The Newbery and Caldecott Awards are top honors for those in the kidlit field, and the committee is winding up their voting. At 7:45 CST on Monday, January 23, 2012 the winners will be announced at the American Library's Midwinter Meeting. Check out the attached link to read a fascinating history of both awards.
The start of something new. . .
The ALAN Conference
November 23, 2011
I'm just back from two incredibly long and packed with authors and books and reading and all that stuff days at the ALAN Conference. It seemed like everyone involved in YA literature was there, and it was an amazing event. I have piles of books and I heard great talks and writing chats. I got to meet some of my favorite authors, and some of my agency-mates as well, who were there to speak and sign. Cynthia Levinson, Jennifer Nielsen and Trent Reedy, you know who you are! What a great event. Read More
Blood and Flowers on the Mock Printz List
November 16, 2011
I'm thrilled to have Blood and Flowers be one of the nominees for the Mock Printz Award from Maricopa County, Arizona. The other nominees are all wonderful books and I'm honored to be a part of this list.
The Horn Book Proclamation
October 30, 2011
In the November/December issue of the Horn Book people from thepicturebook.com posted a Proclamation.
Here's what it says (in part and in synopsis):
The picture book isn't dead it just needs less imitation. It needs grown-up conversation, and the grown-ups creating these books need to know picture book history. Picture books are a form, not a genre. Good design fosters good reading. We need criticism to keep us original.
There are a number of other bulletpoints here -- you can see the whole thing at http://mosscovered.blogspot.com/. I think the most exciting aspect of all of this is that if you take out the words picture books and substitute children's books you have a perfect creed for what we, as authors of all ranges of children's literature, should be striving for.
Thank you to everyone at thepicturebook.com for keeping us honest. Read More
Here's what it says (in part and in synopsis):
The picture book isn't dead it just needs less imitation. It needs grown-up conversation, and the grown-ups creating these books need to know picture book history. Picture books are a form, not a genre. Good design fosters good reading. We need criticism to keep us original.
There are a number of other bulletpoints here -- you can see the whole thing at http://mosscovered.blogspot.com/. I think the most exciting aspect of all of this is that if you take out the words picture books and substitute children's books you have a perfect creed for what we, as authors of all ranges of children's literature, should be striving for.
Thank you to everyone at thepicturebook.com for keeping us honest. Read More
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The Circus is Coming to Town
October 26, 2011
Circuses are the next big thing!
Where else can a kid run away, change a name, become a completely different person -- and get to wear a costume?
Think circus as everything wonderful and strange -- jugglers, magicians, illusionists, puppets, automata, steampunk, wire walkers, flyers, silks and spanish webs, german wheels. Color and magic everywhere you look.
I'm working with a few other authors to make you believe in the circus again. Some of the books that come to mind are The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, The Ruby Notebook by Laura Resau and Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan.
Check here again for more circus, fantasy and Faerie. Read More
Where else can a kid run away, change a name, become a completely different person -- and get to wear a costume?
Think circus as everything wonderful and strange -- jugglers, magicians, illusionists, puppets, automata, steampunk, wire walkers, flyers, silks and spanish webs, german wheels. Color and magic everywhere you look.
I'm working with a few other authors to make you believe in the circus again. Some of the books that come to mind are The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, The Ruby Notebook by Laura Resau and Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan.
Check here again for more circus, fantasy and Faerie. Read More