Blog - Page 2 of 273 - Caroline Starr Rose

On Writing (and Illustrating!) for Children

This stuff isn’t always easy. Even for those of us who get to make books for a living, there are days when the words don’t come. And there are days when the paint doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do. Even after two decades of writing and illustrating books, I am reminded of this with each new project.

But then there are days like today, when I get to take a story that has been a part of my life for so long and finally share it with readers. It may not be perfect, but I poured my heart into it, and I’m proud of how it turned out. After all the good and bad days of writing and drawing and painting, here it is.
— Matt Tavares

Trailblazing, Globe-Girdling Journalists Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland

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We’re one week(!) out from the release of my newest book, A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland. Here’s a snippet of a blog post I wrote for Kirby Larson. Click through to read the whole thing.

I grew up with a book about the one-of-a-kind, trailblazing journalist, Nellie Bly. In January 2017, I thought I’d try my hand at writing my own book about her. There are a number of children’s books about Nellie — she’s just that interesting. But only a couple focused exclusively on her most famous feat — an around-the-world trip that she hoped to complete in less than 80 days.

It was only in reading Matthew Goodman’s book, EIGHTY DAYS: NELLIE BLY AND ELIZABETH BISLAND’S HISTORY-MAKING RACE AROUND THE WORLD, that I learned Nellie had a competitor named Elizabeth Bisland. Like Nellie, Elizabeth was a journalist, but that’s where the similarities ended. Twenty-five year old Nellie was plucky and quick. Twenty-eight year old Elizabeth was thoughtful and reserved. Nellie relished the rhythm of newspaper work. Elizabeth preferred the steady pace of a monthly magazine. The more I read, the more fascinated I became with each woman’s story. This was the focus I wanted my own book to take.

Follow me to Kirby’s blog to read the rest…

And if you’re looking for some activities young readers might do in connection to the book, Beth Anderson has come up with a number of wonderful ideas!

Click through to pre-order your copy. Thank you so much for your help sending Nellie and Elizabeth’s story into the world!

Classroom Connections: Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell

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age range: 3-5 years
Marcy Campbell’s website

Chloe is stubborn and willful, but she listens and learns and understands. Her first-person narration is realistic, witty and endearing. Chloe wants a series. This heroine is ready for more adventures.
—The New York Times

Affecting…Readers who loved Eleanor Estes’ 1994 book The Hundred Dresses will suspect the painful truth behind the horse-owning boasts of a day-dreamer named Adrian Simcox. And they will understand the misplaced indignation of the narrator, Chloe. Empathetic readers…will be rooting for Chloe’s mother who shows how a decent person behaves with someone who has less of almost everything—except imagination.
—Wall Street Journal

Please tell us about your book.

Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse is my debut picture book, illustrated by the incredibly talented Corinna Luyken. I was so fortunate to work with Corinna and with the wonderful team at Penguin/Dial on my first book!

The story follows the narrator, Chloe, who is quite sure that her classmate Adrian does not have a horse, even though Adrian tells anyone who will listen that he has the most beautiful horse anywhere. Chloe knows having a horse is expensive, and Adrian’s family can’t afford one, nor would they have any place to keep it. What Adrian does have, however, is a huge imagination, and after Chloe’s mom stealthily organizes a meet-up between the kids, Chloe begins to see that, appreciate it, and even share in Adrian’s imagination. In the end, Chloe learns that it’s sometimes better to be kind than to be right.

What inspired you to write this story?

I did know a boy when I was a kid who said he had a horse, but he said he had a lot of things, and his family seemed to be doing well financially, so there was probably some truth to his boasting. I remember, however, that I thought he was lying about the horse in particular. That childhood memory became one line in a list of picture book ideas I started keeping after having my own kids. “Boy says he has a horse and girl doesn’t believe him.” Also, in the last few years, I’ve put in a lot of time volunteering at my kids’ public elementary school, which has a high percentage of children with economic need, and I believe those experiences helped shape the story beyond just a couple of kids arguing about a horse and toward issues of class and empathy.

What are some special challenges associated with fictionalizing a true story?

The only thing I took from real life was the idea of a boy saying he has a horse, when he doesn’t (at least not a real one). Adrian’s imaginary horse is so vivid that it’s very real to him, and eventually to Chloe as well!

Could you share with readers how the book evolved?

My first draft of the book was way too long. I’d never tried writing a picture book before, and so someone had to kindly point out to me that I didn’t leave any room for the illustrator in my text. It was a really new experience for me to not describe every little detail, as I had done for years while writing adult fiction. I cut that original draft almost in half, and that’s the draft I sent to Steven Malk at Writers House, who signed me on as a client and quickly sold the book. The text didn’t change very much throughout the production process; however, we (me and my editor Namrata Tripathi, and Corinna, and the art director Lily Malcom) did spend a lot of time thinking about that first spread, in terms of both the text and art. The original version left too much room for misinterpretation, and I’m much happier with it now. For me, the real evolution took place with the addition of Corinna’s art, which gave the book a whole new layer of meaning that went way beyond my expectations. When I first saw Corinna’s sketch of Adrian, and when I saw how she created the horse from negative space, I thought she’d nailed it.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

There are kids in every classroom who really like to police the other kids, calling them out, to teachers and peers, when they do something wrong. These kids, like Chloe, just crave vindication. I hope kids who read the book will see that proving someone wrong might feel good in the moment, but doesn’t often last. Being kind doesn’t cost much, but the rewards for the people, on both the giving and receiving end, can last a long time.

The Power of the Pre-Order

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The weeks before and after a book’s release are critical to its success. According to the American Booksellers Association, pre-orders typically account for 3-30% of a book’s total sales.* Early readers hold tremendous power in welcoming a book into the world. But don’t just take my word for it!

Lisa Schroeder (who kindly let me use the same title she did on a pre-order post she wrote in 2014) says:

Pre-ordering a book is one of the very best things you can do for an author whose work you enjoy.
Pre-orders are crucial in helping a bookstore decide whether or not to carry a book. With solid pre-order numbers, the sales rep has a much easier time convincing stores to carry the book.
If another book the author has written is being considered by that publisher, pre-orders might help the publisher say yes to the next project.
If this book has a strong start, the author might get more publisher support/marketing dollars for the next book.

Ann Bogel says it this way:

[Pre-orders] let retailers know readers are interested. When readers show interest before release date by preordering, retailers order more copies for release day. The more copies they order, the larger the print run.
The more preorders, the more buzz among readers and booksellers, and the more book[s] will be stocked in actual, physical bookstores.

A recent post at BookEnds Literary Agency says:

For authors, preorders make the difference between a bestseller list, a new book contract, and your ranking on bookseller websites or places like Goodreads.
Rankings on a bookseller’s website, whether it’s Amazon or an Indie, help determine the promotion that store will give a book.
If you know you’re going to read and buy a book don’t just add it to your wishlist, go ahead and preorder.

If you plan on buying a copy of A Race Around the World, I’d be grateful if you pre-ordered online, at a chain bookstore, or your local indie. Consider asking your local library to order a copy. And remember, one of the best ways to support a new book is easy and free: leave an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Click through to pre-order your copy. Thank you so much for your help sending Nellie and Elizabeth’s story into the world!

*Winter Institute 2019