PLA is this week! We hope you’ll come and see us at our booth in the exhibit hall. We’re in booth #1611, and we’ll be giving away posters featuring our bestselling Jake Maddox sports books.
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If I'm not mistaken, Jake Maddox is someone we all know and love!
Also, if you haven't run across this today, check out today's Thru The Booth. I really enjoyed today's post on Play, Imagination and Insight.
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For those of you keeping track, I added another 975 words to the WIP before the kids got up this morning. I know...I know...I wanted to make it an even 1000, but the kids needed me. Now. I'll make it up tonight!
I always love finding Book Links in the mail box. This month's issue was no exception. There were lots of super articles (lots of graphic novel info!), but what I got really excited about was this: Did you know about Google Earth Lit Trips?
Check out page 40 of the May Book Links if you have the mag at your library or school. I haven't checked this out myself, but the article says you can go to Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/) and there's a section called "Google Earth for Educators." Within this section "This free site offers a series of screen casts and help sheets that introduce the wide array of Google Earth features. Visit the 'Curriculum Ideas' link for a list of teaching ideas organized by grade level." It goes on to talk about some of the sections-- World Wonders, Exploring Time Zones, and Google Earth Lit Trips.
The Google Lit Trips are virtual expeditions created by teachers and their students for use in the classroom and are a free resource that pairs the exploration of geography with great literature.
Being as there's a learning curve for me to even get INTO Google Earth, I haven't gotten deep enough to see Google Earth Lit Trips in action. But it sure sounds interesting. I wonder if this will be another cool thing like a teaching guide that helps give a book value (or at least gives teachers cool ideas on how to use the book!) in the school market?
The Google Lit Trips are virtual expeditions created by teachers and their students for use in the classroom and are a free resource that pairs the exploration of geography with great literature.
Being as there's a learning curve for me to even get INTO Google Earth, I haven't gotten deep enough to see Google Earth Lit Trips in action. But it sure sounds interesting. I wonder if this will be another cool thing like a teaching guide that helps give a book value (or at least gives teachers cool ideas on how to use the book!) in the school market?
(article, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOOK, page 40, May 2008 Book Links by Jill Castik and Jessica Mangelson)
Who is going?
The schedule is up! The schedule is up!
I'm still on the fence. I want to go, but not sure it's going to work out.
The Set Up: It's spirit week at school. A's class is having Rock Star Day. S's class is having Beach Day. Our neighbor's class is also having Beach Day.
Neighbor: Um...just so you know, I might be too embarrassed to walk in with you today. You're um...a little wild.
A: Well, I might be too embarrassed to walk in with you too. You're not even dressed up.
Hey, LJers! You know how much fun it is to sneak through the YA section and face out your friends' books? (Ahem....
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crcook and lizzy_lyn ...we sure had fun doing this a few weeks ago!) Well, here's your chance to step it up a notch!LJ friend
adamselzer has a new book out, Pirates of the Retail Wasteland. The release date was April 8, but we haven't heard of many in-store sightings yet. What makes this amusing is that in the book, the kids who we last met in HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE, decide to take on the big chain stores. The book has been sighted in very few brick and mortar stores. Is this a coincidence or an evil plot hatched by big box retailers to squash the hopes and dreams of authors who dare to write books exposing their malicious plans? Could this be the book the chain stores don't want you to read?In PIRATES OF THE RETAIL WASTELAND, There's a coffee shop in town that is threatening to put the kids' favorite coffee shop out of business. The kids don't like these generic stores or what all the development is doing to their city, so they decide to take the store over pirate style and turn it into an accounting office...just to see if anyone notices. As in HOW TO GET SUSPENDED, the gang makes a video for their gifted pool class project.
I love this book. It's smart. It's funny. It shows kids they have the power to make a statement and make a difference. Plus, it reminds me of what happened to good old Coralville, Iowa (insert your favorite small town with personality here) when the big mall came to town and all the chains drove the mom and pops out of business.There's something about rooting for the little guy to succeed, especially when he can't possibily compete with big marketing dollars.
Which brings me to how YOU can help Adam PROMOTE LIKE A PIRATE!
1) Go to www.adamselzer.com and get the code to post this into your blog.
2) Find the PDF of the book flyers. Print off that flyer and go to your favorite book store. Place the flyer in the store--maybe even on the shelves! Take a picture of yourself doing so. Post it on your LJ.
3) Take the flyer to your book seller or librarian and ask them to order the book. NICELY. Politely. No pirate demands.
4) Tell your friends about the book, ask them to watch Adam's video trailers.
5) Select any of the super ideas Adam has on his site telling you how to promote this book!
Let's see if we can make difference by PROMOTING LIKE PIRATES!
(For added incentive, Adam has set up cool prizes for participating. Check it out: www.adamselzer.com)
I would say I'm so sure of it that I'll quit writing if it doesn't sell, but it really is multi-purpose. And, even if the whole doesn't sell. The parts will. Yep. It will sell.
Oh, if only I had enough hours in the day to work on all these ideas! Have I mentioned today that I've been getting up early to write every day? Oh, here's something I haven't mentioned yet--I'm having a writing day this weekend with
crcook and lizzy_lyn. And, I get to see elizabethcbunceat her book signing tomorrow night! How's that for exciting news?Here's a little snippet from "The Reel Thing. Becoming a Film Actor" by Nancy Bishop in the April 2008 Dramatics magazine that arrived today.
"You're not pretty enough to be James Dean and you're not ugly enough to be a character actor.
The speaker was legendary film director Billy Wilder. He was talking to an aspiring actor who was waiting tables at a Hollywood party. The young man's name was Billy Bob Thornton.
"Do you write at all?" Wilder asked. Thorton replied that yes, he did write. "Then that's what you need to do," continued Wilder. "Create your own way. Don't wait around. Be an innovator and originator."
What can we learn from Wilder's early advice to Thornton?
First, anyone can be a film actor regardless how how he or she looks. Don't let people pigeonhole you early in your career. If you want to be an actor, don't listen if someone tells you you're not pretty enough or tall enough. Of course, Wilder was wrong about Billy Bob Thornton, so it's a good thing that Thornton didn't stop trying to be an actor just because the director discouraged him. Instead, he heeded the second part of Wilder's advice and made his own success.
Isn't that great writing advice too? Create your own success!
I called my friend today to find out what book her fourth grader wound up choosing for her next book project. (She chose Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls.)
The fourth graders at our school have had four book projects this year. They have to read a novel (one of A's had to be a biography) and do a project/report on it that fits the criteria the teacher set. One was a "cereal box" report --where plot and character info and a game related to the book went on a cereal box. The biography was a popcorn bag report with a picture of the person the book was about on one side, a summary of the book on the back and an item representing that person on the inside. Some classes did movie strips--one "film" pane per chapter. And, for one, they had to dress up like the MC and discuss the book as that character. Nearly every parent I've talked to agrees this has been a PITA, but we also agree it's been good for the kids. Plus, they've discovered new books by listening to their classmates' reports.
So, these books must have 1) chapters 2) be more middle grader-ish in length.
I did suggest a bunch of super titles to our friend. Her daughter wanted to go to Borders to pick out her own book though.
So, here's my real issue--basically the same issue from the other day-- why is it so difficult to find a good middle grade book?!!! Our Borders now has the MG section right on top of the YA section. This girl knew the YAs were not for her. And, her mom was relieved because, browsing the titles, she said, "I really didn't want her to pick up something in that section. We are not ready for that. We do not want books with boyfriends and kissing, especially when it hasn't even crossed her mind."
So we're clear, I'm not talking about censoring or banning books. But, why is it so hard to find a book longer than a chapter book that is still hilarious, entertaining, innocent and interesting without going all mushy-boy-crazy-tween girl? Maybe looking in the fantasty section would solve that. Or, looking at the books that were most likely written with boy reluctant readers in mind (Whimpy Kid? Bruce Hale's Prince of Underwhere, perhaps?)
But, seriously, where are these books? My friend and I can't be the only ones looking for these books for our girls. Who is writing them? It seems to me there's a huge untapped market.
Then again...maybe I just haven't done enough research!
If I lived in Maine District 38, I'd be voting for Carrie Jones for Maine Legislature. Why? Because Carrie ROCKS!
Take a look at some of the things Carrrie stands for:
Work for high-quality, affordable healthcare for all Mainers
Support and protect the local control of our outstanding schools
Support fair tax reform that will help boost the economy and be fair to individual tax payers
Push for an environment that’s clean and safe
Advocate for local businesses and land owners
Ensure food and fuel security
Increase local transportation and infrastructure
Push for more opportunities for higher education and arts
Work for the rights of all Maine people
Push for responsive, ethical government
Protect workers in their right to fair treatment, safe working conditions, and the ability to organize themselves to achieve better pay and benefits
I remember seeing this discussion somewhere recently (maybe related to Cindy's MG survey?), but I don't recall what the answer was...
Are there any book review sites, author sites, gathering places where all things middle grade reside? This topic was on my mind this morning. Then, a friend called for some book recommendations for her daughter's next school project. I gave her some suggestions from our own shelves, but would have loved to give her a website with some cool, middle grade links and info on it.
So...what exists out there? Any suggestions?
GO, SARAH! Did you see it? Did you see it?
sarah_prineas ' s THE MAGIC THIEF has the top ad on this week's PW Children's Book Shelf! (Which also includes an article on where Allyn Johnston has landed.)I always thought the hardest part would be to get the 30-50,000 words down. Now, I'm realizing how difficult revising will be. And, working the funny parts in. I know. Baby steps.
A cool thing happened this week: The girls and I were out and about, and I sat there watching these young teens, totally laughing (to myself because I didn't want them to quit). I told the girls, "This is going in my book!" And, yesterday, I wrote that section!
Another cool thing: I've been getting up early in the morning to get my word count in. Each morning when the girls get up, they ask, "How many words did you add today?" S's jaw always drops. 500-1000 words seems like a lot of writing to her first grade hand. Heck, it seemed like a lot to me until this week!
I want to draw your attention to the Stone Arch Books Blog. Stone Arch is part of Capstone. You really need to check out their site and their blog, especially if you are into graphic novels.
And, how cool is this...from their most recent entry...
Time for PLA!
I couldn't find Anastasia Suen's blog (and thus the Non-Fiction Monday round ups) as a syndicated blog on LJ, so I created a feed:
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6traits_suenAs I mentioned in an earlier post (boy, am I proflic today, or what?), I attended a great SCBWI meeting yesterday.
One of the speakers, Suzanne Lieurance, has a fun radio show on BlogTalk Radio. She interviews an author, or someone in the children's lit community every day. Check out her site. And her show. I was pretty excited when I discovered I can SUBSCRIBE VIA ITUNES. I clicked that option. Hopefully, that means it will just show up on my iPod and I won't have to remember to go there. Now, I can listen to author interviews while I work out!
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Hey, hey, hey! I get to write all night! The kids are already at their sleepover! Actually, I've been writing all day! I'm going through some of my old stories, ones I love, but still don't work as PBs, and reworking them into early readers.
WRITING?
or READING The GOLLYWHOPPER GAMES?
This is a GAME, so no CHEATING. Make a choice before clicking the link below:
My bracelet says WRITE.
My mail says READ.
Which will win out?
My WRITE bracelet arrived from LLH Designs! I'll bet you can have one too! Check with our own
artistq for details!
Isn't it lovely! What a great way to celebrate being well again! I finally left the house to check mail, and this was in my box!
Yep. Everyone's at school today. The fighting was so bad this morning, I said, "I don't care how sick you think you are, if you are well enough to fight like this, you are well enough for school!"
Oh, how did this book not make my radar last year? Wowie Zowie!
Since I'm still sick, and it hurts to talk, I've been lounging in bed reading. I picked up ELIJAH OF BUXTON, one of the books we selected from this month's Scholastic book club flyer.
It's humorous. It's sad. I've cried several times. I know there's no way for me to truly understand what it must have been like to grow up a slave, to escape to freedom, to hear that loved ones didn't survive the journey...but this book is packed so full of emotion, I feel like I understand. The writing is beautiful. There are so many parts I want to read again because I think the description was perfect. And, Elijah...isn't he such a memorable character? (EDITED TO ADD: I've now finished the book. What a brave boy too! The ending left me sad and happy and proud and crying like a baby...all at once!)
My girls and I recently saw a dance production of THE UNDERGROUND, a story about slaves who traveled to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Being that it was dance, there were no words. Just beautiful music and dancing that told a powerful story.* Afterwards, the girls wanted to know more about slavery--not just the rehashed facts that they learn in school. I love that they could connect with this time in our nation's history in such a memorable way.
Now, I have another gem to share with them. Once I finish the book, we'll use this as our next read aloud. I'm sure they'll love it as much as I do.
*At one point, S was horrified. She leaned in and whispered, "Mom, they just sold his son! They TOOK his son!" Later, when the slave was whipped for trying to save his son, both A and S turned to me. "Is that real? Did he really whip him?" Yes, the wounds looked real. Yes, that whip came really, really close to the actor. In fact, I keep meaning to ask him if he was ever struck during the rehearsals and performances. It looked very real. And the whole experience made the girls understand. (For more about Storling Dance Theater's production of UNDERGROUND, see this article. They are an amazing company, and I hope they are able to take this show on the road. It's definitely a show that deserves a larger audience.)
"A new national study suggests that a large number of American voter have grown tired of the arts taking a backseat to what are often thought of as 'the basics' when it comes to the public school curriculum.
According to the study, conducted by Lake Research Partners, close to a third of America voters are dissatisfied with the increasingly narrow focus of public education and want to see more attention paid to subjects that stimulate students' creativity.
Nine in ten of the 1000 people polled said that healthy imaginations in young people contribute significantly to a nation's ability to compete in the global economy, with 88 percent of respondents expressing the view that arts education is an essential component toard developing that imagination."
And, a bit later in the article...
"The data show a large population we call the 'imagination nation' are hungry for imagination in education and are going to take action accordingly--both in their local schools and at the voting booth, so that children are prepared for the world in which they will live,' said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners.
These findings follow on the heels of a 2006 survey conducted by the business membership and research organization, the Conference Board, in which three-fourths of the nation's business leaders said that creativity and innovation were among the top five skills likely to increase in importance for America's high school graduates."
For more information on the study, conducted in December, go to: www.theimaginenation.net . There are a ton of good articles over there on the topic of imagination and creativity in schools.
As writers and artists, I think this is an important topic for us all.
annamlewisrecently posted about A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink, another must-read for people who believe in the power of creativity. (They've even referenced Pink in a download on their resources page.)We had a very creative day at our house.
We made Green Eggs and Ham for breakfast to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday.
K helped make the eggs. "I don't like eggs, but I do like Green Eggs and Ham."
Next, we worked on A's "Cereal Box Report." Remember how much she loved DIARY OF A WIMPY KID? Well, two kids borrowed her book, and two kids are doing reports on the book. SO...she decided to do her report on the second book in the series, Rodrick Rules.
Here's the front of her Cereal Box:
And, the back:
The back was supposed to have a game. She made up a Mad Lib based on the story, a letter from Rodrick to his pen pal. The sides had the "ingredients: --main characters, descriptions of the characters and setting. The other side had a plot summary.
Next, we made a shirt for S to wear tomorrow for their Cat In The Hat celebration. They are having a read in and are supposed to wear a book character costume.
THEN...A got out the clay and made a coil pot.
Finally, we ate dinner and held a pick-up-the-house and fold-laundry frenzy because the cleaning ladies are coming in the morning!
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