Read, Write, Repeat.

With Friday being the busiest shopping day of the year, I thought it was a great time to feature my favorite Christmas book — Christmas Mouseling by Wisconsin author Dori Chaconas.

This picture book tells a wonderful story of a mother mouse who has a baby during a winter storm. As she looks for a warm, safe nest, she meets several other animals on their way to visit another special baby born that night.

None of those animals’ homes are quite right for mother mouse and her new baby, so she decides to follow her friends and ends up in a warm cozy stable.

Christmas Mouseling (Viking, 2005) holds a special place in Dori’s heart. Here, she shares how it came to be:

How did you get the idea for Christmas Mouseling?
Ever since I learned that a baby mouse was called a pinkie, I wanted to write a story about one. And because baby toes are pinkies, too, I thought it might be interesting if the two different pinkies came together. And when I wanted to write a Christmas book, the three things all fell into place.

Did you plan for it to be a trade book? Or did you originally think it would go to a Christian publishing house?
Because the mouse ends up at the nativity scene, my first thought was that it would stand a better chance if I tried a Christian publisher. But at the time, I was working with Melanie Cecka at Viking on other books, so I decided to let her see it first. She bought it.

 How long did it take to write?
Most of my stories take months, or longer. I have to see the whole thing in my head before I start putting it on paper. Once I get a first draft done, I’m obsessed with rewriting and refining, letting everything else around me slide. After sending the story to Melanie, she responded that she liked it, but the idea of a pink, naked mouse gave her the creeps, especially when that grub-like creature was snuggled in with baby toes. So more revisions were needed to grow fur on that mouse. And a new title. What started as The Winter Pinky became The Christmas Mouseling.

The illustrations are especially lovely. How did they compare to what was in your head?
The finished illustrations are always better than what I envision. Illustrators are savvy and talented, and always add so much more to a story. Susan Kathleen Hartung even bought a pet mouse to use as a model. That’s dedication. (If you want to see other books illustrated by Susan, visit this site.)

What kind of a response has it gotten?
A good response, from the feedback I get. I guess if you write a book about babies, mother love, Christmas, struggle, and then safety, you can’t go wrong.

Several of your books feature mice. Was that something you planned, or just a coincidence?
I really do like mice!  Well, the fictional kind anyway. They remind me of children. Children are small. Mice are small. I think kids can relate to mice, so it seems like a natural pairing. 

What are your favorite children’s books to give as holiday presents?
A lot of my friends are amazing writers. I always buy their books, especially those of our Wisconsin writers. It would be impossible to list them all. I buy a lot of books!  Sometimes it’s hard to give them away as gifts. But I have to say that Marsha Hayles’ The Feathered Crown is probably one of my favorite Christmas books. It’s about mother birds that journey from around the world to make a feathered nest for the baby Jesus. Marsha’s words are amazingly beautiful.

What are your next books coming out?
The sixth Cork and Fuzz EZ-to-read book, called The Babysitters, will be out in the spring, with Viking. Then in the fall, Candlewick is publishing a story called Don’t Slam the Door. The flap copy reads: “A slamming door may not seem like a big deal, but in this hilarious story of cause-and-effect, it can have far-reaching consequences, including a limping Pa, a bee-stung bear, and a house plunged into chaos!” 

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new feature for my Web site and have called it Nose-to-Nose. The idea is to have Cork and Fuzz, who are two of my book characters, interview other picture book characters. I plan on keeping the interviews short, and hopefully, funny, and post on a regular basis. It’s given me a lot of laughs, so far, and a chance to connect with writer friends. You can find Nose-to-Nose on my Web site at www.dorichaconas.com.

Dori’s book is the perfect Christmas present for new parents maybe with some of Dori’s many other picture books. She even has two other Christmas stories:

• That Blessed Christmas Night (Abingdon Press, 2004)
• When Cows Come Home For Christmas (Albert Whitman & Company, 2008)

Happy shopping!

If you were looking for secret agents, you might not think to check out a bunch of nerdy elementary school students. But the nerds in Michael Buckley’s latest book each use their weaknesses as their strengths to help save the world.

Today, Barak joins Read, Write Repeat to review N.E.R.D.S.: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society by Michael Buckley. (Amulet Books, September, 2009)

Take it away, Barak!

Reviewer: Barak, age 10

I like: Swimming, riding my bike, and eating pizza and bean burritos. I also love sledding in the snow! I love Idaho!

This book was about: A group of kids who are secret agents. 　

The best part was when: The new good guy used the super droids in his mouth for the first time.

I laughed when: Glue Stick glued the Hyena and the henchmen to the floor. 　

I was worried when: Hyena, the bad girl, showed up in the junkyard. 　

I was surprised that: When Hyena helped conquer The Skull, and she became a good character. 　

This book taught me: To include everyone. 　

Other kids reading this book should: Watch for all the funny parts. I laughed A LOT! 　

Three words that best describe this book are: Funny, great and super.

My favorite line or phrase in the book is: “We’re the National Espionage, Rescue and Defense Society. We’re the NERDS!” 　

You should read this because: It is every kid’s dream to be a spy or a super hero. I loved it!

If you want to see a video message from author Michael Buckley, visit the Abrams Books Web site. To learn more about Michael and his other books, visit this Web site.

So you’ve written. You’ve edited. You’ve revised. You’ve analyzed every last word for sound and meaning. 

If you work in corporate America, you’ve had subject-matter experts and lawyers review your work. If you don’t, your critique group has shared its feedback.

You’ve pondered, pruned and polished again. You’ve worried and wondered.

Are you done?

That depends.

Have you thought about how your copy looks?

Is it … accessible?

If you aren’t sure, set your carefully crafted prose aside and then – a few hours later – glance at it again like it just appeared on your “to-be-read pile” for the first time.

What do you think? Does it look like something that would be easy to breeze through? Or does it look like … work?

People are busy. If your copy isn’t something they asked for and are eagerly awaiting, they don’t have much incentive to plow through it if it looks off-putting. Just like plating is important in fine dining, accessibility is important in writing.

What can you do to make your copy more accessible? Try these tips:

- Use a font that’s easy to read. I like Times Roman for print and Arial for e-mail.

- Make your point size big enough. You can’t go wrong with 12-point.

- Add white space. Have one-inch margins. Use short paragraphs. Nothing makes a manuscript look less inviting than seemingly unending paragraphs of dense gray type.

- Use subheads and bullets, if possible. Subheads, bullets and sidebars give readers logical places to enter your manuscript. They help skimmers skim and draw in busy or reluctant readers.

- Have a short, catchy first sentence. And set if off by itself if you can.

- Use black type on white paper.

- Bold key words. But remember, less is always more.

Lots of writers think accessibility doesn’t matter. But it does. I edit lots of stories in my day job, and when there’s a stack on my desk I often go through and do the ones that follow these rules first. They just look friendlier and like they’ll cause me less pain.

I’m not the only one who thinks this way. I sent a brief e-mail out at work recently and got the following response:

“Nicely formatted and written. There’s nothing I like more than an Arial 12-point e-mail with judicious use of bold and bullets. So easy to read.”

And that, after all, is what any writer wants.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so it’s the perfect time to curl up with a child you like and read Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules (Albert Whitman & Company, 2009).

That’s just what I did with an awesome class of second-graders. The book is a great, multicultural look at what makes Thanksgiving the same — and different — for various families. It features Tuyet, a Vietnamese girl, who worries her family’s Thanksgiving celebration is wrong.

After I was done, Denice volunteered to review the book for Read, Write, Repeat. Here’s what she had to say:

Reviewer: Denice, age 8

I like: Drawing pictures, reading books, jumping rope and playing with my friend, Sonia.

This book was about: A girl whose mom tells her that they are going to eat duck on Thanksgiving. But the girl’s teacher calls Thanksgiving “Turkey Day.”  Then, the girl’s grandma comes, and they go to the market. They see a lot of food, but they don’t see a turkey.

I was worried when: She said her family ate duck for Thanksgiving, and all the kids in her class were quiet.

I was surprised when: All the kids in her class ate different things for Thanksgiving.

The best part was when: She told her mom that their Thanksgiving could be called Duck Day instead of Turkey Day.

The book taught me: When it’s a holiday, we don’t have to do the same things to celebrate. We can do different things.

Three words that best describe this book are: Thanksgiving, turkey and duck.

Other kids reading this book should know: Thanksgiving isn’t just eating turkey. You can eat all sorts of things.

My favorite line or phrase in the book is: “After school, Tuyet hurried home. “Mama!” she called when she opened the door. “I have a new name for Thanksgiving. In our house, we can call it Duck Day!”

Want to see more of the book? Check out the book trailer on YouTube. Or visit Jacqueline Jules’ Web site. She’s got information on her many other books and lots of fun stuff.

To learn more about Kathryn Mitter’s artwork, check out this site.

Oh, and enjoy your Thanksgiving — no matter what you eat!

I love libraries. My family goes at least once a week, and we even stop at libraries when we’re on vacation or out of town.

Madison, Wisconsin and the surrounding area is blessed with a lot of great libraries — each with its own look, feel and charm. Because there’s not a library really close to my house, I visit several different ones depending on what part of town I’m in and what type of experience I’m in the mood for.

Having said that, the library I’ve been spending most of my time at is the Verona Public Library. It’s a lovely, newer library with a design inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. The staff is friendly, they have a great picture book selection — especially nonfiction — and there are beautiful, sunny areas to read. There’s even a castle inside with nooks and crannies for kids to curl up in.

But all those charms are overshadowed by my favorite thing about this library. This is the street it’s on:

I mean, how perfect is that? Where else would a library be?

Do you have a good name for a library street? Leave a comment.

Gwen found this young adult novel when she was strolling through a store, took it home and read it. She liked it so much she was happy to review it for Read, Write, Repeat. So take it away, Gwen …

Reviewer name: Gwen, age 12

Book reviewed: Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon (Greenwillow Books, 2009)

This book was about: A girl named Ai Ling who journeys to a palace to save her father from the evil Zhong Ye. Zhong Ye had known Ai Ling in another life as Silver Phoenix. Ai Ling faces many dangerous creatures and meets some new friends on the way.

The best part was when: Ai Ling was traveling with Chen Yong and they meet Chen’s younger brother, Li Rong. Li Rong is my favorite character because he is so funny and is always making jokes.

I laughed when: The two brothers would always try to impress Ai Ling – jokingly that is.

I was worried: At the end of the book because you never know what could happen, especially in this book. It makes you keep guessing.

I was surprised: With the ending because … well … you’ll just have to read the book and find out. If I tell you, it would give it away.

This book taught me: That some people have a different side to them, and maybe there’s something deeper down in them that you have to figure out.

Other people reading this book should: Thank whoever recommended it for them, because it truly is a great book!

Three words that best describe this book are: Incredible, imaginative and magical.

My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Black circles burst across her blurred vision. She stumbled away and slumped to the floor, not caring that the corpse of the monster was but a few arms’ lengths away.”

You should read this book because: It really lets your mind wander, and I feel like people can relate to the character’s personalities.

Thanks, Gwen!

Now, I’m back. Silver Phoenix, which, I have to say, has the coolest cover I’ve seen in quite a while, has been nominated for a Cybil Award, and Cindy has a sequel coming out in fall of 2010.

If you’d like to learn more about Silver Phoenix, check out Cindy Pon’s Web site. She’s got information about the book, a blog and other kinds of fun stuff.

The company I work for uses mail mobiles to deliver paperwork throughout the office. These are carts about as tall as my shoulder. They get loaded with mail and sent around the buildings. They follow magnetized tracks under the carpeting and are programmed to stop at certain spots to be unloaded and reloaded.

I’m used to them, but it’s still kind of cool to see them chugging along and beeping.

Anyway, I was walking down a long hallway last week and suddenly wished I had my camera. Apparently some work had been done on the tracks, because there was a paper sign sitting on the floor looking like a large place card from a dinner party. In big, bold letters, it said:

“Please do not step on the wet, invisible line.”

Most people walked past this sign without pausing — busy, no doubt, with Weighty Corporate Matters. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

• If the line was invisible, how would I know if I was stepping on it or not? I could be on it right now. Or now!
• And it wasn’t just an invisible line, it was a WET invisible line. Are wet invisible lines slightly more visible than dry ones? Or more dangerous?
• And finally, what would happen if I or someone else accidentally stepped on the wet invisible line?

It was kind of like how the young boy must feel in Helen Palmer’s A Fish Out of Water when Mr. Carp the pet store owner tells him:

When you feed a fish,
never feed him a lot.
So much and no more!
Never more than a spot,
or something may happen!
You never know what. 

Of course, the boy feeds his fish too much. This makes the fish grow to gigantic proportions and causes all sorts of chaos until Mr. Carp steps in to save the day, (thoroughly debunking the notion that children in picture books must solve their own problems).

When I walked down the hall later in the day, the signs were gone, leaving me to assume that the wet invisible line was now a dry one.

Too bad, I had planned to step on it.

Just to see what would happen.