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A View From The Other Side: The Subjective Nature of Book Awards

2/26/2016

7 Comments

 
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If you are writing for children, chances are you already know that January was “awards” month. That time of year similar to the Oscars and Emmy’s when people wait with bated breath to hear which of many thousands of books produced will get a nod from some corner of the world.  This year I sat on an inaugural awards committee. That meant reading nearly forty young adult books then scoring and discussing with a committee. The previous year I served on a nonfiction committee for the Chicago based Society of Midland Awards. A number of colleagues have served on National Book Awards and American Library Association committees. I considered myself lucky that my pile of 40 or so novels paled in comparison to a colleague who received several hundred for his own committee.

One thing I've learned is that awards are only snapshots, not "bibles" for your own writing.

Judging awards is both daunting and subjective. Committees are made of human beings all with a passion for reading and all with their own taste and perspective. We’re all volunteers reading in the midst of work and family deadlines. We have our own deadlines to meet. But we do it because reading is a joy. In my own case, I have an alcove on the second floor that is wide enough for a large chair, a bookcase for submitted works, a table and not much else. The window looks out onto a park. When I’m in that chair the family knows to stay clear because I’m immersing. I tend not to rank books until I’ve read a large number of them because my opinions change as I compare the texts. Judging nonfiction would seem easy because I could look objectively at presentation of material, research quality, clarity, level of engagement. Either it is right, or it isn’t. Still the work was hard because we were judging works for younger readers with those for older readers. We had differing opinions and held discussions to narrow the choices. In the end, we were happy with the decision but regretted not having more space to recognize other strong works in the pile.

With novels the constraints changed. All books are within a general range of word count but now I was comparing speculative fiction against realistic fiction. Contemporary stories against Historical narratives. And everything in between. I love a good fantasy, but another judge might gravitate toward memoir. Judges bring something of themselves to the process which is why diversity of experience and interests matters. To have a balance in the discussion. As a starting point everyone tries to evaluate objective and subjective aspects of each work: writing quality, voice, mastery of the material. And yet, we all came to different conclusions about books submitted. Books I loved, some judges loved. Others didn’t. Books I thought were problematic, others loved and so forth and so on. Actually, awards committees are a lot like those brokered Presidential conventions you hear politicians talk about. There is rarely a clear consensus.

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The process of eliminating books that don’t fit the criteria is easy. If the rules say the book has to be about oranges and your publisher submits a book about apples, then into the “donate to a library” pile it goes.  Sometimes a publisher does not submit and we can't judge what we don't know exists. Also, there are sometimes books that start promising then lose site of the goal. But after the first pass there is still a pile of books remaining that are well written, beautifully illustrated, and clearly resonate. That is often the majority of the pile. Deciding a winner from those that passed the initial read is gut wrenching. So committees discuss, persuade, negotiate, debate, and debate some more. We often have personal favorites that are different from our colleague's choices. And for the most part, what could be a difficult discussion turns out to be civil, nuanced and respectful.

Still, I’m a writer. So I understand the sadness a writer will face when their own book is not chosen. But it passes quickly. Because I’ve been on both sides. I’ve also been the recipient of an award. I still had to take the garbage out on Monday and clean up after the cat who had wanted to make a statement about my absentee status. Life as book celebrity is a myth.

Here’s the deal in a nutshell. For the next year the world will rejoice about award winning authors as if they held the secret formula to writing a book. The other authors whose work was equally strong will get lost in the celebration. The natural tendency is to try to “read the tea leaves” and try to push your work in the direction of what was recognized.

Don’t.

Let me repeat. Don’t.

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1. A different committee composed of different judges might come to a completely different conclusion and choose a different subset of work.

2. You are writing for a reader, not an awards committee. The chances of winning an award out of thousands of works produced each year is about the same as winning a lottery.

3. The reason there are thousands of books in a library or bookstore is to satisfy a wide and diverse set of preferences and interests. Write what you love and stay on your path.

4. Books that are published now were acquired several years ago. Preferences will be different by the time your book is published.

5. The job of the award winners just got harder. Think about the amount of time you spend carving out time in your day to day life to write. Writing is almost always best when you can take large chunks of time and immerse in the world of your character. Now imagine that you are the “go-to” person for every convention keynote, news article, etc. When do you write? Yes - sometimes obscurity is your friend.

Conclusion?

Don’t second guess your own work. Many of the books you read now or as a child likely never received an award. And yet they are loved and endure because they resonated with their target audience. Stay on course. Awards are just a single snapshot of a much wider industry. Not winning an award is not an statement about the quality of the other books, or even your own abilities.

Writing for children is about immersing them in a world, holding their attention and awakening their hunger for another book. It is about being part of a community that creates lifelong passionate readers.

If you can achieve that, then you’ve found the true reward. Keep your eye on that prize.

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Christine Taylor-Butler is the author of more than 70 books for children. Her current passion is her contemporary sci-fi/fantasy The Lost Tribes about five children who learn they play a role in saving the world. When not writing, she is a freelance editor, and community volunteer. She's also a closet ballroom dancer, artist and personal servant of a cat and tank of fish. You can find her on Twitter:  @ChristineTB , Facebook: ChristineTaylorButler.ChildrensAuthor, or www.ChristineTaylorButler.com.

May you have many happy hours of writing ahead of you!

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A Diverse Caldecott Winner

2/19/2016

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Last weekend, I attended the national SCBWI conference in New York. It was a great way to meet illustrators and writers, as well as to get my own illustrations noticed.

However, one of the highlights of the conference was to hear and meet Sophie Blackall, whose recent illustrations for "Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear" won her the 2016 Caldecott Medal. Not only was Sophie an amazing speaker, her story to fame is truly inspiring.



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One of the most important things I took away from her speech, though, was just how diverse her illustrations are. From "Ruby's Wish" to "Pecan Pie Baby", to her illustrated New York subway poster Sophie shows characters from all races, cultures, and disabilities. Some are more culturally based stories, like "Red Butterfly" but in most cases the characters are just there, in everyday situations.

That's a real reflection of the real world.

In addition, I was completely impressed with Sophie talking about her trip to Rwanda. She traveled there and brought rolls of paper and markers for kids to draw on in a school that was made up of cement walls and a few benches for all the kids to cram into. She spoke about programs that were introducing books to children for the first time, where kids would travel two hours on foot - including one child who was missing a foot - just to hear a story and hold a book in their hands. 

It was pretty powerful and heartwarming.

So I highly recommend studying Sophie Blackall's work. You could not only learn a lot about writing and illustrating children's books, but about life as well.


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Angela Padron is a published illustrator of two books, including "The Hero in You" by Ellis Paul, as well as a Star Wars geek and chocolate chip cookie connoisseur. She also writes and illustrates her own picture books, board books, and chapter books. When she's not teaching, Angela works as a freelance writer and editor for educational publishers and spends weekends enjoying walks along the beach with her family. View her online portfolio at www.angelapadron.com. You can also "like" her facebook page, follow her on Twitter @angela_padron, and follow her own blog called "Show and Tell" with weekly posts about teaching, writing and illustrating books for children.

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Rhyming Wizards (with wizardly advice from Jane Yolen)       by Marsha Diane Arnold

2/12/2016

2 Comments

 
It all started when Angie Karcher invited me to the RhyPiBo 2015 awards in New York City last December. Sadly, I wasn’t able to attend, but just getting the invitation had me speaking in rhyme for days.
 
I’ve only written two rhyming picture books and some might not qualify them as true rhyme. Roar of a Snore is an accumulative rhyming book; the letters Prancing Dancing Lily writes home from her travels around the world are also in rhyme. I’ve never really been a poet or a rhymer, though. Prancing Dancing Lily nearly drove me batty. Roar of a Snore almost sent me off the cliff. What was I thinking? Looking back I realize that I started writing in rhyme after the most difficult health challenge of my life. I needed to laugh. Writing in rhyme made me laugh. And reading and writing rhyme makes kids laugh too. That’s why we writers continue to struggle with it.
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Just so you know, my rhyming must not have been too horrible as Prancing Dancing  Lily was an IRA-CBC Children’s Choice and Roar of a Snore received a starred review and was, for three years, a Dolly Parton Imagination Library selection. Still, I know I was walking on thin ice. I promised myself that the next time I wrote a book in rhyme I not only needed to have fun, I needed to get serious.
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So I got serious, since I'm thinking about a few new projects that call out for rhyme. I visited the rhyme master and poet wizard, Jane Yolen.

I asked Jane three questions, which she graciously answered with her usual wit and wisdom.

(Photo ©Jason Stemple​)

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1) What are your top suggestions for those who wish to master rhyme?
Read the Masters: clearly Lewis Carroll's Alice poems. But modern masters, like J. Patrick Lewis, Shel Silverstein, Doug Florian, Alice Shertle, Maryann Hoberman, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Marilyn Singer, David Harrison. Then set yourself a goal of writing a rhymed poem a day for a month, even six months. Read and practice.
 
2) What are your favorite websites for learning the skill of poetry writing?
I am huge fan of David Harrison's blog and Miss Rumphius Effect and read them every day.
 
3) How do you feel about inexact rhyme? (resist/missed) Some editors refuse it, but I see lots of books where it seems to work.
Baby steps. Don't start with those. Make yourself a master of the rhymed poem. (Not just ditties, but sophisticated rhyme schemes, too.) Be prepared to fail and rewrite and rewrite again. Before you do inexact rhymes, master true rhymes. Not resist/missed, but resist/enlist or missed/kissed. Not slant rhymes like find/rescind. And for goodness sakes, don't do occasional rhymes and jerked lines with the excuse that Seuss did it all the time. Dr. Seuss was sui generis and a genius. He was one of a kind. You are one of your own kind.
 
Jane’s advice will definitely keep us on the road to rhyming.  You might want to join her “Jane Yolen Poem A Day” email, to keep poetry and rhyme in your day. http://eepurl.com/bs28ab  Jane has not missed sharing a daily poem for three years straight! Talk about inspiring!
Below are Jane’s notes and requests if you join the group. I have and it's been a pleasure.

“These are mostly adult poems, so don’t automatically let kids see them. And they are early drafts.
Please don't share the poems or post them without asking permission. And always include the © notice when you do. Since I try to get many of the poems published in magazines or journals or in anthologies or collections, I need to protect my copyright.
All I ask in return is that you promise at month’s end --in exchange for the poems--that you will either buy one of my books (for yourself, a child, a friend, your local library) or borrow one from the library. Or possibly buy one for the library one month, borrow it the next. Double dip!
And do tell me what book you have gotten. If you joined past the month's halfway point, you get that first month free of this promise.
I always love to hear reactions, annotations, mention of typos, etc.”
 
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If you want more inspiration, check out the top rhyming picture books that RhyPiBoMo selected for 2015. My granddaughter’s personal favorite is Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry, a fresh take on friendship...yep, between a stick and a stone.

Remember that children’s poetry and rhyme is not only about fun, though that’s a big part of it. It can also tackle information, serious subjects, and bring insights. I’d end here with a rhyme, but I think I’ll go practice Jane’s advice first.
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But if the rhyming gods grab you, comments are welcome in prose or poetry.




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Marsha Diane Arnold is the award-winning author of twelve books that have sold over a million copies. Her latest book Lost. Found received three starred reviews and is a Junior Library Guild selection. She enjoys traveling the country visiting schools to share her love of writing and books as well as doing manuscript consultations from her home base in Florida. www.marshadianearnold.com
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Graphic Novels and Web Comics for Tweens & Teens

2/5/2016

4 Comments

 
As the author of the web comic Box O' Robotics, I am always on the look out for the next best selling graphic novel, classic comics, web comics and top market Japanese manga. Sometimes I'll spend a few hours in the bookstore browsing the shelves and studying what makes this type of literature so great on the market. Today I'm going to be recommending graphic novels and web comics that your tweens and teens will love, and talk about how I'm going to be assisting the upcoming Middle Grade Mastery Course for the Children's Book Academy. 

TWEEN & TEEN GRAPHIC NOVEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
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NIMONA (Noelle Stevenson)-

ABOUT NIMONA:

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.


WHY DO I RECOMMEND IT (Tweens & Teens):

The reason Nimona is a must have for tweens and teens is because it is jam-packed with amazing symbolism and butt kicking adventure. I recently heard about Nimona at the National Book Awards and was so in awe with it that I had to learn more. When KidLit TV's founder Julie Gribble and I went to Books of Wonder in NYC I also discovered that Nimona was first a web-series before it went off to be an amazing classic. 
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LUMBERJANES (Noelle Stevenson, Brooke A. Allen, Shannon Watters) -

ABOUT LUMBERJANES: 
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Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! Not only is it the second title launching in our new BOOM! Box imprint but LUMBERJANES is one of those punk rock, love-everything-about-it stories that appeals to fans of basically all excellent things. It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Gravity Falls and features five butt-kicking, rad teenage girls wailing on monsters and solving a mystery with the whole world at stake. And with the talent of acclaimed cartoonist Noelle Stevenson, talented newcomer Grace Ellis writing, and Brooke Allen on art, this is going to be a spectacular series that you won’t want to miss. 

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Tweens & Teens):

Camp, adventure, a cast of diverse, amazing, risk-taking strong female character leads! Lumberjanes has got it all. This graphic novel is perfect for girls and boys, especially those that like to get their hands dirty and start their own summer adventures. 
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THIS ONE SUMMER (Mariko Tamaki)-

ABOUT THIS ONE SUMMER: 
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Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens - just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy - is caught up in something bad... Something life threatening.
It's a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

This One Summer is a tremendously exciting new teen graphic novel from two creators with true literary clout. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of childhood - a story of renewal and revelation.

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Teens):
It's heart wrenching, beautifully illustrated with both story and pictures and really teaches the reader something truly important about growing up.

TWEEN & TEEN WEB COMICS: 
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BOX O' ROBOTICS (Katya Szewczuk)
The official B.O.R. website will be up and running soon! But until thenread B.O.R.on my website!

ABOUT BOX O' ROBOTICS:

Box O’ Robotics follows a teenage boy named Samuel McAlister who always dreamt about being an inventor. But living in a futuristic world where robots and artificial intelligence have more of the advantage is troublesome. But that’s the least of his worries. When he is sent to the famous Sterling Academy to work on his inventions he learns that human beings are used as a life/energy source so the robots and artificial intelligence can create more inventions. He then meets the notorious bad boy Porter whose harum-scarum personality always gets him into trouble. Samuel finds out that Porter was on a mission to destroy the futuristic world because of its true evil. And he can only do so with Samuel by his side. Jam-packed with adventure and fun, Samuel goes on a risk-taking adventure that forces him out of his comfort zone. And suddenly everyone is against him. ​It’s a tale of man versus robo-power!

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Teens): 

You might be thinking, "What the robo-brains? Why are you recommending your own series?" The reasons for this are because:
  1. The first page of the Box O' Robotics comic was created when I took the Children's Book Academy's Craft and Business of Illustrating Children's Picture Books.
  2. It is a Young Adult Web Comic, but its activities can relate to many kids. (See how to make your own comic activity on KidLit TV!) 
  3. There are many authors and illustrators in the industry who have responded positively to it.

​Box O' Robotics isn't just a web comic, it's an interactive comic that I hope will teach many tweens, teens and adults about the wonders of technology and how not to abuse technology. It was also strongly inspired by Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics and is great for girls and boys who love engineering and inventing. 
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Fantomstein (Beka Duke)

ABOUT FANTOMSTEIN
What if Frankenstein's Creature lived on to become the infamous Phantom of the Opera? "What a silly thing to say" says you. "What a fun idea for a comic!" says I.

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Teens)
If you love the story of Frankenstein's Creature and Phantom of the Opera you will fall in love with this web comic. Fantomstein is the story in which frankenstein’s monster actually becomes the phantom of the opera. And if you appreciate original, hauntingly bewitching illustrations you will adore this series. 
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Zoophobia (Vivienne Medrano)

Zoophobia
 is a fantasy/humour webcomic by Vivienne Medrano about a neurotic young woman named Cameron who, when desperate for a job, winds up being unexpectedly thrust into Safe Haven, a fantastic world full of incredible beasts, unimaginable beings and zany characters. She receives a job as a guidance counselor at the Zoo-Phoenix Academy, where she faces head-on with a colorful cast of talking animals and strange creatures. Unfortunately, Cameron has quite the terrible case of zoophobia and is ultimately terrified by the very students and staff she must work with.

WHY I RECOMMEND IT (Teens)
Nothing is like Zoophobia. Between art and story, this is one original comic that has made web comic history. If your teens love animals and a world of color and imagination than this this the perfect comic for them. Vivienne is also a superstar animator who animates her comic characters. 


MEET WITH ME AT THE MIDDLE GRADE MASTERY COURSE:
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This year I will be assisting the CBA with its upcoming Middle Grade Mastery Course. This course has so much to offer you. You'll not only learn the basics of how to write the perfect middle grade novel, but you'll also learn about the inside scoop of what makes middle grade novels, and graphic novels stand out in the market. There are also many offers and golden ticket opportunities that only the CBA can offer you, such as being taught by agents and editors and submitting your work to them at the end of the course. 

What are some of your favorite tween and teen graphic novels? I'd love to hear your recommendations! 
​
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    Meet the Friday Blogonauts

    First Fridays will feature Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer , man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    Second Fridays will feature  awesome multi-award winning author Marsha Diane Arnold who will be writing about character-driven and/or nature-based books and/or anything she likes :)

    Third Fridays
    will feature independent Aladdin/Simon & Shuster editor Emma Sector who has helped bring many books into the world.

    Fourth Fridays will feature the great Christine Taylor-Butler who has published over 70 award-winning fiction and non-fiction and nonfiction books including the acclaimed new middle grade series - The Lost Tribes.

    Fifth Fridays will feature the fabulous Carl Angel award-winning multi-published Illustrator and graphic designer.


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  • Home
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