Savannah Hendricks's Blog, page 15

Thanksgiving Book Reviews – kid’s books

Pete the Cat – First Thanksgiving by Kimberly and James Dean – This story read a little too over the top non-fiction, a story that is all telling without showing anything.

Thanksgiving Rules by Laurie Friedman – I loved this book! The rhyming of the story is excellent and the story is something new that kids will enjoy. Loved the illustrations by Teresa Murfin too.

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes – Other then the first and last page this book didn’t work as a Thanksgiving book for my taste. The concept is to be thankful for everyday things, but it didn’t flow right for me.

The First Thanksgiving Day (A Counting Story) by Laura Krauss Melmed – Old world account of Thanksgiving in a fun new way to count. However, the rhyming of the story read forced.

A World of Fake Images

First, let me say that I understand body shaming is happening to both men and women. I am well aware that there are airbrushed magazines with shirtless guys on the cover. However, I am a woman and I can only view it from a woman’s perspective.

My friend recently sent me an airbrushed photo of a selfie I took a week ago. She uses this app, or whatever it is on her photos, and did the same to my photo (saying I looked more beautiful with the airbrushing). My reaction….OMG I LOOK…HORRIBLE. I didn’t like the airbrushed me at all. Why was I thinking this way? The one thing I would change most of all (my freckles) had disappeared! So why was a I still hating this image of myself? I looked, impossible. That’s right, impossible. How could someone look impossible? Well airbrushing makes the impossible, possible. Yet for me, I didn’t like how I looked, I looked like I had Barbie’s skin!!! Don’t get me wrong Barbie rocks it, but we know she is fake and the impossible to obtain.

I did some on research on my own phone, there are settings on it that actually make your face thinner!! There are settings that make things change on your face/body/skin before you even take the picture! What have we become as a society? I remember back when Faith Hill graced the cover of Redbook and the media went crazy over the airbrushed and regular photo taken for the cover shoot because the airbrushing backlash was at a high point in society bashing at the time.

Regular/Airbrushed

Here is my regular photo taken outside without a filter and my friend’s airbrush app version. (yes, I’m aware, I’m wearing a Faith Hill shirt haha)

Regular

Airbrushed

I got to thinking about magazines and the airbrushing of famous people and how much it has changed who we are and what young girls strive to be. What even adult women think they need to be. For anyone to think that the airbrushed picture is the “okay” one, the better representation to share, goes far beyond wanting to be perfect. It is about self-worth. We all have our thoughts about what we like and don’t like about our bodies. We all have flaws we want to get rid of instantly. Yet, the fact that this can be accomplished with an app or setting on a phone represents human weakness, in my mind. I am fine with saying a picture is at a bad angle, or you had a bad hair day, or the jumbo zit on your nose is VERY noticeable. But, that is what is human about us. What lets people know that we are not Barbie, and can never be Barbie. And by using these settings and apps we are saying YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Is that what we want to be about? That we are okay, but better with some airbrushing?

Maxi’s Secrets (or what you can learn from a dog) – book review

Maxi’s Secrets by Lynn Plourde

This middle grade book is about the relationship between Timminy, his dog Maxi and his neighbor Abby. While it was an enjoyable story, I felt it lacked the arc needed to make the story really sizzle. For me, the side character, of Rory felt unimportant, when it really could have been a much larger part of the story. As the friendship with Timminy and Abby was lackluster. Also, I am not sure that the secrets belong to Maxi, but to Timminy, which I found a little confusing.

The reader is told in the second sentence that Maxi dies, which kept me reading to find out why, but sadly had that not been in the opening I might not have made it very far into the book. Maxi’s Secrets was well written with excellent descriptions of Timminy and Maxi, yet I didn’t feel connected with the characters emotionally as I should.

Middle graders can relate to the story of Timminy, but Abby as well. I just wish that Rory had played a bigger role as there seemed to be an underlining story in which middle graders would like to know more about.

3 out of 5 stars.

RIPCORD Tour – Keith Urban

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The Upcoming of SEND

I have mentioned in a few prior post that my latest middle grade WIP has been an amazing story of beauty to write. It has been, mostly, my only focus this summer. It’s been in the 90’s here in Phoenix as we are mid-way through October, so I am saying it’s still summer (I MISS THE 4 SEASONS!!!!!) I’ve been blessed to have my manuscript reviewed and edited by My Rock (we will go with that name because it’s true for many reasons beyond this manuscript, and no it’s not The Rock). It’s hard to catch every little mistake when you wrote the story and have been staring at it day after day.

I have never had this much fun writing a story! I even created a Pinterest board for the manuscript. You can view it here.

Now I know the manuscript is not perfect, but it is pretty darn close. My nerves are growing as I near hitting the SEND button to get it off to my agent. Will she like it? Will she want me to make changes? Will she submit it to publishers? Will publishers like it?

I’m nervous as can be!!!!

What will I do once I hit SEND? (besides stalk my email and phone). I have another manuscript that needs my attention, which was shoved to the back burner as soon as my WIP popped in my head.

But for one minute in-between SEND and the next WIP, I will take a deep breath, find my center, and cross my fingers!!!!!!

 

Why I Decided to Give my Dog Apoquel

Playing with a toy on his own – it’s been a long time, years since he last did this.

Some of you know that Awesome has had a long struggle with everything from allergies to bladder stones. In fact since he turned about 2 years old he has dealt with chronic ear infections, and chronic skin yeast infections to chronic dermatitis between his front paws. It became so bad between his paws that I was doing soaks and wrapping it for a good portion of time along with dosages of steroids (which I was highly against), and still Awesome was limping around because the pain was so bad. The lesions between his “toes” would bubble up and bleed. Awesome has been on Benadryl for the better part of five years getting roughly 15 – 25mg pills a day to try and keep things the sores at bay, without much help. Food trials were sought and other things like coconut oil and fish oil were used without much help. Upon the discovery of his bladder stones he had to be switched to a diet of one food and one food only. (I know this has not helped at all).

Awesome will be 7 years old next month.

Awesome is either passed out (from the Benadryl) or grumpy from being in pain. His favorite thing in the world is going for walks, yet even with his special boots his paws give him issues.

Sitting wayyy out in the yard – something he has avoided for years!

So why am I giving a drug that has been bashed on the dog internet community to Awesome? Why am I causing possible cancer to form in Awesome? (side effects of Apoquel).

I decided to give Awesome Apoquel because he is in the last years of his life and I want them to be wonderful years (He has been on it a week now). I don’t want him to continue to be miserable from health issues. He isn’t even getting to enjoy his favorite foods anymore (broccoli and carrots)! So I have taken away yummy foods and exercise. Isn’t that the point of a dogs life? Yes, I understand that Awesome could develop some other health issue or disease by taking Apoquel. But I also realize that these are the last years of his life and I would much rather he go out happy.

If someone told you, you have three years to live and you can be confined, thus missing out on life, or take a pill that may or may not cut those three years, but you will be happy and go on adventures. What would you do?

Halloween Book Reviews – kid’s books

Corduroy’s Best Halloween Ever! by Don Freeman – I had high hopes for this book, but Corduroy’s discovery of a costume was a let down. Sadly, I don’t think kids would find Corduroy’s costume great either.

10 Busy Brooms by Carole Gerber – Cute Halloween themed counting book. Illustrations by Michael Fleming fill out the story nicely.

Hubble Bubble, Granny Trouble by Tracey Corderoy -Although this is not a traditional Halloween book, it works as Granny is a witch. The story takes a different approach regarding the importance of being yourself and accepting that of others too.

For the older kids – three classics which are a fun read (a movie is coming soon based on the series) – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz – Kids will love to read these themselves with a flashlight in hand.

Autumn Book Reviews – kid’s books

Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland – This book was rather different both in illustrations as well as text. I loved that a parent could read the large print poem version or/and the non-fiction aspect of the book. The illustrations by Elly MacKay provided exceptional three-dimensional imagery.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson – Although this story was cute, it didn’t flow for me as an easy to read book. The illustrations by Tiphanie Beeke were a little too rough draft for what I like to see in a picture book.

Duck & Goose, Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills – Cute story where the pictures and text are simple and short. Reads perfectly for a toddler.

Hocus Pocus, It’s Fall by Anne Sibley O’Brien – This was a classic feeling picture book, almost seventies inspired colors and illustrations. If the words fail to entertain the kids, the illustrations by Susan Gal will keep them turning the pages.

*Stay tuned! I will be posting upcoming theme book reviews for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and December*

WITHIN – poem

Loud and invisible

Yet bigger than ever

Never quiet or at rest

Their whispers are screams

Their screams shattering

I’m sorry, what am I to do

There are too many to control

When I think one has been silenced, another appears from the shadows

I give them power, taking away from my own

If only tears could drown them

Seeing Differently

I’m working on the final edits for my middle grade novel, and diving into two prior picture books that I have set aside for about four months. Upon my return to their story I have edited, and tried something new. I made a small 32 page book and took EACH sentence and cut it out and taped it together in the book. In doing so I realized several sentences didn’t belong where I had originally placed them.

As you can see, not fancy at all, just a sample to get you thinking about how well it will fit in book format, how it flows, and how illustrations can be placed.

Happy writing