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An awesome place to read Children’s Books Online: We Give Books
I have recently discovered a wonderful resource for children’s books online called “We Give Books,” a relatively new digital initiative that allows anyone with internet access the ability to read a large, quality selection of children’s book titles. Check out there video below to find out more. So far I have read and loved the following stories: Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd – A witty, modern day parody of a classic picture book. Start Saving, Henry by Nancy Carlson – A fun tale that illustrates the benefits of saving vs. spending. Dog Wants to Play by Christine McDonnell – Sparse with words, but fun and slightly rhyming. Follows dog on a search…
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Library Days: Laguna Beach Library
Today, the hubby and I spent the day in Laguna Beach. A cozy breakfast at Heidelburg Cafe followed by a casual stroll and a breezy ride on the free shuttle. I took many deep breaths of salty, fresh-sea air. And then do you know where I wanted to go? The library, of course! We both brought our laptops and found comfy chairs to lounge in. We had a lovely ocean view. The sunscreeny smell throughout constantly reminded me that the beach was only yards away. We stayed for hours. I explored the children’s book section and found so many amazing picture books to read. Like these ones. All the new…
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Leaving Room
When writing picture book texts have you ever heard the following advice? ‘You must leave room for the illustrations.’ I know I have. As a largely intuitive person, I have soaked in the knowledge from classes, conferences, workshops, and reading slowly over time. I can compare my picture book texts from two years ago to texts from today and see a difference — more room. So how can you achieve this in your own writing? Here’s a few things that have worked for me. 1) Reading at least 30-40+ classic & new picture books. I don’t just mean flip through the pages, get the general gist of the…
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12 x 12 in 12
It’s official! I’ve signed up to for the 12 x 12 in 2012 Challenge hosted by Julie Hedlund! What is this challenge all about?The premise is simple. Write 12 full picture books (with a beginning, middle, and end) in 2012. It’s ok if they’re not submission ready. The idea is just to put pen to page, while motivating yourself and other writers in the process. You can even earn prizes!! How about that? I know, I know — writing 12 full length picture books sounds like a daunting task, but as long as you have the intention of completing them, it’s worthwhile to sign up! I have heard of so many…
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So Long Summer…Hello September!
So long Summer! This will go down in my books as the first summer I spent seriously devoted to writing! If I were an apple farmer I would say I had an abundant harvest this summer. Here is just a partial list of things I accomplished. ❦ I attended my first SCBWI Summer Conference. ❦ I joined a Peer Critique Group! ❦ I connected with another Children’s Writer in my neighborhood! ❦ I read 30+ picture books. ❦ I took 2 online writing courses. ❦ I wrote 4 new short stories and made progress on my Middle Grade WIP. ❦ I learned how to use a “twitter hashtag.” ❦ I…
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Library Picture Book Round-up: Week One
I have made it my mission this summer to visit the public library at least once a week. My goal is to read and study picture books to better understand their construction, find out what kids like, and improve my writing. This week I read:Press Here by Hervé TulletRhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan ThomasEpossumondas plays Possum by Coleen SallyFather’s Day by Anne RockwellHerbert, the True Story of a Brave Sea Dog by Robyn Beltonand Calvin Can’t Fly by Jennifer Berne What I saw with my writer eyes…I was delighted to see the similarities in the structure of these books. I was able to identify right away which books followed a…
