Dreams 'n Things

By Kristyn Crow -
Yesterday I got to walk into a Barnes and Noble and buy a copy of my book, COOL DADDY RAT, right off the shelves. Lame, you say? Maybe. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into bookstores and dreamed. That was a long-awaited moment.

I’ve got a picture book workshop this Saturday that I’m putting on with author Rick Walton. It sounds like we’ll have an excellent group of writers, and even an editor and a librarian in attendance. The proceeds will go toward a picture book project we’re doing to help newly-diagnosed kids with juvenile diabetes. Rick has a son with the condition, and I have two. We’re hoping a book for very young kids will be comforting to them during an extremely confusing time.

I’m looking outside right now, and there's a blizzard. That’s right. A blizzard. So much for the vanishing snowman. This means war.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Congratulations to the 2009 ALA Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, King, Geisel, etc. Award Recipients

By Kristyn Crow -
ALA Awards 2009 John Newbery Medal: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman John Newbery Honor Books: The Underneath by Kathi Appelt The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle Savvy by Ingrid Law After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson Randolph Caldecott Medal: The House in the Night illustrated by Beth Krommes Randolph Caldecott Honor Books: A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet Coretta Scott King Author Award: Kadir Nelson, “We Are the Ship” King Author Honor Books: Hope Anita Smith, “Keeping the Night Watch Joyce Carol Thomas, “The Blacker the Berry” Carole Boston Weatherford, “Becoming Billie Holiday” Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award: Floyd Cooper, “The Blacker the Berry” King Illustrator Honor Books: Kadir Nelson, “We Are the Ship” Sean Qualls, “Before John Was a Jazz Giant” Jerry Pinkney, “The Moon Over Star” Coretta S
Read more

Plan A FABULOUS Literacy Night!

By Kristyn Crow -
Creating enthusiasm for reading is one of the greatest things a school can do for its students. Well-planned Literacy Nights, where parents attend with their children, can boost that enthusiasm enormously. As a picture book author, I’ve had the opportunity to attend numerous literacy events at elementary schools. Some were a raging success, and others fizzled. I’ve paid close attention to what I feel worked and what didn’t. Without naming any particular schools, I thought I’d share my observations. Ideas that Worked : 1. Cheap Dinner : Serve a free dinner at the school to start off the night – such as hotdogs and chips. The most recent literacy night I attended offered this cheap hotdog dinner on a first come, first-served basis. The response was overwhelming, and the school was packed. Food, especially food based on a literacy theme (see themes below) will draw more people to the event. 2. Attendance Prizes: Prior to the evening, announce that there will be prizes awarded f
Read more