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I’ve just returned home from Big Sur on Cape Cod, a wonderful mentoring weekend for children’s book authors and illustrators organized by Andrea Brown and her most-successful-in-the-US literary agency, in coordination with Lisa Rehfuss. This event is held annually in California, and for the first time was offered here in New England (lucky us). The […]

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#02 Jack and the Wild Life

Series: The Berenson Schemes
Written by Lisa Doan
Illustrated by Ivica Stevanovic
Darby Creek         9/01/2014
     144 pages    Age 9—12

“After a wild plan by his parents left Jack stranded in the Caribbean, the Berenson family decided to lay out some rules. Jack’s mom and dad agreed they wouldn’t take so many risks. Jack agreed he’d try to live life without worrying quite so much. Then Jack’s parents thought up another get-rich-quick scheme. Now the family’s driving around Kenya. An animal attack is about to send Jack up a tree—alone, with limited supplies. As Jack attempts to outsmart a ferocious honey badger and keep away from an angry elephant, he’ll have plenty of time to wonder if the Berenson Family Decision-Making Rules did enough to keep him out of trouble.” [book jacket]

Review
The Berenson family adults are constantly trying to find an easy way to make a fortune, conjuring up one odd scheme after another. Jack is the one that pays the price for these awful plans, while his parents wander through life unaware of most everything around them, including their missing son. This makes for many comical situations and gives the series its heart. This time, the Berensons fly to Africa, Jack in tow, because, as Dad tells Jack,

“Your mum and I have invented a brand-new kind of tourism . . . a surefire moneymaking opportunity.”

They plan to build a tourist camp where people can live like a real Maasai tribe. Using mud, sticks, grass, and more mud, Jack’s parents plan to build the Maasai mud-huts tourists will gladly rent to experience tribal life (and a fence to keep out the lions). The best part of their plans, the two adults believe, is they need no money to build their attraction—Mother Nature supplies the materials. Jack is not thrilled. He finally had a “normal” life, a home, parents who held down real 9-to-5 jobs, and a new friend—Diana. Once summer began to fade into fall, Jack’s parents could no longer do that “grind.” But this time things will be different: Jack’s parents will plan ahead, not take any risks, and not lose Jack. Changing their ways proves more difficult than the parents thought, as things do not go as planned, risks are taken, and, well, Jack . . . he ends up in a tree.

Poor Jack, now he is in Africa, stuck up a tree, while his parents—yet to realize Jack flew out of the rented Jeep—are trying to find the guide for their new camp. Jack must protect himself from animals on the ground and the ones that can get past the fence he built around the tree. He sleeps in the tree, eats in the tree, and fears for his life—and the life of Mack, Diana’s stuffed monkey—in the tree. The last time his parents had a get-rich-quick scheme, Jack feared for his life on a deserted island. (#1 – Jack the Castaway reviewed here).

The Berenson Schemes is a wonderful series, especially for kids that wish they could take control. With roles reversed, Jack acts more the parent, setting rules and following through. Meanwhile, Jack’s parents act more like spoiled, unruly children, who care about themselves first and Jack second. They do love their son, but cannot get it together as adults. In book #2, Jack and the Wild Life, the family has new decision-making rules in the hopes that Jack’s parents will be parents that are more responsible. As Jack makes a tree-bed out of duct tape and reads his Kenya guide, he thinks maybe the rules are not working as he had hoped they would.

I love the black and white illustrations. Stevanovic does a great a job of enhancing the story, giving readers a view into Jack’s situation and his emotions. I wish I had more images to show readers. The full-page illustrations are fantastic and have been in both books. By the end of the story, Jack’s parents may see the errors of their ways and promise Jack they will try harder to change . . . until the next edition, when they tire of being adults, devise a new scheme, and hook Jack into their plans. The Berenson Schemes #2: Jack and the Wild Life is great fun and I look forward to each new scheme and Jack’s consequences for merely being his parents’ child. Kids will love the mayhem Doan creates and the magic in Stevanovic’s illustrations. Book #3: Jack at the Helm, released this past March, 2015.

JACK AND THE WILD LIFE (THE BERENSON SCHEMES #2). Text copyright © 2014 by Lisa Doan. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Darby Creek, Minneapolis, MN.

Purchase Jack and the Wild Life at Amazon—Book Depository—iTunes—Darby Creek.

Learn more about Jack and the Wild Life HERE.
CCSS Guide for Teachers HERE.
Meet the author, Lisa Doan, at her website:  http://www.lisadoan.org/
Meet the illustrator, Ivica Stevanovic, at his website:  http://ivicastevanovicart.blogspot.com/
Find more middle grade books at the Darby Creek website:  http://bit.ly/DarbyCreek

Darby Creek is a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

The Berenson Schemes

 

 

 

#01 – Jack and the Castaway – 2015 IPPY Gold Medalist for Juvenile fiction

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Copyright © 2015 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

Review section word count = 518

Filed under: 5stars, Books for Boys, Favorites, Library Donated Books, Middle Grade, Series Tagged: Africa, Darby Creek, family, get-rich-schemes, Inc., Ivica Stevanovic, Jack and the Wild Life, Jack at the Helm, Jack the Castaway, Kenya, Lerner Publishing Group, Lisa Doan

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Dixie Wants an Allergy

by Tori Corn & Nancy Cote, illustrator

Sky Pony Press      4/01/2014

978-1-62087-991-7

Age 4 to 8      32 pages

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“It’s Dixie’s first day of school, and some of her classmates are sharing about their allergies. Bridget tells of her wheat allergy and how she gets to order a special meal from restaurants, Dixie thinks that must be a really special meal! And Charlie had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance once due to his dairy allergy. Dixie thinks that must have been thrilling! Dixie races home and begins to eagerly search for the slightest sign of an allergy. After many failed attempts, Dixie discovers she is allergic to something after all. But is getting what you wish for actually as exciting as it once appeared?”

Opening

“On the first day of school, Dixie got to know her classmates. Some of them said they had allergies.”

Review

Have you ever wanted something so much you would do almost anything to get that thing? Dixie feels that way about having an allergy. Her kindergarten classmates talk about special bracelets, special restaurants meals, special school snacks, and even special rides in an ambulance, all because they have an allergy. This all sounds grand to Dixie. She goes home and begins searching for her allergy.

Dixie crawls under her bed and sniffs week-old, rank socks and dust bunnies. Nothing happens. She sniffs fresh flowers and waits. Nothing happens. She eats handfuls of pistachios and waits. It works! She gets a stomachache. Mom says she just ate too many pistachios. Oh.

Are you laughing yet? Dixie is a cute little girl. Of her six new friends, three get special treatment because of an allergy. I doubt Dixie understood an allergy is like being sick, and it is definitely not fun. None of her new friends were complaining about their allergy or saying it was a bad thing to have. Maybe Dixie should have asks some questions as she admired the allergy bracelet.

I do love her ingenuity when giving herself spots. Dixie must have a little understanding about allergies. Of course, those red spots do not itch or raise up into a welt. The illustrations use backgrounds of blue and yellow. Even the sky is yellow to represent a hot day. If Dixie had noticed the pinpoint eyes on her classmates, she would have noticed the allergy kids—except for special restaurant meals kid—were not happy when telling of their allergy.

Kids will enjoy Dixie Wants an Allergy, but it is best suited to kids with siblings or friends that already have an allergy, as a way of explaining the disease. According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of all school-age children have an allergy. To help explain the “special treatment” of some students, teachers of young children can read the kids Dixie Wants an Allergy.

I really love the illustration of Dixie marking herself with a red marker, hoping a fake allergy would be as much fun as a real allergy. I don’t have that spread to show you, but when you do see it, it will give you a belly-ache-laugh, especially if you have kids. The author doesn’t leave the story just yet. Dixie goes to school and tells her new friends about her allergy. Then comes a twist. A new thing to be jealous of and wanting for yourself. It’s always something, right? Here is a hint: it involves a photograph.

I like Dixie Wants an Allergy. The story will hold children’s attention, it will make them laugh, they might learn to be careful of what they wish for (as they might just get it), and the twist will start up a new topic of discussion—laughs and smiles included.

 

Buy Dixie Wants an Allergy at Amazon—B&N—Sky Pony Press—your local bookstore.

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Learn more about Dixie Wants an Allergy HERE.

Meet the author, Tori Corn, at her website:  [http://toricorn.com/

Meet the illustrator, Nancy Cote, at her website:   http://nancycote.com/

Find more books at the Sky Pony Press website:  http://www.skyponypress.com/

Sky Pony Press is an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

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Also by Tori Corn

 

 

 

 

 

Also by Nancy Cote

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Filed under: 5stars, Children's Books, Debut Author, Library Donated Books, Picture Book Tagged: Allergies, children's book reviews, Inc., Nancy Cote, picture books, Sky Pony Press, Skyhorse Publishing, Tori Corn, watch what you wish for

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The Race

by Édouard Manceau

translated by Sarah Quinn

Owlkids Books, Inc.     4/15/2014

978-1-77147-055-1

Age 3 to 7     64 pages

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“A group of caribou gather to run a race that begins at one line and ends at another. But what happens in between? The caribou engage in some rather outlandish tricks in order to be the first to cross the finish line. But in the midst of this titanic struggle for victory, some of the caribou stop to question the merits of their single-minded pursuit of winning at all costs. Follow this hapless herd of caribou in a race to the finish. Who wins? You decide.”

Opening

“It begins with a guy, a can of paint, and a paintbrush.”

Review/The Race

One inventive caribou lays down two lines:  one at the beginning and one at the end. He picks up a megaphone and shouts to the racers, who are limbering behind the start line. Six caribou—male, in case you were wondering—warm-up for the race. The starter’s gun gets the racers ready, and set, and number 4 takes off! Unbelievable. Unheard of. Under the starter’s gun, number 4 is marched back, front legs in the air.

The idea of six caribou racing from one line to another line is silly. They have a number stuck to their belly and wear running shoes of assorted colors. The hard-working caribou that painted the lines, and holds the starter’s gun, looks angry. Maybe because he’d rather race than officiate, but he cannot. It would be improper. A conflict of interest. A sure —“BANG!”

Number 5 jumps into the lead, the others not far behind. Wait, what is that in number 5’s hand? Why it’s a . . . Oh, no! The back five tumble into each other. A caribou-clog stops all traffic on the track; they are the traffic on the track. Now number 5 has an insurmountable lead. Even quick caribou couldn’t overtake him now. Wait, what is that? It’s a motto.

“Quitting is not an option!”

I love the scene where the five clumsy caribou sit on the sideline, tended to by caribou doctors. I mean, doctors who are caribou. One listens to a heart, another glues—gorilla glues—an antler that snapped in two, while the third sports scissors and orange gauze, wrapping up bruises, and gashes, and sprains, and anything else you can imagine are under those bandages.  Amid all the broken caribou and the medical supplies is the cause of the caribou clog-up; the thing number 5—and they are off!

Number 6 takes a fast second place. Wait, now what is on the course? A green truck!? Great, the caribou will be hit, clog up the racecourse, and need more medical attention. Where is the lead caribou? Oh my, the injured racers are all kiting toward him. Flying closer and closer, the five straggling racers have surpassed number 5! WAIT! Why are they stopping for water . . . fish . . . electrolytes? Number 5 is sure to retake the lead. Where is number 5? He’s where . . . up there!? Looks like number 5 is out of the race, folks.

One of the funniest things about The Race is the twists and turns that pop out of nowhere. The caribou all want to win, no matter the cost. They are making bold moves, possibly illegal-to-caribou-racing moves. Young children will love The Race. Zany and fast paced, the illustrations tell the majority of the story. Each spread has only one or two sentences. For example, here is the start of the race:

“That brings a bunch of other guys who start bending and twisting.” [spread 3]

“Then the first guy comes back with a pistol, and everyone freezes.” [spread 4]

“Sometimes, one of them tries to get away.” [spread 5]

“It doesn’t usually take long to catch him. That’s called a false start.” [spread 6]

The words don’t always seem related to the action. The above example could have been a criminal line-up as easily as the start of a race. I like how that possible confusion emphasizes the role and importance of illustrations in picture books. The two parts — Look, someone took off, leaving the refueling station and the rest of the racers behind! He is quickly moving away. Look at that lead! Wait, here come the rest, led by number 3 holding an empty bottle in his hoof. With one eye patched—after the caribou clog up—it is quite possible he will miss number 4. Oh, but look! Right behind 3 is number 1 carrying a fish, and he is not eating it.

Number 6 finishes his drink on the run, then he and number 3 shove those bottles onto number 4’s antlers. Number 3 takes the lead with 6 on his hoof “heels.” What a caribou. Numbers 1 and 2 pull up the rear. Number 2 has avoided last place all race. Wait! Number 1 surpassed number 2! Poor number 2, he looks so pooped. Look! He tore off his number. The caribou is hoofing it home. He quit.

If they are extremely competitive, from sports or video games, kids might call that caribou a quitter. I don’t think he is a quitter. Did he really quit or decide racing is not for him? He went home, spruced the place up, and now enjoys himself and his home. He did take number 2 home for a souvenir. It lays on his —Number 4 is in a hole! Number 6 looks on viciously at the top-heavy caribou. That caribou is as mean as he looks. What is he doing to . . .

Phew! A review amidst a race makes for a long post. I think I will stop now. You’re welcome.

Messages. The Race’s messages include whether winning at all costs is worth the win. Is hampering the other players with tricks so you can win fair play? Who really won this race? The first banged up racer to cross the finish line or the racer who realized it was not worth the cost and quit? I coached kids for seven years and know the players’—and parents’—win-at-all-cost attitudes often harms the child. Kids are better off learning to enjoying the journey—while playing hard, trying to win—win or lose. Not everyone can win all the time and not everyone deserves a trophy. That’s life. Games are a way to prepare kids for adult life. Many of those caribou will end up in caribou jail if they live as they played.

When The Race arrived, I quickly read it, as I do all picture books. Then I read it again. Then I shared it. I think The Race is a hoot. Messages aside, The Race has multi-level humor that “cracked me up.” Kids and parents will adore this book. Not only will parents not mind repeat readings, kids will read it on their own, using their imagination to “write” the text as they read. Those stories might be the best as the child makes The Race their own.

THE RACE. Text and illustration copyright © 2012 by Édouard Manceau. Translation copyright © 2014 by Sarah Quinn. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Owlkids Books, Inc., Berkeley, CA.                               **Originally published in France under the title La course in 2012 by Éditions Milan.

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Buy your copy of The Race at Amazon—B&N—Owlkids Books—your local bookstore.

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Learn more about The Race HERE.

Meet the author/illustrator, Édouard Manceau, at his website:   http://edouardmanceau.blogspot.com/

Meet the translator, Sarah Quinn, at her website:

Find top-notch books at Owlkids Books, Inc. website:   http://www.owlkidsbooks.com/

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Also by Édouard Manceau

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Since 1999, Édouard Manceau has been an author and illustrator.
He draws for the press, publishes games, and books for children from two years.
Édouard has published over a hundred children’s books so far, translated into many countries.

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*The jump in review number is due to reviews never numbered from last year. Everything is correct.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you noticed that the review number jumped up a few, you are very astute. I am not. I missed several reviews that had a title other than a book title. Noticed one, so I checked them all. Now I am on review 581. Not fudging the numbers, but rather fudging up in my counting. So sorry if this caused you any mathematical harm, as none is intended.

Filed under: 5stars, Children's Books, Favorites, Library Donated Books, Picture Book Tagged: Édouard Manceau, caribou, cheating, children's book reviews, foot race, good versus bad sportsmanship, Inc., Owlkids Books, quiting a game or sport, Sarah Quinn, The Race, who is the real winner?

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Welcome to day 2 of Children’s Book Week and another great book is up for grabs.Today is also a Boo Blog Tour date here at KLR for Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew: The Super-Secret by Melissa Moraja, who is also the publisher.The Wunderkind Family Series is a wonderful chapter book series for kids becoming more confident in their solo-reading and ready for longer books.

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The Wunderkind Family Series: Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew: the Super-Secret

by Melissa Perry Moraja

Melissa Productions, Inc.          5/5/2014

978-0-9898293-2-8

Age  6+        156 pages

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“Up until a few days ago, nothing extraordinary had ever happened in ten-year-old Josh Wunderkind’s life—except eating a whole pot of pasta by himself. But that all changed after a mammoth-sized raptor hit him smack on the face with a glob of neon green bird poop, triggering his superhuman Wunderkind ability and leaving him with the responsibility of caring for a baby raptor he named Max. But what Josh didn’t realize was that being super extraordinary wasn’t all fun and games. Especially because he was still living in the shadows of his older brother Jake’s greatness.

“And things only got more complex in Josh’s life when his two siblings and a couple of neighborhood friends persuaded him to lead a super crime-solving, neighborhood news teams—the Gumshoe News Crew. But not before they agree on the Super-Secret and complete Gumshoe Boot Camp. Find out what the Super-Secret is. Will the Gumshoe News Crew complete boot camp? Or will Josh let his team down?”

Opening

“My name is Josh Wunderkind. I’m ten-years-old and up until a few days ago, nothing in my life had been super.”

The Story

Josh Wunderkind finally receives his superhuman powers when a raptor dropped glob of neon-colored poop in his eye. Having finally received his superpower, Josh is overly excited, wanting to it show off in school—until big brother Jake sets him straight about the importance of keeping superpowers a secret. Instead, the three siblings and two friends—and Max—make up the Gumshoe News Crew. Their goal is to keep the neighborhood safe under the guise of a newspaper crew, with Josh as leader, but not until they all passed the Gumshoe Boot Camp Jake set up.

 

Review

I enjoyed the newest story of the Wunderkind kids. The kids make a good group and tell a great story. The arrival of Josh’s super-powers will have kids laughing—a good laugh. The real star of the story is little Max, the baby raptor left behind after Josh receives his powers. The series is a great set for boys.

Max initially sticks by Josh out of fear but then stays there out of a growing partnership that works. Max is cute, resourceful, and quick to understand English and body signals making him a much-needed member of the Gumshoe News Crew. Like the Wunderkind kids, Max is super-powered but not super-perfect. I hope the little raptor grows up slowly and sticks around.

The only problem with Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew: The Super-Secret. The title story does not begin until a bit past mid-story, when it should begin early, if not the first chapter. Though many may not notice, or even care, this is a long time to expect readers to wait for the title story. Change the title or rearrange the chapters. The later would be easiest.

Overall, Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew: The Super-Secret will delight readers. The story is good—really good—and flows nicely from page to page and chapter to chapter. The characters are terrific and you find yourself rooting for all six of them. Kids will enjoy the humor, baby Max, and even dad, who will not tolerate any more animals in the house, and then does. Surprises at every turn will keep kids turning the pages. They will keep reading because the writing will not let them go. Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew adds one more engaging chapter book to the Wunderkind Family Series.

THE WUNDERKIND SERIES:  JOSH AND THE GUMSHOE NEWS CREW:  THE SUPER-SECRET. Text and illustrations copyright © 2014 by Melissa Moraja. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Melissa Productions, Inc., Matthews, NC.

Learn more about The Wunderkind Series HERE.

Buy Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew at Amazon—B&N—iTunes—your local bookstore.

Meet the author/illustrator, Melissa Moraja at her website:   http://www.notyourordinarypsychicmom.blogspot.com/

Find the publisher, Melissa Productions,at companny website:  http://melissaproductions.com/

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Mother Daughter & Son Book Promotion Services Book Blog Tour

The Wunderkind Family Series: Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew: the Super-Secret

Today WS Momma Readers Nook (Review) ~~ The Ninja Librarian (Review) ~~ Kid Lit Reviews (Review)

May 13 Mel’s Shelves (Review) ~~ Heart of a Philanthropist (Review)

May 14 Once Upon a Time (Review) ~~ We Are the DinoFamily (Review) ~~ 4 The Love of Books (Review)

May 15 Dawn’s Disaster (Review) ~~ Purple Monster Coupons (Review)

May 16 Nanna of 3 and Counting (Review) ~~ Musings by Jay Faulkner (Review) ~~ Lisa Cresswell (Interview)

May 17 Jemima Pett, Author (Review) ~~ Storytime Books (Review)

May 18 The Squishable Baby (Review) ~~ Stitch Says (Review)

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BeachBoundBooks (Review) ~~ Bookworm for Kids (Review) ~~ A Leisure Moment (Review)

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys (Review) ~~ Kay LaLone I Love Books (Review) ~~ Brooke Blogs (Review)

Alwaysjoart (Review) ~~ Chris Weigand, Author (Review) ~~ The Hippie Bookworm (Review)

Let’s Talk About Books (Review) ~~ Sunshine, Bubbles & Books (Review) ~~ Adalinc to Life (Review)

The World of ContestPatti (Review) ~~ Oh My Bookness (Review) ~~ Unschooling Mama (Review)

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$25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: June 3, 11:59 pm, 2014

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget:   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Melissa Perry Moraja and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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Filed under: 4stars, Books for Boys, Children's Books, Contests-Giveaways, Library Donated Books, Series Tagged: Chapter book, children's book reviews, Inc., Melissa Perry Moraja, Melissa Productions, Mother Daughter & Son Book Promotion Services, neighborhood watch groups, superkids, superpowers, Wunderkind Family Series

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Pure joy = being hugged by a group of 40 happy K-1st graders who have all made me gifts!

Yesterday I was reminded that being a children’s book author is a privilege to be treasured. I visited two After School Programs Inc. in SW Miami-Dade. As I stood before all those smiling faces who had been reading Lilly Badilly and listening to the CD for a few days before I arrived, I could feel their excitement and eagerness to learn. Kids are indeed like sponges waiting to soak in the world around them. And when they read my book and listen to the CD before I arrive, it makes the author visit all that more special.

I love it when the kids are eager to ask questions and share personal stories, and the behavior of these kids was PERFECT!

For starters, After School Programs, Inc serves thousands of children daily in Broward, Miami-Dade, Collier and Orange Counties. I instantly felt connected to the local Program Director Nikki Elliot, who hired me to do the author visits. Her energy, dedication and vision for educating the many children in the After School Programs is to be highly commended. She travels through Broward and Miami-Dade Counties from end to end every week, ensuring that the teams have what they need to thrive. She is a wealth of terrific ideas and realistic solutions. Likewise, the Site Directors, Ms. Moorley and Ms. Clark, running the programs at the two schools I attended, were wonderful too. The grant-based resources the organization provides, offers children in our communities opportunities that may not be available otherwise to learn and thrive. I love the fact that After School Programs uses their time with the children to educate them beyond the general school day, yet in a ways that are also entertaining and enriching.

The children love it when I show them the paint brushes, given to me many years ago by my late grandfather, I used for my illustrations in the book.

I’m disappointed that there’s more negative than positive information in the press about education in Miami-Dade in general. From where I stand I see dedicated, caring and patient teachers and aides in our schools, camps and after care programs, who work tirelessly to educate our children and ensure their safety. Teachers and administrators obviously cannot control the home environments of the children, but they can and do work miracles; I see it all the time. If only our residents could experience what transpires where children are being educated, they too would be more appreciative of those who care for them on  a daily basis and discover that there is a whole lot of good out there.

Highlights of the day included dancing and shaking our booties, being asked by a 2nd grader how I got so famous (I wish!!), being given stacks of hand drawn thank you notes and Costa Rica illustrations by the students and being treated to an excellent performance of one of the songs on my CD by four children. I also had an opportunity to share some ideas about how to read more and practice writing, in creative and fun ways.

I was presented with piles of thank you notes and illustrations I will cherish for years to come!

A proud student shows me her special thank you card.

Four darling students perform a song they learned by heart from the Lilly Badilly CD entitled “I’m on my Journey.”

So this is why I get out there, dressed as a millipede and do author visits whenever I can. These kids are our future, and I’d say our future is looking bright.

Many thanks go out to to Nikki Watkins for inviting me to visit the After Care Programs, to Julia Banks from West Perrine Park for recommending me to the After Care Program, to Principal Wright and Site Director, Ms. Moorley from R. R. Moton Elementary and Site Director and teacher, Ms. Clark at Beckford/Richmond Elementary. Thank you so much for  making me feel so welcome and giving me the opportunity to speak to your wonderful students!

 

 

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I've had many projects on hold for awhile, my book one of them.  The others were stripping wallpaper and getting my back entry painted, getting the backsplash finished in my kitchen, giving my living room a face-lift, plus creating new programs for the kids at the library.  Each one had stalled, all with good reasons.  Then the universe shifted and all started moving again with me the pivot that will either make it successful or end in ruin.

My photographer called and we set up an appointment.  A wonderful lady from the Ottawa Times called and we set up an interview time.  The newspaper photographer called and we set up an appointment.  The interior designer I talked to called and we set up a talk session for revamping my livingroom.  The artist called, apologized for not calling sooner, but she had suffered that awful cold that so many have had and now that she's better, we set up a time for her to come see my back entry. 

In the meantime, I'd sorted through what I want for a book cover and sent the ideas to my gals so they could have some input on what they thought was the best cover.  Some were on vacation, some were so quick in replying I hadn't had a chance to think how I would use their ideas.  But their thoughts flooded in and I was overwhelmed with their enthusiasm!!  It makes me excited all the more to share my book with the world.

Then the weatherman told us snow was on the way.  We've been waiting all winter for more snow.  My phone started ringing again.  Yes, Monday would be great, come on over, we'll miss the storm that way.  More phone calls came for re-scheduling for Tuesday morning before the big storm hit.  That was great too.  I don't want anyone left out in bad weather because of me. 

Despite the inclement weather, my plate grew increasingly crowded.  The above picture is the result of a photo shoot in my home - thank you Mary and Josh Hamer.  I'm a horrible candidate.  All I really wanted to do was giggle with a camera in my face.  But they endeavored to persevere and got a decent shot of me.  Kate Reynolds, newswoman, arrived for my interview and we discovered we're both librarians and we chatted about our love of books as well as my upcoming release.  The interior designer, Julie, arrived and told me my livingroom could be saved.  She had wonderful ideas and I'm anxious to see what she has planned. 

Tuesday the newspaper photographer arrived and despite my giggle affliction he clicked off several shots.  I have no idea if I will look like a buffoon or not.  Soon after the artist, Kathy arrived and she came up with clever ideas to make my back entry interesting and not so blah.  From there I headed for work only to discover we were closing due to bad weather.  My program planning will have to wait and for that I'm thankful because I really can't think of anything more right now.

Life doesn't stop and for that I'm grateful, but a little breather now and then is good.  I really need to begin planning a blog tour and if you are so inclined to ask me, I promise to chat about lots of things, and not just my book.  I'm a firm believer that the more real an author becomes to the public, the better chance the book has for success.

Til next time ~

DL Larson

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Among the many movies discussed at Disney’s D23 conference (we’re most excited about ‘Monsters University,” the prequel to the beloved “Monsters, Inc.” As the title suggests, the film will focus on Mike and Sulley at school way... Read the rest of this post

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First Book was in Milwaukee last week, getting books to kids. We’ve been on the road a lot this summer; we try to spread our massive book distributions across the country so that schools and programs that can’t afford the shipping costs for the free books can still get what they need for the kids that they serve.

We are very happy with our books. We have had to stop getting them if we have to pay for shipping because there is no money in our budget. I have looked for grants to pay for books, but so far in vain. These will last us for a while. Thank you!

Lynn Flynn, PADS Crisis Services, Inc., Chicago

It was as hot in Milwaukee as it has been everywhere, we are sorry to report, but despite the heat we managed to get over 400,000 books distributed, almost a quarter of those to programs in Wisconsin and nearby areas.

As always, we got the chance to meet lots of amazing people:

• the men and woman who work with kids in need every day
• the hard-working volunteers that lug boxes and load station wagons with books
• the partners – like NewThreads of Hope – who loan us the warehouses
• and the publishers – like Disney Publishing Worldwide – who provide the books.

It takes a lot of people to make these book distributions possible, and we are grateful. We’re also grateful to the fine people of Milwaukee for having us. Go Bucks!

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It’s heavy work in the world of book publishing at present, with Hachette Book Group confirming that they are one of the unlucky publishers that will miss out on payments from the beleaguered Borders, Inc USA, as the bookstore closes a major book distribution plant in the mid-west costing 300 jobs.

Now for the second time in four months, like a game of chess, the leadership has changed at the book publisher of novels by such distinguished authors as Sen. Edward Kennedy and Christopher Hitchens.

Author-editor-producer Susan Lehman has been forced out as publisher of Twelve after taking over in September. Twelve is an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, which announced Jan. 11 in an company email shared with The Associated Press that associate publisher Cary Goldstein will replace Lehman effective immediately.

“Susan Lehman is an extremely insightful, creative and talented editor,” Grand Central executive vice-president and publisher Jamie Raab said in the email. “Unfortunately, the role of publisher just wasn’t the perfect fit.”

Lehman had yet to acquire any new books for Twelve, designed to release just 12 books a year, one every month. But Raab told the AP that obtaining new books was not a factor that toys in her decision and otherwise declined to offer a specific reason beyond saying that being a publisher is “an all-encompassing job” that can take years to learn.

“Had I had more time, I’m certain I could have failed on my own demerits,” Lehman wrote in an email to the AP. “But 12 weeks isn’t enough time to do even that. It’s a wonderful imprint. I had lined up great play chess and non-fiction writers for terrific books I hope will find their way into print. Cary Goldstein has a great job and I wish him well.”

Lehman has worked in a variety of christian book publishers fields, from editing at Riverhead Books to producing television documentaries.

Jonathan Karp started Twelve in 2005, but left in June to head the flagship trade imprint of Simon & Schuster. Twelve’s bestsellers include Kennedy’s True Compass, Hitchens’ Hitch-22 and Sebastian Junger’s War.

Grand Central is a division of the Hachette Book Group – also associated with major children’s publishers and toy shops in New York.

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Google aims to use its position as the world’s most popular search engine to erode Amazon’s dominance of e-books in the book publishers industry, while Apple Inc harnesses the iPad tablet and iTunes online store to make its own inroads. The competition means Amazon’s share of digital books will decline to 35 per cent over the next five years from 90 per cent in early 2010, New York-based Credit Suisse Group AG estimated in February.

With Google’s effort, each publisher is negotiating different revenue-sharing arrangements, though all of them will keep the majority of the money from each sale, the person said.

Michael Kirkland, a spokesman for Google, confirmed the company’s plan to start an online bookstore this year. He declined to comment further about the project.

Google Books, a separate initiative to scan books and offer publishers ways to sell them online, has been held up in court until a settlement with publishers is approved.

Fair advantage?

An accord between Google, the Authors Guild, and other authors and book publishers would resolve a 2005 lawsuit that claimed Google infringed copyrights by making digital copies of books without permission. In February, the US Justice Department recommended altering the agreement. The agency argues that Google will gain an advantage over competitors.

Amazon.com, Microsoft Corp, AT&T Inc, and the governments of Germany and France also objected to the agreement, saying it would give Google unfair control over digitised works.

Google fell $26.40, or 4.5 per cent, to $555.71 yesterday on the Nasdaq Stock Market, following an announcement by the European Commission that it’s probing the company’s business practices. The shares have declined 10 per cent this year.

The Wall Street Journal reported on the e-book store yesterday.

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Richard Branson’s Virgin Digital Book Publishing company on Tuesday launched “Project,” a digital lifestyle magazine, exclusively for distribution on the Apple iPad.

The magazine, which will reportedly feature multimedia content, will be priced at US$2.99 an issue.

This is the second digital magazine created exclusively for the iPad announced by a major company; the first was “The Daily,” from News Corp. (Nasdaq: NWS), which is scheduled to be launched next year.

Will Virgin’s endorsement of the iPad as a publishing platform undermine publishers’ consortium Next Issue Media, which is trying to squeeze Apple by launching a digital newsstand on the Android platform early next year?

The Book Publishing Project Has Landed

“Project” was created jointly by Virgin Group and UK multimedia book publisher Seven Squared. It’s a monthly magazine that will change as often as minute-by-minute to give readers up-to-date news.

The publication is based around design, entertainment, technology and entrepreneurs. It will have its own staff, and it will also encourage contributions from the public.

“Project” is edited by Anthony Noguera, formerly editorial director of men’s lifestyle magazines at H. Bauer, the largest privately owned publisher in Europe. The publication’s art director is Che Storey, formerly of Arena and Men’s Health magazines.

The cover story for the first issue focuses on Jeff Bridges. Other subjects include Yamauchi Kazanori, the developer behind the “Gran Turismo” game series.

“Project” claims to have landed top-flight advertisers, including Lexus, American Express (NYSE: AXP), Panasonic, Ford UK and Ford Canada.

Readers Heart Digital

Consumers apparently love their tablets — an online survey of more than 1,800 consumers conducted by Harrison Group and Zinio in September found that 13 percent of consumers are interested in buying a tablet-based device within the next 12 months.

The survey also found that 55 percent of tablet and e-reader owners who read digital content are consuming more digital content than they expected, and that 33 percent are spending more on buying digital content.

That led the Harrison Group to forecast sales of more than 20 million tablets and e-readers next year.

“This is a continuation of the trend in that you’ve got a whole host of devices that are receptacles for Internet-based content,” Frank Dickson, a vice president of research at In-Stat, told MacNewsWorld. “You’re seeing reconfiguring of content, which is already in digital form for another medium, whether it’s the iPad, the Nook, the Kindle or the smartphone,” he added.

“Before the iPad, book publishers tended to think they had to choose whether consumers wanted to read content in print or in digital format,” Jeanniey Mullen, a spokesperson for Zinio, told MacNewsWorld. “Now they’re finding people may love print, but they want digital access as well so they can take their digital device with them and read on the go.”

The Agony and the Ecstasy of the iPad

The iPad has forced the publishing industry to take digital media seriously, Mullen said.

“When the iPad came out in April, it was the first time that the publishing industry began committing design and strategic resources to building up digital readership,” Mullen explained.

Strong consumer demand has made the iPad the spea

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Today we bring you our weekly sampler of the cool youth media and marketing gigs. If your company has an open position in the youth media or marketing space, we encourage you to join the Ypulse LinkedIn group, if you haven't yet, and post there... Read the rest of this post

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Hannah Ehrlich and her colleague, Miriam, work in Marketing & Publicity at LEE & LOW BOOKS, INC. They got caught reading two authors of color’s books.

“I’m reading G. Neri’s new graphic novel YUMMY, and Miriam’s reading her perennial favorite, WHERE ON EARTH IS MY BAGEL by Frances and Ginger Park.

The great thing about working at a publishing house is when you need to take a break from staring at a computer, you’re never at a loss for something to read!”

 

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My good buddy at Twitter, Carol Hampton Rasco, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.,  sent me the following e-mail tonight:

“It is 9 p.m., has been a long day at the office and I suddenly realized there was no one left here at the Reading Is Fundamental Office with me to take the photo tonight;  I am out tomorrow through Monday on travel, and I didn’t want to forget to take a photo.  SO, I did a self portrait with the Blackberry camera (a first for me), and here it is, worn out look and all! 

I have just finished ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia, published by Amistad, an imprint of Harper Collins; recommended for ages 9-12, a great book!”

Thanks so much, Carol! 96 left to go!!!

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Today we bring you our weekly sampler of the cool youth media and marketing gigs. If your company has an open position in the youth media or marketing space, we encourage you to join the Ypulse LinkedIn group, if you haven't yet, and post ... Read the rest of this post

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Today we bring you our weekly sampler of the cool youth media and marketing gigs you can expect to find on our Ypulse Jobs Board. If your company has an open position in the youth media or marketing space, we encourage you to post there. Post a... Read the rest of this post

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Lana Goldsmith, Intern

John A. Neuenschwander is professor emeritus of history at Carthage College and the municipal judge for the City of Kenosha, Wisconsin. He lectures nationwide on the legal aspects of oral history. His new book, A Guide to Oral History and the Law, explains all the critical legal issues, including legal release agreements; copyright; privacy; screening, editing, and sealing procedures to protect against defamation; the protection of sealed and anonymous interviews from courtroom disclosure; the role of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs); teaching considerations; and the new issues raised by the use of interviews on the Internet. In the post below, he examines false light lawsuits against oral history as told in Weird Ohio. Check out his other OUPblog posts here.

Weird Ohio, a travel guide to Ohio’s “Local legends and Best Kept Secrets,” was published in 2005. In addition, material from the book was also posted on a website, forgottenoh. In early 2008 Melissa Duer, a descendant of one of the 19th century founders of a historic grist mill, filed a lawsuit against the authors of the book, the publishers, and the creator of the website for trespass to land and two privacy torts: false light and unreasonable publicity to one’s private life. Duer alleged that because of claims in the book and on the website the woods near her home, the Staley Mill, were haunted; there had been repeated instances of trespass and vandalism by ghost hunters. These hunters/seekers were looking for the ghost of “Old Man Staley.”  According to the authors of Weird Ohio, three brothers, Elias, David, and Andrew Staley built a unique double waterwheel grist mill in the 1820s. One of the brothers, which the authors of Weird Ohio never identified, “One night according to legend, he snapped and murdered his entire family and everyone else in the house, including the servants.” He then took his own life. As a result, “Today, it is said that if you drive down Staley Road late at night, an invisible force will grab hold of your car, causing it to do everything from swerving wildly to stalling out. Some have also reported headlights dying or horns ‘getting stuck’ and honking continually. There are even reports of seeing the ghost of Old Man Staley walking through the woods or pacing around the ruins of his old mansion.” The two page section entitled “Murder and Mayhem on Staley Road” concludes with an anonymous email message describing a mysterious body lying on Staley Road.

While no oral histories were relied upon by the authors of Weird Ohio, the case is still worth examining because of the historical subject matter, the attempt by plaintiff to raise claims of false light and giving unreasonable publicity to ones private life, and lesson of what can happen when a party who is sued fails to respond to a lawsuit. While both of these privacy torts are ones that could form the basis for a lawsuit against an oral historian or program; the first of these, false light, is the one that should raise the most concern. Although it is usually filed in conjunction with a claim of defamation, it can also be filed alone as it was in this case, Duer v. Henderson, 2009 WL4985475 (Ohio App. 2 Dist.).

False light, unlike defamation, allows a party to recover for true statements that create a false impression.

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Today we bring you our weekly sampler of the cool youth media and marketing gigs you can expect to find on our Ypulse Jobs Board. If your company has an open position in the youth media or marketing space, we encourage you to post there. Post a... Read the rest of this post

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