Of Dogs and Writing - Finding your People

About six months ago we took Cassie for her eval to see if she could make it into day care. We thought a day or two a week playing with doggie pals would be good for her. Alas for Cassie, a complete introvert, it turned out not to be a good thing after all. She flunked the eval and we were told that it would too hard on her, traumatic even, to be there all day. The evaluator told us to keep Cassie out of dog parks because it would be too much for her. My poor shrinking violet.

She gets so excited when she sees another dog, tail wagging, sometimes a pay attention to me bark. But then the moment comes and they are face to face (or face to rear as it goes with dogs) and she is just overwhelmed by it all and usually gives up on the attempt to make a new friend.

I can so relate. I want to meet new people, make new friends and yet there is that whole, tail wagging, attention getting time where I wonder if I have something to bring to the table of friendship. Will they like me? What if they don't? What if I make a mistake of some kind or say something stupid? What if I'm too fat or too old or too serious or too, you get the picture. Fill in the blank with your current irrational fear.

Recently we met a friend and his dogs at a local dog park so we could get to know each other's dogs and catch up with one another. While Cassie wasn't the life of the party she didn't dig a hole and climb in. She spent most of her time glued to our sides. But she tried. We've been taking her to the dog beach where she can run after the other dogs as they chase a ball. She's not interested in the balls and not totally interested in the dogs but she ventures further away from us on her own there. She stays back from the pack, the leftover, the lone wolf just outside of being accepted. Of course if she would let herself join in the fun I have no doubt that should would be accepted totally, just as she is.

We went back to the dog park last weekened and as soon as we opened the gate and took off her leash she ran into the crowd of dogs without even a backward glance. She didn't stay there long and she didn't really play with anyone but when she trotted back to our sides she looked happy and interested and not at all traumatized. For over an hours she would venture off on her own to sniff around and then come back and check in with us. Friends commented on how much better she was doing this time around.

As we were getting ready to leave another dog entered the park. This one was a German Shepherd.  Cassie tore off after him, happily doing the sniff test and letting herself be sniffed. No matter where we go, she gravatives toward her kind. After a little bit of visiting Cassie was ready to go home, the scent of her new friend firmly implanted on her brain. My shrinking violet was starting to bloom.

In the morning I leave for Austin for the one day conference put on by the folks at Vermont College. Being a confirmed and lifelong introvert, I don't normally do this sort of thing. But I decided to take a chance.  I decided to go in early so I could have time with friends and do a little reaching out of my own.

Thursday night dinner will be with illustrator Mary Sullivan and illustrator/author Don Tate. Friday morning (I hope) with

liz_scanlon

and Friday afternoon with Peni Griffin before heading to the opening mixer where 70 children's authors will gather to glean wisdom from Kathi Applet and Sharon Darrow.

These are my people. And though I am a shrinking violet myself, I gravitate toward my kind for I know I will welcomed there and accepted and they will help me bloom.

September Carnival of Children's Literature

Welcome to the September Carnival of Children’s Literature.  We have a little bit of something for everyone this fine carnival day. No need to rush. Take your time and if you don't manage to see it all in one day, you can come back again and again.

AUTHOR TALK
Terry Doherty at Scrub-a-Dub-Tub, a Reading Tub shares an interview: Inspiration from Mom – A Conversation with Dawn Morris

Deborah Freedman celebrates Robert McCloskey's birthday. Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk  

The Author Spotlight is on Laurel Snyder.Sherrie Petersen says, Laurel Snyder is a slush pile success story. Find out why she thinks genres are like dancing, imitation is a conversation and why Batman books might be in her reading pile!


TALKING ABOUT BOOKS
James The Old Coot talks about reading all the John Newbery Medal winners the other day.
 
Aiych shares The Amazing Scrubbies 
http://aiych.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/the-amazing-scrubbies/ 

Dinotrux Makes Prehistoric Impact in Preschooler World comes to us via Roberta Gibson at  Wrapped in Foil ·

Mary Ann Scheuer says,I really enjoyed this coming of age story, and think it will appeal to boys. Lots of humor, bonding, growing up. Read more about When the Whistle Blows - a compelling coming-of-age story for boys (ages 10 & up

Take a look at Winnie-the-Pooh Books Inspired by Milne and Shepard courtesy of Rebecca Reads

Haley Drucker at Magic and Myth takes a look at City of Ember: Book vs. Movie

Brian at Book Dads says Two Minute Drill’s story emphasizes the importance of reading, and that learning in itself can be a source of real enjoyment. Lupica also deftly slips in references to two YA books, My Brother Sam is Dead and Hoot, with the suggestion that they might be of interest to boys of this same age as well.

Review of The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness from Becky of Becky's Book Reviews

Jennifer at Jean Little Library shares some Strange and Wonderful Visions 

Andi investigates Human Body Detectives

Z-Dad celebrates the re-release of The Hiccupotamus with a look at some behind the scenes stories about its creation 

Becky reviews Mortimer's First Garden 

Carol Rasco shares  WEDNESDAY WINDOW: The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963

My Parents are Divorced, My Elbows Have Nicknames, and Other Facts About Me  via Brian at Book Dads.

Patrena Lynn Roach offers up Ebony The Egg Eater 

Yes, Virginia, there was YA when you were a teenager explains Wendy at Six Boxes of Books.

Jennifer Bogart reviews Pharaohs and Foot Solders: One Hundred Ancient Egyptian Jobs by Kristin Butcher

From Brian at Book Dads Half For You: the father bird in this Persian folktale teaches his son about the world and the virtue of cooperative economics.

Janelle at Brimful Curiosities reviews Legacy by Cayla Kluver. Janelle says, Teen author from Wisconsin re-releases her debut book through the AmazonEncore publishing program.

Tarie Into the Wardrobe presents a Book Review and Author Interview: Chenxi and the Foreigner by Sally Rippin 

Yum! Yum! Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup whips up an end-of-summer picture book picnic!  

Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill  with Melissa Wiley


EVENTS
Elizabeth O. Dulemba kicked off her month with a bang. Here's her wrap up of the Decatur Book Festival '09
and from there it was off to the SOAP, SOAP, SOAP RELEASE PARTY and BLOG TOUR!!


VIDEO
Teens 13-18 can win a $1,000 scholarship just for creating a book trailer. Check out this great opportunity via Susan Taylor Brown

The unshushable Betsy Bird has a bit part in the video No Butts About It, We Love to Read!  "No Butts about it, we love to read!" is something between a book trailer and a public service announcement that Ayun Halliday (author of ALWAYS LOTS OF HEINIES AT THE ZOO) and I (Erica Perl, author of CHICKEN BUTT!) made while we were doing a seat-of-our-pants book tour together this spring. Bottom line (heh) was that we wanted to promote reading - of our books, sure, BUT also of all books. A lot of friends pitched in to help us make it, including NYC and DC public school students, fellow author pals, and even my 97-year-old Great Uncle!


ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN
Jon Bard Children's from Writing Web Journal talks about How to Write a Children’s Book Based on Your Personal Struggles


MISC
Colleen Mondor of Chasing Ray takes on the world of vampires in What a Girl Wants #6: Loving a bloodsucker 

Ken Robert looks back at Goodnight Moon – Memories of a Reading Collaboration

Jen Robinson shares about Popularity in Blogging and Book Awards 

Kimberly at Lectitans does a bit of Weekend Wonderings 

To-Be-Read Piles – Small, Large, and Extra Large!  courtesy of Greg Pincus and The Happy Accident

CREATIVE TEACHING
Exercising the Imagination Muscle 

Wendy Piersall gives some great resources to use the Harry Potter books in the classroom / homeschool curriculum.


PIRATES
Susan Stephenson, the Book Chook, says  Pirates love books too! She shares how to Party Like a Pirate 

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2009  was tons of fun for Elizabeth Duemba


POETRY
The honesty and raw emotions of this 14 year old's poem ripped my heart and then mended it whole. He shared it with me so I could share it with you, says Lee Wind. A Teen's Poem that you absolutely MUST read! 

Anastasia Suen says the book Punctuation Celebration is a must have book for the elementary school classroom!


CONTROVERSY
Bonnie Blogs Green shares the story of Five Covers, One Book, You Pick 

An Author Scolding Teachers for Reading Books Aloud?  from Sarah Mulhern at The Reading Zone

Hall Monitor offers a troubling story about getting rid of library books.

I haven't seen a host for next month's carnival yet but if there is one, please let me know and update the page.

Favorite Kidlit Blogs?

For a new secret project I'm working on I need your help.

I'm looking for blogs that aren't always, or aren't yet, in the top ten list of kidlit blogs you have to read. Someone who has great content but doesn't have a huge following yet. Because I'm mostly immersed in the world of children's books the blog needs to belong to either an author or illustrator of children's books.

Edited to add: The person doesn't have to be published yet.

So here's the information I need your help with:

• Give me the name of the kidlit blog (and yes, it's okay to list your own)
• The URL to the blog.
• Tell me what you love about that blog and why other people ought to check them out.

Thanks in advance!