Polar Bear Island Review & Q&A Debut PB Author Lindsay Bonilla -by Kathy Halsey

Polar bears, penguins, and "flipper slippers," what could be more enticing for young readers and picture book writers alike? Today I  review my critique partner's debut. We chat about process, what happens between signing a contract and publishing and more!

Review of Polar Bear Island

Since I've been intimately connected to this book when it was still a  work in progress, I'll admit, it's hard to review it without squealing. (It's a special joy when critique partners become authors.) Therefore, I'll don my school librarian hat and review it via that lens. 

Polar Bear Island was peaceful, quiet and for polar bears only. But one day Kirby the penguin floated up, and Parker the Mayor is having none of it. Parker agrees that Kirby may stay for one day, but when the other bears see Kirby's invention of flipper slippers, they want a pair, too. Kirby writes to her family, shares her adventures and soon, they're on the island, too, bringing sled beds, snow cones, snow chutes, and lots of excitement. Parker takes a fall and the penguins soothe him and bring him back to health with their good will and inventions. Now the sign that read "Welcome to Polar Bear Island. No Others Allowed," reads "Welcome to Polar Bear Island. Others Allowed." 

Playful language, characters that children will enjoy, and a subtle message of inclusion make this a perfect book for our times. Illustrator Cinta Villalobos's palate of cool colors juxtaposed with the warm cheerful hues of the penguins add energy and fun to the story. Although Amazon and Kirkus reviews peg the book for ages 3-5 / 3-and up, elementary age students, grades 1-5, will enjoy the story, too. ( Our school librarian took the book home to her 6th grader who loved it.) Lindsay has created some great classroom extensions for welcoming others that educators will appreciate.

Our first look at the book while at Northern Ohio SCBWI conference 2018. Janie Reinart and I made Lindsay read Polar Bear Island aloud. After all, Lindsay's a professional storyteller.

Q & A with Lindsay Bonilla

K: Share with us how this book was picked up by Sterling Children's Books and how you almost didn't meet your editor. (Chance and talent made the difference.)

L: I met my editor at the SCBWI Roundtable Retreat in Michigan. I heard about the retreat from a random Facebook post. I loved the unique format and decided to apply. When I was accepted, I was super-excited, but that’s also when reality set in. The retreat location was a nine hour drive from my house. I’m not much for long drives; I was 4 months pregnant at the time. I debated whether or not to go. Ultimately, the possibility of what *could* happen is what got me there, and I’m so glad it did! 

It’s probably not healthy to go into every retreat or conference thinking that you are going to get a book deal out of it, but I think you should go full of expectations. Maybe it won’t be a book deal, but but a wonderful new friendship, a renewed sense of passion for your work, or a critique that unlocks something in a manuscript that’s stumped you for too long. Go expecting to receive something great!

K: What steps did you take to publicize Polar Bear Island from pre-order to launch?

L: I think the most effective thing I did was to start reaching out to friends and family early on to tell them about the book. As soon as it became available for pre-order, I set a goal of telling one new person about it daily, usually via an email or facebook message. I enlisted my family and friends to help spread the word too! 

I reached out to bloggers to see if they would be interested in sharing my book on their blog. This summer, while I was doing my storytelling tour visiting libraries across the state, I also passed out lots of bookmarks to build excitement! 

Then I looked into  book festivals and conferences in my area that would be a good fit for my book. This month alone I have attended/presented at the Virginia Hamilton Multicultural Literature Conference, the Books by the Banks Book Festival and the Ohio Educational Library Media Association Conference. I have made great contacts at each one! 

I think most creatives don’t like thinking about publicity/marketing, but it is an absolute must in this industry. Re-frame the idea of publicity as sharing what I'm most passionate about and making connections with others has helped me to enjoy it more. 

K: As a professional storyteller and mother of two active toddlers, how do you manage your time to write and do events? (Tips for other busy moms appreciated.)

L: Ha! I’m still trying to figure out the best way to manage my time! Let’s just say there is never a dull moment. I have to make use of nap time every single day, and I spend more than my fair share of evenings catching up. My oldest is in preschool in the mornings now. During that time I go to the YMCA with my youngest. They have a Child Watch program that your child can be in for up to 2 hours. I work out for the first hour and then I take out my laptop and write or send emails. To any author moms out there, I can’t recommend the YMCA enough!

Since I don’t have a lot of time to myself, I try to involve my children in the stories I’m writing or telling. I try out new story openings on them or play act the stories with them. The other day my oldest amazed me by being able to quote from memory the first four stanzas of one of my manuscripts. He is as invested in the story as I am! Sharing my work with my kids makes it more rewarding. 

Overall, my best advice is this: don’t think so much about the time you don’t have to write.  Focus on making the most of the time you DO have. If you can’t actually sit at your computer/notebook to write, work out as much as you can in your head! 

K: Tell us about the picture book's main theme and the "AmBEARsador Program." How did you come up with ideas that educators can use to extend the book's impact?

L: Polar Bear Island is about welcoming others and learning from those who are different. Every day that I read the news it becomes more clear how critical this message is right now. I created the AmBEARssador program with the hope of getting children to connect to the theme and make it real in their own lives and communities. First, I started brainstorming activities and questions that I thought would engage readers on a deeper level with the book’s theme. 

After that, I shared the ideas with good friend, fellow writer and immigrant researcher, Nalini Krishnankutty. Her perspective was very insightful and helped me to deepen my own understanding of the themes. I was very lucky that Sterling was 100% behind me as I developed these ideas. They did the design work for all of the extension activities which can be found here. 

K: What has been the most fun so far that you're a published author? What should other debut authors know that you learned?

L: At my launch party, a little girl I’d never met before showed up practically hugging my book. She looked at me and said, “I’m such a big fan!” I didn’t know that anybody outside of friends and family would even have the book yet. It was pretty magical. Seeing children connecting with the book has definitely been my favorite part because that’s why I write in the first place. 

Then at the Books by the Banks Festival a man came to my table and said that he’d come on behalf of his wife. She was a teacher in New Jersey and had planned to come to the festival but fell ill. My book was one of the titles she’d requested. To know that a teacher was excited to share the book with her students was also extremely meaningful to me. 

I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned on this journey is just to “do you.” By that I mean it’s easy to compare yourself to other authors and second-guess yourself, wondering if you should be doing more of what they are doing. It’s good to take inspiration from others, but ultimately, we each have to carve out our own path in the industry and determine what success is for ourselves. For me, that may mean being very choosy about which promotional events I do and how often/far I’m willing to travel because snuggling with my kiddos is pretty high on my priority list right now. 

K: Tell us about upcoming appearances. What are you working on now?
L: I have some appearances coming up at local schools and libraries — everything from telling pumpkin folktales for Halloween to doing interactive performances of my book to doing Christmas-themed folktales. Check my calendar here! 

The list of what I’m working on is pretty long — a fairy-tale mash up, a pirate tale, and a book about the power of storytelling are just a few.

Also, I can’t say much yet, but I got some good news last week and look forward to being able to share some exciting book news soon! 

Lindsay signing my book at the Ohio Educational Library Media Association conference

Lindsay Bonilla is a professional storyteller and author of children's books. You can connect with her via her web site, http://www.lindsaybonilla.com and on twitter at @lindsaybonilla. She still has openings for author visits or storytelling visits for the 2018-2019 school year. 

RICE and HAY: Two New Picture Books! ~ by Tina Cho and Christy Mihaly

Hi Friends!

Tina Cho

Christy Mihaly

We (Tina Cho and Christy Mihaly) have known each other through GROG for about four years. We’re also both members of Epic Eighteen, a group of authors and illustrators who have debut picture books coming out in 2018. 

Though we’ve never met in person, and in fact live on different continents, we’re friends with lots of things in common … so it’s a happy coincidence that our debut picture books will be published on the same date, August 14, 2018. We decided to interview one another for the occasion.

Tina’s forthcoming book is Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans. It’s illustrated by Keum Jin Song and published by little bee books. It tells the story of a secret delivery of rice from South Korea over the mountainous border to hungry people in North Korea via helium balloons. This book was informed by Tina’s own experience participating in an aid project that sent rice-laden balloons to North Korea. The book includes informative back matter about the history and politics of North and South Korea.

Christy’s rhyming picture book, Hey, Hey, HAY! (A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them) was inspired by the beauty of the author’s hayfield and the fascinating process of haymaking. Illustrated by Pura Belpre honor winner Joe Cepeda, the book provides a kid-friendly introduction to farming, specifically making hay – “storing summer in a bale” – and to the machines that help in the work. It’s published by Holiday House and includes a glossary of haymaking terms (like “baler” and “tedder”) and a recipe for switchel, the traditional haymakers’ drink.

For this post, each of us asked the other three things that we were curious about. First, here’s Christy, interviewing Tina.

CM: Tina, though this is your first trade picture book, I know you’re an experienced writer. What other books have you written, and how did they prepare you for Rice from Heaven? 

TC: I’ve written many products and books for the educational market such as The Girls' Guide to Manners. Working with editors and deadlines has prepared me in being a very disciplined writer. I’m used to dedicating my evenings and Saturdays to full-time writing.

CM: Yes, discipline and persistence are a big part of writing for publication. I’m glad it has paid off for you so well. 
Although you grew up in Iowa, you now live and work in South Korea – how has this created challenges and advantages for your writing career?

TC: Living in South Korea has both challenges and advantages.

It’s been challenging in that I feel like a “lone” writer, meaning, I don’t have English-speaking face-to-face critique groups or writing conferences that I can attend. Being on the other side of the world means I sometimes stay up very late or awake early to take part in “live” webinars or training for work-for-hire meetings. I don’t have an English library to check out books or read the latest picture books. I’m also not able to be in the states for my debut book’s birthday and for book signings when it comes out.

 RICE FROM HEAVEN spread, showing the two Koreas

Some advantages:

Because I don’t go out a lot (language barrier), I stay inside and write. This allows me to do a lot of work-for-hire and my own writing.

rice field in Korea

I’ve gleaned many book ideas from living in another culture. Two of my picture books sold are based on Korea.

I’ve made many online kidlit friends, and it’s a joy to be a part of many Facebook kidlit groups.

CM: You also teach school, Tina – how long have you done that and how has your teaching helped in your writing?

drawing by Isaac

TC: I’m starting my 15^th year of formal teaching this August, my 20^th if you count five years of homeschooling here in Korea. Being around elementary kids all day for most of the year helps me understand kids and what they are interested in. I write down ideas from funny things they say or do. I also understand curriculum and standards, so when I read a picture book, I’m able to think of lesson plan ideas or how that book can be incorporated into schools. I also wrote the teacher’s guide for kindergarten – 3^rd grade for my book Rice from Heaven. Also, when I read manuscripts, I can sort of tell the grade level and if a word or topic will be too difficult for a certain age group. It’s just something natural that pops into my head. I guess I can’t turn off my teacher brain.

CM: Thanks, Tina. Congratulations again! I’m really looking forward to meeting you in person sometime soon.

😊😊😊

And here are Tina’s questions and Christy’s answers:

TC: Christy, how did you land the sale for Hey, Hey, Hay?

YMCA camp where Falling Leaves meets in autumn

CM: In November 2014, at a point when I had published in magazines but hadn’t yet signed for any books, I attended a small writing conference. It was Falling Leaves, which meets on Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York (and which I highly recommend!). There I met Grace Maccarone, executive editor at Holiday House. Grace was not my assigned one-on-one critique editor, but I was able to chat with her during the conference, and based on what she said she was looking for, I thought one of my manuscripts--the one about making hay--could be a good fit for her. 

Christy's hayfield

After the conference, I walked through my hayfield and revised and polished my HAY manuscript, and a few months later, I sent it to Grace and crossed my fingers. She liked it right away! A couple months after that, we had a contract. Now, three years after that, HAY is about to be published.

TC: You also write for the educational market. What was one of your favorite books to write and why?

CM: I enjoy writing on assignment for the educational market because I get to write about a broad range of topics – including many that I wouldn't have thought of myself. I particularly enjoyed writing California’s Redwood Forest, which is part of the series “Natural Wonders of the World.” I knew the basics about redwoods, but enjoyed learning more about these magnificent trees and the ecosystem that they inhabit. Plus that book has some great photos!

I'm also very excited about a new forthcoming YA nonfiction book which I co-wrote with another Grogger, Sue Heavenrich. It’s called Diet for a Changing Climate: Food for Thought, and it’s about how what we eat affects the health of the planet as well as our own health. Specifically, we invite readers to consider consuming more weeds, invasive species, and insects. These are foods that are local and fresh, and harvesting them can be good for the environment! The book will be published this fall by Twenty-First Century Books (Lerner).

TC: What have you learned so far this year on having a debut picture book?

Website image: some Epic 18 covers

CM: Having a picture book coming out has reinforced for me the importance of being part of the kidlit community. As you pointed out, Tina, we write alone, but it sure is nice to have the support of others. I was really happy that you connected me with Hannah Holt and the other wonderful folks who formed Epic Eighteen. It’s been so helpful to share resources, tips, questions, and nervous thoughts with others during our mutual debut year.

In addition, I learned more about connecting with readers. I hadn’t put much energy into school visits before this year. Recently, I've visited several classrooms to read to kids, and received great feedback about designing good kid-oriented presentations. I’m developing more interactive programs for youngsters, and I’ve started to schedule bookstore visits. Now that I have some hay-related crafts and activities figured out, I’m realizing that this could be really fun! 

More from Hey, Hey, Hay!

Back matter

Interestingly, although our two picture books address quite different topics, they also -- like us -- have a lot in common. We both enjoy writing nonfiction, and for our debut picture books each of us invented a fictional narrator to tell a true story. Plus, both books involve food.☺

Thanks for letting us share a few tidbits about our books and our writing. And special thanks to GROG and all our friends out there for supporting us on this journey. 

Interested in pre-ordering? 
Christy is running an online pre-order campaign for Hey, Hey, Hay! For more information about how to pre-order through the website of Bear Pond Books, her local bookseller, see instructions on her website, here. 
And Tina wants you to know that you can pre-order Rice From Heaven here. Thanks again.  

Debut View of Leah Henderson and ONE SHADOW ON THE WALL by Kathy Halsey

Author Leah Henderson's debut middle grade novel, ONE SHADOW ON THE WALL, releases on June 6, 2017. I met Leah twice in April, first at the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature and then at the NESCBWI Spring Conference. We have mutual writer friends and talked about craft and life long into the night at NESCBWI. (You will see more about her again on writer friend Patricia Nozell's blog, Wander, Ponder, Write, in the near future.) 

Nalini Krishnankutty, Leah Henderson, Kathy Halsey, and Brittany Thurman @ Virginia Hamilton

Today I'm thrilled to feature her as we await her book's birthday. I was lucky enough to score a PDF "arc," and I am half way through the book now. I'm immersed enough in the story that I feel confident in recommending this novel. Leah graciously offered to do an interview with me, so read on for her writerly advice!

DEBUT REVIEW

From Amazon: 

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (June 6, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1481462954
• ISBN-13: 978-1481462952

Please note you can see the novel summary on the Amazon link above.

From Kirkus: In her debut, Henderson paints a detailed picture of life in Senegal. The author’s experience, research, and sensitivity shine, making this distinctive novel a valuable addition to the literature....A book that rewards patient, sensitive readers willing to dive in." (Kirkus Reviews May 15, 2017)

From me via a writer's lens:

• First, the buzz on this book is amazing. I was raring to read this debut ASAP due to the social media buzz surrounding it. Any author would be thrilled to have Mr. Shu, Besty Bird, and The Brown Bookshelf in their corner! Being able to orchestrate good advance PR for a debut is priceless. Please, check out embedded links for more information. 
• ONE SHADOW begins with an engaging prologue that sets up an integral piece of magical realism that pervades the entire story. In less than a page and a half, Leah introduces us to Mor, the eleven-year old main character who hears and feels the spirits of his dead parents. Writers, do not be afraid to break writing "rules" that will serve you story! 
• Leah's intention for this book was to spark readers' interest in the beauty and dignity of Senegal and to share the plight of talibés, religious schools that can produce street children. Many of these schools are above board, yet some create conditions that follow the path of Mor via poverty and lack of options for a better life. Writers, know your book's intention and make sure your plot adheres to it.
• Remember that setting can be a character, too. Leah's lyrical, sensory language immerses readers in a world they learn to inhabit along with the characters. Leah also uses the Sengalese language while she lets context clues fill in the gaps to create authenticity. I learned many new Wolof words as I read.
• Finally, find your main character's heart and follow your inner fire to create riveting drama. Mor's character is one we root for from page one due to the writer's craft in making him real and vulnerable. Leah has traveled to Senegal and is passionate about its culture and beauty. Readers feel that, too.
• My verdict is that ONE SHADOW will be a book to remember this year. It is a lush, lively, page-turner of a book. I read it in big gulps as I made myself stop to linger over the beauty of Leah's words. 

Interview with Leah

K: Leah, I first met you at The Virginia Hamilton Conference and then at the NESCBWI Spring Conference this year. Why do you feel it’s important for writers to attend conferences? 

L: Writing is such a solitary pursuit, so conferences and workshops are a great way to connect with people who might be on a similar journey, or who at least have a similar love of writing and a desire to learn more about the craft. Plus, they can be so much fun!

K: What conferences do you recommend?

L: There are so many conferences out there: they all can serve  different needs. Research as many as you can and then ask yourself what your focus is at this stage of your writing journey: Are you just starting out? In the murky middle? Do you crave feedback? Or are you ready to find an agent? Targeted workshops like those at Highlights or one run by a local writing organization could fit the bill, or maybe an SCBWI event might make more sense. If your focus is the “Color of Children’s Literature,” maybe the Kweli Conference would give you the insights you’re looking for. Think about what would serve you best right now. Conferences can be pricey, so choose wisely.

K: Tell us about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

L: I am a little of both. I generally have an idea of where I want the story to go (just no clue how I’ll get there). Sometimes I will create a very sparse outline early on and wander a bit from there. For ONE SHADOW ON THE WALL, I began as a pantser, because I wasn’t quite sure what story Mor wanted to tell. But as soon as I felt like I could outline and narrow the focus, I did. Still it took a lot of writing and rewriting to figure it out.

K: Is MG your preferred age group or do you write across other grade levels, genres? 
L: My heart lies with middle grade, but as a curious soul, I try writing in other genres as well. I don’t know if I’ll ever produce something those outside my critique groups will ever see, but I enjoy trying.  

K: What led to your decision to pursue you MFA? 
L: It’s pretty simple—I craved being part of a community that understood my love and need to write. My non-writing friends and family have always been supportive, but they do not really understand all the ups and downs and twists and turns related to this whole writing "thing." I also wanted to become a stronger, more confident writer by studying craft. I have always loved learning, so it was an easy decision. I needed to invest in me.   

K: I recently read your piece from The Brown Bookshelf  and these questions came to mind.  The origin of your debut came from a ten-page story you wrote for a class. What class were you taking, and what did your professor see in this story? 

L: It was a graduate school course on children’s writing. To be honest, I am not sure what she saw—maybe an opportunity for young readers to see another part of the world or an interesting character. Even while I doubted my story all those years ago, I always had a love for my main character, Mor, so perhaps she saw a glimpse of that love in my early work. 

K: You also said you approached ONE SHADOW with a larger concern from your past – hoping to read about a true-to-life character, yet finding “simply a stereotype, a caricature.” How did create Mor's individuality and voice?

L: I was very unsure when I started to explore the world of these characters, even though it was fictional. I remembered a time when I opened books hoping to see a likeness of myself, yet instead I was met by something altogether different. Those images and depictions left me feeling like the author didn’t care enough about my story and my experience to get it as accurate as possible. I did not want to do that with Mor’s world. 

Senegal is a wonderful place that many young readers know little about, so in no way did I want to mislead them. I wanted to write a story that readers familiar with Senegal could recognize in the spirits of the characters I created, and I wanted readers unfamiliar with the place to walk away knowing a little more and hopefully make them eager to do additional research.

K: Where did the seed for Mor originate? 

L: So when I thought about who I wanted Mor to be, I remembered the boy I first saw on the beach wall in St. Louis, Senegal who inspired it all with his quiet strength and poise. Then I watched, listened, and learned from the kids around me that inhabited a similar world to the one Mor was a part of. I drew him out of them.

K: What surprises did you find as a debut author? 

L: I think because I have attended so many conferences, lectures, and workshops, I was prepared. However, I still was a bit surprised by the quiet then the hustle of publishing. For months you don’t hear a peep about anything, then—BOOM—everything is due at once.

K: Please share a few writing tips for our readers:

L: Hmmmm, tips:

Be patient with yourself and your writing.

Trust in the power of revision.

Find a group of writers who have similar wants (because not everyone’s goals and needs are the same).

Always work on your craft. Read, attend conferences and workshops if you can, and continue to write.

Celebrate the little victories.

Always try and learn from each mistake.

Be open to constructive criticism, especially if it is meant to make your work stronger.

Be true to yourself and your story. And don’t let anyone turn you around.

    K: What’s next for you, Leah? Book launch, school visits, new novels? 

L: All of the above. My book launch is June 6^th at the Black History Museum in Richmond, VA (so if you are in the area please stop by, I’d love to see you). I will also be speaking at my graduate school next week about my novel & debut journey, and am currently working on two other MG projects that are very different from this one, but that echo some of the same themes—family, friendship, grit, and possibilities.

Thank you so much for having me, Kathy, it’s been great! And hopefully I’ll see you at another event soon