Tag Archives: dream of night

Great Readers/Great Writers!

As a writer, I’m often asked to come to speak to schools or to groups of young people, and it’s always an honor, and often very inspiring for me.  A couple of weeks ago I traveled to Lancaster, Kentucky and spoke to three different groups of young writers from several different counties:

The Fire Writers

Writer’s Express

The Clark Moores Middle School Pencil Breakers

Wow!  What cool names.  And what cool kids!  They all sat and listened intensely as I read the first chapter of Dream of Night, and then they had some truly terrific questions ready for me.  Obviously these three different groups were serious about books and reading and writing, and that’s something that’s just so awe-inspiring to see in this day and age when  there are so many distractions.

Thanks to Beth Dotson Brown for inviting me to speak, and thanks to those awesome girls for being who they are.  Keep reading, keep writing — and as I noted in your books — keep dreaming, because once upon a time I dreamed about being a writer, and I’m here to tell you that dreams really can come true!

In memory of Linda Sanders-Wells

Linda and I met three years ago at Books by the Banks, the annual Book Fair in downtown Cincinnati.  We’d been randomly thrown together, as you always are at these events:  two — possibly three — authors sitting side by side for a solid eight hours, smiling till your cheeks ache, signing books till your hand hurts, answering questions, pitching your story over and over again, hearing your table mate pitching her story over and over again to parents/grandparents continually strolling by, unsure of what type of book they want to buy for their child/grandchild.

I’ll be honest.  You don’t always get along with your table mate at these events.  You are always cordial, of course, always polite.  But by the end of the day, you are often tired of hearing about the book the other writer is selling, and when you pack up and say, “Oh, let’s keep in touch,” you don’t always mean it.

This was not the case with Linda Sanders-Wells.  Over the course of that day, as we began to really talk, to exchange stories and experiences, we just clicked.  When we both said, “Let’s keep in touch,” there was no doubt that we would.

In this modern world, it’s easy to keep in touch, but it’s harder to actually spend a lot of quality time together.  I’m sad to say that over the past three years I did not see Linda as much as I would have liked.  We lived three hours away from one other; we were both busy with work and family and writing. But in that time Linda became somebody I knew I could go to for advice and encouragement.  She was smart and funny and self-deprecating and wise.  She was a writer, a true writer.  She had a way with words.  She had a lot of stories inside her; she had a lot of stories left to tell.  I was hoping more of her work would be published.  I still am.  She had/has a voice that needed/needs to be heard.

Here is a picture I took of Linda at my favorite bookstore, The Blue Marble, in northern Kentucky.  She’d come in support (of course) of my latest book, Dream of Night.  When I went back last week to look at the photos, I couldn’t believe I didn’t have a picture of the two of us together from that day.  But I’m so glad I at least have this one:  a photo of Linda surrounded by something she loved — books.

 

 

I will keep you in my heart, Linda.  I will remember you always.  Thank you for your friendship.

 

 

Here is a cut and paste of the obituary which appeared in Cincinnati newspapers, along with the link:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20111101/NEWS0104/111020315/Linda-Sanders-Wells-54-children-s-author

MADISONVILLE – Linda Sanders-Wells introduced herself on her blog this way: “I’m a writer. Since my first poem at about age six, I’ve been trying to put stories into words in a way that would connect with other people.”

Ms. Sanders-Wells, 54, died Oct. 20 at home after a long struggle with breast cancer.

In her 33 years in the publishing industry, Ms. Sanders-Wells wrote for companies ranging from the Louisville Times to Mademoiselle Magazine to F&W Publications.

Most recently, she was a communications consultant for Cincinnati-based KnowledgeWorks Foundation, devoted to improving results in secondary education. Her friend Carri Schneider called Ms. Sanders-Wells a model of “how to live a life of joy, acceptance and loving kindness.”

Ms. Sanders-Wells’ passion was as a children’s book author and editor. Like the best writers, she drew on her own experiences to tell a larger story.

She had great success in 2009 with her children’s picture book “Maggie’s Monkeys,” about a little girl who believes a family of monkeys has moved into the refrigerator.

Ms. Sanders-Wells told her fans “Maggie’s Monkeys” was inspired years ago by living with her daughter Abigail’s “invisible-to-us friend.”

Ms. Sanders-Wells had her own invisible monkey friend as a child, when her family lived in Central America, “where some children had actual monkeys. And yes, it lived in the refrigerator. Not the family refrigerator, but my toy one.”

“Maggie’s Monkeys,” a Junior Library Guild selection, is included in the Bank Street Best Children’s Books of 2010 and was on the Master List for the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards for 2011. It won raves from teachers, librarians, parents and kids.

The book celebrated what Ms. Sanders-Wells called two powerful forces: love and imagination. She was “thrilled – and humbled” to meet fans at events like Cincinnati’s Books at the Banks.

A devoted member of a local children’s book writing group, her good friend and colleague Sally Derby of Cincinnati called Ms. Sanders-Wells “an old soul,” and said her stories delved deeper than the regular children’s book.

“I still have hopes her other books will be published,” Derby said.

Filmmaker and author Eunice Charlton-Trujillo of Cincinnati has dedicated her next book, which will come out in 2012, to Ms. Sanders-Wells.

“I decided long before she was sick,” Charlton-Trujillo said. “Linda was very inspirational and an incredible motivator for me to keep writing. She had faith. She believed in people.”

Ms. Sanders-Wells wrote: “The special books we encounter as kids go straight to our hearts. That’s why I write for children. In the hope that perhaps something I have to say will register with one other person.”

There are plans under way to publish at least one other of Ms. Sanders-Wells’ manuscripts. “Sometimes Friends,” which explores how friendships are made, will be published by Charlton-Trujillo and Sanders-Wells daughter, Abigail, 17.

It’s a book, Charlton-Trujillo said, that will change young lives.

In addition to her daughter, survivors include her partner of 24 years, Howard Wells; her parents, Robert and Sue Sanders of Indianapolis; two brothers, Neal Sanders and Alan Sanders, both of Chicago; and a sister, Laurie Sanders Squire of Chicago.

A memorial and celebration will begin 5 p.m. Nov. 10 at Grailville, 932 O’Bannonville Road, Loveland. For directions, www.grailville.org or 513-683-2340.


 

 

 

Dream of Night nominated for Truman Readers Award!

I just found out that Dream of Night was nominated for Missouri’s Truman Readers Award.  My friend Catherine Balkin over at Balkin Buddies (http://balkinbuddies.blogspot.com) gave me the good news this weekend, and I’ve only now had a chance to put it up.

Catherine, who worked with me at HarperCollins many years ago, is always one of the first to know about awards lists, and I’m really grateful to her for letting me know!

Here’s the info about the award:

Missouri Association of School Librarians’ four Readers Awards represent the best current youth literature available to students of different grade levels.  Every year, MASL’s Readers Award Committees work to create a preliminary list of titles that are read and voted upon by groups of Reader/Selectors to create the final list of nominees.  Titles on the final list are then read and voted upon by students across Missouri to determine the recipients of the MASL Readers Awards. The Truman Readers Award are for grades 6-8. The other three awards are the Show Me Readers Award (Grades 1-3), Mark Twain Readers Award (Grades 4-6), and Gateway Readers Award (Grades 9-12).

Wow, Two on One List!

I’m really excited to announce that not one, but two of my books, Dream of Night and That Book Woman, are both finalists for the 2011-2012 MD Black-Eyed Susan Book Award.  Yay!  (Black-eyed susans happen to be one of my fav flowers!)

Thanks to Catherine Balkin for letting me know about the announcement and for posting it on her wonderful blog:  http://balkinbuddies.blogspot.com.

It also happens that Catherine allowed me to guest blog on her site recently, and I wrote about how thrilled I was to receive a fan letter from a class in France.  In the letter the students had written an imagined scene (in French) between Cal and the Book Woman.  How creative!  Below is a picture of the class holding La Dame des Livres.

Merci to the students — and to Catherine — for allowing me to be a guest on her blog.


Dream of Night on Vermont Master List!

I’m excited to announce that Dream of Night has been selected to be on Vermont’s 2011-12 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Master List.

Here’s the info about the award:

First given in 1957, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award has honored quality literature for children for 50 years now.  Each spring, a committee of eight carefully selects 30 books to comprise the DCF Master List. After reading at least 5 books from the list, students then vote for their favorite titles the following spring.  The winning author is invited to visit Vermont to speak with children about the experience of writing such fine literature for such fine people.

Here is a link to the website that shows previous winners, and the current Master List:

http://www.dcfaward.org/index.htm

And here’s a link to my friend and colleague, Catherine Balkin’s, wonderful Balkin Buddies website and blog about books and writers.  She gives a lovely shout out to me and to Elizabeth Cody Kimmel.  Thanks a bunch, Catherine!!!

http://balkinbuddies.blogspot.com.

Dream of Night has gone Scholastic!!!!

I knew that Scholastic had picked up my novel, Dream of Night, for its book club, but I hadn’t seen the title in any of the flyers my son Daniel had brought home lately.  But then my friend, Rebecca, who is living in Japan right now emailed to tell me that her sons (who go to a Canadian School in Japan) had brought home their monthly Scholastic order form — and there it was!  Right on the front cover!  How cool!  What amazing placement!  Rebecca said, “Wow, you’re right below Gary Paulsen!  That’s a big honor!”  I couldn’t agree more!

A few days later I went to Daniel’s school book fair, and Dream of Night was right there on the shelf!  I actually purchased a copy — and my kids were like, “Um, Mom, why are you buying your own book?” — because the book is still in hardcover and it’s interesting to see the Scholastic paperback version.  I’ve been getting a lot of fan emails lately about Dream of Night, asking me questions about rescuing horses, etc., and I think the sudden renewed interest (the book was published last spring) is due to the book being available in Scholastic book fairs.  This is really exciting for me.  I grew up on Scholastic book fairs, and so it’s so cool to have my own books on that well known order form, available to kids all over — including Japan!

Kentucky Book Fair a Huge Success

I’ve been participating in the Kentucky Book Fair for almost ten years now, since my first book (YA novel, Making the Run) was published in 2001.  It’s always been a lovely event, with local school visits the day before, and a reception for authors the night before, and finally the event itself.  I always see it as a time to get to know new writers or become reacquainted with writers I don’t see very often.  It’s a great opportunity to talk to Kentucky writers whose work has deeply influenced my own, like Bobbie Ann Mason, Wendell Berry, Gurney Norman, George Ella Lyon.

This year, I met Heather Clay, who grew up in Kentucky and now lives in New York City (we have a lot in common!).  Her first novel is called Losing Charlotte (published by Knopf), and I’ve just started reading it, and the writing is lyrical and lovely, and the story is starting to grab me so that I know I’ll have trouble putting it down very soon.

I also got to see my old friend Maurice Manning, a guy I grew up with/made it through those crazy high school years with.  It’s interesting that we’ve both become writers, having grown up in a pretty small town.  Maurice is an amazing poet, and very prolific.  His latest book of poems is The Common Man, published by Houghton Mifflin.  I haven’t started to read it yet, but it’s on my bedside table — can’t wait to dive in!

A couple of other writers/books that really grabbed my attention this year:  I Wonder as I Wander:  The Life of John Jacob Niles by Ron Penn and How Kentucky Became Southern:  A Tale of Outlaws, Horse Thieves, Gamblers, and Breeders by MaryJean Wall, who was a turf writer for the Lexington paper for years.

I have a personal connection with John Jacob Niles.  He used to come visit my parents and hang out at the Pioneer Playhouse when I was little.  He once told my mother that she had one of the purest voices he had ever heard.  And he would often bring his dulcimer and sit with my mother and they would sing together, entertaining the dinner guests before the night’s show. For those of you who don’t know, John Jacob Niles is considered one of the most influential songwriters and balladeers of the American folk music tradition.  He is particularly known for collecting and documenting songs of Appalachia.

So…I probably ended up buying more books than what I “earned” selling books.  But that’s what often happens anyway when I’m surrounded by books and writers.  Have to support my fellow artists!

Sadly, it was a smaller turn out than usual.  The economy is definitely still hard hit.  People aren’t rushing out to buy books, let me tell you.  But the people who did come out to the Kentucky Book Fair this year — as is the case every year — were passionate about books and reading.  There are always a lot of parents who bring their kids, and that’s always so heartwarming.  Every parent I talked to during the fair said that they want to instill a love of books in their kids, and it’s obvious that they have already — and that makes it all worth while!

Here’s a picture of me at my table, taken by photographer James Sullivan.  Thanks James, for letting me use this!

And thanks, as always to Connie Crowe, who does SO very much.  Thanks to the folks at Joseph-Beth, especially my gals, Brooke and Rachel — you two rock!

Kentucky Book Fair

I will be at the Kentucky Book Fair on Saturday, November 13 from 9-5, selling and signing books along with 150 other authors — both from KY and from elsewhere around the country.  It’s a very cool event, one of the oldest book fairs in the country.  Please come to downtown Frankfort on Saturday and check it out.

Here are the facts, from the Kentucky Book Fair website:

The central purpose of the Kentucky Book Fair, Inc. is to bring writers and patrons together in celebration of their mutual interest and to promote awareness of the importance of writing and reading within the general public.  The Book Fair supports and encourages writers of all genres and uses proceeds from the Fair to benefit other causes associated with the promotion of reading and writing, especially libraries.

The Book Fair, now in its 29th year, is a one-day event, held this year, on the second Saturday in November (November 13, 2010).  The event takes place in Frankfort, the state’s Capitol City.  The Book Fair is operated by a non-profit independent board of volunteers, with co-sponsorship from the State Journal, Frankfort’s daily newspaper; the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, a state government entity; the University Press of Kentucky and Joseph Beth Book Sellers, Lexington, Kentucky.  Several businesses and organizations in the state provide cash donations which are used for operating expenses.  This year’s event will be held at the Frankfort Convention Center.  Several symposiums are planned throughout the day as well.