Books published by publisher Strategic Book Publishing Aug - 2013

Synopsis:Two human siblings, Alexis and Varren, sixteen and seventeen years old, live in a mythical land called Ithaca, where six groups dominate the world: elves, dwarves, gnomes, were-creatures, dragons, and humans. The siblings lead a normal life until it is revealed to them that a rebellion exists against the humans’ tyrannical ruler, the Queen, and they are handed a book that can transport anything through time, making it the most powerful object in Ithaca.Alexis, Varren, and their grandfather Icarus must travel across the land to reach Karakorum, the rebels’ base, to deliver the Book of Time. Along the way, they meet allies and enemies, see things they would never have dreamed of, and experience love, anguish, exhilaration, wounds, and death.The two are loyal, brave, determined, and smart, and Varren possesses a form of magic called Persuasion, while Alexis possesses something even more potent and mysterious. But when there seem to be no mysteries left, when they finally reach Karakorum, Alexis and Varren hear something that would have been better left buried . . .Publisher’s website: http://sbprabooks.com/zhishuaichen

Synopsis:All children love solving puzzles and mysteries. In The Casebook of Inspector Sniffabout, their brains will be put to the test, as the great bloodhound detective Inspector Sniffabout is called on to unravel all kinds of strange events and happenings.The book is designed to undertake two important experiences in children's development. First, it encourages young children to read, but in an entertaining and fun way. Second, it allows them to use their powers of deduction, as they try to work out the mysteries Inspector Sniffabout has to solve.Each story in the book is a self-contained mystery, which gives children the opportunity of playing detective, to try and work out what is going on, and to see if they can guess how Inspector Sniffabout will solve the case. Each story is also accompanied by a series of beautiful colour illustrations, which enhance the easy-to-read text.About the Author: John Rowe has worked in the television industry for over forty-five years, as a researcher, head of programmes and production, and as a producer and director. Besides his vast list of credits for adult audiences, he is also well known for his services to children’s television. Among his many credits are “Blue’s Clues” for Nickelodeon UK, “Havakazoo” for Channel 5, “Monkey Makes” for Channel 5, and “Big Cook Little Cook” for CBeebies. He also wrote and directed Nickelodeon UK’s stage productions for six years. He lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their playful Irish setter, Katy.Publisher’s website:http://sbpra.com/JohnRowe

Synopsis:Milly and Tom are bird watching on the sunny beach in Guanacaste, Costa Rica when they noticed a commotion in the big tree on the edge of the forest.Magpie Jay is planning to have a big birthday celebration with many of her feathered friends but her unsociable neighbor, Miss Green Iguana, doesn’t like the idea of a bunch of squawking, noisy-beaked birds disturbing her peaceful afternoon! She, Congo the howler monkey, and the black grackle plan to put an end to the festivities -- but little does she realize the surprise is on her! A fun and educational book that introduces children to the exciting adventures of bird watching, The Bird’s Party will surely delight both children and adults!About the Author:Maria Lorena Lopez and her daughter, Milena, began bird watching eight years ago in Costa Rica. Since then Maria has enjoyed observing birds as well as other animals in their natural habitats. When not writing or bird watching, Maria works as a consultant in civil engineering. She is planning to publish more stories with Milly and Tom as they continue their bird watching adventures in Costa Rica and all over the world.

Synopsis:The anthology Echoes of Wisdom is a collection of poems written for children and youth that will guide and counsel them, helping them confront life challenges and make informed decisions in real-life situations.The poems are grouped into five themes, including wisdom; school; guidance and counseling; life issues; and appreciation.The poems under wisdom are about helping youth to mind how they talk, respect parents, be considerate to others, being honest, and about vigilance and careful consideration when making decisions.The theme of school covers helping youth to be assertive in school issues like preparedness in learning, making maximum use of school time, personal talents, books, and appreciating themselves and others different from them.Guidance and counseling consider being diligent, hardworking, respectful, thankful, considerate, purposeful and directional, so young people can prepare themselves fully for independent living.The poems under life issues are about exercising kindness, sharing and taking responsibility of their own actions, making right choices, friends, and future lifestyles.Poems about appreciation guide youth in appreciating others, their country, and life issues in general.About the Author:Kundisai Mudita taught in various primary schools from 1991 until she joined Great Zimbabwe University as an assistant lecturer in 2009. Currently, she is a lecturer within the department of special needs education.Publisher’s website: http://sbprabooks.com/KundisaiMudita

Synopsis:Vale. A world at peace. This thin veil of a lie is about to be torn apart by two men who will alter the destiny of not only this world, but all worlds.Skye Flem-Ath, the greatest Knight of Virtue, and his apprentice Levian embark on an impossible quest to find the Ruby Tree. A tree so powerful and full of riches that nations have been destroyed in the search for its location.As the two of them traverse their world, they realise all is not well, as sinister plots emerge everywhere they go. A foreshadow of greater strife to come.About the Author:Simon James Glerum lives in London and previously owned his own cafe in Japan for two years. This is his first book and the beginning of a sci-fi adventure trilogy featuring the same characters.Publisher’s website: http://sbprabooks.com/SimonJamesGlerum

Synopsis:Abused, sold by his jealous brothers into slavery, and imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, life as a refugee was far from easy for Joseph, the dreamer. How was he to cope with life’s challenges and experiences as a friendless, dejected slave? Follow his Old Testament adventures and take a fresh look at the old familiar story of one of Judaism’s greatest patriarchs.About the Author:First-time author John Berry is a retired teacher and a lay minister in the Anglican Church. He lives near Stratford-upon-Avon, is married, has three grown-up children and two small grandchildren. He started writing ten years ago and has had three articles published in the Christian magazine Plain Truth. “I was always captivated by Old Testament characters. I was particularly inspired by Joseph, as so much of his life can be applied to life today.”Publisher’s website:http://sbprabooks.com/JohnBerry

Synopsis:A wicked witch captures the Rainbow Fairy, intending to exchange her for the unicorn’s powers, which would allow the witch to be able to fly unseen without her broomstick!Kate, a friend of the fairies, comes up with a scheme to defeat the wicked witch.Kate and the fairies set a trap for the witch’s goblin helpers, intending to trade them for the Rainbow Fairy. At first the plan fails, but then the unexpected happens when the witch’s goblin helpers turn into greenies. Will the wicked witch finally release the Rainbow Fairy? About the Author:Lynne Pickering lives in Warwick, Queensland, Australia. She paints art and exports art worldwide. Her book covers are her own wonderful creations. This is her seventh published book. Her future plans? “We intend to open an art gallery and coffee shop at our country retreat, where friends can come and enjoy the many rare bird species and wildlife.”Publisher’s website: http://sbpra.com/LynnePickering

Ghost alert! In The Ghost of Whispering Willow, Stewart sees a ghostly figure out of the corner of his eye. This leads him and his friend, Andy, on an investigation. The boys experience a physical encounter with a ghost! They are forced to join forces with Krista, Ally, Kendall and Maggie, who have also encountered a ghost sighting. The kids soon find that the ghost they encountered isn't alone, and is in imminent danger. He desperately needs the children's help. Can the kids devise a plan to help the ghost in time? Will they be able to reunite a ghost with his lost family? Complete with a ghost village and a feud, this story takes on a life of its own. Amanda M. Thrasher lives in the Fort Worth, Texas area, and is the author of the Mischief series: Mischief in the Mushroom Patch, A Fairy Match in the Mushroom Patch, and is currently writing the third installment, A Spider Web Scramble in the Mushroom Patch. She speaks to thousands of kids about children's literature, helps raise money

Synopsis:R. Douglas Wardrop believes that most books describing Christianity are filled with errors and are boring. This book is biblically accurate and is never boring! It uses strong graphics and colorful presentations combined with simple language. It is also fairly short and can be read through quickly.A Young Person’s Guide to Christianity provides a fairly complete description of Christianity, and will appeal to young people from about seven years old to late teens. The book guides them on how to become born again Christians.Key Christianity beliefs are defined and important questions are answered in a way that is biblically accurate. The Greatness of God is described in two ways:1)Using items such as a bowling ball, grass, sand, and a mustard seed, strong image ideas are given to show how vast God’s creation is.2)Using scientific information for distances within our solar system, the time taken for the fastest jet airliner and light to traverse these distances is shown (in a strong graphical way). These distances begin with the distance from New York to London, and end with the distance from the Earth to the sun. Again the aim is to show how vast is God’s creation.God’s main promises to you are given, with the main aim to make these promises real and personal to you.A Young Person’s Guide to Christianity defines how you can begin your Christian life and a prayer for this is included.About the Author:NonePublisher’s website:http://sbprabooks.com/RDouglasWardrop

Synopsis:Trains, Safe and Sound is a superbly informative book for children. In this age of rush, rush and our intricate transit system, author Julie Chatton has written a book that teaches children valuable safety tips regarding the transport system that moves our country and its people daily throughout the world.Chatton not only teaches children the importance of safety, but writes in such a way that piques a child’s curiosity. From her personal experience, she knows the devastation of accidents that have occurred because children and pedestrians have not applied common sense rules to ensure safety.Her goal is an important one: introduce children (many who are latch-key kids) to be aware and always conscious of the possible danger while understanding the need for our railroad transport and commuter systems. Chatton manages to instill knowledge as a teaching tool as opposed to fear. The result is an important and educational book that adults will enjoy reading to their children.About the Author:Julie Chatton is a professional business person owning several successful businesses, including a thriving daycare business. She has worked with children for years and is a strong advocate of promoting safety and awareness to children and their surroundings. She currently works as Special Projects Manager for a logistics corporation. She lives near her childhood home in Illinois. Her plans are to write a series of children’s books focused on attention to safety. Trains Safe and Sound is her first book. Publisher’s website: http://sbprabooks.com/JulieChatton