Happy Monday!

July 30, 2018July 28, 2018 ~ cynthiahm ~ 2 Comments

Welcome to Monday! This is your opportunity to learn a little more about the writer behind the blog.

As you may already have learned, I am an introvert. I get worn out from being around large groups of people. This is why I love teaching preschool and piano. My preschool is small, so we have 15 children at a time. There are no other preschool classrooms on the same site so I only need to get to know the families and children who are directly in my class. And with piano, I get to teach one student at a time. This works very well for my introverted self. The summers off are truly a time to rest and recharge and I really enjoy my alone time now that my children are both graduated from high school. Still, I’m sure I’ll miss them terribly when they eventually move out.

I’m working on relaxing and am hopeful that by the end of August, I’ll be fully rested and recharged and ready to go back to work. I’m feeling very grateful that I’ve been able to enjoy a couple of months off each year. It really helps me to appreciate and enjoy my preschoolers, piano students, and their families when I go back every fall.

What makes you feel grateful?

Books by Cynthia

Back to School Blog Giveaway! Coming Soon!

July 28, 2018 ~ cynthiahm ~ 4 Comments

Greetings and welcome to my blog! I wanted to let you all know I’m in the planning stages for my next blog/facebook giveaway. It has been too long since the last one 🙂

I’m working on the prizes right now and what they ought to be. You can expect a picture book or two in the package, that’s for sure. But what else? Hmm… an Amazon gift card might be a pretty good prize.

Do you have ideas for prizes? Ha! Silly question. I’m sorry, I am unable to give you a trip for two to Paris. C’est impossible! I’ll think on it some more…

Hey, here’s a thought…any teachers of preschool/kindergarten looking for some amazing activity ideas based on some amazing picture books? How about a set of story stretchers to go with my amazing picture book giveaways. Now that would be awesome for back to school!

Books by Cynthia

Kid Lit Love: Finn Finds a Friend by Jenna Grodzicki and Alexis St. John

July 27, 2018July 27, 2018 ~ cynthiahm

Welcome to Friday’s Kid Lit Love! Today I’m reviewing FINN FINDS A FRIEND by Jenna Grodzicki and Alexis St. John, published by Clear Fork Publishing.

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My Review:

In a blend of fiction and non-fiction, Jenna Grodzicki tells the story of Finn, the playful lemon shark. Finn tries to play with other creatures (lemon sharks, sea turtles, and even people) but has a few challenges finding a play mate. At first it seems no one wants to play with a lemon shark. In the end, his sharp shark teeth save the day for a friendly dolphin caught in some seaweed, leading to a new friendship and new play opportunities. Children are introduced to various creatures that swim in the ocean and Finn is a likeable character whose actions move the story forwards to a satisfying conclusion. The story provides an opportunity for children to learn more about lemon sharks that they are not considered dangerous to people (or dolphins).

The illustrations by Alexis St. John show the wonderful undersea world. This would be a great book for teachers and parents to add to their library.

Introducing….author Jenna Grodzicki! Welcome, Jenna!

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What’s the best thing about being a writer?

There are so many things I love about being a writer. I love the excitement of a new idea. There is so much possibility with each tiny spark. I love visiting schools and sharing my books with children. I was an elementary teacher for 15 years, so I really enjoy spending time with young readers. And I love being a part of this amazing kidlit community. The friends I’ve made have been invaluable in helping me grow as both a writer and a person.

Where does your inspiration come from?

My children are a constant source of inspiration. But my ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere. I’ve come up with ideas while at the beach, walking my dog, listening to a conversation, and in the shower, to name a few. I’ve woken up in the middle of the night on many occasions with a new story just bursting to get on paper. I carry a small notebook in my purse, so if inspiration strikes, I can quickly jot it down.

Which books are on your reading list?

There are so many books on my TBR list, and everyday it gets longer and longer. I just started readingThe Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta. I had to wait until my daughter was done with it! I really enjoy YA, and I can’t wait for Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas. For picture books, I’m looking forward to Jess Keating’s Cute as an Axolotl, Melissa Stoller’s Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush, and Josh Funk’s Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude. And of course, my son and I are dying to read Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas.

Those sound like great books. Thanks for joining us today, Jenna!

Jenna’s website

Cynthia’s book

Wednesday Writing Update

July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 ~ cynthiahm

Hello and Happy Wednesday! I’m giving weekly writing updates to keep myself motivated. Writing consistently can be a challenge when there are so many distractions. This is my way of keeping myself on track so please humour me here.

So this week I’m feeling incredibly grateful for my online critique group, who have given me some amazing feedback to help move my story forwards. I’d left this one aside for several months while working on other projects but I’m still very passionate about the story. It is a fiction picture book that features an autistic main character whose sensory challenges make it very difficult for him to enjoy something as simple as going to the beach with his family. It is a super challenging story to write because if you know much about autism, you know it presents itself quite differently in each individual.

Yes, it is getting dark and I’m still working.

Anyway, thanks to Tara Perkowski, Tasha Hilderman, Sue Macartney, Akilah Pikou and Emma Wood, I have a new direction and inspiration for this story. I’ve written a couple of new scenes to develop the story and main character further. Revising this story hasn’t been easy but I know it is getting closer to where I want it to be.

How do you keep yourself motivated to get things done?

“When eating an elephant take one bite at a time.” -Creighton Abrams

Katie Shaeffer Pancake Maker is written by Cynthia Mackey

Happy Monday!

July 23, 2018 ~ cynthiahm

Here’s a chance to learn a little about the writer behind the blog. Thanks for stopping by to read 🙂

So my story for this week continues on the walking theme. As I mentioned, I like to go for walks. And living in Victoria, B.C. is great for that because year round, the weather is fairly mild so walking outdoors in winter might be a little cold, yes, but it is rare we have a day that would stop me from going outdoors. Here’s a photo from my weekend walk.

I love all the hanging baskets in Victoria at this time of year. I also really like the historical charm of this building. It makes our little town feel unique. What could be better after a walk on a hot day than a cold beer or glass of blush wine?

I really like walking in the snow too, when we get snow. But that’s usually only a few times a year. Here’s a photo from a rare walk in the snow I took last winter… you might have to squint to see the snowflakes!

Most of the time, we need to be prepared for wet weather. That doesn’t bother me either. If I get wet, I just dry off later and enjoy a cup of tea or hot chocolate. No umbrella needed!

Do you like to go for walks? What is your neighborhood like? Please share in the comments 🙂

Have a wonderful week!

<p style=” margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;”> <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BfeysYclGgb/” style=” color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;” target=”_blank”>A rare walk in the snow today #canyouseetheflakes #westcoastwinter</a></p> <p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”>A post shared by <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/mackey_cynthia/” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;” target=”_blank”> Cynthia Mackey SCBWI Member</a> (@mackey_cynthia) on <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2018-02-22T01:49:39+00:00″>Feb 21, 2018 at 5:49pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote> //www.instagram.com/embed.js“>instagram photo

And here’s one of the places I can walk to from my house… I do like a glass of wine every once in a while, how about you?

Kid Lit Love: More Blueberries by Susan Musgrave with illustrations by Esperanca Melo

July 20, 2018July 17, 2018 ~ cynthiahm

Hello Readers and Lovers of Picture Books!

Since I have a huge appreciation for book reviews, I’m on a mission to post one picture book review each month (weekly during July and August) of a book I love. All the picture books I review in 2018 from this point forward will be the books of 12×12 members or feature books from Canadian publishers, authors and illustrators. MORE BLUEBERRIES is published by Orca Books.

If I had to use just one word to describe the book MORE BLUEBERRIES it would be…. fun!

Blueberry cheeks, blueberry chin.

Blueberry teeth, blueberry grin.

The story is less 93 carefully chosen words. I was attracted to the book because I love blueberries myself and because of the joyful faces on the book cover. The rhyme and meter is spot on and the illustrations are colourful and appealing. I like the smaller book size too for little hands. This book would work really well for introducing children to story time because of the length of story, the rhyme, the bright and interesting illustrations, the animals and the daily routines of meal time, bath time, and bed time. I am happy to add this book to my library!

What are you reading this summer?

Discover children’s books by Cynthia Mackey

Wednesday Writing Update

July 18, 2018July 17, 2018 ~ cynthiahm

Hello Lovely Reader!

Thank you for stopping to read my Wednesday Writing Update. What did I get done this week?

Well, first off, there were a few distractions like the Mr. Rogers movie, Won’t You Be My Neighbour (you’ve got to see it if you haven’t yet!) and then the boat and the lake were calling…

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Still, I managed to do some writing related stuff. Most importantly, I did two new submissions…Yay!

And aside from that, I came home from the library with a mountain of picture books to read for research.

I’m hopeful that small steps lead to greater things. We all have to start somewhere. Even Mr. Fred Rogers was not born a television star.

What are you up to this week?

Happy Monday!

July 16, 2018July 16, 2018 ~ cynthiahm ~ 4 Comments

Hello and Welcome to Monday!

This is your opportunity to get to know the writer behind the blog. Mondays are not my favourite day (how about you?) and sharing information about myself is not my favourite thing to do so they seem to sort of go together. I’m told readers like to know something about the person behind the blog, so…

One thing about me you may not know is I like to go for walks. So here is a little surprise I discovered on a recent walk in my neighbourhood. You might want to know the area is sort of an odd mix of farms and suburbs. You might call it semi-rural.

We discovered this farm stand on the trail right in the middle of a large treed park. You can buy cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower and eggs. It is all done on the honour system. Take your food and leave your money in the box. I love it that our community is the type that can actually do this successfully.

So next time I walk, I better bring some twoonies and I might as well pick up some fresh locally grown broccoli! Why not?

What does your neighbourhood walk look like? I’d love to know.

Have a great day!

Discover books by Cynthia Mackey

Kid Lit Love: Spork by Kyo Maclear and Isabelle Arsenault

July 13, 2018July 5, 2018 ~ cynthiahm

Hello Readers and Lovers of Picture Books!

Since I have a great appreciation for book reviews, I’m on a mission to post one picture book review each month (weekly over the summer months) of a book I love. All the picture books I review in 2018 from this point forward will be the books of 12×12 members or have a Canadian connection. I hope to help you discover some great new picture books. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

I was excited to read SPORK for a couple of reasons.

1. It is published by KIDS CAN PRESS

2. The title intrigued me right away since I’ve noticed that whenever a child brings a spork to school, he/she is usually very proud of it, recognizing it as unique and different somehow.

Spork gets ignored when it comes time to set the table. He is not a spoon or a fork but something in between. After trying to change himself to become more valued, he finds that he does have a place on the table after all. There are so many mixed race families with parents from two different nationalities; this book helps children understand the feelings that may come from not fitting in. In the end, Spork discovers he has a very important purpose, just like all the utensils in the kitchen. He may be in the minority, but he is still important.

I loved the message and the metaphors. I love the image with the spork staring into the toaster to view his reflection. His cheeks are a little red showing the shame and embarrassment that can come along with being different. I’m not sure if children will like the black and white illustrations but I certainly did. I loved the page full of utensils of no matching kind. Children will be drawn to this as they seem to love tools of any kind. I can see the kid appeal with this book and plan to read it to my class when school gets back in the fall.

What picture books are you reading this summer?

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Discover children’s books by Cynthia Mackey