Giving Tuesday Q&A with Pastor Michael Neal

Happy almost advent! Today is Giving Tuesday, so I wanted to send out a huge THANK YOU to all of you who have given this month to the Holiday Picture Book Drive.

Thanks to your overwhelming generosity, we have collected more than 350 new picture books for Leading with Literacy, a read-aloud focused non-profit based in Bronzeville, a neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. (The books will be delivered mid-December... can't wait!!)

The Holiday Picture Book Drive has commemorated National Picture Book Month. November isn't over... so that means there is still time to spread CHEER by making a donation this Giving Tuesday - if you're able!

Would you like to learn a bit more about Leading with Literacy? Here's a touching Q&A with the organization's founder, Pastor Michael Neal:

Q&A with Pastor Michael Neal

Why is literacy, and building scholars, so near and dear to your heart?

Literacy is important to me because I see the connection between literacy and living an abundant and quality-filled life. While volunteering through Leading with Literacy, the systemic and generational challenges placed on those who don’t have a love for reading has become even more clear to me. Serving also has allowed me to tap into my childhood and my passion for reading as a child and a young adult. I want kids to develop that same passion as well. 

What are the unique benefits of male volunteers reading in the classroom?

Having males volunteer for the weekly read aloud often fills a void within the schools, as there are seldom any male teachers in the classroom. It also helps to indirectly fill a void in the life of some children who may not have a consistent male figure in their home.

How do you decide what book is read?

Volunteers often allow the teacher and/or students to pick the book. Sometimes the teacher may be working on a certain subject matter, and we never want to disrupt that. When the student selects the book, I often will do an interview with the student in front of the class, asking why the book was selected. Lastly, each male volunteer in the class can bring a book in to read, provided it is okay with the teacher. 

What are some of the books that the kids have loved?

Favorite titles have been Tar Beach, all Ezra Jack Keats books, and anything related to superheroes. 

What relationships have developed between volunteers and classrooms?

Wonderful relationships and partnerships have developed between teachers, readers and administration. Where there has been consistency, there has been a culture of literacy that has followed the children from early grades through middle school. 

Can you share a story of a rewarding moment you've experienced, since starting the program?

Boy there are so many… 1) One child saw me during the summer at a youth program, and when another child asked who I was, she said, “That's our reading coach." 2) A little boy saw me at Target and yelled out my name as if he saw a superstar athlete, then he spent the rest of the year reminding other kids that he saw me at Target. 3) A little boy brought a newspaper to school after I told him how I learned to read by reading the sports section.

What are your goals for Leading with Literacy?

Our goal is to Build Scholars One Book at a Time. We also have a goal to make our program sustainable and replicable. It is our desire to continue to see improvements in reading outcomes. Our research has shown that where a male reader was consistent in a classroom, reading scores were 20 to 40 percent higher than classrooms that did not have a male reader. 

What can others do to support your work?

There are various ways. 1) Sharing who we are and what we do. 2) Recruiting men with flexible work schedules, who are able to invest 15-30 minutes in a school once a week. 3) New or gently used book donations for distribution to children in class and in the community. 4) Financial contributions are welcome, as well. 

To make a donation to the Holiday Picture Book Drive for Leading with Literacy, visit my initial book drive post, for info. There, you'll also find the cover of every book donated so far. Thanks for spending your time here, this Giving Tuesday! 

Holiday Picture Book Drive for Leading with Literacy

November is Picture Book Month. To celebrate, I'm kicking off a month-long Holiday Picture Book Drive benefitting young Chicago readers.

During the month of November, I will collect as many picture books as possible for Leading with Literacy, a read-aloud focused non-profit based in Bronzeville, a neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.

Michael Neal, Senior Pastor of Glorious Light Church, launched Leading with Literacy (as Real Men Read) in the 2011-12 school year with the goal of building scholars, one book at a time. Here's Pastor Neal (below) with a group of fantastic kids.

Leading with Literacy places male volunteers as weekly readers in primary grade classrooms. In just six years, the program has expanded to include year-round readers in 10 Chicago Public Schools, as well as schools in Phoenix and Cinncinnati. Phenomenal work!

When Leading with Literacy receives book donations, Pastor Neal immediately gives them to kids, so that they can take them home and make them part of their world. This holiday season, my goal is to get books into the hands of as many Leading with Literacy classroom kids as possible.

Would you like to help? Because that would be fantastic! 

1. Authors & Publishers: We would love to accept your picture book donations. Individual titles would be wonderful. Even better? Donating 30 copies of a single book, so that an entire CPS class can take home a copy of your book. (We would be sure to take photos of the class with your book, so you could see the title/s connecting with young readers.)
2. Friends & Family: If you would like to purchase a copy of your favorite picture book and send it to me, I will make sure it gets to a child who participates in Leading with Literacy. Or, if you too would like to sponsor an entire CPS class, that would be extremely generous... and wonderful!
3. Spread the Word: Share this post on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, so that as many as possible can join in on the effort. 

To participate, send me a message through my Contact page, and we'll get the ball rolling on your special delivery! 

A few notes: 

• I'll document the Holiday Picture Book Drive as the books come in. This will include photos and videos on my blog and in my Twitter feed (@anitraschulte).
• Please donate new books only. Think of the book you give as a Christmas gift... because it is!
• Parents and grandparents, involving the littles in your life in researching and selecting books could be a fun holiday activity.
• Finally, it would be tremendous to receive diverse books. It's so very important for kids to see themselves in the characters that they read about.

Thank you for considering playing a part in this holiday event. I can't wait to see what November will bring. Remember that no gift is too small: Just one book will make a child's Christmas so special.

***DONATIONS***

Corinna Luyken, author/illustrator of The Book of Mistakes, and the team at Penguin donated 30 copies of her amazing book:

Basak Agaoglu, author/illustrator of The Almost Impossible Thing, donated 30 copies of this inspiring title, in partnership with the team at Philomel Books:

Rachel Ruiz, author of When Penny Met POTUS, and publisher Capstone donated 30 copies of their fun White House adventure, with a twist.

Tim Miller, author/illustrator of Moo Moo in a Tutu, and the fabulous team at Balzer + Bray shared 30 copies of this adventure of Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers.

Dev Petty, author of I Don't Want to be Big, Claymates and There's Nothing to Do donated six books for Leading with Literacy:

Author Robin Newman donated 5 copies of her darling and bewitching tale Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep:

The authors or illustrators of these beautiful books have committed donations (in some cases multiple copies):

And 30 copies of each of these books have been donated - that means 6 entire CPS classrooms will get the same book!

And these books have been donated by friends of Holiday Picture Book Drive (some lovely folks sent multiple copies of these titles - thank you!):

FINAL TOTAL:

408 books... 

10 complete classroom gifts!

When the World Acts Up, Give it a Hug - A Guest Post by Rosie J. Pova

Hurricane Harvey rocked the state of Texas, and its impact continues to wave and ripple across our country. While the destruction has been inconceivable, the response to Harvey and Irma has been a reassuring emblem of love. A reflection of the positive potential of humanity.

My friend and picture book writing critique partner Rosie J. Pova is from Dallas. For her friends and family, Harvey's fury is personal. Rosie may look familiar, as I featured her earlier this year on the blog.

Below you'll find how Rosie and her writing community have rallied to support those in need. Thank you to Rosie for this special post. Our prayers go out to you and your community, and God bless all involved in this uplifting relief initiative.

In Rosie's word's...

Recently, my home state took a horrendous hit when Hurricane Harvey poured its rage over Houston. Without going into statistics about this unprecedented flood, which you can find here, one thing's for sure – the devastation it caused my neighboring city was heartbreaking. 

Dallas, where I live, was lucky enough to stay safe, but I feared for friends who live in Houston, including several fellow Clear Fork Publishing authors and illustrators. 

During those days of heavy rains and strong, destructive winds - when peril escalated by the hour - we exchanged prayers, sent out encouragement, and kept in touch through Clear Fork Publishing's private Facebook group. The updates were scary. The pictures looked surreal. We tried to stay positive. 

Naturally, as creative minds tend to do in times of crisis, we felt the need to channel all that energy into something beautiful. An idea sparked into the group as we united our positive vibes – the world needed a hug.

Our wonderful Texas-based publisher was quick to act on it and turn that idea into something tangible. Something inspiring. 

Clear Fork Publishing decided to put together an anthology titled A Hug for the World, consisting of poems, short stories and art, with all proceeds going toward Harvey relief. The amazing Callie Metler-Smith - the owner of CFP, whose heart is as big as Texas - posted a closed submission call for her authors and illustrators and A Hug for the World started to take shape.

I'm happy to announce that my submission to this inspiring project was accepted. My contribution is a poem titled Brotherhood and Love, and it's about – to quote my publisher who summarized it best – "standing with your fellow brother and lifting each other up in love."

I am so excited and proud of this collaboration of so many talents! Just to mention a few – Lynne Marie, Alayne Kay Christian,  Johnny Moore, Vanessa Newton, Melissa Stoller, Sherry Howard, Deborah Weed, Shelley Kinder, Callie Metler-Smith and on and on . . . The beautiful cover was designed by Carina Povarchik. 

The anticipation is building and I can't wait for the release of A Hug for the World, slated for 10/10/17. The love that this book will exude will be undeniable. This is our message for the world, and we'd like to share it with the world as we kindly give it a big hug. 

A Hug for The World:

Join Clear Fork Publishing's talented authors and illustrators as they celebrate a worldwide HUG in our new anthology. All proceeds will go to victims of Hurricane Harvey, as we are a Texas-based publisher and many of our authors and illustrators live in the Houston area. To pre-order, visit here.

Rosie J. Pova:

Rosie J. Pova is a children's author, poet, wife, and mother of three. Originally from Bulgaria, she now lives in Texas with her family. Rosie loves ice cream, but more than that, she loves to inspire children to dream big and follow their passions. No matter what kind of story she writes – funny, sweet or silly – she hopes to move her readers and warm their hearts.

Sarah's Song is Rosie's latest picture book release. It's a story about a granddaughter who comes to terms with her grandmother's failing health and how that affects the special bond the two share through music.

Rosie is also the author of If I Weren't With You (PB, Spork) and a humorous sci-fi novel, Hailey Queen Pranking Makes Perfect: The Alien Encounter, (MG, Spork). Visit her at www.rosiejpova.com and on Twitter at @RosiePOV.

Summer Bucket List: Anderson's Bookshop Naperville

Summer is winding down, and it's now or never for bucket list items. One at the top of my list for this season was a trip to nearby independent bookseller Anderson's Bookshop Naperville.

As a picture book writer and blogger, and a resident of Chicago's western burbs, I've been dreaming about getting over there since moving out of the city (and quite near Naperville). But life has been, shall we say, busy? Now that my three girls are a little older (the eldest is just starting kindergarten), we aren't so married to the sleep-eat-sleep merry-go-round and can get out of the house for four hours at a time. Baby steps.

So this summer, off we went to Anderson's!

Our crew met for the morning with the fam of fellow Chicagoland picture book writer Lisa Katzenberger. Lisa read our kids HERE COMES DESTRUCTO-SAURUS! by Aaron Reynolds, an author who recently visited Anderson's for a book signing. Super fun book with fantastic illustrations.

While I was doing my best to have a coherent chat with Lisa, my girls kept bringing me book after book after book. Future publicists? It is the family biz! I gave each title a good look before trying to find its native real estate. It was a battle I was never intended to win.

One book they proudly shared: WHEN PENNY MET POTUS. I'm Twitter pals with the book's lovely author, Rachel Ruiz, and knew her paperback edition was out. It was so exciting to get to see it firsthand and share it with my girls. Fabulous, fabulous book, Rachel!

At every turn in Anderson's, I was struck by the heart that went into the details. Just look at this hand-written color-coded schedule of events... 

I especially adored their themed displays, including a section devoted to "books to bring to a baby shower," which prominently featured Kelly DiPucchio's LITTLES: AND HOW THEY GROW (Here's my Author Spotlight with Kelly). The browsing experience was top notch.

Anderson's also prominently displays the work of local and visiting writers. I smiled when I spotted Renee Rosen's WINDY CITY BLUES (I met Renee at a recent writing conference, where she dropped a crazy amount of knowledge about book marketing). 

Our primary objectives for the visit were to explore the store, connect with Lisa and her kids, and leave with a very specific set of monsters. We did all three. Here's us test driving WHAT MAKES A MONSTER? by Jess Keating. As predicted, we determined it was an excellent fit for my non-fiction loving nephew. 

After a morning of great fun (despite my young tornados - my sincere apologies Anderson's staff!), we spent a good long while in downtown Naperville. It was lovely. The last time I had been in the city's center it was winter. What a difference a change of the seasons can make.

We lunched and made wishes at the fountain... (I countered the girls' wish for a baby brother with a wish for NO baby brother...)

Meandered down the river path...

And at long last said goodbye...

All three girls were asleep before we hit Mill Street on the short drive home. Thank you Anderson's for the gem that you are to locals and visitors alike, and for all that you do to support writers and the import of the physical book.

Pathway to Published: Conference Connections

Many of you know that I'm on the path to publishing my debut picture book. (Here's the post where I initially shared the news, which still has me reeling!)

In pursuit of this dream, I've stayed up many, many, many nights - reading, researching, writing and blogging. There's so much great information out there and so much I want to share. Twitter has been one of the greatest tools in my journey so far. I've connected with picture book thought leaders and podcasters, librarians and literacy advocates, published authors and new folks on the scene. 

(Pssst, I'd love to connect with you there, too! Find me on Twitter at @anitraschulte) 

It was through Twitter, in fact, that I heard about the 2017 Writing Workshop of Chicago, held June 24 at the Congress Hotel downtown on Michigan Avenue. Writing Day Workshops organizers are wise to warn event attendees that they don't serve coffee. If you "have a need for the bean," you are advised to pick up coffee in advance.

I do. So I did.

Writing conferences give you the opportunity to meet literary agents and pitch your projects. That's how I connected with my amazing agent Stephanie Hansen of Metamorphosis Literary Agency at the Kansas City Writing Workshop in March 2017. Now we are in submission. Pinch me, please! 

When you attend a writing conference, you meet tons of other writers who are just as committed to and passionate about their craft. I've often read how instrumental these relationships can be to your career, and I'm already seeing how this is true. 

The morning of the Chicago workshop, on my train ride into the city I set up a lunch outing (via Twitter, naturally) with a group of ladies I wanted to get to know better. Within that group: Holly Davis, a lovely young woman from the Windy City, who writes young adult fantasy novels. Holly and I are on the far right of this pic.

One of the best sessions I attended at the Chicago conference was on how to market yourself and publicize your book. The info shared by presenter and bestselling author Renée Rosen was too good NOT to share. 

If publishing is your passion, hop over to Holly's blog for my guest post there: A round-up of book marketing tips (shared by Rosen). Hope you enjoy!  

Pathway to Published: A Childhood Dream Comes True

In kindergarten, the same year I acquired the nickname Little Miss Vocabulary from my regular babysitter, I wrote my first book, "My Dog Cody." (Comic strip-style execution required for this high-intensity action sequence)

In third grade, I won a school-wide writing competition - earning the opportunity to serve as Bethany Grade School's representative at the Young Authors Conference at the Illinois State University - for my story "The Soda Fountain." (Illustration accurately featuring 1980s exhaust emissions)

In fifth grade - the year I created my own handmade thesaurus and wrote a fairly comprehensive dictionary for a fictional world - I also penned the story "Unicorn Land." (Very on-trend) 

Basically, from the time I could hold a pencil, I knew I wanted to write stories. But I didn't know how to make it happen. "DON'T major in English," everyone said. OK... Then what? Since writing every day was a must, I went to the University of Missouri-Columbia and got a degree in magazine journalism. That way, I could focus on long-form pieces and keep the stories rolling.

My journalism degree led me to a reporting post at The Kansas City Star... then the Sun-Times News Group in Chicagoland... which led to speech and press release writing for Chicago Public Schools... which led to brand storytelling at PR firm Henson Consulting... and ultimately to starting my own communications consultancy.

All the while I was writing plenty, but not stories. Not quite how I dreamed.

THEN...

About one year ago, my friends Heather and Chaz and I were chatting over vino about how we, as parents, plan to negotiate Santa territory with our 5-and-unders. It was in the midst of this conversation that I remembered: I had written a poem on this very topic in a midnight advent fog.

Honestly, I had forgotten all about it. But with this conversation, memory of the manuscript came rushing back. LUCKILY I was finally able to find it tucked away in a folder on my hard drive. 

The first draft of my "Santa truth book" was written between midnight and 5:30 a.m. on a mid-December morning. I couldn't sleep that night. I kept tossing and turning, thinking of my niece Carsyn and the ROUGH Christmas she was having, after having put all the pieces together and confronting her parents (my sister and brother-in-law) about Santa.

I shared the manuscript with Heather and Chaz. They were instantly supportive and suggested immediately that it could be a book. (Adding that we would need to celebrate its publication with an annual girl's trip to France. Obviously.) Here we are, practicing our French on the Geneva Christmas House Tour... 

A book? REALLY? I wasn't sure. But a persistent feeling just kept growing inside. You know that feeling:

WHEN you step up to the plate. WHEN you exit the huddle. WHEN it's your turn to speak. WHEN someone hands you a microphone. WHEN the spotlight hits your face. WHEN you open that long-anticipated email...

Nervousness. Excitement. Opportunity. Purpose.

For the past year - ever since I pulled out the manuscript and committed myself to finishing it - I've had the sensation that something was coming. In faithful service to that feeling, I've done these things, in this order:

• Finalized the manuscript (on a weekend trip to Alton/Grafton with my mom last spring)
• Got engaged with kidlit writers on Twitter
• Read the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market book, edited by Chuck Sambuchino
• Researched and wrote a 17-page book proposal
• Wrote a query (aka: pitch) for my book
• Read Create Your Writer Platform, also by Chuck Sambuchino
• Created an author website via Squarespace
• Launched a blog on said website
• Registered for a writing conference (Kansas City Writing Workshop #kcww)
• Designed and printed business cards
• Rehearsed presenting my query pitch 
• Met fellow writers and chatted with three agents at KCWW
• Received an agent's invitation to submit my manuscript

And then it happened. THAT EMAIL arrived. An agent interested in my manuscript. An agent interested in representing me. A contract to sign... which I SIGNED!

So now I'm represented by METAMORPHOSIS LITERARY AGENCY in Kansas City. In normal non-publishing speak... I have a literary agent! It's my honor to be working with Stephanie Hansen, owner of Metamorphosis (@metamorphLitAg). 

Now we're off and running! I'm researching target publishing houses this weekend. That's the first step. I'll continue to share my "Pathway to Published" journey here on the blog, if you'd care to join me. And I hope you will! 

PS: If you are interested in pursuing publishing, these are #mustread books by @chucksambuchino:

My prayer: Lord, thank you for guiding this opportunity. I pray that you continue to work through me in this endeavor!

Everyday Magic

Seize the day, they often say, as a motto for life. As if it's something just outside of the norm. Something that we must aspire to. That seizing the day is something not entirely in our human nature.

As a mom of a child with special needs - a rare chromosome disorder called Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome - I can tell ya: From my point of view, there's nothing to do but seize the day.

My daughter Elsa, age 5, is on her own path. At this point, we don't know exactly what all she will do, or what she will accomplish. Right now, to summarize her abilities, we often define her by what she isn't doing (walking, talking, eating), instead of what she is doing (loving, shining, inspiring).

Every day, I do everything in my power to move her forward. Sometimes, my powers are pretty weak. My other small kiddos require a lot of TLC too. Even on my very strongest days, our family accomplishments probably don't add up to much, to the outside eye. 

But as we plug along - driving across the county for therapy, lugging her wheelchair in and out of the car, scheduling and rescheduling appointments, ordering medical supplies - in every task there is beauty. And I mean this sincerely. There is beauty because there is Elsa. And she was created by God. She is just as he designed her to be, and we are going to give her every opportunity to succeed and maximize her potential.

Magic is here and there and everywhere, in our family life. When I was younger, magic was that thing that lives and breathes in the streets of New York. The melody of a perfect melancholy song. A first kiss. A life-giving embrace. 

Today, my magic is in my daughters, and in the beauty and miracle of parenthood. And this blog will recount our small-but-big moments, to build bridges of understanding and recognize God's work in us all. Thanks for reading!