tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32938180692562669542024-02-07T22:00:27.494-08:00Storyqueen's StorycastleSTORYQUEEN'S CASTLE: The Writing Journal of Children's Author Shelley Moore ThomasUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger464125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-16239800765212512472020-07-22T08:57:00.002-07:002020-07-22T08:59:19.947-07:00Cover Reveal: The Last Rabbit<div class="MsoNormal">
What can I say about this book? </div>
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There is an adorable rabbit on the cover—but this book isn’t about rabbits—not really.</div>
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It’s about mistakes and hope and determination. It’s about guilt and redemption. It’s about sisters and magic and the magic of sisters. It’s about everything that lives in my heart.</div>
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You see, when you are writing, there are some books that break you. They leave little pieces of you behind—that’s all that is left of you after you’ve wrangled them into place. By the end, you doubt everything you’ve ever known about yourself as a writer. The story didn’t mean to destroy you, but hey…<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then there are books that save you. Books that let you put your whole heart and soul into them. Books that let you play with your ideas about yourself and the world. Books that let you risk everything to write them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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THE LAST RABBIT saved me. I was in a place where I was very doubtful I’d write another novel. Poetry still called to me to write picture books, but as much as I longed to write another middle grade, the books I tried to write were trying to break me. I can blame the books, of course. It’s easier that way. But the truth of it is that I was trying to write like a writer that I wasn’t. I was afraid of my method (haha—what method?). So I wrote things that I tried to make work. I tried so hard. But they didn't work out for me so well.</div>
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And so, I don’t even remember how I got interested in Hy-Brasil. It’s a Celtic legend, so sometimes that’s all it takes for me. And I read a report that the last visitor to have supposedly landed on this this vanishing island encountered a magician and some large rabbits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Curious, those rabbits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I wasn’t always a rabbit, that much I can tell you.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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That was the first line that came to me. And thus, Albie’s tale begins.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Albie’s story was a joy to write—but I warn you that not everything that happens is joyous. There is heartbreak as well as laughter—because isn’t there always? Within the pages of Albie’s adventures, I allowed my imagination free reign—often having no idea what I’d written the day before when I’d sit down for an evening of Albie and her sisters. I just gave myself over to story and, well, it saved me. </div>
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Learning to trust a story again---that is perhaps the most magical feeling ever. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, here she is:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAGzhdp6K7RHibTfn8gU_DwwdYFDF5pmgkkumURDIx9Z_tT76Fk_3NReg8F9-sKAW-h9QRmVN4wCIN49VSAnV5RyGC8OfIU50LZ65n565b0HKpmmcBhX8yGuVNJo3WPVZ1F7HsF38paw/s1600/9780593173534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1225" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAGzhdp6K7RHibTfn8gU_DwwdYFDF5pmgkkumURDIx9Z_tT76Fk_3NReg8F9-sKAW-h9QRmVN4wCIN49VSAnV5RyGC8OfIU50LZ65n565b0HKpmmcBhX8yGuVNJo3WPVZ1F7HsF38paw/s640/9780593173534.jpg" width="490" /></a></div>
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And here is her pre-order<a href="https://bit.ly/2ZWOCtX"> link</a>:<br />
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I can't wait to share this book with you. It is the most magical thing I've written.<br />
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xoxo--<br />
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hrhUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-3568797150025366262020-04-22T12:09:00.000-07:002020-04-22T12:09:16.730-07:00Happy Earth Day!<img alt="Earth from space: 15 amazing things in 15 years – Climate Change ..." height="334" src="https://climate.nasa.gov/system/internal_resources/details/original/309_ImageWall5_768px-60.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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My favorite pictures of the Earth are those taken from space. What an amazing miracle to have photos of our world taken from the darkness among the stars.<br />
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Today, though, since I can't travel into space (yet), I thought I'd take my camera outside and take some pictures of our planet, the part of it that is right in my front yard. Then, I thought maybe I could write the Earth a small note, letting her know how much I appreciate her.<br />
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Maybe you can do the same, and write your own, DEAR EARTH letter.<br />
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Here are my pictures and my letter:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Earth,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Everywhere I look, I am filled with wonder at your wisdom and beauty. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mXRKynllnt0a3PgYugQaRC7_mbb9CXxSPOoC3WkIsCMGIT9fdWXJevBHVnE_4xqxwRvTFO4MteLin4v68oYI46ZbeFDqsOC-GUF8RxI9Q3aTm9b2RtRkUODMSa9kvJtb9xRlF4pmGjg/s1600/79CF1544-8990-4395-8AF0-D29E86DEF7E8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mXRKynllnt0a3PgYugQaRC7_mbb9CXxSPOoC3WkIsCMGIT9fdWXJevBHVnE_4xqxwRvTFO4MteLin4v68oYI46ZbeFDqsOC-GUF8RxI9Q3aTm9b2RtRkUODMSa9kvJtb9xRlF4pmGjg/s400/79CF1544-8990-4395-8AF0-D29E86DEF7E8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This little hummingbird mother reminds me to stay close to my nest and protect those who most need me. She tells me to trust that someday there will be hatching, and emerging, and even flying again sometime soon.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuATtJNxApJeu7JE-A_7JHQ-ErNoUIENPog-tzlHfd8POqs6iCVerEAu_4NRH_SLqR_vPad1JY8L7pctQ0WkX3eH8HA2NaaCBiRlD2bDaPUr0IzyxyMufk5_HDmRQi56RY_8B1GK9tgc/s1600/E2DDF19C-B372-4755-A95D-6213659E6EBE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuATtJNxApJeu7JE-A_7JHQ-ErNoUIENPog-tzlHfd8POqs6iCVerEAu_4NRH_SLqR_vPad1JY8L7pctQ0WkX3eH8HA2NaaCBiRlD2bDaPUr0IzyxyMufk5_HDmRQi56RY_8B1GK9tgc/s400/E2DDF19C-B372-4755-A95D-6213659E6EBE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The little succulent in the shadow of the big succulent (look, it is as if they are holding hands) remind me that we all need each other. Some of us are stronger, and it is our responsibility to help the little ones along.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyR4sjftBP8hFSz9JLO0sLttvCWFjvejQv3iUq9_xIM4zAy8BgVb1sTrURINQ7mA9dUbKm8R9-e3L7I40ay6l9d1leskHAGkGyn77Rrzi98O-Jz3rkw4baO7uQT6NUrGlxZUwUGCLtL2s/s1600/EAA3EA17-D8C2-441D-B9EF-C9E0D2E7DCDE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyR4sjftBP8hFSz9JLO0sLttvCWFjvejQv3iUq9_xIM4zAy8BgVb1sTrURINQ7mA9dUbKm8R9-e3L7I40ay6l9d1leskHAGkGyn77Rrzi98O-Jz3rkw4baO7uQT6NUrGlxZUwUGCLtL2s/s400/EAA3EA17-D8C2-441D-B9EF-C9E0D2E7DCDE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ah, Earth! Look at the gorgeousness you give us every single day! These flowers remind me that new life blooms all the time. And oh, how wonderful new life is! It takes a person's breath away.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMVhviS6NHAxF1gugih1fdlDglLrKNvIEtQv7cgXCj5Vo3bCkE3OciETOiuwPjTOs0yJM4ABEBA802Tw04El2JbqVFu_1VCM9ulC6yKDHf_spphMuLis7jxWPvLIF0pYDBGH_nE0Ea_0/s1600/EF769FD0-D7B1-4290-B434-F1316389FD2E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMVhviS6NHAxF1gugih1fdlDglLrKNvIEtQv7cgXCj5Vo3bCkE3OciETOiuwPjTOs0yJM4ABEBA802Tw04El2JbqVFu_1VCM9ulC6yKDHf_spphMuLis7jxWPvLIF0pYDBGH_nE0Ea_0/s400/EF769FD0-D7B1-4290-B434-F1316389FD2E.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And finally, Earth, you remind me that everything has its season and time. Sometimes, pods must fall to the ground for new seeds to grow. This is the way of things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I appreciate you, my planet, and I hope you can have a little time to heal as we all ponder the miracle that is Earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">xoxo-</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">hrh</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-102250244933519622020-04-01T15:07:00.001-07:002020-04-01T20:13:04.360-07:00Writing Fun, April 1As promised, here is my pupperfly!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7IYVYLYUu3J6zN_-c-Ixmtx1F5tmHFwliyZld3z_IWU_0YBtVgYQkrlmpV4SZ-YvL1wb4p3i5w68NtRIpUNemirVAAmHtBMoajW6mV3QfFdOYo3afAMwD2ZRFOpflWrPbjVtLsNOPzA/s1600/IMG_3217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7IYVYLYUu3J6zN_-c-Ixmtx1F5tmHFwliyZld3z_IWU_0YBtVgYQkrlmpV4SZ-YvL1wb4p3i5w68NtRIpUNemirVAAmHtBMoajW6mV3QfFdOYo3afAMwD2ZRFOpflWrPbjVtLsNOPzA/s320/IMG_3217.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
And here is what I wrote about him:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Pupperfly was small for a dog with wings.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">He was smaller than an orange.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">He was smaller than a plum.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">He was even smaller than an apricot.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">He was actually only about the size of a walnut.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Pupperfly loved being small.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">He loved flying in and out of bird nests</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">and between the stems of flowers.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">He loved flying above houses</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">and churches</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">and stores.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">And he loved flying just underneath the clouds.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">He loved most everything about his life.</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Until the day he was captured....</span><br />
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Maybe some of you want to complete the story for me!<br />
Otherwise, you'll have to wait to discover who captured him...and why.<br />
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But, on to other things.<br />
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This week's writing challenge is inspired by Dav Pilkey, who mixed up a policeman with a dog to get DogMan. Your challenge this week is to write about a dog with a job. Maybe it is a doctor dog. Maybe a hound teacher. Who knows what you might think of!!<br />
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I can't wait to hear about your amazing ideas.<br />
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xoxo--<br />
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HRHUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-17506663544525615872020-03-25T17:34:00.001-07:002020-03-25T17:34:40.434-07:00March Writing 1: School in the Time of Coronavirus Times are strange right now.<br />
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But even in strange times, it is good to do some writing and make some art. One of my favorite series right now is NARWHAL AND JELLY and the amazing author, Ben Clanton, is doing something really cool. If you click on the link: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/benclantoon/?hl=en">https://www.instagram.com/benclantoon/?hl=en</a> you can see that he is doing animal mix-ups. Like something that is part Jelly, part Wizard (this is one of my favorites). Also, he's got a Narwhal + T-Rex drawing that is very awesome.<br />
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So, I thought it might be cool if some of my young readers did something similar.<br />
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Step 1: Think of an animal (any animal)<br />
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Step 2: Think of another<br />
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Step 3: Mix them together!!<br />
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You can do three or four animals if you like!<br />
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And then, if you are really feeling like it, you can make up a story about it!<br />
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I think I am going to mash up a dog and a butterfly. I would call it a Pupperfly! It would be tiny and look like a dog, but with wings like a butterfly's. And it would get into all sorts of TROUBLE, haha.<br />
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So your task is to make your creature (or you can illustrate mine) and write your own story.<br />
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I'll share mine soon.<br />
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Love to you all,<br />
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xoxo--HRHUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-63852664158351202582019-10-17T19:24:00.000-07:002019-10-17T19:24:45.584-07:00Let's See If I Remember How to Do ThisIt's been a long time since I've clicked on the "new post" button on my blog.<br />
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I wish I could tell you why.<br />
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Maybe it was that it felt like there was so much noise in the world that I probably didn't have anything worthy to add to it.<br />
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Maybe it felt like if I did add something and it was kind of frivolous, it would seem like I didn't care about big things.<br />
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Maybe there was just a lot of things going on behind the scenes of my life and there were no words I could even give to the blog. Maybe I needed every word I had left inside of me to say to someone who needed it or to write something that needed to be written, lest I lose my mind.<br />
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I am not even sure myself, but I am fairly certain it was a potent mix of all three. And for some reason that I don't even understand myself, I clicked "new post" just to see if it still worked. And it did.<br />
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So here I am. Here we are.<br />
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And I find that actually, I have a lot to say. And I am trying to be less afraid of things in every aspect of my life. I am trying to be brave about sharing pieces of myself again. Because that's all we can do sometimes, isn't it? Attempt to make connections with other humans so we won't be alone. So we can somehow stay together and weather the storms to come.<br />
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See you on the open seas, my friends.<br />
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xo--<br />
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hrhUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-4059054095052357812018-08-02T10:25:00.001-07:002018-08-02T10:25:08.608-07:00Coming Soon (Sort of)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the gorgeous cover of a new book! It won't be available until February 2019, but I just didn't want to keep all of the loveliness to myself until then.</div>
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Sometimes, we write books from inspiration of one sort or another, never realizing until later how much our own true heart really needed this book. It's as if Past-Shelley wrote it as a pep talk for Future-Shelley. And who knew, when I first wrote this poem years ago, how much children might also need to read these words and let the gentle lessons of our home planet take root, flourish, and blossom.</div>
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Anyway, the words would be so much less without the amazing illustrations. </div>
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Christopher Silas Neal's work fills me with joy.</div>
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I am so proud of this book.</div>
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Can't wait to share it with you!</div>
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hrh</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-14979407843438702632018-04-02T11:28:00.000-07:002018-04-02T11:28:01.457-07:00Best Laid PlansI keep meaning to post something, but somehow I just haven't.<br />
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I've been cutting myself a little slack because I have needed to. Sometimes life is like that. Sometimes you just need to be kind to everyone on your journey, including yourself. And the truth is that I am not certain how much more slack I will need in the next bit. But I have been writing still, filling journals and word docs, and that is a good thing.<br />
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I have a couple of picture books coming out in the future, probably 2019 and 2020, which sound SO FAR AWAY and yet I have seen some art work for both already--AMAZING--and I have been visiting some schools (So. Much. Fun.) Basically, just still plodding along in this teacher/author/storyteller existence in which I find myself.<br />
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So, in case you are wondering about what I am working on, here we go:<br />
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1. Editing a middle grade novel. This book is perhaps the best thing I have written. But it is not yet as good as it could be. Hopefully I can get it to where it needs to go this spring.<br />
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2. Writing a new middle grade. I would love to crank out a finished draft in the next few months so it can sit and await some revision this summer. I have been working on this on and off for a year, but the off time has gotten too long. I really need to reconnect.<br />
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3. Revising a picture book that seems a little preachy.<br />
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4. Writing 3 new picture book drafts. I have some really great titles (most of my picture book ideas start with a title, then I figure out what is it really about) but I haven't had the courage to put pencil to paper. There's something so lovely about having a great title for a book--so full of promise! My fear is that I will write the wrong stuff, the wrong words, and ruin my idea. I am sure I am not the only writer to have this fear. But I need to get over it. Soon.<br />
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So, that's what fills my writing days.<br />
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More soon, I hope!<br />
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xox--<br />
<br />
hrhUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-1743523320573036462017-08-04T14:55:00.003-07:002017-08-04T14:55:38.505-07:00The HapsThings have been busy around here--well, not here, exactly. Not on the blog. Nope, the blog has been as quiet at a mouse. Actually, quieter than a flea on a mouse if you think about it.<br />
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But around my house it has been a very busy Spring/Summer. Not only did my "baby" graduate from high school (how did she grow so fast??) but there have been some very nice happenings in the Shelley Moore Thomas world of books.<br />
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First, take a look at this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43VyZvdlgQXe7JK-pxgVJWShC9NLyZyCEEEd74qkiqpOiF9hNm1fwPsjiBoN_5okhzCx6T4KPBH5r4BnSxp2OKlsQkgOOAD-ec0fQ-9CvhRtaaq3p2GudIi8vDwPaM6RplOKDFQE2KMk/s1600/Los-secretos-de-Selkie-Bay-i1n15644908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="176" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43VyZvdlgQXe7JK-pxgVJWShC9NLyZyCEEEd74qkiqpOiF9hNm1fwPsjiBoN_5okhzCx6T4KPBH5r4BnSxp2OKlsQkgOOAD-ec0fQ-9CvhRtaaq3p2GudIi8vDwPaM6RplOKDFQE2KMk/s400/Los-secretos-de-Selkie-Bay-i1n15644908.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the cover of Secrets of Selkie Bay in Spanish!<br /><br />It releases in Spain in October (I think).</td></tr>
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Cool, yes?<div>
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And then I found out that this book:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXj5LLDTu_HeSwJol2BBamJme9gVwF8QBOjwAxZXiAQ8dKFwfiOL7eU02H7vl35ywMVox8b78bthnWRrqVLg93lRqCNrJH97Dk_R1FyF7TXhQRRbyGROlrLteKyohPuGVSSkHUDHNrCw/s1600/moDRAGONS_JT-FINAL+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="730" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXj5LLDTu_HeSwJol2BBamJme9gVwF8QBOjwAxZXiAQ8dKFwfiOL7eU02H7vl35ywMVox8b78bthnWRrqVLg93lRqCNrJH97Dk_R1FyF7TXhQRRbyGROlrLteKyohPuGVSSkHUDHNrCw/s400/moDRAGONS_JT-FINAL+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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received the</div>
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CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN LITERACY INSTRUCTION READ ALOUD BOOK AWARD. (That is a mouthful!!)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYi5egZLigyqUlbFGWkr4gCCXCpxcFj5AYIDuh7EwX47gw5k1ZtF57y_ivEwNGMeJOLtpoimda-SbqnDtJhWgMmf2Il2e06fh8c_h7iQoW78pywJ7978z8OliYVXXTrxTM7HTa4EoTHQ/s1600/CELIcrop-580x326+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="580" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYi5egZLigyqUlbFGWkr4gCCXCpxcFj5AYIDuh7EwX47gw5k1ZtF57y_ivEwNGMeJOLtpoimda-SbqnDtJhWgMmf2Il2e06fh8c_h7iQoW78pywJ7978z8OliYVXXTrxTM7HTa4EoTHQ/s400/CELIcrop-580x326+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a lovely group of students enjoying the book in Mississippi.</td></tr>
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<br />If you want, you can read about it <a href="http://hottytoddy.com/2017/07/08/book-not-dragons-wins-2017-celi-read-aloud-book-award/">here</a>.<div>
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And I've been working on a few things that I'll be telling you about soon. *winks*</div>
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-5186289792258461922017-03-14T19:56:00.003-07:002017-03-14T19:56:21.084-07:00How Is it March Already?I have never let my blog lapse this long without a post.<br />
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I just....I dunno. It's hard to say much on-line these days. It's like I haven't wanted to add to the noise and clutter(and there is just so much noise and clutter) and I've worried that anything I might say might not be important enough. Somehow right now everything feels like it needs to be important. Why go and post anything if it's not important? <br />
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And then this week Amy Krouse Rosenthal died.<br />
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I did not know her personally, but for the past few years, she has been a part of my class. I can't imagine starting the school year without this amazing little book:<br />
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I miss her as if I knew her in real life, but I guess that's the gift of a truly amazing author--you feel as if you know her just by reading her words on the page. Her passing has stopped me short and made me look up from where my head has been (which has been looking down at all of the stuff I need to do, nose to the grindstone and all that) and notice that somehow we are three months into this new year and I barely remember anything that has happened since it turned 2017. I mean...wha??? How can time move so quickly? It is speeding along and I am not even watching it whiz past. And who even knows when it will all be gone?</div>
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Time is a treasure, and I must use mine more wisely. </div>
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I must make:</div>
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Time to breathe. </div>
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Time to observe. </div>
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Time to appreciate.</div>
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Time to love.</div>
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Time to rest.</div>
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hrh</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-55117903400850771732016-12-31T14:47:00.002-08:002016-12-31T14:47:38.508-08:00The Cutting of the SlackThings to remember in 2017:<br />
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1. You are important. Even when you feel like you have nothing to say, even when you feel like all the words have already been said. you are important. Your thoughts are your own, and if you choose to share them, that's great. But if you choose silence sometimes, that's okay too. Some of us need the quiet to gather our own thoughts and understand our own feelings.<br />
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2.Be kind. This doesn't mean just being kind to others. It means be kind to yourself. Cut yourself slack when you need to. It is okay not to do it all. Actually, it is kind of impossible to do everything.<br />
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3. Live the life you dream of living. Today. Start today. It's the little things that make a difference. Take time to sip your tea and read those books you want to read. Give yourself the gift of boredom from time to time. Without boredom, there would be no creativity. Without boredom, there would be no art. Make 2017 your most creative year yet.<br />
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Um...goodbye 2016. Don't let the door hit you and all that....</div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-45518447795877468572016-11-12T07:36:00.000-08:002016-11-12T13:20:47.626-08:00This Week in Dragons<br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">I will be at the Carlsbad Library (Cole Branch) on <b>Tuesday, November 15, at 3:30 </b>to celebrate Children's Picture Book Month. I'll have some of my dragon friends with me (You can expect Baby Dragon and Tri for certain, and I heard somewhere that Baby Dragon just might bring<i> his</i> dragon puppet, too--<i>Babier Dragon</i>!) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">But don't expect me to be reading any books about dragons. I mean, dragons can breathe <b>fire</b> and stuff like that. They can be dangerous!!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW5sb2gniKtl5IrNmOVWQOOmfpAdo0d5Q3MDswaZYOlqkXBpTE_LhH47lQQs8JeO2lv_ylRoqFpWKDcDWDB5p_7_pjExxuNTZkm6wFXzJyxa91xGZGV4RSIUwIxag9zFqGceNJ7WA3IU/s1600/20140919_164517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW5sb2gniKtl5IrNmOVWQOOmfpAdo0d5Q3MDswaZYOlqkXBpTE_LhH47lQQs8JeO2lv_ylRoqFpWKDcDWDB5p_7_pjExxuNTZkm6wFXzJyxa91xGZGV4RSIUwIxag9zFqGceNJ7WA3IU/s400/20140919_164517.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actual picture of my brain this week. Seriously. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;">Which is why I am going to drop this quote here for you, in case you need it. (Because I find myself needing to hear words such as these...)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">“Fairy tales are more than true – not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">~ Neil Gaiman, Coraline </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">(source, G.K. Chesterton)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Holding all of you in my heart,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">hrh</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-43081490711078888512016-10-15T10:46:00.004-07:002016-10-15T10:46:47.096-07:00DragonFest Part 5It's been a crazy few weeks, so I'll recap a bit.<br />
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My new book baby has been in the world for about a month now. I absolutely love reading it to kids. Such fun! <br />
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On September 28 Barnes and Noble held a book event for me. It was awesome. Lots of kids and families came to celebrate dragons and books. I gave away some of these little guys:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQWfMVnx0GAjwEBSKSnUdHTRoK0-ZG74W7QhGFozpgG088vB3Z6SzOA72ToebPR_scf-NgtjGc9L6QTPp9bzJMOe9TjgGZOxoY_RLCMQ0B6P7xXqLjKatRqBtZV6INmwgmUJV4dUrRSs/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQWfMVnx0GAjwEBSKSnUdHTRoK0-ZG74W7QhGFozpgG088vB3Z6SzOA72ToebPR_scf-NgtjGc9L6QTPp9bzJMOe9TjgGZOxoY_RLCMQ0B6P7xXqLjKatRqBtZV6INmwgmUJV4dUrRSs/s400/IMG_2378.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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And signed lots of copies of TBINAD.<br />
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Oh, some kids at my school asked me what it was like to write a book "without dragons" so I decided to show them my process. I made a little film.....
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tMt_-b2xWMw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Yes. I know. Too ridiculous. My pack of hounds were the total stars! Henry played the part of the green dragon. He did NOT love wearing the costume. (Watch him extract himself. Quite classy.) Jimmy played the part of the red dragon. Jimmy LOVED the costume. He didn't want to take it off. Daisy s not featured (except for her tail) because she was NOT HAVING IT. She did not want the costume on for even a second. (And Daisy is a Belgian Malinois so if she doesn't want to do something, you cannot make her. Period.)<br />
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Anyway, Dragon Fest continues! More soon!!<br />
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hrh<br />
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PS. I will be celebrating dragons again at the Cole Library in Carlsbad on Tuesday, November 15 at 3:30 pm in honor of Children's Picture Book Month. Hope to see you there!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-81562777016450471912016-09-20T20:10:00.004-07:002016-09-20T20:10:54.880-07:00DragonFest (Part 4)You didn't think I was done, did you?<br />
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Nope. There are always more dragons! (Even when there aren't any in a specific book, if you get my meaning.)><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No dragons in this, you know.</td></tr>
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Today, we are going to look at a couple of my favorite middle grade dragons:<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcQ547dYmAvVEfu7GHkcEg9eqnTgNvFlr_npbpDueJY6rSxcBcoc8z76Rve28M8pZxd2Q4vnhRuoCUrReYEbRp0FqO9xzvKjYQptsBAMkhJregdjUJ-UEIK0G31OQ3x1hR9zUsIZJdcM/s1600/girl+who+drank+the+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcQ547dYmAvVEfu7GHkcEg9eqnTgNvFlr_npbpDueJY6rSxcBcoc8z76Rve28M8pZxd2Q4vnhRuoCUrReYEbRp0FqO9xzvKjYQptsBAMkhJregdjUJ-UEIK0G31OQ3x1hR9zUsIZJdcM/s640/girl+who+drank+the+moon.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new favorite!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I adore this book, THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON by Kelly Barnhill. There is a Perfectly Tiny Dragon named Fyrian who stole my heart. Highly recommend--just an incredibly readable book.! It does not lend itself well to being put down for a moment, though. It really likes it best when you just keep reading it for HOURS and HOURS. The language is lush and gorgeous. (Yes, it made me feel like a hack when I read it, but I couldn't even be angry at it because DRAGON!)<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Also, I love this one:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQpcp47rBRjB38YcXMbvsIhtOQKNIeqkURcHPRYChHliy0frw0RHZSHfsxI8aS0cyAcJBpLfJDht-T_aCJLycWSvUfhoewWC319MHHsjpoyFJqCGiWT2eooJs-GwSwrAnrnFSL_gKlAQ/s1600/where-the-mountain-meets-the-moon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQpcp47rBRjB38YcXMbvsIhtOQKNIeqkURcHPRYChHliy0frw0RHZSHfsxI8aS0cyAcJBpLfJDht-T_aCJLycWSvUfhoewWC319MHHsjpoyFJqCGiWT2eooJs-GwSwrAnrnFSL_gKlAQ/s640/where-the-mountain-meets-the-moon1.jpg" width="434" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I heart you, Grace Lin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Dragon in WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON is one of my favorite middle grade characters of all time. (He is up there with Ivan, in case you were wondering!) He's kind and brave...just the kind of dragon I'd like to meet someday.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, if you are in the mood for a novel with a dragon sitting right there in the front seat of the story, please take a look at THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON and WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(But if you are looking for dragons, don't look in here><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTpEt_LNyNO7tHmv0iujHkcnQXW42ZFB2P2T2nd7CZXvl3QOQKEGVJjg7pXGwQmGKUk6m_y4F0s7yv3_xx2k29DDwu88b8FPc9Ig0bN8vi2c9aUUSUAmKF_Mvwjt2VQ4pvfC9F9X4C0o/s1600/moDRAGONS_JT-FINAL+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTpEt_LNyNO7tHmv0iujHkcnQXW42ZFB2P2T2nd7CZXvl3QOQKEGVJjg7pXGwQmGKUk6m_y4F0s7yv3_xx2k29DDwu88b8FPc9Ig0bN8vi2c9aUUSUAmKF_Mvwjt2VQ4pvfC9F9X4C0o/s320/moDRAGONS_JT-FINAL+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
because you won't find one.</div>
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hrh</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-63552294586065929632016-09-13T06:23:00.001-07:002016-09-13T06:23:44.858-07:00DragonFest (Part 3)Oh, it's not over yet! DragonFest Part 3!!!!<br />
<br />
Today is a very special day because THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT DRAGONS is finally out in the world.<br />
<br />
Here is a picture of some dragons that are not in the book:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5VIkOMEIr7o2680nrhbWZ-0Jk-_AoedUiXkCr39rOcb7M-m71g4inV1UML1Y4PjTIvSIhZM9AviMaWHzNpiMx7zhrgFcGaL6R3zdmrvLFq9XkSAAchdtEp5NYgiaXMlGNSKxF54swKM/s1600/IMG_2062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5VIkOMEIr7o2680nrhbWZ-0Jk-_AoedUiXkCr39rOcb7M-m71g4inV1UML1Y4PjTIvSIhZM9AviMaWHzNpiMx7zhrgFcGaL6R3zdmrvLFq9XkSAAchdtEp5NYgiaXMlGNSKxF54swKM/s640/IMG_2062.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yeah, I know, they are upside down and backwards. I meant to do that.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nope. Not in the book at all. And if they <i>were</i> in the book, they would be going the right way--and they most certainly wouldn't be upside down!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am so excited that my book is finally here. It's been a long time coming. Big thanks to Fred Koehler for his amazing art, and to Boyds Mills for bringing us together and for never losing faith in a book that absolutely has no dragons.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn5-YhOFmvYjurFC1be2SoxHEOV1j5co6QAu1bhowX8z2_jmeLJoQWE3K-4tuYqAUclzteIF7-dCV2buLq2uIsuKeJoa0QekKxYGgdQCuCrZxI45C6vHpvDfI5DBLUflMLMZvKkreGjc/s1600/moDRAGONS_JT-FINAL+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdn5-YhOFmvYjurFC1be2SoxHEOV1j5co6QAu1bhowX8z2_jmeLJoQWE3K-4tuYqAUclzteIF7-dCV2buLq2uIsuKeJoa0QekKxYGgdQCuCrZxI45C6vHpvDfI5DBLUflMLMZvKkreGjc/s640/moDRAGONS_JT-FINAL+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I've got events planned for the end of the month to celebrate its arrival. I'll keep you posted. But if you think there are going to be dragons at the book launch, well, there won't be.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Don't even think it! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
hrh</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-45622016903694251932016-09-06T05:55:00.002-07:002016-09-06T05:55:50.842-07:00DragonFest 2016 (Part 2)<img alt="Image result for dear dragon" height="640" src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/5dd375_a60fdf96af3f4b4ca5b972c09c144f09.jpg/v1/fill/w_692,h_850,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/5dd375_a60fdf96af3f4b4ca5b972c09c144f09.jpg" width="521" /><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Today's literary dragon is Blaise from <a href="http://www.joshfunkbooks.com/#!dear-dragon/c1qh2">DEAR DRAGON </a>by Josh Funk. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is such a great book. As a teacher, I can't wait to read it with my class when we are learning about multiple perspectives and point of view. It's such an creative premise! Josh Funk must have had a blast writing it. AND today is its Book Birthday!! So you can sing Happy Birthday to it if you want, but be careful when you blow out the candles--don't breathe fire and barbeque the cake. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
hrh<br /><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-15506404102375515442016-09-05T12:43:00.000-07:002016-09-05T12:43:04.390-07:00DragonFest 2016 (part 1)Okay, folks, so we are about a week away from THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT DRAGONS entering the world. Yay!!! (Here is what it looks like in case you forgot):<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for this book is not about dragons" height="577" src="http://freddiek.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/moDRAGONS_JT-FINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty little thing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I thought I'd spend a little time celebrating literary dragons with a little thing I like to call <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DRAGONFEST 2016</span>.</b> </span></span>Basically I'll be highlighting some of my favorite dragons in books. Sounds like fun, yes?<br />
<br />
Let's start out with a new kid on the block, (and a very terrible dragon, I might add,) the feisty dragon in <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/dragonwasterrible/kellydipucchio">DRAGON WAS TERRIBLE</a> by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. This is such an incredibly fun read aloud. Actually, I dare you to read it aloud to some kids and not totally crack up yourself. Go ahead. Try it now. I'll wait.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for dragon was terrible" height="640" src="http://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9780374300494.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="516" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's the toilet paper part that gets me every time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<div>
So if you are sitting around waiting for THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT DRAGONS to come out (which doesn't even HAVE dragons in it, so....) I highly recommend picking up DRAGON WAS TERRIBLE. You'll be glad you did!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(And if you are a teacher of K-2, you will end up reading this aloud about a billion times. Kids LOVE it!)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
hrh</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-25627519345910119892016-08-25T19:57:00.000-07:002016-08-25T19:57:31.924-07:00August<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Getting the big box of book babies is always one of the best things in the world! It is only a few weeks until THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT DRAGONS is out in the world and I am so excited. The writing of the books was...well...it was one of the easy ones, to be honest. I had been playing around with the idea of writing a book about a moose (don't ask me why--I think there is something about a moose that is just inherently funny. Maybe it is the word, Moose. Moose. Yeah, it's a little funny.) Well, I was getting nowhere with the moose book. (FYI this was right before a BUNCH of books featuring moose(s) came out. I think many authors got bit by the moose bug at about the same time, but some of us are slower to make stuff happen.) ANYWAY, there I was, trying to write about a moose (who obviously didn't want any part of my story) and I thought, "Well, at least you're trying something new, Shelley. At least there are no dragons in this book."</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And that became the working title of my next book: THERE ARE NO DRAGONS IN THIS BOOK.</div>
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The silliness of writing a book <i>about</i> something I was trying NOT to write about must have unclogged a valve in my brain because the writing just flowed. I sent it to my agent and she loved it. She sent it to my editor and she loved it. (Eventually, my editor and I changed the title around a little to THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT DRAGONS.) </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And that's the story of the book that I wasn't even trying to write! (But am so glad that I did!!!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZKOa4cYvtYI4hVS0jWvLkOTaW3q1T4qJQV4SAInzQjY87mJy_wGvVO3V_3Sy7eVrKVMOvMBmzNX8_2jt1uyya0hs_CkPRNKg48BJCwoYG-i3-0TW0b8uORSjOjogxz_9gOIxkP73wxI/s1600/IMG_2172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZKOa4cYvtYI4hVS0jWvLkOTaW3q1T4qJQV4SAInzQjY87mJy_wGvVO3V_3Sy7eVrKVMOvMBmzNX8_2jt1uyya0hs_CkPRNKg48BJCwoYG-i3-0TW0b8uORSjOjogxz_9gOIxkP73wxI/s640/IMG_2172.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Soon, I am going to introduce you to some of the dragons that are not in the book. That's right, NOT in the book. But until then, here's a little guy I call Fred (I named him for the illustrator, Fred Koehler.) Yes, I know it's a little strange that I am naming all of the dragons, (especially since I didn't draw them) but seeing as they didn't get to be in the book, I thought the least they deserved was a name. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITCkYv0rmeUVf_lhfy1r8esdg7quQMhe6Sm3Gwligqd03j78tx5X89zxyfQDsHysY1teYJRAxNyAOv1tGIfEeDuCkhVmI1pZ00l4Tm2GVMckNu2YqbI7yiXK9Pc6kF-W_8MvcjlEWAPU/s1600/IMG_2066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITCkYv0rmeUVf_lhfy1r8esdg7quQMhe6Sm3Gwligqd03j78tx5X89zxyfQDsHysY1teYJRAxNyAOv1tGIfEeDuCkhVmI1pZ00l4Tm2GVMckNu2YqbI7yiXK9Pc6kF-W_8MvcjlEWAPU/s640/IMG_2066.JPG" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
More soon!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
xo--</div>
<div>
hrh<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-12658936114259661872016-06-30T22:44:00.004-07:002016-06-30T22:45:32.437-07:00Preview of Coming Attractions<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Coming September, 2016</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGM4CtQT225RJrknIVLK3-OvpEuR5qDRkWvz5Vqajm-UAzsinxrLgsLz1S88BgvAcGw3JqOmJ36d6zi5qMBCFusw0KRrQbKwlXZkq4L9_ZRUU-7u1OknBK_cQINKJNsL2sG0JHwUEwVk/s1600/dragons-slide+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGM4CtQT225RJrknIVLK3-OvpEuR5qDRkWvz5Vqajm-UAzsinxrLgsLz1S88BgvAcGw3JqOmJ36d6zi5qMBCFusw0KRrQbKwlXZkq4L9_ZRUU-7u1OknBK_cQINKJNsL2sG0JHwUEwVk/s640/dragons-slide+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cannot wait for you to read this book! (Illustrations by Fred Koehler)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-1701852703093508792016-05-22T15:00:00.000-07:002016-05-24T07:27:41.177-07:00The Coolness of This Spring<br />
<br />
I've had some super cool experiences this Spring:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfAJAuc_RhN-nZ2CCEhvvD1K-J6HZuBqQiyVQvAr6ZUBnOuKmYtig9lICsOl3Le6vYhQyEhCzQqGDK_W9mZBrLFYMoKYOYHBC9omC-T6ix9jFK97s3mokkdjBETf6-KIu53lk_p3gmVc/s1600/IMG_1078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfAJAuc_RhN-nZ2CCEhvvD1K-J6HZuBqQiyVQvAr6ZUBnOuKmYtig9lICsOl3Le6vYhQyEhCzQqGDK_W9mZBrLFYMoKYOYHBC9omC-T6ix9jFK97s3mokkdjBETf6-KIu53lk_p3gmVc/s640/IMG_1078.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spoke at the COMMERCE LOVES READING Day. What an awesome library!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXm2O4HJmzwMyXmu2OoCedsw6C_vsooCmA-4VH78rSuBa-l0VchhQjIhKsPqXNLXeOfvEWyX_B82_CT1slubNxDbplpPpj9_-s3rTzo8LvAnJQwDTtvDZ5BV9cKKvitIq15U4zBZ5Nmk/s1600/IMG_1289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXm2O4HJmzwMyXmu2OoCedsw6C_vsooCmA-4VH78rSuBa-l0VchhQjIhKsPqXNLXeOfvEWyX_B82_CT1slubNxDbplpPpj9_-s3rTzo8LvAnJQwDTtvDZ5BV9cKKvitIq15U4zBZ5Nmk/s640/IMG_1289.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I gave a keynote speech (Aaron Hartzler gave the other!!!) for YSIG in Ontario.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAA6Sor4UxAQJrGRnz3ixFIUIlvLflH4PKYO3xggUk_3AyIN7StjrouoUxXcCFxjg_Yw-VuOLLJ7whDKaHNBwg8nbbPvC70F6uMcn3DuJC3uNcpNau5d95XInerkxAehWxvcW6DzCStc/s1600/IMG_1241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAA6Sor4UxAQJrGRnz3ixFIUIlvLflH4PKYO3xggUk_3AyIN7StjrouoUxXcCFxjg_Yw-VuOLLJ7whDKaHNBwg8nbbPvC70F6uMcn3DuJC3uNcpNau5d95XInerkxAehWxvcW6DzCStc/s640/IMG_1241.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I got to see the first hard copy of my new book. Yay!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div>
As the semester draws to a close, things are gearing up wildly. Here's hoping for some upcoming uninterrupted writing time. I've got some ideas that are just dying to be written.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
hrh<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-29030408448533221582016-03-28T18:12:00.000-07:002016-03-28T18:12:10.576-07:00Currently...<br />
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<b>Reading</b>: I've been reading a lot lately since my self-imposed rule that I must read for one half hour first thing every day when I come home from work. I finished reading both Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. <img src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389804901l/16429619.jpg" /><br />
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They were both very different from what I expected. (I don't really know what I expected, but I did love both so very much!) I think it was that they both surprised me. I love it when a story does that!<br />
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<b>Writing: </b>I've been writing some animal stories. I am not sure why I am drawn to this right now, but I am. One story contains a rabbit who is really a girl who lives on a sinking island. Another is about a scrawny one-eyed cat who walks the secret road between the living and the dead. There's graveyards in it, and 1915 London.<br />
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And I am still struggling with a picture book about a hippo astronaut.<br />
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<b>Eating: </b>These are so delicious!!:<br />
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<img src="http://www.traderjoes.com/images/fearless-flyer/uploads/article-59/flyer-wasabi-almonds.png" /><br />
They are my new favorite snack.<br />
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So, that's what is going on around here. Some reading. Some writing. Some eating.<br />
<br />
xo--<br />
<br />
hrh<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-29146995557519086902016-02-25T19:31:00.000-08:002016-02-25T19:33:09.084-08:00ResolutionsOkay, I know it's February.<br />
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Yeah, and I know it's the END of February.<br />
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So it seems a little late to be writing about resolutions. And I wasn't going to. Really I wasn't. But then I thought about how much I really like my resolution for this year (notice, resolutioN, no "s") and thought that maybe other people might like it a little bit, too.<br />
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So here goes.<br />
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For 2016, I resolved to be less wasteful.<br />
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That's it.<br />
<br />
But it covers a bunch of stuff!!<br />
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I am trying to be less wasteful of food. And money. And especially time. <br />
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Time.<br />
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That's a biggie. And guess how I am doing it? By taking on something else, of course!<br />
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<i>No, that's not possible. You can't take something else on and then end up saving time! Impossible!!</i><br />
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But it is possible.<br />
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What I have done is promised myself to read everyday--and not right before bedtime. The fact is that I am already so tired by the time that I pull up the covers that I last maybe 2 minutes reading. That's it!!! Then the book hits me in the face and I am like, "what?"<br />
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So now, everyday when I come home from work, BEFORE I open the laptop, I make myself a cuppa tea and I read a book for 1/2 hour.<br />
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I cannot tell you how much more wonderful my life is. It was such an easy, simple change. But filling my life with stories is every evening is so much better than letting them hit me in the head at 11 pm.<br />
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<i>How does this prevent waste</i>, you might be asking yourself. Well, I consider it a better use of my time. Thus, better use of time is always less wasteful, true?<br />
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So join me! Put on the kettle and pull up a chair. Pull out a book and let the magic begin.<br />
<br />
hrhUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-59650645200062500702016-01-24T11:09:00.002-08:002016-01-24T11:09:28.120-08:00On 20 Years as a Children's Author<br />
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I just realized the other day that my first book, PUTTING THE WORLD TO SLEEP, came out in November of 1995. Wow. 20 years ago.<br />
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Feeling a little old here.<br />
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But with age comes wisdom, right? So I decided to reflect on what I have learned about being a writer and being an author (because they are not always one in the same).<br />
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<b>1. Writing life ebbs and flows. </b>There are times when I am on fire with new ideas--I can't write them down fast enough. And then there are times when I slog through a piece of writing, questioning where it is going, wondering if it is even worth it because it is so sloggy.<br />
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And then there are times when it is hard to even write at all. :(. I hate when that happens, but the truth is that is does indeed happen. I have learned to trust the process. I have made my peace with the cyclic nature of my muse. Hopefully, when she decides to appear, she will find me sitting at the desk, ready.<br />
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<b>2. Author life ebbs and flows, but not in the same way.</b><br />
This is even harder to accept. But just like your mom always said, you can't be the best at everything all the time. (Okay, maybe your mom didn't say that to you, but it is a pretty good lesson.) There are times as an author when I am a hot commodity. There are times when I cannot visit all of the schools that ask because I am too busy visiting other places. There are times when my twitter pings with congratulations, private messages, and all sorts of authorly banter. There are times when I am in talks with my agent and various editors constantly about author stuff. There are days when the mail brings something wonderful and cool almost every day.<br />
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And then there are times when it is quiet. So very quiet. So quiet it is hard not to feel like chopped liver. However, it is difficult for me to create when there is too much bustling about, thus the quiet times, when not a lot is going on for me as an author, are the very best times for me as a writer. Those are the times when I feel like I have nothing to lose--because there is nothing really "happening". And when I can let myself write with that sort of freedom, I am always more pleased with what I produce.<br />
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<b>3. There are books that I tried to get published but did not--and I am glad they did not get published.</b><br />
I don't quite know what else to say about this except that some books stand the test of time, and some do not. There are a couple of manuscripts I have written that, well, upon reading later about the best thing I can say is "meh". I don't want to publish books that make me go "meh." This forces me to make my peace with the fact that not everything I write, not everything I spend a lot of time on, is "good." (However, each piece makes me grow somehow, so there is that.)<br />
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<b>4. There are books that I have written that I adore and did not get published.</b><br />
Who knows? Maybe they will someday. I still love them every time I read them and can't seem to let them go. Ahead of their time, maybe. But again, the reality hits that not everybody sees things the same way I do, which brings me to----<br />
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<b>5. Not everyone sees things the same way I do.</b><br />
There are books out there that everyone loves and I just kind of like. And there are books out there that everyone loves and I really do not care for at all. And there are books out there that no one else seems to notice that have changed my life tremendously.<br />
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<b>6. Writing does not seem to get easier.</b><br />
Each book makes me feel like I am starting over again--because I am. Perhaps that is what I love about writing so much--the fresh start with each blank page. The hope that come from the seed of a story as it plants itself in your heart and you don't even know quite what it is yet, but you can feel it start to unfold and take root in your soul. However, just like in real life, a person doesn't really get to go back to high school with the knowledge of a 40 year old and the body of a 17 year old. Every time I face the blank page, it is new. And new is not the same thing as easy.<br />
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I'll probably reflect more on this eventually...it's quite something to have survived this industry for 20 years and still be standing.<br />
<br />
xo--<br />
<br />
hrhUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-43766434774696681392015-12-24T08:03:00.001-08:002015-12-24T08:20:47.101-08:00The Legend of Sleepy Elf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was little, one of the thrills of Christmas was decorating the tree. What I loved absolutely best of all was unwrapping each of the decorations, cradling them in my hands, and recalling (or inventing) a story about them. There were the tiny-china-angel-bell and the tiny-china-snowman-with-the-top-hat bell who were best friends. Of course, there were the trinity of fairy angels with their gossamer skirts and netted wings who resided in heaven, which could only be reached by climbing to the very top of the Christmas tree.<br />
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And then there was Sleepy Elf.<br />
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My sister and I loved Sleepy Elf. LOVED HIM. My little brother probably would have too, if we ever let him hold him. But we were too busy fighting over Sleepy Elf ourselves to ever let him out of our own hands.<br />
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So yes, he became a little bit worse for wear over the years<br />
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And his head began to flop over to the side in a not-very-alive sort of way.<br />
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When I moved out, I'd always look forward to finding where my mom had chosen to place Sleepy Elf. Personally, I always liked him under the tree, but he found his way into baskets and onto mantles from time to time. When I brought my children to Nana's for the holidays, the first thing they did was search for Sleepy Elf.<br />
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And then I moved with my little family to California. The only time we saw Sleepy Elf now was occasionally in the background of Christmas pictures from home.<br />
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This year at Thanksgiving, my family traveled back to New Mexico to visit my folks. My mom had decided to pass on many of her Christmas things to her children and grandchildren, so she set up a room displaying all of the ornaments that were looking for new homes. Tiny-china-angel-bell and tiny-china-snowman both found a new home with my daughter Cali.<br />
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Sleepy Elf lay there on the table, My daughters nearly squealed (and they are mostly grown up) "Mom! You have to get Sleepy Elf ."<br />
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But I had already decided that my gift to my sister would be to let her have him. Maybe I would devise some sort of game and let her win him. Or maybe I'd just claim to be the bigger person (which I was being--haha) and let her have him. We had both loved him so much as children, but I would be willing to be satisfied with my memories.<br />
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She was touched. She cradled Sleepy Elf in her hands the way she cradles so many new lives when she brings them into the world as a midwife. Yes, Sleepy Elf was going to a good place.<br />
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Imagine my surprise when I opened my Christmas package from my sister and there, wrapped in a Christmas napkin, was Sleepy Elf. No note--because there was nothing to say. I had given him to her, and she now gave him back to me.<br />
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That's how it is with love.<br />
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You give.<br />
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You receive.<br />
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hrh<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-52196572321043115592015-11-21T09:28:00.002-08:002015-11-22T08:03:33.931-08:00On TeachingOn twitter, I have been obsessed with the hashtag ncte15, which refers to the National Council of Teachers of English annual conference.<br />
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Truth #1--I have never attended this conference. I long to, but November is a difficult time of the year to be gone from my classroom, especially this year. Our staff is taking an International Baccalaureate class and already having to miss 8 teaching days this year. That is kind of a lot. It is hard to justify missing even more days. <br />
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But anyway, I follow along on "the" twitter (as my kids call it), looking for those gems about teaching reading and writing to young children, hoping someone out there will say something I truly believe in so I can give a virtual fistbump of solidarity through my computer screen. Hoping someone will say the things that sometimes I am afraid to say.<br />
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Because sometimes I am afraid to say things that I really think. Like this:<br />
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Truth #2--Even though I write a lot, even though I have published books, I am not an expert on the teaching of writing. I have no magic gadgetries, no perfect 5 step lesson plan, no cute template that makes children produce amazing, thoughtful responses on a writing prompt every time they attempt it. The more I am in the classroom every day with my students, the more simple everything becomes. If you want children to write, you must allow them to do it. You must encourage it. You absolutely MUST give them time. Time to succeed. Time to fail. Time to reflect. Time to actually LEARN.<br />
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Truth #3--And you must try not to do things in your teaching that have the exact opposite effect you are going for. When you make a child feel like less of a writer, guess what? She becomes less of a writer.<br />
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It is so affirming to read snippets of presentations on the twitter that mirror these thoughts. My teaching heart is bursting.<br />
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So anyway, a big shout out to all of the NCTE folks who are both living the dream and keeping it real. Perhaps someday, I'll manage to attend a conference and hear Donalyn Miller and Lucy Calkins in person. But for now, know that if you are sharing your special moments via twitter, via #ncte15, your reach is very far. You are having an impact on my teaching.<br />
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By sharing your thoughts and reflections, you are making a difference in the life of this teacher.<br />
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xo-<br />
<br />
hrhUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3293818069256266954.post-67039935409404830162015-11-15T08:25:00.002-08:002015-11-15T08:25:54.648-08:00November ThoughtsThis school year is no harder than any other school year. Really. My class is delightful--on Friday we had a writing session together that just blew me away. So many little pencils furiously scratching the page. I was inspired and humbled by their writing pursuits. And their talent.<br />
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No, the climate in the classroom is not the reason for the tremendous fatigue I feel. Nor is there anything I can point to easily. I think it's simply the usual.<br />
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Balance.<br />
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Or lack thereof.<br />
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I feel like a mouse on a see-saw, running up to the writing end of my life, then back to the teaching end. Back and forth. Up and down. High and low. (Except that this see-saw has more than two ends. There's home/family life in there somewhere, too.)<br />
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I recently gave a talk to interested folks about writing for children and the question invariably came up: "How do you do it all? How do you write and teach? Where do you find the time?" I joked that I steal time, because that's what you have to do. Steal it. (Nobody is going to give it to you willingly.) Then I talked for a bit about how I manage to balance it all.<br />
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I kind of exaggerated about the balancing, because the truth of it is that I'm not doing it as well as I'd like.<br />
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*cues mouse to begin running back and forth again*<br />
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And now, somehow, I find myself on the cusp of Thanksgiving. THANKSGIVING.<br />
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How did that happen? Where did the time go? (This is my constant whine.) Have I been so busy being the mouse running around like crazy that I missed the entire Fall ???<br />
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I don't know. Really I don't even know.<br />
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My gut says that I need to just embrace the mouse--that the mouse's struggle for balance is really just part of the human condition. Is my purpose really simply to balance the see-saw? Or is it to make my peace with the ups-and-down-of-it-all?<br />
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The reflection continues.<br />
<br />
hrh<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0