Announcements

UTAH CHILDREN'S WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Announcement List—December 3, 2007

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CONGRATULATIONS!

To Danna Smith, who sold a picture book, TWO FOR ZOO to Clarion and a story, "Majestic Flying" to Spider Magazine.

To Brandon Sanderson, whose ALCATRAZ AND THE EVIL LIBRARIAN received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

To Rick Walton, whose AROUND THE HOUSE THE FOX CHASED THE MOUSE has been awarded the Utah Book Award for children's/young adult literature.

To Rick Walton, whose book WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE BABY has been chosen as a main selection for the Book of the Month Club.

To Rick Walton again, for two book sales—an activity book with Cheri Earl to American Girl, and MR. PRESIDENT GOES TO SCHOOL to Peachtree.

To Janette Rallison, whose book REVENGE OF THE CHEERLEADERS came out last month from Walker.

To Shannon Hale, whose book BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS, has been named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

To Shannon Hale again, whose book RIVER SECRETS is an ALA Teen's Top Ten.

To Sydney Salter, whose book MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS (which earlier was honored in the Utah Arts Council contest this year) sold to Harcourt, along with another untitled manuscript.

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NEW BOOKS

from Ann Dee Ellis, THIS IS WHAT I DID by LITTLE, BROWN.

from Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson, NIGHT OF THE BLACK BEAR, from National Geographic (May).

from Nathan Hale, author/illustrator, THIEVES LIKE US, and YELLOWBELLY AND PLUM, from Putnam.

from Becky Hall, MORRIS AND BUDDY, THE STORY OF THE FIRST SEEING-EYE DOG, Albert Whitman.

from Mette Harrison, THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND, a fantasy YA, from Harper Eos.

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

from Shannon Hale, BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS, Bloomsbury.

from Anne Bowen, CHRISTMAS IS COMING, Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki (Carolrhoda Books, Fall, 2007)

from Sherry Meidell, THE CENTAUR by May Swenson, a picture book with Utah State Press, September.

from Guy Francis, THE PLANET HUNTER: THE STORY BEHIND WHAT HAPPENED TO PLUTO by Elizabeth Rusch, published by Rising Moon, part of Northland Publishing (which was recently acquired by Cooper Square 
Publishing).

COMING IN 2008

from Kimberley Heuston, BOOK OF JUDE with Front Street.

from Kim Williams-Justesen, sequel to MY BROTHER, THE DOG, 2008

from Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE, illustrated by Nathan Hale, January 2008.

from Gloria Skurzynski, SWEAT AND BLOOD: A HISTORY OF AMERICAN LABOR UNIONS.

from Sharlee Glenn, JUST WHAT MAMA NEEDS, by Harcourt.

from James Dashner, THE JOURNAL OF CURIOUS LETTERS by Shadow Mountain.

from Jessica Day George, SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW (January,Bloomsbury.)

from Jessica Day George, DRAGON FLIGHT (May, Bloomsbury)

from Nathan Hale, BALLOON ON THE MOON.

from Anne Bowen, I KNOW AN OLD TEACHER, Illustrated by Stephen Gammell, (Carolrhoda Books, Fall, 2009)

2009

from Kristyn Crow, THE MIDDLE CHILD BLUES, Fall 2009.

from Danna Smith, MY DADDY'S A GRIZZLY BEAR, Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, Hyperion, Spring 2009

from Mette Ivie Harrison, THE BEAR AND THE HOUND, sequel to THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND, HarperEos, Fall 2009.

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APPEARANCES AND EVENTS

December 8, 2007—Authorpalooza:

Many of Utah's top children's writers and illustrators will be featured at a giant event to be held on Saturday, December 8 at the Jordan Landing Barnes & Noble in West Jordan, Utah. The event, titled "Authorpalooza" is a day-long autographing party featuring award winning authors and illustrators such as Shannon Hale, winner of the Newbery Honor; Sara Zarr, finalist for the National Book Award; Mark and Caralyn Buehner, well known author-illustrator team.

The event is an opportunity for residents to get personalized gifts in time for the holidays, as well as to promote the talented pool of local children's writers and artists. The event begins at 11:00 a.m. and runs until 6:30 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble store at Jordan Landing.

The authors and illustrators scheduled to appear are:

11:00 - 1:30: Ken Baker, Mette Ivie Harrison, Sherry Meidell, Christine Graham, Guy Francis, Jessica Day George

1:30 - 4: Sara Zarr, Becky Hall, Randall Wright, Anne Bowen, Mark & Caralyn Buehner

4:00 - 6:30 - James Dashner, Kim W. Justesen, Rick Walton, Nathan Hale, Shannon Hale, Ann Dee Ellis

For more information, contact Kim Justesen at (801) 597-7416, or Angie Wager, Community Relations Manager, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 7157 South Plaza Center Drive, West Jordan, Utah 84084, (801) 282-1613

December 3, 2007 -- Rick Walton and Nathan Hale will be visiting Discovery Elementary in Brigham City.

January 15, 2008 -- Rick Walton and the Guy Francis will be visiting the Syracuse Arts Academy.

January 2008--Rick Walton will be teaching an all-day workshop on writing picture books. For date, location, and other information, e-mail Rick at rick@rickwalton.com

January 28-30, 2008 -- Rick Walton will be visiting schools in West Palm Beach Florida.

March 4, 2008 --Rick Walton will the visiting Rolling Meadows Elementary.

March 7, 2008 --Rick Walton will be visiting North Summit Elementary.

March 13, 2008 -- Rick Walton will be doing an evening presentation at Northlake Elementary in Tooele.

May 15, 2008 --Rick Walton will be visiting the Grandview Elementary in Provo.

February 4-7, 2009 -- Rick Walton will be speaking at the Colorado Conference on Literacy, and visiting schools in Colorado.


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SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Randall Wright is now available for storytelling for birthday parties, church socials, business meetings, school events, etc. He tells original stories, folk tales, ghost stories, etc. For information and prices email him at randall.w.wright@comcast.net.

Sara Zarr is now the ALAN State Representative for the State of Utah. ALAN is the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents, an affinity group of NCTE (National Council for Teachers of English), and is considered the leading society dedicated to the study of Young Adult Literature. Sara wants you to know that for a mere $20, you can be a member! With your membership, you become a subscriber to the gorgeous print journal The ALAN Review, published three times a year. The journal contains articles on YA literature and its teaching, interviews with authors,
reports on publishing trends, current research on YA literature, a section of reviews of new books, and ALAN membership news. For more information about ALAN, visit http://www.alan-ya.org. To download a
membership form, go to http://alan-ya.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=31. You can contact Sara Zarr at sara@sarazarr.com if you have any questions.

BRING AN AUTHOR OR ILLUSTRATOR TO YOUR SCHOOL

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 summer reading programs--we can get you select novels, 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 or Carol at carolthewriter@yahoo.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

Matthew Armstrong -- www.matthewart.com  
Ken Baker -- www.bravemonster.com 
Anne Bowen -- www.annebowenbooks.com 
Ann Edwards Cannon -- www.aecannon.com 

Ann Dee Knight Ellis – www.anndeeellis.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   
Michael O. Tunnell-- www.michaelotunnell.com  
Rick Walton -- www.rickwalton.com 
Kevin Wasden -- www.kevinwasden.com 
Hala Wittwer-- www.artbyhala.com  
Carol Lynch Williams -- www.carolinutah.com 
Randall Wright -- www.booksbywright.com 

Sara Zarr and Ann Dee Knight Ellis are both a part of the Class of 2K7--a group of about 40 debut novelists across the country who are all publishing in 2007. They have an ezine for the group that will come out quarterly for anyone who is interested. There will also be a pamphlet, a movie (a short short movie), and some other pub stuff. The official website has more details. www.classof2k7.com. It's turning into a very cool project! Check it out!


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.

Are you interested in writing for kids? If so, you should join the Utah Children's Writers listserv. Get involved with other writers in discussions about writing, reading, and marketing literature for kids. To join, send a blank e-mail to utahchildrenswriters- subscribe@yahoogroups.com.