Q & A and Book Giveaway!

Award-winning author and one of the nicest people on the planet, Clara Gillow Clark, kindly invited me to be a guest on her blog. Click here for our little chat about crazy families, noses, and early readers.

If you haven't yet read Clara's novels about Hill Hawk Hattie, you must run to your local bookstore right this minute and get them. Grab a box of tissues while you're at it. I've yet to meet anyone who's read Hill Hawk Hattie without being deeply touched by it. You will love these books.

Clara will be announcing the winners of personalized Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels and Joe and Sparky, Superstars! tomorrow morning.

What Joe and Sparky Did on Their Summer Vacation

Oh dear.  I'm a little behind on blogging. Imagine, if you will, that it's late August.

Joe and Sparky had the rare privilege of spending their summer in the Barrington Public Library. They were part of the Children's Department's popular Summer Reading Club.

This year's theme was "One World, Many Stories." Check out the story hour room's eye-catching displays of favorite read-alouds. . . .

Joe and Sparky hang out with Elmer and Rose.

(Believe it or not, I was sitting on that step for five minutes waiting to sign up my sons for the book club before I turned around and noticed the giant Joe. What a surprise! I think there was some squealing and leaping with joy. And perhaps a fist-pumping victory lap around the room . . . Erm, this is getting embarrassing. Let's move on.)

The Greedy Python, Koala Lou, and Tacky the Penguin.

A small Sox fan spins the wheel to see which category he may choose a book from. 

The children return to the library to answer questions about the books they've read. This fellow reads a question from the cap he's chosen off the Caps for Sale tree.

Notice how the camera-shy Sparky is trying to jump off that log before I snap his photo. Too slow, my small green friend!

Thanks to the dynamite children's librarians of the Barrington Public Library for hosting Joe and Sparky this summer!