BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

I've been MIA for the last month and here is why: Summer has begun. 

While a lot of my writer friends (who also happen to be teachers) look forward to the summer months as a time to get the bulk of their writing time done, for me it is the opposite. 

My kids are out of school. This means camping trips, splash pad picnics, library clubs, pageants, nature hikes, swimming lessons, Chinese camp, family vacations, and even the dreaded summer school. 

Which all equals one thing . . . busy. 

I hope YOUR summer has gotten off to a great start, too!

MR. DAVID KAHN: THE VERY SCARY AND HAIRY TEACHER.

It's teacher appreciation week, and while I've been mostly thinking about my children's current school teachers and how wonderful they are, my mind has also wandered back to all of the amazing teachers I had growing up. Let me tell you about one in particular . . .

It was the summer before fifth grade. The swimming pools, churches, and parks were filled with kids all buzzing about one thing: next year's teachers. We talked about which teachers we hoped we'd get, which teachers we hoped NOT to get, and most importantly, how we would throw a big fit if we did not get the teacher we wanted so that our mothers would "talk" to the principal and get us switched into a different class. 

So . . . shortly before the new school year began, class lists were taped to the front doors of the school. I clearly remember the day my mom took me to see the lists. It was a Sunday. I know because I could barely pay attention at church because of my excitement. After church she drove me down to the school. I ran up to the doors. 

I looked. 

I gasped.

And my heart broke. 

My new fifth grade teacher was MR. DAVID KAHN. 

All I had heard about Mr. Kahn over the summer was that he was very SCARY and very HAIRY. 

I cried all the way home and threw the biggest fit I could.  My mother told me I would simply have to grin and bear it . . . and that Mr. Kahn probably wasn't as mean or hairy as the other kids had said. 

Well, let me tell you. The first day of school came and I learned two things about Mr. Kahn:

1.) He had a mustache and beard (so he was a little hairy). 

2.) He was absolutely NOT mean or scary. 

He was funny. He loved Garfield. He taught us silly songs. He loved teaching. He wrote riddles on the board for us to figure out. He even spent an entire afternoon making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches per our own hand-written recipes. 

I had a wonderful year that year! And the best part was . . . we had "creative writing time" after lunch recess. I don't remember if it was every day or once a week, but I do remember standing by the doors, waiting for the bell to ring so I could be the first one back in the classroom to WRITE. This is the year I said to myself, "I am going to be a writer when I grow up." 

Mr. David Kahn was the first great influence on my becoming a writer. I'm not sure he ever knew that, but I hope he does now. 

Come on, come on!

No one wants to "finish" the scene and win the very mysterious prize?

Okay then . . . I'll just have to keep it for myself.

Just sayin' . . .

FINISH THE SCENE CONTEST

The other day I came across a small piece of notebook paper which had my fourth-grade handwriting on it.
The story on the paper goes like this . . .

_____________________________________________________________________________

One beautiful snowy Christmas Eve, there lived a little family. In this little family there was a father and a mother, and David, and Sue, and Bethany, and Jenny, and Mary.

And that eve, when all of the presents were under the Christmas tree, the children couldn't wait until Christmas day.

David opened his presents first. When he opened his biggest present, all it was, was a dolly.

"Yuck," said David, "this dolly is suppose to be for Sue."

"Well, when do I get to open my presents?"

"Never!" said David.

So Sue . . .

________________________________________________________________________________

And that's it. That's the "story". And it's really, really bugging me that my little ten-year-old self did not tell my adult self just what exactly Sue did.

So listen up. Whoever leaves me the most interesting/unique/surprising/creative comment on this post telling me what Sue did next, will win a MYSTERIOUS PRIZE.

(No I'm not going to tell you what it is.)

(Yes. I know what it is.)

Now go. Leave me alone comment.

Winner and prize will be announced Wednesday, May 1st.
Okay. I'll give you a hint. If you think that the prize has something to do with BOOKS you are probably, most likely, very surely, mostly correct.

A STACK OF MY FAVORITES

I have to really like a book in order to read it a second time, heck, I have to really like a book to finish it the first time! Here is a stack of some of those that are worthy of a second read. 

DINOTRUX by Chris Gall

Have you read this picture book? It's all the rage at our house. I've read it to my son so many times, I almost have the text tattooed on my brain.

Yep. One thing is for sure. My son and I love it. And who wouldn't?

Trucks that look like dinosaurs. I mean, dinosaurs that look like trucks!
They chomp, chase, burp, breath fire, flatten reptiles, and even use the toilet--except not INTO a toilet.

Now we just need to get our hands on the follow-up book, REVENGE OF THE DINOTRUX.

What are some favorite picture books you share with your child?

Itsy Bitsy Book Review: THE UNWANTEDS 1 & 2

Today is FEBRUARY 27th. And do you know what is exciting about today?

It's my birthday!

Yep. It's true. 

It is also true that I just so happen to share a birthday with a really awesome, talented writer:

LISA MCMANN, author of The Unwanteds series.

If you think you've read all the good dystopian/fantasy that exists in the children's book industry, think again. This wildly imaginative series is one that should be on every middle-grade reader's list.

THE UNWANTEDS: The land of Quill holds a Purge each year where Unwanteds, those children who are creative, are sent away to the Death Farm to be killed. But what the people of Quill don't know, is that the Death Farm is really a beautiful, magical place called Artime, where creative talents are nurtured. The Unwanted children adore Artime, after all, they have everything they could ever want there. But for one child, thirteen-year-old Alex Stowe, there is one thing he still misses: his twin brother. And he wants to go back to Quill to "save" him.

THE UNWANTEDS: ISLAND OF SILENCE: Things have changed in Quill and they are changing in Artime as well. Alex Stowe is asked to take on a huge responsibility, but he's not sure he's up for the task. Plus, when two strange children from another island float onto Aritme's shores, the urge to discover where they came from gets Alex's friends into severe trouble.

Book #3: THE UNWANTEDS, ISLAND OF FIRE will be available sometime this year. There will be a total of 7 books in the series and boy, am I glad, because I am in LOVE. 

Promise me you will check these out!