Kate Messner's Blog, page 3
June 17, 2013
Introducing the Summer 2013 Teachers Write Guest Authors!
One of my favorite things about Teachers Write is that it gives me the opportunity to introduce some of my favorite people (teachers & librarians!) to some of my other favorite people (children’s and YA authors!).
When you join Teachers Write, you’re signing up to be part of a writing community, and all summer long on this blog, you’ll have the chance to talk with people like me (I’m Kate, by the way, in case you were stumbling around and found yourself here. I write books for kids and host this online summer camp), Gae Polisner of Friday Feedback fame, and Monday Morning Warm-Up guru Jo Knowles, as well as a whole bunch of kind, smart, funny guest authors. We’re all volunteers, so please check out our websites and support our books by asking for them at your local bookstores and libraries, reading them, and sharing the ones you like. Here’s our author list for Summer 2013!
Some of these folks will be sharing mini-lessons on Mondays, others will be offering quite-write prompts on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and some will be answering your questions for Q and A Wednesdays. While these are the “official” guest authors, I have to admit that I also have some surprises planned for various Fridays, and many other authors drop by to chat and answer questions even if they haven’t committed to visit on a particular day.
If you’re a teacher or librarian and you’d like to join us, you can sign up here! We’ll be starting with our first Mini-Lesson Monday on June 24th!
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Gearing Up for Teachers Write 2013!
Starting a week from today, this blog will be hosting Teachers Write, an online summer writing camp for teachers and librarians from all over the world. I’m too excited about this to sit still, so I thought we’d have a quick preview post today – think of itas the official Teacehrs Write warm-up!
If you’re a teacher or librarian and you’d like to learn more (and maybe join us this summer!) you can click here to learn more. And the sign-up page is here.
Today, to get us ready for next week, I’d like to address two big questions that have come up from teachers who have heard about the program but feel a little hesitant about diving in.
Question 1: How do you find the time to write? I’d love to do this, but I’m busy, even in the summer months.
Answer: I’ve always found the idea of “finding time” to be kind of misleading, as if you can poke around in the garden and come up with an extra couple of hours a day if you look hard enough. The truth is, you don’t find time to write; you have to make it. And you make it by choosing to spend a little time each day – maybe just 15 minutes – writing, instead of doing something else. That something else that you give up might be one television show, or fifteen minutes of sleep, or (gasp!) time on Facebook or Twitter. You have to choose to make that writing time. It’s worth doing if writing is something you really want to do. I posted about this last year on Teachers Write, and you can read more of my thoughts here. Writer John Scalzi also wrote on this topic – in a blog post that is the rougher-language, tougher-love version of mine. Not really suitable to share with kids, but great if you really want a kick in the pants – it’s here.
Question 2: I’d like to do this writing thing, but I’m kind of afraid.
Answer: Yeah…me, too. Still. Every time I start a new book. I don’t have a magic answer for this one, other than to tell you that you’re not alone. Writing can be scary, but in the best possible way. Here’s a 2012 Teachers Write post about Writing Scared, and I also recommend this book – ART AND FEAR. But mostly, I recommend that if you want to write, you write. We’re all in this together, and we’ll be cheering you on if you do.
Now…what other questions do you have? Fire away in comments – or just take the plunge, sign up for Teachers Write, and join us next Monday.
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June 11, 2013
Announcing Teachers Write 2013!
It’s almost time!
Teachers Write! is an online virtual summer writing camp for teachers and librarians who understand how important it is for people teaching writing to walk the walk. If you’re a teacher or librarian who would love to work on your own writing, we’d love to have you join us. If you already know about Teachers Write, you can go straight to the sign-up form. Otherwise, read on…
Here’s how it all works:
Primary Location: www.katemessner.com/blog (Post Category: TeachersWrite) New posts will be shared each weekday morning, and you can check in whenever it’s convenient.
Dates: June 24th – August 16th
Schedule:
Schedule is kind of an ugly word for summer, isn’t it? So let’s call this the plan-of-the-day instead. Feel free to participate in whatever floats your boat and skip the rest.
Mini-Lesson Mondays: Mondays will feature a mini-lesson on writing craft or logistics (how to make time has been a big question already!). I’ll share a workshop-style lesson with ideas, tips, and examples, and then there will be something to work on during the week. Or not. You can also just bookmark it for later. It’s summer, after all.
Monday Morning Warm-Up: Hosted by author Jo Knowles, this features a weekly warm-up to get you started after teh weekend!
Tuesday Quick-Write: Tuesdays will feature a writing prompt that can be used to brainstorm new ideas or deepen your thinking on the project you’re working on now.
Wednesday Q and A: Ever wished you could just pick an author’s brain about how they do it? Each Wednesday, we’ll have a post where anyone can ask questions about writing . I’ll answer, along with an awesome panel of author friends who come to visit.
Thursday Quick-Write: Like Tuesdays, Thursdays will feature a writing prompt that can be used to brainstorm new ideas or deepen your thinking on the project you’re working on now.
Friday Writing Happy Hour: We’re heading over to visit author Gae Polisner at her blog every Friday. She’ll be hosting a Feedback Friday there, so stop by to share your work & offer feedback to others.
Friday Bonus: There will be some Friday surprises, too. Book giveaways, special guests, photos of bullfrogs…it’s hard to say.
Sunday Check-In: Weekends are for recharging, spending time with family and friends…and that includes online writing friends, too! Amazing teacher-writer Jen Vincent is having a weekend get-together on her blog, Teach Mentor Texts. Jen will be hosting an online writing group there. Each Sunday, she’ll be sharing reflections on her journey as a teacher who writes and encouraging others along the way. Think of it as a support group for writers, and head over there on Sundays to talk about goals, progress, struggles, and more.
Beyond these daily posts, you can expect the occasional surprise along the way – guest posts and some book giveaways for your classroom libraries, because teachers & librarians who write are worth celebrating.
Teachers Write! Virtual Summer Writing Camp Q and A
Who can join?
This writing camp is for teachers and librarians who work with kids of any age in any capacity. I’d ask that the Q and A and feedback requests be limited to them and the published authors who agree to help out, so the people who are working with kids get plenty of attention when it comes to mentoring and feedback. If you’re not a teacher or librarian, you’re still more than welcome to follow the posts and do the writing.
What does it cost?
It’s free. You’ll see that on the sign-up page, we’re asking that you buy a couple books to support the work of the authors who organize, if you can. Otherwise, there’s no cost at all. If you’re a teacher or librarian who’s found this, you’ve probably put a lot of my books in a lot of kids’ hands already, or nominated them for state award lists, or reviewed them online, or purchased copies for your library. I’m thankful for all of those things– and this seemed like a fun way to say so. Our guest authors you’ll meet along the way are volunteering their time for the same reasons — because we appreciate teachers & librarians and value the work that you do. Please support all of their books when you can.
Umm…I followed a link on Twitter and ended up here. Who are you, exactly?
Oh, hi! I’m Kate. I write books for kids of all ages, and I wrote a book about revision for teachers. I was a middle school English teacher for a long time and will never really get that out of my system. You can explore my website links to learn more. My favorite things are my family, being outside, reading, writing, and chocolate. All that should help you decide if you’d like to hang out here for the summer or not. I’m friendly, I promise.
What if I’m brand new at this whole writing thing?
Then the Teachers Write! Virtual Summer Writing Camp is especially for you. Welcome. You don’t need a license or a creative writing degree or permission from anyone to be a writer. All you need is the desire to write. Beginners and experienced writers are all welcome. Don’t worry… you can go at your own pace and only share what you want to share. If you’re happier lurking as a stealth writing camp member, that’s okay, too.
So will you respond to our questions and give us feedback?
Yes. But be patient with me, okay? I have three writing deadlines and some book travel this summer and marshmallows to roast, too, so it may take me a while for me to approve and reply to all the comments sometimes. The good news is that this camp can run quite nicely even if I’m away. Daily posts will be scheduled, and all of you can cheer one another on and provide feedback. Our guest authors will be around to help with that, too.
What if I can’t start until later? And what if I’ll be on vacation the last week of July?
That’s fine. Sign up. Join us when you can. Take breaks whenever you like. We’ll keep your lemonade cold while you’re away.
How do I sign up?
You click here and fill out the form. You are welcome to sign up for camp at ANY time during the summer, even if you miss the first weeks.
If you tweet about writing camp along the way, please use the hashtag #TeachersWrite to help facilitate the conversation on Twitter.
If you’re on Facebook, you may also want to join the TeachersWrite! group there so you can connect with other members & receive notifications. Just go here & click on the “Join Group” button on the top right of the page. It may take me a day or so to approve your membership, but then you’ll be able to see all the members & links.
Got Questions?
Fire away in the comments – and watch for an exciting list of Teachers Write! guest authors soon!
Note: 1st-time commenters on this blog need to be approved, so don’t worry if your question or sign-up comment doesn’t appear right away. I promise to get to them all within a day or two.
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June 9, 2013
A Great Day with Loudonville, NY Readers!
As an author, sometimes you walk into a school and know right away it’s your kind of place. Loudonville Elementary was one of those schools. And what a welcome they had prepared! Look what greeted me when I walked into the library!
Seeing book-inspired art created by young readers is one of my favorite things about school visits! We were so busy in Loudonville, talking books and reading and writing, that I didn’t actually get to take any photos during my presentations with the kids. But I did get the chance to snap a picture of some of their friends…
Before my first presentation, I made a special visit to the morning kindergarten class to read them a story. They were the first-ever real-life kids to hear me read my upcoming picture book, SEA MONSTER AND THE BOSSYFISH, and it was so much fun! After I left their classroom, I heard they’d gone outside to hang out with their ducks. Turns out they’d raised baby ducks from eggs, and the ducks were just getting bigger, wanting to explore their world a bit. I had a chance to sneak outside and spend a little time with them, too, before my workshops started!
The ducks were a little nervous…but the kids at Loudonville were all super-friendly. And great readers, too! Many thanks, Loudonville Elementary staff and students, for an amazing day at your school!
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June 8, 2013
Thank you, Cobbles Elementary!
I’ve been knee deep in book deadlines and a secret research trip for an upcoming project, too, but I can’t let another day go by without saying a BIG thank you to the staff and students of Cobbles Elementary School in Penfield, NY, where I spent a magical day with readers a couple weeks ago.This was an extra-special visit because it’s the school where my sister-in-law Linda teaches.
Marty McGuire’s teacher, Mrs. Aloi, is named for Linda. The students at Cobbles loved hearing about that!
Here I am with the ORIGINAL Mrs. Aloi!
In addition to giving presentations for the K-5 students here, I got to spend lunchtime with some terrific book club readers who came with lots of questions!
The library staff at Cobbles has a wonderful tradition – visiting authors sign a leaf on this amazing quilt.
This school has had so many great visitors that choosing a tree-neighbor was a tough decision, but ultimately, I choose a leaf next to Bruce Coville.
I’ve read his Magic Shop series out loud to both my students and my own kids, and I always notice something new and wonderful when I read. Bruce also spoke at the very first children’s writing conference I ever attended, so getting to sign a leaf next to his was a pretty neat moment for me.
Thank you, Cobbles Elementary kids & staff, for making my day at your school such a special one!
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June 7, 2013
KidLit Cares Signed Book Winners – and Thanks!
Many, many thanks to EVERYONE who donated to KidLit Cares for Oklahoma! Together, we raised more than $3000.00 for Red Cross Disaster Relief, to be used where it’s so urgently needed right now.
And I have some great news! Thanks to the generosity of all the authors who offered up books in the spirit of this donation drive. we have a signed book as a thank you gift for every single person who donated! If you’re one of the people who donated during our window and you emailed me your receipt, I’ll be getting in touch via email to get an address for your signed book. And…if you’d like to make any requests (MG, YA, or picture book – or even if you want to toss out a few titles you’d love), I’ll see what I can do. Obviously, I can’t maeke promises about specific books, but I can do my best to match you with a title you’ll love.
Our GRAND PRIZE WINNERS ARE:
Bob Forbes (who made the highest donation & will receive his choice of the thank you gifts!) , Samantha Cote and Nikki Lofton – who will each receive one of the other two thank you packages.
OTHER WINNERS OF SIGNED BOOKS:
If you’re one of the other winners (that’s you if you donated at least $10 and emailed me your receipt!) you can actually go ahead and email kidlitcares@gmail.com right now with the following information:
1. Your mailing address (must be a U.S. address) where you’d like the book sent
2. Any requests – if you’d like to list your top five titles, or a genre or something like that. Again – I can’t make promises, but I’ll do my best. You can see the list of donated books here.
3. If you’d like the book signed TO someone – and the donor was the author – let me know to whom you’d like it signed, too.
Thanks again to everyone who helped out!
~Kate
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May 28, 2013
Summer Reading Support for Oklahoma
Author friends… Many of you have donated to the Red Cross and/or donated signed books for our KidLitCares for Oklahoma donation drive, so first of all…thanks! Some of you also wanted to know about sending books to Oklahoma to help libraries and schools affectd by the recent EF5 tornado. Here’s an update on that.
Aerial view of damage – photo via OK National Guard
The Moore Public Library was very close to the storm’s path but was not damaged, which means the library is an amazing resource and sanctuary for displaced families right now. They say they do not need books for the library at this point, but they would LOVE to have some signed books to give away to kids enrolled in their summer reading program. There is not a need for used books or large-scale donations but if any author/illustrator friends would like to send a signed book or two, perhaps with a quick message of hope and support, that would be welcome and wonderful. I’m sending along signed copies of HIDE AND SEEK and SUGAR AND ICE.
The Pioneer Library System will collect the books & drive them to Moore to be put directly into kids’ hands. Any extra books will be shared with teachers who need to replenish their classroom libraries.
Here’s the address:
Pioneer Library SystemAttn: Kate Lyon1210 McGee DriveNorman, OK 73072 Again – this is an invitation for authors & illustrators to send signed books that you’d like to see distributed to kids in the Summer Reading Program. Please do NOT send boxes of used books or other large-scale donations at this time. If there’s a need for that down the road (and there may well be as schools prepare to rebuild), that will be a separate effort..
May 21, 2013
Let’s help… KidLitCares for Oklahoma
Yesterday, while I was talking about books and writing with an amazing group of 4th and 5th graders in Western New York, another group of elementary school students took shelter in their school, clinging to walls, huddling in the protective arms of their teachers as a tornado swept through their city. Later on, I saw the rescue crews on the news, and my heart ached for all of those families.
I spent time in the Oklahoma City area when I was researching my weather thriller, Eye of the Storm, and the people were so welcoming and wonderful. Those of us who weren’t in the storm’s path may be in a position to help now. So here’s a chance to do that.
Instead of pulling together an auction like we did to benefit the SuperStorm Sandy KidLitCares relief effort, I thought we’d try something faster, because Oklahoma needs help right now, given the magnitude of damage from this week’s EF5 tornado. Please consider making a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Effort now. If you donate at least $10, I’ll enter you in a drawing to win a signed book.
I’m donating some of my books, and some other authors are doing the same – not because a book giveaway is the real reason to make this donation but because it’s a way for the children’s literature community to promote the effort and say thanks to those who decide to donate. I’m hoping that we can also donate signed books to the library system that serves families affected by the tornado, either to add to their collections or to distribute to displaced families. More on that when things settle down some…but here’s the KidLitCares Donation Drive information.
To be entered in the KidLitCares for Oklahoma Book Giveaway:
Click here and make a donation of at least $10 for American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Ideally, you’ll do this now. Like, right now. But if you want to be entered for the book drawing, be sure to do it before 12pm EST on June 7th. I’ll enter your name in the drawing once for each $10 you donate. So a $50 donation equals five chances to win.
You’ll receive an email receipt from the Red Cross. Forward that receipt to kidlitcares@gmail.com, and you’ll automatically be entered in the drawing for one of our donated signed books! You can see an ever-updating list of donated signed books below!
On June 7th, I’ll draw names for as many books as we have donated. I’ll contact you via email if you win so that you can provide a mailing address for the author to mail your signed book. Because our authors are donating postage, books can be mailed to US addresses only. (Sorry!) Again – the deadline is 12pm EST on June 7th.
Authors: If you’d like to donate a signed book as a Donation Drive Giveaway, please email kidlitcares@gmail.com and I’ll send you a link to the donation page. Thanks!
Agents and Editors: If you’d like to donate a signed book by one of your authors or clients, that’s great, too. Email kidlitcares@gmail.com and I’ll send you that link, too.
Readers: Please help us spread the word about KidLitCares for Oklahoma by sharing this link on Twitter, Facebook and wherever else you have friends!
http://www.katemessner.com/lets-help-kidlitcares-for-oklahoma/
Here’s the list of books that have already been donated and will be given away on June 7th…
(It will grow…and I will try my best to keep up with it…please be patient! New books will be added daily.)
HIDE AND SEEK by Kate Messner
THE REINVENTION OF EDISON THOMAS by Jacqueline Houtman
SIRENS by Janet Fox
BIGGER THAN A BREADBOX by Laurel Snyder
PASSING THE MUSIC DOWN by Sarah Sullivan
SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE by Joanne Levy
1 ZANY ZOO by Lori Degman
THE GENTLEMAN BUG by Julian Hector
TRADING FACES by Julie DeVillers and Jennifer Roy
BEDEVILED: DADDY’S LITTLE ANGEL by Shani Petroff
HOUNDS: LOYAL HUNTING COMPANIONS by Becky Levine
THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY by Nikki Loftin
SPLISH SPLASH! by Naomi Davis
COUNTING ON GRACE by Elizabeth Winthrop
THE GOLLYWHOPPER GAMES by Jody Feldman
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May 17, 2013
Thank you: An Open Letter to Sharon Creech
Dear Ms. Creech,
This is a thank you note mixed with a confession. Read on, and you’ll understand.
First, I have to say that I loved your talk at the New England SCBWI Conference and was thrilled to finally meet you in person.
So thank you for that. But that’s only part of the thank you. Before I get to the rest, I have to do the confession part.
So…you know that poem you have on your website? The one that explains to teachers why you can’t accept any more invitations for school visits this year? It starts like this:
My phone is ringing
and the fax is going
and sometimes I am sick
(I hope you are not sick!)
and my car needs fixing
and I have to go
to the grocery store
and do the laundry
and clean up messes
and I am supposed to be
writing a new book
which takes a lot of time
to think about and
to write all those little words…
(The rest of Sharon’s why-I-can’t-visit poem is here, for those of you who are not Sharon and don’t know how it goes.)
You might not remember this, but a whole bunch of years ago – maybe nine or ten – you got an email from a teacher begging you to requesting that you consider making an exception to your no-more-school-visits-this-year policy. It was written as a poem, too, because she thought you might like that, and she figured it was worth a try. She doesn’t have that exact poem any more, but it went something like this.
We know that you are busyAnswering your phoneAnd buying foodand doing laundryand sneezing(Bless you)And writing books we adore..But we love-love-love those books so muchAnd wondered if you might sneak awayTo visit us anyway.It would just be for a day,And then you could go backTo your grocery-shoppingLaundry-doing, phone answering, sneezing life(Bless you)To write more magical storiesFor us all to love.
That teacher figured it was a long shot. (She used to be a reporter and understood all about deadlines.) But your poem inspired her poem, just like that, and before she knew it, she’d gone and hit the send button.
Your schedule was too busy to visit. (She figured it would be.) But you made time to write back. You told her you loved her poem, that it made you smile.
And that made her whole teacher-day.
That teacher was me.
And that explains why I had to sit down when you tweeted this picture last week, saying you found your book in good company at the bookstore. There’s your book on the left, and beside it, Grace Lin’s book, and then mine. Roald Dahl and Karen Cushman are there, too, just for good measure.
Thanks for making my day. Again.
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May 8, 2013
Vermont’s Dorothy Canfield Fisher Conference 2013
Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be one of the two keynote speakers for Vermont’s annual Dorothy Canfield Fisher Conference, a full day celebration of books and reading. When this invitation landed in my email a while back, I have to admit that I did a little happy-dance. First, because Vermont teachers and librarians are some of the nicest, funniest, most dedicated people you’ll ever meet. And second, because the other keynote speaker was Barbara O’Connor. I left home at the crack of dawn so I’d arrive in time for Barbara’s morning talk, and it was so worth it. She talked about realistic fiction for kids. How real should it be? Barbara’s keynote was funny and thoughtful and got me thinking about my own writing, too.
Barbara and I have chatted back and forth on Twitter and Facebook for years, but this was the first time we’d ever met in person, unless you count 20 seconds on an escalator once. I was at a big conference –NCTE or IRA or something like that — and heading up the escalator to one of my sessions, when I saw Barbara on the other side of the railing on the down escalator. “Barbara, hi!” I called and waved wildly in the way that only true author-stalkers wave. Barbara waved back and said hi but now claims to have no recollection of this. So we’ve decided to call this our first meeting.
One of my favorite things about this conference is the number of kids who are invited to present sessions alongside their teachers and librarians. I was sad that I didn’t get to sit in on all their sessions, but I did catch a glimpse of some Camels Hump Middle School students giving book talks to tables full of teachers and librarians. They all handled themselves so beautifully, and it was clear that when you love books, there really are no age boundaries. We’re all just book people.
Another happy conference moment came when I had time to look through the books on next year’s DCF List. That’s Vermont’s Children’s Choice Award, and the nominations this year include many of my favorite titles from 2013. Seeing friends’ books on display at a conference is always fun — like spotting the actual friends through a crowd of people — so I couldn’t resist snapping a photo.
Many thanks, Vermont teachers and librarians, for such a wonderful, warm welcome at this year’s DCF conference. I loved spending the day celebrating stories with all of you!
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