Debby Atwell | VIVIAN KIRKFIELD – Writer for Children

Can you feel the crispness in the air in the morning? We sure can here in New Hampshire. The kids are back in school. The trees are beginning to adorn themselves with crowns of scarlet and gold. But that beauty is tinged with sadness as we mourn the loss of two shining beacons in our kid lit world…Deirdre Sheridan Englehart and Anna Dewdney. They loved writing, they loved children…and we loved them.

On the writing front, I’ve been busy revising some of my manuscripts which will soon be winging their way to editors who will hopefully fall in love with them. Some of my time has been devoted to thinking about spreading the word my debut picture book, Sweet Dreams, Sarah. March 2017 is only six months away…it will be here before I know it. I would love to have a book blog tour in January and then another in March…if any of you would like to participate, please let me know. I’m also making tentative plans to attend several SCBWI conferences next year…definitely the NESCBWI in Massachusetts and hopefully, the NJSCBWI in New Jersey…and I am excited to see many of my writing friends. This year I had so much fun at the Wild Midwest SCBWI conference in Chicago.

And I also got to hug lots of writer friends at Kristen Fulton’s WOW Retreat in July.

Before I get to our Perfect Picture Book Friday review, we need to announce the winner of a copy of Jill Esbaum’s If a T-Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party. I wanted to thank Jill again for a fabulous interview…and thank all of you for your wonderful comments. You shared some incredible birthday surprises.

AND THE WINNER IS: Continue reading →

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program for an announcement!

Marissa Moss of Creston Books has bought Vivian Kirkfield‘s debut picture book, Sweet Dreams, Sarah, the story of Sarah E. Goode, the first African-American woman to own a U.S. patent; Chris Ewald will illustrate. The story showcases not only the invention but the spirit and determination of the inventor herself. Publication is set for spring 2017; Essie White of Storm Literary Agency represented the author and Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Agency represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.

As you can imagine, I am over the moon about this. Sweet Dreams, Sarah will one day sit on library shelves and be heard by young kids. Now that is a sweet dream come true!

Nonfiction picture books are fun for me to write…I love researching and finding little gems of history that time has forgotten. And they are fun for me to read, for myself and with kids. Here’s today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday selection:

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise:

How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children

Written by Jan Pinborough

Illustrated by Debby Atwell

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2013)

Age: 6-9

Themes: Mighty girls, libraries, following your dream

First lines:

“Once in a big house in Limerick, Maine, there lived a little girl names Annie Carroll Moore. She had large gray eyes, seven older brothers, and ideas of her own.”

Synopsis:

From Amazon: “Once upon a time, American children couldn’t borrow library books. Reading wasn’t all that important for children, many thought. Luckily Miss Anne Carroll Moore thought otherwise! This is the true story of how Miss Moore created the first children’s room at the New York Public Library, a bright, warm room filled with artwork, window seats, and most important of all, borrowing privileges to the world’s best children’s books in many different languages.”

Why I love this book:

First of all, I love libraries and have used them since I was a little girl. I was fascinated to find out that children were not allowed in libraries originally. And it was Miss Moore who campaigned for them to be able to take books out when they finally were admitted.
This is a gentle story…a beautiful read aloud. It shows how a person can follow their dream and get things done.
The illustrations are detailed, colorful, and perfect.

How parents can use this book:

Wonderful story to enjoy with your children -lots of history woven into the pages.
If your child doesn’t have a library card yet, PLEASE help them get one…libraries are one of the last and best free resources we have.
Check out the various programs that are available at your local library…there are often story hours, activity programs, and even presentations and classes for aduts.

Related Activities

Visit your local library
Make a reading goal chart and let your child earn stickers for every book he reads. Plan activities, like a craft or cooking project, around the stories to enrich the learning experience.
You can find the ALA’s Most Notable Children’s Books here.

Parents and teachers…are you looking for more picture book recommendations? Head over to Susanna HIll’s Perfect Picture Book Friday link up.

Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends. I know there is bad weather and big snowstorms in some part of the country…stay safe and stay warm!