Beloved Little Blogs

I had stopped by his roadside stand in Florida to admire the potted bougainvilleas. Their color caught my eye. Mine at home were skimpy on blooms despite fertilizers.“What’s the secret?” I asked the guy, dazzled.

“Plants are like beautiful women,” he explained in Spanish. “You have to neglect them a little to make them want to show themselves to you.”

Don’t worry. I didn’t buy a single plant from that imbecile.

Still, all these years later, I realize his silly theory might work just fine for blogs.

That’s because Marci Rich, blogger at Midlife Second Wife, selected my very often-neglected blog as one of her nominees for the Liebster Award. As far as I can tell, the Liebster is a love note-meets-chain-letter  for blogs. In getting this award, my blog was cheered on by Marci as one of her small time favorites (fewer than 200 followers) – and (best part) I get to pay it forward and pick 3 – 5 of my own favorite small blogs to announce. Like a lot of us, I read the larger blogs. A friend recently pointed me to Jane Friedman’s Being Human at Electric Speed, which is wonderful for writers. I also love Being Latino and Bicultural Mom, mostly for all the inside jokes and experiences that are shared. But this award is for the bitty blogs.

So, first and foremost, a big thanks to Marci Rich, for reading my blog and nominating it. And now….¡Atención señores! My favorites:

Gail Shepherd; Paradoxy 

Gail Shepherd and I worked briefly together as journalists in Florida, before either of us had turned to writing for children. Imagine our mutual surprise when we found each other making work for young people. Her blog is charming and full of great advice for writers in the trenches. If you’re in South Florida, especially, log in.

Gigi Amateau: If You Enjoyed Your Ride, Kiss Your Horse

I know nothing about horses, except that someone I admire loves them deeply. Still, that’s not why I am nominating Gigi Amateau’s blog. What I love about this blog is the expert way that Gig goes about building a community. Especially interesting are her interviews with people who are turning horse love into love for other people in the community.

Lucinda Whitehurst and Wilma Snyder: The Open Book Blog

Lucinda Whitehurst is a librarian extraordinaire, and she puts together this sweet quarterly newsletter and blog about children’s books with her mom, Wilma Snyder. It’s a mix of book reviews, author interviews, and cool updates on what a rock star librarian is doing. Lucinda would know. She is based in Richmond, VA, at St. Christopher’s School, and has served on the Caldecott Committee, among other nifty assignments.

Stacey Loscalzo:  Stacey Loscalzo’s Blog

Stacey is a one-woman encyclopedia of reading strategies — and a former teacher to my oldest daughter, who struggled terribly with learning. She is completely dedicated to unlocking even the most padlocked door to reading. She’s also a huge fan of children’s lit.  If you’re looking for ideas to spark your kid’s reading (backed up by experience and research), Stacey’s blog is a great place to start.

 Dawn McMullan:  Bring Back Dinner

Everyone should have a friend like Dawn McMullan. She travels to Africa to help victims of genocide, writes freelance for magazines and NPR, cheerfully accepts her children’s strange pet requests — and is devoted to food. For one year, she promised to have dinner with her family every night — all while educating her readers about Africa. Her blog is so readable and funny — what else could it be with a husband and two teenage sons in Dallas? She’s about to readjust the focus a bit, but I’d stay tuned. She never disappoints.

Congrats to my winners! Now it’s your turn to acknowledge the award and make your own selections. Please don’t forget to grab the Leibster button and feature it on your site.

Cariños…