In part 2, I mentioned the importance of having a mission statement and goals for a library system's children's services program. As an illustration, here is what the Sarasota County Public Library recently came up with as a basis for the programming and services they will offer over the next 5 years. This comes from an email that Carole Fiore posted on the PUBYAC listserv:
Strengthening Sarasota County's Youth through Robust and Vigorous Public Libraries
Strategic Plan for Youth Services 2009-2013
"Plan for the future because that's where you are going to spend the rest of your life."
Mark Twain
The mission of the Youth Services Team of the Sarasota County Library System is to help youth succeed in school and in life by:
. Nurturing young readers and learners;
. Stimulating imagination;
. Satisfying curiosity; and
. Providing comfortable real and virtual places.
Goal 1: Sarasota County school age children and teens will have access to age and developmentally appropriate resources and programs to support their success in school.
Goal 2: Children, tweens, and teens and their parents, teachers, and caregivers know about summer library programs and know the value of these programs.
Goal 3: Families with preschool children, birth to age five, will have access to age and developmentally appropriate literacy resources, programs, services, and environments, and trained staff to service them and the children to support the development of young readers and learners.
Goal 4: Children ages 0 through 5 years will have access to age and developmentally appropriate books at home.
Goal 5: Families with children birth through 5 years of age will understand the importance of early and emergent literacy activities have the resources to read to their children, be encouraged to use the library, and become the best first teacher for their children.
Goal 6: Children served by members of the Sarasota County early care and education community will participate in programs designed to nurture young readers and learners and originated by Sarasota County Library System staff.
Goal 7: Youth in the Sarasota County Library System service area will have access to library materials in various formats that encourage the development of independent learning practices, research proficiency, and the development of literacy skills.
Goal 8: Youth in the Sarasota County Library System service area will have opportunities to participate in library programs that encourage creativity and imagination so that they may develop and express innovative ideas in a dynamic and rapidly changing society.
Goal 9: Youth in the Sarasota County Library System service area will have opportunities to publicly express ideas through the arts so that community members of all ages develop respect for their insights and capabilities.
Goal 10: Children and teens in the Sarasota County Library service area will have information and resources that will instill a love of life-long learning and enrich their recreational experiences.
Goal 11: Children and teens in the Sarasota County area will be offered programs that will instill a love of learning and enrich their recreational experiences.
Goal 12: Children, teens and their parents, teachers, and caregivers will find the children's and YA spaces in all Sarasota County libraries accessible and conducive to reading, study and library-appropriate recreation activities.
Goal 13: Sarasota County children, teens, and their parents, teachers and caregivers will recognize the library as a popular and socially acceptable place to go for school-related assignments and for recreation.
Goal 14: Youth in Sarasota County who use the libraries' children's and teen's web pages will find them relevant, exciting and current.
I don't exactly what programs and services were changed, eliminated, or added as a result of the new strategic plan, but Carole did mention that it was not a painless process! Those goals do seem to cover just about every possible service the library could offer youth, so I'm wondering how Sarasota is using them to prioritize services - perhaps the goals are listed in order of priority?
LAPL also created a strategic plan, covering the years 2007 through 2010. Service to children (or to any other group) wasn't focused on specifically, but here are some of the goals that specifically mention service to children:
Goal 3: Help Students Succeed
Children and teens in Los Angeles will have resources that assist them with
their assignments and help them succeed in school.
Goal 4: Provide Reading Readiness
Infants, toddlers and preschool children in Los Angeles will have access to
collections, programs, and services that will help them develop a lifelong
love of books, reading, and learning.
Goal 6: Offer New and Popular Material Now
Children, teens and adults will have access to materials, programs and
services that stimulate the imagination and provide a variety of leisure
activities and experiences.
For each of these, there is a list of objectives and actions, most of which are services we already provide and a few of which are new. For most goals, the objectives seemed to be to simply increase what we're now doing and whom we're now serving - increase enrollment in summer reading club, increase the number of kids going to programs, increase the number of kids who have library cards, and so on. Certain benchmark goals are also set - a certain number of classrooms should be visited, a certain number of presentations should be made to preschool teachers, and so on.
There's nothing wrong with those goals at all - but measuring our success merely by trying do more, more, more doesn't seem to me to be the way to go. I won't even go into some of the panic children's librarians feel when they wonder if they will "get in trouble" if their statistics don't pick up - or have declined! - by the end of 2010.
I would like to measure our success not just in numbers but in outcomes. Here is how outcome is described in Dresang , Gross, and Holt's Dynamic Youth Services Through Outcomes-based Planning and Evaluation - "Outcome...is the change in attitude, behavior, skill, knowledge, or status that occurs for users after a purposeful action on the part of the library and library staff." To be fair, LAPL's strategic is not devoid of outcomes-based objectives; for instance, objective 4.3 states "By FY09-10, at least 75% of the parents/caregivers who bring preschoolers to the library will say the library plays an important role in helping children to develop a love of
books, reading and learning." I assume this will be captured by a survey, though I haven't heard of any plans for one.
However, I want to know more. Let's take my old pal the Summer Reading Club. I already mentioned in a previous post on the SRC that the California Library Association launched a pilot project this past summer to measure certain outcomes in certain branches of certain library systems. Although I was sent some information on this, it was in draft form, so although I can't quote the document, I can mention that different outcomes were decided on for preschoolers, school-age kids, and teens and they included such simple things as "Children enjoy reading." Information was gathered both before and after the SRC in the form of surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The librarians involved in the project have met and will continue to meet throughout this next year to figure out what worked and what didn't, what needs to be changed, and how to implement the project on a larger scale without driving staff to an early grave.
I don't know the results of this project, but I do have to wonder about one thing. My experience has been that kids who participate in the Summer Reading Club (and here I'm talking about the part where kids read and maybe earn incentives of some sort, rather than the programming part) do it for one or more of the following reasons: they already like to read, their parents make them do it, and/or they want to earn those incentives. For the kids who already liked to read at the beginning of summer (which is probably most of them), the desired outcome of "children enjoy reading" doesn't apply. For the other two categories, it only applies if they disliked reading (or didn't like it much) at the beginning of summer but at the end of summer they like reading. For those kids who now like reading at the end of summer, what brought on the change? And for those who dislike reading at the end of summer despite the summer reading club, what can be done differently next year? I'm not sure that it's very likely that a child who dislikes reading will suddenly learn to like it over the course of one short Summer Reading Club - although perhaps such miraculous conversions do occasionally occur ("The Diary of a Wimpy Kid changed my life!!!") At any rate, I'm not sure we can reasonably expect that outcome.
Things start to get complicated as the questions mount! One of the many things I always wondered about my own Summer Reading Clubs was: how many of the kids were coming to the library for the first time because of SRC and of those kids, how many would continue to come to the library throughout the school year? That's something I might try to measure - although the thought of trying to track those kids is daunting, to say the least. That's the thing about any kind of evaluative project. Not only do the results have to be meaningful, but the process has to be feasible.
I seem to have rambled on quite a bit over these past three posts. You may have noticed I have offered no answers, only many questions and things to think about.
That's my message, I suppose. Don't stop thinking about what we are doing. Keep pondering what we are trying to achieve and how we can best achieve it. By doing this, we'll stay receptive and relevant to the needs and desires of kids and their families.
Heh! Sermon over - but the topic is not. Please feel free to write voluminous comments - and you'll hear from me again.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Review of 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Mass, Wendy. 11 Birthdays. Scholastic Press, 2009.Amanda and Leo, born on the same day in the same hospital, have celebrated their birthdays together every year – but at their 10th birthday party, Amanda overhears Leo saying some mean things about her to his friends. Amanda is so hurt that she runs home, throws a potted apple tree that she had planted with Leo out the window, and then doesn’t talk to him for a year.
Now it’s the day of their 11th birthday, a Friday. It’s a normal sort of day – Amanda has a pop quiz, she reluctantly tries out for the cheerleading team (freezing when it comes time to do her backflip), and has a rather miserable birthday party that evening (most of the kids go to Leo’s party instead). But then – she wakes up next morning and it’s Friday again, the day repeating itself just like the day before. And then the next morning is also Friday, and the next, and the next. And it’s not only Amanda this is happening too, but Leo as well.
It turns out that the reason for this strange situation lies in an old feud between their great-great-grandparents. Also involved is a mysterious old lady with a strange birthmark, who was at the hospital when Leo and Amanda were born and who keeps popping up in odd places. A good deal of the plot involves Leo and Amanda tracking down the mystery so that they can finally get to Saturday, but for me the real pleasure of this book comes when Amanda relaxes into the predictability of her ever-repeating Fridays and, bit by bit, experiments with changing and improving the day.
There are obvious parallels with Groundhog Day, but unlike that movie, this story never goes over the top. Even after they realize that they can do whatever they want and there will be no consequences the “next” day, Amanda and Leo never do anything wilder than ditch school, borrow scooters from a neighbor, and go off to the mall – and they are so horrified by the worried and furious reactions of their families, even though the condemnation only lasts one evening, that they don’t even consider such a thing again. I thought that Amanda would, a la Groundhog Day, practice her backflip over and over every day and then perform it perfectly. She does finally perform it, but not very well, and only because she has achieved some confidence, not actual mastery.
The kids’ reactions to an extraordinary situation are absolutely authentic; except for a movie moment when Amanda, at Leo’s urging, enters the try-outs for a rock band’s vacant drummer position, I never questioned the kids’ decisions or thought processes, which is very refreshing. We don’t get to know anyone other than Leo and Amanda very well, and all the parents are absolutely nebulous. This is Amanda's story, however - a light-hearted look at how making little changes in one's approach to life can have big - and unexpected - effects.
Recommended not just for fans of contemporary fantasy but for kids who like stories about friends – for grades 4 – 6.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Rock on, Library 101!
Dedicated to those who not just accept but totally embrace technology in libraries - for more info, check the Library 101 website.
Should a librarian tell an 11-year-old she's too young for Twilight?
Here's a fascinating discussion from the Good Comics for Kids blog on whether or not librarians should decide that a child is too young for a certain book - and if so, how do they decide and how far should they go? Be sure to read all the comments, too. And by the way, "Eva" is Eva Volin, not me.
Looking at children's library services with new eyes - part 2
In yesterday's post on looking at children's library services, commenter Sophie makes a good point when she says of storytimes "...they are hugely beneficial in bringing people into the library, at least in my community. Our morning storytimes consistently bring in big numbers, and many of the audience members were brought by others, or heard about us word of mouth, and so they started coming to the library. Even if the storytime isn't their cup of tea, most leave with library cards and a sense of the resources that are available."
Absolutely. It wouldn't do much good to go out into the community extolling the wonders of the public library if families then came to the library and didn't find any programs for them. Storytimes might be considered a core service that most or all libraries should provide. What I question is the complacency that might set in (as it did to a certain extent with me) when librarians devote lots of energy to keeping a relatively small portion of the community happy. We might be serving 50 or even 100 families really, really well - but what about those families that don't come to our storytime?
Now, they might not want to come - perhaps their kids are too old or storytime isn't their scene or it's too much of an ordeal to pack up the kids and haul them to a program at the library (all those scenarios have fitted me as a parent at one time or another). But it's also possible that these families haven't heard about the storytimes, or can't get in because the storytimes are too full or at an inconvenient time, or aren't sure what the benefits of attending storytime are, or don't even know where the library is or have never been to it. Don't we need to worry about these unserved folks too?
And yet we can only do so much - it's not reasonable to expect a children's librarian in a busy branch to provide all the storytimes and other programs the community both needs and expects AND go out and make sure the whole community knows about the library AND find out what unserved families might need that isn't being provided AND go back and add yet more programming. We need to partner, we need to focus, and we need to have reasonable and well-reasoned-out priorities.
It might be a good time to look beyond one's own branch at the services offered by community agencies and by neighboring branches. While we'd love to be able all the services our community demands, we can't. However, if two neighboring branches have made baby/toddler storytimes a priority and both the neighborhood recreation center and the local YMCA are offering inexpensive mommy-and-me classes, it might be reasonable to focus on a different, as yet unmet need in the community. As Ginny said in her comment "One library might discover a need for intensive early literacy programs. Another might need to focus on after-school homework help. Another might start a father-son book discussion group or manga club." And perhaps a community agency could be beguiled to help fill a service need. In her comments, Sophie mentioned LAPL's partnership with the LA County Museum of Art, in which volunteers come to the branches to present a series for school-aged kids on art creation and appreciation.
In order to focus on how best to serve the community, it's necessary to have a mission, some goals, and some notions about how to achieve them. In my next post, I'll look Sarasota County Public Library's recent efforts at creating a plan for the next five years of youth services and I'll ponder (yet again!!) the Summer Reading Club.
Please add your thoughts. The comments on yesterday's post were thought-provoking and fascinating - more, please!
Absolutely. It wouldn't do much good to go out into the community extolling the wonders of the public library if families then came to the library and didn't find any programs for them. Storytimes might be considered a core service that most or all libraries should provide. What I question is the complacency that might set in (as it did to a certain extent with me) when librarians devote lots of energy to keeping a relatively small portion of the community happy. We might be serving 50 or even 100 families really, really well - but what about those families that don't come to our storytime?
Now, they might not want to come - perhaps their kids are too old or storytime isn't their scene or it's too much of an ordeal to pack up the kids and haul them to a program at the library (all those scenarios have fitted me as a parent at one time or another). But it's also possible that these families haven't heard about the storytimes, or can't get in because the storytimes are too full or at an inconvenient time, or aren't sure what the benefits of attending storytime are, or don't even know where the library is or have never been to it. Don't we need to worry about these unserved folks too?
And yet we can only do so much - it's not reasonable to expect a children's librarian in a busy branch to provide all the storytimes and other programs the community both needs and expects AND go out and make sure the whole community knows about the library AND find out what unserved families might need that isn't being provided AND go back and add yet more programming. We need to partner, we need to focus, and we need to have reasonable and well-reasoned-out priorities.
It might be a good time to look beyond one's own branch at the services offered by community agencies and by neighboring branches. While we'd love to be able all the services our community demands, we can't. However, if two neighboring branches have made baby/toddler storytimes a priority and both the neighborhood recreation center and the local YMCA are offering inexpensive mommy-and-me classes, it might be reasonable to focus on a different, as yet unmet need in the community. As Ginny said in her comment "One library might discover a need for intensive early literacy programs. Another might need to focus on after-school homework help. Another might start a father-son book discussion group or manga club." And perhaps a community agency could be beguiled to help fill a service need. In her comments, Sophie mentioned LAPL's partnership with the LA County Museum of Art, in which volunteers come to the branches to present a series for school-aged kids on art creation and appreciation.
In order to focus on how best to serve the community, it's necessary to have a mission, some goals, and some notions about how to achieve them. In my next post, I'll look Sarasota County Public Library's recent efforts at creating a plan for the next five years of youth services and I'll ponder (yet again!!) the Summer Reading Club.
Please add your thoughts. The comments on yesterday's post were thought-provoking and fascinating - more, please!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Looking at children's library services with new eyes - part 1
Like other library systems all over the country, the Los Angeles Public Library has been weathering some tough times, and things may well get worse before they get better - an early retirement incentive plan that is expected to be approved by the City Council this Friday could mean hundreds of retirements in the library department alone. The 3.5 hour per payperiod furlough that goes along with this package will mean a staff that is stretched even thinner. That something has to give is clear, and hopefully it isn't our sanity!
Our library director, Martin Gomez, recently said to staff, "The one thing I'm certain of is that the Los Angeles Public Library of today, will be different tomorrow."
It seems like a good time to take a good look at the services we offer to children. Except for a few grant-funded programs that have requirements about, say, how many Read To Me LA storytimes are offered in each branch, each branch children's librarian works with his or her branch manager to figure out which programs and services to offer children in the community. This means that we have an amazingly eclectic array of programs throughout our 71 (soon to be 72) branches, but it also means that the type, quantity, and even quality of programs can vary from branch to branch. Is it possible to offer some kind of consistency throughout the City while avoiding cookie-cutter programs and encouraging the creativity of children's librarians? Something to ponder.
What I believe for sure is that we as a library system need to figure out what the needs of our community are, which of those needs we will make it a priority to meet, and then what services we will offer to meet those needs. It doesn't work to try to be everything for everybody - if nothing else, we'll go bonkers in the attempt. And continuing to offer programs and services "because we've always offered them" isn't going to cut it in a era of teeny-tiny budgets and staff.
What does it mean for children's services in libraries? Take storytimes. In a branch I worked in for almost 10 years, I offered preschool storytimes every two weeks on Monday evenings all year round. They were very popular - kids and parents loved them and I drew a steady audience of 15 to 25 preschoolers and their families. That was great - we were all happy. But now I look back and wonder if that was the best use of my time. Yes, storytimes are essential for introducing books, stories, songs, and rhymes to kids and their caregivers, for demonstrating to caregivers how the 6 preliteracy skills can be taught and reinforced, and for helping preschoolers practice their sitting still and listening skills. In addition, parents and caregivers can meet each other and share ideas and resources. And all this happened at my storytimes - and my storytime families benefited.
But! What about all those families who DIDN'T come to storytime? Let's face it, most families in my community didn't come to storytime. Most probably didn't even ever come to the library. And many of them probably didn't have many or any books at home and didn't read to their kids or understand that they were their children's first and best teachers. With stories like this one about Latino kids lagging behind other groups by Kindergarten, this isn't something that can be ignored.
So - most children's librarians are keeping their regular patrons very happy with storytimes and other programs, and meanwhile there are huge numbers of families with no connection or possibly even knowledge of the library and its services. But how to let them know about our services? More importantly, how to ensure that the library even has what they need? What DO they need?
The answer to the first question is simple - outreach and partnerships. Although one children's librarian in one branch may not have much time between info desk shifts and programming to go out to all the schools, preschools, daycare centers, clinics, churches, WIC centers, and so on in her community, she can visit some of them. And he can work with other organizations that serve families to help get the word out, as well. LAPL is partnering with First 5 LA, an organization that uses tobacco tax funds to sponsor and fund organizations and agencies that serve kids 5 and under and their families, in a literacy/library card campaign - they are using their vast network to encourage families to visit their local libraries. Those families who sign up for a first-time library card in November will receive a canvas bag filled with informational materials courtesy of First 5 LA. We'll hoping to welcome hundreds or thousands of first-time visitors to our libraries.
The last questions - what do people need from us and how do we fill that need? - are the hardest to ascertain, and they involve some hard decisions. Needs assessment (research, focus groups, surveys, etc) is difficult, sometimes expensive, and time-consuming - and we don't have time or money right now. But we need to be judicious in prioritizing our programs. We don't want to do what we've always done just because it's "traditional," but we don't want to start slashing and burning programs without good cause either.
Watch this space for a continuation of this discussion - and please add your thoughts.
Our library director, Martin Gomez, recently said to staff, "The one thing I'm certain of is that the Los Angeles Public Library of today, will be different tomorrow."
It seems like a good time to take a good look at the services we offer to children. Except for a few grant-funded programs that have requirements about, say, how many Read To Me LA storytimes are offered in each branch, each branch children's librarian works with his or her branch manager to figure out which programs and services to offer children in the community. This means that we have an amazingly eclectic array of programs throughout our 71 (soon to be 72) branches, but it also means that the type, quantity, and even quality of programs can vary from branch to branch. Is it possible to offer some kind of consistency throughout the City while avoiding cookie-cutter programs and encouraging the creativity of children's librarians? Something to ponder.
What I believe for sure is that we as a library system need to figure out what the needs of our community are, which of those needs we will make it a priority to meet, and then what services we will offer to meet those needs. It doesn't work to try to be everything for everybody - if nothing else, we'll go bonkers in the attempt. And continuing to offer programs and services "because we've always offered them" isn't going to cut it in a era of teeny-tiny budgets and staff.
What does it mean for children's services in libraries? Take storytimes. In a branch I worked in for almost 10 years, I offered preschool storytimes every two weeks on Monday evenings all year round. They were very popular - kids and parents loved them and I drew a steady audience of 15 to 25 preschoolers and their families. That was great - we were all happy. But now I look back and wonder if that was the best use of my time. Yes, storytimes are essential for introducing books, stories, songs, and rhymes to kids and their caregivers, for demonstrating to caregivers how the 6 preliteracy skills can be taught and reinforced, and for helping preschoolers practice their sitting still and listening skills. In addition, parents and caregivers can meet each other and share ideas and resources. And all this happened at my storytimes - and my storytime families benefited.
But! What about all those families who DIDN'T come to storytime? Let's face it, most families in my community didn't come to storytime. Most probably didn't even ever come to the library. And many of them probably didn't have many or any books at home and didn't read to their kids or understand that they were their children's first and best teachers. With stories like this one about Latino kids lagging behind other groups by Kindergarten, this isn't something that can be ignored.
So - most children's librarians are keeping their regular patrons very happy with storytimes and other programs, and meanwhile there are huge numbers of families with no connection or possibly even knowledge of the library and its services. But how to let them know about our services? More importantly, how to ensure that the library even has what they need? What DO they need?
The answer to the first question is simple - outreach and partnerships. Although one children's librarian in one branch may not have much time between info desk shifts and programming to go out to all the schools, preschools, daycare centers, clinics, churches, WIC centers, and so on in her community, she can visit some of them. And he can work with other organizations that serve families to help get the word out, as well. LAPL is partnering with First 5 LA, an organization that uses tobacco tax funds to sponsor and fund organizations and agencies that serve kids 5 and under and their families, in a literacy/library card campaign - they are using their vast network to encourage families to visit their local libraries. Those families who sign up for a first-time library card in November will receive a canvas bag filled with informational materials courtesy of First 5 LA. We'll hoping to welcome hundreds or thousands of first-time visitors to our libraries.
The last questions - what do people need from us and how do we fill that need? - are the hardest to ascertain, and they involve some hard decisions. Needs assessment (research, focus groups, surveys, etc) is difficult, sometimes expensive, and time-consuming - and we don't have time or money right now. But we need to be judicious in prioritizing our programs. We don't want to do what we've always done just because it's "traditional," but we don't want to start slashing and burning programs without good cause either.
Watch this space for a continuation of this discussion - and please add your thoughts.
Monday, October 26, 2009
If you've got a YA manuscript tucked away in a drawer
It's possible that everyone but me has heard about this contest already, but in case you've been turtling yourself away recently, here's the press release:Get in Front of Top YA Editors and Agents with
ONLY the First 250 Words of Your YA Novel!
Have a young adult novel—or a YA novel idea—tucked away for a rainy day? Are you putting off pitching your idea simply because you’re not sure how to pitch an agent? No problem! All you have to do is submit the first 250 words of your novel and you can win both exposure to editors, and a one-on-one chat with one of New York’s TOP literary agents Regina Brooks.
Regina Brooks is the founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and the author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults. Brooks has been instrumental at establishing and building the careers of many YA writers, including three-time National Book Award Honoree and Michael Printz Honoree Marilyn Nelson, as well as Sundee Frazier—a Coretta Scott King Award winner, an Oprah Book Pick and an Al Roker book club selection. As an agent, she is known for her ability to turn raw talent into successful authors.
ADDITIONALLY: The top 20 submissions will all be read by a panel of five judges comprised of top YA editors at Random House, HarperCollins, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Penguin. All 20 will receive free autographed copies of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. Of the 20, they will pick the top five submissions and provide each author with commentary and a one year subscription to The Writer magazine. ONE Grand Prize Winner will have the opportunity to get feedback on a full YA manuscript and win a free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer’s Workshop.
Please submit all entries via the contest website at http://www.writingclasses.com/ContestPages/YAPitch.php. One entry per person; anyone age 13+ can apply. Open to the U.S. & Canada (void where prohibited). Entries for the YA Novel Discovery Contest will be accepted from 12:01am (ET) November 1 until 11:59pm (ET),
NOVEMBER IS NaNoWriMo
In honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org)—an international event where aspiring novelists are encouraged to write an entire novel in 30 days—this contest is meant to encourage the aspiring YA author to get started on that novel by offering an incentive for completing the first 250 words.
So apply now! http://bit.ly/1PYGaN
JUDGING
YA literary agent Regina Brooks, along with editors at Sourcebooks, will read all of the entries and determine the top 20 submissions. These submissions will then be read by Dan Ehrenhaft, head Acquisitions Editor at Soucebooks Fire; Alisha Niehaus, Editor at Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin); David Linker, Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books; Michele Burke, Editor at Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random House); and Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin. These judges will whittle the top 20 down to four winners and a grand prize winner—all five will be provided commentary on their submissions.
ONLY the First 250 Words of Your YA Novel!
Have a young adult novel—or a YA novel idea—tucked away for a rainy day? Are you putting off pitching your idea simply because you’re not sure how to pitch an agent? No problem! All you have to do is submit the first 250 words of your novel and you can win both exposure to editors, and a one-on-one chat with one of New York’s TOP literary agents Regina Brooks.
Regina Brooks is the founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and the author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults. Brooks has been instrumental at establishing and building the careers of many YA writers, including three-time National Book Award Honoree and Michael Printz Honoree Marilyn Nelson, as well as Sundee Frazier—a Coretta Scott King Award winner, an Oprah Book Pick and an Al Roker book club selection. As an agent, she is known for her ability to turn raw talent into successful authors.
ADDITIONALLY: The top 20 submissions will all be read by a panel of five judges comprised of top YA editors at Random House, HarperCollins, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Penguin. All 20 will receive free autographed copies of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. Of the 20, they will pick the top five submissions and provide each author with commentary and a one year subscription to The Writer magazine. ONE Grand Prize Winner will have the opportunity to get feedback on a full YA manuscript and win a free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer’s Workshop.
Please submit all entries via the contest website at http://www.writingclasses.com/ContestPages/YAPitch.php. One entry per person; anyone age 13+ can apply. Open to the U.S. & Canada (void where prohibited). Entries for the YA Novel Discovery Contest will be accepted from 12:01am (ET) November 1 until 11:59pm (ET),
NOVEMBER IS NaNoWriMo
In honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org)—an international event where aspiring novelists are encouraged to write an entire novel in 30 days—this contest is meant to encourage the aspiring YA author to get started on that novel by offering an incentive for completing the first 250 words.
So apply now! http://bit.ly/1PYGaN
JUDGING
YA literary agent Regina Brooks, along with editors at Sourcebooks, will read all of the entries and determine the top 20 submissions. These submissions will then be read by Dan Ehrenhaft, head Acquisitions Editor at Soucebooks Fire; Alisha Niehaus, Editor at Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin); David Linker, Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books; Michele Burke, Editor at Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random House); and Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin. These judges will whittle the top 20 down to four winners and a grand prize winner—all five will be provided commentary on their submissions.
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