Category: Would You Read It

Would You Read It Wednesday #73 – Cheeku The Cheeky Chinese Chicken (PB) AND The Groundhog Day Fun Photo Contest!!!

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After my horrifying two entire minutes without chocolate on Monday, I think we better start today’s post off right.  Brownies anyone?

Freepik.com

And yes, brownies ARE for breakfast.  Need I remind you that they are made of eggs (protein and arguably one of the most popular breakfast foods), butter (calcium), flour (whole grains), and chocolate (which comes from the cocoa bean and is therefore indisputably a vegetable!)? A bite-sized bundle of nutrition!  A healthy start to a happy day 🙂

Now then.  We have something VERY IMPORTANT to discuss today.  As many of you know (because I so helpfully keep reminding you :)) Groundhog Day is only 10 days away.  And we certainly cannot let it pass by without some kind of high jinx and shenanigans!  So here’s what I’m thinking…

(Yes… look out!… another hair-brained scheme is coming your way!)

Go HERE and download the colorable Phyllis action figure (because really that just sounds so much better than paper doll :)) and print it out (card stock is excellent for this but you can use regular paper too.)  Color her in and cut her out… or cut her out first if you prefer and then color her in… we are not particular 🙂  (And you won’t need the dress-up stuff – it’s for April Fools’ Day – but you can use it if you want :))  You may ask your kids to do this if you like – kids are good at cutting out and coloring.

Now that you have your very own Phyllis action figure, take her outside to a location of your choosing on the morning of Saturday February 2 (also known as Groundhog Day!) and photograph Phyllis (she’s very photogenic!)  You, your kids, your pets, your favorite shovel etc. may appear in the photo with her if you choose.  She can be standing (hint: a popsicle stick glued to her back may be helpful if you want her to stand up!), sledding, hot-air ballooning… be as imaginative or not as you wish 🙂  Creative photoshopping is also acceptable – it’s just not an option for some of us… for various reasons… which may or may not include a total inability to operate photoshop…

Post the picture on your blog any time between Saturday February 2 and Monday February 4th and in the caption underneath (or a post if you’re feeling expansive) tell us where she is (e.g. Mount Everest, Nepal or Chicago, Illinois), the weather conditions (e.g. sunny and -12 degrees) and whether or not she saw her shadow (and hence whether she’s predicting an early spring or 6 more weeks of winter.)  Then pop over here and add your post-specific link to the link list that I will post on my special Groundhog Day post.

Hopefully we will end up with a fantastic list of photos of Phyllis ALL OVER THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE predicting spring, which we can convert into a chart… and then see who is right and who should not pursue a career in meteorology!  (And if you happen to live in the Southern hemisphere you can still play – Phyllis is a weather hog – she can predict fall just as easily :))

Just to up the stakes a little, Phyllis and I will give a prize for the best Groundhog Day photo of Phyllis (which shall be voted upon by you, the experts, on some as yet to be determined date in the week or so after Groundhog Day.)  The winner will receive a signed copy of Punxsutawney Phyllis (or, if you already have it or don’t want it, an unsigned but still free copy of Gretchen Groundhog It’s Your Day, or  Go To Sleep, Groundhog! or a $15 Amazon gift card!)

For anyone who is a teacher and would like to photograph Phyllis with his/her class, feel free to take your photo Friday or Monday and bonus points to you for getting lots of kids involved! – maybe they’d all like to color their own Phyllis action figure! – we’d love to see a vote from your class as to whether Phyllis will predict an early spring or 6 more weeks of winter!

I hope everyone will think this is as tons of fun as Phyllis and I do.  If you don’t, well, we’ll be sad, but we have lots of brownies 🙂

Okay!  Next item on the agenda…

The winner of the December pitch pick was Kim with her pitch for Oyster And Pearl!  Congratulations, Kim!  Your pitch has already flown through cyberspace to Erin Molta’s inbox and I’m sure we’ll hear from her soon!  And congratulations to the other pitchers – awesome job everyone!

And now, today’s pitch comes to us from Catherine, whom you may remember from her pitch for Once Upon A Toilet in September.  She is a British Ex-pat living in Canada with her family. She writes picture books and children’s poetry. You can find her on her blog at http://catherinemjohnson.wordpress.com 

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Cheeku The Cheeky Chinese Chicken
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Cheeku the cheeky Chinese karate-loving chicken hatches an escape plan when she discovers it’s more than scrambled eggs the chef is putting on the menu.

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 Catherine 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 February – like in 3 weeks! so seriously we could really use some new pitches!  It’s your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Catherine is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to the Groundhog Day contest which I really hope someone will want to participate in!  Think how much fun we’ll have seeing Phyllis in so many different places predicting spring!

Have a great day, everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #72 – The Good For Plenty Bibs (PB) AND The December Pitch Pick

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I just have to say, I love our writing community!

Where else, on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon, can you find mature adults making up rhymes about poets, or writing songs with animal noises in them for other writers’ blogiversaries on Face Book?  (And yes, that certainly IS an excellent and productive use of time!  We’re writing, aren’t we?! :))

So let’s see… what have I accomplished this week?  You mean, aside from the verse about the otter?  Ummm…..

Excuse me while I distract you with Something Chocolate 🙂

Freepik.com

Please, help yourselves!  While your mouths are full, I’ll explain what we’re doing today.

Due to December’s crazy schedule, we only had 2 pitches, and January has 5 Wednesdays which, for those of you who struggle with math (oh wait, that’s me!), means there will be 5 pitches :), so to make the pitch picks more even I put Sidney’s from the first Wednesday in January in with the 2 from December so that December’s pitch pick will have 3 and January’s (when we get there) will have 4.

I hope you were all able to follow my advanced math at this hour of the morning.  More cake?

So here are the revised pitches for the December+ Pitch Pick 🙂

#1 Julie
Differently Together (formerly Eddie Brick Visits The Aunts) – PB – ages 4-8
When their grandnephew Eddie’s visit stirs up their tried-and-true routine, Emmie and Effie Brick find the upset quite upsetting.  Eddie’s creativity might just help his aunts learn to enjoy doing things a little differently, together.

#2 Kim
Oyster And Pearl – PB – ages 4-8

Pearl is a tiny grain of sand that lives in the bottom of the ocean. She feels insignificant in her world and both envious AND enamored of the star that she can see far above her. As she sets her sights on joining the star, she encounters many challenges... until finally, one night, she meets Oyster, who helps her become a star of her own.

#3 Sidney
Astrid Climbs Her Family Tree – PB – ages 4-8

When Astrid discovers family photo albums, she can’t figure out how she is related to all these people. Join Astrid as she learns how to draw a family tree, create a gravestone rubbing, build an Aztec pyramid, march like George Washington and chase her boredom away. 

Which do you feel deserves a trip to editor Erin Molta’s desk for a read and comments?  Please vote for your favorite by Friday January 18 at 11:59 PM EST and I’ll announce the pitch pick winner next week.

Now on to today’s pitch comes to us from Linda, whom you may remember from her pitch for Alpha Bitty in October.  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: The Good For Plenty Bibs
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4 and up)
The Pitch: A spanking new pair of bib overalls arrives at the Owens’ family cabin for the oldest boy, Jake’s birthday. Pretty soon he sprouts like a beanstalk and dumps them into Granny’s quilt pile saying, “Good for nothing bibs.” Granny argues, “They’re the good for plenty bibs.” She stitches a pocket up and passes them down to the next boy. So the bibs pass from brother to brother, Granny fixing them up each time. They cycle through rips and tears, ups and downs but finally when the last child and only girl, Annabella, outgrows them Granny agrees: they’ve been patched and re-patched; they’ve lost their midnight blue, their October sky blue, and even their milky morning blue. Now they’re finally the good for nothing bibs. This time Annabella disagrees. With a clever plan and her brothers’ help, the kids work out a surprise that leaves Granny speechless.

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 February – like in 3 weeks! so seriously we could really use some new pitches!  It’s your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Linda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to what kind of tomfoolery will show up on Face Book this afternoon 🙂  It better be good.  My expectations are raised now 🙂

Have a great day, everyone!

Would You Read It Wednesday #71 – Civil (MG Fantasy/Adventure) AND A Huge Announcement!

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Well, the proverbial cat is out of the bag.

Months have I slaved in secrecy, awaiting the moment to unveil my latest hair-brained scheme, and what should happen?  It accidentally gets unveiled elsewhere before I got to tell you!

I’m kind of hoping most of you didn’t see it… but I know some of you did because you told me!  And on the off chance you did… or might… I thought you really ought to hear about it here first – straight from the horse’s mouth, as it were 🙂  (I know – first with the cat, now the horse, all this ridiculous cliche…!  Sorry, it’s nerves :))

So, slightly before I am truly ready, I will share my long-kept secret!

Ready?  (Steady now!  Deep breath…)

2013 is the first year since 1987 to have four different numbers!

Hee hee.  That is actually true but it’s not my long-kept secret.  I’m just foolin’ with you 🙂

Seriously, are you ready?

What’s that?  You need Something Chocolate?  Well of course you do!  It’s Wednesday!  Go get something.  I’ll wait.  In fact, here, let me offer you some Monkey Cake!

Photo copyright Stacy S. Jensen 2012 used by permission

Mm mm good and chocolaty!!!

Now then, ready for the secret?

Frankly, I’m a little afraid to tell you in case you don’t think it’s as fun as I do.  Maybe that’s why I’ve been hemming and hawing, tweaking and perfecting and generally mucking about and finding reasons not to tell you.  But the time has come.  Stiff upper lip and all that.  (See?  There’s the cliche again!  It’s like a disease… a disease of nerves! :))

Last May I thought to myself, you know, self? I think I’d like to write a writing course.  I know a little about writing and a little about teaching, and I would like to share with people who would like to learn.

So I got to work and, in between other writing and blogging and taking our son to visit every college on the eastern seaboard and westward into Ohio this summer and on into fall… and then winter…, I wrote a course on how to write picture books.  I polished and tweaked and roped in some beta testers (who shall not be named to protect the innocent but you all know them :))  I added lessons and took lessons away, turned some lessons into supplements and some supplements into lessons.  I reached out to 10 talented artists who very kindly contributed their fabulous work at a fraction of its worth to decorate the lessons and inspire my hopefully someday students.

And the result is my little writing course:  Making Picture Book Magic!  (I wish I could make that sparkle or something!  How about we all pretend it’s sparkling? :))  Look!  Here’s the awesome  header graphic designed by our own fantastic Loni Edwards!

illustration copyright Loni Edwards 2012

Making Picture Book Magic is designed to fit into a busy life-style and be fun, friendly, and affordable.  Each lesson will be delivered in a manageable-sized piece by email.  I did not reinvent the wheel, but I hope I do have something to offer that isn’t quite like anything else out there.  It is my opinion, for what it’s worth :), that it’s helpful to take multiple courses if you can because different people say things and explain things in different ways, and sometimes one way will make more sense to you than another.  Different courses stress different things and offer different exercises, resources and experiences.  There are lots of great writing courses available – Emma Walton Hamilton’s, Anastasia Suen’s, the Institute Of Children’s Literature’s (which I took many years ago) just to name a few.  But I’d like to be able to add mine to the mix in case it’s helpful.  And by working hard to make it affordable, I’m hoping it will be an option for lots of people.  You will note that there is now a tab in the header above.  You may click on it, or HERE, and learn all about the course if you are interested.

But in case you aren’t, I won’t go on about it any longer now.  It’s time for Would You Read It!!!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Wendy.  In what seems like a former life, Wendy was a middle school science teacher and principal. Now a writer and mom, she has published several personal essays and articles on parenting and education. When she is not pulling her sons around the backyard on a sled (100 laps on a recent afternoon), she works on her middle grade novel and her blog, The Family That Reads Together.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Civil
Age/Genre: Middle Grade/Fantasy Adventure
The Pitch:  Five seventh graders–a sensitive ballplayer, a new student from Africa, a feared social outcast, a popular cheerleader, and a 9-year-old technical genius–are invited to join a secret time-traveling society. Soon, they must work together to chase an enemy through the bloody battlefields of Gettysburg, an increasingly dystopian Washington, DC, and their own dangerous school hallways. Charlie, Thabo, LV, Adriana, and Caitlin fight against time to restore history, rebuild a country, and survive middle school.

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 February, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Wendy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to getting the finishing touches done on my course just in case anyone ever wants to take it!

Oh, and if you haven’t signed up yet but you’d still like to, the Free Virtual Conference runs until Saturday the 12th (one more expert was added) so hop over and check it out!

Have a supercalafragilisticexpialidocious kind of day, everyone 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #70 – Astrid Climbs Her Family Tree (PB) AND 2 Straight From The Editors

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HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!!!

Here are my wishes for you:  that your year is filled with health, happiness, creativity, fun, and fulfillment in every aspect of your life!  Here’s to an amazing 2013!!! 🙂

I hope everyone’s holidays were wonderful, relaxing, restorative, and full of family togetherness.

Mine were practically perfect in every way.  The only bad part is when everyone has to leave and return to normal life.  My sister and her family go back to Georgia, my kids go back to school, my husband goes back to work, and the dogs and I are left in peace and quiet with free run of the house… well wait a minute… I guess that part doesn’t sound so bad 🙂

The highlights of vacation aside from Christmas itself were spending time with all the family, ice skating, sledding (yes we got snow! :), rousing games of Taboo (totally fun  – if you haven’t played I highly recommend it! :)), and Charades (where we ended up literally rolling on the floor howling with laughter until we couldn’t breathe!), snowy winter walks with the dogs, cozy evenings by the fire… golly gee it was lovely!  There was one small incident involving a horse, a snowbank, and a fast-moving sanitation truck which resulted in my husband insisting I go to the ER for an X-ray (no it was not broken – I was totally right on that score!) and my kids referring to my hand for the rest of the vacation as “the claw” but all’s well that ends well, as Ma used to say in Little House On The Prairie 🙂  Still, if you notice that my typing is even worse than usual that’s why and you can blame it on the claw 🙂

We are not even going to discuss college applications.  Nope.  Zzzppp.  My lips are sealed.  Enough said.  Except I may have actually aged 10 years in the last three days.  But not another word.  Except why???  Why??? do they insist on leaving things of such importance to the absolute last minute???  I think it’s just to watch our hair turn gray.  But seriously, as you can see, I am not discussing it! 🙂

I must admit that, although I missed you all terribly, it was horrifyingly easy to not blog for a week!  I’m going to have to gather up my self-discipline and get back to it.  I can promise you that there will be some serious whip-cracking from the person in charge around here until order is restored!  And no fruit cup 🙂  (Bonus points to anyone who knows which movie “no fruit cup” is from :))

So anyway, due to the holidays and everyone’s busy schedules, we got a little behind on our Straight From The Editors, so today I’ve got Carrie’s from October as well as Larissa’s from November.

Carrie’s pitch was as follows:

Scooter Annie (PB ages 4-8)
Annie loves swooping and gliding on her new scooter. Nothing can stop her…except the hill at the end of her street. Now, if Annie wants to ride in the neighborhood parade, she must find a way to tackle that big hill – without getting hurt in a big way.

Erin’s comments are:

This is cute. I like Annie’s swooping and gliding but the ending is a bit of a downer. An editor would be more inclined to request it or take notice of it if were more positive. Perhaps something like –she must find a way to tackle that big hill  — and prove what a big girl she is or – and glide at the head of the parade . . .
Something that gives a reader the idea that yes, she’s afraid of the hill, but she can/will conquer it :).

Larissa’s pitch was as follows:

Dim Sum Dog – PB – ages 4-8
With business dwindling, Chang and his family fear they will have to close their dim sum stand. But with the help of a special dim sum-loving dog who entertains customers, they may save the stand after all.

Erin’s comments are:

This has potential but I think to better grab an editor’s eye you should make more clear whether the dog is theirs, or is he  a stray, and if he is, does he join their family as well as help their business out? Something that grabs their hearts right from the get-go. Perhaps something like this:
Dim Sum Dog – PB – ages 4-8With business dwindling, Chang and his family fear they will have to close their dim sum stand. But with the help of a special dim sum-loving stray dog who entertains customers, they may save the stand after all and make an addition to their family . . . .

As always, I find her thoughts so helpful and educational!

And now it’s time for our very first Would You Read It of the New Year!!!  Are you ready?  Here we go 🙂

Today’s pitch comes to us from Sidney, whom you may remember from her early reader pitch back in October for Phantom And The Boneyard.  Sidney is a former newspaper reporter and editor.  She now works for a university and writes freelance.  She is a wife and the mother of a toddler, and is enjoying dipping her toe into the great ocean of fiction!

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Astrid Climbs Her Family Tree
Age/Genre: PB (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Astrid is bored silly one Saturday. Then she discovers family photo albums. But she can’t figure out how she is related to all these people. Join Astrid as she learns how to draw a family tree, create a gravestone rubbing, build an Aztec pyramid and chase her boredom away. 

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 Sidney 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 February, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Sidney is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to regaining full use of the claw 🙂

Have a great day, everyone!  And here’s to a New Year filled with our best writing ever! 🙂

P.S.  Oh, and YIKES!  I almost forgot to mention that I am guest posting on Donna Martin’s blog today to kick off her new Writerly Wisdom series (although whether I have any wisdom to share is debatable :)) so please hop over and visit if you care to – I’m sure she’d appreciate it.  And also, I am a Guest Expert (her words not mine :)) at Patricia Morrison’s virtual conference Take Your Talent To The Bank which will take place next week from January 8th-11th.  (My part is on the 11th, and I will share more info on FB, twitter and here.)

Would You Read It Wednesday #69 – Oyster And Pearl (PB) And Something Special :)

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Would You Read It is here.  I promise 🙂  And anyone who wants to can skip the special first part of this post and scroll right down to the pitch, which is pretty close to the bottom.  But for those of you who are up for a little insanity fun… 🙂

Once upon a time, I had a hairbrained scheme to send Phyllis on a World Tour.  During the tour, it came up somewhere along the line that the treasure hunt in April Fool, Phyllis! was based on the birthday hunts my dad used to make for us when we were kids, which I now do with my kids.  A dear friend of mine, who welcomed Phyllis into her Saskatchewan home during the tour, remarked that a birthday hunt sounded like fun, and she’d really like to give it a try sometime.

Beth Stilborn is a pillar of our writing community.  She writes a wonderful blog about writing and the arts, with a special love of theatre.  She, along with Emma Walton Hamilton, established The Children’s Book Hub Face Book page.  She is incredibly supportive to all of us in the writing community, and she is always up for a hairbrained scheme 🙂  And she’s a nice person 🙂 and kind to groundhogs 🙂

So, Beth, Happy Birthday from me, and Phyllis, and a whole bunch of your blogging family.  Here is your birthday hunt 🙂  It’s not quite the way my dad did it, but hopefully it will work and be fun.  And of course, anyone else who likes solving puzzles is welcome to play along!  It’s not too hard because it is a bit long (12 clues because your birthday is 12/12 :)) but should you have any difficulty, there are hints 🙂  Many hints can be found right here on my blog too, in the side bars or recent posts.

Instructions:
Solve each clue in order.  When you have cracked the code and figured out what the clue says, do what it tells you.  When you get there, you will find a word in colorful bold-face font.  Write it down!  Then come back here for the next clue.  Eventually all the words will make a message and lead you to your present 🙂  If you need a hint, click the HINT button 🙂

#1

ashowy omet whowt swithe ipositivet aparentall oparticipationg

egor etherel

HINT #1

#2

LEVI   GSV   ML   DZGVI   IREVI  ZMW   GSILFTS

GSV   DLLWH  GL   IVMVV’H   YOLT  DV   TL!

HINT #2

#3

HINT #3

#4

Go there!

HINT #4

#5

1-18-20-9-19-20,  23-18-9-20-5-18,  23-9-6-5,  1-14-4

8-15-13-5-19-3-8-15-15-12-9-14-7  13-15-13  12-9-22-9-14-7

9-14  20-8-5  23-15-15-4-19  15-6  13-1-9-14-5  –  19-20-15-16

9-14  6-15-18  1  22-9-19-9-20!

HINT #5

#6

A3 C4 C2 A5     B3 A1 E3 A5     D3 C4 C2 A5     B1 D5 C3     A1 D4

D4 B3 A5     B3 A1 A2 B4 D4 D5 A1 C1     D2 B3 E4 C2 A5 D2 ‘ D3

HINT #6

#7

…-   ..   …   ..   –

–   ….   .

–   .-   .-..   .   -.   –   .   -..

.-   .-.   –   ..   …   –

.–   ….   —

-.-.   .-.   .   .-   –   .   -..

–   ….   .

.–.   .   .-.   ..-.   .   -.-.   .

.–.   ..   -.-.   .   ..-   .-.   .

-…   —   —   -.-

.-..   —   –.   —

HINT #7

#8

golf oscar foxtrot india november delta alpha papa lima alpha charlie echo whiskey hotel echo romeo echo charlie hotel india lima delta romeo echo november’ sierra bravo oscar oscar kilo sierra hotel echo alpha lima

HINT #8

#9

Cubomube crubeubatube cuburubiuboubus wubith Kubirstuben!

HINT #9

#10 (apologies, I ran out of secret codes and time so I’m reusing one! but no hint since you’ve already done it :))

HLNV  KVLKOV  ZIV  ZIXSRGVXGH,

VMTRMVVIH,  XLLPH

YFG  GSRH  LMV  RH  HKVXRZO –

GSRH  PRW  IVERVBH   YLLPH!

TL  KZB  SRN  Z  ERHRG!

(I told you – no HINT :))

#11

g s jl rwn zch wh wrts llstrts nd rds chldrn’s bks

HINT #11

#12

HINT #12

PHEW!  I hope Beth (and at least a few others) made it this far before next week 🙂 and I hope everything worked as it was supposed to and there weren’t too many glitches and/or mistakes.  Any complaints about execution may be directed to the management, who will probably refer you to the resident Seer Of Seers, Prognosticator Of Prognosticators, Weather Prophet Extraordinaire 🙂  (because she’s cute and furry and hard to stay annoyed at :))

(Side note: this hunt will only work properly (assuming it ever does :)) on 12/12/12.  After that, when you follow the clue directions, you will have to scroll back to the bloggers’ 12/12/12 post.)

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming 🙂  Would You Read It!

The winner of the first ever tied pitch pick is:  LARISSA!!!

That was quite a hard-won win – congratulations!  Your pitch is on its way to editor Erin Molta for a read and comments!  And congratulations to everyone who wrote wonderful pitches and then made them even better.  You are all winners as far as I’m concerned 🙂

Now then, the runner up of the first ever tied pitch pick, has a new pitch!

Kim is “Mama” to a wonderful 8-year-old with multiple nicknames, wife of a genius, and has switched careers numerous times in her short (ha!) life. She has been passionate about picture books since her first encounter with Dr. Seuss, though it has taken her decades (don’t ask) to realize that writing them is something that she can probably do for the rest of her life.  She writes a wonderful blog over at Kid Lit Dish and is a regular participant in PPBF.  She would love it if you’d like to follow her on Twitter or like her on Face Book!

Here is her new pitch:

Working Title: Oyster And Pearl
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Pearl is a tiny grain of sand that lives in the bottom of the ocean.  She feels insignificant in her world and both envious AND enamored of the star in the sky that she can see above her at night.  As she sets her sights on joining the star, she encounters many challenges… until finally, one night, she meets Oyster, who helps her become a star of her own.

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 Kim 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 January, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Kim is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to seeing whether Beth can solve her birthday hunt and whether anyone else takes a crack at it!  If you solve it, let me know 🙂

Have a terrific day, everyone!  And happy birthday dear Beth, happy birthday to you 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #68 – Eddie Brick Visits The Aunts (PB) And The November Pitch Pick!

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Woo-hoo!  It’s Wednesday!  Time for everybody’s favorite program:  Would You Read It!

Let’s grab Something Chocolate, shall we?  We haven’t had donuts in a while… 🙂

photo copyright Stacy S. Jensen 2012, used by permission

Now that we’re all happily munching, let me mention The Holiday Contest (for anyone who missed Monday’s post, hop on over, see the rules, and start thinking up your story! :))

And now let’s move on to the November Pitch Pick.  All the pitches have been updated to reflect your helpful advice and comments, and I never tire of seeing how much writers seem to get out of this!  It’s great to look at the before and after versions!

Here they are.  Choose your favorite and vote for it in the poll below by, oh, let’s say Friday Dec. 7 at 11:50PM EST.  The winner’s pitch will be sent to editor Erin Molta for a read and comments!

#1 Heather
Banshee Birthday – PB – ages 4-8
Ailbe the Banshee’s birthday wish is to have the village girls over for an all night celebration full of moonlight, cake and nocturnal animals to visit. She just has to wait and see if any girls will be brave enough to ignore the old myth that Banshee bring bad luck. If they are, Ailbe might be lucky enough to make some new friends.

#2 Kim
How The Bull Lost His Feathers – PB – ages 4-8
Long, long ago in a faraway land, bulls actually had feathers.  And they were big, colorful peacock-like feathers at that!  Discover how one very stubborn yet lovable bull lost every one of his feathers– not only for himself, but for all the bulls born in the world after him. This fable-like tale also reveals why the color red will always make a bull’s temper flare!

#3 Larissa
Dim Sum Dog – PB – ages 4-8
With business dwindling, Chang and his family fear they will have to close their dim sum stand. But with the help of a special dim sum-loving dog who entertains customers, they may save the stand after all.

#4 Katie
A Colorful Surprise – PB – ages 3-7
On the long car ride to Grandma’s, Evan tries to keep himself busy. But after watching a movie, playing some games, and reading three books, Evan is completely bored. His family has run out of fun ideas too when they discover a sky filled with hot air balloons in bright colors and unique shapes. Suddenly, Evan’s mind is full of images that will keep him dreaming long after this trip is over.

Which is your favorite?

Now, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from the amazing and very forgiving Julie.  (Seriously, she was supposed to be on the WYRI list for August, and somehow I screwed up and forgot all about her, and she never made a word of complaint!  Clearly, in addition to her many other talents she is a saint.  Thank you for being so nice about my mistake, Julie!)  Anyway, a scribbler of children’s stories in between chores, Julie Rowan-Zoch has visited three continents, attempted to learn 4 languages, and has a 2-3-3-3-3 phalangeal formula in both of her hands and feet. (Though not yet able to get a good grip with her toes, she has been drawing with her hands since she exchanged a banana for a crayon.)  Please come visit her on her blog and view her beautiful artwork!

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Eddie Brick Visits The Aunts
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Ellie and Effie Brick do everything together, but when their grandnephew Eddie arrives the security of their routine is altered. Eddie helps them see they already enjoy doing things differently, together.

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

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

Julie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to seconds on those donuts 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #67 – Surprises Await (PB)

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Wait until you hear this!  I have reached new heights of fame!

Why, you ask?

Because today I am a guest at By Word Of Beth, the wonderful blog of the lovely Beth Stilborn.  I am so honored that she invited me, so I hope you all might find a minute or two to go and visit her!  (Just, if you go now, don’t forget to come back here and help Katie with her pitch – remember, we have chocolate over here :))

I don’t know about y’all, but after a festive Thanksgiving week, I find myself quite behind in my work!… and it only promises to get worse as Christmas approaches!  So I have decided not to fight it.  I’m going to go with the flow and do the best I can and not worry.  (Well, okay, if we’re being honest, that’s pretty much impossible – who do I think I’m kidding? 🙂 – but I’m hoping if I write it down maybe I’ll convince myself :))

How’s everyone else doing?  Are you all abreast of your work or are you like me – always playing catch up? 🙂

Just thinking about everything on my to-do list today is making me feel a little peaked.  I think it’s time for Something Chocolate!  May I offer you some chocolate turtle cookies?

photo copyright Stacy Jensen 2012 used by permission

And shall we have a look at our pitch?

Today’s pitch comes to us from Katie.  Katie writes picture books and MG novels, is a puppeteer! (how cool is that?!), and is a stay-at-home mom to her 2 yr. old daughter and 5 yr. old son.  She can be found at her Website, or at A Life Spent Reading, the blog she writes with her critique partner.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Surprises Await
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)
The Pitch: The trip to Grandma’s house takes forever. Time drags on, and there isn’t enough to do, until a seven-year-old boy discovers an amazing sight. Beautiful hot air balloons fill the sky. Suddenly, this trip may not be so boring after all.

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 Katie 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 January, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Katie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to checking at least a few things off my to-do list!

Have a great day, everyone, and if you didn’t click over to Beth’s yet, take a cookie for the road and head on over 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #65 – How The Bull Lost His Feathers (PB)

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Busy day ahead, boys and girls!

Princess Blue Kitty (my car, if you didn’t happen to be around this summer :)) and I will be driving to the Big Apple for the Brick Church Holiday Fair, which is always an extravaganza of epic proportions!  Me, Phyllis, Woolliam, Santa – what could be more fun??? 🙂  Personally, I can hardly think of anything 🙂

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood but very cold this morning, and I am feeling significantly under-fueled for this weather, so let’s dive into something chocolate, shall we?  How about….

Photo copyright Stacy Jensen 2012 used by permission

… mmmmm… some Rocky Road Cookie Bars!  They look sustaining, don’t they?! 🙂  Also just exactly like what your mother would approve of for breakfast 🙂  (Rocky road, by definition, includes nuts, and nuts have protein which equals healthy breakfast – see how that works?)

All right.  Everyone feeling energized?  Let’s start by announcing the winner of the October Pitch Pick!  Announcing winners is such a cheerful fun thing to do!  And the winner is…

Carrie! with her pitch for Scooter Annie!

Carrie, your pitch has already been flung through cyberspace to editor Erin Molta, and we will all await her words of wisdom with great anticipation!

Onward to today’s pitch which comes to us from the lovely Kim.  Kim is “Mama” to a wonderful 8-year-old with multiple nicknames, wife of a genius, and has switched careers numerous times in her short (ha!) life. She has been passionate about picture books since her first encounter with Dr. Seuss, though it has taken her decades (don’t ask) to realize that writing them is something that she can probably do for the rest of her life.  She writes a wonderful blog over at Kid Lit Dish and is a regular participant in PPBF.  She would love it if you’d like to follow her on Twitter or like her on Face Book!

Here is her pitch:

Working Title:  How The Bull Lost His Feathers
Age/Genre: PB (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: What, you say?  Bulls don’t have feathers?  Well, long ago, they did.  This is the fable of how one bull lost beautiful peacock-like feathers for himself and his descendants… forever. (Hint: It’s also why the color red will always make a bull’s temper flare.)


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 Kim 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 January, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Kim is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to a fun-filled author visit at the Brick Church Fair and hanging out with Santa!  If you’re in NYC, stop by! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #64 – A Banshee Birthday (PB), And Pitch Pick #14 (October)

61 Comments

Well, my goodness!  This has been a busy week so far, hasn’t it?

I apologize for the extra post yesterday, and thank everyone who took the time to read and vote for their favorite Halloweensie Contest entry.  If you haven’t had a chance to vote yet, the running is VERY tight and we need all the votes we can get, so please go HERE!

And speaking of voting, we’ve had so much of it this week!  Voting for the president… voting for the Halloweensie Contest… and now voting for the October Pitch Pick winner.  Truly, I feel a little weak, and I suspect you may too, so I’d like to offer you all a restorative chocolate cake pop 🙂

Photo copyright Stacy Jensen 2012 used by permission

Very festive, don’t you think?  And orange-y and yellow-y for post-Halloween scrumptiousness 🙂  And as we all know, if it’s cake, it’s breakfast (milk, eggs, grains, need I say more?)  Hmm… I like that!  I think it should be my new motto:  “If it’s cake, it’s breakfast!”  (and you have to say it in the voice of a Saturday morning cartoon narrator, you know, like “Not far outside the city, the evil scientist, Simon Barsinister, was up to no good!”!)

Now that we are thusly fortified, here are the revised pitches from October, presented for your voting pleasure.  Enjoy reading the new and improved versions and then please vote for the one you think deserves a read by editor Erin Molta.

#1 Linda
Alpha Bitty (PB ages 4-6)
A special tree stands on Wordy Hill. It doesn’t sprout apples or oranges but letters, from A to Z. All year Wind, Rain and bright Sunshine, have helped the letters grow strong, but how can they pick them? Alpha Bitty comes to the rescue and together the friends share the letters near and far so new stories may blossom.

#2 Sidney
Phantom And The Boneyard (MG)
The Phantom awakens to find himself separated from the other airplanes in his squadron and relocated to a military “boneyard” in the Arizona desert where retired aircraft are used for spare parts. But Phantom isn’t ready to retire. With the help of new friends, he starts plotting his escape before he, too, ends up in permanent storage with his “eyes” wrapped shut.

#3 Brenda
Dishing Up (PB ages 3-8)
What could possibly go wrong when Dan Platter, Kay Gravy Boat and Amy Gravy Boat take over the kitchen!

#4 Carrie
Scooter Annie (PB ages 4-8)
Annie loves swooping and gliding on her new scooter. Nothing can stop her…except the hill at the end of her street. Now, if Annie wants to ride in the neighborhood parade, she must find a way to tackle that big hill – without getting hurt in a big way.

Please vote by Friday November 9 at 11:59 EST!

And now for today’s pitch from the lovely Heather (who you may remember from that gorgeous dragon painting we all enjoyed so much for the Summer Send-Off Contest – helpfully linked in case you want to go look at that picture again!)  Heather is an artist, writer, wife and mom living in the woods of Maine. When she’s not scribbling away at her desk, she’s busy exploring, learning and generally raising a ruckus with her family. You can find her at her blog or her website.

Working Title: A Banshee Birthday
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Ailbe wishes she had some friends to invite to her birthday party, but it’s tough finding girls willing to attend a nocturnal banshee celebration. For those girls brave enough to say “yes” and stay awake past bedtime, Ailbe has many secrets of the night to share. 

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 Heather 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 January, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Heather is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to a lovely day in which there will be sunshine and temperate temperatures and certainly NOT what the weather man is calling for which I will not repeat here because this is a kid-friendly blog and the weatherman is tossing about a four-letter word that begins with S!

See you Friday for Perfect Picture Books and the winner of Amy’s giveaway for Marathon Mouse!

Have a fun-filled, snow-free day! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #63 – Scooter Annie Braves The Hill (PB), Straight From The Editor #13, AND The Halloweensie Contest!!!

89 Comments

Holy Jack-O-Lanterns Batman!

Why didn’t anyone remind me that I forgot to post the Halloweensie Contest Rules on Monday???!!!  Now we’ve got a gigantic post for today!  So that’s it.  No chitchat!  We’re getting right down to business!

First things first.  It’s Would You Read It Wednesday, so grab your Something Chocolate!  Care to join me for some chocolate cheesecake?

Chocolate Cheesecake… YUM!!!
Photo copyright Stacy Jensen 2012 used by permission

You know, usually I can rationalize the chocolate into some form of acceptable breakfast, but this one eludes me.  Just enjoy 🙂

Now then.  Straight From The Editor for the September Pitch Pick, which you will recall was won by the lovely Elizabeth with her pitch for Buff The Magic Dragon.

Buff The Magic Dragon
Picture Book, ages 4-8
The Pitch: Buff the Magic Dragon is afraid of EVERYTHING. But when his magic trick-gone-wrong lands the baby Princess Ponypants in the tentacles of Captain Meanie Bones Jones, Buff must swallow his fear to save her. 

Here are editor Erin Molta’s comments:

This is cute. I think it would work better if instead of saying “swallow his fear” you say, “overcome his fear”. Because when swallow is used it’s almost always about swallowing one’s pride and I think you’d rather have the connotation being strong. Then I think you might want to be a tad more specific about what fear he is overcoming. I know he’s afraid of everything but if he is to rescue Princess Ponypants(cute name!) from Captain Meanie Bones Jones, he’ll need to face that fear directly. So perhaps Buff must overcome his fear of  . . . eight-legged purple sea monsters or his fear of water in order to do battle with the Captain . . .

I don’t know about you, but I always find Erin’s thoughts very helpful!

Moving right along, we have today’s pitch from Carrie who blogs over at Story Patch and who, if you’ve spent any time around here at all, you will recognize as the pitch doctor 🙂  She has an uncanny ability to take any pitch, keep what’s best, and fix what needs help.  But it’s always a different matter when it comes to your own work, isn’t it?  So today she’s asking for your help.  Let’s see if she needs any 🙂

Working Title: Scooter Annie Braves The Hill
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: When Annie gets a new scooter, she can’t wait to ride. She loves swooping down her driveway and gliding along the sidewalk. But if Annie wants to ride in the neighborhood parade, she must find a way to conquer her fears and tackle the biggest hill in town.

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 Carrie 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 January, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Carrie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to presenting The Halloweensie Contest!!!

Are you ready?

What is that noise in the dark of night?

It’s coming closer…

…and closer…

*dramatic Hollywood scream*  AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

It’s the (2nd Annual!) HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST!!!!!


courtesy google images

The Contest:  write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words witch, bat, and “trick-or-treat“.   Your story can be scary, funny or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!)  Get it?  Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 🙂

Post your story on your blog on Wednesday October 31 and link up here (and I’m really hoping we don’t get 2 feet of snow that knocks out the power and the internet this year!!!)  If you don’t have a blog and would like to enter, you can simply copy and paste your entry in the comments section of the Wednesday October 31 official contest blog post that will go up here.

The Judge: my lovely assistant and I will narrow down the entrants to three (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with only 3, so we’ll see) top choices which will be posted here and voted on for a winner.

The Prize:  Okay.  Seriously?  I think this is a good prize 🙂  The winner will receive 5 (that’s FIVE!) brand new picture books personalized and signed by the authors!  These 5 awesome books are: PUZZLED BY PINK by Sarah Frances Hardy, THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN by Tiffany Strelitz Haber, THE THREE NINJA PIGS by Corey Rosen Schwartz, MARATHON MOUSE by Amy Dixon, and FLAP! by Alison Hertz.  Great to keep for your own collection or to give to little ones in your life as holiday gifts 🙂

Doesn’t that sound like fun?  Last year this was the very first writing contest I ever had on my blog, and I think we got 8 entries.  I’m really really hoping we get lots more this year – it’s fun, it’s not too long (one might even call it short and sweet :)), it has to do with Halloween, which makes you think of candy, which is pretty much synonymous with chocolate… – so really, what could be better? 🙂

So get those thinking caps on – you’ve got a whole week to come up with a 100 word kids’ Halloween story! (and I’ve already given your three of the words 🙂 witch, bat, and “trick-or-treat“) – and, since I went and distracted you with the contest, everyone please remember to leave your thoughts on Carrie’s pitch!

Have a lovely Wednesday, my friends 🙂