With summer here, the kids are home, safe under your roof, and all yours for at least a couple of months. When my kids were little, I loved having them to myself for the summer. No school schedules, no book reports or homework…just lots of time to do whatever we wanted to do. On the…
Plaude couldn’t be bothered unfolding her gossamer fairy wings. The heavy sky threatened rain. Of course, it did. “One shade darker today, as expected,” Plaude noted. She walked in her satin slippers, sinking into mud. “Ugh. I just don’t have the energy.” Perry and Cosmo, her best friends, joined her, walking to the ancient…
Back in the day—even way before my day—bakers made hand pies with savory meat or vegetable fillings or with sweet jammy fruit fillings. The whole purpose of a hand pie is to allow someone to shovel food into his or her mouth while walking or painting fences or ploughing fields. Such a great idea. I…
Good books are a balm to a troubled soul. I’ve been reading a lot lately. Today’s book review is of a middle-grade fiction novel called Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor. (There’s an interview with her, too!) Ms. O’Connor has a long list of books and a long list of awards for said books. The first book…
I had a different post for today. It was all set and ready to go. And then the Uvalde, Texas, shooting happened. Innocent children, innocent adults who were living their lives, learning and teaching in school. They’re just gone. And I thought, how can I post something that doesn’t speak to what happened on May…
A Short Story by Gail L. Fontana My sister’s birthday is next week. Well, it would be. If she were alive. I guess it’s still her birthday. Holly would have been 13. It’s been three years since she died, and I’m happy to say that I haven’t stopped thinking about her even once. The whole…
Make a Cool Million with This Million Dollar Cookies Recipe! Food pops up a lot in the middle grade books I read. From Love Sugar Magic by Anna Meriano (cookies! cakes! bread!) and The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders (chocolate, of course) and A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd (ice cream!). I…
Secondhand Dogs Book Review Hello friends. I hope you enjoyed your weekend and had some sunshine in your neighborhood to celebrate any mothers in your life. Today I have a book review and an interview with the author. It’s always fun to get an inside peek into a creative person’s life and their creative process….
You might roll your eyes at the idea of everyday magic. Go ahead, I’ll wait. 😊 But when you’re done rolling your eyes, take a look around you. Finding everyday magic is a beautiful way to live. Every day holds magic. Kids are open to it. That’s why it so often features in their books….
Do you have time for a short butterfly story? If you enjoy it, maybe you could share it. Have a happy day. ~gail Butterfly Nudges or (A Different Kind of) Frozen I took a deep breath and squinched my eyes closed for a couple of seconds. When I opened them, I expected everything to go…
