Silly Willy Winston in the Adventures of Pirate Snout: Mystery in the Desert and on the Seas

By Donna M Maguire

Silly Willy Winston and his friend Aiden live in the desert. They love to explore but most of all they dream of adventure not on dry ground. Silly Willy Winston throws Aiden a bandanna and wooden sword. He readies his nose and his snout. He puts on his pirate's hat and grabs his telescope. In an instant he becomes Pirate Snout. On this journey they discover a ship buried in the Mojave Desert, a Pyramid under the sea and so much more. Young readers 7 to 8

A teacher, mom and children's and young adult book reviewer and blogger wrote:

Ahoy Matey! Pirates, pirate-loving children, and young at heart are going to be trilled to set out on a voyage through the desert and seas looking for lost treasure. Donna Maguire does it again with the help of Silly Willy Winston, a basset hound who has ears for adventure. This book is packed with history, geography, and marine life lessons.
•Students could easily chart informational topics to further investigate. Using these topic students could create a “class fair” around the projects to share their new insight and knowledge with other students/teachers/parents.
•While reading the book students could practice their map skills by pinpointing the various locations Pirate Snout and Aiden venture to for lost treasure.
•Money and measurement is weaved throughout the story (size of marine animals, weight of ships, value of lost treasures, area of the base of a pyramid, depth of treasure, etc.)
•With the CCSS calling for more informational text reading this book is perfect for close reading lessons.

In addition to all the educational uses, this book is simply fun to read. The pirate glossary at the end will have everyone using pirate jargon

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donna M Maguire
• Release date: Feb 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311464507

Donna M Maguire

I began writing children’s books without ever thinking of publishing them! After more than 35 years in the marketing profession, I left my consulting business and moved to Nevada to help care for my grandbabies. The change was driven by the loss of my nephew, whom I had raised as a son after providing hospice for his mother. Little did I realize that caring for my grandbabies would provide such an effective form of therapy and delight. Reading early and often to children not only makes for good times, it promotes bonding and nurtures the joy of reading, so I read to them often. Something amazing happened; my creativity and imagination were re-ignited. It seemed only natural to funnel this new-found energy into a long-term desire to write children’s books.Since I initially created the books for a very select audience, i.e. my grandbabies, I set several goals for them including (1) promoting literacy by helping to nurture the joy of reading through humorous story telling, (2) providing a message of acceptance, love and friendship, not just for others but for themselves, and (3) igniting young readers’ natural curiosity for the world, the environment and the creatures that inhabit it along with us.My Basset Hound Winston, Silly Willy Winston as I call him, was the perfect muse and unlikely hero for my books. He has the biggest ears ever, a stout frame, huge paws and a super large snout. He trips over his ears and paws which often makes him a bit of a clown. People laugh but he embraces their laughter as an invitation to make friends. If you ask me, he is the perfect role model for self-acceptance and empowerment. Winston’s traits – the way he uses them to his advantage – also make him an ideal character to help children recognize, understand and protect themselves and others against bullying.After sharing the books with a child, parents can ask if the child ever feels as if he or she is different like Silly Willy Winston: what makes them different, how they feel about being different and what special powers or unique gifts the child gains from those differences? Whether or not the child feels different, Winston’s story can be used by parents to start a conversation regarding bullying. This gives parents the opportunity to discuss how some children may pick on others because of their differences. Once the dialogue is started, parents are able to address this sensitive issue and prepare their child to protect self and others against bullying through awareness, confidence and mutual respect.

Book preview

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