I’ve often described heart as the thing that gives the reader a reason to care about the character and the story. But caring – or, at least, admitting that we care – can sometimes be uncomfortable,…
Source: A Spoonful of Sugar by @SudiptaBQ and GIVEAWAY
How to infuse humor into books for children! Great information and examples.
My co-conspirator, Cece Bell, summed up the way we worked on our Inspector Flytrap series like this: I wrote it to make her laugh. She drew it to make me laugh. That’s really where a LOT of …
Source: Pressing Jokes Between the Pages with Tom
Kids love humor! KidLitSummerSchool strikes again! Yay!
Humor sells. We’ve all heard that before. But how do we write something funny? As authors, making people laugh can be challenging. We can’t use physical humor and pratfall our way into chuckles lik…
Source: 1-2-3…Hehehe: Using the Rule of Three by @kamikinard plus a #Giveaway!
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Love locks at Chambers Bay Park |
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
It’s true. Time flies. But not only when you are having fun – though those particular minutes, hours, and days seem to sleep more easily through our fingers.
I’ve found that time. Just. Flies.
For instance, my honey was on vacation last week. There were just not enough hours in the day! We . . .
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We had a wonderful time. I think maybe they were embarassed by us! |
– traveled to see my cousin in the Tacoma area where we ate, hiked, visited, walked, sipped coffee, ate some more, and watched exploding fireworks
– shopped for an RV trailer as a part of our long term plan to build our own small home
– returned home and cleaned house with much attention given to fine detail
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On the first hike we got lost. This was our trick for choosing the correct path on the next hike. |
– decluttered, packed boxes, moved furniture, and prepared our home for sale
– shopped again for an RV trailer – and purchased a lovely used model that we pick up on Saturday where we will attend a class on how to make everything work
– washed windows and removed cobwebs
– spackled and touched up painted walls
– filled the garage with boxes, bags, and large items for storage and donation
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Titlow Beach at low tide |
– spent hours talking on the phone with various service providers and business people, asking questions and learning the ropes about selling and building homes
– and finally, put our home on the market
We are exhausted!
The above schedule did not allow time for reading email, blogging, writing, or any other creative endeavor. I barely had time for grocery shopping, but we were getting hungry and I had to cave and make the trip.
The fun continues tomorrow. The gray girls and I are banished for 4 hours while realtors visit and walk through our home. I think Monet, Mabel, and I will visit some grands. Won’t that just make their day fantastic? The grands will love it. The cats, not so much.
Oh, friends, I could have used you. At the least we could have stopped for a bit and sipped a cup of tea. Rest and relaxation. Do consider a visit soon so we can catch up. I may not have furniture, but I always have hot water and tea.
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Fireworks on the 4th |
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
The Perfect Dog
By Kevin O’Malley
(Crown Books for Young Readers, 2016)
Her parents have finally said she could get a dog. The perfect dog.
But what makes a perfect dog? Big, bigger, biggest? Maybe or maybe not.
Humorously written and brightly illustrated, The Perfect Dog shares the tale of a young girl who is searching for the perfect dog companion. All goes well, until a dog chooses her.
I enjoyed this funny book and the comparative language used to tell the tale. Readers will laugh and begin to predict before the story is told.
KID KANDY:
Compare Your Toys
Materials: variety of toys, at least 3 different sizes of each type (3 dogs, 3 cars, 3 blocks, and so on)
Can you line up your toys by comparing them to each other?
Get 3 dogs. Put them in order of big, bigger, and biggest. Or maybe they are small, smaller, and smallest!
How about 3 blocks? Tall, taller, tallest? Or long, longer, longest?
Do you have 3 dolls? Tiny, tinier, tiniest?
3 instruments? Loud, louder, loudest? Quiet, quieter, quietest?
There are all sorts of ways to compare objects! See how many different words you can use to show comparisons. I’d love to hear your favorite!
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Khloe with her Fourth of July flag ~ it was kind of heavy! |
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
Pinterest wins! This Fourth of July craft project turned out adorable.
The grands loved it as well, though they really wanted to just paint all over the old barn wood plaque. That would be a project for a different time. This time, Nana wanted some resemblance to a flag. It was on OLD barn wood after all, and that stuff is hard to come by.
That being said, use any wood you like. Or cardboard or a piece of canvas. With just a little help, you will be ready to celebrate the birth of our nation in style!
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Audrey adding white stripes to her Fourth of July flag. |
Fourth of July Flag Craft
Materials: wood, acrylic paints (red, white, blue), plastic containers to hold paint, paintbrushes, apron or old clothes, wire
Tools: saw, drill, wire cutter, broom
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Donavyn is done with his flag and enjoying a freeze-pop on this nearly 100 degree day! UGH |
1. Cut a rectangle from the wood. Drill two holes in the top for wire.
2. Use a broom to dust off the sawdust and dirt.
3. Squirt each color into a container.
4. Help do the handprint. I held each child’s hand and thickly painted it with blue paint. I also helped place the hand and held it down until I had rubbed it all over. Wash!
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Hayden working on his white stripes. |
5. We did red stripes first, making sure to leave big spaces for the white. For older kids they can pretty much be told where to start the stripe and they will be fine. My younger guys needed a little more assistance. Normally, I would just let them paint however they wanted, but these were on barn wood…
6. Add the white stripes between the red.
7. Dry. Loop wire through the holes and twist together to form a hanging loop.
Happy 4th of July, America!
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
Agatha
By Anna Pignataro
(Little Bee Books, 2015)
Agatha did not fit it.
With a bear and a pig for parents, Agatha did not look like her parents. Other kids resembled their parents. But not Agatha. When the family got together, both sides of the family looked like each other, but Agatha didn’t quite match anybody.
When it was time for kindergarten, Agatha felt out of place. Until one day, her teacher said that everyone was special in their own way.
Agatha’s classmates told why they were special. But when it was Agatha’s turn to share, she had disappeared! The subsequent Agatha-hunt led Agatha to see her specialness through the eyes of her friends. Agatha was special at being Agatha.
I love this book! Agatha would be perfect for anyone who feels different from others or for a child who is going to kindergarten.
Everyone is special!
KID KANDY:
Specialness Survey
Materials: toy microphone (or something you can pretend to use as a microphone)
Think for a minute. How are you special? Maybe you can list several things that make you special.
1. Hold a specialness survey. A survey is when you ask questions for others to answer. Use the microphone as you interview your family. Go to each member and ask them to tell how he or she is special. Tell why you are special.
2. Ask neighbors, friends, or classmates to tell why they are special.
3. Think again. Are all of the people you interviewed the same? Do each of them have something special that makes them unique?
I enjoy making greeting cards with rubber stamps. That makes me special. I’d love to hear what makes you special!
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Comments from the peanut gallery… |
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
I work at home.
I’m sure some people think I just goof off, sip coffee, play in the backyard, eat bon bons, and read great books.
It’s true. I do those things. Occasionally. Or maybe even almost daily.
But I also work. At home.
Last week, my grands and great-niece and their adult caregivers (mom and Nama) hit the road to visit Owen Beach at Pt. Defiance Park near Tacoma, Washington. As the road trip one-way was about 3 hours, there was plenty of time to talk. This conversation came from the way-back seat of our van.
Nama: Audrey, are you talking to grandma (via Face-Time)?
Audrey: Yes.
Nama: Is she at work?
Audrey: No, she doesn’t work. She just goes in her office.
Hayden: (Looking incredulously at Audrey) Nana does that! She works in her office. (Now looking at me) Nana, you write books in your office!
Long-distance-front-seat-to-backseat high five!
Yes! He gets it. I am working in my office. I do have a job. I don’t make much money right now, giving credence to the term “poor starving author,” but I am working.
This writer felt very pleased and encouraged by the voice and total belief in the voice of a 7 year-old boy. He believes in me.
Who encourages and believes in you and your life’s work?
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Hayden, 7, at Owens Beach, Pt. Defiance, WA. The gray? Rain. Sheets of. |
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
When in Washington (the state), going to the beach may look different than going to the beach in other locations.
For instance, one may need to wear a winter hat at our beaches.
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Hayden, Audrey, and Khloe sporting layers, hats (including winter), and beach tools. |
Sweatshirts may be required.
You will get wet. With rain more than salt water.
Barnacles and tiny crabs abound.
Picnics are held under shelter. Or you eat wet food.
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Picnics under shelter keep the food dry. |
Seagulls will peck open unattended packages and ruin the cookies.
Sand will be discovered in odd and stayed-in-the-van-how-did-sand-get-there places.
You will bring too many things in order to plan for any type of weather.
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Gage, 1. The same beach and same age when Hayden first went to the beach. |
You will take home more than you bargained for. Some of those things will smell after a day or so.
Laundry and deep cleaning will be necessary once you get home.
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He who wanted to throw himself into the water. Or eat sand. It was hands-on-Gage for one adult at all times. |
Wet, cold, damp, briny kids smell just like that in the close confines of a van. Wet. Damp. Cold. Briny.
Umbrellas are often in use.
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Can you see the little feathery barnacles? The openings are ones that are feeding. |
One might wear a camera around the neck, but it will be covered with a plastic grocery bag that is tied tightly to keep out the rain. And sand. And stuff.
Water sandals are the perfect shoe. Waterproof and protective against stones.
Seals will wonder what you are doing. Bald eagles will soar, seagulls will annoy, ferries will pass, squirrels will steal, raccoons will beg, deer will graze.
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Looking at wildlife. |
Those dead looking rocks with barnacle crusts are not dead. Just put them in a bowl of ocean water and see what happens.
Strangers are kind. They may even bring a new crab specimen and seaweed clump for investigation.
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Our barnacle and crab observation project. |
On rainy days, you will mostly have the beach to yourself.
You can still get sunburned if it’s raining and cold.
If you want to go to the beach, go. Sunny or rainy, windy or stormy, the beach is a wonderful destination. Just know that our beaches will not resemble southern beaches (most of the time). The water will not be warm. Body extremities will turn blue. Noses will run.
But it will be the beach.
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The group – minus the photographer who quickly unwrapped the camera for a quick shot. |
Layer up, my dears. Or at least plan for a variety of beach weather. This is the life of Washington beaches.
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
It’s cherry picking time in the Yakima Valley.
A total of 7 children and adults plus our tour guide Mr. T. visited a local fruit ranch to pick not-quite-full containers of fresh ripe delectable cherries.
Not only did we have fun traipsing through the cherry trees and orchard rows, the young fruit pickers learned several new things.
Picking cherries is harder than it looks.
It’s takes lots of cherries to fill even tiny buckets. Lots.
It’s more fun to visit and play than pick cherries.
Don’t use the port-o-potties (as advised by Mr. T.).
It was a great outing. Plus I have a big bowl of the yummiest cherries just waiting to be gobbled up.
Fresh and raw, pitted and baked. Any way, any time.
Cherry season!
Love, Laughter, and Life 