Lines That Linger by the GROG bloggers

As we head into the first holiday weekend of summer, we invite all our readers to linger and savor some phrases and quotations that inspire us. 

Perhaps you'll find a quote, motto, or saying that will spark your creativity or move you forward. We invite you to share your favorite lines that spark you in the comments. 

Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.

Seize the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow.
— Horace, Odes, 23 BCE

I first came across those words in 10th-grade English, around the time we read Robert Herrick’s poem To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time. Something about that idea stuck. It lit a quiet fire in me, a sense that life keeps moving, and we do not get to hit pause. 

The phrase now lives in small ways throughout my home and office, quiet reminders that time is fleeting and moments are worth holding onto. If I ever get a tattoo, it will be Carpe Diem. These words have stayed with me, not as a slogan but as a quiet challenge to pay attention, to stay present, and to remember that time is always passing.

-Todd Burleson

Music lights me up and makes me happy. I see my life in soundtracks of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell,

Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty, and Jimmy Buffett. All singers and songwriters whose words are poetry and give me direction. 

When I feel stuck in a situation or with a story, I always remember the wisdom of Jimmy Buffett and this quotation. Sailing through the sea of life, there will be storms. There will be calm. There will be adventures. What remains constant is our ability to adjust our sails, make a change in attitude and latitude, so we can move forward with motivation and hopefully joy.

Kathy Halsey

from Sue H:  I usually write nonfiction and picture books, but like every other writer I know, I've got a novel on the back burner. Problem is, there are so many times when I am baffled about finding a way to put something on the page. One of the questions I've been pondering: how do you let the reader know the character's age without saying it outright?

 

 I found a wonderful example in this book, The Shape of Lost Things, by Sarah Everett. On page five she writes: “ Finn isn’t here to celebrate his birthday with us because when my brother was ten and I was eight, dad kidnapped Finn and took him somewhere. Nobody can find them. For the last four years, police have searched for them.”

A little tongue-in-cheek:

Today I will be

Wildly productive.

But first, more coffee.

 

Be well, friends! 

--Fran H.

 

from Tina Cho

I'm trying to survive the last couple of weeks of kindergarten (I'm a teacher). And after June 2nd, you'll find me doing what Eric Carle says in his quote below.  

“Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don’t forget to have art in your life – music, paintings, theater, dance, and sunsets.”

--Eric Carle

Have a wonderful summer! You'll find me in front of books, K-dramas, writing, catching up on Zzzz's, and vacationing! 

Share the lines that linger with you in the comments below. Happy unofficial summer!

What Can AANHPI Heritage Month Teach Me as a Writer? by Tina Cho

May is AANHPI Heritage Month (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander). In schools, teachers might read more diverse books set in Asia and talk about Asian countries and culture. I do. Actually, as a kindergarten Asian American teacher, my students are read Asian books all year around. HA! In fact, last month, my first educational professional article appeared in Edutopia, “5 Strategies to Celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month." In this article, I list many picture books that I've used or have been recommended to me. 

Last year I wrote an article for this blog titled, "Have We Done Enough: Diversity in Children's Literature." I revisited the Cooperative Children's Book Center to check stats. In 2023, 11% of the picture books the center collected from U.S. publishers had Asian characters. In 2024, it rose to 13%. Bravo! But in a March 2025 press release from the center, it mentions 28% of the picture books received featured white characters. Is there still room for growth? Of course. 

In this post I want to focus on: Does being Asian American inform my writing? And what can non-AANHPI people gain from this special heritage month? 

I do look at life through an Asian American lens, especially having lived recently in Korea. In fact, all my books have something to do with Korea. In this post, I'll show you six ways you can apply this heritage month to your own writing.

Every culture has important people. For instance, my most popular picture book, The Ocean Calls, illustrated by Jess X. Snow, is about diving women in South Korea. How are they special? Most of them are 50-80 years old, dive in the ocean without any breathing apparatus, and generations have been doing this as a career! Do any of your grandparents dive into the ocean each morning for a living and sell their catch? 

I wanted American kids to know about these ladies because they aren't your typical grandparent. There are some younger ladies learning the tradition as well, but not as many as prior generations. And the cool thing is Apple TV + has a documentary about them, The Last of the Sea Women, directed by Sue Kim, whose daughter has my book! What traditions or unique groups of people are from your culture/heritage that you could write about?

Every culture has special holidays, foods, and folklore. Those seem to abound in picture books. Look at the market. Are any missing from your culture and traditions? Maybe you're the one to write it. I wrote a nonfiction picture book, Korean Celebrations, illustrated by Farida Zaman, about holidays and traditions because this publisher had one on Japanese Celebrations, but not Korean :)  And my agent just sold a new picture book story about a Korean food. More to come after it's announced!

Every culture has history and wars. What does this generation need to know about it? My book, Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans, illustrated by Keum Jin Song, is a result of a long ago Korean War from the 1950s. In 2016, North Korean refugees sent rice up in hydrogen balloons over the border to feed their country. I helped and wrote a story about this event. 

My lyrical middle grade graphic novel, The Other Side of Tomorrow, illustrated by Deb JJ Lee, (which won the SCBWI Golden Kite award for middle grade fiction and is an honor book for the Freeman Book Awards from NCTAsia as well as 5 starred reviews from the major reviewers) is also a result of a horrible history. It's about two North Korean children who escape across the border along the Asian Underground Railroad. I have another blog post about that process here. Dig into your country's history. What new story hasn't been reported on?

Every culture has heroes. My work-for-hire book, Asian American Women in Science highlights some in a chapter book biography style. Who hasn't been written about from your culture? 

All children want to see themselves in books doing ordinary things. That is something I didn't get to see when I was a child. So my new series, Big Adventures for Growing Minds from PRH Waterbrook, God's Little Astronomer and God's Little Oceanographer, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns, features diverse characters, especially, an Asian boy, which is often overlooked in books. Who still isn't represented much in picture books?

And for fun, put a spin on a familiar story. That resulted in my forthcoming picture book, The Princess and the Grain of Rice, illustrated by Honee Jang. More about that in a future post. Instead of The Princess and the Pea, change that nasty pea into rice and add a historical Korean setting (Joseon era 1392-1910). What familiar story could you change?

So there you have it--6 ways AANHPI Heritage month can influence your writing. 

Reading and writing books from all cultures allows readers to either see themselves or learn and experience something they might never get to in real life. It opens the eyes of little ones so that seeing a person from another culture with different skin and hair colors is normal, and they don't have to stare as if never having seen someone of color before. It allows children to welcome one another and be kind. Now what do you have from your family history or culture that needs to be shared with the world? Go forth and write it! 

Back in 2015, I did write two posts here at the Grog blog about culture and writing. You can find those here and here.

To see award-winning Asian books by awesome Asian authors, check out the Freeman Book Awards.

To know more about me and my books, find me at my website: tinamcho.com or my Instagram.  

Tina Cho, currently a kindergarten teacher by day and an author by night, loves inspiring her students with books and writing. She’s the author of seven picture books, including RICE FROM HEAVEN: THE SECRET MISSION TO FEED NORTH KOREANS, THE OCEAN CALLS: A HAENYEO MERMAID STORY (4 starred reviews, JLG, Freeman Honor Award), GOD’S LITTLE OCEANOGRAPHER (6/24/25), and the forthcoming THE PRINCESS AND THE GRAIN OF RICE (Feb. 2026). Her lyrical graphic novel, THE OTHER SIDE OF TOMORROW received five starred reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, The Horn Book), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, SLJ Best Graphic Novels List 2024, Kirkus Best Middle Grade 2024, & Booklist Editors’ Choice 2024 & the Freeman Book Honor Award/NCTAsia). You can visit her website at www.tinamcho.com. 

New Lenses, New Stories: What Travel Taught Me About Light, Libraries, and Creative Renewal

 

New Lenses, New Stories

What Travel Taught Me About Light, Libraries, and Creative Renewal

Travel invites a particular kind of tension; the pull between wanting to take everything in and simply being in it. You want to see it all, remember it all, photograph it all. But there’s no way to hold everything. Eventually, you learn that the act of seeing—truly seeing—requires presence more than proof.

Sometimes, it takes new lenses—real or metaphorical—to notice what’s right in front of you.

Five years ago, I put down my DSLR. It wasn’t just about simplifying what I carried. It was something deeper, harder to name. I had been a photographer nearly all my life, even professionally for nearly a decade. But during that season, I was struggling. My mental health was in a dark place. I couldn’t create. I couldn’t see anything clearly—not through the lens, not even through my own eyes. So I made a choice. I would strip photography back to its simplest form. One camera. One tool. My phone.

What began as a creative constraint became a kind of quiet restoration. With no settings to manage, no gear to distract, I started noticing again—light, shadow, reflection, shape. Slowly, I returned to the practice not as a photographer chasing the perfect shot, but as a person learning how to see the world again, through simpler tools and, in a way, through new lenses.

A bit of the historic section of Dubai.

This trip to the UAE—my third, and possibly my last—felt different. Erica came with me this time. We traveled with intention, knowing how fleeting and rare this kind of journey is. I moved through the cities with care, trying to hold space for both of us to take it in. I saw so many mosques, each more stunning than the last—graceful arches, geometric domes, calligraphic lines reaching skyward. We never entered one, but they called to me all the same: an invitation to reverence, even from afar.

The Al Noor Mosque in Sharjah, UAE.

While the trip gave me space to reflect, it also gave me purpose. I had the honor of presenting at the inaugural Sharjah School Librarians Conference, representing the Winnetka Public Schools, where I’ve spent nearly all of my 33 years as an educator. My session explored how new tools—like audiobooks, interactive platforms, and AI-powered supports—can help re-engage dormant readers and expand access to inclusive literacy.

Libraries are about welcome. They are spaces of connection, wherever you are.

This is the biggest LCD screen I've ever presented on!

I shared the stage with passionate, thoughtful educators from around the world. But the most memorable moment came later—a quiet, private tour of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in Dubai, offered by a generous librarian on her own time. That gesture reminded me that librarianship transcends language, borders, and architecture. At its best, it is an act of hospitality.

Shatha, the children's librarian at Mohammed Bin Rashid Library.

It wasn’t just where we went; it was who I got to share it with. Erica and I moved through each day slowly, choosing moments over checklists. We missed plenty, but saw more than enough. And somewhere in the quiet between scheduled presentations and wandering through museums and souks, something in me reopened.

Part of a gorgeous mural I saw while wandering.

Maybe it was the light. Maybe it was the warmth of unexpected kindness. Maybe it was the rhythm of the call to prayer echoing across the rooftops. But when I came home, I came home ready. I’ve been working—really working—on projects I’d nearly forgotten or set aside. Stories are flowing. Ideas are waking up.

I didn’t leave the UAE with souvenirs. I left with momentum.

My wife and I on our first full day in the UAE.

What Remains

I didn’t expect this trip to change me, but it did. Not loudly, not all at once. It offered stillness, light, and the chance to see through new lenses. It reminded me that sometimes, the best way to move forward creatively is to step outside your routine, out into the world, and let it press gently against your senses.

A 'tiny planet' made from the view from the plane.

Travel won’t hand you a story. But if you let it, it will change the way you see. It will hand you new lenses: light, attention, and wonder.

And when you return, the stories waiting inside you might look a little different, too.

This hung on the wall in our hotel. 

This is the zoomed in version of the lens. "Tell Your Story!"

If you're interested in more reflections from this journey—including the moments of stillness, symbolism, and light that shaped it—you’re warmly invited to read the full series on my Substack: “Where Imagination Takes Flight.”

Catch of the Day: A SEASON FOR FISHIN': A FISH FRY TRADITION with Pam Courtney by Kathy Halsey

Imagine Pam Courtney and I having a sit down on our virtual porch in Louisiana looking at the Cane River as we chat about her debut book, family, and fishin’. I've known Pam for about 15 years as a friend and  critique partner, and I’ve manifested this day since her debut book was a small fry! It is a thrill to be able to share Pam’s story with you all after all these years. Settle in for awhile and share your family tradtions with us in the comments!

Book Review: A SEASON FOR FISHIN': A FISH FRY TRADITION

I have on my librarian-teacher hat to share my thoughts on this picture book that I’ve known through many iterations as one of Pam’s critique partners.I might be a bit biased, but  A SEASON FOR FISHIN’ is a delight, from illustrator Toni D. Chambers’ engaging illustrations to the thoughtful backmatter author Pam has provided a dictionary of terms of endearment from Louisiana parishes. 

The fresh, active illustrations married to Pam’s poetic, unique Louisiana-influenced words make this the perfect book for a new season, summer and fish fry Fridays.

Main character Cher is excited to become part of her family tradition as she joins her Papere on the Ol’ Cane River along with uncles and a desire to bring in a mess of bream for her Mamere to fry up. 

Young readers will identify with that desire to “measure up” to a family ritual . . . are they ready, can they do it?  All readers will feel immersed in the loving family fun inspired by Pam’s Louisiana upbringing. Educators and librarians will appreciate this joyful read aloud with oodles of onomatopoeia and fresh phrases. As Cher would say, “Howwwwweee, get you a copy of this book and some crispy bream now!

Craft Chat with Pam Courtney

Kathy: Pam, I'm interested in the origin story for this wonderful debut picture book. Please share where this story came from, how it's changed, and what you've learned from “catching this big fish” of a book!

Pam: Actually, this story started as a poem in Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab class in 2014, or maybe 2015. Anyway, it was initially called Fish Fry Friday. Then Fish Fry Friday, A Cane River Upbringing. Then Fish Fry Friday, A Cane River Tale until it had to be changed.

It was initially being groomed for a NIV. It was Renee who nudged me and said, “Why not think about a young protagonist, cut some words, and make this a picture book?” I didn’t want to but I got feedback from other kidlit professionals that were certain this would make a better picture book. 

But as you know, it is a page out of my own childhood. I didn’t go fishing often. Actually, I can count on one hand the number of times I actually fished. I just like going, being with family and friends; eating the snacks that were packed. Like my Uncle Teddy Boy’s home-roasted peanuts. There were a few versions of Fish Fry.

Kathy: Lucky us! Pam’s sharing a few stanzas of an early version!  

Fish Fry on Fridays? 

Let Grand-mere tell it, down on the Cane River,

everybody fries fish on Fridays.

Matter of fact, just travel down any

dirt road in any rural town in

Louisiana on any Friday and

everybody who’s anybody worth

their weight in mudbug is cleaning,

frying, and eating fish. Buffalo fish.

Alligator Garfish. On special

Fridays, Redhorse. 

Fish Fry onFridays?

That’s bayou upbringing

not catholic upbringing.

Down on this river, people been

criss-crossin, speakin and livin like

ta’ otherin forever." says Grand-mere. 

Down on Cane River is the

safe place, the birthplace of my

Grand-mere, my Pa-ran, my Na-nan, 

and my Tante'. 

Yessir. Lot of mystery 

in the history down the road, 

down on Cane River.

Kathy: Oh, I love the roll and rhythm of this language. I can feel your setting and picture the characters! Thanks, Pam!

How did your hometown, Natchitoches, LA, inspire your story? I know you share poignant childhood memories in your author's note. (Readers make sure to check out the Author's Note when you get this book.) What makes Natchitoches unique?

Pam: The story takes place on Ol’ Cane River. Cane River is actually a man-made lake and it runs smack through the middle of our town. Nearly all of our outdoor events happen on that riverfront. Cane River is also a place within Natchitoches, where the most interesting and complicated history resides. I went fishing down on Cane River. Everyone did. You’d find people casting lines off of the bridge or wrangling for their prized spot on the riverfront. 

But the Friday fish fries is where the magic of my childhood lives. Folks would leave out early morning, return late afternoon with their catch. By early Friday evening everyone was out front in their yard scaling, cleaning fish, and frying fish. Our entire street was perfumed with the aroma!! Oh and the music that accompanied this scene! While I grew up with Prince and Funkadelic, the adults in control of the music had Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and, of course, gospel music rang out. Howweeee, what memories I have of that time.

Kathy: So what's the best way to cook up a mess of fish and why bream? 

Pam: Well, bream is my mom’s favorite fish. I can’t tell you the number of times our doorbell rings and someone has dropped off freshly caught bream. What’s even sweeter, they’ll also clean and filet them for my mom. But that’s just our way down here in the boot. As for the best way to fry bream. I cheat. I use Zatarain’s fish fry season to coat our fish. It’s the spice in that breading for me. I pan fry. So only quality oil will do. I test the temperature of my oil by sticking the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If it bubbles immediately, the temperature is just right for frying up a batch of bream.

Kathy: Yum! I’m hungry now. And to think I grew up with fish sticks as a Catholic! What's the best way for you to cook up a story? Can you share a bit of your process?

Pam: A story idea springs from anywhere. The idea for A Season For Fishin’ came from a specific childhood experience. Anything can inspire an idea. Once I have an idea for my story, it lives in my head (longer than it should) as I think about the “promise of the premise.”  

It takes me an awfully long time to get the idea on paper. I sit at my mom’s dining room table, aka my office, and stare out the glass patio doors smiling at the wildlife that entertain themselves in the backyard. I consider why I’m choosing to share this particular story or experience with readers. 

When inspiration hits me to pull out the laptop I ask myself, what will be the intimate moments that moves my story forward? For that matter, what moves my character to respond as they do? I’m all about creating intimacy in a scene. For me, it’s important to create specific emotional incidents that set up the reader’s relationship with my main character and the people who’ll share the character’s stage. 

In each scene, I consider the purpose of pacing because I want to, on purpose, use language, rhythm, and sentence length to hold a reader in a moment. I’m still in the process of accurate pacing. In a lesson I learned from an amazing teacher on pacing, if it’s done well, it informs tempo, encouraging that effective page turn. 

And yes, I do all of this in my first draft. THIS is why it takes me so very, very long to get my first draft down. I’m learning y’all.

Kathy: You talk a lot about being a good critique partner. How does that skill enhance your own writing and ability to create new stories.

Pam: I’ve had the GREAT fortune to be in the company of some amazing writers in my critique groups. The idea for new stories is always front and center each session whether we actively discuss story ideas or not. Someone will say something that sparks an idea, or someone will have an idea they think is perfect for your brand of storytelling. This is just one small part of a great critique group. 

Being able to look at a story and ask its creator what exactly is their intent for their story is something I always ask. I ask more questions rather than give advice. However, I’m the oldest sibling and we think we know everything, so being slow to offer feedback is still a work in progress. 

What I find is the more questions I ask, out of genuine curiosity for the “promise of the premise,” the more everyone is able to hear specifics about the writer’s intentions for their stories. Many times I’ll ask the writer about their story’s promise. I’ll then ask, “Show me where that lives on the pages of your story?” 

It might be that I’ve completely missed it, or the writer might visualize a scene or moment in their head and that is where it lives. These questions inform how I move through the pages of my story. Though it is much harder questioning your writing strategies than others. LOL

Kathy: Pam, that is a juicy piece of advice about how to critique. Folks, I’ve been a recipient of Pam’s skillful critiques for years! Blessed by it. 

Where can we find you online, on podcast, on blogs as you celebrate this season of your debut book? 

Pam: You can find me on the following artist’s blogs: Susanna Leonard Hill, Sara Holly-Ackerman, Black Voices, and KidLit Works.

Find Pam on the River or Here: Social Media Contacts

 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pam_is_mylmnop/

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/pamismylmnop.bsky.social

Threads https://www.threads.com/@pam_is_mylmnop

Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@pam_is_mylmnop?lang=en

Now join Pam and me on our virtual porch and share YOUR family tradition in the comments! Mine has to do with my Hungarian grandmother, Otelia Wolslagel and her spicy sausage and paprika. My mouth is burning now!