Even Children's Writers Build Upon their Published Books

Writers are taught to "get the most mileage" from the material they research and write. When we write a book, can we write others in the same vein or related to it? You'll even find this in the children's book writing field.

When I discovered the children's story book, The Quiltmaker's Gift, I didn't realize there were related books with quilt patterns and suggestions. In researching an answer for a reader's question about this book, I discovered more and wrote about them in Follow-up Books for the Quiltmaker's Gift. You may want to check out these books:

The Quiltmaker's Gift
Quilts From the Quiltmaker's Gift
More Quilts From the Quiltmaker's Gift

How can you expand upon the books you write, whether they're for children or adults, fiction or non-fiction? Put on your thinking cap!

Abraham Lincoln with an Obama Connection

With so many references to Abraham Lincoln, during Barack Obama's Inauguration festivities, it might be helpful to have some resources so youngsters can learn more about our 16th President. He was criticized during his term in office and was blamed for mistakes in the Civil War fought at that time.

Yet he was important to the black people because he issued the Emancipation Proclamation giving the slaves their freedom. Also, his leadership ensured that our country stayed together.

Abraham Lincoln for Kids: His Life & Times with 21 Activities (For Kids series) by Janis Herbert
A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln (Picture Book Biography) by David A. Adler
A. Lincoln and Me by Louise Borden
Abraham Lincoln and His Family Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney
You Are There: Abraham Lincoln's Greatest Moments: The Emancipation Proclamation/The Gettysburg Address (DVD) starring Walte Cronkite and Paul Birch
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America by Allen C. Guelzo
Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America by Garry Wills
Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln (The Story of the Gettysburg Address) by Jean Fritz
Lincoln on Leadership by Donald T. Phillips (One of my favorite books about Lincoln)Emancipation Proclamation Silk Necktie (produced for the NY Historical Society from Lincoln's handwritten original)

Developing a Spin-Off from Your Children's Novel

Children's story books sometimes develop wider appeal than simply telling a tale. This is the case of The Quiltmaker's Gift, which has evolved into spin-offs that involve quilting patterns. Why not brainstorm ideas for your novels, whether books for children or adults?

I'd read The Quiltmaker's Gift to children when I was subsitute teaching and mentioned it on my Quilting and Patchwork blog. A reader inquired where she might find fabric with the Quilter's Gift as a theme.

As I was researching her query (and I haven't found any fabric yet, but asked for other quilters' input), I discovered some books with quilt patterns that accompany the story book, called Quilts from the Quiltmaker's Gift and More Quilts from the Quiltmaker's Gift.

Another quilter read my post at Quilting and Patchwork today and said she checked out these quilt pattern books and discovered they are "must haves." She's going to get one as a gift for a friend, too.

Thanksgiving Books for Fun and Facts

Thanksgiving Books

If you're looking for Thanksgiving and harvest book ideas for your youngsters and yourself, check out my list and post at One Book Two Book.

Fun & Fact Books for Thanksgiving & Harvest Season

Favorite Thanksgiving Books

Do you have any to suggest?

October - A Time for Discovering Spiders, Reading & Writing About Them

October seems to be "Spider Month," when people are searching the Internet for information about spiders. Perhaps it has to do with Halloween.

Marcie Pickelsimer, my co-blogger at One Book Two Book, has done a great deal of research on this topic as it applies to children's books and activities. You might enjoy visiting our blog, especially the following posts:

October is Spider Month
Spider Activities for Kids: Young & Old
Spiders!
10 Best Spider Books
Spiders, Spiders Everywhere

Enjoy! Then you might want to leave Marcie a message telling her how much you appreciate all the research she has done on this topic and the books and spider activities she's found.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

One Book Two Book - A Book Blog for Kids of All Ages

I'm having great fun co-blogging with Marcie Pickelsimer at the b5media blog, One Book Two Book which features books and information for kids of all ages. You might want to check it out. Even become a regular reader!

We feature: reviews, interviews, giveaways, theme weeks, book news, word of the week, book quotes, reading related activities, and much, much more.

Come join us!

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen