My Very Own Library

"My Very Own Library and Scholastic Book Fairs give 250,000 books to children in need..."
(Scholastic blogpost)

There are so many ways to get books into the hands of young readers. Readers who may not have their own books.
 
My friend Donna Gephart supports a great charity, Bess the Book.
 
I'm proud to have been a part of My Very Own Library, visiting schools in Newark NJ.

You can read about the schools who hosted me, HERE and HERE.

One of my all-time favorite photos, illustrating my respect for busy urban librarians with limited funds but great enthusiasm. 

(The entrance to the auditorium where I was speaking.)

Thanks, Scholastic and My Very Own Library, for the amazing ways you get books into kids' hands.  And if you're wondering whether books really make a difference, read all about it, HERE.

Books! Books! Books!

An abundance of riches.

I can't keep up. I adore middle-grade novels and want to read every single book anybody mentions to me.

One thing I really liked about Lisa Graff's latest book, ABSOLUTELY ALMOST, was the voice of Albie. So true to his stuggling/ average kid/ can't quite get it character.
And the setting, New York City. Yes and wow.
Lisa's love of the city came through with perfection. I was right there with Albie, eating, walking, checking out the museums. Or not.

Ice cream cones at Tasti D-Lite and Mr. Softee, instructions for hailing a cab and pulling the cord to get the bus to stop. Just what a real NYC kid would do.

Here's a little of Albie's voice, with his wonderfully-drawn babysitter, Calista.

"The walk signal came on, and after checking both ways twice, Calista let us cross. At least she didn't make me hold her hand like I was some kind of baby that had never crossed a street before."

If you're interested in reading a long review of the book, click here for Betsy Bird's take on it. 


I also read and reviewed DEATH BY TOILET PAPER by Donna Gephart, another favorite author whose books never ever disappoint. Check out my review, HERE.



And I departed from my usual middle-grade addiction to stay up way too late with Lisa Schroeder's THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU.
If I were my younger self, this would be the book my friends and I would pass around and love.
Even my older self couldn't put it down, obviously.
Having grown up in a Friday Night Lights kind of world (and being a huge fan of the TV show), I totally get this blogger, on the topic.
Since she says it better than I can, I'll quote her and link back to her post:

"The Bridge from Me to You is one you'll want to add to your list if you want to fill that FNL-shaped hole in your heart, remember the stickiness of growing up in a small town or read a book that is good."

I agree on all counts. 

Writer Friends

Today I'm inspired by Barbara O'Connor's blog about Writer Friends.
And specifically her friend Kirby Larson.

Although I've never written a fan letter to Barbara (or to Kirby either, come to think about it), I count them both as friends. And let me tell you, as a writer you can't do much better than to have a friend who gets it. 

Because I'm still in Florida for a little while and because the Florida writing tribe is about to host their 

great big fabulous SCBWI conference in Orlando,
this is a shout-out to my Florida writing friends. 
 
(You may still have time to sign up. New writers, this is a great way to dip your toes into the water. Not to mention find a writer friend.)

When you move to a place and know no one, what's a writer to do? Of course, join SCBWI and get yourself into a critique group. I have Sue Laneve to thank for that. Way back when I was new in town, she invited me into a new group. Then into her own group.


 

 Here we are last summer at Books of Wonder where we met (for tea and crumpets and book talk and obviously decided to coordinate our outfits).

The writing buddy I've known the longest here in Florida, Janet McLaughlin, and I met in an online critique group. Although that didn't last long, our friendship did. 
Seven years later and we're still writing buddies. 

(Check out Janet's reviews on this new site. Raves from her kid reviewers.)

Here we are, a few Tampa Bay writers!

And our fearless leader, Rob Sanders, serving his lemon cookies when I visited his school.

 

 Are you new to Florida, have you lived here forever but just thinking of writing, or perhaps considering relocating, whatever. Find your tribe. 

Maybe at a regional conference. Perhaps at a different event.

 

 I met Donna Gephart at my first Miami SCBWI conference. Just walked into Books and Books and she came right up and said hello. And that she liked my book. The feeling was mutual.

Ditto with Danette.
She and I finally met this April, though we've been Facebook best friends a long time.
And I totally love Danette Haworth's books. So much.

I don't even know what to say about this picture. See, we're a wild and crazy bunch.
Well, Ed Masessa is anyhow...

 

Florida writers are pretty much fun people.

Some of us even wear yellow socks, in public...

Emotional Intensity

In writing, that is.

It's hard not to constantly have your characters' hearts pounding, their breath catching.Even in middle-grade fiction.

But since sitting in on Becca Puglisi's workshop at our Florida SCBWI Miami conference in January, I've tried harder. I have her Crutch Words right over my computer. Those overused words we should try to replace.

A few of mine?

Breathe. 
Smile. 
Step. 
Gaze.

Oh, and the was +ing verb thing-
(Sorry, Becca. That's the way Southerners talk! I tried to rid myself of a few "I was eating" and "He was hoping" beats. Not easy.)

Check out Becca's most helpful BLOG, HERE.  
And this link to her book: EMOTION THESAURUS
 

One thing I loved most about this year's Miami Conference? Seeing friends I made last year and meeting writers for the first time, like Becca Puglisi and Donna Gephart.

(One of my favorite middle-grade novels, with the absolute most kid-appeal, is Donna's
OLIVIA BEAN TRIVIA QUEEN. )


Florida's a hotbed of kids' writers.  
Maybe it's because of Joyce Sweeney, Mentor Extraordinaire? 

(PS She's now teaching online workshops. Check them out HERE.)

Miami SCBWI

A quick visual recap of another fun learning weekend.

Although it was grey and cloudy one day, by the next it was beautifully sunny.
One of the many reasons writers, editors and agents love to come to Miami for our January Florida SCBWI event.

 The almost sunset view from my room (through not-so-bright window).

The fabulous bookstore,  BOOKS & BOOKS from Coral Gables, brings a roomful of fellow Florida authors' and presenters' books for signing and perusing.

Here's the Book Room at the Miami Sheraton and the Books&Books folks consulting with two authors.
(Hi, Aimee! See you next year when your own fabulous picture book will be prominently displayed!)

(Hey, Becky and Aaron! Thank you so much. )

 I got to meet, in real time and real life, some of my Facebook friends.
Here I am with Donna Gephart at the very end of the weekend (do we look it?).

I love her book OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN.  
Then again, I also love Scrabble...

Oh, and Donna has a fantastic blog. WILD ABOUT WORDS.

 That's about all my over-stimulated brain can share this morning.

But I'm especially looking forward to reading more and writing more about my favorite workshop, perhaps my favorite hour of the weekend, featuring Beca Publisi, author of THE EMOTIONAL THESAURUS, 
Do you know this book? This website? So much info, stay tuned for more on that.

Click on those links, if you're so inclined, and now let's get writing everybody!

Happy September!

Where I live in N.J., it's back-to-school week. I always get a little nostalgic this time of year. Especially when I read what fun other librarians are having, showing off new books, fancying up their spaces, tacking greetings on bulletin boards (Okay, true confession, I hated bulletin boards...).

But I can still spread the word to fellow librarians and to teachers who are still in the trenches, working their hearts out.

Click to check out  ⇒this great giveaway from Donna Gephart.
Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen= one funny book. I would so be booktalking and reading this one.

See what MR. SCHU read his kids on their first trips to his library:
http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2012/08/welcome-to-2012-2013-school-year.html 

And last but not least- for all the preschoolers out there (and their moms and dads) headed off to school for the very first time, check this link for a few books recently reviewed in the New York Times.

 Have a great school year everybody- Read lots of books, make lots of friends, enjoy!

Newberys!

Today was a big day in the library world. Prizes were awarded! Shiny stickers are being attached to books. Much phoning, emailing and Facebooking in the librarian world. I do love a good award season.

Click here for the complete list of winners, from the American Library Association's announcement this morning.

If you'd like to read my review from the Christian Science Monitor, click here for INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN. 
Loved that book. So happy it was chosen as an Honor Book this year.

And I couldn't have said it better than fellow Florida writer, Donna Gephart did on her blog today, so I'll let you click over there for a great rundown of all the awards. (Way to go, Greg Neri!)