Andrea Weiss, Editorial Director at Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, began her career in children’s publishing more than 20 years ago. Her first job as an editorial assistant at Highlights for Children (where she proudly wore the title of “Hidden Pictures Consulting Editor”), hooked her on the editorial process. Since then, Andrea has worked at a variety of educational publishing companies, including Houghton Mifflin and Hampton Brown, specializing in reading and language arts textbooks and English learner materials. She was also a Senior Editor at American Girl, where she acquired and edited middle-grade novels and developed advice and activity books for girls. In her current position at Evan-Moor, Andrea oversees the development of supplemental educational materials for grades K through 8, including leveled readers, practice books, and teacher guides, in all curriculum areas.

Mark Geary
Assistant Professor, Dakota State University

Dr. Mark Geary generally works at the intersection of Literacy and Technology, and occasionally gets run over. He has been a member of the Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence (FLaRE) team, the Ohio School Instructional Reading Initiative (SIRI) team, and is currently an assistant professor of Children’s Literature and Technology at Dakota State University. Mark has also presented nationally and internationally on the use of Photostory3 to create booktrailers.

Mary Aalgaard Rude is a graduate of UND with majors in English and German Education.  She taught both subjects for several years then focused on raising her four sons.  Mary lives in the Brainerd lakes area where she is a regular contributor to a local women's magazine, Her Voice, teaches piano, and co-directs a children's art-drama camp.  Mary has worked for Augsburg-Fortress Publishing, writing dramas for Sunday School materials.  She has also written several short stories for children and is working on a YA novel.

Sarah Shumway is an Editor at Dutton Children’s Books, a hardcover trade imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group.  She studied English Literature and Media Studies at William Smith College and spent summers as a camp counselor and bookseller before she graduated and moved to New York to pursue the glamorous lifestyle of a children’s book editor.  Sarah considers herself a generalist, as her acquisitions list includes both fiction and non-fiction for the full range of ages, but she is most interested in commercial young adult fiction, religious/inspirational, funny romantic stories, and historical fiction. Her favorite picture book manuscripts are always character-driven.

When she’s not at work or reading, Sarah sings in a chorus and plays on the company softball team in Central Park.  She is assured she’ll never be very glamorous.

Dutton Children’s Books has a query-only policy, but Sarah is happy to receive queries accompanied by full manuscripts for picture books and query letters including a synopsis and three sample chapters for longer works. Old-fashioned mail is best for submissions to Sarah.

Will Weaver writes fiction for adults and young adults. He was born in Northern Minnesota in 1950 and grew up on a dairy farm. His novels and short stories have earned the praises of reviewers from coast-to-coast for their unflinching realism. The New York Times Book Review called A Gravestone Made of Wheat, "a graceful collection, one that views America's heartland with a candid but charitable eye."

Red Earth, White Earth, Mr. Weaver's debut novel, was published in 1986 by Simon & Schuster and was produced as a CBS television movie in 1989.  A Gravestone Made of Wheat & Other Stories (Simon & Schuster, 1989) won many awards, including the Minnesota Book Award for Fiction. Several of the stories were performed on National Public Radio. The title story was produced as the independent feature film Sweet Land starring Ned Beatty. In October, 2006, Sweet Land earned rave reviews in its national theater release. "A triumph...a movie of extraordinary tenderness" (Entertainment Weekly, 10/18/06). In February, 2007, Sweet Land won the independent film industry's Spirit Award for Best First Feature, and is now out on DVD.

Will Weaver has also written several successful novels for young adults. Each novel in his Billy Baggs series (Striking Out, Farm Team, and Hard Ball; HarperCollins, 1993/95/98) was honored as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association. His novel Memory Boy (2001) is used widely in schools across the United States. Following Claws (2001), his novel Full Service (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005) won starred reviews and was also listed as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Defect, Will Weaver's newest release, is the story of a young man with a miraculous birth "defect." The forthcoming Saturday Night Dirt, a novel focused on auto racing, is slated for release in April, 2008.

Formerly an English professor at Bemidji State University, Mr. Weaver lives in Northern Minnesota, a region he writes from and loves. He is an avid outdoorsman, and enjoys hunting, fishing, canoeing and hiking with his family and friends.

Jean L.S. Patrick is the author of several books for children, including The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth, If I Had a Snowplow, Dolley Madison, Cows, Cats, and Kids: A Veterinarian’s Family at Work; and Who Carved the Mountain? The Story of Mount Rushmore.  Her work also appears in numerous magazines, including Highlights for Children, Boys’ Quest, and Fun for Kidz.   Formerly the book columnist for Kids Today, Jean continues to write a weekly children’s book column for the Mitchell (S.D.) Daily Republic.  

Jean has been the SCBWI Regional Advisor for the Dakotas since 2003.   For more information, visit www.jeanpatrick.com.

Yvette La Pierre is the author of four nonfiction books for young readers and hundreds of articles for adults and children, as well as guide books to national parks and historic sites. Her latest book, Neandertals: Setting the Record Straight, will be published in 2008.

Yvette has worked as a freelance writer and editor for several trade and educational publishers, including The Millbrook Press, FreeSpirit Publishing, and The Univeristy of Wisconsin Press. She is a former Senior Editor at Pleasant Company Publications, where she acquired and edited historical fiction, picturebooks, and novelty books, including Angelina Ballerina, Matchbox Books, and titles in the American Girls Collection and History Mysteries.  She holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia and lives in Grand Forks where she is a full-time instructor for UND's Integrated Studies program.

6:30

Reception and Early Registration
Browse the display of books published by local authors

Welcome

Andrea Weiss, Editorial Director, Evan-Moore Educational Publishers
How to Make a Living as a Writer While You're Waiting to Become an Author

Getting “published doesn’t have to mean getting your name on the cover of a book; there are many other ways to achieve success as a writer. Learn how you can have a fulfilling—and lucrative—career, putting your talent and creativity to work for the educational market. Opportunities abound for writers who can shape curriculum into engaging, grade-appropriate materials including leveled readers, practice activities, test passages, teacher resources, and other instructional texts.

Break-Out Sessions

Mark Geary
Making Your Mark on the World (Wide Web): Best Practices for the Internet

Elementary School Librarians
What's New, What Kids Like and What's Missing: A View from a Librarian

Registration and Continental Breakfast

Mary Rude, Author
The Publishing Puzzle: Where Does Your Piece Fit In?

Getting your work published is like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle. You have a piece, but where does it fit in? Do other pieces need to be in place before you can figure out where yours goes? What shape is it in? Does it need to be longer, shorter, have more color? Where do you, as a writer, fit into the whole picture? That giant puzzle can be overwhelming, but looking at your work piece by piece can help you figure out what you do best. It’s all about making the right connections.

Sarah Shumway, Editor, Dutton Children's Books
What a Lovely Piece of Writing—But Will It Sell?

How an editor walks the crucial balance between craft and commerce without losing her mind, and tips on how you can, too.

10:00

Will Weaver, Author
Where the Rubber Hits the Page: Stock Cars and Reluctant Readers

Will Weaver’s newest novel for young adults, Saturday Night Dirt, launches a series for teenagers who love cars and hate their English classes. Keeping boys reading is a particular challenge. Weaver’s new Motor Novel Series includes an actual race car, a teenaged driver, and a strong web presence. This unique literacy outreach has garnered national attention, and Mr. Weaver will talk about how it all came together.

Lunch  /  Shop Talk

Andrea Weiss, Editor

Have you ever been accused of telling instead of showing? Ever received a manuscript back with the comment “doesn’t ring true” or “sounds cliché” written in the margin? In this workshop we’ll study the mechanics of point of view, and how this often overlooked element of fiction can make or break your writing. Learn how to write from your characters’ perspectives rather than your own; to separate yourself from your narrator and create an authentic, believable storytelling voice.

Faculty Q&A

Red River Valley Writing Project Consultant (Lounge)
Using Picture Books in the Content Areas

Red River Valley Writing Project Consultant (Lounge)
Encouraging Young Authors in the Classroom

Manuscript Evaluation Conferences: As Assigned

Supper
Details at the conference