Announcements

UTAH CHILDREN'S WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Announcement List--April 2, 2004

This month's author interview is with Kim Williams Justesen

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CONGRATULATIONS

to Chris Crowe, whose book GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE has been named to the New York Public Library's 2004 Books for the Teen Age List. It is also a nominee for the 2003 Teen Buckeye Book Award (Ohio) and the 2004 Rhode Island Teen Book Award.

to Chris Crowe, whose book MISSISSIPPI TRIAL, 1955 is on the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age for the second straight year.

to Shannon Hale, whose book GOOSE GIRL is a finalist for the Utah Children's Book Award.

to Kimberley Heuston, whose book DANTE'S DAUGHTER was named to the New York Public Library's 2004 Books for the Teen Age List. It's also a Children's Book Council notable book.

to Rick Walton, whose book BUNNIES ON THE GO is one of the Bank Street Best Children's Books of 2003, and whose upcoming book MRS. MCMURPHY'S PUMPKIN has been chosen as a Buyer's Pick for the July/August edition of Ingram's Children's Advance.


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NEW BOOKS

from Kimberley Heuston, the paperback edition of THE SHAKERESS.

from Dana Kessimakis Smith, A WILD COWBOY, a picture book, from Hyperion.


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COMING SOON


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

June, 2004
from Michael O. Tunnell, WISHING MOON, Dutton

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.

March, 2005
from Kimberley Heuston and Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA, Oxford University Press.

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.

fall 2006
from Anne Bowen, WHAT DO TEACHERS DO? a picture book, from Carolrhoda Books


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APPEARANCES AND EVENTS

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

April 2, 2004--Chris Crowe will be signing books at the Oxford Festival for the Book on the campus of the University of
Mississippi.

April 2, 2004--Ron Woods will be speaking at Suncrest Elementary in Orem.

April 6, 2004--Chris Crowe will be speaking at the Canyon View Jr. High Young Writers' Conference.

April 6, 2004--Rick Walton will be speaking to writers at the Santa Clara branch library in St. George, 6:30-7:45 pm.

April 7, 2004--Rick Walton will be visiting Three Falls Elementary in Hurricane.

April 7, 2004--Ken Baker will be visiting Minter Bridge Elementary in Hillsboro, Oregon

April 8, 2004--Chris Crowe will be speaking at the "Springville Reads" kickoff meeting.

April 9, 2004--Ken Baker will be visiting David Hill Elementary in Hillsboro, Oregon

April 10, 2004--Rick Walton, Carol Williams, Chris Crowe, and Kim Justesen will be presenting for the Nebo School District.

April 16, 2004--Shannon Hale will be signing at Sam Weller's Books at 6:30 pm.

April 17, 2004--Carol Lynch Williams and Laurel Brady will join a dozen other authors at an Author Extravaganza at the Springville Public Library. More information at
www.annebradshaw.com/lds_news.html

April 28, 2004--Chris Crowe will be speaking at Rowland-Hall St. Marks School.

April 29, 2004--Gloria Skurzynski will be speaking at schools in Lansing, Michigan.

April 30, 2004--Gloria Skurzynski will be the keynote speaker at the Michigan Library Association conference in Lansing, Michigan.

May 5, 2004--Chris Crowe will be signing books at the Penguin booth at the International Reading Association's annual convention in Reno.

May 6, 2004--Chris Crowe will be presenting at the IRA convention, from 9:00 to 11:45 am.

May 5-7, 2004--The 2004 Annual Conference of the Utah Library Association will be held in the Ogden Eccles Conference Center. As in years past ULA offers a wide variety of sessions that may be of interest to School Library Media Specialists and Children's Librarians. Topics include the following:
- How to Run a Mock Caldecott.
- Special Services Populations: Children With Special Needs.
- Works Hop Off the Page: An Introduction to Performance Poetry.
- RX * Literature: Books to Help Young Children Cope in Today'sWorld.
- Current Trends in Children's Publishing.
- Teen Program Poster Extravaganza.
- Public Pioneer: Making a Name in Utah.
- Secrets of the Pioneer Databases
- 2004 - 2005 Nominees for the Beehive Children's Book Awards

Pre-registration has begun and ends April 2. For more information go to www.ula.org/conference/2004conf/annconf2004.htm.

May 8, 2004--Carol Williams and Kim Justesen will be presenting "The Insider's Guide to Writing for Kids" in Boise.

May 12, 2004--Becky Hall will be giving a teacher presentation and signing books at Barnes at Noble in West Jordan (7157 Plaza Center Drive--801-282-1324) at 7:00 pm.

May 21, 2004--SLCC Children's Book Festival. Several Utah authors and illustrators will be presenting, including Shannon Hale, Laurel Brady, Ken Baker, and Sherry Meidell. SLCC South Campus, 1575 S. State, SLC, 9am-1pm. E-mail Pamela.Burggraf@slcc.edu for more information

June 21-24, 2004--Writing and Illustrating Children's Books workshop, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Instructors Ginger Howard and Cheryl Kirk Knoll. For more information go to
www.gingerhoward.com/workshops.htm.

June 28-July 2, 2004--Writing for Young Readers workshop, BYU. Faculty includes Jim Aylesworth, Candace Fleming, Lisa Wheeler, Randy Powell, Sally Warner, Virginia Euwer Wolff, Tracy Hickman, Laura Curtis, Ann Edwards Cannon, Chris Crowe, Carol Lynch
Williams, Eric Rohmann, editor Lisa Banim from Peachtree, editor Rebecca Waugh from Dial, and agent Tracy Adams. Several Utah authors and illustrators will also be presenting. For more information go to http://ce.byu.edu/cw/writing.

July 16-17, 2004--BYU Symposium on Books for Young Readers. Guests include Jennifer Armstrong, Lynn Curlee, Karen Cushman, Naomi Shihab Nye, Pam Munoz Ryan, and Robert Sabuda. For more information go to http://ce.byu.edu/cw/childlit.

March 17-18, 2005--UVSC/SCBWI Forum on Children & Literature. Watch for upcoming information at www.uvsc.edu/conted/c&w or call 801-863-8894.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: KIM WILLIAMS JUSTESEN

Kim Williams Justesen holds an MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College. She has taught creative writing and writing for the children's market for almost ten years, and currently teaches English at Stevens-Henager College. She has served as the Utah/So. Idaho Chapter Regional Advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators from 1997-2001, and from 2003 until now. She is the coauthor of LOVE AND LOATHING, an adult nonfiction, the first grade language arts component of the Klutz Kwiz for Kids book from Klutz Publishing, and several short stories and articles for magazines.



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

I've written my whole life. I think I just had that "storyteller" gene in my DNA. After spending 12 years in PR and advertising, writing stuff for other people, I decided I needed to get back to just writing the things I wanted.


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

Donald, the four-year-old brother to my main character in the story My Brother the Dog. He was patterned on my uncle, and so I have a lot of ties to that character. This novel was also the product of my creative thesis for my MFA, so it means a lot to me.


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

Spending so much time sitting. I've gained 30 lbs. since I quit working and I can't seem to get rid of it! If I could invent an exercise computer, I'd make a fortune!


4--Do you remember the very first piece of fiction you wrote?
My third grade teacher, Mrs. Saenz, wanted us to write a book report. She took us to the school library and the librarian showed us the shelves we could choose from. The problem was, I had read almost everything on those shelves, and the ones I hadn't read were "boy" books that I had no interest in. So I went home, wrote my own book called "A Pony of My Own," and then wrote a book report about it. Thank the good Lord for teachers like Mrs. Saenz. She not only gave me a good grade on the report, but she encouraged me to keep writing. Of course, she still made me read a book from the library and write a report on it, but I got to choose from better shelves!


5--Who are your favorite authors?

I grew up reading Paul Zindel books, which are still among my favorites. I love M.T. Anderson because he has such a unique writing style; I love Bruce Coville because he is so funny; I love Douglas Adams because of his dry, British wit; and of course, Carol
Lynch Williams because she is so good with characters that I feel I know them personally.


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

I have personal goals for my writing that I try to keep, such as writing a page a day. And I have the goal of always striving to improve my craft. Beyond that, there is too much serendipity involved!


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

When I was 10 I got a copy of Black Beauty and read it cover to cover when I was home sick one day. I cried for hours. I also loved the Betsy and Tacy books. In Jr. High I discovered Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe. Masque of the Red Death still frightens me!


8--What are you working on now?

I'm in the midst of trying my hand at an early reader called Archimedes' Tooth.


9--Do you ever write about UT?

I draw on a lot of settings that I'm familiar with, and since I was born and raised in Utah, I guess that means yes. But I've never set a story specifically in a Utah city.


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

Finding time to do laundry! I'd rather write and spend time with my characters than anything, except being with my husband and kids. But finding time for laundry is never a priority! One look at my laundry room will tell you that!


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

There is never a day I don't want to go to work! I love doing this! The fact I can do it wearing fuzzy slippers and mismatched sweats doesn't hurt either.


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

Write, write, write, and persevere. I know a lot of talented writers who will never be successful because they give up too easily. I know a lot of moderately talented writers who are very successful because they just keep at it. Being successful is a matter of working at your craft, keeping in touch with the industry, and never giving up. Some people are successful the first time out, some take 15 years or so to be successful. The rest of us fall somewhere in between. The biggest part of it, though, is the writing. You have to do this because you love the writing, or none of the rest of it matters.


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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
Kim Williams Justesen -- http://hometown.aol.com/kimorchid/myhomepage/profile.html
Sherry Meidell -- www.sherrymeidell.com
Julie Olson -- www.jujubeeillustrations.com
Gloria Skurzynski -- http://gloriabooks.com
Dana Kessimakis Smith -- www.danasmithbooks.com
Will Terry -- www.willterry.com
Laura Torres--www.lauratorres.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
Children's Lit. Assoc. of Utah (Beehive Book Awards)-- www.clau.org
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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