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Earlier this morning, Pottermore, The Telegraph, and Entertainment Weekly released a video promoting new Wizarding World stories to come from Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling.

The one-minute video promotes the history of America as never heard or seen before, more magical and amazing than we know thus far. The video also links all of this new material and information about the Wizarding World to the upcoming series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

There will be four new stories released throughout the week. According to EW, the Telegraph, and Pottermore, we may expect the first story tomorrow, March 8, and the last story this Friday, March 11. Pottermore reports:

 

You’ve got four days of new writing by J.K. Rowling to look forward to – as always, remember to breathe.

…there’s just so much more to tell you about witches and wizards across the world.

Magic in North America will bring to light the history of this previously unexplored corner of the wizarding world in the run up to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. And you’ll want to get up to speed before the film comes around in November.

It’s going to be quite a week. Check back on Pottermore tomorrow at 2pm GMT to read the first piece.

 

The video gave a preview of what to expect with North American wizarding history–topics covering the new North American School, Ilvermorny, “Skin-Walkers” (implying Native American tribal legends or history), the infamous Salem Witch trials (which leads to a very strict statute of secrecy within the United States), and MACUSA (the Magical Congress of the United States of America).

Even with these writings, this new world and new material will come to life on screen through the Fantastic Beasts series. Possibly more information about North American history will be given in the first movie than we are given this week. It would be great if this new series, revolving around the globe trotting Newt, explored different parts of the world in the following films (perhaps visiting other Wizarding Schools that were revealed earlier this year).

Much more to come! Keep an eye on Pottermore and Leaky.

 

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I Hatched!

By Jill Esbaum; pictures by Jen Corace

 

Last month, if you wanted to take Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction to the bank, then it seems we are in for an early spring this year.

So, in that vein, Jill Esbaum’s picture book about a hatchling chick is right on time.

In spring new life abounds in nature, both in the animal world and the human one.

A friend of mine recently had a baby, so I readily identified with this picture book that makes the easy jump in comparisons between the chick that is newly hatched –  and a newborn.

Each, whether babe or born free chick, is filled with, as the flyleaf says, feelings of being:

 

             “snuggle-worthy, enthusiasm,

awe, and I-can’t help- myself

energy…”

 

Just how do new parents keep up with these bundles of energy and the constant

changes that ensue on a daily basis? That itself is a miracle of nature, almost as miraculous as birth!

Most first-time parents, and I include myself in this group some 40 years ago, exhibit a combination of feelings of joy, coupled with equal amounts of terror.

Whether it’s chicks or children, new additions open our hearts and minds to new feelings of wonder, gazing at this new creation, who is in turn gazing at their new landscape called life.

And so does our new hatchling, in his first venture outside:

 

 

  Hoo-boy, that shell was getting tight.

  I shake myself.

  Look left. Look right.

  I feel my legs, all folded up.

  They’re wobbly. Will they hold me…?

 

 

And here and there, amid this chick narrative, are loads of other young’uns and moms in this natural springtime world. Artist, Jen Corace, has given young readers an eye-catching bunch of hidden and hovering bunnies, turtles gophers, frogs, crickets, and snails, as an array of onlooking nature denizens overseeing the chicks fun of discovery.

And, Ms. Esbaum does not sidestep the more alimentary canal functions that must be addressed, and do emerge, on a

regular basis with chicks and children:

 

 

       I stop because…look out below!

       Something’s falling from my…

 

       Oh!

 

       Here’s a shocker. Please don’t stare.

       but take a peek…

 

      I’m ORANGE down there!

 

 

Maybe just a wee bit more info than  readers needed to know about a chick’s digestive function, but still very real in its addressing of the realities of baby.. er… chick rearing!

 

And Ms. Esbaum has even opened up the subject of new siblings supplanting the first born as:

 

       Welcome, welcome, sister dear!

       Lucky you – I beat you here!

       Tomorrow morning, off we’ll go.

       I’ll teach you all you need to know:

       We’ll run and play and eat and sing.

 

 

Don’t worry, I know EVERYTHING!

 

 

To young readers and their parents: it’s all good and both the siblings and you are on a learning curve. So relax, live in those moments that are brief and sometimes breathtakingly hectic.

Though some days may be better than others, you are privileged to “see” all the firsts along with your “chick.”

Chickies and children have been depicted with a sweet realism here that is portrayed with a cheery and chug along energy by Jill Esbaum’s words melded effortlessly with Jen Corace’s aqua blue suffused images.

It’s all good, mom and dads!

 

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Saying Yes to Life--Francisco X. Stork When I started writing The Memory of Light I wanted to keep in mind three things. First, I wanted to write about a young girl whose life is fairly normal. There’s no obvious or recent trauma in Vicky Cruz’ life. There’s no abuse or bullying...

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Not Without My Daughter. Betty Mahmoody. 1987. 432 pages. [Source: Library]

I first read Betty Mahmoody's Not Without My Daughter in high school back in the nineties. Up until that point, I'm not sure I'd read any nonfiction "for fun," in other words of my own choice and NOT for a school assignment. And to be honest, most of the nonfiction I'd read before was biographies of dead people I had little interest in to begin with. This book was a quick, compelling, action-and-adventure packed book about a mother and her daughter--and both were still alive. I remember it being a "wow" book for me.

Twenty years later--give or take a few years--I decided to reread this one. I saw My name is Mahtob at the library and it brought this one to mind again. The books are quite different. This one focuses more on Betty's marriage to Moody and Betty's determination to get them both out of Iran no matter what. It was written just a year or possibly two years after their escape. And as they were still very much in hiding at the time it was published, it doesn't give you much of a sense of what happened after they escaped through Turkey.

To catch everyone up in case you're not familiar with Not Without My Daughter or My Name is Mahtob:

In the late 1970s, Betty married an Iranian man nicknamed Moody. At first their marriage was working out well enough. He was a mostly non-practicing Muslim who was becoming more and more Americanized with each passing week. He treated her well--lavishing her with gifts, proud to show her off to anyone and everyone. After the birth of their daughter, Mahtob, things began to change. Not her fault, mind you, but because of the situation in Iran. Now that Iran was at war, now that his country was violent and in turmoil, he felt it was HIS country again. He listened to Iranian radio and read Iranian newspapers all the time. He became more and more unhappy in America, blaming America for all of the problems in Iran. That coupled with job woes meant horrible stress and strain on their marriage. Also the family "hosted" at various times several of his family visiting from Iran, and a visit could last months or even a year...

It was after a visit from one of his "nephews" in 1984 that he determined that the family would go to Iran for a two week vacation. He insisted that they had to go. Fighting against her natural instincts, she agreed that the family could go--for two weeks. At the time she agreed, she was already thinking of divorce. But she was worried about Mahtob, not, what divorce might do to her emotionally, but, what it might mean for her physically. Her father could take her out of the country to Iran--without her permission, essentially kidnap his own daughter--and stay indefinitely without breaking any laws. There was no legal protection in place.

The first few chapters of the book focus on the initial two-week vacation, but, as Betty feared, Moody's vacation was really much more permanent. He told her they were never going back to America, she'd never see her family--her parents, her two sons by a previous marriage, etc.--again. She was to learn to be a proper Iranian wife, the sooner the better. In the meantime, she was essentially held hostage. Not allowed out of the house, not allowed to use the telephone, not allowed to write letters. By this point, Moody's temperament had shifted from unhappy and mean to violent and abusive. The book is at times graphic in detailing the physical abuse of both mother and daughter. I think what hurt worse than the abuse she received at the hands of her husband was watching him abuse Mahtob. That and knowing that his family KNEW of the abuse--heard it, saw it--and did nothing. Moody was out of control and unpredictable.

The rest of the book covers essentially the almost two years they spent trapped in Iran. She had to learn the language, had to learn the city, had to learn the culture, customs, laws, and religion. Her goal was to conform enough on the outside so that her inner rebellion could go undetected as long as possible.

Her family did learn soon after the two weeks was up that the two were trapped in Iran, that Moody would not allow them to leave, that they were being held against their will. Her family did everything they could--on their side--to help their daughter. And through the American interest office of the Swiss embassy, I believe, they did manage to stay in contact some. But no one could think of a legal way for both mother and daughter to leave the country. Betty could divorce him at any time and leave. But leaving Mahtob behind meant leaving her behind forever. A mother give up on her child?! Never.

Is the book Christian? No and yes. It is not published by a Christian publisher, and, there are words in this one that no Christian publisher would ever allow. But Betty was nominally at least a Christian when she married Moody--a variety of Methodist, I believe. For better or worse, she believed that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, and that whether one called him "Allah" or "God" didn't matter much at the end of the day. Mother and daughter prayed together daily in secret--in the bathroom--pleading with God to let them escape Iran and return to America. At times, Betty expressed a great longing to have a Bible--a New Testament--to read. And several times she referred to Jesus as the Son of God. But at the same time, Betty blurred the lines a bit, in matters of doctrine. She began praying to Allah, praying the five daily prayers facing Mecca, began visiting Islamic holy sites and making wishes and vows. If God couldn't help her, maybe Allah would. She writes that Moody couldn't begin to suspect her sincerity in her prayers. So there are little things that might add up to make elements of this one questionable in terms of "is the book Christian?" That being said, I think Christians--especially adult believers--should be able to read the book with discerning, compassionate eyes. Yes, Betty was "unequally yoked;" she did not marry a Christian believer. But having Mahtob was undoubtedly a blessing, and, God did indeed work out all things for good through the circumstances. After Betty escaped, she became a champion for this cause, a spokesperson, a fighter. Never forgetting what it felt like to be trapped, to be separated from her family, her country, she would FIGHT to help reunite other families in similar situations around the world, she would fight to change laws as well, or, to put laws into place. So her experiences, as horrible as they were, have benefited others.

Is the book anti-Muslim? I wouldn't say that it was exactly the Islamic faith she was opposing as much as it was her own controlling, possessive, abusive husband who appeared to have mental health issues. It hurt her to see other women--whether foreign-born or not--in marriages where men were abusive and manipulative. What she wanted to see, perhaps, was a culture where men respected women, and women respected men--both being equal. She didn't like being told that that is just how men are: all men beat their wives. Some are more open about it in front of others, but, this was just something that made men, men. This felt wrong to her, it didn't sit right. Not all men are like that, and women should not have to live in fear of losing their lives. Some of the issues addressed in the book--physical abuse--could have happened anywhere in the world. Her being in a foreign country where she couldn't easily speak the language and where everyone else was a different religion didn't HELP her escape his abuse once it started. But, his being Iranian, his being Muslim, wasn't the root cause of his being abusive either.

That being said, I don't think it would pass the current political correctness test. It was published in 1987. For example, she focuses in on how un-American living conditions were: how unclean the houses were, how bathrooms were a hole in the ground, how "most people" just bathed once or twice a year, how babies didn't wear diapers, how bugs and worms and other vermin were in the food and not even picked out before cooking, how women blew their noses on their chadors. Little things that add up to create the idea that she found living conditions in Iran to be absolutely beneath her and primitive, for lack of a better word. She doesn't go out of her way to be kind and generous about the culture exactly. For what it is, one person's perspective on Iran during the years 1984-1986, I don't think it is hugely unfair or overly offensive. In the movie, I thought it was exaggerated even more. The character openly saying again and again, HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO LIVE WITH SUCH PRIMITIVE PEOPLE?! In the book, it is never that outspoken.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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“Working at a Title I school you learn pretty quickly that if basic needs aren’t met, students aren’t able to move past those needs. No one can learn when they’re hungry. When students are hungry they’re distracted and sleepy. It’s amazing to watch a student eat a snack – sometimes it’s almost like you can see their brain switch on!” – Emily Townsend, Elementary School Counselor, Portland, Oregon

So many educators and program leaders know that nutrition is essential to a child’s ability to learn. But many of the students they serve don’t have access to the nutritional food they need to succeed.

How does food fuel learning in your classroom or program?

March is National Nutrition Month and to celebrate we have an exciting opportunity for you to help the kids you serve do their best.

If you are a registered member of First Book’s community of educators working with kids in need, you can enter to win a variety of nonperishable food like the items shown below and a set of books to fuel students’ learning in your classroom, school or program.

Simply answer the question “How does food fuel learning in your classroom or program?” by commenting on this Facebook status between March 7 and March 11. See rules below.

 *Entries by individuals serving kids in need who are registered First Book will be eligible to win a selection of nonperishable food items like those featured above and a set of books to fuel learning in their classroom or program, up to a $200 value. Eligible educators should enter to win by answering the question “How does food fuel learning in your classroom or program?” by commenting on this status on First Book’s Facebook page by 11:59 pm EST on March 11, 2016. A winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries on March 14 and notified via email. The nonperishable food and books awarded to the winner will be selected for age range and number of children served. Nonperishable food is available on the First Book Marketplace in bulk only.

The post Free Food to Fuel Your Students’ Learning appeared first on First Book Blog.

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Writing as Art and Publishing as Business. I’ve been trying to get my thoughts around this topic for a while now, or rather, I’ve been trying to get my thoughts organized enough to write about it. To be honest, I’ve never had that much difficulty separating my art from business, possibly due to the fact that I was embroiled in the business side of publishing for years before I started seriously pursuing publication myself.

But that’s not entirely true either. I was writing long before I knew publishing was even a thing; as a child, I assumed the Book Fairy brought them to the shelves. The bulk of my formative reading years was spent in the 1990s (I know, y’all, I’m old), before social media and the internet made authors and information about publishing accessible. For me, books have always been something separate from the act of writing; books are objects, things I can hold in my hand, a product. Writing is not.

This ability to separate the novel-as-commodity from writing-as-creation is something all writers struggle with, some more than most. Why is it so hard? Is it because we think of art as something inherently personal, something tied up in our sense of identity? Is it because we think of business as coldly impersonal and soulless? How can we reconcile the two?

Do we need to? I’ve mentioned in several PubCrawl podcast episodes that writing is both a craft and an art: you can learn and develop your craft, but your vision and execution is what makes it art. But what about publishing? Publishing is what turns your work of art into a product. There is an inherent discomfort in assigning monetary value to a work of art, yet that is what publishing does. As an acquiring editor, you are trying to make a case to your backer, the publisher, to put up the money to buy a prospective work. You have to make a case to them that there is room in the current market for a book like the one you want to buy.

And that necessitates a certain amount of ruthlessness. Well, ruthlessness may not be the best word; perhaps callousness is better. The ability to distance the self from something you like and turn it into something you can sell. Because just liking something isn’t enough to sell it. You have to think about how to pitch it, how to package it, how to market it. And that means that some (most) of the books you acquire are not going to get the special treatment because it is a solid piece of work, but nothing special.

Ouch. And yet, there it is: the truth of what it is like to be published for the vast majority of authors out there. What we in the publishing business refer to as “the midlist”. There is nothing wrong with being midlist; in fact, being midlist at a traditional publishing house is a privilege not many writers get to have. Many bestselling and critically celebrated authors began their careers in the midlist: Hilary Mantel before she wrote Wolf Hall, Gillian Flynn before Gone Girl, and yes, even John Green before The Fault in Our Stars. Midlist writers are the workhorses of the publishing world; they produce good, quality, consistent work, and are the bread and butter of traditional publishing.

But despite all this,  the term “midlist” has acquired an unsavory connotation, as though being a midlist title is somehow a bad thing. A saying we have in publishing is Keep your eyes on your own paper, meaning Do not compare your career with someone else’s. Yet it’s hard when you don’t get the fancy marketing package, the promotional dinners, the book tours, etc. that you see other authors getting, particularly those bestselling ones who are active on social media.

Perhaps it’s because I experienced publishing from the business side first that I have an easier time separating JJ the artist from My Book the product. The honest truth is that once you finish a novel and ready it for publication, it behooves you to disengage your feelings from the outcome. Publishing is not a meritocracy; it is not fair. We see it over and over again: the solid, well-written, subtle and nuanced book that gets outperformed by the trendy, less well-written novel. If quality were the only thing that made a book a bestseller, then the lists would look very different.

I don’t know about you, but I find comfort in that. My success, or failure (such as I define it), as an author is not dependent on me. I am not my book. My story, once ready to be published, needs to go out into the world and live its own life, separate from me. When I was on submission, many of writing friends were astounded that I seemed so calm about the whole process (which I wasn’t), but I found a lot of solace in the fact that rejection is not personal. I’ve written every kind of rejection there is; I should know. Those editors who turned me down didn’t know how to sell my book. That’s not a failing—either theirs or mine; it just is.

What about you? How do you navigate the Writing is Art, Publishing is Business divide? Are you as sanguine as I am about the whole thing?

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By Henry L. Herz
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Let's first distinguish between the terms "independent" and "small" publishers.

“Independent publishers” (IPs) are publishers that are not part of a larger corporation (e.g., the Big Five).

“Small publishers” are defined in the 2007 Writer's Market as those that average fewer than ten titles per year. So, while all small publishers are independent, not all independent publishers are small.

Pelican Publishing, home of my first three picture books (Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes, When You Give an Imp a Penny and Little Red Cuttlefish), puts out about 60 titles a year. It's an independent publisher, but not a small publisher.

Having a book put out by a large publishing house, without question, offers some powerful advantages, including greater market reach, publishing industry relationships, more staff, and bigger budgets (and advances), than are often the case for smaller publishers. That said, there are significant benefits to working with independent publishers.

1. Access – Arguably the most important advantage of independent publishers is their relative ease of access. While most of the large publishers can only be queried via a literary agent, that restriction is rarely present with independent publishers. This makes independent publishers particularly appealing to newer writers who aren't represented by agents.

2. Relationships – independent publishers' smaller size tends to promote a closer relationship between the author and the independent publisher than may be possible with a large publisher. I feel comfortable contacting my editor and publicist at Pelican whenever it's necessary. This ease of interaction promotes a more pleasant working relationship.

3. Influence – By virtue, at least in part, of the closer relationship, authors may also have more influence with independent publishers than with large publishers. Independent publishers may be more likely to solicit and consider author feedback on cover design, artwork, font choice, etc. That said, trust your independent publisher to know its business.

4. Author's Efforts More Visible – This is the big fish in a small pond phenomenon. An individual author's promotional efforts and resulting sales are more visible and account for a larger percentage of sales at an independent publishers than at a large publisher.

5. More Flexible – Independent publishers, by their nature, and more flexible than large publishers. This can enable them to focus on niche or regional markets, and offer a home to a book that would not be considered by a large publisher. Independent publishers don't invest as much on a single book, and can thus more easily take calculated risks on innovative or unusual manuscripts.

6. Longer-Term Perspective – The philosophy of independent publishers is more aligned with a marathoner than with a sprinter. Slow and steady wins the race. Pelican keeps its books in print indefinitely.

7. Speed – Independent publishers can use their smaller size and greater flexibility to produce books faster than a large publisher. This was particularly true for my experience with Pelican, since I had complete artwork accompany my manuscripts (note: that is neither typical nor recommended for non-author-illustrators).

8. Stepping Stone – Independent publishers are quite capable of producing top notch books. A well-written and commercially successful book put out by an independent publisher may offer an effective stepping stone for authors' careers, including gaining access to literary agents and, with their help, larger opportunities.

Cynsational Notes

Henry L. Herz's latest picture book is When You Give an Imp a Penny (Pelican, 2016).

Before you lend an imp a penny, there’s something you should know—such a simple act of generosity could set off a side-splitting chain of events!

A colorful picture book full of mythology, mischief, and magic, When You Give an Imp a Penny shows us just what happens when an accident-prone—but well-intentioned—imp comes along asking for favors! 

The same writer/illustrator duo that brought you Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes brings to life a comedy of fabled proportions.

Find Henry at Facebook and @Nimpentoad at Twitter.

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I was excited to receive a copy of TELL ME A TATTOO STORY, a new picture book written by Alison McGhee and illustrated by my friend Eliza Wheeler (Chronicle Books, April/2016). What a deeply moving, tender story, and soooo much for young and not-so-young picture book readers to appreciate.  I teared up over many of the (beautifully illustrated) spreads as the father told his young son the story behind each of his tattoos. *snif*

Do check out Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things post where she shares some of the wonderful art from the book as well as sketches from Eliza. Also see Julie's post about the book on Kirkus Reviews.

You can find out more info about Eliza Wheeler at Wheelerstudio.com and more about Alison McGhee at AlisonMcGhee.com.

Synopsis of the book from the Chronicle Books website:

"A bestselling author-illustrator duo join forces to create a modern father-son love story. The father tells his little son the story behind each of his tattoos, and together they go on a beautiful journey through family history. There's a tattoo from a favorite book his mother used to read him, one from something his father used to tell him, and one from the longest trip he ever took. And there is a little heart with numbers inside—which might be the best tattoo of them all. Tender pictures by New York Times bestselling illustrator Eliza Wheeler complement this lovely ode to all that's indelible—ink and love."

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Hi. I'm a first time novel writer and I've found this website amazing to help develop my novel. I have hundreds of questions, but at the moment I'm going

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Change and no-change is often a tug-of-war we face at work. Delving into the change sometimes reveals a distinct air of "let's do it because we can" - but does it really accomplish what we want or are we just rebranding or rediscovering something that already exists? It also can bring out the "don't change a thing" attitude from co-workers. Rather than beat on each other about it, it's important to move the process forward by listening.

Jessica Olin over at Letters to a Young Librarian recently addressed aspects of this issue.  She concludes, "The main thing I'm thinking about, though, is that I'm starting to understand why more experiences library professionals say things like, "we've always done it that way." I know it's easy to hear that phrase and think the speaker is stuck. But at this stage of my career, I can hear nuances in that much reviled statement. I can hear when someone means "but I really want to change it" versus when they mean "and I'm scared to try something new." More importantly, though, I've noticed an undercurrent of "I'm not afraid of change so much as I'm scared of uninformed progress for the sake of progress."

Things change. It's a fact so true that it sounds a bit cliched. But change without awareness of history can be worse than no change at all. Knowing where we came from can be a road map of sorts. After all, you want to void those million dead-end streets, don't you?"

I think in any situation of change and moving everyone to the same place of yes, it's important to listen to the many voices and to figure out what a change really means. Listening both to the yes and no perspectives and moving towards consensus is time consuming but worth it. Listening can make all the difference.

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In 2009 I stopped teaching without any publishing prospects, but with the burning conviction it was time to put everything behind my efforts to finally sell a book. I did what every other aspiring author was doing then: I started a blog.

A few months later, I signed with my first agent. Four months after that, May B. was under contract. Through highs and lows this blog has been a constant, a place for me to think through ideas, share bits of encouragement, introduce readers to new books, and celebrate my own. Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or are entirely new, I thank you for the ways you’ve added to the conversation and become a key part of my writing life.

Over the next few months I plan to highlight key posts that have risen to the top. Today’s are the posts that are read most often (I wrote this before last week, when this post, now the top post of all time, went live). While my sense is most regular readers are aspiring writers, it’s interesting to note these posts almost exclusively speak to teachers, librarians, and parents looking to share books with their children.

Running a Book Club for Kids

The first post in a series based on my experience running after-school book clubs, this post has been number one around here for years. Included in the post are links to the rest of the series.

The Gift of Friendship

I love knowing that the second most-widely read post on the blog is essentially a love letter to my dear friend, Jamie C. Martin, whose own book comes out later this year. The post touches on the ways friends bolster and inspire us, in this case how Jamie pushed me to be brave when writing Blue Birds.

Third-Grade Book Club Reading Lists

Straight from my after-school book club days, this is the list I used with third-grade readers, plus a run down of everything I included in my Welcome to Book Club handout.

Classroom Connections: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Lynda’s had a pretty phenomenal year, hitting the NYT Bestseller’s List with her second middle-grade novel, Fish in a Tree, and going on to win the American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award, which “embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.” This interview includes links to Lynda’s website and educator’s guide.

Fast Five: Novels About Teachers and Their Students

This one’s been a favorite for a long time, with a number of oldie but goodies sure to inspire.

Reading in the Wild: 5 Things Wild Readers Do

Teacher turned author turned Scholastic Press guru, Donalyn Miller, has written two glorious books about reading and teaching that I devoured. This post is one of several that grew out of her second book, Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits. Read our interview based on Donalyn’s first book, The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child, here.

Click through to sign up for my quarterly newsletter and you’ll receive a free printable from my novel, Blue Birds. Enjoy!

The post Top Posts of All Time originally appeared on Caroline Starr Rose

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भारतीय संस्कृति – महिलाएं और पहनावा whatsapp status और मेरे मन की बात ..बात शादी के मौसम और पहनावे की चल रही थी फिर बात आई… न्यूज एंकरर्स के पहनावे की और फिर बात आई कि लडकियों और महिलाओ के पहनावे में शालीनता होनी चाहिए…!! अक्सर फैशन के चक्कर में या फिल्मी हिरोईनों की देखा […]

The post भारतीय संस्कृति – महिलाएं और पहनावा appeared first on Monica Gupta.

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Meissonier, Portrait of a Sergeant, 1874, Kunsthalle Hamburg Height: 73 cm (28.7 in). Width: 62 cm (24.4 in).

"What a magnificent collection of different degrees of attention: that of the portrait painter as he studies his model standing in front of him on the pavement, in his finest uniform and his finest pose,"

"that of the model intent only upon doing nothing to disturb his ultra-martial bearing, his gaze menacing, staring, fixed...



"...that of the spectators, some of them drawing near, fascinated, another who casts an amused glance at the picture as he passes by, with some sarcastic remark on his lips; another who no doubt has just been looking, and for the moment, with pipe between his teeth, is thinking of something else as he sits on a bench with his back to the wall and his legs extended in front of him."


"Meissonier rediscovered the decent folk of that period, which was not made up exclusively of mighty lords and fallen women, and of which we get, through Chardin, a glimpse on its honest, settled bourgeois side."

"Meissonier introduces us into modest interiors, with woodwork of sober gray, furniture without gilding, the homes of worthy folk, simple and substantial, who read and smoke and work, look over prints and etchings, or copy them, or chat sociably, with elbows on table, separated only by a bottle brought out from behind the faggots."
----
Jean-Louis Meissonier, 1914, free online book by Frederic Cooper
Jean-Louis Meissonier on Wikipedia
Portrait of the Sergeant on Wikipedia Commons

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Thank you to everyone for the amazing response about the baby news! (See the original announcement here, I posted about it in December.) In addition to the glorious books that rained down on Baby Macdonald, which I will speak to in a moment, I also heard from a lot of people who have walked their own complicated paths toward their family goals. This is exactly why I have no problem talking about the IVF process. Too often, people who struggle can’t help but feel alone, whether it’s because they feel ashamed about their problems, or others have made them feel that way. This is horrible. We all have our crosses to bear, and yet there’s great strength in community. None of us are truly alone if we choose not to be, and I’m really glad I decided to speak up.

Human connection is one of the great joys of life, and it was a real honor to hear from my blog readers who have done fertility treatments, who’ve adopted, who’ve lost pregnancies and children, or who still haven’t reached their desired destinations. It was incredibly touching to share in such intimate stories with my readers.

As for the books, oh the books! My husband, Todd, and I were moved to tears by the generosity and love pouring in from you blog readers. We stuffed Baby’s bookshelf twice over! My favorite part, however, was hearing from readers. One sent me something that I’d originally seen as part of a Writer’s Digest webinar critique. That little manuscript went on to sell at auction, and a few years later, there it was on my doorstep as a published book, complete with an inscription to Baby. Talk about coming full circle! Another package arrived from a very well-established author who I have long, long, long admired, with an incredibly touching note. I had no idea this author was one of my readers!

To all of you who sent books, I have done my best to send a handwritten Thank You card. Some Amazon deliveries would only let me send a digital Thank You where I couldn’t find a return address (ugh, so impersonal!). There were also a few packages where I accidentally discarded the return label before I had a chance to note who was responsible for what. If the wonderful readers who sent me IVAN THE TERRIER, ALL THE WORLD, and LITTLE GREEN would please email me, I’d love your address so I can send a proper note of gratitude. If you sent something and also haven’t heard back with a card, please let me know.

Now I’m in the home stretch, only a week away from our due date. I have no idea when the baby will start the eviction process. It could be today (!!!). It could be three weeks from now. (Oh, how I hope it’s not three weeks from now, though.) All this is to say that the blog will go a little silent for the next two weeks. But I’ll be back with an update once there’s something to share. Coming back to this blog after taking a hiatus in 2015 has been one of my great joys, so don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging for too long!

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• Sun, 18:16: Cilia Fernandez, 68, had a stoke seven months ago. She spends most of her time in a pink hammock slung into the... https://t.co/cHaFlR2Iq3
• Sun, 19:13: We Need Diverse Books Announces the Opening of Applications for the 2016 WNDB Internship Grants... https://t.co/lhn0eV5gIN
• Mon, 00:21: Meet Maria Petrenelo Barilla. She has diabetes. She is 76. With one leg amputated, she has a hard time... https://t.co/cbur5z5IOa

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महिला सशक्तिकरण और मोदी जी के मन की बात पुरुष कौन होते हैं महिलाओं को सशक्त करने वाले वे तो खुद सशक्त होती हैं और पुरुषों से ज्यादा कामयाब होती है… ऐसा महिला दिवस से दो दिन पहले लोक सभा सैंट्रल हॉल में महिला जनप्रतिनिधियों को संबोधित करते हुए  श्री मोदी जी  ने कहा मेरे विचार […]

The post महिला सशक्तिकरण और मोदी जी के मन की बात appeared first on Monica Gupta.

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Still haven't hit my word count for the day (aka, the amount of writing progress I absolutely have to make before I'm allowed to sleep--yay deadline!) so I'm throwing these links together quite quickly--sorry in advance if there are mistakes.

Also, if you missed it, the LODESTAR cover has been revealed. Go HERE if you need to see the gorgeousness.

Okay, on to the MMGM links:

- Sonora at Destined 4 Weirdness is wondering at WONDER. Click HERE to see why. 

- Biana Grace is sharing her love for LIVE ORIGINAL. Click HERE to see what she liked. 

- Diary of a Wannabe Author is cheering for THE BOY IN THE BLACK SUIT. Click HERE to see why.   

-Michelle Mason is spotlighting THE LAST BOY AT ST. EDITHS. Click HERE to find her feature. 

- Sue Kooky has chills for SERAFINA AND THE BLACK CLOAK. Click HERE to see what she thought. 

- Jenni Enzor is caught up in CATCH YOU LATER, TRAITOR. Click HERE to see why.

- Cindy at Cindy Reads A Lot wants everyone to visit THE ISLAND OF DR. LIBRIS. Click HERE to see what she thought.   

- Jess at the Reading Nook wants everyone to visit THE LAND OF FORGOTTEN GIRLS. Click HERE to read her feature. 

- Greg Pattridge is spreading some love for STORY THIEVES: THE STOLEN CHAPTERS. Click HERE to see what he thought. 

- Reading Violet is sweet on THE CANDYMAKERS. Click HERE to see why. 

- Rosi Hollinbeck is reviewing--and GIVING AWAY--THE TERRIBLE TWO GET WORSE. Click HERE for details.  

- Dorine White is singing praises for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS: BIRD FIELD GUIDE. Click HERE to see what she has to say.   

- Katie at Story Time Secrets has a double feature on THE PAGES BETWEEN US and THE BFF BUCKET LIST. Click HERE to learn about both.  

- Karen Yingling also always has some awesome MMGM recommendations for you. Click HERE to which ones she picked this time! 

- Joanne Fritz always has an MMGM for you. Click HERE to see what she's talking about this week. 

- The Mundie Moms are always huge supporters of middle grade. Click HERE for their Mundie Kids site.

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We start the new week with some new Spring arrivals at Cotton : on Kids. There are lots of fresh prints on duvet covers, pillowcases, and cushions. Cotton : on Kids is a brand of the Australian company Cotton : on who retail there products all over the world. You can see these new designs and more online here.

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This picture is perfect. Notice the caption. "The Perfect Body." Yet all of the women in this picture are different. Yup, diversity is perfect. No one is exactly the same. The same size clothes never fit the same on anyone. It is time clothing ads change to conform to the every day women. In fact I personally believe models for the run way as well should be all shapes as well.  Well it looks like we finally might be heading in that direction.

According to an article I read on the Today Show website, The U.S. Health Department says the United States should start to regulating the BMI (Body Mass Index) mass of models. This finding is coming out after France just started regulating it for models. They, in fact need a doctor's note stating they are healthy enough to work in the country.

Click on over and read the article.

I hope this regulation is put into effect. There are to many girls and women out the fighting anorexia. It is a horrible disease. I pray everyone fighting it, finds inner peace and health. I am so glad DOVE has taken the initiative and has changed their mission on body image. I know you have noticed their adds support everyday women of all shapes, sizes and color.

Girls need to know they are beautiful just the way they are.  I also hope the ballet industry has the same regulations.

On a side note. Notice this is about girls. Well I have boys and I worry about my boys because believe it or not young boys go through the same thing. I found this article over on the Today Show as well.



Now like the women in the article, my boys are healthy in their weight and in how they view themselves, but if you think you don't have to keep tabs on it, you are wrong. Check in on your kids, your nieces and nephews. Make sure they love themselves as much as you love them. Them and only then, will we be rid of negative body image.

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