Category Archives: Children’s Books

Deep Summer Checkpoint

Posted on July 25, 2012 by PB Rippey

Two summers ago I wrote: I create escape beneath my yard’s wind- bent gazebo, books on spread gingham, the shrunk house I dragged into our shade, ticking stove, stranger’s voice in the toy wall phone he refuses. Create with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When Agents Call (Others)

Posted on July 19, 2012 by PB Rippey

If you’re agent hunting, you’re going to want to click on over to Beth Hull’s website for installments 1 and 2 of how she procured her literary agent. I find such stories fascinating. And Beth’s pieces are accompanied by drawings that always make … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer's Angst, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Deadwhat?

Posted on July 16, 2012 by PB Rippey

Deadlines, deadlines, self-imposed deadlines. Sometimes, while the boy attends summer camp,  I sit in a small boat in the silly above ground swimming pool and deadline-away. Floating, bumping into pool sides and ladder and capsized toy boats titillates the creative side of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Club, books, Children's Books, Fiction, ocean related, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Not San Diego (Luckily)

Posted on July 5, 2012 by PB Rippey
Posted in Children's Books, Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Solstice Parade Edition)

Posted on June 24, 2012 by PB Rippey

I love a parade… —Anonymous, Arden & Ohman and pretty much everyone who has ever stood on a curb with family and friends and cheered for utter fabulousness. Also: overheard all over town June 23, 2012, Santa Barbara.

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wrinkly Time, Melamine

Posted on June 8, 2012 by PB Rippey

I recently discovered that anything made of melamine, i.e., my preschooler’s plates and bowls, should not be tossed into the dishwasher. Ever. And if you make a knife cut in melamine? Chances are toxins will seep into your child’s food. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Children's Books, Fiction, Madonna, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Short Story Writing Drama

Posted on May 30, 2012 by PB Rippey

Because I’ve been a Glimmer Train Finalist several times and, once, long ago, when GT published poetry, a Top 25 Finalist, and because, of course, GT is one of the best fiction journals in the country, I subscribe and receive … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Children's Books, Fiction, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Guest Blogging

Posted on May 29, 2012 by PB Rippey

Yesterday, which I thought was Sunday due to the 3 day weekend and synapses firing improperly or not at all after my husband and I watched a late-night Sunday (which I thought was Saturday) Mad Men marathon accompanied by intensely seasoned … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Writing, YA Novels | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spring Spirit Conference, 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012 by PB Rippey

What a delightfully smooth, well-run, 1 day conference. As I drove away, the GPS taking me on a spooky off-the-freeway-then-back-on mini-adventure, as I sped past miles of crops (previously mist-blanketed, cooling off from a day of baking in 93 degrees), … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Steps In Promotion, Writer quotes, Writing Progress, Writing Tips, YA Novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

KNOCK IT OFF, CUCKOO

Posted on April 16, 2012 by PB Rippey

Please go to this wonderful post by Beth Hull and read—especially if you are a certain literary agent. Or any literary agent or critiquing-type who believes they are so busy and important it’s perfectly fine to be brusque and quippish instead of … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Switched Hats

Posted on April 5, 2012 by PB Rippey

All week I’ve taken a break from my children’s novels in order to scour my grownup novel—a few chapters a night. I have revised as I’ve read (of course), refusing to backtrack until I make it to The End. Or—something mostly kind … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Children's Books, Fiction, ocean related, Poetry, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Quote For The—Blrrrrrrrrrrgh

Posted on March 24, 2012 by PB Rippey

This is what I remember about Friday: feeding the boy, hug-sandwich as we said bye-bye to his dad, finally getting the boy to preschool (I thought I was a slow eater!), speeding to Starbucks as forgot to buy coffee for … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Middle Grade Tidbit

Posted on March 16, 2012 by PB Rippey

In case you’re missing it, agent Michael Bourret from Dystel & Goderich and editor Molly O’Neill are conversing via their blogs about middle grade novels–what they look for, what they like, what middle grade is or might be or possibly isn’t but … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

And Now This

Posted on February 23, 2012 by PB Rippey

Remember in the movie Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs when Flynt pulls up that kitten bit on his computer screen and 3 hours fly by? Or maybe you don’t as, unlike me, you have not seen the movie 40,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, To Explain | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Late Edition As Was OOT With Feet In Ocean, Wot!)

Posted on February 18, 2012 by PB Rippey

Most of us are called on to perform tasks far beyond what we can do. Our capabilities seldom match our aspirations, and we are often woefully unprepared. To this extent, we are all Assistant Pig-Keepers at heart. —Lloyd Alexander I … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Quotes, Writer quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Tide Pool Edition)

Posted on February 12, 2012 by PB Rippey

“If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” —Rachel Carson … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, fish, ocean related, Quotes, Santa Barbara, Writer quotes, Writing, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

And Fire

Posted on February 6, 2012 by PB Rippey

Heretic? Yes. However, one thing is certain: having a Kindle Fire will not stop me from buying books. Ever. Actual books, not the virtual kind that pale and irritate on the screen when compared to the hearty, my precious, real deals … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Seminar Edition)

Posted on January 28, 2012 by PB Rippey

Some writers, critics, and other assorted literati sniff at plotting as a tool of craft. A synonym of plotting, in this mindset, is slumming, something decent people just don’t do.   —James Scott Bell Whose seminar I attended this morning in … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Pulled Muscle Edition)

Posted on January 20, 2012 by PB Rippey

“Writers are notorious for using any reason to keep from working: over-researching, retyping, going to meetings, waxing the floors–anything.” —Gloria Steinem I opened the door to my son’s classroom and an invisible  claw grabbed the muscles in my right side and … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writer's Angst | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I Told You So

Posted on January 16, 2012 by PB Rippey

We hit town late afternoon-ish and I immediately honor the request for the museum and its entertaining dinosaur footprints indented in cement, pgymy mammoth bones, taxidermied (the fraying sort) mountain animals and vultures, buttons igniting barn owl shrieks and snake … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, ocean related, Poetry, Santa Barbara, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Spring Spirit 2012

Posted on January 11, 2012 by PB Rippey

Recently writer Beth Hull turned me on to the Spring Spirit conference, an annual SCBWI California North/Central event held in Rocklin, CA. This year, I’m excited to say I will be attending. The lineup is top notch, including the YA Muses … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Me and Us, middle grade, Writing, YA Novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Time Spent

Posted on January 9, 2012 by PB Rippey

Roaming the house looking for my reading glasses when on top of head entire time: a good 15 minutes (additional minutes tacked on when distracted by each room’s white elephant: mound of clean yet hopelessly wrinkled laundry on guest room bed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Pets, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Christmas Edition)

Posted on December 24, 2011 by PB Rippey

The best sitting room at Manor Farm was a good, long, dark-panelled room with a high chimney-piece, and a capacious chimney, up which you could have driven one of the new patent cabs, wheels and all. At the upper end … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Impatience (Stop It!)

Posted on November 15, 2011 by PB Rippey

Part of me is content with our preschooler’s current home library (I’m referring not to a digital library, but the kind housing the real things–colors, textures, scents, sounds of pages turning, imagine it) and I can be heard gleefully spouting … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, ocean related, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments