A Journey to America on NPR’s FROM THE TOP

By Beth | November 5, 2018 |

I shared this post on my other blog a couple of weeks ago, but its message is so important that I wanted to share it here, today, as well. Music can truly be like a candle lighting the darkness, whatever darkness might surround a person. This post will show how music created light in one…

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Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan — Book Recommendation

By Beth | September 24, 2018

Title: Amina’s Voice Author: Hena Khan Publisher: New York: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Children’s, 2017 Genre: Middle Grade Fiction Audience Age: 9 to 12 Themes/Topics: empowerment, racism, feeling comfortable with who you are, lifting up your voice Opening Sentences: Something sharp pokes me in the rib. “You should totally sign up for a solo,” Soojin…

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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…

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Music in Films

By Beth | February 17, 2013 |

Knowing me, you likely expect this post to be about musicals — but that isn’t the focus of my thoughts today. (Although one of my favorite bits of film scoring is from a movie musical. More about that later.) On Saturday night, our local symphony orchestra presented their annual tribute to the Oscars concert, featuring…

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We Shall Overcome…

By Beth | January 20, 2013 |

When I was growing up, I didn’t have many records to listen to, but those I had I listened to over and over again. I can honestly say they helped shape the person I am today, my likes and dislikes, and more significantly, my beliefs and the mores by which I live. One such record…

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Simeon’s Gift — Perfect Picture Book Friday

By Beth | June 8, 2012 |

  Since I interviewed one of the authors of this book, Emma Walton Hamilton, here on my blog on Wednesday, it seemed appropriate to share Simeon’s Gift today. In the interview, Emma mentioned that one of the books she and her mother have collaborated on had its origin in a story they wrote together when…

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