Creative Writing In The Blackberry Patch

NEW BOOK for Middle Graders!

2024-09-08T10:40:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone!

As you can see, I don't post much on my blog any more.

But, if you want to keep up with what's happening around the Blackberry Patch you can follow me on Facebook and YouTube.

My husband Charley and I have fun posting videos on YouTube. I'd love for you to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. I think my subscribers like Charley more than they do me. I post about our wildlife, recipes, my books, traveling West Virginia and lots more. I don't make any money from my posts yet, I have enough followers, but don't have enough watched hours. It's very complicated, but we just enjoy doing it.

I came here to post about my latest book . . .

The Country Cousins Detective Agency - The Case of the Missing Chest.

It is a MG (ages 8-13) book and I really enjoyed writing it. I started writing it years ago and made lots of changes along the way.

On the back cover it says . . .

January's city cousin comes to spend the summer with her in the country. They discover a letter in the attic that reveals the secret of a chest that their young ancestor hid from the Union soldiers during the Civil War. Join them as they overcome their fears and search for clues that will hopefully lead them to the discovery of their family treasure.

This story takes place in the 1960s when I was about the same age as the girls in the book. I would love to find a treasure from my family's past. Wouldn't you?

Click on the book cover and it will take you to its page on Amazon. Go over and 'take a look inside it.' If you have a child or grandchild in that age range, think about ordering it. I think they will like it.

As you can see from the cover, the story involves a ghost - a friendly ghost of an ancestor from the past. He helps them find the treasure.

PS I am writing another book about the 'Country Cousins,' where you can see what they are up to next.

Thanks for reading my post. I will try to post more in the future

Happy writing!

My Latest Book Release

2023-05-20T09:51:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone.

I am glad to announce that I've just published my picture book titled, Call Me Betsy.

It's available in kindle and paperback.

I've enjoyed putting this book together. It has a Betsy Ross timeline, Betsy Ross facts, instructions on how to make a 5-point star with one snip (and a link to my YouTube video demonstrating how to do it) and I tell about games colonial children played.

I'm a descendant of a Valley Forge soldier and I participate, dressed as Betsy Ross, in the Ripley Fourth of July Parade every year in my hometown.

I decided it was time to write a book about her - and I did!

I hope you enjoy this little patriotic book. Click here to go to Amazon to check it out.

Flag Day and the 4th of July are coming up.

This would be the perfect gift for a child or for yourself!

Write What You Know or What You Want to Know More About

2023-01-30T11:50:00.001-05:00

I'm not much of a blogger any more.

I am mainly writing, posting on Facebook and posting on YouTube.

Stop by YouTube and see me. My goal is to get 1000 subscribers by the end of the year. Well, I've only got about 700 to go, so wish me luck.

My biggest passion is writing. It takes up a lot of my time, but I don't feel like it is wasted time. If I quit, my house would be a lot neater. But for the moment I'd rather be writing than dusting.

Click here to check out my author page on Amazon and see what I've written.

My latest venture in writing is putting together a book about Betsy Ross. I'm really excited about it. You see, since around 2002 I've been dressing up as Betsy Ross and walking (or riding) in our hometown 4th of July Parade. It's a big thing where I live. We boast having the largest small town 4th of July Celebration in the country.

They say write what you know, so I figured it was time I found out a lot more about Betsy. And writing this book has brought this about.

Some of you may not believe that she was the creator of the first flag, but I do. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But nevertheless, she was a courageous and hard-working woman of the 1700s, when it was almost unheard of for women to have their own business.

The book I'm working on is a Picture Book. I've almost finished it.

She was a woman of many names - being widowed and married three times.

My book is simply titled . . .

Call Me Betsy

What have you been writing?

The 12th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest aahhhrrrooooOOOOO!!!

2022-10-29T19:04:00.003-04:00

It's time for the 12th annual Halloweensie Writing Contest! over at Susanna Leonard Hill's Blog! Click here and check it out.

WE have to write a write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in word count) using the words slither, treat, and scare.

Here's my 100 word entry:

THE LAST HOUSE

“Are you sure this is the right place?”

“I’m sure.”

My brother and I slithered down the spooky path to the last house of our trick or treat travels.

Ghosts dangled from tree limbs.

Spooky jack o lanterns’ eyes burned bright.

The porch light flickered.

We trod up the squeaky steps, one by one.

A witch cackled and stirred a creepy cauldron filled with candy.

“I’m glad we saved this house for last.”

“Me, too.”

“Boo!” yelled Grandpa from behind the door. “Did we scare you?”

“How do you like my outfit?” cackled the wicked witch.

“Grandma! Is that you?”

Good News!

2022-08-15T15:43:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone. I hope all of you are doing well. I know I don't post much anymore, but there is a reason.

I've been writing - a lot. Plus, it is summer and we stay so busy in the yard and garden in the summer.

I have good news!

My second book in a trilogy has been published - Mama's Memories

I am so happy to have it on Amazon now. I've worked hard on it and it means a lot to me. Like my first book in this series, Where the Stars Grant Wishes, it is based on my grandparents and her family. A few facts spurred a lot of fiction! When I get my author copies I will be doing a YouTube video about it. You can visit my YouTube Channel - Janet Smart Country Living - here.

I hope you like it, I do. If I didn't like it, I would have gone crazy reading it over and over again in the editing process.

I have also published my hummingbird book, Hum Hum Hummingbirds, in hardcover! The hard cover version is over 70 pages.

I love the cover on it - don't you? These would make a great gift for someone in your life.

These two books have been keeping me busy all year. I hope you read and enjoy them. Both of my historical fictions are in the kindle unlimited program. So, if you are a member of that, you can download them for free. They all have the 'see inside' feature on Amazon. So you can click and read the beginning of them.

And, remember, the best gift you can give an author, is a review. I'd love for you to put a review on amazon, if you've read any of these books. The review doesn't have to be a fancy or a long one.

Please go to my Amazon page and check them out. Click here.

Thanks so much - and happy writing and reading.

Make Your Writing Interesting

2022-03-14T16:34:00.001-04:00

I just saw this quote over on my friend Rosi's blog -

The business of the novelist is not to relate great events, but to make small ones interesting.”
~ Arthur Schopenhauer ~

I love it.

Who was he? Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher.

When you think about it, this is so true. Most of my stories are about small events and ordinary people. It is my job as a writer to make them interesting.

Whether it be a picture book, middle grade book or novel. You need to create suspense and drama, write good dialogue, know the rules (and break a few if necessary), and make your characters and setting memorable. Don't have your characters flawless, they would be boring. And always use the best words possible.

Go over your stories and get rid general words and make them specific words. Get rid of the passive words.

Sometimes I (and my writing friends) will spend hours trying to find just the right word. Finding just the right word is especially important in short stories such as picture books and poems.

And it never hurts to add a little humor. I love humor in books.

Happy Writing!

Editing and Writing Tips

2021-04-05T12:25:00.001-04:00

I'm a reader of writing tips.

Writing is a talent, but a person is never too old or too young to learn.

I love writing, but I think I love editing even more. I love molding my story into a better story. Into the best story that I can.

Editing does that.

I'm always reading about finding filler words and getting rid of them. Finding passive words, vague words, redundant phrases, and common cliches and getting rid of them.

I am in the process of writing a sequel to my novel, Where the Stars Grant Wishes, and I have been editing it to rid my manuscript of those filler words.

Some of the words I've been searching for are IT, SOME, THEY, THEM, etc.

My story had a lot of those vague words. I am one of those writers who doesn't have to lower my word count. I need to up my word count. And in getting rid of these words and getting more specific, I found that I actually upped my word count - Yeah!

Another way I found to up my word count is in description.

Early this morning I opened the door and stared out. I soaked in all the sights and sounds and came up with passages that I could easily find a place for in my manuscript.

If you go outside during the day and sit and observe everything around you, new ideas will appear all around you.

Are you in the middle of writing a manuscript?

Do you like editing?

Click here and here to see a few of my other posts on writing tips.

Is Your Writing a Career or a Hobby?

2020-10-28T15:16:00.001-04:00

I remember when I started writing, I thought I could supplement our income with my writing income. I was, and still am, a stay at home mom/wife. My husband retired in 2008.

In addition to supplementing our income, my goal was to get my writing published.

Early on, I got one of my short essays accepted into a Christmas anthology. Yeah! I even did what a writer is not supposed to do - after submitting it and waiting for what seemed like an eternity, I inquired about the status of my submission.

I got lucky. The lady putting the anthology together remembered my submission and said she thought it was 'too sad' of a story, so it was passed over. After speaking with me and giving it further thought, she said she would read it again. I later got another email from her saying it would be accepted into the anthology. She said that everyone's remembrances aren't happy, and sad times do exist and she thought it should be in the book. Yeah!

I am far from being able to make my writing a career, and I could in no way make a living from it. But I have had my work published, by a publisher and by me. (5 books, soon to be 6) Plus I wrote a children's column for a regional magazine for 8 years (non paying). And I also write the weekly column in our newspaper for the local Senior Center (non paying). The many comments from the readers of these columns makes it all worthwhile, even though I am not paid.

But I enjoy writing! You need to enjoy writing because a person can spend years writing a book and getting it the way they want it.

A lot of non-writers don't realize that the author of a book doesn't get all of the asking price of their book for themselves. Most of my books are selling for $10 on Amazon. Do I get that $10?

No.

The most I have ever made from a sale on Amazon is $2 or $3. If it was published by a publisher, my portion of the sale would be less. And you make even less on e-books.

In my opinion, the secret to making a lot of money is selling a lot of books. Many authors also make extra money from speaking at schools and conducting writing workshops.

Sharing my stories at the West Virginia Folk Festival a few years ago. The adults even enjoyed participating in a reading of one of my stories for children. This was a very fun day.

I am a fan of the Waltons TV show. On one show, John-Boy meets Dr. Porter on campus who inquires how he intends to support himself as a writer. The professor tells him that only about 6 authors would actually be able to support themselves as writers only, the rest have to support their writing endeavors in other ways. He says that if he can find a way to make money while writing full time then he’ll be the envy of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton. Dr. Porter says that there are 10,000 unemployed writers in America who are living on $95 per month from the WPA program.

John-Boy suggests that Margaret Mitchell who had recently published Gone With the Wind is an example of a successful writer, but Mr. Porter says that she is an exception and that greats like Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe were not so fortunate during their lifetime. He says that if John-Boy wants to write fiction full time then he’ll need to marry rich.

Of course, this leaves John-Boy downhearted, but just as we continue to write because it is in our blood, so does John Boy.

Is your writing a career, hobby or something else?

Whichever it is, enjoy your writing!

Cover Reveal

2020-09-28T22:00:00.002-04:00

My latest book has been published!

Hum, Hum, Hummingbirds is a picture book about these fast and fabulous birds!

It is written in rhyme and has sidebar information about these cute birds that visit us each summer.

It is great for children young and old and adults who are fascinated by hummers.

I wrote the book a few years ago, and this summer I decided to publish it. I observed these tiny birds all summer. They visit our feeders and flowers all summer long. After much patience, I was able to take many pictures of them and their funny antics.

One fabulous fact is that a group of these charming birds is called a charm! A word which I think is very befitting of them.

If you or anyone in your family love these birds , click here to go check out my book on Amazon. I think you will enjoy this fun book.

Click Here to go to my Amazon Author Page to see what other books I have published.

The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Jobs, Vocations and Careers

2020-07-12T09:34:00.002-04:00

Recently I received the PDF copy of the Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers. It is written by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi.

The official release is on July 20^th

They blog over at Writers Helping Writers. I am a follower of their site and if you aren't already, I recommend you consider becoming a follower. Their site is a great benefit to writers.

There are over 100 occupations listed. When you meet someone, what is one of the first things you’re going to ask? “So, what do you do?”

People will want to know the occupations of your characters in you book, too. This book lists combinations of factors that might help you figure out which careers will work best for your story and your characters.

It tells you that by using specific details you can help change your blah characters into intriguing characters.

Categories under each occupation include: NECESSARY TRAINING, USEFUL SKILLS, TALENTS, OR ABILITIES, HELPFUL CHARACTER TRAITS , SOURCES OF FRICTION, PEOPLE THEY MIGHT INTERACT WITH, HOW THIS OCCUPATION MIGHT IMPACT THE CHARACTER’S NEEDS, TWISTING THE FICTIONAL STEREOTYPE and a list of reasons why CHARACTERS MIGHT CHOOSE THIS PROFESSION.

So whether your character is an actor or a yoga instructor or anything in between, this book will help you make them more interesting.

For more info about this book click here.

A great resource for writers. You will want to add this helpful book to your collection.

Making our Stories Better

2020-05-14T23:02:00.000-04:00

I have a habit of copying writing tips and putting them in a folder on my desktop. I have lots and lots of tips.

Which is a good thing to do.

But I also have a habit of forgetting about them after putting them in the folder.

It's a good idea to go back and review all those tips you save. You'll be surprised at what you may have forgot.

I went here and read a post about How to Start a Novel. I found a couple of their ways interesting and applied one to one of my manuscripts.

I'd changed the beginning paragraphs of this story many times and I thought I had a good beginning.

It was pretty good, but now it is so much better. The 'Why is he doing that' prompt is the one that brought about my change.

I sent the new and old version to two of my critique partners, and they both liked the new version better.

So, my manuscript has a new and better beginning, and it is all because I kept reading blog posts and I kept reading tips.

I didn't quit. I kept trying to make my story better, which is what we all should do.

We should keep striving to make our stories better.

Don't be satisfied with a so-so story. Make it the best story you can make it.

Book Titles - How to Choose Them

2020-04-29T13:23:00.001-04:00

WRITING WEDNESDAY

So you are trying to come up with a great title - a title that will make everyone buy your book. Wouldn't we all like to do that.

You want it to be original, memorable, not too short and not too long and convey what your book is about.

One way is to make a list of words that come to mind when you think of your setting, time period, emotions, questions and characters in your book.

If and when you come up with a few titles, go to Amazon and do a search for your three or four possible titles. How many books show up? The fewer the better.

I've been working on a story for around 10 years. I'm glad I didn't publish it sooner, because it is so much better now than it was. It was a novella. One of my critique partners said he bet I could make it into a novel if I tried (meaning make it at least 50,000 words). I took him up on the challenge and it is now almost 52,000 words. I didn't think I could do it, but I did. I took it chapter by chapter and added to the story. My latest title for it is, Where the Stars Grant Wishes. I searched the title on Amazon and no other books came up. Yeah!

I have a middle grade that I have been working on for about the same amount of time. I wrote a list of words (adjectives, nouns, setting, characters) It has had different titles and the one I have for it now, I'm not really satisfied with. Here are the words I came up with to describe it.

mystery - family secrets - ghostly presence
country cousins
treasure - treasure hunt
cave
attic
discoveries
rural country setting
takes place in the summer - 1966

A cousin comes to visit her country cousin in the summer of 1966, to help keep her cousin from missing her brother so much, who just got sent to Vietnam. The girls will soon celebrate their 12th birthday. They find an old letter from the Civil War era in the attic and it takes them on an adventure to find a hidden family treasure. No one has seen the chest since it was hid by their 13-year-old ancestor, Dudley, during the Civil War, who turns out to be a helpful ghostly presence. The story of the hidden treasure has been passed down through the generations, but no one has been able to find it. Will two persistent snoops, inspired by Nancy Drew, find it? Or will they be scared away by snakes, bats, endless passageways and a rumor that the cave is cursed?

Any suggestions for the name?

Here are some links for title generators and writing in general:

Title Generator

Great site for writing. Are you having writer's block? Lots of writing prompts and generators.

Another title generator site.

Lots of title generator sites listed here.

How do you pick your book titles?

Any ideas? Add them in the comment section.

Happy Writing!

Writing Wednesday

2020-04-22T10:17:00.001-04:00

I used to put a Writing Wednesday post on my blog on a weekly basis. I think with this post, I will start it up again.

This is National Poetry Month!

A fellow blogger, Linda O'Connell, recently blogged about the Washington University St. Louis, Humanities Dept. Poetry Prompt, for the month of April. Each day they provide you with 5 words to encourage you to write a short poem.

I've dabbled with it a couple of times. I go to the sight and look at the words for each day, if one of the prompts catches my eye, I copy the words down and write a poem.

I don't think I'm doing it right. I'm thinking they want you to write the poem on the day the prompts are put up, but that's okay --- it's got me to writing.

The April 16 prompts were: Sunlight, Ceiling, Nostalgia, Bleak and Mother

Here is my poem:

I sit and gaze out the window.

The sun hides behind stubborn clouds

and refuses to shine.

I stare at the ceiling and nostalgia

Sets in. I find myself wishing my mother

was here on this bleak day

to spread hope and sunlight to my life.

The April 13 prompts were: Star, Stairway, Memory, Hour, Light

After a few versions, here is my latest poem:

Climbing the stairway toward heaven,

A star shines its bright light before me.

But my magic hour has not yet come

For me to go, so I linger another day

And add another memory to my life.

Why don't you give it a try?

Sometimes a little prompt is all a writer needs to kick-start their brain.

If you like, post your poem in the comments.

Happy Writing!

Free Kindle Download of my Book

2020-04-17T11:37:00.001-04:00

Hi all my writing friends!

I would like to announce that my newest book,

Fun Through the Seasons Volume Two

is available for FREE download through Sunday, April 19, 2020.

I would love it if you take this opportunity to download it and enjoy.

It is always free on kindle unlimited, but if you don't belong to it, this is a great time to get my ebook.

It is a good book for kids and adults, especially during this Pandemic when we are encouraged to stay at home and the kids are home from school.

It is filled with easy recipes, poems, fun and informative articles, and interesting facts. It also has colorful photos and illustrations.

If you download it, I would appreciate an honest review on Amazon.

click here to get the free download. Remember it is only free through Sunday, April 19!

Reviews are one of the best gifts you can give an author.

Thanks and keep safe and healthy!

I've sewn a few, but here I am in one of my no-sew masks.

They're easy - get a large man's handkerchief or a piece of material

at least 16 x 16

fold in half once

then fold in half again

slide a child's ponytail elastic over both ends

push in a few inches and then fold the material on the ends toward the inside.

Put up to your face and slip the elastics over your ears. Adjust to fit.

Voila!

FUN ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

2020-03-24T13:11:00.000-04:00

I don't know about where you live, but here in West Virginia, children are home and so are a lot of parents. We've been told to stay at home if at all possible.

Spring is here and it is a good time to watch the birds. They are busy this time of year, and unlike us humans, are not quarantined!

I've got two books published titled, Fun Facts for Kids Recipes, Crafts and Fun Facts for Kids Volumes one and two.

In these books there are all kinds of activities, easy recipes and fun articles for children and their parents.

I've copied one of the articles below that you and your child might find interesting.

BUSY, BUSY BIRDS!

What makes a bird different than other animals? Is it their pretty colors, their eggs, their bills or their wings? It is their feathers. No other animal has feathers.

And, here are a few more fun facts about birds.

Birds are surveyors. They survey the world around them. They search and search and search. They look for just the right trees. They look for just the right bushes. They look for just the right places to build their nests and raise their family in a safe place from weather and predators. But sometimes birds pick very unusual places. They build nests under the hood of a car, in shoes left outside, inside barbecue grills, behind porch lights, under lids of propane gas tanks, in hanging planters, in bird feeders and on tops of ladders.

Birds are architects. They obtain just the right materials to build nests to cradle their next generation. What they gather with their beaks and talons depends on the size of the bird and nest. They weave together twigs, fur, hair, grasses, leaves, moss, sticky spider webs, strings, straw, mud, feathers and/or large branches. They use artistry, design and fantastic engineering to perfectly place these materials and make a durable nest, just like a real architect who designs buildings.

Birds are hunters. They seek out seeds, worms, insects, fish and nesting materials. Larger birds, such as eagles and falcons, hunt large prey like rabbits and mice.

Birds are caterers. They bring food to their babies and serve them in their cozy nests.

Birds are teachers. They teach their babies where to look for food and how to avoid predators.

Birds are singers. They sing to announce that this is their territory and to attract a mate. In the wee hours of the morning they often sing louder and livelier than at any other time of the day. Scientists call this the dawn chorus. I have often walked under a tree and heard what I thought were different birds and looked up to see only one talented mockingbird singing this endless string of songs. Some tweets aren’t always so sweet to our ears. Baby birds use begging calls to let their parents know they are hungry. Doves coo sadly, owls hoot and woodpeckers hammer on trees. Rat a tat, tat, tat! Rat a tat, tat, tat!

These amazing birds entertain us with their visits and put on a merry musical show. They brighten gloomy and gray days with their songs.

BIRD HOUSE SANDWICH

Spread peanut butter and jelly on bread. Cut the slices the shape of a birdhouse (keep bread scraps). Using a straw, punch a hole in the middle for their door. Decorate with pretzel sticks. Serve with grapes and bright colored peanut M & M’s (bird eggs) and a cheese stick.

My books are both entertaining and educational. While enjoying the fun facts, easy recipes, crafts and articles, they are also learning.

Both of my books are available on kindle and paperback on Amazon. You can go to Amazon, click on the title and "look inside" of them here.

I also have free downloads on my author page that go along with some of the articles in the volume one book. You can go here to download them.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

Re-release of Duck and Cover

2020-03-16T08:42:00.001-04:00

I've been so busy writing and rewriting lately, that I seem to have lost track of time. In addition to working on getting my book back on Amazon, I have also been working on another historical fiction novel (this one geared more toward adults) and my picture book manuscripts.

My contract was up with my middle grade historical fiction, and I decided not to renew it.

I wanted to change the cover (I thought the children on the original cover were too young for the main characters and intended readers of the book) and make some formatting changes to the manuscript. Some of the changes may seem trivial to people, but I feel that little things can sometimes make a big difference.

Here is a small snippet from the book that I feel fits right in with the cover:

***************

The house was so quiet, I couldn't sleep. I put my clothes on, slipped out of bed and walked outside. While I stared at the moon, a shooting star flashed across the sky.
Is that what a Russian missile would look like? I hope I didn't ever find out. I closed my eyes tight, made a wish and went back inside and climbed into my bed.

***************

The main character also yearns to be an astronaut and travel to the moon when he grows up, so I thought the front cover needed a moon - and a shooting star to make his wishes on.

You will now find a new cover, a few !'s marks scattered here and there in the story (which I feel were really needed), a short timeline in the back of the book and a slightly different format.

I hope you like the changes I made - I do.

You can click on the cover on the sidebar and find it on Amazon.

I'm not very good at making book trailers yet, but here is the one I made for Duck and Cover.
It takes a few seconds, but it will play.

Or . . . you can click here to view it on YouTube. Give me a thumbs up or thumbs down or leave a comment. Thanks!

Happy writing and reading everyone!

Publishing on Amazon

2020-01-17T14:23:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

The new year has started and I hope you keep your resolutions. I saw this riddle on the internet:

What is a New Year's Resolution?
Ans. A to-do list for the first week of January!

I say that's a pretty good definition.

I have finally submitted volume two of Fun Through the Seasons: Recipes, Crafts and Fun Facts for Kids to Amazon. They should be available for purchase as a paperback and an e-book in a few days.

Also available now on Amazon are e-book versions of my cookbook and volume one of Fun Through the Seasons!

I'm proud of my volume two of Fun Through the Seasons. It is published in color. There are some very nice photos and illustrations throughout the book. All the photos were taken either by me or my son. Unfortunately, printing it in color makes the price higher, but I think it is worth it. It will also be available on kindle.

The Fun Through the Season books are not only fun books for kids, but also a great resource for teachers and parents. They are chock full of easy activities, recipes, crafts and recipes.

I admit that my best-selling book is my cookbook. Cooking with Family: Recipes and Remembrances.

Have you ever self-published any of your books? I am glad I finally figured out how to do the e-book versions. Through a lot of trial and error I figured it out.

Now I'm off to finish a few other of my projects.

You can click here and visit my author page.

What have you been up to?

I'd love to hear all about your projects.

MMGM - The Ghost, the White House, and Me

2019-05-05T21:36:00.001-04:00

THE GHOST, THE WHITE HOUSE, AND ME

by Judith St. George

2007 Holiday House

First off, this was a fun book. It takes place in the White House. Kay Kay Granger and her sister Annie just moved into the White House - her mother was just elected president!

It takes her a while to get used to living there. She misses her old house with its creaky floors and whistling radiators and big old kitchen where she tried out recipes. She loves to write and is currently working on a mystery. She soon hears about ghosts in the White House, especially the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. She wants to sleep in Lincoln's bedroom so bad - for research, you know. Her mom says "no," but she says that her brother, Kay Kay's uncle, can sleep there. Kay Kay plans on pranking her uncle the night he sleeps in Lincoln's room. But it backfires when a foreign dignitary stays in the room instead, and they end up pulling the prank on him.

They get grounded for two weeks. But to Kay Kay's surprise after the grounding is over, her mom says they can sleep in Lincoln's bedroom. Will she and her scaredy-cat sister see Lincoln's ghost?

You will have to read it to find out.

This was a fun read. At first I didn't think I was going to like the ending, but she put a twist to the story at the end, and I did. I think a kid who likes a mystery with a little history mixed in will enjoy this book.

Here are a few interesting facts about the author - Judith St. George has written more than forty distinguished books which have won numerous awards, including the Christopher Award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and the Golden Kite Award. Her picture book "So You Want to Be President!", illustrated by David Small, received the Caldecott Medal. Judy was a delegate to the White House Conference on Library and Information Services, but saw no ghosts while she was there.

Go over to Always in the Middle to find out who else is posting about MG Books.

MMGM - SAVING ZASHA

2019-04-28T22:23:00.000-04:00

Saving Zasha

Randi Barrow

Scholastic 2011

This story takes place post WWII Russia. Thirteen-year-old Mikhail finds a dying man and his German Shepherd, Zasha. Mikhail's mother was unable to save the man. They took his body to town to turn him into the police, but the children convinced their mother to let them keep Zasha. The father in the story was a soldier and had been missing for two years, but Mikhail and his family still held hope for his return.

There were hardly any dogs in Russia after the war. Many were lost in combat, to starvation and in the slaughter of German dogs. They had to keep Zasha hidden from the soldiers and from dog thieves who sold them on the black market.

People began to suspect that they had a dog (dog thieves, Dimitri, the dog breeder and a young girl named Katia) and it became harder and harder to keep their secret of having Kasha, who they had just discovered was pregnant.

I loved this book. The author did a wonderful job of getting you to love Zasha and I was worried about her well being throughout the story. But I thought the ending was a little abrupt and too easily wrapped up. I wanted her to go just a little farther before ending the story.

If you like historical fiction and if you like dogs, you will like this story.

I read somewhere that if you are writing a children's story, you should have a dog as one of your characters. I agree and I have used that tip in my writing as well, and this author did a wonderful job with Saving Zasha.

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Middle Grade First Lines and First Paragraphs

2019-04-21T20:52:00.000-04:00

MMGM

I'm always surfing the web for writing tips and techniques. I search for the rules of writing and advice from other authors. I have read that first lines or first paragraphs can stir your curiosity, create surprise, be humorous, have shock factor, state a simple statement of facts, and last, but not least, hook your reader into reading more.

Here are a few first lines and/or paragraphs from middle grade books:

Charlotte's Web - “Where’s Papa going with that ax?”

Holes - “There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.”

A Wrinkle in Time - “It was a dark and stormy night.”

A Series of Unfortunate Events - “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.”

The Hobbitt - “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

Wonder - I know I'm not an ordinary ten-year-old kid.

Rain Reign - I am Rose Howard and my first name has a homonym.

Navigating Early - The first time you see the ocean is supposed to be either exhilarating or terrifying. I wish I could say it was one of those for me. I just threw up, right there on the rocky shore.

Fever - I woke to the sound of a mosquito whining in my left ear and my mother screeching in the right.

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple - "Mama," I said, "that gold you claimed is lying in the fields around here must be hidden by all the lizards, dead leaves, and mule droppings, for I can't see a thing worth picking up and taking home."

A Year Down Yonder - Oh, didn't I feel sorry for myself when the Wabash Railroad's Blue Bird train steamed into Grandma's town. The sandwich was still crumbs in my throat because I didn't have the dime for a bottle of pop. They wanted a dime for pop on the train.

Everything on a Waffle - I live in Coal Harbour, British Columbia. I have never lived anyplace else. My name is Primrose Squarp. I am eleven years old. I have hair the color of carrots in an apricot glaze (recipe to follow), skin fair and clear where it isn't freckled, and eyes like summer storms.

Duck and Cover - I survived the long drive from Cleveland. Now if I could just survive the Russians, I'd be OK. Some people worried they were going to blow up the United States. Mom and I had come back to West Virginia to start over. How could we start over if the world was coming to an end? (Sorry, but I had to include the first paragraph of my book.)

Wishtree - It's hard to talk to trees. We're not big on chitchat.

As you can see from the examples, some books do it better than others.

Have you read any of these books? Which one is your favorite line? What are some of your favorite first lines or first paragraphs?

A little practice can go a long way. Write and write again until you get it right.

Now go and create the perfect first line for your story.

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MMGM - The Little Riders & Ghost

2019-04-14T21:37:00.000-04:00

I've read two books this past week. An older one . . .

by Margaretha Shemin

illustrated by Peter Spier

I found this gem in one of our town's Little Libraries. It was originally published in 1963, but was published again in 1988. There was a movie made from it in 1996.

An eleven-year-old American girl named Johanna is living in Nazi-occupied Holland. She sits at her window and views the church steeple and watches the little riders as they ride out on their white horses when the clock strikes the hour. She resents the presence of a German soldier quartered in her grandparent's house, until the night she tries to hide part of the town's treasured clock mechanism.

I loved this little book. It is short, the book I have is only 76 pages, but it is a good historical fiction that takes place during WWII. Johanna is a very likeable main character. She is courageous and, near the end, forgiving.

and a newer one . . .

by Raina Telgemeier

Ghosts, is a graphic novel. According to the reviews on Amazon, Raina Telgemeier's graphic novels are very popular.

I'm not really into graphic novels, but I must admit I loved Archie, Betty and Veronica when I was a child. Kids seem to love them. I think they would appeal to the reluctant reader because of the graphics and the lesser word count. But I can tell there is a lot of work that goes into writing them. Her characters are very expressive.

Here is what it says on Amazon:

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake - and her own.

If you, or a child you know, like graphic novels, I would recommend this book to you.

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MMGM - The Key to Extraordinary

2019-04-07T23:11:00.000-04:00

The Key to Extraordinary

by Natalie Lloyd

February 2016

This is what it says on Amazon:

Everyone in Emma's family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians--every single one of which learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream.

For Emma, her own dream can't come soon enough. Right before her mother died, Emma promised that she'd do whatever it took to fulfill her destiny, and she doesn't want to let her mother down.

But when Emma's dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task--finding a legendary treasure hidden in her town's cemetery. If Emma fails, she'll let down generations of extraordinary ancestors . . . including her own mother. But how can she find something that's been missing for centuries and might be protected by a mysterious singing ghost?

I like this First Line:

It is a known fact that the most extraordinary moments in a person's life come disguised as ordinary days.

This is a neat book. It is filled with a little magic, mystery, wonderful characters, and a cafe that serves boneyard brew and peach-lavender muffins. They live at Blackbird Hollow, Tennessee. One of Emma's jobs is giving tours of Blackbird Cemetery, which happens to be in her backyard and is one of the oldest and most famous resting places in the state. She loves the beautiful names on the tombstones.

I think you will enjoy this story.

I don't make peach-lavender muffins, but I do make Applesauce Muffins that are delicious.So grab the book, a muffin and a cup of milk or coffee and enjoy.

Applesauce Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 t. vanilla

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 cups self-rising flour

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. allspice

1/2 cup chopped nuts (Hickory nuts or walnuts)

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in applesauce. Combine flour and spices. Stir into creamed mixture. Fold in nuts.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

TOPPING: 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon, 3 T melted butter. Dip tops of baked muffins into melted butter, then into sugar cinnamon mixture.

OPTIONAL TOPPING: Shake cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of muffins before or after baking.

OPTIONAL: Just put a nut on top of the muffin before baking.

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MMGM - The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

2019-03-31T23:09:00.000-04:00

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

By Rodman Philbrick

2010 Newberry Honor Book

A humorous and informative book from the beginning. Homer and his older brother Harold are orphans being brought up by a mean uncle. Their uncle sells 17-year-old Harold into the Union Army and 12-year-old Homer runs off to find him. The story, filled with one way-out adventure after another, starts in Pine Swamp, Maine and it ends up at Gettysburg.

The story is filled with characters with crazy names. It reminds you of Mark Twain’s Huck Finn. Homer is courageous and funny and has a knack of stretching the truth whenever he needs to.

The reader learns a lot about the time period – the underground railroad and the Civil War. When at Gettysburg the story does gets a little graphic about the fighting. He does find his brother, but I’ll let you read the book to see how it ends.

And if you don’t like the book, you have Jebediah Brewster to blame, not Homer. You also must read the book to find out why.

Go over to Always in the Middle to find out who else is posting about MG Books.

MMGM - The Littlest Bigfoot

2019-03-24T22:53:00.000-04:00

The Littlest Bigfoot

by Jennifer Weiner

September 2016

I posted about this book before, but not for MMGM.

I admit I am a "wanna be believer" in Bigfoot. So, when I saw this MG book, I just had to read it.

I love the beautiful cover with a pretty young girl and a cute littlest Bigfoot.

The MC feels she is unwanted, unloved, too big and has very unruly hair. I do feel that the cover should have been more true to the description of the main character in the book. I know some of you may think this sounds silly, but I feel if a young girl who is a little overweight reads this book and then looks at the picture on the cover, she's going to think, "If she's supposed to be big, then I must really be big."

The book starts out slow and is written in three POVs - Alice, Millie and Jeremy. If you can keep reading through the slow beginning and get used to the three POVs, you will find it to be an interesting read. In the second half of the book, I found myself wanting to finish the book to see what happens - and that is good.

This is what it says on Amazon:

Alice Mayfair, twelve years old, slips through the world unseen and unnoticed. Ignored by her family and shipped off to her eighth boarding school, Alice would like a friend. And when she rescues Millie Maximus from drowning in a lake one day, she finds one.

But Millie is a Bigfoot, part of a clan who dwells deep in the woods. Most Bigfoots believe that people—NoFurs, as they call them—are dangerous, yet Millie is fascinated with the No-Fur world. She is convinced that humans will appreciate all the things about her that her Bigfoot tribe does not: her fearless nature, her lovely singing voice, and her desire to be a star.

Alice swears to protect Millie’s secret. But a league of Bigfoot hunters is on their trail, led by a lonely kid named Jeremy. And in order to survive, Alice and Millie have to put their trust in each other—and have faith in themselves—above all else.

Have you read The Littlest Bigfoot?
Are you a "wanna be believer" in Bigfoot?

Go over to Always in the Middle to find out who else is posting about MG Books.

MMGM - The Last Treasure

2019-03-10T21:05:00.000-04:00

The Last Treasure

by Janet S. Anderson

2003

This story is interesting and might be something you always dreamed of happening to you when you were a child - but didn't.

You see, there's a family treasure. And that treasure can only be found by children in the family. The story spans many generations of the Smith Family. In the front of the book there is a family tree with all the names and dates of the Smith Family ancestors. There is also a map of the Square where all ten of the family houses are located.

I love mysteries like this and I am one of those who wishes that there was a treasure to be found in my family tree. (I even wrote a manuscript about it and hopefully one day it will be published).

Thirteen-year-old Ellsworth (Zee) Smith receives a letter from one of his relatives still living in the Square in New York. She wants him to return and help find the last of the three treasures that the Smith family patriarch left for his descendants. The Square is in bad shape. There's been a long drought, the pond is drying up, the huge trees are dying and most of the houses need repairs. They need to find the treasure.

His dad doesn't want him to go, but with money his relative sends him, he hops on a bus and goes anyway. When he arrives he finds and becomes acquainted with many relatives that he doesn't know anything about. He joins up with Jess, a girl cousin his age, and they become obsessed with finding the treasure.

There are a lot of characters and many of them don't get along. But in the end they come together to try and find the treasure - and bringing the family together might be the greatest treasure of all.

It is a good read and I recommend it for people who like a little mystery.

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Creative Writing In The Blackberry Patch

NEW BOOK for Middle Graders!

My Latest Book Release

Write What You Know or What You Want to Know More About

The 12th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest aahhhrrrooooOOOOO!!!

Good News!

Make Your Writing Interesting

Editing and Writing Tips

Is Your Writing a Career or a Hobby?

Cover Reveal

The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Jobs, Vocations and Careers

The official release is on July 20th

Making our Stories Better

Book Titles - How to Choose Them

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Writing Wednesday

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Thanks and keep safe and healthy!

FUN ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

BIRD HOUSE SANDWICH

Re-release of Duck and Cover

Publishing on Amazon

MMGM - The Ghost, the White House, and Me

THE GHOST, THE WHITE HOUSE, AND ME

by Judith St. George

2007 Holiday House

MMGM - SAVING ZASHA

Saving Zasha

Randi Barrow

Scholastic 2011

Middle Grade First Lines and First Paragraphs

MMGM

MMGM - The Little Riders & Ghost

MMGM - The Key to Extraordinary

The Key to Extraordinary

by Natalie Lloyd

February 2016

Applesauce Muffins

MMGM - The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

MMGM - The Littlest Bigfoot

The Littlest Bigfoot

MMGM - The Last Treasure

The official release is on July 20^th