Saturday, January 30, 2016

Imagination inspiration- a deserted mining town

This town near the continental divide was a booming mining town over a century ago. What would the life of a 6 year old be like? A ten year old? What would it have been like for the last few people here after the mine closed?

Thursday, January 28, 2016

A book is a garden carried in a pocket.
~Chinese Proverb

Yet another challenge!

Call it market research or just plain fun, I've joined a group through 12x12 whose goal is to read 1,000 picture books in 2016. I am logging the books on my bookshelf on Goodreads
 I can sort them on to shelves of favorites, non-fiction, cumulative/circular and more.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Great First Lines in KidLit

Just for fun, can you name the children's classic that starts with each of these first lines?
And what do they all have in common?

1- "Where's Papa going with that axe?"

2- "The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it."

 3- "All children, except one, grow up."

 4- "This is George. He lived in Africa."

 5- "Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Ding-dong, ding-dong."

They take you in to the story immediately, no setting a scene or "once upon a time"! Do they all leave you wanting more?





In case you didn't know the answer-
1-Charlotte's Web by E.B.White
2-Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
3-Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie
4- Curious George by H.A.Rey
5- The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

12 x 12

 Well I've decided to do 12 x12 again this year. There were great webinars and access to a wonderfully supportive writer community.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Neil Gaiman on librarians

“Most people don't realize how important librarians are. I ran across a book recently which suggested that the peace and prosperity of a culture was solely related to how many librarians it contained. Possibly a slight overstatement. But a culture that doesn't value its librarians doesn't value ideas and without ideas, well, where are we?”
Neil Gaiman

 “Librarians are the coolest people out there doing the hardest job out there on the frontlines. And every time I get to encounter or work with librarians, I'm always impressed by their sheer awesomeness.”
Neil Gaiman

 “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.”
Neil Gaiman

Aspen

Nature can inspire great ideas. What might be hiding just beyond your view in these aspen in northern Colorado?

Storystorm 2024 is in the Books!