Augusta Scattergood's Blog, page 36
February 20, 2014
And the winner of OPHELIA is...
Megan Goode-Since I don't know Megan, I hope she sees this and the book will be in the mail!
Here's the original post:
http://ascattergood.blogspot.com/2014/02/ophelia-and-marvelous-boy-giveaway.html
February 19, 2014
Seen on a Bumper Sticker
At my local fish market parking lot just now.
February 17, 2014
Hello, Como!
What a great week I had visiting north Mississippi.
Yes, it was cold (though, thankfully, I missed most of the ice and snow). But I saw old friends, ate well --too well-- and had some amazing experiences.
Here we are in pictures and links!
GLORY BE was picked as an ALL COMO READS book,
which meant I got to be a part of the remarkable programming to commemorate
Freedom Summer, 1964, in Panola County, Mississippi.
Luckily, I got to town the day before my talk and was able to attend the panel of former civil rights workers from the county. They'd registered voters in 1964 and were back to talk about their experiences. Quite an evening that left me and their audience thinking hard.
Two of the civil rights workers chatting with my host and brother-in-law. Note the photography exhibit that lined the walls of the Como Library.
The program ended with this fabulous professional musician leading us in Freedom Songs.
To share the week properly, I first should go back to this summer, when librarian Alice Pierotti helped me and NPR's Back Seat Book Club out, big time. When I was invited to be inteviewed for that amazing show, the producer asked if I knew any kid readers she could include in the broadcast. Yikes!
It was summer, all my school connections were unavailable. But I remembered one super librarian who'd loved GLORY BE. Alice didn't hesitate. She organized a group of Como Braniac kids, planned a listening party, and has continued to support my book.
Thanks, Alice!
Fast forward to February, 2014.
And here I am with two of the original Como Braniacs!
A local school librarian and several teachers came. Some brought their students. I loved it when one budding author told me they had a club at school and read lots of books and did all sorts of other fun things. "Some of the kids think we're nerds," she said. "We are and we don't care what they think."
She plans to be a writer. Probably soon!
I loved these kids and their questions.
It was all overseen by this talented young man and his cameras. He was everywhere! Doing everything!
Another favorite moment of the evening was chatting with this young teacher. Anda Weaver's entire class had read GLORY BE. My only disappointment was that there wasn't time for me to visit her school. I am going to try very hard to get back and thank those kids for reading.
Another enthusiastic teacher with lots of questions about writing. I predict we'll hear more from Precious Pirage!
My talk was about how authors' choose their characters, how they develop and refine them, often starting with real people.
It was really an excuse to use some pictures I love.
And share a few stories about writing GLORY BE.
Football Letterman, 1964.
Majorettes! Jesslyn's summer goal= Twirl a Fire Baton!
One of my favorite librarians, 1960s. Part of the "Delta Mafia" of librarians who stood up for their librarians and their library patrons. Miss Bloom followed in their footsteps.
If you're still reading, thanks. Since you're probably on blog overload, I'll save some of my pictures from the rest of the week. But truly, there's nothing like going home.
Yes, it was cold (though, thankfully, I missed most of the ice and snow). But I saw old friends, ate well --too well-- and had some amazing experiences.
Here we are in pictures and links!
GLORY BE was picked as an ALL COMO READS book,
which meant I got to be a part of the remarkable programming to commemorate
Freedom Summer, 1964, in Panola County, Mississippi.
Luckily, I got to town the day before my talk and was able to attend the panel of former civil rights workers from the county. They'd registered voters in 1964 and were back to talk about their experiences. Quite an evening that left me and their audience thinking hard.
Two of the civil rights workers chatting with my host and brother-in-law. Note the photography exhibit that lined the walls of the Como Library.
The program ended with this fabulous professional musician leading us in Freedom Songs.
To share the week properly, I first should go back to this summer, when librarian Alice Pierotti helped me and NPR's Back Seat Book Club out, big time. When I was invited to be inteviewed for that amazing show, the producer asked if I knew any kid readers she could include in the broadcast. Yikes!
It was summer, all my school connections were unavailable. But I remembered one super librarian who'd loved GLORY BE. Alice didn't hesitate. She organized a group of Como Braniac kids, planned a listening party, and has continued to support my book.
Thanks, Alice!
Fast forward to February, 2014.
And here I am with two of the original Como Braniacs!
A local school librarian and several teachers came. Some brought their students. I loved it when one budding author told me they had a club at school and read lots of books and did all sorts of other fun things. "Some of the kids think we're nerds," she said. "We are and we don't care what they think."She plans to be a writer. Probably soon!
I loved these kids and their questions.
It was all overseen by this talented young man and his cameras. He was everywhere! Doing everything!
Another favorite moment of the evening was chatting with this young teacher. Anda Weaver's entire class had read GLORY BE. My only disappointment was that there wasn't time for me to visit her school. I am going to try very hard to get back and thank those kids for reading.
Another enthusiastic teacher with lots of questions about writing. I predict we'll hear more from Precious Pirage!My talk was about how authors' choose their characters, how they develop and refine them, often starting with real people.
It was really an excuse to use some pictures I love.
And share a few stories about writing GLORY BE.
Football Letterman, 1964.
Majorettes! Jesslyn's summer goal= Twirl a Fire Baton!
One of my favorite librarians, 1960s. Part of the "Delta Mafia" of librarians who stood up for their librarians and their library patrons. Miss Bloom followed in their footsteps.If you're still reading, thanks. Since you're probably on blog overload, I'll save some of my pictures from the rest of the week. But truly, there's nothing like going home.
February 14, 2014
Happy Valentine's Day!
My quote for the day:
"Always take your heart to work."
(Meryl Streep)
(Me.)
"Always take your heart to work."
(Meryl Streep)
(Me.)
February 13, 2014
OPHELIA and the MARVELOUS BOY- Giveaway!
To cheer up my frozen, snowed-in, chilly friends, I'm sending a little ray of Valentine sunshine your way and giving away my copy (Thanks, Knopf) of this brand new middle-grade novel.
Here's my review in the Christian Science Monitor.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2014/0131/Ophelia-and-the-Marvelous-Boy
Here's a little piece they published about the book and the story.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2014/0210/Hans-Christian-Andersen-s-The-Snow-Queen-inspires-Disney-and-a-children-s-author-video
And also, a great interview with author Karen Foxlee.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/60577-q-a-with-karen-foxlee.html
All you have to do is comment (by 2/20/14), here or on my Facebook posting of this link.
You can also share via Twitter and tag me: @ARScattergood.
Sorry, I can only mail to U.S. addresses.
Let's give this a week. Surely by then Spring will have sprung?
February 11, 2014
Thank you, Grady Elementary!
One of the joys of having your book on the state reading list for your own state is that you get to visit nearby schools and hear what they think. And of course, we all know that kids LOVE to tell the truth.
Tampa's GRADY ELEMENTARY was my most recent stop. Despite the rainy weather, I was welcomed in a BIG way! Check out the sign as I drove into the school.
All the teachers and the librarian were so enthusiastic and their students were delightful.
A huge image of my cover art adorned the library.
4th grade teachers Melinda Dickens and Charlene Ritter truly made my day. The projects were fabulous!
Here are a few FLOATS, based on the Sunshine Reader list books. They'd had their own book parade! (It's all about Gasparilla in Tampa.)
4th grade kids made Lap Books, fully illustrated.
Tons of great stuff in these projects, including a letter to the EDITOR standing up for something they believed in.
Check this one!
"Naps help our health and give us energy to do our work."
Smart thinking.
And the fun continued today when I opened a folder full of letters, thanking me for sharing my book's journey with them.
Must share a few of these detailed, thoughtful notes. I'm still smiling.
(Some great advice, too...)
"Keep revising and work hard."
Okay!
"I think it's really cool that you and your editor revised together.
I think my hand would fall off."
Yep, mine almost did.
"Now I know what Mrs. Ritter means by 'Our writing is never done!'"
Listen to your teachers, kids!
"As soon as your new book comes out I will surely be reading your newest master piece."
"Someday when I grow up I might write an autobiography and it might have your presentation in it."
"I loved your book. I'm pretty sure it was the BEST book I ever read."
Hey- I'll take Pretty Sure any day!
"I understood you like to read. I am a reading maniac as well. Now if you will excuse me, I have to do some reading myself."
On that note, I'm off to follow Jake's example and do a little reading myself.
Have a great week, teachers and librarians, and thanks for the amazing work you do to make kids so enthusiastic about books.
Tampa's GRADY ELEMENTARY was my most recent stop. Despite the rainy weather, I was welcomed in a BIG way! Check out the sign as I drove into the school.
All the teachers and the librarian were so enthusiastic and their students were delightful.
A huge image of my cover art adorned the library.
4th grade teachers Melinda Dickens and Charlene Ritter truly made my day. The projects were fabulous!Here are a few FLOATS, based on the Sunshine Reader list books. They'd had their own book parade! (It's all about Gasparilla in Tampa.)
4th grade kids made Lap Books, fully illustrated.
Tons of great stuff in these projects, including a letter to the EDITOR standing up for something they believed in.
Check this one!
"Naps help our health and give us energy to do our work."
Smart thinking.
And the fun continued today when I opened a folder full of letters, thanking me for sharing my book's journey with them.
Must share a few of these detailed, thoughtful notes. I'm still smiling.
(Some great advice, too...)
"Keep revising and work hard."
Okay!
"I think it's really cool that you and your editor revised together.
I think my hand would fall off."
Yep, mine almost did.
"Now I know what Mrs. Ritter means by 'Our writing is never done!'"
Listen to your teachers, kids!
"As soon as your new book comes out I will surely be reading your newest master piece."
"Someday when I grow up I might write an autobiography and it might have your presentation in it."
"I loved your book. I'm pretty sure it was the BEST book I ever read."
Hey- I'll take Pretty Sure any day!
"I understood you like to read. I am a reading maniac as well. Now if you will excuse me, I have to do some reading myself."
On that note, I'm off to follow Jake's example and do a little reading myself.
Have a great week, teachers and librarians, and thanks for the amazing work you do to make kids so enthusiastic about books.
February 8, 2014
Seen on a Bumper Sticker
(Can you tell I'm in the South?)
(Thanks, Mere!)
(Thanks, Mere!)
February 6, 2014
Creating Characters
Advice on making a character more likeable:They are kind when it counts. Not always, and maybe not mostly, but when it is important, the hero will do something kind. If nothing else he will adopt a dog, a common fictional device to salvage otherwise irredeemable heroes, which is called the Adopt A Dog Technique.
(Maybe that's what I need for my new manuscript-to-be. The ole' Adopt a Dog Technique...)
From a template to Write Your Novel:
http://www.authormagazine.org/articles/thayer_james_2009_12_16.htm
If you're contemplating characters, try this post I wrote a while back:
http://ascattergood.blogspot.com/2012/08/characters-we-love-to-hate.html
Can you tell I've been thinking about CHARACTERS a lot?
Can't wait to share my inspiration for Glory, Jesslyn, Robbie, Miss Bloom, et al, at the COMO LIBRARY tomorrow!
January 30, 2014
Como Mississippi Library Friday, Feb 7, at 4:30 ...
Como Mississippi Library Friday, Feb 7, at 4:30How Writers Choose Their Characters or More Precisely How Characters Choose Their Writers, Author’s talk and booksigning with Augusta Scattergood
I'm totally excited about this event. These are the great kids and their equally great librarian who jumped into action when the NPR BackSeat Book Club people called.
Here's a little from librarian Alice Pierotti's press release about Como Reads:
EMILY J. POINTER PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNOUNCES 2014 COMO READS
Inspiring our community to pick up a good book . . . attend a program, talk about the book with a
neighbor, create a community of readers!
Como, Miss., Jan. 24, 2014- Emily J. Pointer Public Library, a branch of the 5 county, 13-branch First Regional Library, announces its second annual community read! This year’s book selection is Glory Be, by Mississippi native Augusta Scattergood. 2014 Como Reads will culminate in a week’s worth (Feb 1-7, 2014) of programming exploring the book and a main theme of the book – civil rights in smalltown Mississippi, circa 1964.
January 28, 2014
Sharing the Fun
Last week I visited two great schools, full of enthusiastic readers. Both local, which is my favorite thing to do this wintry season.
Do you know what a charming little place DUNEDIN, Florida is?
(I've spent days wandering around Dunedin, visualizing a different, fictitious place for my next book. Hint: Dunedin and Destiny are a bit alike!)
When the librarian at Curtis Fundamental School in Dunedin contacted me way last summer inviting me to visit, her email was the very first I received after GLORY BE was selected for the Sunshine Readers list.
Who could resist an invitation with sentences like these:
Thank you for providing us with your historically accurate, beautifully written narrative about family and community support systems, and a very timely teaching tool! I know our students at Curtis would gain valuable knowledge and insight about the historical fiction writing process.
Of course I said yes. And now I have a new friend of my very favorite sort. Librarians who love books.
Her school has won the Battle of the Books trophy! Two years running!
I came home with flowers, Bridge Mix, and neat bookmarks, and I signed a big stack of books.
(Jennifer, a teacher with a whole bunch of stickies in her copy of Glory Be. Actually, many of the teachers, volunteers and especially librarian Jan Hager had read and prepared the students so well. Thank you Curtis Fundamental School!)
An Aside:Dunedin has a whole lot of Little Free Libraries.
I need to go back to see them.
Here's the link.
There's also a beautiful public library. Some of the Dunedin librarians came to visit and gave me this eye-catching necklace- It's a bookshelf!
Can't wait to wear it on my next school visit.
Earlier in the week I got to spend a little time with another Pinellas County school. Sutherland Elementary in Palm Harbor. Librarian Jackie Keller invited the special kids who'd read all the Battle of the Books books to a pizza party.
Wow. Impressive!
I shared my GLORY BE stickers.
These two turned theirs into a tiny book.
I loved hanging out with these clever kids!
(and the Godiva chocolate was nice, too...)
Do you know what a charming little place DUNEDIN, Florida is?
(I've spent days wandering around Dunedin, visualizing a different, fictitious place for my next book. Hint: Dunedin and Destiny are a bit alike!)
When the librarian at Curtis Fundamental School in Dunedin contacted me way last summer inviting me to visit, her email was the very first I received after GLORY BE was selected for the Sunshine Readers list.
Who could resist an invitation with sentences like these:
Thank you for providing us with your historically accurate, beautifully written narrative about family and community support systems, and a very timely teaching tool! I know our students at Curtis would gain valuable knowledge and insight about the historical fiction writing process.
Of course I said yes. And now I have a new friend of my very favorite sort. Librarians who love books.
Her school has won the Battle of the Books trophy! Two years running!
I came home with flowers, Bridge Mix, and neat bookmarks, and I signed a big stack of books.
(Jennifer, a teacher with a whole bunch of stickies in her copy of Glory Be. Actually, many of the teachers, volunteers and especially librarian Jan Hager had read and prepared the students so well. Thank you Curtis Fundamental School!)An Aside:Dunedin has a whole lot of Little Free Libraries.
I need to go back to see them.
Here's the link.
There's also a beautiful public library. Some of the Dunedin librarians came to visit and gave me this eye-catching necklace- It's a bookshelf!
Can't wait to wear it on my next school visit.
Earlier in the week I got to spend a little time with another Pinellas County school. Sutherland Elementary in Palm Harbor. Librarian Jackie Keller invited the special kids who'd read all the Battle of the Books books to a pizza party.
Wow. Impressive!
I shared my GLORY BE stickers.
These two turned theirs into a tiny book.
I loved hanging out with these clever kids!
(and the Godiva chocolate was nice, too...)
