Category Archives: Uncategorized

Summary: “A Great and Terrible Beauty” by Libba Bray: Out of the books I have read so far, I think I enjoyed this one the most. This is probably because it is more fantastical/paranormal than the others. So here goes: Our main character, Gemma, lives in a time many many years before ours (1895) andContinue reading “Book Review 9: “A Great and Terrible Beauty””

Summary: “Liar and Spy” is about two boys who become friends without even trying to. Georges (the characters have odd names) accidentally finds himself joining the spy club when they come across a poster with a time to sign up. There he meets Safer and his sister, and agrees to be his agent. Safer teachesContinue reading “Book Review 8: “Liar and Spy””

Make sure you visit my YouTube channel to Subscribe! #art #illustration #drawing

Nonfiction… (The Creative Penn has great resources for authors.) The book, “How to Market a Book,”  is a great example of nonfiction for writers, both traditionally and self-published. “The World of Dinosaurs,” is another example that’s great for kids and adults alike. Personally, I love dinosaurs. Here are some things to think about when writing andContinue reading “Post 12: Nonfiction & What I’m Reading”

Reflecting on a Novel – 10 Steps If you’re anything like me, reading outside is a great place to pause and reflect. Want 10 questions to probe deeper thinking about that novel? Consider these: What if the main character was a boy instead of a girl, or vice versa? What if this story had aContinue reading “Post 14 & 15: Reflecting on a Novel – Steps/Graphic Novels – the Benefits.”

Summary: Arnold, aka, Junior, is the main character in “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. Junior lives on a reservation and has one good friend named Rowdy. Junior and Rowdy play together a lot but often suffer from poverty, sickness, and alcoholism. Realizing that he isn’t going to become anyoneContinue reading “Book Review 7: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”

Summary: Winger, by Andrew Smith, is about a young boy (really young for his grade) who is a junior and just fourteen. He’s in love with his best friend, Annie, who thinks he’s adorable. At the same time, as if that isn’t rough enough, he is moved to o-hall where the “bad” kids have toContinue reading “Book Review 6: “Winger””

Realistic Fiction Do you read realistic fiction? I do. I read a lot of things, actually. But if you would like to know the inside scoop as to what falls under realistic fiction, keep reading: Realistic fiction deals with day-to-day events that are universal to all people. While cultures and the way of life mayContinue reading “Post 11 and 13: Realistic Fiction VS. Fantasy and SciFi”

Check out my first ever silly podcast here: The Case of: Doug JohnsonVS.LibraryCommunity for a glimpse of Dough Johnson’s contribution as library media and technology specialist. Fun but silly! #ala #podcasts

Update: As some of you know, I have been in the process of self-publishing Forces and the Malachite Stone, a middle grade fantasy. I recently published it on Amazon but, deep down, loathed the cover I had made. Plus, believe it or not, found some editing errors (after several read throughs); that just wasn’t acceptable,Continue reading “Publication Update + Excerpt”