Tales from the Rushmore Kid

Awesome Recent Books--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

My May and June Book Picks have inspired me to post a list of my favorite recently published fantasies.

After making up the list, I realized how subjective it is--many of these achieve a similar atmosphere, even though the worlds and specifics are different. Plus, all of the authors are women! Not intentional--I've read and loved plenty of fantasies by men, but these are my most recent favorites.

I am sure everyone will have their own unique list, but here is mine, in no particular order:

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor
Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo
The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Cinder, A Cyborg Cinderella, by Marissa Meyer
Finnikin of the Rock, by Melina Marchetta
Seven Realms series, by Cinda Williams Chima

At least, these are my favorites today. And if I went back to my bookshelf, I would keep adding to my list.
(There's Crewel, The Diviners, Monsters of Men, The 5th Wave--OK, that's enough!!!!)

Lynn

Agent Jill Corcoran - Revision Tip of the Day

I have known the talented Jill Corcoran for many years.  She is a poet, author and now a very successful agent.  At L.A. Writer's Day this year I asked Jill to give us a Revision Tip of the Day.

Shadow and Bone--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

June's Book Pick is the stylish YA fantasy, SHADOW AND BONE, by Leigh Bardugo.

Alina and Mal have always been there for each other, first as orphans reared in the home of Duke Keramsov, and later in Ravka's First Army. Until the day they attempt to cross the pitch black Fold, inhabited by monstrous, flesh-eating volcra. When the volcra attack and Mal is about to die, Alina brings forth a power that has lain dormant within her, a power which lights the darkness and chases away the demons. This awakening power earns Alina a privileged life with the elite Grisha, as the only Sun Summoner in the kingdom. But it also takes her into the court of the mysterious and powerful Darkling, and away from Mal.

Ventura Reading Association - U.C. Channel Islands

For me, one of the best parts of being a published author is the opportunity to perform.  Being a natural born ham, I love it!  This is a picture of me at the Ventura Reading Association Children's Author Festival in April, where I was the spot light author. I dressed the kids like the Rushmore Presidents and had them hold the dolls of that particular president as I asked trivia presidential questions.  I had a blast, and I look forward to many more performances in schools in the years to come.

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned from My Cats: 4" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

LESSON THREE: SCRATCH WHERE IT ITCHES
(Or: What Do You Do when an Idea Won't Leave You Alone?)

Cats scratch in public. No matter where it itches. Not very couth, but there you are.

I don’t recommend that writers follow this example literally. But metaphorically, I think it’s a good idea to scratch where it itches.

Laurisa White Reyes - Writing Tip of the Day

Children's author Laurisa White Reyes gives us a Writing Tip of the Day.  No matter how often I have heard this tip, I can always hear it again.

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 3" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

LESSON TWO: MAKE DARING LEAPS
(Or: Are you a Planner or a Seat-of-the-Pantser?)

Cats are powerful jumpers—some more than others. Making the leap from the floor to the bed was as daring as my cat Patches got. The new pillow-top mattress, a scant two inches thicker than the old one, made her nightly leap a major challenge.

Miguel, on the other hand, was born to leap. With the right motivation—a Great Dane with a basso profundo bark, for instance—Miguel could sail over an eight-foot fence without touching it.

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 2" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

LESSON ONE: BE CURIOUS
(Or: What's So Wrong About Eavesdropping?)

Cats are endlessly curious, sniffing about, exploring every nook and cranny that presents itself. My cat Miguel loved to reconnoiter the basement of our old house in Seattle and forever had cobwebs in his whiskers. Patches, lacking a basement in our Southern California condo, discovered the kitchen and bathroom cupboards, which she opened with her dainty little paws before disappearing inside. (The liquour cabinet seemed to be her favorite.)

May Recommendations--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

Here are some of my favorite reads from this past month:

Novels:
ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE, by Benjamin Alire Saenz, won a 2013 Printz Honor. After reading a discussion on depictions of race in book covers, I saw that this book about two Mexican American teens has no images of the characters on its cover. (Apparently, when the main characters aren't white, covers tend not to show them.) Yes, absolutely, it's insulting but it can also be a welcome relief--I dislike many of the covers that have photos of teens on them, white or otherwise, and wish books with white protagonists would do away with the photos, as well. Anyway, this is an amazing book--a beautifully written, well constructed look at finding friendship and true love.

DARK TRIUMPH, by Robin LaFevers, is the second book in the His Fair Assassins trilogy. This time around we hang on the words of Sybella, one of Death's fierce assassins, as she survives life in the castle of her evil father, and attempts to escort wounded soldier Beast back into the service of the Duchess. Intricate and intense, romantic fantasy doesn't get much better than this.

REQUIEM, by Lauren Oliver, is a satisfying conclusion to the dystopian Delirium Trilogy. First person present POV alternates between "invalid" resistance fighter Lena, and her "cured" best friend Hana, who has remained behind in Portland's loveless society. Non-stop action and romantic entanglements make this book hard to put down. (You'll want to read Delirium and Pandemonium first.)

Editor Steve Meltzer

I am one lucky author.  When my former editor left Dutton in 2006 I was assigned the wonderful Steve Meltzer.  Over the years Steve has become one of my good buddies as well as my outstanding editor.  Generous to a fault, he always takes my calls, was game to be interviewed for my blog tour and endures my requests for a Writing Tip of the Day every time I see him. Today's Tip is about submitting.

Genetta Adair - Writing Tip of the Day

The best thing about the SCBWI is the people in the organization.  I have been lucky enough to be part of the Midsouth listserve for years, even though I live in Southern California. The Southern Belles and Gents welcomed me on board and have been lovingly supported throughout my publishing journey.  At the Winter conference I ran into one of my favorite Southern Belles, Genetta Adair.  Former RA for her region, Genetta is kind, generous and a talented writer.  I asked her to give us a Writing Tip of the Day.

Happy Mother's Day - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the social media files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

When holidays roll around, I usually share a poem that relates to it. Sunday is Mother's Day. Before I started looking for a piece for today's blog post, I read something written by my colleague and Facebook friend, children's author and illustrator Nina Laden, and it moved me so much that I decided I wanted to share it instead of a poem. I hope it moves you as it did me.

Nina lives in the great Pacific Northwest, which I am soon to call my permanent home. She is the author/illustrator of 15 picture books, including such great titles as The Night I Followed the Dog, Private I. Guana, When Pigasso Met Mootisse, Peek-A-Who?, Roberto the Insect Architect, An Ant's Day Off, and her most recent, Button Nose.

Nina's mother died when Nina was only 24. One of the things she left her daughter was a library of books, complete with handwritten notes. Recently Nina came across a letter her mom had written her and stuffed in a book of Walt Whitman's poetry. It's a wonderful love letter from a mom to her daughter, and Nina has kindly given me permission to share it. I hope you'll visit Nina's blog and read the entire post. It's lovely! And it's no wonder that Nina is a writer and artist.

The False Prince--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

May's Book Pick is the fabulous mid-grade fantasy, THE FALSE PRINCE, by Jennifer A. Nielsen. I have been looking forward to my May and June picks for some time now--they are two of my favorite recently published fantasies, which are also two of my favorite books from 2012. (Stay tuned for Leigh Bardugo's SHADOW AND BONE for June.)

The False Prince begins when nobleman Bevin Connor scours the Carthyan countryside to round up orphans who resemble the late Prince Jaron, known to have drowned at sea four years previously. The King, Queen, and remaining Prince have just been killed, and a successor must be chosen quickly. Four boys are chosen to compete for the role of impersonating Prince Jaron, who will mysteriously return from the dead to lead his country in this time of crisis.

Sage is one of these orphans, a street smart, thoroughly clever boy, who is well aware that if he loses, he will probably die. But Sage struggles to retain his integrity in the midst of the deceit, and he has quite a few tricks up his own sleeve, to the dismay of Connor and the other potential princes.

Jo S. Kittinger - Writing Tip of the Day

An SCBWI RA and talented author, Jo S. Kittinger has written one of my favorite books, Rosa's Bus, the story of what happened to the bus that Rosa Parks rode on when she refused to give up her seat, creating an unforgettable moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Jo generously gives us the Writing Tip of the Day.

The Language of Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

It’s the last weekend of National Poetry Month for 2013. I’ve enjoyed talking about poetry and sharing poems here and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/barbarajeanhicks) throughout the month of April. Poetry has a language all its own, and even if the writer in you doesn't consider you a poet, understanding and employing this special language can make any piece of prose you write sing like a poem.

Like many other forms of literature, poetry makes use of imagery, metaphor, symbol, allusion, connotation and tone to communicate an idea and produce a desired effect. It is the music of language, however, that some writers feel sets a piece of writing apart from its literary counterparts as the thing we call “a poem.” Edgar Allan Poe described poetry as “music combined with a pleasurable idea,” for instance. Laurence Perrine’s classic text on poetry, Sound and Sense, posits that the poet uses verbal music to enhance meaning and communicate an idea more fully. 

But musical language is not just for poetry. If you have a story draft completed, particularly if you write picture books, check it against the list below. Does your manuscript utilize any of these musical devices? Can you find ways to tweak your language to include more verbal music?

April Recommendations--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

I've been busy reading this past month, and have some titles I would love to share:

Novels:
One that I just can't stop thinking about is MAGGOT MOON, by Sally Gardner. Set in the bleakest of worlds (think England in the 1950s if the Germans had won WWII), the Motherland has complete control over everything. Standish Treadwell's parents have disappeared, and he lives with his grandfather in a rat-infested pit of a neighborhood. Considered stupid because he can't read or write, Standish is actually an extremely creative thinker. By combining his wits and his bravery, Standish makes a difference. This book is unique, beautifully written, and quick to read.

Ruta Sepetys's second book, OUT OF THE EASY, is very different from her Newbery Honor book, Shades of Grey. It's a complex and interesting story about seventeen year old Josie Moraine, the daughter of a prostitute in 1950s New Orleans. Josie works hard. She excels in school, cleans the brothel, and works at a bookstore. But Josie aspires to a better life--she wants to go to Smith college up in Massachusetts. Nothing is easy, though: Josie's life is a tangled web of loyalty, betrayal, love and murder.

Heather Tomlinson - Writing Tip of the Day

I have known Heather Tomlinson for many years.  She is one of my good buds who worked hard, honed her craft and now is the published author of three fantasy novels.  Heather left California, but I ran into her at the Winter conference and she gave me a tried and true Writing Tip of the Day that I feel we all need to hear again and again.

Priscilla Burris - Illustration Tip of the Day

One of the most talented, generous, and wonderful members of the SCBWI board is Priscilla Burris. Illustrator of over ninety books, Priscilla has coordinated the illustrator area of the SCBWI for years. With a joyous heart, Priscilla gives her Illustrator Tip of the Day.

Wonder--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

My Book Pick for April is WONDER, by R. J. Palacio. This heartfelt and moving novel got quite a bit of contender buzz for the 2013 Newbery Award.

August Pullman is a very sympathetic hero, earnest, hard-working, and sweet. Because of his severe facial deformities, he has been sheltered all of his life, home schooled by his mom, and petted by an extremely loving and supportive family. But now that Auggie is ten, his mother wants him to attend a "real" school with other kids. The transition is not an easy one, to say the least. But while persevering through the many, many tough situations that arise with his new peers (and their parents), Auggie somehow manages to find the good in his life, the wonder, and to keep an optimistic spirit.

Tracy Barrett - Writing Tip of the Day

Prolific author, brainiac and all around great gal, Tracy Barrett has come up with an interesting way to write. I guarantee you haven't heard this one before.

March Recommendations--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

Here are some terrific books I have been reading recently:

Novels:

SCARLET is the second of four projected books in the Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer. The first, Cinder, was the fabulously told story of a cyborg Cinderella. As a follow-up, Scarlett does not disappoint. This time around, the story is based on Little Red Riding Hood, and comes complete with a French teenager, her missing grandmother, and Wolf, who is a very strong person with pointy teeth. The action is non-stop, and intertwines nicely with the plot begun in Cinder. The third installment will be based on Rapunzel. These are really fun books. The audio for Cinder was good, too.

NAVIGATING EARLY, by Newbery medalist Clare Vanderpool, is an inspiring coming-of-age odyssey through the backwoods of Maine. When Jack Baker's mother dies, Jack finds himself uprooted from his home in Kansas. Taken to boarding school in Maine, he becomes an outsider, "with nowhere to call home, at a school with no baseball, unable to row a boat straight." Then Jack meets Early Auden, a strange boy who lives in the school's basement and makes up stories about the mathematical number pi. This is a story about finding one's way through landscapes both mythical and real, while learning the true meaning of friendship.  

NEVER FALL DOWN, by Patricia McCormick, is a hard-hitting look at Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge march in. What makes this subject inspiring as well as heartbreaking is the narrator, Arn Chorn-Pond, a real person whose story is told through the skillful writing of McCormick. Though it's called a novel, Arn was in fact captured by soldiers who took him, his family, and many entire villages to labor camps to be worked to death or shot on a whim. But Arn is a survivor, and an adult now, he travels around the world, working for humanitarian causes and speaking about his experiences. It's beautifully written. Patricia McCormick also wrote Sold, a previous Book Talk book about Nepalese girls sold into slavery.

 

Editor Steve Meltzer - Writing Tip of the Day

I am one lucky author. Six years ago when my first editor left Dutton, I was assigned the fabulous Steve Meltzer. A Teddy Bear of a guy, Steve is not only a wonderful editor but over the years has become my good friend. Any time I see him he is generous enough to give us a Writing Tip of the Day.

Suzanne Morgan Williams - Research Tip of the Day

Author and SCBWI RA for Nevada Suzanne Morgan Williams writes exceptional books. Her novel Bullrider has won numerous awards. I asked her how she did the intricate research for the novel and what I got was the Research Tip of the Day.

"Write What You Know" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of Guest Columnist
Barbara Jean Hicks,
children's book author and educator

You've heard it a thousand times: "Write what you know."

  But what does that mean, really? Does it mean you have to know a subject inside out before you have anything worthwhile to say about it? Does it mean you can't use settings you haven't traveled to? Does it mean your characters all have to be clones of yourself?

I say no, no, and no again. Our writing--and our lives--would be awfully dull if we wrote only about what we already know.

Writers are curious creatures. What interests you? What intrigues you? What do you NOT know and wish you did? That's what you'll want to write about. It gives us an excuse--as if we needed one--to research. To enter a different time in history, a different place, a different set of circumstances, a different world from our own. To enter the mind of a different sort of person from ourself and experience the world in a whole new way. To be wildly creative!

There is a way in which we must write what we know, however, if our writing is to be effective. And how is that, you ask? In what way must we write what we know?

Code Name Verity--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

I'm going to try to introduce CODE NAME VERITY, by Elizabeth Wein, intelligently, but I have just been crying my way through the last quarter of it, so let's see how I do.

"Verity," a spy for the British during World War II, is captured by the Nazi's when she looks the wrong way crossing a street in France. To buy herself some time, and perhaps avoid more brutal interrogation tactics in prison, she writes her confession. This includes information on the British war effort, but also describes her close friendship with Mattie Brodatt, a pilot who flies for the Air Transport Auxiliary. This is a very human take on World War II--the story concerns the lives of some of the pilots who flew for the British, as well as the French Resistance, but especially the effect of the war on these two outstanding female main characters, who were operating in a man's world. (Or, more specifically, as the Jamaican rear gunner says near the end, "It's a white man's world.") Verity and Maddie prove their competence and heroism over and over again through the course of this very complex novel.

Lee Wind - Conference Tip of the Day

I have known Lee Wind for many years. Author, SCBWI Team Blogger and advocate for GLBTQ youths, Lee is an inspiration to all. I tracked him down at the SCBWI Winter Conference and he had a wonderful conference tip.

February Recommendations--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

It seems like I am always looking for more time to read! Here are some books that I have recently enjoyed that I would like to share:

Novels:

CHICKADEE, by Louise Erdrich is the fourth book in her mid-grade Birchbark House series. The entire series is a terrific counterpoint to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. Erdrich follows Omakyas as she grows up and has children of her own, one of them being the title character of this new book. And Chickadee has won the 2013 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. (Erdrich also took home the National Book Award this past December for her adult book, Roundhouse.) All four books in this series have been a real treat to read.

April Halprin Wayland - Writing Tip of the Day

I have known April Halprin Wayland for many years.  Not only is she a talented, award-winning poet, she is also one of the most generous writers I know.  We were at a library event recently and I asked April to give us a Writing Tip of the Day. Here's what she had to say.

SCBWI Winter Conference - Interview with David Diaz

The SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City is always a blast. It gives me the opportunity to listen to and network with authors, illustrators and friends. This year at the Saturday night cocktail party, I pinned down my good bud, the fabulous Caldecott winner David Diaz, and interviewed him for the blog.

Of Storytelling and Storyteller Dolls - Barbara Jean Hicks

It's been a very emotional week. Yesterday a new owner closed on my mom and dad's house, a one-story house my dad had built for my mom fourteen years ago when she could no longer easily climb stairs, a house that has been my home for the last year and a half since my dad passed away and my mom has been in assisted living. A house that holds many stories, even though its bones are relatively young.

Except for the large furniture, I did most of the moving myself, taking many trips back and forth between Mom's house and the house I'm moving into. Many precious objects--precious because imbued with emotion and memories--have passed through my hands in the last few weeks. One of those is a doll, a sitting ceramic figurine, mouth open, with seven tiny figures sitting in its lap and draped across its shoulders--a Puebo Storyteller Doll.

Three Times Lucky--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

THREE TIMES LUCKY, by Sheila Turnage, was recently nominated for an Edgar Award and received a Newbery Honor as well. It's funny and sweet, with larger-than-life characters and a mystery that builds in intensity as the novel progresses.

Eleven years ago, Mo LoBeau washed downriver during a hurricane, and into the arms of the Colonel, a man with no memory of his past. Together with Miss Lana, a woman with a dramatic flair and a penchant for wearing wigs, the three of them run Tupelo Landing's only diner. When Mr. Jesse turns up dead, and Joe Starr comes to town to investigate a decades old robbery and murder, Mo and her best friend Dale create Desperado Detectives to get at the truth.

Mo is a feisty, smart, and very human character, always a few steps ahead of the adults around her, but she remains vulnerable and likable, even when she speaks her mind. Which she does--often. Sheila Turnage has endowed the town of Tupelo Landing with a plethora of interesting, and for the most part caring, adults who form a vibrant community.

Shrinking Violets Top Ten Marketing Tips

This is a Blast from the Past Interview that I still find very helpful.

Last year, authors Robin LaFevers and Mary Hershey started a promotion blog for shy authors, Shrinking Violets Blog.  I asked them to give me ten marketing tips to help us writers start off the new year.

1. Practice good marketing karma.
Don’t always be thinking “how can I promote my book” but rather "how can I entertain my audience or serve my reader. "

Celebrating Friendship in Children's Books - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of childrens author and educator Barbara Jean Hicks

Tis the season for candle-lit dinners, heart-shaped candy boxes and red roses—for some folks out there, I’m sure! For me, this year, ’tis the season to celebrate the true loves of my life—my friends, especially those long-time friends who have remained loving and loyal over many years, through thick and thin (and over the course of many romances!).

Some of my all-time favorite children’s books explore and celebrate friendship. Can you identify the title and author of the stories that capture the very special relationships between the following characters? (Answers below—don’t peek till you give yourself a chance to guess!)

1. Anne and Diana
2. Buddy and Miss Sook Falk
3. Frog and Toad (okay, this one’s a give-away!)
4. Jess and Leslie
5. Mike and Mary Anne
6. Nicky and Andrew
7. Omri and Little Bear
8. Ratty and Mole
9. Wanda, Maddie and Peggy
10. Wilbur and Charlotte

Michele Corriel - Writing Tip of the Day

At my first SCBWI Winter Conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Montana RA Michele Corriel.  We immediately hit it off and became fast friends. Not only is Michele a talented writer, she is a blast to hang out with. I asked her to give us a Writing Tip of the Day, and she shares a really easy but helpful way to start a novel.

Mary Cronk Farrell - Research Tip of the Day.

I love the SCBWI conferences. Not only are the workshops loaded with great information, the published authors attending always have all sorts of tips as well. Today, historical fiction writer Mary Cronk Farrell gives us an invaluable Research Tip of the Day.

 

Lynn Becker's Book Picks

In my first column for this blog, I posted my Best of 2012 picks. This time around, I have three picture books to talk about, ones that I have recently enjoyed:

I just read A IS FOR MUSK OX, written by Erin Cabatingan, illustrated by Matthew Myers. This book had the distinct disadvantage of being released just a few months after Z is for Moose, written by Kelly Bingham and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Extremely similar in content, each of these stories features a pushy animal (musk ox/moose) who wants to take over his alphabet book. Each of the stories even manages to feature a long suffering zebra! A is for Musk Ox is very funny, and should be a big hit to read aloud. Talk about bad timing, though--Z is for Moose is not an easy act to follow.

 

 

 

School Visits: An Author's Perk! (Barbara Jean Hicks)

from the files of
Educator & Children's Book Author
Barbara Jean Hicks

One of the great joys of writing for children is being with children!

I love visiting schools to talk to kids about writing and art, and it was a very special treat for me one day last Spring to go back to Central Elementary School in Ferndale, Washington--the school I attended as a child--as a featured workshop leader for their Young Artist's Fair. I spent all day working with several second grade classrooms, reading from MONSTERS DON'T EAT BROCCOLI and teaching an art lesson on color and pattern.

The great experience doesn't end with the visit. Often, teachers have their students write thank you notes that arrive a week or so later and make me understand anew why I do what a do. It's all about the kids!

Susan Salzman Raab - Promotion Tip of the Day

Susan Salzman Raab is the author of An Author's Guide to Children's Book Promotion. (If you are published or soon to be go buy it!!  It's invaluable!)  She is the marketing advisor for the SCBWI and President of Raab Assoociates Inc., a marketing and public relations agency that works with authors and publishers internationally.  I asked Susan to gives us a quick Promotion Tip of the Day. 

2012 Books of the Year - Lynn Becker's Book Picks

 

It's that time of year again. Awards are coming up, and everyone in the children's book world is talking about their favorites of the past year.

What books did you find the most moving? The most well written? The best-illustrated?

Do you have any predictions for the Newbery, Printz, or Caldecott Awards?

Here is my list of 2012 Favorites:

Picture books:

EXTRA YARN, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
I love the old-fashioned feel of this new and original story, and I think the pictures both illustrate and advance the text. I'm giving it my Caldecott vote.

Ann Haywood Leal - Writing Tip of the Day

One of the best things about the SCBWI conferences is that I get to meet all sorts of interesting writiers that I have admired for years.  Ann Haywood Leal is one such writer.  Great at middle grade novels, she also gives us a great writing tip of the day.

Lynn Becker's Book Picks - New Column for the New Year!!!

I am so pleased to announce a new columnist for the blog to do book reviews. Author/illustrator Lynn Becker has been a friend of mine for many years and her expertise and enthusiasm for children's books will make a valuable contribution to the blog.

Lynn currently contributes children’s book reviews to Shelf Awareness for Readers. She is on the Board of the SCBWI Central/Coastal California region, for which she has run a monthly online Children’s Book Talk for the last ten years. Lynn has worked commercially in animation for film and television, and has produced a number of award-winning, independent animated films of her own.

Her book of the month is featured on her website and What I am Reading.

http://lynnbeckerbooks.com/month.html 

http://lynnbeckerbooks.com/reading.html

 

Eureka Award - Grand Canyon Readers Nominee

Another one of the great things that happened to me this year with the release of my first picture book: the awards!  This was a part of publication that I never thought about or even hoped for.

In October, I was informed that Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose: Growing Up On Mount Rushmore was awarded the Silver Medal Honor Eureka Award, given by the California Reading  Association for outstanding nonfiction in Children's literature.  What an honor.

Then I was informed in November that my book is also a nominee for the 2014 Grand Canyon Readers Award for Nonfiction in Children's Books.  School kids in Arizona will now have to read the book and vote for their favorite out of ten nonfiction nominees.  I think I already won by having those kids read my book!

The South Dakota Book Festival

Now that my book is published, I get to spend more time in South Dakota.  I was invited to attend the fabulous South Dakota Book Festival in Sioux Falls for a week in late September.  The festival ran for five days and forty-seven authors presented and signed.  Of those, five of us were children's book authors: Sherman Alexie, Gary Schmidt, Lisa Yee, S.D. Nelson and me. Some company!

I had thought that everyone in South Dakota would know the story of Lincoln Borglum that I wrote about in Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose, but I was delighted that few actually did, so I got to tell it. To South Dakotans,  Mount Rushmore is like the barbecue in the back yard--it is just there.

I had a blast and hope to be invited back next year when the festival will be held in Deadwood.

Reviving Your Out-of-Print Novel as an E-book part 2 - Barbara Jean Hicks

 from the files of children's author
and educator Barbara Jean Hicks

As promised last week, here are the short version instructions for converting your out-of-print novel to e-book format for the Kindle and Nook. I've also provided a link to my second e-book, Cupid's Chase, for an example of marketing copy and keyword suggestions.

Because Amazon and Barnes and Noble provide free e-reader apps for the iPad, iPhone and Android powered devices, these instructions can be used to make your out-of-print novel available as an e-book on pretty much any electronic reading device, including PC’s and Macs. I’ve published two of my out of print novellas as e-books using these instructions. I recognize this was two years ago now, however; if anyone has updated instructions, please comment below!

Holiday book picks

It is true that I know both these authors well, but I'd love these holiday books even if I didn't.

"Like a Maccabee" is Barbara Bietz's award-winning middle grade novel, a Hanukkah story now in paperback. It's about a boy who finds the true meaning of Hanukkah through his grandfather, who has just moved in with the family.

Author/illustrator Carol Heyer's "Humphrey's First Christmas" is the  beautifully illustrated picture book and funny story of Humphrey, a camel who carries one of the Wise Men to see the baby Jesus on Christmas Day.

I highly recommend these books for the holidays!

Reviving Your Out-of-Print Novel as an E-book part 1-Barbara Jean Hicks

from the files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks

In early December 2010, I started thinking about what I wanted to give as a Christmas gift to my friends and fans.

Before I started writing children’s books, I wrote romance novels and novellas. (I know, what a switch!) The rights to one of those novellas, a Christmas romance called "Tea for Two," had reverted to me. What if I could figure out how to format it as an e-book and offer it for free to anyone who wanted to download it to their computer or reading device?

I’m always up for the challenge of learning something new, so the idea was just my cup of tea--so to speak.

Darcy Pattison - Blogging Tip Of The Day

Darcy Pattison is a force in the children's literature industry.  Novelist, teacher and promotion Guru, Darcy is always on the cutting edge.  I grabbed her at a recent conference to ask her to give my readers a Blogging Tip Of The Day.

Leslie Helakoski - Picture Book Tip of the Day

One of the great things about SCBWI conferences it the chance I get to video some wonderful authors. Illustrator/Author Leslie Helakoski gave me a great Picture Book Tip of the Day.

Signing for SCBWI PAL - First Book Journey

People often ask me if it was worth the wait of 17 years to be published--ten to be acquired and seven more before final publication. The answer is "YES!" in so many ways.

Children's publishing is a long waiting game. I was tempted to go the self-published route, but I am so glad I took the traditional publishing way.  Not only has Penguin done so much for me by submitting my book for reviews (raves in SLJ, Booklist and Children's Book Council), they have distributed it nationwide. One of the thrilling events for me this year was selling my book at the Summer Conference PAL event, something I could not have done if I had published my book myself. It was so satisfying and fun to be congratulated by all the authors and illustrators who have been with me on this journey for many years.

Here's a picture of me signing in the tent!

How I spent my summer...Rushmore! Nick Clifford last living worker.

One of the thrilling parts of being on Mount Rushmore this summer was that I got to meet the last surviving worker on the monument, 91-year-old Nick Clifford. Nick was a driller and also part of the famous Mount Rushmore baseball team, consisting of the workers. He was tickled that I had written a book about Lincoln Borglum, who he said was a gem of a guy. He felt it was high time someone told Lincoln's story. This is what I love about nonfiction: all the people involved in every amazing story.