Book News

Thanks to the hard work of my amazing agent, Holiday House will publish my middle grade / tween novel: THE END OF THE LINE

I’m so excited! I got a few emails from friends prodding me to blog about the news. I don’t know why it has taken me so long. I guess, I feel like I’m always talking about it.

I heard about the possibility of an offer weeks before I posted my first hint. And during that time I kept my husband fully informed of the time in NY.

When the offer came, I called home and told my daughter one word (YES) and she knew. I told her to let her father know it was a VGWD (very good writing day). I hinted about it on one of my posts at Envisage photo blog

And went into even more detail with this photo when I signed the contract.

But it was important I wait for the countersigned contract before blabbing to the world.

Of course my mom, kids, and my first readers knew about it. And a few close writer friends. But, before I told everyone, I wanted to let my librarian know. I posted the story about telling her on the blue boards

I told my Kelly Milner Halls and Roxyanne Young at www.smartwriters.com because the ms took 2nd place in a WIN contest years ago.

And finally, I’m blogging about it.

During this process I have so much to be excited about. My first book will be published. YAY! Kids will read this book! The editor I will be working with is someone who wrote to me years ago (about another project) and I’m thrilled to start working on this novel with her. And Holiday House has long been a dream publisher of mine.

I have so many books published by Holiday House on my shelves. My bookshelves are arranged in a way that only makes sense to me. But the books that are most precious to me are on the highest shelves and they are behind glass doors. Of these are NF PBs, memoirs, historical books, books from my childhood and foreign language books I’ve picked up in my travels. The majority of the NF PBs are published by Holiday House. And, in time, my name will be on one of their books!

I don’t want this post to be all about me, or all about THE END OF THE LINE. The timing of this post works out perfect to congratulate the following people:

Siobhan Mitchell – recently signed with an agent and her work is going out on submission

Candy Gourlay’s debut novel TALL STORY sold to David Fickling Books Candy's v cool youTube video is here

Chris Cheng has been awarded the Lady Cutler Award for his service to children's literature.

Please visit their blogs and shout out your congratulations!

Frankfurt Book Fair 09

Frankfurt... a feast of books!






China was guest of honor this year. Ah....China, I lived in Jiangsu once upon a time



Making books



I blogged about this book's creation from Bologna 08, back when the paper engineers were still hard at work. So it was very cool to see the public enjoying the book.


Hella von Sinnen entertained a HUGE crowd in Hall 3 at the Egmont stand


To me, the kids are what it's all about & I really enjoyed how they got into the fair


I made it to the antique books this time



The Gourmet Area


The last is my favorite pic....kids enjoying books

Signs of Ireland

beware of wind











The tag line does not make me want to shop there!



Isn't it obvious?



Warning on the top of the rubbish bin becasue maybe some people thow something of value in there?



Why? What are they going to do?



Sometimes, I agree



stone upon stone upon fallen stone



my favorite



Don't try to trade your sports cards here!



Is that hour or hourS?

Happy New Year

September is a new beginning. I've always loved the first days of a new grade & even though I'm not returning to school, September 2009 has brought me many new things:

I joined a group of woman photographers (Envisage 365) and started posting a photo a day on 1 September - that's taking and posting a new photo each day. You can follow my pics at envisage2009 / angela

I started cooking every evening - it's a huge change and so far I'm doing great and no one is starving.

I re-entered revision land with my YA ~trying something new with the entire ms.

I started posting FB notes (there will be a verb for this soon, I'm sure - noting?)about health care. I want to be part of the global conversation on the issue and as a health care provider in the US and a consumer in many cultures, I feel like I have a lot to say. Read the first case study and leave any comments you wish to share.

What does the new year have in store for you?

La mia maestra d'italiano

This is Chiara.
She's 8 years old
And she's teaching me Italian
"Hello"

and....
~ sorry video of Chiara naming fruit somehow got cut to a single word "mele" ~
and....

that was about the experience of swimming in a swimming pool pool and then getting into a hot tub and then getting back into the pool again.
and...

goodbye

Introducing Buddy

This is Buddy



He is 14 weeks old and has been living with us for two weeks




He can already purr like our cat, fly from his perch to our hands and is starting to mumble

SCBWI LA

Richard Peck


Yes, I bought one.


The Amazing Lin Oliver

Numbers on the Scale

Got a scale to weigh our luggage (lots a books). Scales didn't work very well. The batteries went because who ever stored them stacked them on top of each other so they were constantly weighing themselves.

The photo I didn't take

The SCBWI conference hotel is on near the MGM studios in LA, and an upscale mall that does not have a Footlocker (much to the disappointment of my kids who won’t be getting the heelys and converse I promised them). The location is far from residential – but yesterday I was lucky enough to spot 4 boys on bikes.

They were age 10 – 12 sported big soled shoes, new jeans and rode bikes that were totally trashed. It gave the busy intersection a homey feeling. I’m a writer, I can’t help it, I studied them.

The boy who looked the youngest had a giant cigar (still wrapped in plastic) in his mouth. He was a character, a subject waiting to be photographed.

I made a sharp turn, grabbed my camera and zoomed it tightly to the sidewalk so I’d only need to lift it to get his profile. His head was down, hands pealing the plastic off his cigar.

I waited, thinking "Bring it to your mouth", got my camera (still hidden) ready.
And the light changed.

The cigar stayed in his hand now grabbing the handle bar.

I could have taken a picture of their backs. But I didn’t click. The picture I wanted was already in the past.

Costume Party

L to R Ellen Hopkins, Angela Cerrito, Kathleen Ahrens, Suzanne Gervay, Frances Plumpton, Cecila Yung, Kathleen Duey

SCBWI & Candy

After two trains and two planes and two trips through customs, I'm finally at the SCBWI conference in LA.

And already great things are happening. Catching up with old friends, plans to meet up with people I only know on line and today three authors who I LOVE and ADMIRE stopped me becase they wanted to talk to me!

And the best thing of all... I GOT CANDY! It relates to my candy post from long ago. I'm constantly amazed that people read my blog and comment here. Now... a blog reader who I admire who has a wonderful blog of her own brought me candy!!!





Am I lucky or what? Thank you, Steph!

10 x 10 Contest news!

If you entered my birthday 10x10 contest and haven't received an email from me, PLEASE write me at angelacerrito AT yahoo DOT com

All entries should have already receive either a critique of your ten lines or a request for a critique of ten pages.

Thanks to all who entered and to all of the birthday wishes!

Street Art

What do you say -- Artists? Or Criminals?

Kid Talk – waking up

My kid: Can I run on the treadmill?

Me: Treadmill? Didn't you just say you were tired?

My kid: Yes, how else do you expect me to wake up?

Love on the Metro

I really really liked the tatoo, so I snuck this shot while riding on the metro in Paris...

Voice Exercise

Try this:
Take a deep breath...no deeper....come on take a great big breath

Now as you exhale, count as fast as you can

keep counting fast fast fast super fast until you have to take another breath

How high did you count?

I got 78

This is an exercise my nephew's voice coach gave him.

Try it
& leave your number in the comment section

You know you're a writer when....

I told my youngest I would knit her a case for her new flute (the kids wear them around their neck during performances here)

She said, "Thanks, but what I really need is a script for a movie idea."

She went on to give me my assignment -
I think I can write about anything as long as I work in her new gold cat mask and give her sister a part that requires her to chew the fake blood tablets they bought last week...

(I think I'm going to keep my day job!)

10 x 10 Contest

My birthday is on the 10th!!!!

I would like to give a birthday present to my blog readers (who are writers).

The FIRST EVER July Tenth 10 x 10 contest

How it works:

You send me (email not to be posted on the blog) the first 10 lines of your ms

I will select winners for 10 page critiques (many winners...not sure how many until I read all of the entries.)

Please post a note in the comment section each time you send me an email and write 10 x 10 in the subject line of your email.

There is no limit to the number of times you can enter - so go ahead enter as many mss as you like.

I will send a brief critique of EVERY 10 line submission and I will notify those who win the critique by email.

Deadline? I'm going to be celebrating my birthday all weekend, so you can send your entries until dawn on Monday (that's when the w/e is officially over, right?)

My email? angelacerrito AT yahoo DOT com

Wild Wonderings

"Mom, there's something I'd really like to know."
"What?"
"Well, it's about w."
"W?"
"In English, why don't they call w double v?"

Sensory Walk

This is one of my favorite sensory motor activities for preschoolers










This was 15 stations but a sensory walk can have many more or as few as three or four stations.

It's fun for students to collect the materials for the sensory walk.

I loved the descriptions the kids used for the different textures. Best of all were the big smiles when the students made it to the end without help or when they "survived" stepping into something they really wanted to avoid.

Can you guess the area most of the children resisted stepping in?(cotton balls, feathers, leaves, soft spike balls, small sticks, big sticks, big stones, small stones, cork, pine cones, grass, mud, or water?)

Overheard: How do YOU say salsa?

A couple in the booth behind me at a family restaurant -

She said: You're saying it wrong. It’s not sal-SA, it’s SALsa. Say SALsa.

He said: sal-SA

She said: No, you’re not listening. SALsa.

He said: Sal-SA.

She said: Are you doing that on purpose?

He laughed. He said: No. God what difference does it make?

She said: When you say it like that you’re not even saying the same word. Just say SAL

He said: SAL

She said: Now “sa”

He said: “sa”

She said: Good now, SALsa.

He said: Sal-SA.

Pause

He said: Sorry. That’s just how I say it. So what?

She said: So, you can paint my house.

He said: You can paint my house.


What do you think? Does it matter?

If I can understand someone I don’t correct them.

Also I like to make up words. The other day I used “unintuitive” instead of counterintuitive - everyone knew what I meant. And instead of correcting me, someone said, “I like that word. I’m going to write it down and use it.” I warned her that it might not be a word. She said, “I don’t care. I’m using it."

Kid talk: The wine smells like…

I think I should call this post “kids say the grossest things!” We had guests over for dinner last night and there was a lengthy discussion between the adults about the wine. Each adult tried to convince me they smelled a sweet fruit or a flower fragrance in the wine. I wrote it off to the power of suggestion (and to eating outside surrounded by blooming flowers).
Finally the kids had to get into the mix and wine glasses were passed around the table.

Our youngest guest, a boy of five, reminded me of the character from The Emperor’s New Clothes. He stuck his nose in the class obviously expected to smell pears, caramel, or honeysuckle that everyone else was gushing about. He smelled –wine.

“Eww!” He said and pulled his head away fast.

“What did it smell like?” I asked. I had hope that I would finally get an honest answer.

“Snot!”

His older sister had to argue. “You can’t even smell snot. It’s inside your nose.”

But there was no swaying this kid. “I can smell everything that is inside my nose,” he said. “Especially snot. And that stuff smells just like snot.”

And the winners are...

Bish & Vijaya

Please e-mail me your address so I can send your copy of WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS by Fran Cannon Slayton. I know you will enjoy the novel as much as I did!

WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS by Fran Cannon Slayton

*Contest*Contest*Contest*Contest*Contest*Contest*

In the opening chapter of WHEN THE WHISLE BLOWS Jimmy reluctantly slips out of the house with his older brother in the middle of the night. It’s All Hallows Eve and their destination is the local funeral home. There they learn that childhood rumors are true. The town really has a secret group ‘The Society.’ And its members include their father and oldest brother.

Each chapter is engaging as the first and all take place on All Hallows Eve. Throughout the novel Jimmy attempts to puzzle out the mystery of his father. There is a palpable tension between father and son and Jimmy’s feelings for his father are a complicated stew of frustration, anger, desire, and fear. His emotions are so sharp, reading felt like eavesdropping.

One of Jimmy’s temporary solutions is to put a distance between him and his father. At the same time Jimmy is itching to get closer to his future. He can only imagine living the life of a railroader but his father insists times are changing. And this time, Dad is right.

Railroading life is changing for good. The town is slowly dying from the loss of jobs. And only a short time after his boyhood pranks, football tournaments, and family struggles, Jimmy finds a path for his future. But before that he figures out something that matters even more, his father.

Review notes:
1. I couldn’t shake the “This reminds me of something” feeling I got while reading WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS. I searched my mind. But came up with nothing. Old TV shows? No. A movie? None that I could think of. Another book? There is no other book like this one. Finally, it hit me.

Life.

WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS reminded me of real life. The complicated interplay between family members that exists everywhere.

2. When I first met Fran Cannon Slayton. I first met Fran at a SCBWI event. My friends and I were stragglers. Not wanted to leave the informal critique groups, we hung around reading, critiquing, and talking while other groups were breaking up.

Fran found us and joined in. We asked about her work and she was initially reluctant. “I have something I want to read,” she said. “But I just read it for the other group and I’m not sure.”

“Read it,” we insisted.

She read the first chapter of the novel that eventually became WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS and we were mesmerized. Wow. We all gushed over it. And then it hit us -she almost didn’t read it to us because of that mean other group.

“What did they say to you?” We wanted to know so we could defend her.

Shyly Fran shrugged her shoulders. “They liked it too,” she admitted. “But I wasn’t sure.”

**** CONTEST ****
I usually donate my review copies but this time I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Fran herself and I'm not giving it up.

Instead, I'm having a contest!

Two copies of WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS will be awarded to blog readers.

How: Write about traveling by train or living in a community with trains. Your sub can be fiction / creative nf / nf / memoir/ poetry. Do not to exceed 300 words!

Where: in the comment section of this post

When: Before the release date 11 June 2009 (Cut off time 2am EST in the US on 11 June 2009)

Judges: Two blog readers will win a copy of WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS. One winner will be selected by Fran Slayton and one will be selected by Angela Cerrito.

Details: You can enter as many times as you wish. Each entry must be posted as a new comment and be a unique submission.

Amsterdam

Questions - Changing the world

Two Questions:

1. Yes or No - do you think you can change the world?

2. If you could change the world, how would you do it?

Autism: Get Ready for next school year NOW

If your son or daughter has a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, now is the time to start thinking about next school year.

Three Tips:

1. Visit the new classroom or new school. Explore the new school. Find the cafeteria, the gym (and locker room) and each classroom. Get a map –or make one yourself.

2. Meet with the teacher one-on-one and talk about what to expect next year. See if it would be possible for the student to spend some time in the classroom this year. Make sure your child is aware of any new expectations / rules. And think about safety. Do students go off campus at lunch? Does your child have a favorite hobby / activity that can continue next year? Better yet can it continue over the summer at summer school or summer camp?

3. Ask the new teacher to share your phone number with future classmates who might be a good match for your child. Take time in the summer to set up successful outings for your child with some of his / her new classmates.

If setting up time with peers has been a frustration in the past, Dr. Lynn Koegel has great strategies for planning successful social activities for kids with autism spectrum disorders check out some of her books for ideas.

And enjoy summer vacation!!!

Kid Talk (I'm too much!)

My bling is plastic because that’s what it takes in the circles I run with (babies, toddlers, and preschoolers).

Here’s a recent conversation with a young boy who is three.

Him: What’s that?
Me: A ring
Him: With a big red flower on it?
Me: Yeah, with a big red flower on it.
Him: What’s that?
Me: A bracelet
Him: With ABCs on it?
Me: Yeah, with ABCs on it.
Him: Girl, you’re too much.

As you can imagine I had no response other than laughter.

That’s me, I go all out with the plastic!!!

Don't fear I really do have book reviews and a couple of contests coming up. The Kid Talk has just been so great lately, I can't help but post it!

Autism Red Flag: Elopement

Schools typically have strategies in place for students on the Autism Spectrum who elope, or run away, from school.

But often this behavior is noticed by parents at a much younger age.

If you notice your toddler seems to be enticed by any doorway, wander away in crowds, or fear he has the tendency to “just wander off with anyone” this is cause for concern. From a young age children typically develop an awareness of where their primary caregiver is when out and about. A toddler only a few feet from a parent who is out of their line of sight will turn in circles looking up and down for Mom or Dad. This is true in daycare setting too when the class moves from room to room or takes a walk, two year olds typically prefer to stay with their peers and caregivers.

Sure toddlers are curious. Sometimes they wander or follow the wrong pair of legs thinking they are following a parent. (Some will even reach up and grab the wrong persons’ hand accidentally). But toddlers become immediately upset when they realize the hand does not belong to Mom or Dad.

Some children on the autism spectrum are elopers. They want to go through any door. They love to be outside. They have no fear of cars or strangers.

If your toddler fits this description have a conversation with your pediatrician about this behavior.

Why is early diagnosis important? Because early diagnosis gives parents more time to investigate the best treatment. And early treatment can make a world of difference for an entire family!

What is a Red Flag? Red Flags are indicators that further investigation is necessary. A red flag (or even two or three) are not in and of themselves a diagnosis, just a sign that a professional consultation is recommended.

Note: Not all children who elope or wander have a diagnosis of autism. But medical consultation is required to determine the cause (and best treatment) for this behavior.

Kid talk: Favorite Colors

My girls were both around three when they zeroed in on a favorite color. I can’t think of a better way to illustrate their oppositeness.

Alexandria: Mommy, what’s your favorite color?
Me: Red
Alexandria: No, red is my favorite color. You have to pick a different one.

Samantha: Mommy, what’s your favorite color?
Me: Red
Samantha: I like yellow. Yours should be yellow too.

I notice when adults try to develop a rapport with kids they ask about siblings, pets, school, games and friends. But when preschoolers and kindergartners want to get to know a new teacher they ask about favorites. Most kids ask my favorite color, favorite foods, and favorite movies. But there’s always one kid in the bunch who wants to know my favorite dinosaur or favorite car.

So what’s your favorite color?