ALA 2013: Chicago Bound

GOOOOOD Morning, Campers!

I've always wanted a PA system to shout that over, but I suppose a blog will have to do.

We're getting very excited around the office: ALA 2013 is just two days away!

This year, we're traveling to Chicago to exhibit our books and company at the American Library Association conference. And we hope to see you there!

Will you be in attendance?

Here are just a few of the exciting activities we've lined up for our readers:

-Book Signing on Saturday with BETSY'S DAY AT THE GAME author Greg Bancroft.  I heard that the first 20 people in line will receive a free tote?  Who doesn't love a little book swag?

-Galleys of THE BEST SATURDAY EVER and MONSTER NEEDS A COSTUME will be available to both look at and snatch up.

-We're handing out Crunchy Almond Cookies from COOL WORLD COOKING! Designer Alex has perfected the recipe and we're excited to share these tasty treats available from our delightful new cook book for junior readers! (Publishing July 9th, 2013)

-Need a bookmark? We've hand-crafted plenty to hand out to you! Our upcycling craft collection, TRASH TO TREASURE, will be available this forthcoming November.

Desiree, Mike, Nancy, and Myself will be in and out of the booth all weekend long. We're excited to chat, network, and hear your stories: do us a favor and stop by booth #2537 and hang with the Scarletta Crew.

Newest Intern

Good Afternoon, Blog!

Well, it's another gloomy morning in the twin cities. The lack of sunshine may have some spirits down, but the world doesn't stop moving just because of a little rain. And here at Scarletta, we are always moving forward--on to something better and (hopefully) brighter!

Today is no exception. I am happy to introduce our newest intern for the summer season: John Hansen. He's provided a little bit about himself for our readers. So enjoy your cup of coffee and quick introduction to the most recent addition to the office team.

Cheers,

     Josh

"Determined To Matter" Matters to Me

"You gotta love me.  And if you don't, about a billion other people do." ~Shannon O'Hara 

I had not met the O'Hara family until last night at an event for Determined to Matter at Micawber's Books. I came aboard the Scarletta train just in time to see the finished product, so I never interacted with them through the acquisitions or editorial process. While I think working with Jen and her family during the first parts of the book's journey would have been a great experience, I am glad that I get to share in the stops that are left.

A confession:

Determined to Matter was my least favorite book among the many that Scarletta was working on when I started here in February. I was so excited to work on events with creative, zany, adventurous children's books, and DTM is just about the furthest title from what I thought I'd be working with. It just didn't speak to me in the way that The Mighty Quinn or Monster Needs A Costume immediately did. And, as Dan and Jen pointed out last night in their discussion of the book's creation, I found it to be a little cliched. A family member passes and you write a book to memorialize them--it's a common practice.

Yet.

The Importance of (Consistently) Being Earnest and Other Thoughts on Characters in Children's Books

Recently, I was asked to respond to some interview questions for the publication Children's Writer. 

Characterization is something that we are constantly concerned with here at the editorial desk. Who is this character? What would they do in this situation? Are they likable? Do I care what his/her/their experience is? Why did they react that way?  There is no real end to the questions we could ask about the characters we meet in our submissions and acquired titles.  

So, for today, I thought I would share my responses to said questions with the world-wide-web. Maybe you have some ideas to share as well? We'd love to hear you sound off below or on Facebook. Maybe you have a quick question? Ask away on Twitter! However you choose to respond, we're excited to hear your feedback.

-Josh

May We Have Your Submissions?

Hello, Hello!

It's been a while since we've crossed paths, bloggersphere. But I am here today to share some exciting news!

Over the last few weeks, we've been experiencing some exciting changes around the Scarletta offices. Today, I would like to share my excitement with one change in particular:

WE ARE RE-OPENING THE SUBMISSION PERIOD!

That's right, world, Scarletta is once again accepting submissions for Scarletta Kids, Scarletta Juniors, and Scarletta Press.  For the month of May, we will be eagerly awaiting your best Children's Picture Books, Memoir, Chapter Books, YA Literature, and Non-fiction.

Here's to a playful, book-filled summer!

Earlier this week I found myself in a part of my neighborhood I’d never been to before.  At one point I passed an elementary school with a playground full of kids enjoying the spring sun, and I saw something I’d only read about: a Mobius climber—a complex mathematical concept (a Mobius band has one surface and no edges) made into a very cool piece of playground equipment perfect for climbing (and maybe the occasional slide).

As my short time as an editorial intern at Scarletta ends and I look back, interning at Scarletta was kind of like finding a Mobius playground in my backyard.  Scarletta books feature killer design, where form and content meet seamlessly, but most of all spin stories that—whether inspiring kids to get active in their community or to create something new—don’t create artificial boundaries between learning and play.

I’ve enjoyed my time here learning about how a small press can respond to the challenges and changes of modern publishing with innovation and a bit of scrappiness. Just like a kid on the playground or inside on a rainy day, with a little creativity a book can be anything you can imagine it can be. Thanks to the small but dedicated Scarletta staff and here’s to a fun, book-filled summer!

Get Set for Screen-Free Week!

Monday marks the beginning of Screen-Free Week, a time to unplug, experience something new, and take time to be present with friends and family. In anticipation, we’ve put together a list of activities to do with your kids that are inspired by some of our favorite new and classic children’s books.  If you have other ideas, share them with us, and let's make sure our screen-free days are filled with fun and imagination!

 So here we go!


 Monday 4/29

Invent a Hugo Cabret Flip Book


If you haven't seen this beautiful--and quite large--book by Brian Selznick, you're really missing out. Though the size of the book makes it look daunting on the shelf, it pages are filled with mostly illustrations that are both accompaniments to the text, and in parts can stand in place of the text. The resulting hybrid is hard to categorize, and reminds us of a combination picture book, collection of film stills, and flip book. We love the creativity of the story, and so to kick off our Screen-Free Week activities, we thought it would be fun to try making a flip book. It might not be as elaborate or large as Hugo Cabret, but what a great way be crafty and give illustrating a shot.

Tuesday 4/30

Cool Cooking

We're putting out our first kid's cookbook this summer, and it happens to be full of easy, delicious recipes from around the world. You won't be able to make the recipes from the book yet (though we did post a rather yummy dessert recipe from it in a past blog post), but that doesn't mean you can't find other great recipes to experiment with during Screen-Free Week. Look for something new and exciting, go get the ingredients, and spend a day in the kitchen with your kids. At the end of the day, you can all sit down and have a meal together. Family time and delicious food, what could be better?