tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10451728181695625942024-03-18T23:00:32.510-05:00Watch. Connect. Read.Exploring Children's Literature through Interviews and Book TrailersMr. Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04065363784663641593noreply@blogger.comBlogger2723125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-50969706687178973542024-03-18T23:00:00.000-05:002024-03-18T23:00:00.140-05:00Happy Book Birthday to Louder Than Hunger! <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMO8dQZQe6uytjmH4Me5fAbEbuFtmwa7Mqkf_bl_bCOdd7hB79814VRA18AYGYpWmiJ-FwprvzWtG1LVmU1TKoVc-7PpymnGnNQCs5UgvfqUK8OQrf_RbpnUeJ70PzXkWJhRfKDN7vnnXX2ZhRojibPUOG57aGmnfC_OaY6e7NxWym4E09FGLzg9v3AN0/s1080/Louder%20Than%20HungerOnSaleGraphic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMO8dQZQe6uytjmH4Me5fAbEbuFtmwa7Mqkf_bl_bCOdd7hB79814VRA18AYGYpWmiJ-FwprvzWtG1LVmU1TKoVc-7PpymnGnNQCs5UgvfqUK8OQrf_RbpnUeJ70PzXkWJhRfKDN7vnnXX2ZhRojibPUOG57aGmnfC_OaY6e7NxWym4E09FGLzg9v3AN0/s16000/Louder%20Than%20HungerOnSaleGraphic.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Dear Reader, <br /><br />Today is <i>Louder Than Hunger</i>'s book birthday. </span><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Writing it was a journey. </span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">A journey of self-discovery. </span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">A journey of bravery and vulnerability. </span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">A journey that hurt and healed my heart. </span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Jake, the main character, is based on me in middle school. I spent more than two years in and out of multiple inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and facilities for anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression.</span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i>Louder Than Hunger</i> is about finding one’s place in the world. It’s about accepting it’s OK to take up space and be who you are. </span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I hope readers who are going through things similar to Jake’s experiences see how he survives. </span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I hope it helps them ask for help. </span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I hope it helps build empathy and understanding in readers of all ages. I hope it helps heal hearts.</span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Happy, happy reading!</span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">—John </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eHVnZfdH-Zs?si=_hkivHYM2UpdD7V0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I hope you'll <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746927/louder-than-hunger-by-john-schu/">pick up a copy</a> from your favorite independent bookshop for you and a friend. </span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-14515400330401639582024-03-17T23:00:00.001-05:002024-03-17T23:00:00.120-05:00The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Happy, happy Monday from Virginia! I'm excited to welcome Lindsay Currie to Watch. Connect. Read. She stopped by to share </span><i style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">The Mystery of Locked Rooms</i><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">' book trailer and to finish my sentences. We discussed Eleanor McCormick, mysteries, story, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and she wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">. Thank you, Lindsay! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KNR5oa9Y5EY?si=flPO-zP9h58ms3Pp" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>The Mystery of Locked Rooms</i>’ book trailer is</span></b> magical! I didn’t think it was possible for ninety seconds to embody how fun and special this story is, but thanks to the creators and narrator Eleanor McCormick (who also narrates the audiobook, by the way), this manages to do it!<br /><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br />The Mystery of Locked Rooms tells the story </span></b>of three twelve-year-old best friends who must solve a series of impossible riddles or risk losing everything.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS9TJo8FRGB09bO_RgCo5Ykwz0zomWFs9i003i7SMwwN8a-YP2GAO3j4gcxPJujMv5RF2B-bBfyvwLkUF307py5opFoAt-JyHAiMFUaxFk22Y-Jg2BTviIEJ6ghsnDG_VtxWhIT3Y9iz_IbeRpL7lMgSNSvI4pCfMMpCVzuOMbkaeUwk88PX-OtIQbE1A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS9TJo8FRGB09bO_RgCo5Ykwz0zomWFs9i003i7SMwwN8a-YP2GAO3j4gcxPJujMv5RF2B-bBfyvwLkUF307py5opFoAt-JyHAiMFUaxFk22Y-Jg2BTviIEJ6ghsnDG_VtxWhIT3Y9iz_IbeRpL7lMgSNSvI4pCfMMpCVzuOMbkaeUwk88PX-OtIQbE1A=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Mysteries </span></b>are my favorite genre to read and write! When I read a mystery, my brain is constantly working to piece together clues. When I write a mystery, it’s working to figure out how many clues to give the reader, and where to put them. In other words, I never get bored!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTYPcLcFrek6Upc8AZ8h5Z0-HVWU15eoheThvKeNMW_xypRcfgHKpatoRrEOPzx1xLoLLNXn8kvzcu0eAtciqv6Gg1-11PWCm8Un1dRyIIao5oIDYWsTwdeNNkf2kbj_TOrJ7Cq1UYseUYqYqViXSFQZ61v3MP1gashqG0XqbxRP-uI97-NuPnaWW4kNE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTYPcLcFrek6Upc8AZ8h5Z0-HVWU15eoheThvKeNMW_xypRcfgHKpatoRrEOPzx1xLoLLNXn8kvzcu0eAtciqv6Gg1-11PWCm8Un1dRyIIao5oIDYWsTwdeNNkf2kbj_TOrJ7Cq1UYseUYqYqViXSFQZ61v3MP1gashqG0XqbxRP-uI97-NuPnaWW4kNE=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>It Found Us</i> and <i>The Girl In White</i> </span></b>are both mysteries with paranormal elements, but with some very big differences. <i>It Found Us </i>revolves around some very real, very dark Chicagoland history. <i>The Girl in White </i>is largely fictional, including the setting of Eastport, MA! I love them both, but the vibe of each story is very different.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihUaSIN-jguYI5YecIqdY0-i-Rl4U4F8oO3OXjrFtNQ6JBYoFXCL4TXlJeCLeqhOeND2UqdStE3E5fllNywYd36v8RVqsjkzEyBQGR-gCNS14w1t5I2UAo7J217IA24nHVipDIRr7gHcsyo8xO2D6Qd1oY1QXhbsdWEbBkGd38drHTajdHFfrHOGZSQYY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihUaSIN-jguYI5YecIqdY0-i-Rl4U4F8oO3OXjrFtNQ6JBYoFXCL4TXlJeCLeqhOeND2UqdStE3E5fllNywYd36v8RVqsjkzEyBQGR-gCNS14w1t5I2UAo7J217IA24nHVipDIRr7gHcsyo8xO2D6Qd1oY1QXhbsdWEbBkGd38drHTajdHFfrHOGZSQYY=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is </span></b>a gift. Being able to share the stories that live in my heart and my head have been my dream job for as long as I can remember, and I owe everything to my readers for continuing to make it happen.<br /><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br />John Schu, you should have asked me </span></b>what inspired <i>The Mystery of Locked Rooms</i>! I love talking about this because the moment this book began to take form in my head, I was excited. I’m a child of the eighties and still feel a strong sense of nostalgia for movies like <i>The Goonie</i>s. There’s something so empowering about stories where tweens/teens go on an epic adventure to solve problems that the adults in their lives couldn’t solve. I really wanted to recreate this for today’s young readers. Hopefully, through the quirky and lovable Deltas and the wild challenges they face inside the funhouse, I managed to!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, Lindsay! </b></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglcMkkqdpNTs10MlZgmytNiDdFeDB_H3v8AMV0kHw95etdY2bUaQm1rO_SlW8OFRzxFiAW6ZW1tyPs2EpXL9Z-GQ4YgaljCzuA6N5ZljuvTxGhlFo99TeA_KLiYGGF2d39qU7LogiN5ZuQrdy4ECxFvsp2i2iQTBvOY8vUR6y8DyNA5lbhTtDyp33Uw_g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglcMkkqdpNTs10MlZgmytNiDdFeDB_H3v8AMV0kHw95etdY2bUaQm1rO_SlW8OFRzxFiAW6ZW1tyPs2EpXL9Z-GQ4YgaljCzuA6N5ZljuvTxGhlFo99TeA_KLiYGGF2d39qU7LogiN5ZuQrdy4ECxFvsp2i2iQTBvOY8vUR6y8DyNA5lbhTtDyp33Uw_g=s16000" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.lindsaycurrie.com/copy-of-it-found-us">The Mystery of Locked Rooms</a></i> releases on April 2, 2024. Pre-order a copy from your favorite bookshop. </b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-24111981668417217122024-03-13T11:37:00.005-05:002024-03-13T11:37:50.892-05:00America's Dreaming by Bob McKinnon and Thai My Phuong<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Happy, happy Wednesday! Bob McKinnon stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed Thai My Phuong's illustrations, picture books, @Tribution, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and Bob wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">. Thank you, Bob! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRPEgZRBh9LX44dEy4OkeTvOXitr4_MGzEJKUy9j5dOHlhAvM123EFX2AkvlwxSWiRnjCru_YIc0fnEC7G__WyOj4oBYDTuy0IgFoLkHDhIhaJhtlaxDQHMqCTOWHhwoiT7TT317UEiPEFIpG4xaJrxwdSFcvke9eqgYCGyJy0BIj_-KmMlFo5_Xrj-Rg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRPEgZRBh9LX44dEy4OkeTvOXitr4_MGzEJKUy9j5dOHlhAvM123EFX2AkvlwxSWiRnjCru_YIc0fnEC7G__WyOj4oBYDTuy0IgFoLkHDhIhaJhtlaxDQHMqCTOWHhwoiT7TT317UEiPEFIpG4xaJrxwdSFcvke9eqgYCGyJy0BIj_-KmMlFo5_Xrj-Rg=s16000" /></a></div></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>America’s Dreaming</i> tells the story </span></b>of a child whose simple dream is to feel welcomed in a new school, what happens when they aren’t, and the power of books and teachers to inspire us all to stand up and be seen. <br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Thai My Phuong’s illustrations</span></b> accomplish the near impossible. They make you feel so deeply connected to our main character, America, who you never actually see. In one particularly moving illustration, we just see America’s perspective looking down through a tear rolling off their check as it falls to the ground. The images are stunning and beautiful.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkqOXfTUmeFJ0CWZ5eruu09AQ3m4PKyn1qkrZNMCo2cX6stBkeqBTiz53wfZZSq6THKTCSzMffxiWaEIkCZpLFiSZ4JTMvOYWGxIj6hmiUoyl7ZYR7Ankvmnz7xWOBw2Xmot4CKEZao_r-ZtHd8FjHbgUeMLAbRLxebez1lZd6r3fi74RNhl-o0ewvTfU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkqOXfTUmeFJ0CWZ5eruu09AQ3m4PKyn1qkrZNMCo2cX6stBkeqBTiz53wfZZSq6THKTCSzMffxiWaEIkCZpLFiSZ4JTMvOYWGxIj6hmiUoyl7ZYR7Ankvmnz7xWOBw2Xmot4CKEZao_r-ZtHd8FjHbgUeMLAbRLxebez1lZd6r3fi74RNhl-o0ewvTfU=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books </span></b>allow us to see the world through the eyes of a child. They subtly teach children - or in the case of grown ups remind us of - simple but critical life lessons . All of this accomplished with just a few hundred words and a handful of stunning images. <br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">@Tribution is </span></b>my NPR podcast where people from all walks of life reflect on who and what has contributed to where they ended up. Our hope is after each episode, you feel a little more inspired, grateful, or supported, than when you first hit play.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yh8pUrhtA_M?si=LLWMBLgzo6CmDNKk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div> <b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">John Schu, you should have asked me </span></b>about Mr. Downs and The Welcome Wagon. Mr. Downs was based on my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Jack Downs, who helped me feel welcomed after a rough move of my own. Sadly, I never got a chance to thank him for what he did for me. When I finally tried to reach out to him, I discovered that he had passed away just two weeks earlier. It’s a reminder that we should thank those who make us feel seen before it’s too late. In honor of him and others who do heroic work making kids feel at home at school, we hope to donate at least one hundred Welcome Wagons filled with books that help kids of all ages feel like they belong to schools around the country.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrOLU9wxYYI9DNbtrewUSZw6kJqcjn285VsOVx6qCdw1qgF2mNYr-DWFXlmRxdf4TlfUaOVpoF9SHU0LlrLnM_087pEnERFU0isYQ9eAjh9IDYD1gGtzbxkW7OzZpqwcf4VLIFvUywsYlGK5a2MOGOikxyd7rmW-5RjJaV9zu95Wi17CPT7ZMi6kRjkUk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrOLU9wxYYI9DNbtrewUSZw6kJqcjn285VsOVx6qCdw1qgF2mNYr-DWFXlmRxdf4TlfUaOVpoF9SHU0LlrLnM_087pEnERFU0isYQ9eAjh9IDYD1gGtzbxkW7OzZpqwcf4VLIFvUywsYlGK5a2MOGOikxyd7rmW-5RjJaV9zu95Wi17CPT7ZMi6kRjkUk=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br />Bob McKinnon lives in a village north of New York City with his wife, three daughters, and dog—who makes him feel very welcome every time he steps through the door. He is the author of the <i>New York Times</i> best seller <i>Three Little Engines </i>a modern retelling of the classic <i>The Little Engine That Could </i>story. Bob writes and teaches about issues related to the American dream and directs an organization whose mission is to inspire people to reflect on who and what has contributed to where they end up in life.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimsP2f1F-U2LEYx3sH3Wsk1FFnLmABJzBfWPeZ0pIUvP9ESzOdunVdCSjQvthpwhHkn9eJ7G8AmpYC34QUNDaHtwvawb3__ecNMmOvIKWZ4Ek_VbNgVDA_mLksOAMznFSASsiTBNnxUdcBQXJub1zRcu6DIC8ELgkATsJs9w_E7JaPuZvoVk3VnUOrSM8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1000" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimsP2f1F-U2LEYx3sH3Wsk1FFnLmABJzBfWPeZ0pIUvP9ESzOdunVdCSjQvthpwhHkn9eJ7G8AmpYC34QUNDaHtwvawb3__ecNMmOvIKWZ4Ek_VbNgVDA_mLksOAMznFSASsiTBNnxUdcBQXJub1zRcu6DIC8ELgkATsJs9w_E7JaPuZvoVk3VnUOrSM8=w400-h398" width="400" /></a></div>Thai My Phuong is a Vietnamese illustrator who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. She has a deep passion for visual storytelling and teaching for international publishers, magazines, brands, and universities. Phuong currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUGKA0XGB3FD7MKgsP8pHqQ0le3LBYlHuIJ08xCfxNyD0XK6Lqv0j1IxdMa7z__yWup__JYAHQbkWJudr67D5yv0jHHAxhLjeiO7FQaLjZPvaLLkYgL-oU1z8Mbcs89aQTLSDKpDx936WIMeempM5NK726Uy5ms5rE4z3kNW7Htyb7iXpzI8XMMWy-c3g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUGKA0XGB3FD7MKgsP8pHqQ0le3LBYlHuIJ08xCfxNyD0XK6Lqv0j1IxdMa7z__yWup__JYAHQbkWJudr67D5yv0jHHAxhLjeiO7FQaLjZPvaLLkYgL-oU1z8Mbcs89aQTLSDKpDx936WIMeempM5NK726Uy5ms5rE4z3kNW7Htyb7iXpzI8XMMWy-c3g=s16000" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><i><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>America's Dreaming</i> releases on June 4, 2024. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/719599/americas-dreaming-by-bob-mckinnon-illustrated-by-thai-my-phuong/">Pre-order a copy</a> from your favorite bookshop. </b></span><br /><br /></span></div></div></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-33240148131927376082024-03-11T09:20:00.000-05:002024-03-11T09:20:13.805-05:00Not Another Banned Book by Dana Alison Levy<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Happy, happy Monday! I'm excited to welcome back Dana Alison Levy to Watch. Connect. Read. She stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed <i>Not Another Banned Book</i>'s cover, Molly, story, <i>The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher</i>, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and Dana wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">. Thank you, Dana! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iflK5t3FmcW8AnYUAcNQYk8M0vkoEbH_lrdzSx_CA_O011ZXH94H9xLLXJC4_QtQEvRcPW3nWKj3tV2L9w-57O8wtdIisfNm831n-whC7RiSKvyV3-RaEL09PlZZ1-ArO0PoIne8qX_yXM88y4EkVJiAKtb_HycSEiN4f32a-PfZHqdRDMM6y-gSe1o/s2478/NotAnotherBannedBook.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2478" data-original-width="1651" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iflK5t3FmcW8AnYUAcNQYk8M0vkoEbH_lrdzSx_CA_O011ZXH94H9xLLXJC4_QtQEvRcPW3nWKj3tV2L9w-57O8wtdIisfNm831n-whC7RiSKvyV3-RaEL09PlZZ1-ArO0PoIne8qX_yXM88y4EkVJiAKtb_HycSEiN4f32a-PfZHqdRDMM6y-gSe1o/w426-h640/NotAnotherBannedBook.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div>Ellen Duda’s cover illustration and Suzanne Lee’s cover design for <i>Not Another Banned Book</i></span></b> does a great job of showing the disconnect between something as fundamentally gentle and engaging and welcoming as reading (READING! WHO CAN BE AGAINST READING???) and the bluntness of the words Banned Books. The cover shows a bunch of kids chilling out, happily immersed in stories, which is about as lovely a thing as you would hope to see in this world. And yet…there are a few very loud and effective people who are fighting to take that away.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Not Another Banned Book </i>is </span></b>a ripped-from-the-headlines middle-grade novel about a group of students who must push back against book banning at their school to save their book club and fight for the world they deserve.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rKey4hOc49o?si=Dji_tdss8-UIdm8f" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Molly is </span></b>putting her life back together piece by piece since her brother died two years ago. And Ms. Lewiston’s book club at school has played a big part. But then someone anonymously complains about the book club and the books they’re reading. Ms. Lewiston is put on leave, the books are removed from her classroom, and book club is suspended . . . indefinitely. With weeks until graduation and facing new disruptions at home, Molly has never needed Ms. Lewiston’s book club more.<br /><br /> Together with her friends, Molly tries to fight back, but nothing works—not school walkouts, stalking famous authors, serious sleuthing, or even plastic flamingos. As graduation approaches, Molly discovers that battling injustice is only the beginning. The real challenge is confronting the truth, no matter how unwelcome. Is she brave enough to face the answers she discovers, even when they’re not the ones she’s looking for?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTlZgjfCcX9NQDefRv8ATMjTtgO5qjs5BYiogOIXTw0I52OXIew5Q10mgQk7F3u7Uko6pldjGNl0VSFt5Uu8_HYP5xDLt7Fm4IQ901M8cNogt73p4J2XwbZc6U21WKqfzGVBR3TWRop54kyjpG40Z8yBh2Ud3yW_CJ21nfv59aCciKaiAe6Wk7naIrduc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTlZgjfCcX9NQDefRv8ATMjTtgO5qjs5BYiogOIXTw0I52OXIew5Q10mgQk7F3u7Uko6pldjGNl0VSFt5Uu8_HYP5xDLt7Fm4IQ901M8cNogt73p4J2XwbZc6U21WKqfzGVBR3TWRop54kyjpG40Z8yBh2Ud3yW_CJ21nfv59aCciKaiAe6Wk7naIrduc=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is</span></b> simple and also not so simple. Kids (and adults!) sometimes ask me if I’m worried that someone will steal my ideas, or if they should copyright their own. I tell them not to worry… that we are all telling the same stories over and over again. The magic is in the details that only we can imagine and create. When I say story is simple, I mean that it simply needs someone (can be a human, a fairy, a cranky cat, a hopeful pebble…someone!), and that someone needs to do something! I keep a card on my desk with the words “What if?” written on it, because that’s how every story begins. <br /><br /> BUT. But story can’t end with “what if?” There must be a second part tickling your brain, and that is...SO WHAT? So what if the cranky cat can’t get her kibble? So what if the fairy has to save the land from poison before the sun sets? So what if the hopeful pebble dreams of the far side of the beach? So what if Molly wants to find out who got those books banned from her school? No matter how exciting and epic the plot, there has to be more, and for the reader to care about a story, the author has to dig a little deeper into why it matters. I call that the story beneath the story, and it is why some of the most powerful books we’ve ever read might be those where nothing much happens.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXUql42aUvwj16ohleCJClzjSGXC0GoKXGyqSLue-e-lZsTKS9tceV2lQRsqPz7tJvO9l4mwhEd4T9ZTDW9PxKWXVt-B6mztI4MkALq7bleB9xeTweWVrzX7Jt05pm6c2N4jdPxSYN3zifFzwtU1sQ-rHe6Ewg1FTV27iVn9OohCDWvnNjV9xmhBOsS90" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXUql42aUvwj16ohleCJClzjSGXC0GoKXGyqSLue-e-lZsTKS9tceV2lQRsqPz7tJvO9l4mwhEd4T9ZTDW9PxKWXVt-B6mztI4MkALq7bleB9xeTweWVrzX7Jt05pm6c2N4jdPxSYN3zifFzwtU1sQ-rHe6Ewg1FTV27iVn9OohCDWvnNjV9xmhBOsS90=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">John Schu, you should have asked me</span></b> why I’m writing about book banning! Surely, you might think, there are more fun things to write about. The truth is I would love not to write about book banning. I would like book banning to go away, along with splinters, earwigs, things stuck in my teeth, and cilantro (I realize this last one is almost as controversial as banning books but I said what I said). <br /><br /> The sad truth is that in the ten years since <i>The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher</i> was published, there has been a flowering of beautiful diverse books that feature kids of all genders and all backgrounds. And now there is a backlash of small-thinking, scared individuals who are successfully pushing to ban books. My Fletcher books have been removed from shelves, as have hundreds of other books from dozens of the best authors I know. Beautiful stories that feature LGBTQIA+ characters, challenging stories that tell hard truths but invite kids to find the hope and reassurance that they too can survive the unbearable, silly stories that have the audacity to show the whole kaleidoscope of humanity, factual stories that share how our bodies work…they are all being banned. We must fight back. <br /><br /> At the end of <i>Not Another Banned Book</i> there are some resources for students, authors, teachers, and parents who want to fight back against book banning. Maybe we can share them here too? Because everyone deserves to find themselves in the story.<br /><br />PEN America, which has a great tip sheet for students on how to fight book bans, as well as ton of other useful info: <a href="https://pen.org/free-the-books/">https://pen.org/free-the-books/</a><br /><br />The National Coalition Against Censorship also has a bunch of resources for everyone who wants to get involved: <a href="http://ncac.org/bannedbooks">ncac.org/bannedbooks</a><br /><br />Penguin Random House (high-five to my publisher!) has partnered with PEN America for a series of helpful tools for students: <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/resources-for-students/">https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/resources-for-students/</a></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, Dana Alison Levy! </b></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIvoJ0MTnVAOpeH_nJ5Klt_k_IVeWC1lPqIxluWNuvRUi7jHw1dWxbkxfBTMKoWtr16DvYOkDDkFlrKTL07kJ0XFGIU0slNWzZzgl4Xo2jf4we_CRdPg8pPMhowG6bWYvGJbuiMPfmEF98xwyjZ_2SL3VVUSGqSo-noWv72shy-zWh-Adm4s1OjF4_Nw/s2478/NotAnotherBannedBook.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2478" data-original-width="1651" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIvoJ0MTnVAOpeH_nJ5Klt_k_IVeWC1lPqIxluWNuvRUi7jHw1dWxbkxfBTMKoWtr16DvYOkDDkFlrKTL07kJ0XFGIU0slNWzZzgl4Xo2jf4we_CRdPg8pPMhowG6bWYvGJbuiMPfmEF98xwyjZ_2SL3VVUSGqSo-noWv72shy-zWh-Adm4s1OjF4_Nw/s16000/NotAnotherBannedBook.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><b><i><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721122/not-another-banned-book-by-dana-alison-levy/">Not Another Banned Book </a></i>releases on September 10, 2024. Pre-order a copy from your favorite bookshop. </b></span></div><div><br /></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-46372819300506309872024-03-05T14:05:00.012-06:002024-03-05T14:07:40.459-06:00The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho and Deb JJ Lee <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Happy, happy Tuesday! I'm honored Tina Cho and Deb JJ Lee stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed </span><i style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">The Other Side of Tomorrow</i><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">'s cover, graphic novels, story, and more. I wrote the words in purple, Deb wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">, and Tina wrote the words in </span><span style="color: #274e13;">green</span><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">. Thank you, Deb and Tina! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZH0toVyIkrqqHQJM_TBcu0GB_RAU5scpVnkIdnk_D_5bWvcnJOlYS3z22P9_v_qIfZy2vGf3Gjahb2Cn48MbJNcQsyBB_GRgdM2b0iDbX8XJDOZVl1kK_34VgE8rOqDtCYiEwsEZNW2TamwD1Co5Dlmo77ZfBcN6atGx-2C5NcAj18HHIzdyWI-khMD0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1725" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZH0toVyIkrqqHQJM_TBcu0GB_RAU5scpVnkIdnk_D_5bWvcnJOlYS3z22P9_v_qIfZy2vGf3Gjahb2Cn48MbJNcQsyBB_GRgdM2b0iDbX8XJDOZVl1kK_34VgE8rOqDtCYiEwsEZNW2TamwD1Co5Dlmo77ZfBcN6atGx-2C5NcAj18HHIzdyWI-khMD0=s16000" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-63e14aad-7fff-94f5-f600-f74b69719101"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">The Other Side of Tomorrow</span></b></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">’s cover </span></b>was made with homemade reference pictures. I posed as both Yunho and Myunghee to get the anatomy right!</span></span></p></span><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tina Cho’s manuscript for </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Other Side of Tomorrow</span></span></b><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"> </span></b>is very informative and well-researched. There's a lot that I didn't know about how extremely grueling it is to escape from North Korea. Kudos to Tina for compiling all this information that's so unavailable to the public.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Graphic novels </span></b>take a really, really long time to make as an artist! On average, it takes me 8-10 hours to draw a single page, so usually I make 3-4 pages a week while finding more income from other freelance projects. I started drawing this in 2019, 2020.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_Z6B7VPaU-4uNmib_Cc2hBSsobDLH8ctnj0rblN4pt891E7FCLQPPfvPFtVWqWq_Fb68JVdcdGadlFjjcucvme1-N3jPE8mmBr20cn9jhhslbwfvH9Sc4ru9UFoxRU7Gcob7zMzEiQSHjY9dXIuGazY5APsVLG5_hlkZMYJ3VDTlzDubbgAduQ9YFLfQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_Z6B7VPaU-4uNmib_Cc2hBSsobDLH8ctnj0rblN4pt891E7FCLQPPfvPFtVWqWq_Fb68JVdcdGadlFjjcucvme1-N3jPE8mmBr20cn9jhhslbwfvH9Sc4ru9UFoxRU7Gcob7zMzEiQSHjY9dXIuGazY5APsVLG5_hlkZMYJ3VDTlzDubbgAduQ9YFLfQ=s16000" /></a></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>The Other Side of Tomorrow </i>tells the story</span></b> <span style="color: #274e13;">of Yunho and Myunghee, two North Korean children who escape along the Asian Underground Railroad to freedom. Yunho hopes to reunite with his mom who previously escaped to find food. Myunghee hopes to reach her dream that is bigger than the regime allows. Along the way, they encounter dangers at every path. Will they be caught and repatriated back to North Korea? With every step of freedom, there is also hope. And hope is where home is.</span></span></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Deb JJ Lee’s illustrations</span></b> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #274e13;">are amazing! They really make the story come to life especially since this takes place in other countries. I love the color palette, details, accuracy, and how each panel ripples with vibrancy and action. Each time I look at the pages, I am in awe.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #274e13;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyzQRSph8xiGdal_Y2bOAZuZwgrEHzsfRoChRtPWeZ8nc-t9RdgsqnHPAhhAEhWX4p9jg_9erup1rG5yc4XMNzgK4G1JFU1KTGQl6kOATfQumc-Su2yvKSSwm7JEkeLOW20oooAu24_-koW9n6nde4SuYXJnMFx3XfQutxkVQwt499f61zwZ2p0aQhLus" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyzQRSph8xiGdal_Y2bOAZuZwgrEHzsfRoChRtPWeZ8nc-t9RdgsqnHPAhhAEhWX4p9jg_9erup1rG5yc4XMNzgK4G1JFU1KTGQl6kOATfQumc-Su2yvKSSwm7JEkeLOW20oooAu24_-koW9n6nde4SuYXJnMFx3XfQutxkVQwt499f61zwZ2p0aQhLus=s16000" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is </span></b><span style="color: #274e13;">an entryway to talk about tough topics in a nonthreatening way so kids can understand. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Other Side of Tomorrow </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">deals with some tough, real-life topics. I want kids to know that there are children around the world who don’t get to eat 3-4x a day or have a closet full of clothes. Some live in hiding. Some yearn for freedom. Story helps us care.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>Thank you, Tina Cho and Deb JJ Lee!</b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7J-aATpEsDOewUzDdwCcnFy0PJlOsSh1UnjjK_ZySOXBbVrMz2Y91uX7MqwnFKtIsTSTInPHdDdRm-kh2qza99ijfslyy57yw_OicQvQfwi3BS8yiZi62Cn1ejz6xV2DEDou8iFOzGQa784lIkkInjwu6c6H_2JKMgqRCyrf-Uj0gMmJQS6G6wuHit8A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1725" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7J-aATpEsDOewUzDdwCcnFy0PJlOsSh1UnjjK_ZySOXBbVrMz2Y91uX7MqwnFKtIsTSTInPHdDdRm-kh2qza99ijfslyy57yw_OicQvQfwi3BS8yiZi62Cn1ejz6xV2DEDou8iFOzGQa784lIkkInjwu6c6H_2JKMgqRCyrf-Uj0gMmJQS6G6wuHit8A=s16000" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><i>The Other Side of Tomorrow</i> releases on November 12, 2024. <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-other-side-of-tomorrow-tina-cho?variant=41526189457442">Pre-order a copy today!</a> </b></span></span></p><div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-87566216126696163682024-03-04T00:00:00.001-06:002024-03-04T00:00:00.139-06:00All Is Nat Lost by Maria Scrivan<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Happy, happy Monday! I'm thrilled Maria Scrivan stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed </span><i style="color: #800180;">All Is Nat Lost</i><span style="color: #800180;">, Philadelphia, cats, her AMAZING syndicated comic, graphic novels, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and Maria wrote the words in </span>black.<span style="color: #800180;"> Thank you, Maria! </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGssypI6uYnvIwG0POjFDsR7J0bMOkX92yZAvlf-_fSrmieaHl_Sc5-wsLudel34ofczicXxuoygS5ATUz6URPXbAmIbf5fomRwBKz50sLolWhkTfYY2t49_XeTag_9BPSCCVTHRVUuOATJh7BNhMIKYrmJ8H16y4inAAnGSS8o_wyF85eCR_coI01iBY/s2400/AllIsNatLost_Cover%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGssypI6uYnvIwG0POjFDsR7J0bMOkX92yZAvlf-_fSrmieaHl_Sc5-wsLudel34ofczicXxuoygS5ATUz6URPXbAmIbf5fomRwBKz50sLolWhkTfYY2t49_XeTag_9BPSCCVTHRVUuOATJh7BNhMIKYrmJ8H16y4inAAnGSS8o_wyF85eCR_coI01iBY/s16000/AllIsNatLost_Cover%204.jpg" /></a></div></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>All Is Nat Lost</i>’s cover </span></b>has a drawing of Nat with a frustrated expression holding a map upside down, which sums up her sentiment throughout the book, as her journey through Philadelphia takes as many unexpected twists and turns as the dashed red line on the map. There is a very good reason why it’s a paper map, and not a map app on her phone. My editors and I chose yellow as a compliment to the pink, blue, green, and purple covers of the other books in the series.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRQKDUyDzDwUKUiSK_PxdJ3DqwjgFPi-hGqiNWLSaXMQBP5msKEiVCJAHXvcAMp_s8ik7p-hQbZf3y3U0ddU9Uc_811GPz3nuKpYGvglzqw8Q1yIapp9qBNQfDWftVyvuDL3dMgtc4KQAbQpJzHlp5b_PooqF3eTJdP0JybfkEGOL9yZSPiacDS8u5io/s7200/PAGE_047.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7200" data-original-width="4950" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRQKDUyDzDwUKUiSK_PxdJ3DqwjgFPi-hGqiNWLSaXMQBP5msKEiVCJAHXvcAMp_s8ik7p-hQbZf3y3U0ddU9Uc_811GPz3nuKpYGvglzqw8Q1yIapp9qBNQfDWftVyvuDL3dMgtc4KQAbQpJzHlp5b_PooqF3eTJdP0JybfkEGOL9yZSPiacDS8u5io/s16000/PAGE_047.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>All Is Nat Lost</i> tells the story </span></b>of Nat on an overnight class trip to Philadelphia. Nat has never been to a big city before without her parents, and begs them to sign her own declaration of independence, her permission slip. Nat and her class go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, flex next to the Rocky sculpture, get grossed out by the Saponified Lady at The Mütter Museum, and make their way to the Liberty Bell where Flo loses her sock puppet, Argyle. As Nat is helping Flo look for Argyle, the trip suddenly takes a turn for the worse, and becomes a bigger adventure than she ever imagined, as her scavenger hunt turns into a wild goose chase. While researching the book, I took my own journey to Philadelphia, unknowingly on a day when there were a hundred class trips happening at the same time. I got in line and followed a group into Congress Hall, where I met an amazing teacher who shared what she and her students were doing while they were there. That conversation, along with wandering through the historical district, and my own childhood experience of a class trip to Philadelphia, ignited so many ideas for the book.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTc2_hVF0Vs0BJ4zAYvRqI-ElPcRMylZRi5sIDcOC8zIKZbbi9GCnHyK_CoRf4v3tDvItXcXVj-SRbBzQNF9OSfPVZ3CA67AVez_mabzcENfTf1Imn9aje_GgYiWNhcGrAutLcwTVTqC-WbsJvBosPXgHTR3ERqp_HhzODgKiMiNZyBmw0qVsO65uM8Q/s7200/PAGE_048.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7200" data-original-width="4950" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTc2_hVF0Vs0BJ4zAYvRqI-ElPcRMylZRi5sIDcOC8zIKZbbi9GCnHyK_CoRf4v3tDvItXcXVj-SRbBzQNF9OSfPVZ3CA67AVez_mabzcENfTf1Imn9aje_GgYiWNhcGrAutLcwTVTqC-WbsJvBosPXgHTR3ERqp_HhzODgKiMiNZyBmw0qVsO65uM8Q/s16000/PAGE_048.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Cats are </span></b>magical! They appear regularly in my work, and are one of my favorite things to draw. Until recently, I’ve always had at least one cat in my life. They are fiercely independent, can hear a can opener within a thirty mile radius, and rarely come if you call them which is how the character Cat got her name. Cat is an amalgam of my childhood cat, who was orange like Garfield, and a cat I had as an adult who did not get along with my dog. That cat, and my dog Toby, had the same dynamic of Cat and Treat, and provided endless material for their single panel comic that opens every chapter of each book.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cF-yncbU6iI?si=NIkxYKGC243j2FC1" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Graphic novels</span></b> are my favorite medium! I have always been drawing comics, and grew up devouring the Sunday funnies from start to finish. As a visual learner, and visual communicator, every time a teacher gave us a creative assignment, there was a hundred percent chance I would draw a comic. I was the cartoonist for my middle grade yearbook, my high school newspaper, my college newspaper, and would turn myself into a cartoon character when I wrote notes to friends in school. Graphic novels give me the opportunity to add endless layers of depth and humor as I show all aspects of the scene. I can depict not only what the protagonist is doing, feeling and thinking, but the action and mood of every character in the panel. Graphic novels provide an endless supply of storytelling tools including dialog, expressions, body language, color, pacing, and layout, with limitless possibilities. I am the director of a static movie reel, where every element is meaningful to the story. Each time you read a graphic novel, you notice something new. In the Nat series, each of the chapters include pages from Natalie’s sketchbook using a different style, to give a deeper look into her thoughts and feelings. Every Nat book concludes with a mini comic, created by Nat, that is a synopsis of the story from Nat’s sketchbook. Graphic novels also create a profound connection with their reader. When we are able to see how a character is truly feeling, we have a greater sense of empathy and understanding. Whenever I am visiting a school or library, I always encourage students to write and draw their experiences, and to share their stories. I love the quote by psychologist Carl R. Rogers, “What is most personal is most universal.” So often we feel like we are the only person in the world having an experience, only to discover, by reading someone else’s story, that we are not alone in our feelings. The visual elements of graphic novels also break language barriers. I’ll never forget being at an international comics festival where there were so many languages that we often missed each other’s words, but were able to connect through drawing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNCxd_uG6wfdYqwg8qWdygseFammJcl99SkhTUk1wsN2NJGQEQ86BTU5_fHKW7o5f_KwbQ-tjJhDnGKG1xUgIEQDeIRlvscEWevhN0janzXGpPlOyWoo5NJjQU-vjJZiP8Oisc3V36hFMmajNPT2-Gn-zu3xvxsZ8odmO6fwNzDzoKW0ZxEECZBQV07c/s4477/hf141015_catinbox.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4477" data-original-width="3750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNCxd_uG6wfdYqwg8qWdygseFammJcl99SkhTUk1wsN2NJGQEQ86BTU5_fHKW7o5f_KwbQ-tjJhDnGKG1xUgIEQDeIRlvscEWevhN0janzXGpPlOyWoo5NJjQU-vjJZiP8Oisc3V36hFMmajNPT2-Gn-zu3xvxsZ8odmO6fwNzDzoKW0ZxEECZBQV07c/s16000/hf141015_catinbox.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Half Full is </span></b>a single panel comic celebrating its tenth year of syndication. It is available on <a href="http://GoComics.com/half-full">GoComics.com/half-full</a>, three days a week. Half Full is a commentary on everyday life through the lens of humor, and what my dog might say to me if he could talk. The comic helps me work through life’s frustrations, like the fact that I can’t get through a self-checkout line without assistance. Having a daily deadline for ten years trained my brain to find humor in almost every situation. Comics are a time capsule, and an opportunity to capture the nuances of our current experience. As our lives and environment evolve, there is a never-ending supply of material and ideas. I gravitate toward observational humor, and love writing and drawing about the truth of my life experience. It is always surprising to me how many of my weird truths resonate with others.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhu2peREJGtT3tBr8Cys7GZImaovUateOO08fTVHHd5UhQG0tWRYT1Ta9wqBWT21D5vNpmXq_RbV6liWSqbcJMCKqgkmvbB50mPZX0RPrZgYQELtvwMq4aI8CgP0okrfMifBjzW79SnUzeH5zeWOPKAqtxQmbVkY8x6k6AGCSGgujT8PT6Ff2LHzByfn0/s7200/page_107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7200" data-original-width="4950" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhu2peREJGtT3tBr8Cys7GZImaovUateOO08fTVHHd5UhQG0tWRYT1Ta9wqBWT21D5vNpmXq_RbV6liWSqbcJMCKqgkmvbB50mPZX0RPrZgYQELtvwMq4aI8CgP0okrfMifBjzW79SnUzeH5zeWOPKAqtxQmbVkY8x6k6AGCSGgujT8PT6Ff2LHzByfn0/s16000/page_107.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">John Schu, you should have asked me </span></b>what’s next for Nat! I’m just wrapping up the sixth book in the series, <i>Nat a Chance.</i> Nat is constantly tripping over her own two feet, always gets picked last for gym, and is sure she is not an athlete. After a series of unfortunate events, Nat pushes herself out of her comfort zone and agrees to trains for a triathlon with her best friend Zoe. Nat a Chance is an exploration of the stories we tell ourselves about our capabilities, and what happens when we no longer believe our thoughts about our limitations. I had these same feelings and experiences, but came to realize that the idea of not being athletic was a story I kept telling myself that wasn’t true. When we say things about ourselves often enough, they go from being a thought to a belief, and then our reality. But we can tell ourselves a better story, and once we crumple the old scripts of what’s possible, we open the door to even more impossible things. For me, the mental discipline of training for an Ironman triathlon far exceeded the benefits of physical training, and was instrumental in preparing me to create graphic novels. Both long-distance triathlons, and graphic novels were seemingly impossible goals, and share a systematic breakdown into manageable segments, one step at a time, and one page at a time, until you are at the finish line. Nat a Chance will be available in 2025, and I can Nat wait for her adventures to continue! </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, Maria! </b></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2JgL0hvxlvoaJd9zfQAVuWIIV_ofcAiw8o-1OP-agCDP7U0uaTdlYb9pvYtldg0xd8vey-fWtQAKh6tqtmV1b-JZKJGSpKaW3EdFKvh6JL_D3_gxm9vJQ63bNvYElJx5vWUdtV1oEBUAUhteSiSCs4blXJwiHaCHpvocMGQd1-TKTQwOD0tBT91b2DI/s2400/AllIsNatLost_Cover%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2JgL0hvxlvoaJd9zfQAVuWIIV_ofcAiw8o-1OP-agCDP7U0uaTdlYb9pvYtldg0xd8vey-fWtQAKh6tqtmV1b-JZKJGSpKaW3EdFKvh6JL_D3_gxm9vJQ63bNvYElJx5vWUdtV1oEBUAUhteSiSCs4blXJwiHaCHpvocMGQd1-TKTQwOD0tBT91b2DI/s16000/AllIsNatLost_Cover%204.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b>Borrow <i>All Is Nat Lost</i> from your school or public library. Whenever possible, please support independent bookshops. </b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-65148588373726398232024-02-21T10:20:00.003-06:002024-02-21T10:21:58.806-06:00Newbery Honor Author Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDHvc0D820Uf1MgD3IF20l6FONyT5xYrPTEXtyMqDt_uofjar4TcNhB01ZvVPGTWfCYE5ENCJTjhiy5UtKptL8E8bY6_7GanM5HT_0dc3xtXiA3_S989Vkw6RewrgWXCujMJ_WufuKlIIR467AiFANJ_MoYiXskUcfpVjxVdd9zXjNSePLWCFcb8kK2A/s3018/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-21%20at%2011.16.24%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="3018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDHvc0D820Uf1MgD3IF20l6FONyT5xYrPTEXtyMqDt_uofjar4TcNhB01ZvVPGTWfCYE5ENCJTjhiy5UtKptL8E8bY6_7GanM5HT_0dc3xtXiA3_S989Vkw6RewrgWXCujMJ_WufuKlIIR467AiFANJ_MoYiXskUcfpVjxVdd9zXjNSePLWCFcb8kK2A/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-21%20at%2011.16.24%20AM.png" /></a></div></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>I asked Dave Eggers, Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson, M.T. Anderson, Pedro Martín, Erin Bow, and Daniel Nayeri to answer two questions and finish two sentence starters. </b></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/newbery-honor-author-pedro-martin.html">Pedro Martín's responses</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/newbery-honor-author-daniel-nayeri.html">Daniel Nayeri's responses</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/02/newbery-honor-author-mt-anderson.html">M.T. Anderson's Responses</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/02/newbery-honor-author-erin-bow.html">Erin Bow's Responses</a>. </div></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxGpuQuH5MM_0EroYaUiG7gljYm9JCDrxoI6ZOu8Nb2WIoIjCGfZvaECsjSbao8L0Uno6DJRVR6S6OVmHSLT6nVH-u1qduCtHf0sW6GhtYO35Bew8BpBLMiuoQNBqAXIrYs6EFCSU8DtRLMmjh9qPYTKoMzg2IcGcsuoRmUjArEt3PoJSA0LzQQdYaGX0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2545" data-original-width="1683" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxGpuQuH5MM_0EroYaUiG7gljYm9JCDrxoI6ZOu8Nb2WIoIjCGfZvaECsjSbao8L0Uno6DJRVR6S6OVmHSLT6nVH-u1qduCtHf0sW6GhtYO35Bew8BpBLMiuoQNBqAXIrYs6EFCSU8DtRLMmjh9qPYTKoMzg2IcGcsuoRmUjArEt3PoJSA0LzQQdYaGX0=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></b></span></div>Hello, Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson! Congratulations on receiving a 2024 Newbery Honor for <i>Eagle Drum</i>s! I love hearing about the CALL. What was running through your heart when the committee was clapping and cheering for you? </span></b><br /><br />My first response was to politely ask them to repeat themselves. I was sure I heard them wrong! As the words slowly sunk in (and the sound of cheering in the background registered), I felt so incredibly appreciative of the moment. I immediately thought of all the people I wanted to share this moment with. Especially everyone that worked hard to help this book become the wonderful thing it has become. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z8dSt_grCUg?si=32jKgrqBf2mXJGpx" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">What does a Newbery Honor for <i>Eagle Drums</i> mean to you? <br /></span></b><br />To me it means the possibility of newly opened doors, and to hopefully widen the doors that have already been opened. I hope that it will encourage other Indigenous writers to venture into the realm of children’s book writing, to see this road as an avenue of healing and cultural celebration. I hope that this recognition especially encourages Alaska Native people to get into writing as there is a lot of space on that shelf.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0aDdp2HN4OXRxxiVBq_LLW1cvMwuTL8OK7o3SEwKuvCmby-Xyl7GlNpYobGefSF18FWIMHXM6NIZ6mObQLZk1cqzSp1MWjBVyf9Av-Q_zMTMaP2_QKpXAkXztlC_CYcuBVVA_oK5fBlGBQfk2JXKBPJfU6vvJdHtthgv1mVfmaj_vSpnsJmdxWMzxla8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0aDdp2HN4OXRxxiVBq_LLW1cvMwuTL8OK7o3SEwKuvCmby-Xyl7GlNpYobGefSF18FWIMHXM6NIZ6mObQLZk1cqzSp1MWjBVyf9Av-Q_zMTMaP2_QKpXAkXztlC_CYcuBVVA_oK5fBlGBQfk2JXKBPJfU6vvJdHtthgv1mVfmaj_vSpnsJmdxWMzxla8=s16000" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #800180;"><b>Please finish the following sentence starters:</b></span><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is </span></b>the immortal thread woven into all of humanity. It is what binds us to the universe and to each other, a tapestry recognized. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Libraries </span></b>were the first place I realized how big the world was. And how special my own world would be. Libraries cracked open my soul and allowed me to shine. </span><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrQi_-TVt9K5FXtB7hRIxyMYSDKqakmwNuXzGFY5m-PV6gBGJ5eVrNqgI8C_l60fmzh1d-K-_6L_Ae8Dc2C6Hb44W0LXk8ugL5Xmf-28A6tsBXVFe7_OaVJ_FV98U6CyKfZ7K26diBvCY7Qas6mcWlnt8YVFk0U6gvLPUl3It-Dcf15alma_b6XVQvP3c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2545" data-original-width="1683" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrQi_-TVt9K5FXtB7hRIxyMYSDKqakmwNuXzGFY5m-PV6gBGJ5eVrNqgI8C_l60fmzh1d-K-_6L_Ae8Dc2C6Hb44W0LXk8ugL5Xmf-28A6tsBXVFe7_OaVJ_FV98U6CyKfZ7K26diBvCY7Qas6mcWlnt8YVFk0U6gvLPUl3It-Dcf15alma_b6XVQvP3c=s16000" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br />Borrow <i>Eagle Drums</i> from your school or public library. Whenever possible, please support independent bookshops. </span></b></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-14571840555368018892024-02-20T17:07:00.005-06:002024-02-20T17:10:38.827-06:00E Train's Review of Louder Than Hunger <p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Thank you for this beautiful and thoughtful review of <i>Louder Than Hunger</i>, E Train! </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TUMEhw14wFc?si=OqJx0TGn5VqQH2Ie" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746927/louder-than-hunger-by-john-schu/"><i>Louder Than Hunger</i> </a>releases on March 19, 2024. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746927/louder-than-hunger-by-john-schu/">Pre-order</a> a copy from your favorite bookshop! </span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-60303746895635121672024-02-19T08:30:00.000-06:002024-02-19T08:40:46.332-06:00Unstuck by Barbara Dee<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #800180;">Happy Monday! I'm thrilled Barbara Dee stopped by Watch. Connect. Read. to finish my sentences. We discussed Lyla, writing, story, screenplays, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and she wrote the words in </b>black<b style="color: #800180;">. Thank you, Barbara! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAiSCdfSFR0V__7LNJXXsOE5x5H1f75i9-TYhThOx3QKSaT73-jZC0l_oMwBUsNlrNGzGgA2S3YMPq3ZULirFNeQ2p56HxvgtFZT59rQcjKjlpbzSRDPrl_5rIgMr1EdinPsfuEweIE_TXJ6CaOxO9LTbN8bUPW5SBvt91o48HSoPbuBDjADZf9QvqJKU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1687" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAiSCdfSFR0V__7LNJXXsOE5x5H1f75i9-TYhThOx3QKSaT73-jZC0l_oMwBUsNlrNGzGgA2S3YMPq3ZULirFNeQ2p56HxvgtFZT59rQcjKjlpbzSRDPrl_5rIgMr1EdinPsfuEweIE_TXJ6CaOxO9LTbN8bUPW5SBvt91o48HSoPbuBDjADZf9QvqJKU=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Unstuck </i>tells the story </span></b>of a seventh grader named Lyla who’s dealing with writer’s block as she tries to write a fantasy novel in her ELA class. Luckily for her, she has a fantastic teacher who knows exactly how and when to offer support, and not just with Lyla’s writing.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Lyla is</span></b> the kind of voracious reader of fantasy novels who’s convinced that she needs to do extensive world-building before she can write Chapter One. Of course she realizes that as a middle schooler, no one expects her to compete with Rick Riordan and Kelly Barnhill, but she’s determined to write a story worthy of the genre. That sort of self-imposed stress is one reason her writing is blocked; another is that she’s desperate to impress certain people, especially her cool ELA teacher and a best friend who’s pulling away. Lyla is also pressuring herself to win a local creative writing contest to prove that she can do something—anything—better than her superstar older sister, who is currently stressing about a very different sort of writing, her college essay.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y4ls0aif2OY?si=ZQkmGql6WHP_K95G" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Writing</span></b> is hard, and that’s a good thing. I suspect that if the words come too easily, you’re probably writing something formulaic and superficial, so I try to give myself a different challenge with every book. Sometimes these challenges have to do with content or structure, but usually the challenge is about approach: how to write about a topic that’s “tough” in an age-appropriate way, incorporating humor and hope without sacrificing authenticity. <br /><br /><i>Unstuck</i> is my fourteenth middle grade novel, and while the writing process for this book was never agonizing, I did stall out at times. So one of the reasons I wrote Unstuck was to show kids that even published authors need a few strategies for sloshing through those messy writing quagmires. I wanted to show kids that it’s possible to get “unstuck” from all sorts of situations (including unhealthy friendships and academic stress) as long as you connect with folks who can help you, and are flexible in your thinking.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y-xa4zSzO1c?si=A6jl8CLfq1RUE4ZJ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is</span></b> character plus a verb. Everything flows from character—action, setting, tone, voice. I have to say that it drives me nuts whenever people fault a character for not being “likable.” To me it’s more important that a character be real, which can mean flawed, quirky, inconsistent, and unpredictable. When I do creative writing workshops with kids, I always ask them, “What’s the most surprising thing about your character?” Their answers contain the seeds of a story.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPVnWqx8XNskh7nJuqtnbcTrGxbJv-E8-t0SXQB_MsNRHE_fkYDrrkqJ6pX7tNK5EquM_ZZlBAamJ6WUObPVsZ1fRTbq6hrvyR7pW15hIgIc1plihLVubVieXy5k17S2qCnFRFNM-c7Xgzhwb1hOdgFen3Kp3eX_hNiTYmEtONHrNXMNT__eTW1ZH0Lw/s1511/9781534489844_e8682.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPVnWqx8XNskh7nJuqtnbcTrGxbJv-E8-t0SXQB_MsNRHE_fkYDrrkqJ6pX7tNK5EquM_ZZlBAamJ6WUObPVsZ1fRTbq6hrvyR7pW15hIgIc1plihLVubVieXy5k17S2qCnFRFNM-c7Xgzhwb1hOdgFen3Kp3eX_hNiTYmEtONHrNXMNT__eTW1ZH0Lw/s16000/9781534489844_e8682.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet</i>, <i>Violets Are Blue</i>, <i>My Life in the Fish Tank</i>, and <i>Halfway Normal</i> </span></b>are different in many ways, but I think all of them are basically about connection, the need to share your experience with others. In <i>Halfway Normal</i>, <i>Violets Are Blue</i> and <i>My Life in the Fish Tank,</i> the main characters are convinced that their experience is so unique, so weird, that no one can possibly understand—until they find a way to communicate. Haven Jacobs is also stuck in her own head, doomscrolling about the climate crisis, until she figures out how to reach out to her family, her teachers and her friends. Actually, now that I think about it, the struggle to find the right words to help you connect with others is probably the theme of all my books, including <i>Maybe He Just Likes You</i>, <i>Star-Crossed</i>-- and of course <i>Unstuck</i>. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZe0S4JXMnCurp_NwMZZAZg_86iRCF4faT97FlK-xM9Wx9ojfUenHcH9vCuLL8KVmbFu7lDwQwdls5ekEj43xc9qD7VbA1hV-b6Nd0kcmjZuv7QPy1cupV0LpnHiK3HjdbbaiUBB8eRaVJXga6pX9cgRSWJCYXtG5UAfNRqbTCh1mSGWXMnBta_qwDp3A/s1487/9781534469198_84fab.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1487" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZe0S4JXMnCurp_NwMZZAZg_86iRCF4faT97FlK-xM9Wx9ojfUenHcH9vCuLL8KVmbFu7lDwQwdls5ekEj43xc9qD7VbA1hV-b6Nd0kcmjZuv7QPy1cupV0LpnHiK3HjdbbaiUBB8eRaVJXga6pX9cgRSWJCYXtG5UAfNRqbTCh1mSGWXMnBta_qwDp3A/s16000/9781534469198_84fab.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="color: #800180;">John Schu, you should have asked me </span></b>my go-to strategy when my own writing gets stuck. I’m always trying different techniques, several of which I mention in <i>Unstuck</i> and collect in a handy list in the back of the book. But I guess my favorite strategy is to pick up a screenplay of a movie or a tv show that I love. All my books have a lot of dialogue, so reading these screenplays helps me “hear” how people talk. The other thing I do is get up from my computer desk and take my dog Ripley outside for a long walk!</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, Barbara! </b></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7ggOEjd_bILOt9AvW7hdPI5KfhSLDB7Ad1yH4M4Nu7BwlQNeqfe5xT1DkIxP79W8-DvQ2JkFzlvklnZBDBN1XltJH-bDPdfdTUT5py7k4-kH9z0e9zfql0oh-p3OroUlwgJqVRG_awFWN7qWavLgJ4AveYwy9EwowiEDdWPBqbRZiGjP9WrU7MyOzXw/s1511/9781534489868_54c9b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7ggOEjd_bILOt9AvW7hdPI5KfhSLDB7Ad1yH4M4Nu7BwlQNeqfe5xT1DkIxP79W8-DvQ2JkFzlvklnZBDBN1XltJH-bDPdfdTUT5py7k4-kH9z0e9zfql0oh-p3OroUlwgJqVRG_awFWN7qWavLgJ4AveYwy9EwowiEDdWPBqbRZiGjP9WrU7MyOzXw/s16000/9781534489868_54c9b.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Unstuck/Barbara-Dee/9781534489868">Unstuck</a></i> releases on February 27. <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Unstuck/Barbara-Dee/9781534489868">Pre-order</a> a copy today!</div><br /><br /></b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-72929057325096258042024-02-19T00:00:00.002-06:002024-02-19T08:34:33.812-06:00Leo's First Vote! by Christina Soontornvat and Isabel Roxas<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #800180;">Happy Presidents' Day! I'm grateful Christina Soontornvat and Isabel Roxas stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed </b><i style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Leo's First Vote!</i><b style="color: #800180;">, voting, Isabel Roxas' illustrations, and more. I wrote the words in purple, Isabel wrote the words in </b>black<b style="color: #800180;">, and Christina wrote the words in </b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">blue</span><b style="color: #800180;">! Congratulations, Christina and Isabel! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOrEnsZ_QJhBIOPCaHrHrw5d93IAQRszIYJV--Kg830ppMoQ1flJYwb9I5VIk8OBG0MhiCdwnn8encTYqSRkOzi5rAt0SXtZ7QQW37oXh2op2cQ0a8h_VpcY7EnRRicshjul2n6TvWSoH2vxwhE3JAqWrZXw5aEKB_0QUi9H3WamHUNAyEAZyuFJbPGvE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3523" data-original-width="2772" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOrEnsZ_QJhBIOPCaHrHrw5d93IAQRszIYJV--Kg830ppMoQ1flJYwb9I5VIk8OBG0MhiCdwnn8encTYqSRkOzi5rAt0SXtZ7QQW37oXh2op2cQ0a8h_VpcY7EnRRicshjul2n6TvWSoH2vxwhE3JAqWrZXw5aEKB_0QUi9H3WamHUNAyEAZyuFJbPGvE=s16000" /></a></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Leo’s First Vote’</i>s cover</span></b>, along with the interiors, were made with paint and cut paper then photographed and polished in Photoshop. Leo is actually quite anxious about whether or not his vote would count, but in the end we decided to go with capturing Leo’s excitement about the chance to make a difference. I like that the final composition kind of looks like a big exclamation point!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCU2dDX05hgX7K7j1Ot9kkep4JeL241lqq1gt_7Fp_uk9U7KGkRp4N3MVdzZE4ghv1xwMUy9O6LplLR5uw0XMo-XPqbZZUQn9G7Pu1y7km9kcbpf1RtDnUYDQ9wOidwDlFclimGNNuCGgmskFQcDzm6YPlmzpxlGqq3CCUOaaBsCGV8gpilHOvkpP8u44" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCU2dDX05hgX7K7j1Ot9kkep4JeL241lqq1gt_7Fp_uk9U7KGkRp4N3MVdzZE4ghv1xwMUy9O6LplLR5uw0XMo-XPqbZZUQn9G7Pu1y7km9kcbpf1RtDnUYDQ9wOidwDlFclimGNNuCGgmskFQcDzm6YPlmzpxlGqq3CCUOaaBsCGV8gpilHOvkpP8u44=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Christina Soontornvat’s manuscript </span></b>for <i>Leo’s First Vote!</i> was so heartwarming, and came at just the right time. There is so much wrong with the world at the moment, and with so many things to worry about, one can feel very small and powerless. This manuscript was a good reminder that I DO have an opportunity to make change happen, that WE ALL DO.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books are</span></b> some of the world's best inventions. They don’t need batteries, they are very portable, and you can get them free at a library (another excellent invention)! </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUwIq9n0lzc_tCujsyAUDzI1_xPGJs4UgLBYOd_9gBBFOdnsrHqKGtVp3rt1sZy6hdgs-5NYt5P8fhQU9oNtoesfom8IzRko5tV9yb3sCl22N8-LX0zXBQ2OxhlkleJWL1e1uAbIEnV1WRVVKi8CTv_mVXNp9HqtkjQAf-wR0zghPj2ok4kl7QkXeBDzs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUwIq9n0lzc_tCujsyAUDzI1_xPGJs4UgLBYOd_9gBBFOdnsrHqKGtVp3rt1sZy6hdgs-5NYt5P8fhQU9oNtoesfom8IzRko5tV9yb3sCl22N8-LX0zXBQ2OxhlkleJWL1e1uAbIEnV1WRVVKi8CTv_mVXNp9HqtkjQAf-wR0zghPj2ok4kl7QkXeBDzs=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Leo’s First Vote! </i>tells the story </span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">of a boy whose dad is voting in his very first presidential election. Together, Dad and Leo learn all about voting: What’s a ballot? Where’s their polling place? And they answer the most important question of all: how much does one person’s vote really matter?</span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2AiLALnTRPzS8RI5B3eKkjMJj4_gNB_a8jwhToZo3ynvsc98UyfERXRHJKlFhZootmU9FjZIt13VkhEi3lPqg6woBtY66seowJ4CcKP7il0d-QGHzY12Lafdunf8koQ5boZ6f3Z7YbsHToFQJ2oyA5brK9xYoFieSl1pYgfmpGbUxTayXkoPzr6Zu37c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3450" data-original-width="5400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2AiLALnTRPzS8RI5B3eKkjMJj4_gNB_a8jwhToZo3ynvsc98UyfERXRHJKlFhZootmU9FjZIt13VkhEi3lPqg6woBtY66seowJ4CcKP7il0d-QGHzY12Lafdunf8koQ5boZ6f3Z7YbsHToFQJ2oyA5brK9xYoFieSl1pYgfmpGbUxTayXkoPzr6Zu37c=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Isabel Roxas’ illustrations </span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">are so intricate and exquisite. They make you want to get suuuuuper close to the page because you’re wondering, “How in the world did she do that?” Her artwork is funny and heart-stirring and always surprising. When I found out she would be illustrating the book, I jumped for joy! </span><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Voting </span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">is a civic duty and a civil right, and it is one of the most essential ways citizens can take part in our democracy. And it’s something that kids should learn about and get excited about because very soon they are going to be old enough to cast their own votes! </span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Thank you, Christina and Isabel! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2CbYzRhhNDnsNm0j5CWCpbq_k_is8aSQi_NwZS2JRo0ZDHBzJo8q59jYzG8n1XsJmetq6JF_uiH87JpdWA0aNO4UmABQ4vYX6VHBGMd8AtMAhad80TNOyWihIuAWfk1hcjVVoXWTpWljkUDcu9nL2HoP9qx4u4CVP4GzAoRE9Z_vz01bkg8F1SxYlTm0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1106" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2CbYzRhhNDnsNm0j5CWCpbq_k_is8aSQi_NwZS2JRo0ZDHBzJo8q59jYzG8n1XsJmetq6JF_uiH87JpdWA0aNO4UmABQ4vYX6VHBGMd8AtMAhad80TNOyWihIuAWfk1hcjVVoXWTpWljkUDcu9nL2HoP9qx4u4CVP4GzAoRE9Z_vz01bkg8F1SxYlTm0=w340-h400" width="340" /></a></div><br />Christina Soontornvat is the award-winning author of over twenty books for children of all ages. She is also a 3-time Newbery Honoree for her middle grade titles <i>The Last Mapmaker</i>, <i>A Wish in the Dark</i>, and <i>All Thirteen:The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys Soccer Team</i>. Her picture books include T<i>he Ramble Shamble Children</i>, illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Lauren Castillo, and <i>To Change a Planet</i>, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Belle. She travels all over the world to speak to children, writers, and educators about her love of reading and writing. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and two daughters.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEP1Z6b0oWGUYJ5Ikcf1MRpsNAEs8c5-VxsO-BXLswhhwGFSRhXdAmwo0R5oE2AycWTffXlsbNx20pk6P61IOQ5iqJeofdLMlXQclOznrJWx48eyGtHv9tln5FY-PXwkH_Lm0sjW7iXv4n1VDD5a8SZoSpfk40BIbrYjjxSWAktzCNkCw_ZqI5k5Cb9QQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEP1Z6b0oWGUYJ5Ikcf1MRpsNAEs8c5-VxsO-BXLswhhwGFSRhXdAmwo0R5oE2AycWTffXlsbNx20pk6P61IOQ5iqJeofdLMlXQclOznrJWx48eyGtHv9tln5FY-PXwkH_Lm0sjW7iXv4n1VDD5a8SZoSpfk40BIbrYjjxSWAktzCNkCw_ZqI5k5Cb9QQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br />Isabel Roxas is an author & illustrator creating books for young readers. Originally from Manila, she is now based in New York City, completing the third installment of her award-winning graphic novel series The Adventures of Team Pom.<br /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhntYvuyicBADabBpFCqAYREnBExRSqtZ46nawbmTz8RsR_NH_ONpRw59II_K4JWUICBo9_nuMeV7JOrDJ4-HspZGqNxsaHaLTsZHLT49t5EeHAhIsdrlgV4st4Rsodpauy2fCNyX4lY7vthj2t7APtzd2XofjUgGHu0fyUqvM8xECh6QPvYWEHZrNEnO0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3523" data-original-width="2772" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhntYvuyicBADabBpFCqAYREnBExRSqtZ46nawbmTz8RsR_NH_ONpRw59II_K4JWUICBo9_nuMeV7JOrDJ4-HspZGqNxsaHaLTsZHLT49t5EeHAhIsdrlgV4st4Rsodpauy2fCNyX4lY7vthj2t7APtzd2XofjUgGHu0fyUqvM8xECh6QPvYWEHZrNEnO0=s16000" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/715732/leos-first-vote-by-christina-soontornvat-illustrated-by-isabel-roxas/">Leo's First Vote!</a> </i>releases on September 3, 2024. Pre-order a copy today! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-70091145460330259802024-02-12T00:00:00.001-06:002024-02-12T06:41:03.409-06:00Perfect by Waka T. Brown and Yuko Jones <div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Happy Monday! I'm grateful Waka T. Brown and Yuko Jones stopped by Watch. Connect. Read. to finish my sentences. We discussed </span><i style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Perfect</i><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">'s cover, Yuko Jones' illustrations, Miki Amelia Masuda, and more. I wrote the words in purple, Yuko wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">, and Waka wrote the words in </span><span style="color: #274e13;">green</span><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">. Thank you, Waka and Yuko! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5YSz10OOLm5KzP0arSj7tGyBuHbhsy2dRQr7el_NR9Va4iAOcOCO2cGpI0g5OwgvDTA_weojn0Sj7xw9XystFvYfO-cmS1bKWiEnMTSUpeY-RpV7QVGW4rc4dOnmyauTXPntkZxeLpJGY6IClQJs-_AdIJl_FOg3Fke03I7StBsaP4UbAs4owzNRCHtM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2775" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5YSz10OOLm5KzP0arSj7tGyBuHbhsy2dRQr7el_NR9Va4iAOcOCO2cGpI0g5OwgvDTA_weojn0Sj7xw9XystFvYfO-cmS1bKWiEnMTSUpeY-RpV7QVGW4rc4dOnmyauTXPntkZxeLpJGY6IClQJs-_AdIJl_FOg3Fke03I7StBsaP4UbAs4owzNRCHtM=s16000" /></a></div></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></div>Perfect'</i>s cover </span></b>is my favorite illustration in this book. As an illustrator, the cover of a picture book is the most important aspect, and much thought goes into creating it. This cover conveys so much about the story without revealing too many details. I must admit that I didn't come up with the design alone. This beautiful cover is the result of collaborating with the team at Quill Tree Books, and Waka’s insights were invaluable throughout the process.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Waka T. Brown’s manuscript for <i>Perfect</i></span></b><i> </i>holds a special place in my heart. Just like Miki, I was close to my own grandmother growing up. Waka captured the special bond between grandmother and granddaughter perfectly, illustrating how wisdom is passed down through generations. I know many readers can relate to this story, just as I do.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books </span></b>open up a world for children. Experiencing things through stories they may not otherwise helps them cultivate perspectives and nurture compassion towards people who are different. But the best part is how picture books can show that we are more alike than we are different.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xd2cKJ8Keg0?si=Nml5Qcq9VjAMeIFy" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Perfect</i> tells the story </span></b><span style="color: #274e13;">of Miki Amelia Masuda, a little girl who liked everything perfect. Her room was immaculately clean. She only ate round cookies, not the broken ones. And if a stuffed animal had a tear in it, she couldn't bear to look at it. So when she accidentally drops and breaks her favorite teacup, she’s devastated that it’s no longer perfect.<br /><br />Days later, Miki's grandmother presents Miki with the fixed teacup. But it’s not perfect! Each crack is highlighted by a gold streak of paint—almost as if to show off the imperfections!<br /><br />What follows is one girl’s journey to understanding that life isn’t always perfect. Through the Japanese art of kintsugi, Miki learns that rips, cracks, and tears have their own stories to tell, ones that are meaningful in their own way. <br /></span><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Yuko Jones’ illustrations</span></b><span style="color: #274e13;"> bring <i>Perfect </i>to life and imbue the story with so much depth and beauty. She captured Miki’s character perfect-ly and every time I look at her art, I discover something new I love about her work. Collaborating with Yuko was a true joy, and together we’ve put together something that we’re both really proud of!</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is </span></b><span style="color: #274e13;">how we show each other that we’re never alone.</span></span><div><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Congratulations, Waka and Yuko!</span></b><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxK0_O3YeusAye5uFs2KFjArr3CKDlhaF7ZG_HjMHqZxtBSp5LRKYreX9njcjnNLhnnAUgLOshtvF8Sq9Ng53__lSY_HX09DX2_Q7J-R3YXmxWEAQAHd9S82ZJo44yvn0Q3q3bzC5WkFyTMeE_lBj867ZXCNGFe9tftsyIoDczfKEoH4sn0NwCXch3e_g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2775" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxK0_O3YeusAye5uFs2KFjArr3CKDlhaF7ZG_HjMHqZxtBSp5LRKYreX9njcjnNLhnnAUgLOshtvF8Sq9Ng53__lSY_HX09DX2_Q7J-R3YXmxWEAQAHd9S82ZJo44yvn0Q3q3bzC5WkFyTMeE_lBj867ZXCNGFe9tftsyIoDczfKEoH4sn0NwCXch3e_g=s16000" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/perfect-waka-t-brown?variant=41380091789346">Perfect</a></i> releases on October 1, 2024. <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/perfect-waka-t-brown?variant=41380091789346">Pre-order </a>a copy today. <br /></span><br /></span><br /></div></div></div></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-33583567213892663642024-02-09T15:57:00.003-06:002024-02-09T17:46:58.222-06:00Newbery Honor Author Erin Bow<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUF5ypyXBJRL2C4Fbtw8q54cqdq_5qDD7BznqzAR6FmfhPc3KMOw7JemI9ZJiusAng1sFkvoAIrf_wGEpNflTIrRZPWowfUtBDL4F-LeX-hQOYOf88Z_OyXDzjOGjNh1xB9wgNIfFOBlWrCoYzhjIhSkpL_FuL3BdIN836TIlI2pdAygUvgB6IMijOM8/s3024/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-09%20at%203.30.12%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1734" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUF5ypyXBJRL2C4Fbtw8q54cqdq_5qDD7BznqzAR6FmfhPc3KMOw7JemI9ZJiusAng1sFkvoAIrf_wGEpNflTIrRZPWowfUtBDL4F-LeX-hQOYOf88Z_OyXDzjOGjNh1xB9wgNIfFOBlWrCoYzhjIhSkpL_FuL3BdIN836TIlI2pdAygUvgB6IMijOM8/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-09%20at%203.30.12%20PM.png" /></a></div></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Lora, serif; font-weight: 400;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">I asked Dave Eggers, Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson, M.T. Anderson, Pedro Martín, Erin Bow, and Daniel Nayeri to answer two questions and finish two sentence starters. </span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/newbery-honor-author-pedro-martin.html" style="background: transparent; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;">Pedro Martín's responses</a>. </b></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Lora, serif; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/newbery-honor-author-daniel-nayeri.html" style="background: transparent; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;">Daniel Nayeri's responses</a>.</b></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Lora, serif; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/02/newbery-honor-author-mt-anderson.html">M.T. Anderson's Responses</a>. </b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Lora, serif; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Lora, serif; font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDAI9H67Fz3W4FDw5cv0gVpa7E-mIKaJ2PM3DZ08LecoHmfkYfLtZr-CkXWxAfUE58iKjrd_nJX6T7WVJZKrefJHkHEfIXZJlvRqR2Ncn4isy1-cbTTYaxQze9XPcdoPkL8vuMlvA7bxxnjh47C_TwjL7iIwDpJo0I5SaW-LhuRH_7zTsMO8cH_WH698o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDAI9H67Fz3W4FDw5cv0gVpa7E-mIKaJ2PM3DZ08LecoHmfkYfLtZr-CkXWxAfUE58iKjrd_nJX6T7WVJZKrefJHkHEfIXZJlvRqR2Ncn4isy1-cbTTYaxQze9XPcdoPkL8vuMlvA7bxxnjh47C_TwjL7iIwDpJo0I5SaW-LhuRH_7zTsMO8cH_WH698o=s16000" /></a></div><br /></b></span></div>Hello, Erin Bow! Congratulations on receiving a 2024 Newbery Honor for<i> Simon Sort of Say</i>s! I love hearing about the CALL. What was running through your heart when the committee was clapping and cheering for you?</span></b></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br /></b></span><b>Erin Bow: </b>Like everyone else in kid-lit, I had a high-stress weekend leading up to THE CALL. I don’t know that I should go into the embarrassing details, but it’s possible I made eight dozen cookies, and jumped every time my phone dinged. But when the call actually came, I let it go to voice mail. I honestly don’t know how. In any case, Sunday morning, I glanced at the phone and there was a message on it. It was the committee from the Schneider Family Book Award – that’s the book award for putting the disability experience on the page -- and they were asking me to call them back.<br /><br />I figured if I’d heard from one committee, the other wouldn’t be calling. I tried not to let that be bittersweet. I was – and am – genuinely thrilled that <i>Simon Sort of Says </i>is a Schneider Family Book Award honor book. In the book, Simon, who has PTSD slowly comes to the realization that he is not defined – that none of us are defined – by the worst thing that ever happened to him. If just one reader with PTSD finds this book because the the Schneider honor, and finds it message for themselves, that would be an incredible thing. <br /><br />But if I am honest, I admit the Newbery is the award I’ve wanted my whole professional life. I have a feeling I’m not supposed to admit that, as if ambition were bad, but it’s true. And because the pundits were saying this year there might be a chance, I’ve been on edge since October. So when the phone rang again at 9 PM --- I don’t think I handled it with sangfroid. In fact I think I made some rabid raccoon noises at the committee. <br /><br />I know I cried.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BTyffVQ8WAg?si=6lHuR0wmsgPIRIgs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">What does a Newbery Honor for <i>Simon Sort of Says</i> mean to you? </span></b><br /><br /><b>Erin Bow: </b>I think it might be life changing – career making. I truly do. <br /><br />I’m a dual citizen and I live in Canada. My books have won big awards here, and have done reasonably well, but this is a small market. In the United States my books have always been well reviewed and … that’s the end of that sentence. It’s my hope that the Newbery Honor will help this book, and maybe even my future books, find not just critics but readers. <br /><br />Maybe lots and lots of readers!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcqO5O_I5X0?si=2Zh9glyY6MrM1AHO" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Please finish the following sentence starters: </span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Libraries </span></b>made me who I am. When I was a child I read every book — literally every book — in the children’s room in my town’s library. I was an oddball kid, and you can probably guess just from that, and the library was a place where I fit in, even if even it was a little too small for me. <br /><br />That day a kindly librarian took me by the hand, lead me to the library’s other room, and told me I could actually look at any book in the library. It wasn’t just like entering a bigger world. It was like growing wings. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is</span></b> how we figure out how to be human. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdzJ_dEJjrqNJdBgz_zuupse8d1KJF-nndmj8_SzvTa9lB8sfiM3qXSKr6WE7f_iDJtYiHTXT-rYMF3iw0pg7eY5vhTIZE2zYg4fSUFOVzgGyCIzVQcEe6cv17mmvQ2FrHSd_1CQ4NDqLI1jfdMEESn3enJbL4Z8l5_0b6LEQq-oXL1INB44anriNo5hg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdzJ_dEJjrqNJdBgz_zuupse8d1KJF-nndmj8_SzvTa9lB8sfiM3qXSKr6WE7f_iDJtYiHTXT-rYMF3iw0pg7eY5vhTIZE2zYg4fSUFOVzgGyCIzVQcEe6cv17mmvQ2FrHSd_1CQ4NDqLI1jfdMEESn3enJbL4Z8l5_0b6LEQq-oXL1INB44anriNo5hg=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Congratulations, Erin! </span></b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-61857620365522385362024-02-08T00:00:00.009-06:002024-02-08T00:00:00.141-06:00A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall's Cover Reveal and a Guest Post by Jasmine Warga <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Dear Reader,</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Recently, I was on a panel where I was asked to describe my middle school self using only one word. I eventually said “hiding.” And I was hiding—from bullies, and from myself. I kept my head down. My favorite place in the world was the library, and I used books as a hiding place, an escape.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Early on, I also used writing as a way to hide. I thought the point was to disguise myself from the world. Only later did I come to realize that my stories began to come alive when I put myself—my heart—into them. I bury my emotional truths in the text in hopes that perhaps in discovering my heart on the page, readers will learn something about their own hearts as well.<br /><br />That brings me to <i>A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall</i>. I got the idea to write it after being asked over and over again during school visits if I was ever going to write a mystery. I thought this was a peculiar question. Why were so many kids clamoring for mysteries?<br /><br />But then I thought about myself when I was younger, and how much I loved mysteries. I loved mysteries because I had this sense that there was a lot about the world that I didn’t understand. And, similarly, that there was a lot about me that the world didn’t understand. But I think I also loved mysteries (and still do) because they’re fun and exciting to read.<br /><br />This book is my love letter to lonely kids who, like my younger self, are longing to feel seen and understood. It’s also my love letter to the classic, quirky mystery novels I adored as a kid. I buried a big chunk of my heart in it, and I hope you’ll connect with it. But most of all, I hope you’ll have fun reading it.<br /><br />Lots of love,<br /><br />Jasmine </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdVvdaJmy9_E9iER77HlxaCEkEtZHwWIJPT_JbhthC8wbjpPImk0rb9Zl4LKDqeZk38C-VtWSvvMhTZU6lw8lGBFawx46lkp-ELnSxZT-JJ4l9nYNktDXIZclCsxpbIK_cpktCNOtJqUxx4-WwT3-SbY0ba9EGwmPk65fgfZBPt8K1xuOZbMvzYEdrL0/s2550/StrangeCherryHall%20hc%20c%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdVvdaJmy9_E9iER77HlxaCEkEtZHwWIJPT_JbhthC8wbjpPImk0rb9Zl4LKDqeZk38C-VtWSvvMhTZU6lw8lGBFawx46lkp-ELnSxZT-JJ4l9nYNktDXIZclCsxpbIK_cpktCNOtJqUxx4-WwT3-SbY0ba9EGwmPk65fgfZBPt8K1xuOZbMvzYEdrL0/s16000/StrangeCherryHall%20hc%20c%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Art by Matt Rockefeller | Cover design by Julia Tyler | Art direction by Jenna Stempel-Lobell<br /><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br />Congratulations, Jasmine!</span></b><br /><br />A <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-strange-thing-happened-in-cherry-hall-jasmine-warga?variant=41324055625762"><i>Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall</i></a> releases on September 10, 2024. <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-strange-thing-happened-in-cherry-hall-jasmine-warga?variant=41324055625762">Pre-order a copy today</a>! </span><div><br style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;" /></div></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-83840492215628169262024-02-07T00:00:00.000-06:002024-02-07T00:00:00.143-06:00Sydney Taylor Blog Tour: The Blood Years by Elana K. Arnold<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZMB1_d8kLlsyaXxDEQNd33TbGaAvP0dTzc-F2ghDT8BnqzXGnL8tCtI4j9ZL-DXMvCIHJszhR54wIjAPKI3LijG9aXS6z-rwJ_FkTJWlMqp-jKGhC02qIBhcDwg0oYeTFqLLF767B0FsTa0YTbpPOmn6blyYLCrlroDr0INulhw0vt61M8fQs59hktLc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZMB1_d8kLlsyaXxDEQNd33TbGaAvP0dTzc-F2ghDT8BnqzXGnL8tCtI4j9ZL-DXMvCIHJszhR54wIjAPKI3LijG9aXS6z-rwJ_FkTJWlMqp-jKGhC02qIBhcDwg0oYeTFqLLF767B0FsTa0YTbpPOmn6blyYLCrlroDr0INulhw0vt61M8fQs59hktLc=s16000" /></span></a></div><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hello, Elana K. Arnold! Congratulations on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Blood Years</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> being named the <a href="https://jewishlibraries.org/2024-blog-tour-sydney-taylor-book-awards/">2024 Sydney Taylor Book Award</a> in the Young Adult category! What does receiving this award mean to you? </span></b></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-23fa0ba2-7fff-8767-ff57-4eb391c35add"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>Elana K. Arnold: </b>Hello Mr. Schu, and thank you! Having </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Blood Years </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">honored by the Sydney Taylor Book Award is hugely meaningful. Every book is special, and yet, some books rise to an unusual level of importance for the creator. This is one of those books. I know that awards help books stay alive longer and reach more readers. Even more, the fact that this award is for books that “authentically portray the Jewish experience” is deeply validating.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg41ifXLMC9oMF4LaKXaWA-brtw6hxJzqABuq_K-rHy3zn_PdooIIJL7rggb2D4u6wCvAMudRoLU0cmTUZOUaTZzNE8Sm0Gj4-pCjP-unH8YxnhCEGuw18BdWRob_mK054rMYwtffwbYPdw7_Rw7HbplUk3BDAi432Nqe7cBeL4urmCxnFHy35jdMfjK8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg41ifXLMC9oMF4LaKXaWA-brtw6hxJzqABuq_K-rHy3zn_PdooIIJL7rggb2D4u6wCvAMudRoLU0cmTUZOUaTZzNE8Sm0Gj4-pCjP-unH8YxnhCEGuw18BdWRob_mK054rMYwtffwbYPdw7_Rw7HbplUk3BDAi432Nqe7cBeL4urmCxnFHy35jdMfjK8=s16000" /></a></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scenario: A high school teacher-librarian asks you to booktalk </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Blood Years</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> to a group of seniors. What do you share with them? </span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>Elana K. Arnold: </b></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Blood Years</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> is historical fiction, based on my grandmother’s teenage years in Czernowitz, Romania before and during the Holocaust. It’s a love story about sisters. It’s about ballet, and bears, and the ways our families can fail us. It’s a book about the great and terrible things people do in the name of love. And it’s my attempt to do with my Nana’s gift of stories what I try to do with all my work—to transform pain into art, to embrace ambiguity, and to find beauty even in the ugliest of moments. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n_NZpyFjw_c?si=3o8nu1f9Ji_toLC1" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Please finish the following sentence starters: </b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Frederieke Teitler</span></b> was such a difficult character to get to know. I thought she would be easy, as she was based on my grandmother, and I knew my grandmother deeply and well… but it turned out that I was wrong. My Nana was deeply invested in keeping me safe, in protecting me from scary things... so the stories she shared with me were bubble-wrapped, told from a vantage point of safety and distance. The greatest challenge of writing </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Blood Years </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was recognizing that in order to tell this story well, I was going to have to let go Frieda Teitler and allow Frederieke Teitler to step forward. And then, I was going to have to hurt her. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">History is</span></b> an excellent teacher, and full of the best (and worst) stories. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtfYqEb9YOFqd5oL2BwjWtYzSrdWkpbZ-l3CrtaNnUfAmnkiMvLxILKWFNrRlRLMqsz-_IgJeU4zTJbwu8Z1XPjfClFU8ZVvJEcGgBNmhiuizf_KoyIYtuH7E4U_AiB-xik4B4rIsK094dhh_P4-_NdlvvkvnSmbIPg97-ehHoHsMo9ot1jjzHQreVwKI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtfYqEb9YOFqd5oL2BwjWtYzSrdWkpbZ-l3CrtaNnUfAmnkiMvLxILKWFNrRlRLMqsz-_IgJeU4zTJbwu8Z1XPjfClFU8ZVvJEcGgBNmhiuizf_KoyIYtuH7E4U_AiB-xik4B4rIsK094dhh_P4-_NdlvvkvnSmbIPg97-ehHoHsMo9ot1jjzHQreVwKI=s16000" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is </span></b>the thing that makes us human. As long as there has been language, we have been using it to tell one another and ourselves stories. All humans are natural storytelling animals. And if someone wants to tell a story—through a novel, a poem, a song, a piece of visual art, a musical composition—they should go ahead and do it. No permission needed, no credential required. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">John Schu, you should have asked me </span></b>for writing advice for young people. Here’s what I have to say: </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When I was your age (six, ten, sixteen), I desperately wanted to be a writer, but I couldn’t finish a project. I’d start, get lost, bored, distracted, distraught, and then I’d forget, or quit, or despair. And then I’d tell myself that I wasn’t a “real”</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">writer, that “real”</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">writers finished things, that “real”</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">writers write every day. I was wrong. The work of a “real” </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">emerging</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> writer—which is what you are, young person—is to stay deeply curious about everything, both the world outside of you and the world inside of you. Your work is to not shame yourself when you feel lost and confused. Shame is the opposite of creativity; shame poisons the well. Your job is to </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">fill </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the well: with stories; with experiences; with dreams; with challenges; with life. And if you are curious, if you are paying attention, I think you are a writer, already.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>Thank you, Elana! </b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://jewishlibraries.org/2024-blog-tour-sydney-taylor-book-awards/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQr26dq48PCiyNghc6Uw7Yfbo0sMtpqGAw8sC4plCa-j3l8i8RRjNPdlfgBNpNSbmFei2UH7v9w-sknTmex6WDi-7U-1qKYEHYTrb8Ab7s1dBvEOWzGABQ3hIJv15TdRKhM8tuCIvFvI0LjPZCZVcSgD10RfYdUqLc9gH1px3zcJIhHnOBgB7P90mwthw=s16000" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><p></p><br />John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-40728207194151332982024-02-06T00:00:00.001-06:002024-02-06T00:00:00.157-06:00Book Trailer Premiere: Medusa: The Myth of Monsters by Katherine Marsh<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Happy Tuesday! I'm grateful Katherine Marsh returned to Watch. Connect. Read. to finish my sentences. We discussed the book trailer for </span><i style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Medusa: The Myth of Monsters</i><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">, mythology, Ava, story, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and she wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">. Thank you, Katherine! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WiCYoAHdMBo?si=LdNJI2qwKD1WY50T" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Medusa: The Myth of Monsters</i>’ book trailer </span></b>places girls in the center of the action while challenging the Greek Myths that inform mega-hit, boy-hero narratives such as Percy Jackson. I remember when I started out in this industry there was an unwritten rule that girls would read boy-centered books but boys wouldn't read girl-centered ones so if you wanted to write a "big" middle grade fantasy, you better have a boy as your main protagonist. I hope we've evolved so that a story in which girls lead the action and boys have sidekick roles can be an equally huge success. Not only will boy readers enjoy the magic school world and fast-paced adventure, but giving them MEDUSA: THE MYTH OF MONSTERS and books like it sends an important message that girls' stories and experiences matter as much as their own.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGVlrB53pI2UOLGovi_02V82Z7gcKWEN5rTOxCkyeHiUNAoBf2rdduPakRNH018wn9besIqNZc5x7Sv10nmtG6KYdPk7cbglj0qPoJ19bWXaETNJLOmwGCZj4VtIKUPxtxg_f8zSHXf04tpykd7gd_4LFNdkx3hSUZ0K13rE-OcJFX_0eiUAvp1Sowf5U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGVlrB53pI2UOLGovi_02V82Z7gcKWEN5rTOxCkyeHiUNAoBf2rdduPakRNH018wn9besIqNZc5x7Sv10nmtG6KYdPk7cbglj0qPoJ19bWXaETNJLOmwGCZj4VtIKUPxtxg_f8zSHXf04tpykd7gd_4LFNdkx3hSUZ0K13rE-OcJFX_0eiUAvp1Sowf5U=s16000" /></a></div></div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Ava Baldwin </span></b>is a descendant of Medusa. I promise this is not a spoiler! Ava doesn't have snakes for hair but, like her infamous ancestor, she struggles with her outrage in a world in which girls' and women's anger is still often perceived as emasculating and unattractive. At the same time, what I love about Ava is that she's a real flesh-and-blood tween, which means she desperately wants to fit in. She must grapple with a universal middle school question: 'How do I be my true self and still belong?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Mythology </span></b>reflects the history and bias of its creators. The Greek myths are steeped in some very problematic sensibilities. But I still love the Greek myths: the imaginative world-building, the vivid characters, the creative explanations for the human condition. I wrote MEDUSA: THE MYTH OF MONSTERS to build a new and more inclusive universe on the bones of these old stories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mHw4Z8P2pjc?si=uMExG1DvmuYdSLt7" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is </span></b>power. From Madeline Miller's CIRCE to Emily Wilson's new translations of The ILIAD and THE ODYSSEY to Laura Amy Schlitz's remarkable epic, AMBER AND CLAY, women's voices are changing the way we think about the Classical world. I hope MEDUSA: THE MYTH OF MONSTERS inspires similar inquiry in young readers while keeping them wildly entertained.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFDbyu8gybpLQ_diGU1QooC20q5RWdPJj_3HOE8_h2bSzWLPpbGoMUSewQsBiDn9VE_jR5ouuvXSJ6yZNwTxFOlVuH1ohWWac-GgAfQnFV7qOeJ5cZQ_t28CTUsq6CH6F1ai9FckK1GPU0zcWQV2TZVBDq61202EF9dEmqfKBUsIptQ7qNiL0v0HoHok0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1546" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFDbyu8gybpLQ_diGU1QooC20q5RWdPJj_3HOE8_h2bSzWLPpbGoMUSewQsBiDn9VE_jR5ouuvXSJ6yZNwTxFOlVuH1ohWWac-GgAfQnFV7qOeJ5cZQ_t28CTUsq6CH6F1ai9FckK1GPU0zcWQV2TZVBDq61202EF9dEmqfKBUsIptQ7qNiL0v0HoHok0=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">John Schu, you should have asked me . . . </span></b>Is there anything in common between the MYTH OF MONSTERS series and your 2023 Jane Addams Winner and National Book Award Finalist. THE LOST YEAR? <br />Yes! A feminist retelling of the stories of mythological monsters may seem unrelated to historical fiction about Ukraine but both encourage kids to think about who gets to tell the story and how that shapes our understanding of ourselves, others and the world.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgzDrukNjjuodT893ozuEBdKycvCfW9NoloRBDBZRzz8JFf_uTKXbXuE0SS-yKtZ_Tz743BRxgCzwLqKWC-APY2Id3fOb5ndlTD0-0viZ9lIA9w49UdORZPc9nw46aPAxrBq4z-Q2S4iYnF4nWzqR026a6_4szmp7O_3qq1DGRHz56Y1XteTPs2B4hhRs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgzDrukNjjuodT893ozuEBdKycvCfW9NoloRBDBZRzz8JFf_uTKXbXuE0SS-yKtZ_Tz743BRxgCzwLqKWC-APY2Id3fOb5ndlTD0-0viZ9lIA9w49UdORZPc9nw46aPAxrBq4z-Q2S4iYnF4nWzqR026a6_4szmp7O_3qq1DGRHz56Y1XteTPs2B4hhRs=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/medusa-katherine-marsh?variant=41063299874850">Medusa: The Myth of Monsters</a> </i>releases on February 20, 2024.<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/medusa-katherine-marsh?variant=41063299874850"> Pre-order a copy today</a>!</span></b></div></div><br /><br /></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-38183771488577570102024-02-05T15:06:00.002-06:002024-02-05T15:06:33.795-06:00Caldecott Medalist Vashti Harrison<div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>I asked Vashti Harrison, Marla Frazee, Molly Mendoza, Jerome Pumphrey, Jarrett Pumphrey, and Hanna Cha to each answer two questions and finish two sentence starters.</b></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/caldecott-honor-artists-jerome-pumphrey.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;">Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey's responses</a>. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/caldecott-honor-artist-molly-mendoza.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Molly Mendoza's responses.</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/three-time-caldecott-honor-artist-marla.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;">Marla Frazee's responses</a>. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/02/caldecott-honor-artist-hanna-cha.html">Hanna Cha's responses</a>. </span></div><div style="font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbDgghdopPGVGdBiLk0QFGrw6skLT9YS2CEpZgI3mpGegwsFNFPL-z2YNw-QpGC-oGPopPvWMitepNwCKOsSF2BSnarDOPVbwFcuwXsFEPE71GcRPPcsfXUE4G_eq03LPVfiaAa1LNARBxGQPuQWMFT2iUC1l6-06QfX_ADAJf7gX9B5o-pD_1PZHaahk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbDgghdopPGVGdBiLk0QFGrw6skLT9YS2CEpZgI3mpGegwsFNFPL-z2YNw-QpGC-oGPopPvWMitepNwCKOsSF2BSnarDOPVbwFcuwXsFEPE71GcRPPcsfXUE4G_eq03LPVfiaAa1LNARBxGQPuQWMFT2iUC1l6-06QfX_ADAJf7gX9B5o-pD_1PZHaahk=s16000" /></a></div></span></b></span></div>Hello, Vashti Harrison! Congratulations on receiving the 2024 Caldecott Medal for <i>Big</i>. I love hearing about the CALL. What was running through your heart when the committee was clapping and cheering for you? <br /></span></b><br /><b>Vashti Harrison: </b>I was completely overwhelmed, my heart was attempting to leap out of my chest and think my mind must have gone completely blank! I know I was trying to keep it together, so I’m sure on the other end of the line it sounded like I didn’t have much to say. I never ever expected that I could win the Medal. I wished and hoped for a call for an honor, but I never dared dream as big as the medal. The call came fairly late in the evening so really I don’t know who else would be calling from an unknown number, but in the moment, everything happened so fast there wasn’t enough time to wonder “who could this be?” <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"> </span><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XtCS8TK6kJs?si=l6ei5HBHz93HbABx" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">What does the Caldecott Medal for <i>Big</i> mean to you?</span></b></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br /></b></span><b>Vashti Harrison: </b>The Caldecott Medal for <i>Big</i> means even more children all across the country will have the opportunity to read and connect with this story. It means that this book will have that much more of a chance of ending up in the hands of children who live in small towns with tiny libraries like mine. It means the story of little black girl will get to live on bookshelves next to classics like <i>Where the Wild Thing Are</i> and <i>The Snowy Day</i>. I made <i>Big </i>to communicate feelings that are hard and complicated to express outwardly. All I ever wanted for it was to reach people who might identify with the girls experience, or feel compassion for her. This medal might take this book a little farther, and into the hands of readers who need to see her story and know they are not alone.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/857330066?h=1926a757b2" title="vimeo-player" width="640"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Please finish the following sentence starters:</span><br /></b><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Libraries</span></b> need protecting.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books</span></b> are literature. </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCsHeAIE32MKYZ4mWROBBxdi9JuV3oJSG9e7Gu34jURUvwWEU7A_kkb8nZNRBv16kPamIE-JUV8qfYFsdUUR1rLsTXfWczKnn9oKLnn3sUoWmZe0mwSFIpQ4YjDD2Z-6Cwq14Whw91WXXpPGmqrFeRPkLfGJTXYfQzDrGfC1AzC3fi1d6pAflOWP1q6ms" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCsHeAIE32MKYZ4mWROBBxdi9JuV3oJSG9e7Gu34jURUvwWEU7A_kkb8nZNRBv16kPamIE-JUV8qfYFsdUUR1rLsTXfWczKnn9oKLnn3sUoWmZe0mwSFIpQ4YjDD2Z-6Cwq14Whw91WXXpPGmqrFeRPkLfGJTXYfQzDrGfC1AzC3fi1d6pAflOWP1q6ms=s16000" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, Vashti!</b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-91826904768718602292024-02-02T14:46:00.003-06:002024-02-02T14:47:36.258-06:00Newbery Honor Author M.T. Anderson<div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63AE67hlTarWUrRuoqGDgz7Vu0eDM4Q_uZnY4DP2IabVd8wrVylRfq1rGsYKCG-h0bQjOYYs-CUWCv2SDZKt-RgtVtYdDyGhCDY6X3WlHq5bRx-ibBrRxnK-1qS8esh6Fk-QblUNoCz-mmLarNsgrS7rfIWRDFFb4_JiBYbrsQmm8JXPNoknEpMaQy3Q/s3014/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-02%20at%202.36.11%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1704" data-original-width="3014" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63AE67hlTarWUrRuoqGDgz7Vu0eDM4Q_uZnY4DP2IabVd8wrVylRfq1rGsYKCG-h0bQjOYYs-CUWCv2SDZKt-RgtVtYdDyGhCDY6X3WlHq5bRx-ibBrRxnK-1qS8esh6Fk-QblUNoCz-mmLarNsgrS7rfIWRDFFb4_JiBYbrsQmm8JXPNoknEpMaQy3Q/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-02-02%20at%202.36.11%20PM.png" /></a></div><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="font-size: large;">I asked Dave Eggers, Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson, M.T. Anderson, Pedro Martín, Erin Bow, and Daniel Nayeri to answer two questions and finish two sentence starters. </span></span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/newbery-honor-author-pedro-martin.html" style="background: transparent; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;">Pedro Martín's responses</a>. </span></b></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/newbery-honor-author-daniel-nayeri.html">Daniel Nayeri's responses</a>.</span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZYbZ87JPd36fLpdmy6xetQE5swrF42-h8xxIFfBhAypUGnTmfHGL6-4P8ZNBMgQxW8o6fS8ID-CjMh4WQ48jshG1uK7HOudqw31YPiHkPwX2yl-Vc2vEdqCJoyKHyGgmLzc4BlZoPSvFueXFRIBd8RCfDWSfx0hnX6hN0VCtlx277hOO0hkLhx9316js" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZYbZ87JPd36fLpdmy6xetQE5swrF42-h8xxIFfBhAypUGnTmfHGL6-4P8ZNBMgQxW8o6fS8ID-CjMh4WQ48jshG1uK7HOudqw31YPiHkPwX2yl-Vc2vEdqCJoyKHyGgmLzc4BlZoPSvFueXFRIBd8RCfDWSfx0hnX6hN0VCtlx277hOO0hkLhx9316js=s16000" /></a></div></span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="color: #800180; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Hello, M.T. Anderson! Congratulations on receiving a 2024 Newbery Honor for <i>Elf Dog and Owl Head</i>! I love hearing about the CALL. What was running through your heart when the committee was clapping and cheering for you? <br /></span></b><br /><b>M.T. Anderson: </b>Well, I was driving to New York City from rural Vermont, and I kept getting calls from numbers I didn’t recognize. I assumed they were spam, so I didn’t pick up. I was driving, after all. I’m from New England, so I was already flustered by all the exits and I somehow found myself on the George Washington Bridge. That is not where I wanted to be. So I guess the main thought going through my head was, “How did I end up in New Jersey?”</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFJvo3-hg_4qIeMCvsc-onbYiD2-yTSu9ALxY1r7Z1TApCeltUwCAISV5zztK5C03HM50LhooFSENeI-5cc6fEYJF7YOGsamyuIHPVCwcI0pqxdeN_EaS5ihpmZYeBhxfWiEJQJfE7pXTZVXMyWR9eCsaEiEkbx1JnzbhnGpjYNC-cGn2Lq7TQweXUM3A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFJvo3-hg_4qIeMCvsc-onbYiD2-yTSu9ALxY1r7Z1TApCeltUwCAISV5zztK5C03HM50LhooFSENeI-5cc6fEYJF7YOGsamyuIHPVCwcI0pqxdeN_EaS5ihpmZYeBhxfWiEJQJfE7pXTZVXMyWR9eCsaEiEkbx1JnzbhnGpjYNC-cGn2Lq7TQweXUM3A=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">What does a Newbery Honor for <i>Elf Dog and Owl Head</i> mean to you? </span></b><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>M.T. Anderson: </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When I finally did find out what the calls were for – an hour later, after a detour through the Lincoln Tunnel, and then driving through Manhattan, and finding a parking space – I was overwhelmed at the thought of the books that had won this award before. I went and looked through the list of previous winners and honor books: <i>The Westing Game</i>, <i>The Tombs of Atuan</i>, <i>The Dark Is Rising</i>, <i>The Grey King</i>, F<i>rog and Toad Together</i> – all of my favorites from when I was a kid. The books that taught me what literature means. It is just incredible to feel that my book is part of that legacy of imagination. <br /><br />This is frankly kind of what I’ve been dreaming of my whole life, since I was a kid who loved to read and make up stories. I think I can quit now.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aHqmnpeV3jM?si=LV2Mw4PEYn54aEpe" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Please finish the following sentence starters:</span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br /></b></span><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is</span></b> the way we make sense of the world, the way we keep chaos at bay, the moment when we touch knees with each other when we’re sitting cross-legged around a fire. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Libraries</span></b> are the measure of a civilization. When we look at fallen empires, we judge them by their libraries, by the books that they produced and that their libraries preserved. We judge them based on who could read what and who they allowed to know things. (And yet right now, we propose to silence history, to silence truth, to lock those things out of our libraries to hide our shame.) A democracy is founded on the idea of an educated electorate. Similarly, a capitalist society is founded on the idea of choices being made by educated consumers. Without an access to information, we live in a tyranny of those who know and those who conceal; we steer our course using lies and petty myths as our compass.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /> Libraries exist to give us access to liberatory knowledge. They should be our birthright as humans, heirs to all that was known before us.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /> That, in the end, will determine whether our descendants see America as a great civilization, or merely a briefly profitable one. </span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKISaGtCmH9GxjIkOaPOUS_Ew9gLf6FY4NrIDqE68qJAPJSGC_b_vXZJxN9nwXE1BgfhTplfnMION4tdQ0hGm-7s5X0KAzrDT9QMxDEWnJu2weLBeOVkt7Ft2FvE8fj6Gecbd9BMv8Osj8tJ0ZQ72gp9sinUWSSu3jY_p8L6szOYY-9MfxqSSMsAT7sKE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKISaGtCmH9GxjIkOaPOUS_Ew9gLf6FY4NrIDqE68qJAPJSGC_b_vXZJxN9nwXE1BgfhTplfnMION4tdQ0hGm-7s5X0KAzrDT9QMxDEWnJu2weLBeOVkt7Ft2FvE8fj6Gecbd9BMv8Osj8tJ0ZQ72gp9sinUWSSu3jY_p8L6szOYY-9MfxqSSMsAT7sKE=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, M.T. Anderson!</b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-78545611651735373522024-02-02T12:09:00.005-06:002024-02-02T12:10:10.241-06:00Lifeboat 5 by Susan Hood<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180;">Happy, happy Friday! I always LOVE when Susan Hood stops by to finish my sentences. We discussed </span><i style="color: #800180;">Lifeboat 5</i><span style="color: #800180;">'s cover, Bess, Beth, novels in verse, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and Susan wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180;">. Thank you, Susan! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF8rMqYDENNVCMHnCaHGmxlAr-zXIaTV2wSpzJio3u8ajKqOD3xO9kejo8BH4tYHU35Ack0KOJZzlfd-UAwkbvgDllcwCBHnoCIAxY5fZC69Qc3TClYL8O7rLYPmQkmTPo47QGU-h2Q13YBeN-oYxXNR3suh9xBagS7yF1eVablFNWqhwNiQOI1kXrQGM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF8rMqYDENNVCMHnCaHGmxlAr-zXIaTV2wSpzJio3u8ajKqOD3xO9kejo8BH4tYHU35Ack0KOJZzlfd-UAwkbvgDllcwCBHnoCIAxY5fZC69Qc3TClYL8O7rLYPmQkmTPo47QGU-h2Q13YBeN-oYxXNR3suh9xBagS7yF1eVablFNWqhwNiQOI1kXrQGM=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Mike Heath’s cover illustration and Hillary Zarycky’s cover design for <i>Lifeboat 5</i></span></b><i> </i>are positively cinematic! I love the colors and the dynamic perspective of the overturned lifeboat amid the sinking wreckage of the torpedoed SS City of Benares, as seen from the depths! The cover perfectly captures the drama of this true story.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnkQpNW1zCmgnYM8DbZI3-dgVlBoj0z1kIyXKHkIgWaG21rKntp8GZKU5b6b0AKSEusY5lcPeZ0gR3K-JOM3lk23CEbWNQEV8Eg27JUSNWIP0qPK3qgTDK8xclr8Z4isDIF0pRjCFBkenF-dRNKlcv-VZ2J_YhLtRtV3t4s8rC3HpZk03FCAp8RM05Kys" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnkQpNW1zCmgnYM8DbZI3-dgVlBoj0z1kIyXKHkIgWaG21rKntp8GZKU5b6b0AKSEusY5lcPeZ0gR3K-JOM3lk23CEbWNQEV8Eg27JUSNWIP0qPK3qgTDK8xclr8Z4isDIF0pRjCFBkenF-dRNKlcv-VZ2J_YhLtRtV3t4s8rC3HpZk03FCAp8RM05Kys=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Lifeboat 5 </i>is </span></b>a companion book to <i>Lifeboat 12</i>, about the same British evacuee ship that was torpedoed by the Nazis in 1940, but this book tells the story of two brave girls. I discovered Bess Walder and Beth Cummings, strangers who became best friends on the Benares, while researching Lifeboat 12 in the British archives. The girls didn’t fit into the narrative of <i>Lifeboat 12</i>, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them. They were the age my British mother-in-law would have been when she was evacuated during the Blitz. I collected info about them and put it aside…just in case. <br /><br /> I’m thrilled to tell their story in this book, using actual quotes from the girls. In many ways, <i>Lifeboat 5</i> is the flipside (pun intended) of <i>Lifeboat 12</i>. Most lifeboats did not float safely away as Ken’s did, but swamped, capsized, and threw passengers into the stormy sea as the Benares sank. Bess and Beth surfaced on either side of their overturned lifeboat and managed to hold hands across the keel, waiting for rescue. <br /><br />Growing up in wartime Britain and being teased at their different schools, both girls had faced fear and self-doubt. Each thought the Benares was her escape from the bombs and the bullies. After the ship sank, each girl had to reach deep within herself to discover the strength at her core—the physical might, courage, hope, and determination to survive impossible odds in the frigid North Atlantic. Bess battled not only the sea, but also enormous guilt. She had promised her parents to look after her little brother Louis on the ship; she had no idea where he was. <br /><br />Each girl, by herself, might not have made it. Beth couldn’t swim; Bess couldn’t see without her glasses. But they held fast to each other. As the hours passed, each girl wanted to give up, but she held on knowing her friend would die if she let go. Thanks to their bond of friendship, the two girls survived, rescued after nineteen hours. Bess and Beth went on to become lifelong friends and then sisters-in-law when one married the other's brother. It’s all true! Each girl emerged from this maritime disaster with a strong sense of power and purpose, realizing she has two hands: one to help herself and the second to help others.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg05jCXccLOh6rFgRim3TKAORObbz7MuZhwWcgLK4n2o_shW39fthaxeDeIO1ue_KUQVQueDL70mQuSTzjs6JIMiS0NnpIfyCYPRrtZTNInAGZ9qwJmgV5NGKIUTujBvzAyXeptzrbKNeWgB1DmMvHnoDDr5TLUKDwx6i8C2G8-XkAYbYPELgZAsCd6C4U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg05jCXccLOh6rFgRim3TKAORObbz7MuZhwWcgLK4n2o_shW39fthaxeDeIO1ue_KUQVQueDL70mQuSTzjs6JIMiS0NnpIfyCYPRrtZTNInAGZ9qwJmgV5NGKIUTujBvzAyXeptzrbKNeWgB1DmMvHnoDDr5TLUKDwx6i8C2G8-XkAYbYPELgZAsCd6C4U=s16000" /></a></div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Novels in verse </span></b>are ideal formats for historical fiction because they can telegraph fact-based research while delving into characters’ emotions. <i>Lifeboat 5 </i>is told from three different points of view: Bess Walder, the older girl; Louis Walder, her little brother who was separated from Bess on a different lifeboat; and their common adversary, the Sea. Novels in verse can get to the heart of history, illuminate true stories, and help kids connect more deeply to people, places, and events from the past.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgupRJAVik99pyzfa_ce1DuEWUqze9heqnJVJIX0fr6m2maO1LQ8BAUMeI8ynke1RjBp877xNOLuVKLr97jLpFG618lrR3aSXJ-vbUmpcilV3Wa-bLDX1DewbZDBfkV-Va8cx4NAfEResDYgQ84fYXyUb-5MYj65OoxnskyomJ9frOcT0PgmY94d9XBxp0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgupRJAVik99pyzfa_ce1DuEWUqze9heqnJVJIX0fr6m2maO1LQ8BAUMeI8ynke1RjBp877xNOLuVKLr97jLpFG618lrR3aSXJ-vbUmpcilV3Wa-bLDX1DewbZDBfkV-Va8cx4NAfEResDYgQ84fYXyUb-5MYj65OoxnskyomJ9frOcT0PgmY94d9XBxp0=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Writing is </span></b>my favorite thing to do. I love researching these true stories, uncovering voices from the past, playing with poetry, sharing ideas of courage, self-reliance, friendship, and forgiveness with kids. <br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">John Schu, you should have asked me . . . </span></b>do readers need to read <i>Lifeboat 12</i> to enjoy <i>Lifeboat 5</i>. No, each story stands on its own. Of course, I hope reading one will lead to the other! </span><br /></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLLPzufqOTc5KvpdcN6J1KlU0nizQkJPcneik5UzPp2xtxgR3N8ADe0j34qw2-idadwhlbtRxYeVZOmp7wnXvcU0xX9Bn0RIPZZq9NgUrxCC9g0G9PncQzJnPYAA0FIEB-QFEbwXVndmRt0pEtgawNAxrw_98UaYiXgvJiRfqdRpPTCYx0gz5djEyAsOA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLLPzufqOTc5KvpdcN6J1KlU0nizQkJPcneik5UzPp2xtxgR3N8ADe0j34qw2-idadwhlbtRxYeVZOmp7wnXvcU0xX9Bn0RIPZZq9NgUrxCC9g0G9PncQzJnPYAA0FIEB-QFEbwXVndmRt0pEtgawNAxrw_98UaYiXgvJiRfqdRpPTCYx0gz5djEyAsOA=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Look for <i>Lifeboat 5</i> on October 10, 2024. </span></b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-48666871449336648252024-02-01T14:23:00.005-06:002024-02-05T14:06:21.275-06:00Caldecott Honor Artist Hanna Cha<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAMD27NyfBDw7xFjJLYkQlX8TdSUd_oOelj2oypwLCzBnifnm0uF0htEaOSwffCz8CtKduc44mOvCVogB-c-Rlu6cG2nl2VZrVPi5xGbShS51FMpKSG7Kmsu0WJOKss31_s3J6oiTFpLqboYsn0E3bypvTwAftboFJDaA62XbEA3nZ1vmyhURnChBTOnk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1756" data-original-width="3006" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAMD27NyfBDw7xFjJLYkQlX8TdSUd_oOelj2oypwLCzBnifnm0uF0htEaOSwffCz8CtKduc44mOvCVogB-c-Rlu6cG2nl2VZrVPi5xGbShS51FMpKSG7Kmsu0WJOKss31_s3J6oiTFpLqboYsn0E3bypvTwAftboFJDaA62XbEA3nZ1vmyhURnChBTOnk=s16000" /></a></div><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180;">I asked Vashti Harrison, Marla Frazee, Molly Mendoza, Jerome Pumphrey, Jarrett Pumphrey, and Hanna Cha to each answer two questions and finish two sentence starters.</b><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180;"><br /></b></span><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/caldecott-honor-artists-jerome-pumphrey.html" style="background: transparent; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;">Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey's responses</a>. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/caldecott-honor-artist-molly-mendoza.html" style="background: transparent; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Molly Mendoza's responses.</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/three-time-caldecott-honor-artist-marla.html">Marla Frazee's responses</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi29TryL6ju3thUBibE7wXw_qHWS9SptMM1DLLNR3NQ6jNwfliuSCF0COK1oBrhMxrFkiO-PWtC7ZVP5_WqH5N73JXt2pA9FIJg8MUwdzsZxM6o7dVgd_yv4ckvlh6Chp_N4IkFc8e6nlRvvBHzrnHsoztPPnnNsKYNGkYH2qbvGvl1NK8_gWQgTBjuAj4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi29TryL6ju3thUBibE7wXw_qHWS9SptMM1DLLNR3NQ6jNwfliuSCF0COK1oBrhMxrFkiO-PWtC7ZVP5_WqH5N73JXt2pA9FIJg8MUwdzsZxM6o7dVgd_yv4ckvlh6Chp_N4IkFc8e6nlRvvBHzrnHsoztPPnnNsKYNGkYH2qbvGvl1NK8_gWQgTBjuAj4=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></b></span></div>Hello, Hanna Cha! Congratulations on receiving a 2024 Caldecott Honor for T<i>he Truth About Dragons</i>. I love hearing about the CALL. What was running through your heart when the committee was clapping and cheering for you? </span></b><br /><br /><b>Hanna Cha: </b>It had been only a few days since I got back from my wedding celebration in Korea. That day I was full of jet lag but already on an adrenaline high from the news that <i>The Truth About Dragons</i> got the APLA. After a whole afternoon of hooting and hollering, I was just about to crash when I got a message from my editor, Kate Farrell, who told me to expect a call coming my way. I remember drowsily waiting in peace. It was already dark and my husband, who failed to keep the jet lag at bay, was fast asleep with our cat lit by our over welcomed Christmas tree. When the call came, and honestly it felt as if everything flew open with a blur. I remember everyone on the other end being so kind and in reply I was in disbelief, crying, and then profusely thanking the committee. By the time I digested what had just happened, my husband was already wide awake, jumping into a mid-dash for a hug, and my cat, piggybacking on the sudden energy, was doing laps. Instantly it was another few hours of bursting celebration and a night I will always remember and cherish.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0xkRESHcBFoUoFfpC2902aZnCyw4s1JJ-x-QET1rJ2r6OrSSJlu2PKZuiT6OXwjhEpTVy5eXmTJJY-PqdSDdh1lxV6uO6pFWX19jlpg5NwEH4bpuzMzFpxkmoUV_X-lUP9Gv6e3PYH2982DYIZx9aeSe6DEGjLVlmFnJnWRRRE2kpjVtQYN-sbMfzSKo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0xkRESHcBFoUoFfpC2902aZnCyw4s1JJ-x-QET1rJ2r6OrSSJlu2PKZuiT6OXwjhEpTVy5eXmTJJY-PqdSDdh1lxV6uO6pFWX19jlpg5NwEH4bpuzMzFpxkmoUV_X-lUP9Gv6e3PYH2982DYIZx9aeSe6DEGjLVlmFnJnWRRRE2kpjVtQYN-sbMfzSKo=s16000" /></a></div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br />What does a Caldecott Honor for <i>The Truth About Dragons</i> mean to you? </span></b><br /><br /><b>Hannah Cha: </b>The fact that <i>The Truth About Dragon</i> received the Caldecott Honor means the world to me. When I read Julie’s story her words rang within me. Her words were what I always wanted to hear as a child who struggled with cultural identities but also she made it so magical and warm! I remember just wanting to make sure my art would do her story justice. The fact that this honor will help this book to get into the hands of young readers who might be struggling the same as I did again is… I don’t know if I have the words to express how much that means to me. I am just immensely humbled to be in the company of such incredible books, and so thankful and proud of the team that made this book come true.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJS5zqGwlV3TnJFhwv4J9VbpqXjpyiBc2MyI6g2m-mbees80Gq5LVfP3uv0ojieJdxpNvnFNMbF6wZae6HWHJKgjMgv9mbDcee8dunDZBXpinbgnUbihbuReN33GLh-g6X4WPCVzWczTA2QJ9XZckeN9oSVu5GmgcaYLyXT9gOTcobbS7tVYEx1ZGNo-8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJS5zqGwlV3TnJFhwv4J9VbpqXjpyiBc2MyI6g2m-mbees80Gq5LVfP3uv0ojieJdxpNvnFNMbF6wZae6HWHJKgjMgv9mbDcee8dunDZBXpinbgnUbihbuReN33GLh-g6X4WPCVzWczTA2QJ9XZckeN9oSVu5GmgcaYLyXT9gOTcobbS7tVYEx1ZGNo-8=s16000" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Please finish the following sentence starters:</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Libraries are</span></b> a place that is hard to put into one word. Libraries are a community. They are a place of belonging and welcome. Libraries are a place full of guidance and tools. A library is a place full of a never ending supply of books (thank goodness) And yet libraries still somehow make you feel at home- it was certainly a second home to me when I was figuring myself out.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books</span></b> are a balance. It is a balance between words and pictures. It is a balance between the book and the reader. And with that beautiful balance, it becomes endless windows and doors to other worlds and thoughts. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2LV7XVON5b47kzqEbB5Iop0ycmT3ga7MFyZ9CYbQFqd24wpnP7s6--hUwvNkX9_fyTmlwCqRppmIeyLEd04Ja2rUQ_q83HvFQyokDIDH8VZEpwWI0RgXuAxk6jwZ1GHYRX5zXzNY11Y8or5BEfbenfvVkHMrPBhcIwApMhb49B9wPbh1gh-WpYVZrI08" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2LV7XVON5b47kzqEbB5Iop0ycmT3ga7MFyZ9CYbQFqd24wpnP7s6--hUwvNkX9_fyTmlwCqRppmIeyLEd04Ja2rUQ_q83HvFQyokDIDH8VZEpwWI0RgXuAxk6jwZ1GHYRX5zXzNY11Y8or5BEfbenfvVkHMrPBhcIwApMhb49B9wPbh1gh-WpYVZrI08=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, Hanna! </b></span></div></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-22474897218416392382024-02-01T10:31:00.008-06:002024-02-01T10:34:51.132-06:00Impossible Possums by Justin Colón and James Rey Sanchez <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Happy, happy Thursday! I'm grateful Justin Colón and James Rey Sanchez stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed <i>Impossible Possums</i> cover, picture books, Carl, and more. I wrote the words in purple, James wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">, and Justin wrote the words in </span><span style="color: #274e13;">green</span><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">. Thank you, Justin and James! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi61tlu-rhm13cUzxpxWebwvt97xMfRFtk9k-D2artkNlQcVrKlV1GESvDriI9mqIHobiHN0ejv1GgRz6G1ihwd2JtfXs6fe5WKjTAirnJnS65C7oZPAggWxfg0i14Ulqkt8aBrzdHrUhoMzYdTn3Z-IFIxkIiuWx2U4q3MXS4n-OTlHv8RwtcW1dhwINU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi61tlu-rhm13cUzxpxWebwvt97xMfRFtk9k-D2artkNlQcVrKlV1GESvDriI9mqIHobiHN0ejv1GgRz6G1ihwd2JtfXs6fe5WKjTAirnJnS65C7oZPAggWxfg0i14Ulqkt8aBrzdHrUhoMzYdTn3Z-IFIxkIiuWx2U4q3MXS4n-OTlHv8RwtcW1dhwINU=s16000" /></a></div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">The cover for <i>Impossible Possums</i></span></b><i> </i>is and very well may always be my favorite cover I’ve ever done! I think it is such a great introductory piece to the chaos that Justin and I have created. I feel as though the kids and adults who see it on shelves will be hit with irrevocable feelings of wonder, delight, and fascination and will have the urge to pick it up and flip through to find out what all of it means.<br /><br />It’s not always easy to come up with a cover that will pull readers in or make passerby halt that next step, pivot and pick a book up off the shelves. This book was entirely different. Once I read the brilliant and hilarious story that Justin had come up with, my mind instantly began racing. Wheels turning faster than I could keep up with. I nailed the cover design pretty much in one shot (which is by far not the usual case). There was just something so inspiring when reading Justin’s words that everything just clicked and flowed.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Justin Colón’s manuscript for <i>Impossible Possums</i> </span></b>is the perfect manuscript to me as an artist. Never have I been able to connect with an author like this based solely on their words. A job is a job right? And most of the time when I read a manuscript I treat it as such. A to B let's make something cool and wondrous for the kids and move on to the next. But not Justin’s. When I first read it I just felt a rush of creative ideas and inspiration. I thought, “Here’s an author who gets me. Who has the same type of humor as I do. And an author that can get a really good message to an audience while still being loose and true to themselves.” I think Justin’s manuscript is a beautiful reflection of who he is as a person and his storytelling abilities. Before we even had the chance to talk to each other I was like, “This is my dude, I just want to keep creating with this guy!”<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books</span></b> are a way for me to sort of mend a world that I feel can be a little broken sometimes. I think creating picture books gives me a way to subtly inspire kids to think about creativity in a way that it’s not usually shown. We are taught at a young age that coloring and painting pictures is a fun pastime and that's pretty much it. That a pretty picture will get hung up on mommy’s fridge for a time or shown to the class and then be forgotten about. Tossed aside like it’s of such little importance and holds no meaning to the one who created it. I feel like more often than not that's the approach to creativity and art. When in actuality those who are artistically inclined should be encouraged in making something beautiful and fun and inviting FOREVER. Whether it’s part of a plan that one has for their future or creating is just so ingrained in them that they have an innate need for it as a part of their life. Picture books should be held at a higher standard and looked at as a tool to inspire. That's how I used them when I was a kid and that's how I still use them. If my work in picture books inspires just one out of every hundred kids to hold onto that desire to create for a living or as part of a way to wind down when they get older then that’s a huge win in my book. Picture books are inspiring.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwXQA8nkTIUfIUspLibfhuBHA9ybsKyatC40a0HK3zupsY08m0BDfAJXwPWxLsBgTXrViQB7kCaDnlq4_cmCyhLHRsY4Gjsh0IUk8XU-s9s6X7r2ZvQTqfbU0j03zDv96P8G_FAU7eWZGj8ylgQV3GtD4UoVho19HcEfoWV-U6qYY2bvUHTMkeaqiJUkg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3060" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwXQA8nkTIUfIUspLibfhuBHA9ybsKyatC40a0HK3zupsY08m0BDfAJXwPWxLsBgTXrViQB7kCaDnlq4_cmCyhLHRsY4Gjsh0IUk8XU-s9s6X7r2ZvQTqfbU0j03zDv96P8G_FAU7eWZGj8ylgQV3GtD4UoVho19HcEfoWV-U6qYY2bvUHTMkeaqiJUkg=s16000" /></a></div><br /></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Impossible Possums </i></span></b><span style="color: #274e13;">has been described as <i>Despicable Me</i> meets <i>Lilo and Stitch</i>, <i>Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs</i>, and <i>Madagascar</i>.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br />It tells the story of Carl, a lonely possum with a flair for villainy who attempts to create an equally villainous friend using his new Possum Populator, only for it to produce a series of hilariously incorrect creatures, each with a chaotic agenda all their own. This fast-paced, funny story is packed with mischief, mayhem, and misunderstandings and is the first of two books (and hopefully many more to follow). For maximum effect, it’s best acted aloud with lots of energy. </span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">James Rey Sanchez </span></b><span style="color: #274e13;">is a brilliant storyteller who is incredibly skilled, especially at crafting vibrant visuals that explode with humor and ooze kid appeal. He was number one on my wish list of illustrators that I shared with Disney. So, it was a glorious moment when he signed on to illustrate Impossible Possums and its sequel. <br /><br />Our experience at Disney has been especially exciting because our team gave us their blessing to connect early on in the publication process and maintain contact throughout, something that’s not very common, as authors and illustrators are often kept distant so as not to interfere with each other’s process and the finished product. However, there was no issue there because we, along with our incredible editor, Sylvie Frank, and art director, Tyler Nevins, have shared a creative brain on this project and remained in full sync with our vision and style since day one. As far as my text and James’ art meshing so well, I think that’s due in part to growing up on the same cartoons, which continue to influence our work. <br /><br />Making this project even more special is that we’re two Latino creators collaborating on a funny, commercial picture book that isn’t centered around our ethnicity. And we’ll be teaming up on future projects at Disney-Hyperion, so we’re just getting started!</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books </span></b><span style="color: #274e13;">can entertain. Educate. Inspire. Enlighten. Foster imagination and empathy. Provide escape. Open minds. Expands worlds. And so much more. They are therapeutic works of art and there is no expiration date for reading them. From a child still in the womb to the oldest and wisest of individuals, anyone can enjoy them.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtM-M6Mxqlso0yWiLlNjekE-gVz-qDV2ZFWF0q7dNclpJry8IS_I8fFyd9OaEwk11vjalla4zWnGU3yoi1DvYfKQ5yZ6LyJsw_MzhgeYCD5_sN7JxQaLp9XLDmWAi6eQBGHLQiDgVcKDVQC2oz2-VNs8fsG9iQXrTbmnNTish2p7Ga_VE2eI8kDGVrvfI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="CARL: And all picture books should be about possums! JUSTIN: Hey, did you hear that, James? JAMES: Hear that? Did you smell that?! CARL: So, what are the two of you up to? JUSTIN: Hey, Carl. We’re just finishing up our cover reveal. JAMES: Is there anything you would like to say to our readers before we wrap up? CARL: Thank you, Mr. Schu for helping us take over the world! MUAHAHAHA!" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="3557" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtM-M6Mxqlso0yWiLlNjekE-gVz-qDV2ZFWF0q7dNclpJry8IS_I8fFyd9OaEwk11vjalla4zWnGU3yoi1DvYfKQ5yZ6LyJsw_MzhgeYCD5_sN7JxQaLp9XLDmWAi6eQBGHLQiDgVcKDVQC2oz2-VNs8fsG9iQXrTbmnNTish2p7Ga_VE2eI8kDGVrvfI=s16000" title="CARL: And all picture books should be about possums! JUSTIN: Hey, did you hear that, James? JAMES: Hear that? Did you smell that?! CARL: So, what are the two of you up to? JUSTIN: Hey, Carl. We’re just finishing up our cover reveal. JAMES: Is there anything you would like to say to our readers before we wrap up? CARL: Thank you, Mr. Schu for helping us take over the world! MUAHAHAHA!" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #800180;">Haaaaa! Thank you, James, Justin, and Carl! </span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI2jqqG4_k2uzmZ63HYnRvSRJqGwEaTRIebssyM3tgmUl5FdrdYvzlEynCuSV51wSOY0YfS9LnV5jysgqenZLbiT7ZzPOtE9vhvWh8TOU7ZyY0wNXOTCKBVUS_eOZepN0VMw6gWIq29I5r_fkMBx2PIOyyRGiSJVME3LdfpMgTyRALDvx-GDSOqWbbMuk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI2jqqG4_k2uzmZ63HYnRvSRJqGwEaTRIebssyM3tgmUl5FdrdYvzlEynCuSV51wSOY0YfS9LnV5jysgqenZLbiT7ZzPOtE9vhvWh8TOU7ZyY0wNXOTCKBVUS_eOZepN0VMw6gWIq29I5r_fkMBx2PIOyyRGiSJVME3LdfpMgTyRALDvx-GDSOqWbbMuk=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Impossible Possums </i>releases on October 22, 2024. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746211/impossible-possums-by-justin-colon/">Pre-order a copy from your favorite bookshop today</a>. </span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-14978820131034110452024-01-31T18:53:00.009-06:002024-02-02T18:17:18.782-06:00Newbery Honor Author Daniel Nayeri <div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTs3awRo6vDa5UtfjaVZeSJwB5IwvLvyfFuEVOwFGcCkSZsAslLxr_0KXLHGGB2FSRzY62EIMUZHWt5EK1G94mK-DTVf5KAXaiWH4qcfrRFbe6PEJ9wiOPFvmpf8NvEZW_AEzzxAVLUqb1x7YIPvoajSMeDI5lPKJ_A6a1mqv1aMdB5HiSQRvY82Ugeu4/s3012/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-31%20at%206.45.48%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1696" data-original-width="3012" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTs3awRo6vDa5UtfjaVZeSJwB5IwvLvyfFuEVOwFGcCkSZsAslLxr_0KXLHGGB2FSRzY62EIMUZHWt5EK1G94mK-DTVf5KAXaiWH4qcfrRFbe6PEJ9wiOPFvmpf8NvEZW_AEzzxAVLUqb1x7YIPvoajSMeDI5lPKJ_A6a1mqv1aMdB5HiSQRvY82Ugeu4/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-31%20at%206.45.48%20PM.png" /></a></div></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;">I asked Dave Eggers, Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson, M.T. Anderson, Pedro Martín, Erin Bow, and Daniel Nayeri to answer two questions and finish two sentence starters. </span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180; text-align: start;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/newbery-honor-author-pedro-martin.html"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pedro Martín's responses</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjucWrOO9emD-djw8VXR-zf36o7Mbduxx-uc8rtWuqL-ssAcxRTrqsG2DB4DYLb0cNxPnurQFl22yhU1P6fq9HV9tqC1UAMxrz-hMevUHDBwwfJo6z9p6aclsabzmrDLofP-5IcVe0VHqLQx2ryswvfGCvDJ3LJ9qzNKi9ElgCCdmxMSGI-8zCrnZ_sG9Y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1507" data-original-width="1179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjucWrOO9emD-djw8VXR-zf36o7Mbduxx-uc8rtWuqL-ssAcxRTrqsG2DB4DYLb0cNxPnurQFl22yhU1P6fq9HV9tqC1UAMxrz-hMevUHDBwwfJo6z9p6aclsabzmrDLofP-5IcVe0VHqLQx2ryswvfGCvDJ3LJ9qzNKi9ElgCCdmxMSGI-8zCrnZ_sG9Y=s16000" /></a></div><br /></div></div></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Hello, Daniel Nayeri! Congratulations on receiving a 2024 Newbery Honor for <i>The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams</i>! I love hearing about the CALL. What was running through your heart when the committee was clapping and cheering for you? </span></b><br /><br /><b>Daniel Nayeri: </b>I’ve spent decades dreaming about “the call,” and I’ve even been lucky enough to be a part of a few of them as an editor over the years. And yet, (Glory! Glory!) when it happened that I might receive the call from the award committee…I missed it entirely. Can you believe the luck? You see, as most authors know, the call is supposed to come on the eve of the ALA Awards Ceremony, Sunday night. Allusions to Christmas are made every year. It’s a fairy tale situation, and I’m still kicking myself, frankly. But a few years ago, due to the lockdowns, the call I received for the Printz Award was on Friday night. I’m justifying myself here, so please bear with me. It came on Friday night, and it was heaven, Heaven, I tell you. Okay, now fast forward to the Friday before the awards THIS year…nothing. That’s fine. It would be presumptuous and preposterous for me to expect anything anyway. So I counted my blessings, gave myself a pep talk that didn’t really work, and went to bed. The next day, Saturday, of course, nothing. But to be disappointed would imply that I had expected to win, that I thought I deserved it above and beyond all the many great books published this year. How impudent. How conceited. How in the world could I possibly think it? Well, by Sunday evening, I had finally resigned myself to not getting the award that I didn’t in any way consider myself entitled to but would have delighted in anyway in case it had happened—which it had not. <br /><br />What else to do but retreat into a story? My son was sick in bed, so it was an easy choice. I was reading him THE PRINCESS BRIDE all evening until—in a quiet moment in between breaths, right as the Man in Black is climbing the rope up the Cliffs of Insanity—we all heard my phone, ringing from across the house. <br /><br />I looked at the clock. Who could be calling at 11pm—HOLY MOLEY WHAT HAVE I DONE? I ran to the phone. Half a dozen messages from my editor, the brilliant Arthur Levine, from my agent, the brilliant Joanna Volpe, from the head of marketing, the brilliant Antonio Cerna, and a call from one number unrecognized by my phone. <br /><br />I’m afraid the committee must have been asleep by then. I had an intimate and heartfelt call with Antonio and Joanna, and though we would have loved to have everyone there, it was no less special. I celebrated with two people who deserve a share of the honor as much as I do, and then went back to reading the book to my wife and son. It would have been criminal to stop where we were. <br /><br />I hope I can share my gratitude for the committee members someday. I hope I can shake their hands and tell them they changed my life, and I’m so sorry I missed the call. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Oh, wow! What a memory! What a story! I'm cheering for you, Daniel! </span></b></span><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BTbjR0Y22I8?si=5asKhf9P9MiRWK6a" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">What does a Newbery Honor for The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams mean to you? </span></b><br /><br /><b>Daniel Nayeri: </b>Around 24 hours after hearing about the award, I heard that a dear friend and mentor in the publishing world had passed away. She edited several Caldecott and Newbery Medal-winning books. I had hoped I’d get to tell her about the Newbery Honor for SAMIR, and that she had a part in this one too. I suppose I shared all that to say the award meant an affirmation that she’d taught me a worthy standard of literature. That I’d been listening, even when I seemed like “a young man in a hurry.” It was a confirmation that I should stick around and keep writing a few more stories. I will miss my friend. I hope my gratitude finds her anyway.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>*Hugs*, Daniel! </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1TlnQoZ40QE?si=o7l9Hy5WafaOGWq_" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Please finish the following sentence starters:</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Story is</span></b> the breath He breathed into our nostrils to give us living souls. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Libraries </span></b>are the bellwether of a healthy society.</span><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEik0Xkm8YlRBWFi1Rlv-0r7lsDknqI3NRD51rrsZdlYpKK3WqC28qYZOpHaLRk-U21WXvvSlW_7J4-WbpYNRj_YUnWPNYlXen5aiHcnEXPVsW94TwmvZq1PqhK10GgPSd9F3HAx6sJNzUqJzB0V3pEEbmvKAJXIHIGSZAJoiGbQv0iV2VyCx2r7CdEHMns" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1507" data-original-width="1179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEik0Xkm8YlRBWFi1Rlv-0r7lsDknqI3NRD51rrsZdlYpKK3WqC28qYZOpHaLRk-U21WXvvSlW_7J4-WbpYNRj_YUnWPNYlXen5aiHcnEXPVsW94TwmvZq1PqhK10GgPSd9F3HAx6sJNzUqJzB0V3pEEbmvKAJXIHIGSZAJoiGbQv0iV2VyCx2r7CdEHMns=s16000" /></a></div><br /></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, Daniel! </b></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-26660230060603501692024-01-30T18:27:00.019-06:002024-02-01T23:54:14.041-06:00The Louder Than Hunger Book Tour <p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b> I'm excited and nervous and THRILLED that <i>Louder Than Hunger</i>'s<i> </i>March 19th publication date is almost here. I hope to see you during the <i>Louder Than Hunger</i> book tour. </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO3gGyrXKIJN4-EaJRfA0BKYKB-jAEigFNH5LPS0HhWE_XUQEQD2Ve_4-x2bXels584uYNTWCBTIhJLrsu7mSmlJEwYjtTXtXkQir4YX6UILmlaBWdNvdwogjF1Ifs4ESp-_FBOG1bf4qa9nh-FJGmO4wnDy77__XcieN7AnoqJ-Zucqr8-ZsZ43cMKIw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="2250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO3gGyrXKIJN4-EaJRfA0BKYKB-jAEigFNH5LPS0HhWE_XUQEQD2Ve_4-x2bXels584uYNTWCBTIhJLrsu7mSmlJEwYjtTXtXkQir4YX6UILmlaBWdNvdwogjF1Ifs4ESp-_FBOG1bf4qa9nh-FJGmO4wnDy77__XcieN7AnoqJ-Zucqr8-ZsZ43cMKIw=s16000" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">March 7:</span></b> Join two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and me in conversation about <i>Ferris</i> and <i>Louder Than Hunger </i>in St. Paul, Minnesota. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kate-dicamillo-john-schu-at-the-university-of-st-thomas-tickets-793587490547">Register here</a>. <br /><br />If you cannot attend in person, <a href="https://www.redballoonbookshop.com/book/9781536229097">order signed copies here</a>.</span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">****</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">March 19:</span></b> Join Newbery Honor author Jasmine Warga and me in conversation about<i> Louder Than Hunger</i> in Naperville, Illinois. <a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/event/john-schu-0">Register here</a>. <br /><br />If you cannot attend in person, <a href="https://www.andersonsbookshop.com/book/9781536229097">order signed copies here.</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">****</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="color: #800180;">March 20: </span></b>Join teacher-librarian Lindsey Kimery and me in conversation about <i>Louder Than Hunger</i> in Nashville, Tennessee. <a href="https://www.parnassusbooks.net/event/store-john-schu-author-louder-hunger-conversation-lindsey-kimery">Register here</a>. <br /><br />If you cannot attend in person, <a href="https://www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781536229097">order signed copies here</a>. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">****</div></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="color: #800180;">March 23:</span></b> I'm one of the featured authors at TeenBookCon in Houston, Texas. <a href="https://www.teenbookcon.org/">Find more information here</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">****</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">April 4: </span></b>Join Chicago Tribune columnist Heidi Stevens and me in conversation about <i>Louder Than Hunger</i> in Winnetka, Illinois. <a href="https://www.thebookstall.com/event/louder-hunger-discussion-john-schu">Register here</a>.<br /><br />If you cannot attend in person, <a href="https://www.thebookstall.com/book/9781536229097">order signed copies here</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">April 7:</span></b> Join teacher-librarian and author Travis Jonker, 5th-grade teacher and author Colby Sharp, and me for an episode of "The Yarn Live" in Kalamazoo, Michigan. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/john-schu-presents-louder-than-hunger-tickets-749575198597">Register here</a>. <br /><br />If you cannot attend in person, <a href="https://www.bookbugkalamazoo.com/book/9781536229097">order signed copies here</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">April 27:</span></b> I'm one of the featured authors at the North Texas Teen Book Festival in Irving, Texas. <a href="https://www.northtexasteenbookfestival.com/">Find more information here</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">****</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">May 18: </span></b>I'm one of the featured authors at the Gaithersburg Book Festival in Gaithersburg, Maryland. <a href="https://www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org/">Find more information here</a>. </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-22881794135123873892024-01-30T00:00:00.000-06:002024-01-30T00:00:00.136-06:00Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia<div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Happy Tuesday! I'm thrilled Federico Erebia stopped by to finish my sentences. We discussed </span><i style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">Pedro & Daniel</i><span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">, Julie Kwon's illustrations, poetry, writing, and more. I wrote the words in purple, and he wrote the words in </span>black<span style="color: #800180; font-weight: bold;">. Thank you, Federico! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUu5g5vzwAnO6OsGXJe9vC4zg7H4G1PYoTlp7GP65TOJGq5-UMsowxq22k1jo84kZy5kr8uJw7vHJH_dNfMyo-uso9F8fhHNwz3havj0O_fCyw8O7JzbvoUEExVJeuaORsQR2vWCw_1gCZER_ma-9G9pEimAxD8moIGa6NfSByeZLRLxl5ZSM5Kq4A7Z0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUu5g5vzwAnO6OsGXJe9vC4zg7H4G1PYoTlp7GP65TOJGq5-UMsowxq22k1jo84kZy5kr8uJw7vHJH_dNfMyo-uso9F8fhHNwz3havj0O_fCyw8O7JzbvoUEExVJeuaORsQR2vWCw_1gCZER_ma-9G9pEimAxD8moIGa6NfSByeZLRLxl5ZSM5Kq4A7Z0=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Pedro & Daniel</i> tells the story,</span></b> over a twenty-four year period, of two brothers who share joy and laughter, despite abuse and oppression. They are gay, Mexican American, and neurodivergent, growing up in 1970s rural Ohio, in a home rife with domestic violence, neglect, and poverty. Other social and societal issues include colorism, racism, homophobia, mental health, food insecurity, HIV/AIDS prejudice, and death.<br /><br />I experimented with every aspect of the book: there are various first and third person perspectives; I use prose, verse, and other poetic devices; my approach to translation, of the abundant Spanish, is unusual; and there is an uncredited main character – in the cumulative effect of dichos/proverbs throughout the novel – which serves to guide, and amuse, the brothers on their remarkable journeys, both together and apart.<br /><br /><i>Pedro & Daniel </i>is a coming-of-age story unlike any other.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9zqSX33Smkc?si=2YbXeXIrI-PvbJNX" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Julie Kwon’s illustrations </span></b>are breathtaking. To my surprise, Julie read the first draft of my manuscript – the entire manuscript – and formed images in her head that she shared with the rest of us, images that elicit emotion, both because of the subject matter and her artistic execution. Anyone who follows me on social media knows that I have shared her book cover and illustrations often, and in various ways. I’ve had the book cover printed on fabric, in an assortment of patterns, and I’ve made eye-catching swag. I’ve got plans for another sports jacket to wear at events this year. I couldn’t be happier with her work, and its immense contribution to the final product.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Poetry is </span></b>a different kind of voice, that can whisper and scream, that can blow a kiss and gale-force winds, that can tickle and slap, that can softly embrace and violently expose, that can evoke any and every emotion. Poetry can do this, one at a time, in combination, all at once, and so much more, with so much less than prose.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br />I was surprised that I wrote a hybrid novel, with prose, verse, and other poetic devices, all together in one book. It wasn’t my intention, it just happened organically. I now proudly say that I am a poet and a writer.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwVw3N7FZUOILDCWUshZS_bxZYMlLZh_XdyM0PDfUqJ1DJryhL3tKqJesHk_cfML9dXacWOulr6Gq-nuJeTjnXe15_6Lg0yuH_dfmZ_sRnR8T56txFGeXPOd9N_ZGq4QTQQgETm9eN4EPE0YxMgNkvwEjY8KWqIvcmh1Z0FygdRMTOQxGC-i4tqoy1J2c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwVw3N7FZUOILDCWUshZS_bxZYMlLZh_XdyM0PDfUqJ1DJryhL3tKqJesHk_cfML9dXacWOulr6Gq-nuJeTjnXe15_6Lg0yuH_dfmZ_sRnR8T56txFGeXPOd9N_ZGq4QTQQgETm9eN4EPE0YxMgNkvwEjY8KWqIvcmh1Z0FygdRMTOQxGC-i4tqoy1J2c=s16000" /></a></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fjebooks.com/resources.html">Download the <i>Pedro & Daniel</i> discussion guide</a>. </div><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Writing is </span></b>in all of us.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"> We all have stories to tell. Whether we share them is up to each of us. Writing is private, personal, lonely, and intimate, but the written or spoken word can bring us together through our imagination.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">I believe that reading is the most important tool for writing, for finding your voice, which may change with each new story you tell. Reading is a ticket to countless adventures we could never hope to dream up on our own. I rarely listen to music, but I listen to audiobooks every day. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Writing makes magic, so it must be magic itself.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCuC6ZVQVh6QY6kgYFWJfAxoZy_OFNEevGe3oo6GUBsS01eNLCpde5aND26ybVLMxLomqNskGjdcEY4PN55r_sHmH8Zul9S57uKaquFFYciy3lharsCt0HwnAtB2XMmZx7V0SZ2fo4ut8939msh2N-5Lp5yoBjaIHxV9XzxKc9H_9fAoBBpoxrTN4YOyU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCuC6ZVQVh6QY6kgYFWJfAxoZy_OFNEevGe3oo6GUBsS01eNLCpde5aND26ybVLMxLomqNskGjdcEY4PN55r_sHmH8Zul9S57uKaquFFYciy3lharsCt0HwnAtB2XMmZx7V0SZ2fo4ut8939msh2N-5Lp5yoBjaIHxV9XzxKc9H_9fAoBBpoxrTN4YOyU=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">John Schu, you should have asked me </span></b>what are you working on now, which is often the last question of an interview. <br /><br />I have been asked to contribute to anthologies that are at various stages of development, and I have many other works in progress.<br /><br />I have a collection of contrapuntal poems that address a wide range of social and societal topics. They are meant to provoke thought and discussion. I hope to partner with early career illustrators, to create a “provocative graphic novel in verse.”<br /><br />I have three picture book dummies that I enjoy reading over and over. I’m working on a graphic novel series, with a dual timeline of present day Mexico and Mesoamerica. I have written several short stories and essays. I’m working on a <i>Pedro & Daniel</i> sequel, titled <i>Pedro Without Daniel</i>.<br /><br />And I’m working on query letters, since I still don’t have an agent.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Thank you, Federico! Congratulations! </span></b><br /><br />John, thank you so much for your friendship, and your support of <i>Pedro & Daniel</i>!</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjD9RJyKFot9JAAGZH3OjnaJzR77sEWHqNVwMTSi1ni4aoYDQWeNWfCtwhARA1Pq4Ms9o2KxhhGaigYe_3bujM-4n6MShhZmHC3XGOgDKhRjMxUehcGA_Aa_dvUP1tyNPJFBmJRII6hqZ9NoqB3BCOnJ7oXOE_RRaCbrXzq3kAuIf1eVBskK3faFwSHKdI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjD9RJyKFot9JAAGZH3OjnaJzR77sEWHqNVwMTSi1ni4aoYDQWeNWfCtwhARA1Pq4Ms9o2KxhhGaigYe_3bujM-4n6MShhZmHC3XGOgDKhRjMxUehcGA_Aa_dvUP1tyNPJFBmJRII6hqZ9NoqB3BCOnJ7oXOE_RRaCbrXzq3kAuIf1eVBskK3faFwSHKdI=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b>Borrow <a href="https://www.levinequerido.com/pedro-daniel"><i>Pedro & Daniel</i> </a>from your school or public library. Whenever possible, please support independent bookshops. </b></span></div></span></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-52247926006623383662024-01-29T10:20:00.006-06:002024-01-29T10:21:54.158-06:00Three-time Caldecott Honor Artist Marla Frazee <div><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgonBpp35Z_CwzKYWApVziXk4i2ofM5Jg0jhkDBjvIWNspQqQ9l_ngGDMSYAro1CofW1DP_ueFSxYDLm6964Akqnqgrd0M0ys9B2D2OecziWjrYwCWIAcANsHp5ZZHNPpMGmX6WJqYrZDLV2K6vmW9ozHugX6vV5vpqGjUJYA0SSClh-UDtn931A1PFFjM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1710" data-original-width="3018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgonBpp35Z_CwzKYWApVziXk4i2ofM5Jg0jhkDBjvIWNspQqQ9l_ngGDMSYAro1CofW1DP_ueFSxYDLm6964Akqnqgrd0M0ys9B2D2OecziWjrYwCWIAcANsHp5ZZHNPpMGmX6WJqYrZDLV2K6vmW9ozHugX6vV5vpqGjUJYA0SSClh-UDtn931A1PFFjM=s16000" /></a></div></span></span></b><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>I asked Vashti Harrison, Marla Frazee, Molly Mendoza, Jerome Pumphrey, Jarrett Pumphrey, and Hanna Cha to each answer two questions and finish two sentence starters.</span></span></b><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Lora, serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Lora, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/caldecott-honor-artists-jerome-pumphrey.html" style="background: transparent; color: #4737be; text-decoration-line: none;">Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey's responses</a>. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/caldecott-honor-artist-molly-mendoza.html"><span style="font-size: medium;">Molly Mendoza's responses.</span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJcGo8E6OhgDZGcr8o81y-iMD62WuDjlTxywmdTVgCCT5IUVMS2Y_OMdZy7xlAmbuY1kvIxvTiC5QQ4oGUWqm-mUjPpM7cJBpvYypEh2a4p_zQcmOEQwaGk_PBMdZwYMWsSlmVOvcrPl_lTvAjB9Ns-LrKVpyL_M37i9Chz7IhRYtzUqk1TsDf3AlNtDY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJcGo8E6OhgDZGcr8o81y-iMD62WuDjlTxywmdTVgCCT5IUVMS2Y_OMdZy7xlAmbuY1kvIxvTiC5QQ4oGUWqm-mUjPpM7cJBpvYypEh2a4p_zQcmOEQwaGk_PBMdZwYMWsSlmVOvcrPl_lTvAjB9Ns-LrKVpyL_M37i9Chz7IhRYtzUqk1TsDf3AlNtDY=s16000" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Hello, Marla Frazee! Congratulations on receiving a 2024 Caldecott Honor for <i>In Every Life</i>. I love hearing about the CALL. What was running through your heart when the committee was clapping and cheering for you?</b></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b>Marla Frazee: </b>When the call came, I was standing at the stove with a slotted spoon, ready to lift the gnocchi out of the pot as soon as they floated to the top. My son James, my daughter-in-law Maria, and my two little grandsons, Arthur and Lewis, were all in the kitchen with me. The number on my phone wasn’t one I recognized and I almost didn’t answer, sure it was spam. But I picked it up anyway and said a flat, “Hello.” The caller asked for me by name, and I said,“Yeah, that’s me,” still thinking spam and ready to hang up. Instead I heard the word “ALSC.” It was beginning to dawn on me. James caught on before I did. His eyebrows shot up. And then we all heard the cheering and clapping! I think I was crying. After, I jumped up and down in the kitchen. Arthur and Lewis liked that! The gnocchi was over-cooked by then and no one cared. It was all perfect.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnwfUZoFi2-f6DJh-bVKBL_2bI0W85nvFjdBu3RQ2F1t2qFdvUNwt0Jt8SOm2ktOXNTjWsGKlvqEbpzO1kPs2rSjpXQtB-3qOos4o8kduxpufcubINjpIXxFJFJPs6tfoIz9fLIkaQZ05E5z5vNTlbI2KczIf2tNsTDWfGRt_fmAudMZfDEZWKlpzJHsI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnwfUZoFi2-f6DJh-bVKBL_2bI0W85nvFjdBu3RQ2F1t2qFdvUNwt0Jt8SOm2ktOXNTjWsGKlvqEbpzO1kPs2rSjpXQtB-3qOos4o8kduxpufcubINjpIXxFJFJPs6tfoIz9fLIkaQZ05E5z5vNTlbI2KczIf2tNsTDWfGRt_fmAudMZfDEZWKlpzJHsI=s16000" /></a></div><br /></div><b><span style="color: #800180;">What does a Caldecott Honor for <i>In Every Life</i> mean to you?</span></b><br /><br /><b>Marla Frazee: </b>It means everything to me. I sure didn’t expect it, but I am so happy about it. It feels like the best gift ever.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHIvfb0hfD6zfFuxjXjCqWFyAGcqRmd3KYg5d1AJu63yybtvHQT6GFY6Nl6c1fOJBytWZtiI4ZZum9qKcjsZ4YyC2lrGmRq4-x7Eu9eihY6Xc4oswj-AZNGXc3qaj0AsymFEqdGrW8q7Km20SmuPaAdGfr-zGz1jH078C7CqkLBeasV2OadwvR258wfcI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHIvfb0hfD6zfFuxjXjCqWFyAGcqRmd3KYg5d1AJu63yybtvHQT6GFY6Nl6c1fOJBytWZtiI4ZZum9qKcjsZ4YyC2lrGmRq4-x7Eu9eihY6Xc4oswj-AZNGXc3qaj0AsymFEqdGrW8q7Km20SmuPaAdGfr-zGz1jH078C7CqkLBeasV2OadwvR258wfcI=s16000" /></a></div></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Please finish the following sentence starters:</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Libraries </span></b>are where I first understood that I would never run out of books to read. When I was a child growing up in Southern California, we often went to the Tarzana Public Library. One day, after I looked at the picture books, I walked over to the illustrated chapter books (which were above my reading level), then to the thick books with no pictures at all, and then I crossed the library to the adult section with what seemed like an endless maze of books. It was exciting to know that there were that many books to read. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books </span></b>are a magical form. The combination of words, pictures, and not-too-many page turns (in my opinion, picture books are short) can be so emotionally powerful. Picture books seem simple, but it’s a trick. They are often profound.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB5BlRc746lnzcBj8jiglon7P9S9eNSTf-XaQLubUAKpmP-eQL4b8VatS1893Gk58irqtkF_KJSfbb83No6FLzS-jgjhUzhWge6cbt7JA-S-lFpIHcxZOee41B5HC8nvGiZwALXv1YW0pm2zEp5F_J5WtJIDsMEs63jSTfu_jwrG-ia3EF3y7Zh0rc_XY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB5BlRc746lnzcBj8jiglon7P9S9eNSTf-XaQLubUAKpmP-eQL4b8VatS1893Gk58irqtkF_KJSfbb83No6FLzS-jgjhUzhWge6cbt7JA-S-lFpIHcxZOee41B5HC8nvGiZwALXv1YW0pm2zEp5F_J5WtJIDsMEs63jSTfu_jwrG-ia3EF3y7Zh0rc_XY=s16000" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, Marla! </b></span></div><div><br /></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1045172818169562594.post-23257151443239518152024-01-25T15:11:00.009-06:002024-01-29T20:05:34.601-06:00Caldecott Honor Artist Molly Mendoza <p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXI2rUNjozhy19sCEkZKM_atYNFUVwWaVkGUsl1Rp8H2TWtSAc6HgNefkYlNiUHJlaJxTZ4dyLgxTu7FV-LGXLNjn-D1mp3cLfoGYu8rR006olzFr3RDXhx5CgszXHdwYN8js22YM8zVQmZZ2rv6ktbezo7k-68ThC6cvZrrT3QK5aiqDrDAhPVXhynuA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="1169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXI2rUNjozhy19sCEkZKM_atYNFUVwWaVkGUsl1Rp8H2TWtSAc6HgNefkYlNiUHJlaJxTZ4dyLgxTu7FV-LGXLNjn-D1mp3cLfoGYu8rR006olzFr3RDXhx5CgszXHdwYN8js22YM8zVQmZZ2rv6ktbezo7k-68ThC6cvZrrT3QK5aiqDrDAhPVXhynuA=s16000" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #800180;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I asked Vashti Harrison, Marla Frazee, Molly Mendoza, Jerome Pumphrey, Jarrett Pumphrey, and Hanna Cha to each answer two questions and finish two sentence starters.</span></b><div><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2024/01/caldecott-honor-artists-jerome-pumphrey.html"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey's responses</span></a></span></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW6Xr8qI2J2qV8jijZrd6WaEJDnPjqd5vXbdCcCUYEYoAUp44lc7C7BNtGwhmZoM09_u_tKcfT_KG5Z207cHPjD2wj8rswAqPIdxrXmUtYm3O-GK-WmMfhYMWKZP2tmwZnCvpKlF7-e5IBHv_AwcOSzy8KRL4vKp3xRnxU9-g9scBclhZEO7XXRKx7_0Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW6Xr8qI2J2qV8jijZrd6WaEJDnPjqd5vXbdCcCUYEYoAUp44lc7C7BNtGwhmZoM09_u_tKcfT_KG5Z207cHPjD2wj8rswAqPIdxrXmUtYm3O-GK-WmMfhYMWKZP2tmwZnCvpKlF7-e5IBHv_AwcOSzy8KRL4vKp3xRnxU9-g9scBclhZEO7XXRKx7_0Q=s16000" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Hello, Molly Mendoza! Congratulations on receiving a 2024 Caldecott Honor for <i>Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter</i>. I love hearing about the CALL. What was running through your heart when the committee was clapping and cheering for you?</b></span><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-4ce4f872-7fff-6192-a8a2-7e0b7d2e98aa"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Molly Mendoza: </b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When the committee called I’d actually missed them at first but called back as I was finishing dinner. The initial words washed over me and the wave just kept going, with me on it, whether it all clicked together in my mind yet or not! I just began crying. Truly I was so happy but also so completely shocked that this was really happening. I’m receiving a Caldecott Honor. I still don’t think I entirely believe it!</span></p><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrbRpvlLNahrhJWICWeU21vCFdj6obJMRocn4TqpDAMPEtwjP9eTfAAmnaY7NQq3eNr6GOxiGeJF_PECMMXIOBxnVTooUKd8rq_5BH28jZT5y7zimuo7QCqFjiiEy96594PH4RDAnpXxPvUKSkuBAxDigPN_97KOAsOK-jd45gbHoJZgCgzgzui9AemDM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrbRpvlLNahrhJWICWeU21vCFdj6obJMRocn4TqpDAMPEtwjP9eTfAAmnaY7NQq3eNr6GOxiGeJF_PECMMXIOBxnVTooUKd8rq_5BH28jZT5y7zimuo7QCqFjiiEy96594PH4RDAnpXxPvUKSkuBAxDigPN_97KOAsOK-jd45gbHoJZgCgzgzui9AemDM=s16000" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What does a Caldecott Honor for </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fighter mean to you? </span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Molly Mendoza: </b>Jovita receiving a Caldecott Honor makes me beam with pride for her, Aida, and the team. Jovita was an incredible woman and I’ve had the immense joy of getting to know her over the years sitting with Aida’s text and her history; the time illustrating Jovita’s story. What this means is that we won an award for her that I think she’d be proud of too, it’s just so worthy of her, and her story will be shared for years to come.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qWxYcSb8Drc?si=yFl2QzjyIJXQiNGX" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>Please finish the following sentence starters: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Libraries </span></b>need to be funded and loved and supported for all the good they do for us all!!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">Picture books </span></b>are truly magical and we should never lose our sense of wonder in reading them - you should go read one right now!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8KsNuiq_KDCdSqf8IShvDGNO3ZFmT3NFIBpDiFlKSWeD9gC2O2VVptbrePqIHBzPG39cgZfZ21slLENQBvz4iCRX0iQfB048dYTdaHJY7ibD7bhElosVpVMyEHV2Al-tYDs8itLN7ROM6zrLPYyd2STjAPwxlYHWVLry06zYMUq6rmS0tmXsIKie-HLk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8KsNuiq_KDCdSqf8IShvDGNO3ZFmT3NFIBpDiFlKSWeD9gC2O2VVptbrePqIHBzPG39cgZfZ21slLENQBvz4iCRX0iQfB048dYTdaHJY7ibD7bhElosVpVMyEHV2Al-tYDs8itLN7ROM6zrLPYyd2STjAPwxlYHWVLry06zYMUq6rmS0tmXsIKie-HLk=s16000" /></a></div><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #800180;">Congratulations, Molly! </span></b></span></span><p></p><div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span></div></div>John Schuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15600616370806818097noreply@blogger.com0