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MOWMT March 14: Lynne Marie Celebrates Siblings


by Lynne Marie


When I originally got the spark for an idea that became BROOMMATES: A Brewing Boundary Battle (before I transposed it to rhyme with Brenda Reeves Sturgis), I was having fun playing around with words -- RoomMates. BroomMates. Tombmates. And from there, my imagination soared! BroomMates might be two sister witches, and TombMates two brother mummies, both situations where the main characters might struggle to share the same room! It certainly provided a situation a picture book reader could identify with. The potential seemed good and the possibilities oh, so fun!

I decided to tackle BROOMMATES first as I had my own personal experiences to draw from. But as per my usual protocol, I set out to do some research and see just what was out there, both as a Mentor Tool, and as a Comp (to see if there was a need for/room for my book in the market). I wondered: Had it been done before? Was it too close to what had been done before? Was it a fresh and new take on what has been done before? The answer remained to be seen.

I searched to find 50 - 100 books on witches, sisters, dual main characters, squabbling, sharing and SEL (social emotional learning). In the vast list of books I collected, I found many great witch and sister books, but none where the sisters were witches! Bam! I knew I had to write it. And in doing that, there were many Mentor Texts that I felt proved helpful, but here are a few of them.



Not only was this a great Mentor Text for my story, but an absolutely wonderful Mentor Text for great writing, timing and storytelling! But for my purposes, it showed one of the potential conflicts between siblings, a satisfying resolution and was a completely brilliant take on a sibling story! This proved an example of what has been done (a bunny with a wolf sibling) and how to do it (and knock it out of the park). Definitely a lot to learn here -- be sure to buy a copy of this book to have it handy.


Next, was BIG SISTER, LITTLE MONSTER by Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum and Edward Fotheringham (Scholastic Press, 2017).


I particularly hoped that I wouldn't find any titles too close to mine in with regard to characterization. This book featured monsters, but no witches -- so that was a good sign as far as I was concerned.


What I particularly loved about this book is that it was yet another fresh take on a sibling story, and that the character arc, as well as narrative arc, were so effective. Be sure to grab a copy of this one!



While Cyril and Bruce are not truly brothers, for all intent and purposes, they are -- with all that squabbling and refusing to share. This was a great Mentor Text for the back and forth between characters and antics that would facilitate a need for evaluating and changing behavior. It effectively portrayed a challenging relationship and ultimately provided a satisfying resolution that rang of truth. It was another great one for me as it showed that the SEL topic was a worthy one, but yet that mine was a new and different approach. It also hinted that a rhymed book about siblings might be fun!



Somewhat like Big Sister, Little Monster in that it's about a little sister annoying a big sister, this book differs in that it features, real, contemporary characters (and no

monsters, but a mermaid may appear).


It was another take on the evergreen theme of sibling rivalry which explores the different ways sisters can be emotionally and physically in a rhymed text. Very

sweet and more SEL than the others.



When I completed my exploration of Mentor Texts and/or Comp books, I still felt that my idea was a viable one and decided to pursue it. And I'm so glad I did -- Watch on Social Media for the Story Behind the Story of BROOMMATES with Brenda Reeves Sturgis and Nico Ecenarro which celebrates two sisters who must figure out a way to share a room (and a broom) comes out comes out September 17, 2024. It's available NOW for Pre-Orders!




PRIZE: Lynne Marie will be giving away a one-half hour Zoom Mentor Session through The Picture Book Mechanic to one lucky winner. All you need to do is share your favorite sister or witch or broom picture book story in the comments. Additional Sessions and Speedpasses will be raffled -- one for every seven preorders. Just forward your receipt to: LiterallyLynneMarie@gmail.com to be entered.


UPDATED BOOKLIST: And in case you missed it -- here is the updated booklist: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zQajzFN8ROSGtCgVUTH6XlE_2FUauPLyiF0HXrYkXEs/edit?usp=sharing


About the Author: Lynne Marie is the award-winning author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten -- art by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic 2011), Hedgehog's 100th Day of School -- art by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play -- art by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares -- art by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling / Scholastic 2019) and Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World -- art by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books 2019), The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project and The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project Coloring Book -- art by Wendy Fedan (Mac and Cheese Press 2022), The Palace Rat -- art by Eva Santana (Yeehoo Press 2023), BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle co-written with Brenda Reeves Sturgis – art by Nico Ecenarro (The Little Press 2024) and more, forthcoming. 


She’s the Director of RateYourStory.org, a Mentor at ThePictureBookMechanic.com, the Creator of March On With Mentor Texts (www.rateyourstory.org/march-on) and Mentor Text Talk, a Co-Host of #SeasonsOfKidLit (www.seasonsofkidlit.com) and a Feature Columnist at Children’s Book Insider (www.writeforkids.org).  




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