This event occured on Dec. 2010, it was one of those “divine appointments.” It began with an email from Jeff, my marketing rep. from Tate( https://www.facebook.com/tatepublishing). Tate has published Sassy Pants. They work like beavers! Jeff had contacted the Fox channel 17, a local TV station here in Grand Rapids, MI and lined me up for an interview for their morning show! That was my first experience being on TV. The interviewer, Emily, was a little bit of a thing whose favorite animal is a pig—she thinks they are so cute. She was fun and I was able to highlight a unique feature of Sassy Pants, the free audio download! When you buy the book there is a code in the back that allows you to download an audio version, you can burn your own CD. It is wonderful for a child who struggles with reading to be able to read along. It helps with fluency in reading and can help build vocabulary and word recognition.
Another perk with this book is the parent/teacher manual with suggested talking points to help a child process the various lessons Sassy Pants learned. Such processing will be needed for those tender hearted children who tend to feel sorry for Sassy Pants! Yet, as the second book, Sassy Pants Makes Amends shows, the tough love was just what she needed to learn her lessons!
Another perk with this book is the parent/teacher manual with suggested talking points to help a child process the various lessons Sassy Pants learned. Such processing will be needed for those tender hearted children who tend to feel sorry for Sassy Pants! Yet, as the second book, Sassy Pants Makes Amends shows, the tough love was just what she needed to learn her lessons!
The divine appointment? That happened after the interview. The weather was so nasty there were very few shoppers that day so I was able to chat with the store owner. Hers was an amazing story of faith and overcoming monumental obstacles. With the economy being what it is, many retailers wonder if they will be able to meet the bottom line month by month, or if they will succeed. I thought her daughter’s words were a wonderful testimony to her walk of faith and responding to what she felt was God’s call to her. She said, “Mom, there is no way you can fail. You have already succeeded—you took the risk. Lots of people want to do things but never take the risk; now, that’s failure! You did it; you are already a success.” That would make any mom cry! If I hadn’t sold a book, the time would have been well spent! What an encouragement to me to keep moving forward!
Janet is so passionate about reading that she left a sure thing position as a reading specialist in the public school system to go out on a limb to start this wonderful store. It isn’t filled only with books—there are games and puzzles—all kinds of teaching materials and resources as well as places for kids to sit and try things out. It’s the kind of place a parent can take a child and not worry about them for two hours while browsing. There isn’t any pulling on the coat sleeve and “Can we go now?” No, it is more like “Do we have to go now?”
Janet knows her stuff and will not put a product on the shelves that she does not personally approve of. Shoppers can be assured that their children will find books that will have a positive influence on character and development. Check it out! http://www.readingtreebooks.com/.
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