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Pre-ReFoReMo Day 2: A One-Question Interview with our Resident Illustrator: Lori Nawyn

2/28/2016

Which picture books have influenced your illustration voice?

The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau

I absolutely love this story about self-taught artist Henri Rousseau. I admire his resolve to pursue his love of painting. His work garnered harsh criticism, yet he found the strength of heart to improve his craft and find success. True magic flowed from his paintbrush! Rousseau's paintings now have homes in prominent museums world-wide.

Amanda Hall's illustrations are captivating and colorful; Michele Markel's text deftly captures the soul of the man in an unforgettable story of determination. I was drawn to the book because I enjoy picture book bios that aptly balance depth of emotion and kid appeal. In this case, readers
not only understanding what it takes to reach goals and dreams, but a feeling of pride for someone who persists in their craft, and the sense they can do the same.

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909

I so enjoyed Markel's book on Rousseau, I also picked up this story about young Clara Lemlich. Again, Markel's writing is the perfect blend of historical fact and soul that makes the character come alive in young hearts and minds. The book reminds all ages that anything one puts their mind to is possible. Melissa Sweet's (one of my absolute favorite illustrators!) illustrations are, as always, rich in detail with a splash of whimsy that makes you want to jump inside the page.

Flora and the Penguin

I can't get enough of Molly Idle's books! Tea Rex and Flora and the Flamingo made me a diehard Idle fan. Flora's icy escapades with her new-found penguin friend has visions of ice skating penguins swirling still through my head and heart. Looking forward to the May release of Flora and the Peacocks! Idle's simple yet masterful work is hard to equal. Her ability to convey depth of story through the smallest gesture or expression make her the kind of illustrator I want to grow up to be!

Lori Nawyn is the author of two inspirational books for girls and women, the author of three cookbooks, and the illustrator of three children's books. She has written freelance articles for online and print publications across the U.S., and she enjoys writing picture book biographies, stories of courage and impossible journeys, and living and working in the out of doors.

After breaking her leg in a dog sledding accident last year, Lori decided life is too short to not do what you absolutely love. She is currently pursuing a degree in Outdoor Product Design and Development and plans to create all-season outdoor apparel and gear for women and children to enhance their enjoyment of being in and exploring nature. A chief component of her work will be dedicated to developing a series children's travel and sports books that will coordinate with matching fabric and design elements as they celebrate the spirit of adventure.

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PreReFoReMo Day 1: Kirsti Call and Carrie Charley Brown Begin Boldly

2/27/2016

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Snip! The ceremonial ribbon flies free to officially open ReFoReMo 2016! Today starts three days of PreReFoReMo... a time to give you a little taste of education and open the research gates! You might not have enough fuel for the month-long journey without a healthy breakfast. Three days ought to give you enough!

First of all, if you have not registered for ReFoReMo yet, you only have a few days left! Bring your friends and register HERE to be eligible for prizes at the conclusion of ReFoReMo. Our reading list and goals can be found HERE and the low-down on the blog and logistics is HERE. But enough about reminders, let's get to the breakfast of champions!

Bold Beginnings
By Kirsti Call and Carrie Charley Brown

You’ve always heard that first impressions are everything, right? Well, it’s no different for a story. It’s your job to grab the reader right from the start and make a bold statement in some way. If you don’t, you may be risking a pass on your story.

Just to prove how much a beginning can impact you, we’re going to start this post again.

Beginning #2:
Today we’re going to share some bold beginnings. BUZZZZ! Boring!

Beginning #3:
Crafting a perfect beginning can be a make or break your chance at getting noticed. Agents are busy! A bad first line can be an early signal that the next part is going to bomb as well.

Beginning #4:
When was the last time you wished that a child would put a book down? Never! We want kids to be excited about turning the pages!

Beginning #5
How do we hook our readers with the first sentence? The beginning of your story guarantees whether someone will keep reading or put it down.

Essentially, the five beginnings above have the same concept, just different approaches. Some are better than others at hooking the reader. Given the subjectivity involved, we're sure some prefer one, while others prefer another. (But we're guessing not many people would say that #2 is the best!)

In order to get you started on the right foot, we’ve selected ten beginnings that will put the wind in your sail! These examples compelled us to keep turning the pages. Here’s to a great beginning!

Kirsti’s picks:

Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos and Joy Ang
“When Baby Billy was born, his family noticed something odd. He had a mustache.”
A baby with a mustache? What a concept! I want to keep reading!

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
“One day, Duncan and his crayons were happily coloring together when a strange stack of postcards arrived for him in the mail...”
Oooo... mystery! Who sent the strange stack of postcards? Why? I definitely want to turn the page.

Everyone Love Bacon by Kelly Dipuchchio and Eric Wight
“Everybody loves Bacon. Including Bacon.”
Interesting...Bacon is a character! And he loves himself. I want to keep reading.

Seaver the Weaver by Paul Czajack and The Brothers Hilts:
“In the light of the moon Seaver emerged from his egg.”
Lovely, lyrical and magical! I want to read to find out what happens to Seaver.

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman and Zachariah Ohora:
“The Bunny family came home to find a bundle outside their door.”
Intrigue! What is the bundle outside the Bunny family’s door?

Carrie’s picks:

One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail
“Sophia’s birthday was coming up, and she had five things on her mind—One True Desire and four problems.”
Immediately, I want to know what her “One True Desire” (a proper noun) and four problems are!

Bridget’s Beret by Tom Lichtenheld
“Bridget was drawn to drawing. She liked to draw as much as other kids liked ice cream.”
I love the play on words and kids will be like: ”As much as ice cream?! Woah!

A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream by Kristy Dempsey and Floyd Cooper
“Stars hardly shine in the New York City sky, with the factories spilling out smoke and street lights spreading bright halos round their pin-top faces. It makes it hard to find a star, even harder to make a wish, the one wish that if I could just breathe it out loud to the first star of night, I might be able to believe it true.”
Doesn’t that make you want to know what her wish is?! This main character has captured my heart and the lyrical language is to die for!

The Monstore by Tara Lazar and James Burks
“At the back of Frankensweet’s Candy Shoppe, under the last box of sour gumballs, there’s a trap door. Knock five times fast, hand over a bag of squirmy worms, and you can crawl inside… THE MONSTORE.”
I have to go there! I want to knock and bargain with the monster at the trapdoor. I must see the inside of this magical sounding place. This world has captured me. And…it starts with candy. Kids love candy!

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson
“Henry Brown wasn’t sure how old he was. Henry was a slave. And slaves weren’t allowed to know their birthdays.”
Henry has my heart right away. When you think about young children, most of them are taught to show their age on their fingers from the time they are one. And here is a child who is not sure how old he is. I must read on to make sure he is taken care of and finds a way to a better life.

When assessing a beginning, ask yourself:
Does the first sentence interest you in a way that you have never encountered?
Does it leave you feeling like you need to read further to find out what happens next?

If you answered yes, then you might be onto something! So, are you ready? Go get those bold beginnings!

Share a beginning that grabs you in the comments below.

Kirsti Call reads, critiques and revises every day. She is a member of various critique groups, and blogs for Writer's Rumpus, Children's Book Academy, and the Institute of Children's Literature. As the published author of The Raindrop Who Couldn't Fall and a homeschool mom, Kirsti coaches revision for children ages 5-18. Her school visits involve interactive writing, singing, and of course, reading for research! Kirsti contributed as a 2015 CYBILS YA Fiction panelist and is proud to be the 2016 ReFoReMo co-coordinator. You can follow her journey at www.kirsticall.com.

Carrie Charley Brown is the founder and co-coordinator of ReFoReMo, the Reading for Research Month blog & challenge. She eats, sleeps, and breathes picture books as a writer, professional critique mentor, and contributor on various blogs such as Writer's Rumpus and the Institute of Children's Literature. Carrie contributed as a 2014/2015 CYBILS fiction picture book panelist and donates a large part of her time to SCBWI North Texas as the Regional Advisor. She also produces kidlit videos and provides marketing services for authors and kidlit organizations. She has taught pre-k, kindergarten, first, and third grades. You can follow her writing journey right here on this site.

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Reading List Revealed!

2/23/2016

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If you haven't already registered, go here!

We are thrilled to reveal the 2016 ReFoReMo book list! There are two ways to get to the reading list. The easiest way to get there now, is to click here. Or you can go directly to the ReFoReMo 2016 page by hovering above the ReFoReMo tab on the upper left hand corner of this website, and clicking directly on the ReFoReMo 2016 page.

Now's the time to reserve these books at the library and keep them around so you can re-read as needed! Remember, some of the books will be repeated, but each author/educator has their own perspective, so we can think about the books in different ways. These incredible mentor texts will give us insight and help us hone our writing skills!

MARCH 1-6
Educate:
Read author-educator posts featuring 10 stellar picture book models and how to use the texts to grow. Reserve library books & reflect on your own manuscripts.

MARCH 7-27
Read:
Set a goal to read 5 PBs books each day. Author-educators will offer 5 recommendations with super short edu-posts to allow you more time for reading & researching.
5 books x 21 days = 105 books!

MARCH 1-31
Take notes as you go and join us in our private Facebook Group to discuss revelations and additional recommendations. Team up with others to discuss the books and posts

Here's my 5 year old Sammy singing part of our anthem to keep us pumped!

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It's Time! ReFoReMo Registration 2016

2/14/2016

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This is it! Registration is open! (And then you get to wait again.) I know it’s no fun to wait for something when you’re excited, but you know how the saying goes: “Good things come to…” SCREAM out the last part, “…THOSE WHO WAIT!” After all, so much of this creative business involves waiting. We must be the most patient people on earth!

Registration is open between 6 am CST February 15 - March 1 at 11 pm CST. I ask that you read this post in full. Yes, it is long, but it provides the information you will need to know for this challenge. If you are confused, reread the post one more time before contacting one of us for help. If you have questions, please ask them in our Facebook Group. We have lots of ReFoReMo veterans that can help, as well as your admin team. We will get to the questions as soon as possible, but please understand that registration is a very busy time for us.

Please follow these steps to get registered:

1.     If you have not already, subscribe to this ReFoReMo blog using the opt-in box on the right hand side. Follow the instructions for verification and then you will be all set to receive the blog posts. A very limited number of updates will arrive before February 27. Starting on the 27th, you will receive three days of PreReFoReMo posts, and from there on out, you will receive the author-educator posts from March 1-31. (The regular schedule, one post per week, resumes after, with more mentor text education and support at your fingertips.)

2.     At the bottom of this post, there is a comment section titled, “Leave a Reply.” Fill out the reply form completely, making sure you list the same name and email address that you used to subscribe in step #1. (Your email will not be visible to the public unless you put it in the comment box.) Listing your email will assist admin in knowing if you are registered properly, so please do not skip this step. Then, use the comment box to repeat your FIRST and LAST NAME as the first words of your one sentence comment. Example: CARRIE CHARLEY BROWN is ready to research! If you don’t want to use a sentence, feel free to just leave your name in the comment box. Example: CARRIE CHARLEY BROWN  If you need assistance, please contact Carrie by email, and leave this comment feed open only for registrations. We will not be posting a list of participants this year, so please make sure that you follow the steps correctly.

NOTE: You must have steps one and two completed by March 1 at 11 pm CST and comment on every post from March 1-31 if you want to be eligible for prizes at the conclusion of ReFoReMo. Our author-educators are rock-stars and deserve your comments! Without them, this challenge would be 31 days of only two of us blabbing in your ear. Yeah... I know, I'm thanking my lucky stars right now, too. *wink*

3.     Optional: Head on over to the private ReFoReMo Facebook group and request to be admitted. It was designed to build community and host discussions about picture books as mentor texts. Prior to February 26, we will post one link or discussion question each day to serve as a research prompt or build excitement. You are also welcome to start discussions about mentor texts on your own. Again, you don't want us to be the only ones blabbing at you in the Facebook group. You'll get more out of this experience if you fully participate. Please refrain from promoting events or posts unrelated to picture books as mentor texts. Once ReFoReMo officially begins, we will feature the link to our daily author-educators. (The blog post will also be delivered to your inbox.)

4.     Standing ovation for our resident illustrator Lori Nawyn!!! She created the all-new 2016 participation badge for use on your websites and/or social media sites! Please link the badge back to this address: http://www.carriecharleybrown.com/what-is-reforemo.html

5. In addition, you may add a Twibbon to either/both your Facebook or Twitter profile pictures. Go here, to access the Twibbon campaign. Your ReFoReMo cheerleader will look like this...isn't she precious?! You should be able to resize her once you access the campaign.

6. Prizes will be announced during the posts. When March 1 rolls around, keep your research notebook close by and jot down what you read each day. But don’t just read…study the elements, too. Our ReFoReMo posts will help you know what to look for. To be eligible for prizes, you will want to make efforts to consistently read picture books on a day to day basis. While I have dangled a huge goal of reading five picture books a day from March 7-27, I realize that life gets in the way. The idea is to read consistently and utilize the mentor texts as study tools to help you with your current writing/illustration goals. Whether that is one picture book each day or five, your efforts will enhance your writing. As I mentioned earlier, you must comment on every post to be eligible for prizes. (Not just the posts that have the prizes you like the most.) Your administrators (Kirsti, Janie, and I), as well as all of the author-educators, are volunteers. Please consider going beyond just a comment and follow them on social media, mark their books as “to read” at Goodreads, and if your library does not have their book, request that they get it. Of course, a personal purchase of the book is also supportive, but we’ll leave that decision up to you. Our team would also appreciate your donations to support ReFoReMo as a continued annual event. (Things like shipping costs for prizes and technical support are among the costs that add up.) The donate button is located in the right hand side bar of our site. All donations will filter back into ReFoReMo. If you would like to support Kirsti and I personally, you can do that by purchasing our services and books.

While you are waiting for ReFoReMo to kick into high gear, feel free to check out the Get Ready… Get Set… post to learn more about how ReFoReMo works and the resources we utilize. If demographics prevent you from accessing the picture books that you need to study, you might consider joining or starting a ReFoReMo Support Group. (New this year!)

Whew! I know that was a lot, but exciting, right? That's it for now! Official PreReFoReMo blog posts will begin on February 27. A special SURPRISE guest-educator will get us all pumped up on February 28! You won't want to miss out! Get ready to rock your writing/illustrating with mentor texts!

Carrie Charley Brown is the founder and co-coordinator of ReFoReMo, a research challenge and blog for picture book writers. She provides services for kidlit creatives and has contributed as a fiction picture book panelist during the CYBILS awards (2014/2015). A self-professed picture book addict, she enjoys helping other writers by blogging on various sites such as Writer's Rumpus and the Institute of Children’s Literature, and elfing her way around the 12 x 12 Critique Connect. She donates a large part of her time as the SCBWI North Texas Regional Advisor and has taught pre-k, kindergarten, first, and third grades. You can follow her writing journey right here on this site.

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Get Ready…Get Set…

2/9/2016

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You already know by now that your biggest tools during ReFoReMo will be picture books! But, what else? Well, without this blog, the challenge wouldn’t be much. Sure, you can read picture books, and rely on your ninja-like reflexes to chop them apart and chew them up into bite-sized pieces. But hold on for a minute. We’ve got 27 author-educators lined up to share their perspectives on writing/illustrating. That means at least 27 different ways of looking at things, which equates to one great picture book education. Since this industry is so subjective, gathering the opinions of others matters a whole lot. But through it all, there is one opinion that can tell you more about who you are as a writer. Do you know whose opinion that is? Yours! Your inner editor will shape your voice and dictate what types of stories resonate with you. Does that mean you can’t learn from someone you disagree with? Of course not! There’s a lot to learn! So much, in fact, that a writer or illustrator can always learn more.

You may receive the same exact picture book recommendation from multiple author-educators. But you won’t receive the same exact viewpoint. Exciting! It’s like having fly eyes! A kaleidoscope of perspectives!

So, here’s a list of the tools you’ll need to proceed:

This ReFoReMo blog- This also means you need a computer or a device that allows you to access the internet everyday for a month. And FYI- We have heard it is easier to leave comments and access all menus from a computer.
Picture books
A library or bookstore nearby (Don’t have one? That brings me to my next point)
Our ReFoReMo Facebook group- This is the place to ask questions, share viewpoints, and even team up so that you get your hands on the picture book recommendations.
A Notebook- Or you may prefer to use some of the prepared worksheets we have in our tools section.
A writing utensil.
Knowledge- or rather, how to find everything on our blog. Do you see that heading at the top that says REFOREMO? Hover over it. Wah-la! A whole list of places to go! There you will find our calendar of speakers, and a little about your coordinators, our reading list (released on the 23rd), the 2015 challenge posts, and an explanation of the ReFoReMo goals.

Speaking of goals, do you know our ReFoReMo goals?

Our broad generalized goal is to develop a regular habit of reading for research consistently in order to enhance our writing and illustration.

Our more focused goals are listed here:

MARCH 1-6
Educate:
Read author-educator posts featuring 10 stellar picture book models and how to use the texts to grow. Reserve library books & reflect on your own manuscripts.

MARCH 7-27
Read:
Set a goal to read 5 PBs books each day. Author-educators will offer 5 recommendations with super short edu-posts to allow you more time for reading & researching.
5 books x 21 days = 105 books!

MARCH 1-31
Take notes as you go and join us in our private Facebook Group to discuss revelations and additional recommendations. Team up with others to discuss the books and posts in detail.

After the first complete week, we will utilize the Saturdays that follow for reflection and application to our own writing. We will take a blog break on Sunday the 13th, 20th, and 27th. These three Sundays might also give you a chance to catch up on your reading.

Registration opens next Monday, February 15 at 6 am CST and will be open until Monday March 1 at 11 pm CST. If you are already registered for the blog, you will just have one additional easy registration step to perform and a few other optional steps. If you want to be eligible for prizes during ReFoReMo, you will need to be properly registered. All the details will be in next Monday’s post! Are you excited?

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ReFoReMo Sharing Contest Results + Preparing to Assess a Mentor Text

2/2/2016

12 Comments

Congratulations to Charlotte Dixon, Darlene Koppel, and Jackie Kruzie for winning the sharing contest and some beautiful mentor texts!

Just the act of reading mentor texts improves our instincts when writing, but how do you approach the research aspect? I like to read as many books as I can on the topic of the manuscript I'm writing. I also look for books that mimic the structure that I'm going for. Am I writing a metafiction story? Then Do Not Open This Book! is the perfect mentor text. Is my story a fractured fairy tale? The Three Ninja Pigs is right up my alley. Am I writing a cumulative story? Your Alien is a good place for me to start.

As I read each book, I ask myself these questions:
1. What do I like about this book? What works?
2. What don't I like? What doesn't work?
3. Do I want to read this again? Why?
4. Would kids relate to this?
5. Would this make kids laugh?

Once I've read as much as I can about my topic or structure, then I have a better idea of what works, what I like, and what has already been done. My built-in panel of five children reminds me what it's like to be a kid and when I write, I tackle my story with my newfound knowledge and a fresh perspective!

As we continue to Reveal ReFoReMo to you, let's reflect upon Romelle Broas's experience as a ReFoReMo-er. In this post, she not only shares her experience, but also an incredible tool she used for assessing mentor texts during ReFoReMo 2015. Her assessment tool is also located at the bottom of the tools section on the ReFoReMo website, here. Take a look and give it a try!

Timeline
February 15:            Registration opens
February 23:            Reading list goes live on
February 27-29: PreReFoReMo: Starting off Strong
March 1-31:              ReFoReMo!

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Pre-ReFoReMo Day 2: A One-Question Interview with our Resident Illustrator: Lori Nawyn

PreReFoReMo Day 1: Kirsti Call and Carrie Charley Brown Begin Boldly

Reading List Revealed!﻿

It's Time! ReFoReMo Registration 2016

Get Ready…Get Set…

ReFoReMo Sharing Contest Results + Preparing to Assess a Mentor Text

ReFoReMo

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Reading List Revealed!