January Book

The January Book Buddies book will be... Angel of the Battlefield by Ann Hood!  We will meet to discuss the book on Monday, January 28th at 3:30pm.

Registration is required.  If you would like to join Book Buddies (for readers in grades 3 - 6) we would love to have you!  To sign up, call the Children's Desk at 401-847-8720 ext. 204 or email me at cgould@newportlibraryri.org.

When their parents divorce, twelve-year-old twins Felix and Maisie move with their mother to live in the attic of a historic Newport, Rhode Island, mansion where they discover a hidden room that carries with it an intriguing secret.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to the members of the Book Buddies Book Club and to all the young readers out there!  Enjoy the winter break, read a lot and have a safe and happy New Year. 

Hope to see you all again in January!

December Meeting Wrap-Up

The Book Buddies Book Club met yesterday afternoon to discuss our December book, The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements.  We had a great meeting and enjoyed popcorn and holiday cupcakes while we talked about the book.

Everyone really enjoyed the book and liked Hart very much.  We thought he was a nice kid, the kind of person we might like to be friends with and that he was nice-popular, not bossy-popular.

We talked a lot about Hart's relationship with the chorus director, Mr. Meinert, and how it changed over the course of the book.  While he started out totally disliking chorus and not treating Mr. Meinert with a lot of respect, Hart learned how difficult it really is to be a teacher and how hard Mr. Meinert had to work to make the chorus good.  He also learned that it's hard to please everyone and sometimes being a leader means making tough choices that don't necessarily make you popular.

Popularity was an important theme in the book and we talked about what it means to be popular.  As Hart discovered, popularity can often be very fleeting and therefore it's more important to be a good person than to be popular. 

We thought the concert turned out well thanks to Hart's father and Mr. Meinert's efforts as well as Hart's dedication to making it a success.  We talked about why the author may have chosen to call the book, The Last Holiday Concert, and thought that it could have a lot of meanings but that, in the end, it might really be the last holiday concert since Mr. Meinert got laid off from his job soon afterward. 

Overall we really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to our friends!  Another winner from the amazing author Andrew Clements.

Thanks to all the Book Buddies members who attended!

Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that the Book Buddies Book Club will meet on Monday, December 17th @ 3:30pm to discuss our December book, The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements.  If you've never attended book club before and want to join us, just drop me an email and let me know you are coming (that way I can make sure to have enough supplies on hand).

Hope to see you on the 17th!

 

Holiday Events

There are two exciting holiday events coming up that you don't want to miss!

On Saturday, December 15th at 10:30am, the Piccolini Players present "Circus in a Trunk."  Music, physical comedy, juggling, pantomime, acrobatics and poetic whimsy as well as contemporary and classic European style clowning. No registration is required for this free program, just drop-in.

On Thursday, December 20th @ 3:30pm come to Frosty's Magic Birthday Party!  Celebrate Frosty's birthday with magician Greg McAdams.  Magic, audience participation and lots of comedy.  No registration is required for this free program, just drop-in.

Reading Recommendations for School Vacation

School vacation week is almost here, just two short weeks away!  Here are a few wonderful new books to curl up with and enjoy during your time off...

Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin

An innkeeper's chore boy discovers that a visitor's stories hold the key to returning the moon to the Starry River of the Sky.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Percy, Hazel, and Frank are united with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven? The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . . 

Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood

Twelve-year-old Rose Bliss wants to work magic in her family's bakery as her parents do, but when they are called away and Rose and her siblings are left in charge, the magic goes awry and a beautiful stranger tries to talk Rose into giving her the Bliss Cookery Booke.

Land of Stories: The Wishing Well by Chris Colfer

Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

December Author: Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements is the author of our December book, The Last Holiday Concert.  He has written MANY wonderful books for children.  His newest include the Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School series, Troublemaker and About Average.

Find out all about him at his website.

The Whites of Their Eyes (Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School #3)

With a key to the Oakes School in his possession Benjamin, his friend Jill, and a new friend continue to seek ways to protect the school and their town but Lyman, the janitor and a spy, has new tricks up his sleeve.

Troublemaker

When his older brother gets in serious trouble, sixth-grader Clay decides to change his own mischief-making ways, but he cannot seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker.

About Average

As the end of sixth grade nears, Jordan Johnson, unhappy that she is only average in appearance, intelligence, and athletic ability, reveals her special skills when disaster strikes her central Illinois elementary school.

December Book

The Book Buddies book for December will be The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements.  We will meet on Monday, December 17th @ 3:30pm in the John Clarke Children's Program Room to discuss the book and have some holiday treats.  Copies of the book are available at the Children's Desk.

Registration is required - please let me know if you plan to attend so that I can make sure to have enough treats and supplies.  Call 401-847-8720 ext. 204 or email cgould@newportlibraryri.org to sign up.

Life is usually easy for popular fifth grader Hart Evans, but when his music teacher puts him in charge of the holiday concert, Hart must use all of his leadership skills to unite the other students.

Did You Know...

Did you know that you can download music for free through the Newport Public Library?  By visiting the library's website and selecting Freegal Music (under "downloads" in the red menu bar), patrons with a Newport Public Library card can download up to three mp3 songs each week.  Songs do not expire!  They are yours to keep.

For help getting started, visit our Freegal Music Help page.

Freegal music has a wide variety of music both new and old - check it out today!

For additional help downloading music through the library contact the Reference Desk at 401-847-8720 ext. 208.

November Meeting Wrap-Up

The Book Buddies Book Club met yesterday afternoon to discuss our November book, The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling.  Everyone really enjoyed the book and we had a terrific discussion.

We began by talking about our first impressions of John and whether or not he is "a very nice boy" as he is described.  We felt that a "nice" person is someone who is helpful, kind, a good listener and one who is good at sharing and that John had some "nice" qualities but that he was very selfish and greedy where chocolate was concerned.  We also thought about whether or not he would be a good friend and decided that he would be a good friend and that he was a good friend to Susan even though he destroyed her silver dollar and ruined her birthday party.  We felt that those incidents weren't really his fault because he didn't intend for the bad things to happen and because Susan encouraged him to bite the silver dollar against his better judgement.

We thought John was wrong for not taking responsibility for things that happened to him and were all glad when he did finally realize there was no one to blame but himself. 

We hope that John probably learned a lot from his chocolate experience and will be less greedy and selfish in the future.

One book club member suggested that the storekeeper who sold John the chocolate that started his chocolatitis might have actually been Dr. Cranium.  Could they be the same person?  Perhaps Dr. Cranium wanted to teach John a lesson about his chocolate greed and felt that this would be a good way to do it.

We all thought it would have been nice if John could have chosen which things in his life would turn to chocolate and discussed other food "touches" we would like to have.  Some would like things to taste like pizza, bacon, truffles, or ice cream.  Others liked the idea of a "burger touch."  Overall we all agree that having everything taste the same all of the time is a bad idea because it would get very boring after awhile and it would be bad for our nutrition.

Following our discussion we read a short version of the King Midas story and compared and contrasted King Midas and John Midas.  We also did a Chocolate Touch word search puzzle and crossword puzzle and tested our memories with a Chocolate Touch trivia quiz.

Prior to our discussion we attempted to make our very own chocolates!  Everyone had a great time melting the chocolate and pouring it into the molds.  Thanks to 15 minutes in the freezer, the chocolates hardened very quickly and everyone got to take some Book Buddies chocolate home.

It was an excellent meeting and thanks to all the Book Buddies members who came!

Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that the Book Buddies Book Club will meet this afternoon at 3:30pm in the John Clarke Children's Program Room to discuss The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling.

Hope to see you there!

National Book Award Winner

The National Book Award winners for 2012 were announced on Wednesday and the winner for Young People's Literature is...

Goblin Secrets by William Alexander!

In Goblin Secrets, a boy joins a theatrical troupe of goblins to find his missing brother. In the town of Zombay, there is a witch named Graba who has clockwork chicken legs and moves her house around--much like the fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga. Graba takes in stray children, and Rownie is the youngest boy in her household. Rownie's only real relative is his older brother Rowan, who is an actor. But acting is outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan has disappeared. Desperate to find him, Rownie joins up with a troupe of goblins who skirt the law to put on plays. But their plays are not only for entertainment, and the masks they use are for more than make-believe. The goblins also want to find Rowan--because Rowan might be the only person who can save the town from being flooded by a mighty river.

Did You Know.....

Did you know that you can get eBooks for free through the library?

Check out EZone, Rhode Island's statewide eBook library, for eBooks AND audiobooks or visit the 3M Cloud library for eBooks available to Newport Public Library cardholders only.

Get instructions for downloading books through EZone to your Kindle, Nook, iPad and more!

 Get instructions for using the 3M Cloud!

For additional help downloading eBooks through the library contact the Reference Desk at 401-847-8720 ext. 208.

Native American Programs for Kids

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with two amazing programs!

This Saturday, November 17th at 11:00am, performer George Penedo will share his love for the Native American flute.  He will give a little background on the history and making of the flutes and will play several tunes for the audience to enjoy.

On Monday, November 19th at 3:30pm, learn about Native American culture, history and archaeology with independent researcher Amy Tibbetts.  Find out what the Pilgrims and Native Americans ate at the first Thanksgiving and much more.  This program will include items for children to see and touch.

No registration is required for these free programs - just drop-in.

Hope to see you there!

King Midas

The Chocolate Touch (in which everything John's lips touch turns to chocolate) is a spoof of the greek myth about King Midas. Everything King Midas touched turned to gold. Much like John, at first King Midas was delighted with his power. But over time, he realized how horrible it really was. The children's department has a couple of books about King Midas that you might want to look at to expand your reading of The Chocolate Touch:

King Midas by Neil Philip (j292 Phi)

In ancient Greece, King Midas had the chance to ask one favor of the god Dionysus. He asked that everything he touched might turn to gold.

King Midas and the Golden Touch by Charlotte Craft (j398.2 Cra)

A king finds himself bitterly regretting the consequences of his wish that everything he touches would turn to gold.

Sweet Reading

In The Chocolate Touch, John acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate. At first this is wonderful but overtime, he begins to see how this might not be such a great thing. For those of you (like me!) who love chocolate, here a few more sweet stories to wet your appetite...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in his own way.

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith

From eating too much chocolate, Henry breaks out in brown bumps that help him foil some hijackers and teach him a valuable lesson about self- indulgence.

The Chocolate Cat by Sue Stainton

A clever cat helps his owner, a chocolate maker, to discover the magic in his work and together they transform a colorless town into a place of beauty and happiness.

This Book is Not Good For You by Pseudonymous Bosch

In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass's mom has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Señor Hugo! The ransom...the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it's too late? Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Señor Hugo's chocolate success?

Chocolate: A Sweet History by Sandra Markle

Complete with recipes, a guide provides an informative review of the history of chocolate by explaining where it originated, how it was originally used and by whom, how it is grown and processed, how it came to be made into tasty treats in modern times, and more.

Homework Help: Try This!

Looking for a great book to read?  Did you know that you can search NoveList to find:

• all the titles in a fiction series
• all the titles written by an author you liked
• fiction books about a topic that you are interested in or like to read about
• read-alikes for every author, title and series

Find NoveList by visiting the kids Great Reads webpage.

Questions?  Visit the Children's Desk or call 401-847-8720 ext. 204 for more information.

Letters About Literature

Do you like to write? 

All Rhode Island students in grades 4 - 10 are invited to write a personal letter to a favorite author, describing the impact of the author's book on his or her life or explaining how that book helped them see an aspect of the world - large or small - through new eyes.

This contest has a national prize of $1000.  The deadline to enter is January 11, 2013.

Directions for entering and contest guidelines can be found on the Letters About Literature website. 

Good luck and happy writing!

November Book

Our November book will be... The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling.  We will meet on Monday, November 26th @ 3:30pm in the John Clarke Children's Program Room to discuss the book.  Copies are available at the Children's Desk. 

If you are new to the group, please let me know you are coming!  Sign up at the children's desk, by calling 401-847-8720 ext. 204 or by emailing me at cgould@newportlibraryri.org.

A boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate.

Sounds great, right?  Hmm, on second thought maybe not....

Hope to see you there!

Homework Help: Try This!

Looking for additional help in one of your subjects?  Check out the Kids Homework Help Webpage and see what's available to you!

Our Kids Homework Help page is your access point not only to the World Book Web, Live Homework Help (online tutoring) and our databases like Kids Search and the Student Research Center but also provides you with subject-specific links to some terrific websites.

The websites we've selected are authoritative (accurate information), trustworthy (we know you'll get good information) and fun!  We've chosen links to some great websites in the subjects of Math and Science, History and Social Studies, and English and Grammar.

Need to do a science fair project?  Don't miss the Science Fair Project Resource Guide (it will change your life!).  Need to know more about the inner workings of the U.S. Government?  Your one step away from Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids.  Trying to figure out how to do a citation?  Visit the Online Writing Lab from Purdue University.

See all these terrific subject-specific links and more on the kids homework help webpage.

Questions?  Visit the Children's Desk or call 401-847-8720 ext. 204 for more information.

October Meeting Wrap-Up

The Book Buddies Book Club met on Monday afternoon to discuss our October book, Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy.  We had a terrific discussion, enjoyed Halloween popcorn and
cupcakes and planted pumpkin seeds!

We all really liked the book and the main character, Mildred.  We felt that she was someone we could all imagine being friends with because she has a great personality (and for the boys she's not super-girly).

We talked about hobbies and although none of us grow giant pumpkins like Mildred we discovered that our book club members like to participate in dance and gymnastics and read and collect sea glass for fun.

We discussed Mildred's difficult relationship with her Aunt Arlene and decided that although they are very different people and it seems like Aunt Arlene is always trying to get Mildred to be more like her, Aunt Arlene is just trying to help Mildred and be the best mother-figure she can be.

Mildred had an assignment to write a paper on someone who inspires her and we talked about people who inspire us.  We all agree that our parents are inspirational as well as people like Steve Irwin and Captain America. 

Mildred never was overly concerned with fitting in at school or having the coolest clothes and we all really liked that about her.  We all really liked that she stayed true to herself and didn't cave in to peer pressure to be like everyone else.

We all agreed that it was terrible of Grover to try and spread rumors at the pumpkin show that Mildred had help growing her pumpkin but we thought that he was probably doing it out of jealousy and that Mildred handled it very well by not making a big commotion out of it and confronting him.

Overall we had a wonderful discussion and would all recommend this great book to our friends!

Following our discussion we planted our very own pumpkin seeds in terra cotta pots and will attempt to grow some pumpkins of our own.  Although it is not the optimal time for growing pumpkins in New England, we're going to give it a shot and see how we do!  If any of us end up with anything, I will let you know!

Thanks to all the Book Buddies members who attended and I look forward to seeing you next month!

Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that the Book Buddies Book Club will meet on Monday, October 22nd at 3:30pm to discuss our October book, Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy.

Held in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.

If you are not already signed up, please register by calling the Children's Desk or emailing me at cgould@newportlibraryri.org.  Hope to see you there!

Spooky Special Effects and Sci-Fi Fun

Looking for something fun to do for Halloween?

Join professional movie special effects creator and costume designer Alex Ezorsky-Lie of Awespark Productions for a spooky presentation on Thursday, October 25th @ 3:30pm.  See how the green screen works and how movie magic makes horror and science fiction scenes look real.  Find out how special effects are done and see some of his creepy costume creations.

No registration is required for this free program.  Ages 9 - 12.

Homework Help: Try This!

Ever wanted to learn another language?  Becoming bilingual (or multilingual!) is easier than ever with Mango Languages.

Mango Languages is an online language learning system that teaches actual conversation skills for a wide variety of languages.  Mango is completely web-based and is accessible anytime and anywhere you have access to the Internet.  Create an account to keep track of your lessons or just start learning!

Learn French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Icelandic, Pirate and many more!

Try Mango by visiting the library's homework help webpage.

Questions?  Visit the Children's Desk or call 401-847-8720 ext. 204 for more information. 

Creating Halloween Candy - CANCELLED

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Creating Halloween Candy presentation scheduled for this Wednesday, October 17th has been cancelled.  We hope to reschedule at a later date.  I apologize for the inconvenience. 

Check back for information about other Halloween events happening at the library this month!

Growing Pumpkins

In Me and the Pumpkin Queen, Mildred tries to grow a pumpkin big enough to win the annual Circleville, Ohio pumpkin growing contest. 

Learn how to grow your own pumpkins and see some of the biggest pumpkins ever grown!

Creating Halloween Candy

Don't miss Creating Halloween Candy on Wednesday, October 17th at 3:30pm.  Find out how Halloween candy is made with Jeff Greene from NECCO.  Discover the process, machines and people who made the sweets that could end up in treat bags this Halloween.  Savor some "inside knowledge" when enjoying Halloween candy this year. 

No registration is required for this free program held in the lower level program room.  Ages 4+.

Hope to see you there!

Homework Help: Try This!

Did you know that you have access to some fantastic databases that can help you with your homework assignments?

Kids Search, for students in K – 8, allows you to search by topic for magazine articles, reference books, photos, flags and more.  Once you begin your search you can filter your results by material type (magazines, newspapers, books & encyclopedias, biographies, photos, maps & flags) and you can also narrow your search by subject and publication.

The Student Research Center is designed for students in grades 6 – 12.  It is a database of thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, country reports, biographies, film and video.  Search by topic, limit according to Lexile reading levels and make use of an online dictionary and encyclopedia.  Sign in and create a folder for yourself where you can store the articles and information you find.

Try out these wonderful resources today by visiting the library's homework help webpage. 

Questions?  Visit the Children's Desk or call 401-847-8720 ext. 204 for more information.

October Author: Marlane Kennedy

The wonderful author of October book, Me and the Pumpkin Queen, is Marlane Kennedy.  Find out all about her on her website and read her second book, The Dog Days of Charlotte Hayes.

Eleven-year-old Charlotte is not a dog person but does not like that the rest of her family neglects their Saint Bernard puppy, and so with a lot of determination and a little sneakiness, she works on finding a good home for the gentle giant.

Homework Help: Try This!

Need some extra help in some of you classes?  Did you know you can be connected online with professional tutors through the Newport Public Library?

Students of all ages can find the help they need through Live Homework Help (LHH).  Get one-on-one tutoring with real tutors in real time with LHH on demand.  Communicate with your tutor anonymously through an instant message style of chat and dual access to an online whiteboard.  Tutoring is available in Math, Science, English and Social Studies and is available to both English and Spanish speakers.  LHH is open from 2pm - 10pm, 7 days a week.

LHH also includes access to the Internet during your tutoring session for sharing the best websites as well as file sharing - tutors can send students worksheets for additional practice and students can upload papers for review. 

In addition to real-time tutoring, LHH also includes the SkillsCenter Resource Library which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.   The Resource Library includes homework resources consisting of thousands of lessons, worksheets, study guides, videos and more.

Take advantage of this amazing service by visiting the library's homework help webpage.

Questions?  Visit the Children's Desk or call 401-847-8720 ext. 204 for more information.

October Book

The October book will be...

Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy

Although Aunt Arlene tries to interest her in clothing and growing up, ten-year-old Mildred is entirely focused on growing a pumpkin big enough to win the annual Circleville, Ohio, contest, as her mother dreamed of doing before she died.

We will meet to discuss this fantastic book on Monday, October 22nd at 3:30pm in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.  Copies of the book are available at the Children's Desk and must be checked out on your library card.

Not signed up for Book Buddies yet?  It's never too late to register!  Let me know you are coming so I can plan our snacks and activity.  Register by visiting the Children's Desk, calling 847-8720 ext. 204 or emailing me at cgould@newportlibraryri.org.

Hope to see you on the 22nd!

Homework Help: Try This!

Need help with your homework?  Have you tried the World Book Web online? 

World Book Kids is an online encyclopedia with thousands of easy to read articles, multimedia, interactive games and activities and much more! 

World Book Student includes a Biography Center, dictionary, atlas and thousands of great websites.

World Book will make doing research easy and fun.  Find everything you need for your assignment, from photos to maps to videos and more.  Get access to the World Book Web by visiting the library's homework help webpage.

For more information, visit the Children's Department or call 401-847-8720 ext. 204.

September Meeting Wrap-Up

The Book Buddies Book Club met yesterday afternoon to discuss our September book, The Humming Room by Ellen Potter.  We had a terrific discussion of the book followed by a journal and bookmark craft!

Everyone read and really liked the book, especially the main character, Roo.  We talked a lot about Roo and the type of person she is and how much she changed over the course of the book.  We first met her alone and hiding under her family's trailor and by the end she was comfortable and happy with the people in her life and felt at home on the St. Lawrence river.  Her transformation paralleled the transformation of the secret garden and both flourished by the end of the story.

We talked about Roo's relationships with characters such as Jack, Violet, Phillip and Ms. Valentine and her connection with Earth and nature.  At first Roo is more comfortable with animals and insects than she is with people but by the end of the story she has real friendships with her Uncle and cousin as well as Violet and Jack. 

We discussed Phillip's father and how much he changed over the story as well, from traveling so much and never spending any time with Phillip to someone who wanted to reconnect with his son.  We felt that his guilt over Phillip's mother's death caused him to close himself off from the family but that in doing so, he caused even more harm to the people he cares about.

We talked about the future for Roo and some felt that she and Jack might get married(!) but others thought that Roo, Phillip and Jack would all be good friends and that Jack might even live with them in the mansion on Cough Rock Island.

Our favorite parts of the book were when Roo hid in the cave from her tutor, Mrs. Wixton and the end when everyone was happy together.  Our least favorite part was when we thought Roo might be sent back to the foster home because she was too much trouble for Ms. Valentine.

It was a wonderful discussion and we had a great time designing our reading journals and bookmarks.  Thank to everyone who attended!

Assignment Alert

Teachers!  Use the Assignment Alert form and let us know what's happening in the classroom!  The more we know about the themes and units you assign, the better prepared we can be to serve your students.  With the Assignment Alert form, we can pull the best materials and put together a Homework Shelf for your class in the library, we can visit your classroom for research instruction and we can link the best online resources to our website for use 24/7.

Let us help you and your students have the best year ever!

For more information, contact the Children's Department at 401-847-8720 ext. 204 or email me at cgould@newportlibraryri.org. 

Meeting Reminder

The first meeting of the Book Buddies Book Club for the new school year will take place on Monday!  Join us at 3:30pm in the John Clarke Children's Program Room to discuss The Humming Room by Ellen Potter.  Come for snacks and a related activity!

Please read the book before the meeting so that we can have a great discussion!  Copies of the book are available at the Children's Desk. 

Registration is required so I know who to plan for.  To sign up, please visit the Children's Desk, call 401-847-8720 ext. 204 or email cgould@newportlibraryri.org.

See you Monday!

The Secret Garden

Our September book, The Humming Room, was inspired by the children's classic, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  The Secret Garden was first published in serial format in the Autumn of 1910 and tells the story of 10-year-old Mary Lennox.  After being orphaned, Mary is sent to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor on the Yorkshire moors in England.  While there she discovers an invalid cousin named Colin and the mysteries of a locked garden.

Find out all about author Ellen Potter's experience retelling The Secret Garden and how she wrote The Humming Room.

Ellen Potter & Spilling Ink

In addition to her wonderful chapter books for children, Ellen Potter is also the co-author of the book Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook with Anne Mazer.  Spilling Ink talks about all aspects of the writing process for children, from characters and plot to dialogue and titles.  It includes lots of creative encouragement and will get you itching to write your own stories.  Find out more about Ellen Potter and get additional writing tips on her website.