Spotlight: Santa's Slip Up by Raven Howell and Savannah Horton (Illustrator)

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It’s the night of Halloween. Spooks, spiders, and skeletons abound, the full moon glows – so who is cheering, “Ho, ho, ho!”? Apparently, Santa Claus has come to town, though it’s the wrong time of year! But what could be a bad situation, is wittingly handled with humor, and there’s a new winner at this year’s Halloween parade

For fans of Room on the Broom and The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.

Excerpt

“...If it wasn’t the moon

Round as a balloon,

Nor the vampire,

Nor the black crow,

If it wasn’t the hobbling,

Groaning goblin,

Who cheered,

Merry Christmas! Ho-ho!...?”

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About the Author

Raven Howell writes stories and poetry for children. Having published several award-winning picture books, she enjoys sharing her love of literature by visiting classrooms and libraries. Raven is Creative & Publishing Advisor for Red Clover Reader, Poetry Director for Monster Magnificent, and writes The Book Bug column for Story Monsters Ink magazine. Her poems are found in children’s magazines such as Ladybug, Spider, Highlights for Children, Humpty Dumpty, and Hello Magazine. She’s a Collaborating Author for Reading is Fundamental SoCal and writes storybooks for Reading Gate.

You can find her online at:

https://www.ravenhowell.com

https://twitter.com/atpearthkeeper

https://www.instagram.com/atpearthkeeper/

https://www.facebook.com/raven.howell.75/

https://www.facebook.com/RavenHowellAuthorandPoetPage/

https://www.pinterest.com/pickward/_saved/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raven-howell-5a813015b/

https://www.tiktok.com/@ravenhowell22

Spotlight: Midnight Quakes by C.S. Patra

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Ria's world is shaken one night when midnight strikes. Is she the only one who can stop the destruction?

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

For 12-year-old Ria Sharma, mixing in with crowds and other people hasn't been easy. A budding geologist, she's not afraid to get her hands dirty, be it for experiments or her latest science fair project. Unfortunately, no one else feels the same and her relationships, especially with her mother, are strained. Not wanting Ria to end up like her estranged sister Debolina, who left home to pursue her art dreams, her parents do their best to keep her from anything dangerous, science or not. So Ria woefully has to work in secret, hoping one day to change their minds.

Everything shifts when strange earthquakes erupt around midnight, despite not living near fault lines. Only Ria feels them and knows something's wrong under the surface. After digging around, she discovers mysterious clay pieces with a drawing of the world falling apart. She also notices that many people and places disappear after each quake. Soon, she discovers the pieces, disappearances, and her own family are all connected to this phenomenon. Using her science knowledge plus Debolina's help, Ria races to put the pieces together before the quakes cause the Earth to disappear into thin air.

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About the Author

CS Patra is the Amazon bestselling author of several book series. They include but are not limited to The Reaper's Apprentices, Operation: Genome, Cirque Macabre, Portman's Creamery mysteries, The Patterns & Parallels Saga, Ghosts of Burning Inn, and Flavors of Love. She loves to dabble in different genres and loves to cross over. Her personal favorite thing is write about female characters in different situations. She is also fond of writing many LGBT stories and stories focused on PoCs.

Although she does work during the day, most of her nights are taking up by writing. A native of North Carolina, she currently lives in Nebraska with her husband. She loves ladybugs, yellow roses, movies, book signings, mysteries, watching old Youtube videos, ghost stories, gossip, music, people making her fanart, museums, ice cream, and being a wisecrack though not all in that order. Writing and peacocks hit the top of her list though. 

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Spotlight: As Brave as a Lion by Erika Meza

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No matter how fast I go, or where I end up, my brave lion sticks with me—my lion’s always there!

A child and her lion have a one-of-a-kind friendship in this vibrantly illustrated story of overcoming fears--and being there for each other when it matters.

No matter how fast I go, or where I end up, my brave lion sticks with me--my lion's always there!

When she and her lion are together, one little girl feels like she can do anything. Whether she's afraid of the dark, or too shy to speak and in need of finding her voice, her big, bold companion always looks out for her. But one day, the inseparable pair decide to climb the new, dizzyingly high rocket slide at the playground together, and the girl discovers that even lions sometimes get afraid. Can she summon the strength to be his lion when he needs her? Joyful, expressive artwork glowing with bright primary colors brings to life the story of a special bond--and a child's discovery of unexpected courage.

Age range: 3 yrs - 7 yrs

Preschool - Grade 2

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Spotlight: Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

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In this playful and charmingly illustrated picture book, Bear has so much to give thanks for!

What better way for Bear to say thanks than over a nice, big dinner? Bear decides to throw a feast! One by one, Bear’s friends show up with different platters of delicious food to share. There’s just one problem: Bear’s cupboards are bare! What is he to do?

Grades: P - 3

Ages: 4 - 8

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Spotlight: The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria by Adi Alsaid

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Phineas and Ferb meets the Despicable Me series in this hilarious and heartwarming middle grade debut from acclaimed author Adi Alsaid about a wannabe hero who lives in a goofily evil kingdom where nefarious schemes abound.

Welcome to Nefaria, where nearly every day the kingdom faces another evil scheme.

Most are harmless, though, so the citizens of Nefaria simply learn to live with the latest hijinks and go on with their lives. This includes Bobert Bougainvillea, who is much more concerned with the fact that he seems to be invisible. From the teachers in his school to his classmates, almost no one notices Bobert, no matter how visible he tries to be. Then everything changes when Bobert follows his classmates to a cursed gumball machine.

Before he knows it, Bobert is sucked into one of Nefaria’s most villainous evil schemes, a plot that has been a long time in the making—too long, in the evil wizard Matt’s opinion. And retreating into invisibility this time won’t do, not when Bobert is the only one with the drive, knowledge, and—if his newfound courage doesn’t fail him—bravery to foil Matt’s plan.

Grades: 3 - 7

Ages: 8 - 12

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Spotlight: Finch House by Ciera Burch

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Encanto meets Coraline in this spooky middle grade story that deals with family ties, fear of change, and generational trauma as it follows a girl who must convince an old, haunted house to release its hold on her and her family.

Eleven-year-old Micah has no interest in moving out of her grandfather’s house. She loves living with Poppop and their shared hobby of driving around rich neighborhoods to find treasures in others’ trash. To avoid packing, Micah goes for a bike ride and ends up at Finch House, the decrepit Victorian that Poppop says is Off Limits. Except when she gets there, it’s all fixed up and there’s a boy named Theo in the front yard. Surely that means Finch House isn’t Off Limits anymore? But when Poppop finds her there, Micah is only met with his disappointment.

By the next day, Poppop is nowhere to be found. After searching everywhere, Micah’s instincts lead her back to Finch House. But once Theo invites her inside, Micah realizes she can’t leave. And that, with its strange whispers and deep-dark shadows, Finch House isn’t just a house…it’s alive.

Can Micah find a way to convince the house to let her go? Or will she be forced to stay in Finch House forever?

Grades: 3 - 7

Ages: 8 - 12

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