Review: The Golden Pathway

The Golden Pathway by Donna M. McDine, Illustrated by K.C. Snider

Publication Date: August 2010
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Format: Paperback, 26 pp
Genre: Children's Fiction
ISBN-13: 9781616330880
ISBN: 1616330880

(Received for review from Pump Up Your Book Promotions)

Synopsis (Courtesy of Barnes & Noble):

Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David leads Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa. Suggested for readers ages 8 - 12.

Thoughts:

The Underground railroad was once called " The Golden Path to Freedom". Donna McDine tells the story of a young boy named David who decided to help a slave boy to escape to freedom in the North. David's father was a drunkard who liked to beat his slaves and David could not bear to see, Jenkins continually beaten. He helped him by taking care of his wounds and eventually finding out how to get Jenkins to a "conductor" on the underground railroad.

This book is written for kids ages 8 - 12. It is a short book with a powerful theme. David risked his own safety for a the life of another. Teaching kids about being compassionate and loving to other people is so important in today's world that is filled with conflicting messages about what matters in life.

I was really impressed with the clear writing style that is easy to understand, yet filled with the conflict that any book must have to keep the reader interested. The illustrations by K.C. Snider were excellent, from the details in the roses on the trellis to the animals in the barnyard scene.

This is definitely a book I would share with my children to help teach them what it means to care about other people.

The Golden Pathway is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag! An excellent young readers book!




Here is some additional information about Donna M. McDine and K.C. Snider.

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78th Annual Writer's Digest Writing competitions. Donna's stories and features have been published in many print and online publications and her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Her second book, The Hockey Agony is under contract and will be published by Guardian Angel Publishing. She writes, moms and is the publicist intern for The National Writing for Children Center and the Children's Writer's Coaching Club from her home in the historical hamlet of Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators and Musing Our Children.

K.C. Snider, an honors graduate from The Eugene School of Art, is a prominent Oregon artist. Her love of the western life and of wildlife has been developed since her youth, with her natural talent for drawing and color exhibited since she was ten years old.

Originally specializing in Western Fine Art, K.C. now has a collection of oil and acrylic paintings, lithographs, and pastel and pencil drawings that include portraits of the All-American Cowboy and Cowgirl and their lifestyles of days gone by. K.C. had planned to become an illustrator when she was in art school, but when circumstances intervened, she turned to fine art as an outlet to express herself. However, K.C. always considered her work to be a form of illustration because even her paintings "tell a story."

In 2007, K.C. illustrated two children's books, The Christmas Angel with author Mary Jean Kelso and The Magic Violin with Mayra Calvani. Both books were published by Guardian Angel Publishing and are also available as e-books. Now she is an established and sought-after illustrator for Guardian Angel Publishing with a total of nine children's books published, four more pending publication and 12 more waiting to be illustrated. K.C. works with authors all over the world, including Australia and Belgium.

(Please note that the amazon link below is for the hardcover addition of this book.)