tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36754686012235960372024-03-14T06:57:01.296-04:00Children's LiteratureChildren’s Literature is an independent online review source, whose team of reviewers read and critically reviews more than 6,000 books annually. Our mission is to help teachers, librarians, childcare providers, and parents make appropriate literary choices for children. Additionally, Children’s Literature currently assists schools, museums, conferences and other organizations in identifying authors and illustrators for speaking engagements. www.childrenslit.comChildren's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-57796137143458949182013-05-07T12:09:00.002-04:002013-05-07T12:09:54.595-04:00Move to TumblrWe have moved our blog to Tumblr. Please check out our new page:<br />
<a href="http://childrenslitreviews.tumblr.com/">http://childrenslitreviews.tumblr.com</a>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-50266240305842510292013-04-18T14:03:00.004-04:002013-04-18T14:03:53.376-04:00Valerie O. Patterson's New Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Operation Oleander</i><br />
Valerie O. Patterson<br />
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Jess, Merriwether, and Sam are regular teens who happen to
live at the Fort Spencer Army Base in Florida. Jess's father and
Merriwether's mother are serving in Afghanistan. Sam's father is the
base commander. The three are very close friends; however, Jess's mom
worries that children of enlisted soldiers should not socialize with
officers' children. Jess has spearheaded a drive to send school supplies
to children in an Afghan orphanage. Her father has sent her photos and
she is particularly attached to Warda, a young girl pictured standing
near an oleander plant. Since that flower also blooms in Florida, Jess
has named the project Operation Oleander. However, not everyone,
including Sam's father, is thrilled with the project. Some think that
the military personnel should not be putting themselves in danger by
delivering the supplies. One morning while setting up the donations
table in the PX, Jess's world is turned upside down when news comes of
an explosion near an Afghan orphanage. Reports come of injury and even
death to some soldiers from Fort Spencer. The entire base pulls together
at this tragic time, but some will blame Operation Oleander for the
incident. Jess learns very painful lessons in this poignant novel. 2012,
Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Ages 12 to 18, $16.99.
Reviewer: Shirley Nelson (Children's Literature).<br />
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To have <a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/patterson-valerie.html">Valerie </a>visit your school or organization email <a href="mailto:emily@childrenslit.com">emily@childrenslit.com</a><br />
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Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-86642416885506472082012-11-07T11:23:00.001-05:002012-11-07T11:23:52.185-05:00Jackie Urbanovic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycJJehZMbrOa0_oR_rl7DyeYq4-x1HL64XvLaJB8DKPc9OcvZBcdnfndfNzfWdj63AYcRMAj5QI7SvOf2HaH4qBErPi3BTnSNMuL-kWcCLe6WXHuQXmPanbueIRbQ5VoD4R4LLVcd6g6F/s1600/103400201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycJJehZMbrOa0_oR_rl7DyeYq4-x1HL64XvLaJB8DKPc9OcvZBcdnfndfNzfWdj63AYcRMAj5QI7SvOf2HaH4qBErPi3BTnSNMuL-kWcCLe6WXHuQXmPanbueIRbQ5VoD4R4LLVcd6g6F/s200/103400201.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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New to our booking service is popular picture book author & illustrator, Jackie Urbanovic. An award-winning author and illustrator, Jackie grew up in the Midwest and then attended the Maryland Institute of Art, where she received her BFA. She now lives in Maryland, working as a professional illustrator for over thirty years. Her popular Max the duck series began in 2007 with <i>Duck at the Door</i>. In addition to this best-selling series, Jackie is the illustrator of <i>No Sleep for the Sheep</i> by Karen Beaumont, <i>If You're Hoppy</i>, <i>Grandma Lena's Big Ol'Turnip</i>, and <i>I've Lost My Hippopotamus</i> by Jack Prelutsky. Jackie's presentations and workshops range from pre-school aged children to workshops for high school and adults audiences.<br /><br /><div>
To have Jackie Urbanovic visit your school or organization contact marilyn@childrenslit.com<br /><div>
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<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/urbanovic-jackie.html">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/urbanovic-jackie.html</a><br /><br /><br /></div>
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Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-42463769765069588762012-10-02T13:40:00.001-04:002012-10-02T13:40:38.207-04:00Catherine Reef<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYnJmPszRUofqueZmlun0C19Eav-is1Wxm7ZLqtfczXKZl_tILF2CTRMKbUCPTZSHSOWLyx8tdbuLHQ9axIve3GUUzPjNLqpg5sSKdK2NhJ13eRICjNbS4iVjpi2wtMFFRvtmR2I_0I1X/s1600/reefbronte.jpg" 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/AVvXsEgLYnJmPszRUofqueZmlun0C19Eav-is1Wxm7ZLqtfczXKZl_tILF2CTRMKbUCPTZSHSOWLyx8tdbuLHQ9axIve3GUUzPjNLqpg5sSKdK2NhJ13eRICjNbS4iVjpi2wtMFFRvtmR2I_0I1X/s200/reefbronte.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Children’s Book Guild of DC has a <a href="http://www.childrensbookguild.org/book-news/491-catherine-reef-and-the-bronte-sisters">piece </a>about Catherine Reef’s new biography about
the <span style="background-color: #fafafa;">Brontë</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: #fafafa;"> </span></span>
Sisters. The book, out this month from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, <em><span style="background: #FAFAFA;">The Brontë Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte</span></em>, Emily, and Anne, has already received
three starred reviews. Learn more about <a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/reef-catherine.html">Catherine </a>and information about her
school visits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-17258490346800292142012-08-06T13:41:00.000-04:002012-08-06T13:42:15.907-04:00Mars<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">NASA posted a <a href="http://science.time.com/2012/08/06/mars-rover-curiosity-lands-safely-on-the-red-planet/?iid=gs-main-mostpop2">photo </a>from Curiosity, the rover that landed on Mars this weekend. Search <a href="http://www.clcd.com/">CLCD</a> for books about Mars and the solar system, or check out our past year-long feature on <a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/childrenslit/th_space.html">Space Exploration</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKvfeF1qWjiC5dFKZj15vNWYGqRictJPKrYfPyLwyIEP2Nku5SBe1hRctJtpdAeSM4AxeeP5YSx6z3_5ZWDH4SiGty6ZATkKfwXBRSHYowEjngzVmJkc5ydVwSyoMvpQ_xAag4h7UFDXf/s1600/9780547478814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKvfeF1qWjiC5dFKZj15vNWYGqRictJPKrYfPyLwyIEP2Nku5SBe1hRctJtpdAeSM4AxeeP5YSx6z3_5ZWDH4SiGty6ZATkKfwXBRSHYowEjngzVmJkc5ydVwSyoMvpQ_xAag4h7UFDXf/s200/9780547478814.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>The
Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Elizabeth
Rusch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The question of life on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Mars<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>has
fueled space research and imagination for years. Steven Squyres watched the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Apollo<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>moon
mission on television as a teenager and grew up to be lead scientist on the mission
sending his self-designed rovers to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Mars.
Readers watch as his team brings the rovers to life and follows their journeys into
space. The two robots seem to take on personalities of their own as they survive
years past their initial three month assignment and defy countless odds and near
calamities to gather information to send back to earth. The next step is using all
of that information to help put people on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Mars;
a thrilling prospect! Full of rich photos of Steve and the other scientists and
astronauts, the rovers and the red planet itself, this book is sure to re-ignite
interest in an ever-changing space exploration program. Part of the “Scientists
in the Field” series, this volume would be a valuable addition to any school or
classroom library. 2012, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publishing Company, Ages 9 to 12, $18.99.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ISBN:
9780547478814<o:p></o:p></span></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-66511148844271124952012-08-02T11:20:00.000-04:002012-08-02T11:20:54.461-04:00Arlene Hirschfelder<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1PvHP3rSeDjqeNiiQbGhqe5AHkxWHUvRz_IBiGyGnaHC-bru-olJdihiU6QMKjYKYw3YzAos5YE3fV6BfP-MQAXELxnbLtSCgBl02jjqD1Lw2ezHXcxHrSM4fJL_0bhMBpshK_be5yqE/s1600/hirschfelder-arlene.jpg" 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/AVvXsEgs1PvHP3rSeDjqeNiiQbGhqe5AHkxWHUvRz_IBiGyGnaHC-bru-olJdihiU6QMKjYKYw3YzAos5YE3fV6BfP-MQAXELxnbLtSCgBl02jjqD1Lw2ezHXcxHrSM4fJL_0bhMBpshK_be5yqE/s200/hirschfelder-arlene.jpg" width="176" /></a><br />
<br />
A Chicago native, Arlene Hirschfelder is a longtime nonfiction writer who focuses on presenting accurate portrayals of Native Americans in the United States. The author of over 25 books, Arlene is also the editor of "It Happened to Me," a series of nonfiction books for teen readers published by Scarecrow Press. Arlene's book, <i>Rising Voices: The Writings of Young Native Americans</i>, was an IRA Children's Choice and Teachers' Choice and was chosen for the White Raven Book Award by the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany. She visits middle school, high school, and college classrooms and also provides workshops for teachers and librarians.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZqgCfl6zJIodH49rNdJmjZKZWH42bjewJ9FW7F-yvadGW6bht_eySYL9SGN_Oj8R5tdTqxy4WDBnAPOO87iaRYzJnqK3KC6-4oMK86bF_jTH1hTGFcVnjYr1rUzgpkmAEaYIWE5CWTyG/s1600/9781556528026-akidsguidetonativeamericanhistory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZqgCfl6zJIodH49rNdJmjZKZWH42bjewJ9FW7F-yvadGW6bht_eySYL9SGN_Oj8R5tdTqxy4WDBnAPOO87iaRYzJnqK3KC6-4oMK86bF_jTH1hTGFcVnjYr1rUzgpkmAEaYIWE5CWTyG/s200/9781556528026-akidsguidetonativeamericanhistory.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
To have Arlene Hirschfelder visit your school or organization contact marilyn@childrenslit.com<br />
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<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hirschfelder-arlene.html">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hirschfelder-arlene.html</a>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-2362840376286264622012-07-05T12:34:00.000-04:002012-07-05T12:34:19.778-04:00The Creativity Conundrum In Educational Leadership<br />
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<strong><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://www.educationalleadership.com/the-creativity-conundrum-in-public-education-leadership/">The Creativity Conundrum in Public Education Leadership</a><o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Many of the men and women who shaped
the world over the course of history, from Mozart to Albert Einstein to Steve
Jobs, have done so by thinking well outside the sphere of traditional
education. Famously, each of these men had some issues with authority, and it’s
hard to imagine any of them sitting placidly in a classroom and copying facts
and figures from a chalkboard. In the end, their genius was not simply in their
ability to understand complex systems, although that was certainly an important
part of it. What set them apart was their creativity—that is, their ability to
use previously held knowledge to produce something that no one had ever thought
to make before; whether a symphony, a scientific theory or a personal computer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The
passing of Steve Jobs in 2011 rekindled an age-old discussion about the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-the-next-einstein/201110/steve-jobs-leveraged-his-intelligence-more-effectively-create" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">relationship of creativity and
innovation</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to
traditional notions of intelligence. (Jobs often credited the creative classes
he audited after dropping out of college with influencing some of his later
decisions at Apple.) Not everything about this relationship is completely
understood, but most people involved in education and public policy agree:
creativity will be a crucial characteristic possessed by anyone hoping to
succeed in the twenty-first-century economy. And yet, the education system in
its current state is not set up to foster this sort of out-of-the-box thinking.
One solution currently gaining momentum is the use of community-driven
non-profit organizations known as local education funds (LEFs) and public
education funds (PEFs), which are committed to improving access to quality
education for all members of society. While not the complete answer, these
reform-minded organizations might be the key to injecting creativity back into
public schools.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Fostering Creative Intelligence
in the American Classroom</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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It
is ten years after the passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which
was enacted in order to help American schools compete with their foreign
counterparts, and their foreign counterparts<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/education/07education.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">are still outscoring them</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in just about every subject. This
might be partially due to NCLB’s use of standardized testing to measure school
performance. As many teachers will<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://m.good.is/post/why-creative-teaching-is-essential-for-the-information-age/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">attest</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to, this emphasis on test scores leave
schools<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/education/no-child-left-behind-catches-up-with-new-hampshire-school.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">little room</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to focus on anything besides “teaching
to the test.” The United States has gone backwards, then, to a so-called
“drill-and-kill” system of rote learning and memorization, while many of the
rest of the world’s schools, especially those in Europe and Asia, have evolved
to place emphasis on big picture concepts, problem solving, and encouraging
innovation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According
to a 2010<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.wm.edu/research/ideation/professions/smart-yes.-creative-not-so-much.5890.php" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">study</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by The College of William & Mary
education professor Kyung-Hee Kim, creativity has been on the decline among
American students since 1990. Using the results of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.uga.edu/gm/301/FeatCreate.html" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Torrance Test</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>measuring
creative thinking, she analyzed decades’ worth of data and found that, while
traditional IQ scores have actually gone up steadily each decade, creativity is
on the decline. She also used the results to identify three types of students:
those with high intelligence and high creativity, those with high intelligence
and low creativity, and those with low intelligence and high creativity. What
does this tell us? One theory is that creativity and intelligence, while
related, are not exactly the same thing, and placing too much stress on more
traditional standards of intelligence might result in stifling creativity in
those who possess that quality. As Kim notes, “If we neglect creative students
in school because of the structure and the testing movement—creative students
cannot breathe, they are suffocated in school—then they become underachievers.”
While there are several factors that might be resulting in this “<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">creativity crisis</span></a>,” Kim<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2010/12/explaining-the-decline-of-creativity-in-american-children-a-reply-to-readers/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">puts</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>at least some of the blame for lower
Torrance test scores on the culture of standardized testing encouraged by NCLB.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This
decline in creativity does not bode well for the future of the country.
According to John M. Eger, professor of communications and public policy and
director of the Creative Economy Initiative at San Diego State University,
creativity is essential to building an economy to compete with the rest of the
world in coming decades. In a Huffington Post<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-m-eger/its-the-creative-economy-_1_b_766662.html" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">article</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>from 2011, Eger points out that, while
the word “creative” is often associated with the arts, the concept of
creativity is just as important for the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.stemedcoalition.org/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">STEM</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>subjects that have received so much
attention from education leaders and government officials in recent years. In
fact, a recent<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/31670.wss" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">IBM poll</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>of 1,500 CEOs around the world
identified creativity as the top quality needed for future success in the
global economy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<strong><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Is Public Investment the Solution?</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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As
our schools struggle to keep up with the standards set forth by NCLB, they also
grapple with staggering<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.good.is/post/hundreds-of-teachers-agree-budget-cuts-are-gutting-american-education/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">budget cuts</span></a>, with fine art
and music programs<a href="http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.burba/education_budgets_for_art_education" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">especially vulnerable</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to the axe. Recently, however, a
number of organizations collectively known as public education support
organizations, or ESOs, have been created within communities to supply capital
for public schools through fundraising. Funds are then appropriated through
grants to finance things like teacher training, afterschool programs, community-based
projects, and school supplies. There are many types of ESOs, and they vary
greatly in both scope and size. LEFs are specifically associated with the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.publiceducation.org/index.asp" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Public Education Network</span></a>,
while PEFs are a much broader group of education-related foundations. The Urban
Institute<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.publiceducation.org/pdf/20110525_Commission/Urban_Institute.pdf" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">reports</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>that between 1997 and 2007, the number
of ESOs doubled to more than 19,000, collectively spending $4.3 billion dollars
on improving education.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.dps61.org/foundation" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Decatur Public Schools
Foundation</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(DPSF) out
of Decatur, Illinois, is an organization that’s representative of the
possibilities for PEFs to create opportunities rewarding creative thinking and
innovation. Decatur Science Investigations, funded by the foundation, is a
partnership with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.millikin.edu/Pages/default.aspx" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Millikin University</span></a>that brings undergraduate science students
into Decatur elementary schools to set up science stations and perform science
demonstrations at school assemblies. The goal of the program is to encourage
young students to use their imaginations and gain enthusiasm for science, and
100% of teachers<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.dps61.org/cms/lib/IL01000592/Centricity/Domain/24/dps_for_web.pdf" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.1s linear; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">polled</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in the district felt that the program
increased critical thinking and problem solving skills. Another DPSF program is
the musical instrument library, which provides band and orchestra instruments
to low-income students who might not have otherwise been able to afford them.
After the program started in 2009, participation in music programs increased by
15%.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Compared
to some of the larger LEFs operating with multi-million dollar budgets, DPSF is
a relatively small organization, but it’s easy to see how these small-scale
efforts can really make a difference to students who benefit from them, and how
they might be used to fill in the creativity gap that currently exists in
public education. As to whether these organizations will continue to expand and
become an important part of education funding in the future, there is no clear
answer. What does seem clear is that creative thinking will be the only
solution to the myriad complex problems facing coming generations. And,
appropriately enough, one of those problems might just be how we’re going to
fix education.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Contributor: Roslyn Tam</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.educationalleadership.com/the-creativity-conundrum-in-public-education-leadership/">http://www.educationalleadership.com/the-creativity-conundrum-in-public-education-leadership/</a>
</div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-15747727812599204372012-06-19T12:47:00.001-04:002012-06-19T12:47:35.439-04:00Lee Harper<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgizLk4CPpbv0epG3Ld5Y26bXeuwVymjQZC6fjZQcTGDyl64UqYTXNhneciHRMBLcpfO_1whxbmu3JV9EZEzNplPrOUPdesRgJocp-LhbUWazUIT8n25c41WbYkMhL2lOB6Y5RMBUs0Jb0/s1600/harper-lee.jpg" 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/AVvXsEjgizLk4CPpbv0epG3Ld5Y26bXeuwVymjQZC6fjZQcTGDyl64UqYTXNhneciHRMBLcpfO_1whxbmu3JV9EZEzNplPrOUPdesRgJocp-LhbUWazUIT8n25c41WbYkMhL2lOB6Y5RMBUs0Jb0/s200/harper-lee.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white;">
Lee Harper always loved to draw. His love for
doodling grew into a serious ambition to be an artist and after high school he
attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. He says
that "After college I embarked on the most challenging and rewarding
adventure of my life... being a husband and father of four wonderful children.
My career path took a few detours that led me down many roads which didn't
always involve making art, but somehow life's path led me back."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpINetleX1DNlMPrcHpD6-w_y7x89xRI8xojuKF6GHEsbZSNTS73qgqQ28wVJ2R3z1uljxMjj4KvvsohtHNh4hzXpJX-ZoHFcsQTAklAzDY4Z64bEbGYgDB_eapvC8xy9Nzb_MynAdfQCN/s1600/102621968.jpg" 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/AVvXsEhpINetleX1DNlMPrcHpD6-w_y7x89xRI8xojuKF6GHEsbZSNTS73qgqQ28wVJ2R3z1uljxMjj4KvvsohtHNh4hzXpJX-ZoHFcsQTAklAzDY4Z64bEbGYgDB_eapvC8xy9Nzb_MynAdfQCN/s200/102621968.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
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In 2008 he illustrated his
first published book,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Woolbur</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by Leslie Helakoski. In addition to
illustrating books by authors like Wendi Silvano and Walter Dean Myers, Lee
also wrote and illustrated two works of his own:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Snow! Snow! Snow!</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The
Emperor's Cool Clothes</i>. His fifth book,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Turkey
Claus</i>, another collaboration with Wendi Silvano, is due out in late 2012.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To have Lee visit your school or organization email</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="mailto:marilyn@childrenslit.com"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">marilyn@childrenslit.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/harper-lee.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/harper-lee.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-17097796745306385752012-05-31T15:53:00.002-04:002012-05-31T15:53:30.085-04:00What Makes a Good Book (Part 1) by Marilyn Courtot<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">The following is the first in a six part series written by Children's Literature President Marilyn Courtot that we posted back in 2009. Aimed at reviewers and writers, we will be running a new part every month. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Basic Construction and Illustrations</span></strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">When evaluating a book for a child, there are a lot of characteristics to keep in mind. But lest you feel overwhelmed, remember that if you have been reading books, especially children’s books, you have probably developed an innate ability to select the good ones. You just may not realize what influences you and why. This, first in a series of columns, will address the features of a good book.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Let’s look at the basic construction of a book. Consider the quality of the fabrication—will it hold up to repeated handling and reading? Look in particular at the binding and cover construction. If the slip jacket is removed, will the cover still have appeal? Is the paper of good quality, or does it tear easily? Look at the book’s size and shape. If the book is for toddlers then keep it small for little hands. Oversized books are usually not appropriate for those under nine—they are just too big and too heavy.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Next, look at the illustrations. Are they clearly reproduced? Are the color registration and clarity acceptable? Although black-and-white helps babies clearly distinguish objects, color is very important for older kids. Colors do not need to be vibrant or garish to appeal to children; studies have shown that pastels are soothing and can encourage learning.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Also, are the illustrations appropriate to the story or text? Do they enhance and exemplify the text, or do they head off in an entirely new direction. Author/illustrator Chris Manson commented that “the children’s book market is really the best place in the publishing industry for full color art. Sometimes it blows away the story.” He believes that illustrations need to be in balance with the story. Illustrations should make the story bigger, but not different. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Marilyn Courtot </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Publisher and Editor</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">CLCD</span>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-72697579513041319922012-05-21T12:01:00.003-04:002012-05-21T12:01:47.209-04:00Summer Audiobooks<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The New York
Times</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">
Book Review section from May 20<sup>th</sup> featured an article by Judith
Shulevitz, “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/books/review/lets-go-reading-in-the-car.html">Let’s
Go Reading in the Car</a>” that included the following list of recommended audiobooks
to check out this summer. Read reviews for these titles with <a href="http://www.clcd.com/">CLCD</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">For Ages 4 and
Up:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">D’Aulaires’ Book
of Greek Myths<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, Kathleen Turner, and Matthew Broderick<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
“Gooney Bird” series by Lois Lowry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Lee Adams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
“Great Brain” series by John D. Fitzgerald<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Ron McLarty<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
“Judy Moody” and “Stink” series by Megan McDonald<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Barbara Rosenblat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Toys Go Out</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by Emily
Jenkins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Melanie Martinez<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">For Ages 8 and
Up:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
“Fudge” series by Judy Blume<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by the author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Misty of
Chincoteague</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">
by Marguerite Henry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Edward Herrmann<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shiloh</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by Phyllis
Reynolds Naylor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Peter MacNicol<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Trumpet of
the Swan</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">
by E.B. White<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by the author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">For Ages 10 and
Up:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bloomability</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by Sharon
Creech<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Mandy Siegfried<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Flush</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by Carl Hiaasen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Michael Welch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
“Joey Pigza” series by Jack Gantos<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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by the author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Maniac Magee</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by Jerry
Spinelli<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by S. Epatha Merkerson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Moon Over
Manifest</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">
by Clare Vanderpool<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read
by Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell, and Kirby Heyborne<o:p></o:p></span></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-1200317575258592902012-05-11T15:40:00.001-04:002012-05-11T15:40:48.175-04:00Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsE2pfBk0dIMSu1RVVwF01U_Q5NOP8-ldlEqttIxcSUZ0uhDPV1dExBtiPsXYv8vTGeF6tMTxoe-vgQ8SOjYxUskQ1XhZvTmVw2sprFNXc5DwW0nuON-sztq1UYBnfenQBHgsNXDDJ469/s1600/111882789.JPG" 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/AVvXsEgxsE2pfBk0dIMSu1RVVwF01U_Q5NOP8-ldlEqttIxcSUZ0uhDPV1dExBtiPsXYv8vTGeF6tMTxoe-vgQ8SOjYxUskQ1XhZvTmVw2sprFNXc5DwW0nuON-sztq1UYBnfenQBHgsNXDDJ469/s200/111882789.JPG" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bardhanquallen-sudipta.html">Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is a graduate of the California Institute of Technology
with a degree in biology. She never thought that she would grow up to
become a writer; it wasn’t until she had her two children that she took time
off from being a Ph.D. candidate to pursue a career in writing. Sudipta </span>had
her first story published in 2003 in the magazine<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Highlights for Children</i>. From there, Sudipta branched out into nonfiction,
including books on science and biographies. Her most recent book is <strong><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Half-pint Pete the Pirate</span></i></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">, illustrated
by</span> </strong><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Geraldo
Valério.</span></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">Sudipta visits schools to share her stories and experience,
and teaches writing to children and adults. She lives in New Jersey with her
family (now comprised of three children, with the addition of son Sawyer in
2006) and an imaginary pony named Penny.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt;">To have Sudipta visit your school or organization email</span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"><a href="mailto:marilyn@childrenslit.com">marilyn@childrenslit.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bardhanquallen-sudipta.html">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bardhanquallen-sudipta.html</a>
</div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-26068228084259794742012-04-19T09:53:00.000-04:002012-04-19T09:53:48.452-04:00Candice Ransom<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7We06Wan9zFofZrfpB3z6FcB3IbWsH7MQ_2E3B8c1ey2whDkH8DznS0hBNznbByk161OJRqZrrEJm0UEkcnDxX7P3x_zxFWwe2x8HfO-0PRc1UH2R9fvnxz-Wogi_Z9Ood8dgxJtoF2F3/s1600/candice-ransom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7We06Wan9zFofZrfpB3z6FcB3IbWsH7MQ_2E3B8c1ey2whDkH8DznS0hBNznbByk161OJRqZrrEJm0UEkcnDxX7P3x_zxFWwe2x8HfO-0PRc1UH2R9fvnxz-Wogi_Z9Ood8dgxJtoF2F3/s1600/candice-ransom.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Candice
Ransom is an award-winning writer who has published more than 100 children's books,
ranging from fiction to nonfiction, biographies to board books, picture books to
young adult novels. Many of Candice's books are set in her native Virginia. She
holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College and an
MA in Children's Literature from Hollins University.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaN4l3iW18v-cnb9i_96jmejEWv5adtvo1VGRUnM59NnRg-QI_nDraZb3T3dd5JOC9S_4bdfA5eFu5OkRaDDIarM-TBbZqu6QBwf0dJt9HRtXm4A1pKXHBiXrk-K2oNXfjICLqCF0Qhfp/s1600/978-1-4231-3173-1.jpg" 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/AVvXsEjhaN4l3iW18v-cnb9i_96jmejEWv5adtvo1VGRUnM59NnRg-QI_nDraZb3T3dd5JOC9S_4bdfA5eFu5OkRaDDIarM-TBbZqu6QBwf0dJt9HRtXm4A1pKXHBiXrk-K2oNXfjICLqCF0Qhfp/s200/978-1-4231-3173-1.jpg" width="145" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In addition to writing and
speaking, Candice currently teaches in the MA/MFA Children's Literature program
at Hollins. Her newest books include,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Iva
Honeysuckle Discovers the World—Well, Her Part of Virginia, Anyway</i>, and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Rebel McKenzie</i>. She lives in Fredericksburg,
Virginia, with her husband and three high-maintenance cats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
have Elissa visit your school or organization email</span> <a href="mailto:marilyn@childrenslit.com"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">marilyn@childrenslit.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/ransom-candice.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/ransom-candice.html</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-28597811861236436272012-04-10T17:41:00.000-04:002012-04-10T17:41:18.487-04:00Girl Power!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn4HsQSvwiCejuVjCBb_fSAuGzXD9Chje9CzZ87l8sSgLoPjVZvzcvppsL4TFI9zSAn42ybGR1IZbgr_eY8ob9M6qBrr95E1-pypzwsgvVw059m-FKL9V5JZKda8in7QpkQb05tvaz0WJ/s1600/9780803737136H.jpg" 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/AVvXsEgjn4HsQSvwiCejuVjCBb_fSAuGzXD9Chje9CzZ87l8sSgLoPjVZvzcvppsL4TFI9zSAn42ybGR1IZbgr_eY8ob9M6qBrr95E1-pypzwsgvVw059m-FKL9V5JZKda8in7QpkQb05tvaz0WJ/s200/9780803737136H.jpg" width="160" /></a> Some
Rochester-area children’s librarians celebrated just that when they gathered late
January to mark the upcoming release of fellow librarian Julie Cummins’ newest
book: <i><a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780803737136,00.html?Women_Explorers_Julia_Cummins">Women Explorers: Perils, Pistols, and Petticoats</a></i> (Dial, 2012). The book is filled with drama and excitement
as Cummins’ lively text describes ten women, all born before the dawn of the
twentieth century, whose largely unknown escapades sent them “gallivanting
around the world to explore new territories or undiscovered places.” </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7stN65Bb-wAHMO9qvjUembhNElovoHaCJG3GihEkwAUORz-soLBhbPC57HJbgu0PMBB9aXaYVLkr-ZkbxYC0ArnlIAzTSOYNIq9JXrsCYrS1nRVNH0Rg9SeDROxWFr44p-YZvsXoE8AW/s1600/julie_champagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7stN65Bb-wAHMO9qvjUembhNElovoHaCJG3GihEkwAUORz-soLBhbPC57HJbgu0PMBB9aXaYVLkr-ZkbxYC0ArnlIAzTSOYNIq9JXrsCYrS1nRVNH0Rg9SeDROxWFr44p-YZvsXoE8AW/s200/julie_champagne.jpg" width="200" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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The party
had its own drama with accoutrements including a safari hat for the guest of
honor, a banner of passports, nail files inserted in spider webs (Lucy Cheesman
used one to cut through webs entangling her), portraits of each of the explorers,
giraffes, and jungle grass. The pièce
de résistance
was a chocolate cake adorned by a dense chocolate spider, with legs draping
over the sides of the cake—washed down with champagne, of course!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTgOQqDtOxzGlMzK7QjJl_069CXna3uyLi8AXfq2RwR3ijnGbJWt6zPVroz2TFm766soK6ttb_XPwb8CX6SwS8Z2hZ9Ru8QZtc_A_uv3XIia-u3DzPwLNlhoGcYr6Ydukjw4IVfImHs-s/s1600/100_5242_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTgOQqDtOxzGlMzK7QjJl_069CXna3uyLi8AXfq2RwR3ijnGbJWt6zPVroz2TFm766soK6ttb_XPwb8CX6SwS8Z2hZ9Ru8QZtc_A_uv3XIia-u3DzPwLNlhoGcYr6Ydukjw4IVfImHs-s/s200/100_5242_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p> Kirkus calls Cummins’ subjects “feisty females;” her friends and colleagues toasted her as exactly that herself. Huzzah!</div>
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<br /><br />Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-84235922051848099352012-03-29T15:15:00.001-04:002012-03-29T15:15:58.163-04:00Women's History Month - Week 5<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women’s History Month<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Special Feature<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Week 5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In honor of Women’s History Month we’ve asked
authors and illustrators in our <a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bs-home.html"><span style="color: #666666;">booking service</span></a> to participate in our special
questionnaire. Each week we will be posting different member’s responses to the
three questions below. We hope you enjoy their answers as much as we did!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. What women writers do you admire?</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2. What women in history would you invite to a
dinner party?</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3. What advice do you have for young women today?</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/pettenati-jeannek.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Jeanne Pettenati:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I really admire Katherine Paterson--I heard her speak at one
of the conferences and I think her speech is as eloquent as her writing. Bridge
to Terabithia is one of my all-time favorites. I also admire Donna Jo Napoli,
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Cornelia Funke. The Thief Lord I think is an
extraordinary story and also one of my all-time favorites.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I would invite the astronomer Maria Mitchell, St. Joan of Arc
and St. Clare, Eleanor Roosevelt, Barbara Jordan, Audrey Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">When I visit schools I tell young women (and young men) to
use their talents, work hard, and believe in themselves. I always use the
example of Galileo trying at first to please his parents by studying medicine
at the University, but switching to mathematics after 2 years to follow his
passion.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/quattlebaum-mary.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Mary Quattlebaum:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Virginia Woolf and Grace Paley.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">My grandmother (who was a delightful woman, very engaged with
the world) and my great-grandmother, whom I never knew. She was a midwife in
New England and a widow at a young age who raised 6 children, including an
orphaned nephew. I inherited the rocking chair she had when she was a child. My
mom has wonderful memories of spending time with her, such as hunting for
mushrooms. And I'd like my mom to come to the dinner, also my sisters and our
daughters, so we could all spend this moment in time together.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Each day, think about (perhaps even write down) three things
for which you're grateful on that particular day.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/ransom-candice.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Candice Ransom:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I admire so many women writers, you'd run out of room! But at
the top of my list are Lee Smith, Jill McCorkle, Eudora Welty, Elizabeth Berg,
and Bailey White. Yes, they are mostly Southern women writers. Southern writers
come from a long-standing tradition of story-telling and women writers in
particular have grown up listening to the soft voices of their mothers and
other female relatives talking in kitchen, in the garden, and on the porch
after supper.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wish I had known Margaret Wise Brown, the flamboyant,
eccentric children's picture book writer, so she would be first on my guest
list. After that, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, Varina
Davis, and Dorothea Lange.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I would advise young women today to hang on to their dream
and point themselves in that direction, regardless of peer pressure, boys, and
the lure of false celebrity and making money. Yes, I know it's a very unpopular
stance. But it works.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/reef-catherine.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Catherine Reef:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">One writer I admire is Helen Keller. We tend to remember
Keller for overcoming her disabilities to earn a college degree, and for
raising public awareness of causes in which she believed, but she also
published twelve books, including her autobiography,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i>The Story of My Life</i>. The written word became her voice. I also admire Rachel
Carson. While working for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries in the 1940s and 1950s
and supporting herself, her mother, and two nieces, Carson produced two
best-selling books, <i>Under the Sea Wind</i> and <i>The Sea Around Us</i>, which revealed to
many readers the great variety of life on the shore and beneath the waves of
the ocean--before the days of television documentaries. Carson was battling
breast cancer when she researched and wrote the classic Silent Spring, which
alerted the world to the hazards of pesticides. Her books are beautifully
written; they are outstanding examples of nonfiction literature at its finest.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The woman I'd most want to invite to dinner is a writer, too.
I would be very curious to meet Jane Austen, the subject of my most recent
biography. This would be my chance to find out what she looked like, because we
really don't know. Just one portrait of Austen survives, a watercolor painted
by her sister, Cassandra, but people who knew Austen said it was a poor likeness.
We know from her books that Austen had a brilliant mind and a sharp wit, so she
would be good company. I would ask her to bring along Cassandra, who was her
closest friend and confidante, and their cousin Eliza, who was born in India
and raised in France and had a sparkling sophistication. If only it were
possible!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">My advice for young women is the same that I would give to
young men. Have confidence in yourself, and never give up on your dreams. Work
hard to make them come true--never be afraid of hard work. And keep on learning
and growing throughout life.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/tagliaferro-linda.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Linda Tagliaferro:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here's my eclectic blend: Christina Rossetti, Mary
Wollstonecraft Shelley, Erica Jong, and Jean Fritz.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">George Sand, Joan of Arc, Frederic Bartholdi's mother (she
supposedly was his model for the Statue of Liberty), Nellie Melba (opera singer
and inspiration for a dessert.)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Friends and family are everything. If you spend time and
energy with them, your success will follow.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/weatherford-caroleboston.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Carole Boston Weatherford:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Toni Morrison, Rita Dove, and Kate Chopin.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Harriet Tubman, Billie Holiday, and Michelle Obama.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Toot your own horn. Don't make apologies for your ideas and
opinions. Trust your intuition.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-64707050504809864092012-03-22T10:34:00.000-04:002012-03-29T15:09:44.061-04:00Women’s History Month - Week 4<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Women’s History Month<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Special Feature<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Week 4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">In honor of Women’s History Month we’ve asked authors and illustrators in our <a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bs-home.html">booking service</a> to participate in our special questionnaire. Each week we will be posting different member’s responses to the three questions below. We hope you enjoy their answers as much as we did!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. What women writers do you admire?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. What women in history would you invite to a dinner party?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. What advice do you have for young women today?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/krishnaswami-uma.html"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Uma Krishnaswami:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Toni Morrison, Anita Desai, Margaret Atwood. Among those who write for children and young adults, Katherine Paterson, Jane Yolen, Marion Dane Bauer, Norma Fox Mazer, and a writer from India who has never compromised her work to pander to audiences, Shashi Deshpande. For lots of different reasons these women writers are heroes to me--for the quality of their writing, the clear eye they turn on the world, or for sheer staying power, nimble minds, or prolific work.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jane Austen, Hypatia, the Greek philosopher and mathematician, Several of the Buddhist nuns who lived and wrote poetry in India in the 6th century BC, Lili'uokalani, the last Hawaiian queen.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Grow your minds as much as you honor your bodies. Pay attention to the planet. Don't forget the work your foremothers did to make you who you can be today.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/lewis-jpatrick.html"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">J. Patrick Lewis:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I admire any writer who also manages also to be a wife and a mother.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dorothy Parker, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Bishop, Gertrude Stein, Wendy Cope, Fay Weldon, E. Nesbitt, Edna St. Vincent Millay. Skip that. A date with Edna St. Vincent Millay would suffice.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">As an old man, I have no advice for young women that wouldn't be considered (rightly) presumptuous and absurd.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/melmed-laura.html"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Laura Melmed:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">For "adult" writers: Alice Munro, Wislawa Szymborska, Elizabeth Bishop, Emily Dickenson, Jane Austen and many more. I am leaving out my list of children's writers as it would be too long.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jane Austen, Abigail Adams, Harriet Tubman, Mary Todd Lincoln, Jane Addams (my childhood hero), Eleanor Roosevelt, Ursula Nordstrom.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Young women today are amazing so I don't think they need my advice! But I would offer: Find your passion and nurture it, treasure your connections to friends and family, hang onto your sense of humor, take risks.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/ochiltree-dianne.html"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Dianne Ochiltree:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Three women authors leap to mind: the first, 19th century poet Emily Dickinson, whose short poems illuminated large truths with precision and grace; the second, early 20th century novelist Willa Cather, whose stories of pioneer life were as expansive as the Nebraska plains; and third, contemporary fiction writer Anne Tyler, whose finely-crafted novels communicate so beautifully the fine balance required of all relationships.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I would invite writer Gertrude Stein, actress Mae West, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, artist Georgia O'Keefe, and 'salon hostess'/arts patron Mabel Dodge Luhan. Each one of these ladies expressed, in their areas of expertise, the right of women to be as creative, as professionally accomplished, as independent, as a man. The conversation around that table would sparkle with strength, courage and intellect.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Follow in the footsteps of the women who came before your generation, the ones who fought for the rights women enjoy today. Through your choices and actions today, you may contribute to even greater lifestyle and work opportunities for your own daughters. Dream big.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/omalley-kevin.html"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Kevin O'Malley:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Erma Bombeck, Dorothy Parker, Amy Sedaris, and Nora Ephron.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dorothy Parker, Lucille Ball, and Katharine Hepburn.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Write funny stuff.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">And as a special bonus, Kevin’s wife of 30 years contributed answers as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Virginia Wolf, <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Isabel Allende</span>, Eudora Welty<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Golda Mier</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Treat men fairly<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-48163705117962015852012-03-15T09:00:00.000-04:002012-03-15T09:00:16.046-04:00Women’s History Month - Week 3<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="" name="reviews"></a><span class="headerheaderaisection">Women’s History Month<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="headerheaderaisection">Special Feature<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="headerheaderaisection">Week 3<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="headerheaderaisection">In honor of Women’s History Month we’ve asked authors and illustrators in our booking service to participate in our special questionnaire. Each week we will be posting different member’s responses to the three questions below. We hope you enjoy their answers as much as we did!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="headerheaderaisection"><span style="color: red;">1. What women writers do you admire?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="headerheaderaisection"><span style="color: red;">2. What women in history would you invite to a dinner party?</span></span> <o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="headerheaderaisection"><span style="color: red;">3. What advice do you have for young women today?</span></span> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/henry-april.html"><b><span style="background: white;">April Henry:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Rebecca Stead, AS King, Laini Taylor, Susan Beth Pfeffer, and Suzanne Collins. Adult writers: Susan Fromberg Schaeffer, Shelia Ballantine, and Marge Piercy.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Mary (Jesus's mother), Joan of Arc, Anne Boleyn, Dolly Adams, Eleanor of Aquitaine.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Find something your passionate about and pursue it with all your heart.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hopkinson-deborah.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Deborah Hopkinson:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I think I still come back to my lifelong favorite women writers, Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen. I admire their tenacity and commitment to their craft for long years before they were known or successful. And, of course, I admire their amazing novels!</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">What fun! I think I would love to have a dinner party with the real women I have written about in some of my historical fiction picture books. They include astronmer Maria Mitchell, lighthouse keeper Abigail Burgess Grant, cooking instructor Fannie Merritt Farmer, baseball player Alta Weiss, pianist and Jubilee singer, Ella Sheppard, and stagecoach driver Delia Haskett Rawson. What a fantastic and diverse group of women!</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">You know, Maria Mitchell once said, and I am paraphrasing here, that one of the hardest things in life was to find out the work you are meant to do. But I think that would be my advice to young women: to find good, compelling work that challenges you and sustains you, and that keeps you learning and growing.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/jones-vedaboyd.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Veda Jones:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I really like the works of Willa Cather.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Certainly Willa Cather, Virginia Woolf, and Dorothy Parker as writers, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I, Madame Curie.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Do not give up your dreams. Do something every day to reach your goal. One step at a time will get you there, but be aware that sometimes your dreams change with time. Recognize when that happens and adapt.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/jules-jacqueline.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Jacqueline Jules:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">As a voracious reader who tends to fall in love with individual books rather than authors, I find it hard to name names. However, I do admire the poetry of Linda Pastan. I am also in awe of the consistent high quality of writing that comes from Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Katherine Paterson.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I'd like to meet Annie Sullivan, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Sacagawea, Betsy Ross, Harriet Tubman, and Susan B. Anthony. However, I'd rather lunch individually with each one rather than watch them interact with each other at a dinner party because I have specific questions I'd like to ask each one.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Persistence is the key to success. If you want something, don't let initial disappointments stop you. Keep trying until you achieve your goals.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/kittinger-jo.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Jo Kittinger:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I admire Jane Yolen tremendously! She has written an incredible number of books for children of all ages--from toddlers to teens. She writes gorgeous poetry, funny picture books and thought provoking novels. She stuck with her writing, publishing regularly and winning awards (</span><i>Owl Moon</i>), but not really finding financial success as a writer until the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> and the other <i>Dinosaur</i> books because bestsellers. She graciously teaches and mentors other writers though workshops and lectures, serves on the board of directors for the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators and recently funded a grant to recognize mid-list authors whose careers may have stalled a bit. Jane speaks her mind, never allowed herself to be put in a box as a writer, and self-lessly shares her knowledge. Ask many writers what her acronym "BIC" stands for, and they will answer "Butt in chair!"</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">My dinner party would likely include women who faced challenges and suffered more than their share -- Harriett Tubman, Sally Hemings, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were the first women who came to mind. People who have faced adversity have more interesting stories and wisdom to share.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I'd tell young women that the quicker they can become comfortable with who they are and recognize their strengths and talents the better life will be. Stop judging yourselves by comparison to other people and simply strive to be the best at your job, the best friend you can be, the best YOU possible. Figuring out what is really important in life is also a key to happiness. Too often women get caught up in drama over insignificant issues. Life is too short to spend half your time upset over something stupid. Anytime I feel a hint of jealousy or envy, I think of women around the world, barely surviving, sleeping on the dirt floor, scrounging just for food and water for each day. That always brings me back to seeing how incredibly blessed I am.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/koss-amy.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Amy Koss:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Soooooo many! But the first to mind are Marjane Satrapi, Sue Miller, Dayal Kaur Khalsa, and Temple Grandin.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Dorothy Parker and Lisa Endig.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Don't listen to any advice, including this. Just write!</span><o:p></o:p></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-41060392003620953962012-03-08T14:12:00.000-05:002012-03-08T14:12:52.864-05:00Women’s History Month – Week 2<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 13.5pt;">Women's History Month</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Special Feature<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Week 2<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">In honor of Women’s History Month we’ve asked authors and illustrators in our <span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bs-home.html">booking service</a></span> to participate in our special questionnaire. Each week we will be posting different member’s responses to the three questions below. We hope you enjoy their answers as much as we did!</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
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</span><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1. What women writers do you admire?<br />
2. What women in history would you invite to a dinner party? <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
3. What advice do you have for young women today?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/ehrenberg-pamela.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Pamela Ehrenberg:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><b>1. </b>Edith Wharton. Bobbie Ann Mason. The women in my writing group: those yet to be published and those already published, including Kristin Levine, whose novel was just named a NYTimes Editors' Choice!</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><b>2. </b>My four great-grandmothers. Though I would probably agonize quite a bit about what to feed them.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><b>3. </b>My advice is to seek out mentors who can help you sort out a path for yourself that will involve financial sustenance, any family or other goals you might have, and lifelong work toward fulfilling your passion. Because really the work and the passion are the same, aren't they?</span><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/figley-martyrhodes.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Marty Figley:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>1. </b>There are so many. Of course, Emily Dickinson, the American poet. She's on my mind because my new book <i>Emily and Carlo</i> celebrates her sixteen-year relationship with her Newfoundland dog, Carlo. I find her poetry so truthful, even though she wrote "Tell all the Truth but tell it slant." I also have a fond place in my heart for the women writers who emerged before and after the Civil War. Especially Harriet Beecher Stowe, for her powerful anti-slavery prose in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Uncle Tom's Cabin</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> that might have prompted President Abraham Lincoln to say, "So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war?" I also love the local colorist Sarah Orne Jewett (</span><i>The Country of the Pointed Firs</i>) and Kate Chopin (<i>The Yellow Wallpaper</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>2. </b>Emily Dickinson, Margaret Thatcher, and Marilyn Monroe. Now, that's a dinner party!</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>3. </b>Educate yourself, follow your dreams, be self-sufficient, and don't hitch your hopes on any man (even though I've been happily married for 41 years)-perhaps that's why.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/fradin-judith.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Judy Fradin:</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>1. </b>I am a mystery nut. My favorite women mystery writers are Faye Kellerman and Sarah Paretsky.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>2. </b>Probably Ida B. Wells--a revolutionary woman well ahead of her times.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>3. </b>Make 40 the new 50. Most women I know learn not to give a damn about others' opinions of them when they turn 50. It's one of the advantages of turning older and gaining a certain level of confidence. So try it at 40; it's liberating to feel secure in your own skin.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/ghigna-charles.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Charles Ghigna:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>1. </b>Edna St. Vincent Millay, Elinor Wylie, Sara Teasdale, Emily Dickinson, Myra Cohn Livingston, Aileen Fisher, and Rachel Field.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>2. </b>Dorothy Parker and Edna St. Vincent Millay.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>3. </b>Sing, dance, write poetry, make art...follow your heart.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/golembe-carla.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Carla Golembe:</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>1. </b>Margaret Atwood, Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, Jodi Picoult, and Julia Alvarez.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>2. </b>Frida Kahlo, Mary Cassat, Suzanne Valdon, Paula Modesohn-Becker, Gold Meir, Laura Nyro, Joan Baez, Amelia Earhart, Isadora Duncan, Margaret Sanger, Queen Hatshepsut, Queen Liliuokalani, Dian Fossey, Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Rachel Carson, Harriet Tubman, and Marie LaVeau.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>3. </b>Follow your dreams, don't let anyone tell you you can't do something because you are a women, never lose your sense of compassion, do not let anyone else tell you what you should do with your body, treat the planet, animals and other humans with reverence, don't be a slave to fashion and only have a child if you really want one and are prepared to commit to it for the rest of your life.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hegamin-tonyacherie.html"><b><span style="background: white;">Tonya Hegamin:</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>1. </b>What women writers don't I admire for one reason or another? But Keri Hulme, Gayl Jones, Janette Winterson, Octavia Butler, Linda Hogan and Virginia Hamilton come to mind right away. All of them have some serious brass ovaries to write with such courage!</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black;"><b>2. </b>I'd love to have a dinner party with Mary Ann Shad Cary, Alice Dunbar and Sally Hemmings.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><b>3. </b></span><o:p></o:p><span style="background-color: white;">Listen to the advice of men and women equally but follow your own heart.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-56292515247948433892012-03-01T17:17:00.000-05:002012-03-01T17:17:42.115-05:00Women's History Month - Week 1<div style="text-align: center;">Women’s History Month</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Special Feature</div><div style="text-align: center;">Week 1</div><br />
In honor of Women’s History Month we’ve asked authors and illustrators in our <a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bs-home.html">booking service</a> to participate in our special questionnaire. Each week we will be posting different member’s responses to the three questions below. We hope you enjoy their answers as much as we did!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">1. What women writers do you admire?</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">2. What women in history would you invite to a dinner party? </span><br />
<span style="color: red;">3. What advice do you have for young women today? </span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/beard-darleenbailey.html"><strong>Darleen Bailey Beard:</strong></a><br />
<strong>1.</strong> There are so many wonderful women writers that's it's hard to say just a few. Off the top of my head, I'd have to say Katherine Patterson, Judy Bloom, Eve Bunting. Then I have several women friends who write for children who are fabulous writers--Gwendolyn Hooks, Anna Myers, Tammi Sauer, and so many more.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> I'd invite Eleanor Roosevelt, Lucy Maude Montgomery, and all the women suffragists who worked long and hard to allow women the right to vote.<br />
<strong>3.</strong> Believe in yourself. Don't worry about what others are doing. Just run your race the best you can and everything will fall into place. Keep your eyes on your goal and run, girl, run!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bardhanquallen-sudipta.html"><strong>Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen:</strong></a><br />
<strong>1.</strong> There are so many to list that I want to make sure to put a disclaimer at the beginning--this is not an all-inclusive listing! But, to continue.... Top of the list: Virginia Wolf. Long before I ever dreamed of being a writer, I discovered Virginia Wolf's A Room of One's Own in college, long before I ever dreamed about being a writer. But everything she said about a woman needing a room of her own and money to support herself in order to truly create seems as brilliant to me today as it did when I first read the words. As a more contemporary option, I admire Sandra Boynton. So many times I read her books and then pay her the highest compliment I could give another writer: I wish that I'd written that same book first.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> Again, so many to list, but here's a few: Cleopatra: The jewels, the power, the men...who wouldn't want to know how she handled all of that? Belva Lockwood: I admire her so much, I wrote a biography of her! Mary Magdalene: I'd love to get the inside scoop on the most influential book ever written…. Jane Austen: Could there be a better brain to pick for story ideas? Marie Antoinette: I'd want to watch her eat cake...<br />
<strong>3.</strong> Know who you are, and be that person no matter what challenges you face. Live until it hurts, as life is too short to take the safe path. Be proud of everything you do, because chances are if you are ashamed of it, you shouldn't have done it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/ashby-carrel.html"><strong>Vikki Carrel:</strong></a><br />
<strong>1.</strong> Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, and Margaret Mitchell.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> Eleanor Roosevelt, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, Mother Teresa, and Princess Diana.<br />
<strong>3.</strong> To make certain that their self-definition and the direction their life is moving are compatible. To speak up and recognize that assertive communication is an important skill to learn. To live in the present.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/collard-sneed.html"><strong>Sneed Collard:</strong></a><br />
<strong>1.</strong> Lois Lowry, E.L. Konigsburg, Margaret Atwood, Candice Millard, and Donna Jo Napoli.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> All of the above.<br />
<strong>3.</strong> Don't be afraid to "talk back". Take every math course available to you!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/delacre-lulu.html"><strong>Lulu Delacre:</strong></a><br />
<strong>1.</strong> Margaret Atwood, Isabel Allende, Ann Patchett, and Amy Tan.<br />
<strong>2.</strong> Mary Magdalene, to ask if she ever wrote an account of Jesus' teachings.<br />
<strong>3.</strong> Believe in yourself, listen to your inner voice, and be persistent.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/donohue-moira.html"><strong>Moira Donohue:</strong></a><br />
<strong>1.</strong> Of course I admire Jane Austen for her insight into the human heart. I also admire Beatrix Potter for the tender charm and imagination she imbued her books with. And I am particularly enchanted by Daphne du Maurier whose stories are so complex and so far ahead of her time!<br />
<strong>2.</strong> This was hard as I couldn't think of many. The two that come to mind are Queen Elizabeth the first--can't imagine what she would have to say about life and men and power, and Maggie Walker, a woman I just researched for a children's book I wrote as part of a series for an educational publisher. Maggie Walker captivated me because she was the first African American woman to charter a bank back in 1903!<br />
<strong>3.</strong> Life for women today is primarily about choice. There is no inherently right or wrong choice in terms of lifestyles (well, except self-destructive ones), but each choice should be made in accordance with an individual's heart and strengths, knowing that we can't have it all because each choice limits our options. And no one should judge another's choice except to see if it is the best possible way of using her talents.Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-48234357381910817922012-02-21T12:53:00.000-05:002012-02-21T12:53:36.349-05:00Elissa Brent Weissman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduvFPO6FczgG-wULuEbiXoiARpbTye0_ej9IyfbRSma8dlNegr5N7Kx_Rf3pQJjsxl3VT7z-r6xHfA473BFzI4cyiaXS8GDw6clF-rsZCSALQNbKCK4l6Lg8RIJncmAcEDUByGsk94PxM/s1600/weissman-elissa.jpg" 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/AVvXsEjduvFPO6FczgG-wULuEbiXoiARpbTye0_ej9IyfbRSma8dlNegr5N7Kx_Rf3pQJjsxl3VT7z-r6xHfA473BFzI4cyiaXS8GDw6clF-rsZCSALQNbKCK4l6Lg8RIJncmAcEDUByGsk94PxM/s200/weissman-elissa.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Elissa Weissman hails from Long Island, New York and is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars program and Roehampton University in London, England where she earned her MA in Children’s Literature. Her first novels,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Standing for Socks</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Trouble with Mark Hopper</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> were published in 2009. Her newest novel,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Nerd Camp</i>, is a 2011 Cybil Award Finalist. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where she teaches creative writing to adults, college students, and gifted-and-talented children.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzc80NsZNNMMR8fx4o30jYg1IjYhSNm5OvWMREGX6nG6i_XBnLbPdMBhvJJdNmxA0qobE7fU_a6iel9Ry1YmzrwBFgZrbXJ8eTqMsAMcu25ZAo5PM9Dsj75pRIi09yKJhir8WGwp8RuJsd/s1600/9781442417038-nerdcamp.jpg" 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/AVvXsEhzc80NsZNNMMR8fx4o30jYg1IjYhSNm5OvWMREGX6nG6i_XBnLbPdMBhvJJdNmxA0qobE7fU_a6iel9Ry1YmzrwBFgZrbXJ8eTqMsAMcu25ZAo5PM9Dsj75pRIi09yKJhir8WGwp8RuJsd/s200/9781442417038-nerdcamp.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Visits:<span style="background: white;"> Elissa's books have been described as both hilarious and thought-provoking, and her presentations strike the same balance between kid-appeal and substance. Her youth, energy, and dynamism get students pumped about reading and writing. In addition to the presentations below, Elissa is happy to tailor or develop a workshop based on your group's needs.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To have Elissa visit your school or organization email <span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="mailto:marilyn@childrenslit.com">marilyn@childrenslit.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/weissman-elissa.html" target="_blank">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/weissman-elissa.html</a></span></span></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-30415298006154840772012-02-08T15:30:00.000-05:002012-02-08T15:30:04.223-05:00Janet Morgan Stoeke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZTuVP-_yrqoR_9yw-YV6_PVZOSx1uF2T5OFkqFTtEcphibps6ublTjianB3cqmrae605XrZoDy_GBwDDjzAcmAEVq9SWWsthAuefchu4JNnsOo-DBnKp8u0EOtmK4MmTb9ryRvrC9aet/s1600/125410372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZTuVP-_yrqoR_9yw-YV6_PVZOSx1uF2T5OFkqFTtEcphibps6ublTjianB3cqmrae605XrZoDy_GBwDDjzAcmAEVq9SWWsthAuefchu4JNnsOo-DBnKp8u0EOtmK4MmTb9ryRvrC9aet/s200/125410372.JPG" width="144" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/stoeke-janetmorgan.html">Janet Morgan Stoeke</a>’s new picture book, <i>Pip’s Trip</i>, received a starred review in <i>School Library Journal</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To have Janet visit your school or organization please email marilyn@childrenslit.com</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/stoeke-janetmorgan.html<o:p></o:p></span></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-27259255848582534172012-01-31T10:02:00.000-05:002012-01-31T10:02:41.680-05:00Want to be a reviewer?<div class="MsoNormal"> Would you like to be among the quoted? Children’s Literature is seeking more good reviewers. You may see your reviews printed on jacket covers and in publisher catalogs!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Children’s Literature receives approximately 6,000 new books each year. Reviewers are not paid, but you do get to keep all of the books that you review. Our reviews are licensed to Barnes & Noble, Borders, and to our sister company, CLCD, LLC. You may also see your reviews on jacket covers, in publisher catalogs, and up on our extensive web site where we provide lots of information at no charge to teachers, librarians, parents, and anyone with an interest in children’s books.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Our book selections range from tots to teens and in every genre. If you enjoy children and young adult books, have a facility for writing, and are interested in becoming a reviewer, please contact Marilyn Courtot, Editor, Children’s Literature, phone 301-469-2070 or email <a href="mailto:marilyn@childrenslit.com"><span style="color: windowtext;">marilyn@childrenslit.com</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>"I agreed to take anything they sent. And have I ever been glad! It has been greatly rewarding, as [Children's Literature] have shared with me books I never would have read otherwise."</i> —reviewer Keri Collins Lewis<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">7513 Shadywood Road, Bethesda, MD, 20817</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.childrenslit.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-66429008024109751032012-01-17T14:23:00.000-05:002012-01-17T14:23:24.459-05:00Derrick Barnes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUonWj7xKfIxaqpDcVK1Y7TpunC6za-PSxWjzz91NoTdJY-x1_vKfS7ousLnpPte_xGltCEuTQlLZPWfzcgVCxBH7fthoj3pdgLexM6zJz2XixRnonAh7yTAwjSwl9VHWZwmCaPmkTcR5_/s1600/barnes-derrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUonWj7xKfIxaqpDcVK1Y7TpunC6za-PSxWjzz91NoTdJY-x1_vKfS7ousLnpPte_xGltCEuTQlLZPWfzcgVCxBH7fthoj3pdgLexM6zJz2XixRnonAh7yTAwjSwl9VHWZwmCaPmkTcR5_/s200/barnes-derrick.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Derrick Barnes is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. He is a graduate of Jackson State University (B.A. Marketing, 1999). He is the author of the children's books<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i>Stop Drop and Chill</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i>The Low Down Bad Day Blues </i>published by Scholastic, as well as the popular "Ruby and the Booker Boys" series, also published by Scholastic. His first middle grade novel,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>We Could Be Brothers</i>, was published by Scholastic in 2010. Derrick has presented at elementary, middle, and high schools all over the country, and has been invited twice by Barbara Bush to her annual Celebration of Reading conference in Florida. He is also known for writing bestselling copy for various Hallmark Card lines and was the first African American male staff writer for Hallmark. Derrick resides in Kansas City with his enchanting wife, Dr. Tinka Barnes and their sons, Ezra, Solomon, Silas, and Nnamdi.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNn9VlzbJGrWq9v45VAH-Z26LqFt5KMC8YXtr14MwHtq0O4M0U7c4Yy5f9WEpvXc_hAjDoA_04o9lS6Q-c4ruU5byZ9dzSWxHkChkhLz-M-IZ69fwsRfjOjUrjaABMCdC6JGrHKMLoiU30/s1600/9780545135733-wecouldbebrothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNn9VlzbJGrWq9v45VAH-Z26LqFt5KMC8YXtr14MwHtq0O4M0U7c4Yy5f9WEpvXc_hAjDoA_04o9lS6Q-c4ruU5byZ9dzSWxHkChkhLz-M-IZ69fwsRfjOjUrjaABMCdC6JGrHKMLoiU30/s200/9780545135733-wecouldbebrothers.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Visits: Derrick’s presentations are approximately 35-45 minutes. His fee is $600 for a full day (2-4 presentations) plus travel expenses for outside the Kansas City, MO area.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To have Derrick visit your school or organization email marilyn@childrenslit.com</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-65837344742888132902012-01-04T13:45:00.000-05:002012-01-04T13:45:01.903-05:00Congratulations!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wS3Otwo2J7w/TwNpu4bDT7I/AAAAAAAAAU8/vFGyPIcQCWo/s1600/DSC_3630_edited_at_475_width_color_adjust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wS3Otwo2J7w/TwNpu4bDT7I/AAAAAAAAAU8/vFGyPIcQCWo/s200/DSC_3630_edited_at_475_width_color_adjust.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X2wFSwVvoWo/TwNqh_o9NrI/AAAAAAAAAVU/fmc04D7w5Q4/s1600/9781561455607-bringonthebirds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X2wFSwVvoWo/TwNqh_o9NrI/AAAAAAAAAVU/fmc04D7w5Q4/s1600/9781561455607-bringonthebirds.jpg" /></a>Congratulations to Children's Literature Booking Service author <a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/stockdale-susan.html">Susan Stockdale</a>. Her book <i>Bring on the Birds</i> was recently named a 2011 <a href="http://www.cybils.com/2011-finalists-nonfiction-picture-books.html">Cybil Award Finalist</a>.<br />
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To have Susan visit your school or organization please email marilyn@childrenslit.comChildren's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-85632517698571197232012-01-02T14:34:00.001-05:002012-01-03T15:45:26.624-05:00Alison Formento<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DJhoDi0ZD8k/TwIGcEBpnlI/AAAAAAAAAUc/4BEUhp0_zQc/s1600/formento-alison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DJhoDi0ZD8k/TwIGcEBpnlI/AAAAAAAAAUc/4BEUhp0_zQc/s200/formento-alison.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Alison Formento's first picture book </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">This Tree Counts!</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"> (Whitman 2010), proves that trees are for more than just climbing. Alison </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">has written several plays, short stories, and poetry</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">. With a background in journalism, Alison has written for several publications including </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">The New York Times</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">, </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">The Writer</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">, and </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Parenting</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">. She grew up in Arkansas and now resides in New Jersey and besides writing everyday and enjoying life with her husband and kids, Alison dreams of someday building a spectacular tree house. She donates a portion of her book sales to</span><a href="http://www.americanforests.org/" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">AmericanForests.org</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"> to help plant more trees.</span> <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ao1O0yFJQLg/TwIGg3l_GKI/AAAAAAAAAUo/_a3hYYmwgA8/s1600/9780807578902-thistreecounts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ao1O0yFJQLg/TwIGg3l_GKI/AAAAAAAAAUo/_a3hYYmwgA8/s200/9780807578902-thistreecounts.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Visits: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Alison's presentations are designed for PreK to 8th grade and blend storytelling and language arts with trees, fun and wit. Children are invited to help make "Human Trees" and act as editors to choose the next story for Alison to write. For third grade and older, Alison offers writing workshops to share her "Idea Seeds" process. She shares her journalism experience, structure and tools for creating stories.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">To have Alison visit your school or organization email marilyn@childrenslit.com</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/formento-alison.html">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/formento-alison.html</a>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3675468601223596037.post-72284426205282185602011-12-20T10:51:00.000-05:002011-12-20T10:51:42.838-05:00Alison Hart Joins "Pencil Tips Writing Workshop" Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GKYccIgZIGBffZMWOp7N207y33UNcn9Dqq4hUTkygoGVThwhjYLBA2M6g9rSbVarZv5KaeczOyTVy5dt3mVb8cDM6za9bEeGtH6J8QwN5iBuhOjP1mM-8RQ5beWgJ9ZkAPi0JMceUlx4/s1600/alisonhart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GKYccIgZIGBffZMWOp7N207y33UNcn9Dqq4hUTkygoGVThwhjYLBA2M6g9rSbVarZv5KaeczOyTVy5dt3mVb8cDM6za9bEeGtH6J8QwN5iBuhOjP1mM-8RQ5beWgJ9ZkAPi0JMceUlx4/s200/alisonhart.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Booking Service author Alison Hart recently joined the blog “Pencil Tips Writing Workshop: Strategies from Children’s Authors and Illustrators.” Her first post is on the complexities of writing. If you are a teacher who is often frustrated with teaching writing, join the discussion!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.penciltipswritingworkshop.blogspot.com/2011/12/writing-is-complicated.html" style="background-color: white; color: #0000cc;" target="_blank">www.penciltipswritingworkshop.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2011/12/writing-<wbr></wbr>is-complicated.html</a></span><br />
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To have Alison visit your school or organization email marilyn@childrenslit.com<br />
<a href="http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hart-alison.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.childrenslit.com/bookingservice/hart-alison.html</span></a>Children's Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01622603750351415692noreply@blogger.com1