This little mention of Hush, Little Dragon absolutely tickled me. MY BOOK is on the recommended reading list for a summer reading program at a library in Virginia! The 10-year-old me that spent every summer basically AT the library (Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville, Illinois, to be exact...) never would have believed she'd even have a book in the library. Any library. Written by her...er, me. Now I'm confused. But...
WOW- Thank you, Dolley Madison Branch of Fairfax County Public Libraries!

For me, summer has always been about reading. No pesky school to get in the way (not that I didn't love school, but y'know, it always got in the way of quality reading time!). Endless hours to fill. A shady spot on a warm day, an icy cold lemonade to sip and a book to get lost in. What else can take you so many places??

:)

Remember this book from a few years ago?



Spot-on child hubris. Simple and surprising. Pure genius! I was a little meh on the sequel, but plenty of other people liked it just fine. I'm that way in general with sequels sometimes anyway, so pay no attention to me.

But DO pay attention when I say, Hey! Check out THIS:



I love me funny squirrels! Scaredy Squirrel. Those Darn Squirrels. Squirrel's World. Rabbit & Squirrel. Squirrels crack me up.

Acorns Everywhere- coming out in September. Ooo, I've got a new reason to look forward to fall!

:)

Three of my kids are still at home (the oldest is at college). Of the ones at home:

I have a 12-year-old boy who loves to read and reads all the popular series of books for middle-schoolers. He likes fantasy and mystery, but he's also a big fan of humor.

I have a reluctant-reader 8-year-old boy. He LOVES humor, especially coarse humor, and highly-illustrated anything, but is loathe to pick up a book if it's thicker than a slice of bread.

I have a girly-girl 8-year-old daughter, long-standing fan of princesses and fairies, lover of ballet, Hannah Montana, and anything pink in color. She likes to read books about princesses and fairies and ballet and Hannah Montana and pink things and books about girls.

Guess which child just picked up Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, is reading and giggling non-stop, and wants to share every line with everyone else in the room?

:)

I am currently IN LOVE with the art of two particular illustrators. I want to surround myself with their work. I wish I could wallpaper my inner eyelids with their work and see it in my sleep. I want to breathe their art! And I don't care if that makes me sound weird.

One of them is Pamela Zagarenski. There is a lovely profile of her work here. Is Seven Impossible Things not MADE of awesome??! THANK YOU Jules!! Ms. Zagarenski illustrated one of my favorite picture books this year, Red Sings From Treetops by Joyce Sidman. It is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Text, illustration, the whole package. Lovely, lovely book. Go buy it. I did.

The other illustrator I can not get enough of lately? Well, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time staring at her online portfolio. Embarrassing, really. However, I only know one small thing about her- that she has agreed to illustrate my third book. I am floored! And I can't wait to tell you who she is. But I have to :( Soon, though, you'll hear it here first... and I think you'll be as enamored as I am!

:)

Do you want to write books for children? Please go join SCBWI.

Do you want to write better books for children? Stay in SCBWI.

Do you want to give back to a community, help people in kind, and make the world of children's books a better place? Yeah, SCBWI.

I just got back from a lovely SCBWI writing conference in Florida. Did I know anyone down there before I went? No. Have I ever been there before? No. But because we are all members of this wonderful national group called SCBWI, those people made me feel welcome, feel like I belonged, and feel like a part of something bigger, a good something bigger.

I met some terrific, friendly writers (hi Erin and Amanda and David and Lynn and Mindy and all you other people whose names I can't remember even though I do remember your smiling faces), and helpful, friendly editors (who, while helpful and lovely, I doubt are reading this blog so I will refrain from shouting at them :)

I came back re-energized and hopeful and just plain happy to be a children's writer. Yes, I think that's worth my price of admission to SCBWI. (Okay, we also went to DisneyWorld so that may have something to do with the happiness too, but that's for another post-ha!)

:)

Yes, I'm still alive, although I've almost melted down here in Florida. Does anybody know how HOT it gets down here?? No, really, do you??

And I just took my first ever vacation from writing! I haven't taken a day off, let alone a week off, from the children's writing world in four years. Writing and books are a part of every day of my life. Some might even call me obsessed...

But I just spent a week off with my family at DisneyWorld and loved every minute of it :) My kids did too! Sadly, they're on their way back to the real world right now and I have to go to a silly old writing conference with grown-ups. Oh, I'm so sad...

;P

Apparently, this blog exists to display my ignorance to the world. In some strange way, this does not bother me.

From space exploration to Top 100 Picture Book lists to reading groups to poetry (no, I haven't even blogged that one yet- it's in the queue though...), my lack of knowledge and limitations of experience are on painful display. And there is no end to what I do not know!

Whatever.

Today, I marvel at my heretofore complete and utter disregard for biographies in the children's picture-book genre.

Biographies?? Who wants to read those?! Bo-o-o-ring, right? Um, no. Not really. In fact, Boni, have you ever even READ one?

Yeah, not really, no.

Well, that's what the Me of a couple of years ago would have said anyway. And most definitely what the 8-year-old Me would have said- if I'd even bothered to answer the question as I was deep in Volume #172 of Whatever-Fiction-Series-I-Was-Reading. But now?

Oh my GOSH, have you seen the many splendid picture-book biographies being published??? I apologize to all picture book biography creators right here and now.

I'm not going to give individual summaries of these because I'm lazy and also have no time. But they deserve to be read, all of them, by anyone who reads this blog. Fantastic, absorbing, surprising, flashy, splashy and just simply a joy to read out loud or share on your lap with a little one. Or a medium-sized one! Your 6-12-year-olds are actually the perfect audience for these- yes, I know they can read them on their own. But picture books are meant to be read-aloud! Do them justice :) Plus, you'll squeeze in a little bit of learnin' in the long sweet days of summertime. Sneaky!

So check these out. You'll be so glad you did.















Fascinating books. Who knew?!

:)

Debbie Diesen is too energetic. Even when she labels something the "Lazy Person's Reading Group" and invites everyone to join, she one-ups the joiners! We only have to pick five books, while she picks ELEVEN for her list. I'm so glad I never have to be her.

So, I'm joining her group, and I'll tell you why: I get to make all the decisions, I get to read all these books in my TBR pile that I should be reading anyway, and I don't have to go to any group social gathering and pretend I like social gatherings. Win/win/WIN. Oh, and there's no timetable- so I can be my procrastinating self and not get gray hair over it. I didn't even rush to join- they started up last month! Yep, I'm gonna like this- genius, Deb.

I'll buckle-down and make them MGs instead of PBs :) Adult books, you're saying, could also be included...? Nah, why would I want to read those? Boring.

There's only one basic rule to the group- I get to choose the books, but they must be five selected from the following criteria:

1. A book of fiction you've been looking forward to reading.

2. A book of nonfiction you've been looking forward to reading.

3. A book by someone whose last name begins with Z.

4. A book from a genre you rarely, if ever, read.

5. A book that was an award-winner or bestseller in the year you were born.

6. Your best friend's favorite book. (If you've already read it, then substitute another book that your friend recommends.)

7. A book you figure you probably should read, even though you don't really want to.

8. A book that has recently received rave reviews.

9. A book by someone who shares your first name.

10. A book that pertains in some way to a skill you do not, and never will, have.

11. A book recommended by your hairdresser or barber.

Okay, here's my Lazy Person's Reading Group list:

1. The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo. Middle-school mafia story, written in a noir-mystery voice? I'm so there.

2. The Name Game: A Look Behind The Labels by Donna M. Jackson. Names fascinate me.

4. The Misadventures Of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff- You Wish by Jason Lethcoe. Fantasy- ugh. But it was recommended to me by someone at our spring book fair, and I bought it, so I might as well read it, huh?

7. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. My son loved it, Newbery Award, dark subject matter, yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. I usually don't go for supernatural stuff (right up there with fantasy for me...), but I LOVED LOVED LOVED Savvy last year, so I'll give it a try. Plus, my son has excellent taste in books.

9. Emmy And The Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell. Yeah, I know her name is Lynne, not Boni. BUT, she dedicates it to "My dear sister, Boni..." Yes sir, you read that right! There is another Boni out there who spells her name the RIGHT way. Someday, I've GOT to meet Lynne Jonell's sister. I seriously thought I was the only one in the world. So, the odds that a children's book I had just sitting in my TBR pile is by a woman who has a sister with my EXACT same name is, well, probably remarkable. To me anyway :) (See #2 regarding my name fixation) So I'm cheating on this one. Hmmm... cheating at being lazy... nice character this Group builds, huh?

All righty, then, there's my list, Debbie. Lazy Readers Unite. But don't get together and talk about it. And make sure you follow the rules- no bugging me about it. I'll read them when I read them.

:)

I have news of the worst possible kind- good news that I can't share with anyone yet!

I'd rather even have bad news that I CAN share. I'm like an 8-year-old with a secret.

It is such good news. Seriously. It makes me indescribably happy.

It's not news about a sale (yeah, I know- I kinda wish it were- ha! But that's okay, that too will come, right??), it's about a book that has already sold. I think I can say that much without getting a ruler across my knuckles.

First, you have no news, for like, years. And then when you have it, you have to keep it a secret! Geesh. This business is not for the weak-kneed. Stay tuned....

:)