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Title: A Molly Mystery: The Light in the Cellar
Author: Sarah Masters Buckey
Paperback: 157 pages
Reading Level: ages 9-12
Publisher: American Girl
ISBN: 978-1-59369-158-5
Publication: February 20, 2007

Oozing with suspenseful delight, The Light in the Cellar is much more than just a mystery. Readers will fall in love with Molly’s sweet charm and zesty determination.

As the book shares a page-turning mystery, it also shares a message from our past. The Light in the Cellar is a story about missing rationed goods. Someone is stealing sugar, and when rationed goods go missing everyone has to pay. When Molly starts to put the clues together, she decides it is up to her to put a stop to the stealing!

This Molly Mystery takes place during WWII and does an excellent job of relaying a patriotic message. Molly and all of her friends and family do their part to help with the war-effort.

Find out why there is a “light in the cellar” and find out whether Molly can catch the thief! This book is sure to be a page-turner and you’ll love the journey, which Molly takes you on!

Molly stood up and looked around uneasily.
“To get that much sugar,” she said, ” you’d have to steal it.”

But will Molly’s detective work help solve the mystery? Or, will she find herself in a dangerous situation?

Be sure to check out the last few pages, filled with excellent historical information about WWII, rationing goods, and much more! There’s even a recipe card with a recipe that was popular during WWII when ingredients for baked goods were hard to come by!

Reviewed by Sylvia C.

1. Let them catch you reading.

If your children pass through the living room and see you reading a novel
during your down time, they will know that you value reading. If you turn on
the TV all of the time, don’t be surprised if your kids do the same.
Remember, a lot of parenting is simply leading by example. Carol Phaling,
Librarian at Rosemeade Elementary in Carrollton, Texas, says, “Enthusiasm
for reading is contagious. If you are enthusiastic about it, your kids will
be too.”

2. Trick Them.

That’s right, I said, “trick them.” Reading doesn’t have to be all about books. You can slip reading into their everyday routine. Ask your kids to read a recipe for you while you’re cooking or read a map while you are driving in the car. You can read the comics in the newspaper together in the morning or read letters and email from family members.

3. Create a comfortable reading environment.

Children won’t spend a long time reading if they don’t have a comfortable
spot to relax. Set aside a small corner in a home office, living room, or
bedroom with a comfortable chair, a reading lamp, and a small table. Ideally
the comfortable reading spot would be in their own bedroom.

4. Wage a war against electronic devices.

This is the toughest challenge parents face when trying to get their kids to
love reading. Why do parents not hesitate to wage a war against drugs and
alcohol, but when their kids won’t read, they throw up their hands in
despair. Put reading first. Once your kids have read for thirty minutes,
then they can watch a favorite TV show or play a video game.

5. Take a weekly trip to the library.

Every child should have their own library card and should become familiar with their local library.

6. Have a bed-time reading ritual.

Parents should start reading to their children at a very young age. A
bed-time reading ritual is a perfect way to settle your child down before bed.
Parents can take turns reading a story or read a book together.

7. Take a book everywhere you go.

When you are running errands with your kids, ask them to bring a book. They
can read a book while riding in the car, waiting at doctors’ offices, or
taking a family vacation. Reading will keep them occupied and the peace and
quiet will keep you sane while you are driving.

8. Give children a book allowance.

Your children probably already receive a monthly allowance for helping out
around the house. You might want to consider giving them a book
allowance. Give them enough money to buy one or two paperback books each
month. If you get them a bookcase for their room, they can start their own
library.

9. Get them a magazine subscription.

Adults love to read magazines and kids will too. Does your child have a
hobby? Do they love sports? Find a magazine that fits their interests. They
will look forward to reading it every month.

10. Let them read junk.

Author and veteran teacher, Mary Leonhardt, has found through experiences
that good readers in high school loved reading as kids. Kids don’t have to
read classics to become better readers. “Let them read junk,” Ms.
Leonhardt says. Comic books, serial novels, and graphic novels all count as
reading material. Kids will gobble these books up like they were candy.

reading tips Renee Kirchner teaching tips Tip For Teachersreading tips Renee Kirchner teaching tips Tip For Teachers

Many adults enjoy belonging to monthly book clubs. If you have a child or children who enjoy reading, you might want to consider starting a children’s book club. There are many questions to keep in mind before organizing a children’s book club.

Why have a book club?

Are you creating a book club because your child wants to be in one? Adults
mean well, but sometimes they get children involved in an activity that they
themselves enjoy, not the child. A book club can be an excellent supplement
to a child’s education. It is excellent for encouraging children to think
critically about a book. Did they enjoy the book and why or why not? Book
clubs also teach children that not everyone has the same opinion as them.

How will the group be organized?

Who will be included in the book club? There are many different ways you can organize a book club. The group could consist of parents and their children
or it could consist of all males or females. Next you will need to decide how
large the group will be and the age of the children in the group. Keep the
spread in the children’s ages to no more than 2-3 years apart. This will be
helpful when selecting age appropriate books for the kids to read.

Where will the meeting take place?

Where and when will your group meet? Book clubs should probably meet about once every month. This will give the participants time to read the book
selection. If participants are too busy during summer or winter holidays, you
can skip a month or two. The size of your group will help you determine where
you should meet. A smaller group can meet at someone’s home. A larger
group might want to reserve a room at the library or meet in a bookstore.

Who will lead the meetings?

Normally a children’s book group is lead by an adult. A parent who loves
to read or a librarian or teacher would be an excellent choice. You might
also consider letting several adults share the role.

How should we choose the books?

What type of books do your young readers enjoy? You need to consider the age and reading level of the kids in the group. Children in book clubs will read
books that they might never have chosen on their own. It is nice to choose a
variety of old and new titles from different genres. Some kids enjoy
mysteries while others might like fantasies. There are many websites that
list reading selections for children. Check out www.hedgehogbooks.com or
www.guysread.com for some suggested reading lists. You might also want to
look at www.kidsreads.com for reviews of recent titles.

Make sure you include the children in the decision process. They will buy
into the book club more if they helped create it. Teaching your child to enjoy books is a gift that will make them life-long readers.

Tip For TeachersTip For Teachers

Need help creating your career as a children’s writer?

Then join the Children’s Writers Coaching Club. We offer three levels of membership to fit any writer’s budget and personal career needs. You’ll work with published children’s writers, and those who want to become children’s writers, to create the children’s writing career of your dreams.

And the best part is, you won’t ever have to leave your home - so you can enjoy your coaching club sessions in your pjs or bathrobe, if you like. What could be better than that?

Please Note: Membership at Levels 2 and 3 is limited in order to provide the highest quality of products and services for each member.

Level 1 Membership - only $47.00 per month
Become a member of the Children’s Writers Coaching Club at this level and attend a monthly live teleclass for children’s writers. Each month the teleclass will include a lesson about writing for children, marketing ideas and/or news, interviews with published children’s authors, as well as editors, and agents. In addition to the live call, members will receive a CD of this recorded teleclass, so, as a member, you can listen to it at any time and never have to miss the monthly session.

Level 1 members will also be invited to join a Level 1 listserv so they can discuss each month’s teleclass via email. In addition, they will have the opportunity to take advantage of short, weekly writing lessons and exercises to give them guided practice about some aspect of children’s writing.

Join the Children’s Writers Coaching Club Level 1 here

Level 2 Membership - Only $97.00 per month
Become a member of the Children’s Writers Coaching Club at this level and you will receive everything at level 1 (minus the listserv for level 1 - instead, you will be invited to a listserv for level 2), PLUS you can sign up for the weekly coaching gym for children’s writers.

Once a week, members at this level may submit their stories, articles, or other projects (a day ahead of time) for review, then receive 15 minutes of the one-hour coaching gym session for critique of their work by the coach (Suzanne Lieurance - and possibly other published children’s writers).

Coaching gym sessions will be recorded and members will be given a link to the recording of these weekly calls so they may listen and learn from them at any time.

Subscribers at Level 2 will also be invited to a level 2 listerv group, so they can discuss the week’s coaching gym sessions via email.

NOTE: Membership at Level 2 is limited to only 16 members.

Join the Children’s Writers Coaching Club Level 2 here

Level 3 Membership - Only $197.00 per month
With Level 3 membership, receive all benefits of membership at levels 1 and 2, PLUS one thirty-minute personal coaching session per month to help you create your career as a children’s writer. Suzanne Lieurance, The Working Writer’s Coach, will help you discover your personal dreams for a writing career and then develop a plan for living those dreams.

Note: Membership at Level 3 is limited to only 8 members.

Join the Children’s Writers Coaching Club Level 3 here

Here’s my fun and easy new program to help jumpstart your children’s writing career!

The Secrets of Writing for Children complete package is available in two formats. The first is the digital format which will be emailed to you when you order here. The second is the hardcopy version which will be mailed to you after purchasing. Order either version below.

Here’s more information about the program.

You CAN write for children.

You just need to learn the tricks of the trade.

In this two CD (or two audio files), two workbook set, children’s writer, and writing coach, Suzanne Lieurance reveals tricks of the trade to help you break into today’s growing children’s market.

Here’s What You Will Receive With This Program:

Part 1 Good Things Come in Threes - Audio file or CD and e-workbook or hardcopy workbook

Ever wonder why there are so many threes in children’s literature - three bears, three pigs, even three Billy Goats Gruff? Then find out what the “Core of Three” is all about in this first audio file and e-workbook, and learn to write your own enchanting tales using this simply story structure.

You’ll discover why and how the number “three” plays such an important part in children’s literature. Various stories, poems, and picture books will be examined, then Suzanne will lead you to write your very own story in “The Core of Three.”

Part 2 - The Next Step - audio file (or CD) and workbook

In this second audio file and e-workbook, Suzanne will show you how to critique, revise, and market your stories for children, so you know how to take the next step to becoming a published children’s writer.

Suzanne covers all the elements of a good story - everything from point-of-view to how to “show, not tell.” Then she teaches you how to study the markets so you have the best chance of selling your work.

Buy Digital Version Here - emailed to you.

Buy Hard Copy Version Here - mailed to you.