Celebrating Helpful Friends and Student Work

Last week I signed up for Lexa Cain's blog hop: Celebrate the Small Things. I'm a great believer in noticing and being thankful for things that happen daily and weekly as well as the big events, so I like the idea of this blog hop very much.

This Week
1. I received so much helpful advice from online friends for technical questions I had (I'm not very "techie").

2. I met new friends in connection with my book that's coming out in June, Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls.

3. My art club students selected their art for our coming art show in March, and while I've been so pleased by the work of these students week-to-week, seeing their selections all together (a variety of lessons represented), I was dazzled all over again. They are ages 7 to 13, and I've posted some of their work on my Facebook from time to time.

What I love about this class is how committed they are to their work. Here are some

This was for El Dia de los Meurtos

samples: A few times I've forgotten to take my camera with me to the community center where the class is held. So not every lesson is represented here.

Baby Animals

Meawhile, the the link to Lexa Cain's blog hop is HERE, where you'll meet lots of other people celebrating meaningful things in their lives,





and the co-hosts of the blog hop:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Katie @ TheCyborgMom

More art work samples:

Native American Art

Sunset Silhouettes

         Hope you have enjoyed these! Please vist Alexa's site, and  please leave a comment here about what you are celebrating this week. 

Harlem Renaissance and the
work of Wm. H. Johnson

And while we're talking about Sherlock . . .

At RADIO TIMES You can read a very thorough and well-written article by Lynette Porter about Benedict Cumberbatch. He's up for an Oscar after already winning so many awards. (Click on Radio Times to read the article.)

Lynette Porter is one of many fine writers published by MX Publishing, a UK based publisher that specializes in books related to Sherlock Holmes or Conan Doyle.



She has written two books about Cumberbatch,  that you see above. You can learn more about them, HERE.

Happy reading.

Are you a Sherlock fan? If so, who is your favorite Sherlock? Are you a Benedict Cumberbatch fan? If so, which is your favorite role he's played?

Additionally, I've joined Lexa Cain's "Celebrate the Small Things", a really nice blog hop where you do just that -- celebrate small things. And my celebration is for some lovely news about another book I've written. Too early to say more, but keep posted. Meanwhile, why not link up to Lexa's Friday celebrations and join others' celebrations too. HERE'S THE LINK to Lexa's blog.

In the Footsteps of Sherlock

             

There are two new sleuths on Baker Street, trained and mentored by none other than Sherlock himself.
                 

            This charming book is a fun introduction to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson for middle grade readers, although ten-year-old twins Jimmy and Emma MacDougal are the real stars in the tale that unfolds. The twins live across the street from Sherlock Holmes and help him solve cases. 

            As the book opens, Jimmy and Emma and their parents are sitting down to dinner with Holmes and Watson as Holmes’s guests. Suddenly, a huge blimp appears outside the window. A moment later a giant rock hurtles through the window with a message from someone signed “The Mad Bomber”, demanding money to keep London safe. Of course more than money is involved in the Mad Bomber’s scheme, but no spoilers here. 

            Soon the twins are tracking down information about the airship, which puts them on the trail of the mad bomber himself. Emma notices small, telling details that add up to serious clues; Jimmy goes undercover and wears disguises. Both of them are shrewd thinkers and quick witted like their mentor. (And they need to be at one point when they find themselves in a particularly dangerous situation.)

            Set in Victorian London, the plot is fast-paced with enough twists and turns and clues to keep a reader guessing to the last. The black and white illustrations show vehicles and costumes of the era with a contemporary flair that young people will like. A nice touch is the occasional glossary of terms like “monocle” or “hansom cab”,  shown in illustrated footnotes at the bottom of some pages.

            The mystery has a satisfying conclusion, and the good news is that there is more to come. A sequel in the series, Attack of the Violet Vampire, will be released September 9, 2015. Watch for it. It’s also available for pre-order HERE .

You can order The Amazing Airship Adventure HERE and HERE

You can contact the author and illustrator at their website: 

   

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