Magazines for Kids - A New Generation, by Chris Piotrowski

Anybody who grew up in the 60's and 70's will probably remember the old standby children's magazine, Highlights for Children. For me, it was the only thing I liked about going to the dentist. My mother was a stickler for healthy teeth, and dragged all five of us every six months in to see our dentist for our biannual checkup.

The waiting room was standard fare for the time - a pot of coffee hissing and steaming in one corner, a row of chairs lining each wall, and in the corner an end table cluttered with a pile of assorted magazines to help pass the time until your name was called. Always somewhere in that pile was at least one copy of Highlights magazine, filled with enough stories and puzzles to keep my mind off the possibility of impending doom in the dentist's chair.

Today, the choices for children's magazines have grown exponentially. No longer are you limited to Highlights and a handful of others - there are literally dozens of quality kids' magazines to keep your young readers entertained and coming back for more. No matter what your child's area of interest, there is bound to be something to suit his needs perfectly.

For animal lovers, you can't go wrong with Zoobooks or Ranger Rick - both are long-time favorites that help kids sharpen their reading skills and develop a deeper appreciation for our natural world. For the younger set, there's Zootles for 2 to 6 year olds, which includes a featured animal, number, and sound in each issue, and Your Big Backyard, for ages 3 to 7, which draws preschoolers closer to nature and gets them ready to read. Youngsters will enjoy the seasonal crafts, simple cooking recipes, fun games, and more.

Along those same lines, there are a number of science magazines to engage young readers with their dramatic color photography and informative kid-friendly text. In Kids Discover, each issue investigates a single high-interest topic in science or social studies, engaging its readers with compelling content. There's Muse, a science and discovery magazine for children ages 10 and up from the publishers of Smithsonian, as well as Odyssey, a physical and space science magazine written in language that kids between the ages of 10 and 15 can understand and enjoy. The younger set will enjoy Click, an educational, skill-building publication for ages 3 to 7 that is colorful and easy to read, making science accessible to even young children.

Perhaps the most popular and quality-driven of the children's magazines today are the Cricket line of magazines, a literature-oriented series filled with wonderful illustrations. They contain no outside advertising and are available for every age group. The series begins with BabyBug for ages 6 months to 2 years, followed by Ladybug for 2 to 6 year olds, Spider for 6 to 9 year olds, Cricket for 9 to 14 year olds, and Cicada for ages 14 and up.

If you're just looking for something to keep your kids entertained on a rainy day or on short car trips around town, there are plenty more to choose from besides the more educational titles mentioned above. MAD Kids is all about fun, with jokes, puzzles, cartoons, dumb interviews, and much more. Nickelodeon magazine is the award-winning magazine from the number one network for kids. It keeps kids of all ages entertained for hours with celebrity interviews, comics, pull-outs, puzzles and more. Its sister magazine, Nickelodeon Fun Puzzles & Games, is filled w/full-color, fun puzzles like word searches, mazes & easy crosswords, plus riddles and pictures to draw, featuring favorite Nickelodeon characters.

With children's magazines, the possibilities are endless. They make perfect gifts, and while they may not be the most exciting gift to open at the birthday party, the joy on a child's face every month when he receives his very own magazine delivered right to his mailbox is priceless.

With the wide variety of titles available for children, there is bound to be something for every child in your life. For more information on the above titles and many more, visit Mile High Magazines at http://www.milehighmags.com.
Chris Piotrowski is the owner of Mile High Magazines (http://www.milehighmags.com/oscommerce/catalog/), an online retailer of over 1200 magazines, including 50 children's magazines.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Piotrowski

Write it down
Carma

Join the Club and Become a Successful Children's Author

What does it take to become a successful children’s author?

Join the club. The Children’s Writer’s Coaching Club (that is) (CWCC).

From the comfort of your own home you will learn how to develop a career writing for children. The children’s writing market is growing by leaps and bounds and publishers are looking for good writers. Good writing doesn’t just happen.

When you join the CWCC you will have access to four 55 minute teleclasses each month and four manuscript critique sessions for the low price of $27.00 per month. In addition you will have the opportunity to listen to published professionals like Suzanne Lieurance (founder of CWCC), Margot Finke and Simon Rose who will teach you all the tricks of the trade.

Is your interest peaked? Join the club now and you will be on your way to fulfilling your dreams as a published children’s book author.

Click Here. Don’t be shy.

Write it down,

Carma

Eight Links to Expand Your Writing Know-How

There are literally thousands of web sites and blogs that are useful to writers. This wealth of information can be overwhelming. How does a writer, especially a new one, know who, what or where to turn? To help keep your mind from going wacka wacka and to help you cut through the cyber maze, I have chosen eight informative links for writers of children’s books, stories and articles that may be helpful.

Enjoy.

www.ukchildrensbooks.co.uk/pubs.html

www.signaleader.com

www.bookmarket.com/childrens.htm

www.write4kids.com

www.freelancewriting.com/writingcontests.php

http://owl.english.purdue.edu

www.asuen.com/blog.central.html

http://editorialanonymous.blogspot.com

Trading Places by Claudia Mills - Book Review

Trading Places
Author: Claudia Mills
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Reading Level: Ages 9 - 12
ISBN: 13:978-0-374-31798-0
ISBN:10:0-374-31798-4
Hardcover: 138 pages

Amy and Todd Davidson learn that things in life rarely turn out perfectly and that labels don’t always fit. Amy and Todd are fraternal twins who get along as well as any other brother or sister except they share the same birthday and the same classroom. This is where the similarity stops. Amy is the poet, sentimental and a bookworm while Todd is the engineer, super organized and an over achiever.

As the twins begin their Mini-Society school project things get flipped upside down at home. Their father loses his engineering job and their mother takes a job at the local craft store. The father becomes depressed and hangs around the house in his pajamas all day. This turns out to be an embarrassing situation for Amy when her best friends come home with her after school. Learning how to cope with change becomes a daily experience.

Through the alternating view points of Amy and Todd, Trading Places shows how acceptance of non-traditional roles can open minds to change. Claudia Mills has artfully written about a common problem for many families in today’s changing economy. Her easy going prose presents a realistic solution to a difficult situation in words for the “tween” years.

The fundamental message is about how change can affect everyone in the family, even Wiggles the dog. Amy and Todd learn that change can be good and they learn that opportunities in life pop up when you least expect them too.

This story has all the characters that you would expect to find in a regular classroom. The super shy girl with no friends, the clumsy kid who is a walking accident, the class show off and several more. This is an attention-grabbing read for middle graders.

Write it down,
Carma

Publisher Seeks Fiction, NonFiction for Children with a "Hook"

Do you write fiction and nonfiction picture books and books for middle grade readers? Then this information is for you.

Pelican Publishing Company primarily publishes fiction and nonfiction picture books and books for middle grade readers. They have a wide variety of categories such as; folktales, history, multicultural, stories related to the South and holiday stories.

All books should have that special “hook” that appeals to a specific audience which will set them apart from general fiction. Pelican Publishing Company is also interested in books that can grow into a series. However, they do not want any anthropomorphic stories, pet stories, fantasy, poetry, science fiction or romance. Picture books (ages 5-8) should not exceed 1100 words. Middle grade books (ages 8-12) should be at least 25,000 words.

Pelican Publishing Company does not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

All writers should send a query letter and SASE, describing the project briefly and concisely.

The book’s title must be clearly stated at the top of the query letter or in the first sentence.

The letter should then discuss the following: the book’s content, its anticipated length (in double spaced pages or in words), its intended audience, the author’s writing and professional background and any promotional ideas and contacts the author may have.

If an author has been published by another firm please indicate why a change is sought.

A formal synopsis, chapter outline, and/or one or two sample chapters may be sent with a query letter, but these are not required. If absolutely necessary, very short manuscripts (four pages or less) may be sent in their entirety.

Pelican responds to queries in one month. If Pelican requests the manuscript, it must be submitted exclusively.

Submit all queries with a SASE to Editorial Department, Pelican Publishing. Co., 1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053.

For more information visit their web site at http://www.pelicanpub.com/

Write it down,

Carma

Editorial Calendars: A Cheat Sheet for Writers

Typically, magazine editors like to work at least six months in advance. Articles submitted the month of March describing fall, pumpkins, Halloween parties and colorful leaves will be right in line with their needs.

An Editorial Calendar gives you a slew of topics to pitch and research for. For instance, it is probable that magazine editors will be inundated with pitches for Halloween. But if you have an editorial calendar prepared you can give your creativity a boost by writing about topics that are not published as often. Below are a few ideas/links to get you started writing winning articles for the fall. You can add your own as the year progresses.

Columbus Day
Dryer vent safety month
National Bosses Day
Cooler weather
Halloween Costumes
Right-brainers rule month
Raking/celebrating leaves
National breast cancer awareness month
National domestic violence awareness month
Daylight savings time ends (Fall back)

Editorial calendars are a writer’s best tool because they double as cheat sheets. They can also give you an edge for submitting timely queries that are bound to attract the attention of a thankful editor.

Furthermore, writers who submit articles for magazines know the importance of researching all those back copies. Editorial calendars will help you to focus on a particular topic rather than having to scan all topics. Writers are busy people and need to make their research time effective.

By creating your own Editorial Calendar you are mapping out a successful plan for your writing career.

Write it down,
Carma

Ten Nitty-Gritty Facts for Children's Writers

1. Writing for children is not a starting place for a writer to work on their craft nor for the faint of heart. A lot of children’s stories consist of approximately 800 words or a 16-200 page book. Within this framework you've got to have realistic characters, an enthusiastic storyline, a believable plot and dialogue. Also, the child protagonist has to be the one who solves the problem---not the adult.

2. Never talk down to a child reader. Don't assume they can't understand above their level. Children need and want challenge to learn and grow in their reading. Give them real problems that can captivate them.

3. Understand a child’s needs. Children need to be loved, to have friends, to feel secure, to learn and grow, to find entertainment just as adults do.

4. Always show them a good time and you will have a reader for life.

5. The characters of your story will grow as they experience their adventure, and your readers may grow as well. Children can learn that life is not always fair but there are ways to survive and have hope. They can understand that it is normal to be jealous, afraid, angry or lonely. Through your words children can see how an attitude can change their life. However, don't fall into the trap of "preaching" to them. If you let them see a young thief grow and change they will have learned a lesson in a non-threatening way.

6. Understand the market. The children's market is tight and the competition is fierce. Read good and bad books that are being read by kids. Have a talk with your local librarian. She or he will be able to point you to the most popular books children are reading. Join the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (http://www.scbwi.org/).

7. Nonfiction does not need to be boring. Remember how you despised those dry history and science books? A creative children’s writer can spice up the dullest history books with a little action thrown in and a well-written story line will enthrall the kids to the point they will not realize they are even learning.

8. Unless you or your cousin are a clone of Steven Kellogg, let the editor choose an illustrator for your picture book. Editors have the final say so on artwork and may not like it if you push a packaged deal.

9. What if you are not around children every day? No problem. Spend some time at a playground with a notepad then eavesdrop and observe. You can also go to a restaurant popular with kids. Volunteer some time in a classroom. Watch how the kids react with each other. Study body language and listen to conversation.

10. Read, read, and read lots of magazine stories and nonfiction for kids. You will get a feel for genres, story lengths and what is popular. Get to know your reader and they will want to know you.

This post was inspired by children's author Kathryn Lay.

Write it down,

Carma