Deborah Bence Boerema's Blog

It’s Valentine’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a new story written for Susanna Leonard Hill’s 2nd Annual Valentiny Writing Contest? This year, the challenge was to write a Valentine story appropriate for children in which someone is confused. The catch is the story is limited to a maximum of 214 words! I hope you enjoy my entry. As always, I’ve love to read your comments below.




Word for Word Valentine (128 words)
Construction paper. Scissors. Glue. Markers. Glitter.
Sophie gathered her supplies.

 

Fold. Cut. Color. Stick. Sign. Seal.
Sophie made her cards.
Secretly. Cheerfully. Quickly. Neatly. Artistically.
Sophie worked in her room.
Red. Pink. White. Purple.
Paper scraps were everywhere!
Fancy. Funny. Friendly. Thoughtful.
Different cards for different people.







Friday night. Saturday morning. Sunday afternoon.
Sophie worked all weekend.
Ethan. Emma. William. Emily.
Sophie wrote each student’s name.
19. 133. 258. 367. 400.
Sophie counted her cards.
Glad. Proud. Relieved. Tired.
Finally finished. Sophie climbed into bed.







At the class party the next day, Sophie passed out her Valentines.
Miss Carson had said to bring 20 cards.

For every student.

So everyone will know they are valued.
When they saw all her cards, Sophie’s classmates felt
Surprised. Puzzled. Excited. Loved.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! In Picture Book Land, that also means it’s time for another holiday writing contest. I love the challenging parameters set up by talented author Susanna Leonard Hill on her blog. This year, in her 6th Annual Holiday Contest, Susanna dared her readers to write a children’s holiday story, in 300 words or less, using the basic format/concept of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
I hope you enjoy my following entry. Please let me know what you think with a comment below.

 

The 12 Strays of Christmas

(300 words)
Well, the first stray of Christmas at the Humane

        Society

Was a tabby that had cat fleas.
The second strays of Christmas at the

        Humane Society

Were two shepherd pups

And a tabby that had cat fleas.





The third strays of Christmas at the

        Humane Society

Were three Siamese kittens,

Two shepherd pups,

And a tabby that had cat fleas.
The fourth strays of Christmas at the

        Humane Society

Were four mixed retrievers,

Three Siamese kittens,

Two shepherd pups,

And a tabby that had cat fleas.
The fifth strays of Christmas at the

        Humane Society

Were five mutts with mange,

Four mixed retrievers,

Three Siamese kittens,

Two shepherd pups,

And a tabby that had cat fleas.
This pattern continued with…

Six calicos mousing,
Seven boxers barking,
Eight black cats yowling,





Nine poodles yipping,
Ten schnauzers scratching,
And eleven shorthairs napping.
By the time the twelfth strays arrived, the kennels were filled with…
Twelve terriers whining,

Eleven shorthairs napping,

Ten schnauzers scratching,

Nine poodles yipping,

Eight black cats yowling,

Seven boxers barking,

Six calicos mousing,

Five mutts with mange,

Four mixed retrievers,

Three Siamese kittens,

Two shepherd pups,

And a tabby that had cat fleas.

 

At this point, the Humane Society simply could not accept any more strays. They posted pictures of all 364 animals on their website.
Santa, who is a huge animal lover, saw the photos and scheduled a special stop at the Humane Society on Christmas Eve. He squeezed the animals among all the toys and presents in his sleigh.
Santa delivered each animal to the home of just the right boy or girl. Hundreds of children were delighted to receive an adopted pet for Christmas.
But I heard Santa exclaim, ere he drove out of sight— 

“Spay and neuter your pets, and to all a good night!”

Although I usually focus posts on books for young children, this one features some reads geared for the older set. Those of you who have been friends with Thaniel and me for a while have likely heard about our family Advent calendar tradition. Well, it’s that time of year once again. My son, Nathan (now 13 years old), is the recipient of the Advent calendar in our home, and I thought you might enjoy hearing about what I prepared for him this season.
In years past, the Advent calendar has pointed Nathan to read daily children’s stories or family stories from our collection of Christmas books throughout the month of December. And of course, one year, I filled the drawers of our wooden Advent calendar with pages of The Innkeeper’s Dog  to read each day before Christmas.
This year, we’re going to take a historical and cultural look at Christmas in classic literature for adults. While I’m not asking Nathan to read all these volumes in their entirety, I am hoping he’ll choose to read at least one of them after he’s had a chance to peruse all the summaries provided.
The drawers of our wooden Advent calendar are filled with brief descriptions of the following examples of Christmas in literature, in no particular order. These titles are all available through Amazon, and many are also in local libraries. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to check out a new Christmas title this year. And I’d love to hear of other seasonal classics that you enjoy in the comments below.





War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Dead by James Joyce
Queenie by Alice Munro
A Serious Talk by Raymond Carver (found in Where I’m Calling From: Selected Stories)
Ending Up by Kingsley Amis
Christmas by John Betjeman (found in Garlands for Christmas: A Selection of Poetry)
Last Christmas of the War by Primo Levi (found in Moments of Reprieve)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry







The Romance of a Christmas Card by Kate Douglas Wiggin
A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd
A Worn Path by Eudora Welty (found in The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty)
The Birds of the Air by Alice Thomas Ellis
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Old Christmas by Washington Irving
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Papa Panov’s Special Christmas by Leo Tolstoy
A College Santa Clause by Ralph Henry Barbour
The Oxen by Thomas Hardy


 

Christmas is less than a month away. My son has already put up the tree in his bedroom, but we haven’t yet started decorating the rest of the house.
One of the decorations that I most look forward to getting out each year is the hand-painted ceramic nativity set my Aunt Maria made for me when I graduated from high school. My father built a beautiful wooden stable with a shingled roof and shuttered windows that open and close to display it in. I appreciate the details my aunt lovingly added to each piece. I’ve always been especially fond of the camels. They have color-coordinated saddle blankets that match the robes of the three wise men, so you know which camel belongs to each king.
Thoughts of camels brings me to a new picture book I just read, Cloddia’s Desert Dance: A Story of Finding Your Place  by Carol Schafer. Cloddia is a content camel who lives with a herd of other camels at a desert oasis. Each night, Cloddia feels compelled to dance under the stars, though she can’t explain why.
One day, a caravan brings a new camel, Spits, to the herd. Spits dreams of being a racing camel, and he spends each day training by running across the desert. Spits and Cloddia seem to constantly irritate each other. He can’t understand why Cloddia wastes her time dancing every night, and she can’t understand why he runs every day.
Their relationship changes when they get caught in a sand storm together. It dawns on Cloddia that she dances because dancing is her gift. She dances as an expression of love to her Creator. She recognizes that Spits runs for the same reason. They discover that, though they have different gifts, they’re more alike than they realized.
This book is a bit longer than most picture books. But the story is engaging, and children will love the delightful illustrations of Cloddia’s playful dancing and Spits’ intense training runs. This story also provides an excellent opportunity for adults to help children identify their unique gifts.

Paperback, 34 pages

Word Alive Press, September 2016

ISBN 978-1486605989

SRP $13.99

Ages 5-10

Written by Carol Schafer

Illustrated by Alison Schafer Pahl

Disclaimer: The author provided a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thaniel would like to remind you that one of the best ways you can support authors is by writing reviews of your own. When you read a book that you enjoy, please spread the word by posting a review on the book’s page on Amazon or another retail website.

With Thanksgiving just two days away, my son keeps reminding me that Christmas will soon be here. So, I thought I’d review a Christmas story for those who might want to add to their holiday book collection.
It seems there’s no shortage of picture books about the Biblical account of the first Christmas that feature animal characters. (Hmm. Thaniel the Spaniel, for instance?) However, one of the most unique animals I’ve read about in this setting is Muse, the title character of The Moose at the Manger by Lisa Tortorello.
During a long journey with her family, Muse hears the story of the first Christmas from her parents. When Muse wanders off and gets lost, she meets a new friend, Star Bright. Star Bright transports Muse through time and space to bow next to the manger that holds Baby Jesus. Then Star Bright helps Muse find her way back to her family once again, with an exciting experience to share.
Children will enjoy this enchanting tale. It will fuel their imaginations as they picture what it might be like if they could somehow travel through history and meet Baby Jesus face-to-face.
If Muse piques your curiosity about other animal characters that make their way into the nativity story, you might want to check out some of these titles:

The Fox at the Manger by P. L. Travers
The Manger Mouse by Sarah Martin Byrd
Cat in the Manger by Michael Foreman
A Lamb’s Christmas Tale by Terry Thornton, Sandy Wenell Thornton
The Christmas Horse and the Three Wise Men by Isabelle Brent
Little Porcupine’s Christmas by Joseph Slate
The Christmas Donkey by Donna Thornton
Pippin the Christmas Pig by Jean Little, Heinz Werner Zimmermann
The Unicorn at the Manger: Yearlong Stories of the Holy Night by Roger Robbennolt
Little Bunny Finds Christmas by Pirkko Vainio

Paperback, 24 pages

Tate Publishing, June 2012

ISBN 978-1618629166

SRP $8.99

Ages 4-8

Written by Lisa A. Tortorello

Disclaimer: The author provided a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thaniel would like to remind you that one of the best ways you can support authors is by writing reviews of your own. When you read a book that you enjoy, please spread the word by posting a review on the book’s page on Amazon or another retail website.

Today is Election Day. In the life of our nation, some people have been looking forward to this day with hope and confidence. Others have been dreading this day with apprehension and doubt. Many have simply been waiting to put this day behind them.
In our personal lives, we often view days in these same ways. This reminds me of a Chuck Swindoll quote I heard recently.
Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.
It can be challenging for adults to remember this truth. Therefore, it’s little wonder children often need help learning to manage their emotions and handle unhappy circumstances.
Virginia Finnie makes this concept the focus of her latest picture book,  It’s a Super-Bad Terrible Day! This book is filled with unpleasant scenarios to which most school-age children can easily relate: stepping on Legos, tripping in front of classmates, missing a key play in a game, and dealing with siblings. The rhyming text describes typical emotions that accompany each situation—anger, embarrassment, sadness—and suggests positive actions kids might take. This book provides adults and children with lots of talking points about natural reactions and possible responses when negative events occur. If you know a young person who has trouble making positive behavior choices, this book would be a worthwhile read.

Paperback, 32 pages

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, April 2016

ISBN 978-1523978977

SRP $9.99

Ages 6-10

Written by Virginia Finnie

Illustrated by  Almar Denso

Disclaimer: The author provided a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thaniel would like to remind you that one of the best ways you can support authors is by writing reviews of your own. When you read a book that you enjoy, please spread the word by posting a review on the book’s page on Amazon or another retail website.

I love the colors of autumn and the smell of pumpkin bread baking in the oven. When it comes to Halloween, however, I have mixed emotions. I think little princesses and Spiderman juniors running through the neighborhood collecting candy are adorable. But I’m definitely not a fan of the gore and terror reflected in some seasonal decor.
One of my favorite things about Halloween is Susanna Leonard Hill’s annual Halloweensie Contest. The challenge of writing a children’s Halloween story using no more than 100 words was such fun, and I’m looking forward to reading all the creative entries by the other talented writers who follow Susanna’s blog. I hope you enjoy my following entry, and I’d love to read your comments below!

 

A Halloween Lullaby (97 words)
Halloween frights made Margie cry.

She pled at Momma’s knee,

“Sing the Halloween lullaby

You once wrote just for me.”
Smiling, Momma held Margie near

And sang the words that calmed her fear.
“The moon is full to light your way

Not to cause you despair.

A spider’s web’s for trapping prey

Not to tangle your hair.
“The black cat that goes darting by

Is mousing in the streets.

Ghosts and witches that you might spy

Are children begging treats.”
Momma’s reassuring lyrics

Beat counting countless sheep.

And very soon little Margie

Had drifted off to sleep.

 

Title for Tuesday
Quack and Daisy: Beyond the Meadow
Some of you may not know that I’m the author of Guide to Good Food, a high school food and nutrition textbook. I’ve spent the earlier part of this year focused on a major revision of that title, but I’m now happy to be able to return my focus to writing for younger readers.

I wanted to start a new feature that allows me to share about some of the books I’ve been reading lately. In one of the programs I’ve developed for school visits, I tell students one of my favorite things about being an author is the opportunity to meet other authors. One of the first people I met when I entered the picture book realm is children’s author Aileen Stewart. She’s become a dear friend as well as a respected mentor, and I’m delighted that I often have the chance to attend author events with her.
Aileen is the author of the Fern Valley series for early grade children. Each of these books is a collection of short stories describing the adventures of a crew of lovable animal characters. The latest in the series, Cooking in Fern Valley, even includes delicious recipes so readers can enjoy the fun and learning of making and eating a tasty food item that relates to each story.
In addition to Fern Valley, Aileen recently launched her Quack and Daisy picture book series. These titles feature a pair of unlikely friends: a duckling and a kitten. The second book in the series, Quack and Daisy: Beyond the Meadow, tells the tale of how these young friends choose to disregard the warnings of Momma Duck and venture into dangerous territory. Readers will love seeing these adorable characters chase butterflies and frolic through fields full of wildflowers. They’ll be filled with anticipation when Quack and Daisy get into a tight spot. And parents will appreciate the opportunity to reinforce the lesson that grownups establish rules for a reason: to keep children safe.
Thaniel and I hope you’ll check out some of Aileen’s titles. And now that we’re back in blog mode, we hope you’ll stop back here again soon!

Title for Tuesday
Quack and Daisy: Beyond the Meadow
Some of you may not know that I’m the author of Guide to Good Food, a high school food and nutrition textbook. I’ve spent the earlier part of this year focused on a major revision of that title, but I’m now happy to be able to return my focus to writing for younger readers.

I wanted to start a new feature that allows me to share about some of the books I’ve been reading lately. In one of the programs I’ve developed for school visits, I tell students one of my favorite things about being an author is the opportunity to meet other authors. One of the first people I met when I entered the picture book realm is children’s author Aileen Stewart. She’s become a dear friend as well as a respected mentor, and I’m delighted that I often have the chance to attend author events with her.
Aileen is the author of the Fern Valley series for early grade children. Each of these books is a collection of short stories describing the adventures of a crew of lovable animal characters. The latest in the series, Cooking in Fern Valley, even includes delicious recipes so readers can enjoy the fun and learning of making and eating a tasty food item that relates to each story.
In addition to Fern Valley, Aileen recently launched her Quack and Daisy picture book series. These titles feature a pair of unlikely friends: a duckling and a kitten. The second book in the series, Quack and Daisy: Beyond the Meadow, tells the tale of how these young friends choose to disregard the warnings of Momma Duck and venture into dangerous territory. Readers will love seeing these adorable characters chase butterflies and frolic through fields full of wildflowers. They’ll be filled with anticipation when Quack and Daisy get into a tight spot. And parents will appreciate the opportunity to reinforce the lesson that grownups establish rules for a reason: to keep children safe.
Thaniel and I hope you’ll check out some of Aileen’s titles. And now that we’re back in blog mode, we hope you’ll stop back here again soon!

It’s hard to believe we’re already into the second month of 2016! This year started off with a lot more “new” than just the date on my calendar page. A new job outside the home for the first time in over a decade has created a number of changes in my household and my personal schedule. I’m afraid social media is one area that has suffered.

Although I haven’t been posting much, I have been busy writing. One small story I’ve written is for Susanna Leonard Hill’s newest challenge, the 2016 Valentiny Writing Contest. You can get all the details here. I hope you enjoy my following entry, and I’d love to read your comments below!

 

Quill You Be My Valentine?

“Aaaaaaw!” came yet another high-pitched squeal. “That’s the cutest animal in the pet shop! He’d make an adorable Valentine present.”

As always, these words made Chin jump and twitch with delight. He looked like popcorn popping in a pan.

Grumpily, Hedgie started shredding the paper-heart bedding the shop owner had placed in his cage for the holiday. “Why are you always the center of attention?” he snapped.

“I can’t help it,” Chin replied. “I’m a chinchilla—the world’s fluffiest animal. Humans love my fuzzy softness!”

“Yeah, well, I can’t help that I’m a hedgehog,” Hedgie grumbled. “It’s not my fault I’m covered with quills.”

“You are rather prickly,” agreed Chin. “I’ve got an idea. I’ve been shedding like crazy. Maybe my extra fur will make you more appealing to Valentine shoppers.” Chin pushed a pile of fluff through the mesh wall that separated their cages.

Hedgie tucked into a ball and rolled in the downy hair. Fur stuck on his quills until he looked like a fuzzy pincushion.

“Haaaaaa!” came a belly laugh from outside Hedgie’s cage. “That’s the funniest-looking animal in the pet shop! Can you imagine getting him for a Valentine present?”

“Not exactly the reaction I’d hoped for,” Hedgie muttered.

“You can’t say you’re not the center of attention!” Chin giggled.