Win a Critique!

The FALL session is open for the 

Lucky Clover Picture Book Contest. 

Deadline is December 31. 

Hurry, time's a tickin'!

Just look at all the lovely winners from the past.

August 2010:  No Sleep For Theo by Tanya Finestone (regular)
October 2010:  Sylvia Sloth, Star of the Week by Lynne Marie (regular)
November 2010:  A Princess Tells You What to Do by Catherine Denton(early)
December 2010:  A Monster in Your Yard by Jerone Agee (early)
February 2011:  A Trip to the Beach by Catherine Johnson (rhyming)
     and...Willie the Worm by Brian Cretney (regular)
March/April/May 2011:  First Class Knight by Dave Haynes (regular)
     and...Winka the Witch by Jennifer Young (rhyming)
June 2011: The Way I Go by Rosi Hollinbeck (rhyming)
Summer 2011: Jungle Jam by Caterina Malerba (regular)
Fall 2011: Big Al by Catherine Johnson (early)
Winter 2012: Cleveland, the Dirty Bird by Gail Kamer (early)
Spring 2012: Artsy, Fartsy Spider by Romelle Broas Guittap (regular)
Summer 2012: Don't Splash the Mama! by Lauri Meyers (early)
Fall 2012: IT COULD BE YOU!!!

Want to enter? 

Here are all the rules and how-to's! 

Go ahead, be brave!

***And if you missed yesterday's post, be sure to visit and learn all about how to rhyme in picture books. It's Story Element #9 with Sherry North's Because You Are My Baby.***

Story Element #9: Rhyme

The official time for my half marathon was 2:38:17, thirteen minutes faster than last year's half. Yea, me! So I guess it's high time I finally finish my Top 10 Story Elements for Picture Books.

I finished my race

at my own little pace.

Down in Savannah,

I ate a banana.

I crossed the line

before 2:39.

I'm ready to run again.

Today's Story Element #9, Rhyme, includes rhythm, meter, and song. The book? Because You Are My Baby.


Title: Because You Are My Baby
Author: Sherry North
Illustrator: Marcellus Hall
Publisher: Abrams Books
Year: 2008
Word Count: 310

Summary: "Lists wonderful ways a parent, whether a rock star or a geologist, could demonstrate love for a child."

The rhyme in this book is so beautiful. So are the illustrations (watercolors on paper). Each two-page spread has a simple couplet full of strong nouns and verbs.
Opening lines:

"If I were a sailor, I would sail the world with you, With sails of cotton candy and a handy penguin crew."

Notice the internal rhyme of candy/handy. 

Here is the second couplet, 

"If I were a mountaineer, I would take you to the peakOf Everest and Fuji, a new summit every week."

Notice how the rhyme is NOT sing-songy. It reads natural, with no distinct meter, or pattern. I love that!

The next page uses words that accentuate the rhyme of tall/all: fill and jelly; alliteration is so nice!

Even near rhymes, sometimes called off rhymes, are included: vine/by. One of my favorite lines is: "With blooms that croon a jazzy tune whenever you pass by." Such wonderful assonance and internal rhyme: blooms, croon, tune, you. 

And this line, I just love it!

"If I were a diver, we would tour the ocean floorShipwrecks, crab holes, coral reefs, and much more to explore."

Internal rhyme is awesome: tour, floor, more, explore. And the consonance of the "K" sound with shipwrecks, crab, and coral, oh, and the "ex" part of EXplore.

Another line: dash, grass, catch, pass. Woo-hoo! Keep bringin' it!

Depth: pizza chef, Pisa pie, leaning tower of mozzarella. Notice the pizza/pisa. How fun!

Another favorite, just listen at the language:

"If I were an astronaut, we would blast off to see Mars
 And cruise the red-rock surface in a pair of off-road cars."

Don't make your rhymes too simple. Make them flow and sing! Both lines here incorporate the word "off." The second line is SO filled with sounds: "K" "R" "A" (A: blast, Mars, pair, cars).

The illustrations for the genie page are so fun to find each image that relates to the other 13 "jobs": sailor, mountaineer, builder, gardener, rock star, diver, skywriter, geologist, quarterback, engineer, pizza chef, astronaut, and actor. When my children wanted me to read this book, I never hesitated, because I knew I would enjoy it too, probably more than them.

Try your own rhyming couplet! Here's mine, just off the cuff: 

If I were a writer, we would traverse the universe
Through endless adventures by writing in rhyme and verse. 

Your turn! Try it in the comments! 

Keep on keepin' on...

Read-4-Luck: Because You Are My Baby by Sherry North

Wow! I can't believe it's been FIVE months since I last posted a Read-4-Luck book for PPBF. That's just way too long! When Susanna announced she was taking the summer off, I was a little bummed, but apparently I thought I needed to take half a year (with PPBF)! Anyway, I'm back and ready to share. 

I'm trying to simplify my blog. I know I don't blog a WHOLE lot, like every day...and that's okay. So my newest goal (for all the world to see) is to do my Read-4-Luck recommendations for PPBF every Friday, and then to follow that on Monday with my "new" Story Elements feature. Wednesdays are reserved for Whatever. Hey! Whatever Wednesdays! That has a nice ring to it. Well, it's for contest announcements, contest winners, High Five Interviews, and Pot-O-Gold Blogger Awards, among other things, maybe. Or maybe it could be Mixed-Up Mondays, and keep the Story Elements on Wednesdays. Anyway, I'm just glad to join PPBF again. So let's get started, shall we?

READ-4-LUCK acts as a book recommendation, book review, teaching tip, and writing lesson for children, parents, teachers, and writers. This fun weekly feature began back in October 2010 and is still going strong.  

 = Not bad. Might read twice.
 = Fun read first few times. Would get from library again.
 = Very enjoyable. Wouldn't mind owning a copy.
 = Awesome! Multiple readings are never tiresome. May just have to buy it.

This week's Read-4-Luck pick is Because You Are My Baby by Sherry North.

"Lists wonderful ways a parent, whether a rock star or a geologist, could demonstrate love for a child."

Illustrator: Marcellus Hall
Publisher: Abrams Books
Year: 2008
Word Count: 310
Age: 1-6
Topic/ Theme: love, careers/ love
Resources: see "Teachers" below

RATINGS

CHILDREN: 

The beautiful watercolor illustrations and short rhyming text definitely hold younger children's attention. Older readers may not ask for this book over and over again. My 8-y-o doesn't. My 5-y-o still loves it. Perfect for 2-4!

PARENTS: 

I love it! I own it! The rhyme is beautiful. The pictures are gorgeous. I never got tired of reading this one. So sweet. The language keeps it real.

TEACHERS: 

A great intro for any career day unit. Second and third grade, even. There are 13 wonderful jobs listed. Could even be an intro to a rhyming unit. Hey, the two could even be combined! Picture books are perfect for unit or lesson introductions. If I had my own classroom (or could get paid to homeschool) I would use them every day for lessons, and poetry too!

WRITERS: 

Rhyme? YES! Couplets? YES! Short? YES! Need an example? Here you go! Seriously, the language is so beautiful. 

Be sure to check back Monday for the next installment in Story Elements, #9 Rhyme! You'll get to peek into the book and see several of Sherry North's lyrical lines.

What's YOUR favorite Mommy/Lovey book? This is just one of the many I own. 

Keep on keepin' on...

101 Things to Celebrate!

This is my 101st blog post for this year! And it comes at such an appropriate time of year: Thanksgiving! To celebrate this historic event, I’ve elected to share 101 things to celebrate: things for which I am thankful (in no particular order, really).

1. my life
2. family
3. my husband
4. my children
5. my sisters
6. my parents
7. friends
8. my home
9. a comfortable bed
10. my job
11. my car
12. my glasses
13. my watch
14. trees
15. flowers
16. food
17. ice cream
18. chocolate
19. water
20. clothing
21. health insurance
22. doctors
23. herbs
24. dandelions
25. prayer
26. scriptures
27. computers
28. electricity
29. toilets
30. running water
31. hot water
32. refrigerators
33. washing machine/dryer
34. microwaves
35. oven/stove
36. furniture
37. a nice community
38. friendly coworkers
39. good schools
40. teachers
41. good leaders
42. Church
43. my testimony
44. Jesus Christ
45. the prophet (Thomas S. Monson)
46. the Bible
47. the Book of Mormon
48. my critique group
49. blog followers
50. good health
51. the temple
52. family history
53. the plan of salvation
54. eternal marriage
55. love
56. forgiveness
57. understanding
58. compromise
59. humor
60. paper
61. calculators
62. pens/pencils
63. erasers
64. flash drives
65. dropbox
66. ning
67. my laptop
68. e-mail
69. animals
70. my dog, Cocoa
71. farms
72. equal rights
73. solar energy
74. America
75. voting
76. a strong body
77. legs that like to run
78. races
79. heart monitor/watch
80. treadmill
81. a beautiful country
82. oceans, deserts, mountains
83. music
84. harmonicas, pianos, guitars
85. books
86. movies
87. art
88. good stories
89. nice people
90. generosity
91. gratitude
92. compassion
93. shoes
94. scarves
95. coats
96. my mind
97. ibuprofen
98. cell phones
99. radio
100. Internet
101. celebrations

Keep on keepin' on...

HIGH FIVE #22: Interview with Alayne Kay Christian, author of Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa

Hey, everyone! Please welcome picture book author, Alayne Kay Christian. Her story warms my heart and I'm more intrigued than ever to read her book now. Joni Stringfield did a beautiful job on the illustrations. Who can resist? Butterflies, grandparents, books, and nature... Thanks, Alayne, for being with us today.

Here’s a big HIGH FIVE congratulations to you for your debut picture book.

Title: Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa

Author: Alayne Kay Christian

Illustrator: Joni Stringfield

Publisher: Blue Whale Press

Release date: 2009

Word count: 930

When Emily's visit with her grandparents ends, she is saddened by thoughts of missing them. To comfort her, Grandma and Grandpa give Emily a homemade book. This gift teaches Emily to use her imagination, memory, and natural surroundings to help her feel close when they are apart. In a touching role reversal, Emily comforts Grandma by sharing her own secrets for staying close.

Question ONE: What are three of your favorite picture books? Just three mind you.

1. The Runaway Garden by Jeffery L. Schatzer, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler (Mitten Press, 2007)
2. Quiet Bunny by Lisa McCue (Sterling, 2009)
3. One by Kathryn Otoshi (KO Kids Books, 2008)

Question TWO: How often did you read to your children when they were younger; do you feel like you have an extra special bond with your children because of books? Did you read to them or with them once they are/were teens?

My daughter is grown with a child of her own. When my daughter was small, we read books every day. We could not go to the grocery store without coming home with a Golden Book. Her books were so important, and our special reading bond meant so much to us, that I saved all her children’s books. Now, forty years later, my granddaughter and I cuddle up and read those very same picture books. Last year, we began a transition as my granddaughter started learning to read. These days, more and more books are being read to Grandma rather than by Grandma. The book collection has grown as I continue to update it with new books for my granddaughter. Just the other day, I imagined my granddaughter cuddling up with her own child one day, reading the very same books that his or her grandma and great grandma read together sixty or seventy-something years prior.

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

1. Younger children enjoy interacting with the story. Before I read “Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa” during school visits, I demonstrate

30 Days Hath September

If you're having trouble with something, try doing it differently.

"Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November." I never could remember that phrase. I love calendars and always have to look at them to tell. I was camping this past weekend and asked my husband how many days does October have? 30 or 31? I wasn't sure... I don't even remember what he said, or if he was right. 

Today I decided to teach myself something DIFFERENT to help me remember. I know April only has 30 days because my birthday is on the last day of the month, so that one's easy. So that leaves: June, September, and November. Here's my little acronym:

• Juni Separates Novels into 30 chapters.
• or...Junior Separates Novas into 30 pieces.

Today's challenge: DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND ENJOY THE RESULTS.

Keep on keepin' on...

Pot-O-Gold Blogger Award #18: Teach Mentor Texts

So it's time to get back to business. The last three posts were about web design: What Makes a Good Author Website, The Cost of Having a Website, and How to Choose a Web Designer. Today's post is all about a great new blog I discovered. Without further ado, the Pot-O-Gold Blogger Award goes out to...

Jen and Kellee over at 

Teach Mentor Texts, 

Books that Can be Used as Mentor Texts to Promote Literacy.

I created this award for excellent blogs based on... 

• interesting and helpful content AND
• visually appealing and easy-to-navigate design. 

It's an award that says, "Look at this awesome blog! There's a wealth of information here! If you visit once, you'll want to return again and again." In other words, it's like discovering a pot of gold. 

Why I like their site:

• The CONTENT is awesome. You could spend hours in there searching their "database" of mentor texts, books that help children learn how to be better readers and writers by having read and studied them. They have fiction and nonfiction, picture books and novels, even poetry. If you TEACH, then you NEED to check out this awesome blog. And if you WRITE, then you can learn from these same texts, too! I know I'll be back for more!
• The label list on the side bar gives easy ways to search for that perfect mentor text of nearly any aspect you need to teach. They even have a tab across the top that defines each of their labels. Another tab across the top tells more about these two lovely ladies and their teaching background. 

Join the 450+ followers who think their site is worthy of visitation rights. I did.

How the award works:

1. Say thank you to the person who gave it to you.
2. Write a post and include the image of the award, a link to the person's blog who gave it to you, and a link to my blog, WRITE WILD. (Copy and paste the rules in your post.)
3. Award four bloggers this award and tell why each is a Pot-O-Gold! (If you receive this award more than once, you only have to forward it the first time.)
4. Share four simple things about yourself: 1-a time you had to exercise FAITH, 2-something you HOPE for, 3-something (or someone) you LOVE, and 4-a time when you felt LUCK.

Keep on keepin' on...

Running With a Grammar Slinger

Runners and writers are a great bunch of people, but we have our quirks too. Runners like to sling a lot of things around: snot, spit, water bottles, you name it. Grammar slingers do the same, slinging commas, adverbs, and adjectives left and right like there's no tomorrow.

I love thinking up analogies that link running and writing together. As I was out doing my 10-mile run, I realized that slinging snot is a lot like slinging grammar. It's altogether unsightly. The point being...

...aren't you embarrassed?

To be a snot-slinging runner, that is? Yes?

Well, perhaps it's even more embarrassing to be a grammar-slinging writer. And please, oh please, do not call the Grammar Police over here to "edit" this post.

Don't you know shorter sentences are simpler, and sometimes better? Not so short that they're choppy, though. Commas can be edited.

You can delete your own adjectives as you pick up your lone, empty water bottles from the side of the road. Use strong nouns. Drink Dasani.

And as far as adverbs go? Well, they're just plain ugly, like someone spitting a bubbly wad of white froth on the ground, or like a child picking their nose. Adverbs are a private lot. They like to be used sparingly, in the privacy of a tissue, please.

So are you going to run with a grammar slinger or write with a snot slinger? Anyone else the latter? If so, you can join me in my upcoming half-marathon in just a week and a half. And I promise to keep my snot in my nose, or take tissues along. Colder weather does have a tendency to make one's nose run a bit. There's no excuse for being a grammar slinger. Learn the craft. Get stronger. At least editing can always fix our foibles, just as a great massage can fix our aching muscles.

SO... are you a grammar slinger or a snot slinger? Share in the comments!

Keep on keepin' on...