Would You Read It Wednesday #80 – Phewie Hughie (PB) PLUS The February Pitch Pick Winner

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Woo-hoo!  It’s Wednesday!  And you know what that means 🙂

Something Chocolate!!!

Help yourselves, dahlings 🙂

Before we get started, I’d like to thank everyone who participated to help our young Jedi friend, Renn, get through his long days in the hospital.  If you didn’t get a chance to see all the wonderful creations from our large-hearted community, please go HERE and hop through the link list.  Prepare to be blown away! 🙂  Just so you know, and can all send extra thoughts and prayers, today is the really tough day, but he will hopefully be able to go home at the end of it or tomorrow.

Also, I’d like to remind you all (and let’s be honest, I’m reminding myself while I’m at it :)) that the In Just Spring Contest (details HERE) opens on Friday March 15 (that’s in 2 days, peeps!) and the first place winner will get to have one of their picture book manuscripts read by editor Laura Galvin at KidsBooks (or, should the winner happen not to write picture books or want a read by an actual real live editor at a real live publishing house, the winner will get a writing book and gift certificate and the editor prize will go to the next highest placed finisher who wants it! :))  So I hope you’re all getting your stories finished up!

This also means that there will be no Perfect Picture Book Friday link up this Friday because we will be reading the fabulous stories written by you! 🙂 and there will also not be a new post Monday (so we can keep reading your stories) or a WYRI next Wednesday because we will be voting on who should win.  Hopefully we will actually get some entries for this contest or it will be a very boring blog week here on Blueberry Hill 🙂

Now, onto WYRI business!  Anyone need another slice of cake? 🙂

The winner of the February Pitch Pick is Wendy with her pitch for Why Fireflies Should NEVER Drink Soda!  Congratulations, Wendy!!!  (Apparently Wendy is the name to have – we’ve had Wendys win two months in a row :))  And congratulations to all our pitchers for excellent pitches, all of which were improved thanks to reader feedback.

Today’s pitch comes to us from Denise.  Denise says, “I’m a lover of all things Anne of Green Gables and Maud Montgomery so am so thankful to live on PEI. I’m also a Christian mom of 4 wonderful children, all named for Lucy Maud Montgomery characters of some sort. When I’m not cleaning, baking, playing, I do get to go to Bible Study and take Rilla, age 7, and Emily. (boys aren’t ready for that yet lol)… I think it’s important that our kids go so they will learn more about God and get used to hearing about God, thereby loving Him more.  I also collect paper dolls.  My daughter is in the works of making some more clothes just for Phyllis, who’s a very patient lass, she is 🙂

You can visit Denise:

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Phewie Hughie
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Hughie loves his toots. The louder the better, but because Hughie thought everyone should love his toots, he had a hard time understanding why no one appreciated his wonderful ability until two children come to an important dinner and Hughie’s dad reminds him to remember his manners.  Mayhem happens after Hughie realizes he just can’t hold it in.   Will Hughie find a way to control his engine’s noise and find friends along the way?

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 Denise 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 May so send in your pitches for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Denise is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to the In Just Spring Contest (for which I haven’t even begun writing my sample, so you can only imagine how dreadful it’s going to be :))  I can’t wait to read lots and lots of stories about spring, lovely spring!… so I really hope we get some 🙂

Have a great day, everyone! 🙂

May The Force Be With You, Young Renn!

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Strap on your lightsabers, fasten your X-Wing Fighter safety harnesses, and make sure your R2 units are securely aboard, everyone!

Today we’re doing something special!

We are gathering the kidlit community to send encouragement and hopefully a little bit of happiness and fun to our friend, Renn.

Renn has a challenging week ahead.  He has epilepsy, and the doctors are having a difficult time figuring out how to control his seizures.  He has to go into the hospital for several days to undergo a number of tests, and last time I checked, that wasn’t anyone’s idea of a good time.  If you’d like to learn more, you can join the blog at The Brain Of A Jedi, or the Face Book Group at Purple Day, but suffice to say he is only 5, and facing some things no 5 year old should have to.

Renn is made of tough stuff – he’s got Jedi Warrior written all over him.  I have no doubt he’ll make the jump to hyperspace without a hitch and come through this week with flying colors.

But I thought maybe we could make his week a little easier by helping to take his mind off where he is and why he’s there, and giving him some things to look forward to.  What should we do? I asked Beth, my co-conspirator who is always willing to go along with me on my hare-brained schemes.  She kindly let me bounce ideas off her and was very supportive, and then helped me write the email to invite people to join in, so please give her a big round of applause and a pat on the back! 🙂

So we are posting virtual cards, fun photos, games, activities, stories, songs, videos – anything at all we can think of that would be fun and entertaining – especially for Renn (who, if you haven’t guessed yet, loves Star Wars :)).   Anyone else who has a child-friendly blog and would like to post something for Renn, please feel free to do so and add your post-specific link to the list below any time today or tomorrow.  (I respectfully request that you keep in mind that he is five years old.)

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Renn and his mom can come here when they have a few minutes and check the list for new posts, and each time something new goes up, Renn will have something fun to look forward to.  Hopefully it will break up the long hours in the hospital with some bright moments, so the more we get the better!

And before I post the list, I would just like to say to Renn’s mom, dad, and little brother that we are all thinking of you too, wishing you strength to get through this, and hoping for the best of all possible outcomes for your Renn.  If the collective thoughts and prayers of this generous-hearted community can exert any influence, please know that we are all in your corner.

May the force be with you all!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – A Little Book Of Sloth

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Happy Friday, Everyone!

The book I have to share today is a little different and very cute and fun.  For starters, how can you not love a book that’s called A LIttle Book Of Sloth? 🙂

A Little Book Of Sloth
Written By: Lucy Cooke
Photographed By: Lucy Cooke
Margaret K. McElderry Books, March 2013, Non-Fiction

Suitable For Ages: there is no recommendation from the publisher – the photographs are suitable for all ages, the text has some higher level vocabulary, but I think would be enjoyed by ages 5 and up.

Themes/Topics: nature, animals, sloths

Opening: “It all started with Buttercup.  Baby Buttercup turned up on Judy’s doorstep as a tiny orphan.  She was a few weeks old and desperately needed a new mom. Buttercup’s new home provided more slouching opportunities than your average tree branch.  So she chose the best seat in the house and decided to stay.”

Brief Synopsis: This is a photographic story about a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica.  Wonderful photos of the many sloths-in-residence are accompanied by anecdotes and facts about sloths.

Links To Resources: Aviarios del Caribe sloth sanctuary website, the Sloth Appreciation Society, meet the sloths on video

Why I Like This Book: I don’t know about you, but I’ve never read a book about sloths before.  This book is beautiful, fun, and educational.  Written by Lucy Cooke, a British filmmaker, zoologist, photographer and founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society, it highlights this lesser-known animal in an irresistible way.  Ms. Cooke takes pains to mention at the end of the book that sloths are wild animals, not pets, and that children (and adults :)) can show their appreciation for these sweet creatures by joining the Sloth Appreciation Society.  A great choice for the animal lovers in your life 🙂

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

PPBF bloggers, please add your post specific link to the list below so we can all come see what delights you’ve picked out for us this week!

Have a great weekend, everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday # 79 – Twitch (MG) PLUS The February Pitch Pick PLUS Straight From The Editor!

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Roses are red
Violets are blue
Chocolate donuts
Are good for you 🙂

Have some, won’t you? 🙂

Take two if you want because we have a full schedule today and you will need your strength! 🙂

First, here is Straight From The Editor for Wendy’s winning pitch from January.  You will recall her pitch:

Working Title: Civil
Age: MG
Five seventh graders are thrust into a secret time-traveling society and are soon fighting for their lives in the bloody battlefields of Gettysburg. The sensitive jock, popular cheerleader, African transfer student, feared social outcast, and 9-year-old technical genius had better work fast: Their own world is becoming increasingly dystopian and their own school hallways increasingly dangerous.

And here are Erin Molta’s comments:

Sounds intriguing but a little too harsh for middle grade. Are they actually on the battlefield and fighting with bayonet’s and guns or have they just arrived and are trying to escape before they get caught up in the battle? That is an important distinction to make when dealing with a middle grade topic.

Also, you might want to allude to the actual problem they have to solve. It’s a bit confusing trying to figure out what exactly is going on –were they sent to Gettysburg by accident and they have to get back to their own world which is deteriorating fast and their school is becoming dangerous? What links it all together? Their dystopian world and their dangerous school hallways are related to Gettysburg (or the time travelling) how?

Once you can pinpoint that, I think you’ll have a pitch that will draw an editor in.

As always, I find Erin’s insight very educational.  I hope it’s helpful to you too!

Next up, we have the February Pitch Pick.  Below are the 4 pitches from February.  Please read them over and then vote for the one you think is best and deserves a read by Erin!

#1 Julie
Just Call Me The Kid (PB ages 4-7)
Pip the mouse longs to be a cowboy, and does his best to rustle up some skills. His mother gets kinda ornery though, as Pip’s attempts turn the household on its head. But that doesn’t sour his milk, and neither does the neighbor’s cat! 

#2 Sue
How Many Shoes Does A Princess Need? (PB ages 4-8)

Cindy’s dad always called her “princess” but now, living with great-aunt Prue, Cindy feels more like a kitchen slave. When she asks for a new pair of Mary Janes for the County Spelling Bee, great-aunt 
Prue snaps, “How many shoes does a princess need?” Cindy decides to investigate “must have” footwear, from frog boots to glass slippers, and learns just how much is enough.

#3 Wendy
Why Fireflies Should NEVER Drink Soda (PB ages 3-7)

Life is good for the insects at the campground—until something attracts a hungry bullfrog. When Herman, a feisty firefly, takes a sip the hiccuping winged beacon learns why he’s been taught that fireflies should NEVER drink soda.

#4 Yvonne
Oakley’s Keys (PB ages 3-6)

Intruder Alert! Wherever Oakley hides, drooling baby brother Dan finds him. Now, not even Oakley’s fantasies are save – from loop-the-looping around a star to playing tag with tigers – Dan is there. But when creepy creatures crawl out of a pirate treasure chest, it’s up to Oakley to rescue Dan, drool not included.

It’s a tough decision, I know!, but the poll will be open until Friday, March 8 at 11:59 PM for you to cast your vote.

Now, onto our final item of business, today’s Would You Read It pitch! 🙂

Today’s pitch comes to us from Linda, whom you may remember from her pitch for Alpha Bitty in October and The Good For Plenty Bibs in January.  Linda is a former gifted and talented teacher and the author of a number of books including the multi-award winning picture book, The Blue Roses.  Please take a moment to visit her website at www.lindaboyden.com.  Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Twitch
Age/Genre: MG
The Pitch: After Twitch Taylor turns twelve, his world flips over. Uncle Dell’s wife, Jewel, is killed in a freak accident. His father, Eldon, disappears but leaves a note that forces Twitch to live with Uncle, an old-time Cherokee custom where uncles teach nephews the ways of men. Twitch quickly learns there’s more to life than cell phones: an ancient curse is attacking his family, something only he can stop. Can he learn enough, fast enough to become a Cherokee warrior? Can a kid save 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 Linda 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 May so you have a little time to polish your pitches for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Linda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Spring.  But that’s not news 🙂

Have a great day, everyone!

Oh Susanna – How To Submit Author Notes And Factual Back Matter?

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Happy Monday, everybody!  I hope you all had an excellent weekend!

I would like to start this week by congratulating my friend Renee LaTulippe on the publication of the first 2 pieces of writing she ever submitted (seriously, that kind of talent doesn’t come along every day!) in The Poetry Friday Anthology For Middle School!  Congratulations, Renee!  We are all mucho proud of you (and I’m hoping in this case that mucho might pass for something Italian because that’s all I’ve got :))  You can enter to win a copy HERE or you can purchase a copy HERE.

I would also like to let you know that my friend Iza Trapani is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her wonderful book, The Itsy Bitsy Spider.  She has spun the familiar rhyme into a delightful and engaging story and accompanied it with her gorgeous art.  This book has been a favorite in our family for years, and if you have a young one in your life this is a story you won’t want to miss.  You can enter to win a copy on her blog HERE just by writing a few lines about the continuing adventures of Itsy Bitsy 🙂

In other news, since today is the alternate Monday from Short & Sweets, we have an Oh Susanna question, which I hope you will find enlightening 🙂

Alayne asks:  “Manuscript formatting question. If a glossary and author note/fact sheets accompany your picture book manuscript, how is the back matter formatted? Are they just a continuation of the manuscript, double spaced after the end? Are they brand new sheets starting five inches down on the page? Here’s a totally different question: Would you send the back matter with the manuscript? Or only mention it in the cover letter?“

Good question, Alayne.  I think many fiction writers are accustomed to submitting their story manuscripts, but if a story idea comes up that lends itself to some educational back matter, they might not know how to handle that, so I’m glad you asked.

To begin with, I would recommend researching titles at the house you’re submitting to to see if they publish books with back matter of any kind.  Not every house does, and you don’t want to submit a story with back matter to a house that doesn’t publish them.

My opinion on this issue is that if you have back matter you should mention it in your cover letter (I believe it is an added hook if there is an educational component and/or a curriculum connection) and include the back matter with your story.  (But a little note on this below…)

Write and format your story manuscript as you usually would.  When you get to the end of the story and are ready to supply the back matter, begin it on the top of a new page with whatever title it requires (Glossary, Fun Facts About Teeth, Pictorial Guide To State Flags, etc.), and continue your header (last name and manuscript title in the upper left, page number in the upper right), with the page numbers continuing (e.g. if your story ended on page 3, the first page of back matter would be page 4, not page 1 of back matter.)  If you have more than one type/category/section of back matter, I would begin each separate section on a new page (e.g. a new page for the Glossary, another new page for Fun Facts About Teeth, etc.)

Any time you include back matter, you should also include a bibliography to show where you got your information, and that can be the last page of your submission.  A bibliography should be formatted according to any standard method – MLA, or Chicago Manual of Style, etc.  You will want to show solid sources – not just Wikipedia 🙂  If you include an explanatory Author Note of some kind you should likewise back that up with evidence/reference to personal knowledge, interview, research etc.

Edit 3/4/13: Huge thanks to Joanna and Tina for reminding me about word count!  The word count for the back matter should be separate from the word count for the story.  So put your story’s word count on the first/cover page of your manuscript in the upper right, and then put the word count for your back matter in the upper right of the page where the back matter begins.

That is how I would approach it.  However, here is my “note below” 🙂  Some might argue that it depends on how critical the back matter is to the story.  If the story can stand completely on its own without the back matter, so that the back matter is essentially an optional bonus, some might say that you could mention in your cover letter that you have back matter (or that you would be willing to write it if the editor is interested) on Phases Of The Moon (or whatever) to accompany the story.  If the editor feels it might enhance the book, you will submit it at their request.  I think this is a matter of personal preference.  But of course, if full comprehension of the story depends on the explanation provided by the back matter, then there is no option and the back matter should be mentioned in the cover letter and submitted with the story.

My approach is to lay all my cards on the table, as it were.  When submitting to houses that publish books with back matter, if I’ve got back matter, I submit it.  The way I see it, it may be an added appeal for the book.  If the editor doesn’t feel it’s necessary, she can always say she’d like to publish the story without the back matter.  But the presence of the educational component might be a deciding factor for an editor who is on the fence – a book that has a possible market in schools and libraries as opposed to retail-only has added potential for sales.

I hope that answers your questions somewhat, Alayne, but I would be very grateful to hear from our readers on this issue.  How do you handle back matter?  Do you format it differently than I do?  Please share – we can always benefit from the knowledge of the group!

Thanks, everyone, and have a great Monday and a great start to your week! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

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WA-HOO!  It’s March!  That means spring will be here… soon… eventually… 🙂

My Perfect Picture Book for today isn’t exactly about spring, but it does match the mood of light-heartedness that March brings 🙂

Meanwhile Back At The Ranch
Written By: Trinka Hakes Noble
Illustrated By: Tony Ross
Puffin Books, 1987, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-8

Themes/Topics: boredom, hyperbole, perspective

Opening: “Rancher Hicks lived out west.  as far as the eye could see there was nothing… not even a roaming buffalo.  So nothing much ever happened.”

Brief Synopsis: Not much happens out on the ranch, so Rancher Hicks heads into town looking for some excitement.  He invites his wife, Elna, to join him, but she declines, saying she has to dig potatoes.  Off he goes to Sleepy Gulch where he sees 12 year old Wanted posters, gets a whisker trim at the barber shop, has lunch at Millie’s Mildew Luncheonette (where there is nothing but potatoes on the menu), watches a checker game where it’s considered exciting if it takes the players only two hours to make a move, and then – OH WOW! – the whole town gathers to watch a turtle cross the road.  Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Elna is having a completely different experience that no one would describe as boring 🙂

Links To Resources: for a fun activity, you could list things that are boring alongside things that are exciting.  What makes something boring?  What makes something exciting?  Is it simply the activity itself, or is it who you’re doing it with?  Are there some activities that some people find exciting and others find boring?  Some things are all in how you look at them.  Here is a page full of optical illusions for kids – an exercise in perspective and looking at things differently.  Make up your own story where crazier and crazier things happen.

Why I Like This Book:  Don’t you love that American Gothic look to the cover?  This book is so delightfully silly and fun and light-hearted – it’s just a great story to share.  It’s totally exaggerated and unbelievable, but each scenario is so zany that you wonder what’s going to happen next to top it!  And the best part is the end, when Rancher Hicks comes home and tells Elna about the turtle… but I won’t spoil it for you 🙂

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

Now then, I realize this may be my shortest post ever, but I’m in the doghouse with certain parties for working too much, so I’m wrappin’ it up!

PPBF bloggers, please put your post-specific links in the list below so we can all enjoy your fabulous picks (I’ll sneak over when I can :))

Have a super-fantastic spring-will-almost-definitely-be-thinking-about-coming-by-the-end-of-this-month weekend! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #78 – Oakley’s Keys (PB) AND The Prize For The In Just Spring Contest!

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If this post actually goes up in time it will be pretty much of a miracle.  I have reached new heights of doltdom!  Which I will tell you about… just don’t let me forget to tell you the awesome fantastic In Just Spring Contest Prize News afterwards!

My husband’s car needs brake work, so since it’s on warranty we had to take it to the dealership.  After work.  “I’ll drive from the train station,” says he, “and you meet me and follow.”

Fine.  Except I got behind The. Slowest. Car.  On. Earth! coming down our mountain to the train station, so he got ahead.  “I’ll pull over after the covered bridge,” says he, “and you’ll catch up.”

Fine.  Except I went through the covered bridge, looked on both sides of the road, no husband.  But there’s a little parking area there, so I pulled over and called him, thinking maybe somehow he was behind me.

“No!” says he.  “I’m up ahead on the hill.  Past the light.”  Well. that’s not exactly right after the covered bridge but…

Fine.  I take my foot off the brake.  Princess Blue Kitty rolls forward willingly.  I look to the left. and right to pull out and suddenly, out of nowhere, GRINDCRUNCHGROWLGROANSCREECH!  WHAT THE ???  Princess Blue Kitty can move neither forward nor backward.  Her engine groans.  Her poor little body shudders.  “OMG!  I’ve wrecked my car!” I shriek and shut off the engine, disengaging the blue tooth and effectively hanging up on my husband.

Yeah.  So what happened?  There was a GIANT rock, which had rolled from somewhere nearby where it was meant to be decorative, down into the little gully between the parking area and the road.  Too low to see (also it blended in with the gravel in the darkness) and too low even to hit with my bumper, it was positioned in just such a way that my front passenger side tire somehow rolled up on it like a ramp then slid off, leaving poor Princess Blue Kitty stranded in the air, her front right side completely off the ground.  Impaled, as it were, on a rock!  Oh the agony!  And the indignity!  And can I just remind us all that it was in a place where no rock that size should have been!

A rumbly diesel engine dually, a hydraulic jack, a lot of chain and a hook, some cardboard to crawl under the car on, several blocks of wood, a flashlight, a tire iron, a very nice guy form New Zealand, and a genius named Loren later, we managed to coax Blue Kitty down off her rock.

Needless to say, we didn’t get home until very late.  But luckily the princess does not seem to have sustained any mortal damage.  Although I believe there is a danger of internal injury, so I will probably take her to her dealership later just in case.  If it stops sleeting.

Anyway.  To make a short story even longer, PHEW!  What an evening.  Which leads me to the fact that it was some ridiculous hour and I hadn’t started writing this post.  Or loading today’s lesson for my course into the email template.  Hence the miracle!

Chocolate anyone?  I think we seriously need it after that harrowing adventure!  Here.  I’ll put some fruit on it so you breakfast purists can feel okay about it 🙂

Now, would you stop telling me ridiculous stories about your inability to drive so we can get down to Would You Read It?! 🙂

Today’s pitch comes to us from Yvonne.  Yvonee says, “I have a background in early childhood and the visual arts and am a mother of boys, from baby to teen, and one in between.  I write picture books mainly but I also write short stories and non fiction articles for older children. So far I am only active on twitter
https://twitter.com/YvonneCMes
I am trying to work up the courage to post something on my Tumblr blog, maybe this will be the push I  need.
http://yvon-novy.tumblr.com/
Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Oakley’s Keys
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6)
The Pitch:  Intruder Alert!
Oakley hides away with his parent’s car keys. He’ll do anything to get the attention away from his drooling baby brother Dan. But wherever Oakley hides, Dan finds him, from loop-the-looping around a star to playing tag with tigers. And when creepy creatures crawl out of a pirate treasure chest, it is up to Oakley to use his brotherly love to save Dan, drool not included.
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 Yvonne 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 April so we could really use some new pitches!  It’s your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Yvonne is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to making sure Princess Blue Kitty hasn’t sustained any lasting injury.  I am not looking forward to how many times over the rest of my life I’m going to hear, “Remember the time you got your car stuck on that rock?” 🙂

Have a great day, everyone!

OH!  See?  I told you not to let me forget!

I have fantastic news.  Seriously.  Fantastic!

Remember that contest I told you about on Monday?  The In Just Spring Writing Contest?  Remember how I said I was still working on the prize but was hoping for something knock-your-socks-off amazing?

Well hang onto your socks!!!

The winner of the In Just Spring Contest will receive the opportunity to send a picture book manuscript to none other than Laura Galvin, Editor at Kidsbooks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  That’s right, my friends!  You’ll have the chance to put a manuscript you wrote on an actual real live editor’s desk at an actual publishing house and be guaranteed that she will read it and offer constructive feedback!  And who knows… she might love it…! 🙂

Personally, I really cannot think of a more awesome prize.  I hope you agree.  But on the off chance that the winner is someone who doesn’t write picture books, or who for some reason doesn’t want this chance, I will think of a fun back up (probably a writing craft book and/or an Amazon gift card) to give them, and the chance to be read by Laura will go to the highest placed writer who wants it.

How’s that for a great way to start your Wednesday?! 🙂  So put on those thinking caps.  Warm up those pencils.  It’s time to write an amazing Spring Story so you can submit a manuscript to Laura Galvin!  (And many many thanks to Laura for so generously agreeing to do this! :))

Now, for real, have a great day 🙂

Monday Short & Sweet AND The In Just Spring Contest Announcement!

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Happy Monday of the last week of February, everyone!

I admit it.  With March only days away, I’ve got spring on the brain… even though it’s currently snowing 🙂  I know it’s a little nuts because around here we don’t really get anything like spring ’til about the third week of April, but March is so hopeful, teasing you into thinking that spring is just around the corner, that I can’t seem to help myself 🙂

And in the spirit of turning the house upside down with spring cleaning… or something… I’m going to do everything backwards today.  I’m going to announce the contest first and put the Short & Sweet second.  I know.  The mind reels at this crazy rule-bending rearranging of the norm.  I’m such a rebel 🙂

First, as inspiration for both the contest and today’s Short & Sweet, I will share one of my favorite poems.

in Just-
by: e.e. cummings (1894-1962)

N Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
 
whistles far and wee
 
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it’s
spring
 
when the world is puddle-wonderful
 
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
 
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
 
it’s
spring
and
the
 
goat-footed
 
balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee


“in just” was originally published in The Dial Volume LXVIII, Number 5 (May 1920). New York: The Dial Publishing Company, Inc.

Isn’t that wonderful?  I love the idea of “eddieandbill… running from marbles and piracies”, “bettyandisabel…dancing from hopscotch and jump-rope” and who can resist words like “mud-luscious” and “puddle-wonderful”?

So now that you’re in the mood…

 Announcing The In Just Spring Contest!

The Contest:  Write a children’s story, in poetry or prose, maximum 350 words (see how nice I’m being giving you two long word counts in a row for contests?! :))


The story must be about something that really says “SPRING” to you – something that really makes you feel that spring is here!  It can be nature oriented – the robins or geese returning, eggs hatching, flowers blooming, baby animals being born, bears waking up, sunshine or rain, etc.  It can be holiday oriented – St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, April Fools’ Day etc.  It can be school oriented – the spring pageant, spring vacation, the spring talent show.  It can be activity oriented – picnics, bike riding, baseball – anything at all that makes you think spring.

The only other requirement is that the last line must be “[Character Name] knew Spring was really here!” or “[Character Name] knew Spring was here at last!”  (You can also write in first person if you want – e.g. I knew Spring was really here…. and present tense is fine too.)  I’ve given the rhymers amongst you a choice… but if you can’t make either option work with your rhyme scheme you have permission to tweak it slightly as long as the essential meaning stays the same.

Post:  Your entry should be posted on your blog between Friday March 15 at 12:01 AM EST and Monday March 18 at 11:59 PM EST, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list on the official In Just Spring Contest post which will go up on my blog on Friday March 15 (no PPBF that day!) and remain up through Tuesday March 19 (no new post on Monday March 18).  If you don’t have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments on my March 15th post.  (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email me and I’ll post your entry for you!)

The Judge:  My lovely assistant and I will narrow down the entrants to five (or possibly a couple more :)) finalists which will be posted here on Wednesday March 20 (no WYRI that day) for you to vote on for a winner.  The vote will be closed at midnight March 23 and the winner will be announced on Monday March 25.

The Prizes!:  I’m still working on the prize(s).  I’m hoping to have something knock-your-socks-off great to offer… but we’ll see.  Stay tuned 🙂
badge created by the talented Loni Edwards

Now, after all that excitement, for our Short & Sweet today, let’s close our eyes and roll back the years until we’re 5 (or 3 or 7 or 9 – anything under 10 :)).

Now let’s remember that feeling, that first inkling, that Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter has arrived.  What are the tiny details, the little moments, you think of?  The things that are representative of that season to you?
Now, let’s turn those tiny details and little moments into lines – things kids can do – in the style of “eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies”.  You can share just one for the season of your choosing, or you can share for 2, 3, or all of the seasons if you really want to stretch those writing muscles!  (Or if you’re in a spring-obsessed mood, you can post 4 or 12 or 20 all about spring :))
Here are my examples:
Spring:  annieandjane come soaring, hair streaming, higher and higher into the greengold air
Summer: maddieandmike run laughing from the white-foamed waves that tickle their bare feet
Autumn: harryandgrant come creeping under skeleton trees toward the warm jack-o-lantern light
Winter: johnnyandjade come stomping in snowy boots and wooly mittens for a carrot nose and a licorice smile
This exercise may actually help you get started on your contest story idea!  Who knows?! 🙂
Have a great day, everyone, writing, reading, parenting, teaching, and otherwise! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Betty Bunny Didn’t Do It AND An Almost Contest Announcement!

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Hurray!  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!  And I have a hot-off-the-presses super-fantastic book to share with you today!

Are you ready? 🙂

Betty Bunny Didn’t Do It
Written By: Michael Kaplan
Illustrated By: Stephane Jorisch
Dial Books For Young Readers, February 2013, Fiction

Suitable For: ages 3-7 (publisher says 3-5, but the text is long enough and the story entertaining enough for up to 7 in my opinion)

Themes/Topics: lying/telling truth

Opening: “Betty Bunny was a handful.  She knew this because one day she was jumping up and down in her brother Bill’s room yelling, “Play with me!  Play with me!  Play with me!” and Bill said, “Man, you’re a handful.”  She knew that she was his favorite sister, so being a handful must be very, very good.“

Brief Synopsis:  Betty Bunny has done something bad, and she doesn’t want to get in trouble.  So she lies.  But lying turns out to be a tricky thing.  Is lying worse than the thing you did that you’re lying about?  And if lying is wrong, then how come it’s okay not to tell the truth sometimes?  It’s hard being 4!

Links To Resources: Talk about why lying is a bad idea.  Share the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  Talk about the difference between a story and a lie.  Children’s Activities About Lying (The Lying King, Lying Masks, The Button Game, The Honesty Train), Why Kids Lie (for parents and teachers)

Why I Like This Book:  Well to start with, it’s BETTY BUNNY!  Isn’t that enough? 🙂  But this book addresses a very common and important childhood dilemma – lying/telling truth.  Betty Bunny is so believably child-like in her behavior.  When she does something wrong, to avoid getting in trouble, she tells her family the Tooth Fairy did it.  Her mother knows she is lying and expresses her disappointment.  When Betty’s brother Bill does something wrong and admits it, Betty sees how much her mother approves, so she starts telling everything she can think of that she EVER did wrong, along with a whole bunch of made-up stuff – from one extreme to the other 🙂 – until her mother makes her understand that she wasn’t proud of Bill for doing something wrong, but for ‘fessing up.  Then when Betty tries to show her father how good she is at telling the truth (by telling him he smells bad when he comes home from the gym :)) he explains that sometimes you don’t need to tell the truth if it’s going to hurt someone’s feelings!  So confusing for poor Betty!  And as always, she has her own interpretation and ends the book with her own unique conclusions! 🙂

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

Now then, my friends, it seems like it’s been a little while since we had a writing contest 🙂  And what better way to fight off winter doldrums than with some contest shenanigans?  Plus this will be a new one – we’ve never done a contest in March before!  I’m still finalizing details (read trying to decide what to do :)), but the official announcement will go up Monday, and the contest will take place in about the third week of March… if anyone thinks they’d like to do it.  What’s the consensus?  Are you up for some fun and games?  Or are you all too busy?  Or does it depend on how tempting the prize is?  Please let me know in the comments!!!  Also, let me know if there’s a particular kind of contest you’d really like to try and/or if there’s something you really want for a prize!  And we’ll take it from there 🙂

So that’s about it for this week, peeps.  PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific link to the list below so we can come see what you love this week!

Have a GREAT weekend everyone!  By the next PPBF it will be March!  And that means Spring will be here… eventually 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #77 – Herman’s Super-Powered Heiney (PB)

72 Comments

Well, it’s Wednesday.  I don’t know how we got here so fast this week, but we did.  Which is not good, because I am still on Monday’s work! (Er, possibly LAST Monday’s…!)

I think a little Something Chocolate is in order, don’t you?  Clearly some of us (ahem… the person in charge around here) need a swift kick to get us in gear, and what better kicker than chocolate?  (That is a rhetorical question!  The ONLY answer is of course… chocolate!)  Let me check my supplies…  Mmmm!  This looks tasty!

I feel more energetic and motivated already! 🙂

Now that we are all fortified with cake, I shall announce the winner of the January Pitch Pick.  I know you have all been waiting anxiously to hear who it is, since we had such a nail biting vote what with the tie and all.  It was a tough, tough choice, and all the pitches were terrific, but the winner for January is WENDY with her MG pitch for Civil.  Congratulations, Wendy, your pitch has already flown through cyberspace and awaits the attention of editor Erin Molta.  And congratulations and thank you to ALL our pitchers who bravely put forth their work so that we can all learn.

Today’s pitch comes to us from Wendy G – not to be confused with Wendy L who won the January Pitch Pick!  Once a microbiologist, then an attorney, Wendy found her way to writing for children. A lover of jokes (good and bad), she roots for underdogs. You can connect with Wendy:

Website/blog: http://www.wendygreenley.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/wendy.greenley.3

Twitter: @WendyGreenley

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Herman’s Super-Powered Heiney Or Why Fireflies Should Never Drink Soda

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)

The Pitch: One night, all the insects at a campground sip from a discarded cup of soda—all the insects except for the two fireflies, Herman and his sister, Tara. In HERMAN’S SUPER-POWERED HEINEY OR WHY FIREFLIES SHOULD NEVER DRINK SODA, a feisty, rule breaking firefly learns firsthand why he shouldn’t drink soda. It’s Curious George mixed with A Bug’s Life. A wacky picture book with a sibling friendship hook.

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 Wendy 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 we could really use some new pitches!  It’s your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Wendy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to another slice of cake, getting caught up on my work (hahahahahahahaha!!!!! – you know, it’s good for you to laugh!), and to seeing if any new pitches come in because we are going to run out soon!

Have a great day, everyone!