Where's Lenny Lee???

Happy Birthday Lenny!!!

If you haven't met Lenny Lee yet, you're missing out. Lenny is 15 today and he is an amazing young man.

Despite some medical difficulties in his life, Lenny sparkles with wit and humor.

Lenny has been able to blog as much lately, but I think his birthday is a fabulous way for us to let him know we're thinking about him!

So join me in sending best wishes to Lenny!

Happy Birthday to Lenny!

I hope you all know the wonderful Lenny Lee. If not, I'm about to give you a bunch of reasons you really have to meet him. To know Lenny really is to love him!

• Lenny loves animals (especially raccoons) and is interested in their care.
• Lenny loves writing and is willing to take the risk of putting his thoughts on paper and having people read them. To me this = brave!
• Lenny is always willing to listen and learn. He often posts lessons of what he's learned and these lessons are very helpful!
• Lenny is full of joy and if you read his posts, you'll always find yourself smiling.
• Lenny always uses interesting fonts and colours in his posts and reminds me to take more care with my own!
• Lenny is a fighter. He never gives up. When I told him our family had been hit by one of life's random curve balls, he told me the trick was to keep swinging. He's so right.
• Lenny IS pure sunshine!

Thank you Lenny for being you and always making me smile! I hope you having the happiest of birthdays ever! Welcome to the world of teenagers - have fun!!!

(royalty free/public domain clip art from Clker.com)

Lenny & FTWA

Two fun links today! First...

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One of my favourite blog buddies, Lenny Lee, is being interviewed over at Literary Rambles today! Natalie is interviewing Lenny for her Ask the Expert series. Natalie also has a YA giveaway going on. Check it out. If you haven't met Lenny or Natalie yet, you're missing out!

Second, I'm posting over at From the Write Angle today talking about the author bio section on query letters. If you have any insights, I'd love to hear them!

I've turned off comments here so you don't feel pressured to be polite and leave an extra comment. :)  Happy clicking!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The White Assassin

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided to shine a spotlight and give some middle grade books the attention they deserve. This week, I'm playing along.

The White Assassin by Hilary Wagner

I thought this one would be a perfect choice for my first post of 2012. It's a fabulous MG book and if any of you are looking for a way to spend those gift cards, this is a great choice!

This is the 2nd book in Hilary's Nightshade Chronicles series. Nightshade City is the first book (which you'll love as well!).

I love the characters in this series. They are layered, complex individuals - whether they're rats, snakes or bats. Carn is probably my favourite - he put me through all kinds of emotions!! And the villain, Billycan, is much more complicated than you'd expect. The flashback scenes are powerful and pull you in directions you're not expecting, and not always prepared for. They're so well done!

It's a fabulous world of adventure and intrigue. Hilary ramps up the tension, so you just have to keep reading! As an added bonus, the book is dedicated to the fabulous Lenny Lee!

This is a perfect choice for anyone who loves adventures and mysteries. I know my students are going to love it too. They're going to be on Team Rat for sure! :)

Check out Shannon's blog for all the other participants in MMGM!

What's your favourite book with animals as main characters?

If You Need a Boost...

... you only need to go as far as blog buddy Lenny Lee's place -- Lenny's World. He is full of joy and sunshine.

I do believe his avatar is the most appropriate in the entire bloggy-verse! :)

June is crazy busy for me - in our district we have school right until the end of June, & there's provincial testing, track & field, report cards, the usual wrap up stuff, and it's HOT, so it's nuts! When I feel overwhelmed, I head over to Lenny's site for a boost. His posts are not just inspirational, but they're wise too. Always makes me feel better. Scroll through his posts & you'll see what I mean.

Did I mention he's only 11?

So, need a boost? Head on over for some Lenny love - you'll feel better instantly. Thanks for being you, Lenny! You make this world a better place! :)

Have you met Lenny yet? Who do you turn to for that boost?