蜜柚直播

Writing one should be child鈥檚 play, right?

鈥淲ell, you can鈥檛 believe how hard it can be to make a book look simple,鈥� Lori Alexander says with a laugh, and she should know.

Her ninth book, was released this month by HarperCollins. Title No. 10, a board book called will be available from Scholastic next month.

Ten books, none as simple as they looked.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not rocket science, but there are pretty strict requirements, structurewise,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淭here are mechanics that need to be in place. Every word counts. I need to make sure there are enough picture opportunities, interesting page turns, a little humor, a little suspense. There was a lot to learn.鈥�

The learning began 12-13 years ago, shortly after her children began going to school in Oro Valley. While they were learning how to write sentences, Alexander was learning how to write books.

Her focus from the start was writing for children.

鈥淲hen the kids were small, it seemed like we spent our entire life at playgrounds and libraries,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淲e loved the , especially the picture books. They were beautifully illustrated, they were fun, they were funny. 鈥� They became these little gems that brightened up our days. Even then, I started wondering if I could write one. So later, when I had more time, I began digging around on the internet to learn how everything worked.鈥�

One of the things she learned: A majority of picture book authors are writers, not illustrators. If a publisher likes a story, the publisher will contract an artist to provide the visuals.

鈥淭hat was big for me,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not an illustrator, not even close. It was freeing to learn I didn鈥檛 have to be.鈥�

Eventually, she began writing a little. And bouncing her text off other writers. And listening to their suggestions about her work.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard to know when your story is done, when it鈥檚 ready to submit,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淚 was lucky. I found some critique buddies online that I鈥檝e worked with ever since. They鈥檙e some of the best author friends I have, and I鈥檝e never even met them!鈥�

She got some help at home, too. Her first book, published in 2012, was It grew from her young son鈥檚 love of trucks.

,鈥� a story about the Paralympics, touched a topic close to the heart of her daughter.

stemmed from a conversation with her scientist husband, Nelson, about microscopes and imaging.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 going to do when my young editorial assistants leave home,鈥� Alexander said, smiling. 鈥淗onestly, they were usually more interested in the illustrations than the words I wrote. They loved seeing what came back from the illustrators. But I can definitely hear them in my books.鈥�

Case in point: While working on 鈥淏ackhoe Joe,鈥� Alexander鈥檚 editor suggested the backhoe should have treads. Her son, then 5, put his foot down.

鈥淢y son knew that backhoes with treads don鈥檛 go on the street. They only go in the dirt. I had to tell my editor, 鈥楴o, my son says no treads!鈥欌��

One of Alexander鈥檚 gifts is her dexterity within the genre. Five of her projects have been board books. Three are fictional picture books, two are nonfiction chapter books. She has four more books under contract and in the pipeline.

Spoiler alert: Look for more nonfiction. In 2019, the New York City Public Library listed 鈥淎ll in a Drop鈥� as one of the 100 top children鈥檚 books of the year, and parents these days definitely have STEM education on the brain.

One thing is sure. Alexander will find ways to stay busy. In addition to writing various kinds of books for a variety of young audiences, she spent the summer as the writer in residence for the Pima County Public Library. During the coming school year, she will be visiting schools and reading to children through .

Child鈥檚 play? Kids鈥� stuff? Well, yes and no.

Footnotes

Readers of this space may be interested to learn Bookmarks has organized a community book drive to help Salpointe Catholic High School replenish an English Department library that was destroyed in a fire July 17. Several hundred books were lost, including about 100 that were on various book lists for the coming school year.

This 鈥淭ogether 蜜柚直播 Book Drive鈥� is inviting gifts of contemporary classics. Salpointe鈥檚 wish list can be found at but all significant, contemporary novels are welcome. They may be new or used, hardback or paperback.

Donated books may be left at any of these drop-off sites around 蜜柚直播: , 6208 E. Speedway; , 214 N. Fourth Ave.; , 700 N. Stone Ave.; Literacy Connects, 200 E. Yavapai Road; and the , 1705 E. Fort Lowell Road.

This independent community book drive will run through Sept. 12.

It鈥檚 official: The next at the University of 蜜柚直播. Planners promise an all-in event on par with the record-breaking festival held in 2019 鈥� which included 345 authors and attracted 140,000 to the UA campus.

With classes resuming last week, the has returned to its normal hours. The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.