Our Blog
Prairie Project Update
I love to write books, but when I'm not writing I like to be outside. Remember the one-acre hillside I've been trying to convert from grass and weeds to prairie flowers? Well, here's how it's going The picture (below) on far left is how it looked in May. So scruffy and unsightly. The center picture is how it looked in July, after my neighbor brushogged it for me. (For you city types, that means he mowed the hillside with a tractor.) It was an improvement, but just barely. The picture on the far right is how it looks now, after several months of killing weeds and fescue and burning dead leaves. (I had so many burn piles going last week, I felt like Laura Ingalls Wildfire!) I'll pick up my prairie seeds next week and plant them in February, before a big snowfall. Oh, and see the barn in the distance? A mysterious black cat moved in there recently. I think I'll call him (or her) Shadow after Seymour's cat in Dying to Meet You.
I love to write books, but when I'm not writing I like to be outside. Remember the one-acre hillside I've been trying to convert from grass and weeds to prairie flowers? Well, here's how it's going The picture (below) on far left is how it looked in May. So scruffy and unsightly. The center picture is how it looked in July, after my neighbor brushogged it for me. (For you city types, that means he mowed the hillside with a tractor.) It was an improvement, but just barely. The picture on the far right is how it looks now, after several months of killing weeds and fescue and burning dead leaves. (I had so many burn piles going last week, I felt like Laura Ingalls Wildfire!) I'll pick up my prairie seeds next week and plant them in February, before a big snowfall. Oh, and see the barn in the distance? A mysterious black cat moved in there recently. I think I'll call him (or her) Shadow after Seymour's cat in Dying to Meet You.
Kate's hillside in May 2014
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July 2014
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Same hillside in December 2014
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This Is An Oldie But a Goodie
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All In the Family
Last Thursday, while I was talking about writing with elementary school kids in Texas, sister Sarah was sharing her best illustrating tips and tricks at a school in California, and our brother, James Klise, was talking about young adult novels with high school students in Illinois. Klise, Klise, and Klise. Kinda cool, eh?
If anyone's planning ahead, I'll be leading writing workshops in early August 2015 at the Cape Cod Writers Center Conference in Hyannis, Mass.
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All In the Family
Last Thursday, while I was talking about writing with elementary school kids in Texas, sister Sarah was sharing her best illustrating tips and tricks at a school in California, and our brother, James Klise, was talking about young adult novels with high school students in Illinois. Klise, Klise, and Klise. Kinda cool, eh?
If anyone's planning ahead, I'll be leading writing workshops in early August 2015 at the Cape Cod Writers Center Conference in Hyannis, Mass.
* * *
Pure Imagination
I've had this song stuck in my head for more than a week after seeing my friend Forest Swisher star in an all-kid production of "Willy Wonka" in Willow Springs, Missouri. He was terrific! If I could sing (ha!), I'd share this lovely song with the kids I meet in the writing workshops I lead. In this picture, it kinda looks like I was leading the kids in song today at Olmos Elementary in San Antonio. Don't worry. I was only calling on someone to share an idea for a book.
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I've had this song stuck in my head for more than a week after seeing my friend Forest Swisher star in an all-kid production of "Willy Wonka" in Willow Springs, Missouri. He was terrific! If I could sing (ha!), I'd share this lovely song with the kids I meet in the writing workshops I lead. In this picture, it kinda looks like I was leading the kids in song today at Olmos Elementary in San Antonio. Don't worry. I was only calling on someone to share an idea for a book.
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Little Rabbit in the carrot cake factory illustration
by M. Sarah Klise
Carrot Cake, Anyone?
Sarah and I were in Los Angeles earlier this week, visiting students at the lovely Chadwick School, where Joan Crawford (!) sent her daughter years ago. Together, we worked with the K-3 crowd to create two stories. Then, Sarah and I split up. While I shared my non-fiction writing tips and tricks with the sixth graders, Sarah showed the fourth and fifth graders how to illustrate a scene that pulls the reader in. Can you believe Sarah had *all* the students drawing, shading, coloring, shadowing, and even smudging with paper towels? The students came up with the idea of sending Little Rabbit to the carrot cake factory at two o'clock in the morning to steal a post-midnight snack. Then, Sarah led the way. Wow, right? If your school or library wants to cook up a similar day, just email us. We'll be happy to compare calendars and carrot cake recipes.
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Sarah and I were in Los Angeles earlier this week, visiting students at the lovely Chadwick School, where Joan Crawford (!) sent her daughter years ago. Together, we worked with the K-3 crowd to create two stories. Then, Sarah and I split up. While I shared my non-fiction writing tips and tricks with the sixth graders, Sarah showed the fourth and fifth graders how to illustrate a scene that pulls the reader in. Can you believe Sarah had *all* the students drawing, shading, coloring, shadowing, and even smudging with paper towels? The students came up with the idea of sending Little Rabbit to the carrot cake factory at two o'clock in the morning to steal a post-midnight snack. Then, Sarah led the way. Wow, right? If your school or library wants to cook up a similar day, just email us. We'll be happy to compare calendars and carrot cake recipes.
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I did NOT take this photo. The lovely librarian Natalie Watts did.
Sssssssssssssan Antonio, Texassssssssssssss
You're not going to believe what was in the Huebner Elementary School library yesterday. A snake. A snake, people!
It was a python, and yes, it was in a cage most of the day. Still. You know how I feel about snakes.
Luckily, the kids in San Antonio are so sensational, it kept my mind off the slithery creepiness in the cage on the bookshelf. I'll be visiting a lot of schools in San Antonio this school year, sharing some writing tips and tricks. I'm dying to see what surprises the other schools have in store for me!
(UPDATE: today's school had a snake and a tarantula.)
* * *
You're not going to believe what was in the Huebner Elementary School library yesterday. A snake. A snake, people!
It was a python, and yes, it was in a cage most of the day. Still. You know how I feel about snakes.
Luckily, the kids in San Antonio are so sensational, it kept my mind off the slithery creepiness in the cage on the bookshelf. I'll be visiting a lot of schools in San Antonio this school year, sharing some writing tips and tricks. I'm dying to see what surprises the other schools have in store for me!
(UPDATE: today's school had a snake and a tarantula.)
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Sarah did a lovely job on this cover.
How To Be the Meanest Mother on Earth
I laughed when I read this article about how to be the meanest mother in the world.
It reminds me of the book Sarah and I published several years ago about the day Little Rabbit ran away to join the circus. He claimed he had the Meanest Mother on Earth and sold one hundred tickets to see her. (Why did he think his mom was so mean? Because she had the audacity to insist that he clean his playroom.)
You can probably guess who comes to Little Rabbit's rescue in the end. Alternate title for this book could be Mother Rabbit and Luckiest Bunny on Earth.
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I laughed when I read this article about how to be the meanest mother in the world.
It reminds me of the book Sarah and I published several years ago about the day Little Rabbit ran away to join the circus. He claimed he had the Meanest Mother on Earth and sold one hundred tickets to see her. (Why did he think his mom was so mean? Because she had the audacity to insist that he clean his playroom.)
You can probably guess who comes to Little Rabbit's rescue in the end. Alternate title for this book could be Mother Rabbit and Luckiest Bunny on Earth.
* * *
I don't really like football. But I *love* Texas readers.
Friday Night Writes
I watched the terrific movie "Friday Night Lights" last Sunday before a week of school visits in Texas. As everyone knows, football is BIG in Texas. But you know what else is big? Reading. Writing. Books. Just ask the kids in Pampa, Texas (where Woody Guthrie learned to play guitar). The kids in Pampa are all big readers. I think they'll be big writers, too. One student at Austin Elementary School told me I "expired" her to write a book. Ha! I also was lucky enough to meet the fabulous students at Episcopal School of Dallas. Every year, this school brings in a visiting author in memory of Elizabeth Anne Worsham. The whole Worsham family comes to celebrate sweet Elizabeth, her school (where many Worshams have taught), and books. Isn't that a lovely tradition? Speaking of lovely, how in the world did I forget to blog about Savannah Country Day School? I spent three days there recently as writer-in-residence and had a blast. I also had time to tour the childhood home of Juliette Gordon Low, one of my heroes, and eat at The Olde Pink House. Mmmmmm. So good!
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I watched the terrific movie "Friday Night Lights" last Sunday before a week of school visits in Texas. As everyone knows, football is BIG in Texas. But you know what else is big? Reading. Writing. Books. Just ask the kids in Pampa, Texas (where Woody Guthrie learned to play guitar). The kids in Pampa are all big readers. I think they'll be big writers, too. One student at Austin Elementary School told me I "expired" her to write a book. Ha! I also was lucky enough to meet the fabulous students at Episcopal School of Dallas. Every year, this school brings in a visiting author in memory of Elizabeth Anne Worsham. The whole Worsham family comes to celebrate sweet Elizabeth, her school (where many Worshams have taught), and books. Isn't that a lovely tradition? Speaking of lovely, how in the world did I forget to blog about Savannah Country Day School? I spent three days there recently as writer-in-residence and had a blast. I also had time to tour the childhood home of Juliette Gordon Low, one of my heroes, and eat at The Olde Pink House. Mmmmmm. So good!
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I Screen, You Screen
I read the newspaper on a screen. I write books using a screen. I watch Netflix movies on a screen. But when I want to read for pleasure, as I do most nights, I read good old-fashioned books on paper. This article explained why low-tech is still my go-to tech of choice for pleasure reading. (And who knew that reading just six minutes a day could reduce stress by 68%? That's my favorite stat of the season!)
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I read the newspaper on a screen. I write books using a screen. I watch Netflix movies on a screen. But when I want to read for pleasure, as I do most nights, I read good old-fashioned books on paper. This article explained why low-tech is still my go-to tech of choice for pleasure reading. (And who knew that reading just six minutes a day could reduce stress by 68%? That's my favorite stat of the season!)
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My outline for the fifth book in the Three-Ring Rascals series
Want to Know a Secret?
Want to hear something awful and embarrassing? Here it is: A pack rat moved into my log barn this summer. Ack! It gets worse. The bold creature chewed through the wires of my lawn mower. Twice.
I took all this very personally. Then I remembered E. B. White, who wrote Charlotte's Web after watching a spider in his barn. So I started writing about the rat. I named her Ruby and had her move into Sir Sidney's office on the circus train in the Three-Ring Rascals series. See the scribbly circle on the right? That's my outline for Secrets of the Circus, the fifth book in the series. When I visit schools, I always teach kids (and teachers) my strategy for outlining a book like this.
* * *
Want to hear something awful and embarrassing? Here it is: A pack rat moved into my log barn this summer. Ack! It gets worse. The bold creature chewed through the wires of my lawn mower. Twice.
I took all this very personally. Then I remembered E. B. White, who wrote Charlotte's Web after watching a spider in his barn. So I started writing about the rat. I named her Ruby and had her move into Sir Sidney's office on the circus train in the Three-Ring Rascals series. See the scribbly circle on the right? That's my outline for Secrets of the Circus, the fifth book in the series. When I visit schools, I always teach kids (and teachers) my strategy for outlining a book like this.
* * *
Yes, it is. Onward, brave and creative friends.
Goodbye, Fear. Hello, Risks.
This is so good to remember (thank you, Elizabeth Gilbert), and I think it applies to all endeavors, not just writing, though it's exactly what I need to hear as I tackle a writing project that's waaaaaay out of my comfort zone.
I recently heard this interview with director James Cameron, who had this advice for aspiring filmmakers (and again, I think it's great advice for all of us): "Take risks. NASA has this phrase they like: failure is not an option. But failure has to be an option in art and in exploration because it's a leap of faith . . . You have to be willing to take risks. Whatever you're doing, failure is an option, but fear is not."
* * *
This is so good to remember (thank you, Elizabeth Gilbert), and I think it applies to all endeavors, not just writing, though it's exactly what I need to hear as I tackle a writing project that's waaaaaay out of my comfort zone.
I recently heard this interview with director James Cameron, who had this advice for aspiring filmmakers (and again, I think it's great advice for all of us): "Take risks. NASA has this phrase they like: failure is not an option. But failure has to be an option in art and in exploration because it's a leap of faith . . . You have to be willing to take risks. Whatever you're doing, failure is an option, but fear is not."
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Photo of Kate and Amelia by Joyce McMurtrey
A Few of Kate's Favorite Things
Here are three things that always make me happy.
1) Laughing with friends. That's me, pictured right, with my pal Amelia at her fifth birthday party.
2) Spending time in nature. It's a proven medical fact. Nature makes everyone feel better!
3) Writing. And who knew how good it was for us? Read all about it here.
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Here are three things that always make me happy.
1) Laughing with friends. That's me, pictured right, with my pal Amelia at her fifth birthday party.
2) Spending time in nature. It's a proven medical fact. Nature makes everyone feel better!
3) Writing. And who knew how good it was for us? Read all about it here.
* * *
Amen to this cool place.
Once Upon a Time
I keep meaning to tell you about a really cool library I visited recently in Provincetown, Mass. Once upon a time, this was a church. Now it's the public library. They repurposed the wooden prayer benches to build bookcases. And, because Provincetown has such a long and illustrious seafaring history, guess what you'll find on the second floor of the library? A ship.
If you like finding surprises in libraries or in books, check out book 2 of our Three-Ring Rascals series, The Greatest Star on Earth. Here's what Chris Rose from The Spirit of '76 Bookstore in Swampscott, Mass. said about it in a recent review: "The perfect blend of gentle drama and humor and plenty of appealing art make this another winner in a terrific series!"
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I keep meaning to tell you about a really cool library I visited recently in Provincetown, Mass. Once upon a time, this was a church. Now it's the public library. They repurposed the wooden prayer benches to build bookcases. And, because Provincetown has such a long and illustrious seafaring history, guess what you'll find on the second floor of the library? A ship.
If you like finding surprises in libraries or in books, check out book 2 of our Three-Ring Rascals series, The Greatest Star on Earth. Here's what Chris Rose from The Spirit of '76 Bookstore in Swampscott, Mass. said about it in a recent review: "The perfect blend of gentle drama and humor and plenty of appealing art make this another winner in a terrific series!"
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See the green and black Ames label?
Look What Kate Found
Guess what I found when I walked down to my log barn earlier today to grab the ladder to clean the leaf-clogged gutters: an Ames spading fork! The Ames family owned the famous Ames Shovel Company in North Easton, MA. When Oliver Ames died in 1877, he left $50,000 for the construction and support of a public library, which was designed by the noted architect H. H. Richardson. Next door to the library is Queset House, the former home of various Ames family members, and my home sweet home for the month of August.
I had no idea I had an Ames tool in my shed. (I think I bought it at the Ace True Value store ten miles from here.) But isn't this why we travel? To help us make sense of the world around us. I've spent a month learning about the fascinating Ames family, and here I find I have a distant relative of the original Ames shovel, which was used during the Gold Rush and to build the transcontinental railroad, right in my own backyard. I feel vaguely misty in a Lion King/Circle of Life way. Fall is clearly in the air.
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Guess what I found when I walked down to my log barn earlier today to grab the ladder to clean the leaf-clogged gutters: an Ames spading fork! The Ames family owned the famous Ames Shovel Company in North Easton, MA. When Oliver Ames died in 1877, he left $50,000 for the construction and support of a public library, which was designed by the noted architect H. H. Richardson. Next door to the library is Queset House, the former home of various Ames family members, and my home sweet home for the month of August.
I had no idea I had an Ames tool in my shed. (I think I bought it at the Ace True Value store ten miles from here.) But isn't this why we travel? To help us make sense of the world around us. I've spent a month learning about the fascinating Ames family, and here I find I have a distant relative of the original Ames shovel, which was used during the Gold Rush and to build the transcontinental railroad, right in my own backyard. I feel vaguely misty in a Lion King/Circle of Life way. Fall is clearly in the air.
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Even the birds live in mansions in Newport.
Spence Mansion Birdhouse?
I was in Newport, Rhode Island, yesterday, where even the birdhouses are beautiful.
Doesn't this look like the kind of birdhouse Olive C. Spence would have in the backyard of Spence Mansion?
The Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport is not to be missed. Holy moley. Take a look at this place.
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I was in Newport, Rhode Island, yesterday, where even the birdhouses are beautiful.
Doesn't this look like the kind of birdhouse Olive C. Spence would have in the backyard of Spence Mansion?
The Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport is not to be missed. Holy moley. Take a look at this place.
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Kate Klise at the Bellingham Public Library.
Two More Workshops in August
I'm offering two more writing workshops in August:
*Tuesday, August 26, at the Boston Public Library (East Boston Branch), 4-5 pm
*Wednesday, August 27, at the Ames Public Library (North Easton, Ma.), 10-11 am
Both are free and open to the public. Come one, come all!
The funny photo of me on the left was snapped by my new pal Marjorie Turner Hollman, who writes cool books about walking tours of Massachusetts. Taking long, interesting walks is my favorite thing in the world--after leading writing workshops.
* * *
I'm offering two more writing workshops in August:
*Tuesday, August 26, at the Boston Public Library (East Boston Branch), 4-5 pm
*Wednesday, August 27, at the Ames Public Library (North Easton, Ma.), 10-11 am
Both are free and open to the public. Come one, come all!
The funny photo of me on the left was snapped by my new pal Marjorie Turner Hollman, who writes cool books about walking tours of Massachusetts. Taking long, interesting walks is my favorite thing in the world--after leading writing workshops.
* * *
Mimsy reads a book about ducks.
Made-for-the-Movies Mimsy
The reason I'm spending the month in North Easton, Mass., is pictured on the left: Mimsy Hasler. She's the marvelous children's librarian at the Ames Free Library who tweeted a nice shout-out about my books late last year. I followed up with an email to the library director, Uma Hiremath, and together we cooked up this writer-in-residency at Queset House.
I've been trying to think who should play Mimsy in the movie version of her life. It's got to be either a young Meg Ryan or maybe Reese Witherspoon. You can catch the real Mimsy most days during story times. The schedule is available right here.
* * *
The reason I'm spending the month in North Easton, Mass., is pictured on the left: Mimsy Hasler. She's the marvelous children's librarian at the Ames Free Library who tweeted a nice shout-out about my books late last year. I followed up with an email to the library director, Uma Hiremath, and together we cooked up this writer-in-residency at Queset House.
I've been trying to think who should play Mimsy in the movie version of her life. It's got to be either a young Meg Ryan or maybe Reese Witherspoon. You can catch the real Mimsy most days during story times. The schedule is available right here.
* * *
This is the Whitinsville Social Library on Church Street.
Ghostwriter in Residence
I'm having such a blast this month visiting libraries around Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Look at this adorable little library I visited in Whitinsville, Mass. The talented young readers here convinced me I should consider building a loft apartment in their library so I could be their library ghost.
I kinda like the idea, especially because a) I can't think of any better way to spend my retirement years, and b) I'm already looking a bit ghostlike, as you can see in this photo.
* * *
I'm having such a blast this month visiting libraries around Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Look at this adorable little library I visited in Whitinsville, Mass. The talented young readers here convinced me I should consider building a loft apartment in their library so I could be their library ghost.
I kinda like the idea, especially because a) I can't think of any better way to spend my retirement years, and b) I'm already looking a bit ghostlike, as you can see in this photo.
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Isn't this the coolest thing?
WaterFire
If you're anywhere near Providence, Rhode Island, this summer, you *have* to see WaterFire. It's just about the coolest thing ever. Check out the schedule here.
I'd also love to see you at one of my writing workshops. Scroll down a bit and you'll find my workshop schedule for the month. I'll be at Queset House in North Easton every Wednesday in August at 10 a.m. More on that right here.
* * *
If you're anywhere near Providence, Rhode Island, this summer, you *have* to see WaterFire. It's just about the coolest thing ever. Check out the schedule here.
I'd also love to see you at one of my writing workshops. Scroll down a bit and you'll find my workshop schedule for the month. I'll be at Queset House in North Easton every Wednesday in August at 10 a.m. More on that right here.
* * *
The fountain and Italian gardens next to Queset House.
Postcard from North Easton
The first children's book Sarah and I published was called Regarding the Fountain. So it seems only fitting that I have a lovely fountain right outside my window as I serve as the first ever writer-in-residence for the Ames Public Library in North Easton, Mass. So far, I've led three writing workshops, taken several long walks on North Easton's glorious trails, enjoyed a seafood dinner and lunch at the country club, met two descendants of the famous Ames family (their company made the shovels that built the Union-Pacific railroad), and gotten a lot of writing done. And this is only my fourth day here! What a fun gig. I may never leave. Did I mention the house I'm living in is reportedly haunted? The ghosts must all be happy because my spirit feels really good here. Here's a link to a radio interview I did this morning with Bill Ames.
* * *
The first children's book Sarah and I published was called Regarding the Fountain. So it seems only fitting that I have a lovely fountain right outside my window as I serve as the first ever writer-in-residence for the Ames Public Library in North Easton, Mass. So far, I've led three writing workshops, taken several long walks on North Easton's glorious trails, enjoyed a seafood dinner and lunch at the country club, met two descendants of the famous Ames family (their company made the shovels that built the Union-Pacific railroad), and gotten a lot of writing done. And this is only my fourth day here! What a fun gig. I may never leave. Did I mention the house I'm living in is reportedly haunted? The ghosts must all be happy because my spirit feels really good here. Here's a link to a radio interview I did this morning with Bill Ames.
* * *
Just got this in today's mail.
Dying to See How Japanese Readers Like Iggy
Thanks to our new friends at the Tuttle-Mori Agency and Holp Shuppan Publishing, both in Tokyo, for making this cool Japanese edition of Dying To Meet You available.
Not that Sarah or I can read a word of Japanese, but it looks nice, doesn't it?
Frankly, I (Kate) am dying to visit Japan next March/April. I'm planning to visit a few English-speaking International schools in Tokyo and Kobe and spend the rest of the time exploring.
If you've been to Japan and have any tips for me of things I shouldn't miss seeing or doing, please email me.
* * *
Thanks to our new friends at the Tuttle-Mori Agency and Holp Shuppan Publishing, both in Tokyo, for making this cool Japanese edition of Dying To Meet You available.
Not that Sarah or I can read a word of Japanese, but it looks nice, doesn't it?
Frankly, I (Kate) am dying to visit Japan next March/April. I'm planning to visit a few English-speaking International schools in Tokyo and Kobe and spend the rest of the time exploring.
If you've been to Japan and have any tips for me of things I shouldn't miss seeing or doing, please email me.
* * *
I was really glad these guys didn't escape--or die--on the drive home.
Carpe Diem
I never like to get pulled over by the police or the Missouri Highway Patrol. But yesterday would've been a funny day to have someone in an official capacity search my vehicle. Why? Because there, in the way back, that official someone would've found ten live carp. I bought them at Raccoon Valley Fisheries. Grass carp are great for cleaning country ponds, and that's what I hope these fellas will do for my pond.
Last time I stocked my pond with carp, I wrote a book about weird fish. It's called Regarding the Sink.
* * *
I never like to get pulled over by the police or the Missouri Highway Patrol. But yesterday would've been a funny day to have someone in an official capacity search my vehicle. Why? Because there, in the way back, that official someone would've found ten live carp. I bought them at Raccoon Valley Fisheries. Grass carp are great for cleaning country ponds, and that's what I hope these fellas will do for my pond.
Last time I stocked my pond with carp, I wrote a book about weird fish. It's called Regarding the Sink.
* * *
Keep your eye on this space.
Weed by Weed
My brother, James Klise*, recently suggested I write a book about writing. It was nice of him to suggest I have anything new to say on the subject. But we both really love books about writing.
I bet I've bought at least ten copies of Stephen King's book On Writing and given them to friends who want to write a novel. I've surely bought a dozen or more copies of Strunk and White's Elements of Style, which is considered the Bible for writers. But the book I've bought the most copies of is Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. In it, the author compares the process of writing a book to the hard, tedious but ultimately weirdly satisfying process of writing a school report on birds.
If I were to write a book about writing, I think I'd call it Weed by Weed. Why? Because I just spent the most fascinating morning with Doug Bauer, owner of DJM Ecological Services. He's an expert in prairie restoration and a really nice guy. He and his sidekick, Nick, drove all the way from St. Louis to help me restore my lackluster hillside (see picture) to native flowers and grasses. And guess what? I think the process is going to be very similar to writing and revising a book. First, we had to walk the area and see what I had from my prior (failed) attempt at prairie restoration. What I have are a lot of weeds and "noxious exotics" that don't belong. I'll have to get rid of all this, and it won't be pretty or easy. Sounds like what we do after writing a first draft, no? But Doug assured me I have a lot of good stuff here, too (coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, bee balm), that I can nurture before I plant more seed in February, all the while getting rid of the bad stuff.
Do you see how this all sounds similar to writing and, um, life, too? Oh, and here's the best part. If I wrote this book, it would have to come with a little packet of Doug's prairie seeds, which he harvests himself. How cool, right? It'd be Miss Rumphius meets Ms. Lamott meets A Country Year by Sue Hubbell.
Example: I just read the paragraphs above and deleted the word "that" in three places. It's a weed! You have to get rid of it. Same with dialogue that doesn't drive your story forward. Same with certain people in your life. (Admit it.) They're weeds, all of them.
Anyway, that's my big idea for the day. And now: dinner.
*Speaking of James, you might enjoy reading this lovely essay he wrote about a close encounter he had of the bookish kind.
* * *
My brother, James Klise*, recently suggested I write a book about writing. It was nice of him to suggest I have anything new to say on the subject. But we both really love books about writing.
I bet I've bought at least ten copies of Stephen King's book On Writing and given them to friends who want to write a novel. I've surely bought a dozen or more copies of Strunk and White's Elements of Style, which is considered the Bible for writers. But the book I've bought the most copies of is Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. In it, the author compares the process of writing a book to the hard, tedious but ultimately weirdly satisfying process of writing a school report on birds.
If I were to write a book about writing, I think I'd call it Weed by Weed. Why? Because I just spent the most fascinating morning with Doug Bauer, owner of DJM Ecological Services. He's an expert in prairie restoration and a really nice guy. He and his sidekick, Nick, drove all the way from St. Louis to help me restore my lackluster hillside (see picture) to native flowers and grasses. And guess what? I think the process is going to be very similar to writing and revising a book. First, we had to walk the area and see what I had from my prior (failed) attempt at prairie restoration. What I have are a lot of weeds and "noxious exotics" that don't belong. I'll have to get rid of all this, and it won't be pretty or easy. Sounds like what we do after writing a first draft, no? But Doug assured me I have a lot of good stuff here, too (coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, bee balm), that I can nurture before I plant more seed in February, all the while getting rid of the bad stuff.
Do you see how this all sounds similar to writing and, um, life, too? Oh, and here's the best part. If I wrote this book, it would have to come with a little packet of Doug's prairie seeds, which he harvests himself. How cool, right? It'd be Miss Rumphius meets Ms. Lamott meets A Country Year by Sue Hubbell.
Example: I just read the paragraphs above and deleted the word "that" in three places. It's a weed! You have to get rid of it. Same with dialogue that doesn't drive your story forward. Same with certain people in your life. (Admit it.) They're weeds, all of them.
Anyway, that's my big idea for the day. And now: dinner.
*Speaking of James, you might enjoy reading this lovely essay he wrote about a close encounter he had of the bookish kind.
* * *
Here comes the third book in the series.
Sea If You Like It!
The third book in the Three-Ring Rascals series will be out in September. This one's for readers who like a story set on the high seas.
Kirkus Reviews has nice things to say about the book in its upcoming review, which you can read right here.
We love Kirkus. The reviewers at that magazine are tough but always fair to us.
Maybe we should add a quirky book reviewer to this series. I know exactly where he or she would work: Quirkus Reviews!
* * *
The third book in the Three-Ring Rascals series will be out in September. This one's for readers who like a story set on the high seas.
Kirkus Reviews has nice things to say about the book in its upcoming review, which you can read right here.
We love Kirkus. The reviewers at that magazine are tough but always fair to us.
Maybe we should add a quirky book reviewer to this series. I know exactly where he or she would work: Quirkus Reviews!
* * *
Looking for a Writing Workshop? Come Write This Way!
Want to attend a FREE writing workshop with me (Kate) in August? You can on the following days at these libraries:
August 6 - Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA (10-11 am)
August 6 - Middleborough Public Library, Middleboro, MA (1 -2 pm)
August 7 - Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley, MA (4-5 pm with treats at 3:30)
August 12 - Milton Public Library, Milton, MA (2:30-3:30 pm)
August 13 - Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA (10-11 am)
August 13 - Bellingham Public Library, Bellingham MA (2-3 pm)
August 13 - Whitinsville Social Library, Whitinsville, MA (6-7 pm)
August 14 - Stoughton Public Library, Stoughton, MA (10-11 am)
August 14 - Dighton Public Library, Dighton, MA (1-2 pm)
August 14 - Mansfield Public Library, Mansfield, MA (4-5 pm)
August 15 - Smith Hill Library, Providence, RI (2-3 pm)
August 19 - Boston Public Library (East Boston Branch), Boston, MA (4-5 pm)*
August 20 - Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA (10-11 am)
August 20 - Wanskuck Branch, Providence, RI (1-2:30 pm)
August 20 - Rochambeau Library, Providence, RI (3:30-4:30)
August 26 - Boston Public Library (East Boston Branch), Boston, MA (4-5 pm)**
August 27 - Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA (10-11 am)
*This writing workshop is for children.
** This writing workshop is for teens.
Contact the library nearest you for more information. Come one, come all! We'll have fun and I'll bring some free swag for all participants.
Many thanks to my new friends at the Ames Free Library who are bringing me to Massachusetts to serve as the library's first writer in residence. This has to be one of the loveliest (and friendliest) libraries in America. And can you believe the library owns this adorable house right next door? That's where I'll be living for the month of August. (Wonder if I'll have to cut the grass? No problem. I won't complain. Maybe I'll even meet a ghost like Ignatius B. Grumply did when he moved into an old house for the summer.)
* * *
Want to attend a FREE writing workshop with me (Kate) in August? You can on the following days at these libraries:
August 6 - Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA (10-11 am)
August 6 - Middleborough Public Library, Middleboro, MA (1 -2 pm)
August 7 - Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley, MA (4-5 pm with treats at 3:30)
August 12 - Milton Public Library, Milton, MA (2:30-3:30 pm)
August 13 - Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA (10-11 am)
August 13 - Bellingham Public Library, Bellingham MA (2-3 pm)
August 13 - Whitinsville Social Library, Whitinsville, MA (6-7 pm)
August 14 - Stoughton Public Library, Stoughton, MA (10-11 am)
August 14 - Dighton Public Library, Dighton, MA (1-2 pm)
August 14 - Mansfield Public Library, Mansfield, MA (4-5 pm)
August 15 - Smith Hill Library, Providence, RI (2-3 pm)
August 19 - Boston Public Library (East Boston Branch), Boston, MA (4-5 pm)*
August 20 - Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA (10-11 am)
August 20 - Wanskuck Branch, Providence, RI (1-2:30 pm)
August 20 - Rochambeau Library, Providence, RI (3:30-4:30)
August 26 - Boston Public Library (East Boston Branch), Boston, MA (4-5 pm)**
August 27 - Ames Free Library, North Easton, MA (10-11 am)
*This writing workshop is for children.
** This writing workshop is for teens.
Contact the library nearest you for more information. Come one, come all! We'll have fun and I'll bring some free swag for all participants.
Many thanks to my new friends at the Ames Free Library who are bringing me to Massachusetts to serve as the library's first writer in residence. This has to be one of the loveliest (and friendliest) libraries in America. And can you believe the library owns this adorable house right next door? That's where I'll be living for the month of August. (Wonder if I'll have to cut the grass? No problem. I won't complain. Maybe I'll even meet a ghost like Ignatius B. Grumply did when he moved into an old house for the summer.)
* * *
Kate Klise in her fave shoes.
If the Shoe Fits
Okay, I admit it: I love great shoes. So I was happy to do this interview for my favorite shoe designer, Anyi Lu.
Anyi has a great story. She was an engineer who couldn't find comfy, fashionable shoes to wear to work. So she quit her job as an engineer and became a shoe designer.
I give young readers the same advice all the time. Can't find a book you want to read? You might just have to write it yourself.
(This photo was taken on my front porch by my dear friend, Joyce McMurtrey. In addition to being a terrific photographer, Joyce owns several vineyards near me in Mountain Grove, Mo.)
* * *
Okay, I admit it: I love great shoes. So I was happy to do this interview for my favorite shoe designer, Anyi Lu.
Anyi has a great story. She was an engineer who couldn't find comfy, fashionable shoes to wear to work. So she quit her job as an engineer and became a shoe designer.
I give young readers the same advice all the time. Can't find a book you want to read? You might just have to write it yourself.
(This photo was taken on my front porch by my dear friend, Joyce McMurtrey. In addition to being a terrific photographer, Joyce owns several vineyards near me in Mountain Grove, Mo.)
* * *
Author Elizabeth Gilbert
Great Advice
I love this wisdom from Elizabeth Gilbert. Nice to know I'm not the only one who makes it again and again and again and again . . . .
Dear Ones --
I was speaking to an artist friend the other day, who said she was having a crisis of creativity because she felt she was losing her edge. She feared that her work was not experimental, bold, and innovative enough. She quoted Ezra Pound ("Make it new") and said she had stopped working because, simply put, she could not figure out any ways to make it new anymore....
I tried to explain to her that the opposite of The Edge is a simpler and older idea of The Craft. While the motto of modernity might indeed be "Make it new" the motto of the traditional craftsman/woman is more like, "Make it again and again and again and again and again, until you get better and better and better and better at it." (A wordy motto, but you get the point.)
I gave up fighting for The Edge a long time ago, and that’s done me a world of good as an author. I don't care about The Edge. Standing on the edges of things just gives me vertigo, anyway, and also carries with it a serious risk of toppling over that cliff and dying.
These days, instead, I just work toward honing my craft. I want to be the best and most prolific writer I can possibly be. I want to work every day, the way craftspeople have always worked. I don't mind returning to the same themes and ideas, to try to craft them better next time. I don't mind if my writing reminds readers of other authors (that's called following in a tradition, or offering homage) and I don't even mind if my new work reminds people of my earlier work. I'm not trying to ignite a revolution every time I sit down at my desk; I just want to pursue excellence.
To do that, I must get out of my own way (including getting out of the way of my ego) and simply do the work. As many times as it takes to get it right.
Do it every day. Do it as well as you can. Repeat, repeat, repeat. That's craft.
Amen, Elizabeth Gilbert! If you like this, you should watch her TED talk.
* * *
I love this wisdom from Elizabeth Gilbert. Nice to know I'm not the only one who makes it again and again and again and again . . . .
Dear Ones --
I was speaking to an artist friend the other day, who said she was having a crisis of creativity because she felt she was losing her edge. She feared that her work was not experimental, bold, and innovative enough. She quoted Ezra Pound ("Make it new") and said she had stopped working because, simply put, she could not figure out any ways to make it new anymore....
I tried to explain to her that the opposite of The Edge is a simpler and older idea of The Craft. While the motto of modernity might indeed be "Make it new" the motto of the traditional craftsman/woman is more like, "Make it again and again and again and again and again, until you get better and better and better and better at it." (A wordy motto, but you get the point.)
I gave up fighting for The Edge a long time ago, and that’s done me a world of good as an author. I don't care about The Edge. Standing on the edges of things just gives me vertigo, anyway, and also carries with it a serious risk of toppling over that cliff and dying.
These days, instead, I just work toward honing my craft. I want to be the best and most prolific writer I can possibly be. I want to work every day, the way craftspeople have always worked. I don't mind returning to the same themes and ideas, to try to craft them better next time. I don't mind if my writing reminds readers of other authors (that's called following in a tradition, or offering homage) and I don't even mind if my new work reminds people of my earlier work. I'm not trying to ignite a revolution every time I sit down at my desk; I just want to pursue excellence.
To do that, I must get out of my own way (including getting out of the way of my ego) and simply do the work. As many times as it takes to get it right.
Do it every day. Do it as well as you can. Repeat, repeat, repeat. That's craft.
Amen, Elizabeth Gilbert! If you like this, you should watch her TED talk.
* * *
Need to Weed?
I really, really, really hate weeding, both in the garden and on my bookshelves. But I've learned from my librarian pals that you have to let books go. Why?
1) Because overcrowded shelves look and feel chaotic. And they're a pain to dust.
2) Because other people might want to read your old books.
3) Because non-profit organizations, like Friends of the Library and Goodwill, can make money selling your books.
4) Because if you clear your bookshelves a bit, you make room for new books.
5) Because you always find at least *one* fun thing in an old book. (I just mailed something I found in a book of Spanish poetry to my friend Laura, who was my housemate in Madrid a bazillion years ago. She'll die laughing when she sees it.)
Remember, weeding doesn't mean you have to get rid of any book you love or anything you plan to reread. It just means pulling the books that make it hard to find your treasures. I filled eight boxes yesterday with hardcovers and paperbacks. My house feels 100 pounds lighter. (It probably is!)
* * *
I really, really, really hate weeding, both in the garden and on my bookshelves. But I've learned from my librarian pals that you have to let books go. Why?
1) Because overcrowded shelves look and feel chaotic. And they're a pain to dust.
2) Because other people might want to read your old books.
3) Because non-profit organizations, like Friends of the Library and Goodwill, can make money selling your books.
4) Because if you clear your bookshelves a bit, you make room for new books.
5) Because you always find at least *one* fun thing in an old book. (I just mailed something I found in a book of Spanish poetry to my friend Laura, who was my housemate in Madrid a bazillion years ago. She'll die laughing when she sees it.)
Remember, weeding doesn't mean you have to get rid of any book you love or anything you plan to reread. It just means pulling the books that make it hard to find your treasures. I filled eight boxes yesterday with hardcovers and paperbacks. My house feels 100 pounds lighter. (It probably is!)
* * *
Free Book, Anyone?
Anyone want to win a free book? Pottery Barn is making it easy this summer. All you have to do is read eight titles from their recommended summer reading list by July 31. Then visit a participating Pottery Barn and pick up your free book.
What a great idea. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, to our friends at Pottery Barn! (And we're not just saying this because Kate has a sofa from Pottery Barn or because Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake is on the recommended reading list.)
* * *
Anyone want to win a free book? Pottery Barn is making it easy this summer. All you have to do is read eight titles from their recommended summer reading list by July 31. Then visit a participating Pottery Barn and pick up your free book.
What a great idea. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, to our friends at Pottery Barn! (And we're not just saying this because Kate has a sofa from Pottery Barn or because Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake is on the recommended reading list.)
* * *
Knock, Knock
Knock, knock. Who's there? Just some clever friends at Cobbles Elementary School in Rochester, New York, who created this cool drawing of Spence Mansion. (Scroll down to see who's behind the second-floor window.) I had a blast visiting with the kids at Cobbles and at Sherman Elementary, which is located on Authors Avenue, if you can believe that.
Speaking of hard to believe, did we tell you Dying to Meet You recently won a nice prize in France?
Or that The Show Must Go On! is up for a really cool award in Japan?
Knock, knock. Who's there? Just some clever friends at Cobbles Elementary School in Rochester, New York, who created this cool drawing of Spence Mansion. (Scroll down to see who's behind the second-floor window.) I had a blast visiting with the kids at Cobbles and at Sherman Elementary, which is located on Authors Avenue, if you can believe that.
Speaking of hard to believe, did we tell you Dying to Meet You recently won a nice prize in France?
Or that The Show Must Go On! is up for a really cool award in Japan?
The Show Must Go On! is the first book in our new Three-Ring Rascals series. If you like it, check out this website. No ghosts in this series (well, not yet, anyway), but there are plenty of circus animals and two resourceful mice, along with a kindly old circus show owner named Sir Sidney and his sneaky sidekick, Barnabas Brambles.
Oh, and one more thing. I keep to forgetting to share this link to some really fun class activities pegged to the fourth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, The Phantom of the Post Office. Lots of fun ideas here for anyone thinking ahead to summer school or summer reading programs.
* * *
Oh, and one more thing. I keep to forgetting to share this link to some really fun class activities pegged to the fourth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, The Phantom of the Post Office. Lots of fun ideas here for anyone thinking ahead to summer school or summer reading programs.
* * *
Kanger S. © 2004 Hong Kong Market
Picture by Picture
I just finished the sketches for a new book. If I counted them all, the number would topple 200. Kate, the editor and art director still will need to have a look before I go on to the final images. So I wait and clean off my desk and answer mail and go to the grocery store and get ready to teach some summer classes. But it reminds me to slow down and trust this process. Because it works. And it takes time.
This picture was painted by one of my art students, Kanger. (Hi, Kanger!) He was a kid (I know - isn't he good?) when he painted this Hong Kong market scene, 10 years ago. As I recall, it took FOREVER for him to finish. But isn't it beautiful and aren't you glad he did? Finishing is so important. He did it awning by awning - lantern by lantern - umbrella by umbrella. I will remember that when I tackle those 200 little pictures myself. Picture by picture, until it is done.
(Which reminds me of Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird. Which you should read sometime.)
I just finished the sketches for a new book. If I counted them all, the number would topple 200. Kate, the editor and art director still will need to have a look before I go on to the final images. So I wait and clean off my desk and answer mail and go to the grocery store and get ready to teach some summer classes. But it reminds me to slow down and trust this process. Because it works. And it takes time.
This picture was painted by one of my art students, Kanger. (Hi, Kanger!) He was a kid (I know - isn't he good?) when he painted this Hong Kong market scene, 10 years ago. As I recall, it took FOREVER for him to finish. But isn't it beautiful and aren't you glad he did? Finishing is so important. He did it awning by awning - lantern by lantern - umbrella by umbrella. I will remember that when I tackle those 200 little pictures myself. Picture by picture, until it is done.
(Which reminds me of Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird. Which you should read sometime.)
I need to remember to decorate my envelopes like this.
Coolest Envelope of the Week
This has to be the coolest envelope of the week, agree? The letters inside, from Mrs. Smith's class at Stevenson Elementary in Ohio, were also cool, too.
Here's my favorite book review of the week from Shelf Awareness. It's for our newest release, The Greatest Star on Earth.
This second charming installment of the Three-Ring Rascals series, begun with The Show Must Go On, brings back lovable Sir Sidney and his circus performers.
Sir Sidney learns of a special contest being run by the Circus Times newspaper to name the Greatest Star on Earth. But he thinks all of his performers are the greatest, from unlikely best friends Leo the Lion and Elsa the Elephant to the acrobatics of the Famous Flying Banana Brothers, and begins to worry about how this will upset their cheerful and cooperative circus. As he worries, he develops a worrywart, and his doctor prescribes some R&R at a peanut farm in Georgia. This gives Barnabas Brambles a second chance to run the circus, and he says he'll "try" to follow Sir Sidney's kind rules. Secretly, clever mouse siblings Bert and Gert use reverse psychology on Barnabas, as each of the circus acts tries to show that they are truly The Greatest Star. Again silliness and humor reign as this story unfolds. In the end, with Barnabas Brambles's lessons learned, Sir Sidney returns and harmony is restored. The wonderful line drawings, cartoon illustrations and diagrams on every page skillfully tell much of this story. The artist incorporates zany site gags, rhymes, jokes, made-up words, even math concepts.
This popular author-illustrator team (43 Old Cemetery Road series) succeeds again with their cast of quirky and endearing characters. This fun series continues to be spot-on for early chapter book readers. --JoAnn Jonas, children's librarian, freelance reviewer
* * *
This has to be the coolest envelope of the week, agree? The letters inside, from Mrs. Smith's class at Stevenson Elementary in Ohio, were also cool, too.
Here's my favorite book review of the week from Shelf Awareness. It's for our newest release, The Greatest Star on Earth.
This second charming installment of the Three-Ring Rascals series, begun with The Show Must Go On, brings back lovable Sir Sidney and his circus performers.
Sir Sidney learns of a special contest being run by the Circus Times newspaper to name the Greatest Star on Earth. But he thinks all of his performers are the greatest, from unlikely best friends Leo the Lion and Elsa the Elephant to the acrobatics of the Famous Flying Banana Brothers, and begins to worry about how this will upset their cheerful and cooperative circus. As he worries, he develops a worrywart, and his doctor prescribes some R&R at a peanut farm in Georgia. This gives Barnabas Brambles a second chance to run the circus, and he says he'll "try" to follow Sir Sidney's kind rules. Secretly, clever mouse siblings Bert and Gert use reverse psychology on Barnabas, as each of the circus acts tries to show that they are truly The Greatest Star. Again silliness and humor reign as this story unfolds. In the end, with Barnabas Brambles's lessons learned, Sir Sidney returns and harmony is restored. The wonderful line drawings, cartoon illustrations and diagrams on every page skillfully tell much of this story. The artist incorporates zany site gags, rhymes, jokes, made-up words, even math concepts.
This popular author-illustrator team (43 Old Cemetery Road series) succeeds again with their cast of quirky and endearing characters. This fun series continues to be spot-on for early chapter book readers. --JoAnn Jonas, children's librarian, freelance reviewer
* * *
(Photo provided by Ali's mom)
Dying to Tweet You
Okay, you've gotta see this. Our freakishly fantastic fifth-grade friends (we love alliteration, don't we?) in Miss Conohan's class at Albion Elementary in Albion, Maine, made this movie trailer for Dying to Meet You. Isn't it wonderful? So dramatic, too. I've been giggling about it for days.
Now, check out my new friend Ali Coon. (That's her on the right.) She chose to be *me* in her school's wax museum. (What? You don't know what a school wax museum is? It's only the most fun day of the year when everyone gets to pick a person and "be" him or her for the day.) Ali's mom contacted me to ask what Ali might wear and say and do if she were to be me for the day. I suggested Ali wear navy blue or black with a low heel. She might talk about her fondness for sushi and her need for coffee to be very, very, VERY hot. She might also admit she's a wee bit in love with Mark Twain and Jack Black.
I know who I'm going to be if ever I'm asked to be in a wax museum: Ali!
* * *
Okay, you've gotta see this. Our freakishly fantastic fifth-grade friends (we love alliteration, don't we?) in Miss Conohan's class at Albion Elementary in Albion, Maine, made this movie trailer for Dying to Meet You. Isn't it wonderful? So dramatic, too. I've been giggling about it for days.
Now, check out my new friend Ali Coon. (That's her on the right.) She chose to be *me* in her school's wax museum. (What? You don't know what a school wax museum is? It's only the most fun day of the year when everyone gets to pick a person and "be" him or her for the day.) Ali's mom contacted me to ask what Ali might wear and say and do if she were to be me for the day. I suggested Ali wear navy blue or black with a low heel. She might talk about her fondness for sushi and her need for coffee to be very, very, VERY hot. She might also admit she's a wee bit in love with Mark Twain and Jack Black.
I know who I'm going to be if ever I'm asked to be in a wax museum: Ali!
* * *
Almost Summer Camp Time - in California!
Please email me if you are interested in a little dash of Art Camp in Berkeley, Mill Valley or beautiful downtown Burlingame, California this summer. Sister Sarah will be there, for a week at each location, teaching a bit of what she knows about making pictures–and books! Hope to see you there. Look at all the terrific work!
* * *
* * *
It's a fact: I look weird in all photos.
Dallas Never Dulls Us
Kate here, just back from a week in Dallas, where I spent Monday and Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School. This is a school that reminds me so much of the school I attended way back when. Even the school uniforms are a similar plaid. On Tuesday, I visited Shelton School, where I had a terrific lunch with two boys who regaled me with stories about the Hershey factory and their career plans. (I really hope Mark can find a gig as a mattress tester and a candy tester. Wouldn't that be a dream job?) On Wednesday, I saw my first ever 3-D printer at Good Shepherd Episcopal School. I also got a great book idea from the great readers here about an all-school chili cook-off. And then on Thursday, I was at St. Mark's School of Texas, where Tommy Lee Jones and Luke and Owen Wilson spent their formative years. The boys at this all-boys school nearly flipped when I told them I was a proud graduate of St. Mark's School (dramatic pause) of Peoria, Illinois.
* * *
Kate here, just back from a week in Dallas, where I spent Monday and Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School. This is a school that reminds me so much of the school I attended way back when. Even the school uniforms are a similar plaid. On Tuesday, I visited Shelton School, where I had a terrific lunch with two boys who regaled me with stories about the Hershey factory and their career plans. (I really hope Mark can find a gig as a mattress tester and a candy tester. Wouldn't that be a dream job?) On Wednesday, I saw my first ever 3-D printer at Good Shepherd Episcopal School. I also got a great book idea from the great readers here about an all-school chili cook-off. And then on Thursday, I was at St. Mark's School of Texas, where Tommy Lee Jones and Luke and Owen Wilson spent their formative years. The boys at this all-boys school nearly flipped when I told them I was a proud graduate of St. Mark's School (dramatic pause) of Peoria, Illinois.
* * *
Benny's life is a mess, as you can see here.
Sunshine On My Shoulder
This is an old song that reminds me of the old days, when I knew the words to all the songs on the radio. It's a little sugary sweet for my tastes as a writer. Especially when I'm writing for middle-grade readers, I like to write about complicated people and their messy, complicated lives. My favorite kind of book is one that can make me laugh on one page and cry on the next.
Apparently the nice people in Florida feel the same way. They've selected my middle-grade novel Homesick to be on their next Sunshine State Young Reader Award list.
Thanks, Florida friends!
* * *
This is an old song that reminds me of the old days, when I knew the words to all the songs on the radio. It's a little sugary sweet for my tastes as a writer. Especially when I'm writing for middle-grade readers, I like to write about complicated people and their messy, complicated lives. My favorite kind of book is one that can make me laugh on one page and cry on the next.
Apparently the nice people in Florida feel the same way. They've selected my middle-grade novel Homesick to be on their next Sunshine State Young Reader Award list.
Thanks, Florida friends!
* * *
My Kind of Town
Chicago is our kind of town. Why do you think we made it Barnabas Brambles's hometown? We especially love Chicago when the book reviewer at the Chicago Tribune says our newest book "zips along...full of playful surprises, and the author sustains a tone of rare and genuine sweetness." How nice!
(You can read the full review here, if you're interested.) And speaking of Chicago, did you know our brother James has a new YA novel out, set in Chicago? You can hear him talk about it here on NPR.
* * *
Chicago is our kind of town. Why do you think we made it Barnabas Brambles's hometown? We especially love Chicago when the book reviewer at the Chicago Tribune says our newest book "zips along...full of playful surprises, and the author sustains a tone of rare and genuine sweetness." How nice!
(You can read the full review here, if you're interested.) And speaking of Chicago, did you know our brother James has a new YA novel out, set in Chicago? You can hear him talk about it here on NPR.
* * *
That's me (Kate) with my grandmother.
Middles Matter
Whenever I lead writing workshops, I always tell students that the hardest part of the story to write is the middle. This is when you start to feel impatient as a writer. Maybe a little crabby, too. And restless. You want to get to the end and be done. I think readers often feel the same way. They too want to sprint--or at least feel like they're sprinting--to the end of the book.
I just realized I'm in the middle of my own story. This photograph (thanks, Sarah, for sending it to me!) shows me at age 21 next to my adorable 81-year old grandmother. I recently had a birthday and I'm now *exactly* in the middle of these two ages. (Do the math, pals. You can figure it out.) And guess what? I suddenly don't feel like sprinting to the end. I don't even feel particularly crabby. Okay, maybe a little restless because I'm itching to tackle a new writing project and I haven't figured out what it might be. But here's something else I believe: As hard as middles are to write, they're the heart of the story. They're where your main character faces challenges and tests and makes a big decision that changes the dynamic of the story. Hmm. Sounds kind of exciting, doesn't it? I'm ready. And who cares if my skin in wrinkling and my eyes are getting droopy, as evidenced in this picture taken last week by librarian-pal Nova Bradfield. Middles matter. I'm looking forward to the next chapter.
* * *
Whenever I lead writing workshops, I always tell students that the hardest part of the story to write is the middle. This is when you start to feel impatient as a writer. Maybe a little crabby, too. And restless. You want to get to the end and be done. I think readers often feel the same way. They too want to sprint--or at least feel like they're sprinting--to the end of the book.
I just realized I'm in the middle of my own story. This photograph (thanks, Sarah, for sending it to me!) shows me at age 21 next to my adorable 81-year old grandmother. I recently had a birthday and I'm now *exactly* in the middle of these two ages. (Do the math, pals. You can figure it out.) And guess what? I suddenly don't feel like sprinting to the end. I don't even feel particularly crabby. Okay, maybe a little restless because I'm itching to tackle a new writing project and I haven't figured out what it might be. But here's something else I believe: As hard as middles are to write, they're the heart of the story. They're where your main character faces challenges and tests and makes a big decision that changes the dynamic of the story. Hmm. Sounds kind of exciting, doesn't it? I'm ready. And who cares if my skin in wrinkling and my eyes are getting droopy, as evidenced in this picture taken last week by librarian-pal Nova Bradfield. Middles matter. I'm looking forward to the next chapter.
* * *
This Is the Kind of Thing
This is the kind of thing I really shouldn't read on a Sunday night because it can make me cry. It's a letter from a fourth-grade teacher in Duluth, Minnesota, who assigned Grounded to one of her lit circles. "Thanks to you," the teacher writes, "we will be having a living funeral on the last day of school to celebrate the lives of 29 of the best fourth graders in the world!"
Sigh. What a teacher. What a class. What a world. This letter from Duluth gives me du-lump in du-throat.
* * *
This is the kind of thing I really shouldn't read on a Sunday night because it can make me cry. It's a letter from a fourth-grade teacher in Duluth, Minnesota, who assigned Grounded to one of her lit circles. "Thanks to you," the teacher writes, "we will be having a living funeral on the last day of school to celebrate the lives of 29 of the best fourth graders in the world!"
Sigh. What a teacher. What a class. What a world. This letter from Duluth gives me du-lump in du-throat.
* * *
Greetings from the Graveyard
Ready for another giggly ghost story from 43 Old Cemetery Road? Good. Because Greetings from the Graveyard is now available. Ask for it at your nearest library or bookstore. By the by, this photo isn't the cover of the book. This is. But I love graveyard pictures. I snapped this one last weekend while visiting my sister and niece in Mystic, Connecticut, home of one of the most beautiful public libraries I've ever seen. The local graveyard is fabulous, too. (Wouldn't it be cool if someone built a spooky library in a graveyard? Wow. Somebody do that, please.)
* * *
Ready for another giggly ghost story from 43 Old Cemetery Road? Good. Because Greetings from the Graveyard is now available. Ask for it at your nearest library or bookstore. By the by, this photo isn't the cover of the book. This is. But I love graveyard pictures. I snapped this one last weekend while visiting my sister and niece in Mystic, Connecticut, home of one of the most beautiful public libraries I've ever seen. The local graveyard is fabulous, too. (Wouldn't it be cool if someone built a spooky library in a graveyard? Wow. Somebody do that, please.)
* * *
Because everybody wants to win a trophy, right?
The Greatest Star on Earth
The second book in the Three-Ring Rascals series will be out in May. Here's a nice review from Kirkus:
Who is the best performer? That is the question in this second in the entertaining Three-Ring Rascals chapter-book series.
The premise is quickly established: Polly Pumpkinseed, publisher of the Circus Times, decides to sponsor a contest to determine who is best in Sir Sidney’s circus. Sir Sidney thinks his stars are all great and doesn’t want anyone to have their feelings hurt. He smells trouble ahead. More to the point: He actually develops a worrywart on his nose and is directed to rest, leaving the circus in Barnabas Brambles’ hands. With circus mice Bert and Gert once again acting as his conscience, Barnabas behaves tolerably well this time. But Elsa the elephant, Leo the lion and the Famous Flying Banana Brothers become consumed with the contest. The story and the language trips along, as do the performers in their misguided efforts to win. As before, Gert’s invented expressions are sprinkled throughout, sure to arouse giggles (“elephant + bellyflop = eleflop”). Illustrations, complete with speech bubbles, are seamlessly interwoven with the text to capture the action and misadventures. There’s even a rousing song as the story moves toward its conclusion, asking “Can Three-Ring Rascals make this end okay?” Indeed, when they pull together, they can! Absurd situations, winning characters and plenty of heartfelt moments and laughs combine to make this a surefire hit. (Graphic fiction hybrid. 7-10)
* * *
The second book in the Three-Ring Rascals series will be out in May. Here's a nice review from Kirkus:
Who is the best performer? That is the question in this second in the entertaining Three-Ring Rascals chapter-book series.
The premise is quickly established: Polly Pumpkinseed, publisher of the Circus Times, decides to sponsor a contest to determine who is best in Sir Sidney’s circus. Sir Sidney thinks his stars are all great and doesn’t want anyone to have their feelings hurt. He smells trouble ahead. More to the point: He actually develops a worrywart on his nose and is directed to rest, leaving the circus in Barnabas Brambles’ hands. With circus mice Bert and Gert once again acting as his conscience, Barnabas behaves tolerably well this time. But Elsa the elephant, Leo the lion and the Famous Flying Banana Brothers become consumed with the contest. The story and the language trips along, as do the performers in their misguided efforts to win. As before, Gert’s invented expressions are sprinkled throughout, sure to arouse giggles (“elephant + bellyflop = eleflop”). Illustrations, complete with speech bubbles, are seamlessly interwoven with the text to capture the action and misadventures. There’s even a rousing song as the story moves toward its conclusion, asking “Can Three-Ring Rascals make this end okay?” Indeed, when they pull together, they can! Absurd situations, winning characters and plenty of heartfelt moments and laughs combine to make this a surefire hit. (Graphic fiction hybrid. 7-10)
* * *
Ready for Book Six?
Greetings from the Graveyard, the sixth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, will be released next week, but the reviews are already starting to trickle in. You can check 'em out right here. Feel free to add your review, if you have something nice to say. If you can't think of anything nice to say, well, um, er . . . never mind.
* * *
Greetings from the Graveyard, the sixth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, will be released next week, but the reviews are already starting to trickle in. You can check 'em out right here. Feel free to add your review, if you have something nice to say. If you can't think of anything nice to say, well, um, er . . . never mind.
* * *
Queset House sits next to the Ames Free Public Library.
"A Tasteful Cottage on a Smiling Lawn"
See this lovely stone house? Would you believe it will be my home for the month of August? That's when I'll be writer-in-residence for the Ames Free Library in North Easton, Massachusetts. My job will be to write and encourage others to do the same. I can't wait! Doesn't it look like Olive C. Spence's summer cottage?
I'll also be leading writing workshops during the month of August at public libraries within easy driving distance of North Easton. If you're a librarian or educator who would like to book a workshop for children and/or adults, please email me. In the meantime, I'll be gazing with loving eyes at my summer house.
(Note: For those of you on the West Coast, sister Sarah will be leading drawing and painting workshops in Berkeley, California. If you want to get on her email list, drop her a line.)
* * *
See this lovely stone house? Would you believe it will be my home for the month of August? That's when I'll be writer-in-residence for the Ames Free Library in North Easton, Massachusetts. My job will be to write and encourage others to do the same. I can't wait! Doesn't it look like Olive C. Spence's summer cottage?
I'll also be leading writing workshops during the month of August at public libraries within easy driving distance of North Easton. If you're a librarian or educator who would like to book a workshop for children and/or adults, please email me. In the meantime, I'll be gazing with loving eyes at my summer house.
(Note: For those of you on the West Coast, sister Sarah will be leading drawing and painting workshops in Berkeley, California. If you want to get on her email list, drop her a line.)
* * *
Rockwood Rocks!
Just spent two terrific days with students in the Rockwood School District, right outside St. Louis, Missouri.
The fabulous readers at Green Pines Elementary were pining to tell me about the books they were reading and writing. I can't wait to see their books on the bestseller list!
And at nearby Ballwin Elementary School, some students even made T-shirts to celebrate our day together. (That's Emily on the left and Gabby on the right.)
Just spent two terrific days with students in the Rockwood School District, right outside St. Louis, Missouri.
The fabulous readers at Green Pines Elementary were pining to tell me about the books they were reading and writing. I can't wait to see their books on the bestseller list!
And at nearby Ballwin Elementary School, some students even made T-shirts to celebrate our day together. (That's Emily on the left and Gabby on the right.)
Here they are again modeling the reverse side of their shirts, where they listed some of their favorite books. (Do you love these fifth-grade girls or what?)
We had a great time in our morning assembly and afternoon writing workshops. I even enjoyed the fire drill yesterday afternoon at Green Pines. (Note to Gabby and Emily: Ask your teacher to tell you what happened to him during his very first fire drill as a teacher. It might give you a good idea for a book!)
* * *
We had a great time in our morning assembly and afternoon writing workshops. I even enjoyed the fire drill yesterday afternoon at Green Pines. (Note to Gabby and Emily: Ask your teacher to tell you what happened to him during his very first fire drill as a teacher. It might give you a good idea for a book!)
* * *
Happy Birthday, Ella Kate!
Kate and I published a book about Ella Kate Ewing (Stand Straight, Ella Kate) a few years ago and March 9th is her birthday!
We loved her and still do. This year was her 142nd birthday!
On the right is the title page of the book dummy, where she is trying to fit on the page (she was over 8 feet tall!). On the left, is the final (or rather a color copy of the final), where I saw that I had room for her cat, so painted her in too.
Check for this book in your library!
We loved her and still do. This year was her 142nd birthday!
On the right is the title page of the book dummy, where she is trying to fit on the page (she was over 8 feet tall!). On the left, is the final (or rather a color copy of the final), where I saw that I had room for her cat, so painted her in too.
Check for this book in your library!
Greetings from Junior Library Guild
We always like the nice letters we receive from Junior Library Guild because they always have nice news for us.
Today's good news? Greetings from the Graveyard, the sixth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, has been named a Junior Library Guild selection for spring 2014. Yippee!
This means that all libraries that use JLG to help build their collections will soon receive a copy of Greetings from the Graveyard in the mail. (The publication date is April 1.)
After your read it, let us know what you think of Olive's old butler. His name is T. Leeves.
* * *
We always like the nice letters we receive from Junior Library Guild because they always have nice news for us.
Today's good news? Greetings from the Graveyard, the sixth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, has been named a Junior Library Guild selection for spring 2014. Yippee!
This means that all libraries that use JLG to help build their collections will soon receive a copy of Greetings from the Graveyard in the mail. (The publication date is April 1.)
After your read it, let us know what you think of Olive's old butler. His name is T. Leeves.
* * *
Sheryl Sandberg wrote the book on Leaning In.
Lean In!
Did you know between elementary and high school, girls' self-confidence drops 3.5 times more than boys’? This is seriously wrong. What can we do about it? Lean In. This is an organization based in California that encourages girls and women to be the heroes of our own stories.
I'm leaning in by sharing a story I used to think was too embarrassing to tell: the time I got fired. You can read it here.
* * *
Did you know between elementary and high school, girls' self-confidence drops 3.5 times more than boys’? This is seriously wrong. What can we do about it? Lean In. This is an organization based in California that encourages girls and women to be the heroes of our own stories.
I'm leaning in by sharing a story I used to think was too embarrassing to tell: the time I got fired. You can read it here.
* * *
Can There Possibly Be a Better Contest Name Than This?
No. There is no better contest than the Horned Toad Tales list.
This is a contest that was created to promote a lifelong love of reading for students in the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District in Texas. We are so honored that students in more than 50 elementary schools in this district will be reading lots of good books, including (dare we say) our book,The Show Must Go On!
The program runs from March 2014 to February 2015. Students who read at least five of the Horned Toad Tale titles (I'm giggling just writing that) will vote for their favorite in February 2015.
What can we say but may the best Horned Toad Tale title triumph?
* * *
No. There is no better contest than the Horned Toad Tales list.
This is a contest that was created to promote a lifelong love of reading for students in the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District in Texas. We are so honored that students in more than 50 elementary schools in this district will be reading lots of good books, including (dare we say) our book,The Show Must Go On!
The program runs from March 2014 to February 2015. Students who read at least five of the Horned Toad Tale titles (I'm giggling just writing that) will vote for their favorite in February 2015.
What can we say but may the best Horned Toad Tale title triumph?
* * *
Korea, Dead Ahead
For those of you who have been *dying* to read Hollywood, Dead Ahead in Korean, now you can! This is the fifth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series.
The sixth book in the series, Greetings from the Graveyard, will be out on April 1. In this new volume, you'll find that our favorite Ghastly family is launching a line of greeting cards. "Olive thinks there might be a market for greeting cards to send when times are bad," Ignatius B. Grumply tells The Ghastly Times.
But what kind of card will Iggy send to his old girlfriend, Nadia S. Richenov, who wants to get . . . married?
* * *
For those of you who have been *dying* to read Hollywood, Dead Ahead in Korean, now you can! This is the fifth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series.
The sixth book in the series, Greetings from the Graveyard, will be out on April 1. In this new volume, you'll find that our favorite Ghastly family is launching a line of greeting cards. "Olive thinks there might be a market for greeting cards to send when times are bad," Ignatius B. Grumply tells The Ghastly Times.
But what kind of card will Iggy send to his old girlfriend, Nadia S. Richenov, who wants to get . . . married?
* * *
Nice News
How nice to hear The Show Must Go On! has been nominated for a Panda Award. This is an award program organized by English-speaking international schools in China. Students read the nominated books in the fall and then vote for their favorites after the celebration of the Chinese New Year. (Note from Kate: I want to go back and redo my education at an international school. Just saying.)
Here's a new review of The Show Must Go On! from The New Orleans Advocate:
With their new series Three-Ring Rascals, the Klise sisters introduce readers to the sweetest circus in the world. Sir Sidney, a modern-day Atticus Finch, is getting too old to take care of his circus and its lovable animals, Elsa the elephant, Bert and Gert the mice, Leon the lion and Old Coal the crow. Can the circus survive the new owner Barnabas Brambles and his evil to-do list?
Intended for ages 7 to 10 or grades 2 to 5, this book has a little something for every kid: simple cartoon illustrations, wordplay, the occasional math problem, a farting lion and a big mean baddie with breath that “smelled vaguely of grilled onions and spoiled milk.”
The Klise sisters are no newcomers to the world of children’s fiction. Their work is cute and fun with a great message: “No matter if you’re young or old — if you’re kind, you’re good as gold.” (Brittany Hart, New Orleans)
* * *
How nice to hear The Show Must Go On! has been nominated for a Panda Award. This is an award program organized by English-speaking international schools in China. Students read the nominated books in the fall and then vote for their favorites after the celebration of the Chinese New Year. (Note from Kate: I want to go back and redo my education at an international school. Just saying.)
Here's a new review of The Show Must Go On! from The New Orleans Advocate:
With their new series Three-Ring Rascals, the Klise sisters introduce readers to the sweetest circus in the world. Sir Sidney, a modern-day Atticus Finch, is getting too old to take care of his circus and its lovable animals, Elsa the elephant, Bert and Gert the mice, Leon the lion and Old Coal the crow. Can the circus survive the new owner Barnabas Brambles and his evil to-do list?
Intended for ages 7 to 10 or grades 2 to 5, this book has a little something for every kid: simple cartoon illustrations, wordplay, the occasional math problem, a farting lion and a big mean baddie with breath that “smelled vaguely of grilled onions and spoiled milk.”
The Klise sisters are no newcomers to the world of children’s fiction. Their work is cute and fun with a great message: “No matter if you’re young or old — if you’re kind, you’re good as gold.” (Brittany Hart, New Orleans)
* * *
Oh, We Love Olathe
How do librarians think of all these fun things to do, like having a scavenger hunt in the stacks? That's what the clever librarians at the Olathe Public Library cooked up for their young readers. Isn't that a cute idea? I had a blast looking for clues and then leading several writing workshops at the Indian Creek Branch today in Olathe, Kansas, where the phrase that pays is: "Are You a F.R.E.D. Family?" (F.R.E.D. stands for Families Read Every Day.) * * * |
You've Got To See This!
My pals at Prairie Park Elementary School in Lawrence, Kansas, showed me this hilarious book trailer today. I love it! Who makes these things? Email me, would you?
And for those of you who have never been to Lawrence, you really should visit sometime. Where else can you find glorious old Victorian homes, hipster college students, and flat-out *fantabulous* elementary school kids? And the librarians are some of my favorites in the whole wide world!
This is my second year in a row visiting all the elementary schools in Lawrence. In my humble opinion, it's the absolute best way to organize an author visit. I spend time with small groups of students in a comfy school library (as opposed to an uncomfortable and loud gym or cafeteria). I tell the students all my best writing tips and tricks. They can ask questions about my books or theirs. Together, we figure out the books we want to write next and make plans to write, revise, and edit. In fact, pals, why are you reading my blog when you should be working on your book? (Just kidding.)
* * *
My pals at Prairie Park Elementary School in Lawrence, Kansas, showed me this hilarious book trailer today. I love it! Who makes these things? Email me, would you?
And for those of you who have never been to Lawrence, you really should visit sometime. Where else can you find glorious old Victorian homes, hipster college students, and flat-out *fantabulous* elementary school kids? And the librarians are some of my favorites in the whole wide world!
This is my second year in a row visiting all the elementary schools in Lawrence. In my humble opinion, it's the absolute best way to organize an author visit. I spend time with small groups of students in a comfy school library (as opposed to an uncomfortable and loud gym or cafeteria). I tell the students all my best writing tips and tricks. They can ask questions about my books or theirs. Together, we figure out the books we want to write next and make plans to write, revise, and edit. In fact, pals, why are you reading my blog when you should be working on your book? (Just kidding.)
* * *
Happy Valentine's Day
Just in time for Valentine's Day, here's the French edition of my book, In the Bag. Cute, isn't it?
The title didn't translate exactly, so my French publisher went with the more romantic title, Everything Ends With A Kiss.
Why not?
Hope you get lots of kisses (chocolate or otherwise) on Valentine's Day!
* * *
Just in time for Valentine's Day, here's the French edition of my book, In the Bag. Cute, isn't it?
The title didn't translate exactly, so my French publisher went with the more romantic title, Everything Ends With A Kiss.
Why not?
Hope you get lots of kisses (chocolate or otherwise) on Valentine's Day!
* * *
We Are Busy!
Valentine Factory in California
|
After we make them, mail them, open them,
adore them and save them, we frame them.
|
* * *
This Just Makes Us Laugh
Online translators are so funny. See if you can read this review without slipping into a bad cartoon-style French accent.
(We had no idea Olive, Iggy, and Seymour were Adele, Ignatius, and Lester in French.)
* * *
This Just Makes Us Laugh
Online translators are so funny. See if you can read this review without slipping into a bad cartoon-style French accent.
(We had no idea Olive, Iggy, and Seymour were Adele, Ignatius, and Lester in French.)
* * *
I love this Valentine.
Love and Hate
I spent last Thursday with the terrific readers at Ikard Elementary in Weatherford, Texas. On Friday I visited River Valley Intermediate School in McGregor, Texas, where all the fifth and six graders seem to be working on their own books. Isn't that great? I also received my first Valentine of 2014 from a very thoughtful reader. I love it. Now can I tell you something I *don't* love? Juniperus ashei, otherwise known as mountain cedar. At first I thought it was dust. Then I learned the real cause of my sneezing and sniffling and itchy red eyes. I hate you, cedar fever!
* * *
I spent last Thursday with the terrific readers at Ikard Elementary in Weatherford, Texas. On Friday I visited River Valley Intermediate School in McGregor, Texas, where all the fifth and six graders seem to be working on their own books. Isn't that great? I also received my first Valentine of 2014 from a very thoughtful reader. I love it. Now can I tell you something I *don't* love? Juniperus ashei, otherwise known as mountain cedar. At first I thought it was dust. Then I learned the real cause of my sneezing and sniffling and itchy red eyes. I hate you, cedar fever!
* * *
Isn't this the coolest cake?
I Had So Much Fun
I had so much fun yesterday at Beck Elementary School in Trophy Club, Texas, that I flat-out forgot to take any pictures. I didn't even take a picture of my fabulous friend, librarian/writer Jenny Martin. So today I made sure to take a few photos at Curtis Elementary in Weatherford, Texas, where librarian Shawna Ford ordered this cake. Can you believe it? Look at the book covers, right there in the frosting! It made me wonder why no one has come out with an edible book yet. Of course, we all had a good laugh when we realized those book covers were not, in fact, edible. It's a sheet of paper on top of the frosting. Oh well. It still looks great. And the students at Beck and Curtis couldn't be sweeter or more enthusiastic. I can't wait to read *their* books. (And I need to hire Shawna Ford to be my publicist. Look at this nice blog post she wrote about my visit.)
* * *
I had so much fun yesterday at Beck Elementary School in Trophy Club, Texas, that I flat-out forgot to take any pictures. I didn't even take a picture of my fabulous friend, librarian/writer Jenny Martin. So today I made sure to take a few photos at Curtis Elementary in Weatherford, Texas, where librarian Shawna Ford ordered this cake. Can you believe it? Look at the book covers, right there in the frosting! It made me wonder why no one has come out with an edible book yet. Of course, we all had a good laugh when we realized those book covers were not, in fact, edible. It's a sheet of paper on top of the frosting. Oh well. It still looks great. And the students at Beck and Curtis couldn't be sweeter or more enthusiastic. I can't wait to read *their* books. (And I need to hire Shawna Ford to be my publicist. Look at this nice blog post she wrote about my visit.)
* * *
My Mom Told Me I Should . . .
Give up chewing gum in 2014. And I'm trying to. Really I am.
But then I saw this cool art project at Hughes Elementary School in Roanoke, Texas, today and suddenly I want to chew bubble gum and paint pictures and meet the boy who painted this self-portrait. (He's in first grade. Can you believe it?)
There are so many talented young artists in this world. Many of them told me today that they're going home tonight and start writing and illustrating their own books. Yippee and pass the bubble gum!
* * *
Give up chewing gum in 2014. And I'm trying to. Really I am.
But then I saw this cool art project at Hughes Elementary School in Roanoke, Texas, today and suddenly I want to chew bubble gum and paint pictures and meet the boy who painted this self-portrait. (He's in first grade. Can you believe it?)
There are so many talented young artists in this world. Many of them told me today that they're going home tonight and start writing and illustrating their own books. Yippee and pass the bubble gum!
* * *
Kids Read More than Adults
According to a recent report by the Pew Research Center, adults don't read very much.
Overall, 76% of adults read a book in some format over the previous 12 months. The typical American adult read or listened to 5 books in the past year, and the average for all adults was 12 books. In other words, the mean (average) number of books read or listened to in the past year was 12 and the median (midpoint) number was 5 (meaning that half of adults read more than 5 books and half read fewer.)
So 24% of adults didn't read a single book all year long? And the adults who did read, read on average just one book a month? Sheesh. Most kids I know read a book a week. At least!
* * *
According to a recent report by the Pew Research Center, adults don't read very much.
Overall, 76% of adults read a book in some format over the previous 12 months. The typical American adult read or listened to 5 books in the past year, and the average for all adults was 12 books. In other words, the mean (average) number of books read or listened to in the past year was 12 and the median (midpoint) number was 5 (meaning that half of adults read more than 5 books and half read fewer.)
So 24% of adults didn't read a single book all year long? And the adults who did read, read on average just one book a month? Sheesh. Most kids I know read a book a week. At least!
* * *
Thank You, Andrew
Check out this fabulous illustration of Iggy on his first date with Olive.
Don't you love it?
The artist is Andrew K. from Woodbury, Minnesota. (Look for something in the mail from me soon, Andrew.)
And look for the sixth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series soon. Greetings from the Graveyard will be published on April 1. No joke.
* * *
Check out this fabulous illustration of Iggy on his first date with Olive.
Don't you love it?
The artist is Andrew K. from Woodbury, Minnesota. (Look for something in the mail from me soon, Andrew.)
And look for the sixth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series soon. Greetings from the Graveyard will be published on April 1. No joke.
* * *
It's Not About the Money, But . . .
I didn't become an English major because I saw $$$ in Shakespeare. Likewise, I'm sure Sarah wasn't a History major because she thought it would make her rich. But you do have to make a living, right? It never occurred to either one of us that we wouldn't be able to support ourselves or make decent livings with our liberal arts degrees. That's why I was so glad to see this study. It proves, once again, the value of a liberal arts degree.
* * *
I didn't become an English major because I saw $$$ in Shakespeare. Likewise, I'm sure Sarah wasn't a History major because she thought it would make her rich. But you do have to make a living, right? It never occurred to either one of us that we wouldn't be able to support ourselves or make decent livings with our liberal arts degrees. That's why I was so glad to see this study. It proves, once again, the value of a liberal arts degree.
* * *
Keep your eye on the burning match.
Our Brother
Did you know our brother James is an author? Well, he is. And he has a terrific new YA novel coming out in April. (We know because we've read it.) It's called The Art of Secrets and it's getting a lot of nice pre-publicity buzz.
More on this anon. Right now it's still, well, a secret.
* * *
Did you know our brother James is an author? Well, he is. And he has a terrific new YA novel coming out in April. (We know because we've read it.) It's called The Art of Secrets and it's getting a lot of nice pre-publicity buzz.
More on this anon. Right now it's still, well, a secret.
* * *
I love this guy.
Kate's January Crush
January is always a writing month for me. I wake up early. Make coffee. Eat breakfast at my desk while getting an hour or two of writing in. When I get stuck (which I invariably do around 9 o'clock), I go for a hike around my property. I have a 1.3-mile trail that loops around and through my woods. If I do three laps, that's usually enough to get my brain working again. So then I write until lunch, which is lately an omelet or a tuna melt. While eating lunch, I treat myself to a TED lecture. Today I discovered Alain de Botton's terrific talk about, well, everything. I love this guy. I've listened to his speech twice. I'm going to play it again in a moment, after I post this note to you. But listen to what he says about success and failure and how important it is to be the author of your own ambition. Ah, yes. Brilliant!
* * *
January is always a writing month for me. I wake up early. Make coffee. Eat breakfast at my desk while getting an hour or two of writing in. When I get stuck (which I invariably do around 9 o'clock), I go for a hike around my property. I have a 1.3-mile trail that loops around and through my woods. If I do three laps, that's usually enough to get my brain working again. So then I write until lunch, which is lately an omelet or a tuna melt. While eating lunch, I treat myself to a TED lecture. Today I discovered Alain de Botton's terrific talk about, well, everything. I love this guy. I've listened to his speech twice. I'm going to play it again in a moment, after I post this note to you. But listen to what he says about success and failure and how important it is to be the author of your own ambition. Ah, yes. Brilliant!
* * *
Even a mouse needs a nice house. (Illustration by G. Williams.)
First, Find a Cheap House
Years ago I read somewhere--and now I can't remember where--that Garth Williams, the beloved illustrator of Charlotte's Web and the Little House books, struggled to raise his large family on the money he made illustrating children's books. He asked his editor, Ursula Nordstrom, for advice. She told him to find a cheap place to live. So he moved his family to Mexico.
Finding a cheap place to live and work is still really good advice, I think, for artists of any kind. And now you can get a free house in Detroit. Isn't this a great idea? If I were 20something and just starting my writing career, I think I'd move to Detroit or Mexico. Or maybe South America. I haven't ruled that out yet.
* * *
Years ago I read somewhere--and now I can't remember where--that Garth Williams, the beloved illustrator of Charlotte's Web and the Little House books, struggled to raise his large family on the money he made illustrating children's books. He asked his editor, Ursula Nordstrom, for advice. She told him to find a cheap place to live. So he moved his family to Mexico.
Finding a cheap place to live and work is still really good advice, I think, for artists of any kind. And now you can get a free house in Detroit. Isn't this a great idea? If I were 20something and just starting my writing career, I think I'd move to Detroit or Mexico. Or maybe South America. I haven't ruled that out yet.
* * *
See the fountain in the background? We had these photos snapped not long after our first book was published. It was called Regarding the Fountain.
Happy Birthday to Mary Sarah Klise!
That's Sarah on the left, trying not to smile . . . then smiling . . . then cracking up!
Here's to more laughs for everyone in 2014.
* * *
That's Sarah on the left, trying not to smile . . . then smiling . . . then cracking up!
Here's to more laughs for everyone in 2014.
* * *
Our Christmas Card to You
(Sing to the tune of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas")
Have yourself a haunted little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on our mother will be out of sight
(Why? Because Olive's a ghost!)
Here we are in a haunted house
See the haunted mouse, our friend
Animals that are dear to us
Gather near to us with pen
Through the years we'll write and draw together
‘Tis a hoop-a-lah
Then we’ll climb up high into the cupola
And have ourselves a haunted little Christmas now
* * *
(Sing to the tune of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas")
Have yourself a haunted little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on our mother will be out of sight
(Why? Because Olive's a ghost!)
Here we are in a haunted house
See the haunted mouse, our friend
Animals that are dear to us
Gather near to us with pen
Through the years we'll write and draw together
‘Tis a hoop-a-lah
Then we’ll climb up high into the cupola
And have ourselves a haunted little Christmas now
* * *
When we were in college, Sarah and I attended a lecture by Mr. Vonnegut.
I'm Going to Steal These
I always have a hard time trying to explain to young writers why they must give up their love of the exclamation point. With older writers, especially high school students working on their college admission essays, I struggle to explain why I hate semi-colons. An eighteen-year-old student in Nashville told me his teacher said using a lot of semi-colons makes a writer look smart. I disagreed. Semi-colons only make it clear that you're trying to look smart, I said. I'm glad Kurt Vonnegut agrees with me on this one. Here's the KV quote I'm going to use next time the question of semicolons comes up.
"Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. . . All they do is show you've been to college.”
And here's what F. Scott Fitzgerald had to say about all those !!!s some of my young friends like to use in their stories: “Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes."
Yep. And so it goes.
* * *
I always have a hard time trying to explain to young writers why they must give up their love of the exclamation point. With older writers, especially high school students working on their college admission essays, I struggle to explain why I hate semi-colons. An eighteen-year-old student in Nashville told me his teacher said using a lot of semi-colons makes a writer look smart. I disagreed. Semi-colons only make it clear that you're trying to look smart, I said. I'm glad Kurt Vonnegut agrees with me on this one. Here's the KV quote I'm going to use next time the question of semicolons comes up.
"Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. . . All they do is show you've been to college.”
And here's what F. Scott Fitzgerald had to say about all those !!!s some of my young friends like to use in their stories: “Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes."
Yep. And so it goes.
* * *
It's Not Every Day
It's not even every other day that one of our books makes the Los Angeles Times *and* the Nerdy Book Club blog. When it does happen, we can't help but smile.
* * *
It's not even every other day that one of our books makes the Los Angeles Times *and* the Nerdy Book Club blog. When it does happen, we can't help but smile.
* * *
Click cover to read a nice review--in English.
Welcome to Japan, Grammy Lamby!
Thanks to Tokuma Shoten, our Japanese publishing partner, for doing such a nice job with Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake.
What's that? You don't know what the secret handshake is? Here's a clue: It's three short hand squeezes that mean something-something-something.
Still don't know? Ask your grammy to help you figure it out.
* * *
Thanks to Tokuma Shoten, our Japanese publishing partner, for doing such a nice job with Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake.
What's that? You don't know what the secret handshake is? Here's a clue: It's three short hand squeezes that mean something-something-something.
Still don't know? Ask your grammy to help you figure it out.
* * *
Hope To See You in Boston This Weekend
Anyone going to Boston this weekend for the National Council of English Teachers (NCTE) conference? I am because the nice people at NCTE chose The Phantom of the Post Office as one of their Notable Children's Books of 2013. I'll be on a panel with Eliot Schrefer, Laurie Purdie Salas, and Cynthia Grady on Sunday, 11/24, at 1 pm in the Hynes Convention Center, Ballroom A. If we don't connect there, try me at the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt booth on Saturday from 4 - 5 pm or at the Workman/Algonquin booth on Sunday from 10 - 11 am.
* * *
Anyone going to Boston this weekend for the National Council of English Teachers (NCTE) conference? I am because the nice people at NCTE chose The Phantom of the Post Office as one of their Notable Children's Books of 2013. I'll be on a panel with Eliot Schrefer, Laurie Purdie Salas, and Cynthia Grady on Sunday, 11/24, at 1 pm in the Hynes Convention Center, Ballroom A. If we don't connect there, try me at the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt booth on Saturday from 4 - 5 pm or at the Workman/Algonquin booth on Sunday from 10 - 11 am.
* * *
I Like This List
I borrowed this list from my pal Greg's FaceBook page. Not sure who compiled these thirty-three ideas, but I like them all.
I struggle with #4, #22, #23, and #29.
I know I became a better writer when I started doing more of #12, #14, #19, and #31.
I do #8 when I drive. Not in the shower.
I find #33 comes more easily to me the more I do #17.
Come to think of it, art is all about #17 + #18 + #33, y'know? And #16 and #21, too, of course.
The only thing I see missing from the list is the value of books and reading. I find myself doing #30 mainly when I'm reading.
* * *
I borrowed this list from my pal Greg's FaceBook page. Not sure who compiled these thirty-three ideas, but I like them all.
I struggle with #4, #22, #23, and #29.
I know I became a better writer when I started doing more of #12, #14, #19, and #31.
I do #8 when I drive. Not in the shower.
I find #33 comes more easily to me the more I do #17.
Come to think of it, art is all about #17 + #18 + #33, y'know? And #16 and #21, too, of course.
The only thing I see missing from the list is the value of books and reading. I find myself doing #30 mainly when I'm reading.
* * *
Kate's favorite author
Mark My Words
"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why."
Mark Twain
(Note from Kate: I was in a school library one day when kids were trying to guess the identity of this creative genius. At least half of the students thought Mark Twain was Elvis!)
* * *
"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why."
Mark Twain
(Note from Kate: I was in a school library one day when kids were trying to guess the identity of this creative genius. At least half of the students thought Mark Twain was Elvis!)
* * *
It's Cold and Flu Season, People
And I feel like I've got several bugs competing for Top Bug.
If you're also feeling sniffly and feverish and in need of a lift, watch this video. It's guaranteed to make you feel better in minutes!
Signed,
Dr. Kate
* * *
And I feel like I've got several bugs competing for Top Bug.
If you're also feeling sniffly and feverish and in need of a lift, watch this video. It's guaranteed to make you feel better in minutes!
Signed,
Dr. Kate
* * *
Click on cover for more circus fun.
Best of 2013
Thank you, Amazon, for naming The Show Must Go On! one of the best books of 2013.
Can't wait till you read the second book in the series, The Greatest Star on Earth. It'll be ready in spring 2014. And then stay tuned for--you guessed it!--book three in the series in fall 2014.
And to my new friends in New Jersey who have a four-day weekend: How's your book coming along? Keep going. The writing must go on!
* * *
Thank you, Amazon, for naming The Show Must Go On! one of the best books of 2013.
Can't wait till you read the second book in the series, The Greatest Star on Earth. It'll be ready in spring 2014. And then stay tuned for--you guessed it!--book three in the series in fall 2014.
And to my new friends in New Jersey who have a four-day weekend: How's your book coming along? Keep going. The writing must go on!
* * *
Drawing by Hope from Braeside School in Highland Park, Illinois
It's So Fun
It's so fun when Sarah and I get to visit schools together. We're just back from a terrific visit to Austin, Texas, where we spent time with the *power readers* at Trinity Episcopal School. If ever you want to put on a spectacular book festival, ask the folks at Trinity how to do it. They wrote the book on book celebrations! And have we mentioned how much fun we had in Highland Park, Illinois, a few weeks ago? You can see for yourself how happy we were to be back in our home state with our old friends.
* * *
It's so fun when Sarah and I get to visit schools together. We're just back from a terrific visit to Austin, Texas, where we spent time with the *power readers* at Trinity Episcopal School. If ever you want to put on a spectacular book festival, ask the folks at Trinity how to do it. They wrote the book on book celebrations! And have we mentioned how much fun we had in Highland Park, Illinois, a few weeks ago? You can see for yourself how happy we were to be back in our home state with our old friends.
* * *
Who Knew?
Who knew you could make postcards out of clear duct tape? At least, I think that's what the clever bookworms of the Bookworm Book Club in Tipton, Indiana, used. I've been looking at these cool cards for ten minutes now, trying to figure our how they made them. I think it must be duct tape. How clever! Even my friend at the post office commented on these cards.
I'm writing back a.s.a.p. on a poster. Should I send it via a bookworm? Nah. I'll use good old snail mail.
If you want to write to Sarah or me, you'll find our addresses here.
* * *
Who knew you could make postcards out of clear duct tape? At least, I think that's what the clever bookworms of the Bookworm Book Club in Tipton, Indiana, used. I've been looking at these cool cards for ten minutes now, trying to figure our how they made them. I think it must be duct tape. How clever! Even my friend at the post office commented on these cards.
I'm writing back a.s.a.p. on a poster. Should I send it via a bookworm? Nah. I'll use good old snail mail.
If you want to write to Sarah or me, you'll find our addresses here.
* * *
Welcome to the Haunted Library
Don't you just love a librarian who every year turns her a/v room into . . . the Haunted Library?
A big witch's hat off to Mrs. Young at Conneaut Valley Elementary School in Conneautville, Pennsylvania.
(No, that's not Mrs. Young's picture on the left, but click on the photograph and you can see for yourself the kind of thing you'll find in a haunted library. Mwaahaha!)
* * *
Don't you just love a librarian who every year turns her a/v room into . . . the Haunted Library?
A big witch's hat off to Mrs. Young at Conneaut Valley Elementary School in Conneautville, Pennsylvania.
(No, that's not Mrs. Young's picture on the left, but click on the photograph and you can see for yourself the kind of thing you'll find in a haunted library. Mwaahaha!)
* * *
This made my day.
NowThat's Generosity
Thanks to Tristan at Washington Elementary School in Omaha for giving me a crayon from his crayon box in my favorite color: robin's egg blue.
What a thoughtful boy!
* * *
Violet as Olive.
Aha in Omaha!
So my camera blew up. I should mention the only camera I have these days is my phone. So when my phone blows up, my camera blows up with it. (Sigh.) That's why I have no pictures to show of my recent trip to Prague or the fantabulous students I met at the International School of Prague. Nor do I have pictures to show of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's former house, which I recently saw in Montgomery Alabama. Nor do I have pics from last week, when Sarah and I made up dozens of fun (and funny!) stories with the sensational students in Highland Park, Illinois. But I had an aha moment tonight at the Bookworm in Omaha, Nebraska. My new BFF Violet, a seventh grader, brought me a picture of her Halloween costume from last year. I knew in that moment that I had to learn how to work the ding-dang camera on my new phone. And guess what? Violet and I figured it out. Is this not the greatest Olive C. Spence costume you've ever seen? I'll figure out the focus feature on this camera later, but I just had to share this pic with you.
* * *
So my camera blew up. I should mention the only camera I have these days is my phone. So when my phone blows up, my camera blows up with it. (Sigh.) That's why I have no pictures to show of my recent trip to Prague or the fantabulous students I met at the International School of Prague. Nor do I have pictures to show of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's former house, which I recently saw in Montgomery Alabama. Nor do I have pics from last week, when Sarah and I made up dozens of fun (and funny!) stories with the sensational students in Highland Park, Illinois. But I had an aha moment tonight at the Bookworm in Omaha, Nebraska. My new BFF Violet, a seventh grader, brought me a picture of her Halloween costume from last year. I knew in that moment that I had to learn how to work the ding-dang camera on my new phone. And guess what? Violet and I figured it out. Is this not the greatest Olive C. Spence costume you've ever seen? I'll figure out the focus feature on this camera later, but I just had to share this pic with you.
* * *
This is Kinda Fun.
Have a look here.
* * *
Have a look here.
* * *
I Know It's Only October
But it's never too early to start thinking about Earth Day. Every year in April, schools around the country celebrate Earth Day by inviting an author to visit their school. The visiting author invites the kids to select an Earth-friendly charity and the author then donates $$$ to that charity in the kids' names. Great idea, isn't it? You can read more about it here. I'm already booked to visit Norwood Elementary next April with this program, but I know there are lots of other authors still available. Check it out!
* * *
But it's never too early to start thinking about Earth Day. Every year in April, schools around the country celebrate Earth Day by inviting an author to visit their school. The visiting author invites the kids to select an Earth-friendly charity and the author then donates $$$ to that charity in the kids' names. Great idea, isn't it? You can read more about it here. I'm already booked to visit Norwood Elementary next April with this program, but I know there are lots of other authors still available. Check it out!
* * *
This Blogger Should Write a Book
Isn't this a terrific recap of the 43 Old Cemetery Road series? Not surprisingly, the blogger works in a bookstore and as an assistant to a literary agent.
* * *
* * *
Isn't Mayhem a Great Word?
This is Bert and Gert.
Mayhem under the big top
Review by Sada Stipe for BookPage
It may not be the biggest or most dazzling spectacle on Earth, but Sir Sidney’s Circus in The Show Must Go On! is certainly the most charmingly entertaining circus that you’ll ever see (or read about). When kindly owner and circus master Sir Sidney decides to go into semi-retirement, he believes he has found a suitable replacement in Barnabas Brambles. After all, Brambles holds a degree in lion taming from the University of Piccadilly Circus. Although the circus performers—Leo the lion, Elsa the elephant and the Famous Flying Banana Brothers—are a bit skeptical of the regime change, they trust that Sir Sidney would never put them in harm’s way. Still, Bert and Gert, the circus’ special mouse helpers, smell trouble right away. As Gert puts it, “Never trust a lion tamer in a poorly tailored suit.”
True to form, sisters Kate Klise (author) and M. Sarah Klise (illustrator) use clever jokes, wordplay and adorable illustrations to guide their readers through Brambles’ epic bumbles as circus master. Sir Sidney gives him only a few rules to follow during his trial period: Perform only one show in each city, charge $1 per person, do not charge admission for children and give out free popcorn and lemonade. Brambles, however, immediately restructures the business to make more profits—with disastrous results. Performers are injured and sickened, and the circus train ends up in bizarre places like atop the St. Louis Arch and the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s up to Sir Sidney, of course, to save the day.
As in their award-winning 43 Old Cemetery Road series, forgiveness and empathy are major themes in this sweet story, the first book in the Klise sisters' new Three-Ring Rascals series. Great for classroom reading and reluctant readers, it has the perfect blend of humor and gravitas for the younger end of the middle grade audience.
* * *
Review by Sada Stipe for BookPage
It may not be the biggest or most dazzling spectacle on Earth, but Sir Sidney’s Circus in The Show Must Go On! is certainly the most charmingly entertaining circus that you’ll ever see (or read about). When kindly owner and circus master Sir Sidney decides to go into semi-retirement, he believes he has found a suitable replacement in Barnabas Brambles. After all, Brambles holds a degree in lion taming from the University of Piccadilly Circus. Although the circus performers—Leo the lion, Elsa the elephant and the Famous Flying Banana Brothers—are a bit skeptical of the regime change, they trust that Sir Sidney would never put them in harm’s way. Still, Bert and Gert, the circus’ special mouse helpers, smell trouble right away. As Gert puts it, “Never trust a lion tamer in a poorly tailored suit.”
True to form, sisters Kate Klise (author) and M. Sarah Klise (illustrator) use clever jokes, wordplay and adorable illustrations to guide their readers through Brambles’ epic bumbles as circus master. Sir Sidney gives him only a few rules to follow during his trial period: Perform only one show in each city, charge $1 per person, do not charge admission for children and give out free popcorn and lemonade. Brambles, however, immediately restructures the business to make more profits—with disastrous results. Performers are injured and sickened, and the circus train ends up in bizarre places like atop the St. Louis Arch and the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s up to Sir Sidney, of course, to save the day.
As in their award-winning 43 Old Cemetery Road series, forgiveness and empathy are major themes in this sweet story, the first book in the Klise sisters' new Three-Ring Rascals series. Great for classroom reading and reluctant readers, it has the perfect blend of humor and gravitas for the younger end of the middle grade audience.
* * *
I'll Never Forget the Day I Read a Book
Jimmy Durante
Thanks to my old friend John McD for sending me a link to one of my all-time favorite songs. It always makes me laugh!
Don't you love rhyming "contagious" with "seventy pages"?
* * *
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Show Must Go On! Three-Ring Rascals, Book 1
By Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise, Algonquin Young Readers, 160 pages,
$15.99, ages 7-10
Klise and Klise, best known for their books for older middle-grade readers, have created a comic treat for the younger crowd. Sir Sidney, world’s most kindly circus owner, is getting a bit old for the job. He innocently hires Barnabas Brambles to take his place, and the troubles roll.
Greedy Brambles tries to downsize, but the animals have other ideas, and can you guess who wins? Adults will appreciate the incorporated math and geography lessons, as well as the clever word play, and the message about forgiveness and second chances is for everyone. Copiously, delightfully illustrated.
Step right up and read more about this new series.
* * *
By Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise, Algonquin Young Readers, 160 pages,
$15.99, ages 7-10
Klise and Klise, best known for their books for older middle-grade readers, have created a comic treat for the younger crowd. Sir Sidney, world’s most kindly circus owner, is getting a bit old for the job. He innocently hires Barnabas Brambles to take his place, and the troubles roll.
Greedy Brambles tries to downsize, but the animals have other ideas, and can you guess who wins? Adults will appreciate the incorporated math and geography lessons, as well as the clever word play, and the message about forgiveness and second chances is for everyone. Copiously, delightfully illustrated.
Step right up and read more about this new series.
* * *
On My Honor
Juliette Gordon Low
I am a big fan of Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927). She believed that for girls to become successful women, they needed two things: good friends and real skills. So Juliette, whose nickname was Daisy, founded the Girl Scouts of the United States of America in order to help girls develop friendships and skills that would last a lifetime.
I'm so honored to be the featured author on the Girl Scouts' website this week. Check it out here.
* * *
I'm so honored to be the featured author on the Girl Scouts' website this week. Check it out here.
* * *
This Is the Kind of News We Like to Hear
I Promised, But . . .
My weekend project
I promised my editor I'd try to be neater when marking up the copyedited version of my new book, but . . . neatness is not my strong suit, as you can see here.
The red marks are the copy editor's notes. The crazy scrawl is all mine. I originally had Bert, a circus mouse, asking his sister, Gert, if she was getting tide of his sea jokes? (They're on a ship, you see. Tide. Tired. Get it?) I realized it wasn't quite funny enough, so I started tinkering with it. (Don't tell me you're getting tide of my sea jokes.) Still not good enough. It needed one more dash of silliness, so I changed it to this: Maybe you're getting tide of my sea jokes, but I'm having a maritime.
Better? I think so. Neater? Afraid not.
This book will be out next fall. It's called The Circus Goes to Sea (Book 3 of the Three-Ring Rascals series).
* * *
The red marks are the copy editor's notes. The crazy scrawl is all mine. I originally had Bert, a circus mouse, asking his sister, Gert, if she was getting tide of his sea jokes? (They're on a ship, you see. Tide. Tired. Get it?) I realized it wasn't quite funny enough, so I started tinkering with it. (Don't tell me you're getting tide of my sea jokes.) Still not good enough. It needed one more dash of silliness, so I changed it to this: Maybe you're getting tide of my sea jokes, but I'm having a maritime.
Better? I think so. Neater? Afraid not.
This book will be out next fall. It's called The Circus Goes to Sea (Book 3 of the Three-Ring Rascals series).
* * *
Postcard from Seattle
The Corson Building
Dear Friends,
I'm just back from Seattle, where I attended the most remarkable wedding at a little place known as The Corson Building. So beautiful. So romantic. So delicious! Is there anything better than joining old friends around a big table on the happiest night of their lives? Surely not.
The day after the wedding, I took a ferry ride to Vashon Island, where I spied on the former home of Betty MacDonald, author of The Egg and I, Onions in the Stew, and the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series. Little did I know her old farm is now a charming inn. It was fun to see where one of my favorite authors lived, but I must return here sometime and spend a few days romping around Betty's old garden. I love that she lived in a farmhouse like me. But just think: Her farm was on an island. How cool is that?
I'm just back from Seattle, where I attended the most remarkable wedding at a little place known as The Corson Building. So beautiful. So romantic. So delicious! Is there anything better than joining old friends around a big table on the happiest night of their lives? Surely not.
The day after the wedding, I took a ferry ride to Vashon Island, where I spied on the former home of Betty MacDonald, author of The Egg and I, Onions in the Stew, and the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series. Little did I know her old farm is now a charming inn. It was fun to see where one of my favorite authors lived, but I must return here sometime and spend a few days romping around Betty's old garden. I love that she lived in a farmhouse like me. But just think: Her farm was on an island. How cool is that?
The Betty MacDonald Farm
I'm home now and back at work. Sarah and I are wrapping up the sixth Old Cemetery Road book, which will be out next spring. I'm also working on the seventh book in the series, which will be out in 2015. (2015? Doesn't that seem like a long way off?)
We're also launching a new series next month called Three-Ring Rascals. If you like bookmarks, check this out. Cute, isn't it? I wrote this series for readers who are the same age I was when I read the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series: 7, 8, 9, 10. Somewhere in there. Those were the books that made me want to be a reader and later, a writer. (Now all I want to be is a writer who has a farmhouse on an island!)
That's all from here. Hope you're enjoying the last days of summer. Drop me a line sometime when you get a chance.
Your friend,
Kate
* * *
We're also launching a new series next month called Three-Ring Rascals. If you like bookmarks, check this out. Cute, isn't it? I wrote this series for readers who are the same age I was when I read the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series: 7, 8, 9, 10. Somewhere in there. Those were the books that made me want to be a reader and later, a writer. (Now all I want to be is a writer who has a farmhouse on an island!)
That's all from here. Hope you're enjoying the last days of summer. Drop me a line sometime when you get a chance.
Your friend,
Kate
* * *
Wondering What to Read this Fall?
Independent booksellers always compile terrific reading lists. Check out their current must-read list here. We're so honored our new book, The Show Must Go On! (Algonquin Young Readers) made the Fall Indie Next list.
To learn more about this silly and circus-inspired series, visit the Three-Ring Rascals website.
Want to apply to join the circus? You can do that, too. Check it out here.
* * *
Back-to-School Pep Talk
I Know This Doesn't Apply to You (Except Maybe the Last Two Stats)
Good grief. Shocking statistics.
* * *
Reading In Bed, Late at Night
Woman Reading by Will Barnet
Sorry we've been so mum lately. It's been a busy few weeks with trips to California, Texas, and even a quick visit to the new Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. That's where I spied this cool painting by Will Barnet titled Woman Reading. I love everything about it: the red blanket, the white cat, the blue book. I think this painting could be the summer flag for those of us who equate summer with staying up late and reading in bed.
Schools around here start back on Wednesday of this week. (Yes, *this* week!) I hope everyone--students, teachers, parents--had plenty of nights like this woman right here. If not, find a good book and stay up late tonight reading in bed.
* * *
Schools around here start back on Wednesday of this week. (Yes, *this* week!) I hope everyone--students, teachers, parents--had plenty of nights like this woman right here. If not, find a good book and stay up late tonight reading in bed.
* * *
Wouldn't You Just Love One of These?
Ever since I went swimming at my pal Taylor and Daryl's new pool, I've been crazily craving a pool. Wouldn't it be heavenly on hot summer days?
Then I saw this picture. Now I can't decide if I should fantasize about having a pool or a bookmobile. Hmm. There's no law against dreaming about having both, right?
Maybe in my dream world I'll combine the two. A traveling poolmobile!
* * *
Thanks, Publishers Weekly!
Here's PW's review of The Show Must Go On!, the first book in our new series.
Elderly Sir Sidney loves his circus, and he pampers his animals and performers, as well as the two mice and crow who are part of its extended family. When he decides to take some time off, he hires brash Barnabas Brambles, who promises to care for the circus with the same doting attention as Sir Sidney. As soon as the kindhearted owner leaves, though, Barnabas reveals his true plans, and they do not involve any doting; the top of his to-do list reads, “Make $$$ for me.” With a terrible meanie in charge (Barnabas intends to increase the number of shows, charge more, and sell beloved animals), things look grim, but the circus folk hold onto their humor in this sweetly nutty kickoff to the Klise sisters’ Three Ring Rascals series. Cartoon spot illustrations play up the comical mood—mice Bert and Gert deploy quips left and right, and the circus train spends a great deal of time atop the St. Louis Arch—in this free-spirited story that concludes with a lesson in kindness and a promise of more fun to come. Ages 7–10. (September, Algonquin Young Readers)
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* * *
Fun and Free!
Want to try to win a free copy of The Show Must Go On!, the first book in the Three-Ring Rascals series? No problem. Just go here.
Want some free advice on your work-in-progress manuscript? Drop by Friday Feedbacks on Gae Polisner's blog. I'm guest hosting the blog with Gae on Friday, July 12. Here's the link.
* * *
Want some free advice on your work-in-progress manuscript? Drop by Friday Feedbacks on Gae Polisner's blog. I'm guest hosting the blog with Gae on Friday, July 12. Here's the link.
* * *
Meet Old Coal
Click on picture to read more.
Here's the back cover of The Show Must Go On!
Can you read the ad Old Coal is holding in her beak? Here's what it says:
HELP WANTED
Good person needed to manage circus.
Must love children, animals, popcorn, and travel.
Apply in person at Sir Sidney's Circus.
In September when this book is released, you can apply to join the circus, too. Check it out here.
* * *
We Think JLG Is Smafunderful
Click here to read more.
Junior Library Guild (JLG) has picked up the first book in our new series for early independent readers. It's called The Show Must Go On! It'll be out in September.
In this book, you'll read about a nice old circus owner named Sir Sidney who hires a man named Barnabas Brambles to manage the circus for one week. You'll meet Elsa the elephant and Leo the lion, as well as the Famous Flying Banana Brothers. You'll also meet two mice. Their names are Bert and Gert. Bert enjoys popcorn and making up jokes. Gert likes to make up words. She calls Barnabas Brambles a vully because he's a vulgar bully. Sir Sidney, on the other hand, is smart and fun and wonderful. Gert thinks he's smafunderful.
We think JLG is smafunderful, too, for including our book in their terrific program.
* * *
This Just Makes Our Day!
What a nice compliment from a terrific writer!
Thank you, Curtis Sittenfeld, for including our book on your list of 10 Children's Books That Never Get Old.
This just makes our day!
(And wouldn't Ella love it, too?)
* * *
Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?
Could this be Mr. Poe's friend?
I have no idea why this cute little turtle was crossing the road this morning. I saw him on my morning walk. It made me laugh because I'm currently working on the seventh book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. In it, we'll learn more about Mr. Poe, the giant tortoise who was mentioned briefly in the first book in the series, Dying to Meet You. Remember the article in the Ghastly Times that describes how Mr. Poe, who lives at the Ghastly Pet Store, curls his mouth into a sly smile whenever anyone mentions Olive C. Spence’s name?
Why does he do this? Who is Mr. Poe? And why is he worth . . . ten thousand dollars?
I sure hope I figure all this out. The manuscript is due in early September. What are you writing this summer? I hope it's going well, whatever it is. Summer's a great time to work on a book, isn't it?
* * *
Why does he do this? Who is Mr. Poe? And why is he worth . . . ten thousand dollars?
I sure hope I figure all this out. The manuscript is due in early September. What are you writing this summer? I hope it's going well, whatever it is. Summer's a great time to work on a book, isn't it?
* * *
We Dream of Jeanie
Thanks to my friend Ed Carson, New Jersey librarian extraordinaire, for sending me this beguiling portrait of one of our favorite writers, Jean Webster. Isn't she lovely?
Jean Webster was the niece of Mark Twain, the world-famous author. (Did you know at the height of his fame, a fan once addressed a letter* to "Mark Twain, God Knows Where," and the letter was delivered to Twain . . . in Europe?)
Talent apparently ran in the family. Though Jean Webster never achieved the same level of fame as her uncle Mark, her stories and novels are irresistibly charming. Librarian Ed recently sent me a newspaper clip that said at one point, Jean's stories were earning more than her uncle's!
The Jean Webster book I love is Daddy Long-Legs, an epistolary novel I didn't read until after my first book, Regarding the Fountain, was published and several critics compared it to Daddy Long-Legs. They were being kind. Truth is, I can only dream of writing as well as Jean Webster.
If you like books told in letters, check out Daddy Long-Legs. It might inspire you to write your own epistolary novel this summer.
*P.S. Remember the letter that was addressed "Mark Twain, God Knows Where"? Twain wrote back a two-word reply: "He did."
* * *
Jean Webster was the niece of Mark Twain, the world-famous author. (Did you know at the height of his fame, a fan once addressed a letter* to "Mark Twain, God Knows Where," and the letter was delivered to Twain . . . in Europe?)
Talent apparently ran in the family. Though Jean Webster never achieved the same level of fame as her uncle Mark, her stories and novels are irresistibly charming. Librarian Ed recently sent me a newspaper clip that said at one point, Jean's stories were earning more than her uncle's!
The Jean Webster book I love is Daddy Long-Legs, an epistolary novel I didn't read until after my first book, Regarding the Fountain, was published and several critics compared it to Daddy Long-Legs. They were being kind. Truth is, I can only dream of writing as well as Jean Webster.
If you like books told in letters, check out Daddy Long-Legs. It might inspire you to write your own epistolary novel this summer.
*P.S. Remember the letter that was addressed "Mark Twain, God Knows Where"? Twain wrote back a two-word reply: "He did."
* * *
Thanks, Junior Library Guild!
This one's a JLG selection for 2013.
Just found out that Hollywood, Dead Ahead, the fifth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, is a Junior Library Guild selection for 2013.
Woo hoo! We love JLG. This is a terrific company based in Ohio that helps both school and public libraries build top-rate collections. (Wouldn't it be great to get a box or two in the mail every season filled with books you know your patrons will love?)
Every time JLG selects one of our books for their collection, they're nice enough to send a letter, a celebratory lapel pin, and a certificate "suitable for framing." Okay, so we never frame the certificates. But don't you love the JLG protocol? We need to think of something nice we can do for JLG in return for all their support over the years.
* * *
Woo hoo! We love JLG. This is a terrific company based in Ohio that helps both school and public libraries build top-rate collections. (Wouldn't it be great to get a box or two in the mail every season filled with books you know your patrons will love?)
Every time JLG selects one of our books for their collection, they're nice enough to send a letter, a celebratory lapel pin, and a certificate "suitable for framing." Okay, so we never frame the certificates. But don't you love the JLG protocol? We need to think of something nice we can do for JLG in return for all their support over the years.
* * *
Spelling Test
The word cemetery has three e's and no a's. That's an easy one for me to remember, but a lot of people (kids, adults, people who work in publishing, people who practice law) often spellcemetery like this: cemetary. I don't know why.
Here are the words I tend to misspell:
kindergarten (I always think: t or d at the end?)
surprise (s or z?)
anniversary (two n's or one?)
misspell (how many s's?)
Cincinnati (I just had to look it up.)
Episcopalian (And I am one. You'd think I'd know how to spell it.)
Czechoslovakia (Going there in September. I've gotta work on this one.)
What words do you tend to misspell over and over again? I'm curious. Email me.
* * *
Here are the words I tend to misspell:
kindergarten (I always think: t or d at the end?)
surprise (s or z?)
anniversary (two n's or one?)
misspell (how many s's?)
Cincinnati (I just had to look it up.)
Episcopalian (And I am one. You'd think I'd know how to spell it.)
Czechoslovakia (Going there in September. I've gotta work on this one.)
What words do you tend to misspell over and over again? I'm curious. Email me.
* * *
If You're in Germany This Summer . . .
Check out the German edition of In the Bag.
Cute, isn't it?
The title didn't translate, so my German publisher went with Verliebt in Paris, which I think means Love in Paris.
Note to 4th and 5th grade readers: This is not a book you'd like, obviously. (Love? Love?!) But your mom might enjoy In the Bag, especially if she has a teenage son or daughter.
* * *
Not True, Adam
You're wrong, Adam. This is NOT the "boringest" letter. It's terrific.
I hope you're reading lots of fun books this summer. I think you should write a book this summer, too. If you can write one letter, you can write a whole book of letters. Try it!
Have a great summer.
-Kate
P.S. My middle name is Anne.
* * *
Our New Series
Click on cover to read more.
Our new series, Three-Ring Rascals, doesn't launch until September, but the first review is already in from Kirkus. Check it out. (We've put our favorite sentence in bold.)
THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
In this entertaining chapter book, the first in a series, readers meet kind Sir Sidney and the gentle performers and hands in his circus. But Sir Sidney is tired and leaves the circus under the management of new-hire Barnabas Brambles for a week. That Sir Sidney is beloved by all is quickly established, presenting a sharp contrast to the bully Brambles. The scoundrel immediately comes up with a “to do” list that includes selling the animals and eliminating the mice Bert and Gert. (Gert is almost more distressed by Brambles’ ill-fitting suit and vows to tailor it.) Revealed almost entirely through dialogue, the put-upon animals’ solidarity is endearing. The story, like the circus train now driven by the Famous Flying Banana Brothers, takes absurd loops and turns. The art is fully integrated, illustrating the action and supplementing the text with speech bubbles, facsimile letters and posters, Brambles’ profit-and-loss notes, examples of Gert’s invented vocabulary and more. Brambles’ plans go awry, of course, and he gets his comeuppance. With Bert and Gert acting as his conscience, along with a suit from Gert that finally fits and a dose of forgiveness, Brambles makes a turnaround. Sensitive children may doubt Sir Sidney’s wisdom in leaving his animals with an unscrupulous man, and the closing message is a tad didactic, but that doesn’t blunt the fun too much. Most children will agree the book is “smafunderful (smart + fun + wonderful)." (Graphic/fiction hybrid. Ages 7-10)
* * *
If You Want to Learn to Draw and Paint This Summer . . .
This has been displayed on my fridge since 2010.
If you're a young artist who plans to be in the San Francisco Bay Area this summer, you should definitely look into attending sister Sarah's summer art classes. Workshops are offered in Berkeley, Burlingame, Mill Valley, and San Francisco.
Parents can contact Sarah for more information about dates, times, and costs.
Here's one example of a student's work created at art class a few summers ago. Beautiful, isn't it? (And I'm not just saying that because the artist is my nephew, Milo, who was five years old at the time. Impressive!)
* * *
Do You Like Book Trailers?
If you like book trailers, check out this one for our new series, Three-Ring Rascals.
And here's a fun sneak peek about the making of the 43 Old Cemetery Road series.
* * *
Wyoming! That's What's New
Thanks to the Wyoming Library Association and the Wyoming State Reading Council for nominating Grounded for the 2013-2014 Indian Paintbrush Book Award. As you can see by the list, I'm in good company.
The nicest (and fanciest!) fundraiser I've ever attended in my life was an event to benefit the Teton County Library in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Great people. Fancy clothes. Beautiful food. And everyone was there, at the Four Seasons Resort, because they believe it's important to suppport their public library.
Doesn't that just make you want to buy a pair of cowboy boots and move to Wyoming?
* * *
Something Very Fishy Is Going on at KIS . . .
This is just one example of the trouble at KIS.
Dear Florence Waters,
Something very fishy is going on at Kenston Intermediate School, also known as KIS, in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Every student at this school is reading one of the books in the Regarding series. As you know, Ms. Waters, I find these books rather troubling. These are the kind of books that plant creative ideas in children's minds. Will you please see what you can do about removing these books and others like them from Kenston Intermediate School? Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Walter Russ
Something very fishy is going on at Kenston Intermediate School, also known as KIS, in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Every student at this school is reading one of the books in the Regarding series. As you know, Ms. Waters, I find these books rather troubling. These are the kind of books that plant creative ideas in children's minds. Will you please see what you can do about removing these books and others like them from Kenston Intermediate School? Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Walter Russ
Isn't this fountain fantabulous, Wally?
Dear Wally,
Of course I know about Kenston Intermediate School! It's only the most fantabulous school for 4th and 5th graders in America. Did you see the charming way the children decorated their drinking fountain? And did you hear about the cook-off they're having between Angel Fisch's macaroni and cheese and Chef Angelo's lasagna? I think the children at KIS are absolutely brilliant and I'm sending them all a big KISS.
Toodles, Wally!
Florence Waters
Of course I know about Kenston Intermediate School! It's only the most fantabulous school for 4th and 5th graders in America. Did you see the charming way the children decorated their drinking fountain? And did you hear about the cook-off they're having between Angel Fisch's macaroni and cheese and Chef Angelo's lasagna? I think the children at KIS are absolutely brilliant and I'm sending them all a big KISS.
Toodles, Wally!
Florence Waters
Can you believe this fountain?
Dear Florence Waters,
I don't think you understand. The principal, Mr. Jack DiCello, also *reads* to the students while they eat lunch. And there's a replica of the fountain (yes, THAT fountain, Ms. Waters) from the cover of Regarding the Fountain in the school cafeteria. Surely you can understand how this is all a bit . . . well . . . unnecessary. In the name of unimaginative educators everywhere, can't you do something about this place?
Sincerely,
Walter Russ
P.S. I also hear the school has brought in an author named Kate Klise for a whole week. Plans are in the works to plant a tree (a TREE, Ms. Waters) on the KIS campus in Ms. Klise's honor. Call me old-fashioned, but I find this sort of silliness completely unnecessary.
P.P.S. I forgot to mention: A teacher arrived at school yesterday dressed like you, Ms. Waters.
P.P.P.S. Where is the money coming from for all of this nonsense?
I don't think you understand. The principal, Mr. Jack DiCello, also *reads* to the students while they eat lunch. And there's a replica of the fountain (yes, THAT fountain, Ms. Waters) from the cover of Regarding the Fountain in the school cafeteria. Surely you can understand how this is all a bit . . . well . . . unnecessary. In the name of unimaginative educators everywhere, can't you do something about this place?
Sincerely,
Walter Russ
P.S. I also hear the school has brought in an author named Kate Klise for a whole week. Plans are in the works to plant a tree (a TREE, Ms. Waters) on the KIS campus in Ms. Klise's honor. Call me old-fashioned, but I find this sort of silliness completely unnecessary.
P.P.S. I forgot to mention: A teacher arrived at school yesterday dressed like you, Ms. Waters.
P.P.P.S. Where is the money coming from for all of this nonsense?
Here's my understudy posing with Principal DiCello!
Dear Wally,
Would you just relax? The funding for the author visit came from a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation. The PTO and volunteer committees, led by the unstoppable Jena Ianiro, did much of the work, along with the specatabular (is that a word, Wally?) KIS Teacher Committe for Programming. The Florence Waters costume (look at that gorgeous silk robe!) came from China. (It was a gift, Wally. Relax.) Oh, and do you want to hear something that will really knock your socks off? Every child at KIS is getting not only a book from the Regarding series. The children are also getting blank books so they can write their own bestsellers this summer.
A big hug for KIS,
Florence
P.S. Maybe you find this all a waste of time and money, Wally, but it's worth noting that the kids at KIS are some of the smartest, funniest, nicest students I've met all year. The teachers are terrific, too. The parents are involved. The kids are happy and learning up a storm. Is it possible a creative environment actually encourages learning? Ponder that over a popsicle.
P.P.S. Wally, why don't you write a book this summer? Or at least look into getting some solar panels and a windmill for your school. Kenston Intermediate School is partially powered by the sun and the wind!
* * *
Would you just relax? The funding for the author visit came from a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation. The PTO and volunteer committees, led by the unstoppable Jena Ianiro, did much of the work, along with the specatabular (is that a word, Wally?) KIS Teacher Committe for Programming. The Florence Waters costume (look at that gorgeous silk robe!) came from China. (It was a gift, Wally. Relax.) Oh, and do you want to hear something that will really knock your socks off? Every child at KIS is getting not only a book from the Regarding series. The children are also getting blank books so they can write their own bestsellers this summer.
A big hug for KIS,
Florence
P.S. Maybe you find this all a waste of time and money, Wally, but it's worth noting that the kids at KIS are some of the smartest, funniest, nicest students I've met all year. The teachers are terrific, too. The parents are involved. The kids are happy and learning up a storm. Is it possible a creative environment actually encourages learning? Ponder that over a popsicle.
P.P.S. Wally, why don't you write a book this summer? Or at least look into getting some solar panels and a windmill for your school. Kenston Intermediate School is partially powered by the sun and the wind!
* * *
Our mom, Marjorie Costello Klise
Happy Mother's Day to Our Mom!
Here are just a few of the many things our mom taught (or strongly encouraged) us to do from an early age:
*write letters
*make cards
*create art projects
*share a bedroom
*read for pleasure
*make diaromas for school
*make our own lunches for school
*try to solve our own problems
*visit the public library on a regular basis
*eat dinner by candlelight
*grease a pan using a butter wrapper
*find treasures at auctions and estate sales
*find a friend anywhere
*explore our neighborhood
*get enough sleep
*use only 100% cotton pillowcases and iron them with heavy starch
*create a beautiful place to live and work
*go overboard at Christmas
*wash the dishes (and clean the sink) before going to bed
*be on time
*read the newspaper
*get involved
*try to be as kind and generous as she is . . .
Would you believe we are the same daughters who wrote and illustrated a book titled Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth? Yes, that book was dedicated to our mom. But as we told her, it's a love story.
* * *
Here are just a few of the many things our mom taught (or strongly encouraged) us to do from an early age:
*write letters
*make cards
*create art projects
*share a bedroom
*read for pleasure
*make diaromas for school
*make our own lunches for school
*try to solve our own problems
*visit the public library on a regular basis
*eat dinner by candlelight
*grease a pan using a butter wrapper
*find treasures at auctions and estate sales
*find a friend anywhere
*explore our neighborhood
*get enough sleep
*use only 100% cotton pillowcases and iron them with heavy starch
*create a beautiful place to live and work
*go overboard at Christmas
*wash the dishes (and clean the sink) before going to bed
*be on time
*read the newspaper
*get involved
*try to be as kind and generous as she is . . .
Would you believe we are the same daughters who wrote and illustrated a book titled Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth? Yes, that book was dedicated to our mom. But as we told her, it's a love story.
* * *
That's Harper Lee on the left and me, Kate, on the right.
Meeting Harper Lee
Harper Lee is the author of one of my all-time favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. So I was beyond thrilled a few years ago when I had a chance to meet Harper Lee in person. Don't we look like old friends in this photo? (Poor Ms. Lee is probably thinking: Why won't this weird woman let go of my hand?)
Truth is, I had tears in my eyes when I met Harper Lee because she was even better in real life than I could have imagined by reading her book. She's funny and kind and generous and humble . . . which is why it really burns my bacon that someone had the audacity (that's a fancy word for nerve) to take advantage of Harper Lee. The elderly author recently filed a lawsuit in federal court against the son-in-law of her former literary agent. She says he pulled a fast one and tricked her into signing away her rights to her world-famous novel. It will be interesting to see what comes out in court.
So what's the takeaway for you young writers? I don't know. I hate to sound cynical and grouchy, but when it comes time for you to hire a literary agent or a lawyer, look for someone like Atticus Finch. He's the fictional lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird and the kind of person Harper Lee needs and deserves in her corner right now.
* * *
Harper Lee is the author of one of my all-time favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. So I was beyond thrilled a few years ago when I had a chance to meet Harper Lee in person. Don't we look like old friends in this photo? (Poor Ms. Lee is probably thinking: Why won't this weird woman let go of my hand?)
Truth is, I had tears in my eyes when I met Harper Lee because she was even better in real life than I could have imagined by reading her book. She's funny and kind and generous and humble . . . which is why it really burns my bacon that someone had the audacity (that's a fancy word for nerve) to take advantage of Harper Lee. The elderly author recently filed a lawsuit in federal court against the son-in-law of her former literary agent. She says he pulled a fast one and tricked her into signing away her rights to her world-famous novel. It will be interesting to see what comes out in court.
So what's the takeaway for you young writers? I don't know. I hate to sound cynical and grouchy, but when it comes time for you to hire a literary agent or a lawyer, look for someone like Atticus Finch. He's the fictional lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird and the kind of person Harper Lee needs and deserves in her corner right now.
* * *
Sunday in the (Trailer) Park with George
Mow in peace, George Jones.
I was lucky enough to have a chance to interview a lot of interesting people during my reporting days with People magazine. One of my favorites was country singer George Jones. I spent some time with him and Tammy Wynette during their reunion tour in 1995. Before the interview, I was told by the publicist that George always got nervous before interviews. (My response? "No problem. I get nervous, too!") But it made me wonder: Why would a guy who's made a career getting on stage night after night in front of thousands of people get nervous talking one-on-one to a reporter? (I later out found out this is pretty common among performers.) But George Jones was more nervous than most. And when you're interviewing someone who's nervous, you find yourself getting really, really nervous. Anxiety is contagious. So about ten minutes into the interview, I asked Mr. Jones what he did to unwind when he wasn't performing. He suddenly relaxed and told me he loved to cut the grass. "Me, too," I said. We then had a nice long chat in his dressing room trailer about how mowing the grass is a great stress buster. He said he got his best thinking done while cutting the grass at his home in Franklin, Tennessee.
There's another, more famous story about George Jones and a lawnmower, but I'm going to remember him happily cruising his 88-acre property while humming a classic country tune. And don't you have to believe there's a nice lawn for him to mow up in the country music heaven? I certainly do.
* * *
There's another, more famous story about George Jones and a lawnmower, but I'm going to remember him happily cruising his 88-acre property while humming a classic country tune. And don't you have to believe there's a nice lawn for him to mow up in the country music heaven? I certainly do.
* * *
Memo to Texas Librarians
I hope to see many of you at TLA. Here's where I'll be.
Thursday, 4/25, 2:00 - 3:50 pm (Room 121 F, Level 1)
Define Different: Portraying Diversity in Children's Literature. A discussion with authors Tom Angleberger, Blue Balliet, Sharon Flake, MJ Auch, Kate Klise, Ashley Edward Miller, Zach Stentz, and R. J. Palacio.
Thursday, 4/25, 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Book signing at the Macmillan booth #1132 and #1133. Titles from the 43 Old Cemetery Road will also be available here.
Friday, 4/26, 10:00 - 11:00 am
ARC signing at Algonquin Young Readers booth #1349. Stop by and get an advance reader copy of The Show Must Go On!, the first book in my soon-to-be-released series for newly independent readers. (This is the series I pitched as Downton Abbey meets Dr. Dolittle. Ha!)
* * *
Define Different: Portraying Diversity in Children's Literature. A discussion with authors Tom Angleberger, Blue Balliet, Sharon Flake, MJ Auch, Kate Klise, Ashley Edward Miller, Zach Stentz, and R. J. Palacio.
Thursday, 4/25, 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Book signing at the Macmillan booth #1132 and #1133. Titles from the 43 Old Cemetery Road will also be available here.
Friday, 4/26, 10:00 - 11:00 am
ARC signing at Algonquin Young Readers booth #1349. Stop by and get an advance reader copy of The Show Must Go On!, the first book in my soon-to-be-released series for newly independent readers. (This is the series I pitched as Downton Abbey meets Dr. Dolittle. Ha!)
* * *
See More Seymour
This cool card was made by a cool librarian in Texas.
When we visit schools, there's rarely enough time to sign autographs for everyone. But if you're really pining for an autograph, click on this cool pic of Seymour and download an autographed bookmark from Old Cemetery Road.
And if you're feeling really ambitious, click here for an educator guide to 43 Old Cemetery Road. This guide includes all five books in the series.
* * *
And if you're feeling really ambitious, click here for an educator guide to 43 Old Cemetery Road. This guide includes all five books in the series.
* * *
Sneak Peek
I just got a sneak peek at the cover art for the paperback edition of Grounded. This is also the cover that you'll see in the Scholastic Book Club catalog.
Do you like this cover? I do.
Yes, that's a black hearse, which hints at death. And yes, three characters die in the very first chapter of this book. (Sorry!)
But Grounded is ultimately a book about hope and healing and life and the importance of laughter and love . . . It's also a mystery about a man named Clem who comes to town to open a crematorium. If you're not afraid of gritty middle-grade books, check it out.
* * *
* * *
Thanks for the Birthday Wishes!
I love the skirts on these cute gals.
Thanks to my new BFFs at District 87 Schools in Bloomington, Illinois, and at Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, Alabama, for all the wonderful birthday cards and wishes this week. Don't you just love this Grammy Lamby card? (The cotton on the right is real Alabama cotton, picked fresh from the farm.)
I've been traveling so much lately, I look and feel like a cotton-pickin' blur. (See my self-portrait, below.) But I have a few hours left before the odometer rolls over on a new decade, and I intend to spend more than a little bit of that time sending good wishes to all the new friends I've made this year--and of course, to my big sister Sarah, who still draws and paints the best pictures in the whole world. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze to all of you!
I've been traveling so much lately, I look and feel like a cotton-pickin' blur. (See my self-portrait, below.) But I have a few hours left before the odometer rolls over on a new decade, and I intend to spend more than a little bit of that time sending good wishes to all the new friends I've made this year--and of course, to my big sister Sarah, who still draws and paints the best pictures in the whole world. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze to all of you!
Portrait of the author as she begins a new decade
* * *
Calling All Art Campers
|
Let me know if any of you want to take some art classes this summer in Berkeley, Burlingame, Mill Valley or San Francisco. All cities in Northern California, of course. So, a few of you might need a plane ticket too!
Have your parent email me and I will send along the information. Classes run for a week at a time. As one parent noted "I am running out of walls for all this beautiful artwork!" I know the feeling . . . * * * |
Ooh La La!
We just found out the French edition of Dying to Meet You has won a nice little prize called the Prix Enfantaisie 2013.
It seems four hundred young readers in Switzerland read several books and liked Olive, Iggy, and Seymour's story best. Isn't that nice?
This contest was organized by Payot bookstores, the Institut Suisse Jeunesse et Médias, and Radio Télévision Suisse.
The prize will be awarded on May 1 during the Geneva Book Fair. Our fabulous translator is going to pick up the award for us and tell all those readers merci beaucoup!
* * *
How Great is This?
Here's a picture of my new favorite reader.
I can't stop looking at this picture of a girl who traveled all the way from CHINA to find the inspiration for Spence Mansion.
Well, not really. She just happened to be in her mother's hometown of Peoria, Illinois, which is also our hometown.
But wasn't she clever to track down the exact house we had in mind when we cooked up Dying to Meet You?
* * *
Well, not really. She just happened to be in her mother's hometown of Peoria, Illinois, which is also our hometown.
But wasn't she clever to track down the exact house we had in mind when we cooked up Dying to Meet You?
* * *
It's No Joke. Hollywood, Dead Ahead is Here!
What might happen if a Hollywood producer got tangled up with a ghost named Olive C. Spence? To find out, you'll have to read Hollywood, Dead Ahead, the fifth (and newest) book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series!
* * *
If You Learn How to Write a Nice Thank-You Note . . .
You will go far in life.
* * *
What's Funny About Sisters . . .
is that we often are thinking the same thing at the same time! Especially sisters who share bedrooms as kids and work together as adults.
Just this week, I was listening to my favorite song (the same one Kate notes below) but I also like to SEE Tom and Elis so I go to youtube. I like when these two sing together (instead of one singing + one playing piano). The best version is here. I love how fun that session looks. You can see what good friends they are, can't you? It is a perfect song. Don't you think? (Watch till the verrrrry end - and don't miss how Mr. Jobim feels finishing, what he must know, was a perfect take.)
I am trying to memorize it right now. As an illustrator, I can do things like that AS I work.
* * *
Just this week, I was listening to my favorite song (the same one Kate notes below) but I also like to SEE Tom and Elis so I go to youtube. I like when these two sing together (instead of one singing + one playing piano). The best version is here. I love how fun that session looks. You can see what good friends they are, can't you? It is a perfect song. Don't you think? (Watch till the verrrrry end - and don't miss how Mr. Jobim feels finishing, what he must know, was a perfect take.)
I am trying to memorize it right now. As an illustrator, I can do things like that AS I work.
* * *
Make a List
Here's Antonio Carlos Jobim as a young man.
We always encourage kids to make books to give their moms and dads and grandmas and gramps. We like visiting schools and libraries to help kids get started on their bestselling books. But what happens if you can't think of anything to write about? One idea is to read the newspaper. I get a ton of story ideas from reading newspapers. But what if you read the newspaper and you still can't think of a good story to tell? Easy. Make a list of everything you love in the world. That's what Antonio Carlos Jobim did in "Waters of March." It's a fantastic song. Have a listen here and then make a list of all the things you find strange and wonderful in the world, especially at this time of year. Draw pictures to go with your words. There's your picture book!
* * *
* * *
We Couldn't Agree More
Here's how Helen Zell explains her reason for donating $50 million to the support the University of Michigan's graduate writing program:
"The ability of fiction to develop creativity, to analyze the human psyche, help you understand people — it's critical. It's as important as vitamins or anything else. To me, it's the core of the intellectual health of human beings."
Amen to that! Thank you, Helen Zell.
* * *
I've Been Banned!
We get so many nice letters from readers of all ages. We try to answer every single letter. But here's one I don't know how to answer. I'm posting it here in the hopes it might encourage middle-grade readers in Milwaukie, Oregon, to track down a copy of Homesick (maybe from the public library?) and read it. There's nothing more fun than reading a banned book!
Here's the letter:
Greetings Ms. Klise,
I picked up a copy of your new book, Homesick, to read before purchasing it for all of our elementary and middle schools. I found it to be a delightful and timely story about community and hope and healing. But with the discovery of this phrase, "Jesus H. Christ, Mom...", your book unfortunately dropped off a buy list in this district. While some strong language is appropriate for our middle school students, this is not a phrase that is acceptable to our middle America, suburban clientele. It is coarse, beyond a simple "damn" or "hell", especially as the thought is directed at a
parent. A shame, since the story has much to offer students. But this pushes past general boundaries for our readers, and seemed oddly out of place in the book- a bit of utterly gratuitous swearing in an otherwise wonderful presentation of engaging characters, evocative setting and relevant theme. While you have thoughtfully handled the repercussions of family discord and mental imbalance, this single line regrettably keeps the book off our shelves.
Respectfully,
(Name deleted)
District Media Coordinator
North Clackamas SD
14211 SE Johnson Rd.
Milwaukie, OR 97267
* * *
Here's Looking At You, Jonesboro
Jonesboro loves to read!
Look how cute the kids in Jonesboro, Arkansas, are these days! Thanks to my friends at the Craighead County/Jonesboro Public Library for bringing me to town to meet all these wonderful young readers and writers.
Stand straight, third graders!
They're also fabulous researchers. Look at this cool research project conducted by several third graders who wanted to compare their height to Ella Kate Ewing's height. (I think we can see who was taller, eh? Ella was 8'4".)
Other students compared their shoe size to Ella's size 24 boot, illustrated by my sister Sarah on the endpapers of Stand Straight, Ella Kate.
A few students thought I was Ella Kate Ewing. (I'm not.)
Keep the faith, Faith!
I'm not Faith's mom, either, but we sorta look alike, don't we? (Thanks for helping me out during the presentation, Faith!)
I *will* be at the Jonesboro Public Library on Tuesday night (Feb. 26) at 7 p.m., if anyone wants to come and talk about books. The event is free and open to the public. Note to teachers: You'll get one hour of continuing education credit for attending the event. (And I don't give tests or grades. It's not that kind of event.)
* * *
I *will* be at the Jonesboro Public Library on Tuesday night (Feb. 26) at 7 p.m., if anyone wants to come and talk about books. The event is free and open to the public. Note to teachers: You'll get one hour of continuing education credit for attending the event. (And I don't give tests or grades. It's not that kind of event.)
* * *
What's to Love in Lawrence?
This is Alton's recreation of Benny's house.
What's to love in Lawrence, Kansas? One word: Lots!
This is a city filled with readers and writers and wonderful old Victorian houses. The poet Langston Hughes lived here for a few years. I never got to meet him, but this week I'm meeting some fantastic fifth graders. Check out Alton's house on the left. He made this replica of the house in Homesick, complete with pizza boxes stacked high in the kitchen. And how about Banner's recreation of the wedding scene from Regarding the Trees? (See picture below.) I *hope* Alton and Banner and all of their classmates will keep building and making and writing cool stuff. Snowy days (and snow days) are perfect for doing just that!
**NOTE to Lawrence pals: I'll be back in March to make up our snow day.**
**NOTE to Jenny: It's snowing here today, so I made your Vegan Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili. Yummy! Next time I'll make cornbread to go with it.**
This is a city filled with readers and writers and wonderful old Victorian houses. The poet Langston Hughes lived here for a few years. I never got to meet him, but this week I'm meeting some fantastic fifth graders. Check out Alton's house on the left. He made this replica of the house in Homesick, complete with pizza boxes stacked high in the kitchen. And how about Banner's recreation of the wedding scene from Regarding the Trees? (See picture below.) I *hope* Alton and Banner and all of their classmates will keep building and making and writing cool stuff. Snowy days (and snow days) are perfect for doing just that!
**NOTE to Lawrence pals: I'll be back in March to make up our snow day.**
**NOTE to Jenny: It's snowing here today, so I made your Vegan Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili. Yummy! Next time I'll make cornbread to go with it.**
Here's the wedding scene from Regarding the Trees.(Love that weeping willow tree, Banner!)
* * *
Are You Ready for Hollywood?
Can you see Olive sitting in the middle?
It's almost here! The fifth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Here's what Kirkus has to say about Hollywood, Dead Ahead:
This fifth hilarious excursion to Seymour Hope’s address in Ghastly, Ill., takes the little, idiosyncratic family to Hollywood when an unscrupulous movie mogul decides to film their stories. Young Seymour and ghost Olive can’t wait to become movie stars, while crotchety Ignatius remains cautious. Pushed into it by majority rule, Ignatius signs the lengthy contract, only to learn later that he has signed away all rights to the trio’s books, past and future, for no compensation whatsoever. When they arrive in Hollywood, everything goes wrong. Ignatius becomes consumed with his image makeover, especially his new teeth. Seymour auditions to play himself in the movie and wins the part, but Olive fumes because the movie company ignores her (she is invisible, after all). They find an ally in Ivana Oscar, the 92-year-old former star tapped to play Olive when Ivana learns that her contract demands her death in order to boost profits for the film. As always, the comedy depends on deliberately awful puns, especially in the characters’names, such as Moe Block Busters, Hugh Briss and Phillip D. Rubbish. M. Sarah Klise’s exuberant drawings contribute half of the book’s content. Kate Klise delivers the text in the form of letters, memos and newspaper articles, with humor stuffed into every corner. Another winner for this inventive series." (Humor. 8-12)
Thanks, Kirkus! We think you're a winner, too.
* * *
This fifth hilarious excursion to Seymour Hope’s address in Ghastly, Ill., takes the little, idiosyncratic family to Hollywood when an unscrupulous movie mogul decides to film their stories. Young Seymour and ghost Olive can’t wait to become movie stars, while crotchety Ignatius remains cautious. Pushed into it by majority rule, Ignatius signs the lengthy contract, only to learn later that he has signed away all rights to the trio’s books, past and future, for no compensation whatsoever. When they arrive in Hollywood, everything goes wrong. Ignatius becomes consumed with his image makeover, especially his new teeth. Seymour auditions to play himself in the movie and wins the part, but Olive fumes because the movie company ignores her (she is invisible, after all). They find an ally in Ivana Oscar, the 92-year-old former star tapped to play Olive when Ivana learns that her contract demands her death in order to boost profits for the film. As always, the comedy depends on deliberately awful puns, especially in the characters’names, such as Moe Block Busters, Hugh Briss and Phillip D. Rubbish. M. Sarah Klise’s exuberant drawings contribute half of the book’s content. Kate Klise delivers the text in the form of letters, memos and newspaper articles, with humor stuffed into every corner. Another winner for this inventive series." (Humor. 8-12)
Thanks, Kirkus! We think you're a winner, too.
* * *
Feeling Homesick in Korea?
If you're feeling homesick, maybe this will cheer you up: Homesick, my most recent middle-grade novel, will be available in Korea (and Korean) next year.
Feel better now? I kinda do.
(Thanks to my friends at Feiwel and Friends in NYC for sealing the deal. I will thank you in person at TLA in April.)
* * *
Oh, You Silly Things
Dying to Meet You All Over the World
It sounds almost romantic in French.
This German translation is hard to beat.
Here's how it looks in Korean.
Chinese, anyone?
In the Czech Republic, it looks like this.
In Dutch, Iggy is Ignatius K. Mopper!
* * *
Olive's Favorite Street?
Snapped this on my way to the St. Louis Public Library.
I have a hunch this is Olive C. Spence's favorite corner: the intersection of Olive and 13th!
This is in St. Louis, by the way, a very haunted city. But every city has its ghosts, right? (No fear. Most ghosts are friendly.)
* * *
This is in St. Louis, by the way, a very haunted city. But every city has its ghosts, right? (No fear. Most ghosts are friendly.)
* * *
Never Skip the Journey
We agreed that our favorite stories are always about a journey.
I had so much fun last Friday with my pals at Maplecrest Elementary School in Lebanon, Missouri. We talked about books (mine and theirs) and agreed we should all write a book for someone for Valentine's Day. Two friends (pictured here) returned to their class after attending a workshop with me in the library. Looks like they did an *excellent* job explaining the structure of a story! Don't we all like a story that starts with a character who has a problem? The character often goes on a journey to solve the problem. Don't forget to put an OH-NO moment in your story. That often leads to your character's Aha! moment at the end.
My Aha! moment at the end of the day on Friday? Maplecrest Elementary is the home of some future bestselling authors!
* * *
My Aha! moment at the end of the day on Friday? Maplecrest Elementary is the home of some future bestselling authors!
* * *
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Dear Sister Kate, (read Silly Silhouette below, first) Let's do it! And check out this artwork done back in 2006 by my students in Chinatown, Daniel and Kelly, when WE studied Mr. Etienne de Silhouette. I became obsessed by him and his beautiful work back then, which also pointed us to Hans Christian Andersen's lovely papercuts. This was when I was illustrating the Little Rabbit books which are loaded with silhouettes. (See art on LR's bedroom walls.) Let me know when our apartment is available. Regards, Sister Sarah * * * |
Silly Silhouette
You could make silhouettes for Valentine's Day.
Silly or beautiful? What do you think? I happen to think silhouettes are beautiful. I love this bunny silhouette. Some young friends in New Jersey made it for me last year.
Did you know the word "silhouette" derives from a French fiance minister named Etienne de Silhouette? In 1759, France was facing its own fiscal cliff. Something had to be done, so Silhouette started making cuts. The richest people in particular were asked to make sacrifices. Because of this, Silhouette's name became synonymous with
anything done or made cheaply, like an outline portrait made from a stiff black card. (Note to Sarah: This could be a sweet picture book, no? I'd have to do a little more research and find out if what I just wrote is true. You can't believe everything you read online, right? I'd probably have to go to France to do the research. I'd have to get an apartment in Paris for six months or so. I'm liking this idea more and more....)
* * *
Did you know the word "silhouette" derives from a French fiance minister named Etienne de Silhouette? In 1759, France was facing its own fiscal cliff. Something had to be done, so Silhouette started making cuts. The richest people in particular were asked to make sacrifices. Because of this, Silhouette's name became synonymous with
anything done or made cheaply, like an outline portrait made from a stiff black card. (Note to Sarah: This could be a sweet picture book, no? I'd have to do a little more research and find out if what I just wrote is true. You can't believe everything you read online, right? I'd probably have to go to France to do the research. I'd have to get an apartment in Paris for six months or so. I'm liking this idea more and more....)
* * *
Quote of the Day
“All that I ever hope to say in books is that I love the world."
E. B. White
* * *
What She Said
Happy Birthday to Mary Sarah Klise!
A vintage page from Sarah's old diary.
Can you believe this is what Sarah was writing about me several decades ago on this date?
Ha!
* * *
Merry Christmas from Our Haunted House to Yours!
Dear Friend,
Click on the house (left) to read our Christmas card to you.
We truly wish you all the best this holiday season. Let's meet in the cupola in early 2013 to compare holiday notes.
xo Kate and Sarah
P.S. We hope to have some exciting news to share with you soon, so check back here after the holidays, okay?
* * *
Happy Holidays!
0
Chinatown YMCA (in San Francisco)
Young Artist Program
artist: Catherine
age: 6 years
mixed media
©2012
This is an art program that I (Sarah) started many moons ago. Does 28 years sound about right?
Don't you want a dog like that one? I do! And did you notice the bird prints in the snow? Sweet.
Young Artist Program
artist: Catherine
age: 6 years
mixed media
©2012
This is an art program that I (Sarah) started many moons ago. Does 28 years sound about right?
Don't you want a dog like that one? I do! And did you notice the bird prints in the snow? Sweet.
If Olive Worked at J. Crew
(Ho, ho, ho!)
I wonder if Olive would scare away all the shoppers.
* * *
Pen Pals
I spy fingernail polish on Hannah's recent letter to me! I am stealing your idea, kiddo. Cool.
Thanks for writing to me for all these years.
* * *
My Favorite P.P.S. of the Year
Thanks, David. You made my day. -kate
* * *
This Belongs On My Fridge
Spence Mansion by Angel in Arlington
Thanks to Angel in Arlington, Texas, for this supercool picture of Spence Mansion.
(And no, Angel. The 43 Old Cemetery Road series is not available in e-book form. Sorry! Olive prefers old-fashioned books. She explains why in The Phantom of the Post Office. Check it out if you haven't already. It's about books, letters, and BFFs.)
* * *
I couldn't resist that cute little chandelier.
* * *
We're So Grateful
Love my pals at Klein ISD near Houston, Tx.
. . . for notes like this.
We love, love, LOVE you, Kayla, and all of you terrific readers out there. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
-Kate and Sarah
* * *
Hoppy (Almost) Thanksgiving
Gosh, there are some good artists in Glendale Heights, IL
When it comes to Thanksgiving, we think it's best to leave the cooking to grownups. But if you can draw (and we know you can), why not make place cards for all the people at your Thanksgiving table? Just draw or paint a pretty picture -- it doesn't have to be a turkey -- and write Mom, Dad, Grandma, Aunt KK, or whoever will be sitting at your table. Then, when the Thanksgiving table is set, put the place cards around the table where these folks will be sitting. Fun, right?
* * *
* * *
Dear Ignaz B. Griesgram
The German audiobook of Dying to Meet You
If you're wondering how to say "Ignatius B. Grumply" in German, here's your answer: Ignaz B. Griesgram.
This series is weirdly popular in Germany, thanks in large part to a fabulous audio production of Dying to Meet You (or if you prefer, Gespenster gibt es doch!) If you're trying to learn German, check it out. The clever audio production is winning nice prizes in Germany.
I just like the bats they added around Spence Mansion. Everything's creepier with a bat or two, right?
* * *
This series is weirdly popular in Germany, thanks in large part to a fabulous audio production of Dying to Meet You (or if you prefer, Gespenster gibt es doch!) If you're trying to learn German, check it out. The clever audio production is winning nice prizes in Germany.
I just like the bats they added around Spence Mansion. Everything's creepier with a bat or two, right?
* * *
Olive This Pumpkin!
Chloe and Olive in the BWE library
Check out this Olive-inspired pumpkin created by Chloe at Birnham Woods Elementary School in Spring, Texas.
Don't you just love it? We do. (Look at those curlers in Olive's hair!)
Happy (almost) Halloween to all you 43 Old Cemetery Road readers out there. Don't let Dick Tater cancel your big day.
* * *
Patterns, please?
RAIN -- Emma © 2012
|
Thank you to Emma and Sydney for allowing me to photograph these images from art class. Textures and patterns can MAKE a picture. Class, please check out William Steig's books from the library. Look at all the patterns. Oh, and look at Emma and Sydney's artwork too! THEY got it. Perfectly. Be inspired. * * * |
RABBIT IN THE RAIN --
Sydney © 2012
|
Want To Be Olive C. Spence for Halloween?
All you need are opera glasses.
All you need are opera glasses. If you don't have a pair, you could probably make your own with a pair of cheap reading glasses (see if your mom or dad has a broken pair you can use) and a chopstick. You might also want to wear a long Victorian-style dress.
Don't forget to call everyone "darling" or "dear."
* * *
This and That
*To the kids who have written letters recently and haven't heard back from us: We apologize! It's been a busy fall with lots of deadlines and travel, but we'll get all of those letters answered eventually, we promise. It's always great to hear from you!
*To the teacher who wanted me to critique his students' book proposals: Of course they're all fabulous ideas. Kids have no shortage of ideas. (That's why they're kids!) But books aren't made of ideas. They're made of sentences. If I were a teacher, I would help students understand what makes a sentence work; what makes a sentence beautiful. I would take Charlotte's Web and help kids dissect E. B. White's sentences. I would also use The Elements of Style, even in elementary school. The kids I know need no help thinking of ideas for books, but they (we!) could all use help building better sentences. If I were a teacher, that would be my focus. ("But Kate, writing book proposals is so much more FUN than studying sentences." I know. Sorry about that. But if you learn how language works, you can write a beautiful book about any idea in the whole wide world.)
*To the mother who wants me to give her 10-year-old daughter advice on how to get her book published: Don't worry about publishing, dear. If you want to be an author someday, your job at age ten is to read lots of books (anything you like), write lots of stories (again, anything you like), give your books away as gifts to friends and family, have a notebook where you write things that you don't show anyone, listen to music, go to movies, be kind to people around you, and just be ten years old, for gawd's sake. You'll be a grownup before you know it, and that's when you can think about publishing contracts. But now? No. Don't worry about it. Isn't one of the rare pleasures of childhood not having to worry about making a living?
*To the guy sitting next to me on the airplane who has a GREAT IDEA for a children's book and a movie and a marketing plan and merchandising program, but couldn't possibly tell it to me for fear I'd steal his idea: Dude, I'm stealing your lines right now, but you can't see my screen. (Aren't I so evil?)
* * *
*To the teacher who wanted me to critique his students' book proposals: Of course they're all fabulous ideas. Kids have no shortage of ideas. (That's why they're kids!) But books aren't made of ideas. They're made of sentences. If I were a teacher, I would help students understand what makes a sentence work; what makes a sentence beautiful. I would take Charlotte's Web and help kids dissect E. B. White's sentences. I would also use The Elements of Style, even in elementary school. The kids I know need no help thinking of ideas for books, but they (we!) could all use help building better sentences. If I were a teacher, that would be my focus. ("But Kate, writing book proposals is so much more FUN than studying sentences." I know. Sorry about that. But if you learn how language works, you can write a beautiful book about any idea in the whole wide world.)
*To the mother who wants me to give her 10-year-old daughter advice on how to get her book published: Don't worry about publishing, dear. If you want to be an author someday, your job at age ten is to read lots of books (anything you like), write lots of stories (again, anything you like), give your books away as gifts to friends and family, have a notebook where you write things that you don't show anyone, listen to music, go to movies, be kind to people around you, and just be ten years old, for gawd's sake. You'll be a grownup before you know it, and that's when you can think about publishing contracts. But now? No. Don't worry about it. Isn't one of the rare pleasures of childhood not having to worry about making a living?
*To the guy sitting next to me on the airplane who has a GREAT IDEA for a children's book and a movie and a marketing plan and merchandising program, but couldn't possibly tell it to me for fear I'd steal his idea: Dude, I'm stealing your lines right now, but you can't see my screen. (Aren't I so evil?)
* * *
Show Me a Better State Library Association? Impossible.
I'm not sure who we're talking about here.
I just spent the nicest evening with members of the Missouri Library Association, which--in my humble opinion--is simply the finest state library association in the country. So many fun and enthusiastic librarians (yes, I'm talking about you, Carrie Cline!). I'm more convinced than ever that I have to find a way to be a librarian--maybe in my happy, golden years. That's how I'd like to grow old--working in a public library. Anyway, tonight I was honored to receive the MLA Literary Award for my books focusing on Missouri life. The last writer to win the award was my friend Daniel Woodrell who won it in 2008 for his fine book, Winter's Bone. Here's an old photo of Daniel and me at a mutual friend's birthday party. (This photo is probably five or six years old, but I wore that brown jacket today. And I bet I still have that ponytail holder--see it on my wrist?--somewhere in my hair drawer.)
* * *
* * *
Just Sayin'
I want this on my tombstone.
* * *
Readers, We Need Your Help
We need your HELP, please.
Pals, we need your help, please.
We're working on the sixth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series and we want to know which title you like best.
1) Greetings from the Graveyard!
2) For Your Eyes Only
3) When Everything Goes Dead Wrong
4) The Deadly Do Write
Which one do you like best? Which title would you be most likely to read? Think it over and email us your thoughts here. Thanks! We really appreciate your help. (Olive does, too.)
* * *
We're working on the sixth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series and we want to know which title you like best.
1) Greetings from the Graveyard!
2) For Your Eyes Only
3) When Everything Goes Dead Wrong
4) The Deadly Do Write
Which one do you like best? Which title would you be most likely to read? Think it over and email us your thoughts here. Thanks! We really appreciate your help. (Olive does, too.)
* * *
J'adore!
Dear French edition of Dying to Meet You,
We love you!
Kisses,
Kate and Sarah
P.S. Don't you love that the French imprint is called Witty?
* * *
Olive for Governor?
I'm just back from a ten-day trip without my laptop or cell phone (wouldn't Olive be proud?), and what do I find not a mile from my house? This sign.
Is Olive C. Spence running for governor of Missouri? No. She's not. But it's a fun idea, isn't it?
Anybody want to write a book about a ghost who runs for governor or president? This is the year to do it.
* * *
Is Olive C. Spence running for governor of Missouri? No. She's not. But it's a fun idea, isn't it?
Anybody want to write a book about a ghost who runs for governor or president? This is the year to do it.
* * *
|
|
Book Jacket Problem Solving
Not too long ago, our German publisher, Gerstenberg, emailed to ask if I wanted to redraw the book jacket for Book 4, in the Old Cemetery Road series, to make it "more scary" for the German audience. I politely declined. See how they solved the "scary" problem (think: dark colors). Didn't they do a terrific job? I do love how the folks at Gerstenberg think! |
* * *
Before There Were Flat Irons for Hair . . .
The iconic Flatiron Building at 5th & Broadway.
There was the Flatiron Building in New York City. Isn't it cool? It's shaped like a tall, skinny piece of pie -- or an old-fashioned flat iron used for smoothing clothes. You should take a look at this building if ever you're in NYC. (It's located at 175 Fifth Avenue.) We usually visit the Flatiron when we're in town because it's home to Henry Holt, which publishes some of our picture books (including Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake), and Feiwel & Friends, publisher of Grounded and my soon-to-be-released novel, Homesick. I bet anyone who moves away from New York feels homesick for this building, which was designed by D. H. Burnham and completed in 1902. People didn't immediately fall in love with the Flatiron. In fact, some critics hated it. Critics hated the Eiffel Tower, too, in Paris when it was first built. Some critics even hated Billy Wilder's now classic film, "The Apartment," one of my all-time favorite movies. There's a good lesson here for all you creative types. Feel free to discuss among yourselves.
* * *
* * *
Only the Shadow Knows
Cat Noir by Mary Ann Campbell
Don't you just love a black cat with wise old eyes? This is how I imagine Shadow, the fabulous feline at Spence Mansion.
This photo was taken by my friend and school librarian Mary Ann Campbell. Her photos will be on display on the second floor of the public library in Jefferson City, Missouri, through September.
Tell them Shadow sent you.
* * *
This photo was taken by my friend and school librarian Mary Ann Campbell. Her photos will be on display on the second floor of the public library in Jefferson City, Missouri, through September.
Tell them Shadow sent you.
* * *
Meet Me in St. Louis
That's Judy Garland on the left, aka Dorothy Gale from Kansas.
Calling all young writers in St. Louis!
If you're free, please join me on Saturday, August 25, for a writing workshop in Lion's Amphitheater in Kirkwood Park, 111 S. Geyer Road. I'll be there from 10 a.m. to noon, helping aspiring authors of all ages get a good start on their bestselling masterpieces. Other workshops (one with the fabulous and funny Jody Feldman) will continue until 2 p.m.
This event, sponsored by the St. Louis Writers Guild, is free and open to the public. No need to register or wear a funny hat. Everyone's welcome. Just come and we'll have fun, writing in the park!
* * *
If you're free, please join me on Saturday, August 25, for a writing workshop in Lion's Amphitheater in Kirkwood Park, 111 S. Geyer Road. I'll be there from 10 a.m. to noon, helping aspiring authors of all ages get a good start on their bestselling masterpieces. Other workshops (one with the fabulous and funny Jody Feldman) will continue until 2 p.m.
This event, sponsored by the St. Louis Writers Guild, is free and open to the public. No need to register or wear a funny hat. Everyone's welcome. Just come and we'll have fun, writing in the park!
* * *
Four Detectives
Artists: Thomas, Analise, Lucy, Sophia © 2012
Ages: 7-10 years
*The Detective*
Made with mixed media at Sarah Klise's Young Artist Program (Burlingame, California)
I spend a lot of time teaching kids (and adults) to draw and paint in various locations around the Bay Area and I adore doing it. I guide students step by step through a project, especially during beginning class. Start with the eyes and move out from there.
* * *
Ages: 7-10 years
*The Detective*
Made with mixed media at Sarah Klise's Young Artist Program (Burlingame, California)
I spend a lot of time teaching kids (and adults) to draw and paint in various locations around the Bay Area and I adore doing it. I guide students step by step through a project, especially during beginning class. Start with the eyes and move out from there.
* * *
Kate's Favorite Song du Jour
I love David Bowie (and not just because for many years, I kinda looked like him). I've been listening to Bowie today and thought: Hmm, if Spence Mansion had a themesong, it might be this.
* * *
Isn't Life Grand?
Yes, it is. Especially when The Wall Street Journal gives a nice shout-out to books that star go-to grammies like Grammy Lamby. Thanks, Meghan Cox Gurdon, for the nice review!
* * *
Dear Kortney J.
Letter from Kortney
You write a terrific letter, my friend!
I'm so glad to hear you're a fan of the 43 Old Cemetery Road series--and that you got your friend and a neighbor (an adult, no less!) to read the books, too. I should probably pay you to be on our marketing team, right? What I really love about your letter is your enthusiasm. I love how you said in your letter that you almost "hiperventalated" when you heard there were more books in the series.
Now one of these days, Kortney, you're going to get a teacher who's a stickler for spelling. When that day comes, buy a pocket dictionary for in-class writing assignments and use spellcheck on the computer. No big deal. Anyone can learn to spell. But not everyone has the style and flair for writing that you have. Honestly, I could read your letter all day long!
I'll send back a real letter in an envelope because it's always fun to get something in the mail. But I wanted to post this now, in case you're checking the site. I hope you're looking forward to a great school year. I think this year is going to be your BEST ever!
Your friend,
Kate
* * *
I'm so glad to hear you're a fan of the 43 Old Cemetery Road series--and that you got your friend and a neighbor (an adult, no less!) to read the books, too. I should probably pay you to be on our marketing team, right? What I really love about your letter is your enthusiasm. I love how you said in your letter that you almost "hiperventalated" when you heard there were more books in the series.
Now one of these days, Kortney, you're going to get a teacher who's a stickler for spelling. When that day comes, buy a pocket dictionary for in-class writing assignments and use spellcheck on the computer. No big deal. Anyone can learn to spell. But not everyone has the style and flair for writing that you have. Honestly, I could read your letter all day long!
I'll send back a real letter in an envelope because it's always fun to get something in the mail. But I wanted to post this now, in case you're checking the site. I hope you're looking forward to a great school year. I think this year is going to be your BEST ever!
Your friend,
Kate
* * *
To Err Is Human, To Proofread Is Potentially Profitable
A typo I found last night in a P.G. Wodehouse novel
I rarely read a book these days without finding at least one typo, dropped word, or a "talk" that clearly should've been a "take." I make similar mistakes all the time, too. In fact, I'll probably make two or three goofs before I finish writing this post--or maybe even this sentence.
So here's a business idea for you ten-year-olds out there. Get really, really, really, really good at proofreading. Practice proofreading your own work and that of your friends. Then, when you're in college, charge a nominal fee to proofread your classmates' papers. Develop a reputation for excellence. Find the its that should be it's. Hunt down the theres that should be theirs. Show no mercy for a to that should be a too. Before long, graduate students, professors, and authors will all be asking you to proofread their work. Find out what the going rate is for proofreaders. Charge a bit extra for your friendly and prompt service. If you get really good enough at this, I think you could almost pay for your college education. Just a thought . . . .
* * *
So here's a business idea for you ten-year-olds out there. Get really, really, really, really good at proofreading. Practice proofreading your own work and that of your friends. Then, when you're in college, charge a nominal fee to proofread your classmates' papers. Develop a reputation for excellence. Find the its that should be it's. Hunt down the theres that should be theirs. Show no mercy for a to that should be a too. Before long, graduate students, professors, and authors will all be asking you to proofread their work. Find out what the going rate is for proofreaders. Charge a bit extra for your friendly and prompt service. If you get really good enough at this, I think you could almost pay for your college education. Just a thought . . . .
* * *
The Greatness of Grandparents
Cover illustration by M. Sarah Klise
Thanks to Pamela Paul at the New York Times for this lovely review of Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake.
In the curious psychological landscape of small children, what in a parent is often embarrassing or odd can be embraceable and interesting in a grand-parent. For some reason, grandparents get a pass. (Could it be all the chocolate sundaes on offer?) In three new picture books, grandparents’ eccentricities, while occasionally sources of discomfort, are also — and ultimately — cause for delight.
In “Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake,”
written by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise — a sister-sister team — it takes a while for Larry the lamb to appreciate his grandmother’s particularities. Though he is loath to admit it, “he didn’t always like when Grammy Lamby came to visit.” She loudly celebrates Larry’s cuteness in (pink polka-dotted!) pajamas she has sewn for him. She sings loudly at church. She loudly entertains plans of whisking Larry off to Tanzania or the South Seas. Grammy Lamby is simply too much; Larry is not sorry to see her leave.
But Grammy Lamby comes back, greeting Larry with what she calls her “secret handshake” — three squeezes that signify “I love you.” And there she is again, drinking tea in the parlor and banging away at her sewing machine, a homespun thematic thread reflected in M. Sarah Klise’s acrylic illustrations, which feature patchwork prints, aprons and other Etsy-friendly details.
Of course, as Larry finds out, Grammy Lamby isn’t just flounce and emotional flamboyance. When a summer storm hits, Grammy Lamby proves she’s also caring and capable. Even her sewing machine comes in handy, patching Larry’s home and community back together again. And thus forms an authentic bond between grandma and grandson in this sweet but not treacly story.
* * *
In the curious psychological landscape of small children, what in a parent is often embarrassing or odd can be embraceable and interesting in a grand-parent. For some reason, grandparents get a pass. (Could it be all the chocolate sundaes on offer?) In three new picture books, grandparents’ eccentricities, while occasionally sources of discomfort, are also — and ultimately — cause for delight.
In “Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake,”
written by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise — a sister-sister team — it takes a while for Larry the lamb to appreciate his grandmother’s particularities. Though he is loath to admit it, “he didn’t always like when Grammy Lamby came to visit.” She loudly celebrates Larry’s cuteness in (pink polka-dotted!) pajamas she has sewn for him. She sings loudly at church. She loudly entertains plans of whisking Larry off to Tanzania or the South Seas. Grammy Lamby is simply too much; Larry is not sorry to see her leave.
But Grammy Lamby comes back, greeting Larry with what she calls her “secret handshake” — three squeezes that signify “I love you.” And there she is again, drinking tea in the parlor and banging away at her sewing machine, a homespun thematic thread reflected in M. Sarah Klise’s acrylic illustrations, which feature patchwork prints, aprons and other Etsy-friendly details.
Of course, as Larry finds out, Grammy Lamby isn’t just flounce and emotional flamboyance. When a summer storm hits, Grammy Lamby proves she’s also caring and capable. Even her sewing machine comes in handy, patching Larry’s home and community back together again. And thus forms an authentic bond between grandma and grandson in this sweet but not treacly story.
* * *
They Asked. We Answered.
That's Kate (left) and Sarah (right).
Kids, You're Killing Me
To the girls who read books during sleepovers:
You rock!
-Kate
You rock!
-Kate
Kate's house and barn
To the reader who wanted to see what my house looks like in the summer:
Here it is, parched grass and everything.
And to Nick and Tigger in Connecticut, who asked if I could send them each a free copy of Hollywood, Dead Ahead: Sorry guys, I can't. Reason #1: The book isn't out yet. It'll be released next spring. Reason #2: This is what libraries are for. Know what I mean?
But I'll send you a letter, okay?
-Kate
* * *
Here it is, parched grass and everything.
And to Nick and Tigger in Connecticut, who asked if I could send them each a free copy of Hollywood, Dead Ahead: Sorry guys, I can't. Reason #1: The book isn't out yet. It'll be released next spring. Reason #2: This is what libraries are for. Know what I mean?
But I'll send you a letter, okay?
-Kate
* * *
Are You a Messy Writer or a Neat Writer?
I'm obviously a messy writer.
I, Kate Klise, am a messy writer. I mean, seriously messy. But because writing is a messy process, we don't worry when our notes for a book look like this. When a book idea comes to you, grab the nearest piece of paper (I scribbled this on the bottom of a note from Renee' Stein, a school librarian) and make a circle. Then, just jot down a few notes of what you see happening in the book and where it might happen on the circle. I like a circle shape for a story because I usually like to bring my characters back to where they started--at the top of the circle. The characters will be different at the end because of the journey they've been on. But it's nice to bring them back to where they started so they can see how much they and others have changed. (It's the same reason we all go to high school reunions.)
Some writers make very extensive outlines. Other writers like to work without notes. I like just a circle with some messy notes, which I usually ignore once I get going. Do whatever works for you.
Madeleine L'Engle once said that inspiration doesn't happen before you write; it happens when you're writing. So just use whatever trick you need to get started--and then write! Right?
* * *
Some writers make very extensive outlines. Other writers like to work without notes. I like just a circle with some messy notes, which I usually ignore once I get going. Do whatever works for you.
Madeleine L'Engle once said that inspiration doesn't happen before you write; it happens when you're writing. So just use whatever trick you need to get started--and then write! Right?
* * *
Happy 4th!
Firework Tugboat
artist: Kaitlyn
age: 9 years
Another image from
Mill Valley Young
Artist Program,
taught by sister Sarah, June 2012.
(Don't miss the seals
in love - note the heart - in front of the boat. )
* * *
Firework Tugboat
artist: Kaitlyn
age: 9 years
Another image from
Mill Valley Young
Artist Program,
taught by sister Sarah, June 2012.
(Don't miss the seals
in love - note the heart - in front of the boat. )
* * *
Squeeze, Squeeze, Squeeze
Cover illustration by M. Sarah Klise
It's here: our newest picture book!
Check it out at your nearest library or bookstore. This is the one to read with your grandmother.
It's the story of a secret handshake Grammy Lamby teaches to her grandlamb Larry. We based it on a handshake our grandmother taught us.
See what you think! Maybe after reading this book, you'll want to give someone the squeeze-squeeze-squeeze handshake.
* * *
Check it out at your nearest library or bookstore. This is the one to read with your grandmother.
It's the story of a secret handshake Grammy Lamby teaches to her grandlamb Larry. We based it on a handshake our grandmother taught us.
See what you think! Maybe after reading this book, you'll want to give someone the squeeze-squeeze-squeeze handshake.
* * *
Camp Season!
Kate and I both teach somewhere in between and often while working on multiple book projects.
I, Sarah, just finished a week with young artists in Mill Valley, California.
I had a blast and I am very sure the kids did too. And, just look at this beautiful painting!
More photos to follow, promise.
* * *
How Do You Come Up With Those Funny Names?
Thanks to Barb and Pete Sturner for this.
Kids ask this all this time. And the truth is, there are lots of ways to think up funny (and punny) names like Seymour Hope and Weston Peece. Usually I think of an idea and then consult my handy Roget's Thesaurus (4th edition), a reference book I've relied on since 1981. Other times I hear names when I'm traveling or meet people with interesting names, like Boris, and then tack on a funny last name, like Toodeth. (Boris Toodeth. Get it?) But I must admit, my all-time favorite way to come up with funny names is when a friend simply hands me one on a napkin, like Barb Sturner did last summer. She told me her husband, Pete, had a good name for me to use in an upcoming book: Myra Mains. I LOVED it, but changed it slighlty to Myra Manes. You'll meet Myra in Hollywood, Dead Ahead, the fifth book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Myra Manes is the personal assistant to Hollywood's most successful movie producer, Moe Block Busters. Myra is known for her long, beautiful mane of Hollywood hair--and maybe something more. Look for her and the book in May 2013.
* * *
* * *
First, Find an Old Typewriter
Art by Nina Bentley
Then, gather up all your old cameos and glue them on the keys. That's what Nina Bentley did. Isn't this pretty? I'm guessing Olive C. Spence has a model like this in her dressing room.
I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Bentley recently and see her work exhibited at the public library in Fairfield, Connecticut. You can read more about her here.
* * *
I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Bentley recently and see her work exhibited at the public library in Fairfield, Connecticut. You can read more about her here.
* * *
Sure, Rules Are Made To Be Broken
But only after you learn them. Here are some rules from Pixar on how to tell a good story. I'm going to keep these in mind as I work on new books this summer.
- You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
- You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.
- Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about until you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.
- Once upon a time there was . . . . Every day . . . . One day . . . . Because of that . . . . Because of that . . . . Until finally . . . .
- Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
- What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
- Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
- Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
- When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
- Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.
- Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.
- Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
- Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.
- Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.
- If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
- What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.
- No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on - it’ll come back around to be useful later.
- You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
- Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
- Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How do you rearrange them into what you DO like?
- You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?
- What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.
-The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar
* * *
Now THAT's a Lit Fest!
The residents of Spence Mansion
Anyone planning an author visit should talk to my new BFFs at Mary R. Fisher School in North Grosvenordale, CT. Those folks really know how to put on a lit fest! Principal Noveline Beltram partnered with Principal Joan Gardner at nearby Killingly Central School to cohost my visit. The kids read my books, prepared posters (I love the one pictured here), made tombstones, and wrote funny (and punny) obituaries. They even had a creepy song to sing that nearly scared the pants off me. During my visit, I shared my tips and tricks for writing books. We talked about favorite books, ate pizza, learned the fascinating history of Mary R. Fisher. And then in the afternoon, thirty students who had submitted winning essays about why wanted to attend a writing workshop with me did just that. They spent an hour working on books that I hope (kids, are you listening?) they'll continue writing this summer. Why wouldn't they? The books they started are 100% fantabulous. I can't wait to see how they turn out!
* * *
* * *
Make My Day
This is the kind of thing that makes my day. A handwritten, hand-delivered letter from a girl at Squadron Line Elementary School in Simsbury, Connecticut, who says in her letter: "I was never a big reader until I read Dying to Meet You. After that I couldn't put your books down! I read Over My Dead Body and Till Death Do Us Bark. I went nuts to find The Phantom of the Post Office. I just finished it last Wednesday. Now I can't wait for Hollywood, Dead Ahead. Till death I will read your books!"
And till death I will *love* writing books for wonderful readers like this. Thank you, Lily, for your lovely letter. You really made my day!
Sincerely,
Kate
* * *
And till death I will *love* writing books for wonderful readers like this. Thank you, Lily, for your lovely letter. You really made my day!
Sincerely,
Kate
* * *
We Love a Good Bookmark
Nothing beats a homemade bookmark--unless it's a BUNCH of homemade bookmarks like the ones we received from the talented bookmark makers at Pleasant Ridge Elementary School in Glenview, Illinois.
The great thing about bookmarks is that everyone loves them: authors, illustrators, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, teachers, librarians. Everyone!
So while we always encourage kids to write and illustrate books to give as gifts, if ever you're in a time crunch and don't have time to make a book, make a collection of bookmarks instead. They're lovely to look at and ever so handy for those of us who still like to read old-fashioned books.
* * *
The great thing about bookmarks is that everyone loves them: authors, illustrators, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, teachers, librarians. Everyone!
So while we always encourage kids to write and illustrate books to give as gifts, if ever you're in a time crunch and don't have time to make a book, make a collection of bookmarks instead. They're lovely to look at and ever so handy for those of us who still like to read old-fashioned books.
* * *
Go, Grammy!
Cover art by M. Sarah Klise
Thanks to Publishers Weekly for this nice review of Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake:
The Klise sisters (Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth) have once again hit the nail on the head: some relatives—okay, old relatives—fill kids with dread. Take Larry Lamb’s Grammy Lamby: she’s loud, boring, and clueless, sewing pink polka-dot pajamas for Larry, bellowing about “fabulous” adventures that just the two of them can take, and embarrassing him with her triple squeeze secret handshake. “He even said in his head, ‘Please (squeeze). Go (squeeze). Away (squeeze).’ ” Worst of all, Larry feels completely alone in his misery (his dislike of Grammy Lamby is his “big secret”). M. Sarah Klise’s assertively girly rendering style makes a terrific visual foil for the beleaguered hero’s humiliation and horror. When a big storm hits, Larry discovers that Grammy Lamby is actually a can-do dynamo, capable of rebuilding Larry’s damaged home and spearheading cleanup efforts for the entire valley. Most embarrassing relatives don’t get the opportunity to reveal another side of themselves as Grammy Lamby does, but this empathetic story may persuade readers that there’s a real human being behind that unfortunate gift or too-tight hug. Ages 4–8. (July)
* * *
The Klise sisters (Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth) have once again hit the nail on the head: some relatives—okay, old relatives—fill kids with dread. Take Larry Lamb’s Grammy Lamby: she’s loud, boring, and clueless, sewing pink polka-dot pajamas for Larry, bellowing about “fabulous” adventures that just the two of them can take, and embarrassing him with her triple squeeze secret handshake. “He even said in his head, ‘Please (squeeze). Go (squeeze). Away (squeeze).’ ” Worst of all, Larry feels completely alone in his misery (his dislike of Grammy Lamby is his “big secret”). M. Sarah Klise’s assertively girly rendering style makes a terrific visual foil for the beleaguered hero’s humiliation and horror. When a big storm hits, Larry discovers that Grammy Lamby is actually a can-do dynamo, capable of rebuilding Larry’s damaged home and spearheading cleanup efforts for the entire valley. Most embarrassing relatives don’t get the opportunity to reveal another side of themselves as Grammy Lamby does, but this empathetic story may persuade readers that there’s a real human being behind that unfortunate gift or too-tight hug. Ages 4–8. (July)
* * *
When Life Gives You Cupolas
Kate, Aimee, and Fernando in 2006
Six years ago I had the privilege of visiting King's Highway Elementary School in Westport, CT. It's the only school I've ever visited that has a cupola on top!
After school that day, I told the librarian, Aimee Shuhart, that we had to sneak up to the cupola.
"I don't think that's allowed," she said.
"But aren't you dying to see it?" I asked.
She confessed she was.
So, with the help of Fernando, the custodian, we made a pilgrimage to the cupola. It was a bit scary because the ladder was rickety and covered with pigeon droppings.
After school that day, I told the librarian, Aimee Shuhart, that we had to sneak up to the cupola.
"I don't think that's allowed," she said.
"But aren't you dying to see it?" I asked.
She confessed she was.
So, with the help of Fernando, the custodian, we made a pilgrimage to the cupola. It was a bit scary because the ladder was rickety and covered with pigeon droppings.
Kate with disheveled hair and Aimee looking cute + nervous
We almost turned back. And then Aimee and I looked at each other and said
solemnly: "If we don't do this, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives."
So we did it. And guess what I wrote the summer of 2006?
solemnly: "If we don't do this, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives."
So we did it. And guess what I wrote the summer of 2006?
A book about a ghost named Olive C. Spence who lives in a cupola. See what I mean when I say when life gives you cupolas?
Thanks to my friends at King's Highway for having such a cool and inspirational school! And thanks to Aimee for joining me on this mission to the cupola.
P.S. I revisited King's Highway Elementary last week and several other schools in Westport and was once again WOWED by the enthusiastic readers and writers.
Keep up the great work, guys. Olive would be PROUD of you. I know I am.
* * *
Here's a Fun Idea for Those of You Who Like to Write Books
Scribblitt allows you to write and illustrate your own books. Fun idea, isn't it? I did a Q & A with Scribblitt about my writing process. Feel free to borrow my writing secrets: http://www.scribblitt.com/celebrity/
* * *
I.M. Laffin
I am still laughing over some of the gravestones I saw last week at Branson Elementary West. Don't you love this guy, I. M. Greedy? When he lived, he was billionaire. In death he simply says, "Get off my grave!"
What a fun project! What a fun school!
* * *
I (Heart) Connecticut Readers
And I love getting hand-delivered letters and postcards from kids who use my face as a stamp!
Thanks to all you Nutmeg readers in Simsbury and Westport.
I can't wait to read *your* books!
* * *
Ella Makes the List
Thanks to the Alabama librarians who picked Stand Straight, Ella Kate for their Camellia Award list for 2012-2013.
We hope Alabama readers in grades 2 and 3 like the story of Ella Kate Ewing, a remarkable gal who grew and grew and grew until she stood 8'4" in her size 24 shoes. (Yes, really!) What we love about Ella is that she was able to maintain a sense of grace and dignity even when people made fun of her. No wonder people in northern Missouri called her the Gentle Giant.
* * *
Pub Date!
It's May 1st, the publication date of my first book for adults, In the Bag.
Let the blog tour begin!
* * *
Regarding the Fountain (and the Grocery Store)
David poses with a fountain inspired by Regarding the Fountain
How I love creative kids who have cool ideas for ways to upgrade their drinking fountains. Here's my new friend David with his idea for a new drinking fountain for State Road Elementary School in Webster, NY. I also visited some great readers at Laurelton-Pardee Elementary School who WOWED me with their writing. I even squeezed in a quick trip to Wegmans after hearing so much about this beloved grocery store chain. (I'm told Cher insisted on seeing Wegmans when she was in town.) I've gotta say, it's pretty darn cool--but not as cool as the young readers and writers who live in and around Rochester, NY.
* * *
* * *
Straight from the Headlines
WASHINGTON • Rural post offices on the chopping block would get a reprieve for another year if Congress continues its rare display of compromise in overhauling Postal Service operations.
How weird. This is one of the subplots in The Phantom of the Post Office. I wonder how I can get a copy of our new book to the real U.S postmaster general. Hmmm. Maybe I should write him a letter.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/rural-post-offices-may-get-reprieve/article_20a24820-3856-5da2-8809-d564539e03b7.html#ixzz1t3qofwC8
* * *
How weird. This is one of the subplots in The Phantom of the Post Office. I wonder how I can get a copy of our new book to the real U.S postmaster general. Hmmm. Maybe I should write him a letter.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/rural-post-offices-may-get-reprieve/article_20a24820-3856-5da2-8809-d564539e03b7.html#ixzz1t3qofwC8
* * *
It's Here . . . The Phantom of the Post Office!
The fourth book in the frighteningly fantabulous 43 Old Cemetery Road series has landed . . . and dare we say, it looks pretty darn good. See what you think.
Can you spot the phantom's mask on the right side of the couch? How about Olive's opera glasses on the left?
There are a lot of twists and turns and old-fashioned PHUN in this book, which is about good friends and bad ideas. Oh, you'll also meet a girl who's addicted to her cell phone and other digital devices. Her name is Wynonna Fye, but she goes by (you guesssed it) Wy Fye.
* * *
My Favorite Birthday Card
Drawing by Paul Zelinsky
Kate here, just thinking that it's almost my birthday--again.
No need to send cards or gifts or flowers. Or ponies. But I did want to show you one of my all-time favorite birthday cards. A few years ago, I was presenting at a literary festival with Paul Zelinsky, the fabulous Caldecott Award-winning illustrator. The festival took place in Chelsea, Michigan, home of Jiffy Mix. I grew up on Jiffy corn muffins, so I was shocked to hear that Paul was unfamiliar with the stuff. I tried to explain to Paul over breakfast one morning at the B&B where we were staying just how prevalent Jiffy mixes and muffins and cornbread were on the tables of middle-class kids who grew up in middle America in the '60s and '70s. The next morning, my birthday, I found this card at my place at the breakfast table. See the Jiffy muffin in the back? I love it almost as much as I love Paul Zelinsky and his books. Check out Swamp Angel and Rapunzel.
* * *
Are you Phully Prepared phor the Phantom?
"The end is near. Beware!" So begins The Phantom of the Post Office, book 4 in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Are you ready for it? Are you phully prepared for all the phantom phun and phoolishness? The book will be released the first week of May.
(Consider yourself warned.)
* * *
Scores of Spores
I had to laugh when I saw this mushroom today while hiking. Pretty sure it's a fake morel, which means it's poisonous. Nothing funny there, but it made me think of the fictional Ozark Mountain Mushroom, which was the toxic 'shroom Dolly and Dwayne Harmony used to create the deadly mushroom stroganoff in Letters from Camp. If you like silly mysteries, check it out--and beware of deadly spores and creepy summer camps!
* * *
* * *
Orange You Glad . . .
Aren't you glad you can write a happy postcard
anywhere,
anytime,
with anything . . .
even orange peels?
* * *
How to Be a Great and Wonderfully Subversive Kid
Oh, it's so easy and fun. You just have to arm yourself with all the facts. Then, get on the agenda at the next school board meeting when the adults are trying to decide whether or not to keep a full-time librarian at your school. Take a deep breath, stand up straight, and tell the grownups this lovely little fact: the one school staff position that drives up reading skills in students of *all* ages is (pause dramatically here for effect) the full-time school librarian. Flesh out your speech with facts from this story: http://www.care2.com/causes/want-better-reading-scores-hire-a-full-time-librarian.html#ixzz1p63IsZzu) Then, tell a personal story about a favorite book your librarian introduced you to. Talk about how the book made you laugh or cry or got you through a difficult time. Sometimes--more often than you'd think, in fact--it takes a smart kid to convince adults to do the right thing. Next assignment: Write an essay to persuade grownups to give kids (age 10 and up) the right to vote. Why not? It's your future, too, y'know.
* * *
Oh, it's so easy and fun. You just have to arm yourself with all the facts. Then, get on the agenda at the next school board meeting when the adults are trying to decide whether or not to keep a full-time librarian at your school. Take a deep breath, stand up straight, and tell the grownups this lovely little fact: the one school staff position that drives up reading skills in students of *all* ages is (pause dramatically here for effect) the full-time school librarian. Flesh out your speech with facts from this story: http://www.care2.com/causes/want-better-reading-scores-hire-a-full-time-librarian.html#ixzz1p63IsZzu) Then, tell a personal story about a favorite book your librarian introduced you to. Talk about how the book made you laugh or cry or got you through a difficult time. Sometimes--more often than you'd think, in fact--it takes a smart kid to convince adults to do the right thing. Next assignment: Write an essay to persuade grownups to give kids (age 10 and up) the right to vote. Why not? It's your future, too, y'know.
* * *
Smile, Abe!
I'm not sure why Mr. Lincoln looks so glum here. He's in the hallway of one of the most FUN schools in America: Angelo L. Tomaso School in Warren, New Jersey. I had the privilege of visiting this school yesterday and was absolutely wowed by the talented young readers, writers, and artists. (Can you see the rabbits surrounding Abe?) I also loved the librarian, Mrs. Jackson. And would you believe the PTO bought a book for every student in the school? That should make Abe smile!
* * *
* * *
FROM THE RANDOM MEMORANDUM DEPARTMENT
To: Teachers and Librarians
Fr: Kate and Sarah Klise
Re: Educator Guides
Date: March 3, 2012
There's a fun new discussion guide available for the 43 Old Cemetery Road series.
Click here to download it. Lots of good ideas for individual and class projects, as well as topics for discussion. Hope you like it!
* * *
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
The nicest girl from Pequenakonck School in North Salem, New York, gave me this cookie today. Can you tell what it is? (Clue: Think cat + hat.) She said she and her mom made this edible tribute to Dr. Seuss by starting with an Oreo base and adding marshmallows and red sugar sprinkles. Sweet, no?
* * *
What We Try to Remember When Making a Book
Gertrude Stein by Pablo Picasso
"Why should a sequence of words
be anything but a pleasure?"
-Gertrude Stein
* * *
La Maman la Plus Mechante du Monde
Apparently that's how our French publisher is translating Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother
on Earth.
It seems Little Rabbit was lost in translation.
No matter. This is a fun one. We can't wait to see how it plays with French mommies. Keep in mind the title is a wee misleading in both French and English. Why? Because this book is really a love story.
(Most books are, you know.)
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Sweet Inspiration!
Kate and I are big fans of Valentine's Day. In fact, our entire family is - from aunts and uncles and cousins and nieces and nephews to brothers and sisters. We all make and send them to each other, and have been doing this for many years.
I taught this image to one my Chinatown classes this weekend, *Valentine Girl.* This is Sabrina's artwork (age 7). Does she inspire YOU to get making YOUR valentines? I hope so!
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Let There Be Round, Pink Sunglasses
Kate thinks pink
Here we are, working on the fifth book in the 43 Old Cemetery series, Hollywood Dead Ahead. One of the main characters is an old movie star named Ivana D. Oscar who's coming out of retirement to star in the movie based on Olive, Iggy, and Seymour's book.
While working on the sketches, Sarah decided that Ivana needed a signature style (don't we all?) to set her apart from the other characters in the book.
Sarah sees a rosy future
Sarah's bright idea? Round glasses.
(Instant style, right?)
So how could we resist trying on these fabulous shades today in Humble, Texas?
Thanks to librarian Janet Self for lending us her spectacular specs.
We just wish we could include a pair of round, pink sunglasses in every copy of this new book.
Wouldn't that be cool?
Note to boys: Please don't think round glasses are just for girls. Check out Italian men's fashion magazines. Round eyeglasses look great on boys and men, too.
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I'm a Fan of Ima Hogg
Here's Kate with pal Alan Taylor
I always love meeting young readers in Texas. But how is it possible these kids have never heard of Ima Hogg? She was known as the First Lady of Texas. (Yes, really. I'm not kidding!)
Ima was the daughter of Sarah Ann Stinson and James Stephen "Big Jim" Hogg, who later became governor of Texas. Ima's first name was taken from a poem written by her uncle, Thomas Hogg. Some people say her dad thought it would be funny to name a girl Ima Hogg. Other people claim her parents didn't realize the unfortunate declarative sentence they were creating with the name Ima Hogg.
In any case, Ima tried to downplay her unusual name by signing her first name illegibly. She also had stationery printed with "I. Hogg" or "Miss Hogg" across the top. (Can you blame her?)
Did she hate her name? At times, probably. But it didn't hold Ima back one iota. After oil was discovered on her family's property, she became very rich and gave a lot of money to arts organizations in Texas. She believed everyone should have access to education and the arts, regardless of gender or race.
Ima Hogg was pretty as a picture
Ima amassed quite an art collection for herself, too. She owned works by Matisse, Picasso, and Klee. She also helped to found the Houston Symphony.
Ima Hogg's name is a perennial favorite in worst baby name contests. But consider this: She was one of the most respected
women in Texas in the 20th century. While she never married (she reportedly turned down 30 marriage proposals!) or had children, Ima Hogg left a lasting legacy through her generosity. As Texas Governor Allan Shivers once said: "Some persons create history. Some record it. Others restore and conserve it. She has done all three."
Back to my young friends in Texas: If you guys don't write a book about Ima Hogg, Ima Gonnadewit!
Ima Hogg's name is a perennial favorite in worst baby name contests. But consider this: She was one of the most respected
women in Texas in the 20th century. While she never married (she reportedly turned down 30 marriage proposals!) or had children, Ima Hogg left a lasting legacy through her generosity. As Texas Governor Allan Shivers once said: "Some persons create history. Some record it. Others restore and conserve it. She has done all three."
Back to my young friends in Texas: If you guys don't write a book about Ima Hogg, Ima Gonnadewit!
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One of the FUN Things . . .
Click on image for list of prepositions
about writing books for young readers is visiting schools and seeing things like this on the back of a teacher's door. Can you read it? (Sorry it's so fuzzy.) It's a list of prepositions in alphabetical order! Sarah and I had to memorize the exact same list when we were kids. We can still recite them now: about, above, across, according to, after, against, along, amid, around, at, before, behind, etc. etc.
I admit when I was young, I found the task of memorizing this list borrrrrrring. But I'm glad my teacher made me do it. It's really helpful and weirdly fun to know stuff like this. Understanding the parts of speech and rules of grammar will help you to become a stronger and more confident writer. Plus, learning how to memorize things will help when you're learning a new language or studying famous court cases in law school or creepy diseases in med school.
So if you can't fall asleep some night, try memorizing the prepositions. Your English teacher will be so impressed with you!
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I admit when I was young, I found the task of memorizing this list borrrrrrring. But I'm glad my teacher made me do it. It's really helpful and weirdly fun to know stuff like this. Understanding the parts of speech and rules of grammar will help you to become a stronger and more confident writer. Plus, learning how to memorize things will help when you're learning a new language or studying famous court cases in law school or creepy diseases in med school.
So if you can't fall asleep some night, try memorizing the prepositions. Your English teacher will be so impressed with you!
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Want a cool poster from 43 Old Cemetery Road? Click on the cover image below to download.
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Just in case you miss the old news and stray tidbits from our previous site,
we'll attach the file here. Click on Olive's portrait.
Note: It's a big file. You have time to make up a limerick while it loads.
Click on Olive for more fun!