Thursday, September 4, 2025

Virtual Book Tour The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

 


The Mental Edge for Young Athletes: Book Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Mental Edge for Young Athletes: A World Champion’s Toughness Guide for Athletes, Parents, and Coaches in the Digital Age

Written by Jeff Greenwald, MFT

Ages 10+ | 209 Pages

Publisher: Greenwald Performance Publishing (2025) | ISBN-13: 979-8-9926109-1-8

Publisher’s Book Summary: The Mental Edge for Young Athletes is a practical, one-of-a-kind guide for athletes and their parents (includes a powerful parent guide) written by two-time world champion and elite mental coach Jeff Greenwald, MFT. A licensed psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience helping youth athletes and their families, Jeff shares real-world, proven tools to build confidence, manage performance anxiety, improve family dynamics, and reinforce your child’s new mental and emotional skills.

Through short, easy-to-read chapters, this guide brings real conversations with young athletes to life—along with inspiring stories and mindset strategies used by the world’s top competitors. Kids will learn how to bounce back from mistakes, stay focused under pressure, and compete with greater motivation, clarity, and resilience. There is also a parent’s guide with Jeff’s top recommendations on how you can successfully navigate the most challenging moments we face with our young athletes.

While many mental training books for kids offer surface-level advice or rigid checklists, The Mental Edge for Young Athletes goes deeper. It bridges the gap between theory and real-world application—bringing to life the mindset tools used by elite performers in a way that young athletes (and their parents) can truly relate to. With real stories, actionable techniques, and a compassionate voice, this book offers what most guides miss: authenticity, relevance, and lasting impact.

Whether you’re a parent supporting your child, a coach guiding your team, or a young athlete striving to succeed, this book will become an essential companion in both sport and life.


PURCHASE LINK


Amazon


MY REVIEW


I will be the first to admit that I am not an athlete (unless you count marching band), but I appreciate the advice in this book. The author’s attitude can be summed up in his words, “Being perfect is unnecessary and not the right mindset.” To make this point he gives examples from the lives of athletes he has worked with and also refers to famous athletes who admit that they struggle at times. Quotes from athletes such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are scattered throughout the text. 

 Various sections of the book deal with: mindset and motivation, confidence and self-belief, focus and attention control, self-regulation and recovery, emotional intelligence and communication, and resilience and adaptability. He also includes a guided visualization exercise and a breath training plan. There is also a parent’s guide to supporting their young athlete. The book itself is written so that athletes can dip into it and read about an issue that is relevant to them. 

Even if the only message that sinks in is “Perfection is a myth, and even the greatest athletes stumble - often,” then the book will be a good investment. I would recommend it to anyone who has a child involved in athletics.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Jeff Greenwald, MFT, is a world champion athlete, licensed psychotherapist, best-selling author, and one of the world’s leading mental coaches for athletes. With over 25 years of experience helping youth, college, and professional competitors thrive under pressure, Jeff brings a rare blend of elite performance insight and clinical expertise to his work.

He is the author of the international bestseller The Best Tennis of Your Life, which has sold over 75,000 copies worldwide, and the new book The Mental Edge for Young Athletes—a groundbreaking guide for building confidence, emotional resilience, and a stronger mindset in sports and life.

Jeff has worked with athletes across every major sport and consulted for national teams, Fortune 500 leaders, top junior academies, and competitive athletes at all levels of sport. He is a two-time ITF World Champion and was inducted into the Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame in 2019 for his contribution in the field of sports psychology and success as a world-ranked tennis player.

Through his writing, coaching, and speaking, Jeff empowers athletes and their families to navigate the mental game with clarity, courage, and lasting confidence.

To learn more, visit mentaledgeforsports.com.

TOUR SCHEDULE


Friday, August 22, 2025

The Children’s Book Review

Book Review of The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

Monday, August 25, 2025

The Children’s Book Review

5 of the Best Mental Toughness Books for Youth Sports

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

The Starlit Path

Book Review of The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

Thursday, August 28, 2025

@pagesforpaige

Instagram Post about The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

Friday, August 29, 2025

icefairy’s Treasure Chest

Book Review of The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

Monday, September 1, 2025

The Children’s Book Review

Author Interview with Jeff Greenwald

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Country Mamas With Kids

Book Review of The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Deliciously Savvy

Book Review of The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

Friday, September 5, 2025

The Fairview Review

Book Review of The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Confessions of a Book Addict

Book Spotlight on The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

Monday, September 22, 2025

@nissa_the.bookworm

Book Review of The Mental Edge for Young Athletes

This post is sponsored by Jeff Greenwald. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views.

Monday, September 1, 2025

Summer Reading 2025 Framed in Death


Does anyone else want to be Eve Dallas when they grow up? Her intelligence, her toughness, her incredibly rich and handsome husband - she seems to have it all. The one thing most of us would not want is her job. Standing over dead bodies every day and standing for the dead to make sure they receive justice is not a career for just anyone. While some cases are handled by the rest of her squad, and some cases are fairly quickly resolved, there are those that follow her home at night and haunt her in her dreams.

This time there is someone with a connection to the world of art who has decided to start killing people and leaving them posed to mimic famous paintings. And they are leaving the victims outside the homes or galleries of well known art dealers in New York. Eve knows a bit more about art than she did before Roarke came into her life, but she is not an expert. It doesn't help that the paintings being used as inspiration are not all by the same artist or in the same style. As Peabody and Eve look into the lives and last known movements of each victim, they also have to check on the whereabouts and the safety of the gallery owners. Is this some bizarre way to gain notoriety in the art world? A threat against the art dealers? Is the link to art merely a red herring even?

As usual, Eve's coworkers and friends make appearances during the investigation. McNab and Feeney help from the electronics division, Berenski and Harvo in the forensics lab, Morris in the morgue, Mira for consultations on the killer's psychology, and Nadine Furst covering the story. The added bonus of Mavis, Bella, and Leonardo giving both Dallas and Roarke some breathing space and positive vibes at their new home also helps. 

Some might think that after 60 previous books, not to mention all the short stories in various anthologies, the thrill of the chase would begin to grow old. Not. Happening. Just as Dallas keeps her skills sharp, so does the author. The characters continue to grow and not fade into two-dimensional representations. Each story has its own strengths and surprises and this one is no different. 

Sunday, August 17, 2025

Summer Reading 2025 A Fashionably French Murder: An American in Paris Mystery

 

I admit - I was attracted to this series at first because I had enjoyed Julie and Julia so much. The idea of Julia Child as a literary character appealed to me after that experience, so I tried Mastering the Art of French Murder and I was hooked. With that first book readers enter Julia's world of Le Cordon Bleu cooking school as she teaches her neighbor Tabitha how to cook for her grandfather. In the second book, Tabitha learns more about fine French wines (which no French dinner would be complete without). And in this third installment, readers follow Tabitha into a third area of French mastery - haute couture. 

Tabitha is a wonderful protagonist - fresh from the U.S. and enjoying her time with her grandfather in his lovely Parisian home, she soaks up everything about Paris. Her determined attempts to make dinner for her grandfather and uncle are comical and make her a very sympathetic character. How many of us could try to pull off dishes that Julia makes seem so effortless and succeed any better than Tabitha does? And her work as a translator and language tutor lets her meet an interesting cross-section of people living in the city. When she is asked to accompany a wealthy woman to a fashion house in search of a dress for her daughter's wedding, the stage is set for her next adventure.

It seems that along with a talent for the French language, Tabitha also has an uncanny knack for stumbling across dead bodies. The one she finds this time makes number seven and of all people, a friend of the deceased accuses Christian Dior of the crime! Between her paid work, her continued struggles to avert disaster in the kitchen, and acquaintances asking her to solve their own mysteries, Tabby certainly has her hands full. Julia adds to the drama by insisting that the brooding police inspector and Tabitha should date, and then Tabitha actually goes out with a charming veterinarian. Where does she find the time?

If you haven't tried this series yet, I recommend it for anyone show enjoys mysteries in an historical setting. The descriptions of Paris as it recovers from WWII are wonderful in themselves, and the characters are sure to become favorites.

Spring Reading 2025 A Case of Mice and Murder (The Trials of Gabriel Ward, #1)

 I love mysteries - Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie,Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and up through today's J.D. Robb best sellers. This book takes readers back to a time familiar to fans of Holmes and Watson, with the death taking place in May, 1901. When an unassuming barrister finds the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep, he is shocked and dismayed - not only because Lord Dunning is dead, but because his feet are bare. Why would such a prominent man be murdered within the Inner Temple and then left in his evening dress with no shoes or socks? The condition of the body is almost as surprising as the murder itself.

A helpful diagram shows the layout of the buildings which comprise the Inner Temple, an area that is an "independent enclave...free from the jurisdiction of the Mayor and Corporation of London." As such, the police must have permission to enter, so the poor barrister, Gabriel Ward, is ordered by the head of the Inner Temple to investigate the death himself and avoid a scandal. Poor Ward wants nothing more than to get back to his legal cases and research; visiting the family of the deceased and questioning his peers is not something he will enjoy at all. As usually happens in a murder mystery, the more people he talks to, the more possible motives he discovers. 

Whether he was killed because of professional rivalries and jealousies, family squabbles, or darker secrets, Ward must get to the bottom of the mystery so that he can go back to settling who is the rightful owner of the story Millie the Temple Church Mouse, the case that had him so distracted the morning he stumbled upon the body. At least his sleuthing skills may be useful in solving that mystery, too?

If you enjoy mysteries set in Victorian England and involving multiple persons of interest and motives galore, then you should feel right at home following Gabriel Ward through the steps of his investigation. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Summer Reading 2025 Troubling Tonsils! (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales!)

 


For those familiar with Jasper Rabbit and his own adventures - Creepy Carrots! Creepy Pair of Underwear! Creepy Crayon!  - it will come as no surprise that as Jasper grew up, he collected creepy stories that happened to others, too. In this troubling tale Charlie Marmot has to have his tonsils out, but he decides he wants to keep them in a jar to take for show and tell when he returns to school. That doesn't seem too unusual, but after a restless night and odd sounds while he tries to sleep, the day of surgery the doctor tells him the tonsils have disappeared! Very odd, but at least he won't have to undergo the operation. Seems like a happy ending all around, right? Nope. It seems that the tonsils have their own ideas of how the story should go and just who should be put on display for show and tell. Dunh-dunh-dunh!

This first chapter book tale continues the creepy tradition begun with Jasper's own mishaps in both storytelling style and illustrations. As young readers begin to outgrow picture books, they can move into these short chapter books and still feel the comfort of familiarity. Consider them a middle grade Twilight Zone and enter if you dare. 

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Virtual Book Tour A Bus Can't Drive Empty




A Bus Can't Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure: Book Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK


A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Written by Davon Miller

Ages: 4-6 | 52 Pages

Publisher: Picture Novels (2025) | ISBN: 979-8992264708

Publisher’s Book Summary: It’s the end of the school day and three zebra friends are taking the school bus home when it runs out of gas, oh no! But when Chris, the bus driver, cleverly thinks of ways to continue on their jubilant journey, they have an adventure through the mountains, in a gondola, on a log, and on a pirate ship. Will the zebras finally make it home?

This vibrant and whimsical story is a fun and silly read-aloud for families and educators of young children, featuring a playful combination of alliteration and alphabet learning, with individual letters used in rhythmic text across each spread.


PURCHASE LINK


Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Bookshop.org


MY REVIEW


This rollicking tale of a mishap on the ride home from school will make the alphabet and alliteration fun for young readers. A group of three little zebras are on the bus after school when the fuel gauge hits Empty. Oh, no! Bus driver Chris is determined to get his passengers safely home, so he rounds up Zea, Zeb, and Zec and off they go. Along their “jolly, jubilant journey” they encounter a gondola ride through the mountains, a log flume, and an overly interested octopus. Even though Chris quickly becomes queasy aboard the ship of Polly Pirate, her protection is better than staying in the clutches of the odd octopus. And everyone does make it home to Zala’s Zig-Zag Zipper Zoo by the end of the book. 

Illustrations show three zebras with colorful stripes - one with blue, one with red, and one in the traditional black. (I’m showing my age, but they remind me of cheerful ads for Fruit Stripe gum.) They have alliterative remarks in reaction to each new event. When Chris suggests they hike home, each of them responds - “Huzzah!” “Hurrah!” “Hurray!” And when they spot the log ride from their gondola car, one says, “Look!” Another says, “Lovely!” While the third grumbles, “Lame.” Chris himself is a very dapper driver with warm brown skin, neatly trimmed beard, and spotless uniform. It is hard to believe someone so well put together would forget to gas up the tank! Kids who read this may have fun coming up with their own versions and brainstorming words for each letter of the alphabet for the dialogue and to describe the action.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Davon Miller is an author and illustrator who published his first book at the age of eleven. Starting as a child drawing with crayons, Davon has spent over a decade writing and illustrating children’s books, further allowing his art to inspire children to craft their own stories. Davon holds a B.A. in English for Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida. He became a Sunshine Ambassador for St. Petersburg, Florida, for his philanthropic efforts that support literacy. Davon and his works have been highlighted and included in the Tampa Bay Rays reading program “Reading with the Rays.”

For more information, visit davonmiller.com.

https://www.facebook.com/authordavonmiller

https://www.instagram.com/authordavonmiller/

https://www.tiktok.com/@authordavonmiller

https://www.youtube.com/@picturenovelsbooks


TOUR SCHEDULE


Week One

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

The Children’s Book Review

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Thursday, July 31, 2025

The Starlit Path

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Friday, August 1, 2025

@avainbookland

Instagram Post about A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Week Two

Monday, August 4, 2025

Crafty Moms Share

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

@nissa_the.bookworm

Instagram Post about A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Bookish_Meaghan

Instagram Post about A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Friday, August 8, 2025

Deliciously Savvy

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Week Three

Monday, August 11, 2025

One More Exclamation

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

icefairy’s Treasure Chest

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Country Mamas with Kids

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Friday, August 15, 2025

The Fairview Review

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Week Four

Monday, August 18, 2025

Q&As with Deborah Kalb

Author Interview with Davon Miller

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

A Blue Box Full of Books

Instagram Post about A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Me Two Books

Author Interview with Davon Miller

Friday, August 22, 2025

Mrs Makes Reading Fun

Book Review of A Bus Can’t Drive Empty: An Alphaballiteration Adventure


This post is sponsored by Davon Miller. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view