Happy MMGM! Spotlight on The Year of Billy Miller

13 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf, , , , , , , , ,

I honestly wasn’t sure how much I’d like this book when I first started it.  Part of that was because I grabbed it on a whim and didn’t read the back cover blurb carefully enough, so when it mentioned Billy standing at the giant’s feet…I thought there’d be giants.  And that sounded cool. Note: there

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The Holy Bagumba-ness of Flora and Ulysses

17 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf, , , , , , , , , , ,

I think it should be obvious by now that I love books.  If it isn’t, you might want to open the little door at the back of your brain, reach in until your fingers find the gear marked ‘observation’ and give it a little nudge to the right.  You may also want to flick your

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Happy MMGM! Spotlight on the amazing Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder

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Some spotlights are easier to write than others–the books are of a kind people nod their heads over and feel wise for having read.  Other books are just as enjoyable and perhaps better written, but most people will feel a guilty pleasure for having read them and worry that their wise-quota took a hit.  I

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Flash Friday: Oh the Woes of a Sleeping Bum

6 CommentsFlash Friday, Writing, , , , , , , , , ,

This what comes from the middle school writing club having been cancelled for three weeks in a row.  When we finally got together again yesterday and sat down to write our Flash Friday pieces…well, let’s just say, sillyness reigned and fun was had!  I blame all of that tween energy for this piece. The topic

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Hi, my name is SuperBowlMan, and I’m the reason the Broncos lost their Big Game

1 CommentHome in the Rookery, Just for Laughs, , , , , , , , , , , ,

For at least the last fifteen years–longer, most likely–I’ve ignored the Super Bowl so thoroughly that it would come as a surprise to me when I chatted with my brother or friend and learned that today was ‘The Day’ and they’d be attending a party.  I can’t tell you a single team that’s played in

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Funny Friday Faceoff: the funny thing about humor writing

1 CommentFriday Funny Faceoff, Just for Laughs, , , , , , , , , ,

This week in my online humor class, several of us felt a bit like Grumpy Cat does every day– And a few students were even thinking of throwing in the towel.  Not a pretty towel, either.  This towel. Because the truth is that humor writing is hard.  And sometimes humiliating.  Which…is actually kind of funny, when you

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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Letters From Rapunzel

15 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf, , , , , , , , , , , ,

My latest middle grade project, Pandora’s Popcorn Potion, is a kind of fractured fairy tale, so I picked this up after I finished the first draft to see what my comps are doing.  I thought it would be light and sassy–which it was–but had no idea it would also bring tears to my eyes!  After finishing it, I

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Funny Friday (the 13th) Faceoff

5 CommentsFriday Funny Faceoff, Just for Laughs, , , , , , ,

On this luckiest of Fridays, I plan to write 5k words (or cry trying) and post my humor homework.  I’m experiencing a little nerves over this, since the humor class teacher is none other than founding Onion editor, Scott Dikkers.  The focus this week is on ‘headlines’ so tell me if these are funny: B.

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