tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8976671578656869652024-03-14T12:06:12.664-07:00Clara Gillow ClarkWriting from the Inside Out. . .Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-30808352490973212182020-01-22T05:56:00.002-08:002020-01-22T05:56:15.051-08:00LUCKY WINNER of ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Friends, </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for all the wonderful comments for Laurie Calkhoven and her new book <b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING</i></b>! 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!</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Advance praise for <i>ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING. </i></span></b></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">“Broad humor lightens the load of this lesson, and nuanced friendships enrich it.”―</span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Kirkus Reviews</i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Laurie Calkhoven </b>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 <i>G.I. Dog </i>series, and <i>You Should Meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg. </i></span></div>
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To book a school visit or to learn more about Laurie, her books, and her workshops for writers visit her website: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.lauriecalkhoven.com&source=gmail&ust=1579013960022000&usg=AFQjCNGin0kYTD0iqBVBsvYEZ39E7-ynKA" href="http://www.lauriecalkhoven.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.lauriecalkhoven.com</a></div>
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Laurie is also ongoing faculty at Highlights Foundation: <b>Writing Early Readers and Transitional Chapter Books </b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">I'm happily busy on a lot of different projects, so the next blog post will be coming in the spring. See you then!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman";"><i>~Clara</i></span></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-48778431514292753272020-01-14T05:50:00.000-08:002020-01-14T05:50:08.975-08:00Book Birthday + Giveaway with Author Laurie CalkhovenDear Friends,<br />
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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 <b style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: italic;">Roosevelt Banks, Good-Kid-in-Training. </b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Of course, we'll be thrilled if you stop by to leave a comment for the Book Birthday celebration! Read on. . .</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Trouble with Being Good</i> </span>by Laurie Calkhoven</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“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.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And there you have it – Roosevelt Banks predicament in <i><b>Roosevelt Banks, Good-Kid-in-Training.</b> </i>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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwitEGEQnraJEniEOQN4NvbpFygwTnX77e1SeJwK9PH8jqdBPmXXJaDfCdIloEX5JFfLOgiWuZubQljkU4FQbjl3tTqKJ9cwMpUAFR2E81pTmelp-2PYHogT1PpVW9jBvO4J9XM7yEF-w/s1600/page33image63377888.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwitEGEQnraJEniEOQN4NvbpFygwTnX77e1SeJwK9PH8jqdBPmXXJaDfCdIloEX5JFfLOgiWuZubQljkU4FQbjl3tTqKJ9cwMpUAFR2E81pTmelp-2PYHogT1PpVW9jBvO4J9XM7yEF-w/s320/page33image63377888.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Illustrator Debbie Palen brought a lot of joy and humor to the text. And funny—Roosevelt looks almost exactly the way I pictured him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Laurie Calkhoven </b>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 <i>G.I. Dog </i>series, and <i>You Should Meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg. </i></span></div>
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To book a school visit or to learn more about Laurie, her books, and her workshops for writers visit her website: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.lauriecalkhoven.com&source=gmail&ust=1579013960022000&usg=AFQjCNGin0kYTD0iqBVBsvYEZ39E7-ynKA" href="http://www.lauriecalkhoven.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">www.lauriecalkhoven.com</a></div>
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Laurie is also ongoing faculty at Highlights Foundation: <b>Writing Early Readers and Transitional Chapter Books </b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Advance praise for <i>ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Broad humor lightens the load of this lesson, and nuanced friendships enrich it.”―<i>Kirkus Reviews</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>I'll be back in a week to announce the winner of </i></span><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i>ROOSEVELT BANKS, GOOD-KID-IN-TRAINING. </i></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: "times new roman";">Thanks so much for supporting authors and good books!</b><br />
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<b style="font-family: "times new roman";">Happy New Year!</b><br />
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-18645980232471603772019-12-13T05:37:00.001-08:002019-12-13T05:37:44.972-08:00Lucky Winner of WHEN A TREE GROWS by Cathy Ballou MealeyDear friends,<br />
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Thank you, each and everyone, who left a comment for Cathy about her post and her debut picture book, <span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">When a Tree Grows. </span>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.<br />
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The LUCKY WINNER of <span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><i style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">When a Tree Grows</i>:</span></div>
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">***</span></b></span></span><b style="caret-color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: large;">Congratulations, <span style="color: blue;">Kim Parfitt</span><span style="color: #990000;">***</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(Kim, Please email me with your mailing address and to whom you'd like the book personalized: claragillowclark(at)gmail(dot)com)</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><b><i>WHEN A TREE GROWS</i> 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. </b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: #343434;">Website: <a href="https://cathyballoumealey.wordpress.com/about/" style="color: #7c93a1; text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(16, 60, 192); color: #103cc0;"><b>https://cathyballoumealey.wordpress.com/about/</b></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Twitter and Instagram: @catballoumealey</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">Be sure to watch for Cathy's forthcoming picture book, </span><i style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">PICKLE PACKERS</span></b></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">, illustrated by Kelly Collier and published by Kids Can Press in 2021. </span><i style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">PICKLE PACKERS</span></b></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b><span style="color: #181817;">is the story of a peppy Squirrel who wants to buy a bicycle so he and his best friend Sloth can go FAST! </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman";">Sounds like more rollicking good fun coming our way, <span style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 23);">doesn't</span> it? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 23);">Wishing you all peace and joy this holiday season. I'll be back in the New Year!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 23);"><b><i>~Clara</i></b></span></span></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-79767912081332807342019-12-10T06:22:00.000-08:002019-12-10T06:22:06.504-08:00When A Tree Grows by Cathy Ballou Mealey + #GiveawayDear Friends,<br />
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Please welcome the delightful debut author Cathy Ballou Mealey and read about her process and inspiration for her picture book, <i style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0); color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">When a Tree Grows. </i><br />
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Writing from the Inside Out. . .</i> by Cathy Ballou Mealey</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>But how will you find your own golden nugget?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262524;">For me, inspiration typically strikes outdoors when observing animal behavior, the movement of water, or seasonal changes in plants and trees. </span><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">WHEN A TREE GROWS</span></i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #262524;"> 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.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Next, examine your nugget carefully!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Finally, how do you polish your nugget?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #262524;">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. </span><i style="color: #262524;">One-Dog Canoe</i><span style="color: #262524;"> (Casanova and Hoyt) was the mentor text that boosted my story structure in </span><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">WHEN A TREE GROWS</span></i></b><span style="color: #262524;"> 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.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: #343434;">Website: <a href="https://cathyballoumealey.wordpress.com/about/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(16, 60, 192); color: #103cc0;">https://cathyballoumealey.wordpress.com/about/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Twitter and Instagram: @catballoumealey</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>WHEN A TREE GROWS</i> 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. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Kirkus Review</b>: 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Review</b>: 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.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">I am so excited about my next book, </span><i style="color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">PICKLE PACKERS</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">, which will be illustrated by Kelly Collier and published by Kids Can Press in 2021. </span><i style="color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">PICKLE PACKERS</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"> is the story of a peppy Squirrel who wants to buy a bicycle so he and his best friend Sloth can go FAST!</span><br />
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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 <span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 78, 19); color: #b45f06; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">O</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 78, 19); color: #274e13; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">R. . . </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 78, 19);">in the bottom righthand corner takes me! </span><br />
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 78, 19);">Be sure to visit Cathy's website to learn more about her and her books: </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: #343434; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="color: #103cc0; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://cathyballoumealey.wordpress.com/about/" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px;">https://cathyballoumealey.wordpress.com/about/</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 78, 19);"> </span><br />
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 78, 19);">By the way, if you spread the word on Twitter and FB you'll get more chances to win the autographed copy of <span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><b><i>When A Tree Grow. </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 78, 19);"><b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Holly </span><span style="color: #990000;">Jolly!</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(39, 78, 19);"><b>~Clara</b></span></span><br />
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-50135749710725644152019-11-12T06:15:00.002-08:002019-11-12T06:15:17.805-08:00Announcing the LUCKY WINNER of DADDY CAN YOU SEE THE MOON?<span style="color: blue;"><b>Dear Friends,</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>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.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Thank you, Gayle, for your generosity in giving away a personalized copy of <i>Daddy, Can You See The Moon?</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> The LUCKY WINNER IS: </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/07292361147412829444" rel="nofollow" style="color: #7c93a1; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Kathy Cannon Wiechman</a>, </div>
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<b style="color: red;">***CONGRATULATIONS*** </b> <b style="color: red;"> </b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(Please email me with your mailing address and to whom you'd like the book personalized)</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Thanks, Kathy, for your great support.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: blue;">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.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(10, 81, 75); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/36961665-lauren-kerstein" style="text-decoration: none;"><b>Lauren Kerstein</b></a></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(19, 19, 19);"><b> </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(33, 34, 36);">LCSW, P.C.</span></i><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Learn more about Gayle and her books: <span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); color: blue;"><a href="http://www.gayleckrause.com/" style="color: #7c93a1; text-decoration: none;"><b>www.gayleckrause.com</b></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>I'll be back in one month for a picture book giveaway in time for the Holiday Season! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i>~Clara</i></b></span></div>
Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-18820985634993233082019-11-05T05:59:00.002-08:002019-11-05T06:44:13.745-08:00Honoring Veterans and their families with Author Gayle C. Krause<span style="color: blue;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">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, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Daddy, Can You See The Moon? </i>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. . .</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Writing from the Inside Out. . . </i>by Gayle C. Krause</span></b><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">With Veterans Day coming up, the whole country celebrates the courage, bravery, and sacrifices of our soldiers. But in <b>DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON?</b> I hope to make readers aware of the sacrifice of our <i>military children</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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 <i>new</i> friends, adapting to a <i>new</i> school environment at awkward times, and figuring out how to fit in once again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I hope <b>DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON?</b> 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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">And I’d like you to know that 10% of the royalties from this book are being donated to <b>OUR MILITARY KIDS</b>, <a href="https://www.ourmilitarykids.org/"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(39, 73, 255); color: #2749ff;">https://www.ourmilitarykids.org</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Clara has asked me to include a writing tip and for this book, I’d say <b>EMOTION</b> is the key. Experts say “show, don’t tell.” Here are some examples to show that emotion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "times new roman";">“It’s six full moons since Dad’s been gone, </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "times new roman";">but Mom and me, we soldier on.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">That night as I lay in my bed,</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I think about what Daddy said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">“Daddy…can you see the moon,</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">marching in a dream platoon?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Maybe if I stare real hard, </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">the moon will stand to be your guard </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">and watch you in your healing sleep </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">so we can have you back to keep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, I hope you all ask your library to order <b>DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON?</b> or you may even win a copy by leaving a comment below. You can follow my writing journey at <span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); color: blue;"><a href="http://www.gayleckrause.com/"><b>www.gayleckrause.com</b></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Thank you, Clara, for allowing me to share such an important picture book with your readers. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">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.</span></div>
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<i><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/36961665-lauren-kerstein"><b>Lauren Kerstein</b></a></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313;"><b> </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(33, 34, 36); color: #212224;">LCSW, P.C<span style="font-size: 12px;">.</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-kerning: none;"><b>Thank you, Gayle, for sharing your beautiful story with us and for honoring Veterans and their families. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-kerning: none;"><b>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. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><b>Be sure to visit Gayle here: </b></span></span><a href="http://www.gayleckrause.com/" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b>www.gayleckrause.com</b></a><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><b>~Clara</b></span></span></div>
Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-45000667778383255552019-10-22T10:20:00.000-07:002019-10-22T10:20:48.555-07:00LUCKY WINNER OF FRANK and BEAN + News<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you so much for all the great comments on last week's post by Jamie Michalak about her great new duo, <b><span style="color: red;">Frank and Bea</span></b><span style="color: red;">n. </span>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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">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: <a href="http://www.jamiemichalak.com/">www.jamiemichalak.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">P<b style="color: #16191d; font-family: avenir;">raise for FRANK AND BEAN:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>(Candlewick Press, Pub date: October 8, 2019)</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>A 2019 Junior Library Guild Selection</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>An Amazon Best Book of the Month</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>"A hilarious tale of hot dog meets bean....The Bert-and-Ernie–esque odd-couple pairing results in countless laugh-out-loud exchanges. --Kirkus</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Without further ado, the winner of FRANK and BEAN is: </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">***Cathy Ballou Mealey***</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Congratulations, Cathy!</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">You'll hear from me and Jamie very soon. </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Thank you, <b>Jamie</b>, for another great book and another very special post! Thank you, <b>dear readers</b>, for your support of great books and wonderful authors!</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I'll be back early November with a rhyming picture book. Stay tuned!</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Happy Reading!</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">~Clara</span></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-34492379454339377552019-10-15T05:22:00.002-07:002019-10-22T05:26:27.787-07:00Author Jamie Michalak introduces FRANK and BEAN + GiveawayDear Readers,<br />
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Please welcome our good friend and Author, Jamie Michalak! Jamie has a super-great post featuring her new fun duo in her Early Reader, <b><i>Frank and Bean,</i></b> but she's also shared a mini-workshop with valuable insights about the craft and super-great tips for writers interested in writing an early reader of their own.<br />
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Plus, Jamie has generously donated a book for the comment contest which she will personalize for the winner! How cool is that? All you have to do is leave a comment by October 21st for a chance to win. If you're new to the blog, please include your email address in your comment so I can get in touch if you win! We'd love to hear your thoughts about <b>Frank and Bean</b> or about Jamie's Early Reader Workshop. Enough from me. Read on!<br />
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<i style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Writing from the Inside Out with Author Jamie Michalak</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>5 INGREDIENTS FOR A TASTY EARLY READER</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">by <b>Jamie Michalak</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Now that autumn is here, all I want to do is hunker inside to cook up comfort food and write or read in my cozy chair by the fire. Every fall, I turn into Owl from Owl at Home. So perhaps that’s why several of my forthcoming books are food-themed. As is this post. I wish I could serve you a warm bowl of soup to go with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Frank and Bean, illustrated by Bob Kolar, is a new early reader starring a contemplative hot dog and a rambunctious bean. Frank is a quiet writer, who keeps a secret notebook. Bean is a loud one-bean band. He has the tunes, but he’s missing something: the words. Together Frank and Bean form an unlikely friendship — and a rock band! </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "avenir";">Like most of my stories, I began writing Frank and Bean as a picture book. But Bean’s big personality demanded more room, so the story became an early reader. The early reader is my favorite format to write. Perhaps because I remember the thrill and accomplishment of reading my favorite early readers, the first books I read all by myself — Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad Are Friends, and Amelia Bedelia. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Frank and Bean, illustrated by Bob Kolar, is our new early reader starring a contemplative hot dog and a rambunctious bean. Frank is a quiet writer, who keeps a secret notebook. Bean is a loud one-bean band. He has the tunes, but he’s missing something: the words. Together Frank and Bean form an unlikely friendship — and a rock band! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Early readers help beginning and newly independent readers build reading confidence and a love of books. And while early readers tend to be the Rodney Dangerfield of children’s books, they’re an invaluable bridge from picture books to chapter books. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">What makes a good early reader? Lovable characters, engaging plots, memorable endings, zippy dialogue, and varied action, all whipped up into a story that’s frustration-free. The best early readers work not only as a read-alones, but as read-alouds. </span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If you’re interested in cookin’ up an early reader of your own, you don’t need to include a hot dog, a bean, or picnic foods at all. Here are five other ingredients you might consider:</span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Avenir; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>A hop-to-it opening: </b>No need for a long set-up. Jump right into the action! On the second page of Mouse Soup, a weasel leaps out of the tree and catches our main character. Arnold Lobel hooks us from sentence three! </span></li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Avenir; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>A simple storyline: </b>Beginning readers put a lot of energy into reading the words, so an involved story can be overwhelming. Stick to one idea or conflict, and avoid subplots. (Keep your sentences short and simple too.)</span></li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Avenir; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Well-chosen, delicious words: </b>Use words kids know or can sound out. Add spice with alliteration and onomatopoeia. The Children’s Writers Word Book is an excellent source for checking to see if you’re using familiar words for your intended audience. I often throw in a few challenging words, however, if the reader can sound them out or the illustrations provide picture clues.</span></li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Avenir; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Repetition, repetition, repetition: </b>“Faster, faster, faster!” cries Owl in Owl at Home. Predictable text helps kids figure out the words. Try repeating sounds, refrains, or patterns. But use repetition creatively, so it doesn’t become dull.</span></li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Avenir; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b></b><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Humor with heart: </b>Humor without heart is a one-note joke. What is at the core of your story? What’s the emotional underpinning that gives it resonance?</span></li>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Choose your ingredients. Put all in a pot to simmer and condense (approximately 500 - 1500 words). Then season to taste. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Enjoy and happy writing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b style="color: #16191d;">Jamie Michalak</b><span style="color: #16191d;"> is a children’s book author and former editor. Her nearly forty books include the early reader Frank and Bean, illustrated by Bob Kolar, and the </span><span style="color: red;"><b>Joe and Sparky</b></span><span style="color: #16191d;"> early reader series, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz. Kirkus Reviews called </span><span style="color: lime;"><b>Joe and Sparky</b></span><span style="color: #16191d;">, </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7l5SYiscL5gRVUvI729X3KjlXsvwvoqQPlAJFpbnnZNRnY9cupF-pCaduAm8RFtvN5dDlji0KxzsoFD50DEPM-2fk5BgL0CAr2byeXmhKTJj2pazCau524_dKyAUj9hIVFVJsA-y41CFF/s1600/Joe+and+Sparky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7l5SYiscL5gRVUvI729X3KjlXsvwvoqQPlAJFpbnnZNRnY9cupF-pCaduAm8RFtvN5dDlji0KxzsoFD50DEPM-2fk5BgL0CAr2byeXmhKTJj2pazCau524_dKyAUj9hIVFVJsA-y41CFF/s200/Joe+and+Sparky.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: lime;"><b>Superstars!</b></span><span style="color: #16191d;"> a “little treasure” in a <b>starred</b> review. She also wrote the forthcoming </span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Dakota Crumb</b></span><span style="color: #16191d;">, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Candlewick Press, 2021).</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">When not writing, she can often be found singing off-key, drinking too much coffee, or hanging out with her two sons. Jamie was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and grew up in the same neighborhood that Dr. Seuss once lived in. She now resides with her family in Barrington, Rhode Island. Visit her at <span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #16191d;"><a href="http://www.jamiemichalak.com/">www.jamiemichalak.com</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Illustrator bio:</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Bob Kolar</b> is the author-illustrator of several books for children, including Trucker and Train, AlphaOops! The Day Z Went First, Big Kicks, The Boy & the Book, and Racer Dogs, which has been adapted into a TV show called “Turbo Dogs.” Bob lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his family. Visit him at <span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #0e0e0e;"><a href="http://bobkolarbooks.com/">bobkolarbooks.com</a></span> </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Advance praise for FRANK AND BEAN:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>(Candlewick Press, Pub date: October 8, 2019)</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>A 2019 Junior Library Guild Selection</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>An Amazon Best Book of the Month</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>"A hilarious tale of hot dog meets bean....The Bert-and-Ernie–esque odd-couple pairing results in countless laugh-out-loud exchanges. --Kirkus</b></span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">"Kolar’s (Trucker and Train) sleek, animation-style digital art and Michalak’s (the Joe and Sparky series) highly performative dialogue build to a manic hilarity that makes these pals, as Bean might say, 'half cool and half amazing.'" --Publishers Weekly</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>"Kolar’s digital art is clean and pleasing, and the book contains four short chapters. An engaging and humorous tale of two friends whose personality differences lead to growth as well as some fun adventures. --School Library Journal</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Frank likes peace and quiet. He likes his tent, his pencil, and writing in his secret notebook. Bean likes noise. He likes his bus, his trumpet -- toot, toot! -- and making music. Loud music. But Bean is missing something: he does not have words. What will happen if Frank shares his words with Bean? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>With a laugh-out-loud narrative and bright, graphic, comical illustrations, this fresh and funny story will go down easy for beginning readers and young listeners alike.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Thank you, dear book-lovers, for stopping by to leave a comment in support of great authors and great books for children. We really appreciate hearing from you! </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I'll be back in a week to announce the winner. Don't forget to visit Jamie here: </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jamiemichalak.com/">www.jamiemichalak.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Reading!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">~Clara</span><br />
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<br />Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-70881423310827156352019-07-09T05:56:00.002-07:002019-07-09T05:56:54.644-07:00A lot of FIRSTS for this year's NOVEL BEGINNINGS WORKSHOPDear Friends,<br />
<br />
K.L. Going and I are really excited about our Highlights Foundation workshop this August,<b> </b>and we think you’ll be really excited about <b>Novel Beginnings</b>, too! We have a lot of <b>“firsts”</b> lined up for you that we can’t wait to share:<br />
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--You can submit up to the <b>First 50 pages</b> of your novel to be edited before the workshop, and Kelly and I will meet with each attendee one on one to go over your pages with you.<br />
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--Our guest editor this year is Liz Kossnar and in addition to her presentation, <b style="color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Using the Market to Your Benefit: Looking at how elevator pitches and comp titles help build the picture of your project, </b>attendees will have an opportunity to sign up to meet with Liz for a one on one, on the spot, review of <b>a First chapter</b>.<br />
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--Jennie Dunham, our literary agent will do a Q & A, and when we meet for our final wrap-up session, she’ll do an on the spot critique of <b>First pages! </b><br />
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That’s a lot of F<b>irsts </b>and a lot of great feedback for writers attending Novel Beginnings! Plus Great food, charming accommodations, and stimulating workshops. Plus, K.L. has exciting updates to share about her new MG novel, <i style="color: purple; font-weight: bold;">The Next Great Jane, </i>coming Summer of 2020 from PenguinRandom House Publishers.<br />
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Sign up soon. August is just around the corner.<br />
<br />
Read more about what we have planned for you by clicking on the link:<br />
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://highlightsfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D5a92c844ed634e844a7fc0b69%26id%3Da1f3049d05%26e%3D77758a8f49&source=gmail&ust=1562694589166000&usg=AFQjCNFIO-QcBCO2V1ZnJcov7K1KxIB_AQ" href="https://highlightsfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5a92c844ed634e844a7fc0b69&id=a1f3049d05&e=77758a8f49" style="caret-color: rgb(71, 115, 163); color: #4773a3; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: -webkit-center; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Novel Beginnings: Building Strong Foundations for Your Novel & Your Career</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #4773a3; font-family: "roboto" , "robotodraft" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: -webkit-center;">August 8-11, 2019</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/teachers/431/k-l-going" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #90b03e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">K.L. GOING</a></h4>
K.L. Going is the award winning author of numerous books for children and teens. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the… <br />
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<a href="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/teachers/407/clara-gillow-clark" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #90b03e; float: left; margin: 5px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://highlightsfoundation.secure.retreat.guru/wp-content/uploads/sites/279/2017/07/clara-clark.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; margin: 5px 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/teachers/407/clara-gillow-clark" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #90b03e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">CLARA GILLOW CLARK</a></h4>
Clara Gillow Clark is a critically acclaimed author of six novels of historical fiction for middle grade readers. In addition… <br />
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<a href="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/teachers/1746/liz-kossnar" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #90b03e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">LIZ KOSSNAR</a></h4>
Special Guest Liz Kossnar enthusiastically joined the Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers editorial team in November 2013. She… <br />
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<a href="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/teachers/886/jennie-dunham" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #90b03e; text-decoration: none;">JENNIE DUNHAM</a></h4>
Special Guest Jennie Dunham has been a literary agent in New York, New York since May 1992. In August 2000… <br />
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<span class="grn" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">So what are you waiting for? Register today! </span><br />
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://highlightsfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D5a92c844ed634e844a7fc0b69%26id%3Da1f3049d05%26e%3D77758a8f49&source=gmail&ust=1562694589166000&usg=AFQjCNFIO-QcBCO2V1ZnJcov7K1KxIB_AQ" href="https://highlightsfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5a92c844ed634e844a7fc0b69&id=a1f3049d05&e=77758a8f49" style="color: #4773a3; font-family: roboto, robotodraft, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: -webkit-center; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Novel Beginnings: Building Strong Foundations for Your Novel & Your Career</a></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-10089893535196321942019-06-08T06:36:00.002-07:002019-06-08T06:36:23.627-07:00LUCKY WINNER of **NIXIE NESS** COOKING STAR<br />
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Dear Friends,<br />
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Thank you, each and everyone, who stopped by for the Book Birthday, and thank you everyone who offered topics for Claudia’s series or left a comment. Enjoy this little bit more about **Nixie Ness** and then discover if YOU were the winner!<br />
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Perfect for fans of J<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-style: italic;">udy Moody, Ivy and Bean, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">and</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> Clementine</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">, this new chapter book series features recurring characters, and each book will highlight one activity they do at their after-school program. The books are illustrated in black and white and include a bonus activity that corresponds to the book's plot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><b><span style="color: red;">Nixie Ness: Cooking Star </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">features a recipe for morning glory muffins. The next book in the After-School Superstars series, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>Vera Vance: Comics Star</b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">, is scheduled for release in Spring 2020.</span><br />
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<b>JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNLx8xe6okQ7dWoRvfrI5Upisa3Qrh5RVOjr49kQ8EEHMjc2mkk2BXrCpJHBFtiEUPUGqsNbcWOwr2bL8jtJMkLHJSqLD7O8eNHU5ZMyaXKQvF98wjpWC8TstVNtTazpeTkebfY7Vb835/s1600/0-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNLx8xe6okQ7dWoRvfrI5Upisa3Qrh5RVOjr49kQ8EEHMjc2mkk2BXrCpJHBFtiEUPUGqsNbcWOwr2bL8jtJMkLHJSqLD7O8eNHU5ZMyaXKQvF98wjpWC8TstVNtTazpeTkebfY7Vb835/s200/0-1.jpeg" width="133" /></a><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Claudia Mills</b> is the author of almost 60 books for young readers, including most recently the Franklin School Friends series from Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and her new After-School Superstars series from Holiday House. In addition to writing books, she has been a college professor in the philosophy department at the University of Colorado at Boulder and in the graduate programs in children’s literature at Hollins University in Roanoke. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Visit Claudia at <b><a href="http://www.claudiamillsauthor.com/" style="color: #7c93a1; text-decoration: none;">www.claudiamillsauthor.com</a>.</b></span></div>
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The lucky winner of<span style="color: red;"><b> **NIXIE NESS** COOKING STAR </b></span>is: <b>Becky Scharnhorst</b> (selected by random.org, because I always want everyone to win!) Becky, please send an email with your address and to whom you’d like the book personalized by Claudia.<br />
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Thanks again, everyone, for your support of authors and good books! Next up in August and again in September with her new picture books is our friend, Tracey Kyle! Jamie Michalak and her new early reader series, Frank and Bean will be joining us the beginning of October, and I have a very special guest for Halloween whose books will send ghostly shivers down your spine!<br />
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Happy summertime reading!<br />
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~Clara<br />
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<br />Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-69084079233022093072019-06-04T04:50:00.000-07:002019-06-04T04:50:09.736-07:00BOOK BIRTHDAY LAUNCH with AUTHOR CLAUDIA MILLSDear Friends,<br />
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It’s been awhile since we met here, but I just had to share AFTER-SCHOOL SUPERSTARS with all of you! My dear sweet friend, <b><span style="color: blue;">Claudia Mills,</span></b> is launching this new chapter book series today published by Holiday House. The first starring character in the series is: <i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: bold;">Nixie Ness, Cooking Star. </i><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">It’s a perfect pick for summertime reading about cooking and friendship and sure to be served with a large dollop of humor! And YES there is a comment contest, that's so super easy to enter! All you have to do is leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of <b style="color: red;">**NIXIE NESS** COOKING STAR. </b>S<span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">pread the word on twitter and FB and you’ll get more chances to win. Now enjoy the rest of the post brought to you by <span style="color: red;"><b>NIXIE</b></span> and <span style="color: blue;"><b>Claudia!</b></span></span></span><br />
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"Likable Nixie creates a terrific recipe for winning back old friends and making lots of new ones.” <i>– Kirkus </i></div>
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<b style="caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: start;">Junior Library Guild Selection</b><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><b>WRITING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. . </b>. by <b>Claudia Mills</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’ve always loved school. Even as a child, I loved school so much that instead of crossing off the days left of school until summer vacation, I’d cross off the days left of summer vacation until school started again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So when I became an author, I specialized in writing school stories. I drew inspiration from my own school memories, but especially from school activities and projects at Mesa Elementary, which my two sons attended in Boulder, Colorado. Their fifth grade biography tea was the seed for my chapter book <i>Being Teddy Roosevelt</i>. An assignment to write a diary in the persona of someone who lived through the Civil War became <i>The Totally Made-Up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish</i>. The third-grade space sleepover provided the culminating scene for <i>How Oliver Olson Changed the World</i>. My recent chapter-book series, Franklin School Friends, features a school reading contest, spelling bee, and track-and-field day. Yay for school as an endless source of material for authors like me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But after writing literally dozens of school stories, I found myself yearning to branch out a bit. And so I decided to write about . . . . after-school! Millions of kids in America attend after-school programs that offer their own rich array of activities that could provide fodder for fiction. Like school itself, after-school programs bring a disparate group of kids together and provide great opportunities for kids to learn and grow – the two things I loved best about writing school stories. But after-school programs can offer learning possibilities that go beyond the test-driven school curriculum. If I set a series in an after-school program, what fun it would be! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Thus was born my new chapter-book series, After-School Superstars, with each book featuring a different month-long after-school “camp,” with the same diverse group of kids, with each book starring a different protagonist. I did a lot of brainstorming to come up with camp topics that would provide material for entertaining scenes that would be different from what kids would be doing during a typical school day. First up: cooking camp! Next up: comic-book camp! Third in the lineup: coding camp! I haven’t yet settled on the topic for the fourth camp: ideas welcome!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcN6w8ibg53v3gD3pNSpUJzg19hBhq9jHBZU8rwAds4H245ny1XEk0NSq2be0QWx3CWlldCBIC8l10VmpgOyCnb_N7TKs6Lo_VuGZ8wCMfC64jfoM6qT_Y4HJeU5GHwtI0bVdDfyYySAJ/s1600/0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcN6w8ibg53v3gD3pNSpUJzg19hBhq9jHBZU8rwAds4H245ny1XEk0NSq2be0QWx3CWlldCBIC8l10VmpgOyCnb_N7TKs6Lo_VuGZ8wCMfC64jfoM6qT_Y4HJeU5GHwtI0bVdDfyYySAJ/s200/0.jpeg" width="130" /></a><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This month I’m introducing the first book to the world:<b><span style="color: red;"> <i>Nixie Ness, Cooking Star</i></span></b>. In the course of a month jam-packed with cooking activities, Nixie and her comrades – Vera, Nolan, and Boogie – make a wide array of yummy lunchbox offerings, pet treats, pumpkin recipes, baked goods for a huge bake sale, and international cuisine for the camp’s concluding around-the-world banquet. But it’s also a friendship story. Nixie’s mother’s new job means that Nixie will no longer spend afternoons at home with her best friend, Grace – and that Grace will now be spending afternoons instead with “best-friend stealer” Elyse. So as Nixie chops up carrots for pita-pocket fillings, bakes Morning Glory Muffins, and learns how to make <i>saag aloo</i>, she’s also trying to figure out how to keep her best friend – and even how to expand her ideas about friendship. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nnYfanhbXVhPD75sQWfd5Htc8v8tz169SDDpOehz6QuBH5C0lPT_EqKlBfQwtWwl1ngDQpHpONc1aNtiaiMWexZ0Mp2a5_wrLi0GZ6s9XBwjQOLL0_uT_K500zesZA0tKI4bAcSojv2W/s1600/0-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nnYfanhbXVhPD75sQWfd5Htc8v8tz169SDDpOehz6QuBH5C0lPT_EqKlBfQwtWwl1ngDQpHpONc1aNtiaiMWexZ0Mp2a5_wrLi0GZ6s9XBwjQOLL0_uT_K500zesZA0tKI4bAcSojv2W/s200/0-1.jpeg" width="132" /></a><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>Claudia Mills</b> is the author of almost 60 books for young readers, including most recently the Franklin School Friends series from Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and her new After-School Superstars series from Holiday House. In addition to writing books, she has been a college professor in the philosophy department at the University of Colorado at Boulder and in the graduate programs in children’s literature at Hollins University in Roanoke. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Visit Claudia at <a href="http://www.claudiamillsauthor.com/">www.claudiamillsauthor.com</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">Thank you, dear readers, for stopping by the BOOK BIRTHDAY celebration for </span><span style="color: red; font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;">**NIXIE NESS** Cooking Star. </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Thank you, dear Claudia, for sharing with us and for donating an autographed copy of your new book! </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I’ll be back on Saturday to announce the winner!</span></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-90884043002396354502018-10-23T05:04:00.000-07:002018-10-23T05:04:23.327-07:00Winner of I JUST LIKE YOU by Suzanne Bloom<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just a quick post today to announce the winner of <b><i>I JUST LIKE YOU</i></b> by one of our favorite Author/Illustrators Suzanne Bloom. (Winner selected by random.org)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">CONGRATULATIONS TO: <b>MARTIN SEGAL </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Martin, Please send your mailing address and to whom you’d like the book inscribed to claragillowclark(at)gmail(dot)com. Or DM me on Twitter) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><b>I JUST LIKE YOU</b> </i><b>[STARRED REVIEW!]</b> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>KIRKUS</b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /><b>Author: Suzanne Bloom</b><br /><b>Illustrator: Suzanne Bloom</b><br /><br /><b>Review Issue Date: </b>August 1, 2018<br /><b>Online Publish Date: </b>July 16, 2018<br /><b>Publisher: </b></span><span style="font-family: ".sf ns text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>Boyds Mills</i></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 112, 192); color: #0170c0; font-size: large;">A sweet celebration of differences. There's not a cardigan in sight, but the spirit of Fred Rogers is all over this rhymed chorus of "likes." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please stop by Suzanne’s website to learn more about her and her wonderful books.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.suzannebloom.com&source=gmail&ust=1539789347766000&usg=AFQjCNFM8lMTWIn2H6_U04JAUnMwZEfCAg" href="http://www.suzannebloom.com/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">www.suzannebloom.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Suzanne will be available for school and conference visits in Fall ‘19 and spring ’20. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you, Dear Readers, for all the encouragement you offer authors! You’re the Best, and I JUST LIKE YOU! </span>~<span style="font-size: large;">Clara</span><br />
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<br />Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-90865115547789870012018-10-17T04:22:00.003-07:002018-10-17T04:22:40.288-07:00Award Winning Picture Author Illustrator, Suzanne Bloom shares about her process<br />
Dear Friends,<br />
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What a special treat to have Award-Winning author-illustrator Suzanne Bloom give us an inside view of her writing and illustrating process for her newest book just out in August, <b><i>I JUST LIKE YOU</i></b>. Suzanne is generously donating an autographed book to one lucky winner who leaves a comment. Spread the word via twitter, FB, Google+ for more chances to win! ENJOY!<br />
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First, this GREAT REVIEW about the book. Then keep scrolling for Suzanne’s fabulous show and tell!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy26dPChNg1i7sgo7sEHObH9shRiIpMkeL5pslmYlgey3i7I9fEpwG1jF-rsHFNnfxHjckWgjWoiwfc6iesVDlyCCEGTscSwnEDP6uAygYD5ekCUk83Mle1fDiNK5-CT6q7d41ZGLfBs2b/s1600/unnamed.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy26dPChNg1i7sgo7sEHObH9shRiIpMkeL5pslmYlgey3i7I9fEpwG1jF-rsHFNnfxHjckWgjWoiwfc6iesVDlyCCEGTscSwnEDP6uAygYD5ekCUk83Mle1fDiNK5-CT6q7d41ZGLfBs2b/s400/unnamed.png" width="310" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><b>I JUST LIKE YOU</b> </i><b>[STARRED REVIEW!]</b> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>KIRKUS</b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br />
<b>Author: Suzanne Bloom</b><br />
<b>Illustrator: Suzanne Bloom</b><br />
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<b>Review Issue Date: </b>August 1, 2018<br />
<b>Online Publish Date: </b>July 16, 2018<br />
<b>Publisher: </b></span><span style="font-family: ".sf ns text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>Boyds Mills</i></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br />
<b>Pages: </b></span><span style="font-family: ".sf ns text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>32</i></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br />
<b>Price ( Hardcover ): </b></span><span style="font-family: ".sf ns text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>$16.95</i></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br />
<b>Publication Date: </b>November 6, 2018<br />
<b>ISBN ( Hardcover ): </b></span><span style="font-family: ".sf ns text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><i>978-1-62979-878-3</i></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><br />
<b>Category: </b>Fiction</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 112, 192); color: #0170c0;">A sweet celebration of differences. There's not a cardigan in sight, but the spirit of Fred Rogers is all over this rhymed chorus of "likes." </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">"You don't look just like me. / You don't see the things I see. / You don't walk just like me," but still and all, "You just like me! You just like me!" Bloom suspends pairs and larger groups of anthropomorphic young animals on plain, unmarked white backgrounds for these amicable declarations, and she goes to town on highlighting her figures' diversity—dressing a gray elephant in a colorfully striped shirt, wrapping a looong scarf around a woolly llama's looong neck, outfitting an ostrich with pink ruffles and a parasol a-dangle with pompoms, placing a wombat in a wheelchair and a little squirrel atop a tall unicycle. Nor are behavioral differences neglected, as a methodical porcupine ("I like to take my time") leans over a blank sheet of writing paper while the tiger cub in the next seat ("I'm speedy") is awash in notes and drawings. Scenes gradually fill up as the author gathers all and sundry together to dance (or shyly watch), to eat, and climactically to read (books printed and handwritten; in English, Danish, and Braille; a map; a sheet of music; a sewing pattern; a blueprint). The mood then calms for a concluding scene of two friends sharing an easy chair with a final: "I just like you! / Yes, I do." </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(1, 112, 192); color: #0170c0;">A manifesto to bridge the deepest chasms of otherness and to melt the stoniest of hearts. (Picture book. 4-8) </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Now read on and savor this feast of pictures and words!</span></b><br />
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<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 11px;"><i> </i></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><i>I JUST LIKE YOU</i> by Suzanne Bloom<span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlCrZNCLZi_if8nG3t3NYwTeEQwBrwiCfvYu7IGF90PANsQy6UKdXZPkdkrbAJz2PU0WJw_qUPs5m0py0XzLF-c59VzMtXNZ_fkPoywDdhnDQQba6oHehlNqzsiQx5rZ3oo8mpNAK27eH/s1600/0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlCrZNCLZi_if8nG3t3NYwTeEQwBrwiCfvYu7IGF90PANsQy6UKdXZPkdkrbAJz2PU0WJw_qUPs5m0py0XzLF-c59VzMtXNZ_fkPoywDdhnDQQba6oHehlNqzsiQx5rZ3oo8mpNAK27eH/s320/0.jpeg" width="240" /></a><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">It’s not easy to sit silently waiting for a story to begin, waiting for more listeners to come in and settle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So I took this time to start a sketch and invited the early arrivals to suggest ideas for how to make a friend. Their answers are in several languages and include questions and compliments. Simple really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This story lodged in my brain at least five years ago, and by that I probably mean 20. It was populated with people of all varieties. As it evolved I turned to animals because I was sure I would inadvertently leave someone out. To be fair…even with animals, there are no fish or insects. Sorry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Often it’s good to wait for a story because the other inspirations occurred much later. At a summer camp where I worked, Art Amy started “Love Letter” Day. The art barn was awash with construction paper scraps and a thousand or so cut-out hearts. The <i>love letters </i>were mostly <i>like</i> letters and it was an opportunity to express appreciation and affection. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So, bits and pieces of ideas drifted, floated and popped in over time. Some people call this procrastination. I prefer to call it “Productive Procrastination”. And in this realm, I am the queen. Except, I confess, I do spend too much time on Facebook.</span></span></div>
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BITS OF INSPIRATION</div>
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Dragon Fruit from China</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Q0UERAn4UWnC86-mITiDaiKP0BCOFZ-6mvS1ErIuT7i2xifdcIXSRnVeHeWyazTjypsWF8X5fjRJqn5Q9gK32OpfvnAio-zq0BrRUehxoXGSFTGFGWd4s1dFsHrpILpuMZzXoN26QuaQ/s1600/0-6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Q0UERAn4UWnC86-mITiDaiKP0BCOFZ-6mvS1ErIuT7i2xifdcIXSRnVeHeWyazTjypsWF8X5fjRJqn5Q9gK32OpfvnAio-zq0BrRUehxoXGSFTGFGWd4s1dFsHrpILpuMZzXoN26QuaQ/s320/0-6.jpeg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clara’s chair reimagined</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The auditions result in some disappointment for many characters who must wait for another </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">book. Can you tell who made it into this book?</span></div>
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HINT: Some may have different costumes in the book.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JwxDLZYLAkWOF0XHgmhf47WW3JPySEtrStpMVJqB3_flibB7TNPtmm-lO5vVtYVr_eGE5M296138zjVjrYnkk7AjxYL2EAGVpKzFVvijX1z7PQEeiEnvRdXMc7UGByMWsSfZplq1_aam/s1600/0-12.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JwxDLZYLAkWOF0XHgmhf47WW3JPySEtrStpMVJqB3_flibB7TNPtmm-lO5vVtYVr_eGE5M296138zjVjrYnkk7AjxYL2EAGVpKzFVvijX1z7PQEeiEnvRdXMc7UGByMWsSfZplq1_aam/s200/0-12.jpeg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQEbcN17l1EZ4uGEHjsGP8DMjBtc4vH1keyORj7_90_YYcRysdmhkRdOWER6QrN7WjRP6FCRvLDBkkqEvq4RQ7burSU2dk5XRKFOD9qoEiakwV7FovJRa1fs2h9iAVidJiOt35vSrFxPq/s1600/0-13.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQEbcN17l1EZ4uGEHjsGP8DMjBtc4vH1keyORj7_90_YYcRysdmhkRdOWER6QrN7WjRP6FCRvLDBkkqEvq4RQ7burSU2dk5XRKFOD9qoEiakwV7FovJRa1fs2h9iAVidJiOt35vSrFxPq/s200/0-13.jpeg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3z3vp9yW8qE-tAiY3s1iHSogdSHFBEQDQRcVBY3mqjifct7i3T226DmmvWhVrBM0xlrdrtRCIXV5BKpQkd1zUlY_xFerYyiRpEzHyj7aujw_5Yz3BXT8kyiAu9M6WyfmZBnQauAnp7MO/s1600/0-14.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3z3vp9yW8qE-tAiY3s1iHSogdSHFBEQDQRcVBY3mqjifct7i3T226DmmvWhVrBM0xlrdrtRCIXV5BKpQkd1zUlY_xFerYyiRpEzHyj7aujw_5Yz3BXT8kyiAu9M6WyfmZBnQauAnp7MO/s200/0-14.jpeg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<b>PROCESS:</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At the beginning of each project, I’m sure it’s a brilliant idea. Then I’m sure I’ve forgotten how to draw.</span><br />
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ2vd5VJ-CX6YRT67ebexNJCedF0i5ajUgBYHpLgqsNu8YuKyAKTFe1fuekDNfgtlUinr_xRH3B5BnguGYp0b0SLJ8AGIE1gGZxi9LGO4pi99AB3atYRLiGnkJL82g0zsFiUfeD6etXeF/s1600/0-7.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ2vd5VJ-CX6YRT67ebexNJCedF0i5ajUgBYHpLgqsNu8YuKyAKTFe1fuekDNfgtlUinr_xRH3B5BnguGYp0b0SLJ8AGIE1gGZxi9LGO4pi99AB3atYRLiGnkJL82g0zsFiUfeD6etXeF/s320/0-7.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtv3T3wv1F71Ly_CUMr7XAEYseOD_7dduO4Dpr_b_vRwCkj_6RaKKvxQ8rP1r5CkGVYdYT-V92Vld52oDDrbaGCDUi493h6pUhtKp3aGu8R1uFUB4TKxTFZcZGT1YkVBZmyTNuqOF-t0yY/s1600/0-8.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtv3T3wv1F71Ly_CUMr7XAEYseOD_7dduO4Dpr_b_vRwCkj_6RaKKvxQ8rP1r5CkGVYdYT-V92Vld52oDDrbaGCDUi493h6pUhtKp3aGu8R1uFUB4TKxTFZcZGT1YkVBZmyTNuqOF-t0yY/s320/0-8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yes, every time. So I scribble and doodle for a couple of weeks until characters decide to make an appearance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The story comes first, except for when a character emerges first. Occasionally the title comes first but not usually. (Linear thinking doesn’t work for me.) When it’s time to do the final art, I’ll pick the easiest one and it sets the tone. In this book, it was the last page. The story itself determines the medium; dry pastel or watercolor and colored pencils. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">For reference I have old copies of Ranger Rick. After sketching, finals are pinned to the line so I can see it all.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wyw_hVuPeqxYSW4dfXbe1gJniI9SS4lP0HC2_Ljhzr9FqDSr8pbBtvSMmcr5Rof8PtOtJpRX-fWYlsqSFQ7m0YWBfoBbsdRYKfA8mqRi0E897juEzrjTWirqRlDjQTheczxwHugkecJ3/s1600/0-10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wyw_hVuPeqxYSW4dfXbe1gJniI9SS4lP0HC2_Ljhzr9FqDSr8pbBtvSMmcr5Rof8PtOtJpRX-fWYlsqSFQ7m0YWBfoBbsdRYKfA8mqRi0E897juEzrjTWirqRlDjQTheczxwHugkecJ3/s640/0-10.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love this last page. It might be my favorite in the book, except for the lion getting a spa treatment.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">As I thought and wrote and drew, I imagined the adult reader looking into one face or many and having the chance to say over and over to one child or a classful, “I just like you. Yes. I do.” And one child or many will have heard that they are liked, likeable, valued. Simple, really.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">Text and drawings </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>© </b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Suzanne Bloom 2018</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_07VXM7MRWy9XCLtkhKuHm2vF-d0hk6SMj69Mo2YhulSmRGSKupI7dNzOkiLcEibJ5ZNPYcF0cOwZklWkGrQxvE2jkrn1zWPT1KG_VGJbIJKrtJ7ps7CtTqrMVr5bRAFdP4tKMUtk54Kq/s1600/0-15.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_07VXM7MRWy9XCLtkhKuHm2vF-d0hk6SMj69Mo2YhulSmRGSKupI7dNzOkiLcEibJ5ZNPYcF0cOwZklWkGrQxvE2jkrn1zWPT1KG_VGJbIJKrtJ7ps7CtTqrMVr5bRAFdP4tKMUtk54Kq/s200/0-15.jpeg" width="175" /></a><br />
Be sure to stop by Suzanne’s website to learn more about her and her wonderful books.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.suzannebloom.com&source=gmail&ust=1539789347766000&usg=AFQjCNFM8lMTWIn2H6_U04JAUnMwZEfCAg" href="http://www.suzannebloom.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">www.suzannebloom.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"> Suzanne will be available for school and conference visits in Fall ‘19 and spring ’20. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you, <b>Suzanne</b>, for sharing and showing your fascinating and informative journey from idea to finished book. By the way, this book is another perfect pick for October’s National Anti-bullying month, but a truly excellent pick for year round sharing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Thank you, Dear Readers!<b> I JUST LIKE YOU </b>for your ongoing support of authors/illustrators and wonderful Children’s books. Please leave a comment for our Splendid Friend Indeed, Suzanne Bloom. I’ll be back next week to announce the winner of <b><i>I Just Like You.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">~Clara</span></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-18973964621251925302018-10-09T05:15:00.000-07:002018-10-09T05:15:49.569-07:00Librarian shares about THE ORANGE SHOES by Trinka Hakes Noble + WINNER ANNOUNCEDDear Friends,<br />
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I was so delighted when a retired librarian, Gaye McCallum shared on FB about how much she loved <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Orange Shoes</i> and used it in her school library classes for many years. She agreed to share those thoughts and her experiences with all of you. Inspiring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRNz_kGoOK778V98Wc6naR33bz11xlaNopsRF7FHu5l9JZHpiXPL3wUof4CYP_6fLNbkwWjZ6rJiu6ymlRaSNsyVS5I0KOJteqSv5ikblEvV7wo0p0O5lzVjm0SiP26obJoJOvAiRDKwI/s1600/13332869_984083435032801_2052749415461305048_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRNz_kGoOK778V98Wc6naR33bz11xlaNopsRF7FHu5l9JZHpiXPL3wUof4CYP_6fLNbkwWjZ6rJiu6ymlRaSNsyVS5I0KOJteqSv5ikblEvV7wo0p0O5lzVjm0SiP26obJoJOvAiRDKwI/s1600/13332869_984083435032801_2052749415461305048_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Librarian GAYE McCALLUM</b></td></tr>
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Here’s what <b>Librarian Gaye McCallum</b> wrote:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><b>The Orange Shoes</b></i></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"> by Trinka Hakes Noble is a timeless novel that captured my heart on my first read. As a librarian, I was able to share this novel with every age from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade and teach such valuable lessons. I incorporated it into valuing each person’s talents, knowing that riches don’t necessarily equate to money, understanding the cruelty of bullying, and the importance of love of family. My students and I had amazing discussions about what they would choose to do as a bullied classmate, her classmates, and also talked about why the bullying might have occurred. We marveled at Delly’s artwork and how she turned such cruelty into beauty. The love of family was also a topic that was warmed all our hearts as we discussed ways that family is our shelter. Her mother’s creativity as well as her father’s love and pride in his daughter were wonderful subtopics to pursue. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I highly recommend this book to all families, teachers, and anyone who longs for a heartwarming story filled with beautiful illustrations.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jO5xtj7Wtn2XIubC9z5KRy2W8nysYaf3BSy9-aLmdsNa0fCNQVTnJPcLfWVJdkegD7mrXh8J02ruS2c-ZkBlTXZA8oGjd8Nvb70pmokOYT35HcG_Tx0Nqx9OKT3_RPLXuJsL-W_SWhil/s1600/Orange+Shoes+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jO5xtj7Wtn2XIubC9z5KRy2W8nysYaf3BSy9-aLmdsNa0fCNQVTnJPcLfWVJdkegD7mrXh8J02ruS2c-ZkBlTXZA8oGjd8Nvb70pmokOYT35HcG_Tx0Nqx9OKT3_RPLXuJsL-W_SWhil/s400/Orange+Shoes+Cover.jpg" width="327" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Published by <b>SLEEPING BEAR PRESS</b></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Thank you, <b>Gaye</b>. I’m sure your review will inspire teachers and parents to purchase this book for students and children or to request it from their local library. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Many of you may recall Trinka’s book, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade: A Thanksgiving Story</i> that was featured here last November. Here’s the link back to that post in case you missed it: </span><a href="https://claragillowclark.blogspot.com/2017/11/thanksgiving-with-author-trinka-hakes.html" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #7c93a1; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; text-decoration: none;">Thanksgiving with Author Trinka Hakes Noble + Giveaway</a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">And now Announcing the LUCKY WINNER of <b><i>THE ORANGE SHOES</i></b>: </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Congratulations go out to:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/00866006633425949522" rel="nofollow" style="color: #7c93a1; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Jilanne Hoffmann</a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">Jilanne, Please email me: claragillowclark(at)gmail(dot)com with your mailing address and to whom you’d like the book inscribed. Thanks! And thank you everyone who stopped by to leave a comment or read the post. </span></div>
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Next up is a Splendid Friend Indeed who will share about her brand new picture book, another perfect pick for National Anti-bullying Month. </div>
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See you soon!</div>
<i><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica neue;">~</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clara</span></b></span><span style="font-family: helvetica neue;"> </span></i></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-24845040687363769022018-10-02T05:00:00.000-07:002018-10-02T05:00:40.662-07:00Author Trinka Hakes Noble shares for Anti-bullying Month + GiveawayDear friends,<br />
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October is National anti-bullying month and in her poignant post, my lovely friend, Author Trinka Hakes Noble shares about her real life story of being bullied in school and her Award Winning picture book, <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Orange Shoes.</i> Trinka is generously giving away a copy of the book to one lucky winner who leaves a comment. Maybe you have a story to share, too. We want to hear from you!<br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><i>The Power of the Pen - Writing From Real Life </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>by Trinka Hakes Noble</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaf2dV7Tr2M0hYlyobgrXDBAc96Ndtk68ppABAuntRBwe5YKfyXB0PU1iBzieBBzL_iNXEBztlYdnhCwkCAft7vZMOD-CzVWmXD3y5gZR_eq9uhq1v_QIVB4zGz_NFEFXX6fjF358X8fYL/s1600/Orange+Shoes+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaf2dV7Tr2M0hYlyobgrXDBAc96Ndtk68ppABAuntRBwe5YKfyXB0PU1iBzieBBzL_iNXEBztlYdnhCwkCAft7vZMOD-CzVWmXD3y5gZR_eq9uhq1v_QIVB4zGz_NFEFXX6fjF358X8fYL/s320/Orange+Shoes+Cover.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">When a writer’s own childhood is woven into a story, there is a from-the-heart sharing that connects with something deep inside all of us. There is a sincerity, a vulnerability, an earnest innocence and the endearing, wide-eyed outlook of a child that is honored and treasured. Such a story is <b><i>The Orange Shoes</i>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It is often said that authors will go back to their own childhood to right a wrong or to fix something that happened or didn’t happen or should have happened. What happened to Delly, the main character in <b><i>The Orange Shoes</i></b>, happened to me in real life when I was eight years old. It was a day I will never forget.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I grew up in a big family of seven kids, so getting a new pair of fancy shoes usually wasn’t an option. You either wore hand-me-downs, or got a very sturdy pair of brown tie shoes called Buster Browns. Those Buster Browns would last a kid through rain, sleet, mud and snow, but they weren’t very pretty. In fact, they were ugly, but that is what I wore. If you look in the corner of the illustration of Delly hugging her Dad, you can see them, patched with pieces of black inner tube. Back then, shoes were patched to last until the end of school, and then you went barefoot for the summer, which I did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But one Saturday, when we went to town for out piano lessons, I saw a beautiful pair of orange Mary Janes in a shoe store window. Oh, how I wanted those beautiful orange shoes! But they probably cost too much money.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlLMBRH1HIcSsNc24ULEv2qii9SYE1WutnrD17qGb9LKl-vVMRp5ff2h5vrF4VJYFhSwXp49l9UA-FYTakIVveMvWnKU4sjmxp1e7Gub8zagXMpakQHR9oc6-9R3b038WoRA9cwqboB70/s1600/The+Orange+Shoes-shoes+by+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1447" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlLMBRH1HIcSsNc24ULEv2qii9SYE1WutnrD17qGb9LKl-vVMRp5ff2h5vrF4VJYFhSwXp49l9UA-FYTakIVveMvWnKU4sjmxp1e7Gub8zagXMpakQHR9oc6-9R3b038WoRA9cwqboB70/s320/The+Orange+Shoes-shoes+by+bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Lo and behold, the next morning, those orange shoes were setting right by my bed! I couldn’t believe it! On Monday morning, without asking my mom, I took those orange shoes to school and hid them under a bush on the edge of the playground. Then, at recess, I ran to that bush, took off my old Buster Browns and put on those bright orange shoes. I wanted to show them to the other girls who were playing by the swings. I thought my shoes would make them as happy as they made me, but I was wrong. Those girls didn’t even smile. Instead, those girls stomped on my shoes, kicked dirt on my shoes, and scraped and scuffed my shoes until they were ruined! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3dp1qANHxONC58oHPYaOfjfON_HgNK5ikqtWJ15NYCWM_OfkDdaP5x0sSvefpjeAtyM5sBdkf6hD5vSBe0X4AjbxWiAmTSpPCclhmcQNRL0ypRYw2D_aGlHPpQ2G94biNXCZ0DpQ79_w/s1600/The+Orange+Shoes-school+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1277" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3dp1qANHxONC58oHPYaOfjfON_HgNK5ikqtWJ15NYCWM_OfkDdaP5x0sSvefpjeAtyM5sBdkf6hD5vSBe0X4AjbxWiAmTSpPCclhmcQNRL0ypRYw2D_aGlHPpQ2G94biNXCZ0DpQ79_w/s320/The+Orange+Shoes-school+room.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now, here’s the thing. I didn’t do anything about it. I didn’t talk back, or fight back. I tried to run away, but they chased me all over the playground. I didn’t even tell my teacher, and I had a really nice teacher, just like Miss Violet in the book. This really bothered me my whole life, so when I became an author, I decided to write a book about that day, but I would let the girl in the book do what I wished I had done, but didn’t. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What Delly did was use her artistic talent to turn that wrong into the most glorious right. She painted pretty flowers, vines and leaves right over all those gouges, cracks, scuff marks and scrapes, and she created the most beautiful pair of orange shoe the world has ever seen! In the end, Delly triumphed by wearing those beautiful painted shoes to her school’s Harvest Festival Family Night. Delly and her orange shoes were the hit of the evening.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SlRlB50FPKu6bWf2vZI0xQY4YQGz2UtuDEEvJvGJhW7eZAakPCmPkjOctJIO1NKxSpHnkAS3I-qy7Zp4lp2yjKgULEliKyPYpjI8b-WaCfH7LFTfy_sLXlUYApZXXjzPg3CQpVwquJam/s1600/The+Orange+Shoes-Pumpkin+Parade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1600" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SlRlB50FPKu6bWf2vZI0xQY4YQGz2UtuDEEvJvGJhW7eZAakPCmPkjOctJIO1NKxSpHnkAS3I-qy7Zp4lp2yjKgULEliKyPYpjI8b-WaCfH7LFTfy_sLXlUYApZXXjzPg3CQpVwquJam/s400/The+Orange+Shoes-Pumpkin+Parade.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In <b><i>The Orange Shoes</i></b>, I meshed two writing genres, personal narrative and realistic fiction. I revisited my childhood to creative a story that righted a wrong, and changed what happened into what should have happened. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8R8d-hB-iMyTsyXXBAOWkk4lVuTGW_mJhR0mmrZxdhtkkTRE2yb6axePh-tedlvH7oQrThFlyiSIqqdhHunwPjs1_vLvd3zsgmVSAR8d_AmLbnUzDq0FpgTacXlwlG-YyNfkwdthL6UK/s1600/School+Visit-The+Orange+Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1304" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8R8d-hB-iMyTsyXXBAOWkk4lVuTGW_mJhR0mmrZxdhtkkTRE2yb6axePh-tedlvH7oQrThFlyiSIqqdhHunwPjs1_vLvd3zsgmVSAR8d_AmLbnUzDq0FpgTacXlwlG-YyNfkwdthL6UK/s640/School+Visit-The+Orange+Shoes.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trinka Hakes Noble with Artwork by Elementary students - School Visit</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As one 3</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>rd</sup></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> grader put it at a recent author’s visit, “Boy, you sure got even with those mean girls, didn’t you!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yes indeed, I did! And it’s called </span><span style="font-family: ".sf ns text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><i><b>The Power of the Pen.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>The Orange Shoes </b>is now in its 8</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 8px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> printing and is used in many schools across the nation to teach character building and to enhance the National Anti-Bullying Month of October. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>The Orange Shoes </b>won the International Reading Association’s prestigious Teacher’s Choice Award (2008) and received a Bronze Award from the National Parenting Publication (NAPPA). It also received Best Books of the Year 2008 from The Children’s Book Council. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>The Orange Shoes </b>was nominated for the following:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The New York State Reading Association’s Charlotte Award</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Delaware Diamond State Award</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Indiana Hoosier State Book Award</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Trinka’s most recent title is <b>Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade - A Thanksgiving Story. </b>Forthcoming in the fall of 2019 is her newest book, <b>A Fist for Joe Louis and Me, </b>both published by <b>Sleeping Bear Press.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Learn more about Trinka on her website at <a href="http://www.trinkahakesnoble.com/"><span style="color: #0433ff; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">www.trinkahakesnoble.com</span></a> </span></div>
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THANK YOU, TRINKA, for stopping by today to share your wonderful book and story with us! AND THANK YOU, DEAR FRIENDS, for taking time from your busy lives to leave a comment. Please spread the word on FB and Twitter for more chances to win Trinka’s beautiful book, <i style="font-weight: bold;">THE ORANGE SHOES. </i>I’ll be back next week to announce the winner.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">~Clara</span></div>
Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-35464765408871004712018-08-17T05:58:00.000-07:002018-08-17T05:58:13.523-07:00ANNOUNCING THE LUCKY WINNER of ONE HUNDRED SPAGHETTI STRINGSDear Friends,<br />
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Thank you each and every one who stopped by the blog this week to leave a comment for Author/Librarian Jen Nails. Your support of authors and good books is always a great boost for writers. We really do appreciate everything you do for us!<br />
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MG is one of my sweet spots and as many of you probably know FOOD is a passion of mine as well. I love recipes and talking about food and researching ways to create healthy meals which are also tasty, so that bit about 20 recipes included in the book was very tempting, but I <b>did not</b> add my name for a chance to win. I also know that Jen has a wonderful gift for voice, so if you weren’t the lucky winner, you’ll want to order this book for your favorite young reader, for yourself, your school library or classroom.<br />
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Thanks, Jen Nails, for the gift of your time and your delicious book, <b><i>One Hundred Spaghetti Strings. </i></b><br />
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We have a great line-up for fall with more chances to win some terrific books by favorite authors!<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: blue;">~CLARA</span></b></i></div>
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The LUCKY WINNER of the Comment Contest is: <b>SIOUX ROSLAWSKI</b><br />
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****CONGRATULATIONS, SIOUX****</div>
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(Sioux, Please email me with your mailing address and include to whom you’d like the book personalized. Jen will send it off to you asap) claragillowclark(at)gmail(DOT)com. </div>
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If you haven’t already, please stop by Jen’s website or follow her on social media:<br />
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<span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: large; text-decoration: none;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.jennails.com/&source=gmail&ust=1534168469592000&usg=AFQjCNGnbT_B7n-Y8hhl-EpPar4xu9Kvrw" href="http://www.jennails.com/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jen's website</a></span></div>
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<br />Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-80471635769173374982018-08-14T05:04:00.000-07:002018-08-14T05:04:01.666-07:00Author-Librarian Jen Nails Talks about Process + #GiveawayDear Friends,<br />
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Please join me in welcoming Author-Librarian Jen Nails for the Back-to-School giveaway. Jen talks about inspiration and process as well as sharing a little about what she’s working on now. She’s generously donating a copy of her middle grade novel<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">One Hundred Spaghetti Strings</span> (</i>published by <b><i>HarperCollins </i></b>spring 2017) for the comment contest. All you have to do for a chance to win an autographed copy is leave a comment for Jen. Let me know in your comment if you share on Twitter, FB, Google+ or follow this blog, and you’ll get more chances to win. Winner will be announced on Friday, August 17th, so hurry!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author/Librarian JEN NAILS</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Jen Nails has lived in Boulder, CO and New York, NY. She's taught English, theater, </span></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">and creative writing, and is now a K-12 Librarian/Media Specialist (the best job she's ever had). Jen is the author of two novels for middle grade readers.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Writing from the Inside Out. . .</i> by Jen Nails</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I remember hearing Jacqueline Woodson speak at the New York SCBWI conference a few years ago and someone asked her if she experienced writer’s block and if so, what did she do? She said that she didn’t believe in writer’s block. She said if she ever sat down to write something in particular and wasn’t feeling it, she started writing something else, until she found the thing that she needed to be writing. If she came back to the first thing, great, if not, great. This has helped me over the years to recognize that it’s okay to put something on hold if you really, really, really have to write about something else in that moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">My novel-in-progress about three 7<sup>th</sup> graders who try and prevent the implosion of a Las Vegas casino has been through at least nine or ten drafts and I’m totally full steam ahead about it, but over the summer, there was something kind of tugging at me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I got divorced three years ago, and since then I’ve become addicted to national parks. Somehow, bringing my sons to the parks has become both an addiction and an antidote. I’ve been keeping little diaries that kind of chronicle each of our visits and I am using them to create a guidebook for heartbreak, an “off the beat and path” travel guide to healing and becoming whole again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The thing is, there are so many threads and themes that I had begun to follow in the novel that are actually more relevant to this nonfiction book. In fact, one of the poems from the novel is now a part of the travel guide. In keeping with Clara’s theme of <i>Writing from the Inside Out</i>, I wanted to share that I think it's so important to honor that thing that is eating at you, that is begging to be put on paper to get it out of your system, even if it isn’t the thing that you are “supposed to be writing right now.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Here’s Jen’s latest book for middle grade readers! Review below.</span></div>
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Book Summary from amazon:</div>
<span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic;">This brave and heartwarming middle grade novel will leave your belly rumbling and your heart full. Because when life hands you lemons, it’s time to get cooking! Perfect for fans of Sarah Weeks, Leslie Connor, and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"> Since Steffy was little, she and her older sister, Nina, have lived with their beloved Auntie Gina. But when the girls’ dad comes home to live with them, everything changes. So Steffy does what she does best: She cooks her way through the hardest year of her life</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> Sometimes it feels like everything but the kitchen sink is being thrown at her—too many ingredients that don't quite work. And all Steffy wants is for her family to be whole again. Can her recipes help bring them back together?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>One Hundred Spaghetti Strings also includes over twenty recipes—which Steffy cooks throughout the book—so aspiring young chefs can try them out when they’re done reading!" <a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Hundred-Spaghetti-Strings-Nails/dp/0062427601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521299233&sr=8-1&keywords=one+hundred+spaghetti+strings" style="color: #699c46; text-decoration: none;">AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE</a></i></span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://assortedleafs.blogspot.com/2018/03/one-hundred-spaghetti-strings.html&source=gmail&ust=1534168469592000&usg=AFQjCNEgMgkJLO-Y7DypvDdkktExkEMIJQ" href="http://assortedleafs.blogspot.com/2018/03/one-hundred-spaghetti-strings.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To learn more about Jen and her books or to follow her on social media, check out the links below:</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://assortedleafs.blogspot.com/2018/03/one-hundred-spaghetti-strings.html&source=gmail&ust=1534168469592000&usg=AFQjCNEgMgkJLO-Y7DypvDdkktExkEMIJQ" href="http://assortedleafs.blogspot.com/2018/03/one-hundred-spaghetti-strings.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Assorted Leafs Blog review</a>, March 2018</div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-242760-1&source=gmail&ust=1534168469592000&usg=AFQjCNFbLka_4KYnvNjwGaeEeR3x_ZduzQ" href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-242760-1" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Publisher's Weekly review</a><span style="background-color: white;">, February 2017 </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/jenmnails&source=gmail&ust=1534168469592000&usg=AFQjCNHrsjfKnwd2SUmMhfrVpDF6xd8zPg" href="https://www.facebook.com/jenmnails" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.jennails.com/&source=gmail&ust=1534168469592000&usg=AFQjCNGnbT_B7n-Y8hhl-EpPar4xu9Kvrw" href="http://www.jennails.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Jen's website</a></div>
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Thank you, dear readers, for joining us at this busy end-of-summer time. Don’t forget to visit <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.jennails.com/&source=gmail&ust=1534168469592000&usg=AFQjCNGnbT_B7n-Y8hhl-EpPar4xu9Kvrw" href="http://www.jennails.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Jen's website</a> or follow her on FB and Twitter.<br />
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And thank you, Jen, for sharing insights into your creative process. I loved your line, “Honor the thing that is eating at you.” <br />
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I’ll be back in a few days to announce the winner. ~Clara</div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-58300263571212862212018-08-07T05:11:00.000-07:002018-08-07T05:11:02.035-07:00Announcing the Lucky Winner of FOOD FIGHT FIESTA<br />
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Dear Friends,<br />
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Thank you each and everyone who stopped by the Book Birthday Celebration for <span style="color: red;"><b><i>FOOD FIGHT FIESTA</i></b></span> by Tracey Kyle. And THANK YOU, TRACEY for being our guest and for your generous donation of a personalized copy of your new picture book! The winner picked by random.org did such a great job of spreading the word by commenting on the post, sharing on twitter, FaceBook, and Pinterest. AND the lucky winner of <i style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red; font-weight: bold;">FOOD FIGHT FIESTA </i><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">is </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Carol Baldwin</b><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">! </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red;">CONGRATULATIONS, </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: blue;">CAROL</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); color: red;">!!!! <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please send me your mailing address and to whom you’d like the book personalized and Tracey will have it on its way to you asap.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">We’ll have several more picture books and some novels to giveaway between now and the end of the year. If all goes as planned, I’ll be back next week! If not. . . Well, you know, I’ll be in touch!<i> <b>~Clara</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #993366;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Food Fight Fiesta: A Tale about La Tomatina.</span></b></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Kyle, Tracey (author).</span></h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6Wtde0NgAZ-YRcMxODiKg8dzofLpwrFYjNbdZQGNvafO1XEAJaymxcfOed5xkpaSH1gBLTfFdnCzLT5tIoJA3rasZWKiYGnQFK_MqIy7K_CypZXch8EF_a5SWEKz_YtfYRb4Lf4J2c0J/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6Wtde0NgAZ-YRcMxODiKg8dzofLpwrFYjNbdZQGNvafO1XEAJaymxcfOed5xkpaSH1gBLTfFdnCzLT5tIoJA3rasZWKiYGnQFK_MqIy7K_CypZXch8EF_a5SWEKz_YtfYRb4Lf4J2c0J/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"></span><span style="color: #993366; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Illustrated by Ana Gomez. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"></span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">July 2018. 32p. Skyhorse/Sky Pony, $16.99 </span><a href="http://worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/isbn/9781510732155" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;" target="__blank" title="Link to WorldCat and see if your local library has this book">(9781510732155)</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">. K-Grade 2. </span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;" /><span style="color: #3366ff; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">REVIEW. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">First published </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">June 22, 2018 (<b>Booklist</b> <b>Online</b>).</a><br />
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One of the world’s more unique and messy festivals happens every August in Buñol, in the Spanish province of Valencia, when tens of thousands of people honor the town’s patron saints by throwing tomatoes at one another. Introducing this exciting-sounding event is an American eighth-grade Spanish teacher writing in a singsong style: “The crowd is soon covered in bright, crimson juice. / <em>¡Caramba!</em> Tomatoes are still on the loose!” Rather than cloying, these rhymes are a good fit for a hectic food fight, which is accompanied by accordingly frenetic illustrations by a Madrid-based artist. There are a few questionable choices—a confusing map highlighting Portugal, not depicting the required goggles on all of the kids, and allowing the final couplet to depend on a boy “cuddling a tomato” in his sleep, which doesn’t seem like the wisest thing to do. All that aside—and barring any attempts at a cafeteria reenactment—this is a good time, and an author’s note, glossary, and bibliography anchor this fun and widely unknown romp in fact.<i>— Andrew Medlar</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ies5GsngWZBPOKRg8IvwpmBABl89xu5zxKGIOABVNabwBT8149Hlsd-o7JkiwSRh957IHEkCWJOQ3levwghivKIQtlbZr_JW32h86lVS7vDdhI_l212XlE5B67Zr_ezuw7n8B6qWgiC5/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ies5GsngWZBPOKRg8IvwpmBABl89xu5zxKGIOABVNabwBT8149Hlsd-o7JkiwSRh957IHEkCWJOQ3levwghivKIQtlbZr_JW32h86lVS7vDdhI_l212XlE5B67Zr_ezuw7n8B6qWgiC5/s200/unnamed-2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red;">Tracey Kyle</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">published her first bilingual picture book, <b>GAZPACHO FOR NACHO</b> (Two Lions) in 2014. She is also the author of <b>A PAINTBRUSH FOR PACO</b> (little bee) and the forthcoming<b> ALPACA PATI</b> (Running Press, 2019) and <b>PEPE’S SPECIAL DAY. OLE!</b> (little bee, 2019). She spends most of her day as “Señora Kyle,” teaching Spanish to an energetic group of 8th graders, and when she’s not writing she likes to cook, read and practice yoga. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Be sure to stop by Tracey’s website to learn more about her wonderful books:</span><b> </b></span><b><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.traceykyle.com/&source=gmail&ust=1533729195184000&usg=AFQjCNH3Cj2PFfbscQvICm1wFBZuO3BB8w" href="http://www.traceykyle.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://www.traceykyle.<wbr></wbr>com</a></span></b><br />
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-4441388637594031102018-07-31T05:06:00.000-07:002018-07-31T05:06:05.516-07:00PICTURE BOOK BIRTHDAY with TRACEY KYLE + GiveawayDear Friends,<br />
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Summer has been especially busy this year, but a Picture Book Birthday for a friend who lights up a room with her smile could not be passed up! And now, presenting the one, the only, <b>Tracey Kyle </b>and her new picture book, <b style="color: red;">FOOD FIGHT FIESTA! </b><span style="color: red;">I just know you’ll love the vivid colors of the unusual La Tomatina Festival</span>. (learn more about it in Tracey’s post.) You may even decide to have one of your own. La Tomatina is perfect for tomato season, si? AND Tracey is generously donating an autographed copy of <span style="color: red;"><b>FOOD FIGHT FIESTA!</b></span> to one lucky winner who leaves a comment about the post. More details about that at the end.<br />
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Here’s a little bit about Tracey:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek9UKLTwePc5Ve0LYyTB00eq0-IZ9aZy58lv6qxt2zMUD6RNjmh9IAaJjnmRp1yB9_JcTYxiKv1I_C1k8i8UMzhko6EWZv0ncc9-wMh7nILeZ9FwCm5F3p9YUfeIOi5UuEy1q1Xaqu5Wv/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek9UKLTwePc5Ve0LYyTB00eq0-IZ9aZy58lv6qxt2zMUD6RNjmh9IAaJjnmRp1yB9_JcTYxiKv1I_C1k8i8UMzhko6EWZv0ncc9-wMh7nILeZ9FwCm5F3p9YUfeIOi5UuEy1q1Xaqu5Wv/s320/unnamed-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tracey Kyle</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">published her first bilingual picture book, <b>GAZPACHO FOR NACHO</b> (Two Lions) in 2014. She is also the author of <b>A PAINTBRUSH FOR PACO</b> (little bee) and the forthcoming<b> ALPACA PATI</b> (Running Press, 2019) and <b>PEPE’S SPECIAL DAY. OLE!</b> (little bee, 2019). She spends most of her day as “Señora Kyle,” teaching Spanish to an energetic group of 8th graders, and when she’s not writing she likes to cook, read and practice yoga. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Be sure to stop by Tracey’s website to learn more about her wonderful books: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.traceykyle.com/&source=gmail&ust=1533057701917000&usg=AFQjCNGjgaTgOOZPpNb-RIL6hPxA9BitIg" href="http://www.traceykyle.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.traceykyle.com</span></a><br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i>Writing from the Inside Out </i>by Tracey Kyle</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If you’ve ever wanted to have a food fight, then book a flight to Valencia, Spain right now. On August 29</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 9.3px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">, in the tiny town of Buñol, about 20,000 people will show up to throw tomatoes for a few hours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Splat!</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The last Wednesday in August each year is the celebration of LA TOMATINA, the world’s largest food fight. Tons of tomatoes are grown just for this festival, which has grown in size so much that you now need to buy a ticket to participate. It’s quite the <i>fiesta</i>: after the food fight (<i>la</i> <i>guerra de comida</i>…doesn’t that sound so much better in Spanish?) there’s a paella cooking contest, music, parades and fireworks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I’ve lived in Spain twice, but I’ve never been to LA TOMATINA. I did, however, learn about it when I was teaching AP Spanish. Other than the article in the textbook or some online sites, there was nothing about this unusual festival. </span></div>
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At the time, my first book was about to be published, but I didn’t have an agent and I was so busy teaching that the idea of a <i>Tomatina</i> picture book marinated for a while. I kept hearing that editors wanted “character-driven stories” and I knew this story, if I ever wrote it, would be a concept picture book. </div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I began to study concept picture boo</span>ks, sitting in <i>Barnes and Noble</i> reading on the floor of the kid section. This helped me with structure. On Monday mornings I would return to my crazy, stressful, busy job as a teacher and forget about the book. I love teaching, but the intensity of the day does not afford me the time to get lost in creative thought. </div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It was at a weekend writer’s retreat nearly a year and a half later that the TOMATINA story finally blossomed. Our mentor, Candice Ransom, showed us how cutting out pictures and words from magazines could spark ideas. For hours, I pasted scenes in a notebook. When the session was over, I realized I had a lot of tomatoes! I wrote the first lines I thought of in that notebook: “Whoosh! Tomatoes are filling the air / SPLAT! Tomatoes are stuck to my hair.” Once I had the voice and the narrator’s point of view, I wrote the first draft in a few hours. I let it sit for a month, came back to it for revisions, and then worked on a different story. I wasn’t sure it would get published, but that goes through my head with everything I write. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I also needed an agent, and I’d spent two years submitting work to people without any luck. Then, at an SCBWI conference, I bumped into the Jennifer Unter of The Unter Agency. I say “bumped into” because Jen and I had attended the same high school and ironically we were in Spanish class together, but that’s another blog post! I knew she was going to be there and I only wanted to say hi and find out how she was doing after all these years. But in the course of our conversation, she told me to send her some stories. About eight months later, she’d sold three books of mine. <i><b>FOOD FIGHT FIESTA</b></i> was one of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This book was a happy journey for me. It was one of the first manuscripts Jennifer sold, and we have a very comfortable relationship. I tell everyone it was fate to run into her thirty years after graduating! Also, I had the opportunity to work with a wonderful editor at <b>Sky Pony</b> named Allison Weiss. She was not the editor who originally bought the story, but she championed it from the minute she took over and was so enthusiastic. (I secretly think Allison would love a good food fight!) Lastly, I knew the minute I saw Ana Gomez’s illustrations that her style was perfect: whimsical, engaging, energetic and authentic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This experience also showed me that sometimes an idea needs time to grow. I’m not a patient person, and as a teacher I’m used to doing everything </span><span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><i>immediately</i></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>! </i>because there’s so little time to think. As an author, however, I’ve had to slow down. I still keep an idea notebook and cut out pictures. When a rhyme or a phrase pops into my head, I make a note of it. And eventually…<i>SPLAT!</i> Like a crushed tomato landing at your feet, the idea bursts open and becomes a story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Now, go buy your ticket to Valencia. LA TOMATINA is only a few weeks away!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">KIRKUS REVIEW: An American child travels to Buñol, Spain, to take part in the town’s annual raucous celebration of the tomato. La Tomatina is a large organized food fight in which residents wear goggles and spend the day throwing crushed ripe tomatoes until the streets are covered in one ruby red, pulpy mess. In an easy flowing rhyme, the narrator describes their enthusiastic participation. “ ‘Tomate, tomate,’ we hear the crowd sing. // We’re ready to squash the tomatoes and fling! / The truck moves in closer. ¡Ole?! Here we go! / Grab a tomato. Get ready…now THROW!” Cartoon illustrations depict the rowdy, frenzied event as everyone and everything is splattered and splashed in the fruit’s squishy juices. And when the loud “BOOM!” of the cannon signals the end of the fun, everyone cleans up, happy to have enjoyed another festival of the tomato. Adults and children alike may notice that despite the glee with which the text describes the mess, characters’ clothes are remarkably unstained by the end. The narrator presents white, as does much of the crowd, though it is definitely a multiethnic affair. An author’s note explains the increasingly popular event, where tourists and locals alike enjoy parades, music, fireworks, and paella, the saffron-based dish of rice and seafood. A high-spirited celebration of a unique experience. <i>(Picture book. 5-8)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #323333;">The winner of </span><i><span style="color: red;"><b>FOOD FIGHT FIESTA</b></span></i><span style="color: #323333;"> will be announced in one week. As always, thank you so much, dear readers, for stopping by to leave a comment for Tracey. We truly appreciate your support of authors and good books! Spread the word for more chances to win. Winner chosen by random.org.</span><span style="color: #323333;"> Leave a comment and don’t forget to visit Tracey here: </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: large;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.traceykyle.com/&source=gmail&ust=1533057701917000&usg=AFQjCNGjgaTgOOZPpNb-RIL6hPxA9BitIg" href="http://www.traceykyle.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.traceykyle.com</a> </span><br />
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-23269580861349501762018-05-24T05:06:00.001-07:002018-05-24T05:06:59.703-07:00ANNOUNCING the LUCKY WINNER of IF YOU WANT TO FALL ASLEEPDear Friends,<br />
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Thank you so much for stopping by last week’s post to congratulate Jackie Azua Kramer on her new book, <b><i>IF YOU WANT TO FALL ASLEEP!</i></b><br />
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The lucky winner is: Tara Luebbe! Congratulations, TARA! Please email me: claragillowclark (at) gmail (dot) com. Be sure to include your mailing address and let me know if you’d like Jackie to send you a signed bookplate.<br />
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Coming up in July are two Picture Book Birthdays for the fabulous Tracey Metzger Kyle. Tracey is donating autographed books for the comment contest!<br />
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In case you missed it, here’s the cover art and a couple of great reviews of Jackie’s book:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Especially notable." -- </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'amazon ember', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>Booklist, Spring Preview</i></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Lulling language, key bedtime trigger words, and gentle repetition are sure to help tiny eyes close. Children will enjoy witnessing Little Mouse's mischief and that of his many toys….A common nighttime predicament with a few not-so-common solutions.” ― <b><i>Kirkus Reviews</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: 'times new roman', serif;">Learn more about Jackie and her books: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.jackieazuakramer.com/&source=gmail&ust=1526412069719000&usg=AFQjCNHwXj5E9qGgpcps0Wpa-2A5HNVicg" href="http://www.jackieazuakramer.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jackieazuakramer.com</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Follow her on: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://twitter.com/JackieKramer422&source=gmail&ust=1526412069719000&usg=AFQjCNFN6zvLhRKQ57vZsQRh6qXer4P8dA" href="https://twitter.com/JackieKramer422" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter @jackiekramer422</a></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.instagram.com/jackieazuakramer/&source=gmail&ust=1526412069719000&usg=AFQjCNH5fORZPCPOqC8_2_5qO-oEx1G6-A" href="https://www.instagram.com/jackieazuakramer/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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See you in July! <i>~<span style="font-size: large;">Clara</span></i><br />
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<br />Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-48377966975894803632018-05-17T05:01:00.002-07:002018-05-17T05:01:34.455-07:00Book Birthday Blog Tour + Giveaway with Jackie Azua Kramer<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please welcome back, <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Jackie Azua Kramer, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">who has a wonderful new picture book just released this May. Enchanting illustrations coupled with Jackie’s lyrical text will make this book a treasured bedtime read aloud with your little ones. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">AND, there’s a comment contest giveaway. This time the book will be sent direct from the publisher, Clavis Books. Jackie will send a personalized bookplate to the winner on request. Simply leave a comment below and your name will be entered for a chance to win.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Writing from the Inside Out. . . </i>with<b> </b></span> <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 " , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jackie Azua Kramer</span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">In sharing parenthood with friends, inevitably we end up laughing and/or crying about the nights spent trying to get our kids to bed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just when you want to snuggle in with a good book and a cup of tea your little darling has a hundred and one excuses for why they can’t sleep. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">1: I’m not sleepy</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">2: I’m thirsty or hungry or both.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">3: I’m scared.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">4: There’s a bug in my room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">5: There’s a bug in my water.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;">If this is true for you and your pesky night owl, in </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">If You Want to Fall Asleep</span></b></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: large;"> you might discover you’re not alone.</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 12px;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">The sweet bedtime battle between Little Mouse’s endless reasons for why he can’t sleep and his mother’s loving and imaginative suggestions was inspired from personal experience. I spent more nights then I care to remember, opening dresser drawers, toy chests and closets, shooing monsters from my daughter’s room. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">I treasure the bedtimes I once had snuggled together reading books with my children. I hope you and your little one will smile seeing yourselves in Mama Mouse and Little Mouse. A night filled with daring pirates, mountains of pancakes, floating among the stars…and wait for yawning. And stretching. And sleepy thoughts. And drowsy eyes. Fingers crossed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Meet the author:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRip1OvaGA03l1qeo3kjJRa_mXaZL0h-g5hqpzfKCNaPkn7KRUDMh2zUFc010Ww4lzkLFmW8pNnHpvW3IjnyBLBMqDKw_SCEAiZkBZD5Vv5vOaQZ2SoHYYHM0B8BmIMQ_fGHx1QYBNp5J/s1600/unnamed-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRip1OvaGA03l1qeo3kjJRa_mXaZL0h-g5hqpzfKCNaPkn7KRUDMh2zUFc010Ww4lzkLFmW8pNnHpvW3IjnyBLBMqDKw_SCEAiZkBZD5Vv5vOaQZ2SoHYYHM0B8BmIMQ_fGHx1QYBNp5J/s320/unnamed-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Jackie Azúa Kramer was born in Manhattan, NY. She has worked as an actor, singer, and school counselor. Jackie’s work with children presented her with an opportunity to address their concerns, secrets and hopes through storytelling. Her award-winning picture book, <i>The Green Umbrella </i>(North South Books) won the <i>Parents’ Choice Silver Medal</i> and chosen <i>2017 Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year</i>. It’s been translated into German, Slovenian, Chinese and Russian.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Out soon--<i>The Boy and the Eight Hundred Pound Gorilla</i> (Candlewick Press, 2020); <i>That’s for Babies</i> and<i> Miles Won’t Smile</i> (Clavis Books, TBD). Jackie lives with her family and writes under a canopy of trees in Long Island, NY.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Learn more about Jackie and her books: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.jackieazuakramer.com/&source=gmail&ust=1526412069719000&usg=AFQjCNHwXj5E9qGgpcps0Wpa-2A5HNVicg" href="http://www.jackieazuakramer.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;" target="_blank">Jackieazuakramer.com</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://twitter.com/JackieKramer422&source=gmail&ust=1526412069719000&usg=AFQjCNFN6zvLhRKQ57vZsQRh6qXer4P8dA" href="https://twitter.com/JackieKramer422" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Twitter @jackiekramer422</a></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.instagram.com/jackieazuakramer/&source=gmail&ust=1526412069719000&usg=AFQjCNH5fORZPCPOqC8_2_5qO-oEx1G6-A" href="https://www.instagram.com/jackieazuakramer/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div>
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You may recall Jackie’s debut picture book, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Green Umbrella,</span> </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">featured here a year ago!</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Illustrated in spreads that alternate the rainy-day narrative in vignettes with full-bleed spreads that allow the flight-of-fancy retellings to render a deeper mood, the animals' stories are delightfully descriptive...The lesson about sharing and generosity is elegantly wrapped around lovely language. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">(</span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif;">Kirkus Reviews</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #70ad47; font-family: "palatino" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.bankstreet.edu/center-childrens-literature/childrens-book-committee/&source=gmail&ust=1526412069719000&usg=AFQjCNGEB2k-C6QfuMm2CCDcYjNhGGkDeA" href="https://www.bankstreet.edu/center-childrens-literature/childrens-book-committee/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;">Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "palatino" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id%3D35106%26StepNum%3D1%26award%3Daw&source=gmail&ust=1526412069719000&usg=AFQjCNHFJk-kGjlm5udXyd8Uv47O99IPhg" href="http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=35106&StepNum=1&award=aw" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;">Parents’ Choice Award Silver Medal</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">THANK YOU, Dear Friends, for joining the BOOK BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION with Jackie Azua Kramer and for leaving a comment below. The winner of <b><i>If You Want to Fall Asleep </i></b>will be announced on May 23rd.</span><br />
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-15768792927449376732018-05-08T05:42:00.000-07:002018-05-08T05:42:39.313-07:00ANNOUNCING the LUCKY WINNERS - 2 BOOK GiveawayDear Friends,<br />
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It feels like ages since I last posted, but finally, TODAY is the day to announce the lucky winners of the two book giveaway to celebrate NOVEL BEGINNINGS, K.L. Going’s and my upcoming workshop at Highlights Foundation. It’s nearly the Eleventh hour, but there’s still time to register for the workshop. Click anywhere on the large blue type directly below to learn more:<br />
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<strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #636363; font-family: "helvetica";">Faculty: K.L. Going, Clara Gillow Clark (If you don’t already know what we look like, you’ll find photos of us over at the Highlights Foundation webpage.)</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">The winner of</span><i style="font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;"> KING OF THE SCREWUPS</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b> by K.L. Going: </b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-weight: bold;">Theresa</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> Milstein - Congratulations!!! </span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Theresa, please email me, claragillowclark(at)gmail(dot)com, with your mailing address and to whom you’d like you book personalized.)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Liam is a multifaceted and resilient character who ultimately learns how to be comfortable in his own skin with the help of his new, makeshift family. Going’s knack for defying stereotypes and creating memorable characters will not disappoint fans of Fat Kid Rules the World (Putnam, 2003) and Saint Iggy (Harcourt, 2006).</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">--</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-weight: 700;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">School Library Journal,</i> <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">starred review</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember", "arial", sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: amazon ember, arial, sans-serif;">The winner of Hill Hawk Hattie + discussion guide and dolls is: Judie Offerdahl - </span><span style="font-family: "amazon ember", "arial", sans-serif;">Congratulations!!!</span><span style="font-family: amazon ember, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: 'amazon ember', arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">(Judie, </span></span><span style="color: #636363; font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">please email me, claragillowclark(at)gmail(dot)com, with your mailing address and to whom you’d like you book personalized.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEBC_fS9h3T_j2fsmDBwgkASbNqzXwLe8O_mo-nCl4QbIzRbEQZTwz3mdZMMBDIQt3mTbIVTFlrf1aK7XRf8gZmqjzPGRqOdn2kUSzYmjpMCMN3q9yeFUfKRwFYUccYnYxH96CCSWTMXq/s1600/Hill+Hawk+Hattie+%252B+Dolls+jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="564" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEBC_fS9h3T_j2fsmDBwgkASbNqzXwLe8O_mo-nCl4QbIzRbEQZTwz3mdZMMBDIQt3mTbIVTFlrf1aK7XRf8gZmqjzPGRqOdn2kUSzYmjpMCMN3q9yeFUfKRwFYUccYnYxH96CCSWTMXq/s320/Hill+Hawk+Hattie+%252B+Dolls+jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i>Hill Hawk Hattie</i> (Candlewick Press)</b><br />
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"The simple first-person narrative captures Hattie's rustic innocence, the thrilling rafting adventure, and the heartfelt struggle of a tough girl who feels useful to her father only in the role of a boy." — BOOKLIST (starred review)</b></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dear readers, We so appreciated each and every one of your comments for our giveaway! Thank you so much for your support. May is a busy month for us, but we</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ll do our best to have your books in the mail within a week. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">~</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i>Clara </i>and <i>Kelly</i></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">P.S. In store for you on MAY 17th, is a brand new picture book! See you soon. <i>~Clara</i></span></span></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-84066082258968651102018-04-24T04:25:00.000-07:002018-04-24T04:25:44.405-07:00Exciting Workshop News from K.L.Going & Clara + 2 Book Giveaway Dear friends,<br />
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This is a THREE PART POST, so be sure to read through to the end!<br />
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First, K.L. Going and I are delighted to share the exciting news that Elayne Becker, from <b>Tor Teen</b> Books will be our special guest editor for Novel Beginnings 2018. Welcome aboard, Elayne! She looks delightful, doesn’t she?<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Read about her here</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">:</span><span style="font-size: 1.31em;"> <a class="result__a" href="http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/elayne-becker/" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #6c00a2; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: 1.22; margin: 0px 0px -0.05em; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="border: 0px; color: #6c00a2; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">Elayne</span><span style="color: #6c00a2; font-family: inherit;"><span style="display: inline-block; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: -0.05em; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="border: 0px; color: #6c00a2; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">Becker</span><span style="color: #6c00a2; font-family: inherit;"><span style="display: inline-block; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: 1.22; margin-bottom: -0.05em; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap;"> - The Official Manuscript Wish List Website</span></span></a></span></h2>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Elayne</span> <span style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Becker</span>. Forge <span style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Books</span>, <span style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tor</span> <span style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Teen,</span> ... I want <span style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">books</span> that teach me something without being pedantic. . .</div>
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<b>2nd:</b> Kelly and I wanted to share more about our upcoming workshop in June. Click on the link "NOVEL BEGINNINGS" for a closer look at sample daily schedules. </div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://highlightsfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D5a92c844ed634e844a7fc0b69%26id%3D746838afe2%26e%3D77758a8f49&source=gmail&ust=1524403807725000&usg=AFQjCNF0Fl9WzFRed8THN5PsrfXPoq5iPw" href="https://highlightsfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5a92c844ed634e844a7fc0b69&id=746838afe2&e=77758a8f49" style="color: #4773a3; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">NOVEL BEGINNINGS: BUILDING STRONG FOUNDATIONS FOR YOUR NOVEL AND YOUR CAREER</a><br /><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1706900551" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">JUNE 21-24, 2018</span></span></h2>
<strong><span style="color: #636363; font-family: "helvetica";">Faculty: K.L. Going, Clara Gillow Clark (If you don’t already know what we look like, you’ll find photos of us over at the Highlights Foundation webpage.)</span></strong><br />
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KEY ELEMENTS OF THIS COURSE:</h2>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px;">For anyone who is ready to start their novel, has a novel in progress or wants feedback on their finished novel.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">You will be able to <strong>submit up to 50 pages of your manuscript</strong>, and faculty will give you both line comments and an editorial letter.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">You will have a personal one-on-one critique with a faculty member.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">There will be a session with a guest editor </li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Faculty and guest presentations on plot, character, conflict, the publishing process and how to avoid common mistakes. </li>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "helvetica";"><b>There’s still time to sign up for our workshop, but the clock is ticking! Hurry over to the Highlights Foundation website and reserve your spot. Payment options are available as well as scholarships. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "helvetica";"><b>3rd:</b> <b>THE GIVEAWAY!!! </b>Both Kelly and I are giving away an autographed copy of one of our titles. Most of you know the drill, but it’s a little different this time. No, you don’t have to be registered for our workshop for a chance to win. <b>Simply leave a comment below about anything related to this post or simply stop by to say, “Hello!” </b> However, you’ll get more chances to win if you tweet the post, share it on FaceBook, Linked In, or Google+. Please let us know in your comment if you’ve done any or all of the above to get those extra chances to win. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "helvetica";">Kelly is giving away a copy of her fantastic YA novel,<b> <i>King of the Screwups</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Liam is a multifaceted and resilient character who ultimately learns how to be comfortable in his own skin with the help of his new, makeshift family. Going’s knack for defying stereotypes and creating memorable characters will not disappoint fans of Fat Kid Rules the World (Putnam, 2003) and Saint Iggy (Harcourt, 2006).</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">--</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-weight: 700;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">School Library Journal,</i> <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">starred review</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #636363; font-family: "helvetica";">And I’m giving away a copy of my MG novel, <i><b>Hill Hawk Hattie</b>,</i> along with a book discussion guide and dolls: </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YhQtv8DaQ7kKs8aBQWoBgEUm5azaVAKwLl_qzHol2I-ZLFwxQki_WzAjAAafKlCGNXU5h-8rp90LzCHnjCRiJ83DFfkDZUQFOmr0jOoRb7BxNnOm_jYDpnD3jxV8LRXJFZaO5dbnyYf5/s1600/bd5ccfd37f9e3bd29f6b6e05ff862540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YhQtv8DaQ7kKs8aBQWoBgEUm5azaVAKwLl_qzHol2I-ZLFwxQki_WzAjAAafKlCGNXU5h-8rp90LzCHnjCRiJ83DFfkDZUQFOmr0jOoRb7BxNnOm_jYDpnD3jxV8LRXJFZaO5dbnyYf5/s400/bd5ccfd37f9e3bd29f6b6e05ff862540.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"The simple first-person narrative captures Hattie's rustic innocence, the thrilling rafting adventure, and the heartfelt struggle of a tough girl who feels useful to her father only in the role of a boy." — BOOKLIST (starred review)</b></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Thank you, dear readers, for stopping by to join the celebration of writing and authors, editors and books! Thanks so much for showing your support by leaving a comment. The winners will be announced on May 8th. </span>~</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Clara </i>and <i>Kelly</i></span></b></span></div>
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Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-67723780663271324632018-04-15T08:35:00.002-07:002018-04-15T08:35:33.842-07:00Two Writers Talk About their Process of Beginning a NovelDear Writers,<br />
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<span style="color: #464646; font-family: "avenir lt w01_45 book1475508" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">K.L. Going and I are co-faculty for the upcoming workshop </span><a href="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/novel-beginnings" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #90b03e; font-family: 'avenir lt w01_45 book1475508', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: none;">Novel Beginnings: Building Strong Foundations for Your Novel and Your Career</a> at HIGHLIGHTS FOUNDATION.<span style="color: #464646; font-family: "avenir lt w01_45 book1475508" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> In this post, Kelly and I take turns sharing our experiences and our process for beginning a novel. Where and how does it all begin? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #464646; font-family: "avenir lt w01_45 book1475508" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Our next post will share more about our workshop and offer a book giveaway for one of K.L.’s books and one of mine. It’s not necessary to leave a comment here, but we do appreciate hearing from readers. Thanks for dropping by. ~C</span><br />
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<figure class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_10272" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; float: right; font-family: 'Avenir LT W01_45 Book1475508', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 7px 0px 7px 24px; max-width: 216px;"><img alt="K.L. Going" class="size-full wp-image-10272" height="325" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 85vw, 216px" src="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/kl-going.jpg" srcset="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/kl-going.jpg 216x, http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/kl-going-199x300.jpg 199x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="216" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;">K.L. Going</figcaption></figure><br />
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<span class="blue" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #33699e; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556"; font-size: large;">Research. How much research do you do before writing?</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Kelly</b>:</span> I do a lot of research, even when writing fiction. In fact, I sometimes think I do too much. It’s very easy to put off starting the actual writing process by reading just <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">one more</em> book in the name of research.</div>
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The truth is, I find research to be a lot of fun. I read about various topics that relate to my story idea and sometimes I’ll read books that relate to how I might structure the narrative. For example, if I’m debating about using flashbacks, I might read a few examples of books that use them well. Or if I’m considering a narrative style that jumps around in time, I might see if I can find other examples of this style. That said, I never read anything that’s too close in plot, setting, or character because I don’t want to unconsciously affect my decision making on that level.<br />
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<figure class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_10273" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; float: left; font-family: 'Avenir LT W01_45 Book1475508', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 7px 24px 7px 0px; max-width: 350px;"><img alt="Clara Gillow Clark" class="size-full wp-image-10273" height="200" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 85vw, 350px" src="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cg-clark.jpg" srcset="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cg-clark.jpg 350x, http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cg-clark-150x150.jpg 150x, http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cg-clark-300x300.jpg 300x" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="200" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;">Clara Gillow Clark</figcaption></figure><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Clara</b>:</span> Before I begin to write I do months of research and then continue to research throughout the writing of a book. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";">Here’s a little writing tip: If you can’t see it; you can’t write it.</span> That’s why research is not just important, it’s necessary for any time period you’re writing in if you want to capture a past or present time and bring it to life.</div>
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Research gives the writer building blocks to saturate their narrative with vivid and specific details. I want the reader to taste, touch, taste, smell, hear, and see the fictional world. When we write about the past, research also helps us shed our 21st-century sensibilities to embrace the mannerisms, belief systems, a different way of seeing the world, and the emotional pulse of a past time that may be alien to us.<br />
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<span class="blue" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #33699e; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556"; font-size: large;">How much of the story is developed through imagination–daydreaming about the characters, setting, and plot? </span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Kelly</b>:</span> All of it! Daydreaming is how I come up with my ideas for every stage of story development. I think about all the different paths that the plot could take and imagine the twists and turns as far as my mind allows. I imagine the same story using one element and then change that element to its polar opposite and imagine the story again. What changes? What do I like better? Were there any surprises?</div>
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As an example, I might think I want to write about a family that consists of a mother, father, and my main character. But there are so many permutations of family and every different combination changes who my main character would be and how they would act. I might change certain elements in my mind, imagining how the plot would unfold if the parents are divorced, happily married, together but constantly fighting, etc. Each path leads to a main character with different traits: angry, naïve, confused, betrayed, seeking escape…These character traits in turn define the plot.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";">It’s easy to make choices that become set in our mind right from the start, but sometimes, changing one single character or action can end up defining your entire book.</span></div>
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<img alt="Fat Kid Rules the World" class="alignright size-full wp-image-10276" height="250" src="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/fat-kid.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; height: auto; margin: 7px 0px 7px 24px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="165" />If you look back at my original hand-written pages of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Fat Kid Rules the World</em>, you’ll see a character who didn’t make it into the story: Troy’s mom. At some point, I reimagined the story without her and found that there was a deep well of emotion and conflict with a single dad struggling to raise two boys on his own.<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Clara</b>:</span> Research is the vehicle by which a writer builds their fictional world and that’s also where imagination comes in. As I research, I start building sets in my mind, sort of like movie sets–rooms with furniture, neighborhoods, kinds of transportation and types of stores, as well as the larger setting of the natural world, fashion, food, manners, superstitions, important historical events, and so much more. This process is delightful child’s play where I pick up bits of research and try them on, model them so to speak, to see if they work. Some things get discarded, other things are kept and often embellished to enhance the setting or a character’s personality. But the daydream can’t blossom into story until I have a reason to write the book. Then I need a major character I care about who is conflicted and to that I add in other primary relationship characters to generate conflict and friction, offer support or create confusion for the main character and to ultimately touch an emotional chord in the reader.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-size: 17px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-right: 24px; margin-top: 7px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;"><img alt="Pieces of Why" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-10281" height="250" src="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/pieces-why.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; margin: 7px 24px 7px 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="165" /></span><span class="blue" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #33699e; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556"; font-size: large;">How much of the story’s content springs from your emotional connection to the story? </span><br />
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Kelly</b><span style="font-size: 17px;">:</span></span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> All of it! Again, this is at the very heart of story development. </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556"; font-size: 17px;">There’s something mysterious about the way the passion you feel in your mind and heart gets transferred onto the page.</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> It doesn’t seem like a reader should be able to tell how I feel as I write, but over and over again, I’ve seen the results. When I am deeply emotional about a scene, it works, but when I’m writing something that I feel less connected to, most of the time it ends up getting cut in the end.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Clara</b>:</span> Everything. It’s commonly believed that you can’t write something that’s other than yourself. But haven’t we all been a target or experienced life being acted out on us? And if we closely observe and put ourselves in another’s shoes to discover their wounds and fears, and if we can then see with clarity and compassion and forgiveness, why can’t we then write from another’s point-of-view whose actions are things we would never do or say not even in our thoughts? But, I would say, that YES, everything springs from our life experience, but not necessarily our own thoughts and actions.</div>
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<span class="blue" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #33699e; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556"; font-size: large;">How do you know if a story idea is strong enough to support an entire novel?</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Kelly</b>:</span> To me, this goes back to that all important step: imagination. When I take time to imagine, I can see whether a trail quickly runs out, or whether I’m bursting with possibilities. I’ve had numerous ideas that seem funny or interesting at first, but when I start to play them out in story form, there’s not enough to turn that idea into an entire book.</div>
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<span class="blue" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #33699e; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556"; font-size: large;">How do we pull it all together?</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Clara:</b></span> I’ve pretty much stated that above, but to recap, <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";">getting ready to write is having your three prongs of story working together in your mind–i.e. research, imagination, and emotion</span>. When the characters start saying things and doing things and feeling emotions then I know it’s time to write.</div>
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<span class="blue" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #33699e; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556"; font-size: large;">How do you know when it’s time to write? </span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Kelly</b>:</span> For me, there’s a feeling of urgency that begins to build. Also, because I spend so much time imagining different possibilities, there’s also a point where I feel like my imagination is tapped out. I think of this part of the process like playing chess. When you’re playing, you try to consider each move and its consequences. Some players are capable of thinking many moves ahead. Others can think one or two moves ahead. Either way, <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";">there’s a point where you’ve done all of the thinking you can, and it’s time to choose the best path and make your move</span>.</div>
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<span class="blue" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #33699e; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556"; font-size: large;">How many drafts do you do before you submit your work? </span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Kelly</b>:</span> This varies from project to project, but I guarantee it’s more than most people expect! It’s also less quantifiable because I often read through partial drafts and edit as I’m creating.</div>
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In an ideal world, I’d start each new chapter by rereading the previous one, so I’d clean up the text as I write. Then after a complete draft is finished, I’d put it away for at least two weeks so I could come back to it with fresh eyes. I’d revise a minimum of three times before passing the novel on to a team of carefully selected readers who would give me feedback. Then I’d take their feedback, incorporate it, and revise again as many times as needed.</div>
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Of course, this is a perfect scenario and we all know that writing is <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";">messy</span>! Our best laid plans seldom work out the way we want them to! My best advice? Revise as many times as you need to, and don’t feel self-conscious about how many drafts you take to get it right. What matters is the end result, not how long it takes you to get there.<br />
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<img alt="Hill Hawk Hattie" class="alignright size-full wp-image-10277" height="250" src="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/hill-hawk-hattie.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; height: auto; margin: 7px 0px 7px 24px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="167" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "avenir lt w01_95 black1475556";"><b>Clara:</b></span> Each project is different. For <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hill Hawk Hattie</em> the beginning came fully formed into my head when I was out walking–walking is when I do a lot of daydreaming and when characters talk to me–and the opening of that book never changed much from that moment Hattie entered into my conscious and started telling me her story. But I had spent years gathering research about the heyday of the rafting era on the Delaware River so the stage was set. But it’s also not unusual for me to do countless drafts of a scene or chapter and then toss them out or to tinker endlessly with words and phrases, always asking myself, “How can I say this better?” After I’ve completed a draft, I count on a feedback from trusted friends, and more often than not that will require several more drafts before the manuscript is even close to submission.</div>
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<a href="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/novel-beginnings" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #90b03e; font-family: 'Avenir LT W01_45 Book1475508', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: none;">Novel Beginnings: Building Strong Foundations for Your Novel and Your Career </a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: "avenir lt w01_45 book1475508" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">June 21-24, 2018</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: "avenir lt w01_45 book1475508" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Get feedback on your novel AND guidance about your writing career from two experienced authors with great teaching and editing experience.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/novel-beginnings" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #90b03e; font-family: 'Avenir LT W01_45 Book1475508', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="register now" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7527" height="150" src="https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/register-now-blue-150.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="150" /></a>Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897667157865686965.post-15680637754345641862017-12-19T06:09:00.000-08:002017-12-19T06:09:33.536-08:00Announcing the Skype WINNER for MY SPECIAL WORD <span style="font-size: large;">Dear Friends,</span><br />
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We’re all in a flurry of getting ready for the holidays so this will be an extra short post! First, thank you for the wonderful comments you left for Alison Green Myers.<br />
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Thank you, Alison, for the wonderful and generous gift you’ve given of a free Skype visit to a school or organization in this season of giving. It’s such a perfect way for us to end a year by committing ourselves to <span style="color: #cc0000;">GOODWILL</span> and to finding OUR right word to live by in the coming year. What will be your special word? What special word will be mine? You may want to revisit the previous post for inspiration from the children.<br />
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If you weren’t the lucky winner, you’ll still want to visit the website for <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "palatino";">the non-profit program: </span><span style="font-family: "palatino"; text-decoration: none;"><i><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Palatino; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.myspecialword.com/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Palatino; text-decoration: none;">My Special Word</a>.</span></b></i></span> You can apply for a grant, donate to the program, or get in touch to find out how you can bring this kid empowering program to your school or organization. <br />
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And, the Lucky Winner, chosen by random.org for the "MY SPECIAL WORD" Skype visit is:<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Nisha Gupta</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">CONGRATULATIONS!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-small;">(Please email me with contact information for Alison! claragillowclark(at)gmail(dot)com)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBH0vgPDw5ytisrPO7ZabtfdnBAeeFnnHbat51-k6KPq08RmHcyVVjWsB9YHjzGvPwRMEhi_uJzbvKdM9AVuLnHkffPi1bser0Dhx-OH0glzSTH0Z9uRm0UoIhenjidbaH7pasOEiRMcw1/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBH0vgPDw5ytisrPO7ZabtfdnBAeeFnnHbat51-k6KPq08RmHcyVVjWsB9YHjzGvPwRMEhi_uJzbvKdM9AVuLnHkffPi1bser0Dhx-OH0glzSTH0Z9uRm0UoIhenjidbaH7pasOEiRMcw1/s200/unnamed-2.jpg" width="200" /></a><b style="color: #464646; font-family: palatino;"><span style="font-size: large;">Alison Green Myers</span> spent the first half of her career teaching reading and writing, and now finds herself working in children’s book publishing as program coordinator for the <a href="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/" style="color: #7c93a1; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #0433ff; line-height: normal;">Highlights Foundation</span></a> and reader for a small press. She is a regional advisor for SCBWI and a fellow of the National Writing Project. Alison joins Dwight Smith to co-present </b><span style="font-family: "\22 palatino\22 ";"><span style="font-family: "palatino";"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.myspecialword.com/" style="color: blue; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">My Special Word</a><b style="color: blue; font-style: italic;"> </b>in schools across the country. </span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBGqedRk8rcEML3l8_RcPlybgt6C98P11IPwRHL496pMt0VA6hAc1GOARUF9EzDTxR2eNibP79T0PkrwQ87Qh1l68TdFzpaGpX1Vyn6V-8Obw0x5f4nt_eoKxGrDyyFsZY4gv8ijYfchd/s1600/unnamed.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBGqedRk8rcEML3l8_RcPlybgt6C98P11IPwRHL496pMt0VA6hAc1GOARUF9EzDTxR2eNibP79T0PkrwQ87Qh1l68TdFzpaGpX1Vyn6V-8Obw0x5f4nt_eoKxGrDyyFsZY4gv8ijYfchd/s640/unnamed.png" width="640" /></a><b style="color: #464646; font-family: palatino; font-size: 13px;"><br /></b>
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THANK YOU, ALISON, and THANK YOU, DEAR READERS FOR MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.<br />
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PEACE. LOVE. JOY. GOODWILL TO ALL!<br />
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!<br />
<i><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">~CLARA </span></b></i><br />
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<br />Clara Gillow Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10204130118900222511noreply@blogger.com1