Literacy Around the World -- Featuring Guest blogger, LInda Phillips

Congratulations to Dorothy Price for winning Mine. Yours. on my blog last week. 

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Today, I welcome my close friend and writing buddy, Linda Phillips. Many of you know her through SCBWI-Carolinas but others of you have read about her on my blog. Either way, I expect you will enjoy this post about facilitating literacy around the world. Take it away, Linda!

In the past four months, I have traveled 32,365 miles, spanning three continents, four countries, and eleven classrooms.  It cost me zero dollars and only on a few occasions did I incur the slight inconvenience of a predawn or late night "flight." I never had to stand in a line or pass through security, and most of the time, the "connections" were smooth.  Oh, and I had the pleasure of bringing my two books, Crazy and Behind These Hands, into classrooms and talking about them at every stop.  In fact, the books were my ticket, and that's what I'm excited to tell you about.

Two years ago, I signed on to participate in World Read Aloud Day in February, but through my own cyber-ineptness, I dropped the ball and promptly forgot about it.  Last year when I received an email again reminding me about WRAD and Literacy Month, I paid attention and grew excited as I learned:

• World Read Aloud Day is just one piece of Literacy Month (February) which is part of Skype in the Classroom, a Microsoft in Education program.

• Authors can become a guest speaker by completing a profile. This enables teachers from around the world to invite them to Skype with their students or faculty.  For more information see https://education.microsoft.com/applygs.

• Authors can set their own schedule of availability here:  https://education.microsoft.com/availability.

• Skype in the Classroom team members will help authors create a Skype Lesson if they send a request to  support@skypeintheclassroom.com.

• For a sample lesson, visit my page https://education.microsoft.com/LindaPhillips.

By the time I finally connected to this fascinating opportunity through Microsoft in Education, I had missed an offer for free training sessions in January. I muddled through the registration process on my own. After nearly two years, I finally put the whole picture together and had my first Skype in the Classroom experience in Dubai on January 31, 2019.  

I have travelled abroad extensively, but nothing matches this virtual trip to places such as Bahrain, New Delhi, Ontario, Alberta, Albania, as well as stops across America. Each visit has been unique. While I have sometimes encountered poor Skype connectivity and limited English, I most often experienced appreciation that I bothered to "drop in" from so far away. 

One visit to a small, under-developed corner of eastern Europe touched me the most. It was by far the least prosperous looking school that I visited, so much so that I interrupted my spiel to begin asking the teacher questions.  Did they have pleasure books to read?  Was there a library? Were the books she was trying to use to teach English age-appropriate and adequate?  She answered "no" to every question.  I told her I was going to see what I could do about getting some books to her. After we disconnected, the stark image of the tiny, cramped room with a rusty-looking pipe in the corner--most likely the heating system--brought tears to my eyes. 

Here's the serendipitous part. I have a friend who is a missionary in a larger town a couple hours' drive from that tiny school. When I described my Skype visit to him, he put me in touch with another missionary in that same village.  And when I contacted her, she told me she had been this teacher's walking partner for four years! Through further conversations with both missionaries, I learned that the concept of lending libraries doesn't exist in this corner of the world. In addition, the tightly controlled corrupt politics almost guarantees that a box of books would likely be held up for payment in the hundreds of dollars at the post office. 

The idea of a country where children have no access to books is driving me crazy, and I'm not going to let a little political corruption stop me. When I learned that the missionaries will both be in the United States this summer, we came up with a viable plan to load a couple of old suitcases for them to return with.  Now I'm determined to fill those suitcases, and that's where you come in.  If you have new or gently used books, preferably picture and chapbooks, that you would like to donate, please email me and I will figure out a way to obtain them.

Linda is packing her first suitcase!

Obviously, my world-wide journey through Skype in the Classroom has made a difference in my life as a writer, but more importantly, as a citizen of the global community. No one can argue the merits of getting your books around the globe at no cost without leaving your house.  And if you aren't a writer but love books, you already know the joy of sharing them with others.    

Linda Vigen Phillips has a passion for realistic fiction that offers hope and encouragement to young adults and families facing mental or physical health crises.  Her debut book, Crazy, depicts the struggles of a teenage girl in the 1960’s coming to terms with her mother’s bipolar disorder. Like Crazy, Behind These Hands is a Young Adult verse novel. In its starred review Kirkus said, “Free verse evokes the myriad emotions brought up by the story's numerous well-balanced themes. The result is a richly woven, unforgettable symphony of feelings and words.”    

Mine. Yours. A Nearly Wordless Picture Book Review, Challenge, and Giveaway

Congratulations to Mary Jane Coward who won Daddy, Can You See the Moon? from last week's blog.

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Marsha Diane Arnold is back with another new picture book. This one is practically wordless! But yet an important story is told through three words and Qin Leng's exquisite, detailed illustrations. 

Mine. Yours. (Kids Can Press, 2019)  follows Little Panda in his exploration of what belongs to him and what belongs to others.  Important lessons about boundaries and possessions are told as he is "sternly" instructed by Big Panda and the other animals in the forest. When his beloved kite becomes a source of conflict among the animals, Big Panda teaches them all a sweet lesson about "Ours". This book will be useful in the Pre-K through first grade classrooms as a great conversation-starter about ownership and sharing. 

Join me in this interview with Marsha as she shares insights into writing this almost wordless picture book.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Carol: It’s my understanding that publishers don’t want illustrator notes from the author, they just want the text. So, how did you “get away” with breaking the rules?

MARSHA: It’s true that many editors prefer manuscripts without art notes. It’s also true that most of the writers in my writer’s group use art notes as needed. I think one reason I see more art notes on mine and other writers’ manuscripts is because picture book texts are much shorter than they were when I began writing. My first picture books had no art notes at all, but they were also 1200 to 1500 words long. Today, most of my manuscripts are less than 500 words so visual cues are sometimes helpful.

There are always exceptions to the “norm.” Of course, for a minimal text manuscript like Mine. Yours. art notes are necessary. There are only 3 different words, 25 words in all. As in any story, the writer determines the setting, the characters, and the plot. The art notes were written and revised and revised, just as any manuscript would be.

Here’s an example from my manuscript:

[Two Yellow-throated Martens make orchid flower crowns/necklaces on top of a rock.

Kite dips down entangling several strings of flowers in its tail, trailing them into the sky.]

Mine! 

Mine!

[A Golden Snub-nosed Monkey plays Chinese Jianzi with a shuttlecock (feathercock) in the

branches of a tree. Kite whips up, the tail snatching the shuttlecocks.]

Mine! 

[As the wind whips and dips more wildly, Little Panda tries to untangle the items in kite’s

tail.  Suddenly, he too is lifted off the ground. He grips the string as he and kite fly off the

page, exiting right.]

CAROL: Was your agent involved or did you negotiate it yourself?

MARSHA: My wonderful agent, Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary, negotiates everything for me. I’m so grateful to have her.

However, I was lucky to meet someone from Kids Can Press at ALA a few years ago. She was the one who opened the door for me to send my manuscripts. Kids Can Press is a Canadian publisher and most often works with Canadian writers and illustrators.

CAROL: What was your inspiration for Mine. Yours.?  

Mine. Yours. came about in a very different way from most of my books. It was meant to be a follow-up to my picture book Lost. Found., but that didn’t work out. I rewrote the story with different animals. It took awhile to decide on the setting in China and Asian animals, but I’m so happy that’s where the story landed, just as I am happy the book landed with Kids Can Press.

Check out more of Marsha's picture books on her blog. Parents and educators, click on this link for a downloadable pdf of two activities you can do with your children. (Make sure you click on "View File" in the blue box on the top left. It takes a few minutes to load.)

NOTE AND CHALLENGE: I recently watched a television ad for an investment company. It used about 25 words to tell the story of a man's life--from birth to caring for his invalid mother. The viewer got the message! Lots of ads tell stories. Can you create an almost wordless story? What images would you use to tell it?

GIVEAWAY 

Leave a comment and your email address (if you are new to my blog) to enter this giveaway. A winner will be chosen on April 18. Continental US only. 

Daddy, Can You See the Moon? A Review and Picture Book Giveaway

Congratulations to Vijaya Bodach who won ONE WEEK OF YOU from last week's blog and to Gretchen Griffith who won A SONG FOR GWENDOLYN BROOKS. 

In Daddy Can You See the Moon? (Spork, 2019) a well-written and beautifully illustrated picture book, author, Gayle Krause, sensitively portrays one of war’s harsh realities: a soldier’s devastating injury. 

Krause's rhymes and Carlos de la Garza's illustrations, demonstrate three constants in the story: the moon, love, and courage. Before he leaves to serve, the father says: 

Though I'll be gone 

I have a way 

For us to share 

Part of each day.

At bedtime,  

Look up at the moon 

And I will too. 

I'll be home soon. 

While his father is away, the little boy counts the days and six full moons pass. Until the day his mother hears alarming news:

She sets down her coffee mug and wraps me in a giant hug.

I wipe her tears, and ask, "What's wrong?"

She answers "Son, you must be strong."

Daddy stepped on unsafe ground. His legs were hurt when he was found.

That night the boy looks out his window and fearfully wonders, 

“Daddy...can you see the moon 

Marching in a dream platoon?”

You're marking time at Soldier's Gate 

But I hope that you can wait. 

cause Baby, Ricky, Mom and me, 

We need you in our family.

His father comes home and the little boy helps his father rehabilitate. Courage—is shown, not told--through the text and illustrations. 

Reminiscent of one of my favorite picture books, I’ll Love you Forever, the book goes full circle ending with the boy having grown up and now a soldier looking at the moon. He holds his father’s picture while his father—back home—gazes at the moon too. 

See Kathleen Temean's blog for more information on Gayle's book journey. 

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her book birthday tomorrow, April 9th, and in conjunction with the Month of the Military Child, Gayle is giving away an autographed copy of Daddy, Can You See the Moon? Leave me a comment by April 11 (with your email address if you are new to my blog) and I'll enter your name. If you have a family member in the military or plan to give this to a child whose parent is in the military, I'll enter your name twice. 

One Week Of You: A Review and Giveaway

Last October I was privileged to host Lisa Williams Kline's cover reveal for her newest YA book, ONE WEEK OF YOU (Blue Crow Publishing, 2019).  At that time Lisa shared her path to publication and the book's backstory. Since then I've had the opportunity to read this well-written and engaging story (I didn't want it to end!) and am excited to share it with you.

REVIEW

For as long as she can remember, fifteen-year-old Lizzy has been a serious student who wants to be a doctor and isn't distracted by boys or any fun activities like cheerleading. But that was before Andy Masters--the newest and most popular guy who flirted with her; before she made the cheerleading team; and before she had to carry around a 5-pound bag of flour--her "flour baby"--as part of sex education in Health. 

From: http://www.themagrag.com/2012/02/flour-sack-babies.html

Despite Lizzy's old best friend's warnings that she is in danger of losing focus and her brother's concern over her constantly forgetting her flour baby, Lizzy can't stop from succumbing to what she describes as "AMSD: Andy Master Smiling Disease." The book is full of Lizzy's infatuation as well as her questions (Does he really like me?) which are so typical of young love. 

To increase the tension, the week of the flour baby is also April Fool's week, false fire alarm riddle the school, and Lizzy ends up in detention. She looks down at the other students in detention and gets angry with the teacher who accuses her of not being the sweet person she has portrayed to everyone in the school. In this mirror moment, Lizzy begins to see herself in a different way.

I know since I've had this crush on Andy I've morphed into this totally different person, and I've totally forgotten a lot of stuff and done handsprings on the soccer field during a school evacuation and gotten a few extra flour babies...Maybe it will kill my parents when they find out everything I've done this week.  

... I'm filled with fury, and then it turns into something else. I realize that up until this afternoon I've been judging everyone in this room. (p.80)

True to her investigative nature, Lizzy tries to figure out who is setting the fire alarms. She even wonders if Andy, as the high school reporter/broadcaster, initiated the fire drills to make a journalistic point. Is he a creep or a good guy? Her affection for him is tested on several occasions; she ends up feeling ashamed for lying to her parents and for her poor decisions during her first babysitting job.  

I'm always impressed when an author portrays and uses secondary characters well. After her downfall, Lizzy has a heart to heart talk with her parents. She confesses to feeling bad over how she treated a boy who irritated her. Her father's reply is a message teens need to hear:

Well, when I said to be nice to everyone, I guess I meant to be kind and cordial to everyone. That doesn't mean you have to be best friends with someone you don't want to be close to...You're allowed not to hang out with him. You're allowed to set boundaries. (p. 174)

Her mother chimes in with great advice that I hope girls (and women!) who read this book will take to heart:

"Someone who loves you will never ask you to compromise yourself." (p. 176)

Kudos to Lisa Kline for showing a teenage girl conflicted over her desires to want a boy to like her and concerns about giving up her self. This clean book for young adults realistically portrays sex education and is a welcome addition to the young adult genre that is heavily infused with poor parent-child relationships and characters experimenting with sex and drugs. 

And by the way--the ending is perfect!!

GIVEAWAY

I have a gently used paperback to give to one of you. If you share this post on social media or become a new follower of my blog, I'll add your name twice. Just let me know what you do in the comments and please leave your email address if you are new to my blog. A winner will be drawn on April 4. 

Behind the Scenes with The Thesauri Queens: An Interview with Angela Ackerman and Rebecca Puglisi

Congratulations to Sandra Warren who won the 15 minute Zoom Author Interview with Marsha Diane Arnold from last week's blog. She donated it to West Marion Elementary School in Marion, NC.

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Many of you have heard me extol the virtues of ONE STOP FOR WRITERS a rich, on-line writing tool. I've also frequently mentioned the creators of the site, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, who have co-written and published seven Thesauri. I teased them that they are the Thesauri Queens--but you probably know them as two smart, generous women who are being exactly what their website proclaims: Writers Helping Writers.

I bet many of you have used their resources and that's why you're here today--because like me, you're a nosey writer and want to hear how these two women have successfully collaborated for fifteen years.

But first, if you don't know about how Angela and Becca met online, please see Natalie Aguirre's interview. You'll also find out how they developed their unique brand. 

This was taken the first time Angela and Becca met in Disney World!

Now, without further ado-- let's get this interview going!

CAROL: What was it like when you met in person three years after only knowing each other online? 

ANGELA: Because we live in different countries, 99% of our communication is online. However, many years ago I took my family to Disney World, and as Becca lived close by, she agreed to meet us at the Magic Kingdom for the day, just outside Cinderella’s castle. We had traded pictures of one another of course, but as we pulled into the parking lot that day it hit me that a) I’d forgotten my phone at the hotel, and b) MK was huge, and c) 32,000 people entered the park every day that time of year. As this was my debut visit to the park, I began imagining scenarios where Becca would be at one part of the castle and I’d be at another, endlessly waiting for the other to arrive. So, I did what any desperate person might do…I made a sign with her name on it. 

Ironically, I never needed to use it. Somehow despite Magic Kingdom having several ferries and a sky train that transported people to and from the park, Becca and I ended up on the same packed ferry about ten feet from one another. This type of crazy coincidence was only the first of many for us; Becca and I are convinced the universe wants us to be together!

BECCA: One of the things I liked best about this day was the absence of the expected awkwardness that comes when you finally meet an online friend in person. (Well, except for that moment when I realized my car key had fallen out of my pocket on Space Mountain, and I thought we might be spending a huge portion of the day in the parking lot. Luckily, my key was sitting there in the seat, not wedged into a coaster track somewhere, so that was good.) We just picked things right up and enjoyed our day. It was a really good feeling to meet in person and confirm that she was the wonderful, kind, generous, and freaky person I’d always thought she was.

CAROL: How do you work together as a team? How do you figure out who does what?

ANGELA: Luckily Becca and I have writing styles that mesh quite well, but we have different strengths when it comes to business skills. She’s terrific at organization and tracking the million little things that keep us up and running as a business, like knowing book production processes, managing our accounts, making sure bills are paid, and working with third parties (formatters, designers, distributors, etc.). I handle the marketing side of things, our outreach, and steer business strategy. I think our partnership works so well because we trust each other’s knowledge in areas where we are not subject matter experts, and whenever we need to come to a consensus on something, we can talk it through.

BECCA: We assign duties based on individual strengths, which is a pretty simple process because we’re very compatible in our giftedness (or lack thereof). And the rest of it, we just divvy up between us. It’s a simple system, but because we’re each able to look at ourselves realistically and put the ego aside, it’s easy to say, You’re better at this, why don’t you handle it? or You’ve got a ton going on, so I’ll do this one.

CAROL: What have been the bumps in the road to successful collaboration? Do you have advice to other writers who are considering collaborating on a book or project? 

ANGELA: I won’t lie, there are some things we disagree on. For example, Becca hates pickle chips. It’s hard for me to overlook this horrifying flaw, but that’s what you have to do sometimes to keep the peace. Okay, that’s frivolous…but it illustrates the nature of most of the friction between us: superficial. 

However, we have different backgrounds, life views, and comfort zones, so we aren’t twins. Certain content we’re not comfortable writing about might be a sticky point and when this happens, we talk it through and come to a consensus. Another way we differ is that Becca and I have different comfort zones when it comes to risk. But again, it’s fine because we discuss it and challenge the other to convey their point of view better so we can reach an understanding. I love this because it means we always move ahead on the same page, or “on the same page for now,” leaving things open for reassessment down the road. 

My advice for collaborating is to make sure each person is in alignment before jumping into a project. Not only does there need to be a huge amount of trust and respect, collaborators should have complementary communication styles, the same vision and goals, and a strong work ethic. 

BECCA: Yes, to all of this, except the bit about my dislike of pickle chips being a flaw. That’s just a result of having functional taste buds. I would add that potential partners should go into the collaboration with eyes wide open, knowing that, no matter how well you get along, there will be conflict and disagreements. Ironically, this becomes more pronounced if you find success, because success leads to increased complexity, requiring the business to grow and change. Recognizing that choppy waters are ahead can be really helpful in navigating them.

CAROL: What have been the high points of your collaborative work? 

ANGELA: Honestly the best part for me is our friendship; Becca is my better half. I have such tremendous love and respect for her and am eternally grateful for how she helps me grow as a writer and a human being. She’s an advocate for me and everything I do (and I for her), and that’s pretty powerful stuff! 

Another high for me is how we took an idea on how to help writers in a more practical way and helped shape the industry’s ideas of what a writing guide is and isn’t, and what a thesaurus is and is not. This, I believe, has opened the box a bit for all creators as now there are many books-slash-tools called thesauruses (or something similar) that incorporate lists to help writers in some way. Another thing I love is how Becca and I continually innovate, even to the point where we think beyond a book format. Creating One Stop for Writers with Becca and Lee is one of the coolest, most rewarding things I’ve done. In many ways I feel we’ve only scratched the surface of what we can do there, and that’s exciting. Our ability to be more open-minded about what is possible is a direct result of hearing from readers about the impact our books have made. Knowing we’re making a difference is a feeling that can’t be beat. 

BECCA: My gosh, there are so many high points. There’s this exponential thing that happens when we put our heads together; the results are typically way bigger than we originally planned. For instance, I came up with a very basic version of the Emotion Thesaurus back when we were critique partners, but it was Angela’s idea to turn it into blog material. And of course, that ended up becoming such a successful book. We’ve achieved so much more together than I believe either of us would have on our own. There are many, many examples of this throughout our journey together. It’s a beautiful thing.

CAROL: Have you always had the same vision? Do you invest equal amounts of time and energy as the Thesauri Queens? 

ANGELA: I think so--mostly? I’ll have to wait for Becca’s answer to know for sure, haha! I guess maybe a better way to phrase my answer is to say that we each have a huge desire to help others and it drives us. We may have our own ideas on how to best accomplish this but the magic between us is we are very good communicators. Because we discuss everything and make it a practice to incorporate the other’s insight before moving forward, we become flexible thinkers. This helps us choose a path that feels right for us both, one that means we’re helping writers and running a sustainable business. And when we don’t quite agree, if it’s important to the other, we compromise because we have such a strong bond of trust. Resentment or negativity is not part of our relationship.  

BECCA: I think it’s truthful to say that we want the same things and we each give as much as we can in pursuit of those goals. It helps that we also see ourselves with a certain duality: we are individuals with many and varying responsibilities outside of work, and we’re also two parts to a professional whole. Real life happens, and there are times when we each have personal stuff going on. In those moments, the other person steps in to fill the gap. I know that Angela has my back, and she knows that I have hers—both personally and professionally. I thank God regularly for bringing the two of us together.

CAROL: Thank you so much, ladies, for sharing your working relationship and your encouragement to all of the men and women who are becoming more skilled writers because of you!

For those of you who haven't used any of Angela's or Becca's Thesauri, you can begin by reading my blog about their latest book, The  Emotional Thesaurus, Second Edition. 

No matter what genre you are writing or if you write for adults, children, or young adults, ONE STOP FOR WRITERS is the writing resource you need. It's the first place I go when I'm stuck writing a scene. I haven't begun to plummet the depth of writing helps that are included. By the way, their Pinterest board is pretty amazing too!

Badger's Perfect Garden - A Review, Author Interview, and A Zoom Author Visit Giveaway

When Sleeping Bear Press asked me if I was interested in joining Marsha Diane Arnold's blog tour, I was happy to agree. I blogged about May I Come In? here, and look forward to sharing her other new book, Mine. Yours. next month. Diane is a prolific picture book author with over a million copies of her books sold!

REVIEW

When Badger decided to plant a garden with all the different seeds he had stored in the spring, he received help from his friends Red Squirrel and Dormouse.

Badger made sure that the bumpy seeds were planted in one row, round ones in another, and whirly ones in a third. He was excited thinking about his perfectly planted garden with its orderly rows.

Until...a huge storm came. 

Badger grabbed his umbrella and rushed outside. He ran up and down the rows, trying to cover his seeds...The ground began to slide.

His garden and his hopes are ruined. Badger's friends tried to comfort him with hopes of future plantings, but to no avail.

One summer day Badger's friends drag him out of the house to see a wonderous sight.

"It looks like a celebration, it's the most wonderful garden of all!" 

This picture book, beautifully illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, will delight both children and the adults who read the book to them. The message of joy in spite of what looks like hopeless disaster, can be a great starting point for a conversation.

INTERVIEW

Carol: What was your inspiration for Badger’s Perfect Garden? 

Marsha: When I lived in Sonoma County, California, I had a wondrous half acre flower/fruit tree garden and a manzanita/oak forest that was home to forest creatures. That may have been the impetus to begin this story about gardens and sweet animals.

Images from Marsha's garden and forest in California.
Truly inspirational!

Carol: Were you trying to “educate” your readers about being open to new possibilities when something doesn’t work as they expected?

Marsha: I don’t think of my writing as “educating,” but simply writing a story my readers will enjoy. Naturally, my values and personality peek through. For much of my life I have been somewhat of a perfectionist, so the story is about “letting go,” about surrender, and about appreciating the “imperfections” in life, imperfections that are “perfect” in their own way, like Badger’s jumble-tumble garden. 

Carol: Years ago, anthropomorphized animals were frowned on in the children’s publishing industry. Obviously, your books break that rule and I suspect you’ve had no problem selling them! Do you ever receive negative feedback about this? 

Marsha: I see this warning fairly often in essays with titles like “Ten things not to do when you write a picture book.” 

I suspect these warnings spring from editors having read too many substandard stories with talking animals. But many popular writers anthropomorphize animals, food, and even furniture! It’s all in how you write the story. Editors have their preferences and some do not appreciate anthropomorphism. The lesson is to read popular and award winning authors and see what they’re doing and to know what a particular editor’s preferences are.

Carol: Do you take care to make sure your animals show some of their animal traits? For example, Red Squirrel seems friendly and curious. 

Marsha: I like my animal characters to possess characteristics of the real animal, but the story is always my highest priority. Squirrels, though timid, are also curious and social, like Red Squirrel in my book. Badgers can be quite aggressive, but that’s not at all like my Badger. 

I also like my fictional animals to be from the same country or ecosystem. The animals in Badger’s Perfect Garden can all be found in England - the European Badger, Red Squirrel, Dormouse, and Weasel. 

GIVEAWAY

We're switching up the giveaway this time.  Marsha is giving away a free 15-minute Zoom video chat with an educator and his or her classroom. Please leave me a comment by March 21 if you would like to be entered, along with your email address if you are new to my blog. Media specialists--this includes you! Please share this blog post with your favorite teacher or librarian. 

A SONG FOR GWENDOLYN BROOKS: A Review and Picture Book Giveaway

Congratulations to Danielle H. who for a second week in a row won a book from my blog. The Wizard's Daughter is on its way to her!

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Back in November I promised you a review of another book by Alice Faye Duncan. Several blog posts later and in anticipation of National Poetry Month in April, I'm making good on that promise. 

Before today you may not have heard of Gwendolyn Brooks. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1950 making her the first African American to win a Pulitzer.  Fittingly, Ms. Duncan chose to celebrate Ms. Brooks work by writing her biography in verse and interspersing it with Brooks' own poetry.

The year is 1925. 

Gwendolyn Brooks is eight years old. 

Gray bursts of smoke hide the yellow sun. 

Can flowers grow without sunlight? 

Gwendolyn leans on the front yard gate. 

Gwendolyn is unsure.

As a young girl, Gwendolyn translates her observations and thoughts into poetry.

Her parents encourage her writing but a teacher accuses her of plagiarizing her poems. Her teacher retracts her charge, but Gwendolyn is angry and pens a poem which ends up being prophetic:

FORGIVE AND FORGET

If others neglect you,  

Forget, do not sigh. 

For, after all, they'll select you 

In times by and by. 

If their taunts cut and hurt you, 

They are sure to regret 

And if in time, they desert you 

Be sure to forgive and forget.  (Gwendolyn Brooks, 1928)

Her parents recognize her talent and give her time to develop her talent; her poems are published in The Chicago Defender. 

Gwendolyn writes, revises, studies, and wins prizes for her poetry. She marries Henry, has a son they name Junior, and writes.

SING a song for Gwendolyn Brooks 

She whittles her sonnets with perfect grace. 

Like Edna St. Vincent Millay and Robert Frost.

Gwen paints poems with paintbrush words 

And Gwen takes home a Pulitzer Prize.

  

GIVEAWAY AND EXTRAS

This book would be an excellent curriculum resource. Educators, feel free to use this lesson plan.

You'll find some of Gwendolyn's poems here. 

I'm giving away a copy of A SONG FOR GWENDOLYN BROOKS (a part of Sterling Children's Books "People who Shaped Our World" series) in conjunction with the March issue of Talking Story on WOW Women in History. Leave one comment here and I'll enter your name once. Leave a comment through Talking Story and you'll earn a second chance to win. Giveaway ends April 1. Please leave your email address if you are new to my blog. 

The Wizard's Daughter: A Book Review and Autographed Giveaway

Congratulations to Danielle H. for winning The Smallest Tadpole's War in the Land of Mysterious Waters.

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If you, or a teenager you know, is a fan of clean science fiction/fantasy, then The Wizard’s Daughter by Jeff Minerd, is a book you should consider.

Minerd sets his three-book series, The Sky-Riders of Etherium in a world that is futuristic and yet also includes medieval/steam punk elements. The story opens with Brieze, the teenage protagonist, watching her mother jump off the edge of their floating island and into space. Brieze straps on her parachute pack and rescues her from impending death. In the process, Brieze learns that the man they are living with, the Wizard, has proposed to her mother. But, Patentia, can’t let go of the idea that Brieze’s father—her first love—still loves her and will come back for her.

With that, Brieze is thrust into a new normal and into her quest: to find her biological father, Kaishou Fujiwara, and to demand an explanation for why he abandoned her mother. She knows her journey to the Eastern Kingdoms will be fraught with dangers, but she is determined to not let anything stop her. 

The reader meets the other point-of-view character, Tak, a warrior in his own right and Brieze’s romantic interest. (He is the star of the first book in the series, The Sailweaver's Son.) Tak tries to talk Brieze into allowing him to accompany her, but she refuses—a decision she regrets during the long and lonely flight. 

The wizard, her adopted father, gives her a great surprise when he provides the airship she will need for her journey. Painted with a new pigment, the ship takes on the color of its environment. Delighted with the camouflage, Brieze names her airship, Devious. As a sky rider, Brieze “craved the weightless freedom of flying.” This powerful urge, along with Tak’s flying lessons, and her desire to confront her father propel her into a perilous journey and unknown future. 

Minerd's world-building is admirable. I'm quite sure that I could never imagine the complexity of the worlds, strange creatures, and dangers which Brieze encounters. Here is an example that shows some of the world that Brieze navigates in search of clues about her father's disappearance. 

She looked over the ledge. The clouds that covered the roots of the Wind's Teeth [dangerous, sharp mountains in which she had almost crashed] were only a few yards below her, looking like gray mist. She used the sturdy rope with the knots to lower the pack over the ledge, foot-by-foot down through the mist, toward the unseen ground below....

The glowing light stick on the pack dimmed as it descended through the fog....

A hundred knots passed...four-hundred twenty feet...

[She descends over five-hundred feet to the roots of the Wind's Teeth]

When she planted both feet on the ground, they sank in a little, as they would in mud. Brieze took a few cautious steps. The ground supported her, but it was definitely soft. She hadn't expected that. She bent down and scooped up a handful of the whitish-colored stuff she was walking on. It was like dirt, but much finer and dryer. It flowed like water between her fingers...

"Liquid dirt," she said to herself. "Fascinating."

......

[That night at her campfire] Sand slithered and hissed as the wind pushed it about.

Something moved in the darkness. She heard scrabbling sounds and the faint clink of metal on metal. Sniffing. Lips smacking and chewing. Satisfied grunts. Something was eating the goat strips she'd scattered in the dark...She saw the gleam of their eyes as they drew closer to the fire. Big, bulbous eyes, spaced far apart and glimmering green with the light reflecting off their retinas. There were two pairs of eyes and strangely, a single eye bobbing and blinking all by itself.

But they were Gublins.  (p. 199-4)

I referred to the map in front of the book several times; it helped me picture where Brieze was traveling. The prologue and epilogue were slightly confusing. Both reference characters and dragons that are not shown in the book. I assume they are important to the series, but I would have liked to see how they factor into The Wizard's Daughter.  In addition, I was left hanging at the end of the book. I assume that is because the author wants the reader to read the final book which he is working on, The Dragonlord's Apprentice. I would have preferred a greater sense of completion of this particular story. 

GIVEAWAY

If you are interested in receiving an autographed copy of The Wizard's Daughter, please leave a comment with your email address if you are new to my blog. Giveaway ends March 7.

The Smallest Tadpole's War in the Land of Mysterious Waters: An Audio Book Review and Giveaway

Florida became a state in 1845 and was quickly thrust into the Civil War. The Smallest Tadpole’s War in the Land of Mysterious Waters bridges the years from 1843  to 1900. The main character, Thomas Franklin Swearingen, was author Diane Swearingen’s husband’s great-great-grandfather. 

Thomas Swearingen, an uneducated farmer who settled northern Florida when it was home to untamed forests, black bear, Seminole ponies, and biting insects, went on to become a legislator, a drafter of the Florida constitution, and president pro-temp of the Florida senate. This is his story—and the story of Florida’s early years as a state. 

• T.F. Swearingen may be in the 2nd row second from the left. Members of the Florida Senate Gathered on the capitol steps for a group portrait. Tallahassee, Florida. 1885

  https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/26206

  
  

  REVIEW

The Smallest Tadpole is told from the perspective of Henry, Thomas’s adopted son. Henry recounts that his favorite book as a child was Thomas’s diary.  Although Diane Swearingen fabricated Thomas’s diary and letters, she used county and military records as well as Thomas’s papers that now reside in the Florida State archives.  Historical accuracy permeates each diary entry and the entire book. 

Thomas left Georgia and settled in Wakulla County, Florida in the late 1840's. In 1855 when his best friend died, Thomas married his widow, Louise, and adopted Henry. In 1860, at the age of eleven, Henry became a man when Thomas left for the war. His boyhood days of fishing with Thomas in the Gulf of Mexico and camping out staring at the stars, were over. 

Henry remembers how Thomas, a prosperous businessman, had been invited to political rallies before the war. The local cotton farmers agreed that they shouldn't be taxed by the north. Although Thomas had been warned that slavery would remain in the South as long as it was a colony to the North, it was the unspoken issue at these rallies where secession was a huge topic. Although most of the farmers did not own slaves, (Florida's population was 140,000 in 1861; 63,000 were African Americans), wealthy cotton plantation owners held the purse strings and great political influence over the farmers. To speak against them was financial suicide. The political rallies became enlistment opportunities for the Confederate Army; the farmers were loyal to a way of life and to local economics rather than defenders of slavery.

Thomas was made a lieutenant in the Wakulla Guard because of his leadership and popularity in the county--not because of any prior military experience. (This verified the experience of Kate Dinsmore's great-grandfather. As the protagonist in Half Truths, I researched how her great-grandfather would have been made captain in Charlotte, NC under similar circumstances.)  With great pomp and ceremony, the Florida men left for war with families excited about the $100.00/month the soldiers would receive. 

But the reality of war set in quickly with women left alone to care for their farms and children, while news of injuries and deaths trickled in from the front. Thomas's letters reported the realities of war and Swearingen's portrayal does not hold back from describing the smell of death, ears that ran from cannon fire, and the screams of dying men. It put faces on the 16,000 Florida soldiers who never returned home. 

Henry's narrative of the war is sprinkled throughout with local stories of Wakulla County and his own enlistment prior to the war ending. There was not enough black cloth for all the widows to sew funeral attire. Carpetbaggers grabbed land because of taxes owed. The homeless and helpless were throughout the countryside. 

Although Thomas returned home injured, he was encouraged to run as the Florida representative of Wakulla County and from there held several political offices. Throughout his career Thomas was anti-slavery.

This audio version available through Audible, is expertly narrated by Jim Seybert.

WAKULLA’S BEAUTIFUL WAKULLA RIVER IS A SPRING FED CLEAR WATER RIVER THAT RUNS EVENTUALLY INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO.  TODAY, MANATEES SWIM UP TO WINTER IN ITS SPRING. FROM THE FLORIDA MEMORY COLLECTION.

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Jim Seybert's generosity, I will provide a code for the winner to download this book from Audible's website. To enter, please leave me a comment by February 28 along with your email address if you are new to my blog.