10.7.2016: Little Lost Kitten Cover Reveal!

Introducing...Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten.

I'm delighted to share Meg Park's adorable cover art for the fifth book in the Anna, Banana series. Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten will come meowing into a bookstore or library near you (in hardcover, paperback, and ebook!) on May 2, 2017. 

If you'd like to pre-order a copy, please follow these links for B&N, Amazon, BAM, or iTunes, or ask for it at your local bookstore or library. To add the book on Goodreads, click here. Thanks for your support!

Here's what it's about:

It's Anna's lucky day: She found a stray kitten! But when her dog, Banana, scares the kitten away, it's up to Anna and her friends to find him again.

Catching the kitten is trickier than Anna expects—kittens are easily scared and very sneaky. And even a small kitten can cause big trouble, as Anna and her friends soon discover. They want to help the kitten find a good place to live, but is saving the kitten worth breaking the rules?

In other news: Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet (book three) is now available in paperback (click here to find where to buy it). And the first four Anna, Banana hardcovers now come in a beautiful boxed set called Anna, Banana, and Friends: A Four-Book Collection. I love that the boxed set art is the same as the cover for book one, only with Sadie smiling. Here's where to find it: Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | BAM | Target.

Mmm, tasty paperbacks

Anna, Banana hardcover boxed set!

So...what do you think Anna and Banana should dress up as for Halloween?

7.20.2016: Productive Procrastination

"Sometimes the best way to write your novel is to do something else instead." 

I wrote a piece for the August 2016 issue of The Writer magazine on Productive Procrastination--tips for getting your brain unstuck and your creativity flowing, while allowing your mind to wander deeper into the world you're creating. Writing this piece was a fun and productive way for me to procrastinate. Click here to read it.

I'm delighted to share that the Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split paperback is now in its second printing. Thank you, readers!

And hey, have I mentioned I am now on Instagram? Follow me at @anicarissi for photos of books, dogs, and writer life.

7.5.2016: Bendier! Floppier! Lighter! More Paperback-y!

(and also, cheaper!) 

Anna, Banana, and the Monkey in the Middle (book two in the Anna, Banana chapter-book series) is available in paperback, starting today! The paperback edition is bendier, floppier, lighter, cheaper, and more paperback-y than the hardcover, and it's still chock full of friendship fun (and also: cute zoo animals). 

Ask for it at your favorite local bookstore, or find it online here: Indiebound | B&N | BAM | iTunes | Amazon | Goodreads

Friends in northern Virginia and downeast Maine, I hope you'll join Anna, Banana and me for two free, fun events this summer. I will be telling stories and signing books at the Mount Vernon Park Association in Alexandria, Virginia at 4pm on Thursday, July 14th, and at noon on Saturday, August 13th at The Periwinkle in Deer Isle, Maine. I'd love to see you there!

5.5.2016: Happy Birthday, Little Book!

This calls for cake.

One year ago today, my first book was born. I've been celebrating all week by making up new stories with the creative kids in the Princeton Young Achievers program—and by eating chocolate cake with pink vanilla frosting (Anna and Sadie's favorite). Thank you to all the readers, booksellers, librarians, educators, parents, and friends who made this such a fun year for Anna, Banana, and me.

If you've been waiting for Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split to be cheaper and more bendable, wait no longer! It is now out in paperback. Here are some of the places you can find it: Indiebound, Amazon, B&N, BAM.  

I just sent the manuscript for Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten (book five) to my editor. I'm excited for you all to read it. But first: revisions (and more cake). 

4.21.2016: Some Poems for Your Pockets

Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day!

I hope you’ve been having a mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful National Poetry Month. 

In honor of Poem in Your Pocket Day (and springtime!), here are two poems I published in my hometown newspaper, the Island Ad-Vantages, in May 1986 (age 7), plus some never-before-seen original artwork. 

And here's a link to another spring poem, "April Prayer," by a much better Maine poet, Stuart Kestenbaum.

3.17.2016: Five Schools in Five Days

Snapshots from a Whirlwind Tour

Talking with kids about books and writing is one of my favorite parts of being an author, and I was lucky to spend last week visiting five elementary schools in the D.C. area, where I met hundreds of fantastic kid readers. Thank you to all the students, librarians, and educators who welcomed Anna, Banana, and me into their schools and asked terrific questions. And thanks to An Open Book Foundation, which sponsored my visit to the Washington School for Girls, and to local independent bookstore One More Page Books, which provided books at the other schools. 

If you’re interested in having me visit your school, I'd be delighted to try to make it work. Please see the newly updated school visits page for more information. 

Here are a few snapshots from the tour!

2.3.2016: More Bananas! and the Price of Promotion

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.

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!

Book Four, Unleashed!

AnnaBananaandthePuppyParade.jpg

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

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)

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.