Roaring Good News - an SCBWI Success Story!

Dear Whoever-Is-Reading-My-Blog;

I won't keep you waiting. I'll cut to the chase:

I SOLD ANOTHER PICTURE BOOK!

I've been holding on to the news until the contract was officially signed, which I did tonight:

Feels good to finally tell everyone the great news!

Of course, some of my awesome critique group and fellow SCBWI-Wisconsin members, a few 12 x 12ers, and my closest friends knew about the deal that was in the works, and graciously kept this fantastic news a secret. But now, the real excitement begins as I get to finally shout from the mountaintops that:

My second picture book, WATER IS WATER, will be published by the distinguished NEAL PORTER at NEAL PORTER BOOKS (Roaring Brook Press)!

(As in. . . Neal Porter who has worked with a number of Caldecott illustrators—Ted Lewin; Laura Vaccaro Seeger; Eric Rohmann; and Erin Stead, who illustrated A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE. Mr. Porter's imprint also published ISLAND: STORY OF THE GALAPAGOS by Jason Chin, which won the 2013 Gryphon Award and he edited AND THEN IT'S SPRING, for which Julie Fogliano won a 2013 Ezra Jack Keats Award. Amazing.)

I'm tickled...
thrilled...
inspired...
...and ready to begin the next steps as this unfolds into an illustrated picture book!

This deal is so very special to me because:

1) I love water. I grew up (and have since moved back to a house) approximately 2.75 miles from the vast shoreline of beautiful Lake Michigan. And the book, as you probably guessed, is about water.

2) I wrote it during a challenge called 12 x 12 in '12.

This year's logo! I joined again in 2013!

I knew my original draft (OK, I actually had 4 different versions of this MS) as well as my many other crappy unpolished 12x drafts needed help, though.

That led me to sign up for one of Mira Reisberg's Picture Book Academy courses so that I could think more like an illustrator, and get help on some of my current MSS.

One of her videos in the course gave me a Gestalt AHA! moment, and subsequently, I made a mess employed an artistic storyboarding process that looked like this:

This is the story-boarding birth,

of the new version that became

the manuscript I've now sold, called WATER IS WATER.

3) The third reason this manuscript is special to me is because it's what is called an "SCBWI Success Story." An organization I love, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), afforded me the opportunity to make this happen. At the 2012 Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles, I received a manuscript critique with Neal Porter.

Mr. Porter gave me some great advice on  that particular manuscript (which was my first PB sale), and between the consultation and his presentation that weekend, he filled me up with plenty of insight into the type of books he loves to publish. When I polished this manuscript, I had a good feeling it would be something that was a good fit for him (and, actually, a couple other editors saw it as a great fit and made offers as well. That auction/pre-empt experience was a whirlwind and a story a for later post).

4) The last reason this deal is so special to me is because it's a rhyming book AND a fiction/non-fiction sort of concept blend (is that called faction?). A win-win combo, anyway, because it doesn't fit cleanly in any one category. . .and I'm that sort of gal. Cheers to breaking the mold and thinking outside of the proverbial box. And cheers for selling what they say is considered tough. I'd really like to know who "they" are, anyway!

Before I sign off to have a glass of wine, finish grading my students' papers, and turn in for the night, I want to thank each and every one of you who've been a part of this amazing past year I've had.

I'm especially grateful for my local critique group members (Linda, Stephenie, Jennifer, Cindy, and Elizabeth, and Angie), my local writing buddies (Susan, Nancy, and Melissa), my mentor (Lisa), my agent (Karen) who never seems to stop working, my favorite children's librarians (Sharon and Molly), for always clueing me in on what's needed on the shelves or for story time, my husband (Baptiste) who puts up with the piles of laundry, my kids who assure me that they will grow up and publish my books if no one else will, my crazy cats (Doggie & Zella) who know when it's time for me to take a break, the volunteer judges at Rate Your Story who help me wade through the never-ending pile of submissions and therefore get my own writing done, and my many, many online friends and colleagues who are all there for me in so many different ways.

Now, you go write that amazing picture book so I can cheer you on when you sell it!

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!

Love,
Miranda

Previously by Allan Ahlberg - Perfect Picture Book Friday

I've been grumbling for weeks about how it doesn't look like spring outside one bit. My husband's turned the long winter blues into a psychology survey, asking everyone we meet what they would do if spring didn't come this year. (The responses have been interesting!)

I emailed a dear friend of mine this question, along with annoying grumblings about spring not arriving when it was supposed to. He works in a secret lab underground (no joke) and is involved in all kinds of astronomy research and chemistry experiments. I figured if anyone could come up with a way to make spring come, it would be him.

In my inbox this morning, he sent me a link to this photo:

NOAA's GOES-13 satellite captured this image of the Earth at the spring equinox, on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 7:45 a.m. EDT.

Along with the link, he sent me a reminder that it actually does look like spring. . .somewhere. From outer space, spring arrived quite beautifully, in fact. Before looking at this photo, however, I just couldn't see it from my perspective.

His email cheered me up tremendously, and made me think of how so many books bring children and adults new, needed perspectives on a subject. And that brings us to today's Perfect Picture Book:

PREVIOUSLY

I first stumbled on this book about a year ago, at Linda Skeers and Jill Esbaum's Whispering Woods writing retreat. I'm sure many of you know my love for folk tales and folk tale spins, so this one naturally caught my attention. But what's especially neat is how this one ties many stories together, and presents a different perspective on what really happened (before the part of the story that we know) with each page turn.

Here are the details:

Title: Previously

Author: Allan Ahlberg

Illustrator: Bruce Ingman

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Year: 2007

Genre: Picture Book

Ages: 4-8

Subject/Topics: folk tales, fairy tales, humor, different perspectives, adverbs

Synopsis: Every story, every person, and every thing started somewhere. Find out what all of your favorite fairy-tale characters were up to PREVIOUSLY. . .

First page(s): 

Goldilocks arrived home all bothered and hot. Previously she had been running like mad in the dark woods. 

Previously she had been climbing out of somebody else's window.

Previously she had been sleeping in somebody else's bed, eating somebody else's porridge, and breaking somebody else's chair! 

Previously she had been humming a tune and having a little skip by herself in the dark woods. 

Previously she had bumped into a hurtling and older boy named . . .[page turn] 

Jack. 

Jack was running like mad. . .previously he had stolen. . . 

[I'm cutting, but it goes on like this.]

Why I chose this book: 

The structure is so fresh and new, yet the subject matter so familiar. I think kids will use a unique set of skills as they follow along with this book in its backwards-format.

Resources or Activities:  

I think teachers can try to encourage students to rethink stories they already know by writing them from a different angle. A teacher named Mrs. Gold did that with her students, and you can read samples here: http://www.mrsgoldsclass.com/Archive/FairyTales.htm

I also think teachers or parents can examine the "page-turn" structure of books like PREVIOUSLY and books like EXCEPT IF by Jim Averbeck. Have students write a story where the last word of a sentence actually comes after the page turn, making the end of one sentence the beginning of a new scene. 

With middle grade students, you'll want to introduce them to the ellipsis if they are going to embark on activities like this. The National Punctuation Day website has some great resources for studying the ellipsis, also known as dot-dot-dot. :) http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/ellipsis.html

I'm off to celebrate the fact that it's spring—But I've got to shovel a driveway of snow, first. :(

Have a great weekend!

P.S. If you don't know about Perfect Picture Book Fridays yet, click here for a list of great books!

But and For, Yet and Nor - What is a Conjunction? Perfect Picture Book Friday

I'm going to be brief today, folks. I have a whopping stack of students' papers to grade. I've been correcting grammar and style all morning.

Which brings me to today's Perfect Picture Book selection:

Title: BUT and FOR, YET and NOR: What is a Conjunction? (part of the "Words are CATegorical series)

Author: By Brian P. Cleary

Publisher: Lerner/Millbrook Press 

(which just happens to be the fantastic publisher that's putting out my PB in 2015!)

Think he'll still be dancing when my book comes out in 2015?!

Year: 2010

Ages: 4-9

Genre: Nonfiction, Rhyme

Subjects: Conjunctions, Grammar, Humor, Rhyme, Educational

Opening Line(s): 

Conjunctions are connecting words 

like but and and or or, 

yet, until, unless, and as, 

along with for and nor.

Why I chose this book: Well, I'm a bit of a grammarian. As an English teacher, I'd have to say that grammar usage among each year's incoming students seems to be on the decline. I'm also planning to teach an upcoming Grammar Groove course with Mira Reisberg at the Picture Book Academy, launching sometime in April or so. Good grammar is essential for children as they grow, because effectively communicating is so important—whether you're writing a story or writing up a birthday party invitation. And this book makes grammar GROOVY! It's hilarious!

Resources: 

Brian P. Cleary has made my job easy. There are tons of resources and games for his Words are CATegorical series at his website, here: http://www.brianpcleary.com/words/index.html. Kids could probably poke around this site for hours.

Of course, SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! is a great grammar resource for additional lessons. You can find some of them at this site: http://www.sqooltools.com/edvideos/shr/master.html. These were childhood favorites of mine. I hope your children enjoy them, too!

Now, go have a great Friday. And don't forget to check out these other Perfect Picture Books at Susanna Leonard Hill's blog!

Read Across America Week: Author Visit Recap!

In celebration of Read Across America Week (this week), sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA), I was invited to read at Valley View Elementary yesterday.

It was a blast! I don't think I've ever met as many young, aspiring writers in one place!

I was also AMAZED at how attentive and enthusiastic the kids were, especially since my author visit took place during the last two hours of the school day! Kudos to you, kids. I'll be first in line someday when your books come out.

One of my favorite photos from the day. The kids are learning all about action rhymes, and how many writers get started writing for magazines while they work on books or wait for their books to come out.

And yes, it was crazy hat day at Valley View in case you were wondering.

I absolutely love school visits. And I can visit virtually, too. TEACHERS: Check out my website page on school visits. I'm fun, affordable (see my note on how to get me to come for FREE), and flexible! Pick me! Pick me!

WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL TEETH? by Sandra Markle - Perfect Picture Book Friday

We've got a front-tooth-less cutie pie in our household, so I ordered up a book that I thought might be fun and educational. Turns out it was even better than I thought!

So, I chose it for today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick:

WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL TEETH?

Title:  What if You Had Animal Teeth?

Author: Sandra Markle

Illustrator: Howard McWilliam

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 2013
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book (nonfiction)

Themes/Topics: Teeth/Losing teeth, Animals, Humor, Nonfiction

Opening Page: (technically the first animal-comparison page)  "If you had beaver teeth, your front teeth would never stop growing. So you could gnaw through all the tough stuff you like, day after day, for all of your life. [The illustration is a kid chewing up his Math book—which my daughter thought was hilarious].

Synopsis: If animal teeth grew in place of the teeth you just lost, which animal's teeth would you choose?

Why I chose this book: My daughter's attention was completely captivated the entire time. It is a great book for reluctant readers. The text is just the right amount, and Sandra Markle has chosen the most interesting facts to include. Howard McWilliam's illustrations are quirky and eye-catching. There are so many little things in each illustration to notice and laugh about! I highly recommend it for anyone with a Kindergarten through second-grader who is going through the tooth-losing process.

Resources:

Author Sandra Markle's blog:  http://sandra-markle.blogspot.com/

Illustrator Howard McWilliam's website: http://www.mcbill.plus.com/

An Animal Teeth ThinkQuest site for kids: http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210360/teeth.html

BBC site on Animal Teeth: http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/tech/teeth/newsid_3830000/3830561.stm

All about Human Kids' Teeth at Kids Health:
http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/teeth.html

Activities:
1. Cut out the shapes of different incisors or front teeth, shaped like those from the book or resources above. Tape them to your top lip (or wherever they should go) and take photos with a digital camera, iPad, or computer. Then go look at them!

2. After reading the book, have each child choose which animal teeth they would want and write one to three sentences explaining why. They can also draw a picture to accompany their writing.

3. Have a taste test! Arrange soft, hard, crunchy, and a variety of textured and shaped foods and then have kids observe which teeth they use to bite, rip, crunch, or chew.

Thanks for stopping by! If you want to see other Perfect Picture Book Friday titles, head on over to Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

I, for one, am going outside. It's another SNOW DAY here in Wisconsin!!! YAYAYAYA!

Fundraiser Tonight for Books for Africa!

GREEN by Laura Vaccaro Seeger – Perfect Picture Book Friday

It's Perfect Picture Book Friday!

For the last however-many weeks, I've been surrounded by white. Snowy, icy, slip-slidey weather. (My blogging fingers have been as frozen as my driveway. I know.)

Beautiful as it is to see the sun shining on fresh blankets of snow and through the arm-sized icicles hanging from the eaves trough of my Wisconsin home today, I'd sure like to see some green right about now.

Therefore I give you today's Perfect Picture Book:

GREEN

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Title:  Green

Author: Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Illustrator: Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Publisher: Neal Porter Books (Roaring Brook Press), 2012

Themes/Topics: Environment, Color, Rhyme

Opening Page:  Forest Green

Synopsis:  It's really an explanation of the many shades and kinds of green—literal and figurative. The book is less than 50 words, but comes full circle with a storybook ending.

Resources: 

The trailer for the book

Ways Kids can be "Green"

How to mix paint to make many shades of green - great for budding artists!

Activities:

Mix shades of yellow, blue, black, white paint to make many shades of green (see link above)

Make a list of other things that are green

Make a list of ways to be "green"

Make a similar style poem/book, but using a different color

Why I chose this book: Well, not only did it earn a Caldecott Honor, but it's just one of those simple books that is so well done, you have to read it again and again. The paintings are stunning and my children say, "Wait! Don't turn the page yet!" which is exactly opposite of some books, where they're in a hurry to reach the end. It's a book that can be read to a two-year-old but a seven-year-old will still love it. That's not easy to accomplish. Plus, it's just a gosh-darn beautiful book. My favorite: "wacky green!"

Comments welcomed! If you're not familiar with PPBF, check out Susanna Leonard Hill's amazing resource here.

Kid Poetry: 11-Year-Old Writes MLK Poem

Last week, as I was mulling over which book to review or what story to cover in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, an email crossed my desk about a young boy, Nathan, whom I'd interviewed a couple of years ago for a story about amazing kids who volunteer their time for great causes.

The email let me know that Nathan had been diagnosed with autism and ADHD. His mom further explained his condition, saying that, "If you give him a book he will read it front to back and will be able to tell you every single fact, but when you give him a pen and piece of paper it’s like he has a whole other person trapped in his body. He sounds generations older than he really is, like he lived his life already and came back to write about it."

I also learned that one of his biggest passions is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and every year he writes on this topic—not to enter a contest, but to share his thoughts and feelings. 

This year, I decided I had a venue to give him a voice. I hope you'll take a moment to read this poem from an 11-year-old boy with a lot of passion in his heart, that he hopes to share with you. So read and pass it on!

 

DREAM BIG!

Poem by: Nathan VandenHoogen

Greater I’d be for his marching to our Nation capital!
The king’s voice ringed for fairness for his people
For victory came a death price…
Some people just don’t like mankind…that’s so unkind                                                                 
There is too much self-inflicted violence in this peace-like land.
He wanted rest, peace and freedom that is what is best!
My heart is like his…..
I am a kid! So? So I am small and weak, but soul is very smooth and strong.
So when I speak it will as a GIANT! I will not be silenced!
For in my heart I have a dream…
 A person is a person no matter how small and needs to be heard at any price!!!

Comments are open if you'd like to leave a comment for Nathan. Thank you!

Big News!!!

You've probably already guessed it from the title. So there's no use beating around the bush.  Here's the big news:

FROM PUBLISHER'S MARKETPLACE:

Miranda Paul's ONE PLASTIC BAG, inspired by a true story, chronicling the grassroots effort of five young Gambian women who, despite ridicule and hardship, take up a creative recycling project that brings beauty and prosperity back to their village, to Carol Hinz at Lerner Publishing, by Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary (World).

YAY doesn't cut it, but. . .

YAY ANYWAY! 

Happy Birthday to...Me!

Wow...it's only 9:30 a.m. but I'm having a GREAT birthday already. 

Last night, I received my first piece of fan mail.  My Gambian folk tale, Kumba Am and Kumba Amul (available at iStorybooks) is a six-year-old Australian boy's favorite book.  I'm thrilled!

This morning, I got a very lovely card from my kids (and a bright-and-early wake up call).

But I also received a special birthday feature on Eric VanRaepenbusch's awesome Happy Birthday, Author Blog! My name, alongside authors such as Denise Fleming, Jane Yolen, Mo Willems and Susanna Leonard Hill?! Wow!

If you want to read a really special birthday memory from a few years back when I was living in Gambia, Africa -- go on over to Eric's blog and read all about it.

As for me...it's time for cake and family time.  Then hubby's building me a new, bigger office for my birthday!  Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes.  It's going to be an amazing day!

Cheers,

Miranda

Presentation at the Wisconsin Writers Association

I know...I've been a little absent from my own blog.  But it's because I've been very active in submitting and publishing a lot of work.  Yay!

This weekend, I hope to see many of you at the Wisconsin Writers Association (WWA) Fall Convention.  I'll be delivering a pirate-themed presentation all about tips I've learned from being on the editorial side of the publishing game, through my gigs as founder of RateYourStory.org as well as the editor for several independent children's app publishers and small presses.

If you're a writer actively submitting to the slush, I believe my presentation will be worth your while.  However, there are several other awesome keynote speakers and presenters, as well as breakout sessions.  Wish me luck!  Read all about the conference here.

Saint Martin Pizza / Sint Maarten Pizza - and a Book

As promised, this pizza is pretty ridiculous.

Not necessarily for what's on it, though.

I came up with the idea for today's pizza after getting an email from one of my favorite scuba dive operators -- Octopus Diving in Saint Martin.  Every time Sally and Chris send an email, I remember our trip there almost two years ago when we held urchins, spied lobsters, stirred up a ray off the sea floor and made sure to stay far away from the fire coral.

Photo from:  Octopusdiving.com

While driving back to my sister-in-law's house (she lives on sunny Sint Maarten), I realized how dramatically different the two sides of the island were.  In case you're not familiary, Saint Martin / Sint Maarten is divided in half.  The French own one side, the Dutch the other.  And you can tell.

Map of the Caribbean island of w:Saint Martin divided between French and Dutch halves. Made in Corel Painter IX by User:Astrokey44. Category: Saint Martin

The Dutch side is dramatically built up with casinos, cruise ports, and shopping centers.  It's a bit of a concrete jungle in some areas, actually.  The French side, in contrast, is wildly green.  Charming cafes dot the roadsides, but the biggest draws are nature sites like the Butterfly Farm.

So, in honor of the strange, divided geography of Saint Martin / Sint Maarten, here's a pizza in the shape of the island.  One side is built up with modern toppings like pepperoni.  The other is full of fresh green herbs and leaves from my very own backyard garden.

To be quite honest, the reason it took me so long to post this was that I needed to find a book with both French and Dutch connections.  And it just so happens that the YA novel I picked up last week fills the need.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

I'll let you read it to find out the Dutch connections :)

Happy eating, happy reading!