I’m always excited to sing Happy Birthday to new children’s books that are launching. But you’ll have to forgive me for being ESPECIALLY joyful today. The author of MOON TREE: The Story of One Extraordinary Tree was my #PBChat Mentee in 2020. And this was the manuscript that she submitted for the mentorship program. I fell in love with Carolyn Fraiser’s writing and I’m so thrilled that story is now a real live book!!!

Doesn’t that cover just beg to be grabbed off the bookshelf and opened?

Here’s a bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
A little girl finds a sycamore tree named a “moon tree” and wonders why. When no one knows, her third grade class is determined to find the answer. Their quest leads them to NASA, an extraordinary boy who grew up to be an astronaut, a broken metal container, and a story more fascinating than they could have ever imagined.

And we are so lucky…for many reasons! Carolyn is generously offering a giveaway of a 30-minute Zoom chat – this is SUCH a valuable prize because if you are a pre-published author, Carolyn can share the steps she took to find success. And if you are a parent or a teacher, you just might be getting an author chat for your kids. PLUS, Carolyn graciously stopped by Picture Books Help Kids Soar to chat about her path to publication.

ME: Welcome, Carolyn! I can’t express how proud I am of you and this beautiful new book. I know everyone loves to hear a bit about a writer’s journey.

CAROLYN: Thank you so much, Vivian.

I hit a crossroads moment after I had rewritten the text several different times. None of them seemed to be gaining any ground, and I was unsure of what to do with the project. One day, I received two rejections – two very different rejections. An editor thought the topic was too niche, but he absolutely loved the voice. The second rejection letter was from an agent. She absolutely loved the topic, but she hated the voice. Isn’t that the way publishing works? She challenged me to consider a more lyrical voice (which came more natural to me anyway), so I let the project sit for about six months. The final version was the result. I couldn’t be happier.

Thank you so much for sharing that, Carolyn. We totally can never give up!

If you’d like to know more about Carolyn and her books:
Carolyn Bennett Fraiser is a writer and graphic designer for non-profit organizations and the author of more than 1,600 articles published for adults. She has been featured in several children’s magazines including Fun for Kidz, Clubhouse, Devozine, and Unlocked for Teens. Her books include MOON TREE (Reycraft Books, 2022) and OUR SOLAR SYSTEM: MOONS (BrightPoint Press, 2022). Currently Carolyn volunteers on the administrative team of her local SCBWI regional chapter and teaches creative writing workshops for teens in her hometown of Brevard, North Carolina.
WEBSITE:                    www.carolynbfraiser.com
PRE-ORDER LINKS:
Reycraft Books
Amazon
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781478875970
Highland Books (signed pre-ordered copies): https://www.highlandbooksonline.com/book/9781478875970

Please make sure you leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway! And sharing on social media will get you extra tickets in the giveaway hat.

BTW: There is a special launch party for MOON TREE planned for Sunday, September 4th. To sign up (it’s free and there will be PRIZES), go to CarolynBFraiser.com/BookLaunch

And come back tomorrow for a special Perfect Picture Book Friday featuring BEFORE MUSIC by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Madison Safer.