Tales from the Rushmore Kid

Tip Tap Pop Blog Tour - Agent Deborah Warren

Today I am happy to be part of Sarah Lynn Scheerger's blog tour for her picture book Tip Tap Pop.  Her agent,  Deborah Warren from East/West Literary Agency, gives us some insight into Sarah and the changing market of children's publishing.

What was it about Sarah’s work that inspired you to offer her representation?
 
Sarah's solid writing was the first clue that we had someone special here. Then came the ability to get teen dialogue just right without going over to the dark side of current teen slang (which ages faster than a peach on a hot summer day),followed by her talent for creating a strong voice and plot; in particular, her facility with developing characters throughout the story with telling little details.

Editor Lynne Polvino - Blog Tour - Jimi, Sounds Like a Rainbow

I am so impressed with this new picture book, Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow, by Gary Golio with art by Javaka Steptoe.  It is about the late guitar player Jimi Hendrix as a boy, and it is just marvelous.  The beautiful art and the story made me want to run and play some Hendrix. I was also intrigued as to how and why this story was told.  I am so pleased to be part of the Jimi Blog Tour with an interview with Clarion editor, Lynne Polvino, who answered those questions and more. (Leave a comment for book giveaway raffle.)

Jimi Hendrix seems an unlikely subject for a picture book. What intrigued you about this story?

My mother is a music professor and I grew up surrounded by and loving all kinds of music, including rock, so it made sense to me that kids would be interested in a story about the childhood of one of the most famous and influential guitar players of all time.

Nancy Allen- The Happy Birthday Song

A few months back, a publicist sent me a picture book about the two sisters who wrote the "Happy Birthday" song.  I loved it.  When the review was posted I heard from the author, Nancy Allen, and I asked her to give me an interview for the blog.

When and why did you start writing for children?

I began playing with the idea of writing books for children when I entered a master’s degree program in library science at the University of Kentucky. A professor encouraged me to review books for library journals. I followed through with her advice and found that I actually enjoyed writing reviews. When I got a job as a librarian and read books to kids every day, I decided to write books. After all, how hard could it be to write a short text for a picture book?

Z is for Zombie - Merrily Kunter

My buddy Merrily Kunter writes the funniest picture books.  Her latest paperback is a great gift for Halloween.  With illustrations by John Manders, Z is for Zombie is a wonderful spooky romp.  Merrily uses every scary monster and makes up a few of her own to complete the alphabet, from A ("Alien beings without a face land in ships from outer space") to Z ("From the earth the Zombies rise.  Walking corpses terrorize") This is not for the really little ones but more for those reluctant reader boys who love anything scary or gross.

Fairview Felines Blog Tour - Agent Mark McVeigh

I met Michele Corriel last January at the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York.  She is a dedicated RA and a member of the class of 2K10 with her debut novel, Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery.  I am thrilled to be part of her Blog Tour with an interview by our mutual agent, the wonderful Mark McVeigh.

What was it about Michele's work that first attracted your attention and caused you to offer representation?

Michele's clear and on-target voice, her humor, and her ability to create memorable characters blew me away when I read ALL OF THE ABOVE, the novel that is out on submission right now.

Cleopatra Rules - The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen

As you have read, I am a nut for nonfiction and I had been waiting for the release of Cleopatra Rules!  The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen for some time.  Fellow blogger Vicky Alvear Shecter took bits of boring history and wove it into an exciting book about Cleopatra. I have been to Egypt more than once and consider myself an amateur historian of the pharaohs, but Vicky surprised me again and again with new information and tells her story with such humor that both kids and adults will love this book.

Editor Marilyn Brighman - Ogg & Bob Blog Tour

I am pleased to be part of the Ogg & Bob blog tour.  My buddy, prolific author/illustrator Mary Ann Fraser, and her son, author Ian Fraser, wrote and illustrated this new series about the adventures of cave boys Ogg & Bob. What a hoot these chapter books are--and perfect for reluctant readers.

For each day of the tour, Mary Ann Fraser will be  giving away an original piece of art from Ogg and Bob to a randomly selected commenter. So follow the tour and be sure to comment to enter. Winners will be announced on Monday October 18, so be sure to check back to Mary Ann's blog to see if you have won.

I am thrilled to interview Mary Ann and Ian's editor Marilyn Brighman from Marshal Cavendish.

Ogg & Bob is a wacky look at cave boy life, and unusual because the illustrator and the author are mother and son.  With that in mind, what challenges and advantages were there?

Marshall Cavendish loves developing new talent, and it was fun to work with a young, creative, first-time author like Ian. Usually a new author will have to be coached a bit in the ways of the marketplace because they’re new to the field. In this case I didn’t really need to, because Mary Ann, his mom and the artist of these books, is already established in the field and took care of that.

On a Windy Night - Nancy Raines Day

It's that time of year for Halloween books. There are juicy pickings this year, and On a Windy Night is one of them.  Keeping it spooky but humorous as well, Nancy Raines Day spins a tale of a boy on his way home alone from trick-or-treating. With lyrical words, delightfully illustrated by George Bates, Nancy tells the story of a boy seeing and hearing skeletons and ghosts around every corner...until the end, where all is revealed. A great Halloween gift for a young reader's library. Much better than candy!