Thought for the Day:
“Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed.”
~ Ray Bradbury ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
Stephen King certainly has let writers know of his disdain for adverbs. HERE is a post from Woodpecker Books telling writers Stop Using Adverbs—How This One Tip Can Transform Your Writing.
All of our manuscripts have problems. HERE Nathan Branford has a good post on how to diagnose big picture problems in your novel.
First drafts are always messy. M. L. Davis has an excellent post HERE on Uninspired Writers that will tell you How to Fix a Fractured First Draft.
Here is your meme of the week. I can relate to this one! I haven’t started a new puzzle this week, but I did order two new ones online that just arrived. Maybe this week. My daughters and I have been talking a lot about how lives will be changed after this crisis comes to an end, as it inevitably will. Will things get back to normal or will there be a new normal? My older daughter, Maggie, an actor/musician who does live shows more than anything else, worries that theatres may not open for at least another year. And yet, she will be preparing a video next week for an audition for a national tour of a Broadway show. Hmmm. Maybe things will open sooner. It seems some people are thinking optimistically about that. She also has been doing some online shows under Equity contract with some other actor/musicians. My younger daughter, Sara, will no longer go to her office five days a week. She has been working from home for the last couple months. She and her boss have talked about it, and it looks like she will go in 2 or 3 days a week. She feels like she can be just as productive from home and might be able to do her job really well with only one day a week in the office. I am beginning to venture out a little more and am actually planning a grocery shopping trip this week. The big grocery store where I usually shop has senior hours on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 5:00 to 7:30. I’m not a real morning person anymore, but I will try. I just want to be able to choose my own produce and there are some things I can get there, I can’t get ordering from other places. We shall see how it goes. I hope you all are doing well and staying well.
I heard from the publicist from Candlewick Press recently and requested a book called Kids Fight Plastic by Martin Dorey and illustrated by Tim Wesson. It looked like it would be fun and useful, and it is, but it’s really better than I hoped for. It explains how big and terrible is the problem of plastics, particularly in the oceans, and what it does — killing a wide variety of wildlife and contributing to the problems of climate change. It identifies many ways young people can be superheroes in the fight against plastic pollution. There are 16 major missions in the book, but each has some smaller things kids can do. The first chapter, Get to Know the Bad Stuff, will help kids learn about the different kinds of plastics and what can be recycled and what can’t. Each mission has a score that can be earned and encourages kids to earn those points. The book identifies real heroes — people who have done important work and creatures that have survived life-threatening encounters with plastics. All of this is written in very accessible, lively language young people will enjoy reading and will be engaged by. Every page has fun and interesting graphics and super-fun illustrations to keep those pages turning and those eyes busy on the pages. I recommend this book wholeheartedly. If fighting plastic pollution can be made fun and interesting, I am all for it, and that is what this book does.
I have a gently-read ARC for one of you. All you need do is be a follower or subscriber (it’s free!), have a U.S. address, and leave a comment below. If you would like extra chances, please share the link to this post on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet and let me know you have done that. And don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at the Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
Glad to hear your life is starting a little way back to normal. Please enter my name in the giveaway. One of my granddaughters is really into graphic novels. Thanks.
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You’re in, Carol. Good luck.
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I am in charge of Earth Day every year at my school. It is one of my passions. So important to help children see the importance of keeping our planet clean and using less plastic. I am going to go add this to my Goodreads list right now! Love the sound of it. Thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome. It does sound perfect for you. Good luck in the drawing.
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From what you say, it sounds like this book is a call to action and not just a description of problems, which I appreciate. I love the week’s meme! The senior hours at your grocery store are really early—you’d think they could give seniors an extra hour or so at a more reasonable time. I’ll pass on the giveaway, but thanks for the great post!
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You’re welcome. Yeah, I sure could have used that extra hour or three! I’m still recovering. Thanks for the comment.
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Looks like a book that should be on everyone’s TBR list. It’s on mine now too. Glad you are well. Stay that way. 🙂
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Thanks, Donna. You stay well as well. Good luck in the drawing.
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This book really belongs in school libraries/classrooms. Kids are eager to get involved and help, and this book seems to speaks to one of the most important issues of our day. Thanks for the great review!
Glad you are enjoying time with your daughters — so lovely they are with you! I have a feeling Maggie may be right about stage performances. I sure miss attending the live HD performances of the Metropolitan Opera (in theaters) since March. The Met is making past operas available to livestream. And, we’ve been watching a lot of YouTube performances of favorite performers. Not the same, but it makes me feel good. Stay safe and have fun!
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There are a lot of great things streaming. We watched a Broadway show called Bandstand this week that was great. I agree this book belongs in classrooms and libraries. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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I’m not an author and no plans to be, but that adverb link was really helpful. I love how just a small change can make such a big difference.
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I am always happy when someone mentions they like the links. Even a non-writer likes them! Yay! Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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What a great topic for our younger generation to learn how they can make a difference. Schools always celebrate Earth Day and this would be the perfect companion. Thanks for the links. I’ll get to them later this week as Memorial Day has been far too busy.
Trips to the grocery store are no fun. You’re either running int mask-less customers or wondering why so many can’t see the directional arrows on the floor. Good luck anyway.
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I think a lot of teachers will be using this book in conjunction with Earth Day. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Glad life is getting back to some semblance of normal. Sounds like you raised wonderful daughters. I enjoyed your meme. 🙂
I will be using that checklist from Nathan Bradsford. That’s just what I need right now.
This sounds like a fun book. It’s pretty hard to make plastic interesting, so your comment is high praise.I’ll pass on the giveaway though, since I just won another book.
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Yes, it is hard to make plastic interesting! But this book does. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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My son did multiple units this year about plastic and came home telling us all sorts of facts about it. He’d definitely be interested in this book.
Also, I hope they do find a way to bring live theater back. We have season tickets to our local theater, and my kids are also involved in musical theater programs. I’d hate to have to wait a year!
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I can’t imagine waiting over a year for live theatre. It all depends on whether or not they can develop a good vaccine. Fingers crossed for all of us. I am sure your son would like this book. Good luck in the drawing. Thanks for the comment.
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Before stay-at-home-orders, I would never have said I missed grocery shopping and picking out my own fresh veggies and fruits. I’m also misiing playing with my concert band–two days before our March concert, the city shut down and shortly afterward the entire state followed and we are slowing opening now (too soon IMO). This book you have featured here has an issue I want to know more about so I’m adding this to my TBR. Candlewick always produces high quality books. I shared on twitter, pinterest, tumblr, and facebook for extras.
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Thanks for always sharing my link. I appreciate it. Yeah, I always thought of grocery shopping as a chore, but I really miss it. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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