Story Starter

For one of my workshops last week I used the opening paragraph to Rodney Robbins and the Rainy-day Pond as a story starter. Then I had the group finish the story round-robin fashion. The story took an interesting turn and ended up involving a carnival and a fishing contest. The attendees seemed interested when I revealed that this very paragraph was the opening to my new book. Some of them actually went right out and purchased the book and had me sign it.

Perhaps one of the most gratifying moments came when one lady said while skimming through Mumsi Meets a Lion, "I don't know if I could make it all the way through this without crying." I told her that I always feel the same way about Mumsi's story: I'm so proud of him for listening and doing the right thing!

Speaking in Upstate NY

Greetings from the Finger Lakes region of New York State! I've arrived in beautiful Canandaigua, NY, and am staying at an inn on Lake Canandaigua. Tomorrow and Friday I'll be speaking at a teachers' conference. I'm giving three sessions: one on pre-writing activities, one on teaching vocabulary, and one on literature. There will also be opportunities for me to sign my books at a book table.

As I sit here in my hotel room, I'm debating about whether to revamp my whole workshop or just stick with what I've done before. It's always a challenge to practice what one preaches about inductive teaching and teaching for comprehension--especially when there's a lot of material to be covered in a short amount of time. Perhaps I should focus more on inspiring the teachers of writing to be inspirational than to cover all of the material on my handout. After all, the material on the handout will be there when they get home. (They can read it.)

Rodney Robbins Book Trailer

Check out the book trailer for my new book, Rodney Robbins and the Rainy-day Pond. I just love the way the pictures are animated. And the child's voice is so cute, too. Here's the link: http://www.bjupress.com/videos/rodney-robbins.mov

Unexpected Blessing

Wow. I heard a sweet story from the director of the Mumsi play. The family of one of the children in the program is preparing to go to Africa as missionaries. The little boy was fearful and unsure of their big move. However, after working on the Mumsi Meets a Lion program, he is looking forward to this new adventure. That's a very unexpected and exciting result!

Look, Mom! I'm on Amazon!

My book is finally out! Hooray! Yesterday I checked Amazon.com and found that my book was listed there for sale. Wow. That's really cool. No reviews yet though, so somebody out there in cyberspace please post a (positive--did I say that?) review for Rodney Robbins and the Rainy-day Pond.


This from a satisfied Mumsi reader just the other day:" I read your new book to my grandson, Sam, and we both loved it! Excellent book! Congratulations." I love positive feedback.