2.3.2016: More Bananas! and the Price of Promotion

February 2, 2016 Anica Rissi

Announcing...Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten!

I'm thrilled to share the news that there soon will be two more books in the Anna, Banana series. Up next: Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten. I can't wait to see the cover art! (But first I have to write the book.)

Here's the official announcement from Publishers Marketplace. I'm lucky to continue working with the fabulous team behind the first four books: editrix Kristin Ostby, agent Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, illustrator Meg Park, and art director Laurent Linn.

Click on the image above to open a PDF of the article.

I have a new piece in the March issue of The Writer magazine, called the Price of Promotion. In it, I share what I did to help promote my debut novel (Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split), and what it cost, in time and money. I hope other writers will find it useful. (Click on the image to open a PDF.)

Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split recently went into its third printing. THANK YOU to all the booksellers, librarians, teachers, and readers who helped make this happen!

1.19.2016: Come Join the Puppy Parade!

January 19, 2016 Anica Rissi

Book Four, Unleashed!

Anna, Banana, and the Puppy Parade marches into stores today, and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you.

Find out more about the book (and read an excerpt) here. You can ask for it at your local bookstore or library, or order a copy from Indiebound, B&N, BAM, Target, iTunes, or Amazon (which recently named Puppy Parade a Best Book of the Month!). Thanks for your support.

I invited some doggy friends to take a peek inside, and they agreed it's the most pup-tastic Anna, Banana book yet. Thanks to Bacio, Fiona, Bowser, Beyla, Soren, Carly, Ruby, Ezra, Seamus, Winston, Dixie, Lula, Roogie, Miles, Newsboy, Schnippy, and Teddy (and their humans!) for taking part in this photo parade.

Click to scroll through the photo carousel above. You'll find even more adorable dogs in the illustrations throughout the book!

12.31.2015: The Year in Reading

December 31, 2015 Anica Rissi

A Good Year for Books

What did you read in 2015? Here are the books that shaped my year (not including picture books, books read in part, chapter books read while standing or sitting in the bookstore, books I wrote or edited, or books read in manuscript form).

Whatever's on your TBR, I wish you a 2016 filled with memorable characters and words that matter. Happy New Year.

12.8.2015: One True Rule (and Other Numbers)

December 8, 2015 Anica Rissi

1 True Rule of Writing, 10 New Pages of Fun, 150 Book Donations, and a 5-Book Giveaway

I reveal the One True Rule of writing—and the inspiration behind Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split—in the January issue of The Writer magazine, on newsstands now. It's their annual children's and YA issue, so there's lots of great kid-lit content inside. My essay is also published on the magazine's website, under a slightly different title. Here's the link.

If you're in the mood for some games, challenges, puzzles, and coloring sheets, please check out the brand new Anna, Banana activity kit. It's free, fun, and printable!

Only six weeks to go before Anna, Banana, and the Puppy Parade marches into a bookstore near you. It's available for pre-order in all the usual places, and there's a five-copy giveaway happening on Goodreads now through January 19th.

Speaking of giveaways, thank you to all who helped spread the word about my Anna, Banana donations endeavor. I got a fantastic response from teachers and school librarians across the country, and there are now 150 Anna, Banana books en route to 50 high-poverty schools in 21 states. The thought of Anna and Banana meeting so many new friends makes me grin ear to ear. I hope these books will make the kids smile, too.

11.29.2015: Giving Back

November 29, 2015 Anica Rissi

This holiday season, I'm hoping to donate Anna, Banana books to high-poverty school districts.* If that's your school, please be in touch! And if you know a teacher or librarian with an elementary-school classroom or library in need, please help spread the word. Thank you! Details below.

*U.S. only, due to postage costs.

10.22.2015: Bananas in the Classroom

October 23, 2015 Anica Rissi

Scholastic! Squeeeee!

I'm not sure who's more excited—third-grade me or grown-up me—to see Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split in this month's Scholastic Reading Club flyers, but it's definitely a dream come true. Thank you, Scholastic! And thanks to the wonderful sub-rights team at S&S that made this happen.

4th Grade Scholastic Reading Club flyer, October 2015

Lucky Scholastic Reading Club flyer, October 2015

Teachers and parents, you'll find Anna, Banana in the Lucky and 4th Grade flyers.

Doesn't it look nice as a paperback?

9.22.2015: Festival Fun

September 22, 2015 Anica Rissi

I 💙 Book Lovers

One of my favorite parts of being an author is getting to meet and talk with kid readers, fellow authors, and other book lovers. I've been lucky to do several fun festivals and events in the past few months. Here's a photo tour of where I've been.

If you would like me to visit your elementary school or library this fall or winter, either in-person or via Skype, please be in touch! I love talking with kids about books and the writing process, from ideas to drafts to revisions, and beyond.

Reading and workshop at the Newburyport Literary Festival in Newburyport, MA (April)

Book release party at Hooray for Books! in Alexandria, VA (May)

Reading at the Stonington Public Library in Stonington, ME (August)

Children's Parade at the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, GA (September)

Moderating the What a Character! panel with authors Lenore Look (Alvin Ho), Abby Hanlon (Dory Fantasmagory), and Jon Scieszka (Frank Einstein) at the Brooklyn Book Festival in Brooklyn, NY (September) — Moderating the What a Character! panel with authors Lenore Look (*Alvin Ho*), Abby Hanlon (*Dory Fantasmagory*), and Jon Scieszka (*Frank Einstein*) at the Brooklyn Book Festival in Brooklyn, NY (September)

Joint book release party with author Terra Elan McVoy (Drive Me Crazy) at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA (May) — Joint book release party with author Terra Elan McVoy (*Drive Me Crazy*) at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA (May)

Book release party at BookCourt in Brooklyn, NY (May)

Welcome signs at the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, GA (September)

Best Friends Forever! panel with authors Terra Elan McVoy (Drive Me Crazy) and Abby Hanlon (Dory Fantasmagory), moderated by Tui Sutherland (Wings of Fire), at the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, GA (September) — Best Friends Forever! panel with authors Terra Elan McVoy (*Drive Me Crazy*) and Abby Hanlon (*Dory Fantasmagory*), moderated by Tui Sutherland (*Wings of Fire*), at the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, GA (September)

Autographed copies of the Anna, Banana books on display in bookstores throughout New York City and in Princeton, NJ, Decatur, GA, and Waterbury, CT (May-September) — Autographed copies of the Anna, Banana books on display in bookstores throughout New York City and in Princeton, NJ, Decatur, GA, and Waterbury, CT (May-September)

Thanks to all the terrific bookstores, libraries, festivals, and schools that have welcomed Anna, Banana, and me so far—and a huge thank you to the friends and fans who've come out to see us. I look forward to meeting more of you soon!

9.8.2015: The Big-Mouth Bet is on!

September 8, 2015 Anica Rissi

Get ready for some toothy trouble.

Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet comes out today and I can't wait for readers to sink their teeth into it. This was the trickiest of the Anna, Banana books to write, but it's my favorite one so far. I hope you'll like it!

Here's the plot:

Anna has a loose tooth! It's as wiggly as her dog Banana's tail. But while Anna is poking at her loose tooth, class clown Justin keeps poking fun at Anna and her friends.

Anna tries to make Justin leave them alone and gets pulled into a high-stakes bet. If Anna wins, Justin has to play nice; but if Anna loses, she has to do something so jaw-droppingly embarrassing, even Banana can't believe it.

There's no wiggling her way out of this one. Anna has to win this bet.

And here's a bite from Chapter Nine: You Bet.

No way was I doing that during class. Even the idea of it was embarrassing. And Ms. Burland would give me detention for life.

But I wasn't going to lose this bet anyway. I had to win it, for me and my friends.

"Fine," I said. I stuck out my hand to shake on it.

Justin beamed. "Really?"

"Whatever," I said. We shook.

I picked up my lunch tray and followed my friends to our table, trying to look like I didn't care. I took a big bite of the pizza and said, "Mmm," but the truth was I couldn't even taste it. My insides felt heavy, like they were already stuffed with cheese. Cold, lumpy cheese and regret.

I should never have gotten pulled into that big-mouth bet. This loose tooth was causing nothing but trouble.

8.7.2015: Readings and Festivals and Giveaways, Oh My!

August 7, 2015 Anica Rissi

Attention, friends in Downeast Maine, greater Atlanta, and New York City (and also, friends on the internet):

Anna, Banana, and I are gearing up for some fun events in the next two months, and we'd love to see you there! We're also booking a few free Skype visits with classrooms and libraries for the fall. For more information on both those things, please see below.

But first: Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet comes out on September 8th, and I'm giving away five beautiful hardcovers. Please click here to enter the Goodreads giveaway. The book is also available for pre-order: You can find it on Indiebound, B&N, BAM, iTunes, Target, or Amazon, or ask for it at your local bookstore or library. Thanks for your support.

Doubly exciting: Books one and two recently went into their second printings! Thank you to all the friends and readers who helped make that happen.

Upcoming events:

August 15th: Stonington Public Library

Join me at the Stonington Public Library in Stonington, Maine (my hometown!) on Saturday, August 15th at 1pm, for an hour of reading, storytelling, activities, and fun. Perfect for kid lit fans of all ages, especially children ages 5-10. The event is free; books will be available for sale (and for signing).

September 5th: AJC Decatur Book Festival

Join authors Terra Elan McVoy (Drive Me Crazy), Abby Hanlon (Dory Fantastmagory), and me for the Best Friends Forever panel at the AJC Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, Georgia on Saturday, September 5th. We'll be speaking on the Children's Stage from 3:15 to 3:45pm and signing books afterward.

September 19th: Brooklyn Book Festival Children's Day

I'm honored to be moderating a panel of three fabulous authors at the Brooklyn Book Festival on Saturday, September 19th, at 11am, at MetroTech Commons in downtown Brooklyn. Here's the official panel description:

WHAT A CHARACTER!: Lovable, laughable, and unforgettable, favorite chapter book characters always have the most engaging personalities--and the most memorable names. Authors Abby Hanlon (Dory Fantasmagory), Lenore Look (Alvin Ho and Ruby Lu), and Jon Scieszka (Frank Einstein) come together to discuss their inspiration behind creating--and naming--their beloved characters. Moderated by Anica Rissi (Anna, Banana).

If you've got a question for the authors on the panel, let me know and I might ask it!

Skype visits:

I'm offering a select number of free Skype visits with elementary school classrooms and libraries this fall. If you're interested in having me Skype with your school, please send me an email at anicamroserissi at gmail dot com. These 30-minute interactive Skype presentations are best for students in 2nd or 3rd grade.

(I do in-person school visits too! Those can be slightly trickier to schedule, but if you'd like me to come to your school this year, I'd be delighted to try to make it work.)

7.7.2015: The Monkey in the Middle is Here!

July 7, 2015 Anica Rissi

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy

Book two in the Anna, Banana series is out today and I might be a wee bit excited:

Anna, Banana, and the Monkey in the Middle is set at the zoo, and all the friendship dynamics and animal antics were so much fun to write.

For more information, including flap copy and reviews, click here. If you'd like to order the book, please follow these links to Indiebound, B&N, BAM, iTunes, Target, or Amazon, or ask for it at your local bookstore or library. (Thank you!) You can also find (and review!) the book on Goodreads.

Here's a taste from Chapter Nine: More Than Meets the Eye.

"Let's check out the displays," Sadie said, pulling me away from the elephants.

But at the same time, Isabel said, "Ooh, look!" and tugged me in the opposite direction.

"Ack!" I cried. "Wait!"

Sadie and Isabel froze, each holding one of my stretched-out arms. I felt ridiculous.

"You're going to rip me apart!" I said.

"Hey, good idea," Sadie joked. "Pull harder, Isabel. Then we each get half!"

Sadie and Isabel yanked on my limbs, pretending they wanted to split me in two. I knew they were just goofing around. It was funny.

But part of me worried it was also a little bit true.

Thank you to all the readers, librarians, booksellers, educators, parents, bloggers, and friends who have been so wonderfully supportive of Anna, Banana, and me so far. And hugs and high fives to editrix Kristin Ostby, illustrator Meg Park, art director Laurent Linn, and my agent, Meredith Kaffel Simonoff.

Happy reading!