This is a book I am EXTREMELY excited to tell you about for several reasons. . . I helped to edit this book in its beginning stages in 2009, as part of my Editor 911 business. It is a terrific HISTORICAL FICTION book for upper middle grade/tween/younger YA audience by a delightful author. Ice Cube [...]

I am excited to welcome Glen Downey, author of Into the Fire, a middle-grade book. Here’s a synopsis from Amazon: “It’s been a year since Alice Booker disappeared — a year since she went to work one morning at the Byron County Library and never came back. Her son, Max, is still trying to come [...]

*Picture book, non-fiction, humorous, rhyme for preschoolers through 3rd graders *Topic is Poop! *Rating: Poopendous! is a hysterical look at a bodily function everyone can relate to from the smallest bird to the largest human. It’s a clever way to show children that pooping is no big deal and can actually be quite helpful. Short, [...]

Today, I welcome author Maggie Lyons who will talk about her new novel, Vin and the Dorky Duet. Here’s a brief summary of the plot from Maggie’s website before we get on to the questions and her insightful answers! The moment he walks through the door and sees the sharky grin on his older sister’s [...]

I have several things to discuss today, so this post is going to be a little different than the usual. First, I was lucky enough to get my free 48-hour copy of Wisdom, The Midway Albatross on Friday for the anniversary of the Japanese tsunami. Darcy’s book, with illustrations by Kitty Harvill, is beautiful. It’s [...]

*Picture book, fantasy for preschoolers through second graders *Bats (the animal) as main characters *Rating: The strength in Bats at the Ballgame is definitely the illustrative talent of Brian Lies–cute concept and some clever text, like Cricket Jacks! Short, short summary: Told in rhymed verse, Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies is the story [...]

*Fantasy, Middle-grade novel *Fairy expert Miss Edythe McFate and fairies themselves as main characters *Rating: Lesley M. M. Blume’s book is a delightful and entertaining look at these unusual creatures. Short, short summary: Written in several short chapters with titles such as “How to Tell a Good Fairy from a Bad One” or “Further Notes [...]

Before I talk about this cute book (I love fractured fairy tales), I want to announce the winner of Plank Road Summer. Again, thank you to everyone who left comments and questions for the authors. It seems to me that historical fiction is always a big hit, in spite of what the “big publishers” in [...]

photo by pareerica www.flickr.com *Picture book for preschoolers through third graders, based on a fairy tale *Sorghum cookie boy as main character *Rating: Cookie Boy Travelin’ Arkansas is a clever twist on the old tale–”The Gingerbread Man.” Anyone living in or visiting Arkansas will especially love this book! Short, short summary: A young couple in [...]

photo by BlatantNews.com www.flickr.com (photo is in public domain) One of my favorite lessons plans for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day I found when I was a writing specialist at Fairmount Elementary School. This lesson teaches children about Martin Luther King, Jr. AND teaches them about that elusive 6 plus one writing trait: voice. Plus, [...]