'The Baby-Sitters Club' Ann M. Martin Headlines August Issue of Story Monsters Ink

CHANDLER, AZ (July, 2018) – The Baby-Sitters Club series was a literary staple of an entire generation of young readers. Ann M. Martin’s books about adolescent friends Mary Anne, Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, and their charges dominated bookshelves from the late 1980s through the 1990s, becoming one of the most popular young adult series of all time. “I heard from a lot of kids that the club members were like friends to them,” says Martin. The Baby-Sitter’s Club has continued in the form of a television show, a movie, and most recently, graphic novels by Raina Telgemeier and Gale Galligan based on Martin’s original stories. Later this month, there will be a special edition release of the first six books of the series in a collectible The Baby-Sitter’s Club tin case. Martin discusses the enduring popularity of the series and her more recent titles in the August issue of Story Monsters Ink.

            Lauren and Tony Dungy also took the field to talk about their new sports-themed children’s book series. Lauren, a former teacher and early childhood education specialist, and Tony, a former NFL player, NBC sports analyst, NFL Hall of Fame member, and retired Super Bowl-winning head coach, want to get kids excited about reading. Austin Plays Fair and Maria Finds Courage are the first two books in the new Team Dungy series. “It’s very important to get kids reading early because we know that reading is going to help them in every area of their lives,” says Lauren. “Ideally, they’ll develop a love of reading that will lead to a lifetime of learning.”

The August issue also includes interviews with Vanessa Marshall, who voices Gamora on Disney XD's Guardians of the Galaxy; Children's book authors Tim McCanna, Fiona Basile, and Linda Kranz; Maceo Smedley, who stars in Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger; and young adult author Jennifer Rose, who offers life lessons for Autistic teens.

To read the full interviews or learn more about Story Monsters Ink, visit www.StoryMonsters.com, email info@storymonsters.com or call 480-940-8182.

‘Story Monsters Ink’ Takes the Literary World by Storm

CHANDLER, AZ (October 2016) – In just over two years since its launch, Story Monsters Ink has become a beacon for parents and teachers searching for quality reading material for children to instill the joys of reading, and it turns out, grown-ups love it just as much as kids.

What began as a monthly newsletter has turned into a major magazine with subscribers across the globe, advertisers clamoring to get a spot in each issue and featured interviews with today’s top authors and artists, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Kenny Loggins, Kate DiCamillo, James Patterson, Dav Pilkey and Jeff Kinney.

And the industry loves it, too. The subscription-based family magazine recently received several notable literary accolades.

In August, Story Monsters Ink won the Mom’s Choice Gold Award and was named “among the best in family-friendly media, products and services.” In October, School Library Journal named it “among the great magazines for kids and teens” for its varied content, including articles about science and nature, reading guides, and book reviews written by children for children. Also this month, it was announced that the magazine’s publisher, Linda F. Radke, won the 2016 Irwin Award for “Best Publisher of a Literary Magazine,” and Cristy Bertini, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, also won the Irwin Award for “Best Editorial Director.”

In her acceptance speech, Radke thanked the entire Story Monsters Ink team for their contributions to the magazine’s success. “Cristy tells me every month that this will be the best issue yet, and it always is, thanks to our tremendous team of writers, designers, columnists, and contributors, and we want to express our sincerest gratitude to Melissa Fales, Jeff Yesh, Kris Taft Miller, Conrad Storad, Debbie Greenberg, Darleen Wohlfeil, Nick Spake, Leigh Carrasco, Rita Campbell, Olivia Amiri, Diana Perry, Jenna Grodzicki, Bill McManus, Kristin Maggio, and Shirin Zarqa-Lederman for their hard work and dedication. And we also want to thank our advertisers. They have supported this publication from the beginning and I want them to know how much we appreciate them.”

Having been in the up-and-down world of publishing for over 30 years, Radke said that supporting children’s literacy is her team’s ultimate goal in everything they do.

“That is the light behind Story Monsters Ink,” said Radke. “And behind every successful magazine, is a great editor-in-chief. Cristy is that editor. I have her to thank, because she makes this magazine what it is and I couldn’t ask for a better leader. As for the next issue, just wait and see. It will be the best one yet.”

To subscribe to Story Monsters Ink, visit www.StoryMonsters.com. Digital subscriptions are free and 12-month print subscriptions are $39. New print subscribers receive a free Story Monster plush reading buddy. For more information, email info@storymonsters.com or call 480-940-8182.

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James Patterson, Marcus Samuelsson Featured in October issue of ‘Story Monsters Ink’

CHANDLER, AZ (September, 2015) – With over 300 million copies of his books sold worldwide, James Patterson is one of the most prolific and successful authors on the planet. While he continues to write the suspenseful thriller novels his devotees clamor for as well as the children’s books that have gained him a whole new fan base, he’s also become a major champion for literacy. He recently pledged to donate $1.75 million to school libraries through a grant program with Scholastic Reading Club. “I’m really passionate about getting kids reading,” said Patterson in a recent interview with Story Monsters Ink magazine. “If kids aren’t competent readers in middle school, they’re going to have a really hard time getting through high school and getting through life.” Patterson also discussed his career, his newest books and how he instilled a love of reading in his own son.

From his humble beginning in Ethiopia, restaurateur, chef, television food personality and author Marcus Samuelsson has risen to the highest culinary ranks. Samuelsson talks with Story Monsters Ink about his latest book, Make it Messy: My Perfectly Imperfect Life detailing his long, gastronomical journey to the top and highlighting those times when his future was muddled and uncertain. It is a must-read for any aspiring chef.

Also featured in the October issue, photographer Jonathan Diaz creates a treasury of modern-day fairy tales based on the lives of children who all have two things in common: they have very big dreams and they are all cancer patients. Child actor and philanthropist Gabe Eggerling talks about his mission to donate as many books as he can to underprivileged children, and award-winning author Gale Leach tells us about her road to writing.

Story Monsters Ink is a monthly, family magazine that gives kids, parents and educators the latest news on award-winning and debut books and products, reviews, recipes, activities, a Spanish language column and a science and nature column written by award-winning author Conrad J. Storad.

What began as a monthly newsletter has turned into a major magazine with subscribers across the globe, advertisers clamoring to get a spot in each issue and featured interviews with Rosemary Wells, Garcelle Beauvais, Claudine Pepin, NASA Astronaut Jerry L. Ross, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Arizona Cardinals wide-receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Sesame Street’s Caroll Spinney.

“I wanted to publish a magazine for a very long time,” says Linda F. Radke, founder and president of Five Star Publications, Inc. “Story Monsters Ink is an exciting fulfillment of that dream. As a parent and former educator myself, I recognize the value of instilling a love of reading and writing in children, and I have a tremendous team to work with in developing this publication each month. We’ve definitely created a monster of a magazine.”

“Our ultimate goal is to promote children’s literacy, and we involve children in the production of Story Monsters Ink by asking them to write book reviews, poems, articles, etc., and we publish their work in each issue,” adds Cristy Bertini, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “Children love seeing their work printed in the magazine, and we love encouraging them to read and write as much as possible.”

To subscribe to Story Monsters Ink, visit www.StoryMonsters.com. Digital subscriptions are free and 12-month print subscriptions are $39. New print subscribers receive a free Story Monster plush reading buddy. For more information, email info@storymonsters.com or call 480-940-8182.

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Caroll Spinney Brings Decades of Sunny Days to Sesame Street

Beloved puppeteer featured in July issue of 'Story Monsters Ink' magazine

CHANDLER, AZ (June, 2015) – As the man behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch characters, Caroll Spinney has delivered lasting education lessons to millions of children. “We had a lot of doubters who didn’t believe that television could be a teaching tool,” Spinney recently said in an interview with Story Monsters Ink magazine. “I think we proved them wrong.”

Like most icons of American culture, Big Bird is instantly recognizable. However, the face of Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who has been tucked inside the 8 foot-tall, yellow-feathered suit for much of the last 46 years remains largely unfamiliar. With the recent release of his documentary I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (Copper Pot Pictures), Spinney talks to Story Monsters Ink about the creation of Sesame Street, his friend Jim Henson and his favorite memories.

Story Monsters Ink is a monthly, family magazine that gives kids, parents and educators the latest news on award-winning and debut books and products, reviews, recipes, activities, a Spanish language column and a science and nature column written by award-winning author Conrad J. Storad.

What began as a monthly newsletter has turned into a major magazine with subscribers across the globe, advertisers clamoring to get a spot in each issue and featured interviews with Rosemary Wells, Garcelle Beauvais, Claudine Pepin, NASA Astronaut Jerry L. Ross, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Jean Louisa Kelly and Lisa Jakub. The July issue also features interviews with Michaela DePrince, Sebastian A. Jones, Barbara Bottner and Dr. Stephanie Cox.

“I wanted to publish a magazine for a very long time,” says Linda F. Radke, founder and president of Five Star Publications, Inc. “Story Monsters Ink is an exciting fulfillment of that dream. As a parent and former educator myself, I recognize the value of instilling a love of reading and writing in children, and I have a tremendous team to work with in developing this publication each month. We’ve definitely created a monster of a magazine.”

“I am so proud of what this publication has become,” adds Cristy Bertini, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “Not only do we feature well-known authors and celebrities, but we also shine a light on independent authors who are not so well-known and trying to find their place in the literary world. Our ultimate goal is to promote children’s literacy, and we involve children in the production of Story Monsters Ink by asking them to write book reviews, poems, articles, etc., and we publish their work in each issue. Children love seeing their work printed in the magazine, and we love encouraging them to read and write as much as possible.”

The magazine’s trademark character, the lovable, green Story Monster made his first appearance in 2013 in a popular book awards program developed by Five Star called Story Monster Approved! to recognize and honor both seasoned and newly published children’s literature authors. And who judges the submissions? Children! After books pass the first round of judging by industry experts, the books are then judged by a panel of students who must also endorse the books before they can receive the official Story Monster seal of approval. “Who better to judge the entries than the children who read them?” says Radke. “We now have panels of student judges in elementary schools all over the US and soon in the UK as well, and we can’t keep up with them! These students take their jobs very seriously and are waiting for more submissions.”

To subscribe to Story Monsters Ink, visit www.StoryMonsters.com. Digital subscriptions are free and 12-month print subscriptions are $39. New print subscribers receive a free Story Monster plush reading buddy. For more information, email info@storymonsters.com or call 480-940-8182.

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Kids Can Publish Joins ‘Story Monsters Ink’ Magazine

CHANDLER, AZ (March, 2015)–Getting published in a national magazine just got a lot easier for kids! Children in kindergarten through 12th grade who love to write—and teachers who would like their students to embrace the written word—are now able to submit their writing samples to Kids Can Publish to be considered for publication in the nationally circulated Story Monsters Ink magazine. The magazine recently joined together with Kids Can Publish, a division of Five Star Publications, Inc., to help broaden its audience.

“Partnering the two divisions together makes sense,” says Linda F. Radke, president of Five Star Publications, Inc. “Their objectives complement each other so well, and I think it is important to give young writers—our future generation of authors—a place to have a voice. What better way to do that than to give them an opportunity to participate in the publication of a national magazine?”

In 1985, shortly after leaving her profession as a special education teacher, Linda F. Radke started her own publishing company. In hopes of making the world a better place by promoting tolerance, character, kindness and a love for reading and writing with her books, Radke, an award-winning writer herself, started Five Star Publications, Inc. and soon after, its imprint, Little Five Star. Under the Little Five Star umbrella, Radke has published books like Tic Talk: Living with Tourette Syndrome, I Just Am: A Story of Down Syndrome Awareness and Tolerance and When Life Throws You A Curve: One Girl's Triumph Over Scoliosis. All of these books were written by or for children to help people become more compassionate toward each other. Through her experience with Little Five Star, Radke learned children had something important to say. She wanted to give them a platform to do just that, which is why she co-founded Kids Can Publish.

With a subscription base of almost 12,000 and steadily growing, Story Monsters Ink is a free e-digest that gives parents and educators the latest news on award-winning and debut books, profiles on both renowned and newly published authors, upcoming book events, author presentations and more. Print subscriptions are also available.

Teachers and parents can now submit their students' written works, such as poems, articles, stories, book reviews, etc. to Kids Can Publish/Story Monsters Ink for print consideration. A completed permission form signed by a parent or guardian must accompany submissions.

To download a permission form and for instructions on how to submit work, visit www.StoryMonstersInk.com and click on “Kids Can Publish.”

Story Monsters Ink is also holding a monthly drawing through its Facebook page where teachers can enter to win a printed copy of the magazine for each student in their classroom. Teachers can visit the page at Click Here and add their school name and grade level in the comments below the teacher announcement post. The names will be added to a drawing and on April 18, a winner will be announced.

To subscribe to Story Monsters Ink, visit www.StoryMonsters.com. Digital subscriptions are free and 12-month print subscriptions are $39. New print subscribers receive a free Story Monster plush reading buddy. For more information, email info@storymonsters.com or call 480-940-8182.
 

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Five Star Publications, Inc. Launches a Monster of a Magazine with ‘Story Monsters Ink’

CHANDLER, AZ (Fall 2014)—Five Star Publications, Inc. is announcing the launch of a new monthly magazine. Story Monsters Ink is a free, subscription-based e-digest that gives parents and educators the latest news about award-winning and debut books, profiles on both renowned and newly published authors, upcoming book events, author presentations and more.

President of Five Star Publications, Inc. and former educator Linda F. Radke says she wants children to be actively involved in the publication of the magazine by including book reviews written by children.

“I’ve wanted to publish a magazine for a very long time, and I am so excited to see my idea become a reality,” Radke says. “We want to help parents, teachers and librarians instill a love of reading and writing in their students, and what better way to do that than to give these children an opportunity to participate in the publication of a magazine?”

To submit a book review or to have your book considered for listing in the newly released or award-winning book columns, contact Cristy Bertini at Cristy@fivestarpublications.com for guidelines. Authors of printed book reviews receive a free Story Monsters t-shirt for their first published review.

The magazine also features an author profile each month, listings of authors who visit schools, back to school and summer reading guides, listings of newly published books, as well as other articles about book trends, bookstores, author news, etc.

Radke also says, “We have gotten a wonderful response from readers and have already secured some wonderful interviews of very well-known authors for our upcoming issues. And, of course, we have more surprises on the way. Stay tuned!”

Young readers will learn about the wonderful world around them in a monthly column called “Conrad’s Classroom” written by the award-winning author and editor of more than 50 science and nature-based books, Conrad J. Storad. He is nationally renowned for his ability to captivate young audiences with well-researched facts about the scientific world.

While the magazine is new, its trademark character, the lovable, green Story Monster has been around Five Star Publications, Inc. for a little while. She made her first appearance in 2013 in an awards program developed by Five Star called Story Monster Approved! to recognize and honor both seasoned and newly published children's literature authors. In keeping with its goal of promoting children’s literacy, Five Star has determined that before a book is designated as Story Monster Approved!, it has to pass a rigorous judging process. If the book makes it past the first round of judges of industry experts, the book is then judged by youth judges, teachers and librarians represented from schools across the country who must also endorse the book before it can receive the official seal of approval.

To subscribe to Story Monsters Ink, visit www.StoryMonsters.com. Digital subscriptions are free and 12-month print subscriptions are $39. New print subscribers receive a free Story Monster plush reading buddy. For more information, email info@storymonsters.com or call 480-940-8182.

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