Search Results for: blog family stories fact or fiction

So You Think Someone Already Did Your Family Tree?

With all of the wonderful options for building and sharing family trees online, you may wonder whether you will have to do any digging through record books in order to trace your own family history. While it is possible that others have already done some of the research that you need to fill in the branches of your family tree, it is very likely that you will still have to do some research of your own. It is also possible that you may have to quite a bit of research on your own if the information that you find has … Continue reading →

Chase Away The Chill and Plan a Family Reunion – Part 2

Now that you have decided to plan a family reunion and you have figured out who you will invite, the date of the event, and a general geographic area where the event will take place, it is time to get to the fun work of figuring out the rest of the details for the reunion. Choosing a venue for your family reunion can be a lot of fun. Of course if you are planning a summer reunion, the big question is whether to have it indoors or outdoors. Depending upon the geographic area where you will be having the reunion, … Continue reading →

Family Stories – Fact or Fiction?

Everybody likes a good family story. However, genealogists who are considering preserving the stories of their families may wonder which stories should be written down and otherwise preserved and which might be inappropriate for inclusion in a family history book. I don’t say “inappropriate” as far as subject matter, because perhaps stories that are scandalous or best read by mature audiences could be recorded in a separate volume than those that are to be freely read and enjoyed by everyone. What I mean by the use of the word “inappropriate” is that not every family story is securely rooted in … Continue reading →

Author Interview — James Rada Jr: On Historical Fiction

Yesterday we began a fascinating conversation with award-winning columnist and author, James Rada. Thanks for joining us for part two. Jim, what are the names of your novels, and can you give us a brief synopsis of each? “Logan’s Fire” (1996) – Logan Hanson is an out-of-control teenager. His belief that he was responsible for his mother’s death in a fire has caused him to lose his faith in God. When he begins to lead others away from their faith, the Three Nephites are sent to help Logan. They find that Logan’s work has done his work well, perhaps too … Continue reading →

Historical Fiction of the Ancient Time Period

Yesterday I mentioned that my children are currently studying the modern time period and listed books that we are reading, or plan to read. Next year, we are going back to the Ancient Times, another period that does not have many historical fiction books, (unlike the Medieval/ Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic time periods). I figure I had better start building my library now. Here are some historical fiction books that will make good reads for the ancient time period. The Growing up in Ancient (insert country here) series includes all the important topics: customs, schooling, family life, food, clothing, … Continue reading →

Arriving in America is Just The Beginning

When many Americans look back into their family’s history, they eagerly search for details about which ancestor was the first to come to America and when they arrived. Immigration records are a common resource for people who are looking for answers about ancestors’ journeys to America. Part of the journey to America also includes becoming an American citizen. Naturalization is the process by which citizenship is granted to people who have come to America. Naturalization records were kept since the late 1700’s, but the process became much more uniform in the early 1900’s. Although the process was not uniform, the … Continue reading →

A Middle-Grade Novel to Skip

There is a dearth of adoption stories, either fiction or non-fiction, for kids in between the picture book stage and the young-adult novel stage. So it’s doubly disappointing that the latest one I read perpetuates old stereotypes. Trophy Kid, or How I Was Adopted by the Rich and Famous is by Steve Atinsky. We hear a lot nowadays about celebrities adopting. Atinsky did have a creative idea to look at what a 13-year-old son of movie stars (one of whom is a political candidate) thinks of his adoption ten years later. Jozef Francis (Joe) was orphaned by the fighting in … Continue reading →

Book Review The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Book 5)

The Last Olympian is the long-awaited fifth and final volume in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. The series focuses on “half-blood” children of one mortal parent and one Greek god, who are targeted by monsters from Greek mythology which they must fight in order to save themselves and, occasionally, Western civilization. (Kids whose makeup includes dyslexia and/or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder will be pleased to learn that, in Riordan’s world, these are hallmarks by which one may recognize a demigod or hero.) The series begins with The Lightning Thief, which was reviewed by our blogger Lauri, … Continue reading →

My Favorite Book Reviews of 2008

Most of my readers won’t be surprised to learn that I love to read—kids’ books, adult books, nonfiction, picture books—anything. But even I was surprised to learn that I’ve reviewed over 45 books this year. Since many bookstores have post-holiday sales, and since many of us were fortunate enough to receive bookstore gift cards, I’m challenging myself to pick my favorite “top twelve” of the adoption books I’ve reviewed this year. I began the year by starting a series: Adoption Books with Great Art. Although I’m a “word person”, I’ve become increasingly moved by the beautiful ways some artists can … Continue reading →

Talking Cats, Ferrets, and Writing with Ed Lynskey

I’ve never met my next interviewee in person, but we’ve had an acquaintance via writing that’s spanned a few years now. Back when I was editor for the now defunct EWG Presents, he submitted a couple of stories that I published. Unbeknownst to him, I’ve followed his burgeoning career. (Which I always knew was going to take off one day. He’s quite talented!) But after I interviewed Jeff Cohen, Ed wrote me and informed me we had another love besides writing in common: pets. Thus, an interview was born… Courtney Mroch: What kind of things do you write about? (Genre, … Continue reading →