David Macinnis Gill's Blog: Thunderchikin Reads, page 2

Cynsations: Guest Interview: Lin Oliver on the Global Future of Children’s Literature

“We want all children to see themselves reflected in literature,” says Lin Lover of SCBWI. Cynsations is wrapping up its Bologna coverage with this interview about the future of kidlit and the industry.

We want all children to see themselves reflected in literature.

Source: Cynsations: Guest Interview: Lin Oliver on the Global Future of Children’s Literature

New Blog: Wild Things

The MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts has announced a new blog, Home – Wild Things. The blog showcases “not only awards and publications, but what it’s like to be part of the VCFA community, and to recognize the other achievements of our alumni, students, and faculty in the field of children’s literature.”

Take a look and see what’s going on with the finest MFA program on the planet.

Link: Home – Wild Things

Dark Deep ARCS at BEA

[image error]The most anticipated (by me) new middle grades series of the year, The Dark Deep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs, debuts at BEA. I’m a huge fan of both writers (their audiobooks literally got me through marathon training and the race itself), and after a tiny peek at an early draft, I’ve been dying (hyperbole) to see how the first in the series ends. So if you’re going to be at BEA on May 31, grab an ARC, and get a signature. But no spoilers!

Dialogue Tips from a Goldilocks Planet by Dean Gloster

Dean Gloster, author of the YA novel Dessert First, is an excellent writer and funny has hell (read his books–hell is funny). He’s posted an article with tips for dialogue that will make you go hmmm.

“Help!” Dialogue mechanics—how we present dialogue on the page—make it clear who is speaking without pulling us out of the story world. How do we do that? The effort to present lively, clear dialog…

Source: Dialogue Tips from a Goldilocks Planet by Dean Gloster

Olga Tokarczuk Takes the 2018 Man Booker International Prize Winner

Not everything gets lost in translation:

The 2018 Man Booker International Prize Winner is FLIGHTS by Olga Tokarczuk, translated from the Polish by Jennifer Croft. The £50,000 prize, which celebrates the finest works of translated fiction from around the world, has been divided equally between the author and translator.

Source: Announcing the 2018 Man Booker International Prize Winner

6 Picture Books: Castles in the Sand | SLJ Spotlight | School Library Journal

Ready for summer? To feel the sand between your toes?

How about sand between the pages? These beachy summer picture books will start your vacation early.

Nothing says summer like an outing to the beach. Sun-kissed hours spent swimming and splashing in the surf, exploring tidepools, picnicking or napping under an umbrella, hunting for shells, and, of

Source: 6 Picture Books: Castles in the Sand | SLJ Spotlight | School Library Journal

Cynsations: Guest Interview: Editor Emma Ledbetter & Writer Zoë Armstrong on Picture Books & SCBWI’s Bologna Manuscript Contest

A great interview about the very fun Dueling Illustrators contest at Bologna each year, as well as the manuscript contest it launched.

Source: Cynsations: Guest Interview: Editor Emma Ledbetter & Writer Zoë Armstrong on Picture Books & SCBWI’s Bologna Manuscript Contest

Join Jane for Business of Writing Workshops in New York, San Francisco, and Ohio | Jane Friedman

Money. How much writers make and how much they spend and how much they pay in taxes. The topic is either taboo in the publishing industry, or writers are genetically pre-disposed to ignore the details and reality of what every writing career is–a small business. Jane Friedman wrote a great book, The Business of Being a Writer, that is a good place to start for both newly published and the veteran authors. If you’re near one of these places, her workshops on building a business model would be worth the time.

I’ve created half-day and full-day workshops to teach the key principles of building a business model as a writer. Here are upcoming events so far this year.

Source: Join Me for Business of Writing Workshops in New York, San Francisco, and Ohio | Jane Friedman

Random House Children’s to Publish Book by Parkland Students

Looking forward to reading this when it comes out. It’s a rare chance for kids to get to tell their stories in in their own voices.

Crown Books for Young Readers will publish an anthology by and about students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Source: Random House Children’s to Publish Book by Parkland Students

Tributes Pour In for Richard Peck | School Library Journal

Richard Peck was one of the first writers I met when I joined the YA community in 1996. We spoke many times over the next couple of decades, and he was always as he was the first time we met–gracious, kind, witty, and welcoming. To say he will be missed is an understatement. If you never knew him as a person, there’s still the chance to know him as a writer. Psst. They’re pretty much the same thing.

There was an outpouring of love and sadness from the children’s publishing community when word spread Thursday morning that author Richard Peck had died at age 84. The two-time Newbery Medal winner

Source: Tributes Pour In for Richard Peck | School Library Journal