Hang around Booklandia for any length of time – say, 20 minutes or so – and you know that authors whose books have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize pretty much have their tickets punched for the rest of their authorly lives. Cuz the Pulitzer Prize is a Big Deal. (Not as big as our PAWsome Book Awards, of course. Nobody can top that.)
But wait a minute. What about worthy books that shoulda won a Pulitzer but didn’t?
Kimber: I’m gonna be seven years this month! I’m telling you this now to give you last-minute gift-getters a heads up.
Anyway, Her Momness insists I’m still a “puppy.” So embarrassing. I keep telling her I’m a lap dog. I mean, really. What’s a measly 55 pounds?
So. I may not be seven yet. But I’ve been around long enough to make some observations. Like: Postal carriers aren’t always friendly. Neither are fences. There’s no such thing as a “ten second rule” when Yours Truly is on kitchen patrol.
Squirrel!
Wait. Where was I?
Oh yeah. I’ve made some observations in seven years-ish. One of them is there are lots of different kinds of readers. You may not think us canines notice stuff like this. But we do. Here are a few of the readers I’ve seen. Any of these sound familiar?
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A new baby is exciting. But what if you’re the baby in the family? How will the imminent arrival of a younger brother or sister effect you?
While awaiting the arrival of a new brother or sister, young Benjamin plays a “baby package” game with his mom in this sweet and gentle story by Patricia Eckerman Ambas. Benjamin first pretends he’s a new package that has just arrived for mom. The package arrives in forms shapes and forms – a blanket, a basket, an imaginary box. But each package comes with an unspoken question: What about me when the new baby comes?
![Here in the Not Yet by [David Spaugh]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41IiJSmJzxL.jpg)
Here in the Not YetNote: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Who am I? Why am I here? What makes a hero? What is bravery all about? What are the two most powerful words in the English language?
All these questions and more are met head-on in David Spaugh’s finely crafted psychological thriller, Here in the Not Yet.
You’re an author looking for a thoughtful, quality review of your latest magnum opus. You’re a book reviewer looking for thoughtful, quality books to review. You’re both looking for some cred. Some traction. Where do you go?
That can be a challenge. It depends on several factors, including – but not limited to – how hard you want to work and how much you want to pay or be paid. But another key question is whether or not your work will get the quality attention and exposure you want. After all, it takes a lot of work, time and effort to write books or book reviews. So where can you go to get the most “bang for your buck”?
Grays skies are clearing. Temperatures are inching upwards. Summer’s waiting in the wings. Even if you’re stuck inside, you can still roam the outdoors through books! Especially when celebrating Great Outdoors Month!
Today we’re highlighting 20 top outdoor titles for kiddos. These books are geared for children ages third through ninth grade, roughly.
All include strong characters, engaging plots, and superlative story-telling. All have stood the test of time. (You may detect a big canine bias here. Because as Kimber knows, everything is better with dogs. Yes sirree, Lassie! That goes double for the Great Outdoors!)
Besides. If you can’t go to the outside, we’ll bring the outside to you, inside with:
“Strong writing” is somewhat subjective. Pose the question to 100 book reviewers or authors and you’re likely to get 100 different responses. Or variations on a theme.
So what do we mean by “strong writing” in fiction? Glad you asked. Here’s the 4-1-1 (the short version):
One of us used to feel a teensy twinge when an author complained about a negative book review. For a lousy book.
Now she just laughs:
Newsflash, Cupcake: We do honest reviews here. We’ve panned Pulitzer Prize winners we thought weren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. We’ve also heaped praise on unknown indie authors who earn it. So don’t whine about a negative review. You sound like the “wah-wah” adult in Peanuts.
Cuz guess what, Toots? We So. Don’t. Care.
Now that we’ve got that outta the way, buckle up. Cuz it’s time for another rip roarin- edition of Big Kitty Litter Box in the Sky Awards. Cuz, holy Meow Mix! You don’t want to waste your valuable time on lousy snoozers that make fish wrap look delish, right? We already did that. So you don’t have to. You’re welcome. (Note: We received complimentary copies of most of these titles in exchange for honest reviews.)
Here’s the short list of qualifications for a Big Kitty Litter Box in the Sky award:
Kimber: “Memoirs? Biogs? Is that like when that Barbra lady sings about misty water-colored memories? Like in the movie with Robert Corvette?”
Mom: “The movie is The Way We Were, Kimster. And the actor is Robert Redford.”
Kimber: “You drive what you want and I’ll drive what I want… Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Memoirs and Biogs. Guess we better start with some definitions:”
Got that? Great. Cuz we’re gonna color outside the lines a bit. Bring you some of All of the Above, under the general-ish category of Memoir/Biogs. (We’re using the terms a bit loosely. So don’t blow a gasket, okay?)
Frozen Lake Trail out of Sunrise, Mount Rainier National Park.
June is Great Outdoors Month. I love this month because… well… um… I love June because Mom loves June. And I love everything Mom loves. (Except broccoli. Gag me with roughage!)
Hurray for Great Outdoors Month!
Back to June. Check it out: Hiking! Frisbee tossing! Swimming! Canoeing! Frisbee chasing! Kayaking! Fishing! Frisbee-ing! Picnicking! Biking! Frisbees! The beach, the mountains, the desert, the plains!
Did I mention Frisbees?
Pages & Paws 