Image from Kaimira Animation Test

Tags: animation test, feifei, kaimira, sky village

The fourth and final shortlist came out for the Eva Perry Mock Newbery. And The Sky Village is still hanging in there.

I love Mock Newbery awards. Even the ones that don’t nominate me.

And in case you didn’t notice it over there on the left, this is what the paperback is going to look like:

The Sky Village (paperback)

Tags: awards, kaimira, mock newbery, the sky village

So, Sony is paying $1 Million for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.

It wasn’t any sort of evil white-collar schemy crime. They didn’t launder money or engage in insider trading. Like a surprising lot of companies, they just didn’t bother to bother the experts. In this case, children’s online community experts. They demonstrated a profound lack of rigor.

The thing wasn’t that they collected email addresses. There are ways to do that legally without jumping through too many hoops. And it wasn’t that they pshawed the COPPA Commandments. The mistake, at the simplest level, was asking for date of birth. That tiny little drop-down doohickey provided the “actual knowledge” that did them in.

There’s more to it, of course. And a company like Sony should be just as invested in best practices as they are in the law, and best practices for them would start with the acknowledgment that kids are going to be visiting their music websites and they’d better face that fact head on.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they went out shortly and recruited themselves a Czar to wear the thinking cap on this sort of thing from now on.

Tags: children's privacy, coppa coppr, online privacy, online safety, sony

In their review of The Sky Village, Analog picked up on an important theme that I wanted to draw attention to:

“The theme of nature versus technology with humans caught in the middle unless they can somehow integrate it all is important in the world we have created, and it is one that the younger readers that are this book’s audience will profit from absorbing.”

Read the review here.

Tags: analog, kaimira, review, the sky village

2008 Nominations
Fantasy and Science Fiction (Middle Grade)

39 Clues
written by Rick Riordan
Scholastic

Airman
written by Eoin Colfer
Hyperion

Best Friend for Claudia
written by Beatrice Weinberg Katz
PublishAmerica

Boots and Pieces
written by Emily Ecton
Simon & Schuster

Boy of All Time
written by Che Dee
Calderwood Books

Cabinet of Wonders
written by Marie Rutkoski
Macmillan

Dark Legacy
written by K. G. McAbee
Calderwood Books

Dark Whispers
written by Bruce Coville
Scholastic

Diamond of Darkhold
written by Jeanne DuPrau
Random House Children’s Books

Dinosaur Blackout
written by Judith Silverthorne
Coteau

Dragon Flight
written by Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury USA

Escape the Mask
written by David Ward
Amulet

Ever
written by Gail Carson Levine
HarperCollins

Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague
written by Brandon Mull
Shadow Mountain

Facttracker
written by Jason Carter Eaton
HarperCollins

Family Matters
written by Kristin Sheley
iUniverse

Farworld: Water Keep
written by J. Scott Savage
Shadow Mountain

Fish and Sphinx
written by Rae Bridgman
Great Plains Publications

Flora’s Dare
written by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Harcourt

Girl Who Could Fly
written by Victoria Forester
Feiwel & Friends

Gods of Manhattan
written by Scott Mebus
Dutton Juvenile

Graveyard Book
written by Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins

Grim Hill: The Secret Deepens
written by Linda DeMeulemeester
Lobster Press

Gypsy Crown
written by Kate Forsyth
Hyperion

Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go
written by Dale E. Basye
Random House Children’s Books

House of Many Ways
written by Diana Wynne Jones
Greenwillow Books

Inkdeath
written by Cornelia Funke
Scholastic

Kaimira: The Sky Village
written by Monk Ashland
and Nigel Ashland
Candlewick Press

Lamplighter
written by D. M. Cornish
Penguin USA

Land Beyond the Clouds
written by Valerie Bishop
Light Publishing

Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm, Book 5)
written by Michael Buckley
Amulet

Magic Thief
written by Sarah Prineas
HarperCollins

Mary Lamb Enters the World of Maze
written by F. T. Botham
PublishAmerica

Masterpiece
written by Elise Broach
Henry Holt

Misty Forest Fables
written by Acrid Hermit
Fauna Trek

Monks in Space
written by David Jones
Annick Press

Once Upon a Time in the North
written by Philip Pullman
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Order of Odd-Fish
written by James Kennedy
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Other Side of the Island
written by Allegra Goodman
Penguin USA

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
written by Chris Riddell
HarperCollins

Out of the Wild
written by Sarah Beth Durst
Penguin USA

Palace of Mirrors
written by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Simon & Schuster

Philippa Fisher’s Fairy Godsister
written by Liz Kessler
Candlewick Press

Portal
written by Jaqlyn Von Eger
Trafford

Queste
written by Angie Sage
HarperCollins

Remarkable and Very True Story of Lucy and Snowcap
written by H. M. Bouwman
Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books

Ring Dragonz
written by Mister Rengerz
Helm Publishing

Robe of Skulls
written by Vivian French
Candlewick Press

Runemarks
written by Joanne Harris
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Savvy
written by Ingrid Law
Penguin USA

Seer of Shadows
written by Avi
HarperCollins

Shadow Diamond
written by S Brooke
PublishAmerica

Sisters of the Sword
written by Maya Snow
HarperCollins

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire
written by Derek Landy
HarperCollins

Softwire: Betrayal on Orbis 2
written by PJ Haarsma
Candlewick Press

The Curse of Cuddles McGee
written by Emily Ecton
Aladdin

Things That Are
written by Andrew Clements
Philomel

Thornspell
written by Helen Lowe
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Travelers Market
written by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Idylls Press

Tygrine Cat
written by Inbali Iserles
Candlewick Press

Unnameables
written by Ellen Booraem
Harcourt

Warriors Power of Three: Eclipse
written by Erin Hunter
HarperCollins

Well Witched
written by Frances Hardinge
HarperCollins

Wild Magic
written by Cat Weatherill
Walker Books for Young Readers

Winter Wood
written by Steve Augarde
Random House Children’s Books

Tags: awards, cybils, fantasy, kaimira, middle grade, sci-fi, science fiction, the sky village

A while ago I was interviewed by Carol(ina) from Genre of the Month. I had fun with the interview and asked her if I could reprint it here.

Chris Rettstatt is the author of the sci-fi & futuristic new series Kaimira (first book, The Sky Village).

1.) What made you start writing?

When I was eight, I read Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, and I immediately began writing poems. Within a few hours I’d filled up a notepad with poems. And since then, I never stopped writing.

2.) If you weren’t an author what would you be?

I sometimes joke that I’m a children’s book author who wishes he was a linguist. That’s because I love language and grammar, and I love studying foreign languages. I also like making up my own languages, which I’m doing with the Kaimira Code. But that’s mostly a joke, because as much as I love those things, I love writing even more.

3.) How did you choose you character’s names?

My wife’s nickname is Longmei. She was born in the year of the dragon, which is “long” in Chinese. Adding “mei” which means “sister” in Chinese, makes it into a nickname.

When I first started developing Rom’s character and his tribe, I was drawing inspiration from Romani cultures (sometimes called Gypsies). And then ROM has a techie meaning as well, as in CD-ROM, and so I just kind of liked it.

4.) What’s the best thing about being an author?

No matter what I do, whether traveling to other countries or standing in line at the supermarket, it’s all research.

5.) What’s your ideal writing spot?

I do a lot of writing in coffee shops, particularly when I’m traveling, but I’d have to say my favorite spot is my desk at home. I’ve got everything I need there and plenty of room to pace around.

6.) How did you come up with the idea of The Sky Village?

I was sitting outside, trying to imagine this strange future world I had just started to create. What would my characters see and hear? I looked up at the clouds, and the idea just hit me — a village made of hot air balloons.

7.) Why YA?

I don’t think so much about the age borders around books. When I was in my teens, and even before, I read whatever looked good, and even now I have a hard time remembering which of those books were technically written for young adults. So I just write for the sort of reader I am, and the sort of readers my friends tend to be. And lately, a lot of the best books that fit my personal taste happen to be YA books.

8. Do you ever come up with play lists for your books? If so, what are the songs?

I did have a playlist while I was working on The Sky Village. The songs included:

• If I Give My Soul, by Johnny Cash (cover)
• Various songs by Faye Wong (especially Ni Kuai Le, Suo Yi Wo Kuai Le)
• It Isn’t Easy Being Green, by Kermit the Frog
• This Woman’s Work, by Kate Bush
• Don’t Give Up, by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
• Fight Club Soundtrack, by The Dust Brothers (the whole thing)
• Where Is My Mind, by The Pixies
• Gypsy Caravan (compilation by Putumayo)

9.) Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

I believe my best advice can be drawn from my playlist. It’s somewhere between “Don’t Give Up” and “Where Is My Mind?”

Ok, my actual advice comes in two parts. On the one hand, you have to know the business of the business. You have to become familiar with what books are being published and read lots and lots and lots of them. Pay attention to the publishers. Subscribe to newsletters that keep you updated on publishing trends. Join your local SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). Think of yourself as a partner in the publishing process.

On the other hand, you can’t let the business steer you. Stay flexible, and listen openly and humbly to feedback you get. But at the end of the day, it’s your story, and you have to trust your creative instincts. If you aren’t fiercely loyal to your creative vision, nobody else is going to be.

10.) Which character are you most like? (Can be from any book)

When I was a teen, I wanted to be like the Motorcycle Boy from Rumble Fish. But wanting it didn’t make it so.

11.) If you could collaborate with any author dead or alive who would you pick?

I’m not sure I like the idea of collaborating with a dead author. But assuming he wouldn’t be a zombie or vampire, I’d have to choose Dostoevsky. Not that he’d be all that pleasant to work with, but I could just sit at his feet and try to soak in some of that brilliantly layered characterization.

12.) Do you have any upcoming books?

Kaimira is a five-book series, and I’m currently hard at work finishing up #2, which is called The Terrible Everything.

13.) What is your favorite food or snack to eat when you’re writing?

I can’t say that I snack much while I’m writing, but I do drink a lot of strong coffee before lunch and then a lot of green tea after lunch.

14.) What were some of your favorite books when you were younger?

Lord of the Rings, The Dark Is Rising, A Wrinkle In Time, The Outsiders

15.) Do you have any pets?

Right now I travel too much to keep a pet, but I grew up with all kinds of pets running around. My dad used to rescue stray animals and bring them home, everything from hungry dogs to a pig that fell off a truck. My most recent pet, before I moved away from home to go to college, was a ferocious kitten named Grendel: Slayer of Grasshoppers.

16.) Does writing cut into your family time?

It helps that I’m a morning person, and I get my best work done before anyone else wakes up. But my twins know that I can’t resist playing with them every day, even when I’m under deadline.

17.) Do you have any hobbies other than writing?

I absolutely love traveling to other countries and then trying to figure out how to cook the food I eat there.

18.)What are some of your favorite movies?

Raising Arizona, Rushmore, Man On Fire, Miller’s Crossing, Spirited Away, Harold and Maude, A Clockwork Orange, Princess Mononoke, Oldboy

19.) What’s your favorite ice cream?

I call it Twin Can Ice Cream. You need a small coffee can and a large coffee can, ice, rock salt, and ingredients for home-made ice cream. Put the ingredients into the small can and tape it shut, put the small can into the large one, surround it with ice and rock salt, and tape it shut. Then give the can to a pair of energetic twins to kick around, throw, roll, or whatever for about a half hour. At the end, you have some delicious home-made ice cream.

Tags: interviews, kaimira, the sky village, writing

This is a home video of my twin girls and not intended to be professional. I made it for friends and family who haven’t seen the twins in a while. And since it’s largely friends and family who read my blog, I thought I’d post it here. The footage is from a couple of weeks before and a couple of weeks after our epic journey from Chicago to Chongqing, China, for an extended visit with the in-laws. Work has brought me back to Chicago, so I’ve been away from them for a few weeks. Hence the choice of song.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90sgVk4W8Ds]

Tags: chicago, chongqing, family, twins

So the book won’t be out in paperback until April 14, but it’s up on Amazon for preorder. I have to say, I love the paperback cover. And Amazon’s book cover zoom thingy allows you to zoom way in and explore the details.

Check it

Tags: amazon, book cover, kaimira, the sky village

Children’s book authors,

Do you have a website where you collect email addresses from kids?

Are you familiar with United States federal law regarding commercial websites that collect personal information from children? It’s called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule, and a single violation can have a civil penalty of up to $11,000.

Even if you aren’t making money from your author website, it’s a commercial site if you are using it to promote your books. Because of this, you have to be careful how you collect personal information from children.

The best resource for learning about this is the FTC website, but it’s a lot of data and more than most of you need. And this is where I make it clear that I’m not a lawyer (IANAL). But I am familiar with the legislation and best practices that protect children online.

So here are a few basic tips.

The easiest thing is not to collect email addresses from kids at all, which means deleting them from your inbox, address book, and anywhere else they might be hiding.

But you wouldn’t be an author if you had any interest in the easy path. And you want to be able to collect those email addresses and send out announcements.

So, let’s take a look at what’s second easiest.

1. Post a privacy statement on your website, in a prominent place on the main page and on any page where you collect email addresses.  There are specific things you should include in the statement, so check them out:
   • Your name, address, telephone number and email address. You may want to use a P.O. Box and create a separate email address. Just be sure to check it regularly
   • The type of personal info you are collecting (in this case, names and email addresses), and how you are collecting it
   • How the info is going to be used (in this case, to send email announcements)
   • The fact that you won’t disclose this info to third parties
   • That the parent can review what info you’ve collected from their child and ask you to delete it
   • And that you aren’t allowed to condition a child’s participation in an activity on the disclosure of more information than is reasonably necessary to participate. That means you should only require email addresses for activities that need it, such as a newsletter or forum notifications.
2. Make sure your sign-up gizmo has an age-screening mechanism:
   • This is generally just a drop-down menu that asks for date of birth.
   • If the signer-upper is under 13, they should be prompted to include a parent’s email address as part of the sign-up process.
3. A notice should automatically be emailed to the parent’s email address. This notice should state the obvious:
   • that you have collected the child’s name and email address.
   • that the parent can respond to the email and tell you to delete the child’s info.
   • and that if the parent doesn’t respond, it means you have permission to use the child’s email address to send announcements.

   Note: this method is only good for collecting email address. If you are collecting home addresses and such, that will require additional steps, which we won’t get into here.

4. Don’t allow children to post freely on your site. If you have a blog or forum open to children, screen everything and remove any personal information, including email addresses.
5. And while it might not be required as part of this particular law, you should remove any other information, such as school or teacher names, that might help a predator track down the child. Best to be safe.
6. If you have a section to display fan mail, fan art, fan fiction, etc., be sure to strip away any personal information. First name and city should be sufficient to give credit.
7. Most importantly, don’t let this scare you into shutting down communication. These few steps will allow you to stay in direct contact with your fans, which is the steady breath of fresh air any children’s book author needs.

Tags: author websites, children's book authors, children's privacy, coppa, coppr, kidlit, online privacy