Writing Nonfiction Books for Kids and Young Adults
a two-day seminar
presented by highly acclaimed nonfiction authors
Carole G. Vogel and Judith Jango-Cohen
at the Jango-Cohen residence
23 Sarah Street, Burlington, Massachusetts
This course was given in January 2003 and repeated in September 2003.
It will be offered again in the future.
Writing nonfiction for young people may appear deceptively easy. This two-part seminar will dispel the myths and focus on how to write a nonfiction children's book. Carole and Judith have published more than 50 books, spanning every genre of children’s nonfiction, including trade books, photo essays, easy readers, board books, and textbooks. Both Judith and Carole have presented workshops at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) New England regional conferences.
The class will meet from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on two consecutive Saturdays. Each class is limited to 12 participants. Fee: $180. Beverages will be provided but participants will need to bring a bag lunch. For additional information, call Judith at 781-229-6317 or email Carole at cvogel@recognitionscience.com
Topics for the first session:
Breaking in with assignments for educational materials, novelty books, and children’s magazines
How the markets for trade books, educational books, and textbooks differ
Pitching your own book ideas to editors, including the submission process
The research process, including how to judge the accuracy of information at web sites and in print materials, high-tech note taking, and when to hire a researcher.
Organizing and managing a project
Negotiating contracts and working with an agent
Topics for the second session:
Finding and approaching experts
Successful strategies for writing nonfiction and keeping track of sources
Tips for “exciting writing”
Photos and illustrations (writing art specs, photo research, taking own photos)
Promoting your books and yourself
Coping with success
Carole G. Vogel specializes in high interest nonfiction for young readers. Among her numerous books are Nature’s Fury: Eyewitness Reports of Natural Disasters (winner of the Boston Authors Club Book of the Year Award), Legends of Landforms: Native American Lore and the Geology of the Land (a NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book), and Shock Waves Through Los Angeles: The Northridge Earthquake (placed on the Children’s Literature Choice List). Her book, Will I Get Breast Cancer? Q & A and for Teenage Girls, won the Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award for excellence in writing about health-related issues. Carole is a recipient of the SCBWI’s Anna Cross Giblin nonfiction work-in-progress grant. In Fall 2003, Franklin Watts/Scholastic Library will publish The Restless Sea, Carole’s six-book series on the oceans for middle school readers. You can visit Carole’s web site at http://www.recognitionscience.com/cgv/ .
Judith Jango-Cohen began
her writing career in the classroom, creating materials to stimulate her
students’ interest in science. Eleven years later, she left teaching and turned
to writing full time. Today, her 28 books cover an assortment of subjects, such
as respiration, Mount Rushmore, hummingbirds, and dump trucks. Titles include
Crocodiles (listed in Best Books for Children: Preschool through
Grade 6) and Clinging Sea Horses (NSTA
recommended book).
Some of Judith’s books are illustrated with her own photographs. Judith also
developed a literature-based program for preschoolers, which won an Ezra Jack
Keats mini-grant. She served as ‘People’ editor for the SCBWI’s Bulletin
and was a nonfiction judge for SCBWI’s Golden Kite Award.
“This is an excellent course for novice nonfiction writers. The low student/teacher ratio offers a unique opportunity for personal contact with two master nonfiction authors.”
—Rebecca Place Miller
“The time frame was terrific, with every minute filled with useful information. Carole and Judith personally addressed each participant’s interests and concerns. From my own 37 years of teaching, I couldn’t help but notice the number of hours put into preparation for this class, which made it so well organized.”
—Bev Glennon
“What I got out of the seminar was exactly what I've been seeking and so much more. I've always wanted to write, but earning a living as an illustrator has put writing on a back burner for the past 20 years… I just didn’t have the tools or know the steps involved in becoming a nonfiction writer. Judith and Carole supplied these…in a course that was seamless, flawless, and extremely profession.”
—Ann Barrow
“By far the best seminar of this type that I’ve ever attended. Carole and Judith spoke from many years of experience, and showed quite different ways to approach the issues. The instructors were a wellspring of the most practical and helpful information.”
—Curt Newton