Countdown to Haiku Hype Kids Poetry Contest: Meet Our Second Judge!

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.

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Heather Macht, author of YOU JUST MAY BE A DINOSAUR (Pelican, 2015), THE ANT FARM ESCAPE! (Pelican, 2018), and REX THE...WE DON'T KNOW (Pelican, 2019), is an active children's author who has been creating stories since the third grade! She earned her AA in fine arts from Florida State College at Jacksonville and held a career in the I.T. world before becoming a full-time writer and mom. Macht’s an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and lives with her family in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. In her spare time, she dwells in poetry and picture books and enjoys painting. For more, visit www.heathermacht.com.

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Do you think that you may be a dinosaur? If your claws puncture kickballs, you use a whole tree to brush your teeth, and your tail spikes always rip through your pants, it’s possible that you may just be a dinosaur. Apatosaurus chomps and Velociraptor romps in this hilarious, informative rhyming picture book. Bright illustrations show children the tail-thumping chaos a Spinosaurus could cause trying to find dinner in a refrigerator and why a T. rex should never, ever try to take the school bus. Featuring information on dinosaurs’ sizes, diets, health, and social lives, You May Just Be a Dinosaur is a prehistoric parade of the funniest, punniest, chummiest dinos you’ll ever see in the schoolyard.

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Stay tuned for the reveal of
​Mystery Judge #3

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