Dark Omen talks Septimus Heap

Today, we have a guest blogger!

Dark Omen (aka my 11 year old son) will be reviewing Book 2, Flyte, of the Septimus Heap series, by Angie Sage.


Flyte: What to Look Out For
by Dark Omen


Flyte, the second book in the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage is a good story. It has clearly defined good and evil (though which characters are on which side is less clear), an impressive cast of characters, and a whole lot of magic. I may go into more detail on this in a later blog, but now I want to share what to watch for while you read.

RL: 6.0 CSM: n/a  Rating: PG   Content: Peril, Puppy Love

The first thing that you have to look out for, especially with young readers is the length and the evil. Not counting the covers, this book is 1½ in. thick. This may not be a problem with older readers, but it takes a lot of perseverance for anyone under eight, especially if they only read it once a day at bedtime. Also, the evil side has some chillingly evil followers like DomDaniel, Simon Heap, and Marcia’s Shadow whose Darke Magyk will terrify young people. Then there is a whole other array of disgusting, repulsive Things such as magogs and land wurms. This is not to mention the high level of complexity that would fill up the whole Ink Spells site to describe. Depending on your child, it might be scary for kids under 10.

The other thing to watch out for is that a bunch of time passes between Magyk (the first book) and Flyte, and that Angie Sage doesn’t explain things twice. This means that if you haven’t read Magyk you’ll have a hard time understanding Flyte. It also means that even if you have read Magyk, you will have to use your best reading skills to decipher how things changed, and what those changes mean in the story. You can refer to a section at the end of the book called “WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE…” but it does not cover everything.

~*~

Thank you, Dark Omen! My son says that the "love stuff" is "hardly noticeable" and that Septimus just "gives Jenna some chocolate charms and she gives him a pretty rock" which, along with peril of characters, earns this book it's PG rating. Although I haven't read Flyte, it sounds like it is safe and a nice challenge for advanced readers 8+.

What the munchkins are reading . . .

For the most part, here on Ink Spells, I will only review stories I have read myself. However, to give you an idea of other books that have passed the Mom Muster, I'll be continually adding to this list of books the munchkins have read.

Only you can save mankind, by Terry Pratchett
Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, by Adrienne Kress
Science Fair, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
The 13th Reality, by James Dashner
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide, Douglas Adams
Codes: Ciphers, secrets and cyrptic communication, by Fred B. Wrixon
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Shadow Children series, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Artemis Fowl series, by Eoin Colfer
Lunch Money, by Andrew Clements
Young Indiana Jones and the Ghostly Riders
The Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan
Gregor the Overlander, Book 2 The Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins
Timothy and the Dragons Gate, by Adrienne Kress
Septimus Heap series, by Angie Sage

Wordle Fun

Hot off the Google Alerts presses . . .

Thanks to Rachel at Big Little Brains for pointing out the uses of Wordle for advanced readers!

In case you've never seen wordle before, it's a website that will take any batch of text and turn it into a very cool looking word mosaic! The more frequent the word, the larger it appears in the mosaic. As a writer, I use wordle to find those "overused" words that slip into my chapters, like too many instances of clones or SpinNet in close proximity.

But Rachel's ideas for using Wordle with advanced readers are downright cool. For example, pasting in a bunch of vocabulary and spelling words and seeing if kids can find the (intentionally) misspelled ones. Or just letting them have a go at the Wordle site and see what their fertile little minds come up with.

Rachel got me thinking, and here's a couple of my own ideas:

Wordle your Homework: If your kids have to type up an essay or paragraph, have them cut and paste it into wordle and see what their most common words are.

Wordle as Art: Take a favorite story, song or bible passage, Wordle it (yes, it is okay to use it as a verb), and then print out the result. If you really like it, you can print a transfer for a t-shirt, frame it, or create a cross-word puzzle from it.

Website Wordle: Use Wordle to see what words are most frequent on your kid's favorite websites.

Ink Spells Wordle

I'm happy to see children and books in there, and apparently I'm fond of the word greatest . . . but what about drunk and kiss? What kind of website is this?

Here's wishing you and your family the greatest Thanksgiving, filled with stories and books and maybe even some writing. Ink Spells returns on Monday.

Nintendo + Books = More Literacy?

I blogged before about Disney's new Digital Books. Now, apparently Nintendo DS will be releasing Nintendo Flip Books on December 4th, in time for the Holiday Season Shopping, with titles from Eoin Colfer and possibly Harry Potter in the works.

But not in the U.S.

This somewhat disturbing development is justified by the head of EA Play because children in the UK are apparently more advanced readers than kids in the U.S. Sadly, this doesn't shock me, and it's my fervent hope that we will encourage kids in the U.S. to strive to improve their reading by providing them with great books that spark a lifelong love of reading. But it's an uphill battle that has to be waged every day, one child at a time.

Nintendo also has the 100 Classic Book Collection, which came out last Christmas - but also only in the UK.

With 9.6 million DS consoles in the hands of kids, most under 14, could this be the new e-reader for kids? Well, I suppose only for UK kids for now.

It's an interesting thought. Does your child have a Nintendo DS, and would they read a Flip Book on it?

The 10 Greatest . . . (Fill In the Blank)

In my search for those literary gems at the higher reading levels for our advanced readers, I stumbled across The 10 Greatest . . . series. These are non-fiction books, but there's one for just about any interest your kids may have, AND they have fairly challenging reading levels. Short bursts of interesting subject matter, at reading levels that will challenge their vocabularies . . .Just right for the Christmas Shopping list from the bookstore. However, you may have to order these online (or check your school or public library), so plan ahead . . .

The 10 Greatest Spies RL: 7.3
The 10 Greatest 21st Century Innovations RL: 7.7
The 10 Greatest Sports Dynasties RL: 7.2
The 10 Most Daring Escapes RL: 7.1
The 10 Most Amazing Animal Helpers
The 10 Most Fascinating Phenomena RL: 7.1


There are many more of these "10 Most" or "10 Greatest" books - I've just listed a few here, notably avoiding the "10 Most Extreme Fighting Styles" and "10 Most Heinous Acts of Mankind" - ok, I made that last one up! But, my point is, that most of these non-fiction books look fantastic, just keep an eye out for the ones that have potentially mature topics.

I read The 10 Greatest Spies book. The layout is appealing and the nuggets of information are intriguing. Did you know that 2 of the top 10 Greatest Spies are Canadian? Canadian?? I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on our neighbors to the north!

These international men (and women) of mystery will intrigue and challenge readers ages 8+.

Flights of Fancy

I stand in constant amazement of the creativity of little minds.

As I finished each chapter of my novel, I read it to my children. I could tell which characters captured their imagination, as they started to show up in the on-going narrative play in our household. My kids thought nothing of sending my characters off on wild, universe-conquering adventures that were completely unrelated to my story. I found my characters rubbing shoulders with Anakin Skywalker and Puffles (Club Penguin), having improbable death-defying escapes from equally outrageous villains.

        (Imagine this guy in hot pink)

I realized that my story and characters had entered the cauldron of raw material that my children used for their creative play. And I couldn't have been more pleased. Almost as happy as I was when Worm Burner (son #2) asked exactly how an anti-matter drive engine worked (because that detail was left out of my story).

Children draw upon the riches they find in their lives and have a literally unbound creativity. The books, the media, the websites and music in their lives are woven together, creating the whole cloth from which they build their understanding of the world.

Keeping an eye on what goes into the cauldron is an awesome responsibility. Being able to contribute to it is a privilege.

Ok, back to the writing now!

Ink Spells talks Savvy

RL: 6.0 CSM: 9+ Rating: PG-13 Content: Puppy love, chaste kiss, drunk adult

Savvy, by Ingrid Law, is a charming tale chock-full of down-home-isms that give a feel for the Nebranska-Arkansas setting of this coming-of-age story. Mibs, a twelve year old girl about to turn thirteen and get her very own savvy, tells the story of the misadventures of her and her friends on their way to help her father, who has been in a horrible car accident and awaits her in the hospital. Mibs' awakening awareness of a certain young Will Junior is a strong theme in the book, but their puppy love is restricted to a chaste kiss (although a more passionate kiss occurs between adults). The PG-13 rating is earned by a scene where Mibs encounters a drunk homeless man passed out on the street (see my ratings guidelines about adult alcohol/drug use). Despite that scene, Savvy's story of children struggling to conquer their awesome savvy powers will appeal to children 8+, although some younger children may be less interested by the love-interest plotline. Savvy is a challenging read for younger children, due to the reading level and the rich phrases Law uses to paint her home-spun tall tale.

A little birdie (otherwise known as an editor at Penguin Young Readers) says that Savvy 2, or Scumble, is in the works. With Savvy on the New York Times Bestseller list, there will be many young readers eagerly awaiting the next installment - and dreaming of their own savvies.

Community of Writers

I went to a writer's conference this weekend, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Prairie Writer's Conference. It was an amazing and intense day of break-out sessions and speakers and a chance to meet other writers, published and unpublished, as well as agents and editors. While writing is, by necessity, a solitary pursuit, the community of writers evident at this conference invigorated my desire to write books for children, and illuminated the path to getting there.

If that all sounds dry and very studious, let me assure you there was singing, cartwheels and much hilarity. The people that craft the wonderful books for our children are, in fact, stupendously funny. And entertaining. Even in real life!

Author extraordinaire, Cynthia Leitich Smith, gave two wonderful talks and in one she spoke about Craft, Career and Community. While writing is about the craft and career of writing and publishing books, it is also about the community of authors- sharing their works, helping each other grow in their craft, supporting one another through the years-long journey that a book takes from conception to publication (assuming you get there!). A true artist living the writing life, Cynthia's talks were inspiring.

A heartfelt thanks to the organizers! I'll definitely be back next year.

Visual vs. Print Media

Ink Spells talked about ratings before, and now I want to delve into some of the differences between visual and print media.

Parents are used to monitoring what movies their children see, with the MPAA ratings system helpful in a general way to scout out visual land mines that might be awaiting you at the theatre. Common Sense Media rates movies as they're released and is a more comprehensive guide. And this is good, because watching disturbing violence on a thirty foot screen can be a visceral experience, strongly impacting young children.


But what if that same violence is in a book?

On the one hand, I believe that book violence is less graphic. Unless it is described in evocative sensory detail, book violence is often left to the imagination. When the reader is eight, the imagined scene is much different than the violence imagined by a 35 year old director as he is translating it to the big screen.

On the other hand, the pen is mightier than the, er, screen in some ways: while visual media can be an onslaught to the senses, the written word engages the entire imagination. The feelings evoked in the core of the imaginary world can be just as strong - frightening, joyful, painful - as real ones.

If you've read The Tell Tale Heart, you know what I mean.

The ratings here on Ink Spells are designed to give you a peek inside, without having to read the entire book. Disturbing themes or scenes, graphic violence or sexual situations, can all be yellow signs of caution for a book just as much as a movie. And in some cases, things that may go quickly over the heads of young moviegoers may sink in at a much deeper level when read.

What do you think, gentle readers, about the power of visual vs. print media?

Ink Spells and A Series of Unfortunate Events

I love, nay adore, the Lemony Snicket series. I've read the books, twice with two different kids, met the author (in character, as Mr. Snicket), and even heard him sing. And play the mandolin, which in this case means a small musical instrument with a pear-shaped body and a fretted neck.

RL: 6.3-6.7 CSM: 9+ Rating: PG Content: Dark humor, peril, death of minor characters

This wonderfully wicked series about the unfortunate tales of the Baudelaire children has some fantastic vocabulary for advanced readers. It starts with Book the First, A Bad Beginning and continues on until, yes, Book the Thirteenth, which is decidedly The End. Filled with wretched characters of every sort, the Baudelaires stumble through one misadventure after another, trying to solve the mystery of the VFD. What is the VFD, you ask? If we only knew, my friend. If we only knew.

With names like The Vile Village and The Ersatz Elevator, these darkly funny books will enchant readers 8+. My sons' favorite was The Penultimate Peril and to this day the word penultimate is used in our house with uncommon frequency, words which here imply that penultimate pops into conversation like an unexpected house guest. Ah, word fun. Would that all books could delight the literary senses as much as these.

Because The Series of Unfortunate Events is wildly popular, there are a number of spin-off books, such as The Unauthorized Autobiography of Lemony Snicket and The Beatrice Letters, as well as a website that warns: This Site is Very Unpleasant.

It would be unfortunate if you let the warnings dissuade you.

Nook for Christmas?

How to you keep your children supplied with books?

In our household it's a steady round-robin of the local public library, the teacher's book collection, the school library, and excursions to the bookstore. And of course my well-used account on Amazon.com, and increasingly BarnesAndNoble.com. Occasionally, I will borrow books, but more often I give them away - back to the school or library, or handed off to Book Angels or unsuspecting relatives.

My husband has complained for years (predating the children) about the boxes of books I hauled around from house-to-house-to-apartment-to-house. His reading consists of Make magazine and Blackberry Hacks, so he just doesn't get my need to hold on to the tattered copy of I, Robot from my youth.

With all the ways to get books, you wouldn't think we would need any more. But, my gentle readers, let me be the first to warn you: the world is about to change right under our feet.


The future is here and its name is nook.

E-readers went mainstream in 2007 with Amazon's launch of Kindle and now the Kindle 2. Now everyone and his book-selling brother is getting into the e-reader business, and many, many authors are launching their e-books along with those old-fashioned paper types.

Meanwhile the kids, by which I mean the tall ones called teens, are leading the pack with e-reader apps on their iPhones, downloading the latest YA book to share with their friends. Let us pretend the piracy of e-books doesn't exist, because that's just wrong.

Now nook has arrived on the scene, just in time for Christmas. It's pretty. It's real. You can go to Barnes and Noble and touch it, heft its tiny weight and marvel at the idea of having your entire library in the palm of your hand. It's being marketed like the new Paris Hilton, and it just might change the way we read. I think teens and adults will lead the charge, but will children's books be far behind? Picture books will always be around, with their glossy pages and gorgeous illustrations, but how long will it be before the kids want their own nook? They'll curl up at night with their small screens, their own library of e-books just a finger-touch away.


I'm thinking a year or two, 2014 at the outside.

It's an exciting time to be a reader, or a writer, and as Newsweek boldly proclaims, Books Aren't Dead.


But my husband will be pleased when I get rid of all those paper books (not yet, dear, not yet).

How about you? Would you buy an e-reader for yourself, or for Christmas?

Poor Piglet

Even the plush are affected.

This is choke-on-my-own-spit funny, people.

That is all.

p.s. Thanks, Penny!

Boy books vs. Girl books

Do you find your child only reading one kind of book, or are they a literary omnivore?

My first son, the now-infamous Dark Omen, was a dedicated adventure book reader. He would dabble in non-fiction on occasion, but for any serious curling up time, it had to be Tom Swift or Artemis Fowl or Peter the Starcatcher. Epic adventure, spaceships optional. He seemed equally happy to read stories with strong female protagonists as a young male adventurers, warming the heart of Mom-the-scientist.

I supposed that these were boy-books, but then came along son number two, hereafter known as Worm Burner. He was more interested in human interest stories like Charlotte's Web and Little House on the Prairie and the delightfully sinister Lemony Snicket. And while Worm Burner loves his books, he's a more selective reader and will put down a book and not finish it (gasp!) if it doesn't hold his interest. So I guessed those were boy-books as well.

So what do the girls read?

Not having girls, I relied on my friends with female offspring to enlighten me about girl-books. Titles like American Girl and The Babysitter's Club floated by and I realized there's an entire universe of books that I have somehow missed. And I have seen my boys turn their noses up at a cover that's too pink or filled with too many pictures of ponies or curlicues, so I guess those are girl books.

But girls must read more than that, because best-sellers like Harry Potter don't sell 400 million copies without attracting boys and girls, men and women. The epic story of the boy wizard captures their hearts, both male and female.

I've always believed the best books are simply that. Books. Meant for the human race. And children, resembling humans, will enjoy them even if they are more naturally inclined toward one genre or another. As a writer, I hope to pen books that will enthrall my young readers and make them think. Whether they're girls or boys, their great little minds are just waiting for a new story to captivate them.

So, gentle readers, what kinds of books do your children like to read?

Ratings: Choose Wisely

Sue's Work-in-Progress
RL: 7.3  CSM: n/a  Rating: PG  Content: peril of characters
Ink Spells recommends Sue's WIP for readers 8+.

Ink Spells reviews provide five different pieces of information for you, my lovely blog reader, to assess whether a book is right for your young reader. Note the operative word there: YOU.


YOU are the one who is in charge of the media your children consume. While this is an empowering and awesome thing, it is also overwhelming. Back in the golden preschool age, when my choices were between Dora the Explorer and the thirtieth repetition of Thomas the Tank Engine, life was good. Monotonous, but simple. Once the sprouts broke into that over-5 zone, the land of blue dogs and talking trains was forsaken for any show that featured a weapon, a ranger or magical buses. Books rapidly became difficult to discern, as the munchkins’ reading levels zoomed well ahead of their tender years.

So, let's talk about different ways to assess a book.

Reading Level: We've discussed this before - in short, your child doesn't need to always read at their reading level, but a varied diet of literary challenges is good.

CSM: Common Sense Media, is a fantastic source of information, since they give age appropriate levels, and more importantly, content guidelines. Unfortunately, they can’t keep up with the zillions of books published every year.

Rating: At Ink Spells, the ratings are my assessment, based on the categories below.

Content: These serve as single word or phrase warnings about potentially concerning content.

Finally, I will try to give each book my own assessment of an AGE+ rating, similar to CSM. This is a guideline for YOU, the person in charge of your child's media diet. I will mostly talk about books appropriate for ages 8-12, but may occasionally review YA books that have a strong popularity in the younger set.

Ratings Definitions: These are similar to the Motion Picture Association ratings, but not the same. Visual media is different from print media, which is a whole discussion worthy of a separate blog post.

G: General, appropriate for all ages. No foul language, violence, teen love, or drug/alcohol use, even by adults.

PG: Parental guidance for kids 12 & under. May contain mild language and comic book violence, but no blood, gore or overly graphic violence. No nudity, kissing (unless very chaste) or teen love (unless the innocent puppy love variety). No drug/alcohol use, even by adults.

PG-13: Parental guidance strongly recommended for kids age 12 & under. Same as PG, but may have one or more elements that induce caution for young readers: excessive violence, excessive language, a disturbing theme, implied teen sexuality, or drug or alcohol use by an adult. If I use this rating, look to the content section for an indication why.

YA: Not recommended for kids under 13. These books usually have teen protagonists fully engaged in angsty love or facing serious teen issues, including drug/alcohol use. They may have excessive language, implied sexuality/sensuality or simply be oriented towards teen readers. Some books with a YA rating may have tween protagonists, but be more appropriate for YA audience, due to mature or disturbing themes, or excessive or graphic violence. I love YA books, but they're not meant for younger readers.

As I've said, it is up to YOU to guide your children's reading. The ratings are meant to arm you with the information to make a wise choice.
Grail Knight to Indiana Jones: "But choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you."
 
OK, so choosing a book isn't THAT dramatic. But like the good Dr. Jones, choose wisely.
 

Ink Spells gives some awards

I want to pass on the love to some fellow bloggers, bestowing upon them the Kreativ Blogger award. Check out these blogs for cool stuff about books, writing and more:

I already talked about Great Kids Book blog, and the awesome work Mary Ann is doing over there in finding books for kids - check her out!

Dale Pease is a fellow MG SF (middle grade science fiction) writer and has a cool blog that follows his progress through writing Noah Zarc. His Mundane Musings give a peek inside the life of a writer of children's books.

The archly funny Ink, owner of a sadly soon-to-be-defunct Indie bookstore and an aspiring writer, has a wonderfully humorous blog, The Alchemy of Writing. This collaborative blog is always worth reading, but should win all kinds of awards based solely on his Zombie rendition of The Grinch.

The Year of Reading is a blog by two teachers who read. A lot. And tell you all about the books, bringing an educator's perspective to the books they review. Which is awesome.

Words World and Wings is hosted by a school librarian. She reviews books, interviews authors and talks general goings-on in children's books. She discusses everything from the latest kid movies to how to encourage children to read. Love that!

Natalie Whipple writes YA books and I have no doubt will be published soon. Have I mentioned I love YA books? I do. And I can't wait to read Natalie's, because she's awesome. Although this blog is for parents of MG readers, if you have a YA reader in the house as well (and it counts if it's YOU), then check out her entertaining writer's blog and books.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, for readers on the wee side of 8, the Young Readers blog has reviews of all kinds of books for the littlest of minds. Which we all know is where the love for reading starts, right? So hastee ye to find good books here, if you have little ones in the house.

Dale and Bryan, I apologize for the, er, feminine appearance of the Kreativ Blogger patch, all gingham and roses and such. Totally understand if you're not up to posting that on your manly blogs. Please just feel the love that I share with all my blogging friends. See here for instructions on how to pass on the blogger love.

Blog long and prosper, people!

Ink Spells talks Shadow Children

CSM: 9+  RL: 4.8 - 5.6 Rating: PG Content: Death of a major character, peril, dark themes

Margaret Haddix is the talented author of many children's books, bringing a compelling voice to complex, and sometimes dark, themes. The Shadow Children series is one of those thought-provoking reads that appeal more to older tweens (ages 9-12). The setting is a dystopian future world where poverty is widespread, food is scarce and third children have been outlawed. These third children are forced to live in the shadows, so they are not taken away by the Population Police. It is a chilling premise, but sets the stage for a series of books with compelling moral questions. I've only read the second book in this series, Among the Imposters, but found it to be utterly engrossing from the first sentence:

"Sometimes he whispered his real name in the dark, in the middle of the night."

The series starts with Among the Hidden, where a forbidden third child hides from the Population Police. A major character is killed, but it is not described in the book. The second book, Among the Imposters, follows Luke as he pretends to be an ordinary, non-third, child in a boarding school, but fears being betrayed. Betrayal, and difficult ethical choices, are a major themes throughout all seven books. While the dystopian future portrayed is stark, it is the moral choices and fast-paced action that will keep tween readers glued through all seven slim volumes in the series. Shadow Children is appropriate for children 9+, with some caution for dark themes of betrayal. Advanced readers will not be challenged by the reading levels, but the intense moral themes are great to get young minds thinking.

Haddix also has a discussion guide and book club activities for the first book, Among the Hidden, on her website.

Ink Spells to Dark Omen: Happy Birthday!

My ten year old turns eleven today: Happy Birthday, Dark Omen!


No, Dark Omen is not my pet name for my now eleven year old son. That would be wrong.

Dark Omen is the title he has assumed for himself, after many discussions about Internet safety and not putting your personal information out where the Internet Bad Guys can find it. He's still not old enough for chat - I'm not sure how old is right for chat but it's somewhere between but-everyone-does-it and Mom-finally-caves-to-the-whining. I'm hoping for 16, or whenever I can trust Dark Omen to act responsibly on-line and stay safe. Maybe 20.

Dark Omen has a bright future ahead of him, in spite of the moniker. I wouldn't be surprised if Son-of-Ink-Spells starts his own blog some day.

Until then, enjoy being eleven, Dark Omen! It only happens once.

Keeping Up with the Kids

If you're like me, it is impossible to keep up with the kid's reading. Not that I don't try. I keep a close eye on what they're reading because I think parents have the ultimate say on the media (books, games, movies) that their kids consume and I try to be a responsible parent that way.


Then there are the weeks that disappear into a black hole of sickness, late homework and general insanity. The books get away from me, because the children outnumber me and they read like literary fiends. And because curling up with a good book is partial compensation for feeling lousy, right?

A while ago my oldest asked me to check a book for him, to see if it was appropriate for his age. Words like "appropriate for your age" get a lot of play in our house of 10, 8 and 6 year olds. I told him I would . . . and then forgot. Because . . . well, see the paragraph above. So, this week, he comes back and asks if I've checked it out for him. Um, no (bad Mom!).

Turns out he's already read it, but still wants to know if I think it's appropriate or not. He says he thinks that maybe it wasn't. Mom's red alert goes off, but I try to stay calm and ask, "Was there something about the book you'd like to talk about?"

Of course not. Don't be silly, Mom.

But I was heartened that years of critically looking at media had developed his inner critic to the point that he had already evaluated it, and found it questionable. I already knew that occasional books that were too scary or movies with too much teen angst were not going to permanently damage my kids. But I didn't want them to have a steady diet of those things either. This week, I realized that all that effort of openly examining media, and being up front with my kids about what was not appropriate for them, had paid an even better dividend: a critical thinker.

p.s. The book was The Compound. I did look it up and it was rated 12+ with some pretty disturbing ideas (families pitted against each other in a death match) that are really more suited for the YA market this book is targeted towards. Now I understand my son's concerns and we'll definitely be talking about it.

Sharing the Blogger Love!

Blogger extraordinaire J.J. Bennett, who juggles four blogs - a chick flix blog Chick Plix, a blog for her WIP (work in progress) YA (young adult) book The Path, a blog for her Middle School library, and her main blog Jennifer J. Bennett - has sweetly bestowed the Kreativ Blogger award on Ink Spells, and had this to say about moi:

Susan Quinn over at Ink Spells has some great finds on middle grade readers. She's clever and can do just about anything. She's my hero! 


After recovering from a debilitating head rush caused by furious blushing, I realized that J.J. works in a Middle School Library, which makes me glow with happiness that she thinks I'm off to a good start here with finding great books for kids. Thanks J.J.! And I soon discovered the Kreativ Blogger award has some rules that go with it. Being a dutiful rule follower, I nervously complied, just sure there was some blogger-ninja-secret that, as a blogger neophyte, was going to trip me up. Badly. Ok, here goes:

(from J.J.) Here are the rules:

1) Copy the pretty picture and post it on your blog. Well, that was easy. Maybe this won't be so bad.
2) Thank the person that gave it to you and link to their blog. That was even easier!
3) Write 7 things about yourself we don't know. Drat. I knew this was going to get hard.
4) Choose 7 other bloggers to pass the award to. Just seven?
5) Link to those 7 other bloggers. Check!
6) Notify your 7 bloggers. Aye-aye, Captain, but 4-6 will have to wait their turn until tomorrow.


Alright, 7 things you (probably) don't know about me:

1. I have an irrational love for Star Trek, for which there is no known cure.
2. I'm secretly plotting have my children talk my husband into getting 2 cats. Because writing requires cats.
3. I once hung out at the test pilot's bar at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. Yes, NASA has a bar. I swear I was 21 at the time.
4. I would sleep until 10 a.m. if I could, but somehow that never happens.
5. The best ice cream is Rocky Road, and I don't care what that says about my psychological profile.
6. If it has to be dry cleaned, it's a short term visitor in my closet.
7. Tea, never coffee, and please don't pollute it. Just tea, the way God intended.

Okay, that wasn't as bad as it could have been! Thanks again J.J.! Tomorrow I will point you towards some other awesome bloggers, and then we'll get back to our regularly scheduled program.

Do It Fast vs. Get It Right

This blog is about great books for kids, mostly about reading them, but occasionally about writing them as well.

I am hip deep in revisions on my Middle Grade Science Fiction book (working title: BYRNE RISK), but am taking some time to write a first draft of a YA (young adult) paranormal novel during NaNoWriMo - the frightening acronym that stands for National Novel Writing Month.


I have an ongoing discussion with my husband about whether it is best to Do It Fast or Get It Right - whether we're talking novels or engineering projects, I think the same arguments hold. Is it better to quickly get to the finish line on a project (write a novel, get a product to market, clean the basement) and then go back and fix up the problems, or take your time to get it right every step of the way?

NaNoWriMo is a full-bore advocate for Do It Fast. Write a 50,000 word novel in one month (November). And then spend the next six months revising. All my novels so far have been written the Get It Right way - write a chapter a week, revise and polish as you go, taking 6 mos to get to that final blessed chapter. But what I'm finding now, as I STILL have to do revisions, long after I've written that last line, is that maybe it's better to Do It Fast. So, I've jumped in with both feet and am banging out another novel (and still slogging through revisions on the first). I'm trying not to let my internal editor get in the way as I get the words on the page, and so far it's quite the adrenaline ride! Wish me luck.

NaNoWriMo is open to young writers as well. If you know some kids who like to Do It Fast, check it out!

And let me know: Do you like to Do It Fast? Or Get It Right?

Ink Spells talks with Great Books for Kids

My new blogging friend, Mary Ann Scheuer over at Great Kid Books, has a lot of, well, great books for kids that she has reviewed. I have not read these books, but she has done a fabulous job of reviewing them, and I've added some information about reading levels and ratings where appropriate.

The Tree That Time Built - Poetry can be a challenging read, even when the vocabulary is accessible. This collection of poems combines the artistry of words with the wonder of natural science, and is suitable for a wide range of readers.

When You Reach Me - This is a coming of age tale, with a mysterious science fiction twist. The reading level is not a challenge for most advanced readers, but the subject matter is serious and will appeal to readers 10+. RL: 4.5 CSM: 9+ Rating: PG13 Content: some kissing, death of a man

Ida B. and her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (possibly) Save the World - This is a realistic fiction about a girl's difficult journey through a year when her mother is diagnosed with cancer. This is not a challenging read for most advanced readers, but because of the difficult subject matter would be best for readers 10+. RL: 5.3 Rating: PG Content: cancer diagnosis

When the Whistle Blows - A coming of age story for boys, this book is a historical fiction tale in 1940's West Virginia, set alongside the trains of that era. Again not a challenging read, but may appeal more to readers 10+. RL: 4.9 Rating: PG

The Frog Scientist - This non-fiction book centers on the effect of pesticides on frog populations. Non-fiction books are always more challenging to read than fiction at the same reading level, so this book should be a challenging read for advanced readers 8+.  RL: 6.3 CSM: 9+ Rating: G

The Sisters of the Sword (series) - This series of books follows two sisters in feudal Japan who disguise themselves as boys to train as samurai. The reading level will not be challenging, except for younger readers (8+), but the bloody fight scenes might be upsetting. Parental Guidance recommended, but this series is probably fine for advanced readers 9+. RL: 5.9 Rating: PG Content: some bloody fight scenes

Check out Mary Ann's blog for more reviews of books for a wide range of ages!