A well-timed, well-executed infographic is always welcome. An exquisitely designed one you didn’t know anyone needed and don’t know how anyone either dreamt up the idea or went on to execute it can sometimes make your day. This was the case with the By the book: What age did the greatest authors publish their most […]
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Blog: Perpetually Adolescent (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: First Books, Infographics, Fiona Crawford, Breakout Books, Add a tag
Blog: Teaching Authors (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford, First Book, first books, Add a tag
As JoAnn and Esther have posted this week, we are celebrating the holidays with memories of first books and a tribute to FirstBook.
My mom grew up in a bookless home. She told me that one day her father did some janitorial work at a school and splurged on a steeply discounted set of Dick and Jane. These were then the only books in her house. No wonder she did not grow up a reader! My dad, on the other hand, was raised in a family of voracious readers. My grandmother always had a thick book in hand -- Maeve Binchy, Rosamunde Pilcher, Danielle Steele. For my grandfather, it was Max Brand and Louis L'Amour. [When he got Alzheimer's, he could reread the complete set and be surprised every time.] My dad reads widely -- right now he is on a Stephen Hunter and Lee Child kick, but he can do a book a day, so he's pretty much read it all.
Pop fiction is our thing (clearly), and I was initially going to blog about the first book I remember reading -- it was a Bobbsey Twins book and it was a Christmas gift from my grandparents (dad's side, of course) the year I was six. My mom discovered the joy of reading when she read me that book aloud, so I think it was a momentous experience for us both.
My first pet was thus a black molly fish named (you guessed it) Peppermint. However, after reading Peppermint, I desperately wanted a pet that I could actually pet. When I was in sixth grade, we finally put the fish behind us and became a dog family. This weekend, we Fords will do the same as we welcome a pup named Molly to our family. This Christmas my daughter is the same age that I was when I unwrapped that fateful Bobbsey Twins book. Together we have just begun discovering the joys of Ramona.
Our house is overrun by books. However, millions of children live in homes without books.
But FirstBook is trying to change that by providing books to children in need.
How can you help us help these millions of children eager to own their very own books?
Easy!
Simply post one comment on our blog from now through December 31. Tell us about your first book, your child’s or grandchild’s first book, why books are important, why children should own their own books.
You can help us spread the word.
You can even make your own FirstBook Donation.
For every comment we receive (one per person, please, and spam doesn’t count), we’ll dona
Blog: Alice's CWIM blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: YA, First Books, Rob Thomas, Rats Saw God, Anne Bowling, 1997 CWIM, Add a tag
Looking Back on CWIM: The 1997 Edition
An Interview with Rob Thomas...
Ah, the one with the lime-green dinosaur cover. It really popped on the bookstore shelves! Weighing in at just over 360 pages and in it's second (and last) hardcover edition, this CWIM included a new and short-lived section of Multimedia markets with submission information from children's software and CD-ROM producers.
What I love most about this edition is that it turned me on to what is still my favorite YA book ever, Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas. (I like the original cover illustrated by Chris Raschka much better than the updated version I linked to.) Thomas followed up his first book with several others then turned to TV, writing for shows I loved like Dawson's Creek and Veronica Mars which he produced. Every few years I pick up his debut novel and re-visit Steve York, Dub, dadaism, and the astronaut. Here's an excerpt from Thomas' First Books interview by my former assistant editor and frequent muse Anne Bowling:
"Getting published for the first time opens a lot of doors. I think the first deal is the toughest," says Rob Thomas, author of the young adult novel Rats Saw God. "Once you've got a book out there, you're in better shape--it's just a lot easier to get publishers to read your work."
With Rats Saw God, Thomas had his work more than cut out for him. Not only was he pitching a first-time novel, but his included substance abuse and explicit sexuality--not the usual territory for the more routine Sweet Valley High-style young adult fare.
"My book is edgy in terms of drug use, and language, and sexual content, and I think it really kind of pushes what can be done in young adult fiction," Thomas says. "I was really considering trying to market the novel as adult fiction."
To young adult novelists, Thomas says focus on the product and write the best book you're able to write. "The best I felt about the process was when I was writing, and not thinking about getting published, or about the audience, or about what was selling or not selling, " he says. "People who talk to me about publishing seem to be putting the publishing cart before the writing horse. So many writer who talk to me about publishing haven't written. Or they've started writing, and they already want to know who to talk to to sell the book. I think your first effort needs to be write a really good book. And selling it will take care of itself."
Blog: Alice's CWIM blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: First Books, debut author, Debut Author of the Month, Add a tag
My First Book Picks Are Picked...
I spent the better part of the week working on the agonizing-yet-fun task of choosing debut authors to feature in First Books in the 2011 edition of CWIM. I've e-mailed all of my chosen ones today. To all those debut authors who haven't heard from me, I will be contacting many of you in the coming months as I resurrect Debut Author of the Month here on the blog beginning in January 2010. (Why does this all sounds so Biblical?)
Thanks so much to everyone who contacted me. I was so thrilled to hear from each of you and so happy to read about your successes (and your books). You should all be very proud.
Happy Halloween weekend to everyone. (Don't forget to fall back--and haunt for an extra hour tomorrow night).
Blog: Alice's CWIM blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: YA, picture books, agents, First Books, MG, Publishers Weekly, debut authors, Add a tag
First Books Lowdown: My Unscientific Findings on New-Author-Friendly Publishers...
Every year since I've been blogging, I've put out a call for debut authors for my First Book feature and every year I post about which publishers are publishing the debut authors who contacted me. Here's the scoop for this year (all of which are in random order because I don't like to alphabetize)...
Publishers who are publishing one of the debut books in my pool:
- Flux
- Carolrhoda
- Flashlight Press
- Scholastic
- Houghton Mifflin
- Albert Whitman
- Dutton
- Blooming Tree
- Holiday House
- Pelican
- HIP Books
- Clarion
- Bloomsbury
- Feiwel & Friends
- Candlewick
- Raven Tree Press
- Delacorte
- Capstone
Publishers who are publishing two or more of the debut books in my pool:
- HarperCollins
- Walker
- Putnam
- Random House
- Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky
- Farrar, Strauss & Giroux
- Simon & Schuster
- Sterling
Only a handful of the debut authors who contacted me said they have agents--I'm sure more do and didn't mention it--and some of those agented writers didn't get their agents until after the first book deal. I heard from plenty of unagented writers.
About half of the authors who contacted me are YA writers, the other half picture books, MG and chapter books, with PBs as the majority.
If you're among the YA authors (or even if you're not) check out Publishers Weekly's report, What Do Teens Want?, a survey of teen über readers. Lots of statistics and charts! (I tweeted a link to this yesterday and was retweeted like crazy.)
Now back to the tough/fun job of deciding who to interview.
Blog: Alice's CWIM blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: First Books, 2008 CWIM, debut authors, WDC09, 2011 CWIM, Add a tag
Official Call for Debut Authors for the 2011 CWIM...
Did you all miss me? I sure missed you (and my blog). But now I'm back from my little vacation and a fab WD conference in New York, my deadline-o-rama is almost over, and it's time for me to start thinking about the 2011 CWIM.
And do you know what that means? FIRST BOOKS! I'm looking for debut author and illustrators who'd like to be interviewed for my "First Books" feature in 2011 CWIM.
If you are interested in being featured in First Books, here are the rules and guidelines:
- Email me at [email protected], subject line "First Books."
- Tell me about your debut book including the title, publisher, genre and approximate publication date.
- The book must be available in some form by November (so it can be read before you're interviewed).
- A cover image must be available by January 2009 (because I don't want to feature a book without showing the cover).
- Please include links to your website or blog if you have one.
- No self-published books please.
- Tell me something fun/interesting/exciting/unusual/inspiring about you/your book/your path to publication.
- E-mails must be received by October 8th.
- I'll be in touch with those I've chosen by the October 30th; otherwise you likely will not hear from me--I simply don't have time to contact everyone, although I wish I could. (I may acknowledge receipt of emails, however, depending on how busy I am and/or how much I do or do not feel like doing other work.)
- Debut authors not chosen to be featured in First Books could be chosen as Debut Authors of the Month which will be resurrected on this blog starting January 2010!
Blog: Alice's CWIM blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: vacation, First Books, Add a tag
What I Did on My Summer Vacation (and a First Books Update)...
Well everyone, I'm back from vacation. The hurricane didn't put much of a damper on beach going. It was a little rainy and a little overcast (which is fine with me because I sunburn at the drop of a hat), and gas was $5 a gallon when were were driving home. It was lovely seeing the ocean and even lovelier watching Murray dance in the surf and play in the sand. Here's a glimpse of his typical day at the beach.
I also had a chance to read through and contemplate all of the email I got from debut authors and I've picked my First Books lineup for the 2010 CWIM. I emailed four of you this morning. So if you haven't heard from me, I didn't choose you for this feature, but you may be hearing from me for something else, like a Debut Author of the Month interview.
Thanks so much to all of you who contacted me and congratulations again on your debut books. I wish I could read them all and interview each of you.
Blog: Alice's CWIM blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: First Books, debut authors, Add a tag
First Books Update...
I'm still going through all my emails from debut authors. I'll be in touch with some of you soon, hopefully next week.
Thanks to everyone who gave me info on their first books--and thanks for being patient. There are a lot of you, which is awesome, but it makes my job harder. (And I'm busy busy busy.)
Blog: Writing from the Lemonade Stand (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: first books, shante' keys and the new year's peas, children's writer, movie buff, shante' keys and the new year's peas, children's writer, first books, movie buff, Add a tag
Well, I didn't have Biff to announce it as he did for George McFly in "Back to the Future," but there was indeed a box delivered to my house Thursday with, you guessed it, books! Copies of MY BOOK! The UPS guy must never have rung the doorbell and I only discovered the box when I went out for the mail.
As Mal and the crew of Serenity would say, "Shiny!" (Can you tell we like movies in my house?)
WOW! I had that book, Peppermint! I loved it. Hadn't seen it or thought of it in years.
I always think of my "first" book as A Hole is to Dig by Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak. It is the first book I remember being able to read all the way through by myself.
My first book, or at least one I remember from when i was very small was called 'Little Engine out west' i think, and it was about the railroads meeting up in the middle of America. (I'm from the UK so the concept didn't mean much, but then i was very young so I enjoyed the story anyway) It was a style of illustration I wouldn't go near now, I feel a bit guilty about that ;-)
Another book was called 'Pusscat's Washing' and was about pusscat losing her washing and going round retrieving it piece by piece from the other animals who were using it in funny and sweet ways. Baby hedgehogs wearing socks as hats for instance.
Once I started to read for myself, Paddington Bear was my favourite, along with William books by Richmal Crompton. My mum still had the ones she read as a child. I still have most of them to this day. I often wonder how he would have coped with adult life. Not well I feel.
anyway, that's me.
cheers,
Jonathan Allen
http://whatisitthatitis.blogspot.com
I cannot remember exactly what my first book was, but I remember loving the Berenstein Bears and Richard Scary's BusyTown. It is so great to now read these books to my kids. However, the books that has stuck with me the most over the years are the Trixie Beldon mysteries. As a preteen, I loved reading about a heroine who was intelligent and fearless. I also loved "meeting" a girl who was not quite a tomboy, but not fully "girly" either - much like myself.
My favorite book growing up was part of Encyclopedia Brittanica, called We Learn About Other Children. It has black and white photographs of children in other countries. I remember that the French Canadian children were my favorite because they made treats from snow and maple syrup. I claimed the book when I found out that my mom still had it after all these years.
I'm not sure it was my first book, but I dearly loved The Velveteen Rabbit, and I read it over and over again to the little girl who lived next door. We're still best friends.
Not sure about my first book - books have been in my life since my baby days - but I do remember checking In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak from the library when my first library card when I was in preschool. Loved Maurice Sendak - and love reading his books to my kids now!
What an awesome post this is!!
The first book I remember reading was The Fire Cat by Esther Averill. I LOVED this book and it's probably responsible for turning me into a cat lady.