Library Watch

I am so excited and honored to find that libraries across the nation are picking up 7th Grade Revolution both in print and ebook format. My publisher let me know they had checked WorldCat.org to see which libraries had picked it up so far and the below libraries have. So if you happen to be in the area, stop by … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Broken Heel

Having sprained my ankle, or I should say ankles, more times than I can count, I can no longer wear heels. A modest inch or maybe two in a boot, cowboy-style, is about the best I can manage these days. I have even sprained both ankles at once by simply stepping off a curb. What can I say? I have … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: Into the Dark

A small crew of the Washington Academy 7th Graders went down into the tunnel — the entire grade couldn’t go because someone had to monitor the FBI. As they moved away from the tunnel opening and the fluorescent light bars in the room above, they learned how dark things could really be. True darkness is not something we experience often … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: Dangling

Why is it when we’ve set our course and taken life by the horns we frequently find ourselves dangling in midair hanging on for dear life? After all, we’re supposed to pursue our goals with confidence, right? We envision our goal at the end of a wide-open eight-lane highway, when in reality it sits at the end of a winding, … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Moment of Truth

As we live our lives, we reach crossroads where decisions must be made, and if the decision is important enough, one which can alter our destiny, or cause us to face up to our fears, it can be called a moment of truth. Picking where to go to college can be a moment of truth. Do you choose to stay … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Epiphany

While the 7th Graders were happy to have found the rumored tunnel, there was one problem — the opening to the tunnel was a good twenty feet above the tunnel floor and there was no easy way to get down there. Even if they jumped and didn’t hurt themselves, the next question was how would they get out? Dennis had … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: Lighting the Torch

I’ll admit … this is the part of the story where I really started to get excited, even while writing it. The kids now know who their opponent is and have discovered the entrance to the tunnel. They are literally about to enter the unknown, but before they can do so, they have to check the air quality in the … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Power of Paracord

The character of Dennis in 7th Grade Revolution definitely has some untold stories in his past — which for now, remain untold. For example, his shark tooth necklace. I’m dying to know the story behind the shark’s tooth, because it holds a meaning for Dennis and has become his worry stone. Maybe one of these days he’ll tell me the … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Storeroom

As the personality of Silas Tucker became clear, I knew that if he had gone to the trouble of creating a secret room, then he would have hidden things of value inside. Here was a man who when building his house had put in a hidden staircase, hid a portion of the basement, and created a tunnel to escape through. … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Hidden Staircase

Last week I talked about the tunnel and how it created the school as a post Civil War mansion. Once I knew the era of the house, I knew it had to contain a secret staircase and rooms as well. The first Nancy Drew Mystery book I ever got my hands on was The Hidden Staircase and from that point … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Tunnel

When starting off on the journey of 7th Grade Revolution I didn’t have a lot of information beyond the portion based on the real life classroom experience. I had spent time getting to know my characters, but beyond knowing there was a conflict with an outside agency. Normally, before I start writing, I do work on some sort of outline. … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Class Clown

Every Middle School class has at least one … a kid with a sparkle in their eye and the ability to turn absolutely everything into a joke. They are the pranksters, the rebels, the classroom disruptors. The challenge for every teacher is to keep them at least somewhat toeing the line while not crushing their spirit. Because that spirit is … Read More