InkyThink is getting updated - finally! I've had two beautiful babies, and now that they are on a bit of a schedule I find myself with more free time. 

We took the twins to the mall the other day, and I couldn't resist popping in the book store. (Of course!) I picked up The Tickle Tree by Chae Strathie (illustrated by Poly Bernatene) and I adored it. I'll write a review soon! 

I'm also toying with the idea of giving the InkyThink website a face lift; maybe making it more "fun". I'm not sure what that entails, but I think a colour change is in order at least!

It's all been rather exciting, and their dad and I have already been reading to them. We started with a classic, The Secret Garden. We're setting up a nursery and making sure all of the many nutritional demands of a multiple pregnancy are being met. Most days it is all I can do to drag myself out of bed! 

I am due in April. The purpose of this blog entry is to simply say I will not be able to put as much effort into InkyThink as I would like at this time. InkyThink will always be something I enjoy doing, however, and when I can, I will pick it back up in full force. I am not letting it drop completely though I will be cutting back significantly. 

In the meantime, enjoy your stories!

Right when I walked in, I could hear the warm buzz of talk around the room. I entered the draw at the door for a basket full of books, and from there I started making my way around the tables. There were a lot of great people to meet, and a lot of good books to look through! I handed out many InkyThink cards.

I tried to make sure I visited every table. I hope I didn't miss anyone. I had only brought a limited amount of cash with me, so it came down to an important decision. Who's books do I buy and review?
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to buy two books from Shirlee Smith Matheson; Flying Ghosts and The Gambler's Daughter. Loretta, the gambler's daughter, is also a character in Flying Ghosts. She was so popular that people kept asking Shirlee what had happened to her. In response, Shirlee wrote The Gambler's Daughter. 

Shirlee also thoroughly researches her books, and I admired that about her right away. She has actually been up in the frozen north, experiencing what it's like to be in negative forty degree weather. Since I grew up in Dawson Creek myself, I was intrigued to hear tales of that area; especially in Flying Ghosts where they're helping build the Alaska Highway. (Dawson Creek is Mile 0 of that highway, and I still remember driving by the Mile 0 post throughout my childhood.)

Along with buying those two books, I also recieved a review copy of Dead Frog on the Porch, a Megabyte Mystery by Jan Markley. I am eager to read all the books I recieved!

I was pleased to have met all the people I did. I am glad I went, and am looking forward to next year!

An article written for USA today states: "Every added hour of watching TV increased a child's odds of having attention problems by about 10% ... The researchers accounted for many factors beside television that might predict problems concentrating, but the TV-attention link remained." Honestly, that is astounding, though percievable. This can affect every aspect of their lives, most importantly their ability to concentrate on school and learning. As parents, what can you do? How can you make reading more fun, and/or draw your children away from the "T.V. Zone"?

Don't worry! There are a few things you can do.

#1, and my personal favourite, is to turn off the cable altogether. If it's not there, it can't be used, right? If you go this route, it doesn't have to mean chucking the T.V. Schedule movie nights, for instance, where you sit down as a family with the intent of only watching one movie you've rented specifically for that purpose. An added bonus to the kids is letting them pick out their own movie.

#2, which I highly recommend using in conjunction with #1, is to keep a lot more hands on activities around the house. Keep things readily available, like colouring books with crayons or paint, legos and building blocks, and most importantly: books. Keep all kinds of books around the house. As Arthur Koestler is quoted saying: "Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual." Let them teach themselves. If they really need help, let them know you are there for them. If they take to a particular craft or activity, nurture that. Let them know they are allowed to do it all they want in their spare time.

--#2.b. Try letting your children challenge themselves when it comes to reading. If they're reading fairly well on their own, try handing them a book you know is slightly beyond their reading level. Tell them to come to you when they get to the first word they don't understand, or cannot pronounce. You can look up the word together, use it in context, and see how it is used in the book. Also, if you've read the book yourself, you can talk about the book together, and relate on a personal level.

#3 Go! Do! Be! Plan a trip to the science centre, library, park, a play, or local museum or cultural fair. Kids are very hands on, and seeing how things work, or used to work, is fun for them. It keeps their minds going. This is especially important during the summer months where they're out of school and need to keep their brains active.

Most importantly, keep your children informed. If they ask you why their friend's allowed to watch T.V. but they're not, give them an honest answer. The best thing you could ever give your child is your time. Children crave attention, and by giving them the right kind of attention from an early age, you let them know that spending time together can be a fun and rewarding experience. Before you know it, they'll be picking up a craft or book without even thinking about the television!

I've bought, and read, Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. I think it was a personal acomplishment, as I read it in little under 5 hours. I think the last time I've read a book that fast it didn't have more than a few pages. Needless to say I really did like it. Review will be up soon.

I've been trying to kick my own butt, which isn't actually physically that hard. (Try it! Though you might look like a chicken, especially if you flap your arms!) I've been running behind on InkyThink, and it deserves more of my attention. So, in lieu of that, I've comitted myself to weekly updates starting today. It's the only way InkyThink will grow into what I want it to be!

Also, about a week ago, I started a new job. I have been concerning myself with that most of all, mainly because of some computer problems we were having.

InkyThink remains though, and I am back to doing what I love most - reading and reviewing children's books. Look out for some more reviews coming soon, including two books from Linda DeMeulemeester who I met at the Vancouver Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention last year!

That being said, what is with teen drama becoming a younger-than-teen subject? Yes, it is normal for younger kids to be interested in what is going on with people older than them. I remember reading Sweet-Valley-High when I was but seven years old. I do not, however, remember the books I read being anything but innocent. Should the children of today be concerning themselves with subject matter that is sometimes way over their head? Why are we bringing up these topics in books anyway? I suppose there is a demand for it, but drama does not have to equal inappropriate.

Then there is the "topic within a topic" that has been weighing on my mind for a while: Do our children have nothing better to read than this? Are they bored?

This is probably something I will not figure out until I have children of my own. If you have an answer, please feel free to comment!

Is it just me, or does it seem the trend now-a-days to pen a children's book just because you're famous? I'm not saying it's wrong, but I do question the motives behind some of the people writing children's books these days. Are they doing it because of their love for children? Or are they doing it to gain a different kind of fame, one that will make people look at them in a different way?

I'm all for children's books. It is a passion of mine. I don't, however, like the fact that there are thousands of people who aren't famous who are trying to get their children's book published, but can't because they're either not famous, or don't have the money, or both.

Maybe I'm having a bad day - though I have to admit, I'm actually having a rather good one. It just doesn't seem fair to me.