PB PLANET! NEW AND IMPROVED!

Howdy, PBnauts! (cough, cough) Sorry, the atmosphere's just a little dusty today, what with the whole "Let's shoot a missile at the moon!" exercise this morning. Were you a wee bit nervous watching it on TV? Husband Guy was.

HUSBAND GUY: Well, here's the end of life as we know it.
ME: I think we're okay. We're on Tivo time. This happened 30 minutes ago.

So, figure out the new posting format? It's... chatty. Personal. Real insight into Ame's head. (Hey! Don't run away!) There'll still be picture book stuff. And peanut butter stuff. And a little space stuff. But there'll also be agent stuff. Editor stuff. NJ SCBWI stuff. Industry stuff. Library stuff. Cool blog stuff. More pics stuff. Tips, shout-outs, and good news cheers stuff. Teasers of stuff to come. STUFF! And it'll all be rolled into one handy-dandy-every-other-day-or-so-Monday-through-Friday post! LET'S GO!

Agent Recommendation: Super Agent Scott thought I'd like MOONCAKE by Frank Asch. He was right! It took me a while to hunt down a copy (published in 1983), but I'm so glad I did! Creative, innocent buddy story. Just perfect! Followed it up with two of the many sequels, SKYFIRE (funny!) and MOONDANCE. Do you remember these? Own any copies?

Wow, what a writing week! Finished two new... (Nope, can't talk about it yet. Just cross your fingers--and toes!--for me! Go, go, Super Agent Scott!) Just finished my "Unread" interview which will be appearing, in a few weeks, on the fantastic blog of Heather Ayris Burnell, "Frolicking Through Cyberspace." (See my "Favorite Blogs" blogroll and check it out.) I am mega-honored! And, great PB manuscripts already coming in for the Oct. 25 NJ SCBWI Mentoring Workshop. Gotta do my critiques. (And, gotta just say "Done!" on the revisions for mine and send it out!)

Speaking of Mentoring Workshops, wishing good luck to the fabulous Tara Lazar, Laurie Wallmark, and any of my other writing buddies who are going (but I didn't know they were going, or I forgot) to the Rutgers One-On-One Conference on October 17! Are you going? Lemme know, and I'll "good luck!" you, too!

And speaking of Laurie Wallmark, I hear Laurie might have some good news soon. WOO-HOO!

OOF! There's a ton of PBs in my "bring back to the Library" bag. Here's my "5 a day." Have you read any of these? What did you think?

LOM AND THE GNATTERS by Kurusa (which is so cool. I want a one-word name!), illustrated by Isabel Ferrer, translated by Elisa Amado. (Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press, 2009.) If you have a kid that won't let you brush their hair, this cautionary tale is for you! And, loved the word "snotties" for "boogers!"

MOONLIGHT, THE HALLOWEEN CAT by Cynthia Rylant (okay, when does she SLEEP?!), illustrated by Melissa Sweet (HarperCollins Publishers, 2003). Sweet Halloween story.


ONCE UPON A TWICE by Denise Doyen, illustrated by Barry Moser (Random House Children's Books, 2009). If you like books with the occasional "created" word, check this one out. Cleverly done!


TUBA LESSONS by T.C. Bartlett and Monique Felix (Creative Editions, 2009). C'mon. Who doesn't love a tuba?



A WIZARD IN LOVE by Mireille Levert, illustrated by Marie Lafrance (Tundra Books, 2007). I dig the wizard with the bouquet of "flesh-eating flowers" on the cover.



Now, feast your eyes on this scrumptious PB "sunflower" sent in by Super PBnaut, Jeanne! (Yep, that's a chocolate truffle in the center.) My kind of meal! Thanks, Jeanne, for sending it in. PBnauts, send in your PB pics, and I'll post yours, too!


TEASER FOR NEXT TIME: In my next post, I'll have pics and a review or two of some recent phenomenal 1970s kidlit finds (used book sales ROCK!). Also, pics and a review of the STRANGEST PB candy I've ever eaten!

Happy reading and writing, PBnauts! (cough)