#22 Topper's Book for Nook

     Topper was having some trouble, and I knew he would have to go into the vet clinic. 

     This was unusual because our spoiled kitty usually sees a special veterinarian who makes house calls--mostly because he throws such a fit when he has to ride in the car.  

     However, everything indicated that this problem would require some lab work. He had stopped eating, drinking water, and was making repeated trips to his litter box.

     He insisted in a loud "Meow" that I do something about it, so I reluctantly shoved him into his hated carrier and took him in.  We came home with two weeks worth of antibiotics--pills to be administered after eating by tossing down his throat twice a day.

     The medicine didn't settle very well in his little cat stomach though, and Topper soon began to be sick at about 3:30 nearly every night.  First I reassured him with appropriate sympathy. Then I had to disinfect spots on the carpet and by the time I finished with that job, I was wide awake. 

     I knitted a lot in those cold, dark hours.  

     At the end of two weeks, Topper went in for a recheck, and the lab report declared that he was cured (though he may have used up two or three of his nine lives).

     ...Cured of everything, that is, but his mistrust and anger--all aimed at me, his faithful nurse. Go figure!

     The photo above was taken during that period of time. At first glance he appears to be sweet and relaxed, but look again.  His eyes are blazing with fury.

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     I am happy to report that Topper finally recovered his gentle personality and resumed his job as "Author's Muse" while I published his illustrated ebook for Barnes and Noble's Nook readers. (It was already available on Amazon for their Kindles.) 

     The ebook has a reading level of 4.3 and is entitled In the Mind of a Cat by Lynda.  It sells for $2.99, and is available for computers as well as many mobile devices.

     In gratitude for your support and continued interest, I thank you and Topper thanks you.

     Until next time...

     Please keep reading! 

      

     

#21 eBooks For Nook and Kindle

     You may have noticed that my following eBooks are now available for Barnes & Noble's Nook as well as Amazon's Kindle.  Look for them at http://amazon.com or http://bn.com:

     

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     On February 25, the following three will join them in both markets:

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     My other two eBooks (Margaret's Christmas Cookies and In the Mind of a Cat) are still listed exclusively with Amazon for Kindle until late April.  I will notify you when they are also available on Barnes & Noble for their Nook.

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     Writing takes time.  I am still working on Jessie's Journey, the newest member of the Agent C Series.  I  hope to have it shaped up by the end of this summer.

     Meanwhile, please keep reading...

#20 Kindle Owners Lending Library and Prime

     Welcome to our new readers from Ireland.  You represent the forty-ninth country reported on the stats for my two blogs.  Thank you for supporting our interest in children's literacy.

     In this post I will be discussing a special opportunity for people who have the Kindle reading devices.  It is called the Kindle Owners Lending Library and is offered by Amazon.com . When combined with their Prime membership, it allows readers to check out a free eBook once a month with no due dates.

     A couple of obvious questions are "How much does Prime cost, and what else does the membership have to offer?"

     A Prime membership is $79 per year (and there is currently a free month's trial offer).   For one thing, it allows you the use of  KOLL (the Kindle Owners Lending Library) with its 180,000 book titles for your Kindle, including 100 current and former New York Times best sellers and all seven of the Harry Potter books.

     The membership also gives you access to 25,000 instant movies and TV episodes, and unlimited free 2-day shipping on all Amazon orders.

     Just to clarify, it works like this:  Kindle + Prime = KOLL.  For more information, just click on Amazon's link above and then on the "Join Prime" on the top menu bar.

     All eight of my own books are included in Prime memberships as indicated by the word "Prime" beside their descriptions on Amazon. **  My titles are:

     I hope you find this information useful.

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     My other blog at Jump Up 2 Chapter Books currently has a post that lists 10 reasons why children might want to choose to read a book. Just click on the link to jump over to that site.

     ...And please keep reading!

     ** UPDATE ** In order for me to add marketing through Barnes and Noble for their Nook reading devices, several of the above publications will no longer be under an exclusive contract with Amazon for their Kindles.  They will continue to be available from Amazon, but will no longer qualify for the Prime membership program described in this post.  Please see Post #21 in this blog for further details. 

    

     

#19 Free Download of Tiny Others

     With a special promotion, I am able to offer you a free download for Kindle of Tiny Others (Agent C Series) by Lynda on January 19, 20, and 21 from Amazon.com. This eBook is also available with a Kindle App for computers, smart phones, and tablets. (Tiny Others is usually offered for $3.99.)

     On any of those dates, just click on the Amazon link above and enter the full title and author's name in the search window. Though you will find a good description of the book on the web site, one is provided here for your convenience:

Tiny Others (Agent C Series)

By Lynda

     Savannah Allen’s busy brain and fertile imagination become ignited on a family vacation to the mountains when a little man working in a country market gives her a ream of very old paper. 

     Upon arrival at the family’s summer cabin, Savannah discovers that she can sun-bleach the pages to reveal a hidden story of “tiny others” who once made their home in the surrounding forest.

     Who wrote the story, and when was it done?

    

     Chip Campbell, Savannah’s new neighbor, thinks he knows the answers, and for some odd reason, that irritates the twelve-year-old girl.

    

     As the two young people challenge each other to accept and use their respective gifts, they begin to understand that everyone has responsibilities to find and develop the things that they can do best, and then to “use them well”.

     This is the first of the “Agent C” series to be published by Lynda as an eBook for Kindle.

     “Agent C” is an embedded reading coach who makes cameo appearances in several of her stories for middle-grade readers.  In Tiny Others, Agent C takes the role of the little shopkeeper, Mr. Pippin, who delivers the ream of old paper.  This gift causes the story to shift in a dynamic way.

     When something causes such a dramatic change in the plot, it is called a “catalyst”.  The “C” in “Agent C” stands for that word.

     More information about this eBook is available on the current post of my other blog at

         http://jumpup2chapterbooks.blogspot.com.  

     Just click on the link to be taken there.

     You may also like to visit my profile page on Amazon's Author Central at

       https://www.amazon.com/author/ebooksbylynda.

     Please share the information about this three-day promotion with others who may be interested. 

     And as always, keep reading... 

#18 Children's Series Available as eBooks

     When children find interesting books, they often want to read something similar.  This is a good thing, especially since there are almost more children's eBooks available as parts of a series than those that are not.

     The following list is incomplete, but it will give you an idea of what is out there for the digital readers.  Some common prices for Amazon's Kindle devices and Barnes and Noble's Nook are noted with the letters "K" and "N".

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     The Cat in the Hat series by Dr. Seuss:  K has Audible Audio Editions for $2.95 each. N has eBooks for $3.99.

     Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Parks: K and N both sell eBooks for $4.99 each and collections for $12.99.

     Goonie Bird Green series by Lois Lowry: K sells eBooks for $5.69 each and N for $9.99 each.

     Ramona series by Beverly Cleary: both K and N sell them for $5.69 each.

     Encyclopedia Brown mystery series by Donald J. Sobol: both K and N sell them for $4.99 each.

     American Girl series by Janet Shaw: K sells them for $5.59 each, and N sells them for $5.83 each.

     Boxcar Children mystery series by Gertrude Chandler Warner: K sells them for between $3.82 and $4.49 each. Collections are $27.49.  N sells them for $5.03 each and collections for $28.99.  (This is a huge series, but some of the current ones are not written by the original author.)

     Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing series by Judy Blume: both K and N sell them for $5.99.

     Charlie and the Chocolate Factory series by Roald Dahl:  both K and N sell them for $6.99 each.

     A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket:  K sells them for between $1.99 and $5.99 each. Complete collections are $79.99.  N sells them for between $1.99 and $8.99 each. Shorter collections are $17.99.

     Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan: both K and N sell them for $7.69 each.

     Teetoncey: Cape Hatteras series by Theodore Taylor: K sells them for $7.99 each, and N sells them for $9.30 each.

     Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery: K sells them for $1.29 and the entire series of eleven books for $1.99.  N sells them for $2.99 each or as a collection for the same price. 

     The Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum: K sells them for between "free" and $5.69 each and a collection for $.95.  N sells them for $.99 each or $.95 for a collection.

     Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott: K sells them for between "free" and $.99 each. A collection sells for $.99.  N sells the trilogy for $.99.

     Hardy Boys Mystery series by Franklin W. Dixon: K and N both sell them for $6.99 each. (Be careful when entering the search for this one.  Use the word "Mystery" or you may be led to an adult series instead of the one for children.)

     Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene: K and N both sell them for $6.99 each.

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     I hope you will find this list helpful.  

     I must admit that I was a bit disappointed again when I discovered that Laura Ingles Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series and C.J. Rowling's Harry Potter series were not available from these vendors in digital format.  Perhaps they soon will be.

     Those books are available in print, of course, so you may continue to enjoy them anyway.

     Happy New Year, and please keep reading...

     

#17 Christmas eBooks for Kids

     On my other blog www.jumpup2chapterbooks.blogspot.com, I recently welcomed a reading audience from Spain.  

     Now a welcome is also in order for a new reading audience in Jamaica, representing the 45th country reported in the combined stats of my two blogs. 

     With the upcoming holidays, more children will soon have access to digital readers.  I feel that it is important for us to provide them with a variety of quality literature.  Hopefully, some of the suggestions in this blog will help you locate it on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

     Apps are also available for many other devices such as smart phones, tablets, and computers.  Many of them have parental control features to protect children from some of the "junk" on the internet.  Investigate it and consider investing in this new reading format. Kids love it!

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     My first recommendation today is by James Harriot, well-known as the author of the All Creatures Great and Small series of books about a country veterinarian.  The specific Christmas story I am suggesting was published in 1993 as The Christmas Day Kitten.  I had to dig hard to find it in digital format. It finally surfaced in an Audible Audible collection by Harriot on Amazon called Warm and Joyful Animal Tales.  It sells for $9.95 but is free with a 30-day Audible trial membership. 

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     Barbara Robinson published The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in 1971. This humorous little tale has enjoyed huge popularity and been dramatized for television and stage, but don't you agree that children should have the opportunity to read Robinson's real words?  Amazon sell it for the Kindle at $5.69 and Barnes and Noble offers it for the Nook at $5.99.

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     Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble offer a classic holiday collection for $2.99 by Golgotha Press (published in 2011) entitled 50 Classic Christmas Stories.  The contents list The Fir Tree, The Little Match Girl, The Bird Christmas Carol, and many others I have never read.  Please preview this this anthology to assure yourself that its spiritual approach is compatible with your family values.

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     The Gift of the Magi was published by O.Henry (William Sydney Porter) in 1906.  Known for short stories with surprise endings, O.Henry does not disappoint in this classic.  

     B&N offers several editions priced from $.99.  They also offer an "easy read" edition for $1.39 (though I prefer the author's original, myself).

     Amazon also has several versions, priced from "free" to $9.99.  One version is $.99 in four languages and another is in Japanese for $1.99.

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     A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was published in 1843.  Several editions are offered for B&N's Nook for between $.99 and $12.99, and several for Amazon's Kindle are priced between "free" and $4.99.

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     And now for a small regret again.  

     I had another experience similar to the one I reported last time about Shel Silverstein's poetry books not being available in digital format. 

     Natalie Savage Carlson's Newberry winner, The Family Under the Bridge is currently not available for digital readers.  That, in no way limits my need to recommend it as a wonderful holiday story. It only limits the book's audience. 

     It is my hope that by including it along with my comments, publishers will soon find a way to offer it. 

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     And now I have a little holiday gift for you, my readers. On December 8 and 9, Amazon.com is offering my eBook Pomegranate (Agent C Series) by Lynda at no cost for eBooks. It has a futuristic setting but some connections straight out of very old Greek mythology.  It also has messages about the safe use of the internet, and the importance of family and friends.  

 

     I chose to offer this book because that is where Jessie, the main character in my current writing project Jessie's Journey, was first introduced. (See www.jumpup2chapterbooks.blogspot.com.)

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     And one last little piece of business.  I have signed an exclusive agreement with Amazon for all eight of my eBooks for at least the next 90 days.  

     This means that they will only be available on Amazon.com for Kindle or Kindle apps.  You will not be able to purchase them for B&N's Nook reading devices until at least March.  

     It also means my eBooks will have some special promotion options with Amazon, including their "Prime", and member-lending library.

     However, I will continue to recommend books sold by both companies on this blog.  

     Next time I will recommend some favorite children's series available as eBooks.

     Until then, please keep reading...  

       

#16 Humorous eBooks for Kids

       My stated objective for this post was to recommend several eBooks for kids with humorous poems, riddles and chapter stories.

     That turned out to be more challenging than I had expected for two reasons: one is that some of the best examples are not out in digital format (yet). The other difficulty has to do with what kids find amusing.

     I had, for example, almost forgotten how so many of my fourth graders broke into uncontrolled gales of laughter at any sound or suggestion of bodily noises.

     So, I have done my best here to sort out some wholesome examples of children's humor with only one serious regret. Shel Silverstein's books of poetry are still unavailable for the Nook or Kindle.  

     Go ahead, with my blessings, and read his wonderful works in regular "printed on paper" books.  Trust me, you will love them in any format.  

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     My first eBook recommendation is by Roald Dahl who also wrote the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory books.

     His humor is a bit dark, but very, very funny.  The Twits was published in 1980, and is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Twit, a couple of despicable individuals who take turns playing tricks on each other. At last a family of circus monkeys  teaches them one very final lesson.  

     It is a fun read-aloud, and is available for $6.99 for both the Kindle and Nook (Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com).

     So far, so good, right?  Now it's going to get tricky, so pay close attention to which books are offered by whom.

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     Jack Prelutksy's poetry book entitled What a Day it Was at School! (2009) is available from Amazon for the Kindle for $5.99, but B&N does not have it for their Nook.

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     Casey at the Bat and Other Great Poems for Kids (2009), is offered by Amazon.com for their Kindle for $2.49, and by B&N.com for their Nook for $2.99.

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     And now we come to the joke and riddle books.  Parents and teachers, you do realize that these books will require your active participation, don't you?--especially, the Knock, Knock jokes?

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     Michelle Zimmerman has published a collection entitled 101 Christmas Jokes for Kids downloadable to the Kindle for $1.99.  In her description, she suggests using a phone app so your child can enjoy reading jokes while waiting at the grocery store or doctor's office. 

     Keep those kids reading!

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     Jeffrey Fisher has published Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Jokes for Kids on B&N for their Nook for $.99.

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     There are many, many titles.  You will want to sort through the titles carefully, though.  Just enter "joke books for kids" in the search window of your device or computer web page.

     I hope you have found this post helpful.  Next time, I will recommend some eBooks about the holidays.

     Until then, please keep reading...