The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: California's San Francisco North & East Bay's Katherine Applegate For "The One and Only Ivan"

The winner of the 2013 Crystal Kite Award for the California/Hawaii region is Katherine Applegate for her middle grade novel, "The One and Only Ivan."

You might notice this book already has a shiny award on the cover - Katherine also won the Newbery Award for it!

I caught up with Katherine at my local SCBWI Los Angeles Writer's Days (where we'd invited her to give the opening keynote) to hear more about her book and what SCBWI means to her...



Katherine's SCBWI chapter is San Francisco North & East Bay. Colette Parrinello and Margaret Speaker Yuan are the co-Regional Advisors for that region, and they write:

SF North & East Bay Region serves members in Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties. The region is vibrant and active with over 540 members, dedicated volunteers, and published authors and illustrators who serve as speakers, mentors, and friends to those new to the industry.

The region hosts over nineteen programs including two Creative Get-away Retreats in Marin County, North Bay meetings in Sebastopol, Beyond the Bay meetings in Walnut Creek, Marin meetings in Corte Madera and Mill Valley, Illustrator meetings in Oakland, two Intensive Workshops, one for writers and one for illustrators, an Annual Fall Conference in Oakland plus the occasional webinar and critique cafe. We also developed and use Critconnect, a web-based critique group/member matching board. We seek members to help organize local schmoozes, especially in Napa county.

Along with Kathleen, our region is honored to have TWO 2013 Golden Kite Award winners also - Joanne Rocklin, Fiction, The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook, and Jeri Chase Ferris, Non-fiction, Noah Webster and His Words. 

To learn more about Katherine and her book, visit The One and Only Ivan website here.

And to find out more about SCBWI San Francisco North & East Bay, visit them online here.

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: Florida's Augusta Scattergood (for "Glory Be")

The winner of the 2013 Crystal Kite Award for the Southeast Region (Florida/Georgia/South Carolina/North Carolina/Alabama/Mississippi) is Augusta Scattergood for her middle grade novel, "Glory Be."

Augusta Scattergood, winner of the 2013 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award!

I contacted Augusta to find out more...

Lee:  Please tell us about your book!

Augusta:  My debut novel, GLORY BE, is set during Freedom Summer, 1964, in a small town in Mississippi when the town's Community Pool is about to close rather than integrate. Gloriana June Hemphill, Glory for short, can't understand all the changes swirling around her. Why would anybody close her pool during the hottest months of the year? Why is her sister, who's been her best friend forever, mostly ignoring her? Even Glory's friend Frankie is mad that she's befriended a girl visiting from up north. Just about everything this summer has turned upside down. And it's up to Glory to figure it all out.

Historical fiction written for ages 9-12, GLORY BE was edited by Andrea Pinkney and published by Scholastic Press. It's been named to six state lists of children's recommended books and was one of Amazon's Best Middle Grade Novels of 2012. And now it's won the Crystal Kite for the Southeastern Region!

Lee:  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Augusta:  Where do I begin. I joined SCBWI as soon as I left my library career, in 2001. I met my wonderful agent, Linda Pratt, at a summer conference in Maryland, at a MD DE WV regional event. When I moved to Florida, I immediately connected to a critique group, and since we've been here, my Tampa Bay SCBWI connections have been invaluable. I presented GLORY BE on the First Books panel at the Miami SCBWI conference in 2012 and made many new friends there. In my other role as book reviewer, I have reviewed books for the Bulletin. Quite honestly, I suspect my own novel would be languishing in a bottom drawer without the support of SCBWI.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Augusta:  Instead of giving writing advice, most of which we all know and try very hard follow, here's a little advice about navigating your book's Debut Year. Stay connected to other writers who have their first books out. If you aren't interested in joining the actual group to publicize them, find an email buddy you can "talk" to and keep in touch! Even if you aren't a scrapbooker, save all the amazing souvenirs (I have mine in a big binder). Find at least one writer beginning the path to publication and pay it forward in the same way others helped you. And, of course, enjoy every minute of those first exciting months.

Thanks, Augusta!

And here's what SCBWI Florida's co-regional advisors have to share about their region:

We are a diverse community of hardworking volunteers dedicated to making your dreams of becoming published authors and illustrators for kids and teens a reality. Through our Florida Regional Conference, held every January in Miami, our Mid-Year Workshop, held every June in Orlando, and lots of smaller events throughout the year and state, we put YOU in touch with top agents and editors in the children’s book industry. A wonderful place to share ideas, make new friends, find critique groups near you, and learn more about the market, SCBWI Florida is the only writers/illustrators support system you’ll ever need. 

 You can learn more about SCBWI Florida at their website here.

And to find out more about Augusta and "Glory Be," visit Augusta's online home here.

Congratulations, Augusta!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: British Isles' Dave Cousins (for "Fifteen Days Without A Head")

As a special treat, you get to watch Dave Cousins giving his acceptance keynote:




Dave won for the UK/Europe division for his young adult novel, "15 Days Without A Head"

I contacted Dave to find out more...

Lee: Please tell us about your book!

Dave: "15 Days Without a Head" is the story of two brothers. Fifteen-year-old Laurence just wants to be a normal teenager, but spends most of his time looking after the boys' mum, who suffers from depression and drinks too much. Jay is six; he looks like an angel, but thinks he's a dog, and has a tendency to bite people he doesn't like. When their mum fails to come home one night, Laurence tells nobody, terrified he and Jay will be taken into care if anyone finds out. Instead, he attempts to keep up the pretence that Mum is still around: dressing up in her clothes to trick the neighbours, and spinning an increasingly complicated tangle of lies. After two weeks on their own, running out of food and money, and with suspicious adults closing in, Laurence finally discovers what happened to her – and that's when the trouble really starts! The book has been described as "a tender, honest story about family, forgiveness and hope, with some hilarious and surreal moments" which I think sums it up quite nicely!

Lee: How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Dave: I have been involved with SCBWI since 2009, and it has changed my life! My inclusion in the 2010 Undiscovered Voices anthology led to signing with an agent and a publishing deal for 15 Days – this eventually enabled me to work full-time as an author – a dream come true! In addition, my membership of SCBWI has made me many new friends. Going to the conferences and events always fills me with renewed energy and enthusiasm, thanks to the incredibly supportive and creative SCBWI community of writers and illustrators.

Lee: Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Dave: It's incredibly difficult to get your work noticed, let alone published – but it does happen! Once you are published, making a living as a writer or illustrator, is getting more difficult than ever. But stories are important, so my one piece of advice would be: keep writing and illustrating the stories bursting in your head and heart to be told, and don't give up!

Thanks, Dave.

I also connected with Natascha Biebow, SCBWI British Isles' Regional Advisor, to learn more about their region:

The British Isles is the largest region outside the USA with nearly 700 members. We run over 40 events each year, including the annual two-day conference, a fiction and picture book retreat, an annual Agents’ Party, the Professional series (six talks a year in London aimed at professional development on a variety of topics), the Illustrators’ series (Saturday workshops with a hands-on craft element), sketch and scrawl crawls, masterclasses and PULSE events (SCBWI Pulse provides workshops, lectures and professional development for published children’s book writers and illustrators). A network of regional organizers run local critique groups, workshops and speaker and social events across the country. We have a dynamic newsletter blog, Words & Pictures.
This is the third year in which one of our region's members has won the Crystal Kite and we are thrilled about that!

And about Dave's win, Natascha said,

“This book was first discovered in the SCBWI BI’s innovative UNDISCOVERED VOICES competition and it is thrilling to see it published and recognized by fellow members for its brilliant voice and humorous plot."

You can find out more about Dave at his website here.

And to learn more about SCBWI British Isles, visit them here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Congratulations to the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Award Winner and Honorees!

The SCBWI is proud to announce the winner and honor recipients of the 2013 Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Award. This grant gives $3,000 to mid-list authors to honor their contribution and help raise awareness about their current works-in-progress. The grant was created and is generously funded by critically acclaimed children’s book author and one of the first SCBWI members, Jane Yolen. 

This year's winner is...

Eve Feldman!

Eve Feldman, 2013 Jane Yole Mid-List Author Award Winner

Eve is the author of such works as Billy and Milly Short and Silly (Putnam) and Dog Crazy (Tambourine). Eve has been a children’s book author and SCBWI member for over twenty years. You can find out more about Eve at her website www.evebfeldman.com.

Two Honor Grants were also awarded to authors Verla Kay and Deborah Lynn Jacobs!

Verla Kay is the author of Civil War Drummer Boy (Putnam) and Hornbooks and Inkwells (Putnam) among others. Learn more at www.verlakay.com.

Deborah Lynn Jacobs is the author of the young adult novels Choices (Roaring Brook Press) and Powers (Square Fish). Learn more at www.deborahlynnjacobs.com.


Jane expressed her inspiration for this award:

“At a time when publishing is changing, when delivery of story has changed more thoroughly than at any time since Guttenberg, the mid-list authors are finding it harder and harder to find a traditional publisher to stick with them. And though they backlist fine, they are not mega-bestsellers on the front end.” She continued, “Even well-known, mid-list authors are struggling. They lose editors, publishers, their books go out of print. As an upper mid-lister myself, I wanted to give back to my peers. So the Mid-list Award was born. It's not a lot of money, but it's a whole lot of recognition. SCBWI and I are saying, ‘We remember your books. We love your books. We need your books. Don't quit. Hold on. Write more.’"

Congratulations to Eve, Verla and Deborah!

You can find out more about the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Award and all the awards and grants offered by SCBWI here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: New Jersey's Ame Dyckman (for "BOY + BOT")

The 2013 Crystal Kite Award for the USA Atlantic Region (Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland) goes to Ame Dyckman for her picture book, "BOY + BOT!"

Crystal Kite Winner Ame Dyckman!

"BOY + BOT" was published by Alfred A. Knopf (Random House Children's Books) and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino.

I contacted Ame to find out more...

Lee:  Tell us about your book!

Ame:  BOY + BOT (illustrated by the amazing Dan Yaccarino) is a funny and sweet friendship-despite-differences story between a boy and a robot. They meet in the woods and have a terrific time playing--until Bot bumps his power switch and is turned off! Worried that his new friend is sick, Boy brings Bot home in his wagon and tries all the remedies he knows (applesauce, a story, and tucking him in). But when Bot is reactivated after Boy has fallen asleep, it's Bot's turn to help his "malfunctioning" friend!

Lee:  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Ame:  I wouldn't be published without SCBWI! When I joined my local SCBWI chapter (YAY, NJ SCBWI!) five years ago, I had the love of kidlit in my heart--but absolutely no idea how to write it! But thanks to all the fantastic regional and national SCBWI events in our area, I had lots of opportunities to listen, learn, and practice my writing. Four years ago I participated in the Agent Pitch Session at the NJ SCBWI Annual Conference, Super Agent Scott Treimel offered me representation, and BOY + BOT was on its way! Since then, Scott has sold three more of my books, and I knew I'd love working with my editors because I'd already met them through SCBWI!

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Ame:  If you haven't yet, get involved with your local SCBWI chapter! You'll learn tons, have SO much fun, and SCBWI WORKS! 

Thanks, Ame!

I also reached out to Leeza Hernandez, the Regional Advisor for SCBWI New Jersey to find out more. Here's what she wrote:

I remember when I first met Ame at a mentoring workshop in the NJ chapter. We were in a peer group together. She was super friendly, enthusiastic, kind and honest with her critiques and everyone could tell she had a natural passion for children's books. Ame worked hard, stayed true to her self and her craft, and stuck at it, and now she has all these amazing books along with awards, including the Crystal Kite.

During the time I have known Ame, and even now with her busy schedule, she's always been involved with the chapter giving support and helping out in any way she can, and she does it wholeheartedly without complaint or for anything in return. Roles have included workshop facilitator, volunteer coordinator at past annual conferences, organizing first page sessions, presenter, mentor, and much more!

We're all thrilled for Ame and winning the Crystal Kite Award and wish her many more in the future. It's awesome and much deserved!

You can find out more about Ame and her books at her website here, and on Twitter @AmeDyckman where she posts "picture book reviews and a good deal of whatever pops into my head. ;)"

What's going on with SCBWI New Jersey? Leeza writes:

The chapter comprises of approximately 700 members, published and to-be published. We have an RA, ARA and IC as well as a wonderful and dedicated committee of 14 people plus an amazing host of volunteers who step up to help when we need them. The New Jersey chapter offers members a variety of events throughout the year. Its been a busy year for us! 2013 has been about trying some new ideas such: as a meditation workshop with writing/ illustration exercises to help you overcome blocks or obstacles; a portfolio development day with industry mentors; Ame Dyckman gave her Picture Book Word Count Smackdown workshop to rave reviews; we hosted a Free PIBoIdMo and NaNoWriMo kickoff night this week in three locations around the state. There's free kidlit socials, evenings with industry professionals, and we have our Fall Craft weekend coming up in November which is jam-packed with workshops, editor/agent one-on-ones, first-page sessions, illustrator track and more. Our annual summer conference was held in June which ran for two-and-a-half days and included genre-specific intensives, critiques, nearly 80 workshop sessions, industry panels, a bookfair, and two wonderful presentations from our keynotes: Peter Brown and Lauren Oliver. I'm excited about the year ahead and hope we can continue to bring more events like this to our members. We have some great ideas planned for PAL members too!

Learn more about SCBWI New Jersey at their website here.

Thanks to Ame and Leeza, and cheers to Ame for her Crystal Kite Award for "BOY + BOT!"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: Australia West's Meg McKinlay and Kyle Hughes-Odgers (for "Ten Tiny Things")

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner for the Australia/New Zealand Region is Meg McKinlay (author) and Kyle Hughes-Odgers (illustrator) for their picture book "Ten Tiny Things," published by Fremantle Press.

Crystal Kite Winners Meg McKinlay and Kyle Hughes-Odgers at the book launch for "Ten Tiny Things"

I contacted Meg to find out more...

Lee: Tell us about your book!

Meg: Ten Tiny Things is a picture book about a simple idea -- about slowing down and being mindful, about really being in a place rather than simply whizzing through it on the way to somewhere else.  It's the story of Tessa and Zachary, whose car breaks down one morning, meaning they must walk to school rather than being driven as usual. And so they set off grumbling about the hot hilly horribleness of it all, but along the way begin to notice small, interesting things they had never seen before from the car, which, despite its 'cool, calm convenience', transforms everything into a big foggy blur.

The idea for this book came from a game I used to play with my daughter. But before that, it came from my own childhood. I grew up without a car and had to walk or ride my bike to get to most places I wanted to go. There were times when I found this annoying but it also brought benefits. It forced me to move slowly through the world. I became a wanderer. We lived near the bush and I was always off roaming and exploring. And even when I was in the city, I found myself observing, heading down secret laneways, climbing up staircases to see what was at the top. Sometimes this got me into trouble. But it was always interesting. Whenever I travel, I always think the best way to know a place is to walk and walk and walk it as much as possible.

So when I grew older and started driving, I kept walking. And I wanted my daughter to do the same. I wanted her to see the inherent value in it. Yes, walking is good exercise. And if you choose walking over jumping in the car, it's good for the environment. It can also make economic sense, given the cost of petrol. But it wasn't about those things for me. It was about slowing down, about taking time. It was about being in the world rather than just moving through it on the way to somewhere.

So we would take walks around the neighbourhood and without really thinking about it, I would point things out, as I'm sure all parents do. Oh, look at that shiny thing. Come and stamp in this puddle. Look, someone wrote their name on the footpath. Is that a bird's nest up there? And somewhere along the way it turned into a game. Being lovers of clever word-play we of course gave this game a most cunning and catchy title. The name we came up with was, "Things We Would Never Have Seen If We Had Been Driving". The first person to reach ten interesting things was the winner. Though we would often become so caught up in the things we were noticing that we would lose count or forget to declare a winner anyway.

We had been playing this game for several years before my writer's brain finally switched on and realised there might be a book in there somewhere. It was around the time I had been on the receiving end of some odd remarks from other mothers over letting my daughter walk home from school (whether with me or alone) because it was 'so far' and it was 'so hot', and perhaps that's why I decided to embed the broader idea in a 'walking to school' narrative.

Lee:  Okay, I need to go out walking with my daughter now.  Maybe to the library, to get your book!  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Meg: I've been an SCBWI member (we say 'a SCBWI member' because we tend to pronounce it SQUIBBY over here, as wrong as that may be!) since 2006, and ARA for SCBWI Australia West since last year, something I still find curious since I'm not generally much of a joiner. However, I’ve found SCBWI to be such an incredibly welcoming organisation, supportive of gregarious networkers and solitary hermits alike, and also professionally useful in so many ways that go beyond the simple gleaning of facts and contact details. The wealth of knowledge among members, so generously shared, is one of SCBWI’s real strengths, and our community here in Australia West really feels like my writing 'home'. I've gained so much professionally and socially and really can't imagine my writing life without SCBWI.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Meg: I'm a bit skeptical of advice, often feeling as if anything I have to offer is relevant only to me personally, to my particular circumstances and quirks. But in the spirit of talking to myself, I would probably say something like: Write the stories that won't leave you alone -- the ones that keep you up at night -- even if you don't understand why. Honour your own strangeness and write out of that. Don't let well-meaning advice-givers flatten your unique voice to fit a mold. Don't write what you think people want to read; make them want to read what you write. Ignore all rules (including these).

I also got in touch with Kyle,

Lee:  Can you tell us about getting the manuscript and your process of illustrating Ten Tiny Things?

Kyle:  When I first received the manuscript, Meg's story really resonated with me and I was interested in doing the illustrations for a story with such a simple and strong idea. In terms of process, I wanted to hand paint the entire book as I don't really like the look of digital illustration so much. I treated the project very much like I was preparing an exhibition.

Lee: How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Kyle:  For 12 months. It's been a great resource for me to see what's happening with different projects locally and internationally.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Kyle:  Well I'm still learning myself as Ten Tiny Things was the first children's book I have illustrated so maybe in 10 books time I will pass on some advice.

Thanks, Kyle!

Australia West's Regional Advisor, Frane Lessac, was kind enough to share more about their region and give us the inside scoop on Meg and Kyle's win!

On their region:

Western Australia and the Northern Territory is a huge region geographically. It covers nearly half of the Australian land mass. In an attempt to overcome this challenge for our remote members, we hold an annual 4-day retreat on Rottnest Island. The Retreat is a great way for members to catch up informally and to participate in structured professional development with guest publishers. The West Australian chapter was started in 2002 by Frané Lessac, who has recently returned to the role of Regional Advisor after several years as Illustrator Coordinator. Frané is assisted by ARA Meg McKinlay and Illustrator Coordinator James Foley. Our chapter continues to grow and we now have over 110 members. In 2012 we were proud to become the independent region of SCBWI Australia West, incorporating the Northern Territory of Australia. Given these vast distances, our monthly mailout is an important way for members to keep in touch.

I was lucky enough to launch TEN TINY THINGS in Australia and so extra proud to hear they won the Crystal Kite Award. Meg McKinlay and Kyle Hughes-Odgers book is brilliant and members across Australia and New Zealand think so too.

More on Meg:

Meg or Megastar as I affectionately call her, is one of the most humble authors I know AND the best ARA in the entire world. When Meg first posted on the Ten Tiny Things blog asking, “for some of the tiny things in your neighborhood and to please send photos”, I was so excited about this concept of observing that I immediately ran outside with my camera and within minutes enthusiastically emailed Meg my ten tiny things. I think I was the first contributor. Since then, people from around the world haveposted their tiny things. Please see blog here: http://tentinythings.blogspot.com.au/ TEN TINY THINGS is about being mindful or 'awake' to the moment and the world around you. To appreciate the small things. Often, we miss the little things because we are just too busy and unfocused. The world can just whiz you by in a blur. With TEN TINY THINGS children will become explorers, developing an endless curiosity about the world.

On Kyle, the illustrator:

Although Kyle may be a newcomer in the world of picture books, he has sure made his mark. Kyle is known around the world as a street artist affectionately called Creepy. He has upcoming shows in Sydney, Berlin and New York. On his website he advertises: paint any surface any time. 24-hour service. He has a unique style; some call it unconventional narrative-driven character-based folk art. I call it ultra cool. When I spoke to Kyle, he said when he was approached to illustrate TEN TINY THINGS, how much it appealed to him, because he’s a walker, an observer. His dad was a walker too and gave Kyle the insightful gift to observe and appreciate the environment since Kyle was a tiny tot. Kyle used acrylic paint on stained wood, creating striking stylized patterns and giving it a retro feel yet space agey. What an delightful change after creating humongous murals on buildings to create a book.

To find out more about Meg and her books, visit her website here, and the Ten Tiny Things blog here.

Kyle's online home is here.

And you can find out more about SCBWI Australia West at their SCBWI page here.

Thanks to Meg, Kyle and Frane, and cheers to Meg and Kyle for winning the 2013 Crystal Kite Award for "Ten Tiny Things!"

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: Canada East's Jennifer Lanthier for "The Stamp Collector"

The 2013 Crystal Kite for the Americas Division goes to Jennifer Lanthier for her picture book "The Stamp Collector (Fitzhenry and Whiteside.)

2013 Crystal Kite Winner Jennifer Lanthier!

I contacted Jennifer to find out more about her winning book and her involvement with SCBWI...

Lee:  Please tell us about your book.

Jennifer:  The Stamp Collector is a story about the power of stories, and the importance of shining a light where there is darkness. It is a picture book about a boy who collects stories and a boy who collects stamps. They meet as teens when the stamp collector leaves school to take a job as a prison guard and the storyteller is sent to prison for writing a short story.

It’s an unusual subject for a picture book but the inspiration came from a very real encounter I had with the exiled writer Jiang Weiping at the offices of PEN Canada in 2009. He had just been released from a Chinese prison where he was sent for a series of investigative articles describing the activities of Bo Xilai, then a very powerful government official. Weiping told us that, in a Chinese prison, the guards are given no information about prisoners or their crimes; the prisoners might be thieves or murderers or poets. He told us that we should write to the imprisoned writers but we should know that the letters would never make it to them – only the guards would see them. Then why write? Weiping replied: because the guards collect stamps. The idea that stamps from other countries could tell a story without words was powerful. Weiping speculated that some guards might be moved to treat their prisoners less harshly if they knew the world was watching, or knew that the “crime” they had committed was one of human rights activism or simply writing.

I left that meeting and went home and wrote The Stamp Collector. I was very fortunate to find an editor, Christie Harkin, and a publisher, Fitzenhry & Whiteside, willing to take a chance on such a commercially doomed book. A book set in another land, mostly inside a prison, where one of the two main characters dies? A picture book? But they found the wonderful artist Francois Thisdale and his illustrations transformed it from a story I thought no-one would publish, to a book that, incredibly, won the Crystal Kite!

As well, the United States Board on Books for Young People has named it an Outstanding International Book and the International Reading Association named it a Notable Book for a Global Society. It was a finalist for the LIBRIS awards of the Canadian Booksellers Association and for the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award of the Canadian Library Association. I also received an Ezra Jack Keats Emerging Writer Honour Award for The Stamp Collector in April and in June I received the Huguenot Society Award from the Ontario Historical Society, given to the book published in Ontario during the past three years that has made the most significant contribution to the discussion of freedom of conscience. A French translation of The Stamp Collector is now underway.

Lee:  Wow - congratulations on all the accolades!  Can you share with us how long you've been involved with SCBWI, and what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Jennifer:  I think I joined SCBWI for the first time in 2007, when HarperCollins Canada published my first middle grade novel, The Mystery of the Martello Tower, but it might have been in 2008, when they published the sequel, The Legend of the Lost Jewels. I was tremendously excited and honoured and delighted to become a member. I loved reading about other members and found the articles inspiring. Unfortunately, the books did not do well and, over time, I became profoundly discouraged about my abilities as a writer. I stopped writing and eventually I let my professional memberships, including SCBWI, lapse. I told myself I couldn’t justify the expense but the truth is I felt like a fraud. I didn’t have a work-in-progress, I had gone back to work and shuttered my home office and I felt I didn’t deserve to call myself a writer. There were other things going on in my life then – nothing worse than the usual struggles or losses everybody deals with over the course of their lives – but losing writing was tough.

One of the reasons I was at PEN Canada that day and met Jiang Weiping was because I had read that volunteering helps stave off or alleviate depression and I had realized I needed to do everything I could on that front. Even when The Stamp Collector was accepted for publication, I still felt hesitant about re-entering this world. I’d gone from writing two novels that were commercial failures to writing an even more certainly doomed picture book. But The Stamp Collector was about me re-affirming my faith in the power of stories and in the very act of writing itself. I had to stand behind it. So I renewed my membership in a number of professional organizations: SCBWI, the Author’s Guild of America, the Writer’s Union of Canada, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Publishers. I’m so glad I did.

I thought the email informing me I’d won the Crystal Kite was spam. The part of the subject heading that displayed when I opened my email that night was “Congratulations, You’ve Won” and I nearly pressed delete before deciding just this once to be reckless – although I reminded myself not to click on any links inside the email! (This makes more sense if you know that I did once receive an email sent in error by a publisher offering a three-book deal for a princely sum to someone who was not of course me. To someone who was in fact not even a children’s author. A humbling experience.)

 I was pretty stunned to read the contents. I passed my laptop to my husband and asked him to read it, just to be sure. I truly don’t have the words to express what this means to me. This is a book that almost nobody reviewed – not Kirkus, not Publisher’s Weekly, not the major dailies – so I’ve been really grateful to the book bloggers and the occasional, kind librarian who has gone out of her way to email me. But the Crystal Kite means SCBWI members, people whose work I deeply admire, took the time to read The Stamp Collector and cast a vote and that’s just… staggering.

Lee:  Thank you for sharing that.  Do you have any advice for other children's book writers and illustrators?

Jennifer:  I think for the most part writers and illustrators would be wise not to do what I’ve done – in the sense that not writing, not creating is not a good answer. But I can’t just glibly say “don’t get discouraged” because this is an incredibly discouraging industry. And I haven’t met many writers or illustrators who do not battle demons of self-doubt on a daily basis. I guess all I could say is that creating something is an extraordinary privilege and if exercising that privilege feels too hard sometimes, try to keep going. What did Samuel Beckett say? “No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”

The only other advice I might offer would be not to second-guess the subject matter of your book. Again, this is more of a “do what I say” piece of wisdom! I feared for The Stamp Collector because, in an industry that thrives on categorization, it doesn’t fit tidily into any drawer. Yet I’ve taken The Stamp Collector into many libraries and classrooms for writing workshops and presentations, and I find kids really engage with the subject. We talk a lot about PEN and freedom of expression (for the record, I think it works best with students from about age eight to eighteen) and kids are generally fascinated to learn about all the groups that work to protect writers, journalists and bloggers around the world.

They are appalled to learn that Nobel laureate Liu Xiabo, is still serving time in prison for writing seven sentences. They cannot believe how many journalists have been killed in Mexico. The editors and publishers who rejected this book for publication were understandably worried about its sophisticated subject matter but I’ve found that the younger you are, the simpler it is to grasp the concept of freedom of expression. Kids of all ages express compassion for both the writer and the guard. They understand the characters’ loneliness, their desire to have their voices heard and they understand that a truly happy ending is not possible here. But they also see the hope. The Stamp Collector is a wildly improbable book, but I’m glad I persisted. And I’m so grateful to the members of SCBWI for believing in it.

What a story behind the story!  Thanks, Jennifer.

I also contacted SCBWI Canada East's Regional Advisor Lizann Flatt to find out more about their region.  Here's what she wrote...

Canada East is a large geographic region with about 325 members. We have at least one large conference each year, and smaller volunteer-organized informal gatherings throughout the year. The rest of the time we hang out online together on our Yahoo listserve, illustrator members' blog, and chapter Facebook page.

Jennifer Lanthier's "The Stamp Collector" has won many awards and accolades including the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor and being named to the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Outstanding International Book honor list. We're really pleased that the SCBWI Crystal Kite is among the awards her book has received. Jennifer has been a member since 2006.

You can find out more about Jennifer at her website here.

And to learn more about SCBWI Canada East, visit their online home.

Thanks to Jennifer and Lizann, and cheers to Jennifer for her Crystal Kite win for "The Stamp Collector!"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: Japan's Benjamin Martin (for "Samurai Awakening")

The Winner of the 2013 Crystal Kite Award for the Middle East/India/Asia Division is Benjamin Martin for "Samurai Awakening" (Tuttle Publishing.)

2013 Crystal Kite Winner Benjamin Martin!

I contacted Benjamin to find out about his book and his history with SCBWI...

Lee: Please Tell us about Samurai Awakening.

Benjamin: The Samurai Awakening series is the culmination of my time teaching on small islands in rural Okinawa, Japan. I moved to Japan in 2008 to teach English, and quickly found myself in the midst of amazing new experiences and a rich culture I wanted to share. Samurai Awakening was my debut novel and is a mix of my experiences, Japanese mythology, and pure fantasy. I started writing in 2010 and it placed in the top 1% of the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. The series continues with Revenge of the Akuma Clan in the Autumn of this year.

From The Jacket: David Matthews is having a rough time. Being a teenager is bad enough, but when he picks up and moves to Japan for a year, with barely any knowledge of the language or social behaviors of Japanese teenagers, things go from bad to worse. Until one day, David attends a temple ceremony and finds himself possessed by a Japanese god. Suddenly, he can understand and speak Japanese. He has unbelievable new powers, including the ability to shift into a tiger, and a powerful sword he can materialize at will from its sheath—his body.

But nothing comes for free, demonic oni and terrifying ghostly yurei. Trained by his host family, famous sword-makers and the keepers of an ancient secret entrusted to their family by the first Emperor of Japan, David must fight desperately to save his host sister from a hoard of Japanese monsters. Evil has returned to Japan, and David must overcome his own insecurities if he is to save her and become a True Samurai—the protector of Japan.

Lee:  Sounds very cool!  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you’ve gained by being a member?

Benjamin:  Having written a novel with no background in writing and no local support (I was on an island with a population of 550 people), I began reaching out to friends, teachers, and online for some way to learn about what to do with my initial story. One of my high school English teachers pointed me to an author friend of hers, who pointed me to Verla Kay’s Blueboards, the discussion group that is soon to merge with SCBWI’s own boards. That connection led me to SCBWI in 2011. As soon as I saw the unique connection and support amongst the children’s writing community I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

Since joining I’ve benefited from the publications, news, and community in Japan and abroad. I was thrilled to be able to attend the South West region’s conference when Samurai Awakening debuted last year and look forward to learning and sharing in the years to come. The biggest thing I’ve gained from SCBWI is the sense of community and positive support. I love reading about the successes of fellow members and it is an honor to be recognized by such a diverse group of talented and welcoming people.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children’s book writers and illustrators?

Benjamin:  The readers of this blog have already followed the very first piece of advice I could give. Find a community of people willing to listen and give advice. There are very few real experts when it comes to books. Great stories don’t always become books, and some books aren’t all that great. We write for different reasons, and see words in different ways, so I find it incredibly important to get perspectives outside my own head. My experience in the publishing world is unique, so I won’t join the throngs of people telling you “how to get published.” I will say, “Good luck.” If you have a story to share, find a way to share it. Someday, it might lead you in unexpected directions. 

Thanks, Benjamin!

I also connected with Holly Thompson, regional advisor for SCBWI Japan, to find out more about their region...

Congratulations, to Ben, one of our Okinawa members! The Japan Writers Conference will be held in Okinawa in November, and we look forward to Ben's participation in the SCBWI sessions at that annual event.

SCBWI Japan (formerly SCBWI Tokyo and SCBWI Okinawa) has about sixty members. We have monthly events usually on weekend days or evenings including guest speaker events, workshops, creative exchanges, gallery exhibitions, sketch and word crawls, and networking nights. We also have all-day events with guest editors, agents, authors and illustrators, and SCBWI Japan is the first SCBWI region to have a Translation Group, which focuses on the translation of Japanese children’s and YA lit into English.

Our SCBWI Tokyo members are a mix of Japanese nationals and residents of Japan from around the globe. Our newsletter (www.scbwi.jp) includes interviews and features relating to Japan and Asia. SCBWI Japan plays a prominent role in the Japan Writers Conference and the Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) in Singapore. The Asia SCBWI chapters are growing, and I'm certain we’ll soon be seeing more and more children’s and YA lit coming from Asia—both local-language and English-language stories set in and related to all the different corners of Asia. 

To find out more about Benjamin, visit his blog more things japanese.

To learn more about SCBWI Japan, check out their website.

Thanks to Benjamin and Holly, and cheers to Benjamin for his Crystal Kite Win for "Samurai Awakening!"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: SCBWI MidSouth's Sharon Cameron (for "The Dark Unwinding")

The winner of the 2013 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Mid-South Division (Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri) is Sharon Cameron for "The Dark Unwinding" (Scholastic.)

2013 Crystal Kite Winner Sharon Cameron!

I contacted Sharon to find out more...

Lee:  Please tell us about your book!

Sharon:  The Dark Unwinding is the gothic, steampunk-esque tale of seventeen-year-old Katharine Tulman, sent to her uncle’s remote estate to have him committed to a lunatic asylum. But instead of a lunatic she discovers a childlike, genius inventor, the creator of a fantastical world where science seems like magic and machines have a life of their own. She also finds a brooding apprentice, a dwindling family fortune, and the hundreds of poverty-stricken families it is being used to support. But there is more to Uncle Tulman's bizarre creations than anyone knows, and Katharine has thirty days to choose between his ticking world of clockwork and her one and only chance at freedom. And that’s when Katharine starts seeing things that aren’t really there.

Lee:  Great pitch!  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Sharon:  Absolutely! I joined SCBWI in 2005, just a couple of months after I had this crazy idea to write a novel. Through the local and national conferences I found my amazing critique group (together for eight years now), learned the business and the craft, and became a part of “The Tribe.” I've helped coordinate the last six SCBWI Midsouth conferences. In 2009 I won the Sue Alexander Award from SCBWI, and as a result was offered a publishing contract for The Dark Unwinding (2012) and its sequel A Spark Unseen (2013) from Scholastic Press. And now, of course, the Crystal Kite! Joining SCBWI was the single choice that most affected my journey into publishing, not just because of all of the above, but because through SCBWI I learned very early that I wasn’t pursuing a hobby; I was pursuing a career. And that made all the difference, I think.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Sharon:  One of the things being a published author has taught me is how hard it is to give advice! We are all on such an individual journey. But I think one lesson that is so important to learn (and that I’m still learning!) is how to write from what is uniquely you, while at the same time writing for a market. These things seem like such polar opposites sometimes, but there is always a way to do it. Stretch, experiment with being uncomfortable, and find that narrow road where you can write what you love for the readers who will read it.

Thanks, Sharon!

I also connected with SCBWI Midsouth's Regional Advisor Kristin Tubb to learn more about their region.  Here's what she wrote:
 

I know I’m biased, but the Midsouth region (which includes TN and KY) of SCBWI is special. We have a fabulous, very affordable fall conference in Nashville every year. We’ve recently started an annual writing/revising retreat in Kentucky in the spring. We have workshops and free schmoozes and PAL events for our many publishing superstars. We are a true tribe. And where we excel? Our volunteers.

Sharon Cameron is one of those volunteers every RA dreams of: she’s organized, thorough, hard-working, and she loves SCBWI. She works year-round on the fall conference as one of the principal committee members, primarily in charge of scheduling logistics. She asks hard questions, provides thoughtful responses, and, well, the girl can WRITE. So when the 2013 Crystal Kite was awarded to Sharon for THE DARK UNWINDING, you might have heard the collective huzzah from the Midsouth!

The Crystal Kite isn’t the first nod that SCBWI has given to Sharon and THE DARK UNWINDING. In 2009, Sharon and her main character Katharine Tulman won the Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award for the story, which was then titled STRANWYNE KEEP. It is a lush, sweeping, mysterious tale, and the Midsouth is delighted that Sharon’s beautiful story has been honored again with the Crystal Kite. We are so thrilled for you, Sharon, and we are your #1 fans!

Find out more about Sharon at her website here.

And you can learn more about SCBWI Midsouth at their website.

Thanks to Sharon and Kristin, and cheers for Sharon winning the 2013 Crystal Kite Award for "The Dark Unwinding!"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: Western Washington's Kim Baker (for "Pickle")

SCBWI's 2013 Crystal Kite Award for the USA West division (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota) is Kim Baker for her middle grade novel, "Pickle."

2013 Crystal Kite Winner Kim Baker!

I contacted Kim to find out more...

Lee:  Hi Kim!  Please tell us about your book.

Kim:  PICKLE is about Ben Diaz, a new 6th grader who enlists a crew of new friends to form a secret prank task force. Their front is an after school pickle making club. The type of pranks the club pulls off are more about goofy fun and surprise than anything mean-spirited, with varying degrees of success. Ben decides not to include his best friend, Hector, in the club. Hector's grandmother/guardian is the school's authoritarian principal and Hector can't keep a secret.

It starts with a classroom full of ball pit castoffs, and gets crazier from there. Complications and hijinks ensue, friendships are tested, and Ben has to decide what he stands for. My editor describes it as FRINDLE meets FIGHT CLUB for middle schoolers (Without the boxing. Or the soap.). That's about right. I honestly wasn't sure what kind of audience it would have, but PICKLE was a Junior Library Guild Selection, one of the New York Public Library's 2012 Best Books for Reading and Sharing, a finalist for the 2013 Children's Choice Awards (Book of the Year for 5th-6th grade readers), and the 2013 Crystal Kite West winner (!!).

Lee:  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Kim:  There are a few parts to my answer, but they're all pretty intertwined. I've been a member since 2005. I thought I would write picture books when I first jumped into writing for kids, but I was terrible at it. I learned that being a picture book appreciator is not the same as a picture book writer. I joined SCBWI, went to a regional conference, and quickly realized I had NO idea what I was doing. I can be a little introverted, and I'm not a big joiner, but I wanted to have all my chips in for becoming a children's book writer. I started volunteering for my SCBWI Western Washington chapter, everything from bringing snacks to the meetings to regional advisor. Being closely involved helps me to stay active and present. It gave me a reason to overcome shyness and be part of the community. I attend all the conferences, workshops, and book events that I can. It's like an apprenticeship for me, and it's fun.

I spent some time just finding my voice and honing my writing. I thought about giving up a lot, but I didn't. I pulled back and didn't send anything out on submission after my lousy picture book manuscripts in 2005. I wrote a lot, but that stuff is locked away in a dark drawer. Forever. The odds of getting published are not in anybody's favor, and I wanted to make the best impression that I could. I wrote PICKLE in 2010, revised it a few times, and had a feeling that it was ready. I can be, um, overenthusiastic about things, so before I sent it out I confirmed that with faculty consultations at conferences and peer critique feedback (from great friends that I met through SCBWI!).

I took the leap and sent PICKLE to a short list of prospective agents that I had connected with at conferences. I'm fortunate to be working with Sara Crowe, who then sold it to Roaring Brook Press.

Our region is large and very active. The community is amazing. Being around such warm and creative people is so fun and inspiring. Lin Oliver calls it "the tribe," and you really get a sense of what that means at events. When I began attending the big summer and winter conferences as part of the SCBWI WWA regional advisory team, my tribe grew even bigger. I keep in touch with friends I've made through SCBWI all over the world through social media. We have a fab new regional advisor team this year, but I'm thrilled to be attending the summer conference as a panelist. It's important to me to attend every chance I can.

I thanked the SCBWI in PICKLE's acknowledgements, because I know I wouldn't be published without this fantastic organization. So, I've gained education, community, focus, confidence, friendships, and a path to publishing I would never have found on my own. I am forever humbled and grateful.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Kim:  Hmm, advice is tricky. I believe that everyone has their own path. I thought I was doing it wrong for a long time because my writing process is pretty different than how people advised me that it should be (read: Disorganized. Slow. Crazy). I tried it their way, and it didn't work. I didn't want to quit, so I went back to my way. I implement new ways here and there, but it's stayed basically the same since the beginning.

I would say to be genuine, patient, and brave, whether you're published yet or not. Give yourself permission to invest the time it takes to find your unique voice and stories and be the best writer (or illustrator) that you can be. Most of the crummy stuff I wrote in those first few years were stories that I thought might be marketable. You can't really write to the market (particularly if you write a bit on the slower side, like me), and I couldn't do my best unless it was a story that I felt needed to be told.

You should feel that your story has a place in the market, but isn't for the market, if that makes sense. Writing a novel takes enough commitment that you need to be as invested as you can be. PICKLE is silly, but it's also a little subversive and about standing up for yourself and finding your own path. It's a common theme, but I knew that nobody else was going to tell it the same way I would. In the past, I wrote stories that I worried that someone else would write and sell before I finished. I didn't really think about that with PICKLE. It's a little weird, and I know it's my own.

Find your weird. 

I think I need to get that on a t-shirt.  "Find your weird."  Excellent.  Thanks, Kim!

I also connected with Joni Sensel (SCBWI Western Washington's Published Member Liason) to find out more about SCBWI Western Washington and Kim's win...

The Western Washington region typically serves about 700 active members living in the western half of the state (more or less), including Seattle and the greater Puget Sound area. We have a couple of dozen events a year, most notably an annual conference serving 400, a fall weekend professional retreat, workshops, Inside Story events to promote PAL members' new books, northern and southern network events, and more than our fair share of Kid Lit Drink Nights. About a third of our members are traditionally published, many as bestsellers, and about a quarter are illustrators or author/illustrators.

 Kim recently spent two years our region's co-regional advisor (with Jaime Temairik) after serving three previous years as assistant regional advisor, and she continues on our Advisory Committee. She's one of our resident stand-up comics — the humor in her book comes naturally and is regularly on display for those of us lucky enough to know her in person — and members often comment on how much they've enjoyed her MC duties at a number of our events. She's also the best faculty-spotter, face-recognizer, and schmoozer imaginable; as ARA, she made it immensely easier for us to chat up and snag great faculty for our events. Her handcrafted Cookie Contest trophies, medals, and other coveted prizes have made our annual holiday cookie contest a growing hit for a number of years. It's been great fun for many of us to watch her career as she worked on manuscripts, shared them with us for critique, and ultimately sold Pickle as her debut. We're thrilled to see the book's great reviews, Children's Choice Finalist honor, and well-deserved Crystal Kite award!

Brenda Winter Hansen (Western Washington's co-regional advisor along with Dana Arnim) added,

"We're so proud of Kim." 

To learn more about Kim, visit her website here.

And to find out about all the great things SCBWI Western Washington is up to, visit them at their website.

Thanks to Kim, Joni and Brenda, and cheers to Kim on her Crystal Kite win for PICKLE!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: New England's Jo Knowles (for "See You At Harry's")

The 2013 Crystal Kite Award for the New England region (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island) goes to Jo Knowles for her middle grade novel, "See You At Harry's."

2013 Crystal Kite Winner Jo Knowles

Here's my interview with Jo...


Lee:  Please tell us about your book!

Jo:  See You At Harry's is about a busy family trying to keep their restaurant afloat and their family intact. Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. Her dad is always planning how to increase traffic to the family business. Her Mom is constantly disappearing to meditate. Her older sister Sarah is busy sneaking off with her secret boyfriend; and her brother Holden is too focused on his own problems navigating how to come out to his family and survive high school. And then there's Charlie, her three-year old brother who gets all the attention except when everyone's too busy to look after him, and the responsibility falls to Fern. When tragedy strikes though, the family is turned inside out, and they slowly learn that the only way to heal is to come together.

Lee:  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Jo:  I believe I joined SCBWI in 1996. It was after I discovered an old flyer on a bulletin board in the library I'd just started working at. The heading was, "Do you want to write for children?" Since I did (very much) I went to the meeting. There, I met several writers who became my life-long friends and mentors. Society seems like the absolute wrong word for this organization. I think it should be called Community of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Or maybe Family of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Because that is what the members I've gotten to know have become. I would never have published my first book if not for the encouragement, support and love I received from these wonderful people in this wonderful community.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Jo:  Get to work! I hope that doesn't sound too bossy! But you know, lately I've heard a lot of people talking about how much time they spend researching where to submit their work and worrying about how long it's taking to get published, rather than writing and revising every day. I know where that road goes because I've been there myself. It's not fun. On my best writing days, my end goal isn't publication. It's to try to write something beautiful and powerful and uniquely mine. Something I can say about with pure honesty, "I'm proud of this. It's my best work." Those are the days when my writing is at its truest, and most meaningful. So my advice is to give yourself those kinds of creative days as often as you can, and limit the business ones for when you can honestly and proudly say, "I'm done."

Thanks, Jo!

I also connected with SCBWI's New England Regional Advisor Marilyn Salerno to find out more about their region.  Here's what she shared...

SCBWI New England, over 2500 members strong, was organized by Jane Yolen soon after Lin and Steve began SCBW. Our active region hosts a three day annual spring conference with 650 people and ongoing workshops, retreats, and events during the year. We have a Whispering Pines Writing Retreat, PAL events organized by Melissa Stewart, over 75 critique groups in the region, and an Illustrator's Day, to name a few. We offer the critique group leader grants once a year so that critique groups can invite a speaker or plan an event addressing the needs of their particular critique group. We also have a bi/monthly newsletter that is posted on our website and on the SCBWI master website.

SCBWI New England has an informative website, a listserve open to all members for information sharing, exploring new ideas, and discussing questions and concerns that arise. We have an SCBWI New England Face Book page and a New England Twitter feed. We have four Regional Advisors who have specific duties and along with the ICs and the PAL Coordinator and ARAS form an executive/advisory board to guide and direct the region.

Jo Knowles is one of our best. She has written thought provoking and timely stories and is very deserving of the two Crystal Kites Awards. She takes an active role in our region by attending conferences, blogging, hosting a PAL meeting, and serving on a scholarship committee. 

You can learn more about Jo Knowles at her website here.

And find out lots more about SCBWI New England here.

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: New York Eastern Upstate's Kate Messner (for "Capture The Flag")

The 2013 Crystal Kite Award for the New York region goes to Kate Messner for her novel "Capture The Flag" (Scholastic.)

2013 Crystal Kite Winner Kate Messner

Kate has previously won the 2012 Golden Kite Award (for her picture book "Over and Under The Snow") and the 2011 Crystal Kite Award for "Sugar and Ice." 

I contacted Kate to find out more about this latest accolade...

Lee:  Congratulations, and please tell us about your book.

Kate:  Thanks for the good wishes on the Crystal Kite Award – I was truly thrilled to get the news...  CAPTURE THE FLAG is the first in a three-book mystery series with Scholastic. It’s about three kids whose families are part of a secret society to protect the world’s artifacts. They’re snowed in at a Washington, D.C. airport when they realize that the giant flag that inspired “The Star Spangled Banner “ has been stolen from the Smithsonian Museum of American History and might be there at the airport with them — and with the bad guys who stole it! They have a great adventure, racing all over the snowed-in airport, down the luggage chutes, riding conveyer belts all over the underbelly of the airport, trying to track down the flag. This was such a fun book to write, and so were its two sequels.

The second book, HIDE AND SEEK, came out in April, and it follows the Silver Jaguar Society to the rainforest of Costa Rica to track down an ancient society artifact that’s gone missing.

The third book, MANHUNT, is due out in May of 2014, and this book features an international heist that sends the kids investigating underneath the streets of two amazing cities — Boston and Paris!

Lee:  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Kate:  I’ve been a member of SCBWI since 2007, and while I absolutely love the craft workshops at all the conferences I’ve attended, the absolute best thing about this community is the people. SCBWI members are amazing mentors for one another — something that’s so important in this field. I’ve never met a group of people more willing to share of their time and talents to help others along on the journey.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Kate:  I think the best advice I could offer to other children’s book writers and illustrators is to focus on the joy of the work first. This business can be so tough sometimes, for both published and pre-published writers, that it’s easy to feel all muddled up and frustrated. But for me, losing myself in story is always the antidote to that. Get writing — get drawing — and play, instead of worrying so much about the editors and agents and reviewers. You’ll find the joy that made you want to do this in the first place, and your creative work will shine as a result. 

Great advice!

I also connected with Nancy Castaldo, New York Eastern Upstate's Regional Advisor, to find out more about their region and Kate's win...

The Eastern New York SCBWI region is extremely active, with just over 300 creative members. We are located just north of New York City and stretch up the Hudson Valley all the way to the Canadian border. We offer a variety of workshops, retreats and conferences, including our ever popular annual Falling Leaves retreat held in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. With our close proximity to publishers in New York and Boston, we are able to host a number of editors to our events each year. In addition, we have very active monthly Shoptalk meetings throughout the region. In fact, it was at one of our meetings that I got to know Kate Messner. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of presenting her with her first Crystal Kite and am looking forward to presenting her with her second. Kate has always been a strong supporter of SCBWI and, in fact, helped organize our first Shoptalk meeting in the Plattsburgh area. It is wonderful to see her rewarded for her writing.

To learn more about Kate, visit her website here.

And for more information on SCBWI New York: Eastern Upstate, check out their region's website.

Thanks to Kate and Nancy, and cheers to Kate on her Crystal Kite Award for "Capture The Flag!"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Edie Parsons is the Inaugural Winner of the Karen and Phillip Cushman Late Bloomer Award!

The Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award is for authors over the age of fifty who have not been traditionally published in the children’s literature field. The grant was established by Newbery Award winner and Newbery Honor Book recipient Karen Cushman and her husband, Philip Cushman, in conjunction with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Karen published her first children’s book, The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal), at the age of fifty-three and has gone on to become one of the field’s most acclaimed novelists.

SCBWI's first winner of this award is Edie Parsons!

Edie Parsons, winner of the first Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award!

I contacted Edie to learn more...

Lee:  Tell us about finding out you'd won the Karen and Phillip Cushman Late Bloomer Award.

Edie:  I was driving home from work when the call came. The voice said "This is Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser with SCBWI…" and I think I went into shock. (I do have a vague memory of pulling off to the side of the road to talk.) Being selected for the inaugural Karen and Phillip Cushman Late Bloomer Award is such an honor! Karen's books are wonderful, of course, and I love that she writes about gutsy kids figuring out who they are. It's a thrill to be associated with her award.

Being selected felt like a lightning bolt, and I think I even said as much on the call. I've been writing for awhile now, gradually learning and improving, and SCBWI has been a big part of my writer's journey. I'm excited that all those pieces have come together in this grant recognition. I truly believe that writing for youth is about passion, craft, and a heart for kids and their joys and struggles, and not about age. I admire Karen for building her writing career and body of work as she's done, and hope I can likewise make her and SCBWI proud, as the recipient of this award.

Lee:  Can you give us a brief description of the middle grade fantasy project you're working on?

Edie:  MERCURY SEA draws on my love of the mystery and poetry of historical alchemy, combining it with my passion for middle grade fantasy and science fiction. The story takes place in a world where alchemy works, crystal ships sail the seas, and the industrial revolution never happened. Twelve-year-old Morgan was raised at sea before being sent to finishing school, where she's a fish out of water. She soon becomes captivated by the alchemical science, but alchemy, with its furnace-driven workrooms, is forbidden to girls. Disguising herself as a boy, she apprentices to the immortal alchemist, Master Marlwyn. In the workroom she discovers that her "girl-essence" sends some alchemical processes awry, while making others work better than expected. Then a crooked alchemist poisons Master Marlwyn with a rare aging chemical, and Morgan is determined to save him, using her unique, girl alchemy to unlock the secret of reversing time.

Lee:  How will you use the grant money?

Edie:  MERCURY SEA takes place in an alternate world where traditional skills such as cooking on wood stoves or open hearths, working metals on blacksmith-type furnaces, and sailing via square-rigged ships are still practiced. Researching the "how to" of these elements, as well as their sight, sound, feel, and smell, is important to conveying a rich, authentic experience. So, I plan to use the grant funds to travel to Mystic Seaport: the Museum of America and the Sea, in Mystic, Connecticut. Mystic Seaport is a living museum, famous for its historical sailing ships, nineteenth century village, and extensive collections. While at the seaport, I'll conduct research for my novel through the collections and exhibits, as well as by taking advantage of the many opportunities for immersive observation and hands-on participation in historical activities. By utilizing this amazing resource, I hope to obtain an abundance of details, especially difficult-to-obtain sensory details, to incorporate into my writing, thus bringing additional depth and three-dimensionality to my story.

Lee:  In the first few pages of MERCURY SEA that you shared in your Work-in-Progress Grant application, you made your main character, Morgan, very likable. Can you share any insights on that?

Edie:  I really enjoy Morgan. She's such a rough-and-tumble, bold girl. She's not afraid to pull off a practical joke, stand up to bullies, break into the bad guy's house to save her master, or join forces with a band of ruthless pirates. Her struggle in this story isn't so much about discovering who she is, but rather about finding her place in a world that wants her to be a demure china doll. I think it's a universal struggle. We all have to do our best to hold on to who we are, while creating our niche within whatever situation or pressures we face. But with Morgan, you just know that journey is going to be a romp. She's someone I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and spending time with through the story, and I hope readers will, too. 

In her application, Edie wrote: "I love middle grade fantasy. It's what I read and what I write. The thing that most attracts me to middle grade fiction is that it celebrates young people discovering who they are and what they are capable of, before the whole boy-girl distraction thing fully sets in. The fantasy element allows those explorations to expand into richly imaginative settings, situations, and experiences not possible in the real world."

And here's what Karen Cushman herself had to say of Edie's win:

I was not only intrigued and entertained by her story but I liked what she said in her statement about the importance of middle grade fiction (I agree), and, as a former museum studies professor, I applaud the use she'll make of the resources at Mystic Seaport. I can't wait to read the rest of the story.

Congratulations, Edie!

Have you seen all the grants and awards SCBWI offers?  Check them out here!

Illustrate and Write On, 
Lee

The 2013 Crystal Kite Award Winner Profiles: South Africa's Neil Malherbe (for "The Magyar Conspiracy")

The 2013 Crystal Kite Award for the SCBWI Region Africa is Neil Malherbe for his novel, "The Magyar Conspiracy," published by Tafelberg Publishers.

Crystal Kite Winner Neil Malherbe!

I contacted Neil to find out more...

Lee:  Please tell us about your book!

Neil:  ‘The Magyar Conspiracy’ is in the Boys Own Adventure/murder mystery genre. Set in Cape Town and Hungary, it tells the story of 16-year-old Sándor Novák, whose father dies in mysterious circumstances on Table Mountain. Sandy, as he is known to his friends, must travel to his father’s birthplace, Hungary, to uncover some of the secrets of why his father was killed. The parallels between South Africa and Hungary, and their transition from rigid totalitarian states to freedom (and the power void left in that wake), are the background to the story. I was grateful that the book won the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature here in South Africa, along with the wonderful Crystal Kite award from SCBWI.

Lee:  How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Neil:  Only since last year, so I have not yet had the benefit of any meetings but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading articles on the website, as well as in the Bulletin. I am excited to be speaking to members of the Gauteng branch early in July, and thank them for their kind invitation.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Neil:  I know that it is probably a cliché, but keep believing in your work – if it is good enough, somebody may well say yes to publishing it! It took three years for mine to be published.

Also, as difficult as it is to expose your labour of love to the scrutiny of others, as with all works of art it is only by revealing it and asking for honest advice that it can be honed to its best possible form.

Keep writing – and reading! And dreaming of what might be! Write what you know – it makes the writing more authentic. If not, make sure that you research thoroughly.

 Go for walks – it’s good for your heart...and your spirit...and your writing. It’s amazing how allowing a tumbleweed of an idea to roll around your head while walking just seems to gather up scraps of story.

I also connected with Elaine Ridge, who along with Marjorie van Heerden is co-Regional Advisor for SCBWI South Africa, to find out more about their region and Neil's win...

SCBWI SA does its best to make the benefits of SCBWI membership clear, both to members and to those who have shown interest. While some of our members have an established national and even international reputation, most have not yet been successful in having their work published. With the help of grants we have arranged programmes of professional development exclusively for members. Doug Cushman provided an inspiring start in his superbly clear and practical presentations during parallel retreats in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Participants were given individual intensives. There have been follow-up retreats/workshops for writers and illustrators in both places.

We try to have a publishers' day every year in which writers and illustrators can meet publishers and punt their latest work. This always leads to new commissions.  Opportunities for critique are usually offered in open meetings as a way of attracting new members. We also have a stand at the Book Fair in Cape Town - good advertisement for the organisation and an opportunity for members to make valuable contacts in publishing. For the rest, we have workshops and a range of speakers - speaking on their work or aspects of the children's book trade. Our members feature at national and international conferences and SCBWI SA is one of the nominating bodies for the Astrid Lindgren Award.

Marjorie and I were delighted to have Neil's book chosen. It is a rich, enthralling youth novel and a worthy winner. The previous two winners in Africa were illustrated books for young readers. This award valuably affirms another genre. The Magyar Conspiracy has received favourable reviews in The Star, The Mail and Guardian and The Cape Times. This is quite an accolade, as children's literature is not often noticed in the press. It is the more impressive, because this is Neil Malherbe's first novel. Neil will be speaking about his book at a meeting in Gauteng on 2 July. Later this year SCBWI SA celebrates its 10th anniversary and we hope he will be able to come to the celebrations in Cape Town. 

To find out more about Neil you can go to his blog, or follow him on twitter at @NeilMalherbe

To learn more about SCBWI South Africa, go to their website here.

Thanks to both Elaine and Neil, and cheers to Neil for his Crystal Kite win for "The Magyar Conspiracy!"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

The 2013 Crystal Kite Winner Profiles: Houston, Texas' Lynne Kelly (for "Chained")

The 2013 Crystal Kite winner for the Texas/Oklahoma region is Lynne Kelly for her middle grade novel, "Chained" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.)

Crystal Kite Winner Lynne Kelly (and a friend)

I connected with Lynne to find out more...

Lee:  Please tell us about your book! 

Lynne:  Chained is a middle-grade novel about 10-year-old Hastin, who leaves his desert home in Northern India to work at a run-down circus as an elephant keeper to pay off his family's debt. He and the elephant, Nandita, become best friends, and Hastin soon realizes they're not going to be allowed to leave. He protects Nandita from the cruel circus owner and trainer as best he can, while trying to find a way to escape with her and return to their own homes, even though it will mean saying goodbye to one another.

Lee: How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you've gained by being a member?

Lynne:  I started going to Houston SCBWI meetings and found a critique group in 2006, shortly after I started writing. I didn't know much about writing or publication, so I couldn't have done this on my own. Without the information I got from the meetings and the feedback from my critique partners, the book would be nothing more than a nice idea for a story on a Word document. I still attend the meetings and conferences and learn new things all the time.

Lee:  Do you have any advice to share with other children's book writers and illustrators?

Lynne:  Yes, read a lot! Reading great books helps us absorb good storytelling skills, and it's good to know what's being published now, too. Also, keep small notebooks with you for when you find that you have a little time during the day to write; you might not be able to carve out huge chunks of time to sit down at the computer, but a few minutes here and there adds up. Find a good critique group and listen to the feedback they give you about your work; you don't have to take every bit of advice they give you, but at least consider it. And if you're hearing the same feedback from multiple people, they're probably on to something. Do your research when it's time to submit to editors and agents--there are plenty of online resources for finding reputable agents and editors appropriate for your work.

I also contacted Vicki Sansum, Regional Advisor for SCBWI Houston, Texas, to learn more about their region and Lynne's win...

There are over 300 members in the Houston chapter. We have monthly meetings with a speaker; topics include writing all types of genres, illustration, how to market a book, social media, etc. We're lucky to have a lot of wonderful volunteers who help organize our events such as our annual conference which has close to 200 attendees. There are also smaller workshops during the year to help our members hone a particular skill such as website-building or novel-revision. Our members range from those who are just starting their writing/illustrating careers to those who are multi-published. Those with years of experience are generous with sharing their knowledge by speaking at our meetings, workshops and through critique groups. We're fortunate to have a vibrant group of talented folks that make up our fabulous chapter.

All of us were thrilled when Lynne Kelly's book, CHAINED, won the Crystal Kite Award for the Texas/Oklahoma region. Lynne is a long-time member of our chapter and is the designated "tweeter" for our group. If you read her blog or follow her on Facebook, you'll immediately get a taste of her wry sense of humor and laugh out loud at her observations of the absurd world around us. She has spoken at our monthly meetings sharing her expertise on social media and inspiring us with her path to publication of her first novel. When not at her day job as a sign language interpreter, Lynne is busy working on her next middle-grade novel which we are eagerly waiting to read! 

Find out more about Lynne at her website here.

Learn more about SCBWI Houston, Texas at their site here.

Thanks to Lynne and Vicki, and cheers to Lynne for her Crystal Kite win for "Chained!"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee