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The Thank You Book. Mo Willems. 2016. Disney-Hyperion. 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I have a lot to be thankful for...I had better get thanking.

Premise/plot: Piggie is out to thank EVERYONE. But Gerald worries that Piggie will forget someone, someone important, someone REALLY, REALLY important. Readers see Piggie go about thanking various characters including the Pigeon, Brian Bat, the whale, some flies, etc. All the while Gerald gets more and more concerned. Piggie IS forgetting someone important. And Piggie is not taking hints!

My thoughts: I have mixed feelings about The Thank You Book. Part of me would like to put it in the freezer and pretend it simply doesn't exist. Why? It feels very much like THE LAST BOOK IN A SERIES. I do not want it to be the last book, the END. Cue the music. There could be a hundred titles in the series, and I'd still be looking for the release of 101! I haven't processed the loss yet...to there being no more books starring Gerald and Piggie.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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We're living in a golden age of great fiction ... so many beautiful works being published every month, and it's become a real paradise for readers, whatever they like to read.

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Ballet Cat Dance! Dance! Underpants. Bob Shea. 2016. Disney-Hyperion. 56 pages. [Source: Library]

For the record, I have not read the first Ballet Cat book. So perhaps if I had, I would have maybe liked this one more than I did. It's not that I didn't like it, mind you. It's just that I didn't find it amazingly wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny.

Ballet Cat is playing with Butter Bear. She wants to play ballet. Butter Bear wants to play ballet, too, so long as playing ballet doesn't include mandatory leaps--or super high leaps. Ballet Cat is insistent. Leaping is required. No exceptions. Butter Bear makes half-a-dozen or so excuses...before revealing the real reason. Why won't Butter Bear leap???

The answer, my friend, is in the title. So it's not a complete surprise, perhaps. But if you have a little one who laughs and giggles every time the word "underpants" or "underwear" is mentioned, then this one is worth picking up.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Our selection of hot new releases and popular kids' books has a lot to offer!

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The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) Rick Riordan. 2015. Disney Hyperion. 528 pages. [Source: Library]

I haven't read any Rick Riordan in a year or two, so I was quite happy to pick up The Sword of Summer, the first book in his new series. I was hoping that it would be just what I needed: an exciting blend of action, drama, and humor. And it was. For the most part.

Magnus Chase, the hero, or almost-hero, is surrounded by a wild, diverse cast of sidekicks. Slowly but surely this team comes together in an almost-ultimate showdown between good and evil. There are plenty of tests put into place throughout the book to get the team to be a TEAM, ready to work together for the good of mankind.

Magnus Chase has just turned sixteen when the action begins. He's homeless, but, he's not friendless, and he's been warned that trouble is heading his way. Always thinking to stay a couple of steps ahead of trouble, he decides to investigate. Surely he can get close enough to trouble to see what's going on, and stay far enough away that he can slip away, right?! Wrong. But it's just what readers expect. After all, when the narrator tells you on page one that he dies, it's a sign that he actually dies...

Most of the book features Magnus in the after-life. And the focus of this fantasy series is on Norse mythology--Asgard. So there are fire giants, frost giants, wolves, and so much more...

Can Magnus and his friends prevent Doomsday from coming?

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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This month's best selling kids series from The Children's Book Review's affiliate store, First 100, is a great series for babies and toddlers ready to absorb information about the world around them.

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After taking a look at our selection of hot new releases and popular kids' books ... it's more than likely we're suckers for picture books about love, kindness, and compassion.

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I Really Like Slop! Mo Willems. 2015. Disney-Hyperion. 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: La! La! La! Hi, Gerald! Hi, Piggie! Yikes! What is that?! THIS is slop!

Premise/plot: Gerald and Piggie are best friends. Piggie really, really, REALLY loves slop. Gerald, well, let's just say that he thinks it smells HORRIBLE. Absolutely horrible. Can Piggie get Gerald to try slop? Will he survive the experience?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one very much. I did. One person's idea of "yummy, yummy" food MIGHT just be another person's idea of slop. Though in this instance, it is actually slop. (The flies are a clue. As is the fact that Piggie herself says it has old shoes in it.) If Piggie had been eating broccoli or spinach, Gerald's bravery would have made more sense, and the illustrations would have been even funnier. That being said, I have no complaints about this one. Loved the text. Loved the illustrations. And, of course, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the characters.

Hint: Notice the endpapers!

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Story of Diva and Flea. Mo Willems. Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. 2015. Disney-Hyperion. 80 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: This is Diva's story. For as long as she could remember, Diva lived at 11 avenue Le Play in Paris, France.

Premise/plot: The Story of Diva and Flea is an early chapter book. Diva is a small dog; Flea is a large cat, a flaneur. You might think these two could never be friends--best friends--because they are so very different from one another. Diva stays in her apartment, or in the courtyard of the apartment building; she's frightened of people--of stomping feet. Flea, well, Flea is a loner, a bit mistrustful of humans, who seem to always be waving brooms at him. Every single day is an adventure for this wanderer. He never knows when his next meal will be, or what it will be, but oh the sights he's seen. Yet these two do become friends, and they bring out the best in one another...

My thoughts: The Story of Diva and Flea is giddy-making. I loved, loved, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. I loved everything about it. I loved the setting--Paris, France. I loved the characters--Diva and Flea. I loved the premise: two animals becoming the best of friends. I loved how it reminded me of some of my favorite Disney movies (Lady & The Tramp and The Aristocats). I loved the illustrations. I loved the writing. For example,

Flea did not even have a fixed name. Some people called him "Puss" or "Midnight" or "Richard," but he didn't care too much about what people called him. He liked the name "Flea." He thought it was a funny name because he was a large cat, and a flea is a small animal. Also, he may or may not have had fleas.

I expected to love it because it is Mo Willems. But I didn't expect to love it so very, very much!!!

© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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This month, Connect the Thoughts (Chronicle Books), a guided journal for young thinkers, is back again as The Children's Book Review's best selling middle grade book.

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by Mike Wu (Disney Hyperion, 2015)

Before anything else, this (full screen!):

Ellie’s endpapers start us off like this: long and lonely and barren.

There she is, a little hint of her. And if you want another one, take the dust jacket off to reveal the case cover.

Ok.

We learn quickly why the zoo was so sullen and gray. Because the story happened visually, to start, we don’t need to linger in introductions and routines and the way of this world.

We know.

Heartbroken.

Home.

Hope.

Ellie, and a hint again, carrying something with her trunk, wishing and wanting to help.

But a small elephant isn’t a tall giraffe or a burly gorilla.

She’s just Ellie.

But in that curlicue grip, that same hope.

Does she see it? Do you?

Linked by color and purpose and quite possibly definition, this happens next:

Does she notice? I don’t know. I’d like to think she did.

Watching and waiting, a wise little elephant.

This is the first spread without Ellie in it, without her sweet, sad eyes.

But now we get to see through them, and I’d bet a reader’s eyes do the same awe-pop that hers must be doing right now. That’s something I’m sure is true.

Turns out, Ellie found her thing.

And here’s where I’d recommend finding a copy of this yourself, because the final spreads are something you should see and feel through your own eyes. But be sure to notice the back endpapers and their stark difference to the front. The progress is literally told in colors.

This book is rectangular, and so open, it’s an expanse. That trim size gives the zoo a little room to breathe, to extend, to become the physicality of Ellie’s journey. There’s space in that shape, space in the story.

Mike Wu’s film background (did you notice the zookeeper’s name?) may have influenced that trim size. What we call trim size they call aspect ratio, and aspect ratios in film are far from the standard definition of once upon a time.

Maybe? I don’t know. But I’d guarantee a visual storyteller thinks of those things, and it’s for us to appreciate, to wonder about, and to call beautiful.

Ok.

I received a review copy of Ellie directly from the author, but all opinions are my own.

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I Will Take A Nap. Mo Willems. 2015. Hyperion. 64 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I am tired. And cranky. I will take a nap! I like to nap. I am happier when I am rested.

Premise/plot: Gerald, the elephant, is TIRED and CRANKY. What does Gerald need? A nap, of course! Will Gerald get a nap, a PROPER nap, that is?! Or will Piggie keep him from getting the rest he so desperately needs?!

My thoughts: I liked this one very much. Of course, I always like Gerald and Piggie very much. I adore this series so much. I liked it for all the reasons I like Elephant & Piggie. I like the relationship between Gerald and Piggie, their friendship. I like how these two balance each other out. They just make a great team. I like Gerald. I like Piggie. But together they are better. Together they are perfect. But one of the strongest reasons I like the series so much is how expressive the books are. I love the illustrations. Gerald and Piggie are drawn with such expression--such emotion--on every page. And these expressions are oh-so-easy to relate to! For example, I love Gerald's expression when Piggie wakes him up on page 12! And Gerald's expression when Piggie is doing all the snoring?! Loved it! That one is on page 34.

Have you read I Will Take A Nap? Did you like it? love it?

Do you have a favorite book in the series?


© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The heart of Young Adult Fiction descended into picturesque Charleston, SC on November 7, 2014 as 60 Young Adult authors, including 37 New York Times bestsellers, joined together for the 4th Annual Charleston Young Adult Book Festival (“YALLFest”).

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Lauren Miller is the author of Parallel and FREE TO FALL, both published by HarperTeen. She is an entertainment lawyer and television writer. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two kids.

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Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match. Candice F. Ransom. Illustrated by Heather Ross. 2013. Disney-Hyperion. 192 pages. [Source: Library]

Sissy One and Sissy Two are brave in Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match. These two sisters head to the beach for a week-long vacation with all six children.

Why brave? Well, Iva and Heaven and Lily Pearl and Howard aren't exactly calm, predictable, obedient children. Though in Howard's defense, he is led by Lily Pearl most of the time. In the first chapter book, Iva Honeysuckle Discovers the World, Lily Pearl was in a witchy phase. (One of her favorite games was playing Naked Witch which involves running wildly around the house: naked, of course.) Howard was a ghost, I believe, in that game. In the second book, Lily Pearl has moved on to playing BRIDE. And Howard, of course, is her victim-playmate. But as it turns out, all six children take a notion to be disobedient and break all the rules set for them by their moms.

Summer vacation. One week. Plenty of adventures and misadventures. They meet new (and interesting) people. They try to manage their own spending money. They try to problem-solve.

Iva, poor dear, has a time of it during vacation! She sees a SEA MONSTER, takes her mom's camera, DROPS it into the ocean, doesn't confess and lets her mother search for it all week long. She feels bad--really bad--so then she starts trying to SOLVE this problem all on her own, how to make restitution AND how to establish proof of the sea monster.

Plenty of action and fun in this one. And the characters, while far from flawless, continue to be entertaining.

I would definitely recommend this one!

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Ivy Honeysuckle Discovers the World. Candice F. Ransom. 2012. Disney-Hyperion. 160 pages. [Source: Library book]

I definitely enjoyed meeting Iva and Heaven Honeycutt. These two are double first cousins. There is a LOT of tension in their relationship. Their mothers (Aunt Sissy and Aunt Sissy Two) wanted to time their pregnancies so that all their children could be best friends with each other. Arden and Lily Pearl are Iva's sisters. Hunter and Howard are Heaven's sister and brother. Ransom does a great job at bringing ALL six children to life in her book. Both families feel completely believable. I also enjoyed the community that this one is set in. Several neighbors enter into the story in lovely ways.

Iva and Heaven are different. Different from one another, yes, but also different from other children their own age. Neither girl truly excels in making and keeping friends.

Heaven loves going to yard sales. She likes buying things for her hope chest. When she's not looking for embroidered pillow cases and other dainty household items, she might be found praying or assisting with vacation church school.

Iva dreams of being an adventurer, she longs to discover something WONDERFUL in her hometown of Uncertain, Virginia. She has a plan. Once this girl has a plan, she likes to STICK to it. But it isn't always easy to stick to plans when plans don't take into account every little thing!

This is a summer adventure. I would definitely recommend this one!

© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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by Greg Pizzoli

published 2014 by Disney-Hyperion

I’m honored and thrilled to have Greg Pizzoli back to the blog this week. About a year ago we talked about Kroc and The Watermelon Seed, and in the many weeks since, that thing (and Greg!) won the Geisel Award! My kindergarteners call him ‘the BURRRRPPP man’ which I’m pretty sure is the highest praise any mere mortal can achieve.

But today! Today is the birthday of Greg’s latest and greatest, Number One Sam. This is my favorite tweet about it:(And side note, you should follow Matt Roeser at Candlewick cause he has impeccable taste and eyeballs.)

And this (!) is the trailer:

Greg chatted with me about process and art and picture books, and I’ve read these answers about a billion times and am still learning. Enjoy!

Your spot color. Wow! Can you talk about why such a stripped-down design with a limited color palette is such a powerful visual device?

Great question!

To be honest, I’m not sure. But, I think it comes down
to working from an intention, and just having a plan, or restrictions
set in place from the beginning. You can’t just grab another color
from somewhere – when it comes time to make final art, we’ve done
rounds of pantone tests and paper tests, and the limitations and
possibilities are in place, so nothing is casual. Maybe it makes you
consider things in a way that is unique to working in that way?

I know for me, if I’m doing a book that is printed in a limited color
palette, it can feel restrictive in one sense, but there is a real
freedom within the limitations, if you know what I mean. There’s not
endless guessing the way there might be with a CMYK book. Obviously we
do lots of tests and make sure we get the base colors right for the
book, but once that is done, I can start carving out the drawings and
not worry too much about the colors, because we’ve done so much work
on the front end. It’s a challenge I enjoy.

Here’s a photo of a spot color test proof.

Why do you think your stories are best suited to the form of the picture
book. What can you do in this form that you might not be able to in another?

This is a tough one, Carter. Boy, I come to your blog looking to have
a good time, maybe show a video or something, and you slam me with
this “why picture books” stuff. Sheesh. “Gotcha blogging” right here.
But that’s fine, I’ll play along.

I’m kidding, of course. But, it is a tough one. I guess it’s not all
that complicated for me. I’ve always loved picture books and I think
it’s because there are so many possible ways to solve the problem of
telling a story with text and images. It’s a cliche I think, but you
really can do anything in a picture book. But here again, I like the
restrictions. As much as I might complain to my editor that I “just
need one more spread” to tell the story, it’s actually nice to have a
structure where you have to fit a complete world, with a character, a
problem, and (maybe?) a solution to that problem in only 40 (or so)
pages.

There’s something about how deliberate every decision has to be
that is super appealing to me. I’ve been working on writing a longer
thing recently, a series, and it’s not as though I’m not deliberate
when working on it, but I’ll admit that it feels as though not as much
is hinging on each line or picture in the same way. With picture
books, you don’t have room for anything to feel arbitrary. I like
that.

Also, I thought you might want to see these. Sam started out as a
print of a weird dog (top) and then I made a print of another
(cuter) dog, and he kept coming up in my sketchbooks until he became
Number One Sam (bottom).

What do you think are the most important considerations when creating a book trailer?
How do you think through compressing an already spare narrative into a short
animation? Are there aspects to animation you wish you had access to in
picture book art or vice versa? (I guess mostly I’m curious about how book
trailers share storytelling space with picture books and what they can do
differently. Does that make sense?!)

Ya know, it’s a complicated thing this book trailer business. I am
really happy with the two we’ve done so far, but I definitely can’t
take all the credit. Jimmy Simpson, directed and animated both the
trailer for The Watermelon Seed and for Number One Sam, and he is
pretty incredible to work with. Both times we started working, I had
already finished the book, and I had a very basic sense of what I
wanted the trailer to be, but he figures out all of the transitions
and added all of the touches that make them work as well as I think
they do. For example, the “wink” shot from the Number One Sam trailer –
that’s all Jimmy. And of course, he does all of the animation.

I draw the stuff, which is somewhat complicated because you have to
keep everything separated, meaning draw the arm on a different layer
from the body, and the hand on a different layer than the arm, and the
ear on it’s own layer, etc. Basically everything needs to move
independently of everything else, but my characters are pretty simple,
so it’s not too big a deal.

And the music is key. My buddy Christopher Sean Powell composed the
music special for both trailers. What a talent, right? He plays in the
band Man Man, and has his solo music project called Spaceship Aloha,
and was a part of a pretty seminal band from these parts called Need
New Body. I’m thrilled we get to work together on this stuff.

But, to your actual question, I see the trailer and the book as
completely separate things. They have their own pacing, and their own
objectives. With the book, you want everything to feel complete, and
have an emotional pay off of some kind. And you have the narrative arc
to keep things together. With the trailer, it’s more of a tease. You
don’t want to give it all away. And I guess our objective is to just
make them fun and unique.

Book trailers have become more popular, and there is a sort of
template for how they are done that we have tried to stay away from.
We just want them to feel different enough to maybe stand out. It’s a
super small community in some ways, and my book trailers certainly
aren’t racking up millions of views or anything, but we enjoy making
them for their own sake, partly I think because we all just like
working together. If other people dig them, and check out the book on
top of that, that’s icing.

What types of trophies do you have lining your shelves? What kind do you
wish you had? Side note: What would a book called Number One Greg be about?

Beyond my published books, which I kind of think of as trophies in a
way, there are a couple. Last year when I finished the art for Number
One Sam, my editor Rotem sent me a trophy that I keep on my bookcase.
And recently I was looking through some old family photos and found a
first place ribbon that I had won for a school wide art contest in
the 1st grade. My family moved around a ton when I was little, so the
actual winning piece was lost. I remember it though! It was a big
piece of yellow poster board with a marker drawing of outer space.

Maybe it’s time to do a space book?And now for some art from Number One Sam. Thank you, Greg! (Click to make any of them larger.)

 

Tagged: book trailers, CMYK, disney-hyperion, greg pizzoli, illustration, spot color

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The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Thanks to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley!

Coming January 24, 2012!

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Megan Crewe crafts a powerful and gripping exploration of self-preservation, first love, and hope. Poignant and dizzying, this heart-wrenching story of one girl’s bravery and unbeatable spirit will leave readers fervently awaiting the next book in this standout new series.

The Shattering by Karen Healey

Thanks to Little Brown and NetGalley!

Coming September 5, 2011!

Sevent

19 Comments on In My Mailbox: August 15 - 21, 2011, last added: 8/21/2011

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Amber said, on 8/20/2011 3:30:00 PM

The Shattering sounds fantastic!!

Lisa (Lisa's World of Books) said, on 8/20/2011 6:33:00 PM

I have to agree that The Shattering sounds great!
Here is my IMM for this week.

Valia Lind said, on 8/20/2011 7:36:00 PM

Oh both of those look great!!! Happy reading! :)

Aylee said, on 8/20/2011 9:30:00 PM

Dang, these both sound so good! Hope you enjoy them both!

Midnight Bloom said, on 8/20/2011 9:41:00 PM

Great mailbox!! The Way We Fall sounds so good and I haven't heard too much about The Shattering yet, so I'll definitely be looking forward to hearing what you thought about it. Happy reading, Casey! :)

Ashley @ Book Labyrinth said, on 8/20/2011 10:05:00 PM

I loveddd 'The Way We Fall' & 'The Shattering' sounds super interesting.

Enjoy! =)

Kristina said, on 8/20/2011 10:35:00 PM

I haven't heard about either of those books, I will have to look into them. Can't wait to hear what you think about them. Happy reading.

http://kristina-worldofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/08/in-my-mailbox-23.html

Rubita said, on 8/20/2011 11:06:00 PM

I wasn't able to get into Guardian of the Dead, but I think The Shattering sounds pretty interesting. If nothing else, it should have an awesome setting. I'm perfectly willing to give Karen Healey a second chance!

Cyndi M. said, on 8/21/2011 12:16:00 AM

Both of these look great! I really like the covers :)

Scarlett said, on 8/21/2011 1:14:00 AM

Haven't heard a lot about these yet but hope you like them!

Here’s my IMM!

Siobhán @ Totally Bookalicious said, on 8/21/2011 1:26:00 AM

Both books sounds great, enjoy

Totally Bookalicious IMM

justalillost said, on 8/21/2011 6:50:00 AM

I hear The Shattering is good! I've seen it on a few others' lists too :)

Enjoy!

Here's my IMM!

Lost In Literature said, on 8/21/2011 7:00:00 AM

The Way We Fall sounds awesome. Enjoy! :)

Lisa @ Lost in Literature
In My Mailbox

heavenisabookstore said, on 8/21/2011 8:21:00 AM

Well, both of these sound fantastic. Have you read Twenty Boy Summer? It has a slightly similar plot as Shattering.

Jennifer said, on 8/21/2011 8:34:00 AM

Nice list of books this week. The Shattering is definitely a book I'm dying to read. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

LunaMoth said, on 8/21/2011 9:04:00 AM

nice IMM, i hope you enjoy your books! the shattering looks good.

http://forevertonowhere.blogspot.com/2011/08/in-my-mailbox_21.html

ashelynn hetland said, on 8/21/2011 9:20:00 AM

I'm right in the middle of The Shattering and love the multiple points of views. I also have The Way We Fall, just haven't read it yet. Enjoy!

Lauren M said, on 8/21/2011 9:37:00 AM

I am definitely jealous of The Way We Fall! I requested it like a month ago, and still haven't been approved. :( Anyway! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on these books! :)

LoriStrongin said, on 8/21/2011 2:54:00 PM

Definitely want to hear your thoughts on The Way We Fall. Sounds intriguing! I'll be on the lookout for your review!


Smiles!
Lori

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Today we bring you another installment of Youth Media Movers and Shakers. We've culled through industry publications looking for the recent executive placements we think you should know about. If you have executive news that you want us to highlight... Read the rest of this post

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I’m continuing my highlights from the 2010 SCBWI Florida Mid-Year Workshop and Intensives. Today I’m going to share what I learned from the editors and authors about query letters and how to construct one that is compelling and can result in a request for full or partial manuscript.

The following notes are from the Novel Intensive with senior editor Alvina Ling (Little, Brown), Editorial Director Stephanie Owens (Disney-Hyperion), and author Kathleen Duey and the YA Track Workshop with editor Brian Farrey (Flux) and author Danielle Joseph.

Part One - The Pitch

A one sentence pitch an be an effective opening in a query letter.

The most important part of the query letter is the synopsis — the plot summary of the novel. This is similar to the flap copy of published books.

A good synopsis highlights character and conflict. A good synopsis is short and to the point. Keep details to a minimum. Focus on why a reader would want to read the book.

Your synopsis should go into the first major conflict (usually this occurs in the first 50 pages).

Vagueness in the query letter is your enemy. Put in specific actions that affect your character.

No need to describe the physical characteristics of your main character in your query letter.

Try not to include too many secondary characters in your query letter. Only include secondary characters that are directly in conflict with the main character.

Part Two - Novel Specs

Try to keep “themes” out of your query letter.

Try not to repeat the title name in the query letter.

Show why you are querying the editor or agent. Use this opportunity to show that you’ve done your research but be careful of “buttering” up the editor with compliments.

Make sure you identify the age group and genre in your query letter.

Make sure that when you are comparing other books to your novel in your query letter that these books are in the same genre (don’t compare a children’s book to adult books and vice-versa). Also be careful when comparing your books to “classic” or “iconic” titles. Choose contemporary titles.

Part Three - Bio

Showing personality can be effective but be keep it in context to the contents of the query letter.

Listing conferences are not as important as listing a blog or any other kind of online Web presence.

It can be beneficial to list any writing organization memberships.

Professional credentials can be helpful if it is directly related to your novel.

Be sure to check back on Friday when I conclude the week with more highlights from the conference. I’ll be sharing comments on First Pages. I found this particularly helpful in what works and what could be improved when trying to capture an editor and/or an agent attention.

Stay tuned!

6 Comments on 2010 FL SCBWI: Query Letters, last added: 6/9/2010