I have a hard time letting things go. In my heart.
So it may come as no surprise to you that I’m still mourning Little Lion’s wand.
The Laurie Berkner Band: Waiting for the Elevator
Mini Me and discovered The Laurie Berkner Band when the band was featured on Jack’s Big Music Show on Nick Jr and Noggin. Her fun and catchy songs were so loved in our house that we had to buy ALL of her albums.
First Pages: Frankly In Love
“Well, I have two names.
That’s what I say when people ask me what my middle names is. I say:
Well, I have two names.
My first name is Frank Li.
Mom-n-Dad gave me that name mostly with the character count in mind.
No really: F+R+A+N+K+L+I contains seven characters and seven is a lucky number in America.”
~ from Frankly In Love by David Yoon
First Pages: Wayward Son
“Simon Snow did what he came to do.
What they all said he would do someday. He found the big baddie—he found two—and he finished them off.
He didn’t expect to live through it. And he hadn’t.
Baz once told him that everything was a story, and that Simon was the hero.”
First Pages: Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon
“Drake didn’t see the king’s soldier coming. He was busy digging in the onion patch. He pulled out a fat, white onion. A worm crawled on it. Drake didn’t mind the worm. He was the son of a farmer. HIs family had been growing onions in the Kingdom of Bracken forever. He would spend his life digging up onions, whether he wanted to or not.”
~ from Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon by Tracey West
Llama Destroys the World
Dat! Dat is my new favorite picture book! And llama.
OC/IE Walk to Remember 2019
Mini Me was a precocious two-year old, and she pulled me and my husband through the muddy, tangled, dredgy waters that is the thing we call GRIEF.
I Like The Me I See
In our current culture, when our little ones may be learning that they might not have the right hair color, or skin tone, or nose, or clothes, or verbal skills to be accepted, I love Culture Queen’s simple but profound message: I LIKE THE ME I SEE.
Picture Books are for EVERYONE
Picture Books are for EVERYONE. Over the summer, Little Lion systematically pulled out almost every single picture book off of our shelves so she could re-read them. All of them.
First Pages: Good Omens
“It was a nice day.
All the days had been nice. There had been rather more than seven of them so far, and rain hadn’t been invented yet. But clouds massing east of Eden suggested that the first thunderstorm was on its way, and it was going to be a big one.
The angel of the Eastern Gate put his wings over his head to shield himself from the first drops.”
~ Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Blackout Poetry and More
An invitation to write some poetry, with some prompt-starting ideas for the reluctant and not-so-reluctant writer in you.
Dear BANNED Author: Banned Books Week 2019
This year for Banned Books Week the American Library Association is encouraging us to write letters to banned authors.
Ben Hatke: Archer and Father of a Gaggle of Girls
The bullet point list of why we love Ben Hatke.
A series featuring “The Skinny” on our favorite writers and illustrators.
Re-learning Things with our Children
I’ve had many thoughts about re-learning things alongside my children.
Ah, this is when I’ll relearn about the American Revolution. (I didn’t. Though I learned more than I did the first time around.)
This is when I’ll learn all the state capitols. (I did, mostly.)
This is when I’ll learn about ancient civilizations or re-learn about the missions. (Nope.)
Sky Color/International Dot Day 2019
Today, in honor of Peter H. Reynolds, I want to talk about another one of his books, Sky Color. In Sky Color, Marisol is an artist but she becomes stumped when she is helping to paint a school mural and there is NO BLUE PAINT FOR THE SKY!
Library Days: Overdue Books
Library Days: I support my library through overdue books.
