tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22688225750784355472024-03-13T14:41:25.813-07:00The Write StuffThe Write Stuff is a blog about what else but. . . writing! With a focus on writing picture books, I hope that this blog will not only help others in their personal journeys to create stories for young children, but will also help me in my personal journey to become a published children's author.AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-34825789715303701712012-06-25T06:00:00.000-07:002012-06-25T06:00:00.061-07:00Library Needs Our Help<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that you are probably wondering. . . why is Sandi posting? She said that she was taking a break for the summer. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well yes, I am taking a modified break, as I a truly incapable of taking a complete break. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently <a href="http://thewritestuff-sandi.blogspot.com/2012/05/words-from-wise-13-lesley-koyi.html">Lesely Koyi</a>, who was interviewed in Words From the Wise in May, contacted me about a library in Kenya that is in great need. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you may recall, Lesley is a librarian and poet. He recently launched a boys lit club for his local community and they are in desperate need of books. I interviewed Lesley a few days ago about his new project so that we all have the information that we need to help these kids have access to books. Please read the interview below.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi Sandi,<br />Good morning from Kenya. It's a bright morning over here, and I must say I am honored very much to be hosted by you for another interview. I therefore wish to offer my sincere answers to the questions asked by you as follows.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The organization that I am collecting books for is called Single Mothers Association of Kenya. This organization has a community library in which, as a professional librarian, I am interested in seeing it come out from its death bed. It is not in use because it does not have books and has a number of infrastructural issues to be addressed. It is built of iron sheets and it has some parts of it exposed to the entrance of dust. I felt as a librarian, I would use my experience and network of friends to help it grow. First, I must state also that the main thing that made me become aware of the plight of this library is when I decided to approach the Director of the site, Mrs. Angeline Nandwa to ask her to allow me to start a Boys Litclub within the library.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The history of this organization is that Single Mothers Association of Kenya is a non-profit community based organization that was formed in 1991, and legally registered under the ministry of culture and social services. This ministry is committed to addressing major problems facing the single adolescent mothers and the vulnerable girls within the slums communities in Nairobi and other parts of the country. This they do through offering vocational training to the women, girls and boys. The training is to help them become self employed in the future. The training is offered in tailoring and dress making, welding and fabrication, embroidery, bead and leather work, electrification skills, and also voluntary counselling and testing, and then last but not least, the community library services. The community being catered for in the projects of Single Mothers Association of Kenya is one that is riddled with drugs, crime, high level of school drop outs, unwanted pregnancies and poverty. This, therefore, makes it impossible for the majority of parents to afford the buying of books for their children as this is challenged by the need to put food on the table. It is a hustle, if not a struggle for many to gain access to the 3 basic needs--food, shelter, and clothing. Currently, because of many financial challenges that Angeline has faced in the running of this project, the library has suffered the most with no books and dusty shelves. This is where I think and wish I can help by getting good friends who will stand with me and make the availability of books to this community and children become a reality. Knowledge is power, and that will transform this community both socially and economically.<br /><br /><br /><b>2. How did you become involved, and what do you do?</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As stated earlier, I became involved when after undergoing a facilitator training with Litworld, I was given a thumbs up to open a Boys Litclub in my community. That is when I started looking for a conducive site for boys to come and meet without disruption. Single Mothers Association of Kenya was the best site for us, and while here, I noticed the big problem with the library section. So currently, I am honestly looking for good people all over the world who will feel the need to donate and send over some books for this library so that it can become a vibrant hub of knowledge to the community as a whole. I would have sat back comfortably as I have my own job where I work as a librarian, but with this library reeling to oblivion I think I cannot have my peace, and that's why I appeal for help.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b>3. Who are the children that you are servicing? How many children, ages, are they in school, what are their home lives like?</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The children i am servicing in my Litclub are boys but i have under way plans to include the girls and mums by getting them their own Litclubs too so that they can also get engaged in matters of literacy, i am servicing about 20 kids of between ages of 12-14 years old.Since Litworld offers a different forum from a normal school curricular this boys attend the Boys Litclub meetings on Saturday and Sunday afternoon after their normal school.As stated earlier this kids are coming out from poor family back grounds and from homes faced with a number of challenges in an environment that has lots of vices.I must state before i forget too that Litworld encourages the culture of reading and writing all over the world for kids and its upon this back drop that we are in need books down here.<br /><br /><br /><b>4. How many books do you currently have and what are your most urgent needs in terms of type of book that you are looking for?</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently I have very few books, and most of them not of use to these kids. These books are about 150 in number. My most urgent needs in terms of books are books that can be of use to kids let me say all children's books, be it picture books, chapter books, fiction and all manner of story books and not forgetting academic ones if possible.<br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sandi, I must say thanks very much for hosting me again for another interview and this is a sure sign that you are touched with my endeavor to enrich the kids with books. I believe with your support this will no longer be a long journey and never will it be a far cry anymore. Please feel free to include the link to my <a href="http://lesleykoyiinformationconsultancy.blogspot.com/">blog</a> so that the world can know how I feel about the development of the library in Africa and Kenya to be precise. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see by reading Lesley's responses to my questions, this is a desperate situation. Please reach into your hearts and send some new or previously loved books to Lesley--the boys and their families need our help.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lesley Koyi</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SINGLE MOTHERS ASSOCIATION OF KENYA </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">P.O.BOX 75603-00200</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Nairobi, Kenya</span></span><br />
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<br />AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-62375240955783531802012-05-27T12:13:00.001-07:002012-05-27T12:14:07.372-07:00Summer HiatusHello Everyone-<br />
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I know that I recently put out a request for new people to be featured on Words From the Wise, however, I am going to have to postpone this feature until the fall. As the school year winds down, and my personal family life gets crazy with summer plans, I have decided to take a hiatus from this blog. <br />
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I wish you all a wonderful summer, and I shall return in September.<br />
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SandiAEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-49664387932127942122012-05-21T13:31:00.003-07:002012-05-21T13:31:56.072-07:00Words From the Wise #14 -- Sandi HershensonToday's post is not about writing. <br />
Today's post is not necessarily from someone who is wise.<br />
Today's post is from someone who is wiser than she was a few days ago-- me<br />
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This past weekend my family and I participated for the 4th year in a row in our local Relay for Life. For those of you who are not familiar with Relay for Life, it is a 24 hour walk and fundraiser that supports the American Cancer Society. <br />
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EVERYONE has been somehow touched by cancer. Whether you are a survivor, have lost a loved one, have been a care giver, or a friend to someone who has been ill, we have all been connected with cancer. <br />
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Each year I organize a team to participate in the walk. I take care of the logistical aspects for our team. I organize team fundraisers. I make sure that we have all of the supplies that we will need, and I make sure that we have people committed to walking and volunteering at our booth throughout the full 24 hours. After all, cancer never sleeps and neither will we until it is wiped out.<br />
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Each year the guests at Relay have the opportunity to hear survivors tell their cancer story. Being that they are survivors, these particular people all have happy endings. After the speeches, and after wiping away the tears we all take a deep breath, and get back to walking on that track. For each of the past three years we have had a very active team and have had plenty of people to walk during the middle of the night. This being the case, my team has always let me get a good night's sleep in my tent. <br />
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This year the number of active participants on our team was smaller, and I took on a longer walk during the night. I enjoyed the walk. From 2:00-4:30am I walked in the dark. It was cold and my ankles and hips hurt from walking on the uneven track that most days is the athletic field of a city park. I had been walking in the 100 degree heat during the day and acting as a cheerleader for my teammates since 7:00am. My body was physically exhausted, but my mind kept pushing me to walk. <br />
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During the walk I thought about so many things: my kids, my mom who is a Survivor, new picture book ideas, and cancer. I thought about how trivial so many things are when there are people of all descriptions fighting for their lives. These are not people who made stupid mistakes to cause harm to their bodies (except for those who have smoked for years), these are people who were struck by cancer. A disease that knows no limitations.<br />
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While I walk every year, each year I feel as though I am a little bit wiser. I have studied the Fight Back information that each team displays and I have learned more about cancer so that I can share that information with others. Knowledge is power, and I am now more powerful, as I have more knowledge.<br />
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The knowledge that I want to share with all of you who are stubborn and don't like to go to the doctor. This is based upon one of our speakers who shared her story of losing her husband to cancer. He was stubborn, he had felt as though something wasn't right for years, but he refused to go to the doctor. When he finally went, the doctor diagnosed him with Stage 4 colon cancer. For the next several years the cancer had metastasized to several other places in his body. He was told that had he come to them 5 years earlier he would have had much better chance of survival. This gentleman passed away this past year leaving behind a wife and 3 sons. <br />
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My wise words are telling you to go to the doctor if something is not feeling right. Don't ignore it, save your own life and help others to save their lives too. We live in an amazing world that has endless possibilities, and being stubborn will only result in you missing out on all of it.<br />
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<br />AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-14539668134151407792012-05-15T07:39:00.001-07:002012-05-15T07:39:18.665-07:00Illustrator -- Claudia Fehr-LevinAs you all know, a few weeks ago my book, <u>The Boy Who Cried Shmutz</u>, was published on uTales. I could not have done it without the amazing work of the very talented Claudia Fehr-Levin. Someone who was a complete stranger to me, I can now call my dear friend. Today Claudia posted all about her process in the creation of the book.<br />
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I invite you all to visit her blog and enjoy her post! Click on her name below, and fall in love with her work.<br />
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<a href="http://claudiafehr-levin-illustrator.blogspot.com/2012/05/boy-who-cried-shmutz.html">Illustrator, Claudia-Fehr Levin</a>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-56198793423328681182012-05-14T06:00:00.000-07:002012-05-14T06:00:15.402-07:00Words From the Wise #13--Lesley Koyi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I had the great honor and pleasure of interviewing poet,<a href="http://lesleykoyiinformationconsultancy.blogspot.com/"> Lesely Koyi</a>. Lesley is an Information Consultant and Librarian from Nairobi, Kenya. I could not be more thrilled to be having literary information from around the globe on Words From the Wise. Sometimes we all get so focused on what we are doing here at home, that we forget about the children who live in other parts of the world. Lesley was a participant, a very special participant, in <a href="http://litworld.org/worldreadaloudday">World Read Aloud Day</a>. I hope that you enjoy learning more about this fascinating man.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><br />
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<br /><b>1. As a librarian, and a poet you became involved with <a href="http://litworld.org/worldreadaloudday">World Read Aloud Day</a>. Can you describe your involvement?</b></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes I did indeed take part in this year’s <a href="http://litworld.org/worldreadaloudday">World Read Aloud Day</a>, and I must say it was quite a fantastic experience because the World
Read Aloud Day became a launching pad for me on how much a wider readership my
poems can attract world over. So my involvement with <a href="http://litworld.org/worldreadaloudday">World Read Aloud Day</a> this
year March 7 2012 was, first I took part as a guest reader via skype and also
my involvement to writing a poem which I titled “The World Read Aloud Day Poem”.
This poem was posted on the Litworld website and seen world over and also sent
by Litworld to about 3000 friends world over in celebrating this years World
Read Aloud Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that you don't mind Lesley, but I posted your poem here for all to enjoy!</span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE WORLD READ ALOUD DAY</span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hear the echo of a voice, reading aloud to the nations,</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I listen to the story and what a story it is,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story carries my mind and memory to far flung places,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realize I have had a journey of the mind and for a moment,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I forget about my environment and all my challenges in life.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hear the echo of a voice, reading aloud to the nations,</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to know why the voice reads aloud to the nations,</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am told it’s the worlds read aloud day.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hear the echo of a voice, reading aloud to the nations</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It mingles with the tweet of the singing birds, for a morning</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wake up call, for it’s just but morning,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sun is just but rising, but the voice still goes on and strong,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story carries with it the tells of literacy to the world, that the young</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the world can grow with strong minds of understanding and knowledge for life.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hear the echo of a voice, reading aloud to the nations,</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I listen to the story and what a story it is,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sweet voice mingle with various other voices of nature,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The birds chirping, the sun rising, the wind blowing, the trees swaying,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The waves rising and the plains soaring with life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I realize it’s not only, a voice reading aloud to the nations,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But its voices reading, all over the world, and finally,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sun has gone down, its night and the bats are flying by,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I then continue to hear many other voices read aloud to,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The children into the deep of the night making it full of life.</span></span></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. This blog has followers from all around the world, however, most are in the United States. Please describe the way the school systems function in Kenya. </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The School systems in Kenya are run on an 8-4-4 system,
and basically this means 8 years in primary school education, 4 years in
secondary school education and lastly 4 years in university education.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Can you describe what literacy is like in Kenya? Are parents actively involved in teaching their children to read or is this something that is primarily learned at school?</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Despite the fact that Kenyans are a knowledgeable lot
literacy in Kenya is still a growing endeavor .Some if not many parents do
leave the work to the teachers to teach their children how to read but a few
parents take an active role in teaching their kids how to read and personally I
was lucky when my mum taught me how to read my first book at class three.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My poetry has a great connotation to my own personal
endeavors in life and that is from my childhood as a little boy to date.
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experiences in many areas. My poems major on topics of Hope and encouragements
through life. My writing process starts with an inspiration, I must for sure
get inspired to write a poem and this comes up mostly on the issues I have in
my mind that I need a deeper expression about. I personally write my poems in
any environment and I do my poems on a single seating by a stroke of the pen,
that is my pen is only put down after I have put my inspired poem on paper then
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this poets use quite a powerful choice of words to pass their message to the
readers and they also draw much of their work from personal experiences in life
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My goals as a poet is to write poems that people across
all cross sectional divides can draw strength from even in the most difficult
and challenging circumstances in life, and more so as a librarian my joy is to
make my poems simple and easy to understand to all and also become resourceful
and intellectual materials full of information that appeals to all humanity no
matter race, creed, religion and any social background. I want to see my poems
being a unifying factor in the world as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please be sure to stop by Lesley's blog, <a href="http://lesleykoyiinformationconsultancy.blogspot.com/">Lesley Koyi Information Consultancy</a> to read more of his fantastic poetry!</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-55451526167127565872012-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:002012-05-07T10:12:49.484-07:00Words From the Wise #12 -- Pamela CourtneyToday we welcome to The Write Stuff, Pamela Courtney who specializes in Early Literacy. She is also the creator of the blog, <a href="http://mylmnopreadstokids.blogspot.com/">MyLMNOP REads to Kids</a>. Thank you so much for joining us today Pam, we are glad to read your wise words!<br />
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<a href="http://mylmnopreadstokids.blogspot.com/2012/05/mylmnopthe-building-blocks-of-literacy.html" style="color: #993300; text-decoration: none;">MyLMNOP__the building blocks of literacy</a></h3>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">S</span>andi Hershenson, the author of <a href="http://utales.com/books/annie-and-me" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Annie and Me</a>, is having MyLMNOP Reads to Kids, as a guest on her amazing blog,<a href="http://thewritestuff-sandi.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">The Write Stuff</a>! This site is filled with resourceful information that is so beneficial to writers of all levels. She recently interviewed author/illustrator <a href="http://www.frankasch.com/home.html" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Frank Asch</a><span style="color: #990000;">.</span> He is the author of the <a href="http://www.frankasch.com/home.html" style="color: #993300; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Moobear picture book series</span>.</a> Please visit and read this great interview! I am excited to be a guest on Sandi's blog! I get a chance to discuss two of my favorite subjects__children's books and my literacy program. I began MyLMNOP in the fall of 2005 after being in the field of Early Childhood Education for over twenty-five years. MyLMNOP is a language based music program designed to enhance literacy and expressive language through music. This program targets early learners in areas where access to quality literacy engagement is limited.<br /> <br /><span style="font-size: medium;">I</span> love children's books! More specifically, I love children's books that are rich with descriptive language and compelling illustrations. These illustrations can be as simple as Shel Silverstein's work or very detailed and complex as in the work of Christopher Canyon. Either way, illustrations are excellent provisions in connecting young listeners to visual, context clues. That is why I chose to join the writing community, <a href="http://www.juliehedlund.com/2011/11/30/12-x-12-in-2012-picture-book-writing-challenge/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">12 x 12 in 2012</a><span style="color: #990000;"> </span>hosted by <a href="http://www.juliehedlund.com/julies-blog/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Julie Hedlund</a>, I knew that I would connect with writers producing the kind of books that would lend perfectly to my literacy program. You see, I choose books that take my early learners on journeys of wonderment and exploration. Add to this the backdrop of music, and a myriad of fantastical creatures come alive! I love providing an environment with this kind of stimulation and spontaneity!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">E</span>ach month in MyLMNOP literacy program, a thematic lesson plan is created. A minimum of two stories with similar themes are chosen. From the stories, vocabulary words that encourage descriptive narration from our early learners are employed during each weekly session. The low frequency vocabulary words are accompanied by theme related songs, and dramatic play exercises. Enhancing expressive language through music and literature allows for emergent reading comprehension development, and the expansion of descriptive vocabulary. These activities are excellent aids for students and their retention of abstract concepts. Additionally, phonemic awareness lessons are used to help children as they connect letters to sounds that make up the words to their favorite poem, story, or song. Here's an abbreviated example of a session with MyLMNOP. The few activities extracted from the lesson was for the Older Three's and Younger Four's program. The theme: <i>Time Keeps Passing... Life's Cycles.</i><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C4Yeis65jBY/T6dLrT5gRiI/AAAAAAAAAPs/024v9oDKpfA/s1600/When+Dinosaurs+Go+To+School.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #993300; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C4Yeis65jBY/T6dLrT5gRiI/AAAAAAAAAPs/024v9oDKpfA/s320/When+Dinosaurs+Go+To+School.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; cursor: move; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div>
In a recent session, Dinosaurs Go to School by Linda Martin, was introduced to visually illustrate the concept of the passage of time from morning to evening. Additionally clocks were used as tools to measure how time passes in the course of a day. Accompanying song, <i>When I Wake Up in the Morning."</i><br />Vocabulary Word: Schedule, Routine, and Cycle.<br /><i></i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, helped to show how time is measured in the course of a week. The calendar was used as an additional prop for a measuring tool for time. Accompanying song, Greg and Steve, <i>Days of the Week</i>, and McMillan's Sing & Learn, <i>Butterfly Fly</i><br />Vocabulary: Larvae, Cocoon, Flutter, Infant, Adult. Reviewed: Schedule, Routine, and Cycle.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a4zlsPl0Ng4/T6cyZ9Hs1uI/AAAAAAAAAPY/CZ5aIs0G74U/s1600/theGivingTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #993300; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a4zlsPl0Ng4/T6cyZ9Hs1uI/AAAAAAAAAPY/CZ5aIs0G74U/s320/theGivingTree.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="257" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein, showed a broader range of our theme. The accompanying songs were, Greg & Steve's <i>Months of the Year,</i> McMillan's Sing & Learn, <i>Sing a Song About the Seasons</i>, and <i>The Circle Game</i>, by Joni Mitchell (which was originally introduced to students as a poem). The children absolutely loved this song! I was pleased to see that some of the Fours understood the verse, "Then the boy moved ten time 'round the seasons." One of the children responded, <i>"He had a birthday ten times!"</i> Reviewing the vocabulary each week helped the students to understand that as time passes, how we measure repeats itself over and over again. Learning the songs: <i>The Days of the Week, The Months of the Year, and Sing a Song About the Seasons</i>, were useful tools in instructing this topic. Presenting this abstract concept of time measured in days, hours, and seasons, allowed this subject to become more concrete to these brilliant early learners.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span>hese books have been used in various other themes, along with many other vocabulary words (especially with our older students). Their application in this topic was so engaging and so much fun. I hope to begin showing videos of my literacy engagements. As soon as I figure out the technical spokes of blogging, uploading music & video files. I am having fun learning. I enjoyed sharing a small part of my literacy program with you. </div>
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Pamela Courtney currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the creator/owner of My_LMNOP</div>
</div>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-37305215763666775952012-04-30T06:00:00.000-07:002012-04-30T11:40:31.541-07:00Words From the Wise #11- Frank Asch<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today we meet <a href="http://www.frankasch.com/downloads/2005/awards_and_honors.pdf">award winning</a> author/illustrator <a href="http://www.frankasch.com/">Frank Asch</a>. His first picture book, <i>George's Stone</i>, was published in 1968. Since that time, Frank has published books in almost every category of children's literature. Personally, I discovered Mr. Asch through reading books in his Moonbeam Bear series. <a href="http://www.frankasch.com/sandcake.swf">Sand Cake</a> is one of my favorites! To say that his complete list of <a href="http://www.frankasch.com/downloads/2005/published_works.pdf">published books</a> is impressive, is an understatement.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heres's a fun fact: In l989, Mr. Asch and Vladimir Vagin of the U.S.S.R. published <em>Here Comes the Cat</em> , which was the first Soviet/American collaboration on a children's book. Here Comes the Cat has received wide recognition in the U.S. and was awarded the Russian National Book Award.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I introduce to you, Mr. Frank Asch. . . .</span><br />
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The best thing about being an author and an illustrator is that you get to match the words and the pictures so the book works as a whole. Like a well written song. So many times I think the illustrator misses the essence of a story. That's why I love James Thurber's work. Even though he was half blind and couldn't "draw" he always captured the whimsy of his writing. </div>
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I haven't paid much attention to trends. For example there was a trend for photo realism for a while for. But I'm not that kind of illustrator so I just let it pass me by. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>How did you get your start as an author/illustrator, and how have you maintained your success?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I was influenced by Where The Wild Things Are. I wanted to be a fine artist. And I thought that book was fine art. So it opened a door for me. As for continued success I just kept writing. There are other media that I like. But the idea that books are read by parents to kids at night before they go to sleep really inspired me and continues to inspire me today. </span><br />
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The best strategy is to write from your heart. If you don't have a childlike heart, forget it. You're better off doing</div>
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something else. But if you love fantasy. If you love irony. If you love surprises etc. Just write what you think will be fun to read. That goes for character, plot, everything. </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides writing and illustrating books, Mr. Asch enjoys working with children and adults and is currently creating community centered programs consisting of several Ten Minute Plays that are written by community members and performed (read) in his renovated barn/studio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. Asch’s work has received international acclaim, having been translated into many
European languages as well as Japanese, Chinese, and Russian. His poetry has been
reprinted in recent anthologies, and his stories have been selected by major book clubs,
adapted for various basal reading series, filmstrips, animated films, videos, and
periodicals. His books have been featured on television here in the U.S.A., in Germany,
Australia, England, and the Soviet Union. </span></div>
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</blockquote>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-16693811113142309602012-04-24T12:13:00.000-07:002012-04-24T12:13:08.718-07:00HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!I would like to invite all of you to wish a very HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to <a href="http://utales.com/books/the-boy-who-cried-shmutz">The Boy Who Cried Shmutz</a>.<br />
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Just yesterday I received an email from the <a href="http://www.utales.com/">uTales</a> editorial panel that my second book, <u>The Boy Who Cried Shmutz</u>, illustrated by <a href="http://claudiafehr-levin-illustrator.blogspot.com/">Claudia Fehr-Levin</a>, was approved and published. <br />
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Claudia and I could not be more excited about this book! I hope that you read it, enjoy it, and KVELL about it to all of your friends!<br />
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<br />AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-83188531439709103642012-04-23T10:16:00.001-07:002012-04-23T12:32:52.531-07:00Words From the Wise #10 -- Anastasia Suen<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since the beginning of January, I have been taking Anastasia Suen's <a href="http://www.asuen.com/workshops/?p=w.pb">Intensive Picture Book Workshops</a>. These 2 classes have been, by far, the most comprehensive writing classes that I have ever taken. Anastasia not only is honest in her evaluation of her students' work, but she is the best cheerleader around. She is wonderful at assisting the author in discovering his or her style, and in honing their craft. Thank you so much Anastasia for agreeing to write this guest post for today. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please enjoy the wise words below from Anastasia Suen.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Little Bit of Everything</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Anastasia Suen</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am often asked what kinds of books I write. I used to say that I wrote everything except YA, but in the past year I have written 4 YA nonfiction books! Well, they asked me, so I said yes. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's what happens when you write for the educational market. An editor will email you and ask you to write a book in a certain topic. The topics sounded so interesting that I said yes, and now I've written four books. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Girl's Guide to Volleyball</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I was an elementary school teacher, I usually write for younger readers. Every day in the classroom I would teach a little bit of, well, everything. To become a teacher my college major was "liberal studies" -- the "take one of everything" major. I liked learning about a lot of different things.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can You Eat a Rainbow?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I do that with my books. I just finished a book about online privacy and the law -- and that was an eye opener! I have gone back to my old habit of cleaning my cache every week. I also delete my internet history weekly. (All of this stuff on the web is free because they are tracking your every move! Yes, the big print giveth -- it's free, it's free! -- and the small print -- those agreements you have to sign in order to use any free online services -- they give your privacy away. You really do get what you pay for.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn't what I expected, but now I have written nonfiction for every age -- from toddlers to teens and beyond. I enjoy doing the research and sharing it in a book. I also like writing stories. Fiction is about the human heart and there is always something new to explore. What would this character do -- and why? It intrigues me. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All-Star Cheerleaders (Book #1) Tick Tock, Taylor</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write poetry, too. This year I am writing a poem a day in a poetry journal. Now during National Poetry Month I am inviting writers to create an original STEM haiku, a short haiku about a STEM topic. (STEM is science, technology, engineering and math.) We're collecting them on the STEM Friday blog. (<a href="http://stemfriday.wordpress.com/haiku/">http://stemfriday.wordpress.com/haiku/</a>). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Road Work Ahead</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do I write a little bit of everything?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why not? It's all so very interesting! </span></div>
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<tr><td valign="TOP"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Anastasia's Bio</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="arial12" style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Author</b></span>: Books have always been a part of my life. My mother started reading to me when I was a baby and we went to the library every week. I wrote my first picture book when I was eleven and I've been writing ever since. I wrote hundreds of manuscripts and collected rejection letters for years...and then it happened. On my fortieth birthday, the phone rang. After writing for twenty-nine years, I sold my first book! Today I've sold <a href="http://www.asuen.com/books/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">138 books</a> for children and adults: board books, picture books, easy readers, and chapter books. I've also written articles, poems, and stories for textbooks, magazines, and the web.</span></div>
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<span class="arial12" style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Consultant</b></span>: In 1995 I began working as a <a href="http://www.asuen.com/about/?p=consult" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">children's literature consultant</a> for <a href="http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Sadlier-Oxford</a>. Later I joined the <a href="http://www.rosenpublishing.com/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Rosen Publishing Group</a> Reading Advisory Board and became a "Classroom Connections" reviewer for <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklinks/index.cfm" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;"><em>Book Links</em></a>. I have also consulted for <a href="http://www.brownbooks.com/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Brown Books Publishing Group</a>, <a href="http://www.leeandlow.com/p/homeschooling.mhtml" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Lee & Low Books</a>, <a href="http://www.ngsp.com/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">National Geographic School Publishing</a> and <a href="http://blogs.scholastic.com/kid_lit/anastasia_suen/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Scholastic</a>. Today I write about children's books in my monthly <a href="http://www.asuen.com/literacy/?p=read.hot.topics" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Hot Topics</a> column for <em><a href="http://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=78" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Booklist's Quick Tips for Schools & Libraries</a></em> and Monday through Friday on <a href="http://www.asuen.com/blog/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">my booktalk blogs</a>.</div>
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<span class="arial12" style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Teacher</b></span>: I started teaching elementary school in 1977. I taught kindergarten ESL, first, fifth and sixth grades. I was teaching my young students to write, so I wrote for them and they wrote for me. After my children's books were published I went back to the classroom as a <a href="http://www.asuen.com/programs" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">visiting author</a>. I taught teacher inservice for <a href="http://www.sde.com/onsitetraining/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Staff Development for Educators</a>, co-taught children's literature at the<a href="http://www.lis.unt.edu/main/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">University of North Texas</a>, and taught writing at <a href="http://smu.edu/education/creativewriting/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">Southern Methodist University</a>. Today I teach <a href="http://www.asuen.com/workshops/" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; color: #eb690c; text-decoration: none;">writing workshops online</a> for adults who write for children. I have written with students of all ages in classrooms and workshops all over the globe.</div>
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<br /></div>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-5064227448482500852012-04-19T11:40:00.001-07:002012-04-19T11:40:13.723-07:00My Consultation with Simone Kaplan<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several weeks ago I entered a contest on <a href="http://katiedavis.com/">Katie Davis'</a> blog in response to her podcast, Brain Burps About Books. I had actually forgotten about it until one day I received an email from Katie letting me know that I had won something, and I had better listen to her next podcast. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure enough, I tuned in and was quickly reminded that editor, <a href="http://www.picturebookpeople.com/">Simone Kaplan</a>, had agreed to generously donate her time for 3, half-hour manuscript consultations. MY NAME WAS CALLED!!! I never win anything (except for a game of Bingo on a cruise back in 1995). I was so excited that I began trying to figure out which manuscript to send in for evaluation.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I selected a manuscript that I have been working on periodically for about 5 years. I have always loved the quirkiness of the main character. . . Simone did too. I have always enjoyed her playfulness and individuality. . . Simone did too. I have always thought that the readers would be anxious to turn the pages. . . Simone did not.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only did Simone and I spend a half an hour working together on how to remedy this page turning situation, we spent close to one full hour! We brainstormed together about a variety of scenarios that the main character could experience. She helped to break down picture book structure for me in a way that it had not been done before--this really helped me as a visual learner. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took copious notes throughout our conversation, and can't wait to get started on revising. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do I think that this manuscript is going to turn into something that allows me to purchase a whole fleet of new cars? No, but I DO think that the experience of reworking this story in a variety of different ways will help me to become a better writer. After all, as an author I have a vision in my head of what my story is to look and feel like. The key, however, is relaying that vision to the readers. If my intentions are not clear to the readers, then I need to do what is necessary to get my story told in an effective way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you Katie for offering this drawing, I love your podcast and can't wait for the next one.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you so much Simone donating your editorial services, and for taking the time to talk with me this morning. I know that I learned a lot from you, and I look forward to reintroducing Penelope-Mae to you after she has attended finishing school.</span>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-42132453490799335332012-04-18T09:16:00.000-07:002012-04-19T11:14:37.091-07:00Words From the Wise #9 -- Scott Teplin<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must begin this post by apologizing to all of you for the delay in getting it up. I have had MAJOR computer problems over the last several days, and I am finally back up and running in the technical world again. Glad to be back, I felt so detached from the world-- amazing how we get addicted to our computers. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I introduce to you a lifelong friend, and I truly mean lifelong since we have known each other since birth, artist Scott Teplin. Scott and I grew up together in Mequon, Wisconsin, went to college and even lived next door to each other in the dorms one year, and have kept in contact over the years as our lives have changed. Scott's sense of humor truly comes through in his artwork. I hope that you enjoy meeting Scott today.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8944588986969131" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Can you please give a history of how you became an artist, and how you became involved with your book, The Clock Without A Face?</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I decided that I wanted to make art while living abroad my junior year in college. I hadn’t taken any art classes in high school, so a few classes in college peaked my interest. Then while studying in London I started to fall in love with the Tate Gallery (the Tate Modern hadn’t been established yet). My second semester was spent in an 18th Century villa in small town outside of Florence. While there I took a studio watercolor class and fell in love with the process of painting on paper. After graduating from Madison with a BS in Art, I moved to a tenement building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and tried to start my career as an artist. After a year of living very poor, I escaped to do a 2 year MFA program in Seattle, but promptly returned to New York as soon as I was finished. I’ve been here ever since, making art. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I never even thought about illustrating a children’s book before an editor at McSweeney’s called me to see if I was interested. I had illustrated a couple covers for their books in the past - and I since I liked working with them, I thought it sounded like fun. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. How was your experience working on a book for children different for you than the artwork that you typically do?</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I first moved to New York after college I fell in with a rebellious bunch of book artists and we collaborated often in our tiny cramped studio apartments late into the night. We started a book collective, still going strong called </span><a href="http://www.booklyn.org/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Booklyn</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. The books we made (</span><a href="http://www.teplin.com/artist-books/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">I still do</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">) were usually one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Anyway - that’s when I started working collaboratively. The Clock without a Face was a rewarding collaborative experience - mostly because Eli (Horowitz) and Mac (Barnett) are such smart cookies.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had been trying to get away from the series of interior, or “</span><a href="http://www.teplin.com/images/alphaville/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">room</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” drawings and move fully into my </span><a href="http://www.teplin.com/crash-series/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">crash series</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> - but this book was as good an excuse as any to come back to it again. After the book I just went with the crashes until I was asked to complete a </span><a href="http://www.teplin.com/images/table-drawing/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">commission</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> for the new Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital - another offer I couldn’t refuse! Needless to say, I’m back to the crash series. These days I’m still working on the crashes. Addidtionally, my partner </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://adamparkersmith.com/home.html">Adam Parker Smith</a> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">and I just released a series of humorous, adult themed trading cards called <a href="http://randypacks.com/">Randy Packs</a>.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. As a father to 2 young boys, how do you share your love of art with them?</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We draw together almost daily. I have a big drafting table in our family room where my 6 year-old does his homework and draws collaboratively with me. My two year-old is starting to scribble with me as well. I also try to take advantage of the fact that I live in New York City by going to art galleries and museums. My boys also visit me in my art studio where they are exposed to other professional artists.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>4. When you started your career as an artist technology was not what it is today. How have all the recent changes effected the way that you do your work now?</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I no longer have to shoot and develop 35mm slides! Those were the WORST. It’s also nice having an online presence with my </span><a href="http://www.teplin.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">web site</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> that’s always there, easily accessible and current.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">This was a wonderful project to participate in. The best way for you to get a feel for my work is to watch the video.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you so much Scott for joining us today!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Olivia, it is so good to see you again! What have you been doing since the release of your book, <a href="http://utales.com/books/annie-and-me">Annie and Me</a> at the beginning of February?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is good to see you too. My life has been so busy since the release of the book. I have been visiting schools all over the country. Some of them have been right there in the classroom, and one was even over the computer with this fancy computer program called Skype. I have shared my story with children and answered their questions. Many of their questions are about what it is like to have a friend move away, and many of their questions have been about how to make a book, especially an ebook like Sandi and Barb did on <a href="http://www.utales.com/">uTales</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Your story is written about Annie's move 5 years ago. How has your friendship with Annie changed since her move?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Annie and I are still great friends. We talk on the phone, send emails, and visit each other occasionally. It is hard when you don't see someone everyday, but that gives us more to talk about when we do see each other. Things are not as easy as just going to each others' houses. We have to rely upon our parents to get us together, and parents have very busy schedules. When we do see each other, we like to play some of the games that we used to play when we were younger, but we also do new things too. Now we talk about school--we were only in kindergarten before and now that we are in 5th grade, we have a lot more to discuss.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. What do you think of illustrator, Barb Dargony's portrayal of you in the book?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.frenchcreekdesign.com/FrenchCreekDesign/Barb_Dragony_illustrations.html">Barb</a> did a fantastic job! We had met a few times before she drew the illustrations, and she watched my facial expressions and how I move. I think that the pictures look just like me, and she got Annie's hair down perfectly! I would love to see Barb again to show her how much Annie and I have both changed. We are a lot taller now, and my hair is much longer than it used to be in kindergarten. Annie doesn't need her mom to put her hair up in pigtails anymore. She usually wears it in french braids that she does herself.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have started reading historical fiction and mysteries. I also like to read books about strange facts, like the world records books--they always amaze me. I mean, who would think up putting a bunch of tennis balls in their mouth and then setting a world record about it? Is anyone else really trying that? I have started to read a lot on my Kindle. Isn't that funny how my story is an ebook too? But my bookshelf at home is pretty full with paper books. I share them a lot with my younger sisters. I like to recommend to them books that I liked when I was their age.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Now that you have been featured in Words From the Wise, who else might you like to see interviewed here?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would love to see some of my favorite authors--Eric Carle, Judy Blume, Roald Dahl (I know that he died a long time ago, but it would still be interesting to read about him). I would also like to see people who are involved with making books like publishers and editors too. I would like to learn more about he book making process.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you so much for interviewing me today. I really am glad that we ran into each other.</span>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-8983701393734112342012-04-04T21:40:00.000-07:002012-04-04T21:40:13.340-07:00Dr. SeussFellow 12 x 12er, Rena J. Traxel is participating in the A to Z Poetry Challenge for the month of April. She asked if anyone wanted to help her out and spotlight poets starting with each letter of the alphabet. When I saw that she chose none other than, Dr. Seuss for the letter D, I had to volunteer.<br />
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Today I was featured on Rena J. Traxel's blog talking all about Dr. Seuss. Check it out by clicking <a href="http://www.renajtraxelblog.com/2012/04/d-is-for-doctor.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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Thank you so much Rena for this wonderful opportunity!AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-56948460931359995412012-04-02T07:00:00.000-07:002012-04-02T08:23:12.910-07:00Words From the Wise #7 - Emma Dryden<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two and a half years ago at the SCBWI-Los Angeles Working Writer's Retreat I had the honor and the pleasure of meeting Emma D. Dryden of <a href="http://www.drydenbks.com/">drydenbks</a>. Not only was she a critique group facilitator, but she was also a featured faculty member. Emma spoke about the importance of developing an online presence as a writer, and the start of ebooks for children. I recall sitting there completely overwhelmed, and thinking that ebooks for children was a completely silly concept. After all, what good parent would allow their children to read digitally? If you have followed my blog at all, you know how my feelings have changed on this one. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I invite you to enjoy Emma's thoughts as we all wish her a congratulations on the success of her company, <a href="http://www.drydenbks.com/">drydenbks</a>, which has just celebrated its second anniversary on March 11. Happy Anniversary Emma, and wishing you many more successful years in the world of Kidlit!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 1.</span></o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Please describe your
history on how you became involved in children's books.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My parents instilled in me a great love and appreciation for
books and reading. In school, I took all of the art class, English classes, and
writing classes I could take. For my senior project in High School, I intended
to write a picture book based on a Greek myth—which ended up being about 10,000
words! I realized then and there
that writing for children is really, really hard! In college, I wrote a lot of
poetry and plays, but determined I didn’t have quite the discipline to write my
own books. I thought I might be
good at helping and inspiring writers to write their books, so I set out to
find an entry-level job in publishing—with a special interest in children’s
books for the sake of the stories and artwork I loved so much. Between my junior and senior years, I
landed an unpaid summer internship with Viking Press Children’s Books (I was a
gal Friday, doing anything anyone asked, and I soaked it all up like a sponge!)
and my first job right out of college was with Random House Children’s Books,
where I was assistant to two brilliant editors. And that’s how it all
began. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">I have discussed
uTales quite extensively on this blog. What is your involvement with
uTales? Is there anything that you can tell us about how the site will
continue to evolve in the future?</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been interested in keeping
my hand in anything to do with publishing children’s apps and eBooks and it’s
been exciting to see the launch of the digital picture book platform,
uTales. One of the first
illustrators to work with uTales brought them to my attention and I greatly
admire the people behind uTales as well as the philosophy and goals for this
start-up. They’ve brought me on as an editorial and publishing consultant as
well as the leader of their Quality Editorial Panel, which offers feedback to
uTalers about their work and oversees approvals of all the English-language
uploads. I know uTales is
expanding their platform to start publishing eBooks in Swedish soon, and they
intend to offer eBooks in several other languages before too long, so this
truly is a global platform for authors and illustrators. There are some terrific partnerships
uTales is securing that promise to result in some very important and smart
picture books. And I’m excited by the founder’s directive that uTales offer books
that are entertaining as well as educational—perfectly suited for sharing
between parents and children as well as between teacher and classroom.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">Do you feel that
authors who are sticking with only traditional print publishing will be left by
the wayside, especially if they are not already well established? </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not at all. I think traditional publishing is here
to stay for a good long while yet. I do, however, think it behooves authors and
illustrators to educate themselves about the various publishing options that
are now open to them in order to stay savvy to changes in the marketplace. I
also think there are wonderful opportunities right now for authors and
illustrators to publish in a variety of formats and on different platforms
without hurting themselves or their reputations in any way—and by doing so,
they could thereby expand their reach to their target audience and at the same
time become more adept and flexible as to how best to format, market, and
produce their work. </span></div>
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</span></span><span style="color: black;">You have spoken a
great deal about the importance of social networking for authors. Can you
explain some of the ways that up and coming authors can get involved with and
use social networking to their advantage? Do authors who have well
established careers need to use of social networking in order to keep up with
changing trends in publishing, or will their catalogues be able to sustain
themselves without it?</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the key outcomes of the
changes that have resulted in our society from so much digitization is the
proliferation of companies and consumers being in direct communication with
each other. We can apply this on a more personal scale when we think about how
an author (or illustrator) can benefit from being in direct communication with
their readership. Social
networking channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ etc) give authors an
opportunity to communicate with their readers—not so much the young readers
(unless you’re a YA author), but the adults who are so important to the sale of
your books: parents, teachers, librarians, bloggers, reviewers, editors,
agents; not to mention, fellow authors and illustrators! Not every social network platform
reaches the same audience nor has the same results, so it’s important for
authors to do their homework to determine which platform/s might best serve
them and with which they’ll feel most comfortable. Social networking is NOT meant for the hard sell, but
rather for communication, a sharing of ideas, a give and take—which ultimately
can and will result in people being interested in your work and in buying your
books. So saying, I feel it’s wise
for pre-published authors to start gaining a good “webutation” through social
networking and for published authors to retain their audience and stay attuned
to new readers and new developments in the marketplace through social
networking. Always at a level of
commitment that makes sense for that author.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black;">5.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">How do you think that
e-books are effecting the amount of reading that people are doing?
Specifically children? Are they replacing traditional books with
e-readers, are they reading e-readers in addition to print, or are they not
changing at all?</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s not news
that really young children are adept at using the devices their parents are
using—smartphones and tablets—and as a result, they have access to apps and
eBooks through these devices. While I can’t say if young children are reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more</i> because of these devices, what I
can say is that if they are reading at all on these devices, we may as well pay
attention to puttinng the very best quality books on them. That being said, there are a lot of
studies being done to determine who is really reading on devices and how
they’re reading in general—and the most recent study I’ve seen is that middle
graders and teens aren’t doing a whole lot of reading on devices. I’m not going to be the one to decide
whether or not we should be letting and encouraging our children to read on
devices—rather, I am of the mind that reading is excellent for children in any
way they can get good books. What I am seeing most of all is more opportunities
for reading for children through the availability of books (paper and boards),
eBooks, and apps (and I’m talking about books on apps, not games). I don’t
think digital is replacing paper and boards at all, but is simply an
alternative form of delivery. When
it comes to the very young, I do believe it’s still essential there are books
available that don’t make sounds or have special effects, but that simply make
use of text and illsutration to stimulate a child’s imagination—I know
traditionally published picture books do this; I have seen a handful of
digitally published picture books do this, too.</span></div>
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</span></span><span style="color: black;">What are the 3 best
pieces of advice that you can give to someone who is trying to break into the
world of children's publishing? </span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Read.
2. Write. 3. Join the
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Read </i></b>as many children’s books as you
can—read them silently; read them aloud. Look at the jacket artwork. Look
closely at the illustrations. Listen to the voice. If you’re a picture book
author, read picture books, of course, but also read some poetry, middle grade,
YA, and non-fiction. If you’re a YA author, read YA, of course, but also read
some middle grade and picture books. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Write </i></b>as much as you can. Experiment
with your writing, trying different perspectives and points of view. Write a
scene only in dialogue. Write a paragraph and then try to rewrite it in one
sentence. Play with language. Just keep writing. And join <a href="http://www.scbwi.org/">SCBWI</a>– a global organization
that offers resources, information, support, and community to children’s book
authors and illustrators.</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="https://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" height="3" src="file://localhost/Users/sandrahershenson/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_image002.png" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1" width="3" /></span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emma has been part of the children's book world for 25 years. She has edited almost 500 children's books of all genres. Her titles have included books that have become Newbery Medal, Caldecott Honor, and Coretta Scott King Author Honor books, just to name a few. Emma is currently on the <a href="http://www.scbwi.org/">SCBWI</a> Board of Advisors, as well as the head of the <a href="http://www.utales.com/">uTales</a> Quality Editorial Panel.</span></div>
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<br /></div>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-1045064750340229372012-03-29T11:02:00.001-07:002012-03-29T11:02:38.743-07:00Time for Me to Stop at the PumpI am absolutely loving all of the different writing contests that are in full swing right now. The people that I have digitally met (I have not met any of you in person yet and would love to, so if you are ever in LA please let me know), and the support that I have found are unbelievable. PiBoId month in November got my wheels turning, and 12 x 12 in 2012 has gotten my vehicle to drive forward. However, I am feeling like I am running out of gas and it is only March. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tku8i5u7iFA/T3SjeiOp7GI/AAAAAAAAAH4/QiPY7mGMI9Y/s1600/9269718-empty-gas-tank-illustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tku8i5u7iFA/T3SjeiOp7GI/AAAAAAAAAH4/QiPY7mGMI9Y/s1600/9269718-empty-gas-tank-illustration.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
As I sit here at my desk I am looking at my lists that are taped on my wall and feeling overwhelmed.<br />
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<ul>
<li>I have one that is my ever expanding topics from PiBoId (even though November is over, I continue to add to the list). </li>
<li>I have one that is a month by month listing of the drafts that I have written for 12 x 12. I have one that outlines which manuscripts I have submitted to which agents and the date that I should be expecting to receive their rejection. </li>
<li>I also have a list of who I am critiquing and who I am waiting on for critiques from my critique group this round. </li>
</ul>
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<br />
Now I feel like I really should do something with all of these lists. I have so many stories running through my mind, that I am having difficulty knowing where to focus my attention so that I can really edit. Editing is the part of writing that I enjoy the most, and I have so many things to edit that I don't know where to begin. <br />
<br />
I know that I have dedicated this school year to writing, and I have done a very good job of sticking to that. For me, however, it is time to stop at the pump, refuel, and get on with this challenging, uphill drive. I will never make it to the top of the mountain unless I step on the gas.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kXOq3JydFVQ/T3SjkkaO8YI/AAAAAAAAAIA/NDTFX_a5mUM/s1600/9269729-full-gas-tank-detail-illustration-design-with-icons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kXOq3JydFVQ/T3SjkkaO8YI/AAAAAAAAAIA/NDTFX_a5mUM/s1600/9269729-full-gas-tank-detail-illustration-design-with-icons.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-56714236134682774202012-03-26T08:00:00.000-07:002012-03-26T08:00:14.133-07:00Words From the Wise #6 - Jez Alborough<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must say as we are entering week 6 of Words From the Wise, I have learned an incredible amount from all of the very talented people that I have had the pleasure of interviewing. I hope that you have all been enjoying this feature, and will continue to enjoy in the weeks to come. As always, if you have someone who you are interested in meeting here, or would like to be featured yourself, please let me know.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today we are honored to learn all about author/illustrator, <a href="http://www.jezalborough.com/">Jez Alborough</a>. Since 1984 we have all enjoyed his picture books about animals. His books have helped us all to smile, laugh, cuddle our children, and to learn from his craft. This year he comes out with his latest book, <a href="http://www.jezalborough.com/characters/sid/six_little_chicks.html">Six Little Chicks</a>. He also has a newly revamped portion of his website called <a href="http://www.jezalborough.com/club/">The Club</a>. Be sure to check it out and to join.</span></div>
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<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without further ado, here is a guest post by Jez Alborough. . . take it away!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tMNKoAgsISM/T29wCqhJPHI/AAAAAAAAAHw/TGM-Up8GnKY/s1600/jez_smiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tMNKoAgsISM/T29wCqhJPHI/AAAAAAAAAHw/TGM-Up8GnKY/s320/jez_smiling.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have two fantastic jobs: writing children’s books and illustrating them. My wife came up to my studio at the top of our house last week and found me cutting, folding and sticking pieces of card to create a paper engineering version of the dashboard of a truck belonging to a Duck. I had spent all day finding a way to have the movement of a tab change the gears, raise the needle on the speedometer and the engine temperature gauge. She looked at me as I sat there, tugging at the tab - driving my make believe truck and said: "You just sit up here and play all day."</span></div>
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<div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How I spend my time now is not that dissimilar to how I spent it as a child - drawing and making up stories. Nowadays however I do it at a desk instead of lying on my belly with my feet waving in the air. Back then, when I wasn’t outside playing football (my other great love as a child) I could be found inside, spread-eagled on the carpet creating a football match in two dimensions with a pen, a sheet of paper and a fertile imagination. As I sketched my favourite players displaying their skills – with correct kits, haircuts and facial likenesses - I would speak the words of the imaginary commentator: ‘it’s Charlie Cooke... just look at him - weaving through the defence... past Bremner, past Peters, and he’s through...’ Then, as I scribbled in the circles representing the distant faces in the grandstand (a trick learnt from SHOOT magazine) I would give voice to the roar of the crowd reacting to Charlie Cooke’s break for the goalmouth.</span></span></div>
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<div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Later I started drawing my own made up characters using a repertoire of funny voices to express out loud what I Imagined they were saying to each other. Giving them the power of speech added a whole new dimension to the creation; it made the characters as real as they were in my head - and it was a lot more fun.</span></span></div>
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<div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 32px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Using a convention I had learnt from Dennis the Menace in the BEANO I started writing down what they were saying in speech bubbles above their heads. In retrospect I can see that comics were my first teachers on the road to being a children’s book author and illustrator. Comics gave me a graphic vocabulary which I still use today; they taught me how to break up the story into important scenes and how to compose these scenes within a frame. Most importantly I learnt how beautiful a simple black line can be when it is drawn with the confidence to allow a certain amount of relaxation.</span></span></div>
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<div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As I grew up I used every opportunity to practice my love of drawing and story telling. At primary school I remember the excitement of finishing an exercise book because this became a passport to get me into the Aladdin’s cave of the stockroom to obtain a new book. Some artists talk about the fear of a blank page of paper but to me it has always been an exciting invitation to catch with my pen the images and ideas that were floating about in my head.</span></span></span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What I treasured most amongst the pens, erasers and sugar paper were those exercise books which had ruled pages on one side and blank pages on the other. For me these were an invitation to create my first picture books. Now my character’s speech would appear in a block of text opposite the illustrations. I recall Custer, with long flaxen hair and droopy moustache being the hero of one of these early books – the influence of a television series. I don’t recall showing these books to my teacher or parents - they were made solely for my own enjoyment, for the pure pleasure of play.</span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This same principle applies to the books I create today. The best stories come out of a pure sense of play – without thoughts of how they might be received by an audience. These more grown up considerations come later. The first stage is purely selfish; I’m making a book simply because I love doing it.</span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Having mentioned comics and T.V programmes as sources of inspiration for my creativity (lets not forget TOP CAT) I would like to be able to reel off the names of many treasured picture books which had enriched my development. The truth is, back in the early sixties there simply wasn’t the array of fantastic 32 page works of art that bookshops are bursting with today. I do remember the poems and drawings in WHEN WE ARE SIX by A.A. Milne (thank you whoever brought that into our home) and a book of riddles by (Bennet Cerf?) illustrated with beautifully simple brushline drawings. Years ago, just before giving a reading to a group of children in a library, I found a copy of this book on the shelves. As I scanned the graceful drawings which I hadn’t seen for decades I realised that I knew every brushstroke by heart. As a boy I had the memorised lines just as faithfully as if they had been lines from a favourite poem. I hadn’t just seen the pictures, I had read them, and the language I had learnt from studying was utilized in my drawings and still is today.</span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After school I spent three years at Art College – accompanied the whole time by a succession of sketch books. These were whipped out at every opportunity to record the minutiae of student life in drawings. Any interesting, quirky things being said would be scribbled underneath or in a speech bubble. Once again the words helped to bring the picture to life.</span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have always been interested in the marriage of words and pictures and it is this fascination which informs my work today. I am lucky in that if I have a story to tell - I have two versatile and complementary tools with which to tell it. With picture books the fun comes in deciding what you tell in words and what is best said in the language of pictures.</span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In my book <a href="http://www.jezalborough.com/characters/bobo/hug.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hug</a> it became clear to me that my story was best told by the pictures (I cut the text down to only three words!) This meant that the pictures had to carry most of the story development. The expressions on the character’s faces, the body language, the colours, the compositions all had to work together to give the information which the child would need to engage emotionally with the twists and turns of the story. My central character in the book is a chimpanzee called Bobo (yes, one of the three words in the book). In the story Bobo’s sense of lostness and bewilderment at losing his Mum has to grow page by page. If this is conveyed convincingly then the reader will identify with Bobo and hopefully feel the same sense of joy and relief as he does when he is reunited with his Mummy (you may have guessed the third word by now). The emotions on Bobo’s face are therefore crucial to the story. When you consider that the raising or lowering of a line describing a mouth by as much as a millimetre can radically change an expression (and therefore the emotion of the character) things can get a bit scary. If I thought about this sort of thing too much I could never put pen to paper.</span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When you are writing and illustrating for children you have the pleasure of knowing that you have the most attentive audience for your work. Even if children are not yet able to read the words they are nearly always fluent readers of the pictures. They will read the lines and interpret the expressions on the faces. In this respect they are often better readers than their parents - who will miss many details that the child is instinctively picking up on.</span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><div class="rtejustify" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the things I love about being an illustrator is that there are so many different materials that can be used to make pictures. For me to use only ink and line in my illustrations would be like a musician only ever playing one type of music. Why play just classical when there’s jazz, blues, boogie woogie and many other styles to explore? In my book Some Dogs Do I used gouache paint with no line at all and in <a href="http://www.jezalborough.com/sections/poetry/poetry.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Guess What Happened at School Today</a> (a collection of my poetry) I used coloured paper to make collage illustrations. By ripping, cutting, sticking, splodging, scratching, and scrawling my way through varied mediums I find that I get to express different aspects of myself as an artist.</span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I confess, it’s true: I do play for a living. I’ve been getting away with it for twenty years now and no-one’s blown the whistle for playtime to end yet!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Jez’s new picture book 6 LITTLE CHICKS has just been
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<br /></div>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-73159161715918877022012-03-21T10:15:00.000-07:002012-03-21T10:15:08.544-07:00I am Disappointed in My BookstoreI love bookstores. I love to browse and get lost in the stacks. I love the sound of children laughing as they page through new stories. It is the one place that I truly have a difficult time saying 'no' to the barrage of 'I want' from my daughters. I can always find a justification for going into, and making purchases in the bookstore. EXCEPT FOR THIS WEEK. <br />
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I am mad at my bookstore. <br />
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Let me back up for a minute here to explain.<br />
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I am currently taking an online class with <a href="http://www.asuen.com/workshops/?p=w.pb">Anastasia Suen</a> (which is absolutely FABULOUS) and needed to find some books for my weekly homework assignment. I went online before going to the store to figure out which books would work for the assignment. I came up with a list of about 25 different books, all of which were listed as something that the store carried both online and in the store itself. Keep in mind, I only needed 3 of them. Since our local library is still quite small, and very disorganized (hopefully the new library will be better), I figured going to the bookstore was my best bet. <br />
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Upon my arrival at the store I went straight to the picture book wall and began my search. I COULD NOT FIND EVEN ONE OF THE BOOKS ON MY LIST. This couldn't be right. . . I went to the woman working in the children's department for help. She went to do a computer search, and sure enough, they didn't have any of the books in stock. She suggested to me that I visit another branch of the store.<br />
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I visited another branch and had the exact same situation occur, only this time they offered to order the books for me. <br />
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This whole scenario really bothered me. When I have a traditionally published book (notice I said WHEN and not IF) will it be in the stores? What is happening to bookstores? I looked around. . . the children's department is filled with toys!!!! <br />
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Go to a toy store if you want toys!!! Save the bookshelves for books!!! I can understand some little trinkets that are associated with the books themselves, but do we really need a huge display of Legos? Don't get me wrong, I think that Legos are one of the <b>best</b> toys ever created, but they don't belong in the bookstore. <br />
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Aisles of board games, puzzles, and art kits? Are they really necessary at the bookstore? We have ONE bookstore in our city and it is a large chain store. I am disappointed. If they are going to be our only outlet for purchasing books, aside from the few that can be found at the grocery store, then they should sell books. Leave the other merchandise for the other merchants. Stick to what you do best, and that is stock quality books for those who are looking for a great read.<br />
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Thank you for reading today's rant.AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-60055242331019295032012-03-19T09:25:00.000-07:002012-03-19T09:25:19.793-07:00Words From the Wise #5 -- Paulette Bourgeois<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been anxiously waiting for today so that I could share this special interview with you. For years we have all loved the Franklin series of books, and today we get to have an up close and personal look at Franklin's creator, <a href="http://www.paulettebourgeois.ca/">Paulette Bourgeois</a>. As many of you are pre-published authors, keep in mind that Paulette's first book, Franklin in the Dark, was rejected 6 times before <a href="http://www.kidscanpress.com/Canada/Search.aspx?k=paulette+bourgeois&s=SortTitle+ASC&itemsperpage=50&p=0&type=1">Kids Can Press</a> saw its potential. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, having sold more than 60 million books world wide in 38 different languages, I introduce to you Paulette Bourgeois!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b>1. Can you let us know a little history about how you became a children's author?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had been an Occupational Therapist and then a journalist working in television and magazines before having my first child. Very naively I thought... hmm, I am a writer and I have a child perhaps I should try writing books for children. I took my newborn to the library and read picture books from A to Z. It was a wonderful immersion into the world of children's literature but I didn't have an idea until one late night as I nursed my daughter and watched an episode of M*A*S*H in which Hawkeye tells Hot Lips that he can't be evacuated into a cave because he is so claustrophobic that if he were a turtle, he'd be afraid of his own shell. I wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-The-Dark-Paulette-Bourgeois/dp/0590445065/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332173360&sr=8-1">Franklin in the Dark</a> the next morning. Before long it had become a series. I wrote other picture books as well and because of my journalism background, I also felt very comfortable writing nonfiction science books for readers age 8-12. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. What types of books are you drawn to-- both children's books, as well as adult books? </b><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read voraciously and I honestly like almost any book that is well-written whether it is are character-driven, plot-driven, or fascinating non-fiction. I always have a couple of books on my bedside table and they range from YA fantasy to books on the plasticity of the brain. I have a soft spot for books that can make me laugh and cry within pages of each other. </span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Many of the followers of this blog are prepublished authors. Can you describe the process that you go through when writing a new story? Brainstorm to the book shelves? </span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been a while since I have written a new book. I recently returned to graduate school for a Masters in Fine Art in Creative Writing where I studied screenwriting and I am focusing on writing an animated feature film for children. I found that with almost all of my picture books that I would get a kernel of an idea from a memory, an emotion, a overheard conversation or an incident and it would run around my head until it became a story with a solid beginning, middle and end. Only then would I sit down to write. Rarely, the first draft would be good enough to send to my talented editors. More often, I would rewrite the story three or four times before sending it off. Editorial always had comments and that would be another two or three stabs at getting the story just right before sending it to the illustrator. I have worked with very talented illustrators, including Brenda Clark who co-created Franklin the Turtle with me. I trust illustrators to come up with their creative vision from my words and I rarely collaborate directly with them but I am always delighted with how they enhance the story. I also trust the art directors and designers to find the best covers. Once the book is published and on the shelves, I try to work with the publicity department to best promote the book. It's much different today than when I started. Authors have to sell themselves and their books. </span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. If you could travel back in time, what historical figure would you like to spend time with, and why?</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nikola Tesla was undoubtably one of the most brilliant minds of the last century. He had visions for inventions that continue to influence scientists today. </span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Who is your all time favorite picture book character? What about this character makes them so desirable to you? </span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have never thought about this before but I would have to say, The Grinch who shows us all that it is never too late to open our hearts and our minds to love and joy. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Canadian author, Paulette Bourgeois, holds a MFA in Creative Writing. You can find all of her children's books at <a href="http://www.kidscanpress.com/Canada/Search.aspx?k=paulette+bourgeois&s=SortTitle+ASC&itemsperpage=50&p=0&type=1">Kids Can Press</a> . </span><br />
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<br /></blockquote>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-13927646803468345692012-03-16T09:53:00.000-07:002012-03-16T09:53:15.435-07:00April Fool, Phyllis!Every afternoon when my children and I pull into the driveway after school, the same discussion/argument occurs.<br />
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"I am checking the mailbox"<br />
"She got the mail yesterday!"<br />
"Fine, I will see if there are any packages on the front porch."<br />
"You checked the porch yesterday!"<br />
"Today, I want to get the mail and check the front porch!"<br />
"I never get a turn. IT'S NOT FAIR!!!"<br />
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Yes, that is a daily conversation with all 4 of my daughters as very active participants. I have decided not to get involved, as they always work it out-- sometimes with tears and sometimes without. I don't quite understand the excitement about getting the mail, as it is usually bills and ads.<br />
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Today, however, after the argument, my 6 year old twins went to check the porch and found a package and then began to argue over who would get to open it. Since my name was on it. . . I opened it. <br />
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On a side note, I know that the girls are dressed alike in the picture, they did that themselves. I NEVER dress them the same! I believe that even though they are genetically identical, it is important that they celebrate their individuality.<br />
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Back to the book. We were all very excited to find <a href="http://www.amazon.com/April-Fool-Phyllis-Susanna-Leonard/dp/0823422704/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331855527&sr=1-1">April Fool, Phyllis</a> by, Susanna Leonard Hill. Phyllis had landed in Los Angeles for her US Tour, and made her LA stop at our house! My girls love to read new books, but they especially love to receive new books in the mail. We read the instructions, and were eager to begin.<br />
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We sat down to read it and now that they both know how to read, they enjoyed reading the treasure hunt clues to me. Susanna does a fantastic job of integrating so many different concepts into the book. Weather, practical jokes, and a treasure hunt are all intertwined and enhanced by the amazing artwork of Jeffrey Ebbeler. I also loved the back matter about the history of April Fool's Day and how it is celebrated in different places around the world.</div>
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Since I have to give up the book and send Phyllis on her way to the next stop on her US tour, I plan to purchase my own copy. </div>
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Don't miss out on having this book in your home in a few weeks. Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/April-Fool-Phyllis-Susanna-Leonard/dp/0823422704/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331855527&sr=1-1">April Fool, Phyllis</a> on Amazon and order it today! You won't be disappointed.</div>
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<br />AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-66332648493891072282012-03-15T09:53:00.000-07:002012-03-15T09:53:37.494-07:00World Read Aloud Day 2012Yes, World Read Aloud Day was last week, but I am posting about it today. Last week I was scheduled to read to 2 different classes, but had to cancel because my daughter was sick and she needed my full attention. I was able to reschedule, and today I read to a kindergarten in Bloomingdale, New York.<br />
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What an amazing experience! I connected with the class via Skype and had the opportunity to read 2 stories with them. I specifically say WITH them and not TO them because they participated in the story as much as I did. They pointed out things that they liked in the illustrations, they laughed at all the right parts, and they shared their thoughts throughout the stories. Those 32 kids brought the stories to life!<br />
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I began by sharing <a href="http://utales.com/books/annie-and-me">Annie and Me</a> with them. Being that this is only the second time that I shared it publicly, I was a little nervous about how it would go. Thank goodness I had my husband, technical guru, standing behind me to make sure that it worked. The class loved it! It was such an adrenaline rush to hear their laughter. They made my day!<br />
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We had more time, and I shared a story called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Porcupine-Named-Fluffy-Helen-Lester/dp/0395520185">A Porcupine Named Fluffy</a>, by Helen Lester. Once again, the kids thoroughly enjoyed the story. I hope that they all take as much from this experience as I did.<br />
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A special thank you goes out to Diana LeBlanc, Literary Coach of the Bloomingdale and Petrova Schools, for making this experience happen for all of us. I hope that I can come and 'visit' you again.<br />
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I look forward to participating in World Read Aloud Day 2013!AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-65331124607764181032012-03-12T09:38:00.000-07:002012-03-12T16:56:47.750-07:00Words From the Wise #4 -- Beth Stillborn<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">For this week's guest, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Beth Stillborn. Beth is a pre-published author who has truly devoted herself to being a wonderful children's author. I hope that you learn from her and enjoy her thoughts.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Can you please give us a history on how you became a writer for children? </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I dabbled in writing for years. In the late 1980s when I was going through a rough patch in my life, my mother said, “Why don’t you write?” That moment was the catalyst for all that followed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For years, writing was something I did in my spare time. I no longer work outside the home, so I now have much more time to devote to writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I started submitting – and receiving rejection letters – I realized I needed some instruction. I started Emma Walton Hamilton’s Just Write for Kids online course in picture book writing in September 2010. Lessons arrive by email each week and there’s a website where one can give feedback. Emma’s responses were enthusiastic, supportive and encouraging to all my progress reports and questions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My confidence in myself and in my writing grew enormously because of my participation in JWFK, as did my understanding of crafting a story, creating characters, building a plot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I readily recommend Just Write for Kids, </span><a href="http://www.justwriteforkids.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">http://www.justwriteforkids.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> to anyone who wants grounding in the basics of writing picture books – noting that the lessons can then be applied to any genre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">You are very involved with Children's Book Hub. Can you please explain a little bit about what Children's Book Hub is, and your involvement?</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Children’s Book Hub began in January 2011, an offshoot of Emma’s Just Write for Kids course. Membership is by paid subscription. I was one of the first subscribers. There are resources, teleseminar interviews, as well as question and answer sessions with Emma. For more information, go to </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.childrensbookhub.com/">http://www.childrensbookhub.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In December 2011 I suggested to Emma that the Hub start a Facebook Group that would be open to writers, illustrators and editors whether or not they were paid members of the Children’s Book Hub.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As Emma and I developed the idea, we envisioned the Facebook Group being a place where children’s writers and illustrators could interact, discuss topics pertaining to writing, share links and resources. We also saw it as a way to give people a taste of the Hub itself. Emma asked me to co-administer the Group with her, and I was honored to do so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If any children’s writer, illustrator, or editor is interested in joining us in the Children’s Book Hub Facebook Group, check out our main page at </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/childrensbookhub/"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/childrensbookhub/</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Emma and I will be glad to make you welcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">(Note: Membership in the Hub Facebook Group is free, but it is a closed group, so you have to request membership. If your connection to the kidlit world isn’t clear, we’ll send you a message to clarify that before we approve your request.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What goals do you have for yourself as a writer, and do you have a strategy as to how you hope to achieve those goals? </span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">I hope to have an agent by the end of 2012. I’m currently working on a picture book series and have begun a related chapter book series. I’ll begin my agent-search when three manuscripts in the picture book series and two in the chapter book series are submission-ready.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">I’m working on a middle grade novel. I hope to attend a conference this summer focusing on writing for middle grade kids. I plan to attend SCBWI LA in August, too. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">Writing is now my job. I’m learning to be systematic in my writing. Writing a draft a month for 12 x 12, and the critique group I have joined, are providing accountability.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’m working to build my “brand”. Since many of my writing projects involve the arts, my blog’s focus is mainly the arts. (By Word of Beth, </span><a href="http://www.bethstilborn.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">http://www.bethstilborn.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.) I’m considering other ways to build on that, as well.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Which picture book authors are you most fond of, what about their writing engages you? </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Kevin Henkes, particularly <i>Owen</i>, <i>Jessica</i>, <i>Chrysanthemum</i>, and <i>Wemberly Worried</i>. I love the way he expresses the feelings, fears and misunderstandings that are part of childhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Peter H. Reynolds, particularly <i>Ish</i>, which I wish had been around when I was a child feeling that I was “no good” at art.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">I love the spunky sparkle of Gerry in Julie Andrews Edwards’ and Emma Walton Hamilton’s <i>Very Fairy Princess</i> series, and the lyricism of their <i>Simeon’s Gift</i>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">5.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you could be a character in any book, which book would it be, and what character would you take on? </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It’s hard to choose “this one and not that one” for anything! The book – T.H. White’s <i>The Once and Future King</i>; the character – Wart, the not-yet-king Arthur. The potential in Wart, the wise teacher Merlyn, plus Camelot – wonderful! At least, that’s what I’d choose today...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p> Thanks so much, Sandi, for interviewing me!</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Beth Stilborn is a pre-published writer of picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, and adult fiction, and a published writer of hymn texts. She lives in a windswept city on the Canadian prairies. You can connect with Beth on her blog, By Word of Beth, </span><a href="http://www.bethstilborn.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">http://www.bethstilborn.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">, her Facebook page, </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/bethstilbornwrites"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">https://www.facebook.com/bethstilbornwrites</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">, and her Twitter, @BethStillborn</span></div>
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</div>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-16740332243044932442012-03-07T19:41:00.002-08:002012-03-07T19:41:36.611-08:00Thank you Illustration Junky Kerie MillerThank you so much to Kerie Miller -- Illustration Junky for interviewing me about Annie and Me. <br />
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Here is how the story began, I invite you to check out her blog!<br />
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<a href="http://illustrationjunky.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/writerly-wednesday-an-interview-with-author-sandra-hershenson/">Interview with Kerie Miller</a>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-60773921889231661732012-03-04T16:20:00.001-08:002012-03-05T08:17:44.621-08:00Words From the Wise #3 -- Barb Dragony<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">This week in Words From the Wise, I am featuring <a href="http://www.frenchcreekdesign.com/FrenchCreekDesign/Barb_Dragony_illustrations.html">Barb Dragony</a>, the illustrator for <a href="http://utales.com/books/annie-and-me">Annie and Me</a>. Since you have all been learning so much about me, I figured that it was time we all learned some more about Barb. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. How did you get your start as an artist, and particularly as an illustrator?</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I've been drawing ever since I can remember. My grandmother always provided me with paper and crayons and I just drew! In kindergarten, I was coloring with wild abandon and the teacher tried to get me to color "in one direction" and the proverbial "inside the lines". I did like she asked, but as soon as she walked away, I went back to my wildness. Again, she told me to color in one direction. How did she know? She wasn't watching me color? My 5 year old mind didn't grasp that she could see the crayon strokes…I just figured she was all knowing and all seeing. It wasn't until high school that I finally broke free of trying to stay within the lines.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">When I went to art school I was thinking of going into Fine Arts or Photography, both of which held great interest for me, but decided on Illustration. I began to like the process of giving life to the characters that lived in my head…and those that lived in the heads of others through their stories.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. What types of art to you specialize in? What is your favorite medium to work with? Where do you find your inspiration?</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I'm not a cartoonist by any means, but my drawings range from quirky little line drawings to children's books. Since the Mac came into my life in the mid 90's I work in Photoshop and Illustrator, casting aside the little tubes of watercolors, inks and brushes. I still keep a box of 64 Crayola Crayons nearby just to remind me of my roots! I scan in my sketches and redraw them on my Mac. I still like the feel of being able to create and put my ideas and layouts down on paper first.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Everything inspires me! That would be hard to pin point. On any given day it could be swatches of colors on fabric, an ad in a magazine, or my dog sleeping with her toys. When I get the story from an author, I first give life to the characters…what do they look like, what would they do…then I do a story board layout and break down the "scenes".</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Can you describe for us the process that you went through in designing the artwork in the uTales format, and specifically for <a href="http://utales.com/books/annie-and-me">Annie and Me</a>.</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I went through the same process as I described, but this time I had to be conscious of the limitations of web vs printed colors and also that animation and sound could enhance the story. This was my first time designing an ebook. When I received the story of Annie and Me, I really wanted the two girls to come to life!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Is <a href="http://www.utales.com/">uTales</a> something that you would recommend to other illustrators, and is it something that you would be interested in working with again?</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I really enjoyed the whole uTales process and have been recommending it to my artist and writer friends. To be able to collaborate with writers and other artists all over the world has been wonderful. And, the uTales team is very helpful!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Where do you envision yourself in 10 years?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully continuing to create books for kids! I was so blessed to have a grandmother who taught me the love of reading. I want every child to have the opportunity set their imaginations free. You don't have to color inside the lines!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Bio: Barb Dragony resides in Cleveland OH where she has lived all her life. Being close to family and friends, a plethora of museums and theaters, and of course that big, beautiful Lake Erie, give her the inspiration she needs for her creativity. When not at her drawing table giving life to the characters in her head, Barb can be found bringing life to characters on stage where she has performed for over 20 years.</span>AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-80069765205282816182012-03-02T12:46:00.001-08:002012-03-02T12:46:07.707-08:00My Very First Author VisitWhat better day to do my very first author visit than on Dr. Seuss' birthday and on Read Across America?<br />
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Now granted, I had an 'in' as I visited my twin daughters first grade classes, but you have to start somewhere. <br />
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When I got to school I walked past one of the classes and peeked in the window without my kids seeing me, and they were all wearing red and white striped hats in honor of the Cat in the Hat. I felt a huge smile across my face, and I suddenly had a craving for green eggs. <br />
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I became a little bit nervous. I shouldn't have been nervous . . . I am a former elementary school teacher, I have 4 kids of my own, and I know most of these kids already. But here I was, about to publicly share my book for the first time in it's completed format. I was not reading to my family. I was not reading to my friends. I was reading to an audience filled with people that were my target audience when writing the book. What if it was to be a flop? I know Dr. Seuss, I needed to get on my way and move some mountains! I went inside.<br />
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What book did I share? My only published book to date. . .<a href="http://utales.com/books/annie-and-me">Annie and Me</a>, a book that I published with the help of amazing illustrator, Barb Dragony, and uTales! Can you believe it? I did an author visit with an e-book. Never in a million years did I think that I would be doing that when I started on this writing journey so many years ago. <br />
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My children are very fortunate to attend a school that is technologically advanced, and they have SMART Boards in almost every classroom. For those of you not familiar with a SMART Board, it looks like a dry erase board, but it requires special pens for writing. It also can be connected to a computer and whatever is on your computer screen can be projected onto the board. It has a sound system, and you can even touch the board as if it were a touch pad on your computer. We projected the story onto the SMART Board, the classes sat on the floor, and I shared with them.<br />
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The children loved the animations, loved the illustrations, and loved the sounds. Teachers and children alike were asking wonderful questions about the book writing process in general, but also about the specifics of digital publishing, and <a href="http://www.utales.com/">uTales</a>. They were amazed that this is how they could read a book, and they wanted to know how they could get the app at home. <br />
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One little boy asked how I was able to get the book into the computer. Fortunately, I have another book that is in the editing process on uTales right now, and I was able to give the class a sneak peak as to how it works. I showed them how to enter the text, and how the illustrator uploads the images. They enjoyed seeing some images still in sketch form, and some in full color. I think that they don't always realized that a book doesn't start out looking like it does when you check it out at the library. <br />
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Before I even had my coat on to leave, the first graders were lined up in front of their teacher as she wrote down the uTales website on sticky notes for each one of them. I could see her wheels turning as she was figuring out ways to make use of this technology in teaching reading in her classroom. One of the teaching assistants was so fascinated by the whole process that she said she would recommend that I come to other classes in the school at all grade levels (school is K-8). Wouldn't it be great if we could inspire even just one child who has an interest in writing?<br />
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Thank you uTales for helping me to achieve my dream of being a children's author. <br />
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Thank you Dr. Seuss for inspiring so many authors, illustrators, and especially children. We are all thrilled to have celebrated your 108th birthday with you today as we Read Across America.<br />
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<br />AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2268822575078435547.post-82311502733135009612012-03-01T09:08:00.002-08:002012-03-01T09:08:46.403-08:00And the winner is. . .PAM! <br />
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Congratulations Pam on winning a free copy of <u>Hidden New Jersey</u>, written by Linda J. Barth and illustrated by Hazel Mitchel.<br />
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I hope that you enjoy your travels through New Jersey.AEA Elementary Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03994539881840687155noreply@blogger.com5