Featured Illustrator Cody Wiley

MEET CODY

This questionnaire goes back to a popular parlor game in the early 1900s. Marcel Proust filled it out twice. Some of our questions were altered from the original to gain more insight into the hearts and minds of our illustrators. We hope you enjoy this way of getting to know everybody.

1. Your present state of mind?

Stressed and anxious!

2. What do you do best?

I’d have to say it would be overthinking everything. I’m also an ok cartoonist.

3. Where would you like to live?

I’ve been planning my move out to LA for over a year now and it’s so close I can taste it!

4. Your favorite color?

Orange!

5. Three of your own illustrations:

6. Your music?

While I’m working, I usually listen to podcasts, like My Favorite Murder, My Brother, My Brother and Me, and 99% Invisible. I’m also a musician, so I find that if I’m listening to music I’ll get too distracted, but I love bands like Young the Giant, The Wombats, The Strokes, and Streetlight Manifesto.

7. Your biggest achievement?

I’ve been self-publishing my own comics for almost two years now.

8. Your biggest mistake?

Not starting to take drawing seriously sooner. I really didn’t start trying to improve until my senior year of high school.

9. Your favorite children's book when you were a child?

Curious George

10. Your main character trait?

Not taking things too seriously or always trying to find something goofy in everyday situations.

11. What do you appreciate most in a friend?

Honesty!

12. What mistakes are you most willing to forgive?

Everyday human error.

13. Your favorite children's book hero?

Hilda from the comic series of the same name by Luke Pearson.

14. What moves you forward?

Fear!

15. What holds you back?

Also fear!

16. Your dream of happiness?

I would love to be a show runner on my own original animated series!

17. The painter/illustrator you admire most?

Currently, I’d have to say Luke Pearson!

18. What super power would you like to have?

The ability to never have to sleep. Think of how much you could get done with all of that extra time!

19. Your motto?

“Just do it” – Nike

20. Your social media?

Website: ‪https://mcodywiley.com

Instagram: @mcodywiley

Twitter: @mcodywiley

Rejection Remix by Patrick Flores-Scott

My first novel, JUMPED IN, was published in 2013. I had begun writing it in 2005. The most difficult part of the eight years was the stretch where I was waiting for rejection letters from editors.

The best thing an artist can do to deal with rejection and waiting (and success too), is to make more art. So I tried to get going on my next book. But as months turned into years and the process dragged on and the rejection letters stacked up, waiting and rejection combined into a toxic tornado of stress that got in the way of my art-making.

I needed help to get through the waiting—a little something to inflate my sagging confidence and give me some faith in the idea that I belonged in the world of legit writers.

Somewhere along the line, I re-read my rejection letters. In many of these letters, editors took time to point out something worthy about my manuscript. These comments turned out to be freaking gems that I had allowed to get lost in the mountainous rock pile of rejection.

On a silly whim, I decided to cut-and-paste these gems and compile them into a single letter that would add up to an amazing praise-fest of Jumped In. Then I allowed myself to imagine the letter was sent to my agent from one classy editor named Carol Lombardozzi-O’Callaghan. Carol worked in a Manhattan high rise for the teen imprint of a MAJOR publisher. Carol was a real pro. No patience for shoddy work. And she knew a good thing when she saw it. Carol loved my book. Loved it. She loved the exact same stuff about Jumped In as the editors who had rejected it. Only Carol never typed the words but or however or I’m sorry to say in her letter.

Carol’s letter gave me a boost, and I did get to work on my next project. But in the end, what that letter really helped me to see was that I shouldn’t have needed it. I realized that the positive comments those editors wrote in their rejections sounded a lot like comments beta readers had told me about my manuscript years before. They sounded like stuff I had once believed about my manuscript and my writing.

There might be some folks in your life who will tell you your writing is great just to avoid discussing the very real parts of your writing that are not so great. However, most beta readers who give you positive feedback and compliments mean what they’re saying. Listen to that awesomeness. Positive notes are a legitimate part of critical feedback—as legitimate as the negative stuff we find so easy to accept and hold onto.

Use the not-so-positive constructive criticism to improve your manuscript. Then make note of the compliments. Collect those gems. List them. Put them on a poster. Write them into a letter from Carol Lombardozzi-O’Callaghan, if you need to. Use the gems to create a well of positivity to help steel yourself for the waiting that is to come. More importantly, use the well of positivity as inspiration and get moving on that new project. That thing is worth it. And so is all the time and energy you will spend to make it great.

Dear Steven,

Thanks so much for sending Jumped In. I read it this weekend, and I thought that much of it was pretty great. Great concept, good writing.

I have to say, Sam is a relatable, misunderstood protagonist with a very lot of heart, and I was especially impressed by the construction of this novel. I love the idea of the loners/slackers being redeemed through poetry, of course. And I found the story extremely moving.

I cried when Luis died, and I was blown away by his poems.  The humor was terrific too.  I loved Sam’s assessment of Julisa on page 203 (As smart as my friend Julisa Mendez may seem, she has some serious holes in her vocabulary. Somehow she never learned words like, “never,” or “no,” or “I can’t.”). I love the moment when Sam decides to teach the parrot to say, “Hello, Sam.” I loved the scene when he throws his mother’s letter away. And I loved the way this text plays with stereotypes and gives us a view into Luis’s mind that makes life itself—each tiny little moment and detail—seem precious and beautiful. 

I agree that Patrick Flores-Scott has an exciting new voice, and I was certainly glad to read this. I do think this has a great deal of merit. Thanks so much for thinking of me.

All the best,

Carol Lombardozzi-O’Callaghan
Most Executive Senior Editor
Phenomenal Teen Books, an imprint of Seriously Major Publishing, Inc.
1 Broadway, Manhattan, New York, NY 10000

Patrick Flores-Scott is a former public school teacher and current stay-at-home dad and early morning writer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Patrick’s goal for his first novel, JUMPED IN, was to write a story that would engage struggling readers. JUMPED IN has been named to the 2014 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list, a Walden Award finalist, a Washington Book Award winner, an NCSS/CBC Notable Book for the Social Studies, and a Bank Street College Best Books of 2014. Look for his second book, AMERICAN ROAD TRIP (Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt Books for Young Readers) in bookstores now. 


Learn more at http://patrickfloresscott.com
Did you see Patrick's Book Birthday interview?




Coming up on the Mitten Blog: A new fall blog banner created by our new Featured Illustrator and another round of Hugs and Hurrahs! Please send your good news about writing, illustrating, or publishing to Patti Richards by October 8th to be included. Plus, Writer Spotlights, Book Birthdays, and a new ongoing feature: Tips for Painless Self-Promotion. 

See you next Friday!

Kristin Lenz

Book Birthday Blog w/ Carrie Pearson

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog! 

Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators

BIG congratulations to Carrie Pearson on the upcoming release of her new book,
STRETCH TO THE SUN: FROM A TINY SPROUT TO THE TALLEST TREE ON EARTH!

Q#1: How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Like many things in my life, I owe my mom a big thank you for this book. Knowing what a nature lover I am, she asked me if I had heard about what was going on in the tops of redwood trees. She’d seen a National Geographic documentary on tree researcher, Dr. Steve Sillett climbing the tallest tree ever found and thought it was fascinating. I watched it and totally agreed with her. Until he and a team of researchers (including his scientist-wife) began to climb and measure these monster-sized trees, we didn’t know about the coast redwood canopy so high off the ground. Someone said that coast redwood tree canopies are like a coral reef in the sky and after spending many years learning about this ecosystem, I totally agree. 

Q#2: What was the most difficult part of writing this book? 

Finding the best way to tell the story! Researching takes time but is analytical and straightforward. Figuring out the right narrative structure for this story added a few wrinkles to my forehead. Ultimately, I wanted something that felt fresh and memorable, exciting but not scary, and made use of as few perfect words as possible. 

Q#3: Tell us what you hope readers will experience or learn while reading your book. 

I hope this book nudges children into believing they can be stewards of the natural world. Even very young children can learn to care for plants and animals, the air we breathe and the water we drink. This book could be the door opening into that understanding. Susan Swan’s appealing illustrations bring the text to a completely new level and I couldn’t be happier with how she expanded and made real this special world. 

Q#4: Who is your author idol and how have they influenced your work?

Hard question, Book Birthday Blog! I have many idols. In the children’s book world, I’ll say Steve Jenkins and Caldecott honoree and wife Robin Page for their ability to appreciate something unique in the everyday natural world and share it with young readers in an engaging format. Their picture book WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THAT? is a great example. In the adult world, Mary Roach, author of STIFF: THE CURIOUS LIVES OF HUMAN CADAVERS (and other oddball nonfiction) for her bravery to choose a complex and in this case, morbid subject and have the talent to write it with enough humor that I chortled aloud many times while reading. 

Q#5: What are your marketing plans for your book? Where can we find it?

STRETCH TO THE SUN is available for pre-order now through your favorite indie bookstore as well as online through traditional book retailers. It will be on bookstore shelves on October 9. I’m working closely with the publisher, Charlesbridge, to arrange visits with libraries, bookstores, and schools to share the love. My tours in Michigan and San Francisco are shown on my website (www.carriepearsonbooks.com) with more visits being added. I can’t wait to see how children respond to this world!

A little bit about the book:

The tallest known tree on earth, a coast redwood, is located in Redwood National Park in northern California. More than twelve hundred years old, it is approximately 380 feet tall--and still growing!

The tree in this book sprouted, flourished, and survived ecological threats for over twelve hundred years before being discovered by tall-tree researchers in 2006. Through careful investigation, researchers have learned coast redwood trees provide a unique ecosystem for many plants and animals in their canopies including the endangered marbled murrelet that nests within. Over the years, many people have worked to save old-growth coast redwood forests and this tree barely survived extensive logging nearby. We now know coast redwoods capture more carbon dioxide from our cars, trucks and power plants than any other tree on earth and transform carbon dioxide into the oxygen we breathe. The tree's location is kept secret to protect it.

Through lush and engaging illustrations and rich vocabulary, readers will learn about the life of this magnificent treeand develop a larger appreciation for the natural world.

A little bit about the author:

Carrie Pearson feels that being a children’s book author represents the best merger of her education, occupations, and passion. She holds a BA in early childhood education, taught at University of Michigan’s preschool and then moved into the business world for 15+ years. From her office in Marquette, she is now a full-time writer for children and owner of a consulting business in the children’s book industry that focuses on preparing writers to connect with the right agent. She is Michigan’s co-regional advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is represented by Kelly Sonnack at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Her first two books were published by Arbordale and are nature nonfiction picture books. Her third, with Charlesbridge, is also a nature nonfiction picture book about the world’s tallest tree. Her next book is a picture book biography about the awesome Dr. Virginia Apgar, the inventor of the most important test ever given, and she has several nonfiction and fiction projects in the works. Carrie would love to connect with you on Twitter- @carrieapearson, Pinterest- carrieapearson, and through her website www.carriepearsonbooks.com.

The Flying Trunk: An Interview with Joanna Hastings by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds

Children’s writers are renowned for their creativity and ingenuity, but Joanna Hastings of Ann Arbor has added a new twist to her writing career.

In Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale “The Flying Trunk”, a hapless young man is whisked to an exotic land as a passenger in a flying trunk. There he discovers the power and magic of a good story—and so have generations of children.

Former Summers-Knoll School (Ann Arbor) head Joanna Hastings has created her own 21st-century Ann Arbor version of the flying trunk. Hers holds mysterious treasures that will accompany magical chapter-length stories as they whisk through the postal system and into children’s mailboxes. Hastings writes the stories, selects from an array of fascinating artifacts, and mails them to children.

Last year, she opened this new business and a new phase of her life after she lost a beloved family member, divorced, and watched her last child leave the nest. “I realized how quickly time was passing and that I needed to make my life count.” So, she announced her resignation from a job she loved and set off on her adventures, not quite sure where they would lead her.

“I’d always wanted to be an author and I realized that if that was my goal, I’d better get started on it.” She remembered hearing her mother tell friends, “Joanna was born writing.”

“I just never wrote anything that was published,” she says. “Life got in the way. But suddenly I had the time to write.” So she asked herself, “What would bring a child joy?”

The answer: “Mysterious, inspiring, absorbing, extraordinary, unfathomable, iridescent adventures…to stir serious delight.” Flying Trunk was created.

“Helping children engage with language and ideas is a core part of the person I am,” Hastings says. “When I hit on the Flying Trunk idea, I realized it could stimulate language skills and ideas while engaging children in age-appropriate materials.”

 “Essentially, I’m writing dramatic monologues with themes like courage, honor, and integrity,” she says. “Then I choose artifacts to help readers solve the mystery or challenge: antique gloves (“the gloves of protection”), a vintage book (to contain a clue), a beautiful but broken watch (“the gateway to another time”), silk flower petals (“put them under your pillow to give you courage”), among others. “I love going to garage sales, thrift stores, and estate sales, so I’ve combined that fun with my storytelling,” she says.

Learn more at Joanna's website: https://flyingtrunkstories.com/

Grownups suggest themes or characters guaranteed to fascinate their children. Hastings creates a persona for herself (a genie, fairy, time-traveler, or storytelling rabbit are among the favorites) and writes an interactive story, using a handwriting font that suits the character. She chooses a treasure, seals each package with an old-fashioned wax seal or a ribbon—“whatever’s right for the story”—and sends them on their way.

“I love what I do,” Joanna Hastings says, sipping on a cup of good English tea. “Wonder fuels inspiration, inspiration drives creation, creation pushes the boundaries of thinking, and provides a sandbox where children can play with skills—writing, storytelling, deep reading, and the sheer joy of language.”

*This post was adapted from a story first published in the Ann Arbor Observer.

Cynthia Furlong Reynolds has written 12 children’s books, a chapter book series, Middle Reader novel, 9 histories (2 of them Michigan Notable Books), a writing manual and workbook, several historical novels, and countless news stories. At an early age, she realized her calling: helping people tell their stories, as GRAMMIE's SECRET CUPBOARD (2008 Mom’s Choice Award) reveals. She is finishing two Michigan-based books, a history and a YA novel. Cindy leads writing workshops, freelances as editor/ghost writer, and loves invitations to schools. A Maine native and Dexter resident, she earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Maine’s Stonecoast program. Her website: www.CynthiaFurlongReynolds.com

SCBWI-MI Snapshot: Fall News and Events in our Region

Happy Friday everyone! The weather still feels like summer, but fall activities are in full swing here in Michigan. Our SCBWI-MI chapter is swirling with news and events, so instead of a regular post today, I'm giving you a snapshot of what's in the works for our region.

Our Creative Retreat at Pokagon State Park is in partnership with SCBWI-Indiana, and it's only a few weeks away. The registration deadline is this Sunday, so don't delay! Learn more and register here.


Regional Shop Talks are happening all over the state on a monthly basis. Craft workshops, critiques, the business of publishing, and camaraderie - if you haven't already connected with the group in your area, go here to find the nearest location. Join our MichKids listserv and follow our chapter Facebook page for current agendas and reminders.

Illustrators: the 4 Out the Door Postcard Challenge is still underway! Learn more here and follow along on Instagram.


Save the date! The SCBWI Wild, Wild Midwest multi-region conference is coming back May 3-5, 2019! More info soon.

And finally, congrats to the SCBWI-MI mentorship competition winners and runners-up! I just got my first set of notes from my mentor, Leslie Connor, and WOW am I feeling grateful for this opportunity. Thank you, Ann Finkelstein for all of your time in coordinating the program. Here's the announcement from Ann:

The winner of the 2018-2019 PAL Novel Mentorship with Leslie Connor is Kristin Bartley Lenz for her novel The Door Swings Open. The two runners up are Charlie Barshaw for his novel Aunt Agnes and Margaret Mason for her novel Is My Name.

The winner of the 2018-2019 non-PAL Novel Mentorship with Kelly Barson is Danielle DeFauw for her novel Victory Stumbles.
The two runners up are Isabel O’Hagin for Chavela’s Quest and Susan Santone with The Shape of Change.

If you're looking for a mentorship program, read this KidLit 411 post which includes several options for writers of picture books and middle grade and young adult novels.


What am I forgetting? Oh! Several SCBWI-MI members have artwork on display at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. Check it out: https://www.artprize.org/for-artists.


Coming up on the Mitten Blog: Jodi McKay continues to celebrate Book Birthdays. We'll have a new fall blog banner in a couple of weeks created by our new Featured Illustrator. Look for Nina Goebel's interview with the artist. And it's almost time for another round of Hugs and Hurrahs. Please email your writing, illustrating, or publishing news to Patti Richards by October 8th to be included.

If you'd like to share any writing or illustrating events, please do so in the comments!

Happy creating!
Kristin Lenz