I got a “B” in my elementary school art classes. That wouldn’t be a big deal, except that I got A’s in all the other subjects. And yes, it’s weird that I was graded in art. Was everyone back then? My kids don’t get letter grades in art, just a number based on participation. My […]
Random Musings
Be Still, Quoth the Raven
I don’t like to fly. I don’t do it often, so I’m out of practice, but I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Decatur Book Festival to talk about my first book, and so I just needed to put on my big-girl pants and get over it. I’m not the kind of anxious […]
My New Favorite Thing: Little Free Libraries
Little Free Libraries are such amazing things, and I’m so proud to have played a part in bringing one to our elementary school. I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to stop by the playground with my kids on the weekend and see children peeking eagerly into that box or sitting on […]
The Age of Success
I was at a party recently where a friend and I toasted our recent professional successes, when she said “I love the 40s!” She was referring to our ages, not the decade. Since my last post, I had a birthday and turned the calendar to a new year. These events happen on the same magical evening […]
Writing for Children, Message in Mind
I came across a tweet last week about writing for children that said if the writer’s message is to teach a lesson, the writer should throw that book away and start something else. As a new writer of children’s books, I’ve been thinking about that ever since. I think the person is referring to a […]
Not the Party I Was Planning
Dear readers, I must confess something: I’ve been moonlighting, stepping out of my writing closet to work on something much bigger than my novel, bigger than any of my writing projects. I’m building a playground. Let me take a step back. My two kids attend a public elementary school with a woefully inadequate playground. I’m […]
Starting Early…on a Love of Books
There was a minor Book Club kerfuffle in our house this morning, not with my book club of 12 years, but with my kid’s. It seems their elementary school has instituted an after-school book club, divided by grade, meeting once per week (an awesome idea!). My 1st grade son got an “invitation” to join the […]
Turn, Turn, Turn
There’s gorgeous, fluffy snow covering everything this morning. The kids hurried through breakfast so they’d have time to play in it before walking to school. My husband (who actually enjoys shoveling, go figure) happily donned his trapper’s hat and set to work on the driveway. I’m smiling as I write, and thinking, “Well, it’s about […]