Quick and Dirty Tips for Finding A Critique Group!

Wild Boar, Animal Park

Switzerland

Wooden spider / Cox Arboretum

Kettering, Ohio, USA

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Quick and Dirty Tips for Finding A Critique Group!
1. Join SCBWI
a. Search the forum for critique group openings.b. Join your local SCBWI chapter = SCBWI Scotland, SCBWI Germany, SCBWI Houston, Texas, USA etc...
2. Search and Join Yahoo or Google Groups for Children Writers & Illustrators.
a. post to groups and ask for any critique groups with openings in your chosen genre.
3. Start your own critique group.
There you have it. I found all of my critique group, at one time or another, with using these very tips.

Good Luck!
Smiles, Char

Book Review! The House In The Mail

The House in the Mail
By Rosemary & Tom Wells
ISBN: 0-670-03545-9
Illustrated by Dan Anderson
32 Pages
$16.99 US dollars
Age level = 4-8 years

I bought this book for my daughter. She was fascinated from the beginning. She couldn’t quite believe a house could be ordered in the mail. The living conditions and what was thought of as“modern” amazed her. It’s a well loved book in our house.

This wonderful book is written in the form of a diary with drawing and cutouts by Emily Cartwright., age 12, Emily lives with her parents, younger brother and grandparents in a two bedroom house in Enfield, Kentucky.

However, as Emily and her younger brother, Homer, grew, the house became a bit too small.

That’s when Emily declared she was moving to live with her aunt in Chicago. Her parents dropped a bombshell on them at that point. “Emily,” said Ma, “you’re right. We do live tight as bees in a hive. But we are about to build a new house of our very own, with a room for each of you and one for the new baby.” Emily and Homer found out they would be getting a new house

and a new brother or sister. Their pa laid a catalog on the table called Modern Homes. It had pictures of houses. Pa told them every house in the book came in a put-together kit and theywould put it together with a barrel of nails. Now, they just had to agree on a house.

The houses all had names like Jefferson, Beckford, or Carlisle. Finally a house called the Lincoln was selected. It had something everyone wanted, a porch for ma, big kitchen for pa, a window onto the roof for Homer and for Emily, her own bedroom.

Pa sent a check for $2,500 dollars to Sears,Roebuck & Company which was the price of the Lincoln. Ma said it was their whole life savings.

There are copies of pictures from Modern Home along with some blueprints to view. The
illustrations in this book are all on a background of parchment yellow. (think old newspaper) One of my favorites shows a modern kitchen, for the 1920’s. It looks like a child’s play kitchen. A modern washing machine which is a huge round tank with a foot pump to drain the water out which proclaims “fastest in the world!”

Each page is set up like a journal filled with photos, drawings, dried flowers, sequins, buttons, or cut-outs. One could just look at the illustrations and understand exactly what the story is about.

On November 5, 1927, not long after moving into the new house, Joseph Cartwright was born. Emily is proud that her brother is going to grow up in the modern house. He will never know how it was in the old days.

What about the rest of the story? What other secrets do Emily and Homer reveal? You will have to read this book and find out.


Website = Rosemary Wells http://www.rosemarywells.com/

Rosemary Well's Biography
Rosemary Wells (1943-) Biography - Personal, Career, Honors Awards, Writings, Adaptations, Sidelights

Where Have I Been?

Ok, I've not been so hot at posting but I have a good excuse. I've been very busy working on the SCBWI Scotland website and on the up-coming Logo Contest. Whew, it's a lot of work! Claira Jo and I are still trying to find a venue. We are a new chapter so we have very little money and the venue must come cheap or even free. (sigh) We hope to make this a big success so this won't be a problem in the future.

We were worried about prizes but no worries now. Here is a list of some brilliant authors and illustrators who have generously donated books, magazines or artwork for our contest. Their kindness will make this contest a wonderful success; without them we would be struggling! Please take the time to view this list and perhaps if a book title catches your interest, why not wander over to an on-line bookstore and support one of these lovely people.

Jane Clarke - picture book- Gilbert in Deep and Knight Time, Random House, Gerry O'Brian- Picture Books- Bubba Begonia, You'll Be Sorry from Acorn Press PEI, 2006 and Bubba Begonia and The Mudmen of The Koola Boola,2007, Bev Cooke- Middle Grade/Young Adult Novel- Feral from Orca Book Publishers, April 2008, Vanda Lavar- illustrator, Christine M. Irvin - Craft Books- The Mania craft series from Children's Press, Anna Myers- Middle Grade/Young Adult Book, Vicki Sansum- Illustrator, April Robbins- Picture Book-Zachary Goes Treasure Hunting, Tekla White - Historical fiction for kids, Kelly Milner Halls- Science-non fiction for kids, Annette Sheldon- picture book- Big Sister Now, Bernice Magee- children’s magazines- FACES, APPLESEEDS, and ODYSSEY, Janet S. Fox - Get Organized Without Losing It from Free Spirit Publishing, 2006, an award-winning book for kids, ages 9-14, Kay Millward- MG/YA Wobbly Witch & Kiki, Janet Foxley – MG/YA- Midsummer Legend, Radhika Meganathan- THE VILLAGE FAIR from Tulikabooks, Verna Harps Morrow- My Mommy Wears Army Boots

I have one more request. I had a list of blogs to put up on this site and I lost them. WHOOPS! If you are a children's writer, illustrator, publisher or editor and you have a blog or website please send me your link and I will be happy to include it on this site.

Have a great day!