I’ve been busy blogging every day — on other people’s sites!  This is the new world of book promotion.  So instead of typing out yet another blog, I’m going to share with you two recent blog posts.  One from the west coast: Jennifer Margulis’s Sticking My Neck Out (which got a whopping 50+ comments!) and one from the east coast: an op-ed piece about gun play in the Huffington Post.

Here’s a sample from each:

“I first met Jennifer at an ASJA conference in New York in 2010 when I drew her name as my mentor. We were both far from home, both with little kids left in someone else’s care.“You’ve got a great idea for a book here,” she said. “But…” she picked up her pen and started striking out sentences. “This query letter definitely needs some work.””

And from Huffington –

“I came home yesterday to find a foam sword and a blue plastic squirt gun on the patio. It was a hot summer day, and obviously the kids had been having a rousing game in the backyard. But still, the sight of a gun and a sword on my back step chilled me.

The Aurora shootings were instantly on my mind. I’m a mom. But I’m also the author of a parenting book; one that actively supports weapon and guy play for young kids. Where does that put my thoughts now?”

The answer, of course, is free, uncensored play.  Children pursue play ideas because it’s how they process the world.  Behavior may have to be stopped if it hurts people or property, but all play ideas need to be welcomed.  If the play idea doesn’t fit in the house, take it outside.

Have you ever been bothered by a child’s play?  What made you uncomfortable? Did you ever play with squirt guns as a kid?