News
Appearance at SCBWI-New Mexico Retreat
I’ve been invited to serve as a Guest Critique Leader at an upcoming SCBWI-New Mexico event in October 2009. It sounds like a beautiful location for a writer’s and illustrator’s retreat. Here are the details:
Children’s book writers and illustrators of all experience levels are invited to a working Writers’ Retreat at Hummingbird Music Camp near Jemez Springs this autumn. This annual retreat is sponsored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
October 23-25, experienced authors will lead small groups in a weekend of intensive critiquing, revising and writing. As an extra bonus, author Suzanne Morgan Williams will lead a Saturday afternoon discussion and workshop focused on Fabulous First Chapters. Williams is the author of the middle grade novel Bull Rider and the nonfiction books China’s Daughter’s, Piñatas and Smiling Skeletons, The Inuit, and Made in China. The other critique group leaders are Lucia Zimmitti, a freelance editor and writing coach at www.ManuscriptRx.com, and author Catherine Stier.
A member of SCBWI-Southwest Texas, Stier’s picture book, If I Ran for President sold more than 130,000 copies since its Fall 2007 release and led to a book signing at Mount Rushmore. Her other books include If I Were President, named an IRA Los Angeles’ 100 Best Books, the award-winning Bugs in My Hair?! and a new middle grade novel, The Terrible Secrets of the Tell-All Club.
In addition to the intimate group critiques, participants can get a written critique from Kate Fletcher, an associate editor at Candlewick Press, one of the largest independent children’s book publishers in the world—a great chance to get feedback from a professional editor, and make a contact at a respected publishing house.
The weekend also includes networking, a fireside reading, book sales, a silent auction, and personal time for reflection and working on your writing and illustrations.
The retreat is October 23-25, Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, with an optional extra day on Friday. The enrollment deadline is September 20.
The cost is $200 for members of SCBWI and $220 for non-members. This includes a private room and six meals. Writers and illustrators who don’t want to participate in critique groups can work on their own for the discounted price of $175. The Optional Early Working Day Retreat and professional manuscript critique from Kate Fletcher are each an additional $45. To register or for more information, go to www.scbwi-nm.org or email fallretreat@scbwi-nm.org.
www.scbwi-nm.org
www.suzannemorganwilliams.com
www.ManuscriptRx.com
www.catherinestier.com
Coming Fall 2009
By Catherine Stier
Albert Whitman & Company Publishers
No one at school had ever thought up a club like this. All you had to do to be in it was answer some questions and share them with the rest of the club. Questions like: What is your favorite salad dressing? Who is your BFF? What was your most embarrassing moment?
My Book in Braille
Recently the National Braille Press selected If I Ran For President to offer in a Braille format for their children’s book club. The book is also available to purchase in this format at their website at http://www.braille.com/
These books have both the original text and illustrations, as well as the identical text in Braille on transparent plastic sheets.
And a National Braille Press Book Signing, Too
A big thank you to the National Braille Press for the invitation to appear at a book signing at their booth at the Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired conference held at the Sheraton Gunter in San Antonio on March 27, 2009. I enjoyed myself, met some wonderful people, and learned quite a bit about available resources.
Quite an Inauguration Day Honor
This week, on Inauguration Day, Lackland Air Force Base’s Lackland School in San Antonio invited me for a visit as Guest Author. What an honor to celebrate such an exciting, historic, eventful day with a group of bright and enthusiastic students!
I have also learned that several schools, home school programs and libraries have featured If I Were President and If I Ran for President as part of their lesson plans, Election Day or Inauguration Day observances and recommended reading lists. It is quite wonderful to know that parents, teachers and librarians are sharing these books with kids all over our country! I hope these books help young people to better understand the electoral process and the challenging and important job of President of the United States.
If you have introduced these books to kids, I’d love to hear about it! Send me a note at info@catherinestier.com
To check out one cool lesson plan idea from Social Studies and the Young Learner visit:
http://members.ncss.org/yl/2102/21028
The Big Move!
I am in the process of updating my website to include news of my new location. This summer, I relocated from the Chicago area to South Texas, on the edge of the beautiful Hill Country.