Author Tess Hilmo Talks About the Power of Words

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Tess Hilmo photo

Photo by Jenni Howell Photography

Tess Hilmo is the author of With a Name Like Love, a book that looks at the power of compassion and friendship, and how the collective reasoning of people in a town isn’t always right. (Check out my review and details of a book giveaway.) In this essay, Hilmo talks about ways words can build us up or knock us down.

The Power of Words

By Tess Hilmo

Words are powerful! They can lift someone to the greatest heights or break someone’s heart. Every day we choose which words we will use.

Thinking about this concept, I am reminded of Harry Potter, one of my favorite characters in children’s literature. As you will recall, among Harry’s many courses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was Professor Flitwick’s class in charms. In this course the students learned that by saying certain words in a certain way, they could make magic happen.

I’ve discovered this to be true in my own life. Consider these magic formulas:

  • You can change a sad person into a happy, confident person by saying: “You are amazing!” or “I really like how you did that!” in an upbeat, outgoing tone.
  • You can magically heal a broken friendship by saying the formula: “I’m sorry for what I did.  Will you forgive me?” Don’t forget the required tone: sincerity.

My book, With a Name Like Love, also has examples of this. There is a boy named Jimmy who is all alone and going through a really tough time. He tries to keep positive, but it is difficult because some people in town say unkind things to him. At one point, Jimmy comes to a revival at the invitation of the main character, Ollie Love. A mean spirited woman, Mrs. Carter, tells Jimmy to leave. Here is what happens:

Esther Carter was standing behind Ollie.  “Go on, boy.  Git.”

The boy shoved his hands into his blue jeans pockets, turned and sulked off toward town.

Hot anger rushed up through Ollie’s veins. “He’s not some dog you can chase off.”

Mrs. Carter turned back to the crowd. “You’re right,” she said over her shoulder. “A dog is good for something.”

Beyond simply being cruel, words can also mislead people. There is another part in the novel where Mrs. Carter says,

“If’n you’re asking me, I’d say you were looking for a mess of trouble invitin’ that Koppel boy to your celebration. He’ll bring bad luck upon you and your whole clan—plus shoo us good people away.”

 

This statement is untrue and paints Jimmy (Koppel) in an unfair light, possibly costing him the help he so desperately needs.

On the other hand, there are many examples of the Love family helping Jimmy and lifting him up with their kind words. They invite him for meals and offer to help him with his problems. This is what happens at a later revival:

“And Jimmy did feel welcome. . . . It was a beautiful sight to see the joy coming from somewhere deep inside of him. The joy that comes when you finally let go of the worry and settle down in the comfort of friends.”

 

Our words matter! And, remember, you don’t have to be a wizard to work magic. You can be a regular person, like Ollie Love, who uses the enchanting power of words to change someone’s life for the better.

Book Review: Doggirl by Robin Brande

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Doggirl cover imageRiley Case, aka Doggirl, has always been better at communicating with dogs than people, and she sees no reason to change that. All she wants to do is get through high school and go to college so she can become a professional animal trainer.

So when the notice shows up about the school’s theater department needing a dog trainer with a trained dog, Riley thinks it’s the perfect way to get some experience under her belt without risking too much of herself. Before long she feels like one of the theater pack, but she’s unsure how to tell if everyone really likes her, or if they’re just being nice until the show’s over. If only people were more like dogs, she’d know what to do.

Doggirl by Robin Brande addresses an issue many teens may feel: struggling to be accepted for who you are. Riley is unsure of herself, in part, because kids she thought were her friends in middle school ended up being mean to her. She doesn’t want to get burned again, but she really does want the companionship of people as well as dogs. And learning how to communicate with them will obviously be something she needs to do her whole life; she can’t always expect her parents to be the only ones in her social circle.

I learned a lot about dog behavior, and I also found it fun to follow the progress of the action of the play within the story. Robin Brande carries the connection between dog behavior and human behavior well throughout, and at times I found Doggirl to be laugh-out-loud funny. And it’s not just for dog people. I’m more of a cat person myself, and reading Doggirl converted me just a bit. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 12 and up.

The author provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: Let’s Make Some Great Art by Marion Deuchars

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Let's Make Some Great Art cover imageToday I’m thrilled to let you know about a new book that can help kids get excited about creating art, and I have one copy of it to give away to a reader. If you’d like to win, just leave a comment with something about art, whether it’s about what you like to create, or your favorite artists, or one of your favorite paintings. The giveaway is open until midnight (PDT), Monday, October 10. Entries from U.S. and Canadian addresses only please. (Please note: the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Elizabeth on winning.)

Here’s the review:

To inspire her own children to move away from the screen and get creative, professional artist Marion Deuchars put together art projects that would keep them engaged and challenged. Those projects evolved into a book that parents will cheer and kids everywhere will love: Let’s Make Some Great Art.

This oversized book is filled with activities that range from simple, like coloring in drawings, to more complicated, like making a mobile. Taken all together, the projects educate young artists aged eight and above about famous artists, the history of art, and different ways you can make your own art.

For example, one set of activities starts by talking about Alexander Calder, an American artist known for his mobiles and sculptures. The next page gives directions for coloring in a mobile in Calder’s style. The page after that gives instructions on how to make a mobile.

Basic concepts of art—line, color, perspective—are built into many of the ideas as are techniques that help kids learn to draw, such as crosshatching, creating patterns and using grids. Above all, kids are asked to use their imaginations and actively think about what they want to create.

Let’s Make Some Great Art will provide hours of fun for kids, and it’s likely that their parents will want to join in too. This book would also make a great gift for budding artists.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce

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The Unforgotten Coat cover imageJulie is thinking of nothing more than sneaking makeup from her friend’s mom and getting boys to notice her as she finishes summer term of Year Six. Then one day Mongolian brothers Chingis and Nergui appear in her classroom, and they appoint her their “good guide,” the person who will help them learn about their new home.

Suddenly Julie wants to know more about these strange brothers who seem very good at manipulating teachers and students into getting what they want, but who reveal little of themselves and are afraid of demons. Julie takes her role as good guide seriously, and she’s determined to find out more about the Mongolia Chingis speaks of and why he’s so protective of his younger brother.

Equally heartbreaking, funny and moving, Frank Cottrell Boyce’s The Unforgotten Coat is a small book with a big heart. It tells a story of family, emigration, hope and possibilities that will carry you along as it tranforms Bootle, England into the steppes of Mongolia. As in his other works, Millions, Framed and Cosmic, Boyce portrays children who are innocent, yet in their naiveté understand basic truths better than many adults.

From Chengis and Nergui, Julie learns to look at the world around her with fresh eyes. The Unforgotten Coat may inspire you to do the same. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 14.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Interview With Bianca Turetsky, Author of The Time-Traveling Fashionista

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Bianca Turetsky is the author of The Time-Traveling Fashionista (see my review), a book about a girl who tries on a vintage dress and ends up transported back to the time the original owner wore it. It’s the first in a new series, and here, Turetsky talks about how she became a writer, her interest in fashion and the stories that go with history, as well as what’s up next in her series.

Bianca Turetsky photo

Bianca Turetsky

How did you decide to become a writer?

BT: I’ve been writing stories since I was a little girl. My first published piece was a poem I wrote when I was seven years old and I was hooked from there! (Although I’ve since realized that poetry is definitely not my forte 🙂

What do you like about being a writer?

BT: So much! I love discovering the story. For my book The Time-Traveling Fashionista, I had an idea of how it would begin and how it would end, but the middle part was an adventure I got to go on as well. It was fun to surprise myself.

I also love the feeling of connectedness I’ve gotten from this book. Writing is such a solitary act but when the book goes out into the world and other people can relate to it and it starts a dialogue, that’s pretty awesome. There’s nothing better than hearing from my readers.

What do you find to be your biggest challenge in writing?

BT: My biggest challenge is finding the time to do it. I write every morning before I go to work, and often times I have to leave right when I get to the good part. It’s really frustrating, but then again I’m always excited to start again the next day so maybe it’s a good thing.

In The Time-Traveling Fashionista, Louise loves vintage clothing. Is that an interest you share with your character? Is so, what do you like about it?

BT: Yes! One of my favorite things is going to thrift stores and flea markets and hunting for the perfect vintage piece. Unlike going to the Gap, you never know what treasures you’re going to find!

Why did you decide to write about traveling to a different time?

BT: The idea came to me about 5 years ago after visiting this amazing vintage shop in New Haven, Connecticut, called Fashionista Vintage and Variety. It’s owned by these two fabulous women, Todd and Nancy, who know everything and anything about vintage clothing. I tried on this pink party dress that belonged to a Mrs. Baxter from Newport, Rhode Island, and I couldn’t help but wonder what her life was like, what the last gala or fancy event was that she wore this to. Was she in love? Was she happy? And how in a way, her memory was being preserved through this garment.

How did you research the fashions of the time Louise travels to?

BT: In an amazing coincidence one of the hottest fashion designers of the time, Lady Lucy Duff Gordon, happened to be on the Titanic as well. She made these dresses she called “emotional gowns” which she would personalize to the woman she designed them for. She thought she could capture the soul of the woman in them, which was one of the themes I was trying to get across. So I read a lot about her.

What kind of research did you conduct to find out about other historical details from the time period?

BT: I did a lot of research online (although of course you can’t trust those sources 100%) and at my local library. Also one of my friends was an assistant director on the Titanic movie, and ended up being a huge resource to me. He had this great illustrated book that James Cameron gave to the crew which really helped me get an idea of the layout of the ship, and what it would be like to actually have been a passenger on the boat. From what I would have eaten in the first class dining room, to how I would have spent my free time, to who I would be traveling with. Through these pages and drawings, I really felt like I was there.

Do you enjoy spending time on research?

BT: I was actually surprised by how much I loved the research side of the book. History was never my favorite subject in school, but approaching it from a different angle, in this case through the clothing and the personal stories, was fascinating to me. It made this event that happened almost 100 years ago seem so much more real and personal.

As this is a new series, is there a general message you like to have come across in each of the books?

BT: I think that each book has a slightly different message, but there is a little bit of a Wizard of Oz, “there’s no place like home” feeling to this one!

Can you tell us a little bit about Louise’s next adventure?

BT: I’ll give you a hint; I took an amazing research trip to Versailles and to Paris, the birthplace of haute couture. So Louise is going to have some sort of fabulous French adventure on the horizon! The Time-Traveling Fashionista and the Palace of Marie Antoinette will be out Sept 2012. Stay tuned!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers at Mother Daughter Book Club. com?

BT: I just think it’s so great that you have a mother daughter book club. I am still sending my mom books that I think she’ll love after I finish them, but I wish that we had something like this when I was growing up. Books are such a great springboard for talking about all kind of subjects that you may not otherwise discuss.

And I’d love to share the The TimeTraveling Fashionista Reading Guide as well.

Mother-Daughter Journaling With Mari L. McCarthy

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Today I’m taking part in the WOW! Women on Writing tour for Mari L. McCarthy, the author of a new eBook called, Who Are You? How to Use Journaling to Know and Grow Your Life. A former business consultant, McCarthy now teaches others how to improve their lives through therapeutic journaling and uses journaling herself as a tool for business, for writing, and for life. Her new book focuses on revealing hidden fears (and how they hold you back), listening to your inner coach (that wiser voice inside), and finding out who you really are.

In this essay McCarthy created for Mother Daughter Book Club. com, she talks about the joy of sharing your journal with someone. Would you like a copy of her new eBook? Just leave a comment with your thoughts about journaling before midnight (PDT) Monday, September 26 and you’ll be entered to win one. Please note: the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Amber on winning.

The Shared Journal – Mother-Daughter Adventures

By Mari L. McCarthy

You might think journaling is an entirely private matter, but that is not always the case. Some journals, like project or travel logs, are actually meant to be read by other people. Sometimes a journal is originally composed by several different people as a sort of team effort. So journal writing is not necessarily a solitary activity.

Consider the fun, therefore, of doing journaling in tandem with your daughter. You could share one notebook to express your thoughts on whatever topics you want. Some possibilities might be:

  • Life in general
  • Stuff I’m worried about
  • My thoughts about what I am currently reading
  • What I dreamed about last night
  • How I’m doing in my progress toward goals

… and, of course, about a zillion other possible subjects of interest.

It would be fun, don’t you think, to pick up that well-worn notebook and read what your daughter wrote last night when she came in from her date? And, as the daughter, wouldn’t it be interesting to read accounts of your mother’s dreams?

Here’s one way of structuring the practice.

  • Agree to try it. Look eye-to eye and be sure both parties are ready to give this journaling thing a go.
  • Agree on a place where you will keep the notebook. Be sure it is safe from any prying eyes.
  • Stick with the program for at least a couple of weeks no matter what. Write and read faithfully and as much as possible without judgment. If it seems awkward or difficult at first, keep working at it. Soon enough, you’ll be addicted!
  • Agree whether or not to discuss the writings out loud. If one party or another would rather not talk out loud about anything in the journal, this wish should be respected. In any event, avoid over-discussing the journal entries. Let the process remain a written, not a spoken one.
  • Assuming the process is as fascinating to you as I predict it will be, continue at your own pace. Find your own forms and rules. A mother-daughter journal shares the life of your mind and bonds the two of you closer than ever.

Now, be honest. If you have a relatively healthy relationship with your mother or daughter, is there any good reason not to share in this generously intimate way?

What are your ideas for mother-daughter journaling?

Mari L. McCarthy photo

Mari L. McCarthy

By Mari L. McCarthy – The Journaling Therapy Specialist, founder of Journaling for the Health of It™.  Please visit Mari’s blog at http://www.createwritenow.com/journal-writing-blog/. In Who Are You? How to Use Journaling Therapy to Know and Grow Your Life (http://www.createwritenow.com/journal-therapy-store#ecwid:category=1077033&mode=product&product=4674145), Mari presents a gentle process for self discovery through journaling. Mari’s latest publication is titled, Your Money Matters! Use Journal Writing Therapy to Get Financially Fit Now. See http://www.createwritenow.com/journal-therapy-store#ecwid:category=1077033&mode=product&product=5436679 for details.

Who Are You? cover image

 

Book Review: Dot to Dot by Kit Bakke

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Dot to Dot cover imageTwelve-year-old Dot is grieving from her mother’s sudden death when her Aunt Tab decides that the two of them need to travel from their home in Seattle to England. Dot would prefer to stay locked safely inside her home, but Aunt Tab believes she needs a change of location to help her focus on something other than her grief.

Dot soon discovers that England is not a random destination choice. It turns out her mother named her—Dorothy Mary Jane—after three well known literary women: Dorothy Wordsworth, Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen. As she discovers more about each of these women, she works to find the strength she needs to carry on in a world without her mother.

Dot to Dot by Kit Bakke is the story of a girl who goes on a journey of distance that turns into a trip where she discovers a lot about herself as well as the people around her. As Dot learns more about each of the women she was named after, she finds out why her mother chose them as heroines. Her own reading of their works also gives her insight into her current situation.

Mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 10 to 13 will be able to talk about many issues, including the nature of grief, finding hope amidst tragedy, and the extraordinary times that produced Dorothy, Mary and Jane.

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Author Clare Havens Reflects on Mother-Son Book Clubs

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In addition to being in a mother-daughter book club, Clare Havens is also contemplating starting a mother-son group with her 7-year-old son. Here she talks about her reasons for wanting to get this club off the ground and the challenges she expects to face doing so.

Havens A Bella Street Mystery cover imageis also the author of A Bella Street Mystery: Secret Formula, a “tween noir” novel that she describes as “a fun, suspenseful romp through Manhattan, tying in the worlds of haute couture and 1930s gangsters—think Humphrey Bogart meets Anna Wintour.”

Read on for her perspective on mother-son book clubs.

Starting a mother-son book club? Am I nuts?!

By Clare Havens

Clare Havens photo

Clare Havens

Call me crazy but I am seriously thinking about starting up a mother-son book club! Yes, we all hear so much about how boys don’t like to read and the image we have of a parent-child book club is one of mothers and daughters immaculately dressed sipping tea from china cups and saucers while they discuss Jane Austen doesn’t jibe with what we imagine when we think about boys. Gross out jokes. Cartoons. Snot. However, I have been reading recently about some brave souls who not only have started mother/parent-son book clubs but who positively LOVE them!

It seems to me that the key identifying factor of a son book club is the noise and energy level. Boys like to be active, we all know, and they often learn better while they are moving around. It makes sense to me to offer boys activities, related to the book at hand preferably, to occupy them while someone is talking about a certain book. There could be handouts where boys can draw maps showing locations of secret portals or enemy headquarters. There could be mask making or building with Lego bricks or plaster model painting…

There should be food and drink. Boys should be allowed to relax and eat—this isn’t another lesson, it is supposed to be fun! I guess the food could even relate to the book and making it could also be the activity—multitasking boys! Love the idea!

Books needn’t be the only things discussed. Why not comics? Graphic novels? Ebooks—these are much cheaper than paperbacks and many boys can download them onto a computer without buying a specific ereader. Movies could also be discussed, notably how they differ from the book. Boys could also be asked to cast movies for books which have no film version.

Give out the new book at the end of the meeting. No excuses that they couldn’t find the book before the next meeting!

One idea I really like which I read about on http://gettingkidsreading.blogspot.com is to give each person a piece of paper/fabric/bark or whatever on which they have to write the beginning of a story before the next meeting. At the next meeting they swap their piece with someone else and have to continue the story on the other side.

Some clubs have trivia quizzes about the book just read with prizes such as water balloons given for correct answers. At the end of the meeting the boys can go have a water balloon fight outside! The boys can set the quiz questions.

Why not start a simple free blog where club members can post photos, reviews, comments, questions, etc. in between meetings? This might appeal to the techno-savvy set. Tying in technology would appeal to many boys, in my opinion.

These are all ideas that would work well for mother-daughter clubs too but would work really well for many boys. Let’s not leave them out of the fun! I think boys enjoy reading more than they are often given credit for—they may often like reading in a different format to girls but they are often just as passionate about a book or a character. I think I may actually start a mother-son book club, I just have to go figure out how many boys throwing water balloons I can fit in my backyard!

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