UP!–My First Book of 2015

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not one to participate in meme’s and challenges, but Sheila at Book Journey (she’s a veteran at this kind of stuff!) hosts a few that are simple and fun and don’t add stress to my life (this is a KEY factor! lol). Last year was her first time hosting a “First Book of the Year” meme and though my blog wasn’t launched yet, I couldn’t resist participating 🙂 So here we are and it’s that time of year again!

2aaaaaaa2015Seeing as she already hooked me into her Harry Potter ReRead-a-long, fitting in yet Continue reading

UP!–Library Love <3

BookStack_WriterSideUp.com_byDonnaMarie  Research_WriterSideUp.com_byDonnaMarie Periodicals_WriterSideUp.com_byDonnaMarie

I LOVE LIBRARIES!

Entrance - red frame

Seriously—can you imagine what it would be like without them? And in this day and age, libraries are not solely for the housing and sharing of printed material. Along with owning video and audio libraries, many serve as the sole source for computer and internet activity for a lot of people. In many cases local libraries are the hub of community activity! Continue reading

UP!–Q&A with Matthew Winner!

Q&A-LighterSideUp_WriterSideUp.com_byDonnaMarieMatthew Winner 1

A “Lighter Side Up” Q&A:

Getting to Know

Matthew Winner

 

I am honored to be a stop

on the Blog + Pod Tour

in celebration of…

LGBPodcast100

It is no accident when someone like Matthew Winner achieves what is akin to royalty status in the world of school libraries and children’s literature. But he is not the type king who rules with an iron fist. Instead, he leads with a passionate spirit.

When I first became aware of Matthew, through Twitter, and eventually became a true fan of his “Let’s Get Busy” podcasts (now at All the Wonders), I had no idea just how much this man accomplishes. He is one BUSY Librarian!  The truth is, he’s more of a “jack of all trades,” as he puts it. (I call it multi-talented and driven 😉 ) That versatility has enabled him to touch the lives of an ever-growing, wide variety of people, including mine. His expressive personality and exceptional insight shines through with fervor and enthusiasm in all aspects of his life: as a Teacher-Librarian, a Media Specialist, a podcast interviewer, and as a husband and father. His genuine interest in and caring about people is evident—he naturally “connects” with whomever he engages, whether it’s a child in a classroom, a colleague face-to-face and on Twitter, or a Kidlit professional through Skype. Continue reading

UP!—SO Glad I Didn’t Miss THIS Train!

platform 9 and 3 quarters(NOTE: while this post is current, scroll on the sidebar —in a separate tab or window—to click to listen to Hedwig’s Theme while reading 😀)

We can miss a lot of things in life, including the proverbial “boat.” After all, there are so many things to do, people to meet and places to see, and it’s impossible to be aware of or actually do it all when it’s timely, right? Well, one big train I happened to catch when the timing was right, having walked through the barrier onto Platform 9 3/4, was none other than the Hogwarts Express, and OH, it’s taken me on the most unforgettable ride!

When Sheila of Book Journey announced her hosting a Harry Potter ReRead-a-long, I couldn’t resist, regardless of how little time I had to add “pressure” reading to my life. The thing is, though the page count is sometimes hard for me to achieve in my time frame, there’s nothing about the actual reading of this series that is a burden. For me it is a joy 🙂 Continue reading

UP!–Celebrating the Format of PRINT PICTURE BOOKS!

Picture Book Month-Celebration LogoIn case you weren’t aware—IT’S PICTURE BOOK MONTH! I’ve been heavily involved in the Kidlit World of Picture Books for decades now, but hadn’t known of this more-than-worthwhile celebration ’til last year when I got more immersed in Twitter and social media. And OH, what a celebration it is! Continue reading