Great Time at Warwick's Bookstore in La Jolla, California

I had the best time at Warwick's bookstore in La Jolla, California today. I was book signing with my buddy and co-author of "Paper Son: Lee's Journey to America," Virginia Shin-Mui Loh (aka Virginia Loh Hagan.) What an amazing group of supportive and creative people showed up to let us share our newest work. Patty Fares from Urban Safaris, my buddy Linda Kent from World Book, the amazing nonfiction writer Kathleen Krull, and a host of other talented folks including Joy Chu and Cindy Clevenger. It was such a treat for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all involved!

Hugs to all!

Paper Son and Angel Island

I'm pleased to announce the historical fiction, picture book manuscript I co-wrote with Virginia Loh about a paper son will be published by Sleeping Bear Press! It will be one of the titles in their series, Tales of Young Americans.

Paper sons emigrated from China to America through Angel Island. To learn more about paper sons and the Angel Island Immigration experience, visit the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation website at: http://www.aiisf.org/

Virginia Shin-Mui Loh is also the author of The Jade Dragon (Candlewick, 2006).

The book will be published in 2014 or 2015. More information to come!

Happy Holidays!

Just a note to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I'm busy at work on LITTLE AMERICA. It will be a board book for the same series as my LITTLE CALIFORNIA book and will be published by Sleeping Bear Press in March 2012. I'm excited!

HO HO HO!

REI and International Reading Association Visits in Chicago

Here I am in a tent at the REI in Chicago reading my book, S IS FOR S'MORES: A CAMPING ALPHABET, to some young campers. How fun is that?! Thanks to Claire for organizing this event.

I was in Chicago to attend the International Reading Association where I participated in a session with writers Larry Dane Brimner, Juanita Havill, and Joan Sandin. Our Topic: How Research Intensifies Reading: Authors and Illustrators Talk About the Importance of Research in Putting Flesh on the Bare Bones of Fact. And, it was my pleasure to sign books at the Sleeping Bear Press booth.

See you at ALA in San Diego on January 7-12, 2011. More details later!

International Reading Association

I was at the International Reading Association conference in Phoenix in February, and I just received this photo from Michael Shoulders of the Sleeping Bear Press dinner with authors and illustrator. From left to right: Michael Shoulders, Eve Bunting, Barbara Gowan, Rick Anderson, Helen Foster James, and Tony Johnston. What a fun event.

California, Here I Come

I’m excited to report that I’m working on a book about California for Sleeping Bear Press. The details are being worked out right now, but it’s for their “The Reader Series.” This series is patterned after the popular nineteenth century McGuffey Readers which were traditionally used to teach life lessons and reading skills to young children.

I started collecting early readers or primers when I started teaching first grade. I’ve found McGuffey Readers in California antique malls and at old Vermont barn estate sales. I really love it when I find an old Dick and Jane reader, but that’s a whole other topic.

THE PENNSYLVANIA READER by Trinka Hakes Noble is one of the books in the series. You can learn more about this book and the series at www.sleepingbearpress.com.

I’ll take this opportunity to tell you that you can find outstanding teachers’ guides for Sleeping Bear Press books at their website. They are available free-of-charge and downloadable from their website. This a fabulous resource for teachers and librarians.

As for me, I’m taking a little break from my writing for a few days. Yesterday I enjoyed lunch with six friends and today I’m visiting San Pasqual School’s second graders.

About Me

I’m the author of S is for S’Mores: A Camping Alphabet. I started researching the book when I was four years old—when I went on her first camping trip! Since that time, I have been on more than one hundred camping trips including backpacking down (and up!) the Grand Canyon, hiking to the top of Sierra Mountain passes, and canoeing down the Colorado River. I even met my husband Bob on a camping trip to Catalina Island.

I am also the author of E is for Enchantment: A New Mexico Alphabet (published by Sleeping Bear Press) illustrated by Neecy Twinem. I received a WILLA Literary Finalist award for the book from Women Writing the West. The book was named to the Land of Enchantment Booklist for 2006-2007 and selected by the New Mexico Library Association as their “Legislative Gift Book” for 2007.

I have been an educator for over 25 years as a coordinator of library media services, elementary teacher, media specialist, and as a teacher of children’s literature. I received my doctorate in Educational Administration from Northern Arizona University. I recently received an award from the California Reading Association for my contribution to literacy.

I am the editor of A Taste of Literacy (published by the California Reading Association). For this cookbook, I collected favorite recipes and literacy memories from 124 California children’s book authors and illustrators. My office is in my kitchen—maybe that’s why I edited a cookbook!

I’m a native San Diegan. My home is in Pacific Beach and I have a cabin in the San Diego mountains in Mount Laguna where I can hear coyotes serenade the moon. I enjoy watching raccoons, woodpeckers, wild turkey, deer, fox, and other wildlife outside my cabin’s windows.

When I’m not camping, hiking, and hanging out on Sail Bay in San Diego, you can find me reading, writing, watching movies, and planning my next travel adventure.

For more information, please visit my website at www.helenfosterjames.com or e-mail me at hfjames@san.rr.com. Teacher guides for S is for S’mores and E is for Enchantment can be downloaded from www.sleepingbearpress.com.