Announcements

UTAH CHILDREN'S WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Announcement List--May 2, 2005


This month's profile is of author Gloria Skurzynski.


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CONGRATULATIONS

to Mike Tunnell, whose book WISHING MOON won the Utah Book Award in the Children's and Youth category.

to Chris Crowe, whose book MISSISSIPPI TRIAL, 1955 is a finalist for the Minnesota Maud Hart Lovelace Award, and WON Nebraska's 2005 Young Adult Golden Sower Award. Chris's book GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE, is a finalist in New Jersey's 2006 Garden State Teen Book Award.

to Mette Harrison, whose book MIRA MIRROR was named to the VOYA list of Best SF/Fantasy/Horror of the year.

to Sharlee Glenn, whose book KEEPING UP WITH ROO was named to the list of The Best Children's Books of the Year by the Bank Street College Children's Book Committee.

to Anne Bowen, whose book WHEN YOU VISIT GRANDMA AND GRANDPA was named to the list of The Best Children's Books of the Year by the Bank Street College Children's Book Committee.


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NEW BOOKS

from Sherry Meidell, illustrator, DR. WELCH AND THE GREAT GRAPE STORY, by Mary Lou Carney, Boyds Mills Press.

from Shannon Hale, THE GOOSE GIRL, paperback edition.


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COMING SOON


June, 2005

from Randall Wright, THE SILVER PENNY, a YA, Holt.

from Gloria Skurzynski, THE VIRTUAL WAR CHRONOLOGS BOOK THREE: THE REVOLT, Atheneum.

July, 2005

from Rick Walton, BUNNY SCHOOL, HarperCollins.

from Shannon Hale, PRINCESS ACADEMY, Bloomsbury.


August, 2005

from Nathan Hale, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, a picture book, Walker and Company.


Fall, 2005

from Michael Spooner, a historical novel, LAST CHILD (a sequel to DANIEL'S WALK), from Henry Holt.

from Hala Wittwer, illustrator, MEOW, a picture book by Jane Yolen.

from Kim Justesen, MY BROTHER THE DOG, a YA, from Tanglewood Press.


Sept, 2005

from Carol Williams and Sherry Meidell, LATTER-DAY TIMES: THE JOSEPH SMITH EDITION, a picture book, from Leatherwood Press.

from Guy Francis, illustrator, MRS. MCBLOOM, CLEAN UP YOUR CLASSROOM! a picture book by Kelly DiPuchio (Hyperion)


Spring, 2006

from Kim Justesen, three books in the "Hey, Ranger" series.

from Guy Francis, illustrator, SHELLY, a picture book by Margie Palatini (Dutton)


Fall 2006

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

from Greg Swearingen, illustrator, FAIRY FAIRY QUITE CONTRARY, a picture book by Mem Fox.

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

from Shannon Hale, CITY OF RIVERS, a YA, from Bloomsbury.


March, 2007

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


Spring 2007

from Carol Williams, OH THE GAMES YOU CAN PLAY ON A CHECKERBOARD, from Gibbs Smith.


2008

from Carla Morris, THE BOY WHO WAS RAISED BY LIBRARIANS, a picture book, illustrated by Brad Sneed, from Peachtree.


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APPEARANCES AND EVENTS

1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month, from 3:30-5:00 pm, Carol Lynch Williams runs the Springville Young Writers Group, a free critique/writing group for children. Call Vivian Milius at the Springville Library for information.

May 2-6, 2005--Shannon Hale will be on a book tour on the west coast for PRINCESS ACADEMY.

May 3, 2005--Chris Crowe will be speaking at the International Reading Association convention in San Antonio.

May 4, 2005--Chris Crowe will be signing in the Penguin booth at IRA.

May 4, 2005--Rick Walton will be visiting Freedom Elementary in Highland.

May 4-5, 2005--Gloria Skurzynski will be speaking in five schools in and around Logan.

May 6, 2005--Ron Woods will be speaking at Linder Elementary in Meridian, Idaho.

May 7, 2005--Ron Woods will be speaking at signing at Barnes and Noble in Boise, Idaho.

May 9, 2005--Rick Walton will be visiting West Jordan Elementary.

May 10, 2005--Chris Crowe will be speaking at Rowland Hall-St. Marks School in Salt Lake.

May 13, 2005--Shannon Hale, Chris Crowe, Jeff Gottesfeld, Kimberley Heuston, Louise Plummer and Sharyn November appearing at the Utah Library Association convention in Ogden.

May 13, 2005--Mike Tunnell will be presenting in public schools in Pocatello, Idaho.

May 14, 2005--Rick Walton will be speaking and signing at the Reading Education Assistance Dogs conference, between 3:30-5:30 pm in the Salt Lake County library Urban Room.

May 16, 2005--Ron Woods will be interviewed on Fox 13.

May 19, 2005--Chris Crowe will be doing a writing workshop at Fairfield Woods Middle School in Fairfield, CT.

May 21, 2005--Rick Walton will be speaking at the Third Annual Child Care Provider Professional Development Conference.

May 25-June 11, 2005--HOLES--Theatre for Young Audiences—BYU Margetts Theatre Series, Nelke Theatre. Call Fine Arts Ticket Office 378-4322.

May 27-28, 2005--Shannon Hale will be Guest of Honor at the CONduit science fiction and fantasy convention in Salt Lake City.

June 13-17, 2005--BYU Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference.

June 25, 2005--Sharlee Glenn will be giving an author lecture and signing books on "The Writer's Touch" at Media Play in Orem.

July 9, 2005--the King's English bookstore will host a release party for Shannon Hale's PRINCESS ACADEMY, 2:00 pm.

July 16, 2005--The King's English bookstore will host a release party for Shannon Hale's PRINCESS ACADEMY.

August 25-27, 2005--Randall Wright will be appearing at the Mt. Timpanogos Storytelling Festival.

November 1-4, 2005--Rick Walton will be visiting schools in Vernal, Utah.

Nov-Dec. 2005--Rick Walton will be visiting schools in the greater Mesa, Arizona area.

Jan-Apr, 2006--Rick Walton will be teaching a picture book writing class at BYU on Tuesday evenings.

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AUTHOR PROFILE: 
Gloria Skurzynski

BORN: 
Duquesne, Pennsylvania

PARENTS: 
A. K. Flister, steelworker
Serena Decker Flister, telegrapher

SPOUSE: 
Ed Skurzynski, aerospace engineer

CHILDREN: 
Serena Nolan, physician
Jan Skurzynski-Mahoney, Manager of Research and Development, Hewlett Packard 
Joni Alm, weaver and designer
Alane Ferguson, writer (about to make it big)
Lauren Thliveris, computer engineer
seven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter

EDUCATION: 
Two useless years at Carlow College, Pittsburgh, Pa.; random classes at Oxford University, U of Utah, BYU, and Westminster, until I realized that Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner etc. didn't have degrees, so why bother. 

PLACES LIVED: 
Duquesne, Pa.; Washington, Pa.; Arlington, Mass.; Cumberland, Md.; Salt Lake City, Utah, and now Boise, Idaho.

OTHER JOBS HELD: 
Costs and Statistics Department, United States Steel

HOBBIES: 
playing with Adobe Photoshop and PowerPoint

PHOBIAS: 
none 

DISLIKES: 
several, especially current national politics

RECENT BOOKS: 
ARE WE ALONE? SCIENTISTS SEARCH FOR LIFE IN SPACE (nonfiction, National Geographic, 2004)

THE MINSTREL IN THE TOWER (chapter book, new edition from Random House, 2004)

Japanese edition of VIRTUAL WAR (2004, I can't read the name of the publisher because it's in Japanese. I can't even decipher my own name on the book jacket.)

THE VIRTUAL WAR CHRONOLOGS BOOK THREE: THE REVOLT (science fiction novel, ages 12 up, Atheneum hardcover, spring 2005; Simon Pulse paperback, 2006) 

PUBLISH WITH: 
National Geographic, Atheneum, Simon and Schuster, Random House

SCHOOL VISIT ACTIVITIES: 
PowerPoint presentations on the National Parks Mysteries and the Virtual War Chronologs

WEBSITE FEATURES: 
the usual. Lists my 54 books and awards and stuff http://gloriabooks.com


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SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES

BRING AN AUTHOR OR ILLUSTRATOR TO YOUR SCHOOL
It's not too early to start thinking about bringing an author or illustrator to your school during the 2004-2005 school year. When kids get to meet and learn from real authors they get excited about reading and writing. It's a great way to bring books to life. For information on presentations, fees, and contacts, go to www.ucwi.org/visit.htm, or check out the author/illustrator websites below. If you've never held an author visit and don't know what to do, go to www.rickwalton.com/utahauth/bringing.htm for information, guidelines, and advice.

A DEAL FOR SPECIAL CAUSES
If you want to get books into the hands of kids who need them--e.g., kids in shelters, kids in hospitals, kids in foreign countries, kids in a summer reading programs--we can get you select picture books and joke books at rock bottom prices. You can get hardcover books at prices lower than a cheap paperback. Contact Rick at rick@rickwalton.com for more information.

GET BOOKS INTO THE HANDS OF YOUR STUDENTS
Rick Walton has a supply of deeply discounted books. If you buy one copy for each of the students in your school, Rick will do a day long visit at your school for free. For more information see www.rickwalton.com/aboutric/deal.htm.

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UTAH AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR WEBSITES

Check out our website, www.ucwi.org, where you'll find information on local authors, their books, and their appearance information, and past issues of this newsletter.--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 
Robert Neubecker -- www.neubecker.com 
Michael Nordenstrom -- www.riversoffire.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 
Hala Wittwer-- www.artbyhala.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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Are you, or do you know an author or illustrator of books for young readers? Are you sponsoring a children's literature related event? Is there something else related to this list that we should announce? Send announcements to rick@rickwalton.com.

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