Why Chickens Cross Roads

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I have two more independent children's bookstores to share with you from my recent trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul. First, a trip to
Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis.

The name of this store is quite fitting. The owners go out of their way to create a delightful store experience for young readers.

Would you care to step inside?
First, choose a door. The big black or the little purple?
Once you are inside, it's hard to know where to look first.

There's no way to do justice with photos, but I'll try.
Check out this hall of scary stories...

Look closely at the floor. Do you see the blue glass?
There are rats running around under there! They have caged animals throughout the store. And some uncaged animals! Check this out...

These are Sebright Chickens. Their names are Pimento and Olive. They have a roost and feeding area behind the check out counter, but a lot of the day they are freely roaming the store. As you can imagine, I was delighted with the chickens. They also have free roaming cats...

And an entire wall of autographed tiles of visiting authors...

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This one cracks me up! She made great contributions to SCBWI and is remembered with a fund established in her name. There are many, many other tiles on the wall...

But of course the best thing about Wild Rumpus is their incredible selection of books.

You can check them out online here, but you should really visit the store and experience it for yourself if you ever travel to Minneapolis.
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Deborah Wiles over at One Pomegranate
invites you to join in a personal canon challenge. Join in the conversation today by clicking here or here. What books from your childhood helped shape you into who you are today? I hope to post my own childhood canon blog soon!

Here's an excerpt from One Pomegranate and the invitation in Deborah's own words:
"...If one wants to write for children, what books should one read? Is there a children's books canon? A YA canon? Some say yes, some say no, and isn't it always fluctuating? There is endless debate about a canon of children's literature. Which list is the best? Which books are must-reads? And who are the authorities that tell us so?...
This listing and storytelling won't be the same without some dialogue back and forth. If you're keeping a blog, will you link to mine and announce this personal canon challenge? Or will you send this blog in an email to friends who might be interested, and let's get a dialogue going. This is meant to be fun, and informative, and enlightening for you (and me! us!), as you uncover your own canon -- one book at a time."
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Please pass along the challenge to your friends and join in the fun.
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I survived my first residency (July 7th-17th, 2008) at Hamline University's low-residency MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. (I hit the ground running on my first packet of semester work, thus the delayed posting.)

Eleven days filled with orientations, lectures, workshops, presentations, readings; (inhale) Target runs, late-night dorm life (studying of course), lovely receptions and banquets and a barbeque, not to mention a baseball game;

conversations with AMAZING authors/faculty/guest speakers and talented fellow grad students; (breathe) trips to the Kerlan Collection where I touched hand-written manuscripts by one of the most respected children's authors in the world and ... let's see, I'm leaving something out ... oh ...
cafeteria food, the ONLY part of the Hamline residency experience that receives less than a five-star rating. (The community of faculty and guest speakers visiting with students in the cafeteria, however, made the food choice insignificant.)
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This week I'm writing from the beach.
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It's early morning and I'm looking out the window of our apartment in Florence (Rent Villas dot com). We are near the Arno River just steps away from the Uffici Gallery.
 
I've been sitting on some news since March—the kind of news to savor for a while with only close friends and family. I'm savoring it now in the quiet of the morning with the church bells ringing in the distance: I've been accepted to Hamline University!
I'm an official student in their Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults program. My first residency starts July 7th. Even in Italy, I can't get it off my mind. For the first few weeks after my acceptance I walked around in a daze and experienced frequent panic attacks. Now I 'm actually realizing insane moments of confidence and serenity about the challenge. I'm stunned and amazed, I tell you, stunned and amazed!
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Yesterday I strolled the halls of the Uffici drinking in famous works by master painters and their pupils. For instance, take a look at the Baptism of Christ by Andrea del Verrochio. Leonardo da Vinci studied under the master Verrochio. When he was only fourteen years old, Leonardo painted the angel on the far left.

As I wandered the halls of the Uffici yesterday, I thought, I will soon be studying under some great masters of children's literature!  So this felt like the right time to share my news. To see a list of the faculty at Hamline, click here.
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Today our family will tour through Santa Croce to see the tombs of Dante and Michelangelo and then head for my husband's most anticipated destination, the Mercato Centrale (Central Market) which has one of the finest porchetta (roast pig) vendors in all of Italy.
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I love the art in Italy.
He comes for the pork sandwiches and cured meats!
Ciao!
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Does anyone in my group of LJ friends
NOT know about the blog written by an anonymous children's editor? Check out Editorial Anonymous.
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Remember when I told you about Little Shop of Stories? I just realized they have a blog wherein they tell you about all their favorite books, and sometimes a bit about the authors behind them. Check it out here.
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At the Southern Breeze Conference in
Atlanta last February I learned about

Little Shop of Stories is in Decatur, GA. It received a 2006 nomination for the Pannell Award as well as a nomination for Publisher Weekly's Bookstore of the Year. The Co-Owner and Buyer for the store, Diane Capriola, currently sits on the
New Voices committee with the Association of Booksellers for Children. She spoke after dinner the first evening of conference.
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In a question and answer session, someone asked Ms. Capriola how an author might get his/her book noticed and placed in her store. Her reply was...(a hundred conference attendees sat on the edge of their seats)..."Write a book that kids love so much they come in and tell me all about it."
What a great answer.
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I drove to Decatur to see her shop before driving home. Enchanting! One of the many pleasures of independent children's bookstores is the opportunity to buy signed copies.
I purchased a Lane Smith title that day. Here are a few other favorites I've collected over the years.

Hmmm. TWO copies of Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road? What a surprise! (One copy is signed by my critique buddies.)
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For anyone that lives near Atlanta, Little Shop of Stories is hosting an event with Mo Willems this Thursday, April 3rd!
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Twenty-six caterpillars! I carefully counted and recounted under every leftover leaf.

Eric Carle is right. These guys are very hungry. Look at what's left of one of my milkweed bushes...

Not a pretty sight. But if you look closely...

TaDaaaa! A second chrysalis. This one is turned so that the gold is a little more prominent than the chrysalis in yesterday's photo.

And I think this guy is about ready to do his thing. He has a friend in the background to the left. I started to move these little fellas to a luscious plant on the other side of the yard, but I believe they have already started to go dormant.
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Enough with babysitting caterpillars. I have a MG critique group meeting tomorrow. I'd better get back to writing or I will be in trouble with my dear friends B.C. and L.S. who write circles around me and keep me on my toes.
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I love this time of year. The citrus trees are blooming. The air smells heavenly. And the butterflies have returned!

The monarch caterpillars have eaten nearly all our milkweed.
Just look at this little cutie...

In a few days this little guy will peel out of his skin and miraculously form a chrysalis jewel that looks like this...

A monarch chrysalis resembles a jade pendant with gold accents. Amazing! How many other displays of metallic gold can be found in nature? (Gold ore and fool's gold do not count.)
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If the weather is this glorious tomorrow, I am taking my laptop and moleskin outdoors to write all day.
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Look what the Easter Bunny brought! My family knows I am easily entertained with simple pleasures. My daughter created this short but spectacular video of my newest toy just for you.
Share the joy!

Remember Kitty?  Kitty's name is James.
He's my daughter's cat. This is how he looked then.



This is how he looks now (except his mane is much longer).



This is how he looked yesterday shortly after bath #1.



This was taken immediately after bath #2.



And this last picture explains how we knew he must be sick.
He wasn't doing this...



To make a long story short, James will live. His little kitty bladder was blocked; it was the size of a baseball. His kidneys even shut down.
Poor, poor kitty.
Luckily, we discovered him in time and got him to a vet. He's a little smelly but on the mend. He'll have to go on a special diet, but he should be back to climbing and generally making a nuisance of his lovable self in a day or two.
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I'm home! I'm SO glad I am not sitting stranded on Route 40 after dark in the spooky Ocala forest without a cell signal!
Note to self: Next time buy gas before leaving the Interstate.
Thank you, God.
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Lots of stories to share from the Atlanta conference...later.
P.S. If you know my mom, don't mention this post!
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You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. * You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. * You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. * You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. * You aren't subject to whim or emotions. * Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) * You excel in: Leadership positions * You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

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Can't say I agree with all of these things, but a lot of it hits the mark. Especially the "brilliant" remark. Sniff, sniff. Oh, that part really tugs at my heart strings.
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Wow. It's been over a year since I posted on LJ. Do I have any friends left out there?
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I'd like to say I'm alive and well, but only half of that statement would be true. Cough, cough, hack. A cold is not a terrible thing under normal conditions, but this one threatens to interfere with my trip to Atlanta this weekend to hear Deborah Wiles speak. I've already packed my hardcovers for a hopeful book signing: LOVE, RUBY LAVENDER, EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS, and THE AURORA COUNTY ALL-STARS. Not to mention the paperback of RUBY that I've marked in eight different colors: red for characterizations and expressions; orange for brilliant comparisons; pink for the use of senses; purple for outstanding choices of vocabulary; green for setting; blue for interesting use of punctuation; black for foreshadowing; and blue-black for miscellaneous technique. Oh, and pencil notes in the margins.
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I love Ruby's voice—"Good garden of peas!" But today is more like, "Woe is me."
Hope I feel better by Friday.
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It's amazing that I accomplished anything this month. Here's why:

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This delightful vice is called Chicktionary. cocoskeeper introduced me to it. You can try it out on her website. Click on the upside-down chicken in her majic shoppe and it will take you to a free trial version of the game. If you have a Mac, you will be able to play it without any locks. If you have a PC and you want to experience the full version, you will have to buy the download.
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Now, even though it looks like I'm goofing off, this is research. I think it might actually make it into my MG novel. My main character's family loves word games. They are all Type-A personalities. If anything could distract them from their goals, however, it would be Chicktionary.
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I pretty much met all my writing goals this month, despite this entertaining sidetrack (I just love the funny chicken noises—Rruuh-Oh). Although, it has taken time away from LJ.
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Disclaimer:  Chicktionary is addictive. Do not give it to children under the curse of homework. Great care should also be taken when introducing it to the elderly, as they may experience a loss of mobility in the lower extremities from sitting for days at a time. People particularly prone to procrastination should consider it a high-stakes game. Anyone that reacts adversely to clucks and chuckles should consult their conscience prior to pressing the download option.
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Here is a list of personal family members that should have read my disclaimer:

1. My husband (who scored well over 1,000,000 points in 31 rounds)
2. My college-age son (who should be studying his Quantum Physics)
3. My teenage daughter (who can mimic the chicken noises with uncanny precision)
4. My mother
5. My mother-in-law
6. My two brothers-in-law
7. My two sisters-in-law
8. Four of my nieces

BAWK!—Now go have some fun.
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Yesterday, I gave myself a birthday present. (September is my birth month.) I wrote out a query letter for my latest picture book manuscript. One targeted query letter, to one preferred editor, in one trusted house. All my eggs are in one basket.
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I've heard that the best month to submit is September. If I were sane, I would send simultaneous queries. This just felt right; I posted it today. If I get back anything more than a form letter, I'll be egg-static.
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I've been busy working. What day of the week is it? Is it true that the Brits thwarted a terrorist attack? Does Everyone Still Love Raymond?
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I want to express my thanks to everyone in the writing community at LJ.  Reading your blogs and comments for just a few minutes each day has transformed my productivity. Truly! I live in Bookland, nearly 24/7. And although it is *wonderful* here, there are some downsides. My Dear Husband (spelled out for extra emphasis) remains totally supportive despite all that he has to put up with. But I need to know something. Does anyone else have similar issues to the ones described below?
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Scenario One:
DH: I'm going to the bank and then to the property for a few hours to do some clearing. I've got my cell phone. Give me a call later and check in with me. I don't want to call and disturb your work.
Subconscious, busy writing Me: Okay. He's so thoughtful. Thanks. Have fun! (DH loves working long hours in the blazing sun, in the middle of nowhere with spiders, snakes and alligators—armed only with a pair of heavy-duty long-handled shears!)
Hours later...
Me to DD: Have you seen your dad? Do you have any idea where he is? (not a morsel of memory of the above)
DD: No, don't you know?
About this time DH walks through door completely exhausted, but smiling and looking very tan...
DH: Hi! You never called me. I'm glad you weren't worried!!!
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Scenario Two :
DH is so kind, so supportive. Lots of encouragement. Lots of praise. Why, just this morning there was a little note placed on my chair as I sat down to write. Thirty minutes later (or was it an hour and thirty) when I took a break from my research, I thought, I should do something nice for him, too. So I cooked him some breakfast. Mmmm. Sausage sounds good. DH loves eggs and sausage. The sausage has been in the fridge for a while, but it's still in the unopened package—smells fine—looks okay.
But later...
DH:  I'm going out to work. In case I should die of food poisoning and not come back, I want you to know that my eggs were delicious this morning! *Grin*
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I guess I should have *thought* (mind still in Bookland) to check the date on the package, which clearly read May '06 (or maybe March).

Oh well, he only ate one bite. What harm could a little out-dated pork do?
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A really quick post to introduce Kitty...
                                            
He followed us home from the farmer's market yesterday.
DD had asked several times for another cat.  Of course, wise DH and I (in unison) told her, "Absolutely NOT!"  But how do you say no to a face like this? (DD's face is also cute, but we've had more practice with her.)
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And look, it turns out that Kitty is a good reader, too!  DD thinks she might name him "Harry" after her favorite book character.  Harley (see previous post) is not thrilled, but he's still our top cat.
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In a recent comment on Live Journal, someone said something about their dog staring at the television—which made me think of this photo taken by my husband.
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This is a picture of our goofball cat, Harley. He is a total dweeb.
Don't you just wonder what he's thinking? I think it was this: Oh, if only I could be just like THAT!
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That's how I feel when I read a book by a great MG author like Kate DiCamillo, or E.B. White, or Kathrine Paterson...
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For me, writing is not so much about getting published as it is about getting it right: growing, expressing, telling the truth, and sharing a story that has the power to make a difference in someone's life—even if it turns out to just be my own.
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I believe in the power of stories. How about you?
What story (read during your childhood or teen years) made a life-long impression on you?
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