Madisonia Blog

Good news for 100 Days and 99 Nights

alanmadison — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:32:34 +0000

Scholastic just added 100 Days and 99 Nights to their book club starting in March in paperback!

2010 Monarch Award

alanmadison — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:29:51 +0000

Velma was nominated for Monarch Award which is the Illinois’ K-3 readers choice award. How appropriate!! With Velma’s love of Monarch butterflies this is the most perfect fit. I hope this nomination metamorphosizes into an award for Velma.

Video conversation with California 1st graders

alanmadison — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:26:51 +0000

Last week I really had a lot of fun doing a videoconference for the California Young Reader Medal as part of their meet the author series. I sat in a room alone … staring at a blank screen… ‘way sad’. But then several classrooms of children appeared from all over California. We discussed Velma. The 1st and 2nd graders asked all sorts of great questions. And then we came up with ideas for new Velma’s. It was great fun!

Nebraska Thinks Velma is ‘Way Cool’!!

alanmadison — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:42:28 +0000

Velma Gratcha and the Way Cool Butterfly was nominated for another award! Which to me of course is “way cool.” The award is 2010-2011 Nebraska Golden Sower Primary Award and will be voted on by Nebraska school children. I don’t know that much about Nebraska – I’ve been to Omaha once and it was very fun. I also know they have a school who’s mascot is a cornhusker. Which is kinda funny. Maybe I will write my net book to be Velam Gratch meets a Cornhusker!
Anyway Velma and I are very proud to be up for this award.

Keep those letters coming!

alanmadison — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:02:34 +0000

One of my favorite things is to get letters from people who have read my books. I get letters from all over the country. The one I’ve attached from Washington State is one of the bestest ones I’ve ever gotten. I love the pictures on top! So I shout out one big THANK YOU to Ginny Vale, 2nd Grade, Ardmore Elementary, Bellevue, Washington!! So keep your letters, comments and ideas coming.

Smithsonian Adventure

alanmadison — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:02:52 +0000

What a great day. I took the train from NYC down to D.C. and met my friend Hank. We walked around Washington for a while and checked out some exhibits at the National Gallery. Then we went over to Gardenfest at the Smithsonian. It was great. They had all sorts of interesting exhibits on flowers and plants. They even had one on Monarch butterflies. Then they gave us lunch which was really nice of them. And I drank about 3 waters because it was soooo hot. At 1PM I read Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly to a group of children. I met a little girl named Maya who really liked the book. Then I sat and signed books for a whole bunch of kids who liked the story. I was very excited to hear that in the gift shop at their butterfly con-serve – the-story they were going to start selling Velma! That is definitely the place that it belongs. Afterwards I walked over to the conservatory – it was packed! I slowly made my way back to the train station taking in whatever sights were on the way. Got on my train and went back home. On the train ride home I worked on my next story for Velma.

Butterfly Flu

alanmadison — Sun, 31 May 2009 12:44:41 +0000

I was supposed to do a reading at the Manhattan Day School, but I got the Butterfly Flu – which really isn’t so bad, but I didn’t want anyone else to catch it so I had to cancel and stay home until I got better. Does anyone have any good ideas what to do when you get sick? Like fun stuff? I like crosswords and movies but mostly I just been in my cocoon sleeping.

No matter what I will be better for my reading at the Smithsonian Institute! I am so excited – I mean what if the president comes? I have heard that he is very very interested in butterflies.

Hop you all are better than I am right now!

Velma on Stage

alanmadison — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:19:05 +0000

Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly was selected to be put on as a play by the Open Book Players on May 30th and 31st. They are located in Gardiner, Maine. I wish I could figure out a way to get up there to see the performance. It sounds like a great idea but I cannot figure out how they are going to get a real butterfly to stay on whomever plays Velma’s finger. If you go and see it please tell me how it turned out.

Gratch nominated for The Charlotte ward

alanmadison — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:30:55 +0000

I am thrilled to announce that VELMA GRATCH AND THE WAY COOL BUTTERFLY by ME and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes has been nominated for the 2010 New York State Reading Association (NYSRA) Charlotte Award ballot in the Primary category!

This is very exciting for me since NY is where I live. And E.B. White is one of my favorite authors. I like Charlotte’s Web but I really love Stuart Little.

The award is named for the main character in E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Students in New York State will read titles on the ballot and vote for their favorites up through April 15, 2010. For additional information on this award please visit the Charlotte Award Blog at: www.charlotteaward.wordpress.com .

Thank you Charlotte Award! That is some pig.

Trinity Reading Way fun

alanmadison — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:01:22 +0000

This morning I read Velma Gratch and the Way cool Butterfly and The Littlest Grape Stomper at Trinity School on the Upper West side of Manhattan. The school is beautiful and the kids wonderful. It was a first grade – and one of the little girls, Morgan, was my favorite – she had all sorts of wonderful questions about the book and what Iw as gong to do next. I asked for a little help from the kids on what Velma should do next. There was a lot of children who thought Velma should go to outer space. I tend to agree!!