My sister loved Halloween. She loved to be scared. I find it ironic that she was diagnosed with one of the scariest diseases: ovarian cancer. But, in a weird twist, I wonder if her love of scary things (scary books, scary movies) actually helped her when it came to dealing with cancer. She knew that…
You say you’ve always wanted to write? As I said before, Bucket List items are not to be trifled with. Tick tock. If you want something, make your plan, do your plan, get it done. Last week, I introduced you to the “Alice in the Wonderland” writing method. This week, I’ll fall a little further…
I keep thinking about the statistic that 80% of Americans want to write a book. Is that you? If so, I have a simple way to help you get started. I call it the Alice-in-Wonderland method and there are only two steps. Step 1: You need to just get something down on paper, out of…
‘Tis the season. No not that season. Halloween. Since a lot of kids love to be scared, I’ve put together a list of recent and not-so-recent spooky boooooo-ks for Halloween that may just light your child’s (Halloween) fire. Omega Morales and the Curse of El Cucuy by Laekan Zea Kemp. (Available tomorrow!) When a child…
Does anyone remember grab bags? Back in the day, post dinosaur but pre internet, some stores sold sealed bags of surprises for a quarter or 50 cents or a dollar. It was gambling for children. I don’t remember what was in the bags I bought, but I sure do remember the excitement of choosing one,…
I was reading a book called Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love). It’s a book about being creative. It made me think about the role of curiosity in being creative. Lack of curiosity is the death of creativity. And creativity makes the world go ‘round. Have you ever had a conversation…
Four is too much. Two, too few. But three elements are just right. Not too complex. Not too simple. Three make a magical pattern. A fun way to think about the rule of three—one that doesn’t involve celebrity deaths or other sorts of bad luck—is in children’s fairy tales. The Three Little Pigs, The Three…
Hello, friend, Before I dive in—today marks 22 years since the horrors of 9/11. For me, it’s become a time to think about how people are treated and have been treated the world over and to understand that making a difference happens right here, with me—and you—and how we behave toward the people in our…
Today. Labor Day. The unofficial end to summer. Why do we do that? Why do we hurry summer—or any season—to a close “unofficially”? We don’t bring anything but seasons to unofficial ends, or beginnings for that matter. When I’m 80, will that be my unofficial end? Did I have an unofficial beginning? Books sometimes have…
Hello Friend, Here’s another book review for you. This book simultaneously cracks me up…and makes me worry. The Ogress and the Orphans by acclaimed children’s novelist Kelly Barnhill parallels some of our country’s recent events. Publisher’s Weekly calls the book “…an ambitious fantastical sociopolitical allegory.” But kids aged 9-12 will just call it a really…
