Emily’s Recital

In Emily’s book Brave Emily she and her classmates learn to play the flutophone, and then perform them at a class recital. Through a series of mishaps, Emily ends up having to play a solo. As a music teacher, I really love that this book’s subject is school music, but I will say that I am…

Thanking Veterans

“Molly, what are you doing?” asked Emily as she peeked into the bedroom. “We are leaving soon for the Armistice Day performance!” “It’s my hair! It’s a disaster!” cried Molly. “My pincurls didn’t set at all. I need beautiful curls to be Miss Victory!” “Oh Molly, you are being so silly, your hair is fine,” said…

Choosing Halloween Costumes

Molly, Linda, and Susan were having a heated debate about what to be for Halloween. They discussed the Three Musketeers, Three Blind Mice, and Molly’s personal preference, Cinderella and the ugly stepsisters. Molly pulled out her binder to record their ideas while Linda argued animatedly against dressing as an ugly stepsister. Susan, tired of watching…

Happy Birthday Emily!

“Happy birthday, Emily,” sang Molly, Linda, and Susan cheerfully. Despite having had a combined birthday party with Molly last spring, the girls thought it was important that she got to have her own special birthday tea party today on her actual birthday. Molly helped Emily position the birthday crown on her head. “It looks perfect,…

Tent Time at Camp Gowonagin

One of my fondest memories of Girl Scout camp was our tent time, or rest time, that always took place each day right after lunch, before we went swimming. The idea was that we would all go back to our tents to take a little nap, but of course we would talk and giggle and…

Headed to Camp Gowonagin!

Molly, Linda, and Susan were so excited for camp Gowonagin! They piled their luggage outside while they waited for the camp bus. Linda ran down a checklist to make sure nobody had forgotten anything. “Sleeping bag? Mess kit? Bathing suit?” “Molly, you did pack your bathing suit, right? I know you don’t like swimming under…

Happy Independence Day!

Today Molly, Emily, Linda, and Susan are celebrating Independence Day with a very special Miss Victory tap dance! I am also sharing one of my latest projects…tap outfits for Linda and Susan! As soon as I got Linda and Susan I knew that I definitely wanted to make them these outfits, copied from the illustrations…

Molly and Emily Beat the Heat

“It’s so hot today, Molly. And we are just sitting here in our swimsuits!” “I know, I have the perfect idea…let’s run through the sprinkler!”  

School’s Almost Out

“Emily, I’m so excited that tomorrow is the last day of school! We can play outside and go roller skating and play jump rope!” “Yes Molly, but we still have one more day of school left, we have a lot of school work still! Here, let me see your school bag.” “See Emily, nothing to do!…

Linda’s Family Tree: Chapter 5

Chapter 5         Linda and Susan walked together to Molly’s house early the next morning wearing play clothes, their best party dresses folded neatly in their school bags. Linda had arranged that Mom would drive Nonna over at 10:15, once all of Linda’s classmates had arrived. Most of the work at been completed the night…

Linda’s Family Tree: Chapter 4

Chapter 4         Over the next several days, Linda’s family tree grew to fill her entire poster. Nonna was thrilled with the task and and spent her evenings with Linda checking through her old letters and photographs for names and dates. Nonna was still strict and sometimes quiet and distant, but she at least seemed…

Linda’s Family Tree: Chapter 3

  Chapter 3         The first week of school passed quickly, and Linda found herself wishing that each school day would go slower. The evenings Linda passed with Nonna were becoming less and less bearable as Nonna became grouchier and more impossible to please. After thirty painful minutes of voice lesson, Nonna would retreat to…