Trailer for Return of the Schmurthies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeQaGehC0m0

Book Trailer for Secret of Bombastic Bertha and the Bamboozles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmgXdTiaZVw

Junior Fiction Series Now Available Exclusively on Amazon

My junior fiction series, "Secret Worlds" is now available exclusively on Amazon.com in ebook format. Secret of Bombastic Bertha and the Bamboozles and Return of the Schmurthies are great reads for youngsters ages 8-11.

Intelligence is Imagination, Not Knowledge

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

~ Albert Einstein

A Creative Way to Explore Music

Kids love to make noise...er, music. A fun summer activity is to make your own musical instruments and experiment with rhythm and music.

There are YouTube videos and websites out there on how to make instruments. Here's a pdf file that gives directions, based on actual types of instruments (woodwind, string, brass, etc.): https://www.atlantasymphony.org/aso/asoassets/downloadcenter/Symphony%20Street%20Activity%20Sheets.pdf

Carve Out Time to Write

It's not always easy to find a large block of time to write. Sometimes we must be satisfied with a few minutes here and there.

I have found that there is time during a substitute teacher's day to get a little writing in--while students are taking a test or are at a specialty class, or during the teacher's prep period.

Utilizing these little blocks of time works well for some aspects of the writing process, but not all.

I Love to Read

Sometimes when I substitute teach, I play a little game with the students. I have them write down three things about themselves that they don't think anyone in the class knows about them. Then I read the clues and the class tries to guess who the person is. I did this with a third grade class this week. I was delighted that upon reading the clues for several of the students that they had all written: I love to read. Wonderful!