Francisca Staines
@franciscawrites.bsky.social
Author of MG & Picture Books • https://franciscastaines.com/
🇲🇽 All around book nerd with a weakness for mystery, fantasy, dogs & tacos.
Rep'd by @michelle4laughs.bsky.social @StormLiterary
🇲🇽 All around book nerd with a weakness for mystery, fantasy, dogs & tacos.
Rep'd by @michelle4laughs.bsky.social @StormLiterary
#FolkTaleWeek Day 5: Charm
5. Treasures are weird things. They hurt you if you trip over them, but they can also surprise you.
"What a strange thing..." The little Fallen Star say, casually flipping through pages. "To find such a rare gem, and in a book of spells nonetheless!"
#KidLit #KidLitArt
5. Treasures are weird things. They hurt you if you trip over them, but they can also surprise you.
"What a strange thing..." The little Fallen Star say, casually flipping through pages. "To find such a rare gem, and in a book of spells nonetheless!"
#KidLit #KidLitArt
November 23, 2025 at 8:59 PM
#FolkTaleWeek Day 5: Charm
5. Treasures are weird things. They hurt you if you trip over them, but they can also surprise you.
"What a strange thing..." The little Fallen Star say, casually flipping through pages. "To find such a rare gem, and in a book of spells nonetheless!"
#KidLit #KidLitArt
5. Treasures are weird things. They hurt you if you trip over them, but they can also surprise you.
"What a strange thing..." The little Fallen Star say, casually flipping through pages. "To find such a rare gem, and in a book of spells nonetheless!"
#KidLit #KidLitArt
#FolkTaleWeek Day 4: Book
4. Strolling around, feet on soft sand, has its advantages. You see lots of new things, and if your lucky, you can even find a long lost treasure.
"Ouch!" the Fallen Star tripped over something flat and hard. "Who can have left this here? Reckless, that's who.
#KidLit
4. Strolling around, feet on soft sand, has its advantages. You see lots of new things, and if your lucky, you can even find a long lost treasure.
"Ouch!" the Fallen Star tripped over something flat and hard. "Who can have left this here? Reckless, that's who.
#KidLit
November 21, 2025 at 8:22 PM
#FolkTaleWeek Day 4: Book
4. Strolling around, feet on soft sand, has its advantages. You see lots of new things, and if your lucky, you can even find a long lost treasure.
"Ouch!" the Fallen Star tripped over something flat and hard. "Who can have left this here? Reckless, that's who.
#KidLit
4. Strolling around, feet on soft sand, has its advantages. You see lots of new things, and if your lucky, you can even find a long lost treasure.
"Ouch!" the Fallen Star tripped over something flat and hard. "Who can have left this here? Reckless, that's who.
#KidLit
#FolkTaleWeek Day 3: Rain
3. An angry cloud breaks the quiet into tiny loud pieces.
The Princess Moon jumps startled.
Big drops plunge into the sea. Bigger waves to come out to play.
"Oh, no!" The Fallen Star's fins are carried away. "Well, no better place to be than the bottom of the sea."
#KidLit
3. An angry cloud breaks the quiet into tiny loud pieces.
The Princess Moon jumps startled.
Big drops plunge into the sea. Bigger waves to come out to play.
"Oh, no!" The Fallen Star's fins are carried away. "Well, no better place to be than the bottom of the sea."
#KidLit
November 20, 2025 at 8:13 PM
#FolkTaleWeek Day 3: Rain
3. An angry cloud breaks the quiet into tiny loud pieces.
The Princess Moon jumps startled.
Big drops plunge into the sea. Bigger waves to come out to play.
"Oh, no!" The Fallen Star's fins are carried away. "Well, no better place to be than the bottom of the sea."
#KidLit
3. An angry cloud breaks the quiet into tiny loud pieces.
The Princess Moon jumps startled.
Big drops plunge into the sea. Bigger waves to come out to play.
"Oh, no!" The Fallen Star's fins are carried away. "Well, no better place to be than the bottom of the sea."
#KidLit
#FolkTaleWeek Day 2: Echo
2. In the quiet of the late hours, the Princess Moon sleeps.
Far, far away from the sky, the fallen star bobs in the waves.
Up and down she goes, listening to the bubbling echoes of the passerby fish. Pop, pop, pop!
#KidLit #KidLitart
2. In the quiet of the late hours, the Princess Moon sleeps.
Far, far away from the sky, the fallen star bobs in the waves.
Up and down she goes, listening to the bubbling echoes of the passerby fish. Pop, pop, pop!
#KidLit #KidLitart
November 19, 2025 at 4:44 PM
#FolkTaleWeek Day 2: Echo
2. In the quiet of the late hours, the Princess Moon sleeps.
Far, far away from the sky, the fallen star bobs in the waves.
Up and down she goes, listening to the bubbling echoes of the passerby fish. Pop, pop, pop!
#KidLit #KidLitart
2. In the quiet of the late hours, the Princess Moon sleeps.
Far, far away from the sky, the fallen star bobs in the waves.
Up and down she goes, listening to the bubbling echoes of the passerby fish. Pop, pop, pop!
#KidLit #KidLitart
Starting a little late but trying to catch up #FolkTaleWeek
Day 1: Night
1. The Princess Moon, who had never learned how to swim, envy the little stars, who dive, splash, and float in the endless sea of the night sky.
#KidLit #KidLitart
Day 1: Night
1. The Princess Moon, who had never learned how to swim, envy the little stars, who dive, splash, and float in the endless sea of the night sky.
#KidLit #KidLitart
November 19, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Starting a little late but trying to catch up #FolkTaleWeek
Day 1: Night
1. The Princess Moon, who had never learned how to swim, envy the little stars, who dive, splash, and float in the endless sea of the night sky.
#KidLit #KidLitart
Day 1: Night
1. The Princess Moon, who had never learned how to swim, envy the little stars, who dive, splash, and float in the endless sea of the night sky.
#KidLit #KidLitart
The days are getting cold. The trees have lost their leaves. Autumn says hello to Winter with a dance of browns and oranges.
A new illustration of my I'm-learning-how-to-draw series.
#kidlitillustrations #autumn
A new illustration of my I'm-learning-how-to-draw series.
#kidlitillustrations #autumn
November 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The days are getting cold. The trees have lost their leaves. Autumn says hello to Winter with a dance of browns and oranges.
A new illustration of my I'm-learning-how-to-draw series.
#kidlitillustrations #autumn
A new illustration of my I'm-learning-how-to-draw series.
#kidlitillustrations #autumn
It's sunny, and the farmer is getting ready to sow white mustard in the field across from our house. I love white mustard, lovely living mulch.
#gardening #farmwork #wintercrops
#gardening #farmwork #wintercrops
November 4, 2025 at 2:34 PM
It's sunny, and the farmer is getting ready to sow white mustard in the field across from our house. I love white mustard, lovely living mulch.
#gardening #farmwork #wintercrops
#gardening #farmwork #wintercrops
I'm having a hard time deciding which one to read first.
Thoughts?
💙📚 #horror #spookyreads #booksky #diversebooks
Thoughts?
💙📚 #horror #spookyreads #booksky #diversebooks
October 29, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I'm having a hard time deciding which one to read first.
Thoughts?
💙📚 #horror #spookyreads #booksky #diversebooks
Thoughts?
💙📚 #horror #spookyreads #booksky #diversebooks
This is half of what I hope will become my naturalistic garden. The 340 little plants, I put in the ground this month. Each plant grown from seed. Mostly natives (or non-invasive naturalized) species. Only a beginning, but it took lots of effort (and time).
#Gardening #FallPlanting #Wildlifegarden
#Gardening #FallPlanting #Wildlifegarden
October 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM
This is half of what I hope will become my naturalistic garden. The 340 little plants, I put in the ground this month. Each plant grown from seed. Mostly natives (or non-invasive naturalized) species. Only a beginning, but it took lots of effort (and time).
#Gardening #FallPlanting #Wildlifegarden
#Gardening #FallPlanting #Wildlifegarden
A lovely sunny afternoon, going home.
October 15, 2025 at 1:41 PM
A lovely sunny afternoon, going home.
Autumn is that time when things in the garden calm down (as in, there's much less to do), but things in the kitchen become hectic (as in, there's lots to process, cook, and preserved).
Love this time of the year!
#Gardening #Autumn2025 #GardenProduce
Love this time of the year!
#Gardening #Autumn2025 #GardenProduce
October 6, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Autumn is that time when things in the garden calm down (as in, there's much less to do), but things in the kitchen become hectic (as in, there's lots to process, cook, and preserved).
Love this time of the year!
#Gardening #Autumn2025 #GardenProduce
Love this time of the year!
#Gardening #Autumn2025 #GardenProduce
Diverse books open windows into the other's perspective, showing us how alike we actually are, that's why they're so important.
"Part of growing up, I think, is realizing that not everything your family does is normal or acceptable."
― XiXi Tian, This Place Is Still Beautiful
💙📚 #kidlit #YA
"Part of growing up, I think, is realizing that not everything your family does is normal or acceptable."
― XiXi Tian, This Place Is Still Beautiful
💙📚 #kidlit #YA
October 1, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Old, but still readable,
"They won't listen. Do you know why? Because they have certain fixed notions about the past. Any change would be blasphemy in their eyes, even if it were the truth. They don't want the truth; they want their traditions.”
― Isaac Asimov, Pebble in the Sky
#BookSky 💙📚 #scifi
"They won't listen. Do you know why? Because they have certain fixed notions about the past. Any change would be blasphemy in their eyes, even if it were the truth. They don't want the truth; they want their traditions.”
― Isaac Asimov, Pebble in the Sky
#BookSky 💙📚 #scifi
September 25, 2025 at 9:35 AM
A beautiful and spooky #MG to get ready for the season... I enjoyed very much.
"You don't waste October sunshine. Soon the old autumn sun would bed down in cloud blankets and there would be weeks of gray rain before it finally decided to snow."
― Katherine Arden, Small Spaces
#KidLit #MG #Horror
"You don't waste October sunshine. Soon the old autumn sun would bed down in cloud blankets and there would be weeks of gray rain before it finally decided to snow."
― Katherine Arden, Small Spaces
#KidLit #MG #Horror
September 25, 2025 at 9:19 AM
If you see this, quote with a flower
September 23, 2025 at 2:29 PM
If you see this, quote with a flower
Tuesday's garden bounty.
Lots of apples, a few plums (collected most of them two weeks ago), tomatoes and tomatillos, and a few zucchinis. Not bad for a year I didn't plant anything and I've been collecting only from the old trees and quite some volunteer plants.
#Gardening
Lots of apples, a few plums (collected most of them two weeks ago), tomatoes and tomatillos, and a few zucchinis. Not bad for a year I didn't plant anything and I've been collecting only from the old trees and quite some volunteer plants.
#Gardening
September 17, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Tuesday's garden bounty.
Lots of apples, a few plums (collected most of them two weeks ago), tomatoes and tomatillos, and a few zucchinis. Not bad for a year I didn't plant anything and I've been collecting only from the old trees and quite some volunteer plants.
#Gardening
Lots of apples, a few plums (collected most of them two weeks ago), tomatoes and tomatillos, and a few zucchinis. Not bad for a year I didn't plant anything and I've been collecting only from the old trees and quite some volunteer plants.
#Gardening
September 12, 2025 at 8:45 AM
A lovely afternoon defined by the colors of summer:
Two peacock butterflies on a field of lilac.
#gardening #wildgarden #wildlife #summergarden
Two peacock butterflies on a field of lilac.
#gardening #wildgarden #wildlife #summergarden
September 3, 2025 at 9:46 AM
A lovely afternoon defined by the colors of summer:
Two peacock butterflies on a field of lilac.
#gardening #wildgarden #wildlife #summergarden
Two peacock butterflies on a field of lilac.
#gardening #wildgarden #wildlife #summergarden
When #YA #Fantasy turns out to be pure reality,
"Books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life."
― Christopher Paolini, Eragon
#KIdLit 💙📚 #BookSky #YAFantasyBooks
"Books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life."
― Christopher Paolini, Eragon
#KIdLit 💙📚 #BookSky #YAFantasyBooks
September 3, 2025 at 9:33 AM
When #YA #Fantasy turns out to be pure reality,
"Books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life."
― Christopher Paolini, Eragon
#KIdLit 💙📚 #BookSky #YAFantasyBooks
"Books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life."
― Christopher Paolini, Eragon
#KIdLit 💙📚 #BookSky #YAFantasyBooks
Your garden is telling you, you should make some pickles...
Confession, it's not your garden, it's me. I'm telling you to make pickles and them.
I think everybody should make pickles and eat more pickles.
I love pickles!
Confession, it's not your garden, it's me. I'm telling you to make pickles and them.
I think everybody should make pickles and eat more pickles.
I love pickles!
August 12, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Your garden is telling you, you should make some pickles...
Confession, it's not your garden, it's me. I'm telling you to make pickles and them.
I think everybody should make pickles and eat more pickles.
I love pickles!
Confession, it's not your garden, it's me. I'm telling you to make pickles and them.
I think everybody should make pickles and eat more pickles.
I love pickles!
"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."
―Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
#KIdLit 💙📚 #BookSky #MiddleGrade #Mystery
―Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
#KIdLit 💙📚 #BookSky #MiddleGrade #Mystery
August 2, 2025 at 9:33 PM
"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."
―Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
#KIdLit 💙📚 #BookSky #MiddleGrade #Mystery
―Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
#KIdLit 💙📚 #BookSky #MiddleGrade #Mystery
July 3, 2025 at 8:25 AM