Kids Otter Read Day

Hillary Homzie, Patti Newman, Katherine Tillotson, and I had a delightful time together at Copperfield’s in Napa, California on Saturday. All in celebration of Kids Otter Read Day. Independent bookstores around the Bay Area joined in.Jorgen Gulliksen of the Napa Valley Register took the great photo with little Leah. Check it out at www.napavalleyregister.com

Kids Otter Read Day

Katherine Tillotson (When the Library Lights Go Out) designed this delightful flyer to announce our group's appearance at Copperfield's in Napa, California, as part of the Kids Otter Read Day around the Bay, May 16th from 1-3 p.m.. Hillary Homzie (Things Are Gonna Get Ugly), and Patricia Newman (Jingle the Brass) will join Katherine and myself with readings, activities, and treats! Spread the word and if you're near Napa, please stop by and join the fun! I'll be reading from my latest book, "Roar of a Snore".

Wisconsin SCBWI Spring Luncheon

Kendra Levin, Viking editor, was our inspiring speaker at the luncheon.

Wisconsin SCBWI Spring Luncheon

Wonderful Wisconsin & Marvelous Missouri

Author visits are such fun in so many ways. I did presentations as well as lots of writing funshops during my April sojourn. I was interviewed on a St. Joseph television station. I reconnected with wonderful acquaintances, a high school friend, and my niece. I attended the SCBWI Wisconsin spring luncheon, which was lovely. Viking editor Kendra Levin spoke and was smart, warm, and gracious. Here's a link to one teacher's blog, where she shares photos of my visit: www.konitzer.blogspot.com.

Wonderful Wisconsin & Marvelous Missouri

Wisconsin and Missouri School Visits

Just returned from a wonderful two weeks of school visits in Wisconsin and Missouri. I usually do presentations and just a few writing workshops, but this trip, I did lots of writing workshops with groups from K to 8. I had a wonderful time!

I always talk about ideas for stories and also how an idea isn't a story, but needs well-defined characters and a strong plot to become a story. In my thank you notes from some of the younger students, they shared some of their ideas for stories:

The pencil that talks. (I might steal this one. :-) )
What you need to know about dinosaurs.
Learn the Spanish alphabet.
Babies attack me and my family. (Intriguing...and scary!)
Healthy foods. (Love this girl.)
A silent world. (Could this child be craving silence in this noisy world?)
A cupcake land. (Yum.)
Aliens versus robots.
The attack of the giant tarantulas. (HELP!)
Robot monkeys in space. (Brilliant.)

Wisconsin and Missouri School Visits