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LOOKING FOR A LITTLE INSPIRATION?
Inspired by the wonder of it all… ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com
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Award-winning Monarch Butterfly Book only 99¢ thru April 26th—AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens
Celebrate Earth Month
April is Earth Month. It’s a perfect time to celebrate with a copy of AMAZING MATILDA by Maine author/illustrator Bette A. Stevens’s award-winning children’s picture book for ONLY 99¢ through APRIL 26. Download this “Gem of a tale” at YOUR AMAZON today http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Matilda-ebook/dp/B00AU9ZISA/
Words from a reviewer
“I immediately fell in love with Matilda, an amazing, sweet, curious character. What a lovely story with a subtle and yet deep and understandable message for young (and those who are not so young ) readers. This book is one of “must have” books in your library. I already purchased a Kindle version for myself and I ordered two more copies in print for my library.” ~ Vida Zuljevic
Already have your copy?
Matilda says “It would be great if you would share this post with your friends so that kids everywhere can find out about the life lessons my book has in store for readers ages 5-11. Kids will learn important lessons about the value of patience, persistence and friendship as they read Matilda’s amazing adventure again and again. Grownups love Matilda too!”
About Monarch Butterflies
Monarch Butterfly conservation is in the news. AMAZING MATILDA is too! Her story line and illustrations follow the monarch life cycle and highlight milkweed, an environmentally threatened plant and a critical food source for monarch caterpillars.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Matilda doesn’t want to leap onto ledges or bound across fields. She only wants to fly. “How can a creature without wings every hope to fly?” Matilda’s friends wonder as they laugh at the tiny caterpillar who only wants to fly. Meanwhile, as Matilda munches and crunches on milkweed leaves and progresses from egg to butterfly, her friends begin to recall how they felt before they were able to do all of the things they had dreamed of doing. With a little help from her friends, Matilda learns that if she keeps trying, she can do anything that she really wants to do.
LITERARY AWARDS—Excellence in Children’s Literature:
- 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (Picture Books 6+)
- THE GITTLE LIST 2013 (Top 10 Self-published Children’s Picture Books)
AMAZING MATILDA, A Monarch’s Tale by Bette A. Stevens is available in print ($9.49) and eBook ($3.99) versions
Grab a copy of the eBook (Don’t forget to tell your friends) and Celebrate Earth Day with the kids while this award-winning picture book is ONLY 99 CENTS April 20-26 at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Matilda-ebook/dp/B00AU9ZISA…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Inspired by human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys reading, writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies-an endangered species (and milkweed, the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat). Stevens is the author of AMAZING MATILDA, an award-winning picture book; The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too!, a home/school resource incorporating hands-on math and writing; and PURE TRASH, the short story prequel to her début novel, DOG BONE SOUP, a captivating Boomer’s coming of age novel.
[Explore Bette’s Blog]
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National Get Caught Reading Month
Reading with children is a great investment in their future and the world’s! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com
Encourage a Young Writer Day
#EncourageAYoungWriterDay every day! ~ Bette Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com
It has been said, that on every April 10th, we celebrate National Encourage a Young Writer Day, funny thing is, I’ve been unable to track down the origins of this auspicious day. Oh sure I found celebrations dating back to 2013, 2014 and 2015, yet nothing to indicate who started this tradition So guess what? This gives us the opportunity to initiate a tradition of our own right here and now!
It IS up to us to encourage young writers and not just for a day but each and every day. Young writers have an illustrious history of contributing to our literary world. After all, Anne Frank was a mere 13 years old when she penned her poignant diary, giving us a glimpse into a world many of us, thank goodness, would never experience. And Stephen King, it is reported, sold his first story for the…
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“Winter’s Last Hurrah” a poem by Bette A. Stevens
Winter’s Last Hurrah
A poem of seasonal transition by Bette A. Stevens
First day of spring at the farmstead in Central Maine and more than migrating birds flutter about to entertain us. Snowflakes join the celebration. The flurry of Slate-colored Juncos and White-breasted Nuthatches (I managed to capture a snapshot of one at the feeder) don’t seem to mind at all.
Wonders of the seasons—they never cease to amaze us!
~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
Find out more about birds mentioned in “Winter’s Last Hurrah”
- Juncos
http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/juncos.html - Nuthatches
http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/nuthatches.html
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Threats to Monarch Butterflies and How We Can Help
Monarch butterflies—find out more about these amazing pollinators! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator and advocate for Monarch butterflies http://www.4writersandreaders.com
A Monarch butterfly caterpillar feeding on the leaves of a milkweed plant. Photographed at the Grapevine Botanical Gardens. Photo © TexasEagle/Flickr through a Creative Commons license, via TNC
We’ve covered monarch butterflies plenty of times in the past, whether it was reporting survey results showing that many households in the US would pay to help create habitat for the species, showcasing a citizen science project by the Xerces Society to count the winged invertebrates during their migration, or simply highlighting the needs of the orange butterfly in general and how to become involved. Now, given increased media coverage of the Monarch, the Cool Green Science blog for The Nature Conservancy is summarizing hazards and helpers of the species:
Twenty years ago, monarch butterflies occupied so much area in Mexico during the winter you could see it from space. It totaled about 20 hectares, or almost 50 acres, with…
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A Letter to Fourth Grade Fans
Dear Mrs. Glynn & Fourth Grade Students,
How exciting it was to check my mailbox last week and find all of your wonderful Thank You Letters. They really made my day. Your notes and illustrations are fantastic. There is nothing that makes an author happier than hearing from her fans. I’m so glad that you enjoyed AMAZING MATILDA. I definitely enjoyed meeting all of you, reading my book and having a book talk. You had so many great questions to ask me about writing and you offered excellent insights into the book’s messages.
I took a picture of your letters and thought you’d like to see it. So, here it is!
Letters from fourth grade fans in Hartland, Maine. ~ Photo by Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
I keep a file called MY SMILE FILE and all of your amazing letters waiting for me there. That way, on gloomy days when I need a smile, I can read your letters and think of ALL OF YOU—Mrs. Gynn and her amazing fourth grade students!
I included both of my children’s books in the photo. You’ll find copies in your school library. Yes, I will be back to read to you again. My favorite genre is historical fiction. Nature and human nature (people) are the things that inspire me to write my books. I’ll be posting this letter on my web/blog http://www.4writersandreaders.com
Happy reading, writing and all of those other amazing things that you all do,
Bette A. Stevens, MAINE AUTHOR ILLUSTRATOR
- Find all of Bette’s Books at YOUR AMAZON http://viewauthor.at/BetteAStevens
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Write what…
Keep writing! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com
**Image of tulips found on Pixabay; text box via Pinterest
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Hallelujah, Christ’s Alive!
John 3:16 (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
Hallelujah, Christ’s Alive!
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Kindness is…
Share the love… Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com
Photo post by @jamesscarberry.
Source: Kindness is…
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Written
on 04/25/2016