Elementary Books by SCBWI Carolinas Writers

Writers attending the SCBWI Carolinas fall conference are asked to bring a book for the book basket. Each year, our chapter showers an elementary school with books. In case you haven't picked one yet, here are some written or illustrated by our fellow members.

TEACHING THE STORY: FICTION WRITING IN GRADES 4-8 written by Carol Baldwin. Published by Maupin House, 2007. (1 copy will be in the basket)

AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS' DAY written by Tameka Fryer Brown. Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb. Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010. (1 copy will be in the basket)

ISLAND STING written by Bonnie J. Doerr. Illustrated by Joanna Britt & Laurie Edwards. Published by Leap Books, 2009.

STATE OF WILDERNESS, STATE OF QUARRIES, and STATE OF RESERVATIONS written by Elysabeth Eldering. Published by 4RV Publishing, 2008, 2009, & 2010. Can be ordered from http://jgdsseries.weebly.com/.

BRAVE DONATELLA AND THE JASMINE THIEF written by Caroline McAlister. Illustrated by Donald Hendricks. Published by Charlesbridge, 2010.

THE PROMISE written by Maureen Crane Wartski. Published by Perfection Learning, 2003.

Pop Rocks Prize Pack Winner

The winner of the Pop Rocks prize pack was Elaine DeFoe! Congratulations, and thanks for sharing a favorite songwriter with us.

A big thank you to everyone who shared their favorites. You built a fun list for us to check out.

Songwriters and Other Magical Storytellers

I love good storytellers. They suck you out of your own world and into another. They're magical, and when we pay attention, we can learn some of their tricks.

Some of my favorite storytellers are songwriters. I use them to set the stage for my writing process. Christine Kane's Wide Awake cd (especially tracks 1, 3, and 5) pumps me up to dream big and make it happen. Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down a Dream" inspires me to send out submissions, and his song "The Waiting" relaxes me as I check and recheck my inbox and mailbox hoping to hear good news. Other favorite songwriters of mine are Don Henley, Steve Seskin, and Jimmy Buffet.

What songwriters do you love? Leave a comment about them and on Wednesday, September 22 one name will be drawn to win a Margaritaville guitar pick, a Post-it Flag Highlighter, and some Pop Rocks. Not a ten page critique, mind you, but I bet it will make you smile!

Remember, leave your Twitter name or email address if I can't find it through your blog account. I will only mail the prize to a U.S. address. Good luck, and thanks for sharing.