Along with a box of freshly sharpened pencils, hand this to aspiring authors. It’s a lighthearted approach to overcoming writer’s block, encouraging youngsters with gentle humor. A welcome addition to school and classroom libraries. Particularly helpful for youngsters receiving instruction at home. This comic might be the impetus for an informal My Pencil and Me writers’ collective where creators share their own stories.

Jen Corace uses a soft muted color pallet and stylized shapes to capture the essence of Jane's world in the late 1770's to the early 1800's. Darker silhouettes against a creamy yellow background echo images often often seen during this historical period.
A lovely volume to share with young readers, feminists, and aspiring authors.

Literary Lust: Gift items celebrating the works of Jane Austen.

Which ones are your favorites?

Tom Edison's dream (not THAT Tom Edison) is to become a world-famous scientist. Sadly, the study of science is not his forte. This fact is of no consequence. He is convinced that given the proper opportunity, he will prove his potential. First step on the ladder to greatness: a job as a janitor at CEASE- the Center for Extremely Advanced Science Experiments. There he meets the quiet researcher Dr. Marisa Morice. Through a bizarre twist of fate, the two unlikely companions find themselves transported via a time travel machine to the prehistoric era. This is a land of cavemen, bats with an inordinate amount of guano, and one very determined saber-tooth tiger. How will the ever-exuberant but dim-witted Tom and the brilliant but socially inept Dr. Morice work their way out of this dilemma and return to the present?
​This is one fast-paced, laugh-filled adventure. Be advised: If you read this book in public and start laughing uncontrollably, people will take note and you'll probably have to read it aloud to total strangers.

Rodkey has created two things here: a hilarious time travel adventure and a how-to guide for aspiring young authors. Not since Adventures in Cartooning have I encountered such a successful and innovative approach to making a dual-purpose publication. The Story Pirates series takes it one step further. Rodkey solicitated Story Ideas from youngsters. He uses an idea from Vince Boberski, a boy from Memphis, as the premise for Stuck in the Stone Age. He explains the story creation process in a writing manual located at the back of the book. Throughout the text, references are made to sections within the manual which provide guidance and suggestions. The notations throughout the story are accompanied by clever illustrations. Helpful infographics are an added bonus.  Hatem Aly’s zany art provides the perfect complement to this wild adventure. This book is a gold mine for those who enjoy a good tale well told and/or those who want to tell their own amazing stories.

Interested in story creation? Story Pirates website is storytelling central. With live performances, educational programs, and online resources that include podcasts and videos, this is a treasure chest filled with imaginative delights.  Enjoy this sample of videos from the Story Pirate's YouTube channel.

Highlights from April Henry's visit to Four Bluff High School

We had an extra copy of Derek Jeter's Ultimate Baseball Guide 2015.  So many students wanted that book. What to do?
We decided that every student who wanted a chance to win our extra copy of the book would submit a small ballot on a piece of scratch paper. The ballot would include a statement as to why they should be the recipient of the Baseball Guide. 
The rules were: you could submit only one entry and it had to contain: 1)  your name, 2) your classroom number, and 3) a convincing argument for you to receive this book.  All entries that included those three items were placed in a basket and at the end of the day one ballot was randomly drawn from the basket. 
The persuasive statements were terrific!  Each one was unique. But all were compelling.  A great "stealth" writing exercise.
I will definitely do this again.