Happy New Year('s Eve)!

Hello my fellow bookworms, 

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger) 2023

Wishing you a safe and happy New Year's Eve! May your year ahead be filled with many good books!

What are your book resolutions this year? This past year I read 48 books, for a total of 11,750 pages read. For 2024, I am going to keep my "Read 25 Books" resolution. I am going to aim to read a difficult book and a classic book. By the end of this year, I hope to be able to go back to reading in full force! :)

 

Here are my top 5 books from this year (in no particular order - this was a hard list for me this year!):

• An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten
• Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik
• These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
• Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
• Give Me A Sign by Anna Sortino
  

Here are 5 books I look forward to in 2024 (also in no particular order):

• A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
• A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur
• The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
  

Here is some good book news for your new year:

• If you read my blog post from last month, Goodreads has announced their Goodreads Choice Awards for 2023! Did any of the books you voted for make the final cut?
  

• Cardinal Rule Press is looking for new realistic fiction books aimed at children, ages 4-11, that are representative, inclusive, and meaningful to publish! Picture book manuscripts can be up to 1,000 words and must be submitted as a PDF. Click here for more information.
  

• Book Riot has a reading log for their Read Harder Challenge that you can download and use to track your reading this year!
• If you want the actual list of challenges for 2024, check out the Read Harder Challenge here!
  

• There is a new bill introduced called the "Books Save Lives Act," that aims to counteract the book bans across the nation by classifying such bans as a federal civil rights violation. Check out the news article from HuffPost for more information.
  

• A nice act of kindness from James Patterson this winter, Mr. Patterson provided bonuses to 600 booksellers!

One more thing before the new year - did you know I have a Facebook page set up so you can now receive Facebook notifications when I post a new blog post? Check it out (and subscribe)!

Until next time - Happy Reading! Happy New Year! :)

Buddy the Bucket Filler by Maria Dismondy & Carol McCloud, Illustrated by Julia Seal

(c) Cardinal Rule Press, 2023

Hello my fellow bookworms!

Fall is just right around the corner and many have already gone back to school! I wanted to share a new children's book that has been recently released that is beautifully illustrated, with a great message to share called Buddy the Bucket Filler, written by Maria Dismondy and Carol McCloud, illustrated by Julia Seal. 

Buddy, a little boy, goes to visit his great uncle for a week during the summer. Uncle Frank acts like a grandfather to Buddy and has him help around the farm, feeding the animals and picking cherries. Uncle Frank later talks to Buddy about helping other using the "filling buckets" concept. They go around doing good deeds and Buddy has a great time and a good story to tell his father when he goes back home.

The "filling buckets" concept is one introduced through a previously released non-fiction book, also by Carol McCloud, titled Have You Filled a Bucket Today? The basic concept is that everyone has a bucket, and sometimes that bucket is full and sometimes it is empty. Anyone can act as a "bucket filler" to treat others with kindness and respect, thus filling the other person's bucket. Negative behaviors, such as bullying count as "dipping the bucket," which shows as an image of a bucket pouring all the happiness out of it. This method is a cute and imaginative way for children to learn about being kind and being generous.

The book is recommend for children between the ages of 4 and 10, and while the younger ones may not quite grasp the "filling buckets" concept, they will definitely enjoy looking at the beautiful artwork and understand the underlying message of being kind. A perfect read if you are looking to read a story about kindness and sharing. You can find the book at your local bookstore, or online as an e-book. If you check out the book directly from the publisher's website, Cardinal Rule Press, you can also download a free Reader's Guide for children, as well as coloring pages!

See the book trailer below:

 

Thank you to Cardinal Rule Press for providing me with a free copy of the book, as well as Ms. McCloud's first book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? I enjoyed the read and will enjoy passing along the message to those I know. I also love the cherry theme, as it makes a great end-of-the-summer read and ties in the message completely!

 

Until next time - Happy Reading!

(c) Maria Dismondy, 2023

About the Author: Maria Dismondy

Maria Dismondy is the founder of Cardinal Rule Press. Before devoting her work to the publishing industry and children's mental health, Maria was a teacher. She finds inspiration for her work in her daily life and strives to make a difference in the lives of children in her work around social emotional learning. Maria can be found walking her dogs and on adventures with her husband and three children in southeastern Michigan.

About the Author: Carol McCloud

(c) Carol McCloud, 2023

Carol McCloud began the series of Bucket Books with the ever-popular Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids in 2006. Her books have sold over three million copies and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. A champion for bucket filling, Carol strives to help people of all ages lead happier lives by growing in kindness, self-management, resilience, and compassion. She lives in Venice, Florida, with her husband, Jack.

                                About the Illustrator: Julia Seal

(c) Julia Seal, 2023

Julia Seal knew from the age of five what she wanted to do for a living - draw pictures! After graduating with a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration and then working in the greeting card industry (and getting covered in glitter every day!) she finally moved onto her dream job - illustrating children's books. She lives in a small village in England with her husband and two children - who provide plenty of inspiration.