Writer's Retreat, Book Review, Giveaway, and More

Thought for the day:  The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress." ~Philip Roth~

A gift for my writer friends. I have a few links I think are really worth checking out. I’ve been so busy I haven’t been blogging very regularly – summer hours, you know – so I have more than my usual two to offer.

First, there is a famous saying in writing about how you have to learn to kill your darlings. I’ve been working on revisions, and it is very, very tough to kill my darlings. Here is a link with a pretty good article on that process.

http://www.writers-village.org/writing-award-blog/how-and-when-to-kill-your-darlings

Writer’s Digest has some good articles. I’m always interested in grammar (What can I say? I’m an old English teacher!) and this one had some things in it I thought were pretty interesting.

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/the-13-trickiest-grammar-hang-ups?et_mid=565474&rid=3028165

I found a new site/blog/kind of thing that has some amazing stuff on it. After you read The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Already Do, click where it says Timothy McSweeney at the top, and it will take you to the main page with links to plenty of other interesting articles.

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-better-than-you-normally-do

Last, but far from least and absolutely the most fun, is Shannon Messenger’s blog post about a fabulous time waster. This could explain one of the reasons I haven’t blogged in a while! It is WAY too much fun.

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-excellent-way-to-waste-time-youre.html

For my fabulous, albeit late again, giveaway from last post, the winner is Debi Summers! Congratulations to you, Debi. I will be sending you a copy of Just Write, Here’s How! It’s a useful book and I think you and some others in your family will love it. I have another giveaway for today, so stay tuned.

Suzanne Bloom (left) and Nicole Groeneweg

Now, one of the reasons I’ve been tardy on blogging is that I’ve been out of town. First, I went to Virginia, near Washington D.C., to be hosted by the lovely and generous Nicole Groeneweg, soon-to-be-published picture book author, who showed me the best time in her very historical part of the country. Since she and I both love American History, she took me to the homes of three founding fathers – George Mason, George Washington, and James Madison. They were all great, but the highlight was the re-enactor at the home of James Madison. He was fantastic! After three great days of touring and with a short stop in Gettysburg to brunch with my great friend Sara Rohr, Nicole and I drove to northeastern Pennsylvania. What a fantastic trip. Thanks, Nicole!! 

We went to a Highlights Foundation week-long retreat in Boyds Mills, PA with über-editor Carolyn Yoder. I worked hard on a non-fiction manuscript that Carolyn says is now ready to send out. WooHoo!! (Okay. One more polish first.) We had visits from several of the editors at Highlights Magazine, High Five Magazine, and Boyds Mills Press. We also had visits from Suzanne Bloom and Gail Jarrow, both terrific authors. Suzanne read us her latest Bear and Goose story, Oh! What a Surprise!, (one of the sweetest and funniest picture books I've ever read) then gave autographed copies to each of us. Gail also autographed copies of our choice of two of her books: I got a copy of Lincoln's FlyingSpies: Thaddeus Lowe and the Civil War Balloon Corps and some received The Amazing Harry Kellar: Great American Magician, a book I already own. Both are simply wonderful books and, although kids will love them, adults will as well. I highly recommend them both.

I have lots of new ideas for writing projects from the travels, the editor and author visits, as well as from the other wonderful attendees during our many unbelievable meals, critique sessions, and casual meetings. We have such a great group that comes together there in August. This is our third year and it is amazing. As long as the Highlights Foundation continues to offer this retreat, I will be going. I really recommend if there is any way you can get to one of the Highlights Foundation workshops or retreats, you should try to do it. It’s a magical place.

Another reason I’ve been so tardy with my writing is a new teaching assignment I’ve taken on. I will be working one-on-one with two students who, due to illness, can’t attend school. One is a 7^th grader, the other an 11^th grader. The time it takes to prepare to teach each of them the full curriculum is daunting, but I just love the opportunity to work with these brave kids. It looks like it will be a year-long assignment, so I might just blog a little less often, but it’s for a good cause. I will try to be more regular with my blog posts though.

Rebecca Stead

I do want to share a review of a middle-grade novel I read and reviewed recently for the Sacramento Book Review. It’s called Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead. This is simply one of the best middle-grade novels I’ve read in awhile. It’s a story about a boy who is going through what a lot of young people today are facing – moving out of their life-long home due to the economic downturn and a parent losing a job. Georges, named for Seurat and suffering from having what most middle-schoolers would call a lame name, has to deal with many changes in his young life. When he and his dad go to the laundry room in the basement of the apartment building they’ve moved to, they see a sign on a storage room for a spy club. Georges’s dad puts a note on the door that asks what time the meeting is and later they find an answer. Georges decides to go to that meeting and this begins a journey of mystery, learning, tolerance, and friendship that is clever, smart, and authentic to the life of a middle grade boy. I described it in my review as being nearly a thriller, and it is. I loved this book. Rebecca Stead won the Newbery medal for her book WhenYou Reach Me, and I can’t wait to read that one. In the mean time, one of you can have my very own ARC of Liar & Spy if you are the lucky winner. Leave a comment below, and I will put your name in a hat. If you spread the word about this post by putting a link to it in your blog or on your Facebook page or some such social media, let me know, and I’ll put your name in a second time.

On the book giveaway, this is for U.S. only. Sorry, but it would be too expensive for me to send books out of the country. But please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. Remember, if you have trouble leaving a comment, click on the title of the post and it will give you just this post with a comments section on the bottom. Also, if you haven’t signed up by email, please do. Just look in the upper right-hand corner of this page, pop your email address in, and you will receive an email each time I put up a new post. Your information will not be shared with anyone.

Editing Counts!

If you are reading this in your email, don’t forget to click on the headline to go to my blog. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do. And please leave a comment. If you have trouble leaving a comment, please click on the title of the post and comments should pop up at the bottom. If you don’t have one of the accounts they ask for or don’t want to use that, please use Anonymous, but let me know who you are. Thanks. I love to hear from you.

Here are a couple of links to really good things for my writer friends.

First you can get some good writing advice directly from Kurt Vonnegut’s own mouth. There are also links to advice from other great writers. I’m particularly fond of John Steinbeck’s pithy advice. Check it out. http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/03/kurt-vonnegut-on-writing-stories/

If you’re writing picture books, this is an excellent post: http://teazurs.blogspot.com/2011/12/picture-book-writing.html

Now, I have the pleasure of announcing the WINNERS of the giveaway from my last blog post. The first winner is Joyce Moyer Hostetter, who will receive a copy of An Elephant in the Garden, and the second winner is Elizabeth Varadan, who will receive Kaspar the Titanic Cat. Congratulations to both. Stay tuned, because I have decided this is so much fun, I will have yet another giveaway this post!

If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you know I do a LOT of book reviews, not only on this blog, but for the Sacramento Book Review. I work almost exclusively with middle-grade books and picture books. Once in awhile I will review an adult or YA. In the last few weeks, I’ve reviewed books written by award-winning authors that left much to be desired. One said “Newbery Honor Winner” just above the author’s name and below the title, which might leave the impression that this book was a Newbery Honor winner. Wouldn’t it be more honest to say Newbery Honor writer? And it was in 1984 – 28 years ago. I find that a little disingenuous. The second book doesn’t tout it on the cover, but on the jacket flap it describes the author as “an acclaimed poet and the Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator …” So the author of this book won an award for illustrating – not for writing – and he didn’t illustrate the book I reviewed. Someone else illustrated it.

Now I bring this up because both of these books were soooooo disappointing to me. Both were published in hardback by big houses in New York. And here is where I lay some of the blame. I have the impression, especially with the book mentioning the Newbery Honor, that there was little or no editing going on. I guess the editor assumed the honor-winning writer didn’t need any help. Reading that book, kids will be confused by so much, especially the overly-long list of characters who are all much the same. The book could easily have been pruned by about 30% and would have been a much better book for it. It is being sold as a book for kids 7-9 years old, but I doubt many would make it through. The other book was written in rhyme – often forced rhyme – with little metrical structure. The book came in at just over a hundred pages and is illustrated. Normally, I would read a book like that in an hour or so. It took me all day because I had to keep taking breaks due to the pounding headache it gave me. Not kidding. The sad thing is it had a great story that would have been quite wonderful written in prose. Did an editor actually look at this and okay it? I know publishing companies are cutting back in a lot of areas, but, for heaven’s sake, don’t let books go out unedited! That is not a recipe for success.

On the other hand, I’m reading wonderful early novels – books that are just knocking my socks off – some of which I’ve reviewed on this blog, like Three Rivers Rising, May B., and One for the Murphys. If you click on the titles, you will be taken to my reviews of them. This week I picked up a book – wish I could remember where I heard about it, but I can’t – that I just fell in love with. It’s called Eight Keys, and I suggest you run right out and find a copy. This is only the second book by Suzanne LaFleur, and I haven’t read her first book, but I guarantee I will read it as soon as I can. Eight Keys is simply one of the most engaging books I’ve read in a long time and ranks right up there with the other books I mentioned in this paragraph.

Elise lives with her Aunt Bessie and Uncle Hugh and has since her father died when she was three. Her mother died in childbirth. (“Oh, no,” I hear you saying. “Not another dead-mother book!” But wait. This one is really, really good!) Elise has been best friends with a neighbor boy, Franklin, for just about forever. They have lots of fun playing together. He’s really smart and a great friend. They are as comfortable as a pair of old bedroom slippers. But summer is ending and they must go off to the big middle school that is fed by four or five elementary schools.

Suzanne LaFleur

Elise is pretty nervous about all the kids she won’t know and fitting in and having lots of different teachers she doesn’t know and all those things that are scary about changing schools. She is assigned to share a locker with a girl who is pretty, popular, and a flat-out bully. She sets out to make Elise’s life a misery and is pretty successful at it. Elise and Franklin start to grow apart, and Elise does nothing to nurture their friendship. In fact, she does a lot to damage it. She also has a great deal of trouble making the academic transition to middle school, struggling with the work and giving up easily.

At home, Elise discovers a mysterious key that leads her to a journey of discovery about whom she is and helps her to do a lot of growing up.  She has a great support system of family and friends of her father who all help her find her way without doing everything for her. She is allowed to make mistakes and find herself. The cast of characters is just the right size for a middle-grade novel, each interesting and really necessary to the story. The writing is as smooth as polished granite, and the story is engaging, uplifting, and compelling. Not only will the target audience of middle graders like this book, but others will as well. I loved every word and highly recommend it. Suzanne LaFleur is a great new writer! I also suspect there was a really good editor involved who did his or her job on this one!

Now for the giveaway. I wish I had a copy of Eight Keys to give away, but I don’t. So I’m offering your choice of A) one of the best picture books I’ve ever read – Neville written by Norton Juster and illustrated by G. Brian Karas (you can read my Sacramento Book Review write-up by clicking HERE) or B) May B., the middle-grade book in verse written by Caroline Starr Rose I mentioned earlier in this post. (You can read my SBR write-up of May B. by clicking HERE.) Just leave a comment by midnight next Tuesday, April 17. You can receive an extra chance in the drawing if you post a link to my blog on Facebook or your blog. Just let me know and I’ll give you two chances in the drawing. Oh, and please tell me which book you would prefer to receive.

Remember, if you have trouble leaving a comment, click on the title of the post and it will give you just this post with a comments section on the bottom. Let the games begin!

Tell Me a Story -- Narration in Today's Writing. Book Reviews and a Give-Away

If you are reading this in your email, don’t forget to click on the headline to go to my blog. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do. And please leave a comment. If you have trouble leaving a comment, please click on the title of the post and comments should pop up at the bottom. If you don’t have one of the accounts they ask for or don’t want to use that, please use Anonymous, but let me know who you are. Thanks. I love to hear from you.

First of all, for my writer friends, two great links. The first is to remind you why it’s probably a really bad idea to ask for advice on your writing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sifESist1KY

If I posted this before, forgive me. I look at it now and then just ‘cause it makes me laugh out loud.

I know the SCBWI Spring Spirit Conference is coming up very soon her in the Sacramento area, and I'm sure there are spring conferences all over the place, so here is a blog post with some important reminders: http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/conference-dos-and-donts2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WritingAndIllustrating+%28Writing+and+Illustrating%29

Second order of business is WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!!  The winner of the drawing for my own ARC of One for the Murphys is SHANNON HITCHCOCK! Yay for Shannon. I am contacting her for a snail mail address and soon she will be reading this wonderful book. We have another give-away today, with TWO winners, so make sure you read to the end.

Today I’d like to talk about the return of narrative. For as long as I have been seriously writing, I have heard and read that we have to show, don’t tell. Dialogue and action reign over all. Narration should be nearly non-existent in our writing. Actually, I think it’s pretty good advice a lot of the time, but great writing sometimes happens when a story is told – narrated – just like stories have been told for thousands of years.

A few months ago, I reviewed a book for the Sacramento Book Review that really stuck with me. I thought about it a lot and was amazed that it was published in the publishing environment that exists today, because it is almost totally narration. That book is An Elephant inthe Garden by Michael Morpurgo. You can see my review by clicking HERE. It is a wonderful story based on a true happening from Europe in World War II. Morpurgo strays far from the original happening, but good historical fiction often does.

What is amazing to me is how Morpurgo structured the story. It begins with a woman who works as a nurse at a home for elderly people. The woman has to bring her young son Karl along one Saturday when she is working because she doesn’t have anyone to leave him with. She pretty much tells us (narration) her part of the story. While there, Karl wanders into the room of Lizzie, one of the patients. Karl protests when his mother drags him out that Lizzie was about to tell him the story of the elephant. His mother tells him there is no elephant, just the imaginings of an old woman. Lizzie asks about Karl and Karl comes to see her again. She begins to tell (narration) the story of an elephant in her garden, many years ago during World War II when she was a child in Germany and how that elephant helped her family escape from both the Nazis and the Russians at the end of the war. It is an incredible adventure and a love story all wrapped up together. Lizzie tells (narration) Karl and his mother this story over a couple of visits and there is narration by the nurse between visits to break Lizzie’s long narration.

I loved the story and the writing. It was a real treat to lose myself in the idea of simple, old-fashioned storytelling. Come on. We all love to have a good story told to us, so why is there so much writing angst about narration? Clearly, Michael Morpurgo isn’t suffering from that angst. He has tons of books published. (No. Seriously. I mean TONS. Look at his website books page by clicking where it says "books page." He has written wonderful, popular books like this one and War Horse, which I haven’t read yet, but I will. Today I read another of his books – Kaspar the Titanic Cat – and, guess what? It is TOTAL narration. I liked it every bit as much as An Elephant in the Garden. What can I say? I just love having a story told to me. I’m a kid at heart. And since Morpurgo writes books for kids, he just might be on to something.

Kaspar the Titanic Cat is a lovely story of an orphan boy who finds himself, true friendship, and a family because of a prince of a cat. It’s fanciful, but totally believable. Johnny Trott works as a bell-boy at the Savoy Hotel. He is befriended by an opera singer, Countess Kandinsky, who comes to stay at the hotel for three months with her cat Kaspar. Johnny is chosen to care for the cat, walking him during his breaks and making sure he is fed and cared for when the Countess is away at practices and performances. When the countess is killed in a traffic accident, Johnny tries to take care of Kaspar, but the cat will not eat and hardly even drinks water. He loses weight and his coat dulls. A wealthy American family, the Stantons, comes to stay at the Savoy for a couple of months prior to their up-coming trip on the wonderful, new ocean liner, the Titanic. The Stanton’s young daughter, Lizziebeth, discovers Kaspar and is able to get him to eat again. They become great friends and Lizziebeth becomes friends with Johnny as well. Johnny ends up saving her life and the Stantons reward him. When it is the time for them to leave, Johnny gives Kaspar to Lizziebeth, and the Stantons take Johnny along to the Titanic to help them settle in on the ship. Johnny decides to stow away and go to America. Remember now – this is the Titanic. This entire book is Johnny Trott telling (narration) his story.

Michael Morpurgo

Narration has its place in writing. Few writers would take on this kind of complete or nearly complete narration these days, but when done well, it works. I think Michael Morpurgo does it very well. I’d like to offer two of you the chance to see what you think. I am going to give away my gently-read copies of An Elephant in the Garden and Kaspar the Titanic Cat. You can win one of them. You will get your name in my blog hat (from which my eminently honest granddaughter Gracie will choose two names) if you leave a comment here on the blog, and tell me what you think about narration angst or anything else on your mind and which of the books you would prefer. Because I am trying to drive more traffic to my site, I will put your name in a second time if you put a link to my blog on your blog or even on Facebook and let me know that. The person whose name is chosen first will receive the book of his or her choice. The second name drawn will receive the other book. That drawing will take place next Wednesday – April 11 – so have your comments in by midnight , Tuesday, April 10. These are both wonderful books and I know you will enjoy either. So, please leave a comment and let the games begin!

One for the Murphys Review and Give-away

Here is a little gift for all of you. It’s a link to something that is just flat funny. If you like Shakespeare, you will really love this one.

http://biggeekdad.com/2011/11/the-three-little-pigs/#.Tt7qe3p6n5F.facebook

This second link is for my writing friends. It’s a great blog post on character development. Enjoy! http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/ten-character-development-tips/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WritingAndIllustrating+%28Writing+and+Illustrating%29

I know I’ve been posting less than usual this year, but I hope to get back to normal one of these days. I’m happy to report my husband has regained his health and the stress of his illness is gone. Yes, you can beat cancer. YAY! That said, I am going to a very important writer’s workshop next month and am under the gun to finish up some materials quickly to be ready for that, so that’s taking a lot of time. BUT, I really want to get this post up while it’s fresh in my mind. So here goes.

Now and then, I read a book that simply captures my heart. This is one. I read a review of it somewhere – wish I could remember where – and knew I wanted to read it. I corresponded with the author and suggested she have a copy sent to the Sacramento Book Review and I would try to claim it. That all worked out and, thanks to some baseball practices my grandkids had, I was able to carve out some good reading time while they worked on their skills – time I couldn’t have had if I’d been home with my research staring me in the face.

One for the Murphys is the debut novel of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and what a debut it is! It’s categorized as a middle-grade book, but will likely become popular not only with middle-grade kids (girls more than boys, but I think boys will like it, too), but with teens and adults who appreciate great characters and excellent story-telling.

I do not suffer fools gladly, so when I find characters who are bright, clever, and funny, I am engaged. Carley Connor has all those characteristics and a wicked sarcastic edge that is icing on the cake. She is a 12-year-old girl who hasn’t had much good in her life. Most recently, she finds herself in the same hospital as her mother, both having suffered terrible beatings at the hands of Carley’s new stepfather, Dennis. The difference, we find out, is Carley has a memory that when she tried to escape from him, her mother grabbed her ankle and held her for Dennis. Wow. How bad can things get?

Carley is taken from the hospital to a foster home, a family with three young boys. Of course she believes she will simply be used as a live-in babysitter. What she finds is a woman who loves her three boys unconditionally, has a warm and loving home, and opens herself to Carley. Carley doesn’t quite know what to make of it. “I don’t belong here. I begin to think that a foster mother who smokes cigars and makes me sleep in the basement would be a relief.” But she finds herself liking the younger boys and opening herself up a bit to this place and family, keeping her defenses handy, just in case.

School is another issue. She has no friends and at first it doesn’t seem there’s much of a chance she will make any. When she is assigned to do a project with a partner – someone she can’t stand, of course – she discovers she might just have a friend after all and maybe life is getting good. But there are still trust issues and without trust, friendships can disintegrate.

Lynda Mullaly Hunt

The real core of the story though is Carley’s relationship with her foster mother, Mrs. Murphy, who seems to have a window into Carley’s very soul and ways to reach in and help her find herself and know herself.

Most of the time, it wasn’t like my mother told me I was anything—good or bad. But when Mrs. Murphy tells me I’m smart, I am. When she tells me I’m funny, I am. When she tells me how thoughtful I am, I become that way. I swear, if she told me I was a duck, I’d be checking in my high-tops for webbed feet.

The family grows on Carley and she grows on them. She even makes friends with the oldest of the three boys when she works with him on his basketball skills. She hasn’t had good experiences with men, but learns to trust Mr. Murphy, ultimately becoming close to him as well. But the only thing certain about foster care is that it’s so uncertain. It’s all turned out pretty well and Carley seems content and happy when she is faced with a most difficult decision.

I remember how my mom used to say we were the same. That the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I think, now, that although the apple can come from the tree that it can land on the ground and roll down a hill and end up in a totally different place.

This is a lovely novel, one that will capture you and stay with you. The biggest disappointment is that it ended. I found myself so engaged by the characters and the terrific writing and story that I simply wanted to go on reading. (Do I hear “Sequel?”)

I love this book so much I have decided I want to share it with one of you. If you leave a comment by midnight April 1^st (no fooling!), I will be doing a drawing (honest granddaughter Gracie will actually choose the winner) from the names of those who comment, and I’ll send my very own gently-read advanced reader copy of One for the Murphys off to one of you (U.S. only). It won't be out until May, so this is your only way to get it NOW! So write something in the comment section and try your luck. You won’t be disappointed.

If you are reading this in your email, don’t forget to click on the headline to go to my blog. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do. And please leave a comment. If you have trouble leaving a comment, please click on the title of the post and comments should pop up at the bottom. If you don’t have one of the accounts they ask for or don’t want to use that, please use Anonymous, but let me know who you are. Thanks. I love to hear from you.

I'm Back ... With a Book Review of May B.

Hello Blog Readers. I know some of you must think I fell off the edge of the world, but I didn’t. After the craziness of the holidays, my husband was hit with some serious germs, and I have spent my time nursing and worrying. We aren’t out of the woods yet and won’t be for quite awhile, so please excuse me if my blogging is spotty over the next couple of months.

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I ran across this quote recently and think it really speaks to writers. I am going to make a little poster of it and hang it in my office. I thought it would be a nice way to start the blog post today. I think it would be equally useful for things other than writing, like decorating and fashion design and ………., well, who knows. You might want to fill in the blank yourself. But it is a particularly appropriate quote for a review of a fine book written in verse.

Last April, I reviewed a marvelous book, Three Rivers Rising by Jaime Richards. First, it is historical fiction – well researched and a compelling story. Second, it was written in verse. I found that fascinating. The language was so spare and beautiful. If you missed the review, you can read it HERE . There is also a nice interview with Jaime HERE .

You might wonder why I am bringing up these posts from last year, but I have a reason. It is by way of introducing a brand new book, just released this month. It is also historical fiction and is also written in verse. Now I love historical fiction. I love to read it and I love to write it. My second (not yet published) novel is historical fiction, and I have some other such pieces in the pipeline. But verse? Holy Guacamole! I don’t know how people do this, but Caroline Starr Rose has done it so very nicely in her debut novel, May B.

Caroline Starr Rose

12-year-old Mavis Betterly, May B., has lived most of her life in the plains of Kansas. It is the late 1800s and May and her family live in a sod house (soddy) miles from neighbors or towns. Her best friend is her older brother Hiram, who defends May when her reading disability makes things hard for her at school. It’s a hard life and the family of four struggles. When a neighbor offers to hire May to help his new wife with cooking and housework, May’s father agrees. May doesn’t want to go, but is given no choice. She worries about missing school, especially since she has such trouble reading. Her dream is to become a teacher one day, and she knows she can’t accomplish that if she can’t go to school. Her father promises he will get her back before Christmas, but five months stretches immeasurably for May.

Mrs. Oblinger is young. May thinks she’s not much older than May is. And she is a town girl – apparently miserable in her new life. Mr. Oblinger is a kind man and tries in every way to make his new wife happy. May does her work and thinks about home and her own family.

Ma’s probably rolling dough,

Humming.

Maybe Hiram’s grinding coffee

Now that I’m not there to help.

He’s already brought the milk pail in.

When Pa gets back,

He’ll share what he heard in town.

May isn’t particularly happy or comfortable, but it’s clear she will do what she needs to do to meet the obligation her father set for her. One day, Mrs. Oblinger says she is going for a ride, but leaves a note behind saying that she is going home. When Mr. Oblinger reads the note, he takes the rifle, gets into his wagon, and tells May to not hold supper. He might be awhile.

Fear flashes inside me.

Pa never left Hiram and me without

protection.

All around me there is nothing

but the prairie and the sky.

“Silly girl,” I tell myself.

“There’s no reason to worry.”

But it takes time for my heart to slow.

May faces something few could – loneliness, fear, few supplies, wolves, and finally a huge blizzard. This is a story of courage and perseverance and resourcefulness. It is told in the clear voice of a young girl, true to the time and place of the story. It is beautifully written and a compelling read. You can easily read it in a day and I recommend you do. It is well worth your time.

Here is a link to a great book give-away you might want to check out: http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2012/01/2000-follower-awesome-giveaway.html

If you are reading this in your email, don’t forget to click on the headline to go to my blog. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do. And please leave a comment. If you have trouble leaving a comment, please click on the title of the post and comments should pop up at the bottom. If you don’t have one of the accounts they ask for or don’t want to use that, please use Anonymous, but let me know who you are. Thanks. I love to hear from you.

Forget Black Friday...and a Book Give-Away

Forget the crowds and the lines and staying up all night. Give the gift of stories and reading this year. AND you don’t have to spend a lot of time sorting through all the books out there. I’ve been writing book reviews for this blog and for the Sacramento Book Review this year, so I have read a great number of books and can help you out with your list. Below are some great recommendations for everyone on your list. Enjoy! And remember, if you click on the book title, it will take you to my review in the Sacramento Book Review or to Amazon and more information about the books.

For the Littlest Ones:

King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently and Helen Oxenbury – Possibly the BEST bedtime story of this century. Oh, and the illustrations are perfect.

When a Dragon Moves In by Jodi Moore and Howard McWilliam – Really taps into family dynamics and kids’ imaginations. And, BONUS, it's funny!

Pretty Princess Pig by Jane Yolen, Heidi E. Y. Stemple and Sam Williams – Cute rhyming picture book for the youngest of children.

There Was an Odd Princess Who Swallowed a Pea by Jennifer Ward and Lee Calderon – Funny, funny book based on an old folk song. The illustrations are funny, too. Kids will love this one.

Kindergarteners through Third Graders:

You Can’t Eat a Princess and You Can’t Scare a Princess by Gillian Rogerson and Sarah McIntyre – The most charming and funny princess books EVER with illustrations that will knock your little girl’s sparkly socks off. Not kidding! You can read a nice interview with Gillian Rogerson by clicking HERE.

Every Cowgirl Needs Dancing Boots by Rebecca Janni and Lynne Avril – This cute book has some great lessons in it, but they don’t overwhelm. The illustrations are very sweet.

Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems by Kristine O’Connell George and Nancy Carpenter – Without a doubt, the BEST collection of poems for sisters. The illustrations are heart-breakingly beautiful and so is the story.

Neville by Norton Juster and G. Brian Karas – If you know a boy who is facing a move, get this book. If you know a boy, buy this book. It’s really for everyone, but boys will especially like it. It’s a perfect book for children. That’s all. Just perfect.

Small Saul by Ashley Spires – What little boy doesn’t like pirates? This is a book with some important messages well hidden in funny pictures and a terrific story.

Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri – All kids will like this funny book with even funnier illustrations, and they will want to have it read to them over and over. But you won’t care. It just as funny for the reader as for the kids.

For Fourth through Eighth Grade Girls:

Ivy’s Ever After and Ivy and the Meanstalk by Dawn Lairamore -- Girls will love these inventive stories with a clever, strong heroine. They are funny and smart. I hope there are more to come!

The Summer of Hammers and Angels by Shannon Wiersbitzky – Small town life in the south is a great frame for this sweet story that reminds us that it really does take a village. Read a full review of the book HERE and an interview with the author HERE.

Sparrow Road by Sheila O’Connor – This is a sweet little mystery with great characters that will keep the pages turning and warm the heart.

For Fourth through Eighth Grade Boys:

Upon Secrecy and By the Sword by Selene Castrovilla –These wonderful non-fiction books will trick kids into learning some real history. They will be so fascinated, they’ll never guess while reading these books they are learning. The first is the story of George Washington’s spy ring during the revolution. I’ll bet you didn’t know he had one. I didn’t. The second is a terrific story of the Battle of Long Island, a very personal story of sacrifice and heroism.

Big Nate on a Roll and all the Big Nate books in the series by Lincoln Peirce – Have a reluctant reader to buy for? Fool them with these “comic” books. You will hook them into a whole series of well-written books with great characters they won’t want to let go.

Magyk by Angie Sage and Mark Zug – This recommendation comes to you via my grandson, Gehrig, who said it was a really good book for kids who like fantasy. It’s on my list of to read books, but I’d trust Gehrig on this one.

For Teens and Those of Us Who Love YA:

Healing Water: A Hawaiian Story by Joyce Moyer Hostetter – This is historical fiction at its best – well researched, beautifully written, and a riveting story. I never knew much about leprosy, but now I do. Amazon says this is for fifth grade and up, but some of this is pretty mature and it’s rich enough to easy hold the attention of teens and up. Read a full review HERE.

Angry Management by Chris Crutcher – Just click HERE for the review I wrote earlier this year. Then click HERE, HERE, and HERE to read more about Chris Crutcher and some of his other books. If he wrote it, I recommend it and your teens will like it. These are mostly “boy” books, but girls will like them as well.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt – Amazon says this is for kids ten and up, but I think it’s more appropriate for teens (and adults, frankly). It takes a certain maturity to see all the richness in this beautifully written coming-of-age story. This is a real winner. Read my full review HERE.

I’m Not Her by Janet Gurtler – This is a lovely, important book that might really help kids examine their own lives and how they live them. Unfortunately, it will probably be seen as a girl’s book and boys will probably pass it by. Too bad for them. They will miss a lot.

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill – Again, Amazon says this is for younger kids, but I don’t buy it. It’s strange and intense and a little scary. I think teens would really like this odd little book.

Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards – This stunning book is written in blank verse. It takes hardly any time to read, but is so rich and so powerful, one will feel filled and sated at the end. Girls, more than boys, will love this, and believe me, they will love it. You can read a full review of it by clicking HERE and an interview with the author HERE.

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan – This book is great for both guys and girls. It is filled with heartbreak, horror, and uncommon heroism. You can read the full review by clicking HERE.

For the Grown-Ups:

As you may know, I read a great deal of kid lit and it doesn’t leave much time for adult lit. One thing that means is I’m pretty picky on what I spend my limited time. It also means if you are a regular reader of my blog, you might already know about most of the books I’m mentioning. Some of these are books that have been around a long time, but good books are good books forever, and I don’t always get to the new books.

The Last Child by John Hart – This is such a good book, I can hardly say enough about it. It's a thriller of the first order. Read my full review from an earlier post by clicking HERE.

True Grit by Charles Portis – This is one of those books I’m going to read again as soon as I have time. The writing is amazing and the story and characters are powerful and memorable. I don’t care if this was written over sixty years ago. If you have someone on your list who loves good books, this is one worth having. Read my full review HERE.

The Lost Mother by Mary McGarry Morris – This book will break your heart, but you won’t be able to put it down. It will transport you to the Great Depression and a very real story of life in that time. Read the full review HERE and an interview with the author HERE. I also recommend A Hole in the Universe and Light from a Distant Planet by the same author. Those are the only books of hers I’ve read, but I will get to more as soon as I can. I love her writing.

The Help by Katherine Stockett – There’s a reason this has been such a red-hot best seller. It’s GOO-OOD. ‘Nuff said. Give it to yourself and anyone else who likes to read good books.

Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard – I know. I know. Another book that’s been around for years. My favorite son-in-law, Gordon, has been telling me to read Elmore Leonard for a long time. I just never got around to it. I certainly will be reading more books by him. This is funny and smart and full of quirky characters. I loved it.

That should pretty much cover anybody on your shopping list. Just think, with all the time I’ve saved you, maybe you can just sit down and read a good book. If you do, let me know about it. I’m always looking for something to read. And please leave a comment with what books you would recommend for shoppers this year.If you leave a comment with a book recommendation before my next post, I will put your name in a drawing for a good book. I don't have one of those fancy-schmancy random generators. My granddaughter, Gracie, will take care of the drawing. She is very honest. I won't tell you what book I'm giving away, but I promise it will be a good one.

If you are reading this in your email, don’t forget to click on the headline to go to my blog. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do. And please leave a comment. If you have trouble leaving a comment, please click on the title of the post and comments should pop up at the bottom. If you don’t have one of the accounts they ask for or don’t want to use that, please use Anonymous, but let me know who you are. Thanks. I love to hear from you.

Next post I will have some terrific links for my writing friends, so please stop by often.