Dear Readers, According to HealthyChildren.org, “As early as six months, a baby’s brain can notice race-based differences. By ages 2 to 4, children can internalize racial bias. By age 12, many children become set in their beliefs–giving parents a decade to mold the learning process so that it decreases racial bias and improves cultural understanding.”…
Dear Adult Readers, I worry these days about how kids are reacting to the pandemic and rampant racism. EmbraceRace.org, says, “[Kids] are fully realized people with observations and opinions about the worlds they live in and aspirations about the ones they want to bring into being.” As a parent, grandparent, retired teacher, and kids’ author, I…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, I’m so excited to tell you that my publisher, Acorn, and I have started working on the cover design for Eucalyptus Street: Green Curse. It’s Book 2 in my Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries series and releases on October 20. The next few weeks will reveal to me how the designer captured…
Dear Kids, Teachers, Librarians, Families, and Other Audiobook Listeners, Drum roll, please . . . after months in the making, the audiobook of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets is finally available on Audible (a division of Amazon and ACX). Yay! Now, the Botanic Hill Detectives and all the characters in the book have voices. Many thanks once again to…
Dear Readers, I just received word today via Twitter that my book Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets is being read in a Michigan teacher’s virtual book club with her students. How awesome is that?! I provided the books in a Twitter giveaway contest, and this was one of four winning teachers. Next, I was invited to join…
Dear Readers and Dog Lovers, Recently, I fostered an adorable, lovable poodle-bichon mix named Dante. He was a mini version of my own dog Jimmy Lambchop. I had been in the market for a friend for Jimmy for some time, and I was sure Dante was the one. I will never learn if the person…
Dear Readers, I just got back from the Post Office. I mailed four boxes equaling twenty-four copies of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets to my Twitter raffle winners! Twenty kids and four teachers in four different states will soon be reading my book in their #VirtualBookClubs. What a great feeling I have that I’m doing something…
Hello, Kids, Teachers, Librarians, Parents, and Other Readers, I just received word today from Tom Jordan, my narrator with ACX, that the Audiobook for Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets is almost finished! After I do the final proof and hit the approve button, we bring the Botanic Hill detectives and the rest of the cast to…
Hello, Kids and Other Readers, Recently, I talked about how we are living in an unusual time with staying home and social distancing to be safe. We can use this problem for the good. I call it being Lemonade Heroes. So while you’re taking lots of lemons and making sweet lemonade in the form of good…
Hi, Kids and All Readers, We are living in extraordinary times. Sheltering at home, socially distancing, trying to stay healthy, and looking for a silver lining in the dark cloud of this Pandemic. Yes, that’s what I said–a silver lining. In other words, focusing on the positives! For example, now’s the time to learn what…
