The week before the Colorado Book Awards ceremony, I debated whether or not to type out my 1.5 minute (Note: Well under the 3 minute limit!) “thank you” speech and book reading. After all, it was 3 measly sentences and one verse from my book. AND I’ve had my book memorized since long before it was published. AND I wasn’t gonna win anyway …
Well good thing I did because because by the time I hit the stage my hands were shaking and my voice was shaking and my brain had blasted off to some other stratosphere. Let’s just call me a “mess” shall we?
So if I didn’t have that little piece of paper, I might not have even remembered the title of my own book.
Thank you, Margaret Chodos-Irvine, my amazing illustrator and thank you, Colorado Humanities. I’m completely honored and excited.
The container arrived, the boxes transported, the books sorted and now libraries are being built in multiple Ugandan schools and communities. Andrea Pauline, the executive director of Musana Children’s Home writes:
Hi Jean!!
I wanted to send you an update on the books! They are here and they are AWESOME! We spent the week before last in Mbale at the port trying to clear everything which was kind of a hassle… but Thursday the 17th we finally go them cleared and brought them all to Musana. We had a team of 13 people from Flatirons come in on the 18th as well as 4 peace core volunteers. Musana had mzungus everywhere! We sorted through every single book and divided them between the five schools. Because Musana was the host and most of the volunteers only wanted a couple of boxes, we ended up with A LOT of books. I have been trying to download pictures but internet has been slow and we have been busy with the team. This week I promise to get time and go to the the cafe to download them. We ended up with about $400 extra that was given to Musana that we are making books shelves with now and we are going to be shifting the library into a bigger room. We also have been in discussion with the local government about opening a public library in town so that everyone can have access to the books. It is a huge project but one I am super excited about! The officials we have talked to have all been positive about the idea and so we are looking for a location now. I will keep you updated on what happens. So most likely we will keep about 100 boxes of books for the school and then put the rest (close to 300) in the public library! How exciting is that! We also got 10 solar lights that the P.7’s are using for studying at night (They love them!) and 2 desktop computers. We could not be happier!
Jean, thank you so much for involving Musana is this project! It is going to add so much value to Musana and the the community of Iganga!
Here are a few pictures of the book situation right now. The first one is from when we had a big sorting party with a team that was here. There were three rooms like that with books spread out everywhere! It was crazy! The pictures of the boxes are what it is like right now. We are renovating a room right now that will be the on site school library. I am hoping it will be finished by August and then you will be getting lots and lots of pictures! I am meeting with a district official today about the community library so hopefully that will work out and we will give all of Iganga access to books. Yay!
I will send more as the project progresses! Thanks again for your efforts in making this happen. I know it is going to make a huge impact at Musana and in the community! THANK YOU!!!
To find out more about Musana Children’s Home in Iganga, Uganda please check out their website at http://musana.org/
As a way of kicking off a great summer, I’d like to introduce you to the FREE resources available to parents and kids on my website at www.jeanreidy.com to supplement summer reading fun.
As a way of saying thanks for another great school year, I’d like to introduce you to the FREE resources available to teachers, readers and writers on my website at www.jeanreidy.com. Just follow the Teachers/Writers Menu link to find:
Downloadable Curriculum Guides linked to learning standards for all my books
Breaking Down the Book: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Writing Bomb-Diggity Book Reviews and Book Reports
Word Searches
Coloring Pages
Reading Extension Resources and Activities
Follow the FAQs link for further information, including loads of Author Information for Student Author Reports!
And if you’re also a writer, check out these terrific opportunities …
On July 31st, be on the lookout for TIME OUT FOR TEACHERS a special opportunity for teachers and a celebration of the release of my next book TIME OUT FOR MONSTERS! from Disney Hyperion. All information will be appearing on my website at www.jeanreidy.com and blog at jeanreidy.blogspot.com.
I hope you’ll stop by and bid on this picture book critique and help Baby Jayden. For those of you who are hesitant to put your work out there, children’s writer Carole Brooks has this to say.
“I want to encourage anyone who wants/needs a serious PB critique to consider this. I received a critique from Jean and she was spot on with every single suggestion. I mean spot on. Her eyes are sharp and her manner is kind and as a result, I have a much, much stronger manuscript after revising with her input.”
In place of a regular late spring/early summer Picture Book Peek Week, I’ve donated a critique to an online auction supporting the medical needs of baby Jayden Huynh. Please read Jayden’s compelling story here. Then please consider bidding. The auction begins on 6/2. My critique will be open for bidding on the first day for 3 days only! Here’s the link:
While I hinted about this on Facebook, I’m posting the entire Publishers Weekly review here. Time Out for Monsters!
Even kids can get the fixer-upper urge—especially when the real estate in question is the time-out corner. “Mom says it’s fine, but I know better. I spend a LOT of time there,” says the refreshingly unapologetic young narrator. So he conjures up a world of excitement that includes a killer view, a fire brigade, a dump truck full of ice cream, and some kingly accoutrements. When Neubecker (What Little Boys Are Made Of) reveals that everything the hero imagines is simultaneously being drawn by him on the walls of the corner, readers won’t have trouble guessing what comes next. Reidy’s (Too Princessy!) descriptive narration (“This corner needs a comfy seat with some pillows… on a throne!”) gets a goose from colorful, comics-style typography. But this is Neubecker’s show, and he’s given plenty of space to let loose. Whether he’s showing a monster and dinosaur–stuffed polka-dotted big wheeler or a landscape filled with cupcakes, spread after spread is a riot of color, goofy fantasy, and well-choreographed freneticism. Ages 3–7.
Favorite line – “spread after spread is a riot of color, goofy fantasy, and well-choreographed freneticism.” Hooray! Reminds me of editor, Allyn Johnston’s wise words — perfect picture books are like a dance between text and illustrations.
But I also love that this book was recognized as “… Neubecker’s show, and he’s given plenty of space to let loose.” My hope was that an illustrator would take my spare text and run with it. And Neubecker certainly did.
For a sneak peek at Robert Neubecker’s process, original sketches from the book, including his original cover sketch (so darn cute!) check out his TIME OUT FOR MONSTERS! page.
Clearview Library 720 Third St. Windsor, Colorado Tuesday, May 8th 6:00 p.m.
Get ready to blast off for some interactive fun and prizes. I’ll be featuring all my picture books including TOO PURPLEY!, TOO PICKLEY!, TOO PRINCESSY!, and Colorado Book Award finalist, LIGHT UP THE NIGHT. While we won’t have book sales at this event, I’ll be happy to sign your pre-purchased books.
And here’s the official link:
