Wednesday, July 31, 2013

INTERNATIONAL JOKE DAY

My early morning sources told me that today is International Joke Day. So, I thought I would try to do my part to help spread a little sunshine and a smile.

Since this is a kid-friendly blog, I chose jokes that are clean, and that would appeal to the slightly bizarre humor of the younger set. A few of these made me grimace, but I know my 12 year old will like them.

Enjoy, and have a great day.

Q. What did the porcupine say to the cactus?
A. Are you my mommy?

Q. What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
A. Frostbite.

Q. How do crazy people go through the forest?
A. They take the  psycho path.

Q. What do prisoners use to call each other?
A. Cell phones.

Q. Where do polar bears vote?
A. The North Poll.

Q. What did Geronimo say when he jumped out of the plane?
A. ME!

Q. Where do snowmen keep their money?
A. In snow banks.

Q. What's brown and sticky?
A. A stick.

Q. Why do seagulls fly over the sea?
A. Because if they flew over the bay they would be bagels.

Q. What dog keeps the best time?
A. A watch dog.

Q. Why did the tomato turn red?
A. It saw the salad dressing.

Q. What did the grape do when it got stepped on?
A. It let out a little wine.

Q. How do you make a tissue dance?
A. Put a little boogey in it.

Q. Where do bees go to the bathroom?
A. At the BP station.

Q. What did the judge say when the skunk walked into the courtroom?
A. Odor in the court!

Q. What did the water say to the boat?
A. Nothing. It just waved.

Q. Why don't skeletons fight each other?
A. They don't have the guts.


HAPPY READING!

Cordelia Dinsmore

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Jefferson's Sons and Miss Kraft is Daft

My son is fighting a strep infection, so I’ve been confined to the house for the most part lately. Fortunately, we made a trip to the library last week, so we had some great company to keep us entertained.

Miss Kraft is Daft, by Dan Gutman, is a short, energetic read. It’s part of the My Weirder School series. A lot of fun for reading aloud, but the laughter that ensued caused my son’s throat to hurt, so we had to take it in short bursts.

This was the first book I had seen in the series, but my guess is that they work very well as stand-alones. The author and artist did a great job of creating an unbelievable tale of ridiculousness and weirdness, which is confined to a group of middle-grade students and their teachers. (Although mention of a parent or two crops up on occasion.)

In this bizarre tale, the math teacher becomes ill, leaving his class at the mercy of a very strange substitute/magician named Miss Kraft. She entertains the class with her magical skills, but manages to throw in a little teaching in the process.

The highlight is the ending, which leaves the door wide open for additional possibilities. Definitely a fun read, complete with gross factors that should appeal to the most reluctant readers.

My second selection is a complete contrast to the lightheartedness of Miss Kraft is Daft.

Jefferson’s Sons, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, is a much longer and more serious read, but well worth every moment.
Jefferson’s Sons is a historical fiction relating a story of the illegitimate family of Thomas Jefferson. The story is told through the voices of several of his sons who were born through one of his slaves, and through the voice of another young slave who was not so fortunate.

The creation of this book must have involved an enormous amount of research, and that is reflected in the details. The author transported me to a time and a situation that I had limited knowledge of, and could never quite grasp. She did an amazing job of getting into the heads of these young boys and allowing me to experience their emotional turmoil.

I must confess that history has always been my least enjoyable subject, but if it had been approached in the way Ms. Bradley portrayed it, I would have eaten it up and begged for more. A very good read that I highly recommend.

So what are you reading this summer? I hope it’s something you will remember and recommend to others.

HAPPY READING!

Cordelia Dinsmore


Tuesday, July 9, 2013

A Promising New Venture


I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about a brand new site and give you a chance to win some great tween books!
I recently joined the Emblazon group. As Indie authors, we know the importance of group support. I have been learning all of this firsthand since joining. Let me share with you some details about our group.
Emblazon is a blog maintained and written by a collection of indie and traditionally published authors who care about producing high-quality stories for kids. We have a particular focus on ages 11 to 14. We call them Tweens. The purpose of Emblazon is to celebrate tween literature. We want to draw attention to this fabulous genre, interact with other enthusiasts, whether child or adult, and encourage new writers.
Emblazon launches its first post on July 10. Please consider helping us spread the word by mentioning us on your blog today or later this week. You may cut and paste from this website and use our attached logo if you wish. All bloggers who participate are eligible to enter our $100 Amazon gift card drawing that will be held the following day.
To thank all those bloggers who help us announce Emblazon‘s launch, we will be giving away a $100 Amazon gift card on July 11, 2013, as well as a smaller second place prize.
To enter the drawing, you must post about Emblazon on your blog on Wednesday, July 10, our official launch day. Then tweet your Emblazoners post to @CassidyJonesAdv and include the hashtag #Emblazoners. (Note: You will not be entered into the drawing without your blog post tweet that includes @CassidyJonesAdv and #Emblazoners.)
@CassidyJonesAdv will confirm you’ve been entered into the drawing by “favoriting” your tweet. If your tweet wasn’t “favorited,” tweet it again.
We appreciate your help getting the word out about our new website!}
You can also treat your readers to our upcoming Sizzling Freebies bash that will be hosted on Emblazon on August 1, during which a great selection of ebooks will be free for one day only.
We hope you’ll join us in kick-starting this fabulous new adventure!
Below is yet another way to win copies of some of our tween books!



Just click on the link below.
Rafflecopter Giveaway


HAPPY READING!

Cordelia Dinsmore