Author: cindyindigo

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Illustrator Floyd Cooper in St. Charles

I had the great opportunity yesterday to see illustrator, Floyd Cooper, in action at the Missouri SCBWI conference in St. Charles. The award winning illustrator demonstrated his unique style of erasing–using a kneaded eraser to create the underpainting for his works of art. Somehow Mr. Cooper was able to create a quick portrait for us as he talked, the microphone in one hand and the eraser in the other, as he worked with the paper virtually upside down to his perspective. It was amazing, but then he is a Coretta Scott King Award winning illustrator.

He is the illustrator for MEET DANITRA BROWN by Nikki Grimes, whom I met a couple years ago at a writers’ workshop. What an incredible combination of words and art!

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FRIGHTFUL FUN


I don’t know about where you live, but here it has been an especially gray, rainy, chilly fall. I guess our ghoulish weather is fitting preparation for Halloween next week. Plus, it’s certainly perfect weather for snuggling up with a good book.

Have you been reading any spook-tacular books lately? If not, here’s a few suggestions from my website under FRIGHTFUL READS.
There is also a HALLOWEEN CROSSWORD puzzle to try.
Or for those looking for an activity, see if you can MAKE A SPIDER or a SPIDER SNACK.
So no matter the weather between today and Halloween, you’ll have plenty of fun stuff to do. Enjoy!
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Take Root and Write–Great Review


Thanks so much to Meredith Curtis at her blog, TAKE ROOT AND WRITE, for the wonderful review of both HAMSTER HOLIDAYS: NOUN AND ADJECTIVE ADVENTURES and GIFTS FROM GOD. Read what Ms. Curtis thought of these books:

HAMSTER HOLIDAYS–With adorable illustrations by Kit Grady, this book is kid friendly….After the enchanting story is finished, there are 8 pages of noun and adjective activities and teaching helps! What a fun way to teach or reinforce grammar!
(Be sure to check out the new adorable HAMSTER HOLIDAYS book trailer by Kim McDougall.)

GIFTS FROM GOD–The photographs that fill each page are absolutely gorgeous. GIFTS FROM GOD by Cynthia Reeg is an inspiration book about God’s goodness to us, His beloved children. Photographs are the work of Mary Sue Roberts and they are truly works of art…The first page of each pair of pages has a Scripture verse and the second page has personal exclamation of joyous praise! This book is so beautiful–I have read it through over and over, enjoying the beauty of the lovely pictures and meditating on the verses.

Wow! Thanks so much, Ms. Curtis. It is truly wonderful to know how much readers enjoy our books–which are a tightly-knit collaboration between these two great illustrators, Kit Grady & Mary Sue Roberts, and myself in conjunction with Lynda Burch, publisher at Guardian Angel Publishing.
What great books have you read lately?

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Word Fun with Jessica


Today my friend Jessica visited. Jessica is in third grade and likes to read–especially Amelia Bedelia stories. I asked Jessica about what they were learning in school. She told me all about multiplication tables and word problems, which she greatly enjoys. Her teacher is “very creative” and Jessica likes that.

So Jessica and I got creative today as well. I saw in my book, WHAT EVERY THIRD GRADER NEEDS TO KNOW, that third graders learn about homophones, or sound alike words. Turns out, Amelia Bedelia stories usually feature some sound alike word mix-ups.
Jessica and I thought up a few homophones, found clip art pictures to match each one, then Jessica used each word in a sentence. You can see the first page of words we worked with in the photo.
Fun & simple. You bet–and a great learning opportunity for young readers.
Try some sound alike words with your children.
Are you smarter than a third grader?
How many homophones can you think of in a minute???
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS FOR HAMSTERS





I had a great time at MAIN STREET BOOKS in St. Charles, Missouri today, signing copies of HAMSTER HOLIDAYS as well as DOGGIE DAY CAMP, KITTY KERPLUNKING (also from the Pet Grammar Parade series) and GIFTS FROM GOD as well.

It was a majorly rainy day here, but nothing stops serious book shoppers. We had a great turnout, and I want to thank store owner Vicki, as well as sales person Sue, for making me so welcome. Coming to Main Street Books is always a treat.
Here are photos with some fans and me. Plus, check out these awesome flowers, courtesy of Randy & Juanita Tatro. What a sweet treat when I walked in the door at Main Street Books! Thanks so much, you two. And thanks to everyone for stopping by–including my number one fan, my husband Rob.
What a grand way to celebrate the Labor Day holiday with HAMSTER HOLIDAYS. Here’s hoping everyday is a holiday for you!
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CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATED ART MUSEUM and MORE




I attended the grand opening yesterday of the CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATED ART MUSEUM in St. Louis. The Museum features artwork from children’s books and magazines. All of the Guardian Angel Publishing works are represented there.

I’ve included a few pictures, so you can get a feel for the place. Much more is to come with additional art works, children’s & teacher programs, workshops and book signings.
Plus, here’s a link to an interview with me in the St. Louis Suburban Journal.
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Pets and Authors



Mayra Calvani, author and animal lover, has a fun blog featuring authors and their pets. I know my pets have been major inspirations for my writings. In fact, they were interviewed by Mayra a while back. If you missed it, here’s the link on April 5, 2009.

But you’ll want to check out all the others as well at www.petsandauthors.blogspot.com. Today Donna Shepherd and her adorable Labradoodle, Sadie, reveal their secrets.
Try writing your own animal story–whether you have a pet or not. Invent a character, give the animal a problem, and send him on his way to solve the problem–and, of course, encounter even more problems along the way.
Here’s a quick list of some favorite picture book animal stories:
GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA by Peggy Rathmann (a wordless picture book)
IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE by Laura Joffe Numeroff
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT by Margery Williams
Have fun!
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Thursday Morning Interview

I had a fun start to the morning today with an interview for the local St. Louis Suburban Journal. It’s great to be able to share my love for literacy–reading, writing, creating. That’s why I write–for the kids. To excite them about the world of literature.

The PET GRAMMAR PARADE SERIES shows them that grammar can be fun. When students learn the basic tools–like the parts of speech, they become empowered. They can create their own stories, write their own research articles, share their ideas and information with the world.
I’ll keep you posted on the article. It’s slated for next Wednesday’s edition.
In the meantime, I know that school has started for many. Help your child succeed by setting aside reading time. I’ve included some ideas on ways to do this at my website. Here’s a few of the links:
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Grammar Fun for Everyone and a Great Review from STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINE


Gayle Jacobson-Huset, Fiction & Poetry Editor for STORIES FOR CHILDREN MAGAZINE, said, “I give this book [HAMSTER HOLIDAYS] a high five for the excellent learning tools Author Cynthia Reeg has included to make learning so much fun, and for the colorful, kid-friendly illustrations by Kit Grady. This book is definitely a keeper!”

Hey, find out for yourself how fun grammar can be with these ONLINE GRAMMAR GAMES:

FUN BRAIN.COM–One of my favorites with the Grammar Gorilla. Don’t let the grammar or the gorilla scare you. Just like in my Pet Grammar Parade Series, it’s all fun!
GRAMMAR BLAST–These games are geared to grade levels. Select your grade and take the challenge.
NOUN DUNK–Dribble, shoot, and score with this fun interactive game with common and proper nouns.
PLANETSPASM.COM–This parts of speech game was created by kids for a classroom assignment. Help save the planet when you correctly select a noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, verb, or conjunction.

Now you just can’t wait to see what grammar adventures the hamsters are up to, can you?
Visit Amazon.com or Guardian Angel Publishing to purchase your copy.