Excuse Me While I Squeeeee!

No, it's not Thursday.
; )
This is an unscheduled WIT post, and a happy one at that. Below is the cover of STORM SONG, one of two picture books that will be published this spring.

I
Just
Had
To
Share
!!!!

What do you think?
I LOVE IT! Wait until you meet the adorable doggie who shows up on almost every page.

A is for Autumn, Authors, and Amy

Say HELLO to Amy Dixon!

Amy has agreed to be part of my series of interviews, or mini-views as I like to call them. Do you remember that ALL the authors featured this autumn have names that begin with A? SO Awesome!

AMY DIXON grew up as one of seven siblings, so the only peace and quiet she ever got was inside a book. Once she had her own kids, she rediscovered her love for picture books at the public library. It was the one place she knew all four of her kids would be happy . . . and quiet. She writes from her home, where she lives with her four little inspirations and her marathon-running husband, Rob. Amy is the author of MARATHON MOUSE.

Now, let's get to the nitty-gritty and find out what goes on in the super-secret life of this fabulous author.

1. The book fairy transports you inside one of your books. Which book are you in, and what part do you play in the story?
I would definitely be one of the runners in MARATHON MOUSE! I am in awe of people who can run 26.2 miles and live to tell about it. I would finish the New York City marathon alongside my buddy, Preston Mouse, and wear my medal proudly!

2. In approximately ten words, describe a favorite setting from a book you have written.
The quiet, contemplative dark of the Queensboro bridge.

3. What does your office look like?
My favorite place to work is at our local Panera. When I try to work at home, chores like dishes and laundry call out to me. It's so distracting!

4. If you were a superhero, who would you be, and why?
The first thing that came to mind was Whyatt from the PBS show, SUPER WHY! (Can you tell I have a 4-year-old?) He's no Superman, but...the power to fly inside his favorite books??? Yes, please!

5. You've got the munchies at midnight. Which salty or sweet snack makes you get out of bed and head for the kitchen?
POPCORN! It's my favorite food, hands down.

Ready? Set? GOooo!
Race you to the bookstore!

 

Note from Nancy: Since Thanksgiving is next Thursday, look for WIT to appear the day before, on Wednesday, November 21st.

Quick Quiz

Sharpen your pencils.
Take your seats.
Get ready for...

QUIZ TIME!
(You are cheering and clapping, aren't you?)

This quiz is short/brief.  Or it's long/lengthy. 18 questions. You decide.

It's on antonyms (the opposite) and synonyms (the same).

You even get a grade!

Ready, set, GO! I'll race you.

CLICK HERE.

A is for Autumn, Authors, and Alison

I don't know if you've noticed, but some of my WIT posts were a little off last week and the week before. I have no idea why this happens, but it seems that when I write posts ahead of time and schedule them, weird things pop up. Anyway, I apologize!

Moving on...

This week's interview is with Alison Formento. WELCOME, Alison!

ALISON FORMENTO is the author of the award-winning picture books THIS TREE COUNTS!, THIS TREE, 1, 2, 3, THESE BEES COUNT! and THESE SEAS COUNT (2013). She has written for several publications including The New York Times, The Writer and Parenting. Alison loves visiting schools and libraries and donates a portion of her book sales to AmericanForests.org.

If you love and respect nature, Alison's books will certainly make you smile. Let's hear what she has to say.

1. The book fairy transports you inside one of your books. Which book are you in, and what part do you play in the story?

Hi, Book Fairy, thanks for buzzing by. I'm so happy that you've taken me inside THESE BEES COUNT! And what's more...you've plopped me right inside a bee hive. You might have a hard time seeing me, but I'm one of the worker bees and I've just come back from a two mile trip. I visited about 50,000 flowers and I'm so heavy from all of the nectar filling my belly. Time to...BURP! Oh, excuse me, but I really needed to spit up the nectar into the honeycomb here in this part of our hive. These are the Queen's newest bee babies and they need some tasty bee bread so they'll grow. Boy, this stuff is sticky, but oh, so sweet. Some say, it's sweet as honey! Now it's time to visit some more flowers. Buzz....

2. In approximately ten words, describe a favorite setting from a book you have written.

Tip top of an old oak tree is a special spot for birds, animals, or me.

(The tree in THIS TREE COUNTS!)

3. What does your office look like?

There's a big window in my office and some of my office walls are covered with happy monster wallpaper drawn by Sandra Boynton. My shelves overflow with books and my desk is covered with papers. There's a rocking chair that I rocked my kids in when they were babies. Now I use it (a lot) to read. For me: Reading + rocking = awesome!

4. If you were a superhero, who would you be, and why?

I'd be Captain Environment! I'd be able to stop harm to our environment. Trees would be planted everywhere. Bees and other animals would be safe from pesticides or other manmade threats. Our seas would clean of litter. Our world would be safe from manmade disasters such as oil spills and fresh healthy food would be available for all. That would be a dream come true!

5. You've got the munchies at midnight. Which salty or sweet snack makes you get out of bed and head for the kitchen?

Honey graham crackers dunked in milk. Yum!

 

We surely do need a Captain Environment, Alison! Thanks for answering these questions for WIT readers.

 

 

 

Mixed and Fixed!

ACK!
Some witty posts got mixed up with others.
*sigh*
It happens when I schedule posts to appear on certain dates. Hopefully, you'll check back and see they've been fixed.

Catch up with this week's WIT below!

Wimpy vs. Superhero Writing

Do you know how easy it is to make your writing stronger? All you have to do is change wimpy adjectives to superhero ones. EASY, PEASY.

Take a look at my great story below. Rewrite the story, but replace that boring word:  great with a  more descriptive one.

Need help?

Rhymezone.com to the rescue.

Click on the link above.

Put great in the WORD box.

To the right of where it says RHYMES, click on the down arrow.

The third choice is synonyms. Click on that.

But remember, a synonym may not be what you need. Maybe there’s a different adjective that will fit in that sentence and make it great...um...I mean, outstanding.

COLUMBUS DAY, A GREAT HOLIDAY 

This past month, we celebrated Columbus Day, a great holiday. Old Chris was a great guy, wasn’t he? After all, we credit him with the great discovery of our great nation because he landed in the Americas in 1492. But did he? He never really landed on the mainland. He may have been great, but the dude had a lousy sense of direction. Seriously, look it up.

http://www.history.com/topics/columbus-day

Some great countries and some great states in the U.S. do not celebrate this great holiday. In Latin America, Día de la Raza or Day of the Race, is celebrated. The great state of South Dakota celebrates the great, early inhabitants of America on Native American Day. It’s not a public holiday at all in Hawaii, Nevada, or California.

So, when Columbus Day rolls around next year, find some great things to do. Relax, enjoy your freedom, catch up on your great homework assignments. Or maybe you can spend time thinking about this:  Is Columbus Day a great federal holiday?

A is for Autumn, Authors, and Ann

It's time for another A+ author. The fabulous Ann Malaspina is my guest today!

ANN MALASPINA, a former newspaper reporter, writes multicultural picture books inspired by true events. She is the author of TOUCH THE SKY:  Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper, HEART ON FIRE:  Susan B. Anthony Votes for President, FINDING LINCOLN, YASMIN'S HAMMER, and PHILLIS SINGS OUT FREEDOM:  The Story of George Washingtone and Phillis Wheatley.



As you can probably see, Ann's books serve as terrific resources.
Kids:  Are you looking for someone interesting to feature in a book report?
Teachers:  Do you want to read a book that will offer your students a peak into the lives of famous people? Check out one of Ann Malaspina's biographies today!

Let's see how Ann answers the interview questions. Take it away, Ann!

1. The book fairy transports you inside one of your books. Which book are you in, and what part do you play in the story? 

I'm Susan B. Anthony, marching down her street in Rochester, NY, on her way to vote in 1872, from my new book HEART ON FIRE: SUSAN B. ANTHONY VOTES FOR PRESIDENT. Fortunately when I vote this November, I won't be arrested like she was in a time when voting by women was actually against the law!

2. In approximately ten words, describe a favorite setting from a book you have written.

Yasmin riding her water buffalo across the river in Yasmin's Hammer.

 

3. What does your office look like?

My office in the attic looks like a hurricane hit. Books, papers, notebooks, and coffee mugs are scattered everywhere. Luckily I can see birds flying over my skylight, which remind me to finish writing so I can go outside.

 

4. If you were a superhero, who would you be, and why?

Since I started off as a newspaper reporter like Lois Lane, I'd like to be her when she (temporarily) turned into Superwoman. Of course, we need lots more female superheroes.

 

5. You've got the munchies at midnight. Which salty or sweet snack makes you get out of bed and head for the kitchen? 

Ben & Jerry's coffee heath bar crunch, which is why I don't keep it in our house.

Thanks for stopping by, Ann.  Let's go out for ice cream!