And in the beginning . . .

Welcome to Wild About Words.

I’m a children’s book author (among other things) and today is my birthday. (I’m 42, Jay.) It seemed a good day to begin my new blog about children’s literature, the writing life, parenting, the wonder of words and other stuff.

Since this is about beginnings, I thought it would be fun to share the beginnings of a handful of wonderful books.

AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko: Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water.

THE TIGER RISING by Kate DiCamillo: That morning, after he discovered the tiger, Rob went and stood under the Kentucky Star Motel sign and waited for the school bus just like it was any other day.

THE TEACHER’S FUNERAL – A COMEDY IN THREE PARTS by Richard Peck: If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of year for it.

THE CHOCOLATE WAR by Robert Cormier: They murdered him.

OUT OF THE DUST by Karen Hesse:

As summer wheat came ripe,

so did I,

born at home, on the kitchen floor.

Ma crouched,

barefoot, bare bottomed

over the swept boards,

because that’s where Daddy said it’d be best.

MILLICENT MIN GIRL GENIUS by Lisa Yee: I have been accused of being anal retentive, an overachiever, and a compulsive perfectionist, like those are bad things.

CHARLOTTE’S WEB by E. B. White: “Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

HOLES by Louis Sachar: There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.

ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine: That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me.

REGULAR GUY by Sarah Weeks: “I know it’s a long shot, but I don’t feel I can just eliminate the possibility that I was raised by wolves without at least considering it for a second, do you?”

Share YOUR favorite first lines . . . or your grocery list or anything else you’d like.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Hugs,

Donna