Thought for the Day:
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
~ Mark Twain ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
As I have said here, I am having a great deal of trouble dealing with simple things like reading and more difficult tasks of writing during this isolation. I am not alone. Anne R. Allen has a terrific post HERE to help us all understand those feelings.
Janice Hardy has another great post HERE by Laurence MacNaughton that will give you a 6-Point Story Checklist for Powerful Scenes.
I don’t know that I have ever seen a post on foreshadowing before. K. M. Allen has a good one HERE on her terrific blog.
I am beginning to believe the best thing to come out of this crazy crisis is the incredibly clever, laugh-invoking memes. This is my meme of the week. I hope you enjoy it. I actually left my house this week for the only time in the last month. I went to pick up books for reviewing, something I can do without any human contact. Honestly, I felt a little panicky when I drove away from my nice, safe house. But I made it and seem no worse for it. And now I have some new, fun books. I also did another puzzle this week, and this time I actually had all 1000 pieces and could finish it without a hole. This was 
a really challenging one for me, but a lot of fun. I hope you are all staying well and keeping busy.
I offered a gently used copy of This Book Thinks You’re an Inventor to one of you. This week the winner is Danielle Hammelef, who always shares my link for extra chances. Congratulations, Danielle! I will get your book out to you as soon as I can get someone to do a post office run. Thanks for playing!
This seems like an appropriate time to be reading survival stories. I am a big fan of them and am always on the lookout for good ones. A while back, I saw a story by Terry Lynn Johnson on the review list for the San Francisco Book Review. I have read other books by her and know she writes great survival stories, so I snagged a copy of her latest, Dog Driven. It’s a terrific read. And isn’t that an inviting cover? How could you pass that by? Here is the review I wrote for SFBR.
McKenna Barney, fourteen, realizes her vision is failing. Her younger sister has already lost almost all her vision to a genetic disorder called Stargardt disease. McKenna faces the same fate, but she still has enough vision to compete in one more dogsled race, one that would carry important letters to try to raise awareness for Stargardt. And she cannot let her parents know what is happening or they will stop her. Even in the best of weather, a dogsled race is difficult, and there will be storms to face along the way. McKenna’s dogs know her well and know how to race, and she finds unexpected help from two of her competitors. Maybe she can do this.
Terry Lynn Johnson has quite a franchise with middle-grade survival stories set in Alaska. This is a terrific survival story that will keep young readers totally engaged and turning pages. The writing is terrific, the dialogue is spot-on, and the characters are well-rounded and completely believable. The story is very compelling. The family relationships not only in McKenna’s life but those of her two competitors add a lot of complexity and credence to this great book.
No giveaway this week. I donated my hardbound copy to the school library. But check back next week. I expect to have a giveaway then. And don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at the Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
It’s wonderful that you can donate terrific books to your granddaughter’s school library. Well done.
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Thanks! It really makes me feel good that I can.
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Glad you enjoyed Terry’s latest book. I’m a fan of hers and admire the adventures she has in real life that inspire her writing. Glad you donated it to the library and that you got out to get some new books.
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Yeah, I love her books. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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I’m also a big fan of Terry Lynn Johnson and her survival stories. This one is a real favorite. I loved McKenna’s determination and her growing friendship with a fellow competitor. And I’m always happy to hear about library donations – that’s what I do with most of my books read for review.
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I loved the competitors becoming friends and helping each other. Thanks for the comment.
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I love your meme for the week! I’ll send you a few more via email.
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Thanks, Carol. I’m enjoying your emails.
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I enjoyed this post. The review was good, although I am not much into survival stories at this point in time (still hooked on mysteries). But I love your meme, and I really enjoyed the Anne Allen link with its pithy advice. Also the Mark Twain quote.
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Thanks! I’m so pleased you are finding things of value here.
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I’ve read one of her books before and it felt authentic and was definitely an exciting read. Thank you very much for keeping up with us during this time. One big thing that has helped me with this quarantine is connecting with people, practicing gratitude, and finding a new routine that I keep every day, no matter what day of the week it is. Best to you, Rosi!
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Thanks, Danielle. No matter what day for me is good. I never know what day it is any more!
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Dog Driven sounds like a great read. I like survival stories and this seems like a book that would be good to read right now.
Awesome job on the puzzle! I am also loving the memes. 🙂
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I’m glad you like the memes. There are so many good ones out there! This book is really good too. Thanks for stopping by.
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I’m delighted you enjoyed Terry’s book so much. I loved spending time with McKenna — courageous young lady. I will read anything by Terry Lynn — always well writtern and you know she knows what she writes about!
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Yeah. When I see a book by Terry, I grab it. Thanks for the comment.
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I’ve put this on my wishlist for when the library opens.
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Excellent. You will love it.
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I’m glad you were able to get out and survived. We are living in such strange times! And I love your new puzzle. This book sounds wonderful! I like that it combines adventure with a character who has challenges of her own. I think my son, who loves dogs and Jack London books, would love this. Thanks for featuring it!
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I’m sure your son will like it. It’s great. That puzzle was fun, but tough. Thanks for reading.
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Enjoyed your links especially the one on the 6-point story checklist. I have been working on making each of the scenes I’m writing have each of those elements.
I read and enjoyed Dog Driven. Such a special bond between the sled driver and dogs. Terry Lynn Johnson is a true expert at writing an adventurous plot. Thanks for featuring on MMGM.
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I’m always so pleased when people are finding the links useful. It was such a good book. Thanks for the comment.
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I’m not a big fan of survival stories myself, but this sounds like a powerful story!
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Yes, it was powerful. Thanks for stopping by.
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I loved the cover and know kids will love reading the book. Congratulations on heading out into our strange new world!
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It was quite the adventure for me. Safe at home and staying here. Thanks for reading.
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Wow — this cover pulled me into the story right away! I love dog stories and stories about Alaska, so this one sounds like a winner. The protagonist’s inner strength and perseverance make this book even more appealing to me. Thanks for sharing this one for MMGM, and do take care.
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Yeah, it is a great cover. It’s a terrific book. I think you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for the comment.
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I wonder how you’re picking up books? I’m quite lucky that I had a horde of maybe 20 library books pre-lockdown, but I’m burning through them faster than ever and I fear I might not be able to get any more.
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I write reviews for a company that runs several on-line review magazines. They live only a few miles from me, so I pick up books from their house. They left them on the porch, so I didn’t have to have any human contact. Our libraries are closed, and I can’t even return the books I have. It is a frustrating time. I hope you can find a source for books. Good luck and thanks for reading and commenting.
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