Published Story

📢 I am happy to announce that my story, Annalee Frill, is published in the January/February issue of Chirp magazine! This is the BODY themed issue.

🎧 Also, you can hear my story, read by me, on the Owl Kids site.

My story has been beautifully illustrated by Jana Curll.

Book Cover Doppelgangers

I was wandering around the book store searching for the book "The Spy and the Traitor" by Ben Macintyre. It was to be a gift for my dad. I scanned the shelves for the cover - black, white, and red with a silhouette of a mysterious mad walking toward some Russian buildings.

Ah-ha! There it is!

Oh, wait. That's not it. I held up the picture on my phone next to it. I continued to search and finally found what I was looking for.

Here it is.

Can you see why I was confused?

Different title. Different author. Different publishers on a different date.

Both black, white and red. Both with a silhouette of a single man walking towards the same Russian buildings (one is a little closer than the other).

They were so close I took a photo of them together:

So, am I missing something or is this just a coincidence? Is there some sort of relationship between them?

I did a search but couldn't find anything about these cover, but I did find links to lists of other books that are similar. Seems to be something that happens quite often.

• Same Cover, Different Book.
• COVER CLONES!

What are your thoughts about books with similar covers?

What would you do if you found a book with a cover that was almost the same as yours?

National Science Reading Day

As part of @scilitweek, kids across Canada will spend time reading about science on Sept. 18 for #NationalScienceReadingDay. To celebrate, we're giving away $3,000 in prizes to kids and classrooms!
Find out more: https://t.co/YQXHod6zwU
Contest opens Sept. 17. @NSERC_CRSNG pic.twitter.com/UeBYOFaPma

— Owlkids Publishing (@owlkids) September 3, 2019

Chirp - Colouring Fun!

This looks like fun!

Hey parents! Did you know you can download #free colouring sheets from issues of Chirp on the Owlkids website?

Head to https://t.co/keAZmjnRL7 to get FREE colouring sheets! pic.twitter.com/2WjcbpCeyX

— Owlkids Publishing (@owlkids) August 2, 2019

My last post was a poll on about manuscript submissions, Poll - Manuscript submission. As you may have guessed, I posted this because I do have a manuscript out there and I am waiting for a response. I was curious about what other author/writers think.

The good news is I am still waiting for a response and it's past the upper limit of the usual response time. Yes, I know the response times are estimates, but no new is not a no. I'll happily and patiently wait for a response.

While I wait, I have a few other things on the go. To find out what, you'll have to wait to see. :)

Poll - Manuscript submission

Authors (and writers), when waiting for a response to a manuscript submission, do you feel that no news good news? For example, if response time is 8-12 weeks*, do you get more excited if you haven't heard anything by week 12? (assume they respond, even for rejections) *arbitrary duration

— Madeline Barr (@MadelineBarr) July 9, 2019

Digital rights management (DRM) - the dark side

Microsoft's Ebook Apocalypse Shows the Dark Side of DRM https://t.co/PKWr3xbfqe

— Madeline Barr (@MadelineBarr) July 3, 2019

Tap Dance Day!

Shuffle-Ball-Change! May 25th is Tap Dance Day!

I took tap dancing lessons when I was little and enjoyed it very much. I always felt so special in my tap shoes.


Interesting fact: 
Early tap shoes were made by hammering pennies or hobnails (a short, thick-headed nail commonly used on boot soles)  into the toe and heel of the shoe. When the performer danced the metal would create a tapping sound when their foot hit the hard ground or stage. https://ourpastimes.com/the-history-of-tap-dance-shoes-12185380.html

Question:
Have you ever tap danced? If not, what kind of dancing have you done?

Books:
Here's a list of some children's books about turtles:

Rainbow Magic Dance Fairies: Tasha the Tap Dance Fairy - By Daisy Meadows - Scholastic

How to tap dance:

Brother's Day

Love them or hate them. Today, May 24th, is Brother's Day.

I have an older brother and, yes, I do love him - but don't tell him I said that. 😜

Question: Do you have any brothers?

Books:
Here's a list of some children's books about brothers:

• The Orphan Rescue - by Anne Dublin - Second Story Press
• The Wright Brothers - by Elizabeth MacLeod and illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski - Kids Can Press
• No Room for Baby - by  Émile Jadoul and illustrated by  Émile Jadoul - Kids Can Press
• Little Brothers & Little Sisters - by Monica Arnaldo - Owlkids
• Me and My Brother - by Ruth Ohi - Annick Press

Turtle Day!

It's time to "shellebrate" because May 23rd is Turtle Day!

Interesting fact: 
A turtle's shell is part of its skeleton. More facts at https://www.natgeokids.com/za/discover/animals/sea-life/turtle-facts/

Question:
What is known as Turtle Island?

Books:
Here's a list of some children's books about turtles:

• Franklin the Turtle - by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark -  Kids Can Press
• Old Turtle - by Douglas Wood and illustrated by Cheng-Khee Chee  - Scholastic
• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People - by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger - Annick Press
• Hatchling’s Journey - by Kristin Bieber Domm and illustrated by Jeffrey Domm - Nimbus Publishing
• Leatherback Blues - by Karen Hood-Caddy -  Dundurn
• Turtle Pond - by James Gladstone and illustrated by Karen Reczuch - Groundwood Books