They Were Mezmerized!

I am so excited! I recently read The Hippo That Flew to a class of first graders (26 of them!). You could literally hear a pin drop. One might think that the book is a trifle long for the attention span of a six year old. Yet the kids sat on the edge of their little seats as they “watched” the story unfold. They just loved it! They could not stop staring at the illustrations as they paid intense attention to the story! I had a drop of apprehension about the possible reaction of the children with regard to Wilbur’s “going to heaven,” but Wilbur’s transition is done with such innocence, and with such happiness, that their reaction was totally positive! We had a question and answer period at the end of the story and the children asked wonderful questions. They also loved seeing the author’s rough draft at the very end of the story – which happens to be a great teaching tool that the teaching staff loved! Another very cute question that one adorable little lady asked was, “Where can my Mommy buy the book?” The Hippo That Flew is sure to become a classic!

"I felt like I was the one flying!"

Dear SwordPen Publishers,

It is ten P.M., and my first grader is still up, and so after sending
her to bed for the fifth time, I decided to turn negative time into
quality time, and so I figured I'd read your latest story, The Hippo
That Flew, to her. And so as she sat perched on my lap, I began
reading a story that I enjoyed as much as she did! I had no idea as to
what the outcome of the story would be ... well, I just can't describe
what a beautiful story it is! Thank you so much for taking the time to
produce such a beautiful book! I'm sure it will win a Caldecott! Or a
Nobel Peace Prize at the very least!

Sincerely,
Ahuva W.

Fiction Children’s Books Make Great Gifts for Any Occasion

All of us at Swordpen publishers are dedicated to providing quality, entertaining, and stimulating literature for children. Although most parents would love for their child to take up an interest in reading, it’s pretty difficult to get books to compete with flashy video games, movies, and TV shows. But a great way to get your child reading more is to buy children’s books as gifts.

Fiction children’s books are easily available and make a great gift for holidays, birthdays, and just-because days. Kids (and adults) love surprise gifts, so find out what your child is interested in an get them a book based on those interests.

Here a few fun reasons why books make the perfect gift:

•Fiction children’s books are easy to wrap!

•Unlike toys, books are pretty hard to break. (Unless it’s in the hands of a 2-year-old.)

•Books aren’t lead-based and don’t have any tiny parts that can cause choking.

•Books are trans-fat free.

•You don’t have to worry about buying the right size. With fiction children’s books, one size fits all.

•Unlike that crazy swing set you bought last year, books don’t require complicated assembly.

•Books have a long shelf life.

•A good book never goes out of style.

•Books are a quiet thing for your child to do.

•Books nurture your child’s imagination and make them more curious about the world around them

From age three to ninety three ...

Publishers often label the age appropriateness of their children’s stories.
At SwordPen Publishers we shy away from that idea. We believe that no two children are alike. Our stories are truly geared for the entire family. From Grandma to toddlers! SwordPen produces books that the entire family will love to read. We refuse to create a ‘level’ for our readers. Many times the ‘adult’ in the family will grab our books just to enjoy for themselves!

Children of all ages have what to love from each of our books. And if they need a little help reading some of the words … well, that’s what parents and caregivers are for! Our books are for the child prodigy who may be four years old – to the sixteen year old with some dyslexic issues. SwordPen childrens book publishers are proud of every story they create. So no matter what age your child is … give her a library of SwordPen books!

Dying is a sensitive topic ... how do you explain death to your little one?

The Hippo That Flew, SwordPen Publishers latest fiction childrens books release, isn’t just an awesome story, about never giving up, that is worthy of a Caldecott … it’s a story that allows any parent to gently explain “what life’s about.” Using Wilbur (an abstract animal character) to discuss death with children makes it easier for them to comprehend and digest, without feeling the fear that it could happen to someone they know personally. Meaning, if the story portrayed a (human) Mother/Father or Brother dying, it would hit “too close to home,” and could lead to fears of, “What if my Mommy or Daddy dies.” The disassociation of an immediate relative, makes it easier for the child to be introduced to the concept of death without feeling scared.

By using “Wilbur,” an absolutely adorable cute and cuddly hippo, an animal character that children are accustomed to seeing/reading at their age level, a separation is effected that takes the edge of fear out of their precious “little,” yet very imaginative minds. SwordPen Publishers was very careful in making their main character Wilbur extremely friendly and “happy” looking – even as he continues to fly for eternity!

It’s truly a phenomenal way to gently and sensitively explain the concept of death and passing to your child. Read the book to your child and you will see what we mean! The Hippo That Flew, even though it’s sub-plot is about a difficult and sensitive topic, is truly a must-have for every child’s storybook library.

A Room Without Books ...

G.K. Chesterton (a prolific writer of over eighty novels) once said that, A room without books is like a body without a soul. At SwordPen Publishers we feel that a child’s soul is the most precious soul of all, and that is why we believe (almost fervently!) that your child’s room should be filled full of books!

Our goal is to produce one hundred books within the next five years. Our acquisition pipeline now contains over a dozen awesome stories and we plan to release our third book, Don’t Get Stuck On Being A Duck! by next Thanksgiving. SwordPen believes in old fashioned values when it comes to your child’s “mental nutrition.” Just imagine if you were able to feed your child an ice cream sundae and fries while giving him the nutrition of spinach and broccoli.

Our stories entertain while provoking and stimulating young minds. Even our illustrations are carefully planned – as we write and edit the text – so that your child can infer much of what they are reading. So look for the SwordPen logo – and get each and every one of our stories into your child’s room … and soul! Your child will thank you … and you will one day thank us! SwordPen books – for keen young minds … and sensitive souls!

Swordpen Wants You To Help Your Children Read

When I was a wee lad, I was a big reader. It all started with my father reading fiction childrens books to me as a child. He was rarely home because he worked so hard, but when he was, he would read to me before bedtime. We read stories of all kinds, at first with illustrations, and gradually without. Eventually he stopped reading to me, and read with me.

It’s really a matter of enthusiasm. I remember how he worked to teach me to read and write my letters, when I was around four years old. I could write almost all of my letters, and he would fall off of his chair and pretend to faint on the floor. I jumped on him laughing, telling him to wake up! The only trouble arose when I had to write my b’s and my d’s. I couldn’t get them right, and he, probably worried that I was dyslexic, only struggled harder to teach me. Continuing to fail, I burst into tears and ran away from the learning table, only to be comforted by him telling me that it takes practice.

And after that, practice I did. I would buy children’s books every week, and devour them greedily. But it all started with my parents taking the time to teach me. Here at Swordpen, we know that reading makes kids smarter, but when kids are just starting out, it takes two. You are the best way to get your child to start reading, and those memories last forever.