A writer is not something you become. A writer is something that you are.
Sharon M. Draper
Author: Susan Uhlig
Every sentence you write should make them want to read the next sentence you write.
Robert Bruce
Every sentence
Gut Reaction
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
Gut Reaction (Scholastic Press, 2024) by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt was an inspirational read.
After the loss of her father, 8th grader Tess Medina is starting a new school and when she gets her new schedule, it shows a SEL class. What’s that? The counselor explains it is “Social Emotional Learning. Talking about feelings and stuff.” No way is she going to share feelings with strangers! Especially how baking is what still ties her to her dad. Or that she’s got this pain in her stomach that makes her rush for the bathroom. She has a goal of winning the Jubilee Flour Junior Baker West Coast competition, but how is she going to raise the money for the entry fees?
This is Quinn’s debut book, written with her mom, Kirby, and inspired by her own experience with Crohn’s disease. Read this interview about how the book nearly didn’t happen. This is Kirby’s first contemporary middle grade book. Read about the award winning author here and check out all her other books here.
This is the book’s website.
Craft is the manipulation of story elements: plot, characterization, setting, dialogue, theme, point of view, imagistic language, voice. Craft is essential. It holds the story together. But what holds the writer together? If the writer loses confidence and quits writing, craft techniques are useless.
Ricki Thompson
Craft is
Painting the Game
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
Painting the Game (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2024) by Patricia MacLachlan is a tender and wonderful book.
It’s baseball time and 11-year-old Lucy thinks the pitcher’s mound is scary. But her father is a great pitcher for a minor league team and she wants to “paint the game” just like he does. She starts practicing in secret. However, she’s not the only one who has a secret.
The characters in this book are so great.
Patricia MacLahlan was the Newbery Medal winner for Sarah, Plain and Tall, which has also been made into a movie. (If you missed these, you really should check them out!) This was her last book. Read about her and all her books here.