10 Things to LOVE about LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES

I’ve been a big fan of Little Free Libraries ever since spotting my first one at the Jersey shore several years ago. These days, I make a point of looking for them both in my own community and when I’m visiting other places.  Recently, I discovered one while on a day trip and wanted to take a book, but didn’t have a book with me.  Instead, I left a special book mark which I happened to have in my purse.  I’ve done that that at other Little Free Libraries too.  I’ve also left copies of my own and others’ books!  

Lately, I’ve taken to keeping a tote bag by the front door with books to drop off (and space to stow the new treasures I find). My favorite Little Free Library finds include the books pictured below, an eclectic, but fun collection.

Now, in celebration of BOOKS old and new, here are 10 things to LOVE about LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES.

1. Little Free Libraries are curated and managed by local people who love books.
2. Each Little Free Library structure has a unique design.  (Yes, you can order building kits and the Little Free Library website offers building tips, but you can still paint and decorate it in a way that’s one-of-a-kind.) 
3. The books in Little Free Libraries are FREE!
4. Little Free Libraries are a great way to exchange books from your collection with books from other book lovers.
5. The inventory in Little Free Libraries is always changing, which means each visit feels brand new.
6. Little Free Libraries help ensure that books are accessible everywhere – and you don’t need a library card.
7. Perusing the shelves in Little Free Libraries is a great way to discover new books.
8. Little Free Libraries are open 24/7 – even during a pandemic!
9. There is a world-wide Little Free Library website which includes maps which means you can easily find libraries wherever you are (or even make a special cross-country or transcontinental trip just for that purpose. Yes, people actually do that.) Here’s link to the map.
10. You don’t need to return the books!  You can, of course, but the idea is to bring another in exchange. (That’s how the inventory stays fresh.)

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SPREADING BOOK LOVE: A Gift Book for Wilbur

Before we got a dog, an early morning walk was basically a solitary affair. But when our pooch, Sophie, arrived everything changed. Soon I was meeting all the dog-owners in the neighborhood and learning all the dogs names. There’s Poncho, Archie, Munchkin and Rocco; Maverick, Hazel, Todd, and Trixie; Luna, Delilah, Max, Stella, and … Wilbur.  

Wilbur is a friendly boxer and Sophie and I often stop to say hello to him and his owner on our morning strolls. One morning, while Wilbur and Sophie were greeting each other, I asked his owner, a nice retired fellow, if Wilbur was named after the famous pig from Charlotte’s Web. 

To my astonishment, he had never heard of the book! I think I may have gasped, but then I gushed about what a terrific read it was and how it was the story of a special friendship between a spider named Charlotte and a pig named Wilbur. I explained that had been one of my childhood favorites and how my kids had loved it too.  And I assured him, that just like his own Wilbur, he would most assuredly love Charlotte’s Wilbur and that he should read it if he had the chance. And that was that.

Then a couple of weeks ago I was visiting my dad. We were thinning some bookshelves, and what should I find but an extra copy of Charlotte’s Web! And that gave me and Sophie an idea. We would surprise Wilber (and his owner) with a little gift.

First, Sophie, wrote a note:

Then we wrapped the book and note in tissue paper and placed it in a bright pink gift bag so they’d be sure to see it. Finally, we tiptoed up to their front door and dropped it off:

We haven’t seen them since, but when we walked by later in the afternoon, the bag was gone.  Maybe we’ll see them today and then I will pop back and let you know if they liked it. One thing I do know, for sure — Sophie and I loved the joy of giving it!

Happy Monday, all!

COMMUNITY LOVE: Celebrating a Little Free Library DIVA style!

During the lockdown, when schools were remote and the library was only open for grab -’n – go, a family on Burchfield Avenue here in my hometown came up with a special plan to bring joy to their neighbors through books. They built and established a Little Free Library known as Suzanne’s Little Free Library. 

I first noticed this library on my walks last fall. What a lovely one it is, sturdily constructed by all members of the family and colorfully painted with some of their favorite children’s book characters. Aren’t Babar and Celeste joyfully rendered! And just look at that cedar shingled roof. Wow!

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 Behind those inviting glass doors, throughout the pandemic, passers-by have been able to explore a thoughtfully curated selection of books for kids and grown ups alike. What a blessing it was during those long months — not just for me, but for the whole community —  to be able to open those Little Free Library doors and actually peruse and touch books!

Suzanne’s Little Free Library was actually one of the stops on Little Owl’s Kindness campaign, in which I left a copy of LOVE IS KIND in five area Little Free Libraries, if you remember that from last fall.

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Imagine my delight, then, to discover through Instagram, that Suzanne and her family were planning a One Year Birthday Celebration for their library. What a darling idea! Taking a leap, I messaged Suzanne to see if she’d be interested in having a local author (me) be part of the fun with a special story time. She said yes, and I’m so glad she did.

The party was amazing with coloring pages and crafts for the kids and creative book-themed snacks like these delicious book worms. And there were books, of course. Oodles of books.

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The attendees were friendly and book-loving. I loved every part of the party – from chatting to snacking to story time.

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Of all my picture book characters, Diva Delores is the one who most relishes a party, so I decided to read DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE for the story time. As you can see, Delores and I are very expressive when we read!  

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I enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of this special afternoon. And what did Diva Delores most enjoy? She loved playing a starring role in helping an adorable three-year old attendee overcome his fear of stuffed animals.

Delores also enjoyed snapping this very glam picture of us donating a copy of the book to Suzanne’s Little Free Library. Thank you, Suzanne and team for having us! And thank you for being a shining example of community kindness and positivity.

PUBLISHING MILESTONES: Celebrating the Journey in Special Ways

What do you do to celebrate special milestones in your publishing journey?  Do you clink a glass of sparkly for each book or magazine piece that comes out? Do you bake thematic cookies?  Do you go out for a special dinner with your family or friends? 

I, for one, like any excuse for celebration, and while I’m not big on champagne, I have, over the years, developed several fun ways of celebrating the publication of my work – which I view as part of my legacy that I am passing on to my children. 

First, since the publication of my very first magazine piece in 1999, I have kept a binder of my magazine clips.  The binder is so thick now that I’ve now started a second.  The binders are loosely organized by alphabet and genre and date of publication and each clip is preserved in an acid-free sleeve.  Over the years, I’ve enjoyed browsing through the binders with my children and at school visits. It’s fun to see how far my writing has come since I first embarked on the journey over 20 years ago.

If you follow me on social media, you will also know that my daughter loves to celebrate my book releases by creating her own beautiful art in the form of painted ceramics, cookies and even appliqué!  And her creations make my heart sing and the non-edible ones have become part of our home decor!  Thank you, Miss A.!

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Finally, for each book that has released, as well as for a couple of favorite published poems, I’ve created a little framed gallery.  So far, the gallery contains three framed poems and framed hangings of spreads from my first two picture books. 

In the busy-ness of the past year, I got a a bit behind in my framing, but am delighted to share that over the December break my dad and I finally got to my favorite frame shop, The Artist Framer in Cranford, NJ to update the gallery with framed spreads from my two most recent books, DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE and LOVE IS KIND. Here are some snapshots of the delightful morning we spent picking out matte and frames.  Thank you, Dad, for the gift of the framed art. Thank you, Stephanie, for your artistic expertise in picking out just the right combination to compliment each spread. Thank you to my publishers, Zonderkidz and Sterling Children’s Books for taking on the projects. And finally, thank you to my illustrators – Rebecca Gerlings and Lison Chaperon for working their artistic magic across the pages of these two most recent books! 

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I can’t wait to bring these new framed pieces home so I can add them to my gallery.  

What you do to celebrate your publishing milestones? I’d love to hear.  Happy creating, all!

DIVA DELORES Earns FIRST HONORS in the 2019 Best in Rhyme Awards!

WOW! Delores is delighted to receive first honors in the 2019 Best In Rhyme Awards! Watch the official announcement on KidLit TV and thank you to Angie Karcher and her team of judges for their hard work over the last few months analyzing entries and winnowing the list. Congrats to winner Sue Douglass Fliess for her delightful MARY HAD A LITTLE LAB and second honor winner Josh Funk for his picture book MISSION DEFROSTABLE!

Hooray for rhyming picture books and lovely occasions like this when we get to celebrate them! Happy Monday!

2018 Best in Rhyme Top 20!

I’m delighted to share that DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE (Sterling Children’s Books) has been selected as one of this year’s top twenty contenders for the Best in Rhyme Award. The top 10 will be announced next month and finalists and winner will be announced in February at the KidLit TV studio! There are so many wonderful books/author/illustrators included in this list! Congrats to all and I hope you will each take a moment to add these titles to your to-read lists. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the Best in Rhyme Award, it is the brainchild of rhyming picture book author Angie Karcher.  Newer writers are often discouraged from writing in rhyme, but this Award celebrates the joyful reality that rhyming stories are alive and well, but that they must be impeccably written.  Past winners include Diana Murray, Penny Parker Klostermann and Lori Mortenson. To learn more, visit https://rhymerev.com.  

12 WAYS to CELEBRATE your FAVORITE AUTHORS… CREATIVELY!

I originally posted these tips as a little series on my Facebook Author Page. The response to the posts was so positive and fun that I thought it might be useful to gather them all in one spot for easy reference.  Ta-DA!  Done.  =)  Happy celebrating!

TIP #1: Give their books as gifts.

TIP #2: Recommend their books to your friends.

TIP #3: Invite friends to “like” your favorite authors Facebook Author Pages.

TIP #4: Recommend their books for purchase at your school and town libraries.

TIP #5: Review their books on your blog, Goodreads, church/school newsletter etc.

TIP #6: Suggest adding their titles to your library/school’s recommended reading list.

TIP #7: Be spotted reading their books in public! (on train, at park, at café etc.)

TIP #8: Snap pics of their books “in the wild” and share on your favorite social media platform. For extra fun,tag the author.

TIP #9: Be a network facilitator. (i.e. Recommend them for author visits at your school, library etc. )

TIP #10: Thank them for writing with fan mail. (A simple note will make their day!) 

TIP #11:  Have a book-themed birthday party (for kids) or dinner party (for grownups!). 

TIP #12: Read one of their books when it’s your turn to be “guest reader” in preschool/elementary school, and/or (if your author writes for adults) recommend their book to your book club.

LOVE IS KIND Book Trailer Reveal on KidLit TV!

LOVE IS KIND releases in just over a week which means it’s time for a book trailer reveal!  Zonderkidz did such a terrific job creating this short, sweet trailer which captures beautifully the essence of this heartfelt story about a little owl who wants to get his grammy something for her birthday, but whose attempts are thwarted every step of the way.

Thank you, KidLit TV for hosting the reveal and now, top up that cup of coffee and head on over for the trailer premiere!  I’ll make it easy for you.  Here’s the link. Enjoy!

DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE: We’re Going on Tour… BLOG TOUR!

It’s official! In celebration of the release of my newest picture book, we’re going on tour! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be making stops at the following blogs. There will be interviews, giveaways and more.  Please stop by!

INTERVIEW Fit for a DIVA: Thank you, 365 Cranford Westfield NJ!

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A post shared by 🏡 Sharon Steele 908-447-3579 (@365cranfordwestfieldnj)

Diva Delores and I are dee-lighted to share with you our first LOCAL interview. Pasted above is the fun promo clip, realtor Sharon Steele posted on Instagram. And here’s the link to the actual interview. Thank you for having us, Sharon!

And TODAY is our BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!  Happy Reading, all!