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Book Series Details:
Book Series Title: The Adventures of Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine by Joe Fisher
Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 4-8)
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Publisher: Angler Publishing
Release date: May 2017, August 2021
Content Rating: G for children.
Book Title: Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine (The Adventures of Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine) by Joe Fisher
Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 4-8), 32 pages
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Publisher: Angler Publishing
Release date: May 2017
Content Rating: G for children.
When the Mayor Himself decides the town of Someport-by-the-Sea needs a new
fire engine the Fire Chief picks a shiny, bright red one that has all the latest tools needed to put out fires. The new fire engine becomes the joy of the children in town and the pride of the fireman and townspeople alike.
But after many years the fire engine becomes old and worn until everyone begins to laugh and call it Rusty. Sad and forlorn Rusty is ignored and forgotten. Then during the 4th of July parade in a summer like no other Rusty saves the day in a most surprising and unusual way.
Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine tells the story of a fire engine and the fireman and boy who love him. It is a lighthearted and multi-layered story, richly told, that will appeal to children and adults alike.
Whimsical illustrations create an air of fantasy, drawing children into Rusty’s world while stimulating their imaginations as they follow Rusty’s journey from hero to outcast and back again.
The surprise ending brings the tale to a heart-warming and satisfying conclusion that reveals all things
have hidden value that is waiting to be released. Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine is a classic story of love, loss, transformation and redemption.
BUY THE BOOK:
Joe Fisher Books
Amazon
iBook ~ KOBO
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Book Title: Rusty Goes to Water World (The Adventures of Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine) by Joe Fisher
Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 4-8), 36 pages
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Publisher: Angler Publishing
Release date: August 2021
Content Rating: G for children.
Book Description:
The townspeople of Someport-by-the-Sea want to honor Rusty for saving them during the “Summer Like No Other” so the Mayor Himself decides a park should be named in Rusty’s honor. But, finding the right place is not as easy as it sounds. Then when students at Sea Stone Elementary take Rusty on their end of year celebration at Water World things don’t go as planned.
Just as Mr. Spritz the Manager of Water World is about to close the park because of an equipment failure, Rusty, with the help of Fireman Jim and Mike the Deputy Fire Chief, once again saves the day and in the process finds a new home in a water park that bears
his name.
BUY THE BOOK:
Joe Fisher Books
Amazon ~ iBook
Meet the Author – Joe Fisher:
Like his career, his writing is wide ranging from academic books to works for the trade including:
- Killer Among Us: Public Reactions to Serial Murder,
- The Next Breath: New Life After Near Death
- His work has earned praise from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, The Library Journal, The Miami Herald and the New England Journal of Medicine among others.
Recently, Joe jumped to the world of children’s picture books with the series The Adventures of Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine:
- Book 1 – Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine
- Book 2 – Rusty Goes to Water World
A third book in the series, Rusty and Calliope, is in development.
In addition, a fourth children’s book, Ospreys in the Outfield: A Sanibel Story will be available in the fall 2022.
An Interview with Joe Fisher
When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
It was in elementary school, probably fourth or fifth grade. In fact, I not only wanted to be an author, I had my sights set on being a poet. Here is the only remaining verse from that time.
The silver spider spun its single stranded web across the sky.
All orange and billowy against the blue until it vaporized.
I suppose my motivation came from being a very shy child who desperately wanted recognition.
When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?
I am an inveterate traveler so much of my non-writing time is spent planning and arranging my next trip. Many of these expeditions can take on a life of their own – trekking in the Himalayas, hiking in remote and inhospitable areas of the Congo or scuba diving in the Solomon Islands.
For fun, I collect things, like butterflies or seashells and I am addicted to ebay auctions.
What is your favorite genre to read? What about the genre draws you?
My tastes are quotidian. I read to escape and to relax. Thrillers, Mystery and a good SciFi novel occasionally. My favorite authors are those who have an established a unique and quirky protagonist who becomes a reliable friend I want to spend time with.
Authors such as Craig Johnson – Longmire, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child –Prendergast, Ian Rankin – Rebus, Martin Cruz Smith – Renko, and Scott Turow – just about everybody in Kindle County fit the bill.
What is your vacation destination? Why?
Any place where other people don’t want to go. On my radar currently is a 6 to 8 week end-to-end road trip across Chilean Patagonia, a voyage to the Ross Sea in the Antarctic, and a trip to see the tepui in Guiana. I would love to climb in the Mountains of the Moon to see the origin of the Blue Nile but I fear that one may have passed me by.
Who did you have in mind as you wrote the book?
My daughter but then she was lying next to me as I told her the story of a little forgotten fire engine. Night after night, the story grew and became more polished according to her reactions. I will always remember how thrilled she was every time she heard me say “And all the flowers came back to life.”
At the time, I thought this story really wasn’t half bad, maybe I should write it up and turn it into a book. However, I was never satisfied with the ending so the idea languished and languished. Then twenty years later a cute trick ending came to me, I found a willing Illustrator and we were off.
My muse is 34 years old now.
As a former K – 12 school librarian I have to ask – what is your favorite children’s book?
My favorite picture book is Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. I loved it as a kid and reading it to my kids as a father.
That’s one of my all-time favorites as well.
In fact, inspiration for Rusty the Forgotten Fire Engine came from Virginia Lee Burton’s books about anthropomorphized machines, classics like Katy and the Big Snow, Choo Choo the Run Away Engine, Maybelle the Cable Car and the Little House were very much the style I was trying to emulate.
Since my artistic skill maxed out at stick figures, I was very fortunate to have a wonderful illustrator partner, Jaye Boswell. Jaye’s illustrations helped create Rusty’s personality and she was instrumental in creating the whimsical world of Someport-by-the-Sea where the personalities of major human characters are identified by their hats.
.
What advice would you give to a child or teen who wants to be a writer?
Be observant. Notice everything.
Learn to tell a story. When you see something, interesting or unusual take time to describe it in words as if you want to share it with someone else who was not there. If it is interesting for you, it will be for your reader.
Be inquisitive. Let your imagination run free and wild.
Aug 22 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / guest post / giveaway
Aug 22 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Aug 22 – Faith and Books – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Aug 23 – Book Zone Reviews – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Aug 23 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Aug 24 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Aug 24 – icefairy’s Treasure Chest – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Aug 25 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Aug 25 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Aug 26 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / guest post / giveaway
Aug 26 – icefairy’s Treasure Chest – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Aug 29 – Captive Dreams Window – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / author interview / giveaway
Aug 29 – Sandra’s Book Club – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / guest post / giveaway
Aug 29 – Faith and Books – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Aug 30 – Lisa’s Reading – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Aug 31 – Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / author interview / giveaway
Aug 31 – Book Zone Reviews – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Aug 31 – Sandra’s Book Club – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 1 – Library Lady’s Kid Lit – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / author interview / giveaway
Sep 1 – Splashes of Joy – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Sep 1 – Captive Dreams Window – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 2 – Reading is My Passion – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / guest post / giveaway
Sep 2 – Library Lady’s Kid Lit – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 2 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 5 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / author interview / giveaway
Sep 6 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / guest post / giveaway
Sep 6 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Sep 6 – Lisa’s Reading – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 7 – Pause for Tales – book review of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / giveaway
Sep 7 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 7 = Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 8 – Pause for Tales – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 8 – Reading is My Passion – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 8 – Splashes of Joy – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 9 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveaway
Sep 9 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of RUSTY GOES TO THE WATER WORLD / giveaway
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RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE Book Tour Giveaway
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Library Lady's Kid Lit 
This would be a great book to read with my son
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Great interview.
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[…] Book Club – book review of RUSTY GOES TO WATER WORLD / giveawaySep 1 –Library Lady’s Kid Lit – book spotlight of RUSTY THE FORGOTTEN FIRE ENGINE / author interview / giveawaySep 1 […]
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