Visit your local Barnes and Noble this Saturday, September 28, 2019, at 11 am for their Storytime and Activities event featuring How I Met My Monster!
Mark your calendars for #BNStorytime!
Category: Monsters
Happy #NationalMonsterDay!
Celebrate by welcoming the newest member of our Monster family: “Are You My Monster?” – a board book companion for babies and toddlers!
Help Ethan compare his drawing to an assortment of amusing monsters. Do the colors match? Are their tails long or short? Are their nails pointy or round? Are their teeth big or small? Children will be thrilled when Ethan finds the perfect match – which turns out to be his beloved stuffed monster toy – just in time for bed.
“Little ones will enjoy the parade of silly creatures…while also learning colors and matching.The sweet ending shows that even those with sharp teeth and scratchy claws can be cuddly,turning the monster-under-the-bed trope on its head.” – School Library Journal
An author’s thoughts from the ALA Midwinter Conference
Guest blogger: Amanda Noll, author of I Need My Monster and Hey, That’s MY Monster! and two more upcoming monster books!
In January, I had the unique opportunity to participate as an author at the ALA Midwinter Conference in Seattle, Washington, The number of vendors and professionals was staggering, and the whole experience was tremendous. I was hosted by IPG (Independent Publishers Group), the awesome, hardworking team who distribute my books and the entire Flashlight Press line to bookstores.
Librarians began lining up even before it was time for me to start autographing the free copies, and that line didn’t end until we ran out of books, all 100 of them! I’ve never had people queue up to meet me; I almost felt famous! I credit IPG for creating the buzz: they promoted my signing front and center at the Friday night opening session, and that’s when the excitement started to build. Cynthia and the rest of the IPG team kept the line moving and made sure books were ready for the enthusiastic librarians awaiting them.
It was thrilling to be at an event where peers and professionals knew and loved my books, and were excited to meet me. I connected with many local librarians, and had a chance to greet and speak with librarians from as far as Brazil and Asia, and from all around the world.
The librarians shared countless stories of reading my books to their young library patrons or students, and to their own children at bedtime. They told me they were absolutely thrilled to see the upcoming board book Are You My Monster (July 2019) as well as the upcoming picture book prequel, How I Met My Monster (October 2019). Flashlight Press prepared gorgeous sell sheets, which the librarians eagerly snatched up.
Signing my books at an ALA conference was a defining moment in my journey as an author. I’m grateful that this milestone can now be checked off my bucket list.
Amanda’s monster books are available through IPG, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local bookseller.
I Need My Monster Book Parade!
Check out this video of Mrs. Bright’s second grade class in Alpharetta, GA. The students chose I Need My Monster (written by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam) for their Book Parade!
The costumes are amazing! Way to go!
Monster Sweeps California!
Join us in congratulating author Amanda Noll and illustrator Howard McWilliam: I Need My Monster just won the California Young Reader Medal Primary Division, 2011-2012!
The California Young Reader Medal program is sponsored by four major literacy groups in the state: The California Reading Association, the California Association of Teachers of English, the California School Library Association, and the California Library Association. Last year approximately half a million votes were cast for all five categories combined.
Congratulations to the winners in the other categories:
Intermediate – Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth. Walker Childrens
Middle School – Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Young Adult – Graceling by Kristen Cashore. Harcourt Children’s Books
Picture Book for Older Reader – Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine. Scholastic Press
It’s Unanimous — Students Love I Need My Monster
Ms. Gardner’s students chose I Need My Monster as their class theme for the school Scholastic Book Parade.
My students were so excited about using I Need My Monster as the theme for our book fair parade exhibit. We were first introduced to this book by our media specialist, Heather Brown. Ms. Brown read this book to my class last November, and when she asked the school to come up with classroom themes for the book fair, my class unanimously chose I Need My Monster. Ms. Brown, along with Amanda Noll’s book, have excited my students so much that they enjoy reading more than ever. — Lisa Gardner, Union Elementary in Temple, Georgia
Read more about this award-winning book here.
Take a Look at our Monster NOOK
Just in time for Halloween, I Need My Monster is now available in a NOOK edition. Read it yourself or enable audio to have it read to you… but don’t get SCARED!
Monster Mash
We are thrilled that I Need My Monster is included in the top level Barnes & Noble store display from now until Halloween. Send us a photo of I Need My Monster on display at B&N (on the front table until Oct. 25th and in the children’s department until the 31st) to win a free signed Monster BOO!kplate and BOO!kmark. If you can include some other best-selling books in the photo, even better, so we can see the company we’re keeping. Email your photo to publicity@flashlightpress.com. Please note at which store location your photo was taken and provide your mailing address so we can send your bookplate and bookmark. In addition, I Need My Monster is included in the B&N online Halloween store.
For fun Monster-related Halloween activities, try our Monster finger puppets, Make Your Own Monster, check out several activities for the classroom, and be sure to look at our printable Trick or Treat Safety Guide.
I Need My Monster is being read at Storytime at many B&N stores. Check the B&N near you. Here are two of tomorrow’s listings:
Tues., October 25, 2011 10:00 AM B&N Booksellers Northcross, 4005 N Tenth Street, McAllen, TX
Tues., October 25, 2011 11:00 AM Oakview Mall, 3333 Oakview Dr. Omaha, NE 68144
Happy Halloween!
Ich brauche mein Monster
The German language version of I Need My Monster, Ich brauche mein Monster, is now available.
Tree of Giving Book Drive and Our Youngest Fan
SAAC Helps Willamette Tree of Giving Book Drive for Grant Community School
by Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, ORE. — Members of the Willamette University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) participated in the Willamette Tree of Giving Book Drive this year by donating books. A total of 80 books were provided to Grant Community School in Salem, Ore., as a result of the book drive.
All of the books were delivered to students and teachers at Grant Community School by Tree of Giving organizer Melissa Treichel, Hatfield Library access services manager, and by SAAC representatives Sarah McSweeney (SAAC co-president, cross country/track and field) and Alfredo Zuniga (men’s soccer).
Others attending the event were Alice French, Hatfield Library technical services specialist, and Judy Gordon, assistant athletics director and SAAC advisor.
In addition to delivering the books, the group from Willamette also displayed the books on tables for the fourth graders to see when they entered the library. After the Grant students enjoyed the books for a while, McSweeney and Zuniga gathered the students together and read I Need My Monster to the group, with much interaction during and after the reading.
The students from Grant also asked a variety of questions including:
Is college hard?
Does Willamette have separate teams for girls and boys?
Which sports involved Sara and Alfredo?
In addition, the Grant students called out the names of their favorite sports. Soccer and dodgeball ranked high on their lists.
The most popular books, which were donated in both English and Spanish versions, were the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Grant Community School’s librarian expressed her gratitude for the much needed donations to their library. In addition to the books, donations of hats, gloves and scarves were collected and delivered to Grant. McSweeney and Zuniga displayed a large poster which was signed by SAAC representatives, who included special messages about the power and joy of reading. SAAC members are looking forward to being sponsors of the Tree of Giving Book Drive next year.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee was created to provide insight into the student-athlete experience at Willamette. SAAC members provide input to help the Athletics Department and Willamette University develop rules, regulations and polices that affect student-athletes.
Click on the pic to read more about our young avid fan of I Need My Monster.
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