For those of you who know me, I am a huge Marvel fan. (For those of you who don't and read this blog, I'm sure this comes as no surprise.) I took my kids to see Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness this week. Why did I rush to see it? Well, my kids were insistent, and they wanted to see it before the movie got spoiled for them by the other kids at school. Seriously, why would they do that? It just seems mean. They'd already had No Way Home ​spoiled for them at school before we could get to see it together, and the bitterness still ran strong within them. Stop spoiling the movies guys!

Two out of my three kids were nervous about the movie. They had heard that it was the closest thing Marvel had to a Horror film. The third one, well, Phillip was more excited than I had ever seen him about something like this. This kid? We watched Poltergeist together and he said it wasn't scary at all. We tried Insidious- not scary. Guys, I'm at a loss. He wants to be scared, and I don't want to inadvertently traumatize him. I'm open to suggestions. Please send them my way.

Well, the good news was that all three of them loved the movie.  No one was scared, and we had a great time. The conversation on the way home was lively, and we discussed the various character arcs and wether or not we agreed with how they were handled. (I'm torn, but the kids thought things were handled brilliantly. Eh, what do they know? They're eleven.) I say that we talked in the car, because the kids are aware of my policy- No discussing the movie out loud as other people are waiting to see it!

I suppose this rule is similar to a rule I share with my husband when we see theatre- no critiquing the play in public within a five kilometer radius of the theatre. You just never know who is sitting around you. And if you thought the play sucked, you don't want to say that in front of a cast member, or a member of the production team. (We know people this happened to.) The reasoning behind it is different, but the spirit of the rule is the same.

But, back to the movie- what I can say without getting too spoilery is this: Hailey has a new favourite superhero. America Chavez captured her interest from the second she got on screen. It was great watching my daughter watching her. So far, Hailey's favourites of Scarlet Witch, and Wonder Woman were adults. They seemed to be unattainable figures, and aspirational in a way that America just isn't. She seems more real to Hailey- a kid like her. It helps that she's played so well by Xochitl Gomez. Hailey, like all the other girls in her class (and her brothers), absolutely loved The Babysitters' Club on Netflix (a cancellation, that like Julie and the Phantoms really upset our entire household. Seriously Netflix. WTF?) and Xochitl was Hailey's favourite actor on the show. She ended up liking the new Dawn, but it just wasn't the same. So seeing a real kid up there, kicking butt on the bog screen was amazing for her to see. We can't wait to see what happens next with her. We got home, and Phillip immediately handed her his collection of Young Avengers comics so she could have more Amerca Chavez!

If you've read my books, you know I'm all for representation. It matters. And knowing that there are more characters out there representing all sorts of people, I'm excited to see what's next. Bring on Ms. Marvel, and SheHulk​, and all of it. I'm ready, and so are my kids!

For those of you who follow this site, you know that I have written a sweet little Middle Grade novel with my son Joseph. It's called Lucky at Bat, ​and you can find out more about it on this page here. What I am super excited to announce is that it is being published! Lucky at Bat will be a published book with Koëhler Books on November 22, 2022. 

Joseph will be able to call himself a published author at age eleven, and as a kid who was never really into reading, the fact that he has worked so hard to create the world of Jack- a baseball loving eleven-year-old boy, and his pet rats, I am so proud. 

I am throwing Joseph into the world of writing, and this past Tuesday, he had his first taste of it. We took Lucky at Bat to Bampot tea house and did a reading from it. Much kudos goes to Jen Frankel for hosting and inviting us! (Everybody, buy her books. Undead Redhead is amazing!) It's been way too long since we saw each other in person. Joseph was in his element, schmoozing around and making friends with the other writers, and performers. He certainly didn't get this from me. I am far more introverted. Give me a script, and I'm good to go, but put me in a room full of strangers, no matter what we have in common, and I tend to clam up. 

We started the evening with Joseph bluntly telling me all the things I got wrong in the intro I wrote for him to say (thanks, Jo!). I took his corrections with aplomb. We found our window seat pillow pile, ordered our teas and freshly popped popcorn, and we were on our way. 

This time, Joseph didn't read. He was more into the snacks and the people. But he got up to the mic, said his piece, and he was proud of himself. He should be. It was far more than I was able to accomplish at my first reading. (Spoiler alert- I chickened out on reading, and cozied up to a cheese plate instead.)

Soon, Joseph will be up to his eyeballs in cover art, edits, and marketing. It will be an education for him, and he is working on growing his love of books. Any recommendations for an eleven-year-old who loves rats and baseball are always appreciated. 

More news on Lucky at Bat will be forthcoming. I will be sure to keep you all updated here. Joseph, we are ALL proud of you.