From our readers . . .

Last week, Katie Woo author Fran Manushkin shared a heart-warming letter that was sent to her from a mother of a young reader. It served as a wonderful reminder that our books make a real difference to the children who read them, and it has inspired us as we plan for more Katie adventures. Here is what this thoughtful mother had to say:


I am sending you a heart-felt thank you for helping my soon to be first grade daughter find her love of reading and books again.  She had a horrific kindergarten experience and she lost that enthusiasm she has always had for school.  It was painful for me to watch as her mother and a Middle School Language Arts teacher.  I happened to be at the IRA annual conference in the spring where you signed a copy of Katie Woo and the Class Pet.  I brought her home the signed copy and it was truly amazing to watch her excitement and level of confidence grow instantly.  She gained back her confidence to read on her own and found that she can find success in reading at this early age, she just needs to believe in herself.  The story lines in your Katie Woo series directly relate to her own life and she anxiously anticipates Katie’s next adventure.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for providing this experience for her at a time we needed it the most.  She is now devouring all the books in the series and I often find her with covers over her head and a flashlight reading a Katie Woo book.  She carries them with her everywhere we go and frequently re-reads each book.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: ALA

Come visit us at ALA this weekend! We will be at Booth #2609 and will have trailers of our new Fall product.

Author Fran Manushkin will be signing her popular Katie Woo Books at 11:00 AM on Saturday and 1:00 PM on Sunday. We will also have a drawing to win an original illustration of a Katie Woo Cover.

Lots of fun and excitement! We look forward to seeing you there-

Mystery Reader

The classrooms at my daughter Sky’s school have had many unexpected visitors this month, and yesterday, I got my chance to be one of them.

In honor of I Love to Read Month, the teachers put a call out for “mystery readers.” A mystery reader makes arrangements with the teacher to come in during class time to share a book with the class. They are often parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles. The best part is none of the children know who the reader will be until they lay eyes on him or her.

Yesterday I got my chance to be a mystery reader in Sky’s kindergarten class. I had convinced her that I would not be able to make it because I was all tied up at work. So it was fun to see her big smile when she saw that it was me.

Before I read, the class had the chance to interview me. They asked where I liked to read, if I bought books, if I visited the library. They also shared the names of some of their favorite authors, including Jan Brett and Eric Carle. One of my favorite moments was when the teacher said, “If you have even one book of your own, you have a library.” What a wonderful idea!

After the interview was complete, I picked up the book I had brought to share, Boss of the World by Fran Manushkin. Choosing a book was easy: I knew Sky would want me to share a Katie Woo book, and I love how Katie resolves her own trouble in this book.

For an editor, it is always interesting to see how the audience reacts to our books, and the class didn’t disappoint. Everyone listened so well, and they seemed to enjoy meeting Katie and her friends JoJo and Pedro. I left feeling happy and inspired. It is clear that a love of books is alive and well in Room 10.

--Julie Gassman, senior editor

Katie Woo poster giveaway!

When I first read author Fran Manushkin’s manuscripts for our Katie Woo series, I felt like I knew Katie. In fact, I felt like I was raising her! (Only my Katie is named Sky and doesn’t wear glasses.)

Fran has a wonderful understanding of children and how they think and react to situations. I think that is why Katie is so likeable. You feel like you know her, because she is just like the sweet, funny girl in your class, or down the street, or at your kitchen table. She loves clothes and her friends and spaghetti. Sure, she gets in trouble once in a while, but she always makes you laugh.

To celebrate Katie, we have a fabulous new poster — and we are giving four away! Be one of the first four readers to leave a comment and one will be sent your way.

Julie, senior editor at Capstone Fiction