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Glodwyn's Treasure Chest

Published by Crimson Cloak Publishing, Glodwyn’s Treasure Chest contains twelve charming short stories for children, collected by our very own Glodwyn the Gnome. With fairy stories, “dragons” and alligators, time-travelling children, a Firehouse Dog and a Pony which refuses to be ridden, there is something for everyone in this gem of a book.

 

Horrid Rex Bites the Dust is a Bracken Lea story: the fairy folk help  a naughty puppy dog who runs away and ends up  lost in the woods ...

 

It began as a way for authors to introduce people to their work, and was intended to be distributed free. In order to reach catalogues which do not accept free books, it was decided to make a charge on such platforms but donate all monies received to charity. The charity chosen for "Glodwyn's Treasure Chest", was the World Literacy Foundation (http://www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/) They are an international charity which recognizes the link between literacy and conquering poverty, ill health and practices such as child marriage, and seeks to help with basic literacy skills through clever use of modern technology and cloud computing. Why not download the book and enjoy these charming stories, then donate to the World Literacy Foundation's work and help children around the world to read themselves towards a better life!

 

Download free pdf version here, or get epub or mobi file from Smashwords.

 

Official Review: Glodwyn's Treasure Chest

Post Number:#1  by LivreAmour217 » 04 Nov 2014, 18:12

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Glodwyn's Treasure Chest" by L. Sydney Abel, Helen Alexander, Janice Clark, Penny Estelle, Mary Filmer, Elizabeth Grace, Vincent ...] FOUR OUT OF FOUR STARS

Glodwyn's Treasure Chest is a collection of children's stories penned by twelve different authors from the United States and the United Kingdom. The title character, Glodwyn, is a central figure in one of the stories featured within this book. The majority of these tales are aimed at elementary readers, but a few middle grade stories and one excerpt from a young adult novel are also included. This book is available for purchase and as a free download, with all profits going to the World Literacy Foundation, a worldwide charity committed to the advancement of literacy through e-learning.Although primarily an anthology, Glodwyn's Treasure Chest also serves as a platform for the authors to promote their works, and as such is divided into two parts. The first part of the book contains twelve short stories, while the second half contains biographies of each author, along with excerpts and/or synopses from their other books. Initially, I thought that this set-up was a little odd, as I was expecting a collection of short stories and nothing else. However, by the time I finished the book, I appreciated the inclusion of the second half, as many of the featured books seemed promising. I intend to share this book with my 10-year-old son, and I am certain that he will find several of the titles interesting.Overall, the writing and editing throughout this book are excellent. I did find a few sentences that were missing commas, but these were far and few between and did not bother me. There were also some spelling variations due to slight differences in British and American English, but the publisher had the foresight to explain these differences at the beginning of the book.The stories themselves were charming, and contained any array of colorful characters, including an ugly princess that causes mirrors to flee in terror, a lost puppy who is helped by friendly fairies, and two best friends who share a special form of communication. Most of the stories are what one might classify as fairytales, although a few were firmly rooted in reality. I personally enjoyed reading all but one of them, but this is due to my personal tastes and does not reflect in any manner upon that particular writer.My only criticism of this book is the cover art. I do not like the cover art because I feel that it isn't age-appropriate for the stories within this anthology. In my opinion, the artwork does not accurately reflect the content of the stories, and is more suited for a book intended for toddlers, not elementary-level readers.But on the whole, I found Glodwyn's Treasure Chest to be a delightful collection of stories, and I am giving it 4 out of 4 stars. Avid readers will enjoy the diversity of the stories, and the opportunity to learn more about the authors, while more reluctant readers will appreciate the fast pace and overall brevity of each tale. Teachers might also use this book as a resource for obtaining new reading materials for students, as many of the authors' biographies contain links to their specific works.

                                                                          ***

 

Long And Short Reviews

Format:Kindle Edition

 

Story time is one of the most relaxing parts of the day.

One of my favourite selections was “The Dragon Said Moo.” In it a boy named Daniel must entertain his two young, impressionable cousins on the family farm while their parents discuss adult matters indoors. Daniel’s solution to this problem is incredibly creative and memorable. I really enjoyed this one and could see it becoming part of a series if the author has any interest in expanding it.

There were a few missteps along the way. “Curiosity and the Two Princesses” begins with a girl named Viola who is reluctantly being taken to a playdate with one of her classmates, Curiosity. The premise of their adventures is well-developed, but the plot soon takes a turn that I found far too dark for the age group for which it was intended. “The Cute Family Go Ballooning” also needed to be adjusted. The illustration that accompanied it was bright and colorful, but the plot itself was barely developed at all. It felt like the description of a children’s book instead of a complete short story.

“The Pony No-one Could Ride” shows one family’s attempt to tame a pony for their son. The descriptions of daily life on a ranch used just enough detail to sketch out the hardships of working outdoors with large animals over many years. What I liked the most about it, though, was its incredibly wide range of appeal. The conflict is serious enough to keep the attention of older kids and adults, but it can also easily be shared with preschoolers.

It was difficult to pick an age recommendation for this anthology because the tales in it are written for children as young as two and as old as six or seven. The wide range of styles and topics is fascinating, but there is material here that is too scary for preschoolers. It would be a good idea to preview the longer ones in particular before sharing them with very young or sensitive children.

Glodwyn’s Treasure Chest is a unique collection that I’d recommend to anyone who is interested in a book that will grow alongside a family for several years.

Originally posted at long and short reviews