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  • Going Out(doors) to the Theatre

    By Beth | June 9, 2013

    Slather on some sunscreen, get the insect repellant and put on a hat – we’re going to the theatre! While those may not be on your list of usual preparatory items for a night at the theatre, they’re highly appropriate for the places we’re going today, where the actors and audience are out in the…

  • The Anne ofs

    By Beth | June 6, 2013

    When I was in my early teens, visiting my Aunt and Uncle (Bev’s parents, for those of you who read Bev Brenna’s books), my Uncle asked me one day, “Have you read the Annuvs?” The WHAT? “The Annuvs. Annuv Green Gables, Annuv the Island…” I had definitely read the Annuvs. And loved them. In fact…

  • Support Your Local Theatre

    By Beth | June 2, 2013

    A recent letter on the editorial page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune spoke of high ticket prices for touring Broadway shows. A response to that letter  (scroll down to THEATER PRICES) spoke well of the myriad opportunities to see good theatre by supporting local theatrical companies.

  • Climb Aboard The Book Bus!

    By Beth | May 26, 2013

    When I was in England in July 2011, I spent some time (on more than one occasion) in the Waterstone’s bookshop in the village where we were staying. There I noticed lovely small reusable shopping bags illustrated with delightful pictures of children and a bus. I purchased more than one of these bags, giving several…

  • Rose’s Garden — Perfect Picture Book Friday

    By Beth | May 16, 2013

    Title: Rose’s Garden Author/Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds Publisher: Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2009 Genre: Picture book, fiction

  • An Anniversary of a Different Sort

    By Beth | May 12, 2013

    There have been many pianos in my life, beginning with this one, with which I was so enthralled at the age of two that I wasn’t even interested in the fact that there was a picture being taken (and usually when anyone got a camera out, I was front and center, ready to be immortalized…

  • The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood

    By Beth | May 9, 2013

    On Tuesday of this week, the members of the Children’s Book Hub had the treat of hearing Emma interview author Maryrose Wood, who writes both middle grade and YA fiction. In preparation for this interview, I began reading her middle grade series, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, and I have been devouring it. Well,…

  • Accolades for Emma — Children’s Book Hub

    By Beth | May 1, 2013

    In December 2010/January 2011, Emma Walton Hamilton started the Children’s Book Hub, which is billed as “the center of information, resources and support for children’s book authors.” In part six of my serialized interview with Emma, she talked about the Hub, about how and why she started it, and what her hopes and dreams are…

  • Accolades for Emma — Emma’s Editing Services

    By Beth | April 24, 2013

    In part four of my interview with Emma Walton Hamilton, which was recently featured in a Thursday series, we talked about her editing services. Emma offers a range of editing services for writers of children’s books, including manuscript evaluations and line edits of picture books, middle grade novels, and young adult novels, query critiques, even…

  • Turning the Spotlight on “Fireflies and Shooting Stars”

    By Beth | April 21, 2013

    When I went to the SCBWI LA conference (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) in 2011, one of the first people I met was a tall, friendly man named Ed Raarup. I was immediately impressed by his warmth and his enthusiasm for his writing project, which he was working on with my friend and…

  • Accolades for Emma — Children’s Lit at Stony Brook Southampton

    By Beth | April 17, 2013

    Today in the follow-up to my interview with Emma Walton Hamilton (links in the sidebar), we’re looking at Emma’s involvement at Stony Brook Southampton University on Long Island. As many of you know, I attended the Stony Brook Southampton Children’s Literature Conference last year — and found it to be a wonderful experience both in…

  • Accolades for Emma — Just Write for Kids

    By Beth | April 3, 2013

    To follow up on my interview with Emma Walton Hamilton, I decided I wanted to spotlight some of the things Emma offers for writers, but I wanted to do it in a different way than usual. I have posted before about how Emma has helped me in so many ways. I want you to have…