Submit now for New Visions Award

Tu Books, an imprint of Lee& Low Books, a publisher well known for nurturing and supporting diverse books and authors, originated the New Visions Award in 2012. The award is given to a middle- grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by a writer of color. It's a fantastic chance for new authors of color to break into the world of publishing for young readers.

Submissions are being received now, for this year's award, up until October 31, 2014.


For guidelines and more information, please click here.

Katherine's nomination

A hearty, albeit belated, congratulations to Katherine Schlick Noe, whose middle-grade novel, Something to Hold (Clarion, 2011), was nominated for the 2015 Sasquatch Award by the Washington Library Media Association.  The nominees are selected by WLMA, and the winner will be chosen by young readers across the state.

Two of Our Illustrators in the Bulletin!

You should have received your July/August SCBWI Bulletin in the mail by now. Especially interesting is the well-written article on the shocking degree of - HEY WAIT A MINUTE! ANDY MUSSER AND COREY R TABOR HAVE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE! That's right, take a look on page 13 for Corey's illustration and then go take a look at his blog.

 


And THEN, look at the intro page and page 15 for Andy's illustration, followed by a look as his website.

 

And THEN, send them both big congrats for being such cool illustrators and representing Western Washington SCBWI! Way to go, guys!

Illustrators, plan now to get away!

It’s time to start planning for SCBWI Western Washington and SCBWI Oregon's exciting, brand-new joint Illustrators' Retreat, which will take place this October 3-5, 2014, at the beautiful Dumas Bay Centre in Federal Way, WA. We'll welcome award-winning illustrators Kelly Murphy and Sergio Ruzzier to lead us in a weekend of sleeves-up craft, camaraderie, hard work, and relaxation. We will orchestrate both fun and some quiet for those needing that, too. It’s bound to be a fruitful weekend, and we can’t wait to spend it with you.

We have a limited number of spots available and a lot of interest, so be ready to register the minute registration opens. Affordable pricing options will be based on single or double occupancy and will include seven meals, small group workshops with both retreat leaders, optional ad hoc peer-led workshops, and optional evening programming.

Please make a note of these important dates:

July 14: Registration will open to SCBWI members in Western Washington and Oregon. Watch  your email for the invitation. Each of the two sponsoring regions have reserved 25 spots apiece. 

July 28: Registration restrictions end, and any spots remaining will be available to SCBWI members from any region and non-members.

August 11: Last day to cancel registration for a full refund (minus a small processing fee).

August 18: Registration closes (if we're not already sold out).

All this means you’ve got to be ready to act if you want to play! So mark your calendars, and we’ll see you in October!

Congrats to Craig!

Member Craig Orback's new picture book, GIFTS FROM THE ENEMY, written by best-selling author Trudy Ludwig, has just been released from White Cloud Press.

The powerful true story covers the early years of Holocaust survivor Alter Wiener, who found an unlikely source of kindness during his imprisonment in German concentration camps as a young man. Alter is now living in Portland, and Craig says, "This book was a real labor of love for Trudy and me."

Next, he'll be starting illustrations for a third Boys Camp middle-grade book, a follow-up to Zack's Story and Nate's Story, which are already available.

Write-in space at Third Place Commons

Need somewhere to put butt-in-chair? The Stadler Room at Third Place Commons (at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park) is reserved for just that purpose every second and fourth Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. Kidlit writers or illustrators who want a dedicated space and a little moral support for working? Your chariot awaits!

(Though these Kid Lit Write Nights are already underway, they'll start appearing on the bookstore's online calendar beginning in July and on the mailed calendar in August. Until then — trust us!) For more information, contact organizer Lori Moen at kidlitwritenight@outlook.com.

Get on the bus!

What do you hear when you hear the word "home?" Submissions are open now through June 30 for Poetry on Buses with the theme of Writing Home. This 4Culture program celebrates poetry by displaying poems on Metro transit buses as well as online and at an event this fall.

If you live in King County, consider submitting a poem of 50 words or less in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, or Russian.

Need help? Planning poet Roberto Ascalon will give a free workshop on Tuesday, June 17, (yes, tomorrow) at 6:30 p.m. in Seattle. You could also attend the Russian community workshop on June 18 and/or the Latino community workshop and Fandango on June 21.

Kid Lit Drink Night This Wednesday!

Missing your writerly and illustraterly friends? Hop on your bike and reconnect this Wednesday night at the Blue Star Cafe & Pub, 4512 Stone Way N, Seattle 98103. Leave your raccoon outside, but bring your sketch books and journals for the "kid lit inappropriate" limerick contest, hosted by Brenda Winter Hansen.

Young writer camps this summer

Member Margaret Nevinski will be leading summer writing camps for kids and teens this summer in collaboration with the Bainbridge Island Park District. Several options are available:

• Writing My First Stories (Ages 6-8) on Aug. 4-7, from 9:30 a.m. to noon
• Creative Writing Workshop (Ages 8-12) from 9:30 to noon, which is offered in three sections: Aug. 11-15, Aug. 18-22, and Aug. 25-29
• Teen Creative Writing Workshop (Ages 12-15) on Aug. 11-15, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. 

For more information or to register, visit www.biparks.org, click the Classes & Programs link, and then good luck. Or make it easy on yourself and call 206-842-2306, ext. 116. All camps take place at Strawberry Hill Center on Bainbridge Island. 

Hey you, Washington artists!

SCBWI Western Washington will take part in a winter exhibit at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma this year, and you're invited to submit art for consideration. The show will be held November 2014 through January 2015, and the exhibit space is adjacent to the museum store and open to the public free of charge.

Eligibility

• Submitted artwork, whether existing work or created specifically for the exhibit, must be inspired by the events, myths, landscape, and history of Washington State. 
• Artwork in all media will be considered. 
• Exhibiting artists must be SCBWI members and live in the Western Washington region.  

Submission deadline: Friday, August 29, 2014.

Find more details and submission instructions on our website. Thanks to member Craig Orback for his Wagon Train illustration above. Now get arting!

Illustration classes about to begin

Member and illustrator Craig Orback will teach beginning and intermediate classes on illustrating children's books again this summer. Introductory classes will be held at Bellevue College starting June 28 and at North Seattle Community College starting June 30.

The introductory course includes in-class assignments, basic techniques, and the business side of children’s book illustration, with homework required. Basic drawing skills are helpful but not required.

The intermediate class, which addresses how to create a dummy for submission, also starts at Bellevue Community College on June 28. If you're interested in getting started or making progress on your illustration career this summer, check these opportunities out.

Updates for groupies

Tony Dorough, our esteemed Critique Group Coordinator, wanted to express his thanks to all of you who sent in changes or updates to him.


Beginning now, and on a monthly basis, he will be adding those updates to the critique group listings as they come in, perhaps monthly. Tony's on the ball, and he's your guy if you are interested in connecting to folks in your (hopefully) immediate area. To connect to both Tony and more detailed information, please click here.

Trudi's good news

The ever-fabulous Trudi Trueit is pleased to share that Aladdin/Simon & Schuster has bought her tween novel!

 The book is titled Dreama’s Worst Nightmare, and is the story of two sisters, who are as opposite as two sisters can be (wouldn’t you know it?). Eleven year-old Jorgianna is brilliant, quirky, and hot-tempered. Her thirteen-year-old sister, Dreama, is striking, soft-spoken, and thoughtful. They’ve gotten along, despite their differences, but when genius Jorgianna gets moved up—not one, but two grades—into the eighth grade with Dreama, their tween universe is in for a big bang! This will be my second novel for S&S’s tween imprint, MIX. The first, Stealing Popular was released in 2012 (cover & author photo are attached).

 

 

 

 

Here is the official blurb from Publisher’s Weekly:

 

Alyson Heller at Simon and Schuster has acquired North American rights to Dreama's Worst Nightmare by Trudi Trueit for Aladdin's tween imprint, M!X. When an 11-year-old genius gets bumped up two grades into her sister's middle school, the bonds of sisterhood are pushed to their limits. It's set for fall 2015 publication; Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal. 



 Congratulations, Trudi! Well done!

NOTE: If you have good news about your work making it into the world, please send your information to russin3@msn.com for posting in the Chinook Update. We want to help spread the word, as well as the inspiration, to everyone!