See you at TLA!

See you at TLA!

The Texas Library Association is meeting in Houston this week.

I’m signing these books on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. (That’s tomorrow!)

I’m signing Road Work Ahead from 10am-12pm at Overlooked Books Booth #2629

I’m signing All-Star Cheerleaders from 10am-12pm at Overlooked Books #2629

I’m signing Read and Write Sports from 1-3pm at ABC-Clio Booth #1502

I’m signing A Girl’s Guide to Volleyball from 3-4pm at Capstone Booth #1919

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Picture Book of the Day

A Hockey Story
by Richard L. Torrey (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: A young boy joins a new hockey team…

Snippet: Every Saturday morning I wake up really, really early and go to the ice rink.
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Chapter Book of the Day

The Wood Queen
by Karen Mahoney (Author)
336 pages

Booktalk: To keep her best friend, Navin, from being killed at the hands of vicious wood elves, Donna Underwood stole the elixir of life. Now she’s facing an alchemist tribunal while her mother lies dying, succumbing to the elven curse that shattered her mind. In desperation, Donna seeks an audience with Aliette, the fierce and manipulative Wood Queen, who offers a deal: if Donna can use her strange and burgeoning powers to help the wood elves, Aliette will free her mother from the curse. Along with Navin and Xan, the half-fey guy she’s falling for, Donna struggles to unlock the secrets of her iron tattoos in time to save her mother’s life. But some secrets are better left untold.

Snippet: And the crows; so many of them. A murder of crows? Circling around and around in an indigo sky, shedding oly feather that look like black petals.

Maybe I’m just having anxiety dreams ahead of the trial. Aunt Paige gets mad when I call it that–my trial–but isn’t that what it is?
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April 2012 Carnival Of Children’s Literature

  • Our April 2012 host is A Curious Thing.
  • Add YOUR post to this carnival by filling out this form.
  • The deadline for adding your post is April 26th.
  • The carnival will go live on April 28th.

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STEM Haiku

Share your own haiku about a STEM topic during National Poetry Month.

(STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Power
Zip, Zap! Electrons
move in a circuit, bringing
electricity.
© 2012 Anastasia Suen
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Site Meter Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

Hooray for Hands!
by Susan Pearson (Author) and Emily Bolam (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Rhythmic text and cheerful art show busy toddlers using their hands all day long in this board book.

Snippet:
Hands are grand
for pushing swings
and bouncing balls
and holding things.
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Chapter Book of the Day

My Brother’s Shadow
by Monika Schröder (Author)
224 pages

Booktalk: As World War I draws to a close in 1918, German citizens are starving and suffering under a repressive regime. Sixteen-year-old Moritz is torn. His father died in the war, and his older brother still risks his life in the trenches, but his mother does not support the patriotic cause and attends subversive socialist meetings. Then Moritz falls in love with a Jewish girl who is also a socialist. How can he choose which side is right?

Snippet: The day Hans left to meet his battalion, he got angry with Mama for swearing at the “damn war.” Hans said it was a honor to serve the Kaiser, and when Mama saw he really meant it she cried even more.

BONUS! See the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46jLWcswcfk]
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Venus Primary School

I’m spending the afternoon at Venus Primary School

Go Bulldogs!

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STEM Friday on March 2, 2012

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on March 2, 2012

is at NC Teacher Stuff.

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Literary Link

New for 2012! A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas
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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

Bedtime

Booktalk: A simple bedtime board book for babies…

Snippet:

It’s bedtime for Baby Bear.

First he puts on his pajamas.

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Chapter Book of the Day

Nikki and Deja: Election Madness

by Karen English (Author) and Laura Freeman (Illustrator)

112 pages

Booktalk: When the students in Nikki and Deja’s class find out that their school is going to hold its first-ever election for student body president, some kids are more excited than others. But none is as excited as Deja, who figures she’s a shoo-in for the third grade nomination. Deja decides that Nikki will be her campaign manager, of course, and puts her to work right away. But will Deja’s tendency to rush into things and boss people around alienate her best friend when she needs her most, and spoil her chances of becoming president of Carver Elementary?

Snippet: Nikki turns toward Deja then, and her lip quivers as she says loudly, “Be quiet, Deja. Quit bossing me around. You’re not the boss of me!”

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School Visit at John Paul II High School

Thanks for a great day, Cardinals!

Special thanks to Media Specialists Gracelyn Shea and Linda Berger!

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STEM Friday on January 13, 2012

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on January 13, 2012

is at Capstone Connect.

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Literary Links

Love children’s and YA poetry? Join the new Poetry Ambassadors listserv!

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Site Meter My NEW chapter book is Save the Best for Last, Abby (All-Star Cheerleaders)

Copyright © 2012 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Young Readers

Picture Book of the Day

You Are My Sunshine

by Jimmie Davis (Author) and Caroline Church (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The classic song in a cute board book.

Snippet:

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

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Chapter Book of the Day

A Field Guide to Aliens: Intergalactic Worrywarts, Bubblonauts, Sliver-Slurpers, and Other Extraterrestria

by Johan Olander (Author, Illustrator)

61 pages

Booktalk: Find out ALL of the details about your favorite (and not so favorite) aliens in this field guide filled with alien “facts.”

Snippet:

The Alien Hunt

As with the hunt for monsters, when you’re investigating aliens it is helpful to bring a writing/drawing tool as well as something to hide under, like an old blanket or sheet.

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STEM Friday on October 28, 2011

STEM Friday is coming! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The STEM Friday Round-up on October 28, 2011
is at NC Teacher Stuff.

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AASL 2011

I’m speaking at AASL 2011 on Saturday

Road Work Ahead Book Signing at AASL 2011 National Conference

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Site Meter My NEW book, The Zombie Project (The Boxcar Children Mysteries #128)

Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Going to ALA!

After months of planning, ALA is finally here! The conference begins today in New Orleans. As it says on the ALA website, “Scheduled for June 23-28, 2011 in New Orleans, the Annual Conference is the world’s largest event for the library community. Bringing together more than 25,000 librarians, educators, authors, publishers, literacy experts, illustrators and the leading suppliers to the market, the Annual Conference gives you a once-a-year opportunity to advance your career and improve your library.”

I’ll be there with my Nonfiction Book Blast panel. The ten Nonfiction Book Blast panel authors will each booktalk their books and provide a handout of an activity to accompany the book. We invite everyone at ALA to attend our panel presentation–it’s going to be a blast!

Nonfiction Book Blast: Booktalks and Activities for Your Library

Start school with new booktalks and activities from ten nonfiction authors: April Pulley Sayre (Rah, Rah, Radishes), Kelly Milner Halls (In Search of Sasquatch), Deborah Heiligman (Charles and Emma), Loree Griffin Burns (The Hive Detectives), Carla Killough McClafferty (The Many Faces of George Washington), Christine Taylor-Butler (Magnets), Shirley Duke (You Can’t Wear These Genes), Darcy Pattison (Prairie Storms), Carla Mooney (Explorers of the New World) and Anastasia Suen (Read and Write Sports). (Handouts)

Sunday June 26, 2011 8 am – 10 am
Morial Convention Center Room 243

After the panel, I will be signing my new 2011 books!

10:30-11:30am: ABC-Clio, Booth #2740

Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8

After years of helping students prepare for the state writing test, I have created a sports “reading and writing” book for classrooms and libraries. There are ten sports in Read and Write Sports: Readers Theatre and Writing Activities for Grades 3-8, so you can use it once a month during the school year. The chapters are filled with short mentor text examples for narrative, expository and descriptive writing exercises and the appendix has printables for all of the graphic organizer charts and student instruction pages.

1-2pm: Kane Miller, Booth #1147

All-Star Cheerleaders (Book #1) Tick Tock, Taylor

I’ll be signing the first book in my new sports series for girls, All-Star Cheerleaders (Book #1) Tick Tock, Taylor. (Books 2 and 3 are being illustrated now, and I’ll finish writing book 4 in July. These 6-8 year old girls are all on the same squad at the Big D Elite gym. Each book features a different girl.)

2-3pm: Lee & Low, Booth #1132

I have 2 new easy readers with Bebop Books, the school imprint of Lee and Low Books. The first one is a Level A book about healthy eating:

Can You Eat a Rainbow?

Can You Eat a Rainbow?

¿Puedes comer el arco iris?

Also available in Spanish: ¿Puedes comer el arco iris?

This Level B easy reader is about the Chinese New Year parade. (2012 is the Year of the Dragon!)

Golden Dragon Parade

Golden Dragon Parade

El desfile del dragón dorado

In Spanish: El desfile del dragón dorado

Two more in September!

My first Boxcar Children book, The Zombie Project, comes out in September, so I have my Silly Zombie Story Writing Workshop page ready for schools and libraries to use in October. (It’s NOT about the zombie in the book. It’s a silly writing prompt: When I saw the zombie on Halloween… with printable graphic organizer charts for you to use.)

The Zombie Project

And last but not least, my new picture book with Viking will also come out in September!

Road Work Ahead

The illustrator, Jannie Ho, and I have created a Road Work Ahead Facebook page so we can share book news and activities once a week until the book comes out. I have the first activity up right now, and Jannie will share a new one next week (a coloring page from the book!) Yay!

Site Meter Are you ready for the Nonfiction Book Blast?
Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Frisco Public Library May 7, 2011

On May 7, I will be speaking at the Frisco Public Library from 3-4 pm.

Here is a copy of the press release the library sent to the paper:

Is There a Book Inside You?
Overcome writer’s block, stay creative and find an agent
Free and open to the public

Aspiring writers from age 12 to adult will have the opportunity to learn the tips of the trade from Anastasia Suen, local publishing industry consultant and author of more than 125 books for kids and adults. Frisco Public Library is sponsoring this free workshop as part of Children’s Book Week. Suen is best known for her series, Robot and Rico, and the Jake Maddox sport series both for elementary age readers.

The workshop is open to the public. No tickets or registration required. Two continuing education credits are offered through the Northeast Texas Library System. Participants must register for the credits in advance at www.netls.org.

Frisco Public Library
3:00 p.m., Saturday, May 7
Vivian McCallum Room
6101 Frisco Square Blvd.
972-292-5669

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Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.

Hamster Chase for Little Bay Primary

Hip, hip, hooray! 20 copies of Hamster Chase came in for my visit to Little Bay Primary on Wednesday!

Hamster Chase

The hamster is loose! When Peter takes Mikey, the class hamster, out of his cage to pet him, Mikey escapes. Peter and his friends search the classroom, but everytime they come close, Mikey runs away again! How can they get Mikey back to his cage? $4 including tax

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Copyright © 2011 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.