THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ACADEMY
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Mastering Great Graphic Novels >
      • 2023 Mastering Graphic Novels Registration
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship

Who would win???

3/28/2022

7 Comments

 
By Sharon Giltrow
When my son was little, he loved reading nonfiction books based on the theme ‘who would win?’ Crocodile versus shark ‘who would win?’ Lion versus tiger ‘who would win?’ Then he would read all the facts on these animals to find out who and why. In Sarah Speedie and Rebel Challenger’s book MOZZIES vs FLIES it is the smaller beasts who are battling. But it is not for domination of the ocean, the land or even the sky, but for a barbeque. Who will win? Sorry I can’t give away the ending, you will have to read the book to find out 😊.
Picture
MOZZIES VS FLIES
Written by: Sarah Speedie
Illustrated by: Rebel Challenger
Published by: Larrikin Books, 1st February 2022
In a small dusty town, in the sweltering heat, two rival gangs had control of the streets. Fuzz and the Flies ruled the town in the light. While the Mozzies and Cozzie took over at night. When the School Barbeque is scheduled for 5.30pm - how do these two gangs decide who gets the rights to this delicious feast? Can they find a compromise or will it all end in an epic sky-high battle?

Now, let’s see two of Sarah’s favourite spreads from MOZZIES Vs FLIES and what she loves about them.
Picture
S- I love the spread where Cozzie and Fuzz are arguing over which side gets the barbeque. I think the way the characters are holding up the moon, stars and sun is so clever! And the gossiping flies and the mozzie with the torch under his chin are adorable.
 
Sh- This spread is a great example of how illustrations can add to the story. The context of flies and mozzies battling is hilarious. Adding the details in the illustration of the sun and the moon makes it even funnier. This image is also a great example of visual juxtaposition; night and day – dark and light.
Picture
S- The spread where The Mozzies and The Flies are training for battle is my favourite spread in the book. They have such wonderful expressions on their faces, and Fuzz with his huge megaphone is hilarious!
 

Sh- In this spread, Sarah is pushing the joke as far as she can by showing The Flies and The Mozzies preparing for battle. It is also showing us both sides of the story, the characters are both doing the same thing but in a different way. A parallel scene, another powerful visual storytelling technique.
Which beasts (large or small) would you like to see battle? You could come up with your own battle of the beasts and write a story about it.
 
See you in April with another great Aussie book.
 
Share a laugh and connect with someone today.
GIVEAWAY
For a chance to win a copy of our book MOZZIE’S Vs FLIES
  1. Comment on this blog post
  2. Share this blog post on social media
  3. Follow Sharon on twitter
  4. The winner will be announced on twitter on Monday 4th April
BIO:
Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career. Previously a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind, she now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Her humorous debut PB, BEDTIME DADDY! released May 2020 through EK books. Sharon’s humorous follow up PB, GET READY, MAMA! Is due to be released through EK books in April, 2022. Her third PB, LET’S GO SHOPPING, GRANDMA! is due to be released through Dixi Books in 2022. SAMARA RUBIN AND THE UTILITY BELT, book one in Sharon’s early MG series – THE UTILITY BELT, will be released in 2022 through Clear Fork Publishing.  With book two TOBY KING AND THE UTILITY BELT to follow.
 
CONNECT:
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Picture
Picture
Picture
7 Comments

Spring Training for Your Writing

3/21/2022

4 Comments

 
by Bryan Patrick Avery

I’ve loved baseball my whole life. I couldn’t be happier that the Major League Baseball lockout is over and Spring Training has begun. Spring is also the perfect time to do a little writing training as well. Here are a few exercises you can use to help get those creative juices flowing, generate new ideas, or get the pesky project finished.

Training #1 – They Will Be Missed (Or Will They?)
Creating characters is easy. Creating characters that resonate with readers is much more difficult. I’ve found that, the more I know about my character, the easier it is to bring them to life on the page. One of the ways to do this is to write a eulogies of the character delivered by the other characters in the story. Because the different characters have different viewpoints, each eulogy will be different. These eulogies will reveal your character in ways you may never have considered. You can then use this information to help bring your character to life on the page.

Training #2 – Change Perspective
One the great things about storytelling is that the storyteller gets to choose what perspective to tell the story from. If you’re stuck with a story or struggling with details in a particular scene or section, consider the story from a different character’s perspective. The original Sherlock Holmes mysteries are told from the perspective of Dr. Watson. Imagine if the tales were told from the Holmes’ point of view. What about Dr. Moriarty’s? Looking at your story through a different character’s eyes might reveal a detail or idea that you hadn’t considered.

Training #3 – Finish Strong
Getting to the end of story or book is a great feeling, worthy of celebrating. What if you’re struggling to get to “THE END”? Here’s a tip that might help you finish your story or book. Write the last chapter or final scene. Then, work backwards from there. Write from the end until you get to the beginning. This will help keep you focused on the key elements of the story, as every scene you write will need to push the reader into the scene you’ve already written. That focus can help you get your story finished. This is also a great way to revise your story. It will help you see when something you’ve written doesn’t move the story forward. Give it a try.

That’s all for this month. Happy reading and have a magical month.

​Here's what I'm reading:
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
At the age of 7, Bryan Patrick Avery discovered a love of reading and mysteries after receiving his first Bobbsey Twins Mystery book. Today, he is an award-winning poet and author of more than a dozen books for children. His middle-grade story, “The Magic Day Mystery”, appears in SUPER PUZZLETASTIC MYSTERIES, an anthology from HarperCollins and the Mystery Writers of America. His Jake Maddox JV Mysteries, OFF BASE and SOCCER SUSPICIONS were released earlier this year by Stone Arch Books. Bryan is the 2021 recipient of the SCBWI Work in Progress Award for his chapter book mystery THE ROBOT IN THE LIBRARY. He is also the author of THE FREEMAN FIELD PHOTOGRAPH, BLACK MEN IN SCIENCE, and the chapter book series, MR. GRIZLEY’S CLASS.
​
Bryan serves on the board of directors of the Northern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Northern California with his family.

4 Comments

IT’S ALL ABOUT – SPRINGING FORWARD WITH IDEAS

3/14/2022

0 Comments

 

​By Melissa Stoller

Where I live in New York, Spring arrives on March 20th. This month is the perfect time to spring forward with ideas! Here are a few tips to find inspiration all around you:


1) Spend time outdoors. Notice buds on the trees, flowers starting to bloom, and birds migrating. Stop by a botanical garden or even a flower shop and explore floral arrangements. Visit a local zoo. Organize a birdwatching excursion. Do any story ideas spring to mind?

2) March is the month of St. Patrick’s Day. Jot down a few ideas associated with this holiday such as: good luck, four-leaf clovers, and the color green. Turn those associations into a story title or first line.

3) Enjoy a spring picnic. What foods do you associate with springtime? Research some spring recipes and images. Perhaps take a spring stroll through an antique store or local food market. Notice table settings. Maybe a bud vase or a cheese board will spark your imagination. Hone in on one object and draft a few story lines. 

Enjoy this month and the changing seasons. And cheers to springing ahead with creative story ideas.

Picture


BIO:

Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Metler and Shirin Rahman, illustrated by Kate Talbot), released from Clear Fork Publishing in October, 2021. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. She also interviews authors on her blog, This Writing Life, and offers book tips and resources. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Wordle! www.MelissaStoller.com 

CONNECT:  

https://www.MelissaStoller.com
https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog 
http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller
http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller
www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller
www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller
https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com



​

Picture
0 Comments

Creating Balance as a Kidlit Writer

3/7/2022

9 Comments

 
By Bonni Goldberg
​

​Do you ever feel overwhelmed as a kidlit writer? Perhaps the better question is, do you ever not feel overwhelmed? It’s not you. It’s the many moving parts to this creative pursuit:
Let’s look at the list:

Percolation Phase (everything you do before and during the writing of your first draft)
  • Reading and studying other author books
  • Getting ideas
  • Researching your idea (even fiction requires research)
  • Writing the first draft
  • Learning: courses (like the Children’s Book Academy), books, workshops, conferences, groups, blog posts

Revision Phase (everything you do from finishing the first draft until you publish)
  • Revising and revising and revising and revising…
  • Participating in critique groups (‘fess up; how many do you belong to?)
  • More learning: courses (did I mention CBA?), books, workshops, conferences, groups, blog posts
​
Going Public Phase (everything you do to share your book with others)
  • Developing relationships with colleagues on social media and in person
  • Keeping up with industry news
  • Submitting your manuscripts or self-publishing
  • Marketing and promoting your books
  • Keeping it all organized

Did I forget anything? If so, please add it in the comments.
The point is that for every manuscript you write, you cycle through most or all of these activities. I wish I could offer you a one-size-fits-all method for creating balance between them. I also wish I had a single solution for enjoying (or not dreading) everything on the list. 
Even though that’s impossible, what I can tell you is that it is possible to do both. To start off, forget two things and remember two others:
  • Forget perfect. You will never find the perfect solution because all of life is a series of adjustments, and the writing life is no exception.
  • Forget equal time. Balance isn’t assigning each activity equal amounts of time. It’s making sure that each activity gets the time necessary during the day, week or month. There will be periods when you will have to give promoting a book more time and energy than writing a new book and vice versa. This is normal in the writing life cycle.
  • Remember what you learn from your journey. The point of experimenting with new writing tools and different writing schedules is to bring what you learn into the next writing project or the next phase of your current writing project.
  • Remember all creativity is a process, not an event. This is hard because we’re trained to focus on achievements as a measure of success and fulfillment: the thrill of a new idea, finishing a manuscript, getting an agent/publisher, publishing the book, winning an award, etc. And yet, every time we achieve any of the above, we find ourselves right back in the process. 
Picture
For more on balancing your writing life including, includes tips, writing exercises and perspectives to embrace your relationship with percolating ideas, revising your manuscripts and going public (publishing), check out my newest writing book, The Write Balance. Feeling balance frees up your creativity, focus and resilience.

Picture
​GIVEAWAY
Please enjoy this free, short ebook full of honest talk: Balancing Writing & Marketing: 8 Authors Reveal Their Secrets (including  our own Melissa Stoller!)


BIO
Bonni Goldberg’s debut picture book, Dona Gracia Saved Worlds is forthcoming from Kar-Ben, Fall 2023. Bonni is an award-winning and bestselling author of numerous non-fiction books for adults and children. She is currently writing and publishing girl-powered historical fiction and about Jewish identity and about belonging in picture books and middle grade novels. Bonni believes everyone has something important to say and to do to help repair the world. Including you. She lives in Portland, Oregon, in the collective conversation of creative possibilities, and online at www.facebook.com/bonnigoldbergbooks
www.twitter.com/bonnigoldberg
Picture
9 Comments
    We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our  awesome bloggers!!

    Here's our lineup:
    1st Mondays begin with awesome multi-published former student Shirin Shamsi who will be focusing on Muslim and cultural kidlit.

    2nd Mondays will feature super smart Melissa Stoller whose career is taking off with several new books.
     

    3rd Mondays will feature
    Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer, man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    4th Mondays will feature STEM, STEAM & SEL obsessed author Kourtney LaFavre sharing delightfully dorky, quirky, and fun info.

    And 5th Mondays we'll be taking a break

    Enter your email address to follow this blog:

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Picture
Discover
Why Us?
Courses
Blogfish
Book Shoppe
About Us
Meet the Academy Faculty
Community
Contact Us

Privacy Policy
Join Us
Social Media
Join our Community and receive a fabulous free gift, yummy newsletters, scholarship info, contests, and more!

Like us on Facebook 
Join our interactive FB Group  
Find us on Twitter 
Follow us on ​Instagram  
Look for us on Pinterest
​
Watch us on YouTube
© 2012-2021  All content on this website is copyrighted. Sorry, all courses are non-refundable.
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Mastering Great Graphic Novels >
      • 2023 Mastering Graphic Novels Registration
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship