Patricia Bailey's Blog, page 3

Retreating

A few years ago I was awarded a Residency from Playa, Summer Lake. Cue the universe. First, in the form of a wild fire
that postponed my much anticipated Residency for one year. Then, Covid, which is still postponing pretty much everything. But this month, the stars aligned, and I was able to pack a bag, some food. and my laptop for a much-needed internet-free retreat.

Armed with some wonderful advice from Therese at Writer Unboxed (if you are a writer and aren’t familiar with this blog, be sure...

October New Releases at From the Mixed-Up Files

October is bringing in a bounty of New Middle Grade Books – perfect for curling up on a crisp fall day.

 

Jeff Pennant’s Field Guide To Raising Happy Parents by Kelli McKinney

Why don’t parents come with an instruction manual?

Enjoy childhood, they say.

I will. I do. Or, at least, I did.

I’m over here living my best life with my best friends and science club. And in three weeks, we’re going to GamerCon.

Suddenly, my parents want to talk about my choices. It’s so unfair. Why am I grounded for ...

Take a Hike: An Outdoor Adventure Book List at From the Mixed-Up Files, book

I’m over at From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors sharing my love for hiking and a book list full of outdoor adventure. Keep reading for a sneak peek. Then head on over to From the Mixed-Up Files for the rest of the post.

One of the very best things about the place where I live is that there is a fun mountain hike less that 10 minutes from my house. Which means, on a good week, I’ve climbed the trail to the summit at least once and have hiked the foothills trail around 2 times. Last ye...

June New Releases at From the Mixed-Up Files

June is here and so is a treasure trove of new middle grade to fill those long summer days.

There’s something for every reader in this month’s New Releases list – so get ready for some reading.

The Lost Ryu by Emi Watanabe Cohen

Kohei Fujiwara has never seen a big ryū in real life. Those dragons all disappeared from Japan after World War II, and twenty years later, they’ve become the stuff of legend. Their smaller cousins, who can fit in your palm, are all that remain. And Kohei loves his ryu...

Book Bans and Challenges

I wrote a somewhat personal post over at the From the Mixed-Up Files blog last month in response the to rampant and horrific book banning happening around the country.

This post focuses on the Middle Grade books being challenged. Young Adult books are also being challenged across the country. And, as you will read in the post, most of the challenges have nothing to do with academics. These challenges specifically target books that center characters that are not white or who identify as LGBTQ.  T...

Celebrating International Wolf Day at From the Mixed-Up Files

August 13th is International Wolf Day – a day set aside to celebrate the important role wolves play in a creating and maintaining a healthy ecosystem and to debunk the many fears and misconceptions people still hold about wolves.

To celebrate the day, From the Mixed-Up Files has put together an International Wolf Day book list, including a book by our own Rosanne Parry. From fantasy to fact-based fiction, there’s sure to be a book for every reader’s taste.

 

A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry...

My Desert Island Top Five at From the Mixed-Up Files

Summer is finally here. School is out, and everyone is ready for a long, relaxing summer.

This past year has got me thinking about summers when I was kid. Back then, summer vacation consisted of baseball games in the pasture, slip and slides, camping out in the back yard, and traveling only as far as your bike could take you in the hours between breakfast and dinner. A slow and easy summer like that meant two things – you hung out with the same small group of people day in and day out and you sp...

June New Releases at From the Mixed-Up Files

Summer is here! Finally. And so is a bookshelf full of new middle grade books to fill up your time. Kick back and enjoy this month’s new reads. There’s something for everyone.

Trillium Sisters 1: The Triplets Get Charmed by Laura Brown and Elly Kramer (Authors) Sarah Mensinga (Illustrator)

Three sisters discover that they and their pets have superpowers they can use to protect the world around them in the first book in a fantastical new chapter book series about family, friendship, and e...

February New Releases at From the Mixed-Up Files

Happy February and Happy Book Birthday to the following authors who have book releasing this month!

 

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

For fans of The War That Saved My Life and other World War II fiction, A Place to Hang the Moon is the tale of three orphaned siblings who are evacuated from London to live in the countryside with the secret hope of finding a permanent family.

It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren’t terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmother...

Author Interview at From the Mixed-Up Files

I was lucky enough to interview the multi-talented writer and artist Kirk Scroggs about his newest graphic novel, WE FOUND A MONSTER over at From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors last week.

Please tell us about your just-released book WE FOUND A MONSTER.

We Found a Monster is the story of a kid named Casey who has a few skeletons in his closet . . . and a She-Bat, and a zombie, some gremlins, a squid monster, and, oh yeah, Frankenstein’s in there too! Casey’s a loner who loves t...