Calling All Book Lovers: Free Novel
Monday, December 15, 2008
A few years ago, light years before mom blogging became the rage it is today, I met an author online. Her name is Melanie Lynne Hauser and she is the author of the wildly popular mom lit books, Confessions of Super Mom
and Super Mom Saves the World
. Back then, moms were forming a literary scene online with sites such as Literary Mama and mamazine and then it all sort of morphed into a hodgepodge communtiy of mom bloggers. But through it all Melanie has continued to write. Melanie is currently offering a free download of her latest novel, Jumble Pie.
"JUMBLE PIE is the story of the elusive nature of friendship, sometimes clinging, other times liberating; a story for any woman who has ever lied to her best friend just to make her feel better - and who has been brave enough to tell the truth, even when it hurts. And of course, it's a story about the remarkable healing power of pie."
Want Jumble Pie, a free full-length novel? Please visit www.melanielynnehauser.com/JumblePie to request a copy.
Jennifer James, Editor
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 12:00 AM,
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Caillou: Happy Holidays
Monday, October 27, 2008
If your children are big fans of the Caillou cartoon, they certainly will not be disappointed with this new Christmas book Caillou: Happy Holidays! Reading Caillou: Happy Holidays! is very much like watching the popular PBS cartoon only better because you get to snuggle up with your little ones and read all about Caillou's Christmas adventure before it airs on TV. "Caillou's Holiday Movie" will air on PBS Kids Sprout this November and December . Anticipating Christmas is the theme of Caillou: Happy Holidays! and to help him count down the days to the special day, Caillou's dad gives him a calendar to help him watch the days pass until Christmas.
Inside, your children will be mesmerized by the vivid colors and imaginative illustrations they have come to love. At 79 pages, we love that Caillou: Happy Holidays! is longer than your typical children's book. You can't read it all in one sitting without fidgeting and without your children's attention going elsewhere, but its length coupled with its delightful story allow you to spread the book over several days. It is even ideal for counting down the days until Christmas with your kids.
Buy Caillou: Happy Holidays!
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 12:00 AM,
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Hilarious New Children's Books By Worthwhile Books
Monday, October 6, 2008
I always know when my daughter love a particular children's book because they laugh in all the right places if it's funny, smile when a story has a happy ending, or fight back tears if a story ends in tragedy. Last night when my daughters and I were having our nightly bedtime reading, they laughed their heads off at Worthwhile Books's new title: The Town of Zack.The Town of Zack is a funny story about a young boy, Zack, who is overwhelmed by his three cantankerous little sisters, Zoe, Zelda, and Zena. They don't give poor Zack a moment's peace and so he devises a plan to start his own town of one plus his dog, Marge. After trying to start his own zip code sans sisters, so to speak, Zack finally realizes Zoe, Zelda, and Zena aren't so bad after all. After a little time apart Zack and his sisters all grow a better appreciation for one another. Instead of his sisters waiting to maul him with tea parties and makeup sessions when he finally returns, his sisters baked him cupcakes and stacked his video games in a neat pile. Zack and his sisters learned a valuable lesson when Zack was trying to make his own town and that is family members may bug you a lot, but family is really all you have.
The Town of Zack, with all its funny illustrations, is a delightful book to read at bedtime. Your children will love Tom LaBaff's depiction of Zack's out of control sisters and Dava Savel's story of family and appreciating them.
On the Net: www.myworthwhilebooks.com
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 1:17 AM,
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So, If You Haven't Heard: Oprah Has a New Book Club Pick
Thursday, September 25, 2008
We realize that, yes, there are moms who are too busy to watch Oprah and don't have the time to notice when she picks a brand-new Oprah Book Club selection, so we decided to post it today.
Here's Oprah's latest pick:
Here's Oprah's latest pick:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel (Oprah Book Club #62)
To get the full scoop on the book and to read ther first chapter, stop by Oprah's Book Club.
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 11:13 AM,
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Recommended Podcast: Just One More Book
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
It is so refreshing to listen to adults who have a quantifiable passion for children's books. Children's books are magical on so many levels, from the imaginative stories they tell to the amazement in children's eyes when they read or hear an amazing story for the first time. If you're always on the prowl for the best children's books, you should definitely take a listen to Just One More Book's thrice weekly podcast about some of the best kids' books out there. Here's why we enjoyed listening: Andrea and Mark (the show hosts) record each podcast in a local coffee shop, which is quite engaging to the listener. Plus, the reviews of each book aren't stiff and mechanical, but light and straight to the point and lets you know as a parent why your child will probably find the book enjoyable as well.
As a listener you can become more involved by calling and letting them know the children's books you think should be mentioned on their show. And their web site is chock full of author and book archives that you could spend days perusing. It would be great, though, if all of the books were linked directly to Amazon so we could purchase the books easier, but other than that, Just One More Book is highly recommended by us!
On the Net: www.justonemorebook.com
Labels: children, fiction, non-fiction, parenting
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 4:32 AM,
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Book Review: Schooled by Anisha Lakhani
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Living a life of power, prestige and inordinate wealth is unlike the lives of most of us, but for the parents in Anisha Lakhani's debut novel, Schooled, money can buy anything, even teachers to pass their children.Arriving as one of the new teachers at a Manhattan private school, Anna Taggert (Lakhani's main character) is forced to make the difficult decision between going against the ingrained culture of the super-rich or obediently falling in line, compromising her morals and beliefs in order to make her students and their stuffy parents happy. For Anna, the choice becomes clear: appease the parents and pass the students. And in the meantime tutor students from rival private schools, charge up to $200 an hour to write her charges' papers, and live in the lap of luxury and shopping sprees.
If you have always wanted to see how the other half lives, Schooled does not disappoint and gives a kaleidoscopic view of the lives of the very wealthy and powerful from Upper East Side posh penthouses and snooty doormen to indulgent kids parties with celebrity singers as their entertainment. Through Anna's experience, Schooled shows us how callously people use their money and influence to bypass the ethics of a sound education and moral parenting.
Lakhani, a former private school teacher and tutor, wrote Schooled to expose the denigrating underground society of tutoring. She reveals how easily rich kids skate through junior high and high school with very well paid tutors and then skip off to the Ivy Leagues, all while being coddled and sucked up to.
Schooled is a captivating read especially if you've had a nagging suspicion that ultra rich kids breeze through life with money as their ticket and largely unconcerned parents as their only saving grace.
Buy Schooled
On the Net: www.anishalakhani.com
posted by The Mom Salon Editors @ 2:38 AM,
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