From the Minds of Babes

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At baseball games, we moms take turns holding a new baby. Some of us wish for more babies of our own (not me), or we drink in his sweetness and then return him to his mom. We were discussing what he might look like as he gets older. Would he look like his older brothers? Would he want to play baseball too? Would he like the same music and books?

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I know each child is different, but I have been struck by the books that both my kids enjoy, and where their tastes are different. Some of the differences are based on topic. When he was younger, Aidan liked books about cars and construction vehicles, and Elizabeth loves Fancy Nancy and The Very Fairy Princess… really anything princess.

But some books both love – those filled with humor, creativity, wit, and great illustrations. We have dogeared You Are a Lion, One Cool Friend, and Elephant and Piggie.

So what books will this future little boy read? Which ones will he love so much that he takes them to bed with him?

I hope he loves reading as much as my kids do. Perhaps one day he’ll read a book I’ve written! (I can dream, right?)

A Bonus Halloween Post!

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Happy Halloween everyone! I’m not much into the gore of Halloween, but I am looking forward to taking my kids trick-or-treating tonight.

Susanna Leonard Hill is having another Halloween contest on her blog this year, and I had so much fun with last year’s contest, I wanted to do it again. It’s a Haloweensie contest, because it’s short and it’s for kids. We are challenged to write 100 words using the words spooky, black cat, and cackle. Here’s my contribution:

ARE YOU SCARED YET?

“I’m ready, ” said the little black cat.

“Let’s hear it,” said the big black cat.

“Booooooo,” said Little Cat.

Big Cat curled up. “Not spooky enough.”

“Ah ha ha ha,” she cackled, wrinkling her nose.

Big Cat yawned. “Not creepy enough.”

Little Cat bared her teeth. “Mwah ha ha,” she said.

“I’m still not scared,” said Big Cat, closing his eyes.

Little Cat took a deep breath and growled from her belly, getting louder until her body vibrated.

“Rawr!” she bellowed, and Big Cat jumped straight into the air.

“Not bad,” Big Cat said.

Little Cat smiled. I’m ready.

Review: Room on the Broom and Contest Update

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Room on the Broom

Written by: Julia Donaldson

Illustrated by: Alex Scheffler

Dial Books, 2001, Hardcover Edition

Target Audience: 4-8 (and my 3 year old loves it too)

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Holiday/Seasonal

How We Discovered This Book: Grandma bought this for my daughter last Halloween, and it has quickly become our favorite Halloween book.

Summary: The story begins: “How the cat purred/ and how the witch grinned/ As they sat on their broomstick/ and flew through the wind.” A witch takes a broom ride and needs help from some animal friends along the way.

What I Liked: The rhyme is fluid, and never forced. I really admire writers who can write well in rhyme. I don’t attempt it, for fear of failing miserably. The story is cute and fun. At one point it could have gotten spooky, but a creative twist keeps it kid-friendly.

What Did My Kids Think? My kids ask for this book frequently, and sometimes they ask to read it again as soon as we’ve finished. I won’t spoil the twist for those of you who haven’t read it yet, but it gives the kids and me a chuckle every time.

Resources: Julia Donaldson has created her own companion book of activities with stickers, puzzles, and games. More can be found on the official Room on the Broom webpage.

The Tall Stories Theater Company has a study guide for teachers or homeschoolers to use, with activities like Mixing Up A Spell (literacy activity), Multi-Monster collage, story comprehension, and Rhyme Time.

Check out more picture book reviews each Friday at Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday.

Last week I kicked off a Halloween sounds story contest. Unfortunately, we did not have any entries, so there is no prize to award. If you are interested in a Halloween story contest, but our contest was too long or too complicated for you, check out the Halloweensie contest on Susanna’s blog. It kicks off on Monday and runs through Halloween. I’m planning to enter again this year.

Halloween Sounds and a Contest

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It’s only a few weeks until Halloween. Are you ready? Have you carved or painted your pumpkin? Have you bought candy for trick or treaters (only to have to buy more after you eat it)? Are you going to any fun costume parties?

No parties for us this year, which is a relief, after the so-called family party we went to last year. This year, we just have regular neighborhood trick or treating planned (if it doesn’t snow this year), and a school parade for each child. My daughter is dressing up as a fairy, which makes things easier since her Tinkerbelle costume is on regular rotation for dress-up. My son wants to be a bumblebee, so I have some sewing to do. I’ll share some pictures after the big day.

So in continuation of the last post, let’s have a little Halloween contest about sounds. Next week I will be reviewing Julia Donaldson’s book Room on the Broom. The winner of the contest wins their own copy of the book.

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Halloween is a season full of spooky, creepy, and scary sounds. Which one is your favorite?

Now write a short story of no more than 250 words, with your chosen sound as the first AND last word of the story. Use it as many times as you want (along with other sounds if you choose), but one sound must appear at both the beginning and end.

Here’s mine to get you started:

Creeeeek. I opened one eye. The room was pitch black, so I couldn’t see anything moving. I waited while my heart beat three times. Nothing. I closed my eyes again, and was dozing back to sleep when I heard it again. Creeeeek.

I sat straight up in my bed. I wasn’t imagining something in my room. Could I make it to the door before it got me? Maybe I could make it to the lightswitch instead. Creeeek. The sound was getting closer.

I felt inside my bedside table drawer for my flashlight. I squinted at the bright light as I switched it on, and then opened my eyes wide as I swung it back and forth across my room.

My desk covered in papers: check. My cars lined up on the block road I built: check. The pile of clothes mom keeps asking me to put away: check. Everything was where it should be.

I turned the light off and laid in bed looking out into the dark. Come on, whatever you are. I dare you. Make another noise. I counted to 20 and back. Nothing.

I grinned to myself. I must have scared it away! No sound is a match for me. I chuckled to myself. I bet my little brother would have cried.

I slowly drifted back to sleep, dreaming of lifting a car with my bare hands. Creeeeek.

Please submit your story:

1. In the comments

OR

2. Post it to your blog with a link back in the comments

by next Thursday, October 24th at 6 PM EST. Our panel of judges will choose the winner! Hint: We really like creativity, humor, and wit!

Good luck!

The Sounds of Poetry

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I was sitting at baseball practice last evening, listening to the sounds of baseball:

the crack of the bat (hopefully)

“I got it!”

cleats pounding in the dirt

the thunk of the ball in the mitt

I love sounds. I think it’s my favorite evocative sense for writing.

Here’s a little exercise to help you write your poem for this week. What?  You didn’t know you were going to write a poem this week?

Pick a sound from the list below to get you started. What does your sound make you think of? Fill in the blanks in the poem form below. Feel free to elaborate!

bells ringing

pages turning

birds chirping

child singing

leaves rustling

lips smacking

 

I heard ___sound from list____________.

It started soft, and then it filled my ears.

It made me think of ____________, and ______________, and _________________.

And I ___1 or 2 past tense verbs_______.

 

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Here’s mine:

I heard the leaves rustling.

It started soft, and then it filled my ears.

It made me think of autumn, and blankets, and apple cider.

And I wrapped my sweater around my body and sighed.

 

Please share yours in the comments! Best wishes for a snuggly fall day!

Appreciating the Genres

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As a children’s book writer, I have a good appreciation for the genres of our field. I began my journey in children’s book writing with picture books, and currently I am working on three middle grade novels. My critique partner Joanna rocks the young adult segment.

As my son gets older, he still enjoys having picture books read to him but his choices are different when he reads for himself. He is reading chapter books, but I am struck by the broad range of choices in this genre.

Aidan really skipped over the beginning chapter books, like Frog and Toad, or Nate the Great. They didn’t seem to be “meaty” enough for him. He enjoys adventures, especially those in far away locations or times. The Magic Treehouse books are right up his alley. He frequently connects things that he learns about (Ancient Rome for example) with what he read in a Magic Treehouse book. We are lucky to have a family friend that gave us a big collection of Jack and Annie books (thank you Chrissy!).

I read a Facebook post this summer where Moms were discussing chapter books with appropriate content for young kids. One mom suggested Geronimo Stilton. I had never heard of him. Luckily, our library had some of the books, so we tried them out. And Aidan fell in love.

The Geronimo Stilton books are written in first person by a mouse named Geronimo Stilton. He is the editor of the Rodent Gazette, and the books are told in his voice. He is the “author” ala Lemony Snicket. (Spoiler alert: the books are written by Italian author Elisabetta Dami, distributed by Scholastic in the US)

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The really creative part of the Geronimo Stilton books is how they bridge the transition from picture books to novels. I’m sure many children miss the rich images from picture books when they move to longer books. In the Geronimo Stilton books, there are plenty of illustrations, maps, and pictures. They also illustrate the text. Yes, the text. They use colors, different type faces, even illustration to further illuminate the words. This comes in quite handy for a child who is actively expanding their vocabulary. Combine all this with an exciting adventure story, and you’re on your way!

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If you haven’t yet checked out Geronimo I encourage you to give him a try. There are currently 55+ books in the regular series plus 7 graphic novels. He even has his own web page with games and videos, as well as places to draw and write.

What other chapter book gems would you recommend? Please share in the comments!

Review: Read to Tiger

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ImageRead to Tiger

Written by: S.J. Fore

Illustrated By: R.W. Alley

Penguin Books, 2010, Imagination Library Edition

Target Audience: Ages 3-8

Genre: Fiction

Theme: Cooperation

How We Discovered This Book: My daughter received this as her monthly Imagination Library book in July. For more information on the Imagination Library, you can read my previous post.

Summary:

A boy is trying to read a book, but a tiger keeps interrupting him with chomping gum, playing trains, and pretending to be a bear. Neither one will be happy until they find a solution that works for both of them.

What I Liked:

This a simple story (we never find out the boy’s name, but it doesn’t matter). The boy tries to get Tiger to stop over and over until they decide to read the tiger book (!) together. I wonder what would have happened if the book the boy was reading was about something else?

What Did My Kids Think?

My son has transitioned to chapter books that he reads himself (he loves, loves, loves Geronimo Stilton) and my daughter can’t get enough of picture books, so I thought I’d start listing what they both thought. My son saw the parallel between this book and how he reads to his stuffed puppy sometimes (who he pretends is alive sometimes, too). My daughter liked the illustrations, and the look on the tiger’s face (with is very innocent and inquisitive, not threatening at all). This story also reminds me of when my daughter is bugging my son while he is reading alone, so he decides to read to her instead.

Resources:

Tiger crafts for kids: DLTK’s crafts for kids

Activity: The tiger uses lots of sounds when he plays- choo choo, chomp chomp, grrrr. Brainstorm other sounds. Then try to guess what tiger (or a child) might be doing if they were making that sound.

Hanging On and Letting Go

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I have been working on my first middle grade novel for a while now, and after some serious revisions and another read by two valued 12-year old readers, I felt like it was in a really good place. My goal is to have the manuscript out to agents before the end of the year.

My last task was to have my writing partner Joanna read it. Joanna has been with Amelia’s story since it was just a germ of an idea, and she always gives me insightful and valuable advice. I was sure she would bless the manuscript, and I would send it on its way (okay, in retrospect, that was a little optimistic of me).

What I got instead was lots of feedback. On the nose, “you’re absolutely right” feedback. Feedback I didn’t want to hear. Sigh. I thought I was done!

Yes, I understand the fluid nature of writing. And I know that the manuscript will never be perfect. Perhaps I was really mad at myself for not seeing the important things that Joanna saw. But then, that’s what a good writing partner is for, right?

I’ve been spending the last few days trying to not be discouraged by the work still ahead on this novel. Tonight I was out in my garden, seeing what was still growing at this late point in the season. Most of the garden is slowly dying- wilting, browning, and bending over to the ground as if  to say, “I’m tired. Time for a rest until next year.”

Green beans and potatoes

Amongst the failing leaves and shrivelled up stems, I found green beans. TONS of green beans. Once my pole beans get started, they really produce. I can typically go out and harvest plenty for dinner twice a week for about 4 to 6 weeks. I also saw some new potatoes peeking up. I thought they were done! Reaching into the moist dirt, I found potato after potato. Plenty for Sunday dinner tomorrow night (With butter! I can taste them already).

As I brought in the overflowing bowl of vegetables, I was struck at the feeling of unexpected bounty. Perhaps I should feel the same way about my novel? When I thought it was finished, there was more to come. In the case of the garden, it was wonderful and yummy. So why not the novel too?

So next week I will dig back into revisions, with green beans and potatoes on my mind. Hopeful of the great possibilities yet to come with Amelia’s story.

Are you mourning the end of summer? Or something else you don’t want to end? Perhaps there is more to come. Not what you had planned, but possibly even better.

Tomatoes, and beans, and cukes, oh my!

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Late August and early September has become one of my favorite times in the last few years. Yes, I’m happy to see my children off to school, but that’s a post for another time. I really enjoy this time because my garden is in full bloom.

Historically, I have not been good with plants. Okay, I’ve been downright awful. People would hesitantly give me houseplants, knowing they would likely never see them again. I am well aware of my black thumb reputation, but I decided a few years ago that gardening would be the perfect challenge for me. I could attempt to learn more about gardening, put it into practice, and try to turn something I was really bad at into something I was good at (or at least marginal).

I went to gardening seminars at the library, I read books on Square Foot Gardening, and I made a plan. I started out with a small 3 foot by 3 foot raised bed garden next to my house so that I was sure to notice each day if it was being neglected. That first year, I grew some lettuce, tomatoes, and herbs. Not bad for my first try – what I did grow was quite tasty and fresh.

Over several years, I built more planting beds, and tried more vegetables. Some worked, and some didn’t. I made it a group project, recruiting my kids to plant seeds, water plants, and harvest vegetables. We tried growing small watermelons one year, but they never got red. We planted a small group of new potatoes, and ended up with a bumper crop. So this year, we planted a whole box of potatoes!

The Cullinan Garden

It’s amazing to me how much vegetables can grow in one day. Each afternoon I check the garden, and new surprises are waiting for me. Eggplants have turned from buds to little shiny purple orbs. Tomatoes have turned from pale yellow to bright red. Long, fat green beans have grown ready to eat seemingly overnight.

Today I noticed that a few vegetables I planted next to each other have decided to grow intertwined with each other. Cherry tomatoes have grown to the left, super saucer tomatoes have grown to the right, and the pole beans in the middle are giving all of the tomatoes a loving hug, holding everything up along the trellis. I could try to separate them, but what’s the point? They seem to be quite happy.

So whether you grow vegetables, or flowers, or just try to keep up with the grass in your yard, enjoy these last weeks of sun and green before the cool colors of fall arrive. And if you are so inclined, intertwine your life with someone else’s (even if it’s just a hug or a show of support). You’ll be so much happier for it.

Thanks for allowing me this diversion. I’m hoping the lessons of my garden find their way into my writing. I’m hoping for a fruitful writing harvest soon!

Is Bigger Really Better?

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We live in a super-sized world. We innately believe (with a little product marketing help) that things are better when they are bigger, taller, more extensive, or more expensive.

But that’s not always the case. The Harry Potter books aren’t great just because they are long. To be great, they also have to be engaging, creative, and suspenseful. For a book to be superlative for you and other readers, it has to connect with you, regardless of how many pages it is. Do you remember special books that you loved, and read over and over again? I’m sure they had many characteristics in common, but I bet page count was not one of them.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when planning a trip to the zoo with my kids. I had originally planned to take them to the Bronx Zoo, which is a full day trip for us and isn’t cheap. It’s a wonderful zoo, and we have loved all of our other visits. But due to the threat of rain, I decided we would try our state zoo instead.

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It is much smaller than the Bronx Zoo, but it was perfect for that day and this time in my children’s young lives. We explored the whole zoo in 2-1/2 hours, seeing plenty of exciting animals including tigers, alligators, and a little bird who wanted us to take him home. It was surprisingly fun, and just the right size for two young kids and one tired mommy. It was a quality zoo, regardless of its size. And we connected with it, going back to see the tigers (our favorite) again and again.

We’ll certainly be back to the Bronx Zoo again some time, but I’m glad there’s also a place for the smaller, charming, quality experience.

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