Nancy I. Sanders's Blog, page 32

NF PB Journey

Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue

by Robert Burleigh

Art by Wendell Minor

Published by Charlesbridge

I just have to say right up front that this is one of the most beautiful children’s books I’ve read. The tender story of this gentle giant accompanied by the beautiful and sensitive paintings makes this a treasure you want to share with children again and again.

And I know I’m not alone in my opinion. Our local library, who normally owns 1 or 2 copies of any given picture book, owns 13 copies of this gem in its collection!!! Stats like that should make our author’s ears perk up to want to dig into this title…what makes this book so special?

It’s the story of a humpback whale who gets trapped in fishing nets. Based on a true story, the informative text is accompanied by helpful and engaging back matter, too.

This book is definitely worthy of choosing as a mentor text if you want to write nonfiction/informative text picture books for Charlesbridge.

Here’s my rubric I filled out on it! CLICK HERE to get your own blank rubric to fill out for this book and nonfiction titles you read.

Filed under: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Uncategorized

Faith Building Fridays: Your Shepherd

I have not run away from being your shepherd.

-Jeremiah 17:16, NIV

Being a writer is like being a shepherd. Through the words we write, we guide and encourage and care for God’s sheep. Yet some days, we don’t feel like writing. We want to run off and do other things. On days like this, even if we don’t “feel” like it, let’s renew our commitment to write for God. Let’s sit down at our computer and fasten our seatbelt so we stay there and work on the manuscript He is calling us to write. Then we, too, can echo Jeremiah’s words and experience renewed joy and purpose.

Dear God, strengthen me to complete the tasks You call me to do as Your scribe. Give me purpose, direction, and a tender heart for Your sheep. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Filed under: Faith-building Fridays, Inspiration, Uncategorized

NF PB Journey

CLOTHESLINE CLUES TO JOBS PEOPLE DO

by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook

Art by Andy Robert Davies

I’ve been reading oodles of nonfiction and fiction picture books published recently by Charlesbridge. If you’ve been following along with my leisurely journey to target Charelsbridge as a potential publisher, I hope you are too.

 

I’ve been listing them in my A-Z journal I’ve made for a reading log of Charlesbridge titles. And now I have my favorites! Today and in upcoming posts I’m going to share the rubric I’ve filled out for the ones that are tops in my opinion.

 

The first book is CLOTHESLINE CLUES TO JOBS PEOPLE DO. This is an informational book. I used the NF Picture Book Rubric even though in the art it has a fictional story arc. The text is all about community helpers and their jobs so this rubric fit better, I felt, even though it’s not straight nonfiction.

 

I absolutely love this book. It’s simple yet so effective to engage  young readers in a very interactive way as they learn about community helpers. Plus, to extend the learning beyond the book I could just see teachers hanging a clothesline in their room and changing the different outfits hanging on it to have kids guess which community helper they would discuss each day!

Filed under: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Uncategorized

Faith Building Fridays: Worship

The God whom we serve is able…

But even if He doesn’t, we will still worship Him!

-paraphrased from Daniel 3: 16-18

God is able to get our manuscripts accepted by editors and published. He is able! But even if He doesn’t, we will still worship Him. He has important reasons for having our manuscripts accepted or rejected. These reasons are trustworthy. They affect us today as well as His entire kingdom for eternity.

Dear God, we praise you for whatever You choose to do with our manuscripts. We choose to obey Your call to write. You will do the rest. You are able! Amen.

Filed under: Faith-building Fridays, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Faith Building Fridays: Fishermen

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

-Matthew 4:19-20, NKJV

The journey of writing is a journey of being made into fishers of men. With each manuscript we write, each conference we attend, each rejection we receive, each publication we achieve, and each critique group we participate in, we are being shaped and molded by the Master’s hand so that we can best draw lost souls into the Kingdom of God. Each accomplishment or frustration we experience has its eternal purpose in our lives as we’re learning to catch fish in our heavenly nets. Whether it’s in writing recipes for a kid’s magazine, puzzles, blog posts, picture books, Bible stories, or nonfiction for the educational market, God is teaching us how to fish. If he hands you a fishhook on a pole and gives you a rowboat, rejoice and fish for all you’re worth! If he invites you on a yacht to go deep-sea fishing, rejoice and go for the prize! He has fish in different waters for each one of us to catch.

Dear God, I yield to your teaching. I offer myself to your use. I am following you. Make me a fisher of men! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Filed under: Faith-building Fridays, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Faith Building Fridays: Prosper

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners,

or join in with scoffers.

But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants;

day and night they think about his law.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season without fail.

Their leaves never wither,

and in all they do, they prosper.

-Psalm 1:1-3, NLT

The secret to prospering as a writer is not about measuring our success by the world’s standards. It’s all about measuring our success by God’s standards. Have you ever looked closely at a tree? It’s not a world traveler and nobody sees it except those who pass by. A tree stays right in one spot day after day and is considered prosperous if it bears the fruit it’s supposed to bear. A successful writer is one who sits down day after day at the computer, typing the words we’re called to write, delighting to do what God wants us to do, meditating on His Word as we write for His glory.

Dear God, my heart’s desire is to write the words You put on my heart. It truly doesn’t matter if I’m successful in the world’s eyes, as long as I know I’m prospering by bearing the fruit and completing the manuscripts you have called me to write. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Filed under: Faith-building Fridays, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Frederick Douglass for Kids: Nonfiction Sale!

SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE!

I’m excited to announce that from today (Thursday) through Sunday, January 31, my book FREDERICK DOUGLAS FOR KIDS is for sale for a whopping low price of just $4.24!

CLICK HERE to order your own copies. No minimum and no maximum!

With Black History Month just around the corner, this book is a great classroom and school library resource. It’s also amazing for homeschoolers as it has 21 hands-on, historically-based activities from the life and times of this great American hero.

Want to learn more about the book? CLICK HERE to read a book review on the site of the Pioneer Woman!

Want the free teacher resources to use this book with your kids? CLICK HERE to visit the book’s official website where you’ll find a free teacher’s guide and more.

I have to rank this book with one of my all-time favorites that I ever wrote. Studying and writing about this amazing man inspired me and motivated me as a person, as an American, and as a writer in so many ways. Frederick Douglass is truly an amazing American hero and inspirational role model for our kids.

CLICK HERE to order your own copies at this great, great savings. But hurry! This amazing sale ends on Sunday.

 

Filed under: African American History for Kids, Frederick Douglass for Kids, Homeschooling, Nonfiction, Uncategorized

NF PB Journey: STEM Books

What is STEM? Is it a plant? Is it an animal? Is it a machine?!!!!!

It’s an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

As writers of nonfiction picture books, it’s important we learn about picture books that support STEM classroom learning.

And guess what? Charlesbridge has a very handy list of their titles that support STEM!

CLICK HERE to see the list. While you’re at it, print it out like I did and add it to your writer’s notebook files you’re collecting on Charlesbridge.

Plus, go ahead and order in oodles of these titles from your local library. Then read them! Then list them in your reading log. And evaluate your favorites using your Nonfiction Picture Book Rubric (see the previous post here on my blog for a link to the free download.)

This is all part of what I do when I study a publisher. And this is all part of what I’m doing to target Charlesbridge. You can do these activities, too, if you want to follow along!

Filed under: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Uncategorized

Book Review: Parable Treasury

Parable Treasury

by Liz Curtis Higgs

Art by Nancy Munger

Bestselling favorite Parable books bring fun throughout the year in this new four-books-in-one format.

With more than 1.1 million units sold in the Parable Series, Liz Curtis Higgs has given parents and kids alike beloved parables they can read throughout the year. This adorable compilation, Parable Treasury, allows families to get all their favorite stories in one value-packed book.

For nearly twenty years, Liz Curtis Higgs has made the holidays a little brighter throughout the year with her Parable Series. In a lovely padded hardcover format, the Gold Medallion–winning books from the Parable Series will include:

The Pumpkin Patch Parable, which focuses on the harvest season and shows that we can let God’s love shine through us

The Pine Tree Parable, a heartwarming tale of the farmer and his family, who nurture tiny seedlings into fragrant Christmas trees

The Parable of the Lily, which helps children understand the power of grace and forgiveness and the true meaning of Easter

The Sunflower Parable, which helps children discover the value of planting seeds, not only in the ground but also in the hearts of those around us

With simplicity and creative storytelling, this is sure to be a family favorite.

Summary

This 117-page oversized book with its soft padded cover contains all four parable stories to read aloud with young children and celebrate Easter, Summer, Harvest, and Christmas. In the Easter story, Maggie is given a special gift by her father, the farmer. She’s disappointed in the box of dirt with the flower bulb and eventually tosses it out the cellar door and forgets about it. When it grows and blossoms into a beautiful lily, however, she asks her father to forgive her for not appreciating his gift. He gently reminds her that forgiveness is what Easter is all about.

In the sunflower parable, Logan helps his father plant sunflower seeds and is very excited to see them grow to be the tallest in the garden. But when they bow their heads and are done growing, he is disappointed that they didn’t last longer. When the birds come to carry away the seeds, however, he realizes that the seeds will bless many, many people.

In the pumpkin parable, the gospel message is shared in a simple way as the farmer cleans out the slimy seeds and throws them away, then lights a candle inside to share the joy of its smiling face with everyone who sees.

In the pine tree parable, a family who can’t afford a Christmas tree is given one for free in a tender story about the farmer and his wife selling Christmas trees from their tree farm each year.

What I Like

These four precious stories have been repackaged into this one volume set. Each story is told in a simple way so young children can understand them. At the bottom of most pages a Scripture verse is included. This is helpful to share with little children and talk about what each part of each of the parables means. The illustrations are warm and delightful, making this a nice addition to a family’s collection of holiday books. A treasure for young and old alike.

 

 

-Thanks, BookLook Bloggers for another wonderful free book in exchange for my honest review!

Filed under: Book Review, Uncategorized

NF PB Journey: Picture Book Rubric

If you’ve been following along here on my blog, you know that right now we’re exploring Charlesbridge, especially their nonfiction picture books. (CLICK HERE if you want to start at the very first post about this journey.)

When I read over picture books, I like to read them for pleasure. But then I also like to study them and analyze them and try to understand what works and what doesn’t.

To help me evaluate my favorite Charlesbridge published nonfiction picture books, I developed a picture book rubric that I fill out. It’s amazing how filling in this rubric helps me then write and self-edit my own picture book manuscripts to make them shine!

To download a copy of your very own NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK RUBRIC, visit the site of my writing buddies, Writing According to Humphrey and Friends. Click on the link for the NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK RUBRIC, download it, print it out and add it to your personal writer’s notebook. This will really help you keep track of the books you’ve read.

Here’s how to fill in the rubric:

* At the top, rate the nonfiction picture book. A 5 star rating means it’s tops and definitely a book you want to study and use as a mentor text to help write and improve your own manuscripts.

* Fill in the title of the book so you can file these rubrics alphabetically in your writer’s notebook.

* Write down the author’s and illustrator’s name so that you can look for more picture books by your favorite writer or artist. If your book doesn’t have an illustrator because it uses photographs instead, either note this here or just leave blank.

* Include the date of the copyright as well as the name the copyright is under. A more current date, especially within the last 2 years, means that it’s a good indication of what is being published in today’s current market for picture books. If the copyright is under the author’s name, that means the rights belong to an author and was probably offered a royalty-based contract. If the copyright is under the publisher’s name, that means the rights belong to the publisher and the author was probably paid a one time fee.

* Be sure to write down the publisher and list any awards you know of. (If you are using this rubric for a book by a different publisher than Charlesbridge, you can visit the publisher’s website and explore their site for potential book ideas to submit to them.)

* On the top right ,write down the date you read the picture book.

* Include a short summary inside the box. Practice writing a 1-sentence summary of each picture book you read and it will help when you’re writing a pitch for your own nonfiction picture book manuscript!

*Opening Page: The opening page often works with the cover in a picture book, so answer Y for yes or N for no for each item on the list to note if it is accomplished in either the cover or opening page.

* Main Topic: The main topic is very important in a nonfiction picture book. Learn to evaluate how the author develops the this.

*Structure/Plot: Some nonfiction picture books have predictable plots such as So You Want to Be President which includes lists of different presidents. Others use a story arc that has a set up, a conflicting middle, and a resolution. Some editors prefer one type of structure/plot over another. Evaluate the type your story has to better understand Charlesbridge’s (or the particular publisher you are targeting) likes and dislikes.

*Craft: Study the craft and techniques the author used and mark your observations here. If a story is commercial, it means it could have toys or other products to sell with it.

For the optional section, feel free to write your evaluation on the back to have more room. Identify the book’s universal theme, or underlying theme that every kid can identify with such as losing a first tooth or moving to a new house. You can also jot down any thoughts you want to remember about this book.

Filed under: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Uncategorized