I'm coming to see you very soon!

I had great fun visiting your school a few years ago, so I'm super excited to be invited back! Kindergarteners and 1st graders, warm up your singing voices because I'm going to teach you a friendly song! 2nd-4th graders, get ready to go on a "Lion Hunt" and, 3rd-4th graders, I moustache you a question: Do you like gummy worms? I hope so, because I'm bringing lots of them to our writing workshops!

Looking forward to writing and learning and imagining with all of you! :)

I'm coming to see you very soon!

I am SO extremely excited to visit your school next week! I heard about the terrible fire that damaged and destroyed much of your school building. I am amazed and inspired by the way you all pulled together to finish out the school year at a local camp. I am truly honored to be invited to help you celebrate the opening of your new library! Wow... I Can Not WAIT!

Please be extra nice to Mrs. Larson this week because she is working extra hard to make our time together super fantabulous. We'll have fun! See you soon! :)

I'm coming to see you very soon!

I can't wait to visit your schools as part of The Chippewa Valley Book Festival! YAY! It's gonna be fun!!!

See you soon!

:)

I had such a great time visiting with all the 4th and 5th grade students at West Salem Elementary last week! You guys rock! Thank you for making me feel so welcome!

I'm coming to see you very soon!

I'm busy practicing my program, and packing up bookmarks and gummy worms, and getting super excited for our visit on Thursday! Did you know that three of your classmates (and one nice mom) got this whole visit rolling??? It's true and totally amazing. Kara, Josie and Sara -- I can't wait to meet you!!

I hope you all will be extra nice to Ms. Hundt this week because she has been working super hard to organize this event. Seriously, bring her an apple (librarians love apples!) or give her a friendly hug or just tell her, "Hey, Ms. Hundt, you are awesome!"



Show me your smiles, West Salem! See you soon! :)

I'm coming to see you very soon!

Did you know I grew up in Luck? I can't wait to visit my old school and meet all of YOU!

Here's a picture of me when I was your age. In the pic, Lisa (Pedersen) Anderson, and I are walking up and down Main Street, advertising our 4-H craft sale.  I was a Little Butternut 4-Her! Lisa still lives in Luck. Maybe you know her!




See you soon!!

Hi, all~
I'll be signing books at the annual Taste of the Holidays Open House hosted by Burnstad's Market in Black River Falls, Wisconsin this week! Here's all the tasty information:

Book signing with Julie Bowe (that's me!)
Thursday, December 6
3:00 - 6:00 pm
Burnstad's Market
449 Cty Rd A
Black River Falls, Wisconsin

I ho-ho-hope to see YOU there!

W.H. Beck and I had a nice time at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis last weekend. We talked about our publication journeys, read from our books (Malcolm at Midnight and My Last Best Friend), and answered questions from the audience. Then we feasted on book-themed snacks, including "Choco-chunk" cookies and peanut butter rats! Fun times!

I'm coming to see you very soon!

I can't wait to spend a whole week in Tomah! I wonder if I'll see any of these...



or maybe this guy???


Most of all, I hope I'll get to see YOU! Bring your voice. And your thinking cap. And your most comfortable butt-sitting position. Please do not bring any real timberwolves. Or cranberries, unless you plan to share. ;)

See you soon!

I've been a very busy girl the past few months--traveling and writing, writing and traveling! The highlight of my summer (aside from the release of My Extra Best Friend) was spending a week in the Big Apple where I did not eat any apples, but I did enjoy NY bagels, sweet potato fries, and something called "chopped salad" which is probably nothing new to most people, but I don't get out much.

I saw lots of famous sites, visited museums, and bumped along on subways and in taxi cabs. I also stopped by the main branch of the New York public library to see what books they might have around...


I must say, they had a nice selection! :)

Perhaps the highest highpoint of the trip was getting to visit my publisher's headquarters...


The waiting area outside the offices for Dial Books for Young Readers.

...where I met my editor, in person, for the very first time!


Me, with my editor, Kathy Dawson. Look at all those cool books behind us!

Kathy recently received some fantastically great news. Beginning in 2014, she will have her own imprint at Penguin--Kathy Dawson Books! Here is a link to the Publishers Weekly article, announcing the news:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/54035-kathy-dawson-gets-imprint-at-penguin-young-readers.html

I am so jazzed that I get to work with such an amazing editor. And I'm excited that the new story I'm working on now will be a Kathy Dawson Books book! It's the first story in a brand new series. We're still working on the title, but it will be about a group of fourth grade kids who start a club to help people in their community.

And with that, I better get back to work on the story! Happy fall!

The winner of my Extra Best Giveaway is Facebook friend, Jennifer Jean!
Congratulations, Jennifer!

An extra big thank you to the mob of friends and fans who played along! :)





For another chance to win a signed copy of My Extra Best Friend, take part in my giveaway at Goodreads! But hurry! The Goodreads giveaway ends on June 30.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

My Extra Best Friend

by Julie Bowe

Giveaway ends June 30, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

My Extra Best Friend launches today! I'm celebrating with a giveaway. The winner will receive a signed copy of my newest book in the Friends for Keeps series, plus a summer camp kit:



The kit includes notepaper, pencils, sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, and a mini photo album for pics of your BFFs!

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment here or contact me via my website (USA residents only, please!)

I'll announce the winner on June 22. I hope you'll play along!

My newest book in the Friends for Keeps series, My Extra Best Friend, releases on June 14! I'm celebrating with giveaways all month long. Here's the first:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

My Extra Best Friend

by Julie Bowe

Giveaway ends June 30, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

I'm coming to see you very soon! :)

Last month, I drove 500 miles, met 1000 kids, parted company with 150 gummy worms, listened to dozens of creative stories, led "The Lion Hunt" 7 times, and survived 2 fire drills. Whew! A CESA 10 grant made it possible for children's author/educator, Katie McKy,  and me to visit 13 northern Wisconsin elementary schools, presenting large group programs and leading writing workshops with small groups of 4th and 5th grade students. I had a fantastic time!

Here are pics from some of the schools I visited:


Interacting with young readers is one of my favorite things to do!


I always put the audience to work, asking lots of questions.


During my large group program, the students help me tell a story using all of our senses.


Volunteers come up front to help me show the stages that go into publishing a book.


During my writing workshop, we warm up our senses with a group juggle!

Students use "story stones" to write stories. What's a story stone? Come to a workshop and find out!








Girls rule! (And boys are cool too!) :)

If you'd like more info about my school programs, just contact me and I'll send you a brochure!

Spring has sprung in Julie Boweland and I am hippity-hopping all around. Last week, I presented my writing workshop, Sniff...Squeeze...Gulp! Writing Stories That Sizzle at the South Central Young Authors and Artists Conference in Mankato, Minnesota. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Grades 3-9 students came each day to attend a variety of workshops, hone their writing and drawing skills, browse the conference bookstore, and listen to keynote speakers, Jonathan Friesen and Peter Bloedel. I had a blast and, as always, was wowed by the creative tidbits of writing my workshop students came up with. Well done!

This week begins my self-dubbed 13 School Visits in 15 Days Tour! Thanks to a generous grant, I'm visiting lots of Wisconsin area schools, along with another local children's author, Katie McKy. Yesterday, I was at the elementary school in Altoona, Wisconsin. Here's where I'll be in the coming days:
March 14: Jim Falls, Halstad and Stillson (Chippewa Falls)
March 15: Southview and Parkview (Chippewa Falls)
March 16: Hillcrest (Chippewa Falls)
March 22: Mondovi
March 26: Augusta and Cadott
March 28: New Auburn and Gilman 
March 29: Eleva-Strum

I'm excited to meet so many students, teachers, and librarians from all around the area. To see where else I'll be in the months ahead, stop by the appearances page on my website! :)

The snow is falling here in Wisconsin today, but I can already hear campers playing at the beach, smell the lush scent of pine trees and meadow grass, feel the sunscreen on my skin, and taste yummy marshmallows toasted over a crackling campfire. In fact, I can even see bugs! They're buzzing around my website, helping me announce the summer release of the final book in my Friends for Keeps series - My Extra Best Friend!



Available everywhere books are sold on June 14, 2012

Ida is going to camp! Stacey and Jenna are going too. But who is that extra girl?? Here are a few hints:

• She's in fourth grade, just like Ida.
• You met her in My Last Best Friend, although you didn't actually "see" her.
• Ida mentions her throughout the series.
• Her initials are E.E.

You're looking like a champ! Have a happy day!

Love~
Julie

Happy December, everyone!
My 3rd Annual Bookmarks Giveaway was a huge success. Nearly 2000 Friends for Keeps bookmarks will soon be signed and on their way to fans in Minnesota, Michigan, Kansas, West Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Arizona, Georgia, New York, Florida, Maine, Arkansas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin! Thank you to all the teachers, parents, and young readers who participated in the event. This morning, I drew one name for the Friends for Keeps book bundle, which includes signed copies of the first four books in the series, plus a friendly sock monkey!

The winner of the FFK book bundle is Victoria Wilson! Victoria is a language arts teacher at Eisenhower Elementary in Flint, Michigan. Congratulations, Victoria! I hope you and your students enjoy the books and the bookmarks! :)



Happy holidays!

I am officially out of bookmarks! Thank you for so many requests!

Edit to add: I am out of bookmarks now. Thank you, everyone! I appreciate your interest in my giveaway!


************************************************************************************************



Wow, the Bookmarks Giveaway has been a huge success! I'm almost out of bookmarks, so if you have not  yet contacted me, please do so soon. I will keep giving them away until I run out.

Also, if you can limit your request (up to 25 bookmarks), that will help me spread the love further! :)

Thanks, everyone!

Parents! Teachers! Librarians! Young Readers!
It's time for my 3rd Annual Bookmarks Giveaway!

I would LOVE to send some autographed bookmarks your way! Just contact me with your mailing info & the number of bookmarks you would like to receive -- any number from 1-100! I'll autograph and mail them to you in early December. (If you are a young reader, please check with your parents or teacher before contacting me.)



Bookmarks make great gifts for BFFs, stocking stuffers, party favors, and classroom prizes!

In addition, if you contact me by December 1, 2011, I'll enter your name in a drawing for a Friends for Keeps Book Bundle!
The bundle includes the first four books in the Friends for Keeps series, plus a FFK sock monkey!



Don't delay, contact me today!