Hello, All Readers, especially Educators, Families, and Kids, Feel like you’ve been getting whacked over your head daily, maybe hourly, by the noise of social media, conflicting news about topsy-turvy world events, and burgeoning AI? Like me, does the resulting craziness leave you questioning if the truth is out there . . . somewhere? What…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, When I was growing up, summer meant that I suddenly had more time to read. What a gift! I hope children everywhere feel the same way. My TBR pile included Nancy Drew, Phyllis A. Whitney mysteries, and a sprinkling of the Hardy Boys adventures, along with any other whodunits I…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, It’s late May. In the Northern Hemisphere, that means–HERE COMES SUMMER! How will you spend it this year? After months of cracking codes, sneaking through shadows, and outsmarting adults who really should know better, our four young Botanic Hill detectives have declared a summer moratorium on mysteries. (Or so they…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, Are you familiar with this quote? “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” ~Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time Quintet My interpretation of this famous quote is that children…
Hello, Adult Readers, Are you aware that today, March 15, is called “The Ides of March“? So, what are “ides,” and who really cares? Well, I do, having an inquiring mind for interesting historical tidbits that my Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries might embrace! Turns out that “ides” refers to the first full moon in a…
Dear Kids and All Readers, Here comes March! It is a month in motion. Birds take flight on long journeys, chasing the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, nests are built. Animals emerge from winter slumber. Even the weather seems to migrate—drifting from cold to warm and back again in a single afternoon. (Though here in Southern…
Hello, Kids, and All Readers, As I write this, I’m finishing a bowl of my neighbor’s delicious vegetarian pozole rojo, garnished with avocado and crispy corn tortilla strips, while listening to Andres Segovia play Joaquin Rodrigo‘s Concierto de Arnajuez. It’s arguably the most famous guitar concerto ever composed. For me, the piece is a gorgeous Spanish landscape, evoking Moorish images and Flamenco rhythms.…
Hello, Kids, and All Readers, Can you name all eight of Santa’s reindeer–not counting Rudolph, who is the ninth? Go ahead. I’ll wait. . . . If you’re grinning because you remembered them, did you rely on the 1949 song “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” with the verses, “You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and…
Hello, Kids, and All Readers, I consider myself lucky to live in Southern California, where Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is celebrated every November 1 and 2. The first day honors deceased children; the second day, deceased adults. It is a fiesta that can trace its roots to Mesoamerica, specifically to…
Dear Adult Readers–Be Forewarned! This news blog post may be too scary for some children or inappropriate for anyone dealing with the death of a loved one. Otherwise, in my opinion, it is perfect for Halloween! Read at your own risk or pleasure, depending on your circumstances, and preferably by candlelight or the glow of…
