Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? It always makes me nervous to walk through this section of a store. ; ) ~ F
I've hands to mold things that hold, and earthenware is what I bear. Stories speak of centuries past if my work was made to last. Should it break, you might say darn, but you'll find another in a barn.
What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.
I gave you a clue!
Monday, January 29, 2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
Lost and Found by Andrew Clements
When sixth graders
Ray and Jay Grayson move to a new town in Ohio they pretty much know what to
expect. They’ll have each other; after all, they’re twins. And no one will be
able to tell them apart, since they’re identical. Even their own parents have to do the “freckle
test” every once in a while. On their first day of school, Ray
isn’t feeling well and has to stay home. So Jay goes alone, along with a note from his mom explaining Ray’s absence,
which he’ll turn in during home room. Only, when the teacher calls attendance, Ray’s name isn’t on the list, only Jay’s. Jay figures maybe it was an oversight. But, Ray isn’t in any class. When he sees his file on
a teacher’s desk he knows there has been a mix-up, his file is way too
big. The school thinks there is only one
Grayson boy. Maybe this is an opportunity for Ray and Jay? It’s definitely
strange to be at school without his twin brother, especially since in the past
no one has been able to tell them apart, and their matching names only made
things trickier. But at the new school no one is confused about which twin they
are talking to, and Jay actually feel like a real person. When he gets home he tells Ray about the day, and how it felt to have kids talk to him and see him as an individual. They hatch a plan where they'll alternate
who will stay home, so that they each get to experience life outside of being a
twin- just for a week. Can
the boys pull off their plan? What kind
of trouble will they be in when all is revealed? Are they good enough actors to make people believe they're one person? You will have to read this book to find out!
I have read and
enjoyed many books by Andrew Clements, so I was excited to read Lost and Found. It was a lot of
fun! Once I found out what the twins
were planning I couldn’t wait to see how everything played out. Their plan was interesting, and I loved seeing
the way they each handled things when they were acting as Jay. Definitely a
tricky situation- especially when they went out in public with their parents! Ray
and Jay are seen by most people as the same person, since they are identical.
But, through this experiment, we really got to see how unique they are. They
have their own skills and like different things after all. I think this book will appeal to anyone who
likes realistic fiction and a little mischief. A fast and entertaining read!
Have you read Lost and Found? Or have you read another book by Andrew Clements? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy Reading!
~L
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Riddle Answer Has Been Found!
Whew! The answer to Monday's Riddle was lost yesterday! Luckily, it's been found. Excellent guessing, Riddlers! Friday, Lizzy will make sure you find a great review, so stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F
You've checked your pockets, turned the bed, searched the places in your head. Where it is, you don't know, but you can see it so. Like a game of hide and seek with two words you must tweak. If it's this, and then you find, you'll know the answer I've in mind.
What am I referring to? Answer: Lost & found!
You've checked your pockets, turned the bed, searched the places in your head. Where it is, you don't know, but you can see it so. Like a game of hide and seek with two words you must tweak. If it's this, and then you find, you'll know the answer I've in mind.
What am I referring to? Answer: Lost & found!
Make time to riddle and rhyme!
62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats
Available in all e-book formats
Love words?
Interested in writing books?
Catch our feature articles on WRITING MYSTERIES
Critique, Editing your MS
Working with editors, Collaborating using Google Docs
Skeleton's poetic interpretation on formatting a book
Origins of a story, Creative process
Tips for growing a successful book garden
Stay tuned for our video series
MAKING A MYSTERY
Coming soon!
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Birthing A Book: A Writer Delivers
GROWING A BOOK GARDEN
By Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson
Step One: Tend the Story
You may be a brilliant writer, but no
author can edit their own book. As the creator, you know who the characters are,
how they arrived on the scene, what the setting smells like, but no one else
does. It’s vital to get reliable feedback from readers and digest their
critique with the understanding that a new perspective will expand your story’s
horizon.
By Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson
— Once you’ve planted a story seed, it
will grow with the flow of your attention. Just like how gardeners prepare the
soil, writers plot pages. Both are excited to experience the fruits of their
labor, but first, they must create.
A good gardner knows the
manifestation of fruit requires focus. Your favorite author would say the same
about books. Rows of sentences plant scenes in readers’ minds, linking
meanings and ideas. Words connect worlds, and writing books is like having a
direct line to the head boss. Catching the reader's mind's eye shapes their reality in that moment.
Reading a story that moves you is
similar to devouring delicious food, and hungry minds like to eat. When a
writer delivers, the reader feels full and satisfied.
Step One: Tend the Story
This is important! When a seed isn’t
fertilized, it will lay dormant, just as a story won’t develop if you don’t pay
attention to it. Writing comes first. Validation is found in the process of
honing your craft. When an author compels words onto a page, they’re driven by
a force of insight, and the reward is watching a project evolve through success
and failure, or rather, trial and error— the main two ingredients in progress.
Step
Two: Fence in Creative Space
You can’t write without a comfortable
place to work. External forces thrive in a literal ocean of information. They
are distracting, and it’s easy to forget about your project. But, if your wish
is to bring a book to life, it’s important to maintain self discipline and keep
a sacred space where you can create in peace and comfort.
Step
Three: Thicken the plot
Writing a book is realizing a dream.
Stories are clouds of inner vibes before they’re scribed onto the page— this is
raw, creative magic. But conjuring the
right words into fluid scenes is the key to delivering a story; here is
where you’ll need two real eyes, and
the will to perfect spelling.
If you take your writing seriously, and
work with professional editors, you’ll feel confident that your message will
have a good reception, and you will have successfully delivered a book!
Now, you just have to publish it, but
that’s a whole other story.
Tune in for our next article in the
“Birthing A Book” series:
Writing Resources
Editors
Writing Tools
A Writer
Moments that arise
may be a book birth in disguise. There are those with eyes to see all a scene
can really be. They ask, "what if?" or "where'd it go?'- this
person will imagine it so. A blank page is the space where they'll shave the story's face. Stringing words in lines, meanings point to signs. Inner space
cosmonauts, creating with inky thoughts.
Book bugs can be very helpful when they eat stories. They thrive in the garden of your mind, so feed them well. 😀
Catch our feature articles on
WRITING MYSTERIES
WRITING MYSTERIES
Critique, Editing your MS
Working with editors, Collaborating using Google Docs
Skeleton's poetic interpretation on formatting a book
Origins of a story, Creative process
Monday, January 22, 2018
Monday's Riddle: A Tweak on Hide and Seek...
Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? Many interesting things end up in this pile at school. ; ) ~ F
You've checked your pockets, turned the bed, searched the places in your head. Where it is, you don't know, but you can see it so. Like a game of hide and seek with two words you must tweak. If it's this, and then you find, you'll know the answer I've in mind.
What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.
I gave you a clue!
You've checked your pockets, turned the bed, searched the places in your head. Where it is, you don't know, but you can see it so. Like a game of hide and seek with two words you must tweak. If it's this, and then you find, you'll know the answer I've in mind.
What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.
I gave you a clue!
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