Photo Challenge #6 / L is for Light

June 27, 2026June 13, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / 3 Comments

“Two Lights” / Theme: L is for Light

A little about this photo…

We went to a concert in a chapel, and as we waited for it to begin, I had the fortune to enjoy our surroundings. The ceiling was amazing. And so was the light fixture. Not to mention the stained glass window in the background. Two lights. One natural light coming from the window and one electric light.

THIS 2026 MONTHLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – This year is YEAR NINE of doing a photography challenge! (I began in 2018.) For more information about the list of prompts for this year, click on this link. And join me in posting your own photos on the last Saturday of each month with #2026picofthemonth

PB Review / Ten Beautiful Things

June 18, 2026June 13, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / 1 Comment

Book: Ten Beautiful Things (2021)
Author: Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrator: Maribel Lechuga
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Genre: Picture Book

Opening Lines of the Book…
Lily ran her finger across the Iowa map. An X marked Gram’s house on an empty patch of land. Lily’s new home.

MY THOUGHTS…

Lily and Gram are going on a long road-trip to Lily’s new home. It’s obvious from the beginning that Lily is sad about the move. At first, she doesn’t want to play the game Gram suggests for seeing if they can spot ten beautiful things over the course of the trip. But Lily starts to play anyway as they drive. A sunset, a redwing blackbird, and more. I love how they both play the game.

One of my favorite scene/line: Gram tapped her knee and pointed out a falling-apart barn. “That’s not pretty,” Lily said. “That can’t count.”
“We’re not looking for pretty. We want beautiful,” Gram said.

(I agree with Gram! I like taking photos of beautiful falling-apart barns.)

You never know quite why Lily is going home with Gram. There is a line that hints at it: She belonged with Gram now. So it seems like her parents are either dead or unable to care for her anymore. I like that ambiguity. And the metaphor of the storm easing into gentle rain is a perfect end to the story.

12 CHALLENGE

12 months to feature 12 picture books…

This picture book review is part of a monthly challenge I’ve set for myself. Have a recommendation for me? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. I may just feature your pick one of these months!

Review / Next Stop

June 15, 2026June 13, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / 3 Comments

Book: Next Stop (2024)
Author: Debbie Fong
Publisher: Random House
Genre: MG, Graphic Novel

Opening lines from the book …
Dad: Well, aren’t you going to say bye to your dad?
Listen, Pia, I know things have been pretty hard at home lately …

Pia: It’s okay. They’ll be better when I get back.

My thoughts …

Pia is going on the Sunset Tours bus with a group. Their destination: Cessarine Lake, an underground lake in the middle of the desert. But first, there are a lot of quirky roadside attractions!

I liked all the different people Pia meets on the bus. And I really like how Pia’s backstory slowly unfolds. We don’t know why she’s going on this trip alone without her parents. But little by little, that’s all revealed. I enjoyed the growing friendship between Pia and Sam. And the epilogue brings everything together.

This is the perfect read for a road trip!

YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Have a Clue, Nancy Drew?

June 3, 2026June 1, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / 6 Comments

As a kid, I loved reading the Nancy Drew mysteries. A few years ago, I did a bit of a deep dive into revisiting the original series. I wrote this blogpost: 5 Reasons Why I Shouldn’t Like Nancy Drew… But I Do!

Earlier this year, I learned that Nancy Drew has entered the public domain. Which means … I can write my own Nancy Drew mystery! I asked my newsletter subscribers what they thought. Should I do it? So, that’s what I’m planning to do. Write my own Nancy Drew short story!

I already have a bit of a mystery in mind. (Hello, old spooky mansion? Maybe?)

But I need some help from you! Should I keep Nancy’s age of 16? (This is her age in the original books. She later got aged up to 18 when they did the rewrites.) I’m thinking that maybe I could age her down to middle school, but keeping the historical setting of the 1920s!

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Review / The Sherlock Society

June 1, 2026May 31, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / 8 Comments

Book: The Sherlock Society (2024)
Author: James Ponti
Publisher: Aladdin
Genre: MG, Mystery

Opening lines from the book …
Maybe if our last name was Baker, we would’ve sold cupcakes. Or if it was Walker, we might’ve taken care of people’s dogs while they were on vacation. But it’s Sherlock, so starting a detective agency just seemed like the thing to do.

My thoughts …

The book begins with a bang! (Literally.) We jump right into the action as Alex and his sister, Zoe, are on a mission with their detective agency. Their grandpa’s there too. Of course, we get to back up to find out how they got there. That’s when we meet the full crew: Alex (the narrator), Zoe, Yadi, and Lina.

It’s summer, and Alex and Zoe’s grandfather sets them on a mission to solve some of his old cold cases (from when he was a newspaper reporter). If searching for Al Capone’s buried treasure sounds like a great story, you’re in for a treat. I loved all the leads, the dead ends, and the modern-day mystery they ultimately end up solving. A mystery that I realized after finishing the book was a parallel story to the Al Capone one.

Come for the mystery, stay for the friendships that develop between the society members. And the grandfather is a hoot!

YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Photo Challenge #5 / S is for Symmetry

May 30, 2026May 29, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / 6 Comments

“Rows and rows of trees” / Theme: S is for Symmetry

A little about this photo…

Spring means green growing everywhere. And what better way to show that than through the rows and rows of fruit trees on the fruit farms near where I live. I love the symmetry of all these trees. Soon enough, there will be delicious fruit growing here!

Review / Trouble at the Tangerine

May 11, 2026May 10, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / 4 Comments

Book: Trouble at the Tangerine (2024)
Author: Gillian McDunn
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: MG, Mystery

Opening lines from the book …
Simon Hyde’s parents were the kind of people who felt most at home when they were not at home.

“Why settle for ordinary? The Hydes are searching for extraordinary,” Dad was fond of saying. “To find that, you can’t stay in one place.”

Simon had place lobster traps in the Atlantic and roped called on ranches and squeezed into the lofts of tiny homes. He’d snowshoed through the Rockies, ziplined through treetops, foraged for mushrooms, and dived off cliffs.

But there was one thing that Simon had not experienced. He had never had a real home.

My thoughts …

Simon and his family move around a lot! That’s because his parents are social media personalities/influencers. But what Simon really wants is to stay put and live in the same place for a while. That’s why he needs to solve a mystery when a certain piece of jewellery goes missing from their new apartment building. Simon needs to prove to his parents that the place is safe for them to stay.

I love a good mystery. This one kept me engaged. I love the new friends Simon makes, especially Amaya. (Love that she has a green parakeet!) I was rooting for Simon (and Amaya) to solve the mystery so Simon could stay put for a while! I liked the added complication of him having one leg in a cast. While it does limit him, he doesn’t let it stop him from investigating.

YOUR TURN…

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Note: I’m posting this for Greg Pattridge’s Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday…

Before the Books Take Over

May 6, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / Leave a comment

I get it! It’s not easy for a booklover to get rid of books. But it must be done from time to time. Otherwise, our houses might be taken over by books. Let me inspire you and give a few tips to speed you along the way!

First, watch the video …

Got it? This is your time to do a little spring cleanup of your own bookshelves. I even have a special checklist to help you out:“Five Easy Steps to Spring Clean Your Bookshelves.” You can download it for free. Click here for more details.

Five Easy Steps to Spring Clean Your Bookshelves

It’s just a click away. It’s kid-friendly, too!

PB Review / The Case of Old MacDonald and his Farm

May 5, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / Leave a comment

Book: The Case of Old MacDonald and his Farm (2026)
Author/Illustrator: Mark Teague
Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Genre: Picture Book

Opening Lines of the Book…
8:02 a.m. There’s been a disturbance at the MacDonald farm. Animal control rushes to the scene.

Officer Busby meets Farmer MacDonald at the garden gate. “Was it the rabbit again? Little fellow in a blue coat?”

“You’re thinking of the McGregor farm,” he says. “Trust me, this is worse.”

He shows her the garden.

MY THOUGHTS…

This is such a fun book! I love all the nods to literary characters (like Peter Rabbit) and, of course, the famous nursery rhyme this book is based on. In the story, Old MacDonald has a big problem with his animals, and you’ll want to keep turning the page to find out what happens next. And I love the serious tone of the police officer as she investigates.

The illustrations are fun and full of color, sure to be a hit with the kids!

12 CHALLENGE

12 months to feature 12 picture books…

Photo Challenge #4 / T is for Tall

April 25, 2026May 27, 2026 / ofmariaantonia / 4 Comments

“Big Top Elephant” / Theme: T is for Tall

A little about this photo…

I love spotting “elephants” out in the wild. Spied this one while walking my camera on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, Canada. This elephant fits in quite well into the surrounding area, which is filled with wax museums and circus-like attractions!

#elephantspotting