Merci beaucoup to librarians everywhere!

We're calling on one of our very own 2k8 classmates, Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, debut author of the middle grade historical AUTUMN WINIFRED OLIVER DOES THINGS DIFFERENT, to spill about her cool librarian story. Think wrinkles and clocks, dear blogger friends. Okay, taaaake it away, Kristin.


When I was in sixth grade at City Park Elementary in Athens, TN, our librarian, Sheila Rollins, held a school-wide reading competition. The prize? The winner got to interview Madeleine L’Engle by telephone! As soon as I heard that, I started flipping those pages, and sure enough, I won! I remember sitting in a tiny conference room that only the teachers were allowed to go into (hee-hee!), and a box the size of a Kleenex container sat in the middle of the table. It was a speaker phone, the first I’d ever seen, and I just knew that this was going to be a memorable day. But honestly, I forget most of what happened. The one thing I do remember, however, helped define my life. Toward the end of the interview, I told Ms. L’Engle that I wanted to be a writer. “Good for you!” she answered. “Keep reading and you can do it.” So thank you to Madeleine L’Engle (forever!) for the great advice, and thank you to Shelia Rollins, SuperLibrarian, who always knew what reading could achieve.

And here's another example of how librarians can affect a life. Thanks for sharing, Shelly Kraal, Librarian, Universal Academy, Flower Mound/Coppell.

I am the librarian at a K-12 charter school. Recently, there was a scheduling snafu and I had a class of 6th graders added to my schedule every day. This has created a magical moment for my kinders and 6th graders. On Mondays and Fridays they are book buddies. Only this past month I discovered just how cathartic that time is for one of my 6th graders. He lost his little brother (who would have been a kindergartener) over the summer. James' mother approached me and told me that the book buddy time is actually helping James to get over the loss of the little brother to whom he read on a daily basis. It just melted my heart to discover how my makeshift solution to having two classes at one time in the library met the needs of one young man who was really hurting inside.

Merci beaucoup to librarians everywhere!

Shameless Saturday

Here's what Booklist says about Kristin O'Donnell Tubb's middle grade historical, WINIFRED OLIVER DOES THINGS DIFFERENT: "Tubb’s inventive heroine comes across as a female version of familiar characters, such as Gary Paulsen's Harris or Robert Newton Peck's Soup. This homespun tale,f ull of folksy humor and based on historical fact, will appeal to young fans of Deborah Wiles' and Ruth White's books."





Book Chic loves Debbie Reed Fischer's Young Adult, BRALESS IN WONDERLAND. Read the interview here.

SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS also by Debbie Reed Fischer was given the Gold Star Award for Excellence by TeensReadToo.com. Here is the review.






Guess what independent booksellers for children across the nation are recommending?

THE MAGIC THIEF by Sarah Prineas and THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD by Donna Freitas
Check out the catalog.


GO GANG!

Shameless Saturday

Looking for some excitement?
Head on down to Books of Wonder in New York City tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 9) at 1:00. Nancy Viau and Courtney Sheinmel will be there!


Look how much Bookpage loved Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different:
" Kristin O'Donnell Tubb has written a wonderful debut novel, full of history, excitement and sensitivity. She has done her research well, loosely basing Gramps and Cody's uncle on real people. There is also plenty of action, including a wild ride that Autumn and Cody take in a wooden coffin down a rain-swollen river. Autumn is a funny, likeable and very real character, and readers are treated to many fine glimpses of the Cove's vanishing mountain traditions, such as a visit to a moonshine still and the community 'Syrup Soppin' Festival'."

Read the entire interview .


Holy Texas Longhorns! Jody Feldman's Gollywhopper Games has been placed on the master list for the 2009-2010 Texas Bluebonnet Awards!

Day 5: Right Next To Heaven

It's been a great week with Kristin. Before we say ta ta she's going to give us an exclusive tour of Cades Cove, TN where Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different takes place.

Autumn is set in Cades Cove, TN, which is now part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 1934, the year in which Autumn takes place, the Cove was still quite isolated thanks to its geographical location, so the culture within the area was unique. Cades Cove is a broad, swishy meadow set within a ring of cloud-tipped, rolling mountains:

The formation of the National Park drives Autumn’s story. Here are some of the things you’d see if you visited Cades Cove today:

Cable’s Mill, which is powered by Abrams Creek. Cove residents would gather here once a week, usually Saturday, to grind their grain or corn into meal.

Elijah Oliver’s cabin. The Oliver family was the first Caucasian family to settle in Cades Cove, so Autumn naturally took their last name.

The Primitive Baptist Church. There were two churches and one schoolhouse in the Cove in the 1930s, and most social events took place in one of these “hot spots.”

Cades Cove is the most-visited section of the most-visited national park in America, hosting over 2 million visitors each year. If you haven’t yet visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, book your next vacation today! It is, as Autumn would say, right next to heaven!

In the mean time: check out my book trailer and come visit me! I’m online at http://www.kristintubb.com/ and http://www.kristintubb.blogspot.com/.

What gorgeous pics! Thanks for everything, Kristin. We can't wait to read Autumn.

Day 4: Interview of a lifetime

Ask an author what inpired her to become a writer and she's sure to have a story, but few, like Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, can honestly answer it came from a wrinkle in time.



When I was a sixth-grader at City Park Elementary School in Athens, TN, the school librarian – Shelia Rollins – held a school-wide reading contest. I won. The prize was that I got to do a telephone interview with (drum-roll, please)… Madeleine L’Engle! I remember two things from this interview: first, that it was conducted via speakerphone. It was the first time I’d seen this “new” technology, and it was the coolest thing ever. (I’m quite old.) Second, when I told Ms. L’Engle that I wanted to be a writer, she said, “Good for you! Keep reading and you can do it!”

Amazing! True sparks of inspiration last a lifetime. Join us on Friday when Kristin shares a pictorial tour on the setting of her book and unveils her book trailer.

Day 3: Calling Kristin

There's nothing better than a good "call" story and Kristin has one of the best!

Okay, I’ve shared this story here before, but it’s gotta be one of my all-time favorites. So, back by popular demand: the absolutely true story of where I was when I got The Call:

The scene: Early February, 2007. My editor, Wendy Loggia, calls my cell phone. I am nine months pregnant. I am AT THE OB/GYN.

Wendy: "Hello, Kristin? It's Wendy Loggia from Random House."

Me: "Oh my gosh! It's so good to hear from you! I'm at my gynocologist's office right now."

Wendy: silence

Me: "Oh, um - I should say, I'm not in the office right now - I mean, I am, but I'm checking out. I'm done." Shut up Kristin. "I mean - I'm scheduling my induction for my new baby. I was newly pregnant when we met, remember?" Shut UP, Kristin. "Everything's great! Healthy baby! I'm scheduling his arrival right now. That's why I'm at...my...OB's office..."

Wendy: laughing "I think this is a first for me."

Me: unbelievably mortified "Uh, me too?"

Wendy: "So I wanted to talk to you more about this wonderful story you sent me..."

And that was that! There, in my OB/GYN's office, I was offered my first book deal. Two weeks later, my son was born. It was one heckuva month.

Bet your editor has a hard time topping that story! Tune back tomorrow when Kristin tells us what FAMOUS author personally inspired her to become a writer.

Please welcome Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

The class of 2k8 is pleased to introduce another extraordinary MG author this month. Won't you help us welcome Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, author of Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different?

I grew up in East Tennessee, near Cades Cove, where Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different is set. Autumn’s story came to me when I was on a guided tour of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There we were, standing in what was once someone’s home, and I thought: what if my home became a national park? How does something like that even happen? When I did a little research, I discovered the fascinating history of the people of Cades Cove.

No one does things like Autumn Winifred Oliver. Autumn Winifred Oliver prides herself on doing things her way. But she meets her match when she, her mama, and her pin-curled older sis, Katie, move in with her cantankerous Gramps. The Oliver gals were supposed to join Pop in Knoxville for some big-city living (they’d even sold their house!), but Gramps’s recent sick spell convinced Mama to stay put in Cades Cove, a place of swishy meadows and shady hollers that lies on the crest of the Great Smoky Mountains.

And it’s not like there’s nothing going on in the Cove. Folks are all aflutter about turning their land into a national park, and Autumn’s not sure what to think. Loggers like Pop need jobs, but if things keep going at the current rate, the forests will soon be chopped to bits. And Gramps seems to think there’s some serious tourist money to be made. Looks like something different is definitely in order…

"Kristin O'Donnell Tubb has written a wonderful debut novel, full of history, excitement and sensitivity....Tubb takes no easy shortcuts - but she finds a satisfying and very real resolution." Alice Cary for BookPage

“Tubb skillfully weaves Autumn’s internal coming of age struggles with the very real struggles faced by the people living in the hollows and hills of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, before the park existed….What makes Tubb’s story so unique and rich is her knowledge of the people, the geography, the history, and their culture. Tubb masterfully brings these folks to life….Under the exquisite language and personalities lies a true story—one that should spark classroom debate. I hope teachers everywhere add Tubb’s book to their reading lists.” BookPleasures.com

“Peppered…with Appalachian superstitions and homey, colorful phrases.” Kirkus Reviews

Kristin, we're so happy to celebrate your debut this week! And we can't wait until tomorrow when you share your "call" story with us.

Shameless Saturday

Yep, it's time once again for a little 2k8 horn-tooting!!

If you have a few minutes, clickity-click on some of the linkety-links below and enjoy getting to know about some of our authors and titles.

The fabulous Little Willow sure has been busy!

Check out this interview she did with Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, author of AUTUMN WINIFRED OLIVER DOES THINGS DIFFERENT.

Next up, Little Willow reviewed Nancy Viau's book, SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD. "Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head by Nancy Viau is fun and funny. I'm sure young readers will dig Samantha, especially those who like the Clementine books by Sara Pennypacker."

She also talked to Nancy about the writing of the book and asked some very interesting questions in this interview.

I think Samantha Hansen might say, "You rock, Little Willow!"

For another review of SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD, you can read Book Review Maniac's review which includes this praise, "I ab-so-lutely enjoyed this book. It was well written and the plot was great. It had me thinking what Samantha was thinking and wondering what she was wondering. And I even got a little bit mad when she was."

The amazing Cynthia Leitich Smith interviewed Zu Vincent about her book, THE LUCKY PLACE. You already know Cynsations is THE place to get the scoop on must-read books!

Finally - we leave you with a fabulous contest! Terri Clark is giving away TWO early copies of her September 2 release, SLEEPLESS. If you'd like a chance to win a copy of this YA thriller and an official RWA tote bag visit her BLOG for details.

Realizing Dreams

They say April showers bring May flowers. This month we're hoping to plant the seeds of inspiration. THREE of our authors will be debuting in the coming weeks, but for now we're going to talk about realizing dreams.

To be considered a writer it only one takes thing...writing! To be considered a published writer it takes that first sale. This week we'll be sharing our first sale stories. Some are funny, some will make you verklempt and some will remind you why you should always remain persistent. May those of you reading these stories have exciting sales tales of your own blooming as we speak!

First up is Kristin O'Donnell Tubb's rather, ahem, embarassing story....

The scene: Early February, 2007. My editor, Wendy Loggia, calls my cell phone. I am nine months pregnant. I am AT THE OB/GYN.

Wendy: "Hello, Kristin? It's Wendy Loggia from Random House."

Me: "Oh my gosh! It's so good to hear from you! I'm at my gynocologist's office right now."

Wendy: silence

Me: "Oh, um - I should say, I'm not in the office right now - I mean, I am, but I'm checking out. I'm done." Shut up Kristin. "I mean - I'm scheduling my induction for my new baby. I was newly pregnant when we met, remember?" Shut UP, Kristin. "Everything's great! Healthy baby! I'm scheduling his arrival right now. That's why I'm at...my...OB's office..."

Wendy: laughing "I think this is a first for me."

Me: unbelievably mortified "Uh, me too?"

Wendy: "So I wanted to talk to you more about this wonderful story you sent me..."

And that was that! There, in my OB/GYN's office, I was offered my first book deal. Two weeks later, my son was born. It was one heckuva month.

You gotta love two new babies! Join us tomorrow when Lisa Schroeder talks about her baby...BABY CAN'T SLEEP

And in class notes....

Now ... for some Totally Important Posts from the Class of 2k8:

Jody Feldman's The Gollywhopper Games has already gone into its second printing!(Not that we're surprised!)

Kristin O'Donnell Tubb got her first review for Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different from Susan Sales Harkins at BookPleasures.com. And it's fantastic!

Teri Brown, author of Read My Lips, got a great review from Little Willow!

Congratulations Classmates!