Congratulations to all the ALA Youth Media Award Winners!

I'm thrilled that this year's Printz Award (as well as the Pura Belpre Author Award AND the National Book Award) went to a novel in verse!

From HarperCollins website

Congratulations to Elizabeth Acevedo and HarperCollins!





On a personal note, I'm also thrilled that my writing friend Traci Sorell won a Sibert Honor award for her nonfiction picture book WE ARE GRATEFUL: OTSALIHELIGA. It's well deserved.

Congrats, Traci and illustrator Frané Lessac!

From Charlesbridge publishing website

And the winner of ADA BYRON LOVELACE is...

First, huge congrats to Laurie Wallmark for the STARRED review of Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine in Publishers Weekly! Here's a link to the review. I'm so happy for you, Laurie. It's well-deserved.

And now... (drum roll, please)

I have a winner to announce! According to randomizer, the winner of the hardcover copy of Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark is...

MICHAEL G-G

Congrats, Michael. Expect an email from me asking for your address. The book will be coming directly from Laurie. So if you want it autographed, I'm sure she'd be happy to do that for you.

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. 

Guest Post from Laurie Wallmark for ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE ... plus a Giveaway!

Today, I'm honored to have my friend Laurie Wallmark take over my blog for a guest post! Laurie and I met at the very first SCBWI conference I ever attended, Eastern PA's Pocono Retreat in 2008. I'm thrilled for Laurie that she's making her picture book debut with Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, coming from Creston Books in October. Giveaway details at the end. Take it away, Laurie!

*   *   *

Guest Post:

Writing a Picture Book Biography

Laurie Wallmark

Writing a picture book biography is not as simple as starting with “She was born on…” and ending with “She died on…” Because of a picture book’s limited word count, this type of cradle to grave biography, with its details of every event in a person’s life, simply won’t work. Instead, you need to choose a focus for your story. In other words, you need a “hook.”

Your hook is your own unique perspective on the person’s life. For picture books, it may be helpful to concentrate on a single aspect of the person’s life, such as: character, childhood, home life, or professional contribution. Any scenes that don’t serve to further the reader’s understanding and appreciation of your chosen facet should be eliminated.

One possible way to focus the story is to limit most of the text to a specific time period in the subject’s life, often childhood. Many people believe this will help children identify more with the person, making the book more interesting. This method works quite well in these three situations: 1) If your subject is famous, so you don’t need to use some of your precious word count explaining her accomplishments; 2) If the subject is known for an activity that children also do, such as painting, working with animals, or sports; or, 3) If your subject works in a profession familiar to children, such as firefighter, teacher, or astronaut. In these cases, the author only needs a line or two of text to sum up the subject’s professional life, because children can fill in the gaps themselves.

Ada Byron Lovelace, the subject of my picture book biography, fits none of these three situations. She’s not famous (yet!). In fact, most people have never heard of her. Few children program computers, though I’m happy to say that’s changing. Finally, most children don’t really know what software engineers do.

I do love a challenge, though. I couldn’t show Ada using computers as a child, since computers didn’t yet exist. Instead, I included events from her childhood to illustrate both her personality and her love of mathematics. In order to introduce children to her professional accomplishments, I gave simple explanations in the text and saved the more technical details for the back matter. My hope is that children will read Ada’s story and be inspired to learn more about her and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Text by Laurie Wallmark, illustration by April Chu,
used with permission, from Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine

ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE (Creston Books, October 2015) is a picture-book biography of the world’s first computer programmer. Ada was born two hundred years ago, long before the invention of the modern electronic computer. At a time when girls and women had few options outside the home, Ada followed her dreams and studied mathematics. This book, by Laurie Wallmark and April Chu, tells the story of a remarkable woman and her work. Kirkus Reviews describes the book as a “splendidly inspiring introduction to an unjustly overlooked woman.” [starred review]

Text by Laurie Wallmark, illustration by April Chu, 
used with permission, from Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine

Join Laurie as she travels from blog to blog to introduce her debut picture book, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine.  

Blog Tour Stops

  

September 12, 2015 - Interview

www.flowering-minds.com     Flowering Minds (Darshana Khiani)

September 15, 2015 - Guest post (STEM and Trade Picture Books)

http://frogonablog.net/     Frog on a Blog (Lauri Fortino)

September 22, 2015 - Interview

http://c-c-hall.com/     Writing and Fishing (Cathy Hall)

September 28, 2015 - Guest Post (About Writing Ada)

http://mybrainonbooks.blogspot.com/     My Brain on Books (Joanne Fritz)

October 2, 2015 - Interview

https://stilladreamer.wordpress.com/     Still a Dreamer (Jeanne Balsam)

October 6, 2015 - Guest Post (Writing About Strong Women)

https://robinnewmanbooks.wordpress.com/     Robin Newman Books

October 9, 2015 - Guest Post (Five Detours on the Road to Publication)

http://www.yvonneventresca.com/blog.html     Yvonne Ventresca's Blog

October 13, 2015 - Guest Post (My Writing Firsts)

https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/     Writing and Illustrating (Kathy Temean)

October 15, 2015 - Guest Post (Acrostic Poem)

http://geekmom.com/     Geek Mom

October 18, 2015 - Interview

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/     The Children's Book Review

October 20, 2015 - Guest Post (Using Ada in the Classroom)

https://rlkurstedt.wordpress.com/     Kaleidoscope (Roseanne Kurstedt)

October 26, 2015 - Interview

https://darlenebeckjacobson.wordpress.com/     Gold From the Dust (Darlene Beck Jacobson)

November 6, 2015 - Guest Post (Five Favorite STEM Women in History)

http://www.viviankirkfield.com     Picture Books Help Kids Soar (Vivian Kirkfield)

November 6, 2015 - Interview

http://info.vcfa.edu/vcfa-launch-pad/     VCFA Launch Pad

Laurie Wallmark writes exclusively for children. She can't imagine having to restrict herself to only one type of book, so she writes picture books, middle-grade novels, poetry, and nonfiction. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. When not writing or studying, Laurie teaches computer science at a local community college, both on campus and in prison. The picture book biography, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books, October 2015), is Laurie’s first book.

Website:          http://www.lauriewallmark.com

Facebook:        https://www.facebook.com/lauriewallmarkauthor

Twitter:           https://twitter.com/lauriewallmark

*   *   *

Thank you so much, Laurie. It was a pleasure having you on my blog.  

And now for the giveaway details. Laurie has generously offered one signed, hardcover copy of Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine to one lucky winner. To enter, you must be a follower of this blog and you must comment on this post. If you mention this giveaway on Twitter or other social media, please let me know in the comments and I'll give you an extra chance for each mention. This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only and will end at 10pm EDT on Sunday October 11, 2015. The winner will be announced on Monday Oct 12, 2015. Good luck!

Annual event at Children's Book World -- and Writing advice from Jerry Spinelli

I was in heaven on November 1st. Or, more precisely, I was at Children's Book World, in Haverford, PA for their annual Author and Illustrator night.

My only regret (besides the fact that I forgot to take photos - kicking myself, here) is that I didn't have enough money to buy a book from each of the more than 30 authors or illustrators present. And of course there wasn't enough time to talk to all of them.

This is actually a photo of Ellen Jensen Abbott from a previous event at CBW in October!

But I did talk to my friend Ellen Jensen Abbott, my friend K.M. Walton, and also Tiffany Schmidt, E.C. Myers, Ame Dyckman, Jen Bryant, Elisa Ludwig, Lisa Papp and Robert Papp, Lee Harper, and Jerry Spinelli and Eileen Spinelli.

These were the books I purchased that night!

Also in attendance was my friend Ilene, whose YA deal (as I.W. Gregorio) was just announced in Publishers Marketplace. Yay, Ilene!

(Note: Yes, most of these authors are either YA or PB authors. But never fear, MG champions, because next week, I'm planning to attend a middle grade event sponsored by Children's Book World - you can read about it here! And this time, I'll try to take pics...)

Best conversation of the evening: I told Jerry Spinelli that I just finished the rough draft of my third novel the day before. And I asked, "What advice can you give me?" He said, "First, treat yourself to a milkshake because you've done something most people never do. You've finished a novel."

Then he told me to wait THREE MONTHS before tackling the revisions. As I thanked him and walked away, he said, "Remember! Three months!"

So I'll take your advice, Jerry. I'm letting it marinate until the end of January. And I'm already writing my fourth novel. But if there's anything I've learned in my years of writing, it's that there is no right or wrong way to revise a novel. Just like there is no right or wrong way to write a rough draft.

How long do you wait before revising a rough draft? Do you put it away and let it simmer? Or do you dive right into draft two?

I was going to write about PiBoIdMo... but then this storm came along...

The news has been saturated with the endless coverage of Sandy and its aftermath so I'll keep this short.

We were lucky here in my little corner of Pennsylvania. We didn't even lose power for more than 1 minute! My parents were not quite as lucky. They just got their power back after two and a half days.

But a lot of people in New Jersey and New York, especially, were not at all lucky.  Their lives have been changed forever. Please take a moment to think of them as you go about your day.  Sometimes pictures really do say it best. The most haunting photos I've seen are these from Reuters.

In addition, if you feel moved to give money to the disaster relief, you can go directly to the donation page of the American Red Cross right here.

OR, you can bid on the wonderful auction items -- including critiques from some pretty famous authors -- at Kid-Lit Cares (all donations going to Red Cross relief effort for Sandy).  See Kate Messner's website for details.

*   *   *   *   *

Good luck to everyone who signed up for NaNoWriMo. I can't handle it, myself. That's not how I write.

Maggie Stiefvater explained it most eloquently: I don’t have a problem with other people doing NaNoWriMo. If that’s what it takes to motivate you, go for it. If you work well that way, go for it (not that you were sitting around, waiting for my approval). But for my style of writing, for my creative process, it will literally never work. I cannot knowingly write crap. I just can’t. I can and do write crap, but I can’t realize that I’m doing it at the time. Read the rest of her Annual Dear John Letter to NaNoWriMo here. 

But after visiting Caroline Starr Rose's blog yesterday and finding out that she's participating in a different activity this November, I realized... hey, I can handle that!  I've done it before (in 2010).

This year's logo is by Ward Jenkins

What's PiBoIdMo?  Picture Book Idea Month! All you have to do is come up with 30 new ideas for picture books. You don't even have to write them yet.  PiBoIdMo was created by the one and only Tara Lazar. Visit Tara's PiBoIdMo page for all the details and to sign up.  Quick! While you still have time!

And you still have time to enter my two giveaways.  

Enter here for GEEKS, GIRLS, AND SECRET IDENTITIES. But hurry! Giveaway ends tomorrow night!

Enter here for TOUCHING THE SURFACE. Giveaway ends Wed November 7.

What about you?  Did you sign up for NaNo?  Or PiBoIdMo?  Or are you plugging away at a revision on your own?  Yay for you!

Happy Book Launch to Corey Rosen Schwartz, author of THREE NINJA PIGS!

Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz, illustrated by Dan Santat (Putnam, for ages 4 to 8)

Synopsis (from Indiebound): Practice makes perfect in this kick-butt fractured fairy tale.

When the big bad wolf threatens their village, three pigs sign up for different martial arts lessons to prepare to take him down. Pig One and Pig Two don't stick with their training, though, and are no match for their foe. But after practice and dedication, Pig Three becomes great at karate (including perfecting the perfect pork chop!) and saves the day.

Why I liked it:  I rarely talk about picture books on this blog, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to wish Corey Rosen Schwartz  (Hop! Plop!) a happy book launch. I was privileged enough to read this clever tale in manuscript form. It's a fun and funny picture book with a rollicking and ingenious rhyme scheme.  A painless way to help kids realize practice is important. Plus there's plenty of martial arts action!  Go, Corey!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday -- vacation edition!

Hey, I'm back!  I've actually been lurking around the blogosphere for a week already but wasn't organized enough for a blog post.

Nor have I read anything new in middle grade (I read some adult books while on vacation), so this post will be a bit different.  It may, in fact, seem strangely like a travelogue of our road trip to Maine, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.  But I promise you, there WILL be multiple mentions of classic children's books throughout, as well as photos, AND a CONTEST!

First, one can't go to Prince Edward Island without seeing and hearing all about Anne of Green Gables.

This is the actual house that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery.  It's a freaking National Historic Site, for heaven's sake! 

Green Gables National Historic Site

Apparently some elderly cousins lived in it and she often visited them.  The house where she lived with her grandparents was about a 15 minute walk away through the Haunted Woods (yes, it's called that, and there's a well-marked trail).  Nothing is left of  the house but the foundation, unfortunately.  They still charge you about $3 to go see it!

Fortunately, there's also a well-tended garden:

And this beautiful wheat field:

But back to Green Gables.  This, well, this is Anne's room. 

I know, I know, she's a FICTIONAL CHARACTER.  Tell that to the busloads of tourists who come to this site from all over the world to take pictures of this very room.  "Anne's room," they say, with awe and reverence in their voices.  And I have to admit, it felt very real to me too!  Has any fictional girl been more loved?


The husband put up with going to Green Gables Historic Site, so I treated him to a shore dinner (mussels are the other thing Prince Edward Island is famous for.  Oh, and they grow potatoes all over the island!),

And the next day we drove to the beach.  There was nobody there!  Honest.  (This may have had something to do with the temperature being 64 degrees Fahrenheit!)

The Gulf of St Lawrence from Covehead Bay

Although one woman came along later, saw me taking pictures of this beautiful lighthouse, and asked where we were from.  When we said, "Pennsylvania," she asked, "Where's Pennsylvania?"  It was most humbling.  I realized I probably am not familiar with every Canadian province. 

Covehead Light, PEI

From Prince Edward Island, we returned to New Brunswick (only way to get back home if you're driving).  The most famous tourist attraction in St. John, New Brunswick is the Reversing Rapids.

It's quite impressive, mainly because it's so loud.  The mighty St. John River meets the even more powerful Bay of Fundy right here at this spot, and when the tides change, the rapids actually reverse direction.  It's pretty wild.


And the only book for sale in the tiny gift shop nearby was:

Which my husband remembers as his favorite book!  (I told you there'd be children's books everywhere!)



In Maine, we went to the Penobscot Marine Museum, where we discovered this interesting boat:

I had known that E.B. White (author of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and Trumpet of the Swan) spent his summers in Maine, but it was still a delight to see his actual sailboat.  And a nice reminder, once again, that children's books are everywhere!


Finally, we drove to Boston to visit our older son, who recently moved there (one of the things that kept me busy in July!).  He took us to the Public Garden where, again, one can't help but be reminded of a couple of famous children's books.

Make Way for Ducklings sculpture dedicated to Robert McCloskey

Swan boat in Boston

Both Make Way for Ducklings

and The Trumpet of the Swan

take place, at least partially, in the Boston Public Garden.  That was my first visit there, and it was lovely.  I know, I'm a total nerd, basing my vacation around children's books.  Hey, we visited wineries too!


Okay, you've been patient long enough.  I promised you a CONTEST!  Since this was a road trip, I'm offering a prize to whoever guesses how many miles we drove, round trip, from southeastern Pennsylvania to Prince Edward Island and back.  And keep in mind, all you smarty pants rushing off to Google map it, that we took numerous side trips throughout.  So, closest guess wins. You don't even have to be a follower for this one, just include your guess in the comments.


What do you win?  Your choice of any of the above-mentioned books in paperback (well, okay, Scuffy's a Golden Book, which isn't exactly paperback).  And if you already own Make Way for Ducklings, Trumpet of the Swan, Anne of Green Gables, Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, AND Scuffy the Tugboat, I have a lovely hardcover copy of The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens that could be yours!

This contest is open internationally and closes at 11:59 pm on Thursday August 18, so you don't have much time!  Winner will be announced on Friday.  Or possibly Saturday.  UPDATE: Extending the deadline to Saturday August 20 at 11:59 pm.  So you still have time to enter!

If you're looking for Marvelous Middle Grade reviews, I'll be back next week with a real one, I promise!  In the meantime, please visit these wonderful people:

Shannon Whitney Messenger at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe
Shannon O'Donnell at Book Dreaming
Myrna Foster at The Night Writer
Sherrie Petersen at Write About Now
Natalie Aguirre at Literary Rambles
Brooke Favero at Somewhere in the Middle
Deb Marshall at Just Deb
Ally Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson at Novel and Nouveau
Anita Laydon Miller at her middle grade blog
Michael G-G at Middle Grade Mafioso
Pam Torres at So I'm Fifty

What Booksellers Wish Publishers Knew -- Picture Book edition

Welcome to another post in an occasional series in which a bookseller (that would be me) rants about the biz.  

Dear Publishers,

Picture books make great baby gifts.  Yes, you knew that already. Duh. That's one of the reasons you publish them.  But did you know that the hot new custom at baby showers is for everyone who attends the shower to bring a favorite book from their own childhood?

What does this mean?

This means I get plenty of customers (grandmothers. aunts, friends) who are looking for books they knew and loved decades ago.  Books that are hard to find.  Oh, it's all very well if your favorite childhood book was Goodnight Moon or Where the Wild Things Are.  But what if it was:

The Wonderful World of Aunt Tuddy, written by Jeremy Gury and illustrated by Hilary Knight (Random House, 1958).  I can still quote from this book.  Yes, I'm old.  Deal with it.

Or:

 

Not a Little Monkey, written by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin (Lothrop, 1957), for which I can't find an image (even on Charlotte's own website) except for this inferior 1989 reissue with a different illustrator.

Or:

The Busy Man and the Night-time Noises, which I believe was written by Vana Earl around 1954 and I can find no image at all.

These books?  Out of print.  Almost impossible to find or far too expensive on used book sites.  Could there be a market for inexpensive reissued editions of picture books (maybe even board book versions) from, oh, the baby boomer years? 

Just sayin'... 

Sincerely,
A bookseller


So, everyone else, what was YOUR favorite childhood picture book?  And is it still in print?

I did it!

Throughout the month of November, Tara Lazar hosted a wonderful event called PiBoIdMo.  That's short for Picture Book Idea Month.  I suppose Tara started this for those who prefer to think about picture books instead of novels during November when all those brave novel-writers are struggling through NaNoWriMo (although some people participated in both!).

This was the first year I participated in PiBoIdMo (thanks to my writing group for the nudge) and I did it -- I came up with 30 (actually a few more) sparkly new ideas for picture books.  Some of them are just titles, some have characters and a conflict already, some are variations on a theme.  But it's enough to keep me busy for the next year (along with starting to write my second novel -- I'm a slow novel writer so NaNoWriMo isn't my cup of tea).

What about you?  Did you participate in either event?  Did you complete your task?  Would you try it again next year?

A Disturbing Trend?

Today's Shelf Awareness ("daily enlightenment for the book trade") asks the question:

Has the golden age of the picture book for children passed?

Wow.  Not a good time to be writing picture books?  Shelf Awareness goes on to quote a New York Times article  which suggests not only that the economy is at fault, but also that picture books are no longer being purchased by parents who want their kids to read "big-kid" books at increasingly earlier ages.

I see this as a disturbing trend.  Picture books have always been and will always be enjoyed by kids and parents (or grandparents) together.  There should still be several years of picture book enjoyment between the board book and the Early Reader.  Sometimes there's nothing more comforting than snuggling on Mom or Dad's lap while being read to.

Of course, the New York Times article also goes on to say:

 

"...perennials like the Sendaks and Seusses still sell well — but publishers have scaled back the number of titles they have released in the last several years, and booksellers across the country say sales have been suffering." 

I guess I'm lucky to work for a bookstore which still sells oodles of picture books (and not just Seuss and Sendak) to parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, and others who appreciate them for the stories and the artwork.  Yes, we sell fewer than we did five or ten years ago.  But they still sell.

Case in point:  the new David Wiesner book is called ART & MAX (Clarion Books, Oct 2010).  And it's sheer genius, just like Wiesner's other books.  The Caldecott committee may as well just hand him the medal now!

Will picture books survive?  The article doesn't even mention the looming spectre of the e-book, but it seems to me that picture books are one genre that still need to be produced as physical books you can hold and share with a child.  What do you think?

Brain Aneurysm 102: A Valentine For All of You

Hey, it's almost Valentine's Day, so if you walk into your local bookstore, you might see this clever picture book by Michael Hall:






Or this sweet story by Joanne Ryder:



Or maybe this one by Maryann Cocca-Leffler just for fun:



But because it's nearly Valentine's Day, it's also time for...

Brain Aneurysm 102.
(In case you missed Brain Aneurysm 101, it's right here.)


INTRODUCING BRAIN ANEURYSM 102:
A CONVERSATION WITH MY BRAIN

Me: It's almost Valentine's Day, so let's tell the nice people more about brain aneurysms, shall we? After all, that's what Valentine's Day is all about.

My Brain: Hearts, you dolt. Valentine's Day is all about hearts. Not brains. Sheesh.

Me: Actually, if you think about it... (Get it? Heh heh. You're a brain)

My Brain: Oh, please.

Me: Anyway, if you think about it, a brain aneurysm is a vascular problem, a bubble or bulge in an artery. And the bubble sometimes bursts (I'm one of the lucky ones whose aneurysm sealed itself immediately after rupturing). Arteries, of course, are part of the circulatory system, the one that carries blood to and from, ahem, the heart.

My Brain: Boy, you're really reaching here. Why don't you just go ahead and show them what you want to show them (*Nudge*). You know. That x-ray you're so fond of.

Me: How do you know exactly what I'm thinking? It's uncanny. It's almost as if you're--

My Brain: Yep. I know. YOUR BRAIN, you blooming idiot.

Me: Right. I knew that. But shouldn't we tell the people more about brain aneurysms first? Otherwise it's not really Brain Aneurysm 102, is it? For instance, shouldn't we tell them that people with unruptured aneurysms may be asymptomatic? On the other hand, sometimes there ARE symptoms associated with unruptured aneurysms, including dilated pupils, headaches, double vision? And if they experience these symptoms, they should seek medical help? And while we're at it, shouldn't we explain the symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm? You know this as well as I do; you lived through it. Shouldn't we tell them that those symptoms are much more serious and may include severe headache ("the worst headache of your life"), nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, blurred vision and sensitivity to light?

My Brain: Naw. Let's just tell 'em to visit the Brain Aneurysm Foundation's website, which has a lot more information that YOU seem capable of providing. Get on with the show, already. The part where you explain to these long-suffering people just exactly what your brain aneurysm has to do with Valentine's Day.

Me: Well... if you insist.

What follows is an actual x-ray taken of an artery in my brain in 2005 (back when I had a brain and it wasn't taking on a life of its own here on this blog). This was taken after my aneurysm ruptured and sealed itself and before my coiling procedure (which was done to prevent further, potentially fatal, ruptures). This shows my basilar artery, the thick vertical one that's supposed to be completely flat on top, but instead has an odd-shaped bulge protruding from the tip. THAT is my aneurysm.

And...

TA DA! It's heart-shaped:



Happy Valentine's Day!


My Brain: Oh, that was really lame. I can't believe I have to be associated with such a ridiculous piece of pseudo-bloggerism.

Me (ignoring brain entirely): And be sure to keep both your heart and your brain healthy by getting out of your chair and EXERCISING.

This will be my last post until March. I'm accepting Laurie Halse Anderson's challenge (thanks, Jeannine Norris , for the nudge) and I'm going to stop blogging and tweeting and facebooking (not that I spend much time there anyway) for a few weeks and get some writing done.

How about you? Let's start a blogging revolution.

Almost halfway through NaNoWriMo

How's it going, all you NaNoWriMo and NaNoRevisMo participants?

And even those of you writing new picture books or trying to come up with new ideas or spending November sending out manuscripts (because it's wise to get them to the editors before Thanksgiving)? Well, here's some inspiration for you:

My older son, a 22-yr-old full-time college student -- and oh yeah, he happens to be a cancer patient currently going through chemo -- signed up for NaNoWriMo. He's writing a fantasy novel.

Woo hoo, Eric!

Elephants are Dancing

No, that's not the title of my 27th attempt at writing a picture book (although, come to think of it, that's a great idea. Hmm.

Sort of a cross between Giraffes Can't Dance and Hilda Must Be Dancing... only with elephants).


And it has nothing to do with a Republican winning the governor's race in New Jersey.


No. It's actually a snippet of a quote from Michael Powell of Powell's Books, as quoted in The Oregonian (and quoted again in Shelf Awareness on Oct 26, 2009).

The full quote: "It's nice to find a high perch when elephants are dancing."

That's by far the most creative way I've heard of describing the book price war between Walmart, Amazon, Target and Sears, and how bookstores should cope. You can read more about that craziness here.

Will this be the nail in the coffin for independent bookstores and chains alike? I don't think so. Those big-box stores are deep-discounting only bestsellers, and only online. Bookstores can offer so much more than that. And I expect this pricing war will be temporary. Bookstores will survive. What do you think?

We have a winner

Kim correctly guessed the book title (see my posts from Oct 16 and Oct 23) in what turned out to be my first contest. For this she has my eternal gratitude (and her choice of Spring 2010 ARCS).

The way I figure it is, there are two kinds of people in the world of children's lit: those who adore Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.

And those who hate it.

Which one are you?

Whoa. Hang on. Don't click "comments" yet. Get back here.

Before you answer the above question, read this comment on Alison Morris's Shelftalker post by Andy Laties:

I watched Bob Munsch perform this book for a crowd of children's booksellers in 1997. He handled it as pure, satiric comedy. I believe the book was originally developed as comedy, and that the incorrect, sentimental reading is an example of the general public completely misunderstanding an extremely dry, ironic text. That it's intended as satire is proven by the image of the mother climbing in the grown man's window and rocking him. Munsch developed his stories during live performances for toddlers. Of course toddlers would find it absurd that a "daddy" figure would be rocked by his own mommy.

Thanks, Andy. I never thought of Love You Forever that way. And yeah, by looking at that photo, you can guess that Bob Munsch is a comedian.

So, blogger friends, how do YOU feel about Love You Forever?

Children's books that hang around forever

Well, since no one guessed the answer in my last post, I'll give you another hint. It's a picture book.

And to repeat what started this little contest, I had a customer recently who came up to me with this conundrum:

"I'm looking for that kids' book. You know the one I mean."

and oddly enough I did know the one she meant. If you're the first person to guess which book it was, you'll win a prize (your choice of certain ARCs for Spring 2010).

Happy guessing.

Movies from Picture Books

As "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" rakes in money at the box office and "Where The Wild Things Are" is due to open Oct 16th, I just had to draw your attention to this hilarious article from EW.com, "Classic children's books we'd like to see receive the Hollywood treatment."

If you read the comments after the article, you'll notice that most of the commenters didn't realize author Keith Staskiewicz had his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. (My favorite line is from Staskiewicz's version of The Giving Tree: "All you ever do is take, take, take!")

In short, full-length movies are being made from picture books of less than 500 words. What does this mean? They pad out the story by adding a contrived plot and characters who aren't even in the original.

Is it a good idea? Or a bad idea? What do you think?