Children's Author & Illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka to be the Featured Speaker at the Winter Meeting of the Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council

Jarrett J. Krosoczka


PAS North Shore Council Winter Dinner Meeting

March 10, 2010

Hawthorne Hotel

Salem, Massachusetts

5:00 pm

About Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Jarrett J. Krosoczka grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. He graduated from RISD in 1999—and had signed a contract for his first children’s book within six months of his graduation. Since 2001, Jarrett has written and illustrated nine picture books—including Punk Farm, Max for President, My Buddy Slug, Baghead, and Good Night, Monkey Boy. Jarrett embarked on a new path in his successful career with the 2009 publication of his first two graphic novels—Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute and Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. Universal Pictures has picked up the Lunch Lady series for a movie project. Amy Poehler has signed on to star in the film adaptation of the books, which focus on "a mild-mannered school cafeteria server who secretly dishes out helpings of justice as she and her assistant investigate wrongdoings. The books also feature three kids who try to figure out her double life." Jarrett’s books have been short-listed by Newsweek, USA Today, The Boston Globe, and The New York Times.

Information about the Winter Dinner Meeting of the PAS North Shore Council of IRA

Our council’s winter dinner meeting will be held on March 10th at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts. The meeting will begin at 5:00 with a social hour during which Jarrett will sign books. Attendees can purchase a number of Jarrett’s books at the hotel. (Note: Payment for books must be made in cash or by check.)The meeting will begin at 5:00 with a social hour during which Jarrett will sign books. Attendees will be able to purchase a number of Jarrett's most popular books at the hotel. (Note: Payment for books must be made in cash or by check.)

The cost for our March dinner is $42 for members and $51 for non-members.

Dinner Choices

• Chicken Breast Stuffed with Apples and Pecans, served with maple Dijon Sauce
• Roasted New England Cod with Pumpkin Seed Crust and Red Onion Marmalade
  

If you are interested in attending our March dinner, email me. I have extra copies of the registration form. The deadline for registration is February 26, 2010.

Children's Author & Illustrator Melissa Sweet to Be the Featured Speaker at the Fall Meeting of the Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council

Melissa Sweet

The schedule for the 2009-2010 Speaker Series of the Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council of IRA has finally been set. Here are the dates and venues and names of the authors and illustrators who will be our featured speakers this school year.


PAS North Shore Council of IRA 2009-2010 Speaker Series Schedule

• November 4, 2009, at the Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers: Melissa Sweet
• March 10, 2010, at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem: Jarrett Krosoczka
• May 19, 2010, at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead: Lita Judge
  

That’s one fine line-up of speakers, don’t you think?

About Melissa Sweet
Melissa Sweet is the author and/or illustrator of more than sixty books for children. Melissa has won a number of awards and acknowledgements for her picture books in recent years. The Boy Who Drew Birds was included on the New York Public Library’s List of Best Books of 2004. In 2005, she received the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for Baby Bear’s Chairs and the Maine Lupine Award for Carmine: A Little More Red. Two of Melissa’s books were designated as Best Illustrated Books of the Year by the New York Times—in 2005 and 2009. This year, Melissa received a Caldecott Honor Award for her stunning mixed-media illustrations in A River of Dreams: The Story of William Carlos Williams. Melissa is also the illustrator of the popular Pinky and Rex series of early readers.
Information about the Fall Dinner Meeting of the PAS North Shore Council
The meeting will begin at 5:00 with a social hour during which Melissa Sweet will sign books. Attendees can purchase a number of Melissa Sweet’s most popular books at the yacht club. (Note: Payment for books must be made in cash or by check.)

The cost for our November dinner is $38 for members and $48 for non-members.

Dinner choices are:

• Sliced Roast Beef with Bordelaise Sauce
• Seafood Casserole with Scallops, Shrimp and Scrod.

If you are interested in attending our November dinner, email me. I have extra copies of the registration form. The deadline for registration is October 23rd.

PAS North Shore Council: 2008 Fall Dinner Meeting

I have had a few busy weeks of late. First, Grace Lin and I attended the fabulous Rabbit Hill Festival of Literature in Westport in late October. (You can read my write-up here.) The following weekend, I was up in New Hampshire for the Keene State College Children’s Literature Festival. I haven’t even had a chance to post about the Keene Festival yet--which was wonderful. On election night, I was at a gathering of Obama supporters at the restaurant of a friend in Salem, Massachusetts. (There was a lot of loud cheering when the winner of the election was announced.) Then, on November 5th, it was the fall meeting of the PAS North Shore Council. And I’m the person responsible for making all the arrangements for the dinner and speakers.


At our council's fall dinner meeting in 2007, the panel discussion with the Blue Rose Girls was such a big hit with our members that I thought it would be a good idea to have another panel discussion this fall. This time we invited three male children’s authors and illustrators: Matt Tavares, Daniel J. Mahoney, and Wade Zahares. (Wade recently launched his brand new website. Check it out!)

OUR PANEL

Matt Tavares, Wade Zahares, & Daniel J. Mahoney

MATT TAVARES

WADE ZAHARES

DANIEL J. MAHONEY

Matt, Dan, and Wade told us about how they got started in children’s publishing, how they developed their own distinctive artistic styles, and the media they choose to work with. They explained their processes for making book dummies, for illustrating books, and told us how long it usually takes them to complete the art for a picture book. Matt and Wade, both of whom have illustrated nonfiction books about the Statue of Liberty, explained about all the research they had to do for the books. All three panelists described what types of school presentations they do--and spoke about projects they are currently working on. The panel discussion was great!

Thanks, gentlemen, for a wonderful evening!!!

From Left to Right: Dan, Me, Matt, Matt's Wife Sarah, and Wade

To learn more about the 2008-2009 PAS North Shore Council Speaker Series click here.

PAS North Shore Council: Speaker Series 2008-2009

Today’s a big day for the PAS North Shore Council. Tonight we’ll hold our spring 2008 dinner meeting at the beautiful Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Janet Wong, a friend and one of my favorite children’s poets, will be our featured speaker. Grace Lin will be coming to our dinner, too.

Janet Wong & Grace Lin

Our council has hosted some outstanding children’s authors and illustrators at the Corinthian Yacht Club in the past: Lois Lowry, Anita Lobel, Jack Gantos, Bernard Waber, Kevin Hawkes (2004), Grace Lin (2005), Wendell Minor (2006), and Mary Ann Hoberman (2007).

After three years serving as president of our reading council, I’ll be stepping down. I will, however, remain on the board of directors. I will help with the planning of our council’s annual Speaker Series. Look what our council has scheduled for the PAS North Shore Council 2008-2009 Speaker Series:

November 5, 2008: We’ll have a panel discussion with picture book illustrators and authors, Matt Tavares, Wade Zahares, and Daniel J. Mahoney, at the Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers, Massachusetts

Matt Tavares & Lady Liberty

Wade Zahares & Lucky Jake

Daniel J. Mahoney & A Really Good Snowman

March 4, 2009: Jacqueline Davies, an author of fiction, nonfiction, and picture books, will be our featured speaker at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts

Jacqueline Davies at Boston College (May 2007)

The Lemonade War & The Boy Who Drew Birds

May 20, 2009: Award-winning picture book illustrator and author Barbara McClintock will be our guest speaker at the Corinthian Yacht Club

Grace Lin, Barbara McClintock, Elaine, & Pat Keogh

at Boston College in April

Three of Barbara McClintock's Picture Books

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Note: If you live on the North Shore of Massachusetts and are interested in becoming a member of the PAS North Shore Council of Massachusetts, a local affiliate of the Massachusetts Reading Association and the International Reading Association, email me your address. I will send you a membership brochure.

Here's Who's Coming to Dinner!

Last Sunday, I wrote a post in which I provided clues about the author who will be the featured speaker at the May 21st dinner meeting of the Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council of IRA. Whoever guessed the name of our speaker correctly could have been my guest at the dinner or won a book signed by the author. Unfortunately, no one guessed the name of our speaker. So it goes.

I thought I might as well announce the name of our speaker today. Janet Wong, an award-winning poet and author of several popular picture books and two works of fiction, will be our honored guest speaker. Aren’t you sorry now that you didn’t even try guessing her name?

JANET WONG

I’m really excited about having Janet as our speaker. She has a dynamic personality and is always entertaining. She is also a very talented children’s author.

You can read my interview with Janet Wong here.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner...and Win a Prize!

The PAS North Shore Council of IRA will hold its 2008 spring dinner meeting on May 21st at the beautiful Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The yacht club has a fantastic view of Marblehead Harbor and the open ocean. The guest speaker for our event is an award-winning children’s poet whose first poetry book was published in 1994. This poet is also the author of several popular picture books and two works of fiction. I met our guest speaker about seven years ago at a Children’s Literature Institute at Simmons College in Boston. She is a dynamic speaker! I can’t wait to see her again--and to hear her presentation in May.


Can you guess who’s coming to our council dinner?
If you think you know the answer, email me the name of the author and the title of her first published poetry collection. Send your email to: edotdrabik@yahoodotcom. The first person to name our featured speaker and to also give the title of the book is invited to be my guest at the Corinthian Yacht Club on May 21st. If the winner cannot attend the meeting, I will send her/him a children’s book signed by the author.

NOTE: Individuals who are members of the PAS North Shore Council or who are on our council mailing list are disqualified because they already know the name of our guest speaker.


2008 Spring Dinner Meeting of the PAS North Shore Council of IRA
Date: May 21, 2008
Time: Five O’clock
Place: Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts
Dinner fee for non-members: $52
Dinner choices: Chicken Marsala or Baked Stuffed Haddock
Guest speaker: Can you guess?
Deadline for registration is May 9th. For further information, email me.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner...and Win a Poetry Book!!!

On March 5, 2008, the PAS North Shore Council of Massachusetts will hold its winter dinner meeting at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts. Our guest speaker will be a gentleman who has been illustrating children’s picture books for more than four decades. He is the recipient of a Caldecott Medal and a Caldecott Honor Award. He has a son and a daughter who also illustrate children’s books. Can you guess who our guest speaker will be?

If you think you know the answer, email me the name of the illustrator. Send your email to: edotdrabik@yahoodotcom. If you are the first person to provide the name of our council’s featured speaker, I’ll send you a copy of Falling Down the Page, a book of poems edited by Georgia Heard that will be released in March by Roaring Brook Press. Note: My poem Things to Do If You Are a Pencil is included in the anthology.

For more information about this poetry book, check out page 13 of the Spring 2008 Catalog of Roaring Brook Press.

Blue Rose Girls Panel Discussion

Some of you may remember a previous Wild Rose Reader post, PAS North Shore Council: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner???. Well, last Wednesday evening, the fabulous Blue Rose Girls participated in a panel discussion at the fall dinner meeting of the PAS North Shore Council. Our council had never hosted a panel discussion before…and I have to admit that I wasn’t sure how it would go over with our members and other attendees. I shouldn’t have worried. The panel discussion was a resounding success—one of the best events we’ve ever had! That’s really saying something because our council has had some mighty awesome speakers in the past: Jack Gantos, Lois Lowry, Natalie Babbitt, Joseph Bruchac, Mary Ann Hoberman, Wendell Minor, Robert San Souci, Kathryn Lasky, Anita Lobel, Natalie-Kinsey Warnock, Andrew Clements. I could go on and on and on.
Grace Lin, Anna Alter, Libby Koponen, Meghan McCarthy, and Linda Wingerter all sat on the panel. I served as moderator. The “girls” told the audience how they met each other; how they got started in publishing children’s books; why they formed the Blue Rose Girls; how they help, support, and advise each other about their creative processes and works-in-progress; and about books and projects that they are currently working on. Of course, the name of fellow Blue Rose Girl Alvina Ling came up in the conversation a number of times.

The panel discussion was over much too soon! Lucy Pikul, our council treasurer, told me she had only one complaint: “It wasn’t long enough!”

Which panelist is missing from this picture?

On Friday, my friend Pat Purdy, owner of the Banbury Cross Children’s Book Shop, left a message on my answering machine. She told me that two reading teachers had been in her shop absolutely raving about the panel discussion. This positive response has me wondering if I should arrange for more panel discussions for our council dinner meetings.

Now you see the missing BRG: Meghan McCarthy

For me, last Wednesday was a special—and an especially enjoyable—evening. Having my friends speaking and sharing their experiences with a group of teachers and school librarians with whom I have been affiliated for many years was a memorable occasion. It was also great to have my daughter Sara and her good friend Elaine there with me.

My daughter Sara & her friend Elaine

(I'm sorry that most of my photos came out so dark.)

Dates of upcoming events in the 2007-2008 Speaker Series of the PAS North Shore Council:
March 5, 2007 at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts
May 21, 2007 at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts