My new favorite picture book easy readers are written by author and illustrator Jan Thomas. Here Comes the Big, Mean Dust Bunny! is the perfect book — rhyming, bold illustrations, and funny as heck! It follows the also hilarious book, Rhyming Dust Bunnies. One dust bunny (the blue one) has rhyming issues — but it turns out he’s... [read more ]
Guest post by Geoffrey Hayes, author of award winning Benny and Penny Toon Book, The Big No-No and over 40 picture books. Having spent many years working in the traditional picture book arena, I am now writing and illustrating children’s comics as well. Although I have been a longtime comics fan, doing comics for kids has given me a finer appreciation... [read more ]
View Original Newsletter HERE. Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook Written and drawn by Eleanor Davis, inked by Drew Weing Bloomsbury Kids, 2009 Winner of 2009 Graphic Novel Cybil Award Kids who save the world from bad-guy adults? What’s not to love about a story like that? In this case, three (eleven and twelve year old) kids... [read more ]
This summer, try telling mixed-up fairy tales! Recommended for road trips, plane trips, camping trips, bedtime and waiting rooms. From three different fairy tales, pick a character, a setting and a plot. Put it all together in your own unique way and voila — you have a mixed-up fairy tale. You are now a storyteller. For example: -... [read more ]
Artist Date guest post by Mary-Frances Main, writer, crafter, blogger and mama. We’re enjoying a warm summer but spending a lot of it inside in the air conditioning. If you think about it, it’s a lot like being snowed in – but lazier! Of course there are the rainy days, too where you must find something NEW to do around the house. So, why not... [read more ]
Artist Date guest post by mom and author of Spilling Ink and other books, Anne Mazer. Years before I read Julia Cameron, I was doing artist dates with my kids. It was called “writing with mom” and for years, it was a nightly ritual. Like many good things, it happened by accident, almost unconsciously, and without any intimation of how important... [read more ]
Spilling Ink, a Young Writer’s Handbook isn’t what I expected, it’s MORE! I loved it – and think it’s appropriate for us older young writers, too! *The only books for young writers I like are well, very few — Ralph Fletcher and Victoria Hanley’s books come to mind in addition to my new favorite, Spilling... [read more ]
Guest post by Melanie Sklarz of A Dose of Creativity. Part II: Encourage Your Child’s Creativity As I mentioned in my last post (Part I), creativity allows children to develop skills for life. So how can you encourage creativity in your child? First of all, you don’t even have to consider yourself creative. Raising a creative kid is more... [read more ]
Guest post by artist, educator and blogger, Melanie Sklarz. Part I: 3 Reasons for Creativity Did you know that as humans we have the unique ability to make connections between different ideas and things, understand symbols and metaphors, and use our imagination? By tapping into our personal creativity and imagination we help our brain and positively... [read more ]
Her husband got the news last week– cancer. (Again.) Their boys are one and four. When she told me, I taught her boys a bad word. Somehow it just slipped out. Sorry. Cancer is scary and big and inconvenient. Not knowing what to do I asked another friend, Michelle, a breast cancer survivor with two young kids. She told me, “Support... [read more ]
Playaways are, dare I say, God’s gift to parents. Seriously. Last week, we found Playaways at the library and I didn’t hear a peep out of my kids for two hours! I actually read my own book. (And fell asleep on the couch.) Luxurious. But, I am not a slacker mama. Really! Because Playaways are audio books in a cute little box, accessible... [read more ]
Guest post by Jennifer Cervantes, YA author of Tortilla Sun, my newest favorite book and pick for this year’s Newbery Award –read my review here. One of my favorite ways to spend time with my daughters is when we are involved in some sort of creative exercise. Of course, for me, writing is at the top of that creative list. As an author... [read more ]
