Donna Bowman Bratton

Websites of interest to writers: (no particular order)

Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators  www.scbwi.org

The Author's Guild  www.authorsguild.org

Library of Congress  www.loc.gov

Colossal Directory of Children's Publishing  www.signaleader.com

Children's Book Council  www.cbcbooks.org

National Writing for Children Center  www.writingforchildrencenter.com

Complete Planet (website of specialized databases and search engines) www.completeplanet.com

Language translations (brief passages) www.world.altavista.com

Agent Query  www.agentquery.com

American Library Association  www.ala.org

www.history.org

Word Pirate  www.thewordpirate.com

A Research Guide for Students  www.aresearchguide.com

Webster's Guide to Grammar and Style  www.andromeda.rutgers.edu

Public Libraries  www.publiclibraries.com

www.write4kids.com

The Institute of Children's Literature  www.institutechildrenslit.com

World Almanac for Kids  www.worldalmanacforkids.com

www.freelancerights.com

www.organizedwriter.com

www.wordreference.com

Writers Market  www.writersmarket.com

Diaries- www.inthefirstperson.com

Check word counts of books www.amazon.com (click on 'inside this book')

                  or www.renlearn.com/store/quiz_home.asp#quicksearch

Historical newspaper archives   www.newspaperarchive.com

www.writersmarket.com

www.fundsforwriters.com

www.childrensauthorsnetwork.com

www.earlyamerica.com

www.middleweb.com 

www.livescience.com

www.googlescholar.com

www.smithsonian.com

  Sites for online images:

loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html

www.imagesonline.bl.uk

www.archives.gov

www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu

www.picapp.com

www.istockphoto.com (public domain photos)

Recommended Books for Writers( in no particular order) 

Essentials of English: a practical handbook covering all the rules of English grammar and writing style 

The Elements of Style (Strunk and White, 2000)

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books (Harold D. Underdown, 2004)

Bird by Bird (Ann Lamott, 1994)

The Giblin Guide to Writing Children's Books (James Cross Giblin, 2005)

Children's Writer's Word Book (Alijandra Mogilner & Tayopa Mogilner- Writer's Digest Books)

Take Joy: A Writers Guide to Loving the Craft (Jane Yolen, 2006)

Write the Perfect Book Proposal (Jeff Herman and Deborah Herman, 2001)

Eats, Shoots & Leaves (Lynne Truss, 2003)

On Writing Well (William Zinsser, 2006)

Cite Right (Charles Lipson, 2006)

Writer's First Aid (Kristi Holl, 2003)

Picture Writing (Anastasia Suen, 2003)

How to Write a Children's Picture Book-three volumes (Eve Heidi Bine-Stock, 2006)

The Writer's Journey (Christopher Vogler, 1998)

From Pen to Print: The Secrets of Getting Published Successfully (Ellen Kozak, 1990)

Searching: A Research Guide for Writers (The Institute, Inc. 2000)

Children's Writer Guide to 2009 (new addition annually) (Writer's Institute Publications) 

The Magazine Article: How to Think it, Plan it, Write it (Peter Jacobi, 1991)

Writing Down the Bones (Natalie Goldberg, 2005)

From Inspiration to Publication (Institute of Children's Literature)

Writing for Children and Getting Published (Allan Frewin Jones & Lesley Pollinger, 1996)

Word Magic: Your Source for Language that Enchants, Empowers, Confinces, and Wins Readers (Cindy Rogers, 2004)

You Can Write Children's Books (Tracey E. Dils, 1998)

The Anatomy of Story (John Truby, 2007)

Advice for Writers

*Read. Read. Read. Read. Read. Read. Read. And don't forget to READ! This is exercise for your writing muscles.

*Be attentive. 

*Be curious.

*Be relentless.

*Ignore naysayers.

*When somebody says "Anybody can write a children's book," challenge them to   try it. With a deadline and a designated word count.

*Invest the time and energy. Even writers have to "pay their dues."