Craft time!
Saturday, May 18, I’m at the Chippewa Falls Public Library (11:00am). We’re going to talk about Malcolm and writing and books, then make these fun bookmarks. Stop by!
Fun news for Malcolm at Midnight today!
Thanks for Skyping with me, Winneconne! Love your mail and pics!
Even though Malcolm came out on audio from Recorded Books last fall, it’s gotten some nice reviews lately.
School Library Journal says, “…The tension and plot twists are captured in the well-paced, expressive reading. Malcolm’s dilemma and identity crisis are neatly imbedded throughout without becoming didactic, making this often exciting, always engaging saga appeal to broad audiences.”
And Booklist says, “…[Charlotte] Parry skillfully helps listeners keep track of the numerous critters. Her reading keeps the narrative moving at a brisk pace, yet she allows time for pertinent details and amusing rodent-eye perspectives to sink in. A fun animal fantasy.” (Full review here.)
Listen to a snippet of the book here. (Thanks for doing a great job, Charlotte Parry!)
Got any spare change?
Recently my friend Google Alerts notified me that the Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Education Foundation is doing a penny drive to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the penny drive they did to build beloved pioneering Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb a hospital. This time around the pennies (and nickels, and bills, and checks) are going to fund college scholarships and educational opportunities for local students.
Dr. Kate: Angel on Snowshoes
I first came across Dr. Kate’s story almost 10 years ago. Not only was she a doctor in a time when women were not encouraged to go to medical school, but she was the only doctor in her part of northern Wisconsin, often trekking out to patients on skis or snowshoes. She was so beloved that when she wished for a hospital, the kids of her community set out to raise the fund for her by collecting pennies. They were successful beyond anyone’s dreams. Since that time, I’ve been lucky enough to share her story with kids in a book for the Wisconsin State Historical Society’s Badger Biography series.
Watch a little more about Dr. Kate’s story in this video the school did below. And read more about the current penny drive here. Consider donating, too. Every penny counts!
Download a donation form and mail it to:
AVWEF
PO Box 2261
Woodruff, WI 54568
Join us! Writing Nonfiction for Kids
Our northwestern group of the SCBWI Wisconsin (or anyone else interested in writing for kids) is meeting next Saturday, April 27 for a discussion about writing non-fiction for children and young adults.
Helen Swanson will talk about writing non-fiction for preschoolers, Joanne Linden will talk about her poetry/non-fiction nature book for children, Becky Wojahn (that’s me!) will talk about her award winning non-fiction books, and Eva Apelqvist will talk about her non-fiction books for Enslow and Scarecrow. Each of the speakers will bring topics they feel are the most interesting to them, but participants are of course welcome to bring questions and comment. As usual for our northern group, this is a very informal gathering.
And for those who would like to stay for lunch, 12-1, we will then discuss future plans – we have at least three great ideas for future meetings in the works, including the picture book workshop you have been promised, and would love some input and new ideas.
Down to Earth’s Garden Center, 10-12! Hope to see you there!
Coming Up: Fox Cities Book Festival
I’m polishing up my presentation for the Fox Cities Book Festival next weekend. Tons of fun authors and great books; I’m up at 11:30 Saturday at the Little Chute Public Library. Stop by, it’s all free! http://
The Mystery of the Disappearing Hours (or, Finding Time to Write)
One of the number one questions I’ve gotten this year as I’ve done book events for Malcolm at Midnight is: “How do you do it? How do you work full-time and have two kids and still find time to write?” The question flummoxes me a little because I don’t have a good answer. Truthfully, most days, I’m frustrated with my… Read more →
Author Fair
Last weekend was our state school library conference (WEMTA) in Madison, WI, and I participated in the author fair. Some of us SCBWI authors after the fair (Back row: Janet Halfmann, Dori Chaconas, Stephanie Lowden, Jacqueline Houtman, Patricia Pfitsch, E. M. Kokie, and Jesse Klausmeier. Front row: Julie Bowe, JoAnn Early Macken, Ann Angel, W. H. Beck, and Lisa Albert).
Thank you, Friends!
Thrilled to learn that Malcolm at Midnight has been honored with a 2013 Friends of American Writers Juvenile Literary Award!
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