The Best Job in the World . . .

Just had a delightful Skype visit with a school book club. I've never seen students so excited in my life! And they had such great questions for me.

Mrs. Pelias deserves a big THANK YOU for coordinating the visit. And for helping get these kids so excited about reading.

Here are a handful of the students with Mrs. Pelias . . .



It's always great to hear and see how readers respond to my books. These kids were over the moon enthusiastic. Such fun!

Another great response was this awesome video on YouTube, created by MzLibbery:





She really captured the essence of the book with this trailer. Thank you for your creativity!

Tomorrow, I'm off to speak at a luncheon to celebrate young authors from elementary and middle schools in St. Lucie County, FL.

Do I have the best job in the world or what?

NESCBWI 2011 Conference and, um, Lobster Poop

What a wonderful, whirlwind weekend!

I just returned from the 25th anniversary celebration of the New England SCBWI Conference. About 590 people attended.

Here are the backs of some of their heads . . .



Oh, nevermind. That's Lin Oliver giving her fabulous keynote. Full of heart and hope. And the words that echoed? DO THE WORK. (Hmm. What a concept.)

After that, several workshops were presented. I gave my "Quirky Character" talk to a wonderfully enthusiastic group.

Oh, look. Here are some of them now . . .



On the other side of the room, a lovely woman offered a sweet smile every time I looked at her. (This is an important detail for what comes later in this post.)

During the autograph session, I had the honor of sitting between two seriously funny writers.

The amazing Linda Urban . . .



I'm a huge fan of her perfect middle grade book . . .


Linda has a new book coming out in September, which has already received a starred review from Kirkus . . .



Don't even try to butt in line at the indie bookstore the day it comes out because I will be first!

On the other side of me was the lovely Erin Dionne . . .




Erin's book, The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet, is on the Texas Lone Star Reading List along with my book, How to Survive Middle School. Hamlet is seriously funny. Don't you just love the cover?



After the signing, at the faculty dinner, I noticed a woman sitting by herself at a big table. It was the woman from my workshop who offered encouraging smiles. I sat beside her and said, "Thank you so much for your wonderful smile. It really helped during my talk." We chatted while the rest of the table filled. Finally, I asked, "So, what books have you written?" Very demurely, she said, "Oh, Annie on my Mind."

ANNIE ON MY MIND?!

I was sitting next to Nancy Garden. The Nancy Garden.




Here's one of her books that started a firestorm of controversy, but probably saved a lot of lives and let a lot of people know they were fine just the way they were.


She just finished a new novella that will be part of a collection of four novellas that will benefit the Trevor Project. Keep your eyeballs out for it.

What a lovely, gracious woman! Turns out she was in the film we were watching later that evening -- LIBRARY OF THE EARLY MIND -- wit and wisdom from many luminaries in the field of children's literature.

Sunday began with breakfast with my roommate, Anita Nolan.

Then a great keynote by Steve Mooser. He shared his thoughts about all the things that could happen in the field of children's literature with new media and technology.

Then I had the pleasure of giving a two-hour workshop about writing humor. I couldn't have asked for a more engaged, creative, funny audience.

Here are some of them now . . .



If you look carefully, you'll see Steve Mooser and Lin Oliver (It's like Where's Waldo, only with Lin and Steve), the two astounding people who created SCBW (the "I" came later thanks to Tomie dePaola) forty years ago. I count myself among the thousands and thousands who are grateful to them for planting the seeds that blossomed into a generous, talented, nurturing community of children's book writers, illustrators, editors, etc. that have changed and enriched my life in so many ways.

*Sniff.*

After my workshop, I dashed out the hotel doors to begin my ten-hour trek home.

At the airport in Providence, RI, I saw this . . .



Not to be outdone, Florida offered these delicacies in its gift shop . . .




And . . .




Thank so much for an inspiring, wonderful weekend, New England SCBWI folks!

Meet Clarisse

This is Clarisse . . .


For years, I've wanted a place to sit by a window to write/read/edit. When I pulled into our driveway, I saw two men carrying Clarisse (that's the name on the label) into our home.

Hubby saw me and said, "Happy Mother's Day."

Clarisse and I will spend many happy hours/days/time together. And because much of that time will be spent reading, I thought I'd share some of the best children's books I've read so far this year (and one book for adults that's narrated by a child).

While these books are wildly different, the thing each book has in common is that the author managed to get deeply into the mind and heart of the main character.

Turtle in Paradise -- Set in the Keys in the 1930's. Spunky main character and hilarious secondary characters. A gem!

Summerhouse Time -- A sweet story that's a quiet celebration of the power of family and love.

Something Like Hope -- Oh my Lord! This author gets inside the head of a girl who is inside a juvenile detention center, trying to come to terms with her horrific past and find a way to create hope for her future. Hard-hitting, yet doesn't hit you over the head. Sparse prose that hits all the right notes.

Mockingbird -- Sad, but hopeful as a girl, who views the world through the lens of Asperger's syndrome, deals with the tragic shooting of her beloved brother. Bit by bit, both daughter and father find a way to find their way.

How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy -- Holy crackers and cream cheese, author Crystal Allen is a new voice to pay attention to. Fell in love with Lamar from the first page. Unable to play a sport like basketball, which his superstar brother plays, Lamar must find something that works for a kid with severe asthma -- bowling. This fresh, funny and heartfelt novel deserves to win its own trophy!

If I Stay -- This young adult novel is surprising and beautiful as it tackles big questions about death and dying. The main character, unlike many fictional teens, actually likes her family. She struggles to decide what to do when they are all in a devastating car accident and she has to make an unfathomable choice. Lyrical language, musical themes, original characters. A subtle standout.

Everything is Fine -- I never knew what was coming with this book, written in unrhymed verse, but I couldn't wait to find out. Secrets. Sadness. Redemption. Tough topic, but everything about the writing was fine.

A Long Walk to Water -- Linda Sue Park is amazing. She tells two stories in this short novel -- one set in 1985 about Salva Dut, who traveled hundreds of miles to find safety from political violence in Sudan and one set in 2008, where Nya walks eight hours a day to get water for her family. The two stories intersect in a hope-filled conclusion.

Room -- Narrated perfectly by a five-year-old boy, Room tells the story of a woman who is forced to live in a small room by her captor. After having a child with the man, the young mother fashions as normal an existence as she can for her son. In Room, the boy finds stability and love; outside the walls of Room, he discovers confusion and pain. This gripping story keeps you turning pages until the true, satisfying conclusion. (This book is up there with The Help, Like Water for Elephants and Kelly Corrigan's The Middle Place.)

Sending Your Child, er, Book Into the World

When someone asks which of my books is my favorite, I say, "That's a little like asking me to choose which of my children I like best."

My books are a bit like my children. I put time, energy and heart into them and send them into the world, hoping mightily, but having no idea what will happen next.

In fact, How to Survive Middle School, was inspired by the tough times our children had during those turbulent adolescent years. (And memories of my, ahem, challenging adolescence.)

This book seems to have struck a chord with readers.

I just found out How to Survive Middle School will be St. Lucie County's "One Book/One Community" for the 2011/2012 school year. I'll be speaking at a number of events and schools throughout the year. My favorite part is that my publisher, Random House, has generously agreed to donate books to a shelter for abused women and children and to donate books to lower income families in a "Read it Forward" program, where participants read the book then share it with another family.

A world of appreciation to the St. Lucie County Reading Council, for inviting me to participate. And for their dedicated, passionate work to connect children and literature in fun, meaningful ways.

Donna and Debbie Remington, media specialist and president, St. Lucie County Reading Council

I'm thrilled that How to Survive Middle School has been nominated for the New York State Reading Association 2012 Charlotte Award. The committee chose ten books in four categories from hundreds and hundreds of books. It's an honor to be on this list!

And my book will be featured at Scholastic Book Fairs this fall. My friends from Page Turner Adventures are making a hilarious video (about a rapping hamster) that will be shown to middle school students before they browse the book fair. And this fun sneak preview, which includes my book, has been sent to educators and media specialists across the country.

My books aren't the only things I'm sending out into the world.

Yesterday, hubby and I toured the college campus where our oldest son will attend school next year. It was so exciting to hear about the opportunities he'll be given. We are really proud of him for getting to this point.




And we're really happy that How to Survive Middle School is doing so well because -- HOLY HIGHER EDUCATION! -- college sure ain't cheap.

APRIL IS FOR AUTHORS

Helen Zientek and Sue Sloan are the masterminds behind the awesome event APRIL IS FOR AUTHORS.

These two hard-working women and a host of volunteers brought over twenty authors and illustrators together for a fantastic event for the community.



There were panel discussions, author talks, technology talks, book signings, fun activities for the kids and shows by Page Turner Adventures.

I was fortunate to hear Edward Bloor's talk. I loved his novel, Tangerine.


Chris Crutcher was there and Alex Flinn and Doug Wilhelm and so many others.

I enjoyed meeting media specialists, librarians, teachers, administrators and kids.

Such enthusiastic kids!

This is Abigail with Hammy. She told me she LOVES reading.

Haley told me she loves books. Actual books. Not e-book readers.

Abigail and Haley and the other kids and their families who came up to my table reminded me exactly why I do what I do.

Thank you Helen and Sue and all the wonderful people who made the very first April is for Authors a successful event that connected readers to authors and authors to their readers!

And the Winner Is . . .

Thanks again to the awesome, pawsome Lee Wardlaw for her inspiring guest blog post -- 6-1/2 Things I Learned from My Cat About Writing Haiku.

Author, Lee Wardlaw

Lee generously offered to give away an autographed copy of her new book, WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU. It's received multiple starred reviews! (Lee's also giving away a catnip mousie.)

Random Number Generator has chosen our lucky winner from those who commented on Lee's post. Congratulations to KRISTINE!!! (Kristine, contact me at dgep(at)hotmail(dot)com by Sunday or an alternate winner will be chosen.)

Thanks to Lee for her great post and to those who entered the contest!

(Addendum: Because Kristine did not contact me by Sunday, an alternate winner was selected. PFMJUP will receive an autographed copy of Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, as well as a catnip mouse. Congratulations, PFMJUP!)

The Good, the Bad and the HUGE FREE AUTHOR EVENT . . .

The best part of my day yesterday was a Skype visit with Mr. Frantz's 6th grade class in Pennsylvania. What an enthusiastic, book-loving teacher. And those kids -- amazing!

Here they are, making their best silly faces.

The worst part of my day occurred while I was trying to write at a local library, surrounded by fabulous children's books.



While wrangling with stubborn characters, youngest son called from home, informing me that one of the following culprits peed on the couch. Again!

I know, they are entirely too cute to get angry with.

Once I cleaned up the mess and the other assorted messes that cropped up, I was finally ready to sit with my laptop, my imagination and a hot cup of tea on the back patio.

Uh-oh!

Sheesh! Some daze, er, days are like that, aren't they?

Today was better.

It began at our local middle school. I had the great pleasure of listening to fantastic YA author, Chris Crutcher, speak to a few hundred eighth graders. That man can tell a story!

(Objects in photo are larger than they appear.)

Chris Crutcher is one of 24 authors and illustrators who will be speaking and signing at a huge FREE event, APRIL IS FOR AUTHORS. If you live in Palm Beach County, grab a kid or twelve and come to Palm Beach Gardens High School, Saturday, April 30th from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. to enjoy the festivities. I'll be there, speaking on a panel moderated by funny man, Frank Cerabino. Please stop by and say, "Hi!"

Being an Author . . .

is all about connecting.

This author found a highly creative way to connect with readers. He opened a bookstore in NY with only ONE book in stock -- his!

Why didn't I think of that? Doh!

One of my favorite ways to connect is through meeting young readers in schools or during Skype visits.

Hammy and I did a whole bunch of Skype visits recently to celebrate World Read Aloud Day.

So, you can imagine how excited Hammy and I were to open our mailbox and find this . . .



It's full of creative cards, letters, drawings, etc. from young readers that Hammy and I had the pleasure to visit with during a FUNtastic Skype visit to Brook Forest Elementary.




Here are a few of the wonderful "Thank You"s the students created . . .

"Dear Donna Gephart, Thank you for skypeing with my class. You are great author. It was funny when you showed us your rubber chicken, and when you showed us your big glasses. You were very funny. It was cool that you memorized the summery the book you talked about. You are one of my favorite authors. Once again, thank you for coming to my school. From, Kabir."

A big THANK YOU to Mr. John Schu for arranging the Skype visit, encouraging the students to create those wonderful cards and for being the best librarian in the world. At least, that's what Jon Scieszka says.