The Book Children Love

June Bear Adventures - The Missing Pies is an exceptional children's fantasy book, promised to keep the kids and tweens turning pages all the way to the very end. Even some adults can't help themselves and have to read it from beginning to end, enjoying every word of the fantastic adventure.

paperback, 236 pages, ISBN:  978-1432703523     $11.95 

Here are the opinions of some readers:

Francis Lynn, author of teen/young adult novels:

Kids and their parents should appreciate "June Bear Adventures - The Missing Pies". Birgit and Roger Pratcher are a husband and wife team, whose books are always on the original and humorous side. Their new children's book is no exception. It's a tantalising story, and like most detective stories will make readers want to carry onto the end. It might be too lively for bedtime stories though!

Brooke, singer and songwriter:

I Love Your June Bear Book!!!
I LOVE YOUR JUNE BEAR BOOK!!!!!! I had the most wonderful time reading your book during my long plane ride! I feel like I have been on a delightful adventure!! I am looking forward to sharing your book with my KWAV listeners . . . I am thinking about spreading the contest over 3 weeks . . . just to add more time to have fun!! I shall thoroughly enjoy sharing your book with others . . . it's a treat for me to be able to share something I believe in so much!! I truly think your book would make an enchanting movie!! I can envision magical sequels / episodes to come!! I look forward to when I can read another June Bear adventure book of yours!!!

Comment by Brooke Singer and Radiohost on KWAV.biz, California

V.G. Greene, a reader

VG. Greene, a true bookworm and a mom, 09/12/2007

This childrens book does remind of the wonderful tales the Grimms brothers brought to us in our childhood. Elves, witches, magic dragons and in the middle children with an innocent and brave heart, ready to save the world! This is one book I will cherish and read to my children over and over again!

You should not let your child, niece, nephew or grandchild miss out on this beautiful fantasy novel. Buy it right now, at AMAZON world wide!

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The History Behind Valentines Day

The History Behind Valentine's Day
By Birgit and Roger Pratcher

 

A few historical facts on Saint Valentine's Day

 

On 14 February we celebrate Saint Valentine's Day, usually by the way of exchanging cards, sweets, lingerie, flowers or jewelry.

But, what exactly are we celebrating, is it just a holiday the retail stores invented to get our money? One could think so, but no, we are actually celebrating a Christian Holiday, Saint Valentine's.

We are following a Christian and ancient Roman tradition. By now the Catholic Church recognizes three Saints by the name of Valentine, or Valentinus.

The first legend to the background of the celebration of Valentine's Day is this:

During the 3^rd century a priest by the name of Valentine, under Claudius II in Rome, secretly disobeyed the law.

Claudius had come to believe that a single soldier was a better soldier than a married young man and so decided to outlaw marriage in order to have plenty young strong men with no wives at his disposal.

Valentine, the priest, did not obey this law and continued to celebrate the holy bond of marriage for young couples in secrecy.

Of course, the way it always works with secret clauses, he was caught and sent to his death.

The second legend believes that Valentine was a prisoner who fell in love with a young woman, who came to see him often. It is believed that she was his jailors daughter. Before his untimely death he wrote her a love letter, signed with 'Your Valentine'. There fore the phrase 'Be my Valentine'.

Some believe he was beheaded, others thought that he died of sickness.

No one is even sure if 14 February was the day of his birth or his death or if it had indeed anything to do with Saint Valentine at all. The only thing that is for sure, is that the Romans had a tradition in the middle of February, which would mark the 14^th, called the Love Lottery. It was believed that spring and with it the renewal of life came along in the middle of February, therefore the love lottery was held, coupling young men and women for one year, often leading to marriage.

Valentine's Day is celebrated in the USA, Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The oldest known Valentine's card can be viewed in the British museum.

Valentine's day became an official Catholic Holiday in the year 496 or 498 AD. Pope Gelasius declared the 14 February to be Saint Valentine's Day.

The oldest known and remembered Valentine's poem is from Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife, in 1415, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. It is part of a manuscript collection of the British Library in London.

Years later King Henry V is supposed to have hired the writer John Lydgate to compose a Valentine's letter to Catherine of Kalois.

In Great Britain it was around the 17^th century that Valentine's Day became a celebrated Holiday. By the middle of the 18^th century it was common for all social classes to exchange small gifts or handwritten notes with lovers, loved ones and friends.

By the end of the 18^th century printed Valentine's cards were available.

In the United States people started celebrating Valentine's Day in the early 1700's by exchanging Valentine's notes.

The Greeting Card Association announced that Valentine's Day is the second best selling card-sending day with one billion cards sold per year. The leader in the card industry is with 2.6 billion, Christmas.

In the year 1835 Pope Gregory XVI was so impressed by the Irish Priest Father John Spratt that he gave him the black and golden casket, which is believed to house the remains of Saint Valentine. This gift from Rome, the black and golden casket, can actually be viewed on Valentine's Day every year at Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, Ireland.

We hope that you did enjoy this little background on Valentine's Day and we wish you a very happy Valentine's Day, with lots of lasting love and Friendship!

 

By Birgit and Roger Pratcher
Copyright © February 2008

                                                          

Happy Valentines Day  

 A special day to bond as one

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Boys and Girls,

Sweethearts and Darlings

One for all and all for one

I really hope you have a blast

For the one that you love I hope it will last

Thinking positive in every way

Don't let your loved one go a-stray

Let them know just how you feel

Give them a kiss, let them know that it's for real

Happy valentines' day everyone

I hope each and everyone of you

will have some fun things to do!

We too...

 

By Roger and Birgit Pratcher

Copyright © February 2008

An Ancient Love Tale

 

An Ancient Love Tale

Aphrodite was her name,

Men and love were her favorite game

Gave birth to many children of love

Received by lovers many

Could not recall them all, if any

One of the children was her favorite one

Cupid was his name; he was the most handsome son

Aphrodite was a Goddess with many emotions

Which she seldom controlled in all her motions

When a King's daughter was worshipped and loved

For her beauty so fair,

Aphrodite decided with a snare

To punish the child so innocent and humble

By having her married to the land's worst dumble

Psyche was the name of the child, so beautiful and humble indeed,

Never understood for all the attention the need.

The goddess sent out her son Cupid with the task

He knew better than for her motives to ask

When he laid his eyes on the beautiful girl

His conscious stirred, his heart began to swirl

He could not punish the beauty he saw there

He decided to keep her to himself forever

As his secretly devoted wife in a hideout

Deep in the woods, no one knew about,

He built her a palace and only visited after dark

Making her think that he was ugly as an old tree's bark

For years they lived happy in the dark and by night

Never one of them started a quarrel or fight

Until one day psyche the beauty was sick and longing for

Her sisters and family and friends and more

So Cupid allowed for her sisters to come and see

That she loved this life on her own will, free

His beloved while he was gone out

Jealous they were and therefore did shout

He is a danger, you need to get out!

The next night they met, she waited for him to sleep

So undisturbed, happy and deep

And turned on the light to see

What kind of ugly danger he could be

But then she could tell by his gentle face

Full of beauty and grace

That he was a god, the king of her heart

But the word was out, she had not been smart

Aphrodite had her abducted and the very next day

Held her a prisoner, like a slave I dare say

While Cupid was searching high and low and under

The shrub, trees and blunder

For his beloved wife who he missed

The one who so dearly he always had kissed

In the end he asked the Godfather Zeus to help out

Which he did because the young God was so distraught

Aphrodite gave in and decided at last

She should just love young Psyche and cast

A spell of everlasting love for her son

And his beautiful bride, whose happiness now begun

Forgiven the sin of her beauty and the attention it will draw

A devoted wife and daughter in law

Psyche became and lived happy without shame

As a God's wife, like a Goddess the same.

 

By Birgit and Roger Pratcher

Copyright © February 2006

Have a happy Valentine's Day!

The Conspiracy: The Black Sheep Squadron Strikes Back
R&B Pratcher

 

June Bear Adventures: The Missing Pies
Birgit Pratcher, Roger Pratcher

 

One Family's Adventure: The Cheating Landlords
Roger Pratcher, Brigit Pratcher

 

Matt and Spencer in Their Great Adventure
Birgit Pratcher, Roger Pratcher

Review: The Wizard of Swamp Alley In the Land of Sha Bebe

The Wizard of Swamp Alley In the Land of Sha Bebe

By Mary Lynn Plaisance

 

The third book in the series of Mary Lynn Plaisance folklore novels In the Land of Sha Bebe.

The adorable citizens of the Land of Sha Bebe, the cloth dolls, are entering a new adventure, meet new friends and foes, while learning new values during their preparations for their favorite Holiday, Halloween.

“Where am I?” Poulette was floating in mid-air. “How did I get right here?”

She looked around and saw nothing but the gray sky and a hole in the back of the armoire, and she was in the back of it. “But how can I be in the back of the armoire, when the armoire is against the wall?”

One of the magic quilts came floating out of the hole, and Poulette grabbed it to sit on, while she tried to figure out where she was. “Did I die?” she said to herself. She was surrounded by the drab, outdoor gray sky of this unknown place.

When she turned to her left, she saw a huge sign on a tree that said GRAVEYARD.

“Oh sha, I must be dead for sure.”

All of a sudden she heard voices.

Still floating on the quilt in mid-air, she looked down and noticed she was in another land of dolls. It seemed as though she was in another dimension that was an exact replica in structure, but not at all like their land in appearance. Unlike their own land, this one was filled with dolls that had clothes that were shabby and soiled and hair that was a tangled mess of gray and white...

Dedicated to the spirit of Louisiana and based on the folklore of the land, this last book of the In the Land of Sha Bebe trilogy, this novel is as original as the Sha Bebe dolls, also created by Mary Lynn Plaisance and greatly entertaining for all ages. Although it’s the third of the Sha Bebe books, it can be read as a single novel without causing confusion for the reader. However, once you’ve read one of them, you might really want to read the others: Do you Believe In the Land of Sha Bebe and Cajun Fairies In the Land of Sha Bebe.

A very enjoyable, magical adventure, entertaining and compelling, written with the loving dedication to Louisiana.

 

R&B Pratcher, 2008

 

Previous reviews and featured authors can be found on our website:

 

www.wonderfulstories.net

 

The author Mary Lynn Plaisance with her own creation, a doll from the Land of Sha Bebe