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Grannie Annie News — 2012 / Vol. 7

Grannie Annie Authors Honored in Maryland

Congratulations again to the two Grannie Annie authors from Maryland whose accomplishments were highlighted in the Baltimore Jewish Light! You have much to be proud of. Thank you again, too, from The Grannie Annie, and the same to all the students who shared their family stories through The Grannie Annie this year.

Texas Author Interviewed about The Grannie Annie . . . and More!

The Round Rock Leader, in Round Rock, Texas, honored its local Grannie Annie author with an article earlier this month. You may be interested to learn how she chose to submit to The Grannie Annie, and learn about other writing honors she has received.

Photo by Round Rock Leader, 7/6/12

7/11/12

St. Louis Students Honored

The Grannie Annie published artists from Hancock Place Middle School who took part in this year's book signing were honored recently in their neighborhood Suburban Journal. Congratulations again, artists!

7/11/12

Ohio Authors Sign Book

Anthony Wayne Schools in Ohio held its first annual Grannie Annie Authors' Night on May 23, 2012. All eight authors published by The Grannie Annie this year participated in the sharing and book signing. Over forty friends and family members sat in for a quick discussion of each story's background and for the opportunity to have a copy of the book signed.

"It was an excellent experience for all those involved," wrote 5th grade LEAP teacher Brian Billings, who organized the event. Since most of the students were not able to attend the St. Louis book signing, this local experience was well received. "It was a great opportunity for these students to present their ideas to an audience," Mr. Billings continued, "and really be proud of being published authors. The response from the families has been overwhelming and we are planning on expanding on this concept next year."

More news is on its way from Mr. Billings, including tips for coordinating your own local book signing event. The additional information will be added to "The Grannie Annie Extension Activities" resource, available from the Resources page.

Exhibit Extended

We are pleased to announce that the Grannie Annie gallery exhibit at Gya Community Gallery has been extended through July 15th. We hope this additional viewing time will allow even more Grannie Annie fans — and others — to enjoy the exhibit. We especially hope that every exhibiting artist will have the opportunity to see her/his work on the wall, along with the other story illustrations, many of which can be viewed only at this exhibit. The exhibit includes excerpts from each illustrated story, and most stories were illustrated by more than one artist. The exhibit includes 36 illustrations.

Gya Community Gallery, 2700 Locust Street, 63103, is open Fridays 4-7, Saturdays 11-4, and Sundays 1-4.

Following the close of the exhibit, photos of the exhibit will be added to the Gallery album on the Grannie Annie Facebook page.

6/19/12

"Fantastic event!"

A glowing — and entertaining — account of the Grannie Annie annual gathering and book signing, written by Diana Davis, is available on the Walrus Publishing website. The event took place on June 2nd, in St. Louis.

6/19/12

Volume 7 Illustrator in the News

Malakai Lewis Hagood, whose illustration of "The First Snow" is published in this year's volume of Grannie Annie, has been honored in the Wentzville Patch.

6/7/12

"Full house for Grannie Annie family stories by kids"

Whether or not you attended last Saturday's book signing, you're sure to enjoy this engaging account of the event, written by St. Louis author Linda Austin.

6/6/12

Book Signing Success!

What a perfectly delightful afternoon! Twelve published Grannie Annie authors and artists shared their work on Saturday at the 4th Annual Grannie Annie Gathering, at Left Bank Books in downtown St. Louis. Participants and their families arrived from Colorado, Texas, and Ohio as well as from Wentzville, Ladue, and St. Louis, Missouri. The authors read their family stories published in Grannie Annie, Vol. 7, and some introduced the family member who starred in their story. The artists each talked about their unique creative process that resulted in their published illustration.

Photos of the event have been added to the Grannie Annie Facebook page. Authors and artists, please let us know if you would like us to e-mail to you any of the photos of you or of groups that include you. We would be happy to do so!

6/4/12

The First-ever Grannie Annie Gallery Exhibit!

Have you visited the Grannie Annie exhibit at Gya Community Gallery? The exhibit includes all thirteen illustrations published in Grannie Annie, Vol. 7, plus twenty-three more pieces submitted this year! Excerpts from the illustrated stories are included as well. Scroll down this page for details about the open house, location, and viewing hours, and then treat yourself to an up-close view of the awesome display pictured below.

5/21/12

Grannie Annie Storykeepers in the News

• Eight published Grannie Annie authors from Fallen Timbers Middle School in Whitehouse, Ohio, were honored in The Mirror. (Authors, if you have news to share, please send it to us so we can post it here. The entire Grannie Annie family wants to celebrate with you!)

The photo above, of published Grannie Annie authors from Ohio, is courtesy of The Mirror. You can read the article here and read the complete stories on the Volume 7 stories pages. Five of the Ohio authors' stories are also published in Grannie Annie, Vol. 7.

Ohio Grannie Annie author Alli Hanna wrote "Touched by a Saint," a story about her mother, at age 11, being touched on the face by Pope John Paul II. This photo, courtesy of the Hanna family, accompanied the Mirror article.

The Selected Illustrations — and Gallery Exhibit!

Click here for a list of the twelve illustrators whose work will be published in this year's book, and the author whose story illustration will be published on this website. The names of twenty-two additional illustrators whose work will be included in the first-ever Grannie Annie gallery exhibit will be added soon.

The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration Exhibition will be held May 1 through June 17 at the Gya Community Gallery, 2700 Locust Street (63103). An open house will be held from 11:00 to 5:30 on June 2, so it may be convenient for you to see this exhibit before or after attending the Gathering at Left Bank Books. (See details below.) This exhibit will include all the illustrations published in Grannie Annie, Vol. 7, plus additional illustrations submitted this year — a total of thirty-six pieces of captivating student art. (Please check gallery hours here.)

4/14/12

Author Reading, Art Show, and Book Signing June 2

Mark your calendar now for the 4th annual Grannie Annie Gathering to be held at Left Bank Books downtown, 321 N. 10th Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63101, on Saturday, June 2, 2012, at 2:00 p.m.

Everyone is invited to attend, and Grannie Annie published authors or published artists are invited to read their story or talk about their illustration. (We'll share interview questions with published artists ahead of time so there will be no surprises!)

More details will be posted nearer to the date, but if you are planning to take part, you will soon be invited to reserve your spot in the program, so please watch this page for updates. While authors and artists published in any volume of Grannie Annie are invited to take part, please understand that due to time limitations preference will be given to authors and artists published in this year's anthologies.

4/14/12

The Selected Stories

Click here for a list of the stories to be published this year. When locating a story, please note the author name and state/country in addition to the story title, as The Grannie Annie sometimes receives two stories with the same title.

This year The Grannie Annie will publish two editions with identical content — a paperback edition and a PDF edition for reading on your computer or other electronic device. Stories will also be published on this website.

• Thirty-six stories will be published in Grannie Annie, Vol. 7, which will be available in paperback and PDF editions as explained above. These stories will also be published on the Grannie Annie website.
• Ten stories will be published on the Grannie Annie website. These story titles and author names will also be published in the Vol. 7 paperback and PDF books.

Congratulations, authors!

Please check back often in the weeks ahead to sneak a peak at Volume 7, and for information about this year's Author Reading / Art Show / Book Signing (June 2nd), the new read-aloud coaching sessions to prepare for that event (May 19th), and the first-ever Grannie Annie exhibition of illustrations, at a St. Louis art gallery.

3/28/12

Celebrate the Stories!

Throughout the upcoming weeks, the submitted stories will be read and appreciated, then read and reread as the Selection Committee decides which stories will be published in Grannie Annie, Vol. 7. The titles of the stories chosen for publication, the names of their authors, and the names of illustrators whose work is chosen for publication will be announced on this website in mid-April.

In the meantime, the celebration continues! What does your Grannie Annie celebration include? Visit "The Grannie Annie Extension Activities" for inspiration, or send us your ideas to be added to the page.

Will you be reading your story to an audience? These Resources for Enrichment may be helpful as you prepare: "A Grannie Annie Read-Aloud Example" and "Reading Your Grannie Annie Story Aloud."

2/11/12

This year's stories have arrived!
Click here to see the names of students whose stories have been received.

The Stories are Here!

Once again, Grannie Annie stories have arrived from young people across the United States — from California to North Carolina, and from Wisconsin to Texas. The stories are now being copied and distributed to the members of the selection committee, who will be busy over the next weeks first reading and appreciating each story, and then selecting stories to represent this year's celebration. Watch this page or our Facebook page for current news about this year's continuing celebration and the publication of Grannie Annie, Vol. 7.

2/8/12

There's Still Time. . .

Are you putting the finishing touches on the family story you plan to submit for possible publication in Grannie Annie, Vol. 7? If you aren't, there's still time to conduct an interview, write and polish your story, and illustrate the story if you wish. The deadline for postmarking or e-mailing submissions to be considered for Volume 7 is February 1, 2012. Be sure to read the Guidelines and complete the Submission Forms. The Grannie Annie also offers Resources to help with interviewing, writing, revising, and more.

1/23/12

The Stories are Arriving!

Grannie Annie Storykeepers from the states marked below have saved a story from their family history and shared it with The Grannie Annie. Thank you, students, for submitting your story, and congratulations on honoring your family through The Grannie Annie!

Be sure to check back often; the information below will be updated as the stories arrive.

Submission Deadline: February 1

Have you started writing your Grannie Annie story? See the Resources page of this website for story ideas and for help with the writing process. For more inspiration, read some published Grannie Annie stories.

The Grannie Annie annual submission deadline is February 1. Mailed submissions must be postmarked on or before this date. E-mailed submissions must be sent on or before this date. Illustrations must be mailed rather than e-mailed. See the Submit Stories page for links to the required Submission Forms, Guidelines, and other submission details.

Grannie Annie Holiday Stories: Entertainment, Inspiration, and More

Reading published Grannie Annie stories is a good way to prepare for writing your own Grannie Annie story. Did you know that you can easily find and read all of the holiday stories published by The Grannie Annie? One of the Resources offered on this website is a comprehensive index of all the stories The Grannie Annie has published. And the Stories section of the website includes the stories themselves. Some stories are also highlighted on our Facebook page.

Of course, you can use the index to find stories on any topic of interest. This is a convenient way for educators to enrich their curriculum with personal family stories.

Listen Now to the Radio Program

Click here to listen to the November 23rd family stories radio conversation described below.

Join The Grannie Annie on the Radio

Celebrate family stories with The Grannie Annie Wednesday, November 23, on St. Louis on the Air on KWMU (90.7 FM), St. Louis's National Public Radio affiliate. The program will air live at 11:00 a.m. CST, and will be rebroadcast at 10:00 p.m. You can also listen online.

We invite you to phone or e-mail the station during the show to share a family story or let listeners know how The Grannie Annie has enriched your family. Contact information will be provided during the show.

Check this page next week for a link to the program archive.

Welcome to the 7th Year of The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration!

The family stories discovered and shared this year are sure to be remarkable! We hope you will join in the adventure. Here are some links to help you get started:

• Allow yourself to be inspired by reading some previously published Grannie Annie stories.
• Learn how to submit stories to The Grannie Annie for possible publication.
• Read over the Guidelines and required Submission Forms.
• Begin to plan your Grannie Annie interview.
• Make a tax-deductible donation so that more students can participate in The Grannie Annie.