Wednesday, January 22, 2020

LUCKY WINNER of ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING

Dear Friends, 

Thanks for all the wonderful comments for Laurie Calkhoven and her new book ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING! You're the best! The lucky winner of the Laurie's new book is: CAROL NELSON. Congratulations, Carol! I'm sure your grandson will be excited to receive an autographed copy!


Advance praise for ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING. “Broad humor lightens the load of this lesson, and nuanced friendships enrich it.”―Kirkus Reviews

Laurie Calkhoven has never swallowed a frog, knocked over a rabbit hutch, or sung too loud in music class, but she is the author of more than 50 books for young readers. Recent titles include the G.I. Dog series, and You Should Meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

To book a school visit or to learn more about Laurie, her books, and her workshops for writers visit her website:  www.lauriecalkhoven.com

Laurie is also ongoing faculty at Highlights Foundation: Writing Early Readers and Transitional Chapter Books 
___________________________________________________

I'm happily busy on a lot of different projects, so the next blog post will be coming in the spring. See you then!

 ~Clara




Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Book Birthday + Giveaway with Author Laurie Calkhoven

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year to all of you and a Happy Book Birthday to my good friend, Laurie Calkhoven. I'm so pleased to share her newest title, released on January 1, 2020. The book is a perfect pick for readers aged 7-11 (Grades 2-5). If you have a favorite youngster in this age group or you're interested in writing transitional chapter books, be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win the autographed copy (generously donated by Laurie) of Roosevelt Banks, Good-Kid-in-Training. Of course, we'll be thrilled if you stop by to leave a comment for the Book Birthday celebration! Read on. . .

The Trouble with Being Good by Laurie Calkhoven

“It’s totally not fair that most of the fun things in the world are the very same things that will get a kid in trouble.”

And there you have it – Roosevelt Banks predicament in Roosevelt Banks, Good-Kid-in-Training. Early in the novel, after burping during quiet reading time, pretending that he had split his pants during recess, and lurching around like a zombie in the school cafeteria, the fourth-grader learns that his two best friends are going on a bike and camping trip without him. It’s not that they want to leave him out, but Roosevelt doesn’t have a bike.

And that begins the campaign for a new bicycle. First Roosevelt has to bring his parents around to the idea. Then he has to achieve the unachievable—be good for two whole weeks to earn that new bike. That’s nearly impossible when another prankster is trying to weasel his way into Roosevelt’s spot on the trip.

Trying to show his friends that he’s still a fun guy while staying out of trouble leads to all kinds of misadventures – boogers on statues, barfing frogs, and even escaping rabbits. And along the way Roosevelt discovers that being a good friend is way more important than any bicycle.



The idea for this story came to me during a school visit, when I was trying to explain to a group of young writers why conflict was so important in a story. It wasn’t long before a character named Roosevelt popped up in a morning meditation to say, “Hey, I want a bike!” He told me all about his presidential family (his parents are history professors, his sister is named Kennedy, and his dog answers to Millard Filmore), and why that bike was so important.

Illustrator Debbie Palen brought a lot of joy and humor to the text. And funny—Roosevelt looks almost exactly the way I pictured him.



Laurie Calkhoven has never swallowed a frog, knocked over a rabbit hutch, or sung too loud in music class, but she is the author of more than 50 books for young readers. Recent titles include the G.I. Dog series, and You Should Meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

To book a school visit or to learn more about Laurie, her books, and her workshops for writers visit her website:  www.lauriecalkhoven.com

Laurie is also ongoing faculty at Highlights Foundation: Writing Early Readers and Transitional Chapter Books 




Advance praise for ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING


“Broad humor lightens the load of this lesson, and nuanced friendships enrich it.”―Kirkus Reviews







I'll be back in a week to announce the winner of ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING. 

Thanks so much for supporting authors and good books!

Happy New Year!
~Clara





Friday, December 13, 2019

Lucky Winner of WHEN A TREE GROWS by Cathy Ballou Mealey

Dear friends,

Thank you, each and everyone, who left a comment for Cathy about her post and her debut picture book, When a Tree Grows. Usually, I pop in to respond to each comment, but Cathy did such a terrific job of personally writing to each one that I decided to simply write a thank you here. THANK YOU! I was impressed by how each of you wrote about something that spoke to you in the post or from the book. They were the best sort of comments ever. So Thank You again, and thank you, Cathy, for your "gold nugget" post and for your generosity in giving a book for the comment contest.

The LUCKY WINNER of When a Tree Grows:
***Congratulations, Kim Parfitt*** 
(Kim, Please email me with your mailing address and to whom you'd like the book personalized: claragillowclark(at)gmail(dot)com)


WHEN A TREE GROWS is a rollicking read-aloud that follows a zany chain of events triggered by a broken tree, a cranky Bear, a nut-loving Squirrel and his loyal friend Moose. 


Debut author Cathy Ballou Mealey lives with her family north of Boston, where she delights in watching silly squirrel antics and is waiting patiently for a moose to appear. Her favorite nut is the hazelnut and her favorite cupcake is cardamom crème. 

Twitter and Instagram:  @catballoumealey





Be sure to watch for Cathy's forthcoming picture book, PICKLE PACKERS, illustrated by Kelly Collier and published by Kids Can Press in 2021. PICKLE PACKERS is the story of a peppy Squirrel who wants to buy a bicycle so he and his best friend Sloth can go FAST! Sounds like more rollicking good fun coming our way, doesn't it? 

Wishing you all peace and joy this holiday season. I'll be back in the New Year!

~Clara

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

When A Tree Grows by Cathy Ballou Mealey + #Giveaway

Dear Friends,

Please welcome the delightful debut author Cathy Ballou Mealey and read about her process and inspiration for her picture book, When a Tree Grows. 

Cathy is generously donating an autographed copy for the #CommentContest. Since the holiday season is already in full swing, the winner will be announced this Friday, December 13, and with a little help from Santa the book may arrive in time for Christmas. So read on and leave a comment for Cathy about her golden nuggets and how you might find your own.




Writing from the Inside Out. . . by Cathy Ballou Mealey

Without a doubt, the question I am asked most often is, “Where do you get your ideas for stories?” Finding a new story idea is like uncovering a nugget of gold while weeding the garden or wading at the pond. How I savor the initial thrill of discovery! But making the nugget truly valuable will require additional effort and perseverance. I must buckle down to polish, shape and shine that nugget into a design to delight the eye and touch the heart.
  
But how will you find your own golden nugget?

For me, inspiration typically strikes outdoors when observing animal behavior, the movement of water, or seasonal changes in plants and trees. WHEN A TREE GROWS was sparked by a distant creaky ‘Crash!’ that I heard while hiking with my family. It caused me to wonder what might have happened if that crash had scared a bear or frightened a deer? You might discover your nugget on a playground, at a sporting event, or in a museum.

Next, examine your nugget carefully!

Have you found gold or just iron pyrite, also called fool’s gold? Sadly, most of the nuggets I find are not pure gold. How can I tell? I carry them around for a bit and look at them from many angles. I mull them over while showering or before I fall asleep. It may be real gold if plot outlines and characters begin to solidify and expand. When I can’t resist the urge to jot down ideas for a pitch or irresistible first line, that’s proof!
  
Finally, how do you polish your nugget?

Polishing is a three part process: mentor texts, critique partners and time! I look for mentor texts in recently published books or classic stories with interesting structures. One-Dog Canoe (Casanova and Hoyt) was the mentor text that boosted my story structure in WHEN A TREE GROWS because of its hilarious ‘what could happen next?’ twists on each page turn. I rely on my critique partners for honest feedback and thoughtful questions that inspire me to revise for clarity, emotional resonance and humor. And the final factor, time away from the story, is invaluable for developing fresh, well-rested eyes that can polish word choice or character traits to an irresistible gleam.


Debut author Cathy Ballou Mealey lives with her family north of Boston, where she delights in watching silly squirrel antics and is waiting patiently for a moose to appear. Her favorite nut is the hazelnut and her favorite cupcake is cardamom crème. 

Twitter and Instagram:  @catballoumealey








WHEN A TREE GROWS is a rollicking read-aloud that follows a zany chain of events triggered by a broken tree, a cranky Bear, a nut-loving Squirrel and his loyal friend Moose. 

Kirkus Review:  A bonanza of possibilities opens up for Moose, Bear, and Squirrel, three forest companions. There are two outcomes, one unremarkable and the other outlandish, for each of many causes, starting with the first page of the story. "When a tree grows," it can become either a "scratching post for Moose's itchy antlers," or it can crash and fall, waking up Bear, who can do one of two things.  Laugh along as a story about a tree in the forest comes full circle, bringing three creatures along for a bumpy but fun ride.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Review:  There are obvious parallels to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and this book similarly amps up the goofiness as Moose and Bear’s encounter leads to Squirrel catching a ride to the big city and becoming a movie star. The layout smoothly guides viewers along, with a trompe-l’oeil lifted page corner bearing the legend “Or...”  tempting youngsters to turn the page. Fans of the antics of the aforementioned mouse (and that series’ moose counterpart) will delight in these forest animals’ increasingly kooky adventures.

I am so excited about my next book, PICKLE PACKERS, which will be illustrated by Kelly Collier and published by Kids Can Press in 2021.  PICKLE PACKERS is the story of a peppy Squirrel who wants to buy a bicycle so he and his best friend Sloth can go FAST!



Thank you, dear friends and book lovers, for stopping by to join Cathy and friends--Bear and Moose. I don't know about you, but I'm eager to turn those pages and find out where that OR. . . in the bottom righthand corner takes me! 

Be sure to visit Cathy's website to learn more about her and her books:  https://cathyballoumealey.wordpress.com/about/ 

By the way, if you spread the word on Twitter and FB you'll get more chances to win the autographed copy of When A Tree Grow. 

Holly Jolly!

~Clara


Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Announcing the LUCKY WINNER of DADDY CAN YOU SEE THE MOON?

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments about Gayle's beautiful post for Veteran's Day, honoring military families. If you weren't the lucky winner today, we hope you'll purchase a copy of Gayle's book as a gift for a special youngster in your life.

Thank you, Gayle, for your generosity in giving away a personalized copy of Daddy, Can You See The Moon?

                           The LUCKY WINNER IS: Kathy Cannon Wiechman

***CONGRATULATIONS***   
(Please email me with your mailing address and to whom you'd like the book personalized)
Thanks, Kathy, for your great support.




This book explores an incredibly difficult and painful topic with exquisite grace. The emotional resonance is palpable. The voices are strong, and the relationships are beautiful and complex. Thank you, Gayle, for having the courage to tackle such an important and challenging topic. I highly recommend this book.
Lauren Kerstein LCSW, P.C.














Learn more about Gayle and her books: www.gayleckrause.com


I'll be back in one month for a picture book giveaway in time for the Holiday Season! 

~Clara

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Honoring Veterans and their families with Author Gayle C. Krause

Dear Friends,

For Veteran's day we have a very special post to honor Veterans and their families. Please welcome our good friend, Gayle C. Krause, and read her beautifully written post about military families and learn about her poignant picture book, Daddy, Can You See The Moon? Gayle is generously donating a copy of her book for the #CommentContest. Winner to be announced in one week on Veteran's Day. Read on. . .

Writing from the Inside Out. . . by Gayle C. Krause


With Veterans Day coming up, the whole country celebrates the courage, bravery, and sacrifices of our soldiers. But in DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON? I hope to make readers aware of the sacrifice of our military children
Nearly two million children have parents currently serving, and that number doubles when you include the children of veterans post 9/11. They’ve had to say goodbye to their parents multiple times during what has been the largest sustained deployment in the history of our all-volunteer force.
Military children live in every zip code of our country and on military posts and bases across the globe. They have learned the true meaning of sacrifice and appreciate the expensive price of freedom. Our safety depends on their parents, but their everyday lives are mostly invisible to the general public.
On average, military children move and change schools eight times from the start of kindergarten to high school graduation. As quickly as orders come through they must pick up, pack up, and say goodbye to friends. With each move, military children must cope with the stress of making new friends, adapting to a new school environment at awkward times, and figuring out how to fit in once again.
I hope DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON? helps civilian children understand and appreciate the child of a soldier/sailor, who may be sitting next to them in class. Recently, at a book festival, I had two adult brothers read the book cover to cover, and another man, did the same and “thanked” me for writing this story. 
Written in rhyme, the lyrical couplets make the serious subject easy to read. Please take a moment to appreciate the military child and understand that your freedoms are based on their sacrifices. 
And I’d like you to know that 10% of the royalties from this book are being donated to OUR MILITARY KIDS, https://www.ourmilitarykids.org
Clara has asked me to include a writing tip and for this book, I’d say EMOTION is the key. Experts say “show, don’t tell.” Here are some examples to show that emotion.

I could say that the boy and his siblings miss their dad and it’s hard for them to carry on without him. But the military child understands that to be the child of a soldier means that they’re expected to deal with the hardships of missing a parent. I sum it up in this couplet:

“It’s six full moons since Dad’s been gone, 
but Mom and me, we soldier on.”

And since the soldier dad told his son to look at the moon each night before he goes to bed and know that he will be looking at it too, they would still be connected. But when the dad comes home a wounded warrior, the simple emotion in the child’s question as he looks at the moon alone, sums up his fear.

That night as I lay in my bed,
I think about what Daddy said.
“Daddy…can you see the moon,
marching in a dream platoon?”

Maybe if I stare real hard, 
the moon will stand to be your guard 
and watch you in your healing sleep 
so we can have you back to keep.

So, I hope you all ask your library to order DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON? or you may even win a copy by leaving a comment below. You can follow my writing journey at www.gayleckrause.com

Gayle C. Krause is a PAL member of SCBWI, 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, and a past member of the Poet’s Garage. She’s served on Angie Karcher’s Rhyming Revolution Selection Committee, choosing the “best” rhyming picture book for 2015 to 2018. A Master educator, she’s taught Children’s Literature to prospective teachers. Ms. Krause writes fiction for Young Adult, Middle Grade, and young children. Rebecca Angus of Golden Wheat Literary represents her. 

Thank you, Clara, for allowing me to share such an important picture book with your readers. 


This book explores an incredibly difficult and painful topic with exquisite grace. The emotional resonance is palpable. The voices are strong, and the relationships are beautiful and complex. Thank you, Gayle, for having the courage to tackle such an important and challenging topic. I highly recommend this book.

Lauren Kerstein LCSW, P.C.






Thank you, Gayle, for sharing your beautiful story with us and for honoring Veterans and their families. 

Thank you, dear readers, for leaving a comment for Gayle about her post. I know many of you are military families, and Gayle's book would be a perfect gift for a youngster in your life who may be counting the days until a mother or father comes home. 

Be sure to visit Gayle here: www.gayleckrause.com

~Clara

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

LUCKY WINNER OF FRANK and BEAN + News

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for all the great comments on last week's post by Jamie Michalak about her great new duo, Frank and Bean. I think we all agree that Jamie's tasty ingredients for writing early readers was a delightful recipe with invaluable insights about writing for young readers. 

Please don't forget to visit Jamie's website to learn more about her books, author visits, a FREE activity guide for classrooms using the Joe and Sparky series, and much more! Check it all out here: www.jamiemichalak.com


Praise for FRANK AND BEAN:
(Candlewick Press, Pub date: October 8, 2019)

A 2019 Junior Library Guild Selection
An Amazon Best Book of the Month

"A hilarious tale of hot dog meets bean....The Bert-and-Ernie–esque odd-couple pairing results in countless laugh-out-loud exchanges. --Kirkus


Without further ado, the winner of FRANK and BEAN is: 
***Cathy Ballou Mealey***
Congratulations, Cathy!
You'll hear from me and Jamie very soon. 

Thank you, Jamie, for another great book and another very special post! Thank you, dear readers, for your support of great books and wonderful authors!

I'll be back early November with a rhyming picture book. Stay tuned!

Happy Reading!
~Clara