Category Crawly School for Bugs

Jan 27 2019

To video or not to video

Hi everyone,

This past week I’ve spent time recording myself in three 3-minute promotional videos, one each for NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON’T; A PLACE TO START A FAMILY; and CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS. I’ve intended to do this for months and wasted time searching in vain for the program I used quite a while ago when Sandy and I made a video of me reciting one of my poems, “Practice.” Jeff finally came to my rescue and determined that my program had gone out of existence and must have been dropped during an update. He installed VSDC Video Editor, which is free and easy to use.

Making promotional videos is hard work, at least for me. I forget to smile. I scratch my nose. You can hear my breathing. It’s awkward holding up a book. I fail to include an important point. The light makes my skin look creepy. Etc. But yesterday I finally got a decent take on the third book so now they’re in the file ready to use.

Next I need to set up a new DropBox account so my publishers can share the videos and we can talk about ways to use them. It’s a whole new world out there baby.

Dec 5 2018

Crawly School for Bugs has good news

Hi everyone,

Many of you have seen the list by now but I didn’t learn until yesterday that CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS is one of NCTE’s 2019 Notable Poetry Books for Children selections.

My other new title this year, A PLACE TO START A FAMILY, made the NSTA 2019 list of Outstanding Science Trade Books so both books are off and running. I lOVE those lists!

Dec 2 2018

Where are the reviews?

Hi everyone,

Here we are winding down another year and my thoughts are already shifting toward 2019, to seeing old friends again when I speak at South Carolina ILA in February, greeting my lead article about poetry in the Winter issue of Missouri Reader, and holding the first copy of my 96th, due out in spring.

It’s exciting to look ahead, but there’s a risk in it too. I haven’t done an adequate job of promoting the two titles that came out this year and I don’t want to go off into 2019 and leave them behind! A PLACE TO START A FAMILY was recently named to the NSTA list of Outstanding Science Trade Books and CRAWLY SCHOOL was chosen to represent Missouri at the 2018 National Book Fair in Washington, D.C. so the new books are off to a promising start. The reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, etc. have all sung high praise for both titles, but so far neither one has received many online Amazon reviews from readers, and I need to look into that.

If you have read either or both books and haven’t posted your thoughts online, now would be a good time and I would appreciate it very much. Naturally you can order copies if you’re inclined to, but I’m assuming that at least a few who follow my blog already have purchased or checked out copies but have been too busy to think about giving the books a boost.

Here are two sample poems, one from each title:

European White Stork

When high on chimney top you nest,
Legend tells us those who dwell
Within this house are surely blessed.

How old your nest no one can tell,
You keep it in such good repair.
Your ancestors built it well.

Stick by stick they placed it there
Where now you cast your lucky spell
And raise your baby storks with care.
(c) 2018 David L. Harrison
from A PLACE TO START A FAMILY (Charlesbridge)

Private Thoughts
of a Praying Mantis
in the Lunchroom

Tender,
buggy
treats . . .
Sigh.

I could catch them
off guard.

I promised
not
to eat
at school,

But boy oh boy
is this
hard!

(c) 2018 David L. Harrison
from CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS (Boyds Mills Press)

Nov 7 2018

A relaxing time at the lake

Hi everyone,

Back from a few days at Table Rock Lake at Branson. The leaves were spectacular as well as the sunsets.
Now it’s back to work. I haven’t started anything new in a while so I’m eager to get back in the groove. Lots of loose ends need tying and I’m behind on correspondence. In the mail was a lovely note from a young miss who loves CRAWLY SCHOOL FOR BUGS. She also offered some ideas of her own. That’s the best kind of fan letter.