Pink Tiara Book Blog Tour: An Interview and a Giveaway!

Some people want to be in the movies or on television.  Others want to meet a movie star.  Not me.  I always wanted to meet an author and talk about the process of writing a children's book. 

Recently, I had the chance to do just that!  I was given the opportunity to interview (technologically-speaking) Maria Dismondy, author of Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun, The Juice Box Bully, and her newest book, Pink Tiara Cookies for Three.

It was quickly apparent that Maria would be a great friend.  In addition to writing, she talked about family and friends... and pajamas!  She even talked about her OLW! 

Here's how our conversation unfolded... 

Maria Dismondy

Q: Why did you decide to become a children’s book author?

A: I became an author to make a difference.  I thought about the message I wanted to get out there and how many children I could reach by selling books.  Even if a teacher reads one of my books to her class of 25 students, that’s 25 people who get to hear my message.

Q:  What is your earliest--or most definitive--memory of "being a writer" as a young child?
A: My grandparents would watch my sister and me every day after school. I remember my grandpa (we called him Dzia-Dzia) writing notes to me. It inspired me to be a note writer in school!!! I still have hundreds of notes I wrote back and forth to friends in school! My mom bought me a diary (with a lock and key, of course) when I was in Kindergarten. I filled the entire diary, writing day by day, about the weather. That's right! I have a record of the weather from the early 80's!

Q: Teachers work hard to encourage students to write.  What can teachers do to encourage our students' "inner authors"?
A: Teachers can encourage students to write what they know. Write about what has happened in their lives. Personal diaries or journals are a great place for many kids to let go of the pressures of writing (grammar, punctuation, etc) and allows them to get the story, along with all their emotions, down on paper!

Q: Where do you do most of your writing?

A: I write anywhere and everywhere. I especially enjoy coffee shops and pajamas. Although, I don’t write in my pajamas in a coffee shop! I get my greatest ideas while driving my car so I jot notes when I arrive at my destination before getting out!

Q: How did you come up with character names in your books?

A: Almost all of the character names are after my family members or someone important in my life. There are hidden messages in all of my books.  You can learn more about these when you hear me speak at schools, libraries or in bookstores! Or follow me on fb and twitter---I share a lot of secrets there!

Q:  How did the image of "pink tiara" come to you?

A: I try so hard to incorporate Legos, cars and trains into my daughter's play. I want her to know that there is more to life than her little kitchen and shopping cart! But with all the exposure to "boy toys" I find her wanting to play dress up and grocery store. Therefore, I wanted to write a book for all the little girls out there (I know girls, we have two of them). However, I play fair! My next book is currently being written and has all male characters!!!

Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing books?

A:  I like to dabble in a number of different things such as fitness, reading, crafts, photography, digital scrapbooking, cooking and finding new adventures with my family.

Q: Who is someone you look up to?

A: I look up to people who have a dream and make that dream happen! I admire people who have balance. Balance meaning they have strong work ethics but manage to put family, friends and health before work.

Q:  Many people in the BlogWorld has been mulling over the idea of OLW (One Little Word) Have you heard of this?  If you were to pick One Little Word, what would it be?
Yes! [I’ve heard of OLW] My OLW for last year was Peace and looking back, I think I was able to achieve a great level of Peace in my life. This year my OLW is Balance. Having a newborn, a two year old, an amazing husband, family, friends, my own business, a job teaching aerobics, hobbies galore, etc… Balance is something I have to remind myself to find, because when mama is balanced, our home is a much happier place

.

Q:  This website has JOY in the title.  I think JOY is important.  What brings you JOY?
A: Doing things for others brings me Joy. My friend and I started a non-profit called Making Spirits Bright. It's so true. If everyone could Pay It Forward, there would be a lot more love to go around.

So there you have it.  Isn’t Maria just great?!  

And
There's

More…

Click here to connect to one of the cutest websites I’ve ever seen. There is so much to enjoy!  You can download a Readers Guide with GREAT ideas for using the book in the classroom.  And after visiting Maria's site, you can honestly say, “I watched the clouds go by.”

You can purchase an autographed copy of the book on Maria’s website right here. Wouldn’t your kids/students love to read the book signed by the author?!

And there’s a link to the book on Amazon right here.

WAIT!

There's Still

More…

You have a chance to win a copy of the book (AND A CUTE TIARA COOKIE CUTTER) right here, right now! All you have to do is add a comment for Maria in the space below.  And it can be something simple, like "Hi Maria," or "I'd love to read your book, Maria."  Of course I'd love for you to be a follower of Joy in 6th too! Don't forget to leave your e-mail address, so that we can contact you to send you your prize!

The winner of Maria's book and the tiara cookie cutter will be drawn using the random number generator on Friday, January 27th at 9:00 pm (PST).  If you are having trouble leaving a comment using IE, try Firefox or another browser because I am REALLY excited about giving away these sweet gifts!

I hope you'll show some love for this blogger's first giveaway...and enter to WIN a book (and a cookie cutter) that will be fun to share.

And, thanks, Maria, for including us as a stop on your tour!

Clutter-Free Classroom Project: Week 3

It’s Week Three in the Clutter-Free Classroom Project!  Part of the prompt said, “Let us see those trash bags bursting at the seams, the recycling bins filled to the brim, and the boxes of treasures waiting to be welcomed into the lives of other teachers…” and I was beginning to panic.  Then I looked at the title of the assignment and took a deep breath.  If you look closely at the graphic, printed under “The Clutter-Free Classroom Project,” you can read the challenge: “Week 3: START to Purge the Clutter.”  Okay, I’ll admit: I added the capital letters to the word, START.  But I sure felt a lot better after I did!  (I’m sure Jodi doesn’t want us hyperventilating—or giving up!)

 

I guess I am just a “baby steps” person. In my heart, I want to be a “giant steps” person, but I find it is pretty easy to get discouraged when I think like that.  When I originally checked, no one had posted any pictures, and I didn't want to be first.* That made me nervous all over again because some lucky declutterer might have filled a dumpster and I had just gotten started.  But then some real nice people posted and I felt better.  Again.

*(By the way, it seems like I only enjoy being first when I can beat Hadar, Farley, or Reagan to posting first on Teeny Tiny Teacher’s site—and those gals must be fast typists because I rarely win!) (And, meandering FURTHER off topic, which I am justifying by using yet another set of parentheses, did you know that Farley and Reagan met up with several other BlogFriends on Friday, and  I am so, So, very SO, THO jealous!!! I AM expecting pictures!)

Back to decluttering…

A million years ago, in January, I posted some pictures of some huge piles of school stuff in my house.  I took several boxes out of my classroom because my room was looking so cluttered and I no longer knew what was in the boxes!  (Note to self:  Bringing unidentified school stuff home is usually a bad idea!).  Once I photographed the piles, I felt even worse… but not as bad as I did when I decided to spread all of that wonderfulness {heaping sarcasm} all over my house.

Which is why I mentioned those baby steps…

I had to start somewhere.  So I began with the pile in my house.  (Here I need to clarify:  It’s the pile that was photographed.  Please do not infer that other piles--of school stuff and home stuff--cannot be found elsewhere!)

I started the clean-up with seventeen boxes—seventeen boxes filled with a peculiar combination of items.  First, I put away the Christmas presents, which, in some cases, meant I ATE my way through the Christmas presents!  Then there seemed to be a clothing section, so the scarf, mittens, and socks from the Washington trip (and a collection of hangers) were put in their rightful spaces.  I never found the cupcake that went missing, but a few pieces of chocolate resurfaced (not hard to figure out where those went) along with two Starbucks cards that went directly into my purse.  There were also several things that went back to the classroom (they already had homes there).  And some bills were paid, important papers were filed, and a recipe for an Indian dish that was in the math practice book (No, I don’t know why) was instead relocated to the front of a cookbook.

What became obvious as I dug deeper was that several of the boxes were filled with books—mixed in with other debris.  So, I pulled all the books together in boxes and labeled them, “Books.” (Crafty, aren’t I?)  These books need to be labeled and leveled to be put into my classroom library, but it was clear that they were books and not cupcakes, so that put my mind at ease.

That left three boxes to be sorted.  I turned on some less-than-educational TV and got through the first box.  Two boxes remain.  If you can’t read the label, it says, “Items to be sorted (Gee I wish I knew where this stuff went!)”  I did give the piles a quick perusal to determine that there was nothing critical, time-sensitive, or living.  The recycling bin shows the evidence, but I’ll leave the “trash” to your imagination.  

I have a lot more to do.  But I have made a START.  After all, that’s what the graphic said.  And typing this post has given me motivation to look in the second box.  There may be more Starbucks cards to uncover or another piece of chocolate.  I just hope I don’t come across that missing cupcake.

Now, click on  the Cluuter-Free picture up above or here and read some more decluttering tales.

AND check back here at Finding Joy in 6th Grade on Sunday, January 22nd, because I have interviewed Maria Dismondy, author of the new children's book, Pink Tiara Cookies for Three and I just KNOW you are going to love her.  You may be the one who takes home a copy of her book (and a tiara cookie cutter too!)

What?
Can't wait until Sunday?
Want a chance for a copy of Maria's book right NOW?
Here's an idea... Click below to go to The Corner on Character.  She's GIVING AWAY a copy of the book AND a pink tiara cookie cutter!!  And then stay awhile and read some of Barbara's other posts!  She is amazing!

Oh, and one last (I did say LAST) thing...
Tara at 4th Grade Frolics is just two blinks away from reaching 800 followers.  EIGHT HUNDRED.  That's really a lot.  And she has a great blog!  Right now she's at 798.  But since 800 feels like a LOT more than 798, you could jump over, become a follower, and give her that 800  It could be you who brings JOY to sweet Tara's day.  Wouldn't that feel nice?  So, just do it!  Click below. Be the one...

Linking Up to A Day in My Shoes

Once again, Blogger and its Blog Roll tactics are defeating me.  I posted about A Day in My Shoes, the Linky Party with Katie from Adventures in Sixth Grade, but it just won't appear on my Blog Roll.  So, if you're interested in how things are humming along (or, occasionally, bumping along) with my sixth graders in California, just scroll down, or click on "Older Post" and join us for a day...