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Children's author and storyteller, Diane Z. Shore says her favorite thing about writing for children is meeting the kids. She writes picture books, early reader chapter books, poetry, short stories, games/puzzle pages, and non-fiction. “Humorous stories and non-fiction are my favorite things to write," says Diane.


Her work has been published in a variety of magazines including Highlights for Children, Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, Humpty Dumpty, Jack & Jill, Turtle, Children's Playmate, Boys' Quest, and various teaching magazines. Her poetry has won national awards and has appeared in several anthologies, including Miles of Smiles, If Kids Ruled the School, and Rolling in the Aisles. Her nonfiction piece "Presidential Dentures" was awarded the 2002 History Feature of the Year Award given by Highlights Magazine. Diane’s award-winning books include This is the Dream, illustrated by James Ransome, This Is the Feast (HarperCollins), illustrated by Megan Lloyd, Bus-A-Saurus Bop, (Bloomsbury) illustrated by David Clark, Look Both Ways (Bloomsbury), illustrated by Teri Weidner, Rosa Loves to Read (Scholastic), illustrated by Larry Day and How To Drive Your Sister Crazy (I Can Read! Level 2, HarperCollins), illustrated by Laura Rankin, inspired by and written for reluctant readers.


Diane lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two children, Jennifer and Sam. Scampering about the house are Skruffy, a Jack Russell Terrier who holds the record for most bad hair days, and Punkin’, an orange tabby. Diane says her family, including Skruffy and Punkin’, have inspired her writing, but she adds, “The kids I meet at schools inspire me the most!” To find out more about Diane, visit her at her website.


In honor of this book Tilbury House, the publishers, have a couple of special events that they would like me to share with you. This is what they have to say:


Where in the World is Amadi?
This is a Photo Contest. Send us a photo of your child (or family, class, scout troop, etc.) reading Amadi's Snowman - all the photos will be posted online, and you'll be entered to win an autographed copy of Amadi's Snowman and other Tilbury House books, limited edition Amadi's Snowman pins, and other great prizes! (*Please note that by submitting a photo, you guarantee that all subjects in the photo have given their permission for it to be posted online as a part of the Amadi's Snowman virtual tour. To protect your privacy, we will credit photos only with first names and locations, unless we are given other instructions.)


LibraryThing Author Chat with Katia

Now through November 22, sign on to LibraryThing.com to leave comments for Katia, or ask her questions about anything — the process of writing her first book, her travels around the world, upcoming projects - anything! You do need a LibraryThing account to post, but it is free and very easy to sign up...and it's a great site!

Welcome to day one of the This is the feast book blog. To kick off this tour I would like to begin with my review:

This is the feast
Diane Z. Shore
Illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Picture Book
Ages 4 to 7
HarperCollins, 2008, 978-0-06-623794-7
In 1620 a group of men, women, and children left behind the only life they knew to build new lives in America. Their dream was to be able to live in a place where they would not have to fear religious persecution. Their ship, the Mayflower, was tossed by ferocious storms. People were sick and fearful, but their prayers were answered and they reached America.
The people on the Mayflower - the pilgrims as they came to be called - had many troubles ahead of them as they tried to survive in America. Many of their number got sick and died. Food was scarce for many months, but then some Native Americans came to the Pilgrims’ village and they taught the newcomers how to grow food in the new land.
With the help of the Native Americans the Pilgrims were able to bring in a good harvest in the fall, and their future was more secure.
In this attractive picture book Diane Z. Shore tells the familiar story of the first Thanksgiving using beautifully constructed rhymes that flow across the pages. The rhythm of the text is almost musical, and children will soon get caught up in the story of how the Pilgrims survived their first year in the New World. With powerful imagery and an obvious appreciation for the history of her country, Diane Z. Shore tells a compelling tale.

Please visit these blog sites to see what else is happening on this tour today:
the 160acrewoods, A Mom Speaks, All About Children’s Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Cafe of Dreams, Dolce Bellezza, Homeschool Buzz, KidzBookBuzz.com, Looking Glass Reviews, Maggie Reads, Maw Books Blog, Never Jam Today, Olive Tree, Our Big Earth, Quiverfull Family, Reading is My Superpower, SmallWorld Reads