 Here’s a list of five goals I set to become a published author. Hopefully these ideas will be useful as you chart your own course toward publication. 1) Develop a writing habit: I try to do some type of writing-related work almost every day. That could be writing a story draft, revising a manuscript, or writing a blog post. I also spend time commenting on my critique partners’ stories, reading KidLit blog posts, and working on marketing materials. A near-daily writing habit helps me stay focused on writing as a career. 2) Cultivate the craft of writing for children: Over the years, I have taken many KidLit courses and workshops, attended conferences, and participated in writing challenges. Also, I spend a great deal of time reading picture books and chapter books. Reading and dissecting children’s books is such an important part of my learning. And taking advantage of opportunities to advance my writing skills is always a high priority. 3) Connect with other writers: Connecting with members of the KidLit community has been a great joy. Everyone has been so helpful, giving of their time, and generous with support. I hope that I pay it forward as well! Also, I absolutely love connecting with my critique partners. Nothing beats a great critique group, either in person or online. Critique pals help make my stories better, and I enjoy immersing myself in their stories too. In addition, I volunteer with SCBWI Metro/NY, as well as with other writing groups. As we all know, writing can be a solitary business, so it’s invaluable to make connections with other creatives to share the journey. 4) Create a social media presence: I started to create a social media presence slowly, with Facebook and a Facebook author page, and then added to my online presence with Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. I also host a blog at www.MelissaStoller.com/blog where I feature other authors discussing their thoughts about stories, creativity, and connection. Additionally, I added my books to Goodreads and try to stay active there by reviewing picture books and chapter books. I really enjoy connecting with people on social media and hope to continue to build my author platform. 5) Learn about book marketing strategies: Marketing has been a huge learning curve since I don't have any prior experience in this area! Being part of the #Epic18 debut picture book group has been extremely helpful in terms of sharing ideas and getting support along the way. I also read everything I can about book launches, creating an author brand, and marketing strategies. And I stay connected to my Clear Fork Publishing family as well to share marketing tips and strategies. Fingers crossed that I’m getting the hang of it! I hope this list of goals helps you set some of your own as you progress along your publication journey. Melissa Stoller SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH by Melissa Stoller, illustrated by Sandie Sonke Clear Fork Publishing, October 16, 2018 Available for pre-order at https://www.clearforkpublishing.com/store/p66/ScarletMagicPaintbrush and https://amzn.to/2oNys3K www.MelissaStoller.com 
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By Shanda McCloskey  https://www.thetechieteacher.net/2018/08/how-to-practice-making-connections-with.html   Soon there will be a guide using a Makey Makey Inspired by DOLL-E 1.0! Colleen Graves, Director of Community and Creative Content @MakeyMakey / Speaker/ Blogger/ Co-author of #bigmakerbook & #evilmakeybook is working on a making guide based on Doll-E 1.0! Follow her to catch it as soon as it comes out! https://twitter.com/gravescolleen/status/1035244905902366720 https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHRkvyHqYj/ And here are my FREE activities on my website: http://www.shandamc.com/2018/08/robot-and-doll-e-1-0-activities-all-in-one-post/  This is a balancing robot STEM activity!  Drawing Doll-E 1.0 characters in steps!  A writing and illustrating activity!  And of course, coloring pages!
By Shanda McCloskey DOLL E 1.0 Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1st 2018) Available anywhere books are sold, including Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Doll-1-0-Shanda-McCloskey/dp/0316510319  I’m happy to write about how educators can use my debut picture book, SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH, to enhance their lessons. There are three themes that will resonate most in the classroom or library: perfection, creativity, and imagination. SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH tells the story of Scarlet, who paints perfect pictures with a magic paintbrush, until the brush disappears, and her own creativity must emerge. Teachers and librarians can discuss what it means to search for perfection, and how children don’t need to be perfect in school or in life. Educators can also plan projects based around finding your own creativity. In the story, Scarlet tries to use different handmade brushes and painting methods. Art teachers could experiment with painting techniques as Scarlet did. Perhaps students will be inspired to paint their own masterpieces just like Scarlet. Finally, the book lends itself to discussions about imagination. This book was inspired by my curiosity about the French Impressionists, particularly Monet. Standing in front of a Monet painting, I asked, “What if I had a magic paintbrush and could paint like Monet?” Students can ask their own “what if” questions. They can use their imaginations to wonder what they would do with a magic paintbrush, a magic pen, a magic pencil, or anything else magical. And they can imagine a story they might want to write based on those ideas. I hope educators will enjoy reading my debut picture book and designing lessons and projects surrounding themes of perfection, creativity, and imagination. And I would be happy if SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH adds a bit of magic to their classrooms and libraries! Melissa Stoller SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH by Melissa Stoller, illustrated by Sandie Sonke Clear Fork Publishing, October 16, 2018 Available for pre-order at https://www.clearforkpublishing.com/store/p66/ScarletMagicPaintbrush and https://amzn.to/2oNys3K www.MelissaStoller.com  Fall is around the corner. Students and teachers are back in school. Teachers, like students, are setting goals so that we can make this the best year possible for our students. One simple way to make the year better for our students, is to infuse each day with quality literature—not just during scheduled reading time. 100 Bugs! is a text that can be used throughout the elementary school day. This blogpost will highlight ways that 100 Bugs! can be used during K-5 math, science and writing blocks. In addition, I’ll talk about why 100 Bugs! is a perfect choice for book buddies. Common Core aligned PDFs featuring Suzanne Kaufman’s stunning art can be found for each activity by clicking the link. For ready-made click and print 100 Bugs! Common Core activities, please check out this link: http://www.katenarita.com/for-educators.html  K-2 ACTIVITIES
MATH: BUG TEN FRAMES Kindergartners and first graders have to master the various combinations of ten such as: nine and one, eight and two, seven and three etc… After reading 100 Bugs! aloud to the class, students can complete the Bug Ten Frames. There are ten frames for each combination of ten and each ten frame features a different insect. Also, you can choose between ten frames that feature the turn-around addition facts or ten frames that feature the addition and the subtraction fact families. WRITING: LADDER STORIES Kate Narita and Suzanne Kaufman use a ladder or mirror structure in their book. That means that the second half of the story repeats what happens in the first half of the story. So 100 Bugs! starts off with sun rising, the kids getting out of bed and then they find these combinations of bugs: 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, 4 and 6. At noon, they find the five and five combination. Then, what happens? The text climbs back down the ladder. The kids find these combinations: 6 and 4, 7 and 3, 8 and 2, 9 and 1. Next, there’s the final combination of 10 and 1, followed by the kids in bed, and the moon rising. Other examples of picture books with a ladder or mirror structure are: Madame Martine by Sarah Brannen, When the Rain Came Down by David Shannon, Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead and Old Bear and His Cub by Olivier Dunrea. Have students write their own stories using a ladder or mirror structure. SCIENCE: BUILD-A-BUG Have students build a bug with egg cartons, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, construction paper, toothpicks and other goodies. First, ask them to draw a picture of their new insect below. Remind them that all insects have a head, an abdomen and a thorax as well as six legs. Next, have them identify their bug’s super power. Finally, have them build their bugs! 3-5 ACTIVITIES MATH: BUGS MEASURE UP The Bugs Measure Up pdf features each insect in the book. Students have to measure the bugs to the nearest ¼ inch, then plot the buggy measurements on a line plot. WRITING: BUG DEBATE Pesticides harm insects. The following information is directly quoted from The Environmental Protection Agency’s 2017 report which focuses on pesticide usage throughout the world from 2008-2012. “U.S. pesticide usage totaled over 1.1 billion pounds annually in both 2011 and 2012, with herbicides accounting for nearly 50% of total U.S. pesticide usage in 2011 and nearly 60% of usage in 2012 (see Table 3. 1). On average across all reported years (2008-2012), U.S. pesticide use accounted for approximately 23% of total pounds of pesticides applied, 25% of total pounds of herbicides applied, 43% of total pounds of fumigants applied, 12% of fungicides applied, and 6% of insecticides applied worldwide.” Ask your students whether or not they think the farm featured in 100 Bugs! uses pesticides, why or why not. Should farmers use pesticides, why or why not? Randomly divide up the class into two sides and have one side argue for the use of pesticides and the other side argue against the use of pesticides. Then, have them switch sides. After the debate, students can write a persuasive essay about why or why not farmers should use pesticides. I’ve included the persuasive essay planners I use in my classroom below. If you’re looking to further explore the pesticide issue with your students, Melissa Stewart’s, www.melissastewart.com, A Place for Butterflies and the other A Place for companion books, are excellent resources. I use them each year in my classroom to teach cause and effect as well as problem and solution nonfiction text structures. SCIENCE: INSECT TRADING CARDS Students use the 100 Bugs! back matter and the internet to complete the insect trading cards. They’ll find out the insects’ Latin names, their habitat and their super powers. Then, kids can create cards for two insects of their own choosing. In the end, they can trade and sort their cards. This is a great activity to have around for early finishers. BOOK BUDDIES: BUG HUNT Looking for a fun book buddy activity for the 100th day of school? Print out 100 copies of Suzanne Kaufman’s bugs and hang them up around your school. Then, give each younger student an array of 100 bugs which is also included in the pdf. The older students can help the younger students mark the corresponding bug off on the array when younger students find the bugs flying all over the hallway. I hope these activities will make your and your students’ school year more enjoyable! Best wishes, Kate Narita Author of 100 Bugs! A Counting Book Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman Farrar Straus Giroux June 2018 www.katenarita.com Extra files: http://www.katenarita.com/for-educators.html
Thank you to everyone participating in our Giveaway Especial for Educators! #GeeEpic18.
We’re excited to report the winners! First up, we will send postcards to every teacher requesting one for their class. That’s 418 of you! We won’t list all your names here. However, if you signed up for a note from an author, expect a postcard or letter to arrive at the address you provided in the next month. In addition, twenty educators won book related swag: Jane Chalifaux wins 30 Alma and How She Got Her Name stickers Amber Stivers-Anders wins 20 bookmarks based on the book Matter Jennifer Brenneman wins 30 bookmarks + classroom guide for Love, Mama Kari Lynn wins 30 An Inconvenient Alphabet bookmarks Mikal Brennan wins 30 bookplates and a classroom guide based on Hedgehog Needs A Hug Anita Fentress wins 30 bookmarks plus 30 temporary tattoos based on Maximillian Villainous Kara Marie Dibartolo wins a Doll-E 1.0 How-to-draw activity Shanie Rucker wins 30 bookmarks and a classroom guide based on We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga Dora Guzman wins 30 bookmarks and a classroom guide based on 100 Bugs! A Counting Book Jackie Hart Ingram wins 30 bookmarks based on Pie Is for Sharing MaryAlison Weintraub wins 30 I Am Famous stickers and 30 Shark Nate-O bookmarks Pamela Scripture wins 30 Iver & Ellsworth bookmarks Keva AnJanea Wallace wins 30 bookmarks based on Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean Mary Gensch wins 30 bookmarks based on Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush Shelly Kraal wins an educator/family discussion guide based on The Breaking News Karma Jensen wins 30 bookmarks and a teaching guide based on The Little Red Fort Jo A. Reed wins 30 bookmarks and stickers based on Hey, Hey, Hay! Laurie Amrine wins an activity guide based on Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime Cindy Thompson wins 30 stickers and bookmarks based on Sterling Best Dog Ever Angie Wake wins 30 bookmarks and stickers based on The Three Little Pugs and Chicken Lily And now for the book winners! 
The second place winner, taking home seven titles: Sterling, Best Dog Ever, The Field, Adventures to School, The Three Little Pugs, Chicken Lily, Russel Wrestles the Relatives, and Let the Children March, is…
TINA SCAVO PIERCE Congratulations, Tina! And the grand prize winner, taking home these titles: The Diamond & The Boy, Alma and How She Got Her Name, La Princesa and the Pea, Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre, Forces, Energy, Waves, Matter, The Remember Balloons, Love Mama, An Inconvenient Alphabet, Hedgehog Needs a Hug, Maximillian Villainous, Mommy’s Khimar, Doll-E 1.0, We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, Teach Your Giraffe to Ski, 100 Bugs! A Counting Book, Pie Is for Sharing, I Am Famous, Shark Nate-O, Iver & Elseworth, Moth and Wasp Soil and Ocean (x2), Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush, The Breaking News, Allie All Along, Rice From Heaven, Finn’s Feather, Flying Deep, The Little Red Fort, El fuertecito rojo, Hey, Hey, Hay! (A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them), Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don't Do Bedtime!, Snow Sisters!, Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor, is… ANN MENNONNO Congratulations, Ann!
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To all the educators out there, we wish you a very happy school year! Thanks for the important work you do!
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