An Exploration of Conflict Through Logic and Nonsense in Lewis Carroll's Children's Fantasy Stories

Alice In Wonderland is well known for being both nonsensical and also logical. I love both the nonsense and the logic, like children do, because for them logic, and actually for adults too, represents a safe world, a world where there are answers, there's a correct answer, and you can move around within it, like within a square, and know what the angles are and how they bisect. When you get to the real world or the natural world or the world of the sea, everything changes constantly, and children are more aware of this than adults, because they are growing constantly, and I think Lewis Carroll was very aware of this when he had Alice grow tall and grow short, a bit like in a fun house of mirrors. But in fact that's the world seen from a child's point of view.

What was revolutionary I think about his work is that nobody had ever said "Oh my god, the world through the eyes of a child must look really crazy", and I think that is what is precious about his writing.I think it was radical for Victorians and it was maybe a first in the history of thought really. Because he was a teacher of mathematics Lewis Carroll did realize how sharply it contrasted with the logic and mathematics of the so-called adult world, but of course adults, while they use logic and mathematics are subject to this terrible evolution that's going on in themselves and their bodies, and the world around them, and ignore it by focusing on what they can mentally achieve.

In Wonderland and the Looking Glass, we become immersed in conflicts between the characters, they are very much talking nonsense and are quite concerned about the fact that they don't agree with each other and are in conflict. They're argumentative, and it shows conflict in a different light and perhaps the light of something more detached.

You see Alice being subjected to all these experiences, and she doesn't agree with a lot of them, so she's in conflict with them, but its a dreamlike conflict that is episodic and goes from one conflict to another without ever being resolved. But it still is a playful conflict, Lewis Carroll demonstrates that conflict can be very playful, absurd, if carried to extremes or even if trivialized and that's part of the wonder of his books.Its something that appeals to me as somebody who's written plays most of my life and dealt with conflict on the stage continually, sometimes very seriously, sometimes comically, with the realization that each dramatic incident I've ever written about, whether its serious or comic could also be acted as the other. For example the serious could be acted as a comedy, and the comedy could be acted seriously, and that's the kind of thing that I think Lewis Carroll was fully aware of.

In the Alice stories children, particularly, can see conflict happening in the action, but they also see at the same time that its very silly. This could be a good perspective for them in terms of understanding what happens in life and also a good perspective for us too! And of course children's lives are entirely spent in conflict from the time they open their eyes in the morning till the time they shut them at night. there's no minute in the day I don't think that the child is not in conflict with the adult world. From the time they don't want to drink their milk or go to school or go feet first down the stairs instead of head first, whatever - they're in conflict with adults.

And it must make the world seem very absurd to them, because it is spent entirely in conflict. Maybe they make it into a silly conflict just in order to be able to stand it. This gives them more perspective by seeing others (in the stories) wrestle with logic and nonsense at the same time, and they can also see that what's being said on both sides is really playful ultimately.

That's what we as adults see when we see a drama onstage, we get a perspective and we can see it could be a comedy, and we can see the tragic side of the comedy because we have a certain distance from it. And children are able to make that leap and have distance, and laugh at themselves as well as at the adults, within the conflict, and that is an amazing thing to see and to experience.

That perhaps is the key to understanding how not to be in conflict, its that one comes to a sense of one's own detachment and fullness of life. We are not emaciated by the conflict but we stay present to it and see through it, which is perhaps what the world at large misses.

Because we stop learning, we stop being beginners, I think, perhaps children do inherently know that its only through conflict that they can learn and grow, and treat conflict as a learning, growing experience and when we stop doing that and regard it as an annoyance, we stop being a child and stop learning and growing.

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Interview with JP Moss children`s author.wmv

Interview with author JP Moss as he talks briefly about his series of children`s books The Kind Fairy Adventure`s.

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Write a Children's Book - 5 Steps to Get You Started Right Now

Have you ever wanted to write a children's book? Do you have a thought in mind of a great story you want to tell? It need not be a thought anymore but a reality. I will show you how to start right now with a 5step plan.

1. Think like a writer. Most successful writers of children's books have a specific way of thinking. It's very simple and you can develop this way too. It's being positive! You need to believe in yourself before anyone who reads your story can believe in it too, so believe, believe and believe some more. You can do it!

2. Set yourself a workspace with an appropriate working environment. Find yourself a quite room where you can close the door and have enough space to work with good lighting and ventilation. This isn't always easy I know, but try to find the area that is appropriate for your needs, so you're not interrupted when you're in the zone for writing. You will need your pens and paper for writing, obviously, or a computer, keyboard and mouse. It's not always necessary to have the computer at first as you can always have your manuscript typed for you but in the end you must have it typed up before approaching publishers.

3. Read and Research. Take the time to research about children's books. Get the books your children and grandchildren enjoy and read them. Why do they like them so much? Ask them. At the library, find the children's books that have been reviewed and recommended. Read them and find out what makes these books so good for the target age groups? Why have they been recommended? Is it the content? The pictures? The storylines? Ask the questions! This will help you decide how you will write your book. People may look at you funny when you're sitting in the library surrounded by children's books and getting completely involved in what you are reading. This will be a huge benefit if you do.

4. Time plan. Plan how you will use your time and set deadlines for yourself. Then follow what you have set so you accomplish your goals step by step. If you want to have your book written within a certain time frame , plan out how you will get there. Those who go all guns blazing at the beginning will generally slack off as they don't see how they will ever finish. Don't be one of them. Have an action plan.

5. Take action. Get help from an experienced children's author. Searching the internet will help you find authors of children's books who have been there and done that and are willing to share their experiences with you. You don't need to go it alone! Find someone you like and can relate to. Read some of their books. They want you to succeed so take them up on their offer.

I hope you find these 5 steps to write a children's book helpful. You should be able to take these and get stared right now. Go for it! What do you have to lose? You'll find writing for children a rewarding adventure.

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Coomacka Island (Children's Books 1 & 2)

Coomacka Island: The Story of Spider & Ant (book 1)
Children's Adventure

The Story of Spider and Ant, is the first book in a series written by Don P. Hooper and illustrated by Darnel Degand. Coomacka is an uncharted Caribbean Island, where each of the stories takes place. Although the Islands itself is a fictional place, much of the inspiration is based on Afro-Caribbean folklore. In this story, Spider manipulates Ant by being dishonest and pretending to be injured. Ant, believing his friend, enlists his family to help. After working all day for Spider, the ants were tired. However, the selfish Spider had no compassion for the ants nor did he appreciate all their hard work. Reveling in his deception and trickery, the greedy spider celebrated. However, the truth was soon revealed. Realizing this is not how friends are supposed to interact the ant sets out to teach the spider a lesson.

This beautifully written story has an important lesson hidden just below the surface. Books such as this, that teach silently, while entertaining loudly are rare finds indeed. The rhythmic sounds of the island are beating within the colorful drawings. The expressive eyes of the characters convey genuine emotion. A fun, entertaining story that will keep children wide eyed and interested. And that's exactly what a good children's book should do!

Coomacka Island: Aansi Jr and the Mango Truck (book 2)
Children's Adventure/Fiction
ISBN: 1-4251-0143-7

Anansi Jr and the Mango Truck is the second installment in the Coomacka Island series. Based in part, on Afro-Caribbean folklore, Anansi was the great trickster and somewhat of cult hero to islanders. For hundreds of years, folk tales about the Macka Tree and the spirits dwelling within roots have been passed down through the generations. As with many cherished stories, the fictional fires erupted from a spark of truth.

The story begins with AJ tending his garden, filled with beautiful plants, including his award winning Monkey Tail Shrub. There was only one thing he loved more than gardening and that was eating. AJ was also a very greedy spider. However, on this day, he would learn a valuable lesson about the spirit of giving and the meaning of friendship.

Once again, Hooper and Degand have delivered a fictional tale, filled with life lessons of immense importance. From the first colorful page, the reader is transported to the heart of the Caribbean. The emotion-filled drawings bring the words, as well as, the island to life. Introducing names with various origins, such as Swahili and Haitian, offers children an opportunity to expand their vocabulary, while embracing cultural diversity. Although Coomacka Island is an uncharted, fictional island, the morals and values found here have universal appeal. Featuring an entertaining forward and fun facts at the conclusion, this is a multi-layered, multi-cultural series that will be cherished by all who read it.

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Acclaimed Children's Writer Amy Friedman Interviewed

Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of the book reviewing and interviewing site Bookpleasures is excited to have as our guest, Amy Friedman, acclaimed writer who wrote Tell Me a Story for Universal Press Syndicate.

Good day Amy and thank your for agreeing to participate in our interview.

Good day, Norm, and thanks a million for having me.

Norm:

Amy, please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background. What is your background in children's literature?

Amy:

I think the road to writing for an audience of children began when I was a kid living in a house with two reading-addicted parents.

The furniture in our family's den was barely visible beneath the books, magazines and newspapers, and my Dad, a lawyer, had always wanted to be a journalist; in fact before going to law school he worked as a sports reporter (combining his two passions), but in that era Jews had difficulty getting jobs as journalists, so Dad went to law school.

When I was about 12, I wrote my first short story, and I decided right then and there that I wanted to be a writer, though like all writers' lives, the road to here has taken many surprising turns.

I studied English at Barnard College, with a minor in creative writing. In those days I wrote only fiction, and in the late '70s, I went to City College for an MFA in writing because Donald Barthleme, a writer I admire enormously, was teaching there. He truly was the person who taught me how to write well, how to work hard, and how, too, to take deep pleasure in writing.

In the mid-80s my life took one of those glorious turns that feeds a writer's imagination and nourishes the soul. I'd lived in Manhattan for nearly 15 years, but I fell in love with a Canadian and moved to a sheep farm outside--OUTSIDE--of Gananoque, Ontario. I adored the farm and discovered a marvelous the newspaper published in nearby Kingston. Then owned and run independently, The Kingston Whig-Standard published a stunning magazine, and this is where, ultimately, Tell Me A Story and my close involvement with children's literature began. I had worked for eight years as an adult columnist, and that column led to two published two books, the first a memoir called Kick the Dog and Shoot the Cat, about the similarities between sheep farming and my previous work in New York, in film production (on such blockbuster Hollywood hits as Ghostbusters).

I still had no idea that ultimately I would be writing for children in those first years on the newspaper. I had, though, expanded from writing strictly fiction to writing nonfiction, personal essay, and plays.

Norm:

Will you share a little bit about Tell Me A Story with us?

Amy:

One day in the early '90s I approached our editor, Neil Reynolds, and told him I thought the newspaper needed something for kids. I'd loved newspapers when I was young. Neil was all for it and told me to go figure out what this new feature should be and let him know.

There was a fabulous children's librarian in the Kingston Public Library, Mary Beaty, and she spent hours leading me through old books of folklore. As we talked, I began to remember how much I'd always loved mythology, and when Mary showed me a version of the Finnish epic, The Kalevala and some old Chinese folktales I'd never known existed, I was hooked. Mary also led me to the Toronto Public Library collection in the Boys and Girls House, a collection established in 1922, the first children's library in the British Empire. The Toronto Public Library's relationship to children's literature is a great story in itself, but that's for another day.

Long story a little shortened, Mary also introduced me to Jillian Gilliland who by then had illustrated more than 20 children's books. Jillian loved the idea of a column of retold folk and fairytales, legends and myths; we told Neil we wanted our column to be children's fiction, new and old, illustrated all, and just a few weeks later, in November 1991, we began to produce The Bedtime Story, six days a week. I wrote only one or two a week and selected and edited other stories from mountains of submissions. Within a month ten other papers in Canada had picked up The Bedtime Story, and one day in the newsroom our city editor, Norris McDonald, pulled me aside to introduce me to Dan Dalton. Dan was a syndicate salesman, but this time instead of selling, he wanted to talk about the buying The Bedtime Story for Universal Press Syndicate.

Universal signed me to write ONE story each week, Jillian to illustrate, in color, and Tell Me A Story was born. It quickly caught fire and was soon running in hundreds of papers around the world.

We lost many of our clients when newsprint doubled in price in the mid-90s (the column takes up lots of space), but we still run in about 100 papers (the numbers vary monthly), even as far away as China.

My house now (I'm now in Los Angeles) looks a little bit like the Boys and Girls Room at the Toronto Public Library, and one of the best parts of the whole experience has been relationships I've developed over the years with people who've stumbled upon the column. For years I corresponded with a Kalevala scholar in Finland. I received a copy of a just-discovered Chinese manuscript from some folklore scholars in Hawaii. The folklore scholars keep me honest and are constantly teaching me new things about literature's roots, for instance; and Jillian keeps me honest too because every one of her paintings is accurate down to the tiniest details. We do our homework, making sure to be true to the details of time, place, dress, flora, fauna, architecture, and so on.

The column has generated two books--Tell Me A Story and The Spectacular Gift, but I'd always wanted to make an audio version. In my life outside of Tell Me A Story I teach creative nonfiction and personal essay writing at UCLA, and through this work, and through my writing and performing personal essays, I've met dozens of extraordinarily talented actors.

Norm:

How did you go about choosing the stories and music to be included in Tell Me A Story?

Amy:

When I decided I was going to produce the CD on my own, I knew I'd need partners. First my husband, Dennis Danziger, a writer and teacher, enthusiastically joined me, but he wanted to be a sort of silent partner. I had performed in a spoken word venue known as Melt in Your Mouth which is produced by Lori Ada Jaroslow and had so admired her work, both as producer and as a director, I invited her to co-produce. She was immediately intrigued.

Last summer I handed Lori a stack of more than 100 of my stories, and Lori began to read, ultimately winnowing the selection to 50. Lori also suggested three possible sound engineers and composers. When I heard Laura Hall's music (and remembered seeing her on Whose Line Is It Anyway, and feeling such great energy emanating from her), I decided she was the one.

Laura, Lori and I spent days sitting in coffee shops talking about the selections--finally narrowing our list to 25. We looked for range--different parts of the world, male, female and animal leads, funny and serious, stories that had different rhythms and different messages.

But we couldn't get below 25, so we called in Laura's two daughters, Ruthie, age 7, and Eva, 9. The girls read all 25 and gave us brilliant post-it notes; they also negotiated with each other--Eva giving up her favorite when Ruthie gave up hers, and so forth.

We winnowed to 10, and then, once we began recording, we realized we would have to lose two more. Our mixer told us once a CD goes over 72 minutes, quality is sacrificed, and the stories read longer than we'd anticipated.

We've promised Ruthie that her favorite story, a French Canadian tale called The Talking Cat, will be included on one of our next cds.

Norm:

Could you tell our readers something about the different people who narrate the stories and how were they chosen?

Amy:

This was sheer joy. Lauren Tom was first on my list. I met Lauren when years ago she took a writing class from me. I've seen her perform on stage, in films, on television, and I've heard her voice on the many animated shows, but maybe most importantly, I've watched her at play with her two sons who she adores.

Kathleen Wilhoite's a similar story. When I first heard Kathleen read one of her stories at a spoken word theater (and heard her sing as well), I knew I wanted to work with her. Her voice is inimitable--husky, funny, sweet, sassy, beautiful, and wise. And Kath too is a devoted mom to her son and daughter. Lori was a given; she's a longtime talented singer and performer, and she's worked with some of the finest actors around. It was Lori's contacts and instincts which took us to Jack

McGee, Charlayne Woodard, and Poppy Champlin. Eventually we decided we wanted to cast against type; that is, that we didn't want Lauren reading a Chinese story because she's Chinese American, or Charlayne reading an African story because she's African American. Perhaps one of my favorite moments was the day

Jack McGee with his gruff, tough, New York street-wise voice that lots of people recognize from Rescue Me came in and read Two Frogs from Japan. Every time I hear Jack on the CD saying, "Spahkle and Shimma, Spahkle and Shimma" (or, in regular-old-English, sparkle and shimmer, sparkle and shimmer), I laugh. Every time. And I've heard it thousands of times.

Laura's husband, Rick Hall, is both hilarious and a serious, seasoned performer, and maybe best of all, he loves Anansi stories. I remember thinking when I first heard him read, "ohhhh, so THAT's how Anansi sounds." And his trombone playing--he's one of those all-around talents. One day we suddenly changed our minds about a story and we needed at the last minute to find a reader with a rich, deep, powerful voice. Laura suggested her friend and neighbor, actor and singer

William Thomas Jr. William had just finished taking an exam (he's studying for the Seminary) but pro that he is, within the hour he was at the studio, reading the story as if he'd rehearsed for weeks.

Maybe my favorite day was in the studio with Poppy Champlin, one of the most versatile comediennes around, when she came in and started channeling animals. When she suddenly became a raccoon telling ghost stories on Searching for Fear, I couldn't catch my breath for the laughter. None of us could. We had to take a break from recording. Sometimes in the middle of recording, Lori and I would look at each other in wonder at the magic in that studio, and when Lori sang Laura and me a lullabye she remembered her father singing to her (her dad for years played Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway), Laura and I convinced her she had to include it in her telling of A Sense of Theft, and that, as I recall, is when Laura says she first began to hear the music.

Norm:

How long did it take you to put together your CD and what challenges or obstacles did you encounter while putting together the CD? How did you overcome these challenges?

Amy:

We began selecting stories in late summer '05 and by October 2005 we were recording in Laura's studio (Laura was both composer and engineer). The recording went quickly. Each of the performers was exceptional--they walked into the studio with their pages, cozied up to the mic and offered up their enormous talent.

Afterwards, though, Lori and Laura spent days and weeks editing various takes; they kept me out of the studio because we all agreed I was too close to the stories, and too, because we wanted to make sure once they had put together the best cut, someone would have a "clean ear" to listen and make the final changes.

One other note: after day one, after Kathleen Wilhoite and Charlayne Woodard had finished recording, we realized we hadn't asked them to record the titles. Because we were working on a tight budget, Dennis, my husband, said, "Well, what if instead of asking them to return to the studio, the girls record the titles. Laura's girls."

And now, when listeners first hear Ruthie's voice announcing, A Sense of Theft, they swoon. Perfection. It was another one of those magical "accidents."

I don't know that we've actually encountered obstacles. In fact, along the way what has struck me most of all is how extraordinary every person who worked on this has been, how each person performed beyond all my expectations, from the readers to the musicians, Larry Hughes, a clarinetist I found through an old childhood friend, a studio musician in LA, and Luke Hannington who played bass, recorder, and guitar and is a friend and colleague of Laura's, to Laura, of course. The inimitable, ultra-talented Laura. I cried when I first heard her music. I mean truly wept, it was so far beyond what I had dared imagine it could be.

Matt Lands who did the mixing and mastering listened to the first story and understood in a heartbeat what we wanted, and some of the touches no one but we probably will ever notice are the result of his Matt's magic hand. When we had finished the final mix, I called on Walter Green of Weingart Design in Cleveland, Ohio (going back to my childhood hometown); he listened to the CD and instantly understood--this was a classic and the design had to be too.

The most difficult part for me has been learning all the elements of production; I spent days poring over pages of what at first seemed gobbledygook as I tried to understand the manufacturing process and select our manufacturer. But mostly the process has been hard but joyful work. The CD feels, to me, filled with the spirit of all those people whose gave of their talent, and as a physician friend told me when he heard it, "You can hear the joy of all the creators in this."

I guess if there's one part that makes me uneasy, it's the marketing. That part's hard, and out of my realm of experience. So, again, I'm learning.

Norm:

How will you be marketing your CD?

Amy:

We're learning as we go. Universal Press Syndicate is involved; we have contacted all the newspapers in which the column appears, and hope to reach a lot of our readers that way. As you know, I'm reaching out to reviewers, most of whom I've come upon through my membership in the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. We've also sent the CD to several award competitions and to dozens of children's radio hosts around the country. We are performing at as many venues as we can, and our first performance will be on July 8 at Hollygrove, in Hollywood, where Carrie-on, a day recreation facility for children with life-threatening illnesses, is holding a series of open houses.

A while ago I met Tracy Mestres who created Carrie-on, and I knew instantly this was the charity to which we would be donating a portion of our proceeds. Carrie, Tracy's daughter, was before her death at the age of 13, a writer and an artist; I never knew her but a student of mine was her teacher. Angelica used to bring Carrie's stories to my class, and I remembered those stories; somehow the light that was in Carrie's stories seemed like the light that emanates from our CD, and from this whole experience. The match seemed just right.

We also plan to perform at The Geffen Theater in Los Angeles in conjunction with their education program and I hope too, we'll be in other places, in other cities, in bookstores and beyond.

We're also seeking to interest librarians and teachers, and I am still building into the website, www.mythsandtales.com exercises teachers can use in the classroom, ways to use the CD and other folktales to teach.

Norm:

Where can we buy your CD?

Amy:

For now, the CD is available online at CD Baby, CDbaby.com/cd/friedmanhall. It will be a little while before we can make it available to retail outlets, but people who are uneasy about ordering online can contact me at kellsmom@comcast.net, and I will either mail them a copy or direct them to a store in their neighborhood where they can order it. Soon I hope it will be more widely available, but that's part of this marketing thing.

But besides, CD Baby is a great self-made, small company, and I'd like to support them the way they support so many independent musicians and story tellers.

Norm

Is there an underlying message you wish to convey with these stories?

Amy:

The truthful answer is yes. But there's more than one. First, maybe most vividly, the message is that people should involve themselves in community, should resist the lure of selfishness and self-involvement to work together; a little bit the message is not only in the stories but in the whole collaborative result--in what quality results when a group of people working together to create, whether it's a CD or a better world.

Second, and this surprised Lori, Laura and me, but after recording, we discovered that we had created a dynamic we hadn't exactly intended but were pleased to find. Zena in A Sense of Theft, Hannah in A Clever Girl, Sal in The Boatman's Howling Daughter, and The Selkie Bride are such dynamic, optimistic, truthful, powerful women that their energy seems to fuel the CD, making it tilt, perhaps a little, toward the female. An 11-year-old girl told me the other day that she loved the CD. "I'm like Sal," she said, "and like Hannah. And my name's Hannah..." She was grinning, ear to ear. But then her brother said, "I like Gregory, the raccoon," and I remembered that we have a lot of fabulous male stuff in there too.

The bottom line message, ultimately, is that kindness, generosity, curiosity, determination and wisdom are far better traits to possess, and ultimately bring far greater gifts, than do selfishness, greed, and fear.

Norm:

What are your hopes for the CD?

Amy:

We hope people will feel as much joy in listening to it as we experienced making it, and we hope it will reach listeners far and wide. We also hope it will be just the first in a series. Laura, Lori and I have already begun to talk about who and what will be on the next one, and besides, we promised Ruthie.

And Norm, I want to thank you for being so generous as to offer me this opportunity. Meeting you, and your offer to do this interview, feels like one more piece of the magic.

The above interview was conducted by: NORM GOLDMAN: Editor of Bookpleasures. CLICK TO VIEW Norm Goldman's Reviews

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Walking on a Rainbow - How I Became a Children's Book Author

I used to think writing children's books was boring. Writing for those demanding, whining creatures? Are you kidding? Not for me. No thanks.

That was a few years ago.

Now, nothing fills me with more joy and excitement than writing a picture book or a novel for tweens. Writing for children is like stepping into a fresh, magical, innocent, marvelous world of color and words. Writing for children is, in fact, like walking on a rainbow.

So how did the change happen?

Easy. I had children.

I recently read an interesting post by another children's author about how in order to write good children's stories, one must know children. Of course, as always, there are exceptions to the rule, but in general, I find this observation to be true. This doesn't necessarily mean that one must have children in order to write great children's stories, but it does mean that one must interact with them, know their fears, fantasies, dreams. In sum, one must have a clear idea of what goes on inside their little heads and hearts.

In my case, having children brought out a tender, gentler part of me to the surface, a part I didn't know I had. Suddenly, as I read to my little daughter every night, picture books, with their beautiful and evocative illustrations, began to appear very appealing to me. I don't remember when the exact moment happened, the moment when I thought, 'I want to write a children's book.' But I do know I went from extreme to extreme: from chilling horror to sweet picture books. Two very different worlds, but I'm able to switch from one to the other without much problem. On the contrary, each one serves as a refreshing break from the other. So I may work on a lovable children's story in the morning, and dive into a disturbing werewolf scene in the afternoon. It's fun, like having split personalities, without the crazy element (or at least, I hope so!).

So far, I've written four picture books. Two have already been published: The Magic Violin and CRASH! The other two are in the illustrating stages and will be released next year. I also have a finished tween novel in the editing stages and another one in progress.

The world of children's book publishing is extremely competitive, to say the least. It takes hard work, dedication, perseverance and commitment to become a published author. I know the stakes, but once you step into that magical rainbow, there's no turning back.

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Children's Children War: Future Look On War Against Terror-1

Part: 1 Rate & leave some comments on what you think.

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Dragons and Monsters - How They Became Our Children's Playmates?

Gone are the days when kids were content to play with a ball or with building blocks. Now they covet to be super heroes fighting evil or thanks to the science fiction movies, aliens or mutated animals. Yes, I am talking about the latest craze in video games- the dragon and monster games. Who would have thought that the fear evoking, fire spitting, evil menaces like dragons and monsters would be the favorite game characters of kids.

There are a number of dragon and monster games available online and that too with no strings attached. This absolutely free game is fun and satisfies the adventurous spirit in the kids especially that of the male children. These games are more of a fantasy for the children. They tend to get into the character of the dragons and other creatures the game propagates, thus believing themselves to be superheroes with super powers. This is kind of an ego boost to the children.

The complexity of the games varies. There are simple games like Fire Spawn where the main player goes by the name of Galanoth, whose family was murdered by cruel dragons and Galanoth takes to avenging his family's deaths by killing those responsible for the deaths. Then there is Cyber Ortek (half dragon and half robot) where the objective of the game is to create chaos and destruction in the planets of one's choice. Nimian Flyer is another game with incredible graphics, a three dimensional effect that make the fighting even more real to the player. Other games like Dragon Hunt, Flames of fury, Dragon Quest, Kill the Dragon etc is also very much popular. In short there is no dragon game that has not gone noticed.

Among monster games Planet Noveo is one of the more popular games. In this game the player finds himself in an unknown planet where he has to fight various alien creatures like huge spiders and the like for his survival. The animation work of this game was greatly appreciated. In Monster Mayhem, the player has the option to choose his opponent- the computer or another player. Other monster games are Sinjid- Battle arena, Hulk Central smashdown, Monster Joust Madness, Zombie land etc.

These games reduce the fear factor in the kids. And also prepares them for any trouble that might happen in real life. Most of these games have multiple difficulty settings which encourages a child to tackle greater and harder obstacles each time. As these games can be played with ones friends as opponents, it helps in building up a healthy competitive spirit among one's peers.

However these games are highly addictive. The children sit glued to the computers playing the game getting interested more and more, neglecting their duties. Too much gazing onto the computer screen without interruption may cause strain to the child's eye. First and foremost parental supervision is required as to the nature of the game and the time allowed to play. Some of these dragon and monster games may rank high on the violence scale thus impairing the young minds with negative thoughts. The parent may themselves play the game first before allowing the child to do so.

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Punk Wig - A Children's Book With a Purpose

Punk Wig

Author: Lori Ries
Illustrator: Erin Eitter Kono
ISBN: 978-1-59078-486-0
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, Inc

Punk Wig is an example of a beautiful and entertaining book for children as it not only entertains but educates the child about the side effects of cancer. The main character describes the cancer as "alien blobs" going through his mothers insides.

The book has watercolor illustrations that take some of the fear away as children can look at the pictures of the mother going through the treatment or chemotherapy. It shows mom tired and talks about when she feels better...time to get a wig.

The character and mom go to "Harriet's Hair" the best hair place in town. The delightful story takes the two on a wig hunt, finally settling on a Punk Wig... but not before they laugh and try on several silly wigs and hair pieces along the way.

The story cleverly shows the child the time line for treatment and recovery in a gentle way. This story is a wonderful presentation to introduce the young child to the subject of cancer, treatment, and side-effects without being doom and gloom or frightening.

As a pediatric critical care nurse, I recommend this book for any child who has an adult they love facing this disease. It is also a fun read for children to be introduced to the topic of illness and treatment for children who have never had to face something this serious.

Punk Wig puts a smile on your face and warm feeling in your heart with the simple, fun, and clever words in this story. The story will touch everyone who reads it over and over again.

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Learn to Write Dialogue Correctly For Your Children's Book!

The rules of grammar exist for a reason. That reason is to make sure that what your writing makes sense to your readers. If you refuse to follow them, your readers can easily become confused about what you're trying to say. That leads to them becoming frustrated and annoyed, in turn causing them to put your book down for good. This is especially true in the case of children, who are still learning the rules of grammar and can easily get confused. Learn to write dialogue correctly and you will have a better chance at keeping your reader entertained and involved in your story.

Thankfully though with children's books, they are usually relatively short with simple sentences. This makes the grammar relatively simple and straightforward, unlike academic texts in which the grammar can quickly get advanced and complex. One potentially confusing area of grammar that children's fiction still has to contend with, however, are the mechanics of writing dialogue.

That's why I have briefly explained the grammar rules of writing dialogue below.

Basic Dialogue Rules

1. Two pairs of double quotation marks surround what someone says.

2. Punctuation goes inside the double quotation marks.

3. After the quotation marks, add a dialogue tag (like 'said') to identify who spoke.

4. End the sentence with a period.

Example: "I want some lemonade," Bobby said.

Dialogue Punctuation

1. For a quotation that would normally end with a period, use a comma instead. This is because the sentence is not complete until after the dialogue tag. See the example above.

2. If you place the dialogue tag in the middle of a sentence, use a comma inside the first set of quotation marks, and normal punctuation inside the second.

Example: "I want lemonade too," Suzy said, "but only if it has sugar."

3. For a quotation that would normally end with a question mark or exclamation point, use normal punctuation, but place it inside the double quotation marks.

Example: "Doesn't all lemonade have sugar?" Bobby asked.

I hope you find these simple rules to writing dialogue helpful and useful to you. As you learn to write for children you will find using dialogue is a great tool to speed up the pace of your story and help to show your reader what is happening, in less words than describing every detail. Remember, especially with children, you want to get your point across as soon as possible and dialogue is the way to do this. It is important to have the rules set in place at the beginning to save yourself from disappointment with publishers when submitting your manuscript.

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6 Starter Tips For Writing Children's Stories

"I'd like to write a children's story someday!"

Ask just about any adult that likes children and you'll find many of them saying those exact words.

If you happen to fall into the category described above, you may find these tips helpful in getting you moving in the direction to write that children's story. Whether your story is still sitting in your notebook or is an inspirational thought still in your head, these starter tips may be just the ticket to get you motivated.

Six Starter Tips for Writing Children's Stories:

1. Spend a lot of time around children. You can pick up a lot of information by just observing children's mannerisms and how interact with other children. Especially notice how they pick up objects and how they hand toys, blocks, and dolls to others in the group.

2. Visit the children's section at your local Library. Spend some time perusing children's books by looking at their titles and book covers. Glance through a few pages and you'll chuckle and think, "I can do that." You'll get inspired with ideas.

3. Choose an age range that you would like to write for. Generally speaking there are three age ranges for children's books, the 3-7 listener/reader, the 8-12 intermediate reader, and the 13-18 teenage reader. Experiment till you find your comfort level.

4. Think about if you'd like to write Fiction or Non-Fiction. Some writers prefer fiction and think that non-fiction is boring, but it is very possible to write non-fiction in a very intriguing manner. Non-fiction does not equate 'boring' when you're creative.

5. Read Parenting Magazines: Parenting Magazines are loaded with information, reading trends, and what parents are buying and reading for their children. You can get ideas for your own stories just by reading their articles.

6. Take writing classes or join a children's writers group. Learning writing styles for children's writing can be a real eye-opener. You'd be surprised to find there is a lot of valuable information to learn at these places. Not to mention the friends you'll make.

These ideas are very basic, but they may be just that little push you needed to get inspired to write that children's book you've been meaning to write. Here's an excellent resource; the link to the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators to guide you on your writing path http://www.scbwi.org/

Then...Watch out, because if you thought you didn't have the time to write that children's story, you will be amazed that with inspiration, you will make the time!

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Children's Book Publishers - How to Wow Them With a Perfect Query Letter

In a perfect world, you'd be able to pitch your manuscript to an editor over a leisurely cup of coffee. But we're forced to inhabit the real world, where you've got about 10 seconds to hook an editor before she decides to continue reading or reach for her form rejection slip. And more and more, this "hook" must come in the form of a query letter.

A query is a business letter asking permission to send the project described. It is either sent without an accompanying manuscript, or with two or three sample chapters (the publisher's guidelines will state which form the query should take). If the query letter stands alone, it's your only chance to sell the editor on your book. Many authors hate the task of writing a query, but it's a necessity in today's publishing industry. Editors, overwhelmed by the sheer number of submissions they receive, need a quick way to weed out the good from the not-so-good. A well-crafted query has a better chance of leading to a well-crafted manuscript.

The first rule of query writing is that the letter must fit on one page. That's one side of one page (no cheating and printing a double-sided letter). Type it single spaced, but leave sufficient white space at the top and bottom so the letter looks uncluttered and appealing. Why such length limitations? If you can't sum up your book in less than a page, you haven't sufficiently clarified your idea.

Your first paragraph (two paragraphs if you've written a longer novel) conveys to the editor what your book is about. Think of this as the copy that would go on the jacket flap. You don't want to give away all the surprises, but you do want to entice the reader to buy the book. For fiction, establish your main character in a sentence or two, present the character's primary problem or conflict, mention one or two things the character plans to do to resolve the problem, and bring up some of the obstacles that will stand in his way. Hit the high points upon which the action is based. The synopsis should also reflect the tone of the book-humorous, scary, action-packed, somber, etc.

Don't discuss the theme, or the underlying message of the book. This should be obvious to the editor through the plot.

In nonfiction queries to children's book publishers, begin by stating an interesting fact about your topic that helps establish a market for your book (Did you know Jello, in its many shapes and forms, is eaten by 3 million people a day?) Follow this by describing what your book is about and your particular slant on the topic. In a few sentences explain your approach and how it's appropriate for the intended age group, the questions you'll raise and answer, and any additional materials your book would have (photographs, maps, activities, etc.) You can add a paragraph explaining your research and any unusual information you've uncovered. List good firsthand sources available to you or new data that hasn't ever appeared in a children's book.

After your synopsis, list the book's title, word count, age group and genre (historical fiction, humorous mystery, science activity book, etc.)  Explain why you've chosen to submit to this publisher (show that you've done your market research and describe in one sentence why your book would fit in with this publisher's list). For nonfiction, also state how your book would be different from other books on the market on the same topic.

Your next paragraph is about you. Give any information pertinent to writing children's books (previous publishing credits, memberships in writing organizations, writing classes you've taken, professional experience with children of the age group for which you want to write). Nonfiction credentials may include extensive experience with or study of the topic. If you don't have any relevant information, skip this paragraph. Editors know that everyone has to start somewhere.

Finally, ask the editor if you may send the entire manuscript, and thank her for her time. Attach sample chapters if indicated in the publisher's guidelines (nonfiction publishers may also request a chapter-by-chapter outline). Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the editor's reply. If you're sending a letter only, the SASE can be a business size envelope. If you're including sample chapters, your SASE should be large enough to return the entire packet.

Always address the letter and envelope to a specific editor whenever possible. Use good stationery with your name, address, phone number and email printed at the top. Send by regular mail-brightly-colored envelopes, trinkets or treats included in the package, or Fed-Ex delivery won't increase your chances.

Then, drop your query in the mail and start on your next manuscript!

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How Hollywood Can Help Get Your Children's Book Published

From cbiclubhouse.com The big screen is filled with great storytelling techniques that you can employ to improve your own writing. Here's just some of that you can lift from your favorite films....

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Mitali Perkins' at BookExpo America Children's Breakfast 2010

Here's the first ten minutes of my speech. Here's the last bit of my speech: Mitali Perkins on windows and mirrors in children's fiction. View the first ten minutes here: www.youtube.com One part of the speech was cut out -- where two white doves appeared out of nowhere and sat on my ancestral rooftop, reminding me of the power and hope of forgiveness. See the slide show here: www.slideshare.net

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Writing for Children: How I Broke Into the Children's Market

"Oh, I've always wanted to write for children!"

I hear it all the time, whenever I reveal that I'm a published author of children's books. Always the starry-eyed look, the slightly wistful expression, and the inevitable, "That would be so fun!"

Fun, indeed. All the fun of slaving over getting just the right word, of collecting rejection slips, of wondering if new authors really can break into the children's market.

There is a way -- if you are willing to exercise some flexibility in your writing.

Take a stroll through the children's non-fiction section of your local library and look at the newest books you see there: books on jet planes, hot air balloons, holiday crafts, bicycles, helicopters, race cars, and more -- some of them with my name on them.

Welcome to the world of the School and Library Market.

How the School and Library Market Works

Budget cuts or not, libraries need a constant supply of new books. Library books get a lot of hard use, and the most popular titles wear out quickly. Even the nonfiction section, the part of the library that many people think is "boooring!" gets a lot of use as kids look for books to help them with reports, or books on their favorite hobbies and interests.

When librarians pull worn copies of well-loved novels off the shelf for replacement, they may get new copies of the same title. But in the nonfiction section, old, worn, or outdated books get replaced with new books with up-to-date information.

Where do they get these books? From publishers that specialize in the school and library market. These publishers produce new titles and entire new series every year to meet librarians' needs. This also means that they need authors to write new titles ever year.

These aren't books that are going to be sold in bookstores, nor are they going to make any best-seller list, so don't expect high royalties. In fact, most school-and-library books are written on assignment on a work-for-hire basis. This means that the work is purchased outright from the author. The publisher retains the copyright and all rights to the book. This might sound like a raw deal, but consider that librarians want up-to-date nonfiction titles. This means that the book you write this year may not stay on the backlist more than five or six years. These aren't books that would earn a great deal in royalties. However, that same publisher will need a new title on the same subject in a few years. If your work satisfied the editors, they may ask you to write the new book.

Approaching School and Library Publishers

So how do you find publishers that specialize in the school and library market? Start again at the library. Look through the shelves for the newest books and note the names of the publishers. You can also ask the children's librarian if you can browse through their book catalogs. Get the addresses and website of the publishers, then see if they post author guidelines on their websites. You can also find educational publishers in the Children's Writers Market, which is widely available in bookstores and libraries.

Once you have a list of potential publishers, read their guidelines and follow them carefully. There are two ways to approach school and library publishers. One is with a book idea of your own. Many will accept submissions of fiction and nonfiction manuscripts, and will pay an advance and royalties. The other way is to send a resume that lists your published works (if any) and pertinent experience (any education experience you have is helpful), along with samples of your writing (sometimes called "clips"). If the editors like your sample, you may get a phone call or an email from an editor asking if you would like to accept an assignment. Which approach you use depends on the publisher. Their guidelines will state whether you should send a manuscript, or if you can send a resume and writing sample.

If you get an assignment, be sure to ask plenty of questions to clarify the editor's expectations. Make sure you're clear on due dates, and be prepared not only to meet the due dates, but beat them. Ask if there are sample books from the series that you can see before you start writing. There won't be if the series is new, but there may be a similar series that can serve as a model. If other authors are working on other titles in the series, ask if someone else has a due date before yours, and if you can look at their outline. This helps preserve consistency in the series. Educational publishers usually have extensive guidelines to help you write according to their style, and often have outlines from which authors work.

Then go to work doing your research and writing the best book you can. If the editors are pleased, expect more assignments in the future!

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Secrets of Writing Children's Fiction - 5 Easy Steps to Help You to Succeed

Many people carry the misconception that children's literature is easy to create. It is often thought that storylines can be much more simplistic than adult fiction, that language can be unelaborated and that characters don't have to be particularly three-dimensional. And in many ways this is true. Storylines for children's fiction do not have to be as complex as those used in adult fiction, language must be construed relatively simply, and characters do not need to come with all the baggage and background life stories that adult literature demands. But what is forgotten is the complexity of the reader for which one is writing for when they write children's literature.

A child sees the world in a very different light to most adults. That world needs to be captured and represented in children's fiction. To represent such a world through fiction is hugely challenging, and I take my hat off to all who do it successfully!

As with any form of writing, there are several steps that you need to follow when planning and writing a children's book. You need to do your research, you need to develop a storyline or plot, you need to create the primary characters and you need to ensure that the ending of the story will be satisfactory to the reader. Alongside these key steps, there are two additional areas that need to be thought about when creating children's literature:

- Language
- A Contemporary Setting

Let's discuss these in turn!

Language

The mark of a great writer - their ability to use brevity successfully! Children's novels are, by their very nature, short. A picture book will be carrying a few hundred words as a maximum; a book for a six year old reader will be coming in with a word count of around 1,000 words. Such a small word count leaves you without any room for error - EVERY WORD COUNTS. Let me say that again, EVERY WORD COUNTS! Every use of punctuation or grammar, every description, every sentence uttered by a character, every sigh, breath, movement, decision or thought has to be 100% correct. When you are working with a word count of 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 words, EVERY WORD COUNTS.

Contemporary Setting

The need to understand and potentially use a contemporary setting for your storyline does not mean that your children's book has to be set in the 'here and now'. Children's stories based in Medieval Times or in Out of Space (for example) are still hugely popular and successful. But.., a storyline should maintain a contemporary feel. Perhaps the easiest way to achieve this is to focus the text around a contemporary issue that affects 'Today's Children'. Think about divorce, same-sex families, bullying, step-families, illness, the internet, drugs, alcohol, sexual relationships, violence, or modern technology, and see how each of these key issues could be brought into the make believe world of your children's fiction piece.

Summary - The Main Steps to writing Children's Fiction

1 - Research. Know your market. Read current children's fiction releases for the age group you are interested in writing for.
2 - The plot or storyline should have a contemporary feel
3 - Use a mixture of creative language and speech to bring your characters to life. They must be instantly visible to the young reader.
4 - Ensure the ending is satisfactory. Ensure all issues are resolved by the last page...don't leave your poor reader hanging!
5 - Edit and re-edit the language until you are happy with the usage and placement of every single word!

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Mitali Perkins' at BookExpo America Children's Breakfast 2010 (Part Two)

Here's the last bit of my speech: Mitali Perkins on windows and mirrors in children's fiction. View the first ten minutes here: www.youtube.com One part of the speech was cut out -- where two white doves appeared out of nowhere and sat on my ancestral rooftop, reminding me of the power and hope of forgiveness.

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Entering Into Children's Book Publishing Industry

Children love to read and hear stories. They see their fantasy take the shape of a story. The modern day children's book publishing industry acknowledges the desire of children to read both fiction and nonfiction and is therefore working to produce books that may be liked by the children.

Publishing books for children is a very interesting but difficult task. Children are a little hard to please and therefore a book that you produce should appeal them. They would not only like your book for its contents but also for it s presentation. It must have an attractive layout, design, a lot of photographs and illustrations. Even if it is a small story book, it has to have all these features intact.

Children's book publishing also involves a lot of research. You must know about the various things thnat children might want to know about or may be interested in to be able to target them perfectly. Pay attention to the hot topics and trends in the industry and pursue them. Make a thorough research on what's hot. Visit various libraries and talk to book sellers. Know what sells and then select manuscripts accordingly.

As told earlier, book publishing is not only about writing. Especially in case of children, illustrations and pictures are a must. Therefore, you must have a professional illustrator employed who could support all the content with relevant visual material. If you lack in knowledge about the field of children's book publishing then you could also refer to various children's book publishing tutorials, for help. They are available over the internet and there you would get full knowledge on how to go about publishing and promoting a children's book.

Giving a chance to the new writers is not always a risky affair. Therefore, if you are approached by one of them then you could take the risk over a good manuscript. It is a fact that the children's book publishing industry witnesses numerous writers who go unnoticed and some of their outstanding works are never able to reach the shelves. So, do not judge a writer by the fact that how old he/ she is.

By keeping all these things in mind, you would undoubtedly be able to excel in the children's book publishing industry. Just keep your calm and make the right choices and decisions.

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Word Count in Children's Books - An Interview With the Writer's Retreat

This extract is part of an online interview which was undertaken with members of the Writers Retreat at the Institute of Children's Literature in September 2008. For more than thirty five years, the Institute has offered the premier writing course for adults interested in learning how to write and be published for children and teens.

Q: Many of the fantasy novels that I've seen for teens are very long. Is that a kind of requirement for teen fantasy? I have a novel that I'm working on but it's probably not going to be very long when I'm done and I worry that publishers are looking for those heavy tomes.

A: It seems that the Harry Potter series changed things in this regard and novels for both teens and middle grade readers got longer as a result. However, don't consider these longer fantasy novels as a benchmark of how long a book should be. Making a story a certain length just for the sake of it is a mistake. You still have to have a good story, which must flow properly, move along at the right pace and keep the reader engaged.However, having said that, it is far easier to write too much and then cut it down, than have to add in entire sections in the middle, or introduce entirely new characters and subplots.

Yes, many fantasy novels may be very long, but not all of them are. I'm not sure of the exact statistics, but most may be around 250 or 300 pages when in printed form, rather than possessing the mammoth word counts of the later Harry Potter novels. You should perhaps ask yourself if you are sure your story is for teens or is it middle grade, which are usually shorter, say around 150 pages at the most.Your novel may also well need to be tightened up during the editing process, which obviously reduces the size of the finished product.

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TT s UFO , family & children,s video , by Manouchehr Kholghi , Denmark

TT, ByManouchehr Kholghi, Master degree in Film science & Mass Media, Copenhagen Univercity, Denmark 1996 & Jornalisem Ba, degree , Tehran University1969 © 2009 Manouchehr Kholghi , Denmark . Director , post production , music combination : Manouchehr Kholghi. TT is a teen-ager girl from outer space. TTs UFO lands on the earth and she meets a very kind teen-ager boy from the earth , who helps her. This video is a simple science fiction . The style of video is new, combination of animation and body movements. In this video there are less dialogue and more music and action. I hope you dear all family special the children enjoy TT. Warmest regards Director and creator Manouchehr Kholghi store.payloadz.com Please click on this link , my site ,artma101cinema web.mac.com Thanks Manouchehr Kholghi

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