More Great News!!!

LITERARY AWARDS FINALIST FOR 2013

Children – Toddler to 5

Strangers on the High Seas, Carole P. Roman, Red Feather Publishing

If You were Me and Lived in… South Korea, Carole P. Roman, CreateSpace

BOTYA 2013 Finalists in Juvenile Nonfiction (Children's)

I am thrilled to announce that my book, "If You Were Me And Lived In...France" was chosen as a finalist in the 2013 Book Of The Year Awards for Juvenile Nonfiction!

"The delightful, colorful illustrations feature a boy and a girl; on the cover, they are holding a large globe with the boy pointing to France. On one page, there is a blue silhouette map of France with a black star indicating the location of Paris. More color contrast would have made the capital city stand out.

The meanings of the French words are clear from the context, the corresponding image, or an explanation. For example, one illustration depicts the boy and girl, wearing backpacks, standing in front of their brick school that displays a French flag. The narrator says, “You would love spending your days in école.” One improvement would be to indicate French words by putting them in italics."

Read the rest of the review here!

Happy Reading!

Carole P. Roman

Sweet read!

Adorable picture book about baby animals with a short rhyme about their lifestyle. Emily Thomson has written a lovely book with the cutest collection of critters. Vividly illustrated, their large eyes catch your attention as well as your heart. She uses interesting vocabulary to stretch little minds, and the nimble words make for an excellent tone when you read them out loud; "the little fawn leaps and jumps over rivers logs and stumps." My favorite has to be the baby flying squirrel " gliding on the breeze just like a kite." A great book for new readers, or a pleasing book to read to a toddler. Either way, it's a welcome addition to my library.

Happy Reading!

There's no place like home

Like Dorothy form the Wizard of Oz, Sniff the cat learns there is no place like home. He uses his nose to look for a new smell, and soon is distracted from what he was used to. When he realizes it is not what he expected, and learns not to forget where he came from. delightful illustrations and a very cool cat who teaches us not to take what we have for granted.

Happy Reading!

Moving and Well Written Slice of Military Life

Terrific collection of short stories detailing the many aspects of life of the families in the military. Moving, humorous and sometimes heartbreakingly poignant, it profiles ten very different women, each married to a member of the armed forces and the trials and tribulations of their life. From newlyweds, to struggling mommies, to retirees , each face a vast array of challenges that prove courage and bravery is not confined to the battleground. A Reverend's wife battles depression, until she tackles it head on to use her own experience to help others. A heartsick wife must find the strength to accept the unthinkable. A family copes the catastrophic changes to their wounded warrior, while he works to adjust the challenges of his new limitations. Each voice is refreshingly individual, without cliche. Some were surprisingly unexpected, as in the story of a wife wallowing in guilt over her husband's last mission or the wife dealing with her bored newly retired husband. Terry Rollins has written a great book that made me think of the families that serve this country. The day to day inconveniences and great sacrifices they take on to insure that our country stays safe. We honor the men and women that serve, but fail to realize the greater picture and the precious price their families make. This book opened my heart and my eyes to their effort to uphold the homefront while their spouses protect us on the battlefield.

Happy Reading!
Carole P. Roman

There is always a solution no matter how dire the situation

I think this was the cutest book. It reads like a real conversation between a mother and son. The son keeps coming up with perilous or uncomfortable situations, and Mom calmly anticipates and provides a solution. The beautiful theme is that I will always be there for you , no matter what the situation. You are never lost or abandoned, and there will always be a way to put things the way we want. Lovely sentiment, a relaxing reinforcement to put any child at ease in our anxiety driven society. I love this book!

Happy Reading!
Carole P. Roman

Too Many Toys!

I love David Shannon's books. They are heartfelt and hilarious. The illustrations are both fun and a relief from all the pastel "babyish" books. This book was cute, but "No David" remains my favorite. It always leaves me with a smile. I have a David of my own and the universality of Shannon's characters strike a cord. Too Many Toys is how every parent feels when they look at the thousands of broken pieces, toys bubbling out of couch cushions, invading every bit of space so it feels like they are secretly mating and multiplying. It does get overwhelming. Shannon is not preachy, he's a slice of life and realistic. The ending was appropriate- it's a reminder that material things don't make us happy or fill a void- only we can do that for ourselves.

Happy Reading!
Carole P. Roman