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Author Guest Post: “Nine Steps for Writers Dealing with Rejection” by Erica S. Perl, Author of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

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“Nine Steps for Writers Dealing with Rejection”

By Erica S. Perl

“It’s just not what we’re looking for right now…”

“I really wanted to love it, but…”

“I didn’t connect with it…”

I’m not going to sugar coat it. Rejection stinks. Given the choice, I’d pick a root canal any day.

But, like it or not, rejection is part of every writer’s journey. So, I’ve come up with a process to deal with rejection, and I’m happy to share. If you have the skin of a rhinoceros, maybe you’ll never need it. But if you’re human like the rest of us, it just might come in handy someday.

  1. Get mad and stomp around. Seriously! Let the rejection wash over you and feel the white-hot rage and indignation. It’s not a happy feeling, but it is intense and you owe it to yourself to feel it, if only so that you can use that experience for material.
  2. Write down all the angry things you want to say to the editor who rejected your work (on paper, so you don’t accidentally click “send” or “reply all”). Be creative!
  3. Crumple up that paper (feel free to uncrumple it later and save it, so when someone else buys your book and it wins prizes or sells a zillion copies you can frame it and hang it in your office).
  4. Complain to your most sympathetic friend. This can be a friend who is covered in fur or plush. Or a human being, if you want. Just make sure it is someone who will listen and let you rant as long as you need to.
  5. Go for a long run. Or a long walk. Or just go outside. Listen to something distracting, like loud music or soothing music or a podcast that has nothing to do with your book! Truly get your mind off your troubles and perhaps get your adrenaline pumping.
  6. Take a deep breath. Or several deep breaths. Or several days of deep breaths, away from your piece. It’s tempting to go right back in but time away actually helps.
  7. When you’re ready, read the editor’s comments again.
  8. See if you can find anything useful in them, to make your work better. There’s a really difference between “it’s not for me” and “the pacing felt off and the character’s voice seemed too old….” The latter may or may not ring true for you, but it gives you something to look at and consider, should you wish to revise. Also, if you hear the same kind of feedback from more than one editor, it might suggest an area worth addressing.
  9. Start to revise. There are always ways to improve a piece and this is an opportunity to look at your piece with fresh eyes. So, take the time to see if it needs anything else before you send it out again. Hopefully, doing another round of edits will remind you of everything you love about your piece… everything that, hopefully, the next editor will see.

I wish I could tell you that, after a certain number of successful books, you no longer have to deal with rejection. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Rejection and revision paved the path to all of my successful books, including my newest one: The Ninth Night of Hanukkah.

And actually, I’m grateful. Because sometimes rejection has a silver lining: it pushes you to take your books to new heights, and make them better than you ever thought possible. So, please, hang in there. It will make the editorial acceptance you eventually receive taste all the sweeter, I promise!

Published September 15, 2020 from Sterling Children’s Books

About the Book: A heartwarming picture book with a fresh twist on a Hanukkah celebration: celebrating a ninth night with new neighbors and friends!

It’s Hanukkah, and Max and Rachel are excited to light the menorah in their family’s new apartment. But, unfortunately, their Hanukkah box is missing. So now they have no menorah, candles, dreidels, or, well, anything! Luckily, their neighbors are happy to help, offering thoughtful and often humorous stand-in items each night. And then, just as Hanukkah is about to end, Max and Rachel, inspired by the shamash (“helper”) candle, have a brilliant idea: they’re going to celebrate the Ninth Night of Hanukkah as a way to say thanks to everyone who’s helped them!

This book is not only a heartwarming and fun story, it’s also an invitation to join in a beautiful new Hanukkah tradition!

There is a free event kit that can be accessed via this page on Erica Perl’s website, including all sorts of goodies to have your own Shamash Night this season—pennants, thank you cards, a cultural guide, a special blessing, activities, and more!

Erica S. Perl is the author of more than thirty popular and critically-acclaimed books for young readers. Her middle grade novels include All Three Stooges (National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor Book) and When Life Gives You O.J. (Sydney Taylor Notable Book, ALA Notable Book. Her picture books include Chicken Butt!, Goatilocks and the Three Bears, and Ferocious Fluffity. She also writes the Truth or Lie!, Arnold and Louise, Lucky Dogs, and Craftily Ever After (as “Martha Maker) series. And she keeps an Instagram cartoon journal @espcrawl. Visit her at ericaperl.com and follow her online @ericaperl.

Thank you, Erica, for being so open and honest about rejection!

The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez, Illustrated by Lauren Semmer

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The ABCs of Black History
Author: Rio Cortez
Illustrator: Lauren Semmer
Published: December 8, 2020 by Workman Publishing Company

Summary: While many alphabet books have tackled a range of social justice topics from consent to feminism, there remains an urgent need to explore through a thoughtful lens how Black history has shaped American culture. The ABCs of Black History is a beautiful representation of the ideas and personalities that embody a wide range of Black people, experiences, and ideas in lively verse matched with vivid imagery.

Written by Pushcart-nominated-poet, Rio Cortez and illustrated by newcomer Lauren Semmer, The ABCs of Black History uses the alphabet as a frame to introduce Black history. Beginning with Anthem—an introduction to James Weldon Johnson’s Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing—and ending with Zenith, a tribute to the mountaintop Dr. King spoke about before his death, readers will travel across continents and centuries, navigate triumph and heartbreak, and celebrate creativity and joy.

The poetic text introduces big ideas to engage curious minds. Every letter has a rhyming verse, and every spread is a visual feast. F explores the concepts of farming and food. G is for Go! and the Great Migration from the rural South to the urban North. Then the reader lands in Harlem, New York, where they meet Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Contemporary moments are included too. M is for march and message, which explores the culmination of movements that have changed the course of history, from the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965 to the Black Lives Matter movement today. And Q is for queens, acquainting readers with powerful women like Leontyne Price, Queen Nandi, Toni Morrison, Michelle Obama, and many more.

The book also includes robust back matter that offers more information on the events, places, and people mentioned in the poem, from Fannie Lou Hamer to DJ Kool Herc, the Little Rock Nine to Sam Cooke.

A necessary addition to every child’s bookshelf, The ABCs of Black History is an exuberant celebration of history, culture, race, and justice.

Ricki’s Review: Oh my. This is a powerful book. Every single page is beautifully constructed. I simply cannot imagine how long it took to create this book. It is 64 pages of masterful writing and eye-catching illustrations. To call this an alphabet book would be to undermine everything that it is. Each spread features a different letter with numerous words connected to Black history and written in poetic form. Nine pages of back matter offer further information of all of the people, places, and terms used throughout the book. Thus, a child will hear the lilt of a poetic description in a read aloud, and the back matter offers more learning. I describe a child here, but as an adult, I was absolutely captivated by this text. This book is one to read and love and it is one to gift. Also, in case you missed it, look at the cover! I loved this book and give it my highest recommendation.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might ask each child to select a letter in the book. They can learn more about the people, places, and terms used and share with peers more information about Black history. Then, they might create their own alphabet books about a topic they are interested in researching.

Discussion Questions: 

  • Which letter spread did you like the most? What did you learn?
  • How does the author incorporate information in a poetic and engaging way?
  • How do the illustrations elevate your understanding of the text?

Flagged Passage: 

E is for explore—to study a place: like Matthew Henson, the Artctic; Mae Jemison, space.

E is for education, for expanding the mind, like Ruby Bridges, Linda Brown, the Little Rock Nine—The first Black children in all-white schools, they opened the doors and challenged the rules.

Flagged Spread:

Excerpted from THE ABCs of BLACK HISTORY by Rio Cortez (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2020. Illustrations by Lauren Semmer

Read This If You Love: Nonfiction picture books, Black history books, alphabet books, Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History by Walter Dean Myers, Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney, We March by Shane W. Evans, Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills by Renee Watson, Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford

Recommended For: 

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Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

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Sofia is an 9-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

I have just finished reading this amazing book about a girl who would stop at nothing to find out the truth about her father! It is called From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks! This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

On Zoe’s twelfth birthday she finds out that her father is sending her letters from jail when she accidentally finds one in the mail. Zoe is confused by the letter because it says that her father had written more letters and decides to keep the letter secret and answer it. She does that because her mom refuses her to have any contact with her dad because of the crime he is in jail for. She knows that her mom will forbid her to write any more letters the second she tells her she has been writing letters to her father. In her reply to the letter she asks a bit about him. Zoe is also an excellent baker, like her father and wants to enter The Kids Bake Challenge!. She asks her mom and her new dad if she can, but they say maybe. They allow her to work at Ari’s Cakes so her mother’s friend, Arianna, can teach Zoe some of her baking tricks. They also say if Arianna gives her a good review then she would probably be able to enter The Kids Bake Challenge!. When Zoe is ready to mail her letter she goes to the street’s mailbox so her parents won’t see the letter. Her dad, named Marcus, keeps on writing her letters and Zoe sends some back along with questions. But one time Zoe’s grandma sees one of Zoe’s letters to Marcus when she is on her way to mail it! Will Zoe get in humongous trouble or will her grandmother be kind about it?

I loved this book so so so much because of how well it was written and how much joy it gave me reading it. I couldn’t put this book down because of the amazing suspense, action and normal life drama that was in it. There were so many cliffhangers in the story, it was just great! Too good for words to express! I loved every second of the journey through this book. I also loved it because of Zoe’s personality. The fact that Zoe was curious, courageous and smart made the book very interesting. It also meant that she would keep digging for the truth about her father no matter how impossible it was. I also loved this book because Zoe’s passion for baking and creating recipes carried on to me and she even inspired me to make up a recipe, Nutella swirl Cupcakes! My mom had a recipe for vanilla cupcakes and I simply just added my favorite thing… Nutella! I’ll include the recipe in case you want to try it out.

Nutella swirl cupcakes recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups of flour
  • 1 ¼ cups of milk
  • 15 teaspoons of Nutella

Instructions

Grab a big bowl and mix butter, eggs and sugar together. Add vanilla. Grab a medium sized bowl and mix flour, baking powder and salt. Mix all into the big sized bowl using spoonfuls each time of the medium bowl and use the mixer to stir around and add milk. Put into cupcake forms. Add one teaspoon of Nutella into each cupcake (you should have about 15) and twirl with a toothpick. After all that put the cupcakes in your oven and bake at 375 degrees for twenty minutes. Let cool and Voila! You baked Nutella swirl cupcakes! Enjoy!

If you absolutely loved this book then I would definitely recommend Front Desk by Kelly Yang! I have already written a book review about that book so click on the link here Front Desk book review  to see the review! I make this recommendation because they are kind of alike in the characteristics of the main characters. Mia in Front Desk is just as courageous and smart as Zoe in From the Desk of Zoe Washington.

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this terrific review!**

Two New Hanukkah Books You Must Read!: The Ninth Night of Hanukkah by Erica Perl and illustrated by Shahar Kober & The Littlest Candle: A Hanukkah Story by Rabbis Kerry and Jesse Olitzky, Illustrated by Jen Kostman

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The Ninth Night of Hanukkah
Author: Erica Perl
Illustrator: Shahar Kober
Published September 15, 2020 by Sterling

Goodreads Summary: A heartwarming picture book with a fresh twist on a Hanukkah celebration: celebrating a ninth night with new neighbors and friends!

It’s Hanukkah, and Max and Rachel are excited to light the menorah in their family’s new apartment. But, unfortunately, their Hanukkah box is missing. So now they have no menorah, candles, dreidels, or, well, anything! Luckily, their neighbors are happy to help, offering thoughtful and often humorous stand-in items each night. And then, just as Hanukkah is about to end, Max and Rachel, inspired by the shamash (“helper”) candle, have a brilliant idea: they’re going to celebrate the Ninth Night of Hanukkah as a way to say thanks to everyone who’s helped them!

This book is not only a heartwarming and fun story, it’s also an invitation to join in a beautiful new Hanukkah tradition!

My Review: I adored this charming book that truly does encourage a new Hanukkah tradition. As someone who has searched and searched for candles in a city where there are very few Jewish families, I completely understood the panic that Max and Rachel were experiencing. They certainly triumph in this book, and they come out better because of it. I loved reading this book with my children, and when I looked at them, I noticed they were smiling as we read. This book is going to be a family favorite, and I especially love its message of gratitude.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book will make readers think creatively. It would be fun for readers to consider how they might add a twist to a family tradition. They could turn these into their own picture books!

Discussion Questions: 

  • How do Max and Rachel change in the story?
  • In what ways do they add a new twist to their family tradition?
  • How does this book teach us about community?
  • What are you grateful for? How might you share this with your family on a ninth night?

The Littlest Candle: A Hanukkah Story
Authors: Rabbis Kerry and Jesse Olitzky
Illustrator: Jen Kostman
Published September 1, 2020 by Kalaniot Books

Goodreads Summary: Little Flicker is always cheering his friends on with words of encouragement and support. But as the smallest candle in the box, why should he be chosen to be the shamash in the Hanukkah menorah? Isn’t the job of lighting all the others candles too big for him? As it turns out, it’s the size of your heart that matters, and in that department, Little Flicker is huge! This book’s bright and quirky illustrations make it easy to imagine the possibility of a world where candles walk, talk, dance, and sing. Kids will love exploring the details of Little Flicker’s life inside his cozy drawer.

My Review: I loved the way that the Little Flicker (the shamash) was personified in this book! Although this book is focused on Hanukkah, similarly to The Ninth Night of Hanukkah, it is about so much more. Little Flicker has a strong spirit, and kids will see this and recognize his strength. I felt like I wanted to fist pump while reading this book—it has so much heart. We received this book a couple of weeks ago, and my four year old has asked me to read it many times over, and every time, I think I love it more.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Little Flicker is small, but he has a lot of spirit to him. Teachers might ask students to think about and discuss a quality that others might perceive to be a flaw but which can act as a strength.

Discussion Questions: 

  • What is the message of this book?
  • What did you learn about the meaning of Hanukkah?
  • How do the authors and illustrator use personification to strengthen the story?

Recommended For: 

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Happy Hanukkah to you and yours!!!

**Thank you to Casey at Media Masters Publicity for providing copies for review!**

Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Small Steps by Louis Sachar

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Sofia is an 9-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. On select Saturdays, Sofia shares her favorite books with kids! She is one of the most well-read elementary schoolers that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

I just finished reading this amazing book called Small Steps by Louis Sachar and I can’t wait to tell you about it! This book is the second book in a series and the first book is called Holes. You don’t have to have read Holes to understand this book. This book is recommended for ages 12+ by Amazon.

Armpit (his real name is Theodore) has just been released from a Juvenile Correctional Facility called Camp Green Lake. He gets a job digging and gets paid a pretty good amount of money for it. But when Armpit’s friend called X-ray, who he met when he was at Camp Green Lake, gets in the picture things turn a bit bad for Armpit. Armpit makes some pretty bad choices like when X-ray tells him they can get extra money by scalping tickets to Kaira DeLeon’s show. Armpit makes the bad choice of saying yes. Armpit is not bad and he only got sent to Camp Green Lake because of a bowl of popcorn. Armpit also has a nine year old friend named Ginny and she is handicapped and she helps Armpit out with some of his decisions. She is his best friend.

Kaira DeLeon eventually becomes friends with Armpit. Kaira has all kinds of things going on, like her not getting paid as much as other people, having a bodyguard and most of all, her manager, El Genius. El Genius is Kaira’s step-father but Kaira just thinks he married her mom because he wanted to kill Kaira.

I love this book because of the way the author wrote it. What I mean is that the author keeps on switching points of view from Armpit to Kaira so you don’t miss anything and you know how different characters feel about the same thing. I also love this book because of the amazing suspense which made me finish it in two days! Enjoy!

If you love this book and want to know a bit more about The Juvenile Correctional Facility, then check out Holes by Louis Sachar. It is the first book in the series and I read it and loved it. By the way, if you like Holes, there’s a movie about it!

**Thanks so much to Sofia for this terrific review!**

Nonfiction History Books for Kids: The Extraordinary Lives Series by Kane Miller Books

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I am thrilled to introduce a new series that I am hosting, which explores nonfiction history books for kids. This is all we read in our house, and I’ve learned so much, so I am jazzed to dive deeply into some of the texts on the blog.

I want to start off by sharing a phenomenal series by Kane Miller: The Extraordinary Life of… series. You’ll want to get your hands on these.

Summary: A bold new series for young readers focusing on the lives of inspirational historical and modern figures.

Review: We have fallen in love with the Extraordinary Lives series. My first grader can’t get enough nonfiction. He could spend a full 12-hour day looking through the nonfiction section of the library. He devoured information about the election, reads history books that are above his age range, and just asks for more, more, more. When I learned about the Extraordinary Lives series, I knew it would be a good fit. What I didn’t realize was that my preschooler and I would get just as much joy from the series as my first grader.

Here’s one picture I caught of my son reading them:

Here’s a closer look at the books:

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Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: These books would be wonderful for use in book groups. I would be thrilled if my kids were in a classroom in which the teacher allowed them to choose the text of a person they were interested in studying. For instance, I LOVED learning about Mary Seacole. That particular book really captured me (although they were all fascinating to read). My sons each had their own favorites, and I imagine this would be the case in a classroom. Students might then present to their peers to teach about the person they chose. Choice is so important in the classroom, and this series offers such wonderful opportunities for learning.

Discussion Questions: 

  • Which book did you choose and why?
  • What did you learn?
  • How did the author create engaging content to help you learn more about the person?

Flagged Passage from the Katherine Johnson Text: 

Read This If You Love: Nonfiction books, history books, biographies, Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, Schomburg: The Man Who Built the Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe, Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney, We March by Shane W. Evans, Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills by Renee Watson, Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford

Recommended For: 

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A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta Elliot, Illustrated by Noa Denmon

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A Place Inside of Me
Author: Zetta Elliot
Illustrator: Noa Denmon
Published: July 21, 2020 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)

Summary: In this powerful, affirming poem by award-winning author Zetta Elliott, a Black child explores his shifting emotions throughout the year.

There is a place inside of me
a space deep down inside of me
where all my feelings hide.

Summertime is filled with joy―skateboarding and playing basketball―until his community is deeply wounded by a police shooting. As fall turns to winter and then spring, fear grows into anger, then pride and peace.

In her stunning debut, illustrator Noa Denmon articulates the depth and nuances of a child’s experiences following a police shooting―through grief and protests, healing and community―with washes of color as vibrant as his words.

Here is a groundbreaking narrative that can help all readers―children and adults alike―talk about the feelings hiding deep inside each of us.

My Review: Whew. This is a powerful text that is accessible to all ages. I could imagine reading this to a class of elementary schoolers, and I could imagine reading it aloud to a group of adults. The book is a poem that reads in layers. It offers a surface-level understanding for beginning readers and also offers a rich conception and application for more mature readers. Following a police shooting, the narrator feels a wealth of very real emotions, and each spread navigates the emotions with beautifully woven language and powerful images. I believe that Zetta Elliot is one of the greatest authors of our time, and I felt this book in my gut. It is a must read.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might use this text to unpack the many levels of emotions that students experience with events. One way to use this book is to ask students to pick a recent event and write a poem about the varied emotions they felt (or feel) regarding the event.

Discussion Questions: 

  • How do the author and illustrator depict the emotions within the text?
  • What nuances do you see in the different emotions?
  • How can we use this text to enact change in our community?

Flagged Passage: 

 

Read This If You Love: I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, Dear Martin by Nic Stone, The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson, You Matter by Christian Robinson, I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoët

Recommended For: 

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