Writing with Pride!

 by Sue Heavenrich

June is Pride Month and I thought: wouldn’t it be fun to kick off the month with a post about books that celebrate the diversity of families and who we are. Then I got to thinking ... why do we write the stories we do?

So I asked my friend and critique partner, Rowen MacCarald about their writing life. Rowen is a biologist who writes about science (and history and a lot of other topics) and we connected years ago while writing about nature for local newspapers. Since then, Rowen has authored more than forty nonfiction books for the educational market, including Getting Smelly to Survive (Abdo, 2022),  Eleanor Roosevelt: Progressive Reformer (Momentum, 2018) and soon-to-be-released The Weirdest Animals in the World (BrightPoint Press, August 2023).

Me: Forty nonfiction books! What made you decide to go from writing articles to writing books for kids?

Rowen: Honestly, my main reason for turning to writing for children (young adults specifically) was to write a story in which a kid like myself got to be the hero. I'm still working on that goal.

For me, nonfiction is about exploring the magic of the real world and finding the unexpected in real life. My favorite nonfiction is about animals, because I've loved animals as a kid and have amassed a fair amount of knowledge about wildlife and ecology over the years. So anytime I have an animal topic to write about, it's like visiting with an old friend. The Animal World series that I did recently was particularly fun. For The Weirdest Animals in the World, I got to delve into bizarre creatures like hagfish, a fish with no bones, no eyes, and the ability to make buckets of slime when threatened, and the platypus, an egg-laying mammal with a leathery bill and the ability to sense electricity. 

Me: In the past couple years, you’ve started writing  picture books that celebrate queer joy, pride, diversity, and inclusion. It’s been fun watching these stories come alive, but I wonder if you can talk about what nudged this change in your writing life.

Rowen: I remember listening to the Aru Shah book series (the Pandava Quintet by Roshani Chokshi) with my daughter, and there was a part where one of the characters was divorcing. Aru started thinking about all the different kinds of family structures the people she knew were part of. I loved that my kid got to hear that. Since she grew up with two moms, it was always important for me to feel like that was normal, and seeing it in books was a great way to do that.

I started writing picture books because they're short, honestly. Not because they're easier than longer books, because they're in some ways harder to write. No, the great thing about their length is that you can easily rewrite them multiple times, trying out different approaches and seeing what works and what doesn't work.

Once I started writing picture books, though, I ended up doing what I always do, which is try to take my unique perspective and share it on the page. So I wrote what I know about--queer parents, neurodivergent kids--and made sure to give my characters agency. That's really what wanting to be the hero is all about. It's not about slaying the dragon (who maybe would rather go on an adventure with you) or getting the girl (unless the girl is also getting you, because love interests deserve agency too). It's about having the power to influence your own fate. It's about having a voice to tell your own story.

I think the important point to remember about people with marginalized experiences is that we've had other people telling our stories for a long time. That's disempowering – even when they get things right. It's worse when they get things wrong, and it can feel dehumanizing. So I love that not only are many people with marginalized experiences getting the chance to share their own perspectives, people outside those identity who include marginalized characters are more motivated nowadays to try to get things right. 

Is this process perfect? No. Is there a lot of work still left to do? Yes, and what seems like progress can be a mistake that needs to be corrected. But I have to believe it's work worth doing. 

I want to show queer kids and kids with queer people in their family that they can take charge of their own story. And for kids who aren't queer, if they see queer kids having agency in a book, maybe that will help them support the queer kids around them. I think maybe the best thing a writer can do is remind us that we're all human, and our differences don't change the fact that we all need love, respect, and the chance to be the main character of our own story.

 

Me: I’m going to copy that last line and tape it to the wall above my desk! Thank you so much, Rowen, for sharing your story.

No matter what kind of family you live in, there’s a good chance that you’ve had to face issues with a new sibling, wanting a pet, going to school, fighting dragons… okay, maybe not the last, but the thing is, books that celebrate LGBTQ pride are about everyday things. 

Here’s a baker's dozen picture books suitable for Pride Month or any time of the year:

And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; illus. by Henry Cole 

Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman; illus. by Laura Cornell 

Julián Is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love 

They're So Flamboyant, by Michael Genhart; illus. by Tony Neal 

Bathe the Cat, by Alice B. McGinty; illus. by David Roberts 

Not Yet a Yeti, by Lou Treleaven; illus. by Tony Neal 

When Aidan Became a Brother, by Kyle Lukoff; illus. by Kaylani Juanita 

Patience, Patches! by Christy Mihaly; illus. by Sheryl Murray 

Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle, by Nina LaCour; illus. by Kaylani Juanita 

Prince & Knight, by Daniel Haack; illus. by Stevie Lewis 

Neither, by Airlie Anderson 

My Mommies Built a Treehouse, by Gareth Peter; illus. by Izzy Evans 

Worm Loves Worm, by J.J. Austrian; illus. by Mike Curato

Want more? Check out this list of LGBTQ+ Picture Books for Kids by Children's Services Librarians of the Seattle Public Library, and these links to the New York Public Library: New Books for Kids & Teens to Celebrate Pride Month and Great Board Books & Picture Books to Celebrate Pride Month. If that’s not enough, Allison McDonald has her own Ultimate Pride Book list of 90 books .

What's New at the Library?

By Leslie Colin Tribble

It's been awhile since I've talked about some new books we've received at the library where I work. There have been a lot of great books come in, and just as quickly go right back out in the hands of eager children. Our library was closed from mid-March until June when we reopened to the public, but during that time we were super busy providing materials to library patrons of all ages through our curbside delivery program. Every day there were lots of tall stacks of picture books waiting to be picked up by eager families.

Now that we're open again, I had a hard time getting new picture books to bring home so I could write about them. Kids and adults came in and stripped the shelves bare of all the new books they hadn't gotten to read for nearly three months.

Here are a few books I grabbed one morning before we opened so I could have something to talk about.

Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones - Susan Lendroth and Bob Kolar. Set to the tune of "here we go round the mulberry bush" this simple picture book brings the world of paleontology to young children. Four scientists take off in their jeep on a warm and sunny morning to look for dinosaur bones. The song part of the text is featured in larger font across the double page spreads, while a small paragraph of factual information sits on the lower right corner. The process of discovery, excavation, sifting, and transporting fossils continues until we finally see a picture of the dinosaur in all its terrifying glory. The book finishes with three short pages of back matter and some activities readers can do to go along with the actions of the story. I really appreciated the simple, clean illustrations and the hidden animals which you might actually see at a fossil site in Montana where the book is based. I'm always searching for fossils on my walks in Wyoming so I really enjoyed this book.

Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures - Tricia Springstubb and Elaheh Taherian.
Khalil and his family live in the upstairs of a house, while Mr. Hagerty lives downstairs. They both enjoy spending time in the yard and each helps the other with words - words that Khalil can't pronounce while he's reading, and words that Mr. Hagerty can't remember when he's talking. Both characters have the same idea about finding backyard treasures and discover a new word, Friend. I liked the juxtaposition of young and old yet the commonality of both needing help with words. The illustrations are eye catching and the story is just lovely. At one point Khalil and Mr. Hagerty share slices of chocolate cake and milk - what's not to love about that?

My Friend Earth - Patricia MacLachlan and Francesca Sanna. This is a beautiful book of dynamic illustrations in muted tones of blues, greens and browns with lots of cutouts for peeking onto the next page. The story is about the flow of seasons and how Earth creates homes for her creatures. I loved the Earth child interacting with, and caring for, her family. There's a lot to discuss while reading this book including weather events and things like floods, drought and the cycle of life on our planet.

Free for You and Me - Christy Mihaly and Manu Montoya. I found the Grog's very own Christy Mihaly on our new shelves with her book on the First Amendment. Written in verse, Christy does a beautiful job explaining our First Amendment and what that means to ordinary citizens. Everyone should read this book and get a refresher course on this bedrock law of our country. I like how each section of the amendment is further explained through talk bubbles, showing in a concrete way what that particular Freedom means. Christy finishes off the book with four pages of backmatter to round out the discussion. Thanks Christy and Manu for creating such an important book.

My last selection is a YA nonfiction book. I've never featured a YA book before, but when this one came across my desk this week I knew I had to share.

Dancing at the Pity Party: a dead mom graphic memoir - Tyler Feder. This book deals with the very important, yet almost taboo, subject of a parent dying. Tyler Feder's mother died when she was a college freshman and she created this graphic novel ten years later. The book frankly deals with all the emotions, the hardships, and life upheavals a child (of any age) experiences with the death of a parent. I feel the graphic novel format makes it very accessible to young people - it's not like trying to read an adult book on grief which oftentimes isn't much more than a lot of words that don't have any meaning. As a graphic novel it's easy to read, easy to understand the emotions, and if the reader has experienced a similar loss, easy to feel like someone gets you. My own children lost their father at 12 and 7 years and I wish I'd had this book to help them identify and be able to discuss their own struggles. Although the story is sad, it also beautifully displays the deep relationship between a daughter and her mother. And the story ends on a simple, but hopeful note of continuance.

So there's my latest roundup. Libraries are opening back up to their patrons so get out to your local branch and check out some of these great books.

10 Things I Learned about Book Marketing: Guest Post by Dawn Babb Prochovnic

I, Tina Cho, met Dawn Babb Prochovnic, in the online kidlit world. She's the author of Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty? and Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?. Welcome to the Grog Blog.

This past October, I launched two new picture books into the world: Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty? and Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? These were my 18th and 19th picture books, so I came to the table with experience, but it had been several years since my last launch, so in some ways I felt like a debut author all over again. I’ve learned so much about book marketing during the past year, and I’m happy for the opportunity to share some of my insights and experiences with you today. Here goes: 

1. Build a Plan...

I’m a small business owner, and I was a project manager and a corporate trainer earlier in my career, so developing and implementing plans comes somewhat naturally to me. The plans I developed for my book launch looked less like a business/project/training plan, and more like a menu of ideas, or a particularly robust to-do list. I started formulating my to-do list soon after I signed my book contract, about a year and half before my two latest books launched. 

2. ...But Be Flexible.

My to-do list included things I actually got around to such as, “update my email contacts,” “create and purchase bookmarks and refreshed business cards,” “write an article for my local SCBWI chapter’s newsletter,” “consider starting a new blog feature called ‘Birth Stories for Books,’” and “propose workshops for targeted organizations such as the local parent/child preschool cooperatives’ annual conference.” My to-do list also included several things that I haven’t (yet!) gotten around to, such as “write articles for targeted early childhood and/or early literacy focused publications,” “host a Goodreads giveaway,” and “design and order refreshed signage for book events.” Those things will happen. Eventually.

3. Take Pause to Reflect and Reorganize. 

My to-do list seems to grow, not shrink, as time goes on and new ideas occur to me. Each week I take pause to evaluate the tasks I’ve completed and identify the tasks I aim to complete in the coming week. I write a weekly “goal report” from the prior week and a “goal plan” for the coming week, and I share this summary with one of my critique partners. This singular task, although time consuming in its own right, is one of the most important things I do to help me stay on track. It’s also what helps me remember that I need to keep submitting new work if I want more of my books to make their way into the world, and it’s the tool that’s helping me think about how I will transition some of my marketing attention to my next release, scheduled for spring of 2021. 

4. Variety is the Spice of Life.

I incorporated MANY different things into my book marketing efforts. If an opportunity presented itself, and I could fit it into my schedule, I tried to find a way to work it to my plans. I thought less about whether or not the opportunity would result in book sales and more about whether or not the opportunity sounded fun, or opened the door for me to learn a new skill, or gave me the chance to make a new friend, make the world a better place, or simply feel good about being a part of it. The truth is, it’s hard to tell if any one event or activity genuinely moved the needle in terms of book sales, but I do know that the experiences enriched my life, and for that I am grateful. 

5. Don’t Overdo it. It’s Okay to Say, “No.”

Adding book promotion activities into an already full life can be enriching, but it can also become overwhelming and exhausting! I really got into the marketing swing of things, and as much as I enjoyed all of the activities and experiences I engaged in leading up to and during the launch of my books, I will likely be more discerning next time around. By discerning, I don’t mean that I will choose to focus only on those activities that are certain to result in book sales, but I will give myself permission to decline some opportunities, even if I can find an opening on my calendar. Sometimes, the best thing to do with an opening on your calendar is to relax and give yourself time to rest and recharge. Or write!

6. Connect with Your Community.

One of the best parts of being a member of the kidlit community is to actively engage as a participant in said community. I’m so happy that I ramped up my level of involvement with my local SCBWI chapter and that I attended a wide variety of launch events for friends, old and new. Many of these launch events were book launches, but I also attended album launch parties, open mics, and art exhibit openings. I’m so glad that I did. These events were as enjoyable as they were instructive. I highly recommend engaging fully in the artistic community in your local area. 

7. Broaden your Definition of Community. 

One of the things I’d like to do going forward is broaden the communities with which I engage. For example, the “Birth Stories for Books” feature on my blog currently focuses on interviews and guest posts with fellow book creators. I’d like to expand my reach on this platform to include other creative folks, such as songwriters, performing musicians, fine artists, and other makers. I’d also like to step outside of the author/illustrator/editor/agent bubble I’ve somewhat limited myself to on social media, and explore opportunities to participate in other interest-based communities. For example, I follow and/or participate in Twitter conversations such as #AskAgent, #PBPitch, and #PBChat, and I actively participate in a storytime-focused professional learning community created by and for youth librarians on Facebook. I suspect there are similar opportunities that bring together early childhood educators, parents of young children, and unique subsets of parenting groups, such as parents who are potty training or homeschooling their children. I’d like to explore other opportunities of this nature that might exist (while also being mindful of not getting too bogged down, over-engaging).

8. Make Friends. Build Relationships.

The main way I try to stay inoculated from getting “too bogged down, over-engaging” is to focus on building authentic relationships. I may not engage as widely or as actively as might be possible, but I do try to engage authentically. Book sales come and go. Friendships last forever; or so I hope. 

9. Collaborate.

Some of my book-launch-related friendships have developed into collaboration opportunities. I made friends with several different performing/recording musicians along the way, two of whom I had the pleasure of collaborating with to create the songs that back up my book trailers. I also made friends with “pirate-people,” “cowgirl-people,” and “potty-people” (such as the authors of other potty-themed books, potty-training consultants, and fellow potty-humorists). I’ve done collaborative give-aways with some of my fellow “potty-people,” and I hope to do more of this sort of thing going forward. Just recently I received the cutests photos from one of the mamas who won one of the collaborative giveaways. The joy I received from these photos is priceless. 

10. Have fun! 

This is probably the most important tip I can share. Book promotion is, or can be, all-consuming. By and large, I would say, if it’s not fun, take it off the list. You tried it. Great. Now move on. Find another avenue to connect with your readers. Give that a try, and keep trying out new ideas until you find the ones that align with your idea of fun. I love hats, costumes, themed decorations, and silly props. I laugh Every Time I audibly flush my little toy toilet at book events. Seriously, I do. I love my poo emoji speaker. I think it’s a hoot to give away pirate’s booty at a book event for a book entitled Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, and I love when people notice that I display my bookmarks in a roll of toilet paper. So, even when I’ve participated in a book event that wasn’t as well attended as I’d hoped, or didn’t attract the right audience for my particular books, I still feel like I came away with a win if I had fun. Laughter goes a long way to re-filling my creative cup. 

11. Bonus Tip!

I realized as I started writing this article, that I had many more things that I’ve learned about book marketing in this past year than I could possibly share in one blog post. So what’s a writer to do in this situation? Keep writing, of course! I’ll be sharing more tips about my book-launch learning experiences (and how I’ll incorporate these learnings into my next launch, in spring 2021) on my own blog … soon!  Come visit me at www.dawnprochovnic.com. I’ll aim to have a companion-post up sometime in April (and I’ll comment below when I do). 

Thank you so much, Tina and the Grog Blog team, for inviting me to share what I’ve learned about book marketing with your readers. Your blog has been so helpful to me over the years, and it’s an honor to be able to share my experiences with others, in return. 

Dawn’s Bio:

Dawn Babb Prochovnic, MA is an author, educator, speaker, and the founder of SmallTalk Learning, which provides American Sign Language education and early literacy consulting. She has authored multiple children’s books including Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty? and Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? (West Margin Press, 2019), and The Nest Where I Like to Rest (Abdo, 2012), an Oregon Book Awards finalist. Dawn’s story, First Day Jitters, was published in the award-winning book, Oregon Reads Aloud, a keepsake collection of 25 read-aloud stories for children celebrating all things Oregon (Graphic Arts Books, Hardcover/2016, Paperback/2020). Dawn’s next book, Lucy’s Blooms, about the magic of childhood firmly rooted in unconditional love, is due for release in 2021. Dawn lives in Portland, Oregon with her family and a collection of crazy hats. If you ask what her favorite color is, she’ll usually say, purple. Learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com or follow Dawn on social media: Twitter and Instagram: @DawnProchovnic and Facebook: @DawnProchovnicAuthor.

Related links: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DawnProchovnic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawnprochovnic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DawnProchovnicAuthor/

Come on Over to the Wild Side! Some Books about Nature for Children by Leslie Colin Tribble

There are lots of books about nature and nature education on the market.  It's hard to choose just a few to write about.  Instead, what I thought I'd do is list some authors who have written books about teaching children about nature.  Most of these I found at my local library, so you should be able to find them too.

Jim Arnosky:  I love just about everything Jim Arnosky has written.  He writes and illustrates his own books and is a self-taught naturalist and artist.  He's published 132 of his own books and illustrated many others.  I love his "Crinkelroot" series - an gnome-like person guides readers in learning about plants, animals, insects, tracks and general observation skills.  All Jim Arnosky's books should have a place on your nature bookshelf.  Some other great titles are Rabbits and Raindrops, Hook, Line and Seeker and Wild Tracks. His latest book is Tooth and Claw:  The Wild World of Big Predators.

Diana Hutts Aston:  Some of my favorite one topic nature books are An Egg is Quiet, A Rock if Lively, A Butterfly is Patient and A Seed is Sleepy. These books, incredibly illustrated by Sylvia Long, inspire readers with the amazing beauty of the natural world.  Children will embrace the sense of joy and wonder created by the author and illustrator.






Henry Cole:  I really like Jack's Garden and I Took A Walk.  Jack's Garden is a fun and beautiful read to interest children in the whole garden process.  It would be a great book to read before starting your own family or classroom garden.  I Took A Walk has detailed illustrations on gatefold pages of various habitats. The job of the reader is to locate within the illustrations the animals which might live in that habitat.  A good parent and child read together.

Nicola Davies:  This author has a couple of beginning nature study books including A First Book Of Nature and Outside Your Window:  A First Book of Nature.  These are easy to read books that open a child's eyes to the wonders of nature.  Nicola has also written books about owls, sharks, and even microbes.

I like nature books which help me show my own interest in the outdoors to children.  I love books with gorgeous full color illustrations and extra tidbits about whatever animal or plant we're investigating.  I gravitate to books about my own area, but also love to introduce children to the wild creatures from other lands and habitats.  

Any books about the "unmentionables" of the wild world will be a hit with children, especially boys.  Nicola Davies' book, Poop:  A Natural History of the Unmentionable is a great read, as are books about the "weird" of nature.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to books about nature.  I'm always expanding my personal library of nature books.  Which titles or authors are your favorites?  

First Barbara/First Reader- interview close, by Jan Godown Annino

We visit again with the Barbara Bush Foundation's Liza McFadden. 
To review yesterday's topics with Liza, look at First Barbara/First Reader, published on Wed., May 7, 2014.

Q

Any advice to children's writers, on writing for young children?

LIZA

 I’ve never written a children’s book so I’m not sure that I can offer much advice on the writing. That said, I talk to the authors and publishers of children’s books quite frequently and have learned astonishing things from those conversations. One thought from a publisher I remember is, don’t have a true end to your book. Think about the story as a place in time.  For instance Clifford the Big Red Dog is always friendly, outgoing and helpful; however he usually gets into trouble because of his size.  I know this clue isn’t rocket science, but it was eye-opening to me – a true “in medias res” moment – that suddenly put my beloved Miss Piggle-Wiggle and the Box Car Children in a different framework. 

We invite authors to meet with children and as I listen in on their conversations, I’m always struck by their fabulous personalities.  As Mary Pope Osborne, the author of the Magic Tree House series, shared with me a few weeks ago, she gets to live and dream and think like a 9-year old every day, and that’s a positive, magical place. Or, an email I got this week from N.D. Wilson who shared about Boys of Blur.  It combines football, Florida swamps and cane fields, and echoes of the literary classic Beowulf.  What boy/man wouldn’t be excited to continue to research in the swamps of Florida for his next book?  So, and this is by deduction, I see wonderful children’s authors who have never lost their love of their childhood, nor their enthusiasm for it.

Q
You are right. Children's writers tend to have their clay trolls/bat puppets/ tambourines at hand.

Appreciation to you, for the insider tipoff about this new novel,
BOYS OF BLUR. 

So now, what non-fiction topics do you think/know have success with young child readers?

LIZA 

Zow.  Let’s go back to that last discussion.  
While I was with Mary Pope Osborne, I met her husband Will Osborne who helps her write the Magic Tree House “companion books." For instance with Dinosaurs Before Dark, there is a dinosaurs non-fiction companion book and, if you’ve read these, they break many of the “rules” for nonfiction.  They even have footnotes!  Yet, they are some of the very top-grossing nonfiction books being published.  They’ve even developed a musical play that middle school students can do based on the books. Of course, it certainly helps that these nonfiction books are aligned with a best-selling fiction series, but I think this brilliant couple should win an award for their breakout ideas.  
Footnotes?  Music?  Fiction and nonfiction? 

Q

You are talking about pace-setters. The Osbornes work hard with winning results, in a class by themselves, Liza. Our daughter devoured  #1, the dinosaurs & most in that first MTH/Morgan LeFay librarian quest adventure group when she was a kiddo. Her favorite was the ninjas, if I remember right. But she also loved mummies. They are fun. 
And, Mary Pope Osborne is a leader in advocating for all authors, by the way.

Care to name picture books that have stayed with you from childhood? Stayed with your children, from your children's picture book years? 
Any non-fiction books to name?

LIZA

Personally, picture books never really interested me that way stories with illustrations do.  The Nome King with his tiny little legs and his scary beard sitting on his thrown, dark Mombi creating silly Jack Pumpkinhead or Professor H.M. Wogglebug, T.E with his giant pinstriped front shirt listening in at the school door, these strange and wonderful images from the Wizard of Oz stories became so much more alive because they added to one’s imaginative rendering of the story.  

As a kid, I’d borrow these books from the library all the time, and I loved them for their weight, and length as much as I loved them for their humor and imagination.  My daughter loves these books and the set was her 10-year-old birthday gift.  By the way, I recently learned that JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series will be reissued with a new, fully-illustrated edition by Jim Kay who won the Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations of Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls in 2012.  Now, I think I will finally read this series! 

As to nonfiction, my son devours all reptile and science books. I’m sorry I’m not at home just now as I’d go in his closet and pull out the purple encyclopedia of animals. Of course, the book would fall into 3 pieces as I pull it off the shelf – so worn is the binding.  We had so many hours of fun.  I remember that in the lining of the pages would be hidden say “6 millipedes” and there would be great questions like, “which type of frog eats its own skin”?  Of course, a great picture of a frog eating its own skin was included. Now, that is a delicious book.  Definitely our favorite of favorites in nonfiction. Pure boy and tomgirl.

Q

 What connection does singing a story, rhymed text, lyrical text or other similar formats have to do with children's book pleasure?

LIZA

Can I answer a question with a question?  How do we accurately share our emotions without strong language and verbal skills?  What carries emotion better than the sung word?

Q

Brava!
(And that was sung, back at ya.)

What do volunteers with the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy do, that children's authors can also do? In other words, please explain how children's authors can help, other than to write more good books for young people.

LIZA

You are doing a world of good by writing!  
Think of this - the number one predictor of occupational success is vocabulary.  It is how we are perceived and it all starts with word choice. 

Writing intellectually enriching books is wonderful endeavor and we love you for doing just that. Of course, if you want to do more, consider joining our efforts to help the 20% of Americans who read at less than a 5th grade level.  You know the options …from being a hands-on reading tutor …to making a donation ..to donating books.  All are wonderful and all are appreciated.  
See www.Barbarabush.org for more details.

end note, from Jan Godown Annino - The Barbara Bush Foundation works overtime to help us become a nation of readers. Since colleagues here within our Grog do the same, it’s a mighty fine fit, Grog-BBF.  Thank you Liza. Those of us who haven't had the chance to visit your informative site will likely check it out now.  Please expect us to keep writing for children & to keep reading with them. 

First Barbara/First Reader by Jan Godown Annino

I like to keep up with my First Ladies.

Maybe this little hobby dates to third grade, when Martha Washington & George were my living history project.

And also maybe it’s because I know that many of them love to write. 

And, to read.

Can you find First Lady Barbara Bush in the book cover? Center front, 3rd from the left, in FIRST LADIES, above. Barbara Bush is the author of four books. One of them is from a dog’s point of view,  MILLIE’S BOOK, which our daughter owned as a middle-schooler.

Mrs. Bush’s father was in charge of the McCall magazine empire. Her parents encouraged reading in the evenings. This and other glimpses of her unusual life are shared in BARBARA BUSH: A Memoir, & also at her comprehensive biography created by the extraordinary resource,
National First Ladies Library in Ohio.

If you are a reader or children's writer, you will likely make time to visit the Barbara Bush Foundation, which is all about achieving a 100 percent literacy rate in the U.S. This hard-charging Foundation recently awarded a grant to a deserving public elementary in our area. If it is anything like the local school I visited weekly during a school year so I could to sit with a little boy in kindergarten, to help him begin his path to reading, those children are needy & will rocket ahead with this BBF project.

I exchanged emails with Liza McFadden of the Barbara Bush Foundation.

Later this month I expect to collect our conversation in one piece at Bookseedstudio. 

Please look for Part Two of this interview on Monday, May 12, 2014.

Part One - Barbara Bush Foundation interview

Q

How might a family whose parents don’t demonstrate reading, affect their children's interest in books?

LIZA McFadden for the Barbara Bush Foundation

 As I talk to moms, I realize many of us have almost a collective memory about reading:  that as children we loved our parents wrapping their arms around us and reading.  We remember our favorites—mainly because we made our parents read them to us hundreds of times.  Those simple rhymes, the shape of those letters, the conversations about the pictures, all of those things were our parents being our first -- and best -- teachers.  

Too many people fall away from being in love with books – sometimes scarred by the way books were used in school, and frequently, I think, because watching TV or other activities seem more companionable.  I can provide lots of great physiological reasons to read:  reading has benefits similar to meditating like lower stress, and deeper sleep and lowered memory loss, and I can provide great psychological reasons to read:  a strong working vocabulary is the best defense we have against manipulation -- that’s why lawyers live and die by words.  

In the end, I think we pass on what we love. Having a child is a great time to remember that as a child reading brought you not only those stories you loved, but also, your vital vocabulary that’s helping to ensure you have a good job, and a healthy life.

Q

Should children have to read books that they don't want to? (Outside of school assignments) 

LIZA

I have a confession.  I’m a bibliophile.  In the last few months I just changed our living room into a library.  I’m guessing with Nooks and Kindles, those libraries are passé, but I love my books.  That said, you could guess I strongly believe children shouldn’t “have” to read outside of school but should “want” to read outside of school. 

I have two middle school children and they attend a school where they are required to read a lot.  In fact, the better reader you are, the more “Accelerated Reader” points you have to earn.  The difference between my two children is this: one loves to read, and this boy reads Hardy Boys and 39 Clues and every adventure book he can lay his hands on.  His sister, though an excellent student, is not in love with reading.

But, here’s what I have discovered: she does love books, she just prefers it when someone else reads them to her.  This weekend as we drove from South Florida to North Florida coming back from spring break, I read to them out loud, Waiting For Snow In Havana:  Confessions of a Cuban Boy. Everyone in the car loved hearing the story. It combined a love of killing lizards with a philosophical discussion on the proof of God – not always issues easily aligned.  Anyway, so here’s my belief:  I think reading can some in many forms, and I’m excited that the Nook and Kindle can read out loud for oral learners, as long as they have truly mastered the skill of reading.  
As I recently heard, language defines our palette of thought.  It allows us to be part of the intellectual discussion of our community and our country; it allows us to share memories of killing lizards, and to wonder in-depth about the proof of God. 

Note: Thank you, Liza. We hope our readers will return for more insights from Liza McFadden/Barbara Bush Foundation, tomorrow, Thurs., May 8, 2014

Jan Godown Annino is on twitter @BkSeedStudio. She is the author of an ALA-listed picture book, SHE SANG PROMISE: The Story of Betty Mae Jumper.

Giveaway + Unhappy about David Pogue by Jan Godown Annino

            
            I fast become underwhelmed with new technology news. Not overwhelmed.

            Each new nextgen flipperdoodle that wants my attention & money has to compete against my time with

nature

family

and

writing.

Too. Much. Wonderful. Here. 

To do with family, community, or rambling solo on a writing- in- my-head-while-walking perambulation. So new tech has to be better than all that.  But even if I'm not going to be using much of it, I crave to keep knowledgeable. 

Here are one, two, three ways that I begin to understand important new gadgets or process developments, which many folks, such as your basic snowed-in Banks Islander, employ to be happy, stay busy, keep the neurons firing.

And let me say, I never know when the next Animoto type book trailer gizmo offering 30 seconds of free wizardry will roll out. I loved playing with Animoto for the book trailer. When an irresistible gizmo pops up, I’ll know to use it. Thanks to:

DAVID POGUE, The New York Times' former personal tech. columnist & award-winning writer. Although I have his archived pieces to console myself with, I miss David Pogue. He was the best tech reporter I read. And his departure at the end of 2013 for Yahoo sent readers off to eat extra scoops of coconut ice cream in their misery. His Times associates haven’t abandoned my need for information. And they sweetly collect their talented colleague's works, which they no doubt learned much from.

TECHZULU. Frequently the sun rises in the west, as far as my knowing of new developments, such as StoryBots & salted caramel. The California based TECHZULU provides go-to news. Here is their report with video, from the first inklings I gleaned about StoryBots. Noodle around the categories & find your favorite departments.. And alert your daughter or son, who is the next David Pogue, to apply at TECHZULU with a whisper that I sent them.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL. Can’t praise SLJ enough. This meaty standard of our children’s literature world doesn’t leave me wanting for tech news that specifically relates to all things publishing & children’s lit.  SLJ delivers with concise & savvy details, but doesn't overload. Currently the department I most access is The Digital Shift & the names I seem to see at the top of stories I read are Sarah Bayliss & Roy Tennant. But I trust any byline.

 

So that’s only 3 mega-sources. 

I'm sure there are others.

GIVEAWAY-

Comment.
About the subject of this blog.
Or about writing for children.

With each comment also  leave your real name if that is not the automatic comment name (for example, when mine isn’t my name, it is Bookseedstudio.)

Two prize-winners:

One

A surprise item from my children’s literature vault (U.S. & Canada postal mail, only.)

Two

A complimentary critique of your poem for children, up to 50 words (so, several children's poems, possibly.)

The winners pick prize One, or Two

(Two is automatically yours if you are outside Canada & the U.S.)

For this drawing supervised by the bunny helper in the magician’s hat, 
comments must be left on this particular post (& not emailed, called in, sent by semaphores, postal package, or other method) through NOON EST, Wed. MAY 28^th 2014.
 So why not get them in by May 27? 
Or even, this week?

Good luck! 

Further note - enter up to 3 times, any time before deadline.
Remember to include your real name each time, with differing comments, of course. 
And you may leave 3 separate comments in the same day.

Please return to our Grog Blog tomorrow for GROGGER Tina Cho's part 2 of zippy tips about educational market writing.

THANKS for following the GROUP BLOG. We are glad you are here. 

Article citation:

April 15, 2014 Group Blog/Blogger "Giveaway + Unhappy About David Pogue" by Jan Godown Annino

© Jan Godown Annino. All rights reserved.