2014 Year-End Post

It's no secret that I like words. Cards and letters from friends near and far are one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I also enjoy the process of reflecting on my past year and preparing my own annual update. I do resist writing a typical letter. I greatly enjoy providing a relevant update embedded in some creative format (here are examples from 2012 and 2013). 

For this year's update I made a word cloud using Taxedo (you may be more familiar with Wordle).

As you'll see if you scan the word cloud, a major personal highlight of the past year was our family's experience traveling to Spain and having Pablo, our "Spanish son," return to the U.S. with us for three weeks this summer. (Our decision to host an exchange student in 2013 has enriched our life in so many ways, not the least of which is the wonderful friendship we have developed with our new extended family in Spain).

I've had many professional highlights in the past year as well, but the most rewarding work has been the volunteer advocacy effort I've been involved with to strengthen the school libraries in our local area. I also treasure every opportunity I've had to engage with young readers during author visits at local schools and libraries and via Email and Skype (as well as good old fashioned snail mail)! Thank you friends and colleagues, for supporting and encouraging my work, and for sharing my books with the children you love. You've helped me make a small difference in this world. 

In addition to preparing our annual holiday card, I also enjoy working on an annual craft-y project with my kids. In recent years we've made holiday decorations, scarves, hand & foot scrubs and scented fire starters. This year we made Love Rocks as a way to honor a family in our area who has endured an unimaginable loss. I don't know the family personally, but the process of making hundreds of Love Rocks and sharing them with others helped me stay grounded and focused on the treasure of time spent with friends and family. 

Thanks to each of you who have contributed to my blessed "world of words" in 2014. You are a gift to me. Here's to the adventures that await us in the coming year!

Year-End Greetings and Holiday Letters, Summary Post

Although it seems fewer and fewer people send annual holiday greetings, I treasure this tradition each year--both the receiving of cards, letters, and photos from friends and family near and far, and the preparation of my own annual update.

Katia, Nikko, Dawn, & Sam, 2018

Each year I try to provide a relevant update embedded in some creative format. In most cases, I've also published a year-end blog post that incorporates the holiday greeting for that year. Here is a summary of those posts:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017 (I prepared and sent a holiday greeting, but I did not write a 2017 reflection post, as my focus was on the care and company of beloved family members in their last days of life.)

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012 (This post continues to be one of my most widely-read posts, with over 46,000 views.)

As I reflect on each of these posts I see a mixture of blessings and heartbreak. I'm reminded of the importance of working for a better world in big ways and small. I'm warmed by memories of family travels, book launches, enduring friendships, and ordinary happenings. But mostly, I'm filled with gratitude for life, good health, and love.

May you experience peace, love, and joy in the coming year.

2015 Year End Post and Love Note to September Dawn from December Dawn

I've heard from several sources that fewer and fewer people are sending annual holiday greetings. I treasure this tradition each year. Both the receiving of cards, letters, and photos from friends and family near and far, and the preparation of my own annual update. Each year I try to provide a relevant update embedded in some creative format (here are examples from 2012,  2013, and 2014).

Here is my 2015 update, followed by a letter I penned to myself a bit earlier today entitled, "Love Note to September Dawn from December Dawn."

2015 Update:


Excerpt of Letter to Myself: 

December 31, 2015

Dear September Dawn,

The kids are back-to-school and you are eager to get started on new projects and/or projects that were back-burnered over the summer. This is Katia’s senior year, after all, so there are likely LOTS of projects. Christmas is the furthest thing from your mind. But you have time on your hands now. Things start getting busy in October. They get crazy busy in November. And by December you are stressed and frustrated with yourself for not planning ahead. 

Plan ahead this year. Get the holiday greeting card designed now. Plan what you want to do for the holiday craft this year and get going on it early. You absolutely must have it figured out BEFORE you go to Sunriver for Thanksgiving so you can work on it during your time there. There is nice down-time in Sunriver to do this sort of thing, but you MUST PLAN AHEAD to have the craft supplies identified and purchased before the Thanksgiving trip to Sunriver in order to use that relaxing time for crafting time. You are also more likely to get the kids involved and helping you in that environment.

Begin thinking about what you want to get the kids for Christmas. Actually, don’t just think about it, act on it. In years past (2015 was no exception), you made good notes for yourself as to what to buy the kids, but then you waited too long to go out and actually get the items, so you engaged in a frantic last-minute race around town, in heavy traffic and nasty weather to try to find things that had long since sold out. This happened for several items on your must-have list. Don’t do this to yourself this year. Oh, and plan ahead so you can actually send something to out of town family before Christmas instead of the week after Christmas (or later).

It would be so nice if the last few days before Christmas could be filled with some fun outings/activities, holiday baking, and relaxing movies instead of last minute shopping and frantic wrapping and crazed making of crafts for gifts! This will be Katia’s last high school Christmas. Plan ahead so that you can decorate early (instead of having the boxes out for weeks, but no bandwidth to decorate until a few days before Christmas). The kids are getting out of school earlier in December in 2016. Plan ahead so that all of the Christmas hustle bustle is done before the kids are out of school so you can enjoy family time (and friend time) with them once school has ended. Oh, and there is NO NEED to wait until December 31st to make annual donations. Just get them done. They can be done in September. Or October. Send them in and check that off the list. 

Okay. That’s it. Realize this was written after a wonderful Christmas, but a Christmas in which the lead-up was somewhat stressful (amplified by the fact that there were work projects and water issues that took more time than anticipated, and weekends in November and December that were full of racquetball and basketball tournaments, so even though you had blocked out what seemed like a lot of time in early December, it wasn’t enough time to get everything that needed to be done, done).

Please consider my advice in the helpful spirit in which is was intended and follow it, September Dawn. Love, December Dawn. 

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Happy New Year, folks! May it be a year filled with joy, love and laughter (and advanced planning!) : ).

xox December Dawn

2016 Year End Post, Albeit Belated

I took a break from blogging after the election. I spent time grieving. I spent time reflecting. I spent time taking positive ACTion (and will continue taking positive ACTion in the days and weeks and months ahead).

Today I listened to President Obama's last Press Conference as President of the United States. He opened with a statement about the important role of a free and vibrant press. He said, "I spent a lot of time on my — in my farewell address talking about the state of our democracy. It goes without saying that essential to that is a free press. That is part of how this place, this country, this grand experiment of self-government has to work. It doesn’t work if we don’t have a well-informed citizenry, and you are the conduit through which they receive the information about what’s taking place in the halls of power." (Quoted from the full transcript from the New York Times.)

There are many things the recent election has illuminated for me. One of those things is how much I value a free and vibrant press. I now subscribe to several news sources, and I encourage others to do the same. I have also implemented a new practice in my home, whereby I ask my teenager to read and discuss one credible news article a day. Hopefully this practice will support his development into an active, engaged citizen and a critical consumer of information. I've been very proud of the way my son has risen to this challenge I've placed before him, and his insights and opinions have challenged me to be a more critical thinker as well.  

As President Obama answered the last question at the Press Conference, he acknowledged that parents generally like to brag about their children, then he gushed about his own daughters, saying, "But man, my daughters are something. And--they just surprise and enchant and impress me more and more every single day as they grow up." It is no secret that I am a big fan of President Obama; his delight for his children is one of the many reasons I admire him so.

I too like to gush about my children, and my annual holiday letter is one way that I do that. Although it seems that fewer and fewer people send annual holiday greetings, I treasure this tradition each year. Both the receiving of cards, letters, and photos from friends and family near and far, and the preparation of my own annual update. Each year I try to provide a relevant update embedded in some creative format (here are examples from 2012,  2013, 2014, and 2015). This year I leaned into the "news" theme:

In the coming year, I will continue to give my time and attention to the local and national issues that compel me, and one of the issues I will more actively advocate for and support is a free and vibrant press. A logical extension of my longstanding advocacy for Strong School Libraries and information literacy, don't you think? 

Birth Stories for Books, PIECE BY PIECE, by Stephanie Shaw

by Stephanie Shaw & Sylvie Daigneault

Today's post is a return to the Birth Stories for Books series. Our guest today is Stephanie Shaw, someone I'm pleased to consider a friend and a colleague. She's the author of many delightful picture books including, PIECE BY PIECE (illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault and published by Sleeping Bear Press, 2017), which we'll talk about today. Let's jump right in:

Dawn Prochovnic: Thank you for stopping by to talk with us, Stephanie. If I remember correctly, you and I first met at a “first pages” session at a SCBWI-Oregon conference many years ago. I recall hearing you read one of your stories aloud and thinking to myself, “This will be a book someday.” Boy was I ever right! Now you have a heap of delightful picture books to your credit. Today we’re going to talk about PIECE BY PIECE. Can you tell us a little bit about your path to publication for this particular story? 

Stephanie Shaw: Hi, Dawn!  It’s so good to be with you.  I remember that SCBWI conference where we met. It was my first and you were so kind! I didn’t know a soul and you sat with me at lunch and you were so encouraging!  None of us get to publication without tremendous support, and I certainly credit you with holding my hand along the way.

DP: I'd forgotten that it was your first conference when we met. I’m so glad I made you feel welcome! I just remember that I enjoyed meeting you and enjoyed our chats and really thought highly of the work that you shared during open mic/first pages, year after year when we would see each other. I'm so glad we have the opportunity to chat about your publishing journey. Speaking of which, reflecting on the journey from idea to published book, is there any one moment along the way that you credit with opening the door for this particular story to find its way to publication?

SS: So, writing PIECE BY PIECE was one of the sweetest journeys ever.  And, it started with doing something I really did not want to do.  While attending a Highlights Writing Summer Camp in 2013, attendees were invited to go on a ‘sensory walk’ in the woods with author Jillian Sullivan.  I thought that sounded silly. But, I did like walking and the area was beautiful, so I went along. Jillian asked us to close our eyes and just listen. She asked us to feel plants and stones. She asked us to smell grasses and sap. She taught us to use our senses to evoke words in our writing. That lesson would be ‘the moment’ in terms of PIECE BY PIECE being conceived. I just didn’t know it yet.

The following summer I developed the first draft of PIECE BY PIECE inspired by daily walks near my home.  The start of the story has the line, “All day she gathered them up: the crunch of leaves, the springiness of moss, the leap and splash of a fish.”  I knew I wanted the story to draw on all I had learned from Jillian Sullivan. I knew I wanted a quilt in it. So, the main character became a weaver and seamstress ---which is funny because I can barely sew on a button!

In the fall of 2014, I attended an Oregon SCBWI Retreat. I read that first draft at a roundtable. A visiting editor had tears in her eyes at the end. I remember she said, “That is just so sad.” So, her suggestion was to soften it a bit.  A short while later, she contacted me and asked that I send it to her once I had made some changes. I was elated.

But, in the bi-polar world of publishing, it was not meant to be. She sent the most beautiful rejection ever when she compared it to work by Isabelle Allende, but her editorial team felt it was ‘too adult.’

I did some revision work (adding the main character’s children as the ones who save the day).  By that time, I was in conversation with the Senior Editor Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press regarding SCHNITZEL: A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR LAZY LOUTS (my third book with SBP).  I asked if Barb would mind taking a look at PIECE BY PIECE. But I honestly wasn’t thinking of it as a submission. I just wanted some free professional advice. She wanted to pitch it to the editorial committee and within a short time it was acquired.

DP: That IS a sweet journey...almost like a fully developed story arc in and of itself! Knowing the backstory makes this lovely book even more beautiful.

Here is another curious question: When you compare one of your earliest drafts of this story to the version in the published book, what stands out for you in terms of what is most different? Likewise, is there anything in particular that stands out that was included in your earliest drafts and survived the revision process?

SS: From the first draft to the final manuscript, not terribly much changed with the exception of the children becoming more integral to the resolution. I was able to keep all the sensory language.  I was able to keep the arc of the story in terms of the seamstress beginning with a beautiful gown and then ‘piece by piece’  reducing it to scraps of cloth.

Illustrations by Sylvie Daigneault

DP: It's very inspiring that a creative exercise that you weren't even keen on doing eventually led to such a lovely story, with such beautiful illustrations! Good for you for saying "yes," to participating in the creative exercise when you could have just as easily skipped it.

Is there something you wish someone would ask you about PIECE BY PIECE and/or your path to publication that you haven’t had the opportunity to share yet? 

SS: When people ask my husband (who is not a writer) what PIECE BY PIECE is about, he always says, “It’s about a quilt.”  When people ask my writer friends what PIECE BY PIECE is about they say, “It’s about rejection and revision.”  And, of course, both are right.  As writers, we work so hard to craft something wonderful. Then we end up tearing it apart and refashioning it --- sometimes to the point where we don’t recognize it as the story we wanted to tell. It takes hard work to seamlessly put all the revisions together.

DP: Oh, so well said! 

Some of your earlier books, for example, THE LEGEND OF THE BEAVER’S TAIL (2015) and A COOKIE FOR SANTA (2014), were also published by Sleeping Bear Press. Were there notable differences in the path to publication for your earlier books as compared to PIECE BY PIECE?

SS: This would become my fourth book with Sleeping Bear Press. And each one had a bit of a different path to publication.  The first two were represented by the fabulous agent Kirsten Hall (now owner of Catbird Agency).  Kirsten was originally with an agency in London and represented illustrator Laura Watkins from my very first book BEDTIME IN THE MEADOW, Tiger Tales, 2013.  It was Kirsten who approached me about developing a Christmas story for Sleeping Bear and then later a legend, because SBP had done a call out to agents when they were looking for these types of stories. I was so fortunate that Kirsten liked what I had done with Laura and suggested that I develop these manuscripts.  But, I submitted SCHNITZEL, PIECE BY PIECE and my next book, TAILS FROM THE SHELER (2020), on my own.

That must sound like once I was ‘in’ I just got a green light on everything, but far from it.  I have pestered Sleeping Bear with many projects that have been rejected. They are a relatively small publisher and either they don’t have room for the stories, or the stories are not right for them.

So a huge difference is transitioning to submitting on my own. When Kirsten started her own agency, she was unable to take clients she had formerly represented. I now spend a great deal of time researching publishers that will take unagented authors.

DP: Glad to hear I'm not the only one in that boat! My upcoming books are also with a (wonderful!) relatively small publisher (West Margin Press). I love working with them, but I have more stories in my backlog of inventory than they could reasonably publish, and not all of my stories are a good fit for their regionally focused list. Since I, too, am unagented, I'm grateful there are publishers that will consider unagented submissions (but, the research entailed...oy!)   

One of my favorite parts of being an author is visiting schools and libraries and reading my books to children, and I’m always looking for new pro tips. I know you were a professional educator for many years. Wearing the hats of both educator and author, I suspect you’ve read to many children over the years, too. What advice or suggestions do you have for picture book authors and/or fellow story time presenters? 

SS: Regarding presentations, one thing I learned from Sleeping Bear Press is the importance of tying activities to books.  This makes the book very appealing to families, teachers and librarians. And, once that is done, I also have a ready made classroom presentations or talking points for families.

DP: That's a great tip. Thanks! 

How about if you could go back in time: What would you tell your pre-published self? Or, said another way, what do you know now, that you wished you would have known a bit earlier?

SS: There are a lot of things I would tell my pre-published self.  But, more than anything, I wish I would have joined SCBWI when I first became interested in writing. That one step would have saved me from making so many mistakes!   And, given the sloth-paced progression of the publishing world, I wish I started writing earlier.

DP: Ditto to both points! 

Before we wrap up, do you have anything you’d like to tell us about what you’re currently working on? 

SS: I’m excited to find out who the illustrator will be for the next picture book TAILS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER.  It has several introductions from various fictional animals seeking adoption as well as nonfiction information about the formation of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

As for unpublished works in progress? Well, today I am channeling my eight year old self and making up humorous conversation between bats. What’s a bat’s favorite dessert you ask?  Upside down cake.

DP: That work-in-progress sounds like a VERY fun book, Stephanie. I can't wait! 

Speaking of fun books, Stephanie has offered to gift a signed copy of PIECE BY PIECE to one lucky reader. To be eligible to win, simply write one comment below. The winner will be selected at random sometime after 12:00PM PST, March 15, 2019. 

Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview, Stephanie. It was sincerely a pleasure to learn more about you and your work! 

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Stephanie Shaw is a native Oregonian verified by her refusal to use an umbrella.  She is a graduate of Oregon State University (Go, Beavers!) and Lewis and Clark College and had the honor of working in Oregon’s public education system as a teacher, counselor and administrator. Things she loves includes: mustard, chocolate (but not together), her very tolerant husband and very soft dog Milo.  She uses the word ‘hate’ sparingly but she really, really does not like stickers on fruit and vegetables.

Her work includes numerous stories in Highlights for Kids, High Five and Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids as well as books: Little Tiger UK: Bedtime In The Meadow, 2013, Under The Sleepy Stars, 2014, By The Light Of The Moon, 2015, Lullaby Farm, 2016.  Sleeping Bear Press: A Cookie For Santa, 2014, The Legend Of The Beaver’s Tail, 2015, Schnitzel: A Cautionary Tale For Lazy Louts, 2016, Piece By Piece, 2017, Tails From The Animal Shelter, 2020. Simon And Schuster, UK: Moo La La! Cow Goes Shopping, 2016, Read Your Story: What Would You Like For Tea?, 2018, My Shapes, 2019,  Sweet Sounds, 2020

Stephanie loves to hear from kids and fellow authors! You can contact her via her website at www.stephanieshawauthor.com.

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Birth Stories for Books is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? (forthcoming, 2019), and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. Dawn is a contributing author to Oregon Reads Aloud and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.

Birth Stories for Books: ANYTHING BUT OKAY by Sarah Darer Littman

Today we continue the series, Birth Stories for Books: Posts About Paths to Publication With Published Authors and Illustrators. My guest this week is author  Sarah Darer Littman, discussing the story behind the story of her timely novel, ANYTHING BUT OKAY that released earlier this month. Welcome Sarah!


I Write Books to Answer Questions
by Sarah Darer Littman

Image Provided by Sarah Darer Littman

As with most of my books, the idea for ANYTHING BUT OKAY started with questions that had been knocking around in my brain for a while. The first one was inspired by my friend Rob Jordan, a USAF veteran. Back in December 2014, Rob made a post on Facebook about the problems he had getting disability for the health issues he'd developed as a result of serving in Afghanistan, at bases where there were burn pits. His post made me angry about the way we treat our veterans - I wrote about it here. I didn’t support the Iraq war. I wrote a political column on the eve of the war headlined “Bush in a china shop,” warning that if we broke this, we’d pay to fix it. And pay we have. Back in February of this year, The Cost of War Project at Brown University estimated that through the end of FY2018, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) will cost the American people $4.6 trillion. That’s trillion with a T. Add in another trillion for the cost of medical and disability for GWOT veterans through 2056, and we’re talking $5.6 trillion. That’s before we even get to the interest on the debt that we took out for war appropriations. Back in 2003 when the war started, my town was filled with people sporting those yellow ribbon car magnets that said “Support the Troops” on their cars, combined with a healthy dose of American flags. There was no yellow ribbon on my car. But despite not supporting the war, I wanted to support the people fighting it. My kids and I adopted a soldier who was serving in Iraq, and sent him weekly letters and care packages. It felt like the least we could do for the people who were putting their lives at risk while America went about its business. Seeing Rob and so many other of our veterans struggle to get help from the Veteran’s Administration after having served our country with pride got me wondering: Why is our country so quick to send troops off to war regardless of the cost, but when our vets come home struggling with the emotional and physical costs of fighting it, the focus is suddenly switched to reducing taxes and a deficit swollen by the costs of prosecuting that war?

Cover Image Provided by Author

I had to write a novel to work that one out, and I dedicated it to Rob.

The second question that has been bothering me for a long time was “What is a patriot?” and the related question of who gets to define that. I spent fourteen years writing political opinion columns, and count George Orwell as one of my major influences. Hearing our government using the euphemism “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” for torture was a perfect example of what Orwell warned of in his essay, Politics and the English Language: “Political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible.” Yet because of the views expressed in my 650-word columns, I was called “un-American,” and “a terrorist lover.” The hyperbole really made me laugh one day, when I received an email telling me I was “using the American way of life to destroy the American way of life and the rest of Western Civilization in the process.” All of that in 650 words, and I couldn’t even get my teenagers to put their dishes in the dishwasher! I guess the pen really IS mightier than sword. Still, I found these accusations confusing because I thought I was doing my job as a journalist and my duty as an American by trying to hold those in power accountable. The current political climate was another inspiration for ANYTHING BUT OKAY. I sold the book right before the 2016 election, and as I was writing it, I watched politicians use rhetoric to portray different groups as “animals,” and working to restrict the ability of refugees to seek asylum. It had a disturbingly familiar ring for someone who grew up in a family with Holocaust trauma. As I traveled to promote my previous novel IN CASE YOU MISSED IT in the lead up to the election, teachers and librarians described how that rhetoric 'trickled down' to their schools, both virtually on social media and in real life bullying. My heart broke as I heard about students in tears concerned for the safety of their families. I read news stories about white, privileged kids from the suburbs shouting racist chants when they played teams from schools with a more diverse makeup. This made me wonder how as writers and educators we can use literature to help create more understanding and empathy; how we can start conversations and bridge differences. As a white woman of a certain age, I’m learning how many blind spots I have, and I hope reading about Stella and Farida’s friendship will encourage young people to think about what it means to be a good ally; to recognize that we can’t stand by in silence when we see injustice and hate speech, just because it’s not happening to us personally. Speaking of the news and the disinformation campaigns that were employed during the 2016 elections —and presently— it’s critical for young people to learn media literacy skills, particularly in the Internet age. And yet I’ve watched as the number of school librarians and media specialists has been cut by twenty percent since 2000, particularly in predominantly black and Latino districts, despite rising student populations. Technology can be a great tool, but Google will not teach our students the media literacy they need to be informed citizens in our constitutional republic. I hope that this book will encourage discussion of all of these questions—and through those conversations enable us to find the humanity we have in common. To read more about ANYTHING BUT OKAY, here's the link to the book on my website as well as a reading/teaching guide with extension activities.


Thank you so much, Sarah, for sharing the questions that inspired ANYTHING BUT OKAY. It's an important and timely book to put into the hands of young readers who are trying to make sense of the world we are living in today. THANK YOU also for doing your job as a journalist and your duty as an American by trying to hold those in power accountable...and for your ongoing advocacy for information literacy and for continuing to shine a light on the importance of school librarians and media specialists.

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Sarah Darer Littman is the critically acclaimed author of Young Adult novels, In Case You Missed It, Backlash (Winner of the Iowa Teen Book Award), Want to Go Private?; Life, After; and Purge; and middle grade novels, Fairest of Them All, Charmed, I’m Sure and Confessions of a Closet Catholic, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award. As well as writing novels, Sarah teaches creative writing as an adjunct professor in the MFA program at Western Connecticut State University, at the Yale Summer Writers' Conference, and is an award-winning opinion columnist. She lives in Connecticut. You can find Sarah on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @sarahdarerlitt.