Photo by Angie Quantrell (I don’t know how to get that Canva circle off of MY photo…).
Category Archives: The Writing LIfe
Book Report: Andres and His Rubik’s Cube Madness by Andrea Alvarez #BookBirthday
Andres and His Rubik’s Cube Madness
Written by Andrea Alvarez
Illustrated by Ana Sebastian
Mascot Books, March 2020
Andres and His Rubik’s Cube Madness is the perfect book for these anxious days! If you and your child are stuck at home due to the coronavirus, get yourself a copy of this book and your own Rubik’s cube. Accept the challenge!
Much thanks to Mascot Books for sending a review copy. Happy book birthday, Andres and His Rubik’s Cube Madness (March 3, 2020).
I loved reading this book about Andres. Introduced to the Rubik’s Cube by a new neighbor, Andres was inspired and challenged to try to solve the cube. He eventually discovers that there are Rubik’s Cube competitions all over the world and decided he wanted to compete. Hard work, practice, and dedication helped Andres learn ways to solve the cube.
I was amazed at how FAST Andres and other competitors solve the cube. At the time of the printing, Andres had a personal best time of 8.33 seconds to solve the cube. That is seconds! I take longer to sneeze. Congratulations, Andres!
Why I Enjoyed This Book:
~ The story is wonderful! Based on a true story, the author (mother to Andres) shares how he decided to accept the Rubik’s Cube challenge.
~ I learned so much about Rubik’s Cubes. There is an entire community built around competing and solving the puzzle cubes.
~ Excellent illustrations perfectly match and enhance the story. The reader is engaged in the story and illustrations.
~ Information is included for readers to use as they learn the algorithms to solve the cube.
~ Good writing and great story telling!
Our state just closed ALL schools for 6 weeks. That’s a long time, friends. I think this book AND several Rubik’s cubes might just help us to fill the long, long hours.
Amazon Blurb:
When Andres saw the new kid in the neighborhood solve a Rubik’s cube super fast, he wondered if he could learn to solve one too. He tried twisting and turning the multicolored cube but it seemed impossible. With a little encouragement from his mom, Andres began to practice every day. And when he discovered a Rubik’s cube competition to qualify for the biggest championship, he knew he had to try!
Andres and His Rubik’s Cube Madness is based on the true story of Andres a boy who cleverly practiced hard and learned hundreds of algorithms to solve the Rubik’s cube in lightning speed. He was dedicated and persistent, but most importantly, he never gave up.
Book Report: Jessica Tandy, The Girl Who Loved Candy by Susan Dils
Jessica Tandy, The Girl Who Loved Candy
Written by Susan Dils
Illustrated by Juan Diaz
Mascot Books, 2020
What happens when Mom finally gives up on the whining and lets her daughter eat all the candy she wants?
Yikes! Most can (correctly) predict the consequences of this sweet-tooth folly. Quick, make a list of what you think happens. I bet you’ve guessed at least one disastrous consequence!
Thank you, Mascot Books, for sending a review copy of Jessica Tandy, The Girl Who Loved Candy.
Why I Liked This Book:
~ Like Jessica, I love candy (though I rarely eat it due to the consequences of too much sugar)
~ Jessica, free to eat all the candy she wants, gorges herself, and then suffers overwhelming health issues
~ This book really lets readers know what will happen if too much sugar is in your diet (cavities, rotten teeth, poor health, grumpy attitude, sleepiness, general malaise)
~ The real consequences of eating straight sugar, even with brushing, are mouth and health issues; I’m glad this is included in the book
~ The book shares the path back to good health (and renewed friendships)
~ Love the importance of eating healthy, which was shared in ways I thought not too pushy
~ Great illustrations
~ I did want to shake the mom a bit (really? Jessica could eat ALL the candy she wanted??? But then, where would the story be?)
~ Fun and engaging, told in rhyme
Amazon Blurb:
Oh, how delicious it would certainly be
If we could all eat what we wanted freely!
Join Jessica Tandy in this humorous tale as she learns a lesson the hard way, finding out that poor eating habits can lead to a lot more than just cavities.
Haiku Moment: gnarled
grizzled and gnarled,
you lichened, weathered, old man;
desert strong sagebrush
gnarled by Angie Quantrell
Cowiche Canyon, Yakima Valley, Washington State
It’s Not Just Rubber Stamping
We LOVE getting together to play with our toys. Some call it making messes, but we call it fun. And you can’t create and make rubber stamped cards without the creative process, and that means messes are made. Also mistakes, but we use mistakes as opportunities to be even more creative with our oops.
It’s not just rubber stamping.
It’s crafting
chatting
applying (or ignoring) theories of art composition
using our imaginations
sipping tea (or coffee or a special dessert drink)
solving world problems
singing the oldies, sometimes badly and off-tune (me, always with the wrong lyrics)
sharing life
telling stories
listening to music
keeping cats off the table
playing games
getting older
sharing resources
enjoying fine literature (or just literature on a CD)
making goals
going for walks
building from each other’s ideas
paving the way to send snail mail messages to friends and family
making gifts to share
eating too much
recycling (saving rubber stamps from the landfills and reusing paper and craft items down to the tiniest scraps)
storing memories (and collectively attempting to recall long ago events)
visiting friends
and building love.
Completed card totals for this trip: 76
Friends involved in this weekend: 7
Cowiche Canyon Hike
It’s official. This writer/editor/crafter/Nana is a bit out of shape. At least for what my phone termed as 55 flights of stairs.
Our afternoon hike yesterday on the Cowiche Canyon hike was gorgeous. Pretty nice on the way across the uplands and down the steep hill to the canyon floor. Pretty sweaty and filled with loud gasps and burning muscles on the way back up and over.
But a good time was had by all two of us.
We started on Summitview Extension, parking in the last available spot. It is a small lot, really a parking pad. Then up, over, and through the sagebrush and blooming spring flowers we went.
Yes! There were so many desert flowers blooming-purple, yellow, white, chartreuse. Because we had lovely, sunny weather, the lighting was quite overpowering for taking photos, but try I did.
We followed the Summitview Trail. Since the trail loops and swirls all over, it’s possible to wander for hours. We decided to hook left on the Radio Flyer Trail. This really does wind through the sagebrush but leads all the way down to the Cowiche Canyon floor by way of the Lone Pine Trail. Do note, the trailhead at the bottom headed up the hill looks deceptively simple. That’s where we managed to rack up flights of stairs. I wore regular tennis shoes, but hiking boots would have given me more traction in the slippery dirt and ankle-twisting rocks. (I avoided the rocks, but did slip a few times.)
Our hike was over 3 miles and took us about an hour and 20 minutes to complete. I’ll say it’s because I stopped often to take pictures. But I also stopped often on the way up the hill to breathe.
We even had an “attempted” Sasquatch sighting! Oh, the silly things one does to have fun.
The Cowiche Canyon is a great location for exploring close to home (Yakima Valley). Once we were up over the hill of Summitview Extension, traffic noise disappeared and we could hear only ourselves and the occasional fellow hiker. NOW is a great time to visit. Mud was not an issue at all, wildflowers are blooming, rattlesnakes are sleeping, and heat and ticks are not yet an issue.
Go. Now. Just please. If you are a dog owner, clean up the poop.
Book Report: What is An American? by Matt Scott #bookbirthday
What is An American?
Written by Matt Scott
Art by Ana Sebastian
Mascot Books, 2020
What perfect timing for What is An American? by Matt Scott! After all, it is an election year and it’s bound to be spicy. To say the least. Thank you, Mascot Books, for sending a review copy of this patriotic book.
While What is An American? is not what I first expected, it is a picture book about the American dream, one of the foundations of being an American. It’s about being a dreamer, a believer, a keeper of others-potential with every breath.
Freedom, liberty, and justice for all. All.
What is An American? made me reflect on what it means to be to be an American.
Starting with young children, Matt Scott encourages readers to fuel up, dream big, and follow their dreams. A self-help book of sorts, What is An American? challenges readers to believe and reach for the stars, since Americans are free to follow their dreams.
What I Liked About This Book:
~ the exploration of the American dream
~ the reminders of our task of caring for the American dream, keeping it strong, and caring for America for ourselves and future generations
~ the nod of thanks for those who have established and preserve our freedoms
~ the patriotic theme and feel of the book
~ how the book helps readers see that they can dream; the “I can” mentality
~ the way this book will open discussions about what it is to be an American and what that means (past, present, and future)
~ colorful, patriotic illustrations
Amazon Blurb:
What is the American Dream?
It all starts with YOU… Saying and knowing and practicing discovered truths to life… no matter who you are, or where you are…
America was created to allow for these truths in Freedom and Liberty and Justice, for ALL!
It s time to teach what this means again.
Haiku Moment: river rocks
ancient, speckled orbs
water smooth, sand-polished gems
glisten, river rocks
river rocks by Angie Quantrell
Love, Laughter, and Life 