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January 1, 2025 · 7:00 am

Verbs on the Move: Adventures in Language Series, Book Three by G. L. Sinclair (Book Review)


Join the Verbs on the Move

Dive into an exciting adventure where storytelling meets language education! In “Verbs on the Move,” readers embark on a journey through vibrant tales that bring the world of verbs to life. This book seamlessly blends captivating stories with educational insights, making learning both fun and engaging.
Explore:

  • Action Verbs
  • Linking Verbs.
  • Helping (Auxiliary) Verbs:
  • Regular/Irregular Verbs
  • And more!

Join in this linguistic adventure and watch as verbs come alive, guiding you through life’s movements and challenges with kindness, playfulness, and purpose.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

G.L. Sinclair is the brilliant creator behind the Adventures in Language series. Punctuation Retreat, book one in the series, presents information in a whimsical and fun way that entertains kids instead of their typical reaction to grammar lessons — yawns. Their last grammar book, Magical Noun Quest, helped elementary students discover the magic of nouns and how the world would crumble without them. This time, kids will dive into another exciting literary adventure, bringing the world of verbs to life. Action verbs. Linking verbs. Helping verbs. Transitive or intransitive verbs. The creator will educate and entertain their audience through a creative storyline and (sometimes) silly images. I snickered at the pink and purple elephant rocking a tutu as they danced through time with their comrades. The Verb Goblin looked adorable in his dictionary page-turned hat. It sparked a childhood memory of how we folded the weekend newspaper into hats that doubled as boats. There was so much to love about Verbs on the Move. Follow me as I summarize its eight chapters.

 

Alex was a curious ten-year-old who aspired to become a writer. He knew achieving his goals meant studying grammar. Today, Alex focused on verbs, the tiny but powerful words that made sentences come alive. As Alex relaxed in the treehouse with a book on verbs, his eyes grew heavy, and soon he was drifting off to sleep. No sooner had Alex closed his eyes in his fortress of solitude (aka the treehouse) than he was transported to Verb Village, where guests were about to discover which verb is the fastest. The racers had cutesy action word names, such as Running Rita and Dashing Dan. Even the race’s organizer had an action-infused name: Action Andy. The race was action-packed; unfortunately, readers won’t see any of it. However, there was a picture of the winning trophy, which had a unique feature. (No spoilers)

Alex’s time at Verb Village carried over into his next night’s sleep. Tonight’s mission is to assist Helping Harry in figuring out how to help the main verbs with the correct tense; a tedious mission unless you join Main Verb Mary’s learning game at the playground. Townspeople were leaping over exclamation point hedges, among other imaginative obstacles. Learning about present, past, and future verb tenses has never been this much fun! 

 

In chapter three, the Verb Goblin is being his mischievous self, turning verbs into nouns. We watch inanimate objects come to life, such as the table that sprouted arms and legs. I hoped more images were included featuring moments from the bizarre talent show, such as tables stacking dishes into towers or a joke courtesy of the winged stick of butter. But that said, kids will understand how to turn a noun into a verb through the writer’s creative storytelling. For example, by adding -ing to ‘book,’ the noun has been transformed into a verb (booking). 

 

As Alex’s adventure in Verb Village continues, we meet Stative Steve. Stative might be an unfamiliar literary term for most kids. It’s a verb that describes states of being. For example, if someone tells you they are feeling blue today, you understand they are sad. The author also explores transitive (verbs that need an object) and intransitive (verbs that don’t need an object), two more (possibly) confusing verb words. Transitive Tina and Intransitive Ian attempt to simplify a mind-twisting subject matter. Do they succeed in their quest? Yes, they do through (what I consider) a verb improv show. The performance might inspire classrooms to create an improv show. Wouldn’t that be fun! 

 

Alex’s journey into the land of verbs continues at The Greatest Verb Bake-Off. Like with the race, every contestant’s name begins with a verb. While the names were catchy, their unique skills captivated me the most. Mixing Mike’s arms spun like mixer beaters while Stirring Sarah dazzled audiences with pirouettes as she stirred not one…not two…but three bowls at once. Oh, how I would love for this scene… better yet, the entire book brought to life! It would be a perfect educational animated program for kids who enjoy cartoons like Wild Kratts or Magic School Bus. This chapter had to be my favorite. The chefs worked as a team to fix the Verb Goblin’s kitchen tricks. Read the story to find out what trick he played and how it affected the kitchen. Be ready to have your sweet tooth activated! 

 

I was amazed at the writer’s ability to develop scenes with witty dialogue that simplified the parts of speech. Whether we join Alex at the Verb Olympics, the racetrack, kitchen, playground, town square, festival, or other exciting areas in Verb Village, kids will realize verbs’ essential role in bringing sentences and stories to life! 

 

Verbs on the Move: Adventures in Language entertains and educates the audience through witty dialogue and action-packed scenes. It’s a must-have for your public or homeschool curriculum! 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score:  ❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

Meet the Author

I am an accountant by profession and have retired after many years of service. I always wanted to write a book. I developed a series of 6 books on punctuation/grammar for kids. This is a completely new experience for me, and I hope you like what I have written.

Amazon Author Page Link
Reedsy Author Link

 

 

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October 30, 2024 · 7:00 am

Magical Noun Quest: Adventures in Language by G. L. Sinclair (Book Review)

Join four adventurous kids on an unforgettable treasure hunt in “The Magical Noun Quest”! When Emma, Jack, Liam and Sophie stumble upon a dilapidated cottage deep in the woods. Their curiosity gets the better of them, ignoring the warnings of their parents, they venture inside and discover a hidden library filled with dusty, ancient books.

Among the forgotten tomes, one book stands out—glowing and shimmering with a magical light. Drawn to its enchanting aura, the kids open the book and are instantly transported to a series of mystical worlds. Each new place they visit is filled with exciting challenges and wondrous discoveries, all centered around the fascinating world of nouns.

As they journey through an enchanted forest, bustling city, and mysterious islands, Emma, Jack, Liam and Sophie learn the true power of language. They uncover the importance of all types of nouns—people, places, things, and ideas—and how these words shape the world around them.

“The Magical Noun Quest” is a captivating adventure that teaches young readers the value of language and the magic hidden within words. Perfect for children who love a good story and are eager to explore the wonders of grammar, this book is sure to inspire and delight.

 

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

English can be tricky, and learning what each word represents in any given sentence can be mind-numbingly dull. Oh, how I wish Magical Noun Quest had been around when I was a child. Thank goodness it is here now! Magical Noun Quest helps elementary students discover the magic of nouns and how the world would crumble without them. 

Best friends Emma, Jack, Liam, and Sophie love going on adventures together, and so, on one hot summer afternoon, they pack and head to an abandoned cottage in the Maplewood Forest. Why this place, you may ask? There’s a rumor that inside the run-down building is a library filled with ancient and magical books. Guess what? The rumor was correct! Sophie, aged seven and the youngest member of the friend group, discovered a large dark brown book with gold patterns embossed on the cover titled The Enchanted Guide to Nouns. This book magically opened with a mist pouring out and engulfing the kids. It also spoke to them, saying it was a guide that would show them the magic of nouns. All the kids must do is say yes to the adventure, which they did.

As the library vanished, their quest (and yours at home) began: to find and categorize all the names in the magical realm before the Verb Goblin turns the nouns into other parts of speech. Noun hunters met many interesting characters in the book within a book, such as the talking eyeglass-wearing owl, chimera (discussed later), and Bella the talking butterfly. 

As we turn the pages, we first read the difference between singular and plural nouns. That’s not the exciting part, but what happened next was —each noun they read would magically appear in front of them. The forest came alive, but things began looking slightly off. The culprit? The Verb Goblin, as warned by the voice in The Enchanted Guide to Nouns. The children in the book have to identify plural and singular nouns. Extend the teaching by asking your class to name single and plural nouns they’d discover in a forest or classroom. Let your students become the heroes of their enchanted forest! 

On day two, the kids were transported to the City of Names and had to identify proper and common nouns to restore the city. Children did not learn the difference between the two right away; however, they got some assistance as the book characters arrived at the park and then pressed on to the museum and library. This adventure, like the forest one, offers educators a chance to get children involved in the story. Ask them to name proper or common nouns in their city/town. 

My favorite journey was in chapter four, where the magical journey took us to the Mysterious Island of Togetherness, home to the chimeras. (For those unfamiliar with mythical creatures, the illustrator added a cute drawing of this unique-looking animal.) In this section, Blazeclaw (the lead chimera) introduces readers to collective nouns representing groups of people, animals, and things. The author brilliantly reinforces the literary term by using familiar objects and groupings, such as a swarm of bees and a flock of sheep. 

As chapters 5-7 play out, readers transport to beautiful caverns (concrete and abstract nouns), a floating market (countable and uncountable nouns), and a meadow lacking descriptive words (noun phrases). In these final stops, the author once again used simple words to explain a possibly confusing subject matter. For instance, abstract might puzzle your reader at first, but after they read the writer’s definition and examples (i.e., happiness), their confusion will vanish as quickly as the Verb Goblin’s mischievous deeds! It is the same for countable (apples) and uncountable nouns (sand). And when I thought we’d never meet the Verb Goblin, they make a dramatic entrance, and chaos erupts. Join the brave noun hunters for the biggest challenge yet and share the wonders of language with your family and friends…one noun at a time. 

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 5-11 years old. With the excellent explanations and examples, I agree with this age range.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

I am an accountant by profession and have retired after many years of service. I always wanted to write a book. I developed a series of 6 books on punctuation/grammar for kids. This is a completely new experience for me, and I hope you like what I have written.


Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

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July 20, 2023 · 7:00 am

In Calvin Arthur’s 5th Grade Shoes – Quest for Courage by R.A. Stone (Book Review)

It’s the 1977-1978 school year and Calvin Arthur is on his way to fifth grade. When he arrives on the first day, he quickly finds out that he has been assigned to the teacher he really needs. He finds out Mrs. Walton is a star within her classroom. She is also the judge and jury that solves many problems swiftly. Calvin is intimidated by his new teacher and finds himself in the middle of some classmate issues. Is this going to be a year of misery or does Calvin find courage along with some great experiences? You can be assured that he is headed on another roller coaster ride much like his fourth-grade year. See and feel what Calvin feels and you will relate to some of his pain and victories. Does this resemble your fifth-grade year? If you are reading this second book in the series, consider yourself a Calvin Arthur fan and please leave an Amazon review. It will help to keep Calvin’s message alive. Please feel free to contact R.A. Stone for school assembly information or with other questions or comments at fairway36@yahoo.com. Hope you enjoy the journey, In Calvin Arthur’s 5th Grade Shoes ~ Seeking Courage.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

It’s the start of a new school year at Washington Elementary, and Calvin Arthur’s filled with trepidation. Like many kids, he’s worried about bullies. Calvin wants nothing more than to be more courageous and stand up to their taunts. He also wants the courage to speak up, find his voice and say what’s on his mind.

Mrs. Walton, Calvin’s homeroom teacher, deserves the Teacher of the Year award. She was tough but fair. Mrs. Walton gave them ample opportunities to work together as a team. She encouraged them to stretch their imagination and think outside the box through multiple science experiments. I loved the assignment that involved students creating an invention that would change the world. I know this wasn’t a picture book, but adding a drawing of Calvin and Ava’s anti-bully robot would’ve been an excellent addition to the chapter.

Calvin and his classmates also learned empathy and responsibility when they were required to write a letter to seniors, convincing them not to drink and drive at prom. I think more teachers should embrace this assignment with their students! Maybe real-life students will experience a touching moment with their senior counterparts like Calvin did with his. And hopefully, students will think twice about drinking and driving.

In Calvin Arthur’s 5th Grade Shoes: Quest for Courage by R.A. Stone highlights the struggles one might face in school. The story also highlights how, with encouragement, a student can thrive even in adversity. Calvin no longer stood idly by why and let bullies target him and others. He voiced his opinions on matters. His confidence skyrocketed, thanks to his inspiring and motivating teacher.

We all have that one teacher that we will never forget. I believe Calvin will not soon forget Mrs. Walton.

In Calvin Arthur’s 5th Grade Shoes: Quest for Courage is an inspirational story for children 10-13.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

Meet the Author

R. A. Stone has been teaching at various Elementary and Middle public schools in the USA for thirty two years, Writing and story telling has been a passion ever since he was a young student. Calvin Arthur has evolved from all of his countless student interactions and teaching experiences.   Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

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March 17, 2023 · 7:00 am

LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down by R. Janet Walraven (Book Review)

What does a teacher do with a teenage student who can’t seem to read, write, speak, or want to mix in with others? What does a parent do when their child is continually bullied throughout elementary school without teachers or administrators seeming to care? Where is a safe place for students with challenges that no one seems to understand?

This is a true story. When Liam came to my classroom, I knew something was off. What was I supposed to do with this student who was extremely withdrawn? I didn’t know, but I knew I had to find out ̶ a challenge that I could not ignore. This book isn’t only about bullying, though there was plenty of that. It’s about a boy who needed help to allow his potential to surface. If you are a teacher, a parent, or anyone who has witnessed, or have themselves experienced this, you need this book. LIAM will give you hope.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

There was a time when anyone who didn’t catch on at the same pace as others were labeled “retarded.” R. Janet Walraven notes thanks to former President Obama passing Rosa’s Law, “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” were replaced with “intellectual disability” and “individual with an intellectual disability.” Unfortunately, this change in federal law did not replace the use of these terms in state law. The author also states in chapter eight, “In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law guaranteeing that every child with a disability would get Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This is supposed to be included in the Individualized Education Programs, IEP’s, that special education teachers write. From there, they have options of working with the child onsite, sending them away for therapy, …or waiting for litigation.” R. Janet Walraven states that many teachers look the other way at a child’s apparent struggles because they lack support in costs and help from the administration. LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down is a prime example of when the administrator fails a teacher, fails to support the students and makes doing a teacher’s job harder than necessary. 

Thirteen-year-old Liam has made a move from public to private school. His parents made a choice, not out of a need for better education. No, they are transferring him because they feel he’s unsafe in public school. Ms. J, the 8th-grade teacher at the private school, has a full class, but the principal, Mr. Chadwick, doesn’t care. That’s a recurring theme with him. He doesn’t care about the students’ safety, best interests, or helping the faculty. He abuses his power on several occasions. 

Ms. J. could’ve been like Liam’s other teachers and accepted Liam as “mentally retarded” and let him float by. Liam’s parents, even Liam, accepted the label. Since Ms. J didn’t have proper special education training, the parents and Liam wouldn’t have faulted her. However, Ms. J was different from the other teachers. She thought Liam was mislabeled. She saw his intelligence, his potential. Ms. J stood up to the principal. She put her foot down when the bullies chants shredded Liam’s confidence. She sought outside help for Liam and even drove him to his sessions at Hope Clinic. 

Hope Clinic properly diagnosed Liam, and he was not “retarded.” Liam has visual perception dysfunction. The book explains it in length, but (basically) Liam’s brain wasn’t computing what his eyes saw. He needed special glasses and exercises to retrain the brain. Thanks to Ms. J and her cousins, Liam never missed an appointment. Liam could afford specialized care thanks to his parents selling their home and moving into a trailer. I was angry to see the colossal sacrifice his parents had to make but also touched by their display of love. 

LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down was FULL of emotions. I wanted to cry when the boys tore him down with their chants. I wanted to cry again at his graduation. My heart nearly burst when Willow asked Liam to join her in Jump Rope for Heart and the school newspaper. I cheered Liam when he repeatedly showed the world they were wrong about him. 

I’ve worked in mainstream and special education classrooms. I’ve seen how people treat students that need extra help. Basically, I’ve run into my share of Mr. Chadwick’s. However, I also had the great pleasure of working with teachers who resemble Ms. J. They go the extra mile and then a thousand more. 

Ms. J didn’t know to teach Liam (at first), but she didn’t give up on him. Students like Liam are highly intelligent. They only need to discover a way to show it. It could be reading glasses. It could be having questions read to them. I know teachers are overwhelmed, overworked, and underpaid, but this story is a prime example of what can happen when teachers, administrators, and parents work together. 

I encourage educators and parents of children with intellectual disabilities to read this book. It’s inspirational. It’s heart-warming. It’s worthy of five stars! 

Be sure and look at the bonus material at the back of the book. Meet “Liam” and his best friend “Willow.” See where they are now. View writing samples from Liam. Also, check out appendix C: Characteristics of Dyslexia.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

 

R. Janet Walraven, Silver Award Winner (Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards) has written historical romance, a teacher-mentor book, children’s book, & historical fiction. She lives in New Mexico with her companion, Mal, her best critic & support. She loves to read, write, garden and travel.

Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

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February 27, 2023 · 7:00 am

Through Calvin Arthur’s 4th Grade Eyes by R.A. Stone (Book Review)

Back in 1976, fourth grader, Calvin Arthur and his classmates are learning jealousy, humiliation, teasing, anger, and more from each other. These topics were not taught in public schools by the teachers so students were left to figure them out on their own. Calvin’s school year is full of emotional trials, internal challenges, social defeats and victories among his classmates. Chapters such as First Day Pressure, Humiliation Strikes Again, Integrity Versus Cheating, and Last Pick will describe what kids are going through as they learn the hard way. Additional chapters will make you laugh, be sad, and leave you relating to what Calvin and his classmates experience.

This book is the first in a series. In Calvin Arthur’s 5th Grade Shoes will be coming soon.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

It’s 1976, and Calvin Arthur is starting his fourth year at Washington Elementary in Kingston, Delaware. He, like most children, has first-day jitters. He wants to be accepted while avoiding all school drama.

After the students have found their place cards, Mr. Jones (homeroom teacher) starts class with a speech full of wise words: “We are not alike on the outside, but we are a lot alike on the inside. You cannot walk in everyone’s shoes, but you should understand each other. We don’t have to be best friends, but we do need to respect one another.” 

Mr. Jones’s advice was directed toward children, but its advice that adults should follow as well.

As the school year progressed, chapters reminded me of the Afterschool Specials I watched as a child. There’d be situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers, and at the end of the episodes, the viewer learned a life lesson. When Calvin decided to skim-read to move his story reading ranking from the middle of the pack to the top 3 readers, his classmates called him out for cheating. Calvin mentally acknowledged they were right. He realized that “integrity is better than cheating.”

Another afterschool special scene involved a heated and humiliating encounter between Calvin and Mr. Sampson, the math teacher. Yes, Calvin talked in class, but the teacher didn’t ask why. Instead, he hit Calvin with an eraser. Suppose the teacher had asked him why he might’ve learned that Calvin was having trouble understanding the new math concept. Calvin failed his math quiz because a teacher was a stickler for no talking in class. Calvin also messed up; he should’ve raised his hand and told the teacher he was having difficulty with the math lesson. As a parent or teacher, ask your listener(s) if this behavior by the teacher is acceptable and how they would have handled the situation. In my opinion, the teacher was out of line.

Readers will follow Calvin as he navigates through the bad and good times of fourth-grade life. We’ll follow the class as they meet a (roughly) 1000-pound giraffe who spat on a misbehaving student. We join the students on their field trips and sit side-by-side as Calvin takes the dreaded standardized test. While most scenes are relevant to the day’s school system, two stood out to me as not: teachers smoking in the lounge and paddling (disciplinary action.) But, as you recall in my opening line, this story takes place in 1976 when times were much different. 

This story is perfect for those children going into or leaving the fourth! 

Check it out and the others books in the Calvin Arthur series, too! 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

Meet the Author

R. A. Stone has been teaching at various Elementary and Middle public schools in the USA for thirty two years, Writing and story telling has been a passion ever since he was a young student. Calvin Arthur has evolved from all of his countless student interactions and teaching experiences.   Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

 

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