So many books - for all ages - in a great many genres - feature recipes that Kidsread.com has put together a short list of new fiction for middle grades and up that revolve around cupcakes, bakeries and sweet treats.  There are a couple of notable titles missing - Sarah Weeks' Pie, for instance, and Patricia Reilly Giff's Gingersnap - but the other titles look awesome.

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In a very round about way, I discovered the Flickr pages of a man who draws on his children's lunch sandwich bags and has done so since 2008.   His name is David LaFerriere.  His drawings are all whimsical and super creative.  Wish I thought of that.

Here's a video of his explanation for what he does.

Thanks to Betsy at Fuse#8 and Crooked House for sharing this.

Happy Dad's Day to all the Dads out there.  You don't need to do artwork on your kids' food to be a super Dad.

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I am going on a blog mini-hiatus which means; don't expect much in June.  Tomorrow, my remaining parent goes in for surgery; my son is finishing his degree which means we are babysitting more; and I must battle bunnies in the garden - oh, and weeds.

I suddenly got an urge to re-read Exiles at Home by Hilary McKay.  This was the first McKay book I ever read and the the way the girls' project intersects with another family member's project delights me.  I want to revisit the details.  Why exactly DID they send in that magazine coupon?  How did they manage to meet their commitment?  What happened to that nice older couple?

So, a visit to the library is in order.  I may re-read all the Exiles books, and then, who knows?  The Amber Cat?  The Casson Family series?  It's summer.  Time to go on a Favorite Author tour.

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I will do anything to avoid housework, especially if the distraction allows me to play.  Check out my tower made of magazine-insert origami boxes.  Then, visit my Let's Make Stuff page for directions and the story behind this piece of silliness.

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Forget all blog-related "schedules".  I will post what I want when I want.  This week's KBWT is KBWThursday.  (I was off doing something else on Tuesday.)

Barefoot Books has been one of my favorite publishers since they arrived on the scene.  Their folklore anthologies are attractive and fun to read.  Barefoot Books is committed to providing colorful books that provide children with access to diverse cultures and activities.

Visit their Kids page to download craft activities, watch videos and listen to stories.

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The Prologue of the first book in the Family Tree Quartet warns us that sometimes, as the title says, it is Better to Wish than to know what is in the future.

Abby's story starts in 1930 when she is 8.  We learn that times are tough but that her father works hard.  Abby's mother still grieves for the two children she lost.  Abby has a good friend, Orrin, that her father doesn't want her to play with.  This first chapter sets the stage for the challenges Abby faces as a girl coming to age in the Depression.  Her father's intractable ideas about people and their worth, her mother's inability to stand up to her husband, the fact that under it all these are people who are just trying hard to do their best, all these things make Abby's choices hard but understandable.

This book sees Abby from childhood through adulthood, from carefree days to brave decisions.  It's a lot for one 200+ page book to do.  Martin does it well.  Her language does not burden young readers with all the concerns that an adult reader will glean.  The book has just enough introspection for the audience which is girls between the ages of 11 and 14.

I look forward to reading the other books in the quartet.

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It's Children's Books Week!  Kids' books are awesome.  Go to the Children's Book Week Kids site.  There is a project there where you can print out the stories started by excellent children's book authors and you get to finish the story!!  This is a great classroom activity and a fun activity for story-minded children everywhere.

Vote on your favorite children's books.  Check out Children's Book Week events around the country.  Print out bookmarks.  Check out the latest list of Best Books. 

Go to your local library and check out some books!  Children's Books are for every day, not just one week a year.

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Just so you know, when I feature a publisher's website I get no remuneration.  I just feature those websites because I like them.

Today, for Kids Book Website Tuesday, I offer you the HMH Books for Young Readers Blog.   This is a book review blog touting the latest and greatest of HMH's offerings.  You can watch book trailers.  You can choose to view only Teen titles or Kids titles or both and there are categories among all these books for you to choose from.  The blog is colorful and a teensy bit interactive.  I like it.

I also want to feature an author today.  I just finished Jessica Day George's Wednesdays in the Tower, and my reaction to the ending was WHATTTT!!!???  Because we are left hanging and that is almost exactly what happens.  Read the book - or if you hate suspense - wait until ALL the Castle books are written and read them in one fell swoop. Or, and this is my choice, read them one by one and THEN in one fell swoop. Anyway,  I checked out Jessica's website and, from there, her blog.  If you liked Tuesdays at the Castle, you will thoroughly enjoy Wednesdays in the Tower. Check out the pages!

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Years ago, when I was a young mother and babysitter, I rode the bus with my son and my young charge - everywhere.  What else do you do with two five-year-old boys with endless imagination and energy?  We rode downtown, to libraries, to parks, to the next town over, to visit friends.  We also walked and later, in the summer, we rode bikes.

Everywhere we went, we told stories.  After reading William Steig's The Amazing Bone, we came up with a story about a talking donut.  Every bus trip for a month or so, we added adventures about the donut and King Rupert, the donut's best friend. 

And then there were the tales of Llewellyn the Lion, who worked as a late night radio host and rarely went out in the day.  He rode a motorcycle and had a tab at the butcher's.  He lived in fear that people would realize that he was not just a gravelly voiced, hairy recluse but a lion - a real lion.  As time went on, Llewellyn told us of his friends - all graduates of the Philadelphia Zoo's secret Animal Intelligence project - and we met Llewellyn's teacher, Professor Freeman.  The animals were tricked into a reunion and were drugged and kidnapped to become stars in a traveling animal act.  Fortunately, one of Llewellyn's friends was a dainty gorilla.  Along with the Jaguar, ocelot, rhinoceros, several lions, a seal and a rhinoceros, they all managed to escape.

I wrote that story up and shoved it into the glove compartment of my old black Impala.  When the car broke down and we had it hauled to the junk yard, the story was lost forever.  The rhinoceros - or was it the seal? - was a poet and some of her poems were in that story.  They were haunting and surprised me.  Stories can be pieced together.  Poems evaporate.

And then there was Super Anders and his sidekick Critter Man.  These stories were made up bit by bit of the things that my boys suggested, cartoon characters that they enjoyed. Danny Dunn and his friends got tossed in there, too, since we read every Danny Dunn book we could find.  I liked these stories best of all.  The boys were always trying to save Little Annie, the Orphan Apple Selling Girl from danger.  But Little Annie just as often had to save our heroes.

I miss Llewellyn and his friends.  I miss Critter Man, who ba-a-a-a-rked!  And I miss King Rupert and his talking donut. 

Perhaps, I will ride the bus for nostalgia sake and remember small boys, stories and a time when I was young.

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Nuff said.

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When my Thursday night dinner guest opened my screen door, she found an ARC of The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau resting against my front door. 

I actually hopped with excitement.  I DID score an e-galley during the week of StoryFUSION.  Guess what didn't get read in time?  So having a 3 dimensional paper copy in my hands - Wow.  I was not disappointed.

Definitely worth the hype!  A solid addition to the dystopian kids-against-the-pretty-weird-government trope.  (Is "trope" even a word??? Make that "genre" instead.) Except in this case the government is trying hard to help - or at least that's what the kids who get chosen for The Testing think.

The beginning of the book shows a very functional community of like minded colonists doing their best to survive and thrive after the Seven Stages of War.  The heroine's family is loving and hard working.  When the heroine is chosen for the Testing - the only route into the University - her father offers her vague warnings and advice based on dreams he has had about his own Testing.  Everyone who is Tested has their memory of the event erased.

That's all I can tell you without spoilers.  Once the heroine hits the city the suspense builds and never ends.  Book Two comes out early in 2014.

The Testing is being recommended to fans of The Hunger Games with good reason.  The purpose for the Games and the purpose for the Testing are far apart.  President Snow designed the Games to punish and threaten the Districts in The Hunger Games. The Testing is designed to sift out the best of the best to insure the country's continued survival.  "Good" intentions aside, the designers of the Testing have some pretty ghastly things planned for our young friends.  And the young test-takers provide the rest of the suspense. After a slow start, the pages just flipped themselves. 

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It's Tuesday!! Time for a Kids' Book Website.

Check out  Grace Lin's website.  Grace wrote Starry River of the Sky, which was a Battle of the Kids Book contestant.  I loved it.  But I have liked Grace's picture books and chapter books for several years.  Her Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was a Newbery Honor Book.

Her website offers activities based on her books, Chinese lessons, a link to her blog and a bio.

And here is a book trailer for her novel for 3rd and 4th grades, Dumpling Days, the third novel about a Chinese American girl named Pacy.

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E. L. Konigsburg died on Friday.  The author of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and  The View from Saturday, both Newbery Award winners, and countless other great books, will be sadly missed.

Good-bye and thank you so much!

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StoryFUSION was so much fun.  All you people who did NOT attend, well, too late now.  You will have to wait until next year.

There is a chance...just a chance...that Antonio Sacre will be in the Lehigh/Berks County area next year.  He is clever, amusing, touching, dramatic, and engaging, among other things.  I saw his Children's Show - funny and enthusiastic.   He had 200+ 4th and 5th graders eating out of his hand.  I saw him interact with high school students.  Antonio was so respectful and encouraging of the teens' storytelling efforts.

And then I watched his short presentation on Friday night and his Feature Performance on Saturday and I am a true Antonio-ite, now.  Today, I took a workshop from him that concentrated on how to become a successful working storyteller.  This man WORKS for his money.  He is relentless in pursuing storytelling excellence.  So, see what you missed?  So Like him on Facebook, please.  He deserves it.

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I am telling tonight at StoryFUSION. (Northampton Community College's Lipkin Theater at 7 pm.) I will tell the first story of the night.  I admit to being nnnnnnnnn-nn-nervous, a lll-l-little.  So come out and give me friendly faces in the audience, please.

Also my Kutztown University Favorites of 2012 (and the very beginning of 2013) Book List is up on my Lists page.  Check it out.

Must practice.  Once upon a .... no, that's been done.  A Little Old....no, maybe I should just do a little aside about domestic tranquility.  But I only have 15 minutes to tell my story.   Whewww. 

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StoryFUSION begins soon, very soon.  Go to the StoryFUSION page for all the details but it is fabulous stuff.

Check my Storytelling page - above - for the Guerrilla storytelling events on Tuesday, April 16th and Wednesday, April 17th.  These events are FREE and out in public places near you.

On Thursday, NCC and the members of the LVSG are offering FREE workshops at Northampton Community College.  I am offering "Story in a SNAP", a workshop that will use improvisational exercises to combat both writer's block and stage fright.  It will be a lot of fun and it would not be possible without the help of Professor Susan Petrole.

Story in a SNAP workshop - Thursday, April 18th at 11 am at Northampton Community College, in Room CC 165.  (CC stands or College Center - the BIG building in the middle of the main campus.) FREE and open to everyone.  Please join me.

To keep us all in the storytelling mood, I must share this video from just a year and a half ago.  Kelly will be telling on Wednesday.  Look for her.

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How many titles are formed by two nouns connected by "and" or "or"?  How many titles use a verb that ends in "ing"?  Sometimes titles follow patterns.  Take the titles for today's competitors in SLJ's Battle of the Kids Books. Splendors and Glooms and Liar and Spy.  See what I mean?

Do you need help coming us with a superb title?  Check out this Title Generator  from Fiction Alley. Do it for fun.  Do it for profit.  A good title can encourage sales - I think.

Just for fun, I entered ten random words.  Here are my results.

Your Titles

Title One: frivolous barns through windswept tantrumsTitle Two: the windswept pieTitle Three: the fern through frivolous barnsTitle Four: frivolous pieTitle Five: the turning fernTitle Six: whispering tantrumsTitle Seven: turning barnsTitle Eight: windswept whisperingTitle Nine: whispering for tantrumsTitle Ten: turning and whispering

I like Frivolous Pie, Turning and Whispering and The Turning Fern.  Have fun.

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Today, Wednesday, March 20th, is The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day!  Such an amazing book, it deserves its own day.

Visit Penguin Book's Hungry Caterpillar page for a video of Eric Carle, printables, activities and a listing of Eric Carle's other books.

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March 23rd, 2013
Today, finally, we say goodbye to our Dad, Franklin J. Chiles.  Wish me luck that I don't stumble, sob uncontrollably, hiccup, or otherwise mar this solemn day.

March 24th, 2103

Dad right before he is ordained as a deacon in the Catholic Church

I started this post yesterday.  I did just fine at the funeral.  My brothers and sisters who read managed to get through their readings with hardly a hint of a sob.  My older brother wrote and delivered a moving eulogy.  There were more clergy, including the Bishop, all decked out in gold and red vestments, than I have ever seen gathered in one place.

And the follow-up luncheon went well.

By late afternoon, we all needed naps.

Today is another story.  I was fine until my teeth started to hurt.  And, suddenly, I felt very, very, very sorry for myself.  Very, very, very, very... So I turned my hand of Hand and Foot over to my Mom.  (Who can concentrate on cards with a toothache?)  And I started home.  I called Hub for a ride and when he picked me up -  I dissolved.  It was a me-sized puddle of pitiful, pain induced tears that crawled into bed.  I am not as devastated as all that wailing implies.  Sometimes weariness, stress, and pain induce a huge physical need in me to howl.    It's like a dam breaking.

My teeth still hurt.  I am still sad.  But I don't feel so very, very sorry for myself.  I had my Dad for a good long time.  He loved me all my life and that love is with me still.  I'm a lucky woman.

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TOON Books offers some of the liveliest picture books out there.   Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas by Philippe Coudray is just one of the colorful comic style books put out by TOON.  Each page is divided into several panels and tells a complete story.  Watch above to see how easily the stories can fit in with Common Core standards.  (Warning: Since this video is "educational", the presentation is much more static than the book.) 

Benjamin's adventures are sometimes funny, sometimes head-scratching, but all delightfully illustrated with a slightly retro vibe.  The stories are designed for early readers and budding logicians ages 4 and up.

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April 6th is National Pillow Fight Day.  Is that not awesome???  Truly.  Grab a couple of pillows and swat away - on Saturday.  You might want to practice beforehand.

Here are some picture books to share in preparation for - or during - National Pillow Fight Day.

Caterpillow Fight by Sam McBratney.  When little caterpillars start a pillow fight, the big caterpillar has a creative solution.

What! cried Granny by Kate Lum.  Patrick stays overnight at Granny's house where Granny has to make him a bed, a pillow, a blanket, a teddy bear, all from scratch.

Good Night, Pillow Fight by Sally Cook.   Look inside a block of apartments as parents try to get their children to sleep.  And then, someone yells "Pillow Fight!"   

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein.  Little Red Chicken interrupts every bedtime story her father begins.

Once upon a time, the end : asleep in 60 seconds / by Geoffrey Kloske and Barry Blitt.  Here is a collection of the shortest bedtime stories - ever.

 Piggies / written by Don and Audrey Wood ; illustrated by Don Wood.  A finger counting rhyme ends up with a kiss goodnight.

 Charley's first night / Amy Hest ; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.  A little boy is eager to be the best puppy owner ever and spends the whole night with his new dog.

Snoozers / by Sandra Boynton. Seven short bedtime stories from a favorite picture book author.

So fluff up those pillows!  Ready, set, go! 

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I have two passes to StoryFUSION!!!  They can be used on Friday, April 19th OR Saturday, April 20th to hear Antonio Sacre - who is every bit as much fun to hear as he is to see!  Honest.  If you want these tickets, comment below.

You totally want to see this guy!  Honestly!

I also have the COMPLETE hardbound works of Tom Angleberger, including  Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling.    However, I am giving these away at my Book Review session at the Kutztown University Children's Literature Conference ONLY.  That's this Saturday, April 13th, at Kutztown University. So, sign up NOW!  You will not only get a chance to win awesome books, you will also hear presentations by these great authors: Suzanne Fisher-Staples, illustrator Christopher Soentpiet and Janet Wong.  Amazing.

I have to go read more books.  Good luck.

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TOON Books offers 11 of their titles for FREE online viewing.  AWESOME for young readers, these books have a Read to Me option for younger kids, too.   I love TOON.

The TOON library is all part of Professor Garfield's website.  (That's Garfield, as in the orange cat?)  Check it out.  It looks like fun.

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