Time For...

Imagine. You don't need anything except your brain to conjure up a bit of fun. Our ability to dream up stories is amazing, and extremely entertaining. Go with the flow of your ideas, and allow the play. Enjoy being yourself!

Go with the flow~~~

"Feeling bored? Don't know what to do? Look around, you'll find a clue."

Bookworm Cafe

If you're a voracious bookworm on the hunt for a good books to devour, this is the perfect spot to find the delicious words you're craving. Lizzy and Fairday have reviewed tons of books and interviewed many authors. You'll get some great ideas for your next read and find out the story behind the story from its creator! 

Go get your fill. 

Visit the Bookworm Cafe

Drawing Studio with Jess

Drawing is brilliant. You can go anywhere in your mind and bring the scene to life on paper. Nothing whisks me away like dreaming up scenes in pencil. If you love to draw and create, visit the post for ideas and inspiration. 

Me drawing myself, drawing myself

Pick up a pencil.

Explore drawing with Jess

Crafting Stories & Birthing Books

Love to write? Constantly creating stories? If you're looking for writing tips and information about how to pursue publishing a book traditionally or indie, visit the post for articles about our journey writing the Secret Files of Fairday Morrow and Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library. Writing is a wild ride!

Put on your writing pants.

Learn about writing mysteries with Stephanie & Jess

Take A Trip To Imagination

Short stories/ creative sojourns

THE FLOWER MONSTER

FAERIE MARKET

SPOOKY STROLL

A TALE OF TWO MEADOWS

Looking for something fun to do?

Try a helping of Bookworm Stew!

The recipe calls for the following things: a bowl, some letters, and a bell that rings. A spoon and a sparkle are needed as well. When stirred up right, they'll cast their spell. *Whatever you use will work out fine, as long as you follow along each line.  

In a pot, pour some water

Add in any flavor color 

Stir three times, then once more 

Go back again- this time four 

Now, get your letters and toss them in

Set your thoughts on a whistling wind

Watch the brew spin round and round

Then ring a bell to add in sound 

Now just wait, and you shall see

What the story is bound to be 

     ✭✭✭  

Did words appear? What do they say? 

String them together, and it's the soup of the day! 

*Stir again whenever you wish, but remember, you never know what's in this dish!

To our readers, we hope you are safe and well. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us. 

We love to hear from you! 💗

~ Jess, Stephanie, and the whole gang 

Cozy up with our mysteries!

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow (book 1)

Publish date: 12/1/15

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Illustrator: Roman Muradov

Ages: 8 and up

Grade Level: 3-6

Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED.

Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library (book 2)

Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library (book 2)

Publish date: 10/23/17

Publisher: Willow Press

Illustrator: David SanAngelo

Ages: 8 and up

Grade level: 3-6

Available: Hardcover, E-book

ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE. 

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Stay and Play!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! A tricky riddle, but fun to write. Tune in next week, we're in the mood to play. 😃See you all around the book block. ~ F

Imagination flicker spark

Scenes act out to ignite the dark

Mind in matter will heed a lark

Tea party style at pool bottom

Matchbox rides if you’ve got 'em

Awakened eyes shall make a mark 

Endless depth to that which is real

Head, heart, hands like to think and feel

Charging chattel to jump, dance, squeal

See flowers grow, and touch tree bark

Hide and seek under pillow fort

Bouncing balls do dribble in court

Entangled bits seize the strange quark

This is that and that could go there

Being light, as free with no care

Turning the time inside your lair 

Seasons do shift, green lush to stark

***

Below are the A lines brought together with a personal flare. :)

Mind in matter will heed a lark 

~Awakened eyes shall make a mark  

See flowers grow, and touch tree bark 

~ Entangled bits seize the strange quark

Seasons do shift, green lush to stark

What am I referring to? Answer: Play!

A zejel poem is an old Spanish poetic form. Below is is a layout template to use if you feel like playing with words. It's a challenge to write a zejel poem! Each line has to be 8 syllables. You can write about any topic and change it up a bit, like in the "Play" poem. I alternated making two of the stanzas two lines with a A line at the end, instead of three.

-First stanza is a tercet (3-line stanza) with an AAA rhyme scheme

-All other stanzas are quatrains (4-line stanzas) with a XXXA rhyme scheme, so the second stanza would be BBBA, third CCCA, fourth DDDA, and so on to the end of the poem

-Lines are usually 8 syllables long

A- rhyme- beginning

A- rhyme- middle

A- rhyme- end

B- rhyme- add to story/ beginning

B- rhyme- add to story/ beginning

B- rhyme- add to story/ beginning

A- rhymes with the A lines- match context with beginning A line

C- rhyme- add to story/ middle

C- rhyme- add to story/ middle

C- rhyme- add to story/ middle

A- rhymes with the A lines- match context with middle A line

D- rhyme- add to story/ end
D- rhyme- add to story/ end

D- rhyme- add to story/ end

A- rhymes with the A lines- match context with end A line

And so on... (bring the A lines together when your poem is finished to see how they read.)

Here are a couple more zejel poems I wrote to exercise my imagination with word play. 😀

NIGHT GARDEN

Oh! Queen of Night, stepping in now

Dragonfly diamond sparkle bough

Whimsy tips brushing soft pink brow

Hum wing buzz in shadow moonlight

Breath of air on rose sunset flight

Water babbling betwixt in sight

Pungent colors pique mortal wow 

Zig-zag fury on ancient vine 

Buzzing blissful in circle line 

Changing ways a mere passing sign  

Rise to fall upon croaking row

Bashful frizz passing eyes alight   

Fear the tender tercet reads right 

Heart is frothing to take a bite

Arise! Awake! Whispered secret vow

MIRROR IN THE MIDDLE

Skim a flat stone and ripple space 

Flip light switch upon flesh face

Here is now, in the middle place

They work for all-—each in their turn

One for the other they will learn

Right this way, free spirits shall yearn

Reflections spot your inner trace

I will know myself— how eye roll 

None for the other takes a toll 

Left in the dust, lost laggers loll 

Circle by time at your own pace 

Slice a straight line through our dark heart

Everything breathes in one whole part 

Each must shoot its own poison dart

It takes two to run a mad race

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!
62 original riddles and illustrations

Fairday's Riddle: What To Do?

Hello Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? I enjoy working with words, so I figured I'd try something new. This is a Zejel poem (it has challenging rules, and if you don't know what a Zejel poem is, I encourage you to look it up; test that I've followed the rules! :) I thought it'd be interesting to see if I am able to relay the riddle answer to you using this style of writing. ~ F

Imagination flicker spark

Scenes act out to ignite the dark

Mind in matter will heed a lark

Tea party style at pool bottom

Matchbox rides if you’ve got 'em

Awakened eyes shall make a mark 

Endless depth to that which is real

Head, heart, hands like to think and feel

Charging chattel to jump, dance, squeal

See flowers grow, and touch tree bark

Hide and seek under pillow fort

Bouncing balls do dribble in court

Entangled bits seize the strange quark

This is that and that could go there

Being light, as free with no care

Turning the time inside your lair 

Seasons do shift, green lush to stark

***

Below are the A lines brought together with a personal flare. :)

Mind in matter will heed a lark 

~Awakened eyes shall make a mark  

See flowers grow, and touch tree bark 

~ Entangled bits seize the strange quark

Seasons do shift, green lush to stark

What am I referring to? Stop by Friday for the answer.

The picture is the clue!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday #MMGM Book Review: Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood

The Nazis have started dropping bombs every night in London. Thirteen-year-old Ken Sparks is scared when he goes to the bomb shelter with his father, stepmother, and little sister. But he knows he’ll be leaving soon. He’s going to be traveling to Canada on a large ship because he was one of the ninety kids between ages five and fifteen whose number was selected during the random lottery. Although Ken is sad to leave his little sister and father, he’s sure his stepmom is happy to have him gone. Ken doesn’t know how long he’ll be away from his family, but he tries to think of it like an adventure in one of the stories he loves to read. Ken has never experienced anything similar to the boat before. Between the seven course meals, the new toys for the kids to play with, and all the fine details, he feels like he’s in a dream. Then, one night the unexpected happens and a torpedo hits the ship. After he has to run back for a forgotten item, Ken ends up in Lifeboat 12 instead of the boat he was assigned.  Now he and the other members of Lifeboat 12 will need to try to survive until help comes along. But will they be able to ration the food and water in the boat? Where are the other lifeboats? Is anyone coming to save them? You’ll have to read this historical fiction book to find out.

Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood was a fast and interesting read. When the author came to visit my school and talked about the research she did for this book, I knew I had to read it. She interviewed someone who had firsthand knowledge about the events! How cool is that? I enjoyed this book and it was told in verse, which I think made the story flow. Ken was a great character and one that was easy to relate to because he cared about his family, but he also liked to goof off and have fun. Reading about Ken’s experiences in England, on the boat to Canada, and in the lifeboat help get a glimpse of life during this time period. Susan Hood has written many books, but this is her first middle grade book, and it's fabulous! I highly recommend it to kids and adults in third grade and up who love to dive into history and find scenes that will surprise them.

Has anyone else read Lifeboat 12? Or have you read another book by Susan Hood? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
~ L

Answer to Fairday's Ridde: We'll All Float On...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! Time to sail away. Tune in Monday to find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block. ~ F

I'm over and under; wet and dry. You'll get where you're going, but not on the fly.

What am I? Answer: Boat!

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations

Fairday's Riddle: Above and Below...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? It's important to stay afloat! ~ F

I'm over and under; wet and dry. You'll get where you're going, but not on the fly.

What am I? Stop by Friday for answer!

I gave you a clue!