Cost of Books

I don't know what brought it to mind, but today I remembered going to a local swap meet when I was about 10 years old and finding an old journal at an antiques stand. Just a thin paperback, yellowed with age.

I breathlessly separated the pages, expecting treasure maps or something--but instead, someone had used it to record their shopping lists and how much they'd paid for the items in 1908. I could actually know how much things cost over a hundred years ago!!!

My eyes got really big, and I counted up the change in my purse as I took it to the seller. She turned the journal over in her hands, and looked at me with a funny expression. "You know this--this is really old, right?"

"I know!" I said. "It's full of time travel!"

In the intervening years, it got lost in one of a dozen moves (I wish I was exaggerating) and I've always wondered if some other child acquired that magical journal. It was one of the things that set me on my path to writerhood, so maybe it was magic!

Illustrator blogs



As a YA writer, blogs have been an invaluable source for me to learn craft and catch up on industry info. Now that I’m also my SCBWI region’s Illustrator Coordinator, I took advantage of the private Yahoo group for ICs and asked my peers for their favorite blogs—and I couldn’t resist sharing their recommendations with everyone through my blog!

Most of these blog links are illustrator-centric, but many offer writing advice also, so you author/illustrators and writers may want to take a look too. Happy clicking!

In no particular order:

The How To Be A Children’s Book Illustrator site has great features like Guest Critiques and an Illustrator Matchup service

The Kidlit Artists blog has an SCBWI connection, since it’s the group blog of recipients of the SCBWI Illustration Portfolio Mentorship Program (LA Summer Conference).

Illustrator and art director Guiseppe Castellano has some tips for you under his #ArtTips page 

Find interviews and inspiration on Chris Oatley’s site 

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast is a blog about books, that features heavily on picture books and illustration

Wow, you could really get lost following all the links and features on Kidlit411   

Kathy Temean’s blog features some great illustration examples and how-tos  

Art of the Picture Book is dedicated to “exploring design and illustration of children's picture books” and features some great interviews 

The Children’s Book Academy site has a blog “Mondays with Mandy or Mira!” 

Children’s Illustrators blog: be sure to check out the “blogging illustrators” links in the sidebar to make some new connections! 

Feel free to link your favorite blogs for illustrators in the comments!