Tiny Treasury

It’s the Friday Fifteen! Today’s guest is author Lauren Barnholdt.

1. Where are you now?
I just moved to Boston, Massachusetts. So far I’m loving it!

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
I read everything and anything. Beverly Clearly, Judy Blume, Baby-Sitter’s Club, and Sweet Valley High were my favorites

3. What are you reading now?
I just finished DRAMARAMA by E.Lockhart. I’m looking forward to checking out the library now that I’m settled into my new place!

4. Do you have kids?
Not yet!

5. What projects are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on my next tween book, which will be out sometime next year.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
Hmm. I suppose being able to write in my pajamas all day! And I’m a sucker for buying office supplies — pretty pens, colorful post-its, etc.

7. Coffee or tea?
Both.

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
This is embarrassing, because I have horrible taste in music. I’ll go with Christina Aguilera, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty, Gavin Degraw, and Justin Timberlake.

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
That I can be really shy! When people read my blog, they think I’m really outgoing, but in real life, I’m actually quiet.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
I went to a state school in New York, and majored in psychology.

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
That’s a tough one. I guess famous pop star? Which is ridiculous, because I cannot sing a note.

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
Grey’s Anatomy — I love, love, love this show.

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
I’d been writing for years, had been through two books and was on my third agent (eek!) I started writing my first YA book, REALITY CHICK, and my agent started sending it out. Two weeks later, we had an offer.

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
Nick Lachey.

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye.

—-

Thanks Lauren!

For more info, you can check out Lauren’s website. Stay up to date with Lauren’s projects on her blog. And don’t forget to catch her new book:

We’ve been having a couple of interesting conversations on some of the message boards about the issue of authors and ownership. Those conversations inspired this week’s War of Words Wednesday.

Authors are often paid to produce material which becomes the property of the employer. In a recent case, a series of columns penned by John Grogan is being published by the Philadelphia Inquirer without Grogan’s consent or participation. So today’s question is:

Who was in the right in this debate: Grogan or the Inquirer?

And as a follow-up question:

Do you think that writers give up the right to protect/edit/promote work if the work was produced for a specific purpose (for example, a column or a blog)? If a writer is paid to produce a piece of work, should the person or company who paid for the work be allowed to alter, delete or promote it without permission from the writer?

author, blogger, permission, copyright, protect, promote

Barnes and Noble is hosting “Summer Reading in the Magic Tree House” - read any eight books (borrowed or bought) and you will earn a coupon for a FREE book. You might also win a copy of The Magic Tree House #37 signed by author Mary Pope Osborn!

To earn your free book, pick up an entry form at Barnes and Noble. The contest is open to school aged children, grades 1 through 6 and runs from May 29 to September 2. For more details, click here.

Barnes and Noble, The Magic Tree, Mary Pope Osborn, summer reading

John, Paul, George & Ben, that is.

I saw this book last week in Barnes and Noble and almost bought it. The illustrations were fantastic and the book jacket made me laugh out loud - how often does that happen with a kid’s book?

But I didn’t.

So imagine how ecstatic I was when I found out that my friend Madeline bought it for my daughter, Katie…

It’s so brilliant.

But then what did you expect from Lane Smith, who has illustrated, among other works, James and the Giant Peach and The Stinky Cheese Man? The illustrations are just - gosh. I can’t even explain. The whole book isn’t just drawn beautifully, it’s put together in a stunning manner - from the typeface to the color palette to the drawings. Amazing.

And the text? I’m not sure that the little ones (the jacket says from age 5 on) will get the humor evident from page to page, but that’s why I love it. It works in the same way that Monsters, Inc., or Cars does - there’s humor for the kids and then a more sophisticated humor for the parents. That’s what I love in a kid’s book.

It also has perspective. It is the abbreviated, down to earth stories of John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin and Tom Jefferson. Historical, entertaining, smart, funny. I’m a history major - and I learned something.

The jacket says “This is the story of five little lads before they become five really big Founding Fathers.” But… I thought that only four were mentioned in the title? That’s because the fifth - Tom (as in Jefferson) - was “annoying independent and hardly ever around.”

A truly great book, destined to be a classic. Buy it.

history, John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Lane Smith

It’s our first ever dual Friday Fifteen! Our participants today are husband and wife Mary Jane and Herm Auch - and they work together!

First up, Mary Jane…

1. Where are you now?
On a plane over Pennsylvania, flying to visit our daughter in San Francisco.

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
My mother taught me to read, so when I got to school I was bored silly by the Dick and Jane books. My understanding teacher let me read all of the WIZARD OF OZ books instead, which I loved. I read A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN in fifth grade, and was hooked on reading for life.

3. What are you reading now?
THE HOUSE BY THE SEA by May Sarton and RAT LIFE by Tedd Arnold.

4. Do you have kids?
Yes, a daughter, Kat, and a son, Ian. They’re both graphic artists and both in publishing. Kat is a magazine designer and Ian is a newspaper and web designer.

5. What projects are you working on now?
I’m writing a midgrade novel with canine characters and a YA novel about a boy who loves guitars. Herm and I are doing illustrations for our next picture book, THE PLOT CHICKENS. We have also been attending recording sessions for Full Cast Audio’s CD of ONE-HANDED CATCH, the novel I wrote based on Herm’s childhood accident.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
Our art studio! Herm built a two-story addition on our house with a cathedral ceiling, a balcony, and lots of windows. His computer and photography studio is upstairs and my painting, sewing and sculpting space is downstairs. My drawing board is right next to the woodstove, which is very cozy for our dog and me during our long upstate NY winters.

7. Coffee or tea?
Green tea and chai.

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
Angel Band, Robin and Linda Williams, Steve Greene, Spider John Koerner, and CHESTER AND LESTER – an album with unbelievable guitar duets by Chet Atkins and Les Paul

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I love to play the guitar and just started taking fiddle lessons.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
Skidmore College as an art major, then Columbia University Medical School for Occupational Therapy.

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
Backup singer, luthier (guitar maker)

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
I’m hooked on Idol for the moment, but after that, not much.

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
I took a weeklong course from Natalie Babbitt and another the next year from Patty MacLachlan. They both encouraged me until I made my first sale — after two years of rejections.

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
I’d love to meet Kyra Sedgwick. I admire her work, especially in the projects she has done with her husband, Kevin Bacon. She has an amazing ability to show both the strength and weakness in her characters, and has an incredibly expressive face. I enjoy creating multi-layered characters and pictured her as Lila when I was writing WING NUT.

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Rabble Starkey from Lois Lowry’s book of the same name

And now, Herm:

1. Where are you now?
35,000 feet over Ohio. Same plane as MJ – just a little farther along on the trip.

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
THE RED PONY and HANS BRINKER AND THE SILVER SKATES

3. What are you reading now?
ARROGANCE by Bernard Goldberg

4. Do you have kids?
Yep. The same two as MJ.

5. What projects are you working on now?
Illustrating THE PLOT CHICKENS, designing brochures and publicity for the Heritage Square Museum in Ontario, NY, our home town.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
My Cintiq.

7. Coffee or tea?
Coffee

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
Alison Kraus, Tish Hinojosa, Diana Krall, Leonard Cohen, Roy Orbison

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I played the accordion as a kid, even though I only have one hand.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
Rochester Institute of Technology — illustration major

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
Cabinetmaker

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
NBA playoffs, 24

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
Started by illustrating MJ’s Third Grade Science series. It didn’t help that I was married to the author. They made me send in a lot of samples for approval.

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
David Robinson, former Spurs player

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Huw Morgan from HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY

Thanks Mary Jane and Herm!

You can see more about them on their website.

A computer hacker claims to know.

The hacker, who goes by the name “Gabriel,” purports to have a copy of J.K. Rowling’s, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which he obtained by hacker into Bloomsbury’s computer system.

Reuters had reported that the information on Gabriels’ web site InSecure.org that, if true, would reveal the ending of the book. However, my trip over to the site didn’t prove fruitful - I didn’t see anything about Harry Potter and quite frankly, the layout and info on the site made my head hurt (sorry guys, not all that interested in hacking).

A Bloomsbury spokesman declined comment on the hacker’s claims. And it’s likely not to affect sales anyway - Scholastic plans to release 12 million copies of “Deathly Hallows” and pre-orders so far have already broken records.

Harry Potter, hacker, JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Bloomsbury, insecure.org

Cheerios® is looking for the next great children’s book author in its Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest.

The book should be geared towards children ages 4 to 8. The winner could receive a book deal with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. The top three entrants will receive cash prizes from Cheerios.

The contest begins on June 19 and ends on September 7. For rules and how to enter, visit the site.

Yet another tweak on the War of Words Wednesday… It’s summer (and it’s hot in Philly) so I’m trying to think of light and fun things to do for the WOW.

Today’s question is inspired by ABC’s sitcom-name fiasco:

What TV show (past or present) would you rename to reflect or spoof a kids’ book title or famous line/lyric - and why?

This fall, ABC had planned to introduce a new series starring Christina Applegate in “Sam I Am.” In the series, the title character, Samantha Newly, played by Christina Applegate, is afflicted with amnesia. A clever title perhaps. But also a little bit… taken. The title mimics the first few lines of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham.

Apparently, the Seuss heirs didn’t find the title quite so clever. ABC is not commenting on the specifics but has released information that the name of the show has been changed to “Samantha Be Good.”

Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham, ABC, Christina Applegate, Sam I Am, Samantha Be Good

It dawned on me that you might be interested in what families other than mine are reading. So, I’m going to try and publish The New York Times best seller list each week.

The June 3 list for Picture Books:

1. Bad Dog, Marley! by John Grogan, illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
2. Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy by Jane O’Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
3. Thanks to You by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton
4. Mars Needs Moms! by Berkeley Breathed
5. A Good Day by Kevin Henkes

The June 3 list for Chapter Books:

1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
2. Summer Ball by Mike Lupica
3. Warriors: Power of Three #1: The Sight by Erin Hunter
4. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
5. Marley by John Grogan

HarperCollins Childrens Books is hosting a sweepstakes.

Ten winners will receive an “I Can Read!” Prize Pack! The Prize Pack includes a tote bag and free books like Amelia Bedelia, Rocket Scientist? and Pish and Posh Wish for Fairy Wings.

To enter, click here.

Get the book.

In yet another example of Hollywood being too clever by half, the book about the Nancy Drew movie (which is, of course, based on the books) is out.

Nancy Drew Movie Novelization is available in bookstores now.

Nancy Drew

Simon & Schuster Books has announced that they have signed Steven Hawking to pen a new kids’ book.

Hawking’s book, George’s Secret Key to the Universe, will be a fictional work about the origins of the universe. He is co-writing the book along with daughter, Lucy, who has authored Plume and Run for Your Life. The book will be will be illustrated by Garry Parsons who has illustrated, among other works, The Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe. A fall release is expected.

Steven Hawking, Lucy Hawking, Garry Parsons, George’s Secret Key to the Universe, Plume, Run for Your Life, The Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe

It’s the Friday Fifteen!

Today’s guest is Troy CLE, who wrote the heavily anticipated The Marvelous Effect. I first met Troy when he was kind enough to help me out with a post or two about his book. The post summarizing the release of The Marvelous Effect remains the most popular post on my site to date, garnering more than one million hits in two days - and almost a quarter of a million hits in one hour. In terms of popularity, I’d say that Troy is making a name for himself!

Now, onto the Fifteen!

1. Where are you now?
On the New York train to East Orange

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Superfudge

3. What are you reading now?
Wish I had time to read. I am deep in writing book 1.5

4. Do you have kids?
Yeah- Marvelous World

5. What projects are you working on now?
Marvelous World Movie
Promoting this book is a full time project

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
Apple Pro Book

7. Coffee or tea?
Lemonade Passion Fruit Iced tea

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
Linkin Park
Fall Out Boy
50 Cent
John Mayer
Lil’ Wayne

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I was a Classically trained pianist

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
BA American Literature and English-NYU
MS Digital Design- NYU

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
Visual Effects Artist

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
Come On! I have to choose between 24 and Entourage?

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
I faked being my own publicist.

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
Charlie Murphy

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Don’t I have to say Louis Proof?

You can check out Troy’s web sites here:
http://www.marvelousworld.net
http://www.myspace.com/troycle
http://www.myspace.com/themarvelouseffect

And oh yeah, The Marvelous Effect is in stores now. Pick one up today!

Thanks Troy!

Random House is offering free copies The Absent Author by Ron Roy, with any purchase on www.RandomHouse.com.

To qualify, make a purchase at www.RandomHouse.com, and enter the promotion code “AZKIDS�? at checkout.