A Squary World is OUT!

Hey everyone! We are happy to announce that Señor Anthony has just published his new children’s picture book, A Squary World, on iBooks. Here’s a quick summary: A circle named Rounda moves into a town of squares, where she is quickly snubbed for thinking outside the box. Standing her ground, she learns to rise above their prejudice and embrace her roundness. Touching upon a spectrum of social issues, this rhyming and riveting picture book promises to inspire the Rounda in us all.

Free copies are available for those who are interested in reviewing A Squary World. Shoot us a message and we’ll gladly send you an ePUB or PDF version.

Click HERE to purchase on iBooks!

Enjoy your day and stay round! 😎

STORYTIME w/ Señor AnDongNi

Greetings ladies and gents, Señor AnDongNi will be reading fiction and nonfiction children’s books for StoryTime w/ Señor AnDongNi on our YouTube channel. If any authors would like their books to be read, send a message here or at Quiet TV. Here’s an example of our very first StoryTime, in which Señor AnDongNi narrates the Chinese folk tale, King of the Forest🐯🦊

This week Señor AnDongNi narrates the Chinese Folk Tale, King of the Forest

Book Preview—A Bumpy Journey

Hey readers and readettes, Maria and I are working on a new children’s book called A Bumpy Journey, about a hapless rock searching for his purpose in life. Today I’m posting the unfinished version of page 5, where poor and pebbly Bumpy is being sent on his way (yet again!). Look out for A Bumpy Journey sometime in late-2018. Until then, I’ll be posting more teasers for your viewing pleasure. Have a rockin’ day! – Quiet Riley

A Chat Among Friends, pt.1

Setting: A ma and pa coffee shop in San Fran, California

Friend #1: Hey friend, where are you off to?

Friend #2: The Arctic Circle. I’m adopting a polar bear for a pet.

Friend #1: A polar bear?!? Are you crazy?

Friend #2: What? Is there something wrong with polar bears?

Friend #1: Of course! Don’t you know they’re huge? An adult can reach up to 10 feet in height and weigh over 1,000 pounds.

Friend #2: You’re right. It’ll never fit in my Kia.

Friend #1: Not only that, but polar bears are quite dangerous. Their teeth and claws are sharper than samurai swords.

Friend #2: Hey friend, thanks for letting me know. My in-laws are staying for two weeks and I wouldn’t want…(he pauses for a moment, then shakes his head). Can you recommend something else?

Friend #1: How about a Diamondback Rattlesnake? They’re much smaller than polar bears and easier to take care of. You can hop on the Interstate and pick one up in a jiffy.

Friend #2: A rattlesnake? That’s…that’s the greatest idea ever! The wife just delivered our first and you know how newborns love those sounds they make.

Barista #4: Cinnamon chai latte! 

Friend #1: Ah, my drink is ready. Happy travels, friend.

Quiet Book Review #2: Amanda in New Mexico

Amanda in New Mexico is a young adult novel about a world-traveling student named—you guessed it—Amanda. Whoa, deja vu! Her 10th grade teacher (and most suspect chaperon ever), Ms. Bowler, leads her class on a haunted field trip to Taos, New Mexico. Here, Amanda’s eccentric friend, Cleo, has many encounters with “ghosts.” Then, Amanda starts having many encounters with “ghosts.” Trying to enjoy her time in a foreign land, Amanda shrugs off these hauntings as coincidences and carries on, snapping photographs and writing travelogues for her site, Kidsblog. In the meantime, Cleo is going through serious psychological distress and is on the brink of a mental breakdown while their suspect chaperon keeps checking boxes off their itinerary (how about a box for mental clinic, Ms. Bowler? Your student has major issues!). From here, the narrative turns into a spooky whodunit filled with mystery, mayhem and dialogue straight out of a Saved by the Bell episode.

Amanda in New Mexico is the perfect read for teenagers interested in any of the following: ghost stories, adventure, southwestern history and geography. Author Darlene Foster portrays past and present life in New Mexico with great vibrancy and accuracy, even using Spanish terms to draw the reader into Amanda’s charming and elaborate surroundings. Overall, I like Amanda in New Mexico and give it an 85/100 on the Quiet Scale. To find out more about Darlene Foster and her latest works, click here.

Note: If you are an author and would like to exchange book reviews, contact me here.

Quiet Book Review #1: Call Me Amy

Call Me Amy is a young adult novel about—you guessed it—a girl named Amy. Living in Port Wells, Maine in the 1970s, Amy grapples with the routine affairs of adolescence: boy crushes, identity formation, mothering an injured baby seal. Like I said—routine. Being an animal lover herself, author Marcia Strykowski effortlessly portrays Amy as a smart and empathetic 8th-grader trying to make (what she feels are) the right decisions. Amy’s quirky yet unpredictable personality keeps the reader interested in her daily adventures from beginning to end, an end which is sure to evoke both tears of sadness and tears of joy; in other words, an emotional rollercoaster (don’t worry—a kid-sized one). Call Me Amy is perfect for any elementary or junior high reader interested in connecting with nature, developing a solid core of ethics and building meaningful relationships in Middle America. The characters are well-fleshed out and their interactions are fun and realistic. I recommend this novel and give it an 88/100 on the Quiet Scale. To see what else Marcia Strykowski has been working on, click here.

Note: If you are an author and would like to exchange book reviews, contact me.

 

Señor Snobbity ha llegado!

Here is page 3 of Señor Snobbity, a Christmas picture book available in English and now Spanish. If you or a loved one would like to pre-order one, please click here.

For friends and familia interested in a free copy, let me know and I’ll send you a Smashwords coupon. Have a snobbulous week!

Presenta Señor Snobbity!

Good news: Snobbity Snowman will soon be available in Spanish! Here are both versions of page two, where Snobbity and the Merrigolds are spending a “lovely” afternoon together. Look out for a third page next week and have a Snobbulous Sunday!

GalacTuesdays: Space Math

This GalacTuesday, we play a numbers game called Space Math, adding (or multiplying) our way through a most treacherous cosmos. A player is deemed victorious when he/she moonhops successfully to the green spaceship.

Ideal for ages 3-7

GalacTuesday: Help Droll Decode

This GalacTuesday, one of my students decodes a secret message sent to Droll Spades, a spacey alien whose I.Q. score barely exceeds that of an embryonic shagworm. After just 10 minutes, the student completed his mission and received his reward: no homework!

Earthlings, beware! Your brain cells are under attack! Gather your wits and defend yourselves or face annihilation!”

Invading bookstores everywhere, The Galactivity Book is a blast for the entire family. Whether playing at home, on a train or the passenger seat of an airplane, 32 pages of space-themed brain-teasers, word puzzles, logical tasks and strategic games are sure to keep you and the kids entertained.

So order your copy today and master the skills to survive a brain invasion tomorrow!

Sold at Amazon or Smashwords