HIGH FIVE #1: Tara Lazar Debut Author Interview

Who better to debut on my newest feature, the HIGH FIVE interview, than PiBoIdMo's own Tara Lazar! Tara's debut picture book, The Monstore, isn't out yet, but is scheduled for release from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in the summer of 2013. 

The Monstore is a shop that sells very useful monsters, just right for doing tricky stuff around the house. The Monstore has only one rule: no returns, no exchanges. In other words...what could possibly go wrong?

Here’s my big HIGH FIVE congratulations to you!

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

• That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
• Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood
• Arnie the Doughnut 
• Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type
• The Louds Move In 
• Spoon
• Otto Grows Down. 
• The Mermaid Queen (great non-fiction read) 
• Pete’s a Pizza
• Bark George
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs are classic faves. I’m sorry, how many did you say?

Question TWO: How did you come up with the idea for your debut book?

I’m a sucker for word play. One day during PiBoIdMo 2008 (before it was PiBoIdMo, since it was just me attempting this crazy idea-a-day exercise), “The Monstore” popped into my head. A store where you buy monsters. It wasn’t until months later, when an agent friend said she’d review some of my book ideas, that I forced myself to create the premise—a boy wants to return the monster he bought because it doesn’t scare his little sister, but there are no returns or exchanges at The Monstore.

Question THREE: Will you share your top three tips for writers about writing, publishing, or whatever you have learned along the way that stands out as being very important, but no one ever tells you about?

Everyone hears the advice to read a lot, write a lot and learn about their chosen genre. But one thing I wish I’d known sooner? “Create the hook before you write the book.”

Writing conferences often hold pitch sessions, where you get a few seconds to tell an agent or editor about your book. You have to boil your story down to one attention-grabbing line. That’s the hook. Some writers find that more challenging than writing the book! So I turned it around. Instead of crafting a hook after I’ve written my story, I craft the story after I’ve written my hook.

Question FOUR: What are some of your ideas for instilling a life-long love of reading?

I think the best way to instill a love a reading is to let kids select books they want to read. Don’t push them or hold them back. Take them into the library and let them run wild. (OK, walk wild.)

I also love what my daughter’s 1^st grade teacher did—she created a class of authors. Students wrote stories, reviewed them with her, then “published” them. They typed their stories into the computer, printed the pages, illustrated them, bound them, and left them in a reading corner for other kids to check out, like a library. At the end of the year they held an “Author’s Tea” and each child picked one of their published stories to read aloud.

Question FIVE: What is your biggest challenge in parenting? Do you read picture books to your own children?

My parenting priority is making sure my kids have plenty of time to play, explore and be creative. Kids need time to be kids, with unstructured, unscheduled play free from adults and expectations. That’s how I built the world of “The Monstore”—it’s a place only kids know about. The adults are clueless.

I have read to my kids before bed since they were infants. They look forward to it every night. I never withhold reading together as a form of punishment. If they don’t eat all their veggies, they still get a book. (And we read Little Pea, about the veggie who doesn’t want to eat candy for dinner.) Reading is never a chore, either. If they want to skip it one night in favor of a movie, we do. I also read a lot, so they see me with a book constantly. Hopefully it rubs off.


Thanks so much, Tara, for joining me today on HIGH FIVE! I hope everyone enjoyed the interview and will buy Tara's book as soon as it hits the shelves. And have fun at PiBoIdMo!

See you next month, with another debut picture book author on Saturday, December 4th.

Think You Know Your Picture Books?

So, I finally have over 100 followers! Thank you, my friends. I am writing a guest post over at Heather Kephart's PB&J Blog (Picture Books & Jolliness) today. But first, check out this awesome contest, just for you guys! Two winners, chosen randomly, will each win a copy of a MARKET GUIDE. One winner will receive the Book Markets for Children's Writers 2011. And the second winner will receive the Book Markets for Children's Writers 2010. It has books only, no magazines. From early picture books to middle grade, to YA. From fiction to nonfiction. Includes a few articles that are very helpful. 2011 edition has a list of agents.

All you have to do is list as many of the books below as you can. I can name 29. Can anyone beat me? Don't worry if you only know three. You can still win the 2010 book. Just comment below with the list of books you recognize. Whoever names the MOST gets the 2011 book. The 2010 book will be chosen randomly from all other commenters. Two entries for "old" followers, prior to this post. And one entry for new followers. Contest runs for 10 days and ends on November 15th. (No cheating...hee-hee...) Good luck!

Ready...set...go!!! 

Remember to come back tomorrow to read my interview with Tara Lazar...


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Read For Luck: dogs, frogs, and goats

As writers, we love to read. My hope is that this weekly list will be able to give you a sense of having read a few more books that you might not have access to. I welcome more reading suggestions in the comments. My "Read for Luck" section is to give ideas on how the book might be used for children, parents, teachers, or writers. I hope you find it enjoyable and useful. And as always, thanks for stopping by.

READ FOR LUCK:

1. Recommended for CHILDREN
2. Recommended for PARENTS
3. Recommended for TEACHERS
4. Recommended for WRITERS

All great picture books fall under these categories, but it's more fun to split them up. So here goes. (The summaries are not in my own words, but the READ FOR LUCK is.)

RATING SYSTEM:

One clover: Okay, but might not check out of library again.

Two clovers: Fun read, but kids may not want multiple readings.

Three clovers: Very enjoyable. Please read to me again!

Four clovers: I feel lucky to have read this. Children, parents, teachers, and writers will want this book over and over again.

1. FOR CHILDREN

The Dog Who Cried Wolf by Keiko Kasza

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005

349 Words; Level 1.8

Summary: Tired of being a house pet, Moka the dog moves to the mountains to become a wolf but soon misses the comforts of home.

Read for Luck: Children love dogs and Moka sure has some funny antics. The ending is a hilarious twist, as well. Will definitely withstand the test of time for multiple reads.

Rating: 

2. FOR PARENTS

The King's Taster by Kenneth Oppel; Ill. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

HarperCollins Publishers, 2009

1143 Words; Level 3.3

Summary: The royal chef takes Max the dog, the royal taster, on several international journeys to find a dish for the land's pickiest king.

Read for Luck: Hey! It's another book with a dog. That was unintentional. Anyway, parents can get across the message of "eat your food," without being preachy. Nice ending, too. Teachers can talk about prediction.

Rating:  (if old enough for the length of book, otherwise a 2)

3. FOR TEACHERS

Hip-Pocket Papa by Sandra Markle; Ill. by Alan Marks

Charlesbridge Publishing, 2010

936 Words; Level 4.4

Summary: Non-fiction. When the eggs of the hip-pocket frog hatch, the father sits while the tadpoles wiggle up his hind legs and into the hidden pockets on his hips. But that is only the beginning of a fascinating adventure.

Read for Luck: Even the youngest of children will be fascinated with the little baby froglets. Teachers can use in second grade for units on life cycles. Older children can use for projects about animal adaptations.

Rating:  (because it's educational...but teachers might rate it a 3 or 4)

4. FOR WRITERS

King Puck by Michael Garland

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2007

550 Words; Level 3.0

Summary: Inspired by an Irish Festival. With the help of fairies, the farmer Seamus and his scrawny goat win top honors at a festival in Killorglin, Ireland, and receive a lifetime supply of books.

Read for Luck: Honors reading and story-telling. As a writing activity, make a list of all the fairytales and folktales you can think of. Then rewrite it from an animal's perspective and see where it takes you. Teachers could even use for a writing prompt, too.

Rating: 

Which book would YOU choose to read?

Winner of October Picture Book Contest

Thanks to all who entered the picture book contest for October! The winner is...

SYLVIA SLOTH, STAR OF THE WEEK

By Lynne Marie

Sylvia is slow, but she finds a way to make friends in the end. 

Lynne has a book coming out next year called HEDGEHOG GOES TO KINDERGARTEN (Scholastic).

Congratulations! You can expect your critique within the next two weeks. Maybe this book will get snatched up, too. Very cute.

November submissions are now open, so get to cracking those knuckles and send your best manuscripts right on over. Five categories. Spread the word! 

Logline Blogfest

I'm attempting to participate in Steena Holmes' logline blogfest at Chocolate Reality. A logline is basically a hook, an elevator pitch, the most important two sentences from a query. So here's my very first attempt at my young middle grade novel, Gleek, that I haven't even started writing yet (my hope is that it will inspire me to start writing it):

Gleek loves to eat, but nobody can tell by looking at him because he's as picky and skinny as his three pet snakes. Gleek enters the science fair with a strange food experiment that requires creativity and lots of math. But when he learns that Matso, the school mathematician who loves to eat and everybody can tell by looking at him, is entering too, Gleek has to find a way to make sure his experiment won't disappear before the judges get to his table. If Gleek doesn't win the science fair, then he loses out on his only chance to go to Snakes Alive Camp.

First attempt. Any suggestions?

Three Ways to Research Your Picture Book Idea

Has my idea been done before? 

As I write down new ideas all the time, and especially this month during PiBoIdMo, I wonder if they've ever been done before. I've heard that there is no such thing as a new idea, but I'm not sure that's true. There are a million topics to write about and sometimes one topic has been written about a million times. But it only takes "a new idea," or rather a new twist on an old idea, to create a fresh new story plot. When I'm ready to begin writing on a new project, I like to see how it's been done before. There are three ways I do this:

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How to Analyze a Picture Book with a Story Board

>>> DOWNLOAD FREE TEMPLATE <<<

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1. Basic Google search for my own working title. I see if anything pops up and how similar they are. I also search by topics and include the key words "picture book."
2. Advanced Amazon search by topic or title, also sortable by year. The ones that really matter have been published within the last 20-25 years. Any older, and they're really not competition. Technically, the more I learn, it's really within the last 5-10 years. If you find something fairly similar within three years, it's probably too soon to send that one out. If it's been 18 years, then your probably safe to send it out, even if it is similar.
3. Renaissance Learning, a database of tests for elementary schools. This site shows so many more results in addition to Amazon. AND it tells the year of publication, the publisher, a short summary of the book, the reading level, and the word count. INVALUABLE!!! You can search by subject, key words, titles, and sort in lots of ways. You can even do market research by doing a search by publisher.
   UPDATE: This site has been WAAAY updated and no longer has the capability to do free searches. You might be able to access the data with a paid plan.

How do you know if your idea is any good?

1. You can visualize it in a library.
2. It's a book you would love to check out. Numerous times.
3. You get warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it.
4. The idea won't leave you alone.
5. You could recommend it to a teacher  because of its multiple layers.
6. It's fresh and unique - hasn't been done before.
7. Ask a child, a friend, a teacher, or a librarian what they think.
8. Your fellow writers are jealous that they didn't think it up first.  ;)

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How to Analyze a Picture Book with a Story Board

>>> DOWNLOAD FREE TEMPLATE <<<

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News-y things:

• Congratulations to Cathy Wallace for winning the book Time Cat in my Spooktacular book giveaway!
• READ FOR LUCK book recommendations coming on Wednesday.
• Friday - new contest! You're gonna WANT this one! Two winners. 
• First HIGH FIVE debut picture book author interview on Saturday, November 6. Tara Lazar!

Are You Grounded?

Cold weather is quickly upon us and that's when being grounded is important. Every winter, millions of drivers get zapped with a tiny shock as they exit their vehicles. Here's a tip, before you even shift your butt in the seat, you should open the car door and touch the metal. THEN slide out and put your feet on the ground while continuing to touch the door frame. It's just how I ground myself in the winter to avoid that little (sometimes big) electric shock of lightning from my fingertips.

But what about writing? Apparently, I'm grounded there, too. Just got my FIRST REJECTION LETTER this week! I didn't sulk, pout, cry, or get angry. I was actually kind of excited (and a little disappointed). I just shrugged, "Oh, well. Time to send it out to the next publisher." I really did hope they would take me on though. But alas:

"Thank you for sending a sample of your manuscript....We are always pleased to see new ideas, and we have now completed our review of your material. It is obvious you have invested a considerable amount of time and energy into this project....we are forced to be extremely selective in our publishing decisions....we are not in a position to pursue this project with you. Unfortunately, the demands of our editorial workload prevent us from sending detailed comments about your work...."

Not sure if that's a form rejection letter or not, but I was happy to get my first. So I guess I can call myself a real writer now. Planning to get package prepared to send out (November 1) to next publisher on the list. I didn't even need to consult chocolate. It's just a way of life. Rejection, that is. I even smiled when I told my hubby. It's totally going to be their loss, right?

How do you stay grounded in the face of rejection?

Hop on the Halloween Band Wagon

Jessica Stanford at Girl, Unpublished is hosting a blog hop for Halloween. You can win a $10 gift card, a Halloween picture book, and exposure to your blog. Could be lots of fun. Just hop on the blog wagon and linky yourself to the list. Have fun! Deadline is October 30 to join! Hurry, the more the merrier!