Land Of Enchantment

Enchanted to find In Memory Of Gorfman T. Frog on the 2011-2012 list of nominees for the Land Of Enchantment Book Awards. Thanks, New Mexico.

In Good Company

Make that, awesome company. What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker? is on a list of back-to-school books recommended by the Horn Book, along with titles by two of my favorite authors, funnyman Lincoln Peirce, and master of the school story, Andrew Clements. Pinch me.

Back To School

Happy to see What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker? listed with “Back To School Books For Juvenile Fiction” at Eager Readers.

Road Trip? Road Trip!

Kick off your summer with a visit to a library. On Wednesday, June 22 at 2:00 I’ll be sharing the stage at McArthur Public Library with Jim Nutting, the Amazing Bug Guy. Come see Mr. Nutting’s insects and arachnids and hear a chapter of What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker?

On Tuesday, June 28 at 3:00 I’ll be at Bridgton Public Library. (Sorry, no live bugs there.)

Dear Mrs. Donovan

I love reading my work aloud to students, and I love their thank you notes! These excerpts are from Jan Pelletier’s third grade class at East End Community School in Portland, Maine. They all began with Dear Mrs. Donovan:

I liked that there are cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter. It’s very lousey that Bailey has lice. Get it? Lousey?—Yours truly, C.

Thank you for reading What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker? I really liked when Mr. Adams keeps acting like he’s a soldier. And I lost my bird once I felt bad like Bailey. And will Bailey lose her lice?—Your friend, H.

You are such an inspiration to me. I love your books because they bring back so much memories. Like when you said that Bailey had lice I thought about when last year some unexpected lice came to our house and when I went to bed I could not sleep because I was thinking that I would get lice. When I grow up I want to be as magnificent as you. —Yours truly, A.

Let’s Party at Portland Public Library

A good time was had by all at the launch party for “What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker?” hosted by the Portland Public Library. Kids played Bloodsucker Bingo and What Insect Is it? and entomologist extraordinaire Tony Sohns mesmerized the audience with fun facts about his live insects.

Launch Party for What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker!

WHAT’S BUGGING
BAILEY BLECKER?
Book Launched with
a Live Bug Zoo!

Saturday, 3/12/11
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (ongoing)
Live Bug Zoo at 1:30 PM

Portland Public Library
Rines Auditorium
5 Monument Square
Portland, Maine 04101
Info: Curious City, 207-420-1126

Maine children’s book author, Gail Donovan will release her new middle grade novel, What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker? on March 12th, 2011 with an event at the Portland Public Library.  The humorous novel features fifth-grader Bailey Blecker whose classroom has been attacked by an all too common problem–head lice.

The book will be launched with a family event featuring all sorts of bugs, but fortunately no lice.  Children ages 5-12 are welcome to experience the Live Bug Zoo with naturalist, Tony Sohns at 1:30 PM and enjoy bug games, giveaways, and goodies ongoing from 1:00 – 4:00 PM.  Books will be for sale and author Gail Donovan will be on hand to autograph them.

Mash-Up! Highlights from 5 reviews of What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker?

I’m thrilled to share the following review excerpts:

“It’s bad enough that Bailey’s transferring from her tiny Maine island school to the larger mainland school at the start of fifth grade, but when she comes down with a severe case of head lice, things start to get really, well, lousy. . . Those able to get past the impulse to scratch their heads throughout the lice-rich plot will find high-spirited Bailey an affable protagonist.” (Bulletin for the Center for Children’s Books)

“Donovan crafts a solidly realistic school story with lots of humor. . . The character of Bailey may be a first in children’s fiction: she is a child born to a single mother through medical means (“a doctor helped her have a baby”), though it is casually mentioned and not a focus. Lice and its various treatments (like coating the head in mayonnaise or, in Bailey’s case, tartar sauce) is a great hook. Andrew Clements fans will enjoy this school story, too.” (Horn Book)

“Although most stories involving head lice focus on preschool and primary-grade children, this chapter book looks at older students, who are just as repulsed by “cooties” and even more concerned about their appearance. Yet the head-lice theme is actually secondary to the story of a child struggling for balance as she handles a number of unsettling changes in her life. A well-paced and very readable story.” (Booklist)

“Donovan creates a realistic, engaging middle-grade heroine in fifth-grader Bailey Blecker. . . Bailey is emotionally authentic, with an individualistic voice and a strong streak of stubbornness, of which she is particularly proud . . . The easy-to-follow story line, slightly out-of-ordinary setting, and credible secondary characters add up to a well-constructed novel . . . ” (Publishers Weekly)

“Donovan carefully scripts a heartfelt story of learning to accept one’s circumstances no matter what they are . . .” (School Library Journal)

10 to Note from 100 Scope Notes

I’m delighted that elementary school librarian Travis Jonker, creator of 100 Scope Notes, is on the lookout for What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker?

“One season. 10 books.

This was difficult.

After scouring the children’s lit landscape, what follows are the 10 titles set to release in December, January, and February that most caught my eye as a K-6 school librarian. It’s a subjective list, to be sure, and not a collection of surefire winners – just some promising prospects. Here we go…

What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker? by Gail Donovan

Do we share a similar sense of humor? Let’s find out. I think this story about a 5th grader growing out her hair to donate while dealing with a classroom outbreak of head lice sounds like a comedy gem in the making. What do you think? From the author of In Memory of Gorfman T. Frog.” Read More

Fun fact about fashion and…lice?

We were all naked until 170,000 years ago

Clothing first appeared 170,000 years ago. That’s what University of Florida researchers have deduced from an unlikely source – the annoying clothing louse.

David Reed, associate curator of mammals at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus, worked with colleagues worldwide for five years to sequence the DNA of clothing lice to determine when they first began to diverge from the harmless but cringe-inducing head louse. Read more…