Thought for the Day:
“Don’t get discouraged if you’re hammering away at a sentence or a paragraph or a chapter, and it keeps coming out wrong. You’re allowed to get it wrong, as many times as you need to; you only need to get it right once.”
~ Tana French ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
It is easy to fall into the trap of using stereotypes when creating your characters. HERE Mindy Lawrence has a terrific post on Writers on the Move about Avoiding Stereotypes and Cliches in Writing. She has several great links as well.
If you are ever feeling stuck for an idea for what to write, check the post out HERE at Creative Writing Now. It is chock full of ways to get yourself going.
When Angela Ackerman writes, I read. HERE is a guest post of hers on Writers in the Storm about giving your characters skills that will really make them stand out.

I’ve been through a lot of orientation kind of things this week with Storyteller’s Academy. I am very excited about my upcoming classes, but also a bit daunted. My plan was to take three classes, but the amount of work involved is a LOT. So my plan for this week is to attend the opening class for each of the three that interest me and get a feel for whether or not three will be too many. The good news is, the cost is the same no matter how many I take. I could, were I Superwoman, take all six that they offer, but there lies the way to madness. I am also doing Storystorm, so that takes some time as well, but it will be over in another week, and it doesn’t really take a great deal of time. It’s a lot of fun to get all the inspiration from those daily posts. Tara Lazar really does a great service to the KidLit writing community. If you aren’t familiar with Storystorm, you can read the initial post HERE and put it on your calendar for next year.

Some years ago I met Joyce Moyer Hostetter at a Highlights workshop. She is a lovely and generous person, and it was a real treat to meet her. I think the first two of her Bakers Mountain books had been published at the time as well as her amazing novel, Healing Water: A Hawaiian Story. Since historical fiction is my favorite genre and all her books are historical fiction, I was in heaven. Her latest book, Equal, came out last spring, but I just never got around to it. Recently, Joyce emailed me and asked if I would like to have a copy sent for review. It took me all of one second to respond with a “Yes, please!” I had all but one of the Bakers Mountain Stories (there are five in the series) but just hadn’t gotten to this one. Last week I was able to get started, and it was like going home. The characters and setting were so familiar to me, and I immediately recalled how much I liked these people and this place. If you haven’t read any of the Bakers Mountain Stories, don’t worry. Every book stands on its own, but you will probably want to pick up the others after you’ve read this one.
It is 1959, and Jackie Honeycutt decides to go fishing in the river on this last day before he will start eighth grade. When he gets there, a boy sitting on the bank pulls out a big bass. Jackie doesn’t know him, but the boy is Black, so that isn’t a surprise. It turns out Thomas Freeman is only a year older and lives and goes to church nearby, and he certainly knows who Jackie is. But in North Carolina in that time, they are an unlikely pair, and yet, they talk to each other about things they like — Jackie is raising a cow for the fair and Thomas is a birdwatcher and they both admire Jackie Robinson — and start to become friends, going fishing together a few times. On one such outing, an old drunk white man comes by and talks nastily to them, then throws his empty bottle hitting Thomas in the head, knocking him down. This is really the beginning of Jackie’s realization that African-Americans are treated badly by so many, and that the battle for integration his older sister, Ellie, is always talking about is needed. Jackie has no idea yet how different his life is from Thomas’s, but he will learn a great deal about discrimination, families, life, and himself as he journeys through the next year. Fortunately for Jackie, he has a marvelous teacher and a loving, if imperfect, family to help him along the way.

Once I started reading Equal, I just couldn’t put it down. Part of it was that Jackie and I are both about the same age and had some experiences in common. The writing is exceptional and beautiful. Joyce can really paint pictures with words and also creates a lot of tension in her storytelling. Jackie is a very imperfect character and gets himself into some interesting problems along the way, things that many will relate to, and that is part of what makes him so compelling. This is a terrific book for young people to learn about the fight for civil rights in this country, but it deserves wide readership beyond the middle-grade audience for which it was written. And please don’t miss the terrific author’s note at the end. It is a wonderful civil rights history lesson.
I’m not giving away or donating my copy. I have all her books and am not willing to part with any of them. Don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE. He always has links to several middle-grade reviews, and he writes reviews on his own blog two or three times a week. See you here soon!
How wonderful that you allow yourself to keep and collect great books for yourself!!! The series must be exceptional. Have a wonderful week. I’ll look forward to what comes next.
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I really keep way too many books. My poor kids are going to have a big job when I’m gone. Thanks for stopping by.
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I am excited to find storystorm! I hope to participate next year but in the meantime will follow along. Thanks a bunch.
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Storystorm is great. But just reading Tara’s blog all the time is very valuable. Glad you found something here that is valuable to you. Thanks for reading.
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Good luck with your class. I really like historical fiction, and this sounds like a great one to add to my list, especially since you couldn’t put it down. Thanks!
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Natalie, I think you would like this whole series. All of Joyce’s books are excellent. Thanks for the comment.
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OF course you have to keep EQUAL! Great review, Rosi. And thanks for the links. As I try to get deeper into my characters, both links will help.
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So glad you like the links. I’m always glad to hear that people find them valuable. Thanks for the comment.
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As always, a great blog post. I love Monday so much because I can begin my week with inspiration from MMGM and your tips and reviews, Rosi.
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Awww. What a nice thing to say, Beth. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
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I love the loch down monster! And I love Joyce’s books. Going to have to dig up my own copy, I see….
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It is well well worth the hunt, Sue. Thanks for stopping by. Always nice to see you here.
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Historical fiction is also a favorite of mine and this one sounds like a winner. The time period is rarely covered in MG. Thanks for featuring on MMGM!
I enjoyed the links especially the one on stereotypes and cliches.
Good luck with your classes!
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There aren’t a lot of books set in the fifties, are there? And there was so much going on kids need to know about. You will like this book. You will like the whole series, Greg. Thanks for the comment.
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This appeals to me because I grew up in this 50s-60s. I remember so much. And although I don’t think of myself as historical fiction — I certainly love to read stories in that period. Have read other reviews of her books and have them book marked. Hadn’t seen this one. Thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome, Patricia. I think you will love these books. It’s fun to read about characters near our own ages and be reminded of what was going on in the world. Thanks for stopping by.
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Great review of a timely book!
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Thanks, Elizabeth. Great books beget great reviews.
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Ooh, I haven’t read these books. The series looks like something I’d enjoy!
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Yes, you would, Maria. The whole series is great. Thanks for stopping by.
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I’ve seen these books on Carol Baldwin’s blog, and it’s so wonderful to hear how much you love both this one and the whole series! They sound like an incredibly deep and powerful set of reads, and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on them. (And I love that this is one book you’ll be keeping!)
Also, I hope you enjoy your classes and can find a course-load that isn’t too overwhelming! And I love the meme (seriously, how do you find such good memes?) and the quote (ditto for the quotes!). Thanks so much for the wonderful post as always, Rosi!
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Thanks for all your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoy all things on the post. Thanks for stopping by.
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This sounds like an awesome read. I love historical fiction. Your recommendation and the fact that you are keeping the book for yourself made me add it to my list. 🙂
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It’s a terrific book and a terrific series. If you like historical fiction, you will love these books. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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