Birthdays: Richard Wright (1908), Joan Aiken (1924), Syd Hoff (1912), David Lagercrantz (1962), Mary Renault (1905),

Tip: Confusing pronouns: “The lazy dog sat on the sofa. It was soft and plump.” – The second sentence could apply to either the dog or the sofa. The “it” makes it unclear. You need to be specific here. This often happens in books where there are multiple characters of the same sex. Using “she” or “he” for everyone gets too confusing as to who is whom.

Thought for the day: “Just because I’m sweeping leaves doesn’t mean I’m not thinking.” Joan Aiken

Jumpstart: It’s spring and the birds are coming home. All of them. We need to be ready…