Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Jenni and Matt Holm on today's Book Report!

This sister/brother team grew up to create the BABYMOUSE and SQUISH graphic novel series. Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm on today's episode of The Book Report with JJK! Kids Place Live, SiriusXM 78, at 5:40 pm ET / 2:40 pm PT!



Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Where you'll find me at BookExpo!

BookExpo America will soon be here! If you're packing up for New York City, I look forward to seeing you at the Javits Center on Friday!

Here's where you'll find me:


Random House Booth Signing for Lunch Lady, 10:30 – 11:30 AM

Speed Dating, 12:15 – 1:45 PM

Platypus Police Squad, Autographing area from 2:30-3 pm

Friday, May 24, 2013

All Things Considered, this was beyond words



What an absolute treat to be on one of my most favorite radio programs, and interviewed by one of my most favorite correspondents. However amazing you think Michele Norris might be in person, multiply that by a hundred, and that's what you get! I am so honored to have been May's Backseat Book Club selection on NPR's All Things Considered!

Give it a listen here! 

Also, check out this fantastic video that they produced!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

John Rocco on today's Book Report with JJK!

What's on John Rocco's mind? Hair. Lots and lots of hair. Learn more about Mr. Rocco's new book and what it's like to illustrate the Percy Jackson books on today's Book Report! 5:40pm ET / 2:40pm PT, Kids Place Live, SiriusXM 78!


Sunday, May 19, 2013

How a last-minute phone call, 18 minutes and a half a million viewschanged my life.



My TED Talk has surpassed half a million views! (This is from the ways that I can track. Aside from TED.com and various YouTube channels, TED also has a podcast download, so I have no idea how many times it's been viewed that way.) But—wow! A half a million people have now watched a talk that I gave to a room filled with 120 people. A talk that I didn't know I would give when I woke up that day.

So how have a last-minute phone call, 18 minutes and a half a million views changed my life?

Your instant reaction will be to guess that it's increased my exposure. And sure, my TED Talk certainly did help land a feature in The Boston Globe and an impending feature on NPR's All Things Considered. (Listen this Thursday! Check your local NPR affiliate!) While different sets of circumstances led to each of those PR pieces, it was the TED Talk that helped seal the deal in both cases.

But it goes much deeper than that. My story was never anything I was very open with publicly. While of course good friends knew the scope of my childhood story, the general public did not. That phone call to give a last-minute TED Talk came at a time when I was able to tell the story. Had that phone call come a few months earlier, probably not. A year earlier, definitely not. The experience taught me the power of being publicly honest and open. I have been so amazed to hear similar stories from both strangers and colleagues, and that has certainly been therapeutic for me. (And by the way, if you have emailed me, I haven't lost your email—I have a folder filled with emails that await responses concerning my TED Talk. I just want to be able to sit down and give your reply the time it deserves.)

Having had such a deep and meaningful story go viral is a funny thing. At first, it was incredibly strange to walk into a school and have everyone know such intimate details of my life, never mind the time I was recognized by a complete stranger at Dunkin Donuts. Most importantly, people have been able to share my story with children who are dealing with similar situations. Some of their stories punch you right in the gut. Others, right in the throat. I am so happy that I have been able to share my journey so directly with those kids. I can only begin to imagine what learning of such a story would have done for me as a child.

My TED experience has also taught me how to share personal information and deal with that knowledge being out there. As some of you may know, I have been working on writing a graphic novel memoir. (It would, of course be for a teen and older audience.) I would never be able to write that story so openly if it weren't for the reaction my TED Talk has received.

If you have watched the video, if you have shared it via social media or by email, I thank you endlessly. Because you are one in a half-million!

My sincerest thanks to you!

And of course thanks to my wife Gina. When I hung up the phone and said, "I was just asked to give a TED Talk in four hours and I have no idea what to talk about." Gina said, "Just be honest. Tell the story of your childhood as it happened."

You can read a more detailed account of how I prepared for the talk here.

And in case you missed it, here's the video:



Wednesday, May 08, 2013

It's a JJK radio takeover!

SiriusXM Kids Place Live is letting me take over their satellite radio airwaves this weekend. What could possibly go wrong?



A whole hour of interviews with some of the brightest stars in children's literature! Please join us on Saturday May 11th at 2 pm ET / 11 am PT and Sunday May 12th at 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT!

An exclusive interview with author Jarrett J. Krosoczka on The Book Report with JJK!

It's hard to believe that today will mark a whole year of author interviews on SiriusXM Kids Place Live! For the final episode of "season 1" I've landed an exclusive with an author that I've been trying to land all year. Today at 5:40ET, 2:40PT, Jarrett J. Krosoczka visits The Book Report with JJK to talk to us about his new book, Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked!


Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Platypus Police Squad is now on bookshelves!!!

If you love Lethal Weapon and Frog and Toad are Friends in equal measure, this is the book that you have been waiting for!





Learn about the nine-year journey that led me to writing this book about platypus cops over at The Nerdy Book Club blog:

http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/penguins-are-done-in-this-town-by-jarrett-j-krosoczka/

Monday, May 06, 2013

If Wes Anderson were 8 and directed a Platypus Police Squad movie

Castelton Elementary School in NY got a hold of a Platypus Police Squad ARC and made this video. What's most amazing, this was a few months ago and the book is only coming out tomorrow! And that's not to mention the PPS-themed lunch and PPS fan art that adorned the school hallways! They win "first"!


A) How awesome to have a librarian with a green screen and B) there is a future Wes Anderson amongst this group!

Did you celebrate School Lunch Superhero Day?



If you celebrated School Lunch Superhero Day last Friday, I would love to hear about/see what you did! Please submit stories and photos to schoollunchsuperheroday@gmail.com. Please note that any photos or stories shared to that email account may be shared with the public via social media.

Also, please consider sharing your stories with NPR as they collect images, stories -- and questions from kids for my upcoming appearance on the Backseat Book Club. You can submit to NPR here!

Friday, May 03, 2013

HAPPY SCHOOL LUNCH SUPERHERO DAY!


Are you celebrating today? Please share your stories and photos with me at schoollunchsuperheroday@gmail.com. (Please note submitted photos may be shared over social media.)

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Dan Yaccarino on today's Book Report!

Unplug with Dan Yaccarino on The Book Report with JJK, today at 5:40 ST, 2:40 PT! Kids Place Live, SiriusXM channel 78!



Lunch Lady as an 8-Bit video game!




Have you ever dreamed of fending off cyborg substitutes with fish stick nunchucks? Well now is your chance. Presenting...the Lunch Lady video game!!!  http://www.randomhousekids.com/games/lunch-lady-legends