down the writer's path

Does your dog read?

Meet Teddy. He dreams of becoming a reading mentor in a READ program. Some call them Reading to Dogs literacy programs, others say Sit, Stay, and Read. Teddy and I learned about these programs a number of years ago and he quickly became immersed in reading to anyone who would listen.

Teddy is one of 5 rescue dogs who live with me. Other members of the pack are Waco the Wonder Dog, a Great Pyrennes, whose ambition is to become a service therapy dog; Riley, a vociferous Cocker Spaniel who is a dedicated petrologist and has been rock collecting for years; Charlie, a 10-month old Pug and newest to join our clan; and Freddie, the dancing bear Maltese. The boys love reading and they have a particular passion for books that feature dogs. Like any reader, they are always in search of a good book so please share your favorites with them.

Over the last few years, the boys barked incessently about their desire to have their own blog. My Reading to Dogs blog is the result. I've combined my three passions: writing, reading, and dogs. I'll be sharing information on dog literacy programs and everything and anything about dogs. I've heard rumors that the boys have their paws to paper and are pushing pens on paper. Apparently they have a lot to say and I've heard there may even be book reviews coming.

WRITERS: Looking for a positive way to promote your work and help literacy at the same time? Send a photo of you and your dog reading together with your permission to post the photo vikksimmons@aol.com with subject line: Reading to Dogs photo, and I'll post it to Reading to Dogs with your name, the name of your dog, the book's title and anything else you add. (Yes, you can borrow a dog and no, it doesn't have to be one of your books.) Act now before Teddy yaps at your heels in pursuit of a good book. Quick! Grab a book and a camera. Call your canine pal and read!

Internet Tools for Writers: JacketFlap networks people in the children's book industry

Social networking is here to stay. So if you're among the thousands of writers who have not made an attempt to tickle any social networks such as MySpace, Facebook or Twitter, it's time. Anyone remotely connected with the children's book industry should take a look at JacketFlap.com. You'll not only find authors and illustrators, but you'll run across reviewers, librarians, agents, booksellers, publicists, teachers, and even students. This is a growing community with a database of books, just released books, reviews, children's book-related blogs and publishers. If you're already published, you may discover your name and book is already listed. If that's the case, it's time to update your profile before anyone else does. Best of all, JacketFlap is free.

I came across JacketFlap yesterday during a search of my name. The site only had my name and the info on DIVIDED LOYALTIES. So I cruised around the site, read all about it, and updated my profile. It was easy and didn't take long. You can make it as concise as you wish. I was even able to have a feed to this blog show up on my profile page. If you're a writer or illustrator, JacketFlap is one more way to promote your books and your work. In addition you can find other writers and "friends" who will network with you. At the very least your profile is one more page that will show up on a Google Search. The best JacketFlap offers is a connection to the publishing community that may lead to more book sales and possible future work.

In order for the community to grow, JacketFlap awards points when you update publisher information, new contacts, or referrals. The points accumulate and gift certificates are earned. So, don't forget where you first heard about JacketFlap and spread the word. I find the site pretty impressive. Take a look and then come back and give me your thoughts. If you're in the kiddie lit field, why not join me--and don't forget to "friend" me--at JacketFlap.com.
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More info: USING FURL; USING OUTLOOK; USING GOOGLE ALERTS; USING GOOGLE DESKTOP SEARCH; USING THE BLOG READING LEVEL TOOL; USING VISUAL THESAURUS

Book Review: Rosy Cole's Memoir Explosion

Some children's books speak as easily to adults as to kids. Shiela Greenwald's latest chapter book, Rosy Cole's Memoir Explosion, in the Rosy Cole series tells a story that speaks to all writers, especially those intent on telling it the way it really happened. Read on and see what you think of the idea and how Greenwald developed and shaped the story....

What do you do when your child has devoured all the Ramona books on the shelves? Find Rosy Cole and read her latest adventure, Rosy Cole’s Memoir Explosion. Poor Rosy, she hasn’t been invited to her friend Deb’s birthday party and so she pours her heart out in her journal. But when her teacher, Mrs. Oliphant, tells the class to write a story about the most interesting person in her life, Rosy realizes she doesn't have even one. Alas, her living relatives are "hopeless.”

When her college-going older sister, Pippa, suggests she write a memoir, Rosy is encouraged. Her enthusiasm is bolstered by her sister’s suggestion to use the book Write Your Life: A How-to Guide for Memoir. Despite her teacher’s warning that she might be tempted to “exaggerate the truth for a better story” and the trouble that lies in wait, Rosy plunges ahead.

Using her guidebook’s checklist for writing a truly great memoir, Rosy searches for all the necessary ingredients: Talent, Tears, Turning Points; Romantic Relationships; Confronting Demons; Overcoming Obstacles; Family Feuds; Rising Above Failure; A Never-Before-Told Secret; and Reader Sympathy. In doing so, she embraces the power found in writing a memoir, while confronting the reaction of family and friends. Before the assignment is finished, Rosy must contend with lost friends, few family members left talking to her, and the blow-up of what may have blown the sort-of only romance she had brewing. Of course, she can also kiss good-bye any birthday party invitation.

While the book is clearly written for children, adults will enjoy the gentle way Greenwald pokes fun at writers, and, in particular, memoirists. Considering the recent hubbub in the publishing world, memoir writers would do well to remember Mrs. Oliphant’s warnings about exaggeration and the potential for lying.

Another aspect of the book is Greenwald’s illustrations. Just as the perfect picture book’s illustrations add to the text and layer the story, Greenwald’s light and sometimes wry line-drawings add the perfect dimension to an already delightful tale.

The Rosy Cole chapter books are for grades 2-5 and highly recommended. If you have a writer on your holiday gift-giving list, you might want to consider this one if you want a fun gift.

Note: This review has been cross-posted on Blogcritics.org and referenced in an Amazon.com review. You can find other reviews on this site under the "Books and Review" category category, or go to my Blogcritics page. Check out other chapter books.

Millions mourn children's author Stan Berenstain

Today children young and old mourn the death of Stan Berenstain, co-creator of the famed children’s classic stories about the Berenstain’s Bears. The 82-year old cartoonist died Saturday in Pennsylvania and is survived by his co-author and wife, Jan Berenstain.

Philadelphia-born Stan met Jan while they attended the Phildelphia Museum of Industrial Art in 1941 and soon began drawing together. Their cartoon feature It’s All in the Family, found in The Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping magazines, quickly captured the hearts of America; but the true beauty of their voice and wisdom came in the 1960s when the husband-wife team developed the loveable Berenstain Bears series. And was it not fitting that their Random House editor be the wonderful genius, Ted Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss? Who better to help them develop books that both teach and entertain?

Teach and entertain they did. With the publishing of The Big Honey Hunt, the artistic duo created more than 250 books about their lovable bears, and for more than forty years children have delighted in the stories and learned life’s lessons along the way. The age-old problems of messy rooms, telling white lies, and throwing full-fledged continue to haunt parents today, and so the books remain relevant in a world that often seems so different from the time when the bears first padded onto the American family scene. With more than 260 million copies of the books sold, the Berenstain Bears is the bestselling children’s book series and the TV show ranks in the top ten of PBS’s shows for 2-5 year olds.

Only weeks ago, in an announcement that assured the Berenstain’s legacy continued growth, Pizza Hut’s Leslie Tubbs, BOOK IT! Beginners program director, said, “We’re very excited about featuring the Berenstain’s Bears in this year’s BOOK IT! Beginners program. . . The Berenstain Bears have warmed the hearts of millions of children and are sure to make reading even more enjoyable for the children enrolled in this year’s program.”

For a more detailed look at Stan Berenstain’s creative life, take a look at Down A Sunny Dirt Road, the autobiography he and his wife authored. You’ll delight in their stories of a life shared with Dr. Seuss and those wacky, but still wonderful Berenstain Bears. To quote Kate Jackson, vice president and editor-in-chief of HarperCollins Children’s Books, “There is nothing the Bear family likes better than a good book.”

If you'd like to hear Jan and Stan Berenstain talk about their wonderland career in Bear Country, check out the Library of Congress 2003 National Book Festival. Be sure and watch both webcasts (parts 1 and 2). You can also read their Book Page Interview.

The main content of this article was cross-posted on Blogcritics.org

New resolutions, new opportunities, new writer events

Well, it's a new year and I'm sure we all have brand spanking new resolutions. Perhaps one of them is to wade a little deeper into the realm of writing. If writing for children interests you, then the SCBWI-Houston chapter has a couple of events that range from a solid getting-back-to-basics Academy 101 to a special Editor's Day with five New York editors and a rare opportunity to submit your material t these closed houses to an actual cruise that you might want to try. The Houston group is a great writing group and they put a lot of time, energy and talent into their events. Yours truly will be at Academy 101. Sign up early. I won't be at Editor's Day but I've signed up so that I can submit some manuscripts. :)

ACADEMY 101

	SCBWI-Houston's ACADEMY 101
Location:	North Harris College
When:	Saturday, February 5, 8:30am
Phone:	713 840 7625
It's time to fulfill your NEW YEAR's RESOLUTION--do something for yourself--Sign up for ACADEMY 101: Part 2 SATURDAY FEB. 5, 2005! This all day event, designed to compliment Academy 101 features more of Everything you ever needed or wanted to know about writing and illustrating for children. Presentations by published authors will focus on writing, cover letters, plotting, picture books, magazines, non-fiction, fiction and more. Afternoon sessions for illustrators will focus on creating art for children's literature. Portfolio and manuscript critique sessions will give you an opportunity to have your work reviewed by seasoned professionals. SCBWI-Houston's website: www.scbwi-houston.org is a registration form. ___________________________________________ Editor's Day February 26, 2005 North Harris College   •   2700 W. W. Thorne Drive   •   Houston, TX 77073 Map – 2700 WW Thorne Blvd, Houston, TX 77073 Here's a rare opportunity to meet editors and submit to closed houses. Amy Hsu-Editor, Books for Young Readers, Little Brown--Picture Books Susan Van Metre, Sr. Editor, Abrams Books for Young Readers-Mid Grade & Teen Lit Doug Sanders, Editor, Marshall Cavendish Benchmark--Nonfiction Kay Olson, Editorial Director, Capstone Press--Educational nonfiction and fiction J. Elizabeth Mills, Associate Editor, Scholastic, Cartwheel--Very young fiction and novelties The speakers will explain the focus of their houses and will each accept one appropriate manuscript or proposal from those registered for the event. Submissions in unsealed 9x12 SASE will be gathered the day of the event and shipped to the editor. Manuscripts are limited to 10 pages regular format, unless specifications of an editor indicate otherwise. Art samples can include 10 letter-size copies. Nonfiction may be in the form of proposals. Catalogs and complete instructions will be provided at the January meeting for those who register. Seating is limited and has sold out each time for Editor Day. Cost includes a box lunch. Optional dinner Saturday night will be at attendee’s expense. Click here for the registration form. ___________________________

SCBWI Texas chapters present  Writin’, Drawin’, and Cruisin’ TEXAS Style
An All You Can Eat Workshop For Anyone Who Can Swim!

From:	SCBWI-Houston
:	Where The Sharks Live From Galveston and, hopefully, back,Galveston,TX
When:	Thursday – Monday, April 14 –18, 2005 Deposit deadline is Friday, January 21, 12:00pm
Phone:	1-800-bring a Life Raft
Carnival Cruise Line sailing out of Galveston on the ship Ecstasy (refurbished October 2004)! Texas style defined = You can eat your weight in lobster and they'll still give you dessert. The 4 day cruise cost begins at only $495 per person The conference fee: $120 per person for SCBWI members $170 per person for non-members Prices are per person double occupancy/inside cabin, all port fees & taxes included. Upgrades available. For Writers: 2+ days of writing workshops, small group critique sessions, manuscript reviews, and the opportunity to submit a manuscript to an acquiring Agent and Editor. For Illustrators: 2+ days of craft workshops, a portfolio display, portfolio review, breakout sessions for illustrators, and the opportunity to submit your work to an Art Director and Editor. To register go to http://www.priscillaburris.com SUBMISSIONS Writers: Submit either one picture book, one article, or one chapter from a longer work, in double spaced format. Include a cover letter with a short summary of your manuscript. Illustrators: Submit no more than 5 copies (8”x10” maximum size) of artwork (do not send originals). Include a cover letter with a short summary of your work. Submission deadline: February 15, 2005. SPEAKERS Jane O’Connor, Vice President/Editor at Large, Penguin Children’s Books Priscilla Burris, Illustrator & Author, SCBWI Board Member Sharene Martin, Agent - Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency Robert Brown, Agent – Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency Debra Sfetsios, Art Director, Simon & SchusterFaculty

First Words

First words, first looks, everything that creates a first impression is in play when you pick up a book for the first time. The importance of a book’s opening line is never more clear than in any book written to lure a teen or capture a middle-grader’s attention. I re-discovered the value of openings the other day. Drifting through Barnes and Noble with a latte in hand, I came upon a table full of books for kids. Although I know when I was at Borders we always had the classics out to meet the summer reading programs, I don’t remember the table being so full of new titles. After choosing several and reading their openings, I decided some time spent on the first words of a novel and their impact upon the reader might be of interest and provoke some thought about your own writing. As you read these openings, think about the first impressions you craft. What exactly are you doing with the words you choose? What effect do you want to create? Are you successful?

Kimberly Morris on SCBWI and other writer organizations

Day 4. Back to business and our continuing interview with Kiimberly Morris.

4. You are the newsletter editor of the local SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Editors) chapter. How do you think the local organization best serves the various levels of writers, such as beginning, journeyman, and the multi-published such as yourself?

Oops! THANK YOU. I should have mentioned this FIRST when I was answering question #2. SCBWI is absolutely the first stop for anybody interested in writing or illustrating for children. That stands for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. There is an international headquarters in Los Angeles, and then local chapters that meet all over the country. SCBWI offers critique groups where writers and illustrators can get feedback work in progress. And there are conferences that provide opportunities to hear and meet editors and agents. SCBWI- Houston has a marketing coop and speakers bureau for the professional writers and illustrators who are publishing regularly. So we are trying to serve the writers and illustrators at every level – from rank beginner to multi-published pro.

News Flash: First book review--Fallen Angel Reviews--in for Divided Loyalties

Came home last night to find an email from Fallen Angels Review saying the review had been posted on my new book, Divided Loyalties. That was a knot-in-the-pit-of-the-stomach moment. Thankfully, to paraphrase Sally Fields, "she--the reviewer--liked it. I particularly enjoyed, "Vikk Simmons has an amazing ability to make the reader care for these characters." The book is on Awe-Struck's "Coming Soon" page with a August 7, 2004 release date. August 7th happens to be my parent's 62nd anniversary. Hope it bodes longevity for my book, as well. I'm still learning all about e-books; I do know the book will be available in several formats, including those for e-book readers, on disk, and in a downloadable file to read on-screen or to print. So anyone should be able to find a format that will work for them. The publisher, Awe-Struck, has a very user-friendly site full of information for potential readers. Clink on the upper righthand "Where to Begin" section on the home page to learn about the company and their books, and how to read them. (Note: Check back for the rest of Kimberly Morris's interview tonight and tomorrow.)

Books Matter: Harry Potter and the bottomline

In past years, there's been some doom and gloom expressed over the decline of reading and the “literacy” of the American population. Books don’t matter, they say. They have no real relevance in today’s world. Really? No so, according to Paul R. La Monica, CNN/Money senior writer. Fact: “Since the first book was published in the U.S., shares of Scholastic have outperformed the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq.”

Books matter. They matter in ways you haven’t considered—or want to consider. Books have an impact on the bottom line, particularly if the company is a publishing company.

SCBWI gives the scoop on writing nonfiction for children

If you have an interest in writing for children and have what Art Spikol called a "grasshopper mind," then the "Writing Nonfiction for Children" conference might be for you. SCBWI Houston is offering those who write or wish to write nonfiction for children an opportunity to meet two speakers who work or have worked as editors for major publishing houses and learn how to write and how to sell their material. Pam Zollman, former editor for Highlights for Children and Houston writer, and Nina Rosenstein, Nonfiction Children's Book Editor formerly with Random House and now with Enslow Publishers, will spend an entire day discussing this very salable type of writing on June 19, 2004 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at North Harris College. Cost is quite reasonable at $50/non-SCBWI members and $35/SCBWI members and includes a boxed lunch. This is a great deal for new and the tried-and-true writers.