April Showers and Baby Shower BOOKS! PLUS Welcoming NEW GROGGER, Julie Phend!

By Eileen R. Meyer

You know the saying . . . “April showers bring May flowers.” This April also brought BABY SHOWERS to mind as a close friend’s daughter and son-in-law await the birth of their first child.  This will be my friend’s first grandchild and she hosted a baby shower to help the parents-to-be prepare for the new arrival.

The shower invitation suggested congratulatory cards could be replaced by the gift of a CHILDREN’s BOOK for the couple, establishing this young family’s starter library in one afternoon. What a genius idea! Each gift giver inscribed the book with a special thought or wish for the family. The parents would see and be reminded of these fond wishes every time they read the books to their growing family.

Many of us give classic children’s books as gifts (more on those fan favorites later), but I would like to suggest a few new titles for your baby shower or birthday gift-giving list. Here are some of my current favorites:

Ruth Spiro’s BABY LOVES SCIENCE series 

Young parents love to encourage curiosity and an interest in the world around them. Spiro’s innovative science board books do just that. Published by Charlesbridge, these are “Little books about big ideas: Take your little scientist on a tour of the world around them! Fly high with the basic concepts of aerodynamics, get down to earth with the forces of gravity, think step-by-step like a coder, and celebrate the thermodynamic power of the sun with this collection of four board books.”  Colorful and beautiful illustrations by Irene Chan make these science books a baby and toddler favorite.

Heidi Bee Roemer’s PEEKITY BOO! What Baby Can Do!

A well-know and award-winning poet, Roemer’s newest title is a nurturing rhyming book. "Writing in soft, rolling rhymes, Roemer walks through a toddler’s nighttime routine as doting parents alternate caretaking roles . . . Wohnoutka’s chalky art creates a sense of homey contentment—like a warm blanket."--Publishers Weekly   Roemer effectively uses playful, silly words and this Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt book is sure to be a favorite read-aloud for the young set!

Pat Zietlow Miller’s REMARKABLY YOU

Ever since Miller’s picture book, Sophie’s Squash, first came on the scene in 2013, I’ve been a huge fan of her work.  This new title, Remarkably You, celebrates uniqueness and individuality – and what better message to share with a new little one?  From School Library Journal’s review: “Miller’s story and Barton’s illustrated characters are diverse and encourage young readers to not only be themselves, but to also do good deeds. There is an important underlying theme of treating others with respect and dignity. An excellent upbeat addition to any collection.”

Eileen R. Meyer’s SWEET DREAMS, WILD ANIMALS

I can’t forgo listing my own SWEET DREAMS bedtime title as a gift-giving option. I’ll let this review provide the sweet details: “A cozy combination of restful rhymes, natural history notes and close-up pictures of snoozing creatures.... Slumber and science in harmonious combination, equally suitable for bedtime reading or for sharing with wakeful groups.”--Kirkus Reviews

And, if the family expecting a baby has little ones awaiting the new addition, I recommend Miranda Paul's new title, NINE MONTHS: Before a Baby is Born. This is the perfect book to share with a young child awaiting a new sibling. Contrasting the baby's development in the womb with the changes and excitement building for the family, this book details "just enough" information about the new arrival for a  young child to understand and digest. Gorgeous art by Jason Chin. Just out in bookstores this month.

Of course, we can’t forget about classic gift-giving options, either. I polled a circle of friends and here were a few of their favorite gift books to welcome a new baby:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Love you Forever by Robert Munsch

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin Jr.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey and

any of Alice Schertle’s Little Blue Truck books.

BUT WAIT, there’s more.

Spring is a season of renewal – and it is fitting that we have a NEW GROG BLOGGER, my friend and fellow author, Julie Phend! Allow me to introduce Julie to our readers with a short Q & A.

Eileen:  Welcome, Julie! Tell us a little about your background and your interest in joining the GROG blog.

Julie: I’m a big fan of blogs that connect teachers, writers, and readers. We are a symbiotic community—we need each other to create readers and to create books that provide meaningful experiences for young readers. I’ve admired and learned from the GROG blog, and I’m eager to contribute to its ongoing mission to connect these populations.

Julie at a holiday author event

Eileen:  Can you give us a sixty-second summary of your experiences in children’s publishing?

Julie: In my career as a middle school teacher, I loved connecting students to great books, as well as encouraging them to explore their own talents as writers. My teaching experience led me to my first publication—D-Day and Beyond was written with WWII veteran Stanley Edwards after he visited my classroom to talk about his experiences in the war. This project wakened a dormant dream of writing for publication. I joined SCBWI and began to research a historical novel based on a true story. That led me to an awesome critique group and a whole community of writers who care about children.

Julie with her dog, Duke

Eileen:  Would you tell us something that people may not know about you …

Julie: In college, I double-majored in English and Theater and discovered a love of Creative Drama with children. I taught creative drama in school and after-school programs throughout my career and produced dozens of plays with children. In almost every case, the kids and I wrote the scripts ourselves. It’s a dynamic creative process that can’t be beat.

Wow, I’ve known Julie as a friend and fellow-critique group member for over a decade and I didn’t know that she had been a Theater major in college!  I’m delighted to welcome Julie to the GROG Blog Family and I’m already looking forward to her first blog post in the coming weeks.

To all our readers--thanks for stopping by and welcoming Julie Phend to our blogging family!

Wherever You Go: A Moving Experience by Kathy Halsey, inspired by Pat Zietlow Miller

I hope this post inspires you and me. Sometimes we writers must write for us, and that's where I am today after moving from Phoenix AZ back to Columbus OH. That's about 1,870.7 miles with a Corgi, according to this cake my husband's congregation gave us. 

I welcome new adventures, just like the rabbit does in Pat Zietlow Miller's new rhyming PB, WHEREVER YOU GO. In fact, this inspiring book was literally on my door step the day we received keys to Hedley Place. This cheery book, reminded me that I can always find the road home again. But, it HAS been hard to keep my writing momentum going for the least 2 months.

Pat's opening lines reminds us to "just open your door." She tell us that "Roads...reach;" and "Roads...grow," and "Roads...climb."

My road to Ohio has loomed like a mountain. But the rabbit and Pat remind us on our ascent, we'll be 

"Clinging to cliffs,

Chasing a cloud.

Reaching the top.

tired but proud." 

So what did I do when life made it hard to write? Here's what helped and is still helping:

1. Pack a writing notebook and a WIP. I did jot notes and ideas as we traveled, but I never touched the WIP. Just having it in the car made me think about another way to approach the story, though.

2. Keep reading & connecting. I  kept up nightly w/FB posts on writing. It was all my brain could manage, but my tribe nourished me.

3. Look at illustrator Eliza Wheeler's spread above. Our MC, Mr. Rabbit, found some friends to help him climb. I began to connect to Ohio writers before I left AZ. I emailed my SCBWI Ohio RA, made plans to meet YA writer Jody Casella (THIN SPACE, YA debut) in person, and attend a critique group that meets at the Upper Arlington library monthly. 

4. Make commitments. I won't wobble off the road if I make promises to others. This week:author interview Monday w/Patricia Toth, this GROG post, and the Ohioana Book Festival Saturday where I'll meet Jody and an old friend from the Sate Library of Ohio. 

5. Grow your road and make it new. I have a new office set-up, my files are organized, and my picture book/middle grade library is alphabetized now. 

I am tired, proud, and I have this lovely tree, new to me, in my backyard! Thanks to Pat Zietlow Miller - I also have inspiration to keep going for the summit.

Sunny Reflections of SCBWI LA 2014 ~ by Kathy Halsey and Patricia Toht

Our first convention! From our initial meeting and talking with roomies late into the night, to the closing keynote speech of Judy Blume, what a wonderful time it was.

To sum it up:
•  over 1200 writers and illustrators from 19 countries + US
•  93 editors, agents and other industry professionals
•  12 inspiring keynote speeches
•  86 instructional breakout sessions
•   4 informational panels, and
•   1 rocking party to celebrate Tomie dePaola's 80th birthday

Happy times at the Night in Old Italy gala

Below is a sampling of our favorite memories and bits of advice.

Patricia: In the Editors' Panel, over half of the editors said the most important element in a manuscript was VOICE. Mary Lee Donovan said, "Voice is something you bring to a manuscript automatically. If you're writing authentically, you're writing in your voice."
Another interesting point from Allyn Johnston (Beach Lane Books) was the importance of matching the right book with the right editor. She told of having passed on SOPHIE'S SQUASH, Pat Zeitlow Miller's charming and award-winning picture book. To paraphrase, she said that it didn't connect strongly with her; had she taken it on, it might not have become the terrific book that it is.

Kathy: And speaking of SOPHIE'S SQUASH, Pat Zeitlow Miller WAS SITTING NEXT TO ME (sorry, quite excited by that) during Linda Sue Park's keynote, reviewing her award speech over and over. I wouldn't have recognized her, but as my eyes traveled the page she perused, I spied her name. I wrote her a quick note and told her to relax, that my grandson Tobin loved "the squash" and after all, we were her writing peeps. She smiled and put the speech down. What did I learn? Even famous folks have feelings of anxiety, even Golden Kite winners! 

Patricia: How much do I love Megan McDonald? A lot. I went to her two breakouts plus her keynote! She offered some wonderful tips about CHARACTER. Here are a trio --
Take time to come up with a great name.
Make sure that, if you write a character of the opposite gender, you get feedback from the opposite gender. 
Give your character a secret or a fault, for that is where the reader finds empathy with your character.

Kathy: A revising trick Linda Sue Park gave us was to WRITE A SECTION OF YOUR MS IN CAPS. IT IS SO AGGRAVATING TO READ, YOU WILL SURELY SLASH YOUR WORD COUNT. Also, I ran into her at the pool...one of many chance encounters with famous folk this past weekend.

Yes, Tim Federle and Kathy Halsey in a selfie that Tim took of us.

One of the most genuine, truly nice authors I met was Tim Federle, MG author of BETTER NATE THAN EVER and FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, NATE fame. He was on the phone w/his mom when I gasped out, "Tim Federle." He cut the chat w/mom short; proceeded to chat with lil' ol' me. When he found we had a mutual friend, Brandi Stewart of Changing Hands, he snapped this selfie of us & posted to Facebook. Tim's session, 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Being a Debut Novelist, was equal parts comedy routine and good advice. He gave permission to post this widely.
One terrific tip, which I already practice, is sending handwritten thank you notes to people in the business. BTW, his character Nate discusses the concept in FIVE, SIX, SEVEN NATE, pp. 66-67: "But Libby says I should be sending handwritten notes to anyone who's nice to me! As an example: The guardian will not get a handwritten note. Bernie the First will..."  

Patty: Good news for picture book authors! Several speakers referred to our current period of time as a "second Golden Age of Picture Books." But they also cautioned that the competition is fierce, so we must work to make our writing and/or art stand out. In her market report, Deborah Halverson reported that today's PBs are dominated by those aimed at a younger market, short in length, and very often character-based.

Kathy: I have reams of copious notes from the conference, but a few direct quotes from some of the standout keynoters/speakers bear repeating --

Meg Rosoff: "Kids are desperate to understand the inside of their own heads."

Justin Chanda's Picture Book Philosophy: "It is theatre."

Stephen Chbosky: "There is no such thing as 'writers' block.' You are editing too early." 

Paraphrasing Linda Sue Park: Words have become one of our cheapest currencies, so it is even more important that the words we write for kids are special.

Patricia: And a few of my favorite quotes, too --

Andrea Welch: "Don't let your submissions feel like you're throwing spaghetti at a wall. Target your agents and publishers!"

Cynthia Kadohata: "The more your research is absorbed, the more powerful your writing will become."

Judy Blume: "Determination is as important as talent."

And these last words of the conference from Lin Oliver: "It's a difficult road we've chosen. Better to go down that road, hand-in-hand and arm-in-arm, than alone."

Kathy and Patricia celebrate being children's writers
from the balcony in somewhat sunny LA.