Inspiring Life Adventures

         Thanks to Alyson Beecher's Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge at Kidlit Frenzy, I started reading more non-fiction picture books, and found they taught me as well as entertained me. Hope you will find some good books for yourself as you read my post and others.  

         Come read to discover everyone's recent nonfiction picture books.

       Tweet - #NFPB16

Fourteen Cows for America - written by Carmen Agna Deedy and illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. 

           I saw this displayed at my library, and had to sit down and enjoy its beautiful story and illustrations all over again. If you've never seen it, you must. It's lovely.

Hillary - written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Raul Colón

            It's a fairly straightforward biography, from Hillary's early childhood to a hint that she might be running for president again, which now we know she is. Clearly she is a fierce competitor, persisting in her goals from youth to Secretary of State. She is to be admired for her strength and how much she has fought for women's rights. For middle grades and a bit older, a beginning knowledge of who might be the first woman president. It must be hard to paint people who are so well known. The illustrations are fairly realistic, showing Hillary in various backgrounds, speaking, meeting with important people all over the world. 

Love On Valentine's Day

      I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community today, and it's always good to read what everyone shares.  Thank you Stacey, Tara, Anna, Betsy, Dana, Kathleen, Beth, and Deb. 

          I am rather immersed in words lately. I won't say drowning, but I've been in the pool a lot. I write my own blog posts, letters, and since February 1st, a poem every day for Laura Shovan's annual February birthday challenge. We've been inspired by postcards, Pantone colors and sounds. This year people contributed photos of "found" objects.  If you'd like to join us, the information is here. There are a few other monthly challenges that I usually write for, too.  I read books, magazines, blog posts. My thesaurus and rhyming dictionary sit by my side. And I read, books, magazines, others' writing on the web. Words are important to me, delightful and mysterious, especially in poetry.

Monday Reading Wrap

         Visit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who link up.   

            Remember that the winners in all the Cybils' categories will be announced next Sunday,  Feb. 14th, Valentine's Day. All the finalists are here.





Quiet: The Power of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking - Susan Cain

              It's a dense book, full of much information about older and more recent research surrounding introverts and extroverts, how the brains work in each, and sometimes how they do things mixed from both temperaments. Personalities can be formed from nature or nurture, and each person does not fit into a precise mode. Susan Cain focuses on introversion, how those who feel they're introverts often remain quiet, and sometimes are not "heard" because of their preferred ways of thinking and presentation. They think first, act second, and that is sometimes looked upon as too late. If you have a feeling that you often don't fit into the social whirl of enthusiastic, "out there" people who take up all the space, this is a book you will enjoy. And it is a book that might help you feel you have more control over your life.

How The Sun Got To Coco’s House - written and illustrated by Bob Graham

         Bob Graham’s illustrations are filled with joy as the sun moves through his landscape of different people in the world, furry animals, and interesting streets. Finally it gets to Coco’s house and wakes him. He runs to wake the sleepy parents, and a day of play begins, with the sun as one of their companions. Those little things illuminated in Graham’s story make you smile with each page.

Celebrating Good Things

              I'm celebrating each Saturday or Sunday with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build. Come join in to share your own special celebrations.

It was a week that held a snow day, a great lesson observed, my book group meeting, time with the granddaughters, a phone call from my grandson, and I'm excited to share that I was asked to be the volunteer coordinator at the bookstore. I think it will be a new kind of challenge, fun to meet some new people.

Laura Shovan, a friend and writer online offers a challenge during February, her birthday month, to write a poem a day, this year to pictures sent in by some of us of "found objects". It's added writing pressure, but fun, no expectation but a rough draft as good as one can make it. I've written every day, six poems thus far. And this is the fourth year! I celebrate writers who have a good time seeing what can be done fast. If you'd like to join in, you can see all about it here. You don't have to do every day, but can join in whenever you feel inspired. 

Poetry Friday - February Love

         Tricia Stohr-Hunt hosts Poetry Friday today at The Miss Rumphius Effect.  Thanks for hosting, Tricia.

Laura Shovan has created a February poetry challenge again, this time with found objects. You can read her introduction here at her new website. It is fun and it is a challenge. Be sure to read today's entries at Matt Forrest Esenwine's post today at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme here.

Matt shared the picture for today's found object. I'm sharing my response today for Poetry Friday, although most of the days, I share with everyone on the daily post by Laura and others.

    Early Valentine’s Day

I rose early to go to the garden

for a breakfast harvest,

without the distraction of the kids.

Pants quickly wet from the dew,

I leaned into ripening tomatoes,

inhaling that tangy, piney scent,

the only one they know. Perhaps

it protects their sweeter taste?

They were falling over,

heavy red-ripened jewels.

There, among that rich roundness, this love apple.

The mist had blown off with the sun,

and I returned to the house,

lay my heart upon the bed,

pursed my lips for a kiss.

Linda Baie ©All Rights Reserved