Life On The Bookshelf http://boniashburn.com/blog/ blog of a children's book author en-us Nucleus CMS v3.24 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://boniashburn.com/blog//nucleus/nucleus2.gif Life On The Bookshelf http://boniashburn.com/blog/ I Had A Favorite Dress Coming Soon! http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=376 I Had A Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn and Julia Denos

My next book, I Had A Favorite Dress, is considered a "fall release", but the actual pub date is August 1st- which is really, really soon! I am so excited for this book to come out- it is one of the favoritest things I've ever written. It was inspired by my daughter, Lily, and it is dedicated to her as "my favoritest girly-girl." Although the voice of the main character is most likely my own (circa 1975), I was never-not-ever a "girly" girl (and neither is my other daughter), so this book is really pure Lily.

The first review, from Kirkus, which you can read in full here, just came in... and it's good! They call it "a charming interpretation of an old story that will speak to young fashionistas." Whew! I could not be more pleased with my first-ever Kirkus review :)

I'm also giving away a signed copy of I Had A Favorite Dress on Goodreads! It's VERY easy to enter and there are 25 days left, so give it a go!

Lastly, if you've never checked out the blog of illustrator Julia Denos, now is the perfect time to do so. She is posting some of the lovely art from our book and has an all-around nifty blog that you don't want to miss. It is positively a feast for your eyes!

:) ]]> I Had A Favorite Dress http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=376 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:42:13 -0600 April Is Poetry Month! http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=375 Lemonade And Other Poems Squeezed From A Single Word

If you want to get your kids, or someone else's kids, or anyone for that matter, interested in poetry, get a copy of this book by Bob Raczka.

It is wonderful! Reading the poems is sort of like putting a puzzle together, which is at least half the fun as you race through the whole book. Once you read them all through, you get a wonderful sense of accomplishment- they are short and simple, but so tricky! Then you will probably admire just how deceptively complex they really are. And go back through and study them.

And then your kids, or someone else's kids, or you for that matter, will want to sit down immediately with a pen and paper and write one of your own. Which is the best way to honor a wonderful book like this!

Spend some time with kids and poetry this month- you'll be glad you did.

:)

]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=375 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:35:15 -0600 Ta Da! http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=374 I Had A Favorite Dress, won't be out until this fall, but here's a sneak peak at the cover, illustrated by the super-talented Julia Denos:

I Had A Favorite Dress

]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=374 Mon, 7 Mar 2011 16:10:25 -0700 Awesome Mail http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=373
I recently received a package of letters from a teacher down in Wisconsin with whom I had corresponded when my first book, Hush, Little Dragon, came out a couple of years ago. I had sent her class a signed copy of Over At The Castle and a bundle of signed bookmarks and they sent me a huge envelope of awesome (I definitely got the better end of that deal!) Here's a peek at some of the contents:


Dragons by Dalen

(These are some most awesome dragons!)




Patrick wants to know if it's hard being an author? Well Patrick, some of the things I have to do as an author are hard, at least for me. Like speaking in front of people about my books- that was really hard at first! But it's gotten a lot easier over time and now I really enjoy it :) The writing part can be frustrating, sometimes, but I don't think of it as being hard because I love it so much!



Thyler wants to know "how long it took you to wright Over At The Castle?" Thyler, I got the idea and wrote the basic story very quickly for this particular book- about two days, I think. But then I spent a couple of weeks revising my rough draft before it was ready to send to my editor. During revision, I would make sure all the words are spelled correctly, like if I had accidentally said "wright" when I meant "write"... things like that. (wink)



Kendall writes that "I liked Over At The Castle and Hush, Little Dragon because there about dragons and dragons are my 5th favorite animal." Hey Kendall, I have a question for YOU: What are your first, second, third and fourth favorite animals?? You piqued my curiosity with that statement, and that's what writers do- they make their readers curious enough to keep reading! Maybe you'll be a writer someday...



Art by Natasha.

Natasha says that she is a "new kid around here" and hasn't even read my books yet. That's okay, Natasha, thanks for sending me a Thank You anyway. And that's one of the BEST dragons I've received yet- nice work!

So, I think you can see why reader mail makes my job SO worth it.

Many, many thanks to Ms. Pisani's 3rd grade class!!

:)]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=373 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:07:19 -0700 Eleven More To Watch For in 2011: Final Call (for now...) http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=371 Boy Wonders
Boy Wonders by Calef Brown

Clink
Clink by Kelly DiPucchio and Matthew Myers

Square Cat
Square Cat by Elizabeth Schoonmaker

Hopper And Wilson
Hopper And Wilson by Maria Van Lieshout

Polka Dot Penguin Pottery
Polka Dot Penguin Pottery by Lenore Look
and Yumi Heo

Say Hello To Zorro
Say Hello To Zorro by Carter Goodrich

Bear With Me
Bear With Me by Max Kornell

You're Finally Here!
You're Finally Here! by Melanie Watt

Melvin And The Boy
Melvin And The Boy by Lauren Castillo

Dear Tabby
Dear Tabby by Carolyn Crimi and David Roberts

The Crows Of Pearblossom
The Crows Of Pearblossom by Aldous Huxley and Sophie Blackall

Happy New Year! Thanks for taking a peek at 2011 with me :)

]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=371 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 13:22:12 -0700 Eleven More To Watch For in 2011: BFF Alert http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=370 our audience picks their books, right?

A few of the books have been by people I sort-of "know", whether I've met them at a conference, or online, or whatever- hey, children's publishing is a small world :) This may or may not have influenced how much I'm looking forward to their books. But I do have to confess that the first book below is by someone I actually know. And I've even already read it (if only in manuscript form) (and I *loved* it!), so I'm even more sure that you should check it out :)

(And the second book, you may notice, is illustrated by the illustrator of one of MY 2011 releases! How did she know Audrey Hepburn is one of my all-time favorite actresses??)

Mr. Duck Means Business
Mr. Duck Means Business by Tammi Sauer and Jeff Mack

Just Being Audrey
Just Being Audrey by Margaret Cardillo and Julia Denos

Ribbit Rabbit
Ribbit Rabbit by Candace Ryan and Mike Lowery

Hide And Sheep
Hide And Sheep by Andrea Beaty and Bill Mayer

The Woods
The Woods by Paul Hoppe

The Pretty, Pretty Bunny
The Pretty, Pretty Bunny by Dave Horowitz

Little Mouse's Big Secret
Little Mouse's Big Secret by Eric Battut

What Is Your Dog Doing?
What Is Your Dog Doing? by Marilyn Singer and
Kathleen Habbley

Argus
Argus by Michelle Knudsen and Andrea Wesson

Mini Racer
Mini Racer by Kristy Dempsey and
Bridget Strevens-Marzo

The Runaway Wok
The Runaway Wok by Ying Chang Compestine
and Sebastia Serra
]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=370 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 09:07:01 -0700 Eleven More (more, more!) To Watch For in 2011 http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=369 Doggy Whys
Doggy Whys by Lila Prap

Zombie In Love
Zombie In Love by Kelly DiPucchio and Scott Campbell

Manners Mash-Up
Manners Mash-Up by (holy cow! check out all those names!)

Leap Back Home To Me
Leap Back Home To Me by Lauren Thompson
and Matthew Cordell

Hogg, Hogg & Hog
Hogg, Hogg & Hog by Margie Palatini
(just Margie- author and illustrator?
Did we know she could illustrate?!?)

Chamelia
Chamelia by Ethan Long

Chicks Run Wild
Chicks Run Wild by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
and Ward Jenkins

The Best Birthday Party Ever!
The Best Birthday Party Ever! by Jennifer LaRue Huget
and LeUyen Pham

Edwin Speaks Up
Edwin Speaks Up by April Stevens and Sophie Blackall

Fortune Cookies
Fortune Cookies by Albert Bitterman and Chris Raschka

If I Never Forever Endeavor
If I Never Forever Endeavor by Holly Meade


So, how's that To-Read List coming along? Finding books to add to yours?!

I don't know about you, but I think the picture book is looking far from dead...

:)]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=369 Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:06:53 -0700 Eleven More (yes, more!) To Watch For in 2011 http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=368 Three By The Sea
Three By The Sea by Mini Grey

The Voyage Of Turtle Rex
The Voyage Of Turtle Rex by Kurt Cyrus

Joe and Sparky: Superstars
Joe And Sparky: Superstars by Jamie Michalak
and Frank Remkiewicz

Gibbus Moony Wants To Bite You
Gibbus Moony Wants To Bite You! by Leslie Muir
and Jen Corace

Chicken Butt's Back!
Chicken Butt's Back! by Erica Perl and Henry Cole

Small Saul
Small Saul by Ashley Spires

Chew, Chew, Gulp
Chew, Chew, Gulp by Lauren Thompson
and Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na

I Must Have Bobo
I Must Have Bobo by Eileen and Marc Rosenthal

Look! A Book!
Look! A Book! by Bob Staake

Fairly Fairy Tales
Fairly Fairy Tales by Esme Raji Codell
and Elisa Chavarri

]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=368 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:48:56 -0700 Eleven More To Watch For in 2011 http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=367 Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters
Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters
by Jane Yolen and Kelly Murphy

The Boy Who Cried Ninja
The Boy Who Cried Ninja by Alex Latimer

Gilbert Goldfish Wants A Pet
Gilbert Goldfish Wants A Pet
by Kelly DiPucchio and Bob Shea

Tillie The Swede
Tillie The Swede by Sue Stauffacher and Sarah McMenemy

I Broke My Trunk
I Broke My Trunk by Mo Willems

Rrralph by Lois Ehlert
Rrralph by Lois Ehlert

A Butterfly Is Patient
A Butterfly Is Patient
by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long

Big Wolf And Little Wolf: Such A Beautiful Orange
Big Wolf And Little Wolf: Such A Beautiful Orange
by Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec

Sea Monster's First Day
Sea Monster's First Day by Kate Messner and Andy Rash

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld

Follow Me
Follow Me by Tricia Tusa
]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=367 Sat, 4 Dec 2010 21:38:50 -0700 Eleven To Watch For in 2011 http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=366
As you probably know, I'm something of a research nut. My bookshelves are full. My "To-Read" shelf on Goodreads is huge. I keep the inter-library loan service at my local library ridiculously busy. And I love giving book suggestions to other people and getting them excited about books!

While I'm busy trimming the tree and making reindeer cookies and working on my WIP (from a PiBoIdMo idea! Day #12, to be exact...) in the coming weeks, I thought I'd give YOU something to look forward to with me in the New Year. My peek into 2011 will be heavy on releases for the first half of the year, of course, because those are the ones that have info online already, but (ahem) there are gonna be some terrific fall releases too :)

So, what's whetting my appetite for 2011?

Al Pha's Bet
Al Pha's Bet by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Delphine Durand

Noodle And Lou
Noodle And Lou by Liz Garton Scanlon and Arthur Howard

Spinster Goose
Spinster Goose by Lisa Wheeler and Sophie Blackall

Little White Rabbit
Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

The Loud Book
The Loud Book by Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska

Except If
Except If by Jim Averbeck

Perfect Square
Perfect Square by Michael Hall

Scaredy Squirrel Has A Birthday Party
Scaredy Squirrel Has A Birthday Party by Melanie Watt

Dream Something Big
Dream Something Big by Dianna Hutts Aston and
Susan L. Roth

A Pet For Petunia
A Pet For Petunia by Paul Schmid

Those Darn Squirrels And The Cat Next Door
Those Darn Squirrels And The Cat Next Door
by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri


Yeah, I think 2011 is going to be a very, very good year :)]]> General http://boniashburn.com/blog/index.php?itemid=366 Sun, 28 Nov 2010 07:29:33 -0700