Brand New Box

Hello again! Have you had a wonderful summer? Did you go on a long vacation away from where you live? And isn’t it always nice to get back home? I feel that way even after short vacations! In fact, we just returned from a trip to the mountains where we camped in the woods, did some fly-fishing (not me, of course!) and even enjoyed campfires in the rain!

Isn’t is hard to believe it’s the end of summer vacation already? Time has a way of zooming by when we’re busy with projects, books (I’ve read five, how about you?), and summer vacation adventures. And speaking of being busy, my friend Benjy has sure had his hands full in my latest book called Sawdust! Here, see for yourself:

It’s a pretty big deal when a new kid comes to Sawdust, and it’s an even bigger deal to Benjy when she’s a real pretty girl who watches him lose his title as marble champ on her very first day! Before long, Ronnie the new girl fits right in with the gang and Benjy begins to win his marbles back but a troubling problem arises when everyone’s stuff starts disappearing. Benjy is dismayed to think there is a thief among them, but he’s determined to find out who it is…

And that’s only the beginning of Benjy’s summer! Are you hooked yet? Get your copy here.

Back to school sure is an exciting time for everyone each year. New friends, old friends will all have enough adventures to share to keep you talking at recess clear to Halloween! And how about the new teacher? If that is a scary thought for you, I’ll tell you what my grandma told me: The teacher is just as anxious as you are! So put on your best “Nice to meet you” smile and go for it!

My favorite back to school supply (Yes, I really have a favorite!) is that brand new box of crayons! Oh, not that crayons don’t color just as well when they’re not brand new and sharpened, for me it’s the thrill of all the new colors for a collection of all new pictures! How about you? What’s your favorite school supply, and why?

See, I may use pencils, pens and a keyboard these days, but I always have a box of crayons (though sometimes not brand new) in my bottom right hand drawer!

Until again, be happy, be well—and read!

Bigger Dreams

Hello again! Did you enjoy the 4^th of July? Did your family barbeque hot dogs or burgers in your backyard? By the way, have you ever met a kid who doesn’t like hot dogs? I have and I’m just wondering if maybe he should be famous for taking that position.

When I was little I always wanted be…bigger.  It seemed to me that bigger kids had better things to do and talk about.  Bigger kids had bigger dreams.  Later on I understood that the kids I wanted to be like were not only bigger, they were older.  And they could read! No wonder they had so much more to talk about.

Oh how I wanted to read as well! Every time I looked at the markings all over the pages of the newspaper I wished to know what they meant. What did the grownups find so interesting about those markings? How could the teacher look at the same picture book as we did and be able to tell us a story?

My luckiest day ever was the day I learned A, B and C.  The following day, I memorized all the rest of the letters in the alphabet! Before I knew it I was reading, sounding out new words and learning new things.

Speaking of new words, how do you feel about them? Are they scary old things you’d rather avoid, or are you then curious to know what they mean? Me, I’ve always been the curious type and I ask because as a writer I’m told that kids don’t like big new words and I should use caution when writing stories I want them to enjoy. 

 

The famous teacher, Confucius said “You cannot open a book without learning something.”  I think that’s the best part about reading, don’t you?

We’re excited to be going on another camping trip before school begins again.  What are you up to this summer? Parents, kids and fellow writers, please feel free to join the conversation!

Until again, be happy, be well—and read!