THANK YOU, TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS!

As summer approaches, I want to say a big THANK YOU for . . .

1.  Many memorable school visits . . .

2.  Fun Skype visits/Google Hangout, World Read Aloud Day . . .

Some of you have hosted me at conferences and festivals.  Some have made very generous donations to children's literacy organizations.  And one of you sent me an umbrella that came in very handy.  (You know who you are!)

Each of you has dedicated your time and energy to enriching the lives of children.  

What you do matters in ways you can't imagine.  You change lives.  You make this world a better place by being an advocate for the children you interact with every day.

You deserve a lovely, restorative summer!

If you've always wanted to write, check out Kate Messner's FREE summer on-line writing workshops for teachers.  Authors provide guest posts all summer and answer questions.  The writing workshop will be hosted on Kate's blog.  You can join the FB group here.

Or maybe you're looking for great summer reads.  Sign up for Jen Robinson's Book Page newletter, crammed with inspiring book recommendations, news and interesting links.

Or travel to exotic locations (or at least dream about them) by signing up for Travel Zoo's Weekly Top 20 Travel Deals.

Whatever you do this summer, have a wonderful time filled with the things you love best.  You deserve it!

THANK YOU!!!

Mini Writing Conference -- 6-1/2 Lists of Advice from Editors, Agents, Authors and a Really Cool Kid

We added a new feature this past year at Wild About Words -- 6-1/2 Lists of wise advice from agents, editors, pumpkin carvers, etc.

I've gathered the year's worth of blog posts here for a free mini writing conference. Hope you find something useful, inspiring . . . and fun.

MINI WRITING CONFERENCE . . .

1. Lauren Tarshis -- What Makes a Good Short Story (Lauren is the editor of Scholastic's Storyworks Magazine. Not only is she an excellent editor, she is also the author of several books, including Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and the I Survived . . . series.)

2. Kate Messner -- How to Survive a Skype Visit (Kate is a teacher, Skype visit expert and author. Her newest novel is Sugar and Ice, which is an Amazon Best Book for December.)

3. Tina Wexler -- Ways to Impress and Agent (I'm grateful to call Tina my agent and my friend. She'll return to I.C.M., International Creative Management, in January, after her maternity leave.)

4. Cynthia Lord -- Secrets to Successful School Visits (This year, Cindy had 70 events to promote her TWO new books -- Hot Rod Hamster and Touch Blue. Cindy is a Newbery Honor Award recipient for her novel, Rules.)

5. Paul May -- Funny List of Things to Do While Waiting for an Editor or Agent to Call (Paul is not only a talented writer, fun friend and fantastic family guy, he recently took on the post of critique group coordinator for SCBWI Florida. Thank you, Paul!)

6. Cynthia Leitich Smith -- How to Promote Your Book Like a Pro (Cynthia's blog, Cynsations, is a great resource for the children's writing and illustrating community. She's celebrating the release of her new picture book, Holler Loudly.)

7. David LaRochelle -- Ways to Carve a Fantastic Pumpkin (Besides carving pumpkins, David has TWO new books out this year -- 1+1=5: And Other Unlikely Additions and Minnesota's Hidden Alphabet. I'm a big fan of his novel, Absolutely, Positively Not, which won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award.)

8. Austin Towle -- Things I Wish Authors of Books for Kids My Age Knew (This post, written by a 13-year-old, received the most comments!)


I hope you enjoyed this mini writing conference. Look for more 6-1/2 Lists in 2011!

SCHOOL VISITS WITH CYNTHIA LORD -- Top 6-1/2 List

TOP 6-1/2 LIST: SECRETS TO SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL VISITS BY CYNTHIA LORD

School ends for our children today, so why are we talking about school visits at the beginning of summer? This is the ideal time to prepare and perfect your school visits. The beginning of the school year will be here before you know it. Will you be ready? Of course you will. Read on . . .

Two words describe Cynthia Lord: GENUINE and GENEROUS! I've had the pleasure of getting to know Cindy through her warm, wise blog, which I've enjoyed for years.

Cythia Lord's debut novel, RULES was a New York Times Bestseller and has received numerous awards, including a Newbery Honor. A former elementary and middle-school teacher, Cynthia also spent a year teaching on a Maine island, which is the setting for her second novel, TOUCH BLUE, August 2010. Her first picture book, HOT ROD HAMSTER, was published in February and became a Publisher's Weekly Bestseller. She lives with her husband and two children fifteen minutes from the ocean in Brunswick, Maine. You can visit Cindy on the web at www.cynthialord.com.

Cindy does about 40 school visits a year.

6 - 1/2 SECRETS TO SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL VISITS:

1. Be very clear with the person coordinating the visit what your needs and requirements are. I use a contract and then I also connect with the school about two weeks ahead of time to confirm everything (equipment, number of presentations, schedule, travel issues). It also lets me check in to see how much preparation the school has done for my visit. For a novel, I tweak my presentation based on whether or not the kids have all read the book, so it helps to know that ahead of time.

2. After the kids are seated, be introduced by someone at the school. That person has authority with the students, and that will be passed on to you through that introduction. That person will also know the school's way of getting kids' attention (two fingers up, clapping, etc).

The first few minutes set the tone for the whole presentation, so you want to engage the kids quickly. The most challenging student behaviors will come in the "down" times and the "dull" times, so the best thing you can do for classroom management is to keep the down time to a minimum and have an interactive and engaging presentation. Think of your presentation like a novel: a strong beginning, followed by rising emotion, logical sequencing with exciting scenes, and a strong and satisfying ending. And leave some time for questions at the end.

3. If you use PowerPoint, keep your slides simple. Use only keywords and high-quality images. It will keep you from being tempted to read off your slides, and the kids will be paying attention to you and not reading the slides.

A remote to advance your slides is a very worthwhile investment. You can get a good one for around $40, and it will allow you to move around the stage--which keeps the kids' attention more than if you are stuck behind a podium. Also, in a big group, some kids will have a better view of you than others. By moving around, you give more kids a chance to see you.

4. The school wants a personal connection for their students. Be sure that you are the star of your presentation, not your slides. Have at least a few things to show the kids or stories to tell them that they cannot find on your website or read in interviews with you. If the school has prepared the students well, students will have already been to your website and read available interviews with you. They should get something new from seeing you and hearing your speak.

5. Give students practical writing advice that supports school writing curriculum--teachers will love you for it. Some examples would be: thoughts about first drafts, adding sensory details, revision tips, etc.

6. If the students have been a good audience, compliment them and tell the teachers they can be very proud of them. It builds a lot of good will. Also tell the principal how wonderful the media specialist (or whoever organized the visit with you) has been to work with. It's a nice way to affirm the hard work that went into bringing you to the school.

6 - 1/2. After a successful visit, ask that media specialist to write a recommendation or to recommend you on her state librarians' listserve. Word of mouth is always a powerful tool in marketing for your school visits.

School visits can be a wonderful, fun way to get up close and personal with your #1 audience--kids!

Thank you, Cindy, for sharing your expertise and experience with us!

For more great information about successful school visits, visit this link -- Verla Kay's message board.

Blog Update . . . Finally

Hope you've been playing nicely while I've been away from the Blog-o-sphere.

Here's what's been going on:

Professionally . . .

• Finished revising HOW TO SURVIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL (without getting your head flushed), DEAL WITH AN EX-BEST FRIEND, UM, GIRLS AND A HEART-BREAKING HAMSTER . . . again. (Release date April 13, 2010.)
  

• Found out that when AS IF BEING 12 3/4 ISN'T BAD ENOUGH, MY MOTHER IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT! goes into its fifth printing, it will do so with the Sid Fleischman Humor Award seal affixed to its cover.

• Last week, I was contacted about two school visits this fall and presenting at a writers' conference.

Personally . . .

• Family in town from New Jersey and California. (Thank goodness I finished revisions!)

• Here are a few happy snaps . . .

(Our oldest son prepares for a shootout with his thumbs-up grandpa.)

(Nephew, Ethan, and sister, Sherry flew in from CA, and are their arms tired!)

(The gang's all here . . . well, almost.)

(Sister Sherry, Dad, Donna)

What have you been up to lately?

School Visits Abound This Month

Yesterday, I had a great time talking with the fourth and fifth grade students at Greenacres Elementary as part of their Career Day program.

Even though I didn’t show a giant alligator skull like the woman from the Wildlife Management, the kids were really enthusiastic, especially those who read my book in advance. Thanks to the teachers who introduced themselves to me and to the media specialist who gave me a tour of the library and TV studio. What an awesome school!

Then this afternoon, I had a fantastic time at Independence Middle School.

A big thank you to Ms. Petroccia, the media specialist, for filming a video promo to announce a book signing I’ll be doing at the school Wednesday the 21^st. The six young actors, um, students not only did a fantastic job saying their lines, they had me laughing harder than I have in a long time with their hilarious expressions. Way to go, guys!

Then it was off to Ms. Drum’s 7^th grade Language Arts class with a few 6th graders thrown in for good measure. Most of the students had already read my book, so they had lots of excellent questions, like this one:

“Ms. Gephart, when you were young, did you meet a lot of Reginalds?”

“You’d better believe it. Didn’t we all? There are a lot of Reginalds out there. Fortunately, I didn’t marry one!”

What a wonderful time I had with the kids! Thanks so much for inviting me to speak with your class, Ms. Drum!

Next, week I’m off to Jupiter Farms Elementary, a signing at Independence Middle and a home school workshop for creative writing. And a radio interview thrown in for good measure.

I may not be writing a whole lot this month, but I’m having a fun, exhilarating and exhausting time!

Hugs,

Donna