Slight change of colour in the members area

Done a tiny bit of colour changing in the members area while Steve's been out and I did it all by myself - changed the CSS and the link colours and everything!

Steve'll be surprised when he gets home!  lol

Looking for...

I'm hoping to put up a few prompts on the main Stories site that visitors can use to write their own story with and, if they agree, I'll put them into the members area.  All rights will remain with the author and I'll try and remember to put a Creative Commons license on every one that will stop re-distribution.

Sooo, any prompts from my blog and/or site visitors?  Please?  You can't copyright ideas but I'll thank you on the site if I use your prompt!

It can be a word, several words or a sentence in text or a picture that you hold the copyright to if you prefer?

As long as it's suitable for children, anything goes!

Book review: The Golden Fountain by Zuheb Alep

✰✰✰✰ out of 5

Just finished reading this and it was OK in parts but too young to be considered YA as the main character is only 12 so an 18 year old wouldn't want to read it, but some of the words are more YA than MG though so the author either needs to add several years onto the main character to make it truly suitable for YA readers or reconsider some of the words and phrases they've used so that MG readers don't get confuzzled and frustrated with not knowing what the words mean.

There are way too many characters too... the MC is OK, but there would ideally only be a few more, instead of the amount the author has used.

If you are an older MG reader who likes fantasy then give this book a read, but if you're looking for a YA read from this book then you'll be disappointed unless you can take yourself back to your childhood... sorry!

 Give it a read, just don't be surprised if you get frustrated by the MC being younger than you.

Possible future picture book idea?

I've caught a cold off my wonderful hubby and I've got a nose that is ripping off the Christmas reindeer now, but it's got me to wondering if there is a potential PB idea in it?

It obviously won't be about a reindeer or even be set around Christmas time.... it'll be a little boy with a snotty nose that won't stop running even though it's supposed to be Spring outside, not Autumn/Winter and it won't be hayfever either!

Soooo, a totally anonymous survey that just needs a yes or no answer:

PB set in Southern UK, the weather is unusually cold and Ashley has caught a cold after not doing his coat up at school in the yucky weather at break and lunch times so now has a cold.

Yes or no please?

Book review: Yellow Socks for Purple Monsters by Teresa Kresheck

✩✩✩✩✩

What a great little picture book!  It deals with a common child's nightmare in a gentle, sweet and reassuring way!  The author definitely has a talent for taking a common fear and reassuring the child, in a totally unique way, that everything will be OK!

I've got no hesitation in awarding it the full 5 stars!

Keep up the great writing, Teresa!

Book review: An Authentic Experience by Kelly Wittmann

✩✩✩✩ out of 5


Just finished reading An Authentic Experience by Kelly Wittmann and it's a good book, just needs less swearing considering that her readers will only be 13-15 years old!  I know that they prolly all know the words and use them frequently with friends but the adults in the readers lives won't appreciate all the f**k and b***dy and even a c**t close to the end!

If it wasn't for the swearing and the parents and grandparents all having 2 names each (3 for Silver's mum) then I wouldn't have a problem with giving it a full 5 stars, but the author needs to think about how she would feel about her own child sitting in front of the telly after tea one day and accidentally blurting out "what a f**king joke!" after reading it in this book.

A good little read, just needs less swearing and not so many name changes is all.  Keep up the writing, Kelly, just find other words to use instead of swearing so much is all!