A is for Autumn, Authors, and Ammi

Wave HELLO to Ammi-Joan Paquette, my very last A+ author in this series of interviews. Take it away, Ammi-Joan!

AMMI-JOAN PAQUETTE, a.k.a AJ Paquette, is the author of the middle-grade novel NOWHERE GIRL (Walker, 2011), and the picture books THE TIPTOE GUIDE TO TRACKING MERMAIDS (Tanglewood, 2012), and THE TIPTOE GUIDE TO TRACKING FAIRIES (Tanglewood, 2009). She was a 2005 PEN-NE Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award honoree, and is also a literary agent with Erin Murphy Literary Agency. She lives outside of Boston with her family and her very tall to-read pile. 

1. The book fairy transports you inside one of your books. Which book are you in, and what part do you play in the story?
I have to say that I would love to take a trip into the world of THE TIPTOE GUIDES. To be able to follow those children around while they follow clues and eventually come to meet some fairies and mermaids face to face sounds like a pretty neat experience. But who knows… maybe I already do!

2. In approximately ten words, describe a favorite setting from a book you have written.
NOWHERE GIRL’s Thailand: lush, wild, exotic, beautiful—full of adventure!

 

3. What does your office look like?
Right now? Very messy. Okay, all the time it’s very messy. I wish I could say that will improve sometime in the future. But, alas, I have a feeling it probably won’t.

 

 4. If you were a superhero, who would you be, and why?
I’ve always loved Wonder Woman, though if I got the job I would have to seriously invest in a different costume. Brrrr!

Do I really have to pick just one? I love munching on nuts—cashews or almonds, mmm! Sometimes nothing but Ritz crackers and a slice of sharp cheese will do the trick. Ideally, there will be a slice of freshly-baked cake left over from earlier in the day. If so, having the munchies at midnight is pretty much a given.

Ammi-Joan, we are looking forward to your next release, GHOST IN THE HOUSE, scheduled for July 9th! And hey, THAT'S MY BIRTHDAY so there's no way I'll be forgetting. Save a signed copy for me!

 

Happy Turkey Day! (Almost)

What? You were expecting turkey?
gobblegobblegobble
Don't worry. You are not imagining things. THIS is not a turkey; it's a peacock, a very beautiful peacock. I get tired of seeing nothing but turkeys at this time of year. A peacock is a refreshing change, don't you think?

While you are waiting for that delicious turkey dinner, think about our peacock up there.
What do you know about this bird?
Is it male or female?
What is its name?
Is this peacock friendly?
What if we had peacocks for dinner instead of turkeys? : (
If the peacock could talk, what would it say?

Make a list.
On the left side, put FACT. List everything you know about this colorful bird. (Research!)
On the right, put FICTION and make up some fun facts about the bird.

Write a short story weaving fact and fiction.

AND HAVE A WONDERFUL PEACOCK-LESS DINNER!

Thankfully yours,
Nancy

Excuse Me While I Squeeeee!

No, it's not Thursday.
; )
This is an unscheduled WIT post, and a happy one at that. Below is the cover of STORM SONG, one of two picture books that will be published this spring.

I
Just
Had
To
Share
!!!!

What do you think?
I LOVE IT! Wait until you meet the adorable doggie who shows up on almost every page.

A is for Autumn, Authors, and Amy

Say HELLO to Amy Dixon!

Amy has agreed to be part of my series of interviews, or mini-views as I like to call them. Do you remember that ALL the authors featured this autumn have names that begin with A? SO Awesome!

AMY DIXON grew up as one of seven siblings, so the only peace and quiet she ever got was inside a book. Once she had her own kids, she rediscovered her love for picture books at the public library. It was the one place she knew all four of her kids would be happy . . . and quiet. She writes from her home, where she lives with her four little inspirations and her marathon-running husband, Rob. Amy is the author of MARATHON MOUSE.

Now, let's get to the nitty-gritty and find out what goes on in the super-secret life of this fabulous author.

1. The book fairy transports you inside one of your books. Which book are you in, and what part do you play in the story?
I would definitely be one of the runners in MARATHON MOUSE! I am in awe of people who can run 26.2 miles and live to tell about it. I would finish the New York City marathon alongside my buddy, Preston Mouse, and wear my medal proudly!

2. In approximately ten words, describe a favorite setting from a book you have written.
The quiet, contemplative dark of the Queensboro bridge.

3. What does your office look like?
My favorite place to work is at our local Panera. When I try to work at home, chores like dishes and laundry call out to me. It's so distracting!

4. If you were a superhero, who would you be, and why?
The first thing that came to mind was Whyatt from the PBS show, SUPER WHY! (Can you tell I have a 4-year-old?) He's no Superman, but...the power to fly inside his favorite books??? Yes, please!

5. You've got the munchies at midnight. Which salty or sweet snack makes you get out of bed and head for the kitchen?
POPCORN! It's my favorite food, hands down.

Ready? Set? GOooo!
Race you to the bookstore!

 

Note from Nancy: Since Thanksgiving is next Thursday, look for WIT to appear the day before, on Wednesday, November 21st.

Quick Quiz

Sharpen your pencils.
Take your seats.
Get ready for...

QUIZ TIME!
(You are cheering and clapping, aren't you?)

This quiz is short/brief.  Or it's long/lengthy. 18 questions. You decide.

It's on antonyms (the opposite) and synonyms (the same).

You even get a grade!

Ready, set, GO! I'll race you.

CLICK HERE.

A is for Autumn, Authors, and Alison

I don't know if you've noticed, but some of my WIT posts were a little off last week and the week before. I have no idea why this happens, but it seems that when I write posts ahead of time and schedule them, weird things pop up. Anyway, I apologize!

Moving on...

This week's interview is with Alison Formento. WELCOME, Alison!

ALISON FORMENTO is the author of the award-winning picture books THIS TREE COUNTS!, THIS TREE, 1, 2, 3, THESE BEES COUNT! and THESE SEAS COUNT (2013). She has written for several publications including The New York Times, The Writer and Parenting. Alison loves visiting schools and libraries and donates a portion of her book sales to AmericanForests.org.

If you love and respect nature, Alison's books will certainly make you smile. Let's hear what she has to say.

1. The book fairy transports you inside one of your books. Which book are you in, and what part do you play in the story?

Hi, Book Fairy, thanks for buzzing by. I'm so happy that you've taken me inside THESE BEES COUNT! And what's more...you've plopped me right inside a bee hive. You might have a hard time seeing me, but I'm one of the worker bees and I've just come back from a two mile trip. I visited about 50,000 flowers and I'm so heavy from all of the nectar filling my belly. Time to...BURP! Oh, excuse me, but I really needed to spit up the nectar into the honeycomb here in this part of our hive. These are the Queen's newest bee babies and they need some tasty bee bread so they'll grow. Boy, this stuff is sticky, but oh, so sweet. Some say, it's sweet as honey! Now it's time to visit some more flowers. Buzz....

2. In approximately ten words, describe a favorite setting from a book you have written.

Tip top of an old oak tree is a special spot for birds, animals, or me.

(The tree in THIS TREE COUNTS!)

3. What does your office look like?

There's a big window in my office and some of my office walls are covered with happy monster wallpaper drawn by Sandra Boynton. My shelves overflow with books and my desk is covered with papers. There's a rocking chair that I rocked my kids in when they were babies. Now I use it (a lot) to read. For me: Reading + rocking = awesome!

4. If you were a superhero, who would you be, and why?

I'd be Captain Environment! I'd be able to stop harm to our environment. Trees would be planted everywhere. Bees and other animals would be safe from pesticides or other manmade threats. Our seas would clean of litter. Our world would be safe from manmade disasters such as oil spills and fresh healthy food would be available for all. That would be a dream come true!

5. You've got the munchies at midnight. Which salty or sweet snack makes you get out of bed and head for the kitchen?

Honey graham crackers dunked in milk. Yum!

 

We surely do need a Captain Environment, Alison! Thanks for answering these questions for WIT readers.