The Enchanted Necklace (A Nordic Princess Fairytale)

James Bradley Clarke has written a delightful book full of magic and excitement, combining Norse mythology with an imaginary world.

Since it’s an adventure with lots of danger it may appeal to boys as well as girls, even though the main characters are girls.

I hope Clarke writes more books about the two princesses, Hedda and Silya, because I’d like to read more about them.

Timothy Mean and the Time Machine

This book is about Timothy who uses his imagination to make a time machine and has lots of mischievous adventures as he uses it.

William A. E. Ford has written a book that kids, especially boys, will enjoy. What boys wouldn’t love pirates, dinosaurs, trips to outer space, and lots of other adventures even if each one only takes a single page? 

And Timothy gets away with a lot of naughty things, too.

Even some kids who are usually too old for picture books will think this one is fun.

And Marcelo Simonetti’s illustrations capture the exciting scenes perfectly.

Not Fair!

In the winter I wear sweaters and other warm clothing that don’t need to be steamed or ironed to remove wrinkles. In Spring and Autumn I wear lots of things made with synthetics, and they don’t need to be ironed or steamed.

But in the Summer when the weather gets really hot the coolest fabrics are things like pure cotton and rayon that do need to be steamed or ironed to get rid of the wrinkles.

And using a steamer or iron is warm work.

That’s not fair!

But wait…

Is it fair that I have plenty of clothes to choose from, and an insulated house with heating and air conditioning when so many people in the world don’t even have a roof over their heads or more clothes than what they’re wearing?

Certainly not!

Okay, I’ll quit complaining about the minor inconveniences in my own life.

Blogging About Blogs

I can’t remember how many years ago it was when I first heard about blogging on the internet.

The word, blog, was originally a combination of the words, web and log. A blog was originally called a weblog and that word got shortened to blog.

And I can’t remember exactly how long I have been blogging. I started in about 2009 when my first book was going to be published. 

Back then I wondered how I could possibly think of something to write twice a week, but I’ve been blogging for ten years and only missed posts a few times when I had computer or internet problems or personal emergencies.

I also share all my blog posts on Facebook, so that’s where I get almost all the comments.

I don’t know if my blog posts have helped sell my books, but I enjoy writing them, and I enjoy reading other people’s posts.

If anyone would like to go to www.janetanncollins.com and leave a comment on my blog there, I’d appreciate that.

And, of course, I’d love to have more people buy my books.

Caitie the Caterpillar

Jennifer Gladen has written a cute book for kids.

There are lots of books about caterpillars turning into butterflies, and I’ve even seen some with similar titles like  Katy the Caterpillar and Catie the Caterpillar.

But this book is different. It’s not just about metamorphosis.

Caitie and her friend, Alexander Ant, have to keep finding ways to escape from Swift Sparrow, who wants to eat them so the book is an exciting adventure.

The artist, Eugene Ruble, does a good job of showing the story.

The scientific information at the end of the book will be interesting to kids, too.

Why I Write

When I was a kid my mother used to say, “Oh, Janet, you have SUCH an imagination!” as if that weren’t a good thing.

From the time I was three years old I made up imaginary friends. And my favorite part of the day was just before going to bed when one of my parents read to me.

And through most of my childhood I’d go out and play with the other kids in the neighborhood and we’d usually pretend things.

I was reading fluently by the time I finished First Grade (that’s another story) and have loved to read ever since.

So I write, partly to put my imagination to good use, and also to give back some of the joy reading has given to me.

Song For A Whale

I loved this book!

It’s about Iris, who wants to help a lonely whale hear calls similar to his own and figures out a way to make that happen.

Having worked at California School for the Deaf, raised Deaf foster kids, married a Sign Language interpreter, and had many Deaf friends, I appreciate that the author accurately portrays Iris, who is Deaf.

And, since I’ve always loved animals and been fascinated with how they communicate, there couldn’t be a plot that would interest me more.

After Iris figures out how to make and record sounds similar to those of the whale, her grandmother takes her on a cruise to try to contact the whale.

That’s only a simplified description of the exciting plot.

All the characters seem real, the settings are described so well it feels like the reader is actually there, and I learned a lot from reading this wonderful book.

The author, Lynne Jelly, is a Sign Language interpreter and obviously knows what she has written about.

Song For A Whale is a wonderful book!

Imagination

When I was a kid my mother often told me I had too much imagination, but I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to have too much imagination.

Just think what the world would be like if nobody had ever imagined anything. 

Boring!

As a kid, whether at home with my brother or out with the other kids in the neighborhood, I’d be using my imagination to pretend. Often as we played we’d become cowboys and Indians, princesses and knights in shining armor, space explorers, or adults with our own children.

And, of course, as a voracious reader, my imagination would follow the plots of whatever books I was reading. And it still does! 

That’s why I’m a writer.

When we use our imaginations anything is possible!