By: Rebecca (Becky) Fjelland Davis,
on 11/7/2012
World Bicycle Relief
In Africa
I may have found my calling. I'm determined, somehow, to set up a fund-raising effort so my trip to South Africa with students in May can be paired with raising money and awareness for this cause.
I am not sure yet what I will write about this....I guess that remains to be seen as it all unfolds.
By: Gail Gauthier,
on 11/7/2012
By: Geri,
on 11/7/2012
 |
| From The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter |
By: Cindy R. Williams,
on 11/7/2012
|
By: Elizabeth Kennedy,
on 11/7/2012
It's impossible to celebrate Picture Book Month without acknowledging the contributions of author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. He had a major, and lasting, influence on the field of children's literature. The list of awards presented to him is too long to include in full. Sendak received the 1964 Randolph Caldecott Medal for his picture book Where the Wild Things Are and the Hans Christian Andersen International Medal in 1970 for his body of children's book illustration. He was honored with the American Book Award in 1982 for Outside Over There. In 1983, Maurice Sendak received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contributions to children's literature. Do you and/or your children have a favorite Sendak picture book? Let me know by clicking on "Comments" below and sharing your favorites.
(Cover art courtesy of HarperCollins)
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Maurice Sendak and Where the Wild Things Are originally appeared on About.com Children's Books on Thursday, November 8th, 2012 at 00:01:59.
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By: Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 11/7/2012
I have used this space many times to lament the fact that I am a writer on an island -- critique group-less, feedback-less, buddy-less. But as I'm sure most of us know, one thing worse than having no input is having input that sends us astray.
We've all been there, right? We've seen critique groups whose members are too intense, too lax, too hoggish; they are too vague; they are too nitpicky; they don't "get" your stuff, or you don't get theirs. They have more time to devote to their writing than you do, or perhaps they have less. They live too far away; they meet too frequently or infrequently.
Even worse is the damning critique experience: the editor at a conference who treats you like a clueless newbie; the teacher who gives you a bad grade for trying something a little different. My friend, an actress, says at least when someone is critiquing your writing, he or she is not critiquing YOU. But still, when we write, we are exposing our souls to the world. And our writer psyches must be treated with care. (The cardinal rule of critiquing -- always start and end with something specific and positive to say!)
With my community college students, I introduce a vocabulary word in each class. The first word we discuss is "subjective." I want them to understand that as a teacher, the worst thing I could ever do would be to crush their creativity or confidence. In a required class, many students do not come to learn, and they do not care to revise. For those who do, individual feedback is the most important component of our coursework. But students must learn that I am not the final authority; they have to be the chief arbiters of what is right for their work and what is not.
When it comes to peer review, some student writers are terrific critiquers. On the other hand, some do not take the job seriously. Some are just dead wrong. As a teacher, I may often myself be dead wrong. Thus I try to approach first draft revision on a mostly global level. I find myself constantly asking my students, "Why did you choose to write about this topic?" The answer is often the key to a successful essay.
In TV writing, we are advised to distill our pitch into a one-sentence "log line." Fiction writers should be able to do the same. In expository writing, of course, this summary is called the thesis statement.
My classes are currently working on research essays and developing working theses for an essay that is supposed to propose a solution to a societal problem. One of my students, a Navy veteran, read his to the class this week: "Military body armor is responsible for a vast number of injuries to personnel." I found this quite a startling statement. In search of more detail and a proposed solution, I probed further. HOW was military body armor inadequate? My student stated that in fact, it was overly adequate; that many soldiers who would have died in previous wars were surviving attacks with grievous, lifelong injuries. "So," I asked, "Are you saying it would be better if they died?" He looked me in the eye and said, "Sometimes." It was easier to talk about body armor, of course, than it was to talk about traumatic brain injury and PTSD.
I asked him what he proposed as the solution, and he said more drone strikes and less hand-to-hand combat. In short, his essay was not really about body armor at all. What he really wanted to say was, "Please send fewer men and women into harm's way."
As writers, we often lose sight of the main thread of our story; as critiquers, we often get hung up on details that should be dealt with later. A good first draft critique is about distilling a story to its essence -- nothing more, nothing less. --Jeanne Marie
By: Ronni A. Hall,
on 11/7/2012
As I headed to nearby Prescott to have a last visit with one of my closest friends before she moved, I felt a growing uneasiness. Yes, I had just made a long trip to Phoenix which was a little nerve-wracking and so I had leftover nerves, and yes, I was feeling very emotional as my car moved in the direction out of town.
I don’t like climbing hills or racing down them. When I am ungrounded, it gives me the feeling of being out of control. Come to think of it, I don’t like that feeling when I’m very grounded. There’s a part of the highway that curves upwards and although there is a guardrail, it does give you the sensation of flying through the air very close to the edge. (A little of what many of us are now feeling in our lives.)
As I accelerated up the hill and prayed I wouldn’t have to pass any huge trucks and have to change into the left lane next to the abyss, I began to feel growing panic; almost dissociative panic.
“Breathe, Ronni, Breathe, ” I told myself. “Feel your legs connected to the ground.”
I concluded that it was just all the emotions welling up inside me from my friend moving, and the high emotions of the past few weeks.
We had a lovely visit and I told my friend about the driving experience and then we talked about other pressing matters, like her move.
Heading back after a pitstop at the craft store (shopping therapy), I zoomed down the roads with very little traffic, which was unusual. I turned on the radio to hear one of my favorite old songs belting “You know you got to slow down, you’ve been working too hard and that’s a fact.”
I sang along until…there was huge line of traffic down the steep part of the road that bends scary to the left. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Oh great! That’s just mean!
We were all inching along in single file. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about driving down the hill too fast and feeling out of control. It was time to learn how to use my lower driving gears.
We all rubbernecked as the emergency workers guided us around a mangled, black and white car. Hopefully, the driver was alive and only scraped up, I thought.
A little pass the car and the road was clear and I wasn’t that far from home. I could calm down now. And then it hit me. That was the area I felt those feelings. Before it happened. Possibly because I was in great fear I register the event about to happen or the conditions building to happen.
Coincidence? Premonition? Empathic hit? What do you think?
By: Stacy Whitman,
on 11/7/2012
ETA 11/6/12: As with all my book lists, I’m putting this on Pinterest so I can more easily keep this list up-to-date. For a more recent version—including the books mentioned below and books published since 2010—see my Clean Reads for Teens board.
I have a friend who is the leader of a church group for girls 12-18, and she asks:
I want to set up a little library for our YW. [Young Women] These are multi-cultural girls, low income, some from illegal families. I would love to get your suggestions as to good books to put in the library. Since the library will be at the church, they do need to be on the “clean” side, but the girls range from age 13-17 and I think can handle some more complicated themes.
I have a start of a list here, but would love your additions to the list. “Clean” should include nothing stronger than “darn” or the occasional “crap” or “hell,” and on-screen violence should be kept to a minimum; no sex/sexual conduct beyond kissing/holding hands (at least, not in-scene), though romance is great. That doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t handle tough subjects, though. The Maze Runner, for example, is dystopian, but still a clean read overall. Even a book that tackled rape and its aftermath, or something similarly violent, could be appropriate for a list like this depending on how it’s written.
In general, I’m an advocate for good literature over judging a book by what isn’t in it, and my friend is that kind of reader, too. But given that this is a church-associated library, the suggestions do need to be “appropriate,” if you know what I mean. Feel free to suggest titles that might not be shelved in a church library ONLY if they’re borderline (i.e., something my friend my suggest the girls look up on an individual basis if she feels they’re ready for them).
For example, The Hunger Games may not be for everyone. I love it, and would hand it to any teen I knew who didn’t have a problem with a little violence. But some teens are more sensitive than others, so it might be important in a church context to gauge just how well the reader might welcome the visuals they’d get from that book, especially when it might as easily be picked up by a 12-year-old as a 15-year-old. (Then again, given that we live in a dystopia and modern teens know it, perhaps they’d be just fine with it.) Public library, no problem. But it’s the kind of thing that a conservative church library might not be the best place for.
This is NOT a fantasy-only list. Feel free to add YA-appropriate “clean reads,” particularly but not limited to multicultural books, from any genre. I’m just biased for SFF, that’s all. 
It is a tough list to assemble, though, because I hate to recommend something as “clean” when I haven’t had a chance to read it myself.
There are so many books I want to recommend but can’t, because in this case a book with even the occasional s-word wouldn’t be something we’d want to put in a booklist handed out at church or in a church library. That leaves out excellent titles such as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, but hopefully the girl who is the right reader for that book will find it anyway.
So, that gives us a starting point. What other books might be suggested for this list? I’m low on historical fiction, contemporary realism, and non-fiction, mostly because I’ve just listed a few good books off my own shelves and pulled a few titles from the multicultural SFF post. There are SO many titles about civil rights and slavery—feel free to suggest some, as I only have one on this list—but there are so many other time periods and issues that books tackle, too. So, light and heavy, as long as its clean. Go!
* Technically, this is a middle grade series, but the books are loved by older girls too and I think would be a fun recommendation for girls who like fairy tales.
** Starred titles may have a little bit more violence than you might want in the library; you might want to read it first to be sure.
*** Can someone remind me, as it’s been a while, whether the language in these books goes beyond made-up cursing and slang? Or if, in the case of Impossible, the rape scene is too graphic for a conservative audience?
Originally published at Stacy Whitman's Grimoire. You can comment here or there.
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He “placed a serendipitous phone call to Michael Bell, a Rhode Island folklorist, who had devoted much of the previous decade to studying New England vampire exhumations.”
So do you, uh, major in that? Can you intern? WHAT DOES ONE HAVE TO DO TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL STUDIER OF VAMPIRE EXHUMATIONS?
By: Stacy Whitman,
on 11/7/2012
We’re celebrating here at Tu Books today, because one of our fall books, Summer of the Mariposas
by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, has received a starred review from School Library Journal. Our first star as an imprint, in fact! Celebrate with us and get a peek at part of the review:
“Written in the style of magic realism, this is an enchanting look at Mexican mysticism, coupled with the realistic celebration of the true meaning of family. The sisters’ relationships are believably drawn, and the juxtaposition of modern realities and ancient Aztec mythology elucidates the importance of the spiritual side of life in Latin cultures. The plot is well paced, with the illicit nature of the girls’ entry into Mexico adding drama to their adventure. While some readers may find the interweaving of the magical elements somewhat unsettling at first, they are sure to be intrigued by both the unusual qualities of the mythical characters and the sense of adventure that lies behind every twist and turn of the girls’ revelatory journey. As with McCall’s Under the Mesquite (Lee & Low, 2011), this is a peek into Mexican American culture, but its ties to the supernatural add an interesting dimension.”
YAY!
Originally published at Stacy Whitman's Grimoire. You can comment here or there.
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By: Leila Roy,
on 11/7/2012
I'm only familiar with one of the books on the children's text (as opposed to illustration) list. But I'm intrigued by the others.
You?
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By: Elizabeth Kennedy,
on 11/7/2012
The children's literature community of authors, agents, editors and illustrators is holding a silent auction in two rounds to raise money for the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund in support of victims of Superstorm Sandy. You can bid on a Skype visit to your school or library by
(Cover art courtesy of Hyperion Books for Children)
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Kid-Lit Cares: Raising Money for Sandy Relief Efforts originally appeared on About.com Children's Books on Wednesday, November 7th, 2012 at 21:45:22.
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THE GOOD WOMAN by Jane Porter
Meg Brennan Roberts is a successful publicist, faithful wife, and doting mother who prides herself on always making the right decisions. But years of being “the good woman” have taken a toll and Meg feels burned out and empty, more disconnected than ever from her increasingly distant husband. Lonely and disheartened, she attends the London Wine Fair with her boss, ruggedly handsome vintner, Chad Hallahan. It’s here, alone together in an exotic city, far from “real” life, that Chad confesses his long-standing desire for Meg. Overwhelmed, flattered, and desperately confused, Meg returns home, only to suddenly question every choice she’s ever made. Fleeing her responsibilities—with consequences as reckless and irreversible as they are liberating—Meg must decide whether being the person everyone needs is worth losing the woman she was meant to be.
Tell us the story behind the story. How did The Good Woman come to be?
I love the idea of the good woman who makes a terrible mistake. And that’s really the story behind The Good Woman, the first in my Brennan Sisters series, because Meg has always been such a high achiever. She’s the first born in a family of five, and typical of first borns, she’s hardworking, loyal, responsible, and something of a perfectionist. But then she makes a bad decision which pretty much threatens to derail her marriage, and her family.
What is the message you want readers to take away from your book?
At the end of a Jane Porter novel, I want my readers to realize that they are tremendously valuable, as well as beautiful, strong and resilient.
Describe your writing schedule. Do you outline? Any habits?
I write a lot. Virtually every day. Last year I wrote 5 books and a novella, which is a lot of words, so this summer I took August off, and didn’t write a lot in September since I was touring to promote The Good Woman, but when I am writing (M-F, and then seven days a week the last 2-3 weeks before a book is due), I write every day, at my desk from 9 am to 5 or 6 pm.
What books are on your nightstand?
The Shadow of Darkness…and then under that is my Kindle with twenty books waiting to be read and I don’t even remember what they are since I forget I’ve downloaded them. I think Kindles and Nooks are great because it allows you to travel with tons of books on a little device, but it’s tough, too, because I forget what I was wanting to read because books ‘disappear’ into my device, which is why I also still buy real books. I love seeing an actual book by my bed, waiting for me at night. Its familiar and appealing, and rather comforting.
Which authors inspire you?
Every working writer out there. Writing is hard, and getting published is tough, and the publishing industry has been in tremendous flux these past 3-5 years. It’s a challenge to juggle creativity and practicality and publishing savvy when everything is changing so rapidly, and so I really respect those who are writing, and making their living by publishing.
What have you learned from this experience?
With the completion of The Good Daughter (my Feb ’13 novel), I’ve written 40 books in the past 12 years and I love writing more now than when I started, as I keep developing my craft and pushing myself to write increasingly complex, emotional, compelling stories. I’m really enjoying working with my editor at Berkley, too, as she’s giving me so much room and trust, which has given me confidence to write the kind of stories I always wanted to write, and so with the Brennan Sisters series, I’m just going for it, risking all, to give my readers the very best books I can.
Thanks, Jane, for such an insightful interview! We are all looking forward to following the Brennan Sisters in your upcoming books!
By: Matt Love,
on 11/7/2012
"There is nothing in machinery, there is nothing in embankments and railways and iron bridges and engineering devices to oblige them to be ugly. Ugliness is the measure of imperfection," wrote H.G. Wells. One gets the feeling that Oregon master bridge builder Conde McCullough read Wells and took his exhortation to heart, because Conde didn't [...]
By: Elizabeth Cheri,
on 11/7/2012
I love being home, especially now that Juni and I are establishing a routine.
(who knew I would get excited about things like actually having time to clean the house and organize the paperwork?)
However, there are moments when I get really lonely and long for adult company and conversation.
(When it’s just me and June I tend to say one word over and over – hi. See the video at the end of this post for proof.)
Thankfully, Forrest had the last two days off and I LOVED having him around.
And not just because he made me a pecan pie.
It’s not like I’m trying to lose weight or anything, right?
Our ‘weekend’ included plenty of:
When it is just me and Juniper hanging out I go by her schedule. She lets me know when she is ready to eat or nap or have her diaper changed. It is working out pretty well…except for the nights where she really doesn’t want to sleep and I really do want to sleep.
I love the sleepy cuddle time, but I also love when she is happy and alert after a feeding. We stare at each other and I make all kinds of ridiculous high-pitched sounds to get her to smile or coo. I love that she is waking up more and more and showing us her sweet personality. She still has at least one or two really grumpy sessions a day, but her smiles get me through.
Also, this girl has the craziest hair in the world. When she was born it was so dark, but it is steadily getting lighter and wavier. I love how the top of her hair always sticks up.
Now, when Juniper is napping or sitting contentedly in her swing I like to putter about the house, read, put movies on, and putter about the internet.
It’s rather lovely.
For instance, I love setting small, attainable goals each day. Like, clean off the dining room table (how does it get SO cluttered???), file paperwork, clean the bathroom, vacuum the downstairs, etc. I am so thankful for the time and ability to organize and clean my home. It kind of feels like a luxury.
I have been reading the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny and I am in love. They are exactly the kind of mystery I like – cozy & thought provoking. I just finished book 4 of the series and I gasped out loud when the murderer was revealed. She fools me every time!
I have been watching Harry Potter movies, Pride & Prejudice (BBC version, of course), Dick Van Dyke (oldie but a goody), Project Runway, and New Girl. Most of the time the tv is on while I am puttering.
Oh the internet. Facebook is such a time waster, and I am trying to spend time doing other things instead of becoming a Facebook zombie. I am also in love with Goodreads. Here is my profile. Are we friends?
Well, that is what is happening around here. Not terribly exciting, but lovely all the same.
Now, enjoy this cuteness:
Love,
Libs
By: Jason Burke,
on 11/7/2012
By: Sergio Ruzzier,
on 11/7/2012
Hey, gang. (all 3 of you)
If you write pbs then definitely check out PiBoIdMo.
To explain what PiBoIdMo is, I stole some content right off the blog of Tara Lazar who is the mastermind behind this awesomeness.
****
What is PiBoIdMo? Why, it’s Picture Book Idea Month!
Tired of novelists having all the fun in November with NaNoWriMo, I created PiBoIdMo as a 30-day challenge for picture book writers.
The concept is to create 30 picture book ideas in 30 days. You don’t have to write a manuscript (but you can if the mood strikes). You don’t need potential best-seller ideas.
You might think of a clever title. Or a name for a character. Or just a silly thing like “purple polka-dot pony.” The object is to heighten your picture-book-idea-generating senses. Ideas may build upon other ideas and your list of potential stories will grow stronger as the days pass.
Daily blog posts by picture book authors, illustrators, editors and other kidlit professionals will help inspire you. By the end of the month, you’ll have a fat file of ideas to spark new stories.
PiBoIdMo was first held in 2008 by a party of one—me! Then I hosted it on my blog for the first time in 2009. Each year the number of participants has doubled. In 2011 we had over 600 writers following PiBoIdMo. And now 2012 promises to be bigger and better!
***
If you aren't already participating and you are serious about writing pbs, I strongly urge you to join this crowd. Not only will you meet some great people and generate all sorts of new ideas, but you might end up with something irresistible. One of my ideas from PiBoIdMo 2009 resulted in the a sale. So did one of my ideas from PiBoIdMo 2011.
I usually end up with 29 okay ideas and 1 Really Good One. I'll take those odds every year!
Today my PiBoIdMo 2012 post was featured. Please check it out as well as all of the others.
http://taralazar.com/2012/11/07/piboidmo-day-7-tammi-sauer/
Huge thanks to Tara Lazar for making November a whole lot of fun.
By: Jerry Beck,
on 11/7/2012
The 2012 CTN Expo in Burbank California is next week – and I’ll be there. Cartoon Brew will have a table on the exhibit floor and that’s here you’ll find me signing books and discussing animation with my friends (perhaps like the gang above, from last year’s CTNX: David Silverman, Craig Bartlett, Bill Plympton, Matt Groening… and me). If I’m not at the booth, I’ll be out and about introducing several panels and screenings… including these (in no particular order):
Meet the Talent Behind the Making of the Hotel Transylvania
Saturday: 11/17/2012
Time: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Moderator: Jerry Beck
With: Genndy Tartakovsky | Director
Michelle Murdocca
William Haller
Karl Herbst
Location City BallroomRise of the Guardian Artist Panel
Saturday: 11/17/2012
Time: 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
MC: Jerry Beck
With: Hamish Grieve, Head of Story
Gabe Hordos, Head of Character Animation
Other Guests TBANew Talent Spotlight and Showcase – Nacho Rodriguez, Jacob Wyatt, Faye Hsu
11/17/12 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
City Ballroom
Moderators Jerry Beck, Kazu Kabushi, Robh Ruppel
Guests: Nacho Rodriguez, Jacob Wyatt, Faye Hsu“Bottom of the Ninth” and the Game Plan to Succeed as a Creator
Sunday: 11/18/2012
Time: 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
MC: Jerry Beck
With: Ryan WoodwardTeam Prime: The Artists and Design of Transformers Prime
Friday: 11/16/2012
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM
Location City Ballroom
MC: Jerry Beck
With: Supervising Director Dave Hartman (Bubba Ho-Tep, Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles, Jackie Chan Adventures), Art Director Jose Lopez (Green Lantern: First Flight, The Batman, Jackie Chan Adventures), Production Designer Vince Toyama (Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, The Boondocks, Godzilla: The Series) and Visual Effects Art Director Christophe Vacher (Enchanted, 9, Treasure Planet).
Panel moderated by Mathias Dougherty, Production Manager (The Mighty B, El Tigre, Invader ZIM).I’ll be introducing these screenings of Gkids animated Oscar hopefuls:
The Rabbi’s Cat Wed 11/14 7:30PM
The Painting (Le Tableau) – 11/15 7:30pm
From Up On Poppy Hill 11/16 – 7:30 pm
Secret Surprise Screening – 11/17 7:30pm
Zarafa – 11/18 7:30pm
Another panel I plan to sit in on is this one:
Meet John K.’s Virtual Studio
John Kricfalusi is doing a workshop on his “Virtual Studio Model” sponsored by ToonBoom.
Saturday: 11/17/2012
Time: 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Location: Sunset A+BCurrently working on his new cartoon sitcom titled Cans Without Labels, John K. will share how he is using the internet to raise the funds to produce his project and find animators all around the world to work with remotely.
There are so many great exhibitors, panels and events associated with CTNX this year. I wouldn’t miss it. A complete list of guest speakers is posted here.More details and information about the event is posted on the CTN website.
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By: Jane Massey,
on 11/7/2012
By: Melissa Kline,
on 11/7/2012
I am jumping out of my chair excited to share my latest project and soon-to-be-published novel with you… *drum roll*
Sixteen-year-old Storm enjoys skateboarding, fixing broken electronics, and building things with his hands. They distract him from the tormented thoughts surrounding the circumstances of his mother’s death. But his problems can’t be avoided forever…
By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka,
on 11/7/2012
It's a busy weekend for the kid lit literati this weekend in Western Massachusetts. If you can get to the area this weekend, you may want to bring your paparazzi camera!
First, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is celebrating its 10th anniversary. I made a star for their special constellation exhibit. Here's a glimpse of my contribution. It will hang in the Great Hall along with stars by Scott Fischer, Jeff Mack and Eric Carle himself! 
Check out the full list of weekend activities at The Carle here.
On Sunday, from 4-6, head on over to the R. Michelson Galleries' annual Illustration Show. I am in awe of the artists that will be represented and am proud and honored to be included. When I received the invite to the opening reception, I had to let Ralph down easy -- dogs aren't allowed. He had already planned his outfit...
By: Ellis Nadler,
on 11/7/2012
My hand at work. Film directed by Azi Khatiri.
By: Tatjana Mai-Wyss,
on 11/7/2012
Thanks, Cindy. For those who want to join the party, the fun begins on Saturday at 10 a.m. MST right here.