Category: January pitch pick

Would You Read It Wednesday #377 – Gina The Prima Bearina (PB) PLUS The January Pitch Pick!

42 Comments

In case you were wondering, not only is today Would You Read It Wednesday, it is also National Umbrella Day!

(I knew you’d want to know!)

It’s kind of funny, actually, since today is the only day we’ve had recently (or expect to have for the next few days) when it is NOT precipitating! (And also not sunny, so no actual reason for an umbrella!)

Still, we should celebrate.

And since many of us (including moi) are surrounded by a LOT of snow, I’m going with this:

Image by Louise Dav from Pixabay

Now that we’re feeling warm and sunny, let’s begin the day’s festivities with the January Pitch Pick! Our contenders are:

#1 – Aundra – Beach Sand Waves (PB 4-8)

It’s another sizzling summer Saturday. Beach day. Ocean day! Sand day-ugh. The average beach has ONE HUNDRED TRILLION GRAINS OF SAND. They scratch, they stick, there are crabs and bugs. But to get to what Morgan loves- quiet floating- first sand.

#2 – Sarah – Crin and Iggy: Friendship Rocks on the Beach (Young Reader Graphic Novel Ages 4 -8)

Three stories, two rock friends, one day. With Iggy’s friendship, Crin’s grumpy morning turns into a swimmingly fun afternoon. Well, except, rocks can’t swim — they sink. What will they do?  To end their day, Iggy puts on a One Rock Band performance. Maybe.

#3 – Debbie & Sophia – Rocky The Christmas Tree Surprise (PB 4-9)

A little owl falls asleep in her tree in the forest and wakes up to find herself in the middle of New York City. Alone and without her family, the tiny owl will have to trust her own courage and the kindness of strangers in order to find her way home.

#4 – Mindy – Just Right For Jack Ambrose (PB 3-8)

Jack Ambrose Kalabash wants everything to be just right; from his name, to his fly swatter collection, to the sounds he hears all day long.  He knows how to make the annoying and loud sounds at school just right, but on the bus ride home and at home, it is never just right. Then, unexpectedly a package arrives to help him through his noisy days.

Now that you’ve read them, which one do you think is best and most deserving of a read and comments by editor Erin Molta? Please vote for your favorite in the poll below by 9 PM Eastern Sunday February 14th (ooh! that’s Valentines Day! ❤️)

All that reading and choosing and voting definitely calls for Something Chocolate, so please help yourself to some French Silk Brownies!

French Silk Brownies

Recipe HERE at Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons

Mmmmm! Chocolate-y, creamy, delicious! Perfect to take with you on your beach picnic for Umbrella Day! 😊

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Ms. T. A NYC native, Ms. T. has been teaching dance for decades across the country. Her past students perform all over the world and all have received countless coloring sheets and daily dance stories as part of class. 

Find her on the web at
www.DANCETRUTH.com/illustrations 

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Gina The Prima Bearina

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6)

The Pitch: Left overnight in a dance studio, a teddy bear learns, from pliés to pointe shoes, how to become a “prima bearina”, so she can help her little girl pursue her dance dreams. With illustrations closely inspired by Edgar Degas, this informational fiction written by a NYC ballet teacher shows how technique and creativity blend to make great art. The loyalty of TRUMAN and the bravado of OLIVIA meet in a child’s art book. 

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 Ms. T 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 Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above.  There are openings in April, so reserve a spot now and you’ll have time for a little polishing before you’re up for helpful feedback on your pitch and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!

Ms. T is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to the Valentiny Contest which opens in less than 2 days at 12 AM Eastern February 12! I absolutely cannot wait to read all the wonderful stories I know you guys will invent!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 😊

Would You Read It Wednesday #355 – Capybara Triplets (PB) PLUS The November/December and January/Early February Pitch Picks!!!

13 Comments

Hey there, everyone!

Just when you thought we’d never get around to the November/December and January/Early February Pitch Picks. . . guess what we’re doing today? 😊

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

Here are the pitches from November/December, some revised, some the same as the original:

#1 – Lynne – Samantha’s Swimsuit (PB 3-7)

Samantha is a girl who knows what she wants when it comes to fashion. When she was imagining the absolutely dreamy suit for summer swim lessons, Samantha forgot about one.  Little.  Detail.  It would get wet. What if water ruins her perfect swimsuit?!?  Now Samantha must decide if she is relegated to the lounge chairs (safely outside of the splash zone!) or if she takes a chance in the pool!

#2 – Lu – Mary Janes (PB 4-8)

All 6 yr. old Bella wants is a pair of new shoes, not just any shoes, but red Mary Janes. On her Saturday shopping outing with her grandmother, she notices the shoes of others. There are jump-roping girls wearing Keds, ice cream eating girls in black and white saddle shoes, and well-heeled ladies at her uncle’s butcher shop. Bella’s dream comes true in an unexpected way.

#3 – Megan – Wired To Worry (PB 4-8)

Bot arrives on the doorstep in a smiling box, ready to lead a perfectly programmed life.  Except he’s not perfect.  Bot has an extra worry port and everything from dripping water to malfunctioning lasers threatens to overload his system.  But when disaster strikes, Bot just might find that being wired to worry isn’t a fatal error after all.

#4 – Sarah – Lilly’s Get A Great Night’s Sleep Book: Trust Me! It Works! (PB 4-8)

Lilly had a hard time sleeping. Maybe it was all the TV, the lack of bedtime snacks, or her wild imagination, but she finally figured out the (sort-of) perfect pre-sleep routine. Now she wants YOU to get a great night sleep too! In her made-for-TV style, Lilly shares her seven step method including bedtime buddies and a just right way to say good night.

 

Please choose the one you like best and vote for it in the poll below by Sunday April 5 at 9PM Eastern.

 

And now here are the beautifully updated and revised pitches from January/Early February:

#1 – Sarah – Waddles And Wheels (PB 4-8)

Wheels is waiting when Waddles flies in to spend summer at the pond. Waddles befriends Wheels and is undaunted by the toy duck’s limitations. Waddles quacks and takes the lead while Wheels clickety tickety follows along. When it’s time for Waddles to migrate, he tries to take Wheels with him but is forced to make a difficult decision. As spring returns, so too does Waddles and his new friend Lucille.

#2 – Paul – All Over The World (PB 4-6) (formerly Does It Rain?)

In a whirlwind tour of the world, from the Outback to Peru to Israel and Cameroon, ALL OVER THE WORLD (249 words, ages 6-8) reminds us that rain falls. The sun shines. Plants grow. Birds fly. Children read and laugh and play and write. Parents kiss their children and tuck them into bed at night. And all of us, regardless of age or gender, irrespective of orientation or creed, no matter our continent or city or home, share the same struggles and triumphs, fears and dreams, joys and laughter and hopes. All over the world.

#3 – Sarah – Bigness (PB 5-8)  (formerly The Dark Bigness)

Theo wants to watch the colors swirl like music sounds across his eyelids, but he knows what’s coming. When the shifty shadows of sleepiness unleash the Bigness, Theo faces the scariest part of his pre-dream world: Monster. Theo summons all his courage to conquer the endless darkness of his imagination and fall peacefully asleep.

#4 – Rena – Iggy Crane: The Case of the Missing Bolt (CB 7-9)

A mystery is brewing in Monster Hollow. Kid detective Iggy Crane takes the case in hopes of following in her great uncle’s sleuthing footsteps. But as the day unfolds, Franko’s stolen bolt isn’t the only problem Iggy is tasked with. She must find a missing bat, stop a fight and calm a fearsome Egyptian princess. She better get detecting as the bolt is the key to winning this year’s science fair, starting in a few short hours. Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew meets The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with a dollop of science and a dose of spooky.

#5 – Augusta – Spotlight (PB 4-8)

Hank feels out of place in his theatrical family. Everyone has a talent
to showcase on stage, but him; his dad is an acrobat, his mom a ballerina, and his sister a magician. Hank longs to to shine in the spotlight too. Will Hank be able to save the day and get his chance to discover his talent under the spotlight when an unfortunate accident renders his family unable to perform on opening night?

 

Please choose the one you like best and vote for it in the poll below by Sunday April 5 at 9 PM Eastern.

 

Phew!  All that reading and choosing and voting calls for Something Chocolate, don’t you think?  Let’s go fancy and delicious with Chocolate Bird’s Nest Cake 😊

Chocolate Bird’s Nest Cake

Isn’t that so pretty?  Also chocolate-y and scrumptious-looking?!  Nothing says breakfast like chocolate cake 😊

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Sandy who says, “I am a retired teacher that spends her days walking the dog and writing the stories I’ve carried in my head for years.  Please find more about me at jesusjingle.com or on FB @makingmuchofHisname.  ”

Find her on the web at

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Capybara Triplets

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)

The Pitch: The capybara triplets, Sebastian, Arturo, and Esteban, have had fun all day playing soccer, wallowing in the mud, and swimming.  When it’s time to wind down the day and prepare for bed the brothers go into bedtime avoidance behavior with silly antics but little success. What will they find when they run recon to gather intelligence on the nighttime activities they are missing?

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 Sandy 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 Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above.  There are openings in April, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!

Sandy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to seeing who wins these Pitch Picks and to (hopefully!) posting the Late February/March one next week so we’re all caught up!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone, and stay healthy and well!!! 😊

 

Would You Read It Wednesday #313 – School-Berry Muffins (PB) PLUS The January Pitch Pick!

22 Comments

Howdy folks!

After what seems like a long hiatus due to the Valentiny Contest, we’re back to our regularly scheduled Would You Read It Wednesday!

Apparently we’re in a voting mode this week, because if it’s not noon yet there is still time for you to read Valentiny Writing Contest Finalists and vote for your favorite (and also please spread the word to everyone you know who might want to read and vote because we need all the votes we can get!) AND today we have the January Pitch Pick, so you can vote for your favorite of those!

So let’s start with the Pitch Pick.  Here are the January pitches, revised by their authors on the basis of all your wonderful and helpful feedback! Please read through them and choose the one you feel is best and most deserving of a read and comments from editor Erin Molta! Please vote for your favorite in the poll below by Sunday March 3 at 5 PM Eastern.

#1 – Aileen – Professor Hound and the Elusive Thieves (CB)

John B. Hound, Professor at the Collarsville Academy and secret agent working for Breeds Over National Emergencies or B.O.N.E. for short, is on a mission to sniff out thieves and recover stolen goods. His job_ to determine why recent burglaries only occur in the homes of wealthy Hound Academy students, if any of the Hound Academy staff are involved, and who sent the perfumed note containing a clue. Will Professor Hound decipher the note and other clues in time or will the sneaky culprits outsmart him and get away with the valuables?

#2 – Dedra – Mawbellina Ballerina (PB ages 3-8)

Mawbelina Ballerina is a young weenie dog desperate to go to dance school with her older siblings. Being the youngest of the family frustrates Mawbelina. Not long enough or tall enough to go, she pirouettes and pliés, whines and pouts until she realizes there is time for dance school later. She understands being home with her mom is special. See how she learns a lesson in patience and decides being small can be fun.

#3 – Jennifer – BYOB, Bring Your Own Bear (PB ages 4-8)

Jillian knew that Rex wasn’t a bear, it wasn’t something that had ever mattered before. But, on the day of the Teddy Bear Picnic, it suddenly mattered… a lot. Realizing she might be the only one without a bear, Jillian decides do whatever it takes for she and Rex to fit in, even if it means keeping a secret from her friends.

#4 – Fanny – Hazel Lee’s Place In The Sky (NF PB ages 6-9)

Hazel Lee is not the stereotypical Chinese-American young woman. She is loud, stubborn, and athletic. Against the expectations of her Chinese community, she earns a pilot’s license, when women in the 1930s are thought to be too emotional to be a pilot. Her high-spirited personality gains friendship and acceptance among fellow WASPs (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) who had never met a Chinese before. Hazel proves she can fly fighter planes as well as any man.

 

 

Always such a hard choice, isn’t it? Clearly we need Something Chocolate after that! Since it’s breakfast, I’m incorporating fruit for your health! 🙂

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

Chocolate-Covered-Strawberry-Cheesecake4

Recipe (including helpful video) HERE at Life, Love, & Sugar

YUM! Delicious AND nutritious! (from a certain point of view 🙂 ) Please feel free to help yourselves to seconds.  There’s plenty for all! 🙂

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Sarah, whom you will recognize from several previous pitches.  Sarah says, “I am an Optometrist, mother, and lover of the outdoors. I live in NH with my husband and two children. I love to paint in my free time, when I’m not writing.”

Find her on the web at www.sarahheturadny.com

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: School-Berry Muffins

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)

The Pitch: Alien Blob hi-jacks my school bus one morning.  He tells us that he wants us to help him gather the ingredients to make school-berry muffins, and we’re supposed to be the school-berries!  Blob is not exactly familiar with the ways and the words of Earth, so I try to fool him.  He is smart enough to see right through my attempts, though.  I must plan something really clever.

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 Sarah 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 Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above.  There are openings in May, so you have time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!

Sarah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to seeing who wins the Valentiny Contest!  We will find out tomorrow!!!  I can’t wait!!! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

 

Would You Read It Wednesday #240 -The Troll Kingdom And Penelope Pickles (MG) PLUS The January Pitch Pick!!!

29 Comments

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

You’ve probably all noticed that today is February 1!  So exciting, isn’t it?  Not only is tomorrow GROUNDHOG  DAY, when Phyllis shall inform us all whether or not we can expect an early spring, but the days are getting steadily longer, each one a little lighter than the one before.  In my neck of the woods there are just about 9 hours of daylight on the shortest day of the year, but we are now happily up to 10 hours and 4 minutes!  I call that progress 🙂

In a shocking display of organization (mostly thanks to Julia sending me her pitch revision without prompting and thus reminding me to contact everyone else – thank you, Julia 🙂 ) I have the January Pitch Pick all ready to go today!

I know!

Unheard of! 🙂

But perfect, because most of this short month is going to be dedicated to the Valentiny Writing Contest so it’s just as well to get the Pitch Pick done now. (Haven’t checked out the contest yet? Click the link!  Awesome prizes!!!)

Here are the revised pitches for your thoughtful evaluation:

#1 – Julia – Tooth Fairy In Training (PB ages 4-7)

Flossie is determined to be the best Tooth Fairy at Molar Academy, but she has a serious case of odontophobia-the fear of teeth. Through perseverance, creativity and a little engineering she learns to work around her fear.

#2 – Robin – No More Turnips! (PB ages 4-8)

A new generation of wolves and pigs live in harmony around the turnip patch until Frank, the youngest grandwolf, determines to get a pork chop dinner. His plans are hog tied by the Three Little Grandpiglets who have just the cure for ham hock hankering.

Suffering Swine Snouts! Frank Wolf wants bacon on the table!

#3 – Michelle – The Stalking Seagulls (PB ages 5-8)

One boy. One sandwich. A flock of sneaky seagulls who have one mission. Alec must  foil their plan or be left with nothing toeat for lunch. Armed with his beastly beach balls, bucket and big enchilada Alec’s lunch should be out of harm’s way. It’s a day neither expect at the beach.

#4 – Costantia – Understanding George (PB ages 2+)

George has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and doesn’t behave or react like the other children in his class. When he is unable to play with them, the children are left upset, and struggle to understand what makes George so different. Seeing the world from his perspective helps them to empathize with the challenges that ASD children face daily, and to accept that everyone is unique.

Please vote in the poll below for the pitch you think is best and most deserving of a read and critique by editor Erin Molta by Sunday February 5 at 5PM EST.  Many thanks!!!

Phew!  That was a tough decision, I know!  All the pitches were so good, and so thoughtfully revised!  We should probably restore ourselves with Something Chocolate before tackling today’s pitch!  You know.  Just to bolster our mental faculties 🙂  How about some German Chocolate Cheesecake?  This recipe comes from a site called Life, Love and Sugar and its tagline is “Life’s better with cake”  Now that’s a sentiment I can get behind! 🙂

Mmmmm-hmmmm!  Scrumptious!  I’m not even going to pretend to find any health benefits in this one 🙂  Just enjoy, and by all means help yourselves to seconds… etc… 🙂

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Kathryn who says, “Hi there! I’m Kathryn: master of the chocolate chip cookie, soon-to-be mother of two, and daily dance party enthusiast. Find me on Instagram @kathrynslibrary or at my blog kathrynrammell.blogspot.com”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Troll Kingdom And Penelope Pickles

Age/Genre: MG Fantasy

The Pitch: Toadstool is a grumpy troll who is tasked with starting a plague to control the human population, but his plan goes amiss when he meets Penny, an 11 year-old with a contagious imagination.

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 Kathryn 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 Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above.  There are openings in March, so you have a little time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read by editor Erin Molta!

Kathryn is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to my Groundhog Day School Visit tomorrow!  Phyllis is so excited she can’t sit still! 🙂

59eef-getattachment-aspx

illustration copyright Jeffrey Ebbeler 2005

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

 

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

77 Comments

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! 🙂

You Make The Call! – Phyllis’s Fun Photo Contest AND The January Pitch Pick!

44 Comments

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Today is all about YOUR thoughts, YOUR opinions, and YOUR votes!

That’s right.  We’re going to have a voting extravaganza!

First, the January Pitch Pick for Would You Read It.

Our brave pitchers have all revised their pitches per your helpful comments.  Please read through them and then vote for the one you think deserves a read by editor Erin Molta!

#1 Wendy – Civil – 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.

#2 Linda – The Good For Plenty Bibs – PB – ages 4 and up
When Jake outgrows his birthday overalls, he calls them the “Good for nothing bibs,” but Granny disagrees. With a stitch here and a stitch there, they travel through the rest of the kids. When the youngest, Annabella, also outgrows them, even Granny admits defeat: they’ve lost their midnight blue, their October sky blue, and even their milky morning blue. Now Annabella disagrees. With her brothers’ help, and a clever plan, their surprise leaves Granny speechless.

#3 Catherine – Cheeku The Cheeky Chinese Chicken – PB – ages 4-8
A chicken hatches an eggsiting escape plan when she discovers it’s more than scrambled eggs the chef is putting on the menu.  She karate-chops her way through the Chinese Temple and passed the cunning cats with help from flying feathers.

#4 Elaine – Slurp, Slurp, Slurp – PB – ages 4-8
When Becca receives a gecko for her birthday, mayhem ensues when the crickets that were bought to feed it, spill to the floor. Slurp Slurp Slurp is quirky and written in the cumulative picture book style- with some spirited twists to keep it fresh and fun for re-reading.

It’s a tough choice, I know!  But please cast your vote by Tuesday February 12 at 7 PM EST so I can announce the winner on Wednesday’s WYRI.

And now, it’s time for another vote!  Who do you think should win Phyllis’s Fun Photo Contest?  I have selected my favorite photo from each contestant, but if you click on their name, which is a link (except for Linda who doesn’t have a blog) you can see additional photos where indicated.

#1 Linda

#3 Erik
#4 Catherine additional photos here
#5 Delores additional photos here
#6 Dana (whose image I can’t copy and paste so you’ll have to click the link – sorry!)
#7 Lauri additional photos here
#10 Cathy additional photos here
#11 Romelle additional photos here (and I had 3 favorites but only posted one! :))
#12 Heather additional photos here
#13 Alayne additional photos here
#14 Coleen
#15 Teresa
#16 Janet
#17 Laura additional photos here
#18 Robyn (definitely click the link to see her video! :))
YIKES!  18 amazing entries!  Please vote for your favorite and tell everyone you know to come vote because with 18 we might never get a majority unless we get a lot of votes!!!  Please vote by Wednesday February 13 at 11:59 PM EST.

And now, after all that agonizing to make such tough decisions, go take a nice bubble bath 🙂
from Romelle’s photo shoot 🙂
Have a great day, everyone! 🙂