Another month, another writing submission! Small potatoes but I’m sticking with my goal and I’m pleased with that.
I’m slightly less confident in this one tho now that I realize the individual judges get a longlist and not every piece. I guess we’ll see what happens!
Book 101 of 2026: The Donut Chef by Bob Staake. My kids read this #PictureBook and told me I had to read it, so I did. Two donut shops duel it out for the best donuts and ultimately get reminded by a kid that sometimes simple, return to basics is what wins. #KidLit #BookSky
1/
My kids are at the botanical gardens. I asked them to take pictures of a plant they like so we can do a project. Text from my teen: “(7) wants to know if his favorite thing can be a banana slug instead of a plant” 😆😆 sure, why not? Lol
I was safe as long as it was all the way on but once you started peeling it would wake up and then try to eat you so you needed a team and you needed to be ready for a fight.
I woke up before I found help.
Woohoo! I was just thinking of The House of Skin the other day — one of the strangest (in a good way!) books I’ve ever read, one of the first I read from Stanchion —
Take advantage of this second printing and get yourself a copy!
There’s something magic about my bed. If I put random books on it, the kids will pick them up and read them. Book has been out but elsewhere for days. Moved it to my bed today. Three children have now read it. #BookSky #MomLife
Basis of a horror story.
Yesterday I read an article about pythons in Florida, and last night I dreamed I was wearing a suit made of a live python, its open mouth around my neck like a collar but it somehow molded to the rest of my body so I could walk around and stuff. I kept trying to get someone to help me peel it off.
The kids thought it was funny, and we had a whole dinner convo about it so that makes it a winner in my book. Excellent and consistent meter but a lot of word reversal to maintain the rhyme, like “donuts glazed” instead of “glazed donuts” - I don’t love how often that was done. #KidLit #BookSky /end
Kristin Houlihan, Writer
Kristin Houlihan, Writer
Friends brought over two bags of fresh-picked peaches from their tree 😍 I cannot eat them but my kids are thrilled, teen is planning cobbler (I can tolerate a bite or two), and I got to see my deceased friend’s kids for a quick minute and I so miss their beautiful little selves
