Previous by DateNext by Date Date Index
Previous by ThreadNext by Thread Thread Index
LM_NET Archive



In case you missed the Georgia Children's Literature Conference in Athens, GA 
this past Friday & Saturday, the winning books were:

For the Ga. Children's Picture Book Award division (K-3):  MY LUCKY DAY
For the Ga. Children's Book Award division (4th-8th):  RUNT

As an FYI, Linda Bailey (author) and Bill Slavin (illustrator) of the winning 
picture book last year ("Stanley's Party") talked and there is a sequel out 
about Stanley called "Stanley's Wild Ride."  I went to the UGA bookstore to get 
a copy of it and they had completely sold out the first day.  Karen Hesse was 
the most hilarious and Emily Arnold McCully was very interesting too....as 
was the other author/illustrator speakers of Jacqueline Woodson, Jim Murphy, and 
Linda and Bill.  I took a copy of all the books I had at school by each 
author to get autographed (except Jim Murphy whose books I somehow forgot to find 
and bring).  Did you know that Emily Arnold McCully had also illustrated "How 
to eat fried worms?"  She couldn't believe I brought it and shared that the 
story had been rejected 20 times by the publishers because they felt it was too 
gross!

Jerry Spinelli, whose book "Loser," won the Book Award category in 2005, was 
unable to attend, but he did send a letter that is posted on the Conference 
website at:
http://www.coe.uga.edu/gcba/conference/currentyear.html

Some other items that may be of interest:

From Linda Bailey & Bill Slavin on "Stanley's Party:"  Linda and Bill had 
and/or have worked on another series together called "The Good Times Travel 
Agency."  Linda's dog, Sophie, was used as an inspiration for Stanley.  Changed 
Sophie to a "boy" dog because Sophie was "too pretty."  Sophie was a Golden Lab 
and with only a description for Linda's text of Stanley having a "heavy body," 
Bill created Stanley as a Golden Retriever.  Bill like Golden Labs and 
Retrievers as a child and he based Stanley loosely on dogs (a Golden Retriever and 
a 
Golden Lab) owned by friends and on his cat, Chester.  He didn't show adults 
in story (keeping in mind how adults in Charlie Brown are not seen) so he just 
shows legs of adults...from a dogs-eye view.  Slavin has illustrated over 60 
books.

Karen Hesse's primary focus during her session was on her recent book about 
Hans Christian Anderson.  While she said she had little technological skills, 
she did extremely well with her PowerPoint presentation...even utilizing 
humorous pullouts with pictures of HCA as she did her speech.    She described 
various ways she did her research and how she picked the Danish illustrator of her 
HCA book.  She also went into depth about the editing process involved in the 
work too.

Jacqueline Woodson was born in Ohio and moved to South Carolina as a child 
where she spent seven years of her life before moving to New York.  Very 
interesting speaker with numerous projects and accomplishments.

Jim Murphy is in his 37th year of writing books.  In 1970 he was a 
secretarial assistant to an assistant secretary at Seabury Press (now Clarion 
Books).  
Left at the age of 30 to write novels.  1st book he wrote (not the fictional 
novel he had anticipated) was "Weird and Wacky Inventions."  Instead of a novel, 
he began his writing career with non-fiction books.  He collects postcards 
and has several thousand.  This gave him the idea to use Robert Louis Stevenson 
as the character in one of his books going across the U.S. on an immigrant 
train.  Currently working on an Irish ghost story that is supposed to be out in 
the fall called "Night Demon" and a historical novel called "Desperate Journey" 
about a girl and life on the Erie Canal.  He is also finishing a non-fiction 
book on Benedict Arnold.

Emily Arnold McCully, author and illustrator, started out first job in 
advertising and was discovered from a poster she had designed that was in a subway. 
 
She got the idea for "Picnic With Mice" after seeing an old truck she admired 
and sketching it.  The then thought of a mouse and what would happen if the 
mouse family was driving down the road and one of the kids fell out.  She was 
born in Illinois.  Show talent at an early age and was asked to various artwork 
in the school.  Was burned out on art by college and studied writing and 
theatre.  Married a historian and spent some time in Europe.  Went back to school 
and got a degree in iconography(?)...art history.  A new book to be coming out 
about a slave girl of Martha Washington called Onie.  May be out next spring.

Tony Pope
Library Media Specialist
McHenry Primary School
100 McHenry Dr.
Rome, GA  30161
(706) 236-1833
pope1966@aol.com
tpope@floydboe.net

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
  You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
  by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET  2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL  4) SET LM_NET DIGEST  * Allow for confirmation.
 * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
 * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
 * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
 * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------

LM_NET Mailing List Home