Damaris Herilhy, Author at

Inspirational Sports Movies Your Whole Family Will Enjoy!

I created a post with movie recommendations back in early 2020. Someone in my family was home with the the flu and/or colds from December through February! We were home so much and had a hard time finding good movies that appealed to all of us—ages 2, 8, 10, 45, and 46.

I asked my FaceBook friends for suggestions and they had so many good ones! In February 2020, I pulled the list together for myself and shared it as a post on this page.

Once we all got better in early March, we were healthy for a week. Ha! What a tease! We went back into quarantine along with the rest of the world. The movie list was more helpful than I could have imagined!

I finally found the time recently to update the list but it was just too long. I pulled out the inspirational-sports movies and created a new post! There are so many good ones!

Disclaimers:
* I haven’t vetted all of them and only you know what will be appropriate for your family.
* The descriptions are all come from IMBD. If you click on an image, it will take you to IMBD where you can see where it’s available to watch. IMBD also has an option to save to your watchlist!
* I’ve also included the recommended age according to CommonSenseMedia.org (but I would take the ages with a grain of salt!).

Do you have any other recs? Any that shouldn’t be on this list? Please comment below and I’ll try to update the list periodically! I would also love help with updates and corrections if you see any!

The Black Stallion
After being shipwrecked with a magnificent horse off the coast of Africa in the 1940s, a boy bonds with the stallion, and trains him to race after their rescue.
1979, age 8+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

Cool Runnings
When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.
1993, age 8+

Eddie the Eagle
The story of Eddie Edwards, the notoriously tenacious British underdog ski jumper who charmed the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
2015, age 12+

Eight Below
Brutal cold forces two Antarctic explorers to leave their team of sled dogs behind as they fend for their survival.
2006, age 8+

Free Solo
Alex Honnold attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb El Capitan.
2018, age 11+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

I Am Bolt
The legacy of the fastest man in history, Usain Bolt.
2016, age 10+

Karate Kid
A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager. (First movie in the series!)
1984, age 11+

Kicking & Screaming
Phil Weston, a lifelong victim of his father’s competitive nature, takes on the coaching duties of a kids’ soccer team, also taking on his father’s dysfunctional way of relating.
2005, age 9+

A League of Their Own
Two sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amid their own growing rivalry.
1992, age 10+

McFarland
Jim moves his family after losing his job as a football coach, and at his new school he turns seven disappointing students into one of the best cross-country teams in the region.
2015, age 10+

The Mighty Ducks
A self-centered Minnesota lawyer is sentenced to community service coaching a rag tag youth hockey team.
1992, age 12+

Million Dollar Arm
A sports agent stages an unconventional recruitment strategy to get talented Indian cricket players to play Major League Baseball.
2014, age 10+

Miracle
The true story of Herb Brooks, the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Soviet squad.
2004, age 8+

Pele
Looks back at the extraordinary 12-year period in which Pelé, the only man to win three World Cup titles, went from young superstar in 1958 to national hero in 1970.
2021, age 10+

Queen of Katwe
A Ugandan girl sees her world rapidly change after being introduced to the game of chess.
2016, age 10+

Remember the Titans
The true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit.
2000, age 10+

The Sandlot
In the summer of 1962, a new kid in town is taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his rowdy team, resulting in many adventures.
1993, age 8+

Seabiscuit
True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.
2003, age 13+

Togo
The story of Togo, the sled dog who led the 1925 serum run despite being considered too small and weak to lead such an intense race.
2019, age 10+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

The Waterboy
A waterboy for a college football team discovers he has a unique tackling ability and becomes a member of the team.
1998, age 14+

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Book Reviewers BEFORE a Book Is Published

You most often hear about book reviews AFTER a book has been published. But reviews BEFORE your book is final can be invaluable to your rewriting process.

Reviewers can come from many different spaces.

Content experts
Target audience
Bloggers who discuss topics relevant to your book
Educators
School librarians
School guidance counselors
Social workers
Children
Parents
Grandparents
Veterans

Whoever they are, they could be your first fans and your first customers!

Virginia Lee Burton is one of my favorite children’s picture book authors. She read her books over and over again to her intended audience until she got the book right. Her audience were her own children. Her strategy was brilliant!

As you go through your writing and editing process, you can ask reviewers to read your work, answer a few targeted questions, and give you feedback—at different stages! The questions you ask can be general or very specific to something tricky you’re struggling with. Just keep it to no more than 5-6 questions.

Perhaps you want a librarian friend to read your book early on in the manuscript writing process. Hopefully that person will give you honest feedback to substantively improve the quality of your book. Take their review seriously and make changes to your book accordingly. Since they are your friend, they will also be sure to read it at a later phase—regardless of their opinion early on. Perhaps they didn’t like your book at an early manuscript phase, but if later edits reflect their input, they’ll be happy you asked them to help and they should be pleased with the work you’ve done to improve your book. This could come before the development edit phase.

You can also ask your favorite blogger (whom you want to blog about your work when the time comes!) to read it closer toward the finish line when your book is closer to being ready. Since you don’t want to alienate a stranger to an early phase of your book, be sure they’re reading a more finished version. Hopefully they’ll still have good input that you can use to improve your book.

And since every reviewer is going to have their own perspective, it’s best to solicit reviews from multiple people. 4-6 at each review stage is best. You may find that you thoroughly disagree with all the reviews you receive, and that’s okay. But really listening to them and being honest with yourself will help you as you rewrite your book.

As author Danielle Wilkinson rewrote her Nina Puppalina series, she solicited reviews from a well-known dog trainer. What she learned from the review had a significant impact on her rewriting process.

To solicit honest feedback, you’ll want the reviews to be anonymous. Especially at the early stages of your rewriting process. Many of your friends might not be totally honest with you. Or perhaps they’ve never critiqued a book and, even though they may be a person with the expertise you need, it’s just not in their nature to read your book with a critical eye. Even a stranger that is not a regular book reviewer might have a hard time being honest when sharing their thoughts directly with an author. Having an unbiased party solicit and collate reviews for you will yield the most honest results. Or you can utilize an online tool such as surveymonkey.com.

When the time comes to ask strangers such as bloggers to review a final manuscript, it’s a good idea to personalize your solicitation in some way and to create a relationship with that person. You would likely not want that to be anonymous. If the review is good, you’ll want to use that in your marketing.

Reviews coinciding with the launch of the book is another topic to be covered another time!

What Type of Editor Do You Need?

In the book world, CONTENT IS KING!

As a book author, preparing your content properly will be critical to your success. As part of that process, you will write and rewrite your content over and over and over again.

But you don’t have to edit and rewrite completely alone. And you really shouldn’t. No matter how good a writer you might be. That’s where an editor can help.

Editors exist to make books the best they can be. For that reason, it’s critical to the success of any author to enlist help from editors.

Editors can be friends or family, but it’s best to engage the help of professionals. Hire editors with experience who will give you honest feedback about your work.

But what type of editor do you need? The answer is likely all of them.

Each type of editor performs a specific function in your writing process. You might even find editors who wear multiple hats and will do some or all types of editing. That’s okay.

Development Editor (sometimes called a content editor or book doctor) is the big picture editor. They can be part of the planning process as well for early drafts. They offer specific comments related to the premise, story, character, and voice. A good development editor will read through the eyes of a typical reader: What questions would the reader have? What’s inconsistent? What needs more information? What needs less? Read more about Development Editors here.
Beta readers read unpublished manuscripts and provide constructive feedback to the author. They are often free of charge (with varying degrees of experience or actual help) and can come anywhere in the editing process, but best to do early on.
Line editors focus on improving the flow of the writing, making prose polished and more engaging for the reader.
Copyeditors focus on correcting inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization errors, shifts in tense, and similar issues.
Proofreaders edit the book after a book is typeset. They serve as the final checkpoint before the finalized version is completed and printed.

Whatever path you choose with an editor, be open to edits. Editors are there to help your book. They’re not worried about hurting your feelings. And even the most successful authors accept feedback from editors to improve their writing.

Be open and enjoy the process.

Live-Action Movies Your Whole Family Will Enjoy!

Warning: This has nothing to do with books!

I first created this list back in February of 2020. It had already been a very long winter. At least one person (including me!) in our family seemed to have been sick from late December until early March. It was a long few months stuck at home with three kids. Then we all got better in early March—just in time for one long ski weekend away with my husband’s family. Only to come home to be quarantined again. You know the rest. . . .

On those long sick days, my two boys (8 and 10 at the time) typically bounced between naps, playing Minecraft, watching other people play Minecraft (any parents know Stampy Cat?), and watching bad TV/movie programs. My kiddos didn’t get screen time during the week—except when they’re sick. But I let them take advantage of screens when they’re not feeling good so I can salvage a bit of my day. In between snuggles, of course.

So in a bit of desperation for normal screen time that I could also enjoy (something we struggle with for Friday night movie choices, too), I turned to Facebook. My amazing friends and family came through in a big way! My specific request was for favorite live-action movies that an 8 year old, a 10 year old, and a 46 year old would enjoy watching together.

Fast forward a few years, we have a (determined, opinionated, stubborn) 5-year-old girl in the mix. Finding something we all like is certainly a challenge! This list has been helpful to us, for sure, and I hope it is for you as well!

Disclaimers:

I haven’t vetted all of them and only you know what will be appropriate for your family.
The descriptions are all come from IMBD. If you click on an image, it will take you to IMBD where you can see where it’s available to watch. IMBD also has an option to save to your watchlist!
I’ve also included the recommended age according to CommonSenseMedia.org (but I would take the ages with a grain of salt!).

Stay tuned for a similar post next week: Inspirational Sports Movies! There were so many good ones that they deserved their own list!

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D
A young boy is recruited by his imaginary friends Sharkboy and Lavagirl to help save their planet.
2005, age 7+

Akeelah and the Bee
A young girl from South Los Angeles tries to make it to the National Spelling Bee.
2006, age 8+

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Alexander’s day begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by more calamities. He family also finds themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
2014, age 9+

Benji
A stray dog saves two kidnapped children.
1974, age 7+

Big
After wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult.
1988, age 13+

Big Daddy
A lazy law-school grad adopts a kid to impress his girlfriend, but everything doesn’t go as planned and he becomes the unlikely foster father.
1999, age 14+

Big Miracle
In small-town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his Greenpeace-volunteer ex-girlfriend to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly-forming ice in the Arctic Circle.
2012, age 8+

Bridge to Terabithia
A preteen’s life turns upside down when he befriends the new girl in school and they imagine a whole new fantasy world to escape reality.
2007, age 9+

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world’s most unusual candy maker.
2005, age 8+

Empire of the Sun
A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation of China during World War II.
1987, age 14+

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.
1982, age 7+

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite what the Principal thinks of that.
1986, age 11+

Flubber
An absent-minded professor discovers “flubber,” a rubber-like super-bouncy substance.
1997, age 9+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

Free Willy
When a boy learns that a beloved killer whale is to be killed by the aquarium owners, the boy risks everything to free the whale.
1993, age 6+

The Goonies
A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate’s long-lost treasure.
1985, age 10+

Groundhog Day
A narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day, and the day keeps repeating until he gets it right.
1993, age 11+

Hamilton
The real life of one of America’s foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway with the original cast.
2020, age 11+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

Harry and the Hendersons
The Henderson family adopt a friendly Sasquatch but have a hard time trying to keep the legend of ‘Bigfoot’ a secret.
1987, age 7+

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. (First in the series!)
2001, age 7+

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it. (First in the series!)
2012, age 11+

Holes
A wrongfully convicted boy is sent to a brutal desert detention camp where he joins the job of digging holes for some mysterious reason.
2003, age 10+

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
The scientist father of two teenagers accidentally shrinks his and two other teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight dangers as the father searches for them.
1989, age 6+

Hook
When Captain James Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.
1991, age 10+

Hoot
A young man (Lerman) moves from Montana to Florida with his family, where he’s compelled to engage in a fight to protect a population of endangered owls.
2006, age 8+

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Archaeology professor Indiana Jones ventures to seize a biblical artefact known as the Ark of the Covenant. While doing so, encounters Renee and a troop of Nazis.
1981, age 11+

It Takes Two
Alyssa and Amanda are two little girls who are identical, but complete strangers, that accidentally meet one day.
1995, age 5+

The Journey of Natty Gann
In the 1930s, a tomboy runs away from her guardian to join her single father who is 2,000 miles away, where he has found work.
1985, age 9+

Labyrinth
Sixteen-year-old Sarah is given thirteen hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue her baby brother Toby when her wish for him to be taken away is granted by a Goblin.
1986, age 15+

Little Shop of Horrors
A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.
1986, age 12+

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
2001, age 12+

Maleficent
A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.
2014, age 8+

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions.
2019, age 10+

Mary Poppins
In turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father.
1964, age 5+

Mary Poppins Returns
A few decades after her original visit, Mary Poppins, the magical nanny, returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael’s children through a difficult time in their lives.
2018, age 6+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

Matilda
A girl gifted with a keen intellect and psychic powers uses both to deal with her crude, distant family and free her kind teacher from their sadistic headmistress.
1996, age 9+

Mission: Impossible
An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.
1996, age 13+

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.
1975, age 13+

Mrs. Doubtfire
After a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend time with his children held in custody by his former wife.
1993, age 12+

Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion.
2005, age 9+

Night At the Museum
A new night security guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc.
2006, age 7+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

Nim’s Island
A young girl inhabits an isolated island with her scientist father and communicates with a reclusive author of the novel she’s reading.
2008, age 7+

Ocean’s Eleven
Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
2001, age 13+

October Sky
The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner’s son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father’s wishes.
1999, age 10+

Paddington
A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family.
2014, age 6+

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
Demigod Percy Jackson leads a quest across America to prevent a war among the Olympian gods.
2010, age 10+

Pete’s Dragon
An orphan boy and his magical dragon come to town with his abusive adoptive parents in pursuit.
1977, age 7+

Pinocchio
A puppet is brought to life by a fairy, who assigns him to lead a virtuous life in order to become a real boy.
2022, age 8+

Planes, Trains & Automobiles
A Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.
1987, age 15+

The Princess Bride
The story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.
1987, age 8+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

Ramona and Beezus
An adventurous young girl uses her imagination to escape her reality, that is quickly spinning out of reach.
2010, age 6+

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
Matilda tells the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a sharp mind and a vivid imagination, dares to take a stand to change her story with miraculous results.
2022, age 8+
FAMILY FAVORITE!!!

Secondhand Lions
A coming-of-age story about a shy, young boy sent by his irresponsible mother to spend the summer with his wealthy, eccentric uncles in Texas.
2003, age 10+

Sister Act
When a nightclub singer is forced to take refuge from the mob in a convent, she ends up turning the convent choir into a soulful chorus complete with a Motown repertoire.
1992, age 10+

Splash
A young man is reunited with a mermaid who saved him from drowning as a boy. He falls in love with her, not knowing who or what she is.
1984, age 12+

Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope
Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a Wookiee, and two droids to save the galaxy while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from Darth Vader.
1977, age 7+

The Three Stooges
While trying to save their childhood orphanage, Moe, Larry and Curly inadvertently stumble into a murder plot and wind up starring in a reality television show.
2012, age 9+

Uncle Buck
Bachelor and all-round slob Buck babysits his brother’s rebellious teenage daughter and her cute younger brother and sister.
1989, age 13+

What About Bob?
A successful psychotherapist loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients, an obsessive-compulsive neurotic, tracks him down during his family vacation.
1991, age 12+

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
A poor but hopeful boy seeks one of the five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory.
1971, age 8+

Wonder
This movie tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August, a boy with facial differences who enters the fifth grade, attending a mainstream school for the first time.
2017, age 10+

Yes Man
A man challenges himself to say “yes” to everything.
2008, age 14+

What Is a Development Editor?

Development editors have the honor of making a good book great. They make a book the best it can be, while maintaining the integrity of the author’s words and intent. Development editors take an unbiased and critical look at a book—word by word, line by line, chapter by chapter.

Why Would You Need a Development Editor?

Whether you’re an author of fiction or non-fiction, an autobiography or a biography, a children’s book, a cookbook, or a textbook, every book in every genre can benefit from a development editor’s eye. Blogs, eBooks, and website content are no different. Development editors can add significant value to an author’s work.

In-house editorial development is part of the process of higher-education textbook publishing. This is where I got my start as a development editor. However, as I expanded my business, it came as a surprise to me that this important component is not a part of the typical in-house process at a trade-book publisher.

Traditional trade-book publishers look for projects that are ready to sell. Plug and play. Final. They are not interested in working closely with most authors to massage content to make a best seller. They want a best seller to arrive on their desk. The precious time of an in-house development editor is reserved only for projects that will guarantee a return on their investment.¹ It is incumbent upon the author to work with a development editor, prior to submitting the work to a publisher or even an agent.

What Will a Development Editor Do For Your Work?

A development editor (sometimes called a content editor or book doctor) will work with an author to ascertain the goals of a project, the intended market, and any unique information that might be relevant to the work. Upon a thorough review of the project, the development editor will offer specific comments related to the development of the premise, story, character, and voice. They will suggest specific revisions to the content itself to improve style, dialogue, pace, and narrative.

The complex process of development editing is forensic in nature and is unique to the needs of each work. The development editor’s expertise is to polish the content of a project and make the content, or more importantly the author, look good.

What Will a Development Editor Not Do?

Development editors will read the book from the perspective of the book’s target audience. They are not necessarily content experts. If the target audience requires the development editor to be a content expert, then it’s best to hire a development editor with an expertise in that field. But in many cases, the target audience is an average reader and a traditional development editor will meet your needs.

Development editors are also not necessarily copyeditors or proofreaders who will fix every typo and correct every grammatical error. They may correct some of these errors as part of their process, but that is not their focus as they develop a book.

Why Should You Hire a Development Editor?

Most great writers will agree that it’s impossible to effectively edit your own work. Hiring a development editor can be invaluable to the success of your work.

There are great writers who need very little input from a development editor. But that input can mean the difference between a great book and a best seller. Likewise, there are brilliant professors who are not natural writers; they are content experts, not writing experts. Best-selling fiction authors might have the most creative story in mind, but have difficulty formalizing a cohesive story on paper.

It doesn’t matter how savvy you are as a writer, the eye of a development editor can be critical to the success of a project. Depending on the state of your work, a development editor might only need to tweak a few things. Or they might need to pull apart your work and put it back together. Don’t be alarmed or offended in any way. That is the development editor’s job.

As more and more authors look to self-publishing as an option for seeing their work come to life, a development editor can be an invaluable part of the adventure.²

Who Should You Hire As a Development Editor?

Hire a development editor you trust. If you don’t know the development editor, ask for a sample of what they can do for your work. Each project is unique and should be treated as such. Once you decide on the development editor of your choice, trust their instincts, relax, and enjoy the process.

When Should You Hire a Development Editor?

An author usually hires a development editor when the work is complete. However, the ideal time would be to work with a development editor at the beginning of your writing process to identify the best course for the goals and outline of your work. A good development editor will work with whatever strategy makes you comfortable.

Happy writing!

Sources:

¹ http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2012/07/03/what-should-you-expect-from-a-developmental-editor/ and http://ww.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/288447.html

²http://www.underdown.org/publisher-expertise.htm

Publishing Options For Book Authors

If you’ve poured your heart and soul into a book, it’s entirely possible to see your labor of love in print. In this age of a rapidly-changing publishing industry, you have many options at your disposal. Here are brief descriptions of a few options, as well as some advantages and disadvantages to each.

Option 1: Self-Publish

Self-publishing print books and eBooks allows you to maintain full control over your work while yielding the highest author-royalty percentage. A variety of self-publishing platforms (otherwise known as vanity presses) make this publishing option a very easy, inexpensive alternative to traditional publishing.

Upload your completed work as pdf and it will magically appear as available for customers to order on amazon.com, iTunes, barnesandnoble.com—and even at your local bookstore or library. Print orders are fulfilled by the self-publishing platform and mailed directly to the customer.

Advantages

maintain full control over content
reap the highest author-royalty percentage
relatively low investment

Disadvantages

success is driven entirely by author
all aspects of publishing must be managed and executed by author (or pay editors and consultants to do that work)

Option 2: Traditional Publishing with a Small Publisher

Publishing with a small press is another solution. The publisher will likely assume all responsibility related to actually publishing the work such as business (finances), production, printing, and distribution. Planning and execution of promotion and marketing efforts will likely be mutually shared between the author and publisher, reflecting the strengths that each side brings to the table. The small publisher will likely offer very personalized service and function as an equal partner in the success of a book.

Advantages

publisher assumes all responsibility related to publishing
publisher offers personalized (often transparent) service, ensuring best interest of both sides
mutually-shared promotion and marketing efforts between publisher and author

Disadvantages

mutually-shared promotion and marketing efforts between publisher and author (depends on how you feel about sharing the leg work!)
publisher often requires an edited and finished manuscript, depending on the return on investment

Option 3: Traditional Publishing with a Large Publisher

Like a small publisher, a large publisher would assume all responsibility related to actually publishing the work such as business (finances), production, printing, and distribution. The large publisher will have the capacity to plan and execute all promotion and marketing efforts. However, they have a large “book bag” so there is no guarantee that they will put the same effort into every book.

Getting a book in front of a large publisher for consideration is not easy. Publishers will often only look at books that come from a literary agent, but there are success stories when authors venture out on their own.

Advantages

publisher assumes all responsibility related to publishing and distribution
publisher has the capacity to plan and execute all promotion and marketing efforts

Increasing Success With Your Publishing Choice

Asking the right people to read your work will be critical to its success. An author recently hired me to perform a light edit of his book, only after he had released his book to the public. He decided to have his book edited when a reviewer (a librarian who wrote her review on amazon) found a grammatical error on the first page and stopped reading the book altogether. Whether you plan to go right to self-publishing or you would like to choose to partner with a publisher, you will want to avoid typos, grammatical errors, and otherwise unpolished or incoherent content.

Ask friends and family to read your work and provide honest feedback.
Ask subject-matter experts (you may have to pay them) to read your work and provide honest feedback. Provide them with a questionnaire of sorts if you’d like them to focus on specific things.
Hire a development editor to perform a full content edit of your work.
Hire a copyeditor to preform at least a light edit.

12 Books About Extraordinary Little Girls Your Little Boys Will Love!

My favorite part of the day is story time with my little loves. They can’t get enough of a good book. Their minds are like sponges—you can see them absorbing every detail. It fills my heart with infinite joy as each book feeds their endless imaginations.

But they’re typical boys. They’re drawn to books with vehicles, super heroes, and mischievous characters. This was not my intention; they’re just hardwired that way.

Over the years, books by Dr. Suess, Richard Scarry, and anything Curious George have been repeat favorites for my two sons. I’m sure you know the repeat I’m talking about. Over and over and over again. I know it’s good for their brains to have that repetition. But at this moment in my life, I feel that reading about how lumber is made every other night for the last year is too frequent. Thank you, What Do People Do All Day? But I digress…

When we got to the library, I let them bring home any book of their choice. For the last year or so, they’ve taken advantage of my open mind to borrow every iteration of Chima and Ninjago. While I don’t particularly enjoy Lego-themed books, they’re books and I never question their choices. Lucky for me, they’re also big fans of amazing new books (for us) like the Elephant and Piggie and the Magic Tree House series.

Enter our latest library visit. For the first time, I chose every single book we borrowed! As research for a client’s new children’s book a few months ago, I had looked through their playroom bookcase and found very few books with strong female characters. I’m a mom doing my best to rear boys that are sensitive and respectful to girls, so I was appalled at our selection!

I decided to reach out to my best source of intel: my fellow Facebook mommas! They came through in a huge way and provided me with the most amazing book recommendations about little girls with big brains and big hearts.

I immediately bought some of them for baby-girl showers. But I still hadn’t read any of them to my boys! So I put my list together, went to our local library’s website, and put them all on hold. Voila! They were ready and waiting for me the next time we went in.

Once I got them home, I was thrilled to see my little loves go to that huge pile of books for their bedtime stories—night after nigh! They’re excited for each new story and they’ve truly enjoyed every single one. They have all been requested as a repeat! At our house, that’s a huge win for a book.

In full disclosure, the fact that the main characters in these books are girls seems to be irrelevant to my little guys. They are attracted to strong characters with heart. And the messages in these stories certainly transcend gender and age. But as their mom, I know it’s important for them to be exposed to inspiring women in their life in whatever way possible. So I know these books are good for their soul.

So what does a book-loving mom and her two boys (ages 4 and 6) have to say when reading books about little girls with big brains and big hearts? We love them! Each one of these gems are worthy of a young boy’s heart.

1. Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen

During this holiday season of giving, this book earns its right as the top of this list. In post-WWII Holland, Katje receives a package of modest gifts from Rosie in the U.S. Through a series of genuine and humble thank you letters from Katje, Rosie begins to understand the needs of Katje’s family and friends. Over time, Rosie and her U.S. community fulfills the simple but real needs of warm clothing and food for Katje’s Dutch community. The extraordinary gifts from one girl to another show the capacity of human kindness and generosity in a very real way for any small child. My voice chokes up every time I read it!

2. Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts

The story of little Rosie with the big-engineer mind immediately captured the attention of my invention-inclined boys. A delightful rhyming story and very appealing illustrations tells the story of Rosie bringing her imagination to life as she builds big machines. Rosie’s airplane-building aunt inspires her to learn from her failures and always keep reaching for the stars. This might be my boys favorite. IMHO, a girl who builds gadgets and gismos is a good role model for any child!

3. The Gardener (Caldecott Honor Award) by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small

Three nights in a row, as selected by my four-year-old son! He has told me multiple times that he loves this very simple but very charming story. A bright, determined young girl makes the most of her otherwise bleak situation and brings joy to the lives of those around her with her green thumb. Lydia Grace’s spirit is captured through a series of letters. The beautiful illustrations bring this sweet story to life in a perfect way.

4. The Library by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small

Elizabeth Brown’s love of books is exquisitely portrayed in this touching story. After a lifetime of passionate book love, Elizabeth Brown makes a very simple decision to pass along her prized possessions to her community. During this holiday season, this tale of selfless generosity is a blessing to any reader. Sweet illustrations in this story with quirky details made my boys laugh at times. The gentle nature of the story and a very happy ending made them smile.

5. Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by LeUyen Phamz

Appropriately appalled that there have been no female U.S. presidents, Grace declares that she’ll be the first. She starts small and forges a successful presidential campaign at her own school. She consistently demonstrates hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to doing the right thing in the face of a healthy challenge. This book will teach any child a bit about the electoral college and political campaigning. Most importantly, it will teach impressionable children how gender assumptions can be shattered. Boys don’t always deserve to be leaders! The best girl or boy should win J

6. The Paper Bag Princess (Classic Munsch) by Robert N. Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko

The tables are turned in this modern fairy tale after a fire-breathing dragon destroys all of Princess Elizabeth’s earthly possessions and kidnaps her prince. She outwits the dragon to save her betrothed, only to find that he’s a shallow and ungrateful bum. There’s no happy ending for the princess and prince together, but Elizabeth dances off into the sunset. Elizabeth displays immense bravery and independence in this charming fairy tale that sends the right message for any boy or girl—believe in yourself.

7. Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

I’ll admit that I wasn’t totally on board with the idea of this book. Friends gave it mixed reviews. Interestingly, the moms with older children gave it a thumbs up. I get it. It uses big words. But what we liked most about this book (and I can’t speak for the series) is the love and support shown by Nancy’s family. We all appreciated her family rallying behind her. My boys especially liked Nancy’s little brother dressing up in girl clothes. When I finally pointed out that it was her little sister, they seemed a bit disappointed but still love the story about a very imaginative little girl. And the big words seem to be working—my littlest used the word “accessories” appropriately today!

8. Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke and illustrated by Kerstin Meyer

I’ll admit that my six-year-old son chose a Chima book one night, but it was the same night that my four-year-old chose Princess Pigsty for the second night in a row! Rejecting all things princess, Princess Isabella wants to be her own person and won’t let anything stop her. She ultimately finds acceptance and love for staying true to what makes her happy. A pigsty scene is sure to appeal to any child who loves dirt! My six-year-old says he doesn’t love it, but was happy to sit and listen to the story.

9. Madam President by Lane Smith

It’s a short book and easy to read with cool illustrations. But the pages on their own didn’t make sense to my kids at all. I couldn’t just read it to them without explanation, nor would they let me. So I explained each page in context of the real U.S. president. And you know what? They loved it! The book prompted conversation (and some laughs—read it to find out about “secretaries” under the president) about the role of our U.S. president in a very simple way. As tiring as it is to require parents to explain a book’s content the entire way through, it encouraged me to connect with my boys in a way that most books don’t require. It was a huge hit with my oldest! And even though my youngest says he’s not thrilled with the book, he is absorbed every time we read it. J

10. A Bad Case Of Stripes by David Shannon

In this sweet story, Camilla learns a valuable lesson about the importance of being true to herself. Filled with beautiful illustrations and rich, vibrant colors, Camilla demonstrates the importance of self-confidence and self-love for any young girl or boy.

11. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

An absolutely perfect little girl struggles with her identify in this delightful tale. Crystanthemum’s love for her very unique name wavers when she begins school. Teacher Mrs. Twinkle restores her confidence. Very pretty but very girly illustrations didn’t alter the high opinion of this story by the boys—they loved it.

12. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

Vashti’s teacher quietly encourages her to express herself artistically in a way she never thought she could. A simple dot and her signature make all the difference for Vashti’s confidence. She passes along the wisdom she learns to a young boy who lacks confidence just as she did. Very simple and sweet illustrations with an inspiring storyline kept my little loves engaged through the end.