Book Review and Giveaway - Bentley and the Magic Sticks by Claire Eckard On Tour with IRead

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Bentley and the Magic Sticks by Claire Eckard
Category:  Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7),  38 pages
Genre:  Children's Picture Book
Publisher:  Mill City Press, Inc
Release date:   April 2021
Format available for review:  print-hardback (USA), pdf
Tour dates: June 21 to July 16, 2021
Content Rating:  G for everyone.

Book Description:

Bentley and the Magic Sticks follows this extra-large canine as he finds out that his favorite sticks have magical powers, thanks to a wonderful Fairy Dogmother called Tia! Because other dogs are afraid of his large size Bentley has no one to play with. However, with his magic sticks he manages to make new friends and he also discovers the special secret of why he is so big.

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Meet the Author:

Claire Eckard is an animal lover and believes in volunteering to give back to her community, especially to the homeless animals that need to find their forever homes. Her animals often inspire her writing, weaving their way into the stories that she writes, blending reality and fiction to entertain, teach, enlighten, and share the joy that animals bring to our lives! Claire is an author, poet, songwriter, wife, mother and grandmother! She lives in Arizona, splitting her time between her home in Yuma, Arizona and her ranch in the mountains of Prescott. Claire has three dogs, eight horses, and a miniature mule!

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~instagram ~ goodreads ~ bookbub

An Interview with award-winning author Claire Eckard.

What inspired you to write Bentley and the Magic Sticks?

I wrote Bentley and the Magic Sticks to honor a wonderful dog I had of the same name that I had adopted from our local shelter a few years ago. He’d had quite a rough life and it took me a long time to bring him back to health and discover what a wonderful character he was. He looked a little scary because he was so big, and it took a while for my other dogs to accept him, but once he was welcomed into the pack, he just became the coolest, kindest dog ever!

Do you have any other books about animals?

I do! In fact, it’s one of my favorite things to write about. I just had a new book released called Geribo, The Shelter Cat which tells the story of a cat exploring the shelter while he waits to be adopted. Through his eyes we learn of the inner workings of a community shelter, and how it takes a whole village of people to help a homeless animal find it’s forever home. I also have a Young Adult series coming out later this year called The Gallant Series, which is about the journey of two horses and two teenage characters set against a background of the sport of endurance riding. Each character grows and changes throughout the series as they experience the joys and challenges that endurance riding can bring.

What led you to becoming an author?

I have always loved to write. I write songs, poetry, books for young children, teenagers, and for adults. I’m so fortunate that my husband is supportive of my efforts as I am often sat at a computer typing away, or scribbling notes in a notepad which doesn’t make me the most interesting person to be around!  I have only recently been able to turn writing into more of a full-time effort as for many years I was working full-time and raising our children. I feel extremely privileged to have the opportunity to follow my dream of writing now.

Do you have a favorite character in the Bentley book, other than Bentley, of course?

Ooh. That’s a tough one. I really like Tia. In real life Tia belongs to my stepmother in England. I’ve never actually met her because COVID restricting travel and she’s only about a year and a half old. My stepmother sends me lots of pictures of her though, and she is very expressive and beautiful, so I thought she would make a wonderful Fairy Dogmother!

What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your books?

I think the most surprising thing is how attached to my characters I get. They really do become real to me, and I think about how they would respond in certain situations, and how they would react to certain things. In my chapter books, such as The Gallant Series, I become extremely attached to them. I cry with them when something bad happens, and I celebrate when its something good. I think that’s the only way to become a good writer though. To immerse yourself in what you do and take the ride along with the characters you have created. 

My Thoughts:

Bentley and the Magic Sticks is written by Claire Eckard. This is a   Children's Fiction story that is geared toward ages 3 and up. I read this story with my 10 and 8 year old sons and we all enjoyed it very much.  This book is 38 pages long. We have an extra large puppy dog, Theodore Roosevelt aka Teddy. He is a German Shepherd and he is almost 8 months old. He is currently almost 90 lbs and stands over 5'5 tall when he stands on his hind legs. We compared Bentley to our Teddy since other dogs seem to scatter when they see him coming down the street and down the aisles when we take him to the pet store. Like Bentley, Teddy also has a stick collection, however his are not magical. 

The takeaway from this book that my boys discovered is that it is ok to be different - that we are all unique. That you also want to be nice to everyone, for you don't know what challenges they may be facing. My 8 year old son wishes that Teddy did have a fairy godmother so that he would stop jumping, but we are working on that. 

This book is well written, engaging, humorous and packed full of wisdom. The illustrations match the story beautifully. I highly recommend this to all children ages 3 and up. It was a great read. 

Tour Schedule:

June 21 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
June 22 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 23 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 23 - @twilight_reader – book review
June 24 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
June 25 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 28 – The Bespectacled Mother – book spotlight
June 29 – Lisa Everyday Reads – book spotlight / guest post
June 30 – Laura's Interests – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 30 - Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
July 1 – icefairy's Treasure Chest – book review / giveaway
July 2 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book review / giveaway
July 6 – Pick a Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway
July 7 – Reading is My Passion – book review
July 8 – Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway
July 8 - Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / author interview / giveaway
July 9 – Lisa's Reading – book spotlight / author interview
July 12 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
July 13 – Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting – book review / author interview / giveawayJuly 14 – Sandra's Book Club – book review

July 15 – Splashes of Joy – book review / author interview / giveaway
July 16 – Kam's Place – book review

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