Do YOU Want to Write for Children?


The National Writing for Children's Center is the home of the Children's Writers' Coaching Club (CWCC), and a growing resource for children's writers, aspiring children's writers, parents,elementary school teachers, and librarians.

Join the Children's Writers' Coaching Club HERE and learn all you need to know to become a published children's writer yourself!

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Jan 05

If You Write for Children…

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Here is some information about children’s books and writing for children that you’ll enjoy whether you’re a children’s writer, parent, or teacher.

Elaine Landau is the Guest Today on Book Bites for Kids

Listen to Book Bites for Kids, LIVE this afternoon at 2:00 central on blogtalkradio when host Suzanne Lieurance chats with Elaine Landau, the author of over 300 nonfiction books for kids. Call in during the show to ask Elaine a question or just make a comment at 1-646-716-9239.

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Lea Schizas is on a Virtual Tour for Her New Book, Bubba and Giganto

Read an interesting interview HERE with author/editor Lea Schizas as part of a virtual tour for her new children’s book.

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Check Out These New Ezines for Children’s Writers, Parents, and Teachers

If you don’t already subscribe to these free ezines, you’ll want to sign up right now.

Carma’s Window - A Look at Children’s Writing from Carma Dutra
Writing tips, interviews, and much more for children’s writers
Sign up here

Write What Inspires You from Donna M. McDine
Interviews with children’s authors, and other helpful information for writers
Sign up Here

New Teacher Resource Center - Monthly Newsletter from Dorit Sasson
Chock full of great teaching tips for teachers and parents
Sign up Here

Heartfelt Words 4 Kids Newsletter from Terri Forehand
Articles, Book Reviews, and other resoures to help families in crisis
Sign up here

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Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club News

In January, the focus for the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club is Understanding the Basics of Writing and Publishing for Children.

This week, members of the club will be invited to a special goal setting teleclass, plus a teleclass about the basics of writing for children. In addition to weekly teleclasses, club members are given a monthly lesson and assignment (which they can choose to do or choose not to do). Every assignment is designed to result in another new manuscript for submission to publishers. Club members are also invited to submit a children’s manuscript for critique once a month.

Find out more about the club here.

Jan 03

The Chautauqua Scholarship Program - Apply Now!

The Highlights Foundation is currently accepting applications for financial aid to its 25th anniversary Writers Workshop at Chautauqua.

Although the deadline is mid-February, writers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

For an application, e-mail Jo Lloyd, program assistant, at jalloyd@highlightsfoundations.org.

Visit the web site to see the great faculty for 2009. Watch this short video to learn more about what writers say about the Chautauqua Writers Workshop:

Jan 02

Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Reviewed by Carma Dutra, Picture Book Reviewer for the National Writing for Children Center

Ladybug GirlTitle: Ladybug Girl
Authors: David Soman and Jacky Davis
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Dial (March 13, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0803731957
ISBN-13: 978-0803731950

Ladybug Girl is a wonderful story of what happens to a 6 or 7 year-old girl when her brother says she is too little to play baseball with him and her mother tells her to find her own fun today. Lulu doesn’t think she is too little for anything and sets out to prove it on her adventure in her very large back yard with her dog, Bingo.

Lulu zips into the kitchen and announces “I’m Ladybug Girl.” Next, Lulu glares at her brother when he tells her she is too little to play. Lulu begins to fantasize about being bigger than life as Ladybug Girl who can build a perfect fort, saves ants, and balances across a fallen down tree without falling—all by herself. When she discovers a line of ants marching over a rock, she raises it and declares “Is that rock in your way ants? It’s much too big for you to move, isn’t it?” she says. “I can help you! I’m Ladybug Girl!” It doesn’t matter what Lulu’s brother says, she is definitely not too little.

Pictures are illustrated in vivid colors with a graphic style. Lulu is placed in red outfit with red wings and red boots with black dots. In her hair she wears bug-like wiggly antenna wires you may find at a carnival. Her skirt is a red ballerina tutu. Children will identify immediately with this character. She is on her own and does what many kids love to do: Look for adventure and fantasize about the outdoors. The story is cheerful, uplifting and it demonstrates little girls can have fun outdoors just like boys do. Who knows maybe even more fun than boys?

Husband and wife picture book team, David Soman and Jacky Davis cleverly use a large curly type font in red for the words Ladybug Girl giving it a super hero flair. It is a wonderful twist to have a little girl in the super hero role. Also instead of the declarations of text stringing in a straight line, words are typeset in wavy lines. This adds a hint of carefree attitude exhibited by Lulu.

About the Authors: Jacky Davis and David Soman live in Rosendale, New York. David is a full-time illustrator and also teaches courses at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Before he became an illustrator, Soman worked as a waiter, a construction worker, and an art restorer.

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Carma Dutra is a children’s writer and freelance writer. For children’s writing tips and reviews of award-winning children’s books, visit Carma’s Window. Download the free e-books, Tips for Children’s Writers and Illustrators and Unite to Write, a compilation of articles from thirteen expert authors.

Jan 01

Teaching Tips: Read-Aloud Activities

Happy New Year!

We have many exciting new additions to the National Writing for Children Center scheduled for 2009.

One of these is our new weekly Teaching & Parenting Tips Column.

This column will be shared by four educators who are also writers: Kathy Stemke, Dorit Sasson, Amy M. O’Quinn, and Sharon Blumberg.

kathy StemkeThis Week’s Teaching & Parenting Tips Column comes from Kathy Stemke, a former classroom teacher who has recently retired to become a full time children’s author and freelance writer.

Stemke has a B.S. degree from Southern Connecticut State University and Covenant Life Seminary, as well as graduate coursework from New York Institute of Technology and Columbia University. Hanging her hat in the North Georgia mountains she has been a dancer, choreographer, teacher, tutor, writer and an antiques dealer for many years. As a freelance writer she has published several articles. Kathy’s first children’s books, Moving Through All Seven Days and Trouble on Earth Day, are slated for release in 2009!

Visit our staff and faculty page for more information about Kathy and links to some of her other work.

READ-ALOUD ACTIVITIES

If you encourage reading from an early age and couple it with fun activities, your child will develop a love for reading that will last his entire life. The following three book recommendations are complete with great activities to do with children either at home or at school.

Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer, teaches kids about worms and the many benefits they provide in the garden. Here is an excerpt: “Down in the ground, under your feet, thousands of worms wiggle around flower beds and tunnel under trees.”

Make a Bookworm

1. Draw a worms head tape it to the wall.

2. On each segment of the body write the title, author and date of a book that your child reads.

3. Continue to add segments until the worm goes all around the room.

4. After every 5 or 10 segments you can offer your child a reward.

The Great Pancake Escape by Paul Many is told in rhymed verse. This is the story of three children who chase after the pancakes that their magician father has mistakenly brought to life. The pancakes try to hide by taking the form of tires, roller-skate wheels, Frisbees and miscellaneous other objects. The kids return home empty-handed, and realize that the book their father used was a magic book not a cookbook. Using one of the book’s spells, they call the pancakes back.

Rhyming Words

1. Either draw or make copies of several pancakes on thick paper or cardboard.

2. Have your child write rhyming words on the back of each pancake.

3. Place the pancakes picture side up on a baking sheet or a table.

4. Flip the pancakes over with a spatula and match up two words that rhyme.

5. Add the rhyming pancakes to the child’s plate and have the child count them.

Circumference of a Circle Activity

1. Wrap a string around the outside edge of a pancake and cut the string to size.

2. Measure the length of the string with a ruler.

3. Explain that you have just measured the circumference of a circle.

4. You can repeat this activity with different size pancakes or other circles that you find around the room.

Behind the Mask: A book about Prepositions by Ruth Heller is a wonderful book of rhymed verse that introduces prepositions and their rules. Here is an excerpt: “Prepositions have no fear. They help to make directions clear.”

Hula-Hoop Activity (understanding prepositions)

1. The parent or teacher holds up the word IN on an index card or sheet of paper.

2. The child jumps IN the hoop to recognize IN as a preposition.

3. Continue with the following prepositions: Jump OUT of the hoop, stand UNDER the hoop, sit NEXT TO the hoop, walk AROUND the hoop, hop ACROSS the hoop, step THROUGH the hoop, crawl INTO the hoop, lean OVER the hoop, hide INSIDE the hoop, step ON the hoop, lean AGAINST the hoop, sit BESIDE the hoop, lie NEAR the hoop, slide OUTSIDE the hoop, balance on one foot WITHIN the hoop.


Read with your child everywhere you go. Read signs, food cartons, magazines, and even toy boxes. There are words all around you. With every game or activity there should be verbal praise or some kind of reward. Most of all, have fun.

Dec 25

Linus Reminds Us What Christmas is All About!

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