By Carrie Charley Brown

Hopefully, the teachers among us have been able to enjoy their summers a little bit. I've spent many summers immersed in professional development and classroom preparation, but this summer is beyond my normal prep. Despite my elementary education degree, Texas teaching certifications, and years of experience, I must earn renewal rights for my Kentucky teaching certificate by receiving a Masters degree.

I'm not gonna lie...This was not part of my original plan. With three teenagers in the house, the next college student that I expected to support was my soon to be senior. But life has a way of dealing us things that we did not expect to find in the cards. Given my passion for books and writing, I decided to parlay this into my teaching requirement. Yes, I will be a librarian when I grow up. ('Cuz we never really grow up, right?) I've completed one course already and start the next one today.

Since you follow me, you know that I research mentor texts. One of the ways that I stay connected to the research behind children's books is to review them. I love a good tale that allows my imagination to take its fictional ride.

You'll find that here for sure. Who doesn't love a problem that grows beyond control?

The Teacher's Pet appears to be like all the other students' tadpoles in the class. But if you look closely at Zachariah OHora's illustrations, you'll see that Mr. Stricter's pet is slightly different than the rest. Then, hold onto your hat because... Mr. Stricter's pet is not a tadpole at all. In fact, it's rather large and gray and he eats a lot, too. (Sometimes he eats unexpected things.) Don't get too close. Consider yourself warned. When a teacher is in love with something, you know it's not easy to give up. And this teacher loves this book. It's fiction at its best; meant to entertain. Kids live for this stuff.

And they also like gum. Lots and lots of gum. So when the Gumazing Gum Girl shows up with a villain on her heels...dun, dun, dun! You'd better watch out! Especially if you only have one piece of gum left in your pocket. Gabby Gomez is in a bit of a predicament. With her secret identity as Gum Girl, people are depending on her to keep them safe. But gum has a way of leaving it's mark on a certain evil villain's dashed dreams and also on Gabby's teeth. When your dad's a dentist that might not go so well. Gabby pays attention to her inner voice when it tells her to be honest about her gum-chewing ways. She wants to do the right thing, but will they understand and will it cost her the chance to save her town?  As Gabby struggles between her duty and everyday life, she hopes her bubble won't burst. My first graders flipped for this one, and heartily joined in at every "dun, dun, dun!" They couldn't wait to get their hands on a gum-scented version and read it for themselves. Now that it's out in the world, you can get your hands on it, too. Just watch out for the sticky gum.

I think you'll enjoy checking these two out for yourself.

The opinions in this post reflect my honest opinion as both an educator and a writer. Thanks to Disney-Hyperion for providing advanced reader copies of these books!

Something peculiar happened to me this past May. My writing spark flickered and nearly fizzled out. An emptiness took over the place in my heart that used to sing every time my hands hit the computer keyboard.

I didn't know it at the time, but it was a warning for me. Not just to slow down... no. I had passed that yellow flag long before. Now it was time to stop. And I did. Cold turkey. No writing. No submissions.

I picked up my family and rejoined the elementary teaching ranks clear across the country. Moving to a new state with three children was all encompassing; no time to think about writing at all. And a funny thing happened as twenty-four little first graders surrounded my suppression. My passion for teaching and children just kind of took over. I reinvested myself in these 6-year old sponges, who soak up everything they encounter.

And then after about 3 months, ideas began to flicker. Not fast and furious like they once had. But at least they were still there. And that's all that mattered. I wrote a crappy picture book draft and broke through the rust on my brain. It's not completely gone yet, but I'm okay with not killing myself over too many writing activities. That's a big thing for a work-a-holic.

As one who has always preached, "Immerse yourself in the writing world," I hope you still will. But, please do it with lots and lots of breaks.

Reading for Research Month (ReFoReMo) is just around the corner, and yes, I am still alive and kicking. I'm quite excited about this research movement I founded three years ago. We moved into our new blog home last April and have since expanded the family. Together with Kirsti Call, Janie Reinart, and Keila Dawson, we will usher in ReFoReMo 2017 when we announce our author-educator team in January. Registration will open February 15, as usual, and the challenge will begin on February 27 this year.  And that's no cold turkey.
 
If you haven’t joined us in our new blog home yet, you will find the challenge at http://www.reforemo.com. It’s good to be back!

One word was missing from my code: Human.  A human is flawed. A human makes mistakes. A human has a regular life, too.  Because I had not accepted this into my code, I attempted to live the life of a super human, or in other words, a work-a-holic. While I still want to give 200% on every task, I am just now realizing that I can’t always do that, and everyone will be just fine if I only give 100%. (Or maybe even 75% every now and then.) 

Hi Mark! Congrats on the release of LIZARD IN THE PARK.  I love the imagination that is poured into this book and the deep thoughts we are left with at the end.  All of the THINK QUICK themes below appear in your book.  Let’s see which way you lean.  Remember, THINK QUICK!
 
On Lizards (the real big ones):
Long time love or relatable passion?
Long time love. I grew up in the Mountain West and loved encountering lizards on walks through the foothills. They harken back to another time — their look, their feel, their cold-bloodedness!
 
On Attachments:
Teddy Bear or strange object?
Strange object. When I was young, I loved exploring and finding strange treasures. I suppose I still do.
 
On Parks:
Visit often or once in a while?
Visit often. I have two young daughters and we have several favorite parks. Personally, I much prefer a park to a backyard.
 
On Curiosity:
Hands-on exploration or read about it?
Hands-on exploration. I resort to reading about things only when I’ve exhausted what I can learn handling and manipulating and exploring.
 
On Nature:
Finders keepers or observe?
Finders keepers. This is tricky, since observing nature is a way of keeping it as well!
 
On Childhood Treasures:
In a box or on display?
On display. When I found treasures as a boy, I wanted it out where I could enjoy it!
 
On Thanksgiving Day Parades:
Yearly tradition or catch sporadically?
Catch sporadically. It’s a fun tradition, but one I partake in only rarely.
 
Attend live or watch on TV?
Watch on TV. I’ve yet to experience it in person! Perhaps I’ll add that to my bucket list.
 
On Play:
Live in the moment or live in your imagination?
Live in your imagination. I was a daydreamer and chronic imaginer. When I was a child, I constantly lost myself in fantasy. Whole days disappeared.
 
On Books:
Lizard from the Park or Lizard from the Park?
Lizard from the Park! I’m quite proud of this book and thrilled to see it out in the world!
 
Thanks for THINKing QUICK with us!

Click HERE for a review of Lizard From the Park
(Review by Carrie Charley Brown)