Picture Book Biographies

This week's READ-4-LUCK pick is I Could Do That! Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda Arms White. Pictures by Nancy Carpenter.

A woman's "can-do" attitude propels her through life until she is instrumental in making Wyoming the first state to allow women to vote, then becomes the first woman to hold public office in the United States.

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Year: 2005
Word Count: 1461
Book Level: 4.5

RATINGS
CHILDREN:  The illustrations are full of extra storytelling! I've read it several times and I notice something new each time. My children love to crack up at the naked "babies" taking a bath. Lots of fun to help engage them while listening. Especially helpful for a book that well over 1,000 words!

PARENTS:  You know, sometimes it is hard to distinguish the parent in me from the teacher in me from the writer in me. Parent says if bedtime isn't running too late, "Sure! I love this book!" But if it's late, "Not that book! It's too long for tonight." I do love discovering new illustrations. This book encourages discussions about families and family members and even death.

TEACHERS:  This book is a biography. Perfect for teaching "heroes" in 3rd grade, or "history of women and/or voting" in 5th grade. It can be used on many different levels for multiple lesson plans, if you're creative.

WRITERS:  I'm pleased to say that I was able to meet Linda Arms White! She said most of her books are  long and most of them have adult characters, but yet she still broke into print. Very inspiring. And Esther Morris is inspiring too. I like using this book as a springboard model for biographies and historical fiction. I'm working on an historical fiction right now, based loosely on the biography of a certain man from long ago.



If you wrote a book about a real person, who might you choose and why?
Keep on keepin' on... P.S. Happy 15th Anniversary to me!

How to Write a Book Proposal

I've written the first nonfiction book in a series of ten that I'm actively trying to get published. In my research, I read a book titled Write the Perfect Book Proposal by Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman, published in 2001. While it is not a book specifically for children's writers, it is packed with lots of great examples. I'm also in the process of writing another nonfiction book for girls age 9-12. If any of you write nonfiction for children, I hope we can help each other along our path to publication. I've created my own "recipe" for a proposal based on the ten examples from the book. They're all slightly different or use different heading titles. If anyone else is writing a nonfiction book that requires chapters, I invite you to join me in following this recipe to write a book proposal. And I challenge you to take the plunge and submit! Good luck...

1. Cover Letter
2. Title Page
3. Overview - What is the book all about?
4. Market (as much as possible) - Who will buy the book and why?
• how large is audience
• is there a need
• who will buy it
• how do I see it marketed
• what other books will it be sold with
• what do I imagine it looking like
• small section on research methods, including interviews
5. Competition - How will the book fit in (with other books already on the shelves)?
• other books on the subject
• short overview and why mine is different from each
• why mine is better and why it will sell more
6. Promotion - How can I help promote the book?
7. About the Author - Who am I? 
• background related to subject (if applicable) 
• and background as a writer
8. Outline - chapter by chapter, with approx. word count
9. 1-2 Sample Chapters

Do you have another section that you include with your proposals?

P.S. Shawn turns 7 today!!! Happy Birthday, buddy!!!

Keep on keepin' on...

Skippyjon Jones

This week's READ-4-LUCK pick is Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner. I first read this book about a year ago in a bookstore. I knew it was a big seller, very popular, and had multiple sequels. My first impression is that it was weird. And long. But it's grown on me. I love Skippyjon!

Skippyjon Jones, is sent to his room to contemplate what it means to be a cat, but instead embarks on an imaginary adventure in which his Zorro-like alter ego, El Skippito, rescues a group of chihuahuas from a bean-eating bumblebee.

Publisher: Dutton
Year: 2003
Word Count: 1073
Book Level: 3.3

RATINGS
CHILDREN:  My daughter's been checking these out from her school library (preschool) for months now. I've read Mummy Trouble and Lost in Spice now, too. Children love looking at the animals. My son loves the action scenes.

PARENTS:  I love reading the Spanish parts! It's so fun to read over and over again (but not every night).

TEACHERS:  Another vocabulary lesson, especially in Spanish. And definitely a wonderful character study! Have students create their own character sketch using a graphic organizer.

WRITERS:  I'm looking forward to taking a closer look at the plotting techniques used in this one by mapping out the plot points.



Which Skippyjon Jones book is your favorite?


Keep on keepin' on...

Picture Books 101

I just read an e-newsletter from ICL (The Institute of Children's Literature) about how to study picture books. Since the newsletter is distributed via e-mail, I couldn't link to it. I thought it worthy to share with you. Here are the highlights (I deleted a few paragraphs and sentences):

"Picture books are a marriage of two totally different story telling styles. The writer tells a story in words, and then the illustrator tells the story in pictures. And the two story styles together bring something deeper and richer than either could alone. Even though the author and illustrator don't interact, the story is truly something created by both. You might begin your study in the public library, a school library, or a bookstore, but there are certain things for which you should watch:

STEP ONE: Check the copyright date. Be sure the books haven't been out more than two years (some say 10 years max is still okay). You want to come as close to what publishers are buying now as possible. What works in a picture book has changed over the years. This is very much an evolving form. If you're counting on picture books from your childhood or "classic" picture books being republished today, you're going to miss some important things you need to notice that will apply to YOUR book. Because YOUR book is competing with those other new books coming out now.

STEP TWO: Avoid books written and illustrated by the same person. A top illustrator can get a picture book published by one of the big companies even if the book is both very wordy and very much too adult. Also, since the illustrator controls the illustrations completely, the author illustrated book is a totally different creature from the book YOU are writing and selling. 

STEP THREE: The same rule applies to celebrities - any kind of celebrity which included picture books written by writers for adults. Celebrities sell books based on their name, not on the content of the book. The book might be good, but it doesn't have to be - so steer clear of the celebrity picture book.

STEP FOUR: Nonfiction picture books are often quite a bit wordier than fiction. And nonfiction picture books by some trade publishers include a lot of fictional stuff but the whole purpose is to dump facts, so they follow nonfiction rules. Again unless you're writing a nonfiction picture book, you want to look at the books that represent the same sort of thing YOU are writing and selling.

After you've read 100 books, pick out the top five or ten that really "clicked" for you. The ones you loved the most. Then go and type out the text. Type it like a normal book manuscript, then put it aside for a few days or weeks. Now when you read it, you're reading what the editor read when he or she decided to buy the book. Notice how the action works. Notice the characters - what made them unique. Make a list of reasons why an editor might have picked THAT book out of all the other manuscripts he or she read that day. Do this with several of your picture book study samples. Now look at your book. Pretend you're an editor. Look at how YOU used action. Look at how you presented your character. Make a list of reasons why an editor might pick your book out of all that he or she read that day (that list may come in handy at query writing time). Be critical. What do the books that were published have that you didn't have? Go back and re-read your "study" books again. Now, without your ms open, begin rewriting it on your computer. See if it changes now that you've fueled your mind with publication-ready mss. Now compare the rewritten ms to the original. How is it better? How is it not as good? Work on a revision that combines the best of both."  

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How to Analyze a Picture Book with a Story Board

>>> DOWNLOAD FREE TEMPLATE <<<

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And here's another article about mining stories for success. Very excellent! 

HIGH FIVE #7: Donna McDine and Tips on Getting Published

Gaurdian Angel Publishing, 2010

So you have a picture book out! Here’s a big HIGH FIVE of congratulations to you!

David lives on a farm in the mid-1700’s and is on a quest to free Jenkins, a black slave owned by his Pa. Pa is a cruel man and badgers David for his weaknesses. Using Pa’s negative outlook to his advantage, David uncovers courage from deep within to keep his promise to Jenkins and leads him to eventual freedom down the golden pathway.

Donna currently has two more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey, but release dates haven't been determined, yet.

Question ONE: How has reading picture books to your children made you a better parent?

The togetherness of curling up with a picture book and watching the curiosity of my children always delighted me. It taught me to view things through the eyes of a child and to enjoy the wonderment of new experiences.

Question TWO: What are three of your favorite picture books (because we all know you have way more than three)?

Hmmm, tough question – below are the picture books that we read over and over again to our children:

Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Question THREE: How did you come up with the idea for your debut book? And what was your road to publication like? How many revisions did your manuscript undergo, if you kept count? Did you have an agent? How many publishers did you submit to before getting an acceptance letter?

I have always enjoyed American History and when the opportunity arose to create an outline for a book through the Institute of Children’s Literature, I immediately gravitated to the Underground Railroad. Everyone’s road to publication takes a different journey and The Golden Pathway started out as a short story contest submission to the 77^th Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and after placing 12^th in the Children’s/Young Adult category I met Lynda Burch of Guardian Angel Publishing at the Muse Online Writers Conference. We discussed the expansion of The Golden Pathway and after several rounds of edits Lynda offered me my first children’s book contract. As for an agent, I do not have one. The Golden Pathway was submitted to three different children’s magazines all resulting in rejection before the acceptance from Lynda Burch.

Question FOUR: How might teachers use your book in the classroom?

To enhance the subject matter of the Underground Railroad a teacher’s guide is currently in development with the National Writing for Children Center homeschool specialist, Amy O’Quinn, which will aide teachers within their curriculum guidelines.  The guide will include different topics for each major subject – Language Arts (English), Math, Social Studies, and Science. And to round out the guide a section on Art activities will be included. To assist the educator and student in getting to know the author and illustrator an interview with both will be also be included. More details forthcoming at my blog – http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogpsot.com.

Question FIVE: What are some writing tips you can offer to writers seeking publication?

Read the genre you would like to write for and read constantly. Study the publisher website for submission guidelines and their current catalog to get a sense of their direction. Follow guidelines to a “T”, especially word count. Publishers receive hundreds, even thousands, of submissions per month and if a writer cannot follow specific submission guidelines, it often results in instant rejection.

Christie, thank you for interviewing me, it’s been a pleasure visiting with you.

Thanks for joining me! I wish you lots of success in your future endeavors!

Donna’s Website: http://www.donnamcdine.com  
Write What Inspires You Blog: http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com 

The Golden Pathway Blog: http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com

Picture Book Vocabulary: Fun with Pirates

This week's READ-4-LUCK pick is How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long and illustrated by David Shannon.

Jeremy Jacob joins Braid Beard and his pirate crew and finds out about pirate language, pirate manners, and other aspects of their life.

Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Year: 2003
Word Count: 958
Book Level: 3.1

RATINGS
CHILDREN: My son loves saying each phrase the crew repeats after Braid Beard. "And I didn't even bother to ask about a good-night kiss." He liked that line, too.

PARENTS:  Full of fun. Teaches manners (but not really) in an oh, so subtle way. Involves sand-castle building, treasures of gold, reading, brushing teeth, goodnight kisses, bedtime rituals, imagination, and lots of play. It's lots of fun to read in a pirate-y tone of voice. Aargghh!

TEACHERS:  Can you say vocabulary lesson? Landlubber, scurvy dog, bellowed, hatch, hearties, swabbing the decks, Jolly Roger, yonder, etc. So much fun! Could teach plot and story, too.

WRITERS:  I'm looking forward to taking a closer look at the dialogue tags used in this one. And a map of the plot points.

Enjoy! And keep on keepin' on...