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By: Kathy Temean,
on 5/21/2013
Blog:
Writing and Illustrating
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What Will It Be Penelope?,
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I met Tori years ago at one of the first events I put on as Regional Advisor of the New Jersey Chapter of the SCBWI. I got to see the effort that Tori put into her books and making sure her work was seen by editors and agents. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency and was one of their first clients.
Tori’s interest in children’s books began when her daughter was born. She fell in love with picture books after spending countless hours at the library reading to her daughter. By the time her sons were born, she was inspired to write her own stories and quickly became hooked on writing. She also studied picture book illustration at the School of Visual Arts. Tori joined New Jersey SCBWI and attended writing conferences where she learned the ins and outs of the publishing industry. Writing and illustrating children’s books became an unexpected, exciting second career for her. She has expanded her writing for children of all ages and is currently working on a historical fiction novel.
Her debut picture book, What Will It Be, Penelope? hits the book shelves on June 4th.
You can meet Tori Corn (author)and Dannielle Ceccolini (illustrator) at The Corner Bookstore tonight to celebrate the publication of What Will It Be, Penelope?
Wednesday, May 22nd – 6:00 p.m.
RSVP: (212) 831-3554 or cornerbook@aol.com
Here are a few questions I asked Tori that I thought you might be interested in reading:
Can you tell us about your journey with What Will It Be, Penelope?
Watching children try and decide what flavor ice cream they wanted is what inspired me to write the story. Sometimes my youngest son would hold up the line at the Mr. Softee ice cream truck! Of course there’s a bit of me in the story. I’ve been known to take forever to decide something silly like which soap to buy at Target! Penelope was the first picture book I wrote that wasn’t written in rhyme. I’m embarrassed to tell you how many versions there are!
How long ago did you write What’s Will It Be, Penelope?
It’s hard to say. I wrote the first version about seven years ago but I put it aside and didn’t look at it for years. It was way too long, around 850 words, which is a common mistake for picture book writers who are just learning their craft. It took me a while to figure out how to tell a story in only 500 to 600 words.
Did you do revisions?
Did I do revisions? All I did was revisions! And once I sold the manuscript, I still had to do more revisions!
What did it feel like to sign that first contract?
It was a really special day for me, especially since I’d been envisioning the moment for such a long time.
Can you tell us a little bit about Sky Pony Press?
Sky Pony is a wonderful publisher.(I’m not biased.) Launched in fall of 2011, it’s the children’s book imprint of Skyhorse Publishing. Their list includes picture books, middle grade, young adult, educational books and reissues of some well-loved classics. Since their first list in Fall 2011, Sky Pony now has over 100 books in print. I feel so blessed to have Penelope on that list. Next year, I’ll have another picture book called Dixie Wants an Allergy on the list too. What I love about Sky Pony is that they make decisions quickly and are capable of producing their books in record time. I signed my contract in Jan 2012 and I was holding a copy of my book in my hands in May 2013! Amazing.
Did you have any input into choosing the illustrator?
No I didn’t, but I’m glad that Sky Pony chose Danielle Ceccolini to do the illustrations for What Will It Be Penelope? In general, the publisher chooses the illustrator, not the author.
Do you ever think you will try your hand in illustrating one of your books?
Yes! I was an art major at SyracuseUniversity. I love to draw and paint! As a matter of fact, I illustrated the cover for my website. You can probably tell by looking at it that I was a textile designer because of the textures and the prints on my character’s clothing.
I took picture book illustration classes at The School of visual Arts and began working on a book dummy for my picture book called Sometimes I Wake in the Middle of the Night. Hopefully I’ll finish illustrating it someday. And you never know, maybe I’ll write and illustrate a story about the mice on my website! www.toricorn.com
Do you have any other books on the horizon?
I’ve written eight picture books and I’m currently working on a historical fiction novel.
What types of things have you done to help get prepared for your book launch?
Well, for one thing, I had a website developed. I’ve also purchased some cute Penelope giveaways to give to kids after I’ve read my book during school visits. I’m hoping the children will go home and ask their parents to buy my book and these items will help them remember the name of my book!
Do you have any words of wisdom to share that would help unpublished writers?
The most important advice I can give writers is to be thoughtful when deciding who to send their manuscripts to. This cuts down on the amount of (and type of ) reject letters you get. For instance, I only sent my manuscripts to editors and agents that I met at SCBWI conferences and I didn’t send them to everyone, only those whom I felt were seriously interested in my stories. That way, I only received encouraging reject letters! Most of them had excellent editorial comments so instead of feeling bad, I actually felt inspired to work harder to improve my manuscript.
My second piece of advice is for writers to envision their books getting published. That’s really important. Someone once told me to “Stay on the road and keep looking forward” which is what I did. I think it’s also important to join a writing group so you can have your manuscripts critiqued often and learn what other authors are doing right and wrong. And remember, if a few people are saying the same thing, you should listen. That said, always stay true to yourself.
Thank you Tori for sharing your experience with us. Best of luck with the book. Stop by www.toricorn.com to see Tori’s new website.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
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The 2013 Meltdown shall soon be upon us!
 |
| My better half and me. |
It's hard to believe that this March 30th will be the 5th year for The River's Music Meltdown and Book Bash. Or, as it's known for short—MELTDOWN! When my wife Gina and I moved to the Pioneer Valley, we knew we wanted to get involved with our new community and we wasted no time doing so. We always loved the events that I had attended for Punk Farm, where music was incorporated into readings, and saw a big hole in our author-saturated town of Northampton: NO book festival! We floated the idea for a day where authors and kids' musicians would swap stage time to our new friends Bill Childs and Monte Belmonte, DJs at the local radio station. Next thing you knew, we were teaming up and the first Meltdown was staged in 2009!
Since its inception, we have brought Grace Lin, Jon Scieszka, Jeanne Birdsall, Jeff Mack, Jef Czekaj, Diane deGroat, Mo Willems, Timothy Basil Ering, Anna Alter, Jane Yolen, Heidi Stemple, Scott Fischer, John Bemelmans Marciano, Eric Wight and Lisa Yee to the stage! We love that the kids in our neighborhood have had the opportunity to see all of these authors!
And now that we're in our 5th year, our oldest daughter is four and will truly enjoy this year's Meltdown! She was all of three months during the first staging of this event!
 |
| Our girls helped us make a display for our local library! |
Much credit needs to go to WRSI The River. They do all of the heavy lifting to make Meltdown something that can happen. There are a lot of finances that go behind an event like this and their hard work allows Gina and I to program the author side without worrying about permits, etc.
So who do we have line up this year? Here's who you will see on Saturday, March 30th!
Please note that Meltdown is moving this year! We've outgrown our previous space and will now be at Smith Vocational High School, located at 80 Locust St!
10:40 AM
 |
| This guy. |
We really had to pull some strings for this one. But seriously, we kind of did. My publisher will be releasing LL #9 a few weeks early exclusively for Meltdown 2013. So if you want to read LL and the Video Game Villain before the rest of the country, this is your chance!
11:40 am
 |
Angela DiTerlizzi! |
Our copy of Ang's Say What? is already dog-eared. We can never read it just once, as the girls insist on repeated readings. Which is fine by us, this book ROCKS!
12:40 pm
 |
| Matthew McElligott! |
Matthew's books are a huge hit with our girls. (Do you see a theme here? Our daughters seem to be running the show...) Even Aliens Need Snacks is a sequel to Matt's equally hilarious Even Monsters Need Haircuts.
1:40 pm
 |
Judy Schachner! |
Skippyjon Jones, everyone's favorite kitty-boy who thinks he's a Chihuahua, will be represented at Meltdown 2013! These books are crazy popular, and crazy fun, as is Judy! Our daughter runs around the house dressed as Skippyjon. Esta un cabeza de loco. My Spanish is rusty. I need to go read more Sippyjon Jones books...
2:40 pm
 |
| Tony DiTerlizzi |
But wait! There's more DiTerlizzi to be had! Tony's books range from picture books (G is for One Gzonk gets our girls giggling) to chapter books (T's new WandLa series will keep you at the edge of your seats and inspire your imaginations!). We can't wait to see what T will conjure up on the Meltdown stage!
Not only do all of these authors write superlative books, but they also put on fantastic shows. That's a big part of what we look for in Meltdown authors—stage presence! You'll never be disappointed by who we invite to read, they're all stahs!
And of course, Bill Childs has another fantastic line up of musicians. Be sure to check the official Meltdown page for more info!
www.rivermeltdown.com
By:
Administrator,
on 2/13/2013
Blog:
Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them!
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Speaking to the COSMO group in Columbia, MO
, a story from someone who bought the book, and a quick lesson on VOICE, one of the 6 + 1 traits of writing–so let’s go!
Going On a Book Tour
Last week, my good friend, who is just like a mother-in-law to me (that’s a story for another post!), Pamela Anderson from Columbia, MO invited me to stay at her house with my two-year-old and speak to her COSMO group (diabetes research) and Pachyderms (the first club ever in the U.S.) and then organized a breakfast for me of old friends–all to promote my book. My husband came, too, and the trip was a huge success! I was worried about my talk because I was used to speaking to either groups of writers, teachers, or kids; but I tied the story of taking 11 years for my book to be published (FIVE after I signed the contract) to never giving up and following your dreams. People seemed to really relate to it, even if they weren’t writers because when I finished talking, there was actually a line to buy a copy of my book! I met the most interesting and nice people–one woman was almost 90-years-old and had been researching her family on the Trail of Tears for over 30 years. Her determination and spirit made my trip. The breakfast with old friends was so great, and my two-year-old came to that–I was a little worried about this, as she is not in the “patient” stage. But even she was so good and ATE, too. (You mothers of toddlers know what an accomplishment this is.)
I am so thankful to Pamela Anderson (the retired air traffic controller, not the actress) for organizing AND my husband Rick and my good, good friend Michelle Pfeiffer (I swear–I have a friend named Pamela Anderson and Michelle Pfeiffer–both married last names!) for helping me with KB!
A Cool, Heartwarming Story
My mom’s friend, Bobette, bought a book for her grandson, Gavin. He is in fifth grade. My mom and Bobette have been friends for longer than I’ve been alive (not telling you how long that is!); and I’ve met Gavin before, but he lives in a different state–so I don’t know him well. Anyway, as the sweet kid that he is, he took my book to his fifth grade teacher and said that he HAD to read if for independent reading because this was written by a family friend. The teacher was reluctant–this is understandable because she has NO IDEA who I am–but agreed to read the book to see what she thought. (What an awesome teacher!) After she finished reading it, she agreed Gavin could read it, and even better–she put my book on her reading list. WOW! Thank you!
A Lesson in Voice: 6 + 1 Traits of Writing
This is a quick lesson you can do with ANY book, not just Finding My Place. But it works better with novel length books. 
1. Once you and your students have read at least half of the book, they should be familiar with the main characters’ voices. For example, in Finding My Place, students should be able to recognize Anna, Sara, James, Mrs. Franklin, and possibly Dr. Franklin and Stuart, too.
2. Review what VOICE is. This is such a hard concept for children to understand–there is an overall voice to the book, which is Anna’s in FMP, but then each character also has their own voice. Voice is the way the words sound together, and authors have their own distinct voice. For example, you can easily tell the difference between my book and one written by Mark Twain! (HA!)
3. Each student should have a piece of paper, numbered 1-10. You, the teacher (or students can take turns doing it to) or parent, read a line or two from FMP–it could be Anna’s narrative or dialogue OR dialogue from one of the main characters. Then ask students to write down whose VOICE they think that is.
4. After revealing the correct answers, discuss with students how they knew that Mrs. Franklin said what she did or that it was Anna speaking–what is different about the VOICE?
Roseville Public Library in Minnesota holds a "graduation ceremony" for Kindergartners who are getting their first library cards. It's awesome! Impossibly cute and the kids are filled with so much pride. And of course it reinforces the privilege of having a card! I was honored to be invited out to speak at the event. Here I am with the incredible group (minus Ann) who made it all happen!
You should totally bring such a program to your community!
By: Kathy Temean,
on 2/4/2013
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With Valentine’s Day coming up next week. I thought I would remind you of Betsy Synder’s new book, I HAIKU YOU and give you a chance to win a copy of her book. It is simple. Just Tweet and link to this post and leave a comment letting me know. All names will be placed in a box and a name announced on Feb. 14th. Random House will send the winner I HAIKU BABY directly to your address.
Betsy is and author and illustrator, who was featured on Illustrator Saturday December 1st. You can click her to see her books and illustrations, but today I have asked Betsy some questions about I HAIKU YOU and the road the book has taken her down.
Back in December Betsy told us that all four of the books she has written so far have been with Random House. She had the idea for “Haiku Baby” floating around in her head for quite a while when her agent told her of an opportunity at Random House. She jumped on that opportunity and took the time she needed to get it on paper and sent it to an editor at Random House. She worked up some additional book ideas at the same time, which turned her first writing venture into a 3-book (now 5-book) contract with Random House.
What did you do to help launch I Haiku You when it came out on December 26th?
Books that are marketed for Valentine’s Day come out right after Christmas so stores can start promoting them right away. I shared news of the Dec. 26 book release with Twitter, Facebook and blog followers, but most people aren’t ready to think about Valentine’s Day in late December. For this reason, it worked better to time “I Haiku you” book launch events closer to Valentine’s Day. The big push has just begun for my promotion efforts and will continue through mid-February.
Did you make a plan for how to market the book before it hit the book shelves?
Yes, I worked with my publicist at Random House to determine what our joint efforts would be. One thing we decided on was a week-long blog tour in early February. My publicist helped coordinate all the blog stops and arrange a schedule for me. And since “I Haiku You” is a good book for any time of year, not JUST Valentine’s Day, we’re also planning to do another wave of promotion in April for poetry month. Stay tuned!
What types of things have you done since?
For my local book launch party, I teamed up with my friend Susan Reagan, who has a new Valentine’s book out called “Tweet Hearts” (also Random House). We held a special “Valentine Story Time” for both our books at a friend’s flower and gift shop called the Urban Orchid. We had fun crafts and sweet treats—I even made my own haiku fortune cookies as party favors! Susan and I will also be signing books together at a Cleveland-area boutique called Banyon Tree for the Tremont Art Walk this Fri., Feb. 8. And all this week I’m doing a multi-stop blog tour with all kinds of Q/A’s, guest posts and even some book giveaways—this is my second stop on the tour route!
I see you have a book trailer. How did you come up with how the trailer would be laid out?
Fortunately my husband is a motion graphics artist, so he was able to help. Jeff and I brainstormed ideas together and discussed the best approach. I chose the music and prepared the art files, and Jeff did the animation. My niece Ava even did the “Who do YOU haiku?” voice-over at the end. It was a true family effort!
What other blogs are on your book tour?
www.thechildrensbookreview.com
www.uskidsmags.com
www.twowritingteachers.wordpress.com
www.nerdybookclub.wordpress.com
www.mrschureads.blogspot.com (Watch. Connect. Read.)
www.sharpread.wordpress.com
(sorry if I’m leaving anyone out, but that’s the most current list I have)
Have you set up any school visits to help promote the book? If so, how did you start and plan this process?
I do have a school visit this May that is part of a special book event called Claire’s Day. You can read all about it at www.clairesday.org. I initially made a contact for this event while I was a presenter at an annual SCBWI conference (Northern Ohio).
Balancing time for making new books with promoting my existing titles is always a challenge, so I haven’t been able to organize more school visits yet. But that is something I would love to find more time for in the future. Connecting with kids, teachers and parents is one of the best parts of my job—I learn so much with every experience.
Do you have any stats on how the book is selling?
I’ve been having so much fun promoting the new book that I haven’t even checked yet!
Betsy, wishing you the best of luck with your new book and thanks for making it so much fun by letting me give-a-way a book.
Don’t miss out on leaving a comment and having a chance to win a copy of I Haiku You.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
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Are you ready to read something fierce?
After the success of our spring 2012 Fierce Reads tour (read about it here in Publisher's Weekly!), we're back this fall with six NEW Fierce Reads authors for the tour, which also features three familiar faces.
Featuring Ann Aguirre, Elizabeth Fama, Lish McBride and Marissa Meyer:
- September 18: Changing Hands Bookstore in Pheonix, AZ
- September 19: Tattered Cover in Denver, CO
- September 20: Left Bank Books in St. Louis, MO (This stop also features author Jessica Brody!)
- September 21: Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinatti, OH
- September 22: Next Chapter Bookshop in Milwaukee, WI
- September 23: Malaprop's Bookstore in Asheville, NC (This stop will not feature author Marissa Meyer)
Featuring Gennifer Albin, Caragh O'Brien, Marie Rutkoski and Leigh Bardugo:
- October 16: Lake Forest Bookstore in Lake Forest, IL
- October 17: Politics & Prose at the Bethesda Library outside of Washington D.C.
- October 18: Cover to Cover Bookstore in Columbus, OH
- October 19: Square Books in Oxford, MS
- October 20: Children's Book World in Haverford, PA
- October 21: New York City (Exact location TBD!)
Learn more about the Fall 2012 Fierce Reads titles at MacTeenBooks.com, our sister blog and become a fan of Fierce Reads on Facebook for
Go to our Fierce Reads Facebook page to RSVP to the stop closest to your hometown!
Fierce Reads was launched in June with a spectacular tour! Four debut authors went on the road, with special author guests joining them along the way. The Fierce Reads tour took the authors across the country to meet new fans.
The four debut author and their books were:
And they were joined at various stops by Marissa Meyer, Jessica Brody, Lish McBride, Ann Aguirre, and Caragh O'Brien.
Couldn't make it to any of the events? Well you're in luck! Lots of bloggers went to the events and wrote up some recaps!
June 5: Mrs. Nelson's in La Verne, CA
June 6: Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, CA
June 7: Books, Inc. in San Francisco, CA
June 8: Kepler's in Menlo Park, CA
June 9: Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA
June 12: Provo City Library in Provo, UT
June 13: Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, TX
June 14: Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL
June 15: Schuler's Books in Lansing, MI
June 16: Barnes and Noble in Pensacola, FL
June 17: Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY
There will be a new Fierce Read Tour in the Fall, so be sure to check out the Fierce Reads Facebook Fan Page to see which authors will be coming and where/when.
And stay fierce!
Shannon Hale was in town on Thursday, talking up her most recent book, THE PRINCESS ACADEMY: PALACE OF STONE. I never tire of hearing other authors talk about how they work, how they manage with children, writing, and life. It's very much an
iron sharpens iron thing.
Shannon talked about getting ideas for stories daily (a story isn't one idea but many, she said), writing down those ideas, and coming back to them at a later date. She works on two books at once, turning to one when the other is in edits. A sitter comes to watch her four kids for three hours a day, five days a week, and she commits to 1,000 a day.
I felt a kinship with Shannon when she mentioned she's drawn to stories that are hard. If a story is easy, there really isn't anything to say. I'm in the midst of my own hard story, and hearing I'm not alone in this challenge was reassuring -- and fuel to help me finish my work.
This girl in front of me was adorable. She'd worn out her first copy of THE PRINCESS ACADEMY, so she bought two more: one for regular reading and one for backup.
By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka,
on 9/5/2012
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Bud Werner Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs, CO is hosting Book Feast and is Skyping with a whole mess of authors, including myself. I'll be live on Friday at 7:30 and will be on hand to discuss my process with the audience, as well as take questions. Autographed books will be available for purchase at the event.
Check out all of the info here!
By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka,
on 9/6/2012
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Hey gang! I'll be flying out to Minneapolis to give a reading at the Target Children's Book Festival! I'm excited to meet all of the readers out there and doodle in their books!
I'm on at 12:35 pm. It all goes down at Hyland Lake Park Reserve.
All of the information, including the the stage lineup, can be found here!
By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka,
on 9/13/2012
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Sept 18: LL8 Virtual Comics Workshop - tune in from across the country to make a collaborative comic!
Sept 22: Steward, NEPlum Creek Literary Festival
Sept 23 @ 3 pm: Washington D.C. National Book Festival
Oct 7 @ 2:30 pm: Athens, GAWestabou Festival
Oct 14 @ 10:30 am: New York, NYNew York Comic Con
Oct 27-28: Austin, TXTexas Book Festival
Dec 12: Holyoke, MA Barnes & Noble, benefit for Northeast Center for Youth and Families
The annual Children's Illustration Exhibit at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, MA will run from November 1-January 31, with an opening reception on November 11 from 4-6 pm.
By: msedano,
on 10/15/2012
Blog:
La Bloga
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Late Breaking News
Memorial Honors Frank Sifuentes, QEPD
Tempus fugit que no?
Frank's long-time friend, Jesus Treviño, has compiled a memorial including messages from all five of Frank's friends, and a video. Click the links to Frank's spoken word recordings at the USC digital library and Nuestrafamilia.
http://latinopia.com/latino-history/latinopia-hero-frank-sifuentes/QEPD, Frank.
Michael Sedano
Over there, across a couple of blinded-by-the-light grey roofs and assorted HVAC ducts, underneath the canopy, all old and faded. Behold the remains of
América Tropical, a mural painted on a Los Angeles wall by David Alfaro Siqueiros 80 years ago and whitewashed shortly thereafter.
"In a way, the whitewashing preserved it," one docent avers, pointing to the richer coloring at the right, a section that had been whitewashed earlier by disillusioned patrons whose vision of tropical America included lovely colorful people and happy native dancing girls.
What America got from el maestro is an undulating jungle surrounding a native nailed to a double cross upon whose crown perches a fierce eagle. ¡Ajua!
The mural also signals the benefits of painting on wall substrates. Nelson Rockefeller jackhammered a Diego Rivera fresco off the walls of that arts patron's building in Manhattan. In El Lay, where easy solutions prevail, city powers tagged the wall with their own gang color.
The mural, the only publicly accessible Siqueiros mural in the United States, is conserved. Numerous visitors ask about preservation, or repainting. The mural, whitewashed and exposed to ample ultaviolence by its south-facing wall, has faded past the point of ever being more than what it is.
A Getty-led conservation team has managed to remove the obscuring layer of paint and some tar stains, and has protected what remains from further degradation now that it once again finds the sun and elements. Black and white fotos exist of the mural, making impossible any ill-conceived wild hair notion to repaint.
Visitors to the observation platform must simply marvel at what that wall once said in its own voice. Downstairs, in the interpretive center, a trio of Siqueiros' muralist descendants--Barbara Carrasco, Wayne Healy, John Valadez--recreate
America Tropical in grand scale, reproducing those B&W frames taken back in 1932.
Opening day packed the space shoulder-to-shoulder. Such heavy demand must account for the elevator being out of service on my second visit. Access to the viewing deck, without that elevator, is restricted to able-bodied gente.
The spectacular corn mural in the stairwell is the compensation for stressed knees. Below, Angelica Garcia, a principal in a
Fontana tax firm, takes a breather for a snapshot with her daughter.
ATIC adds an important cultural dimension to school field trips to the birthplace of Los Angeles. I visited in 4th grade around '54. The place remains largely unchanged, a single file of curio and dulces-selling puestos down a cobbled pasillo flanked by restaurants, mid-scale boutiques, and recuerdos. ATIC fills a space midway down the street, next door where my primos' shop, Casa de Sousa, used to sell quality artifacts and espresso.
Thelma Reyna Reviews Pat Mora's Borders
La Bloga friend and guest columnist Thelma Reyna continues with
her exploration of classic works by Chicanas, a project Thelma's engaged in conjunction with Latinopia. The multifaceted Latinopia features historical and historic video features picked from filmmaker Jesus Treviños exhaustive archive of the movimiento, along with coverage of art, food, music, literature; la cultura en general.
Among the beauties of reassessing classic works is the likelihood of introducing readers new to these seminal expressions, to foundation literature that has influenced what they read today. Beginning at the beginning helps develop an informed critical understanding of everything read.
Among the classics Dr. Reyna has reviewed are
House on Mango Street, Nilda, Loving In the War Years. Latinopia currently features Thelma's appreciation of Pat Mora's poetry collection,
Borders.
Her book goes on to evoke and explore borders large and small, known and unknown, old and new, faint and glaring. The poet draws on her lifetime of living on and near borders, beginning with her birth in El Paso, Texas, her home for most of her life before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, Mora has straddled the border between cultures and languages, has navigated the “like” and “unlike” for her entire life. As her book depicts, borders can be cruel or innocuous, but they ultimately reveal us to ourselves.
Cruel Borders of Hardship
Her book is filled with snapshots of people from all walks of life, people identifiable for their hardships as much as for their triumphs. Mora starts with the famous pioneering author and university leader, Tomás Rivera, whose hands “knew about the harvest,/ tasted the laborer’s sweat” but also “gathered books at city dumps
You can read Thelma Reyna's full review at
Latinopia here. The classics series also features
polymath Luis Torres, who reviews male writers, with Thelma Reyna covering women writers. La Bloga encourages gente to visit Latinopia's literary cornucopia.
Count on La Bloga to continue our de vez en cuando
reviews of the old stuff, too. You can join in as a reader, or a
guest columnist. For comments and questions, click the Comments link below, and be sure to subscribe to your comment to receive reader comments.
The Closet of Discarded Dreams Book Tour Makes Pasadena Stop
Author Rudy Garcia joined a handful of guests--writers and artists--in Pasadena to talk books, science fiction fantasy writing, Rudy's novel, and the upcoming Latino Book & Family Festival.
 |
Hugo Garcia tells J. Michael Walker and
Alfredo Lascano about La Dolce Vita. |
One aspiring novelist arrived early, expressly to quiz Rudy on the mechanics of getting his first book published.
Garcia replied with the classic question, "what's your book about, in 25 words or less?"
Rudy stopped the novice around the 800th word. The lessons from pro to beginner: know your own stuff and get it written, then worry about the rights.
Rudy Garcia noted the rarity of Chicana Chicano science fiction and fantasy titles, making
The Closet of Discarded Dreams a pleasingly unique opportunity for scifi readership, but uniqueness an obstacle to publisher decision-making.
Discussion ranged widely across writers, titles, and story lines, then divagated to revolutionary new waves in film, and authenticity in historical fiction, and other genres.
Discussion segued into an ideal moment for Rudy to take the floor and read two passages he selected that illustrate his book's surreal exposition and the author's ability to write funny.
Short story writer and poet Angel Guerrero basks in the ambiente of good friends, new friends, good reading and listening. Then cracks up at one of Rudy's funny passages.
Painter,
cartographer,
portratist, J. Michael Walker absorbs the performance from his artist's eye.
Novelist Sandra Ramos O'Briant observes as Jesus Treviño documents Rudy Garcia's reading in this living room setting. Treviño will showcase the reading in a future
Latinopia.
Beyond the reading at Casa Sedano, Rudy appeared at Tia Chucha's Open Mic on Friday, the LB&FF, then a reading at Tia Chucha's Sunday afternoon.
The Closet of Discarded Dreams heads to a science fiction writers conference in Colorado then San Antonio.
Banned Book UpdateStill banned.
No big news out of Tucson. Vote like Freedom depends on it, because it does. Give Obama a Democratic Congress and let the nation see the return of bipartisanship to government. Give the GOP power and they will ban more books, just as a beginning.
On-Line Floricanto Mid-October 2012Avotcja, Sharon Elliott, Tara Evonne Trudell, Andrea Mauk, Tom Sheldon
ALGO DE TI, Avotcja
The Fence, Sharon Elliott
Dual Citizenship, Tara Evonne Trudell
Second Story, Andrea Mauk
Columbus through tiny eyes, Tom Sheldon
ALGO DE TIby AvotcjaTu pelo,
Abrazando su propia negrura
Como el color de medianoche en la manígua
Tu ser,
Un cuento vestido en sabiduría anciana
Una sabiduría agridulce
Sabiduría con sabor a colores de miles de flores
Bestial y arrogante
Una seda desenvoltura
A la vez inmóvil, pero misteriosa
Y como la noche de luna
Esclava de nadie
Eternamente libre como el viento
¿Y Otoño?
Siempre hay otoño,
Riendo, llorando, y bailando
En la negrura de tus ojos Indios
Tus ojos sabios
Tus ojos orgullosos
Tus pies ya caminaron por unos miles de siglos
En las tierras de tres continentes
Por los sueños de los afortunados
Por las pesadillas de los que nos engañan
Y porque tu eres quien eres tu,
Crecen las flores donde caminaste
Los Dioses me dicen
Que tu piel tiene el sabor de miel salvaje
Mientras que el viento canta tu nombre
Como yo ..… como yo
Y tu eres el color de amor
El color Moreno
El color prieto
El color Indio
El color de mi felicidad
El color de amor ….. eres tu
SOMETHING ABOUT YOUby AvotcjaYour hair,
Embracing its own blackness
Like the color of a jungle midnight
Your being,
A story dressed in ancient wisdom
A bittersweet wisdom
Wisdom that
Tastes like the colors of thousands of flowers
Arrogant & wild
A smooth flowing freedom
That's at the same time stubborn, but mysterious
And like the moonlight
A slave of nobody
Infinitely free just like the wind
And Autumn?
Autumn is always laughing, crying & dancing
In the blackness of your Indian eyes
Your wise eyes
Your proud eyes
Your feet have walked
Through thousands of centuries
On the lands of three continents
Through the dreams of the fortunate
Through the nightmares of those who deceive us
And because you are who you are,
Wherever you’ve walked flowers grow
The Gods tell me,
That your skin tastes like wild honey
While even the wind sings your name
And so do I ….. so do I
And you are the color of love
The color brown
Very dark brown
A dark red Indian brown
The color of my happiness
You ….. are the color of love!
The Fenceby Sharon Elliottsin vergüenza
Germany pulled theirs down
artifact of Nazis
with joy
celebration
Berlin united
pieces of brick
and stone
now inhabit the globe
in memory
of tyranny overcome
we
construct new fences
of wire and steel
to keep out ciudadanos
los que son
dueños de esta tierra
quienes que nos dieron
una bienvenida de corazón
nos cuidaron
nos regalaron una cama para acostarnos
nos alimentaron
con maíz y amor compartido
y que hicimos nosotros?
what did we do?
we accepted their gracious gifts
then stole their land
pushed them off
enslaved them
and their children
treated them as interlopers
in their own home
now we build fences
to keep them away
from what is rightly theirs
what hardened our hearts
blinded our eyes
withered our souls
money is a simple answer
privilege and power
more complex
yet the
foundation of those fences
bears more scrutiny
es una pobreza de alma
corazones sin sangre
como podemos vivir así
sin lo que alimenta a uno o el otro
tear those fences down
stand in our humanity
wield sledgehammers
wire cutters
bulldozers
machetes
y en un solo golpe
tear those fences down
until we do
we will not be whole
we will continue to be ghosts
fragmented spirits
alone
disconnected
and afraid
Dual Citizenshipby Tara Evonne TrudellAnswers lie
when their truths
don't add up
whitewashing politicians
diluting
intelligent thoughts
puppet shows
debating
who's in control
slandering smiles
blinding white
control
Americans hanging on
to every word
taking their minds
off humanity
the wanting
of righteous law
breaking politics
playing ping pong
hitting hard
manipulating tactics
of manifest destiny
corporate sponsors
running the game
monopolizing
earth
colonizing
brown
people backed up
against
invisible walls
guns drawn
border agents
playing warfare
targeting migrants
killing softly
our song
500 years
of proving
we belong
to our earth
erasing their borders
in sand
willing breaths
we fall
before we stand
in barrios
in canyons
in homes
uniting
dual citizenship
past
their make believe
land
their misleading debate
loudly continues on
in a world
our spirits
do not belong.
Second Storyby Andrea MaukNo matter where you live,
you exist on top of a
failed, conquered civilization.
You walk upon footsteps of buried wisdom,
upon people who understood
the whispers of the winds,
the nutritional medicinal value of
each plant and
the reason to respect each animal,
upon 'pagan' engineers, architects and astronomers
who learned the formulas taught
by the sun and moon and stars.
You walk on the skulls of those
sacrificed in ceremonies
we will never fully understand,
you guffaw at their Gods and
their nectars and their dances
as you marvel at the
modern technology that
distracts you away from the fact
that our planet, our earth,
our way of life is spinning out of control,
and you are standing on top of
land grabbed without regard to
the wisdom of civilizations
who may have understood
our existence
better
than we.
Columbus through tiny eyesby Tom Sheldonsister Marie taught us about an Italian sailor
who shaved every day and carried a bible
he brought us pork n beans
warm blankets n fry bread
he brought farmers and soldiers
and discovered us
bringing Original sin and horses n dogs too
all on ships sent to aid the white man’s domination of Mother earth...
Is it entirely appropriate that this most auspicious day, be a day of mourning, ashes and weeping.
biosALGO DE TI by Avotcja
The Fence by Sharon Elliott
Dual Citizenship by Tara Evonne Trudell
Second Story by Andrea Mauk
Columbus through tiny eyes by Tom Sheldon
Avotcja (pronounced Avacha) is a card carrying New York born Music fanatic/sound junkie & popular Bay Area Radio DeeJay & member of the award winning group Avotcja & Modúpue. She’s a lifelong Musician/Writer/Educator/Storyteller & is on a shamelessly Spirit driven melodic mission to heal herself. Avotcja talks to the Trees & listens to the Wind against the concrete & when they answer it usually winds up in a Poem or Short Story.
Website:
www.Avotcja.org Email: mailto:
LaVerdadMusical@yahoo.comBorn and raised in Seattle, Sharon Elliott has written since childhood. Four years in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua and Ecuador laid the foundation for her activism. As an initiated Lukumi priest, she has learned about her ancestral Scottish history, reinforcing her belief that borders are created by men, enforcing them is simply wrong.
LaVerdadMusical@yahoo.com
Andrea García Mauk grew up in Arizona, where both the immense beauty and harsh realities of living in the desert shaped her artistic soul. She calls Los Angeles home, but has also lived in Chicago, New York and Boston. She has worked in the music industry, and on various film and television productions. She writes short fiction, poetry, original screenplays and adaptations, and is currently finishing two novels. Her writing and artwork has been published and viewed in a variety of places such as on The Late, Late Show with Tom Snyder; The Journal of School Psychologists and Victorian Homes Magazine. Both her poetry and artwork have won awards. Several of her poems and a memoir are included in the 2011 anthology, Our Spirit, Our Reality, and her poetry is featured in the 2012 Mujeres de Maiz “‘Zine.” She is also a moderator of Diving Deeper, an online workshop for writers, and has written extensively about music, especially jazz, while working in the entertainment industry. Her production company, Dancing Horse Media Group, is currently in pre-production of her independent film, “Beautiful Dreamer,” based on her original screenplay and manuscript, and along with her partners, is producing a unique cookbook that blends healthful recipes with poetry and prose.
A message from Claudia D. Hernandez
Dear Friends,
I am launching my very first Indiegogo effort to fund my latest project: TODAY'S REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN OF COLOR Book and Photography Exhibit
I NEED YOUR SUPPORT to cover costs such as book editor, art designer, exhibit costs and book publication which will be given as a GIFT to every young girl who attends the exhibit
The deadline to back this project is December 9th!Please, watch my video and then click on the pink button that says "Contribute now" and donate $1
Share the video with your friends and family to help spread the word. Please forward this email to your friends and organizations that you know might help. Thank you for supporting education and community through the arts!
Please visit
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/258398?a=1644733The Closet of Discarded Dreams
Texas Book Tour
Oct. 25-31, 2012
Bloguero Rudy Ch. Garcia will be visiting Texas. Come and discover the Closet of Discarded Dreams.
HOUSTON
River Oaks Bookstore
Friday Oct. 26, 2012 5:00 – 7:00pm
3270 Westheimer
Live on-air interview on Tony Diaz’s Nuestra Palabra –
Latino Writers Having Their Say, KPFT 90.1fm, Tue. Oct 23, 7:30pm CST
SAN ANTONIO
Southwest Workers Union
Sun. Oct. 28 3:00
1416 E. Commerce
The Twig Book Shop
Sun. Oct 28 5:00
@ The Pearl Brewery
Palo Alto College Guadalupe Hall #119
Tuesday Oct. 30 12:50
1400 W. Villaret Blvd.
Great Day SA interview
on daytime TV program, KENS5 in San Anto
Sun. Oct. 28 beginning at 12:00 noon.
By:
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on 11/12/2012
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5 stars Bible Detective: A Puzzle Search Book Peter Martin Lion Children's Books 48 Pages Ages: 4+ .............. ……………………. Are you a super sleuth? Have you got an eagle eye? Back Cover: This book is a treasure trove of fabulously detailed pictures from the world of the Bible. You’ll have hours of fun trying to [...]
I know so many people love Jerry and Eileen Spinelli, especially if they have met them. Below is Jerry’s schedule for his HOKEY POKEY Book Tour. You will notice Jerry and Eileen are going to be together in PA and then Jerry goes off to DC, PA, MA, and NY. If you live in any of those areas, you might even want to let the teachers you know of the opportunity. They are always e-mailing me to see if I can get Jerry to visit their school. They might like the chance to ask him in person.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
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Melinda Palacio
On Sunday, I met with my first book club, the Stanford Chicano/Latino Alumni Association Book Club of Southern California. It was a good thing the eight alumni met in Pasadena. This meant that after driving from Santa Barbara to New Orleans, with numerous stops in between and returning in a fiendish schedule of one night and two days to cover two thousand miles in order to do a book signing at the Book Den in Santa Barbara last Thursday and then attend a wedding reception on Saturday, I only had to drive to Pasadena and not Stanford Sunday morning. As you can guess from my long-winded sentences, I’m pretty tired from all the driving, but each stop offers new opportunities that make me grateful for venturing out to promote my debut novel,
Ocotillo Dreams. I never had a quinceañera, but I guess the book tour is like one big quinceañera without the fancy gown and tiara. The expenses are comparable and I must certainly rely on the book’s madrinas and padrinos for lodging, meals, and sales.
Sunday’s madrinas and padrinos were the Stanford Chicano/Latino Alumni Association Book Club of Southern California. The host was our very own, Michael Sedano, of La Bloga. He was one of the first readers to review my book on La Bloga and to give his very strong opinion of the characters in Ocotillo Dreams. It’s too bad he is not a member of Amazon and cannot offer his review. Anyone who has ever ordered from Amazon can review any book or simply press the ‘like’ button if they enjoyed the read. Michael served up a mean menudo. I was a little congested and cruda from the previous night’s party when I arrived, but a little menudo helped. He also had coffee, juice, mimosas, and champagne, along with pan dulce, tortillas, and all the usual fixings for menudo, including fresh oregano from his garden.
The Stanford Chicano/Latino Alumni Association Book Club of Southern California
I was pleasantly surprised from the vigorous comments of the Stanford alumni and a little relieved that there were no snarky comments about me being a Cal alum (Stanford’s rival). Michael was kind enough to wear his Berkeley Dad sweatshirt and Concepcion mentioned that she also had a daughter who went to Berkeley. This group had much to say about my book. For the first fifteen to thirty minutes (what seemed like an eternity), I was allowed to listen to the group discuss my book as if I weren’t in the room. A fly on the wall is how someone put it. Then came the defense. I was allowed to speak and answer questions such
Hi folks.
Couple things to share with you…First, NextGenWriters.com has a super post up. A new one from a fellow NextGenWriter who’s willing to share what it has been like to share his writing and receive both raves and critiques. It’s a can’t miss! Plus, there’s a writer’s call at the end of the post, so hop on over…now:).
Secondly, wait, you’re still here? Go to NextGen then come back!
Okay, secondly, for those of you hoping to join us for NextGenWriter’s Live at the EDGE, sorry. No-can-do. This teacher is out with the flu. Yuck! In lieu of this week’s lesson, click the NextGenWriter’s Live link above (or here) for the information that we would have reviewed. Next week’s class is off for the holiday, so I’ll see you Wed., Nov. 30. Bring a sample of your writing AND your character from last week’s assignment.
Thirdly, I’ll be hopping around WI next week. Join me and a few sweet friends at Fireside Books and Gifts on Sat., Nov. 19 or at Random Lake Public Library, 6:30pm on Monday night, Nov. 21 (still playing with some fabulous writer friends). Lisa Lickel and I (my mom, too if you’d like to meet her:D) will be hitting some of the Madison book stores on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Hope to see you sometime soon!
Now, I’m curious. What is your favorite Thanksgiving food you’re dying for? Mine’s my mom’s stuffing. It has bacon in it. ’nuff said!:D
Today’s guest post from Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer, is part of the virtual book tour for her newest book marketing guide, Virtual Book Tour Magic.
Whether you’re writing articles or doing interviews, a virtual book tour is your opportunity to shine in front of a targeted audience of potential book buyers.
Here are some tips for creating killer content that will showcase you and your book:
- Don’t underestimate the amount of time that it will take to create the content for your tour, and start as early as possible. You may find it easier to block out several days and get a lot of articles done at once, or at least get the rough drafts done for polishing later.
- First, make a list of potential article topics and feature stories. For nonfiction books, use your table of contents for ideas.
- It’s a good idea to vary the type of content, with how-to articles, interview articles, book excerpts, feature articles, book reviews by tour hosts, audios and videos.
- Find out if your hosts prefer a particular word count. You may find article guidelines on their websites, observe the length of other articles on their site, or just ask. About 400 to 700 words is typical.
- Read your hosts’ blogs to get a feel for the content and style of the blogs you’ll be writing for.
- Write your best stuff and proofread carefully.
- Add a short introduction to the beginning of the article, explaining that it’s part of your virtual book tour and linking to the tour page. Your tour host may expand on this introduction.
- To increase the odds of getting traffic to your tour posts from search engines, use important keywords in the title and the article. My favorite tool for finding keywords is the Google Keyword Tool.
- Include a call to action at the end of your articles, with a link to where readers can buy the book.
- For audio interviews, find out if your host prefers to send you a list of questions or if it’s best for you to write the questions. Provide the interviewer an introduction and a conclusion that contain information about your book and where to buy it.
- Plan to send articles or interview questions to your hosts at least 10 days in advance and schedule this on your calendar. Be sure to include your book cover image and photo.
To learn how to organize your own successful virtual book tour, check out my new Virtual Book Tour Magic guidebook for authors.
Book Tour Special: Order Virtual Book Tour Magic by December 12 and you’ll get an invitation to an exclusive book tour Q&A session with Dana on December 15.
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FUGITIVES author Alexander Gordon Smith is coming to the US to tour!
Here are his upcoming events:
• March 5, 2012: Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, WA), event at 7 PM (with Robin Wasserman)
• March 12 or 13, 2012: Books, Inc (San Francisco, CA) “Not Your Mother’s Book Club” event at Time TBD
• March 15, 2012: Public Library Association Conference (Philadelphia, PA), “Young at Heart: YA with Adult Crossover Appeal” panel
• March 17, 2012: Children’s Book World (Haverford, PA), event at time TBD
• March 19, 2012: New York Public Library “Teen Festival”, event at 5:30 PM
By: Hazel Mitchell,
on 2/16/2012
Blog:
Hazel Mitchell
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Here's the thing, 'Hidden New Jersey', which I illustrated and is published this month is a book about another state. I live in Maine. It's a fair way to New Jersey. I don't have a lot of money available for big launches and travel.
I wanted to help with promotion ... but to be frank, I live in a very rural area of Maine, there are limited resources and limited opportunities to promote. And it's a hard sell ... a book about Maine will draw some people to book store signings - but a book about a state outside New England? NOT so easy.
This is not a huge book and the publisher had limited resources for it.
The answer for me FIRST was a BLOG TOUR. Like a book tour, but in virtual space. There are all sorts of sites out there to help you set one up, but here's what I did:
One of the most fun things about the blog tour was that Simon and Schuster illustrator, Debbie Ohi, created this fun sketch for her blog interview with me! Thanks Debbie!
UTILIZE YOUR ONLINE CONTACTSI have, over the last couple of years,
built up contacts with a good network of writers and illustrators who blog. So where better to start? I put a post on Facebook /Twitter/Google/SCBWI listserv asking for anyone who would be interested in taking part in my virtual book tour. To my surprise I got quite a few takers.
SET UP THE SPECIFICSNext I drafted an email to all of them with details about my book, a press release from the publisher, a PDF copy of the book, links to my website, the
book trailer I created and email for the author so that they could ask her questions to. (I let her know first!)
I also sent high res jpegs of the book cover, me and a couple of images from the book if required.
I asked bloggers to schedule a date during the month of promotion (so they wouldn't all get clumped together). I also asked if they would be interested in doing a giveaway on their blog, which most took advantage of. It's a great way for them to get people to their blogs too ... a good deal for both of us.
Most of the bloggers sent me questions to answer as part of the review. I didn't send back standard answers - it was more fun and more interesting to answer individually and if people read the different interviews, they would find out something new each time. Anyway, it seemed like courtesy to me.
APPROACH THE BIGGER BLOGGERSI did approach some of the bigger blogs, and was happy that a few of them took me up on reviewing the book. Although I didn't do a giveaway on these blogs, the exposure was invaluable. With the bigger review blogs you have to dig some times to find the info to submit your book ... and some require you to send a physical copy. Some big blogs only review books that they are personally interested in and specifically do not want submissions, and some only from the publisher themselves.
KEEP YOUR PUBLISHER INFORMEDI kept my publisher's marketing contact at Charlesbridge informed of activities and that they complimented what they were doing. They were happy to send review copies to many of the bloggers, which then were used as the giveaways on the blog. A couple of the bloggers were
Welcome to Author Terri Guiliano LongTerri Giuliano Long is the bestselling author of the novel In Leah’s Wake. Her life outside of books is devoted to her family. In her free time, she enjoys walking, traveling, and listening to music. True to her Italian-American heritage, she’s an enthusiastic cook. In an alternate reality, she might be an international food writer. She lives with her family on the East Coast and teaches at Boston College. In Leah’s Wake is her debut novel.
LINKS:INTERVIEW:What is one book everyone should read?The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. This powerful novel transports us to a harsh post-apocalyptic world, where humans have been reduced to animal instinct—for the inhabitants of this world, murder and cannibalism are a means of survival.
In this unforgiving environment, McCarthy gives us a tender, elegantly rendered father and son. In their travels, the man and his son meet horrific challenges and hardships, yet they face each challenge with dignity and grace. Near death, the man says to his son: "You have my whole heart. You always did.” Years after reading the novel, the love of this father and son—their amazing bond—awes and inspires me.
This stunning work ends unexpectedly, with a promise of rebirth and renewal.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?Almond Joy. In my novel, In Leah’s Wake, there’s an ice cream stand called Sullivan Farms, run by Bob Sullivan. Bob is a real person. Sullivan Farms Ice Cream is located in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. Bob’s homemade Almond Joy ice cream is to die for.
If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose?Jesus. Growing up Catholic, I don’t think I fully appreciated the historical Jesus. A few years ago, considering a PhD in theology, I took two grad courses. The critical analyses fascinated me—literary, historical, archeological, feminist, etc.—and I realized how relevant the readings continue to be. From a humanist perspective, Jesus was a brilliant man with a tremendous capacity for love and forgiveness. He loved, trusted and forgave even those who didn’t deserve love, trust or forgiveness, and he forgave out of strength, not weakness. I’d love the chance to learn from him.
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?If I could eat anything at all without gaining weight, I’d start each day with a stack of pancakes with butter and maple syrup. In the real world, I typically go for a low-ish fat protein. In San Francisco, Dave and I enjoyed a wonderful egg white omelet with broccoli, arugula, leeks and goat cheese. That’s now my favorite breakfast treat.
Night owl, or early bird?I was an early bird for most of my life. Lately, because I tend to over-commit and am usually behind in my work, I’ve turned into a night owl. I also hate to miss anything.
Pet Peeves?Selfishness and entitlement bother me. We share one world with limited resources. Circumstances sometimes require privileging certain people – for instance, in a health emergency medical personnel must be first to receive medical attention so they can care for the rest of us
I've spent the last week in Missouri doing six different author events. Here are some highlights (...the times I remembered to take my camera):
Springfield, Missouri: The Library Center
I've never seen a library this amazing! There's a gift shop, coffee shop, gorgeous children's wing, and a variety of programs for all sorts of readers.
I did my Buckboards, Buffalo Chips, and Bloomers presentation, an interactive talk about the American Frontier.
I also met blogging friend and librarian extraordinaire Sarah Bean Thompson, of
Green Bean Teen Queen.
Here I am taking a snooze while signing books.
Neosho, Missouri: book club
These colorful ladies are members of my mom's book club. Anyone remember
my post about The Little Nippers, my mom's childhood club? Three Nippers are in this picture. My mother also enjoys napping while pictures are taken.
Dad and Mom
By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka,
on 6/11/2012
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While I stay mostly close to home and the coast, I do have a few book events in the summer months.
June 13, 6 p.m.: Providence, RI - I'm beyond honored to be included in this exhibit:
RISD ICONS: A Legacy of Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. The show will run June 14-24.
June 16, 10:30 a.m.:
Arlington, MA - Fox Branch LibraryJune 23, 1 p.m.:
Newburyport, MA - The Book RackJuly 12, 11 a.m.:
Lenox, MA - The Lenox LibraryJuly 21, time TBA:
Somerville, MA - Epic event with Jef Czekaj at Arts BeatIt's HIP AND HOP and PUNK FARM! The Jay Z/Linkin Park mashup of kids' books!
It all happens at the Somerville Theater in Davis Square!
August 8, 3 p.m.:
Framingham, MA - Framingham Public Library Hope to see you soon!
JJK
And if you are a public library in Northeastern Mass, New Hampshire or Southern Maine, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Gina at gina@studiojjk.com. She'd be happy to help set something up for you, as we spend our summer months in coastal New Hampshire! My presentation fits in perfectly with the Dream Big summer theme. Download a brochure here.
Today I have the pleasure of featuring Nancy Sanders and her newest book
Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities.Nancy is an amazing author of over 75 published books - see what I mean about being amazing.
Okay, let's get into it.
Featured Book:Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 ActivitiesBy Nancy I. Sanders
Author’s site:
www.nancyisanders.comBook’s site:
www.FrederickDouglass.wordpress.comPurchase the book on Amazon at:
http://tinyurl.com/7opjcn4Book SynopsisFew Americans have had as much impact on this nation as Frederick Douglass. Born on a plantation, he later escaped slavery and helped others to freedom via the Underground Railroad. In time he became a bestselling author, an outspoken newspaper editor, a brilliant orator, a tireless abolitionist, and a brave civil rights leader. He was famous on both sides of the Atlantic in the years leading up to the Civil War, and when war broke out, Abraham Lincoln invited him to the White House for counsel and advice.
Frederick Douglass for Kids follows the footsteps of this American hero, from his birth into slavery to his becoming a friend and confidant of presidents and the leading African American of his day. And to better appreciate Frederick Douglass and his times, readers will form a debating club, cook a meal similar to the one Douglass shared with John Brown, make a civil war haversack, participate in a microlending program, and more. This valuable resource also includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and web resources for further study.
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHORTradebook Tips for Teachers from Children’s Author Nancy I. Sanders
Is this book suitable for classroom use?Frederick Douglass for Kids is a great classroom resource in elementary, middle school, and high school classes on U.S. History! It’s the perfect tool for studying about the life and times of Frederick Douglass, abolitionists, the Civil War, and early civil rights leaders. It includes short biographies of key black leaders during the years before the Civil War. Its timeline of the influence of black troops during the Civil War features information never before found altogether in a children’s book. It takes facts typically only studied at the university level on this topic and presents them in a student-friendly format. It presents the life of this true American hero, Frederick Douglass, in an inspirational way to motivate students to take a stand for what they believe it and make a difference in their world just as Douglass did.
Are there any teaching resources available for use with this book?I also write teaching resource books for Scholastic Teaching Resources, so I designed a teacher’s study guide to use with this book. These worksheets include chapter-by-chapter evaluation questions, a Civil War letter to write, a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the life of Frederick Douglass with Martin Luther King Jr., and more! You’ll find these free worksheets to download and print on the book’s website at:
www.frederickdouglass.wordpress.com/teachers-and-librarians/I also designed a set of printable bookmarks to distribute to your stu
It's Jef Czekaj Week here at StudioJJK! On Wednesday at 5:40 pm EDT, tune into SiriusXM's Kids Place Live (channel 78) to here me interview Jef on The Book Report with JJK! Jef combined his love for turtles, rabbits and rap to create one of the most exciting new picture book series in
Hip & Hop!
And then on Saturday, July 21st, come by ArtBeat in Somerveille, MA! Jef and I will share a stage and it will be a punk/rap KidLitPalooza with Punk Farm and Hip & Hop. We'll take the stage at 2 pm! If the heat doesn't melt your ice cream, the rock will!
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I love the trailer, too! 
Your husband and niece (and you) did a great job!.jpeg?picon=2982)
Tori, it was so much fun seeing your name in this context instead of just SCBWI-related stuff
Adorable illustrations on your site (that Kathy did!) and the book looks SO cute 
I hope you really enjoy your signing at the bookstore tonight. Congrats!
Great interview, Kathy! Tori, I can’t wait to get my signed copy. Mega congrats! Woo-hoo!
Congratulations, Tori! Your book sounds adorable! Enjoy all the fun (and hard work, I know) surrounding a book debut!
Hi Tori,
Your interview with Kathy was wonderful.
I popped over to your site and I love your mice.
Congratulations on your new book.