Meanwhile...

I mentioned this in passing at #kidlitchat tonight (transcripts of the chats are here, by the way), but I think it bears repeating: I really think Jason Shiga's Meanwhile is quite something.

I have yet to meet a kid who wasn't fascinated by it and enjoyed reading it/interacting with it. It works in groups, too. It's not a perfect book (what is?), but boy I am so happy it exists.

A Poetry Re-Issue: Hello, Summer!

Summer began this week and school ended hereabouts, too. Seems like a good time for this re-issue....

Hello, Summer!
by
Gregory K.

Goodbye, classroom!
Goodbye, Teach!
You can find me at the beach...
Or in the park or at the pool
Or any place that isn’t school.

Goodbye, quizzes!
Bye, reports!
Hello days packed full of sports
And days when I’m just lazybones
While eating melty ice cream cones.

Goodbye, homework --
Lunchroom, too.
There’s so, so much I wanna do.
I know the school year flew on past…
But please, please summer -- last and last.


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Here a link, there a link....

Everywhere a link, link!

The 2010 edition of KidLitCon has been announced (October 23 in Minneapolis). You can follow the conference blog for more info. I've been to the first three, and I highly recommend attending if you blog in the broad children's literature space.

Guess who's blogging? No. No. Not her. No... not him. Keep guessing. Give up? Arthur A. Levine, that's who! This is exciting - he's a wonderful writer (with a new book out in 2011 in fact) and now I don't ever have to feel guilty blogging since my editor is doing it, too. (Right????)

And finally... why not check out the first trailer for a documentary about children's literature? It's called Library of the Early Mind, and it will be premiering in October at Harvard, no less! You can follow the movie's blog to stay up to date. I think it looks great.

The Brainstormer!

I apologize because I can't remember where I initially saw this link. I know it was on Twitter (and it might have been Colleen Lindsay (and if it wasn't this time, you should follow her anyway regardless)), but that is all I know for a fact.

Anyway, here's The Brainstormer by Andrew Bosley. Is it art? Is it a tool for writers who need to brainstorm ideas or plot points? Is it both? It doesn't matter, frankly... I just think it's cool and will keep you all busy all weekend!

Of possible interest...

Over at my other site, The Happy Accident, I've been yakking a bit about the idea of "branding" when it comes to authors. Or, perhaps NOT branding, as it's a word that rubs a lot of folks the wrong way AND is mighty hard to define anyway.

But for all you authors and illustrators (and maybe even bloggers), whether you like the word 'brand' or not, there are some real opportunities... and pitfalls, too... that you can take advantage of. It's a choice, but ignoring options because you don't like the terminology doesn't seem like a good approach to me.

I'd be curious to hear what you have to say, particularly when it comes to the various suggestions we all seem to hear that we HAVE to be out there helping out books sell. Or is that just a rumor after all?

Packing books. PACKING?!?!?! Again??!!!!

Another school year is coming to an end... and once again, we're moving chunks of our library. A couple thousand books will need to be boxed and moved... then unpacked... then other boxes packed up and moved elsewhere. Sigh.

Five years ago, at one point, I'd vowed never to move another box of books for the school. Currently, I have three boxes here at home that have to be brought in to the library, so you can see how well I've done on that pledge! Still, it's all worth it.

Except for the packing and moving, that is.

I'll be talking about this more as the summer goes on, I imagine, but the newest task our all volunteer library committee has is to start a middle school library. Yeah, that's right. Start another library. For middle school. From scratch.

Any ideas appreciated. Any books are, too. ( And, as always, a hat tip to all of you have sent books over the years (I can almost always cover media mail postage, by the way!). And if you've got a lot of middle grade lying around, be sure to get in touch!

Meanwhile... I'll be packing. Gah!

Go hither and thither....

I actually went thither (to Orlando for the SCBWI Florida Mid Year Conference, where I had the pleasure of presenting with Ed Masessa, author and Scholastic Book Fair guy, and Cynthia Leitich Smith, author and blogger extraordinaire), but in this case I actually mean I've got a few links for ya.

Over at Publishers Weekly's Shelf Talker blog, Elizabeth Bluemle has a thoughtful, action-oriented piece called The Elephant in the Room, all about diversity (or the lack thereof) in publishing. It's a good read... and important, too.

And then, to keep ya busy, over at her Writers Digest blog, Jane Friedman posts links to the articles from the first half of 2010 that she thinks all writers should read. They are gooooooood. I think you should read them, too :-)

Middle Grade Fabooness!

How cool! 26 middle grade authors have teamed up to launch a blog all about middle grade novels. And what a title - From the Mixed-up Files of Middle Grade Authors.

They say they'll be offering up booklists and interviews and behind-the-scenes glimpses and giveaways and more. Doesn't that sound great? Well, it does to this middle-grade loving author and reader, anyway. Go on over and check it out!

An early summer (blog) vacation

It's gonna be quiet around here for a week or so. You have been warned!

May your early June be wonderful....

A Familiar Lament :-)

Another video for your pleasure, sure to be a hit with any author who's done a bookstore signing - Parnell Hall's Signing in the Waldenbooks (which I found courtesy of the talented and generous Sarah Laurenson):

The "Where's Greg?" Edition

Like Waldo, I've been flitting around from landscape to landscape... though I do not have a camera, a key, a dog, or wizards along with me. It's been fun and adventurous (well, sorta)... but unfortunately, one place I haven't been found much is right here. Ahhh, to be cloned!

One thing I've been doing on my journeys is starting to mull a year-end read-aloud. It's been a fabulous year, and I'd love to end it with a bang. If you know of any brilliant picture book to read to a slew of 2nd-3rd graders to finish off the library year, I hope you'll let me know.

Off to the next picture....

Worlds Collide... and Humor Happens

What happens when one of my favorite groups, Improv Everywhere, teams up with the wonderful New York Public Library? Good things!

When Do You Know?

We had an interesting conversation during #kidlitchat last night about how you know when you've written or read a "winner" of a manuscript. Is it hook? Voice? Something else?

My take on reading from agents, editors, and fellow writers is that there's really an emotional reaction of some sort that lets you know - you want to tell everyone about it; writing scenes makes you laugh or cry (as appropriate!); your characters have a life of their own and you like spending time with them; you miss your subway stop to keep reading. There's also a difference between thinking you've written something fantastic and getting validation from others that proves the point - validation that usually produces an emotional reaction!

It was interesting for me, as I don't know that I'd ever spent time thinking about the question before, and it's hard to come up with a concrete answer. It really is kinda "I'll know it when I see it" situation.


You can find all the #kidlitchat transcripts here (including last night's, May 18th). I found it really interesting to see the different perspectives of what would let you know. And feel free to add yours to the mix, here, too!

Foods That Scare - a scary food poem, a lunch poem

This poem first appeared here at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup, where it looks fabulous! The same post has a recipe of my grandmother's and some quite entertaining comments. You should go see it. I repost the poem here just cuz I can.

Foods That Scare
by
Gregory K.

Beware of foods with names like "hash."
You can't know what's put in it.
And still don't trust a succotash
If you see the cook begin it.
Have fear of soups if they contain
Mysterious cooked greens.
Also have most great disdain
Of salads called "Five Beans."
A casserole can hide so much.
It's quite a frightening thing.
If there's one food you should not touch,
It's Chicken ala King.
Everybody knows that gruel
Is not a food to munch.
All this is why, when you're in school,
Be sure to bring your lunch.


This week's Poetry Friday roundup is also over at Jama's Alphabet Soup. My word, her posts are so scrumptious it's almost cruel. Go check it out!

And... if you want to get all my new poems (and only the poems) emailed to you for freeee as they hit the blog, enter your email address in the box below then click subscribe!

Cutting Libraries?

I no longer recall where I saw that image first, but you can get it here, and use it under a creative commons license if you'd like. I agree with the sentiments, I must say....

Book Report on the Thesaurus - a homework poem/a thesaurus poem

Book Report on the Thesaurus
by
Gregory K.

Words? There were lots, very many, a ton.
Plot? There was zero, zilch, zip, nada, none.
I found it enjoyable, likable, fun...
But was glad when it finished, completed, was done.


I'd call this poem a companion (or partner or kissing cousin or... or... or) to my poem Book Report on the Dictionary. What can I say? Reference books inspire me....

This week's Poetry Friday roundup is over at Random Noodling. Head on over and see what else is going on poetically today (including Fibonacci poems by some talented kindergarteners).

And... if you want to get all my new poems (and only the poems) emailed to you for freeee as they hit the blog, enter your email address in the box below then click subscribe!

Collecting

When I was a kid, I collected a lot of different things - baseball cards, bottle caps, buttons (the kind with slogans on them, not clothing buttons), and stamps among them.

Now, here I am as an adult, and I realize that the only thing I seem to be collecting is poetry books. Okay... maybe I'm just accumulating them, rather than truly collecting (it's not curated nor do I ever try to trade for missing titles). Still, the increase over the years is noticeable.

Here's where being a volunteer librarian is great, however - I get to share my collections. And, I'd like to think, new collections will be borne from it. But if not, hey, I'm a happy guy anyway.

And you? Been collecting these days?

Poetry (and the web) = Family Finders?

I hope you've all seen Susan Taylor Brown's post How poetry, Google, and Craigslist helped me find the family I never knew I had. It's a wonderful read about the power of poetry and the web and without a doubt my favorite National Poetry Month story.

The word "wow" comes up a lot in the comments over there. For once, I think it's deserved.

Go on over and check it out. I predict you'll be glad you did!

Thirty Poets/One Day - The 2010 Wrap Up

Sigh. Once again, 30 Poets/30 Days has come to an end. Still, it's been a great month here, so no regrets.

Now, just for fun, here's a review of all the previously unpublished poetry we saw during April:

Alice Schertle - Triolets That Trouble My Sleep
Joseph Bruchac - Bear Path
Laura Purdie Salas - Anaconda
Calef Brown - Re: Me
Carole Boston Weatherford - Move Out!
Jorge Argueta - Cancion De Mango/Mango Song
Susan Marie Swanson - Wonders
Ralph Fletcher - Weeds
Alan Katz - Ch-ch-ch-check, Please
Carmen T. Bernier-Grand - Dancing Fingers
Charles Waters - I Love Being Me
Kathi Appelt - The Ouija
Kurt Cyrus - The Big Snore
Arthur A. Levine - These rules are here for your protection
Eileen Spinelli - Praying Mantis
Bobbi Katz - Lesson
James Carter - Clouds Like Us
Elaine Magliaro - Things To Do If You Are King Kong
David L. Harrison - Lookit!
Brad Bogart - Personification
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer - Cousins of Clouds
Heidi Mordhorst - Smaller Than I Thought
Charles R. Smith, Jr. - I Speak
Georgia Heard - Ars Poetica
George Ella Lyon - Trying to Get Out of My Tree
Jacqueline Woodson - One of the Many Stories
Graham Denton - Sounds Delightful
Francisco X. Alarcón - Listen/Escucha
Liz Garton Scanlon - Reflecting
Walter Dean Myers - Walking

There are many people to thank in regards to 30 Poets/30 Days, but I'll try to be brief. First off, I must thank the generosity of this year's 30 poets - without them, you'd've seen 30 blank pages! I tip my hat again to last year's 30 poets for making the event possible at all, as well as for their suggestions, encouragement, and support this year, too. Truly, the children's literature community never ceases to amaze.

I want to give a shout-out to the amazing bloggers of the Kidlitosphere for their enthusiasm and talent. What an amazing bunch! To Bonnie Adamson for the logos and the extra #kidlitchat support this month? You rock! To all the folks who linked here or tweeted about the project or the poems or used Facebook or left comments... I tip my virtual hat to you once more. And finally... to all of you who read and shared the poetry this month, yay!

I think I can speak for everyone on this year and last year's list when I say that poetry is a year round thing, not just April. I look forward to more poems and poets here in the months ahead... and I hope you stick around. More will be coming soon, but now? Now, I gotta book.

Walter Dean Myers - Walking

Walking
by
Walter Dean Myers

How come my feet know how to meet
The sidewalk as I walk?
          “Because of your brain, my love.”
How come my lips don’t ever slip
As I begin to talk?
          “Your lovely brain, my pet”
How come my knees fly through the breeze
As I race along?
          “Did I mention your B-R-A-I-N?”
How come my ears know what to hear
When I listen to a song?
          “They’re connected to your brain!”
How come my eyes can judge the size
Of everything they see?
          “Your brain, dummy!”
How come my wrists know how to twist
A knob or turn a key?
          “BRAIN! BRAIN! BRAIN! Use it!”
And how come my belly button just sits there in the middle of my stomach without doing one little bit of work, gets these little lint things in it, and feels funny if I touch it?

          “Err…beats me.”

© Walter Dean Myers. All rights reserved.

---

Walter Dean Myers has won five (FIVE!!!) Coretta Scott King Awards, had a pair of Newbery Honor books, won the very first Michael L. Printz award, and won YALSA's Margaret A. Edwards Award, an award which recognizes an author's body of work, back in 1994... and just look at what he's done since! He writes fiction, non-fiction, novels, picture books and poetry. And as if he doesn't do enough for children's literature by himself, he's a character in and one of his poems is central to Sharon Creech's Love That Dog, which I mention here in part because 1) it is why in my head he is often "Mr. Walter Dean Myers" and 2) I can link you to the fabulous video of him, Sharon Creech, Sarah Weeks, and Avi performing Love That Dog.

For me, Walking is a wonderful way to close out this month of poetry here at GottaBook. It's fun, adds up to more than you expect, shows those skills great poets have of capturing a voice and putting a fresh spin on a situation, and, well, it makes me laugh. Plus, I love the seeing the brain get its due... though I do wish the poem offered an answer to the final question because it's always flummoxed me, too! Ah well. Even though he didn't give us the answer, I am totally thrilled to have Walter Dean Myers here to bring the 2010 edition of 30 Poets/30 Days to a close.

It's Poetry Friday (a year round tradition!), so why not head on over to Great Kid Books for the roundup of poetry related posts?

Yesterday brought us Reflecting by Liz Garton Scanlon. Tomorrow... a final wrap up.