This week, Poetry Friday is hosted by Jone Rush MacCulloch.  Her blog is always filled with poetry and images and connections to the larger poetry community. Jone is a long-time Poetry Friday contributor and I’m delighted to be connected to her through the Summer Poetry 2022 Swap and more recently, a Georgia Heard/Rebecca Dotlich Poet’s Studio workshop. She brings together many poet friends for monthly poetry chats, and welcomed those of us new to The Poet’s Studio to join last week.Â
Waiting for October
It was never about
harvest moons or golden leaves
or even Halloween
my October dreams?
cake and ice cream
shrieks and giggles
musical chairs
party favors and friends
upstairs
©draft, Patricia J. Franz
October 27, 2022
Like so many, autumn is my favorite season – and October has always been my favorite month.
As a child, October meant a birthday celebration. I’m one of five children and in our family, we didn’t automatically get a birthday party every year. But my mom would make my favorite dinner – veal scallopini (what child begs for veal scallopini??) and my choice of birthday cake (some rendition of triple- chocolate- fudgy -brownie -pudding- cake- in -a -pan).
Today, I treasure Octobers for the colder weather, shorter days, morning walks as darkness gives way to a sunrise, and yes – harvest moons and golden leaves.
And, living as I do, in a cul-de-sac peopled with little ghosts and goblins, I look forward to the ring of the doorbell, a chorus of Trick-or-Treat! and dropping candy into all makes of Halloween buckets.
Which brings me to… A COSTUME FOR CHARLY, the debut picture book from CK Malone, one of my critique partners.
CK is a proud, bigender, neurodiverse kidlit author and this book is an important one to add to your classroom or home collection. We live in a world full of diverse people, diverse children, and A COSTUME FOR CHARLY offers a portal into conversations we all need to have about what it means to express fully who we are. Â
Celebrating the picture book debut of
A COSTUME FOR CHARLY
by CK Malone
illustrated by Andrea Barajas
Click on the image above to hear a quick snippet from our interview.
In our final installment, CK MALONE’s critique group, FRIDAY MINDS,
has an important question: Dogs ON the bed or NOT?
(If you would like to listen in to previous segments, click here)
FRIDAY MINDS is CK, Maria Claudia, Nat, Randi, Rathi, and me.
GIVEAWAY!!Â
Win a copy of A COSTUME FOR CHARLY!
1. Leave a comment below
2. Tweet out some love for CK & A COSTUME FOR CHARLY
3. tag @patriciajfranz1 & @ckmalone2 & a #kidlit writer
Winner will be drawn at random & announced 10/31 on Twitter
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
I enjoyed your thoughts today and loved the short video.
I treasure Octobers for the colder weather, shorter days, morning walks as darkness gives way to a sunrise, and yes – harvest moons and golden leaves. This sounds like the beginning of a poem, Patricia. I share your sentiments.
BTW: I tweeted out your short video which was delightful.
I will look for this book, Patricia, sounds just right for a gift for certain someones! I, too, love October, my birthday month, too! I get to work at the bookstore on Halloween, will be lots of fun giving out some sweet treats!
Enjoy your birthday month, Linda!
Happy birthday month, fellow October-ite! (that’s a real word, right?) I’m on the same page as you about my choice of birthday cakes, Patricia, because why bother with anything else?
Huge congratulations and happy book birthday to CK! A COSTUME FOR CHARLY is an important book for every reader. 🙂
And Happy B’day back at you, Bridget!
Thanks for the intro and the interview with this interesting author. I enjoyed reading about your family’s birthday traditions. We had five kids in my family growing up and remember no parties really, just the wonderful sheet cakes she’d make for us. Enjoy fall!
I don’t know about you, but I learned my division-by-fives at a really young age! lol
October is my favorite month. I’m always sad to see it end. My birthday is the week after Christmas, so there was never much money. I come from a big family and never had an actual birthday party. My mother always made a cake and had a small gift for us. I enjoyed your poem very much!
…and in hindsight, how special those simple times and joys, right?
I love you and our group so very much!!!
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, CK!
I’m going back into your post for the final details. But before I do, I want to say thank you to the author of Costume for Charlie. I’m a school librarian that lives on eggshells these days. I need authors to keep writing the books kids love and need. Now on to the shrieks and giggles indeed!
Oh, Linda – thank you! Thank you for being a librarian who understands what we need to make available to kids.
Patricia, that little detail about “friends upstairs” totally took me back to my own childhood. I love how what we value in a month changes as we grow up. I’m also an October birthday, and for me, as a kid, that meant another year older and a year closer to independence. I remember one birthday party when I was 8 (I think). The movie Fantasia was involved (hated it) and I got a Magic 8 Ball (loved it). I grew up in Florida, and October looked a lot like September–just browner. I love October so much more as an adult, with the turning of the seasons and the coolness…goodness. Thank you for all the October thoughts you’ve sparked. It’s my favorite month, but you’ve given me some new thoughts, too. Thanks for a Costume for Charly, too. I’ll look for it!
Oh my gosh! Magic 8 balls! I loved the year I received that as a gift! I’m glad these words sparked happy memories.
Happy Birthday Month (veal scallopini is a great choice)! So enjoyed your poem, reflections, and intro to CK’s new book. Nice to see both of you in the video. 🙂 I’ll have to see if our library has A Costume for Charly (if not, I will recommend they order it!). Thanks for all and Happy Halloween!
Oh thank you Jama, for asking for A COSTUME FOR CHARLY at your library!
It’s groovy to meet you, Patricia, & under such good circumstances ~
your post-support of your crit. partner’s debut book: COSTUME FOR CHARLY. It’s so like a PF blogger to cheer pal’s book for this lovely spotlight you’ve created.
Added applause on your 1st Poet’s Studio experience [with the added bonus of wonderful Jone’s attendance & bringing you into PF, too. ].
I enjoy your poem-memory of October Happy Birthday Month to you!
Oct. is a sublime month.
It’s a beautiful birthday month in our family.
It’s the season of change month [even here in our part of Florida where my family & i live.]
It’s a month for foods we haven’t eaten in awhile [roasted chestnuts, first-appearing pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies & new to me this week pumpkin tortillas!]
I very much appreciate how you’ve got me thinking back on this beautiful October.
I don’t get around to PF very often, but I’m glad to be here at this minute.
Jan/Bookseedstudio
Thanks for stopping in, Jan!
Patricia, I loved learning about the importance of Octobers. How interesting that you requested veal scaloppini as a child.
Thanks for your kind words. I love our poetry community.
I’m looking forward to more poetry sharing, Jone!
How wonderful to have an October birthday! Happy birthday! Mine is in the hottest month of the year, August, and it’s usually in the frantic first days of school. Costume for Charlie looks like a wonderful book. Thanks for sharing (and the giveaway).
I’m from a family of teachers (though I did not choose that path) – so I recognize that harried feeling of August! And you in your ladybug costume was adorable!
Patricia, I have wonderful birthday associations with October, too — not my own birthday, but the birth of my eldest daughter. How is it possible that she just turned 29?? 😃 Your end-of-October ode is delightful. Happy birthday! Did you have veal scallopini? 😄
-lol… it was much later as an adult when I awoke to the horror of what veal actually is. I’ve since become mostly vegetarian!
Happy Birthmonth and Happy Halloween! Congratulations to CK on the publication of this important book!
Thanks Mary Lee!