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ALSC is reminding members to apply for professional awards this fall. Applications are open and several deadlines are approaching. Below is list of ALSC professional awards which are available for submission or nomination.  Please consider applying or nominating a colleague:

Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship
Deadline: Extended to Saturday, November 1, 2014

This fellowship provides a $4,000 stipend to allow a qualified children’s librarian to spend a month or more reading at the University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature.

Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Award
Deadline: Saturday, November 1, 2014

This $4,000 award was established with funding from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, in honor of Maureen Hayes, to bring together children and nationally recognized authors/illustrators.

ALSC/Baker & Taylor Summer Reading Grant
Deadline: Saturday, November 1, 2014

This $3,000 grant provides financial assistance to a public library for developing an outstanding summer reading program for children.

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One of the commenters following Mac Barnett’s Ted Talk “Why a good book is a secret door” quoted Antoine de Saint-Exupéry from The Little Prince: “Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.” The essence of this statement is a perfect way […]

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If you’ll be around Pittsburgh Saturday, September 13, please stop by the old Salty Carrot shipwreck pavilion (the big blue slide) in Frick Park. I’ll be part of Alphabet Trail and Tales from 10:00 – 1:00, reading & painting and telling horrible pirate jokes.

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I’m back with another Wednesday series of interviews with published and unpublished illustrators whose work I admire. So prepare to be wowed by the skill and fascinated by their process and passions as we get a glimpse into their lives … Continue reading →

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I’m thrilled to be back blogging after a stellar three-month summer hiatus. I completed the first draft to my contemporary YA, which is my MFA thesis. I attended a superb writer’s craft conference for the benefit of the non-profit Sierra … Continue reading →

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CALL FOR PAPERS

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS and CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Special Issue of The Lion and the Unicorn

Guest Editors:
Lara Saguisag, College of Staten Island-City University of New York
Matthew B. Prickett, Rutgers University-Camden

We are seeking papers that investigate the intersections between the histories, theories, and practices of children's rights and children's literature. In response to the ratification of the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC) in 1989, advocates and scholars have debated the necessity and revealed the complexity of defining and implementing children's rights across the globe. Critical discourse on children's rights, however, has not yet fully examined the role that children's literature plays in shaping, promoting, implementing and interrogating children's rights. This special issue invites scholars to explore the connections between the institutions of children's rights and children's literature.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

Depictions of young people's political and/or economic participation in children's and young adult literature
Literary representations of child soldiers, child laborers, child sex workers and other young people whose rights are deemed violated
The role of children's literature in fulfilling young people's rights (such as the right to education and the right to leisure)
The relationships between charters on human and children's rights (such as the 1930 White House Convention Children's Charter, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1989 United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child) and twentieth-century children's literature
How historical fiction and non-fiction about other rights movements (women's rights, gay rights, Civil Rights, labor rights, immigrant rights, etc. ) attempt to shape young readers' understanding of rights
U.N.-funded children's books that explicitly promote children's rights
Poverty and children's and young adult literature
Colonialism/Postcolonialism and children’s and young adult literature
Citizenship and children's and young adult literature
Censorship and children's rights
Conflicts between child characters and adult characters over the child's rights and obligations

Essays should be sent to guest editors Lara Saguisag and Matthew B. Prickett at [email protected] by May 31, 2015. Submissions should be 15-20 pages (4000-6000 words). Accepted articles will appear in issue 40.2 (2016) of The Lion and the Unicorn.

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The Philippines' 3rd National Children's Book Awards included a Kids' Choice Award! Five judges, ages 11-13, read picture books published in 2012 and 2013 and picked their top ten favorites. Below are the ten books and the kid judges' citations for the books. I have put their citations in boldface, but have not edited their writing in any other way!

Sandwich to the Moon
Written and illustrated by Jamie Bauza
Chikiting Books, 2013



Si Berting, ang Batang Uling
Written by Christopher S. Rosales
Illustrated by Aldy Aguirre
Lampara, 2013

I. together with the other judges chose 10 books that will be the top 10 finalists but i will only share our reasons why we chose "Sandwich to the Moon" & "Si Berting ang Batang Uling" as part of the Top 10 finalists because we think that younger readers will easily understand and relate to these books' content and also we think that the writers, as well as illustrators along with the publishing companies did a job well-done in writing, illustrating, and publishing the books in an entertaining, creative and inspirational way. I would like to congratulate sir Jaime Bauza, writer & illustrator of "Sandwich to the Moon" and L G & M Corporation. And congratulation also to sir Christopher Rosales as the writer, Aldy Aguirre as the illustrator of the book entitled "Si Berting ang Batang Uling" and Adarna House Inc. for publishing the book. Thank You!

By Carelle Ann Abanico


Pages 
Written by Javier T. Delfin
Illustrated by Gabi Dimaranan 
Bookmark, 2013

One of the 10 finalists for the Kids' Choice Award is a book entitled "Pages." It is written by Javier T. Delfin with illustrations by Gabi Dimaranan and published by The Bookmark, Inc. This book was chosen because of it's unique story. The very colourful drawings and pictures were also really cool. And the words were really simple and easy to understand.

By Pheonna Heart Ragasa



Sinemadyika
Written by Lauren V. Macaraeg
Illustrated by Aldy Aguirre
Lampara, 2013

"Sine Madyika" written by Lauren V. Macaraeg, illustrations by Aldy Aguirre and published by Lampara Books is also a finalist. The story's creative way of telling us that everyone can have fun was really cool. We liked how the story showed us that even if Popoy was blind he still has a lot of fun.

By Pheonna Heart Ragasa


Pintong Maraming Silid
Written by Eugene Y. Evasco
Illustrated by Leo Kempis Ang
Chikiting Books, 2013

A pleasant afternoon to everyone.   First of all I would like to say thank you to everyone as a sign of my gratitude for this once in a lifetime privilege that you had given me. Being a part of this event was an extreme honor for a student like me. I hope that this event will be successful and I also hope that we judges, did our job well enough.

One of the two books that I had chosen was the “Pintong Maraming Silid”. One of the reasons why I had chosen this book was because of its simplicity. I loved the story line and how the story was stated. I also liked the illustrations and most of all, I loved the story because I easily understood it.

The other book that I had chosen was entitled “The Little Girl in a Box”. One of the reasons why I had chosen this book was because of its really good storyl ine. I loved how the story flows. It was precisely stated and it was very simple yet it was still good. I really, really enjoyed it.

By Jay Harold Odon


May Darating na Trak Bukas

          May trak na darating bukas. Ano kaya ang kakaibang mga gamit na dala nito? Hindi basura kundi mga sorpresa at milagro. Sa tambak ng basurang ito ang luma ay ginagawang bago.

         Ang May Darating na Trak Bukas ay tungkol sa kung anong magagawa mo gamit ang iyong imahinasyon. Sa mata ng isang bata sa kwento, ang tambak ng basura ay may pakinabang. Nakakalikha siya ng isang kaharian, isang sasakyang panlakbay at isang aklatan. Imahinasyon lang ang kaniyang kailangan.

        Bukod sa magandang tula na isinulat, puno rin nang makulay at nakakatuwang mga guhit ang libro. Nakakaaliw siyang tingnan at basahin paulit-ulit. Hindi ka talaga masasawa.

By Miranda Villanueva


Ang Bonggang Bonggang Batang Beki!
Written by Rhandee Garlitos
Illustrated by Tokwa Peñaflorida
Chikiting Books, 2013

Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng kulay pink? Kagandahan? Kababaihan? o katapangan?

       Ang pangunahing tauhan ng kwentong ito ay si Adel, isang batang lalaki na hindi katulad ng ibang mga batang lalaki. Mahilig siya sa kulay pink, manood ng teleserye at sumayaw habang kumakanta. Dahil dito, pinagtatawanan siya at tinatawag na Beki. Pero hindi ni Adel pinapansin ang mga tukso sa kaniya. Para sa kaniya, ang kulay pink ay simbolo ng katapangan.

         Pinili ko ang kwentong ito dahil sinasabi niya na iba’t-iba ang mga uri ng taong nasa mundo. Hindi rin tayo dapat mahiya sa sarili natin. Isa itong importanteng mensahe  na dapat malaman ng ating kabataan para maturuan silang tanggapin ang isa’t-isa.

By Miranda Villanueva 



The Day of Darkness
 
Come to a town where the people fear a beast so might that nobody dare come near. They hide in a cave at the full moon to prevent themselves to be eaten by a monster soon. When two kids venture out when the moon is high, do you think their end would be nigh?
 
The Day of Darkness is about standing up to your fear and conquering your you. This book tells us that some good people can turn sour at an instant and how some bad people can redeem themselves and become good.

By Amihan Ramos



Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin
Written by Bernadette Villanueva Neri
Illustrated by CJ de Silva
Publikasyong Twamkittens, 2012

This is a story about a young girl who has two mothers instead of a father. Because of this, she gets bullied in class and only a few kids talk to her because they are also being bullied. This little girl loves to plant just like her mothers. This book teaches us not to bully others just because they are different or they grew up differently or their parents are different.  That it’s okay to be adopted. That it’s okay to be different.

By Amihan Ramos

Five different judges, ages 8-10, read the ten picture books above and chose one winner for the 2014 National Children's Book Awards - Kids' Choice Award. The winner is The Day of Darkness! Here is what the kid judges had to say about The Day of Darkness:

We like The Day of Darkness because it makes you believe that everything isn’t really scary. It can make you believe that sometimes, you can adapt to things and you don’t have to be so scared anymore. 

By Alonzo Cristobal

Congratulations to all the teams behind these books selected by young Filipino book lovers!

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By Stephanie Olsen

In June, (now former) Education Secretary Michael Gove announced that all primary and secondary schools should promote “British values”. David Cameron said that the plans for values education are likely to have the “overwhelming support” of citizens throughout the UK. Cameron defined these values as “freedom, tolerance, respect for the rule of law, belief in personal and social responsibility and respect for British institutions”. ‪At root, such a policy gets at the emotional conditioning of children. To adhere to a certain ideological conceptualization of “freedom,” to feel “tolerant,” or to be “respectful” (whether of parents, teachers, authorities or institutions), is to act according to implicit feelings of rightness.

Values are never just abstract ideas, but are expressed and experienced through emotions. And they are not ideologically neutral. To stress the education of British values is to put a form of emotional education on the agenda. Though many commentators have pointed out that the broad outlines of such an education already exist in schools, the fear of “extremism”, of the promotion of the “wrong” sort of values, has triggered a vigorous debate. What has largely gone unrecognized in this debate, however, is that it is emphatically not new.

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, politicians and educationalists promoted a new education based on character training and the emotions, precisely to build British citizens who would respect and uphold British institutions. This brand of education was to be accomplished at school, but also at home, and in religious and youth organizations.

Herbert Fisher, the President of the Board of Education who spearheaded the Education Act of 1918, argued that the masses should be educated “to stimulate civic spirit, to promote general culture … and to diffuse a steadier judgement and a better informed opinion through the whole body of the community.” Other educational commentators broadly agreed with this mission. Frederick Gould, a former Board School teacher and author of many books on education argued that “The community cannot afford to let the young people pass out with a merely vague notion that they ought to be good; it must frame its teaching with a decisive and clear vision for family responsibilities, civic and political duties”.

Civic duties – the civic spirit – were to be taught to the extent that they would become ingrained, implicit, felt. This was to be primarily a moral education. Educators stressed character training, linking moral education to British imperialism or nationalism in an unashamedly patriotic spirit. Education reform was to improve future citizens’ productivity and develop national character traits.

Like Gould, educator John Haden Badley stressed the need to teach active citizenship and service. Education on these lines would provide “a deeper understanding of the human values that give to life its real worth”, cultivating and maximizing the potential of a “superior” Britishness. Meanwhile, in a speech in Manchester in 1917, Fisher argued that “the whole future of our race and of our position in the world depends upon the wisdom of the arrangements which we make for education.” He observed, in language strikingly familiar to contemporary political rhetoric, that “we are apt to find that the wrong things are being taught by the wrong people in the wrong way.”

But even in 1917 the rhetoric was clichéd. A generation of commentators before Fisher argued that the civic shortfalls in mass formal education could be fixed by informal education in youth groups and religious organizations and through improved reading matter. Much juvenile and family literature, whether motivated politically or religiously, stressed emotional socialization, especially in the building of morality and character, as critical for national cohesion.

The trouble with visions of national cohesion, as the last century and a half of educational debate bears out, is the difficulty in getting any two parties to agree what that vision looks like. At the turn of the twentieth century all agreed that children mattered. How they were to be educated was important not just to individual children and their families, but equally importantly, to the community and the nation.

Yet some reformers had patriotic aims, others religious; some civic, some imperial; some conservative, others socialist. Many combined some or all of these aims. All, whether explicitly stated or not, wanted to train, instrumentalize and harness children’s emotions. Children’s reading matter, the stories they were told, and the lessons they heard were known to be powerful forces in cultivating the emotions. Hence the high stakes, then and now, on the narratives supplied to children.

Michael Gove, in common with his Victorian forebears, turns to the “great heroes of history” to serve as models of emulation. Back in the early 1900s, Gould thought history “the most vital of all studies for inspiration to conduct.” The study of history is certainly no stranger to being manipulated for didactic ends in order to impart “British values.”

While Gove is only the latest in a long line to link British history, British values and education, there are surely lessons to be learnt from past attempts and past failures to implement this strategy. A generation of boys and young men at the turn of the twentieth century had grown up learning the positive value of patriotic service. In this memorial year, marking a century since the outbreak of the First World War, it seems appropriate to reflect on what values we might want to instil in the young. What feelings do we want them to learn?

Stephanie Olsen is based at the history department, McGill University (Montreal) and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for the History of Emotions (Berlin). She was previously postdoctoral fellow at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University. The co-author of Learning How to Feel: Children’s Literature and the History of Emotional Socialization, c. 1870-1970 she is currently working on children’s education and the cultivation of hope in the First World War.

The post Are schools teaching British values? appeared first on OUPblog.

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July 15, 2014 is the Philippines' 31st National Children's Book Day! The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is celebrating by organizing a children's book fair at Museo Pambata, Roxas Boulevard corner South Drive, Manila. The following publishers and organizations are participating in the fair:

Adarna House
Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang InK)
Anvil Publishing Inc.
The Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS) 
Dream Big Books
Hiyas
Lampara Books
LG&M Chikiting Books
Save the Children Philippines
Tahanan Books 

At a stage area, publishers will present their latest children's books through different kinds of performances, games, and even cooking demonstrations! Booths at the fair will sell children's books, children's magazines, and art for children. There will be discounts, giveaways, face painting, a drawing/coloring corner, storytelling sessions, and book signings and meet & greets with authors and illustrators.

See you all on July 15 (Tuesday), from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Museo Pambata for the 2014 National Children's Book Day Fair!

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You’ve seen those wedding dress shows, right? A bride-to-be goes on a chiffon frenzied quest for the perfect gown while a group of her BFFs sit semi-circled in the salon, waiting to boo-hoo or just boo over her selection. Once in a while, though, the hunter is simply a bride-wanna-be who is willing to throw gobs of moola at a dress, despite her groomlessness. To me, that seems sad, desperate, and at the very least, poorly timed.

When it comes to writers in search of an agent, sometimes it’s really not that different. There’s a time to focus solely on craft, to learning about the industry, reading and networking. But, if this has not yet resulted in a solid, polished product to sell, why would you spend time looking for an agent to represent you?

Let’s say, however, maybe you’re like me, and you’ve been polishing, learning and preparing for quite a spell and you’re wondering if seeking an agent would be a wise next step.Take this quiz to help you decide if you’re agent-ready:

True or False?

____I have at least one thoroughly polished, market-ready manuscript and more in progress.

____I am an active member of a professional organization for writers, such as SCBWI, and follow industry-related blogs, tweets and newsletters to stay current.

____I have a good understanding of the inner-workings of the children’s publishing industry (e.g., the role of publishers, editors, agents, reviewers and authors, the editorial and submission process, how a manuscript becomes a published book, etc.).

____I have sold articles or stories to respected children’s magazines, such as Highlights for Children and/or perhaps even come close to selling a book to a traditional publisher on my own.

____I am actively building a platform via my own web site or blog, as well as social media.

____I am a member of a critique group and/or have a critique partner and/or have received professional critiques from agents or editors.

____I have gone from receiving unsigned form rejection letters to more of the “champagne” variety (personalized notes or letters offering a specific explanation as to why the editor chose to pass on my submission or perhaps offering constructive feedback or an invitation to submit more in the future).

____I understand the role and benefits of an agent, as well as my role as a client.

____I have compiled a list of the qualities and qualifications I am seeking in an agent.

____I have done marketing research to determine where my book fits in the current market and what makes it stand out from similar works. I can explain this in my “elevator pitch” (and I know what an elevator pitch is!)

____I am prepared and enthusiastic to shift from solo writer mode into the role of a professional with a business partner (an agent) so that I can pursue all aspects of a writing career.

____I understand agents, while amazing, do not possess supernatural powers and cannot be expected to read minds, make me stinking rich or fulfill every literary success fantasy I can conjure.

How’d you do?

If you answered with 10 or more “True” responses, consider seeking a literary agent to represent you.

If you answered with 6 to 9 “True” responses, you’re getting closer!

If you answered with 5 or fewer “True” responses, that’s okay. Keep writing, seeking feedback, and using this list as a guide to help prepare yourself to become agent material.

All things are ready, if our mind be so. ~ William Shakespeare, Henry V

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There’s been a lot of hiding around here lately.

A blog post about ME is hiding over at Peace, Love, and Whiskers. Pop over and check it out, if you haven’t already.

The other day, I saw this…

It’s an evil, runaway, red balloon. It’s hiding under the car, waiting to roll out and get me. Mom let me walk by really fast, because she knows that balloons are trying to kill me.

And look what’s back there! Two more balloons. White ones. I know what they have planned…

I have no plans to start liking balloons, but I want to thank my friend Little Binky for sending me this lovely award. I am not afraid of it.

Do you see what else is hiding? In the grass? A feather. It’s from the birds that sit in the trees and laugh at me.

All kinds of things are hiding in all kinds of places. When I try to hide, I always get caught. The other day, I brought my tiny yellow dog and hid on Mom’s bed with it. Somehow, she found out that I was in there.

I don’t know how she does it! She’s a regular Nancy Drew when it comes to figuring things out.

When she was little, Mom was probably Nancy Drew’s biggest fan. She read every one of the Nancy Drew Mysteries, and hung on every word.

Now that she’s a writer, she hardly ever writes mysteries. She wrote one once, and when it was finished, she said, “Ugh. This thing is so lame.” And “Where’s the suspense, the red herring, the foreshadowing!?” and “Seriously? You’re back on the bed again?”

Mom might BE Nancy Drew, and LOVE Nancy Drew, but she has no plans to WRITE Nancy Drew.

 

 

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Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin. Robert Collier

Visualizing is an important part of a writer’s journey. Mom always visualized opening a letter of acceptance. She walked herself through every bit of how it would feel. The envelope – the weight of it, the uncertainty – that wiggly feeling in the tummy, the zipping it open – the rough edges, and the finally knowing – somebody said yes. Over and over for years and years, she saw it, felt it, and believed it. But guess what. When her first story was sold, no letter came. Her publisher called her on the phone and left a message! That being said, Mom still visualizes getting an acceptance letter. Over and over. Every detail. Every single day. She says, “This will happen.” and “It can’t hurt.” and “What is going on in that tiny brain of yours?”

I visualize, too, of course.

I see and feel and believe in tons of treats, piles of toys, long walks, and playtime that never ends.   My mental blueprint shows how I will get onto the table, into the garbage, out the window, and through the door. My brain may be tiny, but it’s busy all the time. Visualizing…..

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Mom likes sharing. She shares her stories with kids of all ages, every time she goes to an author visit.

She also shares her new stories with agents and editors . Sometimes she shares poems and ideas with her friends.

Whenever my friend Lila comes to see me, I share my toys with her and she shares her mom with me. Whenever we visit the veterans’ home, Mom shares me with the old soldiers who miss their old pets.

And Mom even shares me with the kids at the library when we work at Read-to-a-Pet-Night.

On Sundays, Mom sends my picture in to the local weather lady, who shares it with the viewing audience for Big Dog Sunday on TV.

Every Wednesday night, Mom helps me take an #idolselfie to send in to American Idol.

She thinks it’s time to share me with a bigger audience. They haven’t put me on Idol so far, but we’re hopeful.

If Mom ever gets the elusive Book #2 published, she will share with a bigger audience. Nothing, so far, but we’re hopeful.

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Giving and receiving critiques on your writing is one of the most helpful and necessary parts of the process. I value my critique group beyond any other writing tools I have. They let me know what works and what doesn't, when something I thought was crystal clear is not, and when my characters are acting out of character. They offer encouragement and cheerleading.

Not only has constant critique made me a better writer, it has made me a more professional writer. When I receive notes from agents, editors, and other professionals, I am able to receive the notes with a professional calmness. I don't get defensive. I get revising.

I hope everyone who writes is able to find a group or a few trusted beta readers who can offer valuable critique, but I know that there are quite a few writers in our SCBWI region (Utah and southern Idaho) who may not even know any other writers in their community. Or perhaps they don't know how to get a group started. Or have never critiqued anyone else's work and feel inadequate.

That is why we started a region-wide event called The Great Critique. We give you the opportunity to meet with other children's writers in your area and critique away. On one day, August 9, we all meet throughout the region, helping each other become better writers (and illustrators--they get to participate as well!). During the summer, you'll receive excerpts from manuscripts by the others registered in your area. You'll read them, prepare comments, and then meet in August for live critiquing. And if you don't have a meeting close by, we offer an online location as well. This event is FREE, and we hope you take advantage of it.

In addition, if you wish to have a critique from a publishing house editor or an agent, you can register for that through our web site. And for an extra bonus, you can get a professional query critique.

You'll find all the details on our registration page. So there are no excuses. Sign up NOW. Registration is open until June 15.


by Neysa CM Jensen
your regional advisor for SCBWI
(I live in Boise, Idaho, but don't hold that against me.)

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We have joined the Kid Lit Giveaway Hop hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews again this year to celebrate children’s book week and give away some awesome prizes.  This year we are giving away two great prize packs containing four children’s paperbacks and a $10 Amazon gift card to each winner.

 

You can enter by going to our Facebook page and entering during May 12-18.  There are over 80 other bloggers participating with lots of other prizes that include children/teen’s books, gift cards, cash and other prizes so check out the list and get your entries in.

ENTER NOW -a Rafflecopter giveaway

Powered by Linky Tools Click here to view the complete list of participating bloggers and authors…

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Recently our blogger Yamile wrote about including diversity in our books for children. One of her great points was to make the character of ethnicity the hero or heroine rather than the sidekick.

I'd like to continue with that topic as I am currently working on a picture book to help young children understand how to approach people with physical disabilities.

There aren't a lot of books that include differently abled leads, but (UCW's own) Julie Daines' book, "Unraveled" offers young readers a heroine whose legs are crippled. Daines said that she wanted to provide a love story without the perfect princess-type heroine.

Frankly, I'm surprised there aren't more heroes and heroines with such issues. Not only does it increase understanding of diversity in readership, but in the most clinical of writing terms, it can be very useful to the drama of the story as it adds another layer of difficulty with which the character must contend.

Another tough, but useful, subject is long-term illness in children.

Lupus is a topic dear to my heart (in the interest of full disclosure, I am the board chair of the Lupus Foundation of America, Utah Chapter). And I get to interact with some of our youth who are dealing with this disease. They are bright, enthusiastic, and overburdened--trying to balance the regular social interactions and school with fatigue and other health-related complications.

Lupus causes flares and remissions of widely variable time frames--sometimes within the same day. This is difficult for a lot of adults to understand. But kids are often labeled by their peers as "fakers"; symptoms ebb and wane, affecting different parts of the body at different times, and fatigue is always lurking in the background.

So, while I add a rousing cheer to Yamile's great post and remind you, our UCW blog readers, to consider diversity of all kinds in your lead characters, allow me one latitude (I promise to only take the blog sideways ONCE this year):

Tomorrow is the Walk to End Lupus Now in Salt Lake City's Liberty Park.
I invite you to join us. Walk. People watch. And see some really heroic characters.
www.utahlupus.org

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Today’s 5 words are about rest.

1. Couch-Nap – I like a good couch-nap. When Mom leaves me alone, the couch is my napping area of choice. Also the floor, my bed, the rocking chair,

 

and the butterfly rug in the bathroom.

2. Street-Nap – In the summer the asphalt in my neighborhood gets blazing hot. Those are the perfect days for a street-nap. I lie on my belly and my side and sometimes I flip over and squiggle around like a wiggly worm.

3. Laziness – Mom has been kind of lazy lately. She hasn’t been sitting at her computer and talking to herself! That means no writing in a few days. I thought she was a “full-time” writer. This week, she’s been a writer at rest.

4. Excuses – She makes excuses like, “I have an appointment.” and “I’m swamped. It’s a super-busy day.” and “How can I write if you drink all my coffee?” I can make excuses, too. “You left your cup right where I can reach it.”

and “I couldn’t decide which toy to play with.”

and “I was lonely eating in the kitchen by myself.”

5. Back-on-the-horse – Yesterday, Mom sat at her computer and said she was getting back on the horse. I have never seen a horse. Mom saw one in Manhattan and showed me the picture. It looked like a big dog. A really, really, REALLY big dog. I hope she doesn’t love that big guy more than she loves me.

 

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The 2014 PBBY-Alcala Prize was won by freelance artist Aaron Paul Asis. Asis based his winning entry on one of the 2014 PBBY-Salanga honorable mention awardees, “Gaano Ba Kalayo Patungong Paaralan?” by Genaro Gojo Cruz.

According to this year’s judges, Asis’ illustrations “depict the intimacy between two brothers, but their visual closeness does not prevent the viewer from imagining the expanse of the outside world and feeling the anticipation for tomorrow’s journey to school.”


Garnering honorable mention this year are artists Jericho Angelo Moral and Jason Gabriel Sto. Domingo. Click here to see Moral's and Sto. Domingo's illustrations. All three artists are members of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang InK), a professional organization for children’s book artists.

Asis shall receive twenty-five thousand pesos, a medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded during the National Children’s Book Day ceremonies on July 15, 2014.


For inquiries about the contest, please contact the PBBY Secretariat at telephone number 352-6765 loc. 203 or e-mail [email protected].

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Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.
Mary Kay Ash

I would like to fly. Sometimes, I fly around my house – from the floor to the bed and from the ottoman to the sofa and from the chair to the door.

But I’m not allowed to fly outside. If I could, I’d fly up into the trees to catch birds and squirrels.

They are up there laughing at me, so flying would come in handy to put a stop to that.

Mom writes picture books. But sometimes, she goes outside her comfort zone to write other things. Once she wrote a non-fiction story, but she hated it – ALMOST as much as she hated doing the research for it. She said, “This is too much like work.” and “I dread writing time.” and “You cannot climb a tree – you’re a dog, not a bear.”

Last weekend, Mom wrote a song. Her friend needed a little pre-k song for graduation, so Mom made it up and sang it out loud to herself over and over and over and over and over. She said, “That was easier than I thought.” and “I didn’t know I could write a song.” and “You cannot climb a tree – you’re a dog, not a bear.”

Sometimes we need to go out of our comfort zones and TRY to see what we really can do. Mom is no Paul McCartney, but she wrote a song. I may not be a bear, but if Mom would unclip my leash for 5 seconds, I think I can climb a tree. After all, bumblebees fly….

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ALSC and the University of Minnesota Libraries, Children’s Literature Research Collections (CLRC) would like to remind the public that tickets for the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture featuring Andrea Davis Pinkney are available.

The lecture, entitled “Rejoice the Legacy!,” will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at Willey Hall on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. A reception and signing will follow the event. Required tickets are free for the lecture and must be obtained through the University of Minnesota website. To learn more about acquiring tickets, please visit the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture website.

The May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture is sponsored by ALSC. The lecture title honors May Hill Arbuthnot, distinguished writer, editor and children’s literature scholar. Each year, an author, artist, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature is selected to prepare a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children’s literature.

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2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture With Andrea Davis Pinkney
University of Minnesota Libraries, Children’s Literature Research Collections
Saturday, May 3, 2014 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (CDT)
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Mom has two author visits coming up. One this week and one next week. Both are call-backs, so she kind of knows what to expect. One thing she expects is fun! Rejection is the downside of writing. School visits are the upside AND her most favorite thing about being an author. Bar none.

Fifth graders and college students make for very different visits, which means Mom will pack up her school visit stuff  TWICE. I love when Mom packs up her bag.

Sometimes there are candies in there. Or gum. Or tissues.  And sometimes stuffed toys, depending on where she’s visiting. I ALWAYS check the bag out, just in case.

Once I found (and ran with) a smaller bag from inside the bigger bag. It had a fork, a beanie baby, a paintbrush, and a baseball inside. Mom said, “I need them for a game.” and “You wouldn’t understand.” and “Eeeewww. They’re slimy with dog spit!”

Although I love the bag, I hate the leaving. Why does every upside need a downside? When Mom says, “I have to go,” I hear the word GO and head for the door.

She says, “Not this time.” and “I’ll be back in a little while.” and “Do you want a treat?” which is EXACTLY what I want. And that’s how the downside becomes the upside again.

 

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