new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Honesty, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 25 of 27
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: Honesty in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
I’ve just become Ireland’s first Patron of Reading. Trinity Comprehensive School, Ballymun, is a north Dublin school in an area which was, in the past, a byword for deprivation. In recent years, Ballymun has been the subject of a huge regeneration programme, and it’s a place where I have been welcomed since I did my very first school visit there four years ago.
 |
| This was drawn by the principal, Ms Fran Neary. |
 |
| where it all started |
In 2011, my first novel, Taking Flight, had just come out, and I’d only done a few local visits in Belfast schools. I was a fulltime teacher so I wasn’t nervous about talking to teenagers, but when the invitation from Trinity Comprehensive came in, it felt different. It was the first time I realised that readers outside Northern Ireland would connect with my characters. Joe Kelly, Trinity’s wonderful librarian, assured me that his pupils had liked Taking Flight‘because it seemed so real to them.’
That was the first of many visits to the school. I’ve done lots of talks and workshops in the library which is, like all good school libraries, central to the school, promoting literacy in its widest sense. I think I kept being invited back because I’m unpretentious and realistic. Earlier this year Joe and I decided to formalise the relationship by designating me Trinity’s Patron of Reading. I’m sure readers of this blog are familiar with the PoR scheme. It’s an excellent way for schools to connect with writers, and for writers to connect with readers. When I attended a ceremony in Trinity last month to mark becoming its Patron, one of the things I promised to do was to use my December ABBA post to celebrate being Ireland’s first PoR. |
| me on a school visit -- unglamorous but real |
In the last week, however, my thoughts have also been exercised by the furore over ghost-writing, transparency, and celebrity culture. There’s been a lot of nonsense in the media, as well as a lot of good common sense – not least here on ABBA: thank you, Keren David.
How does this link with the PoR scheme, and with school visits in general? I think the most important thing about authors visiting schools is that they make things real for the pupils. As a child, I had little concept of my favourite writers as actual people. The books just sort of appeared in the library, as if by magic, though I gleaned every little snippet of biographical information I could from the dust flap. When I wrote to Antonia Forest and she wrote back it felt like the most exciting thing that had ever happened anyone – to have a letter written by the same hand that had written the Marlow novels. (And I should point out that I was 23 and a PhD student at the time.)
 |
| the book that drove me mad |
What I always emphasise on school visits is that writing is a process, and often a fairly torturous one. I don’t pretend to write quickly and easily. I show the pupils the whole journey of a novel, from notebooks with rough planning, through printed-out and much scribbled over drafts, to the final book. I’m not precious – I tell them about the times when it’s been hard; I show them a six-page critique of an early draft of Taking Flight, and point out that there is a short paragraph of ‘Positives’ followed by five and half pages of ‘Issues to Consider’. I tell them about going to an editorial meeting to discuss Still Falling, and how my editors spent five minutes telling me what they liked about the novel and 55 minutes telling me what wasn’t working.
I’m not trying to put kids off. I always emphasise that making things up is magical, and seeing your ideas develop into actual stories that people read is the best thing in the world. But I do let them see that it involves a lot of hard work.
Nowadays I think that’s even more important. I once shared a platform with two children who had self-published. It was a ridiculous, uncomfortable event: there I was talking about hard work and rejection and editing and how hard it is to get published, and there were these two little pre-teen moppets with their shiny books. The primary school audience, who won’t have known the difference between self-publishing and commercial publishing, probably thought I was some kind of slow learner. But I least I told them the truth.
Honesty. I think we need more of it. I’m so proud to be Ireland’s first Patron of Reading, and I intend to keep on being honest about writing as a magical, but difficult craft.
 |
| Trinity Comprehensive School, Ballymun. |
.jpeg?picon=3306)
By: Zoe,
on 7/9/2014
Blog:
Playing by the book
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Friendship,
Honesty,
School,
Belgium,
Growing up,
Different perspectives,
Being independent,
Being an author,
Behaviour (good or bad),
Crosscultural friendship,
Inclusive/diverse books,
Colette Victor,
Add a tag
A rich and warm-hearted coming-of-age tale, Head over Heart is an impressive and important debut novel from Colette Victor.
An adolescent girl is smitten with a boy in her class. But she fears her family would disapprove of her spending time with him. How can she balance her wishes with those of her family? How does she work out what she really feels, when whatever course of action she takes may make someone unhappy?
Victor’s novel is finely told, with an eye for emotional complexity, but what makes it stand out for me is how very relevant it is today in Britain with all this talk of “British values”; the heroine in this story (which made me cry quietly as I reached the final pages) is a Muslim girl, trying to work out some of the issues any teenager might face to do with friendship, love, lust and just who they see themselves as, who they want to be, but she is having to do this at the same time as trying to find a comfortable place between or across two apparently very different cultures.
Ideas of what is right or wrong, what is appropriate or not are thoughtfully explored. There are no easy answers, but there’s lots of respect and understanding, quietly woven into the pages. Whilst it is brilliant to see some publishing diversity (how many other novels for young teenagers can you think of with a Muslim main character?), I firmly believe this is story relevant to any adolescent (and indeed any parent of young people just entering that crazy time of their lives when hormones run riot), whatever their cultural or religious background.
If you enjoyed Anne Booth‘s Girl with a White Dog I’m confident you will love this book, which also explores how life in Britain today is incredibly enriched by the many cultures that find a home here. Pertinent, moving, and at times challenging Head over Heart is a book which makes the world a little better for enabling us to walk in each others shoes and understand our neighbours and ourselves a little more.
Perhaps the last comments of my review should go to a friend of mine: I lent my copy of Head over Heart to a Muslim friend who first warned me that it might take her ages to read the book. Within pretty much 48 hours she was back: “I couldn’t put down the book!” “Her writing is so beautiful.” “I would definitely give my daughter this.”. She also talked about how for her as a parent who didn’t grow up in the UK (but in Pakistan) it was very interesting and helpful to think about the differences between her own childhood and that of her UK born children.
Authors write outside their experience all the time but I still felt it would be interesting to hear what Colette Victor had to say about the experience – she was born in South Africa and now lives in Belgium. Here’s what she had to say to me:
“The magic of being a writer is being able to leave your own predictable and familiar existence to temporarily take up residence inside another person’s skin, a different set of circumstances, a new world all together. If the only viewpoint I was supposed to write from was that of a white, middle-aged South African woman living in Europe, I doubt I’d be doing any writing at all. I certainly wouldn’t have any readers.
So why did I feel I had the authority to write from the perspective of a Muslim teenage girl living in Europe? Well, it all boils down to my job, really. I live and work as a community worker in an ex-mining city in Belgium with a large immigrant population. I’ve worked with many different groups of people over the years – children, senior citizens, ex-convicts, job seekers, resident groups and mothers. Many of the young people and mothers I work with are of either Turkish or Moroccan origin – their families came out here over fifty years ago to work in the mines. I’ve heard countless personal stories, been inside scores of homes and spent hours in the company of young Muslim girls and their mums. I also spent a lot of time interviewing some of these girls to find out their viewpoint on various issues and, I can tell you, they’re as vast and varied as any other group of women.
One of the reasons I set out to write Head over heart was because there are so many misconceptions surrounding the headscarf. People often see it as a symbol of female oppression. Through my work I’ve met many proud, strong women who choose to wear a headscarf as a symbol of their identity, despite the opinions for or against it. I know married women, widows, single mums and emancipated university students who wear a headscarf because that’s who they are and not because there’s a man standing in the wings demanding it. On the flip side, I also know many women who would seem Westernised and wear Western clothing but live an existence of subjugation and submissiveness behind the scenes. I know Belgian women, Christian women and atheists – some lead proud, strong lives, some live in fear and submission. Ultimately it’s about looking further than cultural accessories and seeing the person underneath.
My daughter, Stella, who’s about the same age as Zeyneb, had a Muslim best friend for all her nursery and primary school years. The two girls were always together, doing homework, dressing up, sleeping over at each other’s houses. As my daughter’s friend got older and her body started changing, she often expressed concern about the fact that soon her carefree childhood would be behind her and she’d have to make the choice of wearing a headscarf or not. This is what got me thinking about all the cultural pressures at play in making such a decision and this is what I explored through Zeyneb’s eyes in Head over heart.”
My thanks go to Colette Victor for her thoughts on this. And thank you – this has been a long post, but I really think this book deserves the time and space I’ve devoted to it dtoday for it is an excellent, thoughtful, and highly relevant début.
By: Zoe,
on 6/29/2014
Blog:
Playing by the book
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Spies,
Different perspectives,
Crosscultural friendship,
Annie M. G. Schmidt,
David Colmer,
Friendship,
Humour,
Honesty,
Cats,
Writing,
Emotions,
Fantasy,
Dogs,
Animals,
The Netherlands,
Secrets,
Books in translation,
Add a tag
Mr Tibbles – a shy reporter on the local newspaper – has been threatened with the sack. It’s perhaps no surprise: Mr Tibbles is mad about cats, and all his stories end up revolving around felines one way or another. What his editor wants, however, is news!
Photo: Sarah
An act of kindness brings Mr Tibbles into contact with Minoe, a rather strange young woman who appears to be able to talk to cats. Through the town’s network of feline pets and strays Minoe starts starts to deliver interesting titbits of exclusive news to Mr Tibbles; cats across the city overhear all sorts of conversations often revealing juicy gossip and insider information, and when Minoe learns of these pieces of news from kitty comrades, she passes them on to her friend the reporter.
Mr Tibble’s job is looking up until he uncovers information which could lead to the downfall of a local powerful businessman. Will the reporter be brave enough to expose the evil goings on? Will he be believed, when his only witnesses are pussy cats?
A funny and yet quietly profound tale of courage, friendship and what it really means to be human, The Cat Who Came in off the Roof, by Annie M. G. Schmidt, translated by David Colmer is a gem of a story. Ideal for fans of The Hundred and One Dalmatians, or cross-species tales of identity such as Stellaluna or Croc and Bird, this book would make an especially good class read-aloud, with lots of opportunities to discuss what life looks like from different perspectives, helping readers and listeners walk in another’s shoes, as well as perhaps learning a thing or to about overcoming shyness, and how to stand up for what you believe in.
From the mangy, feisty stray cat who you end up rooting for, to the hilarious school cat with a penchant for history lessons and a slight;y different (some might say out-dated) understanding of the term ‘news’, Schmidt has populated her story with a super array of characters. The narrative beautifully unfolds with unseen and fine tuning, climaxing with an exciting and rich ending which is deeply satisfying even though not everything is tied up neatly and not all strands end happily. Despite plenty of kittens and purring, this book never patronises its readership.
Knowing the original Dutch language version as we do as a family, I can also comment on the gorgeous translation. Colmer has wittily and cleverly translated linguistic and cultural jokes. His phrase ‘miaow-wow’ for when the cats meet up for a big parley is genius and has now entered our family parlance. If I nitpick I might personally have chosen -thorpe rather than -thorn for the Dutch -doorn, when translating the town’s name but I feel mean mentioning this as Colmer’s voice is pitch-perfect; at no point will you notice the text as a translation for it reads authentically and smoothly.
This must-read book will make you laugh out loud (whether you are a dog person or a cat fan). It will make you feel like for a brief moment you’ve witnessed and understood the best of humanity. It may also make you rather nervous next time you find a cat sitting ever so quietly next to you whilst you are having a private conversation!
I do so hope Pushkin Press are now thinking about translating Schmidt’s earlier work, Ibbeltje, which shares many characteristics with The Cat Who Came in off the Roof and has the added advantage of brilliant illustrations by another glittering star in the Dutch children’s literature firmament: Fiep Westendorp.
For reasons which will become clear upon reading this charming and magical book Minoe not only can speak the language of cats, she is also known to climb trees when dogs approach. It took about a nanosecond for M to decide she wanted to play-by-this-particular-book by climbing as many different trees as she could one afternoon at the weekend. So, armed with a local map (printed from http://www.openstreetmap.org/) we set off to map all the local trees good for climbing in.
Each tree we climbed we identified (it seems that around us oaks, ash and willow are the best climbing trees).
We remembered the last time we deliberately climbed trees in order to read on location.
Getting out and climbing a tree? Reading a truly terrific book? What more could you ask for as a lovely way to while a way a few hours!
Whilst climbing we weren’t listening to music, but these tracks could go with reading The Cat Who Came in off the Roof:
This Cat’s On A Hot Tin Roof by Brian Setzer
Everybody Wants to be a Cat from The Aristocats film
The Cat theme from Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf
Other activities which you might be inspired to try alongside reading The Cat Who Came in off the Roof include:
Reading more books in more trees. The very first I’d have to recommend are the Toby books by Timothee de Fombelle, about an entire world of miniature people having giant adventures in an oak tree.
Walking around your neighbourhood and greeting the cats you come across. Could you create a backstory for each one? What are they called? What do they get up to when you’re not there?
Writing a family newspaper. This is potentially a super project for the summer holidays – and you can get some great tips and downloadables to get you going from this post over on Playful Learning.
When did you last climb a tree? What secrets might your cat be able to tell me 
?
Disclosure: I received a free review copy of The Cat who Came in off the Roof from the publisher.
And briefly…. thank you with all my heart to all of you who commented on my last post, or got in touch via email, phone, snail mail and more. Life goes on and plots are being hatched and plans being laid. As and when I can reveal more I’ll be sure to let you know the latest.
First, let me ask: When did we, as a people, stop caring about doing what's right and start only thinking of ourselves?
I know I am generalizing, but I am bombarded daily with acts of selfishness and buffoonery that show no compassion or consideration. I know there are good people in this world (I try to be one of them). Still, my sense of justice is assaulted constantly by those that simply don't care.
With that out of the way, let me get to the reason I asked you here. There is a certain high school student, let's call him P, to maintain his confidentiality. P stands for Pinocchio because this student does not lie, fib, or even swear. His moral compass makes mine look like a Cracker Jack toy.
P is in a predicament. In one of his classes, it seems that the majority of classmates are OK with cheating. Over the past several weeks, they have been sharing answers to quizzes and tests, going so far as to text them or write them on the side of a coffee cup. Worse yet is that they are getting these answers from a Teacher's Aid. In case you don't know, a Teacher's Aid is supposed to be a student of strong character entrusted with helping the teacher. In this case, the Aid is helping other students cheat.
P has a problem. He does not feel he can go to the teacher or administration about this. P is worried about repercussion from his fellow students. In this age group and moral climate, repercussion could easily become physical. P also does not feel he has the support of the administration. Previous experience proves as much in a case where he tried to resolve something anonymously and then the teacher (different than the one above) singled him out to the class because that teacher had some backlash from administration. I should also mention P was a victim of bullying at a younger age. Administration did nothing in that case either, so P has little faith in them and knowledge of the capabilities of his classmates.
What is P supposed to do? What would you do, as a parent or student? It is possible that the teacher won't find out and nothing will happen. If the teacher becomes aware and P does not step forward, what happens? Is P's silence self-preservation or complicity?
I invite comments, suggestions and debate on this topic. Please post comments on this blog, share on Facebook or email me.
By:
Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/19/2013
Blog:
PW -The Beat
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
libraries,
Reviews,
family,
honesty,
Comics,
Indies,
Art,
Breaking News,
autobiography,
truth,
lupus,
alcoholism,
Koyama Press,
Julia Wertz,
Top News,
auto bio,
Add a tag
TweetThe Infinite Wait by Julia Wertz Koyama Press I have a complicated and knotty relationship with auto-bio comics, beset by apprehension and cynicism. There’s no doubt the genre produces some interesting material- Art Spiegelman, Seth, Robert Crumb, to name but a few, but more recently I’ve found a lot of it to be, quite frankly, boring. The [...]
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the intimacy it takes to write.
I’ve been re-reading the lectures of Robert Olen Butler and he talks about how honest writing doesn’t come from thinking or ideas, but from feeling and dreaming. This is a difficult concept for many of us because there is a lot to think about when we write. But it’s possible we protect ourselves through that thinking and never really dig deep into the white-hot center of our work.
Butler quotes Akira Kurosawa, who says, “To be an artist means never to avert your eyes.”
There’s two ways I interpret this quote in regards to my writing. The first is to be brave. To face the intimacy it takes to write. I think we write to explore the human condition, but often we don’t want to look at the hard truths that make our characters who they are. Or we don’t want to let our characters move honestly through their worlds. We protect them. In many ways we are protecting ourselves. We avert our eyes, because really looking means facing secrets about ourselves. These can be personal secrets or larger truths about humanity that challenge our beliefs. Writing forces us to look at issues we may not be ready to face.
It’s scary. It takes courage.
My second interpretation of Kurosawa’s quote is about experience. We interact with our world sensually through our bodies: the taste of papaya, the texture of soft gooey fruit, the tremble of a lip in the face of bad news. The writing I love to read (and strive to write) grounds us in our bodies and its interaction with the physical world. To never avert your eyes is to be in the body of your character from moment-to-moment. It means never glazing over the emotion, but being present to feel the world through your character’s skin. It’s easy to analyze when we write and pull back and summarize. The second we step back and look at the character from the outside, discussing emotion rather than allowing a character to sensually feel it, we’ve averted our eyes from the experience and are labeling it. Controlling it. I think we do this because to truly feel something with our character means we must make ourselves vulnerable.
Robert Olen Butler says: “If I say art doesn’t come from the mind, it comes from the place you dream, you may say, ‘Well, I wake up screaming in the night. I don’t want to go into my dreams, thank you very much. I don’t want to go to the white-hot center; I’ve spent my life staying out of there.”… Here’s the tough part: you have to go down into that deepest, darkest, most roiling, white-hot place … whatever scared the hell out of you down there – and there’s plenty – you have to go in there; down to the deepest part of it, and you can’t flinch, can’t walk away.”
I believe there’s a point in your writing when you will be ready to do this. It’s not something anyone can force on you. It’s your choice. But when you decide to open up and enter this dark place – it will scare you. You might reject it and want to stop writing.
Don’t.
Be fearless. Face the intimacy and bravery your work demands. Don’t avert your eyes. This is the place where your best work will come from.
Photo Credit: Beth Retro Photography, Digital Vision
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the intimacy it takes to write.
I’ve been re-reading the lectures of Robert Olen Butler and he talks about how honest writing doesn’t come from thinking or ideas, but from feeling and dreaming. This is a difficult concept for many of us because there is a lot to think about when we write. But it’s possible we protect ourselves through that thinking and never really dig deep into the white-hot center of our work.
Butler quotes Akira Kurosawa, who says, “To be an artist means never to avert your eyes.”
There’s two ways I interpret this quote in regards to my writing. The first is to be brave. To face the intimacy it takes to write. I think we write to explore the human condition, but often we don’t want to look at the hard truths that make our characters who they are. Or we don’t want to let our characters move honestly through their worlds. We protect them. In many ways we are protecting ourselves. We avert our eyes, because really looking means facing secrets about ourselves. These can be personal secrets or larger truths about humanity that challenge our beliefs. Writing forces us to look at issues we may not be ready to face.
It’s scary. It takes courage.
My second interpretation of Kurosawa’s quote is about experience. We interact with our world sensually through our bodies: the taste of papaya, the texture of soft gooey fruit, the tremble of a lip in the face of bad news. The writing I love to read (and strive to write) grounds us in our bodies and its interaction with the physical world. To never avert your eyes is to be in the body of your character from moment-to-moment. It means never glazing over the emotion, but being present to feel the world through your character’s skin. It’s easy to analyze when we write and pull back and summarize. The second we step back and look at the character from the outside, discussing emotion rather than allowing a character to sensually feel it, we’ve averted our eyes from the experience and are labeling it. Controlling it. I think we do this because to truly feel something with our character means we must make ourselves vulnerable.
Robert Olen Butler says: “If I say art doesn’t come from the mind, it comes from the place you dream, you may say, ‘Well, I wake up screaming in the night. I don’t want to go into my dreams, thank you very much. I don’t want to go to the white-hot center; I’ve spent my life staying out of there.”… Here’s the tough part: you have to go down into that deepest, darkest, most roiling, white-hot place … whatever scared the hell out of you down there – and there’s plenty – you have to go in there; down to the deepest part of it, and you can’t flinch, can’t walk away.”
I believe there’s a point in your writing when you will be ready to do this. It’s not something anyone can force on you. It’s your choice. But when you decide to open up and enter this dark place – it will scare you. You might reject it and want to stop writing.
Don’t.
Be fearless. Face the intimacy and bravery your work demands. Don’t avert your eyes. This is the place where your best work will come from.
Photo Credit: Beth Retro Photography, Digital Vision
By: Zoe,
on 1/16/2011
Blog:
Playing by the book
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Friendship,
Honesty,
Animals,
Owls,
Mice,
Camouflage,
Foxes,
2011,
Chris Wormell,
Add a tag
As we read around Europe I’ll be making occasional brief trips back to the UK to review some of the latest releases in the anglo-saxon kidlit publishing world and today is such a day. One of my favourite books last year was One Smart Fish by Chris Wormell (which I reviewed here, and which later in the year deservedly won the Booktrust Early Years Award), so when I saw that Wormell had a new book out I was keen to get hold of a copy and see if he could follow up One Smart Fish with another gem in the form of Scruffy Bear and the Six White Mice.
Photo: Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden
One dark night a kindly bear thinks on his feet to save the life of six white mice hunted by an owl, a fox and a snake. As the mice curl themselves up into tight balls, Scruffy Bear convinces the predators that what he has at his feet are not mice, but rather snowballs, eggs or apples. At the last moment the hunters realise they’ve been tricked but by then Scruffy Bear and his new friends have made off and are safe and sound thanks to his quick thinking.
I’m sure some reviews will say that this book celebrates ingenuity, quick wittedness and courage, all characteristics we might wish to encourage in our kids as we read to them. But I’m afraid that this is not a book that has shot into my early-favourites-for-2011 list.
Scruffy Bear’s alternative descriptions of what the owl, fox and snake find on the ground just don’t work for me. I suppose they are meant to be clever but they lacked the kernel of believability that I think is necessary to carry the story forward.
Maybe this is a case of where an adult reaction to a book is very different to that which it might receive from a child. Indeed, M and J have both enjoyed this book a great deal and find Scruffy Bear’s white lies very funny indeed, but reading the book out loud I didn’t enjoy it to the same degree. In an ideal picture book I’m looking for something that my kids and I enjoy equally (even if for different reasons) and for this reason Scruffy Bear and the Six White Mice didn’t thrill me the way One Smart Fish did.
Maybe I’m missing the point entirely and Scruffy Bear’s alternative explanation for the six furry balls at his feet are meant to be totally outrageous and unbelievable in order that we can enjoy laughing all the more at fooling the owl, fox and snake. But if the enemy turns out to be just plain stupid, rather than the protagonist actually clever, the story falls a little flat for me.
The illustrations are perfectly nice and Wormell can definitely draw beautiful animals but like the story, whilst the illustrations are fine and appeal to the children I didn’t fall in love with them or feel that thrill of excitement I d
Thanks to everyone who commented yesterday, especially the agents who popped in. Obviously this was an upsetting situation for everyone to read about.
A lot of commenters suggested that publishing is a small world and that the mistake this author made could really be career damaging. I'm not so sure of that. there seems to be a frequently held view that there's this publishing black list and we agents can't wait to drop you there. We're human too and while we can certainly become annoyed and angry in the most humanly way possible, we can also understand mistakes and misunderstandings.
Anyway, I did hear from the author who first asked the question and wanted to post an update. She was really surprised by my answer and the feedback by others on the blog. What she said was, "though I see clearly now how big a mistake I made, at the time, I expected a response more like 'We agents can't represent every genre, and sometimes a writer will take on two agents.' I assure you while I did know I needed to tell them about one another, I was just afraid of missing an opportunity because they are so rare, and that was cowardly of me, but I was shocked at the overall response I received from you."
Since yesterday morning she was able to get in touch with one of the agents and explain the situation. The agent was incredibly gracious and while she has no experience in both genres is going to continue working with the author on the one book (genre) they've signed for. I did not hear how the other call went, but I do have a sense that all is probably well. If not, I'm a strong believer that if the book is meant to be published she'll find another agent for it.
The author confessed to me that she's sick to learn of her own deceit and hoping to remedy things as quickly as possible. She also hopes that I don't see this as a black mark on her. Trust me, I think we've all been in situations in life we're we've had that sickening pit in our stomach for something we've done whether intentionally or unintentionally and it's not a feeling I want to wish on anyone.
I think Colleen Lindsay said it perfectly yesterday in her comment when she said "oy." I would probably say "uff da" there isn't much else to say. It's an annoying situation and if it happened to me I would be annoyed, but since I only offer representation to projects I'm truly passionate about I also know I wouldn't want to give up a book or a client whose voice I loved for one indiscretion.
I think the author has learned a lesson. In fact I know she has. In her email she said, "I will certainly slow down and think, be less reactionary, and more careful with my career."
And I think that's a lesson we can all take with us.
--Jessica
Photo: Kevin Zime
I have an admission to make….
…..I’ve got a soft spot for crocodiles!
Apparently one of my first words was “crocodile” (well… something more like “tot-la-die-loo” if I’m precise), and if a book has a crocodile in it, I’ll always give it a second look. Little Croc’s Purse by Lizzie Finlay is full of cute crocodiles so I was more than happy to read it to M and J when we discovered it recently.
Little Croc is out playing one day with his friends when he finds a purse. The crocodiles soon discover it is full of money, and all but Little Croc start talking about what they will buy with the purse’s contents. Little Croc, however, is determined to take the purse to the police station in an attempt to find its rightful owner.
Despite the jeering from his friends and various temptations laid before him Little Croc sticks to his guns and his honesty is then rewarded; the owner of the purse is so pleased to be reunited with a locket none of the crocodiles had realised was hidden in the purse, that Little Croc is given the purse and the money by way of thanks. Being a good sort of crocodile Little Croc splits his reward three ways – he spends some, he shares some (by buying gifts for his friends) and he saves the rest. Everyone ends up happy and Little Croc has shown his friends that honesty really is the best policy.
M and J have enjoyed this book. The illustrations are bright and cheerful and the crocodiles are just charming. I personally found the storyline a little
didactic; the “moral” of the story is laid out in such a way as to leave little room for personal reflection or drawing one’s own conclusions (which is surely a far more powerful way to learn from something). And whilst I of course applaud Little Croc’s actions, and would want my kids to do the same I couldn’t stop thinking about my own experience of once handing in a bunch of keys I’d found to the police station – the officer on duty looked at me almost with disdain and all but said he had better things to be doing with his time that looking after lost property… a true but sorry story.
Despite all this, Little Croc’s generosity is heart-warming (he goes out of his way to give a gift to one of the crocodiles who had been particularly horrible to him, and this selfless act of kindness, you sense, ensures that the previously unpleasant crocodile will be much nicer in the future) and although the main message of the story is a little starkly put for my liking, several other themes are introduced with a lightness of touch, such as not giving in to bullying, still being liked and respected by others even when opinions on the best course of action differ, a discussion of what gives an object value, and a rather sensible approach to financial management which could make this a good book to read if you are about to start giving your kids pocket money.
All this all adds up to create a story that has given M and me plenty to talk to each other about – and a book that creates conversations long after the covers have been closed is always a winner.
Our immediate crafty reaction to this book was to use some of the boxes that have been
The King and the Seed by Eric Maddern, illustrated by Paul Hess
King Karnak has no heir and is coming to the end of his reign. So he puts out a call for anyone who wants to be king to come and join in a competition. Knights come from across the land, ready for the battle to begin. But the king surprises them all by handing each one of them a seed and asking them to bring it back in six months to show what they have grown. A boy, Jack, who came only to witness the competition, gets a seed for himself. Jack tries and tries to make his seed grow, but nothing works and six months later he heads back to the castle. There he finds the knights with armloads of plants, huge flowers, all different from one another. Jack doesn’t want to admit his defeat to the king, so what’s a boy to do?
Maddern’s storytelling has a great flair, filled with small touches and humor that really bring the story to life. The book has a strong message that is not overdone. It also has a classic folk tale format that is mixed with a modern storytelling style, creating a very engaging book. Hess’ illustrations are bright-colored and offer interesting perspectives on the action. They will work well with a group.
Ideal for reading aloud, this book is a great modern folktale that emphasizes the importance of honesty. Appropriate for ages 4-8.
Reviewed from library copy.
Norma Fox Mazer (1931 - 2009) was my teacher and friend, and I remember her irrepressible enthusiasm as she helped me sort through the tangled mess of manuscript pages that I’d share with her every month as part of the student-teacher pact that we’d agreed to when I was her student at Vermont College. She was a writer, after all, who thought nothing of rewriting passages multiple times and often
We all know that life can be unfair sometimes, but explaining this to a child can be difficult. After all, we want to protect our children and their innocence as long as possible but letting them know that they can't always expect things to go their way, or win every game, is a part of growing up.I took my son to Legoland a while back with a neighbor of mine. Her son is a year older and so, when we reached the Volvo driving school, we froze as the lines separated the kids into different age groups. One line was for those 5 and under, the second line was for kids 6 and up. This was going to be difficult to explain, or I thought. My son and I stood in line with the 5 and under crowd while our friends went and stood in the line with the older kids, a line which was much longer than ours. By the time my guy was finished driving, we found them, still in line along the other track. My son was convinced that he was going to drive over there too and, while I thought about explaining to him, one again, that he wasn't old enough, I figured I'd just wait and see what happened when we reached the front.When it was "our" turn to go in, the Legoland employee made sure to ask each child their age. My son, who up until that moment was excited about driving again, looked her dead in the eye and said, "Five and a half."
At this tender age that precious half is so important that it didn't even occur to my son to lie about such a thing. She looked at me (as if I were the one trying to cheat) and let us know that he wasn't able to drive on that track. She directed us to the other side (like we didn't know about it already) as my son took it all in stride. No crying, no temper tantrums, no complaining. And me? I was so proud of him for handling it so well. If only us adults were so calm - and honest - under similar circumstances. 
.jpg?picon=380)
By:
[email protected] (Mark Blevis and Andrea ,
on 8/12/2009
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus,
Kristen Tracy,
review,
Podcast,
Community,
Family,
Compassion,
Forgiveness,
Chapter book,
Girl,
Friendship,
Resilience,
Appreciation,
Ages 9-12,
Hope,
Life Skills,
Diversity/Multi-culturalism,
Humour,
Assertiveness,
Confidence,
Harmony,
Perseverence,
Honesty,
acceptance,
Theatre,
Thinking/Attitude,
Communication,
body image,
Bullying/Abuse,
Fairness / Justice,
Personalities,
Mother/Daughter,
Negotiation/Compromise,
Father/Daughter,
childrens-book,
Add a tag
Author: Kristen Tracy (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Random House (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780385736879
A big thanks to guest host Lucy (10) for joining Andrea today to discuss this book.
Life can be challenging and fair’s got nothing to do with it. Parents are people. Friendship’s a worthwhile risk. There’s a lot to think about when you’re ten in the real world. Which is why I’m so glad Lucy (10) and I read this fun and fabulously thought provoking book.
Mentioned in this chat:
More books including less-than-perfect families on JOMB:
We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.
I sometimes use weekends just to chat with you. Today is no exception, except today I need to share a personal story and ask for some honest feedback.
I'm going to take a deep breath first. This is difficult.
Over six years ago, I sold a children's story called Tango and Tilly to a publisher in Canada. I was contracted for this manuscript and six more in the series.
This book was my heart because it was based on my own horse Tango (who I adore)...and me.
I used Tango's antics as my inspiration. I used my imagination and joy to write the stories.
I won't go into great detail (partially for legal reasons), but through no fault of my own, two years into the process, my rights were returned to me. I've been sitting on the story since 2006.
Last weekend, out of the blue, someone said to me, "I bought your book for my granddaughter, and she loves it!"
I asked which book and she said, Tango and Tilly.
I was flabbergasted. Long story short. Somehow, some way, my book is being sold (or shown as available) illegally through many sources. It would cost me tens of thousands of dollars to pursue this legally. I don't have that kind of money.
Here is my question to you: If I had the book re-illustrated and then self-published Tango and Tilly, do you think I could generate enough interest to sell it through this blog? If it is successful, I could sell subsequent stories to a publisher here in the states.
That's it. Please spill your guts. Be honest with me. I believe in honesty.
The original publisher has nothing to do with this horrible situation.
okay, so
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
beckylevine passed on the honest scrap award to me and a few of her other friends. I think being an honest writer is one the most important things we can do for our readers.
Hmmm....here are a few honest scraps about me.
I never understood what anyone else saw in the Seinfeld show.
I probably buy way too many things on Ebay.
I have a serious problem with delayed gratification.
I always assume the best about everyone else and the worst about myself. This creates numerous problems as you can imagine,
especially with my own self-image.
When I was in my 20s and 30s I had a lot of fears. I mean A LOT. I was terrified of being home alone at night which was made more difficult by the fact that my first husband was gone a lot, hunting, airshows, camping, all sorts of things where he left and I stayed home with the kids. One year my fears were so bad that I slept in the chair in the living room facing the front door (because of course the bad guys would come in the front door) with a loaded gun on my lap.
I am terrified that when I die, no one will come to my funeral.
How's that for a generalized statement? Let me clarify. Fiction writers lie. Okay, others may as well, but I won't speculate on that today. THis post is coming to you from a purely publisher standpoint.
If you check out our submission guidelines at Echelon, you will note that all of our regular submissions come from referrals and invitations. I spend a lot of time on the road these days (despite argument from family, friends, and doctors) because I NEED to be able to look authors in the face when I talk with them about their books.
I guess you could say that this post is a what NOT to do when considering submitting your work to a publisher. Keep in mind that publishers are in business. They don't care if they make friends or not. Friends are nice, don't get me wrong, but publisher NEED to make money and that means business first. Do we want you to like us? Sure, it's a bonus, but as a rule, publishers want you to sell books.
The premise of today's note is HONESTY. You've all heard of it. It's where when you say something it is based on fact and not on lies. Are you asking what the hell I'm talking about?
When I go to conferences, I meet all kinds of people. Ultimately I have many writers come to me and pitch their work, then they get an invite, then I never hear from them again. This is really annoying to a publisher. When we ask for work, it is because we are interested. We don't do it to be nice.
When I was at Bouchercon, I ran into several writers who had approached me at previous conferences and said all the right things, and made all the right noise, but never followed through. They then asked me at Bouchercon, can I still send it? Well, let me think. You said you would send it over a year ago, and you lied. Now you want me to take more time to think about it and let you send it. Um, NO! This makes you unreliable. There are situations where life happens and you could not send it (You are off the hook, Lance) but most of the reasons I heard were just...no word to describe them. Here is a list of reasons I heard at Bouchercon.
*I decided to try some NY houses, but made no progress so would like to send to you.
*I thought I had a contract with a better house. Fell through.
*I wasn't sure you really wanted to see it.
*I couldn't decide if I liked my book.
*I was looking for a real publisher.
*I didn't want to bother you.
*I wasn't sure I could make enough money with you.
*You never e-mailed me so I thought you didn't want it.
*Why didn't you let me know you were serious?
*If you wanted to publish me you could have called. (My favorite)
People, if any of these strike a chord with you, WAKE UP! These are not ever things you want to say to a publisher, EVER!
So with all that said, I met a guy at Bouchercon, a writer, who piqued me with his premise. We have no definite plans to work together, but I invited him to submit. He made no promises, but did agree to keep me informed on his progress. He was honest in his status, and I appreciate that. So here is RJ, the Anti-Liar Guy. I enjoyed talking with him, and I enjoyed the fact that he chose not to blow smoke up my skirt. 
Don't say it if you don't mean it! It's better to say nothing, than to get a reputation as a lying writer. Because, even as a writer, it's only good to lie in your books, not to publishers!
©Karen L. Syed
By:
Just One More Book!!,
on 9/24/2008
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Review,
Podcast,
Community,
Ages 0-3,
Ages 4-8,
Compassion,
Forgiveness,
Generosity,
Gratitude,
Respect,
Picture book,
Friendship,
Appreciation,
Fun,
Animal,
Ages 9-12,
Life Skills,
Diversity/Multi-culturalism,
Cartoony,
Busy,
Hilarious,
Humour,
Assertiveness,
Mischief,
Harmony,
Honesty,
acceptance,
Manners,
Thinking/Attitude,
Understanding/Tolerance,
Communication,
Co-operation/Collaboration,
Bullying/Abuse,
Fairness / Justice,
childrens-book,
War, peace, conflict,
Laurie Keller,
Do Unto Otters (A Book About Manners),
ethic of reciprocity,
Scribbit,
Add a tag
Author: Laurie Keller (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Laurie Keller
Published: 2007 Henry Holt and Co. (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0805079963
Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Cluttered with comedy, melodrama and earthy, Looney-Toonesque artwork, this brilliant guide to social success is as hilarious as it is helpful.
(…er…actually….maybe more hilarious than helpful, as we now hear our girls screaming at each other “DO UNTO OTTERS, REMEMBER, DO UNTO OTTERS!!!!!”)
Other books mentioned:
HOTLINE VOICES: Michelle Mitchell from Scribbit: Motherhood in Alaska shares her thoughts about The Little Golden Book Anthologies.
By:
Just One More Book!!,
on 6/13/2008
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Podcast,
childrens-book,
Peggy Rathmann,
Ruby The Copycat,
Review,
Community,
Ages 4-8,
Compassion,
Courage,
Creativity,
Forgiveness,
Generosity,
Respect,
Picture book,
Girl,
Friendship,
Resilience,
Appreciation,
Envy/Competition,
Fun,
Life Skills,
Cartoony,
Hilarious,
Humour,
Cute,
Assertiveness,
Confidence,
Patience,
Harmony,
Perseverence,
Honesty,
acceptance,
Thinking/Attitude,
Understanding/Tolerance,
Communication,
Fairness / Justice,
Personalities,
Add a tag
Author: Peggy Rathmann
Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann
Published: 1991 Scholastic (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0590474235
Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Spare, natural dialogue, carefully chosen details and keenly expressive illustrations keep us alternately giggling and cringing at the delicate shifts of sentiment from uncertainty and admiration through flattery, imitation, loss of self and then frustration in this celebration of selfhood found.
Other books mentioned:
By:
Just One More Book!!,
on 2/26/2008
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Ages 4-8,
Formal,
Fun,
Cartoony,
Community,
Envy/Competition,
Thinking/Attitude,
Fairness / Justice,
Podcast,
Contributing,
Life Skills,
Humour,
review,
Contributing/Industry,
Bullying/Abuse,
Fairness / Justice,
Health & Safety,
David Clark,
Pirate Bob,
Picture book,
Friendship,
Man,
Bullying/Abuse,
Health & Safety,
childrens book,
Careers,
Kathryn Lasky,
David Clark,
Pirate Bob,
Life and death,
Honesty,
Add a tag
Author: Kathryn Lasky (on JOMB)
Illustrator: David Clark (on JOMB)
Published: 2006 Charlesbridge (on JOMB)
ISBN: 1570915954 Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Surprisingly descriptive, thought-provoking text and a cast of goofy, grinning hooligans provide a peek into a career in nautical crime as a reflective rogue ponders pillaging — its logistical details, dangers and doldrums — and grapples with issues of greed, freedom, friendship and distrust.
Other books mentioned:
Tags:
childrens book,
David Clark,
Kathryn Lasky,
Pirate Bob,
Podcast,
reviewchildrens book,
David Clark,
Kathryn Lasky,
Pirate Bob,
Podcast,
review
By:
Just One More Book!!,
on 11/27/2007
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
review,
Family,
Ages 4-8,
Formal,
Compassion,
Forgiveness,
Respect,
Picture book,
Girl,
childrens book,
Honesty,
parenting,
Rachna Gilmore,
Understanding/Tolerance,
Communication,
memory,
comparison,
Personalities,
Mother/Daughter,
Grandparent,
Renne Benoit,
When I Was a Little Girl,
Grandparent,
Fairness / Justice,
Personalities,
Mother/Daughter,
comparison,
Renne Benoit,
When I Was a Little Girl,
Podcast,
Woman,
Resilience,
Envy/Competition,
Life Skills,
Realistic,
Humour,
Harmony,
Thinking/Attitude,
Fairness / Justice,
Add a tag
Author: Rachna Gilmore (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Renne Benoit
Published: 2006 Second Story Press
ISBN: 1897187122 Chapters.ca Amazon.com
They say comparison is the source of all suffering. Yet, while we can usually resist comparing one child to another, most of us are guilty of the occasional contrast between our children and our former — possibly imagined — selves. This hilarious and delightfully ambiguous book allows us to chew on and chuckle at this perennial parental ploy.
Tags:
childrens book,
comparison,
memory,
parenting,
Podcast,
Rachna Gilmore,
Renne Benoit,
review,
When I Was a Little Girlchildrens book,
comparison,
memory,
parenting,
Podcast,
Rachna Gilmore,
Renne Benoit,
review,
When I Was a Little Girl
By:
Just One More Book!!,
on 10/23/2007
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
review,
Ages 0-3,
Ages 4-8,
Compassion,
Creativity,
Generosity,
Gratitude,
Fun,
Cartoony,
Hilarious,
Rhyming,
Nadine Bernard Westcott,
Farm Flu,
Teresa Bateman,
Podcast,
Community,
Family,
Picture book,
Making a difference,
Friendship,
Contributing,
childrens book,
Boy,
Animal,
Life Skills,
Sickness,
Poetry,
Humour,
Cute,
Mischief,
Honesty,
Thinking/Attitude,
Understanding/Tolerance,
Mother/Son,
Add a tag
Author: Teresa Bateman
Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott (on JOMB)
Published: 2001 Albert Whitman & Co. (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0807522759 Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Action-packed illustrations crammed with hilarious details and subtle humour betray the impish reality that is missed by the earnest narrator in this snappily rhyming adventure in learned compassion.
Other books mentioned:
Another great book for sick-day reading:
Tags:
childrens book,
Farm Flu,
Nadine Bernard Westcott,
Podcast,
review,
Teresa Batemanchildrens book,
Farm Flu,
Nadine Bernard Westcott,
Podcast,
review,
Teresa Bateman
By:
Just One More Book!!,
on 8/18/2007
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
review,
Podcast,
Ages 0-3,
Ages 4-8,
Formal,
Forgiveness,
Respect,
Picture book,
Friendship,
childrens book,
Fun,
Animal,
Adventure,
Life Skills,
Mischief,
Harmony,
Honesty,
Personalities,
Elinor and Violet: The Story of Two Naughty Chickens,
Patti Beling Murphy,
Add a tag
Author: Patti Beling Murphy
Illustrator: Patti Beling Murphy
Published: 2001 Little, Brown and Company (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0316910880 Chapters.ca Amazon.com
The only thing more titillating than a relatively good chicken sneakily undertaking pathetically mild misbehavior is an obnoxiously bad chicken brashly executing blatlantly bigtime misbehavior. This terrific book boasts both!
Tags:
childrens book,
Elinor and Violet: The Story of Two Naughty Chickens,
friendship,
mischief,
Patti Beling Murphy,
Podcast,
reviewchildrens book,
Elinor and Violet: The Story of Two Naughty Chickens,
friendship,
mischief,
Patti Beling Murphy,
Podcast,
review
By:
Just One More Book!!,
on 4/28/2007
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Ages 0-3,
Ages 4-8,
Compassion,
Creativity,
Forgiveness,
Generosity,
Picture book,
Bullying,
Girl,
Resilience,
childrens book,
Fun,
Animal,
Life Skills,
Humour,
Cute,
Assertiveness,
Siblings,
Patience,
Harmony,
Honesty,
Thinking/Attitude,
Fairness / Justice,
Laura Mcgee Kvasnosky,
Zelda & Ivy,
review,
Podcast,
Add a tag
Author: Laura Mcgee Kvasnosky
Illustrator: Laura Mcgee Kvasnosky
Published: 2002 Candlewick Press
ISBN: 0763617717 Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Through a cunning combination of body language and dialogue, these candid stories shed light on the confusion and comradery of the social experiment we call “siblinghood”.
Books mentioned: Zelda and Ivy and the Boy Next Door
Podcasts mentioned: Desperate Husbands
Take a peek at our recording setup here.
_
Tags:childrens book, Laura Mcgee Kvasnosky, Podcast, review, siblings, Zelda & Ivychildrens book, Laura Mcgee Kvasnosky, Podcast, review, siblings, Zelda & Ivy
By:
Just One More Book!!,
on 4/5/2007
Blog:
Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Podcast,
Family,
Ages 0-3,
Ages 4-8,
Compassion,
Forgiveness,
Picture book,
Resilience,
Envy/Competition,
childrens book,
Fun,
Boy,
Life Skills,
Cartoony,
Humour,
Mischief,
Patience,
Harmony,
Honesty,
Thinking/Attitude,
Understanding/Tolerance,
Love/Romance,
David Michael Slater,
S. G. Brooks,
The Ring Bear,
Add a tag
Author: David Michael Slater
Illustrator: S. G. Brooks
Published: 2004 Flashlight Press
ISBN: 0972922512 Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Funky illustrations, full of action and emotion, contrast the frustration of an imaginative young boy with the misinterpreted reality of his moms impending marriage. Its a palpable reminder of the power of perception — but our daughters come back for the laughs.
Tags:childrens book, David Michael Slater, Podcast, S. G. Brooks, The Ring Bearchildrens book, David Michael Slater, Podcast, S. G. Brooks, The Ring Bear
View Next 1 Posts
.jpg?picon=1806)
.jpg?picon=418)
.jpeg?picon=2474)
This looks amazing – and I’m so delighted that you mentioned ‘Girl with a White Dog’ in the post about it – as I was just thinking ‘wow – this looks like the sort of book I’d love’ when you mentioned mine! I really like the interview you gave too – those are just the sort of questions I would have wanted to ask the author. This looks like a brilliant book.
Thanks Anne, I do hope you can find a copy as I think you would really enjoy it.
[…] Camper, Cathy. Raul the Third (ill.).Lowriders in Space. Shelf-employed […]