Counting down (or is it up?) 'til Shavuos

This time of year is always a little interesting for me, since my one-and-so-far-only (yes, I'm still whining about that) book is seasonal, as it is set on erev Shavuos. I read my book at synagogue, have friends and acquaintances purchase it, do a school visit...that type of thing.

There aren't many Shavuos books out there, which is one of the reasons I wrote the book. When A Dozen Daisies for Raizy finally came out (I think it holds the publisher's record for longest stretch from manuscript sale to publication), it came out the same year as the Shavuot book in the Sammy Spider series. My first thought was "Oy!" but others told me that people about to purchase Sammy Spider (a very well-known commodity) might see my Shavuos book and then either buy mine instead or as well. I felt a little better.

Then, reviews started trickling in. Most of mine were good or at least okay--the kids, parents, teachers and librarians who've spoken to me have been much more enthusiastic--but there was ONE review that was SO BAD I wanted to cry. And when A Dozen Daisies for Raizy became available through Amazon, that was the review posted on the page for the book, because it was from the most prestigious source.

One of the things that was most hurtful was that the person who wrote the review compared my book unfavorably to another book, A Mountain of Blintzes.

This was like turning to your kid and saying, "You're terrible, but your big sister...she's terrific." Right to her face.

The thing is...I really like A Mountain of Blintzes! But I almost couldn't, because of the hurtfulness of the reviewer's words. It's the tragedy of saying Onaas HaDevarim (hurtful speech prohibited by the Torah). My anger at the reviewer almost carried over to anger against Barbara Diamond Goldin (author of ...Blintzes) who I'm sure had NOTHING to do with the aforementioned hurtful statement.

Thankfully, I'm pretty much over this whole episode now. I'm actually sad for Barbara Diamond Goldin, because her funny, lovely book is tragically out of print. You can still find it in libraries and through online booksellers who deal in out-of-print merchandise. I urge you to borrow or purchase it during the upcoming holiday season.

And if you can borrow or buy A Dozen Daisies for Raizy, too...that's even better.

Great Bedtime Stories beyond _Goodnight Moon_

I'm feeling inspired by the wonderful new book by David Ezra Stein, called The Interrupting Chicken. My children and I are going to list a few other of our favorite bedtime stories.

Bedtime for Mommy, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Turnabout is fair play in this uproariously funny, topsy-turvy tale.

Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep is a wonderful way to address children's fears at bedtime, plus teaches a healthy way to cope with these troubles. Also, there is a touching relationship between the big brother and his little sister.

We found the adorable Sleepyhead inside our Cheerios box at breakfast one day. Very charming, very snuggly.

As anyone whose read my blog already knows, I'm slightly obsessed with books by Sandra Boynton. Here's her silly, but soothing, bedtime classic, The Going to Bed Book.

With very few words, Peggy Rathman leads children on a fabulous bedtime adventure in Goodnight Gorilla.

Artscroll publishes a whole series of wonderful, wholesome anthologies full of very short stories, just right for bedtime reading. They are widely available in Jewish bookstores and online.

This story is perfect for a Friday night: Hanna's Sabbath Dress. The original Hebrew version of this book has long been a favorite of my children. Hanna is a little girl who has just received a new, white Shabbos dress from her mother. When she does an act of kindness, there are unforeseen consequences. How will she ever bring herself to face her mother?

Last, but not least: the brand new, absolutely fabulous Hashem is Truly Everywhere by Chani Altein, with pictures by the fabulous, local-to-L.A. artist, Marc Lumer!

Put in your bedtime story suggestions in the comments below.

A Light to the Nations

There have been several outstanding books in the last few years that, while by Orthodox Jews, were written for the public at large. I've mentioned some of them in previous posts: My Before and After Life and Seven Blessings, for example.

Matisyahu (Miller), while he's received a lot of flak by some members of the Jewish community, has likewise brought the beauty of the Jewish worldview to a broader audience through his music.

First of all, every time someone picks up a book by Risa Miller, Yehoshua November, Rochelle Krich, or Ruchama King Feuerman, they AREN'T reading...I'll let you fill in the blank. And every time someone listens to Matisyahu, Y-Love, DeScribe, Ta-Shma, or Moshav, they AREN'T listening to...I'm sure you can fill that blank in, too.

There's merit just from that. So much poison fills our minds when we internalize messages from music, art, and literature filled wrong-headed thinking. Even a morally-neutral alternative is preferable

But the artists I mention above go further than this. There's just so much beauty in these artists' words. They fill the readers'/listeners' hearts and touch them much better than a good mussar schmuess rarely will for the average American...and the audience will remember the message. People will remember the words to a song or poem for years and years, if not a lifetime.

This is the kind of art I'd like to be able to share with the world at some point. An ambitious goal, for sure, but I'm hoping I've got years ahead of me to pursue it.

Since Lag B'omer just is past, I'm listing some links for contemporary Jewish music that penetrates the soul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71GMrGB1KKo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHTKWa9s1N8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHx9dZOVz4Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl31is_RgP8

And here's a lovely rendition of Matisyahu's "One Day" by public schoolchildren in NYC:

http://www.youtube.com/user/matisyahuTV?blend=1&ob=5#p/f/15/YDgUdSFBJ3Q

A Writer's Blues

Currently, my least favorite words to hear (of a professional nature) are, "Do you have a second book out yet?" My honest answer (despite many close calls and lots of magazine work) is still, "No."

I just turned in two more pieces to a magazine editor today, and received timely payment for another piece just before Shabbos. Magazine work is good for me. To keep things in perspective: I've published more in the last year than in my entire previous writing life put together, and I'm getting paid for my work. I'm learning new stuff by writing new stuff with new people, and audiences are reading it!

However, when I tell people, "Sorry, no second book yet. But I've been writing for magazines," most people glaze over. If it ain't a book, it doesn't count

Lately, I've written several pieces which were really good but when friends and colleagues have read them, they've said, "It's awesome, but no one will ever publish it." I don't want to write what everyone else is writing, but book publishers (especially in the current market) are afraid to take risks.

I've saved up a lot of rejected book manuscripts. I rewrote a few for the magazine format, which is a little more forgiving and a lot easier to break in to, and a couple of them sold. Another, I'm holding on to, because I think it's only right for a picture book, and I think it might sell after book #2 proves my work can sell well, if that ever happens.

I know it's great publishing in magazines, and I hate being nudged by people about when my next book will be coming out. Part of the problem is this: I still want to sell another book. Books endure. They get read over and over. They generally do not end up in recycling bins.

I'm giving up on picture books for now. I have a LONG short story (more a novella) that I'm considering rewriting as a short novel for Jewish teenage girls.

Genre: sci-fi/fantasy. Probably will get rejected anyway. -sigh-

The Giving Tree

Just wanted to share an interesting post on MetroImma.com about the book The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein.

http://www.metroimma.com/forum/topics/i-hate-the-giving-tree

The author of the article is very concerned about Silverstein's understanding about giving. Personally, I agree.

Right now we are in the period of Sefira, between Passover and Shavuot. In the first week , we learned about the sefira of "chessed," giving and lovingkindness. Through the idea of interinclusion, that each sefira contains aspects of the others, we learn that giving must include "gevurah," which is strength and restraint. We need to know--both as mothers and as human beings--that strength and restraint are required even when we are giving.

Do you agree with Silverstein or the MetroImma post? Please share your comments below.

Rejection letters

I once read of a children's author (it pains me to admit I can't remember which) who set the stage for her public speaking engagements with a banner she'd created of all the rejection letters she'd received strung together. At the time she spoke, it could cross the stage in most schools twice. She described it as a concrete expression of perseverance.

Ray Bradbury once said that he'd written over 2000 stories, but only about 350 had been published. At the rate I'm going, I guess I'll be in great company.

In this digital age, I rarely get paper rejection letters. Most are sent by email. Once I received an email rejection from a company that firmly required a snail-mail submission. Not one of my favorite moments in life. If my self-worth had been based on acceptance by some publisher, I would have been in serious trouble.

This morning, I received yet another rejection letter. At one point, such an event meant crankiness for the rest of the day, or at least until lunchtime. Copious amounts of chocolate would have been injested. Tears would have been shed and girlfriends phoned. Today, I sighed with disappointment. After some minor second-guessing ("Does this mean it needs another rewrite? Should I send it to another publisher, or I should give up on it?") the rest of the day continued, tantrum-free (Well, I was tantrum-free, don't ask about my toddler.)

I'm not sure this is a sign of spiritual growth. I might just be jaded.

Been checking out more graphic literature

If you haven't seen it yet, check out my list of Jewish graphic literature on Amazon.http://www.amazon.com/lm/R2IIZNVM2VGGX9/ref=cm_pdp_lm_title_1

As mentioned before, I checked out a bunch of secular graphic literature for the kiddie set from the library recently. Several friends mentioned they are struggling to get their kids excited about reading, and I committed to checking some out to check if they are "kosher" for the consumption of frum kids.

So far, I have found some options. Two titles from Toon Books (Candlewick Press's new Easy to Read comic line), Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework, and Mo and Jo Fighting Together Forever are clean, nicely illustrated, and silly enough for first through fourth graders. My kids really, really liked them. I should add that my new reader, who usually refuses to do the reading himself, was really motivated to do so with this book. Amazing. He's virtually begging for me to find more Toon Books at the library.

I enjoyed Patrick Atangan's The Yellow Jar more myself. However, it's more sophisticated and definitely tailored for older kids, at least 5th grade.

Still trying to finish the stack from the library. Next up, Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown.

Childhood favorites

Do you have any childhood favorites that no one has ever seemed to have heard of? One of my favorite books from my own preschool years is Nancy Patz's Pumpernickle Tickle and Mean Green Cheese.

Similar to the classic Don't Forget the Bacon, a child is sent to the grocery store. He has to remember the list, but can't seem to do so. Hilarity ensues. It appears this book was republished about ten years ago, and it's available through Amazon.

Other books from my childhood that no one seems to remember are wonderful youth biographies of the RAMBAN, RAMBAM, and Rav Yosef Caro. They were very inspirational for me (although I was not yet religious), but I can't find them anywhere. Someone told me they are out of print and I'm very disappointed. The graphic histories published by Rabbi Berel Wein's Destiny Foundation are lovely, but the books from my childhood were for a younger audience, and shorter.

Does anybody out there have favorite books from their childhood that somehow escaped classic status?

A few recommended Jewish books by Southern California authors and illustrators

While L.A. is best known for the movie business, SoCal is teeming with writers and artists. Here's a sample of some wonderful books for the Jewish audience by locals.

Ann Stampler is the author of several folktales and parables, including the fabulous, award-winning Rooster Prince of Breslov.

See all her titles if you follow this link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&field-author=ANN%20STAMPLER

Around here, Marc Lumer is most famous for designing the dancing rabbis that appear on lamp post banners before the Chabad telethon. He's also an illustrator of children's books, with new ones forthcoming. Here's are links to his work.

http://www.artscroll.com/cgi-bin/searchtitle?Author=Marc_Lumer

http://www.targum.com/section.php/245/1/davis--esther

http://store.kehotonline.com/index.php?stocknumber=EC-BALL&deptid=5652&parentid=196&page=1&itemsperpage=10

Beth Firestone was my writing partner in the serial we just wrapped up with Aim! (Ami) Magazine. However, she's more famous for writing Candles in my Window.

http://www.targum.com/product.php/1196/candles-in-my-window

Just down the street from me lives the screenwriter Robert Avrech. He's also the author of the wonderful RAMBAM graphic history and the novel The Hebrew Kid and the Apache Maiden.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0975438212/qid=1101576747/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-2133710-4311859?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

There are many other wonderful local Jewish authors...don't feel bad if you've been left off the list.

Boo-hiss

Blogger was down yesterday and I lost a post highlighting local SoCal authors of Jewish books for kids. I'll try to piece it back together and put it back up tomorrow.

Do you want your book in a Cheerios box?

I know I'm obsessed with the books that appear free in Cheerios boxes. As far as obsessions goes, I guess it's not a dangerous one. Anyway, here are the details for the contest to get your manuscript published and distributed in the boxes. Follow this link: http://write-jobs.blogspot.com/2011/04/free-contest-cheerios-new-childrens.html

Sandra Boynton

I happen to LOVE Sandra Boynton's books, as do my kids and husband, and ours tend to get worn out due to too much love. My sister sent my kids some of Boynton's wacky songs for Channukah last year, and they are big fans. So I was delighted that she's made charming short films to go with two songs, "Be Like a Duck" and "The One Shoe Blues." They are available on YouTube. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp8hhBGNFZM "Be Like a Duck" with Boynton's own (grown-up) children

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8rLuk2PoMA&feature=related "One Shoe Blues"

with B.B. King...Plus, the hilarious "Sock Puppet Screen Test" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7TAF30Kfp0&feature=related .

Enjoy!

Back from Pesach break

I took a few weeks off due to Pesach (never got around to new songs, drat!) and now I'm back, with a HUGE stack of Manga/graphic lit to read. I'll publish reviews soon, but I have hardly started reading because I had another writing assignment, B"H. (I'm hoping the editor likes it...)

Also, just wanted to say that there are free books again in the Cheerios boxes we bought post-Pesach. We received _How to Hug a Porcupine_, and it's absolutely darling.