Super excited about this wonderful review for my newest children's book, "Doonsey Returns, the Great Rescue!" Thank you Cat Michaels, Writer!
Doonsey Returns Picture Book Delivers Fun and Kid-sized Lessons in Ecology - Cat Michaels, Writer
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Halloween: Family, Kidlit, and a NEW Grammy Pags Story - The Woozler's Halloween!
Pirate Papa & Pirate Grammy with our little peanut pirate granddaughter. Aargh! |
Here's what's in this blog:
- Halloween Family Fun
- Halloween Dinner Menu & more ideas - adding a few pics from our 2016 Spooky Halloween Dinner!!
- Not-so-scary books for kids - a list by Dena McMurdie
- Grammy Pags' newest story, The Woozler's Halloween - currently available for Kindle
In our family, we get a kick out of dressing up for Halloween! Actually, we love to dress up - period! We've always had a dress up box in our house - one for our kids when they were little, and now we have one for our grandchildren. We make up little plays and stories, go for treasure hunts, and just pretend. It's lots of fun!
Halloween has always been a "non-scary" time for our kids and grandkids. We decorate pumpkins, we might go to our local corn maze, we always pass out treats - with NO tricks, and for many years, we had a good old "Spooky" Halloween dinner.
Wizard Papa & Fairy Grammy with our grandkids. The pirate theme is popular in our family, but we also have faries, wizards, knights, and Peter Pan. |
Pirate Stew - chili or chicken noodle soup (this year it was Broccoli slaw!)
Fish Scales - potato / tortilla chips
Swamp Slime - chip dip / humus
Swamp Juice - fruity punch or cider
Skeleton Bones - cut up veggies
Googley Eyes - deviled eggs with black olive
And a Treasure Chest Dessert - usually gooey donuts with lots of sprinkles! (This year, it was "Dracula's Donuts!")
Our kids have the best time making up the names for our dinner delectibles!
Want more Halloween menu ideas?
More Halloween menu ideas from Pintrest!
It's the Halloween Googly-Eyed Monsters - 3-eyed Threeps! |
If you enjoy reading to your kids on Halloween night, click on this link: a NOT so SCARY list of Halloween books for Kids provided by Dena McMurdie. We've read LOTs of these wonderful Halloween stories.
Dressing up as fairies for a fairy tea party! |
Aargh! It's Pirate Grammy with the Woozler & Doonsey! |
Finally, and a quick question:
Do YOU have a WOOZLER in YOUR backyard?
We do!! This year, the poor little woozler has a super big problem! Halloween has never been so tense!
Check out: The Woozler's Halloween
Go get that rascally culprit, Woozler!!
Do YOU have a WOOZLER in YOUR backyard?
We do!! This year, the poor little woozler has a super big problem! Halloween has never been so tense!
Check out: The Woozler's Halloween
Go get that rascally culprit, Woozler!!
Here's the Kindle link: The Woozler's Halloween |
is NEW from Grammy Pags Stories
ONLY available for Kindle - $2.99
Here's the link: The Woozler's Halloween
Available in paperback - 2017
Available in paperback - 2017
I have lots of "woozler" stories. This Halloween story is a little out of sequence from the other "woozler" stories, but I thought that kids might enjoy it for this Halloween season fun! If you and your kids like this story, please leave a review on Amazon! Thank you so much!!!
Love ya! Grammy Pags
Other Woozler stories:
Thursday, September 29, 2016
OCTOBER is Adopt a Dog - Rescue Dog Month - Duke's Story, a REAL Rescue Dog
Duke 'n' Matt, Rescue Road Warriors, a REAL Rescue Dog Story
Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes & Noble
*****
~ 40 pages ~ Full color
~ ALL photographs are Rescue Dogs
~ Incudes extended & enrichment learning pages for kids
(key vocabulary ~ map skills ~ comprehension questions ~ matching)
~ For ALL Dog and Pet Lovers
Purchase from Amazon
Purchase from Barnes & Noble
*****
~ 40 pages ~ Full color
~ ALL photographs are Rescue Dogs
~ Incudes extended & enrichment learning pages for kids
(key vocabulary ~ map skills ~ comprehension questions ~ matching)
~ For ALL Dog and Pet Lovers
*****
"I'm a rescue dog, and now I'm a "Rescue Road Warrior," says Duke. "This is my story!"
Duke says, "Here are my Do's and Don'ts!
Please consider before adopting a pet."
I love being a "Rescue Road Warrior! I help transport other dogs to safe shelters, foster homes, and forever homes!" |
Duke says, here are a few "rescue dog definitions."
Thanks for your interest in rescue dogs!
A portion of ALL sales of Duke 'n' Matt, Rescue Road Warriors
goes to the Rescue Road Warriors. These funds help defray the cost of gas
to transport the rescue dogs to new homes and safe shelters. Thank you!
Friday, September 23, 2016
NEW from Grammy Pags Stories - 3 Gnomes Mystery for Kids
One-Bite Mystery Synopsis: Sprinkle, Dandy Whiskers, and Whisper are bursting with excitement! It's almost time to make their favorite soup, Droppin' Time Stew! But something has gone terribly wrong in Mr. Joe's garden this year! Every vegtable and piece of fruit they pick up has ONE-BITE-OUT . . . then tossed away . . . like rubbish!
"No stew this year!" grumbles Whisper. "It's ruined!"
Is the Droppin' Time Stew ruined?
Who - or what - is behind the "One-Bite Mystery?"
And why just "ONE-BITE-OUT?"
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
What's the BACK Story? Three Little Gnomes & a Boy Named Orion + Nibbles McGibbles!!
The "Back Story!"
Book #1:
Three Little Gnomes
Three Little Gnomes
and a Boy Named Orion
Book #2:
Three Little Gnomes
Three Little Gnomes
and the One-Bite Mystery
Written by Rhonda Paglia
Grammy Pags Stories for Kids
Illustrated by Ratna Kusuma Halim
I LOVE writing stories with, and for kids! I wrote stories with my own children when they were little. As a teacher, all of my elementary students wrote and illustrated their own books in my classes. Now that I’m a grandmother, I get a great kick out of writing stories with my grandchildren. We’ve produced many, many stories over the last nine years, although only one (so far), Three Little Gnomes and a Boy Named Orion, has been officially edited, published, and is now available for sale.
I don’t usually share the back story for the first “Three
Little Gnomes” book, because it’s a bit “embarrassing.” However, since my author friend, Aviva Gittle asked, here’s
the truth of it!
The REAL Orion - age 2. |
The original cover |
In addition to the lovely flowers, my husband added a couple
of tractors, a wagon, a dog, and, of course, a little boy named Orion. I added an airplane, some bugs, a beanstalk,
a mouse carrying cheese, a castle, and a GIANT black kitty – all from the mouse
version book of, “Jack and the Beanstalk!” (Jack is the little mouse and the giant
is a huge black kitty!) Orion loved it
all and we spent many hours in the BR “garden!”
The 3 gnomes, the tractor, and the dog. |
One day, while Orion was “sitting a spell” – we were talking
about those three garden gnomes (on the wall).
“Orion, do you know the names of
those little gnomes?” I asked. After
some VERY careful thought, this 2-year-old piped up, “That one is Whiskers! He had a beard. That one is Happy Tractor (Orion REALLY liked tractors at the time), and that
one is Getting-a-Haircut (Orion had
recently gotten a haircut, so of course, it made sense to call the gnome, Getting-a-Haircut!)
It was all just so cute, so I wrote the original story for
Orion. It was titled, The Gnomes at Papa & Grammy’s House.
It’s been a grandkids’ favorite and a well
read story ever since. When I started sharing some of my stories in
2013, I decided to rewrite the little gnomes’ story and add more details. The result was Three Little Gnomes and a Boy Named Orion. The version that is
currently available is Edition #2. It’s
an easy reader version for beginning readers.
Edition #1 was much longer, but is no longer available.
Okay, so back to the back story - it's not quite done! Back Story Part 2:
Dandy Whiskers, Sprinkle, Whisper |
Nibbles McGibbles |
Orion |
ORDER NOW: Three Little Gnomes and a Boy Named Orion
ORDER NOW: Three Little Gnomes and the One-Bite Mystery
Saturday, August 13, 2016
It's an International Book Launch! Join in the fun!
Hi Everyone!
YOU are INVITED to the Virtual Launch / Birthday Party for our newest children's book: Three Little Gnomes and the One-Bite Mystery.
Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Time: 10 AM - 9 PM (EST)
Drawings, Giveaways, FUN!!
One-Bite Mystery Synopsis: Sprinkle, Dandy Whiskers, and Whisper are bursting with excitement! It's almost time to make their favorite soup, Droppin' Time Stew! But something has gone terribly wrong in Mr. Joe's garden this year! Every vegtable and piece of fruit they pick up has ONE-BITE-OUT . . . then tossed away . . . like rubbish!
"No stew this year!" grumbled Whisper. "It's ruined!"
"Shhh," whispered Sprinkle, "we'll figure this out!"
Is the Droppin' Time Stew ruined?
Who - or what - is behind the "One-Bite Mystery?"
And why just "ONE-BITE-OUT?"
Enjoy the trailer:
"Three Little Gnomes and the One-Bite Mystery!"
About Rhonda & Ratna: author and illustrator for:
I'm delighted to have the following talented authors and illustrators
co-host the event with me throughout the day:
For more information:
Children's author / illustrator, Rhonda Paglia: Rhonda's Amazon Author Page
Illustrator, Ratna Kusuma Halim: Drawing of the Mind Blogspot by Ratna
Children's author / illustrator, Jessica Adams: Jessica's Amazon Author Page
Children's author / illustrator, Carmela Dutra: Carmela's Amazon Author Page
Children's author / illustrator, Rosie Russell: Rosie's Amazon Author Page
Novelist / literacy advocate, LK Hunsaker: LK Husaker's Amazon Author Page
Children's author, Sandra Bennett: Sandra's Amazon Author Page
Thank you for stopping by!
We hope to see you at the book launch event on August 17!
Join the "Three Little Gnomes" Book Launch Party on FACEBOOK
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Book Lover's Day Blog Hop Fun!
In honor of Book Lover's Day on August 9, my writerly pals and I are having fun by sharing all the ways we adore reading. Please join me and the "lovely" bloggers listed at the end of this post who are also "Book Lovers!"
My first reading book. |
Hi - I'm Grammy Pags! I'm a mom, a grandmother, a retired elementary teacher, and a children's author. On this "Book Lover's Day," I'm going to share some book love from "Dick and Jane" (early readers of the 1950's) to the imaginative, fantastic, contemporary (2012-16) "Land of Stories" series by Chris Colfer!!
A look back: Some of the first books I remember reading from my childhood were the old (now ancient) Dick and Jane books. For those of you who have never heard of these beginning school readers, the text went like this:
"See Dick. See Jane. Look Dick. Look Jane. See Spot. See Spot run. Run Spot run!"
I have to chuckle. Even back then, it was difficult for me to grasp that this was "real" reading! We did learn to read, but thankfully books for kids have come a long way!
An inside peek of some of the original Highlights magazines. |
Great, educational magazines for kids today, and Highlights Magazine is still around! |
Some of my favorite comic books and comic book characters! |
When we went to the grocery story, we loved to read the comic books while our parents were shopping. We'd use our allowance to buy one or two of our favorites. They cost about $0.15 each.
I love picture books for kids. I also enjoy reading these books outloud, especially when the characters are fun and funny, and my grandchildren serve as my audience! I think I do a pretty good "Grover" impression, and my Skippyjon Jones voice is fun too!
I used to read outloud to my 3rd and 4th grade students every day. Some of our favorite chapter books were by authors Bruce Coville and Roald Dahl.
I think our all time favorite book by Bruce Coville was My Teacher is an Alien. For some reason, my students were convinced that I was the alien teacher in our classroom!!
Today, my reading for pleasure books vary from mysteries, to adventures, to thrillers, to books with spiritual themes. I also read non-fiction, but I'm more of a fiction fan. Here are a few of my favorite authors and books:
- Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time
- Sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries
- Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot mystery series
- I love all of Dan Brown's books. We were fortunate enough to go to Rome, Italy. We visited several of the spots where Dan's book, The DaVinci Code was filmed.
- Stephen King's book, 11/22/63 is one of my favorites.
- Michael Crichton's chiller / thrillers are great, like Prey!
- A new futuristic thriller author I'm enjoying is Douglas E. Richards. I've liked them all! I think I read Wired first.
- Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist is also one of my all time favorite books. I think I've read it at least 4 times.
So many books to read, so little time!!
My 5-year-old granddaughter introduced me to The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer. Just great fun and pure reading pleasure even for adults!! |
They are each about 400+ page chapter books, but we are flying through them. We can't put them down!! These are great books for kids, but even for adults. If you like mystery, magic, fairytales, intrigue, adorable characters, and humor, check these books out! You just might get sucked in and taken back to the place of your childhood's imagination!
Rhonda Paglia, "Grammy Pags" with her 5 grandchildren! We LOVE to read! |
That's it for now! Thanks for stopping by!
Enjoy the Book Lover's Day Blog Hop! Read to your kids and grandkids!!
For more Book Love,
check out these talented blogger / authors!
Sandra Bennett: Seven signs you are a Book-a-holic!
Cat Michael's Blog: Cat's Corner
David Chuka, Children's Author: Book Lovers Blog
Carmela Dutra: A Blog for Your Thoughts - Book Lovers Day
Julie Gorges: Baby Boomer Bliss - Why I Love Books
Jd Holiday: JD's Writer's Blog
Auden Johnson: Treasury Blogspot
Carmela Dutra: A Blog for Your Thoughts - Book Lovers Day
Julie Gorges: Baby Boomer Bliss - Why I Love Books
Jd Holiday: JD's Writer's Blog
Auden Johnson: Treasury Blogspot
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