Springtime in the Autumn of Our Lives: Happy National Poetry Month!

Like last year, I have invited some poet friends to share their work with us. I'm pleased to have Nancy Keck return with this year with this poem to spring. See her last year's submissions here, here, and here.

Spring Time in the Autumn of Our Lives


I am thankful for the lilacs and the rain this springtime in the Grand
Valley as I move unwillingly into old age.
So many spring times and autumns lived here in Colorado, the West,
though my memory remains in the North Country on the shore of
Lake Superior, my heart’s home.


Yet year upon year I’ve lived in the high desert
      where our daughters grew into brave young women,
      mothers now with compassionate careers
      their lives have passed as a flicker of a candle flame,
      as my life has passed
Until now when I wake in the morning and my mind searches my body
      for the locus of pain and I wonder
      How mobile will I be today?
      How long will my energy sustain me?
      What, if anything, will I accomplish?
The first cup of coffee brings hope
      soaking in a hot tub of Epsom Salts and lavender bring relief
      then, I can begin my day.



Focus on the good, I think, all the joys of this life
      extravagant scent of the lilacs
      deep softness of my husky’s thick, double coat
      steady richness of my husband’s garden
      peach-tender skin of my sleeping grandson’s cheek
      caring closeness of my daughters
      understanding humor of my friends
      sunlight glancing off the Colorado River, my sister now,
            after all the years I’ve spent on her banks
      joy of birdsong in the morning
      safety of our little house that shelters us, my husband and I,
            survivors of loss and desperation
      walking gently into these, the latest years of our lives
      believing in the dreams of our adult children
      loving the promise of our grandchildren
      seeking gratitude for all we have been given.


                                                ~Nancy E. Keck, May 16, 2016

What would be on your list when you focus on the good?

Happy Easter! Happy National Poetry Month!

I'm pleased to kick off National Poetry Month on this Easter Sunday with this carol by John M. C. Crum, "Now the Green Blade Riseth."



And for those of you who observe April Fool's Day, here's a link to Lucille Clifton's poem, "the calling of the disciples."

Stay tuned this month for posts from guest poet friends!

I Love LOVE!

Though a blizzard blows outside, this hyacinth gives me hope for spring, and LOVE is here!

I feel as if I have a little inside track on this book because I first heard about it when I heard de la Peña talk about it at the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival in 2016. Then he gave an amazing session about it at last year's Picture Book Summit.  And now the book is out in the world!

This book for all ages is actually a poem about what love is in its broadest definition. Matt de la Peña's beautiful language ("A cabdriver plays love softly on his radio/while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city...") married to Loren Long's sensitive illustrations demonstrate the many ways love manifests itself in one's life through good and bad. Diverse scenarios, races, religions, and persons show that we all experience--or hope to experience--love. And it's love that gives us the confidence and hope to keep going and giving. This is a book I will read and re-read and re-read and give to others. Recommended for everyone of every age.

Here's a video to give you a taste of the book and more about the author and illustrator:


I had thought about saving this post for Valentine's Day, but to quote the song, "What the world needs now is love, sweet love." Will you share it, LOVE, the book, and love the emotion?

Snow Globe Magic with Melissa Stoller

Snow globes do seem magical. Shake them, create a blizzard, and watch the flakes fall on the scene inside the globe. But what if the globe is really enchanted? Such is the premise in Melissa Stoller's Enchanted Snow Globe Collection, chapter books for young readers, illustrated by Callie Metler-Smith. The first book, Return to Coney Island , is based on a story from the author's family.

In the book, twins Emma and Simon enjoy hearing the story of how their great-grandmother and great-grandfather met at Coney Island. Soon, the magic of their grandmother's snow globe takes them there in the year 1928! The twins must think on their feet as they see similarities and differences between then and now. They experience the roller coaster, board walk, trolley, and other Coney Island attractions as they follow their great-grandmother as a young woman and make sure she meets her mate. What a fun way to make history come alive, and get kids thinking about their own families' pasts! The story is enriched by author Stoller's Family Book Club guide in the back, which includes discussion questions, a recipe, a craft, and family connection ideas. She also lists research links for readers who want to know more. I'm looking forward to the next in the series--The Liberty Bell Train Ride, coming in Spring 2018. Watch for Stoller's debut picture book in 2018, too!

For more about Stoller and her writing, see this interview with kidlit blogger and author, Vivian Kirkfield.

If you know me, you know I'm not a fan of winter, but here it is, January first in North America, so--

You Had Me at "Hello": Therapy Dogs and Reading

Who doesn't love a good dog story? And who doesn't love "hello" more than "goodbye"? That makes Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Patrice Barton, a winner! And I was a winner of this book, via an online entry.

Moose, Zara's beloved dog, loves "hello"--"Hello was a ride in the car...Hello was having a book and someone to read it to you...Hello smelled like homemade cookies...." So when Moose insists on running away from home to join Zara at school, you can imagine the chaos that caused. Barton's illustrations capture all the messy antics. Well, we all know that dogs don't belong at school--or do they? Moose was miserable and hated the word "goodbye," which Gianferrari defines as poetically as she defined "hello." Fortunately, Zara has an idea she can act upon, and before long, Moose becomes a therapy dog who comes to school and lets kids read to him. That made everyone happy, well summed up in Barton's final cozy illustration.

An author note tells more about therapy dogs as non-judgmental listeners. As Gianferri says, "It's the perfect combination: tales and tails!"

Thank you, Maria, for this wonderful story and the gift of this book!

Another recently published book about a therapy dog is Madeline Finn and the Library Dog, written and illustrated by Lisa Papp. For Madeline Finn, reading is hard, and the teacher is always telling her to read. Reading out loud is even harder and embarrassing. Ugh. Madeline tries. She sets a goal to achieve a gold star, but that result is not forthcoming. And then--at a trip to the public library, Madeline is introduced to Bonnie, a big white dog. Madeline reads to her and with Bonnie's calm presence, Madeline gains confidence and reading fluency. Madeline gets her gold star at school and goes to the library to give it to Bonnie, who had been absent the week before. Papp ends the book with a lovely surprise and more opportunities for Madeline's reading. The soft, warm illustrations support the story and the tone of the book. I especially like that Madeline's reading progress was not an overnight success, but a process.

Finally, please click this link and meet Roxie, one of the friendly Tail Waggin Tutors therapy dogs that visits the library where I work and lets kids read to her. Watching kids interact with Roxie, whether they read to her or not, is always fun. They usually start out hesitant, especially if the child is much smaller than the dog. But when Roxie seems to like their attention, they are happy--and so is Roxie.

Halloweensie Fun

Ladies and Gentlemen!

It's time for Susanna Leonard Hill's 7th Annual Halloweensie Contest!

The contest is fun and offers an opportunity to win great prizes. You, too, can enter--IF YOU DARE!

Bwahahaha! 

Basic Rules: Write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children using the words candy, monster, and shadow. Full info on the contest link above. MUST be posted by midnight 10/31.

So--here goes, folks. We all know this is not great literature, but I tried. Did you?

The Monster’s Regret

The monster crept

Behind the kids,

As they went trick or treating.

The monster leapt

Upon a bag

Of candy corn for eating.

The children wept

For loss of sweets

And fear of monster beatings.

The monster swept

Away a tear

Of sorrow that’s defeating.

The monster stepped

Up to the kids,

His candy swipe deleting.

The monster kept

No candy corn.

To keep it would be cheating.

The monster slept

Quite well that night

In shadows and clean sheeting.

Happy Halloweening!

Curiosity & Electric Ideas!

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it's from curiosity that we learn, invent, discover, and create.

From this premise and author Tory Christie's passion to encourage young people--especially girls--to explore science, The Curious McCarthy four-book set was born. 

Ten-year-old Curious, whose real name is Curie (after Marie, the scientist), is one of seven kids with an English teacher mom and an engineer dad. The family and other characters are introduced with humor in illustrations by Mina Price at the beginning of the books. 

In Curious McCarthy's Electric Ideas, the electricity goes off at the McCarthy home, leading Curious to be, well, curious, about electricity. Where does it come from? How does it work? She develops a hypothesis and tries to beat her trouble-maker little brother, John Glenn, in figuring it out. She also tries to beat a schoolmate in the annual arm wrestling championship. You'll have to read it to find out what happens.

This is a fiction book, yet the author includes footnotes. You say you skip those? Oh, don't! These are full of humor and tangential information. Be careful as you read, though, or you might learn something about electricity. Kids will love the school and family situations and great humor throughout.

Each book can stand alone, but contains the same family of characters. Other books in the set:

 Author Tory Christie, pen name of Victoria Christensen and Dakotas-Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) member agreed to answer a few questions.

Jane: What would you like our readers to know?

Tory: I think science should be fun and I hope that the Curious McCarthy books reflect that. I'd love to see more kids (and adults) approach the world with a sense of curiosity and wonder. 

Jane: I love Curious McCarthy’s Electric Ideas and look forward to reading the other 3 titles in this set!  Which one did you write first and what was the spark (pun intended) for the characters and plot?

Tory: Thank you so much for the feedback. I hope you love the other three titles just as much! I wrote the Power of Observation first. It was based on the true story of when I went to a new school. I don't want this to be a spoiler, so I won't spill the beans on what happens in that first book. You'll just have to read the story! Every book is loosely based on true events and the characters are based on my family. Oh ... wait ... the books are fiction ... really. Let's just say that my childhood and my large family gave me a lot of inspiration for the characters in the Curious McCarthy books. As for the plot, that is based on my quest to become a real scientist, even though I didn't have any science role models as a kid.

Jane: Usually when an author turns a manuscript in to an editor, it takes a year or more before it’s actually ready for publication. Your story is much different! Tell us about it.

Tory: Curious McCarthy started out as a picture book in the spring of 2016, believe it or not. I sent it to an agent who loved the voice, but thought it was better material for a chapter book. So, I spent a few weeks revising. In June of 2016, I brought the book to a SCBWI in Fargo to have it critiqued by editor Julie Gassman of Capstone Publishing. She introduced herself as the youngest in a family of nine, and I knew right then that she would "get" the humor of being part of a large family. She asked for the full manuscript right away. I wrote Family Chemistry and Electric Ideas as I waited for an answer. Before I knew it, I had a four book contract and spent much of the fall of 2016 working with Julie and Capstone's team on editing the first three books and writing the fourth, Not-So-Perfect Pitch.

Jane: Are you working on more science-related books? What should we watch for from you?

Tory: Right now I am working on two children's non-fiction books that are more closely related to my career as a scientist. The first is on Renewable Energy and the second is called Where's the Water? They should be published some time this spring.

Jane: Are you more like Curious McCarthy or like John Glenn? ;)

Tory: Really? John Glenn and I have nothing in common!

Jane: Hmm...I'm curious about that, Tory. I'll have to read the other books and get to know you better to find out if you're telling the truth! I'll watch for your other books, too! Thanks for the interview!