My Printzesses (or Which Book Will Be Crowned?)

Tip of the Day: Check out Lisa Schroeder's blog post on how Goodreads ads worked for her!

I love meeting with the Mock Printz Club girls to discuss books (it's open to guys, but none have joined us), and always learn so much from them, too! Right now the frontrunners fr our Mock Printz award seem to be:





Some other tidbits I've garnered from our Printz meetings:

--They love J. K. Rowling. She essentially can do no wrong. And they don't mind what I called the "info dump chapters" in book #7 because they'd rather have that than stringing the reader along with tiny clues until the "big reveal." :)

--They don't like how in practically every current YA book they read with a girl MC, the girl *always* either a) ends up crushing on/hooking up with the first boy she meets in the book, or b) ends up crushing on/hooking up with her guy friend. They say it is so unrealistic and completely unnecessary.

--They don't like MCs who are seemingly invincible. While most like THE HUNGER GAMES, many don't like how Katniss, for example, is a little too unstoppable.

--They are getting tired of "the same" dystopian stories being told over and over, and find a lot of them similar to THE GIVER.

Our last Printz meeting was supposed to last 45-60 mins, and some of the girls hung around talking to the HS Librarian and I in the HS library for 90 minutes chatting about books! I love it!

What are your Printz picks so far?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

My Job is Awarding II (or Why Can't I Ever Spell Newbery Right the First Time?)

Tip of the Day: Tina has a HILARIOUS short story on a teen's first job in a grocery store in this new YA short story anthology of firsts! I bought it -- I mean, it's only $2.99. You can't lose!


In addition to the Mock Printz Club at my local high school, I am also attending the meetings for the Mock Newbery Club at the junior high. I've only read three of these so far, but have two others on hand that I can't wait to read. And the books selected by the committee of librarians and English teachers are:


(Yes, Gary Schmidt's book is on the Mock Printz AND Mock Newbery lists. It really straddles readerships, though I think it will resonate more with older teens.)







(The poems in this book are amazing! Multiply layered and brilliant.)

These two are "extras" since some of the selection committee thought MISS PEREGRINE could be too creepy for their 6th graders, and some thought EMERALD ATLAS was too commercial/not "literary" enough. But let me tell you, I can't wait to read MP!

What are your picks for the Newbery this January?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

I Feel Good About Summer Reading! (or Three Things I Believe)

Tip of the Day: If your kids participated in Summer Reading Programs at your local libraries, check in with your progress! At my library we are handing out prizes galore!

Today I had a feel-good moment. I went to a local family care center to celebrate the 400 books that 57 kids and teens had read this summer. They also all signed up for my library's Summer Reading Program.

The kids had beaten the goal set for them to read 375 books, so their principal had his head shaved in front of them at an assembly this afternoon. So much fun to see these kids and teens excited about reading, and proud of their accomplishments!

It is for reasons and events like this that I believe in the following:

1) Libraries where kids and teens from all different backgrounds and life events can find something to read that speaks to them. New York State's funding for public libraries has dropped down to 1993 levels. We cannot continue to offer avenues of hope and success to kids at places like this institution if funding continues to decrease.
2) Teachers, administrators, and aides who love working with kids from all types of backgrounds, and who introduce them to a lifelong love of books.
3) Realistic contemporary fiction for kids and teens, because sometimes when you are having a "life sucks" moment, you want to know that other people are having -- or have had -- that moment too, and have found a way through it. Without the help of magic or a vampire or pyschic powers.

I hope all three things in this list contine to be supported for the benefit of each other.

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

What makes a good school visit presentation?

Tip of the day: Saturday, December 4th has been declared Take Your Child to a Bookstore day. Here's the post from the woman who had the idea.

Yesterday, I got an exciting e-mail. I've kept in touch with this sweet woman named Jen over the years after I met her when I was a Pampered Chef consultant. She brought her daughter to my launch party for It's Raining Cupcakes and her daughter is just the sweetest thing. Here's a picture of me and her:

Apparently when Cupcakes was spotted at her book fair, she helped to sell many copies! And then, Jen reached out to me and asked if I ever do school visits.

I've done some writing workshops for kids and teens, but as of yet, I haven't done a full day school visit at a school. But it's something I'd love to do more of.

Anyway, yesterday Jen let me know that she decided to go to the PTO and request some money to have me come to her daughter's school, and yesterday they approved the request. So next spring, I will have my very first school visit!

I am excited about this prospect, but also a bit nervous. I told Jen my goal will be to provide entertainment, education and inspiration - all three rolled into my presentation(s).

I'm going to have to figure out 3 different presentations: one for kids K-1, one for kids grades 2-3, and one for kids grades 4-5.  I want them to be interactive in some way. I don't want to just stand and talk at the kids for 30-50 minutes. I want to find some cool props to take along.

I've been scouring the web for information, and once I finish a draft of my WIP, I'll need to get my three presentations ready on Powerpoint or Prezi, and maybe go shopping for some props or costumes or something.

Have you been to any school visits that you thought were fantastic? Or any that were horrible? I'd love tips on what to do and what not to do, if you have any!

~Lisa, Miss Crafting a Career

Skype! (or Hiding Safely Behind My Keyboard)

Tip of the Day: Search through Kate Messner's blog for tips on Skype author visits!

On Thursday at my local RACWI meeting, author Kate Messner will be Skyping with us about how she successfully teaches, takes care of her family, and writes picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels. Although my own PC doesn't seem to agree with Skype, I actually love the idea of using it for author visits on both the giving and receiving ends.

First of all, Skype is free!

Second, you can traverse great distances in a matter of seconds through the miracle of the internet. No long car trips to get an author into your library, classroom, meeting, etc.

Third, when I some day have my own pubbed books to discuss, the anxiety that accompanies doing a "visit" is so much less when you are doing your talk from the comfort of your own home.

And fourth, as a librarian who has hosted author visits at my library, it is kind of embarassing when you don't get the turn-out you hoped for to come see a fab author and it feels less of a burden when the author is on the big screen instead of in the room. :-o

There are tons more reasons why Skype is fab. What have your experiences been with this software?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Skype School Visit=Cool!

Tip of the Day: Download Skype for free here.

I had my first ever Skype school visit yesterday and it rocked! Two seventh graders from Mission Valley Middle School in Praire Village, Kansas, e-mailed and asked if I would chat with their class and I thought sure-- why not.

And let me say this now, the skype school visit is the writing mom's best friend! I can't tell you how many times I've felt terrible because I had to say no to a daytime school visit. It's just impossible with the crazy daily schedule of driving my four kids back and forth to their various schools and activities. I've been able to do after school visits but that's only when I can secure a babysitter and still, there is some rushing around to get the last kid from school beforehand. But this skype school visit thing? Brilliant. This morning I got home from dropping off my oldest son and then the girls, and fifteen minutes after walking through the door I was doing a skype visit from my dining room. The seventh graders I chatted with were awesome! They each prepared questions and took turns sitting in front of the web cam to ask. They were a great, bright group of kids with a lot of interesting questions. And the visit flew by. The only snafu was near the end my baby insisted on getting in on the chat and climbed up on my lap to talk too. But no one seemed to mind.

Now that I know how easy and FUN these Skype visits are I'll happily do more with any classes that want to contact me (Kristina at KristinaSpringer dot com). And, last summer Kate Messner (author of The Brilliant Gianna Z.) wrote a fabulous article about skyping with authors and included a giant list of authors who skype for free. Check it out.

Kristina, Miss See Me on the Shelves