Children’s Writing Web Journal

It’s Wednesday and time for more great blog posts!

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Finding Wonderland: The WritingYA Weblog:  The WBBT, Day Two: D.M. Cornish

Class of 2K8: The Perks of Being a Librarian

Bees Knees Reads: Cowboy Andy

Vintage Kids’ Books My Kid Loves: The King, the Mice and the Cheese

Miss Erin: WBBT Interview: Tony DiTerlizzi

If you’re looking for a story idea, or just want another way to procrastinate, check out Found: The Best Lost, Tossed, and Forgotten Items from Around the World compiled by Davy Rothbart, and Found II: More of the Best…. Each volume holds pages of letters, postcards, photos, fliers, napkins, ticket stubs, and other discarded flotsam sent into Rothbart with a note from the finder speculating about the person who owned the item. All are scanned in as is, so you see the coffee rings, blood stains, tear marks and creative spelling.

Here’s a freebie, from Found II:

LOST DOG

Mid-Night

Large Black Dog, Very Ugly!!!

Not sure what breed she is. Definitely MIXED! Appears to be a cross between a Lab, Greyhound, Border Collie and a Deer. Extremely Fast!!!

Very good with children, but extremely destructive to the yard…. If you find her, please place her in your garage immediately (as she will quickly destroy your yard). Also, make sure that you remove everything from her reach as she likes to chew and will destroy anything she can get into.

Please call immediately as we miss her and would really like to have her back….

Reward $0.05

(I know it’s not much of a reward, but trust me, if you survive 1 day with her you will want to pay me to take her back.)

Note from Davy Rothbart: Mid-Night was indeed found and returned to her happy owner.

Now go. Write.

Interested in writing stories and sending them to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

It’s Tuesday, and time for another great batch of blog posts from the world of children’s books!

If you’re enjoying these videos, please spread the word.  Click here and tell some folks.  Also, sign up to follow us on Twitter and you’ll get instant notice when each new video is posted.  Our twitter address is http://twitter.com/jonbard

Now, here’s the video (if you have any trouble playing it, go directly to the Youtube page).

Kidlit Central News: Meet and Greet Monday: Laura Manivong

I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I read?  What Do You Do When You Don’t See Things The Way Your Parents Do?

Bookie Woogie: Review #3: “Little Hoot” and “Little Pea”

Chasing Ray:  Winter Blog Blast Tour Schedule

A Fuse #8 Production: WBBT Interview - Louis Sachar!

Any petty reason you might have for not persuing your dream of writing children’s books has now been thoroughly put to shame, thanks to an Australian gentleman named Richard Dabinett.

Richard, a 66 year old Blacktown resident, published his first book, A Day’s Fishing with Pop, last February and has sold 1300 copies.  He has a dozen more books written and is about to release Shaboo - The Runaway Elephant.

So what’s the big deal?  Just this:

Richard Dabinett learned how to read and write just four years ago, at the age of 62.

So, what was that excuse of yours again?

Writer finds his voice

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

This is cool — now you can leave your comment to any blog post as a video!  Check out the comments section for my video comment, and then leave one of your own.

Happy Monday, everyone. We’re back at you with four great posts today — and the video quality is officially new and improved!

Thanks again for all the great feedback. If you’re enjoying these videos, please spread the word. Also, sign up to follow us on Twitter and you’ll get instant notice when each new video is posted! Our twitter address is http://twitter.com/jonbard

Now, here’s the video (if you have any trouble playing it, go directly to the Youtube page):

Direct Links to posts:

Editorial Anonymous: How Many Legs in “Buffalo”?

Patrick Rothfuss: Heifer Fundraiser: More Prizes, More Questions

Suzanne Young: How to Impress a Girl

Just One More Book: A Roving Rover: Owney the Mail-Pouch Pooch

When I lived in New York, I always loved going to the Public Library.  The big one, with  the lions out front.

Often, I had nothing I particularly needed to research — I just liked spending some time in a space so historic, hushed and grand.  So I caught a thrill when I came across these spectacular photos of the world’s great libraries.  They’re from the book Libraries by photographer Candida Höfer and they represent a time when libraries weren’t just functional boxes, but where works of art in themselves.

Feast your eyes, book lovers.

Photos of the World’s Greatest Libraries

It’s the time of year when “Best of” lists start making their appearance, and, in the world of children’s literature, few such lists are more prestigious than The Kirkus Reviews’.

If you want a crash course in what’s happening in kids lit, head over to Kirkus now and grab the just-released list.

Here’s the link:

http://www.kirkusreviews.com/kirkusreviews/images/pdf/BestChildrens.pdf

OK, I’ve finally bought into this whole Twitter thing and, I admit, it’s pretty cool. Come join me — I’ll post occasional links, news tidbits and thoughts about children’s writing. I’m not the obsessive sort, so it will be just a few each day.

My Twitter URL: http://twitter.com/jonbard

I’ll be tweeting you!

Are you writing (or attempting to write) a YA novel for boys? Check out this article from Publishers Weekly by a 13-year-old New Jersey boy who dissects all that’s wrong with modern YA and tells you what he wants to read. Even if your novel is purged of “Methinks” and you have a badass protagonist, it’s still worth a look.

Don’t like being told what to do by a 13-year-old? Remember, he’s published in PW. Are you?