Water Runs Through This Book -- Review and TRIPLE Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man 

contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”  

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

GREAT post on commas HERE. The comma is the most misused punctuation in America. 

Anne R. Allen has some fun Tips for the Care and Feeding of Your Muse HERE. 

Barbara Kyle has a guest post on The Writing Desk HERE on the Anatomy of a Page-Turner. Very instructive.

Last week, I promised one of you a gently-read copy of Out at Home by Cal Ripken, Jr. and Kevin Cowherd. This week's winner is Molly. Congratulations, Molly! She is a semi-retired teacher and an aspiring writer and reviews middle-grade books at My Cozy Book Nook. Check it out HERE. If you didn't win, take heart. I have THREE giveaways this week. Keep on reading.

I am really pleased to tell you about a new book by Nancy Bo Flood. Nancy is one of the most talented and generous writers I know. I have reviewed two of her books on my blog -- a MG poetry collection called Cowboy Up! (review HERE) and a marvelous picture book, The Hogan that Great-Grandfather Jack Built (review HERE). I simply love her work. It is so original and so beautiful. Her poetry is stunning. Her new book, Water Runs Through This Book, is unlike anything you might have ever read. Here is the five-star review I wrote for the San Francisco Book Review. 

People can live a very long time without food or shelter, but they can only live two or three days without water. The only more critical element for life is oxygen. Our brains are mostly water. Our bodies are two-thirds water. Water connects all people. Nearly 70% of the Earth is covered by water, and rivers were the first thoroughfares. Water shapes the land. Even as people explore the moon and other planets, the key they look for is evidence of water. Water is life. But most don’t think about water very much until they don’t have it. This precious resource needs to be protected. For some peoples, water is a necessary component for ceremonies and rites. Water is sacred.

“Wilma Mankiller was an activist and the first female chief of the 

Cherokee Nation. For Wilma, ‘going to water’ meant home, 

family, and a healing place of prayer.”

Nancy Bo Flood is a teacher, poet, and writer. In this book, Flood uses both prose and poetry to

Nancy Bo Flood

accompany the spectacular photographs by Jan Sonnenmair to tell the story of this important resource in a way young people will understand and be engaged. Flood’s prose is succinct and lovely to read, and her poetry is spare and lyrical. This wonderful book will be appreciated by middle-grade readers, their parents, their teachers, and more. 

I read a wonderful interview with Nancy recently at Jennifer Wolf Kam's blog, and I think you will enjoy it as well. If you click HERE you can read it. Nancy has generously offered TWO signed copies of her book for giveaways this week! See. I told you she is generous! Thanks, Nancy. But I promised you a TRIPLE giveaway, so I am not done yet.

I am sure I have mentioned our daughter Maggie who is an actor in the national

tour of Once. She is also a singer/songwriter and released her second album last weekend. It is called Stripped Down (it's all acoustic). She not only wrote most of the songs, but did the photography for the cover, did all the design, and recorded the tracks herself! We are so proud of her. This album has three covers and eight of her own songs. I love it and have decided to share it with you.HERE is a link to her album and you can listen to a sample song and hear why I want to share her work. You can, of course, order a copy of her album if you like and help a starving artist. I have decided to give away a copy of her album as well. I'll bet I can even get her to sign it for the lucky winner. 

To win any of these wonderful prizes, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each 

that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.