Mentor Monday

So sorry to have been absent for so long! 2018 has not gotten off to a great start.  Between traveling to Houston twice for my father’s surgery, an ice storm  trapping in us in the hospital and the flu/strep/pneumonia hitting everyone in my household it’s been one heck of a ride!

But, I’m jumping back on the wagon and working on revisions and researching a new nonfiction topic that I think will be quite fun. I’ve got several debut authors lined up for some interviews and giveaways, so make sure you subscribe to the blog!. You can also be on the lookout for my #50PreciousWords challenge (you can se my previous entry here) entry over at author Vivian Kirkfield’s web site.  If you aren’t familiar with Vivian, please go visit her blog. She not only writes fabulous books but has tons of activities for kids and writers alike.

I’ve been trying to find more nonfiction books to evaluate since I prefer to write nonfiction, but today’s book is  fiction with a twist. Wilma Rudolph was the fastest woman in the world in 1960. This lovely story of friendship revolves around two girls who think they are the quickest girls in Clarksville, Tennessee, Wilma Rudolph’s hometown.

So, I present, Pat Zietlow Miller’s The Quickest Kid in Clarksville.

The Quickest Kid in Clarksville  Mentor Study Worksheet

Remember, you can find a blank copy of the Mentor Study Worksheet here.

Also, do an author a favor, if you read a book, please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Till next time!

J

 

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Mentor Monday-After the Fall

Welcome to another Mentor Monday! I am very excited to review and study this week’s book AFTER THE FALL:HOW HUMPTY DUMPTY GOT BACK UP AGAIN by Dan Santat.

This well crafted picture book quickly became my favorite of 2017. Dan Santat took a well loved nursery rhyme, difficult subjects (depression, fear and overcoming obstacles) and made it kid friendly. His accompanying artwork not only adds to the story but TELLS part of the story.

Told in first person, Humpty explains what happens to him after his great fall. What makes this story so poignant is that he wrote this in response to something he was personally going through with his wife. He tells about it in a podcast interview on All The Wonders.

This book is the perfect choice as a mentor. The page turns are impeccable, the plot is perfectly crafted and the ending is a beautiful conclusion to Humpty’s tale. This book is due to become a classic! If you don’t already have a copy, I urge you to get one for your shelves!

Now, here is the breakdown on  Humpty Dumpty After the Fall.

Remember, you can download your copy of a blank worksheet here.

Till next time,

Julie

Setting Goals for 2018

Can you believe it’s already 2018? 2017 flew by like a hawk after it’s prey. 

Most people look at the new year as a time for resolutions and goal setting. How many of us have failed or forgotten our New Year’s resolutions by the third week of January? 

ME!

Come on, I know I’m not alone!

98% of New Year’s resolutions are not kept.

80% of those who make resolutions fail by January 20 according to a recent poll.

Ya’ll, that means only 2% of New Year’s resolutions are kept!

Why? I’m sure there are many reasons, but for me, it’s planning.

Years ago, I decided that New Year’s resolutions were just a marketing scheme by gyms! I don’t make resolutions, I make PLANS!

Plans have a definite and reasonable goal; steps to make it happen, and a definite resolution with a deadline.

I sit down frequently to review and set new goals.

I found a free printable online created by blogger Abby Lawson at Just a Girl and her Blog.

She created this printable and wrote a great post on setting goals.  Go check her out.

Print out the worksheet, fill it out, and post it where you see it everyday. 

Come back next week and I will have a great list and links of writerly resources to help you attain your goals in 2018.

Julie