Hi Darleen! I’m so happy to be sending you our first review for ANNIE GLOVER, a great one that will appear in the November 2009 issue ofSchool Library Journal! Congratulations!
Best wishes,
Beth
BEARD,Darleen Bailey.Annie Glover Is Not a Tree Lover.illus. by Heather Maione. 120p. CIP.Farrar.2009.Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-374-30351-8.LC 2008043418.
Gr 3-6–Nine-year-old Annie Glover is more than chagrined as she wraps the chain around her grandmother, locking the padlock as she finishes. Grandma is protesting the removal of a giant tree to make space for the newly planned swimming pool complex. Annie’s fourth-grade classmates think Grandma is a weirdo until Jazz, Annie’s best friend, discovers that the town of Bentley was originally named “Bent Tree” after the old elm. Annie and Jazz propose a plan to save “Elmer” and still have a swimming pool. Their teacher decides to make this a hands-on educational experience with enthusiastic support from all the students, except for Annie’s nemesis, Leroy Kirk, whose dad is set to cut the tree down. Beard adds a comic twist when Annie’s Uncle Claude, an Elvis impersonator, and his two sidekicks show up at Annie’s house, hear about Grandma’s protests, and promise “to deliver” for the rally. Suspense builds as the chainsaw roars, and Mrs. Hodge and most of her students gather around Elmer. Out of the sky parachute three Elvises as “Jailhouse Rock” blares from the airplane. Channel 8 news arrives and “Don’t be cruel, to a tree that’s true…” is heard gathering momentum across the swelling crowd. The city manager relents, and the chainsaw is silenced. Light fun, with a save-the-planet message, Beard’s fast-paced plot accompanied by Maione’s comic illustrations will have plenty of fans, including reluctant readers.–D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville , OH
Beth Potter
Assistant Editor
Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers
Teachers--Want to celebrate Arbor Day at your school? Click herefor some fresh ideas! (Arbor Day in Oklahoma is the last full week in March. The state tree is: Eastern Redbud . . . For other states, click here to find out when you celebrate and what your state tree is: www.arborday.org)
February 15, 2010 An Article by the Norman Transcript
VIDEO: Woman of her word
By Christian Potts
Watch A Video by Darleen! (Click on text) With an eye on history and a mind for touching the thoughts and senses of her young readers, Darleen Bailey Beard paints a picture through her words.
Darleen's Latest Book . . .
Annie Glover’s grandma is always protesting something, but she goes too far when she chains herself to a century-old tree and names it Elmer. Elmer is scheduled to be cut down to make way for a new swimming-pool complex and Grandma is trying to save him, but Annie wants that swimming pool—and so do all her classmates. Now she must endure all the other fourth graders asking her embarrassing questions and that pesky Leroy Kirk calling her a “tree lover.” However, as Annie considers what Elmer means to her town and to herself, she begins to think that maybe Grandma’s not so crazy after all.
Adorable illustrations perfectly capture Annie’s scheme to save Elmer—with the help of her teacher, her best friend, a zany trio of parachuting Elvis impersonators, and, yes, even Grandma. This book is based on the true story in Stillwater, Oklahoma. A few years ago, an elderly lady chained herself to a tree in order to protect the tree from being cut down for the hospital's parking lot expansion. This lady made front page news and inspired Darleen's story.
Introduction Darleen says she's a "tall gal who writes short books" and claims to be an eighth-cousin to Franklin D. Roosevelt and to have slept in the same bed as Teddy Roosevelt, though he was NOT in the bed at the same time she was!
Books Darleen has several award-winning children's books, many of which are based on true stories and have been turned into plays. Her books have received starred and boxed reviews, and have been chosen as Junior Library Guild Book Selections. Her books have been nominated for various state book awards, have won the Oklahoma Book Award, the Gamma State Author Award, the Amelia Bloomer Award, and have been chosen as a "Best Book of the Year" by Bank Street College of Education. Her bookscontinue to make the "recommended reading" lists and "Battle of the Books" lists throughout the nation.
Speaking Information With a BA in Professional Writing from the University of Oklahoma, she has performed in hundreds of author visits, conferences, festivals, university panels, and book-related events throughout the nation. She enjoys speaking to ALL GRADE LEVELS and has many fun-filled and inspiring sessions to choose from with over 30 "kid-tested and teacher approved" HANDS-ON WRITING WORKSHOPS guaranteed to get students excited about writing and to prepare them for their statewide testing. Some of her workshops include costumes, food, music, and props.You never know just what she'll do to capture students' interest.
Here is Darleen's video and an interview from a previous "Featured Author" of the Month!
Darleen Bailey Beard Norman OK
"I so love seeing the faces of the students who are reading my books. Seeing their excitement and receiving their notes and pictures are just the icing on the cake! One of my favorite notes a student gave me says: "Darleen's heart flows with good stuff!"
Darleen: Actually, it started when I was 10-years old and in the 5th grade.My teacher, Mrs. Jacqui Shickling, at Herbert Hoover Elementary in Langhorne, PA, used to make us write stories with our spelling words.That's when I fell in love with writing.I knew then that when I grew up, I would be a writer. I still have some of the stories I wrote in 5th grade and now I show them in my PowerPoint presentations on my school author visits.
OCAI: Tell us about your first book sale.
Darleen: My first sale was in 1993, with my picture book, The Pumpkin Man from Piney Creek.At that time, I was living in an old home built in 1903. The home was so old that our heater was constantly breaking down. Well, one day I had the phone book in my lap and was calling repairmen, trying to find someone who could come fix our heater. None of the repairmen were answering their phones. Then my phone rang. I thought it was a repairmen calling me back. Was I ever surprised when the voice on the other line said, "This is Beverly Reingold with MacMillan.I love your book and I'd like to buy it!"I was speechless.Well, I tried to remain calm and business-like, discussing the details with her as best I could, but as soon as I got off
the phone, I threw down the phone book, jumped up and down, and cried like a baby!
OCAI: What do you enjoy most about writing?
Darleen: I LOVE when my characters take on a life of their own and do things that surprise me.I know that may sound strange.After all, I'm the author and I should know ahead of time what my characters are going to do.But sometimes my characters will just kind of take over.And when they do, I have to sit back and laugh.For example, when I wrote my novel, The Babbs Switch Story (winner of the Oklahoma Book Award & Gamma State Author Award), I had no idea that Elden Larrs would show up in the boxcar one day after school to try to get Ruthie Bird to kiss him.So when she opened the door to go inside, and there he was, I was just as surprised as my character Ruthie! I also have to say that another great thing about writing is doing school author visits. I keep all the notes the students give to me. One that I put on my bulletin board says: "You may not know me, but you're my best friend!!!!!!!" Now I ask, can life get any better than this?
OCAI: Thanks for sharing this with our viewers!
Darleen:Thanks! And I'd like to extend a very big THANK YOU to Randy Turney, Special Education Teacher in Elk City, OK, who gave me the idea to create this new website for Oklahoma authors and illustrators.Thank you, Randy!And another BIG thanks to my fiancé David Riffle, computer-wizard extroidinairre.Without his help, design, knowledge, and patience, this website wouldn't exist.Thank you, David!
Do you dream of becoming a published author? Would you like an award-winning author to line-edit your story, offering helpful comments and suggestions to improve your writing?Then click on the link to the right to get Darleen's brochure for critiquing manuscripts. She'll not only line-edit your stories, but also provide a typed review with instructions of how to make your stories stronger!
Darleen will do three or four sessions per day, plus autograph her books.She also enjoys eating lunch with students and teachers, so if you want to host a special luncheon, please do!(See Tips for Planning Your Event for sample schedules, “Author’s Lunch Bunch” ideas, and fun information to make Darleen’s visit even easier to plan.)If you don’t see the session below that you’re looking for, just ask. Her sessions can always be tailor-made JUST FOR YOUR EVENT!
Author Talks— Darleen discusses her childhood, how terribly shy she used to be, her ‘Band-Aide’ collection (kids love this!), & the special fifth-grade teacher who changed her life.She does a book talk, current works talk, Q&A, and a slide presentation which shows her personal life, the process a book goes through to become a published book, as well as the pictures she drew & the stories she wrote when she was in elementary school.
FOR ALL AGES.Time: 45-60 minutes.
For Pre-K & 1st Grade: 20-30 minutes.
Hands-on Writing Workshops— Fun, kid-tested, hands-on writing workshops for not only students but teachers, as well.Approximately 30 workshops to choose from, many of which include props, silly costumes, music, & food.Click here to see her writing workshops.All workshops enforce the writing skills which students are required to master in their statewide writing tests: Narrative, Persuasive, Expository, and Descriptive.
FOR ALL AGES.Time: 45-60 minutes.
Workshops for teachers can be a half-day or whole-day(s).
Author-in Residence — Darleen will visit your school for up to eight-weeks at a time and engage your students in the above mentioned, fun, hands-on writing workshops.At the end of her residency, students will have a collection of their writing and illustrations in a hardbound book.Students enjoy the opportunity of working one-on-one with a “real live author,” sharing a special connection with her over the length of her residency, and having a “Famous Author Party” to celebrate the publication of their very own books!When students hear her knock on their classroom door, they often shout, “She’s here!She’s here! What do we get to write today?”It’s a special event which your students will never forget.Teachers get tips and lesson plans, so they, too, can share these fun writing workshops with future students.
In-depth Q & A with Poetry Writing—Darleen answers in-depth questions about what it’s like to be an author— the ups & downs of getting published, how she gets her ideas, behind-the-scene stories about her books, money (you don’t want to be nosy, but you’d really like to know), & shows students how to submit their own writing & art to publishers.
A casual, sit-down session. FOR 3rd GRADE - ADULTS.
Time: 20-60 minutes.
BRAND NEW
Idea Files: How to Jumpstart Story Ideas—Darleen opens her own personal ‘idea file’ to show the newspapers, photos, travel brochures, magazines, cartoons, and even junk mail she uses to spark ideas for her award-winning books.
FOR UPPER ELEMENTARY - ADULTS. Teachers enjoy this session as it shows how they can help students create idea files in the classroom.
