I know you've got tales to tell....

So, if I meet you at the SCBWI Conference this weekend, odds are that conversation will turn to what's happening online in the world of children's literature and what you've thought/experienced/learned from and about it. But if you're not gonna be there... well, heck, I still wanna know!

If you have any stories you'd like to tell me about interesting (or not!) things that have happened from your blogging or social networking or your website, I'd sure love you to leave a comment or email me. Collecting stories here online is my preferred, as quite often, one story prompts another... but hey, however you want to tell your tale is fine by me!

Shaken, not stirred

Yep. That was an earthquake alright. I've lived through bigger, but it had been some time since I'd had that kinda outta body experience of "hey, look... everything's shaking, including me!" No damage here (or thankfully anywhere that I've heard about).

And on this topic... anyone know a great earthquake book for kids? Maybe it's just of regional interest, but sure seems like there should be a handful. Heck, even the Berenstain Bears and the Big Shake would be something!

Acceptable?

Hmmm. I love the searches that end up leading people here, as y'all know. I so often wish I could speak to the searchers -- sometimes to give them answers to their queries and sometimes to ask for the story behind the search. This one falls into the latter category. I mean really... wouldn't you like to know why someone searched for

related literature of acceptability of fish meatloaf


I like to think they were at a diner part and were fed same. They found some literature about it, saying it was in fact NOT acceptable, but didn't want to take one source as the truth.

But I could be making that up :-)

Just over a week...

... to the SCBWI Summer Conference. This tends to be a yearly highlight, so it's safe to say I'm looking forward to it. Besides my carpool buddy...who will I see there?

Sporks!!!!

I have always loved sporks. I mean really... to know one is to love one, I'd say, plus the word itself is just fun to say (and funny, since it has a K). Now, I don't wish to make light of any sort of bad news, but I read this tidbit in an article on CNN about how there was a weeeee miscalculation in the value of supplies given out (or not actually given out) after Katrina:

For example, each spork was assigned the value of an entire case, inflating the original estimated value of the supplies a thousandfold to $36 million from $36,000.

$36 million in sporks!!!!???? That's a lotta sporkage!

Sounds like a good picture book title to me....

Remiss

I have been remiss on library duty this summer... so far. I haven't pounded the pavement for new books or begged some usual suspects for donations. But now that next week I'm actually gonna see the space where Library 2 (Electric Boogaloo!) will be, I have a feeling that I'm gonna start going manic again. So those of you who haven't heard me pester yet... you will!

I know... such happy summer tidings!

I Want to Build a Snowman -- a snowman poem/a summer poem

I WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN
by
Gregory K.

I want to build a snowman
With arms that reach so high.
I’d use a carrot for his nose,
Green peppers for each eye.

I want to build a snowman
With icicles for teeth.
I’d put him in a floppy hat
And add a wig beneath.

I want to build a snowman,
But my dream seems out of reach.
You see, today’s July 18th,
And I’m here at the beach!


Happy summer and happy Poetry Friday, too. Kelly is on the roundup this week. Go on. Check it out.

If you want to get all my new poems (and only the poems) emailed to you for freeee as they hit the blog, enter your email address in the box below then click subscribe!

On topic? Off topic? I don't care!

Sometimes something is funny enough to me that it doesn't have to tie into any of the various "normal" topics on the blog. I had decided that this fit the bill... but then I realized that I could even make it fit! Ya see, this year, the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary added a new word: mondegreen. As they say, a mondegreen is "a word or phrase that results from a mishearing of something said or sung." A classic example is the oft-quoted Creedence Clearwater Revival lyrics "there's a bathroom on the right" instead of "there's a bad moon on the rise." Cool word, right? And ties in with the oh-so-literary bent of this blog, right?

Yay!

Now, here's the reason why I'm laughing (and talking mondegreen):

Joe Cocker at Woodstock (with subtitles)

"Oh, liver!" Indeed!

Creativity (and where it comes from)

I'm sure fellow writers out there will nod with recognition if I say that someone recently asked me "where do you get your ideas?" Perhaps this video (that I discovered thanks to Recess Queen author Alexis O'Neill) can be a response in the future about how I can get my creative juices fired up to find ideas:

The Harvest

An actual vacation, it turns out....

I do believe this is my longest blog absence, and certainly the longest I've gone without dealing with all but the most, most, most pressing of emails. But it really was true that 'net access was lacking where I was... and ya know what? I survived! Sure there was some withdrawal and some mumbling incoherently, but all told, it was proof that a break could be had and managed.

And now, after three hours in a plane BEFORE taking off... I'm ready to skip most of the online world and go breathe some fresh air for a spell. But since I think my monitor-tan has faded, I'll be back to working on that tomorrow!

Travelling man....

And I'm going where there's no wireless signal, my friends, and no wired one, either. Do such places exist? Yes. Yes, they do... even in civilization! So, if there's a wee gappage in posts hereabouts, you know why. And who knows... maybe I'll come back on with stories to tell!

Or not. But the point is, I'm not leaving you out of anger. I'm leaving due to technical difficulties!

Yes. Right. That's what I did....

I had mentioned going down to ALA to hang out with some blogging pals then I never mentioned anything about it. But luckily others did, including Fuse8's video blog, Jay Asher's ALAsummation, and Jen Robinson's recap of her ALA trip, as well. So since they're all meaty, fun posts... I send you off to find out more!

ka-boom!

July 4th was always one of my favorite holidays growing up. It wasn't just the fireworks, though I loved them. But for many years, I got to go to a (dinky!) town carnival. My memories are of grilled sausage with peppers and of chuck-a-luck, somehow a legal game even when I was a single digit lad (or so my memory banks say). And I vividly, and accurately, remember my dog shaking in the shower every time fireworks went off...

So to all of you celebrating at dinky or huge carnivals or sitting at home or working or shaking in the shower... happy July 4th!

Into the piles...

Yep, tomorrow's a big packing day... and hopefully office floor cleaning day, too, as I dive into figuring out how to build a second library from new donations (with more needed!( and our existing library. Are there enough Seuss doubles to stock two libraries? No... but close?

We'll see tomorrow! Wish me luck....