National Book Awards? I'll Be the Judge of That!

 

 

Once upon a time, when I was a little girl, I dreamed of a certain kind of lifestyle.  One that involved sitting around reading books.  I'd do the reading.  Just send the books and keep them coming.  Sadly, my mother said, nobody gets to sit around and read all day.

 

Well.  A few months ago, I was invited to be a judge for the National Book Awards in the Young People's Literature category.  The NBAs!  That's like the Academy Awards of the book world!  Of course I said yes.  Wouldn't you? 

 

Now, it's crazy days at my house.  The dream is coming true.  This evening when I came home, fourteen books were waiting for me.  That makes 65 and counting.

 

Awesome.  This is the best gig in the world. 

 

It's a lot of work, as any previous judge will tell you.  Hundreds of books will be read by these eyeballs of mine and those of my fellow judges before the summer is through.  Maybe it's your book, or a book you love, or a book you haven't even heard of yet but will very soon.  I want you to know I will cherish the experience.  Thank you to the authors who poured their hearts and minds into their work.  Thank you to the National Book Foundation for the honor of being a part of these prestigious awards, and for bringing a little girl's dream to life.

 

Top of the world, Ma!

 

 

Host the Author! - School Visits Fall 2014

Calling all teachers and librarians! 

I'm scheduling author visits for the 2014/2015 school year and I want you! 

Author visits are a great way to engage your kids and your community in the art and joy of writing.  But you know that already.  What you might not know is how much I love to visit schools and libraries.  Writing is my greatest passion, and that includes talking about it with readers, non-readers-- quite frankly, anyone who will listen.  It's fun!  It's necessary.  Everyone has a story.  Let's help them tell it!

Thanks to my crazy life, I offer:

• Talks about my writing career, animation, film, comic books, and more.
• Writing workshops-- I can show you kids how to come up with story ideas and shape their work into a useful three act structure.  These sessions are storytelling improv, with kids sharing their ideas to move the narrative forward.  It's hectic, hilarious, and invigorating for all involved. 
• I like to tailor my visits to your needs.  I come from a family of teachers, so I know this is key.  What's in your curriculum?  Let's see how we can address it together.

I'm setting a goal of two school visits per month, possibly three.  So far I have space available this September, and a slot in October as well.  I will be in the New York area in November, so that's a possiblity as well.  If you are interested in other dates, let me know. 

I love to travel, so don't let distance be an obstacle. To date I've done visits in California, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, Washington D.C. and Louisiana.  And the list keeps growing.  You can read more about my visits here.

Sound interesting?  Drop me a line and let's discuss and make 2014 is the year of the author visit!