A Morning with Constance Levy, Poet Extraordinaire

I had the great fortune to attend a workshop today given by Constance Levy, St. Louis' own children's poet guru. She spoke to OASIS reading tutors for the Rockwood School District on ways to interact with children using poetry.
"Poems don't have to rhyme," she said. "But they do need to flow and to have rhythm." She explained that children should be encouraged to "write in a natural way." She cautioned that teachers and tutors shouldn't "squeeze the juice out of creativity" by restricting children's poetry to a set subject or style.

"William Stafford (another Midwest poet) said a poem was 'talk with a little luck in it'," Ms. Levy said. She suggested reading several poems to children and asking them which one they liked best and why. Discuss with the children "who is talking in this poem, and who are they speaking to?"
Ms. Levy encouraged the OASIS tutors to help children take chances in poetry by using wild and crazy words--to have fun. And for elementary students, she talked about helping them learn "to break lines." At school children are taught to write sentences and fill up each line, only breaking for paragraphs. But when writing poetry, the children must be re-taught to listen for phrasing and how to construct a poem.

Ms. Levy had all of us brainstorm for a few minutes on FOG, jotting down words and phrases which came to our minds. We were encouraged to be inventive, to think in colors and metaphors. To be open to the senses. Later after briefly discussing haikus, we were encouraged to try one--but not necessarily strictly limited to the 5, 7, 5 syllables in each of the three lines if that didn't quite work for our poem.
Here is my morning haiku created with help from the earlier brainstorming session

FOG
A shrouded ghost mist
swallows me up as I walk
into its mystery.

Give yourself a treat and visit your local library where you'll find copies of Constance Levy's poetry books: A TREE PLACE,
WHEN WHALES EXHALE
A CRACK IN THE CLOUDS
SPLASH!
I'M GOING TO PET A WORM TODAY
THE STORY OF RED RUBBER BALL

To find out more about Ms. Levy, you may visit this biography link at Pennsylvania State University, compiled by Pam Goldberg. http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Levy__Constance.html

New Writer Helps

Today I'm offering a couple writer helps:

The first is a new book from children's author and WEE ONES magazine editor, Jennifer Reed--BECOMING A CHILDREN'S AUTHOR, illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier.
http://www.lulu.com/content/2040679

This book provides 200 + pages of information on what it takes to write and sell stories and nonfiction for the children’s book and magazine market.
But that's not all. It also has online resources for reference: websites on grammar, creating a bibliography, writer support groups, writing websites, and more!
This children's author and magazine editor has 15 years experience in the industry and has published over 20 children's books


The next offering is an article written by Jan Fields of THE INSTITUTE OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE. In this article she offers advice for dealing with publishers.

Balancing Business and Emotion by Jan Fields http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws06/business.shtml
Online links are also provided, such as this very helpful site:
Preditors and Editors http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/

So if you want to improve your odds for being a successful children's author, these two sources would be a good starting point.

Writing for the Children's Educational Market

Today's entry is especially for children's authors. Here is information from Margot Finke (http://www.margotfinke.com/ and http://margotfinke.blogspot.com/), children's author and one of the CHILDREN'S WRITERS' COACHING CLUB.

The National Writing for Children's Center ( http://writingforchildrencenter.com/cwcc/)is the home of the Children's Writers' Coaching Club (CWCC) --a growing resource for children's writers, aspiring children's writers, and elementary school teachers and/or librarians.
This Thursday, February 28 , 2008, at 2:00 p.m. eastern time,the Children's Writers' Coaching Club will offer another excitingand informative teleclass for children's writers. Rita Milios will present session #1 in her:Writing for Children's Educational Markets Series - The Lucrative Educational Market: Where Do YOU Fit In?
Find out on Thursday if writing for the educational markets is right for you. When you join, you will receive links to the other three teleclasses that were presented earlier this month.

Today's Guest Writer: Susan Berger

Susan Berger is the author of Jamie's Dream, a children's picture book she created with her son, Christopher Corbin. Kim Sponaugle's colorful illustrations help bring Jamie to life in a story where dreams are for sale.



http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/jamies-dream.htm

Here's an interview with her by Mayra Calvani.
http://mayrassecretbookcase.com/http://mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com/

Did you always want to be a writer?

No. I wanted to be a ballet dancer. Then I wanted to be a nurse. (I was reading the Cherry Ames, Girl Nurse Series) Then I wanted to be a reporter. (I was reading the Beverly Gray, Girl Reporter series.) In my defense, I did not want to be everything I read. I never wanted to be an inventor (Tom Swift Series) or a detective (Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys) In my daydreams I wanted to be queen of the world so I could end all hunger and give all the orphans good homes. Then I wanted to be an actress. By this time, I was twelve and knew myself for a fickle person since I wanted to be so many things.



I did not want to be a writer. I knew I was a writer. I won my first writing prize at St Cyprians School in Cape Town, S. Africa in 1955. It was a very nice story about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. It began... "Far away in the land of Holidays, where no mortal child has ever been, lived the Easter Bunny...." I wish I could remember the rest of it.



In 8th grade, in Westport Connecticut, I had a poem published in an anthology of high school poetry. I suppose I wrote some more after that, but it must have been schoolwork. By the time I was in 9th grade, all my extracurricular activity was acting.


When I started to write again in 1992, the first story I worked on was Jamie's Dream with my son Christopher.





Tell us about your recent release. What was your inspiration for it?


I was attending the 1992 Pacific Northwest Writers Conference. They gave out an exercise. "Write about a saying as if it were real" I chose "Buy a Dream". I came home and discussed it with Christopher. I asked him "Where would you go to buy a dream?" He gave me that LOOK that children give grownups when grownups are being particularly stupid. "Dream's R Us, of course" he answered. And so our collaboration began. Chris was 9, but he was going to a school where writing was highly valued. His school mornings began with 20 minutes of creative writing. Then they read their work aloud. They critiqued each other, just as they did in my adult writer's group. He was a great partner. Over the next 12 years, Jamie was sent out many times. It was rewritten at least 16 times. Then Guardian Angel said they wanted to publish it. The joy of that moment is equaled only by the moment I first saw Kim's Illustrations.





What are you working on now?
This week I worked on Disasters Happen: Earthquake which will be published by Guardian Angel in 2008. It is a nonfiction book for the science series. It is aimed at first - third graders. (What causes earthquakes? Can we predict them? Where do they happen? How do we prepare for them? What to do during a quake? What happens afterwards.)
I am also working on a storybook called Brittany's Wall, and a mid-grade chapter book called Tasha the Magnificent. Brittany is going into its 8th rewrite. Tasha is going into its 9th rewrite. I have contacted the SCBWI for a new critique group for Tasha. I find re-writing to be both drudgery and magic. When I finish a story, I am always convinced that I have written the best story I am capable of writing. It is amazing to see how much better it can become.





What is the best writing advice you have ever received?


It is not your business to question your talent. It is your business to show up at the page. (okay, it's short, but it's great advice.)





Do you have a website or blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?


http://jamiesdream.com/ links to my live journal and to mine and Christopher's IMDB.com pages. I am looking forward to making another website where I can list other books as they come out and link to other authors.





What is the IMDB?
It is the internet movie data base (http://imdb.com/) It is a wonderful site. You can look up any movie or TV show and see the full cast and credits. You can also look up any actor and (hopefully) see what movies and TV shows they have done. I say hopefully because I cannot seem to get my Hannah Montana Episode added. I don't have a large Movie and TV resume. Most of my professional work is theatre.





Do you have any other words of widsom?


Andrea says to Melina in The Magic Violin by Mayra Calvani (http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/magic-violin.htm), "I'll tell you what's magic-believing in yourself. That's magic!" Jamie says in Jamie's Dream "But mom, you said I could do anything I believed I could do." I think Andrea and Jamie's mom give very good advice. May you always find the magic.

Awesome Interview

I had a great time today with Suzanne Lieurance at BOOK BITES FOR KIDS on BlogTalkRadio. Truly, the 30 minutes flew by, but I was discussing a subject I knew well and had great interest in--ME!

So if you missed the opportunity to hear it broadcast live, never fear. Click on the link below, and you can hear the archived interview.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids

I would rate this as a 3Brownie interview--at least that's how many brownies I ate before the interview. No power drinks or coffee for me. This children's author runs on Triple-Chunk Fudge Brownies. :-)

Hope you enjoy the interview....

and don't forget about the CONTEST. Go to the FOR KIDS section of my website and look under PUZZLES for the SOLVE A MYSTERY...or just click http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/mystery_questions.html

February 29 is the deadline for submitting your answers!

Website Additions & a CONTEST

Greetings All!
Please pass the word around that I've added the following new treats to my website.
In the WRITINGS section, you'll find:

BUGGY ALPHABETICS with illustrations by NIKKI SCHAEFER (www. nikkischaefer.com) This poem is an ABECEDARIAN--an alphabetical poem which uses the letters from A-Z for the first letter in every line. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/writings/alphabetics.html)

A DAY in TASMANIA with photos--taken from my travel journal over the holidays. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/writings/tasmania.html)

In the TIPS FOR WRITERS section, you'll find:
INTERVIEW with NIKKI SCHAEFER--the very talented author/illustrator soon to be joining the GAP team (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/tips/nikki_schaefer.html)

More RESOURCES -- helpful websites for writers (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/tips/resource_2.html)

In the FOR TEACHERS & PARENTS section, you'll find:
BOOK SUGGESTIONS for DIVERSITY--a quick list to help celebrate the uniqueness in each child. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/teachers/diversity.html)

GIFTS from GOD Study Guide (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/teachers/gifts_god_study.html)

In the FOR KIDS section, you'll find:
BE A NEWS REPORTER--an easy break-down of the 5 W's and a link to a Weekly Reader page to start the young news hound on his/her story. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/reporter.html)

SOLVE A MYSTERY--be the first to unravel the clues and answer the questions, and you'll win a prize. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/mystery_questions.html)
Enjoy!

Upcoming Interview

I'm very excited to announce that I will be on Suzanne Lieurance's Book Bites for Kids this Friday (Feb. 22 at 2 pm CST.)

Here's the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids and here's the phone # if you'd like to call and make a comment or ask a question: 1-646-716-9239. (Just please don't make it too hard of a question though. :-)



But if you can't listen in on Friday afternoon, don't worry. You can always come back at your convenience to hear the recorded interview.

Now I'm off to practice on my enunciation...

Picture Book Secrets

Today's treat is courtesy of Margot Finke and her February Musings at Harold Underdown's PURPLE CRAYON website. Click on the link below where you'll discover Margot's "Checklist for Writing Picture Books," help on plotting, her "5 C's of Compelling Fiction," advice on choosing powerful verbs and adjectives, tips on tight writing, and so much more.

http://www.underdown.org/mf-picture-book-secrets.htm

Margot has two other websites you'll want to visit as well:

http://www.margotfinke.com/

http://margotfinke.blogspot.com/

As Margot would say, "HAPPY WRITING, MATES!"

ROOTER & SNUFFLE

Today, you're in for a treat--

an interview with author, Shari Lyle-Soffe. Below you can read some of her insights into writing...and make sure to click on the links to find out more about her lovable racoon brothers, ROOTER & SNUFFLE. They've been colorfully brought to life by master illustrator, Kevin Scott Collier.

The MISADVENTURES of Rooter & Snuffle
Author: Shari Lyle-Soffe http://www.sharilyle-soffe.com/
Illustrator: Kevin Scott Collier http://www.kevinscottcollier.com/
E-books ISBN-10: 1-933090-43-X ISBN-13: 978-1-933090-43-6Print ISBN-10: 193309088X ISBN-13: 978-1933090887
http://www.amazon.com/Misadventures-Rooter-Snuffle-Shari-Lyle-Soffe/dp/193309088X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203014149&sr=1-1

On the Go with Rooter & Snuffle
Author: Shari Lyle Soffe http://www.sharilyle-soffe.com/
Illustrator: Kevin Scott Collier http://www.kevinscottcollier.com/
E-books ISBN 10: 1-933090-51-0 ISBN 13: 978-1-933090-51-1

Tell us about your children's books.

I have a picture/storybook series with Guardian Angel Publishing. Each book is made up of three separate stories about brother raccoons and their friends on their romps in Cathedral Woods. They deal with the same problems as real children do . The first book, THE MISADVENTURES OF ROOTER AND SNUFFLE, is available in a number of electronic formats and has just been released in paperback. The second book in the series, ON THE GO WITH ROOTER AND SNUFFLE, is available in electronic formats and will be available soon in paperback. The third book in this series, TROUBLE FINDS ROOTER AND SNUFFLE, has not been released yet but will be out this Spring! My books are available at http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/rooter&snuffle.htm and at online and brick & mortar booksellers.

What do you do for inspiration and unleashing your creativity?

Winter is a struggle because I get inspired when I am out in nature, and as much as I love snow, I don't like the cold. In warm weather I love to walk or just sit outside. I live in the woods of Southern Oregon with lots of wildlife, trees and fresh air. Occasionally I sit outside and journal. I enjoy doing that but I'm not very good about keeping it up on a regular basis. I have a new laptop, and I am anxious for the weather to warm up so that I can sit out under a tree and write.

Describe your working environment.

I have an office in my home. Unfortunately it is small and I share it with a treadmill. I also share with a cat, Amber. It is pretty cluttered in here and in need of paint, but the walls are covered with my published works to remind me I am a "real" writer. The room is full of files, books, my computer desk, a phone, a small television for when I actually use the treadmill. I am blessed with both a desktop computer and a laptop.

What advice would you offer aspiring writers?

Never, ever give up! Read everything you can find about writing for children. Read every book in your genre that you can beg, borrow or buy. Network with other writers online or in person. If you can afford it, take a writing class. I learned a lot in the beginning in the ICL chatroom, and I was not an ICL student. Write! Write! Write!

Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers?

Don't allow the negative opinions of others to hold you back. Don't be a snob. There are a lot of small publishers that would like to look at your work. Not everyone is published by Random House. Writing for magazines is still writing. Books are not the only writing format. Write what you love. Write what inspires you. Don't let family and friends tear you down. Don't quit because of rejections. If you can't take rejection, you have chosen the wrong field. Share what you have learned with others.

Do you have a website or blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

Yes, you can learn more about me and my work at http://www.sharilyle-soffe.com/ . Click on the links in my site directory.

Congratulations to STORIES FOR CHILDREN

Congratulations to Virginia S. Grenier and her staff at the amazing children's eZine, STORIES FOR CHILDREN (http://storiesforchildren.tripod.com/). They just won a top 10 spot in PREDITORS & EDITORS 2007 Readers Poll!!!(http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/votefictzine07.htm)

STORIES FOR CHILDREN ranked among the very best in 3 categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. “I can’t believe it," said Ms. Grenier. "This is our first year out and we actually placed in the Top Ten in many different categories. A dream come true for all of here at SFC.”

Look for my short story, "BF's & Butterflies," to be appearing in STORIES FOR CHILDREN's April 2008 issue. Here's a synopsis of my upcoming story:

Small town girl, Leya, wants to figure out a way to befriend Kari, the new girl, before Nasty Nona--self-crowned queen of fifth grade--claims her. Leya’s just lost her BF—Best Friend—Lucy, who’s moved all the way to Florida. Now as Leya struggles to find a new BF, as well as her place in her fifth grade class, she discovers that butterflies can lead to friendship.

So if you haven't visited STORIES FOR CHILDREN yet, be sure and give yourself a treat and stop by soon. And remember to check back at SFC for my April story--which is only about a month away. Don't worry...I'll be sure and remind you again when it's published.

Robin Falls

Today I've discovered a new children's book author, April Robins, with a lovely website I'm sure you'll want to visit.

http://www.robinfalls.com/

There you'll find a winter coloring page to download. Wouldn't this wolf picture make a wonderful project to work on while the icy winds and snow keep you inside?

http://www.robinfalls.com/newprintouts.html

Guardian Angel Book Ranks 3rd at Fictionwise

Congratulations to author Donna J. Shepherd an illustrator Keven Scott Collier for their Guardian Angel Publishing eBook, OUCH! SUNBURN, which is the third most requested eBook right now at Fictionwise.com. Here's a description of the book from Fictionwise:

Donna J. Shepherd's snappy rhymes along with the colorful and fun illustrations by Kevin Scott Collier help children see the need to protect their skin in the sun. Sun Safety Tips in the back of the book reinforce the book's theme. 15 illustrations, 94 words, 27 pages

Here are some links to find out more about the book and its creators:

http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/ChildrensFictioneBooks.htm?cache

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/ouch!sunburn.htm

http://donnajshepherd.com/default.aspx

http://kevinscottcollierhomepage.blogspot.com/

And coming soon from the dynamic duo is NO MORE GUNK!--a book that makes dental hygiene fun.

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/health&hygiene.htm

Way to go, Donna & Kevin!!!

A Pair of International Reviews

Many thanks go out to Mayra Calvani--writer and reviewer in Brussels, Belguim--for her lovely reviews of GIFTS FROM GOD and KITTY KERPLUNKING. Read what she has to say:


Beautiful and spiritually inspiring, Gifts from God is a tribute to God and all the things that are pure in our lives--the innocence and laughter of our children, the tenderness of a newborn, the magnificence of a sunset, the 'laughter' of a waterfall. With a few simple lines, some taken from the Bible, some from her imagination, author Cynthia Reeg has created a lovely book for the entire family, one to be read not only at bedtime, but at any hour of the day. The photographs and imagery are, in one word, captivating. This is a must children's book for your Christian fiction bookshelf.

In Kitty Kerplunking: Preposition Fun, Reeg teaches children, in a light and fun way, the uses of prepositions. How does she do this? With the help of one very cute Kitty and his antics about the house. Each page features an engaging, colorful illustration and a sentence showing a preposition. For instance...
"Preppy the kitty … pitter-pattered ON the piano keys."
Each time the preposition in the sentence is capitalized. At the end of the book there's a useful study guide as well as six pages of activities, including a criss-cross puzzle, word search, seek & find, and fill-in-the-blanks. This is the perfect book to introduce young children to prepositions.


To read more of Mayra's reviews, visit her at Mayra's Secret Bookcase http://mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com/2008/02/reviews-of-gifts-frm-god-and-kitty.html


There, you can also find out about her children's picture book, THE MAGIC VIOLIN, and her soon-to-be-published book, THE SLIPPERY ART OF BOOK REVIEWING.

And if you'd like to find out even more about Mayra, journey to her other blog, THE FOUNTAIN PEN NEWLETTER at http://thefountainpennewsletter.blogspot.com/

Happy reading!

Every Day Can Be A Snowy Day!

A PAPER snowflake day, I mean!


Here's a link to Paper Snowflakes for Children where there are directions for making all types of paper snowflakes: http://www.papersnowflakes.com/


This next link takes you to a page with the photograph of Snowflake Bentley, the first man to photograph snowflakes. http://usasearch.gov/search?v%3aproject=firstgov-noaa-images&v%3afile=viv_898%4024%3aoFpMHb&v%3aframe=viewimage&v%3astate=%28root%29%7croot&id=Ndoc0&rpaid=&

Here at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration you'll find page after page of Snowflake Bentley's snowflake photographs. You won't believe your eyes at all the different designs. http://usasearch.gov/search?v%3Aproject=firstgov-noaa-images&query=snowflake+bentley


You can also check out my speedy snowflake directions here on my website: http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/snowflake.html


Two great books to go along with your paper snowflakes are The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
and Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.


Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

More Geography Fun

If you enjoyed puzzling your way through my vacation travels last month, you should really like this online site: How Well Do You Know Your World? http://minijuegos.com/juegos/html/index.php?id=5974

Or try the fun geography quiz on my site here: http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/geography.html

For more maps of the world, check out http://www.mapsofworld.com/

LUCKY PENNY

Just in time for Valentine's Day...

LUCKY PENNY by Hill Kemp & Siena Kemp

Henry, my kitty, says this tween chapter book highlighting the importance of friendship would be the purrrfect treat for the special young lady in your life.

To read an excerpt, go to http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/lucky-penny.htm

Here's a review of LUCKY PENNY:

Hill & Siena Kemp's story shows young girls that they can solve their problems with each other. Such friendships are the "True Prize" in anything. Best, these girls solve their friendship problem without intrusive advice from the adults in their lives.--Deborah K. Frontiera, Golden Spur Award Winner, North Texas BookFestival's Children's Book Festival, 2007

Wow! What a Nice Thank You

I just received a wonderful note from Mrs. Doege, the librarian at Holy Infant School, who invited me for a visit last week. Here's what she said:

Entertaining, illuminating and inspiring are a great way to describe the recent visit of author Cynthia Reeg to our school. Speaking to both, junior high and primary students, Mrs. Reeg led the students on an engaging and fun-filled adventure of role-playing and hands-on activities which left her audience wanting more. A return visit is definitely a must. Thank you Mrs. Reeg.

Thank you, Mrs. Doege. You sure know how to make an author feel special.