Announcements

UTAH CHILDREN'S WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Announcement List--November 5, 2003

This month's author interview is with Becky Hall.


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CONGRATULATIONS

to Shannon Hale, whose book THE GOOSE GIRL has been selected for the New York Public Library's annual list of 100 Books for Reading and Sharing 2003, was picked up by Scholastic for their school book club in Fall 2004, and has gone back for a third printing.

to Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson, whose National Parks mysteries have received the following honors: THE HUNTED is a Wyoming Indian Paintbrush nominee. OVER THE EDGE is an Arizona Young Readers award nominee. VALLEY OF DEATH is on the 2004-2005 Indiana Young Hoosier award list. CLIFF-HANGER won this year's Indiana Young Hoosier award. Gloria and Alane will receive their award on November 6th at the Indiana Library Federation awards banquet.

to Chris Crowe, whose book MISSISSIPPI TRIAL, 1955 is a finalist for the Kansas Heartland Award and the Nebraska Golden Sower Award.

to Sherry Meidell, who has had an illustration accepted to be published on the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Illustration West 42 Web Site.


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COMING SOON

December, 2003
from Chris Crowe, the paperback edition of MISSISSIPPI TRIAL, 1955.

March, 2004
from Sharlee Glenn, KEEPING UP WITH ROO, a picture book, from Putnam.
from Mark and Cara Buehner, SUPERDOG: THE HEART OF A HERO, a picture book, from HarperCollins.
from Randall Wright, HUNCHBACK, a YA novel, from Henry Holt.

April, 2004
from Kimberley Heuston, the paperback edition of THE SHAKERESS.
from Dana Kessimakis Smith, A WILD COWBOY, a picture book, from Hyperion.

Spring, 2004
from Gloria Skurzynski, ARE WE ALONE? SCIENTISTS SEARCH FOR LIFE IN THE MILKY WAY, National Geographic Books.
from Gloria Skurzynski, VIRTUAL WAR, paperback edition.
from Rick Walton, MINI-MYSTERIES, American Girl.

Summer, 2004
from Rick Walton, A VERY HAIRY SCARY STORY, a picture book, from Putnam.

August, 2004
from Shannon Hale, ENNA BURNING, a YA, from Bloomsbury.

Fall, 2004
from Rick Walton, SUDDENLY, ALLIGATOR, a picture book, from Gibbs Smith.
from Rick Walton, BUNNY CHRISTMAS, a picture book, from HarperCollins.
from Rick Walton, MRS. MCMURPHY'S PUMPKIN, a picture book, from HarperCollins.

Fall, 2005
from Sharlee Glenn, JUST WHAT MAMA NEEDS, a picture book, from Putnam.

2006
from Dana Kessimakis Smith, MY DADDY'S A GRIZZLY BEAR, a picture book from Hyperion Books for Children.


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APPEARANCES AND EVENTS

November 5, 2003--Chris Crowe will be giving the keynote address at the Virginia Library Association where he'll receive the Jefferson Cup Award for his book MISSISSIPPI TRIAL, 1955.

November 6, 2003--Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson will receive the Indiana Young Hoosier award for their book CLIFF-HANGER at the Indiana Library Federation awards banquet.

November 8, 2003--Becky Hall will be reading and signing her book A IS FOR ARCHES at the Logan Borders.

November 8, 2003--Rick Walton will be speaking at Soldier Hollow Charter School's community literacy program in Heber City at 1:00 pm.

November 10, 2003--The Children's Literature Review Group will have its annual Christmas Booktalk at 4 p.m. in the BYU HBLL Auditorium (Lvl 1).

November 15, 2003--Ron Woods, Shannon Hale, Chris Crowe, Kimberley Heuston and Becky Hall will be speaking at the Utah Council of the International Reading Association.

November 19, 2003--Ron Woods will be speaking at Nyssa Middle School in Nyssa, Oregon.

November 20, 2003--Ron Woods will be speaking at Adrian Secondary School in Adrian, Oregon.

November 21, 2003--Chris Crowe will be signing at the Penguin booth in the publishers' exhibits at the NCTE convention in San Francisco, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm.

November 21, 2003--The Pleasant Grove Library Book Festival will feature signings by several authors and illustrators, from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.

November 25, 2003--Chris Crowe will be speaking in two sessions of the ALAN Workshop of the NCTE annual convention in San Francisco. One session will be about his nonfiction book, GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE. The second session will be about YA sports literature.

December 4, 2003--The Children's Literature Review Group will have its annual Christmas Book Bash at 4 p.m. in the BYU HBLL Farnsworth Juvenile Literature Library Review Room (Lvl 4 southwest corner.) For more information contact Gabi Kupitz, BYU HBLL 6746, (801) 422-6735, gabriele_kupitz@byu.edu.

December 5, 2003--Rick Walton will be speaking at the Utah Head Start Conference in the Salt Palace.

January 2-29, 2004--Sherry Meidell's illustrations and watercolors will be exhibited at the Gallery at the Station, Ogden Union Station, 2501 Wall Avenue, Ogden.

January 12, 2004--Rick Walton will be doing a riddle workshop at the Sandy Library, 10100 S. Petunia Way (1405 E.), Sandy, at 4:30 pm.

January 15, 2004--Toni Brown, Chris Crowe, Cheri Earl, and Carol Lynch Williams will be speaking at the BYU HBLL Auditorium, at noon. 

January 22, 2004--Rick Walton will be doing a riddle workshop at the Columbus Library, 2530 South 500 East, Salt Lake, at 4:15 pm. 

February 2-3, 2004--Rick Walton will be visiting Taylor Elementary School, in Centerville, Utah.

February 5, 2004--Rick Walton will be doing a riddle writing workshop at the Holladay Library, 2150 East Murray-Holladay Rd. (4730 S.), SLC, at 4:00 pm.

February 12, 2004--Sherry Meidell will be speaking at the BYU HBLL Auditorium, at noon. 

February 21, 2004--Rick Walton will be doing a riddle writing workshop at the West Jordan library, 1970 West 7800 South, West Jordan, at 2:00 pm.

February 25, 2004--Rick Walton will be speaking to the Utah Valley Chapter of the League of Utah Writers, 7:00 pm, Provo Library.

March 1, 2004--Rick Walton will be visiting at Polk Elementary in Ogden.

March 18-19, 2004--UVSC/SCBWI Forum on Children and Literature. Main speakers will include Newbery award winner Richard Peck, and award winning author/illustrator Debra Frasier. Mark you calendars. For more information as it becomes available, go to www.uvsc.edu/conted/c&w.

March 25, 2004--Rick Walton will be visiting Eaglecrest Elementary in Lehi.

April 2, 2004--Rick Walton will be doing a riddle writing workshop at the Draper library, 4:00 pm.

June 28-July 2, 2004--Writing for Young Readers workshop, BYU.



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UTAH AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR WEBSITES

Utah Children's Writers and Illustrators -- www.ucwi.org

Ken Baker -- www.bravemonster.com
Ann Edwards Cannon -- www.aecannon.com
Chris Crowe -- www.chriscrowe.com
Alane Ferguson -- www.alaneferguson.com
Guy Francis -- www.guyfrancis.com
Sharlee Glenn -- www.sharleeglenn.com
Shannon Hale -- www.shannonhale.com
Mette Ivie Harrison -- www.metteivieharrison.com
Sherry Meidell -- www.sherrymeidell.com
Julie Olson -- www.jujubeeillustrations.com
Gloria Skurzynski -- http://gloriabooks.com
Will Terry -- www.willterry.com
Rick Walton -- www.rickwalton.com
Kevin Wasden -- www.kevinwasden.com
Carol Lynch Williams -- www.carollynchwilliams.com
Randall Wright -- www.booksbywright.com

UTAH WRITER AND LITERATURE ORGANIZATIONS WEBSITES
BYU Children's Book Review -- http://cbpr.lib.byu.edu
League of Utah Writers -- www.luwrite.com
UCTE/LA -- http://community.weber.edu/uctela
UT Council/International Reading Assoc. -- www.utahreading.org
Utah Children's Writers and Illustrators -- www.ucwi.org

If you have a Utah organization related to children's literature,
please send it to us and we'll add it to the list.
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AUTHOR INTERVIEW--BECKY HALL


1--Why did you decide to become a writer?

I was walking on the beach in the Bahamas and made the decision. I had been writing stories and not finishing them for years. Finally while my 2 kids, my husband and I were on a year's leave from Salt Lake City. I spent more time working on my writing. I gained enough confidence to decide to work 1/2 time and see if I could get something published.


2--Who is your favorite character that you have written? 

I have written about a cat named Homer. He has special gifts and helps his owner who has problems learning how to read.


3--If you could change one thing about being a writer, what would it be?

I wish I could write first drafts happily. They are a torture for me because they always seems SO bad. I wish I could learn to be patient with myself, knowng that all first drafts improve. 

4--Do you remember the very first piece of fiction you wrote? 

Yes, it was about a mouse who stayed behind in a beach house after the summer people left.


5--Who are your favorite authors?

I think that E. B. White was brilliant. I love how he never pandered to children. He really respected kids. I also love Susan Meddaugh who is clever and funny. She wrote the Martha books. Martha Calling, etc.


6--Do you have any specific goals as a writer?

Yes, I have published nonfiction and now I would like to break into the fiction market. Then someday I will finish the many middle grade novels I have started.

7--What was your favorite book as a child?

I read every single children's biography in my local library. There was also a series called The Twins. It told the story of twins (a boy and a girl) in different countries. I loved learning about kids around the world.


8--What are you working on now?

Now I am returning to an early chapter book and reworking it. I also will be writing a counting book on Utah.


9--Do you ever write about UT?

My first book is A is for Arches, a Utah alphabet. It is all about the state.


10--What is the hardest thing about being a writer?

When I get rejections, I have to work hard at getting the fighting spirit back. Sometimes I just don't feel like writing for a while afterwards.


11--What is the easiest thing about being a writer?

I really enjoy revisions. It feels good to fine tune a story and clean it up.


12--What good advice do you have for people who want to be writers?

They should read as much children's literature as they can. They should also spend time with kids. You need to know the crazy way kids think and react to the world. Picking a mentor text is a good idea too. I don't mean copying someone else's style, but if you have a writer who is a mentor for you, you begin to notice what makes their writing work. That includes typing out their text and really studying it. Then a writer has to find his own style and have lots of faith, grit and determination. Never give up.


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