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The Angel Next to Me

December 20th, 2011

Greetings!

Several years ago, we were decorating our annual tree when I pulled out a box that was stored next to the ornaments. In it were our sons’ baby shoes. Instead of neatly wrapping them back up, I decided that they needed a new life, and hung them on the tree.

Later, I added my own little shoe, along with Ken’s. As it turns out, they make perfect decorations, and looking at them reminds me about babies and families and also about all the steps we each take between the seasons, about how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.

Those shoes, along with the ornaments that we’ve collected over all these years together make our tree feel like our history together. So, we wrote this song to celebrate it, and now we’re passing it along to you, our kith and kin.

Not only do we have shoes, but over the past several years, my beloved friend and artist Joy Fisher Hein, has sent me a new “cat angel” each year. Here is one of my favorites.

Let it be merry, ya’ll!

A Visit with Eric Rohmann

October 14th, 2011

This past summer, while participating in the Highlights Foundation Summer Institute at Chautauqua, I had the opportunity to chat with Caldecott-winning author/illustrator Eric Rohmann.

I think that some will say that Eric’s new book, Bone Dog, is perfect for Halloween, and they would be correct. But I think it’s perfect for any time of the year.

Here’s let’s hear about it from Eric himself:

Just a few notes, my homies . . . it’s not out of the realm for a picture book to have at its very heart the death of a beloved pet. But in so many cases, those books can often be heart-crushing. One of the things that sets Mr. Rohmann’s story apart is not only its straightforward nature, but its respect for the way that children cling to the notion of “forever.” I love that most about this book. And I also love the wordplay, the humor (“skeleton crew” anyone?), and the art is just right.

This is a story for all of us. It’s tender, a little scary, and funny, with the perfectest ending ever. Savor it.

Calloo, callay!

The Map of Me, by Tami Lewis Brown

September 21st, 2011

Tami Lewis Brown dazzled the picture book world with her beautiful biography of Elinor Smith, Soar, Elinor!

And now, she has a brand new novel to her name, The Map of Me.

I’ve had the great privilege of working with Tami, both as a student at Vermont College of Fine Arts, and more recently as a colleague.

One thing’s for certain, Tami is a citizen of the world, so when I tried to track her down for a video interview, she was somewhere out there . . . flying, driving, sailing, riding (a horse, a camel, a lawnmower?). Let’s just say, she’s always on the move. The same could be said for her stories. They move in a way that makes them hard to put down.

So without further adieu, here’s a small snippet of The Map of Me.

Calloo, callay, my homies!

Writing Young Adult Fiction . . . for Dummy!

July 1st, 2011

Greetings, Sports Fans!

A few years ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting Deborah Halverson at an SCBWI retreat in Indiana. One morning, we got up early and took a leisurely stroll through the beautiful woods of Brown County State Park. I remember being so impressed with her warmth, her humor, and her smarts.

At that time, Deborah was an assistant editor at Harcourt Brace, really just starting out in her bright new career. Since then, she’s gone on to write her own young adult novels…

…and…

Not only has Deborah embarked upon a successful career as an author, she’s also continued to work as a freelance editor, including managing and running her wonderful blog, “Dear Editor.”

All this on top of being the mom to triplet sons, Darin, Vance and Kirk!

And now, she’s cooked up something else, something that I guarantee will be of use to anyone who is interested in writing for young adults. Check it out!

This book is seriously good! And that’s not only because she invited yours truly to be a contributor . . . really . . . it’s not! In fact, there are a whole boatload of contributors, including a forward by my homie, M.T. Anderson.

To learn more, be sure to check out the other stops on Deborah’s blog tour:

The Children’s Book Insider Clubhouse

TeachingAuthors.com blog

From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors blog

Cynthia Leitich Smith’s “Cynsations” blog

Darcy Pattison’s “Fiction Notes” blog

We Do Write blog

“Blame It On the Muse” blog

Christine Fonseca’s blog

Samantha Clark’s blog

Calloo, callay!

Liz Garton Scanlon: Noodle and Lou

June 3rd, 2011

Have you ever read a book that makes you want to hug it?

That’s how I feel when I pick up Liz Garton Scanlon’s new picture book, Noodle and Lou. Illustrated by Arthur Howard, this is the story of Noodle, an earthworm who is having a very hard time figuring out his place in the world.
Thank goodness for the ineffable Lou, Noodle’s excellent buddy.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Liz to talk about her unlikely friends. Enjoy!

Wasn’t that fun!

And for all you teacher types, Liz has a very groovy curriculum guide on her website. Check it out.

Many thanks to Cyn and Greg for allowing us to use their dining room for our recording studio.

Calloo, callay, worm fans!

P.S. I confess that while I appreciate all those hard-working worms, these are my favorite species: