Independent & Self-Published Features

Independent & Self-Published Features: Featuring Vincent Chen + J. R. Becker

by MaiStoryBook

*~ It’s been awhile Mai friends, but I’m excited to kick off the year blogging and sharing our indie/self-published authors to celebrate the work they’ve been creating!~*

*Highlighting up and coming illustrators and authors from independent publishing houses and self-publishers*

Please reach out to MaiStoryBook through Instagram, FB, or by commenting on my blog, and *share or tag* books, authors, or illustrators who would fit into this category of independent/self-publishing! I’m excited for the wonders we will find!

Now without further ado~

Featuring this week’s perfect read alouds for kicking off a year of inquiry, curiosity, and STEM exploration:

99 Bitcoins and an Elephant by Vincent Chen

Self-published by Vincent Chen

As a first grade teacher, I contemplate how to balance the use of technology in the classroom. Technology has many helpful benefits within the room, helping to provide differentiated instruction and innovative learning opportunities, but I also believe in limited screen time for the littles and in peer interaction/ “old-school” pencil and paper + handwritten charts. However, today’s firsties live in a world saturated with technology, and learning to navigate this tech will be vital as they grow up. Furthermore, as an advocate of STEM, I want to give mai students all the tools and opportunities to stimulate their budding engineering minds. If you are looking to challenge them to imagine~ what will the future with technology look like~ *99 Bitcoins and an Elephant* is a perfect read aloud to get their minds revving with ideas!


In this self-published read aloud, flash forward to the future: where augmented reality glasses are worn daily to play games, watch cartoons, and access your digital wallet where money is exchanged by voice command using a new currency~ bitcoins. Meet Lisa, a young girl in this futuristic world. One day, after a quick stop at a quirky repair shop, Lisa’s glasses begin acting a little strange. Later that afternoon, at the MegaMart, Lisa realizes 2 things: her glasses have suddenly bestowed her with 99 bitcoins *aka she’s rich!* and… she’s Lost! *mom has disappeared from sight!* Join Lisa as she shares her good fortune with others, embarking on a generous shopping spree to help those around her, and enlisting a digital dancing elephant to cheer her and join her along the way. Will Lisa reunite with her mom before the MegaMArt closes? Throughout this adventure, young readers will delve into this futuristic world of technology~ proving to them the endless possibilities of technology mixed with *imagination* to create something amazing!

A bit more about the Author: Vincent Chen

Vincent Chen is a father to two young children and former kindergarten teacher. Currently, he works for a company that is adopting cutting-edge technologies. Vincent explores how parents today deal with raising young children in a world increasingly flooded with technology. His goal is to introduce young children to topics of augmented reality and artificial intelligence through children’s books. To learn more, check out his site: www.vinnytales.com, and follow him on Instagram: @vinsightful.

Check here to find this book for your own home library!

*****

Annabelle and Aiden: What Happens When We Die? by J. R. Becker, Illustrated by Max Rambaldi

Published by Imaginarium Press: publishing pro-science children’s book series  dedicated to inspiring a new generation of scientists, thinkers, and all-around adventurers

As a first-year-teacher, one of *mai* goals of the year is to implement inquiry-based learning~ to prompt the firsties’ curiosity and encourage them to ask their own questions to align their learning with their interests. Throughout the year, we post questions on our *Wonder Wall* around a particular theme we are studying. Other times~ during our community morning meeting, I give them the opportunity to share any wondering they may have about any topic of interest. As I listen to their inquiries, I marvel at the channels their brains navigate and wander through as they share their most sincere curiosities and wonderings about the world around them~ From *Can plants talk and have feelings?* to *Is it possible for one guy to eat all the bananas in the world?* But a question that seems to bubble up across all generations, no matter what age or grade level you may be in~ is *What happens when we die?* The thought-provoking questions of what happens to me after this life-time, am I gone forever~ or is there more~ is there a *next?* And this is where children’s books once again become the bearer of answers~ the perfect avenue to engage and discuss with children their curiosities about the world around them. In this week’s featured story, Annabelle and Aiden return in this life-affirming tale to answer the question *What happens when we die?*

You may remember Annabelle and Aiden from a previous MaiStoryBook Indie Post featuring **Annabelle and Aiden: Worlds Within Us.** In this children’s book~ the duo return once again to share a story grounded in science and philosophy. This read aloud explores the smallest unit of matter composing our human bodies~ the atoms that make us up, and how our atoms rejoin the universe so that a part of us is forever woven into the fabric of the world around us. The energy that is *our life* stays in the world forever, once again melding into the universe providing energy in a new form. As for the memories and personalities that made us unique and individual~ that part of us stays alive through stories passed down by our loved ones. Sound complicated, perhaps beyond the grasp of a little one? Here is where the talents of author J. R. Becker and illustrator Max Rambaldi shine through~ their ability to take a complex concept, and break it down into simple rhyme, creating a narrative of rhythm combined with layers of mixed media illustrations and images that allow young minds to understand and wonder about the ideas presented to them. This is a read aloud that answers *the big questions*, prompts inquiry learning, and inspires us to appreciate the incredible gift of life we are given each day. 

A bit more about the Author: J. R. Becker

You may recognize the author as he was previously featured for his book *Annabelle and Aiden: Worlds Within Us.* J. R. Becker lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children, Annabelle and Aiden. He has a B.A. in Philosophy and a Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law.  When he’s not practicing entertainment law, J. R. enjoys playing drums, exploring the great outdoors, and reading and listening to all of the science and philosophy books and podcasts he possibly can. J. R. is constantly pondering the bigger questions and dreaming up ideas for future children stories. After publishing his first  novel The Spider & the Ant, Joseph was inspired to found the Annabelle & Aiden series to foster curiosity and scientific awareness in the next generation. To learn more, follow the series on Instagram: @annabelleandaiden , and check out their website: www.annabelleandaiden.com.

A bit more about the Illustrator: Max Rambaldi

One of my favorite indie illustrators~ Max Rambaldi has been featured several times on MaiStoryBook- illustrating *I Didn’t Ask to Be Creative* , and *Annabelle and Aiden: Worlds Within Us*. Max lives just outside Venice, Italy. She creates both physical and digital art, and dabbles in multiple styles of drawing and artwork. Max’s passions, other than art, include cats, Game of Thrones, and Linsey Stirling. Learn more about Max by checking out her site: www.maxrambaldi.com, and follow her on Instagram @maxrambaldi.

Check here to find this book for your own home library!

*****

*~Support these independent/self-published authors and illustrators and check out what they’ve been writing and creating.  Please share any books, authors, or illustrators that fit into this category by tagging me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary,  posting on MaiStoryBook’s FaceBook page, or commenting on the blog below! I’m always looking for new treasures to read, support, and share with all of you!~*

*Plus, checkout out a *growth mindset* interactive  read aloud of one of my current inspiring read alouds  here. *

*~Until Next Time, Happy Reading~*