Favorite Childhood Summers - Part 3

The Beach Party continues. Thanks for your patience as we weathered a tornado and loss of power and internet for a few days.

Last week, we began talking about our childhood summers (Part 1, Part 2). And Ann Knowles provided a helpful blog on writing book reviews.

Today, we'll finish up the childhood summer posts, and we invite you to share some of your own memories with us! If you want to share a photo, send it to me at editor [at] writeintegrity [dot] com and I'll share them on our Facebook page!

Now more of our authors share their favorite childhood summers:

Maria (Mariska) and J.A.

J.A. MARX - Estes Park, CO, where the population fluctuated by the millions. During the winter, we claimed about 5,000 residents (’70s). But once summer hit, we swelled to a million, and not all were tourists. Many were families who’d bought second homes so they could escape the sweltering south.

Several of those families lived in my neck of the woods (literally). My parents were both real estate brokers and therefore knew every resident in the development. They had become good friends with the Peers who lived just over the hill. Lucky for me, the Peers’ grandchildren routinely visited from California. The youngest, Maria, and I played every summer throughout our grade school years.

My favorite thing to do was put together performances for our families. We did great during rehearsals, but when show time came, Maria giggled our act out of business. Talk about frustration! I don’t recall us completing a single performance.

Maria apparently gained some confidence during secondary schooling because every once in a while I catch her, Mariska Hargitay, playing Olivia on Law and Order, SVU.

Maybe today we could pull off a decent performance—without her tittering. She definitely made my summers memorable.

PEGGY CUNNINGHAM - My grandparents owned a summer home in the country. My times with them are by far my most wonderful memories of my childhood. They would take me with them on weekends, and most of my summers were spent at this place we called The Farm, even though it wasn’t a farm––more like a setting from a storybook. My collie dog, Nellie became my best friend as we hiked through the woods and the meadows daily. My grandparents cooked the most delicious Italian meals, and relatives visited on the weekends. My cousins also stayed with us at times, and family bonds were cemented at The Farm every summer of my childhood.

STEPHANIE CRAIG - It's hard to remember what summer of my childhood was the greatest.  While in elementary school, they all were great.  We had a swimming pool, the only one in the neighborhood, so all the kids wanted to be at our house during the summer.  We rode bikes, had sleepovers, and played backyard games.  My family never took any summer vacations, but I never felt like I missed out on anything because spending time with my friends in my backyard was better than a vacation.

VICKI TIEDE - My childhood summers all blur together as they were all much the same. We lived in the country only 3 miles from town, but you would have thought we were 20 miles out. We would say "goodbye" to our school friends on the last day of classes and wouldn't see them again until the fall. Our days were filled with wild, imagination-filled adventure on the farm, camping in a pick-up camper, walking beans, often painting something (fence/barn/etc.), 4-H, and the county fair. I loved every minute of it.


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Authors' Favorite Vacations - Part 1
Authors' Favorite Vacations - Part 2
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Authors' Favorite Vacations - Part 3
Authors' Childhood Summers - Part 1
Authors' Childhood Summers - Part 2
What is a Book Review?

What is a Book Review?

Today, we welcome guest blogger Ann Knowles to WIP. Ann has coordinated book reviews for The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network for numerous years, and I asked if she would write an article about writing book reviews.

What is a book review?

A book review is a description, analysis, and evaluation of a book. It reflects your opinion of the book, how you feel about the book’s purpose, content and authority. It talks about the quality, meaning and significance of the book as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the book.

When people read your review, they can decide for themselves if it’s worth their money and time to read the book. Therefore, it is valuable not only to readers looking for books, but also to the author who is trying to promote the book in a positive way.

A book review is not:

• a summary of the book that reveals the plot and climax. No one wants to read a book if they already know the story so take caution not to give away too many details about the book.
• a book report like you did in high school
• an opportunity to expound on your relationship to the author. The review is about the                              book.

How to Write a Book Review

Before you write your review, ask yourself “What would I have wanted to know before I read the book?”

Steps to writing a book review:

1. Write a bibliographical statement, giving important information about the book: title, author,      copyright date, type of book, general subject matter, special features, price and ISBN. (If you are leaving this review on a site like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or CBD, this information is already provided. But if you’re writing the review for a blog post, newsletter, newspaper, or magazine, you’ll need to provide as much information as you can to avoid any confusion about the book being reviewed.

            2. State the author’s purpose in writing the book. Look in the preface or first chapter to find this

                 information. If you don’t find it there, ask yourself some questions:

                        a. Who is the intended audience?

                        b. What is the genre, and how does the book fit into it?

                        c. Why did the author write on this subject?

                        d. Did the author try to give information, explain something technical, or convince the reader of something?

                        e. How did the book affect you? Did you change your ideas because of it? How did it fit in

                            with your worldview? Did it bring up old memories?
                        f. Did the book achieve its purpose? Would you recommend it to a friend?

            3. Comment on how the author tells the story and keeps you interested.

            4. Research the author online through biographical information, reputation, qualifications and

                experience. This allows you to establish the authority of the author.

            5. Depending on the type of book, you may need to comment on cover, layout and any pictures or maps that helped you understand the book better.

            6. Check the back matter: index, endnotes, bibliography. Is the material accurate and useful?

            7. Briefly summarize and comment on the author’s ideas and main points. Use quotations from the book to support your statements.

     8. Be detailed and specific, without giving away the plot. There is no set length for a book review. The publisher usually sets the number of words. Online they are usually 150-300 words, but in a magazine, they may be as much as 500 words.

Any time you read a good book, take the time to write a review on at least one of the Web sites like www.amazon.com, www.bn.com, www.cbd.com, www.goodreads.com. Remember you are doing a service for the writer and the reader.

Ann Knowles – Freelance Writer, Editor, Speaker, and Workshop Leader – After thirty-two years in the classroom, Ann launched a new career in writing and editing. She is passionate about helping others improve their writing skills. Contact her at www.WritePathway.com.