Council for Wisconsin Writers

Supporting Wisconsin writers from 1964 to 2022

Pat Schmatz

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Kudos to Wisconsin’s KidLit writers on July Successes

Sheri Bestor of Willow Words Literary Agency sends word that prolific children’s author Dori Chaconas, whose 25 books include the popular easy reader Cork and Fuzz series, was named by the Wisconsin Library Association’s Youth Service Section as 2016 Notable Wisconsin Author for youth literature.

In addition to her picture books and easy readers, Chaconas, who is a past CWW contest honoree, has written about the art of writing for children, which, Bestor says, the association’s Children’s Book Award Committee noted in announcing its selection.

YA author and 2008 CWW Children’s Literature Award winner Pat Schmatz has signed with Candlewick Press for a middle-grade novel, Once For Yes. Pat, whose previous books include Lizard Radio, Blue Fish, Mousetraps (CWW award winner), Circle the Truth and Mrs. Estronsky and the UFO, says the expected publication of Once For Yes is spring of 2018.

 

Award-winning illustrator and writer Ingrid Kallack, whose story “Sonia” won CWW’s 2008 Short Fiction Award, has illustrated the Norwegian-themed book Two Troll Tales From Norway, which retells traditional Asbjornsen tales by Magrete Lamond and is being released next month by the Australian publisher Christmas Press.

Miranda Paul‘s 10 Little Ninjas, which will be available on August 9, is an Amazon Best Pick of the Month for August. 10 Little Ninjas follows closely on the heels of Trainbots, which hit book shelves in June of this year, Whose Hands Are These? released in March of this year, and Water is Water and One Plastic Bag, both published last year. In addition to her busy writing and book event schedule, Miranda is co-regional adviser for SCBWI’s Wisconsin chapter.

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A Couple of Book Launches Coming Up

Here are announcements from Wisconsin’s children’s authors about launches for their new  books:
Pat Schmatz
My book birthday for Lizard Radio is September 8, and the launch party will be at Addendum Books in St. Paul on September 18. Here’s the FB link:  https://www.facebook.com/events/414449535412991/  
See Pat’s website at http://www.patschmatz.com/ for information about this and Pat’s other books.
 Debbie Hembrook and Kate Heling
CLOTHESLINE CLUES TO SPORTS PEOPLE PLAY … is the companion book to CLOTHESLINE CLUES TO JOBS PEOPLE DO. We will be having a launch party on September 4th 6:30 – 8:00 at Martha Merrell’s Books in Waukesha, WI.
Here’s where to learn more about Debbie and Kate’s “Clothesline Clues” and other books at http://www.helinghembrook.com/Books/index.html.
 The Council for Wisconsin Writers at www.wiswriters.org  is a non-profit, tax-exempt, membership organization dedicated to promoting local, state, and national awareness of Wisconsin’s great literary heritage and to encourage excellence among today’s Wisconsin writers.

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Children's Book Group Seeks Diversity

The Wisconsin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is marking the one-year anniversary of the creation of its Diversity Committee with the first formal program devoted to diversity. A Diversity Intensive will be held on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, prior to WISCBWI’s annual Fall Conference that weekend at the Olympia Center in Oconomowoc.

“Seven Essentials of Writing and Illustrating for a Diverse Audience” presented by Tu Books Editor Stacy Whitman is the introductory 9-10 a.m. session. That session is mandatory for everyone wanting to attend one of two breakout sessions. Illustrator/author Dan Santat will address “Art School In Two Hours” from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

“Usually the best way to improve as an artist is to be smarter with design,” says Santat, whose Beekle, The Unimaginary Friend won this year’s Caldecott Medal and who has a long list of awards for the many books he has written and/or illustrated. He calls this session “A crash course into color theory, symbology, composition, creating art with a narrative, typography, and marketing.”

During approximately the same time slot (10:30 a.m.-noon) author Eleanora Tate will present “Tate’s Great Black, White, Brown, Red and Wheelchair-bound Yellow Brick Road to Reading and Writing” from 10:30 a.m.-noon. “In recent years, numerous literary, educational and scholarly groups and organizations have developed “Best” lists of what they deem to be outstanding children’s, young adults’ and diverse books. Unfortunately, these lists don’t seem to please everyone, including me, when my books are not on them. In this workshop, I’ll discuss my own Tate’s Greats list of “Best” books and my criteria for why they made MY list. I’ll also offer Tate’s Great Eight Tips for writing appealing children’s books.

Says Committee Co-Chair Pat Schmatz, author of Lizard Radio, Bluefish, Mousetraps, Circle of Truth and Mrs. Estronsky and the U.F.O. about the program:  “Who’s it for? Humans who want to write and/or illustrate for younger humans.”

Committee Member Jamie A. Swenson, author of Boom! Boom! Boom!, If You Were A Dog and Big Rig says: “You may be sitting there wondering if diversity affects you and your writing/illustrating. I believe it does – and if you’re feeling unsure of how to approach the topic – please consider attending this intensive. Our faculty is stellar; our community is strong. Why shouldn’t WI help lead the way to more diverse stories? We have certainly been leaders in many other areas, why not this one too?”

The cost varies from $20 for SCBWI members attending the conference to attend session one only, to $115 for non-SCBWI members to attend both sessions, but not attend the weekend conference.

Diversity.rev

For more information about the session or how to register, please contact Pat Schmatz at schmatz5@gmail.com.

For information about the Council for Wisconsin Writers, please visit the CWW website at www.wiswriters.com.

 

 

 

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Children's Writers' Good June News

Here’s what’s been happening on the children’s book publishing front during the past month:

The hard-cover edition of Ann Bausum‘s Stonewall, which was released in May, has earned starred reviews and is now sharing the spotlight with the audio book production from Listening Library. Ann reports that her fellow author Tim Federle, who narrated the audio book, has earned an Earphones Award for his performance from AudioFile magazine. The reviewer notes: “…Bausum’s account of the gay rights movement…is told with heartbreaking candor, and Tim Federle’s narration wrings all the emotion from this gripping history. With vocal intensity that is by turns fearful, angry, or touching….”

Ann and her fellow Wisconsin writer, Bridget Birdsall, winner of CWW’s 2014 Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award for her YA novel Double Exposure, will be at  Madison’s west side Barnes and Noble on June 11 to read, talk, and sign their books. The public is invited to attend: Thursday, June 11 at 7 p.m., B&N in West Towne Mall, 7433 Mineral Point Road. “Our event coincides, quite happily, with GLBT Book Month (the timing of which can be traced back to the events I write about in Stonewall),” Ann says. 

Becky Wojahn‘s Malcolm at Midnight won the Kansas William Allen White Children’s Book Award. She plans to be in Kansas in October for the award presentation. Malcolm is one of the Wisconsin Golden Archer nominees for the next school year.

Sheila Cohen has a middle school biography of Wisconsinite Sterling North published by the Wisconsin Historical Society coming out this coming October. Sterling North  wrote many books and was literary critique at the Chicago Daily News for many years, but his claim to fame for kids is that his book RASCAL  was made into a Disney movie in the 1960’s.

Pat Schmatz got a star from Kirkus for Lizard Radio (coming out this fall).  Among other things, it says:   Sophisticated, character-driven science fiction, as notable for its genderqueer protagonist as for its intricate, suspenseful plot.

“Nobody has ever accused me of an intricate plot – or any other kind of plot – before so I guess using The Plot Whisperer and making all those $#@#$@ charts and diagrams paid off.” Pat says. “And it’s a surprise to me to learn that it’s science fiction, but I’ll take it!
Janet Halfmann‘s Little Skink’s Tail is on the Just Read Florida: 2015 Summer Recommended Reading List for the seventh year in a row.

JoAnn Macken‘s  Baby Says “Moo!” is out as a padded board book.

Lisa Moser‘s Squirrel’s Fun Day has been selected for the summer reading lists by the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Library.

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Children's Authors Appearing at WSRA

Wisconsin children’s authors Ann Angel, Bridget Birdsall, Stephanie Lowden, JoAnn Early Macken, Julie H. Mata, Miranda Paul, Gayle Rosengren, Pat Schmatz, Andrea Skyberg, Jamie Swenson, Sandy Brehl, and Janet Halfmann will be at the Wisconsin State Reading Association conference  this Thursday and Friday (Feb. 5 and 6) at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, and signing their books at the Anderson’s Bookshop Naperville and SCBWI-Wisconsinin area of the Exhibits area. 

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Wisconsin Children's Author Becomes Golden Kiter

The first of each month is when members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’s Wisconsin’s Chapter post their good news of the month on the SCBWI-WI listserv, which I then post on this blog.

Pat Zietlow Miller’s news is just too great to be lumped with other good news, wonderful as all of that news is, so here is Pat’s news:

She has won the 2014 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for picture-book text for her book, Sophie’s Squash.  Pat, earlier this year, joined the ranks of other recent Wisconsin writers, including Ann Angel and Pat Schmatz, who have won SCBWI regional Crystal Kite Awards.  http://www.scbwi.org/2014-golden-kite-winners/

Pat will add her Golden Kite to other honors her debut picture book has won, which include:

  • The Ezra Jack Keats Honor Book Award for new writers whose work celebrates the diversity in our culture.
  • The Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book Award for picture book writing, presented by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) and honoring author of more than  70 picture books.
  • The Juvenile Literature Award,sponsored by the Friends of American Authors, a group that recognizes emerging writers.
  • 2014 Cybils Award Finalist.

Sophie’s Squash also has received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

Congratulations to Pat!