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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I got good news! My novel, Sleeping With the Fishes, a #MG mystery about Martina, whose summer of fishing is transformed into months of sleuthing to clear her grandpa of murder has been shortlisted for the Wells Festival of Literature Book for Children Prize. #kidlit #author

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Wells Festival of Literature

Book For Children Competition

We are delighted to announce the 2026 Boo for Children Shortlist

Dave in the deep -Murphy
Eco Animals vs. Little Critters - Rutherford
Gwenefer and teh son of Efrddyl -BRammer
Heir of Stone and blood - Eman
I still stand - LOmas
Journey under the hedge - Hubberstey
Kadzo James Superstar - Forde Owuor
La Casa dei Gatti - Lockie
One New Message - Banfield
Shoot the Moon - Dron
Sleeping With The Fishes - Francisca Staines (that's me!)
THe Fox KIng - Butler
The Golden Lion -Rhodes
THe Life Singer - Miller
THe Lost Selkie Queen - Stevebson
There are no giraffes at school - Alcorn
Veritas - Schuemmeifeder

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 14/02/2024

"He'd fallen in love slowly and quietly, and it was a quiet sort of love, full of phrases left unsaid, laced with dreams." ― Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gods of Jade and Shadow Happy St. Valentine's Day! May love find you slowly and quietly... or quickly and growling, whatever floats your boat 😘 💙📚👀 📚🌏

The cover of Gods of Jade and Shadow from Silvia Moreno Garcia, showing a woman and a man-Mayan-looking features-in 1920s attire.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 28/10/2024

Favorite quotes from favorite books (3), "To learn which questions are unanswerable, and not to answer them: this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness." ― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness 📚💙📚👀📚

The cover of this edition of The Left Hand of Darkness, shows a futuristic building that appears made of glass with a bright moon in teh background.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

A favorite quote from a favorite book (short but oh so good!), "Never underestimate the power of stupid." ― Sheila Turnage, Three Times Lucky 💙📚 #booksky

The cover of Three Times Lucky shows a bottle with a note (the title) inside, floating down a river surrounded by fireflies, and the sunset in the background.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

#KidLit always going harder than it needs... "... None of us is just one thing. Life is a process of learning to recognize our many faces." ― Sayantani DasGupta, The Serpent's Secret #KidLit #MG #MGFantasy #MGBooks #BookSky 💙📚

The cover of The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Me, as soon as the first autumn breeze hits. Any spooky reads you would like to recommend? Only 37 days to #Halloween 🎃👻💀 #AutumnEquinox #Fall2026 #SpookySeason 💙📚 #horror

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The last of the purple blooms. The garden has turned orange and yellow now. Fall has arrived. #Gardening #Fall2026 #Blooms

A spiral of purple blooms standing on a green background.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

We're always coming home... A sunset on my way home. Fall afternoons filled with fluffy clouds

A narrow road crosses a landscape of grass fields and small trees.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Great books that had been banned and that I think everybody should read. READ MORE BANNED BOOKS! #BookSky 💙📚 #SciFi #GraphicNovels #YA

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Seriuosly, #kidlit goes so hard... "People try to create order. Discipline. Rules. It gives them peace. A sense of regulation. Of strength. It makes them feel in control. But life is chaos, reader. The sooner you learn this, the better." ― Cory Anderson, What Beauty There Is #BookSky #YA 📚💙📚

The cover of WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS by Cory Anderson, shows a couple of teens, sitting under the canopy of a forest in the night. A shining mot flies by.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Once in a while, I like to peruse through this one... Lots of interesting things too find, refind, and find again. "If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does." ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland #kidlit #classics #BookSky 📚💙📚

The cover of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol

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jessamyn @librarian.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful

An aircraft passenger oxygen mask: a drop down passenger mask with air bag and yellow plastic mouth and nose cover, oxygen tube has been cut; Demonstration model used by flight attendant crew for passenger instruction. Has text on the side indicating that it's non-functional.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

#Naturalisticgardens are always a bit chaotic. This one (mine) certainly is. Agastaches, altheas, echinaceas, globe thistles, rudbeckias, dusty millers & scabiosas (among others) growing happily despite drought & extreme heat, all because chaotic gardens are resilient habitats. #Gardening #wildlife

A view of a naturalistic garden in bloom. Plants are tall and bushy, and a bit chaotic.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Because I miss the cool and gray of autumn afternoons, here are five spooky #mg books that anyone -big and small- will enjoy... #BookSky #KidLit #ScaringIsCaring #MGHorror 💙📚

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Althea officinalis growing in my #naturalisticgarden Also know as the marsh mallow, the root of this lovely plant was used by Egyptians and Romans to make marshmallows, by grounding it and mixing it with honey.

A tall A. oficinalis plant, in bloom. The flowers are small white, each with five heart-shaped petals.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Thinking about that time I made a clip about five of my favorite sci-fi books... #BookSky #scificlassics #scifibooks 💙📚

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A few of the magnificent blooms of this summer. No watering. A bit if a drought. Plants are doing well. #gardening #naturalisticgardens

Rudbeckia, echinacea, globe thistle as part of a naturalistic garden

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

The difference a year makes... Same place one fourteen months apart. All plants were grown from winter sowed seeds. #TheWildGardener #Gardening #NaturalisticGarden

New planting in what will become a naturalistic garden

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Daydreaming. Soñando. Blue skies and a strong breeze. #ArtRepostJuly

A little girl sits while holding a kite (papalote). The text reads: May your papalote fly high. In Spanish: QUe tu papalote vuele alto.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I love the brightness of this croscomia blooms. Tiny but showy. #SummerGarden #SummerBlooms #Gardening

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

The colors of summer Beautiful annual Livingstone daisies in my garden #Gardening #Summer2026

A lovey multicolored patch of Livingstone daisies in bloom.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Favorite quotes from favorite books, "There is love in me the likes of which you've never seen. There is rage in me the likes of which should never escape. If I am not satisfied in the one, I will indulge the other." ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 📚💙📚👀📚

The cover of this Wordsworth Classics edition of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley shows a piece of industrial machinery getting hit by lighting.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 15/02/2024

A quote for Thrusday, "What she had begun to learn was the weight of liberty. Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one." ―Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan 💙📚👀 📚🌏

A mock cover for The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin, created by Keith Robinson. It shows Tenar , against a deserted landscape were the only thing standing are the ancient Tombs of Atuan. In the negative space created by Tenar's dark robes, Ged's silhouette, his holding his staff high, shines.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

My boss, checking I'm actually writing instead of doomscrolling... #CairnTerriers #CuteDog

A cairn terrier puppy naps atop a couch while peeking at the camera

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Cavox @cavox.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

I keep this one saved

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Absolutely knacked after a week of packing, moving, unpacking, and trying to fit eight years of having a too big house into a just the space we need house. Even after donating, and selling, and giving away furniture and lots, and lots of stuff it still feels like we're bursting at the seems..

static.klipy.com

Cartoon House Blows Up

Alt: Cartoon House gets bigger and bigger until it blows Up

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Great #horror "You let me eat up all papa’s anger so it wouldn’t poison you. You didn’t mind that he ruined me as long as you were unspoiled & safe. If you ever loved me, it was because I was a soft thing you threw down into the bottom of a pit to break your fall.” ―Ava Reid, Juniper & Thorn 💙📚

The Cover of Juniper and Thorn, by Ava Reid

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

As always, #kidlit goes harder than it needs in this #YA historical mystery. “Living with uncertainty is like having a rock in your shoe. If you can’t remove the rock, you have to figure out how to walk despite it. There is simply no other choice.” ― Amy Timberlake, One Came Home 💙📚 #BookSky

The Cover of One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

There's no better time to nap that when it's raining heavily outside. #cairnterriers 🐕‍🦺 #cutedogs 🐶 #sleepingdogs 🐕

Two cairn terrier puppies sleep in their beds.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

A lovely afternoon defined by the colors of summer: Two peacock butterflies on a field of lilac. #gardening #wildgarden #wildlife #summergarden

Two butterflies stand on a cloud of tiny purple flowers.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

A little mistake, clicking on the wrong button, prompt by idle curiosity, turned my website into a mess. It took about six hours to undo the damage. It's not the same as it was, but I like it, and I think is easier to navigate than before. franciscastaines.com

franciscastaines.com

Francisca Staines

Let me tell you a story

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

I just finished reading When You Reach Me. What a wonderful book! Thinking of it as just a children's book is a disservice to this wonderful story that everyone can enjoy & learn from. "It's crazy the things a person can pretend not to notice." ―Rebecca Stead, When You Reach Me #BookSky 💙📚👍 #KidLit

The cover of this edition of When You Reach Me, shows the buildings along a inner city block, each one unique and old and beautiful. Among the buildings we see objects that have a prominent role in the story. A diary, a house key, a lunch bag, and we also see the silhouettes of two people, a little girl and an adult man, as they search the street.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

#Kidlit goes harder, achieving awesomeness... "I wonder if everyone who faces death hurts like this. It's as though for the first time I realize how much just being alive makes my body ache. But I don't want that ache to stop." ― Shannon Hale, Book of a Thousand Days. #BookSky 💙📚 #YAFantasy

The cover of Book of a Thousand Days, shows a girl looking out the top building of an ancient tower.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

A new entry from my #illustration learning journey. This time, a portray of our dogs who love to explore the hedge at the end of the garden, even climbing a few branches to get a better view. #kidlitart #digitalart #cutedogs

In a sea on green leaves, a thick hedge, we find two little cairn terrier dogs. They look at us. One while siting on the ground, one peeking through the leaves.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

This was a nice spring read, "Truth didn’t mean anything without someone to share it with; you could shout truth into the air forever, and spend your life doing it, if someone didn’t come and listen." ― Naomi Novik, Uprooted #BookSky 💙📚 #Fantasy #Folklore

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Laura Keating @lorekeating.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

I keep seeing "all authors use AI, the real issue is they're being forced to be sneaky about it" headlines. Full stop No. This is a lie peddled for normalization. It's schoolyard-level pressure tactics "C'mon, all the cool kids are already doing it. We won't tell. It's fine. We're on your side."

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Seedlings and hail, a recipe for running... I was quick enough to bring them inside before the worst of it, but it would be nice if the weather finally understood it's time to get warmer, not colder. #gardening

Seedlings growing in small pots, are cover in white hail.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

First read it as a teen. Liked it better this time. "Science can destroy religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware, the nonexistence of Zeus or Thor, but they have few followers now.” ― Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood’s End #BookSky 💙📚

The cover of Childhood's End by A. C. Clarke

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

I'm reading some spooky #MG mystery and enjoying it deeply. #Kidlit even spooks harder than it needs 😉 "When you are hiding something, you get the feeling that every other secret is connected to your secret." ―John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls #BookSky #MiddleGrade 📚💙📚

The cover of The House With a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Winter-sown seedlings are almost ready to go in the ground. If only it would stop snowing! 🌨️ ❄️🌨️ I may need to repot a few of them so they have enough room to wait for warmer days. #gardening #spring2026 #wintersown

Little seedlings in trays on a porch, waiting to be planted.

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

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Francisca Staines @franciscawrites.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

I love looking at this ⬇️ knowing that this ⬇️ is coming... #Spring time wonders! #gardening #spring2026

A bloom-fill branch of a cherry tree with a blue sky as background.

A bucket full of fruits collected last summer. Apples, plums, cherries and a few veggies, tomatillos and tomatoes.

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