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  • Face to Face with Whales — Perfect Picture Book Friday

    By Beth | September 19, 2013

    Perfect Picture Book Friday is back for its THIRD year! (Actually, it started up again last week, when I was participating in Erik’s blog tour.) Although this book is very different to the sort of books I usually share for PPBF, I came across it while doing research for a middle grade novel, and decided…

  • A Post for My Hero

    By Beth | September 18, 2013

    Do you have a hero? I do. His name is Renn. I’ve told you about him before — the now 6 1/2 year old boy who has been dealing with medical and neurological tests and procedures ad infinitum (it seems) as the doctors seek to find a cause and control for his epilepsy. He’s now…

  • International Dot Day — Make your Mark!

    By Beth | September 15, 2013

    If you’ve read either The Dot or Ish, Peter H. Reynolds’ fabulous picture books about celebrating creativity and making your own kind of art, even if you (or others) don’t consider you artistic, then you’ve already encountered the basic principle behind International Dot Day — making your mark in some artistic-ish way, and celebrating your…

  • The Adventures of Tomato & Pea — Blog Tour Review and GIVEAWAY!

    By Beth | September 12, 2013

    It is so exciting when a writing colleague is published for the first time. It is even more exciting when that colleague is eleven years old! I first became aware of Erik, the Kid Who Reviews Books, when we both participated in Picture Book Ideas Month in 2011 (that link leads to a guest post…

  • Blog Tour Announcement for The Kid Who Reviews Books!

    By Beth | September 8, 2013

    The blog tour for The Adventures of Tomato and Pea, Book One: A Bad Idea, written by none other than Erik, the Kid Who Reviews Books, kicked off yesterday with a cover reveal on Erik’s blog, and continues daily (and sometimes twice daily) all around the blogosphere from today, September 9th until September 20th. There…

  • Oceanology — a book with a difference

    By Beth | September 5, 2013

    Perfect Picture Book Friday will begin next week (although since that’s the day I’m involved in Erik’s blog tour, my first PPBF pick won’t be posted until September 20th.) Today I’m sharing a book that, although it has 32 pages like a picture book, and has text and illustrations, it isn’t a picture book. The…

  • How I Spent My Summer Blog-cation

    By Beth | September 1, 2013

    I wish I could say I spent my blog-cation doing what this cat is doing. That wasn’t quite the case, actually. 😉 Part of my blog-cation, I was actually BLOGGING. Not here, except for one post, but I did manage a post a week on my new Starborn Revue blog, which is devoted to the…

  • Our Little Jedi has a big BIG wish

    By Beth | July 30, 2013

    I’ve told you about my friend Bethany’s son Renn, before. He’s a brave little guy, six years old, dealing with a complicated form of epilepsy. He has been through test after test after test, that have all been inconclusive. He’s headed back to hospital in August, and is scheduled for two or possibly three brain…

  • The Missing Fourth (story contest entry)

    By Beth | July 1, 2013

    Susanna Leonard Hill is having another of her delightful, fun story contests. This one is a Fourth of July contest for which the basic rules are (and I quote) The Contest:  Write a children’s story, in poetry or prose, maximum 400 words about the 4th of July in which a secret is revealed or a mystery is solved! (Note…

  • Festival Time!

    By Beth | June 23, 2013

    Summer theatre festival time, that is. In this final post in my mini-series about summer theatre offerings around Canada and the United States, we’re going to look at some festivals — both well known and lesser known. Some of these festivals have resident troupes of actors, as well as attracting some of the finest actors…

  • ‘Tis the Season — for Summer Theatre

    By Beth | June 16, 2013

    You’ve spent the day at the beach, you’ve had a wonderful time, but you’re not ready yet to go back to the hotel or the campsite (or home). How about going down the street to the theatre? Although most theatre companies wind down their season in May or perhaps June, some theatres are just revving…

  • Backstage Cat — Perfect Picture Book Friday

    By Beth | June 13, 2013

    This will be the last Perfect Picture Book Friday until September. Watch for PPBF’s return in the fall! Title: Backstage Cat Author: Harriet Ziefert Illustrator: Jenni Desmond Publisher: Maplewood, NJ: Blue Apple Books, 2013