"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

March 27, 2009

"Anna Mei" Finds a Home

I have exciting news to share today, and although it’s something I have imagined and worked toward for a long time, I still feel unbelievably lucky to be saying this: I have been offered a contract for my first children’s chapter book.
Anna Mei: Cartoon Girl will be published in April 2010 by Pauline Books & Media.

The chain of events that led to this moment began when two of my stories, previously published in PBM's My Friend magazine, were chosen to appear in their anthology called Friend2Friend, coming out in June. An editor I had worked with during that process recently emailed to tell me that PBM was planning to launch a new line of novels for ages 8-11, and asked if I had anything to submit that might fit that description.

As a matter of fact, I did. Anna Mei: Cartoon Girl is a mid-grade chapter book I wrote several years ago to enter in a contest. Though I had gotten some positive feedback from a freelance editor (thanks, Peggy!) and a prominent children’s book editor, I’d never submitted it for publication. But I pulled it out of the desk drawer and sent the first few chapters. The editor wrote back immediately: “I really, really like this manuscript…I’m dying to read the rest of it!”

It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying. I got to work immediately, polishing and revising. I felt nervous about sending Anna Mei, my 10-year-old protagonist, out into the world alone. Finally I said a little prayer, hit the send key, and vowed to try not to think about it—over the years I’ve learned how slowly things move in the publishing world. But the response came back right away—she loved the book and was sharing it with the other children’s editor.

After that things continued to move quickly—it went to the Editorial Board for approval, then on to the full Acquisitions team. That same day I got the response every writer dreams of hearing: “The Acquisitions team loves Anna Mei… Our publisher has authorized me to offer you a contract.” The whole process took less than three weeks. The most gratifying part for me is knowing that these publishing professionals, who make it their mission to enrich children’s lives by offering high-quality, wholesome reading material, “love the book” and want to attach their names to it.

My husband bought me a gorgeous bouquet of spring flowers to mark the occasion. I told him how blessed I feel to have been offered this opportunity. Then we talked about luck, and about the old adage that luck = preparation + opportunity. He pointed out that I had prepared by working at my writing, building up a resume and credibility, researching markets that fit my style and sensibility, and creating a website to promote my work. I had challenged myself by attempting a novel-length manuscript and finishing it. And when an opportunity came along, I was ready. So I guess he’s right that this success was earned...but I’m pretty sure that little prayer I whispered didn’t hurt, either.

March 6, 2009

More Magic


In my last post I wrote about the long-lasting effects reading has on kids, and about the kinds of books I was personally drawn to. Here are a few more thoughts on that subject…

A watershed moment in my reading life was discovering Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, around age 12. I suddenly found a new role model in Jo March, the feisty young woman who wanted to be an author, and who, long before the word feminism was coined, wouldn’t let anyone put her in her place. I loved the whole March family, but also Alcott’s descriptions of Civil War-era New England, with its formal parlors and musty garrets, its wild apple orchards and shaded dovecotes. It somehow seemed homespun and exotic, both at the same time.

And I was at least a little bit in love with Theodore “Laurie” Lawrence, whom Jo could only love like a brother. For a long time I thought she was crazy to turn him down for the stodgy old professor. Eventually, though, I understood that the professor was a better match for Jo. He was the one who truly understood her and who encouraged her passion for writing. “You must write from the depths of your soul!” he tells her, when she has gotten bogged down writing trashy stories about things she doesn’t care about. And listen to his beautiful declaration of love: “Your heart understood mine. In the depth of the fragrant night, I listened with ravished soul to your beloved voice.” No wonder Jo felt she had found her soulmate!

Another author I loved, for completely different reasons, was the peerless Dr. Seuss. I remember reading And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street to my younger brother approximately 3,758 times. Years later, I was thrilled to do the same with my sons. I read The Happy Birthday Book to each of them on their birthdays—it was as much a part of the celebration as cake and ice cream. The Sleep Book is pure genius as a bedtime story, and you’ll find no better lesson about how to handle the challenges life throws at you than in I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew.

Reading books to my boys gave me a chance not only to revisit some of my favorites but to discover wonderful new work as well. Matthew loved Hatchet and other Gary Paulsen adventure stories, along with Matt Christopher’s many sports series. Paul liked the humorous stuff, like Audrey and Don Woods’ King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub, and the gentle but hilarious Henry Huggins/Ribsy books by Beverly Cleary. David’s first favorite was Sendak’s classic Where the Wild Things Are; he went on to read lots of fantasy stories, eventually devouring the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings.

So did their reading play a role in developing their identities and personalities? Matthew still loves sports and is never happier than when he's hiking in the mountains. Paul is an animal lover with a unique sense of humor. And David's favorite genre is still fantasy; in fact, he writes in that genre, too. So judging from their grown-up personalities, I have absolutely no doubt that reading shaped their futures, just as it did for me and as it will for their children. And that’s the true magic of children’s books.