The Technical Side of Book Creation
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Once the book is written and the illustrations are done, dads need to publish the book so that it can go on the shelf along with the other books in children’s home library. Perhaps, children can even have a special place on the shelf for the books they wrote themselves.
There are many ways to make self-created books, ranging from the cheap and easy to the expensive and time-consuming. Some printing shops will be happy to help us, but why not save money by doing everything ourselves with the children?
Here are some areas to consider:
• Photos: These can be used instead of or in addition to drawings.
• Collage: Another alternative to drawing is to cut out pictures and make a collage.
• Paper: Thicker paper will last longer and colored paper will add variety.
• Printing: Computers offer a wide range of fonts, font sizes and colors, not to mention graphics that come with basic computer software or can be downloaded from the Internet. In addition, dads can print the words on computer, leave space for drawing, and then children can add drawings or other graphics, such as cutouts from magazines, by hand.
• Covers: These should be especially strong and durable. For example, dads can reuse cardboard. In addition, they can use thick plastic for the cover.
• Binding: Many easy ideas can work as below:
a. The simplest thing to do is to make a book by folding a piece of paper.
b. Equally easy is to put several pieces of paper together and use staples along the left side of the paper.
c. Bookshops and stationery shops offer folders and files.
d. Another popular idea is to punch holes along the left side of the paper, thread colorful yarn through the holes and then tie the pieces of yarn. Metal rings can also be placed through the holes.
Watch the video related to books for children
This song reminds me of the end of the book “The Outliers: a history of success” by Malcom Gladwell. “… How many more would live a life of fullfillment in a beautiful house high on a hill” I find it hauntingly beautiful. And you get it better with having a personal/family history of pain, trauma. How the stories repeat themselves generation after generation, because of parenting style, is product of what the parent experienced as a child neglect, violence or abuse. and part of the …
Help answer the question about books for children
About Author
Dr. George Jacobs, Ph.D., is the author of many books (including “The Read Aloud Guide“, textbooks for teachers and students, curriculum guides, and children’s storybooks).
For more information visit :- http://www.greatdad.com/category/430/read-aloud.html
July 21st, 2007 at 10:52 am
If you give me just 5 people in this world to kill, Lou Engle would be on my list.
It’s not that he is among the most 5 evil persons in the world I can think of, (although Engle is pretty evil, fucking a whole lot of children up with his “The Call” program) it’s just that I fucking hate the guy.
July 21st, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Haggard asks Levi if he has good content and implies in his answer that he does not have good content and will only have it when becoming 30 years old.
What a fucktard. I guess the joke about old people dying off was meant for real and a momentary Freudian slip up where Haggard showed his real face.
July 21st, 2007 at 1:08 pm
I’m sure they think he’s the antichrist, he’s black, he’s liberal, he’s not evangelist like them, i’m sure they want him dead.
July 21st, 2007 at 10:57 am
Sorry, no idea. Try reposting your question. You might get better luck next time.
July 21st, 2007 at 11:23 am
Hmm, I don't use Google books and don't know what it is. Try wikipedia to see if you can find the names of some children's books authors. The Brother's Grim wrote so-called children's stories, but you might want to read them to make sure they're appropriate for your children. Also, look up the author of Alice in Wonderland, which is in the public domain, and that's by Lewis Carrol (not 100% sure), I think the Carrol title is Through the Looking Glass. Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Grettel. Whatever book or story you can remember from childhood might be in the public domain and I know these titles are. Look up some of these titles on Wikipedia and it might lead you to other childrens books and children's books authors.
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page and http://www.classicbookshelf.com/ are two sites where you can read or download for free books that are in the public domain.
July 21st, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I know of a book that is about sort of 'kidnapped' kids who get adopted.
It's called Found by Margaret Haddix.
July 22nd, 2007 at 7:02 am
- A math or science book (not a workbook) geared for young preschool / Kindergarten aged girls or girls and boys. I'm looking for practical and simple, non-technical writing that my daughter could understand. She enjoys learning about volcanoes, plants and animals, the human body, physical science, basic math, word problems, etc. The books I find are usually too technical or geared for gradeschool or they seem geared for boys (i.e. getting dirty and gross with slime). I'm interested in finding something that is not so gender-specific either. For example, not looking for princess stuff. Just something that a preschooler/Kindergartener can grasp and remember. I think kids around this age ask a lot of "why" questions. My daughter can get pretty technical and can grasp things if I use simple language. Typical questions might be: "Why do hot things make steam?" and "Why are owls awake at night?" Today she told her grandma what nocturnal meant: Nocturnal means when animals are awake at night because that's when they hunt for their food and they sleep in the morning. Sorry if I'm going on and on, just trying to give you some ideas here.
I'd also like to see more Learn-To-Read series of books, something like the Biscuit dog series. I'd like to see basic sight words worked into an engaging story, more modern pictures. I don't mean abstract, I just mean something newer and more updated. The illustrations and basic story line play a big role in how much my daughter wants to read the series. The story line can be kept pretty simple with the holidays, basic play, manners, etc.
-Illustrations should have a simple, colorful but entertaining style. I see a lot of stuff that's either too stylized, too CG or animated looking, dated, or cluttered.
-Really enjoy books that have lift-up flaps and things to pull but they often get stuck or torn. Wish there was a way to make this work better and also that there were more books with these features that were not just meant for toddlers. One set of books that were terrific that were age appropriate were In The Country and At School by Francesco Pittau and Bernadette Gervais
You can actually see inside this book if you click on the picture of the cover here:
http://www.amazon.com/Country-Lift-Flap-Learning-Book/dp/2020694182/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241033751&sr=1-1#
Just some suggestions, hope this helps.
July 22nd, 2007 at 9:18 am
The Curious George collection is good, Dr Suess of course, Where the Wild Things Are is classic, and don't be afraid to challenge them. Our eight year old read Harry Potter to our five year old. It was a wonderful experience for both.
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:31 am
There are two types of publishing, traditional and self-publishing. If you choose to go with self-pubbing, I would recommend http://www.lulu.com as a great site. They don't pretend to be anything they are not, and have excellent service. All the decisions will be in your hands. However, going with a company like this is a difficult road and it is not considered a publishing credential if you look to go traditional down the road. Here is some other information about the downside of self-publishers (also known as vanity presses):
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/vanitypublishers.html
As far as novels go, different publishers specialize in different things, and fiction is a broad world. You have to try and sell your material to companies that produce similar works (ie, don't try and sell a fantasy novel to a romance publisher). So do your homework. Take a look at the most recent "Writer's Market"… or even better, try the "Guide to Literary Agents".
I absolutely suggest getting an agent instead of approaching publishers directly. I'm assuming you are not a contract attorney, so you will need someone to look over any offers and to guide you through the publishing world.
No publisher or agent should charge you any money up front! That is the sign of a scam! They make money by selling your book. Agents work on a commission (generally 15% of the amount of money the publishers pay you).
Make sure that you follow their exact submission specifications. You can't send them your book, but you should be sending them a query letter (Nicholas Sparks has a good example on his website). Don't copyright your book first, it looks amatuer and would cause them trouble down the line when you do the revisions they ask for.
Publishers will choose their own illustrators, so don't bother trying to find someone yourself. The artwork, cover, and title are things that the author has very little control over (unless he or she is very famous, of course).
New writers will never have all the publicity taken care of. Publishers will do some, but you will have to have a web presence and do book signings, among other things. No one is going to push your book if you don't push it yourself!
Here are some websites that can help. Read them thoroughly and research, research, research! Pay special attention to Miss Snark, because her archives can answer any question you ever have about publishing:
http://www.nicholassparks.com/WritersCorner/Index.html
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/
http://www.agentquery.com
http://www.misssnark.blogspot.com
And be warned of the people on this list:
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/twentyworst.html
Good luck!
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:30 am
I think there are lots of them, but it's a little hard to identify them because they don't always state that they're "gifted."
Here are some I can think of that may apply:
Roxaboxen / Alice McLerran: A hill covered with rocks and wooden boxes becomes an imaginary town for Marian, her sisters, and their friends. Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill — nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo — but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged with the whitest stones, and two ice cream shops….
Christina Katerina and the Box / Patricia Lee Gauch: Christina finds many uses for the large box that housed the new refrigerator.
The Big orange splot / Daniel Manus Pinkwater: When a seagull drops a can of orange paint on his neat house, Mr. Plumbean gets an idea that affects his entire neighborhood.
Meggie Moon / Elizabeth Baguley: Normally, no one dares to play in the yard where Digger and Tiger spend all their time, but when a girl invades, they soon realize that she has some brilliant ideas for playing with the junk found there.
The legend of the Indian paintbrush / Tomie De Paola: Little Gopher follows his destiny, as revealed in a Dream-Vision, of becoming an artist for his people and eventually is able to bring the colors of the sunset down to the earth.
The fossil girl : Mary Anning's dinosaur discovery / Catherine Brighton: In simple cartoon style, tells the story of a twelve-year-old English girl's discovery in 1811 of an ichthyosaurus skeleton.
Emma's rug / Allen Say: A young artist finds that her creativity comes from within when the rug that she had always relied upon for inspiration is destroyed.
Benny : an adventure story / Bob Graham: When Benny the dog steals the show from Brillo the magician, he is forced to look for a new home where his rare talents such as juggling and tap dancing will be appreciated.
My family plays music / Judy Cox: A musical family with talents for playing a variety of instruments enjoys getting together to celebrate.
Granite baby / Lynne Bertrand: Five talented New Hampshire sisters try to care for a baby that one of them has carved out of granite.
Looking for Daniela : a romantic adventure / Steven Kroll: Antonio, a street performer who admires a rich merchant's daughter, must use his talents in juggling, tightrope walking, and guitar playing when he rescues her from bandits and tries to get her home again.
The seven Chinese sisters / Kathy Tucker: When a dragon snatches the youngest of seven talented Chinese sisters, the other six come to her rescue. (And of course the Five Chinese Brothers by Clare Huchet Bishop, or the Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy)
213 valentines / Barbara Cohen: Wade has trouble adjusting when he is transferred to a special fourth grade class for the gifted and talented, so he plans to send himself 213 valentines signed by celebrities.
Amanda Bean's amazing dream : a mathematical story / Cindy Neuschwander: Amanda loves to count everything, but not until she has an amazing dream does she finally realize that being able to multiply will help her count things faster.
Frosted glass / Denys Cazet: Gregory the dog's vivid imagination gets him in trouble at school, leading him to draw cities and spaceships when he should be doing something else, but his artistic ability does not go unrecognized.
Painted dreams / Karen Lynn Williams: Because her Haitian family is too poor to be able to buy paints for her, eight-year-old Ti Marie finds her own way to create pictures that make the heart sing. Ti Marie dreams of being an artist. Whenever she gets some time away from watching her little sisters and helping Mama in their market stall, she finds a cement wall or a scrap of waste paper and lets her imagination soar….
Alistair and the alien invasion / Marilyn Sadler: When aliens invade from outer space, boy genius Alistair is the only person able to save the Earth.
This is the story of Archibald Frisby : who was as crazy for science as any kid could be / Michael Chesworth: Archibald Frisby, mad about science and wise beyond his years, is sent to camp to have fun and ends up broadening the horizons of his fellow campers.
Herbert Binns & the flying tricycle / Caroline Castle: Herbert Binns is such a clever mouse that some of the other animals are jealous of his talents and plot to sabotage his new invention, a flying tricycle.
Baby Brains superstar / Simon James: A musically gifted baby is invited to play the electric guitar at a star-studded rock concert.
Alphabet soup / Kate Banks: A boy's ability to spell words with his alphabet soup comes in handy during the magical journey he takes in his mind with a friendly bear.
Porkenstein / Kathryn Lasky: Lonely after his two brothers are eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, Dr. Smart Pig invents a wolf-proof friend to keep him company on Halloween.
M & M and the super child afternoon / Pat Ross: When best friends, Mimi and Mandy, turn out to be more talented at each other's special choice in a "Super Child" class, they decide to go their separate ways after school.
First graders from Mars. Episode 4, Tera, star student / Shana Corey: Although she is smart, Tera must learn the importance of working together on a group project. Tera is a star student. So when Pod 1 is assigned a group project to build the solar system, Tera is sure she has all the answers. But with her overzealous nature and her know-it-all ways, Tera ruffles a few tentacles. Why does being right sometimes feel so wrong?…
Regards to the man in the moon / Ezra Jack Keats: With the help of his imagination, his parents, and a few scraps of junk, Louie and his friends travel through space.
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:58 pm
its sad. they are gonna hate their parents when they get older
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Try amazon they have some good ones:
http://www.amazon.com/tag/pagan%20childrens%20book
July 24th, 2007 at 10:02 am
03:13
It’s funny how Haggard turned out to be a homosexual. Beautifully ironic.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
“God wants to use the smallest, to confound the wise, the things that are nothing, to nullify the things that are”
Ok, NOW we are talking really, big time, out of your head, desert island…CRAZY.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
how do they feel about obama?
July 24th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
@BloodFromCatsFace It’s not just that, it was an affair with a prostitute. Literally couldn’t worse for him.
July 24th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Haggard is a classic nut case.
July 24th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Doctor Dan the Bandage Man- sexist and stereotypical. In my opinion he behaves in a condescending manner while interacting with his female playmate and treats her like she is inferior just because she is a girl.