Revamping The Edge of the Forest

It's organization day at Big A little a! In this post I seek 3 new editors for the new version of The Edge of the Forest (going up on Monday).

The Edge of the Forest will continue to publish some new content each month, but will also now re-publish (with permission of course) the best interviews, reviews, and articles from the children's book blogs each and every week. The Forest also will add a RSS feed and a hugely long blogroll.

I am seeking three editors for The Edge of the Forest. Your task would be to round up the best of the week and repost it on a Monday. Your picture and blog link would lead the posts with an "about you" for the week you edit. Because there will be eight to nine editors in all, you would be responsible for one week every two months.

If you're interested in participating, send me an e-mail to kidslitinfo@gmail.com.

Poetry Friday from The Edge of the Forest

I have two short entries for this week's Poetry Friday, both from the June Edge of the Forest.

First up, the first three lines from an original poem contributed to the Forest by J. Patrick Lewis:

I Was Your Teacher Once

I was your teacher once.
You may remember me.
I am the chalk dust of memory.
....

You can read the entire poem here. I'm a teacher, I'm from a family of teachers--this poem speaks to me. Thank you for sharing it with the Forest, J.Patrick Lewis!

Next up, two lines from the Dar Williams interview with Carrie Jones. Dar Williams says, "Almost universally, my problems have come from giving the wrong people too much power and not giving myself enough. " Poetry in prose, that is.

Okay, now here's the scoop on the June issue:

• An interview with singer-songwriter—and author of Middle Grade fiction—Dar Williams, by YA author Carrie Jones.
• Poet J. Patrick Lewis graces The Edge of the Forest with a bittersweet original poem.
• Sarah Stevenson (a.fortis) and TadMack (Tanita S. Davis) talk vampires in Fiction with Fangs.
• Not one, but two Summer Reading features: Julie M. Prince takes reading to the pool and Sarah Mulhern suggests summertime reading for kids of all ages.
• Gail Gauthier is this month's Blogging Writer.
• We have three great columns this month: Candice Ransom considers The Long Summer for A Backward Glance, teacher Stacy Dillon gives us her students' picks for Kid Picks, and Little Willow tells us What's in Teens' Backpacks this summer.
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult.

The Edge of the Forest will return the first week of August with our July-August issue and a technical redesign. I'll be fixing the mailing list glitches of this spring, adding a RSS feed, and making formatting issues behind the scene easier for, well, me, the webmaster, and Chris. (If you've signed up for our mailing list in the past 2 months--I have your addresses and they'll be added in as soon as the mailing list is fixed.)

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As always, please feel free to lift The Edge of the Forest announcement for your own blogs.

Poetry Friday + Update

The amazing June The Edge of the Forest will finally be up tomorrow around noon CST. This issue is also tied to my Poetry Friday post, as the issue has a poetry surprise in it.

So, in the meantime, head on over to Semicolon for the roundup. I'll be back here shortly.

New Kids on the Block and other matters

Don't miss Bookworms' Reviews: children's books reviewed by (gasp!) kids! Mom Chris is the features editor for The Edge of the Forest and a member of my Far Flung Writers critique group. I'm hoping at least one of my kids will big up and write for the blog too.

Speaking of The Edge of the Forest--the fantastic June issue (with a Dar Williams interview by Carrie Jones) will be up Monday, June 16.

I've been tagged for a great summer goals meme by the great Jen Robinson. Last week was a total wash for me, though, so I'm going to wait until Friday to respond. I'm still making my goals!

Remember the pay-for-blog-tour issue that came up earlier this week? A great discussion is still going on in the comments here, at Colleen's, and at Kelly Fineman's place.

May The Edge of the Forest is up!

The May Edge of the Forest is up.

Here's what's in store this month:

• An interview with Elizabeth C. Bunce, by Julie M. Prince
• Little Willow takes us to the Prom
• An interview with Brandon Mull, by Rebecca Laney
• Linda Urban is this month's Blogging Writer, interviewed by Julie M. Prince
• We have two great columns this month: Candice Ransom considers Magic Elizabeth for A Backward Glance and Sarah Mulhern tells us what her students are reading in our Backpacks column.
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult.

The Edge of the Forest will be back in early June.

(If you haven't been receiving notifications by e-mail, please know I am trying to
solve this issue. My mailing list was on a damaged hard drive. There is still hope
of recovery.)

Coming Soon from The Edge of the Forest

The May Edge of the Forest will be up on Friday. Here's a preview of what's in the issue:

• An interview with Brandon Mull, by Becky Laney
• An interview with Elizabeth C. Bunce, by Julie M. Prince
• Prom books with Little Willow
• Our blogging writer is none other than Linda Urban (also interviewed by Julie) who just won a Cybil in the Middle Grade fiction category for A Crooked Kind of Perfect
• Candice Ransom's fabulous A Backward Glance column
  

Of course we'll also feature reviews and columns, like Kid Picks and In the Backpacks.

And in June? We'll be featuring an interview by Carrie Jones with Dar Williams!

Speaking of June...If you have a great feature or column idea (A Day in the Life, In the Backpacks, Kid Picks), please do let me know. For feature pieces, I'd welcome short articles on summer books, beach books, books for summer vacation. I'm up for anything! Just send me an e-mail and we'll talk.

The Edge of the Forest, May and June

Now that the new Edge of the Forest is up, I'm soliciting pieces for the May and June issues of The Edge of the Forest. (Note: The Edge of the Forest is a "venture of the heart" if you know what I mean.)

Here's what I'm looking for:

Feature Articles. Here are some recent examples of feature pieces: Candice Ransom's Fairytale in the Forest, Little Willow's I Think YA Is Great!, Kelly Fineman's The Graphic Novel: Gateway to a New World. These pieces are all very different: The first is on an admired illustrator from a writer's perspective; the second is a lively defense of Young Adult fiction; and the third is a look at graphic novels and the publishing industry. Do you have a great (or crazy) idea? Send me an e-mail!

Columns: Do you want to talk to kids about their favorite books? Then consider writing a Kid Picks column. Do you know a teacher or librarian with an eye for what their children are reading? Then think of an In their Backpacks column. Is there a writer or illustrator you'd like to interview about their work? Then think of A Day in the Life.

Interviews: Are you a Dar Williams fan? Then I have an opportunity for you! Send me an e-mail. Interview snagged. It's going to be a good one!
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Thanks to the multi-talented Tadmack for the image.

The Edge of the Forest, March/April 2008

The March/April 2008 issue of The Edge of the Forest. (I was planning two joint issues in 2008. This will be one of them.)

We have many exciting features for you this month, as well as interviews, reviews, and much, much more. In short, here's what's in store:

• An interview with Peter Cameron, by Barbara Shoup
• Spring Book Recommendations from the Editorial Board.
• Fairytale in the Forest: A Friendship, by Candice Ransom.
• A YA Review Bonus Section.
• Barrie Summy is this month's Blogging Writer, interviewed by Becky Levine
• Sounds from the Forest is back.
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult

If you're interested in submitting an article or review, please check out the About Us page for details.

The Edge of the Forest will return the first week of May.

Monday Linkety-Link and Apologies

Today was a crazy-busy day for me, so I missed Non-Fiction Monday for the week. You can check the roundup over at Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day.

Like Jen Robinson, I received an e-mail from Audible about AudibleKids. Like Jen, I'm wary. Because there's no membership plan! Currently I purchase children's titles with my Audible subscriptions. I really don't know what I'll do if the subscription plans disappear. You can read all about AudibleKids over at Jen's place.

I'd like to welcome Doret to the kidslitosphere. She's a frequent commenter around here, a big reader, and she's started a new blog at TheHappyNappyBookseller.

Are you a podcast fan? Then check out Children's Book Radio. Host Sabrina Weissler talks to authors of all types of children's books, YA and MG included.

And the March Edge of the Forest? Well, it is obviously late. In fact, it won't be up until Wednesday April 2. I apologize profusely for the delay. A series of unfortunate events (proposals at work, kid health issues) put me behind. It WILL be up on Wednesday, however, and then the April issue will be up the last week of April and I should be caught up.

Miscellania

I have a review of Barbara Park's funny new picture book--Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here!--up over at Book Buds today. It's the perfect book for any toddler expecting a new sibling.

And, yes, The Edge of the Forest was down the past 24 hours. The server got hit, but everything's been restored and is running smoothly again.

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And, re: yesterday's OT post: Uber-fierce! This is the first time I've ever called Project Runway. (My favorites were Kara Saun, Santino, and Laura in seasons 1, 2, and 3 respectively, so, yeah, my track record was pathetic. But, now. I'm 1 for 4.)

Just Under the Wire: February The Edge of the Forest

With 29 minutes to spare, I am pleased to announce that the February The Edge of the Forest is up. I am so sorry for the delay. I can only blame, well, February.

In any case, it's a fantastic issue with a lot of great content. In short, here's what's in store this month:

• An interview with Eric Rohmann, by Julie M. Prince
• A hearty defense of YA Literature, by Little Willow
• Graphic Novels: A Gateway to a New World, by Kelly Fineman
• A profile of illustrator Sylvia Long, by Kris Bordessa
• A fantastic new column called A Backward Glance, by writer Candice Ransom
• P.J. Hoover is this month's Blogging Writer, interviewed by Christine Marciniak
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult.
  

Feel free to steal this post to get the word out. (My subscription list is in the process of being recovered. I hope to have it restored by Sunday.)

The Edge of the Forest will return the third week of March.

Where is the February TEOTF?

Some of you may have noticed that The Edge of the Forest, February, is delayed. It will be up soon. So soon, in fact, that it will still be a February issue.
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Speaking of the Forest, if you are interested in reviewing for the April, May, and June issues and would like review copies, I'll be doing a mailing on Monday, March 24. If you'd like me to send you some books, then drop me an e-mail in the next week or two. (If you're a regular reviewer, please send me a reminder e-mail!)
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Speaking of February. I just listened to an wonderful book--Tree of Smoke, by Denis Johnson. Highly recommended for you fans of "literary" fiction. One caveat: Save it for spring or summer. At the end of February of The Longest Winter Ever (TM), I have about one serotonin left and am mainlining chocolate. A long novel, no matter how beautifully written, on the Vietnam War was maybe not the wisest choice ever. I am moving on to The Monsters of Templeton which promises to be Gothic fun. And, let's face it: Fun is what I need right now. And, oh yeah, sun.

Blogging Writer interviews

Do you have a favorite writer who blogs? Would you be interested in interviewing her/him/them (think: Disco Mermaids) for The Edge of the Forest?

If so, we're looking for a few Blogging Writer interviews. Just drop me a line if you have an interview idea.

Long Day, Long Post

Hi, Everyone. I'm having an unexpectedly busy week (the FLU hit here in Smalltown, and not one member of the family escaped unharmed), but I thought I'd check in with a few items of note:

First of all, thanks to all of you who have written in about The Edge of the Forest submissions. I have set aside a few hours tomorrow for planning and I'll get back to you right away.

In a first, my day life collides with my blogging life. Graphic Novelist Josh Elder (whose Mail Order Ninja I reviewed here) is visiting and will be giving a writer's talk tomorrow night. Over dinner he told me about...

Kids Love Comics! Maybe you all know about Kids Love Comics! and I just missed the boat somehow. Anyway, this group of graphic novelists has banded together to give talks, presentations, workshops, you name it. An awesome endeavor. (You can check out their reading list here.) One suggestion: Add a blog, folks!

Today we learned of the demise of the Nestle Children's Book Awards in the U.K. Sad news. But here's a university in the U.K. getting kids into the act of judging: The Bolton Children's Book Awards lets children 11-14 select their favorite book from a shortlist. And, guess whose book is on the shortlist? Nick Green! Author of The Cat Kin, and blogger at Green Knight's Chapel.

I'm sort of embarrassed to bring this up, but Esme Raji Codell (!) just awarded me a "Lion Award" from the Shameless Lions Writing Club . The award is in honor of "those people who have blogs we love, can't live without, where we think the writing is good and powerful." All I can say is--if you'll allow me this tween moment--OMG! And, thanks, Esme. I'm definitely blushing now. Esme is a wonderful writer, children's book activist, and first class blogger, so I'm beyond honored.

But, why am I embarrassed? Here's why: This award reminded me that the fabulous Shelf Elf awarded me this prize in December. During a blogging break. I had meant to pay it forward and then forgot! (BTW: If you haven't bookmarked or added Shelf Elf to your reader, please do so today. Shelf Elf is a great kidlit blog--Kerry writes beautiful reviews.)

The upside? I get to give 10 awards!

Okay, gotta run. The Cybils blog needs some feeding. Just one word of advice before I go: Get a flu shot. It's not too late!

I'm looking for...

a few good stories! For The Edge of the Forest. For March and April. I'm looking for book-centered stories in particular. So, if you have a great idea, send me an e-mail and we'll talk. (Upfront announcement: The Edge of the Forest is a venture of the heart.) I'm also interested in an author interview for March and a Kid Picks column for any month.

In other news:

Don't miss the January contest-edition of the Carnival of Children's Literature at Wizards Wireless.

Bruce Black interviews one of my favorite writers, T.K. Welsh, over at Wordswimmer.

The Edge of the Forest

Welcome to the January 2008 issue of The Edge of the Forest. We are now entering our third year of publication. A true thrill. Thank you for reading!

We have many exciting features for you this month, as well as interviews, reviews, and much, much more. In short, here's what's in store:

• An interview with Holly Thompson.
• A look at The Class of 2K8, by P.J. Hoover.
• Booking your New Year's Resolutions with Little Willow.
• Kim Winters talks with writer, teacher, and mentor, Jane Resh Thomas, in our A Day in the Life column.
• Our Features Editor, Christine Marciniak, talks to gifted kids for this month's Kid Picks.
• Candice Ransom is this month's Blogging Writer.
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult.
  

The Edge of the Forest will return the second week of February with a brand new column.

Good Morning!

I have a review of this beauty--Charles Santore's The Silk Princess--up over at Book Buds. If you like picture books for school-aged children, this one is for you.

I'm busy editing the January The Edge of the Forest today. This work reminds me: If you have any great ideas for features for the February or March issues, please let me know!

3 brief announcements

I'm working like a busy bee putting together the December Carnival of Children's Literature. It's going to be a great one--full of gifts, goodwill, and cheer. In the meantime, three things of note:

• If you're interested in writing a feature piece for The Edge of the Forest for January, February or March, please send me an e-mail as soon as possible. Even if you just have an idea, drop me a line and we'll talk.
  
• Did you love Story of a Girl, by Sara Zarr, as much as I did? Then check out Bob Andelman's interview with her over at Mr. Media.
• Do you belong to a book group? Are you looking for a great read for your January discussion? Then I highly recommend Matrimony, by Joshua Henkin. It's wonderful, beautifully written, and the author may have a bonus for you. What is it? Click here and read the comments.
  

November-December The Edge of the Forest

Welcome to the November/December issue of The Edge of the Forest!

This month we are thrilled to welcome Christine Marciniak to The Edge of the Forest as our new Features Editor. Chris is a writer who blogs at The Simple and the Ordinary. She has also worked as an editor in the travel industry and brings much needed expertise and assistance to our children's literature monthly. Welcome, Chris!

We have many exciting features for you this month, as well as interviews, reviews, and much, much more. In short, here's what's in store:

• An interview with Jane Yolen by Anne Boles Levy.
• A look at new Bedtime Books, by Pam Coughlan.
• A discussion about Books That Opened Your Eyes, by Little Willow.
• Gift Book Recommendations from the Editorial Board.
• Kim Winters talks with writer Esther Hershenhorn in our A Day in the Life column.
• Little Willow talks to young actors for our What's in their Backpacks? column.
• Sara Lewis Holmes is this month's Blogging Writer.
• Sounds from the Forest talks with illustrator Kevin Hawkes
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult.
  

Books that Opened Your Eyes

The multi-talented Little Willow is writing a feature article for the next Edge of the Forest about books that opened your eyes.

I answered as my child-reader self and my comments have to do with By the Shores of Silver Lake which I read on a train when I was about seven or eight years old.

Head on over to Bildungsroman and tell Little Willow your story. You'll see it in the Nov/Dec The Edge of the Forest.