PARENTING BLOG
SUSIE E CARON
MOTHER, TEACHER AND PSYCHOLOGIST RETIRED
WELL, MOTHER'S NEVER RETIRE. RIGHT?
SUSIE E CARON
MOTHER, TEACHER AND PSYCHOLOGIST RETIRED
WELL, MOTHER'S NEVER RETIRE. RIGHT?
![]() I'm so excited! Although I didn't win 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in the 21st Annual Writer’s Digest Annual Self-Published Book Awards,the judges critique I copied from my email and posted below, just makes me want to sing! _________________________________________________________ 10/17/2013. 2:47 PM As promised, your judges commentary..21st Annual Writer’s Digest Annual Self-Published Book Awards, Entry Title: Twee' Author: Susie E. Caron Judge Number: 7 Entry Category: Children's Picture books Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding”. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference, it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking. In some cases, you may see special or out of place characters/symbols in your commentary. For example, you may see that a character/symbol replaces an apostrophe, copyright, and other "symbols". These substitutions occur for various reasons – and are unavoidable. They are often [programming] misinterpretations due to encoding, installed fonts, web based content/sources etc. Since the “content”[data] of the commentary is comprised of data sent from several different computers (programs, fonts etc.,) and from the internet (online entry system), you may at times see an interpretation of what had been an apostrophe, dash, quotation mark etc. Structure and Organization: 5 Grammar: 4 Production Quality and Cover Design: 5 Plot (if applicable): 4 Character Development (if applicable): 5 Judges Commentary*: I like the allegorical nature of this story, and I really love the message. I could see this being a great story to introduce a discussion with children about perceptions and expectations. On the level of the allegory, if the rock represents parental protection and guidance (as the back cover suggests), I wonder why the rock isn’t present from the very beginning of Twee''s life? I’d like to see Twee’ moving from a simple acceptance that the rock is there to a dissatisfaction with the limitations it places on her desire to see the world, and then finally to move beyond that dissatisfaction to a new appreciation of the rock’s role in her life. The illustrations are a lovely accompaniment to the text -- they are simple and gentle to look at, and the proportion of text and illustration is well-balanced on the page. There were some grammatical mistakes in the text (particularly comma errors and some dialogue formatting mistakes). I was also confused by the apostrophe in Twee’’s name -- why is it there? If she named herself Twee’, would she name herself with an apostrophe? Does it change the pronunciation somehow? I thought the diction and sentence structures were generally appropriate for this audience level. While the book’s deeper message lends it to reading aloud, it is easily accessible for young independent readers as well. *Commentary may be quoted as: “Judge, Writer’s Digest 21st Annual Self-Published Book Awards” ![]() Definition: *Coda: A tail; a repeated phrase; or a flourish at the end of a musical composition. (Definition combined from multiple sources.) This is my Coda: an American Boxer and my working psychotherapy dog. I named her Coda as a tongue-in-cheek reminder to myself that my work as a psychotherapist would be a ‘flourish at the end of my multi-career life'. Coda* means: a repeated phrase, or flourish at the end of a musical piece. So the term Coda* identified my last career as a Psychologist, prior to retirement, or so I thought. At a time, when most people start thinking about retirement, I began my career as a Licensed Psychologist Master, in private practice. (my 1st *Coda). Next, I developed a group practice: "Coda Grove: Center for Emotional and Relationship Well Being". (my 2nd *Coda). I enjoy my work and I do not plan to retire any time soon. However, I continue to evolve and grow and that brings me to my 3rd*Coda. Let me explain the inspiration behind the 3rd Coda. Prior to becoming a psychologist I engaged in two previous careers. I taught elementary school, adult education, and later owned and operated a horseback riding school. Because of my training and experience in my work with children and adults, I learned a great deal about the essential ingredients to emotional well-being. These are #keys to how we connect with ourselves, our God, our children, and other people in our lives. Thus, recently I began my 3rd *Coda, as an author. Why do I write, when I could retire? I write because I want to connect with you and share what I have learned. Please feel free to join me as I share more about the #keys to the emotional well-being for yourself, your children, and others in your life. I hope you will find many ideas to make your life more enjoyable. Did you enjoy this? Leave me a comment or share. |
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Susie E. Caron
These are from my former life with many current memories and helps for parents. I retired from teaching, became a psychotherapist treating children and families and an author. After retiring I became a full time artist. I recently reopened this parenting blog because I believe wisdom is to be shared. Author of Chidren's Books, Christian, Wife, & Mother, I want to help you build parent-child relationships, 1 blog, & books at a time. When I'm not busy creating articles or paintings, you might find me looking for dark chocolate or playing with my Boxer, Josie. Disclaimer
These articles are for educational and self-help purposes only and are not intended as psychotherapy. If you experience unusual symptoms or discomfort please see your medical or mental health practitioner. No patent liability is assumed for use of the information contained. The author disclaims any responsibility for loss or risk for use or application of this material. ![]() Buy All 3 Today.
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Blog Reviews & Thank You!
Sheila Michelle July 13 at 7:17pm · Just wanted to say that I love your posts about the different ways to connect/relate/understand your child. It has given me a new approach towards understanding my daughter and allowing HER to tell me how she feels instead of me suggesting to her how she should feel. Thanks Susie! |
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