Bibliophile's Corner

Splurch Academy For Disruptive Boys
Curse of the Bizarro Beetle
by Julie Gardner & Sally Faye Gardner

Book Cover description:
The king of all troublemakers, Cody Mack is no stranger to the principal's office. But when his parents decided enough was enough, Cody was given a punishment far worse than he could ever dream up: Splurch Academy for Disruptive Boys.

With evil Headmaster Farley banished from school, Cody should be celebrating...but when he stumbles upon a creepy Egyptian beetle lurking in the school's dungeon, he knows that dark forces are on the rise at Splurch Academy.

My thoughts:
The middle grade novel, Curse of the Bizarro Beetle, just may be the zaniest children's book I've ever read. After Cody Mack is bitten by a rat-vampire he and his mischievous pals embark on a quest to keep him from becoming a vampire permanently. That is not Cody's only trouble - a large Egyptian beetle decides to attach itself around the young boy's neck. This comic adventure culminates on Halloween night; it is complete with colorful characters and dicey dialogue - a great book for a young boy who is a bit of a prankster.

                                                        Happy Halloween!

Incredible Inspiration

If you tickle the earth with a hoe she laughs with a harvest.


Douglas Jerrold

Storyteller's Journey

Tip #2 - Deepen your Characters

I first learned this tip from an early writing mentor of mine. When she told us she made a 3x5 color-coded card with information about every character in her story, I thought she was crazy. Now I do the same! This was reiterated by one of the well-known speakers I heard at the recent SCBWI retreat I attended.  There are many ways to do this; but the simplest is to start with physical traits, habits, flaws, family history, pivotal point in life - you get the picture. When you are well acquainted with your characters, it makes creating a believable story that much easier. This may sound like a lot of work, but when you're in the middle of writing your novel and you get stuck, if you really know your characters you can figure it out. What would Winnie the Pooh do? :O)

Whimsical Word of the Week

Moonglade -

The bright reflection of the moon on a body of water.

Bibliophile's Corner

The Year of the Dog
by Grace Lin

Flap Copy description:
It's the Chinese Year of the Dog!
When Pacy's mom tells her that this is a good year for friends, family, and "finding herself," Pacy begins searching right away. As the year goes on, she struggles to find her talent, deals with disappointment, makes a new best friend, and discovers just why the Year of the Dog is a lucky one after all...

My thoughts:
The author/illustrator, Grace Lin, invites us into the beautifully detailed world of a young Chinese-American girl, Pacy, her family, and friends. Grace Lin's own childhood inspired this humorous, profound, and unique middle grade novel, delightful for all young readers, especially girls!

Grace Lin recently returned from a trip to Europe, where she took her handpainted "Pacy" dolls with her - so much fun for little girls! I have attached a link for you to see her amazing creativity - enjoy!
http://www.pocketpacy.com/

Grace Lin is the recipient of a Newbery Honor Award which she won in 2010 for her beautifully written MG novel, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. You may check out her blog - gracenotes - there's a link on the right side of this page. She's one of my favorite children's authors - can you tell? ^_^

Incredible Inspiration

When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.


Peace Pilgrim

Storyteller's Journey

As I mentioned last week, I will be sharing some of the great information I brought home after attending the recent SCBWI retreat in Sublimity, Oregon. Beginning today, on through the month of November, I will give you my impressions from the presentations I heard two weeks ago. (By the way, I will be participating in NaNoWriMo, so I'll fill you in on that experience on the first Friday of December!)

Tip # 1 - Get Personal!

What I mean by this is to go beyond the form and craft of writing to tap into your own heart, as well as the heart of your characters - especially your main character. In today's writing market the trend is toward character-driven stories, rather than plot-driven stories. This means we must introduce and expand our characters in such a way as to be interesting to the reader right away. This is even more important in children's literature where the "hook" must be set in the heart of the young reader, early in the first chapter, or you'll likely "let one get away!" This is something I heard from the person who critiqued my work. Make sure you give your main character a great first impression, and quickly, and you'll be well on your way to a character-driven story - Good Luck!