Will Write for Cookies: Chana Stiefel PLUS Giveaway

Posted on May 13, 2017 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

CHANA STIEFEL

TA-DA!!! I’m so happy to roll out the red carpet for today’s Will Write for Cookies author. Chana is part of the debut picture book author/illustrator group, Picture the Books 2017.

But although DADDY DEPOT is a debut picture book for her, it is NOT the first book she has written. Chana Stiefel is the author of more than 20 non-fiction books for kids about stinky castles, exploding volcanoes, and other wild stuff. Chana is currently writing a book about creepy critters for National Geographic Kids (Fall 2018). WAKAWAKALOCH, Chana’s semi-autobiographical picture book about a cave girl who wants to change her unpronounceable name, will be coming out from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2019. More great news coming soon! Visit Chana at http://www.chanastiefel.com and her blog for authors kidlittakeaways.com, which she writes with her critique partner, Donna Cangelosi.

Welcome, Chana! We’re so glad you stopped by today!

ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

CHANA:

Robert McCloskey, BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL

P.D. Eastman, ARE YOU MY MOTHER? & GO DOG, GO! (Can you spot my wink to this book in DADDY DEPOT?)

Virginia Lee Burton, MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL

Patricia Lee Gauch, CHRISTINA KATERINA & THE BOX (I still have my original copy with my name spelled backwards)

ME: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing for children?

CHANA:

The warmth and support of the kid-lit community is extraordinary! When I went to my first NJSCBWI conference in 2013, I was terrified that it would be very cutthroat, with everyone vying for the attention of agents and editors. I was worried that published authors would be pushing out the newbies. But it was the opposite. Everyone was warm, welcoming, and supportive. During a Round Table, I met Donna Cangelosi, who became my critique partner, co-blogger, and soul sister. I also met dozens of other authors who have become dear friends. And I met my awesome agent at a four-minute pitch! All that in two days! Since then, I’ve joined many online kid-lit groups, like Storystorm, 12 x 12, ReFoReMo, KidLit411, Picture The Books (go 2017s!), and many more. Day or night, whatever you need—writing advice, critiques, comp titles, shoulders to cry on, comic relief, and political support—these people are there for you! And I think everyone will agree that one of the most supportive authors out there is right here…. Thank you, dear Vivian, for all you do to lift up and encourage everyone around you. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review and Activity: DADDY DEPOT plus Giveaway

Posted on May 12, 2017 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends!

I hope all of you have scrolled through yesterday’s #50PreciousWordsforKids post. There were 57 wonderful stories written by kids in grades K-6. Children in six countries and thirteen states participated. And honestly, I read the makings of several awesome picture books. Many of the parents said their children wanted to know when the next challenge would be. I’m thrilled to have created a platform for our future authors. I’ll be reaching out to the friends who generously offered to donate a mini-Skype author visit – I’ll randomly pick one name from each grade level and that child’s class will receive the author visit.

Before we get to our wonderful picture book, we have a giveaway to take care of. Last week, Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum generously offered a copy of TRAINS DON’T SLEEP.

And the winner is…

KIM CHAFFEE.

Congratulations, Kim…let’s connect and I will put you in touch with Andria so she can get a copy of the book out to you!

Today’s picture book review is another of our fabulous 2017 debuts and I know you are going to love it! And the author, Chana Stiefel (who will be here tomorrow on Will Write for Cookies), is offering a copy of the book. So, if you’d like to be entered in the giveaway, please don’t forget to leave a comment.

DADDY DEPOT

Written by: Chana Stiefel Continue reading →

#50PreciousWordsforKids International Writing Challenge Stories are HERE!

Posted on May 11, 2017 by viviankirkfield

HURRAY! It’s time to unveil the wonderful stories from children all over the world.

Many thanks to the parents and teachers who encouraged their kids to participate.

The guidelines were simple.

I got several requests from teacher friends who asked for a few more days…so I extended the deadline to May 10th.

And the notes I got from parents and teachers were filled with thanks for creating this writing opportunity.

“Best wishes for a fabulous contest. This is a wonderful thing you are doing for kids!”

“My daughter told me she wants to write books like me, and my heart melted!”

“Thanks for hosting such a wonderful contest for young students.”

“Thank you again for organizing this fun event! My students were challenged to keep their stories under 50 words – especially since we’ve been working so hard in second grade to add details to lengthen our writing!”

I also decided to open the challenge to children all over the world—believing that, especially in these times, it’s important for us to come together—with children leading the way as the storytellers.

Each story was submitted by either a parent or a teacher. Teachers were requested to send one story per class. A couple of classes wrote a collaborative story. And one child even drew an illustration for her story.

By Grace, author of Brothers

#50PreciousWordsforKids BY THE NUMBERS:

#57 ENTRIES

#6 COUNTRIES

#15 U.S. STATES

I’ve already had inquiries as to when the NEXT children’s writing challenge will take place. So, I guess I need to start thinking about that…maybe it would be nice to have one in the summer to keep those young minds creating…and definitely one later in the fall.

Hosting this has been a thrill…the diverse topics and creativity are impressive. These are the future writers of our world!

Without further ado, I present the #50PreciousWordsforKids International Writing Challenge stories, listed in the order I received them. Continue reading →