Summertime Changes: Find Out What’s New and What's Coming Soon!

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.

Quote by C. S. Lewis

This summer there are some changes coming! Most of them will take place in the Let's Talk Books! newsletter, but there will be a few new things on the website and right here in the blog! I think these changes will be great additions for readers and also will help me as I work to simplify a few things as the number of writing projects increases this year and next. Today, I am excited to announce some of these changes!

What's New Around the Website?

I am super excited about a special change on the website! If you have never heard of Bookshop.org, it is an online bookshop where your purchases not only supply you with great books but also help support indie bookshops around the US and the UK! This shop has a wide variety of books, and Lyonsword Publishing now has its own shop! This means you can help support indie bookshops and Lyonsword Publishing simultaneously by purchasing books through the Bookshop.org links you see around the website (Like the one on the blog homepage!). Please be aware that I am a Bookshop.org affiliate and earn from qualifying purchases.

Writing Journal Name Change

To make the blog a little more personal, I have decided to change the writing journal to be more about an update directly written to my readers! The Writing Journal will now be called the Author Life Journal. As usual, you will be able to find updates on my writing projects, but I might also give some fun life updates and some hints about what is going on in the Author Life Newsletter each month!

Writing Fun is Moving and Getting More Fun!

If you are not on my newsletter email list, now is the time to join (sign up here), as some super fun updates are coming very soon! This update is still in the works but will involve the Writing Fun blog category and will take place sometime this summer! Stay tuned and sign up for my email list for further updates!

Share Your Thoughts!

As the C. S. Lewis quote above reminds us, change is necessary for improvement and discovering new things. But change is not the only helpful thing. So is feedback! I would love to hear your thoughts on these changes! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! If you haven't yet joined the email list, make sure you do so today so you don't miss out on all the fun!

Children’s Book of the Month - Arthur's Honey Bear!

I had totally forgotten about this month’s children’s book until I found it in my box of children’s books! When I saw it, I immediately remembered loving it as a kid, but I couldn’t remember what it was about. So yes, I sat down and read a children’s book the other day! I read Arthur’s Honey Bear! Let’s take a look at the details of this book.

Book Details

Title: Arthur’s Honey Bear

Author: Lillian Hoban

Illustrator: Lillian Hoban

Theme: Growing up, honoring agreements, and sharing.

Plot: Arthur decides it’s time to sell his toys and sets up a sale. But when his sister offers to buy the only toy he isn’t sure he wants to sell, he shows great character in his solution to the problem.

Page Count: 64 pages

Review

Arthur’s Honey Bear is a cute story about Arthur, a young chimpanzee, who decides to sell his toys. When he can’t make a sale, his little sister Violet offers to help but asks to buy the one toy Arthur is not sure he wants to sell. Arthur and his sister work things out in the cutest way possible. You will have to read it to find out what happens!

As I was reminded of what this story is about, I recalled loving this story so much growing up! I remember reading it as a kid and thinking of my own toys and siblings. I had to share a lot with my siblings growing up, so

I found this story to be very relatable. As an adult, I love the messages hidden in this book. First, Arthur shows that he is growing up by understanding that he can earn money by selling his toys. His ability to part with most of his things is an excellent example for children. One does not need to get rid of everything as we age, but it is a good idea to clean things out occasionally and get rid of things we don’t use. Violet’s desire to help her brother is a great example for little kids of how to help their siblings while encouraging responsibility. Arthur’s solution to his problem teaches children that honoring agreements is important and that sharing is a great way to solve problems. With all these little lessons packed into this adorable and relatable story, this book is an excellent read for kids!

While I thoroughly enjoyed Arthur’s Honey Bear, a few elements didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The grumpy friend who decided not to buy toys from Arthur could have been more understanding. In addition, Violet and Arthur experience a bit of tension when he tries to ensure she is caring for the toy correctly. Though it is very slight. Despite these minor hiccups, I still give this book a solid four and a half stars! But don’t just take my word for it! Let’s see what others think!

Family Reviews

Kate and Josiah

Kate gave this book four stars saying, “I thought it was funny that Arthur became the uncle because he missed the bear!”

Josiah “loved” this book, giving it a rating of five hearts. He said that his favorite part was “The chocolate ice cream cones” and when “Aurther and Violate ate their ice cream cones too.” He said this was his favorite part “because it’s yummy.”

Emily, James, Christine, and Peter

Emily gave this book three stars saying, “I thought it was great that Arthur bought ice cream for Violet, and that they shared honey bear’s ice cream” because “It was a nice example of generosity and sharing between siblings.”

Peter (5) seemed to agree that he wasn’t sure how he felt about this book, giving it three hearts. But his favorite part was “…when Violet bought honey bear.”

Christine (6) didn’t like the book due to some “mean stuff” and James (8) found it better suited for a younger audience.

Let’s Talk Books! Blog Edition – The Fun of Random Library Searches

Have you ever just entered a library with no idea of what you want to read and started browsing the isles? If you have never done this, I highly recommend it. So many times, we pass right by some great books when we enter the library on our mission to find that one Star Wars book that is never available because it is so popular, but we might as well check while we are there. Sometimes, treasures are found in those unplanned library trips. You know, the one where you see the library…and then suddenly you are curled up in a chair reading a book? Yeah, those trips are the best!

When I was a kid, we used to go to the library after school and just chill. There is something so calming about the silence in a library. It isn’t true silence…it is filled silence. Active silence. The silence of learning and exploring. Within the sound of library silence are those little distant echoes of typing, whispers of study groups, the shush of a librarian (no library is complete without it), and even that sound of people walking on a short fiber carpet with shoes on, the occasional door opening and closing as more people come in to enjoy books. And last but not least, the sound of books. The sound of covers slipping on each other as books are removed from shelves, pages turning, the occasional thump from the study corners when a thick encyclopedia snaps shut. That one I miss. You don’t hear that one as much these days. All in all, that silence is a specific silence. It is a silence I encourage you to visit from time to time just to take a breather and relax.

While you are there, browse the isles with no idea what you are looking for. Pick one you love to visit, one you know will give you something you are guaranteed to enjoy. Then, once you find a book or five, move to one you never thought you would enter. Maybe the history section (that’s the one I usually find boring), or perhaps the science research section (I love that one!), or maybe it is something else entirely. Whatever it is, enter and browse.

This strategy for finding new books to read can also work when you are online. Though you don’t get the same experience as being in a library, you can still do the same thing. Hop on the library catalog and search for keywords, then simply bourse. I did this recently when looking for books to read in February. That is how I found the book A Wolf Called Wander. If you missed that book in my newsletter review, it was a cute book written from a wolf’s point of view that artistically expresses the struggle for survival when someone experiences loss. It was a fascinating little book written from the point of view of wildlife, exploring possible thoughts animals might have about their situations. It was also written for younger audiences. I would have never picked it up off a shelf and actually read it if I hadn’t been able to search based on the keyword “Washington state.” There are no isles for that in a library.

Though that experience was good, sometimes I find some books I don’t even get past the first page of. This is another reason I love doing this in the library. I can sit down and get comfy, and if the book doesn’t grab me within a few pages, I just return it right then and there without having to drive all over the place. If it gets and holds my attention in the first chapter, I add it to my checkout pile. In short, random library book searches, both in person and in the online catalog, can be a great way to find new reads that you usually wouldn’t look for.

Have you ever done this? I would love to hear about the books you found in your random library visits and catalog searches! Comment and tell me about them!

Photo Credit: Wix Photos