To celebrate the release of One Good Thing About America by Ruth Freeman (3/14/17), blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Ruth and 10 chances to win a copy of One Good Thing About America, as well as a chance to win a Skype visit with Ruth in the Grand Prize Giveaway!
by Ruth Freeman
I happen to believe it’s really important to discover what makes us happy. I’ve learned to pay attention and look for those things that make me smile on the inside. More on them in a minute, but first: Anaïs.
In my book, One Good Thing About America, Anaïs is upset and homesick when her grandmother Oma (back home in Congo) asks her to find one good thing about her new home in America every day. “This is a very hard job,” writes Anaïs, “or maybe impossible!”
But, slowly, Anaïs does start to discover things in America that make her happy. Like her new black backpack, her beautiful cursive writing and her new friend Jenna. As she moves through her first year in America she finds more and more good things (snow! ice cream! the library!) until, at the end, her teachers and friends tell her SHE is One Good Thing About America!
I will admit that many of Anaïs’ One-Good-Things are things I love, too. I’m a sucker for ice cream, potato chips and jelly doughnuts because I don’t eat them very often. Like her, I also love stars, libraries and the first snowflakes of the winter. I even love snowstorms because there is nothing better than a snow day!
Of course, there are my wonderful students who make me smile and laugh every single day. And I can’t forget my two sons. And how about dogs? I grew up with a basset hound we named Miranda. What a face!
A few more things I thought of: the first time in the fall when I put flannel sheets on my bed is, mmm, pure delight. The sound of waves and the smell of the ocean. And I love trees, I don’t know why exactly, but especially in the winter when their branches are black and tangled against the sky. And there’s something beautiful about the sound of a car going by on a rainy night.
I’m sure I could think of more things, but this is a start. You may love some of these things, too, or you may absolutely hate them and think I’m crazy. But I hope you’ll think of your One-Good-Things. I’ve really enjoyed making this list. It makes me happy just to sit here and read it over. And there are plenty more wonderful things out there….like BOOKS!
Stop by Chat with Vera tomorrow for the next stop on the tour!
April 10th – Geo Librarian
April 11th – Late Bloomer’s Book Blog
April 12th – Mrs. Mommy BookNerd
April 13th – Kristi’s Book Nook
April 14th – Life Naturally
April 17th – Books My Kids Read
April 18th – Chat with Vera
April 19th – Word Spelunking
April 20th – Middle Grade Mafioso
April 21st – The Hiding Spot
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Follow Ruth: Website | FacebookPublisher: Holiday House
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT AMERICA is a sweet, often funny middle-grade novel that explores differences and common ground across cultures.
It’s hard to start at a new school . . . especially if you’re in a new country. Back home, Anaïs was the best English student in her class. Here in Crazy America she feels like she doesn’t know English at all. Nothing makes sense (chicken FINGERS?), and the kids at school have some very strange ideas about Africa. Anaïs misses her family . . . so she writes lots of letters to Oma, her grandmother. She tells her she misses her and hopes the war is over soon. She tells her about Halloween, snow, mac ‘n’ cheese dinners, and princess sleepovers. She tells her about the weird things Crazy Americans do, and how she just might be turning into a Crazy American herself.
About the Author: Ruth Freeman grew up in rural Pennsylvania but now lives in Maine where she teaches students who are English language learners, including many newly arrived immigrants. She is the author of several acclaimed nonfiction picture books. One Good Thing About America is her first novel..
GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY
- One (1) winner across the whole blog tour will receive a signed copy of One Good Thing About America for their personal collection, as well as a 30 minute Skype visit with Ruth Freeman to the school of their choice and a signed copy for the school’s library.
- Enter via the rafflecopter link below
- US Only
- Ends 4/23 at midnight ET
Click here for
GRAND PRIZE Rafflecopter giveaway
ADDITIONAL BOOK GIVEAWAY
I am also able to offer one reader of my blog a copy of the book.
- Get an entry by commenting on my blog post.
- Get another entry by tweeting about the giveaway and put a link to your tweet in the comments.
- Get another entry by following me on Facebook and comment that you did that.
- US Only
- Ends 4/23 at midnight ET
I just ordered a copy of this book based on the last post you wrote about it 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Thanks for this awesome chance to win! I shared on twitter: https://twitter.com/dhammelef/status/853989472228257793
and followed you on Facebook as well as Ruth Freeman and Holiday House (my Facebook is Danielle Hammelef)
Danielle, there was a slight error in original coding. Please follow this link to make sure you get entered for the Skype call! https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a195e82019/
I am just learning about your book, and it sounds like a relevant and uplifting story that would be great for my lower school children. Thank you for the chance to win a copy!
this looks like a great book
Thanks Darla! The book really is wonderful.
followed on fb
https://twitter.com/goldensunroses/status/854483154836574209