"A CHILDREN STORY READING TIME"

AKWA MODERN UNISEX GROOMING, 923 Fulton Street, Bklyn, NY hosted Linda reading her debut children picture story Have You Seen My Glasses? as promised on December 21, 2013 promptly at 5:00p.

While a barber shop may appear unconventional a place to host a reading, according to the partners, they were more than happy to host Linda's reading and stated it went very well.  Linda and I are most grateful for the opportunity to have the reading at AKWA for it allowed us to interact with the public.  Yes, amid all the hair cutting, trimming and shaping, we were invited to share their space and entertained their youthful patrons.

The group of children were small, making it warm and intimate.  Linda, of course did a great job reading to her young audience and after the reading, refreshments were served.  Thank you family members and others who came out to support us.

THANK YOU AKWA FOR OPENING YOUR DOOR AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LINDA TO READ HER FABLE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT!!!

UPDATE:

Don't forget that on Saturday,  December 21, 2013 beginning at 5:00p, Linda will read her children's story Have You Seen My Glasses? at AKWA Modern Unisex Grooming, 923 Fulton Street.  Refreshments will be served.

SO, BRING YOUR YOUNGSTERS AND ENJOY HEARING THIS FUNNY CHILDREN STORY ABOUT LUCY DUCK, HER COMICAL FARM FRIENDS, AND RAINBOW, LUCY'S MAGICAL BABY DUCKLING.

READINGS 8, 9, 10 - ADDIE MAE COLLINS COMMUNITY CENTER, HARLEM, NEW YORK

Linda had a great day today. She read Have You Seen My Glasses? to three sets of children at Addie Mae Collins Community Center in Harlem, New York. The children were adorable kindergartners, first and second graders. They were fantastic! Two very wonderful characteristics of children are their candor and their enthusiastic innocence. Several of the children wanted to get copies of Have You Seen My Glasses?right then and there.

Linda enjoys reading to the children which enhances their pleasure as well. Linda is great at involving her young audience, asking questions and adjusting the readings to the mood and age of her audience. One group found almost everything Linda said to be funny and burst into laughter throughout the reading. Our children should never be underestimated. They know what gives them pleasure and they show it, abundantly.

Additionally, quite a few of the adult staff members were interested in getting copies of Have You Seen My Glasses? for they as well enjoyed Linda's rendition of her story. The author will be giving out cards to promote and advertise Have You Seen My Glasses? She is also looking forward to her next reading which will be held at AKWA Barber Shop, Brooklyn, New York on December 21, 2013.

SEVENTH READING : ROCHDALE VILLAGE, JAMAICA, NEW YORK

 August 17, 2013, on the beautiful grounds of Rochdale Village, Linda read her children book Have You Seen My Glasses? to a small, young and eager group of children, still in bathing suits just off one of the water rides.  The festivities were  provided in celebration of the 50th anniversary of this beautifully scenic housing community in Jamaica, New York..

The children were aged 2 to 7.  One little baby girl was given her very own copy of Have You Seen My Glasses? to look at and was delighted to be able to turn each page as the author did during her reading.  Arms shot up with ready answers when Linda asked questions.  Linda kept her reading short and sweet because there was a lot going on as the activities were held outside on the grounds. 

Linda had an invited guest with her,  a young man from Brazil.  Fantastic photographs were taken  of Linda by Mr. Albert Ephraim courtesy of Photographic Focus.  And Linda will be invited to participate in an upcoming youth event later this year.


Here are some photos of the event.....enjoy.....

TWO LITTLE CUTIES INTENSELY INTO "HAVE YOU SEEN MY GLASSES?"

  

----PARENTS REVIEWS----

 

 

WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT LINDA'S DEBUT CHILDREN FABLE:  HAVE YOU SEEN MY GLASSES?

"This is a great story for young children. I love that all of Lucy's other animals friends help her along with her daily tasks until her egg hatches. It's also extremely funny when each of her friend looses his or her glasses while watching her egg. But what really makes this story is how Mata from Rainbow Planet provided Lucy Duck with an egg which she ended up calling Duckling Rainbow, and how Rainbow ended up with all the animal friends glasses as she went to sleep. The title of this story catches you but  it also has a sudden twist to it. "       N. R.

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"My son Samir loves this book. Every night for the past week we have been reading two pages a night. Since Samir and I started reading this book his speech has improved and he is now sounding out his words, keep in mind he is only two years old. As a mother I recommend this book to all parents... And we can't wait for the next book to come out."      S.W.

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"My son Jeremiah loves to read this book Have You Seen My Glasses?. One day when I was cleaning his room I saw the book on the bed and proceeded to read it. Once I started to read it I couldn't put it down. Now I see why he loves it, it is a well written book with many pictures of different kinds of animals. Also the story is amazing, I became intrigued to see how these different types of animals came together to help a friend in need. Its a great way to show children how friendships and helping friends are important. I recommend this book to parents and their kids."   T.R.

AUTHOR'S UPDATE

This is just a note to keep you abreast of what Linda has been up to since our last post.

The author now has online presence on two websites:
 
BookDaily is a website for authors.  Readers can find and browse through hundreds of titles, and see the profiles of the authors.   Subscribers are sent emails with excerpts of selected titles to pique their interest into purchasing those books. 

JacketFlap is a site strictly for children authors.  Authors monitor their profiles, have their titles uploaded giving them publicity and readers are able to browse through many titles for children and young adults.

READINGS - FOURTH

P.S. 30, EAST HARLEM, NYC

On Thursday, June 13, 2013 Linda did a reading before students, parents and faculty of PS 30 in East Harlem, NYC.  PS 30 was having a special event sharing poems while wearing glasses and Linda was invited to participate by reading Have You Seen My Glasses?

The children were of various ages ranging from perhaps 3 years to 10 years.  Because of the tight schedule as per the Librarian, Ms. Shufeld the reading was amended, but the response of the audience was the same as all the author's previous readings.  The children and parents loved the story about Lucy Duck, her friends and her adorable baby duckling girl, Rainbow.

Linda engaged the children with questions throughout her story-telling.  Most of the children were fascinated with the repeated question Have You Seen My Glasses?; and equally as fascinated with their discovery.  The parents were intrigued with the modern day gadgets used by the characters in this delightful children fable, which was a reason Linda chose that vehicle to teach her young audience the values of sharing, caring and sacrifices of friendship as demonstrated by the farm animals in Have You Seen My Glasses?

REVIEWS

REVIEWS - ABC, NY, NY

As my previous post indicated, Linda did two readings at ABC, Association to Benefit Children in Harlem, New York.

Below are two great reviews received from the two classes before whom the author read her fantastic fable.

Have You Seen My Glasses

By Linda Maricheau

Thank You for visiting our classroom. The Railroad Room #8 was very excited about your visit. The children really enjoyed the reading, and had lots to talk about after. The story kept their interest and was engaging. “Have you Seen My Glasses” was child friendly and appropriate for our age group. The bright colors and drawings of the animals kept their focus. There were many learning concepts throughout the story (color recognition, animal identification as well physical disabilities, and differences). “Have you Seen My Glasses” has found a permanent spot in our Library!

Thank You,

Railroad Room

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The Moose room thoroughly enjoyed out very special reading of "Have you Seen my Glasses." The interesting plot kept everyone engaged and entertained. The book also allowed for great class discussion and plenty of opportunity to hone prediction skills. The pictures were bright and colorful and a perfect compliment to wonderful text. The children couldn't get enough of the book and even flipped through on their own to further explore after the initial reading. We are so glad the school has a copy, "Have you seen my Glasses" will definitely see a lot of use.

 

READINGS - THIRD

ASSOCIATION TO BENEFIT CHILDREN : ABC

On Friday, May 17, 2013 Ms. Maricheau did two readings at ABC on 126th Street and Park Avenue in Harlem. 

The first reading was done to mostly 4 and 5 year olds.  They were quite receptive to the author's reading and were actively engaged throughout her story telling.  They responded enthusiastically when asked questions by the author and not in the least bit hesitant to give their opinions on several points during the reading.  For example, when asked what they thought Lucy Duck would name her duckling, they came back with names like Desire and Mary, among others.  And when asked what their favorite part of the story was, they gave a range of answers, but most said they liked the end where the glasses were either missing or were found.  

In addition to the children, the teachers also found the story to be very creative and funny.  They were very impressed with the author's incorporation of modern day technology in the fable.  She explained that she choose to use cell phones and ipads to make the story more fun and real for her young readers.  Important to her also were the caring and friendship demonstrated by the animal friends as they cared for their friend, Lucy Duck during her time of need.

Reading number 2 was given before mostly 4 year olds and a few 3 year olds.  Even though these students were younger and more restless, the author handled the story telling well.  To keep the youngsters focused she moved the story along at a faster pace while also keeping them engaged in the story, by asking questions and giving them lots of opportunities to give their opinions about what would happen next.  When asked what would be the name of the duckling the author was surprised and impressed when several youngsters actually got the name right.  Also, they were able to identify several of the animals in the story.  And as the previous class, their favorite part of the story was the end, when Lucy Duck's friends found their glasses missing.

The author had a question and answer period after the readings.  Several of the children said they wanted to hear the story again and she shared the book with them, allowing them all to look through it before it was time to go.  The teachers also expressed enjoyment of the story and the story telling as well as their appreciation of the reading.

The author donated a copy of Have You Seen My Glasses? to ABC for their library.

 

 

 

READINGS - SECOND

LINCNYC.ORG  - HARLEM READING EVERYWHERE WEEK

On Monday, May 13, 2013, Linda was the guest reader at the Kick-Off Literacy Fair where she read her fascinating fable to children at the Harlem Reading Everywhere Week held in the Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.  

It was fantastic!  The children were thrilled at Linda's storytelling skills and really were quite taken with the story of Lucy Duck, her little magical duckling, Rainbow and all her intriguing farm friends. When asked questions by the author the children were ready with their answers, engaging in a spirited interaction with Linda concerning her children's book Have You Seen My Glasses?  They were fascinated by the antics of would be rapper Maxx D and diva Pinky Pig, two of Lucy's interesting farm friends who volunteered to help her as she hatched her egg.

Linda was also part of a brief press conference along with the other authors present.  Of course she was nervous, this being her first press conference, but she handled it well.  Though the weather was slightly breezy, the sun did shine and it was dry.  Marcus Garvey Park is beautiful and was the perfect place to have the readings as well as the events sponsored by LiteracyINC.

READINGS - FIRST

FIRST:  

"HAVE YOU SEEN MY GLASSES?"

GET SET DAY CARE, BROOKLYN, NY

MARCH 22, 2013   &   MARCH 28, 2013

The first reading on March 22, 2013 was done in Ms. St. Hill's class.  And the children had a great time.  They loved the reading and interacted wonderfully with Ms. Maricheau and the story as well.  They were excited about all the characters in Have You Seen My Glasses? Ms. Maricheau's first published children's book and had lots of fun hearing Ms. Maricheau story telling talents.  They were excited about the story of Lucy Duck, all her farm animal friends and Lucy's baby girl duckling Rainbow.  At the end of the reading, the children gathered around Ms. Maricheau, hugging her warmly.

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For the second reading on March 28, 2013 in Ms. Lane's class the children interacted with the characters of the story, in particular, Maxx D Raccoon, who wanted to be a rapper.  Diva Pinky Pig was another favorite, for when the children heard about her taking pictures while laying on Lucy's egg, and posting them on Pinky Space they just burst out into a peel of glee.  One little girl in particular, however was very firm in her belief that Lucy was the only one that should lay on her egg and would not budge from that position.

Even some of the workers were enthralled by the story....one parent, there to pick up her son was also very excited listening to the reading and posted a flyer of Have You Seen My Glasses? on her facebook page, encouraging others to support the author. 

At both readings Ms. Maricheau got down on the floor, the same level as the children and read to them...It was clear that not only the children were excited, but Ms. Maricheau was as well....it could even be claimed that she was more excited than the children....if that is possible.

AUTHOR'S BLURB : LINDA MARICHEAU

For the past five to ten years, at the very least, I have had to answer the question "Have you seen my glasses? posed to me by my big sister, Erlene.  Though it took me awhile to get to the story of Lucy, her magical egg and the disappearance of her friends' glasses, it was in large part triggered by that one recurring question from my sister.  My choice to use animals was largely due to the fact that I love animals and have always been comfortable around them.  

The characters revealed themselves and their dialogue inspired me to write this children's fable which teaches the importance of caring, sharing, sacrifice and friendship.

PROFILE

PROFILE

LINDA MARICHEAU

Linda Maricheau is a substitute teacher with the New York Public School and resides in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, New York.  Originally from Trinidad, West Indies, Ms. Maricheau came to the United States in 1973.  She received her Liberal Arts degree in 2001 from the College of New Rochelle.

Teaching kindergarten through fifth grade, along with inspiration from her numerous nieces and nephews led Ms. Maricheau to venture into storytelling where she discovered her passion for writing children stories. 

While “Have You Seen My Glasses?’ is her first published book for children, Ms. Maricheau has already began to develop the vivid, entertaining and hilariously funny characters for her next masterful fable for her young audience.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY GLASSES?: SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS

HAVE YOU SEEN MY GLASSES?

By Linda Maricheau

Lucy’s dream of having a duckling of her own finally comes true after she receives a magical egg from Rainbow Planet.  Much to her amazement and delight she discovers just how special and true her friends are as they come to her aid during the entire time she needs to keep her egg warm.  For example, Henrietta Hen reads to her and Matilda the Cow brings her milk to have with her corn cakes, compliment of Maxx D Raccoon.

During the hatching of this very special egg Lucy is given much needed breaks.  So you might wonder, what happened to Lucy’s magical egg during these times?  Devising ingenuous ways to keep the egg warm and comfy, Lucy’s odd collection of farm friends made and kept their promises, even at the expense of embarrassing themselves and being laughed at.  Maxx D Raccoon not only brings her favorite corn cakes, he also sits on the egg while Lucy goes to Matilda Cow to get milk to have with her corn cake.  At first Lucy is concerned about the possibility of Maxx D eating her egg, after all raccoons eat eggs.  But Maxx promises this egg he will never eat and he keeps his promise.  Then there is the truce, albeit a short one, between Scampi the cat and Frankie the mouse simply due to their loyalty to Lucy. 

Lucy finally hatches her beautiful egg while all her friends stand and watch the great event take place.  Rainbow, is a delightful yellow duckling who has some magical powers of her own.  Later, at her first birthday party celebration everyone learns just how special little Rainbow is, as she is able to change colors with each gift she receives. 

Lucy is very pleased with her special gift from Rainbow Planet and is finally able to be the mother duck she always wanted to be.  And as it relates to the question Have You Seen My Glasses? well, you will just have to read this delightful book to find out.