Got art skilz and teaching cred?

Seattle's Franklin High School is looking for an art teacher to bring arty goodness to its diverse and sometimes challenging population of kids from low-income urban families. The candidate must be certified, have experience with drawing and ceramics, and know his or her way around the inner-city teaching experience. See the job posting here (enter Franklin in the Search filter). It's open through August 20 and replaces a teacher who has retired. The job will be filled soon thereafter.

Eddie Gamarra's timely food for thought

Now that the national SCBWI conference just ended, this post landed on FB today. It has a little something for everyone, and it also reaffirms the role that SCBWI plays in the development of careers. An informative and compelling piece from someone In the Biz, as they say....

Upcoming: Mazama Festival of Books

Mark your calendars now! The second annual Mazama Festival of Books is coming, September 7-8.

Featuring YA author Dia Calhoun and paper-cut artist Nikki McClure. For more details, author lineup, locations, etc., click here.

Get your carpools ready, pack your sunscreen, and get set to enjoy a bounty of authors and bibliophilia!

Pam Withers book launch next Monday

Prolific YA author Pam Withers is having a book launch at University Bookstore this coming Monday August 12, at 7pm.  

Although she's written 15 young-adult books to date, this latest is for parents. It involves kids' literacy, and is called Jump-Starting Boys: Help Your Reluctant Learner Find Success in School and Life. 

Come out and support Pam and her book, which is sure to help a lot of families and bring more books to more kids!

Martha Brockenbrough's new book deal!

Congratulations are in order!

The ever-industrious Martha Brockenbrough shared the announcement today that her new YA novel, The Game of Love and Death, has been bought by Arthur A. Levine Books!

The story features two teens from different rungs of 1920s Seattle society, who are brought together by forces beyond their control. There's jazz, there's heartbreak, and there's a city we all recognize in its infancy. Publication is slated for 2015.

What wonderful news to start the day!

Interview with agent Tricia Lawrence

Thanks aplenty to Lynn Hooghiemstra, who interviewed the always-fabulous Tricia Lawrence and wanted to share her conversation with everyone. Click here for the complete interview.

Meg Lippert's iPad app released

Congratulations are in order!

 

Meg Lippert, Director of Storytelling for LEARN WITH HOMER, has been writing for this educational iPad app for the past year.  Designed for children 3-6, the app includes phonics lessons and engaging science units integrated with folk tales, fables, poetry, folk songs, and original stories. It's in the i-tunes app store: LEARN WITH HOMER. A free download link is available on the website. It's already garnering rave reviews, including this one from Forbes.com.   

Meg herself writes, "It's an ambitious, exciting project with enormous potential and has been a lot of fun for everyone involved in creating it!"

 

 

Wendy Wahman's book trailer selected for festival

Meow!

The first of two book trailers illustrator Wendy Wahman ever made, for A Cat Like That, was just selected for Minneapolis, Minnesota's Walker Art Center's "CatvidFest,"(Internet Cat Video Festival) from over 7,000 entries.

The Festival was created to share a sincere love of cats and cat videos from crowd-sourced content within the context of a leading contemporary art museum.

 And again––Meow! [The sound of paws clapping]

Update re: Rollin's Memorial

Jonathan Standridge, a friend of Rollin Thomas, has let us know that there will be a memorial service in Spokane on Saturday, August 10. If you'll be in the area, you can contact him for more information at jds51134 (at) aim (dotcom). 

 Some SCBWI WWA members plan to email Jonathan art or words that might be shared at the service or with Rollin's family. We're also discussing other ways we can best mark the significance and memory of members like Rollin and Ruth Maxwell (who left us recently, too) -- stay tuned.

SCBWI Conference blog updates!

Didn't get to join the fray in LA?


Have no fear, the SCBWI Blog Team (represented by our own invincible Jolie Stekly, Martha Brockenbrough, Jaime Temairik, and Kim Baker, plus others) s are on it so you won't miss everything...except the libations and a few elbows to rub.


Fret not: I bring tidings of great joy. The SCBWI Conference blog is going strong and all you have to do, my little armchair attendees, is CLICK RIGHT HERE. Then start reading. It's that simple.


We'll be posting as they churn out the blog posts, so sit back, enjoy, and picture those palm trees swaying outside....


To get things going, how about THIS POST, recapping a success panel featuring our very own Kim Baker, author of Pickle? High five, Kim!

5th annual Bainbridge Student Writing Contest

The fifth annual Bainbridge Student Writing Contest is coming!

 

Hosted by Suzanne Selfors, who will be joined by fabulous guest judges Kevin Emerson, Martha Brockenbrough, and George Shannon, this year's theme will be "Creatures, Monsters and Beasts."

 

 

Contest Guidelines:

 

* This short-story contest is open to all local students, grades 1 - 12.

 

* Entry forms are available at Eagle Harbor Books, Bainbridge Island (or see below). 

 

* Deadline to enter is September 13. 

 

* Finalists will be announced at the bookstore on Sunday, September 15 at 3pm. Everyone who enters will receive a Certificate of Achievement in Creative Writing. Eight finalists will each receive a $50 gift certificate to Eagle Harbor Books.

 

 

 

Please spread the word, and good luck and good writing to all entrants!

A note from Rollin