Margo's Musings: An Old Dragon Swallowed a WHAT??

“There was an old dragon who swallowed a knight. I don't know why he swallowed the knight. It's not polite!”

As soon as we got to the library my little sister, Margo, saw the bright red dragon on the cover of a book and pointed. She was very excited to start reading. She thinks dragons are cute!

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight by Penny Parker Klostermann is told in the same style as the classic story There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. In this book however, there is a dragon that does the swallowing. He takes in all kinds of items and people that one might find near a castle. But- Margo’s favorite part is what happens when the dragon realizes that he may have eaten too much. I am surprised you couldn’t hear her cracking up at your house. The repetitive lines and rhythm make this a story that can be read over and over. There are lots of opportunities for everyone reading the story to participate. Will the dragon suffer the same fate as the old lady who swallowed the fly? Or will he live to swallow another knight?

The illustrations are vibrant, and the pictures really draw the reader in. Because the lines repeat, Margo couldn’t wait for her part, which was, “It’s not polite.” She’s been going around everywhere saying the phrase, and it does sound funny coming from a two year old, especially when it’s the reply to something she wants and has been told “no” about.  This would be a fun story for kids and adults to read together and I know we will read it at least a few more times before we return it to the Ashpot Library!

Has anyone else read There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight? Or have you read another book by Penny Parker Klostermann? 

We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Reading!
~F

Answer to Monday's Riddle: A Dragon's Tale...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers. This week we're heading into the dragon's lair. Friday, Margo's picked a book that will get you fired up, so stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

By folk and lore my story's told; the lines written are centuries old. When my scales tip the sky, I soar way up high. My shadow looms over lands; reptilian eyes and clawed hands. I'll breath fire at the moon. Hiccup would say to train me soon!

What am I referring to? Answer: Dragon!

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats

Monday's Riddle: Tipped Scales...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? In some stories, these are my favorite characters. ; ) ~ F

By folk and lore my story's told; the lines written are centuries old. When my scales tip the sky, I soar way up high. My shadow looms over lands; reptilian eyes and clawed hands. I'll breath fire at the moon. Hiccup would say to train me soon!

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer

I gave you a clue!

Where Will Edward Tulane's Journey Take Him?

A china rabbit named Edward Tulane lives on Egypt Street with a girl named Abilene. Abilene dresses Edward in the finest clothes and treats him with tenderness. When her family takes a journey on the Queen Mary, she insists that Edward comes too. Unfortunately, this is when Edward gets tossed overboard and spends most of the next year face down at the bottom of the ocean. Oh how he wishes he could see the stars again. When Edward is finally fished out of the sea, he's taken to the home of a couple who thinks he's a girl rabbit. His name is changed and so are his clothes. This won’t be the last stop on Edward’s travels, nor will it be his last new name. Each person he encounters will leave their mark on his heart. Each step of the way he is learning to love. But is loving someone worth it? Is it possible for a china rabbit’s heart to break? Will Edward find his way back to Abilene? You’ll have to read this tale to find out!

I have read quite a few books by Kate DiCamillo, but I wasn’t sure what The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane would be about. I don't know many stories from a doll’s point of view, so it was fascinating to hear Edward’s take on the world. I liked seeing the different people who adopted Edward and the impact they had on him. He truly was on an adventure from the moment he left Egypt Street. Because Edward was a silent observer, his life felt out of his control- after all, he couldn’t move or talk. It was interesting to see how he went from one owner to the next and what the journey entailed. I especially liked how Edward’s heart seemed to grow as he learned to love. I have to say that I thought the story was going to end with a specific twist that didn’t come, but the end was still satisfying. I would recommend this book to people in grades three and up who like books with animals or toys as the main characters. The illustrations throughout the book are beautiful and really add to the story. 

Has anyone else read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane? Or have you read another book by Kate DiCamillo? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

Answer to Monday's Riddle: Coeur of Love...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we're spreading the love. Tune in Friday for Lizzy's review and find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

Simple, yet complex; this is felt by muscle flex. It'll knot your gut, tingle toes, make heads spin as it grows. Like a coin with two sides, it's kept in view or rather hides. The main focus of a plight, this can cause a terrible fight. The reason why you laugh and sing. The single point of everything. It may feel grand or make you mope, but being blind, has infinite scope.

What am I referring to? Answer: Love!

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats

Tips & Tricks for Crafting Stories...

Writing is a wild ride, and Stephanie and Jess are sharing tips and tricks on the ups and downs of crafting a mystery. They've opened the closets in the Begonia House and followed the twisted corridors into the nooks and crannies of their story, where they uncovered useful tools to navigate a writer's pursuit in delivering a book.



After presenting at the Plumb Memorial Library, the authors discuss their experience using Google to build their book series in this short video clip. There's no better place to get a clue than the library!

Episode 1: Using Google to organize and edit a manuscript

Example of organizing in the Google Drive

From this:

To this:

Example of editing with Google Docs

From this:

To This:

Referring for Google/ G Suite Referral Program 

Try out G Suite and wrangle your words in line.
Learn more about G Suite

Stay tuned for the next episode of 

Making A Mystery

Coming Soon!

Catch our feature articles on Writing Mysteries

I See Dead Quotes

Critique, Editing your MS

Weaving in the Backstory

Working with editors, Collaborating using Google Docs

BOO-k Bones

Skeleton's poetic interpretation on formatting a book

Story Seeds

Origins of a story, Creative process

A Writer Delivers

Tips for growing a successful book garden

Writing Resources

Editors 

Betsy Thorpe

Nicole Ayers