Meet the Guru: Ellen Leventhal

As you may or may not know, Rate Your Story offers Gurus who serve as Guest Judge for certain member submissions each month. January 2024's Guru is multi-published author of Debbie's Song: The Debbie Friedman Story - Ellen Leventhal. But whether or not you are a Rate Your Story 2024 Member, here is an interview of one author's journey that will surely inspire you!

What do you LOVE about children’s books? There is so much to love! Picture books and middle grade novels have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I love how the pairing of pictures and text tells a story that can touch someone’s heart or tickle their funny bone. Or both! I also have an affinity for middle grade novels that bring me back to the time when I was the characters’ age. And more importantly, I believe that MG novels help adults understand kids and reinforce the idea that kids’ issues have changed, and their voices need to be heard. When I put on my writer’s hat, I continue to learn about the craft from reading wonderful children’s books. And honestly, kids’ books are great reads that I continue to enjoy. 

Name a favorite story from your childhood and share why you love it. Do you think that the book would sell in today’s market? I remember reading the book CAPS FOR SALE over and over. I’m not 100% sure why this sticks in my mind except that the man selling the caps always reminded me of a nice man I knew who sold balloons at the park. As far as the story, I liked those tricky monkeys but also cheered (yep…every time!) when the man got his caps back. 

Would it sell in today’s market? Hmm…I see a few things that make me think it would have trouble in today’s market. First, I’m not sure that kids today would be able to relate to the setup. As I said, I fell in love with the story because of the balloon man at our park. Secondly, many picture books today are child-centered (even if the child is an animal). This book is about a grown man and a bunch of monkeys. Not one child in sight! I know ALL kids’ books don’t have a child protagonist, but I think most editors are looking for that. And the cute happy ending was achieved by mistake and based on feedback for one of my own stories, editors would rather have the protagonist solve the problem themselves. 

Having said that, we really never know what will spark an editor’s interest. And I think there is so much about this book that is wonderful. I believe something similar can be updated and brought into the 21st century. And personally, I still love it! 

Share a story that you recently read and loved. Share why you love it. Wow! That’s a hard question simply because there are SO many fabulous books. I recently read Kirsten Pendreigh and Crystal Smith’s wonderful MAYBE A WHALE. The words and illustrations combine beautifully to create a book that takes my breath away. The story is beautiful, and the pacing takes the reader along for the ride with the main characters. Without giving too much away, I will say the message is a wonderful reminder of the idea that perhaps we don’t have to see a loved one to know they are still with us somehow. 

What was your job prior to becoming a children’s author? I taught for more years than I can count! I worked with special needs kids of all ages, and after that, taught grades 5-7, with my longest tenure being 18 years with fifth graders. I loved it all. (Thus my affection for middle grade books along with my passion for picture books) 

How long was your journey to publication? Oh, this was a long and circuitous route. Since I taught fifth grade for so long, and loved middle grade novels. I wrote a few with a friend, and although we liked them, and they got some good critiques from professionals, they never did get published. Looking back now, I can see why. But one day, that same friend, Ellen Rothberg, saw a contest about picture book writing. I loved picture books but didn’t know the craft of writing them. Bottom line, after taking some classes and a ridiculous number of revisions, our book, DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS, won, and with it came publication. Fast forward a few years (and a lot more practice and classes), and that publisher decided not to continue with kids’ books. Soon after, another publisher picked it up. It’s still out there. After that, I’ve been lucky enough to have a book out every two years. So how long did it take? It’s really hard to put a number to it since I wrote in fits and starts for the first several years. 

Share a little bit about your first book. If multi-published, feel free to discuss your latest book instead. After writing A FLOOD OF KINDNESS, a book of my heart, I switched gears and tried non-fiction. My latest book, DEBBIE’S SONG, is a picture book biography about Jewish singer/songwriter, Debbie Friedman. During her quest to write music that would include all and honor voices that had been historically left out, Debbie faced a number of obstacles along the way. However, with grit, determination, and perseverance, not only did Debbie sell out Carnegie Hall more than once, but she changed the world of Jewish music. Although it is considered a “Jewish book,” it has a universal message. When I go into schools with this book, I stress that we all have a special spark inside of us which we can use to help others. By the way, I am incredibly honored that this book was just included in Tablet Magazine’s list of the best Jewish children’s books of 2023.

What is a common issue with the submissions you receive in manuscripts you critique? Often there is a lack of either an emotional arc or a narrative arc. I think that is pretty common in early drafts. As important as it is to have an enticing story with good pacing and great page turns, we need to care about the characters and be with them as they change. Without that emotional arc, our stories fall a bit flat. And without that narrative arc, to me, it doesn’t feel like a complete story. 

Please share a Submission Tip with our Members. I’ve learned that having your query letter critiqued is as important as having your story critiqued. I recently asked someone who doesn’t know my story to look at the letter and let me know what they think. I wanted to make sure the letter would entice someone to read the story. After all, an agent or editor will often read your query before they decide if they’ll even look at your story. But along with that, it’s also important to have people who know your story well to critique your query. I’ve written queries that didn’t convey what my story was about very well. It’s got to be a full well written package. 

Please share a Revision Tip for our Members. We all know the adage, “Show Don’t Tell.” But how do you do that? There are a lot of ways, but one of the first things I do when I’m revising is go through my manuscript and circle all the “to be” verbs. (is,am, are,was,were) which are usually very “telly”. I then go back and see where I can make the sentence or phrase better by using a strong verb or description to show us how the characters feel or what they are doing.

Name subjects you would like to read about.  I love history, so if we’re looking at non-fiction PBs, I love stories about unusual events or unusual people. I also love historical fiction in middle grade. 

Name subjects you would not like to read about.  I honestly don’t have anything I don’t like to read, but, probably heavy science with a lot of sidebars, etc. is not my favorite. 

Share something you wish we had asked you about,but didn’t! I would have loved you to ask me about the importance of critique groups. A good critique group won’t tell you everything is great, nor will they tear you down. Both of those extremes aren’t helpful. I’ve been amazed at how manuscripts evolve with good feedback and support.

Share a fun fact about YOU! I’m a huge baseball fan, and I can’t figure out why I haven’t written a baseball story yet. (Note to self: Do it!) 

Ellen Leventhal is a dog loving, baseball watching, chocolate eating, author and educator living in Houston, TX.  Ellen currently has four published picture books on the market, with DEBBIE’S SONG: THE DEBBIE FRIEDMAN STORY being her latest. Ellen’s work has also appeared in various poetry and short story anthologies. Her best days are when she can interact directly with students and spread her love of literacy, compassion, and kindness. To find out more about Ellen’s books,  writing projects, and school visits, please go to Ellen's Website

Twitter: @EllenLWrites

Bluesky:@EllenLWrites

Instagram: @EllenL411 

Facebook: Ellen Warach Leventhal

NOTE TO MEMBERS: Should you be interested in having Ellen Leventhal offer feedback and a rating on your submission, please submit with a cover letter requesting to be considered. Our Admin Team will assign her as Judge for four lucky members in January. They will chose from the submissions for those manuscripts best suited to her likes and expertise. Thank you.