Middle Grade Novels Tackle Tough Stuff

 

A Writer’s Playground–a place to find wordplay, writing prompts, reasons to celebrate, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart
“Middle Grade Novels Tackle Tough Stuff” by Linda Martin Andersen

Read all about it

on Facebook and register to win a set of great middle grade novels.

http://mggetsreal.blogspot.com/2016/07/5-middle-grade-novels-with-tough-topics.html

Carol Baldwin read all about it and helped spread the word.  Read an interview on her blog.

http://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/mggetsreal-behind-scenes-with-joyce.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FDtis+%28Carol+Baldwin%27s+blog%29

I encourage you to..

Read all about and help spread the word! Readers need to know!

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!

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The Last Cherry Blossom–Coming Very Soon!

 

A Writer’s Playground–a place to find wordplay, writing prompts, reasons to celebrate, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart
“The Last Cherry Blossom–Coming Very Soon!” by Linda Martin Andersen

NO, there’s no real danger to cherry trees that provide us so much beauty.  No threat to them in that way.

So what is this post about?  A new book called THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM by Kathleen Burkinshaw.

                   

Photos used with permission.

THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM is a book you don’t want to miss.  What have you heard about it?  If you don’t know about this debut book due to launch on August 2, read more here.

Earlier posts I hope you’ll choose to visit/revisit include…

• One of my earlier posts:

https://lindamartinandersen.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/the-cherry-blossoms-in-washington-d-c-remind-me-of/

Two posts to follow by Carol Baldwin:

1. “Carol Baldwin’s blog:  Meet Kathleen Burkinshaw–Debut Middle Grade Author” posted at

https://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/kathleen-burkinshaw-debut-middle-grade.html

2.  Carol Baldwin also posted a review of THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM.  See here:

https://carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-last-cherry-blossom-review-and-arc.html

• Here’s a Kirkus review too:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kathleen-burkinshaw/the-last-cherry-blossom/

If you want to order a copy of this book before August 2, here’s one place to do so: 

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Cherry-Blossom-Kathleen-Burkinshaw/dp/1634506936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469710602&sr=8-1&keywords=Kathleen+Burkinshaw

I’m so happy for my writer friend and her writing journey!  What a great gift to readers everywhere.

Readers, I hope you’ll try some writing of your own..

Writing Prompts:

1. Tell about a time your life changed for the better.
2. Tell about a time your life changed for the worse.
3. What helps you to handle things when life turns worse?
4. How do you like to celebrate when life changes for the better?
5. Who helps you through life events when you face changes?

I hope you’ll look for and read THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM by Kathleen Burkinshaw.

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!

S is for Sock, Squirrel, and Sanctuary

 

A Writer’s Playground–a place to find wordplay, writing prompts, reasons to celebrate, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart  “S is for Sock, Squirrel, and Sanctuary” by Linda Martin Andersen

This month I’m sharing photos and blog posts from A-Z.  I’m excited about trying something new.  I hope you’ll stop by often throughout the month.

Check out the participants for the April (2016) Challenge.  There are plenty to choose from http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

 S is for Sock

Have you ever blamed the dryer for eating a sock?  Next time, check the sheets.  I believe they have a craving for socks.  I’ve also discovered that t-shirts stash away socks, perhaps for late night nibbling.  Poor dryer, always blamed and perhaps never actually gets a bite.

I enjoyed creating a name for this photo.  Write a caption of your own or tell a sock story you especially like.

Sock in a Sheet by Linda Martin Andersen. Copyright 2016.

S is for Squirrel

Diane Weiden shares a delightful and informative post about squirrels here:

http://dianeweidenbenner.com/z-challenge-quite-hardworkers-squirrels/

When my husband and I lived in an apartment in Durham, NC, we were given a bird feeder.  We hung it from our small screened-in porch.  A squirrel hopped from a tree to the porch roof and then onto our hanger.  See below:

Squirrel caught in the act by Linda Martin Andersen. Copyright 2016

What squirrel stories do you have to share?  Most of us probably have dozens!

S is for Sanctuary

Even before I learned of bird sanctuaries, I worshipped in our church sanctuary.  From movies, I knew that sometimes people sought sanctuary in a church.  In recent years, Fayetteville posted this sign downtown.  I hope the soldiers stationed here feel that Fayetteville is a sanctuary for them.  I will say we know some who chose to retire here.  What comes to mind when you hear sanctuary?

Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen

 

What “S” words come to mind for you? I hope you’ll share why they’re special to you.

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!

R is for Rose, Recyclables, and Remodeled Back Porch

 

A Writer’s Playground–a place to find wordplay, writing prompts, reasons to celebrate, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart  “R is for Rose, Recyclables, and Remodeled Back Porch” by Linda Martin Andersen

This month I’m sharing photos and blog posts from A-Z.  I’m excited about trying something new.  I hope you’ll stop by often throughout the month.

Check out the participants for the April (2016) Challenge.  There are plenty to choose from http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

R is for Rose

This is a very hardy climbing rose, rooted from my mother’s bush.  Many years ago on Mother’s Day, my brother, sisters, and I wore a rose cutting to church in honor of our mom.  Wearing a red rose signified a living mother, while a white rose signified a deceased one.  My husband and I decided to stake our climbing rose to a trellis in 2012.  This photo shows the rose in bloom in 2013.  In 2015, we decided to remodel our back porch.  The rose and trellis had to be moved to install a heat/air wall unit that needed to be hung right where the rose was.  I am happy to say that the rose survived the move  and is budding again this year.  Hopefully, there will be red blooms by Mother’s Day.  More about the porch below.

What is your favorite color rose?  Can you finish this old poem?

Roses are red,

Violets are Blue…

Have you ever invented new endings to this poem?

Are you familiar with knock-out roses?  If not, look them up.

Rose by Linda Martin Andersen. Copyright 2016

R is for Recyclables

One bag for plastics, one for cardboard, and one for newspapers.  We live in a rural area and haul our trash to the dump.  We also live in an Army town so we recycled Army laundry bags bought at a pawn shop to haul our recyclables to the dump.  Lots of recycling going on.

Recyclables by Linda Martin Andersen. Copyright 2016

R is for Remodeled Back Porch

Over the years, our back porch began to suffer from neglect and turned into a storage area and an eyesore.  It was time for a major remodel.  In 2015, we did just that.

Roof leak caused damage to ceiling. Time to redo. Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen

Indoor/outdoor carpeting stained from rain. Time to remove. Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen

Rattan furniture inherited from husband’s parents with replaced cushions and upholstery. Time to enjoy the back porch remodel. Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen

New tile flooring and heat/air wall mount unit. Grandmother’s kitchen table and chairs. Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen

What “R” words come to mind for you? I hope you’ll share why they’re special to you.

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!

I is for Ignite–as in Lightning Strike and Write2Ignite!

 

A Writer’s Playground–a place to find wordplay, writing prompts, reasons to celebrate, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart  “I is for Ignite–as in Lightning Strike and Write2Ignite!” by Linda Martin Andersen

This month I’m sharing photos and blog posts from A-Z.  I’m excited about trying something new.  I hope you’ll stop by often throughout the month.

Check out the participants for the April (2016) Challenge.  There are plenty to choose from http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

I is for Ignite–as in Lightning Strike

Lightning Strike. Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen

Lightning Strike–on Fire. Copyright 2016. Linda Martin Andersen

The photos above were taken after a lighting strike near my son’s house.  He called 911, but the fire department wouldn’t respond to a lone tree in a field.  Would you have expected that response?

Here is a video of a lightning strike:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn65RFvJKnk

For your safety, read these myths and facts about lightning:

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/myths.shtml

I is for Ignite–as in Write to Ignite!

Write2Ignite holds an annual conference for Christian writers who write for children.  If you missed the April 1-2, 2016 conference held near Greenville, SC, perhaps you would like learn more about Write2Ignite here and join them in 2017.  Please tell them Linda Andersen sent you.

http://write2ignite.com/welcome-to-write2ignite-2016/

http://write2ignite.com/about/

What “I” words come to mind for you? I hope you’ll share why they’re special to you.

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!

C is for Cotton, Concentrator, and Christmas Card Bowl

 

A Writer’s Playground–a place to find wordplay, writing prompts, reasons to celebrate, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart  “C is for Cotton, Concentrators, and Christmas Card Bowl” by Linda Martin Andersen

This month I’m sharing photos and blog posts from A-Z.  I’m excited about trying something new.  I hope you’ll stop by often throughout the month.

Check out the participants for the April (2016) Challenge.  There are plenty to choose from http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

An ABC Find:

First Presbyterian Church. Copyright 2012. Linda Martin Andersen

Yesterday, I discovered an ABC Find.  While driving, I turned from  Ann Street onto Bow Street, where our church sits on the corner. I like that the word “church” completed the ABC find.  I never noticed this ABC Find until participating in the 2016 A-Z Blog Challenge;  yet I’ve passed by these street signs all my life.

C is for Cotton

 I live near cotton fields.  I tease that it’s as close to snow-covered fields as southerners usually get.  Squint and see if you can imagine snow.

Riddle:  What do you call a cotton-picking good friend?

Answer: A cotton harvester.

Fall 2012. Close up. Copyright Linda Andersen

Fall 2012. Copyright Linda Andersen

 

C is for Concentrator

  Two of my family members now require oxygen and concentrators provide it for home use.  This model comes with a top attachment that refills small portable cylinders, often referred to as tanks.  “E” cylinders, larger ones, are most often delivered by medical suppliers.  Patients place these on carts for portable use.  Smaller tanks are sometimes carried on the patient’s shoulder.  Do you know anyone who requires supplemental oxygen?  I’m thankful concentrators are a medical option available for patients who want to remain in their homes.

C is for Christmas Card Bowl

Years ago, when shopping in an antique/vintage shop, I spotted some reduced Christmas merchandise.  I fell in love with a set of bowls made from Christmas cards and stitched together.  Have you ever recycled cards?  What did you make?

Christmas Card Bowls. Copyright 2015. Linda Martin Andersen

What “C” words come to mind for you? I hope you’ll share why they’re special to you.

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!

Just Jot It January #26–Oneness

   “A Writer’s Playground”–A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.”

“Just Jot It January #26–Oneness” by Linda Martin Andersen

I accepted a challenge for January: Just jot a note and submit.  I can’t participate every day this month, but I will join in when I can.

I decided to create a theme to write about:  I chose “celebrate.”  Today’s suggested prompt is “oneness.”  I have combined my theme with the suggested prompt for the day.

Today, I celebrate the oneness of community. 

What community?  Whatever community you want to think on.

Photo by Jim Martin. Copyright.

My List:  The Oneness of…

1. The community of nature.  That’s a big community, but I love it so much.  I  look out my kitchen window at wildlife that visits occasionally.
2. The community of writers.  I love their support and encouragement.  I appreciate that fellow writers connect to critique stories and share writing tips.
3. The community of family and friends who love me unconditionally.
4. The community of believers.  To me, that means Christian believers, although it may be different for you. I benefited from the love and support of a Stephen Minister in my church when I was a caregiver for my husband.  Others in the church remembered us in numerous ways too. https://www.stephenministries.org/
5. The community with God.  I am never alone.  I am thankful for God’s endless, limitless love.

Oneness signifies belonging and connecting to me.  What about you?

Writing Prompts: 

1. Brainstorm oneness of community.  What communities would you include?
2. Who or what belong in the communities of oneness that you named?
3. How does your belief of oneness effect the person you are?

Visit  http://lindaghill.com/2016/01/26/just-jot-it-january-26th-oneness/ to read and comment on other participants’ posts.

http://lindaghill.com/2015/12/31/just-jot-it-january-2016-rules/ for details about Just Jot It January.

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  I’d love to hear what you’re celebrating today.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just Jot It January #17–Oddities

    

 

“A Writer’s Playground”–A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.”

“Just Jot It January #17” by Linda Martin Andersen

I accepted a challenge for January: Just jot a note and submit.  I can’t participate every remaining day this month, but I will join in when I can.

I decided to create a theme to write about:

Today, I celebrate odd experiences (oddities) and how I react to them.

Oddity is defined here:  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oddity

This is what I found in my washer recently.

 

How did I react?  I laughed out loud!  Wouldn’t you?

Where have you found oddities?  In the refrigerator, back of a sock drawer, etc.  Once I unloaded the dishwasher and found a tea bag.  It was still intact.  I didn’t reuse it.  😉

Visit http://lindaghill.com/2015/12/31/just-jot-it-january-2016-rules/ for details about Just Jot It January and to comment on other participants’ posts.

Thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.”  Come again soon and bring a friend. Please leave a comment.  I’d love to hear what you’re celebrating today.  Remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them.  For more fun, sign up to follow my blog.  Thank you!