When I was a girl, I had a little bit of a crush.

His name was John Fell, and all I really wanted to be was Keats, Fell’s sassy, wealthy girlfriend with whom he fooled around with in the back of his dead dad’s car next to the ocean.

Okay, so I was twelve. But upon a re-read, I consider this to be one of the more under-appreciated young adult books out there. It was published in 1987 (I was two!) which was a little bit of a dead period for the genre, I think, but this one is good I promise.

John Fell lives in a beach town where the only people who live year round are either insanely wealthy or just scraping by. After his father, Fell and his mother and little sister Jazzy are definitely rooted in the latter. But somehow, Fell has landed himself a girl who lives in an estate so large it has it’s own name, “Adieu.” Keats likes him, maybe even loves him, and all Fell really wants to do is work at the fine foods store after school and take Keats to her Prom. When Fell pulls up to Adieu to pick up his date, he’s met by the family butler, informing Fell that he’s been officially stood up. Fell barrels down the mile long driveway and accidentally hits an eccentric neighbor’s car, who then invites him into his home to get to know him. Fell quickly becomes involved in the lives of these strangers - Wood, his Japanese artist wife, and their nerdy, aspiring magician son. With Keats on the outs, and money tighter than ever, Fell starts to consider Wood’s strange offer to send him to a prestigious boarding school.

Okay, I just recalled that all without having read the book in a good four years. So forgive any small errors, and take that as a testament to how many times I read the book. Which should mean it’s quality, right?

Anyway, if you’re looking for class struggles, pre-Looking For Alaska and Prep boarding school drama, and a dash of social history (yes!) all covered in mystery, please pick up this book. It’s out of print I think, but visit your library to pick up a copy. If you like it, there are two sequels, often found packaged in a three book set.

But just remember, ladies. Fell is all mine.

As readers of this (and my other blogs) probably know by now, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time is easily my favorite childhood book, and is probably my most favorite book of all time.

I was very excited to see that my favorite book was featured in Jezebel’s “Fine Lines” this week. (I was also very excited to see how much Meg Cabot *also* loved this book, because I heart Meg Cabot too.)

Happy day!

Tags: books, reading, a wrinkle in time, madeleine l’engle

I’m helping my friend Adam Selzer promote his new book, Pirates of the Retail Wasteland.

It’s the follow-up to his hilarious How to Get Suspended and Influence People, which I reviewed here. I also interviewed Adam in the same post.

I loved How to Get Suspended, and Pirates is definitely on my to-read list!

Tags: piratesof the retail wasteland, adam selzer, books

I changed templates because the other one wasn’t widgetized. I need to make a new header, but I don’t have time to do that right now…soon!

or not

I never pass up an opportunity to ramble about myself a little. So here goes: my name is Jessica, but you can call me Miss Shortskirt. I am the brand new co-blogger here at Required Reading, which is cool because

for the last 10+ years of my life, I have been reading 90% young adult books

Even when I was 10. Even when I was 17. Even when I was supposed to be reading War and Peace in ENG 262. Even now, when I am a ripe old 23-years-old.

It’s an addiction. A fixation. A deeply seeded love. I simply can’t get enough of it.

Take for instance, yesterday. I was feeling grumpy, and I had the day off, so I decided to pick up this book I checked out from the public library. Even though the story was predictable and the writing just a little too subtle for my grumpy attention span, I didn’t get up until I was finished.

That book was Lessons From A Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

Since I’m just introducing myself here, I won’t go into a full-fledged review. It was entertaining. Dark. Confusingly tragic. Good, but not Top 10 Books Ever good. And you’ll have to trust me when I say that the following discussion paragraph is not a spoiler at all:

What’s up with tragic teenaged girls freaking out and ending up dead? I can’t even list them all because I’m afraid I might spoil a book for someone, but there are a lot out there. It’s making me wish there were more books about girls with their head on their shoulders instead of this influx of Ophelia-esque characters.

I’m looking forward to spending some time here at Required Reading, and a big thanks to Erin for inviting me I blog on Livejournal about my life, books, and writing, so feel free to add me, or if you don’t like me but just like books, add me on GoodReads.

Happy reading!

Voraciously yours,

Miss Shortskirt

Yeah, it’s been a while, but I’m back, baby! And what’s more, I’m welcoming an awesome new co-blogger. Her name is Jessica, aka MissShortskirt, and she loves YA as much as I do! I’ll let her fully introduce herself, though. I’m really looking forward to getting things rolling here again.

In the meantime, here are the YA books I’ve read so far this year:

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Yay, I say…yay for more Stargirl!

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I picked up this book because of the controversy surrounding it (and so close to home!), and I’m glad I did. I thought it was very, very well done. And, I’m happy to say, the Depew School Board ended up approving it unanimously. Yay for them, and yay for John Green.

Kimmie66 by Aaron Alexovich

I’m a big fan of the Minx line, and I’ve read every one of the books as they’ve been released. Good stuff.

Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci

I like Cecil Castellucci, and this book didn’t disappoint at all. I’m looking forward to the sequel to The Plain Janes.

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You, by Ally Carter

I love Alias, and I love YA fiction, so was it any surprise that I loved this book? The Gallagher Girls rock, and I’m very excited for the rest of the series. Sometimes, working in a middle school is very useful!

So, what should I be reading next? What are YOU reading?

Tags: reading, books, YA, cecil castellucci, ally carter, jerry spinelli, minx, kimmie66, john green

I know that a lot of people are as excited as I am, but it’s a little bittersweet, isn’t it? The thought of actually having to say goodbye to Harry, Hermione and Ron is a bit sad…but we’ll always have our books to read and re-read. And the movies! Sadly, I had a busy weekend and a busy week, and so I have not yet had a chance to see Order of the Phoenix. Soon, I hope!

I’m going to be visiting my hometown this weekend, so Amazon is shipping my book there. Not that I’ll have time to read it. It’s going to be one painful weekend!

Of course, as in the past, various media outlets and critics are nattering on about how Harry is crap and adults who read HP should be ashamed of themselves. To them, I offer a hearty “neener, neener.” Harry Potter is magic, pure and simple.

And just for fun, here’s a YouTube clip spoofing on Welcome Back, Kotter:

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been pretty excited about this new Minx line from DC Comics since I first heard about it.

The new titles are inspired in part by the fast growth of translated Japanese comics called manga. While gory and violent themes aimed at boys are staples of manga, fantasy and romantic storylines meant to appeal to girls have helped manga capture the attention of female readers, an audience comic publishers have long struggled to attract.

Since I happen to have my very own comic book geek handy, I’ve had the first two Minx books, The Plain Janes and Re-Gifters, delivered to me without even having to ask. Stuff for me on new comic day! Who’da thunk?

The Plain Janes was written by Cecil Castellucci, author of Boy Proof and The Queen of Cool. I’ve never read either of these books, but I’m definitely interested now!

The main character, Jane (of course), moves from the city to the suburbs after being injured in a bombing. Jane rebels against the fear and complacency of her new life by banding together with a group of misfits (all named Jane) to start P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods). Their escapades cause some trouble in the town, but the girls refuse to give up.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I found myself rooting for the Janes, hoping they would get through to their community without getting in too much trouble! My only complaint was that it ended a bit too abruptly, I thought. I wonder if the author was limited to a certain number of pages in which she had to end the story.

Re-Gifters was written by Mike Carey, a comic book writer who wrote the fantastically adorable My Faith in Frankie.

Re-Gifters is the story of a young Korean girl, Jen Dik Seong (Dixie to her friends). Dixie practices hapkido, and she has a crush on her fellow competitor Adam. She spends the money she’s supposed to be using to enter a martial arts competition to buy Adam an expensive birthday present, setting into action a series of misunderstandings and catastrophes that end with Dixie facing off against Adam in the finals of the competition.

Dixie is cute, spunky and utterly likeable. Of the two releases so far, I liked Re-Gifters better, but The Plain Janes isn’t without its merits. Looking forward to the new titles!

Earlier this year, I got a friend request on myspace from author Cynthia Leitich Smith, advertising her new YA urban gothic fantasy Tantalize. I made a mental note to check out the book.

Then, while flipping through the pages of my sorority magazine, the Adelphean, I saw Cynthia’s name. “Hey,” I thought to myself, “That sounds familiar.”

Sure enough, the author featured in my magazine and the one who friended me were one and the same! I promptly set out to get my hands on a copy of the novel.

Tantalize is the story of Quincie Morris, a 17-year-old girl who was orphaned at 13. She’s got a shapeshifting half-werewolf best friend, Kieran, whom she’d like to be more than a friend.

Quincie is left in the care of her uncle, and together, they’re trying to save the family’s failing Italian restaurant by reopening with a Vampire theme. But weeks before the restaurant opens, the chef (a family friend and surrogate father to Quincie) is brutally murdered, and Kieren is among the suspects

It becomes Quincie’s job to hire and train the new chef, Brad, in time for the restaurant’s opening. Before she knows it, Quincie is wrapped up in a dark mystery that doesn’t stop twisting and turning until the book’s final pages.

I think readers will identify with Quincie, particularly the way she struggles with her feelings for Kieren and her attraction to the older, mysterious Brad. She’s a fun, likeable character, full of attitude, although she frequently made me want to scream during the second half of the book. (”Quincie, nooooo! Are you crazy??”)

Tantalize was a quick and enjoyable read that leaves the reader wanting more. Is there a sequel in the works, perhaps?

Cynthia Leitich Smith writes for children, middle-grade readers, and young adults. She is best known for her Native American-themed stories, such as Rain is Not My Indian Name.

Check out Cynsations (Cynthia’s general YA lit blog) and Spookycyn (Cynthia’s “fang-friendly” fantasy, horror, gothic fantasy and suspense blog).

Cynthia was kind enough to take part in my “Five Lists of Five” interview:

Five favorite vampires

Excluding ongoing series, including my own books (though I love many ongoing series):

• Chris from Thirsty by M. T. Anderson
• Ethan from Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde
• Simon from The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause
• Kiefer Sutherland (David) from The Lost Boys (1987) (reminds me of Spike)
• Whedonverse Vamps: Drusilla, Spike Darla, Angel, and vamp Willow (call that one 5 x 5, as Faith would say)

Five favorite foods (in honor of the book’s restaurant theme!)

• sashimi (various)
• turkey burgers with Gouda, lettuce, mustard, and mushrooms on whole wheat
• Hunan shrimp and mixed vegetables on brown rice
• whole wheat tortellini with Italian turkey sausage and parmesan
• tortilla soup with chicken, guacamole, onion, tomato, and of course torillas

Five things you can’t live without

• cats
• my very cute husband
• air conditioning
• office supplies
• iced tea with Splenda

Five people who have influenced you/your work

• Annette Curtis Klause
• Abraham “Bram” Stoker
• Ovid
• Judy Blume (first person voice)
• Greg Leitich Smith (my first and most frequent reader)

Five songs that would be on Quincie’s iPod

• Lil’ Red Riding Hood (for Kieren)
• Strangers in the Night (remembering Vaggio)
• Red, Red Wine (vampy)
• You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth (Kieran again)
• The Waiting Song (The Hudsons–an Austin-based band Quincie might hear at Waterloo Ice House)

Last year, I read and enjoyed Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart. I saw The Thief Lord in a teacher’s classroom last week, and I decided to pick it up.

It read very quickly–it’s shorter and less dense than Inkheart–and it was an enjoyable story, but it didn’t nearly captivate me in the way that Inkheart did. The Thief Lord is much more a middle-reader novel than a YA one.

The Thief Lord is the story of two young boys, orphans, who are trying to escape the aunt and uncle who have applied for custody of the younger brother, Bo, but want to send the older brother, Prosper, to boarding school.

Prosper and Bo flee to Venice, the city their mother used to tell them stories about. They fall in with a group of street kids with a mysterious leader, Scipio The Thief Lord. Scipio gives the kids a place to live and keeps them warm and fed.

The boys soon find themselves being tailed by a private detective, hired by their aunt.

The story is fun, and it takes some unexpected turns, and even an element of fantasy.

I have just learned, via Amazon, that the book was adapted into a film.

I gave this book 3 stars on my goodreads profile.

As you may know, I was very much looking forward to reading Laurie Halse Anderson’s new novel, Twisted.

It was worth the wait, and it did not disappoint.

I first encountered LHA’s work when I was a student teacher at a Catholic high school. My cooperating teacher had selected Speak as her monthly book club pick, and had extra copies lying around. I picked it up one day and could not put it down. I’ve read several of her other novels and enjoyed them, but none of them have captured me and moved me in the way that Speak did. Until now.

Twisted is unique among Anderson’s work in that its protagonist is male. Tyler is a 17-year-old self-proclaimed nerd who is on probation because of a school prank. During the summer between his junior and senior years, Tyler gets tan and bulky doing landscaping work, winning him the attention of the pretty, popular Bethany. It’s this attraction to Bethany that almost brings Tyler’s world crashing down.

Tyler gets blamed for a crime that takes place during a party, and it’s this experience that ultimately allows him to take control of the chaos that his life has become.

Tyler’s voice is convincing and sympathetic, and the characters are realistic. I was impressed by the way Tyler eventually figures out how to stand up for himself and begin to become an adult.

I think Anderson has another classic on her hands.

Perfect is a first novel by Natasha Friend. It’s the story of Isabelle Lee, a girl who begins attending group therapy after her younger sister catches her forcing herself to throw up.

Isabelle is shocked when Ashley, the most popular girl in school, walks into group as well. The two girls become friends, and slowly, Isabelle begins to learn that Ashley’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems.

Over the course of the novel, Isabelle begins to deal with the thing that’s really bothering her–her father’s death and her mother’s inability to cope.

Isabelle is a likable, believable 13-year-old girl. She eventually forgives her sister, April, and the two girls start to help each other deal with their grief.

Perfect is a quick and enjoyable read, with realistic characters and situations. Friend allows us to share in Isabelle’s pain, and we root for her as she makes her way on the road to recovery.

I love Meg Cabot. I also love Meg Cabot’s blog.

I especially liked this post, in which Ms. Cabot talks about getting over the fear of letting people read her work.

So what if it I got something like 500 agent rejections in three years? The 501st agent I queried took me on.

And she’s still my agent today.

Now, what if I’d let my fear of letting people read my stories keep me from trying in the first place?

Somehow, it’s comforting to know that even the brilliant, wonderful Meg Cabot feared sending her work out into the world.

I haven’t read much of Joyce Carol Oates’ writing for adults, but I’ve quickly become a fan of her YA novels. Her writing is simple but powerful, and I find it hard to put her books down.

I have, in fact, finished this one in the span of about 2 hours.

Francesca, Franky to her friends, is the daughter of a well-known sportscaster and former athlete. On the outside, her family is perfect. They have the perfect house and what appears to be the perfect life.

On the inside, though, things are not so perfect. At a young age, Franky learned not to provoke her father, for fear of his “discipline.” She seems to know that the long sleeves and scarves her mother wears are hiding something, but she’s too afraid to say anything.

A part of Franky emerges that’s not afraid, though; a part Franky has named “Freaky Green Eyes.” And when Franky’s mother disappears, it’s Freaky who finds the courage to act.

It was a quick and compelling read; the emotions are understated, but hit hard. I continue to look forward to JCO’s young adult work.

I started and finished this book today. It was a quick and enjoyable read, and not at all what I expected.

High school senior Ashley couldn’t care less about the prom, but her best friend Nat does. When a crisis leads to the prom’s near-cancellation, Ash steps up to help Nat save it.

Prom is a much different story than LHS’s Speak, but again, she demonstrates her ability to create realistic high school characters and situations. Prom was funny and touching, and the characters were well-drawn and believable. I wouldn’t have expected anything else from Ms. Anderson. I wanted to cheer when Ash finally dumped her loser boyfriend.

After hearing lots and lots about it, I finally signed up for an account at PaperBackSwap. I’ve got five books on their way to interested swappers, and a copy of Stargirl is on its way to me. (I’ve read it, but I read a classroom copy and wanted one of my own.)

I’m pretty excited about it…I knew I would be, but was just too lazy to actually sign up.

Not only can you request books that have been posted, but you can wish list books that haven’t. Then, when a member posts a book on your wish list, you’re notified. Pretty nifty.

I also responded to an invitation to join GoodReads, a sort of myspace for books. If you’re interested, sign up and ask me to be your friend! I just signed up, and I haven’t had the time to actually post anything yet, but I’ll get around to it soon.

Other than that, I’ve got several titles on my “to-read” list…I went to the library last week and checked out two Laurie Halse Anderson books (not the new one–it wasn’t available yet), and Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates. I’ve really enjoyed her YA efforts so far, so I’m looking forward to that one.

As always, suggestions are welcome!

I read the first two books in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series last year, and enjoyed them more than I thought I would. When I saw that the fourth book was coming out early this year, I realized that I hadn’t read the third…so it was off to the library for me!

I enjoyed Girls in Pants as much as I liked the first two. As always, the characters are warm and funny and entirely believable. I love that the premise that serves as the “hook” for this series, one magical pair of jeans that fits all four girls perfectly, is so quietly understated.

In the third book, Carmen, Bee, Lena and Tibby have graduated from high school and are getting ready to head off to college in different cities. This is their last summer before heading out into that strange new world.

As always, there was more than one moment that brought tears to my eyes. I love the way these girls are growing up, and I look forward to reading Forever in Blue.

I’ve started a page listing my favorite YA novels, and although it’s far from complete, I thought I’d start posting about what makes each of these books special to me.

I will, without question, tell anyone who asks that A Wrinkle in Time is my favorite book of all time.

My Aunt Di was an elementary school teacher when I was a kid. She taught sixth grade, and she frequently read to her classes. Often, she’d buy copies of the books she was reading and bring them home for me.

I can’t recall exactly how old I was, but I do remember her bringing me Madeleine L’Engle’s original time trilogy: A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. I devoured them all, although Planet was probably a wee bit over my head at the time. But it was Wrinkle that really stuck with me. I read it and reread it and reread it again, treasuring it each time. Every time I read it, I cry. It’s message is so simple and yet so powerful–that love can accomplish great things.

Reading this book is comforting to me. It’s truly one of my happy places. It was one of the first times that I can remember being whisked away to a world of fantasy and feeling at home there.

Several years ago, I let someone borrow my copy of the book, which looked like this:

I never saw it again. I have since replaced it, but of course, the replacement doesn’t match the two companion books. This bothers my slightly OCD book sensibility. They must match.

And if I were richer, I’d bid on this signed hardcover edition. *drool*

Watch for other “favorite book” posts in the future!

I’ve been compiling a want-to-read list, some of which are currently available, others which are to be released later this year.

Story of a Girl, by Sara Zarr

I read about this one on another blog, and it looks fascinating.

Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson (now available)

I’ve been a fan of LHS since I read Speak, which I count among my favorites.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (July)

Um, me and everyone else in the world. My friend Debbie (along with her musical group Urban Tapestry) wrote a song about it called Hey JK. It’s worth a look, really.

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (August 14)

I adored Stargirl., and I was so sad when it ended. Imagine my delight when a sequel was announced! I could hardly contain my squeal.

What’s on your list? And what do you think I should add to mine?

Debora Ng has mentioned me on her wonderful Freelance Writing Jobs blog.

It’s now my job to, in turn, “pay it forward.” I’d like to mention a couple of the lovely people I’ve befriended over at JacketFlap.

Liz Jones is a children’s writer and illustrator from PA.

Jack O’Rourke is a YA writer from California.

Enjoy!

You might want to avoid eating or drinking anything while reading Adam Selzer’s debut novel, so as to avoid spraying food or drink all over the book’s pages. It’s just that funny. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

“How to Get Suspended” is the story of Leon Harris, a “gifted and talented” eighth grader who finds himself in the middle of a debate about censorship. Leon’s class is assigned the job of making educational videos for the sixth and seventh grade classes. Leon chooses sex ed, deciding to make an avant-garde film. (”I was sure that if mine was bizarre enough to be considered ‘artsy,’ I could get away with putting just about anything in there,” he reasons.)

Leon’s friend Anna offers to help, at first by bringing him several of her parents’ art books and a copy of Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. (”I could tell it was good, because half the time I had no idea what was going on,” Leon says.)

Leon’s project meets with the disapproval of the gifted program director, Mrs. Smollett, and Leon soon becomes a “political prisoner,” thrown into in-school suspension for the “inappropriate” content of his film. Students and teachers rally around him in ways Leon never expected.

“How to Get Suspended” is laugh-out-loud funny, but it also deals with the heavy issues of censorship and morality in a smart, realistic way. I couldn’t recommend this book more. A sequel, “Pirates of the Retail Wasteland,” is due out in early 2008.

With this review, I am also introducing my “5 Lists of 5″ interview.

5 Lists of 5, with Adam Selzer

5 authors you admire or have influenced you:

• Daniel Pinkwater - I’ve based my life on his teachings, and travel to places he wrote about around Chicago regularly. Those that haven’t been torn down for condos or a Starbucks, anyway.
• Charles Dickens - esp. the mid-to-late novels
• Bill Bryson - my fellow Des Moines native
• Harlan Ellison - I discovered him in 8th grade - there was a copy of Paingod and Other Delusions in this little bookshop that was also a tanning place in Urbandale, IA, and I just couldn’t pass up a book with a title like that.
• Gordon Korman - I wonder if he’d let me write a new Bugs Potter book?

5 Books you’d bring with you to a deserted island:

• Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern - a very long, post-modern 18th century novel that makes very little sense. It’d be good to have on a desert island because it would keep me busy for years.
• I Hated Hated Hated Hated this Movie by Roger Ebert - to remind me that there are worse things than being stranded on a desert island
• Bleak House by Charles Dickens - pretty much the same reason as Tristram Shandy, only it has the added bonus of having a character who spontaneously combusts midway through the book.
• 5 Novels by Daniel Pinkwater - all in one volume, so it only count as one, not five. ha!
• A blank one so I can write things down - plus, I could obsess for weeks over how to make ink using stuff on a desert island

5 CDs You Can’t Live Without:

(I’ll keep this to one per artist)

• Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
• Tom Waits - Nighthawk at the Diner
• Bruce Springsteen - The Seeger Sessions
• Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer - Drum Hat Buddha
• Nirvana - Unplugged

5 favorite movies/TV shows:

• Almost Famous
• Night of the Hunter
• Star Wars
• The West Wing
• The Simpsons

5 things on your dresser or nightstand:

• Singer’s Saving Grace throat spray
• Count Chocula bobble head
• a stack of copies of my own albums
• empty ben and jerry’s container (half baked)
• a Han Solo in Carbonite action figure (which is really an inaction figure)

According to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, teens are buying books at the fastest rate in decades.

“Kids are buying books in quantities we’ve never seen before,” said Booklist magazine critic Michael Cart, a leading authority on young adult literature. “And publishers are courting young adults in ways we haven’t seen since the 1940s.”

This is encouraging news for me…as a teacher, as a writer, and as a lover of YA in general Some of the things I read as a teenager are still among my favorite books, and I continue to be amazed by the quality of writing I see in many books for teens today. This definitely is a “new golden age of YA literature”.

Along with that article, the P-I published a list of top YA titles. I’ve listed many of my favorites around this site…what are some of your favorites?

This is old news for some, but new to me! Helen Mirren will be playing Elinor in next year’s film adaptation of Inkheart.

A full cast list and more information is available on Cornelia Funke’s site.

I loved this book, and I’m excited about the adaptation. I hope it’s a good one!

Laurie Halse Anderson’s new book Twisted is coming soon…

Penguin Books has the first chapter online.

I’ve enjoyed all of the Laurie Halse Anderson books I’ve read so far, and I count Speak among my favorites. I’m looking forward to reading this one.