Thought for the Day:
“An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.”
~ Stephen King ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
I will meet with my critique group next week. There is always a little trepidation for me when I get my manuscript back from my critique partners. I wonder if they understand what I’m trying to do, if it resonates with them. Like most writers, I sometimes wonder if I should put my work out there for critique. HERE is a good article from Writer’s Digest by Sharon Hart-Green about How to Tell if Criticism is Valid (and What to do About Valid Criticism).
The very first publishing credit I got was for a non-fiction article about Queen Elizabeth that I sold to Highlights Magazine. They told me I should find an expert and get the article vetted. That can be a daunting task. HERE is a great article on NF Fest 2025 by Michelle Schaub on finding experts. This can be important too for informational fiction.
I always enjoy Nathan Bransford’s posts, but I think the one HERE may be his best. He discusses how to use hopes and dreams to make a character come alive.
I have been spending way too much time in front of my TV this week. It is the first week of the French Open. It is one of the two tournaments I watch pretty religiously. This year we have a lot of Americans going deep into the tournament. It has been a while since the US has had several really top notch players all at the same time. I can’t get enough of Coco Gauff. She is such a solid player for one so young. And now on the men’s side, we have Ben Shelton burning up the courts. There are others as well, but those two are my favorites to watch. And they are so young. That means I will be able to watch them for years, see them develop and become great players. Wimbledon isn’t too far down the road. That is the other tournament I love to watch. I’m not a big fan of summer, living in baking hot Sacramento, but the heat gives me a good excuse to stay inside and watch the tennis.
I seem to be on a run of books for emerging readers. It’s a genre I really admire. I think these books go a long way toward turning kids into lifelong readers. You don’t have a high word count to work with, but you still have to build your world, develop your characters, and have a strong story arc to keep those young readers engaged. I hope to try my hand at it someday, but I haven’t found the right idea yet. That’s why when I see one on the review list, I’ll almost always try to grab it in hopes it will spark an idea for me and also that it might be a good mentor text. So when I saw A DAY WITH MOUSSE by Claire Lebourg on the list for the Chicago Book Review, I looked it up, and when I saw the cover, I knew I had to get it. Isn’t the cover adorable? Well, I’m glad I got this book. It’s very clever. Here is the review I wrote for CBR.
Mousse lives in a sweet little cottage by the sea. Each day, Mousse takes a stroll on the beach and swims in the cool seawater. Later, as the tide rolls into his cottage, and when it is gone, Mousse collects the treasures the sea has left for him. He has quite a business listing his treasures online and selling them to people all over. But this day, when Mousse returns from collecting, he finds a visitor, a walrus named Barnacle, in his chair eating one of his cookies! Then Barnacle becomes ill. Mousse, a kind creature, cares for Barnacle until he is well enough to leave, and Mousse can return to his solitary life. Until he gets a big surprise.
Claire Lebourg is both author and illustrator of this chapter book (translated by Sophie Lewis), the first in a series about Mousse, a creature who looks like a combination of a mole and a striped sock. The story is silly and sweet and yet compelling for emerging readers. The illustrations are so much fun and complete the story perfectly. Youngsters learning to be independent readers will love this book and series.
Please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
I love your opening quote and that you are in a critique group. I have tried in the past and the group was so varied on levels of writers. It was difficult to stay involved and others felt the same way. It didn’t last long.
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Ditto. Critique groups are diverse and unpredictable. I decided to pay for a developmental editor that is consistent.
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Critique groups are unpredictable. Did you feel like you got your money’s worth with the developmental editor? I’d love to know more about that. Thanks for stopping by.
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Yes, the money is worth it, but I wait almost a month between each edit and I can’t work on ms while waiting. Spirited Ink in Idaho offers many services. The 2 editors are writers and librarians as well as parents.
Beth Schmelzer
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Thanks! I will look at their site.
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I’ve been in several critique groups over the years, some better than others, but I always get helpful comments. Sorry your experience wasn’t so good. Thanks for the comment.
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I’m glad you’re enjoying the French Open. We all need good things to do that we enjoy. This sounds like a sweet story for kids learning to read.
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It’s nice to take my mind off politics, that’s for sure. And the tennis has been spectacular. Thanks for always reading and commenting, Natalie. I appreciate it.
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Good for you for taking the time to enjoy the French Open, and how nice there are some you will be able to follow for awhile. I picked this read up for fun last year (?) and really enjoyed the mouse and ideas that went into this read. It is cute.
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I’m still enjoying the French Open! And Wimbledon starts soon. Yay! It is a cute book. Thanksf or reading and commenting.
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That is a terrific cover! And it sounds like a sweet story. I’ll have to see if the SFPL has it in their collection. If not, I’ll suggest it. Thanks!
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It’s very sweet. I hope your library can get it for you. Thanks for stopping by.
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Those illustrations are adorable!
(And I love the nesting doll joke. Cute!)
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Glad you like the joke. I do love the illustrations in this book. So cute. Thanks for the comment.
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I am very impressed with the number of books coming out for the emerging reader — and I’m drawn to them Patricia MacLachlan was a master at writing them. I know I wasn’t ready for large MG books at age 8-11. Mousse sounds like an interesting and endearing character. What a terrific cover!
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There seem to be more and more, but isn’t that great? They are so needed. Yes, Patricia MacLachian’s books are great. Thanks for the comment.
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I enjoy seeing these type of books available that will grab a young, reluctant reader into becoming an avid reader. Great cover too! Thanks for the links. A busy garage sale week around here so I will wait until the weekend to dive into them.
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Garage sale weekend! Dang. I should have been there. I love garage sales. Thanks for dropping by, Greg.
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Books for emerging readers are so important, and it’s doubly important to have books that are engaging and don’t talk down to the kids. That’s all the more true as often the readers struggling at that stage are not 7-year-olds, but older kids who are having a hard time with reading.
I’ve read fewer books in this category, because it was one where my kids read them on their own, while our read-alouds were more advanced. But I remember some very fondly–Minnie and Moo, and Mr. Putter and Tabby, for example.
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It really is an important category of books, and I think they are getting better and better as time goes on. Thanks for the comment.
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Glad you are enjoying the tennis, Rosi, and thanks for all the links! I agree with you about the cover – it is very endearing! I love the mole & striped sock combo! It looks very sweet and nicely illustrated. Thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome. Yeah, the tennis is so great this year! I’m loving it. Thanks for the comment.
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