Sherrill Joseph's Blog, page 18

Help the Children!

Dear Readers,

I worry these days about how kids are seeing and reacting to adults behaving, misbehaving, or ignoring important situations, especially regarding the pandemic and rampant racism.

With schools closed and summer approaching, children have plenty of time to take it all in–for better or for worse–and they are taking it in, perhaps more than you know. According to EmbraceRace.org, “[Kids] are fully realized people with observations and opinions about the worlds they live in and aspirations about the ones they want to bring into being.”

As a parent, grandparent, retired teacher, and kids’ author, my plea for parents, teachers, and those who love or work with kids is to please embrace your opportunity. Take all the peace, charity, illness, death, anger, and violence that kids are witnessing or living through, and watch for teachable moments.

Start by giving kids a chance to vent, ask questions, and express their concerns. Read books together. Let kids draw pictures about how they’re feeling and use them as springboards for discussion. Their sharing should guide your teaching.

You don’t have to have kids to know that children are the future. The very near future. Soon, they will be the ones making and enforcing the laws that will affect us all and which will leave a legacy for the generation that follows them. Let’s hope those laws and that legacy are grounded in a strong foundation of inclusion, altruism, peace, and anti-racism. Please do what you can.

To help, I have provided a small list of resources, below. I will keep looking.

So, get a clue, Readers. Children are smarter than many people think. Right now, however, they need our help to sort through their confusion and to learn how to create a world free from racism and hate. Let’s give them the tools and hearts to improve their future–and the world.

 

Here are some resources that might be helpful for teaching anti-racism :

scbwi.org/black-lives-matter-resources/     (This is the website of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators: anti-racism resources; recommended reading; political/justice organizations; petitions; funds)

embracerace.org/resources/     (31 chapter books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance; anti-racist activism; Zoom meetings with expert panels)

readbrightly.com/important-talk-child...     (How to talk to kids about race–books and resources)

harpercollins.com/children’s/books-wi...    (22 picture books to inspire conversations about diversity)

amightygirl.com/blog/?p=14276     (75 books about extraordinary black mighty girls and women)

 

Here are some resources that might be helpful for talking with kids about COVID-19 :

aacap.org     Articles from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are listed under these sections: Talking with Kids About Coronavirus; Talking to Kids About Sick Adults and Lost Loved Ones; Supporting Parents of and Kids with Disabilities; Activities for Kids; General Coping Tips; Helping Parents Cope

hopkinsmedicine.org     Articles from Johns Hopkins Medicine include What is COVID-19 for All Children?; Why Can’t I Visit? How to Talk with Kids About COVID-19; COVID-19 Activity Book; Videos for Parents and Kids.

cdc.gov     Articles from the Centers for Diseases Control include Tips for Talking to Children; Facts About COVID-19 to Discuss with Children; and, many other subtopics.

childlife.org     Articles from the Association of Child Life Professionals are listed under these sections and include many subtopics:  Resources for Children and Teens; Reading Materials and Handouts; Videos; Resources for Parents and Professionals; Handouts; Videos and Podcasts; and others.

prodigygame.com     Resources from Prodigy for Educators, Families, and Prodigy Users. Included is Prodigy’s Top 5 #LearnFromHome Resources for Parents.

Help the Children

Dear Readers,

We are living in an increasingly scary and confusing world right now. This daily horror show is projected across the screen on the evening news and blitzed on social media platforms.

The ravages of the Pandemic and the heroic actions of those on the front lines are dichotomous. The deaths of too many innocent black citizens have been increased by the senseless killing of George Floyd. Such acts against citizens rightly fomented protests for social justice and started out peacefully but, too often, erupted in violence.

I worry these days about how kids are seeing and reacting to adults behaving or misbehaving. With schools closed and summer approaching, children have plenty of time to take it all in–for better or for worse–and they are taking it in, perhaps more than you know.

I’m no psychologist, but I am a parent, grandparent, retired teacher, and kids’ author, so here is my plea for parents, teachers, and those who love or work with kids: Please embrace your opportunity. Take all the peace, charity, death, anger, and violence that kids are witnessing, and watch for teachable moments. But first, give kids a chance to vent, ask questions, and express their concerns. Their sharing should fuel your teaching. I have provided a small list of resources, below.

An important note: No kids of your own? Doesn’t matter. It is incumbent upon every adult to recognize that children are the future. The very near future. Soon, they will be the ones making and enforcing the laws that will affect us all and which will leave a legacy for the generation that follows them. Let’s hope those laws and that legacy are grounded in a strong foundation of inclusion, altruism, peace, and anti-racism. Please do your part.

So, get a clue, Readers. Children are smarter than many people think. Right now, however, they need our help. They are the very near future. Let’s give them the tools and hearts to improve it.

 

Here are some resources that might be helpful:

scbwi.org/black-lives-matter-resources/     (This is the website of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators: anti-racism resources; recommended reading; political/justice organizations; petitions; funds)

embracerace.org/resources/     (31 chapter books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance; anti-racist activism)

readbrightly.com/important-talk-child...     (How to talk to kids about race–books and resources)

harpercollins.com/children’s/books-wi...    (22 picture books to inspire conversations about diversity)

 

 

Judging a Book By . . .

Hello, Kids and All Readers,

I’m so excited to tell you that my publisher, Acorn, and I have started working on the cover design for Eucalyptus Street: Green Curse. It’s Book 2 in my Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries series and releases on October 20.

The next few weeks will reveal to me how the designer captured on paper the scene I chose to depict. This is not a quick process, and sometimes, disagreements occur. But compromise will be key to design the best cover possible. After all, a cover is what we look at first when looking for a book, right? We really DO judge a book by its cover, for better or for worse.

What is YOUR favorite book cover of all time? I have many since they come from a series. You guessed it. Nancy Drew! I especially liked one of the later covers for The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Book 4 in that series. It shows a ghostly, iridescent image that prompted me to want to read the book, for the first time, as a child. The book’s insides did not disappoint, either!

So, get a clue, Readers. Watch my newsletter for updates about Book 2’s cover and, in the future, the big Cover Reveal. Then, you can judge for yourself!

Fun Listening Now Available!

Dear Kids, Teachers, Librarians, Families, and Other Audiobook Listeners,

Drum roll, please . . . after months in the making, the audiobook of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets is finally available on Audible (a division of Amazon and ACX).

Yay! Now, the Botanic Hill Detectives and all the characters in the book have voices. Many thanks once again to my eloquent Narrator/Producer from ACX, Mr. Tom Jordan. You will love all the voices he performs to animate the story.

Audiobooks provide great entertainment, especially on long car rides, and are indispensable teaching tools in the classroom, reading lab, and at home.

So get a clue, Audiobook fans. Want a PROMO CODE to get a FREE audiobook review copy of Nutmeg Street  from Audible? Watch for the GIVEAWAY SECTION in my May 31 Newsletter for your chance to request one free code to claim your review copy. If you care to leave a review at Audible.com after you listen, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

A Surprise Invitation

Dear Readers,

I just received word today via Twitter that my book Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets is being read in a Michigan teacher’s virtual book club with her students. How awesome is that?!

I provided the books in a Twitter giveaway contest, and this was one of four winning teachers.

Next, I was invited to join the club during the last session to surprise the kids.

So get a clue, Readers. Let’s keep the kids reading. This is why I write.

 

Doggone It!

Dear Readers and Dog Lovers,

Recently, I fostered an adorable, lovable poodle-bichon mix named Dante. He was a mini version of my own dog Jimmy Lambchop. I had been in the market for a friend for Jimmy for some time, and I was sure Dante was the one.

I will never learn if the person who named Dante admired the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), best known for the epic poem The Divine Comedy. Since I had been a literature major in college, that possibility struck me immediately . As a result, I found myself calling Dante “Mr. A” for the nine days he called my house his home.

Dante was a rescue from Mexico who, at the age of seven, deserved a forever home. Sadly, mine just didn’t turn out to be the one. You see, Dante and Jimmy just didn’t “click.” No sparks. No interest. No engagement. Returning Dante to the rescue owner was heartbreaking for me. Perhaps for Dante as well. He had gotten very comfortable at my house. I had gotten very attached to him.

So get a clue, Readers. I miss Dante but know that the right loving home awaits him soon. (Thankfully, I’m told there is a long list of applicants for him.) As difficult as returning a foster to a shelter or rescue can be, stepping up and fostering an animal can be so rewarding. Just think about all the love and security you can give them, even if it isn’t forever. Fostering teaches you to live and love in the moment, regardless of the outcome. That’s one powerful lesson.

 

 

Book Your Donation

Dear Readers,

I just got back from the Post Office. I mailed four boxes equaling twenty-four copies of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets to my Twitter raffle winners!

Twenty kids and four teachers in four different states will soon be reading my book in their #VirtualBookClubs. What a great feeling I have that I’m doing something constructive for kids and teachers during this Shut Down!

So get a clue, Readers. Keep looking for ways to bring a smile to others during this unusual time in everyone’s life. You’ll get back much more than you give!

 

My Characters Live!

Hello, Kids, Teachers, Librarians, Parents, and Other Readers,

I just received word today from Tom Jordan, my narrator with ACX, that the Audiobook for Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets is almost finished!

After I do the final proof and hit the approve button, we bring the Botanic Hill detectives and the rest of the cast to life. Release date is tentatively set for April 27 on Audible.com.

So get a clue, Readers. Audiobooks are great for classrooms, libraries, in the car, at home for reluctant readers or any readers, and whenever you just want to hear the characters’ voices. Get ready to listen!

 

“And the People Stayed Home”

Dear Readers,

While out walking my dog Jimmy Lambchop yesterday, I came across the following evocative poem that a neighbor had taped to her front yard’s Little Free Library box.

I was so moved by it that I came home and Googled the poet so that I could present her poem to you. You might have already read it since, apparently, it’s gone viral–an ironic term these days.

It was written in March 2020 by Kitty O’Meara, a former teacher and chaplain from Wisconsin. She and her husband live with five dogs and three cats. She wrote this poem “while trying to process the catastrophic news surrounding the spread of the coronavirus.”  Here is her poem:

And the People Stayed Home

And the people stayed home.

And read books, and listened, and rested,

and exercised, and made art, and played games,

and learned new ways of being, and were still.

And listened more deeply.

Some meditated, some prayed, some danced.

Some met their shadows.

And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed.

And, in the absence of people living in ignorant,

dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways,

the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again,

they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images,

and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully,

as they had been healed.

So get a clue, Readers. I hope many of you have “create[d] new ways to live and heal the earth fully” as you continue to wind your way through this unprecedented time. Please be safe, stay home, and stay well.

Let’s Keep the Kids Reading!

Hi, Kids, and those who love you (teachers, family members, godparents, friends, neighbors, etc.),

My goal as a writer continues to be getting my stories into kids’ hands and hearts. Since most schools are closed, we all need to help KEEP THE KIDS READING!

For my part, I have reduced the price of my eBook on Amazon to $2.99 through April 30. (If you’re reading this, my Thursday blog, for the first time in my April 30 Newsletter, it isn’t too late! The sale doesn’t end until midnight.)

Please click on the following link to order and upload your copy of my eBook right now:  Nutmeg Street eBook

Then, to KEEP THE KIDS WRITING, please encourage them to leave a review of my book on Amazon. Click on the same link above, scroll down as you look left, and click on “Write a Customer Review.” Write as little or as much as you like. Submit. That’s it!

So get a clue, Kids and Adults. I would love to see what you kids are thinking about Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets. Please post a review. I’ll be on the lookout it! Thanks so much.