A Bully on the School Bus ~ Book Blog Tour Review & Giveaway!

A BULLY ON THE BUS

BY DR. MILDRED D. PEYTON 

WITH LEAH N. PEYTON

Illustrated by Andy Hoang

Genre: Children's fiction, 26 pages

Categories: Education, Social Skills & School Life

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release date: Sept 2015

Content Rating: G

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Nicole is the main character in the book "A Bully on the School Bus." Nicole is a young girl who rides the school bus to school every day. It wasn't until Nicole started experiencing problems with another bus-rider named Dylan when she became uncomfortable being on this bus. Her experience with Dylan is a form of bullying, and she was frightened. After several incidences, Nicole made her parent aware and found a way to solve the problem.

To read reviews, please visit Dr. Mildren Peyton's page on iRead Book Tours.

>>CLICK TO BUY THE BOOK<<

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REVIEW:

HALL WAYS REVIEW: In A Bully on the Bus by Dr. Mildred D. Peyton, readers are taken into an all-too-familiar scenario of when a bully targets a particular child for no reason. Initially, readers may speculate it is a one-time incident – Dylan’s having a bad day and acting mean. No harm done, right? As is often the case with witnesses to bullying, they watch and don’t get involved. Even as Nicole may be talking herself into that very same conclusion – it’s a one-time thing – just below the surface, there is a niggling feeling that this isn’t the end of it.  

Author Peyton spends a considerable amount of time underscoring that Nicole is a happy child with happy friends and a safe, happy home. Her parents are loving and supportive, and they pay attention to her words and take them seriously. This background shows that even the kids who seem to have it all can be victims of bullying. I found it odd that Nicole told her mother, “a boy on the school bus made me feel uncomfortable,” yet the mother didn’t address it, or at least probe for more information, on the spot.  The wording alone makes my mommy spider senses tingle, and I find it hard to believe that a mom wouldn’t at least do some minor inquiry to be assured the issue wasn’t more serious.

Crayon drawings by the author’s daughters, Leah and Jada, start and finish A Bully on the Bus and make the book feel authentic. The kids’ drawings will help young readers feel a common ground and better connect to the story. Illustrator Andy Hoang returns to provide the rest of the colorful eye candy. Most of the pages are fully covered with the text inserted over the illustrations. This makes each page engaging and will encourage readers to dwell on the pages. The softer, muted colors and edges are a good choice to complement the story and counter any anxiety that may build for kids who have been in similar bullying situations. The characters are multicultural, and their expressions properly convey the situations and emotions. The exception to that is the depiction of the bully; readers see him angry, but we never see the bully’s eyes, and his mouth doesn’t change when he’s called-out for his behavior, making it difficult to believe Dylan is reformed.

The dialogue is natural and well-written, and the book is cleanly edited and proofread -- SO important in books for children. However, as is the case with Dr. Peyton’s book Sophia Writes to her Bully, the resolution feels a bit too neat. Bullies are rarely stopped with a simple admonishment from an adult, and my feeling upon finishing the story is that Dylan will find new ways and places to bother Nicole. It would be interesting to use this book as a read-aloud and then ask kids what they think happened the next day on the bus. 

The book concludes with definitions and action tips for kids, parents, and educators reinforces. There is also a page of web resources for further exploration on the topic of bullying (QR codes would be a great addition here for teachers and librarians to use the book as the basis for a lesson.) What A Bully on the Bus does well is show that bullying behavior needs to be discussed and children need to talk to adults when it happens. The book is perfect as a read-along/read-aloud and for use as a springboard to discussions about how to recognize and react to bullying.  

Thank you to the author and iRead Book Tours for providing me a lovely print copy in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. 

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Mildred Peyton is the President and Founder of Peyton Consulting, LLC. Dr. Peyton established her consulting firm, which was initially geared towards school bullying services, in March 2016. She was inspired to create Peyton Consulting and become a children's author on bullying after completing her doctoral research study entitled, "Exploring the Meaning of School Bullying Among Parents of Victimized Children."

During her undergraduate internship in 2002-2003 at Salisbury Middle School in Wicomico County, Dr. Peyton and her team developed and facilitated a mentoring program, providing one-on-one conflict resolution and mediating skills to students who were identified by the program coordinator with ongoing needs of behavioral issues. One of the key/primary areas Dr. Peyton and the other mentors focused on was educating and addressing bullying issues with bullies and victims. And in her graduate program, Dr. Peyton also facilitated a school bullying focus group in 2005 at Maryvale Elementary School in Montgomery County, to teach participants about bullying behaviors and how to avoid bullying others. She also attended several bullying workshops to learn about the latest studies while working with the students. Her passion on this topic followed her even as she served as a member on the Committee on Hate/Violence at Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, in 2013. There she developed a brochure for students and parents for the annual bullying symposium and, provided rich knowledge and skills on this topic throughout the year.

Today, the company has expanded its services to target workplace bullying as well. With the experiences of others and Dr. Peyton's personal experience with adult bullying in the workplace (which caused her to resign from her employer in 2016), she believes attention, guidance, and solutions are also critical in this area. Dr. Peyton holds a Ph.D. in Human and Social Services with a concentration in Social Policy Analysis & Planning. She has a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and Sociology and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. Dr. Peyton is committed to using her knowledge and skills to influence positive change among students and adults.

Connect with Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:
Oct 8   - Library of Clean Reads - review of Sophia Writes / author interview / giveaway
Oct 9   - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of Sophia Writes / giveaway
Oct 10 - I Love A Good Book -  review of Sophia Writes and Bully on Schoolbus/ giveaway
Oct 11 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 15 - 100 Pages A Day - review of Sophia Writes / giveaway
Oct 15 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Sophia Writes / guest post / giveaway
Oct 16 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 17 - Reading is My Passion - review of Sophia Writes / giveaway
Oct 18 - Library of Clean Reads - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 18 - Locks, Hooks and Books - review of Sophia Writes / guest post / giveaway
Oct 18 - Books Direct - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 19 - Reading is My Passion - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 19 - Hall Ways Blog - review of Sophia Writes / giveaway
Oct 19 - One Frugal Girl - review of Sophia Writes / giveaway
Oct 22 - Hall Ways Blog - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 22 - Books Direct - review of Sophia Writes / giveaway
Oct 22 - Reading Authors - review of A Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 23 - Bookworm for Kids - review of Sophia Writes / author interview / giveaway
Oct 24 - Bookworm for Kids - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 25 - One Frugal Girl - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 26 - 100 Pages A Day - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
Oct 26 - Locks, Hooks and Books - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway
TBD     - Reading Authors - review of Sophia Writes / giveaway
TBD     - Breath Of Life - review of Sophia Writes / guest post / giveaway
TBD     - Breath Of Life - review of Bully on School Bus / giveaway

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Chiseled: A Memoir of Identity, Duplicity, and Divine Wine by Danuta Pfeiffer

Chiseled: A Memoir of Identity, Duplicity, and Divine Wine by Danuta Pfeiffer. Narrated by Danuta Pfeiffer.
*Readers' Favorite International Gold Medal Winner; Eric Hoffer Finalist Award*
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5 STARS from HALL WAYS BLOG

Publication Date: (Audio) May 22, 2018
Publisher: Audible Audio Book
Length: 13 hours 22 minutes

Publication Date: February 12, 2015
Publisher: Luminare Press
Pages: 426

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Chiseled: to cut, to pare, shape with a chisel, to cut close,to employ unfair practices to obtain an end, to cheat, to defraud, to trick

Through betrayals and loss and her search for redemption an idealistic journalist becomes the unlikely co-host to a television evangelist bent on becoming the president of the United States. When her past catches up to her, she is caught in the cross hairs of politics and religion.

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HALL WAYS REVIEW:  Audio and Print Review. I read this book in print three years ago, and when the author contacted me and asked if I’d listen to the new audio book format, I jumped at the chance. Even three years later, I remembered well the details of the book. Danuta Pfeiffer's Chiseled: A Memoir of Identity, Duplicity, and Divine Wine is the amazing story of Danuta's life -- filled with deception, devastation, and determination -- that takes readers on her courageous journey.  Told in three parts, Danuta begins at her beginning, as a god-fearing child, living a spartan life, under a father she revered despite his abusive hands. Her father's stories of obstacles he'd overcome in the war, in the most brutal of circumstances, carried Danuta through her own travails time and again, even as her father continued to reject her.  

“Women were expected to be seen but not heard. To be instructed but not instruct. To praise the Lord and pass the potatoes

-- but not to preach.”

For readers who remember Danuta (then Soderman) and her mysterious departure from being the co-host of The 700 Club with Pat Robertson, details are revealed of not only her departure, but of how CBN and Robertson operated behind-the-scenes. This provides fascinating insight into the sometimes-sordid world of televangelism, and it ultimately leads to Danuta's "losing God" for some time.  As Danuta navigates her life - out of work, married to an addict, and questioning the very existence of God - she always draws strength from her father's challenges and perseveres.  When she finally allows friendships into her life and allows herself to focus on her own needs, she finds true love with a winemaker, Robin Pfeiffer. Robin takes Danuta to Poland, where Danuta connects with her father's family, and discovers the truth and lies of her father's past.

"Memory is wickedly elusive and necessarily subjective.

Ultimately, this is the memory of a lie."

Many of her sentences are stunning, and the imagery truly takes the story to another level. For example, in talking about her father's decline into depression, Danuta wrote, "His change took place the way a shoelace comes undone, gradually unravelling what was once secure."  Or, when she speaks of her time with The 700 Club, she summarizes it by saying, "I had become a spiritual drug dealer imbued with the halo of power and celebrity, associated with the brokers of money and politics." Her characterization is excellent so that readers not only witness actions but understand and feel Danuta's emotions towards the characters who have the most impact on her life.

Particularly powerful is the story of Danuta's mother, Patricia, who is truly the hero of Danuta's life. In Patricia's strength and commitment to her family, Danuta finds a role model in a time when women were restricted by societal limitations. Throughout Danuta's life, her faith and relationship with God go through many iterations, and it is interesting to see her thought process at all stages and what ultimately leads her back to a life of faith. Sprinkled throughout the text were photographs from various times in Danuta's life, which enriched the story even further.

ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK: One word: OUTSTANDING. I loved this memoir when I read it, and I loved it when I read it with my ears and heard the author narrate her life for me.  It makes the already intimate feeling memoir feel even more intimate, more real (and more painful), and her triumphs more glorious. Pfeiffer’s training serves her well as her narration is perfectly paced and her voicing of various characters really enriches them. The voicing of her Polish relatives was particularly good. She nailed everything from the humor of her Uncle Frank to the awkwardness of his translating for others and the pain and confusion as Danuta tried to reconcile the father she thought she knew with the man his Polish family knew him to be.

Chiseled is a masterfully written story of a woman spending a lifetime searching to find peace, love, and acceptance within herself.  At times, readers will have to remind themselves that Chiseled is a memoir and not fiction. It is unbelievable that any one person endured all the heartache and challenges that Danuta faced, and even more amazing that she survived it and now lives a healthy, happy life.  I highly recommend Chiseled, as Danuta Pfeiffer eloquently shows that truth can be more dramatic and fascinating than fiction. Readers be prepared to be angry -- and possibly shed a few tears -- but in the end, feel inspired. 

Thank you to the author for reaching out to me and offering an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Danuta Pfeiffer graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.A. in Communications and Journalism with a minor in Philosophy.  She is a community activist, the author of three books, a motivational speaker, and a long-distance bicycle rider. She married Robin Pfeiffer, an Oregon wine grape grower she met through her newspaper ad.  He proposed in 12 days and they have been making wine and love together for more than 20 years.

WEBSITE   GOODREADS    AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Elephant Dreams ~ ~ Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway!

ELEPHANT DREAMS

by

MARTHA DEERINGER

  Genre: Young Adult / Historical Fiction / Sweet Romance

Publisher: Melange Books Fire and Ice Young Adult Books

Date of Publication: September 2, 2017

Number of Pages: 224

Scroll down for the giveaway!

Desperate to escape her squalid life on the streets of New York City, sixteen-year-old Fiona Finn seeks help at the magnificent Church of the Ascension where Charles Loring Brace, a social reformer horrified by the plight of New York City’s street children, arranges for her to go west aboard an Orphan Train.

Fiona’s homeless, alcoholic father has other plans, however.  He wants Fiona to “work” the streets to support his drinking and pursues her across the midwest until she is forced to abandon the train in Houston to avoid a sheriff bent on returning her to her father.

Alone in the dark on the Texas prairie, Fiona’s terrifying experience with a circus elephant, Bolivar, sets the stage for a future she could never have imagined.

PRAISE FOR ELEPHANT DREAMS:

Elephant Dreams will be featured in the January, 2018 issue of the Historical Novel Society magazine.

“What a story! With scenes to be likened to any Charles Dickens novel, the author, Martha Deeringer, carries the reader on a breathtaking journey through despair and hope that changes as often as the wind changes direction. Great characters, a believable story, an insight into another world, and an empathy for a character that a reader would have to have a heart of stone not to sympathise with. Although billed as a young adult story, this will readily appeal to an adult reader. Very visual writing and the makings of a classic.” -- Jane Finch for Readers’ Favorite

“I absolutely adored this novel; I couldn't find a single thing to dislike about it, other than of course the characters we are meant to dislike. The secondary characters were just as well rounded as the primary characters, leaving the reader with a feeling of contentment at the end of the novel. Each character brought his or her own three-dimensional personality to the novel, giving me a reason to either love or hate them passionately.” -- Acwoolet for Online Book Club

“I thoroughly enjoyed Elephant Dreams. It is a captivating story with a spunky heroine who is determined to turn her life around. I loved the unique settings that covered New York City slums, an orphan train and a Texas Circus. I would recommend it for teens through adults.” – 5 Stars, Kindle Edition | Verified Purchase

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HALL WAYS REVIEW: ✪✪✪✪✪ From the first few pages of Elephant Dreams, readers are pulled into the grim, bleak setting of 1860s New York City. Author Martha Deeringer places us right there, wide-eyed, scared, and dreaming of something better. Yet even in the darkness of poverty and hordes of street children, there is a spark of hope in sixteen-year-old Fiona Finn.

“Her early life disappears into the past with each 

revolution of the train’s wheels…”

It is that spark of hope and the gumption of young Fiona that kept me fascinated with Elephant Dreams and turning the pages (read it cover-to-cover in one sitting – I’ll be sending the author a bill for my neck ache!). Fiona is intelligent, and thanks to her Mam, educated. Fiona’s beautiful journal entries, eloquently written, show insight and talent in assessing the character of people she meets.  And there are plenty of characters with character!

“Do you think we’ll go to hell for lyin’?” Fiona asked.

“Not for that particular lie,” Aunt Mollie said.

Of course, with a story centered around the circus life, readers expect vibrant descriptions and unique and interesting characters. They will not be disappointed and are treated to a cast of diverse people within and outside of the circus. Readers not only get a clear image of the physical presence of each character, but the depth and quirks of each as well. The goodness shines through in the good, but there are also the deeply flawed and their flaws aren’t sugar-coated. There was much ugliness in this period of history, and it’s presented appropriately for the audience and puts the lives of the characters in context. The historical element of Elephant Dreams is terrific.

Not only was the character of Mollie A. Bailey based on a real person and her circus, the story included numerous historical elements, naturally woven into the story: the orphan trains, the Texas Rangers and Major John B. Jones, the plains buffalo slaughters, the Civil War, segregation, the Comanche War Chief Buffalo Hump…any or all of which may pique the young reader’s interest and encourage further investigation.

One aspect that I enjoy in Elephant Dreams is the underlying and repeated message of the positive impact of church and people of faith on the lives of the less fortunate. When Fiona decided to save herself and change her path, she started by going to a church to ask for help, and that was the catalyst for saving her life. Deeringer keeps the message in the background, which makes it more powerful.

Elephant Dreams arouses a wide range of emotions that keeps readers engaged. Be prepared to worry, rage, delight, and even wipe a tear or two from your eye. The book is beautifully written and immaculately edited -- THANK YOU! I highly recommend it to readers young and old, though parents and younger readers need to be aware that there are tough topics addressed and alluded to including prostitution, rape, and alcoholism. Though nothing is graphic, lines of communication need to be open.

Thank you to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and the author for providing me a beautiful print copy in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.

Martha Deeringer lives with her husband and their large, extended family on a central Texas cattle ranch. She writes magazine articles, often about history, for children and adults and is a frequent contributor to regional and national magazines. 

Martha also writes Young Adult fiction, occasionally inspired by her teaching experiences or the antics of her children and grandchildren. She loves ranch life and sometimes abandons her writing to cope with assorted issues involving kids, dogs, cats, horses, orphan calves, and occasionally armadillos, coyotes and rattlesnakes. 

 ║ Website ║ Facebook ║ 
║ Amazon Author Page ║ Goodreads ║

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

1/15/18 Excerpt Tangled in Text 1/15/18 Bonus Promo Post Story Schmoozing Book Reviews 1/16/18 Review Books in the Garden 1/17/18 Guest Post Texas Book Lover 1/18/18 Author Interview A Page Before Bedtime 1/19/18 Review The Page Unbound 1/20/18 Promo Texan Girl Reads 1/21/18 Excerpt Books and Broomsticks 1/22/18 Review Hall Ways Blog 1/23/18 Scrapbook Page The Clueless Gent 1/24/18 Review Syd Savvy 1/25/18 Bonus Notable Quotable Reading by Moonlight

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