Category: pitches

Would You Read It Wednesday #138 – Immortal Island (YA) PLUS Straight From The Editor!

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Greetings from the Green Mountains, my friends!

(Because that is where I am right now – campus touring and college info session-ing to beat the band 🙂  Would anyone like to hear me GIVE a college tour and info session by the way?  I’m pretty sure I could do it, since I am on my 43rd college visit in the last 4 years at the moment!)

I love Vermont.  It’s so bucolic.

I used to live here, you know, back in some of the days of my misspent youth 🙂 so I feel very at home.  I mean, Vermont is the land of Ben & Jerry’s so what’s not to love? 🙂

Quick poll!  Favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor!

For me it’s a tie between mint oreo and coffee heath bar.  Although I do also have quite a fondness for Cherry Garcia…  How about you?

While you mull over that immensely important question, let me present Straight From The Editor from April.  You will recall that the April Pitch Pick was won by Frances, and here is her winning pitch:

Working Title: Peter and AsburyBy Frances Kalavritinos
Picture Book Ages 4-8

Peter is a shy, socially awkward six-year old boy whose best friend just happens to be an ancient oak tree he calls Asbury.  When Peter learns that Asbury will be cut down, he comes up with a plan to keep the memory of Asbury alive forever.  The unlikely bond that develops between boy and tree helps Peter discover a very special talent that he and Asbury will one day share with the whole world.  

Here are editor Erin Molta’s insightful comments:

This seems like it has potential, but you are going in two seemingly different directions which makes it a little confusing. Peter and Asbury are best friends, which is great—though begs comparisons to ShelSilverstein’s The Giving Tree. But is the story about this special talent that Peter and Asbury will share or the plan that will keep Asbury’s memory alive forever? And if it’s to keep the memory alive—wouldn’t a reader rather keep the tree alive—and shouldn’t Peter be fighting for that, instead? These are questions that an editor may not want to bother with. You want to present a more linear pitch that is clear on a point that will grab an editor’s attention and make her or him want to see the full story.

This is why we call on the expert, folks!  Erin has a knack for getting to the heart of the issue and helping us see it!

Now then.  Thanks to you all talking incessantly about Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors, our Something Chocolate for today simply has to be ice cream…

YUM!  Doesn’t that look just chock full of chocolatey goodness?

Happy sigh.  Now that we are fortified with chocolate ice cream, let’s have a look at today’s pitch, shall we?

Today’s pitch comes to us from Amanda who says, “My name is Amanda Hildreth (though my pen name is Amanda Wilson). My YA works have been previously published though now I seek new representation. I’ve been writing since I learned how to hold a pencil and began in the field of poetry. I have a degree in psychology which adds rich and gritty elements to my array of characters. I savor YA fantasy and romance because of the fast pace and magical worlds. Reading was my escape before my poems gave way to novels. Now, writing is not simply my escape from reality, it’s my way of life.” 

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Immortal Island
Age/Genre: YA
The Pitch: Seventeen year old Aria has awoken on the strangely familiar parallel world, Immortal Island, where life is eternal and once imagined monsters lurk everywhere. Aria’s arrival sets off a chain of events leading the Island’s destruction.

With the evil ruler’s son’s vow of protection, Aria is led to swim with hungry Sirens, cross hell to battle Nymphs of the Underworld and bargain the life of a loved one away to Muses with only the obscure chance of being guided home.

As a connection between Aria and the island becomes clear, so does the true nature of the ruler’s son and the other friends Aria has made. Her discovery sets both the Mortal World and the Immortal World on a path to complete annihilation. As her arrival brought catastrophe to the island, only her journey to find home can set everything right.

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 Amanda 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.)
Amanda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to touring Ben & Jerry’s today’s college, which is actually at a college I’ve never toured before! Woo-hoo!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #137 – Dandelion Wishes (PB)

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Well, lovelies, I promised you a little synopsis of the conference, so here it is.

I think it went okay.

Well, maybe I should say I hope it went okay.  Because truly, it’s all a bit of a blur – intense nervousness apparently has an inhibiting effect on memory – someone should probably study that if they haven’t already! 🙂

There was a brief period just before I began when I feared someone would have to employ smelling salts to peel me off the floor, but luckily that didn’t end up being necessary 🙂

Here I am, standing at the front trying to look and sound like I know what I’m talking about:

Here is one of the slides from the beautiful power point presentation (my first ever!) that my daughter kindly helped me with (and by helped I mean did the entire thing with me leaning over her shoulder saying, “I want it to look like this here, and say this there”, etc…. patience and kindness, thy name is Katie :)):

Here are some attendees having the kindness to look interested:

And, now for the really important photo, here is the Something Chocolate that Dee, the organizer, who clearly knows me well, left as a gift for me when I arrived at the hotel:

This is a Buffalo specialty called Sponge Candy.  It has a delicious inside, kind of like caramelized sugar but with a texture that is light and crispy when you bite into it, but then melts away in your mouth like cotton candy.  And the outside is coated in milk or dark chocolate.  Here is a close up:

YUM!

I know you all want to rush right out to Buffalo and get some!

So anyway, that about sums it up: long drive to Buffalo, perfect gift on arrival, miraculously managed to get through the whole full day workshop, went out for a delicious and delightful dinner with the organizers as well as 5 YA authors and 2 agents who were going to be Sunday’s workshop – really fantastic company – what a group!, and then long drive home from Buffalo. . . and am here to tell the tale 🙂

Now then!  Onward!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Katey.  Katey Howes has been dreaming of publishing children’s books since she was 5, and finally had the good sense to take a break from a full time job as a physical therapist to turn her dreams into realities. She is raising 3 voracious readers (8, 6, and 4 years old) who are her biggest inspiration AND harshest critics. Katey has worked with children her entire life in camps, schools, homes and hospitals. Because of this, she has a special sense of what makes them tick, what makes them strong, and what makes them laugh. She tries to bring this to all her stories. Katey blogs on Raising Readers every Monday (and other random mommy/writer/insomniac nonsense on other days) at http://www.kateywrites.wordpress.com.  You can find her tweeting @kateywrites, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kateywrites, and pinning book-y goodness at http://www.pinterest.com/kathrynhowes3/.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Dandelion Wishes
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)
The Pitch: Gia and her mother have everything they need on their hill above the trees: one Saturday after another of togetherness, magic, and wishes.  Dandelion Wishes follows Gia and her mother as they journey through the seasons and see sunny skies turn grey; fields of dandelion wishballs disappear.  Just when Gia thinks magic has gone from her hill and her heart, something beautiful happens to remind her that what she always wished for was there the whole time.

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 Katey 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.)
Katey is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to catching up on all the work I left by the wayside whilst preparing for the conference so that things can get back to normal! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!  And don’t forget to help yourselves to Sponge Candy.  I feel quite certain that anything that light cannot possibly have any calories.  In fact, I’m pretty sure it has negative calories 🙂

Enjoy! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday # 136 – Sprinkles Goes To School (PB)

72 Comments

Good Morning, Peeps!  Happy Wednesday!

As y’all know, I am frantically trying to prepare for the SCBWI conference this weekend – finishing critiques and preparing my presentation – and the upside of this is that I have no time to talk your ears off!  So enjoy this remarkably short post for WYRI!

Today for our Something Chocolate our pitcher requested something dark chocolate and minty – which sounded delicious – so I was happy to comply.  Of course, then I couldn’t decide between two luscious-looking options, so we have an elegant and crisp mint chocolate bark

AND

a soft cake with creamy mint filling for those who prefer something in that department.

I, of course, will have some of each 🙂 and I encourage you all to do so as well 🙂  It’s important to keep up our strength, after all!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Kimberly who says, “I keep pretty busy working at my local public library, owning a costume shop/balloon store, and working as a professional clown.  Therefore it’s sometimes hard to find time for writing!  But it’s my goal to focus on it more now which I’m doing by having participated in PiBoIdMo and 12×12 as well as being a member of SCBWI.  I previously had 2 YA pieces e-published though my e-publisher has since closed. 

I look forward to any comments or suggestions others have to share!”
I can be found on Facebook as Kimberly Sprinkles Cowger

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Sprinkles Goes To School
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: The first day of Kindergarten is intimidating for everyone, especially if you’re a clown.  Sprinkles the Clown tries to fit in with her new classmates but when her juggling act for show-and-tell goes wrong all the kids laugh at her, in a way that even clowns don’t like to be laughed at.  When a storm rolls in scaring all the students, Sprinkles puts her own fears aside and uses one of her true clowning skills to try and save the day!

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 Kimberly 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.)
Kimberly is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to getting all this work finished so I can stop worrying about getting all this work finished and come catch up with you all!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #135 – Princess Petulia’s Problem (PB)

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Something very weird is going on.

(Cue Twilight Zone music)

Last week, 4 people informed me that they had stopped receiving my blog post notifications.  While I was agonizing over what on earth to do to fix this knotty problem, I suddenly got a blog post notification from Janet Sumner Johnson, soon followed by one from Wavy Lines, soon followed by ones from Growing, Writing, Creating Our Own, Sunlit Pages, Fiction University, and a host of others.  Almost all of them are Blogger blogs and/or delivered by Feedburner.  None of them had missed a post… and yet I hadn’t received notifications from them for a couple weeks.  Coincidence?

(More Twilight Zone music!)

I don’t THINK so!  I mean, what are the odds?  (A question which I am WAY to bad at math to have any hope of figuring out, but knock yourselves out if you want to actually answer :)) And…

AND!!!

… my blog is a Blogger blog delivered by Feedburner!  Coincidence?

Again, I think not!

So I’m hoping against all reason and former evidence to the contrary that this was some kind of Blogger or Feedburner issue which has resolved itself.

(Hahaha!  I know!  That would be so simple it will probably never happen!  But here’s hoping everyone who is supposed to get my blog post notification today WILL!  My glass is half-full :))

(And we will not discuss the fact that I am so busy and my inbox is so full that I didn’t even realize I’d MISSED their notifications until they reappeared… sharpest tool in the shed, here :)… so I deeply apologize for missing those posts and failing to visit!)

I don’t know about you, but after all that spine-tingling weirdness and the depressing realization of my lack of cognizance, I need Something Chocolate!  Let me rummage in my pantry and see what we have today…

…chocolate is brain food, you know.  Very restorative…

Ooh!  How about these morsels of delectableness thoughtfully sent to me by the lovely Rene!

Brownie Peanut Butter Cupcakes!

YUM!  I hope you can see that there is an oreo spread with peanut butter, topped by another oreo and more peanut butter, all enveloped in lovely brownie!  I think even I might be able to make these, and boy do they look good!  Please.  Help yourselves!  We’ll forget all about the Blogger/Feedburner conspiracy! 🙂

Now.  To the business at hand.  (I mean, the OTHER business at hand, besides stuffing ourselves with chocolate at whatever ungodly hour of the morning it currently is :))

Today’s pitch comes to us from Steve, who says 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!”  We have met Steve before with his pitches for Rashad Saves The World (WYRI #111) which won the November 2013 Pitch Pick, and Silly Tilly (WYRI #123)

Here is his pitch:

Working Title: Princess Petulia’s Problem
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: Princess Petulia had the longest hair you ever saw. It was long, it was luscious, it was glossy and glamorous and Princess Petulia … hated it. Children stood on it, birds made nests in it, but the King had rules for princesses and the number one rule was NO HAIRCUTS. Kings are kings and can’t be disobeyed, but when she accidentally bumped in to the old gardener with the pruning shears and the shaky hands, Princess Petulia started to see the perfect solution to her problem.


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.)
Steve is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch!  I am looking forward to seeing if anyone gets this post notification.  (I will be very forgiving and not sentence Blogger/Feedburner to an entire week without their crayons if the problem has been fixed/spontaneously fixed itself!)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It #134 – Little Lizzie Knows What She’s Doing (PB) PLUS The April Pitch Winner

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Bonjour, mes petites oiseaux!

(For those of you less fluent in French than me, that means good morning my little birdies – at least, I’m hoping it means something like that :))

I’ve got birds on the brain (no, I did NOT say I was a bird brain!) because of Mr. and Mrs. Canada Goose on the way to my daughter’s school.  They have recently successfully hatched 6 delightful fluffy goslings!  How can you not just love something this cute?

But enough of cute babies.  We’ve got an action-packed, fun-filled day ahead!  Are you ready?

First off, the winner of the April Pitch Pick is Frances!  Congratulations, Frances!  Your pitch has been sent to editor Erin Molta for her comments, and I’m sure you’ll hear from her shortly!

Congratulations to our other fearless pitchers, too!  You did a tremendous job and I know I speak for all of us when I say we admire and respect you for bravely posting your work!

Now.  On a more serious note (one might even say grave), I’d like to discuss something of great importance.

Something I know has been weighing heavily on your minds.

Admit it.

You’ve been lying awake nights plagued by the torturous question of how, oh HOW, should you eat your berries?

Darlings.  I am here for you.

With prime berry season almost upon us, I feel it’s critical that we clear up some common misconceptions.

You might think you should pluck them from the bush they grow on and pop them right in your mouth.  This is called Beary Picking because that’s how the bears do it.  This is not the correct way for you to do it.  Please don’t.  Get out of that blueberry bush right now.

You might think you should buy them at the store, wash them, and put them in one of your pretty china dishes to eat with a spoon.  I’m sorry to tell you that this is also wrong.  Seriously.  Put that dish back in the cabinet before you break it.  And what is that?  Vanilla ice cream?  Don’t make me come over there!

THIS, darlings, is the proper way, the ONLY way to eat berries:

SOMETHING CHOCOLATE 🙂
Chocolate Dessert Cups With Fresh Berries from Plain Vanilla Mom
Recipe HERE

No dishes to wash, hence no water wastage.  No disposable items that have to be thrown away only to clog up our recycling centers.  Just a good old-fashioned edible Something Chocolate cup like our founding fathers used to use back in the old days.  Simple.  Elegant.  Eco-friendly.  Delicious.

I’m so glad I was able to clear that up for you 🙂

Now.  Bring your chocolate cup of berries along and let’s get down to business!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Linda who says, “I know what I’m doing” was a favorite phrase of mine when I was growing up. I wanted to discover the world f or myself, not through my parent’s eyes. This meant that on occasion I would find myself stuck up in a tree or riding my bike with my eyes closed. The results were not pretty!  Today, I continue to be adventurous, writing about the Glimmer Glen Elves who visit me in my Elfery, and dabbling in self-publishing in a variety of genres for both children and adults.” 

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Little Lizzie Knows What She’s Doing
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-6)
The Pitch: Little Lizzie may be small, but she has an enormous curiosity about her world and how she fits in it. She wants to figure things out in her own way, so when her parents caution her about trying something new, her reply is always, I know what I’m doing!  Giving the cat a bath and other experiments lead to some interesting consequences, until at last Lizzie demonstrates she does know what she’s doing.

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.)
Linda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to not washing any dishes ever again now that I’ve discovered chocolate cups 🙂

Have a wonderful, productive, and fulfilling Wednesday, everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It #133 – Orville Wright’s Final Flight (NF PB) PLUS The April Pitch Pick

75 Comments

Golly! What a busy day!

By the time you read this (unless you’re a serious early bird or in Europe or something) I will be on my way to a school visit – the first of a two-day pair – so please forgive me if I’m a little behind in responding to you all today.  It’s Books Journey time again, so I’ll be off teaching writing workshops to 4th graders.  Luckily, since it’s Wednesday, I’ll be fortified with Something Chocolate!

And just LOOK at this gorgeous Something Chocolate!

http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/13464/

Is it cake?  Is it pie?  Who knows?  Who cares?!  It looks so incredibly delicious it won’t be around long enough to debate 🙂  (And Julie, I hope you notice that I put raspberries there just for you since you’re a little more delicate than the rest of us about chocolate before 9 AM :))

Now that everyone except Julie is in a chocolate coma, it’s time for the April Pitch Pick!  Please read the following pitches, most of which have been revised based on your excellent feedback, and vote for the one you think most deserves a read and comments from editor Erin Molta.

#1 Frances – Peter and Asbury – Picture Book (ages 4-8) 
Peter is a shy, socially awkward six-year old boy whose best friend just happens to be an ancient oak tree he calls Asbury.  When Peter learns that Asbury will be cut down, he comes up with a plan to keep the memory of Asbury alive forever.  The unlikely bond that develops between boy and tree helps Peter discover a very special talent that he and Asbury will one day share with the whole world.  

#2 Morgan – Sammy Dougie Foxtrot: Look, Smile, Roar – Picture Book (ages 4-8)
Courage does not come easy to Sammy D. Foxtrot who must overcome his playground fears of dirt, race chairs, and insects! His playground adventure goes awry after his stuffed lion, PJ, gets stuck in a tree. With a Look, Smile, & Roar, Sammy D. Foxtrot discovers the true meaning of courage: that one can feel scared and brave at the same time. Will bravery prevail or will he leave his friend hanging?

#3 Charlotte – Roy G. Biv And The Amazing Castle Moat – Picture Book (ages 5-8)

When a sudden summer rainstorm spares their sand fortress, Sam and Sophie discover a swirl of colors and a surprise visitor, Roy G. Biv, in the castle moat. Sam thinks the arrival of the visitor, who speaks in rhyme, must be a trick. Sophie is delighted by it all. The siblings discover that the magic of Roy G. Biv is actually quite real.

#4 Sean – Todd’s Top Secret Dance Moves – Picture Book (ages 6-8)
His moves are smoother than a buttery bowling ball sliding over a field of silk tuxedos. And Todd is ready to reveal them all: the Fuzzy Banana, the Lunch Lady, the Frosty Snowman, and many more. Follow the footsteps of a dynamite dancer and try to resist tapping your feet. If you want to dance like Todd, the first secret is… 

#5 Janet – You’re A Pest, Betsy Thumbslurp (Early Chapter Book)

Betsy’s arrival turns poor Coco’s comfy world of cuddles and cake (all shapes, all sizes but preferably pink!) upside down. Her thumb sucking, pampered baby sister mixes up the familiar flavours of family life. Is  Coco really no longer the apple of her parents’ eyes and will she feel rotten when she serves up some just desserts?

Please vote for your favorite by Sunday May 18 at 9 PM EDT.  Many thanks! 🙂


Today’s pitch comes to us from Todd.  Todd is a 22 year veteran teacher/librarian/technology specialist who works teaches Kindergarten to fourth grade in Winnetka, IL.  Being a lover of children’s literature, he’s finally jumped into the literary world.  He is passionate about bringing history to life for children.

Here is his pitch:

Working Title: Orville Wright’s Final Flight
Age/Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book (ages 7-12)
The Pitch: When man’s first flight is mentioned, most of us can conjure up an image of that fragile craft lifting from the sands of Kitty Hawk.  Very few of us, however, know much about Orville Wright’s final flight.  That flight came at a pivotal point in World War II when the airplane had become the backbone of the United States military.  It must have been bittersweet for Orville to see he and Wilbur’s creation being used to cause such destruction.  That makes his final flight all the more meaningful.  The C-69 Constellation would move troops to the front and would help end the war.  It would also become the workhorse of the civilian aviation industry.  He must have been amazed at how far aviation had come in just over forty short years.  Orville didn’t know it at the time, but this would be his final flight.  

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 Todd 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.)
Todd is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch!  I am looking forward to all those eager 4th graders!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It #132 – The Long Wait For Mom (PB) PLUS Straight From The Editor

67 Comments

Now don’t you fret, punkin’s!

I know you’re all feeling a little down because the Illustration Contest is over and it was so much fun, but never fear!  We have plenty to keep us busy today so you won’t have a moment to dwell on missing the illustrations!

And…

AND…

I have a scrumptious snack to cheer you and energize you!

One of the reasons I love you all is because you are so considerate – always thinking of me when you see Something Chocolate and making sure I know about it 🙂  Many’s the time when one of you dear folks stumble upon Something Deliciously Chocolate and think to yourselves, “Oh Susanna!” whereupon you immediately send me a Helpful Face Book Post or an Enlightening Tweet, sometimes even a High Priority Email!, calling my attention to that Something Scrumptiously Chocolate.  Thank you.  Truly.  From the bottom of my heart.  It is so imperative that I know where ALL the chocolate is! 🙂

Today’s Something Chocolate is a case in point.  The lovely Rene helpfully called my attention to this. . .

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies by Recipe Girl
http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/06/02/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-brownies/

. . . morsel of delectableness!!!  YUM!!!  And you are all the beneficiaries 🙂

Please enjoy!  (But maybe turn your head from the computer slightly so you don’t get too much drool in your keyboard :))

Now that you are thusly fortified, let’s get down to business.

First, we have Straight From The Editor for March.  You will recall that the March Pitch Pick was won by Ann with her pitch for Sk8r Boy.  Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Sk8r Boy
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: Peter wants to be an ice skater but can’t because he’s homeless, and he doesn’t have the money for a pair of skates.  But when there’s a poetry contest at school with a small cash prize, he may be able to make his smooth words glide and spin so that he can buy the skates and win his classmates’ respect.

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

This is nice. The only thing I would change is the end. I’d think that he’d want to buy the skates so that he can pursue his dream. You don’t want to equate being poor with having no respect. See what I added to the end.
Peter wants to be an ice skater but can’t because he’s homeless, and he doesn’t have the money for a pair of skates.  But when there’s a poetry contest at school with a small cash prize, he may be able to make his smooth words glide and spin so that he can buy the skates and win his classmates’ respect pursue his dream to glide and spin on the ice (or something to that effect . . .).
Nice job, Ann!  And great advice from Erin as always!

Now, it’s time for the April Pitch Pick.  Except we had a glitch and I didn’t hear back from one person because she apparently did not receive my revision email.  I am pretty much not speaking to my computer.  Well.  Actually.  It’s not the computer’s fault.  It’s the internet’s fault.  Our internet is temperamental, moody, unpredictable, and vindictive.  You think I’m joking?  Just come up on Blueberry Hill and try to get anything done efficiently online.  I am AGING, people!  But I digress.  The point is, you are off the voting hook until next week 🙂  Which kind of works out nicely since you’re probably all a little tired of voting after the incident from last week which we are not mentioning lest you become sad again after I just cheered you up with chocolate! 🙂

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for….

Today’s pitch comes to us from Vivian, whom we’ve met before with her pitches for The Tomato Turner (WYRI #49), Confessions Of The Tomato Turner (WYRI #58), and The Tomato Turner Gets A Job (WYRI #98).

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Long Wait For Mom
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5 and up)
The Pitch: There is a huge aching hole in Sophie ‘s life when Mom is deployed. Sophie tries unsuccessfully to make spring come more quickly by keeping busy, but when she starts baking cookies for soldiers, she discovers that helping others is the best way to wait for the ones we love.

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 Vivian 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.)
Vivian is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to experimenting with that recipe above for the chocolate chip cookie dough brownies!  (And by experimenting of course I mean tasting :))

Ooh!  And one last thing before we go!  My friend Sarah Frances Hardy, author/illustrator of Puzzled By Pink, has a BRAND SPANKING NEW book out!  Really!  It just came out yesterday!  It’s called PAINT ME! and I encourage you all to go check it out 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It #131 – You’re A Pest, Betsy Thumbslurp! (Early Ch.)

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For all the links to the fantastic entries in the Illustration Contest, please go HERE!  Really!  Please go!

So here’s the thing.

As you well know, if you spend any time at all around this blog, I am prone to the occasional hare-brained scheme.

Sometimes these schemes get planned a bit in advance.  Other times they are done completely on the fly.  And still other times I THINK they’re planned and then I realize I’ve omitted a petite detail.

My current hare-brained scheme is the First Ever Pretty Much World Famous Illustration Contest and it falls into category #3:  I THOUGHT it was planned, but oops! there was that darned detail! – the detail being that WYRI is scheduled so far in advance that I already had people lined up through June when I thought up this particular harebrained scheme, so we’re having to take a little break from the contest today.

Therefore, even though we will all be intently focused on Janet’s pitch today, I want to make sure everyone keeps visiting the fabulously talented illustrators and encouraging all their friends and relations to do so as well even though that post is no longer at the top of the blog, okay?!!  Because they worked so hard, and did such an amazing job, and everyone should go admire their talent and creativity!

And now you may have Something Chocolate!!!  (That is not bribery, it’s just good sense.)

Recipe HERE at Rock Recipes

Today’s pitch comes to us from Janet who says, “Hi. My name is Janet Pamela Noble. I’m 49 years young, have 1 husband (so far), 2 cats, 3 children and have spent the last 20 or so years promoting a love of books and reading as a children’s librarian. When I’m not blogging about my favourite children’s books I love to write my own.”

Contact me at:
Twitter: @jampamnoble
Here is her pitch:

Working Title: You’re A Pest, Betsy Thumbslurp!
Age/Genre: Early Chapter Book (ages 6-8)
The Pitch: Poor Coco. Her comfy world of cuddles and cake (all shapes, all sizes but preferably pink!) is turned upside down by the arrival of her thumb sucking, slurping, burping, pooing, shrieking, pampered baby sister, Betsy…

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 Janet 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 August 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!

Janet is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to telling you all who the finalists for the illustration contest are tomorrow!  I can’t wait to spill the beans 🙂  And then you all will have the chance to vote for you favorite and we’ll see who wins!  So exciting!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

Would You Read It Wednesday # 130 – Todd’s Top Secret Dance Moves (PB)

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Well, the big news is that TOMORROW is the opening of the First Ever Pretty Much World Famous Illustration Contest!

Can you believe it?

It’s practically time!!!

I’m excited and also nervous!

I’m really hoping we’ll get some entries.  It would be so much fun to see the March Madness Contest winners’ stories brought to life in art!

The contestants will get to have a bunch of people come around and see their art, including the pretty much world famous Iza Trapani and Lisa Thiesing who will be judging.

They’ll get a chance to show their work to a boatload of authors who, in this day and age of self-publishing, might need an illustrator at some point – you never know! – as well as some teachers who might need a school visit from an illustrator at some point – you never know!

AND they get a chance at some awesome prizes, most especially a portfolio critique by the pretty much world famous Michael Garland!

And WE will get to see all their fabulous art!

So it’s all good in my book! 🙂

So much excitement is making me a little faint.  Quick! Something Chocolate!

I have a special treat for Coleen, who has been so very extremely helpful and nice about tweeting the illustration contest (even though I keep forgetting to!) that really, she should have her heart’s desire which just so happens to be peanut butter and chocolate.  So here is a choice, because I wasn’t sure which you’d all prefer 🙂

Gold Rush Peanut Butter Sundae
with homemade chocolate fudge and melted peanut butter!

Peanut Butter Brownie Sandwich – Scrumptious!!!

I feel fairly certain that either or both of those will be very helpful in fueling your creative spirit and/or your vacuuming, car pooling, shopping, or whatever else you have planned for the day.  Nothing like a little chocolate and sugar to get you going in the morning!  That’s what I always say! 🙂

Now then.  Ready for Would You Read It?

Today’s pitch comes to us from Sean who says, “I’m a writer at an advertising agency, and I love being creative. Writing picture books is my favorite creative outlet, and I hope kids will enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Beyond writing, I love to read, run, cook, eat, and watch Mad Men if there’s extra time to spare.”


Here’s the link to his Twitter page. He’s also on Facebook.

https://twitter.com/slamb05

Here is his pitch:

Working Title: Todd’s Top Secret Dance Moves
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 6-8)
The Pitch: His moves are smoother than a buttery bowling ball sliding over a field of silk tuxedos. And Todd is ready to reveal them all: the Fuzzy Banana, the Lunch Lady, the Frosty Snowman, and many more. Follow the footsteps of a dynamite dancer and try to resist tapping your feet. If you want to dance like Todd, the first secret is… 

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 Sean 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 July 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!

Sean is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch!  I am looking forward to THE CONTEST!!!  Whoopee!  By this time tomorrow, we could have art up!  I can’t wait! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! 🙂

And tune in tomorrow for the contest!!!

Oh, and P.S. let me take this opportunity to remind the PPBF bloggers that there will not be a PPBF this Friday (April 25) or next Friday (May 2) because of the contest.

Would You Read It Wednesday # 127 – Dead Trees Don’t Need Water (PB)

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Happy Wednesday Everyone!

And Happy Children’s Book Day!

(It’s also National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day – very kid-friendly, but maybe not great to mix with books :))

I’m happy to report that it is officially April here on Blueberry Hill… probably wherever you are too 🙂

It is a well-known fact that April is the best month of the year, due to April Fool, Phyllis (and also April Fools Day :)), Earth Day, Arbor Day, usually Easter (which I know is not technically about chocolate but still…), Blah Blah Blah Day (which we certainly couldn’t do without!), the fact that it is National Welding Month (and you all know what a big part of my life welding is… not :)) and the celebrity birthdays of certain pretty-much-famous people who shall remain nameless 🙂

Plus, it has such a pretty sound.  April.  So pleasing to the ear.

Really.  What’s not to love about April? 🙂

But let’s hearken back to the bygone days of February and March for one second.

Due to the March Madness Writing Contest preempting WYRI last week, I didn’t get to announce the winner of the February Pitch Pick, so. . .

prup prup-pr prup-prup pr prup!

(that was a trumpet call in case you didn’t quite catch it)

. . . the February Pitch Pick Winner was Kristine with her pitch for The STEM Girls Take Off!  Congratulations, Kristine!  Your pitch has been sent to editor Erin Molta for her thoughts, and I’m sure you will hear from her shortly 🙂

Congratulations also to our other brave pitchers, all of whom had wonderful story ideas and well-written pitches!  Good luck to all of you with your stories!

Now.  How about Something Chocolate?  These are festive and spring-like and practically totally healthy since they are mostly strawberry and only part chocolate 🙂

Help yourselves 🙂

Today’s pitch comes to us from Frances, who says, “I began writing children’s stories many, many years ago, but I got sidetracked by needing to make a living!  Now that my son has started college, I feel I have the time to devote myself to my passion for children’s literature once again.  I have an MFA in Creative Writing, and I have been writing and editing professionally for about 30 years.  I currently work as a freelance editor and am a member of SCBWI, Children’s Books Insider, and Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Forum.”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Dead Trees Don’t Need Water
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Peter wants to be friends with Asbury the tree, but when he finds out that Asbury will be cut down, he comes up with a plan to save Asbury.  In the process Peter  discovers a very special gift that he and Asbury can share forever.  

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 Frances 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 July 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!

Frances is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to all the awesomeness that is April!  I expect robins on my lawn and hyacinth blossoms beside the mudroom porch any second now! (Not because it’s likely, just because I’m ready :))

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! 🙂