Wildlife control is trying to wrestle him into a cage.
I’m not getting much writing done.

And I don’t know how he even got into the house in the first place.

I know we are technically six days into the new year, but in my world (which mostly consists of being a mom) life didn’t start back up until yesterday. And all you teachers didn’t go back to school until yesterday, too, and the first day back to school can be kind of chaotic. So really the contest announcement is right on time.

Without further ado, the winners for January are:

Ms. K of Buena Vista, VA and Ms. T of Brookville, IN.

Yesterday (instead of posting winners on my blog) I treated myself to something I’ve never done before: a writing date. I met a writing friend at a coffee shop and we worked silently side by side all morning. Have any of you done this before? I was worried it might become hangout time instead of writing time, but actually, I was incredibly productive. I don’t think it was because I was trying to look good, either. I think the simple act of sitting next to someone who is working and focusing rubs off, and makes you work and focus more than you would if you were alone.
Especially if when you are alone you are sitting next to the telephone, the kitchen and internet access. 😉

This month’s third grade boxes o’ fun go to:

Ms. W. in Arizona
Ms. A. in Texas
and Ms. B. in Texas

Congratulations!!

There is still plenty of time to enter. I’ll be giving away prizes through the end of the school year. Just click here for more info.

As much fun as it is giving away copies of my book, giving away FIVE copies of my book was even more fun. Exponentially more fun!!!

So I’m doing it again.

The five lucky winners of THIRD GRADE BABY for the month of November are:

Mrs. R. in Edmonton, Alberta

Mrs. T. in Cincinnati, Ohio

Ms. M. in Lone Grove, Oklahoma

Mrs. Z. in Burlington, MA

Ms. S. in Birmingham, AL

Congratulations!!! I hope you and your students enjoy my book.

It’s a few days past the first of the month, but better late than never, right?
However, I’m feeling a little guilty. And also, October is my birthday month, so I’m feeling a bit celebratory as well. So…. (drumroll please)

I’ve chosen FIVE winning classrooms this month.

Congratulations to:
Ms. M’s class in Riverside, CT
Ms. K’s class in Ramsey, NJ
Mrs. L’s class in Peoria, AZ
Mrs. K’s class in Marietta, GA
and Ms. M’s class in Brooklyn Park, MN

I hope you have fun reading THIRD GRADE BABY. I look forward to talking with you!

And of course, everyone is still welcome to enter! Drawings will be held every month for the rest of the school year. Just send an email to contest@jennymeyerhoff.com with the name, school and city of your favorite third grade teacher (even if it’s yourself!) For more info click here.

And just for fun, here’s a picture of me at my latest signing reading part of chapter ten with the help of my daughter in the role of Martha Molar.

…but I made it myself and am kind of proud.

I’m just back from Oklahoma where I appeared on a panel at Encyclomedia with fellow 2k8ers Stacy Nyikos, PJ Hoover and Barrie Summy. It our first time meeting each other, but I feel like we are already friends. And the librarians in Oklahoma were fantastic! I’m honored so many of them came to see us.

It was lovely to get a chance to meet so many of them after the talk as well, and I certainly hope I can return to Oklahoma someday (maybe even to meet some students.)
For a couple of us it was our first ever speaking event, so the nerves were high. I think we were all relieved to hear from audience members who enjoyed it. And if I may say so myself, we didn’t look too bad either!

After our post-panel book signing organized by the wonderful indie Best of Books, it was time to be interviewed by the Oklahoma TV show Read All About It!

I’d never been interviewed for TV before, so that was quite a treat.

To seem some more fantastic pics of the weekend, check out Barrie and PJ’s blogs.

In other news, I’m in the news. This week’s Deerfield Review features an article about little old me. Click here if you’d like to read it.

Out of all these entries

only one could be chosen

to be the very first winner of the Third Grade Box O’ Fun!

Congratulations to Mrs. N. in Rochester, NY.*

To all the entrants who didn’t get chosen, never fear! You are still entered in next month’s drawing, and every month’s drawing after that until the end of the school year.
But what if you haven’t entered yet? You needn’t fear either! You can enter now. Just send an email nominating your favorite third grade classroom to contest@jennymeyerhoff.com and one day all this could belong to students near you.

*Names and schools will be kept private.

One of the most exciting things about my book (for me) is that it is a classroom book. By that I mean, much of the action takes place at school, and it’s the kind of book teachers could really have fun with in their classrooms. It’s one of my favorite things to think about really, classrooms reading my story, having discussions about why Zachary behaves the way he does, whether Polly plays any role in his behavior toward her, and that all important question: Are third graders too old for the tooth fairy?

That’s why it was so gratifying and exciting to read that Instructor Magazine has listed THIRD GRADE BABY as one of its top five new back to school books this year, calling it a “debut chapter book from a hilarious new voice.” Here’s the rest of the online version of the article if you are interested.

In other news, thanks to the many, many teachers parents and students who have entered the contest so far! I wish I could send you all a Box O’ Fun!

The first drawing will take place at the end of the month, so there’s still plenty of time to enter if you haven’t already!

An especially big thank you to the teachers who’ve emailed me to say that they’ve already ordered a copy of the book even though they are entering the contest as well. As I’ve emailed them privately, I’d be happy to do a “virtual” email visit with any class who reads the book and would like to talk to me afterwards. It would most definitely be an honor and a privilege.

Hope everyone is having a very summery August! I’m off to the pool.

Win a Third Grade Box O’ Fun
for your favorite third grade classroom!

To enter:
Send an email to contest@jennymeyerhoff.com with the name, school and city of your favorite third grade teacher.

Each month of the 2008-2009 school year a random drawing will be held and one classroom will win a package full of THIRD GRADE BABY goodies including: a copy of THIRD GRADE BABY by Jenny Meyerhoff, a Third Grade Baby Teacher’s Guide, signed bookmarks for the entire class, Third Grade Baby pencils, baby tooth necklaces, Third Grade Baby tattoos and more! The class will also win a live or email visit from the author depending upon location!

Drawings will be held on the first of each month
starting in September. But you can enter starting today!