5 Things I Love About Books Podcast

This song is an adaptation of the poem, Disiderata, by Max Ehrmann.

Desiderata lyrics

Go placidly amid the noiseThe noise and the hasteRemember what peace there may beIn silence, in silence

As far as possible without surrenderBe on good terms with all persons

Speak your truth quietly and clearlyAnd listen to othersEven the dull and the ignorantThey too have their story

Avoid loud and aggressive personsThey are vexations to the spirit

If you compare yourself with othersYou may become vain and bitterFor always there will be greaterAnd lesser persons than yourself

Enjoy your achievementsAs well as your plansKeep interested in your own careerHowever low or humbleIt is a real possessionIn the changing fortunes of time

Exercise caution in your business affairsFor the world is full of trickeryBut let this not blind youBlind you to what virtue there is

Many persons strive for high idealsAnd everywhere life is full of heroismBe yourself, be yourselfEspecially do not feign affection

Neither be cynical about loveFor in the face of all aridityAnd disenchantmentIt is as perennial as the grass

Take kindly the counsel of the yearsGracefully surrender the things of youth

Nurture strength of spiritTo shield you in sudden misfortuneBut do not distress yourselfWith dark imaginings

Many fears are born of fatigueOf fatigue and lonelinessBeyond a wholesome disciplineBe gentle with yourself

You are a child of the universeNo less than the trees and the starsYou have a right to be hereWhether or not it is clear to youThe universe is unfolding as it should

Therefore be at peace with GodWhatever you conceive Him to beWhatever your labors and aspirationsIn the noisy confusion of lifeKeep peace with your soul

With its sham, drudgery, and broken dreamsIt is still a beautiful world

Be cheerfulBe happyBe always cheerfulBe always happy

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This country ballad turns William Wordsworth’s Daffodils poem into a country ballad.

Daffodils lyrics

I wandered lonely as a cloudThat floats on high o’er vales and hillsWhen all at once I saw a crowdA host, of golden daffodilsBeside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze

Continuous as the stars that shineAnd twinkle on the milky wayThey stretched in never-ending lineAlong the margin of a bayTen thousand saw I at a glanceTossing their heads in sprightly dance

The waves beside them danced; but theyOut-did the sparkling waves in gleeA poet could not but be gayIn such a jocund companyI gazed—and gazed—but little thoughtWhat wealth the show to me had brought

For oft, when on my couch I lieIn vacant or in pensive moodThey flash upon that inward eyeWhich is the bliss of solitudeAnd then my heart with pleasure fillsAnd dances with the daffodils

And then my heart with pleasure fillsAnd dances with the daffodils

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William Shakespeare’s sonnet, Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day? reimagined as a country ballad. I hope you enjoy it.

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day? lyrics

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?Thou art more lovely and more temperateRough winds do shake the darling buds of MayAnd summer’s lease hath all too short a date

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shinesAnd often is his gold complexion dimmedAnd every fair from fair sometime declinesBy chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed

But thy eternal summer shall not fadeNor lose possession of that fair thou owest;Nor shall death brag thou wanderest in his shadeWhen in eternal lines to time thou growest

So long as men can breathe or eyes can seeSo long lives this, and this gives life to thee

So long as men can breathe or eyes can seeSo long lives this, and this gives life to thee

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Enjoy this folk version excerpted from Walt Whitman’s poem, Song of Myself, where he describes the origin of all poems, all songs, and all books.

Origin of All Songs Lyrics

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,And what I assume you shall assume,For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loaf and invite my soul,I lean and loaf at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.

My tongue, every atom of my blood, formed from this soil, this air,Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,Hoping to cease not till death.

Creeds and schools in abeyance,Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,Nature without check with original energy.

Have you reckoned a thousand acres much? have you reckoned the earth much?Have you practiced so long to learn to read?Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?

Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems,You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions of suns left,)

You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books,You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.

Stop this day and night with meand you shall possess the origin of all songs,You shall possess the good of the earth and sun.

Stop this day and night with meand you shall possess the origin of all songs,You shall possess the good of the earth and sun.

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In this fast-paced story, Niko imagines that his emotions are like passengers getting on and off a bus all day. As he takes on his role as a bus attendant and starts to seat passengers, chaos ensues when he doesn't stop and think about who he lets drive his bus.

Kids are drawn to the fun illustrations and the humorous story that shows it’s okay to experience and feel all their emotions throughout the day. But kids, like adults, need to be in control of who is driving their bus. Children and their parents have a lot to learn from this short, wonderful book that will empower them to use self-regulation skills to manage their emotions in healthy ways.

Who is driving your bus today? This minute? It’s your choice to make!

Why You Should Feature This Book

Here are just a few reasons readers will want to buy Who Is Driving Your Bus? and a great bookstore will want to stock the book:

Who Is Driving Your Bus? is a fast-paced, funny, engaging children’s book that teaches children how to easily handle their emotions every day. Children will ask to read (or be read to) the book every day.

If you loved bestselling books like A Little Spot of Anger, What Should Danny Do?, The Color Monster, Ninja Life Hacks, and In My Heart, you’ll love Who Is Driving Your Bus?

Children can connect to the bus driver principle. One child, for instance, who had difficulty regulating his frustration, was inspired by the bus driver image. He said, “I guess I need a better bus driver!”

The author can bring along plush dolls to illustrate some of the emotions kids experience every day. These dolls set the basis for interactive presentations by the author at schools, bookstores, libraries, and other events.

Parents and children are attracted to book and plush combos that encourage children to act out their feelings revealed by engaging stories.

“The book’s colorful and fun illustrations are a significant part of its appeal, capturing the energy and personality of each emotion.” — American Writing Award

Book and Author Details

Who Is Driving Your Bus?

Shannon Sonnenberg, author

Birdie Rook, illustrator

22 pages, 8.5 x 8.5 inches

ISBN: 9781645386841, paperback, $9.99

ISBN: 9781645387657, hardcover, $15.99

Publication date: June 18, 2024

Publisher: Orange Hat Publishing

Book website: https://www.orangehatpublishing.com/product-page/who-is-driving-your-bus

Publisher’s phone: 414-207-6637 or 414-212-5477

Author website: https://www.instagram.com/shannon_sonnenberg

Author email: [email protected]

About the Author

Shannon Sonnenberg-Pietila is an American children's book author. She also writes collections of poetry for adults. Shannon believes that through reading and writing, we can experience every emotion and every color in the human palette.

Shannon, a master of arts, is a special education teacher for students whom she adores. She lives in Wisconsin with the people and pets she loves most in the universe: her husband Todd, son Jeff, Corgi Buddy, and their rescue cats (Mitzy, Abigail, and Kitty). She writes to help understand the world around her.

Birdie Rock, the illustrator, graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. After graduating, she realized she missed the Wisconsin snow, so she moved back to her childhood home. She hopes to keep making art and stories for kids of all ages.

How to Order the Book

You can order Who Is Driving Your Bus? from Ingram or Orange Hat Publishing.

One must always be careful of books and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us. — Theresa Gray

Do you want to change? Just read a new book every week, and you are guaranteed to change—and to change in a great way!

Once magic and science had been fused together by the Artificers, a guild of technicians who were cast out from the empire they had fought so hard to protect. They had created wondrous machines that defied explanation.

As this forgotten technology sparks back to life, sinister figures from the dark past also resurface. With no one left with the knowledge of these fantastical machines, who will be able to stop the chaos they unleash? And who is operating them?

Slade and his young companions find themselves in the middle of a race to find answers, as members of the diabolical Withered Hand lurk through town looking for answers to ancient secrets.

The long awaited saga, Aether Sphere, begins here!

Here are just a few reasons readers will want to buy Aether Sphere: Fading Dreams and a great bookstore will want to stock the book:

If you loved The Golden Compass, Inkheart, Peter and the Starcatchers, or The Aeronaut’s Windlass, you’ll love Aether Sphere.

Gideon Hodge, aka Nikolas Baxter, has a history of supporting his books with media appearances, podcast interviews, and bookstore events.

Gideon is always seeking new spaces to distribute his stories. He enjoys engaging children and young adults as well as adults with live readings, writing workshops, and other community activities to inspire others to buy and read more books.

The author actually raced into a burning building to save the manuscript for this book. Read all about it here: https://www.insideedition.com/18805-stranger-than-fiction-man-sprints-into-burning-home-to-rescue-laptop-with-novel-on-it. And watch it, too!

“As a father and advocate for children's literacy, I strive to create stories that will engage, educate, and inspire kids to make reading a part of their regular activities.” — Gideon Hodge

Whether your interests lie in biblical monsters roaming the modern era or discovering a new world and the limits of your own potential, Gideon has wonderful tales to share with you.

“This is a book to devour! Then read it again to savor all the rich detail! I’m impatiently awaiting the next book in the series!” — Aimee Ackerman

About the Book

Aether Sphere: Fading Dreams

Nikolas Baxter, author (Gideon Hodge)

375 pages, softcover, 5 x 8 inches

ISBN: 978-1-088043530

Retail Price: $12.99 paperback

Publication date: December 2020

Publisher: Ingram Spark

Author website: https://www.gideonhodge.com

Author email: [email protected]

Author phone: 504-222-8475

About the Author

Gideon Hodge, aka Nikolas Baxter, has been a writer and entertainer for most of his life. Traveling the United States in theatrical productions and film, he has enjoyed working with other creators and bringing joy to audiences. This brought him into writing for stage and screen and, ultimately, into writing novels. Gideon loves delving into the realms of myth, fairy tale, magic, and imagination.

He grew up exploring the spooky haunted houses and forests of Ohio. In college, he studied at Loyola University in New Orleans, where he got to learn about the esoteric from local practitioners, scholars, and historians. He was also active in the New Orleans theatre and film scene for a number of years, getting to work with a lot of wonderful people.

Gideon works to bring his love of history, myth, folk lore, and other strange and wonderful old stories to the page in fun and interesting ways. When not studying, writing, or performing, he loves spending time with the friends and loved ones he has met along the way.

Order Aether Sphere: Fading Dreams from Ingram.

Books are the food of life. Chow time! So says Snoopy of Peanuts fame.

Eat up. Chow down. Enjoy every book!

Books feed the soul. Books feed the heart. Books feed the mind. Books feed the body. Books feed the community. Keep on reading!

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Books make us laugh. Books give us joy. Books inspire us. Books provide information. Books educate. Books entertain.

Read books and live longer!

Successful people read books!

Reading books is great for your health!

Pick up a book today, and read!

Use this graphic to promote your own love of reading.

Do you want to support this podcast? Just buy me a cup of coffee! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BookMarketing

Resource: https://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/reading-books-is-good-for-your-health

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Seeing someone read a book you love tells you right away that this is someone you can grow to love.

#books #ebooks #readers #reading #booklove #ILoveBooks

Source: https://bookmarketingbestsellers.com/seeing-someone-read-a-book-you-love

Do you want to support this podcast? Just buy me a cup of coffee! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/BookMarketing

1001 Ways to Market Your Books: https://amzn.to/3ICjpAs

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