Would You Read It Wednesday - The July Pitch Pick! PLUS Straight From The Editor And Summer Vacation :)

Do you guys know what today is?

Well, yes, you're right, it is Would You Read It Wednesday.

It also happens to be the day before my granddaughter's 3rd birthday (which coincidentally falls on the same day as Harry Potter's, Neville Longbottom's, and J.K. Rowling's! :))

It also happens to be National Cheesecake Day, which I intend to honor in a moment...

But it is also the last day of posting here until September!

It's true.  In order not to be disowned by my family I am taking August off from blogging.  I promised I would, and so I shall.  But it's going to be hard and I'm going to miss you all terribly!

Let's have Something Chocolate to lift our spirits, shall we?  In honor of the day, I'm thinking Chocolate Cheesecake!

Death-By-Chocolate Cheesecake!
Recipe here: http://hotpolkadot.com/2013/02/10/death-by-chocolate-and-the-birth-of-a-blog/

I think I speak for all of us when I say I may not feel that much better about not seeing you for a month but boy is that good! :)

And now, how about Straight From The Editor for May?  Hearing from Erin Molta, our wonderful and helpful visiting editor, always perks us up, doesn't it?

You will recall that the May Pitch Pick was won by Todd with his pitch for Orville Wright's Final Flight.

Here is his winning pitch:

Orville Wright's Final Flight by Todd Burleson (NF PB ages 7-12)

Orville Wright may be best remembered for his first flight, but it was his final flight 41 years later would completely change the world of aviation.  

And here are Erin's thoughts:

This sounds somewhat intriguing but in the crowded nonfiction picture book market you need to give us a little bit more.. Is there any way you can give us a little hint about what made his last flight so special? 

That could make or break whether an editor will ask you for the whole manuscript.

As always, I find her thoughts insightful!  Thank you, Erin :)

And now, it's time for the July Pitch Pick, which is always so exciting :)  Here are our 4 fabulous pitches:

#1 Michelle - Escalators Don't Bite! -  Picture Book (ages 2-6)

Salim, world traveler, worries about whether he’s packed enough crayons. He worries his backpack will come unzipped. But with his whole family on its way to see Grandma and Grandpa, he’s worried most about his little sister Malika, who never does what she’s supposed to do. On her first trip to the airport, Salim knows that if it’s sticky, Malika will spill it. If there’s an escalator, Malika will get stuck on it. And if there’s a red button, Malika will push it. Desperate to ensure his family gets to the gate on time for their flight, Salim has started work on a Little Travelers’ Guide to Airports. But while he’s busy writing, the irrepressible Malika is busy exploring. When Salim’s sage travel advice comes up against Malika’s infectious sense of adventure, both siblings learn something important from each other about airport travel safety and fun.

(And Michelle adds: Many thanks to all who gave their revision advice. I hope I've gotten closer with this version!)

#2 Lavanya - How Not to Be a Monster Meal - Picture Book (K-3)
Posey has a brand new room. But something lurks within the gloom -- A monster with a riddle dare! And he's hungry as a bear. If Posey can't outwit the cretin, little Posey will be eaten...

#3  Brandie - The Trouble With Keeping Vikings - Picture Book (ages 4-6)
A boy opens his front door and comes face-to-face with a startling surprise. A Viking horde has come for a visit, and they REEK of mischief. From snot-snakes to clashing swords, the outrageous antics of these pesky pillagers are never-ending. That is until the boy makes a certain phone call that will leave these manner-less brutes quaking in their Viking-boots.

#4 Erin - Love, Emmett - Picture Book (ages 4-8)

Emmett loved books so much that he eventually loved them to pieces…literally. After his favorite one falls apart, Emmett saves the last remaining page, only he can’t remember the story quite right. When his teacher asks the class to share their favorite books, Emmett must decide how to tell the story. But his love for the book might just say everything.

Please vote for the one you think is best and deserves a read by editor Erin Molta by Sunday August 3 at 5 PM.

Thank you so much!

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

And now, my poppets, I bid you happy August.  I hope you all have tons of fun with your families and your writing and reading, swimming, sailing, sunning, hiking, biking, kayaking, riding, playing volleyball, tennis, baseball, or whatever floats your boat - generally enjoying all summer has to offer!

See you September 10 for the return of Would You Read It, and September 12 for the kick off of Perfect Picture Books Year 3!

xoxoxo :)

Would You Read It Wednesday #143 - Love, Emmett (PB)

Well, folks, here it is Wednesday again!  What a week it has been, and not a good one.

I like to keep things upbeat around here, so I won't depress you with details.  But I haven't got the heart for high jinx and shenanigans today.  Instead I'll just ask that if you have kids and they're near, give them a hug.  If they're not near, call them and tell them how much you love them.  Take a moment to be grateful if they're alive and well, even if sometimes they try your patience, and if they're old enough to be driving, remind them, even if they roll their eyes, that motor vehicles demand respect and caution at all times - at least twice as much respect and caution as they think.  Then hug them again.  And maybe once more, just because you can.

And now, I will be having at least two helpings of Something Chocolate, and I recommend you do the same.  Celebrate the good!  I picked something delicious and chocolatey but also delightfully cold since it's going to climb well into the 90s today.  Two layers of decadent chocolate cake with a layer of vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between all topped with hot fudge!  Really, what could be better than that? :)  Maybe chocolate ice cream in the middle :)

Milo Ice Cream Cake
http://www.brit.co/ice-cream-cakes/

Now that we have all enjoyed a sustaining snack, let's get right to Would You Read It.

Today's pitch comes to us from Erin who says, "My name is Erin. I have a degree in Biology, a job that has nothing to do with my degree, and an insane urge to write, which has nothing to do with my job! A couple of years ago, I discovered a box of books I had saved from my childhood and realized I wasn't pursuing my passion. I started writing picture books, taking online classes, and trying to learn my craft. And this year I've committed to putting my work out there for critique so I can eventually get to the next step--submission!"

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Love, Emmett
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Emmett loved books so much that he eventually loved them to pieces…literally. Going on daily adventures with a little boy will do that to a book. After his favorite one falls apart, Emmett saves the one remaining page to remember the book by, only he can’t seem to get the story quite right. When Emmett’s teacher asks the class to share their favorite books, Emmett must decide how to tell the book’s story. But his love for the book might just say everything.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Erin improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Erin is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to spending time with my family, including my sister and brother-in-law and my niece and nephews who are arriving this afternoon for a two week stay.  After this week, time with family is exactly what I want most.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! :)

Would You Read It Wednesday #142 - Sophie Vs. The Monster (PB) PLUS The June Pitch Winner!!!

Dog saga alert!

(You can skip down to Would You Read It if you don't want to hear the dog story.  My feelings will only be a little bit hurt... and you may possibly get less Something Chocolate... but please, skip if you want :))

So yesterday on my way out to meet a writer friend for coffee (okay, actually lemon bars (her) and oatmeal raisin cookies (me)... thank you for the cafe, Barnes & Noble :)) I saw a stray dog.

He was a chocolate lab, young-looking, wearing two collars (a choke chain and a regular collar), but wandering about with that definitely lost look.

He wasn't far from the main road where cars drive VERY fast, and there were heavy thunderstorms in the forecast - both bad things for most dogs.  Plus, he was wearing that choke chain and I don't like to see dogs on the loose wearing things that could get caught on a branch or something and potentially choke them.

So I stopped my car, got out, and spoke to him nicely.

He took right off into the woods.

Ah, well, I thought.  Maybe the people at Crazy Acres across the road got a new dog.  (They have a lot of dogs over there and they're always getting loose.)  I was going to be late, I had no hope of running fast enough to catch a dog that didn't want to be caught, and I certainly didn't want to accidentally chase him toward the main road, so off I went to meet my friend.

But when I came back 3 1/2 hours later (yes, 3 1/2! Don't get all judgy!  It was a half hour drive there and another half hour drive home, and we had a lot to catch up on and a lot of dessert items to eat :)) ANYway, as I was SAYing, 3 1/2 hours later I saw him again in almost the exact same place.

Once again I stopped the car and got out and spoke to him sweetly.  This time he lay down and looked at me, but then decided either me or the car or both were too scary and off he ran again.

I went home to get some chicken to lure him with, and discovered that my daughter had seen him as well on her way in from work an hour earlier, although at that point he had been all the way in near our house.  We set out on foot with the chicken, hoping to tempt him close enough to catch and see if he had tags.

No luck.

We couldn't find him.

So we walked home.

But we were both worried about him out there, wandering lost, with darkness falling and thunderstorms coming and that road not far enough away.

I was about to suggest running down to Stop & Shop to see if anyone had posted a lost dog poster on the board there when my daughter, who is much smarter than I am, googled lost dogs in our town and discovered a listing on a FB page that was definitely the dog we had seen!  There was a photograph of him and a phone number to call.

Chocolate lab missing on Pleasant Ridge Rd. I know he was naughty for running away, but we love and miss him. We are very worried about him. :(

Please call with any info

It had just gone up!  If we'd googled before we walked out with the chicken we wouldn't have seen it!  So I called right away and told the woman we had seen her dog multiple times over the past few hours.  Turns out, she lives up on the corner less than half a mile away!  She was very grateful for the information on where we had seen him and set out at once in her car, hoping that if he was nearby and heard her voice he would come to her.  I was worried, though, because by the time I spoke to her I hadn't actually seen the dog for nearly an hour.  He could have wandered off anywhere.  And she said he wasn't very good about listening or coming when called.

"I hope she finds him" and "I hope he gets home safe" we all kept saying to each other.  But we didn't expect to find out.  I hadn't given the woman my name or phone number in our hurry, just the info on where the dog was so she could get right out and look for him.

Well, we comforted each other as we started making dinner, at least we saw him and called, and she's out looking for him.  We did what we could do.

And then, to my surprise, the phone rang about 20 minutes after I'd spoken to her.  She was very kindly calling back (thanks, redial :)) to report that she had found him and he was home safe and sound (although extremely smelly and requiring an immediate bath :))  "I can't tell you how grateful I am," she said.  "He's my husband's best friend, and he didn't even want to come home if his dog was still missing."

Truthfully I didn't feel like we had done all that much, but it was a happy ending to the adventure all around, and an instance of when social media really works well and is great to have! :)

I know after that emotionally wrenching story you must all be ready for Something Chocolate!  How about some Mississippi Mud Pie (because we are having torrential downpours here which is making a lot of mud, so mud pie seems very apropos :))

Mississippi Mud Pie!
Recipe here: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/11/mississippi-mud-pie/

Ah!  That's better!  I feel refreshed enough to tell you about the June Pitch Pick, which I know you have all been wondering about so desperately that you got up early just so you could rush over here and find out! :)

So it is my pleasure to announce that the winner of the June Pitch Pick is . . .

Kimberly!!!

with her pitch for Sprinkles Goes To School!!!

Congratulations, Kimberly!  Your pitch has already been sent to editor Erin Molta and I'm sure you'll hear from her soon!

Congratulations to all our pitchers from June as well!  You all did a terrific job, and your stories sound wonderful and engaging and I would read them all!  Give yourselves a pat on the back for writing the story, writing the pitch, being brave enough to submit the pitch for feedback, and then being professional enough to revise your pitches based on that feedback to really improve them.  Excellent job everyone!

Today's pitch comes to us from Lavanya who says, "I'm a software engineer by day, and an avid reader of fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and literature by night. I'm also mother to a young girl who has just discovered the magical ability to make meaning out of the printed word. I started putting my own words down on paper last November, and when I went to my regional SCBWI conference in April, I confirmed a suspicion that I had long harbored - writers are the nicest people in the world, and I want to be one of them. :-)"

You can follow her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/vanyala) and ask her about following her blog which is protected.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Sophie Vs. The Monster
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: The very first night that Sophie lays her head down in her brand new big girl bed, she meets a monster… who likes to rhyme. When the monster challenges Sophie to a riddle game, she must use her wits to guess the right answers. Will Sophie survive this ordeal, or end up in a monster meal? 

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Lavanya improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Lavanya is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to getting started on building the ark that we are clearly going to be needing!  It's July, Mother Nature!  Enough with the flash flood warnings! :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! :)

Would You Read It Wednesday #141 - The Trouble With Keeping Vikings (PB) PLUS The June Pitch Pick!

Would you look at this?  It's Wednesday again!  Where does the time go?!

I miss seeing you guys on Mondays and Fridays, but it's a good thing I'm not trying to post 3 days a week right now - I'd never manage! :)

This week I have been to Massachusetts and Maine... where I STILL did not see a real live moose!  Everyone else on earth has seen a moose, but not me.  Nosirreebob!  I think they run away when they see Princess Blue Kitty approaching.  But I'm going to keep on trying!  I have spent many hours sorting through boxes of stuff that came home from college and needs to be washed and packed away for the summer - but don't be jealous - it's not as glamorous as it sounds :)  I got to visit with my daughter and son-in-law and granddaughters over 4th of July weekend, and also with my parents - lots of cookouts! Also lots of blueberry pie baking and eating :)  And today I have a school visit... well, technically it's a day care since school is out for the summer, but same idea :)  I feel pretty certain there's more, but my head is spinning from all the driving and I can't remember :)

So!  Onward!

First, it is my pleasure to announce that the winner of the May Pitch Pick is Todd!  Congratulations on an intriguing pitch, Todd!  It has already been sent to editor Erin Molta and I'm sure you will hear from her shortly!

Congratulations to all our other pitchers as well - you all did a terrific job!  Even with such a helpful and generous crew of readers as we are fortunate to have over here for Would You Read It, it takes a lot of courage to post your pitch for people to comment on.  I know I speak for everyone when I say you are very brave and committed to honing your craft and we all applaud you for it.

Let's skip merrily on to the June Pitch Pick now.

Here are the pitches:

#1 Kimberly - Sprinkles Goes To School - Picture Book (ages 4-8)
Sprinkles the Clown wants to fit in with her classmates on the first day of Kindergarten, but when her show-and-tell juggling act goes wrong, all the kids laugh at her, in a way even clowns don’t like. However, as a storm rolls in scaring all the students, Sprinkles puts her own fears aside and uses one of her true clowning skills to save the day!

#2 Katey - Dandelion Wishes - Picture Book (ages 3-7)
4 year-old Gia and her mother marvel in the changing seasons from their house on the hilltop until dandelion wishes disappear, and with them Gia’s sense of magic. She finds it again in her first experience of snow. A lyrical, share-able picture book at 578 words, Dandelion Wishes celebrates the everyday magic of nature and family.

#3 Amanda - Immortal Island - YA

Seventeen year old Aria Perin spent her life running from her mother’s demons. That is, until her mentally ill mother attempted to commit suicide. Now, Aria has awoken in the strangely familiar parallel world, Immortal Island, where life is eternal and her mother’s imaginary monsters lurk everywhere.

Her arrival has set off a chain of events that leads to the destruction of Immortal Island. The evil ruler seeks to slaughter Aria with hopes of saving her people and regaining her seat of power.

Against his mother’s command the ruler’s son, Julian, vows to protect Aria. He leads her to bargain away the life of an undiscovered sibling to cursed Muses, swim with flesh eating Sirens and cross hell to battle Nymphs of the Underworld all for the obscure hope of returning her home to safety.

As the connection between Aria, her mother and the island becomes clear, so does the true nature of the ruler and friends Aria has made. Her discovery will set both the Mortal World and the Immortal World on a path to complete annihilation. As her arrival brought catastrophe to the island, only her journey to find home can set everything right.

#4 Stacey - The Bad Guys’ Breakfast - Picture Book (ages 3-7)

Brave Addie’s not afraid of the “bad guys” at bedtime. No way! But after a spooky night seeing a bear in her chair, a witch by her light switch, and a ghost eating toast—EEEEK!— Addie decides the way to a bad guy’s heart might just be through his stomach. So, she invites them over for a home-cooked breakfast. And when the troupe of bad guys shows up at her doorstep ready to eat, things can only go one of two ways.

Please vote for the pitch you think is most deserving of a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday July 13 at 5 PM EDT.

Many thanks!

Now, I don't know about you, but I am definitely in need of Something Chocolate!  And given the extreme heat, I think something cool and refreshing is called for...

Butterscotch ice cream sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies - YUM!
Recipe here: http://mom.me/food/8552-chocolate-chip-ice-cream-sandwich/

It is VERY hot, so if you need 2 or 3, you know, in the interest of keeping your core at a safe temperature :), please help yourselves! :)

And now that we are thusly fortified and cooled off, let's have a look at today's pitch.

It comes to us from Brandie who says, "In the library story time world I am known as Miss Brandie. At home I am mom, mama, or MAMA! Either way my life is centered around kids...and... books. After reading what has seemed like a bazillion books aloud to children, I decided that I wanted to read one of my own. Thus, my journey into the picture book writing world was born."

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Trouble With Keeping Vikings
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-6)
The Pitch: Having a horde of Vikings come stay for a visit sounds harmless enough, right? Wrong! From snot-snakes to clashing swords, the outrageous antics of these pesky Vikings seem to be never-ending. But who will come to the rescue and bring them under control?

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Brandie improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Brandie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to catching up on all the work I didn't do while I was driving around the eastern seaboard!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! :)

Would You Read It Wednesday #140 - Escalators Don't Bite! A Little Traveler's Guide To Airports (PB) PLUS The May Pitch Pick

Golly how time doth fly!

Second time in a row it's been a whole week since I posted!  How are you all doing?  Having good summers so far, I hope?

Let's see... What have I been up to this week...?  I went to the NJ SCBWI Conference which was fabulous!  It would have been great just for the speakers and workshops etc, but it was over-the-top great because I got to meet so many people in real life that I've known online for a long time.  I hate to make a list because I inevitably forget someone and then feel bad for leaving them out when of course I didn't mean to, so suffice to say, you all know who you are and it was AWESOME to meet you! :)  I also went to Pennsylvania on a college visit and seriously saw the most unbelievable amount of tire material on the side of Interstates 84 and 81 that it made me worry for Princess Blue Kitty, but so far she appears unscathed :)  All that traveling took up most of the week.  So I feel like I've been very unproductive! :)

I had a great plan for today's Something Chocolate.  The lovely Lauri, whom I met at NJ SCBWI, so very kindly brought me a present!  It was meltable white chocolate wafers and a mold with all kinds of sheep in it so I can make white chocolate sheep to go with Can't Sleep Without Sheep!  Isn't she amazing and thoughtful???!!!  I'm so excited to try it, and I was going to do it and share with you for today's Something Chocolate.  But it turns out that I cannot drive to Pennsylvania and make chocolate sheep at the same time, so it's going to have to wait for another week.  In the meantime, we shall make do with something summery and chocolate: White Chocolate Strawberry Muffins (because it's so late while I'm writing this that it's practically breakfast time and my thoughts are turning fondly to muffins :))

So, it appears in the craziness of June that we somehow never got around to the May Pitch Pick, so here it is today.  Our brave and talented May pitchers have worked hard to revise their pitches based on your feedback and here they are:

#1 Vivian - The Long Wait For Mom - PB (ages 5 and up)
Sophie finds a huge hole in her life and an ache in her heart after Mom is deployed. Trying to speed up time by keeping busy, Sophie jumps rope, writes letters and bakes cookies. But when she involves her community in a project to bake cookies for soldiers who don’t have families, Sophie discovers that helping others is the best way to help yourself while waiting for the ones you love.

#2 Todd - Orville Wright's Final Flight - NF PB (ages 7-12)
Orville Wright may be best remembered for his first flight, but it was his final flight 41 years later would completely change the world of aviation.  

#3 Linda - I Know What I’m Doing - Picture Book (ages 3-7)

Lizzie likes to explore her world all by herself. When her parents caution her about trying something new, her reply is always, I know what I’m doing!  Each day of the week, Lizzie gets herself into some kind of minor trouble, until Saturday, when she gets stuck in a tree and has to finally admit she doesn’t always know what she’s doing. Does Lizzie learn to ask for help from now on?

#4 Steve - Princess Petulia's Problem - PB (ages 5-8)
Princess Petulia had the longest hair you ever saw. It was long, it was luscious, it was glossy and glamorous and Princess Petulia … hated it. Children stood on it, birds made nests in it, but the Kings number one rule was NO HAIRCUTS  and kings can't be disobeyed. Fortunately, when she bumped in to the old gardener with the pruning shears and the shaky hands, Princess Petulia saw the perfect solution to her problem.

Please vote for the one you think most deserves a read and comment by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday July 6 at 5 PM.  I'll announce the winner next week.

Today's pitch comes to us from Michelle who is a mom, a teacher, and a writer.  She blogs at http://amomnextdoor.wordpress.com/about/

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Escalators Don't Bite! A Little Traveler's Guide To Airports
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 2-7)
The Pitch: Serious Salim wants to be sure his family makes their flight to visit Grandma and Grandpa, but he's worried about his little sister, Malika. It's her first time at the airport, and he knows how much trouble she can be. His Little Travelers' Guide to Airports is just the ticket to make sure everyone gets to the gate on time!

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Michelle improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Michelle is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Fourth Of July Weekend!  And I hope you all have a great one!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and Happy Fourth!!! :)