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Welcome to our stop on the official Queen of Shadows blog tour, hosted by the founders of #MaasThirteen! Our love for all things Throne of Glass and Sarah J. Maas is well-documented here at The Midnight Garden, so we were pleased to be asked to participate this year. We’re pretty smug about the many readers we’ve hounded relentlessly into persuaded to read this series, and this latest installment is full of everything you’d expect and more: death-defying action scenes, BADASS WOMEN, insanely cool mythical creatures, and emotional trauma that could rip your heart out. I’ve made some downloadable Queen of Shadows tattoos so you can be reminded of Aelin–and really, what better way to spread love and awareness for the series than to wear its words on your body? Download Free Queen of Shadows Tattoos! The set includes all the tattoos shown above, and there are two sets on the page... Read more »

The post Queen of Shadows Tour: downloadable tattoos + giveaway appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

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Today we have a special Valentine’s week treat for you! We’re pretty big fans of temporary tattoos here at The Midnight Garden, so why not make your own and wear your favorite book quote? There aren’t nearly enough YA book products out there, and this is an easy and inexpensive way to get exactly what you want. Today I’m sharing a tutorial for creating your own temporary tattoos using quotes from a favorite book, in this case, the lovely, torturous The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski–so perfect and swooningly romantic for this week! This DIY project is super easy to do, and they make fun little gifts for your favorite reader, too. You could even make a little tattoo kit for someone using designs you printed–pack them up into a little glassine envelope with a printed label and they’ll be such a nice present. Make Your Own Book-Inspired Tattoos! Supplies:... Read more »

The post Make Your Own Book-Inspired Tattoos + Free Winner’s Trilogy download appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

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• Recently I’ve grown rather fascinated with the academic children’s collections of the world.  The rare book collections in particular.  With that in mind, what do you do if you’re an institution that specializes in archived materials, and yet you still want to engage young readers in some capacity?  Enter Teaching the untouchable, a great article by Dana Sheridan at the Cotsen Collection of Princeton University.  Written for College and Research Libraries News the piece really delves deep into how to best conduct rare book programs with real honest-to-goodness children.  Great stuff.

• I’m also fond of international children’s book festivals.  Monica Edinger just got back from FILIJ: Mexico’s International Children’s Book Festival and is willing to tell all.  Sounds like it was absolutely amazing.

• Whatcha up to tonight?  Got big Tuesday night plans?  No?  Excellent since there’s to be a Twitter chat between Debbie Reese of American Indians in Children’s Literature and brilliant librarian Allie Jane Bruce at 9:00 p.m.  Just go to #SupportWNDB.  Be there or be square.

• So cool.  Over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, Jules got cartooned up.  I would love it if that became a regular thing at her site.  Everyone should cartoonify her when interviewed.

• Jules also tackled a recent re-illustrated title that will have librarians everywhere just shaking their heads, trying desperately to figure out where to put the darn thing in their collections.  If you’re familiar with the 2001 picture book Jim’s Lion by Russell Hoban then you’ll have a hard time looking at its new incarnation without blanching.  It’s one of the most innovative children’s books of the year but a psychological nightmare that would actually pair magnificently with Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls, if nothing else.  Jules has the scoop.  Well played, she.

Wow.  Just, wow.  Kidlit TV is live, people, and boy does it look fancy.  I mean just LOOK at that site!  Someone put their heart and soul into it, that’s for sure.  Makes me feel like a bit of a slacker, if I’m going to be honest.  Boy howdy.

I am always very pleased with folks take public review sites like Amazon or Goodreads and use them to have a bit of fun.  One Hamilton Richardson evidently must have sat through one Mr. Men book too many and the result is a series of thoroughly enjoyable “reviews” that are all distinctive in their own little ways.  Thanks to Steve for the link.

• Sometimes you just don’t know if the name you see on a series is a real person or not.  Take R.A. Montgomery, for example.  Recently he passed away in his Vermont home, and if his moniker is ringing a couple bells that might be because he’s the fellow behind the Choose Your Own Adventure series.  Like any good child of the 80s I devoured my own fair share of CYOA titles back in the day, perfecting the art of sticking all my digits in between the pages so that the moment I chose poorly I could instantly retrace my steps.  There’s a metaphor lurking in that statement somewhere, I’d wager. Thanks to Mom for the link.

• Daily Image:

Christmas is on the horizon and you know what that means?  Time to start trying to figure out what to purchase for the children’s literature-obsessed person in your life.  Want an early idea?  I know it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet but I just discovered that that Children’s Book Council sells their old Children’s Book Week posters in a variety of different forms, dating back to 1921.  Everyone from N.C. Wyeth to the most recent one by Robin Preiss Glasser.  Here are some of my own personal favorites:

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Aussie kids love stickers, and I’ve pulled together a collection of sticker books to delight all ages. And the best thing? They’ve all been selected from the Boomerang Books Australia’s Top 1000 Bestselling Books list, which means you save 20% off the RRP. Great stuff, hey? First up is from the increasingly popular character, Peppa Pig in Peppa […]

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It's the most fun you'll have with just 16 cards. Yep. Sixteen cards. Each player starts with one card; on their turn, they draw one card and decide which of their two cards they want to play, using that card's action. Last player standing wins the round. That's it. Give this game a shot, you'll... [...]

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Every time we take this game with us on a trip, we end up giving it to the people we are visiting because they always fall in love with it. Just when you think you've used all your letters and are ready to take another letter and fit it in, someone else yells, "peel" three [...]

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I wrote about Wonder Box in my GeekMom review of subscription boxes for kids:

I discovered Wonder Box when I was looking for a birthday gift for my three-year-old godchild, the brilliant daughter of my fellow GeekMom, Kristen Rutherford. When it comes to presents, I’m usually sort of a one-note giver — books, books, and more books — but this time, I wanted to give something different, something Kristen and Vivi could do together. Something hands-on, creative, and fun. The second I saw Wonder Box, an assortment of crafts and activities aimed at kids ages 3-6, I knew I’d hit a bullseye. You can order Wonder Box as a one-time gift, or sign up for a monthly subscription.

More details in the post. They’re now offering a $5 discount on orders through Jan. 13—use code HOLIDAY5-03 at checkout.

 

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•  A strong, waterproof glue to create the inside/base of your snow globe (we used E6000 and let it dry overnight)  
• A glass jar with a tight fitting lid
• Sparkles or glitter + spoon to stir
• Liquid Glycerin
• Hot glue and glue gun - or caulking would work to seal the globe and prevent leaking

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Today's post is short and sweet and links to some great gift ideas for everyone.

Writers on the Move (WOTM) has a number of amazing author members and as a feature for our readers (offering great gift ideas) and a promotional strategy for our members (since we're a marketing group), as of this year we'll be having a Writer's on the Move: Books as Gifts for the Holiday Season post and hopefully next year we'll make a free downloadable e-book, rather than a post.

The post is up at the WOTM site, but since there are a number of links involved, I'll simply link to it:

http://www.writersonthemove.com/2011/11/writers-on-moves-authors-books-for.html

Please be sure to check it out!

Until next time,
Karen

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When a Dragon Moves In is included in Barnes & Noble’s Best Kids’ Books for Easy Gifting online store, as well as in their Picture Book Favorites online store.

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The boys decided that not all their little girl friends and cousins would like a lizard, so we did some butterflies too.  To make things easier (since my boys hate cutting and would rather writhe on the floor in agony about it than do it - hey I pick my battles).  I cut out all the shapes from Larissa's templates for the lizard and made my own for the butterfly (If you want it shoot me an email I have no idea how to link it here).

All the boys had to do was paint and glue on tongues. (She does have cool eyes and dots to punch from paper with her tutorial.) Fun and a bit stress reliving after school activity.

The butterflies we did a press and paint - where you paint one side (add quite a bit of paint), fold it over on itself and then open the butterfly for a symmetrical pattern.

This year I also scored a giant shoebox full of maps at a garage sale, so that's our wrapping paper.  E has been known to doodle on the map too, adding cars, restaurants, tents, houses etc, which makes it extra fun and more personal.  Oh!  Let your paint dry overnight before folding as she suggests - the 3-D detail makes it super cool! (You can fold the butterfly up the middle, then horizontal between the top and bottom wings and diagonal through the wings).


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