Current Scratch: Join Us!, Piney Woods Retreat, Local Events, Big News, & All About Middle Grade

Howdy, folks! There's something invigorating about the first cool spell of fall. Cooler weather seems to lighten the mood. Wouldn't you agree? It's time to plan your winter book projects. So put on a pot of chicken n' dumplings and let's get to writing and / or illustrating!

JOIN US

Read any good middle grade books lately? Five middle grade titles are among the ten books on the new longlist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature! 

Join us on Sept. 25 for a discussion of current middle grade titles, topics, and trends. We'll meet at 10 a.m. in the Science corner of the College Station Barnes & Noble. Come early for a gentle critique session that begins at 9:30.

 

B.V. EVENT

 

Piney Woods Retreat, Nov. 15-17, 2013 for writers and illustrators in the pines of East Texas at Lakeview Methodist Conference Center near Palestine, TX. This event is for working writers and illustrators who need time, space and encouragement to move forward with their works in progress. Additional information here. And you can register at Eventbrite.

LOCAL EVENTS

Sept. 26--Children's Literature Book Club, 4:30 p.m. at Arts Center, College Station, TX. Read The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech, plus any picture book illustrated by David Diaz.

Sept. 29--Fantasy author Cinda Williams Chima reading and signing, 4 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, College Station, TX

Oct. 26-27--Texas Book Festival, Austin, TX

Oct. 30--Schmooze: “Revisiting Revision”--10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, College Station, TX

Nov. 9--Sherry Garland’s book signing for Voices of Pearl Harbor, Barnes & Noble, College Station, TX  (time to be set around the football game)

Nov. 15-17--Piney Woods Retreat, Lakeview Methodist Conference Center, Palestine, TX (info above)

Dec. 3--Holiday Celebration, 7 pm. Location TBA

Dec. 7--Sherry Garland and illustrator Layne Johnson will sign Voices of Pearl Harbor at the National Museum of the Pacific War (Admiral Nimitz Museum), Fredericksburg, TX.

 

BIG NEWS!!

 

THE SOCIETY OF CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS DEBUTS THE SPARK AWARD FOR INDEPENDENTLY-PUBLISHED WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

The SCBWI is pleased to announce the creation of The Spark Award, an annual award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route.  The award is open to current writer and/or illustrator SCBWI members who have independently-published a board book, picture book, chapter book, middle grade, or young adult novel through an established self- publishing enterprise or individually self-published. 

SCBWI Executive Director, Lin Oliver, and President, Stephen Mooser, strongly believe that, “it is time that SCBWI recognize that there are new models for publishing. The Spark Award is one way we can reward those authors and illustrators who are pursuing independent and self-publishing in a legitimate and high quality way.”

 

Check out the SCBWI guidelines for the Spark Award here.

ALL ABOUT MIDDLE GRADE

 

Find out what MG titles are on the New York Times Bestseller list.

 

Author William Alexander on writing MG books.

 

Writer's Digest List of MG Literary Agents

 

Two agents discuss everything you wanted to know about MG.

 

A few differences between MG and YA.

 

And a few more differences between MG and YA.

 

 

The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily those of the SCBWI.