Nonfiction Monday

Every Monday, bloggers in the KidLitosphere (yes, that is a word -- not only a word but it's a whole group gathered together on YahooGroups to discuss blogging about children's literature) hold an event called Nonfiction Monday.

ON this day readers of children's nonfiction, parents and teachers and whomever, can read reviews of new children's nonfiction books simply by following the links on the Nonfiction Monday blog post.

Today, Nonfiction Monday is here.
As the day progresses, more and more links will be posted here, so do keep checking back (or come back on Tuesday).


The first link is to NC Teacher Stuff where Jeff Barger has examined Mozart: the Boy who Changed the World with his Music. This book was written by Marcus Weeks and published by National Geographic Kids, 2013.  (It certainly looks like a National Geographic book, what with that yellow border and all.)

Reshama Deshmukh at the Stacking Books blog is featuring What Charlie Heard by Mordicai Gerstein. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers in 2002. She saw it at the library and her children demanded they bring it home -- again.

Razia's Ray of Hope by Elizabeth Suneby, was published by Kids Can Press just a few days ago -- September 1, 2013! And the blog, Perogies & Goyoza has already reviewed it. It's about a girl's struggle to get educated in Afghanistan.

For different ways to look at Albert Einstein, click on over to The Swimmer Writer. The first book considered is On a Beam of Light: A story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne, published by Chronicle Books, 2013.  The second is Albert Einstein: Brilliant Scientist by Amanda Tourville, published by Magic Wagon Books, a division of ABDO Publishing, 2013.

Sue Heavenrich over at Sally's Bookshelf wants you to sharpen your observation skills and learn about ecosystems with  Hide-and-Seek Science: Animal Camouflage by Emma Stevenson, published by Holiday House, 2013.

There's a craft book at the Jean Little Library called Fun With Nature by Annalees Lin, published by Windmill books, 2013.

And over at Randomly Reading,  Alex has featured a picture book for older readers about the rescue and rehabilitation of a Chinese Moon Bear named Jasper:   Jasper's Story: Saving Moon Bears by Jill Robinson and Mark Bekoff, published by Sleeping Bear Press, 2013.

Anastasia Suen talks about Showtime: Meet the People Behind the Scene by Kevin Sylvester, published by Annick Press, at her Booktalking blog.

For those interested in STEM, Roberta looks at Hi-Tech Clothes by Richard Spilsbury, published by Heinemann, 2013 at the Wrapped in Foil blog.

Ha!  Now here's a book that I've had requests for -- over at Check It Out you'll find Electrical Wizard, How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World, by Elizabeth Rusch, published by Candlewick Press, 2013.

There's a bit of excitement over at The Booklist blog, Bookends. Cyndy and Lynn are checking out The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spys and Survivors Captured the World's most Notorious Nazi, by Neil Bascomb, published by Scholastic, 2013. Lynn says it has all the breathless suspense of a best selling spy thriller, and yet it's all true. They even help you make the Common Core connections with this book.

Tammy at the Apples with Many Seeds blog reviews the beautiful handmade book from India, Waterlife by Rambharos Jha, published by Tara Books, 2012.

Zooborns: the Next Generation -- Newer, Cuter, More Exotic Animals from the World's Zoos and Aquariums , by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland, published by Simon & Schuster, 2012 is discussed at SonderBooks blog -- an incredibly cute kid-pleaser.

Why you need to belong to your professional writer's organization

Each serious profession has their own professional organization -- a group that most all serious members of that group belong to in order to be considered seriously dedicated to their job.

Librarians have a professional organization called The American Library Association. And there are local groups at the state level. Both hold conventions to aid in the continuing education of the group.

Chemists have them, engineers have them, teachers have them.

And so do writers.
If you are seriously determined to be a writer, to become a better writer, you join your professional organization.  And the professional organization of Children's Book Writers is the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (because both kinds of artist are necessary to create these books), also known as the SCBWI.

Here's one person's ODE to the SCBWI -- 15 reasons why I Love the SCBWI, written by Joanna Marple over on her blog, Miss Marple's Musings.

Follow the connections there if you too are interesting in being considered a professional writer.

Another way scammers are taking money from aspiring writers

Check out this new way a so-called publisher is taking advantage of people on the Let's Get Visible blog.

A word to the wise -- a true publisher will NOT charge you to come sign at a book fair or convention.  They might not pay your expenses, but they will offer you a free time to sign.

Considering that renting a table at book fairs is usually $1,000, charging their "authors" almost $4,000 just for the right to sit there for an hour is outrageous.  The author would have done better to have rented the table themselves.

Sometimes writer's organizations will rent a table at these events - or even at national librarian events and will charge their members about $100 to offset the expense of the table.  Now, these events are worth this charge -- a small charge compared to the huge amount that scam "publishers" are making off of their poor, deluded captive writers.

Do the math, people.  There's no way you'll make a profit paying the publisher huge sums of money.
Remember the writer's motto -- Money flows to the writer from the publisher / NOT from the writer to the publisher.

Will I be signing at book fairs and librarian conventions for my next book?  Certainly I will.  AND the only expense I'll be paying will be travel expense.  The publisher will pay my entrance fee as well as theirs ,and will rent the table, and will supply the copies of my books for me to sign.

Do your research and don't get involved with these scam/ so-called-publishers.  They're out to get YOUR money.   (Do read the comments of this article as well.)

First day of school

Today was the first day of school for the Middle Schoolers in the San Dieguito School District of San Diego, CA.
Such a change from last year, when my 7th grader was new to California. Now she's beginning 8th grade, her last year in middle school.

Today
-- She not only set her alarm, but SHE GOT UP. (granted, it was after the second alarm -- she sets four alarms -- but she did get up.)
-- She had set out her clothing the night before and, although she couldn't find her favorite cardigan sweater, it was a great outfit. Her hair looked good, too.
-- Ate breakfast and took her vitamins.
-- Yelled at me to get going because she wanted to be there by 7:45.  (Actually, school begins at 8:30, but she was planning to meet friends and pick up their registration materials together and...)
-- So we took off for school.
-- Naturally being this early, the traffic up the school hill flowed nicely and we were able to find a parking place.  I needed to take her inhaler plus permissions to take medicine in school to the nurse, so we got out of the car, together.
-- Which was the last time we did anything together.  Although we could see her group of friends waiting in front of the school, she kissed me good-bye and took off in another direction, reaching the sidewalk in front of the school about 20 feet from her friends so that their heads were turned toward her as she came up and greeted them, and NOT toward me.  Ah.  This independent soul was making sure that there was no way she would be embarrassed by a parent walking her to school. Much squealing and screaming as they hugged and greeted each other. (as if they hadn't seen each other all summer, instead of the actual fact that they'd been together all last week and weekend.)
--They were completely oblivious as I passed behind them and entered the school office.

First Day of School off to a successful start.

Exhibit of Golden Books at Smithsonian

Are you a fan of Golden Books?
Yes, those inexpensive books with the 'golden' spine -- the spine that has NO title listed on it, which makes it difficult for adults to find The Pokey Little Puppy or the Golden Egg Book on the bookshelf when the kids want you to read it to them, again. (and again, and again)

Evidently, there's an exhibit about them at the Smithsonian right now, and you can get a peek at it by clicking on the link.

Seeing all those familiar titles of Golden books made me rush downstairs to see how many of my husband’s collection actually made it to our new home in California.  His parents had bought them for him as a child; we read them to our children; and now our grandchildren are enjoying them.

Hmmm, 

Ah, Here’s my very favorite Little Golden Book – The Saggy Baggy Elephant.

And my granddaughter’s favorite – Tootle (the train engine who would NOT stay on the tracks.  And Bunny’s New Shoes, and Time for Bed, and Frosty the Snowman. (and many more.)  I have a new copy of The Golden Egg book that I got when Marcus spoke at the American Library Association about Golden’s 50 year celebration.

I remember my husband telling us how thrilled he was when he discovered the bandaids that came with his Dr. Dan the Bandage Man book.

In addition, when I retired from being a children’s librarian in a public library system in Maryland, the Children’s Librarian’s group gave me Leonard Marcus’s book about the history of Golden Books – Golden Legacy, How Golden Books Won Children’s Hearts, Changed Publishing Forever, and Became an American Icon Along the Way. Leafing through it is like a trip back in time.


So, What's your favorite Golden Book?
Tell us about it in the comments below.

What is Talent?

If you're a writer or want to be a writer, you've gotta bookmark author and writing instructor, Marion Dane Bauer's blog.

Today she talks about talent -- what is it? Who has it? Who doesn't? And can it be developed if you work at it?

Ah -- Author Janni Simner also talks about talent on her blog, Desert Dispatches, today.

Is a small press worth your time?

Interesting article over at r/YA writers about small presses called RANT: It's not a scam...but it's not good, either.
This article is talking about tiny, tiny presses who probably won't do a good job with your book.  So bad that it would have been better to have self-published. (and you know I'm not an advocate of self-publishing.)
Something to ponder as you think about where to submit your book manuscript.

Oh, and on another note -- Here's one person's expense when she self-published, just to give you and idea of the money you have to provide when you take that route. (I don't see her name on this post, sorry.  And I know nothing about this website, so I'm not recommending it, just pointing out these statistics.)