Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Back to School with Author Claudia Mills + Giveaway

Dear Friends,

Over the next month, I'll be sharing books by several of my good friends, authors you've met on my blog, but THIS time the books are about school life in different genres--picture books with Kay Winters; early readers with Jamie Michalak; historical fiction with Joye Moyer Hostetter; and first up is my dear friend and poetry buddy, Author Claudia Mills, who shares wonderful memories of her own school days and writing her own school series: "Franklin School Friends"

Each author is generously donating a book for the comment contest and since school is the theme, we'd love to have you share a school memory with us. Of course, we're delighted just to have you drop by to say hello! Please do! The welcome mat is out and the light is on!



Back to School By Claudia Mills

Nerdy confession: I have always loved school.

I loved school before I ever went to school, as I sat watching “Romper Room” on my family’s black-and-white TV. Once I finally had the chance to go there, I adored real school even more. I still remember my favorite chapter of Dick-and-Jane, the one where Sally gets closed up in the big umbrella: “Oh! Oh! Funny Sally!”

I literally crossed off the days of summer vacation till school would begin again on the Tuesday after Labor Day. My fanatically frugal mother allowed only one splurge throughout our entire childhood: she was willing to spend lavishly on school supplies. What joy to heap the shopping cart with binders, notebook paper, “reinforcements” for the notebook paper holes, a special pencil box that had a map of the world on the lid. An elementary school teacher herself, she knew how to make school – and schoolwork – fun for us. Major projects called for the ceremonial setting up of the card table in a corner of the living room. How happily my sister sat there assembling her elaborate report on Uruguay, as I wrote a three-act play about Revolutionary War patriot Thomas Paine.

So now – surprise, surprise – I specialize in writing school stories. What I love most about school as a setting for fiction – besides my undying passion for school itself – is that school is an environment that puts kids in contact with people who are different from them in various, intriguing ways. Boys who would choose only to associate with fellow boys are seated next to girls, and vice versa. Kids whose lives revolve around reading find out how much they have in common with kids who are wild about sports. Teachers provide an adult presence contrasting with that of parents. A wider world opens.

As I write my books, I do have to remember – well, try to remember – that many of my young readers are not as smitten with school as I am and don’t faint with joy at the thought of the next school project. And yet . . . and yet . . . oh, school projects are such fun to write about! I’ve borrowed shamelessly from my sons’ elementary school experiences to build stories around the “biography tea” (Being Teddy Roosevelt), the third-grade space sleepover (How Oliver Olson Changed the World), a Civil War diary assignment (The Totally Made-Up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish), an Oregon Trail journal assignment (The Trouble with Babies), and too many science fairs to mention.

My most recent series, “Franklin School Friends,” has let me luxuriate in the world of school over a series of five titles: Kelsey Green, Reading Queen; Annika Riz, Math Whiz; Izzy Barr, Running Star; Simon Ellis, Spelling Bee Champ; and Cody Harmon, King of Pets. (The break in the pattern of rhyming titles occurred when the series grew beyond the original three titles, in which Simon and Cody had already been given names that lacked rhyming potential.) I had the chance to write about a reading contest, PTA fundraising carnival, track-and-field day, spelling bee, and third grade pet show. Bliss!

I know it’s a bit weird to love school as much as I do. My own favorite character in the series is the Franklin School principal, Mr. Boone, whose chief character trait is his boundless enthusiasm for every single school activity. He promises to shave his big, bushy beard at the end of the reading contest, cheerfully enters the dunking tank a few dozen times at the school carnival, sprains his ankle bouncing on hoppy balls on field day, hosts a pie buffet for the spelling bee winners (featuring his famous honey pie – recipe included), and wears an elephant costume to school on pet show day. Finally, I have a character who unabashedly joins me in loving school deeply, fully, with all his whole heart. And I hope that maybe, just maybe, his enthusiasm for school, and mine, will prove contagious to young readers as well.

Honors and Awards for Franklin School Friends

Cody Harmon, King of Pets, illustrated by Rob Shepperson (Margaret Ferguson Books/FSG 2016). Junior Library Guild Selection; starred review in Kirkus, Amazon Pick of the Month June 2016.
Simon Ellis, Spelling Bee Champ, illustrated by Rob Shepperson (Margaret Ferguson Books/FSG 2015). Junior Library Guild Selection.
Izzy Barr, Running, Star, illustrated by Rob Shepperson (Margaret Ferguson Books/FSG 2015). Junior Library Guild selection.
Annika Riz, Math Whiz, illustrated by Rob Shepperson (Margaret Ferguson Books/FSG, 2014). Junior Library Guild selection; Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year
Kelsey Green, Reading Queen, illustrated by Rob Shepperson (Margaret Ferguson Books/FSG 2013). Junior Library Guild selection, Cybil Award finalist for early chapter books, (Washington D.C. ) Capitol Choice book, nominated for the Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award, the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award, the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, and the Land of Enchantment (New Mexico) Book Award; translated into Korean and Chinese.



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Claudia Mills holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University and an M.L.S. degree (with a concentration in children’s literature) from the University of Maryland and is Associate Professor Emerita of Philosophy at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The author of almost 60 books for young readers, most recently Write This Down (Farrar) and The Trouble with Babies (Knopf), she has also published scholarly articles on Laura Ingalls Wilder, Louisa May Alcott, Maud Hart Lovelace, Betty MacDonald, Rosamond du Jardin, and Eleanor Estes. Her recent edited collection, Ethics and Children’s Literature (2014, Ashgate), won the Best Edited Book Award from the Children’s Literature Association. Her children’s books have been named Notable Books of the Year by the American Library Association and Best Books of the Year by the Bank Street College of Education, translated into half a dozen languages, and nominated for scores of state readers’ choice awards. A mother of two grown sons, and now “Mimsie” to two young granddaughters, she has written all her books between 5 and 7 in the morning, while drinking Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

Didn't Claudia's "Back to School" memories warm your heart and call to mind a few good memories of your own? We hope you had some happy times!

Claudia is donating a copy of one of her titles in the "Franklin School Friends" series. All you have to do for a chance to win a personalized book is to leave a comment! The winner gets to pick which title in the series he or she would like. I'll be back next week to announce the lucky winner!

20 comments:

  1. I'd love a book for my granddaughter. Thanks for the opportunity to win. Looks like a great series!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Carol! Your name is entered for a chance to win a Franklin School Friends book for your granddaughter.

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  2. School was interesting for me. Through no fault of my own I lost two years of school. My mom home schooled me for a while and then I was privately tutored before entering a *regular* school. I was spoiled by the one-on-one attention so regular school wasn't something I particularly enjoyed. By the time I graduated (I was 12 days shy of turning 20) I was sick of school!

    My sister, on the other hand, was very like Claudia, she LOVED school and thrived. Her books sound delightful!

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    1. So sorry that school was topsy-turvy for you, Bish. It's understandable that your experience would be different after the special attention from your mom and a tutor. All's well that ends well! And now you're an author, too!

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    2. Forgot to tell you, Bish, that your names is entered for a chance to win one of Claudia's books!

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    3. Bish, I have many friends with home-schooled kids who adore the freedom and flexibility of being able to follow their own interests and passions without having to fit themselves into any official mold. In fact, I'm toying with the idea of writing a home-school series. :)

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  3. I loved school, too. Couldn't wait for summer to end (but I didn't like to admit that to my friends). And I love this series.

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    1. I loved the first week of school, Laurie! :-) Claudia sure has a special talent for school stories and humor, doesn't she?

      Your name is entered for a chance to win one of Claudia's books!

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    2. Laurie, it does seem that writers I know are either people who loved school or hated it, with little in-between. Your wonderful historical fiction shows that you certainly grew up loving doing the school-like activity of research!

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  4. What a great post, Clara. Claudia's school memories triggered a few of my own. I also loved school and couldn't wait for it to start each year. I'd forgotten all about reinforcements for loose leaf paper until I read this today.
    One memory was switching schools after we moved. I was the new girl in 6th grade, but the other girls made me feel welcome, and I'm still in touch with a few of them. In fact, I saw two at my high school class reunion this weekend.

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    1. Thanks for sharing school memories, Donna! How wonderful that your classmates were so welcoming. I share that same experience as a new girl in 5th grade.

      Your name is entered for a chance to win one of Claudia's books!

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    2. Thanks for posting, Donna. A dear friend from first grade (on through high school) is coming to visit me next week! In third grade I had an army, where I was General Mills (of course), and she (its only other member) was a private....

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  5. I first found Laura Ingalls Wilder's books at school, and those piqued my interest in history so much more than history class did. And now I write about history.
    Great post!

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    1. Laura Ingalls Wilder's books were a big influence for my writing, too, Kathy. And I found the first one--Little House in the Big Woods--in my 4th grade classroom and then my sisters and I wanted to read all of them. And we did!

      Thanks for stopping by to share a memory, Kathy.Your name is entered for a chance to win one of Claudia's books.

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    2. Yay for Laura Ingalls Wilder! Have you visited any of the Wilder sites? One of the greatest joys of my life was touring De Smet, SD (Little Town on the Prairie) as well as seeing Pa's fiddle in the museum next to Laura's adult home in Mansfield, MO.

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    3. I have been to DeSmet and visited the surveyors house, saw Mary's Braille book, and went to the cemetery there. Haven't made it to Mansfield yet.

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  6. That looks like a fun series to introduce to my students!

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    1. Your students will love Claudia's books, Jana!

      Your name is entered for a chance to win one of the titles in the "Franklin School Friends" series. Thanks for stopping by.

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  7. Romper Room........one of my favorite shows when I was small. Thank you for your school memories and for writing books that our kids can relate to. I want them for my 8th graders!

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    1. Romper room--who didn't love that first glimpse of school? Thanks for stopping by, Tracey, to share a memory with us.

      Your name is entered for a chance to win one of the titles in the "Franklin School Friends" series.

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