Tales from the Rushmore Kid

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.

Why I Love Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

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

It's still National Poetry Month and I'm still thinking about poetry!

I grew up in a family that loved music and poetry. My dad went to school in an era when poetry was memorized, and I remember him quoting poems when I was a child that he had learned as a child. One favorite memory from my childhood is the image of my father knocking on my door to wake me in the morning, poking his head in the doorway and quoting Omar Khayyam:

AWAKE! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight…

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.

A Poem for Spring - Barbara Jean Hicks

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

In celebration of National Poetry Month, I gave myself the gift of three new books of poetry: 100 Selected Poems by e.e. cummings, 100 Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda, translated by Stephen Tapscott, and Classical Chinese Poetry: An Anthology, translated and edited by David Hinton. A wonderful, eclectic mix!

Spring has come to the little corner of the world where I'm living, and I'm loving it. Days are getting longer, the flowering cherries and the rhododendrons are in bloom, the spring showers are a bit warmer than the winter rains and the world is "puddle-wonderful"! So for those of you enjoying Spring in your corner of the world--and those of you who haven't yet seen Spring!--here's one of my favorite spring poems from e.e. cummings.

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.

Chris Eboch - Writing Tip of the Day

I have known Chris Eboch through the SCBWI for many years. She is kind, funny and one of those blessed RA's. A prolific writer, she recently wrote a book on plotting. I asked her to give us the Writing Tip of the Day.

Book-Spine Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

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

April is National Poetry Month. To celebrate, I've been posting poems on my Facebook page--so far some haiku from the Japanese masters of the form (one of my favorites) and a couple of book-spine poems.

Never heard of a book-spine poem? Poetry lesson of the day: Book-spine poems are just one example of a poetic form called a "cento"--a poem made up entirely of lines from other people's works, arranged to form a new work. I think of it as "word collage."

Here are two examples, compiled from books on my own shelves. If you're inspired, compile a book-spine poem of your own, snap a picture, and hop on over to Facebook to post the image on my Wall. (Teachers--this is a great activity for kids, encouraging them to make connections between lines of prose to form their own poem.)

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.