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I cannot speak enough praise for this fantastic new juvenile fiction book! I read a lot of books and with my job, definitely a lot of juvenile fiction books, but I have yet to find a book that combines social studies information (that means learning) and a well-written story with perfectly developed characters. That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of great books out there that help children learn as they entertain; I write about those types of books all the time, I was just very impressed with Ms. De Pauw’s work.

In Search of Molly Pitcher introduces the reader to Peggy McAllister, an eighth grader that always gets good grades, but also always annoys her teachers with her in-depth questioning about every subject. When Peggy learns about an award she could win for writing a school year-long research paper on a great American hero, she knows she can win the prize. However, when she chooses Molly Pitcher as her subject, her teacher is less than thrilled. He insists that not enough information has been written on Molly Pitcher to fulfill the page requirement and that Peggy will end up failing the project altogether. Determined to prove him wrong, Peggy throws her heart into the project, learning not only about Molly Pitcher, but about her neighbors, her family history, and herself as well.

After reading this book, the reader will have so much information on Molly Pitcher, presented to them in an entertaining way, that I almost guarantee they will be hoping for Peggy to have to write another research paper so we can have another book! Informative, fun, and well written, this book is definitely a winner.

Good Morning:

As the long and parched days of summer march on, I find myself wishing that I lived in a cooler region. Somewhere green and lush with the constant buzz of Cicadas.

We lived in Northwest Arkansas from 1992 through most of 1997 and I must admit, I didn't know how fortunate I was to live there. I thought I hated it. I wanted to move back home to California. I didn't have any friends in Arkansas. When it comes down to it, I was a young and immature mother and wife that was looking for something, but I didn't know what I was looking for. Most of my family lives in Arkansas and, I've discovered through the years, my heart lives there also.

We bought a little historical stone home on a hill in the middle of a university town.




The stones on the outside of the house had fossils of snail shells and sticks and other various intriguing shapes.


It had beautiful wood floors and white shutters. When I close my eyes, I can still smell the woodiness of the floors on a hot, humid day. We had one and a third acre of lush green trees. Wild honeysuckle popped up here and there and the old stone paths were out-lined with grape hyacinth. A pleasant hint that at one time, a gardener other than myself, lived there. This is the house that my daughter was brought home to after her birth. My boys were toddlers then, and they played with their Batman figures throughout that little stone house.


For many reasons, mostly petty and selfish, we ended up back in California.


Wiser and stronger, but ultimately regretful of our decision.

So, here we are, in the parched and arid California desert. Living our lives and enjoying it for the most part. I count my blessings each and every day, and I am thankful and truly appreciative of our current home. It is beautiful and, with lots of hard work and water, it is green.... But...there will always be a sadness and aching in the pit of my stomach over the loss of my little stone house, and the buzz of Cicadas that once was the welcoming sound of my days in Northwest Arkansas.

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I've listed one ACEO collage print today in My Etsy Shop:

Morning Prayers


Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls