Archive for May, 2010
Book Review | Busing Brewster
by Richard Michelson
Score: 3.5
illustrated by R.G. Roth © 2010, Alfred A. Knopf. Teach Them to Your Children. Richard Michelson has written another excellent piece of historical fiction, this time about the “forced busing” of black students into white schools during the 1970s. Using a minimum of words and supported by the 70s-style ink and watercolor collages of R.G. [...]
NESCBWI Conference 2010: “Come prepared to take notes.”
05/18/10
I spent this past weekend in the company of very creative people – children’s book writers and illustrators. In other words, I spent the weekend in heaven. Well, mostly in heaven. After all, we were meeting in Fitchburg, MA. Nevertheless, Richard Michelson, Cynthia Leitch Smith, Kim Ablon Whitney, Marla Frazee and Allyn Johnston to drop a few wondrous names had gathered there to mingle and converse about the craft of writing for children. The New England chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (NESCBWI), of which I am a member, put this extraordinary event together.
I learned so much it is difficult to put it into words. Have I mentioned I am writing a children’s book? No? My apologies, I am currently working on a few picture book manuscripts. As part of that endeavor, I joined NESCBWI, started a writing group (I now have four, new, extraordinarily gifted BFFs), and decided that I would attend a writing conference.
I learned when signing up for the weekend’s events, that I had the option to submit a manuscript for a critique by a professional editor or agent. My first reaction was – why do that? Why not live with the fantasy that I am an excellent writer, and the book is perfect as is. Why let someone burst the balloon and ruin what promises to be a lovely weekend?
Nevertheless, on Friday I found myself waiting for a critique of my work in progress by an editor from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. I can’t remember the last time I was that nervous. I had read the editor’s bio that said she was looking for “Middle Grade boy books.” I had sent in a picture book manuscript about a girl. I was wondering why they paired me with her and worrying that I was wasting her time.
However, when I sat down the editor’s first words were, “I like your idea. I showed it to my boss, and she liked it too.” I know this because I wrote down everything she said. A sheet in my Conference Registration Packet entitled “Making the Most of Your Critique” said “come prepared to take notes.” I was prepared. I took notes. As the editor provided me with a line-by-line critique of my picture book manuscript, I listened carefully and took copious notes. At the end, I simply said, “Have I told you I love you?” She smiled and told me how to send her the manuscript after I had made the revisions. I took more notes. I had received a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory! I floated out of the critique room, notes firmly in hand.
So many extraordinary experiences occurred over the weekend, it is difficult to synthesize them all into a short blog. However, I took notes, so here are some highlights:
- Cynthia Leitich Smith (of cynsations fame in the kidlitosphere), one of the keynote speakers, provided the following jewels of wisdom: “All stories start with a moment of change.” “You probably should not kill Santa Claus in a book for young readers.” “Don’t Panic!” “Celebrate!” “Write the kind of book you love to read.” Her speech was uplifting, optimistic and empowering. What more could you ask from the kick-off speaker?
- I believe Marla Frazee, illustrator of All the World and many other beautiful books, is Jewish, although I asked her, and she said she is not. The reason I say this is that she studies manuscript texts prior to illustrating just like a Jew studies Torah prior to writing a D’var. She looks for what’s not there, the white space, the emotion, the material behind the words that she may not be seeing. Marla Frazee’s illustrations are a midrash of the text the author writes.
- Allyn Johnston, Vice President & Publisher, Beach Lane Books, who was a keynote speaker along with Marla Frazee, has a favorite question. “Is the end working yet?” Her passion for children’s literature is palpable. I could not take notes fast enough while listening to all the advice she was providing.
The weekend continued that way. “Come prepared to take notes.” Walk into any room. Sit down, have your notebook and pens ready. Wisdom was flying everywhere – in workshops, at the dinner tables, at the lunch tables, in the hallways. Creative, helpful people had gathered. Everybody wanted to share the latest from the workshop just attended or overheard standing in the lunch line. Everyone wanted everyone else to succeed. “Come prepared to take notes.” The volunteers who put the weekend together, the faculty who taught and all the attendees who came made sure that everyone was prepared, and no one missed a thing. Thanks to everyone for creating a memorable weekend in Fitchburg!
Happy Reading,
Kathy B.
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Book Review | mockingbird (mok’ing-bûrd)
by Kathryn Erskine
Score: 3.5
© 2010, Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Group, USA. Caitlin is in Fifth Grade when her older brother, Devon, is shot and killed during a school shooting. Caitlin has Asperger’s Syndrome, and Devon was the one person in the world who could help her navigate life’s difficulties and do things “the right way.” Everyone [...]
Book Review | Marcelo in the Real World
by Francisco X. Stork
Score: 4
© 2009, Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. Marcelo Sandoval is 18-years-old and making plans for the summer between his junior and senior year at Paterson High School, a special preparatory school for children with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). Looking forward to working as the stable man at Paterson, in charge of [...]