Alec Greven is working on becoming another John Gray (MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS), at least for 3rd graders. In 2007, his class had a writing competition to raise money for charity, and his book was so popular, it was picked up by HarperCollins for mass publication.

Not bad for a Castle Rock, Colorado 9-year-old whose advice in HOW TO TALK TO GIRLScontains such gems as:

– You’ll do better and be happier with a “regular girl” than a “pretty girl.” (Alec’s definition of a pretty girl is one who wear “fancy earrings, fancy dresses, all those shoes.”) According to Alec, “about 73 percent of regular girls ditch boys, 98 percent of pretty girls ditch boys.”

– If you’re shy, a talkative girl would be best for you.

– Don’t be the class clown.

– Impress girls with your skills but don’t be a show off.

– Call the girl but don’t keep her talking too long on the phone. (Two hours, for instance, is too long. Your mother will call you for dinner and you may have to hurt the girl’s feelings by abruptly breaking off the conversation.)

– If a girl ditches you, move on, life is hard. (This last seems a bit adult – wonder what his parents have been telling him…)

Alec says, however, given his own admittedly limited experience, his observations may only apply to his school, Soaring Hawk Elementary School and its play yard. I guess time will tell, eh?

One hit wonder or future top ten writer? Hmmm… (A sequel is already in discussions with the publisher even though the first book won’t be released until November 25th.)

(Already a little heartbreaker, isn’t he?)

We had yet another successful book hunting trip while driving back and forth to Mom’s XXth School Reunion this last weekend. (If I give you the number, that gives you her age which then means I’m in the dog house for the next XX years… =)

The ‘hunt for the wild book’ is one of the most fun things I know. Going to yard sales, thrift stores, library bookstores, estate sales, antique stores, scanning the internet for bargains, and looking anywhere else a ‘wild book’ might be hiding is such a thrill for me and Mom.

We go high and low, and see all sorts of places we might never have gone otherwise and meet people of all walks/interests. It’s like small treasure hunts, with hours of enjoyment waiting for us afterwards as we read and catalog our finds.

And books are a gift that keeps on giving as they can be read over and over by the recipient or given to yet someone else to enjoy, keeping the book ‘alive’. Plus, if a book isn’t quite my cup of tea, it gets ‘recycled’, either through selling it or donating it – my idea of a nice ecological niche, keeping knowledge and enjoyment out of landfills, and into the hands of people who will enjoy such. (Of course, there are a few books that were either soooo badly written or in such bad shape they deserved a visit to the landfill, but even then, I tore off covers, and recycled the paper at the very least…)

For an idea of some of the ‘wild books’ we bagged, here’s just a small listing:
(We actually found a few hundred but it will take a while to get them all up, especially when you consider time out for reading!)

As I was getting ready to list a set of PUPPY PATROL books online, as usual I flipped through them to look for publishing info and any flaws so I could describe them as accurately as possible for potential purchasers.

What I didn’t realize is just how cute PUPPY PATROL books by Jenny Dale are. Instead of finding just the info I wanted and getting them right up, I found myself sitting there reading them, something I don’t usually do with books I’m about to sell. (I’m supposed to have read them already or not at all… =)

There’s just something about the style of writing, not to mention the fact they’re about puppies, critters I adore, that’s captivating. Each book ’spotlights’ a breed, such as Irish Setter, Beagles or Dalmatians, as the main ‘puppy in peril’, with the people at the King Street Kennels coming to the rescue.

The front artwork alone makes them worth collecting: Michael Rowe does beautiful work.

Off to go finish the rest of them before someone else buys them out from under me! Check them out if you get a chance. Your kids (and you) will love them.

Click Here To Find PUPPY PATROL Books on eBay

For a complete list of PUPPY PATROL Books, Click Here