How’s the first week of school going for everyone? Hopefully your school buses are showing up!
Things are busy in my neck of the woods, but I got a surprise visit from my sister, so that was amazing! (Too short, but I guess every visit is. We should live closer!)
Also, in my quest to discover that which is nonessential but endlessly entertaining, I found out that Violet’s DNA test claims she is a mix of 24 breeds including 9% Chihuahua, which is why even though she looks like this:
she still clearly thinks she’s a lap dog 😊
It’s all in how you see yourself, right? 😊 I’m pretty sure there are a whole lot of good picture book ideas in that!
I don’t know about you, but I see myself having a little Something Chocolate right about now. Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake Chocolate Cake anyone? Why yes, thank you, don’t mind if I do! 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Hannah who says, “Hello, there! I’m Hannah, an army wife, mother to three boys, and children’s writer. I love writing for kids because it brings out the kid in me 😊”
The Pitch: All Wolfington wants is to be included, but when he goes into town, grandmothers hide, pigs squeal, and sheep faint. Fed up with the big bad wolf stereotype, Wolfington sets out to prove that his heart is bigger than his stomach.
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 Hannah improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in October, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Hannah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to reading the pile of picture books on my desk – some new, some just new to me – but all of them look good!
In fact, I’m not at all sure I’m actually in this week. I’s pretty sure I’m still in last week.
Certainly if you look at the pile of work on my desk that has yet to be done I should be in last week. . . there are many many things there that ought to be finished if it’s this week that most assuredly are not! (as anyone who is awaiting the results of the Halloweensie Contest can tell you! – SORRY!!!)
But I got to have a lovely visit with my son in sunny Brazil (where it is NOT snowing!😊) so with apologies to all of you for keeping you waiting on the things that should be finished and aren’t, I’m very glad I went!
Let’s just skip right ahead, shall we?
First, I’m happy to announce that the Winner of the September Pitch Pick is Kim with her pitch for P.I. Goat: The Case of the Missing Bone! Congratulations, Kim! Your pitch is on its way to editor Erin Molta for her thoughts, which I’m sure will be along at her earliest convenience!
Congratulations to our other pitchers as well! You all did a terrific job of putting together a pitch, bravely sharing it so you (and all of us!) could have the opportunity to evaluate and learn from it, revising your pitch based on the feedback you received, and hopefully ending up with a better, stronger pitch than you started with, even if you didn’t get the chance for Erin’s input. We are lucky to have such thoughtful, perceptive, dedicated and helpful readers to aid us in improving our pitches! Thank you all!
And now it’s on to the October Pitch Pick! (There will be no grass growing under anyone’s feet around here! 😊)
Please read through the revised pitches below and choose the one you think most deserving of a read and comments by editor Erin Molta, then vote for your choice in the poll below by Sunday November 24 at 9 PM Eastern.
#1 – Sri – Mighty Little Nikita (ER/PB 4-8)
Nikita’s friends call her “Little Nikita” because she is really small but Nikita does not like it a wee bit. When a huge dragonfly enters the class, it scares the jelly out of everyone, except Little Nikita. Nikita shows everyone just how brave she can be even when facing a scary insect, thus earning a new nickname that she is absolutely proud of.
#2 – Greg – Furrysaurus Rex (PB 4-8)
Amateur paleontologist Edwin spies a furry looking dinosaur roaming his neighborhood. He convinces his best friend Jennifer to help him hunt for the creature. They discover his brother in a T-Rex costume, but no dinosaur. Jennifer doubts Edwin saw a dinosaur. Edwin persists and ends up discovering something dinotastic.
#3 – Melissa – Mandy’s Magical Quest (PB 4-8)
Mandy, desperate to save her ailing grove of trees, seeks the help of the four elemental Goddesses. Led by her black crow, Bram, they journey to the far corners of the earth, battling the harsh environment. Mandy falters and is anxious to return home. If she does not complete the quest, the trees will not survive.
#4 – Natalie – The Unexpected Suitcase (MG Mystery 8-12)
When eleven-year-old Henry plummets into a dark abyss, inside a tattered suitcase, he’s unexpectedly transported to 1950s Central Park. His only route home is through the suitcase popup portal. During several journey’s, Henry grows by overcoming the fear of starting middle school and owning up about hiding the suitcase from grandma. But first, he needs to discover what’s hidden within the suitcase while helping his grandma clear out her house and keeping his secret safe.
We should probably rest after all that reading and voting. It’s very stressful having to choose between such great alternatives. Luckily I am here for you. And I am thinking that Oreo Cheesecake Chocolate Cake would be a very excellent antidote to our voting-induced stress 😊
Don’t you feel better? De-stressed and fully operational? Ready to tackle anything that comes along?
Fantastic! Because what’s coming along is today’s pitch which comes to us from Lu – author, former LD teacher, Santa maker, and collector of homeless artifacts.
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Mary Janes
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: All 6 yr. old Bella wants is a pair of new shoes, not just any shoes, but red Mary Janes. On her Saturday shopping outing with her grandmother, she notices the shoes of others. There are jump-roping girls wearing Keds, ice cream eating girls in black and white saddle shoes, and well-heeled ladies at her uncle’s butcher shop. Bella’s dream comes true in an unexpected way.
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 Lu improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in February, so you have time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Lu is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to sharing the results of the Halloweensie Contest with you – hopefully tomorrow!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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