So the song Oh, My Darling, Clementine is about a miner who’s daughter drowns, and he sings about the tragedy. It’s a pretty morbid tale. In a cavern, In a canyon, Excavating for a mine, Dwelt a miner forty-niner, And his daughter Clementine. Oh my darling, Oh my darling, Oh my darling Clementine, You are… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—Oh, My Darling, Clementine
Tangle Tunes—The Chores We Do
This Tangled Tune is based off of Here We Go ’round the Mulberry Bush, a song in which children hold hands and go around in a circle. And it’s a pretty simple tune with one basic verse. Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, The mulberry bush. Here we go round the… Continue reading Tangle Tunes—The Chores We Do
Tangled Tunes—Three Blind Mice
So my first Tangled Tunes adaptation was Three Blind Mice. The original song is pretty simple, with one verse. Three blind mice, Three blind mice, See how they run, See how they run! They all ran after The farmer’s wife. She cut off their tails With a carving knife. Did you ever see Such a… Continue reading Tangled Tunes—Three Blind Mice
Tangled Tunes
Ever since I first strummed a guitar way back in middle school, I’ve been writing songs. The lyrics always came easier for me than the music, which could explain why I became a poet instead of a rock star, but that hasn’t stopped me from continuing to pluck away on my 6 string. Today I… Continue reading Tangled Tunes
Jess & Jaylen — Skateboard Scare
Skateboard Scare, I must admit, was based off of an incident I had late last summer. I took a spill on my skateboard, and along with the typical raspberries on my knees and elbows, I sprained my wrist pretty badly. I was iffy about getting back on for months after that, and my lack of… Continue reading Jess & Jaylen — Skateboard Scare
Jess & Jaylen
Just received my comp. copies for the eight books in my Jess & Jaylen series. These two big-city third graders have been friends forever. They live just down the block from each other. Jess is the sporty one while Jaylen is more on the brainy side. Their love of skateboarding and hanging out at Jake’s… Continue reading Jess & Jaylen
Building the Golden Gate Bridge
While researching for this book, Building the Golden Gate Bridge, I learned a valuable lesson: If something is falling from above, don’t look up! If I hadn’t, I probably would have suffered a broken nose when a friend dropped a hammer while we were installing some cabinets. Instead, I kept my head down and was… Continue reading Building the Golden Gate Bridge
Daring
Here’s my third book in the Tony Hawk Live2Skate series. And I must admit that these books have inspired me to get back on my board. While I can’t do half of the tricks I describe in this story, the one thing I share with Lei, the main character, is that I like to use… Continue reading Daring
Stubby the Dog Soldier: World War I Hero
As a bit of a history buff and a dog lover (just ask my spoiled pooch Ty), I jumped at the chance to write a picture book about Stubby, a dog who truly shows how heroic and loyal are canine friends can be. This book was released earlier this summer and features some fantastic art… Continue reading Stubby the Dog Soldier: World War I Hero
Little Free Library
As an author, I tend to have boxes of books filling the nooks and crannies of my house. Some are copies I receive from publishers of that books that I have written, and many are books that I have read. While walking my dog one day with my dad, we came across a Little Free… Continue reading Little Free Library