The New Jersey Children’s Writer’s Guild

Congratulations to member Al Walker, whose work took first place in The Hot Pink Hubcaps Writing Competition!

The competition was founded this year by NJCWG member Danielle Ray, and she has offered to make this an annual event for Guild members. This year’s winner received a three day paid trip to BookExpo America in New York City.

To read Al’s winning entry, and to learn more about Danielle’s journey as a writer, visit bookremarks.net.

Our thanks to Danielle for her generous support of The New Jersey Children’s Writer’s Guild, and congratulations to Al on his big win!

Member Marvin Mayer reminds us not to rely too heavily on our word processor’s spell check feature with this clever submission. Thanks, Marvin!

Marvin’s article, The Good Humor Man, is tentatively scheduled to appear in the July 2010 issue of The Good Old Days.

Spell-check Strikes Out!.

Member Danielle Ray has written a review of Kate DiCamillo’s The Magician’s Elephant. You can read it now on her Write-Ups page on blogspot.

You can visit Kate DiCamillo on the web at www.katedicamillo.com.

Member Sandra Koehler Lee reviews terrific children’s books for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa

December is a month full of holidays. The sparkling lights and inflatable Santas are reminders of Christmas but Hanukkah and Kwanzaa also are observed this month. Books are a great way to introduce the traditions of these holidays whether you regularly celebrate or just want to teach your children about other customs.
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Join member Sandra Koehler Lee as she explores some terrific seasonal book offerings for Thanksgiving.

Whether you want to teach your child the history of Thanksgiving or share a tale from the turkey’s perspective, there are some good books for this holiday. (more…)

Member Sandra Koehler Lee reviews five great Halloween stories for children

Sharing some fun and spooky (but not scary) stories with your toddler or preschooler is a great way to celebrate Halloween. These books all have great plots with elements appealing to children and the parents reading to them.

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Here’s my healthier (and I think tastier!) version of a classic treat. Enjoyed by my family for more than thirty years, this is the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies given out as gifts at the NJCWG 1st anniversary party at Lilly’s. Note that this recipe uses all organic ingredients.

Sheila's Chocolate Chip Cookies, With and Without Nuts

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An overcast sky couldn’t dampen the fun at the biannual 2008 Dodge Poetry Festival in Waterloo, New Jersey!  We happened to visit on “teen day,” and so the Festival - which is typically attended by dozens of luminaries and thousands of visitors - was especially bustling.

Tomorrow is the Festival’s final day; if you’re looking for a unique way to spend the weekend, we heartily encourage you to attend!

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The ongoing Peddler’s Village scarecrow competition has produced dozens of delightful entries this year, and we’d like to introduce you to just a few… (more…)

The New Jersey Children’s Writer’s Guild invites you to visit Guilda, our very own “Jersey Girl,” at the now-ongoing Peddler’s Village Scarecrow Competition in Lahaska, Pennsylvania.

After our recent news update on the event, we thought it would be a terrific idea to join in the fun ourselves! Guilda is cooking up a little literary magic as entry number 18 near the famous Peddler’s Village Waterwheel.

Guilda the Scarecrow and John Wright

Guilda is one of dozens of wonderfully creative scarecrows grouped into six different competition categories; the event makes a terrific day trip.  If you stop by, don’t forget to cast a vote!