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The school year is just around the corner for kids across the country, but there’s still time to talk a little bit about summer camp.

To do that, we’ll be looking at My Extra Best Friend (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012) by Julie Bowe. This book is the fifth and final installment in the Friends for Keeps series that follows the adventures of Ida May and her group of friends.

The series kicked off with fourth-grader Ida May missing her best friend, Elizabeth Evans, who had moved away. To make matters worse, Liz wasn’t even answering Ida May’s letters. As the series progresses through the next several books, Ida May makes friends,  enjoys them, argues with them, makes up with them and learns a lot about herself.

As this last book begins, Ida May and two of her friends are away at an overnight summer camp. and who ends up being one of their bunkmates? Liz. This opens old insecurities and brings up new questions for Ida May.

One thing’s for certain, this should be a very interesting week at summer camp.

Today’s reviewer, the aptly named Page, tells us more.

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Today’s reviewer: Page

Age: 10

I like: Gymnastics, diving and pizza.

This book was about: A girl named Ida who goes to a camp and meets some new friends and reunites with an old friend.

The best part was when: Ida finds out her old best friend is in the camp too.

I laughed when: I found out Brooke (one of the girls at the camp) brought a crown.

I was worried when: Ida and Liz (her old best friend) were fighting.

I was surprised that: Liz as in the camp.

This book taught me: That you ccan always have more than one best friend.

Other kids reading this book should watch for: The part when Ida sees Liz for the first time after she moved away.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Good.” “Funny. ” “Surprising.”

My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “That’s very … helpful, Jenna.”

You should read this book because: It is a good book.

———————–

Thanks, Page!

To learn more about Julie, you can visit her blog or her website.

You also can read this interview. Or watch this one.

And, if you have fun or not-so-fun summer camp memories, feel free to share them in the comments below.

Today, everyone should be rolled over to Facebook’s new Page features. Why should authors care? Because it gives us new ways to interact with each other and with our readers.

LIKE my Facebook Page: I know there are neat, nifty little buttons you can put here so you can LIKE my Page without going there. Alas, I’m part geek, but not enough to have figured this out YET. Instead, PLEASE CLICK through and LIKE my Brand-New Page! BTW, I went with DarcyPattisonAuthor as the name of my page, so the URL is now http://www.facebook.com/DarcyPattisonAuthor.

Basic Changes to Facebook Page

Here’s a great detailed explanation of the changes. Here’s what authors need to know.

My new 180x540 Facebook Profile Pic.

• Photos at the top. Some time ago, Facebook Profile pages switched to pictures at the top and the Pages are doing this also. These are randomly displayed, but you can X out the ones you do NOT want to appear. The photos are drawn from those you upload and those you Tag with your PageName. It will NOT include photos posted by those who like your Page.
• Use Facebook as your Page. When you login you can switch and surf around Facebook AS YOUR PAGE. This means you can LIKE other Pages, post comments as your Page and function as the entity, Author. You can NOT post on profiles, only other Pages.
• Email notifications. You can choose to receive notifications when people post or comment on your Page.
• Featured Pages and admins. Hurrah! If you have Pages for each of your Books, you can feature these on your Page, thus linking all your Pages together in a coherent fashion. You can feature your publisher, your illustrator, your favorite organizations, etc. If multiple people are involved in the page, say for an anthology, you could feature each of those authors (if they have pages). It’s a nice networking tool
• Mutual connections: When someone visits your Page, they will see which of their friends also likes your Page, as well as other Pages that both they and your Page like.
• Profile picture size. Profile pictures were limited to 200×600 px, but that’s reduced to 180×540 px. What do you think of my new pic?
• Navigation. Gone are the tabs at the top, replaced by the Links on the left-hand side, exactly like on a profile. Tabs are swapped out for the personal info that used to be under your pic. Make use of your Info to highlight what is important.
• Custom “tabs”/Links to additional pages on your Page, now) can be created with iFrames. This is important enough it gets its own section below.

IFrames with WordPress

So, what’s the big deal about adding iFram

I would like to introduce you to a new page on our website. The Prayer Page. If you look at the tabs above, you’ll notice we’ve added–Prayer page. If ever you need an extra word of prayer or you have a few minutes to pray for someone else, please hop over there. All prayers are anonymous. Simply email your request to me at neumeier(dot)shellie(at)gmail(dot)com and indicate whether you would like to leave your first name or not. Then share your request. If you would like to have our tribe (the good folks who read this site) pray for you, let me know and I’ll post your prayer on the Prayer Page. If you would prefer to keep it between you and I, that’s fine, too, indicate your choice in your email to me (if you don’t choose, I’ll post the request as our standard policy).

Do you have a prayer request?

Sibling Relationships in the Animal World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Houghton Mifflin 2008 I learn more from picture books than I probably did back in high school. Of course, I have a different perspective on what interests me than when I was younger, and kid books are pretty much all I read these days so I'm probably not learning as much as I could. Still. Did you know that armadillos

Here's a page from my zudacomics.com submission inked and colored.

I admit it...I'm not nuts about computer coloring. (Maybe it's because I'm not that good at it). Sometimes it just feels like a chore to me. (Once again, maybe that's because I'm not that good at it).

I'm about halfway through coloring the eight pages in my submission but I'm having trouble finding time getting it done with so much other work going on right now and with my wife on spring break and requiring a good deal of my attention. MY goal is to knuckle up and get it done this week.

Is that likely?

No.

It's nice to dream though.

Steve~

I'm just starting the coloring stage of my eight page submission to zudacomics.com. I finished up all of the inking over the last couple of days in between other work. I actually think I've come up with a pretty good little story. The style of art I'm doing is a bit unconventional, but I think interesting. Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, here's a scan of one of the inked pages. Judge for yourself.

Steve~

Some further thoughts about playwriting and "the craft."

There is a lot written by playwrights, playwriting authors and the like regarding form when submitting plays. This is something that has been on my mind since encountering problems numbering the pages of a play. Try as I might/may the computer and/or my latest Explorer version refuses to number the play in Roman and Arabic numerals. Like...life is complicated enough writing a play, period! I wonder if William Shakespere had the same concerns. Doubtful since he used a quill and ink. Wonder what would happen if a/theatres received a play submission written in pen and ink.