Thank you for stopping by “Read These Books and Use Them” today. Author Ann Whitford Paul is with us today on her blog tour, and we have a real treat for you! **LEAVE A COMMENT below by Tuesday, June 30, 8:00 p.m. CST, for a chance to win either Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide [...]

photo by Phil Hawkworth www.flickr.com *Picture book, contemporary, for children in preschool through second grade *Froggy as the main character *Rating: A good T-Ball story with a beloved character. This book should give kids something to relate to. Short, short summary: Froggy has his first t-ball game, and his dad is the coach. He is [...]

photo by jmcarthy99 www.flickr.com *Middle-grade novel, fantasy *An elementary-school-aged girl as a main character *Rating: An interesting look at Ireland and Irish legends with a loveable main character. Short, short summary: Molly O’Malley is going to stay with her Aunt Shannon in Ireland while her parents figure out some things at home. While at Aunt [...]

Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com photo by Cindy Funk www.flickr.com *Picture book for preschoolers through first graders, contemporary with a little bit of fantasy (imagination) thrown in *Six-year-old girl as main character *Rating: Not So Tall for Six is a fun-filled look at what it’s like to be not-so-tall and put up with a [...]

Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com photo by Sarah Kennon www.flickr.com *Picture book for prekindergartners through third graders, fantasy *Two creatures–the Once-ler and the Lorax–as main characters *Rating: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is a wonderful book to teach students about the effects of pollution and industrialization. Short, short summary: A young boy visits the [...]

Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com *Young adult novel, fantasy/sci-fi *Teenage boy as main character Rating: James Patterson has written an exciting and humorous sci-fi book for tween/teenage boys (and some girls, too!). Short, short summary: In The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, Daniel is an alien who looks pretty much like a normal, teenage [...]

Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com photo by Breibeest www.flickr.com *Picture book for prekindergartners through second graders *Dog as main character *Rating: Denise Fleming’s second Buster book is so creative, and many children will be able to relate to Buster’s fears when he goes to Cowboy Camp. Short, short summary: In Buster Goes to Cowboy [...]

The winner is Brenda R. Brenda, thanks for leaving a comment for Danette on Thursday’s post, and your prize is a copy of her book! I think you’ll really love it. Stay tuned for Monday when I tell you how to use a REALLY cute picture book. Are there any other kind? In the meantime, [...]

Today, I welcome Danette Haworth, author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning. Read on for more information about this heartwarming, hysterical look at a girl who is trying to figure out what a best friend and puberty is all about. ****Anyone who leaves a comment on today’s post for Danette or about Violet [...]

The Virutal Writers’ Conference was a blast thanks to Gayle Trent and the other conference “speakers.” On my post about editing and revising your children’s manuscript, I mentioned that if someone made a comment on my blog in May, then they had the chance to win a 10-page (2500 word) critique on a children’s story. [...]