A Happy Like Soccer nomination! Plus some lovely blogger reviews

Great news! Happy Like Soccer has been nominated for the Amelia Bloomer 2013 Project List. What exactly is this list you ask? Here's a description straight from their blog: 

We create an annual booklist of the best feminist books for young readers, ages birth through 18. We are part of the Feminist Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association.

Awesome! Thanks so much for the nomination~



I also wanted to thank this handful of wonderful bloggers who had such kind things to say about our book:

• Books That Heal Kids: 

 "I'm using this story to validate children who might not be living with their parents and to teach other kids that all families have a different make up. What a great new book!"

• Girls of Summer:

"One of the most important skills for girls to learn is self-advocacy. For Sierra, the desire to join the two things she loves most – family and soccer – helps her speak up for herself. Author, Maribeth Boelts, and illustrator, Lauren Castillo, are perfectly paired in Happy Like Soccer. The inviting call and response of words and pictures bring both the light and shadows of Sierra’s story to life."

• Deborah H. Moore:

“Happy Like Soccer  is a story about the joy of family support. It also shows how empowering and wonderful it can feel to figure out a solution to a problem instead of succumbing to despair."

• Buzz Words Books:

"Sometimes words are not enough to describe beauty and excellence. That is the case with this book."

• Read Plus:

"A lovely story extolling the virtues of family and resolution, this story with its bold, seemingly simple drawing style will appeal to many children. All of those who love soccer will be absorbed while those who live in the city and know the problems of getting a spare space to play in will also read it with pleasure. "

• Waking Brain Cells:

"A celebration of a small family, an urban community and sports, this picture book glows with love." 

• Whom you Know:

 "This is a book that should be a must on every classroom bookshelf."

• Kids Reads:

"With honesty and rare subtlety, author Maribeth Boelts and illustrator Lauren Castillo portray an endearing character in a moving, uplifting story that touches on the divides children navigate every day- and remind us that everyone needs someone to cheer them on from the sidelines."

• Kid Lit Frenzy:

"I really liked the message in this story. It presents the challenges that a working single guardian faces in order to attend the Saturday soccer games of her niece."

• Heidi Fuchtman:
  

 "Several years ago, Maribeth (Boelts) brought together all kinds of elementary school kids, teachers, coaches, and volunteers to take part in some soccer. My first two children were born during this time (I remember running around on the field with a pregnant belly!), and the fruit from those few seasons of soccer continues to grow in the lives of many."

Hooray for Happy Like Soccer! And thanks again to Maribeth Boelts for writing such a fantastic, important text for children :)

The Troublemaker

A few years ago my brother moved to an apartment near the north section of Central Park in Manhattan. He encountered raccoons many nights on his way home — crawling down tree trunks, or peering out of trash cans. And sometimes they'd actually follow him down the sidewalk toward his building. It was quite creepy, he said, to see glowing eyes watching as he made his way through the darkness (Around this same time, the New York Times wrote an article addressing those nervy NYC raccoons). I, of course, found the visual of my brother being followed by these guys hilarious, and so began my raccoon research — something about this needed to be in a children's book!

~ early sketches ~

While searching the web for raccoon inspiration I came across this hysterical video which sparked a story idea that, after several rewrites and edits, became The Troublemaker~

~ character studies ~

The Troublemaker involves one rascally boy, and one very sneaky raccoon. I am working on the final art for the book right now, and cannot wait till it is out in the world next fall (Clarion Books)!

website update

Finally, a website update! There's new art and reviews from my latest couple books up in the "illustration" and "books" sections. Head over and take a peek! http://laurencastillo.com

Melvin has PA fans!

I was super excited to learn that The Pennsylvania Center for the Book named MELVIN AND THE BOY a 2012 Best Children's Book for Family Literacy!

This from their website:

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book works with hundreds of children's books each year while preparing booklists, activities, and curriculum materials. Our Family Literacy Activities Web page is designed to help parents and caregivers fill each child's world with a love of books. We consider these 13 titles—a Baker's Dozen—to be the very best picture books published in 2011. They fulfill the goals of family literacy programs across the nation: to create lifelong readers and lovers of books and to start with the youngest audience—preschool children.

Huge thanks to The Pennsylvania Center for the Book for selecting Melvin as one of their Baker's Dozen — I am so honored to be a part of this list.

Thank you, Bankstreet!

Bank Street College of Education has released their 2012 edition of the Best Books of the Year, and I was very happy to find out that both SPUNKY TELLS ALL and MELVIN AND THE BOY made the list (age 5-9 category)!! You can read more about Bank Street College of Education, and how they choose books for their annual list, right here. Thanks again to the fantastic committee for selecting my two titles!

Alabama is a fan of Spunky!

Good news: Spunky Tells All has been chosen as a 2012-2013 Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Award selection! You can find out more about the award and program right here. Thanks to the state of Alabama for including Spunky on your list :)

BEA Annual Children's Art Auction

It's time once again for the Annual Children's Art Auction and Reception at BookExpo America! Come out to the Jacob Javits Center tomorrow evening, June 6th, and bid on some great art — all proceeds will go to the ABFFE (American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression). My donation this year is a little ink and watercolor personal piece that I made for Earth Day~

Hope to see you there!
xo~L

Concert & Launch party for The Broadway Lullaby Project

Luckily I live in New York City, which made it very easy to attend the concert and launch party for the release of The Broadway Lullaby Project on May 7th. Over a dozen of the 26 lullabies were performed, accompanied by their illustrations on the large screen behind the performers at the Stephen Sondheim Theater. And Edie Falco was the evening's host! It was a great night of celebration, and fun to be able to rub elbows with some big deal folks in the Broadway biz. Here's a little photo recap of the evening:

Please visit the website, and consider purchasing a CD or a hardcover book (or ebook!) to help fight breast cancer!

Over The Moon

 I'm so pleased to say that I was able to contribute, in a small way,

to this great project that is raising funds to help fight breast cancer.  

Over The Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project

From the website:

Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project is both a timeless benefit effort and a uniquely compelling, multimedia experience. The ambitious project — which incorporates a 2-CD, 26-song set; a lavishly-illustrated hardcover book of 17 songs from the album; a corresponding e-book encompassing the entire collection; and a documentary film and web series — gathers many of contemporary musical theatre’s greatest composers and vocalists, as well as illustrators, all of whom have donated their talent to deliver an emotionally affecting set of new lullabies, some written specifically for this project.

This collection puts a fresh spin on the classic lullaby form, creating a warmly expressive song cycle that will touch listeners of all ages, while raising funds for respected breast cancer charities, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Young Survival Coalition. The book features 17 songs from the album, with the lyrics illustrated by some of America’s most esteemed theatrical designers and children’s book illustrators, each offering a memorable visual interpretation of a song from the CD bound in the book. The e-book includes illustrations for all 26 songs.

My illustration accompanies the lullaby titled “I’ll Always Be There,” written by Jeff Blumenkrantz and sung by Victoria Clark.  Please check out the Over The Moon website to find out more about this wonderful project, and how you can help! 

XO~Lauren 

p.s. Kathy Lee and Hoda think it's a pretty great project, too!

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hip hip hooray!

I'm so HAPPY that Happy Like Soccer has been collecting some really great reviews! Thank you JLG, SLJ, Booklist, and Kirkus. Here are a few snippets:

A Junior Library Guild Selection 

Starred Review Publisher's Weekly:

"....unexpected emotional depth...a thought-provoking read aloud."

  School Library Journal:
"This tender story, written in lyrical text, perfectly blends the protagonist's joy at playing her favorite sport with the loneliness of being the new kid in unfamiliar territory. Castillo's muted colors reflect the narrator's thoughtful mood....This quiet gem is lovely for one-on-one sharing."

  Booklist:
"Castillo’s stylized, expressive watercolor illustrations effectively depict the bleakness of Sierra’s situation and her small triumph. Realistic without being overly sentimental, Boelts’ uplifting story realizes the impact of family, community, and even a little cheering in a child’s life..."

  Kirkus:

"Castillo's watercolor-and-ink illustrations of the city's landscapes feature towering buildings in an austere setting. In contrast, drawings of Sierra's home and her aunt's workplace depict warm, cozy scenes. Scenes with the dark-skinned, crinkly-haired auntie and niece emphasize the close, nurturing relationship. Action-filled paintings of the soccer games capture the fast-paced excitement of the game. Boelts' quiet tale celebrates the perseverance of a young girl as she attempts to achieve her goals."