Podcasts about question today

How to ask a question in French? It is pretty easy to ask a basic question in French. It works the same way as it does in English. Continuez à lire. . . The post Ask a Question – Today’s French at FrenchHour appeared first on French Etc.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Less Feels. More Action/Avoiding the Question/Today's Number/Free TimTam Agreements

How to ask a question in French? It is pretty easy to ask a basic question in French. It works the same way as it does in English. The post Ask a Question – Today's French appeared first on French Hour.

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from almost every one of my clients. So many moms have a hard time articulating what’s bothering them. They say, “My kids are on my nerves,” “I feel off my game,” or “I feel lost, stuck, bored, easily annoyed.” Whatever they say, it all seems to fall under the umbrella ... Read more... The post Why am I so tired? appeared first on Life Coaching For Parents.

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Joel. What is the most commonly believed startup strategy that will no longer be used in 5-10 years? Jake’s Answer: There are two things that will be changing a lot in the next few years. The Definition of Success When it comes to defining success by the amount of capital raised by venture-backed startups, I think most people will change their mind. Though most of the core publications will still emphasize these types of companies, many entrepreneurs will begin to move toward bootstrapping their company. It is becoming more challenging with each day to raise funding, especially as an early-stage startup, so startups are going to have to bootstrap for as long as possible. Honestly, I believe the bootstrapping mentality helps startups better understand how to run their businesses, even if they do raise capital later on. At this point, only three to five percent of early-stage startups are able to raise a seed round of funding. Idea Validation The way that startups validate their ideas will begin to change. This is where most of the innovation is coming from in today’s startup world. I also think the idea of having a validated idea before launching something will go away, too. It’s so much cheaper to build and launch a product than it used to be that having a validated idea isn’t as critical - you can validate post-launch. The movement of building, launching, and failing is gaining in prominence and I think this is a good thing. It will enable companies to grow and be profitable rather than posting losses with raised capital. Visit LaunchPeer to find resource that will answer your questions on product validation and fundraising. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Lucas. I hired someone to build a website and app. We met a few times and I’ve seen the progress and a working app. The app was near completion but he eventually stopped communicating with me. What should I do? Jake’s Answer: This is a terrible situation that we actually see quite often. I’m going to assume you already paid him for the work. Unfortunately, in this type of situation there’s not much you can do. Even if you have a contract in place, there’s not a lot of legal recourse. Even if we took it to court and won doesn’t mean we are ever going to get the money that they owe us. That’s just not how the system works. The first thing I would do is hire a lawyer to have them send some strongly worded letters and emails to the person to try to intimidate them into responding. I would also continue to email the freelancer and use an open tracker to know if they are reading your emails or not. How to Make Sure this Doesn’t Happen Don’t fully pay everything up front. Break up the payments weekly or bi-weekly so that you get product delivery and pay for it as it happens. This gives the customers the ability walk away if they don’t like the work and it ensures that the developer doesn’t have ownership of the code - you’ve paid for what’s been done, so it’s yours. Setup your own code repository. Have the developer post their progress on your own code repository and downloading it on a regular basis so that you always have access to what’s been done. Make sure you are working with a reputable developer. Whether it’s a freelancer or an agency, you should ensure that you are working with someone who has a good reputation and can’t just fall off the grid. At the end of the day, do what you can, beyond a contract, to ensure you are protected. There is always a risk in these situations, but you can take the steps above to mitigate that risk. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Christof. I’m working on a prototype to validate with users. Should I focus on getting feedback or monetary commitment? This is a SaaS product and it’s not built yet - how could I go about getting monetary commitment? Jake’s Answer: There is no perfect way to validate your idea, but we will take a look at some of the best and worst ways to validate your startup. Charge people. Even if your product isn’t build yet, you can put up a landing page and have them signup and commitment buy purchasing the product on a deep discount. Taking people’s money is always the best way to validate your idea. Pretend to charge people. If you don’t want to charge for the actual product yet, you can drive ads to a landing page that takes them through the checkout process and then lets them know right at the end that the product is still in development and that you won’t charge them yet. It may make some people made, but you are really just looking at how many people would have purchased. Provide a service alongside your product. If you distill down whatever problem your software was going to solve to the nuts and bolts, figure out which parts of it you can perform manually as a service. By providing this service, you can see how many people would actually use the service before putting money into developing a similar, automated process. Build a prototype. During this process you design your screens just as you would with the product and then you use that prototype to get feedback on the product (from strangers, preferably). ProductHunt Ship is a good place to post these opportunities as well as BetaList. Showing people what you are actually building is something you can do alongside the other ideas above to get real feedback from potential users. Talk to people. This is an ok strategy, but too often, people lie. Especially if you know them or if you are talking to them in person. This is an important part of the process, but it’s not the best way to truly validate your idea on its own. I’d match this up with one of the other ideas on this list to get the most out of the process. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Mike. Lots of famous startups have been founded during recessions. In times of economic downturn, wouldn’t starting a company be a smart thing to do since it wouldn’t face as much competition? Jake’s Answer: This is a great question, but I think what Mike is looking at here is tainted with is survivorship bias. What’s impossible to tell is if those startups would have also been successful if there were not a recession. Mike only mentioned four companies and I’m certain there were more companies started during times of recession. It’s also overlooked that during times of economic success there are also many unicorns and successful businesses. So the connection between economic prosperity is not necessarily directly linked to how successful a business is. Pros and Cons of Prosperity + Recession I don’t think the economy environment has much to do with having a successful business or not. What a recession does do is restrict capital, which is a great thing for startups. Having restricted cash flow when starting a business ensures that you make the most of your money and put it to the most important parts of the business. It also becomes much harder to obtain capital for startups who’ve never raised funds before. During times of prosperity there is a lot of money going around and it goes to many startups who may not even be promising. If you have an idea it’s likely that you can raise funding for it to at least give it a go. You have more startups at the bottom of the funnel getting funding, which expands the breadth of startups out there and of the ideas being pursued. Even in economic prosperity investors are still shifting their investments to larger rounds rather than seed rounds of funding. They do this because the risk of investing in a huge investment round of millions of dollars, even if they are a small part of it, is low and the potential return is high. With seed stage startups, your pitch deck, product, traction, nor your business model matters. The only thing that matters is your ability to sell you and your vision to investors. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Mindy. I have funding secured for an app I’m building. I haven’t validated my app yet, so I want to spend the least amount possible on an MVP. How do I determine if I should hire a development agency or a freelancer, since an agency is quite a bit more expensive? Jake’s Answer: This is a great question that I’m going to talk about in two parts: Product Validation When it comes to validating a product idea, surveying them as Mindy did means very little, unfortunately. The only thing that talks is money, so if they aren’t yet paying of your app or idea, then it hasn’t really been validated yet. If you survey people, it’s important to also ask them if you can put them on a list for signing up for the app when it releases - that’s the important metric. There is no formula out there for product validation, though, so you have to know internally that you are willing to risk your time and money on your idea. Product Development A freelancer will be cheaper than an agency, but there’s a reason why people work with agencies and not a freelancer. If you are not a technical project manager and don’t know anything about the code or technology, then you are going to have a hard time managing a technical freelancer. When you choose someone based on price rather than their ability to get it done, then you run into issues. It’s not necessarily agency vs. freelancer, it’s more about who you trust and who has a track record of success. When it comes to an agency, they have a business setup and aren’t likely to just disappear. But that does happen quite frequently with freelancers. Tips for hiring a development team or person: Hire someone you trust. Do background research. Don’t hire on price alone. This is always a tricky place to be in, but more often than not, if you hire based on trust and track record you will be happy with the end result. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Benjamin. We are a fintech startup and the founders all have well-paying jobs. As a founder, do you have to give up what you’ve achieved as far as pay rate or does previous pay get taken into account when raising funds? Jake’s Answer: A lot of people want to raise money for their startup but they are worried that their personal revenue is going to go from being comfortable to nearly non-existent. In the seed stage, investors are not going to want to pay you a good salary - nowhere close to six figures. They want most of that money to go to other things such as marketing and product development. Startup Salaries Most of the salaries that I’ve seen (depending on where you are living) for seed stage startup founders are around $40K-$60k. Investors want you to go full time on your business and they want to ensure you have enough to survive but no more than that. This is a conversation you want to have with investors before you get an investment - not after. You will have to talk about where the money is going before you get any kind of investment. As you are breaking down expenses be sure you are being fair about how much you truly need to live. Which also means you are making sacrifices to make your startup work. If you aren’t ready to make those sacrifices, then focus on building it as a side business without investor funding. We’ve also talked about other ways to fund your startup that doesn’t rely on investors, which is an option if you aren’t ready to be responsible to an investor. I will caveat that by saying that most startups you’ve heard of would not be where they are today without fundraising, so make sure you have clear goals for your startup and understand what you are willing to do to make it work. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Isaac. I just parted ways with a startup where I worked for two years. I managed a variety of responsibilities, projects, and tasks. How do I summarize all of my experience? Do I edit it for relevance when I apply for specific roles? How should I approach this? Jake’s Answer: A lot of founders I know transition out of their startup and go get a job and many startup employees go to work at other startups or jobs, too. It can be difficult to know how to document all the different hats that you were wearing at the startup, but today’s episode’s going to be a little bit short because this advice is going to be pretty simple. Document Everything From my experience, the best thing you can do is document everything. Break out all of your experience into the various job functions/roles/departments and then list out all of your related responsibilities under each one. Having a lot of varied experience is a benefit when you are looking for a new job, especially if you want to work for another startup. Hiring managers want to see that you can do a lot of different things, even if they are hiring for a specific specialty or position. Tailor Your Experience for the Job The best way to approach the information you have in your resume is to tailor your experience for the particular job you are applying for. You should include the breadth of experience but somehow relate it back to the specific job function you are applying for. Some people thing this is a form of lying, but it’s really just improving the messaging of the truth to fit the needs of a new role. Remember, there’s no shame in going back to a corporate job - startup life isn’t for everyone. And we’ve known plenty of people who left a startup and tried a standard job again and then ended up starting their own thing. There are many routes to happiness. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Connor. I started learning the basics of databases and programming and now I’ve got something going. I want to hire freelancers to help me with the development of an MVP. What’s the best way to do that? Jake’s Answer: Let’s break this down into multiple pieces. How to Pay Freelancers Typically, the way that you pay freelancers is by hour. You can pay them per project if you want, but for most freelancers I’ve seen the startups we work with the rate is higher. However, when you’re paying them per hour, things can get a little shaky because what one developer says will take an hour another developer could say would take six hours. This is normal. How Long Will It Take? The rate or time it takes doesn’t mean one developer is better than another, although that all that factors into it. If it’s a really good developer, they’ll take usually less time, but I’ve had senior developers that we’ve worked with who have taken six hours where a junior developer has taken an hour because they were thinking about the problem in a different way and a lot of being a developer is about thinking through how to solve a problem. The biggest thing is finding someone you trust and who communicates well so that they can give you an estimate but then keep you updated with their timeline once they actually start digging in. You want to ensure they are solid communicators from the beginning. Who to Hire Now comes the question of who you should hire. Let’s say you are building a VR app. A front-end developer could build 90 percent of the app and then a VR specialist (who will inherently charge more) can do the remaining 10 percent. This is the most economical approach, but you need to make the decision early because having the two work together from the beginning is a must. If you don’t, it could be a huge waste of money and time. Next Steps for Non-Technical Founders Here’s where I’m going to be a bit biased in my recommendation. If I was a nontechnical founder, I would come talk to LaunchPeer. That’s what we were made to do. We were made to help founders who are nontechnical, build technical products. Everyone we have at the company, everyone we hire, their entire goal in life is to serve nontechnical founders who are building technical startups. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Simon. I’m running a free beta signup and my conversion rate is very low. Does this mean that if people aren’t interested in the beta, they won’t be interested in the paid product? Jake’s Answer: There are a lot of ways to interpret Simon’s numbers. Honestly, I would interpret them positively. With a great conversion rate for scroll depth a good amount of visitors to the site, this bodes well. However, most websites have between 1-2 percent conversion rate. Given that his conversion rate is around .45 percent, then there’s definitely room for improvement, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Pinpoint the Problem Area The worst thing you can do is change a bunch of items at once. I would start from the top and work my way down. In this case, I would start with where the traffic is coming from. Then I would look at the page they are going to followed by how they are signing up. is the audience you’ve targeted the right audience? One easy way to do this is have several sets of your ads running to different demographics and see which one performs the best. Then you need to look at the page where they are converting. Is the messaging right? Is it clear what your solution is? You can install something called FullStory that allows you to see how people are interacting with your website - it records how they use the page. What information are you requesting for them to signup? Most of the time when someone has a low signup rate they are asking for too much information. All you really need is an email address. The Verdict I want to caveat what I’ve said above by saying that people do not signup for betas. Giving someone your email address so they can notify you in many months when the product launches is not something that people are jumping to do. If you have a great ad that people are clicking on and then they are reading the page that tells you more about it, they are interested. Don’t let the lack of signups discourage you from building your product. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Carter. I’m interested in selling a product in the fitness industry. Can I validate the product idea by building a storefront and using images of the product and packaging, and then upon checkout saying it’s out of stock and request an email address for notification? Jake’s Answer: First, it’s cool that Carter is starting this on the side. Most successful startups start that way so that they can pay the bills while they build their startup. A side hustle is actually a very good idea when just starting. On one hand, this idea is shady because it’s misleading to customers. On the other hand, it’s an interesting way to make sure someone would buy your product. I tend to believe more strongly that it’s a great way to ensure people would buy. It’s a great way to test whether or not the product solves a problem for a customer. I don’t know the legalities of this, but from a marketing perspective this is the best way to test the viability of your product. How to Execute Build a landing page that has all of the forms necessary to make a purchase (not saving anything except the email and name) and then let them know at the end that you will notify them when the product is available. In addition to the forms, you would also need to have a designer mock up the packaging and the product for the landing page. Once you get a few people going through the whole process, you’ll quickly get an understanding of if it’s something you should pursue. This can work for SaaS products, too, especially in a B2B scenario. This is not really possible with an app since it won’t get accepted to the app stores. But it’s worth a shot for physical products, e-commerce, and subscription services. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Today’s Question: Today’s question comes from Phillip. I have an idea for a business that would match vetted freelancers with companies who submit their projects. I was thinking of starting with just a few pages where people can apply and submit and then use outside vendors for contracts, payments, and project management. Is this idea too stripped down to be viable? Jake’s Answer: It’s difficult for a founder to have something too stripped down for a minimum viable product (MVP). All you need to really think about with your MVP is if is solves the customer’s problem. It doesn’t matter which technology you are using or how it’s built as long as it solves a problem for your potential customer. If it does solve a problem, then doing it manually at first isn’t a big deal as long as they are getting what they sign up for. You can always automate later. Just because something needs to be automated to scale eventually does not mean that you need it to be automated now. Trading Time and Money As you are building your solution, you have to determine what you want to trade time and money for. In the beginning, you likely have more time than money, so figure out what you absolutely need to spend money on and then build out those features accordingly. A lot of times, founders waste a lot of time and money building features that don’t need to be built. Whether you are just starting out or have thousands of customers you should ask if it’s a nice to have or a must have. If you are a bit uncomfortable about how stripped down your idea is, then you are likely on the right track. Ask Your Own Question Got questions about startups and/or startup culture? We’ve got answers. Head over to LaunchChat.io and record your own question to have it featured on the show. Join our mastermind for Startup Founders Join our free Facebook Group for founders working to build, launch, & scale together with the help of our startup experts at Launchpeer! Get more details and join the club at Launchpeer.club. Launch Recipes Book Our team is writing a book and it’s nearly ready to ship. We profiled 40 of the biggest startups of the 21st Century and documenting how they scaled their businesses. If you want to claim your free book, visit LaunchRecipes.com. Stay in Touch Ask your own question Follow Jake Twitter Check out Jake’s articles Medium Jake’s personal site Check out Launchpeer Follow Launchpeer on Twitter

Intro Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love. I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom an 8 and 10 year old, and just finishing my first week back to school with my new 5th graders. And….YAWN!  Is there any tured that’s like that first few days of school tired?  I am gonna get some coffee and I’ll be right back…. This is Episode #34 and today I’m talking about studying genre and then I welcome author Danielle Davis to the show to chat about her debut middle grade novel Zinnia and the Bees, and finish up with a question about book recommendations for an advanced 6th grade reader. But before we jump into the show, I want tell you that this month’s episodes are sponsored by WriteAbout.com - a writing community and publishing platform that is just perfect for classrooms. It is incredibly easy to use and set up - and boy am I appreciating that at the beginning of the year!  I am also loving how engaged students are when they see their word count grow. And how that pushes them to write even more. And from my end, I love how I can analyze those word count statistics either as a whole class or filter for individual students.  So, if you’ve been searching for an engaging and authentic way to help your students write every day, definitely go visit WriteAbout.com to check it out. And at the end of the show, I’ll share with you my current favorite feature. Main Topic - Studying Genre As I start our new school year rolling and we are setting up our reading journals and discussing goals, one of the first things we do is have a quick crash course in identifying genres. So today I want to chat with you about why it’s a good idea for students to study genre, which genres to study, the difference between genre and format, and finally I’ll share some ideas and resources to get your students learning more about different genres. Why study genre? So, why study genre? We’ve already got a lot on our plate and a curriculum that is jam packed. Why is it important for students to know the difference between science fiction and fantasy? Or to know a mystery when they see one? Studying genre helps students expand their reading habits and get introduced to genres they might not have tried yet. Studying genre also expands students’ views of each genre and helps them realize that NOT all books in a genre are the same. Not all fantasy is about dragons or set in a medieval world. Some have cats like The Warriors series and some are even set in modern times!  And often, books are a blend of more than one genre - Historical Fiction AND Action-Adventure like the I Survived Series. Or Science Fiction with a twist of Mystery like Space Case. Studying genre helps with comprehension. Knowing how a certain type of book tends to go helps you figure out the plot, make predictions, and pick out themes and delve into character more deeply. For example, if you are reading a Fantasy you’re going to be on the lookout for a quest narrative, special magical objects, maybe a good character who turns out to be bad, and a theme that might be really about Good vs. Evil. If they are picking up a mystery, they’ll want to be searching for clues and twist endings. If reading historical fiction they might be looking for lessons that would resonate today. Studying past turning points helps us figure out who we are. Knowing those common tropes and knowing why those genres are important helps students dig so much deeper and can even change them as a person. And finally, learning about genre helps kids develop their own reading identity and figure out what they really like. Learning the language and vocabulary of genre is important so they have a name for the kinds of stories they want to read and can then go ask for it at a bookstore or the library or when they search online. So if they know that they like Magical Realism, they can ask the clerk to help them find more of those kinds of books.   Last week I was thinking about how the power of knowing the vocabulary can help you find what you like. My ten year old and I have recently been binge-watching A LOT of Project Runway. And I do not have any kind of background in sewing or fashion terms. For me, when I go shopping, I just kind of wing it and know what I like when I put it on. But after watching several seasons of Project Runway in a row you start to pick up the names of various fabrics and cuts and styles. And I realize - a-ha!  I do NOT like high-low hems or mermaid dresses. BUT - that kind of skirt that always seems to look okay on me? That’s an A-line skirt! SO now, when I go shopping and a clerk asks if they can help me, I will say, “Yes! Show me your A-line skirts and dresses, please!”  Basically what I’m saying is knowing the words for what you like is hugely helpful in efficiently getting you more of that. Which genres to study? I tend to focus on how the characters, setting, and plot are all clues to help you figure out the genre. And the fiction genres I focus on are realistic fiction, historical fiction, mystery, action/adventure, traditional literature (like folk tales, tall tales and fairy tales), science fiction, and fantasy. With a strong emphasis on how sometimes they can blend. And I don’t go into depth at 5th grade, but I do mention westerns, horror, and romance. And I’ll tell you - that Science Fiction/Fantasy genre always seems so imperfect.  I mean - a book with talking animals in it. IS that… fantasy? I wouldn’t put Charlotte’s Web with Eragon. So…. we do talk about how there is nuance and fuzziness in those categories and I introduce terms like speculative fiction, paranormal, magical realism and urban fantasy. I don’t expect mastery here. But - if they can read a book like, say, The Seventh Wish. And say things like “Well, it could be realistic fiction because it’s about a typical family in modern times going through real-life challenges but it might be fantasy because the fish gives out magic wishes.” That is what I’m looking for. Not certainty but the ability to have a discussion around genre and recognize the major elements of each one. What’s the difference between genre and format? One of the points of growth for me is really recognizing the difference between genre and format. Poetry and graphic novels are NOT really genres. You can have a novel in verse that is a memoir like Brown Girl Dreaming or realistic fiction, like Moo. And graphic novels span every imaginable genre from traditional literature in Fairy Tale Comics to fantasy in Amulet and science fiction in Hilo to realistic fiction in Roller Girl. And as much as I know that…. I still separate them out because their format does make them so unique. And so many of my students just gravitate toward those graphic novels. So I want to make it easy for them to find. And just last week, after much consideration, I finally caved and shelved Nine, Ten, Towers Falling, Eleven, and the other 9/11 books in historical fiction. (And now I feel really old!) Some ideas & resources We’ll wrap up this segment by sharing a few ideas about how to reinforce the study of genre in your classroom or library or with your kids at home! Here are 6 ideas to get you started: Keep track of those genres on a chart or graph. I have a circle tracker that I love to use that I’ll link to in the shownotes. It’s colorful and flexible and fun! Give students a stack of books and have them sort them by genre or identify the genre if they are all the same. And encourage them to use the vocabulary they’ve learned to back up what they’re saying. And look at the cover and back description of the setting, characters, and plot for those clues. Another way to go is to give them a stack and tell them the genre. And then THEY have to create a definition based on the books in that category. And then they can present to their peers. If you don’t have physical books to use, I’ve cut out pictures and blurbs from Scholastic flyers and you could also have them search a genre category on Amazon or Goodreads. Have students work together to create a genre display. Last year, right around Halloween I had a group of kids work on a mystery/paranormal display for our classroom door.  Kids could also work on a video project or a Google Slideshow to teach others about genre. I used Kahoot last year to reinforce genre and my students loved it! Kahoot is an online quiz site where teachers can create any type of quiz and students log-in with a Chromebook or ipad and take the quiz and get live results together. It’s fun, it’s interactive, and they have really awesome music on that site! Have kids make #BookSnaps highlighting the genre of the books they are reading!  I talked more about #BookSnaps in episode #19 which was all about alternatives to reading logs. But basically, kids take a picture of their book, maybe annotate it with a photo editing tool and post it to social media. So, you could direct them to simply post the cover and name the genre. Or you could ask them to find some evidence inside the book to back up why they think that book fits the criteria for that genre. And take a picture of page that offers a clue and then annotate it to explain. I use SeeSaw for #BookSnaps but older kids might like SnapChat or Twitter. Those are a few things that I have tried and plan to explore this year as I help students grow into self-aware and self-directed readers. But - I know how incredible my listeners are and I am sure you all have some fabulous ideas about how to teach and reinforce genre. Please share them with the rest of us! You can tag me on Twitter or Instagram - our handle is @books_between or email me at booksbetween@gmail.com . And I’ll share out some of your ideas. Interview - Danielle Davis Today I am thrilled to welcome Danielle Davis to the podcast. She is the author of the recently released middle grade novel Zinnia and the Bees. We chat about knitting, composting, and the surprising origins of her novel! Zinnias and the Bees Your debut novel Zinnia and the Bees was just released this month and I am so excited for my students and kids all around the world to meet these characters. For those listening who haven’t yet had a chance to read the book, can you tell us a bit about it?   This is an alternating point of view novel like none other that I have read... How did figure out that you wanted to include the bees’ perspective?   What sort of research did you do to make sure you got those details right?   So, I have to ask about…. KNITTING!   Your Writing Life Your blog is called “This Picture Book Life”. So how did you end up writing middle grade?   How does the final version of Zinnia and the Bees differ from earlier drafts?   What is your ideal writing space like?   What’s next for you - another middle grade or will you venture into Picture Books? Your Reading Life   You read a TON of picture books AND middle grade books!   What drew you to focus mainly on picture books?   Is there a type of story or a genre that others like a lot but you’re just not that into?   What were some of your favorite books as a child?   What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked?   Thank You!   Q & A Our third and final segment this week is Question & Answer time. Question: Today’s question was texted to me from a friend at school. She asked, “I have a friend who’s looking for some book recommendations for her going into 6th grade boy. He is an advanced reader and loves sports and music.” Answer: I had five suggestions - Ghost by Jason Reynolds which would appeal to the sports side - plus, it’s just amazing and if they like it, there is the newly released second book called Patina which is just as fabulous! Posted by John David Anderson is also incredible. And Solo by Kwame Alexander which would be great for a kid who likes music. But - that one veers a little more toward YA. So - while I love that book, maybe take a peek at the content and consider waiting maybe a year or two. I also recommended the March graphic novel series by John Lewis. I think that trilogy is so timely and should be read by everyone so I just have to give a push whenever I have the chance. And finally, I Am Drums by Mike Grosso is phenomenal for music lovers. I just loved that book and can’t wait to see what else he writes.   Closing   Alright - that wraps up our show this week. If you have a question or an idea about a topic we should cover, let me know. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And, if you are liking the show, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher.   And thanks again to WriteAbout.com for supporting the podcast this month - when you visit their website you’ll find fantastic ideas to get your students writing this year. Some of my favorite features are the feedback tools - including voice recordings for students to get immediate and personal suggestions from you right as they are writing.   Thanks again and see you soon!  Bye!   Episode Links:   Danielle Davis’ website: http://www.danielledavisreadsandwrites.com Danielle’s This Picture Book Life: http://thispicturebooklife.com   Zinnia and the Bees Pom Pom Craft: http://thispicturebooklife.com/pom-pom-craft-zinnia-bees-courtesy-sealed-kait/   Zinnia and the Bees: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781623708672   Books & Things Mentioned in the Interview:   Bees: Nature’s Little Wonders by Candace Savage: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781553655312   The Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780763679224   The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780142001745   The Girl in the Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=the+girl+flammable   The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780385720960   Alethea’s blog - Read Now Sleep Later: http://www.readnowsleeplater.org Roald Dahl books: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Roald+Dahl   Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780547076805   Du Iz Tak by Carson Ellis: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Du+Iz+Tak   A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780312367541   The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780679734772   The Red Tree by Shaun Tan: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780968876831   Benjamin Dilley’s Thirsty Camel by Jolly Roger Bradfield: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781930900608   Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly   The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez:  https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780425290408

Intro   Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect middle grade kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom of two, battling a sore throat, but excited that I finally got to see the Fantastic Beasts movie last weekend! I gotta say - Jacob & Queenie were the best part for me.   This is Episode #12 and today we’re talking about gift ideas for middle grade readers, three novels with incredibly brave protagonists, and I’ll answer a listener’s question about keeping kids engaged when you read out loud.   Main Topic - Gifts Ideas for Middle Grade Readers   December is here and for many, December brings holidays that involve gift-giving. So if you have a child between the ages of about 8 and 12 on your list this year, I have some bookish ideas for you.   My first suggestion is, whenever possible, ask the child what they’d like that would be book related. And gift cards to local bookstores are always perfect as well so they can pick something they will love themselves. A friend of mine follows the philosophy of limiting holiday gifts to four categories: Want, Need, Wear, and Read. He gives each of his children a piece of paper divided into four sections and they list some items they want, some things they really need, some ideas of what they’d like to wear, and a list of things they want to read. Want, Need, Wear, Read. I really like that idea of giving children a focus, and of course the emphasis it places on reading.   But - if you’re not sure what books they’d like or you want to surprise them, here are four suggestions for you.   #1 - Try a biography that is connected to their hobbies or interests. For example, if they like art, you could get them the Who Was Frida Kahlo? Biography. (I haven’t read that one myself, but if my daughter sneak reading it under her blankets with a flashlight is any recommendation for you - it seems pretty good!)  If they are into sports, a really great collection of real-life stories is Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in Their Youth to Become Stars. If you have a young dancer if your life, definitely get them the new Misty Copeland biography called Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. That one is brand new and out December 6th.  For the science-loving tweens and teens on your list, Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science is awesome! Who can resist a book with “gruesome” in the title?   #2 - Build on a book they already like. For example, you could get a Diary of a Wimpy Kid calendar or one of the many fantastic Harry Potter coloring books. My girls loved those when we were listening to the audio books.  You can also get their favorite book as a charm to put on a bracelet or necklace. I’ll link to that Etsy shop in the show notes. Another idea is to get them the audio version of a favorite book so they can experience the performance of that story. And hey - maybe even get them their own Audible account.   #3 - Pair a book with another gift so you build on the excitement. What I mean by that is if you give your nephew a LEGO kit, also get him the bold and colorful book 365 Things to Do with LEGO Bricks. If you get your daughter a science kit, include a biography of Marie Curie as some inspiration. You might pair an apron and set of cookie cutters with Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Make (and Eat!). If you are getting your child a telescope, maybe add a copy of The Everything Kids’ Astronomy Book. A hot gift for my 9 year old lately are those fashion kits where she can make her own headbands and bracelets - you know, the stuff that leaves beads scattered all over your house! But - a great book to pair with a present like that is The Fashion Book by DK Publishing. It connects historical trends with modern fashion - it’s pretty cool. That’s one of those books that I want to buy for my kids so I can read it, too.   #4 - Get them a Mail Order Mystery. Now - I want to say upfront that I have no connection to this company. They are not paying me. I simply saw their ad online, got it for my girls as something fun to do over the summer, and it was great. Every week for about six weeks, my daughters got personalized wax-sealed letters describing the mystery they had to solve, artifacts connected to the story, riddles, and a code to crack that my whole family was working on together. It was so much fun - for all of us! The final package included a book that tied everything together.  And if you have more than one child - no worries - they can share it and work together and the company will include all their names on the personalized items. So here’s how it works. You go to MailOrderMystery.com and pick one of three mystery options. The first two are Treasure Hunt (which is a pirate adventure) and The Enchanted Slumber (which is the mystery we did and it was fairy tale themed). The new mystery, which was revealed in their newsletter last week is called Spies, Lies, and Serious Badguys and will feature a secret safe disguised as a book, a personalized secret agent ID card, invisible ink pen, and so much other cool stuff. So after you’ve decided which of those three mysteries you want, you pick who it’s for, and then you get to decide when it will start.  Also - if you are sometimes a last-minute shopper, this is a perfect quick gift. You just sign up online, print out a cool looking certificate to tuck in a card or roll up into a cool scroll, and BAM - awesome gift.   It’s really tailor made for kids between 8 and 12.   I hope you’ve gotten some fresh ideas for any middle grade reader on your list this year. And I would love to get your ideas and share them with everyone else!  You can tag me on Twitter or Instagram or email me at booksbetween@gmail.com and I’ll share your ideas, too!     Book Talk - Three Books Featuring Brave Girls   In this part of the show, I share with you three books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. This week I’m featuring three books with courageous female leads: Finding Perfect, Sticks & Stones, and Rain Reign.     Finding Perfect   The first book this week is one that I have been wanting to share with you since  - jeesh, I think June! Finding Perfect is by debut author Elly Schwartz. And actually, I should clarify that - this is Schwartz’s first published novel but not the first she’s written. This novel doesn’t read like a first effort - it’s crafted like a novelist at the top of their game. Okay - I could keep gushing, but you probably want to know what the book is about. So a quick summary. Finding Perfect is about 12-year-old Molly Nathans who is always striving toward perfect. Perfectly sharpened pencils, perfectly crisp white paper, perfectly aligned glass figurines, and a perfectly safe and together family. And that last wish for family perfection is the one that seems to set her on a downward path when her Mom moves out and Molly spirals into her OCD.  So here are three things to love about Finding Perfect:   Poetry  - Molly is a poet and one element of her story is how she participates in her middle school’s Poetry Slam Contest. She gets past the first round with an incredible poem that starts with the word “Sorry.” And as Molly’s compulsions toward organization and neatness start to take over her life and she feels herself unraveling - her writing starts to reflect that. It’s so powerful. Here’s a line from one of her poems: “As time slips, it’s hard to hide  To keep my crazy tucked inside.”   Molly’s friends Hannah and Bridgett. Hannah is her best friend, cheering Molly on and waiting for her when Molly spends hours rearranging her room instead of meeting up like she promised. And Bridgette, who often says the wrong thing and is obsessed with obituaries. But - oh, when Molly finds out WHY Bridgette collects obituaries, she realizes that every person has something hidden. The thing is though that Hannah and Bridgette do NOT like each other.  And this book really captures that difficult dynamic when you have friends anchored to the same person and they have to find a way to get along. Finding Perfect fills an incredibly important niche in middle grade fiction. A book that tackles anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder from the point of view of a kid. I love that this book is written in first person and we get to experience Molly’s challenges and dilemmas. She wants to be a good friend and go help Hannah with her bracelet business plan. But… she is compelled to straighten up her bedroom first - which starts to take longer and longer and longer until finally Molly does the brave thing and admits to herself that it’s a problem. I am not sure if the statistics really bear this out, but it does seem to me that I have more and more students every year who are trying to overcome some level of either anxiety or compulsion. This book would be perfect in their hands - and for anyone else who could use a look into another child’s experience to help them understand each other better.   Finding Perfect reminded me a bit of Raymie Nightingale and I have to give a shout out to the cover design. It is simply perfect - and has the BEST spine design I have ever seen.   Sticks & Stones   Book number two this week is Sticks & Stones by Abby Cooper - another debut author who seems like she’s been around forever. This is the story of middle schooler, Elyse, who has this very unusual condition where the words that people say about her appear on her skin. It’s called, well, I can’t pronounce it - and honestly I don’t think Elyse can either. But it’s shortened, mercifully, to CAV. Now, I will say at first that the rational, scientific side of my brain had a hard time suspending disbelief about verbalized words getting etched into skin. BUT. Once I could shush that side, I just fell in love with this story and with Elyse. So, the main character has this condition, she’s starting middle school, her friendships are shifting (like they do in middle school), and with the encouragement from an anonymous person writing her mysterious notes, Elyse decides to be brave and go for this elite position in her school called Explorer Leader. And in the midst of all this, her disorder takes a turn and it’s not just others’ words that are etched into her skin, but her own thoughts about herself start to appear on her arms and legs. How powerfully symbolic is that?   So, if you’re not sold already, here are three more reasons to love Sticks & Stones:   Elyse’s notes to herself. Every month as part of an English assignment, she writes a letter to her future self in her journal. In her first September note, she jots down four goals. Which are: Stop thinking about the folded paper until I can finally open it after class. Stop obsessing over Liam, because he is done liking me. Instead, obsess over boys like Nice Andy who do seem to like me. Stop thinking about the folded blue paper until it’s time to open it!   In each letter, Elyse reflects on how things are going and lists some new goals. I really loved how those letters anchored the story.   The boy she calls “Nice Andy”. Because - there is a point in the book where he could have been not-so-nice. Now - I’m going to give a small spoiler here, which I try not to do - but this one isn’t so major. But, if you’d rather not hear it, just pause and fast forward about a minute. Okay? Alright, so - Elyse ends up dating Nice Andy for awhile. And he IS wonderful, but she realizes she just doesn’t feel THAT way about him. And I simply LOVED how he handles things when she tells him that she would rather be good friends. He says, “Oh! Okay, don’t worry about it.”  That could have gone very differently. I think kids could use a model of a graceful and respectful breakup, so thumbs up for that scene! I really love how Sticks & Stones embodies this idea that having a bigger purpose in your life and striving for something important can break you out of self-doubt and worrying so much about yourself. For Elyse, it’s her goal of becoming Explorer Leader that starts to get her out of her own head a bit. And ironically, by getting busy and NOT thinking so much of what others are saying about her, she becomes more confident. In one of the later mystery notes that Elyse receives is this advice:   “Remember, someone is always going to have something bad to say. But can you remember the good you’ve done? The good you ARE?”   I think that message is so important for middle grade readers who are sometimes focused so much on other people liking them. I remember those years myself - they were rough.   Sticks & Stones is about friendship, and boys, and learning what actions to take to be more comfortable with yourself. This book would be particularly powerful for middle grade girls.   Rain Reign   Our final featured book this week is Ann M. Martin’s Rain Reign. For the last two years, I don’t think there’s been a month that’s gone by where I haven’t been conferencing with a student who has been reading this book or reading it out loud to my daughters. One of the joys of being a teacher is getting to dip back into those favorite books. So, Rain Reign is a story told by 5th grader Rose Howard, who loves routines, collecting homonyms, and prime numbers. She lives with her dad, who is not the best care-taker for her. And she lives with her dog, who she calls Rain. And, in her own words says “My official diagnosis is high-functioning autism, which some people call Asperger’s syndrome”. One night, after a hurricane has caused flooding and destruction, Rose’s father lets Rain outside and now she’s missing. Because of that, Rose has to be brave, break out of her routine, and try to find her dog. And that’s just the beginning of her bravery. Alright, so - here are three fantastic things about Rain Reign. Rose’s straightforward storytelling. It’s astonishing how well we get into Rose’s head. For example, in the first chapter she says: “This is how you tell a story: First you introduce the main character. I’m writing this story about me, so I am the main character.”  And later on she says,   “ Some of the things I get teased about are following the rules and always talking about homonyms. Mrs. Leibler is my aide and she sits with me in Mrs. Kushel’s room. She sits in an adult-size chair next to my fifth-grade-size chair and rests her hand on my arm when I blurt something out in the middle of math. Or, if I whap myself in the head and start to cry, she’ll say, ‘Rose, do you need to step into the hall for a moment?’”   I think most people who have spent any kind of time in a school will find that scene very familiar. Having it told from the point of view of the child with autism is so important.   Rose’s Uncle.  While Rose is very unlikely in who she ended up with as a father, she lucked out with her Uncle Weldon. It’s hard to believe that the two of them are brothers. Rose’s dad is impatient, an alcoholic, neglectful, and… worse. Thank goodness Rose has her Uncle who picks her up from school, patiently answers her many repetitive questions, and helps her deal with her dad. How much kids simply love this book.  In fact, I decided that since I just happen to have two of those kids on hand right here in our house, I’d invite them to tell you what they liked about Rain Reign.     Q & A Our third and final segment this week is Question & Answer time.   Question: Today’s question is from Sarah in Arlington, Texas.( And Hey Sarah - thanks for listening!) She asks, “My kids don't seem like they’re paying attention when I read aloud. How can keep them more interested?”   Answer: First of all, I hear ya! Between my own kids and “kids” at school - I feel like I am always assessing their attention and interest.  So I have a few thoughts, and hopefully you, listening, might chime in as well. First, I’m wondering - did your kids get to pick out the book? If they have some say, that can help. At home, I usually book talk a few that I think would be winners and then let them decide. I do understand that with more than one child, that choosing process can be tricky. We’ve certainly had some drama and high stakes negotiations about that at my house. A second thought - give them something to do with their hands while they’re listening. I have adult friends who just can’t sit still for that long. So try giving them some paper and crayons or play-doh. Maybe tinkering with LEGO’s or doing a  jigsaw puzzle. And finally - there is the possibility that they might be paying more attention than you think. I had this epiphany last year when I was reading aloud Matilda to my girls. And one of my daughters was driving me nuts because she was bouncing all over the bed, the book is shaking, she’s twisting around in the blankets - I could not get her to settle down.  And I am getting annoyed - this is supposed to be our calm, mother-daughter time bonding over classic children’s literature. NO. So after a few nights of me getting mad, I thought, “Okay - I’m just going to ignore it and she’ll stop. Right?’” So I continue to read, but I’ve got one eye on her the entire time. And then suddenly it hit me - she was acting out what was happening in the book. She was SO involved in the book that she was physically experiencing it.   SO I know sometimes that we have this idealized image in our mind of our loving children nestled in our lap, taking in every word of what we’re reading, but - truthfully that doesn’t always happen that way. The main thing is to not give up on that daily read aloud time.   Closing   Alright, that’s it for the Q&A section this week. If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or an idea about a topic we should cover, I really would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get a full transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And when you are there, take some time to read a great post about Raina Telgemeier’s Ghosts by Mel Schuit. And, if you are liking the show, I’d love it if you helped others find us by sharing on social media or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher.   Thanks and see you in two weeks!  Bye!

Chapter 26 — The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandré Dumas Book talk starts at 18:24 Call in Line - 1-206-350-1642 Call in and leave an audio comment - First CoMC episode: | The Baby Boy in Question: Today's Paris Tour Insight:    Let's dream a little Midnight in Paris-ish-ness... then call Dianne right away to join up with us in Montmartre for the tour 1-800-826-2266, or toodle on over to : Keyword "Craft"       Crafty Chat Livestream links   Our CraftLit Channel can be found at     Bolded time codes take you to as do the pictures below       Straight from the Cauldron yarn • Andrew's former beard   Gorgeous cowl-scarf from Irina• Leather Journals from A.T.   Bag from Heather's Amazing Aunt • Zentangle Jewel art       What do YOU want to hear about on a Crafty Chat? for ideas and suggestions.       - )     -      -      -      -      -      -      -      -      -      -      -      -     -     -     -      -      -     -       -      -      -      -      -     -      -     -     -     -     -    Our CraftLit Channel can be found at    | BOOK TALK • 18:24 |  embed       Pont du Garde By - Own work, , https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33474941             In case you wanted to scope out         Random fact:       In case you wanted to know more about the       Why is the Inn failing?       Did you pick up on La Carconte and her ?       The fashion I mentioned to you, [especially on the women.]() Wow!              Caderousse's muleteer look ,               3 cornered hat on Abbe? What does this tell us? Oh Ross...        Fashion of the day in general       Diamond box is covered with ...              And about those 50k francs... If you're into the math behind these calculations (well, you'll prove yourself to be WAY smarter than I, but)        Ways to subscribe to CraftLit: your weekly annotated audiobook podcast: Click here to subscribe via Click here to subscribe via You can also subscribe via Or subscribe through the app (see below) | LISTEN • MAKE CONTACT | You can ask your questions, make comments, and let us know what you do when you listen to CraftLit! Let your voice be heard. • Download the FREE CraftLit App for or or smartphones and tablets (you can call or straight from within the app) • Call 206-350-1642 • Email Heather@CraftLit.com • Use our ! | Premium Audio -- Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog) | This week — Chapter 15! work work work Want a Count-ish button?