Teachers.Net Chat with Author/Teacher Joan Holub

Monday, September 13, 1999
A Teachers.Net Chat
with
Children's Book Author & Illustrator
Joan Holub
http://www.joanholub.com/

Sandy/K/MO - Welcome eveyone.. Tonight we are very lucky to have Joan Holub :-)
Sandy/K/MO - Joan Holub, former Associate Art Director in the children's division of Scholastic, Inc. in New York, is the author of 18 books for young readers and illustrator of 16 others. Ms. Holub's books are popular selections in the major school book clubs, Scholastic and Troll. Her "One Hundredth Day of School" website, a spin-off of one of her books with author Angela Medearis, offers ideas to encourage and enhance 100th day celebrations in schools. Ms. Holub also maintains a colorful website at http://www.joanholub.com showcasing her books and offering teaching activities, contests, and writing tips for children
Kathleen - Hi, Joan!
joanholub - Hi Kathleen and all. Thanks for the intro, Sandy. I'm Joan Holub, children's book author/illustrator. My newest books are

I HAVE A WEIRD BROTHER WHO DIGESTED A FLY
(Albert Whitman)

and

HAPPY MONSTER DAY
(Scholastic).

I'll be glad to answer any questions.
Kathleen - Joan, in I Have a Weird Brother Who Swallowed a Fly you deal with a non-fiction scientific topic (digestive system). Is this type of book a first for you (the science imbedded in the story)?
joanholub - Yes, it is. It was hard to sell because publishers were concerned about mixing the fiction and non.
Kathleen - Joan, why did someone other than you illustrate I Have a Weird Brother Who Swallowed a Fly? (The illustrator is Patrick Girouard)
joanholub - I was asked to illustrate the book, but the art was due in 4 months and I was too busy to do it.
Sandy/K/MO - Joan why would they be concerned.. there are several books with the mixture fiction/non
joanholub - Yes, I agree that it's not that unusual. I had interest from several publishers but others were bewildered.
Luna CA - Were you always an author at heart or was it a later in life love?
Kathleen - Joan, what is your favorite book so far (one you wrote, then your fav for illustrations)
joanholub - I was always an artist and a reader. I became an author later. But now I love writing. If I had to choose one or the other, I'd write instead of illustrating. Though I like both.
joanholub - I HAVE A WEIRD BROTHER WHO DIGESTED A FLY is my current favorite because it's my first hardcover as an author.
Luna CA - That gives me hope, I am just really learning to write now.
joanholub - I also like BOO WHO? my Scholastic riddle book/Halloween.
Kathleen - Joan, what is the best and most exciting thing that could happen to you professionally?
Sandy - Joan.. I like that title and I know the kids will too
joanholub - Yes, always have hope. It took me 4 or so years to sell my first story.
joanholub - The most exciting thing would be to win a Newbery or Caldecott. I think many authors and illustrators would agree with that. But I get a HUGE thrill just seeing my books in a store. Or seeing a child reading one. Or getting a fan letter.
Sandy - Can you give us just a teaser on Happy Monster Day?
joanholub - HAPPY MONSTER DAY is about a little monster named Mac who wants his own day like moms have Mothers day and dads have Fathers Day. His parents agree he can have his own day, then he rrealizes all that he already has on that day. Kids can fill in the blanks and guess answers.
joanholub - wow, that was a long teaser--longer than the book!
Kathleen - Joan, you sent me an activity sheet to accompany I Have a Weird Brother Who Digested a Fly. It depicts the boy's digestive system and asks children to label the organs. Does that activity sheet come with the book?
joanholub - The activity sheet can be downloaded and printed from my website http://www.joanholub.com
Sandy -

The Spooky Sleepover
Kathleen - Joan, are you doing any traveling to promote your books?
joanholub - I'm encouraging teachers to write to me at my po box for free stuff like activity sheets, bookmark/postcards. Look on my website under Teaching Activities Directory for info/address.
Sandy - I think that these two are a must for my kids :-) Oct. is my favorite month
joanholub - I'm not traveling or speaking except a few times this year. I'm so swamped and my first loves are writing/illustrating rather than speaking.
Sandy - Joan a couple of years ago you sent me some of the postcards.. I had to guard them because the kids wanted them :-)
joanholub - I now have cards for WEIRD BROTHER. Email your address again and I'll send some.
Kathleen - Sure, teachers love free stuff! Thanks!
Kathleen - Joan, what are you working on now?
joanholub - What are you two up to on teachers net these days? Or otherwise.
Kathleen - I teach kindergarten in the morning, rest of time is Teachers.Net stuff.
joanholub - I'm illustrating 4 books and in the middle of revising several manuscripts. It took so long to sell the first books and now I'm on a roll. (knock on wood)
Sandy - I was wondering.. where do you come up with the ideas.. that has to be so hard
Sandy - I teach all day kdg. all night t.net :-)
joanholub - Ideas are so easy to come up with. It's the development of them into a sensible story that's hard.
joanholub - So you're both K teachers. That must be tiring!
joanholub - I visited a K class for 3 days once. Wore me out!
Kathleen - It is VERY tiring
Sandy - it's the best place to be.. hard on the knees but wonderful
joanholub - Kids are so sweet at that age.
Kathleen - Joan, when you get away from work, what do you like to do? Where do you like to go?
joanholub - I love museums, mining towns, hiking, traveling. I'd travel 6 months a year if I could.
joanholub - Do any of you write?
Kathleen - Have you written about mining?
Paulie - I wanted to know what age these books are for?
Paulie - I teach Kinder too!
joanholub - I write easy reads for first-third grade, plus other books for younger and older up to 11 eyars.
Kathleen - I don't write very much. Originally planned to go into journalism, though. Now I write daily newletter to parents, e-mails, etc.
Paulie - I love to write essays. . .
Sandy - I have always wanted to try writing.. the ideas seem like they have all been taken... you know , like my kids say "I was going to say that" LOL
joanholub - I'm thinking of doing something on mining--just submitted an idea today.
Kathleen - mining isn't something that has been over-covered for sure
joanholub - The subjects have all been done, but there's always room for a new slant on a topic.
Bonnie - I teach first grade after being a stay at home Mom for 4 years. Please tell me the titles of some of your books. I will look for them in our library.
joanholub - PEN PALS, PAJAMA PARTY, 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL, I HAVE A WEIRD BROTHER WHO DIGESTED A FLY, ETC.
Paulie - mining for what?
joanholub - Gold, silver, lead, Paulie.
Paulie - Oh I have 100th day. . .
Kathleen - Ivy Green Cootie Queen
Kathleen - Space Dogs on Planet K-9
joanholub - 100th Day is my best seller so far. A Medearis wrote it. I illustrted it.
joanholub - Thanks, Kathleen. I forgot those.
Kathleen - Boo Who? A spooky lift the flap book
Bonnie - Which would you recommend I read first to my 1st graders?
joanholub - Pen Pals would be a good one.
Kathleen - Maybe Pen Pals for your first graders Bonnie, then get some pen pals
Paulie - We can't do anything connected to halloween at my public school - parents voted everything down
Mountainette 4/WV - Is Space Dogs a book that can be read in about 30 min or less?
joanholub - Paulie, what area are you in?
joanholub - Yes, Space Dogs would take about 20 minutes.
Paulie - so CA
Kathleen - Red, Yellow, Green, What Do Signs Mean? then do a theme on signs
Bonnie - Thanks, great idea about pen pals. I have some awesome writters. Happy Monster Day sounds great for October.
Sandy - :-( we don't dress up but still get to do spooky things
joanholub - Paulie, does that mean no books in the library involving Halloween? Can you even read a spooky book around halloween?
Paulie - I might like Pen Pals . . . have to check that out wonder if it will be in our Book Fair we are having tomorrow?
Sandy - Paulie is it a scholastic book fair?
joanholub - It has been in book fairs I've heard. Hard to say. I hope it is!
Paulie - We aren't even supposed to mention Halloween
Mountainette 4/WV - You mentioned WEIRD BROTHER was your first hard back - do public libraries have your books?
joanholub - Bonnie, what sort of book-writing author day acitivities do your kids do?
Paulie - Gonna look for it tomorrow
joanholub - Yes, some of my books are in libraries. Weird Brother just came out so it may be a month til its in stores.
Kathleen - Mountainette, I would think any children's section in the public library would have a good selection of Joan Holub books
joanholub - All of my books are available on Amazon.com
Sandy - I know ours does.. a couple of the kids checked pen pals out ( I think that was it, last year)
sharon - Joan: do you have any good ideas for 4th graders to write with?
Bonnie - We have been in school 15 days. So far they have written short stories only. I would love to do an author a month study and have you be our first subject.
Kathleen - Many of Joan's books are listed and linked for you at http://teachers.net/bookshelf/shopping/lit_frame.html
Mountainette 4/WV - I just checked out your website and it is really good!!! Thanks for doing it for us teachers.
joanholub - Cool, Bonnie. I love it when classes do author of the month things. I'm up for it.
joanholub - You're welcome, mountain
Kathleen - Bonnie, is your classroom connected to the Internet?
sharon - I am in charge of reading month for March. Do you come to schools?
Sandy - http://www.joanholub.com showcasing her books and offering teaching activities, contests, and writing tips for children
joanholub - Sharon, 4th is a little old for me. What sort of ways have you had them write before?
Bonnie - Great, I will be in touch. Unfortunately we are probably facing a mandatory evacuation tommorrow due to Floyd. I live across the brige from Chas., SC. We had Hugo ten years ago and this is not looking good for us.
sharon - I just used Harris Burdick's book and they wrote stories to the pictures
joanholub - Sharon, I'm not visiting schools right now, but my websie has a FREE link and I'll send activity sheets/postcards/bookmarks if you ask.
sharon - great--thanks for the tip on website
Sandy - Joan what about the kids writing to you? If we enclosed a self adressed envelope/stamped would you have time to reply?
Kathleen - Joan, any plans to write books for adults?
joanholub - Actually you have to go to the teaching acitivy link. Yes, send a 55 cent SASE and I'll send a letter and some other goodies. Send to PO Box 46002 Seattle WA 98146
Paulie - Wow! Joan, the Pen Pal one looks great
joanholub - I have book ideas for adults but no time. I wish I could clone myself.
joanholub - Kids love the character Booger in Pen Pals.
joanholub - they love the name.
Kathleen - Joan, do you ever model your characters on people you have known?
Mountainette 4/WV - We have the Humane Society Lady coming Thurs to talk about Pet Care - hope I can find Space Dog by Wed
Kathleen - Mountain, that would be a great book to include! LOL!
Paulie - I wish I had had the Pen Pal one last year when my class had penpals
joanholub - No. They always are made up bits of different people.
Kathleen - Joan, are there any new trends in children's books? Topics publishers want or don't want?
Paulie - S, Audry Jr got paired with a girl and the girl was not happy - their teacher thought Audry was a girl. . . lol
Kathleen - Forbidden topics?
joanholub - Yes, space dogs has an underlying 'take care of your pet' theme. But mostly it's silly.
Sandy - we are doing the pet census on line, this would be great
joanholub - Well, Halloween and witches are sometimes frowned on as you've heard. In younger books, nothing too evil or cruel is desirable. Young kids can get scared by something that seems innocuous.
joanholub - Publishers are often looking for holiday books. So many have been done but they always need more.
joanholub - The trick is to find a new fresh idea for an overdone holiday.
Kathleen - Joan, do you communicate with other children's authors?
joanholub - One thing I do (Sandy, this might be a writing idea) is mix 2 different ideas or subjects in a story. Say, spaceships and dogs or mining and toothfairies.
Addie k/mo - what about books with a moral or a lesson? are these books becoming more popular with more emphasis on character building now, etc.
joanholub - I have met lots of authors and artists at conventions and we keep in touch via email. I love meeting other authors, editors, teachers, etc. I'm fascinated with how everyone does the same job differently.
Addie k/mo - joan, that mix would be a good mind stretching activity for kids....making them think very creatively to mesh the two different topics
joanholub - I like to stick in a moral or lesson but it has to be so subtle. If it's not, publishers think a story is too teachy.
Sandy - thanks Joan.. may try that with our writing on Wed.
lorip123 - Joan, maybe you've already answered this-but did you use to be a teacher? I just perhaps since you wrote a book about the 100th day of school.
joanholub - Yes, Addie, it's something I do naturally to get ideas.
Addie k/mo - joan, i think the kids prefer it that way too, then through discussion with parents or teachers the "moral" can be discovered
joanholub - No I've never been a teacher but have teacher-friends I ask questions of and visit their classrooms. It's very informative.
joanholub - When I visit a class, it is exhausting. I guess teachers get used to it, but I go to bed very early after a class visit.
Paulie - You mean you have never been a certified teacher. . . your books teach kids/teachers all the time. . .
joanholub - Thanks, Paulie
joanholub - I've been writing some nonfiction lately. I like making it unusual and quirky instead of dry. I really find that fun.
Kathleen - I go to bed as early as possible, too!
Paulie - Just telling the truth. . .
lorip123 - Do you have someone who helps you keep the vocabulary to a lower reading level?
Sandy - LOL so do I, especially at the beginning of the year
Addie k/mo - LOL, joan! you have to adjust to that level of activity yearly! it is hard at the first of the year.
joanholub - For instance, WEIRD BROTHER, is fun nonfiction. I like getting information across in a silly way.
Mountainette 4/WV - and sleep all weekend!
Paulie - I had one hr of sleep last night, tomorrow is Open House may not sleep at all tonight. . . lol
lorip123 - What areas or titles of nonfiction?
joanholub - Lorip, the editors do that. I take my best guess, then they correct any problems. Or ask me to correct them.
Addie k/mo - i am glad that you are working on nonfiction. i have lots of kids who really like nonfiction books, especially if they have a "pet topic". it is hard to find good nonfiction, especially for young readers.
Paulie - I never knew editors did that for children's books. . . wow!
joanholub - My NF books won't be out for a while. Except one called HOW TO FIND LOST TREASURE IN A 50 STATES AND CANADA will be out this June from Aladdin.
Kathleen - Nonfiction, the point about how female teachers tend to select more fiction for classroom is important to think about. We need to include lots of nonficiton too
Kathleen - lost treasure sounds interesting, what is that about?
Paulie - lost treasure?????
Addie k/mo - kat, i was thinking about that, it is especially the boys that like the non fiction, but i didnt type that since it sounded so stereotypical
joanholub - I think you may include less because it's sometimes so dry! My mission is to make it interesting.
Paulie - Many of my large class library are non fiction
joanholub - It is about one true lost treasure story in each state. These treasures have never been found and I tell the story behind how they were lost and approx. where people think they are. This is a good geography-related book.
Kathleen - but we have to expose the girls to non fiction too, then they won't grow up to be teachers who use only fiction ;-)
Addie k/mo - actually, i prefer non fiction when choosing my own reading material, but i do tend to select fiction to base themes upon and supplement with nonfiction
Addie k/mo - LOL, kat, you are absolutely right!
Mountainette 4/WV - Can any of your books be purchased at a Sam's Club?
Marmie - Hi, Joan -- The lost treasure books sounds great!
Paulie - sounds interesting Joan. . .
Addie k/mo - joan that sounds like a fun book
Kathleen - joan, would you advance me a copy of that lost treasure book (I'd like to get a jump on finding it before everyone else knows about it!)
Paulie - Will the treasures book be in local book stores?
joanholub - I am not sure, Mountain. Marmie, my hubby gave me the treasure idea. He had visited Sutters Mill and other sites and suggested i write about treasures. I came up with the 50 states theme. I sold that idea really fast.
Marmie - Who will be publishing it?
joanholub - Sure, Kathleen. Aladdin (a div. of Simon and Schuster). It's for ages 7-11 I think.
Sandy - Joan.. that would be really neat.. would go great with my postcard geography :-)
Kathleen - joan, the treasures book sounds like a bestseller for sure!
joanholub - I illustrated the cover. It shows 2 kids digging a treasure-filled hole that is shaped like the USA!
Mountainette 4/WV - Are you going to write a book for each state or include all 50 in one book?
Paulie - Kathleen -- share the wealth we all want a copy before everyone else
Kathleen - Sandy, great idea! I think we can sell many copies of that book when it comes out
Kathleen - joan, great cover idea!
Paulie - I do postcards too
Addie k/mo - in mo, 4th grade learns about the regions of the US. that book would fit in well there too
Kathleen - Paulie, I want the treasure!
Sandy - We could Joan.. we just put it on the list with the postcard idea and it's a best seller :-)
Marmie - Do you get to illustrate your books? I thought publishers liked to get others to illustrate.
Paulie - cute Joan just the mainland huh?
Mountainette 4/WV - We do regions in WV too
Paulie - rly edition lol (to me books are my treasure)
joanholub - It includes AK and Hawaii and 4 CAnadian provinces too
joanholub - Kathleen, email me your mailing address again, so I can mail the treasure book inJune.
Kathleen - Goodnight everyone, got to put this nasty cold to bed. Joan, thanks for another interesting session, and Sandy, thanks for moderating another Teachers.Net live event!
Addie k/mo - thank-you joan for coming and to sandy for hosting! good night!
Paulie - the picture on the front of the hole ahs all those??????
Mountainette 4/WV - joan, I think you need my e-mail address too!! LOL
Sandy - Joan.. thank you for everything it has really been great :-)
joanholub - Marm, sometimes I illus them, sometimes not. The reasons vary I might be too busy or might not be right for a given book.
Marmie - Joan, I am the buyer for our library --here's my e-mail: whitmanl@citynet.net
joanholub - You are welcome! Invite me again sometime.
Sandy - Mountainette she needs ALL of our addresses LOL
joanholub - Thanks Marmie
Kathleen - Joan, we count on you to return always. bye!
Sandy - Joan we will... thank you
joanholub - Marm, email me your mailing address and I'll send a brochure. joanholub@aol.com
Mountainette 4/WV - I'm looking forward to reading your books - night and thanks for chatting with us
Marmie - Joan, thank you for your time --looking forward to your new book!