Mitali Perkins's Blog, page 21

Primary Source Celebrates Global Education

I was delighted to be part of Primary Source 's honorary committee at their annual Gala for Global Education , which took place at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts last Friday evening. For those who don't know about this organization and their exciting work with teachers, here's their "about us" statement:

Primary Source promotes history and humanities education by connecting
educators to people and cultures throughout the world. In partnership
with teachers, scholars, and the broader community, Primary Source
provides learning opportunities and curriculum resources for K-12
educators. By introducing global content, Primary Source shapes the way
teachers and students learn, so that their knowledge is deeper and their
thinking is flexible and open to inquiry.

At the Gala, Director Julia de la Torre gave an inspiring talk about the value of exposing educators to the world through travel and books. During a recent Primary Source trip to rural China, she was struck by the fact that teachers never travel alone, but "always bring their students along with them."



Librarian Jennifer Hanson has pulled together an incredible collection of resources and curriculum guides , coordinates global reads of children's and YA literature, and spearheaded the




President and Publisher Brent Farmer came to show how my friends at Charlesbridge Publishing are behind me.



Long-time Brookline teacher Marcy Prager and her husband Robert are firm believers in global education.



Power librarian couple Ryan (Assistant Director of the Newton Free Library) and Jennifer (Primary Source's Librarian) Hanson enjoyed the wonderful evening.



My husband is always proud of me, and the feeling is mutual.

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Seven Dialogue Busters in Kid/YA Fiction

Last Saturday, I was honored to repeat a talk I gave on dialogue at the New England Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Spring Conference . Jo Knowles, Cindy Faughnan, Karen Day, Mark Peter Hughes and I were invited to be part of Encore 2012 , a one-day reprise of some of the workshops at the conference.



My job was to help us spruce up our dialogue, and I reviewed seven problems I see often in my own first drafts, giving examples of the opposite by reading aloud excerpts from some of my favorite books. Here's a summary of the "dialogue busters," as I call them (I promised I'd post them here on my blog), and writers who exemplify the better way:


Annoying Ascriptions (Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy). 
Abounding Adverbs (Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian).
Badly-placed Beats. (Edward Eager's Half-Magic).
Random Reactions (L.M. Montgomery's Jane of Lantern Hill).
Pesky Pauses (Laurie Halse Anderson's Prom).
Disturbing Dialect (Maud Hart Lovelace's Emily of Deep Valley).
Irritating Information (Louisa May Alcott's Eight Cousins).



I left inspired by the other presenters and eager participants to dig into my own revision of Tiger Boy, coming in 2014 from Charlesbridge (revision due very, very soon).

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I'm a Girl Scouts Storyteller!

When the Girl Scouts asked about my stories, here's what I had to say:




Girl Scouts Storytellers Series: Mitali Perkins from Lexan Rosser on Vimeo.

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DEAR TEEN ME: Authors Write Letters To Our Teen Selves

I'm delighted to be a contributor to DEAR TEEN ME , an anthology of letters to the younger versions of many young adult authors. The book is edited by Miranda Kenneally and E. Kristin Anderson and is available this month from Zest books.  The blog tour to spread the word begins today, and 138 bloggers will chime in with their opinions about the book. Check out one of three trailers featuring the authors' words of wisdom (my Bollywood-esque head move is somewhere in there):

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Malala: The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword

Malala Yousafzai
student, writer, freedom fighter

When I got up I was very happy knowing that I will go to school today. At school some girls were wearing uniform whereas others were in casual clothes. During assembly girls looked extremely happy and were hugging each other.

After assembly the headmistress advised us to cover ourselves properly and wear the burqa because it is a condition put by the Taleban.

This entry is from the BBC Diary of Pakistani Schoolgirl , written by Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year old living in Swat, Pakistan.

According to the BBC:

Private schools in Pakistan's troubled north-western Swat district have been ordered to close in a Taleban edict banning girls' education. Militants seeking to impose their austere interpretation of Sharia law have destroyed about 150 schools in the past year. Five more were blown up despite a government pledge to safeguard education, it was reported on Monday. A seventh grade schoolgirl from Swat chronicles how the ban has affected her and her classmates.

To my horror, I heard this morning that the Taleban tried to execute this brave writer . Would you join me in praying for Malala? Don't miss this short video to catch a glimpse of her courage:








For ideas about how to support writers like Malala, fighting for freedom with the power of words, visit Freedom to Write at PEN America.

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Literary Lights For Children | Boston Public Library

Yesterday I was delighted to be one of four authors invited to attend the Associates of the Boston Public Library's 2012 Literary Lights For Children tea party. Each author (Kevin Hawkes, Christopher Paolini, Gary Schmidt, and myself) was introduced by a Boston middle schooler, and asked to speak about how we became readers and writers. My host was a dapper, delightful 8th-grader from Chelsea:







The Bates Reading Room in the Boston Public Library was packed (photo courtesy of Newton South High School's Denebola newspaper staff):












Host and emcee Gregory Maguire (WICKED) and his daughter were there to cheer us on:








I spoke second, and here's my introduction and talk, again courtesy of the Newton South High School Denebola newspaper staff (my bit starts about halfway through):














What a marvelous event, encouraging and uplifting, and in such a beautiful venue—a must-see if you visit Boston. Thanks to the Associates, to Charlesbridge (my publisher) for donating books, and to all who attended.

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Jane Addams Children's Book Award Award Ceremony

The Jane Addams Peace Association and

the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

invite you to the




Jane Addams
Children's Book Award

59th
Annual Award Ceremony




Friday, October 19th at 2:30 PM

New York City

777 United Nations Plaza (2nd Floor)
on the corner
of 44th St. and 1st Ave. 




Join us for a memorable afternoon of award
presentation and responses by authors and illustrators.  Come meet and talk with the honored guests,
including Award winners Winifred Conkling, Susan L. Roth, and Cindy Trumbore
and honorees Anna Grossnickle Hines, Calvin Alexander Ramsey, John Holyfield,
Bettye Stroud, Kadir Nelson, and Thannha Lai. Enjoy a reception, hosted by The
Hastings Peace and Justice Fund, and an opportunity for book signing after
formal presentation of the awards. All the award books will be available for
purchase.




This event is free and open to
all.

Reservations are not
needed.  Please come and enjoy!




The Award Winners

Sylvia and Aki by Winifred Conkling, Tricycle Press, an imprint of Random House
is the winner in the Books for Older Children category. The
Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families written by Susan
L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore with collages by Susan L. Roth, published
by Lee & Low is the winner in the Books for
Younger Children category.




The Honor Books

Heart and Soul:
The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson,
published by Baltzer &
Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins, and Inside Out and Back Again
by Thanhha Lai, Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins are
honor books for Older Children. Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend by
Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud and illustrated by John Holyfield,
published by Candlewick Press and Peaceful
Pieces: Poems and Quilts About Peace by Anna Grossnickle Hines, published
by Macmillan, an imprint of Henry Holt, are honor
books for Younger Children

      

        




  

For additional information about the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards
and a complete list of books honored since 1953, see www.janeaddamspeace.org  For more information about the
Award event, contact JAPA Executive Director Linda B. Belle, 777 United Nations
Plaza, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017-3521; 212-682-8830; japa@igc.org.

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On The Radio With Jarrett J. Krosoczka!

I'm on The Book Report with JJK at SIRIUS XM'S KiDS Place LiVE this Thursday 9/27 at 5:40 p.m. ET / 2:40 p.m. PT. And in real life as in the cartoon he drew below, my head IS twice as wide as Jarrett's! Now I have to get a pair of green pumps and an orange necklace.

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Book Launch Parties for Reluctant Authors

Several writer buddies have asked lately if I think in-real-life launch parties are worth it in a virtual age. If you're about to celebrate the publication of your first (or second or third) book, should you throw a book launch party for friends, fans, and family members? 



I'm a huge social media fan, but there's still no better way to invite people into your stories than to appear in person. You spread the word about the book through press coverage and social media, creating a ripple effect around each event. You support and encourage the indie booksellers who faithfully support and encourage our books.



How many events should you plan?



Admittedly, launch parties are a lot of work. Thankfully, publishers and booksellers share the work load, but the ball is in the author's court. I'm fundamentally an introvert, like many writers, and the experience of being in the limelight is draining. That's why I usually aim for only one party per book, but try to schedule a West Coast launch and an East Coast launch—places where I know people.



Do you plan the party for young readers or for the adults who usually show up?



I cherish the teen and tween young readers who set aside time to come to these events. I know how busy they are. But I also see each launch as a chance to nurture a community of adults who care about those young readers. More and more adults are reading YA books. They want good storytelling imbued with hope, and they're turning to our genre to find it. At my parties, I welcome both the young and the young at soul.



One key is to tell a couple of interesting stories behind the story so attendees feel privy to an inside scoop and invest in some book-appropriate, inexpensive giveaways. For Bamboo People, for example, I gave away bamboo bookmarks I'd picked up in a Thai market. For Monsoon Summer, I bought a bunch of incense sticks from our local Indian grocery and handed those out. Brainstorm ideas for your book with a buddy or two.



How can social media help pull everything together?



These tools are superb ways to gather a story-hungry circle around the fire. On Facebook, I take the time to sort my friends into geographical lists and target my invites that way, trying to make them as individualized as possible. On Twitter, I find folks in the area outside my writing circles who might be interested in the subject matter of the book and invite them to attend via a personalized tweet.



Even if not many people show up, don't be discouraged. Ask someone to take photos so that you can multiply the event by posting them on twitter, facebook, pinterest, and your blog if you have one. In fact, that's the key to seeing the event's publicity potential—understanding the multiplication effect of getting the word out about your book, first by invitations and announcements, then via the press and your delightful bookstore host, and lastly through social media's tags and share functions.



The bottom line, though, is that a launch party is a celebration of your book. By planning and hosting the event, you underline your pride and joy in this story as you send it out to readers. Bon Voyage, new book!






Authors Laya Steinberg (THESAURUS REX) and Karen Day (A MILLION MILES FROM BOSTON) celebrate the publication of Karen's NO CREAM PUFFS at Wellesley Booksmith.


Other questions? Ask them below, or share your favorite tips for successful book launch parties.

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Boston Public Library's Literary Lights for Children 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Bates Reading Room, Central Library, Copley Square




The Associates of the Boston Public Library is pleased to invite you
to the fourteenth annual Literary Lights for Children tea party on
Sunday, September 30th in the beautiful Bates Reading Room of the Boston
Public Library. The 2012 honorees are:












Kevin Hawkes


Christopher Paolini


Mitali Perkins


Gary Schmidt




Books illustrated by

Kevin Hawkes


Books by

Christopher Paolini


Books by

Mitali Perkins


Books by

Gary Schmidt





"Literary Lights for Children" seeks to raise awareness of
children's literature, promote literacy, honor children's authors, and
raise money for the Boston Public Library's children's services and
collections. Students selected from Boston area schools introduce and
present the awards to each of the honored authors. The honorees then
discuss their writing careers and share their love of books with the
audience of over 400 children and adults. Tea refreshments are served.







to the Literary Lights Tea Party



Immediately following the tea party, there will be a book
signing session. Books will be available for sale, or children are
welcome to bring their own books. The book sales & signing portion of the program is free and open to the public.





See past Literary Lights for Children honorees



For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Associates Office at:



Associates of the Boston Public Library

700 Boylston Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Phone: 617-536-3886

Fax: 617-536-3813

Email: associates@bpl.org

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