Veronica Bartles's Blog

Happy almost Thanksgiving, all! I was going to share another pie recipe with you this week, because Thanksgiving always makes me want all the pies, but then I read this adorable picture book and had an idea for the perfect cookie to pair it with, so I had to pivot!(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)I won a copy of this book

I'm a sucker for time-travel stories and alternate timelines... and today's #KidLitConfections book is one of the best I've read in a long time! It's definitely on my "read it again soon" list!(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)It's not often that I have my stuff together well enough to post one of these on a book's release

I'm generally known as "The Cookie Queen," and most of the #KidLitConfections I share are cookies. But when November rolls around, my thoughts turn to pie and all of the delicious variations of this "easy as..." dessert! (The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)Today's book isn't a new release, but it's one I only discovered

 Oops! I meant to post this #KidLitConfections pairing nearly a year ago, and I thought I had... but my ADHD brain never actually followed through with finalizing and sharing the post! I only realized this oversight when I tried to share the link to the post with someone ("You have to read this book! It's amazing!! You'll love it!!!")... and the link didn't exist!(The recipe, including a

 Recently, there was a lively #KidLitChat discussion on Bluesky about whether or not Halloween stories need to be scary. As someone who has always loved the magical, imaginative part of the "spooky season" without so much of the "spooky" parts, I emphatically believe that Halloween tales can be a wide range of things. Millie the Middling Witch, attempting to spell(artwork by Philip

Whoever first coined the phrase "easy as pie?" Pie is delicious, but it's not always easy! But like just about everything worthwhile in life, the time it takes to put together a beautiful pie definitely pays off with delicious rewards in the end! (The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)This multi-layered pie (lovingly named

Last year, I stumbled across a post on TikTok from the official Macmillan Children's Books account, with a teaser about an upcoming book that I immediately knew I had to have. I tracked down the author, discovered we live in the same metropolitan area, and promptly bought a copy of his book (that I convinced him to sign for me). And then I came back and bought several more copies, to give to

I have a whole pile of books and recipes to share for #KidLitConfections (I started writing this one in the beginning of June!!), and the longer I go between posts, the more my brain tells me I have to have the most amazing, flawless, awe-inspiring posts ever to make up for my long absence. But that's silly. Y'all are here for delicious recipes, great books, and possibly a story or two from my

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)Sometimes, I get so busy that I can't actually finish anything on my daily to-do list. I jump from one urgent task to another, trying to fit it all in before the clock tells me it's time to go to bed ... and at the end of the day, I have a million half-finished or barely-started projects to

(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)I recently read a cute, little picture book, PEG GETS PLUCKY by Jo Renfro. This is such a cute story about a very relatable feeling. Peg wants to go on an adventure with her friends, but soon gets overwhelmed with doubt and discouragement. I know this feeling all too well (and I'm sure you