Aggie Authors at U. C. Davis Picnic Day 2009

Join Aggie Alumni Authors Lynn E. Hazen, Erin Dealey and Carol Peterson at U.C. Davis Picnic Day on Saturday April 18th!

Free, of course!

First we'll be at the MultiCultural Children’s Faire at U.C. Davis
HART COURTYARD STAGE (billed as CAL AGGIES AUTHORS)
11:00AM-12:15PM
STORYTIME & FUN ACTIVITIES WITH AGGIE ALUM CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHORS!
Meet Aggie children’s book authors, Lynn E.Hazen, Erin Dealey & Carol Peterson.

Then from 12:30-1:30 we'll be at the U.C. Davis Bookstore giving a presentation on: How to Become a Children’s Book Author

Three successful UCD Aggie alumni children’s authors will share tips and how to’s of writing for children & young adults from 12:30-1:30 pm at the UCD bookstore on Picnic Day, Saturday, April 18th. Q & A, autographs, and book sales. (Meet all 3 authors, Erin Dealey, Lynn E. Hazen & Carol Peterson for story time at the Multicultural Children’s Fair 11-12:15 (Hart Stage) just prior to the bookstore presentation. Aggies and non-Aggies of all ages are welcome to both events!

For more information, maps and schedules of everything that's happening at Picnic Day got to: http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu

Forecast: Sunshine and a whole lot of Picnic Day Fun!

Bad Poetry Friday Awards Announced!

It's time to announce the winners of last Friday's Bad Poetry Friday contest.

We had 2 votes for Karen
1 vote for Betsy
and 1 vote for Kate (with hands and feet thrown in).

However, as Erin commented,
"...in this case NOT winning might be a good thing?"

I think you are right Erin. So...
Our Booo-bery winner is Erin Dealey because:
1. She says she wants to be a Booo-bery author.
2. She mostly followed the rules re: brevity and being related to children's books.

The Mal-decott goes to Karen Ehrhardt as she got the most votes (2), her poem was related to writing (and it was brief!)

The Poo-litzer is awarded to Stacy Dillon. I really liked her mention of the Dewey Decimal numbers, didn't you? How many of you researched what books were shelved at 612.6? How many already knew?

I say Julie Larios and Kate Coombs tie for the No-Bell Prize.

Which leaves the Michael J. Wince Award for Betsy Bird and her 1492 poem with rotting gum and a moldy smelling bus!

As you can see, pretty much everyone is a winner here at Bad Poetry Friday, which is why YOU should send your original bad poem (any day of the week) after reading these rules/guidelines.

Here's how to play:
Just make up really bad original rhymes poking good-natured fun at the frequent craziness of the children’s book world. Then send in your bad rhyme (any day of the week) in the body of your message (no attachments, please) to BadPoetryFriday@gmail.com.

Everyone’s invited--writers, editors, marketing folks, librarians, agents, reviewers, booksellers, and readers—cast your meter to the wind and send us your BAD POETRY please.

We’ll post the best (or the worst) depending on our mood every Friday (or every other Friday).
Let us know if you want to be credited or anon.

8 short lines max
6 or 4 lines even better.
2 lines might be best of all.
We’re going for short here, folks--
Because if it’s gonna be bad, it better be brief!

Forecast: See you next week once again for Bad Poetry Friday.

Double Book Launch Party for Seymour & Harriet!

Everyone is invited to a Double Book Launch Party!!

Lynn E. Hazen 's, THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL
&
Elissa Haden Guest's , HARRIET'S HAD ENOUGH!

Please join us in the celebration!

Saturday May 16th

10 a.m. to noon
at Cover to Cover in San Francisco

1307 Castro St
(between 24th St & Jersey St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 282-8080

Here is what Kirkus has to say about my favorite snail...

"Seymour Snail is an endearing artist..."

"Cushman’s anthropomorphized bugs from the art gallery are a hoot..."

"Creative wordplay abounds..."

"Engaging characters and winning art create a solid addition to the field of transitional literature."
KIRKUS REVIEWS, April 1, 2009

www.LynnHazen.com

www.ElissaHadenGuest.com



(Paul Meisel’s) "… rosy pinks and golden tans convey the warmth of the family home.”
School Library Journal

"Young readers will be reassured by the tale's comforting message that a family's love is constant…”

"This amusing peek at a common childhood scenario will satisfy parents and children alike."
Kirkus Reviews

Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing

Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing

This is so cool! It just arrived in my mailbox from Vermont College of Fine Arts. I love Vermont College. I got my MFA there in Writing for Children & Young Adults. Who doesn't love Vermont College? Who doesn't love Katherine Paterson? Not to mention $1000 prize money for this contest! Who doesn't want or need $1000 plus did I mention Katherine Paterson???? Wow!

Take a look:

Hunger Mountain presents the Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing

Calling all YA and children’s writers! We are thrilled to present the inaugural Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing in Hunger Mountain.

Hunger Mountain, the arts journal of Vermont College of Fine Arts, will launch our new online arts journal early this summer. Our new site will include YA and Children’s Literature; we’ll feature articles on hot topics and trends in YA and children’s literature, interviews with publishing industry insiders, and fiction selections by well-known and up-and-coming YA and children’s authors. Upcoming issues will feature pieces by Katherine Paterson, Carrie Jones, Cynthia Leitich Smith, K.A. Nuzum, Rita Williams-Garcia, Sara Zarr and many others!

Writers of Young Adult Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, and Picture Books are encouraged to enter the Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing. Newbery Award winning author Katherine Paterson will judge. We’re looking for unpublished YA and children’s writing. One winner will receive $1000.00 and publication in Hunger Mountain online, and two honorable mentions will receive $100.00 each.

Entries may include:
• Young Adult Fiction (novel excerpt or short story)
• Middle Grade Fiction (novel excerpt or short story)
• Picture Book (text only)

Submission Fee: $20 per entry

Deadline: Entries must be postmarked by June 30th, 2009

Contest Guidelines:
Your packet should include four items:
• A one-page cover sheet that includes:
o Your name, address, email and phone number
o The title of your manuscript
o The category of your manuscript (YA, MG, PB)
o A brief (one to two paragraph/200 word) bio of yourself
o A brief (one to two paragraph/250 word) synopsis of your manuscript

• Your manuscript (original, unpublished work please):
o Up to 5,000 words of middle grade/young adult fiction, or one picture book manuscript (text only)
o Entries must be double-spaced, with margins of at least 1”
o Please number the pages of your entry, and label each page with the title
o Please DO NOT label the manuscript with your name (entries will be judged anonymously)
o Please paperclip (do not staple) your entry
• Entry Fee:
o Check or money order for $20, payable to Hunger Mountain
• Self-addressed, stamped envelope for notification of award winners
• A self-addressed, stamped postcard for us to acknowledge receipt of your entry (optional)

Packets should be mailed to:
Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing
Hunger Mountain
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602

Forecast: A whole lot of good writing in Hunger Mountain!

Draw a Bunny!

Just in case you (or your children) are a bit bouncy from too many jelly beans, malted eggs, marshmallow peeps or chocolate bunnies, this fun How to Draw a Bunny page (an 8 1/2 x 11 free downloadable pdf) might be the perfect activity. Enjoy.

The How to Draw a Bunny page was created by Elyse Pastel,
illustrator of my young chapter book, Cinder Rabbit.
Download your free 8 1/2 by 11 pdf  here.
Read an interview with Elyse Pastel at:
www.CinderRabbit.com

Let the Competition Begin for Bad Poetry Friday!

We promised a Bad Poetry Contest so here it is. We have imaginary prizes to award, too. But Imaginary Readers, first I need your help and your comments to help judge the contest.

Last Friday we saw 17-year-old Betsy Bird's untitled entry for our Bad Poetry Friday Contest. We now have 5 more brave contestants competing with Betsy for this round of Bad Poetry Friday! So for your Bad Poetry reading pleasure, here they come. After reading them all, please use the comments to tell me which you think is "the best of the worst" and why. Prizes for the best bad poems include The Mal-decott, The Booooo-bery, The Poo-litzer, The No-Bell, and the Michael J. Wince Awards. Oh yes, I know those are cringingly bad. It is Bad Poetry Friday after all.

Please comment on your favorites and help me choose the Best of the Worst.

Let the competition begin:

Entry # 1: Untitled and apparently unfinished poem by Betsy Bird of SLJ Fuse # 8, written when she was 17 years old.

Back in 1492
Columbus sailed the ocean blue
And 92 was once for us
The year we rode that great old bus
Of dusty metal, brown and old
That smelt of rotting gum with mold

Entry # 2:
ee ehrhardt, oops--I mean Karen Ehrhardt sends us this one:
i
b
sucha
bad poet...
u wanna hear
how i come to know it?
my rejection collection show it!
'that's all she wrote.'
'nuff said.
the end.
a.k.a.
fin.

Entry # 3:
Julie Larios of The Drift Record says:
Hiya, Lynn -
I salute Betsy Bird's poem written with heart at age 17 - nothing beats sincere poetry written by a teenager, unless it's poetry by Leonard Nimoy, which beats ALL other comers. But here is my contribution for the week, shaped by your suggestion, Lynn, that if it's going to be bad, it should be brief:

Stellar Thoughts

Every time
a star twinkles
it means
an angel tinkles.

Julie also states, "I love Bad Poetry Fridays. Like sherbet - it clears the palate."

Entry # 4:
Stacy Dillon (a school librarian) of Welcome to my Tweendom sends her fun poem which had me running to find out what a particular number of the Dewey Decimal system was all about.

I was working in a school library.
3 students of mine were named Harry.
They never knew,
what Dewey would do,
So shelved 612.6 under "scary"!

Entry # 5:

From author Erin Dealey:

Which came first--the writer or the egg?

Dear Editor, my manuscript--? (I'm trying not to beg.)

Has any bunny read it yet?
There, ok, I asked it.

All I want for Easter is a contract in my basket.

And Entry # 6: (which coincidentally has a Dear Editor and Bunny theme, too)
from Kate Coombs at Book Aunt. Kate says, "Hey, sorry I forgot about your line length rules. I blame it on the example of the coffee theft people! But I'll send this just the same..." (I think she's talking about Jules & Eisha's previous poem!)

Dear Editor (or, Why the Publisher's Mailbox Is Full)

I wrote about a dear sweet little bunny,

A story both cute and nice and adorable and funny.

My grandchildren love it.

They say it's not one bit

Yucky. No, they say, "Granny,

Whose first name isn't actually Franny,

Someone should make a book

Out of your bunny story, oh look look!

And we will even draw the pictures for you

Because the best grandma of all is most definitely you."

The bunny's name is Billy--

Isn't that perfectly quaint, not in the least silly?

So, dear editor, I beg,

Please buy my story, it's like a darling Easter egg!

The title is Billy Bunny Makes a Friend.

You have to read it all the way to The End.

--Kate Coombs (Book Aunt at http://bookaunt.blogspot.com)

Imaginary Readers, please cast your votes and your opinions in the comments function right below there. Which do you think is the best of the bad?

Then don't be aftraid to cast your meter to the wind and send YOUR bad poetry any day of the week to: BadPoetryFriday@gmail.com.

Here's how to play.

Seymour Snail and Cinder Rabbit Book Widgets--What Will They Think of Next?

As my sweet grandma Dessie used to say, "Would you look at that! What will they think of next?"

Something new, nifty, easy and fun perhaps? I was poking around the Henry Holt website this morning. Look what I found--nifty book widgets for free--for folks to add to their sites or blogs.
I will give it a try right here.

If you'd like to add a Seymour or Cinder Book Widget to your blog or review site, just zip on over to Holt's web site here for the Seymour Book Widget, and here for the Cinder Rabbit Book Widget and pick yourself up some free and easy html code to simply copy and paste into your review. **

I'd be thrilled if you decide to add one of these fun widgets to your blog so we can perform a little Social Media Experiment to see how quickly our slow snail can slime his way across the wide wonderful world of the Kidlitosphere. Seymour thanks you for giving it a try.

Cinder would be hoppy if you tried her widget, too.


If you need a review copy of Seymour or Cinder, please let me know and I'll ask Holt if they still have review copies available. (Of course it'll help if you are a reviewer of books for younger children so please tell me where you review books).

** helpful hint: if you end up with a big white space (as I did at first) where you posted some of the html, just delete all the code prior to the "embed source ..." and keep all the "embed source ..." including the <> enclosures at each end.

And if you do add one of the widgets to your blog or review site, please let me know how it worked and where you posted it. Thanks!

Forecast: Seymour's Book Widget slowly (or quickly) oozing along at a his own pace. What do you think, Imaginary Readers? What will they think of next?