Loree Griffin Burns: A Life in Books

Wonderful news! Phillip Hoose has won the National Book Award in the Young People’s Literature category. I am a fan of his THE RACE TO SAVE THE LORD-GOD BIRD and am anxious to get my hands on this latest masterpiece, CLAUDETTE COLVIN: TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE. Congratulations, Mr. Hoose!





Another writer of nonfiction whose work I admire, Sy Montgomery, was interviewed by Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray this week. Sy shares her thoughts on working with Nic Bishop, launching the Scientists in the Field series, and the emotional side of science. The interview is broken into two parts, and you can read them here and here.

Enjoy!

NCTE Convention 2009

I’ll be at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual convention in Philadelphia later in the week. I’m looking forward to catching up with old writer friends, and even to making some new ones. Will YOU be there? Here’s my schedule for the trip …

Friday, November 20
4:15pm-5pm
Convention Center, Room 107B, Street Level
Stories and Standards: Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction for Interdisciplinary Connections
Moderator: Teri Lesense
Author Panel: Kate Messner, Tanya Lee Stone, Jenny Moss and Loree Griffin Burns

Saturday, November 21
10am-11am
Convention Center, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Booth (#500)
I’ll be signing copies of TRACKING TRASH*

12:00pm-2:30pm
Books for Children Luncheon
Marriott Grand Ballroom, Salon A
I’m told I am hosting a table at this event. From what I can tell, this means that a dozen of the teachers who come to hear a keynote by the amazing Brian Selznick are going to be stuck with, er, me. But I plan to be very nice to them as we sit together and admire Mr. Selznick, and each will leave my table with a signed copy of TRACKING TRASH, compliments of Houghton Mifflin.

Hope to see you there!


*I’m not sure that F&Gs of THE HIVE DETECTIVES will be ready, but my amazingly talented photographer/partner-in-bookmaking, Ellen Harasimowicz, turned final color proofs of the book into a gorgeous preview, and I’ll be bringing that along. Do stop by and have a look if you are in the vicinity!

© Loree Griffin Burns

THE CITIZEN SCIENCE MANUSCRIPT IS DONE!

It is done and I am happy with it and it will soon be off my desk and onto the desk of my editor at Henry Holt. This means I am free to blog again … to read and write on other topics again … to traipse in the woods with my camera (see above) … to sleep in the middle of the day!

Okay, maybe not that.

But I am feeling lighter than I have in months. And not a moment too soon: I am leaving shortly for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual conference in Philadelphia. Details first thing tomorrow. In the meantime, anyone recognize the image above? I'm pretty sure it's a vireo nest. My son spotted it after the leaves fell from the trees along our driveway. Isn't it lovely? The shiny, silvery material woven along the outside may very well have been stolen from a paper wasp nest. Can you imagine? Here's an inside shot:



© Loree Griffin Burns

Today at Chasing Ray, Colleen Mondor and the 'What A Girl Wants' panelists discuss mean girls in youth literature and in the world. Why are they so damned popular, anyway? The WAGW women, as usual, provide much to ponder in their thoughtful responses. Please check it out!

(Notice I did not participate in the discussion this month. See? It is not just my own blog that I am neglecting. It is everything outside the citizen science book. Seriously. But the deadline is creeping closer, the manuscript is nearly finished, and I hope to be back here more regularly soon.)

These windows peek into my office, where I worked all day yesterday on the ladybug chapter of my citizen science book:



© Loree Griffin Burns


Can you see what I saw? (You may have to click on the image to enlarge it.)

Ladybugs! Hundreds and hundreds of ladybugs. One of the scientists I interviewed for the book told me that this particular species, Asian Multi-colored ladybug (Harmonia axyridris), spends the winter tucked into tiny crevices in the face of enormous cliffs that are common where they evolved. Here in North America, they fly instead to the biggest vertical structures they can find, usually houses, and crawl around looking for a place to tuck in. That's why so many of them end up in my bathroom every winter. And that's why the back of my house was covered with them yesterday afternoon.

Judging by the clip on my local news station last night, this behavior annoys people. Obviously these people are not writing about ladybugs! Here's a bonus photo, and here's to inspiration arriving on your doorstep (or office window) today, too.



© Loree Griffin Burns