The Write Stuff

World Read Aloud Day March 7, 2012

2012-02-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

World Read Aloud Day 2012 is just around the corner on March 7. This is a day that we come together to promote literacy around the world. The goal is to show that children and adults around the world have the freedom and the right to read and write. Please help to support global literacy.

I am volunteering to read via Skype to a classroom somewhere in the world--I don't know where yet, but hope to find out soon.

What are you going to do to help promote global literacy? Register here!

Words From The Wise #1--Erik, This Kid Reviews Books

2012-02-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

Being that today is President's Day, why not have an inauguration?

Today is the inaugural post for my new Monday feature. . .Words From the Wise. Every Monday I will feature either an interview or a guest post from someone in the kidlit world. It may be an author, editor, agent, pre-published author, illustrator, student, librarian, teacher, or someone who you suggest. I am ALWAYS open to suggestions for people who you would like to learn about.

Enough with the introduction. . . let's get to our first interview!

Erik the creator of the blog This Kid Reviews Books.

1. What inspired you to start your blog?

It was actually the book by Tom Angleberger “The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.” My grandmom told me that a kid in a book store told her to get me “The Strange Case of Origami Yoda” when she was looking for a book for me. She took his advice and got the book. I thought that if my grandmom would take the advice of a kid maybe other kids and grown-ups looking for books would take advice from me. First I wanted to write for a newspaper but my Dad suggested that a blog would be a good place to start. My parents helped me learn how to set the blog up and I wrote my first post in January of 2011.

2. Your blog is always up to date, and full of great book reviews. It takes a great deal of time to do all of the reading and writing reviews. Being that you are still in school, how do you balance your homework, friends, family, and keeping up with your blog?

I love to read and I am always reading (I actually get in trouble at school for reading when I am not supposed to). I think I am a pretty fast reader too, so reading the books isn’t a problem, but I am much slower at writing (although I started to be faster at typing!). School is pretty easy for me because I am quick to catch on. I get through my school work and homework pretty fast. I really don’t watch TV or play video games, maybe 1 or 2 hours a week (seriously). I don’t really mind it though because I want to do other things. I go to TaeKwon Do classes and I belong to a LEGO robotics club and a Boys Book Club and I am also on the Reading Olympics Team at school.

I get up pretty early in the morning so that’s when I like to read other people’s blogs and make comments. Some days after school when I am having my snack, I read other blogs or check email. I usually write my blog posts on the weekend or days off of school and I write a whole weeks worth then and save them to post during the week. I also have to write a book summary every week for school, so I also use that for one of my posts that week. I have a formula I follow when I write reviews that makes writing them a lot faster. It’s called a “hamburger paragraph”. I learned about them this year in school. They are a way of writing good paragraphs. For my reviews I have 2 hamburgers, one for the story summary and one for my opinion. My parents help me with finding kid appropriate things on the internet (like if I need a picture or a video or if I want to research something).

I spend a lot of time with my family. My parents also read a lot so sometimes we all read together (my little sister too). We like to play games (Apples to Apples is our favorite and we had a game of Risk going for a month once!) and have “family movie night” sometimes. We also like to do outdoors stuff. I usually have friends over on the weekends or a day when I don’t have school.

3. What is your favorite type of book to review, and why? What is your least favorite type of book to review, and why?

I really like to review picture books because a lot of times they are very funny and they are all about learning. My very favorite is fantasy fiction. I like how authors make up new worlds or different realities or even an alternate history or superheroes. It is amazing how authors can think of these neat people and places, like The Jack Blank Adventures by Matt Myklusch. The “Imagine Nation” world that Mr. Myklusch created is awesome! I think it is easy to review books like this because I really get into the story (if it’s a good one).

Some non-fiction books are difficult for me to review because it’s too many facts and I think it gets kind of boring. I like learning from books but I like a story told with it like the 39 Clues series from Scholastic. There is a lot of history and geography in that series and the story makes if fun to learn about it.

4. If you had the ability to travel any where in the world, where would you go, how would you get there, and what would you do when you arrived?

This was a hard question that I had to really think about. My first thought was Florida - LEGOLAND, Disney World, The Kennedy Space Center. Then I thought about ANYWHERE in the whole wide world. So I also thought about South Korea because I take TaeKwon Do (TKD came from Korea) I learned some Korean words and a little bit about the culture there through my training, and I am interested in learning more. But the place I decided I would want to go to the most is Australia. I’ve read a couple books (The 39 Clues “In Too Deep” by Jude Watson, “Toad Heaven” by Morris Gleitzman and “The Magnificent 12” by Michael Grant) that take place (at least part of it) in Australia and it seems like a really cool place! I would get there by cruise ship (I’ve never been on a cruise ship). I would really like to see and learn about the animals there. They have the coolest animals – kangaroos, koalas, kookaburra (I know it’s a bird but it is a cool name), platypus, wombat, TASMANIAN DEVIL!!! I want to visit Coober Pedy and see all the underground houses and also explore the Outback. I am pretty good at snorkeling and I think it would be AWESOME to snorkel around the Great Barrier Reef. I just went to a talk about conservation of sea turtles and I read that you can volunteer as a turtle conservationist in Australia as a vacation! I would definitely want to do that. Then I’d also like to go over to New Zealand and see a kiwi, count the sheep and see the awesome environment there (kidding about the sheep). Mostly I want to say “G’Day Mate.” Here in Pennsylvania that’s not used too often. J

5. What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?

In ten years I guess I will still be in college but I hope that I am already working as an inventor. I am really interested in holographic technology and I have an idea about using nanobots and nano-technology to clean up garbage. I would like to make it so the nanobots can speed up decomposition of garbage in landfills in a clean way. I have some other ideas using nano-technology to help the environment. I’d like to go to college for science, history and engineering (but I’m not sure exactly). I also hope that I have a book or two published. I like to write stories as much as I like to read.

Thank you very much for asking me to do this interview Ms. Hershenson ! I had fun answering your questions!

Erik is 10 years old and is in the fourth grade. He writes a monthly book review column for Upper Bucks Free Press. Erik also writes a regular blog, This Kid Reviews Books.

Liebster Blog Award

2012-02-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

A huge thank you goes out to Pam from MyLMNOP reads to kids for awarding me the Liebster Blog Award. I never win anything (except once I won a round of bingo on a cruise)!

Liebster also has a special meaning to me as my grandparents were from Germany, and would say to me: "Ich Liebe dich--I love you." As you know from my previous post, I remember them fondly, and this makes me smile.

The origins of the Liebster Blog award are somewhat unclear but the general consensus is that it originated in Germany, Liebster meaning favorite or dearest, to showcase bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. Upon accepting the award the recipient must then pass it on to five more blogs of note.

Here are the rules:

1- Choose FIVE up and coming blogs to award the Liebster to. Blogs must have less than 200 followers.

2- Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

3- Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you gave the award to with links to their sites.

I am awarding the Liebster Award to the following blogs:

1. Claudia Fehr-Levin Illustrator

2. Writers and Authors

3.My Happy Hero by Nicky Johnston

4. No Water River by Renee LaTulippe

5. Castles in the Sky by Jennifer Young

We have also been asked to list 5 interesting facts about ourselves. So, here it goes. . . you get to decide if they are interesting or not.

I played the clarinet in school.

My first pet was a hamster named Peanut.

When I was little I wanted to be a school bus driver.

I am left handed, but all of my grandparents, parents, siblings, and children are right handed.

I have a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Thank you again Pam, and I look forward to watching all of your blogs continue to grow!

Traveling in New Jersey--This Book is a Must!

2012-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hidden New Jersey, written by Linda J. Barth and illustrated by Hazel Mitchell is a fabulous travel guide designed for children. This search and find book follows a group of children paddling their canoes throughout both historical and contemporary New Jersey.

Each brightly illustrated 2 page spread focuses on a different geographical area of the 3^rd state in the Union. A map clearly designates the area that the reader is learning about on those particular pages. The illustrations are packed full of so much information, that the reader will certainly need to return again and again in order to take it all in.

While searching for the 5-6 hidden items in each spread, children can read the interesting facts that frame the collage like illustrations. Did you know that the very first baseball game with modern day rules was played in New Jersey? Camden hosted the very first drive-in movie theater in 1933 for just $0.25 a car; and the very first black voter to cast a ballot in the United States was in New Jersey too!

Barth does an excellent job of wording her text to allow the children to be their parents’ travel guides. By suggesting tourist spots that might be of interest to families, she encourages children to bring their families to a variety of different events during the year.

Mitchell's smiling children work together with her portraits of historical figures creating a beautiful account of New Jersey’s rich history, as well as 21^st century living.

Hidden New Jersey is a book that families can enjoy together as they prepare for a New Jersey vacation, or if they simply want to learn more about a state that has had such a tremendous impact on making the United States what it is today.

***GIVE AWAY***GIVE AWAY***GIVE AWAY*** GIVE AWAY***GIVE AWAY***

Hazel Mitchell has graciously offered to give away a paperback copy of Hidden New Jersey! All you have to do is comment on this blog post AND link this blog post back to your own website or blog if you have one, AND promote this blog post through your Facebook, Twitter, Google +, or other social media accounts. A random drawing will be held on March 1 and the winner will be notified (so be sure to include your email address in your post). THANK YOU HAZEL FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

Hidden New Jersey can be purchased on Amazon for $8.95 in paperback and $12.92 in hardcover.

Coming Up on The Write Stuff

2012-02-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

In the next several weeks I will be having some guest posts and interviews here on The Write Stuff. As we all know, one of the best ways to learn is by talking with others.

Beginning on this coming Monday, February 13, I will be reviewing Hazel Mitchell's new book, Hidden New Jersey. Later on this month you will be able to read interviews with both Erik, This Kid Reviews Books, as well as Julie Foster Hedlund.

Keep watching here, and come back soon!

I Am Officially a PUBLISHED Children's Author!

2012-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to share the news with all of you that I am now officially a PUBLISHED children's author!

Today I received an email from uTales that my book had been approved. . . and published.

As an author, it is one thing to think that your story is worth sharing, but to have a panel of editors agree with you is an unbelievable rush. I have not stopped smiling since that email came in, and I am already excited to work on the next one.

I was very fortunate with work with illustrator, Barb Dragony. Her beautiful pictures bring the story to life. Barb did a fantastic job of adding animation and sounds to the story. Barb, I cannot thank you enough for all of the time and hard work that you put into Annie and Me.

Each day I am more and more amazed about how digital publishing is changing the world of children's literature. Our children are developing a different style of reading than we did as children. I am eager to see how this trend continues over the next several years.

I invite you to read Annie and Me . It is the story of young Olivia, whose best friend, Annie, has moved away. Olivia and her mother travel to visit Annie in her new home reminiscing about the girls' past adventures.

I hope that the story makes you smile as much as it has made me smile today.

I want to especially thank the 4 girls who inspired this story-- Emma, Allison, Julia, and Ellie. Without the four of you and your special friendships, this story never would have been written.

Thank you to Rob, my husband, for putting up with my years of agonizing over this story, and for believing in me to get it accomplished.

Thoughts from Ann Whitford Paul

2012-01-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

As I have told you all before, I have become a huge fan of Ann Whitford Paul and her book, Writing Picture Books. I have found her teachings to be very helpful to me in my execution of my story ideas.

Recently I asked Ann, "How does an author know when a manuscript is ready to submit?" Here is what she said:

That’s a very interesting question and one that I’ve been grappling with in regards to a novel I just sent off to my agent.

Thomas Mann said, “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than for other people.” We know that it takes work to structure a story and find the right words. A lot of work—months, years. We think of the story constantly—when we take a walk, bake a cake, clean out the closets. It’s always with us. We polish, we share it with other writers, we put it away. We bring it back out. So when to let go?

I think the problem comes from our insecurity recognizing that a manuscript rarely lives up to the image of the story we have in our head. We want perfection and there is no such animal. There is always something more a writer can do with a story. That’s a given. I love this quote by the writer Gene Fowler, “A book is never finished. It’s abandoned.”

With my latest manuscript, I found I was going over and over and over it again, shifting chapters, revising language, upping the tension, bringing out the characters until I thought I’d go punchy. Everyone in my writing group told me to send it off, but I couldn’t let go until I realized I could spend the rest of my life revising and still have more to go. I’d done it all—even reading the 50,000 word manuscript out loud. Each change sends ripple effects through the manuscript, but at some point one has to stop.

So what made me stop? Number one, the basic story flowed. I had three acts, the drama came at the end and the ending was satisfying but not perfectly wrapped up. The big issues had been handled to the best of my ability.

Number two—I had checked and re-checked my research. Facts I knew in my gut were correct, I still persisted in going back to the research just to be sure—a huge waste of time.

Number three—because my novel was based during the revolutionary war, I made many visits to my trusty Oxford Dictionary (the kind you have to read with a magnifying glass) and verifying words more than once.

And Number four, I realized that I was down to nit-picky revisions . . . working on word choice and punctuation and this was the killer I was changing some words only to return at a latter time and changing the words back to the original.

In summary, I had gone as far as I could go with the story. It was time for a fresh eye. That’s when to send your manuscript out.

Ann Whitford Paul writes picture books, poetry, and early readers. She was won a large variety of awards for her work including the New York Times Notable Books, and the Carl Sandbug Award for Children's Literature. In addition to her writing, she teaches workshops and does school visit on both writing and quilting.

My Writing Process

2012-01-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

Today as I was scrolling through all of the fabulous blogs that I follow, I came across Write it Sideways by Suzannah Windsor Freeman. She discusses how to embrace the writing process as a whole. It is an EXCELLENT post, and I encourage you all to read it by clicking on her name up above.

Thank you Suzannah for inspiring me to take a closer look at my own writing process. In order for me to examine what it is that I truly do, I have made a list below. I love to make lists! So here we go...

1. I make a lists of all of the story ideas that are randomly floating around in my head. This could include titles, character names, and funny one-liners. You name it, I have written it down on sticky notes, my hand, or even the back of a grocery list. . . somewhere.

2. I write it out long hand. I always write my first draft long hand with a blue ball point pen. I cross out, scribble, and rewrite in teeny-tiny writing all over that page. I squeeze thoughts into the margins. I make arrows. I carry that pad of paper with me wherever I go, and by the time I am done with that first draft that paper looks as if it has gone through my 3 year old nephew's grubby hands.

3. I decipher what I have written and I type it into my computer, editing along the way. For me, editing is not a one shot deal. It is a constant component of my writing process, and I do it from before I actually write things down on that first sticky note.

4. Print it out and write all over it in many different colors. I really edit! Recently I have been sitting down with Writing PIcture Books, by Ann Whitford Paul and using it as a guide (BE SURE TO CHECK THIS BLOG ON MONDAY AS ANN WHITFORD PAUL WILL BE GUEST POSTING). I have re-read this book so many times, you would think that I would have it memorized by now, but I don't--I discover something new each time. I sit with my manuscript, and I go through the book chapter by chapter doing each of her assignments. This part of my writing process has truly helped me to tighten my story and to bring out the best in each of my characters.

5. I send to my critique group. This is always hard for me. I sit waiting for their emails to return saying, "Sandi, send this out! It is ready! Can I have an autographed copy?" This hasn't happened. . . yet, but maybe someday. When I receive their critiques I quickly read them over, and then I let their thoughts mill around in my brain for a while.

6. I print and write all over it again. I carefully examine the comments that my critique group has offered and I pick through what I agree with and what I don't. I HAVE TO ALWAYS REMIND MYSELF THAT THEIR CRITIQUES ARE MERELY THEIR OPINIONS AND I AM THE AUTHOR. I GET TO DECIDE WHAT ULTIMATELY WORKS FOR THE STORY (AND FOR ME) AND WHAT DOESN'T. After making the suggested changes I will frequently send it out to them again.

7. Now here is where I get impatient-- I now believe that I have written the best story ever told and I start to research potential agents and publishing houses to represent me on my WORLD BOOK TOUR. I begin to think about going shopping for what to wear when the Queen of England invites me over to the palace to sign her personal copy while we sip tea.

8. I come back to earth and wait for their return comments. I also begin to share my story with children. I like to see what they think. My 12 year old always has insightful comments like "Mom, no one uses the word GROOVY anymore. Stop sounding so old!" Or, "you know Mom, that word might be too difficult for a 4 year old to understand."

9. I now repeat step 4 and then bite off all of my fingernails.

10. When I finally feel like I am tweaking just for the sake of tweaking I move on to my disorganized submission process... but I will save that for another post.

Where it all began.. .

2012-01-25T18:04:00.000-08:00

Now that I have decided to devote so much of my time to developing a career as an author, I had to take some time to think about why.

Why do I want to pursue a career that will, most likely: result in a great deal of rejection, bring me very little money, take more time than a standard 40 hour work week, and frustrate me to no end?

The answer is not simple, but it makes a lot of sense to me.

When I was a little girl I always loved to write. I wrote letters to my friends and wrote long messages on birthday cards for my family members. I also loved to read.. . .in fact, today I read to my children some of the original copies of my childhood favorites. I can't believe that both my mother and I saved them all of these years. My children frequently remind me of my age and comment on how those books belong in an antique book store.

I also loved to read until I got to high school. Before high school I was able to read for the joy of reading, with the occasional book report. I selected the books that I wanted to, and if I wanted to read a favorite over and over I could. In high school, however, that changed. I had to read the books that my teachers required of me and then analyze them. I disliked looking for symbolism--it bothered me that we had to try to figure out the author's thought process. I believed that sometimes authors simply wrote a story for the sake of the story--nothing more. This picking apart of a book actually backfired on my teachers' intentions. . . beyond my homework, I didn't read anything for my own pleasure beyond a magazine article for almost 20 years. This is incredibly sad and embarrassing to me. I was a poor model to my own students as well as to my children.

While reading was a downer for me in high school, writing picked up for me. I will never forget the Advanced Expository Writing class that I took with Mrs. Edington. She was a fantastic teacher and settled for nothing less than perfection with a smile. I was driven to prove to her that I could attain the goal which she had set. In fact, that year I wrote a story that was entered into a state writing contest. As the grand prize winner I let a group of students to the state capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin and presented all of the winning stories to Governor Tommy Thompson. I can even remember what I was wearing that day!

From that day on I joined the school newspaper, and continued to take a variety of different writing classes in college--still not reading.

About 7 years ago my husband and I experienced a tragic event and I needed to get some things off of my chest. In an attempt to write a journal entry, my first picture book came out. I loved it! Despite the topic, I loved the rush that I got from putting it down on paper. I love the rush that I got from editing, and I loved the rush that I got when I went to the mailbox to see if a publisher liked it. It never made it to the shelves, but it did jump start me.

I have been writing ever since. I always have a story running through my head. I keep pads of paper next to my bed, in my purse, in my car, and any where else that I can stash one. Today, I love analyzing a story! In fact, editing is my favorite part of writing.

Going back to the beginning. . .why do I want to pursue a career as an author?

It excites me. It has always excited me. It just took a while to discover why, but now that I know. . . I am driven to attain the goals that I set for myself.

Ann Whitford Paul--Stay Tuned

2012-01-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone-

We have been honored to have Ann Whitford Paul prepare a guest post for The Write Stuff.

Keep checking back, as I will post her thoughts next week!

All this, AND my shoes are on the correct feet!

2012-01-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

I recently bumped into an old acquaintance who said to me, "Sandi, you look great! Your hair is brushed, your clothes are clean, and your shoes are on the correct feet. How do you keep yourself smiling while raising 4 energetic daughters, taking care of your husband, and crazy dog. . .all while trying to launch a career as a children's author."

I answered her with a simple, "A moms gotta do, what a moms gotta do."

During my drive home from the store I began to rethink my answer. I decided that I am a fantastic multi-tasker.

Here is a sample day:

5:45 am- begin hitting snooze bar on the alarm clock so that I can get up by 6:10

6:10 am- take out dog and begin to wake girls for school (while walking between bedrooms I collect dirty laundry and check phone just in case that 6 figure book deal came in while I was sleeping.

7:00 am- load girls into mom-mobile and drive to school. At every red light I exercise by doing stomach squeezes to try and tighten that twin skin. My twins may be 6 1/2 years old, and they say that skin won't go back into place without a little help from a plastic surgeon, but I am going to keep trying.

7:45-8:15 am-- drive to grocery store and call my parents (on hands-free speaker phone only) to check in for the day

8:15 am-- grocery shopping. I try to pick out healthy foods that my picky daughters will eat. At the same time, I work on rhyming words with the items on my list (eggs = begs, milk = silk, granola = flanola. . . ok, not always so successful here)

9:30 am- take mom-mobile to dealership for oil change and tire rotation. While waiting, I work on editing the manuscripts for the members of my critique groups.

11:45 am- home, let the dog out, and hit the shower. I exercise while blow drying my hair with butt kickers and calf raises.

1:00 pm- eat lunch and fold Mt. St. Laundry all while catching up on listening to Katie Davis podcasts.

2:00-3:00 pm- work on my own writing, catch up on emails and reading blogs of my colleagues, all while taking care of the dog. He gets his tummy scratches while sitting on my lap. He is a great critique partner, because he likes EVERYTHING!

3:00 pm- drive to school pick up and listen to news on the radio, once again while exercising. Butt squeezes at the red lights.

3:20 pm- arrive at school and park in the car line. Here I continue to revise my own work. In fact, I am sitting in the car line right now while working on the blog post.

4:00 pm- arrive home with starving children and try to convince them that after school is time for a snack and not a meal. At the same time I am trying to decide what to make for the next meal in just a few hours

4:30-6:30 pm- homework for 1st, 5th, and 7th grade (I sure hope that the 7th grader doesn't have math tonight). 5th grader is doing a lot of writing projects this year so I get the opportunity to work on my editing skills.

8:00 pm. tuck 6 year olds into bed and read 3 picture books to each one. While reading to the girls I study the books for the latest lesson that I am working on for Anastasia Suen's online Picture Book Intensive class that I am taking.

9:00 pm- tuck in 10 and 12 year olds. 12 year old still likes it when I tell her a story. She gives me a topic (usually mermaids or unicorns) and I create an impromptu adventure.

9:30 pm- watch recorded TV with hubby (bet you thought that I forgot about him)

At the end of the day there is still laundry to be done and groceries that I forgot on my list, but everyone is safe and sound and ready to repeat it all again the next day.

Thank you family for your patience with me, as I have now figured out that I am an inefficient and scattered multi-tasker, so that I can become the children's author that I someday hope to be.

I told you I would keep you posted, but. . .

2012-01-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

I don't have exciting news for you. I lost.

I didn't make it to the final round of the MeeGenius Author Challenge, and I have no idea if the editors at Real Simple Magazine liked my essay or not. All I know is that I lost. I am not asking for your pitty, your sympathy, or even a comforting smile.

I am proud of myself because I took some chances. I took creative work that was, and still is, near and dear to my heart, and I put it out there for people who have no knowledge of me to read and to judge.

I am proud of my writing. I worked hard, and felt good about it. In fact, I am going to share my essay with you for the Real Simple Life Lessons Contest right here, right now! I enjoyed writing it, and I hope that you enjoy reading it!

Glove Box Love

“Check your tire pressure at least once a week, and you never know when you might need a screwdriver.”

This is what my grandfather, whom I so fondly called Papa, said to me when I tried to return his tire pressure gauge and screwdriver. Still in their boxes, they were old, and in working order, like the 1978 Oldsmobile 98 that he had just passed on to me. He had kept the tools in his glove box—always.

In 1993 I was a college student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I was beginning my student teacher training. I needed to drive off campus everyday to the schools where I was teaching. Papa was 83 years old and no longer driving. I needed a car, and he had one that he wasn’t using.

The Olds was quite a sight! The flawless white exterior, carefully maintained by only parking in the absolute farthest parking spot, made any used car dealer’s heart flutter. Shiny red vinyl seats and plush red carpeting created the perfect atmosphere for groovy music to blast from the radio. It was big enough to park one of today’s smart cars in the trunk, and too big to pull into most campus parking spaces. The engine that was held together with Papa’s strategically placed duct tape got me where I needed to go.

I rolled my eyes, thanked Papa for his tools, and left them in the glove box so as to keep him happy. What if he asked to see them some day down the road?

Papa was not about to just give me that car. Papa was going to teach me about economy and the American Way. He sold it to me---for $1.00. I never paid him, and I still feel very guilty for that.

Papa had left Germany in 1938 with his wife and 6-month-old son on one of the last boats to leave before the start of World War II. He came to the United States with $4.00 in his pocket. He had sewn cameras into the upholstery of his furniture, hoping to sell them in order to have some cash for his young family.

Upon arriving in the United States, not speaking a word of English, he selflessly provided a home for his wife, baby, brother-in-law, mother, and mother-in-law (she lived with my grandparents for the first 30 years of their marriage). Papa worked for many years as a butcher, even sacrificing the holiest of Jewish holidays to work on Yom Kippur. His family needed money to survive, and he couldn’t risk losing his job by being caught as a Jew.

Through his strong work ethic and devotion to his family, Papa eventually sent his two sons through college, medical, and dental school loan free; not many people today can even say that they have done this for their children. He provided for them in ways better than he could ever have imagined for himself. That is quite an accomplishment for a man with only $4 and a few weeks of night school English. He was proud of himself, and rightly so. Love drove him.

Papa’s five grandchildren were his entire world—at least he made us feel that way. Not only did he attend every school performance, graduation, recital, soccer game, and birthday party, but he carved out special time that he provided for us as well.

Each one of us would have our own sleepovers with our grandparents. I anxiously watched out the window, waiting for that big Olds 98 to pull into the driveway when it was my turn to be the center of his attention. Papa always told me to sit in the back with my grandmother. I loved her dearly, but I wanted to sit in the front with him. In his mind, however, it was chivalrous to have the ladies sit in the back. I recall countless rides to our favorite restaurant, Benji’s, for dinner before the sleepover. My dinner was waiting at the table when we arrived—a corned beef sandwich on rye (hold the bread, please) and pickles on the side. Papa always made sure that it was prepared perfectly. It was almost as if Benji had created a new menu item just for me.

He taught me how to play poker with his friends—I couldn’t believe that at 7 years old I was good enough to beat all of those men who had been playing since they were my age! Wow! Papa was an amazing teacher, or so I thought.

As I grew into my teens I knew that I loved my Papa. Grandchildren unconditionally love their grandparents. Yet, I always thought that he was a little quirky. He would come into our house and after he adjusted the thermostat to his liking, he never failed to sit in the same squeaky chair and to gripe about something. Whether it was his health, the weather, or the cost of gas, he always had a complaint.

When I went off to college I didn’t see Papa as often as I used to, but still spoke with him frequently. I became involved in my own life, as a college student does. I focused on my next exam, the next party with friends, or the most current drama with my roommates. All things, as I look back now, that were trivial.

He called at least once a week just to see how I was. Never failing to tell me to study hard, yet reminding me of the importance of catching a good football game with friends. Before our conversation drew to a close, Papa always asked me how the car was doing? “Are you making sure that you never have less than a half tank of gas? You don’t want to run out.” He loved that car, and he loved that I was driving it.

I only drove that car for about a year when Papa passed away. It never felt quite the same to drive it. No one asked me if I checked the tire pressure, no one reminded me to let it warm up in the cold weather. No one else loved it as much as I did. That car had become more to me than simply transportation. It still smelled like Papa’s aftershave.

For my college graduation that winter my parents helped me to buy a new car. It was time to say good-bye to Papa’s car. The car never really was mine . . . it was Papa’s. I always felt as if it was sort of on loan. I was supposed to be able to give it back to him. Before the junkyard handed over $300 in cash in exchange for 16 years of memories, I cleaned out the glove box.

I remember smiling when I found the screwdriver and tire pressure gauge. Instead of them symbolizing the nagging of an old man, they suddenly symbolized his love for me.

Each time I have purchased a new car over the years before even putting the key into the ignition, I have faithfully placed Papa’s tools in the glove box. After all, you must check your tire pressure once a week, and you never know when you might need a screwdriver.

Library-Continued

2012-01-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the overwhelming amount of comments for my last post. One of the comments recommended that I watch this video.

I hope that you watch it too. . . the message is a great one.

What Will Become of the Library?

2012-01-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Just the other day I was driving past the construction of my new local library. It is huge, and my kids and I can't wait to see it when it is complete (I am not sure of the projected date, but it looks like it will be late int he year before the doors open).

Its magnificent size prompted me to reflect on my days at my childhood library.

It was an old fashioned red brick building with a small playground outside. A beautiful children's area filled with bean bag chairs, puppets, and shelves of books as far as the eye could see. The reference area had all of the latest additions of newspapers from around the world. Encyclopedias from different publishers dating back to long before I was even born. A spiral staircase that always made me hold on tight to my mother's hand took one up to the area where the microfiche machines were.

Wait a second. . . did I actually just type MICROFICHE? Kids today have no idea of what that even is! I mentioned a card catalogue to my 10 year old the other day and she thought that it was a catalogue that she could look in to order birthday cards for her friends---online! Newspapers. . . ink on your fingers that you rub on your face when you scratch your nose. Unheard of! Everything in this world is not digital. Do librarians even exist, or are they only there to make sure that the internet connection is working in the building?

All sarcasm aside, I think that the role of both the public and school libraries is changing dramatically, and I see both positives and negatives to this.

Obviously, the internet has changed everything. Information is at our fingertips as fast as we are able to type. This is wonderful. Our children have learned to satisfy their thirst for knowledge quickly, and can then continue to question in greater detail. However, are they truly savoring that initial satisfaction?

Being that we are able to locate information so quickly, we, myself included, don't always take the time to store it in our memory banks because we know that we will be able to recover the information just as quickly the next time that we need it. From my own personal experience, when I had to work to find the information I retained it better, and appreciated it more.

I think that there is something to be said for looking up your book in the card catalogue, recalling the Dewy Decimal System, and searching through the stacks to find it. Once you find the book, then searching the index for the concept that you are looking for.

Don't get me wrong, I love everything that technology has given to us as a society. I just believe that sometimes we value things more when we have to work for them.

Getting back to my new neighborhood library. . . I don't know what is in the grand plan for the building, but here is my wish list.

bean bags in the children's area
daily newspapers
a card catalogue
librarians who help the readers find what they need
and a fantastic media center. . . today's society needs it all.

The Great Comment Challenge 2012

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Today I signed up to participate in The Great Comment Challenge of 2012.

What is this? This is a way to increase blog activity within the world of kidlit.

The goal is to make a comment on 5 different kidlit blogs each day for 21 days. This will not only help to increase traffic to all of our blogs, but also help us to think more about the writing world.

So sign up on Mother Reader's blog and get commenting! We'll check back in on January 25 to see how everyone has done.

Will 2012 Be the Year to Find an Agent?

2012-01-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

As a new author, I often hear, "You need to find an agent or you won't be able to get your foot in the door."

I am not sure if this is true or not. Sometimes when looking at agent submission requirements it says that they won't even entertain an author's work if not previously published.

A big Catch 22!

You can't get published without and agent, but an agent won't represent you if you haven't been published.

What to do?

Here is an amazing article with great advice on how to find an agent that is right for you. I hope that you find the article helpful. I certainly plan to use it as a guide in my own journey to find an agent.

How Do You Know if Your Agent is Any Good?

New Year. . . New Look!

2012-01-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Now that I have sort of gotten a hang of this blogging thing, and I have a little bit more of a grasp on where I want to go with my writing, I decided to freshen up my blog.

Hopefully cleaner lines, and a sharper look will lead to cleaner thinking and sharper writing.

I would love your feedback on the new look!

If you have any thing that you would like to see here let me know. As I tell my hairdresser. . . I am always open to suggestions.

Let a New Year of Writing Begin!

2012-01-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and Happy New Year of Writing!

I am so excited to be embarking on a new writing challenge this year, 12 x 12 x 12. Author Julie Hedlund has organized this challenge. The concept is for picture book writers to complete 12 new manuscripts in 2012, write a new draft each month. This is a follow up challenge to PbIdMo in November organized by Tara Lazar.

If you are interested, it is not too late to join. Just sign up on Julie's blog by January 15, and you are in!

Enjoy and Happy Writing! Check back here, and I will keep you posted on my progress.

Progress status: I have already begun my draft for January!

http://writeupmylife.com/

Just one line. . .

2011-12-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

Just one line is all I need to make my story complete.
Right now it's close, but not quite done, not quite nice and neat.

I know just what I want to say, but can't type it out just so,
The feelings are clear in my mind and I don't know which way to go.

All I need is just one line, and here I've written more,
Maybe I'll take an average, and even out the score.

My goal is to find that line, and finish it today,
The next step is to revise. . . but first I think I'll play!

Reflections on 2011

2011-12-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

2011 was an interesting year.

I watched my children grow physically, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and in all other . ..allys imaginable. I am so proud of all 4 of them!

I saw changes develop in my personal relationships with both family and friends that I never could have predicted.

I have seen my husband grow professionally and take on new responsibilities in his job. He is flourishing!

I have seen myself develop new strengths in a variety of areas of my life, and I am proud of myself.

I have also discovered areas of myself that I would like to change---I hope to work on those in 2012.

I hope that you all can take a few minutes of time to reflect on your 2011, and to think about what is in your future for 2012.

Best wishes, and Happy New Year!

Writer's Block

2011-12-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

Normally writer's block wouldn't be a problem, however, today it is really bothering me. Normally I work very well under deadlines, today it is not happening. Normally, I can come up with some sort of idea to at least start with, today I am drawing a blank.

I have signed on to be part of a collaborative book with many other authors. I am writing the opening pages of the book, and I am feeling intimidated. I agreed to do this because I thought that it would be a good challenge for me. The opening of a book is very important, it is where you hook your reader. It is where they decide if they want to turn the page for more. . .or not.

I have a topic, I know what I need to do, but the words are just not coming out right now. I am worried that I am going to let down my fellow authors. More importantly, if I let down my readers, they will not want to turn the page and read the works of the other authors and illustrators involved with this project.

I need an inspiration, some sort of 'ah ha!' moment.

I hope that I am up to the challenge. . . . wish me luck!

Sandi Writes Books

2011-12-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

This year my youngest children entered first grade, and after 12 years of having some portion of my children home with me every day, we have finally reached a point in the Hershenson household where all 4 children are in school full day. This was VERY strange for me in the beginning of the school year. So quiet in the house. Just me, the fish, and the dog.

I decided that this was the year that I was going to make a full time commitment to writing. While I have yet to be written a check for all of my hard work, I am right now viewing this as an unpaid internship. I have been gaining experience in all aspects of my 'company', Sandi Writes Books.

product development
editorial department
human relations
social media
marketing and promotions
technology
research and education
finance (nothing coming in just yet, but money is certainly going out for courses, contests, and books)

Ten years ago I certainly would not have predicted that this is what I would be doing. I love it, and for now, I wouldn't want to be doing anything differently.

So 2011 is leaving me with a full time commitment to writing, let's hope that 2012 comes in with someone who is interested in helping me share my writing with the world.

Any takers?

Only 3 Days Left to Vote!

2011-12-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

In just 3 days the voting round of the MeeGenius Author Challenge 2011 will be complete. As of this posting, I am in 92nd place for my story, Dear Tooth Fairy, http://www.meegenius.com/challenge/dear-tooth-fairy-by-sandi-hershenson and 133rd place for I Am Penelope-Mae Pickleberg! http://www.meegenius.com/challenge/i-am-penelope-mae-pickleberg-by-sandi-hershenson (out of 398 stories)

This has been a fantastic journey so far. I have truly enjoyed reading the stories of the other authors, and I have enjoyed sharing with my peers what this challenge is all about. GETTING CHILDREN TO READ!

As a child I always had a book in my hand, in my backpack, in my desk, and next to my bed. Children today, my own included, don't do this. They have their iTouches, ipads, and laptops. If they are going to read, they are going to do it through the means that they are most comfortable with. That means electronically. MeeGenius is just one of many ways out there that provides this opportunity for even the youngest readers.

I hope that you have taken a look at the website www.meegenius.com, and read some of the stories (maybe even voted for a few). It doesn't matter who the winner is. Just know that some lucky school is going to receive a FREE e-book library for one year. Hopefully this will catch on, and other schools will find means to obtain e-book libraries as well.

It is our responsibility as parents, teachers, and authors to do whatever it takes to get our children reading!

So I ask you to click on the links above and VOTE. Whether it by for my stories, someone else's, or both, please VOTE!!

Cybils Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literacy Awards

2011-12-12T22:52:00.000-08:00

This is a fantastic list of books. I have read a few of them, but not enough. I think that I might print out the list, go to my local bookstore, grab a cup of coffee, and read through them. Anyone want to join me?

Happy reading to all of you!

http://www.cybils.com/2011-nominations-fiction-picture-books.html

Blog Updates

2011-12-07T12:21:00.001-08:00

I have made a few updates to The Write Stuff! Check out the column to the right!