Tell him what you like to do using the phrase below.<br />
Me gusta [activity].<br />
Now that you know how to say what you like to do,<br />
here is how you ask somebody if they like certain<br />
activities.<br />
1. andar en bicicleta = to ride a bike<br />
2. comer helados = to eat ice cream<br />
3. leer = to read books<br />
4. jugar con amigos = to play with friends<br />
5. subir a los árboles = to climb trees<br />
6. jugar deportes = to play sports<br />
7. limpiar = to clean<br />
8. estudiar = to study<br />
9. nadar = to swim<br />
10. dibujar = to draw<br />
Adiós = Goodbye<br />
Amigo = friend<br />
¿Te gusta [activity]?<br />
Practice with Juicy Jack:<br />
Use this short conversation as a guide to practice<br />
with your friends:<br />
Jack: Hola amigo. ¿Te gusta comer helados?<br />
You: Si, me gusta comer helados. ¿Te gusta limpiar?<br />
Jack: No, no me gusta limpiar. Adiós amigo.<br />
You: Adiós Jack<br />
Leigh Carrasco is an educator<br />
and author of the wildly popular<br />
Juicy Jack Adventures series about<br />
a spunky guinea pig who travels to<br />
Peru with his human.<br />
www.juicyjackadventures.com<br />
38 StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink
Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow<br />
"Absolutely adorable….great story<br />
about tolerance for kids spiced with<br />
...a little dash of ‘aside’ humor<br />
for adults to chuckle about while<br />
reading a story of acceptance, forgiveness<br />
and friendship to their precious children."<br />
- Lori M., Social Worker & mother of 3 kids<br />
“Teachers, parents & children<br />
love reading this inspiring tale.<br />
Vibrant drawings, humor, and<br />
a fast paced story keep<br />
your interest<br />
from start to finish!”<br />
“Creative tale about a cow<br />
hoping to make new friends on the farm.<br />
She encounters discrimination and<br />
must overcome their prejudice and bullying.”<br />
(clever way to teach ages 3-10)<br />
The first book in the series<br />
‘A Sweetles Dream® by Sal Barbera<br />
Exciting!<br />
Inventive!<br />
A truly<br />
fun read!”<br />
Available in hardcover and ebook formats on Amazon.com and Sweetles.com<br />
www. SWEETLES.com<br />
Sweetles Press box 1749 Cave Creek AZ 85327-1749<br />
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 39
Teach Your Kids<br />
the Secrets to a Healthier,<br />
Brighter Brain!<br />
Your Awesome Brain is the newest award-winning title<br />
in Dr. Edwin Lee’s best-selling series<br />
of children books on health.<br />
W Traumatic brain injuries are on the rise—especially in youth football.<br />
Learn about the dangers and what to do to prevent them.<br />
W Take a trip in the “time machine” and see what happens to your body and brain<br />
after 10, 20 and 30 years of not following the three secrets to a healthier brain.<br />
W Find out why sugar is bad for your brain!<br />
W Learn the warning signs of a stroke, what causes it,<br />
and what to do when someone is experiencing one.<br />
A must-read for kids, parents, and educators.<br />
For kids ages 5 and up—and grown-ups too!<br />
Available on Amazon.com Oct 28, 2015<br />
Your Amazing Heart: Dr. Lee’s Health Secrets (Book One) is currently available on Amazon.