(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 Itor 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 :))
Only ONE MORE DAY! until the Match Madness Writing Contest opens!
I cannot wait to read the fabulous entries I hope will soon be pouring in to distract us from the fact that it is still 10 degrees even though tomorrow is the official first day of spring!
(The only small fly in the ointment is that I STILL don’t have an idea for my sample story… EEK! I am seriously running out of time!!!)
One quick note on the contest: apparently the definition of “fairy tale” is a knotty one, not, as I thought, clearly the Snow White, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty, Ugly Duckling, Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin etc. type of story. So many people have argued their cases for nursery rhymes, fables, etc. and I don’t want to have to disqualify anyone over a difference in the definition of fairy tale, because different definitions do appear online, so whatever you guys have written is fine. Apparently the rules were not clear enough, so my fellow judges and I will figure it out 🙂 But, I do hold the line on art notes. Even if your story is intended to be a picture book, no art notes because we get into a weird area with word count. And in answer to someone’s question, your title doesn’t count in the word count.
I think Something Chocolate might fuel the creative muse. Let’s have some of Teresa’s French Chocolate Silk Pie, shall we?
Teresa’s French Chocolate Silk Pie – gorgeous, isn’t it?
And here’s a tasty view of a delicious slice – YUM!
Ah! I feel more creative already! 🙂
But now let’s get down to brass tacks!
First, the February Pitch Pick. Here are the contestants:
#1 Kristine The STEM Girls Take Off – Picture Book (ages 5-8) Sophia wants to win the school science fair, but when her project won’t cooperate, she uses perseverance and teamwork to bring home the goal, proving that every girl can be a STEM girl.
#2 Pam B Fee Fi Fo Flub – Picture Book (ages 4-8) The giant Mini wants to continue her school’s tradition of putting on the annual production of Klurg and the Beanstalk. But during practice, Mini’s co-star makes jokes and goes off-script, and Mini fears he will ruin the show. It is only when Mini makes her own blunder on opening night that she realizes the value of creativity and flexibility, and works with her co-star to make the show a success.
#3 Julie G Diary Of A Linky Kid – Picture Book (ages 4-7) Herman wishes he was like everyone else, but when all the other kids are gazing at their belly buttons during gym class, Herman is hiding his coil shaped tummy under his t-shirt. When just another day at school turns into a daring rescue mission, Herman becomes an unlikely hero when his flexibility saves the day.
#4 Steve Silly Tilly – Picture Book (ages 4-8) Tilly’s dreams of having a baby come true when a hatching egg presents her with a fluffy bundle of … crocodile! Everything is bliss until Charlie starts to grow. AND grow. When her friends start disappearing, Tilly worries that she’s next on the menu. But when Charlie invites her down to his cave, she’s in for a big surprise … party!
Please vote in the poll below by Friday March 21 at 11:59PM ET for the one you feel most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta.
Many thanks!!!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Beth H. who says she is a, “Chocaholic, reformed Catholic, (I don’t feel guilty anymore about eating chocolate), red wine lover – (no I was not an altar girl) seeking to publish children’s books that introduce children to self love, thinking out of the box and just plain silliness.”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Martin’s Perfect Web Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-7) The Pitch: In a quest to build the perfect web, an obsessive compulsive spider confronts his biggest fears through an unlikely friendship with an inquisitive dragon. In a wild ride on the dragon’s tail, Martin learns how to relax and enjoy the simple process of creating – leaving a beautiful web behind him to his utter disbelief.
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 Beth 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 Itor 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!
Beth is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to the contest! The March Madness Writing Contest!! Which starts tomorrow!!! I’m so excited!!!! Oh, wait. I’m having deja vu. Did I already say that??? Never mind. It’s still true. Start counting the hours!!!
(And won’t I feel silly if my sample – which promises to be quite dreadful since I don’t even have an idea yet, and therefore have yet to write a single word with less than 12 hours before I have to post it – is the only entry! So please, save me from myself and enter! :))
My husband and kids are all taking turns being on school vacation with some overlaps, but basically from March 1 – March 31 one, two or three of them are home at a time. This is lovely on every level except getting work done. So anyone who happens to be waiting on me for anything, that’s why 🙂 And I promise I haven’t forgotten you!
The snow is melting. (Yes! Really! Although it’s got a long way to go…)
Yesterday was idyllic! 59 degrees and sunny! I know we have yet to pass the midpoint of March, but it was the kind of day that fills you with the hope and belief that spring is actually thinking about coming. After this winter, it is just so welcome. I took #5 out horseback riding, and the other two horses jumped out of the pasture and came to join us, galloping and leaping and cavorting like colts, skidding on leftover ice and charging through substantial slushy snow, jumping out of their skins with happiness at being able to stretch their legs and run. Even though it took us 45 minutes to catch them and get everyone safely back in the barn, it was lovely to see them so happy. Everyone was feeling a little spring fever 🙂
So. Writing, riding, blogging, teaching, school visiting, spring vacationing, critiquing, barn cleaning, house cleaning (maybe in April :)), driving practice (yes, we’re doing THAT again!), guest posting, running outdoors again with the dogs, and March Madness Contesting = happy and busy 🙂
And now it’s time for Would You Read It, but first, for today’s Something Chocolate, I believe I’ve discovered an idea whose time has come (really, why have I never seen these before???)
Witness the beauty! The perfection! It’s chocolate cream pie AND brownie!
Yes. You may have another 🙂
Now then. Today’s pitch comes to us from Ann who says, “I have only been writing seriously for a year. An interesting fact about me is that I have an identical twin sister named Donna and my husband has an identical twin brother named Don. I am an elementary school teacher. I have always loved children’s books and meeting authors (I even met Lois Lowry in the early 1990’s where she signed a quilt my students and I made in honor of Number the Stars). I’m an avid reader, especially YA. I like to scrapbook, bake, cook. and take photos.”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Sk8ter 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 cash prize, he is able to make his smooth words glide and spin so that he wins the skates and his classmates’ respect.
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 Ann 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 Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in June 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!
Ann is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to having family home in whatever combinations they arrive in and to more days like yesterday as spring begins to overtake winter and to the March Madness Writing Contest (even though I haven’t the slightest idea what I’m going to write for my sample or when I’m going to write it!)
(For those of you who don’t speak my version of Spanish, that means hi little ones! It’s a term of endearment :))
For starters today, we’ve got a Straight From The Editor. You will recall that the December/January Pitch Pick was won by Beth with her pitch for Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared (MG Realistic Fiction).
Here is her pitch:
Mabel is so close to playing baseball she can almost see her spitting distance improving.Mabel’smom thinks she should work on sitting still instead. So they make a deal: Mabel can play baseball in the spring, but only if she learns to fit in with the local Blossoms Troop first. But that isn’t easy. Mabel turns square dancing into a contact sport, saves a spider like she’s sliding into second base, and wolfs down the entire cookie sale stash. That’s three strikes and she’s out of Blossoms, but Mabel is not about to let that stop her. She sneaks to the campsite to make amends and discovers she isn’t the only intruder crashing the camp-out. With the Blossoms trapped between a smelly skunk and a sizzling fire, Mabel realizes that she’s the only one who can save the Blossoms from the stinky situation.
And here are editor Erin Molta’s comments:
This looks appealing! The only thing I would suggest is reworking the first sentence because it’s a little confusing because she can be close physically, too and the reader will have to go back and re-read it to figure out what you mean—especially with the spitting distance image. I suggest something a little more straightforward and perhaps more baseball-oriented. Maybe something like: baseball season is almost here and Mabel can hear the crack of the bat and the sound of the ball hitting her glove in her sleep . . . But Mom wants Mabel to make friends with more girls her own age (or something like that)
Insightful as always, I think!
Now that we’ve been enlightened, I think this would be an excellent time for Something Chocolate. (Of course, I always think that… :)) How do you feel about cookies today? I personally think I could be very comfortable with the idea 🙂
Aren’t these beautiful? So Yin and Yang!
You may be excused for one minute to get a cup of coffee or a glass of milk to go with the cookies, but come right back for Would You Read It!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Karen who says, “I enjoy writing for children, specifically, PBs, and have been working to both hone my craft and connect with other writers. I recently completed Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo and now am onto my first 12×12 challenge with Julie Hedland! I am a mompreneur of sorts and a bit of a daydreamer, journeying however fast or slow towards my goal of publication.”
Come visit her at:
Twitter @kmaewrite
FB as Karen Mae Zoccoli.
Wish I could say I have a website, but not yet (it is on my to do list!)
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Puddles And Rainbows Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-6) The Pitch: Little Cloud desperately wants to play with the bigger clouds, but he needs to prove himself first by learning to rain. Raining takes patience and hard work. As Little Cloud figures out the science of rain, he soon makes a colorful discovery.
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 Karen 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 Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in May 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!
Karen is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Spring. Have I mentioned that before? Is it starting to sound repetitive? I can’t help myself. It’s because of the robins. Even though we’ve still got a good foot and a half of snow on the ground (with a nasty icy crust, no less) and the temperature this morning was a whopping 4 degrees, the brave, cheery little robins are back. I don’t know what they’re eating (though we’ve been doling out birdseed by the ton to all the local winter residents, so the robins are welcome to get in on that action if it helps), or how they’re managing the cold, but it’s so uplifting to see them. They are harbingers of spring. When the robins come, there is hope!
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone, filled with the kind of upliftingness the robins bring 🙂
I’m probably – almost definitely – well maybe – hatching a plan!
I’m on the fence.
I haven’t quite decided.
I shall mull for another day or so and if I decide to go ahead with it, I’ll tell you on Friday 🙂
But don’t ask me anything because I won’t say another word.
Here. Put something in your mouth. That’ll stop those questions 🙂
Since it’s technically breakfast time, I thought we should go traditional today and have (Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter) Banana (Bread) for our Something Chocolate. See how that’s mostly banana, which is, in fact, a breakfast food? That’s how it works around here 🙂
Today’s pitch comes to us from Steve whom we met in November with his pitch for Rashad Saves The World, (WYRI #111) and who says, “I spent 20 years as a teacher of small children in London. Reading aloud was my favourite part of teaching. This means that I absolutely know what a PB, Lower MG should sound like. The challenge is to make my own writing sound right!”
Here is his pitch:
Working Title: Silly Tilly Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) The Pitch: Tilly dreams of having a baby and her dream comes true when a hatching egg presents her with a fluffy bundle of … crocodile! Everything is bliss until Charlie starts to grow. AND grow. When her friends start disappearing, Tilly worries that she’s next on the menu. But when Charlie invites her down to his cave, she’s in for a big surprise … party!
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Steve improve his pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in April so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Steve is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch! I am looking forward to making my decision and telling you or not telling you 🙂
Have a wonderful, writing-filled Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂
Well, folks, I don’t want to brag, but I think it’s fair to say I took holding stuff to a whole new level at the video shoot on Monday.
I held a light AND a dimmer switch AT THE SAME TIME!
I know.
It boggles the mind.
Next time I say I can’t multi-task, please remind me of my obvious talent in that area. I know it will be a great comfort to me 🙂
Speaking of talent (like how smoothly I segued?) it is my pleasure to announce the winner of the December/January Pitch Pick!
And the winner is…
BETH!!! with her pitch for Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared!
Congratulations on a wonderful pitch, Beth! It is already in editor Erin Molta’s inbox, so I’m sure you will hear from her shortly 🙂
And congratulations as well to our other 4 pitchers – Rena, Joy, Kirsten, and Stacy – for their terrific pitches! Great work, everyone!
I’m feeling a little calorically depleted after all that cheering, and I think we all know the best way to deal with that… 🙂 Something Chocolate, anyone?
Even though it’s morning here, somewhere in the world it’s later than that, so today our Something Chocolate shall be chocolate soup – perfect for any meal… or snack…! 🙂
Today’s pitch comes to us from Julie G. With her background in pediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed great resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories about a little girl elf just like them in The Adventures of Caramel Cardamom Trilogy. After participating in Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo in 2013, Julie has been furiously developing her picture book manuscripts. She lives in Melbourne Australia with her husband Danny and their little elf Giselle. You can find her around the web at:
Working Title: Diary Of A Slinky Kid Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6) The Pitch: Herman wishes he was just like everyone else, but as his mum points out, “There’s no escaping your genes.” Sure, he has the right number of fingers and toes, but when all the other kids are gazing at their belly buttons during gym class, Herman is hiding his coil shaped middle section under his t shirt.
You see, Herman comes from a long line of Slinky’s. When just another day at school turns into a daring rescue mission, Herman reluctantly reveals his slinky status to save the day. His mother’s words ring in his ears, and for the first time, Herman is glad of it. He finally finds his place in the world.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Julie improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in March (which at this point is not that far away!) so polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Julie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to telling you that coincidentally I am a guest on Julie’s blog today. And look at that! I just told you! So there wasn’t a very long build up of anticipation. But I hope you will have a build up of anticipation between right now this very second and when you click over to Julie’s blog to visit and say hi and see what tomfoolery we are up to over there! 🙂
Sometime in the holiday swirl, we lost track of Straight From The Editor for the November Pitch Winner. Luckily, the people in charge around here are Extremely Alert and tend to notice such ball-dropping incidents within 2 to 3 months 🙂 So here is Straight From The Editor for November 2013 🙂
You will recall that the winner was Steve with his picture book pitch for Rashad Saves The World. Here is his pitch:
Rashad is tired of being the youngest and the least important member of his family. When he learns at school that he can save the world, he leaps straight into action and straight into trouble with his family as cell phones disappear down toilets and ice cream turns into soup. And when he accidentally demolishes the garden of his fearsome next door neighbour, his career as a Super Hero seems to have come to an abrupt end. Will he still be able to save the world? Perhaps he already has …
And here is what editor Erin Molta had to say about it:
Sounds like a cute story! But it’s a little confusing and an editor would spend too much time trying to figure out what exactly you mean. I think this sentence needs to be more clear: straight into trouble with his family as cell phones disappear down toilets and ice cream turns into soup. Why would his family’s cell phones disappear? Is he trying to save them from cell phone brain damage or is he using the cell phones to create something? Ice cream into soup also needs a clarifier. Brief and then you don’t need the bit about his neighbor.
As always, I find Erin’s thoughts extremely helpful!
Now, I’m sure we’re all feeling a bit peaked after all that reading and processing, so how about a sustaining snack?
In celebration of Valentines Day which is practically here, let’s have Something Chocolate 🙂
Isn’t that a thing of beauty? And deliciousness? 🙂
Next item on the agenda is the December/January Pitch Pick. We have 5 fabulous entries:
#1 Beth Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared (MG)
Mabel is so close to playing baseball she can almost see her spitting distance improving.Mabel’s mom thinks she should work on sitting still instead. So they make a deal: Mabel can play baseball in the spring, but only if she learns to fit in with the local Blossoms Troop first. But that isn’t easy. Mabel turns square dancing into a contact sport, saves a spider like she’s sliding into second base, and wolfs down the entire cookie sale stash. That’s three strikes and she’s out of Blossoms, but Mabel is not about to let that stop her. She sneaks to the campsite to make amends and discovers she isn’t the only intruder crashing the camp-out. With the Blossoms trapped between a smelly skunk and a sizzling fire, Mabel realizes that she’s the only one who can save the Blossoms from the stinky situation.
#2 Rena The Witch’s Brew – (YA)
Ten years after the disappearance of sibling pair Hansel and Gretel, Gretel’s body is unearthed. All evidence points to Carmen Caramelo a.k.a. the Candy Witch. Fuelled by her own false arrest and her growing attraction to the witch’s son, sixteen-year-old Amy Faye, will stop at nothing to prove Carmen’s innocence. Unfortunately for Amy, that also means risking her reputation, her friendships and even her life, all in the name of justice. John Grisham’s The Accused meets Bill Willingham’sFables:Peter and Max.
#3 Joy Tell Me About The Baby (MG Verse) After the death of her parents, 13 year old Sara moves in with her older brother and his pregnant wife. With a brother who acts like her father, and a sister-in-law who resents having a teen to raise before she’s even had a baby, Sara grieves for her old life. Used to being the baby of the family, Sara isn’t happy with this new arrangement. Will she find a way to adjust to her new life?
#4 Kirsten Gwynivere The Ear Finds Her Nose (PB ages 5-7) Gwynivere the Ear, self-proclaimed superhero, can hear citizens in distress from miles away. Unfortunately, chaos seems to follow Gwynivere closely; almost as closely as her arch nemesis, Nosy Rosy. And, as much as Gwynivere proclaims that “superheroes don’t need help,” she will soon discover that everyone can use a helping hand (or nose) once in awhile.
#5 Stacy Simon Wants To Help – (PB ages 4-8) Simon’s idea of helping isn’t the same as his mother’s. He empties the bookshelf, dusts the floor with his body, and scatters toys around his room. Simon feels his assistance isn’t needed, until one turn of a lock gives him a chance to make things better.
Please vote for the pitch you feel most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday February 16 at 5 PM EST.
Many thanks!
Now, finally!, today’s pitch comes to us from Pam B, whom we met before with her pitch for Flood Dogs last April (WYRI #82). Pam says, “Professionally I was a 3rd and 6th grade teacher before becoming an instructor in Early Childhood and Adolescent Education at Bloomsburg University.Currently I’m taking time away from teaching to focus on my family and my writing.You can follow me on Twitter @PamBrunskill.”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Fee Fi Fo Flub Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) The Pitch: Mini’s thrilled to have a part in her school’s production of Gog and the Beanstalk, and she takes her role seriously. But frustrating dialogue, panicked practices, and a giant blunder make Mini realize that sometimes creativity and flexibility are what’s needed to carry the show.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Pam improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Pam is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Spring. Seriously! We’re supposed to get up to another foot of snow by tomorrow night, so pretty much all I can think of is green grass and flowers and sunshine! I will leave you with this in hopes that it will help drive winter away for a moment or two 🙂
Have a wonderful, productive and happy Wednesday everyone! 🙂
The Groundhogs’ unanimous prediction that we’d have 6 more weeks of winter was a little hard to take.
As we are currently being buried under what some say will be 6-12 inches of snow (and what others are saying will be 12-15 inches, and still others are saying 30+ inches) I guess they’re right so far. Dang and blast the little marmots!
(Uh, please don’t tell Phyllis I said that!)
This calls for Something Chocolate. And I have the perfect thing: Happy Cake!
Don’t you feel better just looking at it? Doesn’t it make you believe spring will come? Soon?
I thought so 🙂
Help yourselves! 🙂
Now then. Before we get to today’s Would You Read It pitch, we have a small matter of business to attend to….
Ironing our socks!
Hee hee hee! I’m just funnin’ y’all 🙂
I know the real order of business is….
Who won Phyllis’sFunFashionShow???
And the answer is…
Did I tell you about how Princess Blue Kitty (my car, for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of making her acquaintance :)) is absolutely filthy? Seriously, I have a theory that they put more salt and sand on the roads at the first hint of snow than they ever used to… Why, when I was a mere sprat, it could snow 2 feet and nary a morsel of salt nor sand did we see! We just had to tough our way through it, depending on the survival lessons our Maw and Paw had taught us in our upper east side apartments about how kitty litter makes for great traction…
I’m sorry. What were we talking about?
I believe I may have gone off on a tangent.
If you would all kindly stop distracting me with ridiculous stories about your cars, I would tell you that the winner of Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show was none other than
JOSIE!!!
Congratulations, Josie! Apparently I wasn’t the only one who loved your sweet sleepytime Phyllis in her cozy pink PJs and slippers with her lovable teddy! Great job!
2nd Place goes to Gracie for her stunning depiction of Springtime Phyllis! Congratulations on a gorgeous drawing, Gracie!
Interesting, isn’t it, that first and second place went to 8 year olds?! I think it’s clear that the youngsters in this crowd are mighty talented!
3rd Place was a tie between Julie Ro-Zo with her incredible Phyllis-as-Elvis drawing, Nata with Phyllis’s Allonge, and Beth with Opera Star Phyllis. (I told you we had a tie problem!) Congratulations, you three! You are exceptionally talented for people who are technically older than 8 (although we know you are young at heart :))
Josie, Gracie, Julie, Nata-ie, and Bethie, (I didn’t think we should break up the streak of -ie names :)) please email me and we’ll get those prizes sorted out! (And in case you’ve forgotten what the prizes are, you may view them HERE, and you may all have your choice of whichever one you want, even if you all want the same thing. Oh! And Pat Miller kindly offered to sign a bookplate for anyone who chooses Substitute Groundhog!)
Thanks to EVERYONE who participated in the Fashion Show! You are all SO creative and talented, and supplied all of us with SUCH enjoyment during this wintry week! Phyllis has never felt so well dressed!!! 🙂
My, that was exciting! But now we have something equally exciting in a different way…
Today’s pitch comes to us from Kristine who says, “I’m a stay-at-home mom who is truly living the dream: playing with my daughter by day and writing (if I don’t fall asleep first) at night. I couldn’t be happier to have found the amazing children’s book writing community that exists online, and I look forward to the day when I can fill a bookshelf with works by authors that I also can call friends.“
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: The STEM Girls: Rising Stars Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8) The Pitch: Sophia, Isabella, Madison, and Emma learn that science is not only fun, but an adventure, when their new telescope runs out of batteries, and they have to use their combined talents to save their stargazing trip. The girls are as enthusiastic about science, technology, engineering, and math – the STEM subjects – as Fancy Nancy is about being a girly girl, and they even have their own STEM Girls club to prove it. They invite readers to join them on their adventure, asking “Do you have what it takes to be a STEM Girl?”
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Kristine improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Kristine is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Friday because I have a most excellent book to share with you for PPBF, and also to not being snowed in anymore because we have done that enough times already and the novelty has worn off!
I hope you are all keeping up with Phyllis’sFunFashionShow which began with Monday’s post and will continue through Groundhog Day. (And if you’d care to join in the hilarity haute couture, hop on over and see the instructions HERE. I hope you will because there are prizes, and also because it is more fun with more people :))
So far we have two – count ’em, 2! – fabulous entries!
Done With Glum Phyllis was brought to you by Linda, and Steampunk Phyllis was decked out by Stacy. Yes, that’s right! The very same Stacy whose pitch we will get to in two shakes of a groundhog’s tail!
But first, you know what time it is 🙂
Since Groundhog Day is almost here, I thought we should celebrate with Something Chocolate that groundhogs AND chocolate-lovers would appreciate 🙂 Isn’t this amazing? It is actual cake! And the fur is all piped on buttercream frosting (and no I did not make it!)
Alrighty, then. Now that we all have our mouths full of cake, today’s pitch comes to us from Stacy who says, I write {picture books and memoir}. I design {websites}. I eat {chocolate}.
Working Title: Simon Wants To Be A Helper Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) The Pitch: When Simon wakes up he decides to help his mother around the house, but his idea of helping isn’t the same as his mother’s. Just when Simon feels his assistance isn’t needed, one turn of a knob gives him a chance to make things better.
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 Stacy 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 Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Stacy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to seeing more Phyllis models in stylish and creative outfits!!! I am pretty interested to see what I’ll dress her in, since so far I haven’t the foggiest notion what it will be or how I will do it! That is almost definitely because I am up to my eyebrows in inventing new, fun, doable crafts for my 2 library visits this weekend and not because I am totally unprepared 🙂
Ooh! And this just in! A new entry for the fashion show!
Olympic Phyllis by Katie Hill!
She looks totally ready, doesn’t she? Foam finger and everything! 🙂
If you said International Skeptics Day, you’re right, but that’s not what I’m thinking of 🙂
Today is my Brown Dog’s birthday! She is 7. That means that she and I will be the same age this year. (I’ll let you figure the math :))
I think she would enjoy a rousing chorus of
Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear Stinky (yeah… she rolled in something awful yesterday and in spite of the bath is still a little odoriferous… which makes her very happy… have you noticed a theme here? :)) Happy Birthday to you!!!
And of course I will be making her a cake, so stop by later for a slice 🙂
Speaking of cake, which is sweet, reminds me that we haven’t done a Short & Sweet for a while, and what better time for inspiration than now?
In between navigating my basement by canoe and bailing (oh how do I love thee, unnatural January rain? Let me count the ways… uh, okay, maybe not :)) I persuaded my old computer to part with this picture of Baby Brown Dog.
In honor of her birthday, let’s think up stories for her to star in :))
You can think up a title, or an opening line, or a one sentence pitch or, if you’re really ambitious, all three!
I’ll go first.
Title: One, Two, Three! Play With Me! Opening Line: One, two, three! Play with me! How many puppies do you see? Pitch: A little brown dog wants to play, eat, play, walk, play, roll, and play some more, counting everything as she goes.
Now it’s your turn 🙂 Miss Brown says thank you in advance – she knows she will love your ideas to turn her into a literary star! 🙂
Have a marvelous Monday everyone! And don’t forget to stop by later for a slice of birthday cake (or two :))
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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