New Site in Sight!

This site isn't going anywhere, but we now have a new site you might want to visit.

http://www.kateklise.com/

You can read about new books for young readers and grownups, too.

* * *

Here's wishing you a happy, healthy 2012!

Anybody out there making resolutions for the new year?

We are. The first day of January always feels like a fresh, new notebook to us.

A clean start! A new beginning!

Here are five book-related things we're going to try to do in 2012.

1. Meditate for 20 minutes every weekday morning.*

2. Make and eat more homemade soup.*

3. Create a character named Hugh Briss and see what happens to him. (Hubris, or excessive pride, was one of Shakespeare's favorite themes. Ours, too.

You can't go wrong with a character who thinks the rules don't apply to him or her.)

4. Be kinder and more grateful.*

5. Learn how to do a few new things (maybe write a screenplay? build a new

website?) this year,

and resist the urge to get crabby** while learning.

*It makes everything better, including our writing.

**It makes everything worse, including our writing.

* * * Have Yourself a Haunted Little

Christmas

(Sing to the tune of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas")

Have yourself a haunted little Christmas Let your heart be light

From now on our mother will be out of sight (Why? Because our mom's a ghost!)

Here we are in a haunted house See the haunted mouse, our friend

Animals that are dear to us Gather near to us with pen

Through the years we'll write and draw together ‘ Tis a hoop-a-lah

Then we’ ll climb up high into the cupola And have ourselves a haunted little Christmas now

* * *

Take A Bow, Ella!

And deep bows to the Missouri Association of School Librarians

for naming Stand Straight, Ella Kate

a final nominee in the Show Me Awards for 2012-2013.

* * *

From Our Haunted House to Yours . . .

* * *

Our Secret Santa

Many thanks to the kind souls at the Chico Enterprise in California for this lovely review of Shall I Knit You a Hat?

Some folks take Christmas to its ultimate commercial extreme. Some prefer to revel in the simpler joys of the holiday season. Homespun and full of love, Shall I Knit

You a Hat? by Kate Klise is a classic Christmas read-a-loud any do-it-yourself family can enjoy. A blizzard is on its way and Mother Rabbit offers to knit Little

Rabbit a hat to keep his ears warm. Little Rabbit loves his hat so much that he suggests making them for all of his woodland friends.

"Little Rabbit," said his mother, "that idea is so delicious, it deserves a second piece of carrot cake."

Cleverly illustrated by M. Sarah Klise, Little Rabbit's colorful and stylish designs warmly weather his friends through the impending storm. In the true spirit of gift

giving, everyone is reminded that friendship is the best gift of all while Little Rabbit and Mother are able to celebrate their Christmas with warm carrot cake and their

most favorite thing, each other. (Sheryl Hubbard, Chico Library)

* * *

A Message from Olive C. Spence

Dear Young Writer,

Forgive me if you've recently felt a cold chill over your shoulder. That was me. I've been visiting schools and libraries

recently. I always enjoying lurking where young writers are busy at work. Sometimes I listen in to your lively

discussions about writing. I'm always amused and delighted by your ideas for books.

But last week I heard something that gave me pause. It was a group of young writers, probably ten or eleven years

old, talking about their best writing tips and tricks. Their #1 favorite trick? Believe in yourself.

Now, I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade--or funeral, for that matter. But I don't quite understand this. Maybe

it's because I lived in the era before self-esteem was invented. I can't remember as a child ever believing in myself. I

believed in other people and things (Santa Claus, magic, the secret lives of cats, the utter splendor of ice skating on a

frozen pond). But believing in myself? While I was writing? Never. No, not even once.

What I believe in when I'm writing is my characters. In fact, if I have to offer one secret to writing it might be to

forget about yourself. Think only about your main character. Believe in him. Or her. (Or it if your main character is

a talking pickle.) Put all your faith in your central character and allow him/her/it to lead you from your first chapter

to your last.

Just a thought from a friend and secret admirer,

Olive C. Spence

P.S. If you've written a letter to me or my friends Kate and Sarah Klise and haven't received a letter in return, please

be patient. It's been a busy fall with all our lurking (me) and proofreading (poor Kate and Sarah). But we're looking

forward to a lovely week of nothing but letter writing in December. So keep your eye on that maibox!

* * *

Just One Reason We Prefer Old-fashioned Books to E-books

Because you can arrange them in such a pretty way.

* * *

If You Like Dying to Meet You . . .

If you like the 43 Old Cemetery Road series, check out our other series. The first book, Regarding the Fountain, is set in Dry Creek, Missouri, where

something very fishy is going on.

Would you trust a school board president named Sally Mander who owns the town's only swimming pool? What about a principal named Wally Russ?

Luckily, the fifth-grade class at Dry Creek Middle School has a new pen pal named Florence Waters. Together, they'll uncover a mystery buried deep

beneath the school fountain.

After you read Regarding the Fountain, you might want to read the other books in the series: Regarding the Sink, Regarding the Trees, Regarding the

Bathrooms, and Regarding the Bees. They're all mysteries told through letters, postcards, memos, transcripts, and (our favorite form of communication) the

Secret Note That No One Is Supposed To See.

* * *

Make My Day

The sweetest boy in Godley, Texas, gave me this note today. Can you read it? The line that made me swoon was the one where he describes how he felt when he was reading Dying to Meet You.

"When I read it, I felt so comfortable."

I know exactly what Charles means, don't you? I love books that make me feel comfortable.

And I love kids who pass me notes in school. Thanks, Charles!

* * *

Ich bein ein LOL

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=%22sarah+klise%22&view=detail&id=A657CA767B2D2B71BB4D61120F6E2907F0121456&first=121&FORM=IDFRIR

Click on this link and then scroll to the bottom

to hear the review.

A radio drama based on this book is also in the works--

in German!

* * *

Anybody Working on an Author Study?

If so, these recent interviews might come in handy.

Here's a Q&A with Kate, where she discusses the background for Grounded.

http://us.macmillan.com/uploadedFiles/FeiwelFriends/QA%20Kate%20Klise%20Final.pdf

And here's another interview with Kate, where she talks about

Stand Straight, Ella Kate.

http://kidsbiographer.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/meet-the-biographer-kate-klise/#

* * *

Regarding the Bathrooms

How's this for a cool bathroom decor?

Can't you imagine Florence Waters wallpapering her bathroom like that?

(If you don't know what we're talking about, you need to read this book.)

And yes, you have our permission to read it in the--where else?--bathroom.

* * *

Feeling stuck? Take a hike.

Here's a picture of me at the Grand Canyon.

There's another Kate Klise out there who's a serious hiker. I sometimes see photos of her online. Other times I see pictures of her at schools and libraries. A well-meaning librarian or teacher prints off a friendly welcome sign and adds a photo of Kate Klise the hiker, posing in some scenic mountaintop vista. When this happens, all I can do is smile and say, "Oh, dear. That's the other Kate Klise." And we all have a good laugh. But this week, I've felt like the other Kate Klise because I've been hiking my brains out, up and down and around the Grand Canyon. What a cool place! And what a perfect location to think of new book ideas. For example, there are lots of chipmunks running around here, which makes me think: Hmmm, would it be fun to write a book about a bunch of chipmunks who are monks? (Can't you just see their little brown robes belted with rope?) Or, what about a picture book biography on Mary Elizabeth

Jane Colter (1869-1958), who designed so many of the cool buildings you see at the Grand Canyon, including the fabulous Phantom Ranch? Or what about those poor mules that trudge up and down the narrow canyon paths day after day? I know they're tough, but they must get exhausted. Can't you see a story about a girl or boy who comes to the Grand Canyon and decides to help a mule escape? The plan would have to go awry for it to be interesting, but I think it could work. Maybe some scoundrel has hidden stolen money or jewels in the mule's pack, and when the kid takes off with the mule, the police think the kid is the thief? I don't know. I just know that sometimes--most times, in fact--I get my best book ideas when I'm not at my desk. So next time you get stuck for a story idea, take a hike!

* * *

In our book, it's never too early to start thinking about . . .

Halloween!

And have we got the perfect Halloween book for you. It's called Over My Dead Body.

It's about a man named Dick Tater who wants to abolish Halloween and outlaw ghost stories. What? Huh? Is he kidding? Unfortunately, no. The good news is, our friends at Spence Mansion have a Halloween surprise in store for Mr. Tater. And the really good news is that our friends at Scholastic have put together a spooky-but-fun discussion guide for this book. Check it out by clicking here.

P.S. Need a quick and easy costume for Halloween? Find or make a big picture frame and dress up as your favorite old painting. Mona Lisa is easy, especially if you're a girl who can refrain from laughing all night. Boys, if you don't like the picture frame idea, find seven friends and dress up as the eight parts of speech. Your English teacher will LOVE you forever, we promise!

* * *

Proof Positive

Jacket art for The Phantom of the Post Office (Release date: 5/8/2012)

This week we're proofreading, which can be a tedious task, as everybody knows. So we thought we'd share some tricks we've picked up over the years. These might come in handy when you're proofreading a book, a term paper, or an essay for school.

1. Don't try to proofread on a screen. Print out a paper copy.

2. Start from the middle and read to the end. Then start from the beginning and read to the middle. Why? Because by the time you're proofreading, you've probably already read your book or term paper or essay three or four or five (or in our case, 20 or 30) times, so your mistakes are likely lurking in the middle. We usually proofread at least three times: from beginning to end, from end to beginning, and from the middle out.

3. Read your work out loud to your cat or dog or imaginary flamingo. Why? Because when you read silently, your clever brain can play tricks on you, like filling in missing words and letters. Sometimes you can catch mistakes with your ears that you miss with your eyes.

4. Don't try to proofread more than 5 or 1o pages in one sitting. Get up, take a stretch, run a quick lap around the house. Your eyes need a break. Your brain does, too.

5. Be on the watch for dropped words. It's easy when you're writing fast and brilliantly to omit boring words like to, a, the, and. Reading your work slowly and out loud will help you find places where you might've dropped a word or two, you genius you.

6. Make sure your it's and its are correct. "It's" means it is. (It's raining today. It's nuts to wear flip flops in the woods.) Everything else is "its." (My hair has lost its luster. The dog is burying its bone.) If you get this right, no one notices. If you get this wrong, people will think you were raised by wolves. In a bad way.

7. Pretend you're the reader rather than the writer. Ask yourself hard questions like, "Is this part boring?" And, "Is this part confusing?" Anything that seems boring or confusing to you, the author, will be even more boring and/or confusing to your reader. So clean it up! Make it better. In potentially boring parts where you're wondering whether to cut or keep a sentence or paragraph, remember the editor's mantra: When in doubt, cut it out.

8. Spellcheck. Enough said.

9. Go easy on the exclamation points! If it's funny, it doesn't need a lot of these! In fact, when you use a lot of exclamation marks, it kinda makes everything less funny and emphatic! (See what we mean?)

10. Finally, when you think you're done, ask a friend or a sister (or a sister who's a friend) to read your story or essay. Make sure you offer to read hers, too. Four eyes are better than two!

* * *

Happy Back to School!

What's the policy on bringing imaginary friends to your school? That's the question Little Rabbit

asks his mother in Imagine Harry.

You'll have to read the book to find out what happens!

If you have an imaginary friend, write a story about him or her. Imaginary friends always have good stories to tell,

we think.

When she was little, Kate had an imaginary friend named Charlie who lived in her wrist. Weirdly enough, when she

started kindergarten, Charlie disappeared.

Years later, he was the inspiration for Imagine Harry. (Thanks, Charlie!)

* * *

How Much Would You Chuck?

We're thinking about woodchucks today because Kate has a problem with them. The cute but sneaky devils like to

hide in her barn and dig gigantic holes in the dirt floor. But thinking about woodchucks (also called groundhogs) on a

day we should be rewriting a manuscript makes us think about that old chestnut: How much wood would a

woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? And that makes us wonder how many drafts would a woodchuck

write if a woodchuck could write drafts? Hmm. Doesn't have quite the same ring, does it?

But how many drafts of a story do you write? How easy (or hard) is it for you to throw away sentences, paragraphs,

or entire pages that aren't working in your story? It's never easy, is it? But here's a simple rule we like to use.

Take your age and divide it by two. That's how many drafts you should write.

We're not talking about everyday homework here. But let's say you're ten years old and submitting a story to a

contest. Should you submit your first draft? Heck, no. That's your fast and sloppy copy. You don't want the judges to

see that. How about your second draft? No, no, no. Your story's still cooking. Third draft? Well, you're getting close.

The story's a lot better now, isn't it? Keep fiddling with it. Does your main character have a big problem? Does he or

she go on a journey of some kind? Is there an "Oh no!" moment in your story before the character arrives at a

surprising and satisfying conclusion? These are all the things you can think about as you're writing your third draft.

By the fourth draft your plot should be pretty solid. This is when you can make sure every word is doing its job. Get

rid of weak words, such as "very" and "so" and "awesome." Make your verbs do the hard work. Fifth draft? You're

almost there! Read your story out loud to your cat or dog or groundhog. Make any last-minute changes and send the

story off to the contest. Yay! You did it!

We know. Writing five drafts sounds like a lot of work when you're ten years old. But try it just once and see if you

don't like your fifth draft a hundred times better than your first. And remember, you don't have to pull out your hair

with every draft. You can be giggling. Cackling, even. You can be throwing your head back and laughing wildly like

an evil groundhog. In fact, that's exactly what you should be doing when you write. That's what makes writing fun.

Kate plans to write twenty-four drafts of her next book. Remember the rule and do the math. Now you know how old

she is . . .

* * *

Don't You Just Love a Great Villain?

We grew up loving Barnabas Collins. He was the star of "Dark Shadows," a TV show we weren't allowed to watch. We saw the show only a handful of times before our mom pulled the plug. But we were so crrrrrraaazzzzzy about Barnabas that we started making up our own stories based on people and places in our own neighborhood. This house,

which was right down the street from our house, became this book.

So pals, if there's a TV show you're not allowed to watch or a video game you're not allowed to play, write a story about it instead. That's what we did. You might end up thanking your mom for not giving you what you wanted.

* * *

Nothing Makes Us Sadder Than . . .

Cuts to Library Budgets

Ugh. How can anyone think cutting funding for libraries makes sense? Reading makes people smarter, more empathetic, less violent, and better equipped to think of creative, out-of-the-box solutions in this increasingly complicated world.

Fortunately, there's a great organization called Junior Library Guild that's helping libraries build and maintain terrific collections, even in these

less-than-terrific times. You can read all about them by clicking here: http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/.

We're always proud when Junior Library Guild includes our books in their list of must-haves.

* * *

Speaking of Pictures . . .

.

Sarah shows students how to add color using pastels, markers, and paint.

Did you know every summer Sarah offers a series of one-week art camps for kids in the San Francisco Bay Area?

The results speak for themselves.

(We know. We should've told you about art camp months ago, right? Next year, we'll be better about telling you these things before they happen, so you can sign up and participate.)

Sarah's art camps are really fun.

If you don't believe us, ask Sydney.

* * *

Pretty as a Picture

Little Rabbit strikes several poses in St. Philomena's School library.

One of the nice things about inviting an author and illustrator to visit your school is that you end up with some cool original artwork to frame and hang on your wall.

For more information about Kate and Sarah's school programs, email klisevisit@centurytel.net.

(And thanks again to our pal Polly Wagner for the library photo!)

* * *

Say You Want To Be a Writer . . .

Do you have to be the BEST writer

in your kindergarten class?

Nah. You just have to keep doing it and doing it and doing it.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes or think outside the bous.

(Don't we love our moms for saving this stuff for us? The picture above is a shrinky-dinked copy of one of Kate's less-than-stellar

kindergarten papers from 1968 or so.)

* * *

Go, JoMo!

The tornado that roared through Joplin, Missouri, in May was a nightmare for everyone in this former mining town. The good news? The Joplin Public Library was unharmed in the disaster. The better news? The wonderful folks at the library (Hello, Jeana Gockley) are putting on a terrific summer reading program for book lovers of all ages. We were thrilled to be a part of the festivities last week when we visited and shared some of our books with young readers. Every kiddo who came to the program received a free copy of Little Rabbit and the Night Mare (that one seemed appropriate) or a book from the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Thanks to our friends at Feiwel & Friends in New York for donating copies of Grounded and a big box of non-Klise books. (Hey, you don't have to read one of our books. But after an F-5 tornado, shouldn't you find something to read to take you away for a few hours? We think so. And aren't we all going to love the new JoMo when it's rebuilt better than ever? Yes, indeed. Go, JoMo!)

Kate shares page proofs for Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake (a 2012 release)

with young readers at the Joplin Public Library.

* * *

The Devil Made Us Do It

Ever wonder where writers and illustrators get ideas for their books?

You won't believe where we got the idea for Dying to Meet You.

Click here to hear the whole story:

http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=5588&a=1

(And be careful what you hang on your bedroom door!)

* * *

In a Perfect World

We would send a handwritten, illustrated, and illuminated

thank-you note to every kind soul who posts

a kind comment like this on Amazon.

By Runa "HPLunatic"

Have I mentioned my never-ending love for these sisters in a while? No? Well, it always needs repeated. I am a 20 year old senior in college. I was

introduced to their books in the 5th grade. How is it that they are still two of my absolute favorite writers? I'm pretty sure I'm no longer in their target

demographic. So, this particular series. You may recall I wasn't the greatest fan of the first book in the series. The second one was a huge improvement. And

then came this. Seriously, Klise sisters, how do you do this? This surpassed any and all expectations. It's the same epistolary story pattern that the two of

them have worked hard to perfect, and perfect it they have. We still have an abundance of plot twists, endearing characters with funny (and punny!) names,

and in the end, a story that truly resonates with people of all ages and walks of life. Never stop, Klises, never stop.

But until then, we'll just say thanks Runa "HPLunatic"!

* * *

You Say Tomato, I say Tomahto . . .

Klise. Kleese. Klisay. Klisey. We've heard it pronounced many ways.

Here's how we say it.

Kate Klise: http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronounce.cgi?aid=3926

M. Sarah Klise: http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronounce.cgi?aid=3927

(Note: http://www.teachingbooks.net/ is a great site. You can hear lots of authors and illustrators discuss where their names came from and how to

pronounce them.)

* * *

What's That We Hear in the Cupola?

It's just Olive C. Spence, laughing about about all the awards and honors her first book, Dying to Meet You, has won. Not too shabby for a 190-year-old

ghost, eh?

Connecticut Nutmeg Award nominee 2011-2012

Maine Student Book Award nominee 2010-2011

New Hampshire Great Stone Face 2010-2011

Nevada Young Readers' Award nominee 2010-2011

Rhode Island Children's Book Award nominee 2010-2011

Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee 2012

Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee 2011-2012

Illinois Bluestem Award Nominee 2012

Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominee 2011-2012

Singapore Red Dot Book Award 2009-2010

The Society of School Librarians International Book Award 2009

Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee 2010-2011

West Virginia Children's Choice Book Award 2010-2011

Horned Toad Tale Nominee 2010-2011

Next Indie List 2009

Junior Library Guild selection 2009

Best of the Best Books, Chicago Public Library 2009

Oregon Battle of the Books 2011-2012

Florida Sunshine State Reading List 2011-2012

Alaska Battle of the Books 2011-2012

Washington Library Media Association Sasquatch nominee 2012

Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award nominee 2011-2012

(Note: Thanks to Peoria librarian Polly Wagner for sharing the cool photo!)

* * *

Happy Father's Day!

The late great Thomas S. Klise (1928-1978)

Happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there! Here's a photo of our dashing dad, Thomas Klise, looking a bit like Pierce Brosnan. Dad dedicated his

first book, The Last Western, to us and our siblings. We dedicated our first book, Regarding the Fountain, to him and our mom.

Kids, we can hear you groaning from here: "Do we have to dedicate our first book to our parents?"

Answer: Nope. You don't have to. But you'll want to.

* * *

What He Said . . .

Via del Vecchio Cimitero 43 - Trappola per fantasmi Dal successo di 'Un fantasma in soffitta'

Terrorville, Illinois. In Via del Vecchio Cimitero 43, l’ undicenne Max, lo scrittore Achille Rompi e il fantasma Elettra Spettri vivono felici e contenti,

scrivendo storie di fantasmi amate da tutti i lettori. Ma non hanno fatto i conti con il perfido Dik Tat, a capo del M.I.S.T.E.R.I. (Movimento Internazionale

per la Sicurezza e la Tutela Esemplare di Ragazzi e Infanti): Dik Tat non crede ai fantasmi e pensa che Max debba essere riconsegnato ai terribili genitori

da cui era stato abbandonato. In attesa del loro arrivo, Max dovrà essere messo in un orfanotrofio! Con Max lontano da casa e Achille rinchiuso in un centro

di salute mentale, sarà Elettra a dover trovare una soluzione.

Una storia di fantasmi divertente e imprevedibile raccontata tramite lettere, articoli di giornale e tanti disegni.

Le autrici

Kate e M. Sarah Klise sono due sorelle americane. Kate scrive le storie e Sarah le illustra. Hanno iniziato a collaborare da bambine, e da grandi hanno

ricominciato con successo, vincendo numerosi premi.

Con Il Castoro è uscito nel 2010 Un fantasma in soffitta, primo episodio dell’ originale serie di Via del Vecchio Cimitero 43.

TRAPPOLA PER FANTASMI

di Kate Klise Illustrazioni di M. Sarah Klise

Traduzione di Francesca Novajra Editore Il Castoro Pagg. 124; Prezzo: 13,50 Euro

***

Judy Lopez Memorial Award

Kate Klise and Coco Lopez Anagnostakis

What a treat to meet the daughter of Judy Lopez, whose life and love of books are honored every year by the Women's National Book Association Los Angeles Chapter. Coco gave a lovely introduction to Grounded, the winner of this year's Judy Lopez Memorial Award. (Of course I had to remind Coco that she is her late mother's loveliest memorial.) Coco was also the model for

the medal.

She almost looks like the girl on the cover of Grounded. She certainly has a lot in common with Daralynn Oakland--in all the best ways.

* * *

The Kids Are All Right

Not long ago a young reader from Texas named Hannah wrote to ask how she could become a better illustrator. I told her what I always tell kids, which is to draw a lot and even copy artwork you like. That's how I learned. No fancy art classes needed, though those are certainly fun, too!

In her follow-up letter Hannah included this picture of the jacket of Over My Dead Body, which she had copied. As she said, she did this a few months before I had even sent her my advice. She said that she loved the image of Seymour at Olive's grave and just wanted to draw it.

Great work, Hannah from Texas!

* * *

This is JEOPARDY!

We have no idea who creates these things or how (or why). But they crack us up.

So much more fun than making a PowerPoint, right?

http://jeopardylabs.com/play/enter-title42366

* * *

If you're going to Germany this summer . . .

check out the German edition of Dying to Meet You.

(Let us know how they translated the punny names. We never understand how that works with foreign editions.)

* * *

Hello, Muddah Hello, Faddah

Here's a book you Might like a lotta

What can we say? This was one of our first books, but it still makes us giggle. Thanks to School Library Journal

for the nice mention!

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/890413-427/middle_grade_tell-

alls_wimpy_kid.html.csp

* * *

How Do You Choose a Title?

You write the book. It’ s about death and a dog named Secret and the search for a dead man’ s money, among other things. But then you have to figure out

a title for the book. How? You make a list. Our feeling is, you can't think of the right title for a book until you think of a bunch of wrong titles. Here’ s a list

of titles we considered before arriving at Till Death Do Us Bark.

Tomb It May Concern

Laugh After Death

Paws Before Dying

Secrets in the Cemetery

Secret’ s in the Cemetery

Rest in Paws

Dying Cats and Dogs

Paws Up If You’ re Dead

P.S. You’ re Dead!

A Doggone Death

Till Death Do Us Bark

See how it works? Next time you're stumped for a title, force yourself to make a list of ten wrong titles. We bet in the process you'll think of the right title.

* * *

Here's Why You Should Keep a Diary

(Copied from Sarah Klise's diary, 1970something.)

Because when you're older, you can show your little sister what you really thought of her.

(Dum, eh?)

* * *

Ella Takes a Gold!

Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant

wins Comstock Read Aloud Book Award 2011

In this fictionalized biography, Ella Kate Ewing tells her own story about growing up to be a “ real, live giant.” By age seventeen, Ella Kate was eight feet

tall. Even though her parents wanted to protect her, she decides to accept a job from a museum manager in Chicago. He advertises her as “ the tallest lady

on earth.” Ella Kate made so much money that she paid off the debt on her family farm and built a house where she could stand straight. In the late 1800’ s,

she lived the life of an independent woman, making appearances around the country in exhibitions, traveling circuses, and even the world’ s fair. “ Stand

straight, Ella Kate,” a saying she learned from her parents, became her mantra. Born in 1872, Ella Kate died in 1913 at the age of forty. An author’ s note

at the end of the book provides further information, including a description of the disorder “ gigantism.” Ella Kate continues to be known in her home state

of Missouri as the “ Gentle Giantess.”

The book’ s vertical trim size perfectly fits the subject. The muted acrylic illustrations provide details of the time period and aptly depict Ella Kate’ s

special abilities. Several teachers commented on the endpapers. A third grade teacher wrote: “ The endpapers caused the real stir. Things like the size of

Ella Kate’ s shoes and gloves really got the children talking. They all wanted to compare their hands to hers.”

This book was popular with students from ages nine through twelve. Children were very attentive during the read aloud sessions and were inspired to ask

questions and add comments. Fourth graders noted: “ It was touching—how her life turned out positively despite a rough start.” One sixth grade teacher

commented that the story led to a good discussion about differences and that he planned to recommend the book to the school’ s social worker.

The author and illustrator, who are sisters, grew up in Peoria, Illinois. Kate now lives on a farm near Norwood, Missouri, and Sarah resides in Berkeley,

California.

The Read Aloud Book Award Project is partially funded by a grant from the Solomon G. Comstock Memorial Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota;

and the Wanda Gág Book Award Fund of the Minnesota State University Moorhead Alumni Foundation, Moorhead, Minnesota.

-Carol Hanson Sibley

* * *

Till Death Do Us Bark

43 Old Cemetery Road, Book 3

The new book is out! It's about:

*a dead man named Noah Breth

*his two squabbling kids named Kitty and Kanine

*a mysterious last will

*a dog named Secret

*a boy named Seymour Hope

*a ghost named Olive C. Spence

*a crabby writer named Ignatius B. Grumply

and . . .

Well, you'll just have to read it to find out the rest.

(Hint: If you like silly limericks and shaggy dogs,

you're in for a treat!)

* * *

We almost passed out with JOY when we heard this!

Check out the fifth-grade (but first-class!) chorus of Shaler Elementary School

in Glenshaw, PA, under the remarkable direction of Cynthia Dougherty.

Ms. Dougherty wrote original music for the libretto in Regarding the Fountain. Have a look and a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw0ZJ5ulI-s

One word: Fantabulous!

Deep bows to our new friends at Shaler Elementary.

* * *

A Readers' Theater Script for Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth

© Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise

Hey kids, let's put on a play! Here's a fun class project that's perfect for Mother's Day--or any day at all! Simply

choose 12 children (or adults) to play the following roles.

Characters:

Narrators 1, 2, 3, and 4 Little Rabbit Mother Rabbit Ringmaster Mother Kangaroo Young Kangaroo Owl Skunk Moose Narrator 1: Little Rabbit was playing in his messy room when he heard the sound of drums beating far away.

Narrator 2: He knew it could mean only one thing.

Little Rabbit: The circus is in town! The circus is in town!

Narrator 3: He watched as the performers paraded past his playroom window.

Narrator 4: Little Rabbit found his mother reading in the living room.

Little Rabbit: Can I go to the circus?

Mother Rabbit: If your playroom is clean.

Little Rabbit: I'll clean my playroom tomorrow.

Mother Rabbit: I'd like you to clean your playroom now, and then you may go to the circus.

Narrator 1: So Little Rabbit started to clean. He began by pushing a moldy old experiment under his desk.

Narrator 2: Then he tried to tidy up his collection of sticks and rocks.

Narrator 3: But somehow his playroom seemed to get messier, not neater.

Little Rabbit (kicking a stack of toys): It's hopeless. I'll never get my playroom clean in time to go to the circus.

Mother Rabbit: No circus for you today, Little Rabbit.

Little Rabbit (yelling): I never get to do anything fun! It's not fair! You're so mean! I'm . . . It's . . . You're . . . .

Narrator 4: But Little Rabbit was too angry to continue.

Narrator 1: Then he had an idea. He climbed out his playroom window and found the ringmaster.

Little Rabbit: I'd like to join the circus.

Ringmaster: What's your act, your specialty, your claim to fame?

Little Rabbit: Well, I have the Meanest Mother on Earth.

Ringmaster: Is that so? If you can sell one hundred tickets to see her, you're in tonight's show.

Narrator 2: Why not, thought Little Rabbit.

Little Rabbit (in a loud voice): Come see the Meanest Mother on Earth! She has two heads, and she uses them to think up mean ways to punish the small and the innocent.

Mother Kangaroo: Really? I find that hard to believe.

Young Kangaroo (in a little voice): I can believe it.

Little Rabbit: Come to the circus and see for yourselves!

Narrator 3: And Little Rabbit sold his first two tickets.

Narrator 4: But he needed to sell 98 more.

Little Rabbit (in a louder voice): Are you brave enough to witness the Meanest Mother on Earth? She has two heads and green teeth.

Owl: She sounds terrifying.

Little Rabbit: She is terrifying! And ferocious, too. Why, if you just look at her the wrong way, she'll chop off your tail and eat it in one bite.

Skunk: Oh, I have to see that! One ticket, please.

Little Rabbit (in his loudest voice): The Meanest Mother on Earth is appearing tonight! Don't miss your chance to see this Mysterious Marvel of a Maternal Monstrosity!

Narrator 1: By six o'clock, Little Rabbi had sold one hundred tickets.

Ringmaster: Good work. Now get ready. You're on in one hour.

Narrator 2: Little Rabbit raced home and crawled back in his playroom window.

Narrator 3: He found Mother Rabbit cleaning her room.

Little Rabbit: I have a big surprise for you!

Mother Rabbit: You cleaned your playroom?

Little Rabbit: Even better than that, but it's a secret.

Narrator 4: Little Rabbit tied a blindfold around Mother Rabbit's eyes and led her to the circus.

Narrator 1: When they arrived, the ringmaster was already introducing them.

Ringmaster (dramatically): And now, for our final act of the evening, I present to you the Amazing Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth.

[A moment of silence]

Owl: What's so terrifying about her?

Young Kangaroo: You said she had two heads?

Skunk: Her teeth are no greener than mine. I want my money back.

Moose: Me, too!

Narrator 2: And with that, the moose threw a peanut at Little Rabbit. Soon all the animals were throwing peanuts!

Mother Rabbit: Wait! I'll show you all something guaranteed to terrify.

Little Rabbit (burying his head in fear): You will?

Mother Rabbit: Yes! Follow me!

Narrator 3: Mother Rabbit led the animals back to the Rabbits' house.

Mother Rabbit: Welcome to the Messiest Room on Earth. Stinky socks! Dirty rocks! An Emporium of Odiferous Oddities! You won't believe your eyes or your nose.

Skunk: This is shocking.

Moose: Unbelievable.

Mother Rabbit: After you conclude your tour of the Messiest Room on Earth, you may take anything you like as a souvenir. In fact, take two. Or three.

Narrator 4: It was almost midnight when the animals left.

Little Rabbit: Next time, I'll clean my playroom myself.

Mother Rabbit (very firmly): Yes, you will. I have no doubt about that.

Narrator 1: That night Mother Rabbit let Little Rabbit sleep in his playroom under a homemade circus tent.

Little Rabbit: I'm . . . It's . . . You're not really . . . .

Narrator 2: But he was too sleepy to finish.

Mother Rabbit. I know I'm not the Meanest Mother on Earth. I'm the luckiest.