Atlas of Extinct Animals — Review

Thought for the Day:

“That which is dreamed can never be lost, can never be undreamed.”
~ Neil Gaiman ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Imagery is so important in writing. How much is too much? Too little? HERE Karen Cioffi has a great post with good examples on Writers on the Move called Imagery Speaks to Your Readers.

Comps are always an issue when writing queries. HERE Agent Jacqui Lipton of Raven Literary has a great post called The Dreaded “Comp Titles”: What They Are and How Do You Use Them.

Do you have redundancies in your writing? You might not even notice them, but HERE Melissa Donovan at Writing Forward has an article called Writing Tips: Eliminate Redundancies in Your Writing with some excellent examples.

A friend sent this to me, and I thought it was a lot of fun, so I’m sharing it here today instead of my usual harangue. Enjoy!

Lexophilia  Although not in the dictionary, it is reported that “Lexophile” describes a person who loves sentences such as, “You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish,” and, “To write with a broken pencil is pointless.” An annual competition is held by the ‘New York Times to see who can create the best original lexophile

This year’s submissions:
◾I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.
◾England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
◾Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.
◾This girl today said she recognized me from the Vegetarians Club, but I’d swear I’ve never met herbivore.
◾I know a guy who’s addicted to drinking brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.
◾A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
◾When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.
◾I got some batteries that were given out free of charge.
◾A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
◾A will is a dead giveaway.
◾With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
◾Police were summoned to a daycare center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
◾A bicycle can’t stand alone; it’s just two tired.
◾The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine last week is now fully recovered.
◾He had a photographic memory but it was never fully developed.
◾When she saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she’d dye.
◾Acupuncture is a jab well done. That’s the point of it.
◾I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
◾Did you hear about the crossed-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn’t control her pupils?
◾When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
◾When chemists die, they barium.
◾I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.
◾I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down

Last week I offered an ARC of I, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak to one of you. This week’s winner is Darelene Beck Jacobson, who was kind enough to post the giveaway on her blog and also on other social media. Extra chances win the day. Congratulations, Darlene! I will get your book out to you soon. You can check out Darlene’s blog HERE.

I do love picture books, and there are a surprising number of picture books that are not only appropriate for middle-graders, but are designed for that group. One of the best I’ve run across lately (at least from my perspective) is the Atlas of Extinct Animals. First of all, it is BIG (9 X 13 inches) and impressive looking. Second, It will teach kids about how species can become extinct and why this is so important. Third, it is fascinating. Fourth, the artwork is amazing. Here is the review I wrote for the Seattle Book Review.

Young people are very aware that ancient animals such as dinosaurs are extinct, but many may not be aware that there have been a lot of much more recent extinctions. This beautiful, oversized (approximately nine by thirteen inches) book will introduce readers to forty-one animals that have become extinct much more recently. The earliest is the Mammoth which disappeared about four thousand years ago, but all rest were lost in the last few hundred years, with several in the last fifty years or so. Each spread has a gorgeous full-page detailed illustration by Jiří Grbavčič as well as a few small reference illustrations by scientific illustrator Pavel Dvorský and a map showing where the animal lived. A good write-up of about two-thirds of a page gives the story of the animal, how and where it lived, and as much as is known of its demise. The writing by Radek Malý is appropriately accessible for middle- and high-school students. Young people will be fascinated by such unusual animals as the Elephant Bird (ten-feet tall!) and the Quagga along with many others. Science-loving young people will read this one over and over.

Please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.