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MIDDLE GRADE READING: You Are Not Alone

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Middle Grade ReadingMIDDLE GRADE READING: You Are Not Alone

Middle grade reading is perhaps the most important thing a middle school student can do.  This post on the Saltwater Taffy website was written to remind middle school children this very important lesson: You are no different than the classmate sitting next to you.

 

You are no different than the kid who bully’s you.

You are no different than the most popular kid at school.

You are no different than the smartest kid in class. Read more

MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS: Where Tween Dreams Die

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Tween DreamsMIDDLE SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS: Where Tween Dreams Die  

Tween dreams are important, but right now, somewhere in the country, a child’s dream is beginning to die right there on the playground at school.  This is one of the many reasons I wrote Saltwater Taffy…to help children hold onto their tween dreams!

The tragic happening begins as early as middle school where tweens imaginations are filled with dreams of tomorrow.  Within their young eyes, the tween twinkle gives them the organic ability to not only dream, but dream BIG.  The impossible shows up in their tweenage mind because they have YET to learn the…. Read more

WRITING FOR CHILDREN: Know The Number One Ingredient

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Writing for childrenWRITING FOR CHILDREN: Know the Number One Ingredient

When writing for children, we must remember the number one thing is to LOVE WHAT WE ARE WRITING.

Trust me when I say that if you don’t love the story you are telling, it will show up on the page.  It will lack the heart that is necessary to connect with one of the toughest markets in all of publishing; middle grade fiction.

If you set out to make the best-seller list, you will most certainly fail. When you are… Read more

CREATIVE CHILDREN: 7 Steps To Finding What You Love

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Creative ChildrenCREATIVE CHILDREN: 7 Steps To Finding What You Love

Creative children aren’t born, they are nurtured.  Sure, you have the occasional child prodigy, but most of us need to develop our craft to become creative children.  It takes practice and real dedication to become creative, so let’s get to work.

Step 7 taken from Another Piece of Saltwater Taffy, a workbook supplement of the adventure novel, Saltwater Taffy is this:

DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY   

You must take responsibility for the things you want to accomplish in life.  Nobody can do it for you.  Not your parents.  Not your teachers.  Not your mentor.  Not even the Dream Team you assembled in the last section.    This life … your life … is up to YOU. Read more

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENCE: The Job of a Tween

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MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENCE: The Job of a Tween

Middle school confidence can be a tricky thing, but having confidence in middle school is essential.  This is the reason I wrote Saltwater Taffy because I had zero confidence in middle school.

You might think I’m crazy, but there is actually a science to feeling good!  As a tween-ager, it is your RESPONSE-ability to feel good about who you are and who you are becoming.  It’s like this;

Your RESPONSE determines your mood

Have you ever received an A on a pop quiz or a final exam?  Have you ever heard someone say something nice about you?  This kind of stuff makes you feel good about being you, right?  I mean, feeling good, well…feels good.  Now, on the opposite side of the coin, what happens when you…

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