Prince Oleomargarine, Mark Twain’s new book for kids: a review
The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain and Philip Stead, illus. by Erin Stead Genre: Middle Grade read-aloud picture book, 8 1/2 x 11-inch format, 152 pages Published 2017 by Doubleday Books for Young Readers Great news for Mark Twain fans! An unfinished...
I am hopeful about my latest book!
As you know, my loyal fans, I’ve been working on learning the novel-writing craft for about twelve years. I’ve learned a lot along the way, and I’ve been able to bless others as an editor and publisher. But my own fiction work remains unpublished....
Ella Hough, full of promise
My great-aunt, Ella Hough, was an amazing artist. I know because I have her sketchbook. She was born in 1868 to Thomas Hough and his wife Jane. Thomas was a successful entrepreneur who immigrated in his early twenties from Yorkshire, England, in about 1865. He’d...
Update on editing and publishing
I notice I haven’t posted in eleven months. I’m not very focused on promoting myself, I guess. But I have been a busy bee! I have a manuscript that is ready for publication, in my professional opinion and that of other professionals, but it’s not...
Editing Jane Austen!?!
A teen-aged Jane Austen wrote a novella that she never even titled, much less published herself. It’s been called Lady Susan, and now it’s been made into a movie, “Love and Friendship.” Austen is known for originating the romance novel. She...
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, a review
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool Published 2010 by Delacorte Press, 351 pages Genre: Historical middle grade/tween fiction, Newbery Medal winner Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker arrives in the dusty, underpopulated town of Manifest, Kansas, during the height of...
Book Review: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
Crispin: The Cross of Lead, by Avi, Book 1 in the Crispin trilogy Published 2002 by Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 262 pages Genre: Historical drama for tweens This book won the Newbery Award when it was published, and more recently the author has published...
Why is this car grinning?
Monster the car is grinning. He thinks he won. I’ve been fighting with this car ever since we got him, nearly ten years ago. Took him home, and our mechanic discovered somebody had put antifreeze where the brake fluid ought to be. The car had that cheesy grin...
Hi, I'm Phyllis Wheeler
Award-winning middle-grade Christian fiction writer extraordinaire! I'm excited to have you here. To learn more about me and my story as an author and homeschool mom, visit the About page.
Featured Book by Phyllis Wheeler
The Dog Snatcher: Guardians of Time Book 1
The kid just wants his beloved dog back. Before it’s too late.
Disbelief and shock fill eleven-year-old Jake when a stranger grabs his beloved dog. Jake and his twin Ava chase the scruffy teen down their suburban street, but the thief simply vanishes. So … what is this ancient-looking skeleton key Jake finds in the street? Turning it in the air takes the twins—somewhere else!