Just Read: “The Great Shelby Holmes” by Elizabeth Eulberg

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I picked up THE GREAT SHELBY HOLMES instantly intrigued by the title character’s name, Shelby Holmes. I’ve been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since, well, forever. The books. The movies. The series. I loved them all. Eulberg perfectly captures all the best (and quirkiest) qualities of Sherlock in plucky nine-year-old Shelby Holmes. Her focus is on solving crimes and her success as a detective has made her a celebrity in the neighborhood and a thorn in Detective Lestrade’s side.

But what “Holmes” would be complete without a “Watson”.

Once again, Eulberg delivers.

John Watson moves in downstairs and is introduced to Shelby when something explodes upstairs (one of Shelby’s experiments, no doubt). John’s mom was in the army, so moving from place to place every couple of years had foster in him a talent for quickly making friends. With school still a few weeks away, John yearns to begin the friend-making process. But the only option so far is Shelby Holmes. And the concept of ‘friendship’ completely eludes Shelby.

When Shelby gets called in on a dog napping case, suddenly the “game is a-foot”. Watson tags along (often clueless but always eager to help). Together they follow the clues, leading them to a solution to the crime and ultimately to a unique friendship.

A wonderfully written story, moves quickly, will hold your interest, and has several laugh-out-loud moments. Established Sherlock Holmes fans will love it, but it will also appeal to and foster a new generation of Conan Doyle fans. (Side note: Shelby owns a dog named Sir Arthur. How great is that!)  

Embedding Fonts in a Word Document

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Why should I ‘embed’ my fonts?

Embedding a font attaches a bit of coding to your document so the font will stay true to the original font and format. This becomes necessary because the fonts on one computer may not be the same as the fonts on another computer. So when the file is shared with others (in this case as a PDF created from a Word document), the receiving computer will reject the font and substitute another, often with undesirable results.

The steps below outline how I embedded fonts when preparing PDF files for my children’s books’ manuscripts for uploading to Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark.

Step One: Set up Word to embed fonts in a document.

1. Open Microsoft Word. 

2. Click on File.

3. Toward the bottom of the list, click on Options.

4.  Click on Save.

5. At the bottom of the dialog box, click to place a checkmark next to “Embed fonts in the file” and next to “Embed only the fonts used in the document”.

6.  Click on OK.

Step Two: Save the document as a PDF file.

There are two different options for accomplishing this.

Option One (works sometimes).

1. Click on File.

2.  Click on Save As.

3.  Click the arrow on the drop-down box and select PDF (* .pdf).

4. Select a destination for the file and click Save.

Option Two (has worked for me every time — so far).

1. Click on File.

2.  Click on Export.

3.  Under Export, click on Create PDF/XPS Document (this is probably the default).

4.  Then click the button, Create PDF/XPS.

5. In the dialog box, type an appropriate file name.

6.  Next to “File type”, make sure it shows PDF.

7.  Click the Options button.

8.  Under PDF Options, click to place a checkmark next to PDF/A Compliant.

9.  Click on OK.

10.  Click on the Publish button.

If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can check that fonts are embedded before attempting to upload your files to KDP or IngramSpark. There are several ways to accomplish this and the step-by-step depends on what version of Adobe Acrobat you have available and the computer operating system you’re using. In other words, too varied to show here. However, there are a multitude of YouTube videos available that discuss the topic.

However, I will say that I don’t own Adobe Acrobat Pro and (so far) haven’t found it necessary. Since discovering Option 2 for creating a PDF as discussed above, I’ve had no “fonts not embedded” problems.

Please feel free to share your insights and questions in the comments below.

Just Read: “The Wildseed” by Marti Dumas

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Hasani has two goals after seventh grade ends – to expand her makeup YouTube channel and figure out a way to reunite her parents.

When an emotional outburst causes her undiscovered magical abilities to boil to the surface, Hasani is contacted by Les Belles Demoiselles, a charm school that teaches young ladies to harness their magic.

As excited as she is to understand her newly discovered abilities, Hasani has a lot of catching up to do. The other girls had grown up in a magical family. Hasani did not. The others come from homes of distinction and wealth. Hasani does not. So she is snubbed as ‘that scholarship girl.’

As Hasani struggles to learn as much as quickly as she can, she also sees the possibilities. Could her magic help her launch her channel to new heights? Could it make her dad leave his new bikini-wearing fiancée and return home where Hasani thinks he belongs?

Maybe it could. But at what cost to Hasani and those closest to her.

—

To be honest, when I selected this book, I expected another story about a school for young witches inspired by JK Rowling’s Harry Potter. I’m delighted to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Is this book about witches? Yes. But it’s not about casting spells. Instead, it’s story is about a school that teaches young ladies of means not just how to use charms, but how to BE charming. So, truly a finishing school for young ladies.

Dumas does a masterful job of helping readers connect to Hasani through her thoughts and her actions without overwhelming readers with either. Her settings are unique and fun, literally flowering off the page. I would highly recommend this book to witches or all ages.

@momteacherwriter, www.martidumasbooks.com

“The Elephant’s Girl” by Celesta Rimington

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I’ve been pulled toward books featuring animals lately (a pull from my youth). So next up on my “Just Read” books is THE ELEPHANT’S GIRL by Celesta Rimington. Beautifully layered with multiple mysteries, it intrigued me from beginning to end.

The story centers around a Nebraska youth who is the tragic survivor of a tornado that ravaged an area around and through a zoo. She’s found as a toddler after the tornado in the elephant pen, protected from the storm by one of the zoo’s elephants, Nyah. With no memories of her life before the tornado and no trace of a family, she’s raised by her foster father, Roger, the zoo’s train engineer. He names her Lexington Willow.

Lex soon discovers she’s not like the others. For one thing, the wind speaks to her (not always kindly). Also her school mates taunt her as “that elephant girl.” So Lex retreats from their teasing into the comforting familiarity of her zoo.

Now Lex is twelve and the mystery of her past plagues her in more ways than one. She’s finally old enough to help with the training of the elephants. Nyah, her rescuer, seeks her out and sends her a telepathic message about the woods outside the zoo.

Nyah’s message catapults Lex into an adventure that changes her life forever. She meets a forgetful ghost who hints at a long lost treasure. She faces her own fears and ventures beyond the safety zone of her zoo. And she finally solves the mystery of “who is Lex Willow?”

I loved THE ELEPHANT’S GIRL (or I wouldn’t be posting about it). It’s unique and charming and includes a thread featuring THE ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS (another favorite book from my past). Within the “Authors Notes” section Rimington includes a substantial list of resources about elephants as well as organizations devoted to protecting these marvelous animals, making this an excellent teaching tool for teachers as well. I’ll hope you’ll read ELEPHANT’S GIRL and enjoy it as much as I did.

Just Read: “Mr. Gedrick and Me” by Patrick Carman

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In MR. GEDRICK AND ME, Stanley Darrow’s family is in need of help to bring a grieving family together after his father passes away. The house is a mess. Mom is stressed out over a looming work deadline. His sister, Amelia, shuts herself in her room. And his brother, Fergus, has developed a tendency to exaggerate the facts more than just a little bit.

Reminiscent of the magical fun of Mary Poppins, Mr. Gedrick arrives at their front door with just the touch of magic the Darrow family needs to put the joy back into their lives.

Told in first person by the main character, Stanley, Carman layers her tale with humor and puts a fresh twist on a nanny-saves-the-family theme. Several mysterious happenings keep the reader guessing. In the end, and with the subtle guidance of Mr. Gedrick, the Darrows find their individual strengths and talents. By bringing these strengths together, they rediscover the joy and power of being ‘family’.  

Carman does an outstanding job of delicately infusing a message without being preachy – that real magic can happens when families work together. Loaded with the quirky humor only the perspective of a nine-year-old can bring, MR. GEDRIK AND ME is a read kids will be certain to enjoy.

Just Read: “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill

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THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON is a middle grade novel by Kelly Barnhill that won the 2017 Newberry Medal. Well deserved, in my opinion.

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON is the story of a girl, Luna, and the witch who saved her, Xan. It centers around one town’s sad tradition of sacrificing one baby each year to the witch in the woods so that she won’t curse the village. (Reminiscent of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.) The villager’s believe in this necessity. The councilmen who implement it do too, but for different reasons. They don’t believe there’s a witch. They do believe that this Day of Sacrifice crushes the spirits of the villagers and allows the council to maintain control.

But the witch does exist, only not the evil one the people imagine. Baffled by the villager’s actions, the witch Xan rescues the children and nourishes them with starlight as she makes the journey to find each baby a home on the other side of the forest. Then one special baby captures the heart of Xan. And when Xan accidently enmagics baby Luna with moonlight instead of starlight, she decides she must raise Luna herself, because an enmagiced child is a dangerous child to herself and to others.

This charming story is brimming over with interesting characters. There are two dragons (who doesn’t like dragons?), one regular size poem-reciting dragon and one “simply enormous” dragon that often sleeps in Luna’s pocket. There’s Antain, the village boy who sees the Day of Sacrifice as a day of horror and decides he must kill the witch to save the children. There’s a madwoman whose paper birds maim, a threatening volcano, and a woman with a tigers heart that prowls the night.

Whew. There’s a lot going on. But Barnhill masterfully weaves the characters, setting, and magical elements of THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON into a well-pace story filled with twists, mystery, magic, and more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for middle grade and young adult readers. THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON won’t disappoint.

Just Read: “Stella” by McCall Hoyle

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Once again, I’ve stumbled across a book I would have loved when I was young(er), another book whose cover invited me in with a story that intrigued me enough to stay for the whole party.

STELLA is a juvenile fiction book by McCall Hoyle staring Stella, a beagle recently retired from service as an explosives dog (dog’s that sniff out potential bomb threats). When she misses a scent at the airport that results in a fatal explosion and the loss of her handler and friend, Connie, Stella is racked by guilt and plagued by anxiety attacks. Now loud noises terrify her almost as much as being left alone. Unable to control her fears, Stella fails three times with new owners. With three strikes against her, Stella is given one last chance with a dog trainer and her daughter, Cloe. But it’s supposed to be only a temporary reprieve. “Don’t get attached,” Cloe’s mom warns.

Told from the point of view of Stella, this book delves into the mind of a dog who lives by her nose. The swirling scents of her world inform Stella through her keen sense of smell. Among them are the comings and goings of animals, the gun-bearing intentions of neighbors, and a strange chemical smell emanating from Cloe just before she has epileptic attacks. Stella’s dilemma – how to pass this information on to the humans in her life and warm them against danger.

Loaded with touching moments, Stella struggles with her own fears and tries to overcome them for the sake of Cloe. Packed with action as well as being informative, STELLA is a book I’d come back to again and again for a hearty dose of fun.

Just Read: “Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring” by Angela Cervantes

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Mystery lover, Paloma Marquez, goes with her mother to spend a month in Mexico City. While there she meets, sister and brother Lizzie and Gael, but before she even knows their names they pass her a strange note asking for her help with a ‘life or death’ situation. Life or death !? Paloma loves mysteries, in fact she’s obsessed with her favorite mystery series featuring Lulu Pennywhistle, super awesome girl detective. But can she solve a real life mystery? Lizzie and Gael seem to think so.

The mystery centers around Frida Kahlo, a famous artist, has items on display at La Casa Azul in Coyoacan. Her husband locked many of her treasures in their home’s historic bathroom, a stronghold that stayed locked until 2002. (This part is true.) Now one of her treasures, a beautiful peacock rink, has been stolen and an innocent man thrown in jail for its theft. (And that’s where Paloma’s fictional adventure begins.)

Paloma is followed, threatened, and lied to the people she thought she could trust. But through it all she puts on her Lulu Pennywhistle brains and works to solve the mystery of the missing ring.

In addition to an intriguing mystery, Cervantes weaves a thread throughout her book about the importance of family, finding a connection with those in your life and with those that were lost too soon — Paloma lost her father at a young age and struggles to gather memories of him through others; her new friends, Lizzie and Gael, are trying to reconnect with their own father.

Heartfelt and full of gotcha twists, ME, FRIDA, AND THE SECRET OF HE PEACOCK RING is a great read. Well done, Angela!

Just Read: “The Hungry Place” by Jessie Haas

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I was immediately drawn to THE HUNGRY PLACE by the cover. I know. I know. Never judge a book by its cover. But it’s a horse! As a child, I devoured every book I could find about animals, particularly dogs and horses, but loved stories about cats, deer, and elephants, too. So it seemed a natural fit. I was right.

In THE HUNGRY PLACE, Rae, a young lady from a financially strapped family, ‘hungers’ for a pony despite the many obstacles that whisper to her about impossible dreams. Princess is marked as extraordinary by her kindly elderly owner who claims from the start that he “wouldn’t part with Princess for a million dollars.” Fate steps in and Rae briefly meets Princess when the pony is still young. Their eyes lock. They connect for an instant. Then they part. Rae is resigned to never seeing Princess again. After all, she belongs to someone else. And Rae could never hope to own such an extraordinary pony.

So Rae sets her sights lower. Saves her money. Continues to hope. Someday she’ll own a pony. Someday. Because she hungers for that more than anything else in the world.

All the while, Princess grows up. Gets trained. Is entered in many horse shows. Becomes a champion. It’s a life that isolates her from other ponies. But the kind man is always there and she knows she’s loved. But when the kind man stops coming, her hunger for love is overshadowed by her real hunger for food and the need to survive.

Haas does an outstanding job of telling this story from the multiple viewpoints of Rae and Princess. (What fun getting to know the world through the eyes of a pony.) She also taps into the multiple meanings of her title, real hunger vs. recognizing that there’s a hungry place inside us all, and not just for food.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE HUNGRY PLACE and was delighted to learn that Haas has written over 40 books, many of them about horses. As a new fan, I plan to devour more books by Jessie Haas.

Just Read: “What Big Teeth” by Rose Szabo

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Do you like books with magic? How about witches, werewolves, and other equally mystifying and somewhat terrifying creatures? Then WHAT BIG TEETH by Rose Szabo will be an interesting read for you.  

Eleanor Zarrin runs away from school after an alarming incident between herself and another pupil. With nowhere else to go, she returns home. Even though Grandma was the one who suddenly sent her away to boarding school all those years ago. Even though nobody wrote to her while she was away.  Or visited her. Even though they all forgot about her – stopped loving her.

Eleanor didn’t fit in at school. But she doesn’t fit in with the multiple generations of creatures that make up her family either. Grandma is a tarot-card-reading witch. Grandpa, one sister, and her cousin constantly shift between human and wolf. Mom sprouts polyps on half her body and sits in a tub of water even while eating. And then there’s Arthur, a family friend who hides behind dark glasses, appears from nowhere, never eats, and only drinks a dark brew prepared by her other monosyllabic sister.

When her Grandma suddenly passes away, she charges Eleanor with protecting their family. But her family treats her with suspicion, often casting fearful glances her way. Why would they fear her? What is it about herself that even she doesn’t understand? That’s the question that draws you into the story and keeps you reading.

To be honest, I didn’t think WHAT BIG TEETH was a good fit for me. I was wrong. And I’m going to tell you why.

Szabo humanizes even this mismatched group of not-quite-humans. She grounds you in the setting, makes you believe in the unbelievable, and writes monsters readers can sympathize with. Because we all need to belong, all need to be loved. We all want to feel safe and secure. It’s a universal need for humans and (I suppose) for monsters alike. But beyond that, Szabo creates a story blooming with intrigue, mystery, and the complicated relationships of the ultimate dysfunctional family.