It’s back-to-school month for a lot of kids. I was just talking to a friend, and we decided we were lucky to have been part of the generation of kids who didn’t have to go back until after Labor Day. … Continue reading →
I just finished reading A Girl, A Raccoon, and the Midnight Moon by Karen Roman Young. It’s a fun story about 11-year-old Pearl who wants to save her small library in her equally small New York neighborhood. After the library … Continue reading →
Hello Friends, In honor of the last days of National Ice Cream Month, I have an EASY no-churn ice cream recipe for you. Did you know: In 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared July National Ice Cream Month. Sunday, the 17th … Continue reading →
It’s short story time. This one is an origin story about a character in the middle grade novel I’m currently working on. I hope you enjoy it. On the fringes of a small village in Scotland, on the downward slope … Continue reading →
• Lemon custard ice cream in a sugar cone • Walks without jackets • Kites on the beach • Squeals of laughter in the surf • Bicycles with baskets carrying picnics—or puppies • Twilight at 9 pm • Planning get … Continue reading →
It’s Independence Day! Hello! Hope you’re having a safe and sane holiday. I want to acknowledge the day but with a nod to the “independence” part. Have you noticed how pretty much every main character in a middle grade novel … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
