Grace Lin's Blog, page 92

happy halloween pumpkins!

It's been a bit crazy lately but I refused to give up our holiday pumpkin carving tradition. So, the gang gathered together again and we had a messy massacre of pumpkins guts:

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But I think we are all getting better at carving because I think this was our best batch yet:

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As usual, there was an eclectic theme ranging from Spiderman to bunnies:

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The Sasquatch did a particularly charming Pac-Man themed pumpkin:



I admit I had a soft spot for the children's book ones:
[image error] Richard Scarry and Ed Emberly-inspired!
Because, of course, I carved some of them:


My older sister and niece came to the pumpkin carving for the first time and both did frogs:

What will we carve next year?

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Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!
Today's word is:
scary
kǒngbù

happy feet

There's a Chinese saying that all journeys begin with the first step. Well, I've been stepping and am glad to have hit a rest stop. Because The Starry River of the Sky manuscript is finished! I've been furiously working on revisions and now it's off to copyediting! Phew! I treated myself to a pedicure as reward.

But my pretty toes have got to start walking soon. Not only do I have to start the illustrations for the book, I have a full calendar of events coming up. Next week (Nov. 4th!), I'll be in Tulsa, OK as part of the Tulsa-County Library Books-to-Treasure event and then Nov. 19th, I'll be in Florida at the Miami Book Fair! Hope to see you!

fortune cookie friday

"No one is more afraid of ghosts than those that don't believe in them."
-Chinese Proverb

Booktalk tuesday

[image error] What the Witch Left, by Ruth Chew



From the Ruth Chew website:

Katy's aunt has left some very strange things locked in a drawer… Things that look ordinary but are actually magic! When Katy and her friend Louise unlock the drawer, they learn some very interesting secrets, but they also discover that magic causes a lot of trouble— especially now that Katy has lost the key! Her aunt is coming to get her stuff back, and if she's a witch, she won't be too happy.



My thoughts: I've written before about how much I love Ruth Chew books, but it's worth mentioning again! Her books are the perfect books to read at Halloween! They are all about witches and magic but they are NOT scary at all. This one is my favorite (I loved the magic gloves and how they went to Mexico in the magic boots).

Sadly all of Ruth Chew's books out of print (even though they should not be!) but you can probably get them from the library or find them used pretty easily.

on my desk monday

Even though I meant to post about this much earlier that by no means diminishes the absolute thrill I had when I received this. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was given the Sakura Medal! This is an award given by International Schools across Japan. Arigato gozaimasu!

down the rabbit hole!

me and Alvina!Lately, I've been horrible about blogging here. Truth is, ever since France, I've been completely buried.

Of course, it's a hole of my own making. When I was in New Orleans in June, I had my tarot cards read and the fortune teller told me that I seem to like to have a lot of projects going on...and I would have to start limiting them. Well, she was right--on both counts. I do have to start limiting my projects, but I also like all of them. I don't know which ones to choose! Ones that feed my soul, ones that pay my bills, ones that have the most people counting on? I think I might need a tarot card reading just to help me choose.

In the meantime, I am just trying to skirt by! Right now my editor Alvina (aka Melody from the Year of the Dog) and I are in Fresno, at the USBBY conference where we gave a talk on the author/editor relationship. I read aloud the first chapter of my work-in-progress, The Starry River of the Sky! I guess I was trying to multi-task and work on some revisions at the same time as giving a speech.

Sunday Chinese School

Welcome to Sunday Chinese School, where we learn a Chinese word (or phrase) a week with my mom!
Today's word is:
ghost
guǐ

fortune cookie friday

"Avoid suspicion: when you're walking through your neighbor's melon patch, don't tie your shoe."
-Chinese Proverb

booktalk tuesday

The Devil's Storybook, by Natalie Babbitt



From IndieBound:

"Ten comic stories about the machinations of the Devil to increase the population of his realm...The stories are delightful in their narrative fluency, full of surprises, and frequently spiced with dashes of Saki-like mischief. A suitably wicked but hilarious drawing accompanies each tale."--Starred / The Horn Book



My Thoughts:This will be the preferred Halloween book for those who might have found Coraline a little too creepy. Short stories full of laughs and surprises, devilish but not scary--the way some people (including me) prefer their Halloweens.