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2013 GradeReading.NET Summer Reading Lists

Children’s Picture Book Award: New Voices Award

While the population of the United States is skewing toward more and more “persons of color,” the publishing world has yet to catch up. In a press release, Lee & Low publishers say that less than 7% of children’s books published are by persons of color. To help encourage writers, Lee and Low has opened submissions for its 14th Annual New Voices Award. The Award is given for a picture book manuscript by an unpublished writer of color.

The Award winner receives a cash prize of $1000 and Lee & Low’s standard publication contract, including their basic advance and royalties for a first time author. The contest is open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a children’s picture book published.

Past New Voices Award-winning books have gone on to win major awards such as the Ezra Jack Keats Award and the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent.

For full details on submission, see Lee & Low’s New Voices website.

Children’s Novel Award: New Visions Award

TU BOOKS, the fantasy, science fiction, and mystery imprint of LEE & LOW BOOKS, award-winning publisher of children’s books, has just announced the first annual NEW VISIONS AWARD. The NEW VISIONS AWARD will be given for a middle grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by a writer of color. The Award winner receives a cash grant of $1000 and their standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash grant of $500.

TU BOOKS was launched in 2010, dedicated to diversity in the beloved genre fiction market for young people. Titles include Wolf Mark, Tankborn, and Cat Girl’s Day Off.

Submission details will be available in June; see Lee & Low’s New Visions website.

Award Winners

Here are three examples of recent winners; I was surprised that the most recent I could find was 2007, which means that some of the award winning titles are waiting more than five years to be published. When I asked, a Lee & Low representative said, “This depends on a lot of factors including the amount of editing the manuscript needs upon acquisition and the schedules of the illustrators. Several of our New Voices authors have been paired with established illustrators who are often working on several books at once, which lengthens the process – but their illustrations are well worth the wait. New Voices Award winning-books have gone on to win major awards such as the Ezra Jack Keats Award, the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent, and a spot on the Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist.”

2007 New Voices Award Winner

2006 New Voices Award winner

2005 New Voices Award winner

How much fun! It looks like Ava is taking flying lessons from the Tooth Fairy! *Click on the picture, then print! It will print out full size ready to be colored. If that doesn't work with your printer, right click on the picture, and then 'save picture as...' and then you can print it out using your photo program.

Bradybug is available any place books are sold. If it's not in stock, just ask for it or order from the publisher here: http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/bradybug.htm To find out which bookstores carry Bradybug, click HERE.

*Click on the picture, then print! It will print out full size ready to be colored. If that doesn't work with your printer, right click on the picture, and then 'save picture as...' and then you can print it out using your photo program.

"Ava's Secret Tea Party" is available in Paperback, Hardcover, and eBook. Instructions for making the beaded garland is in the book along with other crafts and recipes for your tea party!

Author, Tonia Allen Gould, announces the release date of her animated and narrated children’s picture book, coming on 7/1/13 on iTunes.

A few weeks back I posted an article about Hugh Howey’s dystopian novel WOOL, because it was such an inspirational success story. Since I own a Kindle Fire and the first part of the book was free, it was a no brainer to slip over and get it. After reading part one, I wanted to read the rest. For those who have read about the journey of WOOL and how Hugh started by publishing part one of WOOL  as an ebook, you may want to run off and do the same with your book.  I want you to know his writing is the reason for his success. If you decide to read the first part for free, I think you will see that we put up a polished story. Something we all should strive to achieve.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY:

After getting my Kindle, of course, I wanted to buy some ebooks to read.  Since I was enjoying all the YA dystopian novel series, I was looking for some new ones to read.  I looked at all the ebooks listed for $2.99 or lower and bought Under the Never Sky.  A few weeks later, I was on facebook and Carol Ferderlin Baldwin said she had just read Veronica Rossi’s Under the Never Sky and loved it, so I started reading, while reading the hardcover of Requiem. I never tried that before, but both books kept me reading and wanting to turn the page. Then I found myself away with only my Kindle and I tore through the second half of Veronica’s book. I have to agree with Carol Baldwin – I loved it! I tell you putting up her book on Kindle for $2.99 really  is a good marketing strategy, because there wasn’t any question about paying $10.00 plus tax for the second book, UNDER THE EVER SKY, which I am reading as we speak. Of course, I finished reading Requiem before I started Veronica’s second book. Veronica is represented by the wonderful Adam’s Literary Agency.

And have you noticed the other marketing tool that authors and publishers are using? Most of the authors are writing short stories about various characters in their books. This works really well, because they charge a few dollars for the ebook, so it brings in money and it keeps the excitement going while the author finishes their next book. Plus, if the author probably has the stories of the other characters in their mind in order to write the series, so they can put it out without having to come up with another plot. I see this as a great boom for authors and their fans.

REQUIEM:

Requiem is the third book in Lauren Oliver’s Delirium Series. It came out on March 5th. I highly recommend all three. Sometime the second book can not live up to the first, but I actually think the second was even better. If you like dystopian YA novels, don’t miss this series. When I noticed that Lauren lives in Brooklyn, I immediately suggested the New Jersey SCBWI Conference Committee consider Lauren for the keynote speaker. Lauren agreed and better yet, Stephen Barbara is Lauren’s agent, so we’ll be treated to both at the conference in June. Come join us: www.regonline.com/njscbwi2013conference

What a great book month March was for me.  I have twenty ebooks sitting in the cue on my Kindle and a bunch of hardcovers on my nightstand waiting to be read. I really didn’t think I would enjoy reading books as much on the Kindle, but I was wrong. The funny thing is I read the ebooks much faster, which has surprised me. I am looking forward reading in April:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Crossed by Ally Condie
See you at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

The little character study “Hold you over” ebooks for Marie Lu’s Legend Series and Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series that are sitting in my Kindle to keep me going until their next books.

What are you planning to read this month? What are some of the recent books you  loved?

KUDOS:

At Little, Brown Children’s, Pam Gruber has been promoted to associate editor.

At Abrams,  David Blatty has been promoted to director of managing editorial, Dervla Kelly moves up to senior editor, Laura Dozier has been promoted to editor, and Samantha Weiner moves up to assistant editor.

Regional publisher Tilsbury House in Maine, which has a successful line of children’s books, was sold to Jonathan Eaton and Tristram Coburn, founders of Cadent Publishing. They plan to grow the company’s lines.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Just thought I would point out why I’ve started posting interviews with published authors – Answer: I feel writers can gain useful information and ideas of what others have done to get published and maybe use something talked about during the interview to further your career. In this post I ask David L Harrison, who has over 90 children’s picture books published, about the anthologies he has participated in and educational books he has written to help children learn to read.  I hope this interview sparks some new ideas for you.

KATHY: Can you tell us about the journey you and your book “Let’s Write This Week with David Harrison” took to get published? 

DAVID:

I’m the poet laureate for Drury University, which implies that I should do something to promote poetry in particular or writing in general. While brainstorming for a project, one wag compared me to Mister Rogers and suggested that the university should create some sort of electronic program with me providing writing talk for kids based on my forty years of experience. The notion caught on.

We tested the idea with me in a classroom visiting with a student, reading a poem or two, and offering advice. We quickly acquired a producer, a studio, and Drury’s backing for the cost of professionally producing twenty DVD sessions. I wrote scripts divided into four tips each on five subjects: getting started, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and revising. Each video session lasts five minutes and is meant to be shown in the classroom to help set the stage for the teacher’s follow-up lesson.

Dr. Lauren Edmondson (interim director of the School of Education and Child Development at Drury) joined me in writing a teachers’ guide and a student writing journal to accompany the DVDs. She will also teach a graduate credit course on “Let’s Write” for those who wish to enroll online.

We’ve come a long way from the original, casual suggestion and I’m proud of the result. The kit – 20 video sessions, 1 Teachers’ Guide, 20 Student Writing Journals, and 3 of my trade books used as examples in the guide –retails for $499.00 and will be introduced at the International Reading Association annual conference in San Antonio beginning April 19. The goal is to place the kit into elementary schools as an aide to teaching writing in grades 3-5.

KATHY: I see your poetry has been included in a number of anthologies during the last two years. Did these opportunities come to you from your blog?

DAVID:

Probably a few did. My blog has 1,200+ followers and I’ve made many friends since this blog journey began in 2009. However it happens, I was in half a dozen last year plus about that many slated for 2013.

KATHY: Do authors make any money when they are included in an anthology or do people mostly do it for exposure?

DAVID:

Money? Nah. It’s fun, though, to be invited to join a group of other poets to make a new book. The editor who pulls it all together might make money if the book sells. I always hope they do! But to a certain extent this current wave of anthologies is the answer for poets to want to get their work out there where readers might see it. The poet receives a flat fee per poem or a royalty based on sales. In royalty cases, the more poets, the smaller the piece of the pie.

KATHY: How did you connect with Jill Corcoran for Dare to Dream…Change the World anthology?

DAVID:

She sent me an invitation to participate in the book she was planning. I was paired with Jane Yolen. We each wrote a poem about a young boy named Nicholas Cobb, who made a difference in the lives of others by raising money to buy coats for children in a shelter. Here’s the link to Nicholas’s website:http://www.comfortandjoytexas.org The book has already was selected as a winner for the 2013 Notable Books for a Global Society Award!

KATHY: How did the series of books with Shell Education develop?

DAVID:

Mary Jo Fresch is a professor at Ohio State University with special research interests in Spelling/Word Study, Children’s Literature, and Early Literacy. We wanted to do a book together and settled on using poetry to help preK-1 kids develop reading skills. We worked on the manuscript for some time and eventually shared it with Dona Rice at Shell Education. She and the staff liked the idea and suggested that we divide the approach into five parts: short vowels, long vowels, consonants, rimes, and consonant blends. That required me to write a total of 96 poems, each based on a distinct sound that needed to be modeled as part of that week’s lesson. Mary Jo wrote the introductory text and provided clever, practical classroom activities to follow each poem.

The last step was to record all 96 poems on CDs that are attached inside the back covers of each book. Mary Jo and I were flown to California for the recording in a studio near Shell headquarters. It was a day filled with good vibes and laughter.

KATHY: Can you tell us a little bit about Shell Education? And in what way is IRA involved?

DAVID:

Shell Education and its sister publishing imprint, Teacher Created Materials, is a strong member of the educational publishing industry. Everyone on the staff is a former teacher and that means that they understand what goes on in the classroom. They are always searching for ways to respond to the needs of teachers and their books reflect that partnership. I love working with them. Another favorite of mine is Tori Bachman at International Reading Association. Tori wears a lot of hats, including book acquisitions. Thanks to discussions between Tori and Dona, IRA is co-branding “Learning through Poetry” so that we appear in both catalogs. How cool is that!

KATHY: Would you be able to share part of one of your “Learning through Poetry” books with us?

DAVID:

Mary Jo and I will give a 55 minute presentation at IRA on this subject to help teachers see how to apply our approach in their classrooms. It begins with a poem. My job was to make sure that this was a collection of poetry for young children, not a group of sing-songy, didactic lesson-poems. In every case I began by making a list of words with the sound I needed. After staring at the list long enough, sooner or later an idea would begin to form. From there it was a matter of writing a poem the same way I always do except for the restriction of using words with the same sound as much as possible.

For example: “ack” became: 

SNAKE ATTACK

When my brother
needs a snack,
he opens every
box and pack,
gobbles every
pile and stack,
empties every
jar and sack,
looks like he
could pop
or crack,
but soon
his snack
attack
is back.

And “ing” became

TEMPTATION

Money in my pocket,
Ching a-ching ching.
What will it buy me?
Thing a-thing thing.
Might buy a cell phone,
Ring a-ring ring.
Might buy a bracelet,
Bling a-bling bling.
Might buy a chicken,
Wing a-wing wing.
Might buy an ice cream,
Ding a-ding ding.
Might buy a CD,
Sing a-sing sing.
Money in my pocket,
Ching a-ching ching!

I’ve written my share of poems inspired by a picture, a conversation, a thought, even one word. Starting from a single sound was an entertaining challenge!

KATHY: Is your new book from Holiday House titled “A Perfect Home for a Family” available for purchase?

DAVID:

Yes, as of March 1. Four years ago we had raccoons in our attic. They drove us nuts with their nightly stirrings. We fussed and fumed and finally had the roof torn off and replaced. Later I realized that from the raccoons’ perspective, we must have been quite a nuisance too. That notion is what drives the story, which is wonderfully illustrated by Italian artist Roberta Angaramo. Sometimes it pays to see things from the other fella’s side!

KATHY: What are you working on now?

DAVID:

I have a series of three poetry books going, one each for grades 3-5; three collections of original poems for trade publishers; and a new picture book trying to find its best form.

KATHY: Do you have any words of wisdom for the authors and poets who visit this blog?

DAVID:

Thanks for having me, Kathy. And thanks again for creating my website and blog spot. I didn’t set out to blog but I’ve met a lot of nice people that way.

As for advice? Old timers must guard against reminiscing about the good old days. It took me six years to sell my first piece back in the 60s so I can’t imagine that today’s market is any tougher than that! It’s different, for sure, and anyone who aspires to see his/her name on the cover of a book should spend whatever time it takes to become familiar with the current market. I preach patience. Set goals that you can reach and climb on their backs like ladder rungs as you move farther and farther up toward success. Lastly, make it your best. I’d rather write one story well than ten stories poorly. Editors feel that way too.

Thank you David for answering my interview questions and thank you for sharing so much of your poetry expertise on your blog www.davidlharrison.wordpress.com Here is David’s Website address: www.davidlharrison.com

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Just thought I would point out why I’ve started posting interviews with published authors – Answer: I feel writers can gain useful information and ideas of what others have done to get published and maybe use something talked about during the interview to further your career. In this post I ask David L Harrison, who has over 90 children’s picture books published, about the anthologies he has participated in and educational books he has written to help children learn to read.  I hope this interview sparks some new ideas for you.

KATHY: Can you tell us about the journey you and your book “Let’s Write This Week with David Harrison” took to get published? 

DAVID:

I’m the poet laureate for Drury University, which implies that I should do something to promote poetry in particular or writing in general. While brainstorming for a project, one wag compared me to Mister Rogers and suggested that the university should create some sort of electronic program with me providing writing talk for kids based on my forty years of experience. The notion caught on.

We tested the idea with me in a classroom visiting with a student, reading a poem or two, and offering advice. We quickly acquired a producer, a studio, and Drury’s backing for the cost of professionally producing twenty DVD sessions. I wrote scripts divided into four tips each on five subjects: getting started, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and revising. Each video session lasts five minutes and is meant to be shown in the classroom to help set the stage for the teacher’s follow-up lesson.

Dr. Lauren Edmondson (interim director of the School of Education and Child Development at Drury) joined me in writing a teachers’ guide and a student writing journal to accompany the DVDs. She will also teach a graduate credit course on “Let’s Write” for those who wish to enroll online.

We’ve come a long way from the original, casual suggestion and I’m proud of the result. The kit – 20 video sessions, 1 Teachers’ Guide, 20 Student Writing Journals, and 3 of my trade books used as examples in the guide –retails for $499.00 and will be introduced at the International Reading Association annual conference in San Antonio beginning April 19. The goal is to place the kit into elementary schools as an aide to teaching writing in grades 3-5.

KATHY: I see your poetry has been included in a number of anthologies during the last two years. Did these opportunities come to you from your blog?

DAVID:

Probably a few did. My blog has 1,200+ followers and I’ve made many friends since this blog journey began in 2009. However it happens, I was in half a dozen last year plus about that many slated for 2013.

KATHY: Do authors make any money when they are included in an anthology or do people mostly do it for exposure?

DAVID:

Money? Nah. It’s fun, though, to be invited to join a group of other poets to make a new book. The editor who pulls it all together might make money if the book sells. I always hope they do! But to a certain extent this current wave of anthologies is the answer for poets to want to get their work out there where readers might see it. The poet receives a flat fee per poem or a royalty based on sales. In royalty cases, the more poets, the smaller the piece of the pie.

KATHY: How did you connect with Jill Corcoran for Dare to Dream…Change the World anthology?

DAVID:

She sent me an invitation to participate in the book she was planning. I was paired with Jane Yolen. We each wrote a poem about a young boy named Nicholas Cobb, who made a difference in the lives of others by raising money to buy coats for children in a shelter. Here’s the link to Nicholas’s website:http://www.comfortandjoytexas.org The book has already was selected as a winner for the 2013 Notable Books for a Global Society Award!

KATHY: How did the series of books with Shell Education develop?

DAVID:

Mary Jo Fresch is a professor at Ohio State University with special research interests in Spelling/Word Study, Children’s Literature, and Early Literacy. We wanted to do a book together and settled on using poetry to help preK-1 kids develop reading skills. We worked on the manuscript for some time and eventually shared it with Dona Rice at Shell Education. She and the staff liked the idea and suggested that we divide the approach into five parts: short vowels, long vowels, consonants, rimes, and consonant blends. That required me to write a total of 96 poems, each based on a distinct sound that needed to be modeled as part of that week’s lesson. Mary Jo wrote the introductory text and provided clever, practical classroom activities to follow each poem.

The last step was to record all 96 poems on CDs that are attached inside the back covers of each book. Mary Jo and I were flown to California for the recording in a studio near Shell headquarters. It was a day filled with good vibes and laughter.

KATHY: Can you tell us a little bit about Shell Education? And in what way is IRA involved?

DAVID:

Shell Education and its sister publishing imprint, Teacher Created Materials, is a strong member of the educational publishing industry. Everyone on the staff is a former teacher and that means that they understand what goes on in the classroom. They are always searching for ways to respond to the needs of teachers and their books reflect that partnership. I love working with them. Another favorite of mine is Tori Bachman at International Reading Association. Tori wears a lot of hats, including book acquisitions. Thanks to discussions between Tori and Dona, IRA is co-branding “Learning through Poetry” so that we appear in both catalogs. How cool is that!

KATHY: Would you be able to share part of one of your “Learning through Poetry” books with us?

DAVID:

Mary Jo and I will give a 55 minute presentation at IRA on this subject to help teachers see how to apply our approach in their classrooms. It begins with a poem. My job was to make sure that this was a collection of poetry for young children, not a group of sing-songy, didactic lesson-poems. In every case I began by making a list of words with the sound I needed. After staring at the list long enough, sooner or later an idea would begin to form. From there it was a matter of writing a poem the same way I always do except for the restriction of using words with the same sound as much as possible.

For example: “ack” became: 

SNAKE ATTACK

When my brother
needs a snack,
he opens every
box and pack,
gobbles every
pile and stack,
empties every
jar and sack,
looks like he
could pop
or crack,
but soon
his snack
attack
is back.

And “ing” became

TEMPTATION

Money in my pocket,
Ching a-ching ching.
What will it buy me?
Thing a-thing thing.
Might buy a cell phone,
Ring a-ring ring.
Might buy a bracelet,
Bling a-bling bling.
Might buy a chicken,
Wing a-wing wing.
Might buy an ice cream,
Ding a-ding ding.
Might buy a CD,
Sing a-sing sing.
Money in my pocket,
Ching a-ching ching!

I’ve written my share of poems inspired by a picture, a conversation, a thought, even one word. Starting from a single sound was an entertaining challenge!

KATHY: Is your new book from Holiday House titled “A Perfect Home for a Family” available for purchase?

DAVID:

Yes, as of March 1. Four years ago we had raccoons in our attic. They drove us nuts with their nightly stirrings. We fussed and fumed and finally had the roof torn off and replaced. Later I realized that from the raccoons’ perspective, we must have been quite a nuisance too. That notion is what drives the story, which is wonderfully illustrated by Italian artist Roberta Angaramo. Sometimes it pays to see things from the other fella’s side!

KATHY: What are you working on now?

DAVID:

I have a series of three poetry books going, one each for grades 3-5; three collections of original poems for trade publishers; and a new picture book trying to find its best form.

KATHY: Do you have any words of wisdom for the authors and poets who visit this blog?

DAVID:

Thanks for having me, Kathy. And thanks again for creating my website and blog spot. I didn’t set out to blog but I’ve met a lot of nice people that way.

As for advice? Old timers must guard against reminiscing about the good old days. It took me six years to sell my first piece back in the 60s so I can’t imagine that today’s market is any tougher than that! It’s different, for sure, and anyone who aspires to see his/her name on the cover of a book should spend whatever time it takes to become familiar with the current market. I preach patience. Set goals that you can reach and climb on their backs like ladder rungs as you move farther and farther up toward success. Lastly, make it your best. I’d rather write one story well than ten stories poorly. Editors feel that way too.

Thank you David for answering my interview questions and thank you for sharing so much of your poetry expertise on your blog www.davidlharrison.wordpress.com Here is David’s Website address: www.davidlharrison.com

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

According to editor Tamra Tuller at Chronicle Books, her company has won the BOLOGNA PRIZE FOR THE BEST CHILDREN’S PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR. It was announced in Bologna at the Ceremony organized to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Fair.

Here is the list of nominated publishers in North America:

North America

Chronicle Books, San Francisco, USA - www.chroniclebooks.com

Groundwood Books, Toronto, Canada - www.houseofanansi.com

Abrams, New York, USA - www.abramsbooks.com

Annick Press, Toronto, Canada - www.annickpress.com

Houghton Mifflin, New York, USA - www.hmhbooks.com

CONGRATULAIONS! CHRONICLE!

Stop back tomorrow to read about the Writer’s Retreat Weekend and the results of working on our pitches for the books we submitted.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Nancy Viau is the author of Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head (MG 2008), Look What I Can Do!(March 2013), and Storm Song (April 2013), and (Middle-Grade Novel, 2008). She is having a book signing and you are invited. 

You had a book launch party when your first middle grade book, Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head, debuted. What are your “Send Off” plans for Look What I Can Do!?

There are no local bookstores in my area, but I’ve always been in love with Children’s Book World of Haverford, PA, and visit there as often as possible. So, the second I found out I would (finally) have a picture book published, I called them up and asked if they’d consider hosting my book launch. They said YES! The date/time is set for March 23^rd at 1:00. Visitors will also get a sneak peek at Storm Song (release date, April 16^th), and I have few copies available already! Everybody is welcome. Bring the kids! I’ve got a ton of goodies for them.

Did an agent help sell Look What I Can Do to Abrams?

I was unagented when Abrams made the offer.

What was the idea spark for Look What I Can Do!?

I live next to a forest with a field and stream nearby and one day it hit me:  Those cute little creatures out my window work so hard at every thing they do, and they don’t ever give up. I pictured my own kids working equally as hard at human things—walking, talking, skipping, catching a ball, etc. and that’s when the idea really took off. The refrain says it all:

Friends of forest, field, and stream,

Keep trying on your own.

Be proud today.

Have fun and play.

In time you will be grown.

Can you tell us about the journey that you took to get Look What I Can Do picked up by Abrams?

It’s a really long story that spans almost ten years. Suffice it to say, that an editor at Abrams rejected this piece early on, but gave me personal comments. Many other editors did the same. I let the story slide into oblivion, but in 2008 I brushed it off and began revising it (for the twentieth time). Abrams bought it in 2009.

Did you have any involvement with choosing Anna Vojtech to do the illustrations for Look What I Can Do?

Abrams knew that I wanted real-life animals in the spreads, not cartoon-like ones. For a long while, award-winning illustrator Nancy Tafuri was the frontrunner for illustrator but that fell through. I had sent Abrams a few illustrators I liked and Anna was one of them. Abrams didn’t bite and they sent me others to consider. A year or so went by. Then one day, I got an email that included Anna’s name as a possibility! I guess it was meant to be. I really believe her work is exceptional and perfect for my story.

Since it takes so long to get a picture book published and I see that Robin Benjamin was the editor for Storm Song, I wonder if this book started out with Marshall Cavendish?

Yes, Storm Song was acquired by Marshall Cavendish, and I was thrilled to be associated with that house because their books have always been among my favorites. However, M.C. sold the children’s division to Amazon, and I was one of a couple hundred authors who ended up with a new publisher. At first I was concerned, but Amazon Children’s Publishing/Two Lions Imprint has been awesome. I have a team of seven marketing professionals on my side, and have had conference calls with all of them at once! Their support is incredible and the book is beautiful. What more could I ask for?!

How much interaction did you have with Robin Benjamin?

Robin has been my editor since Marshall Cavendish originally made the offer. I didn’t hear from her a bunch because she felt that only one stanza needed revision. (Whew!) They did ask me what I thought of Gynux, the illustrator (he’s amazing!), and once his sketches were done, I was even able to give feedback on one spread that I felt needed tweaking. Robin always kept me informed about the book’s progress, and it has been a pleasure working with her.

Did an agent sell this book?

It sold a few weeks after my agent and I broke up, but that agent remains the one on record for it.

Are you working with an agent now?

Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary is my wonderful agent. We celebrate a one year anniversary soon!

What things are in the pipeline?

Stay tuned! ; )

Do you have any words of wisdom to share with other children’s writers?

1. Be patient, and 2. Drink lots of wine.

Nancy, best of luck with the books.  I am so sorry your party is on the same weekend as the Writer’s Retreat I am attending.

WRITERS TIP: I you live anywhere within driving distance to Children’s Book World in Haverford PA, it would be worth your while to get to know them.  They are very supportive of children’s authors.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

New Libri Press announces publication of the second Street Stories suspense novel, Bend Me, Shape Me, by author Debra R. Borys, available in ebook with trade paperback to follow. Contact Stasa Fritz (above) with review or interview requests.

www.BendMeShapeMe.net

Bend Me, Shape Me is the second novel in the Street Stories suspense series and tells the story of Snow Ramirez, a bi-polar street kid about to turn 18. She’s convinced that psychiatrist Mordechai Levinson is responsible for one kid’s suicide, and may be targeting her brother Alley as his next victim. Once again, reporter Jo Sullivan finds herself the only person willing to listen to one of Chicago’s throwaway youth.

Snow Ramirez hasn’t trusted anyone in a very long time, not even herself. Memories of her childhood on Washington’s Yakama Reservation haunt her even on the streets of Chicago.

When her squat mate Blitz slits his own throat in front of her, she knows it’s time to convince someone to trust her instincts. Blitz may have been diagnosed bi-polar, like Snow herself, but no way would he have offed himself like that if the shrink he’d been seeing hadn’t bent his mind completely out of shape.

Normally she wouldn’t care. Who wasn’t crazy in one way or another in this messed up world? After all, she’d gotten out from under the doctor’s thumb weeks ago and it was too late for Blitz now, wasn’t it? Snow’s little brother Alley, though, there might still be time to save him. If only she can get reporter Jo Sullivan to believe her story before Snow loses her own mind.

EXCERPT:

Squatting with her arms tight around her legs and forehead pressed to her knees, Snow rocked on the balls of her feet. To the south, the hum of traffic along the Eisenhower Expressway. Nearer, beneath the dumpster, the scurry of rats looking for supper. That feeling in her center, the one she couldn’t describe except to say when she was a kid she thought it meant she was going to die, tightened her chest, filled her mouth, made it hard to breathe. “You must learn to trust,” the shrink had told her. “You must learn who to trust. Your brother is learning that, even if you can’t.”

AUTHOR BIO

Debra R. Borys is the author of the STREET STORIES suspense novels.The first book in the series, Painted Black, was published by New Libri Press in 2012. A freelance writer and editor, she spent four years volunteering with Emmaus Ministries and the Night Ministry in Chicago, and eight years doing similar work at Teen Feed, New Horizons and Street Links in Seattle. The STREET STORIES series reflects the reality of throw away youth striving to survive. Her publication credits include short fiction in Red Herring Mystery Magazine, Downstate Story and City Slab.

deb@debra-r-borys.com
www.debra-r-borys.com/

Praise for PAINTED BLACK

“Painted Black is about the young faces we see on the streets, covered in dirt, wearing worn out clothes, shrouded in looks of hate, pride, and fear…. There isn’t a part of this book you don’t feel, it reaches into your core…. There are many enjoyable books out there, but there aren’t many that make you feel, make you think, make you sit back and contemplate the uglier side of life we try so hard to ignore its existence. This was a very well written book on all accounts.”
—Darian Wilk, author of Love Unfinished and Reinventing Claire

“Painted Black has a Silence of the Lamb’s feeling about it…..there’s something dark and ominous going on here.…. Fiction can be a great vehicle for exposing the darker side of the human experience in ways that are both important and meaningful and I think that Painted Black fits into this category.”
—Quinn Barrett, Wise Bear Books All Things Digital Media interviewer

“Borys gives us a glimpse into the vagaries of street life for teens without wallowing in sentimentality or false compassion. The mystery here is not who did it, but how finding the truth will change the life of a street kid we’ve come to care about.”
—Latham Shinder, author of The Graffiti Sculptor and professional memoir ghostwriter

New Libri Press | http://www.NewLibri.com

You can win .... 

'Sleeping Bear - Journey of the Cubs' 

PLUS! (Yes, there is more!)

Happy holidays! GalleyCat readers around the world have been building Book Christmas Trees all month.

After we shared a photo of a Book Christmas Tree, many of our readers started building their own. We’ve collected 21 trees in our holiday slideshow (embedded above)–a virtual Book Christmas Tree Farm.

Building a tree of books is a simple but powerful way to show your support for print books and bookstores in this digital age. If you build your own, be sure to email GalleyCat a photograph.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Bitterblue was named a New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of 2012. 

The New York Times in their review said,
“Some authors can tell a good story; some can write well. Cashore is one of the rare novelists who do both. Thrillingly imagined and beautifully executed, “Bitterblue” stands as a splendid contribution in long literary tradition.”

To celebrate Karen Cashore has posted the story of the journey of writing her novel BITTERBLUE, complete with examples of written pages. 

She writes all her books longhand. That alone is quite a feat to me. I’d be lost without my computer.

Below are some of the things she showed and talked about:

What you see above is fairly typical: I write, I scratch out a word here and there, I scratch out a line, I change things; then I put it away for the day, come back the next day, realize the entire thing is crap, and cross the whole page out with a big X.

Once I’ve written 40 or 50 pages — or, essentially, get to a point  where I’m starting to worry about the house burning down (though I do  keep my notebook in a fireproof, waterproof safe) — I transcribe my  handwriting into my Word document using voice recognition software (because I can’t type much at all without pain). The transcription, like every other moment when I’m looking at my work, is an opportunity for crossing more things out (symbolically) and changing things.

That’s my essential process for every book. But, of course, there’s more to it. For example, while I write, I scribble cheery, encouraging notes to myself.

I am skipping a lot of info that Karen shared, but after three years and 800 pages, she finished the first draft and sent it off to her editor, Kathy Dawson.  When Kathy got back to her after reading the manuscript, this is how the  conversation:

Kathy Dawson: “This is going to sound like a crazy idea, but now, at the beginning of the revision process, is the time to voice crazy ideas. Would you consider starting again from scratch?”

Karen:  !!!!!!!!
*insert nervous breakdown*
*insert perspective*
*insert reconsideration*
*insert realization that she is 100% right*

Here’s the reason this ended up being the best thing my editor could have said. Within that 800-page mess, the final story was all there. If you were to read Bitterblue‘s first draft, you would come away with essentially the same story a person reading the final book comes away with. But there was a lot of extra, unnecessary stuff in there, too; I’d spent a lot of space working things out for myself that didn’t really need to be worked out for the reader.

There were extra characters who could be consolidated into fewer people to simplify things. There were plot complications that didn’t need to be so complicated. The themes were buried in crap; they weren’t shining. There was an earthquake! (Literally. One plot point was an earthquake.) The story I was trying to tell didn’t need an earthquake.

Now, normally when revising, I sit down with the printout of the draft I have and start crossing things out, working with what I’ve got, molding, trying to change the shape of an existing thing into something new. But here was my editor suggesting I start again from scratch.

I put the draft to the side, where I could reach it, but where it wasn’t right in front of me. I pulled a blank sheet of paper toward me. And I played what was essentially a mental trick on myself: instead of determining to decide what to get rid of, what to change the shape of, what to mold, I said to myself, “I’m writing a book. La la la, here I am, writing a brand new book. Hmm. What, from this pile to my side, might I add?“

Cutting a lot more out of Karen’s journey; the second draft of Bitterblue took Karen about five months, “if I recall correctly. Five and a half? Easily the longest revision of my life so far.”

And what happened after she finished Draft 2?

Her editor continued to send her amazing, helpful letters; friends read and gave feedback; and she revised it several more times. In total it took her four years to finish. 

Here is the Link: http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/2012/12/pictures-of-book-being-made.html. It is a good read.

IT IS TIME TO NOMINATE WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING www.kathytemean.wordpress.com for the WRITER’S DIGEST’S 101 BEST WEBSITES FOR WRITERS!

If you have enjoyed the articles and information you received everyday this year, please help by dominating my blog. Submit an email to writersdigest@fwmedia.com to nominate my blog www.kathytemean.wordpress.com

I would greatly appreciate your help.

Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This is only a portion of one illustration in "Ava's Secret Tea Party." Look at the lovely detailed work by Bella Sinclair. I hope the pic is clear enough that you can see the hidden teacup and cookies. So sweet.

Many of you already know Anna Olswanger as a literary agent at Liza Dawson Associates, but she is also the author of Shlemiel Crooks (Junebug Books, 2005), a Yiddish-inflected Passover story, named a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and PJ Library Book and now author of her new book GREENHORN. In 2011 the Kaufman Center premiered a family musical based on Shlemiel Crooks at Merkin Hall in New York. Anna is a literary agent and lives in the metro New York City area with her husband. Her website is www.olswanger.com

She taught business writing for twelve years at the Johns Hopkins Center for Training and Education, and writing for physicians for five years at Stony Brook University Hospital. She continues to give writing workshops for corporations and universities. (See more about Anna as an agent further down in this piost.)

Daniel, a young Holocaust survivor, arrives at a New York yeshiva, his only possession a small box he never lets out of his sight. He rarely talks, but Aaron, a stutterer taunted by other boys, find his voice and a friend in Daniel.

The mystery of what’s in the box propels this 48 page book with interior colored illustrations by Miriam Nerlove, but it’s the complex relationship of the school boys that reveals the larger human story. Young readers, as well as adults, will find Greenhorn moving. Families will want to read it together.

Newbery Medal winner, Karen Cushman says, it is “A tender celebration of friendship, family, and faith. I cried at the horror and humanity of this simple story. Read it with your arms around someone you love.”

ISBN-13: 9781588382351                       

• Publisher: NewSouth, Incorporated
• Publication date: 3/1/2012
• Pages: 48
• Age range: 10 – 14 Years

Miriam Nerlove received her master’s degree in printmaking from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and worked for a time in the photograph and slide library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She lives with her family just outside Chicago, where in addition to illustrating, she enjoys writing, painting, listening to music, and working part-time at a library.

More About Anna the agent:

Anna Olswanger has been an agent with Liza Dawson Associates for seven years. She focuses on adult nonfiction and children’s books from picture books to YAs, and especially enjoys working with author-illustrators. Although she rarely takes on novels, she’s intrigued by historical fiction (especially mysteries), ghost stories, stories with animals as the protagonists, Southern settings, Judaica and Israel.

Anna has sold to Balzer & Bray, Bloomsbury, Boyds Mills Press, Delacorte, F+W Media, Marshall Cavendish, Chronicle, Cinco Puntos, Dutton, Eerdmans, Greenwillow, Houghton Mifflin, McElderry, Pelican, Penguin Classics, Pomegranate, Random House, Sleeping Bear Press, Star Bright, and Wiley.

Although most of Anna’s clients are author-illustrators, she enjoys working with any author who has a new slant on an old idea. Zack Miller’s book, for example, describes how to use the new social media (Facebook and Twitter) to make investment decisions.

Anna is not interested in what she calls “baby bumble bee” stories. She doesn’t like superficiality in any genre, especially YAs. We can all see suffering and dying. What do you, the writer, see beneath that?

Anna works hard with authors to get their manuscripts into shape for submission. In that sense, she’s also an editor. She finds that most manuscripts need work on the plot, so if you’re a potential author or illustrator client, be ready to go through many revisions before Anna agrees to send out your manuscript. Her job is to get the story to the point where an editor will make an offer. (And then be prepared to make more revisions for the editor.)

You can read interviews with Anna online at Cynsations, the blog of Cynthia Leitich Smith, and artistsnetwork.com, the site of Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s Market. You might find other interviews with Anna on the Web, but most have outdated information. For example, these days she prefers email queries, not snail mail. If you send an email query, you’ll hear from her in a day or two. If you send a snail mail query, you might not hear for a month or longer.

So, having read the above, if you think Anna would be the right agent for you, start by sending her an email with a few details about your book. She can usually tell from a query if she would be the right agent, and if not, don’t take it personally. Just move on to the next agent. This is a subjective business and it’s a matter of finding who you click with.

If Anna likes what she reads in your query, she’ll ask to see the first five pages of the manuscript in the body of an email. (She doesn’t open attachments.) At that point, she’ll either ask to see more of the manuscript, or let you know she’s not the right agent for you. She’s not able to give feedback if the latter is the case, and you’ll find that true of most agents (they reserve that time for their clients).

Congratulations Anna!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

I was going through the books that I read in 2012 and thought perhaps someone out there was looking for a book to buy as a gift or line up to read in 2013.  I received a bookstore gift card for Christmas and bought The Daughter of Smoke and Bone, because Natalie Zaman said it was great and Executive Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.  I was not disappointed, except for the fact that I had to wait until the end of the year to read book two, The Days of Blood and Starlight.

So, I spent the rest of the money on buying Delirium and Divergent, because they both started with D and I couldn’t remember which of the two was recommended.  I bet the reason I couldn’t remember was because both were recommended, because there I was again wanting more and the next books were not as of yet written – Pandemonium and Insurgent.

Debut author Veronica Roth burst onto the literary scene with Divergent, the first book in her dystopian thriller series filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

I love the way Lauren Oliver writes.  The way she forms her sentences.  How she describes things. Marry that talent with a great story and you really have something memorable.  I didn’t know who she was until I picked up delirium and now I am a big fan.  Can’t wait to read the third book, Requiem and her first book, Before I Fall, which is sitting on my piano calling to me.

Many times the first book of a series is the best, but I think pandemonium was even better than the first. When I reached the final paragraph of the book, I closed it and said, “Perfect.”

You will notice that each of these books does not capitalize the first letter of their title.  Can anyone tell me whether you do the same when you are writing about the book.  You will find it both ways in this post, because I do not know which is correct.  Any help out there?

If you decide to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I loved, I would pick up both books and read them one right after the other, since I had a hard time remembering the names of the characters and who was who after leaving a year between books. I should have gotten up and read a few chapters of the first one before I started reading, but I was too lazy to get up and familiarize myself the first book again.  Not because there was anything wrong with the writing, but I had read so many other books during that in between time that I was mixing all the characters up.

The same thing happened with Divergent and Insurgent.  The author is so intimate with their books and characters that they probably never think about all those books in-between. This did not happen with Delirium and Pandemonium.

So now you won’t have that problem when you read the first book, you will be able to run out and get the second one to read.  They are wonderful books.

Then came Matched - About Cassia who has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when her best friend, Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, she knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees another boys Ky’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

I gobbled it up and will not have to wait to read the next two books - Crossed, which is waiting for me and Reached, which come out last month. Love the covers of these books, too.

Since I enjoyed so many dystopian books, I picked up Legend.

Once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths–until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

This book is full of action, suspense, and romance. I loved this book and can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, Prodigy, which comes out at the end of January.

Continuing on my search for more books along these lines of fantasy and dystopian novels, I found The Girl of Fire and Thorns and another debut author who nailed her first book.

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

He’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young, like most of the chosen do.

A 2012 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist

One thing that I really liked about this story was how Rae Carson managed to write a story about a princess that was fat without calling her fat and how the situation she puts the princess in caused her to lose weight without the princess being put down and struggling to lose the weight to be accepted.  You just see her end up being slim and how it pays off for her.  Her weight was not the main story.  I just thought she wove that layer into the story with such finesse.

Then Glenn Beck came out with a book titled, Agenda 21, which is written by Harriet Parke.  I thought she did a good job writing the story of after the worldwide implementation of a UN-led program called Agenda 21.  When America is simply known as “the Republic.” There is no president. No Congress. No Supreme Court. No freedom. There are only the Authorities.

Citizens have two primary goals in the new Republic: to create clean energy and to create new human life. Those who cannot do either are of no use to society. This bleak and barren existence is all that eighteen-year-old Emmeline has ever known. She dutifully walks her energy board daily and accepts all male pairings assigned to her by the Authorities. Like most citizens, she keeps her head down and her eyes closed. Until the day they come for her mother.

I enjoyed the book, but it left me feeling like the full story was not told. After all other dystopian type novels I read this year, I felt like I had read half of a story, like it was just going to take off.  Perhaps there is going to be a sequel, but there should have been more story to this one.  Still worth reading and certainly it was a huge opportunity for Harriet Parke to have Glenn Beck put his name on the book - her first novel.  After the end of the story Glenn writes about the real Agenda 21 and how it came about and what it is all about.

After having heard about Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reason Why for years, I decided to read it.  I knew it was about teenage suicide, which was the reason I hadn’t picked it up sooner. It is an excellent book, well written, creatively written, and though it was sad in parts, it was also a page turner and did not leave you on a downer.  I kicked myself for not reading it sooner.

I did the same thing with Jerry’s Spinelli’s Milkweed.  I had read all of Jerry’s books, except for Milkweed, because it was about the Holocaust.  I guess by now you can tell I don’t like to be depressed by a book.  When I finally read Milkweed and closed the book, I said, “What was I thinking?  It was written by Jerry Spinelli.  You should have known it would be good.  In the middle of something so horrific, he wove in humor and showed how even in the worst of times, people try to live, love, and find happiness.”  If you haven’t read these books because you thought they would depress you, run, don’t walk to add them to your list of books to read.

I am a big Laurie Halse Anderson fan.  I have read all her books and this year re-read Twisted.  I love this book.  Everyone talks about Speak (which I agree is good), but in my opinion this one is better.  The protagonist is a teenage boy and she really has that voice nailed down.  The first time I read it, I kept closing the book and looking at the name Laurie and wondering if possibly I was mistaken  that Laurie was a woman and really was a man.  Though I am still upset about reading Chains without knowing that is was part of a series.  I ran out to get Forged without knowing that it was a series of three.  If you haven’t read these books, please wait until 2014, because that is when the third book comes out and you won’t be tormented by having to wait to read the whole thing.

Now how did I end up buying four of Libba Bray’s books?  Libba was speaking at an SCBWI event.  I hadn’t read any of her books, but she is a very interesting speaker, so I decided I would buy a couple of her books and get them signed.  I didn’t have time to really to browse the books, so I picked up  Rebel Angel (I liked the cover) Going Bovine and got her to sign both.  They sat in my pile of books to read, until this year.  When I read the flap of Going Bovine, I decided I wasn’t up to reading about a dying boy, so I read Rebel Angels first and really enjoyed the book.  There were some references to backstory in the book, so I did some further investigating and found out that I had picked up the second book, , of a three book series.  But you know, that book really was able to stand alone.  I totally enjoyed the book, so I had to go out and buy the first, A Great and Terrible Beauty and the third A Sweet Far Thing, which I will get to in 2013.

Libba is a good writer and I did read Going Bovine and enjoyed it, but it is very different and I worried about his parents at the end, even though we see him go off to a better place.  It did not leave me feeling bad, so that was a good thing.

The this past June, editor Leila Sales was part of the faculty and picked up her two books at the bookfair – Mostly Good Girls and Past Perfect.  And because she is an editor and I am a writer, I was looking for things I could say she should have done better.  Mostly Good Girls was Leila’s first book and it had a sexy legs cover, so I started with that expecting to get a book where the girls were edgy.  First let me emphasize I did enjoy the book, but I didn’t get edgy and I found some spots where I could be nit-picky and say she could have done more here or there.

But when I started reading Past Perfect, I was sucked right in and wanted to keep reading until I was done.  The setting was perfect -  set in Williamsburg, so I guess the title is a perfect fit.  I was thinking it was going to have something to do with language (too much writing on this end).  Reminded me of the time I taught art in high school.  I told the kids the first day that we would get into graphics and I had a half of dozen kids drop the class.  I later found out that the thought I was going to do math in the art class – graphics – graphs – see the connection?

Every year I try to read a few if the Newbery books – the new ones and some that are sitting in my pile of books too read.  This year I read Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool which was the 2011 Medal Winner, Turtle in Paradise, which won the 2011 Honor award, and The Graveyard Book, which won the Newbery Medal for 2009.

Newbery Medal Winner: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos book is still waiting for me (I ran out of time).  You can not go wrong when you pick up a Newbery winning book, so if you are a writer, or a well published author, you should read these books.

At the end of 2011 I picked up Okay for Now, because Editor Daniel Nayeri had talked about it in one of his workshops and said how good it was.  He was right.  I would say it is a perfect middle grade novel. I thought it should have gotten a Newbery for it.  Gary D. Schmidt won a Newbery Honor for Wednesday Wars, so I went out and bought that book.  I really enjoyed that book, too and I like the way some of the characters were tied into Okay for Now.  If you are writing Middle grade book, especially for boys, I would read both of these books.

You might wonder why I read Cirque Du Freak. A few years ago editor Connie Hsu at Little, Brown BFYR mentioned the series, so I picked up the first one and read it.  There are 12 to this series that Darren Shan wrote.  They are excellent, scary, and well written.  J.K. Rowling’s said: “Fast-paced and compelling, full of satisfying macabre touches.” There is a movie, too.

This book is the second of the series.  You might ask, why did you wait to read more when you say they are excellent?  Well, we are back to my little quirk of not wanting to feel bad after reading a book.  I loved the first book, but the premise of the story is to save his friend’s life the boy must go with the Vampire and be his apprentice, but in order to do that he has to become part vampire.  The Vampire fakes the boy’s death and you see the parents morning his death.  I am still bothered by that and worry about his parents.  This year I did some research and it looks like he makes it back to his parents in the end, so I decided I was going to read the rest of the series.  I would say, if you are thinking of getting these book for a young middle grade child, it might be too scary for them, but the story telling is exciting.

Kate DiCamillo was the keynote speaker at the 2012 NJSCBWI Conference, so I bought Because of Winn-Dixie and Tale of the Despereaux, which own the Newbery Award on 2004.  Because of Winn-Dixie was given a Newbery Honor Award in 2001.  So like I said you can’t go wrong reading these books.  Both are short, so it isn’t going to take you long to read.  I actually wasn’t ready to read Tale of Despereaux, but it was sitting on my table and I picked it up and opened it in the middle of the book and read a few sentences.  Little did I know I would want to keep reading.  It is the only book where I read the second half and then the first half.

Play, Louise, Play was sent to me by author Muriel Harris Weinstein when I started working on her website.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed the book.  It is non-fiction and I didn’t expect such lovely writing, plus she had an extremely interesting story to tell – Good writing – good story = good book.  It won THE 2012 PATERSON PRIZE FOR  BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE for Grades 4 -6.  It also was one of 11 books that won the Texas Blue Bonnet Award, which means an automatic purchase of over 20,000 books.

Ame Dyckman and Leeza Hernandez both had picture book come out this year and both are friends.  I have seen both of them and their careers grow and I am so happy for them.

Ame sent me her manuscript before she was going to send it out and as soon as I read it, I knew she and (it) was getting published.  Steve Meltzer (Dial) met her and read her manuscript.  He went up to Scott Treimel  and told him he should think about representing Ame and that is exactly what he did.  The rest is history.  Boy+ Bot is Ame’s first book published, but she already a number of additional picture books in the cue with publishers. I don’t remember when the second one hits, but if you read this blog regularly, you will know.

Leeza Hernandez started out as an illustrator and was inspired to write her own picture book after coming up with an adorable illustration of a dog.  Penguin saw the dog and immediately contracted the book.  Here book Dog Gone came out in June.  Both of these books are adorable – great artwork and great story. Leeza has a ton of things going on more picture books that she is illustrating for big name people and more books written and illustrated by her.  Both of these people are  writers to watch.  They are going to be big names in the industry.  Leeza was featured on Illustrator Saturday Click Here to see.

As most of you know I do Jerry and Eileen Spinelli’s websites, so I read all their books.  Of course that is not a problem, because the two of them write wonderful books.  It seems like Eileen is good for five or six book every year.  She always ends up with a fantastic illustrator, so all her books are special.  I do have a favorite and I bring it out and many times to show other writers, friends and children.  That book is When You are Happy.  That book is so beautiful – so much soul.  The perfect book for a parent or grandparent to give their child.  Every time I read it, I remember how much my parents loved me and that they sent this book to me to remind me of their love.  I see this book as a treasure that children will want to hold on to and remember that same feeling when they are adults.

Cold Snap is a gorgeous book.  The snow sparkles on the cover and pages.  It really has the WOW factor and would be a great present for someone this time of year.

Together at Christmas combines Eileen’s perfect rhyme and caring soul with beautiful illustrations from a wonderful new illustrator from China.  Bin Lee captures the true spirit of Christmas with his illustrations.  Take a look when you are in the book store.

Eileen you can catch a glimpse of the funny side of Eileen in Miss Fox’s Class Gets It Wrong. Ann Kennedy created the illustration for the perfect fit to this book.

Dianne Ochiltree sent me her picture book, Molly by Golly: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter. I featured Kathleen Kemly the illustrator this year on Illustrator Saturday and showed you a lot of the artwork before the book came out.  It is really a great picture book that perfectly combines story with art.  Click here to view Kathleen Kemly Illustrator Saturday post.

Then I featured author/illustrator Roger Roth on Illustrator Saturday and he was kind enough to send me two books that I admired – The Roller Coaster and a book that his wife wrote and he illustrated titled, Star of the Week.  They adopted an Asian baby girl (she is no longer a baby), but they wrote this book for her and you can just feel the love they have for her oozing from the pages. BEAUTIFUL!  Click here to see Roger’s feature.  Most of the artwork is there for your pleasure.

Another talented featured author/illustrator, Carlyn Beccia sent me one of her picture books, probably because she knew I loved her artwork, so when I found a copy of Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?  I snatch it up. The artwork in this book  is awesome.  I’m a big fan. Click here to see Carlyn’s Illustrator Saturday post.

Then Kathi Ember sent me a copy of one of her picture books, Mother’s Day Surprize, after she was featured on Illustrator Saturday.  It is about a snake named Violet who watches the other animals make Mother’s Day gift for their mom’s and tires to think of something nice that she can make for her mother.  I love Kathie’s illustrations.  You can see her work by clicking here.

Ame Dyckman sent me I Want My Hat Back written and illustrated by Jon Klassen when I was getting my knee replaced.  I hadn’t read any of his books, but it is another perfect picture book.  Thanks Ame for introducing him to me.

On Black Friday, Amazon had a great deal on a Kindle Fire, so I bought myself a Christmas present.  My first purchase for the Kindle was Stephen King’s book ON WRITING.  Who would think a “how to” book could be so interesting and such a good read.  I love the way he talks about problems and solutions with his own books and ties in the events in his life that influenced his books and how he give you such straight talk about how to approach writing a novel. I am so glad I listened to the writers around me telling me to buy the book.  Love it!  Stephen King’s On Writing Book is the first “How to” book that I have read from cover to cover.

Everyone one says you have to read to be a good writer.  Stephen reads about 80 a year and  he says that is low.

I won Writing and Selling the YA Novel by K. L. Going at the June NJSCBWI conference and like her advice in this book.  She is an author and used to be a literary agent.  I use it mostly as reference and pull it out and read sections, when I need some guidance.

If you have any suggestions on what I should add to this year’s book list, please let me know.  Right now I have the following:

Before I Fall – Lauren Oliver

Everyday – David Levithan

Crossed – Allyson Condie

Reached – Allyson Condie

Prodigy – Marie Lu

Crown of Embers – Rae Carson

Requiem – Lauren Oliver

Dead End at  Norvelt – Gantos

A Sweet and Far Thing – Libba Bray

Cirque Du Freak – Book 3

Killing Kennedy Bill O’Reilly

Can you help me fill my list?

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

IT IS TIME TO NOMINATE WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING www.kathytemean.wordpress.com for the WRITER’S DIGEST’S 101 BEST WEBSITES FOR WRITERS!

If you have enjoyed the articles and information you received everyday this year, please help by dominating my blog. Submit an email to writersdigest@fwmedia.com to nominate my blog www.kathytemean.wordpress.com

I would greatly appreciate your help.

Thanks!

This January illustration was sent in by Dow Phumiruk who is a pediatrician with a passion for art. www.artbydow.blogspot.com

Using Nielsen BookScan dara, Publishers’s Marketplace takes their annual look at the top sellers in multiple categories. (Nielsen tracks print book sales only, at the point of sale.)

Total print book sales for 2012 as recorded by BookScan were 591 million units, down 9.3 percent compared to 2011 (and those sales were down 9.25 percent from 2010). The 2012 data reflects both the absence of Borders from the marketplace, as well as the harder-to-quantify increase in ebook sales. Year-to-year comparisons are tricky, since the 2011 data included the deeply discounted inventory from the Borders sell-off (Nielsen BookScan tracks unit sales, but not dollar expenditures)–and next year’s comparison will also be difficult since Nielsen is growing the data pool significantly for 2013 with the addition of WalMart data.

Trade paperback sales declined more in 2012 than in 2011, down 8.6 percent. Hardcover sales fell 5.7 percent and mass market paperbacks were down 20.5 percent.

EL James’s Fifty Shades books sold over 14.4 million prints units, and Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games books sold over 9.6 million print books. Collins’ 2012 total is only slightly lower than  all the top 15 children’s books in 2011,which sold roughly 10.2 million books altogether.

On the children’s list, Collins taking 6 places left fewer slots for Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney, who occupies 3 places this time around, compared to 6 books on the 2011 list. and 2 for Rick Riordan.

2012′s Top 15: Juvenile

1. THE HUNGER GAMES*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; trade paperback 9780439023528) 2,810,000
2. CATCHING FIRE*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; hardcover 9780439023498) 2,612,000
3. MOCKINGJAY*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; hardcover 9780439023511) 2,302,000
4. THE THIRD WHEEL, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; hardcover 9781419705847) 1,402,000
5. THE MARK OF ATHENA, Rick Riordan (Hyperion; hardcover 9781423140603) 705,000
6. THE HUNGER GAMES*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; hardcover 9780439023481) 652,000
7. THE HUNGER GAMES*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; trade paperback 9780545425117) 631,000
8. THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY*, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; hardcover 9780545265355) 599,000
9. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID # 6: CABIN FEVER*, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; hardcover 9781419702235) 584,000
10. ELF ON THE SHELF, Carol Aebersold (CCA&B; hardcover; 9780976990703) 467,000
11. THE WIMPY KID DO-IT-YOURSELF BOOK*, Jeff Kinney (Amulet; hardcover 9780810989955) 446,000
12. THE SERPENT’S SHADOW, Rick Riordan (Hyperion; hardcover 9781423140573) 440,000
13. THE LORAX, Dr. Seuss (Random House; hardcover 9780394823379) 368,000
14. OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!, Dr. Seuss (Random House; hardcover 9780679805274) 359,000
15. GREEN EGGS AND HAM, Dr. Seuss (Random House; 9780394800165) 348,000

*These editions were first published prior to 2011; underscored books appeared on the 2011 list in the same edition +Means the title was on the 2011 list in a different edition.

2012′s Top 4: Adult Fiction -

1. FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, EL James (Vintage; trade paperback 9780345803481) 6,345,000
2. FIFTY SHADES DARKER, EL James (Vintage; trade paperback 9780345803498) 3,834,000
3. FIFTY SHADES FREED, EL James (Vintage; trade paperback 9780345803504) 3,441,000
4. FIFTY SHADES TRILOGY, EL James (Vintage; trade paperback 9780345804044) 787,000
5. GONE GIRL, Gillian Flynn (Crown; hardcover 9780307588364) 701,000
6. THE CASUAL VACANCY, JK Rowling (Little, Brown; hardcover 9780316228534) 590,000
7. THE RACKETEER, John Grisham (Doubleday; hardcover 9780385535144) 553,000
8. BARED TO YOU, Sylvia Day (Berkley; trade paperback 9780425263907) 506,000
9. THE LAST BOYFRIEND, Nora Roberts (Berkley; trade paperback 9780425246030) 319,000
10. THE LUCKY ONE*, Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central; mass market 9781455508976) 317,000
11. WINTER OF THE WORLD, Ken Follett (Dutton; hardcover 97805259529232) 315,000
12. THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST*, Stieg Larsson (Vintage; trade paperback 9780307454560) 309,000
13. CALICO JOE, John Grisham (Doubleday; hardcover 9780385536073) 308,000
14. THE GREAT GATSBY*, F. Scott Fitzgerald (Scribner; trade paperback 9780743273565) 301,000
15. NOTORIOUS NINETEEN, Janet Evanovich (Bantam; hardcover 9780345527745) 290,000

2012′s Top 15: Adult Nonfiction

1. NO EASY DAY, Mark Owen (Dutton; hardcover 9780525953722) 908,000
2. KILLING KENNEDY, Bill O’Reilly (Holt; hardcover 9780805096668) 861,000
3. KILLING LINCOLN*, Bill O’Reilly (Holt; hardcover 9780805093070) 781,000

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This January illustration was sent in by illustrator Louise C Bergeron.  Her work always makes me smile.

In the past month, I have gotten a number of requests for self-publishing information, thus the reason for sharing this information with you.  The one important piece of advice I can personally share is not to rush your book out, because you are excited and can’t wait.  If you want your self-published book to stand up to the big boys, you need to cross every “t” and dot every “i”. We’ll talk more about that over the weeks. 

Digital Book Wired reported:

Responding to a changing self-publishing landscape, including Pearson’s acquisition of leading self-publishing services provider Author Solutions, Penguin’s Book Country workshopping and self-publishing community has made some changes and added new features, including a free ebook creation, publication and distribution tool. It has also raised the royalty rate that it offers authors to 85% of net sales, up from 70%.

Book Country had taken criticism from self-published authors for charging authors for publishing services and for the percent of revenues that it takes after the book goes on sale. Author Solutions, now a sister company to Book Country, has also faced similar criticism.

The writer community and self-publishing platform will also now offer an online editor service that will help authors with their ebook formatting issues. The self-publishing tool will now also be open to all kinds of writers, not just writers of genre fiction, which the tool was focused on before. The writing community, however, will still be limited to genre work. Book Country will now distribute to more retailers and also be abandoning its print self-publishing capabilities.

Read the Full Article

Since its April launch, www.BookCountry.com has nearly 4,000 members who have posted 500 pieces of fiction, according to the company.

The self-publishing tool is integrated with Book Country’s “genre map,” a detailed classification system of many genres and sub-genres, offering authors fairly sophisticated marketing capabilities, including use of BISAC codes that help readers find books in their area of interest. Users are also given an online marketing guide and advice on pricing through a pricing calculator. Revenues from books sold are to be split between Penguin and the authors, depending on the price the author selects for the book and the distribution method.

“You don’t have to drive around with books in the back of your Subaru anymore”, said Penguin global digital director Barton.

Users can opt for professional print- and e-book production through outsourced firms for $549, produce it themselves for print and digital distribution for $299 or produce it themselves for e-book-only distribution for $99.

*******

Random House sold 11.2 million ebook units; Hachette 8.7 million; Harper UK 7.2 million, and Pan Macmillan 4.5 million. Some of those units were driven by the deep-discount 20-pence promotional bestsellers that have roiled the UK market in recent months.

*******

ePublisher Premier Digital announced a strategic alliance with Ingram in a lengthy press release that doesn’t really explain the business relationship, except to say that it covers “the management and distribution of print and digital content” though Ingram’s “integrated print, digital, and full-service distribution services.”

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

If your PAL book was published in 2012, we want to make sure that your book is included for consideration in the 2013 Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards! The deadline for submitting your book is January 31, 2012.   

How do I make sure my book is a contender for the 2013 Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards?

1.      Go to and click on the Awards tab to familiarize yourself with the guidelines for the Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards.

2.      Make sure that your SCBWI membership is current! Only current members of SCBWI are eligible for the Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards. Not sure when your membership expires? Log in at SCBWI.org and click on “Membership Renewal.” Your member expiration date will be shown at the top of that page.

3.      Log in at scbwi.org and update your publication information! Click on “Manage Profile” and be sure to enter the name and publication date of your most recent book. Then, choose your publisher from one of the drop-down menus. If you have any trouble updating your profile, feel free to call our offices at 323-782-1010 during business hours (9 AM – 5:00 PM, Pacific, Monday – Friday) and someone will be happy to assist you.

4.      Already entered your book? To check to see that your book has been entered visit your regional home page at SCBWI.org (click on the Member Home button and then the text “See what’s going on in your region”! and then click on the Crystal Kites tab.Crystal Kite . In the salmon colored bar above the Search by Author or Title box will be your entered title. If your title is missing,  then update your publication information. At this page you can also see all the books already submitted for consideration for your region so that you can start reading them before voting begins.

5.     One major question we had  last year was about publicizing your book. We want you to promote and publicize the Crystal Kite Awards and remind people to vote! We just can’t allow promotion or publicizing of individual titles.  For example, you can tweet, Facebook and otherwise state: “Don’t forget to vote for your favorite in the Crystal Kite Awards”!..or words to that effect. However, publicizing a specific title will lead to disqualification of that title.

Don’t forget to read through the Crystal Kites Member Choice Awards page  where you will find further information, dates for 2013 and a link to the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Here is your chance to win a copy of Denise Morsenten new book BUG PATROL comes out on Feb. 12^th.  Just leave a comment and tweet and you may be the winner.

Wee-o! Wee-o! Wee-o! Woo! Bug Mobile coming through! Bugs are a misbehaving bunch, so Captain Bob, insect cop, has a busy beat. The beetles are using their bug mobiles like bumper cars, the roaches are protesting for better housing (down with roach motels!), and the crickets are up late, partying. Can Captain Bob keep the peace and maintain law and order? This enthusiastic, goofy-sweet read-aloud is crawling with fun rhymes, lots of action, endearing bug-eyed characters, and a few lessons in manners, too!

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (February 12, 2013)
• ISBN-10: 0618790241
• ISBN-13: 978-0618790241

Denise Dowling Mortensen is the award-winning author of Good Night Engines, Wake Up Engines, a combination flip book of both Good Night Engines/Wake Up Engines, Ohio Thunder, and the forthcoming Bug Patrol, all published by Clarion Books. When she is not writing, she proofreads, edits, tutors students on the art of writing, and occasionally cleans her house. She is the mother of five children and lives in New Jersey.  You can follow her fan page on Facebook at Denise Dowling Mortensen or follow her on Twitter at @dmortensen5.

Tracey Baptiste, author of ANGEL’S GRACE signed with Agent Maria Lamba at the end of last year.

Tracey Baptiste was born in Trinidad and moved to Brooklyn, New York, when she was fifteen. Ms. Baptiste is a former elementary school teacher.

She lives with her husband and daughter in Englewood, New Jersey.

Marie Lamba sold two middle grade books in January.  Congratulations Marie!

Now for the editorial changes and pats on the backs:

At the Random House imprint, Kaela Myers, Sam Nicholson, and Anna Pitoniak have all been promoted to associate editor.

Emi Ikkanda has been promoted to associate editor at Holt and Times Books.

At Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Emily Bell has been promoted to associate editor.

At Simon & Schuster Children’s, Sylvie Frank has joined Paula Wiseman Books as associate editor. Previously she was an editor at Holiday House.

Kerri Kolen will join Putnam as executive editor on February 24. Previously she was executive editor at Hyperion.

At Tor, Melissa Frain, Kristen Sevick and Whitney Ross have all been promoted to editor.

Congratulations to Denise and Tracey and all the editors who are moving up the ladder.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

For as long as I can remember, I have LOVED toys!  To have a toy made from one of my cartoons is my dream come true!  It will help the world see my character the way I see him.  REAL!!  ha ha!  This series of plush Peepsqueaks in the pictures above, were the first proto-types that came to my home. Merry Makers is the toy company we worked with.  It was so fun to see my little Peepsqueak transform from page to puff!  He is such a cute little plush!!  Merry Makers did such a good job!  You can buy Peepsqueak now if you go to their website. They welcome retail orders online at http://www.merrymakersinc.com and retail and/or wholesale orders at 888-989-0454 or via email at merrymakers@merrymakersinc.com.

Below is the final Peepsqueak. I just love him!  Isn’t he cute!!! I brought him to a preschool yesterday and the children loved him and all wanted to pet him…. so they did!!!!

So order your Peepsqueak now!  He is waiting to live in your home!!!  Don’t forget, the books, “Peepsqueak”,  and “Peepsqueak Wants A Friend” are at your bookstore waiting for you too.  They would all make great gifts for the kiddies on Easter.