From Author Rebecca Grabill
This Joyful Mess
How I Streamlined My Homeschool Day and Saved My Sanity
When it comes to homeschool technique I've tried everything. Work boxes? Tried it. Digital planners with printed-out schedules? Been there. Pre-planned curriculum packages that cover all subjects? Done it. Totally online learning like Easy Peasy? Yup. The non-homeschool option: Public/Charter school? Yes, even that.
And no matter what I did, every day was a whirlwind of...
My Book is on AMAZON!!! Yes, you can pre-order Halloween Good Night!
I am so full of exclamation points! See, just this morning I was showing Maggie the cover art pdf. She, always attentive, noticed the little square on the back cover where the bar code will go. "What's that?"
Halloween Picture Books To Die For
A round-up of recent favorite Halloween picture books!
Lessons in Rhyme: How to Write a Rhyming Picture Book
I believe four key elements unite the best of the best rhyming picture book texts: Structure, Speech, Surprise, and Story. Books that fail will be lacking in one (or more) of these key areas; those that succeed will demonstrate at least passing-grade competence in all four. Now to examine these elements more closely.
An Everlasting Favorite: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Tuck Everlasting. I first read this in upper elementary when I was in a special "advanced" reading class where I got to spend the English hour on the beanbags in the corner and read my way through Newbery classics.
MFAC YA Booklist: True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff
True Believer is a novel in verse, or is it? I would say funky line breaks and jaggy right margins do not verse make (how’s that for some ferociously f*rked syntax?).
A Book about Strangulation: Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
Strongly reminiscent of What Jamie Saw with the neurotic-to-near-psychotic level of emotional intensity. Though my library had this in the junior fiction section, likely because the librarian didn’t read it enough to look beyond Palmer’s young age, I see why it’s seen as a book for teens.
Crazy Awesome Loving It Book Cover For Halloween Good Night!
I have a book cover, people! For my first-ever-to-be-published picture book, Halloween Good Night! Illustrated by the incredible Ella Okstad! Due out from Atheneum Books for Young Readers (a division of S&S) July, 2017! And the cover? IS FREAKING ADORABLE!!!!
Amazing, Exotic sci-fi: The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is a truly fascinating sci-fi set in Africa. Talk about fabulous worldbuilding! It’s surprisingly accessible and gives us only a little “weirdness” at a time so we have time to acclimate.
Screenplay in Book Form: Monster by Walter Dean Meyers
Monster has an interesting form, but I’m not sure it worked for me. This book was told in a combination of diary and screenplay, both supposedly written by the protagonist, Steve. I bought that a kid could be on trial for something he maybe didn’t do...
Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect. I’d love to hear from you!