Check-out these book-shaped plates and platters from GoneReading!
Wouldn’t they be perfect for Book Club get togethers?
Jun
2
2014
Jun
1
2014 What I’ve Been Reading (May 2014)
Here are the children’s books that have been in my library bag and on my nightstand in May (well, at least the ones I’d recommend). Go check them out!
Preschool (ages 3-5 years) and Early Elementary (ages 5-8 years):
Early Elementary (ages 5-8 years) and Middle Grades (ages 8-12 years):
Middle Grades (ages 8-12 years):
Young Adult (ages 12+ years):
May
15
2014 Let’s Hear it From the Kids!
On Wednesday, the winners of the Children’s and Teen Choice Book awards were announced. No thanking the academy for these winners. They must thank the little people, because this contest was voted on only by kids! The Children’s Book Council says this is the only contest where children and teens get to decide on their favorite books.
So, without further ado. The winners are…(drum roll, please):
Book of the Year (kindergarten – second grade)
Winner: “The Day the Crayons Quit”
by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Finalists:
“Alphabet Trucks” by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke
“Chamelia and the New Kid in Class” by Ethan Long
“Mustache Baby” by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Joy Ang
“Bear and Bee” by Sergio Ruzzier
Book of the Year (third – fourth grade)
Winner: “Bugs in My Hair!” by David Shannon
Finalists:
“Bean Dog and Nugget: The Ball” by Charise Mericle Harper
“Cougar: A Cat With Many Names” by Stephen Person
“The Matchbox Diary” by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
“Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale” by Duncan Tonatiuh
Book of the Year (fifth – sixth grade)
Winner: “National Geographic Kids Myths Busted!” by Emily Krieger, illustrated by Tom Nick Cocotos
Finalists:
“Hokey Pokey” by Jerry Spinelli
“Prince Puggly of Spud” by Robert Paul Weston
“Lawless: Book 1” by Jeffrey Salane
“Battling Boy” by Paul Pope
Book of the Year (teens)
Winner: “Allegiant” by Veronica Roth
Finalists:
“Clockwork Princess” by Cassandra Clare
“Eleanor & Park” by Rainbow Rowell
“Smoke” by Ellen Hopkins
“The 5th Wave” by Rick Yancey
Illustrator of the Year
Winner: Grace Lee, “Sofia the First: The Floating Palace”
Finalists:
Victoria Kann, “Emeraldalicious”
Anna Dewdney, “Llama Llama and the Bully Goat”
James Dean, “Pete the Cat: The Wheels on the Bus”
Oliver Jeffers, “The Day the Crayons Quit”
Author of the Year
Winner: Rush Limbaugh, “Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans”
Finalists:
Veronica Roth, “Allegiant”
Rachel Renee Russell, “Dork Diaries 6: Tales From A Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker”
Rick Riordan, “The House of Hades”
Jeff Kinney, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck”
I think this might be a good time to shamelessly show-off my copy of “The Day the Crayons Quit,” autographed by both the author and illustrator. I heard the illustrator, Oliver Jeffers, speak on a panel at the SCBWI winter conference in New York City. 
Getting the author’s autograph, who was not there presenting, was an added bonus. You can see Drew Daywalt has a good sense of humor, not just from his writing, but in what he wrote when he almost misspelled my name. Notice Oliver Jeffers did the same thing. In their defense, I get that a lot. My parents were trying to be original by spelling Susanne with an “S” instead of a “Z”. Sigh.
Now, let’s hear it from your kids! What books do your children choose? Read them the list above from their grade level and let me know if they’ve read them and which one is their winner.
May
12
2014 Children’s Book Week: May 12-18
It’s Children’s Book Week! Click here to read all the details.
Here are some quick highlights:
- This is the first year that official events will be happening in all 50 states! Check-out what’s happening in your state.
- A commemorative Children’s Book Week poster is designed each year by a children’s book author. The illustrator for this year’s poster is Robin Preiss Glasser, of Fancy Nancy fame. Order a free poster here.
- The 2014 bookmark was designed by Caldecott Honor winner, Steve Jenkins. He is the writer and illustrator of more than 30 non-fiction children’s books. Download the bookmark here.
May
3
2014 Celebrate Your Successes
That short story you sent to a children’s magazine? Sorry, it’s not right for our current needs. The writing contest you entered? Thank you for trying, but you were not chosen. The manuscript you’ve sent out over and over and over? Too long, too short, needs more of a story arc, character is not relatable enough, too many illustrators notes, needs more illustrators notes, etc, etc. On the journey of writing for children, there are going to be way more rejections than acceptances. They say you must have a thick skin to survive. It’s true.
J.K. Rowling was rejected a dozen times before Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (now Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) was accepted. Gone with the Wind got 38 rejections before being published. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight? 14 consecutive rejections. And the Newbery winning book, A Wrinkle in Time was rejected 26 times before someone said yes.
What if all these authors gave up after a few rejections? The world would never know them. Their work would probably still be sitting in some drawer in their house or in a file on their computer. It’s a good thing they had a tough skin and kept going. On this path littered with inevitable rejections, we should celebrate our successes when they do come. And if you keep trudging away and don’t give up in the frightening face of rejection, you are bound to find some successes along the way.
Keep knocking on those doors, keep pounding the pavement…wait, that sounds pretty old school, doesn’t it? How about keep entering contests, keep submitting to agents and publishers, keep reading and most of all KEEP WRITING. And when one of those figurative doors opens for you? Bask in the glow! Be proud! Celebrate your success! Regardless of how big or small the accomplishment is, you should be busting out in a celebratory happy dance, a la Snoopy.
And when you’re done dancing, you should share your success. It feels a little more real when you do. Isn’t it nice to hear people say, “Way to go!”? It builds you up and keeps you motivated.
So in taking my own advice, I would like to share one of my recent successes. I sent in a short poem to be considered for The SCBWI Bulletin, the bi-monthly magazine put-out by the Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators. I got an e-mail back from the president, Stephen Mooser, saying he hopes to use it in a future issue and that he’s sending me a check. A check? As in, you’re going to pay me for my writing? Woohoo!
Fast forward a few weeks and in the mail today was a check for $50 and a handwritten thank-you from Mr. Mooser himself! You better believe I’m framing that thing! (Ahem, the letter, not the check. That check is going in the bank!)
Tomorrow I will keep on keeping on with this writing thing, but today I’m going to celebrate my success. Cue the happy dance Snoopy!
May
1
2014 What I’ve Been Reading (April 2014)
Here are the children’s books that have been in my library bag and on my nightstand in April (well, at least the ones I’d recommend). Go check them out!
Preschool (ages 3-5 years):
Preschool (ages 3-5 years) and Early Elementary (ages 5-8 years):
Early Elementary (ages 5-8 years):
Early Elementary (ages 5-8 years) and Middle Grades (ages 8-12 years):
Apr
26
2014 Getting Caught with a Poem in Your Pocket
“Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken.”
-Orson Rega Card
April was National Poetry Month and April 21-25 was School Library Week. The librarian at my children’s school had a week of fun activities, called “Catch the Reading Wave,” planned for the students. They could wear something beach themed on their library day and bring a beach towel to sit on, they could fill-out a paper surfboard with a book recommendation and they could try to guess the number of books in the library.
My favorite activity they did was getting caught with a poem in your pocket. The administration would go around at different times during the week and ask students if they had a poem in their pocket. If they “got caught” with one, they won a prize. My kids took this very seriously and had a poem folded up in their pocket all week. By the end of the week, not only did they earn a prize, but they had memorized their poems! What a creative way to instill a love of poetry in children. Here is one of the poems by Shel Silverstein that was carried around all week in a pocket.
As an educator and writer, I was looking at the deeper meaning for kids of having a poem in your pocket. Here are my thoughts:
Keep words close to you.
They are your friends. Words can comfort and heal. Words can empower and strengthen. Words can brighten and lift. Words can take you away. Being able to write and read gives you confidence and power. Power to change your life and follow your dreams. Love them, use them, choose them wisely. They will serve you well in life. Keep reading. Keep writing.
Keep words close to you.
Even if you start with a simple poem in your pocket.
What are some of your favorite poems that you think kids would love?
Apr
14
2014 Bringing Back the Classics: Week of the Young Child
“Little pig, little pig, let me come in!”
“Not by the hair on my chinny, chin, chin!”
“Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down!”
Everyone knows the story of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, right? Well, adults do. But what about about children? I was surprised when I read this story to my preschoolers and less than a third of them had heard it before.
Each year, the preschool where I work participates in Week of the Young Child™ (WOTYC). You can find information about WOTYC on the National Association for the Education of Young Children website here. It says the “the purpose of the Week of the Young Child™ is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early programs and services that meet those needs.”
My preschool celebrates by transforming our hallways into a chosen theme using child-generated artwork. This year our theme was fairy tales and nursery rhymes. One reason for this choice was that many young children have never even heard of some of these classics. Here are the phenomenal displays our staff came up with and the stories and nursery rhymes that inspired them.
Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory, dickory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Hickory, dickory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Old MacDonald had a Farm 
There was an Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do
She gave them some broth with plenty of bread
And kissed them all fondly and sent them to bed.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Stone Soup
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
Mary, Mary quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
That’s how my garden grows.
Hansel and Gretel
Pease Porridge Hot
Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old.
Some like it hot, some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot, nine days old.
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
The Tortoise and the Hare
The Little Red Hen
The Enormous Turnip
Pat-a-cake
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a “B”,
And put it in the oven for baby and me.
The Three Little Pigs
If reading any of these titles made you smile because they were a part of your childhood, then go share them with a child. Help the classics, like The Three Little Pigs, become a part of their childhood too.
What were some of your favorite stories and nursery rhymes when you were little?
Apr
12
2014 Drop Everything and Read!
It’s April 12th: National D.E.A.R. day. So go ahead…Drop Everything and Read!!!
http://dropeverythingandread.com/
What did you read today?
Apr
8
2014 Read Every Day!
Do you like the not-so-subtle reminder I put on my kids bathroom mirror? 🙂
