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My author travel this week was full of wonderfully familiar faces because I spent two days in Western New York, not far from where I grew up.  The students and staff of DeSales Catholic School in Lockport were all decked out for St. Patrick’s Day when I arrived Monday morning.

This visit was such a wonderful whirlwind that I never got the chance to take photos with the kids. I did get to hug Mr. Granchelli, one of their fourth grade teachers who worked with my parents and lived in my home town of Medina when I was growing up.  And then I spent LOTS of time signing books. Since many of my titles were available through the Scholastic Book Fairs & Clubs this fall, the PTA was able to purchase copies for students. I got to sign them in the gym before & after my presentation. I kept wondering if anyone would notice if I took a break to shoot baskets.

Thanks so much to Karen for organizing this visit and to all of the wonderful staff and students who made it so special.

Monday afternoon, I headed to Monkey See, Monkey Do Children’s Bookstore in Clarence for a book signing. If you live in Western NY and haven’t been here yet, it’s so worth the visit.

I was thrilled to see some friendly, familiar faces there, too. Here’s Twitter friend and Sweet Home Middle School teacher David Etkin, whose students have been reading CAPTURE THE FLAG.

I also got to spend some time with one of my very best friends from high school, Patrice Birner. We spent a lovely lunch catching up, laughing over old times, and making a list of our former teachers to whom we probably owe an apology. 🙂

 

 

Before I left, I signed the bookstore’s special author-visit podium! I chose a spot next to Natalie Kinsey-Warnock’s signature, since my daughter and have so enjoyed reading her books aloud together.

You know those familiar, friendly faces I mentioned? One of them belonged to my sister, who was kind enough to put me up at her house for this visit. She is the best in more ways than would ever fit in a blog post.

On Tuesday morning, I headed to Rushville, NY for a morning at Middlesex Valley Primary School, whose principal is my cousin Paul Lahue.

Paul and I were both the youngest in our families, so we were regularly persecuted by the older kids and formed a kind of bond. It was fun to see him in his grown-up element, running the show with a quiet confidence and greeting every child by name. He’s  just the kind of school principal I want my own kids to have.

When I turned around after setting up my computer in one of the classrooms, my Aunt Maureen had popped in for a surprise visit. If you’ve read my book EYE OF THE STORM, she’s the librarian in the dedication. She stayed for my “Story Puzzles” writing workshop with the 2nd graders.

Thanks so much to everyone who made my visit to Western New York so magical this week!

 

 

 

 

 

I spent a wonderful day with the readers of Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh this week. It’s always fun to visit readers where they learn, but it’s extra special when you walk into the building and see that the bookish excitement has been building for weeks.The Winchester Thurston community sure knows how to make an author feel welcome!

Here are my terrific hostesses, librarians extraordinaire Kate Weber and Jennifer Kraar.  They’d been reading with their students for moths to prepare for the visit, and the art in the hallways reflected that. It was so much fun to see the kids’ interpretations of my books and characters!

There was even a Sea Monster cake at lunch time!

This school community really seemed to love SEA MONSTER’S FIRST DAY and SEA MONSTER AND THE BOSSY FISH. Jennifer told me that’s because they all felt like Ernest the Sea Monster shared the values of their school motto: “Think also of the comfort and rights of others.” The Pre-K and Kindergarten students were especially big Ernest fans. These kids know what it means to be a “Friend Fish.”

In addition to the large group assemblies, I had the chance to spend a little more time with the fifth graders, who are talented authors in their own right. We did a mystery writing workshop that I promised I’d share online in case anyone wanted to look back at the ideas to do more brainstorming.

After the writing workshop, a group of students presented me with letters and a wonderfully bright, bouncy bouquet of paper flowers they’d made. I carried it all through the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Airports and got lots of smiles from fellow travelers. I think the bouquet was a bright spot in their day, too. (A few people even asked me if I’d just gotten married!)

Thank you, Jennifer and Kate, and all of the wonderful, enthusiastic teachers and students of Winchester Thurston School. I absolutely loved my day reading, writing, and talking books with your school community!

I still remember the first time I heard about SCBWI. “It stands for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators,” my friend told me, “and you need to join.”  I did. And when I went to my very first SCBWI event – the regional conference in New England – I understood why. The writers I met at that conference seven years ago are among my best friends now. They critique my manuscripts, share struggles, cheer successes, and keep me going. It is a magical thing to walk into a hotel conference center and realize, all at once, “These are my people!”

So when I was invited to give a keynote talk at this year’s SCBWI Winter Conference in New York, I jumped at the opportunity.

I made it into the city a day early and spent some time researching an upcoming book here…

Hint: I was upstairs in the Museum of Natural History’s invertebrate zoology department most of the day. Think bugs!

I also had a chance to see the children’s book exhibit at the New York Public Library, which was an amazing tribute to the history of our work.

There were so many books, original art, and manuscripts to ogle, but I think my favorite part of the exhibit might have been this small display of library cards – reminding us how libraries (and the books inside them) create great thinkers.

Here’s Carl Sagan’s card…

Thursday evening, it was off to the Grand Hyatt, where the giant head statues in the lobby were decked out for their children’s book celebration.

On Friday, I gave a talk and facilitated a roundtable discussion at the Plot Intensive, which was such a fantastic experience. The participants at my table were all such great people as well as writers, and they not only shared their own work but supported one another beautifully. I’m fully expecting to see their novels in bookstores & libraries before too long.

Here’s SCBWI’s Lin Oliver welcoming the tribe for the full conference Saturday morning.

Sunday morning was my talk on “The Spectacular Power of Failure,” and it was an absolute gift to speak to this incredible group of writers and illustrators.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Castaldo

 I learned that sometimes, illustrators draw pictures of you while you are talking.

(Thanks to Dana James Sullivan for sharing this great keynote doodle!)

During the autographing session, some people asked me about the books & poems I’d talked about in the keynote. “What Happened to Your Book Today” is here, just in case you need a reminder of why we write and illustrate for kids. And here are links to some of the books  and website I mentioned:

Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Art Making by David Bayles and Ted Orland

Spark: How Creativity Works by Julie Burstein

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

One Star Review Guess Who at 100 Scope Notes

Wake Up Missing

Over and Under the Snow

The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.

Marty McGuire

Capture the Flag

The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman

Monster Road by David Lubar

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Laurel Snyder’s blog post about Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains (and the very best way to go out of print)

Regina Dugan’s TED Talk (She was the “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” speaker.)

My 2012 TED Talk (This is a TED blog summary – the video hasn’t been shared online yet.)

TED-Ed Lesson based on my TED talk on world building, “How to Build a Fictional World”

My son’s project-blog (This is not about the project that caught on fire….it’s about his weather balloon that got stuck in a tree in MA. Another “malfunction” with a happy ending.)

Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Win

Here’s my blog post from the Friday plot intensive and a link where you can download those handouts.

And of course…our anthem. With lyrics, so you can sing along when you finish your work today. 🙂

One last note…I was actually working on this blog post at the airport, waiting for my flight home. Just before it was time to board, a stranger stepped up to my seat and said, “I made this for you.”  It was a thank you card (she’d been at the conference) with this on the cover:

(Thank you so much, Meagan Moore! You made my whole night.)

I want to say a HUGE thank you to the staff and volunteers who made this conference happen and invited me to be a part of it this year. It was truly a magical weekend – one that reminded me how very lucky I am to be part of this incredible community of writers and artists.

I’m speaking at the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City this weekend, participating in a Plot Intensive workshop today & then giving a keynote on Sunday morning. It’s already been a magical trip. This morning’s sessions at the Plot Intensive were great. Here’s editor/author Jill Santopolo reading a picture book as an example of plot structure.

 

One of the handouts I’d created for my presentation, “Inventing the Tools We Need,” didn’t make it into the packet for attendees, so I wanted to share it as a download here, along with the original handout. Just click to download & they’ll open in MS Word!

Kate’s Plot Intensive Handout

Kate’s Big-Picture Story Chart

If you have any interest in birds…or Harry Potter and Hedwig…or just unexpected beauty, you’ve probably heard about the irruption of snowy owls in areas south of their usual Arctic habitat this winter.  I’ve been hoping to see one, and for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been haunting bird watching websites, paying attention to reported sightings, and dragging my family out on owl-searching drives (all of which turned out to be wild goose chases.)

Today, I had plans to meet my friend Linda for lunch in Vermont and decided to take the long way home so I could drive through Addison, where a number of snowy owls had been spotted this week. I knew it was a long shot. If you’ve read Jane Yolen’s OWL MOON, you know all too well that sometimes there’s an owl, and sometimes there isn’t. But I was hoping…and then I spotted something that made my heart jump.

A snowy owl – a female, based on what I’ve read from experienced bird watchers who’ve spotted her -was perched in a tree just off the road.  I watched her for about half an hour. She was mostly still but obviously hunting. Twice, she flew from the tree over the fields. Once, she plunged into some weeds but came up empty and returned to her spot.

She was stunning. And I’m so glad I took the long way home.

All eyes may be on Sochi for the Winter Olympics this week, but next month, the great race happens in Alaska when the Iditerod begins. Kids are fascinated by this race – from its historic roots in Balto’s story to the modern tales of dogsled teams, and there’s a great new book out today that captures all the excitement of being a musher.

While not an Iditerod tale per se, Terry Lynn Johnson’s ICE DOGS is the story of 14-year-old Victoria Secord, a dog sledder who loses her way in the Alaska wilderness and must survive the elements, along with a mysterious boy who turns up in the woods.  ICE DOGS is a serious page turner, one of those perfect hot-chocolate-by-the-fireplace reads. It’s a book for dog lovers, to be sure, but also a riveting  survival story, perfect for middle school and high school readers who love Gary Paulsen and are ready for something a little older.  Pair it with Paulsen’s memoir for adult and older YA readers, WINTERDANCE: THE FINE MADNESS OF RUNNING THE IDITEROD, in high school classrooms and literature circles for some great discussions.

The American Library Association Youth Media Awards are always a big deal at our house, and yesterday, my daughter was off from school, so we settled at the kitchen table with our breakfast to watch the live webcast. We cheered for a lot of books – but one in particular brought us to our feet (and may have woken up the later sleepers…)

Brian Floca’s LOCOMOTIVE won the 2014 Caldecott Medal!

We’ve been fan’s of Brian’s nonfiction picture books for years, and he’s also the illustrator of my Marty McGuire chapter book series with Scholastic. Speaking of that…the third book in the series, MARTY MCGUIRE HAS TOO MANY PETS,  is out today!

Marty McGuire really has her hands full this time — with a lazy boa, a hyper hamster, and a potty-mouthed parrot! Is her pet sitting business about to go OUT of business?

After visiting a sanctuary for retired lab chimpanzees, Marty wants to follow in the footsteps of her idol Jane Goodall and help with their care. But “adopting a chimp” is expensive, so Marty and her third-grade pals hatch a plan to raise money by holding a talent show at school and opening a pet-sitting business in Marty’s basement. It turns out that each pet has a personality of its own, and wrangling them is much harder than Marty expected. How will Marty keep her latest great idea from going to the dogs?

Ask for MARTY MCGUIRE HAS TOO MANY PETS at your favorite local bookstore, or use IndieBound to find a great, independent bookstore near you.

Marty is sharing a book-birthday today with some friends’ new books…

Laurel Snyder’s SEVEN STORIES UP is a magical blend of family, time travel, humor, and history – the story of a girl who goes back in time in an old Baltimore hotel and discovers her own grandmother living there as a young girl. I had the chance to read this book as an ARC and loved it to pieces. It’s full of humor and heart and really makes you think about how people come to be the way they are and the impact that our interactions with one another – even small ones – have on a person’s life.

And Jarrett Krosoczka’s new book LUNCH LADY AND THE SCHOOLWIDE SCUFFLE is also out today. It’s the latest in Jarrett’s hilarious Lunch Lady graphic novel series – perfect for graphic novel fans, reluctant readers, and really…anyone who has ever experienced life in a school cafeteria.

Happy Reading!

Dear Mr. Banks:

I enjoyed your recent interview with The New York Times. I learned that we share a penchant for poetry, travel books, South Florida, and volcanoes, and that we both call Northern New York home, at least for part of the year. Actually…that’s why I’m writing.

When the Times asked about your favorite bookstores and libraries, you responded:

Six months a year I live in Miami Beach, a five-minute walk from Mitchell Kaplan’s Books & Books on Lincoln Road, where I can buy a book and start reading it over a lingering al fresco lunch and every now and then look up and peruse the passing SoBe parade of perfectly honed and tanned human bodies and tiny dogs. The other six months I live in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York where the nearest full-service bookstore is in Saratoga Springs, 100 miles to the south, and honed bodies and small dogs are nowhere to be seen. That’s when I rely on Amazon.com.

This answer has me worried that you may be missing out on some of the greatest things about living in the Adirondacks. Have you ever been to Lake Placid during the IRONMAN or the half marathon? I can’t speak to the population of small dogs in town for those events, but I promise you’ll find honed bodies in abundance. Lake Placid is also the training ground for hundreds of Olympic level athletes. They, too, are seriously honed.

When you mentioned that your “nearest full-service bookstore” is 100 miles away in Saratoga Springs, were you talking about the fabulous Northshire Bookstore? You’re right about one thing — Northshire is fantastic. But it’s not your nearest full-service bookstore.

The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid is practically in your backyard. It’s independent and family-run, and its owners, Marc and Sarah Galvin, are incredibly supportive of local authors. I’ve seen your books on display there, right up front. In fact, I’m pretty sure The Bookstore Plus supplied the books for your reading at the Paul Smiths Visitors Interpretive Center a couple years ago.

Remember when one of our local libraries was absolutely ravaged by flooding during Tropical Storm Irene?

 

The Bookstore Plus hosted a major fundraiser and benefit auction to put books back on the shelves. It’s truly an amazing independent bookstore, and if you haven’t spent time there, you’re missing out.

So here’s a thought… If I were you, I’d stick with Mitchell Kaplan’s in Miami Beach for the next couple months (It’s really, really cold here this week), but once you come north this summer, perhaps you’ll consider taking a break from Amazon to visit The Bookstore Plus. It’s right on Main Street – the one with the green and white awning.

Inside, you’ll find some of the friendliest booksellers around and a great variety of books, including many of yours. There’s even a restaurant nearby with a porch, where you can sit and read your new books and watch all those Ironman-honed bodies pass by.

Sincerely,

Kate

Through a crazy series of events, I had the gift of being a speaker at TED2012 as part of a session called “The Classroom,” which also included incredible people like NH Teacher of the Year Angie Miller, science teacher extraordinaire Aaron Reedy, Rafe Esquith, Bill Nye the Science Guy, sex educator and author Al Vernacchio, storyteller Awele Makeba, and STEM advocate/materials scientist Ainissa Ramirez, whose claim to fame was not only her great talk but also that she used a blow torch on the TED stage.

The TED Conference was an amazing experience, and you can read a summary of my talk on on world building on the TED blog.

Photo by James Duncan Davidson and courtesy of the TED blog

The video of my talk hasn’t been uploaded to TED’s website yet, but back in the fall of 2012, the folks at TED-Ed contacted me with an  idea. Would I be interested in adapting my talk on world building so that it could be animated as a TED-Ed lesson for use in the classroom?  I agreed to give it a try, and we spent the next year going back and forth, sharing drafts and revisions and ideas. The TED-Ed team is serious about putting out videos that rack up lots of views, so they actually have a team of screen writers who work with educators to include “key terms” for searches in many of the videos. It was a fascinating process.

Finally, this winter, we wrapped up revisions and animator Avi Ofer took over, creating a storyboard to show how he planned to bring the lesson to life with images. I recorded the narration, and once it was approved, Avi finished the animation. This is the result:

 

One of the most interesting things about all of this has been the reaction from viewers. The video has gone a bit viral since it was posted, with more than 700,000 views in about a week. I love that so many people are interested in the concept, and their comments about how they’re using the video – writing novels and screenplays, developing video games, and creating backgrounds for role playing games – have been so interesting to read. I love that about the internet…the way we share something with a particular purpose in mind, but then people end up seeing other value and sharing it with those circles as well.

If you know someone with a great lesson to share on TED-ED, or if you’d like to nominate yourself, check out the details here.

 Hi there! If you’re new to this blog, I’m Kate Messner, and I write books like these:

Kristen Kittscher

Harper Children’s

Elementary & Middle School

11am-6pm EST

 

Laura Purdie Salas

Clarion and Millbrook

Elementary 

10am-1pm CST

http://www.laurasalas.com

 

Kimberley Griffiths Little

Scholastic

Elementary/Middle School 

1pm-4pm Mountain

http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com

 

Kate Messner

Bloomsbury/Chronicle/Scholastic

K-8

9-10:30 am EST

https://katemessner.com

 

Jennifer Fosberry

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Elementary 

10am-1pm PST

http://www.jfosberry.com

 

Barbara O’Connor

FSG/Macmillan

Elementary School (Gr 4,5 optimum)

12-1:30 EST

http://www.barbaraoconnor.com

 

Patrice Lyle

Leap Books

Middle School

Most times, CST

http://www.patricebooks.com

 

Kim Baker

Roaring Brook Press

Macmillan Elementary

Middle School 

9am-2pm PST

http://www.kimbakerbooks.com

 

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Disney-Hyperion, Two Lions, Abrams, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster

Elementary

9am-3pm

http://www.sudipta.com

 

Melissa Guion

Philomel

Elementary

10am – 2pm EST

http://www.melissaguion.com

 

Jody Feldman

Greenwillow/HarperCollins

Elementary/Middle School

9am-3pm CST

http://www.jodyfeldman.com 

 

Amy Goldman Koss

Dial Books for Young Readers

Elementary / Middle School

10:00am – 2:00pm Pacific Time

http://www.AmyGoldmanKoss.net

 

Liz Garton Scanlon

Beach Lane Books/S&S/HarperCollins/Bloomsbury

Elementary

10-1 CST

http://www.LizGartonScanlon.com

 

Ammi-Joan Paquette

Random House/Walker/Candlewick/Clarion

Elementary/Middle School

9-2 EST

http://www.ajpaquette.com

Happy reading, everyone!