Author Interview: Judy Freeman on Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3: A Read-Aloud Guide

Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3: A Read-Aloud Guide by Judy Freeman (Libraries Unlimited, 2006). From the promo copy: "The largest and most comprehensive book of its kind ever written, it's an indispensable treasure trove of 1,700 child-tested favorite read-aloud titles, published since 1995. This is the definitive source for the best recent picture books, fiction, poetry, folklore, biography, and nonfiction books to share with children. The extensively annotated bibliography incorporates thousands of innovative and inspirational ideas for booktalking, book discussion, creative drama, storytelling, poetry, writing, library skills, and other literature-based teaching."

"Judy Freeman is a well-known speaker, consultant, and writer on reading aloud, storytelling, booktalking, librarianship, and all aspects of children's literature. She is an adjunct faculty member at Pratt Institute's School of Information and Library Science in New York City, where she teaches graduate courses on children's literature and storytelling.

"After 25 delightful years as a school librarian in New Jersey, in 2000, Judy gave up her day job and took to the road as a children's literature troubadour, though she still spends many days each year working with children and teachers to try out scores of new children's books and ideas." For more information, visit Judy's website.

What were you like as a child reader?

I was a real book nut. I remember throwing a fit when I was in seventh grade and my mother promised to take me to the store to get a copy of the Newbery Medal winner, A Wrinkle in Time, but then reneged, saying she had other things to do. Hah! I wrote her my first impassioned persuasive letter and slid it under the bedroom door. "All right, we'll get the blasted book!" she said, and we did. I read it a million times, and it's still in my psyche.

My parents took my older brother and sister and me to the public library every Tuesday night and we all took out armloads of books and then got ice cream. One of my great passions in life is still ice cream (cherry Garcia, hot fudge) with a good book.

I also had a fabulous elementary school librarian--Mrs. Amato--and it didn't hurt that my mother became a librarian when I was young.

My sister Sharron was Beezus to my Ramona. I once melted the head of her ballerina doll on a light bulb. She still hasn't quite forgiven me. (Remember when Ramona wrecked Beezus's birthday cake--twice?) And my older brother was terrified of Miss Clavell in the Madeline books. We were all a little odd.

Your credentials include school librarian, national workshop presenter, storyteller, and book reviewer? What put you on the path of a life of books?

My mother wanted me to go on Broadway. She loved to sing, but always substituted her own words for the great standards of the 30s and 40s. We all sang, and my parents read to us--lots of Winnie-the-Pooh and Mary Poppins and Beverly Cleary and Dr. Seuss. I can remember way back then, reading the New York Times Sunday Book Review when they did their children's issue every spring, yearning for all those books.

I still yearn for books. When my mother became a school librarian in the 1960s, she kept bringing home all of these great books for me to read, even though I was in high school already. That's when I met Harriet the Spy. And I still have my first edition of Where the Wild Things which I bought in high school. You'd think I'd be tired of children's books after half a century, but it's still magical when I read a great one.

When I was in college, I wanted to be a folk singer. Realizing if I didn't work, I wouldn't eat, I got practical and became an elementary school librarian instead, saying, "Well, I'll try this for a little while until I decide what I really want to do." And it was a blast. I sang with the kids, I read them stories, I told them stories. We acted out stories. It was a wild and crazy place, my library. I can't figure out where 26 years flew.

What do you love about your work? What are its challenges?

What I've loved about my work is how diverse it can be.

I'm a book review columnist for School Library Media Activities Monthly and NoveList (online), and wrote for Instructor magazine and Teacher for many years.

I've also gotten to write extensive and very fun teacher's guides for publishers for some amazing books and authors, including Jennifer Armstong's An American Story, illustrated by Roger Roth (Random House, 2006); this year's Caldecott, The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka (Hyperion, 2006); most of Mo Willems's books at Hyperion, and a guide to the picture books of Kevin Henkes for HarperCollins. My guide for Lane Smith's fabulous John, Paul, George & Ben (Hyperion, 2006) just came out and it's a hoot. Oh, and I also did one for Kate diCamillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Candlewick, 2006), which just won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for fiction. You can find it at www.candlewick.com (teacher's guide).

(Yes, I would have rather written any of these books than just the guides, but it still was stimulating and challenging to do.)

I even got to record a CD of 23 songs and stories to go along with my guide for Rosemary Wells's 96-page picture book, My Kindergarten (Hyperion, 2005). You can download the guide and play or burn copies of the CD at www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com. Just type the title into the search bar and you'll find it. My cousin Pete Fand is a musical genius, and we worked together on it. It was the most fun thing I've ever done, writing the songs, singing and playing guitar, recording, and then having Hyperion make it available for free. That's thanks to the wonderful, amazing, and adorable Angus Killick, who said, "Could you set a few of Rosemary's poems to music and make a little CD?" I got to be a rock star!

I taught as an adjunct in the library school at Rutgers for 20 years, after Mary Kay Chelton, my wonderful professor, encouraged me to take over her booktalking course. She was leaving Rutgers and recommended me as the instructor. I was astonished. How could I possibly teach a course? (I was all of 29.) I did, though, having the time of my life and have taught dozens of courses since then.

Now I'm an adjunct at Pratt Institute in NYC where I teach storytelling and children's literature. I teach most of my courses in the children's room at Donnell Library, across from the Museum of Modern Art on 53rd Street, and guess who's there? Winnie-the-Pooh and his pals! All of Christopher Robin's stuffed animals are there, in a glass case, looking worn and overloved. And P. L. Travers gave the library Mary Poppins's parrot-headed umbrella. I love teaching there--they have a fabulous staff of book-savvy librarians, headed by John Peters.

When I was school librarian, I got to laugh every single day. My friend worked at Johnson and Johnson making some bigtime salary, and she told me, "We have to clean off our desks at the end of every day. Down to the bare wood." I thought that was hilarious. My workspace has always been a little cluttered. (My cousin Ezra came up into my attic, my garret, one time and looked around at the chaos. "My god, Judy," he said. "This looks like the inside of your brain.")

I was a school librarian for 26 years, and then I wanted a new challenge. So six years ago I left my job, figuring I could go on the road as a speaker and cheerleader for children's books and reading. I had already been speaking for BER (Bureau of Education & Research; www.ber.org) for six years, doing about ten all-day seminars each year. I didn't know if I'd get enough work. Sure, I write reference books about children's literature, but I would starve to death if I tried to live on my royalties. I decided I'd try it for a year.

Well, it's been terrific. I get more requests to speak than I can handle--I do about 80 workshops, speeches, and programs for kids each year--and I've gotten to travel all over the U.S. In February, I'm speaking in Juneau at the Alaska Library Association Conference, and that will be the fiftieth state where I've done a speech or workshop. In March I'll be speaking at an international schools conference in Bangkok, and last year I spoke at another similar conference in Istanbul. I've loved all of it, except for the jet lag, the airports, the bad food in the airports, and, worst of all, being away from my wonderful, patient, supportive husband, Izzy, who holds down the fort at home while I'm out gallivanting.

To keep my credibility as a children's book reviewer and presenter, I go back to my old school, Van Holten School in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and several other schools to work with the talented staffs of teachers and librarians and with the people for whom these books are intended--actual kids. I field test scores of books with kids each year to see what they love, and their teachers and librarians do fabulous follow-up activities with them. (For instance, at Adamsville School in Bridgewater, New Jersey, I read Nick Bruel's hilarious picture book, Bad Kitty (Roaring Brook, 2005) to Miss Tricarico's kindergarten class. They followed up by writing their own book, "Bad Kiddies"--"We weren't always bad kiddies. We used to be good kiddies . . .") I love to bring these responses to literature along with me when I speak to show some of the wonderful ways kids and grownups can fool around with books.

What's it like traveling these days?

Traveling has its moments. Last year the hotel where I was doing an all-day seminar had an electrical fire during lunch. We lurked in the parking lot all afternoon while helicopters fluttered overhead, 14 fire trucks surrounded the building, and big hunky firefighting guys were toting hoses and eating doughnuts. (Apparently, the fire was catered.) I stood out there watching, and figured if my books and props and puppets were destroyed, they could be replaced. What I was really worried about was the kids' work I brought along with me--those are my best treasures. Luckily, everything was okay, though it all reeked of smoke.

I've had my extra set of guitar strings confiscated in Canada--they considered it a weapon. A weapon? All I could hear was my mom's voice in my head: "You could put someone's eye out with that!"

My suitcases have taken detours, not always arriving when I do. I travel with two big 50-pound suitcases. No bags, no program. They've always showed up eventually, but travel isn't getting easier, that's for sure. Dialogue at many airports: Security: Okay, ma'am, what in these bags? Me: Children's books! And puppets! Security: Hmmm. Better have a look." We children's literature people are obviously dangerous characters. I had a great plastic screaming hatchet and a crashing hammer that got stolen from my checked bags in Taipei. The only thing I haven't had is the strip search and the cavity search. It's only a matter of time.

I'd like to focus on your new release, but given that this is the third book in a series, let's catch up on your back list titles. What was the initial inspiration for creating these books?

When I started as a sweet-young-thing librarian in Plainfield, New Jersey, fresh out of grad school at Rutgers, I started making lists. Most teachers and librarians are compulsive list makers. I made lists of books that I loved as I read and weeded my way through the library's collection. It seemed to me that if you inundated children with wonderful books, read aloud to them on a regular basis, booktalked, told them stories, acted out stories, and fooled around with words, then kids would want to read. It was sheer intuition on my part, bestowing the passion for books my parents and teachers and librarians had bestowed upon me. I started making annotated lists of great books the teachers could read to their kids.

Many of the teachers said, "I don't have time to read to my kids. I have to teach reading." They were expected to administer lots of worksheets and watch their children read nice short punchy little excerpts in their basal readers, and then ask them a lot of ponderous questions. And take tests, for which they were endlessly preparing. (Nice to know nothing much has changed, right?)

After a decade of compiling my lists and testing out books on kids, I sent in a proposal for a book about reading aloud to a little library-based company called Upstart. They responded with a huge advance--a check for $200. (Don't quit the day job if you're a writer, right?) It was published in 1984 as a 200-page paperback and did pretty well. In 1990, I took it apart, rewrote it, expanded the text, added many new books to the bibliography section, and turned it into a 600-page behemoth for Bowker. I did an all-new volume, the 800-page More Books Kids Will Sit Still For, in 1995. (One reviewer referred to it as an 800-page tomb. I always assumed that was a misprint.)

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing the new book to life? What were the major events along the way?

Bowker sold its children's reference book line to Greenwood, which then acquired Libraries Unlimited, and they asked me if I wanted to do a new volume. It took me a while to say yes. I had to think about why I wanted to destroy my perfectly nice life and shut myself in my attic like a monk for two years. Then I recited my mantra--"Just shut up and do it"--and dived in anyway.

Writing insanely big reference books takes large chunks out of your brain. I had an ongoing annotated database of books I loved, but with each new volume in the series, I've added more stuff--such as lists of related titles and activities for using each book. Luckily, I can now look up everything online--no more searching card catalogs at the library to find out a book's ISBN. I can look up full text reviews to see what other people have written about a book, and read the customer comments on Amazon, which can be interesting. So the research part is far easier.

My inspiration to keep going was the book Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (Pantheon, 1994), a book all writers need to read. I don't recall any events along the way--it's like childbirth. After what turned out to be three obsessive years up in my attic reading and writing, I have little memory of all the missed holidays, weekends, evenings, summers. My husband remembers, though. He tells me, that if I start to think about doing another one, he is going to make sure I have my head examined.

It's a hefty mama, this new book--3.6 pounds, someone told me, so you could get two and use them for aerobic weights. Someone wrote to me that it's the heaviest book she's ever read. I was hoping it would top 1,000 pages, but my editor told me we couldn't go above 925, so they shrank the print and the margins until everything fit. Lisa Von Drasek, the children's librarian at Bank Street College of Education calls it "your honking big book" and from the beginning, I've referred to it as "The Awful Book."

How can teachers and librarians use your book?

In each of the three books in the series, I've written about what I've learned lately by working with kids and from my reading about what's happening in the fields of reading, teaching, and librarianship. In the new book, that includes chapters on Performance Art--how to do Reader's Theater, creative drama, and storytelling. There's a chapter on what it's like to be on the Newbery Committee. (I served in 2000; our winner was Bud, Not Buddy (Delacorte, 1999).) And I wrote a very fun chapter called "17 Things You Need to Know to Be a Great School Librarian" which also applies to public librarians and teachers and parents. These are reference books, yes, but they're fun to read as well. (Okay, my husband says that's an oxymoron and calls them Books Insomniacs Will Kill For, but he hasn't actually read them. I beg to differ.)

In the Annotated Read-Aloud Lists section of Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3, I included my favorite read-aloud titles for Preschool through sixth grade, divided into Easy Fiction/Picture Books, Fiction, Folk & Fairy Tales, Poetry, and Nonfiction. I calculate I read about 20,000 books to find the 1,705 I used in the book. I also indexed everything by title, author, illustrator, and there's an extensive subject index. So you can look up, say, individuality or insects or inventors or integration or Ireland and find lists of the recommended books I've included. Then, when you look up an individual book, there's a meaty annotation, a germ (small, brief pithy and practical across-the-curiculum ideas of how to use the book with kids), a killer list of related titles (for thematic units, story hours, read-alouds, or follow-ups for kids to read), and a list of subjects, so you can see what themes the book encompasses.

People tell me it's one book they keep on their desks and use on a daily basis to prepare storyhours and literature-based lessons for their kids. That's gratifying. It also makes a fine paperweight.

So far, the book is doing well on Amazon. I check my numbers constantly. (Oh look! They must've sold one today!) People have written very nice comments about it there and on Barnesandnoble.com, for which I am thankful. I'm waiting on tenterhooks for some reviews. My mother used to say to me, "For god's sake, Judy, write a 32-page picture book! Why do you need to write such giant books?" She was right of course, but I couldn't help it. Actually, there's a chapter about my mom in the book--I think of the whole book as a tribute to her. She died in 2000.

How about writers and/or illustrators?

You'll get a good overview of books that kids love. If your books are in there, I'm very much obliged to you for writing or illustrating a book that has given so much pleasure to children (and to adult readers, as well as making my day). I included books teachers or librarians would find to be great read-alouds, but not every great book fits that category, so there are many more wonderful books out there that kids adore. (Mind you, I also had to cut 300 wonderful out of print titles because the book was running way too long. Your book could have been included in that batch. If so, my great apologies.)

What about parents?

In all three books, my focus is on teachers and librarians, but parents who are into children's literature will finds lots of ideas, too. Home schooling parents should find plenty of titles--as read-alouds or read-alones--to keep their kids engrossed and sparked. If you find yourself, on a regular basis, sneaking novels by folks like J. K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, Lois Lowry, or Kate DiCamillo instead of books on the NY Times fiction list, then you're a serious children's literature fan. My book can help you nurture that bad habit, for which your kids will be grateful.

I'm forever faced with parents boasting that their four-year-old was reading Harry Potter to herself in utero (only a slight exaggeration). I'm guessing that means they're quick to give up reading with their kids. Why is reading aloud so important?

I think everyone should read to their kids in utero. There was a famous study, dubbed the "Cat in the Hat" experiment, that showed fetuses respond to Dr. Seuss--it's the rhyme and rhythm of it, apparently. And parents need to continue reading aloud and telling their kids stories, oh, forever. We never lose the need for a great story. In my new book, I made a list of reasons why:

What are some of the benefits of reading aloud and using real books with children? Here is a baker's dozen:

1. To bond together, either one on one, as parent and child, or together as part of a larger group
2. To model acceptable behavior and figure out how to handle new or difficult or challenging life situations
3. To open up a global window and see how people do things in other parts of the world
4. To visualize text and stories and exercise the mind's eye or imagination
5. To develop empathy, tolerance, and understanding
6. To grow language skills, exploring narrative, dialogue, the use of language, vocabulary, and the relationship between the written and spoken word
7. To better recall and comprehend the narrative structure, plot elements, and sequence of events in a story
8. To be exposed to eloquent, elegant, interesting, or unusual examples of language, writing styles, and words, and hear the author's voice out loud, spoken with expression and fluency.
9. To share emotions, from laughter to tears
10. To develop critical thinking skills including: making inferences, drawing conclusions, identifying key words and ideas, comparing and contrasting, recognizing cause and effect, sequencing, and defining problems versus solutions
11. To provide sheer enjoyment and the love of stories, both old favorites and brand new ones, for their own sake
12. To hone writing skills. As children's author Richard Peck, writes in Past, Perfect, Present Tense: New and Collected Stories (Dial, 2004), "Nobody but a reader ever became a writer." And "You have to read a thousand stories before you can write one." And, "We write by the light of every story we ever read. Reading other people's stories shows you the way to your own."
13. To turn avid listeners into avid readers, learners, and thinkers

So far, what are your favorite read-aloud titles of 2006 and why?

There are some fabulous books out this year. I'm still plowing through piles and boxes of books this year, so my list is in no way comprehensive. For the workshops I do across the U.S., I pick my top 100 books of the year and bring about fifty of them to show and tell, sing and dance. It's always so interesting to me to read everyone's best books lists, because no two readers ever agree on the exact same titles. I look for books that delight, amuse, surprise, startle, provoke, intrigue, inform, satisfy, and stay in my head. Sometimes I dream about them.

Then I test them out on kids to see if they agree. Sometimes the books we grownups think are wonderful leave kids absolutely cold. And vice versa.

Here's my list of favorites so far:

PICTURE BOOKS:
Frazee, Marla. Walk On. Illus. by the author. Harcourt, 2006. (Gr. PreK-2)
Henkes, Kevin. Lilly's Big Day. Illus. by the authors. Greenwillow, 2006. (Gr. PreK-2)
Klise, Kate. Why Do You Cry? Not a Sob Story. Illus. by M. Sarah Klise. Henry Holt, 2006. (Gr. PreK-2)
Knudsen, Michelle. Library Lion. Illus. by Kevin Hawkes. Candlewick, 2006. (Gr. PreK-2)
Smith, Lane. John, Paul, George & Ben. Illus. by the author. Hyperion, 2006. (Gr. 1-8)
Winter, Jeanette. Mama: A True Story in Which a Baby Hippo Loses His Mama During the Tsunami, but Finds a New Home, and a New Mama. Illus. by the author. Harcourt, 2006. (Gr. PreK-3)
Cronin, Doreen. Dooby Dooby Moo. Illus. by Betsy Lewin. Atheneum, 2006. (Gr. PreK-2)
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. My Buddy, Slug. Illus. by the author. Knopf, 2006. (Gr. PreK-2)
McClintock, Barbara. Adèle and Simon. Illus. by the author. Farrar, 2006. (Gr. PreK-2)
Young, Ed. My Mei Mei. Illus. by the author. Philomel, 2006. (Gr. PreK-2)

FICTION:
DiCamillo, Kate. Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The. Illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick, 2006. (Gr. 3-7)
Jenkins, Emily. Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic. Illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Schwartz & Wade, 2006. (Gr. 1-4)
Kadohata, Cynthia. Weedflower. Atheneum, 2006. (Gr. 5-8)
Lin, Grace. Year of the Dog, The. Little, Brown, 2006. (Gr. 3-5)
Lowry, Lois. Gossamer. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. (Gr. 5-8)
Pearsall, Shelley. All of the Above. Little, Brown, 2006. (Gr. 4-7)
Pennypacker, Sara. Clementine. Illus. by Marla Frazee. Hyperion, 2006. (Gr. 1-4)
Singh, Vandana. Younguncle Comes to Town. Illus. by B. M. Kamath. Viking, 2006. (Gr. 3-5)
Stanley, Diane. Bella at Midnight. HarperCollins, 2006. (Gr. 5-8)

NONFICTION
Armstrong, Jennifer. American Story, The. Illus. by Roger Roth. Knopf, 2006. (Gr. 3-8)
Fleischman, Sid. Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini. Illus. with photos. HarperCollins, 2006. (Gr. 4-8)
Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. Move! Illus. by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. (Gr. PreK-1)

POETRY
Rex, Adam. Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. Illus. by the author. Harcourt, 2006. (Gr. 2-6)
Sidman, Joyce. Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow. Illus. by Beth Krommes. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. (Gr. K-5)

What do you do when you're not reading or writing?

I'm always reading and writing. My friends call me "The Attic Girl." I'm hoping to get a life this year, though. When I'm not obsessing over deadlines or out on the road, I play tennis, go into New York to museums and plays and restaurants, garden, and travel. And I'm getting a new cat. I work better when there's purring.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I'm the Book Aunt to the kids of so many friends and relatives, so I get to hear a lot of feedback from them and from the kids I work with at schools. I do a fair amount of school assemblies as well, where I booktalk new books and tell stories and sing songs. Kids are so hungry for stories. Not enough people tell them stories, read to them, and do booktalks.

It's so easy to do, but in these days of No Child Left Undone, if it's not testable, people think it's not worthwhile. I despair sometimes, but Vicki Cobb gave me the most wonderful quote from Robert Anderson, author of the play "Tea and Sympathy."

He said: "Expect Nothing. Blame Nobody. Do Something." And then I think about Barbara Cooney's wonderful picture book, Miss Rumphius (Viking, 1982), where Alice's grandfather tells her, "You must do something to make the world more beautiful."

Cynsational Note

See interviews with Cynthia Kadohata, Grace Lin, and Ed Young. Judy's guide also is recommended to writers as a source of models to study in various categories.

Cynsational News & Links

According to SmarterStats, traffic to my official author website should run just over 60,000 unique visitors this month.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been the busiest. Midnight to 3 a.m. is the most popular time to stop by (hello, night owls!), followed by 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.--it sort of moves in waves.

Other than the front page, those most active are: Exploring Diversity in Children's & Young Adult Books, followed by Gothic Fantasy & Suspense for Teens & Tweens; Young Adult Books; Picture Books; Native American Themes in Children's and Young Adult Literature; and Interview with Author Judy Blume.

This month, most of the traffic comes from the United States, followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and India. Within the U.S., the most represented states are California, Virginia, Washington, Georgia, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, and Ohio.

Thanks to everyone who surfed by!

More News & Links

The Children's Choices 2006 list has been posted by the International Reading Association (PDF). Highlighted books include: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague (Blue Sky)(author interview); Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett, illustrated by Jonah Z. Jones III (Candlewick)(author interview); The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L. Going (Putnam)(author interview); Walter the Giant Storyteller's Giant Book of Giant Stories by Walter M. Mayes, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley (Walker)(author-illustrator interview); Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles (Harcourt); Wild Dogs: Past & Present by Kelly Milner Halls (Darby Creek)(author interview). YA honorees included: Contents Under Pressure by Lara Zeises (Delacorte, 2004)(author interview); Midnighters: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld (EOS, 2004)(author interview); and Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn (HarperCollins, 2004)(author interview).

Terri Fields: official author site includes book and event information. Teri's books include Danger in the Desert (Rising Moon, 1997); Counting Arizona's Treasures, illustrated by Tony Marinella (Kiva); After the Death of Anna Gonzales (Henry Holt, 2002); and Holdup (Roaring Brook, 2007)(scroll).

Cynthia Hughes Literary Management offers publicity coordination and consultation to authors, publishers, and event planners. Cynthia is based in Austin; many of you may know her as the former director of the Texas Book Festival.

"National reading program helps Native communities increase literacy skills, preserve culture" from the University of Texas. Highlights "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything," a national reading program for Native American children and interviews Loriene Roy, the new American Library Association president. Note: I highly endorse this program and encourage you all to visit the official website to learn more about how you can help. See requested items, donors (including many children's/YA authors, and participating schools.

The New Atlantic Independent Bookseller's Association has announced its 2006 award winners, recognizing an author who was born or lived in the region, and/or a book wherein the story takes place in the region. Winners included: Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser (HarperCollins, 2005) and Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (Delacorte, 2005)(excerpt)(author interview).

From Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic: "The Chinese American Librarians Association has cast their votes and the news is in--Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee (Arthur A. Levine, 2005)(author interview) has received a Best Book Award for Youth. The Association writes, 'Through Stanford Wong's sensitive and funny diary entries, Yee defies stereotypes about Chinese Americans as well as gender stereotypes.'"

"Speaking in Voices: Writing a Multiple Viewpoint Novel" with Deborah Lynn Jacobs: a chat scheduled for tonight from the Institute of Children's Literature. Deborah is the author of Powers (Roaring Brook, 2006) and Choices (Roaring Brook, 2007). Read Deborah's LJ.

"Stars" by Roger Sutton from The Horn Book Magazine. Lots of fodder for thought here. What stood out most to me as a Harper author: "Mimi Kayden of HarperCollins says that 'if a book gets three or more stars, then we will probably advertise it. Two is still iffy. One doesn’t cut it anymore.'"

Tara is "A Rat" Spelled Backwards: The online musings of Tara McCarthy Altebrando. A new LJ from the author of The Pursuit of Happiness (MTV Books, 2006)(excerpt).

Three Silly Chicks: Readers, Writers, and Reviewers of Funny Books for Kids. The chicks in question are authors Andrea Beaty, Carolyn Crimi, and Julia Durango (LJ syndication). See In the Coop with Lisa Wheeler.

The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside by Cynthia von Buhler

From Houghton Mifflin: On a cold winter day a cat appears on the porch of an old Victorian house. The girl who lives there feels sorry for the snow-covered creature and gives him warm milk. The next day she gives him tuna, and the next day a catnip mouse, and so on and so on, until eventually the porch is as cozy as the house. One day, much to her surprise, the cat finally answers her invitation inside with an invitation to her. The "house-that-Jack-built" structure and repetition of The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside: Based on a True Story by Cynthia von Buhler (Houghton Mifflin, September 2006) will appeal to young readers, who will also delight in following the construction of the cat's new home.

This tale of friendship and trust, of patience and love, is based on a true story. While living in Boston, in a large purple Victorian house, von Buhler befriended a stray cat, whom she named "Olympus" after the Greek mountain. She repeatedly invited him inside, but he didn't budge from the porch. So she went to the mountain, so to speak, and over the course of four years, fed him, nursed him, and built him his own (heated) purple and green house.

Creating the set for the book was a family affair—von Buhler's father adapted her childhood dollhouse (which he had built by hand); her mother sewed the curtains, and her sister, a fashion designer, created the clothing. Von Buhler created all the characters using Sculpey clay. They were baked in an oven until hardened, then decorated with paint. She created a 3D set, and everything was then photographed with a Haselblad camera using a variety of lenses and colored gel filters, creating a fantastical world of cottony snow, comfortable chairs, and hidden delights.

Committed to reaching out to her audience in non-traditional ways, von Buhler has created an art exhibit based on the sculptures and sets used for the book that also incorporates a children's cat sculpture workshop.

The exhibit opens first at CVB Space in Manhattan on Sept. 28th, and will then go on to tour children's museums nationwide. For more information, please visit www.comeinsidekitty.com, which also includes step-by-step "make a kitty" instructions, a feature on how the house and set were created, an author's blog, and more. Von Buhler is also currently producing a flash music viral video, set to her original music (including her own vocals), which will feature the book’s characters and set.

Cynthia von Buhler is an internationally known and award-winning artist. Her artwork has been displayed in galleries and museums around the world, on CD covers, and in books, magazines, and newspapers. Four illustrations from the book have already been chosen to appear in the prestigious art book American Illustration in November 2006. They Called Her Molly Pitcher by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by von Buhler (Knopf, 2002), was chosen as one of the New York Public Library's Top 100 Picture Books of the Year.

Von Buhler has rescued and placed more than twenty-five cats into loving homes, and plans to donate a portion of her royalties from the sale of this book to Pasado's Safe Haven for animals. The book also contains valuable and practical information for those who find stray cats. She currently lives in a castle on Staten Island, with a host of pets, including six doves, thirty goldfish, two rats, her husband, Russell, and, of course, seven cats.

Cynsational Notes

The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside official website may set a new standard in book-specific sites. Recommended to visitors with high speed Internet service, not those on dial-up.

"Kit Lit: Children's Literature For Human Kittens:" reviewed by Mercury Boo (official page) from the cat pages of my website, which are the most popular with elementary class visitors. See also Sebastian's picks, which includes photos of not only Bashi but also Leo and Blizzard.

Author Interview: Cinda Williams Chima on The Warrior Heir

Cinda Williams Chima on Cinda Williams Chima: "I come from a long line of fortune-tellers, n'er-do-well musicians, indifferent housekeepers and spinners of tales. When I researched my family tree, my ancestors kept showing up in court for bar fights, paternity suits, making moonshine, and so on. My great-grandmother was booted out of church for having a 'disorderly walk.'

"My earliest literary influence was my mother, a great lover of books and frequenter of libraries. My name, Cinda, comes from her favorite character in a novel, House Divided [by Ben Ames Williams (1947)], about the Civil War. That Cinda was described as 'plain, and broad of face.' Ah, well.

"In college, I majored in just about anything you can't make a living at, ending with a degree in philosophy. I was the poster child for No Vocational Outlet. Later, I went back for a master's in nutrition and have worked in that field ever since. The first draft of my novel was marbled with elaborate descriptions of food. My first agent wrote in the margins, 'We don't CARE what they ate!!'

"I live in Ohio with my husband and college-age sons and an African Gray parrot. I teach at the University of Akron and write a freelance nutrition column for the Plain Dealer. I'm continually amazed that with my sorry start I'm working not one but TWO dream jobs-teaching and writing."

How did the writing life first call to you? Did you shout, "yes!" Or run the other way?

I began writing romance novels in middle school, starring me and all my friends. They were often confiscated by my English teacher, who didn't approve. I returned to writing seriously when my sons were small. I began with essays about parenting and family, and moved on to feature articles for local newspapers and magazines.

Why did you decide to write for teens specifically?

My sons were 13 and 16; they both liked to read fantasy (and so did I.) I had teenagers in and out of my house all day long. I guess I wanted to write the book that I wished had existed when I was their age. When I sat down to write The Warrior Heir (Hyperion, 2006), I had little more to draw upon than my lifetime as a reader and lover of story. As I got into it, I began hearing about various YA rules (like word count, oh, my) and I finally just decided to give the book the words it needed and see where it fit. Not something I'd recommend, but that's what I did.

Could you tell us about your path to publication, any sprints or stumbles?

When I finished WH, I began shopping it on my own while I wrote a sequel. It was a very slow process, because I followed all the rules (no simultaneous submissions, etc.) Over several years, I had some interest expressed by various publishers, did lots of revisions, learned a lot more about writing, and wrote two more novels. I've heard lots of debate about agent or no agent, but the key for me was finding a good agent.

Congratulations on The Warrior Heir (Hyperion, 2006)(excerpt)! What was the initial inspiration for this book?

There's this wonderful quote from Tolkien in which he says that ideas for stories come from the "leaf mold of the mind." And I think it's true: all of the experiences you have, the people you meet, the places you go: they all build into this rich humus that grows fiction.

I had this notion about writing a truly American fantasy, set in a small Midwestern college town. Small towns are like laboratories: people interact who would never encounter each other in a big city. You can never escape your history in a small town.

I wanted to write a fairly classic story about a young hero with room for growth: someone who considers himself ordinary, but learns he's capable of greatness in extraordinary circumstances. I love the idea of transformation--it makes me think I can transform myself.

I've spent a lot of time prowling through graveyards and digging through dusty old records, uncovering family stories. My roots are in the Appalachians of southern Ohio, and there's a strong history of magic there. My grandmother was supposed to have had the "second sight"--she read the cards for people. When I was in college, I took an English literature tour to England: went to Stratford and the Lake District and the theatres in London. I incorporated elements of all of those things into Warrior Heir, and its sequel, The Wizard Heir (Hyperion, 2007).

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

I'd written four books over as many years, had left my first agent, and began the agent hunt again. I sent out 25 targeted queries to agents that I had researched. I received two positive responses, and signed with Michelle Wolfson of Ralph Vicinanza Ltd. Five years after I wrote my first draft of WH, it ended up going to auction.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

Like many writers, I find it challenging to decide where the story begins (in one early draft I found myself telling the story of how Jack's parents met!) I have a weakness for prologues. I'm enthralled with all my characters, so I have to remind myself to back off a bit on the adults and allow the young characters to stay center stage.

Finally, logistically, it's a challenge to write novel-length fiction in the end bits of time, after working the day job. There are times I've literally ended up with my face on the keyboard.

What advice do you have for beginning writers?

It's not for the faint hearted. Don't be a writer unless you must. If you must, then take it as seriously as any other profession. Do your homework. Learn the rules, and if you break them, do it for good reason. Find a good critique group. Get used to revision. It's very freeing to learn that you can drop a character, or change his gender, or change an ending-and the work isn't broken. It may improve. Revision is a creative process, too. Know that you're the one who cares the most about your book.

How about those interested in writing fantasy specifically?

Read widely in all genres, including fantasy. Start with the basics of story: character, setting, plot. If they don't work, it doesn't matter how much magic you layer in. It's not about the magic, after all, it's about the people.

What is your favorite recent YA fantasy novel (other than your own) and why?

Oh, dear. How to choose? I'll just say I read a wide variety of fantasy books, YA, MG, mainstream, and crossover. There's a list of books I've read on my Website.

Some favorite fantasy authors are Tamora Pierce (love those strong female characters), Jonathan Stroud, Neil Gaiman, Alice Hoffman (tiny magical elements glittering like quartz in the sand, and you think, what just happened?), Mercedes Lackey (timeless and ageless appeal), Libba Bray (author interview), Holly Black (author interview), Jo Rowling. In mainstream fantasy, I love George R.R. Martin. Plus I'm a LOTR nerd. I mean, I have a song from the movie as the ringtone on my phone.

What do you do when you're not reading or writing?

People ask my husband, When does Cinda write? and he says, All the time. Writing has displaced many things I used to do, but I'm hoping to get back to them. I have a large weaving loom, and love to spin and weave and quilt. At one time I was in a folk music band, and I'd love to pick up the guitar again. And I enjoy cooking and spending time with our family.

What can your fans look forward to next?

The Wizard Heir (Hyperion Books for Children) is set for release in Spring 2007. The first chapter (PDF file) is posted to the website. And I'm working on a third YA fantasy.

Author Interview: Melissa R. Schorr on Goy Crazy

Melissa R. Schorr on Melissa R. Schorr: "I was born and raised in New York City, and still consider myself a New Yorker at heart, but it's become more of a love-hate relationship--I love that I get to live everywhere else while my editors live there. I studied journalism at Northwestern University outside Chicago, and started out working at Working Woman and GQ magazines, before heading out to be a feature writer and columnist for the Las Vegas Sun. I spent a year at M.I.T. near Boston as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow studying health writing, then moved to San Francisco and wrote for The Oakland Tribune and San Francisco magazine, and have written freelance articles for People magazine, Self, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Most recently, I've been living in Seattle with my husband, my baby daughter, and our Westie, Bailey. Goy Crazy is my first novel."

Goy Crazy by Melissa R. Schorr (Hyperion, 2006). From the promotional copy: "Rachel Lowenstein can't help it. She's got a massive crush on a goy: Luke Christensen, the gorgeous star of the basketball team at St. Joseph's prep. But as the name implies, he's not exactly in Rachel's tribe. Rachel just knows her parents would never approve. Then Rachel's Jewish grandmother issues a stern edict––'Don't go with the goyim!'-– sealing Rachel's fate and presenting her with a serious dilemma. Everyone's got an opinion--from her annoying neighbor Howard to her newly social-climbing best friend. Should Rachel follow her heart and turn her back on her faith? Or should she heed her family's advice and try and find a nice Jewish boy? With an unforgettable cast of characters and razor-sharp wit, Melissa Schorr's debut novel is an engaging comedy about a girl’s decision to go goy crazy." Ages 12-up.

How did writing first call to you?

Growing up as an only child, I had no siblings to play with--and this was back in the stone ages before GameBoys and Xboxes, IMing and cell phones, of course. My mother was a music teacher in upper Manhattan, and every day after elementary school, I would walk to the local library across the street to wait for her to pick me up. That's where I discovered books.

Everyone knew I was a voracious reader--I think one year, for my birthday, I was given four copies of Little Women, which at the time, made me cry. My favorites series books were C.S. Lewis, Little House, Wizard of Oz, the Great Brain, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew.

I began writing short stories in fifth grade, and filled four diaries growing up, all of which I still have. Somewhere along the way, I was informed (misinformed, maybe) that you couldn't just get out of school and become a novelist--you had to do something practical first. So, I became a journalist.

Could you tell us about your path to publication, any sprints or stumbles along the way?

My path is really more like a marathon. It goes back almost a decade, when I was a journalist fresh out of college working as a researcher at GQ magazine. The editors ran an article by a girl about how she loved dating Jewish men. And I marched into the editor's office and said, "I need to write the flip side --why I'm a Jewish girl who never ends up dating Jewish men." To be honest, I don't know where I got the chutzpah.

When that essay came out, it was called, "The Joys of Goys." And it got a lot of attention--angry letters from rabbis, marriage proposals from prison inmates--and one letter from a literary agent named Steven Malk, who was also just starting out.

He suggested I expand the essay into a non-fiction book. But there were two problems. No one wanted to buy it, because it--gasp--joked about religion. And the other problem was that around the same time, I ended up meeting this great guy, ironically, a nice Jewish boy, who ended up being my husband. So that book wasn't meant to be, and we let the proposal lie dormant.

And this is truly a great story of faith by an agent in a writer, because years later, we were talking about another project, when Steve offhandedly suggested that I would have a great voice for writing a YA book--and I could even revive that old concept. And it was like a light bulb went off--bing!

And I spent my entire summer, which is the only sunny time of the year in Seattle, so no small sacrifice, writing the first 75 pages, which he was able to sell in about a week, to my editor at Hyperion. Believe me, as a first-time author, I know how truly incredibly lucky that was and how unreal this story must seem. I was also glad that my agent's belief in me all those years ago finally paid off.

Congratulations on the publication of Goy Crazy (Hyperion, 2006). What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?

As you might have guessed, this is a very autobiographical story. My parents also always pressured me as a teenage to date Jewish boys, and my own grandmother, like Rachel's, once actually said to me, in her thick European accent: "Mal-ees-ssa, don't go with the goy-im."

So of course, like every teenager, I did the exact opposite--I dated lots of guys in college, none of whom were Jewish. Another reason I wrote the book is because this is an issue that has definitely affected my life--I think everyone's family these days includes someone in an interfaith or interracial relationship. And I think the book tries hard not to make any judgments about interfaith dating, which is a reality, but will help teens and parents talk about the issue, and maybe help any teen also dealing with that feeling of pressure.

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

After the book sold, I was given around nine months to finish writing the manuscript. And a few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant! A major event, you could say.

So, suddenly, I had two very pressing due dates that August--my manuscript and my baby's impending birth. But thankfully, my daughter waited until I handed in the book to my editor--and arrived two days later. Very thoughtful of her, don't you think?

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

For me, the main challenge in creating it was being a first-timer in writing fiction, coming from an exclusively journalistic background. I don't have an MFA. I'm not in a writer's group. It was a whole new world I had to teach myself--things like plot, dialogue, pacing. I just figured it out as I went.

Once it came out, there were new challenges. Aside from worrying that my parents would disown me, there was the subject. Most people find the concept hilarious, but some don't like it--my hometown bookstore, where the book takes place, has declined to host an event for me, because they find the title offensive. Others have seemed scared to talk about the issue, or to joke about it, I guess, which is sad.

What do you love about your writing life?

What I've always loved about the life of a writer is not having to wake up early for a 9 to 5 job. I've never been a morning person, and publishing hours always suited me. But with the arrival of a baby, I'm up at 7 a.m. every day, anyway. So, I guess, I love not having to wear pantyhose or suits, ever. What I love about writing itself is the giddy feeling when a really good line or idea comes into your head, and gives you the giggles.

What are its tougher aspects?

The realization that, really, this is just the first hurdle. Yes, getting published is an amazing accomplishment--until you realize your challenges aren't over. Now, you have to worry about having your book get noticed among the gazillion other books coming out each year, continuing to stay published, and getting comfortable speaking in public at schools and book signings.

What do you do when you're not reading or writing?

I wish I could say something inspiring or intriguing, like doing Triathlons or collecting Pez dispensers, but honestly, I'd have to admit, walking my dog and changing diapers.

What can your fans look forward to next?

I'm really looking forward to writing my next YA book, I'm noodling on a couple of different topics, but am waiting for inspiration to strike to tell me which to do first. Also, I wouldn't be averse to writing a sequel to Goy Crazy.

Author Interview: Karen Halvorsen Schreck on Dream Journal

Karen Halvorsen Schreck is the author of a young adult novel, Dream Journal (Hyperion, 2006) and an award-winning children's book, Lucy's Family Tree, illustrated by Stephen Gassler (Tilbury House, 2000). Her short stories have appeared in various literary journals and have received a number of awards, including a Pushcart Prize and an Illinois State Arts Council Grant. Karen lives with her husband and children in Wheaton, Illinois.

Karen Halvorsen Schreck on Karen Halvorsen Schreck: "I was the only child of two older parents who were passionate about their work as musicians and college professors. They shared their love of art and learning with me, which was a great gift with one string attached: from the get-go I had to rise to the most adult of occasions. I didn't always succeed. For example: I saw my first opera at the Chicago Lyric when I was five years old, but when all was sung and done, of course I couldn't remember anything but the seat upholstery--how it itched. I traveled to Europe several times with my dad's singing group--I even spent a surreal afternoon with the queen of Holland--but what really fascinated me during those tours were the many variations on the chocolate bar.

"Mostly I wandered around the seemingly interchangeable hotels and cathedrals and pretended something truly dramatic was happening: the stories in my head. On the surface I was a reasonably well-adjusted, if middle-aged kid--terribly, horribly good for a terribly, horribly long time. I acted out only in my imagination. Real play--crazy fun--I experienced this only when I had my own children.

"Ultimately I joined the family business, getting my MA and PhD in Creative Writing and English. Since then I've mostly taught, worked in advertising (I've waxed poetic on everything from Christian Dior gowns to Godiva truffles to designer furniture--in other words, things I could never afford and wouldn't buy if I could), written fiction as much as possible, married the photographer and all-around-good-man Gregory Halvorsen Schreck, and built a family."

Dream Journal by Karen Halvorsen Schreck (Hyperion, 2006). From the ARC promo copy: "'Will she die?' Sixteen-year-old Livy Moore has finally summoned the courage to ask about her mother's illness. But she already knows the answer: for two years, Livy has watched her mother grow weaker. And until now, Livy has survived the pain of losing her mother by shuttering herself off from the rest of the world. She has alienated herself from her best friend, and barely speaks to her father, never sharing with him the grief that is tearing them both apart. But as Livy gets swept up in a strong but ill-fated crush and her mother's condition worsens, she must learn to trust not only those around her, but herself."

How did writing first call to you?

I think I first called to it. As in: Help! I'm lonely and bored! I've got to escape! Or: Help! I'm confused and scared! I need an answer, or at least a distraction!

As I said, I made up stories all the time--and not just in hotels in cathedrals. I felt a real urgency about the whole enterprise, actually, and I did a pretty good job of straddling my imaginary and real worlds. Luckily, my parents encouraged this--or at least, they ignored me when I was whooping it up in the living room on a black stallion only I could see. And they kept me well stocked in books, bless them. Oz, Wonderland, Avonlea, and Narnia provided great alternatives to suburbia.

I started writing my stories when I was about ten, and I never really stopped--or, more truthfully, I never really stopped wanting to write. I remember seeing Madeleine L'Engle and Marguerite Henry give readings when I was in grade school, and vowing: I'm going to do that someday. They both signed my copies of their books, and I studied their signatures, wondering if it was something about the loop and swirl of their letters that helped these women make what they made out of words.

Could you tell us about your path to publication, any sprints or stumbles along the way?

I'd call the whole experience more of a marathon than anything else. I've certainly had to pace myself for the long haul. I hunkered down into fiction writing when I was in college--twenty-some years ago now--and proceeded to doggedly write my way through the decades. I published some stories and articles, won a few nice prizes and grants along the way. But mostly I tucked the work in when I could.

In my darker moments, I felt like a sham. For heaven's sake! I'd stew. Will ya just stick with some legitimate, consistent, and (at the very least) slightly lucrative career! Greg kept the faith during these times, thankfully. And thankfully, too, my stewing always cooled to a simmer, and then I'd snap out of it.

Then Greg and I adopted our first child, our daughter Magdalena, and life transformed. In fact (and I'm just realizing this right now as I write), having a child reinvigorated me with the kind of urgency I felt as a child about making up stories. Hm. I wonder if this also has anything to do with the fact that I no longer wanted to write for adults. I wanted to write for Magdalena. So I did, during her naps. Suddenly I was punching the clock: she was down for the count in her crib, and I was at my desk. I loved this time--the discipline and regularity of my work and her breathing in the next room. She taught me to turn on a dime and to appreciate and use (nearly) every spare minute I had, and I'll be forever grateful.

Actually the summer after Magdalena came home qualifies as my single experience of "sprinting." When I realized that I wanted to write a book for her--one she might want or need to read when she was older--I cranked out Lucy's Family Tree. This took me a little over a month. A few months after this, Tilbury House accepted LFT for publication. Ah, those halcyon days. Then the publication process slowed to stumbles. LFT’s release date was delayed by a year because of an office flood. Then the date was postponed again because the original illustrator tore her rotator cuff. Magdalena was going on four when the book finally came out. But there was a pay-off: she immediately understood that I'd dedicated LFT to her and she was proud. She strutted around readings like she was responsible for the book, and, really, she was.

Congratulations on the publication of Dream Journal (Hyperion, 2006). What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?

My mother's death from cancer when I was thirteen. I'm reading a nonfiction book right now called Never the Same--Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent by Donna Schuurman (St. Martin's Press, 2003). Never the same? I'll say. My feelings about my mother surge up at the weirdest times, and at the most predictable ones. I missed her a lot right after I became a mom, so I guess it's no coincidence that I started writing Dream Journal soon after I finished Lucy's Family Tree.

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

In my early twenties, I wrote a number of stories where the mother/father/aunt/fill-in-the-significant-other-blank dies. But I never wanted to crack one of those stories open and try to find a novel.

Then caring for Magdalena pretty much cracked me open; it was like I got to know myself all over again--the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful, too. So this is love, I kept thinking. So this is anger, frustration, patience, grace. We are so vulnerable to each other, she and I! Which led to: What would it be like to lose my daughter? What would it be like for my daughter to lose me? And: Did my mom feel all this?

There was so much I wanted to ask my mom--more than ever before. So the immediate inspiration for Dream Journal was becoming a mother and finding that I needed to talk to a mother (albeit a fictional one) in the most profound way possible. The more long-term inspiration was, of course, my old friend and enemy, Loss. Ultimately I just wanted to write the book I wished I could have read when I was a teen, and that I still needed to read as an adult.

I plunged in and stuck with it, draft after draft after doggone draft. I didn't want death to be the subplot, kind of lurking in the background, something the characters had already endured. I wanted them to go through the illness; I wanted to get the last days and the funeral and the aftermath right. And damn it, I wanted the chance to go through it all again, too, the way I wish I could have the first time. I wanted to be bad instead of so terribly, horribly good.

Dream Journal took me nearly four years to write and revise; what started as four hundred-some pages wound up being about one hundred and seventy. I finally felt like I'd done as much as I could with the manuscript, and that's when I sent it to my agent Sara Crowe, who agreed to represent it. Some time passed, and then Hyperion agreed to publish it. This felt like a miracle. And since then, it's been a pretty blissful year and a half, working through final revisions with my editor Jennifer Besser.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

First and foremost I wanted to make sure that I didn't recreate my actual family; I didn't want to write a memoir. I'm happy to say Dream Journal is fiction. It's rooted in emotional reality, of course, but my friends and my father have said: What's true here? It feels real, but we don't remember this happening! And to that I always say: Whew. Got that right.

And I'd never crafted anything this long before, only to rewrite it again and again when this twist or that turn led only to a dead end. So I learned a lot about revision and plotting, as well.

What do you love about your writing life?

I love losing myself and finding myself in any mind, body, voice, place, detail that I want. Making a mess and cleaning it up, or not. And how small things can hold so much meaning--that cosmos-in-a-hazelnut kind of a thing. Then there's the way a sentence can unfold crazily, snagging the right words as it winds its way toward sense. And those words--how they feel on my tongue and sing in my ears. And the quiet, of course. The candles on my homely desk. The way I feel when everything is going right: focused, and contained by the computer screen in front of me, and poised for whatever's next. The surprises. I love the surprises. The healing that comes when I least expect it.

After a few good hours of work, I sometimes feel buoyant, a little high. Not too mention happy, sane, and ready to meet the world. You probably can see it on my face when I've had a good writing day. I certainly can feel it in my body. I've got energy to burn; I don't even have a problem keeping up with Teo, my four-year old son.

What are its tougher aspects?

Finding the hours to achieve the above. Unfortunately I need consistent blocks of uninterrupted time to get something done. I'm juggling a lot right now, and that's been taking its toll, most specifically on the YA novel I'm trying to write, but more generally on my faith in my work.

I hate it when I stop believing in the story I'm telling. When that happens I can start avoiding work altogether, or undermining it. Oh, it can get ugly, and I can get ugly, until one day I'm able to fling myself at my computer for a few hours and then I'm usually a believer again.

On top of the time-factor, I'm also feeling rather exposed having my first novel out in the world. Stark naked, in fact. I'm trying to do more yoga, take some lessons from the kids on immediacy, eat good food, pray.

I mean, Come on, Ego. Give me a break. I did the best I could!

But this is a hard challenge for me, releasing this book into the world. I'm working hard not to run and duck for cover. I launched a website, for instance. I'm scheduling readings.

I never knew self-promotion could be so blamed difficult and time-consuming! But ultimately I hope that I'll be able to make contact with some readers who appreciate the book, and this might act as an anecdote for the other tough challenge of this kind of work: the isolation that can set in. Assuming you've had consistent blocks of uninterrupted time to get something done.

What advice do you have for beginning authors?

Write the story you want and need to read.

And here is a message that is also to myself: Appreciate the work of others. Learn from the work of others. But do not compare your work to theirs.

How about novelists specifically?

In my experience, it's all about revision, so pace yourself for the journey. If you're a perfectionist, give yourself a break because it's bound to get chaotic. Why not enjoy the chaos, or at least accept it? It might reveal something if you leave it sprawled across the page for a while. When the writing feels a little more like play, you can always go back and shake out some cosmos.

What do you do when you're not reading or writing?

I love to go to plays, movies, concerts, restaurants, museums, galleries, etc. I really love to travel. I like hiking, camping, and cross-country skiing. Once in a while I get to do these things, and it's great.

But at this stage in my life, I find myself at home a lot, hanging out with my family and friends. I put in a garden this spring, and it went wild on me. I was expecting this decorous Victorian knot/Zen kitchen "space" and it turned into something out of "Little Shop of Horrors." The sunflowers are taller than our house. I'm considering investing in a machete to hack through the vines. But I've grown a lot of delicious vegetables, and Greg and I have been having fun figuring out what to do with them.

What can your fans look forward to next?

My fans? Um...well, the season is changing, so I'll probably be wrapping up their extension cords and storing them down in the basement.

(Pause for a beat. In case anyone decides to laugh.)

I'm working on a YA novel set in the late 1930s. It draws on a story of mine that won a Pushcart Prize a few years back. That story was based on some of my father's boyhood experiences, most of which were informed by his younger sister, who had cerebral palsy. For me this book is also about money and class--the aspirations of an immigrant family devastated by the Depression. And it's about a kid who wants to be an artist, in spite of everything.

Editor Interview: Nancy Feresten of National Geographic Children's Books

Nancy Feresten has been editing children's books for almost over 20 years. After earning a degree in English Literature from Yale, she began her career at Harper & Row Junior Books Group and has since worked at W. H. Freeman, Scholastic, and National Geographic, where she is now Vice President, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Children's Books, an imprint that specializes in children's nonfiction and reference.

What first inspired your passion for children's books? Were you an avid young reader or did you come to this love later in life?

I read voraciously all through my childhood, and when others left children's books behind, I continued to read my old favorites and discover new ones. When I graduated college and embarked on a career in medical editing, I found that the books I still loved most to read were children's books.

What made you decide to make children's book editing your career focus?

When I realized that though I spent my days editing medical professional books, I spent my spare time reading children's books, I decided to change my focus and went looking for a job in children's books.

What do you see as the job(s) of the editor in the publishing process?

An editor has a two-pronged responsibility. It is an editor's job to find and nurture powerful writers and help them do their very best work, and it is also the editor's job to select books that will be meaningful and attractive to children and the parents, teachers, and librarians who select books for them.

Have you worked with both fiction and non-fiction? If so, how do the processes compare? What do you like most (and/or least) about each?

I have worked in both fiction and non-fiction, though I have spent far more time on non-fiction. Both genres are fun and challenging. In both, the goal is to support the author and the rest of the book team (including illustrator, photo editor, designer, etc.) in telling a compelling story.

Could you offer us an overview of the your children's nonfiction and reference publishing program at National Geographic? Age ranges, types of books published, etc.?

At National Geographic, we publish nonfiction and reference books primarily for children ages 7 to 14. We have three distinct publishing strands: narrative trade nonfiction, school library series nonfiction, and trade reference. We will publish about 85 titles in 2006.

What are you looking for? In which areas are you looking to grow?

Right now, we are focused on expanding our school library series publishing.

What are the particular challenges in marketing non-fiction for young readers? What are the benefits and encouraging signs?

The good news is that nonfiction is coming into its own among teachers. For many years, kids were taught to read by reading fiction. Now, with new research showing that 80% of adult reading is nonfiction, the education community has developed a new respect for nonfiction reading, which they are actively passing along to their students.

Do most of your manuscripts come directly from writers or from agents? What recommendations do you have for individual writers in the submission process? What are pitfalls to avoid?

Our manuscripts come from agents and from authors we already know or whose work we know. We are not accepting unsolicited manuscripts.

For those submitting manuscripts to any publisher:

1. Know your market. Visit bookstores and libraries and read what is being published right now. Read books that have recently won prizes or appeared on Best Book lists. Know how your work fits in. Understand what age child it is for. Know what type of book it is and how long that kind of book should be. Demonstrate your knowledge in your cover letter.

2. Don't underestimate your competition. Serious children's writers labor long and hard to do the very best research and create the best and most appropriate text. In the case of nonfiction or nonfiction-based fiction, do first-rate research, using primary sources as much as possible. Wait to send in a manuscript until you have read the work of others and are satisfied that yours is as good as the best of them.

3. By all means read your work to the children in your life, but don't use their enthusiasm as evidence that your work is publishable. Editors are very skeptical of this sort of claim.

4. If you write a picture book manuscript, don't try to find an illustrator for it. That is the job of the publisher.

5. Grow a thick skin. Even the very best writers get rejected a lot.

How about with illustrators? Any insights, recommendations, or cautionary words for them?

My advice to illustrators is fairly similar to my advice to authors. Know what's going on in the world of children's book illustration. Make sure that your work is special and appropriate. Then make appointments to see art directors and editors. And stick to it.

What titles would you especially recommend for study to authors interested in working with the house and why?

As I said, we are not taking unsolicted manuscripts. And I don't encourage authors or illustrators to set their sights on a particular house. Write what works for you and then find the right publisher for that project. Many highly accomplished authors and illustrators work with several houses.

What titles are you especially excited about in 2007 and why?

In 2007, we are continuing our tradition of showing children new ways of understanding history.

1607: A New Look at Jamestown by Karen Lange explores the settlement of Jamestown through the most recent archaeological discoveries at the site. It will be published in the spring to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the settlement.

A World Made New by Marc Aronson (author interview) and John Glenn explores the causes and consequences of the Age of Exploration, showing how it changed not just the Americas but the whole world.

Both of these books are graphically engaging and highly illustrated with photographs and archival materials.

In what ways do you work with teachers and librarians in support of your titles and their efforts?

We work with librarians and teachers in several ways: both before and after the books are published.

To make sure that we publish books that will resonate with librarians, we have a library advisory board that guides us in our long-term planning and series development. To make sure that our books work for teachers and students, we bring our books into schools for testing.

Once a book is published, we make sure that librarians know it is there by sending out tens of thousands of catalogs and hundreds of sample copies to key decision makers around the country. We also submit books to review journals and prize committees, attend both teacher and librarian conferences, and advertise in the professional journals that teachers and librarians read.

What do you do outside your editorial/publishing life?

I read, knit, hang out with family and friends, work out, do laundry, watch TV, take walks in the woods, go to the movies, all the usual stuff.

Cynsational News & Links

Tricycle Press and Susan Taylor Brown invite you to join them as they celebrate the release of Susan's debut novel, Hugging the Rock (PDF excerpt). Books Inc., 301 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 27. Hear a reading from the book and meet the author. Drinks and snacks will be provided. What's a Rock? A rock is someone who loves you no matter what, someone who helps you find your inner strength when you feel like everything around you is crumbling. Who's Your Rock? Bring your rock and be entered to win an autographed copy of Hugging the Rock. Read a recent Cynsations interview with Susan Taylor Brown.

Interview with author-illustrator Amelia Lau Carling, whose books include Mama and Papa Have a Store/Alfombras de Asserín (both Groundwood, 2005) interview with author-illustrator, René Colato Laínez, whose books include I Am René, the Boy/Soy René, el niño, illustrated by Fabiola Graullera Ramirez (Piñata Books, 2005), both by Aline Pereira from papertigers. View an art gallery from Lela Torres. See also "Bilingual Storytime: 10 Best Books to Read to a Young Audience" by Ana-Elba Pavon and "Wisdom and Heritage: Stories about Grandparents and their Grandchildren" by Aline Pereira.

Sarah Beth Durst: official site of the debut author of Into the Wild (Razorbill, 2007). Sarah is based in Stony Brook, New York. See also Sarah's Journal.

The next YA Authors Cafe will be Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 8:30 p.m. EST, 7:30 p.m. CST, and 5:30 Pacific. The topic of the chat is "Secrets of YA Lit: Grabbing Teen Readers" and our panel of young adult authors will be Robin Merrow MacCready, author of Buried (Dutton, 2006), Mary Beth Miller, author of On the Head of a Pin (Dutton, 2006)(excerpt), and Laurie Faria Stolarz, author of Bleed (Hyperion, 2006)(author interview). All YA Authors Cafe chats are held Tuesday evenings at www.yaauthorscafe.com.

Cynsations has a reputation as a source of author/illustrator interviews, but we talk to other industry professionals as well. If you missed them the first time around, here are those links:

Agents

Agent Interview: Gabriella Ambrosioni from Cynsations and SCBWI Bologna. Gabriella is based in Italy.

Agent Interview: Rosemary Canter of PDF from Cynsations and SCBWI Bologna. PDF is "one of Europe's leading literary and talent agencies." Rosemary is based in London.

Agent Interview: Costanza Fabbri of Gabriella Ambrosioni Literary Agency from Cynsations and SCBWI Bologna. The agency represents authors, illustrators, publishers and other agents for foreign rights.

Agent Interview: Barry Goldblatt from Cynsations and SCBWI Bologna. Barry represents children's-YA authors and is based in the United States.

Agent Interview: Rosemary Stimola from Cynsations and SCBWI Bologna. Rosemary represents children's-YA authors and author-illustrators. She's based in the United States.

Attorneys

Attorney Interview: Aimée Bissonette on Law & Publishing from Cynsations.

Publicists

Publicist Interview: Aimée Bissonette of Winding Oak from Cynsations.

Publicist Interview: Rebecca Grose of SoCal Public Relations from Cynsations.

Publicist Interview: Susan Salzman Raab of Raab Associates from Cynsations.

Editors and Publishers

Editor Interview: Victoria Arms of Bloomsbury USA from Cynsations and SCBWI Bologna.

Editorial Director Interview: Shannon Barefield of Carolrhoda Books from Cynsations and SCBWI Bologna.

Editor Interview: Nancy Feresten of National Geographic Children's Books from Cynsations.

Publisher Interview: Miriam Hees on Blooming Tree Press from Cynsations.

Publishing Director Interview: Anne McNeil of Hodder Children's Books (UK) from Cynsations and SCBWI Bologna.

Editor Interview: Stacy Whitman of Mirrorstone Books (an imprint of Wizards of the Coast) from Cynsations.

Author Feature: Rita Williams-Garcia

Rita Williams-Garcia on Rita Williams-Garcia: "If you asked teenage Rita about an important life event, she would have said, 'beating my brother at chess.'

"Russell taught me how to play so he could have someone to beat. Russell was Bobby Fischer and I was Boris Spassky. According to Russell's rules, Americans went first and Russians last. I got used to being on the black side of the board and waiting for 'Fischer' to open while I waited my turn and usual beatings, preceded by taunts and insults to Sputnik. Russell checked out a different chess book every other day so I didn't think I'd ever win a game.

"Well, one night while we were playing I realized I had gained the advantage in our game and was poised to knock down his king. This was too great to be a good sport. I didn't know how to close the deal, but I felt a funky chicken victory wobble coming on.

"I was silly enough to mention my great milestone on one of my first college dates. Looking back, I understand why the guy didn't ask me out again. I still think about that game, but for other reasons. I've even included it in a true story titled, 'About Russell.'"

Note: "About Russell" appears in Dirty Laundry, Stories About Family Secrets edited by Lisa Rowe Fraustino (Viking, 1998).

How did writing first call to you? Did you answer or, at first, run away?

I had a head start. I entertained myself with stories in my wooden playpen and chose writing stories in kindergarten over coloring. To the humiliation and frustration of my siblings, I quit many a dodge-ball or kickball game to think up a story.

At twelve, I found the Writer's Market and the Writer's Handbook at the library and learned to write query letters and prepare manuscripts. I wrote stories, sketches, and ideas every day. I loved receiving envelopes addressed to me from publishers. True, the envelopes contained rejections, but I didn't care initially. I was a writer!

Could you tell us about your path to publication, any sprints or stumbles along the way?

I made my first sale to Highlights Magazine when I was fourteen. My next sale was a short story to Essence Magazine as a junior in college. They never published it, but they sent the check in time to pay for my summer dorm bill.

By the end of college I had a draft of Blue Tights (Dutton, 1998). I hoped to sell it quickly but it was nearly ten years before I had a contract. The timing was all wrong for this story. Joyce made poor choices based on her poor self-image. In the early eighties we weren't ready to have a black female character who wasn't a traditional role model. Black characters were still sparse in teen literature so editors were skittish about this character with low self-esteem issues. "Couldn't she fight racism or have some higher goal?" What was wrong with liking herself as a goal? Unwilling to compromise or revise, I put the manuscript away.

My job as a promotional writer had been cut when my company was bought, so I took the administrative position I was offered to help out at home. I was now married and had my first daughter. That only pushed me to dust off the old manuscript and try again. This time I made revisions I could live with, yet maintain the character's integrity. I did my research and looked for publishers who sought "realistic" teen fiction. They call it "edgy," these days.

Rosemary Brosnan at Lodestar/Dutton [now HarperCollins] believed in the story and responded to my query letter--which she really liked! All of those Writer’s Handbook articles paid off. Sure, we had a lot of work ahead of us--only I didn't know that. There was much to do. I had to narrow the point of view, toss out a chapter or two, and examine my story choices. The plowing, was brutal but I'm glad I did the work. I was finally a writer, soon to be published author!

Could you briefly tell us about your earliest novels--Blue Tights (Dutton/Lodestar, 1987) and Fast Talk on a Slow Track (Penguin/Lodestar, 1991)? What did each of them teach you about writing? About yourself?

Blue Tights was my initiation into the world of publishing for children. I didn't know what YA meant. I had a picture of my reader, and she was a fourteen-year-old black girl. No one else mattered. Rosemary explained that teachers and librarians were instrumental in putting books in kids' hands. I nodded, but I wasn't really receiving. I think the biggest shock was meeting my audience, which was black, white, Asian, Ukrainian, Hispanic, and so on. Females and males of all ages.

Fast Talk was my first foray into writing a male character. I flipped esteem around, giving Denzel too much ego and very little likeability factor. The last thing I wanted to do with this character was blame conditions for his failure at the Princeton summer orientation program. I wanted to give him all of the power, all of the choices, and, yes, all of the blame.

With Fast Talk I learned a hard lesson, which was to breathe and walk away from the work. The symmetries that I aimed for in the ending were too on-the-nose. I'm slow by nature. It took forever for me to be born. I've learned to not fight my nature, to read better and to be honest. I still admire Fast Talk.

Though both of your earlier novels were critically acclaimed, arguably Like Sisters on the Home Front (Penguin/Lodestar, 1995) was your breakout book, the one that secured your place as a YA star. Ten years later, what does the novel mean to you? How did it feel to receive a 1996 Coretta Scott King Honor Award for this book?

I didn't know how Like Sisters would be perceived, but I knew it was needed. This was the story I was born to tell.

Embarrassing but true, although my work phone rang off the hook that Monday after ALA and I heard the congratulatory messages, I was in my work head and thought, that's nice.

Then Rosemary called. She was excited, bracing me for the news. When she told me Like Sisters was named as an honor book I was more excited for her than I was for myself. I used to tell her, "Don't go nominating me for any Corettas. I just want to write my stories."

Clearly, I didn’t know how the process worked. My paperback deal from Viking editor Sharyn November was the first real money I received as a writer. I soon received offers from other publishers. I was very flattered to have met with editor Andrea Davis Pinkney, who was spearheading Jump at the Sun for Hyperion. It was an amazing time.

My ex-husband and I had visited Atlanta where we met Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz (widow of Malcolm X). During her speech, Dr. Shabazz even remarked that she and Coretta had become Like Sisters—unrelated to my novel, but oh, how that resonated with me. I felt like Gayle, overwhelmed by The Telling.

My favorite of your novels is Every Time A Rainbow Dies (HarperCollins/Amistad, 2001). What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?

It is rare that violent crimes against black women receive media coverage. When the Tawana Brawley incident broke about fifteen years ago, I was interested in the continued victimization she endured as a young woman and as an African American. Even though her account proved problematic, I remained interested in public attitudes toward sexual assault victims.

I intended to write a story about our failure to help an African American girl and the reluctant friendship she forms with a young man. I was cleaning up Fast Talk and writing a draft of Like Sisters when I began notes for Rainbow. I didn't get to Rainbow until about 1997. It just wasn't working. I worried that I had lost the drive for the story.

I went for walks in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood where the story would take place. The more I saw and heard the neighborhood, the more I realized my characters were not African American but Caribbean. Ah! The girl was an enigma to me, but the boy, Thulani, was clear. I knew his back story instantly. I understood his afflictions and his responses.

The focus of the story changed as my characters became real. I had to abandon revictimization as a focus. Most women or girls don't report rape and most women of color don't receive any form of justice. I could work that angle, but that wasn't where my heart was. I did know what Thulani and Ysa were to each other and that this was stronger than formula.

I think this is why I admire Chris Lynch's Inexcusable (Atheneum, 2005)(excerpt)(author interview from BookPage), because it gives us more insight beyond the realm of a traditional story centered around rape.

I also thought about how young people relate to each other and felt sorry for them. So much indiscriminant sexual behavior. What is the point in indulging in what you can't feel? In Rainbow, I sought to create body and soul healing in two people with walls around them. I wanted the reader to appreciate the difficulty in getting to the point of being ready.

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

Oh, gee. I've been derailed so many times. The writing didn't really take off until about '98 and then I had it right by '99. There was so much going on in my life. The divorce and the death of my mother-in-law, plus my mother's grand stroke made it hard to stay focused.

At one time I said the writing was horrible, but it was actually quite good. Things had to calm down before I could read my work.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

I was nervous about writing outside of my culture and didn't want to exoticize my characters. I immersed myself in the sounds and expressions of Kreyol (Haitian Creole) and Jamaican Patois to give my characters distinct voices. Although I didn't use a lot of the expressions, knowing them gave me a feel for my people. Expressions reveal humor and perspective. Thulani's sister-in-law, Shakira, was one of my successes. She wrote herself.

I learned a lot about birds and bird keeping, but for all of my reading and standing on rooftops with bird keepers, I used just enough material.

That's a discipline within itself, learning when to pull back on research. Research material adds to the authenticity, but does it heighten the story?

When I was a teen, I read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, devouring every inch of the architectural detail. I thought that was so cool that Rand knew all of that stuff. This made sense. I was into knowing as much stuff as I could. These days I ask myself, "So Rita, do you need this?

Crown Heights was the perfect location for Rainbow. I stretched location to enhance Thulani's ability to see all the named streets from the top of his brownstone. I chose a brownstone to overlook Eastern Parkway and the West Indian Day Parade. There was that beautiful Grand Army Plaza Library. The Botanical Gardens. A great cultural mix, depending upon what side of the Parkway you stood. Caribbean, African, Orthodox Jewish, African American, Asian, Islamic. People were giving up Brownstones owned by families for generations. Every element of the story was in Crown Heights. This was the place!

If you look closely at any of my characters, you'll see a consistent thread of psychological behavior. I always have to know why--and sometimes I don't until I'm far into the writing. Some characters' behaviors are more on the surface, while others' behaviors are deep-seeded to mimic true behavior.

I run the risk of having that character misunderstood, but I think some murkiness in teen literature is okay. Kids are better readers than we give them credit. Thulani and Ysa can be easily misunderstood, but their behaviors make incredible sense.

Given his emotional experience, could Thulani behave like a classic hero for Ysa? He could be heroic, but only on his own terms. A male teacher I met at a seminar expressed frustration at how Ysa treated Thulani when all he wanted was to help her. "I know," I said, "but all she wants is to hit someone, and as long as Thulani offers himself up, she'll take a swing."

Everytime A Rainbow Dies is about a boy who falls in love with a rape victim, and your latest title, No Laughter Here (HarperCollins/Amistad, 2004), deals with female circumcision. You handle such sensitive themes with grace and truth, yet many authors would shrink from such a challenge and responsibility. What leads you to the hard places? How do you find your way out?

I promise you, I don’t have a wheel with hot button topics that I spin and where she stops Rita writes. Seeing a story in a unique way is the bribe that works for me.

Once I have story and character, the surrounding issue must bend to the character's needs. Gayle in Like Sisters is a teen mother who has had an abortion, but the story follows her and not the abortion. With No Laughter Here, it was the sound of girls giggling that immediately suggested the reverse to me: girls not laughing and why.

The longer I entertain an idea, the greater the likelihood a novel will follow. It's like being in the wooden playpen telling myself a story.

I had to do No Laughter Here because I could. I knew I could do it in a way that no one else would. I loved those little girls more than I was uncomfortable with the subject.

Little girls made me brave. I worked with this premise; if you can see the face of a little girl, you can be brave.

I'm really speaking to adults who immediately say, "I can't handle this topic."

For me, it's simple; over a million girls undergo the ritual annually. Some with great pride and acceptance while many with terror and trauma.

I'll go anywhere that children go. It's that simple.

I'd love to write a sister book to No Laughter Here from Victoria's point of view, but I don't know that the market can bear it. I'm sure I will do it, even if I have to self-publish. Victoria and Mrs. Ojike have not yet left me.

Don't let my publisher see this, but No Laughter Here isn't a classroom set book. Yes, classes use it, but I see it as a personal book, one that finds her reader. The letters I receive from readers, mainly 12-14, all appreciate being enlightened and trusted with this story.

Where do our activists come from? Look at the faces of these young girls.

Though best known for your YA fiction, you're also the author of a picture book, Catching the Wild Waiyuuzee (Simon & Schuster, 2000), which really shows off your wonderful sense of humor. How did writing this picture book compare to crafting fiction for teen readers? What muscles were up to the job? Which ones perhaps needed more development?

Unlike my novels, I didn't incubate, outline, make a map, get inside the characters. None of that. My first draft came out in one thirty minute splurt. I pitched it to Rosemary but she and a few other editors felt the story wasn't strong enough.

Renowned Clarion editor Frances Foster suggested that I have more fun with the words and I did! I played with alliteration, onomatopoeia, and made-up dialect to give it an African-Caribbean sound. I learned to make a picture book dummy when I took a course with editor Olga Litowinsky (Writing and Publishing Books for Children in the 1990s (Walker, 1992)). The hardest thing was placing the right scene on the center spread. I added text to trick it into place!

Eventually, I came to my senses and cut the excess. It didn't work. It was just stuff. After I went as far as I could with it, I put it away and concentrated on my novel. Then I met Simon and Schuster editor Kevin Lewis who said, "I am the Wild Waiyuuzee!" and offered me a contract.

You're also a well-published author of short fiction, and your stories appear in numerous anthologies. Do any of the short stories have ties to your books? Of them, which would you first recommend to a prospective Rita fan and why?

So far none of my short stories are related to my novels. I use this form to experiment with form or subject, even though I tend to raid my personal experiences to come up with short stories. "Clay" (Second Sights: Stories for a New Millennium (Philomel, 1999)) was an experiment that came from my mother stirring cornbread. One of my favorites, "Crazy as a Daisy" (Stay True: Strong Stories for Strong Girls edited by Marilyn Singer (Scholastic, 1998)) is about a girl who dances wild because she never learned to partner dance. To this day, I can't dance with a partner to save my life. It just throws me off. It is easier if I lead, but how many guys put up with that? "Food From the Outside" (When I Was Your Age, Vol. 2 edited by Amy Ehrlich (Candlewick, 1999)) is the very true story of my sister, brother and my desperation to keep our mother from entering her home cooking into the International Food Fair hosted by our school. Mommy could burn, and I do mean burn, with the best of them. We lost Miss Essie to cancer a few years ago, but we never stop talking about her culinary hits and misses. My favorite short story is "Chalkman" (Twelve Shots edited by Harry Mazer (Delacorte, 1997)(author interview), about kids who reenact a shooting at a playground. Kids want to play, even under the most difficult circumstances.

How has your writing changed and grown since you began publishing in the late 1980s? How have you changed as an author?

Let me count the ways! I had such a hard time getting in that I viewed all of publishing with great suspicion. I'm learning more about the world of children's publishing and enjoying the book offerings, especially in the teen market. During the '80s, that market wasn't there. Now it's plentiful and diverse. We could use more diversity, so if you have a great story, don't hold back.

These days I don't write as dense as I did. Look at a page of Blue Tights or Fast Talk. Dense. When I was a child and a young woman, volume was important. I wrote a lot all the time. I now cut as much as I can to free the text and scenes. Back then I wrote as "writerishly" as I could. Yuck! My thoughts about where the author stands in relation to the work haven't changed. Even in third or omniscient I let the character direct. Semi-omniscient viewpoint was always comfortable to me, but if my notes are in first person, the novel will be in first person. If it doesn't work, I change my approach. In the beginning I didn't question. I just plowed.

I've become too aware of the outside world these days when I write; editor, social attitudes, sales, bills. My editor gives me room, but I tend to worry about editorial concerns that I shouldn't think about during the writing process. I need to let it go. I envy the Blue Tights writer. She had not a clue! She just wrote.

I like to venture out into the world more. I've learned to get on a plane--which I was always reluctant to do. I encourage my readers to get off the block, so I leave Jamaica, Queens every once in a while and write about Brooklyn. Okay, so that's only a subway ride away. One thing that will never change; I'm slow. Events do affect me and throw me off track. My incubation and research period is always long so I'll never have one book quickly follow another. I'm a turtle.

What are the challenges of your writing life?

I've finally quit my job of 25 years to live a writer's life, a dream come true. I thought I'd churn them out, but I'm as slow as ever. I do rewrite more.

In the past year, my youngest daughter came down with an unexpected and undiagnosed illness. I lived in her hospital room for two months, so all writing and thoughts of writing ceased. My editor was completely supportive through that tough time. My students were understanding and worked around me. Several months later, my daughter is back on track. She graduated high school, attended the prom and is starting college this fall.

I'm now back to work on Jumped, my sixth novel. I've always had characters with likeability issues, and this novel is no exception. My main characters are a witness, a bully and a victim. There are no heroes in this story and no personal victories. This has been very hard to finish, which is why I might ultimately like this book. No Laughter Here was easy; this is kicking my butt.

Honestly, I can't wait to move onto my seventh novel with characters I absolutely love. Couldn't I just change the focus and plot in Jumped? Make these characters comply--dig deep into my bully's soul, or play up the victim so we feel the injustice, or embolden my witness? I could, but nah.

I can't lie. These days I'm more concerned about making a living than I was when I worked for my former company, but I have to believe in the quality and appeal of my work. I do what other writers do; I take on more appearances and I'm teaching part time. I notice I'm shyer with age. Back in the day, I'd speak anywhere because the subject was my book!

What do you love about it?

I've never really had a block of time to think about my work. With a fulltime job and a family to care for I had to steal time. Well, the job is no more and the kids are out of the nest, so it's just me! I just love sitting down and thinking about one piece of my story, then scribbling all day long. It reminds me of being 12 and having all of my writing regimes. One of my colleagues was talking about taking a course. That sounds like fun! I can take a class if I want to. School's never out.

You're teaching now through the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. What about teaching appeals to you? How do you balance it against working on your own manuscripts?

The MFA/CW low residency program at Vermont College was ideal for me. The students are writers, so the student-teacher relationship is different than with other classroom settings. I enjoy talking to other writers about their work. We respect each other’s time; they're busy fulfilling work requirements for that month, which gives me time for my work.

I have to admit, I enjoy the lectures during the residency. The faculty and graduating students' presentations are intense, diverse, and stimulating. I'm always exhausted and invigorated after each ten-day residency.

When I get stuck or am challenged, I have a great resource in my fellow faculty members. Being on faculty keeps me out of my vacuum, which is a good thing. I am a hermit. It's good to get out and talk to other writers. I learn so much.

What advice do you have for beginning authors?

Keep it simple. Write a little bit each day. Keep your requirements lo-tech so you're always ready. No idea should ever wait until you get home or when you finally get that upgrade to your laptop.

Take care of your craft. If you can't take a class, create one for yourself. Find the author whose work you respect, and let them be your "mentor." Don't go emailing them--if they're still with us. Instead, read their work. Look at the approach. Take a few topics (pacing, plotting, beginning, conflict, etc.) and study your mentor's choices to these aspects of craft. Think about it in relation to your own work.

Surround yourself with a writing community to keep you going. Workshops provide opportunities for feedback and to learn how to take criticism. True, I didn't and don't have a writer's group, but I see the benefits.

Write a story that you're dying to tell.

What do you do when you're not reading or writing?

These days I walk a lot and knit to relax. I love to watch sports.

What can your fans look forward to next?

Jumped should be ready in 2008. No promises, but One Crazy Summer (both to be published by HarperCollins) will follow shortly after. I'm going back to the sixties for that story. It should be fun.

Cynsational Notes

Author-Editor Dialogues: Rita Williams-Garcia and Rosemary Brosnan from CBC Magazine.

Author Interview: Jane Kurtz on the Ethiopian Books for Children and Educational Foundation, Memories of the Sun: Stories of Africa and America

Jane Kurtz was born in Portland, Oregon, largely raised in Maji, Ethiopia, and in fourth grade went to boarding school in Addis Ababa. She is the author of numerous books for children and educator resources. She returned to the United States for college and, among other adventures, lived through the 1997 Red River flood in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Jane now makes her home in Kansas and is a visiting faculty member at the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Learn more about Jane. Read a 2005 Cynsations author update with Jane.

You've published a lovely range of books for young readers, but today, let's talk about your work related to Africa. Could you tell us about your ties Africa, why it resonates in your life and tales?

My childhood memories are anchored in East Africa. Ethiopia to be exact--although I also have powerful sensory connections with Egypt and the Sudan.

After World War II, Emperor Haile Selassie returned to Ethiopia to find that a whole generation of educated Ethiopians had been killed during the Italian occupation. Until that moment, Ethiopia had fought off a series of invaders, from Ahmed Gran in 1543 to the Italian army defeated by King Menelik in 1896.

As the only African country that wasn't colonized during the so-called "scramble for Africa," it was once considered a beacon of hope for the continent. Now the emperor invited outsiders in--to invent a national airlines (Ethiopian Airlines), to give business advice, and to plant schools and hospitals. My parents packed up their four-year-old, two-year-old (me), and one-year-old girls and headed for the continent of Africa where they ended up working for 22 years. We visited the U.S. twice when I was a girl, but I never lived there until I came to Illinois for college.

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about those years in Ethiopia because I just finished a new book that will come out in spring 2007: Jane Kurtz and You, part of a new series called The Author and You (Libraries Unlimited). In it, I wrote, "A two-year-old is stuck in the world of things, busy figuring out what can be done with them. She stacks 4-6 objects, scribbles with crayons, walks backwards, rolls a large ball, can turn the pages of a book. A two-year-old doesn't ask, 'Why are we moving to Ethiopia? Will we stay there forever? Does that mean we're going to become Ethiopians?' Those questions came later."

Once in Ethiopia, my mother wrote to her mother every week. "Janie is still a character and the Dennis the Menace of the family, though she's becoming a bit more dignified now at the advanced age of three," she soon noted. Before too long, other letters record that I was "storming along" through books, loving learning to read.

In those years, I didn't know much about the rest of Africa, except for Egypt where I spent a few weeks that seared themselves into my brain. My parents and younger siblings went to Kenya on vacation, but they left us in boarding school in Addis Ababa. As an adult, though, I've connected with teachers in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Botswana, Senegal, South Africa, and Ghana. I've also had lots of fascinating conversations with Ethiopians and other Africans who now have years of life in the United States tucked under their belts.

I'd like to focus on your work with other writers, both in the States and in Africa. But first could you offer a few related highlights from your own back-list titles?

I'd love to. My books set in Africa are these: Fire on the Mountain, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Simon & Schuster, 1994); Pulling the Lion's Tail, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Simon & Schuster, 1995); Only a Pigeon, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Simon & Schuster, 1997); Trouble, illustrated by Durga Bernhard (Harcourt, 1997); The Storyteller's Beads (Harcourt, 1998); Water Hole Waiting, illustrated by Lee Christiansen (Greenwillow, 2002); and Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot (Pleasant Company, 2003).

My books that are set in the United States with characters who've lived in Africa are: Faraway Home, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Harcourt, 2000); Jakarta Missing (Greenwillow, 2001); and In the Small, Small Night, illustrated by Rachel Isadora (Greenwillow, 2005). The Feverbird's Claw (Greenwillow, 2004) is a fantasy novel that draws heavily on my experiences in Ethiopia. And I edited an anthology with short stories in three categories: Africa, Americans in Africa, and Africans in America.

You're the anthologist behind a groundbreaking collection, Memories of the Sun: Stories of Africa and America (Greenwillow, 2003). What was your initial inspiration for creating this book?

I was invited to write a short story for an anthology about war [Shattered: Stories of Children and War (Knopf, 2002)]. The editor of that book, Jennifer Armstrong, was the one who suggested I consider editing a collection of short stories about Africa.

At first I resisted because I'd never done that before and because I didn't want to take time from my own fiction writing. But the idea kept poking at me. I so often spoke in schools or at conferences where teachers talked about the common misconception that Africa is a country--not an enormous and diverse continent. People told me that schools need resources showing the reality of life in Africa today; that kids need to see more of Africa than the grim bits that make their way into newspapers and TV reports; that many middle schools include Africa in the curriculum and want to make that continent alive and interesting for their students. But they don't have resources that can be brought in quickly and easily to help raise questions and offer insights.

I thought a short story collection written by Africans and Americans, reflecting their experiences, could have power. So I proposed the anthology to my editor at Greenwillow Books and argued that the time was right for it. Not only would social studies teachers use it, I said, but also English teachers who were interested in tapping short stories as a resource to help their students' writing and reading comprehension skills. The answer was yes. If I would take a low advance, they would take the risk to publish the book.

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

My editor and I were determined to find writers on the African continent. I reached out to International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). An IBBY member in South Africa put the word out via newsletter, and I began to get e-mail submissions from writers in Africa. I also sent letters to authors here in the United States. Many of them turned me down, but a few said yes. I was particularly interested in variety--I wanted stories from all over the continent--North, South, East, West--and I wanted funny stories and joyous stories as well as poignant and sad ones.

It took years. I got more submissions from South Africa than from any other place. North Africa proved prickly hard. An email announcement to members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators finally led me to two authors. Elsa Marston, whose husband is Lebanese and whose life had taken her to North Africa, contributed a short story. Lindsey Clark was a Peace Corps volunteer working in Morocco and writing evocative letters to friends and family. Her poem in Memories of Sun is her first book publication.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

Some of the decisions were extremely difficult. Many submissions were from people writing in English as a second or third language. I had to do painful editor things-- ask writers for multiple revisions, give suggestions that didn't always work.

Sometimes I loved a story that my Greenwillow editor didn't. Some stories that writers poured heart, emotion, and tricks of the writing trade into still ultimately didn't end up in the anthology.

Monica Arac de Nyeko from Uganda wrote about what the experience was like for her: "'October Sunrise' was my first internationally published short story. I did not think it was going to get accepted for publication because the layers and layers of advice you read on the Internet about writing sometimes leave you so bleak and pessimistic about the whole writing and publishing experience that I am sure a few people decide they might not as well submit anything to be considered for publication.

"I finally did submit my story to be considered for the anthology, but so did a couple of my writing friends in Kampala. So you can imagine that when mine was the only accepted story, I felt I was in a bit of a difficult position with my friends who obviously imagined that a rejection slip for them meant that their writing must have been a little short.

"Before I thought of submitting 'October Sunrise' for Memories of Sun, I shared a draft of the story at our readers' and writers' club at the Uganda Women Writer's Association (FEMRITE) during the Monday evening readings.

"I was scandalized when one of the club members said 'the story squatted on the page and did not shift much.' This was a time of learning what the other side of writing is after the story has been written and needs to get into print. That was also my first encounter with real criticism and the stark realization that, once a story was out there, there was nothing much you could do to avoid its being abused, misunderstood or being liked for all the reasons you did not intend, which therefore meant you should stop thinking about each story like your newborn baby because then you got terribly hurt when someone said your baby was squatting on a page and not shifting much. My friend has a name for that; 'letting go' she calls it."

What advice do you have for budding anthologists? How strong is the market and why?

I'm tempted to be flip, and say don't do it. Putting together the anthology was a finger-bending amount of work. To my delight the reviews were strong--three of them starred--and several organizations singled it out as a best book of the year.

But when I look at my bi-yearly accounting statements from HarperCollins, I'm always shocked that sales seem paltry. It's a hard time for books that should have a strong support from teachers and librarians, who wake each morning to grim budget realities. No wonder publishers are feeling leery of books whose market might be mainly schools and libraries.

But I did learn a lot by putting on an editor's hat, and I'm proud of the stories and their authors. I hear from readers who say I opened their eyes to Africa, and I remember my original dreams for this book and feel a surge of satisfaction that we actually did it.

To me it's extremely important to hear voices from all over this earth, and short story collections are a perfect venue for that, especially if someone can show me ways to really get the books into the hands of readers.

As someone connected to both lands, why is it so critical that African and Africa-related literature be read by Americans?

A few weeks ago, I was on a bus in the state of Washington, eavesdropping on a conversation between two women. One was an adventure backpacker.

The other asked, "What about Africa?"

I leaned forward a little, listening.

"I've never had any interest," the backpacker replied. "You'd never know when you were going to run into something terrifying."

This woman had traveled in many of the world's remote spots, but she thought of Africa as a place where she wouldn't be able to find adventure without encountering horror around every corner. Anyone who has been in Africa knows that's ludicrous. There's heartbreak--and also beauty, hospitality, warmth, and joyous life force that pulses through people and communities.

So what to do? I had some experience myself, as a child, with feeling invisible. People have a powerful drive to be seen. And art is one way people are able to open their own or other people's eyes. I'm sure that's why so many readers told other readers about Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Random House, 2003) and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein (Riverhead Trade, 2003).

This reading shouldn't be motivated by duty. It's a pleasure to encounter a book or story that pulls us deeply into another person's life.

I don't demand that people pick up their backpacks go to Africa. Surely reading a story ought to be a risk most of us could take.

It's important...because we have life-giving things to take from Africa and life-giving things to give. Everywhere I've traveled on that continent, educators, parents, and others have asked me, "How can we develop a reading culture in this country?"

When I was asked that question as part of a radio interview in Uganda, I thought about libraries. I thought about book publishing in the United States. I thought about books in classrooms. These are treasures we barely notice we have, but the knowledge of how to set such things up is something teachers and librarians (and other readers and writers) in the U.S. and Canada and Europe could be sharing with readers and writers the world over.

What are the challenges in making that happen?

Language is always one tough-cookie barrier and challenge, but the worldwide community of readers is pretty well-versed in English these days, so lots more communication is possible than people sometimes think.

I originally assumed that 9-11 would be a big spur to Americans to want to understand the rest of the world. Even if our only motivation is to feel safer, I thought, we'll take steps away from our cozy isolation. Of course I couldn't have been more wrong.

I still don't really understand it, except maybe people are huddling and clinging ever more tightly to what they know.

Other sad realities? AIDS and war are disrupting traditional life in most African countries. I've heard from many people--including my friend Kofi from Ghana, whose stories form the core of In the Small Small Night--that stories are getting lost because children no longer sit at the feet of their grandparents and other storytellers. Many Africans want to get those stories written down.

Have you seen those challenges rise or fall over time, and in either case, why?

To me the world has become a little like Fruit Basket Upset, with apples oranges pears and bananas all plopped down next to each other. That makes connection easier--or it should. But we have to stretch. We can't be so scared.

We have to recognize the truths that are at the heart of my novel, The Storytellers Beads: humans are unlimited in their ability to devise ways to say, "I don't know you; you're the stranger; and you probably do lots of weird and dangerous things."

When life tumbles us together with people who make us wary, we're often astonished. Africans who've spent decades--or longer--living in the United States and Canada and Europe are a huge resource for connection and so are all the Americans who love to travel even though their feet have to get up close and personal with the grungy floors of airports.

You're involved in the Ethiopian Books for Children and Educational Foundation (EBCEF). Could you clue us into what the foundation is all about and your role in it?

A big new opportunity all over Africa is tied to the community of readers and writers and teachers. In Ethiopia, for instance, there's very little need to convince families of the importance of education or books. Villagers even in remote areas ask for schools. When some very basic rural schools were asked what they wanted, they said libraries. Little kids run up to tourists traveling outside of the capital and ask for pens. It isn't a matter of planting motivation. It's a matter of responding.

I would despair if I thought the only answer was to motivate the whole country to care more and reach out more, but librarians? Teachers? Professional writers of children's books? Illustrators? That's a community I believe in. So the resources encourage me: more ability to create books than has ever existed in the world before. More people interested in reading around the world than ever before. More people who see education as the answer and want us to help them get started. More people here thinking about the legacy they are going to leave the world.

EBCEF is a good example of what I'm talking about. Its founder, Yohannes Gebregeorgis, came to the United States as a political refugee. He'd been exposed to literature through the Peace Corps teachers in his village in Ethiopia, and held a book for the first time when he was 19. He says it changed his life forever.

At one point during his escape from Ethiopia to the Sudan, while scavenging for food and a way to stay alive, he considered Henri Charrière of Papillon, the prisoner of Devil's Island.

Individuals can make a difference in this world, he thought. If he survived, he'd be one who would.

In 1996, Yohannes wrote an e-mail to me. He was introducing my books to Ethiopian American children in the Bay Area. But what about children in Ethiopia, many of them playing in muddy streets, wrapping plastic bags for balls, or selling packs of tissue 10 hours a day? He told me he wanted to start making books available for Ethiopian children. "I know you have great love for the country you grew up in," he wrote, "and I want to ask you if you can join me in making this idea a reality."

Right! I thought. What are two people like you and me going to do? But I committed to any tiny step that we could figure out.

Not until 2002 were we able to pull anything off. That year we published the first color picture book for Ethiopian children, a retelling of a folk tale in English and Amharic, Silly Mammo [scroll for information].

I was ready to pop the celebratory corks. Yohannes quit his job, took his life savings, and moved back to Ethiopia. That spring, in the bottom floor of the house he was renting, he opened the first free children's library in Addis Ababa, a city of five million people. The staff recorded 40,000 visits from children the first year.

Two years later, Yohannes opened a rural reading room and started a donkey mobile library in the provincial capital near where he grew up. This year, the original library will have 60,000 visits from readers.

Yohannes's plan is to open ten to twelve school libraries, five in government schools and the rest working with two NGOs, one that focuses on girls' education and one that works with street children and the other poorest of the poor.

People say, "Wow. You're doing something heroic." All I did was say to myself, this is someone who needs to be supported. I didn't think that opportunity would come around again in my lifetime, and I committed myself to telling the story and doing what I could.

Up until now we've been an all volunteer organization in the U.S. I'm the president of the board of directors. I talk about EBCEF everywhere I speak and have been astonished by the response.

Almost everything we've done has been supported through grassroots efforts: a small grant from Global Fund for Children, another from Presbyterian Women, donations from individuals, adoption groups, Ethiopian American organizations, churches, schools, and reading councils. Kansas Reading Association gathered about 25,000 children's books in the last couple of years and raised the money to ship them. School children have made books to share with children in Ethiopia. Booksellers donate their time to sell copies of Silly Mammo and other books. The company that created the American Girl dolls donated hundreds of cartons of books from their Girls of Many Lands series, when it went out of print--including my book, Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot (Pleasant Company, 2003).

What's the latest news with EBCEF?

This summer we brought Yohannes to the U.S. for the first time in three years to do planning with us and meet with supporters. A small group of us sat down together in San Francisco with a friend of mine, Richard Male, who has consulted with nonprofits for 35 years. He convinced us that our problems were not unusual--that most nonprofits started by idealistic committed volunteers eventually have to take steps to get bigger. Otherwise everyone burns out. With his encouragement, we decided to take some bold steps: hire a part-time employee here in the U.S., pay Yohannes full-time, raise money as if we believed that someday we could provide books on libraries for most of the children in Ethiopia.

Half the time I'm scared to death. Half the time I'm hopeful and excited. We've already brought on a couple of new board members and talked to new funders. Room to Read, a nonprofit in San Francisco, has given us a $20,000 challenge grant to publish new books in local languages. A Kansas Rotary club wants to start getting Rotarians involved in supporting EBCEF. Almost every week I get e-mails from people wondering what they can do to help.

How can we support EBCEF's efforts?

I'm hoping there will be more groups that will raise money for us. A little money goes a long way. Schools have donated $83.00, for example--the money needed to keep Shola Children's Library open for one day. Organizations have given $250, enough to buy local language books for one school library. We're looking for a sponsor for this year's Golden Kuraz award, given to the best children's book published in Ethiopia. For big thinkers, $5000 will publish that many copies of a new book in an Ethiopian local language and English. One businessman gave $10,000 to cover the library's rent. A teacher donated $4000 to help ship a new container of books to Ethiopia.

Writers and illustrators can donate the rights of their out-of-print books. (I did that with Pulling the Lions Tail, which will soon have a new English Amharic addition with illustrations by an Ethiopian illustrator.) Obviously some books are more suited to an Ethiopian audience than others. We want someone to gather art pieces and do an art auction for us. We'd like to pair Ethiopian illustrators with American writers and vice versa, even though we can't pay much. People can donate design time, as illustrator Janie Bynum did with Silly Mammo. We'd like people to write articles for newsletters and magazines. Authors who speak schools might consider adding some PowerPoint slides about literacy around the world and letting schools know about EBCEF.

We need translators. We need teachers and librarians who will go to Ethiopia and share what they know about reading and books there. We need people with good ideas to raise the $20,000 match of operating money for the Room to Read grant. We need people to speak to their local civic groups and churches and tell our story.

As I've discovered, the main thing is to take a step. Go to our website: www.ethiopiareads.org. Buy a copy of Silly Mammo or Saba or Only a Pigeon via Downhome Books (follow the used book links, even though these books are new). Read a book set in Ethiopia. Be curious. Design a web link to us. Tell a friend about us. Stay hopeful and brave. And treasure the books and libraries in your life.

Cynsational Notes

In her quest to share more writing voices, Jane passes on these thoughts...

From Maretha Maartens, contributor to Memories of the Sun

"Being asked to submit a story about life in South Africa, was like being offered a tray of strawberries. Always when I think about strawberries, I smell them. I see them in my mind's eye: plump, red, tantalizing, irresistible. No cream, no ice cream, no colorants, just sun-ripened strawberries. The analogy between strawberries and writing about South Africa (and Africa)? I love them both.

"To me both strawberries and Africa should be served without sweetened cream or artificial flavorants. Strawberries have an exquisite flavor; so has Africa. I can never get enough of either. Nobody has ever commissioned me to design a full page advertisement for fresh strawberries. But Jane Kurtz actually invited African authors to submit stories about Africa. Hours later I was smelling strawberries and writing the first paragraph of 'The Homecoming.'

"As I was working on 'The Homecoming,' I wrote about things I know, things I use myself (like aloe juice to make mosquito bites stop itching or as a cure for old people's venous ulcers), things I hear and touch and...eat. No T.V. documentary has ever inspired or done anything for my creative writing. Climbing mountains, swimming with dolphins and sipping terrible, horrible yeast beer in a shebeen in a Cape shanty town do that magic thing for me.

"So, in the recent past, did staying with four rural women in a mud house in Malawi. The gentlest of them was in the final stages of AIDS. She died three weeks after our wonderful time together. Making music on gong rocks (perfectly placed hollow rocks on which the San people make percussion music for trance dances), going deep, deep down into the earth with mineworkers, listening to the sounds of silence in the vast Karoo and being with real people...those are the triggers to writing.

"Africa makes me glad, sad, mad, scared and all the emotions in between. That's why I want to live and walk and write and die in Africa."

from Uko Bendi Udo, contributor to Memories of the Sun

"'Soldiers of the Stone' gave me the opportunity, through fiction, to introduce a troubled African teenager to a troubled American teenager. Their tense and potentially deadly interaction results in the realization by both that they share a lot in common. As an African writer resident in the U.S., I hope, through my writings, to introduce the human family to each other. Through such encounters I believe that stereotypes and idiosyncrasies can only crumble and understanding flourish.

"I write and read ceaselessly. I write mostly in my head, and when I'm ready, I put it all down on paper in long hand. I read ceaselessly because when I'm not reading a book I'm busy reading life. Yes, life. I like to people-watch and interact with the immediate culture around me.

"I'm now a proud papa of two precocious kids. Papahood is the toughest job you'll ever love. I've curtailed my traveling and I have to steal time to write. However, through the writing and publishing of 'Soldiers of the Stone,' an old adage was reinforced: It's the quality, not the quantity. Sorry, I have to go. Aniedo, my son, is playing engineer on my stereo!"

Author Interview: Jill Esbaum on Estelle Takes a Bath

Jill Esbaum on Jill Esbaum: "I was the family chatterbox and story maker-upper. By first grade, I was writing my stories down. Unfortunately, in fifth grade, as I proudly showed off the Fifth Grade Pet Newspaper a couple of friends and I had created, a boy I liked pronounced it "dorky," and splat! That easily, my writing dreams were squashed. Fifth grade, after all, was all about being cool (and let's face it, in my light blue cat's eye specs, I already had one strike against me).

"But I always loved books, thanks to my parents and a string of teachers who put a great deal of emphasis on reading. I devoured the Little House series, Misty of Chincoteague (and every other title by Marguerite Henry), Black Beauty, The Happy Hollisters, Pippi Longstocking, Edward Eager's Half Magic...and went through dozens of flashlight batteries reading Nancy Drew under the covers into the wee hours."

What about the writing life first called to you?

My kids were all in school, and I was working sporadically as a substitute teacher's aide. Reading mountains of picture books to my kids had awakened my hibernating imagination, and I was itching to try writing one of my own. I mean, how hard could it be? I had a computer, time on my hands, and a reasonable command of the English language.

Shortly after, I learned the true meaning of Easier Said Than Done.

What made you decide to write for young readers?

Actually, my first published piece was short fiction for a women's magazine. It sold on its first time out, and for about eight seconds, I entertained the notion of writing some type of humor/romance series. But while adults may read and enjoy a novel, when a child reads a book that strikes a chord, he takes it into his heart forever. The possibility, however remote, that one of my stories could someday touch a child that way made writing for adults less appealing.

Besides, writing for kids sounded like more fun.

I started out publishing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in children's magazines, and things evolved from there. That isn't to say I wasn't regularly submitting what I now know were pretty lousy picture book manuscripts during that time. You name it, I did it wrong. I tried not to make the same mistake twice, though, and eventually, I ran out of things to screw up.

For those new to your work, could you briefly summarize your back list, highlighting as you see fit?

Farrar, Straus & Giroux published my first two picture books, Stink Soup, illustrated by Roger Roth (2004), the tale of a girl charged with keeping her mischievous brother in line during a visit to their Grandmother’s farm, and Ste-e-e-e-eamboat A-Comin’!, illustrated by Adam Rex (2005), a look at a steamboat visit to a small town on the Mississippi, circa 1867. That one was inspired by a passage in Mark Twain’s Life On the Mississippi and has garnered numerous honors.

Congratulations on the publication of Estelle Takes a Bath, illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma (Henry Holt, 2006)! What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?

A story of my grandmother's. In the 1920s, growing up on a farm, she and her siblings took their baths in a tin tub near the woodstove. One evening, her teenaged sister, Ruth, was mid-bath when someone knocked on the kitchen door. Ruth panicked. She jumped from the tub and ran up the stairs--naked--right past the door...where a salesman stood looking in, waiting for someone to answer.

I thought the story was funny, but a naked teenager running through the house wasn't exactly picture book material. I finally came up with the idea of making the bather a bedraggled, mouse-hating witch, whose long-anticipated bath is interrupted by--what else?--a curious mouse. I dreamed up a way for them to kiss by accident, which would lead to hysterics on both their parts.

I couldn't find the rhythm, though, so the story remained in my mind for more than a year before the opening lines finally came to me.

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

From spark to publication was probably...four years? I finished the story itself two days after those opening lines hit the page. It's unusual for me to finish anything that quickly, and I wish it would happen more often (or, like, ever again).

I sent it to three editors late in 2003 and received The Call from Holt the first week of February, 2004. My editor suggested that perhaps Estelle shouldn't be a witch, and her reasoning seemed valid (marketing limitations), so I agreed. There were a few witchy details I had to change, but nothing major.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing it to life? I'm especially interested in any thoughts you may have on writing humor.

Writing a story in rhyme is always a challenge. Every word of every line must move the story forward and convey the precise meaning you had intended. Brevity is crucial. Humor is a big plus. The rhythmic pattern should establish a mood. The rhyme has to be flawless. Ack!

I equate writing a rhyming story to attempting to solve a particularly vexing word puzzle. You know the solution is there, but finding it takes time and a great deal of hair pulling and head banging. But it's also a blast.

For the picture book crowd, humor is very visual, so no matter how hilarious a story, a lot of the responsibility for kids "getting it" rests with the illustrator. That means the text had better communicate the humor clearly before it ever leaves your house.

Remembering all those books I read to my own kids, I try to keep the adult reader in mind, aiming for writing that is fresh and funny enough that they won't mind reading it again and again.

What did Mary Newell DePalma's art bring to your text?

When I received Mary's first sketches, I couldn't stop smiling. Her Estelle wasn't at all the way I’d pictured her; I immediately liked hers better. And the mouse had so much personality--he was adorable. I continue to be amazed at the way she captured the story action. It's a wild romp, with Estelle and the mouse literally leaping and bouncing across most of the pages. Estelle's kitchen is full of funny details, and the characters' facial expressions are priceless. Mary made this story her own in such a way that I can't imagine it illustrated by anybody else.

What advice do you have for beginning picture book writers?

If you can keep from obsessing about publication, you'll be much happier. Focus, instead, on making your writing the best it can be. Then find ways to improve it. Don't be in a hurry to submit. Study books on craft. Join the Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators. Read what's out there, new and old, in all sorts of genres. Practice. Persist. Be patient.

What do you do when you're not writing?

I read. A lot. I enjoy school visits and attending writing conferences. My husband and I like to travel, although we don't get away very often. Each spring, I’m gung ho for my flower beds. But by late summer, I've lost interest (survival of the fittest around here). I do small quilting projects, wall hangings and the like, although I'll undoubtedly tackle a full-sized quilt eventually. It’s in the genes.

I also have a picture book critiquing service. Details are available on my website: www.jillesbaum.com.

What can your fans look forward to next?

To the Big Top, illustrated by David Gordon, will be published in 2008 (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). It's set in the early 1900s and follows two adventurous boys on the day a circus comes to their town. Stanza, a rhymer illustrated by Jack E. Davis, is scheduled for 2009 (Harcourt). Stanza is a rowdy cur who terrorizes the neighborhood with his older brothers. He has a secret, though. At night, he hides way back in the alley and writes poetry. His life gets complicated when he enters a jingle contest.

More picture books are in the works. Meanwhile, I've finished a middle-grade novel, and I'm working on my second. After that comes a historical novel I'm excited about (also inspired by my some of my grandmother's tales) and the development of a couple of YA ideas that have been buzzing around in my head.

I feel so fortunate to spend my days writing for kids. Until they carry me from my keyboard feet first, I'll keep at it.

Cynsational News & Links

CBC Showcase: Learning About Families. Highlighted titles include Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick (Scholastic, 2004)(excerpt). Read a Cynsations interview with Jordan.

Visit Julia Durango's new author website, designed by Lisa Firke of Hit Those Keys. Julia's books include Cha-Cha Chimps, illustrated by Eleanor Taylor (Simon & Schuster, 2006) and Angels Watching Over Me, illustrated by Lisa Klevin (Simon & Schuster, 2007).

Congratulations to Heidi Roemer on her new book, What Kind of Seeds Are These? (NorthWord Books, 2006) and her new author website! Read a Cynsations interview with Heidi Roemer.

"Wise Words, Perfect Pictures, and How to Get Them Published," the second annual fall conference of Southwest Texas SCBWI will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 11 at St. Phillips College in San Antonio. Featured speakers include: Newbery honor author Marion Dane Bauer (author interview); agent Jennifer Jaeger from Andrea Brown Literary Agency; editor Lauren Velevis from HarperCollins; editor Alyssa Eisner Henkin from Simon & Schuster. See also Fingerprints Newsletter & Blog from Southwest Texas SCBWI.

Visit Robin Friedman's newly redesigned website! Robin's books include: The Silent Witness: A True Story of the Civil War (Houghton Mifflin, 2005); How I Survived My Summer Vacation And Lived to Write the Story (Cricket, 2000); and The Girlfriend Project (Bloomsbury, 2007). The designer was Lisa Firke of Hit Those Keys, who also designed my own site.

Congratulations to Debbi Michiko Florence on the sale of her first book, a nonfiction activity book on China for the Kaleidoscope Kids series, to Ideals Publishing. Read Debbi's LJ.

Congratulations to Deborah Lynn Jacobs on the publication of her novel Powers (Roaring Brook, 2006). From the promotional copy: "When Gwen and Adrian meet, they unlock each other's latent psychic powers. It's too bad they can't stand each other, don't trust each other, and do everything they can to manipulate each other. Will they use their power to save lives? Or will it destroy them both? Written in alternating voices, this is a compelling, suspenseful novel about power in all its forms—-psychic, physical, sexual, romantic."

"Plastic Flowers and Channelled Raisins" a talk given by editor Arthur A. Levine at a conference of Florida SCBWI from Arthur's Blog.

Thanks to the following Cynsations LJ syndication readers for their recent comments: tamark, shelleybecker, mountainmist, and d_michiko_f cheering the release of Santa Knows (Dutton, 2006), literaticat for acknowleding her link, and azang for letting me know that feed troubles aren't limited to my own.

2007 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market

2007 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market edited by Alice Pope (Writer's Digest Books, 2006). "If you long to see your stories or artwork in the hands of young readers, this is the book you'll want to use."

About ten years ago, I quit my government law day job. My goal was to write full-time for children and teenagers, even though I didn't have so much as a rough draft to my name.

I walked from my apartment in Chicago to the Border's at Michigan Avenue and Pearson, asked a bookseller where the writers resource section was, and soon afterward, began pulling anything that looked useful from the shelves.

I remember hesitating to buy the newly minted edition of the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. After all, I had no manuscript to shop. But it occured to me that the learning curve of the publishing industry was likely as steep as my writing one.

Especially since both are moving targets, that proved to be true.

Back in my postage-stamp-sized apartment, I poured over the articles and took my pink highlighter to the publisher listings.

My first book, Jingle Dancer, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu (Morrow/HarperCollins) was published in 2000. My first 'tween novel, Rain Is Not My Indian Name (HarperCollins), was published in 2001.

It was a thrill to have my editor-author exchange with Rosemary Brosnan about Indian Shoes (HarperCollins, 2002) featured by Esther Hershenhorn (author interview) in "Dear Writer: When Editorial Letters Invite Revision" in the 2003 edition of the CWIM.

All of which is to say, I have a particular affection for the CWIM, but the 2007 edition is the best I've ever seen. Articles of note include a new one by Esther, "A Writing Teacher's Do's and Don'ts" as well as: "Sucessful Rewriting: Viewing the Big Picture" by Sue Bradford Edwards; "Ten Tips for a Great Query Letter" by Lauren Barnholdt; The Newest Children's Book Imprints" by Alicia Potter; "U.S. vs. U.K. Fiction" by Sara Grant; "Creating Books for the Youngest Reader" by Kelly Milner Halls (author interview); "The New Rules for Teen Lit" by Megan McCafferty;" "Mainstreaming the Graphic Novel" by Patricia Newman; and "Conquering Home Office Clutter" by Hope Vestergaard.

Additional highlighted authors include Cynthia Lord (author interview), Dorian Cirrone (author interview), Elizabeth Bluemle, and Tanya Lee Stone (author interview). I also enjoyed the Insider Report with agent Anna Oswanger.

More personally, I'm quoted on Cynsations in "Blogging for Authors & Illustrators" by Roz Fulcher. Other featured bloggers included Chris Barton, Anastasia Suen, and Don Tate. My website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com is also listed among "Useful Online Resources."

The head genius behind the guide is Alice Pope. Visit Alice's CWIM Blog: Not-Quite-Daily News and Musings from the Editor of the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market.

Cynsational News & Links

I had such a lovely time at my online chat with the Institute of Children's Literature. Thanks to moderator and ICL website editor Jan Fields and everyone who participated!

Read the transcript: "The Pre-Side of Writing with Cynthia Leitich Smith" from ICL, Sept. 14, 2006. My apologies for the typos typical of chat transcripts; my fingers were flying fast.

More News & Links

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression has released a new poster in celebration of Banned Books Week, Sept. 23-30. The poster incorporates ABFFE's FREADOM logo and depicts the Statue of Liberty reading a book. The art, by Roger Roth, is from The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History, which was written by Jennifer Armstrong (Random House, 2006). The poster can be downloaded free (PDF file) and printed as an 11" x 17" poster using either a color printer or the services of a local copy shop.

Reminder: The Austin chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators announces its Fall 2006 Conference, "Follow Me" (PDF). The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Texas School for the Deaf at 1102 South Congress in near south Austin. Licensing agent Suzanne Cruise has been recently added to the faculty. Other featured speakers will include agent Sara Crowe of the Harvey Klinger Agency, author Bruce Coville, author-book doctor Esther Hershenhorn (interview), Clarion associate editor Lynne Polvino, illustrator Tony Sansevero, and illustrator Don Tate (interview)(blog). Faculty also includes Dianna Hutts Aston (interview) and Cynthia Leitich Smith. Learn more about the conference.

Darleene Bailey Beard: official author site includes her biography, books, and events information. Darleen's titles include: The Babbs Switch Story (FSG, 2006); Operation Clean Sweep (FSG, 2004); Twister (FSG, 1999); and The Flimflam Man (FSG, 1998). She is based in Oklahoma.

Take a sneak peek at the cover art for Our Librarian Won't Tell Us ANYTHING! A Mrs. Skorupski Story by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa (Upstart Books, 2006). Read a recent Cynsations interview with Toni.

Congratulations to the Children's Media Professionals' Forum on its one-year anniversary.

"Cultivate Good Writing Manners" by Margot Finke from the Purple Crayon. Read a Cynsations interview with Margot.

Cynsational News & Links Revisited

Reposted for Cynsations LJ subscribers only:

Now Available: Santa Knows by Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, illustrated by Steve Björkman (Dutton, 2006). Ages 4-up. Learn more.

Author Inteview: Toni Buzzeo on School Visits (part one and part two) from Cynsations.

More News & Links

Book Burger: "on a mission to connect hungry readers with tasty reads. We serve up authors and books that may not be on the bestseller list, but oughta be on your brain-food menu." Go ahead--take a bite out of the burger!

Not Your Mother's Book Club (Content May Not Be Suitable for Parents): launched by Books Inc., a community for YA lit teen readers. Note: "Authors, librarians, booksellers, teachers, and those who just love teen books are also welcome, but contests and other special treats are for those in grades 7-12 only." A space to "meet each other, meet authors, talk about new books, post book reviews, post stories, and generally have fun." See also Books Inc., The West's Oldest Independent Bookseller.

Author Interview: Brian Anderson on the Zack Proton series from Cynsations.

Illustrator Interview: Yuyi Morales on Los Gatos Black on Halloween. See also Author Interview: Marisa Montes on Los Gatos Black on Halloween, both from Cynsations.

"Beethoven's Five Legless Pianos Inspire Winter's Wacky Kids' Book:" An Exclusive Authorlink Interview with Jonah Winter, author of The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven (illustrated by Barry Blitt (Schwartz & Wade/Random House, 2006)) by Susan VanHecke from Authorlink. September 2006. Note: For registered users (minimal fee), Authorlink also offers An Exclusive Interview With Kathy Dawson, associate editorial director at Harcourt Children’s Books, by Lesley Williams.

NikiBurnham: LJ of the sparkling YA romance author. Look for Do-Over (Simon Pulse, 2006)(excerpt). Read a Cynsations interview with Niki.

Author Jennifer L. Holm is signing her new novel, Penny From Heaven (Random House, 2006), at BookPeople in Austin, Texas; on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m.

Interview with Debut YA Author Robin Merrow MacCready by Debbi Michiko Florence. Robin is the author of Buried (Dutton, 2006). Learn more about Robin. See also the interview with Robin at TeensReadToo.com.

Read new interviews with Joyce Sidman and Tanya Lee Stone by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer from The Poetry House. Don't miss previous interviews with Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Ralph Fletcher, Kristine O'Connell George, Nikki Grimes, Heidi Roemer, Marilyn Singer, and Lisa Wheeler. Tracie is the author of Sketches from a Spy Tree, illustrated by Andrew Glass (Clarion, 2005) and Reaching for the Sun (Bloomsbury, 2007). She also writes teacher guides for other children's book creators and publishers. Read Vaughn Zimmer, Tracie's LJ.

Reminder: The 92nd Street Y Buttenwieser Library and the Jewish Book Council are co-sponsoring the Eighth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan (New York City) Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The final registration deadline is Nov. 11. The conference sold out last year, so register early. Learn more about the conference.

What Makes a Good Thriller: Working with Fear by Nancy Werlin from The Horn Book Magazine. Read a recent Cynsations interview with Nancy.

Check out the photos from author Jo Whittemore's signing for Curse of Arastold (excerpt), Book Two of the Silverskin Trilogy, which kicked off with Escape from Arylon (author interview)(both Llewellyn, 2006). The event was held at Barnes & Noble, Round Rock, which is just outside of Austin. Learn more about the photographer, author Brian Anderson. Note: my husband, author Greg Leitich Smith, and I were there. So was author Varian Johnson.

Syndication Glitches

Cynsations LJ syndication readers, my apologies for the continued interruptions in the transfer. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do from my end. If this persists, I'll look into a regular account and cross post. In the meantime, please click through on the header link. Thank you.

Web Designer Interview: Lisa Firke of Hit Those Keys on the Launch of www.santa-knows.com

In celebration of the release of my new picture book, Santa Knows, co-authored by Greg Leitich Smith, illustrated by Steve Björkman (Dutton, 2006), it is my pleasure to announce launch of www.santa-knows.com and to share an interview with the design guru behind it, Lisa Firke of Hit Those Keys. Let's hear from Lisa...!

How did you translate Santa Knows (Dutton, 2006), the book, into www.santa-knows.com, the website?

With every site design I have to be mindful of that site's audience and purpose. And, to succeed on the Web, every site has to answer a question within a few seconds of loading: "What IS this?"

For Santa-Knows.com, the 'audience' might seem the same as for the book itself: the picture book 'reader.' Except—it isn't.

All children’s publishing and marketing is filtered, first, through the adults who acquire and edit the books, and, next, through the adults who choose the books for the children in their libraries, classrooms and homes.

To plan a site to feature Santa Knows, we had to keep this duality in mind:

1. This is a site about a book meant to appeal to young children.

2. However, except for a precocious few, young children aren't actually going to be reading the site--the adults in their lives are.

Hm, okay. The site needs to show some kid-appeal but needs to make it easy for adults to get the information needed to evaluate the book and perhaps buy it for a child. These practicalities drove the content you provided and the way I presented it.

And--while this may seem obvious--the site needs to show right away what it's about--a specific book about Santa Claus. It's not a site about Santa Claus as a popular figure, or kids' seasonal wish lists, or even how to answer the question, "Is there really a Santa Claus?"

The navigation bar at the top says it all--the site will introduce the book, its authors and illustrator, highlight the cover art, and will list news and reviews as the book begins to build its audience. And, not least! it lets people know how, when, and where to buy the book.

What were the design considerations? The challenges?

With Santa Knows, one thing I wanted to do was show what sets the story apart from the masses of other Santa and Christmas-related material out there.

(This is a seriously funny book!)

We were very fortunate to have Steve Björkman's funny, jolly illustrations as a springboard. I was able to pull the color scheme straight from the book art. So we have a white, snowy background, some cool light blue, hints of bright yellow-gold shininess, and, of course, green and red.

Notice, however, that the hues are slightly off what you usually see--the green is a bit sharper and yellower than the usual Christmas-y green, and the red is more of a candy-red, not the traditional berry-red. It's a subtle difference, but it supports the slightly unorthodox tone of the story.

Steve's cover art--which shows the author and illustrator bylines against a background of ball-ornaments--also inspired me to use a slightly different take on ornaments, this time as 'frames' for photos of the authors and illustrators themselves.

One challenge had to do with the treatment of the overall page space. People are viewing web pages on a variety of screen sizes and resolutions, so there are techniques to make the page seem "full" to those on the bigger displays, but still keep all the important stuff within a certain dimension, so readers don't have to go scrolling all over the place just to read a few lines of text.

So, if you view Santa-Knows.com on a monitor capable of displaying an area larger than 800 x 600 pixels, you'll see that there's a blue and white "snowy" texture filling in the space on each side of the center content. It helps the page seem complete to those viewing on larger monitors, but no actual content is missing for those viewing on the smaller screens.

How about on the technological side? What were the issues and triumphs there?

I got to have a lot of fun with the art for Santa-Knows.com. I usually shy away from recommending any sort of animation on author websites, because so often the effect is cheesy. But some projects really benefit from a little animation. I thought the sparkles that glint off the title words "Santa Knows" were very appropriate. It's like Santa himself is twinkling at us.

I did have to choose between technologies when creating the twinkles. Flash animation is very popular these days, but it does depend on having the right player installed. I didn't want viewers to be confronted with a popup telling them they needed to install something, just to view the site. So, the sparkles are actually three instances of the same tiny .gif animation--an older technique that sometimes gets derided because it was formerly used in clumsy and inartistic ways.

What appealed to you about the project?

1. What's not to like about Santa? It’s happy, fun material.

2. It was finite: just 5 pages to start out. I liked that the ratio of tedious labor to fun stuff was weighted in favor of the fun stuff!

3. It was a chance to work yet again with one of my favorite clients.

What was the timeline from contract to launch, and what were the major events along the way?

As you well know, some sites can take many, many months to develop, but that wasn't the case here. From contract to launch was less than three months, and the actual development time was even less than that--only about a month--but we both had summer travel plans that interrupted the work flow.

More globally, why should authors with established author-oriented sites consider adding a book-specific site to their online marketing efforts? What are the special benefits?

Readers don't always remember author's names, but they do tend to remember titles or at least the main topic. Having a site devoted to one book can make finding your book--and subsequently you, the author--easier for the reader.

(Or, in the case of a picture book, for the parent, teacher or librarian shopping for that reader.)

Another way to look at it is if you write for a wide spectrum of ages, or in a number of genres whose audiences don't tend to overlap, you are more likely to be found through a site devoted to a specific work.

Having both an author-oriented site and book-specific sites means you're giving your readers many more ways and chances of finding you.

What are key considerations in creating a book-specific site?

The audience for a book-specific site is much more focused than for a more general author site.

With author-oriented sites, you need to take care to be very inclusive, so that all the potential audience members for the site are catered to.

With a book-specific site, you have more opportunity to shape the "brand"—all the design elements can complement the design of the book, for example.

A tougher point to consider might be whether you want to include activities or interactive elements. Kids do love games and quizzes, but the development costs can be substantial.

(My advice to authors who bankroll their own sites is to keep things simple. Make sure what you put up is the best it can be. Better to do less stuff, but do it in a really classy way, than to cobble-together a lot of disparate or amateurish elements. On the other hand, if your publisher is paying, by all means push for bells and whistles!)

You've been kind enough to talk to Cynsations before. But could you remind us of your services and where to find out more?

Sure! I specialize in building expressive, unique web sites for individuals (as opposed to businesses or corporations). It's not the most lucrative way to conduct my business, but it is what I enjoy doing and do best. Most of my clients are authors, artists, and educators.

You can find my biz stuff on the web at Hit Those Keys (www.hitthosekeys.com) and I also blog intermittently on writing, design and other, more personal, topics at Wild Keys (www.hitthosekeys.net). Or, feel free to email me at inquiries@hitthosekeys.com.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I happen to believe that the Web is a very exciting medium for authors. There's a very low barrier-to-entry—it is affordable and yet the reach is enormous.

Creating a web presence is a way to grow as a writer/artist/person. It pushes you to get over yourself and reach out. You can pull in an audience from anywhere in the world, test out new voices and material in real time, and get feedback just as quickly.

And, as ever, Cynthia, I appreciate the opportunity to talk to your readers about what I do!

Cynsational Notes

Come visit the official Santa Knows website!

Lisa also is the talented designer behind my main author site at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com.

Now Available: Santa Knows by Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, illustrated by Steve Björkman (Dutton, September 2006)

Santa Knows by Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, illustrated by Steve Björkman (Dutton, 2006). Ages 4-up. Note: now available.

Alfie F. Snorklepuss doesn't believe in Santa Claus, and he's being a real pest about it. He thinks he's proven that Santa doesn't exist because there's no way that Santa could do all the things he's supposed to, like deliver billions of presents all over the world in one night or know what every little kid wants. And cranky Alfie is everywhere--on TV and radio, in the newspapers--telling boys and girls what he thinks is the truth.

Then, one Christmas Eve, the man in red himself packs up Alfie and brings him to the North Pole for an attitude adjustment, Santa-style....

In this sweet and funny picture book, Santa Knows reminds readers about the importance of being nice, not just at Christmas, but all year round.

Cynthia Leitich Smith was born in a snowstorm on New Year's Eve in Kansas City, Missouri. After college, she went on to study law at the University of Michigan and in Paris. Today, Cynthia writes books for young readers, runs a large children's literature Web site, and makes her home in sunny Austin, Texas, with her husband and coauthor, Greg.

Greg Leitich Smith was born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in Chicago. After college and graduate school, he went on to the University of Michigan Law School. Today, Greg practices parent law, writes for kids, and lives in Austin with his wife and coauthor, Cynthia.

Steve Björkman has been drawing ever since he can remember—at home, in church, during class, and in most of his spare time. Over the past 25 years, he has illustrated over 70 children’s books, hundreds of greeting cards, thousands of advertising and editorial illustrations, and art on a variety of products from paper goods to picture frames. Steve lives in Irvine, California, with his wife and three kids.

Reminder: Tonight Cynthia Leitich Smith Chats About Pre-Writing at the ICL

Join me for a chat on the "The Pre-side of Writing" with the Institute of Children's Literature.

Just send your questions to WebEditor@institutechildrenslit.com, and then join me on tonight from: 9 to 11 p.m. Atlantic/Canada; 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern; 7 to 9 p.m. Central; 6 to 8 p.m. Mountain; or 5 to 7 p.m. Pacific. Log in here!

Need help? See "I Want to Chat: Tell Me How" by Jan Fields from the Institute of Children's Literature.

Cynsational News & Links

Book Burger: "on a mission to connect hungry readers with tasty reads. We serve up authors and books that may not be on the bestseller list, but oughta be on your brain-food menu." Go ahead--take a bite out of the burger!

Not Your Mother's Book Club (Content May Not Be Suitable for Parents): launched by Books Inc., a community for YA lit teen readers. Note: "Authors, librarians, booksellers, teachers, and those who just love teen books are also welcome, but contests and other special treats are for those in grades 7-12 only." A space to "meet each other, meet authors, talk about new books, post book reviews, post stories, and generally have fun." See also Books Inc., The West's Oldest Independent Bookseller.

Every once in a great while, the relationship between Blogger and my LiveJournal syndication goes a little wacky. So, for those who were short-changed recently, I'm re-running the following Cynsational links:

Author Interview: Brian Anderson on the Zack Proton series from Cynsations.

Illustrator Interview: Yuyi Morales on Los Gatos Black on Halloween. See also Author Interview: Marisa Montes on Los Gatos Black on Halloween, both from Cynsations.

"Beethoven's Five Legless Pianos Inspire Winter's Wacky Kids' Book:" An Exclusive Authorlink Interview with Jonah Winter, author of The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven (illustrated by Barry Blitt (Schwartz & Wade/Random House, 2006)) by Susan VanHecke from Authorlink. September 2006. Note: For registered users (minimal fee), Authorlink also offers An Exclusive Interview With Kathy Dawson, associate editorial director at Harcourt Children’s Books, by Lesley Williams.

NikiBurnham: LJ of the sparkling YA romance author. Look for Do-Over (Simon Pulse, 2006)(excerpt). Read a Cynsations interview with Niki.

Author Jennifer L. Holm is signing her new novel, Penny From Heaven (Random House, 2006), at BookPeople in Austin, Texas; on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m.

Interview with Debut YA Author Robin Merrow MacCready by Debbi Michiko Florence. Robin is the author of Buried (Dutton, 2006). Learn more about Robin. See also the interview with Robin at TeensReadToo.com.

Read new interviews with Joyce Sidman and Tanya Lee Stone by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer from The Poetry House. Don't miss previous interviews with Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Ralph Fletcher, Kristine O'Connell George, Nikki Grimes, Heidi Roemer, Marilyn Singer, and Lisa Wheeler. Tracie is the author of Sketches from a Spy Tree, illustrated by Andrew Glass (Clarion, 2005) and Reaching for the Sun (Bloomsbury, 2007). She also writes teacher guides for other children's book creators and publishers. Read Vaughn Zimmer, Tracie's LJ.

Reminder: The 92nd Street Y Buttenwieser Library and the Jewish Book Council are co-sponsoring the Eighth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan (New York City) Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The final registration deadline is Nov. 11. The conference sold out last year, so register early. Learn more about the conference.

What Makes a Good Thriller: Working with Fear by Nancy Werlin from The Horn Book Magazine. Read a recent Cynsations interview with Nancy.

Check out the photos from author Jo Whittemore's signing for Curse of Arastold (excerpt), Book Two of the Silverskin Trilogy, which kicked off with Escape from Arylon (author interview)(both Llewellyn, 2006). The event was held at Barnes & Noble, Round Rock, which is just outside of Austin. Learn more about the photographer, author Brian Anderson. Note: my husband, author Greg Leitich Smith, and I were there. So was author Varian Johnson.

Author-Librarian Interview: Toni Buzzeo on School Visits: Part 2

Toni Buzzeo has quickly established herself as a popular picture book author. We previously talked to her after the publication of her debut title, The Sea Chest, illustrated by Mary GrandPre (Dial, 2002)(author interview), which went on to win a 2002 Lupine Honor Award and the 2004-2005 Children's Crown Gallery Award. We spoke again after the publication of Dawdle Duckling, illustrated by Margaret Spengler (Dial, 2003)(author interview), which was named to the New Jersey State Library Pick of the Decade List. And we checked in for an author update last April.

Today, we have part two of a discussion drawn from Toni's expertise about author/illustrator school visits. Don't miss part one from yesterday!

How can schools and author/illustrator speakers connect with one another?

From the perspective of schools looking for an author/illustrator, the search can seem daunting. As is the case in so many areas of life, personal recommendations are the best and easiest way for a school to locate the ideal visitor.

Some states, or regions of states, maintain a database of recommended authors and illustrators. If schools in a district or region aren't hosting author visits, teachers and librarians can go beyond the local network. At least weekly, someone posts a query or a recommendation to LM_NET, a listserv of more than 17,000 school library media specialists. A librarian might search the archives or post a fresh query of her own.

Another option is to visit authors' personal websites, which often include descriptions of school visits and fees. In order to browse, one can search a database of authors and illustrators with hot links to their personal sites such as the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators list, Kay E. Vandergrift's Author and Illustrator Pages, or my own Authors Who Visit Schools page.

Finally, schools can contact publishers to ask about book creators available for visits. The Children's Book Council maintains a list of their author websites as well.

Authors and illustrators, on the other hand, can make sure that they are listed on all of the above sites. In addition, when one has a great visit at a school, it's wise to ask to be recommended to the educator's colleagues in other schools.

Authors and illustrators should also discuss excellent school visits among themselves and share names and contact information for schools that hire visiting book people and do a fine job of ensuring a valuable experience for their students.

What should a librarian consider in selecting an author/illustrator to invite?

There are two important initial considerations. The first consideration should be the match between the author/illustrator's work and the age of the students as all students will read/hear the author's work in preparation for the visit. The second consideration should be the match between the content of the author's book or his/her presentations and the curriculum of the school or specific grade level or group of students.

Once these two considerations have narrowed the field, information from authors' websites or school visit packets and recommendations from other librarians will provide the necessary information about whether a visitor under consideration will be a good match for the size of group, the type of workshop or presentation, and the cost.

How can author-illustrator speakers promote themselves to librarians at prospective schools?

Unfortunately, there's not one simple answer to this question. First, of course, speakers should be listed in as many databases or listings of visiting authors/illustrators as possible. Second, they should prepare a speaking brochure to hand out to audiences when they speak or appear at teacher/librarian conferences. Third, some authors/illustrators prepare a school visit packet that can be mailed out in response to any serious expressions of interest. Fourth, authors/illustrators may share contact information with each other when a school visit has been particularly successful and recommend each other to their hosts, as well.

Some authors/illustrators do mass brochure mailings to schools in a geographic area. It's important to weigh the time and cost against the returns, but for those with a desire to beef up bookings in a specific geographic area, this can be a useful enterprise.

When possible, mailings should be addressed to the library media specialist by name. He or she is the "information resource" in the building and if he/she is not the person who hires visiting authors, he/she will pass the information along to the right person.

Are there speaking opportunities for YA authors, or is the field largely limited to those who write for younger readers? If the field is limited, what can make a YA author more attractive amidst the competition?

Certainly more authors and illustrators are hired for elementary schools than for middle and high schools, but that doesn't mean that there aren't opportunities to speak to teen audiences.

There are two ways that are especially useful for YA authors to boost their profile with prospective hosts. First, it is enormously helpful to speak at state library and teaching conferences (and national conferences such as the American Association of School Librarians conference, the International Reading Association conference, and the National Council of Teachers of English conference, when possible).

Prospective hosts will hear an author speak at these conferences, have an opportunity to meet them personally and carry home their brochures, and will be more likely to invite them to speak at their schools.

As a side benefit, the author's books are more likely to be nominated for the state children's choice reading lists. This, in turn, will lead to more invitations. In fact, where an author's book is nominated for the state reading list, it is especially helpful to send out a mailing to the librarians in that state seeking speaking opportunities.

Could you tell us about your experiences as a visiting author?

I love to be a visiting author! I have met the most talented teachers and so many wonderful kids. I have had the joy of seeing my books come to life through student art, song, research, and learning. I've watched performances of my books turned into plays, read poems inspired by my books, learned about determining the volume of a lighthouse tower using math, and had countless conversations with students who wonder why I became a writer, what a writer's life is like, or how they can become a writer too. Children have been amazingly generous about sharing their own responses to my work and their dreams for their own futures.

What do you love about it?

I have spent my life as an educator, and I am instantly at home in a school setting and love being there. I am also a "born teacher." There's a part of me that comes alive in front of a group of kids. Most importantly, I genuinely love children and adore the opportunity to meet them, to hear their responses to my work, to teach them what I know, and to learn from them.

What do you wish you could change?

For me, there is seldom anything I'd wish to change except in the rare instances where the host has failed to get the students and teachers involved and invested in preparations and curriculum connections, and the really wonderful opportunity of an author visit is wasted. In those instances, it might have been better to hire a magician for the day.

Could you tell us about the various programs you offer? What is the appeal of each?

A sampling of my various programs includes:

The Author's Path (Grades 1-2 or 3-6, adapted for age level)

Using photographs and story, I share my journey from shy child to published author and all stops in between. Students and teachers love this workshop because it makes clear the origins of each of my stories, the truths of my life that reveal themselves in my fiction.

The Story Behind the Story (Grades 3-8)

In the spirit of historical and natural inquiry--using illustrations, text, and research--I explore the writing and illustrating challenges behind my books The Sea Chest, illustrated by Mary GrandPre (Dial, 2002) and Little Loon and Papa, illustrated by Margaret Spengler (Dial, 2004) and learn the importance of research for both authors and illustrators. Because I share original illustrator sketches as well as finished art, students come away with a better understanding of the illustration process and the role that illustration plays in their own learning from books.

The Author's Career (Grades 5-8)

This workshop, rich with information and delivered with a strong dose of humor, answers the following questions for middle schoolers: Ever wonder about the practical aspects of being an author? What's an author's life like? How much do we get paid? What about rejection and revision? It always generates plenty of questions and lively discussion among my listeners.

Puppet and Flannel Board Play (Preschool-Kindergarten)

The youngest audiences meet the characters of my picture books Dawdle Duckling, illustrated by Margaret Spengler (Dial 20003), Ready or Not, Dawdle Duckling, also illustrated by Margaret Spengler (Dial, 2004) and Little Loon and Papa through songs, fingerplays, puppets, and flannel board stories. The little ones--and their teachers--love this presentation and leave singing.

Show, Don't Tell--A Writer's Workshop (Grades 3-8)

Through a series of guided writing exercises and group sharing, students learn how to enhance their own natural writing talents and improve their creative work by using revealing detail. It always amazes me how student writing improves in the space of just a single hour!

Along with Jane Kurtz, you are the author of Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers: Real Space and Virtual Links (Libraries Unlimited, 1999). What was the initial inspiration for creating this book?

After Jane Kurtz came to visit my school as a visiting author and we had the experience of planning and executing a superb author visit, I wrote an article about author visits, "The Finely Tuned Author Visit" in Book Links (March 1998). Somehow, that article grew into the idea for a joint book about how to plan really rewarding author and illustrator visits.

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

We first began to think about writing the book in 1997 and by summer of 1998 we had written and sold our proposal. From there, it took us a year to write the book, including all of the interviews with librarians, teachers, authors, and illustrators who so generously told us about their unique and individual school visit experiences. The book was published in November 1999.

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

This was the first book that Jane and I wrote together, though we later published 35 Best Books for Teaching U.S. Regions (Scholastic, 2002), and continue to discuss other books we might write together. That, in itself, was a learning experience. We had to learn how to mesh not only our writing styles but our planning, organizing, and project execution styles! No small task.

If you were going to update Terrific Connections, what new topics would you include?

Because a portion of the book is about "virtual" author visits, using electronic communication to connect, we’d want to update the technology options discussed. For instance, I've recently had the experience of using subscription bulletin board software to work with a class of high school students in Texas who were writing their own children's books. Such software wasn't yet available when the book was published.

In addition, NCLB has come into effect since 1999 when the book was published. This legislation has changed the landscape of American education and has an influence on how many schools (especially those struggling to make Adequate Yearly Progress) perceive anything beyond the rigors of preparing students for the test. It's essential that author visits be understood and planned as useful contributions to student learning and achievement.

Anything you’d like to add?

One of the amazing strengths of Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers: Real Space and Virtual Links is that it has been useful for both educators (librarians and teachers) and authors and illustrators themselves, in equal numbers. Because of that, author/illustrator visits have been improving from both sides of the fence--all to the benefit of the students!

I also have many author/illustrator visit resources on my website, and I hope that readers will stop by to visit and see what's there.

Cynsational Notes

Author-Librarian Interview: Toni Buzzeo on School Visits, Part 1 from Cynsations.

Children's and Young Adult Book Creators: Sites & Multiple Listings and School Visit Resources from my website.

An Author Update Interview with Jane Kurtz from Cynsations.

Author-Librarian Interview: Toni Buzzeo on School Visits: Part 1

Toni Buzzeo has quickly established herself as a popular picture book author. We previously talked to her after the publication of her debut title, The Sea Chest, illustrated by Mary GrandPre (Dial, 2002)(author interview), which went on to win a 2002 Lupine Honor Award and the 2004-2005 Children's Crown Gallery Award. We spoke again after the publication of Dawdle Duckling, illustrated by Margaret Spengler (Dial, 2003)(author interview), which was named to the New Jersey State Library Pick of the Decade List. And we checked in for an author update last April.

For the next two days, though, we're going to be drawing from Toni's expertise about author/illustrator school visits. She'll be discussing such topics as: the benefits to young readers; the changing technological landscape, preparation; the day of the event; follow-up; benefits and challenges to author/illustrator speakers; booking a speaker; promoting visits to school librarians; insights from her own experiences; and Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers: Real Space and Virtual Links, which she co-authored with Jane Kurtz (Libraries Unlimited, 1999).

Thanks so much for talking to us today about school visits. Could you tell us how you developed your expertise?

I'm in the unique position of having been on BOTH sides of the author visit fence! First, I am a career library media specialist (1999 Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year, in fact). In my school, I hosted two-to-four author visits a year and dedicated myself to making them among the best learning events of the school year with strong ties across the curriculum and deep involvement of all of the sub-communities of my school, teachers, staff, students, and parents.

But I am also a children's author myself, and so I currently spend a good deal of my time visiting schools as a visiting author. I work with the schools I visit to create really rich learning experiences around my visits for their students and communities.

As many authors do, I include suggestions for extending my books into the curriculum on my website www.tonibuzzeo.com. Because I'm a big fan of reader's theater and the author of many scripts for published children's books in Library Sparks magazine and in Read! Perform! Learn! 10 Reader’s Theater Projects for Literacy Enhancement (Upstart 2006), I have included reader's theater scripts for three of my four picture books there as well. Furthermore, I've been lucky enough to publish the ultimate book for schools who invite me to visit entitled Toni Buzzeo and YOU by Toni Buzzeo (Libraries Unlimited 2005).

What are the benefits of school visits to young readers?

As federal NCLB legislation has turned the educational focus so heavily toward literacy education in schools, it's more helpful than ever to bring authors and illustrators into libraries and classrooms in order to escape the danger of making literacy into a decoding-only experience. Rather than teaching to a high-stakes test, author visits allow educators to ensure that students love to read and engage with written texts on a meaningful personal level. In this way, author visits are the ultimate literacy experience! They are worth the time invested, energy expended, and money budgeted because they add educational value to literacy efforts in the school and community by:

Connecting kids to books in a powerful way;

Affording kids an appreciation of the creative process;

Modeling career choices from the creative arts;

Tying the content of the author/illustrator's work to learning standards, thus allowing teachers to work smarter, not harder.

The challenges?

Terrific author and illustrator visits require an enormous amount of planning, coordinating, and cheerleading--in addition to a solid funding plan. Because teachers (and administrators) have become so focused on test scores in response to federal legislation, it is sometimes a challenge to convince a community that author visits play an important role in literacy education. Advocates will do well to include the points I made above in their arguments.

Money, of course, is always a challenge as well. Creativity is called for! Some schools have the luxury of district funded visits, but most do not. Many parent-teacher groups raise money for cultural programming including author and illustrator visits. Title I funds are sometimes an option where they do not. Community partnerships with other agencies, including the public library and museums, shouldn't be overlooked and can, in turn, potentially attract community grant funding. Private business funding from a bank or other institution is also a possibility. Finally, many schools fund author visits with proceeds from book sales. Books obtained directly through the publisher at a 40% discount are then sold at cover price, which, at the least, can establish seed money for future visits.

What is the technological landscape (and major considerations) in staging an event for young readers?

Most authors and illustrators today present using PowerPoint, Keynote, or other electronic software program for slide presentation. It is important to discuss technology requirements with the visitor to ensure that: a) the necessary hardware is available to support the presentation; b) the venue is adequate to the technology needs; c) all component hardware can "talk;" and d) there are no surprises on the day of the visit.

For large group presentations, it is wise to provide a lavaliere microphone to save the author's voice for multiple presentations. Librarians should also consider the need for a floor mic if student questions are planned in a large setting.

As a librarian, what preparation is necessarily for a successful school visit?

An excellent school visit requires careful planning and attention to details starting with a contract.

To begin, unless the author or illustrator has a standard contract, the librarian will generate one that protects both the school and the visitor from misunderstandings. A generic model contract is available on my website. I advise that both the librarian (or hiring teacher) and the principal sign the contract to afford the school and the visitor the best protection against misunderstandings down the road.

Scheduling is the next important detail. It should be discussed with the visitor in advance, including number of sessions per day, size of groups, venue, and equipment needs. In planning the schedule, 15-20 minute breaks should be included between sessions as well as a relaxing lunch away from a noisy cafeteria.

The final important detail is book sales, which may be handled in many ways, from individual pre-ordering of books to after school or evening signing events. Books can be obtained from a local bookseller, the publisher, or even, in some cases, the author or illustrator.

In addition to the details, it is essential that librarians create curriculum connections to the authors work as classroom teachers prepare students for the visit.

First, of course, students need to have read/listened to the author's work. Librarians must make it clear to teachers that this is a non-negotiable expectation for participation in the visit. Next, the librarian, who is intimately familiar with the author's work, should think ahead to the potential curriculum connections the visit can generate in the classroom and library and share these ideas with teachers. Authors and illustrators always report having had wonderful experiences at schools who took the time to create curriculum connections.

There are many excellent examples of curriculum connections for the work of various authors in my book Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers: Real Space and Virtual Links by Toni Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz (Libraries Unlimited 2002)(interview with Jane).

What do you need to ensure happens during the day of the event?

In order to be certain that the visit day itself is a smooth-sailing success, the librarian will have to juggle the schedule, student behavior, facilities and technology, book sales and signing, transportation and lodging, and the author's comfort. Above all, he/she will need to be sure that the author is PAID that day.

To read an "Author Wish List" that encompasses all of these things, written by fellow author illustrator colleagues and myself, I invite readers to visit my website.

What follow-up is required?

Once the host has written a thank you note to the visitor and mailed it along with some student responses and a letter of recommendation (if requested), it is essential to have many copies of the author's books available for student check-out, of course, and for continued curriculum work in the classroom. In addition, both teachers and librarians will want to reinforce concepts introduced in the visitor's presentation and allow students to work with these concepts to make the learning personal and lasting.

An author/illustrator visit should never be the event of a single day. Reverberations in the learning community can be felt over the course of the remainder of the academic year with careful attention.

As a former school librarian, could you tell us about a couple of your most positive school visit experiences?

Two of my most memorable visits were from author Jane Kurtz and illustrator Melissa Sweet.

Jane's visit was one of my early author visits, long before Jane and I wrote a book about author visits, Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers: Read Space and Virtual Links by Toni Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz (Libraries Unlimited 2002). What makes Jane's visits unique is not only her obvious comfort with students and schools (she is a lifelong educator) but her extraordinary life story, which informs her books.

Jane grew up in Ethiopia and is now president of the board of directors of the first children's library in Ethiopia, EBCEF. Her presentations combine amazing slides of her childhood and adult experiences in Africa with real objects from Ethiopia that students can see, smell, touch, and hear. She is a favorite wherever she goes--and I have recommended her across the country for many years.

Melissa's visit was also memorable for so many reasons. She is a charming and friendly illustrator whom children instantly warm to. During her slide presentations, students are rapt by photos of her studio, the travels that inspire her books, and her illustrations in their many stages. But even more, she engages students in their own creative process, sharing with them techniques that they can bring to their own drawing and painting and encouraging them to try new techniques. My students were wild about these hands-on opportunities with Melissa.

Any clunkers, and why?

I was lucky to only have one somewhat challenging author visit. In this case, the author contacted me, as she was planning to be in my area. Because her book was set in our state and our fourth graders were engaged in their annual state studies unit, I did invite her for a visit. However, her presentation was exceedingly low key. She sat in a chair throughout her time with students and failed to exude much energy or animation. Since nine-year-olds are all about energy, there was a significant mismatch. My students were very polite throughout both presentations but teachers told me later that they were disappointed by the lack of liveliness on the part of the presenter and their students' corresponding lack of excitement.

What are the benefits of school visits to authors and/or illustrators?

Authors and illustrators gain much from school visits as do the schools they visit. They have the opportunity to interact with their primary readers--children or teens--in meaningful ways and to hear, first hand, how their books affect these readers. They also have a chance to hear about the concerns and interests of these readers--and their teachers--which may generate ideas for future books. Of course, because writing and illustrating are isolated professions, just the camaraderie of a day with others is sometimes welcome. And, in financial terms, author visits can generate a steady and reliable income that supplements unpredictable book advances and royalties!

The challenges?

For some authors and illustrators, the challenges are personal. It can be overwhelming for a quiet or introverted person without much school experience to spend the day with hundreds of children or teens and all of their teachers and support staff. More often, however, it is the poorly planned and executed visit that is the challenge. Inappropriate presentation spaces, unprepared students, last-minute or unreasonable schedule changes--all of these and more can pose challenges that can ruin a promising event for the author or illustrator.

As a children's/YA book creator, what preparation is necessarily for a successful school visit?

While some authors do little to prepare for a visit and plan only to show up and answer student questions, and some illustrators plan simply to show up and sketch, I feel that this short-changes the students and their learning.

Instead, I think that it is essential that authors give time and attention to preparing a variety of presentations that include visuals as well as rich content about the writing/illustrating process, or the content of their books, or their life experiences, or other subjects unique to the author and his or her working life.

We authors have unique experience to share with our young readers. Of course, writing and illustrating workshops that focus on teaching students specific skills are also very welcome in schools.

I advise authors and illustrators to work with their host/contact to refine their programs for the needs of the individual school each time they plan a visit.

What do you need to ensure happens during the day of the event?

I invite authors and illustrators to refer to the Author Wish List on my website. It is best not to assume that schools understand the importance of scheduling, managing student behavior, setting up facilities and technology, arranging book sales and signings, providing transportation and lodging, and looking after author comfort. It is also best not to assume that they will pay on the day of the visit. Rather, I advise authors to discuss all of these things in written and phone conversations with the host and put the most important of them into a signed contract.

What follow-up is required?

A personal, hand-written thank you note is essential. The visitor should also be sure to provide any signed bookplates, additional book copies, bibliographies, or the many small things that teachers ask about during the course of the day.

Cynsational Notes

Author-Librarian Interview Toni Buzzeo on School Visits, Part 2 from Cynsations.

Author Interview: Brian Anderson on the Zack Proton series

Brian Anderson on Brian Anderson: "When people ask me what my favorite books were from my childhood, I have to admit that I didn't read very many books as a kid. We had six kids in the house, and about that many books. We had The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, but not The Cat in the Hat. I think I was in high school the first time I ever read The Cat in the Hat. Two books that stand out as childhood favorites, though, are the picture book The Blah by Jack Kent, which I checked out regularly from the school library, and an old coverless copy of the Dr. Seuss Beginner Book Dictionary that was missing a few pages at the beginning and the end. It sounds strange, but the Dr. Seuss dictionary is the book I remember reading most from my childhood.

"Instead of books, I read comics. Tons and tons of comics, starting with old Harvey comics--Richie Rich, Casper, Hot Stuff, and Little Dot. I also read thousands of Archie Comics in the early 1970s. As an 11-year-old in 1973, I got hooked on superhero comics from DC and Marvel. My interest eventually expanded into comic books of all sorts, and today I have about 16,000 comics in my collection. Thanks to eBay, I also have The Blah by Jack Kent and a copy of the old Dr. Seuss dictionary, complete with the cover and all the pages."

Brian is the author of The Adventures of Commander Zack Proton series from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster. Titles include The Adventures of Commander Zack Proton and the Red Planet (June 2006) and The Adventures of Commander Zack Proton and the Warlords of Nibblecheese (October 2006). He lives in the Austin area.

How did writing first call to you?

In high school I used to play a lot of role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. But my dungeons weren't just underground rooms full of orcs waiting to be killed; they were more like stories in which the characters were the protagonists. The players had a goal to achieve, and there were obstacles to overcome and plot twists along the way.

In college I made up an adventure that I was particularly proud of--it had a great twist at the end--but one of the characters got an unlucky die roll early on and suffered a major injury, and the players decided to turn around and take a safer route, and missed out completely on the cool story I had spent so much time creating. I decided to start writing fiction after that, so I could have control over all the die rolls.

Could you tell us about your path to publication, any sprints or stumbles?

Sprints, stumbles, and setbacks, I've had them all. Skipping all the years leading up to it, Zack Proton was a sprint. It was a slush pile submission that caught the eye of an editor at Simon & Schuster in my first round of query letters. She loved it from the start, but the project had to be redesigned and massively rewritten before she was able to convince S&S to buy it. Zack Proton was originally intended as a traditional chapter book, with ten chapters and about 7000 words, but the final version is 19 chapters, about 4500 words, has illustrations on every page, and is full of goofy little asides like top ten lists, comic strips, and Zack Proton's Tips for Young Space Heroes.

Congratulations on the publication of the Zack Proton series (Aladdin, 2006-). What was your initial inspiration for writing these books?

Thanks! In 2003, I was asked to teach a computer class to fourth graders. To help them learn the inner components of a computer (hard drive, RAM chips, etc.), I planned to make up a series of worksheets about a fictional cyberspace commander who had lost his crew inside a computer. The students would learn about each component as the commander searched around looking for them. There wasn't enough time to draw up the worksheets before the class began, but that was the spark that eventually evolved into Zack Proton searching outer space for his lost ship.

What was the timeline from spark to publication of the first book (The Adventures of Commander Zack Proton and the Red Giant), and what were the major events along the way?

My first story notes are dated February 9, 2003, and the book hit the stands on May 16, 2006. Most of the delay in between was due to me doing nothing. I spent a leisurely six months writing the first Zack Proton book, working on and off without a deadline. I didn't do anything with the manuscript for about a year after that, just some occasional tweaking while I worked on other projects. I sent out the first round of query letters in June, 2004, and in October an editor at Simon & Schuster asked to see the rest of the manuscript.

The next four months involved meetings, discussions, phone calls, e-mails, my editor going on vacation, rewrites, rejections, more rewrites, and finding the right illustrator. When the smoke finally cleared, Simon & Schuster offered me a three-book deal in March, 2005. The final manuscript was complete by then, so it was fourteen months from acceptance of the manuscript to publication.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

The biggest challenge was reformatting the story from a traditional chapter book into the wacky format it ended up in. My editor told me I had to cut the word count from 7000 words to 4000, but the story was pretty lean to begin with and there just wasn't a lot of room for cuts.

The first thing I did was snip out a thousand words of description because Doug Holgate's illustrations would take their place, but after that things started getting pretty painful.

I begged my editor for a higher word count, but she wouldn't budge. In the end, I submitted a 4000 word draft that I hated. My editor hated it too, and so did everybody else who read it. I was convinced the project was dead then--things looked so grim that my editor even encouraged me to keep submitting Zack Proton to other publishers. That's never a good sign! But she never gave up on the project. We did another round of rewrites to restore some of the most painful cuts, and she was able to sell that version. The final manuscript ended up around 4800 words.

What did Doug Holgate's illustrations bring to the stories?

Doug's illustrations really make the books come alive. He has such a unique creative vision that one of the best things for me about writing Zack Proton is when I get to see Doug's illustrations for the first time. Sometimes Doug goes off with his own ideas--his vision of Big Large in the first book didn't match my description at all, but I laughed out loud when I saw his version of the evil space giant, and immediately went in to change the text. Having Doug on the series has challenged my own creativity, because I want to come up with highly visual stories that give him the opportunity to showcase his talents.

What do you love about your writing life?

All kinds of things! I love the flexible hours, the feeling of satisfaction from finishing a manuscript, and the chance to talk with kids about writing and publishing. Sometimes the writing process itself is about as much fun as folding the sock load, but overall the whole process of creating a story and characters is uniquely rewarding.

What are its tougher aspects?

Screenwriter Terry Rossio says that being a writer is like having homework every night, and a lot of it. When I'm in the zone and the writing is flying along, it's one of the best feelings in the world. That happened to me in 1996. The rest of the time writing can feel an awful lot like doing homework. The hardest part for me is continuing to write a first draft even when I know it's bad and will have to be rewritten. It feels like a waste of time. But writing that first draft is the only way to get to the final copy.

What advice do you have for beginning authors?

Write every day if you can. You will either develop a habit of writing or a habit of not-writing, and either habit, once it's formed, is hard to break.

How about series writers specifically?

Chapter books are usually plot-driven, and character development takes place more slowly, so you always have to be thinking a few books ahead to know where your characters are headed.

Also, if the series is going to unfold chronologically, as Zack Proton does, then it's important to keep sowing seeds along the way. For example, in the second Zack Proton book, Zack breaks something in the back of the ship, but I never say what it is, because at the time I wrote it, I didn't know. In book three, Omega Chimp needs something to help save a planet, and that's when I figured out what it was that Zack broke in book two. Also in book two, Omega Chimp gets a parking ticket on his spaceship, but we never see him pay it. You know that's going to come back to haunt them later!

What do you do when you're not reading or writing?

I have two daughters in middle school that am very involved with. I spend a lot of time with them and doing volunteer work at their school. I also teach chemistry at the University of Texas, and I make elaborate pinatas in the hot summer months. Some of my pinatas are online at www.pinataboy.com.

What can your fans look forward to next?

In the Zack Proton books, Zack will soon meet his space hero idol Sam Spaceway, and find out that things are not always as they appear. Omega Chimp will learn that he has an arch-nemesis of his own, and those 10,000 FE-203 robots that disappeared along with their crazed inventor are still out there somewhere... Other projects I'm working on are a middle grade fantasy novel and an anthology of horror stories.

Cynsational News & Links

"Beethoven's Five Legless Pianos Inspire Winter's Wacky Kids' Book:" An Exclusive Authorlink Interview with Jonah Winter, author of The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven (illustrated by Barry Blitt (Schwartz & Wade/Random House, 2006)) by Susan VanHecke from Authorlink. September 2006. Note: For registered users (minimal fee), Authorlink also offers An Exclusive Interview With Kathy Dawson, associate editorial director at Harcourt Children’s Books, by Lesley Williams.

NikiBurnham: LJ of the sparkling YA romance author. Look for Do-Over (Simon Pulse, 2006)(excerpt). Read a Cynsations interview with Niki.

Author Jennifer L. Holm is signing her new novel, Penny From Heaven (Random House, 2006), at BookPeople in Austin, Texas; on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m.

Interview with Debut YA Author Robin Merrow MacCready by Debbi Michiko Florence. Robin is the author of Buried (Dutton, 2006). Learn more about Robin. See also the interview with Robin at TeensReadToo.com.

Read new interviews with Joyce Sidman and Tanya Lee Stone by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer from The Poetry House. Don't miss previous interviews with Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Ralph Fletcher, Kristine O'Connell George, Nikki Grimes, Heidi Roemer, Marilyn Singer, and Lisa Wheeler. Tracie is the author of Sketches from a Spy Tree, illustrated by Andrew Glass (Clarion, 2005) and Reaching for the Sun (Bloomsbury, 2007). She also writes teacher guides for other children's book creators and publishers. Read Vaughn Zimmer, Tracie's LJ.

Reminder: The 92nd Street Y Buttenwieser Library and the Jewish Book Council are co-sponsoring the Eighth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan (New York City) Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The final registration deadline is Nov. 11. The conference sold out last year, so register early. Learn more about the conference.

What Makes a Good Thriller: Working with Fear by Nancy Werlin from The Horn Book Magazine. Read a recent Cynsations interview with Nancy.

Check out the photos from author Jo Whittemore's signing for Curse of Arastold (excerpt), Book Two of the Silverskin Trilogy, which kicked off with Escape from Arylon (author interview)(both Llewellyn, 2006). The event was held at Barnes & Noble, Round Rock, which is just outside of Austin. Learn more about the photographer, author Brian Anderson. Note: my husband, author Greg Leitich Smith, and I were there. So was author Varian Johnson.

Illustrator Interview: Yuyi Morales on Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Henry Holt, 2006). From the catalog copy: "Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren't even there yet!

"This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season."

Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, Yuyi Morales is an artist, author, puppet maker, Brazilian folkdancer, and former host of a Spanish-language storytelling radio show. She is the author and illustrator of Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book (Chronicle, 2003), winner of the 2004 Pura Belpre Award, the Americas Award, Tomas Rivera Award, and the California Book award among others. She is the illustrator of Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull (Harcourt, 2003), hailed as one of the best books of the year by Child Magazine, School Library Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Book Links magazine. Yuyi Morales lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and son.

What about the artist's life first called to you?

I have drawn all my life. My mother keeps drawings I made when I was two, where I made pictures of myself wearing platform shoes and long hair (like I have now). But I never considered myself an artist. For most of my life, I imagined artists were geniuses born under magical skies, whose destiny was imprinted like signs in their hands.

Me? I was only Yuyi who liked to draw.

That is why when I was an adolescent growing up in Mexico and it came the time to decide on a profession, I went to school to be a PE teacher and later studied psychology.

As I got more involved with my student and professional life, I thought I ought to concentrate in the "really" important things, like making a living, and I drew less and less.

But then one day, things changed, and I found myself as a new mother and as a new immigrant in the United States. Things were very different for me here; I didn't have a job, I spoke almost no English, I had no friends, and I missed the love of my family. At first all I wanted was to go back to my country.

But then one day my mother-in-law, who spoke no Spanish but cared for me very much, brought my son and me to a place that would change my life forever. She brought us to the public library.

In the library, I eventually wanted to live, because in there I found everything I always needed: I found instructions, I found inspiration, and I found a path.

From the books I borrowed, I learned how to make handmade-paper, and baskets, and how to bind books, carve rubber stamps, and build puppets and make them walk. But mostly I learned that everything I always wanted to learn I could find it in a book.

From books in the library, I fell in love with children's literature and their art. I awed at the sight of illustrations and studied picture book after picture book, wondering at how illustrators could bring such a magic to their work.

From books in the library, I recognized that I too had stories to tell and images to bring to life. And I wanted to do it so much that, at last, I had no choice but to let books teach me that--even though I was only Yuyi, and I had not been born under magical skies, and I didn't have signs imprinted on my hands--art was my life.

What made you decide to illustrate for young readers?

Even thought in my country we have a very rich oral history, when I was growing up, we never had books as beautiful and rich as the ones I saw here in the public library of the U.S.A. And to me, it really was love at first sight.

Until that moment of my adult life, I had mostly only drawn, but I had no experience painting. But then I so much wanted to make books like the ones I got at the library that I bought my first set of paints and brushes and decided to learn how to paint.

My first attempts at painting were with watercolor crayons, and I wrote a story about my son--who was only a baby at the time--and I drew and painted illustrations. And when I was done, I bind the pages together the way I had leaned from a library book, and I even handmade the paper for the cover. And then I had done it! I had created my own children's book.

Of course there was, and still is, so much more to learn. But from that humble beginning it was children's books what woke up my urge to create.

For those new to your work, could you briefly summarize your back list, highlighting as you see fit?

My very first book was a book in Spanish, published exclusively for the school market, titled Todas las Buenas Manos by Isabel Campoy (Harcourt School Publishers, 2002). For this book I was hired to illustrate it in only twenty-two days, and it gave me the first glimpse into the challenges of the industry.

My first trade book was Harvesting Hope: the Story of Cesar Chavez by Katheleen Krull (Harcourt, 2003). I believe this book came to me so I could love it infinitely. In the process of making this book, not only I learned and admired the work and life of Cesar Chavez, the farm workers' rights activist and leader, but I also came to learn more about myself and my strength as person and artist. Among others, this book received the Christopher and the Jane Adams Award, both of them bestowed to works of literature that promote peace and world understanding.

My next book was a work written by myself in the style of the traditional trickster folktale. The title is Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book (Chronicle, 2003). This is the story of a grandmother who wakes up one morning to find a skeleton waiting for her at the door. As the skeleton, Sr. Calavera, tells Grandma Beetle it is time for her to go with him, Grandma stalls her departure by asking for 'just a minute' so that she can complete an increasing number of chores before leaves.

This is a story that had a hard time finding takers among the publishing houses. Most editors told me that due to the theme of the story it would be hard to sell this book to readers. Currently, Just a Minute has won fourteen awards and honors, among them the Pura Belpre Award, the Americas Award, the California Book Award, and was named to Notable Books for a Global Society. And I am also happy to report that the children meet at my author presentations tell me how much the like Sr. Calavera, and so far I have never found one that was scared with the story.

My last book was a story written by Amanda White, titled Sand Sister (Barefoot Books, 2004), which was published both in the UK and the United States, and which was named book of the month for by the European magazine Junior.

Congratulations on the publication of Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes (Henry Holt, 2006)! What about Marisa's text called to you?

I loved illustrating Marisa's text. The tale is open enough that I was able to come up with my own interpretation of the images. And what did I want to do with the book? Play with my childhood fears and spooky stories, of course!

The text, which rhymes words both in English and Spanish, allows for a good-humored marriage of two cultures. That is why when you open the book, and the Halloween creatures begin to creep out, swoosh, and dance through the pages, they all look like people I know from my country.

There you see the skeleton of Simon Bolivar, the so called "Libertador de America," parading in his gold-and-tassels suit. And ahead you’ll find "La Llorona," the Hollering Ghost Woman swooping through the air, the way I always I thought I would see her some day when I was a child. And beyond is a Cabeza Olmeca, an Olmec head, citizen of the mystic rubber land, except I added legs and arms made of, what else? Rubber! The painter Diego Rivera and the Ghost of the comic Cantinflas are also dancing at the monster's ball. There are many other people there from the Latino and Mexican history. Besides that, the witches are my aunts, my son is the boy in yellow suit, and even my dog, Chacho, is there except he is all dancing bones.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing it to life?

I agreed to illustrate this book almost three years before I could actually do the work. So, by the time I took out the text again, I was delighted to see that I had such a playful text, and that three years later I still loved it.

My first step was to do research, since I realized that there were a bunch of things about monsters and ghost from the U.S.A. culture that I didn’t know. For instance, the text calls for the picture of a ghoul, but I didn’t know what a ghoul was or how it was supposed to look like. So, I looked in the dictionary and I searched on the Internet, where I found all kinds of crazy ghouls that eventually helped me to come up with my own interpretation. Also, when my editor, Reka Simonsen, commented that she imagined that ghost's chains should have stuff attached to them like in Marley's Ghost, I had to go and find out who Marley was.

Another part of my research had to do with studying X-Games athletes. Have you seen them on their bikes or their skate boards, doing jumps in the air and soaring the winds? Well, that is exactly how I imagined my witches would ride the night. And so I exchanged bikes and skateboards for brooms, and now there you have witches in the book swooping and swishing and swooshing...

Also I did quite some research for clothing, because I wanted to bring to my work a taste of colonial Mexico. Many of the dead in the book come out their graves after hundreds of years and still wearing the clothes that distinguished such a controversial period.

After the research, the next step was creating thumbnails of all the illustrations. These are very small and rough images of what I envisioned every page would look like. For my thumbnails, I always use simple shapes and stick people drawings. At this stage, I mostly concentrate on how the elements tell the story and composition. I draw almost no details here.

Later, I transition to full size detailed sketches. This is the time where I decide who my characters are and how they will look like. In the story of Los Gatos Black in Halloween there really isn't a single main character, but, in my mind, every one of them has a story to tell, if you could ask them.

The look of my werewolf I created on an airplane napkin as I was coming home from one of my author visits. My first drawing was tiny, and it made me think that my werewolf actually looked like a rat. Based in this though, I developed Werewolf to look rather nerdy and timid; perhaps even a little mortified of being a monster. And he has worries! If you look at him in the illustrations, you will notice that there is a pink paper folded in his pocket. It is his report card, because, to me, he goes to the same school I went to in Mexico, and even though he is a good student in all his classes, he received an F in P.E. I think he might have been one of my classmates when I went to school, except nobody knew that at night he was a werewolf.

Developing my characters is one of my favorite things. I want them to have a purpose as well as a back story. My mummy was found buried in Peru near a volcano, where he slept for 500 years. Now he waits at the museum's warehouse, while the new mummy’s exhibit gets ready. In the meantime, he has come to join the parade on Halloween night.

Once the sketches were approved, it was time to create the color art.

For Los Gatos Black on Halloween I darkened my palette to match the mood of the story, and I began painting in layers that started at the back of the illustration and ended with the elements closer to the foreground. That means that I painted first the sky and the landscape almost in its totality, and then I started overlapping every character in the scene.

When I was done painting the last of the illustrations, I placed all of them on the floor and checked for continuity and for consistency in the images, and made the necessary retouches.

And when the last detail had been painted, I cleared the floor of my studio, and placed the fifteen paintings there together. Then I brought my camera and tripod, and with the help of the timer, I took a picture of myself lying down on the floor next to my paintings with my hands crossed over my chest in dead manner. The photograph I sent to my friends from my writers' and illustrators' critique groups with the following caption. “At last, I am done...”

What advice do you have for beginning children's illustrators?

I would encourage aspiring children's book illustrators to be students of the children's book work, and ,based in that knowledge, create a portfolio that they can be proud of.

Part of the purpose of the portfolio is to show editors and art directors not only what amazing artist one is, but also that one understands how to create a children's book.

Suggestions of what to create and include in a portfolio are things that you find in a children's book: illustrations of children in different situations, illustrations of animals, illustrations of outdoor scenes, illustrations of indoor scenes, and three or more illustrations of one same character that would show that you are capable of keeping your character's consistency through a story.

Also, in the same way a children's book writer doesn't write down for children, a children's book illustrator should be careful to not "illustrate down" for children. The artwork for children should be done with the same love, dedication, joy, and even painstaking discipline that any other work for adults. It is not easier or faster because it is for children. Much work is still required.

Also, recognize your teachers; we learn from everything we love, from what we are attracted to, from what catches our eye. I remember learning so much (and I still do!) from the illustrations I admired. I copied them, I tried to paint in the same way, and sometimes I even traced them over. At the end, this helped me in many ways.

First, it helped me recognize my interests from what I liked in illustrations, which was exactly what I wanted to illustrate myself. It also helped me expand my horizons, because when I tried to draw and paint like in the illustrations I liked, I pushed myself beyond doing only what was easy for me. And at last, trying to imitate my "teachers" made me move my hand and use my brain in a way that I wasn't used to. Eventually, all of these were an essential part of developing my own skills as an illustrator, and it even pushed me to create past my own expectations.

How about those building a career?

Oh, all I know about building a career is work, work, work. I try to be smart about what I create and how I present it, but mostly I aim to surprise myself every time. Whether I am doing illustrations for a book, or delivering a presentation for six hundred children, I always want to do what I love, be well prepared, and surprise my reader and myself with the results.

One of my must cherished moments is that precious space of time at my painting table, when after many layers of color and many days of work, I finally put the last stroke of paint on an illustration, and at last I stand back to look at what I have created. It is magic!

In all of this I recognize that every painting, every book, and even every career might look like a daunting, nearly impossible-to-accomplish project. But in reality you only need to begin with the small things and to continue steadily and little by little, until the moment when you can stand back and marvel, too.

What do you do when you're not illustrating?

I plant plants. Three years ago, and for the first time in my life, my husband and I bought a house with a garden, and as soon as I discovered how beautiful, amazing, and sculptural plants are, I couldn’t stop working in the garden, while paying extreme attention to color and form.

I spend many hours digging holes and filling them with plants, and looking at them in awe.

I also dance. I mostly take classes of Afro Brazilian and other dances from the African Diaspora. In occasions I have also performed with dance companies.

I am also a mother of a very tall and silly 12-year-old son, Kelly.

My favorite thing of the week is when we all go to see Kelly play his basketball tournaments.

What can your fans look forward to next?

They can look forward to Little Night (Roaring Brook Press, 2007), co-released in Spanish as Nochecita, a story I wrote and illustrated about the night being a child.

Little Night’s mother is trying to get her ready to come out and be the night, but the child is calling for Mother Sky to come and find her first. Where could Little Night be? Well, Mother Sky should better look well inside the raven nest, and in the blueberry fields, and the among all the dark things, because Little Night is enjoying this gentle game of hide and seek.

Little Night will be released in Spring 2007.

Cynsational Notes

Don't miss Author Interview: Marisa Montes on Los Gatos Black on Halloween from Cynsations.

Author Interview: Marisa Montes on Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Henry Holt, 2006). From the catalog copy: "Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren't even there yet!

"This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season."

Marisa Montes has written several books for young readers, including Juan Bobo Goes to Work: A Puerto Rico Folk Tale (Rayo/HarperCollins, 2000), which won a Pura Belpré Honor. She lives in northern California.

What about the writing life first called to you?

I've loved books since I was a child, but I never believed I had it in me to write fiction. I was always a good writer in school and in college, and writing came easily for me. But that was writing essays and research papers. When it came to writing fiction, my mind was a blank; I simply had no ideas. I also lacked voice. In the few creative writing classes I ever took when I was a teenager, my writing felt forced, fake, stiff. It hardly came easily. And I couldn't write a fictional story or a poem to save my life.

When I became a lawyer, writing legal papers and clients' declarations was the most enjoyable part of my job. In 1984, after three years of practicing law, I went to work for a legal publisher and became a legal writer and editor. There, I learned grammar and punctuation inside out, I learned to state my thoughts clearly and succinctly, I learned to organize my sentences and paragraphs in a logical manner, and I learned to analyze and write quickly. I also learned to write directly at the computer, which has proven invaluable.

In 1987, after writing about legal issues from seven to nine hours a day for about three years, I sat down at my husband's computer on a rainy Saturday when he was gone to a conference, and I began to write.

What I wrote was a story--a fictional story about two children. It turned out to be the beginning of a fantasy-adventure novel that pulled me on and on for four to five months until I finished it. I only had time to write on weekends, but I wrote fast and furious during that period, completing around ten single-spaced pages per day. I was on the biggest high of my life, driven to see if I could finish it, and dying to find out how it would end.

It was easy to write that quickly because the scenes played clearly like a movie in my head, and I was just the stenographer taking down every detail I saw. It was also an exciting plot, and I was hooked, addicted to the writing process and to my need to see where this adventure that was going on in my head would take me...on many levels. It was as if all the technical writing I was doing had opened up the creative flood gates, and my imagination was set free. Now ideas flowed. It felt like a light switched on in an area of my brain where there had been only darkness before.

I was in my mid-thirties when I wrote my first novel. I was unhappy with the law and legal writing, bored and unfulfilled and resentful. I knew there was something out there waiting for me--something I was destined to do, something I could melt into, become one with, something that I could devote my life to joyfully, that I could work hard at willingly because it never would seem like work, it would feel like play. I knew that's how the right job should feel, and I knew it wasn't a fantasy that I'd dreamt up. I knew it because I'd seen other people who were that happy and fulfilled with their chosen careers. That knowledge just made it that much harder for me to accept that I was getting older and still hadn't found my destiny.

I'm a romantic, and I believe in sentiments like "everything in life has a purpose," "things are meant to be," "things happen for a reason." With this type of philosophy, I couldn't accept that my destiny was simply to earn a paycheck. I call the "perfect career" my "destiny" because to me, the "perfect" job is more than a means of producing income, but an expression of one's self, it's part of the fabric of one's being. And it doesn't matter whether you're producing income or not.

I compare my search for the perfect career to the search for true love. Both are equally elusive, and not everyone believes they exist. My YA novel, A Circle of Time (Harcourt, 2002), is a ghost story that deals with finding true love. In the beginning of the novel, I included a poem I wrote about true love, and the first lines are: "Like ghosts, true love is talked about; / but only few have little doubt / that either one on earth exists."

Another similarity between true love and the perfect career is that a lot of people are willing to settle for less, but I wasn't. I had already found true love--my husband and I have been happily married for 30 years now--but I was still searching for my perfect career. When I finished writing my first novel, I realized I may just have found it. It took a more few years of studying, attending conferences, and lots of reading and writing to confirm in my soul that I was meant to be a writer. This was my destiny.

Despite the revelation that I was meant to be a writer, I was self-conscious because I was starting so late in life. Was I too old to start a new career? I was obsessed with the question, so at every conference, I would ask famous authors how old they were when they started writing. It didn't help when they said something like: "I wrote my first book when I was six." It wasn't until Eve Bunting told me that she was in her mid-thirties or forties when she started writing, that I felt better and stopped asking the question. She told me she took a class on writing and started writing for children, so I started taking classes and self-teaching and reading all I could. And I wrote.

What made you decide to write for young readers?

As I mentioned above, the first fictional story I ever wrote was a fantasy-adventure novel with two children as the main characters. I didn't set out to write a fantasy or about children. I hadn't even read a children's book since I was in sixth grade. By seventh grade, I was already reading adult mysteries and gothic romances.

Of course, as I found out later, to write a good children's book, you need to read a lot of books in that genre--recently published books, not books that were published in the 1950s or '60s or before. That's why my first novel never worked.

But what worked was the experience of writing it. It showed me I could write a whole novel, it showed me I had an aptitude for writing adventure and exciting scenes, and it showed me that I had a natural voice for writing for children. I found out later that my voice was quite versatile and that I could use a storyteller's voice to tell folktales, a picture book voice to write picture books, a middle-grade or young adult voice for novels, and more recently, I discovered I had a third-grade voice for chapter books.

I must admit that I don't really write "for" children. Instead, I write for me. Often, it's for the child in me, the child who never wanted to grow up. I identify with the Toys R Us song, "I Don't Want to Grow Up." I never wanted to grow up; I loved being a kid. I even cried on my 13th birthday because I had become a teenager. I could never understand the girls who were in such a hurry to grow up and wear makeup and bras and high heels, and who wanted boyfriends and couldn't wait to get married. That just wasn't me. So, in writing children's books, I write what I would have enjoyed when I was a kid, or what I enjoy now, having that child still inside me.

Before I started writing children's books, I read a lot of adult novels. I enjoyed mysteries and thrillers and some of the bestsellers, but they all left me longing for more. I started reading some of the classics that I hadn't read when I was younger. I found those more satisfying, but I was still searching. I wasn't really interested in reading modern literary novels, I was looking for something in between classics and adult literary. Then, when I finished writing that first novel, which happened to be a children's book, and I started trying to get it published, I found out I really needed to read recently published children's books and study what editors are looking for nowadays. That's when I really got hooked on children's books, and I knew that's what I wanted to write. Children's novels of today--and I started reading them in the late 1980s--are like a mixture of literary and classic literature. For older books, that's more true of the award-winning books or books that have remained in print because they stood the test of time. There were, and still are, a lot of "escape-type" books like the series books and books for younger readers. But even most of those are well written. And more and more, what's being published for middle grades and young adults are extremely well-written, literary-quality books with meaningful themes, memorable characters, and satisfying stories that will stand the test of time. This is the type of book I enjoy reading and that I strive to write.

Could you briefly summarize your back list, highlighting as you see fit?

My first book to sell was my picture book, Juan Bobo Goes to Work, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (HarperCollins, 2000). It's a Puerto Rican folktale told in my bilingual style--I weave in some Spanish words into the English text and try to define them in context. I loved learning new languages as a kid (I spoke Spanish, English, and French by the time I was eight), so I enjoyed when a story had foreign words. But I resented it when they weren't defined in some manner. I originally wrote thirteen Juan Bobo stories and Rosemary Brosnan, my editor, wanted to buy all of them. But before she could give me a contract for the remaining twelve as a collection (rather than separate picture books), Lodestar collapsed, and she had to move on to Morrow Junior Books.

Morrow bought Juan Bobo Goes to Work, since it had already been bought by Lodestar, but they felt folktales were a hard sell in the late 1990s, especially collections, so they passed. Then Harper bought Morrow, and Juan Bobo was eventually published by them. Rosemary tried to publish my collection with Harper, but they, too, thought a folktale collection would be tough to market.

Juan Bobo Goes to Work went on to do really well--Joe's illustrations were delightful, and I was thrilled with his version of Juan Bobo. It won the 2002 Pura Belpré Honor, and last summer, I was asked to write the translation in Spanish. It was a little scary to write 1,200 words all in Spanish, but with my aunt's encouragement (she acts as my Spanish consultant and reviews my work), I did it. I'm really happy that I did because now I know I can write a short piece all in Spanish. The Spanish version, Juan Bobo Busca Trabajo, illustrated by Joe Cepeda (HarperCollins, 2006), will be in stores in September. Harper has also published the paperback of the English version, and it will also be in stores this September. There's even a puppet show/play based on Juan Bobo Goes to Work.

With all the changes of publishers, Juan Bobo took so long to get published (four years) that during that period I wrote and sold two novels and another picture book. Both my novels are supernatural mysteries--I love ghosts and I love mysteries and eerie stories. Something Wicked's in Those Woods (Harcourt, 2000)(excerpt), a Junior Literary Guild selection, is a middle-grade novel about two brothers who just lost their parents in a car crash, and they have to leave their home in Puerto Rico to live in Orinda, California with their aunt. Culture clash and poltergeists provide plenty of conflict. A Circle of Time (Harcourt, 2002), winner of the 2003 Willa Literary Award, is a young adult novel. This supernatural mystery has the added twist of also being a time-travel romance, the search for true love, as I mentioned above.

Around 1998, I started playing with poetry and rhyme, trying to learn all I could about them, and I wrote a lot of stuff that didn't work. Then I hit the jackpot--I came up with the story of an egg, a goose egg that rolled out of its nest and got lost in the forest. Its parents were frantic and all their friends in the forest--hooved, scaley, feathered, fuzzy, fluffy, or furry--came to their rescue and scoured the forest in search of the "stolen" egg. It was an "it takes a village" story, and I told it in rhyme. I called it Egg-Napped! (HaperCollins, 2002), illustrated by Marsha Winborn, a Junior Literary Guild selection. I had to fight for the title, but finally Marketing went for it, and it was published.

In April 2002, I got another break. Scholastic was looking for a Hispanic author to write a humorous third-grade chapter book series about a third-grade girl, a Latina, but there was a twist. She would live in mainstream USA and have professionals, not blue-collar workers, as parents, and she would speak both Spanish and English. My agent sent me a copy of the letter, which had been sent out to a lot of agents, and I honestly felt my heart in my throat. It would be a dream come true...if I could land it. But the letter was already a month old, and I knew I might be competing against at least five to eight well-known Hispanic authors, not to mention new authors like me.

My only chance was that I was so perfect for the job. I was that mainstream USA suburban Latina who spoke Spanish and English, and while my parents weren't professionals themselves, they had me on the fast track to becoming a doctor or a lawyer since I was born. The other reason I wanted this contract so badly was that I could never write the type of story most editors wanted from me: the plight of Hispanic kids who come to this country and have to live as farm workers' kids or who live in the inner cities and deal with having to make a choice about joining gangs. I never faced assimilation, language, or cultural issues. I moved to Missouri from Puerto Rico when I was four, and I learned English by the time I started kindergarten. I looked the same as the other kids, and I never had a problem fitting in culturally. I look American, I feel American (it helps that as a Puerto Rican, I was born American), and I think in English. Yet I speak to my parents and family in Spanish, and I'm fiercely proud to also be Puerto Rican.

Now, Scholastic was asking for my type of kid. A kid like every other mainstream American kid, but who happened to be Hispanic. A kid character any real kid could identify with. Her problems and issues would be universal issues, like standing up for one's self, being proud of one's family, overcoming fears, needing love and protection. I really wanted this contract. I was meant to get this contract.

So I called the editor, but had to leave a voice mail. Then I zipped off an e-mail to her, giving her a summary of my qualifications and giving her my website. A few hours later, she called me back and asked for me to write a sample for the series, the first few chapters. It was a Friday, and I had the chapters written by Saturday and e-mailed to her by Monday. The marketing committee approved my writing sample by mid-week and I got the contract. It was a contract for four books, and the series is called Get Ready for Gabí. My editor surprised me with the news that they had gotten Joe Cepeda to do the illustrations. The four books are: A Crazy Mixed-Up Spanglish Day (Scholastic, 2003)(excerpt), Who's That Girl? (Scholastic, 2003), No More Spanish! (Scholastic, 2004), Please Don't Go! (Scholastic, 2004).

Congratulations on the publication of Los Gatos Black on Halloween, illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Henry Holt, 2006)! What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?

In the late 1990s, my mentor, Barbara Steiner, sent me a Halloween postcard that had a fun, spooky four-line poem on the front. I pinned it up on my "inspiration" bulletin broad that hangs on the wall to the left of my computer in my office. I pin a lot of things to that board: favorite souvenirs from our travels around the world, meaningful fortune cookie fortunes, motivational blurbs on bookmarks, comics, postcards, special photos. I'd had the Halloween postcard up for a couple of years, and I'd reread the poem periodically. I really like the meter, the bu-bump, bu-bump, bu-bump rhythm of it. And it spoke of pumpkins and witches and black cats--all the Halloween things I'm so fond of.

One day, when I was sniffing around for inspiration, I reread the poem. With the beat in my head, I turned to my computer and started writing. I had already tried a few picture book poems in Spanish and English, but nothing had worked yet. Then it occurred to me that learning the spooky Halloween terms in Spanish could be fun for kids, so I tried blending in some Spanish. I wrote the first verse, the one about black cats, and really liked the sound and feel of it, so I decided to try calabazas—pumpkins. That one worked, too. I was really in the zone, and words and images were flying.

But after I'd written about four stanzas, I realized that in my excitement, after getting all wrapped up in the beat and the words, I'd forgotten plot. It's hard enough to sell a plotted story to an editor, but a picture book without a plot, one that's just a "slice of life" story or a series of events, is a really hard sell. It's often what editors call "slight" or "quiet" when they reject a manuscript. I didn't want to spend my time writing something else that would be rejected, even if I was having fun writing it. (I've heard the text of Goodnight Moon [by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd](1947), which is one of the bestselling picture books of all time, would not sell to today's editors and publishers because it's too quiet (and it has no plot).)

So at about the fourth or fifth stanza (I usually write sixteen stanzas for a picture book), I started thinking about how I could turn what I had into a plot, or something that would pass as a plot. I liked what I had and I didn't want to dump it and start over, so I studied what I'd written and I realized that all I had was a group of spooky Halloween creatures that hadn't come together yet. What I needed to do was to bring them together, have them connect in some way. Maybe they could unite in a monstrous parade... That's how I came up with the idea of the haunted mansion. Once I had the basic idea and a goal, to bring the creatures together at the mansion, my creative subconscious could take over and have fun. That's the way my writer's brain works: When I'm in the zone, I just sit back and let my fingers type the words that fly through my brain. It's like I'm channeling someone else's words and typing them down. I always work at the computer, I rarely write on paper unless I'm away from my desk and something brilliant occurs to me that I don't think I'll remember later.

My plan was to add a few more fun and spooky creatures and march them through the night and the trees to the haunted mansion. At that point, the voice in my head took over and wrote the rest of the story, adding a twist that surprised even me. I was so thrilled, I was giggling all the way through that last few stanzas.

Writing this poem was really one of the biggest highs of my life. I was truly in the right place at the right time in my life and everything came together. The story only took a weekend, about a day and a half to write. My best work seems to come out of me quickly. I believe it's because it's meant to be and it just happens.

While I was writing it, I remember working hard at getting the right words. Even though words were flowing through me at a rate I'd never experienced, I was still being very careful to choose the right words. So part of it was mystical--I was channeling words, images, and phrases from somewhere in the universe. But another part was a very conscious, deliberate effort to select just the right words. It was quite a magical experience. Then, once the first draft was written, it was done. I never changed another word till my editor had a few minor suggestions at the editing phase of the publishing process, and we changed a few words. But she accepted the original text without revisions.

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

It's been a long wait for the publication of Gatos Black. I wrote it in May 1999. It's less than 400 words and it's fifteen stanzas long--that's one short of my usual sixteen stanzas. (I like to aim for sixteen stanzas because it keeps the story short, keeps the plot tight, and it allows for one stanza per double-page spread and one stanza for the first page (usually page 3) and one for the last page.) But in this case, the last page was saved for the glossary.

After I wrote it, I was really excited and I wanted to share it with someone. But I resisted the temptation. I used to always pass my first drafts by my critique group to make sure it was ready for an editor's eyes. In this case, my gut told me it was ready, but I didn't want to show it to other writers for fear that they'd say it was too scary for kids the age of my target audience, 3 to 7. The text does talk about tombs shaking, zombies marching, and corpses with cold, dead eyes rising. But I know kids love being scared, and I'd rather leave it to an editor to tell me it was too scary. As for the text itself, I was sure it was as ready as it would ever be.

I've forgotten the exact timeline, but I think I sent it to one of my editors right away. I'm not one of those writers who follows the advice of those who recommend to sit on your work for a month, then look at it once again before sending it out. If I feel it's ready, I have no time to waste--out it goes. If it's not ready, waiting a month won't help. If it needs revision, I get right on it and keep working on it till it's right, then off it goes to an editor. I've never been successful at putting a story away because it's not working, then going back to it a month or two later, or even a year or more, and having inspiration hit me. That may work for some, but not for me. The story either comes together for me at the time I'm writing it or maybe within a few days, or it doesn't. I don't know why.

My editor replied that she didn't understand why I was using Spanish in a Halloween story. At first, I was really confused about what she meant. Why not use Spanish in a Halloween story? What does my using Spanish have to do with anything? What about the story? What did she think about the story? The words, the rhythm, the images, the surprise ending? What about all that? If the text itself was strong, what did it matter that it was bilingual?

Well, I soon found out that it mattered...a lot. First, I learned that some editors think that for a book to be bilingual, it must deal with a strictly Hispanic topic. That put me back in the pigeonhole of having to write stories about Hispanics and not write mainstream stories, which is what I wanted to write. It also made me realize that some editors don't know that Hispanics celebrate Halloween. In many Central and South American countries, they still celebrate El Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, but basically, that's Halloween. I talk more about the challenges involved in selling a bilingual book in some of my answers below.

In April 2000, I submitted the manuscript in the California Writer's Conference Annual Writer's Contest. I had won first place in that contest twice before, but that was for middle-grade novels. This was my first picture book submission. It also won first place. I was thrilled because it gave me the renewed confidence I needed to continue marketing this book. So I started sending out my manuscript again.

I sent the manuscript to six or seven editors before it got accepted. It wasn't really that many submissions compared to some books I've sent out, but I wasn't submitting manuscripts like buckshot anymore. I used to multiply submit 10 to 15 copies of one manuscript at once, mostly to editors I didn't know. But that was early in my career, when there were many publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts, back in the late '80s, early '90s. Once I had established a relationship with different editors, I submitted to one editor at a time. It takes a little longer, but I get a personal response, and since they know me, they try to respond quicker.

At one point, I submitted the manuscript to a famous New York agent along with a few other manuscripts. The only one she was interested in was Gatos Black. She thought it was "promising" but the ending needed changing.

Well, I wasn't about to change the ending. First of all, to what? Second, it worked, and I wasn't going to mess with it. Anyway, I wasn't convinced that if I knocked myself out trying to change the ending for her that she was going to accept me as a client. Sometimes, you just have to trust yourself and believe in your work no matter what anyone else says.

I don't usually ignore advice, and I'm not suggesting that writers, especially beginning writers, should ignore advice from experts like agents and editors. I wouldn't have learned all I've learned and gotten as much published as I have if I didn't have mentors and people I listened to. But people's tastes are different and sometimes you just have to follow your instincts. My instincts told me that this agent wasn't interested in me and my ending was right the way it was written. However, I was also able to take from that experience that Gatos Black was worth my efforts in continuing to market it on my own. Somewhere out there was the right editor and the right publishing house.

Finally, in April 2001, I attended an SCBWI conference at Davis, California, where I heard Reka Simenson, an editor from Henry Holt, speak. She discussed how she'd loved books since she was a child and what she looked for in books, and then she spoke about words. She said how much she loved words and how she looked for the use of words in a text, especially an unusual combination of words and the sound of the words. Then she read part of a manuscript that she'd just bought from a local author, actually a friend of mine. That's when I understood. Words. Of course, on the face of it, that doesn't help since what else do we writers send to editors but words? Still, I felt that I understood what she meant, and I knew I had the right manuscript for her.

After all I'd gone through marketing Gatos Black, I was getting shy about sending it out. I was afraid that Reka was my last chance but that she might reject it, too. So from April to December, I sent her some of my other manuscripts. None quite worked for her, but I had her attention.

So finally, in December 2001, I sent her Gatos Black. I waited for months without a response. About six months later, I e-mailed her to ask its status. She wrote back to say that she and the other editors loved the text, but they had to find an illustrator before she could offer a contract. I'd never heard of finding an artist before accepting the text, but she said she loved it, so I had a chance.

By coincidence, Yuyi Morales had attended the same conference and had sent Reka samples of her art. In December 2002, a year later, Reka notified me that they'd hired Yuyi, and they wanted to publish my book. But Yuyi was becoming quite popular, so she wouldn't be able to get to my book right away. As it turns out, I was lucky to get her then because now Yuyi is thinking about only illustrating her own books from now on. Gatos Black may be one of the last books she illustrates for someone else.

Gatos Black was scheduled for release in fall 2005. Yuyi really got into it and spent months working on the art, but it must have taken her longer than she expected because the book had to be put off one more year to fall 2006. So from spark to print, Gatos Black took seven years to bring to life.

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing it to life?

The biggest challenge in bringing Gatos Black to life was that in trying to sell it to a publisher; it had four strikes against it from the beginning.

The first is that it was written in rhyme. You hear often--certainly since I started writing, and it hasn't changed--that editors hate rhyming picture books, so you should never write rhyme.

Obviously, that's not true. Rhyming picture books are being published all the time. And many editors will admit that they love rhyme. However, I have one editor who loves poetry, but she really doesn't like picture books written in rhyme, and she doesn't accept them. So I never send rhyme to her. I found out later, that my editor, Reka Simenson, isn't that crazy about rhyme, but she loved the text of Gatos Black despite that and bought it. What most editors don't like is badly written rhyme. They also don't want forced rhyme, and they prefer rhyming text that tells a plotted story. That brings me to the second rule I broke.

The easiest picture book texts to sell to an editor are the ones that tell a plotted story. A "story" is basically a main character with a conflict that he or she resolves on his/her own by the end of the book and grows or changes from the experience. The "plot" is the path that takes the main character through to the end of the story.

In Gatos Black, I have no single main character, and technically, there is no real story. The monsters are the characters, but they don't really have a conflict or problem to resolve. As I mentioned above, there is a slight plot that takes the monsters to the parade, to the haunted mansion, and to the ball, where we get a surprise.

Despite the lack of conflict and resolution, the text works because the combination of rhythm, words, and images pulls the reader through to the end and makes them want to read it again. That's the best rule to getting a picture book published: Write a text that keeps the reader wanting to read it over and over. If a parent pays $16-$20 for a picture book, they want their child to get a lot of use out of it. The parent also loves a short text. They're the ones who have to read it over and over to the child, so they prefer it to be short. Gatos Black is short, and it's fun to read aloud.

The third strike against Gatos Black was that it is a seasonal (holiday) book. Since I wrote it, I've learned another rule to getting a picture book published: Avoid seasonal topics. That's not an editor's rule, it's a hard-knocks rule.

Writing seasonal books is fine for famous, prolific writers like Jane Yolen and Eve Bunting, but if a lesser known writer really wants to publish a picture book, he or she should at least start with something on a more general topic simply because it's easier to sell. It will also stay in print longer.

Actually, editors love seasonal and holiday books and are always looking for them. But there's only a three-month window within which to sell a seasonal book; then the booksellers take them off the shelves or maybe place them on a "seasonal" shelf, but don't really advertise them. Since it costs just as much to publish a seasonal book as it does a general book, editors have to be extra picky when selecting their seasonal books each year. They need to make sure the book will be strong enough to sell as many copies in three months as another book would sell all year. Maybe not exactly that many, but close. If the editor has something similar on their list, they're going to reject a seasonal book more quickly than if they had something similar that wasn't seasonal.

Gatos Black is a Halloween book, so I kept hearing that an editor had something similar or that Halloween books have a short shelf life so they have to be extra strong and (here comes the fourth strike) since my book is bilingual, it would be harder to market.

The fourth strike against Gatos Black is that it has a bilingual text--Spanish words blended in with the English.

You'd think that with the growing Hispanic population, a population that will soon be larger than the Anglo population in the US in a few years, publishers would be dying to publish bilingual books.

In the mid-1990s, when I first started trying to sell my bilingual manuscripts, I kept hearing editors tell me that bilingual books are too hard to market, that the only purchasers or readers would be Hispanics and Hispanics don't spend money on books (ouch!), and other unenlightened arguments.

However, while many publishers are finally coming around and publishing bilingual books, the booksellers, who are the main distributors are still not really on board. I've been told by booksellers in the high-income suburbs of Northern California, where I live, that their clientele doesn't buy bilingual books because it's a non-Hispanic clientele. So these booksellers have no great motivation to carry my books.

I get very frustrated because they're missing the point. I don't write these books for Hispanic children, I write them for all kids. That's why I choose universal themes that every kid can relate to. When English-only speaking kids are given a chance, they enjoy reading books with words that are foreign to them, but that they can learn. The good news is that all the booksellers I spoke to this summer had already ordered Gatos Black. Maybe things are changing...

What did Yuyi Morales's art bring to your text?

The main thing that Yuyi's art brought to my text was the unity it needed to make the story gel. First, it brought together all the monsters--the main characters of the story. Yuyi's first concern had been that she wanted the characters to be tied to one place somehow, preferably to the cemetery, so that they could all leave that area and march in a parade to the haunted house. My characters were sort of spread out all over the place (in the back of my mind, I realized that, but I'd hoped the illustrator would take care of it). There were some characters like the black cats, the pumpkins, and the witches, that didn't necessarily appear in cemeteries. We brainstormed about it, mostly Yuyi throwing out ideas.

Writers and illustrators don't usually do that, but Yuyi and I live near each other, and we're friends. At one point she suggested maybe switching the order of some of the verses, but I hoped that it wouldn't come to that. Once she figured out how to make it work, it worked beautifully. She arranged the black cats and the pumpkins in and around the cemetery in a very natural way. No one would ever question that black cats and pumpkins wouldn't belong in the cemetery Yuyi created.

Second, by using Mexican architecture for the buildings and traditional Mexican costumes for many of the characters, it ties in the Hispanic angle and gives it a definite Latin flavor that unifies my use of Spanish with the characters and the setting. Third, I love it when an illustrator adds a little subplot in the art. Look for the tiny black kitten that appears on each page—another way to unify the text.

Finally, Yuyi's art brings an eerie luminescence to the book. Her use of light against dark brings the characters to life and makes each page glow. It gives the scenes a three-dimensional quality, like the monsters are stepping out of the book. Thomas Kinkead, the "Painter of Light," step aside! A new Painter of Light is in town! And no one creates skeletons like Yuyi. I had already seen her skeletons when I heard that Yuyi was going to illustrate my book, and I was thrilled. So were the skeletons!

What advice do you have for beginning picture book writers?

Read 20-25 picture books a week till you've read 100. It's best to read what's new (the last 2-3 years), so I advise going to the children's section of a large bookstore and planting yourself for a couple of hours each week.

If you're really interested and determined to learn how to write a publishable picture book, it's worth the time and effort. Concentrate on reading the books by authors who do not also illustrate the book, and also concentrate on lesser known authors. The point is, you want to find out what editors are buying from new, less famous authors or complete unknowns, which is what beginners are. Also, the type of picture book that illustrators and famous authors (or celebrities) can get away with publishing may not be the type of book an unknown author can sell. Finally, while the classics are great to study, publishers of today are looking for different types of stories.

Either before or after reading these books, study my guide to writing a picture book, under "Lecture Notes" in the "Getting Published" section of my website. Once you've done that, sit down and write something that a publisher of today might buy. There's lots of general advice on writing and publishing in the "Getting Published" section of my website, which may be helpful to beginning writers.

How about those building a career?

Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Attend conferences, meet editors, take writing classes and workshops, join or start a critique group, and if at all possible, get yourself a mentor who is published in the genre of the things you write.

Mentors usually take on a writer for a specified time (3-6 months) and for a fee. It's like getting a one-on-one tutorial. I had two wonderful mentors, both mystery writers. Most of this advice is more for writers of longer works, like novels, but it works for any kind of writing.

You have an especially wonderful author website with many resources for beginning writers. Could highlight what's there?

There's something inherently giving in the personalities of people who become children's book writers. When I joined the SCBWI, I had never felt so welcomed, so much a part of a group of people, and so quickly and readily. Everyone was so welcoming, so willing to share information and to help me succeed. I never would have gotten as far as I have if it hadn't been for all the information and assistance I got from the SCBWI and its members.

So much giving makes you feel obligated to give back. The easiest way I saw to give back, to help beginning writers the way I was helped, was to include in my website some of the information on writing and publishing that I had learned after years of studying and research. I could reach the largest number of writers that way.

For that reason, my website has a section on "Getting Published." This section includes a section on "Getting Started," which covers what to do to get published and a section on "Writing Tips," which includes plotting, overcoming writer's block, writing suspense, and my philosophy on writing books for children. It also includes some of my lecture notes, on subjects like "getting motivated" and "writing a picture book."

I also have a section that lists interesting words and gives the definition of words that cause writer headaches, like the difference between "further" and "farther."

I include a nifty table that I've used for years to track my submissions. It can easily be copied and used as is or modified.

In addition to tips on writing and publishing, my website includes many helpful links to other websites on writing and publishing, a children's bookstore database that contains the names and addresses of children's bookstores all over the US, and a list of FAQ's and answers about my writing.

Finally, my website contains the text of some of my poems and stories, as well as my bio, information on my published books, including the stories behind the writing of some of the books, and information on my critiquing services.

What do you do when you're not writing?

In the summer, I enjoy exercising in my pool. Three times a week, I do two hours of physical therapy to keep my joints moving because I have rheumatoid arthritis. With so much sitting and typing at my computer, any type of exercise is a welcome break. Of course, I also read a lot. You can't be a writer and not a reader. And lately, I've renewed my love of languages, and I've been relearning my French by taking free lessons on the Internet and listening to the news on French radio and TV (also on the Net) several times a day. It's amazing how much educational material is on the Internet! Now that I've got most of my French back (I used to speak fluently as a child because we lived in France for three years), I'm starting on some Italian lessons through a BBC website.

Night is my relaxation time, so I watch TV on the ten-foot screen in our bedroom. It's my only vice. I always wanted a home theater, so 15 years ago, we bought a ceiling-mounted video projector and the biggest screen the room could handle, and we placed it in the bedroom, so I could be comfortable. When my husband isn't writing computer books in his free time, he joins me. This summer we discovered Netflix (summer reruns drove us to it), and when we're not watching a movie, we're watching TiVo. We just bought a second TiVo that records two things at once. We're both techno-maniacs.

What can your fans look forward to next?

I don't know yet. It could be a novel, it could be a picture book, or it could be a chapter book. I never know where inspiration will take me.

Cynsational Notes

Don't miss Illustrator Interview Yuyi Morales on Los Gatos Black on Halloween from Cynsations.

First American Indian Youth Literature Awards Announced

CHICAGO - The American Indian Library Association (AILA), an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to announce the first recipients of its American Indian Youth Literature Award. This new literary award was created as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians. Books selected to receive the award present Native Americans in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.

The award is presented in each of three categories-picture book, middle school, and young adult--and each winner receives $500 and a commemorative plaque, which will be presented during the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color's (JCLC) Children's Luncheon program in Dallas on October 13 at noon.

"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to honor authors and illustrators who best portray Native American culture for young readers," said Victor Schill, co-chair, AILA American Indian Youth Literature Award committee. "The rich literary heritage of this nation includes the oral and printed stories of its indigenous peoples. American Indian literature always has been and continues to be an integral part of our literary tapestry."

Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, illustrated by Sam Sandoval, and published by the University of Nebraska Press is the winner for the picture book category. Accompanied by rich watercolor illustrations, the text relates a culturally vital tale from the Salish people of Montana about the significance of the gift of fire and how it should be respected.

Louise Erdrich is the winner of the middle-school award for The Birchbark House, published by Hyperion Books for Children. Setting her book in the middle 19th century, Erdrich paints a detailed portrait of Ojibwa life through the experiences of 7-year-old Omakayas who lives on the Island of the Golden Breasted Woodpecker on Lake Superior. The Birchbark House was Erdrich's first novel for young readers, and the first book she has illustrated. She is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa and lives with her two daughters in Minnesota.

The young adult award is Hidden Roots by Joseph Bruchac and published by Scholastic Press. The book is set within the historical framework of the Vermont Eugencis Program, a Native American sterilization program in the 1930s, and tells the story of the haunting effects of this shameful and tragic deed on one of the Abenaki families victimized by it. Author of more than 70 books for adults and children, Bruchac is of Abenaki ancestry and is a nationally recognized professional storyteller living in Greenfield Center, New York.

To register to attend the presentation of the American Indian Youth Literature Award, please visit the JCLC Web site. Advance registration for the JCLC ends September 8, 2006.

In the near future an American Indian Youth Literature Award free downloadable bookmark and brochure will be made available on the AILA Web site.

Members of the American Indian Youth Literature Award are: Naomi Caldwell, co-chair, GSLIS, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I.; Victor L. Schill, co-chair, Harris County Public Library, Houston; Carlene Engstrom, D'Arcy McNickle Library, Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Mont.; and Gabriella Kaye, Mashantucket, Pequot Museum & Research Center, Mashantucket, Conn.

Author Interview: Sara Zarr on The Story of a Girl

Sara Zarr on Sara Zarr: "I grew up in San Francisco in the seventies, when lower-middle class people could actually afford to live there. I went to public school, played with kids in the neighborhood, and roamed all over the city with my sister, a bus pass, and little parental supervision!

"One of my favorite places was the public library. There's a branch on 9th Avenue that has this enormous children's room--almost a separate building, really--and I remember how empowering it was to fill out that little slip with a golf pencil.

"Around middle school we moved to Pacifica, a unique bedroom community of SF that is only twenty minutes away from the city but can feel like a different universe when you're a teen with no car.

"After surviving high school, I went to San Francisco State, got married, and had a couple of short careers before really focusing on writing. My husband and I live in Salt Lake City now, which is pretty different from the Bay Area but we love it. And it has great libraries! (The Salt Lake City Public Library was just named "Library of the Year" by Library Journal.) At any given time we've got twenty or thirty library books around the house."

What were you like as a young adult?

I had sort of a split personality in high school, as I'm sure a lot of people do. With my friends (who were mostly in the drama department), I was loud, brave, and funny--at least, I'm pretty sure I was funny. In unfamiliar surroundings or with kids who were above my social status as drama geek, I fell strangely silent and became self-conscious about everything I said/did/wore/thought and almost never took risks.

I'm pretty much the same way now, come to think of it! A total wallflower when I'm in a new or uncomfortable place, but with my friends I can get greedy for the spotlight.

What inspired you to begin writing for this audience?

I've always loved YA literature, from about age twelve right up to today. The author who really ignited my passion to write was Robert Cormier. My heart sort of stopped the first time I read The Chocolate War (1974)(excerpt), and I remember thinking yes, yes, this is how it is. Even if the situation in the story is extreme, there was that overwhelming "yes" in how I read it, that he nailed what it feels like to be in high school.

I know Cormier and that book especially continue to be controversial, but I was one of those readers who found solace in his unflinching look at the potential for evil, and the feeling of hopelessness that so often accompanies that transition from childhood into adulthood, the no-man's land adolescence can feel like. I think my first attempts at writing were responses to Cormier's books and the mood they put me in.

John Knowles' A Separate Peace had a similar effect on me, and I also loved ME Kerr, Norma Fox Mazer (author interview), Judy Blume (author interview)...all those pioneers of contemporary young adult fiction.

As I got older, I never lost my love for YA, and every story that emerged from my own mind featured characters in that strange place that adolescence is. Someone (I can't remember who) has said that childhood is like living in occupied territory. Adolescence is when you start to grope and grasp for your own piece of land outside of that, and the issues of identity that surround that are just ripe for stories.

I have to admit I'm not that conscious of my "audience." I think every adult still has their inner teenager to grapple with, and the things I write about usually correlate in some way to things I still go through now at thirty-five.

Could you tell us about your path to publication--any sprints or stumbles along the way?

Oh, yes. Many, many stumbles! I could write a book. If someone had told me when I started that this would be a decade-long journey before I even got to the starting line, I don't know if I could have persevered. (Usually it's for the best that we can't see the future!)

I started my first YA novel around 1995, and had a little sprint at the beginning when I landed a good agent with that manuscript. I expected it would take a few months to get going, and then I'd just sit back and watch the money roll in! It didn't exactly happen like that. We had some interest in the book, but nothing that worked out. The market was a lot different back then--YA was pretty tough to sell while picture books were doing great, but the truth is that book wasn't ready for publication.

Meanwhile, I wrote a second novel but was so overcome with fear and uncertainty at that time that I never showed it to my agent. In 2000, when we moved to Salt Lake, I started another book. My friend got me into a great writing group where I started to learn more about craft and took my writing more seriously. This breathed much needed new life into my dream. I finished the third novel, felt pretty excited about it, and sent it to my agent. This was December of 2001, I think. Six months passed. Still unsure of the author/agent dynamic, I didn't want to "bother" my agent and waited patiently for word. During this time, I started my fourth book.

Eventually, my patience wore out and my agent and I ended our relationship. Within weeks of that, I was laid off from my job. It was summer of 2002, and the economy was suffering the after effects of 9/11. I had no job, no agent, and no prospects. There was a dark month of the soul wherein I questioned whether I should keep writing--maybe it was time to get a real career and invest myself elsewhere. I registered for a week-long writing workshop that summer and decided that at the end of that week I would know if I should give up or keep going.

The twenty pages I brought to that workshop were the beginnings of what would eventually be Story of a Girl. The responses from my teacher (Robert Clark) and my classmates were enough to convince me that I should keep going, and gave me the boost I needed to finish the book.

In early 2003, I began my search for a new agent. I did get a quick response from one big agency, but they saw some problems and requested a revision before deciding. The notes they sent were very good and the suggestions sounded right, so I embarked on a major revision and sent it back in July, assuming the next I heard from them would be an enthusiastic "yes." While I waited, I submitted the revised book to the Utah Arts Council Original Writing Competition, which has a YA category every other year.

In September, still waiting to hear from the agency, I found out that Story of a Girl had taken first place in the UAC competition. This was another much needed validation that I wasn't fooling myself about my abilities, and also confirmation that this book, these characters, had something special. So when the big agency sent me a "we like it but we don't love it" rejection in January of 2004, the UAC prize kept me from falling too deeply into despair.

I chose to focus virtually all my energy in searching for an agent rather than a publisher, because I didn't just want to publish a book. I wanted a career, and I wanted a partner who would help me develop that career, someone who would be an ally and, ideally, a friend.

By mid-2004, I'm pretty sure my query letters started to sound a little desperate. I just didn't know why no one was biting---I had a good query letter and a prize-winning book, after all!

In October, I sent a query and some pages to Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. He was quick to respond, and I sent him the rest of the book. I had a good feeling based on our e-mail exchanges, but again months went by.

I registered for the SCBWI New York conference, which was in February 2005. I e-mailed Michael to let him know I'd be in town and I'd love to meet him in person if he wanted to get together to talk about the book. He agreed. When I walked into his office, I went in assuming he was on the fence about my book and that I had to win him over with my personality and somehow convince him, without seeming desperate, that he should sign me. The meeting went well, we hit it off, and when I got back to my hotel he had e-mailed me the agency agreements.

Michael had great instincts about the book. We did a revision together and in late April were ready to send it out. Things happened quickly, then---the first week of May, Jennifer Hunt at Little, Brown bought it in a two-book deal. Little, Brown has turned out to be the perfect place for me. I love working with Jennifer and everyone there, and Michael has turned out to be the perfect agent. So if that ten years was what it took for all the pieces to come together--the right book, the right agent, the right publisher and editor--then that's how it had to happen.

Congratulations on your upcoming debut novel, The Story of a Girl (Little Brown, January 2007)! What was your initial inspiration for writing this story?

When I finished my third book, there was a side character who sort of haunted me. Deanna was one of those characters you don't plan for who seems to walk onto the page one day out of nowhere. It wasn't just her--it was her and her brother and his pregnant girlfriend and their parents, who all seemed to have a story to tell.

A woman in my writing pointed out that there were some echoes of Carson McCullers' Member of the Wedding in Deanna's story, so I decided to explore that more--the ways we can fixate on a person or people who might save us from an existence that's challenging us more than we'd like. Also, I wanted to write about a character who, at 16, already feels like she has a past. Adolescence is supposed to be when you're moving towards a new beginning and getting ready to fly, but what if it felt more like you were already worn out and world-weary, that your whole future was more or less set?

What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing it to life?

Original drafts of the story were very different. Deanna's father had Gulf War Syndrome, and the central conflicts weren't well defined. Basically there were too many things going on, which meant that none of them had the power that they could or should. I needed to hone in on Deanna's longing for a certain kind of life, a certain kind of family, and focus on what was keeping her from that.

As for research, it didn't take much. I spent ages 11-18 living in Pacifica, and my memories of what it felt like to live there and the kinds of people I saw every day are still vivid. Like Deanna, I worked at a pizza place in a strip mall, and even though I felt pretty optimistic about my future, I saw how so many working people in a town like that can feel trapped or in a self-perpetuating rut. Or, like Tommy in the book, they're in a rut willingly and don't really see anything wrong with it.

In terms of the psychological challenges: the events in the book are not at all autobiographical, but central to the story is the way we're usually our own worst enemy, and I think that's something everyone has felt.

We can talk about YA books offering hope, and how kids need self-esteem, and there is this strong "believe in yourself" message that kids get from various quarters.

But what happens when you look to yourself and you see something you don't like--where is this self-esteem supposed to come from? I don't believe you can just manufacture belief in yourself, or hope, though the power of positive thinking.

With Deanna, I wanted to take her into herself and have her want to have hope, and want to do what's right, but come up against a wall the way that most of us do at some point in our lives. There had to be some external factors to help her out of the hole, because the truth is that sometimes we don't have the inner resources.

That's not to say that Deanna isn't strong, and that her inner strength doesn't help her at all, but ultimately it takes this little community of others to help her find what she's looking for.

During the writing of the book there were challenges going on in my own life that turned out to be remarkably similar to Deanna's. Telling her story became a way to help myself through that time. I missed the comfort of that when it was finished.

What advice do you have for beginning writers?

The usual: you have to write, you have to read. And think about the big picture. Right now, the YA market is hot and it seems like people are making deals left and right. If you spend a lot of time reading blogs and hearing publishing gossip, you can feel like the only one in the world without a multi-book deal in the works and it's easy to feel over the hill even if you're only 25 or 26. But if you get caught up so much in making the deal, you're going to forget (or never experience) the joy in the act of creation itself, and the magical moments when a character you didn't expect comes to you or a plot turn surprises you, or how it feels to see yourself making vast improvements in the simple process of revision.

In the current climate, my advice would be to slow down. Even though I wouldn't have chosen the ten-year plan for myself, now that I've lived it and have seen what it gave me, I wouldn't trade it in for faster success.

What are some of your favorite recent YA reads?

Mary E. Pearson's A Room on Lorelei Street (Henry Holt, 2005)(author interview)(recommendation) is an absolute gem---it explores some similar territory as Story of a Girl, and I love the quiet, poetic feel of it.

I loved Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler (Dutton, 2006)(co-authors interview).

E. Lockhart (author interview) has nailed some magical formula of fun, commercial fiction that is also true and good and moving. If she could bottle that, I'd buy.

Kirsten Smith's The Geography of Girlhood (Little Brown, 2006) is a novel in verse that made me cry, and I'm also crazy about A Different Kind of Heat by Antonio Pagliarulo (Delacorte, 2006) and Tara Altebrando's Pursuit of Happiness (MTV, 2006)(excerpt).

There are so many, many YA books to discover and love. The market is just overflowing with amazing writers.

What do you do when you're not reading or writing?

I love listening to music and discovering new music and live music. Being a novelist is well and good, but if I could pick my talent I'd be an awe-inspiring singer-songwriter. Either that or a filmmaker--I love movies and would go to one every day if I could afford to. My Netflix queue is a mile long. Cooking, blogging, and going out to lunch are also favorite pastimes.

What can your fans look forward to next?

If all goes according to plan, my next book with Little, Brown will be about childhood sweethearts who find each other again while in high school, only to discover that their lives have gone down drastically divergent paths in the intervening years.

"The Pre-Side of Writing with Cynthia Leitich Smith" from The Institute of Children's Literature

Join me for a chat on the "The Pre-side of Writing" via the Institute of Children's Literature.

Just send your questions to WebEditor@institutechildrenslit.com, and then join me on September 14 from: 9 to 11 p.m. Atlantic/Canada; 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern; 7 to 9 p.m. Central; 6 to 8 p.m. Mountain; or 5 to 7 p.m. Pacific. Log in here!

Need help? See "I Want to Chat: Tell Me How" by Jan Fields from the Institute of Children's Literature.

Reich, Colón honored with Tomás Rivera Children’s Book Award

SAN MARCOS, TX--Coming from humble beginnings in Mexico, José Limón's rise as one of the most influential choreographers in American dance history is chronicled brilliantly in José! Born to Dance: The Story of José Limón, by Susanna Reich and illustrated by Raúl Colón (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, 2005)(excerpt).

For their efforts in presenting Limón's inspirational story, José! Born to Dance has been honored with the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award for books published in 2005. The award, established at Texas State University-San Marcos in 1995, is designed to encourage authors, illustrators and publishers to produce books that authentically reflect the lives of Mexican American children and young adults in the United States.

The award will be presented to Reich and Colón by Texas State President Denise Trauth Sept. 7 during a luncheon celebration at Sylvan Rodríguez, Jr., Elementary School in Houston. Program participants include Rivera's brothers, Antonio Rivera and Henry Rivera, as well as his daughter Ileana Liberatore. Following the awards presentation, the author and illustrator are scheduled to put on a presentation and reading for school children in the library.

A wine and cheese reception in honor of Reich and Colón will be hosted from 6 to 8 p.m. by the Greater Houston Convention and Visitor's Bureau inside City Hall. There will be a book sale and signing as well as an ongoing presentation of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award documentary. Event sponsors include Los Cucos Restaurant, Continental Airlines, La Quinta and H-E-B Grocery.

In addition to José! Born to Dance, Reich has written two other children's books: Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso (Clarion, 1999) and Penelope Bailey Takes the Stage (Marshall Cavendish, 2006). A native New Yorker, she currently lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

José! Born to Dance marks the second Tomás Rivera Award for Colón, who was so honored in 1997 for his illustration work on Pat Mora's Tomás and the Library Lady (Knopf, 1997). An acclaimed artist outside of children's books, his work has appeared in such venues as The New Yorker, Time, and the Wall Street Journal.

About the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award

Texas State developed the Tomás Rivera award to congratulate and acknowledge authors and illustrators dedicated to depicting the values and culture of Mexican Americans. The award was initially endowed by Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Rivera, who died in 1984, graduated from Texas State with both his bachelor's and master's degrees before receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. A Distinguished Alumnus of Texas State, Rivera published his landmark novel in 1971 titled ...y no se lo tragó la tierra/ ...And the Earth Did Not Part. In 1979, Rivera was appointed chancellor of the University of California, Riverside, the first Hispanic chancellor named to the University of California system.

Cynsational News & Links

The Children's Africana Book Awards: "presented annually to the authors and illustrators of the best children's books on Africa published or republished in the U.S." Established by the African Studies Association (ASA). See 2007 nomination process. Note: I saw a heads-up on the new nominations at A Fuse #8 Production.

Jennifer Armstrong Publicity Etc.: a debut author blog. Jennifer's latest book is The American Story, illustrated by Roger Roth (Knopf, 2006). Visit Jennifer's main site to learn more, and see a recent recommendation of The American Story by Chris Barton at Bartography.

The Authors Guild has relocated. The phone number and email address remain unchanged. The new snail mail address is: Authors Guild, 31 E. 32nd St., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10016. Note: I recommend joining the guild to those writers who are eligible for membership.

Badgerdog Literary Publishing, Inc.: Austin organization follows a two-fold mission that seeks to serve both professional creative writers and young writers in grades 3-12. In short, Badgerdog was created to publish and to teach. Noteworthy aspects include: relaunching "American Short Fiction;" work on writing with school students; and sponsoring creative writing camps.

Take a sneak peek at the cover art for Your Kind of Mommy by Marjorie Blain Parker, illustrated by Cyd Moore (Dutton, March 2007).

Heather Brewer: official site of the author of Eighth Grade Bites, the first book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series (Dutton/Penguin, August 2007)(excerpt). Learn more about Heather and her book and contests & free stuff. Then visit Heather's blog, Bleeding Ink.

Lost Loves: It All Adds Up for Teen Author John Green: an interview by Linda M. Castellitto from BookPage. Of his days on the Booklist staff, he says: "I got the chance to review a lot of books, and it made a huge difference in my . . . writing life and reading life." John's latest book is An Abundance of Katherines (Dutton).

Bringing Asha Home by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Jamil Akib (Lee & Low, 2006): a recommendation by Josephine Bridges from The Asian Reporter. Read a Cynsations interview with Uma.

Congratulations to the following novelists on their September 2006 hardcover releases: Kimberly Willis Holt, author of Part of Me (Henry Holt)(excerpt)(author interview)(a movie intro on Kimberly's website); Amy Goldman Koss, author of Side Effects (Roaring Brook)(a recommendation from bookfurious); E. Lockhart, author of The Boy Book (Delacorte)(excerpt)(LJ); Robin Merrow MacCready, author of Buried (Dutton)(an interview from TeensReadToo); Laura Ruby, author of Good Girls (HarperTempest)(author interview)(a recommendation from bookshelves of doom); and Laurie Faria Stolarz, author of Bleed (Hyperion)(author interview).

Congratulations to the following novelists on their September 2006 paperback releases:Cecil Castellucci, author of Boy Proof (Candlewick)(excerpt)(author interview)(LJ); E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List (Delacorte)(author interview)(recommendation).

"Embrace the Conflict" by Jan Fields from the Institute of Children's Literature. In part, she says, "What conflict means is struggle. Conflict occurs when needs are thwarted."

A Day in the Life with Jennifer L. Holm from Random House. Big fun! See inside Jenni's writing life and times, including her kitty, office, and Babymousetastic bike! Don't miss the photo of her in that heavenly pink dress in the sidebar. Learn more about Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm (Random House, 2006).

Manuscript Formatting for Beginners by Kent Brewster from Speculations: For Writers Who Want to be Read.

Rising Star: Pija Lindenbaum by April Spisak from the Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books. Spisak writes: "Lindenbaum believes that her child audience can have an ironic sensibility and a sense of humor that can accommodate both the expected and the offbeat..."

Author-illustrator Annette Simon reports she was pleasantly surprised to find her Mocking Birdies (Simply Read Books, 2005)(recommended) as "product placement" in the Stanton Large Wire Basket at Pottery Barn Kids. She also notes that An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long (Chronicle, 2006)(author-illustrator interview) is featured in the Catalina Magazine Rack.

TeensReadToo.com: "Book reviews, author interviews, spotlight pages, contests, an up-to-date book release calendar, and the world's largest young adult/teen author directory." Author interview highlights include: Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler; Barbara Dee; Gail Giles; K.L. Going; Brent Hartinger; David LaRochelle; Wendy Mass; Donna Jo Napoli; Laura Ruby; Tanya Lee Stone; and JoAnne Whittemore. Authors should see promotional opportunities related to the site.

Meet Tony DiTerlizzi, Caldecott Honor recipient and co-creator (with Holly Black) of The Spiderwick Chronicles, from BookPage. Tony's latest is G is for Gzonk! (Simon & Schuster).

Writers and Depression by Nancy Etchemendy from the Horror Writers Association. Nancy observes, "The courage it takes to deal with rejections and keep going may fail us at times. Without courage, we become fair game for depression." Nancy's books include Cat in Glass and Other Tales of the Unnatural (Front Street, 2002) and The Power of Un (Front Street, 2000). Note: this link is featured periodically; take care of yourselves and each other.

Writing Picture Books by Marisa Montes. Includes tips and diagram.