Tips for writers
New books you will enjoy
It’s no secret—the interest in digital content
in schools and libraries is at an all-time high, and many
children now own digital readers. Be sure to check out your
library for e-books to borrow. It seems to be the wave of
the future. E-books are less expensive to buy, most books
are available in an e-format, including textbooks, you can
loan them to friends on most e-readers, and they are lightweight.
Children's literature has come a long way in keeping up with
the times, but we do miss some of our old favorites. Happily,
new books by some of the late, great children's writers are
still being published. If you loved Dr. Seuss as much as I
did, you will be excited over this new collection of lost
stories, along with a new book of those magical poems of Shel
Silverstein. There are also new books by favorite adult authors
that have turned to writing for children and young adults:
Harlan Coban, and Jane Smiley are two that looked exciting.
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| Here
are my recommendations for your reading pleasure: |
 THE
BIPPOLO SEED AND OTHER LOST STORIES
by Dr. Seuss
Seuss scholar/collector Charles D. Cohen has
hunted down seven rarely seen stories by Dr. Seuss. Originally
published in magazines between 1948 and 1959, they include
"The Bippolo Seed" (in which a scheming feline leads
an innocent duck to make a bad decision); "The Bear,
the Rabbit, and the Zinniga-Zanniga" (about a rabbit
who is saved from a bear with a single eyelash!); and "The
Great Henry McBride" (about a boy whose far-flung career
fantasies are only bested by those of the real Dr. Seuss himself).
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 EVERY
THING ON IT
poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein
Have
you ever read a book with everything on it? Well, here it
is, an amazing collection of never-before-published poems
and drawings from the creator of WHERE
THE SIDEWALK ENDS, A
LIGHT IN THE ATTIC and FALLING
UP. You will say Hi-ho for the toilet troll, get tongue-tied
with Stick-a-Tongue-Out-Sid, play a highly unusual horn, and
experience the joys of growing down.
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 CITY
OF ORPHANS
written by Avi
illustrated by Greg Ruth
As a newsboy on the streets of 1893 New York, 13-year-old
Maks Geless has a hard enough time evading the grasp of
the Plug Ugly gang, whose sinister boss wants to control
all the newsies on the Lower East Side. But now Maks is
burdened with a new challenge: proving the innocence of
his sister, Emma --- in just four days. While Emma is confined
to the city jail for allegedly stealing a watch at the glamorous
new Waldorf Hotel, Maks teams up with Willa, a strange but
loyal girl who lives alone in an alley, and Bartleby Donck,
a lawyer to do some urgently needed detective work. Avi
has caught the historical realities of being a newsboy in
New York in the late 1800s.
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THE FLINT HEART
by
Katherine Paterson and John Paterson
Illustrated by John Rocco
An
ambitious Stone Age man demands a talisman that will harden
his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against
his better judgment, the tribe’s magic man creates the
Flint Heart, but the cruelty of it causes the destruction
of the tribe. Thousands of years later, the talisman reemerges
to corrupt a kindly farmer, an innocent fairy creature, and
a familial badger. Can Charles and his sister Unity, who have
consulted with fairies such as the mysterious Zagabog, wisest
creature in the universe, find a way to rescue humans, fairies
and animals alike from the dark influence of the Flint Heart?
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 HEART
AND SOUL
The Story of America and African Americans
by Kadir Nelson
The story of America and African Americans is a story of
hope and inspiration and unwavering courage. But it is also
the story of injustice; of a country divided by law, education,
and wealth; of a people whose struggles and achievements helped
define their country. This is the story of the men, women
and children who toiled in the hot sun picking cotton for
their masters; it’s about the America ripped in two
by Jim Crow laws; it’s about the brothers and sisters
of all colors who rallied against those who would dare bar
a child from an education. It’s a story of discrimination
and broken promises, determination and triumphs.
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 PAINTINGS
FROM THE CAVE: Three Novellas
by Gary Paulsen
Meet Jake, who lives in a neighborhood controlled by street
violence and fear. He meets a sculptor across the street,
and his eyes are opened to another world. Or Jojo, who's closer
to her three dogs than to her foster family. When Jojo tries
to help another girl who needs a friend, the dogs know what
to do. Or Jamie, Erik and Grandpa, who make up an unusual
family.
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 TRUE
BLUE
by Jane Smiley
True Blue is a beauty, a dappled gray, and when Abby gets
to take him to her family's ranch, she can hardly believe
her luck. The horse needs a home: his owner --- a woman brand
new to the riding stable --- was tragically killed in a car
crash and no one has claimed him. Daddy is wary, as always.
But Abby is smitten. True Blue is a sweetheart, and whenever
Abby calls out, "Blue, Blue, how are you?" he whinnies
back.
But sometimes True Blue seems...spooked. He paces, and always
seems to be looking for something. Or someone. Abby starts
to wonder about True Blue's owner. What was she like? What
did she look like? And then one moonlit night.....
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 DAUGHTER
OF SMOKE AND BONE
by Laini Taylor
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways,
scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through
a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply
of human teeth has grown dangerously low. And in the tangled
lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught
up in a brutal otherworldly war. (Urban Fantasy) |
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THE RIVER OF TIME SERIES
by Lisa T. Bergren
Gabriella and Evangelia Betarrini are the daughters of Etruscan
archaeologists. Stuck on a hot, dusty dig site for yet another
long, dreary summer --- far from the nearest boys --- they
go exploring. They enter a forbidden tomb and find two handprints
among the frescoes. And when they touch them, together, they
are catapulted back in time…and into the adventure of
their lives. Fantastic series for fantasy lovers.
http://teenreads.com/series/series-river-of-time |
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Are
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Tips for children's
writers:
Submitting to Children's Book Publishers:
3 Steps to Avoiding Rejection Letters
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