Hello, ravishing readers!

Hooray, you found your way to the Oasis ― it's great to have you visit! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost!

Now, get those smiles ready and get comfy and cozy for a fantastic chitchat because today we have another spectacular creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Christy Mihaly is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! 

Welcome, Christy! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication.

A: Thank you for inviting me, Rosie. I love your blog's name—I can just picture all these lovely kidlit people chatting around the watering hole—and I'm happy to share my path to publication. But I have to warn you, there's no blockbuster drama here, just many small steps.
 
Although I always loved to write, when I was in college I didn’t think of writing as a career. I went to law school. Then I got busy being a lawyer for a couple decades. After I had kids, I started dreaming of becoming a children's writer, but I didn't have time.
 
       Getting Started
 
Fast forward to 2011. My husband, 12-year-old daughter, and I moved to Spain for a year (he had a teaching gig there). I decided to use that year to write. I'd taken a course with the Institute for Children's Literature, so I pulled out old stories I'd drafted for the course, revised them, and started sending them out to kids' magazines. Rejections rolled in. I kept subbing, and one day, I sold a story. For $5! I was SO EXCITED.
 
But wait. A month before my story was to be published, the magazine went out of business. I never got paid, and that story remains unpublished. And so it goes…
 
I made more submissions, received more rejections. Needing new material, I found story inspirations all around me—we were living in an unfamiliar country, after all! I wrote a story based on my daughter's experiences at school in Spain. I sent it out, and at last, someone accepted it. My story, "Hola, Amiga,"was published in a kids' online magazine.They didn't pay, but I had a writing credit. Woo!
​
What else could I write? I really like nonfiction, so I investigated the children's nonfiction magazines that announce themes for future issues. I began pitching ideas. Again, many were Spanish-themed. After some rejections, "AppleSeeds" liked one of my pitches and sent me my first assignment. I researched and wrote, and in 2012 the article was published. A few months later, I received an actual check. Yay!

            Upping My Game

At the end of our year abroad, I was committed to writing. I wanted to be a working writer—making enough money that I could quit my day job. That meant I had to up my game. I signed up for SCBWI and other writing organizations, joined a critique group, attended workshops and conferences and took online courses, made kidlit friends,and read hundreds of kids' books and magazines. I drafted and polished manuscripts: picture books, middle grade, proposals for longer nonfiction. I helped start a group blog (GROG) to blog about kidlit.

            Work for Hire

I also learned about work-for-hire writing. I sent out my resume and writing samples to educational publishers and book packagers, which hire people to write on assignment. That's how I wrote my first published book—under contract with a book packager in 2015. Though that book doesn't have my name on the cover, my name was on the checks!
I kept working to improve my writing, created more stories, and collected rejections—too many to count. I also kept doing work-for-hire. This gave me the opportunity to team up with great editors, learn best practices for research and nonfiction writing, and get books published.
 
             More Books
 
I also continued attending conferences, bringing my manuscripts for editor critiques. I started submitting to agents. I teamed up with a critique partner, Sue Heavenrich, to write a nonfiction book proposal. Eventually, at conferences, I connected with two different editors. The first made me an offer for a picture book manuscript in 2015, which I accepted. In 2016, I signed with my agent, Erzsi Deak, and that same year signed a second book contract. In 2018, my first picture book,Hey, Hey, Hay! (A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them) was published by Holiday House (illustrated by Joe Cepeda). Later that year, Lerner published the nonfiction YA that Sue and I co-wrote, Diet for a Changing Planet: Food for Thought.
 
My second illustrated picture book is coming soon, and I've got some manuscripts in the pipeline. Meanwhile, I still like work for hire. In fact, that's what has allowed me to quit my day job. I've written more than twenty books for the educational market. I'm particularly proud of the recent series "Shaping the Debate," which helps middle- and high-schoolers analyze the complexities of topics such as Human Rights, Climate Change, and Freedom of the Press.
 
So that's where I am on my kidlit journey—so far! I'd be happy to answer questions if you leave them in the comments. I know I wouldn't be here without a lot of support and help from other book creators, editors, and mentors all along the way.
 
Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated?

A: My big challenge: The Wait.The Wait comes in many versions… When I have submitted a manuscript: The Wait to hear back. If a picture book manuscript sells: The Wait for an illustrator. If good news arrives: The Wait for an announcement. Once a book is completed: The Wait for book reviews, The Wait for publication, The Wait for the sales numbers. Sigh. I am working on patience.

What's most rewarding: School visits. This surprised me, because I used to believe nothing could be better than research and writing. But I've learned that visiting schools and talking to kids about books makes this book creation work we do even more meaningful. And I love seeing kids read (or listen to) my books.

What helps me stay motivated? Deadlines! I may be weird here, but I love due dates. I'm at my most productive when juggling multiple deadlines on different projects: I might be working to complete a magazine assignment, a pitch, a school presentation, revisions requested by an editor, and an outline for a new book. Honestly, without deadlines, I get anxious. In fact, if I am not facing an editorial deadline, I'll set one for myself: Send book proposal to Erzsi by next Friday—or else! There's nothing like a good deadline to produce a surge of writerly adrenaline.

Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like?

A: You've probably heard that revision is the heart of writing. It's true! Your first draft gets words onto paper, but it will need work, usually a great deal of work. My advice: Have fun with revising. Let your self play. Experiment! (Also—ahem—save all your drafts and revisions. You never know which version you'll want to return to.)
When revising, it's important to re-think big issues, so you're not simply polishing the language. One trick I use to bring a new vision to revision is to rewrite from a new point of view. Perhaps change your POV character, or shift from third person to first person. You may not keep these alterations. But when you rewrite from a different point of view, you'll see new aspects of your piece that may help you improve it.

Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

A: March will be a big month! March 1 is the release date for my picture book, Free for You and Me: What Our First Amendment Means. This book introduces young readers to the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, and the press, the right to peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government), using poetry, historical vignettes and a contemporary story. It is illustrated by Manu Montoya and published by Albert Whitman. I'm looking forward to seeing FREE out in the world and sharing it with kids around the country during this election year.

I'm also helping organize amid-March bookstore event, Celebrating New Nonfiction Kids' Books, with my local indie bookseller Bear Pond Books. We'll share some exciting new and forthcoming NF books. At the end of the month, I'll be heading to KidLitCon 2020 in Michigan. I'm on a panel with author Keila Dawson and poet Shawntai Brown of the Detroit organization Inside Out Literary Arts. We plan to share techniques for bringing poetry and picture books into classrooms.

What else? I'm open to ideas, inspirations, and assignments. And if you're still reading this, thank you—may you find success on your own journey.

Thank you, Christy, it was great chatting with you!

Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books.

I hope you enjoyed this post — comments and shares are appreciated. Thank you!
 
Connect with Christy Mihaly

Website: www.christymihaly.com
Twitter: @CMwriter4kids
Instagram: @christymihaly

Thank you for joining us, dear friend. Please briefly describe your journey to publication.

A: Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Rosie. I love to share my defining moment – the event that plunged me into the kidlit world – because it definitely caused me to turn the page to a new chapter in my life and I always hope it will inspire others to follow their dream.

On my 64th birthday, my son took me skydiving and my view of the world changed. 😉 When my feet touched the ground, I knew that if I could jump out of a perfectly good airplane, I could do anything. And what I wanted to do at that point in my life was to be a writer for children. So, I jumped into the kidlit world the same way I had jumped out of the airplane…with my whole heart.

That was 2012…I joined 12x12, did Storystorm, participated in every writing challenge and contest I could find. I wrote, revised, joined critique groups…but the feedback from agents told me I was missing something. One agent said my OTTERS story (it had a different title at that time) was pure poetry…but not for him. Another agent liked the idea of my DYLAN MCGEE story, but he wondered if maybe I should write it in prose, not in rhyme. And still others didn’t like my voice. VOICE? What was that?

And that was when I decided it was time to take some picture book writing classes. I signed up for Susanna Hill’s Making Picture Book Magic, Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab, Mira Reisberg’s Illustrating Children’s Picture Books (no, I didn’t want to become an illustrator, but I thought it might help me with pacing and page turns and with understanding the role of the author and the illustrator 😊) as well as two other classes. Yup, five writing classes in one year…I was definitely a student in 2014…and you know what they say…when the student is ready, the teacher appears.

But honestly, that paid off because my writing improved. My voice became stronger. And I developed more confidence and submitted more. Submitting more was a key ingredient in my search for agent. But there is also an element of luck on this path to publication…Essie White created a submission list for Sweet Dreams, Sarah and within two months, by December 2015, we had a signed book deal. However, even though she continued to submit more of my manuscripts, we didn’t get another book deal until the end of 2017…and then we got three. That’s how this business is…you need patience and perseverance. Perseverance because you just have to keep trying. And patience because sometimes the path to publication takes a very long time…that first book didn’t launch until April 2019. Happily, it recently received a Eureka Honor Award and also has been selected for the 2020 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Plus, it was made into an animated DVD and is being translated into French.
 
Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like?

A: Because I write a lot of nonfiction, I love YouTube for interviews, especially if the person I am researching had some celebrity status. Watching an actual interview of your subject can give you such a great picture of their personality. For my rhyming stories, I love Rhymzone.com. And of course, Thesaurus.com is a constant companion. My favorite technique is to write my pitch and/or one sentence AFTER I research my topic, but BEFORE I do much writing of the manuscript – it’s important for me to know what focus/direction my story will take. And I spend a lot of time crafting the opening lines – they are the doorway into the story – often providing a peek at the flavor/voice of the rest of the story. And my closing lines often circle back around and echo the beginning.

Revision? I embrace it…although sometimes it is painful. It’s difficult to make major changes once you get comfortable with your text…so I rely on critique buddies to point out places where change might make the story stronger. I revise LOTS of times…with the Ella Fitzgerald/Marilyn Monroe story, I did three major revisions, each for a different editor who had fallen in love with the manuscript, but wanted changes before they acquired it. And because of how this business works, even though you may revise successfully, the editor still might not be able to acquire the story. This happened to that story twice. Just the other day, one of my long-time critique buddies emailed me a copy of my first iteration of that story. Some things remained the same, but many were different.
​
Here's the first page of the original manuscript written in late 2014/early 2015 (Title: Standing Up for Friendship) and the first page of the revised one that became the book (Title: Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe).
​

​And here’s another tip – something I do without fail – read the manuscript aloud…and record myself. Then I listen back and can hear where I trip up or become disengaged from the story. If I lose attention, so will my young readers…and I can make revisions to ramp up the drama and improve the page turns.
 
Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

A: When I returned from last year’s round-the-world trip, I thought for sure that this year would be quieter. After all, last year I had three picture books debut almost at the same time…and this year I only had Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books, illustrated by Alleanna Harris) that launched on January 28. But things are still crazy busy…in all the best of ways. VOICES launched at a local Barnes and Noble in Nashua, NH and then the next day, I flew out to Chicago for an Author Night at the Lycee Francais Chicago where my granddaughter goes to school. Then I had an author chat and Q&A event at Andersons Bookstore in Naperville, IL and several school visits. Later this week, I leave with my son and his family for ten days in Barcelona and Madrid – and what luck…I have a manuscript about a Spanish sculptor who sold his clay figures on the steps of the Cathedral of Barcelona when he was eleven. It will be so much fun to do research in the field…I don’t often get to do that! There are also several other book events coming up…March 21 at the Silver Unicorn in Acton, MA and April 4 at Toadstool Bookshop in Nashua, NH…plus one coming up sometime in March at the Books of Wonder in NYC. Oh, and the Children’s Festival of Stories in Denver, CO on April 25.

An event I would LOVE to share with your readers, Rosie, is my #50PreciousWords Contest which I will hosting on my blog February 29-March 5…the prize list is PHENOMENAL…three editor critique opportunities, seats in writing classes, and lots of author critiques and picture books…there are over 20 prizes already! Last year we had 300 amazing entries…and I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s precious words. You never know what doors this contest will open…several entries from previous years are already on bookshelves all over the world. So please, everyone, follow your dream…because nothing is impossible if you can imagine it!

Encouraging as always, thank you so much, dear Vivian! What a great way to inspire  everyone as we end our chat on a high note!
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Please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books.
 
Comment on this post and share it on social media for a chance to win one PB critique ans one copy of our guest's book. Two lucky winners will be announced next week!

And the winner of our previous giveaway is... Shauntrell Leaks!
Shauntrell gets a copy of Nancy Churnin's Beautiful Shades of Brown, illustrated by Felicia Marshall. Congratulations!
 
Connect with Vivian:

Website: www.viviankirkfield.com
Twitter: @viviankirkfield

Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing, banana-boat riding, and visiting kidlit friend around the world. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the quaint village of Amherst, NH where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at conferences and on her blog, where she hosts the #50PreciousWords and #50PreciousWordsforKids Writing Challenges. She is the author of Pippa’s Passover Plate (Holiday House); Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book (Pomegranate); Sweet Dreams, Sarah (Creston Books); Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books); and From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). You can connect with her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, or just about any place people with picture books are found
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If you'd like to support my work, please order one of my books and/or invite me to your elementary school for an author visit.

Hello, radiant readers!

Hooray, you found your way to the Oasis ― it's great to have you visit! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost!

I know you're already smiling, but stretch your smiles even wider and get comfy and cozy for a delightful chat because today we have another awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Nancy Churnin is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, in celebration of her book's birthday, Nancy is giving away a signed copy of Beautiful Shades of Brown! 

Welcome,  Nancy, and Happy Book Birthday! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication.

NC: I was a longtime journalist when I promised my friend, Steve Sandy, who is deaf, that I would write a picture book about the great Deaf baseball player, William Hoy. I thought I would write it quickly as I do my newspaper stories. But I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I made the promise in 2003 and kept revising and getting rejected until I realized I needed, classes, critique groups and support groups. I got my agent, Karen Grencik, through Julie Hedlund’s 12X12. She sold The William Hoy Story and it came out in 2016, 13 years after I made that promise! I have now sold eight picture book biographies, two of which are coming out this year.
 
Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated?

NC: Every story presents its own unique challenges as you try to bring a life or story alive in a way that will resonate and find a special place in the heart of young readers. It can be difficult when you know you’re on the road to something good, but you haven’t quite figured out how to bring it across. The most rewarding part is when it all comes together and the story lives and breathes on its own and you have confidence sending it out into the world knowing that it will be a friend and support to a child. I love doing author visits where I share the book and can see a child’s eyes light up and feel a heart brighten. At a recent school visit, a child asked me if I could please write five new books this year. I said I would do my best. That is motivation!
 
Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like?

NC: I spend a lot of time thinking about what my character’s dream is – what he or she wants more than anything – what the challenges are and the actions my character takes to achieve that dream. I find it helpful to make a book dummy to make sure that my scenes are changing and moving and that there’s enough tension and forward movement in the story to make a child want to turn the page. In revision, I try to trim to the essence, to stick to the essentials. That’s a lot harder than it sounds because when you fall in love with your character, you have to fight the urge to go on and on and tell your reader all the wonderful anecdotes you have!
 
Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

NC: I’m thrilled to share that I have two picture book biographies coming out this year: Beautiful Shades of Brown, the Art of Laura Wheeler Waring, illustrated by Felicia Marshall, on Feb. 4 from Creston Books/Lerner Books and For Spacious Skies, Katharine Lee Bates and the Inspiration for ‘America the Beautiful,’ illustrated by Olga Baumert, releasing April 1 from Albert Whitman & Company.
​
Thanks again, Nancy! All the best with your wonderful kidlit work and we can't wait to see more beautiful and inspiring books from you!

Please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. Thank you!
 
Comment on this post and share it on social media for a chance to win a signed copy of Beautiful Shades of Brown. Winner will be announced on 2/11/20.

Connect with Nancy
website: www.nancychurnin.com
Twitter: @nchurnin

Nancy Churnin, a longtime journalist and former theater critic for The Dallas Morning News and The Los Angeles Times, is the award-winning author of eight picture book biographies, including Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing, a Sydney Taylor and National Council for the Social Studies Notable; Manjhi Moves a Mountain, winner of the South Asia Book Award, a Junior Library Guild and Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award selection, The William Hoy Story, on the Texas 2X2 and the state reading lists and Martin & Anne, on the Jewish Book Council’s recommended Civil Rights and Race reading list. She graduated with honors from Harvard University and has a masters from Columbia University in journalism. She lives in North Texas with her husband, a dog named Dog and two cantankerous cats.
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I hope you enjoyed this post and will be back for our next chat. If you'd like to support my work, please order one of my books and/or invite me to your elementary school for an author visit.

Hello, wonderful readers!

Hooray, you found your way to the Oasis―it's great to have you visit! This is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost!

Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a lovely chitchat because today we have an awesome creative on the KidLit Oasis series... Children's author Beth Anderson is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! 
​
Welcome, Beth! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication.

BA: Thank you so much for your invitation! After retiring from teaching, I set out to learn about the industry and go after writing for children. The local and online kid lit community has guided, taught, supported, encouraged, and offered up so many opportunities. Taking advantage of that has brought me to where I am. After 2+ years, I signed with an agent and am forever grateful I decided on that route. With the benefit of a knowledgeable advisor, I’ve been better able to take advantages of opportunities. After meeting an editor at a retreat and revising per her feedback, we submitted and soon had my first contract—An Inconvenient Alphabet. Though that all sounds so simple, there’s been tremendous time invested, much learning, and the usual bumps.

Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated?

BA: I think the most challenging part is crafting an irresistible premise and story that will grab an editor. And I don’t think that gets any easier – at least not so far. The most rewarding aspect is getting the books into the hands of kids, engaging their brains and hearts, and witnessing their joy in reading. Young readers are certainly motivators, but curiosity also drives me forward.

Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like?

BA: Finding a way to organize research (nonfiction can be an organizational challenge) and all the ideas that pop in my head as I write was extremely helpful. I did a blog post about it, and if you’re interested, you can learn more about that HERE. 

My revision process is long and varied! :) Lizzie Demands a Seat took more than 90 revisions, but this was largely due to my inexperience when I started it (2015) and also that many of the changes I made were minor revisions. Now I do a lot more “pre-writing” work as I plan and gather information and ideas in a spiral before I draft. I work through timelines, delve into characters and setting, plot the arc, and brainstorm special ways to tell the story. I’m also more willing to take a wrecking ball to the writing to experiment with structure and big changes. One of my favorite ways to revise is to print out the draft (one sided), lay it across the desk, and use highlighters to analyze arc, characterization, conflict, scenes, proportions, transitions, beginning and end, and more. I make notes all over it as thoughts pop on how to revise, and then start pulling in bits and pieces, moving text, reshaping, and reworking.

Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

BA: I’m very excited about upcoming events with the New York Transit Museum. I had sought help from their historian when I researched my Oct. 13 release, “Smelly” Kelly and His Super Senses, which takes place in the NYC subway in the 1930-40s, and then had a few questions in the final stages of Lizzie’s story. (It’s pure coincidence that I ended up with two 2020 books that deal with NYC transportation!) She shared the stories with their education coordinator, and they decided to create a family program around both books. So I’ll be in NY for the Elizabeth Jennings program on Feb. 20, and do an extra reading on the 21st. Then serendipity struck with a couple more opportunities while I’m there…stay tuned! 

Thank you, Beth, it was a pleasure having you! And huge congratulations on the recent starred review from School Library Journal for Lizzie Demands a Seat! ​Check it out here. 

Please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their books through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books.

I hope you enjoyed this post -- comments and shares are appreciated. Thank you!

Connect with Beth Anderson
website: www.bethandersonwriter.com
Twitter: @BAndersonWriter 

​Calling all elementary school teachers and librarians! FREE game and prizes for your classroom, mailed directly to you. No purchase necessary. 

Here's how it works: I will send you a package containing my Trivia questions or Two Truths and a Lie cards plus an assortment of charm necklaces and swag (as shown on the picture above, including signed postcards with inspirational messages) so you can play the games with your students. Are you in? Simply contact me to request your shipment and it'll be in the mail within three business days. That's it!

Ready to have some fun? Contact me today!

(Please read the fine print :))

Fine print: Trivia questions and Two Truths and a Lie will be about me or my books. No purchase necessary to participate, but please consider my books for your school library. Follow me on Twitter @RosiePOV to be eligible. Game will be active until supplies last, USA only, one package per school.

Thank you!

Use the contact form at the bottom of this page.

1st place
The Lovely Beach
by Jane T.  
 
Gentle, peaceful breeze
Frothing, foaming waves lapping
Against the calm sand
 
(K.B. Polk Center for the Academically Talented and Gifted, TX)
* * *
2nd place

Mark G. 4th Grade

A lovely sunset
Reminds me of my mother
Both are beautiful
 
(John Ireland Elementary, TX)
* * *
3rd place
Storms
by JI Carrillo
 
The dark, damp storm cloud
Destructive light burns the trees
Noises, it cries out
 
(K.B. Polk Center for the Academically Talented and Gifted, TX)
* * *
4th place 
Hippopotamus
by Toby L.

Hippopotamus
Eats a can of green bean soup.
He likes green bean soup!

(Van Elementary School, IN)
* * *
5th place
Summer
by Bryce F.

The warm, cool summer!
When kids play outside all day!
But it never lasts…

(Van Elementary School, IN)
* * *
6th place
Maximiliano R. 4th Grade

A peaceful evening
Sparrows singing together
With pretty feathers.

(John Ireland Elementary, TX)
* * *
7th place
Genesis E. 5th Grade
 
My mom, beautiful.
She is the best at loving.
She likes reading books.
 
(John Ireland Elementary, TX)
* * *
8th place
Fire
by Braelynn J.

Dancing with the wind,
Glowing all night in darkness,
Warming people’s hearts.

(Van Elementary School, IN)
* * *
9th place
Snow
by Isaac C.

A winter blanket,
It covers the icy ground.
It is beautiful.

(Van Elementary School, IN)
* * *
10th place
War
by Ricardo J.
 
Clouds made from ashes
Bombs of death and destruction
Power and money
 
(K.B. Polk Center for the Academically Talented and Gifted, TX)
* * *
First Honorable Mention
Dinosaurs
by James D. 3rd Grade
 
Dinosaurs are cool
Dinosaurs: awesome creatures
I want to see one

(George Mitchell Elementary School, Bridgewater, MA)
* * *
Second Honorable Mention
Emily P. 5th Grade

Mr. Estrada
Is the funniest of all
And he is the best!

(John Ireland Elementary, TX)
* * *
Third Honorable Mention
Emotions
by Annie P.

Sad, mad, happy, shy,
All the things that are inside,
To have and to feel.

(Van Elementary School, IN)
_______________________________________________________
And the Teacher/Librarian prize goes to . . .

My youngest child did the honors and picked the teacher to win the Starbucks gift card. Here's a picture of him drawing Shannon Anderson's name from
​the bag with the tickets.

                                         4/09 ― 4/27
     *Enter for a chance to win a Kindle e-reader for kids plus many more cool prizes!*

The day is finally here! The Haiku Hype Kids Poetry Contest is now open to submissions. Teachers and librarians can send in their students' entries (grades 3-5). Please read the guidelines carefully and follow all the steps. 

                                          Guidelines:

                            (The contest is open to students in grades 3-5)
 
1. Teachers and librarians can email submissions to: rosie.pova@yahoo.com with a subject line: HAIKU HYPE SUBMISSION [teacher's name] or use the Contact page form.
 
2. Entries should be typed in the body of the email or attached as Word doc. only, please. NO picture files and NO PDFs.
 
3. This one is optional, but strongly encouraged :). We would love to hear from teachers and librarians so please leave us a comment on this blog post and share your experience with the students writing their haikus, any challenges, memorable moments, funny quotes etc. We would love to know how this contest inspired the kids and what it was like for your class to participate. Thank you in advance for taking the time to leave a comment!
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*Teachers and librarians whose students participate  will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a $15 Starbucks gift card!
 
                            Overview: What is Haiku?

"Haiku" is a traditional form of Japanese poetry.  Haiku poems consist of 3 lines. The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables. The lines rarely rhyme.

Here's a Haiku to help you remember:

I am first with five
Then seven in the middle --
Five again to end.

Because Haikus are such short poems, they are usually written about things that are recognizable to the reader. Animals and seasons are examples of recognizable topics children might enjoy exploring. (Source: http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm)

                           Make Us Feel the Haiku Hype!
                          The following will be the judging criteria for the submissions:

1. Write about something familiar: nature, seasons, animals, objects etc.
2. Write your haiku in a way that will evoke a strong emotion in the reader
3. Let your haiku poem create a vivid image or capture a special moment or action
4. Make sure your haiku has 3 lines with 5-7-5 syllables (I know the modern haiku is changing and is more "relaxed" but we are sticking with the traditional form for the purposes of this contest. If you'd like, you can review haiku variations in class with your students.)

                                                                                         * * * 

As the founder of the Haiku Hype contest I must be feeling the haiku hype myself, correct? And I am! So let me share a couple of my latest haiku poems with you:

                                                        Jump and splash – what fun
                                                      Puddles always make my day
                                                                I'm a mud magnet

                                                                               # # #

                                                          Your paws in my hands
                                                       A lick on my runny nose –
                                                           You are a true friend

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Download the Haiku Hype flier for your classroom below:

​Rosie J. Pova is a multi-published Amazon best-selling children's author, poet, and the founder of two children's writing contests―KWEST and Haiku Hype.
​
Her latest picture book, Cybils Awards nominated, Sarah's Song, illustrated by Emma Allen, was the Kirkus Reviews Editors' pick in February 2018. Kirkus also called it "a heartwarming book."
 
Sarah's Song (ages 4-8) is a story of a granddaughter coming to terms with her grandmother’s failing health and how that affects the special bond the two share through dancing and singing.

Rosie's other works include, If I Weren't with You (ages 4-8) which is on the SCBWI Official Recommended Reading List for TX/OK and a humorous sci-fi middle grade novel titled, Hailey Queen Pranking Makes Perfect: The Alien Encounter (ages 8-12).
 
Rosie is passionate about writing in a manner that will impact her readers. She loves visiting schools to encourage children to read, write, get in touch with their creativity, and inspire them to dream big and follow their passions.
 
No matter what kind of story she writes―funny, sweet or silly―Rosie hopes to move her readers and warm their hearts. Learn more about Rosie's school author visits here.

To order Rosie's books, click on the covers below.

I am so happy to have this wonderful lady join the team! Poetry is in her blood and I'm grateful that she'll be helping me with the contest.

Let's meet my third guest-judge, children's author and poet, Jennifer Cole Judd!

Before we get to Jennifer's interview and learn what she's up to and what advice she has for the young poets, I'd like to remind you that the contest is not open yet. You can certainly have your students start writing their haiku, but send us your entries when the contest opens on Monday, 4/09/18 and no later than 4/27/18.
Here's Jennifer Cole Judd!

1. Are you excited about being a judge on the Haiku Hype Poetry Contest for Kids? How do you feel about helping kids get inspired to write?

Yes, absolutely! I love writing poetry, and haiku are so much fun to write. I especially love motivating kids to find their inner poets. I have done several poetry workshops and presentations at schools to inspire a love of poetry in kids; poetry packs a punch in a small space, so it's a great way for kids to express themselves and share emotions, ideas, and messages in a powerful way.

2. What advice can you give the students, teachers and librarians who might consider participating in the contest?

Read lots of haiku! Look around in your environment for inspiration. Lots of haiku are about nature, but you can write funny, thoughtful, or emotional poems on just about any topic. Think of things you love--sports, animals, a best friend, recess, a snow day, funny TV shows, teasing a sibling, ice cream. . . the sky is the limit. And whatever the topic, always think outside the box--be creative!

3. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as a writer. What are you currently working on and what are you looking forward to? What are your latest news that you can share with our readers?

I wrote poems as a young child, and have been writing children's poems for many years for magazines such as Cricket, Spider,  and Highlights High Five. I have two books published; one is an anthology of spooky poems, one is a picture book. I am currently working on several picture book manuscripts, two of which are out on submission right now. My picture book, Circus Train made Amazon's Holiday Toy List for 2017, which was exciting, and I am looking forward to having some poems published this year in Cricket magazine.

Thank you, Jennifer. I can't wait for the contest to open so we can start reading all the haikus the kids will write. Yay!

​As the circus train rolls into town, excited children and their parents get in line for their chance to experience the Big Top. Clowns paint faces and people scurry to their seats. Then the show begins, wrapping readers in all the wonders of the circus. Dancing elephants, flipping trapeze artists, and pie-throwing clowns captivate both young and old. Jennifer Cole Judd’s text is a treat for the ears with its simple, evocative rhymes, while Melanie Matthews’s delightful illustrations capture the fun and spectacle of the circus. Ages 2-6.

Soon it will be time to hop on the Haiku Hype train! As we all get ready for a fun ride, it's my pleasure to introduce to you our second guest-judge who will help me evaluate the submissions. She's a children's author and a poet who will bring her expertise to the team and offer her argument for picking the top favorite poems. In other words, I've got one more person to have a virtual pillow fight with when the time comes to select the winners :)

So, without further ado, please welcome Heather Macht! Here's a short interview with Heather where you can find out more about her, her work and read Heather's advice to the contestants:

Q: Are you excited about being on the judge panel of the Haiku Hype Kids Poetry Contest? How do you feel about helping kids get inspired to write?
 
A: Hi, Rosie! I'm very excited to be a judge on the Haiku Hype Kids Poetry Contest.  Not only is poetry my favorite thing to read, it's also my favorite thing to write. Needless to say, I'm SO excited to help everyone get inspired to write poetry and see what this talented group of kids comes up with! 
 
 
Q: What advice can you give the students, teachers and librarians who might consider participating in the contest?
 
A: My advice is simple: go for it! Getting creative and thinking outside the box is extremely fun and rewarding.  Not only will you flex your academic muscles (as you try to keep within the syllable count) you'll also boost your imagination. And, as Albert Einstein once said: "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." How can you argue with that? ;)
 
 
Q: Please tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as a writer. What are you currently working on and what are you looking forward to? What are your latest news that you can share with our readers?
 
A: My journey, I distinctly remember, started in the third grade when I turned a science project about dinosaurs into a creative writing assignment.  Of course, this was not approved by the teacher (and I may have gotten into a wee bit of trouble), but I continued writing and eventually got a book about dinosaurs published!
 
My first picture book, YOU MAY JUST BE A DINOSAUR, which mixes fun dino-facts with silly scenarios, was released in 2015. 
 
I have two more picture books: THE ANT FARM ESCAPE! and REX THE…WE DON’T KNOW, being released in 2019, and couldn’t be happier.
 
I have so many new stories in the works right now, and I’m really excited about them. Some of my favorites revolve around fun monsters, so stay tuned for upcoming news!

Thank you, Heather! I love how you persisted with your dino story and it paid off so wonderfully. And I completely agree with you and Albert Einstein about the power of imagination and where it can take you--the possibilities are limitless. I hope everyone takes your advice and just goes for it!

If you'd like to read some haiku poems by Heather, visit her blog here where she shared a haiku poem a day for Poetry Month in 2016 to celebrate nature and expression.