Books

How to Drive Your Sister Crazy

Warning! DO NOT try this at home!

Do you have a sister?  Do you know how to drive her crazy?  It's easy. Really easy.  Take it from me, Bradley Harris Pinkerton.  I'm good at it. Just ask my sister, Abby.  NOTE: It's your job to drive your sister crazy.  You might as well do it right.

If you're looking for the perfect prank to pull on your sister, Bradley Harris Pinkerton is here to help. Bradley's not-so-innocent instruction guide, complete with flying teddy bears, Slimey, the rubber snake, and ringing underpants, will have your sister screaming, steaming, and chasing you around the house.

NOTE: Girls, if you have a little brother, you'd better read this first.

The Story Behind the Story: How How to Drive Your Sister Crazy! Became a Book

When it came time to teach my son, Sam, to read, he wanted nothing to do with it. "Mommies read. You read to me," was his answer. (I think he just assumed I would always be around to read, since the house next door was for sale, and he was planning on moving in when he grew up.)

And it was true, I read a lot to him, and I told him lots of stories. He enjoyed all the different picture books; we both did, but he loved to hear stories, especially the ones I made up about a boy named Sam who tormented his older sister.

At this same time I was about four years and totally committed to a career in children's writing. (It was either that or go back into auditing, and I figured writing stories for children would be more fun than writing audit reports. You think? And besides, how hard could it be to write a picture book? They're 32 pages and for 4-8 year olds!)

So, I had several picture book manuscripts circulating, as well as magazine pieces. I also entered writing contests, and the Children's Writer's newsletter was holding a contest for a beginning reader - a 500 word, how-to story, written in a creative way on how to do or make something. I knew they were looking for a craft or a recipe, as that was suggested in the rules, but I'm not handy with popsicles - I can make a cross- and "homemade" to me means "remove outer covering, heat one minute, and stir." But I'm always up for a challenge, so I turned on my computer, clicked "blank document" and sat down to write. Three hours later and the high score in Solitaire, I still had a blank document.

"This is a waste of time," I thought.

So, I switched to Hearts. Just when I was about to shoot the moon, my then 9 year old daughter came running into the room, with Sam close behind. "Tell him to stop!" she cried, then went on a five minute tirade of his latest peccadillos.

I sighed in frustration not only because this was a typical scenario in our house, but because I'd missed my turn in Hearts.

"Solve it yourself," I snarled. "I'm working."

"But he's driving me crazy and won't stop," she whined.

"He's the expert," I told her then, thought to myself he could write a book about it. And the light bulb flashed.

So I exited out of Hearts, gave Sam a big kiss for giving me the idea, and duct taped them both to the tree (one where I could keep an eye on them, of course), and started writing down those stories I had been telling Sam about the boy who tormented his sister. I wrote them as if the little brother were telling the reader how to do it. Then I ran it by my critique group, polished it up and missed the contest deadline!

Not one to put a good story to waste, I researched all the publishers that accepted beginning readers and came up with quite a long list. Now, I knew that HarperCollins not only had the best reputation, but also had the best beginning readers, but at this point in my career I wasn't that confident in my writing, so I settled for Random House's Step-Into-Reading. They rejected it, saying it didn't fit into any of their formats.

OK, why not go for the gold? So, I spent one afternoon at Borders and read every single An-I-Can-Read, counting the words, and making a graph of words per page and total words per book. (There was no way they were going to reject me on format!) Then I spent the next few days revising the manuscript into an acceptable An-I-Can-Read format, and sent it to HarperCollins. Months later, I got the manuscript back along with a letter from editor Anne Hoppe, who rejected it saying that it didn't fit into any of the I-Can-Read formats  (WHAT!!?) ... BUT she did ask if I would be willing to write another chapter.

YES! And Heck Yes! I spent another two months revising, and came up with a pattern that I hoped would fit. And it did. Anne said yes and made an offer!

This is the Feast

Classroom Materials -- This is the Feast Teacher’s Guide

When the Pilgrims embarked on their legendary Mayflower voyage in 1620, they couldnt predict what lay ahead of them. In search of religious freedom and a new life, the settlers faced hardships including harsh storms, illness, and unfamiliar terrain. Thanks to their natural perseverance and the help of their neighbor Indians, the Pilgrims survived their first year. And when the harvest the next fall was plentiful, the Pilgrims and the Indians joined together in a three-day celebration, the first Thanksgiving.

Diane Shores lyrical, rhythmic verse and Megan Lloyds lively, joyful illustrations bring the Pilgrims harrowing experience to life, and demonstrate the strong bonds for which we give thanks every year.

Review

From BOOKLIST 9/15/2008

This simple, upbeat celebration of the first Thanksgiving begins with the Pilgrims seeking freedom of worship and fighting stormy seas on the Mayflower, sturdy and strong. Then they arrive in America, a place to call home. Death and disease take a terrible toll, but still there are unclaimed fields yielding a treasure of maize and other crops. The Indians are fearful but welcoming, including Squanto, who shares his knowledge of hunting and fishing. Then, after the harvest of plenty, the Pilgrims celebrate their new home and welcome their Indian neighbors to the feast. With the bouncy rhyme and sun-filled illustrations, this offers an idyllic view of the happy holiday, fun for sharing with preschoolers before the holiday. For older readers, pair it with Catherine O'Neill Grace's 1621:A New Look at Thanksgiving (2001) and other books that include the Indians viewpoint and more of the history.

Look Both Ways

Filbert, a high-octane squirrel with his eye on the prize of the moment has so much fun racing  up telephone poles and dashing through leaves, he forgets to look both ways when he gets to the street. The perfect book  for any child in need of a little reminder  to look both ways.

Also available in German and French.

 Accelerated Reader

2007 Kansas State Reading Award

Bus-a-Saurus Bop

Come and meet the silliest school bus that ever hit the streets...

With wild Miss Hopper at the wheel, the Tardee Twins running late, and a school bus that belches louder than a brontosaurus, it's no wonder that Norman seems like the most NORMAL guy around. Jump on board and come for a ride!

Awards

Bus-a-Saurus Bop has been named a 2004 Children's Choice by the Children's Book Council!  These titles are chosen annually by about 10,000 children from schools all over the country.  The award is co-sponsored by the CBC and the IRA (International Reading Association).

Classroom Materials

Bus-a-Saurus Bop is an Accelerated Reader Book! -- Quiz # 82912

Review

Children's Literature - Beverley Fahey

Somewhere in a wacky town in some alien universe the Bus-a-Saurus, a cross between a dinosaur and a school bus, gobbles up the kids at the start of the school day and spews them back out at days end. Zany, zippy, rhyming text, that must be read aloud to appreciate the cadence, is filled with tongue-twisting syllables and hilarious imagery. Kids will readily join in the refrain and bellow out "C-R-E-E-E-K cringing' as he stops, S-Q-U-E-E-E-K unhingin' his chops." Wild, garish cartoons of the Bus-a-Saurus with its bulging eyes, reptilian tongue and cavernous gullet and the bug-eyed children with their odd shaped heads all add to the fun. It's bizarre, it's off -beat and it may not appeal to everyone, but any kid who has ever ridden a school bus will howl with delight and be-bop on his next bus ride.

2003, Bloomsbury Childrens Books, Ages 5 to 10.

The Story Behind the Story: How Bus-A-Saurus Bop Became a Book

It all started when my daughter, Jennifer, was 2 years old.  She had gone to the doctor one day and had to get a shot.  She was a good little girl and the doctor gave her a sticker. 

That night I let her crawl in bed with me, and I told her a bedtime story about a little girl who had to got to the doctor to get a shot, etc., and the doctor gave her a sticker.  (Like I tell the kids, "write what you know!")  But in my story, the little girl got the sticker stuck on her tongue.  Well, my daughter thought it was the funniest thing she had ever heard.  Of course, I was talking like Sylvester the Cat most of the time, with my tongue between my teeth. 

But, I thought, if my daughter likes it I'm sure the whole world will, and besides how hard can it be to write a picture book, they're 32 pages and for 4-8 year olds?  So the next morning I got up and started writing "Sthicker Tongue-Tied."  (I wrote it in rhyme because I loved reading rhyming picture books to Jenn.) 

But I didn't know how to get my story published.  So I went down to the library and asked the librarian, because as you know, librarians know everything!)  She gave me a book filled with the addresses of all the publishing houses in the U.S. and told me to send my story off to them.  Well, that sounded like a piece of cake, so to increase my chances I made 50 copies of "Sthicker Tongue-Tied" and within a year I received all form rejections from every single house.

This is the Dream

Through striking, powerful verse and gorgeous, detailed illustrations, THIS IS THE DREAM catalogs the American experience before, during, and after the civil rights movement. Come along on this incredible journey through time, history, and American society and see how far we've come in attaining freedom and justice for all.

(HarperCollins Publishers, 2006 Amistad Publishers, 2006)

This is the Dream is an Accelerated Reader Book! -- Quiz #105027

Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ransome (Satchel Paige) creates a striking juxtaposition of closely focused paintings and collage borders incorporating powerful historical photographs. These images will make a strong impression on readers of this expository chronicle of events preceding, during and following the civil rights movement, as Ransome's artwork makes large ideas comprehensible through visual details. The rhythm and "House-that-Jack-Built" meter creates a chilling contrast to what's going on between the lines: "These are the buses-a dime buys a ride,/ but the people are sorted by color inside." Ransome shows the demarcation of the bus's white and black sections, and in a border across the top creates a collage of stirring portraits. Text and artwork similarly depict segrgated lunch counters, libraries and schools. One of the most powerful spreads portrays three black children stepping into a newly integrated school ("These are the students who step through the doors/ where people of color have not walked before"), Confederate flags flying, while a photocollage on the top edge shows the fractured images of angry white bystanders, effectively emulating a mob mentality. Concluding spreads demonstrate the contrast today, with images of a multiracial array of people waiting to use the same drinking fountain and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in one voice at school. This will provide a solid springboard for adult-child discussions, especially since younger readers might need help deciphering some of the poetic narrative's references.

All ages

Kirkus Review

"A soaring tribute to the accomplishments of the civil rights movement... children unfamiliar with the struggle's origins and landmark events will come away with profound appreciation for its nonviolent methods and for its 'dream of freedom and justice for all.'"

Classroom Materials

Download the "This is the Dream" Read Aloud Family Activity Guide (PDF)

Download the "This is the Dream" Student Reading Activity Page (PDF)

View the "This is the Dream" Teacher's Lesson Plans

Television Interview

Diane's Interview on "Good Day Atlanta" (43 MB MPEG movie)

Rosa Loves to Read

Rosa sits down outside her front door for a relaxing afternoon of reading, only to discover the busy street is too disturbing.  Dogs bark, horns honk and the neighborhood kids run amok. Rosa quickly remedies the problem and settles back to read as cats purr, motors run and kids tiptoe.

A delightful Rookie Reader introducing the concept of soft and loud sounds.

Also published in Spanish as "A Rosa Le Gusta Leer"!

Poems

I have to look for something to take for Show-and-Tell.

Where is my new baseball bat or snapping turtle shell?

I know I saw my horseshoe in here somewhere yesterday

Along with my harmonica, but where, I couldn't say.

I'd thank my lucky stars if I could find my telescope,

my kite, or model airplane, but I don't believe there's hope.

I've got it!  I know what to take! Oh, this will be so cool!

Scruffy, come on, follow me; you get to go to school!

I'm swinging on the

monkey bars;

Back and forth I go.

I'm hanging from a

trapeze bar

In a circus show!

I reach up high

to touch the ground.

I see the sky

when I look down.

I'm swinging on the

monkey bars;

Back and forth I go

Children's Non-Fiction

Winner of The Highlights Magazine

2002 History Feature of the Year Award

"Presidential Dentures"

Highlights for Children

February, 2002