Upcoming Author/Illustrator Events

Wondering what's going on in your neighborhood? Here are just a few author/illustrator events from our local bookstores. Make sure you visit the websites for more information and more events.

Secret Garden Events:

March 31 at 6:00 p.m.
Author Lisa Lutz wil share a sneak peek of her forthcoming picture book, HOW TO NEGOTIATE EVERYTHING with art by our own amazing Jaime Temairik!!! Lisa and Jaime will reminisce about how they met, which involved some very poor private investigating and a lot of Irish coffee.
Additionally, join Lisa and Jaime for an unofficial booze up post-book event across the street at the Balmar at 7:30 p.m.

April 9 at 7 p.m.
Peter Lerangis is the author of more than 160 books, which have sold more than 4.5 million copies and been translated into 28 different languages, including the bestselling series THE 39 CLUES.

April 10 at 6:30 p.m. (Event held at Seattle Public Library: Central branch)

Come meet Peter and the Starcatchers co-author (with Dave Barry) Ridley Pearson, author of over 50 books for people of all ages.

Third Place Books Events:

April 2 from 7-8 p.m. at the Lake Forest Park store

Author Barry Lyga will be reading and signing his book, I HUNT KILLERS.

April 7 at 3 p.m. at the Ravenna store
CELEBRATE NATIONAL POETRY MONTH! Kenn Nesbitt is possibly the funniest and most sought-after children's poet writing today. When he's not writing, podcasting, updating his website (poetry4kids.com), or visiting schools sharing his wacky brand of humor with kids across America, Kenn can be found cuddling his collection of stuffed bears. He seriously cannot get enough of bears. Or chickens.

University Bookstore Events:

Friday April 20 at 4 p.m. at Seattle Library: North East branch 6801 35th Avenue N.E.

Trenton Lee Stewart will be reading and signing THE EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION OF NICHOLAS BENEDICT.

Before there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was Nicholas Benedict. And here is his story. Fans of Trenton Lee Stewart's series of books about a group of extraordinary kids who solve mysteries will delight in this new book about the boyhood education of the man who started the society.

Barnes & Noble Northgate Events:

April 6 at 7 p.m.

R.L. LaFevers' GRAVE MERCY event.
Join us and THEODOSIA series author R.L. LaFevers as she shares her new teen novel, GRAVE MERCY. This powerful first volume of the 'His Fair Assassin' series is a must-read! LaFevers' complex tale incorporates magic both sparingly and subtly.

Mockingbird Books Events:

April 27, from 11-noon

Alex Beard Author Event. Alex Beard will once again be visiting Mockingbird Books! Help us celebrate his latest book CROCODILE'S TEARS by joining us for an 11 a.m. storytime. Alex is a celebrated painter from New Orleans.

Got a book to promote?

You might want to enter the drawing for a year of free promotion from a new marketing team, Literary Logistics. Check out the deets, the marketers, and their new effort here.

SCBWI Oregon Spring Conference

Sad that the SCBWI Western Washington conference is sold out? Or maybe you just can't get enough conferences. Don't despair, head south for the weekend to join SCBWI Oregon for their annual conference, May 18-19, 2012.

They have a great lineup of faculty such as Jill Corcoran, Andrew Karre, Laurent Linn, Deb Lund, Melissa Manlove, Lin Oliver, Kelly Milner Hall, and more! There's an early bird discount if you register before April 1. See all of the details and register here.

Here's a lovely post Martha Brockenbrough wrote recently about Jill.

Not sure what to expect from a conference? Here are some tips on making the most of it, and a post about conference expectations.

It's conference season! Wherever you end up, make the most of it!

Vote for Books! The Inside Story Is Coming!

We have an incredible lineup for this spring's Inside Story, folks, and we'd love for you to be part of this celebration of new books.

Twenty-three local authors and illustrators will share the inside stories behind their new work, and we couldn't be prouder of our theme, Vote for Books!, which was inspired by the art of debut illustrator Ben Clanton. 

Vote early, vote often, and vote with us on Wednesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. 

The party's at Mockingbird Books, 7220 Woodlawn Ave. N.E., in Seattle. 

Feel free to bring friends and family. Your RSVP to the bookstore at info@mockingbirdbooksgl.com helps us plan the best possible event.

The candidates:

Julie Paschkis
Deb Lund

Brenda Peterson

Paul Schmid

Ben Clanton

Brianna Caplan Sayres

Robyn Chance
Patrick Jennings
Carole Lexa Schaefer
Mindy Hardwick
Dia Calhoun
Stephanie Barden
Katherine Schlick Noe

Sundee Frazier
Suzanne Williams
Jeff James
Clete Barrett Smith
J. Anderson Coats 
Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Kevin Emerson

Janet Lee Carey
Stephanie Guerra 

Katherine Grace Bond

See you at the Inside Story!

Martha Brockenbrough

Inside Story chair

Writing for Teens with Kathryn Erskine and Rich Wallace

In order to connect with young-adult readers, adult writers must reconnect with their teen years. Both Kathryn Erskine and Rich Wallace have mastered the ability to jump back in time and give their readers the honesty and emotion of a teen perspective.

Kathy's successes in the YA genre include her National Book Award—winning, MOCKINGBIRD. Kathy is praised for her authentic teen voice and complex, yet well developed, characters. Rich's books reveal the struggles between and within every teenager. For many of Rich's YA fiction titles, he taps into his athletic past, as he does in WRESTLING STURBRIDGE, named a YALSA 100 Best Books for the 21st Century.

Rich and Kathy share with us why they write for the young-adult audience, and how you, too, can write for teens.

Rich Wallace: I started writing about teenagers because I felt strongly compelled by my own teenage years. There were things I wanted to work out, and I did that by writing about them. Gradually, I learned how to take a few steps away from "what really happened" and craft stories that more kids would relate to.

For me, it's all about reconnecting with that part of my life, most notably the up-and-down emotions that are such a part of that age. Even if you're writing about a character very different from yourself, you'll connect with your readers more effectively by conveying believable emotions.

Kathy Erskine: It's a great age. The whole world is opening up for you. You're experiencing freedoms you never had. You're on the brink of adulthood, deciding what you're going to do with your life. Wow! Plus, young adults have a sophisticated sense of humor, which is fun to incorporate into writing! We're all just teens in grown-up bodies. Even when we're old it's easy to remember being a teen—it's such a significant, powerful, memorable part of life.

I think [the young-adult book market] is strong. Younger people are reading YA and many adults are, too, and are no longer afraid to admit it. I read more YA literature than adult, and not just because I write for that market. There's some fantastic writing out there in the YA realm.

Rich and Kathy will lead the Highlights Foundation YA Bootcamp: What Young-Adult Readers Expect from You, June 7-10, 2012. Learn the ins and outs of writing for young adults through lectures, hands-on writing sessions, and one-on-one manuscript critiques.

For more information about this workshop, which takes places near Honesdale, Pennsylvania, or to request an application, please visit our website or contact Jo Lloyd at Jo.Lloyd@highlightsfoundation.org.

Good News for Carole Estby Dagg

Good News and a big round of whoops for fellow SCBWI WWA Member Carole Estby Dagg!! Carole's young adult historical novel, THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS, is one of the titles honored this year on the Amelia Bloomer List. Each year the list, prepared by the American Library Association's Feminist Task Force, selects the best books with significant feminist content that would appeal to young readers. Here's the full list to check out.

Congratulations to Carole! For more information on Carole, and her work, you can visit her website.

Susan Uhlig Wants Your Feedback on School Visits

From Susan Uhlig:

Hi, some of you will recognize my name--I was the RA from 2000 to 2002 while the region was Washington/Northern Idaho. I've recently moved to Vancouver, WA from Kansas. So lovely to be back in the PNW!

I posted about School Visits on my blog and have had some feedback. If any of you have suggestions/warnings/et al you'd like to add, I'm going to collect those (with permission of course) and post with credit for the author and link to websites/blogs, so would love to have yours too. Please email me directly at sue(at)susanuhlig.com.

For more information on Sue, and her work, you can check out her website.

Need a conference roommate?

Are you looking to save a little money and/or be a little sociable at our upcoming annual conference? Leave a comment and find a match!

All of the hotel details and directions can be found here.

See you soon!

Write on the Sound Looking for Presenters!

CALL FOR PRESENTERS

October 5-7, 2012
Presented by the Edmonds Arts Commission wots@ci.edmonds.wa.us


In its 27th year, Write on the Sound (WOTS) is an intimate (200 max), high quality, affordable writers’ conference that focuses on the craft of writing. A variety of classes are offered for all levels and interests. Special features include pre-conference half-day critique workshops, a keynote speaker, one-on-one manuscript critique appointments, a themed writing contest, book sales featuring books by conference presenters, a meet-and-greet reception and book signing event, and more.


A choice of workshops is offered in four time segments on Saturday & Sunday. WOTS provides a mix of sessions on how-to, motivational topics, various genre, and specialty subjects. Presenters are paid an honorarium (2011: $134 for 75 minute, $161 for 90 minute workshops). Lodging and transportation are only paid for the Keynote speaker, but a stipend is available to those traveling more than 100 miles. WOTS is held at the Frances Anderson Center (Edmonds’ Parks & Recreation facility), 700 Main Street, Edmonds WA, with outstanding views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
View a copy of the 2011 brochure at: www.writeonthesound.com

• Please submit:
  A current resume, including other courses/lectures you have given and where
  
• A list of 2 or 3 references
  
• A description of one or more classes you would like to teach (75 or 90 Min)
  
  
  PROPOSALS ACCEPTED UNTIL APRIL 6, 2012
  The Steering Committee begins reviewing proposals in February – send yours early 
  Email to:
  wots@ci.edmonds.wa.us
  Or send to:
  WOTS Presenters
  700 Main Street, Edmonds WA 98020 425-771-0228 
  

Super Duper Upcoming events at Secret Garden!

Event #1!

Are the odds ever in your favor? They can be this Friday at Secret Garden! Trivia! Prizes! Reaping! Fun!

Here are the details, tributes:

Friday, March 23
7 pm (and the Capitol really hates tardiness).
Secret Garden Books

And that's not all. Mark your calendars!


Event #2!

Our very own Jaime Temairik will be joining Lisa Lutz at Secret Garden to celebrate the release of TRAIL OF THE SPELLMAN! Wine! Cheese! Instructions on successful person tailing! And a sneak peek of their upcoming picture book!

Saturday, March 31
6 pm
Secret Garden Books


Join Lisa and Jaime for an unofficial booze up post-book event across the street at the Balmar at
7:30 p.m (5449 Ballard Avenue NW). More details here.

Matt de la Peña and Cultural Censorship

Upcoming conference keynoter Matt de la Peña visited Tucson last week.

The trip bears mention because the students raised the money themselves to bring Matt out to speak, and Matt spoke at one of the schools that had recently removed his novel MEXICAN WHITE BOY (and a lot of other books) for being too Latino.

You can read about Matt's experience here, and see the New York Times coverage here.

Barb Davis-Pyles' New Blog

Barb Davis-Pyles, former psychologist, SCBWI member, and writer for the education market, has launched The Mind’s Elbow – a blog created to jumpstart writers, artists, and people who breathe.

Join the fun and check it out here!

Good News and A Note of Thanks from Anne Belov

From Fellow SCBWI WWA member Anne Belov:

While this is not children's book related (except for the fact that everything is interconnected, isn't it?) I wanted to pass on the good news that my Kickstarter project to partially fund a painting/printmaking trip to Italy this summer, was successfully funded as of Friday, March 2.

For those who don't know about Kickstarter, it is a "crowd-sourcing / micro funding" vehicle. You define your project, set your funding goals, create rewards for funding at different levels, and if you reach your funding goal by the deadline, you get money for your project! This has great applications for writers, whether you are planning to go the traditional publishing route or self publish.

Thanks to everyone who helped.
Anne Belov

Good News for Katherine Schlick Noe

Good News for Katherine Schlick Noe! Katherine's debut novel, SOMETHING TO HOLD (Clarion 2011) has been selected as a 2012 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People by the National Council for the Social Studies and the Children's Book Council. Inspired by Katherine's childhood experiences living on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon, the book explores issues of racism, prejudice, and speaking out for justice.

Congratulations to Katherine!! For more information on Katherine, and her work, you can visit her website.

Graphic Novels in the Carolinas

A few years ago, SCBWI Western Washington had the good fortune to have Mark Siegel out. If anyone can be said to be a champion of amazing comics and graphic novels for kids and adults, raising the bar with each and every publication, it's Mark Siegel. I think his organs may actually be panels. If you look closely, his words come out in speech bubbles!

So it's awesome news for North Carolina that they're having a: Graphic Novel Workshop with Mark Siegel, Editorial Director, First Second Books

Here's the workshop description from SCBWI Carolinas. Wish we could be there! If you happen to feel like a jaunt east, why not check it out (and Malaprops is supposed to be awesome!):

Confused about how to write and submit a graphic novel? Interested in illustrating a graphic novel? Are you an illustrator/writer with a graphic novel proposal? Register for Mark Siegel's Graphic Novel Workshop, in Asheville, North Carolina, May 19, 2012. Cost SCBWI members, $95.00, Non-members $115.

There will be a free presentation, Graphic Novels and the New Visual Literacy, at 7:00 PM, Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina on Friday, May 18, 2012. Workshop location TBA.

Learn the entertaining and informative history of comics in America. Mark Siegel, the Editorial Director, First Second Books, which BoingBoing, dubbed "one of the great literary comics presses of the modern world," will take you through a popular workshop which has been honed in writing programs and art schools all over the country.

This workshop is for the writer and/or illustrator interested in pursuing publication in the most dynamic and exciting publishing market today. Mark offers a unique exploration of the graphic novel genre (focused on but not limited to those working in the graphic novel form.) Mark is a talented illustrator and writer of graphic novels. You can enjoy his work at Sailor Twain.

SAILOR TWAIN is really wonderful not only for being a serial web comic with jawdroppingly good art and a mysterious story, Mark puts these amazing blog posts up chronicling his research/inviting fan discussion. And there are steamboat parties related to the story!
First Second also put out the amazing, THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS, by locals Jim Demonakos and Mark Long (stellar artwork by Nate Powell.)

Vote for the Children's Choice Book Awards

CBW POSTERS ARE AMAZING! This year's by David Wiesner

Friends, Children's Book Week is fast approaching, and with it comes the chance to vote for the best books of 2011. One of our favorite PNWers/past speakers/all-around-great-lady, Laini Taylor, has a book in the Teen category, the thrilling and chilling DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE.

If you'd like to vote for it, visit the Teens section!

Here's a note from Laini:

Dear readers, Daughter of Smoke & Bone has been out in the world now for almost half a year, and it has been the best almost half a year of my writing life. The support I've felt from  the online community has had the effect, so many times, of energizing me in writing the sequel (which I can't wait to give you!). Thank you for loving Karou and Brimstone and Akiva and Zuzana and Issa and even Kaz. I'm thrilled that Daughter is in the running for Children's Book Council Teen Book of the Year. With such an amazing field of contenders, it' a huge honor to be in the final round, all the more so because it is an honor awarded by reader votes. *pinches self.* Thank you so much to everyone who has read and recommended my book, and possibly dyed their hair blue (or wished they could) and daydreamed of Prague. You can show your support again on 3/14 by voting in the final round. I'm showing great restraint in not plaguing the competition with a scourge of scuppies! Thank you so very much!

All best,
Laini Taylor

AND THAT'S NOT ALL!

It's a tough contest all around, you guys! Past SCBWI WWA Conference keynoters Ellen Hopkins

and Dan Santat,

and past speaker/fellow PNWer/all-around-great-dude Matt Holm

are all in the running for awards, too!

We wish them all well, and I'm sure you'll join me in saying they're ALL FANTASTIC BOOKS and what an honor for all of them to be a part of Children's Book Week (and that we're all glad this is just online clicking/voting and it isn't ending in a Hunger Game type battle of authors and illustrators). Happy voting and may the odds be forever in their favor!

New Children's Writer's Resource Featuring Helen Landalf and Kirby Larson

Check out the new Children's Book Insider website, called CBI Clubhouse, which both fellow SCBWI WWA members Kirby Larson and Helen Landalf are writing for.

The popular newsletter for children's writers, Children's Book Insider, has just updated their companion website, CBI Clubhouse. The site, which is a great resource for writers of all levels, focuses on both traditional and self-publishing of material for children and teens. Kirby Larson and Helen Landalf will be acting as MG/YA guides on the site, contributing monthly posts and answering questions in the online forum. Check it out here.

New Blog to Check Out!!!

Fellow SCBWI WWA members Julie Paschkis, Julie Larios, Laura Kvasnosky and Margaret Chodos-Irvine recently started a group blog to talk about their work (they are all in a children’s book-critique group together) and their thoughts about their work.

They plan to post weekly taking turns. Please visit the blog here. And help them get the word out!

Going to our sold-out conference? Prepare yourself with a bit of reading

Please forgive the hideous formatting. And then get thee to a bookstore or library to check out some of the books from our spring conference faculty. This will help you get the most out of what everyone has to say--and it will give you something to talk about at Kid Lit Drink Night and the wine and cheese-a-palooza.

Enjoy!

Bonny	Becker	The Sniffles for Bear, Candlewick Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-7636-4756-8; A Bedtime for Bear, Candlewick Press, 2010, ISBN 978-0-7636-4101-6; The Magical Ms. Plum, Alfred A. Knopf Books, 2009, ISBN 978-0-375-85637-2; A Birthday for Bear, Candlewick Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-7636-3746-0; A Visitor for Bear, Candlewick Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7636-2807-9
Susan	Chang	DOWN THE MYSTERLY RIVER by Bill Willingham (978-0-7653-2792-5); THE FAERIE RING by Kiki Hamilton (978-0-7653-2722-2); TRUANCY by Isamu Fukui (978-0-7653-2258-6); THE BATTLE OF THE RED HOT PEPPER WEENIES by David Lubar (978-0-7653-6075-5); CITY OF FIRE by Laurence Yep (978-0-7653-5879-0)
Ben	Clanton	Vote for Me! Jasper John Dooley: Star of the Week by Caroline Adderson and illustrated by Ben Clanton
Nancy	Conescu	When Blue Met Egg by Lindsay Ward; Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley; A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink; Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine, and a Miracle by Major Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, and Mary Nethery
Lucy Ruth	Cummins	The Taking Tree; Cats' Night Out; The Boys; Me Want Pet; Guess Again
Matt	de la Pena	Ball Don't Lie; Mexican WhiteBoy; We Were Here; I Will Save You; A Nation's Hope
Eddie	Gamarra	n/a
Bruce	Hale	Snoring Beauty (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); From Russia With Lunch (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); The Possum Always Rings Twice (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); Fat Cat of Underwhere (HarperCollins); Guys Read: Thriller (Walden Pond Press)
Kiki	Hamilton	The Faerie Ring (Tor Teen/Macmillan); ISBN-13: 978-0765327222
Andrew	Karre	The Freak Observer by Woolston; Catch & Release by Woolston; Brooklyn, Burning by Brezenoff; The MAny Faces of George WAshington; No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Nelson
Helen	Landalf	FLYAWAY (Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, December, 2011) ISBN 978-0-547-51973-9
Scott	Magoon	Chopsticks; Spoon; Mostly Monsterly; Mr. Prickles A Quill-Fated Love Story; Hugo and Miles in I've Painted Everything
Rubin	Pfeffer	n/a
Chris	Richman	The Books of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West; The Jack Blank Adventures by Matt Muklusch; Flyaway by Helen Landalf; Katana by Cole Gibsen
Tammi	Sauer	Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Scott Magoon, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, 978-1416961109; Mr. Duck Means Business by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Jeff Mack, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, 978-1416985228; Me Want Pet! by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Bob Shea, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, 978-1442408104; Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Santat, Sterling, 978-1402753664; Bawk and Roll by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Santat, Sterling, 978-1402778377
Jolie	Stekly	I will let you know if I think I'm going to reference more than our Nuts and Bolts.
Caroline	Sun	Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein; Wildwood by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis; Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson; We Were Here by Matt de la Pena; I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena
Melissa	Sweet	Balloons Over Broadway; Carmine: A Little More Red; A River of Words: Rubia and the Three Osos; The Sleepy Little Alphabet
Rachel	Vail	Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters (Macmillan/Square Fish); Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom (Macmillan/Feiwel&Friends -- publishing May 2012); If We Kiss (HarperTeen); Sometimes I'm Bombaloo (Scholastic); Piggy Bunny (Feiwel&Friends -- publishing February 2012)
Andrea	Welch	LMNO PEAS by Keith Baker RAH, RAH, RADISHES by April Pulley Sayre WHO SAID COO? Deborah Ruddell SAY WHAT? Angela DiTerlizzi

April Published Pro Think Tank

As we did last year, SCBWI Western WA will host a Think Tank for PAL members on the Friday afternoon prior to our 21st Annual Writing and Illustrating for Children Conference. The Think Tank will be held on Friday, April 20, 2012, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Marriott Redmond Town Center. This event will be a Marketing Show and Tell in which we share some of our most effective and favorite promotional ideas -- and maybe a few hard-knocks lessons -- with one another.

PAL members who are not attending the conference can sign up to attend for free by emailing senselj (at) yahoo (dotcom). Space is somewhat limited, so don't delay. Please note you must be a current SCBWI member at the PAL (published and listed) level to attend; you might want to confirm your PAL status at scbwi.org prior to emailing.

If you've already registered for this event while registering for the conference, there's nothing you need to do now; just stay tuned for more information shortly. The conference is just around the corner - yahoo!

Awesome revision examples

Want to see real before-and-after pages from novels you may own? Maggie Stiefvater has assembled both a before-and-after chapter from her (awesome) The Scorpio Races and twelve, you read that right, 12, other authors' work. Not to be missed revision lessons here and here and here.

Short Story Writing Class with Lois Brandt

Writing Short Stories from First Sentence to Submission

Wednesday evenings, April 18 – June 13

6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

This is an intensive nine-session writing class. Each student is expected to write approximately 2,000 – 7,000 words a week and produce a portfolio of 2 – 5 short stories. During the first four weeks students plot short stories and write them to completion. The second half of the class is devoted to editing and revising one story from the student’s portfolio. Students will learn to edit their own work and to receive and give constructive criticism. At the end of class students submit their polished stories to literary or genre markets. Fee: $195.00

This class is taught in Bellevue at Bellevue College's new North Campus. For more information please follow this link to the Bellevue College website.

If you have any questions about whether this is the right class for you, please feel free to email Lois (Lois@LoisBrandt.com).

Good News for Kirby Larson!

So much Good News for fellow SCBWI WWA member Kirby Larson!!

First, check out this story on her blog. She recently had one of her dreams has come true!! When she wrote The FRIENDSHIP DOLL, she secretly hoped that some reader might be inspired to look for and find one of the missing dolls. And it's happened, thanks to an intrepid librarian!! Such a great story to check out!

An on that note of Good News, THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL, has just received the following Good News!

-The NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Committee has selected the following titles to be included in the Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2012 master list, a cooperative project of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children’s Book Council (CBC). Also on the list, Dori Jones Yang's DAUGHTER OF XANADU!

-The THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL was selected as a NCTE/CLA Notable Children's Book in the English Language Arts

- THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL has been nominated for a Maine Student Book award (news to be formally announced April 2).

Lots of great news for Kirby!!! For more information on Kirby, and her work, you can also visit her website.

A Chance to Win an Author Visit from Stasia Kehoe

Stasia Kehoe is giving away a FREE, LIVE AUTHOR VISIT to any school or library in the continental US (airfare, hotel, meals, and appearance fees are all covered).

Click this link to the entry page with more information (including entry deadline and author visit dates).

She's hoping that this might be an opportunity for schools and libraries in small towns--ones that might not have the budget to host an author under normal circumstances--to try for this experience. Plus it's a fun way to get students thinking about the notion of reviewing books. Every review link counts as an entry so a class or reading group could really up the odds for one town!

For more information on Stasia, and her work, you can visit her website.

Apologies for the late notice, as this exhibition has been up for months, but we'd like to call your attention to an exhibition of very special book for children at the University of washington. Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries is currently exhibiting Merry Company: Pop-ups, Movables & Toy Books, which features nearly 150 pieces from the collection of Pamela Harer and the UW Libraries Historical Children’s Literature Collection & the Book Arts Collection. The show is up through Friday, March 16.

Directions within the library: Enter the main Suzzallo Library entrance facing Red Square. Walk straight through Suzzallo to Allen North (Special Collections can also be reached using the elevators in Allen Library South). Take the elevator down two floors to the basement and Special Collections. For more information (including hours of access) visit the webpage. Thanks to Tina Hoggatt for sending the information.

Exclusive SCBWI Discount Tickets still available for SCT's A SINGLE SHARD

Just a reminder:

Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park, who led our recent SCBWI WWA Weekend on the Water retreat, will be in Seattle again on Saturday, March 10th. She'll be attending the 5:30 p.m. performance of her Newbery-winning novel, A SINGLE SHARD, as it's performed at the Seattle Children's Theater. Support this amazingly talented writer and beloved SCBWI board member by attending the show that night, too. What's more, get A Single Yard (or more!) of creative inspiration in seeing how a children's novel is transformed from book to stage.

Sara Easterly has scored a group ticket discount for SCBWI members who'd like to see the show with Linda Sue on Saturday, March 10th at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are usually $29 for children, $36 for adults -- both with a $3 processing fee. But with the SCBWI group deal, tickets cost only $25 -- adults or children alike (plus the $3 processing fee). To guarantee yourself a seat now, call the SCT box office at 206-441-3322 and let them know you're with SCBWI. The box office opens every day at 11 a.m. Note that you must call the box office; the SCT website won't work for this special promo. Seats are limited so act fast to take advantage of this fantastic deal.

And see a rehearsal of the play to get you in the mood:

 

4Culture Opportunity for Artists

4Culture, working in partnership with King County's Wastewater Treatment Division, is seeking temporary artworks that will inspire and engage the broader community in a conversation about water quality in our region, environmental stewardship and the extent of the Brightwater system. The commissioned works are not restricted to visual media and can be web-based, film, music, performance, and/or literary.

Selected artists and artist-led teams will be paid to develop conceptual proposals that will be reviewed and approved by 4Culture’s Public Art Advisory Committee. 4Culture expects that the commissioned artwork will be exhibited and experienced in a variety of ways, depending upon medium and context. Implementation for these temporary projects will vary, between September 2012 and October 2013.

There is an overall Conveyance art budget of $60,000. This budget will be divided among the selected artists with individual budgets ranging between $5,000 and $20,000. The artist selection panel will make the decision about how many artists to commission and the individual budget awarded to each selected artist.

Deadline: March 26, 2012 by 5:00 p.m.

Eligibility: Open to professional artists and artist-led teams residing in King and Snohomish Counties.

Budget: varies by project - $60,000 total for all commissioned works

Information: http://www.4culture.org/newsite/apply/index.aspx?1st=ap&2nd=1

Good News for Susi Gregg Fowler

Good News and a big round of applause for Susi Gregg Fowler! Sasquatch Books is publishing her newest book -- ARCTIC AESOP: TWELVE RETOLD TALES, in the spring of 2013, with illustrations by her husband Jim Fowler. This will be her ninth children's books, but it's her first in over a decade (it's Jim's 14th book). For more information on Susi, and her work, you can visit her website.

Northern Network Schmooze This Week!

Tip O' the Mornin' to Ye!

Faith and begorrah, that's no typo-- This month we're talking TIPS- writing tips that is. What are the best writing tips you've ever heard? Come with quotes, ideas, and other golden nuggets of writer-ly wisdom to share.

This treasure at the end of the rainbow can be found on Wednesday, March 7^th at 7:00 pm

at the Barnes & Noble (4099 Meridian Street) in Bellingham.

Call Rebecca Van Slyke (360)354-5797, 

or email her at rebecca_vanslyke@hotmail.com

 if you have questions.

And for more good news: Crystal Kite Finalists!

Congrats to these Western Wa finalists who are among the eight finalists for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award in our "division" (which includes several Pacific Northwest states)! Whoo-hoo!

Erik Brooks: Who Has These Feet?
Carole Estby Dagg: The Year We Were Famous
Kirby Larson: The Friendship Doll

Second round voting is now open to members at www.scbwi.org.

Good News Abounds!!!

Happy Friday All!! We're busting with Good News today!!!

First up The Golden Kites have been announced and it's Good News and Happy times for our Region!!!

Golden Kites Winners:

* The 2012 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration goes to "BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY" by Melissa Sweet (Houghton Mifflin)- Melissa will be a keynote speaker at our annual conference in April!

* There are also four 2012 Golden Kite Honor Recipients: For Non-Fiction, "MYSTERIOUS BONES: THE STORY OF KENNEWICK MAN" by Katherine Kirkpatrick, Illustrated by Emma Stevenson (Holiday House)- Congratulations Katherine!!

And from today's deals@publishersmarketplace.com:

SMELLS LIKE DOG author Suzanne Selfors's THE IMAGINARY VETERINARY, a chapter book series in which a string of unusual events -- from finding a lost dragon hatchling to tracking an escaped sasquatch -- leads ten-year-olds to become apprentices to a veterinarian for imaginary creatures, to Julie Scheina at Little, Brown Children's, in a three-book deal, for publication starting in Spring 2013, by Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (World). Woohoo for Suzanne!!

Congratulations to our fellow SCBWI WWA members!! Thanks to Laurie for being the Good News messenger!!