Beth Stilborn: Books ~ Encouragement ~ Teaching ~ Hope
December 3, 2018
At the beginning of 2018, I had the intention of reading one picture book every morning throughout the year. I did well for the first half of the year, then not so well the second half – but I’ve still read a LOT more picture books than I would have otherwise, and many of them have been stellar. In this post, I want to share some of my faves, since…
November 26, 2018
Title: Hearts Unbroken Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith Publisher: Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2018 Genre: YA Fiction, #ownvoices Audience Age: 14 to 18 years Themes/Topics: Friendship, romance, Native American history and issues, racism Synopsis: Lou (short for Louise), is a high school junior in current-day Kansas. By the time the book ends, she is a senior. She and her family moved fairly recently from Texas. She’s a member of the Muskogee…
October 8, 2018
Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. Usually I would write a post about some of the things I am grateful for, and in a way, this post is about gratitude, for gratitude is important. But it’s a different kind of gratitude than the sort we usually think about on Thanksgiving. As you know, I write for kids (and adults) and I’m working toward being published one day. There are many of…
September 24, 2018
Title: Amina’s Voice Author: Hena Khan Publisher: New York: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Children’s, 2017 Genre: Middle Grade Fiction Audience Age: 9 to 12 Themes/Topics: empowerment, racism, feeling comfortable with who you are, lifting up your voice Opening Sentences: Something sharp pokes me in the rib. “You should totally sign up for a solo,” Soojin whispers from the seat behind me in music class. I shake my head. The mere…
September 10, 2018
Actually, International Dot Day is actually September 15th-ish, but I figured the 10th was ish-ish enough to celebrate. International Dot Day grew out of Peter H. Reynolds’ wonderful book, THE DOT, which my friend Patricia Tilton reviewed here. If you haven’t read THE DOT, please do, and also read the companion books ISH and SKY COLOR which comprise Peter’s “Creatrilogy.” International Dot Day was the brainchild of teacher Terry Shay,…
September 3, 2018
It’s time for a new blogging season here at By Word of Beth, and I’m ready for it. I’m planning what I hope will be interesting and engaging posts, including: a series looking at why and how I write, and why and how others write, including profiles of other writers and the occasional interview posts that explore the basics of my logo – empowerment, arts, and words sharing…
June 11, 2018
Well, not until Fall, but early-bird registration begins on June 14th! What is Picture Book Summit? It’s a fantastic day-long conference for picture book writers, that happens entirely online, so there are no travel or accommodation costs, and you can attend in your jammies if you want. It is hosted by author, editor and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, author and founder of the 12×12 picture book challenge Julie Foster Hedlund,…
May 29, 2018
I read an all-too-brief article on Broadway World, with an equally brief — but delightful — video, and I wanted to share them with you (in an equally brief blog post!) Those of you who’ve been following my blog for some time may recall my previous posts about illustrator, costume designer, set designer, director Tony Walton. I featured Tony as a “Wednesday Worthy” back in 2012, and in October 2013,…