Just Released today- App for IPAD

"Wednesday  is Spaghetti Day" is now available in an App for the Ipad -http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spaghetti-day-hd/id402271601?mt=8#

NOW AN APP!

It's OUT! "Wednesday is Spaghetti Day" was just released as an iphone/itouch App . (Ipad to follow soon!) I would love to hear what you think! Please spread the word to your book lover friends (Or cat lovers!)
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wednesdayisspaghetti/id400661727?mt=8

WednesdayIsSpaghetti for iPhone and iPod touch on the iTunes App Store

itunes.apple.com

Learn more, read reviews, and download WednesdayIsSpaghetti by PicPocket Books on the iTunes App Store.

Do you remember my book "Wednesday is Spaghetti Day"? Maybe you do- maybe you don't...but either way I'm happy to announce that readers will soon be able to download it in several formats. The  APP (for iphone/ ipad) is in production by picpocketbooks.com. Above is a screen shot of the upcoming APP. It will have wonderful audio as well as some interactive elements.  Also in production is the ebook format (.epub) which will be available through my website as well as ebookstores including, ibookstore, and B&N (for color Nook.)

Now, some background- "Wednesday is Spaghetti Day" was the very first book I authored and illustrated. It was published by Scholastic as a hardcover in 1990. It stayed in print as a paperback until 2008 when the rights were reverted back to me. Over the course of 18 years in print, "Wednesday is Spaghetti Day" sold over 250,000 copies. Everytime I do a talk or a school visit someone always inquires as to how they can get a copy. I am delighted to be able to soon offer it once again.

So - Please keep checking my blog where I will announced the RE-publishing of one of my favorite books! (at that time- I'll tell you about the book itself, inspired by my Italian upbringing!)

Happy Halloween!

Princess KIM in Indiana?

I just found out that my book, "Princess K.I.M and the Lie That Grew" is on the list of 20 titles for the Young Hoosier Book Award (Indiana) for the 2011-2012 school year. This is Indiana's child selected awards program. Participating kids must read 12 of the 20 books on the list and there are over 1000 schools participating. 62,000 kids voted last year. My Book, "Mr. Tanen's Ties" won the Hoosier Award in 2003- Hopefully I'll be going back to Indiana.  

And speaking of Princess Kim, the sequel, 'Princess Kim and Too Much Truth' will be released in March 2011. In this book, Kim learned her lesson and now ONLY tells the truth...sometimes she is a bit TOO honest. It's funny and I hope the kids like it. This book is also is about kindness...and in the world of bullying, we can all use a little of that.

Happy Fall!

Fall is here...and so is my new book, LET IT FALL. This book is in stores now and on the Scholastic bookclub. (And keep an eye out for it's companion book- LET IT SNOW...more to come on that.)
I look out my studio window and see the inspiration for this book...LEAVES everywhere.  I've had a very busy year and have five books to be published between now and Sept 2011. I hope to be blogging more...so spread the word. AND Happy Raking!

Boston Family FAN MAIL. Have Book- will travel!

I received the below email from a mom who's twin boys love my book, Bus Route to Boston. I was thrilled to receive this letter. I was happy to hear that these children found joy in my book and a bit of adventure too:

"I wanted to share our adventures of Saturday with you. Your book, Bus Route to Boston, has been one of their favorites since my children started to pay attention to books with more than one word per page. We were downtown in Boston and planning to go home when the boys said, "We want to ride a bus, like in the bus book." We had a few hours to spare so parked the car and decided that the boys would get a kick out of experiencing part of the Bus Route to Boston. So, we hopped on a bus and then transferred to a train to Haymarket, where the girls in the book go with their mom to buy vegetables. The boys were thrilled to see all the piles of fruits and veggies and reached out to touch and then pretended to be Vinnie and get mad at me when I reached to touch the tomatoes. "No mommy, don't squeeze the tomatoes!"After Haymarket we walked over to the North End and stopped to have pizza. Then we went to Mike's Pastry to get some cannolis...like the girls in the book. On our way back while on the bus the boys insisted on giving the bus driver a cannoli, like the girls give Bill a cannoli. While the bus driver didn't want the cannoli she was tickled by the offer. Then, when we got off the bus, Alexander shouted out and waved to the driver "Bye, Cannoli Girl!" It was his interpretation of the bus driver calling the girls in the book 'Cannoli Girls'. When the bus pulled away the driver honked at the boys - they were thrilled! If Bailey's and Filene's still existed, we would have included them on our trip. Whether it is one of the boys pinching the other's cheek and saying 'Belle' or the fact that they noticed the detail of my having string on the cannoli box which the mom requests left untied, the story has woven its way into our regular conversations and family activities.

Helen and twin sons, Eliot and Alexander