tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57906895328707119102024-03-19T13:16:13.245-07:00The Cat and the FiddleA blog by children's book author Michelle Markel about books, teaching and writing.Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-71594094453705001452014-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:002014-01-13T00:00:12.227-08:00Patricia Hruby Powell on JOSEPHINE: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month marks the debut of the impressive new picture book JOSEPHINE: the Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker (Chronicle, 2014). During a recent visit to <b>The Cat & The Fiddle</b> author <a href="http://www.talesforallages.com/">Patricia Hruby Powell </a>graciously answered my questions about the book. <br />
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<b>1. How did you get the idea to write a book on Josephine?</b><br />
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Josephine was a dancer. I’m a dancer. I’m also a children’s librarian—a substitute librarian. Back in 2005 while working at the Urbana Free Library, we had a regular group of African American pre-teen girls in the children’s department who were vying for attention. They were—you could say—belligerent. Naughty. They seemed pretty lost—unguided, unfocused. I decided that Josephine Baker could be a great role mode. I went home with a few books—adult and children’s--and started researching. I knew Josephine had been a maverick, was sexy, beautiful, adventurous, wild, fearless--sort of like Madonna in the way she’s reinvented herself over and over—but I hadn’t known Josephine worked for civil rights or adopted 12 children of various ethnicities and religions. Josephine’s time had come. She deserved to be known by Americans. (Not just the French).<br />
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<b>2. What were the highs and lows of writing this book? Could you describe your research process?</b><br />
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Highs: writing the rhythmic text. The words danced off my pen and onto the page. Josephine is such a lively subject. And there’s footage of her early dancing, some of which can be seen on my website. She’s so dang cute. And original. And she wrote five autobiographies—all in French—the first when she was about 20 and it’s wonderfully lively. There is plenty of primary source material for research.<br />
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Lows: I love to research, but I had to repeat my research too many times. The first time around I didn’t cite any of my sources. I brought Josephine to a workshop conducted by Carolyn Yoder of Calkins Creek. She liked Josephine but advised me to cite all my sources in the text. So I got all those (French language) books from interlibrary loan a second time, reread them and this time more biographies and recordings of interviews on obsolete technology, pored over them, and cited every last hiccup. And Carolyn turned Josephine down. But EVERYTHING was cited. When my agent, Anna Olswanger, read Josephine for the first time, she told me all those superscripted citation numbers were deadly, to get rid of them. Which I did. Later, after Josephine was acquired by Chronicle, it was sent to an expert and read for accuracy. A couple of my facts were challenged. So I had to go back and get those rare sources from interlibrary loan again and prove what I knew to be true. Over those years, Josephine’s French language autobiographies got much harder to find. They’d been disappearing at a rate.<br />
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3. This book is unique for a few reasons: it's for older readers, yet it's a picture book, in verse, with some mature material. Were you concerned that you were going "out of the box?" Can you tell us your thoughts about why you chose this format? <br />
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I first wrote Josephine as a picture book of about 1000 words. After a couple agents were excited about it, but then rejected it, I rewrote it, imagining it as a slim YA book in verse to be illustrated with quick stroke black and white drawings reminiscent of Paul Colin’s 1920s posters of Josephine. My agent Anna offered to represent me on the basis of Josephine. And we accrued a whole mess of rejections—but it generated a lot of excitement as well. My eventual editor Melissa Manlove at Chronicle received a 7,500 word biography in verse, and she asked if I would try cutting out half of it. Agent Anna suggested I take out chapters that were too old for the picture book crowd—about Josephine’s marriages and breakups, her political fiascos, with an eye to making it a picture book. Chronicle then acquired the 3500-word revision, and Melissa began adding back some of those deleted stanzas. Not entire chapters, though.<br />
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So bless Melissa Manlove, she saw what the book could be. She didn’t tell me, there’s no way to sell this. She didn’t tell me, it was too long or too sexy. She had a vision for the book. It sort of makes sense, that Josephine the manuscript broke so many rules, because Josephine the person did first--an African American being a superstar in the 20’s? Dancing with such abandon? Adopting 12 children of different races? Working as a spy for the French and its allies? Being a civil rights worker in the 50’s before the big names came on the scene?<br />
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<b>4. What do you hope children take away from this book?</b><br />
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I hope children will think, I can do that. I can do anything I set my mind to do. I can invent things that no one has done before and do them.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4kFwHNja8A">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4kFwHNja8A</a> <br />
<b><br />5. What's next, and what are you working on now?</b><br />
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I’m finishing up a documentary novel in verse for teens about Mildred Jeter, black, who married Richard Loving, white, in 1958 when interracial marriage was illegal in 24 states. They were arrested, jailed, banished from the state of Virginia for nine years until their case went to the U.S. Supreme Court and decided in their favor.<br />
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I’ve also started a novel set in the jazz age, which takes on some ideas I uncovered in the LOVING story and in Josephine. Historical fiction is like nonfiction in that it requires loads of research. Often the next book comes from a kernel found in a previous book, or the research of it. <br />
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<i>Many thanks for this interview, Patricia, and a dazzlement of congratulations on your book! </i><br />
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<i>Patricia's </i><a href="http://talesforallages.com/"> website</a>.<br />
<b><i>Publisher's Weekly</i> </b><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4521-0314-3">review </a><br />
<b><i>Kirkus</i></b> <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/patricia-hruby-powell/josephine-powell/">review</a><br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-38503905926579393312013-12-30T14:19:00.000-08:002013-12-30T14:19:14.035-08:00How To Say Thank You Like Charles DickensAre you looking for the right words to say THANK YOU for kindnesses received during the holiday season? One might learn from the gracious stylings of Charles Dickens (who is the subject of a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/25/movies/the-invisible-woman-about-charles-dickenss-mistress.html">movie </a>released this month).<br />
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His collected letters (which I read as part of my research on Victorian England) offer many good old fashioned expressions of gratitude, including:<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br />I thank you ten thousand times<br />I am most truly* obliged to you for...<br />(*substitute heartily and cordially)<br />I am much obliged and flattered* by the receipt of... <br />(substitute I cannot tell you how much obliged I am)<br />I am really more obliged to you for your kindness than I can say <br />I cannot thank you for it too cordially, and cannot too earnestly assure you that I shall always prize it highly. <br />I am most sincerely and affectionately grateful to you, and am full of pleasure and delight.</span><br /><br />
Some of Dickens' eloquent replies to letters:<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br />I cannot forbear writing to tell you with what uncommon pleasure I received your interesting letter, and how sensible I always am of your kindness and generosity.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br />Your kind and welcome letter reached me here last night. I cannot tell you how highly I esteem it, or how cordially I reciprocate your friendly regard.</span><br />
A couple of lengthier excerpts:<br />
<br />To George Cattermole, 1842<br />
<br /><span style="color: purple;">It is impossible to tell you how greatly I am charmed with those beautiful pictures, in which the whole feeling, and thought, and expression of the little story is rendered to the gratification of my inmost heart; and on which you have lavished those amazing resources of yours with a power at which I fairly wondered when I sat down yesterday before them.You are such a queer fellow and hold yourself so much aloof, that I am afraid to say half I would say touching my grateful admiration; so you shall imagine the rest.</span><br />
<br />To Lord John Russell, 1852:<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br />I am most truly obliged to you for your kind note, and for your so generously thinking of me in the midst of your many occupations. I do consider that your ever ready consideration had already attached me to you in the warmest manner, and made me very much your debtor. I thank you unaffectedly and very earnestly, and am proud to be held in your remembrance.</span><br />
<br />To David Roberts, 1850<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br />I am more obliged to you than I can tell you for the beautiful mark of your friendly remembrance which you have sent me this morning. I shall set it up among my household gods with pride. It gives me the highest gratification, and I beg you to accept my most cordial and sincere thanks ...</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25852/25852-h/25852-h.htm">From the Letters of Charles Dickens, Vol. 1.</a><br /><br />Believe me always, yours faithfully and obliged,<br />
<br />Michelle <br /><br />Happy Happy 2014!Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-66595920507748946432013-08-15T11:35:00.000-07:002013-08-15T11:35:20.038-07:00Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau Wins PEN/Steven Kroll Award<b>The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau</b> has won the <a href="http://www.pen.org/literature/2013-pensteven-kroll-award">PEN/Steven Kroll award for picture book writing. </a><br />
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The extent of my gratitude to PEN, and to judges Barbara Shook Hazen, David Wiesner, and Cheryl Willis Hudson can be neither fathomed nor expressed. (Can you tell I've been in 19th century mode for my latest project?). I am thrilled and deeply honored.<br />
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Thanks are also owed to <a href="http://eerdword.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/rousseau-biography-wins-2013-pensteven-kroll-award-for-picture-book-writing/">Eerdmans</a>, who chose the brilliant <a href="http://www.amandahall-illustration.com/">Amanda Hall</a> to illustrate the book (and I hope we'll do more in the future.) Anna Olswanger and the <a href="http://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/">The Lisa Dawson Agency</a> sent me my own personal jungle, to celebrate the occasion.<br />
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It was a joy to share the news with friends and colleagues, whose encouragement has nourished me throughout the years. What a happy day. Art, love and beauty forever!<br />
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Barbara Shook Hazen, David Wiesner, and Cheryl Willis Hudson - See more at: http://www.pen.org/literature/2013-pensteven-kroll-award#sthash.hGTuploH.dpuf</div>
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Barbara Shook Hazen, David Wiesner, and Cheryl Willis Hudson - See more at: http://www.pen.org/literature/2013-pensteven-kroll-award#sthash.hGTuploH.dpuf<br />
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Barbara Shook Hazen, David Wiesner, and Cheryl Willis Hudson - See more at: http://www.pen.org/literature/2013-pensteven-kroll-award#sthash.hGTuploH.dpuf</div>
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-1656336100163924312013-08-13T10:59:00.000-07:002013-08-13T20:34:40.618-07:00Sparkling Nonfiction Picture Books at SCBWI Summer ConferenceWhen I started writing for children several years ago, <a href="http://www.scbwi.org/">SCBWI</a> (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) offered encouragement, reassurance, information about editors and markets,<br />
and useful writerly advice (Type out the text of your favorite books. Read your own manuscripts aloud. Read lots of poetry- especially if you write picture books. Read deeply and widely for weeks, then after a period of silence, write your own book etc etc).<br />
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So, you can imagine what a pleasure it was to join the faculty of the Summer Conference this year. <br />
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Some points I made during my breakout session:<br />
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">mad love for your subject<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>fuels and sustains expressive language </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">extensive research <span style="font-size: small;">will provide</span> telling, evocative and fresh details</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">do all you can to capture and keep the attention of your audience: children. You must know the things that fascinate and challe<span style="font-size: small;">nge them, and the things they're g<span style="font-size: small;">oing thro<span style="font-size: small;">ugh.</span></span></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">We dis<span style="font-size: small;">cussed <span style="font-size: small;">hum<span style="font-size: small;">orous<span style="font-size: small;"> and lyrical and <span style="font-size: small;">innovatively formatted</span> N<span style="font-size: small;">F pbs, and I gave <span style="font-size: small;">tips for w<span style="font-size: small;">riting biographies, some<span style="font-size: small;"> of which are rec<span style="font-size: small;">ounted <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/michelle-markel-shares-biography-picture-book-writing-advice_b75405">h<span style="font-size: small;">ere at GalleyCat.</span></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I<span style="font-size: small;"> attended other NF workshops, d<span style="font-size: small;">ined with</span></span> new fr<span style="font-size: small;">iends, </span></span>and reunited at t<span style="font-size: small;">he aut<span style="font-size: small;">ograph session </span></span>with my<span style="font-size: small;"> est<span style="font-size: small;">eemed colleagues of </span>CAN! (<a href="http://canetwork.weebly.com/">Children's Authors N</a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://canetwork.weebly.com/">etwork</a>)<span style="font-size: small;">. <span style="font-size: small;">H<span style="font-size: small;">ere is yours truly<span style="font-size: small;"> with</span></span> Ale<span style="font-size: small;">xis O'<span style="font-size: small;">Neill, Jeri Ferris, Joan Graham and B<span style="font-size: small;">arney Sa<span style="font-size: small;">lt<span style="font-size: small;">zb<span style="font-size: small;">erg<span style="font-size: small;"> (not pictured are Mary <span style="font-size: small;">Ann F<span style="font-size: small;">raser and Joanne Rocklin.)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The many splendored weekend en<span style="font-size: small;">ded with a wrap party under the stars. <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">A heart<span style="font-size: small;">ful thanks to</span></span> SCBWI<span style="font-size: small;">!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-44184256037276348082013-08-09T09:27:00.001-07:002013-08-09T09:32:03.401-07:00 Catching Up with Brave GirlMy goodness. So much has happened since <b>Brave Girl </b>entered the world in January.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5EOoEVsb3KrSe-YnA93WLXSvexILXU_6NoHdW7ToVm-3EyWFqFEzwzt8u5elaTWie-iQIQsbAKBozav5QyUj2UzTnwRO375ltDazW0VVRYM4kXqiV6xpcXb54smg3UsdndmfKN6ayadd/s1600/9780061804427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5EOoEVsb3KrSe-YnA93WLXSvexILXU_6NoHdW7ToVm-3EyWFqFEzwzt8u5elaTWie-iQIQsbAKBozav5QyUj2UzTnwRO375ltDazW0VVRYM4kXqiV6xpcXb54smg3UsdndmfKN6ayadd/s200/9780061804427.jpg" width="162" /></a></div>
Harper Collins created a fierce downloadable <a href="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/books/Brave-Girl/">teacher's guide</a>, which included connections to Common Core. <br />
<br />
The book was selected by the Junior Library Guild and went on to receive four starred reviews,<br />
<br />
from <a href="http://www.slj.com/2013/01/books-media/reviews/preschool-to-grade-4/book-review-preschool-to-grade-4-january-2013/">School Library Journal</a> which called it a "sparkling picture book biography," <br />
<br />
from <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-180442-7">Publisher's Weekly: </a>which said "Markel doesn’t sugarcoat the obstacles and injuries Lemlich faced as she
went on to lead the “largest walkout of women workers in U.S. history,”<br />
<br />
from <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/michelle-markel/brave-girl/">Kirkus <span style="color: black;">(</span></a><span style="color: black;">"Catches the heart."</span>)<span style="color: black;"> and from</span> <a href="http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=5696514&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1">Booklist</a> ("This book has fighting spirit in spades - you go, Clara!" )<br />
<br />
In her review for<b> The New York Times</b> for Women's History Month, Pamela Paul called <b>Brave Girl </b>"an excellent, timely portrait of the labor leader"and according to <b><a href="http://www.hbook.com/">Horn Book</a>, </b><br />
<br />
"In her simple but powerful text Markel shows how
multiple arrests, serious physical attacks, and endless misogyny failed
to deter this remarkable woman as she set off on her lifelong path as a
union activist."<br />
<br />
It was an honor to launch the book on March 10 in celebration of International Women's Day, at <a href="http://www.circlesocal.org/">Workmen's Circle</a> in Los Angeles. Judy Fjell sang labor songs, Tania Verafeld read from a play about the Triangle fire, and Hershl Hartmann, a Yiddish translator and educator who knew Clara Lemlich, spoke about her lifelong commitment to social justice.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQffrq_HaiQ3Qy8_hyQ9OlkT80hcfltv15NSyLlXTn6zu3788xq4B70Md2M29dU4mWmfShIXtpdSXi-LUua9ah0g8BNjWNytHUM8dnpRYJzEku1R9oh417KcPGtgzssxcmUgpwSqOXE6oC/s1600/claraworkmens2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQffrq_HaiQ3Qy8_hyQ9OlkT80hcfltv15NSyLlXTn6zu3788xq4B70Md2M29dU4mWmfShIXtpdSXi-LUua9ah0g8BNjWNytHUM8dnpRYJzEku1R9oh417KcPGtgzssxcmUgpwSqOXE6oC/s200/claraworkmens2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clara on the mural at Workmen's Circle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In April, <b>Brave Girl </b>was nominated for an Amelia Bloomer award, and there are plans to release it as a paperback edition for PJ Library.<br />
<br />
I am eminently grateful to <a href="http://melissasweet.net/">Melissa Sweet </a>for her wonderful illustrations (complete with stitchery, cloth and vintage documents), to the publisher for being so supportive, and most of all to Clara herself, for inspiring me with her courage and her legacy to the labor movement.<br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-63003911181133134162013-01-22T13:47:00.000-08:002013-01-22T13:47:45.102-08:00Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909I'm happy to announce the publication of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brave-Girl-Shirtwaist-Makers-Strike/dp/0061804428"><b>Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909</b>, </a>illustrated by <a href="http://melissasweet.net/">Melissa Sweet </a>(Balzer & Bray).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6xQymIEjYVR0uhtoQ4VDSMuxUrqM8favlGCBbGdu8v7DXw-a-TZgQ89EApBjAy3yjfiriKWAYhyLe0jpyoDJLJnGdkHOuuzq6A1cdb3eK5tJditK9vpgfcbkmYCgyjfrxNU3eFyBJTJi/s1600/9780061804427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6xQymIEjYVR0uhtoQ4VDSMuxUrqM8favlGCBbGdu8v7DXw-a-TZgQ89EApBjAy3yjfiriKWAYhyLe0jpyoDJLJnGdkHOuuzq6A1cdb3eK5tJditK9vpgfcbkmYCgyjfrxNU3eFyBJTJi/s1600/9780061804427.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
What a thrill. The book, which tells how activist Clara Lemlich led one of the most historic strikes in U.S. history, has received stars from <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/michelle-markel/brave-girl/">Kirkus, </a><a href="http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=5696514&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1">Booklist </a>and<a href="http://www.slj.com/2013/01/books-media/reviews/preschool-to-grade-4/book-review-preschool-to-grade-4-january-2013/"> School Library Journal. </a><br />
<br />
It was selected by the Junior Library Guild, acclaimed at <a href="http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/message/4611?var=1">Richie's List, </a>chosen as an Inspired Recommendation for Kids from Indie Booksellers, and as one of Amazon's Best Picture Books of the Month.<br />
<br />
My sincere thanks to Melissa Sweet and <a href="http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/books/Brave-Girl/">Balzer & Bray.</a><br />
<br />
On this day I'm also thinking of my father, who was once president of his machinist union, and an avid supporter of my writing. I know he'd be proud.<br />
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Finally, I can't resist this wonderful quote from President Obama's inaugural speech:<br />
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<i>"We know that America thrives when every person can find
independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate
families from the brink of hardship."</i> </div>
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<br /><a href="http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/uprising-of-20000-1909"></a>
<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-59288264143625536202013-01-21T08:37:00.002-08:002013-01-21T12:33:37.377-08:00Interview with Jeri Chase Ferris, Author of Noah Webster & His WordsToday The Cat & the Fiddle welcomes <a href="http://www.jerichaseferris.com/">Jeri Chase Ferris</a>, author of many acclaimed biographies for children, including, most recently, <b>Noah Webster and His Words (</b>illustrated by <a href="http://www.vincentxkirsch.com/">Vincent X. Kirsch</a><b><a href="http://www.vincentxkirsch.com/">)</a>.</b><b> </b> It's a real charmer<b>! </b><b><br /></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UjZk-YFLC8U/UOsP653eg4I/AAAAAAAAAgs/OeUJdpWV9Fw/s1600/noah1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UjZk-YFLC8U/UOsP653eg4I/AAAAAAAAAgs/OeUJdpWV9Fw/s1600/noah1.jpg" /></a>Q: Why write about Noah Webster?<br />
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A: Everybody knows about Webster, right? He wrote Webster’s Dictionary, right? Right. But what else did Noah do? When you read NOAH WEBSTER & HIS WORDS you will learn how vital he was in keeping our fledging [one that is new] nation together; how he influenced our Constitution; how his books united America, and much, much more.<br />
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And why a picture book biography? I had written an earlier chapter book biography of Noah (WHAT DO YOU MEAN?), which sadly went out of print. Teachers and librarians often asked me for that book, and I was embarrassed to say it was not available. So I decided to have another go at Noah, this time a picture book.<br />
<br />
Q: How’d you do your research?<br />
<br />
A: I love history and research! I’m a historian and wanna-be archaeologist, and prefer digging up facts to just about anything – well, maybe not more than riding my horse.<br />
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For my first bio of Noah I dug into all the books and research already done on him, my husband Tom and I traveled to Noah’s geographical sites, and I corresponded with Noah’s great-great-great-grand son. That was like touching history itself, and added to the primary source material that is so critical to a NF work.<br />
<br />
For NOAH WEBSTER & HIS WORDS, I reviewed all my previous research and happily explored additional new books and many new websites. I worked with the director of the NW Foundation, who read and vetted several versions of the ms. until it finally passed muster, and a researcher at Merriam-Webster provided some great definition ideas.<br />
<br />
Q: Did Noah really always think he was right?<br />
<br />
A: Yes. He would go on at great length to prove his positions, sometimes in the face of public ridicule. I admired his fortitude and the fact that despite being occasionally discouraged and depressed, he was never silenced by others’ negative opinions. He bounced back, sometimes even with humor, to “correct” his critics. He was convinced that Americans needed a national head of state, a national set of rules, standard spelling (at that time, the same word might be spelled ten different ways in ten different places), American history and reading and geography books, and ultimately, needed an American dictionary.<br />
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Q: What do you hope kids get from this book?<br />
<br />
Language is fun!<br />
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Definitions will surprise you!<br />
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The more words you know, the more you can say!<br />
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And from Noah himself – never give up when you believe you are right.<br />
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Q: What are you up to now?<br />
<br />
A: A Siege of Leningrad ms., THE LAST MOUSE IN LENINGRAD, is being edited. It’s based on the life of a Soviet friend who, beginning at age 10, miraculously survived 900 days of deprivation, freezing and starvation when Leningrad was surrounded by Nazi troops during WWII. This book began the evening my husband Tom and I were having dinner with our dear friends in their small Leningrad apt. It was Christmas for us (not for them) and they had decorated a tiny fir tree for the occasion. Leonid said, during dinner, “When I look at the yulka (fir tree) I always remember the Siege. Then we did not decorate the tree. We ate it.” I had to tell this story.<br />
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Also, I’m working on a MG historical fiction set on the Ohio River, about 1800.<br />
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Also, I’m starting a MG historical fiction set at the California Russian settlement of Fort Ross, about 1815.<br />
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Also, I’m thinking about a historical fiction picture book about a young immigrant girl in 1880s New England who had only one blouse and one skirt, and who … <br />
<br />
Did I mention I love history?<br />
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<i>In case you missed it, here's the link to<b> </b><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-547-39055-0">the review of Noah Webster and His Words in <b>Publisher's Weekly.</b></a></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8qtlCJAU7nqTdlgqWJW09IBhCps7VtZXoDyXTP_aOJWLOcwi44uVKCQUJaZV4lcbUV13E_49AHp1p8lqcG96RBXI5qwnvDOEOXTxGx1nuDyItf-uzQ-q1N7Dl_Fg0e9GUKInapUTVeAr/s1600/nonfiction.monday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8qtlCJAU7nqTdlgqWJW09IBhCps7VtZXoDyXTP_aOJWLOcwi44uVKCQUJaZV4lcbUV13E_49AHp1p8lqcG96RBXI5qwnvDOEOXTxGx1nuDyItf-uzQ-q1N7Dl_Fg0e9GUKInapUTVeAr/s1600/nonfiction.monday.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><b> </b> </i><br />
<br />
<i>Many thanks to Jeri, one of my colleagues in the<a href="http://canetwork.weebly.com/"> Children Authors Network.</a></i><br />
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<i>This week's Nonfiction Monday Roundup is at<a href="http://librariyan.blogspot.com/"> LibrariYAn.</a> </i><br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-378916872479635052012-12-31T11:27:00.001-08:002012-12-31T11:29:26.445-08:00The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau: A Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My humble thanks to all who devoted their time and energy to review <b>The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau</b>, to <a href="http://www.amandahall-illustration.com/">Amanda Hall</a> for her gorgeous illustrations, and to <a href="http://www.eerdmans.com/Pages/YoungReaders/EBYR-Awards.aspx">Eerdmans</a> for their enthusiastic support</span></span>.<br />
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Since I haven't been posting regular updates about the book, here's a year end wrap up:<br />
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<a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8028-5364-6">Publishers Weekly <span style="color: black;">(Starred)</span></a><br />
<br />
<b>School Library Journal </b> <br />
"This is not only a visually exciting introduction to a well-known artist, but also an uplifting model of passion and perseverance." (Starred)<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Booklist:</b></span></span><br />
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{page:Section1<i>BookB</i></style><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">“The career of artist Henri
Rousseau gets a wonderfully child-friendly treatment in a book that captures
both his personality and the essence of his pictures. … Markel’s text has a
sweetness and simplicity that allows children to understand the story’s
underpinnings, giving them someone to root for.” (Starred)</span></span><br />
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Junior Library Guild Selection <br />
<a href="http://www.nypl.org/collections/nypl-recommendations/lists/childrens2012#picture">A NYPL's Title for Reading and Sharing With Children </a><br />
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And:<br />
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<a href="http://www.booklistonline.com/Top-10-Arts-Books-for-Youth-2012-Ann-Kelley/pid=5756470">One of Booklist's Top Ten Art Books for Youth </a><br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/gallery/2012/dec/18/christmas-2012-best-picture-books-for-children#/?picture=401013911&index=6"> The Guardian UK Christmas 2012 Best Picture Books for Children</a><br />
<br />
It was reviewed by <a href="http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/11/06/review-of-the-day-the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau-by-michelle-markel/">Elizabeth Bird at SLJ</a>, <a href="http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/message/4626?var=1">Richie Partington</a>, and at several places, including:<br />
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<a href="http://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/2012/10/nonfiction-monday-fantastic-jungles-of.html">Jean Little Library</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.readerkidz.com/2012/09/25/the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau/">ReaderKidz </a><br />
<a href="http://www.bookstogetherblog.com/blog/2012/9/10/the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau.html">Books Together </a><br />
<a href="http://fourthmusketeer.blogspot.com/2012/11/nonfiction-monday-book-review-fantastic.html">The Fourth Musketeer </a><br />
<a href="http://www.nonfictiondetectives.com/2012/08/the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau.html">Nonfiction Detectives</a><br />
<a href="http://wakingbraincells.com/2012/09/14/review-the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau-by-michelle-markel/">Waking Brain Cells </a><br />
<a href="http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau.html">Shelf-employed</a><br />
<a href="http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau.html">Kiss the Book </a><br />
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<a href="http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/bulletin_of_the_center_for_childrens_books/v066/66.3.bush19.html">Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wcmu.org/radio/childrens_bookshelf/cb_bookshelf_archive_q1_2012.html">CMU Public Radio </a><br />
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You can read interviews at:<br />
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<a href="http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/2012/09/exploring-fantastic-jungles-of-henri.html">I.N.K. Interesting Nonfiction for Kids</a><br />
<a href="http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2012/09/guest-post-michelle-markel-on-henri.html">Cynsations</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, in case you missed </span>the <span style="font-size: small;">Eerdmans </span>trailer:</span></span></span></span><br />
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<b>TC&TF</b> will be serving up posts on nonfiction, among other delights, in 2013.<br />
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May your new year be filled with health and happiness!<br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-72307878961365496292012-12-29T11:57:00.000-08:002012-12-29T11:59:08.730-08:00What a year. <b>The Cat & The Fiddle </b>has largely been shuttered, whilst I've spent months in my writing chair, fighting off cats, hunger, and
sleep. 2012 has been consumed with stories and promotion and lesson plans. Here are a few shap shots:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJm_XIf6eTHW74UvUxOC_Iw4j6Ilwspj187YLLsHD0Wz31zIavNHAUF-dBHjiYJUeS7riOo5owIU8omQXRBymuL7ma8AfRiq6fHvB0rrtKQtYnz20Z11qa9K0iC8Yd0lJ8yFre_geAfeY/s1600/mephoto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJm_XIf6eTHW74UvUxOC_Iw4j6Ilwspj187YLLsHD0Wz31zIavNHAUF-dBHjiYJUeS7riOo5owIU8omQXRBymuL7ma8AfRiq6fHvB0rrtKQtYnz20Z11qa9K0iC8Yd0lJ8yFre_geAfeY/s320/mephoto.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signing books at the Eerdmans Booth, ALA</td></tr>
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Much to my delight,<b> <a href="http://www.eerdmans.com/Pages/YoungReaders/EBYR-Awards.aspx">The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau</a> </b>was published to critical acclaim (an update on that, in my next post).<b> </b>Though it originally had an August pub date, my publisher managed to arrange a book signing at ALA in June, with much success. So many local author and librarian friends came by! Eerdmans also invited me to their table at the awards banquet. The highlight was listening to the speech of the inimitable Jack Gantos, whom I've admired for many a year. Yay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXhK4hiNzgWaJLPOOVaksNA5PFiTgz-QJEDB2Bsa3wL_pHGhYFDatoUaIBIbaxNj_l8PRItyi68bdf8F-PdlVwHW411xXTjjKwKG_ephCjft14-9egigHWPEL2APxhpU40-6HW-aLQqus/s1600/548287_4765592256125_552243100_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXhK4hiNzgWaJLPOOVaksNA5PFiTgz-QJEDB2Bsa3wL_pHGhYFDatoUaIBIbaxNj_l8PRItyi68bdf8F-PdlVwHW411xXTjjKwKG_ephCjft14-9egigHWPEL2APxhpU40-6HW-aLQqus/s320/548287_4765592256125_552243100_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy Koss, Principal Rebecca Witt, Joe Cepeda, and Mary Ann Fraser </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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One of the schools I visited was Mountain Avenue, in Glendale (with, by happy coincidence, some of my colleagues in the <a href="http://canetwork.weebly.com/">Children's Authors Network</a>). In one of the classrooms, I had to do my presentation without Powerpoint because the projector wasn't working. But the kids and I had a lively discussion anyhow. Liberating. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMH7LybBH5OtDeqaEayNhQwT6f-XboQXl1y4EU-hLpk3QwiMdXZqzHICyq6h0W7Zxf__7joxHcCJokIyHufCbt6wG6VBfkRkYbSTOOxOMtYDJIMhcBXIIa-DqlPIB0UEdZ6B4-TcAuWeR/s1600/826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMH7LybBH5OtDeqaEayNhQwT6f-XboQXl1y4EU-hLpk3QwiMdXZqzHICyq6h0W7Zxf__7joxHcCJokIyHufCbt6wG6VBfkRkYbSTOOxOMtYDJIMhcBXIIa-DqlPIB0UEdZ6B4-TcAuWeR/s320/826.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With co-presenter <a href="http://www.susancaseybooks.com/">Susan Casey</a> and 826 LA's Julius Panoringan</td></tr>
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I taught three sessions of writing for children at UCLA Extension's Writers Program, and did a volunteer workshop at <a href="http://826la.org/">826LA</a> called "Advice for Zombies and More." Zombies, vampires, superheroes and even squirrels sought and received help from advice columnists, ages 8 to 12.<br />
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Happy New Year to all from <b>The Cat & The Fiddle! </b><br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-34415446183310225002012-08-07T10:40:00.000-07:002012-08-07T22:08:44.511-07:00Big Dreams for Common CoreCat & Fiddlers, you can imagine my delight about the new Common Core curriculum, with its emphasis on nonfiction in the classroom.<br />
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I read in the <a href="http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_21236677/lausd-begin-phasing-common-core-curriculum-standards?source=rss#ixzz22ktUe2eg_%20%20%28http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_21236677/lausd-begin-phasing-common-core-curric">Pasadena Star News</a> that my local school district will be implementing the changes:<br />
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<i>Reading and writing will be integrated, instead of being treated as<br />separate subjects, and also will be incorporated into math lessons.</i><br />
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And kindergartners will be solving word problems, "the bane of math students everywhere."<br />
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A bane? When I started this blog, I wrote <a href="http://michellemarkel.blogspot.com/search/label/word%20problems">several posts</a> about how to create entertaining, high interest word problems. Perhaps, with Common Core, there will be a stylistic renaissance in their style and content. A girl can dream.<br />
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Speaking of word problems,<b> Tyrannosaurus Math </b>has been published by Fukuinkan Shoten in Japan! <br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-60478665379368502832012-08-03T14:50:00.001-07:002012-08-07T22:02:02.941-07:00Goodreads Giveaway of The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau<br />
Just wanted to let you know about the giveaway of <b>The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau</b> at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/30577-the-fantastic-jungles-of-henri-rousseau">Goodreads.</a><br />
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I hope your midsummer is dreamy!<br />
<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-76165383180378576582012-07-24T11:11:00.002-07:002012-07-24T11:11:45.544-07:00Need ideas for summer reading? Check out this video from CAN!, <a href="http://canetwork.weebly.com/">the Childrens Authors Network:</a><br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-53327359743847798152012-07-21T10:03:00.001-07:002012-07-23T10:03:07.631-07:00The Cat and the Fiddle re-opens, after a long hiatus.<br />
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Much has occurred, meanwhile. I've been teaching, writing, researching, and working on a <a href="http://www.michellemarkel.com/">new website</a>, where I'll be posting news about my appearances, classes and books, such as my latest, <b>The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht36Q0HgQyeLDOzPQa2NXpIb8JWWLLSXFw5A4a-F8DLBzp8UQvc-1SasS_s8EdZ_0KFndOm0VqjkXcjj5SIWz88sO8VzCsGEcsGm0dZ5N6-2YtXr6OViYtEYvFAT3jsWc848bFCJVjhkUD/s1600/Rousseau-FrontCover-HR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht36Q0HgQyeLDOzPQa2NXpIb8JWWLLSXFw5A4a-F8DLBzp8UQvc-1SasS_s8EdZ_0KFndOm0VqjkXcjj5SIWz88sO8VzCsGEcsGm0dZ5N6-2YtXr6OViYtEYvFAT3jsWc848bFCJVjhkUD/s320/Rousseau-FrontCover-HR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For which Eerdmans has created a remarkable trailer.<br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/XvaJtq_RJ9g/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XvaJtq_RJ9g&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XvaJtq_RJ9g&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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At TC&TF, I'll be posting, now and then, interviews, thoughts on children's literature, and the writing thereof. More later. <br />
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<br />Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-49512264126311108062011-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-29T07:00:05.045-07:00Joan Bransfield Graham, April Halprin Wayland and Janet Wong on the Writing Process<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfw2KQn-BIfQxY3rcl9EmLoxIkg9dLaVjzyZKeR1zFmQPx98AgEX4aWV-4yEY-yQs4nbenqPrHDXp-5gx7rAoEzmm0OKjzWOV8tqVaetKYOPREEECRp9wGIyEk7GiV3-l5tBgePhdXcGz/s1600/Poetry+Friday+Tag.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfw2KQn-BIfQxY3rcl9EmLoxIkg9dLaVjzyZKeR1zFmQPx98AgEX4aWV-4yEY-yQs4nbenqPrHDXp-5gx7rAoEzmm0OKjzWOV8tqVaetKYOPREEECRp9wGIyEk7GiV3-l5tBgePhdXcGz/s200/Poetry+Friday+Tag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600855578596244338" border="0" /></a><span>Hats off to <a href="http://www.tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/">The Opposite of Indifference </a>for hosting today's Poetry Friday Round-Up, and offering such irresistible bookmarks (I have a soft spot for sock monkeys).</span><br /><br />As promised, I'm posting Part 2 of my Q and A with noted poets (and fellow <a href="http://www.childrensauthorsnetwork.com/">Children's Authors Network </a>members) <a href="http://www.joangraham.com/">Joan Bransfield Graham</a>, <a href="http://www.aprilwayland.com/">April Halprin Wayland</a>, and <a href="http://www.janetwong.com/">Janet Wong</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Q: Using one of your poems as an example, could you briefly describe your writing process- from idea to finished product?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joan</span>: For my "Sun" poem in FLICKER FLASH I decided to speak as the sun itself--a mask poem. Sometimes the sun would shine down the hallway in my house, hitting me in the face like a big alarm clock--that was my inspiration. The sun, of course, would be loud; it would "shout," "bounce," and "solar power" to create a "dynamite, ring-a-ding day." The letters b, d, p, and t are "plosives" and their sounds add to the impact. It was fun to slip in a bit of scientific information. Then I played with the shape, experimenting with different fonts to achieve the best roundness. Ease of reading is always a consideration. There's a lot going on in two sentences. I read all my poems aloud many times and revise accordingly. I've enjoyed breaking this up and doing it in call-and-response with students. When I ask, "Who needs to be solar powered out of bed in the morning?" a lot of hands shoot up, especially the teachers!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sun<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">"From<br />93,000,000<br />miles away I bring<br />you this dynamite, ring-<br />a-ding day. I'll shout in<br />your window and bounce<br />near your head to solar<br />power you out of<br />your bed."<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">--(c) Joan Bransfield Graham<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Janet</span>: One good example is "Scute," a poem that I wrote for <a href="http://www.poetrytagtime.com/Poetry_Tag_Time/Welcome.html">PoetryTagTime</a>, the eBook anthology that I compiled with<a href="http://www.sylviavardell.com/"> Sylvia Vardell.</a> In this book, 30 poets "play tag," writing poems that connect to one another. I was tagged by Mary Ann Hoberman, who wrote a poem about turtles, tortoises, and terrapins--so I knew that I had to write about some aspect of those T creatures. Since I was the last poet, I also wanted to link to the first poet, Jack Prelutsky, who wrote about the moon. Joseph Bruchac's Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back popped into my mind; you can see what I did with that, below. I wrote over a dozen drafts but could not choose a favorite. Here are the three finalists that I chose to send to a few poet-friends. Take a look and see which you'd choose:<br /><br />Scute #1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRm6nbcr6AOFCBBPuPEfuGoHmfV05XmRbT4qSyEkKWz0R5uonrbBGRWphDMk94tKwdfjhT3W35zM_KnpIMYfXNYYDQ4-DrOIiCFl0AOGNVckOfXMTVdG24BAsjt8t0YZwGRJAnV1hmGwu/s1600/Poetry+Tag+Time+Orange+COVER.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRm6nbcr6AOFCBBPuPEfuGoHmfV05XmRbT4qSyEkKWz0R5uonrbBGRWphDMk94tKwdfjhT3W35zM_KnpIMYfXNYYDQ4-DrOIiCFl0AOGNVckOfXMTVdG24BAsjt8t0YZwGRJAnV1hmGwu/s200/Poetry+Tag+Time+Orange+COVER.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599679587761523810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Every once in a while<br />a word sinks deep<br />into my mind<br />and I find myself<br />thinking about it<br />in the strangest places.<br />Today’s word: scute.<br />It’s a cute word--<br />or even if it isn’t,<br />I tell myself it is,<br />so I’ll remember<br />how to say it.<br />Scute.<br /><br />In school we learned<br />some people see<br />thirteen moons<br />in the big scutes<br />on a turtle’s back.<br />I can see moons there,<br />sure--<br />but scutes actually<br />remind me more of<br />Mom’s cinnamon rolls<br />squished together<br />in her favorite oval pan.<br /><br />And I see<br />an old tortoise scute<br />in Grandma’s<br />kitchen chopping block,<br />a thick slice of<br />meat-stained oak<br />that shows thirty years<br />of rings.<br /><br /><br />Scutes everywhere,<br />even where<br />you don’t expect<br />to find them.<br /><br />Grandpa’s scaly tough<br />toenails: scutes--<br />and not-so-cute ones!<br /><br />All these scute-thoughts<br />have got me thinking:<br />time to shed the old<br />and grow<br />a fresh new shell.<br /><br />Scute #2<br /><br />In school we learned<br />some people see thirteen moons<br />in the big scutes on a turtle’s back.<br />I can see moons there, sure--<br /><br />but scutes actually remind me more<br />of Mom’s cinnamon rolls<br />squished together<br />in her favorite oval pan.<br /><br />And I see an old tortoise scute<br />in Grandma’s kitchen chopping block,<br />a thick slice of meat-stained oak<br />that shows thirty years of rings.<br /><br />Scutes everywhere, even where<br />you don’t expect to find them:<br />Grandpa, I think it’s time to shed<br />a few layers of toenails, don’t you?<br /><br />Scute #3<br /><br />Every once in a while<br />a word digs itself deep<br />into my mind<br />and I find it everywhere.<br /><br />In school we learned<br />some people see thirteen moons<br />in the big scutes on a turtle’s back.<br />I can see moons in the scutes,<br />but turtle scutes remind me more<br />of Mom’s cinnamon rolls<br />squished together<br />in her favorite oval pan.<br />I see an old tortoise scute<br />in our kitchen chopping block,<br />which is one thick slice of oak<br />showing fifty years of rings.<br />Grandpa’s scaly tough toenails:<br />scutes--and not-so-cute ones!<br /><br />Tonight all these scute-thoughts<br />have got me thinking:<br />time to shed the old<br />and grow a fresh new shell.<br /><br /><br />Their opinions were all over the map, of course! Most of the praise was for #2, but despite the praise—or maybe because I wasn't able to "accept" it easily—I kept questioning myself. One poet-friend asked if I could tinker further with the toenail section. After she said that, I knew instantly that this was what I needed to do. You can read the final draft in <a href="http://http//www.poetrytagtime.com/Poetry_Tag_Time/Welcome.html">PoetryTagTime </a>(our 99-cent eBook) or at <a href="http://www.poetrysuitcase.com/Poetry_Suitcase/PoetrySuitcase.com.html">www.poetrysuitcase.com</a> (in the Poems section, connected to the turtle prop).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April</span>:I just posted <a href="http://www.aprilwayland.com/2011/04/mask-poem/">MIDNIGHT CAT</a> on my <a href="http://www.aprilwayland.com/poetry/blog/">Poetry Month blog.</a><br /><br />I wanted to write a mask poem--a poem from the point of view of my cat. She sneaks into the house each night, tiptoes around my sleeping dog, Eli, and sleeps next to me all night long. In the morning before anyone's up, she sneaks back outside.<br /><br />I love with working with the online <a href="http://thesaurus.com/">Thesaurus.com</a> and several online rhyming dictionaries, including <a href="http://rhymezone.com/">Rhymezone.com</a>. With this poem, I simply slid inside the mind of our cat (whose name, if you must know, is Snot), and then played with rhymes. And played and played and played. I wanted to limit the number of sounds I used in the poem and I wanted to get the 'tude of Snot and how she feels about our dog. Sometimes writing a poem takes a very long time and sometimes it feels like I'm splashing in a mud puddle. This one felt like I was deep in that delicious mud!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">A bouquet of thanks to Joan, April and Janet!</span><br /></span><span><br />May all your months be filled with poetry.</span> <span>Part One of this interview was posted last Friday.<br /><br /></span>Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-36870812471003186462011-04-22T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-22T09:22:02.933-07:00Joan Bransfield Graham, April Halprin Wayland and Janet Wong on Writing Poetry<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6yeGv-iC2MKc_MPKG0-hoAG8U2_LkuYpFeVu526nRPlyYoUnW_WeQ8oO8rj-0aAIEZCE0nBWHOMFxlgbYsw5V3CZPv9MIaROHbA0JFo2qRlHgy-ACiuWF_ShWYZsfHyKvvqgCkiZFDlL/s1600/Poetry-Tag-Time-Orange-COVER.jpeg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6yeGv-iC2MKc_MPKG0-hoAG8U2_LkuYpFeVu526nRPlyYoUnW_WeQ8oO8rj-0aAIEZCE0nBWHOMFxlgbYsw5V3CZPv9MIaROHbA0JFo2qRlHgy-ACiuWF_ShWYZsfHyKvvqgCkiZFDlL/s200/Poetry-Tag-Time-Orange-COVER.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598205118314289138" border="0" /></a><br />Today I'm pleased to present Part One of a Q & A with acclaimed poets <a href="http://www.joangraham.com/">Joan Bransfield Graham, </a><a href="http://www.aprilwayland.com/">April Halprin Wayland </a>and <a href="http://www.janetwong.com/">Janet Wong</a>, (my fellow members in the <a href="http://www.childrensauthorsnetwork.com/">Children's Authors Network</a>). All three have poems out in the brand new <a href="http://poetrytagtime.com/Poetry_Tag_Time/Welcome.html">Poetry Tag Time</a> ebook.<br /><br />Happy Poetry Month and Poetry Friday!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What is the challenge of writing poetry for children?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Janet</span>: The hardest part of writing is knowing when to stop, which draft to choose. Most children like bouncy, silly rhymes, so it takes discipline to choose a more subtle approach. It's sort of like choosing between serving chicken nuggets and chicken soup.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April</span>: To get quiet inside and find the real, the true.<br />To get past the obvious, to not write superficially.<br />That's the challenge of writing anything. It's all the same.<br />To be clear but not corny. Be accessible but don't underestimate the audience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joan</span>: The challenge of writing poetry for children is to be original, capture a moment in time, create the poem you've never read before, connect with readers and make them say--"Oh, YES!" Each poem should be an act of discovery that surprises the senses, shakes you awake, and startles your imagination.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Which poets are your influences, and what about them do you admire?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Janet</span>: Myra Cohn Livingston nurtured and "created" so many of us; she will forever be The Grandest Teacher of Children's Poets (and the most generous). She would go to great lengths to help new poets connect with editors (once you'd demonstrated some serious effort).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April</span>: I love so many writers. I have to say that I love Janet Wong for her originality, for the often casual, conversational tone of her work. I love Joan Bransfield Graham for her use of language and for always finding a new way to look at things. My mother used to read Ogden Nash to us. In fact, I was named for his poem, "Always Marry an April Girl," which my parents would say aloud to me often. I love the way he invents words and his humor. I love e.e.cummings for his fanciful flights of poetry. I fell in love with Lawrence Ferlinghetti when I was thirteen. I loved his book, A CONEY ISLAND OF THE MIND.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joan</span>: I've always admired Valerie Worth's use of metaphor and David McCord's and Eve Merriam's wordplay. Richard Wilbur and Mary Oliver provide such stunning imagery, as does Billy Collins, whose perspective and humor are a constant surprise and delight. I was fortunate to be able to study with Myra Cohn Livingston in her Master Class at UCLA--along with Janet and April. What an amazing group--we learned so much from each other!<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What is one of the most "autobiographical" poems you've written? Why does it have special meaning for you?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Janet</span>: In GOOD LUCK GOLD (out-of-print, but I will be bringing it back to life soon in Kindle form) there is a poem called "Dad," where I say that my father is like a turtle. When he's mad, he snaps and pulls into his shell. It's becoming quite autobiographical because my own "turtle tendencies" are growing stronger each year--my son can tell you all about that!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April</span>: EVERY one is in some way autobiographical. I've written poetry for many years and one poem a day for over a year...so I have too many to choose from! Whine, whine, whine... : ^ )<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joan</span>: At first I did not realize this, but my books SPLISH SPLASH and FLICKER FLASH are very autobiographical! Growing up on a barrier island along the southern coast of New Jersey, I loved the ocean, boats, the salty air, the sound and rhythm of the waves. What was my first book? Water poems. For years I've studied photography, and I'm always conscious of the interplay of light and shadow. Before digital I developed my own black and white prints in the darkroom, where I saw the effects of light take shape. My next book? Poems about light. Philosopher Immanuel Kant said, "We see things not as they are, but as we are."<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Any tips for classroom teachers on how to integrate poetry into the curriculum?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Janet: </span>Here are three tips: 1) Build your own Poetry Suitcase; read why at <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoYesXw56gyDfYi4jZvRLMLP9Fs_ff089jNFX1hJiAfbQgKis1HC2ID_cRNEz828huGlgcel7RHm0JCdU0YH0rlMWfGdpXpR-UwOsInEBba_KbONNIQQVQFAFFClhtT_J-RZIQXZaWIUL/s1600/cover.jpeg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoYesXw56gyDfYi4jZvRLMLP9Fs_ff089jNFX1hJiAfbQgKis1HC2ID_cRNEz828huGlgcel7RHm0JCdU0YH0rlMWfGdpXpR-UwOsInEBba_KbONNIQQVQFAFFClhtT_J-RZIQXZaWIUL/s200/cover.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598210925941162802" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.poetrysuitcase.com/Poetry_Suitcase/PoetrySuitcase.com.html">www.poetrysuitcase.com</a>;<br /><br />2) Have kids write poems on endangered animals and send them to me via <a href="http://www.onceuponatiger.com/Once_Upon_A_Tiger/Welcome.html">www.OnceUponATiger.com </a>(where you'll find more info about what we're doing to build awareness of endangered animals and how we're donating money to help protect them; a good discussion topic for Earth Day); and<br /><br />3) please visit our <a href="http://poetrytagtime.blogspot.com/">PoetryTagTime.blogspot.com</a> blog where Sylvia Vardell shares amazing poetry tips on a daily basis!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">April</span>: Go to <a href="http://www.teachingauthors.com/">TeachingAuthors.com</a> -- six children's authors who also teach writing. On most Fridays, which is "Poetry Friday" in the Kidlitosphere, one of us has posted poetry and a writing tip.<br /><br />And here's another tip: be present. That's what I've learned in writing a poem a day. I've learned that for me, the way to net today's poem is to tune in: what am I feeling? What is that kid is saying? What does the smell of her peanut butter cookie remind me of?<br /><br />Ask yourself what feels interesting in class today? Can I condense this into a poetry prompt? Maybe you're teaching cursive writing and you've talked about forming the curve of a letter.<br /><br />Ask the class to become aware of other curves in class, then brainstorm a list of things with curves on the board (a swimming pool, the arch of a doorway, a macaroni noodle, a cat's tail...).<br /><br />Then have each student make their own list of 5-10 things that curve...if there's time, let them walk around the school campus looking for ideas or eat their lunches and think about curves, then come back and write their list.<br /><br />Then have them pick one thing from their list to explore in a poem.<br /><br />Because rhyming can take you away from what you want to say and force you in another direction, you might ask them to avoid rhyming this time.<br /><br />Why did they pick that particular item from their list? Ask them to think about why it's interesting and how they can weave details of it into the poem so that it will be interesting to readers.<br /><br />Then stand on your head when you read their poems aloud.<br /><br />Just kidding.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joan:</span> Each poem creates its own small world with vivid imagery and vigorous verbs . . . perfect to tuck into so many areas of the curriculum. Since I do lots of school visits and am a former teacher, I know that my poems in SPLISH SPLASH and FLICKER FLASH have been used to open science units on water and light, to inspire students to write their own concrete poetry, and to spotlight "word art" for art classes. You can find Teacher Idea Sheets on my Web site: <a href="http://www.joangraham.com/">www.joangraham.com</a>. I've had many teachers tell me that my shape poems--since they are so visual--work well for their ESL students . . . providing clues to help decode words. I love the "Poetry Break" idea, where someone pops into each classroom to share a poem. You should always have a Poem in Your Pocket, and every month should be Poetry Month! All the lessons poetry teaches enhance any kind of writing you choose to do.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is Part One of the Q & A. (Joan, April and Janet will talk about their writing process in Part Two, which I'll post next Friday.) </span><br /><br />The Poetry Friday round-up is hosted today by <a href="http://bookaunt.blogspot.com/">Book Aunt</a>.Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-69829457928743113892011-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:002011-04-18T13:14:59.153-07:00Erica Silverman on Liberty's Voice: The Story of Emma Lazarus<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IsAjYXKebfRtlqC8QnAiyPLMAFxltpynvmC7oPMZZGL1tYo2mWjjrtF7izKXN8r3sADmIsj5ZgdAOAx1wiedzZZ2rmd5JQ3c5K4_Tb8NOaIrTh2MgPEh5Vl4aKEjrt6bzmqHyFpPFvW1/s1600/nonfiction.monday.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IsAjYXKebfRtlqC8QnAiyPLMAFxltpynvmC7oPMZZGL1tYo2mWjjrtF7izKXN8r3sADmIsj5ZgdAOAx1wiedzZZ2rmd5JQ3c5K4_Tb8NOaIrTh2MgPEh5Vl4aKEjrt6bzmqHyFpPFvW1/s200/nonfiction.monday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596607116094635218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqxWLDBVE9D7sg-Ns2WMxMLy8jJrlm8nvZKR8DU3xKh69i1zRRI1qp0qnZx7TZHScGlJLIaOzZU-dasD6uKW5GRYS1rVIWLXqRHsLHgwGitLHwjtaKiRVAZsyYAG4dQVqycrZnKuTRAqU/s1600/nonfiction.monday.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Welcome to this week's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nonfiction Monday Round-Up.</span> If you'd like to join in, please leave your name, your link, and a description of your post in the comment section below. I'll add links throughout the day, beginning at 6 am on the West Coast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWe_AFABgc2Ul3fNvR5Ln7VuetN5IWM0Mu3cxMPVV65dRUelZ1Wy_3rmpJUp6HyH5o6YPV9NCYYCXbE5K0eqXH6TU-gadpF6LlfPZB5dHkwucofSQqbdYpD8QIVWdAUW8mSTrzkY61Ijx/s1600/horizontal_floral_ornament.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 34px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWe_AFABgc2Ul3fNvR5Ln7VuetN5IWM0Mu3cxMPVV65dRUelZ1Wy_3rmpJUp6HyH5o6YPV9NCYYCXbE5K0eqXH6TU-gadpF6LlfPZB5dHkwucofSQqbdYpD8QIVWdAUW8mSTrzkY61Ijx/s200/horizontal_floral_ornament.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596625001039091810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tPotA3B6m1AQbhvhayhQVN5u2Fr8B2AnGCS1hC_tZYtpUMLMafWmoMZ1-ehVQvsecNG0T6G0LMAuchEVqVLM2jJejBwu5wE4PLBS2P9-6lnKhk5uQWPVwfed2MeFmDqxDcpEiuLfkWyv/s1600/emma"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tPotA3B6m1AQbhvhayhQVN5u2Fr8B2AnGCS1hC_tZYtpUMLMafWmoMZ1-ehVQvsecNG0T6G0LMAuchEVqVLM2jJejBwu5wE4PLBS2P9-6lnKhk5uQWPVwfed2MeFmDqxDcpEiuLfkWyv/s200/emma" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596582538716067474" border="0" /></a><br />Today, an interview with award-winning author <a href="http://www.ericasilverman.com/">Erica Silverman,</a> whose picture book biography, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Liberty's Voice: The Story of Emma </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lazarus</span><span> (illustrated by <a href="http://www.staceyschuett.com/">Stacey Schuett</a>) was published this spring.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Why did you choose to write a biography of Emma Lazarus? What drew you, personally, to her story?</span><br /><br />There is so much about her that intrigues me and that I admire.<br /><br />Her passion for poetry from an early age was something I identified with. I was impressed by her strong need to learn and grow as a writer. She was a strong, independent woman, a successful writer in the late nineteenth century – a time when women had little voice in the public sphere and were decades away from winning the vote. And then, despite coming from a life of comfort and privilege, she became a strong voice for social justice. She became an active advocate for immigrants at a time when anti-immigrant sentiment was on the rise. And she was courageous, confronting anti-Semitism head-on in her writing, despite the fact that she traveled in mostly non-Jewish circles and was no doubt aware of the anti-Semitic attitudes among her own friends. She described herself as not being religious and yet had a strong Jewish identity and a strong feeling for Jewish history. She was in so many ways an independent thinker.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">How do you think children might relate to Emma?</span><br /><br />I hope they see her as a role model, are inspired by the fact that she followed her dream, listened to her “voice within”, and wasn’t afraid to speak out for her beliefs. I hope her willingness to stand up for immigrants' rights empowers them to speak up for their beliefs. I also hope they will see how poetry, which we don’t take very seriously as a culture, can actually be powerful and important. Lazarus’ poem, The New Colossus, quite literally defined the Statue of Liberty as our most well-known and loved national symbol for immigrants.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What was the greatest challenge in writing the book, and how did you overcome it? How long did it take to write?</span><br /><br />Years. I started the book in 2002 and it’s just come out. I had a hard time tracking down some of the source materials. My best find was the many memorial letters written at the time of Emma’s death. They were published in a newspaper called the <span style="font-weight: bold;">American Hebrew.</span> I found them on microfilm at LAPL.<br /><br />The other big challenge was narrowing down the story. There was so much about Emma’s life that fascinated me. And there was so much historical background I wanted to include. It was hard to leave so much out, but a picture book has to be very focused.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What advice would you give to writers of picture book biographies?</span><br /><br />Find a storyline and stay with it. Find the moments in your subject’s life that are emotional, that have drama – moments of happiness, sadness, anger, failure, success. Include details that evoke the time and place in which your subject lived. You can’t tell everything about that time, but hopefully, you will awaken the reader’s curiosity and arouse a desire to learn more. And of course, in any picture book, you have to write “visually”, to give the artist scenes to illustrate.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Any interesting anecdotes about Emma that didn't make it into the book?</span><br /><br />I was fascinated by Emma’s relationship with Ralph Waldo Emerson, which began when she was just eighteen years old. In my book I show how she met him at a dinner party and sent him a book of her own poetry. They embarked on a correspondence in which he mentored her, praising her work while guiding her to improve.<br /><br />But when Emerson edited an anthology of American poets, he did not include any of her poems. Emma was devastated and furious. What I found interesting is that she wasn’t afraid to let him know, and shot off an anger-fueled letter to him. In my early drafts, I included the scene in which she discovers the anthology’s omission and writes to him. My editor gently pointed out that the book wasn’t about their relationship and that this scene, while dramatic, didn’t really move the story forward. I recognized that he was right.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">If Emma were alive today, and you could spend the day with her, where would you take her in your home town of Los Angeles?</span><br /><br />We’d take a tour of some of the immigrant neighborhoods – starting with Boyle Heights. Perhaps we could join a rally for immigrant rights. And then we'd get on a plane to New York<br />and visit the Statue of Liberty.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Erica's next book is <a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/Hanukkah-Hop%21/Erica-Silverman/9781442406049/print"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hanukkah Hop</span>,</a> a stamping, hopping, bim-bim-bopping celebration of Hanukkah, complete with a dancing parrot, a live Klezmer band and a girl named Rachel who lives to dance. The retro 50s art is by Steve D'Amico.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nonfiction Monday Round-up<br /><br /></span><a href="http://booksdogsandfrogs.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/kakapo-rescue-saving-the-worlds-strangest-parrot/"> Book, Dogs, and Frogs</a> has a booktalk/review of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://wildaboutnaturewriters.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-flowers-bloom.html">Wild About Nature</a> is giving away a copy of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flowers Bloom!</span> by Mary Dodson Wade.<br /><br />Just in time for spring! Check out <span style="font-weight: bold;">Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian </span>by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Julie Paschkis at <a href="http://bookmuse.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/summer-birds/">Bookmuse.</a> Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-maine-coons-super-big.html">Jean Little Library</a> a book about cats! Perfect!<br /><br /><a href="http://nonfictionbookblast.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/charles-and-emma-the-darwins-leap-of-faith/">Nonfiction Book Blast</a> has <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith</span> for this week.<br /><br /><a href="http://fourthmusketeer.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-book-review-mejane-by.html">Fourth Musketeer</a> has a review of Patrick McDonnell's adorable picture book about Jane Goodall<span style="font-weight: bold;">, Me...Jane.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=2119">Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast</a> shares an interview with illustrator Zachary Pullen and lots of art from Richard Michelson's picture book biography of Lipman Pike.<br /><br /><a href="http://jeannewalkerharvey.blogspot.com/2011/04/brothers-kennedy.html">True Tales and a Cherry on Top</a> features <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Brothers Kennedy: John, Robert, and Edward</span> by Kathleen Krull, and an appreciative nod to The Peace Corps.<br /><a href="http://loricalabrese.blogspot.com/2011/04/talk-about-deadly.html"><br />Lori Calabrese Writes</a> is in with a review of <span style="font-weight: bold;">National Geographic's Deadliest Animals.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://bookends.booklistonline.com/2011/04/18/amelia-lost-by-candace-fleming/">Bookends Blog</a> is soaring today with two Amelia Earhart books.<br /><br />At <a href="http://bookends.booklistonline.com/2011/04/18/amelia-lost-by-candace-fleming/">Charlotte's Library</a><a href="http://bookends.booklistonline.com/2011/04/18/amelia-lost-by-candace-fleming/">,</a> a review of <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses.</span><br /><a href="http://thecathinthehat.blogspot.com/2011/04/who-scoops-elephant-poo.html"><br />The Cath in the Hat</a> has a post on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Who Scoops Elephant Poo? </span><br /><br /><a href="http://books4learning.blogspot.com/2011/04/nonfiction-monday-seeds-seeds-seeds.html">Books for Learning </a>covers several books about seeds.<br /><br />The selection at <a href="http://janetsquires.blogspot.com/">All About Books With Janet Squires</a> is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Piano Starts Here: the young Art Tatum </span>written and illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. Drop by and listen to this Jazz great at his best.<br /><br /><a href="http://simplyscience.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/at-the-sea-floor-cafe/">Simply Science</a> has <span style="font-weight: bold;">At the Sea Floor Cafe</span> by Lesley Bulion as part of the Peachtree Publishers blog tour.<br /><br /><a href="http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/2011/04/world-without-fish-kurlansky-review.html">Pink Me</a> is in with a review of Mark Kurlansky's<span style="font-weight: bold;"> World Without Fish</span>. (Mmm, fish! Fish from certified sustainable fisheries, of course!)<br /><a href="http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/look-now-world-in-facts-stats-and.html"><br />Great Kid Books</a> shares <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ask Me Everything</span>, a new DK book. Mary Ann Scheuer says that her students love the visuals, the facts and the way it's all organized by questions they can ask themselves and each other.<br /><br /><a href="http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2011/04/time-for-bath-time-to-eat.html">Shelf-employed</a> reviews two great new offerings from the talented duo of Steve Jenkins and Robin Page:<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Time to Eat</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Time for a Bath.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-23160652521670426752011-03-21T07:15:00.000-07:002011-03-24T21:07:34.354-07:00Child Development & Picture Books: An Interview with Joanne Rocklin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXoWUj7rzVjGLIS4LGXRQm4aDv07TTMLz0KUZxIhqNEKPP0b7qGM_P13O2aSTon1QoI3LawO6aQNARSXhQ1eIJPHCj795cC4rsQD4Z2zMbhVTTRcABvtowGbxxtrAihh2AYYgiJOTm51O/s1600/Joanne_aug_2010-330.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXoWUj7rzVjGLIS4LGXRQm4aDv07TTMLz0KUZxIhqNEKPP0b7qGM_P13O2aSTon1QoI3LawO6aQNARSXhQ1eIJPHCj795cC4rsQD4Z2zMbhVTTRcABvtowGbxxtrAihh2AYYgiJOTm51O/s200/Joanne_aug_2010-330.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586226201380600802" border="0" /></a> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In preparing to teach a <a href="https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/Course.aspx?reg=W3961">writing class,</a> I've been thinking about some of the common problems of student manuscripts. Many</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);"> are too descriptive and internal, many are "slight" stories, or they don't have "universal appeal."<br /><br />Would a familiarity with child development help beginning writers with their picture book stories? </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);"></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">Acclaimed author/ teacher <a href="http://www.joannerocklin.com/">Joanne Rocklin</a>, who has a doctorate in psychology, </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);"> graciously answered my questions on this topic. </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">How could a knowledg</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">e of child development benefit a picture book writer? </span><br /><br />Our main goal as authors is to delight, move, and envelop kids in a world they can escape to--in other words, get them to love books. And the easiest way to do this is to understand the children themselves - their humor, their conflicts and needs, and their particular intellectual and social development.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What kinds of books meet the MAIN needs of the pre-</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">school and early elementary age child</span>?<br /><br />BOOKS FOR TODDLER AND PRESCHOOL: As authors, we want to enhance the conditioning process by which the book remains something warm and comforting and wonderful, (a "transitional object" like a blankie or favorite toy) simply by its association with the parent who is reading and holding the child. What kind of book does this?<br /><br />-Books which emphasize the senses, using bright, simple images so the baby can focus. Tasty, textured or smelly ones, like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pat the Bunny</span> (Kunhardt, 1998)<br /><br />-Books emphasizing Repetition, Rhythm and Rhyme, to give the child a comforting, secure feeling, making the world seem less chaotic. There is a security and increased sense of control when the rhyme and refrain reappears. The child is learning about "object permanence", a phrase coined by developmental psychologist Jean Piaget-- that objects still exist, even when out of sight.<br /><br />-by the end of this period, Piaget's sensorimotor period, the toddler can hold an image in her mind for longer periods, and can anticipate what will happen next. And that's what's needed to understand story, and leads us to<br /><br />PICTURE BOOKS: These books also reflect the developmental needs of the child (ages 3 and up):<br /><br />-They are short! They should be able to be read in one sitting, because of the child's relatively short attention span.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_hF2BCb9gYx-hyAxik8EknmYnk0qLjamcMjPDr9g3wRl5iC2RhdVDbFPS-lSQFDpWhp79EFTLUWjQ3uNWSSlK6c6HXBaiChXeQN04hwf517zbVSc2HCKPY6ZQgv4VtTQYZ_s7FJSahpC/s1600/wild.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_hF2BCb9gYx-hyAxik8EknmYnk0qLjamcMjPDr9g3wRl5iC2RhdVDbFPS-lSQFDpWhp79EFTLUWjQ3uNWSSlK6c6HXBaiChXeQN04hwf517zbVSc2HCKPY6ZQgv4VtTQYZ_s7FJSahpC/s200/wild.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586222553096299490" border="0" /></a><br />-They are child-centered, i.e. there's a simple plot based on everyday situations in the child's life.<br /><br />-There is a "rehearsal for separation" as defined by E.M. Roberts in The Children's Picture Book: the parent is often in the background, but nearby, as the child has adventures, as in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Where the Wild Things Are</span> (Sendak)<br /><br />-Piaget and others h<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxHba3sKhi-0mABjDzZbvXMAivAYtt7MFDCSQhZcVpSQgm4hyIwdyaIMPJTfbri_HriPeCUQJtQxMvckwSPrvScLA05SwguynSLCQc4PPSo8XiKbor1BR1yNN77eHnkucwHWzN41vS5O4/s1600/engine.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxHba3sKhi-0mABjDzZbvXMAivAYtt7MFDCSQhZcVpSQgm4hyIwdyaIMPJTfbri_HriPeCUQJtQxMvckwSPrvScLA05SwguynSLCQc4PPSo8XiKbor1BR1yNN77eHnkucwHWzN41vS5O4/s200/engine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586226596971202274" border="0" /></a>ave shown, and parents intuitively know, that children endow inanimate objects and animals with feelings and opinions (animism), that they believe the whole world thinks and feels as they do (egocentrism) and that they believe in magic. So it's natural for the child to accept storybook characters who are animals or fantasy creatures, and even anthropormorphic creatures (<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Little Engi</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ne that Could</span>/Piper, 1978)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7HYze8QZAinzZwFaE9yFM0tRrOPfRmiou9BqdtwhvaEkO07hnPoyL8395y0aU9de8D5uFfi5omfg4BYE4m8ypWtji93v42P1xi280v_ZWcJCBROJ3VUbBcgcK_-nLiuCVeE3U0aUB4Kl/s1600/strega"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7HYze8QZAinzZwFaE9yFM0tRrOPfRmiou9BqdtwhvaEkO07hnPoyL8395y0aU9de8D5uFfi5omfg4BYE4m8ypWtji93v42P1xi280v_ZWcJCBROJ3VUbBcgcK_-nLiuCVeE3U0aUB4Kl/s200/strega" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586227206666507762" border="0" /></a><br />- BUT-the main character is almost always a child in disguise! Animals behavior is species-appropriate (eg. bears hibernate) but with child-like feelings and needs. Mice are popular--they are small, cute, scared and mischievousness, and kids identify. Even main characters who are adults are child-like (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Strega Nona</span>/dePaola). All this disguise gives the listener some distance from the weighty issues brought up.<br /><br />-And the iss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy5z3MfoLAkx1umUbOxAIQt-MmLLN3cPJ-PvyCDz6NP6uiMqCa7m3Z-aBiS9HSMR8yS1d2ytuRnuWqDejHPpexxD6nmQ-sLjftAEDiKq14PrUU85jJWAD7ZJawaWTJqN89eqEI3afjuFG/s1600/julius"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy5z3MfoLAkx1umUbOxAIQt-MmLLN3cPJ-PvyCDz6NP6uiMqCa7m3Z-aBiS9HSMR8yS1d2ytuRnuWqDejHPpexxD6nmQ-sLjftAEDiKq14PrUU85jJWAD7ZJawaWTJqN89eqEI3afjuFG/s200/julius" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586228045240674386" border="0" /></a>ues are weighty: separation, fear of loss, sibling rivalry, shyness, and many more. There should be a conflict that the main character solves herself; nothing is solved by coincidence, magic, a parent. This allows for growth by the character, and thus the identifying reader. (eg. Henke's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Julius, The Baby of the World</span>.)<br /><br />-Humor in the p.b. reflects what the child himself finds funny at this age: slapstick, surprise, silliness. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Hattie and the Fox</span>/Mem Fox)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREq07v5uuNr7yquK3lTCXYHpztfMYhROBgLWRb86VCrPrAOGCI1qgUP6RJ5hKOKZgKVG-63vb8A8RhG6xbqa19Iv-IYdV65RfWQCG8uRAhaqnMRIlvysDZUo7Dkh4XQdN8lHbc-TSfmqq/s1600/hattie.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREq07v5uuNr7yquK3lTCXYHpztfMYhROBgLWRb86VCrPrAOGCI1qgUP6RJ5hKOKZgKVG-63vb8A8RhG6xbqa19Iv-IYdV65RfWQCG8uRAhaqnMRIlvysDZUo7Dkh4XQdN8lHbc-TSfmqq/s200/hattie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586228588743086706" border="0" /></a><br />-Endings are important: funny, surprising, quiet--but there must be a sense of closure. The adult doesn't want to send the child off into the scary dark void called Sleep with loose story-endings.<br /><br />-There should be a melding of words and pictures. The words have to be lovely, but spare, with few adjectives and lots of descriptive verbs, to leave room for the illustrator. The child is a beginning reader at this stage, and is learning to go back and forth between words and pictures as he enters the next stage--reading on his own.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What was one of your favorite books to read when you were a child? Why do you think it was meaningful to you at that time in your life?</span><br /><br />My favorite books of all time were middle grades, so that's what I write today. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Little Women</span> and especially, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anne of Green Gables </span>(I'm a former Canadian) are imprinted in my memory.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UE4Al2Du9Z3U6h91khA39RCcTQY794k65oouUvYpHapecmfpNMzrCcOckNpgEMIw_8yljv8R0VxDsBKFBjzqqfsRekdECeR-m00aQDjTFuipv_bqkjhP8E6mQhUftMRtjZ6U_1woYvdh/s1600/rocklin.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UE4Al2Du9Z3U6h91khA39RCcTQY794k65oouUvYpHapecmfpNMzrCcOckNpgEMIw_8yljv8R0VxDsBKFBjzqqfsRekdECeR-m00aQDjTFuipv_bqkjhP8E6mQhUftMRtjZ6U_1woYvdh/s200/rocklin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586227578273158226" border="0" /></a><br />I sold my latest book ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET, I was told, because it was a quintessential middle grade. I like to begin a middle grade novel on "a day that is different", and in this book a troubling orange plastic cone appears on the street, as does a mysterious stranger.<br /><br />Middle grade is all about character and introspection, lots of introspection, and I love writing about that. I have several characters in my new book, each focused on their own particular conflict, but also worried about that orange cone, an old orange tree, and that stranger. I had fun changing points of view--something you can't do in a younger work. But older readers like peeking into the heads and homes of several characters and can keep everyone's perspective in mind. I even have the old orange tree telling its story, and get inside the mind of a dog, a rodent, and children from other eras.<br /><br />In a middle grade, you don't have to disguise or distance the reader from the conflict--it's right out there in the open. I laid out all the conflicts and was marvelously surprised and moved when everything came together at the end, and everyone's best self was realized --that's the scary magic of writing a novel--it does come together at the end, but you don't often have the ending until you get there. I think it's fair to say that a picture book author needs to have a clearer sense of the ending almost from the beginning...but that's a writing issue and not necessarily a child developmental one!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Any suggestions for reference books or websites about this?</span><br /><br />I've mentioned Piaget. I just love his work and he seems to have started it all. Then there are lots of other books out there that codify the age needs and characteristics. Brazelton, The Gessell Institute (Ilg, Ames and Baker's book). I'm sure there are hundreds of more current ones, but not necessarily better ones.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Thanks so much, Joanne!</span>Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-55601895568529578932011-03-20T10:30:00.000-07:002011-03-20T10:31:42.991-07:00School Visit at Glenoaks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDL7v_-p9KIXaeV1OXK317txT49Xzcby233nnPXU_FnAW4alTR1peJ5Fw9vT61qnkVB7gWBeVqEgpNwudPLWjPm67zdwSPq5OlvO6OMO-i8I4NBB_Wc0v4TfYvFLXMjZdkDJwQ8x4RjCz/s1600/P3180592.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDL7v_-p9KIXaeV1OXK317txT49Xzcby233nnPXU_FnAW4alTR1peJ5Fw9vT61qnkVB7gWBeVqEgpNwudPLWjPm67zdwSPq5OlvO6OMO-i8I4NBB_Wc0v4TfYvFLXMjZdkDJwQ8x4RjCz/s320/P3180592.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585953080369845554" border="0" /></a><br />On Friday I had a smashing good time at Glenoaks Elementary, along with authors and illustrators Lisze Bechtold, Naomi Howland and Amy Koss.<br /><br /><br />We did classroom presentations in the grades most appropriate for our books- an ideal format. I enjoy the intimacy, and speaking to my target audience. One of my main points: something you love right now, as a child, might make you famous someday.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim25Ur4zOXt8owG-G_8IgsOMMAuLmNRKJH5yy2L3k0ix7GRRMLEuoKzlAj5KnJ9D73dCbtj3rb2nCuRQnif9O96N6kiKqaQHNe0JUQR2yGumf9WO20bUKEf-uruaRZ00nJFzrbsvjljESC/s1600/P3200598.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim25Ur4zOXt8owG-G_8IgsOMMAuLmNRKJH5yy2L3k0ix7GRRMLEuoKzlAj5KnJ9D73dCbtj3rb2nCuRQnif9O96N6kiKqaQHNe0JUQR2yGumf9WO20bUKEf-uruaRZ00nJFzrbsvjljESC/s200/P3200598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586209217204155650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dino host Rex Green made a surprise appearance. Much to the amusement of even the fourth graders.<br /><br /><br />Merci beaucoup, Glendale Assistance League, for inviting me once again !Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-56415736717114450052011-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:002011-03-14T07:00:12.259-07:00Nonfiction for Children's Hearts and Minds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCK_vsfN1HVXh7Bh9V9hmHuj_-Y271XpsmIuTfHh7qvaHqYHEMPb4jOvVfBjOxjW-NUpDWae6f2kbeOhQLFEJzW8u2nL-TCbWdiDX8-XaxDd3bV9D3FHRZdgKvGXiF9zGJu6J3dZ-H13e/s1600/max.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCK_vsfN1HVXh7Bh9V9hmHuj_-Y271XpsmIuTfHh7qvaHqYHEMPb4jOvVfBjOxjW-NUpDWae6f2kbeOhQLFEJzW8u2nL-TCbWdiDX8-XaxDd3bV9D3FHRZdgKvGXiF9zGJu6J3dZ-H13e/s200/max.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583370921349065618" border="0" /></a><br />One of the most frequently cited examples of the use of child psychology in fiction picture books is Maurice Sendak's <a href="http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm?volumeID=22&editionID=180&ArticleID=1569"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where the Wild Things Are.</span></a> Max's vivid imagination allows him to express rage/rebellion against discipline, as well as need for mother love.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0ISiw9-k9irHFIkFx191YSIks9ISWUnRyqHnYBBfq-cFQN8B1dh4ErJVHk0OchS6Oqvx0TAVSsXzmPtyjEWym6pSE7AtGiF10WYmYqWjsp4FilChADnPCLKRPKRv_d1o7IjtLC7qVznc/s1600/seed.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0ISiw9-k9irHFIkFx191YSIks9ISWUnRyqHnYBBfq-cFQN8B1dh4ErJVHk0OchS6Oqvx0TAVSsXzmPtyjEWym6pSE7AtGiF10WYmYqWjsp4FilChADnPCLKRPKRv_d1o7IjtLC7qVznc/s200/seed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583371715413510626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Non-fiction picture books can reach young readers' hearts in the a similar way. In <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Seed is Sleepy, </span><a href="http://www.chroniclebooks.com/excerpts.php?isbn=0811844285&store=kids">Dianna Hutts Aston</a> alludes to the struggle for independence, one of the main challenges of early childhood.<br /><br />Kids will recognize themselves in Aston's anthropormorphized seeds, which are small, vulnerable, naked, growing, in need of nurture. The book begins "A seed is sleepy. It lies there, tucked inside its flower, on its cone, or beneath the soil. Snug. Still." Like a child in bed.<br /><br />The seed is needy, like a growing child. It's thirsty and hungry. Several lines suggest a youngster's need to separate. The seed will be "cozy" until it's ready to grow. It may take its time. Then "the seed is adventurous" for " It must strike out on its own..." and "push up up up..."<br /><br />Once it finds an ideal place to put down roots, the seed behaves like a mother, giving the baby plant an embryo or seed coat to keep it warm, and seed leaves for its first meal.<br /><br />A few other comments about technique. Aston's text, a series of attributes about seeds (illustrated in graceful watercolors by <a href="http://www.sylvia-long.com/">Sylvia Long</a>), is full of rhythm and repetition. The imagery (including freckles and a child's shoelaces) is kid friendly. In the emphatic finish that circles back to the beginning, the sleepy seed has breakfast and a drink of water, then awakens in a crowd of vivid sunflowers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinL3BmoM0X7UXOp56k_-FXS7oMGmYygDK_0cyHQ-teL9hYwNzfI8iZNmcR4WKUBKq_2cWdI85oyQtJtvo9QS2tx0h09X9Q4fcn7Jy3KoW1F0RLv8efkHn_L5ryu32oX4DmPOWC0Zsxclco/s1600/eric+carle"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinL3BmoM0X7UXOp56k_-FXS7oMGmYygDK_0cyHQ-teL9hYwNzfI8iZNmcR4WKUBKq_2cWdI85oyQtJtvo9QS2tx0h09X9Q4fcn7Jy3KoW1F0RLv8efkHn_L5ryu32oX4DmPOWC0Zsxclco/s200/eric+carle" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583372694279933986" border="0" /></a><br />I've long been a fan of Eric Carle's <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Tiny Seed,</span><span> on a comparable subject.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>While Aston combines poetic language and factual material, Carle creates a dramatic narrative. His protagonist must overcome many perils on its journey to fulfillment- becoming a flower. Kids will root for the tiny, vulnerable hero making its way alone in the world. Both books hint at a growing child's struggles.<br /><br />If you're a picture book author who is not already familiar with childhood ages and stages (both personal and social) consider researching the subject. It may help you create metaphors and narrative that connect intimately with young readers.Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-327254820501279202011-02-02T18:48:00.000-08:002011-02-02T19:23:23.213-08:00E-books vs. Traditional Books: The Kids SpeakBack from a scenic and stimulating week at <a href="http://http://www.sbceoportal.org/ims/pages/events/author-go-round.php">Author Go Round</a> in Santa Barbara, where I had an unexpected treat: a discussion with book-loving students (mostly grades 4 - 8, around 100 per day,) about the pros and cons of traditional vs electronic formats.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKBGwjDQJ5C6kSGJ5VkqYU9k3fUZyO8p_YVl8_Xf9RM-KdbiZtuan1vo2Q6mzN3ijftYF377F4X30HBwT-FVu6T4bjJHhSeODg7_9pFlVr2RyOXgcxJ7bK6Nmf18d5asbzvAUmL9JPDbs/s1600/P1270589.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKBGwjDQJ5C6kSGJ5VkqYU9k3fUZyO8p_YVl8_Xf9RM-KdbiZtuan1vo2Q6mzN3ijftYF377F4X30HBwT-FVu6T4bjJHhSeODg7_9pFlVr2RyOXgcxJ7bK6Nmf18d5asbzvAUmL9JPDbs/s200/P1270589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569293544464598258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><br />Bruce Hale, Joe Cepeda, Amy Goldman Koss, and me<br />along with Rose Koller and Steve Keithley of the SBCEO.</span><br /><br /><br />An overwhelming majority spoke wistfully of the tactile pleasures of traditional books. They liked holding old fashioned books in their hands, looking at their covers, rifling through the pages to see how much they'd read, they even liked smelling them. Paper books made it easier to "get into" the story (the glare of the electronic screen was a distraction). They liked keeping books on their shelves, looking at their spines, holding on to them as a keepsake. They didn't have to worry about charging, losing or damaging them. Some said we shouldn't "modernize" everything, and some lamented the closing of bookstores that might come with a total transition to ebooks.<br /><br />A couple of students said they liked conventional books for novels, but ebooks for other kinds of material. The minority of kids who preferred electronic devices mentioned the convenience of having their whole library in one place, and the ability to immediately look up words.<br /><br />This was a small sample, I know, but it blew me away. I had assumed that children raised in a culture obsessed with electronic media would be uncritical of it. When it comes to the experience of reading fiction, this group of kids detected a qualitative difference between digital and traditional formats. I hope publishers continue to give them a choice.Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-59546875274064240102011-01-21T07:15:00.000-08:002011-01-21T07:15:08.186-08:00Book Trailers Day 5: An Interview with April Halprin WaylandAnd so we wrap up Book Trailer Week at TC & TF.<br /><br />The joys and perils of having students make your book trailer. Today author <a href="http://www.aprilwayland.com/">April Halprin Wayland</a> shares her experiences.<br /><br /><object height="311" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u1tgkBMiBGM?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u1tgkBMiBGM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="311" width="400"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What questions should an author ask herself before making (or having made) a trailer?</span><br /><br />How much am I willing to pay?<br />Do I want to farm it out or do it myself?<br />Do I have the time to do it myself?<br />Do I have the skills to do a good job myself?<br />Whose book trailers do I admire?<br />What will make viewers want to buy my book?<br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br />What goals did you set for yourself for the trailer for <span style="font-weight: bold;">New Year At The Pier? </span></span><br /><br />I wanted the book trailer up at least a month before my book came out.<br />I wanted it to be short.<br />I wanted it to capture the warmth and the essence of the holiday which this book describes.<br />I wanted it to be original...to stand out from the crowd.<br /><br />Please note that I was very lucky. I'd hired a high school student to do a <a href="http://www.aprilwayland.com/books-cds/girl-coming-in-for-a-landing/book-trailer/">previous book trailer. </a>Beware of high school students! He was terrific and truly original and I love the trailer...but he created half of it on his girlfriend's computer...and then they broke up. Then he got sick. Then there were finals. It came out in the summer instead Poetry Month (April), which was my target. It was a good experiment and learning experience!<br /><br />I knew Chase Gregory, then a freshman at Tufts, through her parents. She is media savvy and smart and original and she gets the picture very quickly. (Bonus: she's also really wonderful)<br />It's a Jewish book and she's not Jewish...yet she captured the essence of this celebration beautifully.<br /><br />She found music that I mention in the book. It was perfect, so we contacted the Klezmer musicians who played it and paid them to use their music. We also link to their website. She could have gotten some generic music for free, but this was absolutely the right music to use.<br /><br />I literally handed her the picture book which she hadn't read and said, "Make me a trailer, Chase. Do anything you want." She filmed our local pier and the ocean and gulls...and combined those live action images and the music with illustrations from the book (which we got permission to use from the illustrator and our publisher).<br /><br />The first one was a bit too long, so I asked her to do a shorter version...I've posted them both on my <a href="http://www.aprilwayland.com/">website</a>. I love-love-LOVE the trailer.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My trailer for <a href="http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSXCEXU9JWI"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tyrannosaurus Math</span>?</a> It was made by film school senior Jesse Johnson,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">using </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Final Cut Pro, audio from an online music library collection, and her considerable natural talents</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Thanks to April, and all the interviewees who took the time to answer my questions. I've learned a lot! </span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-45543986996818813002011-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:002011-01-20T07:15:18.871-08:00Book Trailers Day 4: An Interview with Mary Ann FraserAre you thinking about making your first book trailer yourself? Today author/illustrator<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.maryannfraser.com/"> Mary Ann Fraser </a>tells us how she went about making the video for <span>the</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Ogg and Bob</span><span> easy readers,</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>which she also illustrated. The books were written by her son Ian.</span><br /><br /><br /><object height="311" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CzD0_1r3JwM?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CzD0_1r3JwM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="311" width="400"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">How did you learn to make trailers? </span><br /><br />I first learned about making book trailers from David Boeshaar at a Ventura/Santa Barbara retreat on social networking. He was great at making the process easy to understand, but a lot of it is just digging in and playing with the software to learn all you can do.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What goals did you set for yourself? What questions should an author ask herself about her book before making the trailer?</span><br /><br />Basically the goal was to attract attention to my book (s) without giving too much away, and the final product needed to be two minutes or less. I also knew I wanted to make something a little different than what was already being done, but was somewhat limited by my video equipment, especially when it came to sound.<br /><br />I think it's important to plan around what you know how to do and what you can afford. There are copyright free music downloads out there, some for free, some not. It's wise to figure out your budget from the beginning. I recommend writing a script before you start.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Were there any surprises or challenges along the way?</span><br /><br />The most challenging part for me was figuring out how to get the video from the camera to my computer. I finally had to load it onto my husband's computer and then he sent it to mine. You can do voice-overs with an inexpensive headset and mike, but the sound will be compromised. The better the equipment, the better the final product.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What kind of software did you use?</span><br /><br />I use Windows Movie maker which came with my computer. It is very user friendly.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Can you recommend places on the web for linking trailers?</span><br /><br />Amazon's Author Central now allows you to attach a video to your author profile page. You might also look at http:<a href="http://www.bookbuzzr.com/">//www.bookbuzzr.com</a>, <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/">http://www.squidoo.com</a>, <a href="http://www.trailerspy.com/">http://www.trailerspy.com</a>, or<a href="http://vodpod.com/"> http://www:vodpod.com</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Thanks for sharing, Mary Ann.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">TC&TF dedicates this week to book trailers, to celebrate the debut of my own for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tyrannosaus Math </span> (see sidebar), created by the young and talented Jesse Johnson.<br />Tomorrow: An interview with author April Halprin Wayland.<br /><br /></span>Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-12675112290914751412011-01-19T07:15:00.000-08:002011-01-19T07:25:21.876-08:00Book Trailers Day 3: An Interview with Tina Nichols Coury<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHl5rLS23krGAUMP5-2VRU290hY2r_JJQrR0SxiHKK4vtGiyZj1E5PihqpE0drm_DN4f5N36PC-YWo2aJs7X9b5PXnZiYmbBlw5tRZlIGMVUEMJ91XpLMYfnBGgPXfJZ2MYsKCQtuNtfh/s1600/Tina+Nichols+Coury+with+hat.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHl5rLS23krGAUMP5-2VRU290hY2r_JJQrR0SxiHKK4vtGiyZj1E5PihqpE0drm_DN4f5N36PC-YWo2aJs7X9b5PXnZiYmbBlw5tRZlIGMVUEMJ91XpLMYfnBGgPXfJZ2MYsKCQtuNtfh/s200/Tina+Nichols+Coury+with+hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563398488997943746" border="0" /></a>Today, TC & TF welcomes <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.tinanicholscouryblog.com/">Tina Nichols Coury</a>, author, blogger, and producer of many book trailers.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">How did you learn to make trailers? </span><br /><br />In 2008, my husband, Al Coury, received a lifetime achievement award from a heritage foundation in Washington D.C. and needed to supply a ten-minute video about his career. I wasn’t happy with the videos that a production company had done for the organization. My control freak self rose to the surface and I decided to go take classes and learn to do it myself.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Could you give an example of a trailer you admire?</span><br /><br />The trailer for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTojdZXw7-4">“The Hunger Games.”</a> It is powerful, short and leaves you wanting to read the book. Also the trailer for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_UUVwTaemk">“The Graveyard Book.”</a> I had interviewed Neil Gaiman on my blog after he won the Newbery and was tickled with the animated trailer that he narrated. <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What questions should an author ask themselves about their book before making the trailer?</span><br /><br />Number one: can I afford a professional trailer? If you can, make sure the trailer producer READS your book.(You'd be amazed at the stories I've heard about how they "didn't get it.") There are many different companies that specialize in creating video trailers. You can spend as little as fifty dollars for a basic one or up to fifteen hundred for an all out animated version.<br /><br />But if you have a knack and the proper equipment, you can produce a trailer yourself. Start with a short script, three sentences long. Make it a tease and not the whole story. Next, search for the perfect music to set the tone. It must be royalty free! I know of horror stories where people had to pay royalty fees when their kid made a trailer using licensed music. There are websites that specialize in royalty free music - Music Bakery, Royalty Free Music.com, and Beatsuite, just to name a few.<br /><br />You want your trailer to be unique so it stands out. Make sure the trailer is short: 40 seconds to 1:20 max. Use the cover, your photo and the publishers name to set you apart from the self-published. Publish it on You Tube using a work in progress title, like "A-13." DO NOT USE YOUR BOOK NAME AT THIS POINT! You risk having a ghost trailer when you delete it for the approved version. Send the video to your agent and editor for approval or suggestions. Make the changes and sit on it for a week, as you would with a rewrite. When there is approval on all fronts, name it.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What kind of challenges have you faced in producing trailers?</span><br /><br />The challenges usually arise from the clients. Most production houses limit editorial changes to three for a trailer. I am into making the client happy and have at times done as many as ten changes when the agent and editors get involved. <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What kind of software do you use?</span><br /><br />I use a 17-inch Mac book Pro, with Motion Four and Finale Cut Studio.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> Can you recommend places on the web for linking trailers?</span><br /><br />Be sure to post your book trailer everywhere you can: your website, <a href="http://www.blazingtrailers.com/">Blazing Trailers</a>, <a href="http://www.teachertube.com/">Teacher Tube,</a> Amazon, You Tube, <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>…just to name a few. If you do a blog tour, start it off with the debut of your book trailer.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Thanks for all those tips, Tina!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">TC&TF dedicates this week to book trailers, to celebrate the debut of my own for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tyrannosaurus Math </span>(see sidebar), created by the young and talented Jesse Johnson.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Tomorrow: children's book author/illustrator Mary Ann Fraser tells us about making her first trailer.</span>Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-86745090692156340422011-01-18T07:30:00.000-08:002011-01-18T07:30:00.346-08:00Book Trailers Day 2: An Interview with Tom LichtenheldToday I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with <a href="http://www.tomlichtenheld.com/">Tom Lichtenheld</a>, who illustrated and collaborated with <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.chrisbarton.info/">Chris Barton</a> on their trailer for<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Shark vs. Train</span>. The video won School Library Journal's Trailee award (Publisher/Author created for elementary readers PreK-6) last year.<br /><br /><object height="311" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ra2QESKwBTw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ra2QESKwBTw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="311" width="400"></embed></object><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Additionally, Tom handled production of the trailer for Amy Krouse Rosenthal's <a href="http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPCoe-6RRks"> </a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPCoe-6RRks">Duck! Rabbit!</a> </span>He did the storyboard, and hired a Flash artist and music house. </span><br /><br />You're an experienced art director. How did that help you in coming up with the concept for the trailers? </span><br /><br />As much as the technical skills, what I bring from advertising is the understanding that every execution needs a strong idea at its center.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What goals did you set for each trailer? Could you describe your process in coming up with the scripts? </span><br /><br />I try to entertain the viewer and charm them into finding out more about the book. What I do not try to do is recreate the book in video form. The only time this worked was with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Duck!Rabbit!</span>, but that book was already set up more or less as a storyboard, so it worked well. Otherwise I think it's better to convey the personality of the book and just give a hint of the storyline.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Regarding the "personality" of the books. If you could tell us what, specifically, you were trying to capture for those two, that would be helpful.</span><br /><br />For <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shark vs. Train</span>, we were definitely going for zany. Shark and Train are blindly competitive and goofily inept, so they come off as a couple of blow-hards that are more likely to be laughed at than feared.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Any surprises or challenges along the way?</span><br /><br />The budgets are teeny-tiny, but it's a good reminder that a powerful idea is more important than expensive production techniques. For instance, the soundtrack for the Duck!Rabbit! trailer was recorded in my nephew's closet, using a Flip camera as a tape recorder.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What software/hardware was used? </span><br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shark vs. Train</span> trailer uses a lot of stock footage, and Flash is great for animation.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">How would you describe an effective book trailer?</span><br /><br />Not overly slick, doesn't take itself too seriously, and is interesting enough to live on its own. The pace and rhythm should definitely reflect the book.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Thanks, Tom.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">TC&TF dedicates this week to book trailers, to celebrate the debut of my own (see sidebar), created by the young and talented Jesse Johnson.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Tomorrow: an interview with Tina Nichols Coury, blogger- children's book author and trailer producer.</span>Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790689532870711910.post-41663337411573862502011-01-17T12:26:00.000-08:002011-01-17T18:13:10.778-08:00Book Trailers: A Librarian's ViewpointThis week, TC&TF runs a series of posts on book trailers, in honor of my very first!<br /><br /><object height="311" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wSXCEXU9JWI?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wSXCEXU9JWI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="311" width="400"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Trailer created by Jesse Johnson at</span> <a href="http://johnsonejesse@gmail.com/">johnsonejesse@gmail.com</a><br /><br /><br />Today, we hear from librarian and book trailer devotee<a href="http://www.saaslb.blogspot.com/"> Charna Gross</a> of Sinai Akiba Academy.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Do you think trailers are effective forms of advertising? How are you exposed to the many trailers that are out there? Any sites that you regularly visit? </span><br /><br />Yes! Kids are used to music videos, Youtube videos and movie previews. Book trailers speak their language. I look at book trailers that are mentioned on<a href="http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/"> LM-Net</a>, and I look them up on Youtube. I like <a href="http://http//kidlitbooktrailers.ning.com/">http://kidlitbooktrailers.ning.com/</a> and here is a site that gives a lot of info on how to make book trailers: <a href="http://www.darcypattison.com/marketing/book-trailers/">http://www.darcypattison.com/marketing/book-trailers/</a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Could you give a few examples of well-executed trailers, and tell us why they might persuade you to read the books they promote?</span><br /><br />I really liked the Found book trailer so much that I ordered the book:<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5BC3hKlon8&feature=related"> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5BC3hKlon8&feature=related </a>I also really enjoyed the trailer for the Secret of the Scarlett Stone at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsk-ofw9ico">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsk-ofw9ico.</a> They are exciting visually and musically, and describe the book well without giving anything away.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Conversely, what kinds of trailers do not pique your interest?</span><br /><br />If a trailer uses music that doesn’t fit the story or doesn't provide enough supporting text, it doesn't work for me. Another observation is that trailers shouldn't be too static. A trailer is meant to move.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">How have you been using trailers at your school? </span><br /><br />I have used them mostly as student-made products, either for a report on a book that the class is reading or for individuals to create their own trailers on books they want to promote. I have an educators’ account on Animoto, so it is limitless in terms of students making their own trailers.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What kind of observations/feedback have you gotten from the students about trailers?</span><br /><br />Students inevitably want to check out books they’ve seen trailers of. Creating the trailers adds to their tech skills. They really enjoy using Animoto, but that is not the only way to do it.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Thanks for giving us your input, Charna.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tomorrow: an interview with Tom Lichtenheld, illustrator of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shark vs. Train</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span>Michelle Markelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274916876741497200noreply@blogger.com0