Presidential Pets: The Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals That Have Lived in the White House, by Julia Moberg. Inside this entertaining book, readers will find out that John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in the bathtub and Andrew Jackson had a parrot with quite the potty mouth. There are forty-three anecdotes about the pets presidents kept, and the book is written in rhyming prose, with hilarious accompanying illustrations.

Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America’s Presidents, by David Stabler. Funny, offbeat biographies and colorful illustrations show how George Washington, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and others faced problems and overcame hurdles when they were kids. John F. Kennedy, for example, didn’t like his big brother and got some pretty bad report cards. Lyndon Johnson was the class prankster. Bill Clinton was clumsy — he broke his leg while jumping rope — and Barack Obama was bothered by bullies.  The writing style is lighthearted and easy to read. “Just like history class,” says author Tim Federle, “only hilarious.”

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, by Barack Obama, is a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation. From Georgia O’Keeffe to George Washington to Albert Einstein, the descriptions of their contributions to the world in comparison to a child’s budding imagination, intelligence, and creativity are tender, beautiful and inspiring.

Weird But True Know-It-All: U.S. Presidents by Brianna DuMont has wild and wacky facts about our presidents, including that Ulysses S. Grant got a speeding ticket while riding his horse — twice! Benjamin Harrison was afraid of electricity. And who knew Abraham Lincoln was a great wrestler? The book also includes easy to digest facts about government, elections, The White House, and presidential history.

1,000 Facts About The White House by Sarah Wassner Flynn takes readers behind the scenes at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. With a treasure trove of material from the White House Historical Association, this colorful, easy to read book gives a fascinating history of the building and the people who have lived in it for more than 200 years.

Happy presidential reading!

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We’re honored to be able to share with you a wide variety of posts every week that highlight the diverse, adventurous, enchanting, fantastic, engaging, and mind-blowing stories in the world of middle grade books. Here’s to a wonderful year ahead!

All the best,

Julie Artz, Patricia Bailey, Amie Borst, Jenn Brisendine, Dori Butler, Heather Capps, Dorian Cirrone, Sue Cowing, Sean Easley, Laurie Edwards, Greg Fishbone, Annabelle Fisher, Robyn Gioia, Mike Hays, Hillary Homzie, Jacqueline Houtman, Michelle Houts, Michele Weber Hurwitz, TP Jagger, Amber Keyser, Sheri Larsen, Kimberley Griffiths Little, Kate Manning, Beth McMullen, Rosanne Parry, Andrea Pyros, Natalie Rompella, Jonathan Rosen, Julie Rubini, Tricia Springstubb, Valerie Stein, Suma Subramaniam, Jen Swanson, and Mindy Alyse Weiss

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One of the most interesting recent findings is that the storytelling aspect of a novel engages a broad range of brain regions. Neuroscientists have discovered that reading a novel can improve brain function by enhancing connectivity and increasing blood flow to the area of the brain associated with language. Even better — this area stays heightened for several days after reading.

When you read a book, especially a novel, your brain has to remember a variety of characters, their backgrounds and individual traits and nuances, as well as the arcs and subplots in the story. Every new memory forges new pathways in the brain and strengthens existing ones, which assists in short-term memory.

Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health found that people who read just 30 minutes a day lived on average two years longer than those who didn’t read at all. Reading, as well as a large vocabulary, may give us something called ‘cognitive reserve’ — the brain’s ability to repair damage caused by stroke, dementia, or decay. Studies also have shown that reading can slow the process of dementia, and possibly even prevent it.

A recent Psychology Today article cited a study in which researchers measured changes in brain connectivity before and after reading a novel. MRI scans revealed heightened connectivity after reading, specifically in the areas of the brain associated with language, comprehension, sensations, and movement. The movement finding was surprising, but the researchers thought that perhaps, the act of reading actually “puts” the reader in the body of the protagonist.

Reading has been shown to improve focus and concentration as well. Most of us check email, reply to a text, post something on social media, and work on a task all in the span of a few minutes. This type of multi-tasking behavior can raise stress levels, lessen focus, and cause brain overload, but reading does just the opposite. Reading allows our brains to concentrate on the words without other sensory input. And reading does something practically no other medium can do — in the absence of a spelled-out conclusion to a story, our brains automatically imagine and create one.

While novels have great benefits for our brains, so obviously do nonfiction books — filled with facts and knowledge — and poetry. A recent study on the effects of poetry on our brains found that it elicits strong emotional and physical responses in readers such as facial expressions and goosebumps. These responses occurred most frequently at the end of a stanza or at the end of the poem.

What more proof do you need? Open up a book and get your brain in shape for now, and the future!

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There’s no doubt that routines can be helpful, especially for writers who tend to procrastinate. But recently, a writer friend who returned from a few weeks of travel to different locales remarked how stimulating the travel had been for her writing brain. It opened up her eyes, she said. Getting out of her usual routine made her think and see differently, and she came home with a new perspective on her work-in-progress.

And I thought, duh. Routines can easily turn into ruts for writers who work every day in the same place and at the same time, whether it’s at home, the neighborhood coffee shop, or that one corner cubicle at the library. Routines can drive and comfort writers but also can sometimes stifle creativity.

Travel, as my friend discovered, can open our eyes and writing brains to all sorts of possibilities.

First, of course, there’s setting. Being in a different place can generate all sorts of ideas for new and unique settings. When I travel, I love to look at big things like monuments and skyscrapers and oceans, but also small things, like how cobblestones are arranged on a street and the way people plant their gardens or what kind of curtains adorn the windows of an interesting looking house. And be honest, doesn’t an old, abandoned barn just beg to have you imagine its past?

Travel can provide numerous opportunities for developing unique characters with diverse backgrounds. Like many writers, I watch people wherever I go — their mannerisms, clothing, hairstyles, expressions, accents. I love observing people in line to buy hot dogs in New York, or a brother and sister building a sand castle on a beach, or an older couple holding hands on a park bench. I imagine their stories. I imagine how I would write their stories.

And dialogue! Travel gives a writer the chance to listen to people you might never hear again. Years ago, I took a summer class at the University of Iowa’s Writer’s Workshop. One of our assignments was to sit outside for an hour and write down snippets of overheard dialogue. That was the best possible exercise in learning to write realistic, believable dialogue. I still do it sometimes, especially when I travel. I love hearing the flavor of another place through both natives and tourists. One line spoken by a passer-by can generate countless imaginary ideas!

Finally, traveling and getting out of a writing routine can make you remember to take risks and have fun! Sticking to a routine and having daily writing goals can sometimes make writers forget that all-important element of enjoying and having fun with your work. Traveling turns routines upside-down, and the unexpected, unpredictable places you go and people who cross your path will undoubtedly give you fresh, novel ideas. Even if you’re just going to a different coffee shop.

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The American Girl company (now owned by Mattel) is based near Madison and since 1986, has been selling dolls, accessories, and books focused on a wide range of historical periods and cultural perspectives. The company has long supported diverse characters and stories.

Students in Fielder’s class also read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, as these books offer a contrast to the content in the American Girl stories.

The professor frames the class around the notion of American girlhood — what it means to be American, to be a girl, and to be an American girl. She feels the AG books offer a broad example of the different lives of many girls over time who lived in America — whether or not they were considered “American” during their lifetimes due to slavery or being an immigrant. Fielder believes the books stimulate critical thinking skills about gender and race, whether they’re read by college students or middle graders.

Interestingly, after the course ends, some of the participants have rediscovered middle grade and YA books.  One student who took the course included such favorites as S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie as must-reads on her blog’s 2017 reading bucketlist.

Obviously, I’m a big champion of all things middle grade, but seeing MG books included as part of a college course just made me want to stand up and cheer. I firmly believe that reading MG lit can be life-changing, whether you’re 12, 18, or 45!

The post Middle Grade Goes to College appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the concept! During the workshop, we did yoga poses and breathing exercises for stress relief, creativity, and focus. We also did some poses to relieve back strain from constant butts in chairs!

When I got home, I looked up ‘yoga and writing’ online and thousands of matches came up! I didn’t know this was a thing, but there are countless yoga retreats, classes, and groups specifically meant for writers.

The philosophy behind the connection makes great sense, actually — that the stillness and calm (hopefully) achieved during yoga can help writers quiet the noise and tune in to their inner clarity and thoughts. While in a yoga pose, breathing, or meditating, you concentrate on clearing away worries of what’s on your to-do list or the pile on your desk, allowing your mind to be open to ideas and inspiration. This is essential for the dig-deep kind of writing, where you’re truly “in” the work.

There are many times I’ve shoved my overfilled calendar into a drawer and put my phone on silent, yet I still find my mind drifting to those nagging little tasks while I’m writing. Since the workshop, I’ve been trying to practice yoga breathing when that happens, and I’ve found it does help bring me back to the work.

Another benefit and connection between yoga and writing is learning to take things at your own pace. And not compare! In yoga, it’s not important what the person next to you is doing (even if it’s the most amazing eagle pose you’ve ever seen), you just focus on what you can do.  Same goes for writing. When you compare yourself to another (undoubtedly more successful) writer, we all know that never turns out well.

Yoga also can help writers learn to move on when a manuscript needs to be put aside or doesn’t sell, as the practice teaches acceptance.

Yoga also perfects your posture, increases your blood flow, and improves balance. On top of all that, it boosts creativity! Hard to argue with those benefits for us writerly people who often sit for hours, wracking our brains and wrecking our backs

I plan to incorporate yoga into my writing this summer, and I’m excited to see what happens. Wish me luck. Namaste!

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Since I don’t understand that very well, I choose to celebrate National Pi Day by eating pie and reading books about pie. What a delicious way to spend the day!

The first book that comes to mind is Pie by Sarah Weeks. When Alice’s Aunt Polly passes away, she takes with her the secret to her world famous pie crust recipe. Except in her will, Polly leaves the recipe to her fat, disagreeable cat, Lardo, and then leaves Lardo in the care of Alice. It’s up to Alice and her friend Charlie to put the pieces together and discover the not-so-secret recipe for happiness — friendship, family, and doing something for the right reason. A delightfully scrumptious book!

Another yummy pie book on my list is a just-published novel by Kat Yeh, The Truth About Twinkie Pie. Two opposite sisters, a million dollars in prize money from a national cooking contest, and a move from the trailer parks of South Carolina to Long Island, NY — that’s the recipe for this novel about family and friendship. Sprinkled with recipes and down-home commentary, the characters are endearing and true to life.

Pi in the Sky by Wendy Mass has to do with a boy who is bored with his job of delivering pies. The plot is a little confusing, since it takes place in The Realms, located inside dark matter. When something goes terribly wrong, main character Joss is bored no more and has the monumental task of rebuilding Earth. Lots of interesting facts about physics and the universe.

Next on my list is Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. A favorite among teachers and young readers, this is the story of Steven, who plays drums in a band, has a huge crush on a hot girl, and is constantly annoyed by his younger brother Jeffrey. When Jeffrey gets sick, Steven’s world is turned upside down. You’ll have to read the book to find out what Dangerous Pie is!

Pies & Prejudice (how clever is that?) is part of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick. The club reads Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and in their continuing adventures, the girls hold a bake sale then suddenly have a thriving business to contend with.

And while we’re discussing pies, we can’t forget kids’ cookbooks! Two of my favorites are Baking With Kids by Leah Brooks and American Girl Baking, published in conjunction with Williams-Sonoma. Both cookbooks have colorful photos, step-by-step easy to follow instructions, and have recipes for not only pies and pie crusts, but also cookies, cakes, muffins, scones, and other treats.

Enjoy your Pi and Pie Day!

Michele Weber Hurwitz is the author of the upcoming novel, Ethan Marcus Stands Up (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, August 2017), as well as The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days and Calli Be Gold (both Penguin Random House). Visit her at micheleweberhurwitz.com.

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When I was a newbie author, I wasn’t quite prepared for the intense round of copy editing where everything from commas to style to hyphenation is checked and scrutinized. But there’s a reason for the madness, I assure you! And I’ve come to realize that the copy editor is my way-smarter-than-me BFF. Here are the issues that the all-important copy editor is responsible for:

1. Spelling and punctuation. Copy editors know their stuff, like when to use a comma to modify clauses or set off words such as “like” and “luckily.” This of course provides consistency throughout the novel and makes the author look like she knew what she was doing all along.

2. Hyphenation. I always seem to do it wrong, so thank goodness my copy editor is on top of whether or not to hyphenate half-baked, gross-looking, or sky blue. I’ve learned that hyphenation sometimes has to do with a noun or verb in the sentence. Who knew!

3. Capitalization is also carefully checked, such as language arts (lower case) but PE for physical ed. Numbers are a whole ‘nother section in regards to how to write time, ages, percents, heights, etc.

4. Copy editors also watch for the uniform use of specific types of text like italics for unspoken dialogue and thought, as well as the style for text messages, foreign words, sounds, and mouthed dialogue.

5. Grammar in general. The all-important “who” and “that,” the use of “then,” plus correct adverbs, verbs of utterance vs. gestures, and pronouns. And more grammatical goodies than you ever realized existed!

6. Fact checking. If you’ve written a historical novel and you’re describing an article of clothing for example, the copy editor will check that detail and may ask for more information from you. Copy eds will look at everything in the book to make sure it’s accurate and makes sense with the story.

Copy editors often create a “style sheet” with a list of characters and places mentioned in the book, as well as commonly used words and phrases, so everything remains consistent and is spelled the same throughout.

The majority of copy editing is done electronically on a document using comments (each person has a different color) and the track changes feature. It can sometimes be challenging to work with but it’s much better than the ol’ paper and pencil version. And once you’re done, you’re on the way to seeing page proofs and galleys, where your book starts to look like a book!

Michele Weber Hurwitz is the author of the upcoming middle grade novel, Ethan Marcus Stands Up, publishing August 2017 from Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, and The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days and Calli Be Gold, both from Penguin Random House. Find her online at micheleweberhurwitz.com.

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Frigg is for the Norse goddess after whom Friday is named, triskaideka is a Greek word meaning thirteen, and phobia is, of course, fear.

Today being Friday the 13th, I’d like to celebrate my favorite author of spine-chilling ghost stories and spooky mysteries — Mary Downing Hahn.

Hahn, a former children’s librarian, has been writing books for almost 40 years and is a perennial favorite with young readers. Her books have stood the test of time for several generations. Hahn’s classic Wait Till Helen Comes has been in print and selling steadily since 1986!

My daughter discovered The Doll in the Garden when she was around 11 and was completely riveted by the story of a girl who finds an old doll in the garden of her new home. The doll’s owner —  a ghost — wants the doll back, even though she died 70 years ago. My daughter is now 24 and the book still is on her bookshelf. I imagine the same is true for many of Hahn’s readers.

What I love about Hahn’s stories is they’re definitely spooky but aren’t overly frightening to kids. In fact, Kirkus Reviews once said that Hahn mastered the art of the “not too creepy ghost story.”

Some of my other favorites of Hahn’s include The Old Willis Place and Stepping on the Cracks.

When asked in interviews why she wrote ghost stories, Hahn said she believes that having a ghost in a story makes things happen. A ghost, she said, can give a character insight or empathy and offer a deeper understanding of her own nature and the world in which she lives.

A little known fact about Hahn is that she didn’t publish her first novel until age 41. Although she’s won numerous state and national awards, she’s said that writing has always been a journey of discovery and each book started with only a character or situation and a vague idea of what would happen. In fact, she often worried she wouldn’t be able to complete each book or her editor would reject them!

Not only do I love reading Hahn’s books, but her words about the struggles of writing give me inspiration in my own days of doubt. I hope they inspire you too. Beware of black cats and ladders today, and happy Friday the 13th!

Michele Weber Hurwitz is the author of The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days and Calli Be Gold (both Penguin Random House) and Ethan Marcus Stands Up, coming August 2017 from Simon & Schuster/Aladdin Books. Find her at micheleweberhurwitz.com.

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1. Plan, plan, plan. Okay, yes, I’m a planner kind of person anyway but this skill was essential when putting together a week of visits that took me from one end of the state to another. I wasn’t super familiar with Florida so I researched everything from hotels close to the schools I was visiting to the best driving routes to tourist attractions I could check out in my downtime.

2. Prepare. I put together a detailed itinerary that included notes on each school I was visiting — a large or small group, the venue, which grade(s), and whether I was having lunch or autographing in addition to my presentation. I noted hotel check-in/checkout times, driving distances, and the name, cell phone, and email of each school contact, as well as the amount that was due for my visit fee. I emailed myself a copy of the itinerary and kept a paper version with me as well. I must’ve checked it a hundred times during the week! Having all the info in one place was key.

3. Confirm. The week before I left, I emailed confirmations to each contact, making sure I had the correct school address and none of the details or timing had changed. I went over everything so we were on the same page and I hopefully wouldn’t have any surprises.

4. Tech check. I carried two flash drives with my Power Point, just in case, and had emailed it to myself as well. Tech fails are always my biggest fear! I asked each school to have a laptop set up and connected to the projector but brought my own laptop as a backup.

5. Engage, share, connect. This goes for any school visit, of course, not just out-of-town ones. I engage the students with lots of questions instead of talking straight for an hour. Sounds like a no-brainer, but I’ve seen authors talk and talk, losing the kids’ attention. I like to share tidbits of my childhood and personal life (kids love seeing pics of your own kids or pet). And, I try to connect with kids on their level, for example by talking about how editing a book is actually sort of similar to revising an essay for Language Arts. I also wove in some observations and questions about Florida.

6. Be flexible. Lots can happen! Thankfully, this didn’t happen to me, but I’ve heard of schools forgetting an author was coming, Power Points not working, and microphones failing. I did speak in one auditorium that was set up for the holiday play and I kept having to step around props and parts of the set. And one of the schools I visited flipped around the order of events. Plus, I was prepared for any kind of weather since I was traveling from north to south Florida.

7. Post-its for book signing. I love Post-its for numerous reasons, but they’re lifesavers when it comes to signing books. There must be ten different ways to spell a name like Allie (Ally, Alli, Ali, etc.) so having each kid write their name on a Post-it on top of their book is so helpful when signing lots of copies. I always make sure to bring along my favorite pen and Sharpie, too.

8. Have extra books on hand. At schools where I was signing pre-ordered books, I made sure to pack a few extra copies in my tote bag for the one or two kids who’d forgotten to order and were invariably sad to miss out. And it happened!

9. Take pics on your phone. I made sure to have teachers snap a few pics of my presentation on my phone so I could post them on social media that day instead of waiting for them to email me photos they’d taken. I took lots of selfies with the kids too. They loved it and I felt like a celebrity

10. Follow up. After I returned home, I spent some time emailing the teachers and librarians I’d met, thanking them and following up on any requests I’d received.

I was honored to meet so many enthusiastic readers in Florida and I’d visit again in a heartbeat!

Michele Weber Hurwitz is the author of The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days and Calli Be Gold (both from Penguin Random House). Her new middle grade novel, Ethan Marcus Stands Up, is coming in August 2017 from Aladdin Books. Find her online at micheleweberhurwitz.com.

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