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Welcome to the Bookshelf Detective, a site packed with tricks and tips for readers and writers of children's literature. Thank you for visiting!
Cheers,
Kim Tomsic

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Kid Lit for Haiti Online Auction #KidLitForHaiti

What is Kid-Lit for Haiti?
Kid Lit for Haiti is an online auction featuring talent donated by authors, illustrators, editors, art directors, and agents.  100% of the proceeds benefit the students supported by the 501c3 Nonprofit organization called The Friends of HaitiInc. 
All money from this auction will be used for scholarships for students in Haiti.


This auction has ended! 

UPDATE: Thank you so much for participating in the 2014 Kid Lit for Haiti online auction. Please check back in 2015 -or subscribe to this blog so you can be notified when we offer this opportunity again!


2014 Kid Lit for Haiti raised over $3,500.00 in donations! Thank you!

What kinds of things are included in the 2014 Kid Lit for Haiti auction?

Manuscript critiques, Mentorships, Signed Books, Advanced reader copy books, Portfolio reviews, Book club set, Social Media Consultation, Membership in 12x12, and access to an online seminar.



Who is participating?

Melissa Manlove, Editor from Chronicle Children’s Books—manuscript critique (2000 words = up to five of your picture books critiqued!!!) Last chance to bid is today-December 14 2014!!****this auction item has closed. Thank you!


Help spread the word and you could WIN a copy of CHAINED by Lynne Kelly!
Please support #KidLitForHaiti by sharing about it on Twitter or Facebook. Then place a comment on the bottom of this post and me know where you shared. One lucky winner will receive a copy a Lynne Kelly's book, signed and personalized (shipped to a U.S. address).

REMEMBER: 1. TWEET or Facebook
                         2. Comment below, and tell me where you posted.


idea for sharing (you can copy and paste this)

CRITIQUES from Authors/Editors/Agents/Art Directors/Illustrators available on #KidLitForHaiti online auction! at http://bit.ly/10Zv9YZ

or:
Signed ARCs + signed and doodled books available from authors and illustrators supporting #KidLitForHaiti at this site  http://bit.ly/10Zv9YZ 

or
Get a CRITIQUE, a PORTFOLIO review, membership in 12x12, signed ARCs and more at #KidLitForHaiti auction http://bit.ly/10Zv9YZ  

or 

Kid Lit Publishing folks donating their talent to support #KidLitForHaiti auction  http://bit.ly/10Zv9YZ

or 

Illustrators supporting #KidLitForHaiti You can bid for #illustrator items at  http://bit.ly/10Zv9YZ

or

Authors giving away Books or Critique or Class! Why-to help students at #KidLitForHaiti here  http://bit.ly/10Zv9YZ


Auction closing times: 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time

How to bid:

Click on the above hyperlinks to bid and discover details about the generous auction donations. Bidding will take place in the comment section on the individual post where details about the participant and the item they are offering are found. 

When does the auction open and close?
The auction is now open! Items have varying closing dates. Please check each item for respective closing date (ranging from December 11, 2014 to December 16, 2014).

Tell me more about the charity Kid-Lit for Haiti supports.
THE CHARITY is a “mom & pop” nonprofit 501 (c)3 charity called The Friends ofHaiti Inc. (TFOHI). My father started this charity after he helped build a community center in 2009/2010 in Pignon, Haiti (a community with a water poverty index even lower than that of Calcutta, India). After he built the community center, he continued volunteering in Haiti and couldn’t help but notice the lack of medical care—one hospital he visited had a total of four doctors for the entire city. It didn’t take long for my dad to have his big idea—to form a charity to provide scholarships for Haitian students who want to go to medical school to become a doctor or nurse.
The terms of the scholarships we provide for the Haitian students require the student to remain in and work in Haiti for a minimum of five years upon graduation. We hope this will be a step in helping Haiti become a self-sustaining nation. Our scholarship students were hand selected from a pool of bright individuals who had no funds for school, because they’d lost either one or both parent in the 2011 earthquake; or they come from a family with a monthly income of less than $30/month (if you’d like to learn more about Christila—a young lady who my Colorado student-volunteers support—click here)
The charity is all-volunteer based; nobody in the charity takes a salary—100% of your money will directly support a student. I call it a “mom and pop” charity because, well, my dad, my stepmom, my brother and I are all involved. Furthermore, my father takes a personal interest in the life of every student we support. He visits their home, he brings them food and clothing, he visits with their teachers, and he follows up on their grades.
Last December, my father and stepmom spent the entire holiday month flying several trips from Nevada to Florida, delivering dozens and dozens of pieces of luggage to Food for the Poor, since Food for the Poor offered to share space on their plane flying from Florida to Haiti. Each tattered piece of luggage was jam-packed with medical supplies, rice, clothing and used computers—all donations for the students and their community.
Once the Food for the Poor plane landed in Port au Prince, a representative of The Friends of Haiti Inc. met the flight and received the donations to distribute to the students. Why fly—it was less expensive than shipping—and my dad and stepmom did this on their own dime. Furthermore, they didn’t just give away their time in December, 2013; in December, 2012 they also flew back and forth until they succeeded at delivering 45 pieces of luggage so the students, the school, and the Haitian community could have some essentials.
If you’d like to donate to the charity, but you did not win an auction item, please contact Kim Tomsic at:
 ktomsic @gmail.com.

Why Kid-Lit for Haiti?
I once listened to Sherman Alexie speak at a sold-out SCBWI conference; the speech came after he won the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature for his novel The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian. His speech received laughter, tears and a standing ovation—behaviors for which he expressed surprise. Sherman Alexie typically writes for the adult market, and so he acted shocked at the goodwill and generosity of folks from the children’s literature industry. Perhaps a joke, but he said something like—wow, you people root for one another. But it’s true—you’ll not find a better bunch than those in kid-lit.
The people in the kid lit industry are simply kind and generous—so it shouldn’t be shocking that I got a fast and easy YES from the folks whom I asked to participate in an auction to support a charity that finances students in Haiti.



How to bid:

Click on the above hyperlinks to discover details about the generous auction donations. Want to bid? Find the post featuring the particular item for which you'd like to bid; then add a bid by writing in the "comment" section your increased bid and your contact information. 

When does the auction open and close?
The auction is now open! Items have varying closing dates. Please check each item for respective closing date (ranging from December 11, 2014 to December 16, 2014).

What happens if I win?
Winners will be notified and must be prepared to make a donation in the amount of the high bid payable directly to TheFriends of Haiti Inc. Because there are a handful of charities all named The Friends of Haiti Inc. be sure to use the PayPal button I provide for you or follow the hyperlink in this post. Our charity is based out of Henderson, Nevada. Remember our charity name has “Inc” and also it is a “(dot) Org”. www.thefriendsofhaitiinc.org  Payment from the highest bidder is to take place immediately following the auction. After you make the payment, you’ll forward a copy of the receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com, and I will put you in contact with the person who is donating your winning item.

Who is the organizer behind this event ?
Hi! I’m Kim Tomsic. I volunteer in many capacities with the SCBWI. Though this is not an SCBWI event, it’s all SCBWI members donating to it. I am an author and a philanthropist, and I serve on the board of directors for my father’s “Mom and Pop” charity called The Friends of Haiti Inc. 
WHO ELSE IS BEHIND THIS: An incredible group of high school volunteers:  Cayman Tomsic, Mei  Zachwieja, Jason Fontillas, Andrea Staehelin, and Patrick Simpson.


Corporte Sponsors of Kid Lit for Haiti: 


Thank you, thank you, thank you: 

Rock Creek Spine and Rehabilitation, 

                                Ben Oliver of Four Star Realty

                                                                                Boulder Shares

THESE folks have generously sponsored our students in Haiti for three years in a row:


ROCK CREEK SPINE AND REHABILITATION
Click Here to learn more about Rock Creek Spine and Rehabilitation 
Click here to learn more about BEN OLIVER of Four Star Realty
Click here to learn more about Boulder Shares and Leslie Sosnowski
BEN OLIVER,
FOUR STAR REALTY





Manuscript Critique with Melissa Manlove of Chronicle Children's Group #KidLitForHaiti




Kid Lit for Haiti

This auction item has closed. Thank you for participating!

Kid Lit for Haiti:  Flexible critique from Melissa Manlove
Melissa (Editor at Chronicle Children's Group) is offering a critique of up to 2000 words—and here are the exciting details—2000 words according to Melissa means she will read the first 2000 words of a novel, OR she will read up to five (5) separate picture book manuscripts!!!! (but no more than 5 manuscripts, therefore if your manuscripts are all 40-word board book manuscripts, she will not read 50 of them). 
Manuscripts for critique must be received by Melissa by June 1 2015. You can expect about a one-month turn-around time (all critiques will be given via email).

How do I bid?
Place your bid in the comment section of this blog post by increasing the previous bid by a minimum of $10 increments. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; If I haven't contacted you immediately following the auction, please reach out to me at ktomsic@gmail.com . Questions can also be posted in the comment section below.

When does this particular auction item close?
**This Auction will close on December 14, 2014** at 11:59pm Mountain Time Now closed. Thank you!

What happens next?
I will contact the winning bidder (as long as you remembered to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donation link and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com Then I will put you in touch with Melissa J
This is a truly unique offering! Happy bidding!

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:

You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.


What are other items are currently on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melissa Manlove is an editor at Chronicle Books in San Francisco, and she is my editor for THE ELEPHANTS CAME (Spring, 2017). Melissa is amazing, smart, thoughtful, knowledgeable, kind, and she possesses that keen ability to get to the heart of a story. I first met Melissa at an SCBWI conference in California when I won an unofficial scavenger hunt (crazy shenanigans go down at these conferences)—martinis with Melissa was my prize. In a half-hour conversation with Melissa, she was able to tell me what was working in my story, and where I was going wrong. In a few sentences she unveiled more secrets about writing than I had learned in years of study. I used her advice and edited my work—a year and a half later I got it right and landed my first sale. When I tell people Melissa Manlove is my editor, the response is usually, “She’s my dream editor!” Melissa has a true passion for children’s literature. She can often be found at her local bookstore where she’s giving a story-time reading to the gathered children.

BIO: Melissa has been with Chronicle for 10 years. Her acquisitions tend to be all ages in nonfiction; ages 0-8 for fiction. When acquiring, she looks for fresh takes on familiar topics as well as the new and unusual. An effective approach and strong, graceful writing are important to her. She has 16 years of children’s bookselling experience.
 (Want to know more about Melissa? Here’s a great interview – click here)


Critique with Agent Jen Rofe of Andrea Brown Literary Agency #KidLitForHaiti




 


KID LIT FOR HAITI: Jen is offering a critique of the first five pages of a manuscript (PB, MG or YA).

Jennifer Rofé is my agent (I love saying that!), and I can tell you first hand—her editorial suggestions will make your story sparkle! I attended SCBWI conferences for years and years. After attending Jen’s workshops, having a handful of face-to-face meetings and spending a lot of time stalking researching Jen’s style and sales, my BIG goal was to score Jen as my agent—Dreams come true! It took five years of learning, trying and honing my craft until I finally got “the phone call” and landed on team-Jen (well worth the wait!) I suspect the glasses Jen wears aren’t just any old specs—they have magic—Jen can see right into your story and help guide you with what works and what doesn’t. I remember when I was researching Jen, I landed on a post by Crystal Allen (author of one of my favorite books HOW LAMAR’S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA SIZED TROPHY.)  In Crystal’s post she talks about how Jen is an editorial agent and her editorial notes urged Crystal to dig deeper, go bigger, write stronger. In the end, Jen got Crystal a six figure deal because Crystal wrote a story that is laugh-out-loud funny, full of heart and drama and jampacked with VOICE. Another one of Jen’s big-time clients is Meg Medina, and if you haven’t yet read her 2014 Pura Belpré Award Winning book YAQUI DELGADO WANTS TO KICK YOUR ASS (Candlewick), then you need to stop reading this blog, race your bookstore and buy this book. 


Jen represents projects ranging from picture books to YA. Middle grade is her soft spot and she’s open to all genres in this category, especially the tender, hilarious, or zany. She is always looking for fresh and distinct voices; stories that simultaneously tug at her heartstrings and make her laugh out loud; and “adorkable” heroes. As for YA, Jen is drawn to contemporary works; dramatic, funny, or cringe-worthy romance; and urban fantasy/light sci-fi. She’s especially interested in smart stories that are layered, complex, and unexpected, and she appreciates big, developed worlds. In terms of picture books, she is interested in character-driven projects and smart, exceptional writing. Jennifer also represents illustrators and author-illustrators.

Critique with Jen: You are bidding on a five page critique to be received via email. If you win, please format your manuscript in Times Roman, double spaced with one inch margins.

How do I bid? This auction item has closed

Place your bid in the comment section at the bottom of this blog post by increasing the previous bid by a minimum of $10. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; If I haven't contacted you immediately following the auction, please reach out to me at ktomsic@gmail.com . Questions can also be posted in the comment section below.

When does this particular auction item close?

**This Auction will close on December 13, 2014** Last bid will be accepted at 11:59PM Mountain Standard Time (MST) 11:59 PM mountain time = 10:59 PM Pacific Time= 12:59am next day Central Time=1:59am next day Eastern Time This auction item has closed


What happens next?
I will contact the winning bidder (as long as you remembered to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donation link and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com Then I will put you in touch with Jen.

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:

You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.


Want to know more? Here are some of Jen's clients and their books:
Meg Medina
SUNSET COLORA (Candlewick, forthcoming)
YAQUI DELGADO WANTS TO KICK YOUR ASS (Candlewick), *Pura Belpré Award Winner 2014*
THE GIRL WHO COULD SILENCE THE WIND (Candlewick)
TIA ISA WANTS A CAR (Candlewick), Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award 2012
MILAGROS, GIRL FROM AWAY (Holt)
Eliza Wheeler - Author-Illustrator
LEFT-HANDED FATE by Kate Milford, illustrations (Holt, forthcoming)
TELL ME A TATTOO STORY by Alison McGhee, illustrations (Chronicle, forthcoming)
OUR BABY by Varsha Baja, illustrations (Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin, forthcoming)
NOT EVEN CODY and CODY AND THE MEEN KIDS by Tricia Springstubb, illustrations (Candlewick, forthcoming)
WHEREVER YOU GO by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrations (Little, Brown Children's, forthcoming)
INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN Books IV, V by Maryrose Wood, illustrations (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins)
THE GRUDGE KEEPER by Mara Rockliff, illustrations (Peachtree)
DOLL BONES by Holly Black, illustrations (Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster)
MISS MAPLE'S SEEDS, author-illustrator (Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin)
Mike Boldt - Author-Illustrator
I DON'T WANT TO BE A FROG by Dev Petty, illustrations (Doubleday/Random House, forthcoming)
COLORS VERSUS SHAPES (HarperCollins, forthcoming)
TIARA-SAURUS REX by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrations (Bloomsbury, forthcoming)
GET ME ANOTHER ONE by Robert Munsch, illustrations (Scholastic Canada)
ODE TO UNDERWEAR by Helaine Becker, illustrations (Scholastic Canada)
LITTLE JACK HORNER, LIVE FROM THE CORNER by Helaine Becker, illustrations (Scholastic Canada)
123 VERSUS ABC (HarperCollins)
Joy Preble
FINDING PARIS (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, forthcoming)
THE SWEET DEAD LIFE series (Soho Press)
The DREAMING ANASTASIA trilogy (Sourcebooks)
Kathryn Fitzmaurice
DESTINY, REWRITTEN (HarperCollins)
A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT (Viking/Penguin)
THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY (HarperCollins)
Crystal Allen
THE LAURA LINE (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins)
HOW LAMAR'S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA SIZED TROPHY (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins)
Barry Wolverton
THE VANISHING ISLAND trilogy (Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins, forthcoming)
NEVERSINK (Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins)
Bob Boyle
ROSIE & REX (HarperCollins)
Lauren Strasnick
THEN YOU WERE GONE (Simon Pulse/S&S)
HER AND ME AND YOU (Simon Pulse/S&S)
NOTHING LIKE YOU (Simon Pulse/S&S)
Denise Doyen
ONCE UPON A TWICE (Random House), *E.B. White Read Aloud Honor*
Samantha Vamos
ALPHABET TRAINS (Charlesbridge, forthcoming)
ALPHABET TRUCKS (Charlesbridge)
THE CAZUELA THAT THE FARM MAIDEN STIRRED (Charlesbridge), *Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor*
BEFORE YOU WERE HERE, MI AMOR (Viking/Penguin)
Brandi Dougherty
RECIPE FOR ADVENTURE Books 5-8 with celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis (Grosset & Dunlap/Penguin, forthcoming)
THE LITTLEST ELF (Scholastic)
THE LITTLEST CHRISTMAS STAR (Scholastic)
MISS FORTUNE (Scholastic)
Nick James
SKYSHIP ACADEMY trilogy (Flux)
Kim Tomsic

THE ELEPHANTS CAME (Chronicle 2017)

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

How one Lucky Illustrator can Receive a Mentorship from Giuseppe Castellano-Art Director Penguin Random House #KidLitForHaiti

KID LIT FOR HAITIGiuseppeCastellano is offering an illustrator mini-mentorship in which he will work with an illustrator to bring one illustration from sketch to final--offering in-depth critiques at each stage (via email or on-line face-to-face platform).


Giuseppe Castellano is an award-winning designer, illustrator, and Art Director at Penguin Random House with over 14 years of experience in book publishing. He oversees the imprints of Grosset & Dunlap, Price Stern Sloan, Frederick Warne & Co., the Penguin Young Readers and Cartoon Network Books. Read more from Giuseppe, including his popular #arttips series for illustrators, on Twitter: @pinocastellano.

This PARTICULAR auction item : is for a an illustrator mini-mentorship in which Giuseppe Castellano will work with an illustrator to bring one illustration from sketch to final--offering in-depth critiques at each stage (via email or on-line face-to-face platform).

How do I bid?
Place your bid in the comment section by increasing the previous bid by a minimum of $10 increments. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; I can be reached for questions in the comment section here or at  ktomsic@gmail.com

Want to receive notification?
In the left corner of this blog you can get an email subscription on new blog posts and new auction items. You'll only receive an email when something new is posted. 

When does this auction close?This auction item is now closed. Thank you!
**This Auction will close on December 15, 2014** at 11:59 PM mountain time = 10:59 PM Pacific Time= 12:59am next day Central Time=1:59am next day Eastern Time

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

What happens if I win?
I will contact the winning bidder (remember to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donation link and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com

I will then put Giuseppe Castellano in contact with you so the magic can begin. 

***P.S. Don't want to be outbid? The best way to keep up with this auction is by subscribing to this blog and choosing to get notification when comments are posted***

Picture Book Critique with author/teacher/mentor Denise Vega #KidLitForHaiti





KID LIT FOR HAITI: Denise is giving a picture book manuscript critique

Denise Vega

Denise Vega earned her undergraduate degree at UCLA and graduate degree at Harvard (I love bragging on behalf of Denise, since she never brags herself). She served as the RMC SCBWI Co-Regional Advisor for a decade where she not only organized our group of writers and illustrators (and avoided cheese at all costs), but she also taught many writing workshops.

I first purchased a Denise Vega book out of sheer love for Denise; now I purchase Denise Vega books out of sheer love for her writing! Her debut novel  CLICK HERE (To Find Out How I SurvivedSeventh Grade)  was a bestselling title in the Scholastic Book Club and won the Colorado book award for YA literature—but of course it did—she is a master of creating compelling characters—real and flawed people whom you want to follow—and she knows the art of creating the page turn.  

ATTENTION PICTURE BOOK PEOPLE: Denise teaches picture book writing workshops at LighthouseWriters Workshop. I had the privilege of attending one of Denise’s eight-week picture book workshops. At these classes, she coaches writers into making every single word and movement matter. She teaches the art of listening for the melody of language, how to allow room for the illustrations to carry meaning in the story, how to book end a tale, how to use the rule of threes, how to write so possibilities explode in a child’s mind, how to write character-driven stories (if that’s your intent), how to use meter and rhythm for those who want to rhyme, how to write the various types of picture books (a three-act picture book, a concept book, etc.) Can you say magic? Yep—Denise teaches all that and much much more! Denise also serves on the faculty for Big Sur in the Rockies Children’s Book Writers Workshop where she critiques and guides critique groups. My point—a critique from Denise Vega can help your story come to life!

Books by Denise Vega include: 
Grandmother,Have the Angels Come (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009)
Build a Burrito A Counting Book in English and Spanish (Cartwheel Books, 2008)
Fact of Life#31 (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008)
Access Denied (Little Brown & Co.2010)
RockOn  (Little Brown & Co.2012) 
And coming soon:
If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed (Knopf/Random House, Spring, 2017)
And…(we’ll let you know!)

Want to know more about Denise? Visit her FAQ link  click here  

Details on critique:  You’re bidding on a Picture Book Manuscript critique from Denise Vega up to 1000 words. Please format your manuscript in Times Roman, double spaced, one inch margins. This critique will happen via email.

How do I bid?
Place your bid in the comment section below this post by increasing the previous bid by a minimum of $10 increments. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; you can ask me question at  ktomsic@gmail.com

When does this particular auction item close?
**This Auction will close on December 15**11:59 PM mountain time = 10:59 PM Pacific Time= 12:59am next day Central Time=1:59am next day Eastern Time This auction item is now closed. Thank you!

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:
You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.

What happens if I win?
I will contact the winning bidder (as long as you remembered to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donation link and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com Then I will put you in two in touch J

Want to know more about Denise? Visit her FAQ link  click here 

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