Books let us into their souls...

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"Books let us into their souls 

and lay open to us 

the secrets of our own." 

~ William Hazlitt

Winsome

The word winsome [win-suhm] is an adjective that means "charming or engaging".   For example:

With her bright eyes, cute curls, and winsome smile, 

the little girl caught the eye of all those who passed by.

On tiny paws, the winsome kitten 

scampered across the floor.

I also couldn't resist this pun, which has been stuck in my head for days now:

You winsome, you losesome. :)

What sentences can you come up with, using the word winsome?

Today is your day.

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It's graduation time!  

Here's an excerpt in honor of all the grads out there:

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself 
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. 
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

~from Oh, the Places You'll Go!, 

written by Dr. Seuss

The Unknown Soldier

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In honor of those who gave everything, a poem:

The Unknown Soldier

You need not ever know my name

This unknown soldier seeks no fame

I'm here to bring out thought from you

May your heart see more than your view

America, we marched with pride

We gave our life, for you we died

How well we knew the time might come

When life could sound that final drum

Please think of us as life moves on

We tried so hard till that last dawn

Do let our spirit fill the land

Pass treasured freedom, hand to hand

God blessed this country with such love

Hold in your heart, abundance of

And when you stand before my grave

Think not of one, but each who gave

~ Roger J. Robicheau

Wishing everyone out there a peaceful and happy Memorial Day!

Leave a trail...

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"Do not go where the path may lead, 

Go instead where there is no path 

and leave a trail." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Skyscrapers

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Skyscrapers

Do skyscrapers ever grow tired
Of holding themselves up high?
Do they ever shiver on frosty nights
With their tops against the sky?
Do they feel lonely sometimes
Because they have grown so tall?
Do they ever wish they could lie right down
And never get up at all?

~ Rachel Field

Spotlight on Lois Lowry: Author

Just a few weeks ago, I had only read two of Lois Lowry's books -- probably the two that she is best known for, The Giver and Number the Stars.  I enjoyed both of them quite a bit, and decided at the beginning of May to check out some of her other work.  I'm very glad that I did!  I am happy to recommend each of these books to you:

A Summer to Die, 1977

Meg and her older sister Molly are very different people.  Now that they've moved to the country, they have to share a room -- not an easy thing to do.  Then one day Molly is rushed to the hospital.  Meg assumes her sister merely has a temporary illness, but after awhile, she realizes that something is very wrong with Molly.

Lowry's first book is a moving story about love and loss.  It is beautifully written, by someone who has experienced loss firsthand.  (Lowry's own sister passed away when she was a young woman.)  Though she wrote it over 30 years ago now (and there are a few minor passages in the book that seem outdated today), the story itself is timeless.

***

Anastasia Krupnik, 1979

Ten-year-old Anastasia is constantly writing things down in her notebook -- poetry, lists, and more.  Between problems with her teacher, boy troubles, and a new sibling on the way, she has a lot to write about!  Anastasia keeps an "I love" list and an "I hate" list in the book, but the items on them change frequently, depending on the day.

I loved this book, and it made me laugh out loud on several occasions!  Anastasia seemed very "real" to me.  I could picture a 10-year-old girl doing all the things that she does in the story.  In fact, I think that if I had read this book back when I was ten (it actually came out when I was 11), I would have felt an instant connection with her. 

Lowry has created an entire series around this fun character.  I haven't read these yet (I hope to soon), but the series includes: Anastasia Again! (1981), Anastasia at Your Service (1982), Anastasia, Ask Your Analyst (1984), Anastasia On Her Own (1985), Anastasia Has the Answers (1986), Anastasia's Chosen Career (1987), Anastasia at This Address (1991), and Anastasia Absolutely (1995).

Lowry has also written these books about Anastasia's little brother: All About Sam (1988), Attaboy Sam (1992), See You Around, Sam! (1996), and Zooman Sam (1999).

***

Autumn Street, 1980

When Elizabeth's father goes off to fight in World War II, she and her mother move into her grandfather's house in Pennsylvania.  While living there, she befriends the servant, Tatie, and Tatie's grandson, Charles -- a friendship that ultimately ends in tragedy.

I think this is probably my favorite of Lowry's books.  (At least, so far.)  It is a vivid, poignant tale that made my heart ache.

***

The One Hundredth Thing About Caroline, 1983

Caroline, an overly imaginative 11-year-old, is trying to learn about the Mystery Man in her apartment building, Frederick Fiske.  She discovers an opened letter of his in the apartment trash can,  and she reads it.  To her surprise, it is from an Agent, telling Mr. Fiske to "eliminate the children".  When Caroline finds out her mother is dating the Mystery Man, she and her brother J.P. worry that they will be the targets of a brutal crime.

This is a fun little mystery that kept me chuckling throughout!

Lowry has written two other books about these same characters, Switcharound (1985) and Your Move, J.P! (1990).

***

Number the Stars, 1989

I wrote about this book, which won a Newbery Medal, in a previous post.

***

The Giver Quartet:

The Giver, 1993

I also mentioned this Newbery Medal-winning book in a previous post.

Gathering Blue, 2000

This second book in the series could easily stand alone.  It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the story of The Giver -- until you read the book that follows.  It takes place in the future, during the same time period as The Giver, but in a very different Community.  Following some unnamed disaster known as the Ruin, the village in this book has reverted to a primitive, technology-free way of life.  

The story follows Kira, a newly-orphaned girl who has been lame in one leg since birth. Kira has good reason to fear that she will be cast out of the village, left in the Field to die, but then the society's Council of Guardians brings her to live in the Council Edifice, because of her embroidery skills.  They give her the task of restoring the historical pictures on the Singer's robe, worn by him every year at the Ruin Song Gathering.  Two other young artists have also been brought to the Edifice to live and work on their crafts -- Thomas the Carver, who carves pictures in the Singer's wooden staff, and Jo, the tiny girl being trained as the next Singer.  With the help of Kira's friend Matt, the three begin to learn that everything is not as it seems, that mysteries and secrets abound in their small village.

Messenger, 2004

This is the third book in The Giver Quartet, and is the story that links the two books above.  Matty (Matt from Gathering Blue) is now living in Village, a place not too far from Kira's home.  He has been taken in by the blind Seer, Kira's father.  The Leader of Village turns out to be Jonas, from The Giver.  It has long been the policy of Village to gladly welcome any outcasts from other communities... but now something sinister is at work, and things are changing.  Leader, Seer, and Matty must try to reverse these changes and save the Village they love.

Though I prefer The Giver to its companion books, I still appreciated the others.  Both kept me interested and eager to find out what would happen next.  I am also looking forward to the fourth (and supposedly final) book in the series, Son -- scheduled to come out in October 2012.

***

Looking Back: A Book of Memories, 1998

Filled with old photos and glimpses of her life,  this memoir shows how Lowry's past has inspired much of her writing.

I read this book after reading all the others listed here.  I found it to be a very interesting and insightful look into Lowry's life, and it made me appreciate her other books even more.  I also loved looking at all the old photos, watching the progression from little girl to mother and author.

***

Gooney Bird Greene,  illustrated by Middy Thomas, 2002

With the name Gooney Bird, this second grade girl can't help but be a little eccentric. Gooney Bird admits that she loves to be the center of attention.  Her classmates and teacher don't mind, though.  They are always ready to hear another one of her "absolutely true" stories, like "How Gooney Bird Came From China on a Flying Carpet".  In the end, Gooney Bird teaches the class that everyone has the makings of a good story inside them.

I thought this was a cute book, appropriate for a younger audience.  I liked the humor throughout, as well as Gooney Bird's many insights about storytelling.

There are four other Gooney Bird books that I haven't read yet, including: Gooney Bird and the Room Mother (2006), Gooney the Fabulous (2007), Gooney Bird is So Absurd (2009), and Gooney Bird on the Map (2011).

***

The Silent Boy, 2003

According to an author's note at the beginning of this book, Lowry found inspiration to write this historical novel through several old photographs she had in her possession... pictures of both family members and complete strangers.  

The narrator of this story, Katy, is the bright and curious daughter of a doctor, growing up in the early 1900's.  She is intrigued by other people, especially Peggy (a farm girl hired by Katy's parents to help with the housework) and Peggy's brother Jacob, a silent, gentle boy who loves animals and is "touched in the head".  She befriends them both, even though Jacob never once says a word to her (or anyone else).  When tragedy strikes, only Katy can unravel the mystery behind what really happened and why.

Lowry really brought these characters to life for me, and touched my heart with her story.

***

Gossamer, 2006

Littlest One, a small delicate spirit, is learning how to give dreams to humans.  She and her teacher, Thin Elderly, visit an old woman every night.  They touch items around the house and gather good memories to give back to the woman in her dreams.  But then the woman takes in an angry, troubled foster child, John.  The Sinisteeds, creatures who inflict nightmares on sleeping humans, invade the home.  Can Littlest One protect John from the bad memories of his past?

I thought this was an intriguing story idea, and, as always, I loved Lowry's poetic writing.

***

The Willoughbys, also illustrated by Lois Lowry, 2008

The Willoughbys -- Timothy, the twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and Jane -- are "old-fashioned children" who crave old-fashioned adventures.  Their mother and father are not very fond of them, and it seems the feeling is mutual.  When the parents take a trip and leave them behind with a nanny (never actually intending to return), the Willoughby children are happy to be rid of them.  At the end of the book, Lowry provides a Glossary, filled with words used throughout the story and her own amusing definitions.

I found this hilarious parody of many "old-fashioned" stories to be thoroughly entertaining.  The dark humor reminded me of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and I cackled aloud at many of the tongue-in-cheek moments.

***

Crow Call, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, 2009

Lowry's first picture book is based on a memory from her own life.  Lizzie's father has just returned from serving in World War II, and she is getting to know him all over again.  One morning they go out into the woods, just the two of them, to hunt the crows that have been getting into farmers' crops.

When I first read that Lizzie and her father were going to go hunting, I was afraid I wouldn't like this story.  I should have known that Lowry would take the subject and turn it into something heartwarming!  Lizzie loves watching the crows they've come to hunt.  When her father sees that the thought of killing them distresses her, he never raises his gun, but merely enjoys spending the time with his young daughter.  Ibatoulline's beautiful illustrations complement the story perfectly.

***

The Birthday Ball, illustrated by Jules Feiffer, 2010

In this twist on the old "The Prince and the Pauper" tale, Lowry introduces us to Princess Patricia Priscilla, who will soon turn 16 and then be required to marry a nobleman.  Several (hideous) suitors have already been invited to her birthday ball.  The princess decides to disguise herself as a peasant for a few days (getting advice on being a commoner from her chambermaid) and attend school in the village.  There she meets the sweet and handsome school teacher, Rafe.  What will Rafe do when he discovers that his pupil Pat is really the princess?  And how will the princess decide which perfectly awful suitor to marry, when the only man she wants is Rafe?

This is such a fun fairy tale, filled with delightful word play and descriptions.  Though some of the plot was predictable, I wanted to keep on reading, just to see what would make me laugh out loud next!

***

Bless This Mouse, illustrated by Eric Rohmann, 2011

Hildegarde, the Mouse Mistress of Saint Bartholemew's Church, must keep all the other church mice safe and out of sight.  When a few of the mice are spotted by parishioners, Hildegarde and the others face  the dreaded Great X (pest exterminators).  To top it off, the ceremony called Blessing of the Animals is coming up, and soon the church will be filled with pets, including cats!

I prefer Lowry's other books to this one, but still thought it was worth the read.  I imagine it appeals more to younger readers than older ones (like me).

For more information about the author and her many books, please visit the Lois Lowry website.  Also, don't forget to look for Lowry's wonderful stories at your local library and in bookstores.

Seeing...

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"Writing is seeing. 

It is paying attention."    

~ Kate DiCamillo

Magenta

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Magenta [muh-jen-tuh] is the name for a bright pinkish, purplish color.  (This same color can also be called fuchsia [fyoo-shuh].)  I like the sound of the word.  It reminds me of "majesty", which makes me think of "rich" and "royal", and in my opinion, magenta is a very rich, royal color.

Two different items popped into my mind right away when I thought about the color, and I used them in my sentences below:

One of my favorite treats: 

a jar of cold, tangy, magenta beets!

I paused to watch several ants crawling 

over the magenta petals of a peony.

What comes to your mind when you think about the word magenta?

Snail

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Snail

Little snail,

Dreaming you go.

Weather and rose

Is all you know.

Weather and rose

Is all you see,

Drinking

The dewdrop's

Mystery.

~ Langston Hughes

Crumpled pages...

An excerpt:

     She got herself a glass of orange juice with ice in it, to sip on while she worked.  She thought that might make it easier.

     She put on her Red Sox cap.  She thought that might make it easier.

     But it still wasn't easy at all.  Sometimes the words she wrote down were the wrong words, and didn't say what she wanted them to say, didn't make the sounds that she wanted them to make.  Soon her Snoopy wastebasket was filled with crumpled pages, crumpled beginnings of poems.

     Her mother knocked on her bedroom door and called, "Anastasia?  Are you all right?"

     "Yes," she called back, taking her pencil eraser out of her mouth for a minute.  "I'm writing a poem."

~ from Anastasia Krupnik, 

written by Lois Lowry

Shine.

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"Meditate. 

Live purely. Be quiet. 

Do your work with mastery. 

Like the moon, come out 

from behind the clouds! 

Shine."

~  Buddha 

Weather

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Weather

Dot a dot dot   dot a dot dot
Spotting the windowpane.
Spack a spack speck  flick a flack fleck
Freckling the windowpane.

A spatter a scatter   a wet cat a clatter
A splatter a rumble outside.
Umbrella umbrella umbrella umbrella
Bumbershoot barrel of rain.

Slosh a galosh   slosh a galosh
Slither and slather a glide
A puddle a jump a puddle a jump
A puddle a jump puddle splosh
A juddle a pump aluddle a dump a
Puddmuddle jump in and slide!

~ Eve Merriam

You Can't Win if You Don't Play

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"The only writers 

who are NOT 

receiving rejection letters 

on a regular basis 

are those writers 

who are not 

submitting queries, 

articles, stories, or book proposals 

on a regular basis. 

Rejection is just 

part of the business of writing."

~ Suzanne Lieurance

You've probably heard that old saying about the lottery: You can't win if you don't play.  Becoming a writer is a lot like that, I've learned.  You won't have any poems or stories or books if you don't take the time and hard work to write them, and you can't get published if you never submit anything.  Yes, submitting something you've written may (and probably will... in the beginning, at least) lead to rejection, but you just have to keep on submitting if you want to see your work in print someday.

Back in January, I wrote a post about my goals for the new year.  In it, I said that I wanted to write more poems and short stories, submit more of my writing to magazines, begin another novel, and also find an agent.  I have been working on the finding-an-agent goal, I just haven't had any luck with it yet.  (So far, I've sent queries to 3 different literary agents.  I've received two rejections, and am still waiting to hear something back from the third.  If I don't hear back from that agent in five more weeks, that means she is not interested, and I'll send query #4.)  The other goals, however, have remained just that -- goals.  I've done very little writing over the past few months.

Up until a few weeks ago, I did have a valid excuse for not writing any poems, stories, or novels.  Health issues (very painful ones), major surgery, and then six weeks of agonizing recovery after that made it difficult for me to concentrate long enough to string more than few sentences together in one sitting.  Even just writing a cover letter for a magazine submission seemed like a daunting task when I was in that fog of pain.  Since the end of April, though, I've been feeling much better, and the only things keeping me from writing or submitting things already written have been a healthy dose of laziness and a smidgen (or two or three) of self-doubt.

That stops today.  I've promised myself that I will get back to writing and submitting.  Today.  (And, hopefully, by writing this down and making it public on this blog, I'll hold myself accountable to that promise!)

I've been looking through some of the poems I wrote last year.  While I haven't totally squelched those feelings of self-doubt I mentioned earlier (do they ever go away entirely, I wonder?), I found that I am actually quite pleased with several of my poems.  I did a little research to see which children's magazines the poems would be appropriate for, and plan to head to the post office with them later today.

I'm also planning to get back in the habit of writing something new every day.  (In fact, I'm thinking that in June I will challenge myself to write a poem a day.  Anyone else want to join this challenge?)  I'll need to carve out some quiet time from my busy schedule every day and force myself to write.  It's easier said than done -- I know from past experience -- but it's something that's important to me, something that I really want to accomplish.  After all, you can't win if you don't play....

Poetry is...

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"Poetry is the journal 

of the sea animal living on land, 

wanting to fly in the air. 

Poetry is a search for syllables 

to shoot at the barriers 

of the unknown and the unknowable. 

Poetry is a phantom script 

telling how rainbows are made 

and why they go away."

~ Carl Sandburg

Gossamer

Whenever I hear the word gossamer [gos-uh-mer], I think of the huge red Looney Tunes Gossamer character or the fat cat my sister had for many years, also named Gossamer. Either way, I picture some big furry creature.  But that's not what "gossamer" means at all.

According to Dictionary.com, the noun has two main definitions:

"a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather, especially in autumn"

or

"any thin, light fabric".

Gossamer can also be used as an adjective, meaning  "extremely light or delicate".

Here are a few of my attempts to use the word correctly:

Dew sparkled on the gossamer 

that stretched across the grass like a tent for the ants.

I loved the gossamer curtains 
in my grandma's living room; 

they provided privacy 
while still letting in the sunshine.

The mother stroked her 

young son's gossamer hair, comforting him.

How would you use the word gossamer?  Can you think of any words that mean something completely different from how you typically think of them?

Maytime Magic

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Maytime Magic

A little seed
For me to sow...

A little earth
To make it grow...
A little hole,
A little pat...
A little wish,
And that is that.

A little sun,
A little shower...
A little while,
And then -- a flower!

~ Mabel Watts

Act accordingly.

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An excerpt:

As long as the car is moving, Mom will keep her eyes on the road.  It is widely reported that moms have eyes in the backs of their heads for just such occasions.  Science has been unable to disprove this.  Act accordingly.

~ from M.O.M. (Mom Operating Manual), 

written by Doreen Cronin

On Mother's Day

My card from Ben, 2010

On Mother's Day

On Mother's Day we got up first,

so full of plans we almost burst.

We started breakfast right away

as our surprise for Mother's Day.

We picked some flowers, then hurried back

to make the coffee -- rather black.

We wrapped our gifts and wrote a card

and boiled the eggs -- a little hard.

And then we sang a serenade,

which burned the toast, I am afraid.

But Mother said, amidst our cheers,

"Oh, what a big surprise, my dears.

I've not had such a treat in years."

And she was smiling to her ears!

~Aileen Fisher

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!  
Hope you are treated to a very special day!

Gather the roses...

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"Let your bookcases and your shelves 

be your gardens and your pleasure-grounds.  

Pluck the fruit that grows therein, 

gather the roses, the spices, and the myrrh."  

~Judah Ibn Tibbon

Celebrating Moms

Me and my mom, 1970

"Most of all the other 

beautiful things in life 

come by twos and threes, 

by dozens and hundreds.  

Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, 

rainbows, brothers and sisters, 

aunts and cousins, 

comrades and friends - 
but only one mother 

in the whole world."  

~ Kate Douglas Wiggin

I had originally planned to feature books about Mother's Day in this post.  We don't own any, but I knew our library had several picture books on the topic.  However, when I visited the library at the beginning of this week, I realized I was too late -- all of the Mother's Day books had already been checked out!  (That's what I get for procrastinating....)  I still wanted to celebrate motherhood, so I decided to share a few books about moms in general instead, some that were on our shelves here at home, and two that I found at the library.

Is Your Mama a Llama?,
written by Deborah Guarino
and illustrated by Steven Kellogg, 1989... 

Using rhymes and riddles, this story follows Lloyd the llama as he visits his friends and learns about their mamas.  All three of my kids loved this book when they were little, and I loved reading it to them.  We especially liked the sweet pictures of all the baby animals and their mothers.

***

Are You My Mother?,
written and illustrated by P.D. Eastman, 1960...
I wrote about this book in a previous post.

***

I Love You the Purplest,
written by Barbara M. Joosse
and illustrated by Mary Whyte, 1996... 

Two very different brothers and their mother head out for an evening of fishing.  Later, at bedtime, the boys ask their mother who she loves best.  She explains that she loves quiet and thoughtful Julian "the bluest", while she loves energetic, lively Max "the reddest".  Together, she loves them "the purplest".  

I believe this heartwarming book does a wonderful job of explaining how mothers (and fathers, too) love each of their children for the unique individuals that they are.  It is particularly reassuring for children with one or more siblings.  My kids and I also enjoy the soft watercolor illustrations of the lake and the surrounding woods -- they remind us of camping in the Boundary Waters.

***

Stellaluna,
written and illustrated by Janell Cannon, 1993... 

In this story, the baby fruit bat Stellaluna has two mothers.  First there is the loving Mother Bat.  When the two are attacked by an owl, however, Mother Bat drops Stellaluna and she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, landing among three baby birds.  Mama Bird adopts the bat, even though she doesn't approve of some of the things Stellaluna does -- like hanging upside down by her feet or making faces when Mama Bird brings her bugs to eat.  Finally, the birds and Stellaluna are old enough to fly.  When she leaves the nest, the young fruit bat is unexpectedly reunited with Mother Bat, who survived the attack after all.  Happy to be with her mother and return to her bat ways, Stellaluna continues to be close to her bird family.  At the end of the book, Cannon provides some basic facts about bats.

My parents gave this book (which came with a tiny bat finger puppet) to my daughter Emmalie when she was three or four. Emm was delighted with both the book and the puppet, asking to hear the story over and over again. (And acting it out with the puppet.)  The first time we read through it, we didn't really pay attention to the small drawings at the top of each page of text.  The next time, however, we realized that they show Mother Bat, constantly searching for her missing child, never giving up until she finds her.  When my boys came along, this book quickly became a favorite of theirs, as well -- especially for Nick, my animal-obsessed son.

***

How to Raise Mom and Dad: 
Instructions From Someone Who Figured It Out,
written by Josh Lerman
and illustrated by Greg Clarke, 2009... 

This humorous book features a girl offering advice to her younger brother on how to handle their parents.  Older children and parents will get a kick out of the witty, sarcastic text. (Younger kids, on the other hand, may take it literally and be influenced to do things you don't really want them to do.  Read this to them at your own risk. ;) )  

For example, the advice about waking parents up early in the morning reads, "... don't go to them -- it's much nicer to shout really loud from your room until they get up and come to you, because exercise is healthy for grown-ups and it will help wake them up.  This is totally true."

***

M.O.M. (Mom Operating Manual),
written by Doreen Cronin
and illustrated by Laura Cornell, 2011... 

This tongue-in-cheek manual explains how to keep your mom operating at peak performance, and includes tips on daily care, grooming, outdoor use, and troubleshooting (should your mom malfunction).  Some of Cronin's invaluable advice: "To ensure peak performance, your mom needs eight hours of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep each night.  This will never happen, but it's important to set goals..." and my favorite, "Do not let your mother eat while operating an iron.  In fact, do not let your mother operate an iron.  Find something else to wear.  Spread the word."

I'm really glad that I stumbled across this hilarious book at the library -- every page had me laughing out loud!  My kids giggled over it, as well.  I think it would make a great Mother's Day present for moms of young children.

What are your favorite books about moms?  I'd love to hear any recommendations!

Just keep looking...

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"This manuscript of yours 

that has just 

come back from another editor is 

a precious package. 

Don't consider it rejected.  

Consider 

that you've addressed it to 

the editor who can appreciate your work 

and it has simply come back stamped 

not at this address.  

Just keep looking for the right address."     

~ Barbara Kingsolver