NaNoWriMo 2010

It's that time of year again! Time to temporarily abandon your social life, skip sleeping late on a weekend, and trade your usual hobbies for the adventure of composing a 50,000 word novel in one month.

For those of you who don't remember last year's NaNoWriMo blog post, National Novel Writing Month runs from November 1st-30th, and is a self-proclaimed "fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing" and "thirty days and thirty nights of literary abandon!" Unlike any other writing you (or anyone) has probably ever done, NaNoWriMo encourages quantity...just quantity, and that's it. It's not about producing a work of quality (and really, how could it be with just a month to complete so much?), so you can use the opportunity to just be free, write whatever you feel like writing, and know that we're all producing ridiculously bad works of literature together - that's part of the fun!

Sound like something you'd like to try? This will be my fifth year embarking on the challenging and really kind of silly journey and I'm getting myself ready by trying to plot out different kinds of turns for my story to take. To be honest, it's looking like it might be a pretty mundane story - but hey, it doesn't matter! Knowing that you just wrote a whole novel, no matter how terrible, is an AWESOME feeling!

So do you want to sign up? Check out the Official National Novel Writing Website for more information.

Good luck writers!

Exciting New for Rick Riordan Fans

Hey Percy Jackson fans! We've got some exciting news! First, if you haven't heard yet, the arrival of the first book in Rick Riordan's newest Heroes of the Olympus series - The Lost Hero comes out on Tuesday, October 12! If you're eagerly awaiting the day, put a copy on old now!

And for those of you who canNOT get enough of Rick Riordan's fabulously adventurous writing, there's a very special event going on Tuesday night, the night the book comes out! You can be a part of the largest demigod gathering in history! Rick Riordan will be broadcasting live from Camp Half-Blood! Be sure to register for this FREE live webcast as soon as possible! It will be held on October 12th (7pm Eastern, 6pm Central, 5pm Mountain, 4pm Pacific). To register, visit camphalfblood.com.

Want to know what the book is about ahead of time? Here's a quote from the official Heroes of the Olympus website on what the first book is all about:

After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt their beloved Camp Half-Blood, where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Now, in a brand-new series from blockbuster best-selling author Rick Riordan, fans return to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Here, a new group of heroes will inherit a quest. But to survive the journey, they'll need the help of some familiar demigods.

Exciting stuff! Enjoy!

Halloween is a month away!

Halloween is just around the corner - one month away! So, it's time to start planning this year's costume!

For some creative, homemade, and easy costume ideas check out Parenting.com's article:

35+ Easy Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids. (Most can be adapted for bigger kids and even adults! I may just go ahead and make one of these for myself.)

Good luck crafting and Happy Halloween!

Games on cupcakes?

Do you recognize what games are pictured on the cupcakes above? I somehow stumbled across THIS AWESOME WEBSITE filled with game-themed cupcakes. And they're not just cute pictures- they're a GAME!

Browse through the 100 cupcake pictures and see what you know. Then roll your mouse over the question marks to see if you're right. I had a good time admiring the frosting-masterpieces as well as testing my game-recognition in the 100 Games Cupcake Game.

Happy Fall!

Today marks the first official full Fall day! The summer ended last night just a little past 11pm (while we were all asleep!). Fall marks the start of all kinds of exciting things like cooler temperatures (but not too cold - those come in Winter), beautifully colored leaves on trees, and knowing that Halloween is just around the corner.

Why not read a fun Fall book? Here are some ideas:

Seasonal Crafts: Autumn by Gillian Chapman

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert

Picking Apples & Pumpkins by Amy and Richard Hutchings

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro

Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins

Fall is For Friends by Suzy Spafford

Have a Happy Fall everybody!

Legend of The Guardians : The Owls of Ga'Hoole arrives today

Legend of The Guardians : The Owls of Ga'Hoole opens in theaters Friday! Even if you haven't read the books yet, who wouldn't love to look at talking owls this cute?

For those unfamiliar, here is a plot synopsis adapted from the one on Movie Insider:

The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from Soren. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences--causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls.

Be sure to check out the beloved "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series by Kathryn Lasky. Click here to place a hold on the first book!

And visit the official movie website here: http://legendoftheguardians.warnerbros.com/#/home

Flipped Has Arrived.

Incase you missed it, Flipped opened this past weekend in a few select theaters around Long Island! So exciting!

Haven't read Wendelin Van Draanen's fabulous book yet? Come in and check one out or click here to reserve a copy.

Here's a quick plot refesher from Movietickets.com for those who read it a while ago (that would be me-- thanks Movietickets):

When second-graders Bryce and Juli first meet, Juli knows its love. But Bryce isn't so sure. Girl-phobic and easily embarrassed, young Bryce does everything he can to keep his outspoken wannabe girlfriend at arm's length... for the next six years, which isn't easy since they go to the same school and live across the street from each other. But if Juli finally looks away, will it be Bryce's turn to be dazzled? "Flipped" takes Bryce and Juli from grade school to junior high; through triumph and disaster, family drama and first love, as they make the discoveries that will define who they are - and who they are to each other.

Awesome book, awesome author, hopefully awesome movie. Exciting stuff!