Heather Brewer is giving away three paperback copies of Eighth Grade Bites (Dutton, 2007)(excerpt))! Learn how to enter. Deadline: May 1.
The Children's Writer Guide to 2008 is now available. It packs hundreds and hundreds of shrewd insider tips, market-tested strategies, and pointed insights from more than 250 leading editors, publishers, and authors in the children's field." Note: check out my quotes in Chris Eboch's article on horror and ghost stories.
Congratulations to Sylvia Vardell on the release of Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide (Libraries Unlimited, 2008)! Sylvia says: "It’s intended to help the new librarian or library media specialist become knowledgeable about the field of children’s literature in preparation for guiding young people, ages 5-12, in their reading. It provides practical ideas for generating interest in reading, strategies for connecting with the school curriculum, and guidance for reaching out to families and the wider community through children’s literature." Don't miss: Authors in Action (written by Pat Mora, Seymour Simon, Janet Wong (author interview), Kristine O’Connell George, Laurence Yep, T. A. Barron, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Ashley Bryan). Read a Cynsations interview with Sylvia.
Reminder: Enter to win a copy of By Venom's Sweet Sting (Mirrorstone, 2007). To enter, email me with your name and snail/street mail address by 10 p.m. CST April 30! Please also type "By Venom's Sweet Sting" in the subject line. Note: one copy will be awarded to any Cynsations YA reader, and one copy will be awarded to a member of Tantalize Fans Unite! at MySpace. Please identify yourself accordingly as part of your entry! Don't miss the latest Hallowmere book, latest Hallowmere novel, Between Golden Jaws by Tiffany Trent (Mirrorstone, 2008)(sample chapter)! Read a Cynsations interview with Tiffany.Check out the latest book giveaway contests at Teens Read Too!
More Personally
Thank you to Devona Carpenter, youth programmer of Austin Public Library, and everyone at Gardner Betts Juvenile Detention Center for their hospitality this morning! In conjunction with Second Chance Books, Greg and I spoke to two groups--the first made up of about 70 kids who're awaiting the next step in the legal process, and the second made up of about 15 girls who're longer-term residents. "Second Chance Books is an award-winning collaboration between the Austin Public Library and the Gardner Betts Juvenile Detention Center. The collaboration began in 2003 and has become an invaluable resource to the incarcerated youth at Gardner Betts. Incarceration is not pleasant, but through the work of Gardner Betts teachers and Austin Public Library librarians, incarcerated youth are provided with books that they would like to read either for pleasure, personal growth, or both." See "Program uses literature to change lives in juvenile center: Second Chance Books a success as accolades, grants keep rolling in" by Reggie Ugwu from The Daily Texan.
