Debbie Ridpath Ohi's Blog, page 42
July 19, 2016
Are you an introvert who finds it hard to network? I posted some tips at KidLitArtists.com
I have a new post up on the Kidlitartists.com blog with tips for introverts who are attending the upcoming SCBWI Summer Conference in LA, but the post has useful info for any introvert nervous about networking.
July 17, 2016
Nerds, Books, Education & Literacy: nErDcamp recap posts #nerdcampmi
I had a fabulous time at nErDcamp, and will post more about my experience after I've had a chance to catch up with work. What a wonderful community! As author Ruth Spiro said, sometimes making a new friend is like meeting an old friend.
[image error]With nerdy pals Jason Lewis, Lesley Burnap and Melissa Guerrette.Thank you SO much to Colby and Alaina Sharp and the rest of the Nerdy team for all their hard work, as well as Nerdcamp sponsors. I'm especially grateful to Suzanne Stuart Gibbs, who helped me get the Mitzi Tulane keepsakes organized for the Nerdy Dinner, and Leah Calloway Whitford and her son Jack for their help with my Nerd Camp Jr sessions. I also so appreciate the car rides between the airport, hotel, Nerd Camp and other venues: fervent thanks to Lesley Burnap, Jess Keating and her husband Justin (aka "The Nerdy Photographer") and Ruth Spiro.
With Melanie Golding, Amy Ralph, Jess Keating and Ruth Spiro.
I've posted my 2016 nErDcamp photos on Facebook, and you can also browse the official Nerd Camp photos from Justin, the Nerdy Photographer (a.k.a. "Mr. Jess Keating"). If you're not already, do follow The Nerdy Book Club blog as well as well their Facebook page and Twitter acct for year-round inspiring posts about kidlit/YA. For info about nErDcamp, see this page as their FB page and Twitter account. A note to those who have been admiring the nErDcamp logo: the artist is Laurie Keller, a wonderful Michigan author-illustrator.
In celebration of the launch of MITZI TULANE PRESCHOOL DETECTIVE in WHAT'S THAT SMELL? (author: Lauren McLaughlin, published by Random House Children) during nErDcamp and in thanks for all nErDcamp does, I hand-painted 500 keepsakes for those who attended the Nerdy Dinner:
People seemed to like them, yay!
I've been collecting nErDcamp 2016 blog posts and recaps, am listing them below. If you see any that I'm missing, please let me know and I'll add them!
(Last updated July 17, 2016 6:00 PM)
Kelly Barnhill - In Which I Take A Hiatus From The Hiatus In Order To Talk About Nerd Camp
Jenn Bishop - Getting nerdy in Michigan
Kathy Burnette - NerdCampMI - Recap
Victoria J. Coe - ILA & nErD Camp 2016!
Melanie Conklin - A nERdcampMI Wrap-up!
Ann DiBella - A Weird and Perfect Tribe
Melissa Guerrette - Five Things I'm Celebrating About nErDcampMI
Teri Lesesne - Mind, Spirit, Heart
Margie Myers-Culver - For The Very First Time - Reflections On NerdCampMI 2016
Amy and Sarah Ralph: Two Nerdy Sisters Go To Michigan: Our Nerd Camp Journey, Part 1
Katherine Sokolowski - NerdCampMI 2016
The handmade "nerd" charm in the photo above now hangs above my desk (thanks to Alaina Sharp!), where it will help inspire me throughout the year and remind me of the magic that was nErDCAMP 2016.
THANK YOU, NERDCAMP!
July 14, 2016
July 9, 2016
Story behind the dedication page in MITZI TULANE, PRESCHOOL DETECTIVE
The first MITZI TULANE, PRESCHOOL DETECTIVE picture book launches next Tuesday from Random House Children's! Here's some insider info from the dedication page: mine is for my mom, who died of cancer when I was in my 20s. We didn't have a ton of money when we were growing up, and Mom sewed a lot of our clothes. One of the reasons I love compartmentalized food is because TV dinners were always a treat for us when we were kids (and the little kid part of my brain still regards them as a luxury).
For my birthday, Mom would usually make birthday cake from a Betty Crocker mix, letting me choose what flavour I wanted; I almost always chose chocolate. Thing is, those cakes were WONDERFUL even if they came from a mix, and later on I came to realize that I loved Mom's cakes not so much because of how they tasted, but of the love that went into them. My mom was still alive when I quit my programmer/analyst job to pursue freelance writing but died before any of my books got published. I think she would have been so happy to see this book come out.
Lauren's dedication is to her daughter Addie, who helped inspire the book. Read Lauren's Nerdy Book Club piece about diversity and transracial adoptive families and also how she wrote Mitzi Tulane, Preschool Detective.
July 8, 2016
Free creative brainstorming templates for picture book writers and illustrators
Reminder: For those of you who are writing and/or illustrating children's picture books: Feel free to download and use my picture book thumbnail templates during your early brainstorming.
July 7, 2016
July 5, 2016
Poetry for kids, poetry resources for teachers
Last year, I discovered that I've been pronouncing the "poem" incorrectly all my life (!!!). I was pronouncing it as ONE syllable, which made me use it incorrectly in a haiku. I've fixed it now as well as my pronunciation.
I've updated the poem on my Poetry For Kids page, which includes poetry teaching resources.
July 4, 2016
#BookADay: HOW TO OUTFOX YOUR FRIENDS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE by Jess Keating (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky)
#BookADay: HOW TO OUTFOX YOUR FRIENDS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE by Jess Keating ( Sourcebooks Jabberwocky). I'm a fan of Jess's "My Life Is A Zoo" series for middle grade, and this third book in series totally lived up to the first two - I *lovelovelove* the main character's fresh, funny voice: clever without being mean-sarcastic, smart and quirky and original.
There were SO many moments throughout this book where I thought, "dear lord, I so remember feeling EXACTLY LIKE THAT when I was that age."
Plus: because the main character begins volunteering in a Wildlife Rescue Center (the author's first job was at a wildlife rehabilitation center and she has a master's degree in animal science), the reader gets to find out all kinds of fascinating animal facts. In my case, I was especially interested in the scene where Ana learns how to take care of a baby skunk since Jeff and I currently have backyard baby skunk issues.
Plus: as the starred review in Kirkus points out, this story is "a sweet reminder that being a middle school girl is about far more than boys and makeup."
Jess, by the way, was one of the very first authors to attend Nerd Camp; I found out about the latter from her reports. She is also an amazing presenter; I watched her in action at Telling Tales last year. She has also started a series of videos called "Write With Jess Keating" for young writers.
Visit Jess Keating's site to find out more about her books.
"Jess's MY LIFE IS A ZOO series follows the hilarious and heartfelt adventures of a 12-year-old girl who lives in a zoo with her zoologist parents, twin brother, and a host of scaly and feathered creatures. Contains loads of laughs, embarrassing moments, and animal poop."
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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts.
#BookADay: RED, WHITE, AND BOOM! by Lee Wardlaw and Huy Voun Lee (Henry Holt)
#BookADay: RED, WHITE AND BOOM written by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated with amazing cut paper collage by Huy Voun Lee (Henry Holt).
From a starred review in School Library Journal: “Independence Day is brought to jubilant life in this striking picture book…simple, rhyming language rich in sensory imagery…rich in texture and beautiful patterns, the intricate collages depict a multicultural, multigenerational mosaic of people who gather in various ways to commemorate our nation’s founding freedoms…this title is made to order for the summer story hour crowd as well as quiet lapsits under a shady tree.”
More info about the book on the author's website.
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More info: Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge | Archives of my #BookADay posts.
