B = Book

A to Z Blog Challenge: Day Two

BOOK



 

 

 

BOOKS: Love to read AND write them

BOOK LIST: Mine is VERY long

BOOKMARKS: Have dozens

BOOKED: A writing retreat

BOOKWORM: I am

BOOK CLUB: Belong to one

FAVORITE BOOK: Charlotte's Web

CHAPTER BOOK: Writing one

PICTURE BOOKS: LOVE them!

LIBRARY BOOK: Plenty checked out

BOOKSHELVES: A must have

BOOK FAIRS: Rock!

BOOK SALE: Must go to

BOOKSTORE: Favorite place to browse

eBOOK: Great for vacation

BOOK DRESS: Have one!

 

 

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Linda Bozzo has published over 50 nonfiction books for the school and library market. For more information about Linda and her books, you can visit her website.

Copyright 2015 Linda Bozzo

A = ACTION

This is the first time I'm participating in the A to Z blog Challenge. The goal is to blog every day for the month of April, except for Sundays which will result in 26 days of blogging, using 26 letters, for 26 posts. I've decided to break the rules right from the start. I'm not choosing a theme. I have a hard time deciding what to blog about which often results in not blogging. Instead of choosing a theme, I'm using my children's dictionary to randomly choose a word to blog about each day.



ACTION

 

I normally like to set goals for the year. But this year I decided I was going to try something different. My goal for 2015 is to take at least one ACTION every weekday that will help further my writing career. Each day I take special note and ask myself what my ACTION will be for the day. At the end of the day I ask myself if I have taken an ACTION that directly relates to writing. I've also resolved to take less ACTION because sometimes less is more. I'm  taking LESS ACTION when it comes to tasks that eat up time that could be used for my ACTION tasks. This includes less Facebook time, less time entering contests, and less webinars, just to name a few. What I hope to gain is more writing time (which includes blogging), more research time for new projects, and more time being happy because I'm doing what I love to do! At the end of the year I'm going to look back at my ACTION list to analyze my results. After just three months of ACTION I've already experienced great success with this method and I'm looking forward to what I can accomplish in the upcoming months. I hope you'll follow along.



Embrace Winter

 
 
 

I'll admit that when I hear a snowstorm is coming, I don't run out and fill my car with gas or race to the grocery store. Instead, I get all of my writing tools in order and anxiously await being stuck inside with my muse. You may even hear me shout, "YAY!"

 

 

While I've found bad weather can result in productive writing days, too many of these days can be frustrating. Not all of my writing process happens here at my desk. 

 

 

I NEED to go to the library to do research or to pick up the stack of books that I've placed on hold. Not being able to do research can hold up a project which can be an even bigger problem if that project has a deadline.

 

 

Not being able to meet with fellow writers is especially frustrating when you're in need of feedback or you're looking forward to brainstorming on a manuscript. Even more important, you miss the support of others.

 

 

RESEARCH

I've found some ways to stay productive even when Mother Nature gets in the way.

There are many picture books that are read aloud on YouTube, so if it's a mentor text that's holding you up, do a search and chances are the author, a teacher, or a librarian has made a video. This was especially helpful when I recently wrote a new manuscript and found out there was already a book similar to what I wrote. I was able to find out exactly how similar it was by viewing it on YouTube. I also use Google Book Search a lot. It can be very helpful with research and keeping me moving forward with a project until I can get to the bookstore or the library.

 

 

 

WRITE-IN

If bad weather is getting in your way of meeting with fellow writing buddies, we can always find each other online. But we know when we meet in person it results in a pretty darn productive day. Consider scheduling a write-in. Plan on being online at a certain time of the day, say from 9 a.m. until noon, which could be the time and day you all normally meet. Everyone writes or brainstorms from 9 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. at which time everyone checks in with each other and shares what they've accomplished. You have 15 minutes to read and comment on each other's work. Then the cycle begins again at 10 a.m. and continues until noon.

 

REWARD

Make a deal with yourself. Promise to stay off of social media for a set amount of time and write, research, accomplish something on your to-do list. When you've completed what you've set out to do, reward yourself. It might be a special snack or drink, or it could be phone call to catch up with a friend, or I like to reward myself with reading time used strictly for enjoyment.

 

 

 

With each day that passes I know that warm sunny days are drawing nearer. But with that comes less writing time. Things like gardening, beach days, picnics, softball games, and barbeques fill the calendar. I look forward to spring but embrace what winter has to offer and right now that seems to lots of time to write!

 

Valentine's Day Craft with Riddles

ISBN 978-0-7660-4119-6
 

 

The History of Valentine's Day
Did you know that some people believe that Valentine's Day started with the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia? It's true! Named after the Roman god Lupercus, the feast was celebrated from February 13 through February 15. Young girls would write their names on pieces of paper and place them in a vase. Each boy would choose a name from the vase. The girl he chose would be his partner for the festival and maybe even the year. These matches would often turn into love and sometimes even marriage.

Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14th. Here's a craft I created using funny Valentine's Day riddles from my book.

First, I traced a heart on a piece of colored paper. I used a heart decoration as my template.



I used scrapbooking paper so I could fit two hearts on one page and use the leftover for the flaps.

Then I cut out the hearts.

I typed up and printed, from my computer, various riddles from the book so the children would have a variety to choose from. FYI, there is no copyright on jokes and riddles, so no worries! I typed the question above the answer with a cutting line in between them. Then I cut the papers up so the question and answer stayed together. The cutting line will be used later when assembling the flap.

I used the scraps of colored paper leftover after cutting out the hearts and created a flap by folding the paper in half.

 

Next, I cut along that line between the question and the answer and glued the question part of the riddle to the front of the flap.

 

 

Then I glued the answer to the riddle inside the flap.

 

Next, I glued the flap to the front of the heart. 

 Finally, I wrote my message and decorated the heart with fun stickers. You can even flip it over and write another message on the back.

 There you have it, a fun(ny) Valentine's Day craft for all ages!

 

If you would like use this craft in your home or classroom I would be happy to email you the word document with the riddles. Just email me through my web site.

 

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Linda Bozzo has published over 50 nonfiction books for the school and library market. For more information about Linda and her books, you can visit her website.

Copyright 2015 Linda Bozzo

Ideas . . . Where Do They Come From?

 

Since many students are curious about where I get my ideas from, when they're not assigned to me by editors, I like to show them by sharing these photos. I talk about being observant and how you can find ideas and inspiration from your hobbies and passions to things right in your home or backyard.

 

Take for example this photo I took of winter leaves in my yard. It reminded me that leaves not only have an important job in the autumn but throughout all the seasons. This inspired me to expand a poem I had written about autumn leaves into a picture book about leaves all year long.

Winter Leaves

This photo is of our pet lizard who turned out to be an interesting character for a magazine story about a missing lizard. I encourage children to write about their pets. I also talk about how I often write a nonfiction piece about a topic and then use that research to create a fun fiction story as well.

Lizzie the Green Anole

This nest of bunnies I found in my flower garden started out as just a fascination for me. I wanted to learn more about them, so I did some research. That led to a nonfiction article which then inspired me to write a fiction picture book about an extra large bunny family. That picture book is now out on submission with publishers.

Baby Bunnies in My Flower Garden

And then there are our hobbies and things we are passionate about. For me that is dance. Nearly all of my fiction stories incorporate some element or mention of dance. If you're passionate about something you will enjoy writing about it. Last year I finally had a chance to complete a picture book manuscript about a dance icon that I've always wanted to write about.

My First Dance Recital

As you can see, I like to keep photos of what inspires me. I'm a very visual person so I enjoy keeping photos on display when I'm working on a particular project. Taking photos is also a great way to help students be more engaged about a topic. You don't need a fancy camera. I use my cell phone or my iPad Mini to take my photos.

Bottom line, choose topics you are passionate about or want to learn more about. Be observant, take photos, jot down notes when you come across something that catches your attention and you'll find you're never at a loss for ideas.

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Linda Bozzo has published over 50 nonfiction books for the school and library market. For more information about Linda and her books, you can visit her website.

Copyright 2015 Linda Bozzo

The Blue-Eyed Mummy

Susanna Hill is hosting her 4th Annual Halloweensie Contest in which you must write a Halloween story of no more than 100 words and you must include the words creak, broomstick, and pumpkin. Sounds like a creepy enough contest for me!

Since I just recently spoke to parents at a literacy event about encouraging their children to enter writing contests, I figured I should take my own advice.

So here's my entry:

THE BLUE-EYED MUMMY
by Linda Bozzo

The boy pulled back the tattered curtain and peered out the cracked glass pane.  A cast of characters crept up the dark winding driveway. The group hesitated along the sidewalk illuminated by a narrow stream of light coming from the witch’s broomstick. A goblin tripped up the uneven steps leading to the front door. Dangling ghosts and the smell of rotted pumpkin greeted the strangers. Before they could knock, the paint-peeled door moaned and creaked open as if inviting the ghoulish guests inside. The blue-eyed mummy was the first to scream . . .

“Trick or treat!”

 

Be sure to check out the other entries on Susanna's blog and enter if you dare!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Favorite Lines

When I'm reading a book I like to bookmark or save my favorite line(s) so I can read them over and over again.

 

 

While I haven't quite finished reading THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, I already know what my favorite lines from the book are:

 

 

 

"That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you into a third book. It's geometrically progressive–all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment."