Would You Read It Wednesday #123 – Silly Tilly (PB)

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WWWHHHIIIRRRRRR!

Do you hear it?

The wheels are turning!

And you know what that means.

I’m probably – almost definitely – well maybe – hatching a plan!

I’m on the fence.

I haven’t quite decided.

I shall mull for another day or so and if I decide to go ahead with it, I’ll tell you on Friday 🙂

But don’t ask me anything because I won’t say another word.

Here.  Put something in your mouth.  That’ll stop those questions 🙂

Since it’s technically breakfast time, I thought we should go traditional today and have (Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter) Banana (Bread) for our Something Chocolate.  See how that’s mostly banana, which is, in fact, a breakfast food?  That’s how it works around here 🙂

From OMG Chocolate Desserts

Today’s pitch comes to us from Steve whom we met in November with his pitch for Rashad Saves The World, (WYRI #111) and who says, “I spent 20 years as a teacher of small children in London. Reading aloud was my favourite part of teaching. This means that I absolutely know what a PB, Lower MG should sound like. The challenge is to make my own writing sound right!”

Here is his pitch:

Working Title: Silly Tilly
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Tilly dreams of having a baby and her dream comes true when a hatching egg presents her with a fluffy bundle of … crocodile! Everything is bliss until Charlie starts to grow. AND grow. When her friends start disappearing, Tilly worries that she’s next on the menu. But when Charlie invites her down to his cave, she’s in for a big surprise … party!

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Steve improve his pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in April so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Steve is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch!  I am looking forward to making my decision and telling you or not telling you 🙂

Have a wonderful, writing-filled Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Meet Marie Harris – Author of The Girl Who Heard Colors PLUS A Giveaway!!!

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Happy Monday, Folks!

Before I forget, let me quickly mention that I’m visiting my friend Debby Lytton’s MG writer blog today and I would love it if anyone wanted to go visit.  She is a very talented author and her book JANE IN BLOOM is not to be missed!  SO good!  The link is HERE.

Now then.  To stave off the Olympic withdrawal that I know you’re all feeling, I have such a treat for you today!  First we get to talk with accomplished author Marie Harris, and afterwards one lucky person will have a chance to win a signed copy of her newest picture book, THE GIRL WHO HEARD COLORS!

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

First, allow me to introduce Marie:

Marie Harris, author and poet

Marie Harris was NH Poet Laureate from 1999-2004 when she wrote her first children’s book:
G is for GRANITE: A New Hampshire Alphabet (Sleeping Bear Press). She lives in the woods with her photographer husband, Charter Weeks, and together they run a marketing business.  She loves birding, sailing, and swimming in the Isinglass River.

Marie is also the author of PRIMARY NUMBERS: A New Hampshire Numbers Book (Sleeping Bear Press) as well as several books of poetry for older readers: RAW HONEY (Alice James Books), INTERSTATE (Slow Loris Press), and WEASEL IN THE TURKEY PEN (Hanging Loose Press).  Her website is www.marieharris.com

SH: Welcome, Marie!  Thank you so very much for joining us today.  I recently had the pleasure of reading THE GIRL WHO HEARD COLORS (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Books, 2013).  The book addresses an unusual subject: synesthesia.  I wondered what inspired you to write a picture book about it?

MH:  When I went in search of a new story to write, I “consulted” my own picture book—G is for GRANITE: A NH Alphabet Book—for ideas. I was looking for a New Hampshire woman who had not gotten the attention she deserved…at least not lately. I looked at the list on the “H” page (featuring Sarah Josepha Hale, the first editor of a women’s magazine in America) and discovered I’d mentioned in passing Amy Beach, America’s first female composer. So I set about learning everything I could about her. This turned out to be surprisingly easy, since the Beach archives are housed at the University of New Hampshire, a few miles from my home, and there are many recent recordings of her wonderful music. I fell in love! And I set about writing a novel for young readers with Amy as a character.

My agent sent out the first chapters and I was contacted by Nancy Paulsen at Penguin who, though not interested in the novel, was charmed that Amy had a wonderful “special sense” called synesthesia. (Her parents seemed to take their daughter’s sound-color sense in stride, much as they did her gift of perfect pitch.) She felt that this subject would make a fine picture book. I agreed, but asked if I could change the protagonist to a contemporary little girl and give her a few difficulties that Amy Beach didn’t have. And that’s how I came to write THE GIRL WHO HEARD COLORS.

SH:  Can you tell us a little bit about synesthesia?

MH:  Synesthesia is quite a special gift to possess. Nonetheless, it does qualify as something that makes a person “different,” and that’s sometimes uncomfortable. My little girl, Jillian (named after the first synesthete I met when she was in 4th grade), discovers that telling people that she “hears colors” causes her playmates to make fun of her and grownups to worry. However, she also discovers that talking about her special extra sense can result in a happy outcome.

As I visit classrooms as writer-in-residence or visiting writer, I have been astounded at the number of children who have an immediate answer to my casual question: ”What color is seven?” (Of course most kids look at me as if I’m a bit odd.) And once we agree that the student does, in fact, experience the “mixing” of senses (seeing letters and numbers in color, experiencing colors, and even tastes, with sounds) she can usually describe her gift in great detail. And she’s usually pleasantly surprised at how interested her classmates are at this surprising bit of information.

I’ve become fascinated with the phenomenon, and so ask individuals (adults) and kids (usually in classrooms) a simple question or two that prompts a synesthete to reveal her/his gift. Someting to the effect of: What color is eight? or What do you see when you hear rock music?  or  Does anyone taste something when they hear a sound?  And here are some responses…
(from my ten-year-old pen pal in England)  One of my teacher’s voices tastes like raspberries and tea; but another’s voice tastes like spoiled cheesecake.
(from the ‘real’ Jillian)  Classical music is blue. Country music is olive green, and I hate country music and I hate olive green!
(from an 8th grader)  All my letters are in color. When I read, each sentence becomes a single color, then the paragraph does too, then the whole book ends up being a certain color. When I’m reading and my mind wanders, all the letters turn to black. When I start paying attention again, the colored letters reappear.
(from a 5th grader) Your voice is deep green with bubbles and sparkles.
(from an older woman who came to a library presentation) The other day, as I was slicing beautiful green and yellow and red bell peppers, I said to my husband: Can you hear those colors? He looked at me strangely. I think I’ll stop saying those things out loud!

SH:  Do you do school visits?  What do they involve?

MH:  Because I work with students from K-12, I tailor my presentations accordingly.

With the very youngest kids, I read my book (s) leaving lots of time for the fantastic free-association offerings & questions that the words and pictures evoke. I try to give the teachers a few “ways into” the text and ideas as to how to pursue some of the ideas presented in the story.
Once students are reading and writing and talking more or less fluently, my visits take several shapes. I talk about how I came to writing. I tell stories about how the book(s) morphed from my notebooks to print, with lots of digressions and stories about the illustrators, the mistakes I made, the surprises I encountered, the things I learned.
With high school students, I work with their teachers to complement whatever projects they’re involved in.
Often (depending on what the school wants and the time frames) I create writing projects with students at all levels.
What I try never to get enmeshed in are presentations to large groups in auditoriums. I explain to principals (who, understandably, want every kid in their school to be “exposed” to the visiting artist) that I’m not a puppet show or a string band. I feel I’m at my best (as are the kids) when we’re working with me in relatively small groups with lots of opportunities for conversation.
All that said, I’m flexible and will work with every school to create a program that best fits their needs.
(Teachers, or parents who are active in their PTAs, Marie is available for school visits and you can contact her via her website or by email at marie[at]marieharris[dot]com.  Though she has yet to do a Skype visit, she is open to the possibility!)

SH:  What do you hope to accomplish with this wonderful book?

MH:  Jillian has one of a range of types of synesthesia. I hope that her story prompts parents and teachers to learn more about the phenomenon and to celebrate this and all the fascinating differences among their children.

SH:  Thank you so much for coming to chat with us today, Marie.  It’s been such a pleasure!

Marie was kind enough to offer a signed copy of THE GIRL WHO HEEARD COLORS as a giveaway.  All you have to do to qualify is leave a comment below.  We would love to hear about any experience you’ve had with synesthesia, either because you have it yourself, know someone who does, or have met someone with this unusual perception along your life travels.  If you have no experience with synesthesia, you can tell us about any other unusual perception traits you’ve encountered, or just tell us who you’d like the book for (and yourself is a perfectly good answer :))  Please leave your comment by Thursday February 27 at 5 PM EST.  A winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after Perfect Picture Books on Friday (where I will be sharing THE GIRL WHO HEARD COLORS :))

I have no experience with synesthesia, but I do have experience with unusual vision.  I have bilateral “wandering” eyes (which means both eyes can stop focusing and “wander”, though 9 times out of 10 it’s the left one that does because it’s significantly weaker) in addition to rotary nystagmus (rapid, uncontrollable spinning of the eye) with the result that I am rarely able to focus both eyes at the same time and have very poor depth perception.  Ask anyone in my family – they will tell you how often I overflow cups thinking there’s more room before the top, and fall up or down stairs because I misjudge the distance.  But don’t worry – I might look a little funny, but I’ve learned to compensate pretty well most of the time and am able to drive a car and jump horses 🙂  What’s a little spilled coffee between friends? 🙂

So, please share your stories and/or who you’d like to win the book for!  And if you have any questions for Marie, ask away.  She will be traveling this week, but I’m sure we can prevail upon her to answer any burning questions when she returns 🙂

As an added bonus, Marie is also visiting Tina Cho and Laura Sassi today, with advice for writers at Tina’s and her “unlikely” story of how she became a children’s writer at Laura’s, so please hop over and see what she has to say on their blogs!  Tina also has a giveaway of the book!

Have a marvelous Monday everyone!!!  And please visit Debby’s blog if you have a minute – she would love to meet you all!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Knut

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Happy Friday, everyone!

I don’t know where this week has flown off to, but my goodness it passed me right by!  I’m still on about Tuesday!

The perfect picture book I had lined up for today turned out not to meet my standards of perfection – it was “meh” (that is an industry term meaning didn’t love it :)) – so, given the craziness of life on Blueberry Hill, I am recycling a beloved favorite.  I hope you like this one as much as I do.  And how fitting to have a book about a polar bear when the arctic has been at my house since Christmas and shows no sign of leaving any time soon!  (Anyone seen John Belushi’s SNL skit about The Guest Who Wouldn’t Leave? :))

Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated The World
Written (Told) By: Juliana, Isabella, and Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich
Photographs By: Peter Griesbach, Andre Schule, Sean Gallup,  Rainer Jensen and others.
Scholastic Press, November 2007, nonfiction

Suitable For: ages 5 and up

Themes/Topics: animals, endangered animals, caring, environmentalism

Opening:  “One December afternoon, in a cozy, dark enclosure in a zoo in Berlin, Germany, a polar bear cub was born.”

Brief Synopsis:  This is the true story of Knut, a newborn polar bear whose mother was unable to care for him.  Thomas Dorflein, a bear keeper at the zoo, became Knut’s “foster father” – bottle feeding him, bathing him, sleeping beside him and teaching him to play and swim.  Knut was loved the world over, and helped bring recognition to the plight of polar bears, endangered by the potential loss of their habitat.

Links to resources:  Knut Teaching Resources.  This link has subsequent links to activities, video clips, articles, and other animals-against-adversity stories.  The back of the book also has lots of information about polar bears, how they are threatened, and how you can help.

Why I Like This Book:  It’s a true story, and a deeply touching one, that is also educational and informative.  The photographs are gorgeous and very appealing.  It shows that there are people in the world who care enough to sacrifice a great deal to help someone else – even if that someone else happens to be a baby polar bear.  The book brings attention to ecological concerns, the environment, and caring for all species, and lists ways kids can help.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links on the list below so we can all come enjoy your picks for this week!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Would You Read It Wednesday #122 – Diary Of A Slinky Kid (PB)

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Well, folks, I don’t want to brag, but I think it’s fair to say I took holding stuff to a whole new level at the video shoot on Monday.

I held a light AND a dimmer switch AT THE SAME TIME!

I know.

It boggles the mind.

Next time I say I can’t multi-task, please remind me of my obvious talent in that area.  I know it will be a great comfort to me 🙂

Speaking of talent (like how smoothly I segued?) it is my pleasure to announce the winner of the December/January Pitch Pick!

And the winner is…

BETH!!! with her pitch for Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared!

Congratulations on a wonderful pitch, Beth!  It is already in editor Erin Molta’s inbox, so I’m sure you will hear from her shortly 🙂

And congratulations as well to our other 4 pitchers – Rena, Joy, Kirsten, and Stacy – for their terrific pitches!  Great work, everyone!

I’m feeling a little calorically depleted after all that cheering, and I think we all know the best way to deal with that… 🙂  Something Chocolate, anyone?

Even though it’s morning here, somewhere in the world it’s later than that, so today our Something Chocolate shall be chocolate soup – perfect for any meal… or snack…! 🙂

From the Soup Chick (recipe included)

Today’s pitch comes to us from Julie G.  With her background in pediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed great resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories about a little girl elf just like them in The Adventures of Caramel Cardamom Trilogy. After participating in Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo in 2013, Julie has been furiously developing her picture book manuscripts. She lives in Melbourne Australia with her husband Danny and their little elf Giselle.

You can find her around the web at:

Website: www.julieannegrassobooks.com

Blog: http://www.whenigrowupiwannawriteakidsbook.blogspot.com.au/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Anne-Grasso-books/287496411357122

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jujuberry37

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Diary Of A Slinky Kid
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6)
The Pitch: Herman wishes he was just like everyone else, but as his mum points out, “There’s no escaping your genes.” Sure, he has the right number of fingers and toes, but when all the other kids are gazing at their belly buttons during gym class, Herman is hiding his coil shaped middle section under his t shirt. 

You see, Herman comes from a long line of Slinky’s. When just another day at school turns into a daring rescue mission, Herman reluctantly reveals his slinky status to save the day. His mother’s words ring in his ears, and for the first time, Herman is glad of it. He finally finds his place in the world.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Julie improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in March (which at this point is not that far away!) so polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Julie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to telling you that coincidentally I am a guest on Julie’s blog today.  And look at that!  I just told you!  So there wasn’t a very long build up of anticipation.  But I hope you will have a build up of anticipation between right now this very second and when you click over to Julie’s blog to visit and say hi and see what tomfoolery we are up to over there! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! 🙂

Take The Day Off!

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Happy President’s Day Monday!

I guess the busy-ness of life is catching up with everyone.  This is the third Monday in a row I’ve had someone scheduled to appear here and they’ve not been able to do it after all.

So, I don’t really have much to share.

As it’s a day off from school, I will be helping my husband with his new music video.

In case you have the impression that I will be doing anything musical, I will not.  My job is lunch.  And holding stuff.

But I’ll post you a link one of these days when it’s finished.

So that’s it!  You are excused early 🙂  Go have a lovely day off 🙂

See you Wednesday for Would You Read It!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – I Hatched!

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ACK!  Posting glitch!  Sorry I’m late, everyone!

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

My book choice for today has nothing to do with Valentines, but here is some Valentine love for you 🙂

Suitably picture book-y, don’t you think? 🙂

But, I kid you not when I tell you I LOVE this book!  Please go out and read it as soon as you can – it’s SO cute 🙂

Title: I Hatched!
Written By: Jill Esbaum
Illustrated By: Jen Corace
Dial Books For Young Readers, January 2014, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 2-4 (according to publisher) – I think kids a little older would still like it.

Themes/Topics: being yourself, wonder, learning new things

Opening: “A patch of light!
One final peck.
I give a shove and s-t-r-e-t-c-h my neck.
Then – CRACK!“

Brief Synopsis: A baby killdeer chick comes out of his egg and sees himself and the world around him for the first time.  Goofy and sweet and filled with awe, his energy and enthusiasm are delightful to behold.

Links To Resources: HERE are lots of activities related to hatching chicks without having to actually hatch them at home or in the classroom! HERE are a whole bunch of chick crafts (not killdeers but still cute :)) Talk about what baby chicks can do when they’re born?  How does that compare with baby cats and dogs?  How about with baby horses?  And how about with baby humans?

Why I Like This Book: So full of energy and delight I think it’s impossible not to like this book!  The newly hatched chick’s boundless joy at seeing the brand new world around him is so contagious.  As he learns about himself, he’s so pleased with everything: how fast he can run! how handsome his stripe is!  And I don’t think there’s a child who won’t chuckle over the page where he says, “I stop because… look out below!/Something’s falling from my… oh./Here’s a shocker.  Please don’t stare,/but take a peek… I’m ORANGE down there!” 🙂  Everyone should have as much confidence and self-esteem as this little guy.  And the end of the story has a lovely surprise for him 🙂

I hope you like it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF Bloggers, please leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit you!

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #121 – Fee Fi Fo Flub (PB) AND Straight From The Editor AND The January Pitch Pick!

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Sorry I missed you all on Monday.

I’ve got 5 words for you:

Man cold in the house!

‘Nuff said 🙂

So!  We’ve got a doozy of a day!

Sometime in the holiday swirl, we lost track of Straight From The Editor for the November Pitch Winner.  Luckily, the people in charge around here are Extremely Alert and tend to notice such ball-dropping incidents within 2 to 3 months 🙂  So here is Straight From The Editor for November 2013 🙂

You will recall that the winner was Steve with his picture book pitch for Rashad Saves The World.  Here is his pitch:

Rashad is tired of being the youngest and the least important member of his family. When he learns at school that he can save the world, he leaps straight into action and straight into trouble with his family as cell phones disappear down toilets and ice cream turns into soup. And when he accidentally demolishes the garden of his fearsome next door neighbour, his career as a Super Hero seems to have come to an abrupt end. Will he still be able to save the world? Perhaps he already has …

And here is what editor Erin Molta had to say about it:

Sounds like a cute story! But it’s a little confusing and an editor would spend too much time trying to figure out what exactly you mean. I think this sentence needs to be more clear: straight into trouble with his family as cell phones disappear down toilets and ice cream turns into soup. Why would his family’s cell phones disappear? Is he trying to save them from cell phone brain damage or is he using the cell phones to create something? Ice cream into soup also needs a clarifier. Brief and then you don’t need the bit about his neighbor.

As always, I find Erin’s thoughts extremely helpful!

Now, I’m sure we’re all feeling a bit peaked after all that reading and processing, so how about a sustaining snack?

In celebration of Valentines Day which is practically here, let’s have Something Chocolate 🙂

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Isn’t that a thing of beauty?  And deliciousness? 🙂

Next item on the agenda is the December/January Pitch Pick.  We have 5 fabulous entries:

#1 Beth
Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared (MG)

Mabel is so close to playing baseball she can almost see her spitting distance improving.Mabel’s mom thinks she should work on sitting still instead. So they make a deal: Mabel can play baseball in the spring, but only if she learns to fit in with the local Blossoms Troop first. But that isn’t easy. Mabel turns square dancing into a contact sport, saves a spider like she’s sliding into second base, and wolfs down the entire cookie sale stash. That’s three strikes and she’s out of Blossoms, but Mabel is not about to let that stop her. She sneaks to the campsite to make amends and discovers she isn’t the only intruder crashing the camp-out. With the Blossoms trapped between a smelly skunk and a sizzling fire, Mabel realizes that she’s the only one who can save the Blossoms from the stinky situation.

#2 Rena
The Witch’s Brew – (YA)

Ten years after the disappearance of sibling pair Hansel and Gretel, Gretel’s body is unearthed. All evidence points to Carmen Caramelo a.k.a. the Candy Witch. Fuelled by her own false arrest and her growing attraction to the witch’s son, sixteen-year-old Amy Faye, will stop at nothing to prove Carmen’s innocence. Unfortunately for Amy, that also means risking her reputation, her friendships and even her life, all in the name of justice. John Grisham’s The Accused meets Bill Willingham’sFables: Peter and Max.

#3 Joy
Tell Me About The Baby (MG Verse)
After the death of her parents, 13 year old Sara moves in with her older brother and his pregnant wife. With a brother who acts like her father, and a sister-in-law who resents having a teen to raise before she’s even had a baby, Sara grieves for her old life.  Used to being the baby of the family, Sara isn’t  happy with this new arrangement. Will she find a way to adjust to her new life?

#4 Kirsten
Gwynivere The Ear Finds Her Nose (PB ages 5-7)
Gwynivere the Ear, self-proclaimed superhero, can hear citizens in distress from miles away.  Unfortunately, chaos seems to follow Gwynivere closely; almost as closely as her arch nemesis, Nosy Rosy.  And, as much as Gwynivere proclaims that “superheroes don’t need help,” she will soon discover that everyone can use a helping hand (or nose) once in awhile.

#5 Stacy
Simon Wants To Help – (PB ages 4-8)
Simon’s idea of helping isn’t the same as his mother’s. He empties the bookshelf, dusts the floor with his body, and scatters toys around his room. Simon feels his assistance isn’t needed, until one turn of a lock gives him a chance to make things better.

Please vote for the pitch you feel most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday February 16 at 5 PM EST.

Many thanks!

Now, finally!, today’s pitch comes to us from Pam B, whom we met before with her pitch for Flood Dogs last April (WYRI #82).  Pam says, “Professionally I was a 3rd and 6th grade teacher before becoming an instructor in Early Childhood and Adolescent Education at Bloomsburg University.  Currently I’m taking time away from teaching to focus on my family and my writing.  You can follow me on Twitter @PamBrunskill.”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Fee Fi Fo Flub
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Mini’s thrilled to have a part in her school’s production of Gog and the Beanstalk, and she takes her role seriously. But frustrating dialogue, panicked practices, and a giant blunder make Mini realize that sometimes creativity and flexibility are what’s needed to carry the show.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Pam improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Pam is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Spring.  Seriously!  We’re supposed to get up to another foot of snow by tomorrow night, so pretty much all I can think of is green grass and flowers and sunshine!  I will leave you with this in hopes that it will help drive winter away for a moment or two 🙂

Have a wonderful, productive and happy Wednesday everyone! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Four Feet, Two Sandals

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So, did you all watch the Olympics last night?

I had totally planned on competing, but I was so busy with writing and whatnot that I forgot to trot out and qualify.  Lucky for Jamie Anderson and Yuna Kim and Tina Maze 🙂

You should see me on figure skates.

And skis.

And a snowboard.

Truly, it’s a sight hitherto unimagined.

There really aren’t words…

…   😀

(Although John Belushi’s Little Chocolate Donut Decathlon performance might come close :))

I think I really could put forth a World Class performance in Chocolate Consumption if they would just get serious and add that to the program, but some people refuse to recognize it as a sport…!

So, let’s have some HOT chocolate and get down to business, shall we?  Today’s Perfect Picture Book takes place where it’s warm (a concept I know I’m familiar with but can’t seem to remember!)

Four Feet, Two Sandals
Written By:  Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed
Illustrated By:  Doug Chayka
Eerdmans Books For Young Readers, September 2007, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 7-10
Themes/Topics:  Friendship, Sharing, Refugees, Loss, Separation

Opening:  “Lina raced barefoot to the camp entrance where relief workers threw used clothing off the back of a truck.   Everyone pushed and fought for the best clothes.  Lina squatted and reached, grabbing what she could.”

Brief Synopsis:  In a place where people have very little, two girls each get one of a pair of sandals.  They could have fought, but instead they share the sandals.  As they go about their routines, waiting and hoping for their names to appear on the list for a new home, the sandals remind them that friendship is the most important thing.  And when one girl gets the chance to live in a new land, the bond of their friendship remains.

Links To Resources:  Teacher’s Guide, Discussion Guide, author’s note at back of book adds extra information.

Why I Like This Book:  This story gives children a glimpse of a very different kind of life.  For children who are fortunate, this book may help them not to take things for granted so much.  For children who are less fortunate, this book may help them see that they are not alone.  Told gently and with hope so that it is appropriate for children, this book nonetheless opens the way to important discussions about refugees, having and not having, war and peace, loss, and separation.  But the underlying message is one of love and friendship, something all children understand and can relate to.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

I think if we all exert our mental powers at the same time, we can convince winter to leave.  Shall we plan for Saturday at noon?  Does that work for everyone? 🙂

PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit you and see your awesome picks for this week!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #120 – The STEM Girls: Rising Stars (PB) AND The Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show Winners!

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You don’t have to tell me.

The Groundhogs’ unanimous prediction that we’d have 6 more weeks of winter was a little hard to take.

As we are currently being buried under what some say will be 6-12 inches of snow (and what others are saying will be 12-15 inches, and still others are saying 30+ inches) I guess they’re right so far.  Dang and blast the little marmots!

(Uh, please don’t tell Phyllis I said that!)

This calls for Something Chocolate.  And I have the perfect thing:  Happy Cake!

Don’t you feel better just looking at it?  Doesn’t it make you believe spring will come?  Soon?

I thought so 🙂

Help yourselves! 🙂

Now then.  Before we get to today’s Would You Read It pitch, we have a small matter of business to attend to….

Ironing our socks!

Hee hee hee!  I’m just funnin’ y’all 🙂

I know the real order of business is….

Who won Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show???

And the answer is…

Did I tell you about how Princess Blue Kitty (my car, for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of making her acquaintance :)) is absolutely filthy?  Seriously, I have a theory that they put more salt and sand on the roads at the first hint of snow than they ever used to… Why, when I was a mere sprat, it could snow 2 feet and nary a morsel of salt nor sand did we see!  We just had to tough our way through it, depending on the survival lessons our Maw and Paw had taught us in our upper east side apartments about how kitty litter makes for great traction…

I’m sorry.  What were we talking about?

I believe I may have gone off on a tangent.

If you would all kindly stop distracting me with ridiculous stories about your cars, I would tell you that the winner of Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show was none other than

JOSIE!!!

Congratulations, Josie!  Apparently I wasn’t the only one who loved your sweet sleepytime Phyllis in her cozy pink PJs and slippers with her lovable teddy!  Great job!

2nd Place goes to Gracie for her stunning depiction of Springtime Phyllis!  Congratulations on a gorgeous drawing, Gracie!

Interesting, isn’t it, that first and second place went to 8 year olds?!  I think it’s clear that the youngsters in this crowd are mighty talented!

3rd Place was a tie between Julie Ro-Zo with her incredible Phyllis-as-Elvis drawing, Nata with Phyllis’s Allonge, and Beth with Opera Star Phyllis.  (I told you we had a tie problem!)  Congratulations, you three!  You are exceptionally talented for people who are technically older than 8 (although we know you are young at heart :))

Josie, Gracie, Julie, Nata-ie, and Bethie, (I didn’t think we should break up the streak of -ie names :)) please email me and we’ll get those prizes sorted out!  (And in case you’ve forgotten what the prizes are, you may view them HERE, and you may all have your choice of whichever one you want, even if you all want the same thing.  Oh!  And Pat Miller kindly offered to sign a bookplate for anyone who chooses Substitute Groundhog!)

Thanks to EVERYONE who participated in the Fashion Show!  You are all SO creative and talented, and supplied all of us with SUCH enjoyment during this wintry week!  Phyllis has never felt so well dressed!!! 🙂

My, that was exciting!  But now we have something equally exciting in a different way…

Today’s pitch comes to us from Kristine who says, “I’m a stay-at-home mom who is truly living the dream: playing with my daughter by day and writing (if I don’t fall asleep first) at night.  I couldn’t be happier to have found the amazing children’s book writing community that exists online, and I look forward to the day when I can fill a bookshelf with works by authors that I also can call friends.“

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The STEM Girls: Rising Stars
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: Sophia, Isabella, Madison, and Emma learn that science is not only fun, but an adventure, when their new telescope runs out of batteries, and they have to use their combined talents to save their stargazing trip. The girls are as enthusiastic about science, technology, engineering, and math – the STEM subjects – as Fancy Nancy is about being a girly girl, and they even have their own STEM Girls club to prove it. They invite readers to join them on their adventure, asking “Do you have what it takes to be a STEM Girl?”

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Kristine improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Kristine is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Friday because I have a most excellent book to share with you for PPBF, and also to not being snowed in anymore because we have done that enough times already and the novelty has worn off!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Happy Groundhog Day! Early Spring Or 6 More Weeks? AND Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show!

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It’s here!  It’s here!  It’s finally here!

GROUNDHOG DAY!!!

Here on Blueberry Hill this is cause for great excitement.  It’s the day of days!  The moment Phyllis waits for ALL YEAR!

As you may know, this winter on Blueberry Hill has been a crazy one with the weather either unusually balmy for January (you remember those 2 days when it rained and flooded the basement…) or unusually arctic with day after sub-zero day (the vast majority of this frigid January!)

As a result, Some People have spent most of the winter holed up drinking hot chocolate with not-so-mini-marshmallows attempting not to become a groundhog ice cube!

Now, at long last, it’s time to see what everybody’s favorite groundhog has to say: early spring, or 6 more weeks of winter?

And so, Punxsutawney Phyllis, Sage of Sages, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinaire did set forth from her burrow on Blueberry Hill this Sunday February 2, 2014  at 7:25 AM under sunny skies with a calm wind, 82% humidity and 28 degrees, and declare: “There’s my shadow!  6 MORE WEEKS OF WINTER!“

Though I am disappointed to hear that winter plans to hang around, I certainly enjoyed watching the show.  Phyllis does everything with flair 🙂  Here she is making her prediction in my Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show sample (which I totally cheated on by getting my daughter to execute my idea in photoshop because I – shockingly – have not learned how to use it since Monday!)

All Weather Phyllis – idea by me, execution by Katie 🙂

And now, in celebration of Groundhog Day, I want to welcome you to an exclusive showing of top fashion by outstanding designers, some of them very new to the world of fashion – the very hautest in haute couture!

Prepare yourselves…

(and I mean really)

… because here comes Phyllis on the runway!

Please enjoy these fabulous, show-stopping designs, and then vote for your favorite at the end!

#1 Steampunk Phyllis by Stacy

#2 Olympic Phyllis by Katie

#3 Ain’t Nothin’ But A Groundhog by Julie

#4 Spring Phyllis by Gracie

#5 Done With Glum Phyllis by Linda

#6 Periscope Phyllis by Sue H

#7 Queen Phyllis of the Krewe of Marmotte by Keila

#8 Mariachi Phyllis by Arturo

#9 Skiing Phyllis by Sue H

#10 Birthday Suit Phyllis by Vivian

#11 Sunday Best Phyllis by Heather G

#12 Opera Star Phyllis by Beth

#13 Glow-In-The-Dark Phyllis by Catherine

#14 Divergent Phyllis by Stacy

#15 Rock Star Phyllis by Jenny

#16 Paradise Phyllis by Angie

#17 Phyllis’s Allongé by Nata

#18 Maori Phyllis by Diane

#19 Ballerina Phyllis by Anna

#20 Sleepy Phyllis by Josie

#21 Princess Phyllis Organa by Erik

#22 Gala Phyllis by Meg

#23 Square Dance Phyllis by Penny

#24 Chef Phyllis by Neighbor Girl

#25 Dragon Tail Phyllis by Sue M

#26 Fashion Phyllis Extravaganza by the Maynard Kids

Wow!  That is a lot of fashion designing talent!  You guys are amazing!  Please vote for your favorite in the poll below by Tuesday February 4 at 5PM EST!  Prizes will be awarded Wednesday during Would You Read It!

Happy Groundhog Day Everyone!  And may spring be in your hearts 🙂