Arbor Day!

Hug a tree! Or better yet—

plant one—or several.

Read about trees. 

Maybe you'd enjoy this book.  :)

Enjoy learning about Arbor Day and the different ways you and your family can celebrate.

AND THE WINNER IS....

SARAH DARER LITTMAN!!!


Sarah is an author for middle grade readers and teens and posted her tree love for the beautiful Copper Beech. I'll be sending her a copy of THIS TREE COUNTS! and donating $40 for 40 trees to American Forest.com in her name.

Thanks to all who entered

to celebrate 40 years of Earth Day!

Plant Trees for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day!

Win a copy of my book, THIS TREE COUNTS! and help plant trees.  The winner will receive my book and I'll donate $40 in your name to AMERICAN FORESTS to plant 40 new trees to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.  


To enter, it's simple:  
IN THE COMMENT SECTION, NAME YOUR FAVORITE TREE.


Contest ends midnight, Thursday April 22nd, EARTH DAY!


On April 23rd, I'll do a drawing and announce the winner. 

SAVE OUR LIBRARIES

Take a moment and support your local library. Due to proposed budget cuts, drastic changes may affect libraries all over America.

When one library is in trouble, ALL libraries are in trouble.

SAVE LIBRARIES!

KidLit Authors Spring into Party Time!

KidLit Authors Club celebrates Spring!
Visit the KidLit Authors Club blog for all the details.

MAKING EVERY EVENT A CELEBRATION OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS.

Hopefully, I'll see you at one of the KAC events below:
Big Blue Marble Bookstore, Mt. Airy, PA, April 10
Barnes & Noble, Wilmington, DE, April 14
Barnes & Noble, Moorestown, NJ, April 15
Barnes & Noble, Rittenhouse Sq, Phila, PA, April 17
Barnes & Noble, E. Brunswick, NJ, April 20
Barnes & Noble, Deptford, NJ, May 2
Sparta Books, Sparta, NJ, May 22
Barnes & Noble, Howell, NJ, June 2
N. Wildwood Beach Writers Conference, N. Wildwood, NJ, June 8-9

You may win a pretty party bag!

We're All a Little Irish Today

Here's to going GREEN! A shamrock is a lovely way to start.

We all need a bit of Irish wisdom now and then. Here's one to remember on your life's journey:

As you slide down the banister of life, 

may the splinters never point in the wrong direction!

It's time to plant trees!

THIS TREE COUNTS! is officially released today. Kudos to Sarah Snow, the amazing illustrator who makes my tree huggable on every page. And to the lovely folks at Albert Whitman & Company for all the wonderful books you publish.

Announcing KidLit Authors Club!

The KidsLit Authors Club has arrived!

Are you a teacher or librarian in the PA, NJ, DE area who would love to have one-stop shopping available for author visits? How about a whole group of young adult, middle grade and picture book authors arriving at your doorstep in one day? If you think this is a fabulous idea - look no further.

The KidLit Authors Club (KAC) is a group of of authors and illustrators from PA, NJ and DE who will bring the party to you! The KAC is new, but gosh, are we busy already! Check out the website for a list of where we will be visiting: bookstores, schools, libraries and writing conferences. This terrific mix of debut and multi-book authors combines fun with valuable writing tips. You make the contact, we'll take it from there - talk about a party planner!

Check out our website and be inspired!

FINDING LINCOLN

In honor of President Lincoln's birthday, consider reading FINDING LINCOLN, a new picture book written by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Coretta Scott King Honor artist Colin Bootman. Since its release, FINDING LINCOLN has received stellar reviews and the following recognitions:


2009 National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA) Gold Winner
2010 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People

I believe President Lincoln, an avid reader himself, would approve of Malaspina's historically based story and her lovely dedication:

For the brave children who walked into a segregated library and asked to borrow a book.

Today's Tree is....

A surprise! Check out the new addition to my website in anticipation of my soon-to-be-released picture book, THIS TREE COUNTS!

Kindling Words

Meeting authors.
Writing time.
Learning much.
I "retreated" to Vermont last weekend.

For a lovely sense of the experience, visit author Amy Timberlake's site and see the slide show she's posted.

PURPLEY PARTY!

There's a reason to celebrate. Congratulations to Jean Reidy on her new picture book, TOO PURPLEY! Visit her on-line book launch  this week. Lots of prizes and surprise visitors, too.

It's sure to be a perfectly purpley party!

The Character Actor

Often it's the background characters that help drive a story, just like the "character actor" in film. There's always that guy you recognize and ask yourself, "Where have I seen him before?"

One of my favorite character actors is THOMAS MITCHELL. From portraying Scarlett's father in Gone With The Wind to Uncle Billy in It's A Wonderful Life to the mayor in High Noon, Mitchell was not only a talented character actor, but a playwright and screenwriter, as well. Mitchell is one of the few actors to win the triple crown of acting awards—a Tony, an Oscar and an Emmy. The Oscar Mitchell won was for his role of Doc Boone in Stagecoach, released in 1939, the same year as Gone With the Wind.

Yéle Haiti Earthquake Fund

Wyclef Jean is helping Haiti.


From CNN earlier today—
"Within two hours of Tuesday's 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Jean and Yéle mobilized on social networking sites to raise funds for disaster relief. Jean is encouraging people to text "Yéle" to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yéle Haiti Earthquake Fund, or to visit http://www.yele.org."

Congratulations, KATHERINE PATERSON!

Katherine Paterson is the newly appointed National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Here's the article and announcement in today's New York Times. Ms. Paterson clearly recognizes her inner child just like I try to do every day. 
“People often say, ‘Now that your children are grown up, how can you still write for children?’ And I say, ‘I never wrote for them.’ I always write for the child in me, and she is still in there.”

Jumping high!

This image shows how I feel two days post-Christmas madness and fun. Maybe it's all those holiday cookies I've been eating. I'm giddy and feel like jumping, ready for what the new year will bring.
Happy and healthy 2010 to all!

Busy wrapping....

Puzzling

We worked on a fun puzzle over Thanksgiving. When the final piece was tapped into place—
Ahhh! What a feeling.

Now the holiday hustle begins. For me, it's a bit like starting a new puzzle with a thousand pieces to fit together before December 25th. Here's to peaceful preparations and everything falling into place the way you'd like.

Does anyone remember Thanksgiving?

I ran into Santa at the mall today. "Aren't you a bit early?" I asked.

"Ho, ho, ho!" he replied. "Never too early."

"But it's not even Thanksgiving yet."

"I do love turkey!" Santa smiled. "Now, what do you want for Christmas?"

"Ask me after Thanksgiving."
"Ho, ho, ho." Click. Flash. "Enjoy your Santa photo. Pay at the booth."
"Happy Thanksgiving, Santa."

Carol Parenzan Smalley: Hershey, Green Changes. Lewis & Clark

Most writers are happy to have even one book out a year, but creative non-fiction author and educator Carol Parenzan Smalley has had four books released in 2009. Young readers can enjoy making their lives greener in Tell Your Parents: Green Changes You Can Make Around Your Home, all while feasting on the sweet words in Smalley's two books on Milton Hershey, Diary of a Milt and The Growing Story of The Milton Hershey School. And it's obvious that Smalley does her research in her historical reader What's So Great About Lewis and Clark?   

Look for Carol Parenzan Smalley's newest title in 2010, How to Convince Your Parents You Can Care for a Hamster, a book sure please this parent who wishes her kids would remember to clean the cage.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

I'm proud to own a copy of WHAT DO YOU SEE? by Judith Snyder, a talented author and a helpful critique partner, too. Her new picture book is visually fun and children will love "seeing the world in a whole new way." Take a moment to visit the contest page for WHAT DO YOU SEE? for a chance to win a copy for yourself.

OTIS

Give your eyes something special. Loren Long's art never fails to bring an oooh, aaaah, or a smile when you read through one of his books. His latest, OTIS, is out now and just as pleasing as the man himself. I met Loren Long at school visit last year and he made every student, teacher and parent he met feel special. No wonder his books are so lovely.

What's Inscribed?

For those that enjoy giving books as gifts, you'll love this intriguing website posting inscriptions from a variety of books. Here's one of the inscriptions:

“July 3, 1892

When in my grave I lonely sleep,
And the weeping willows o’er [me] weep,
Tis then dear friend and not before,
That I will think of thee no more.”

An 1879 copy of McGuffey’s Fifth Eclectic Reader.

Found at the Georgetown Library Book Sale in Washington, DC. April 2005.

Arthur Miller's Shoe Size

With a click, we can "follow" the celeb-of-the-moment, checking what flavor of mineral water they guzzle after a workout.

I'm taking the slower route and reading ARTHUR MILLER. Christopher Bigbsy's 776-page biography follows the famous playwright and his family from pre-birth to the age of 48. I haven't finished yet, and Miller's shoe size may not be included, but Bigby's knowledge of historic and personal details have kept me reading.

Summer!

Family visits

Beach days and barbecues

Vacation sights

Seeing old friends

Meeting new ones

Reading under the trees

Writing there, too

Summertime

Celestron Dreams

When the rains stops, we plan to enjoy our new Celestron Telescope. Until then, we'll read the latest Lucy and Stephen Hawking adventure.

The ART of Playwriting

French Playwright Yasmina Reza wins another Tony award for her brilliant play, GOD OF CARNAGE. Her first win was for ART in 1994. Both plays, translated by Christopher Hampton, feature intriguing characters and biting, thought-provoking dialogue. Stellar performances only add to a wonderful theatrical experience.

The Landmine is Me

Reading an oldie, but a goodie:

ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING 

by Ray Bradbury (Bantam 1990)

I have come up with a new simile to describe myself lately. It can be yours. Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. The landmine is me. After the explosion, I spend the rest of the day putting the pieces together. Now, it's your turn. Jump!

Spring Fever

It's that time of year.
Even Elvis had SPRING FEVER.

Across the Universe

In honor of National Poetry Month, let's not forget that songwriters are poets, too.

"Words are flowing out like 

endless rain into a paper cup

They slither while they pass away

They slip across the universe."

John Lennon

Visit here to read and hear all the lyrics. 

Inner Superhero!

Busy, busy, busy. 

Life clicks along keeping us all on the run. I believe I've got a Superhero lurking inside, just itching to take command of the chaos. 

First, I've got to find some purple tights. I hope the cape is optional.

Screenwriters Who Make You Think (maybe laugh and/or cry, too)

The Oscars are over, but the original screenplays nominated this year all deserve praise, not to mention an award here and there. More than that, the films from these talented writers should be watched, studied and enjoyed.

MILK by Dustin Lance Black

FROZEN RIVER by Courtney Hunt

IN BRUGES by Martin McDonough

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY by Mike Leigh

WALL-E by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon

1974. 1350 feet up. The artistic crime of the century.

This is the tag line for MAN ON WIRE, currently nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary. Check out the DVD, along with the extras featuring additional interviews. Not that I'll be wire walking anytime soon, but the passion Phillipe Petit has for doing what he loves and how he wishes the same for everyone is invigorating and inspiring.

Do I Need to R.S.V.P.?

This is one invitation that I won't toss.

Fine Just the Way It Is

Not a holiday read in any way, shape or form, but Annie Proulx, the author of Brokeback Mountain, Shipping News and several other novels has done it again in this new book of short stories. 

To quote the Associated Press: "Brilliant!"

BOOKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS

My favorite spot to holiday shop? 

BOOKSTORE!

Maya Angelou and several other authors and celebrities agree,

 BOOKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS. 

Absolutely!

A group of Oxford researchers have compiled a list of the top 10 most irritating expressions in the English language. The researchers kept track of "overused buzzwords" found in current books and media outlets.  Take a look. Do you agree?

10.  It's not rocket science.

9. 24/7

8. Shouldn't of

7. It's a nightmare

6.  Absolutely

5. With all due respect

4. At this moment in time

3. I personally

2. Fairly unique

1.  At the end of the day

A NEW AMERICA!

Listen to Sally!

Are you tired of hearing, reading and seeing coverage about the upcoming election?  Me, too.

Vote on November 4th or the Great Pumpkin may come after you!

Foxtrot in Iraq

Award winning journalist, Mike Kelly, of The Record in New Jersey hopes readers remember that war is personal and changes lives. He's following the Foxtrot Company, recently deployed to Iraq, as well as their families in New Jersey. 

I recently interviewed Mike for an upcoming magazine piece and truly admire his passion for finding the heart of those he writes about. 

Global Cooperation

The Olympics exist as a tremendous example of global cooperation. I'm working on a magazine piece about Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, who has written extensively about his ideas and efforts to eradicate poverty. His Millennium Promise project is on the cusp of this achievable goal.

August Daze

Whether you're vacationing or staying put in front of your television to watch the summer Olympics, enjoy the glorious month of August!

Three Songs

National Public Radio is probably the only place where you'll hear the following, one after the other:

Frank Sinatra singing, "The Best is Yet to Come"
Joe Jackson blasting out "Hot Time, Summer in the City"
The gorgeous opening song (half Italian/half English) from Tony Award musical, A LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

Opening Lines

WORST OPENING LINES OF NOVELS

Here's a good one—

"You still have 873 pages to go."

Thanks for the laughs, George!

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.


—George Carlin

Snow in June

Where I live, it's 100 degrees outside. This photo was taken yesterday in New Mexico.

Think cool. Listen to Platinum CD, Snow In June by Canadian group, The Northern Pikes or read the play of the same name by Chen Shi-Zheng.

Let's Help!

Devastation has rocked Myanmar and rural China killing and injuring thousands. 

Please help, if you can.

The Writer, May issue

I've got a piece (cover story) in the May issue of The Writer.

Spring Fever

Anyone else experiencing this?

A feeling of restlessness, excitement, or laziness brought on by the coming of Spring.

Exciting New Site

Check out this new site:

Interesting Non Fiction for Kids

hht://inkrethink.blogspot.com

Praise the Writer!

Congrats to DIABLO CODY for winning a well deserved Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

An Education in Graphic Storytelling

Persepholis is a must see. An animated "comic novel" about a girl growing up during the civil war in Iran. Beautiful animation and strong story. Political, personal, charming, touching, humorous, and thought-provoking.

Caldecott Winner!

If you didn't read this last year when it came out, you might want to now. It's a world worth getting lost in for a few hours.

Not a Review, but a Hearty Suggestion

I can't help but agree with the raves about this book—a top choice of many reviewers for 2007.

Melting Hitchhikers

If you're traveling over the next few weeks (or even if you're not), keep warm and have a fabulous time.
Happy Holidays!

With so much to do this time of year, I feel a bit like this guy:

As Thanksgiving Approaches

The following is one stanza from THE PUMPKIN, by John Whittier Greenleaf, written sometime during the mid-1800's.

Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest;
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored;
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before;
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye,
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?

A Bronx Tale

I just saw A BRONX TALE with Chaz Palminteri, his one-man show, which was made into the well known movie by the same name starring Robert Deniro. The actor lives the part—or parts of the wonderful characters in this play. Amazing and brave performance, taking me right to that neighborhood making the gangster and his crew, the kid, and all of Belmont Avenue fill the stage.

A few words from an interview with Mr. Palminteri about why he wrote A BRONX TALE:

My father said, 'What a waste of talent.' He always said to me, 'The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.' He wrote it on a little card and put it in my room. It was something I would see every day, I kept it there, and I think it's kind of what made me do what I did, to write this movie and do this.

J.K. Rowling Wants to Fall in Love

This excerpt from Reuters:

Rowling gave no clues as to her next project, but told an audience of 1,600 children that Harry Potter would be a hard act to follow.

"I want to fall in love with someone the way I fell in love with Harry. I never think about a particular genre. It is all about the story and the characters, but it has to be something I adore," she said.

Something about the Moon

There's something about the moon, isn't there, that inspires?

Letters From Iwo Jima

This film is beautiful and horrifying—the DVD extras are excellent, too, only adding to my respect for Clint Eastwood as a director. Real life superstar of a Japanese boy band, Kazunari Ninomiya endures every sad moment on Iwo Jima in such a way that you just have to watch.

“More than any of us can bear.”

Giuliani's answer when asked how many had died on September 11, 2001.

From a high spot in New Jersey, I watched the skyline change before my eyes.
Buildings, people—no buildings, no one.
That vista is now an empty, screaming space—a void of blue sky.

Madeleine L'Engle

Thank you for the words you wrote and shared.

Vacation Time

Try writing magazine articles when the folks you need to interview are all vacationing. I know how this will go—I won't reach anyone until an hour before deadline. After a psuedo-relaxed phone interview, I'll slam the keyboard, pounding out my thoughts, scatter research notes everywhere to reach the finish until I can finally hit the sexy SEND button. Here, Editor—take me, take my work. It's all yours.

Heat of the Summer

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT was written by John Dudley Ball in 1965, and he also wrote the screenplay. Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier are forever remembered for their stellar performances in this drama. Mr. Tibbs is a character to make most writers envious, all hoping to create someone just as unique.

Heat sizzles from this film and everywhere today. It's summer.

Thomas Jefferson

On July 2nd, I'd like to think that Thomas Jefferson spent some time pouring over his draft of the Declaration of Independence a few hundred plus years ago and kept tweaking to get it right before the 4th.

I value deadlines. Then I'm forced to stop revising—otherwise, I'm not sure I'd ever write anything new.

SiCKO

Michael Moore is passionate about your health, and abhors the fact that insured people die everyday in this country due to insurance companies denying needed care. I was lucky enough to interview this fascinating filmmaker yesterday. See this film.

Memorial Day Poppies

We'll enjoy the day off, and hope for sun. We may find a good bargain, clean out the garage, or enjoy a cool one on the deck.
In light of the thousands fighting now in a questionable war, try to take some time this Memorial Day to remember those who have fought and died.

In 1915, inspired by the poem, “In Flanders Field”, Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too,
the Poppy red
That grows on fields
where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

Writing Mom

Mom, mother, mommy, ma, mama, mam, mammy, mum, mamman, mamma, omma, oma, ammi, ummah...

These are only a few of the ways to write this word, but however written, its meaning is clear.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Until Next April

I've enjoyed reading a lot of great poetry during National Poetry Month. Here's one to bid farewell to April. This isn't my favorite cummings poem, but as a writer, the title had me hooked.

nobody loses all the time

i had an uncle named
Sol who was a born failure and
nearly everybody said he should have gone
into vaudeville perhaps because my Uncle Sol could
sing McCann He Was A Diver on Xmas Eve like Hell Itself which
may or may not account for the fact that my Uncle

Sol indulged in that possibly most inexcusable
of all to use a highfalootin phrase
luxuries that is or to
wit farming and be
it needlessly
added

my Uncle Sol's farm
failed because the chickens
ate the vegetables so
my Uncle Sol had a
chicken farm till the
skunks ate the chickens when

my Uncle Sol
had a skunk farm but
the skunks caught cold and
died so
my Uncle Sol imitated the
skunks in a subtle manner

or by drowning himself in the watertank
but somebody who'd given my Unde Sol a Victor
Victrola and records while he lived presented to
him upon the auspicious occasion of his decease a
scrumptious not to mention splendiferous funeral with
tall boys in black gloves and flowers and everything and

i remember we all cried like the Missouri
when my Uncle Sol's coffin lurched because
somebody pressed a button
(and down went
my Uncle
Sol

and started a worm farm)

Hug your favorite librarian!

Oh, better yet, walk into your local library and get a card if you don't already have one. Then browse to your heart's content, finally choosing one perfect book or a perfectly obscene pile of books you can't wait to enjoy. Watch your librarian's face while your books are scanned. They know you through what you read. Bright, wonderful librarians!

It's National Library Week!

Happy Birthday, Wanda June

....Wanda June is one of my favorite Kurt Vonnegut pieces—a play, though his books such as Slaughterhouse Five and Cat's Cradle are better known. Read some Vonnegut today, in honor of his passing. Obscure works, essays, plays and his amazing books are all highlighted on this site:
http://www.vonnegutweb.com/

Easter Laughs

I mean no disrespect to those that celebrate Easter, but you have to laugh at an oldie, but goodie, THE DUMB BUNNIES EASTER, by Sue Denim with illios by the fabulous Dav Pilkey. How can you not enjoy seeing bunnies in underwear spray painting fried Easter eggs? Oh, and the Easter Bunny arrives in a minivan pulled by eight flying pilgrims. Pure silliness and you just know that Ms. Denim and Mr. Pilkey had a great time creating this book.

A poem for the season (NY Times)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A few famous thoughts about Ireland and the Irish:

Ireland is rich in literature that understands a soul's yearnings, and dancing that understands a happy heart.
Margaret Jackson

This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever.
Sigmund Freud (about the Irish)

In Ireland the inevitable never happens and the unexpected constantly occurs.
Sir John Pentland Mahaffy

I'm troubled, I'm dissatisfied. I'm Irish.
Marianne Moore "Spenser's Ireland"

NY Times-Nicholas D. Kristof

Mr. Kristof mesmerizes readers with insightful columns and today was no different. Powerful words demand attention, as well as a picture of a starving Ethiopian girl named Hidaya, whose image won't leave my mind. Kristof is sponsoring a contest in which a journalism student and middle school or high school teacher will win a chance to travel the world with him, blog for the NY Times and reach readers here—where most of us have plenty to eat.

Rules will be posted at www.nytimes.com/winatrip and www.myspace.com/kristofontheground