In a time where bullying, poking fun, hidden meanings behind words, and negative talk has been on the rise not only on television, but in children's literature, it is time to implement some standards in the books that our youth select from off the book shelves. LitLand Review is an online review site (www.litland.com) that accepts books for their online shelves after a heavy break down and review of the morals and values presented inside each storyline. LitLand's books must meet the criteria of:

Kindness * Respect * Patriotism * Civility * Integrity * Responsibility * Loyalty * Justice * Beauty *  Aesthetic Life Experiences

The above objectives present talking points for adults and children to discuss, encouraging open communication. I received a recommendation by an industry professional to send the Iggy Series to LitLand.

In honor of Valentines Day, I would like to share the Valentine chapter from the children’s chapter book, Iggy the Iguana. I wish everyone a happy Valentines Day full of love and care. If you would like to order any of the Iggy the Iguana books for someone special, visit www.iggytheiguana.com. Iggy is now available on CD too. Enjoy!

Will You Be …

   As the days passed, Iggy put together a plan B to win Liz over. It was obvious that she had no idea Iggy’s flower meant that he wanted her to be his girlfriend, but Valentine’s Day was just around the corner.
Mrs. Buff’s class started making Valentine’s drop boxes for their party on Friday. The boxes were usually filled with candy and cards with funny cartoons and sayings, but every once in a while one brave soul would slip a real valentine into one of the boxes.

As a children’s author, I have the privileged of spending hundreds of hours with many creative kiddos. Give a child a creative inch, and they will go a mile. One of the main exercises I share with these inspiring minds includes character development tips and tricks. It’s hard to start a story from scratch, so I encourage the kids to develop their characters first. These simple techniques can be further used to move from a student’s stuck attitude of, “I don’t know what to write about” to “I have so many things to right about, I don’t know what to chose.”

Here are some popular tips for children who love to write or just need a creative inch:

1. Get into the creative zone by watching Disney movies. Disney has inspired me for years!!! Find the different characters with in the story:
a. Hero: The Main Character, indentifies with audience, protagonist, and changes throughout the story (Simba)

It’s time to acknowledge creativity in our children! With the TAKS test just around the corner, January is officially the month for Creative Writing. I will be holding Saturday workshops in the Houston area for children in the 3rd-12th grade. We will focus on the process of character development, how to create a memorable story, and how to become a young published author. My motto is: “There is NO such thing as ‘Writer’s Block.’” This is a great gift for kids this holiday season as we bring in the New Year!

During our workshop, I will also closely explain how to enter the Short Story Contest presented by Read3Zero, “I Write Short Stories by Kids for Kids.” LongTale Publishing is taking submissions until February 1st 2010! Entry forms can be found at www.Read3Zero.com.

Creative Writing Workshop Schedule:

Saturday January 16th 10am-2pm
How to Create a Memorable Character
Grade Level: 3rd-6th
Location: Hobby Lobby
16011 FM 529 Rd
Houston, TX 77095

The very mention of the word creative can spring images and thoughts of youthfulness and charisma, charm, wittiness and an imaginative freedom that knows no bounds. And who better to serve the soul of humanity with a vision of worlds that stretch far beyond the comprehension of corporate meetings, cubicles and the recessive plagues of civilization than children? They are the symbolic representations of hope and opportunity and starting next year, their literary and creative efforts will be spotlighted and featured in an anthology dedicated to them and them alone—the READ3Zero short-story anthology: “I Write: Short-Stories By Kids, For Kids!”

Let’s face it, kids are creative! They have big dreams that fit with their big imaginations. As the creator of the Iggy the Iguana children’s chapter book series, it has become such a joy to hear them share their dreams with me as I work to live out my own.

Children’s Author, Melissa M. Williams, will be holding a signing and presentation for all Educators to celebrate Educators Appreciation Day on Saturday October 10th at Barnes and Noble. The Brand New Barnes and Noble in River Oaks-Houston is hosting a Brunch to honor all Pre-K through 12 Educators. Melissa will be their very first author and will be speaking about her author visits for 2009-2010 the inspiration behind her children’s chapter book series, Iggy the Iguana, Creative Writing Tips from her workshop, and she will be announcing her new Foundation Read3Zero and the opportunities it holds for inspiring children to Read, be Creative, and Write their Own Stories to be Published by LongTale Publishing.

Melissa and Iggy will be at the Woodlands Luke’s Locker this Saturday October 3rd from Noon to 3pm.  Come by to get your autographed copy of Iggy’s Sequel, Summer League.  Iggy and Melissa are proud to say that they are huge supporters of Luke’s Locker.  Melissa included Luke’s Locker inside the pages of Summer League because she and Iggy only buy their running shoes at Luke’s.  Melissa states, “I must have run through 15 pairs of Asics while marathon training over the years.”  Iggy’s dad is also a marathon runner and runs the Houston Marathon in the first book of the Iggy the Iguana Series.  In efforts to support local businesses in the Houston area, Melissa has chosen to include all kinds of places from her hometown of Houston, Texas inside the Iggy the Iguana Series.  

The time has finally arrived!  The Iggy the Iguana Sequel Launch Party will be held this Saturday September 19th 2009 from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the Tomball Little League Fields.  Mayor Fagon of Tomball Texas has officially proclaimed this day to be called, IGGY THE IGUANA DAY.   The reading of Iggy’s Proclamation will start at 10:00am before the National Anthem and a full day of baseball games.

Get your very own copy of Iggy’s Summer League autographed by the author, Melissa M. Williams at the Iggy Tent.  Come by for an opportunity to visit with Melissa and pick up information on how YOUR CHILD CAN GET PUBLISHED at LongTale Publishing.  There will be plenty of food, fun, baseball games and prizes all day.  Don’t miss the 2pm Grand Prize drawing for an Iggy the Iguana Gift Basket full of Iggy Merchandise! 

Additional Information:
Location: Tomball Little League Fields, 125 W. Huffsmith Rd. Tomball, TX 77375
Day/Time: Saturday September 19th, 2009 10:00am to 4:00pm

10% of the sale proceeds will benefit the Tomball Little League Association.

Children’s Author, Melissa M. Williams, of the Iggy the Iguana Series will be holding two Author Signings at Chick-Fila’s family nights in the Tomball Area. 

Come by to listen to the author speak about what inspired her to write about reptiles and get your copy of the Iggy Sequel, Summer League, personality autographed by Melissa.

For more information visit Iggy’s Website at www.iggytheiguana.com or email at Melissa@longtalepublishing.com.

Information: Family Night at Chick-Fila

Day: Tuesday 9/8
Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Hwy 249 at Jones Rd
21622 State Highway 249
Houston, TX 77070

It’s almost that time again … yep the Houston Marathon is right around the corner! It’s a family tradition for Iggy the Iguana’s family to spend the day in downtown Houston cheering on the runners … especially Iggy’s dad, Mr. Green … he’s been running marathon’s for years! Lizards are known for their speed. If you are ready for a holiday pick me up to get you and your family pumped this year for the Annual Chevron Houston Marathon on January 17, 2010, then I invite you to read a sneak peek from Iggy the Iguana. Chapter Nine is ALL about the “flat and fast” Houston Marathon.

Chapter Nine - The Marathon

On Saturday morning, Iggy ran downstairs to show his dad the sign he had made for the race. To Iggy’s surprise, Molly beat him to it. She was already eating breakfast in her pink cheerleading skirt with her sign sitting neatly on top of Iggy’s chair.

While talking to hundreds of students about Iggy the Iguana every week, I pose a few questions regarding making friends and being a friend to others. “Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes,” is a repeated theme within the Iggy the Iguana Chapter Book Series. Iggy, the main character, demonstrates this concept multiple times after he is befriended at a new school, and he himself uses his empathetic awareness by befriending the school bully in 4th grade.

One thing I ask elementary students during my presentations is the question, “Have you ever been the new kid at school or have you ever put yourself in the ‘new kid’s’ shoes?”

More and more these days we hear of diagnosable issues in grade school children pertaining to learning disabilities and behavior problems. Over the years I have read and studied many reports trying to explain specific disorders through statistics, research, and analytical jargon. I am not here necessarily to speak from my own counseling background, but rather from personal concern and opinion as an advocate for literacy and encouraging children to believe in themselves. My information and the information from my co-author come from concerned teachers and parents whom we have either spoken to or have actually become over the years.

Its time to break the negative connotation associated with the word, “HABIT,” and create new and improved habits for our children to emulate!  We are the best example to our children for creating good patterns … the ones that will last a lifetime.  The small habits created in childhood may just influence the way our children live their lives in the future.

Positive Habits to start in Childhood and Their Benefits in Adulthood

Habit: Write a Thank You note to your family members after receiving a present.

Benefit: An outward expression of thanks with a note (not an email) will help you stand out in matters of personal and professional business.  A little southern hospitality can go a long way in your life. 

Self-Acceptance is strengthened throughout childhood when adults encourage their children to discover their personal gifts and talents.  Often this requires parental involvement as boys and girls decide if they like math or science better than the other, enjoy sports more than the arts, music more than literature, or maybe they acquire a number of interests that emerge into a perfect package of skills.  Allowing our children to have options and an understanding of their likes and dislikes strengthens their sense of self into adulthood.   We should encourage our children to embrace their God-given gifts and accept differences in others too.

Many of the characters in Iggy the Iguana have different interests, which shape their personalities. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to be a fly on the wall, just for a day, to see your child in action at school?  Social transformation starts to increase during the elementary years as young people develop their personalities at lightning speed.  The change that takes place over the summer of 2nd and 3rd grade is profound.  And by 4th grade, children turn into little people, with an opinion and a purpose.  Social interaction and relationships grow between elementary students, and these are the years when children start to have innocent crushes, make best friends, and unfortunately even develop so-called “enemies.” I learned this very quickly while doing my own teaching in the school system.

Childlike Acceptance 

Diverse cultures provide our children the privilege to experience life from a different point of view, which has the potential to create an appreciation for others with different backgrounds.  There is something incredible that can take place if we are open to the mirroring effect of accepting ourselves thereby accepting others.  If we nurture that childlike curiosity for our children by providing a wide range of cultural experiences, we better develop their emotional intelligence.

One of the major themes in Iggy the Iguana is the concept of diversity between the different species of animals.  Iggy had never met a box shell turtle before the 4th grade.  Naturally he wondered why a turtle wouldn’t just take off his shell if it made him walk so slowly.  This was only one instance that Iggy had to learn the background behind animals who were different than he during his school year.