Tag Archives: fantasy kids books

Dragon Books For Children–Another Great Review For Sir Princess Petra.

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Dragon books for children, Sir Princess Petra, in the fantasy kids book series, has received another great review from Mother Daughter Book Reviews http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/book-review-and-giveaway-sir-princess-petra-by-diane-mae-robinson/

Petra cover

 

2012 – Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award (literary artist)

2012 – 2nd place in the children’s chapter book category in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards

Excerpt of Review: “All of that to say that Sir Princess Petra is a wonderful read-aloud book with a diverse range of characters and a quirky writing style that kept the children completely engaged from the first page to the last. Diane Mae Robinson has created a charming main character in Petra who rejects the stereotype of what a princess should be in favor of serving her kingdom as a royal knight. Petra is precisely the type of role model I love for girls: she’s spunky, she’s brave, she’s kind, and she’s a problem-solver. ‘Nuff said – SHE ROCKS”. Renee at Mother Daughter Book Reviews.

Good News In Dragon Books For Children!!

The second book in the Pen Pieyu Adventure Series, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent will soon be  available.  Here is a sneak peek:  

Sir Princess Petra's Talent by Diane Mae Robinson

Sir Princess Petra’s Talent by Diane Mae Robinson

          Summary: Sir Princess Petra has already proven she is a kind and noble knight. This, however, does not please the king and queen—they want her to behave like a princess and forget this silly knight nonsense of hers! When the king writes a new rule in the royal rule book that requires her to attend Talent School and acquire a princess talent certificate or suffer the spell of the royal magician, Petra, reluctantly, agrees to go. But who could have guessed what Sir Princess Petra’s Talent would be?

But before you read the second book, you can either purchase the first Sir Princess Petra book by visiting Our Bookstore and/or you can enter for your chance to win a signed print copy.

 

Dragon Books For Children – Dragon Facts

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Dragon books for children, and the dragon characters that star in those books, are as diverse as any other character in fantasy kids books.

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

There are many different types and species of dragons. From fierce and mean-spirited to humorous and magical.  Whatever the type of dragon in a story, those dragons have inspired us or terrorized us throughout the ages. 

Dragons are mythical creatures that appear in many different cultures and time periods going back as far as 4000 B.C. Medieval knights described dragons as serpents, monsters, and beasts. But there is something special and magical about dragons that keeps the reader interested.

Dragons are very intelligent creatures. They live in remote areas that are dark, damp and secluded, such as caves and old forests. Most dragons have wings, scales, and claws. And many breathe fire.

 

Sir Princess Petra by Diane Mae Robinson Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

Sir Princess Petra by Diane Mae Robinson
Illustration by Samantha Kickingbird

The imagination of the author is limitless when it comes to creating a dragon character. Sometime, the author abides by certain folklore of a particular region, and sometimes, it is the pure imagination of the author.

Books with dragons have been a part of our culture for centuries.. Whether these creatures are, or ever were, real doesn’t matter.  Our fascination with dragons is timeless.

Almost all dragon stories portray the dragon as the villain. I prefer to imagine the dragon as a friend and protector.

The dragon in my fantasy kids books is named Snarls. He is a friend.

 

Learn more about Snarls and the other characters of book one, Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures.

Reviews for Sir Princess Petra

Book two, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, forthcoming June, 2013.

Dragon Books For Children.

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Snarls, being good.

Snarls, being good.

Dragon books for children can be a great teaching tool if the dragon is endearing and lovable.

Snarls, the dragon, is such a dragon. He is a secondary character in, Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, book one.

Petra Longstride, the main character of this series, and Snarls are the best of friends. And together they discover what it means to be noble and good.

The series is bases on good moral values that are timeless. Children will relate to Petra’s  eagerness to do things here own way, and maybe, even in a better way than the old ways of the kingdom.

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Petra and Snarls are a great team, and they teach children about understanding, acceptance, and kindness.

Of course, there are some unruly characters in these fantasy kids books, such as Prince Nastybun from the Land of Messogie, and Bograt, the bog witch. But it is in the encounters with these characters that bring out the nobleness in Petra and possibly teach Snarls a few things about acceptance.

Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures is forthcoming May, 2013. This adventure kids books series is sure to entertain children who love dragons books for children.

To see some of the reviews of books one, go here.

 

Dragon Books For Children

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Dragon Books For Children.  It’s a tough genre to write in. There are thousands of fantasy kids books that are also books with dragons in them.  Here is a list of some books with dragons that have a 5 star rating on Amazon.

I am a children’s book author and dragon book author, and I know well how fierce the competition is for good books fantasy. Fierce, like some dragons themselves.

My dragon books for children have a lovable and endearing dragon. It is the third one listed below. Sir Princess Petra, has won two major awards in children fantasy.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin

A Practical Guide to Dragons (Practical Guides) Lisa Trumbauer

Sir Princess Petra (Pen Pieyu Adventures) Diane Mae Robinson

Fablehaven: The Complete Series Brandon Mull

How to Train Your Dragon: How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm Cressida Cowell

I hope you have a chance to check out these dragon books for children. 

Visit the Kids Page for the free download coloring book of Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Peiyu Adventures. Read more about Diane’s dragon books for children series: www.dragonbooks.com

Dragon Books for Children –The Mutiny of Characters.

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Dragon books for children usually have the best, and sometime unruly characters in their story.

Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Once a writer creates the characters of a story, though, and those characters become whole and rounded characters, those characters do get a life of their own. And once your characters have a life of their own, they can and will mutiny their writer. The nature of each character will then start the process of dictating the story—the next scene, the next mishap, the next adventure. It’s all part of writing fantasy kids books.

 While writing the second book in The Pen Pieyu Adventure (a fantasy kids book),  it felt like I, the writer, was kidnapped by my own characters. I say the characters did mutiny because just when I thought I knew where the story was going, the characters had other ideas.

As a writer, I have had to endure many strange notions. Having my characters mutiny—well, I just let them go ahead. I complied with the mutineers and let them tell the story. After all, their story is the real story. I just had to let my writer’s ego get out of their way.

Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Here are some of the character from book one that are still having adventures in book two.

Petra Longstride is the main character in this adventure kids books series. She is a nine year old princess who becomes a knight in book one.  She is kind-hearted, friendly, innocent, brave, loyal, and somewhat stubborn. She can be tough when need be, like when she has to defend her friends, or stick up for something noble. Petra lives in The Kingdom of Pen Pieyu.

Snarls is a dragon and a secondary character in this series. But he’s not your typical kind of dragon in adventure kids books.  He is also Petra’s royal steed and adventure companion after,  well,  after stuff that happened in book one. He protects Petra, and sometimes he needs his own protecting. Snarls is an endearing character in dragon books for children.

Petra’s parents, King Willy Longstride and Queen Mable Longstride, are a little stuffy and conventional. King Longstride makes up rules in the Royal Rule Book to try to get Petra to act like a princess. This, of course doesn’t work. Queen Longstride has a severe fainting problem, which Petra is always the cause of.

Prince Nastybun is a midget prince from The Kingdom of Mesoggie  He is the worst enemy of Pen Pieyu. He rules a puny army of scaredy-cat knights.

Bograt is a bog witch who tries to appear really mean and scary, until you mention that the King could make her wash and put on a frilly dress again, just for messing with someone on a mission. This apparently straightens her right up.

For more Book One character information:  http://www.dragonsbook.com/for-kids.html And on that page, scroll down and download the free coloring book.

Book two, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent, introduces some more zany characters to this adventure kids books series: Duce Crablips from the Kingdom of Crablips, King Asterman from The Land of Lost Donkeys, and the nearly illiterate Gautes from The Vast Wilderness.

So, here’s a hint to some of the adventures in book two.

King Longstride has written a new rule. The rule states that all Princess Knights (like there is more than one—silly king) must attend Talent School before the age of ten years and learn a skill suited for a princess. The Princess Knights must study under King Asterman and return with a princess certificate or else the royal magician will , , ,well, let’s not go there just yet.

Petra is not happy about attending Talent School. After all, she is a knight. She just wants to do knightly things, not any sissy, girly stuff like knitting or crocheting.

Well, at least Snarls will be by her side enduring the hardships of Talent School.  And once they finally get out of Talent School, more adventures  follow in The Vast Wilderness.

A few more hints of book two:

Someone else in book two becomes a knight.
Some others may or may not get spelled and be turned into something they weren’t before.
Petra does get a talent, but not one the king could foresee.
And what the heck is a Ganute, anyway?

Book two, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, forthcoming, May, 2013.

Check out book one, Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, in the categories of; good books fantasy and dragon books for kids.

Visit the Kids Page for a free download coloring book: http://www.dragonsbook.com

 


Dragon Books for Children Dragon Fan Mail

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Dragon books for children can be a fun way for children to get interested in reading. I know it worked for me when I was a kid.

The dragon, especially if he’s a ‘nice’ dragon, can be a great character for children to relate to. Children love animals and fictitious creatures that talk and act as humans.

I have been fascinated with dragon books since I was a child. And I never believed all those things said about the ‘mean’ dragons in some dragon books for children. I always believed that dragons should be treated as any other pet; with love, kindness, and compassion.

So, because of my life long love of dragons, that is how I became a writer of fantasy children books. And now that I am the writer, I am finding that my dragon, Snarls, is getting more fan mail than I am.

Who is Snarls, you ask? Well, he is a secondary character in my adventure kids books series that wants to hog all the limelight. Below is a post of one of his ‘fan’ mails. I will be posting more of his mail later because it’s just too funny.

Dear Author Person,

I am miffed. I never thought you would post my last letter for all the world to see. How is this going to make Snarls feel? Okay, he will feel great. Attention is attention to him. But what about me? I don’t need the entire world knowing I have a dragon friend? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Okay, maybe you don’t, but it does.

Who is that with Snarls in the picture?Some hooligan character of yours? It is bad enough he hangs with Petra (a princess), and now some character named Babblin wants to talk his ear off, and mine too. Why did you send her with Snarls to my house? Do you really think I need a talker on top of a fire breathing snoring dragon?

I like Snarls, I really do, even the fire he puts everywhere is kind of endearing. Oh,and thanks for the tip about giving Snarls water before bedtime—to cut down on the fires.

Snarls is most welcome, as long as he stops scaring the kitties. As soon as one of them climbs up his tail, by his invitation, Snarls flips his tail and sends the cat flying through the air. Sure they always land on their feet but I always nearly have a heart attack. I got an email from him saying he was quite busy with book two, something about getting the editors to see things his way “or else.”

I have never been visited by story book character before yours. I am kind of getting used to it. 

And yes, when Snarls visits me he always brings pajamas and snacks.


P.S. Fire department bill for all the previous havoc Snarls created at my house is in the mail.

Miss Anonymous.
****************************
Dear Miss Anonymous,
What can I say. My dragon has a mind of his own and he does play a little rough. We’re working on that. But he’s not your typical dragon in dragon books for children, is he now? I can’t believe he complained about his role in book 2. He seemed fine with it all through the writing and editing, and I presumed he liked being a character in fantasy kids books. Well, there is a little part about him wearing a pink, tasselled saddle that he complained about, but I thought he was over that.
Sorry for all the havoc he creates. Snarls really likes visiting you and, all the sleep-overs.
The Author.
For more information on Snarls and the other characters in book one, Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, or go to :http://www.dragonsbook.com/for-kids.html  You can also download the free coloring book on that page.

How to write dragon books for children

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DRAGONS . . .very interesting creatures, and always up to stuff.

Snarls the dragon in Sir Princess Petra

I write children’s chapter books in the fantasy/adventure genre. But most important about writing fantasy kids books is that I write dragon books for children. My first book in this series is entitled,  Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Snarls, the dragon, is a secondary character in this series. And he is quite the character.

Even though Snarls is an imaginary creature, he still possesses important traits that any human character would possess. And possessing important traits is what makes any character whole and round.

When I start making the character outlines for a book, that character’s attributes and flaws, as well as personal appearance, have to be consistent.

Making characters whole and round is the most important thing you can do for your characters, and it starts with a notebook. Each character has their own segment, and as I think about characteristics for that character I write them all down.

For instance: Is the character mostly serious or goofy? Are they generally a good or bad character?   What things do they stand up for? What do they look like? And what are their likes and dislikes?

The list goes on and on, but the more characteristics I write for each character, the more real those characters become. And all the characters in my books must be real to me or they will not be real to my readers.

It is also important to note that not every characteristic will come out in the story, but when the writer knows their characters inside and out, it is easy to choose the what, when, and why that characters does or says something in the story.

Snarls, the dragon in my books, is therefore treated as any character in the book–and he has to pull his weight as an intriguing character.

So in order to write dragon books, or any fiction kids books, the characters must be real to the writer first. And the sky’s the limit as the writer mulls over what kind of characteristics the players will have.

For more information about my characters, go to: http://www.dragonsbook.com/for-kids.html and scroll down for the kid’s coloring book to download, and for info about Book One characters.

 

CITL-TV Appearance

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Diane Mae Robinson headshot

Author Diane Mae Robinson

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Award winning author Diane Mae Robinson will appear on a segment of ‘Around The Region’, a television program that airs on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm on CITL-TV Bell 237 and Shaw 319. The show focuses on happenings in the Midwest and Lakeland regions in Alberta, Canada. Robinson will be interviewed about her award winning childrens book ‘Sir Princess Petra’

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Award Winning Author Diane Mae Robinson To Appear On CITL-TV To Discuss Her Latest Children’s Book, ‘Sir Princess Petra’

Robinson will appear with show host Kahla Buchanan. The segment, entitled ‘Around the Region’, airs Wednesdays at 7:30pm on CITL-TV Bell 237 and Shaw 319. The show features events and happenings that impact the Midwest and Lakeland regions in Alberta, Canada

[December 26, 2012, St. Paul, Alberta, Canada] Award winning Canadian author Diane Robinson will appear on ‘Around The Region’, an Alberta Canada television program that airs on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm on CITL-TV Bell 237 and Shaw 319. The show, hosted by Kahla Buchanan, features events and happenings around the Midwest and Lakeland regions in Alberta Canada.Robinson recently took home two major awards for her childrens book, ‘Sir Princess Petra’. She was honored with the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artists Award for Children’s Book Author. She also took 2nd place in the Purple Dragonfly Book awards for Children’s Chapter Book. ‘Sir Princess Petra’, the first book in the Pen Pieyu adventures, features surprising plot twists and turns, brilliant flashes of humor, zany characters and is rooted in timeless values that shine through the charismatic main character.“What an honor it is,” stated Ms. Robinson, “to be featured on a television show with such a large viewing audience. Receiving the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award for Literary Arts and taking second place in the Purple Dragonfly book awards are both huge honors, and a definite boost for recognition in the literary world.”‘Sir Princess Petra’ is written in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and is reminiscent of ‘Shrek’. Reviewers have labeled the award winning book a ‘fantasy adventure that is sure to become a timeless classic.’

While dragon books are one of the most popular segments of fantasy fiction and children’s books in today’s marketplace, in this fantasy fiction work, Robinson uses the dragon books concept as the background to teaching young people traditional values. In the story line, Princess Petra’s unusual birthday request to become a royal knight sends the royal court into a frenzy. But when she agrees to undertake a knight’s quest, not even the royal rulebook, with its list of outrageous knight deeds, can dissuade her. Armed with a cake knife and a suit of the best royal pots and pans, Petra chooses to hush the howling dragon, Snarls, in the Forest of Doom and win her real armour. Ms. Robinson’s highly praised work demonstrates that dragon books can be something much more than dragon books.

“Being interviewed for ‘Around The Region’”, Robinson continued, “was a great experience. The host, Kahla Buchanan, was very easy to work with and did an exceptional job with questions about my books, my writing career and about my being a children’s book author.”

The air date for the show is to be announced shortly. Ms. Robinson is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at robinsond@mscnet.ca. More information, including reviews, information for teachers and librarians and a special children’s section is available at her website. ‘Sir Princess Petra’ is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Tate Publishing.

About Diane Mae Robinson:

Diane Mae Robinson has a journalism diploma from the Schools of Montreal, and an advanced diploma from the Institute of Children’s Literature in Connecticut.  She is also an artist, and teaches acrylic and watercolor art to children. She lives with her husband, Allen, in a small hilltop castle near St. Paul, Alberta.  They have four dogs and three horses, along with a forest inhabited by gnomes, fairies, a princess, and a dragon. This magical forest is where Diane creates her characters and gets the inspiration for her stories.

Contact and to learn more about Diane’s multi-award winning dragon books for children series:

Diane Mae Robinson
http://www.dragonsbook.com
robinsond@mcsnet.ca

Review from an author I greatly admire

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This is a book review of my book, Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventure, from an author I greatly admire. Read more about Mark Simon Smith’s books right below the review.

5  / 5 *’s Highly Recommended Silly Adventure, November 29, 2012
This review is from: Sir Princess Petra (Pen Pieyu Adventures) (Perfect Paperback)

As an author, I greatly appreciate the whimsical qualities of Diane Mae Robinson’s work. Often times, it’s not enough to have a solid, well-written story when it comes to creating children’s books. There needs to be a bright sparkle that captures the child’s attention and pulls them along. So many times I’ve watched my son start a book and then put it down, just a few pages in, because there was no flash of color that kept him interested.

Robinson’s writing has it all and is a perfect read for that younger reader striking out on their own. I love her vivid descriptions and laugh-out-loud whimsy – it’s the exact same thing I strive to accomplish when writing.

Highly recommended.

Recently, I read and reviewed Mark Simon Smith’s book, Sir Nathan and the Quest for Queen Gobbledeegook. I became an instant fan. This book is the best children’s book I have read in many, many years–and believe me, I read a lot of children’s books. 5 / 5 http://www.dianemaerobinson.com/2012/11/book-review-sir-nathan-and-quest-for.html

Mark Simon Smith’s perfected writing and zany humor captures the reader in the first paragraph and takes them on a wonderful, incredible adventure that you don’t want to end.That is what a good book is all about!

I have received his second book, Sir Nathan and the Troublesome Task, and can’t wait to start it during the holidays. I will put up a review of this book, also.

For more information on Mark Simon Smith and his books, visit: http://somewhatsillystory.com/

Read more reviews on Diane’s multi-award winning dragon books for children series: www.dragonbooks.com

 

Readers Favorite 5 Star Review

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Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventure

http:www.dragonsbook.com

Rating: 5.0 stars

Reviewed by Darin Godby for Readers Favorite

Diane Mae Robinson delivers a very interesting and spell-binding book in “Sir Princess Petra.” This story is about a young princess named Petra and her desires within the kingdom. She goes before the king and queen, who happen to be her parents, and puts a very strange request for her birthday. She asks to become a royal knight as this has been the desire of her heart and according to the decree, she could have whatever she wished for on her birthday.

Her father and mother are shaken at the request but upon asking the councilman about what was stated in the rule book, they find that indeed a girl can become a knight as there isn’t any rule against it. However, the sly king decides that in order to become a knight within his kingdom Petra must perform one of three acts of bravery from his royal list. These include: “To capture a crocodile and make his skin into a royal leather chair; to hush that howling, nasty dragon, Snarls, in the Forest of Doom; or to eat a roomful of raw onions.” When given these three choices she quickly eliminates two of them. The first one she cannot do as the crocodile is her friend and she can’t do the third one as she cannot stand the thought of eating all of those onions, so she chose the second option. Soon Petra visits the howling dragon and finds that he is caught in a landslide of rock. She helps to remove his tail from this awful weight and now he is set free. She soon invites him to her birthday party besides making him one of her great friends.

I enjoyed the story and artwork within this book and look forward to more books by Diane Mae Robinson.I enjoyed the positive upbeat attitude of Petra and how she sought after her heart’s desire. This is a book of courage for every young boy or girl to not give up on their dreams and press on unhindered.