(The wind says there’s a storm moving in this morning. The sky remains undecided.)
Bruce Coville and Elizabeth Levy flew to Egypt for some school visits and witnessed the start of a revolution.
Why I Write for Children: A Response to Martin Amis: “While you spin your daydreams for yourself, with feigned indifference to your audience, those of us who write for children are taking on the task of equipping our readers for survival … story, when done well, can be … a sanctuary for a struggling mind, reeling with the changes that childhood piles on. It is indeed a murderous world out there for many children and even those little earthquakes of the quotidian can be hard to handle, let alone the seismic shifts that sweep through the lives of the 21st century’s young.” (via)
Jennifer J. Stewart writes a letter to her 20th century teen self: “I know you love books. Trust them. You already know that they provide escape during the worst times. They can also teach you right from wrong. Roman twins Romulus and Remus may have been raised by wolves, but you are going to be raised by books, and lots of them.”
When (or Why) Social Media Fails to Sell Books: “Social media isn’t something you employ only and just when you’re ready to sell. If that’s your plan, then YES, you will fail magnificently.” (via)
Ten Mindful Ways to Use Social Media: “Know your intentions … Be your authentic self … If you propose to tweet, always ask yourself: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?” (via)
Hermione’s parents write home to her after the war: “We’re happy too. We met up with a local organisation for Muggle parents of wizarding children, and they’re lovely people. Australia doesn’t seem to have faced as many of the tensions between the two cultures that you say exist in Britain, and we all go out for barbecues and things.”