Normally I’d upload a post bright and early on a Monday, but today…it just wasn’t gonna happen. Unlike most of the bloggers here, I don’t have end-of-school-year burnout excuse. It was just one of those weeks followed by a busy weekend followed by a Monday that came too soon.

People here at the Horn Book are gearing up for the American Library Association conference — either getting ready to go themselves, or stepping up their work because lots of us will take the end of the week off. With so many people out of the office, not to mention most of the folks we work with at publishing houses, it’s the perfect time to take a long weekend away. For me, everything I had to design is done and on it’s way to NV. If you are at ALA, stop by the Horn Book booth and grab our gorgeous new poster by Brian Floca before they run out.

For those of you who are teachers rather than librarians, this ALA conference (in Las Vegas, baby!) is when the Newbery, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King award acceptance speeches will be given. These are big deals for everyone who attends. People tend to choose their outfits with care and a few librarians have even taken to doing interviews on the “red carpet.” Here’s the 2008 video, a la Project Runway.

We will print the acceptance speeches in our July issue and have been sworn to secrecy about their content until they are given next week on Sunday and Monday. Check this site later this week for profiles of Kate DiCamillo, Brian Floca, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Bryan Collier.

If you want to know how the Horn Book reviewed all of this year’s ALA award winners, go to this page.

We’ll be back on our regular schedule Wednesday — and Friday, too, even though I plan to sleep in that day!

The post Playing catch-up appeared first on The Horn Book.

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It is rare to find an exceptional novel for children with the current emphasis on YA literature rather than on children’s books. Kelsey and the Porcelain Doll by Rosanne Hawke (UQP) is an exceptional Australian book for younger readers. With her background of living in Pakistan as an aid worker, Hawke has incorporated cultural and lifestyle details authentically into a perfectly formed story.

8-year-old Kelsey moves temporarily to Pakistan with her father who will help the people rebuild after a flood and with her mother who is a nurse. Pakistan seems like an alien place to Kelsey with its Bollywood music, mudbrick houses and ‘charpai’ woven beds. She particularly misses her afternoon teas with Nanna Rose. During their Skype sessions Nanna Rose, with additions by Kelsey, tells the story of a porcelain doll which is bought by an elderly lady and sent a long way by airmail. She is checked for bombs by customs, grabbed by a dog, dropped into a flooded river, stolen by a monkey and cared for by a couple of children.

The chapters about the doll, Amy Jo, alternate with chapters about Kelsey who has made a friend, Shakila, and is becoming part of life in her remote village school. She is able to demonstrate spoken English to help the students and asks her class in Australia to help raise money for pencils, exercise books and medicine. Even though Kelsey is comparatively rich materially, Shakila is rich in family, with multiple relatives. Rosanne Hawke doesn’t shy away from the gritty reality of life in Pakistan. One of the school girl’s sister drowned in the flood and the water shouldn’t be drunk – a problem for Kelsey when she saves Shakila’s little brother from the river. Urdu words are used thoughtfully throughout the book, and are also explained in a glossary. And Kelsey reads an ebook about a ‘girl who disappeared into paintings on the wall to save her family in the past’. (This book is outed in the ‘Acknowledgements’ as The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie by Kirsty Murray – an outstanding book published in 2013 which won the Children’s category of the Aurealis awards). In creating this tale, Hawke has also been inspired by The Tin Soldier, The Lost Coin and The Velveteen Rabbit and the illustrations have been thoughtfully drawn by award-winning Briony Stewart.

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Today's #BookADay: WE PLANTED A TREE, written by Diane Muldrow and illustrated by Bob Staake, published by Golden Books/Random House. In addition to being an author, Diane is also editorial director at Golden Books/Random House. 

I bought WE PLANTED A TREE at the 2010 SCBWI conference in Los Angeles, which was also the first conference at which I took a picture book writing workshop (taught by Diane Muldrow). It was an EXCELLENT course, and I learned a great deal. I also bought WE PLANTED A TREE and had it signed by the author:

This was also the conference where I won some awards at the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase and when I told Diane, she congratulated me. :-) I interviewed Diane Muldrow for KidLitArtists.com, and she offered useful advice for aspiring children's book writers and illustrators.

"I think the most common mistake is that many aspiring writers don’t write material that is very marketable. We editors are looking for manuscripts that have an interesting hook—something that we can show to our sales force and marketing people, and say, “This book is perfect for Father’s Day,” or “This book is a fresh take on the cowboy/first day of school/new friend/bedtime/etc./ theme.”

Find out more about Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge on the Nerdy Book Club site, and you can read archives of my #BookADay posts.

 

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Today's #BookADay: CATS' NIGHT OUT, written by Caroline Stutson and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster). Who can resist dancing cats? Love the musical theme in this beautifully illustrated counting book. I swear I can almost hear the music in the background as I read this book.  Jon Klassen was awarded a Governor General's Award for Children's Literature: Illustration in 2010.

From Alexandra Penfold on Twitter (first tweet was a response to my "who can resist dancing cats?"):

@inkyelbows it takes time to find just the right illustrator and @lucyruth introduced me to @burstofbeaden's work. Perfect match!

— Alexandra Penfold (@AgentPenfold) June 21, 2014

 

Find out more about Donalyn Miller's Summer Book-A-Day Challenge on the Nerdy Book Club site, and you can read archives of my #BookADay posts.

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Hello again, book fans! Thanks to I am a Reader for another great giveaway hop. Make sure you hit the links at the end of the post (most bloggers will post their giveaway on Saturday, I'm just a little early) to enter to win more great books and prizes.

Today I'm giving away what is so far my favorite middle grade book of the year -- The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer! I haven't posted a review yet, since I chose it for my YABC (book club) pick and the first rule of book club is that you don't talk about the book before the meeting :) I will probably post a review on Amazon and link it since my clubmates don't really read my reviews there. But suffice to say for now that it's a phenomenal book, and I hope it wins many awards in the year to come! The giveaway is open to US only (ends 6/30) because I have to mail something breakable to the winner, but more on that later.




Twelve-year-old Grace and her mother have always been their own family, traveling from place to place like gypsies. But Grace wants to finally have a home all their own. Just when she thinks she's found it her mother says it's time to move again. Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really feels and will always regret that her last words to her were angry ones.

After her mother's sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she's never met. She can't imagine her mother would want her to stay with this stranger. Then Grace finds clues in a mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on. Maybe it is her mother, showing her the way to her true home.

Lyrical, poignant and fresh, The Secret Hum of a Daisy is a beautifully told middle grade tale with a great deal of heart.


Tracy Holczer lives in Southern California with her husband, three daughters, and two rather fluffy dogs named Buster and Molly. She has a deep love for the mountains where she grew up so she writes them into her stories.


1 signed hardcover copy of The Secret Hum of a Daisy

1 answer jar (here is the one Tracy made for me! Answers not provided, haha :) You can read a little more about the answer jar here.


Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US residents only.
2. We are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.
3. One set of entries per household please.
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address.
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends.
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner.
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here.
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. Thanks, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Midsummer’s Eve Giveaway Hop June 21st to 30th - Click here to see the other blogs participating

Hello again, book fans! Thanks to I am a Reader for another great giveaway hop. Make sure you check out the other giveaways here (most bloggers will post their giveaway on Saturday, I'm just a little early) to enter to win more great books and prizes.

Today I'm giving away what is so far my favorite middle grade book of the year -- The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer! I haven't posted a review yet, since I chose it for my YABC (book club) pick and the first rule of book club is that you don't talk about the book before the meeting :) I will probably post a review on Amazon and link it since my clubmates don't really read my reviews there. But suffice to say for now that it's a phenomenal book, and I hope it wins many awards in the year to come! The giveaway is open to US only (ends 6/30) because I have to mail something breakable to the winner, but more on that later.

About the book

Twelve-year-old Grace and  her mother have always been their own family, traveling from place to  place like gypsies. But Grace wants to finally have a home all their  own. Just when she thinks she's found it her mother says it's time to  move again. Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really  feels and will always regret that her last words to her were angry ones.

After her mother's sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a  grandmother she's never met. She can't imagine her mother would want her  to stay with this stranger. Then Grace finds clues in a mysterious  treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on. Maybe  it is her mother, showing her the way to her true home.

Lyrical, poignant and fresh, The Secret Hum of a Daisy is a beautifully told middle grade tale with a great deal of heart.

About the author

Tracy Holczer lives in Southern California with her husband,  three daughters, and two rather fluffy dogs named Buster and Molly. She  has a deep love for the mountains where she grew up so she writes them  into her stories.

A 2014 ABA Indies Introduce New Voices pick, her debut middle grade, The Secret Hum of a Daisy,  was written in praise of both nature and family, and all that can be  found if you're willing to hunt for treasure. It will be also be  published by Konigskinder/Carlsen in Germany, fall 2015.

Find out more:Author website | Follow @tracyholczer on Twitter

Blogging on the 30th of each month at http://smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com

Buy the book:

Autographed copies (note request on the order or they won't know it needs to be autographed!) available at Once Upon a Time in Montrose, CA

IndieBound | Amazon

The Giveaway (US only, ends 6/30)

1 signed hardcover copy of The Secret Hum of a Daisy

1 answer jar (here is the one Tracy made for me! Answers not provided, haha :) You can read a little more about the answer jar here.

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US residents only.
2. We are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.
3. One set of entries per household please.
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address.
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends.
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner.
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here.
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. Thanks, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Have to give a shout out to my friend Ame Dykman who made the 2014 Pen Literary Awards short list. Best of Luck!

2014 PEN LITERARY AWARDS

PEN/Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing ($5,000): To a writer for an exceptional story illustrated in a picture book published in 2013.

Judges: Mac Barnett, Ted Lewin, and Elizabeth Winthrop

Shortlist:

Train (Orchard Books), Elisha Cooper
Tea Party Rules (Viking), Ame Dyckman
The King of Little Things (Peachtree Publishers), Bil Lepp
Crabtree (McSweeney’s McMullens), Jon & Tucker Nichols

- See more at: http://www.pen.org/press-release/2014/06/17/shortlists-announced-2014-pen-literary-awards#sthash.07UYoF42.dpuf

CHECK BACK NEXT FRIDAY FOR JUNE’S FIRST PAGE CRITIQUES BY SARAH LAPOLLA AGENT AT BRADFORD LITERARY.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: Agent, awards, Kudos, Picture Book, Publishing Industry Tagged: Ame Dyckman, Pen Literary Awards, Steven Kroll, Tea Party Rules

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PEN has released the shortlists for the 2014 PEN Literary Awards, revealing the nominees for ten different prizes this year.

Below, we’ve collected free samples of all the nominated books, a great way to explore the best books of the past year.

(more…)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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The National Endowment for the Arts has appointed Amy Stolls as the director of literature.

Stolls has been serving as acting director of literature for the last year. In her official appointment, she will continue to oversee the NEA’s grant awards in literature.

Stolls joined the organization back in 1998 as a literature specialist, graduating to literature program officer. In her tenure, she served a central role in grantmaking, advising and reviewing proposals. She has spoken on behalf of the organization at events around the world and led the NEA’s involvement in the National Book Festival.

Stolls is the author of the young adult novel Palms to the Ground as well as the novel The Ninth Wife. She has also served as an adjunct literature professor at American University. She has a BA in English from Lafayette College and an MFA in creative writing from American University.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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The following is a guest blog post from W.R. Parrish, whose horror short story, “The Man in Christopher’s Closet,” took home the grand prize in WD’s 9th Annual Popular Fiction Competition. You can read more about Parrish in the May/June 2014 issue of Writer’s Digest and in an exclusive extended interview with him online. In this post, Parrish describes the frustrating call of being a writer, his own struggles with procrastination, and potential solutions and safeguards to set up to avoid getting too far off the writing track.

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There is no middle ground to being a writer. You either are or you aren’t. No in-between.

I talked a good game. A mediocre game, maybe. For the longest time, I was working on this novel about X or this short story about Y, and it was coming along, always coming along. My stories existed in this pregatory, not matured enough to reach a paper, though not far enough back to be a kernel either. They were ripening, and I was happy with that, thinking an idea was a step up from no idea. Which it isn’t.

See, priorities are a funny thing because they can always feel right. Properly sequenced. By doing one thing, you’re saying it’s more important than this other thing, even if you know it isn’t, deep-deep down. In the moment, watching a movie is judged important, more so than writing or painting or dancing or whatever your passion of choice may be. Because it just is. Yes you feel guilty, and yes you’d rather be writing or painting or dancing or whatever else, but like the Cinnabun you can’t seem to shy away from, you do it still, shelving passion for instant gratification. Or complacency. Or both. Don’t misunderstand me: there’s nothing wrong with a little R&R. Whoever said find something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life is a liar. Because passions are work, and often with little reward. And I’m just as culpable. To plagiarize Mitch: I used to procrastinate. I still do, but I used to too. Procrastination is one of life’s greatest double-edged swords. Like naps. Or that Cinnabun. Trouble is, pushing off what you really want can become a crutch. A nasty one. Over time, the “tomorrow” becomes “tomorrow” becomes “tomorrow” and suddenly the fire you once had is weeks-months-years old, and now only embers at best. I went to college to write. To learn how to write more good, I guess. It was wonderful. In that environment, I was surrounded by people I was accountable to, even if the accountability was surface-deep. An assumption, but there it is. My desire to produce was amplified as a result, my desire to create and share and prove an intangible something. Fire started and stoked. So I tried.

Then I didn’t.

Life gets in the way. Graduation. “Real People” jobs. In my case, “Kinda Real People” jobs. The freedom of actually being an adult who doesn’t know how to be an adult. A decade later and Loon, the novel I’d spent the better part of my academic career fostering, was embers. But it was coming along. Always coming along. Ten years of believing myself a writer, and I had nothing to show for it.

My wife said that to me. The last part there. She has the ability to take a sentence, remove the words until it becomes a honed arrow of intent, and fire that thing right where it needs firing. Imagine, maybe, a poet who can snap boards in half with their words. That’s her. The worst thing about her telling me was I already knew. Deep-deep down. I’d put writing off so long, I’d forgotten how good it felt to be writing. Hunger goes away over time. Starvation by procrastination.

With the small exception of coffee in the morning, I am not a person of routine. Though my mind desperately needs to know how my day is going to unfold and where it’s going to unfold, I dislike the rote. Perhaps this is why I’ve yet to find myself in a cubicle, in spite of trying. The ability to ride a river and let it to take you where it will is a wonderful thing, but sometimes, sometimes, you need a destination. And not the dream of a destination either. That doesn’t count. That’s an in-between. A real, honest, point of port. Mine was ritual. Some semblance of structure, which I’ll talk about (briefly) below. And a novel. That too. I was able to use baby steps to help ease into the process again, to dust off my fingers and keyboard (and kernels) and get to work.

One Day October was the result.

I remembered what it felt like to write again. To create again. How both awful and wonderful it could be. The largest hurdle I found was simply finishing something, just one single something, and when I did, the gates opened. Just like that. In the end, it didn’t so much matter to me it be good, only that it was, and not fragments of lost phrases written on a napkin somewhere. Since publishing October, I’ve finished my second novel, and am floating (awfully, wonderfully) in the deep end of my third.

This isn’t meant to be a cat-on-the-wall poster, or even a means of working through self-deprecation. In the same way it took someone I love to wake me up, perhaps too it might take someone you don’t know to do the same. And like I said: it’s work. Always will be. That doesn’t go away. But by drafting ports in the storm you can navigate those waves more easily.

Here are some of mine.

1. Juggle. Not that kind of juggling with the chainsaws. Fake juggling. Idea juggling. My dreams are vivid, and from them I get a fair amount of material. The Man in Christopher’s Closet was the result of sleep, as was another of my published shorts, The Family Buried. They come as snapshots, quick pictures like comic panels I want to walk through. Since writing is a carrot and a stick experience, always there and dangling and rarely within reach, I never feel as though I’m progressing and, after spending time with the same characters in the same world for weeks on repeat, I need a change of scenery. Of company. Those snapshots become my chainsaw, juggling one snapshot for the next until I’ve walked those new halls and am ready to return to places familiar. Putting one story aside for another helps with the routine, in spite of being a routine itself, I suppose, and keeps me interested.

2. Pawn. Find someone and make them read what you’ve written. If this person’s advice revolves around the phrase or is similar to the phrase “This is really great,” this person is terrible, and you should move on. Seek criticism. Seek praise, unless it’s the above, then seek praise with bite in the form of specific examples. Seek to understand why this worked and why that didn’t work and why you really need a person who understands grammar. As writers (and humans), we are a collection of missing parts. Surround yourself with people who understand what you lack.

3. Be. My wife knows how to exist in the moment. I know how to occupy a moment where my mind is elsewhere, wandering-wandering. Where she can hear/feel/sense the wind, I am often concerned with what the wind brings. In this way I fuss and I fidget. I can write a sentence over and again without ever being satisfied with the result, and in doing so, I struggle in arriving where I hope to go. There is a time and a place for editing. For me, it’s when the work is done. Then I can play perfectionist. Anything else is distraction.

4. Procrastinate. I know. I know. This goes counter to my entire first half, but look: if you’re staring at a blank page, and you can’t seem to fill it, walk away. Read a book. Watch a movie. Take that nap. Some writers begin and end their day the same, time every time, like punching a card. I’ve tried, and I only end up hateful. If I feel like I have to write, I can’t. When it’s a job, what’s the point? It’s already work. I write because there’s this odd tickle, and my only therapy is a keyboard. Others do yoga. Discover what makes you want to write—need to write—and then, if your chakra isn’t aligned, do that thing.

5. Read. There’s a reason this is always mentioned by other writers. It doesn’t matter what you’re reading, as long as you are.

There you go. My ports. Take them or leave them. Take some and leave the rest. There are no rules.

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I'm tickled pink to have Penelope Anne Cole as the guest author at Write What Inspires You! Penny and I first met through Guardian Angel Publishing and we have developed a lovely cyberspace friendship. It is my hope to meet in person some day, possibly at the next GAP Angel gathering. Lynda, hint, hint, hint…. 

Without further ado I'm pleased to share award-winning children's author, Penelope Anne Cole with her guest post, "What Inspires Me to Write." Welcome Penny!

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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multiple Award-winning Children's Author


Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Farvorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

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I'm tickled pink to have Penelope Anne Cole as the guest author at Write What Inspires You! Penny and I first met through Guardian Angel Publishing and we have developed a lovely cyberspace friendship. It is my hope to meet in person some day, possibly at the next GAP Angel gathering. Lynda, hint, hint, hint…. 

Without further ado I'm pleased to share award-winning children's author, Penelope Anne Cole with her guest post, "What Inspires Me to Write." Welcome Penny!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multiple Award-winning Children's Author


Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Farvorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

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Greenglass House
By Kate Milford
Clarion Books (an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
$17.99
ISBN: 978-0-544-05270-3
Ages 9-12
On shelves August 26th

When I was a kid I had a real and abiding love of Agatha Christie. This would be around the time when I was ten or eleven. It wasn’t that I was rejecting the mysteries of the children’s book world. I just didn’t have a lot to choose from there. Aside from The Westing Game or supernatural ghostly mysteries sold as Apple paperbacks through the Scholastic Book Fair, my choices were few and far between. Kids today have it better, but not by much. Though the Edgar Awards for best mystery fiction do dedicate an award for young people’s literature, the number of honestly good mystery novels for the 9-12 set you encounter in a given year is minimal. When you find one that’s really extraordinary you want to hold onto it. And when it’s Kate Milford doing the writing, there’s nothing for it but to enjoy the ride. A raconteur’s delight with a story that’ll keep ‘em guessing, this is one title you won’t want to miss.

It was supposed to be winter vacation. Though Milo’s parents run an inn with a clientele that tends to include more than your average number of smugglers, he can always count on winter vacation to be bereft of guests. Yet in spite of the awful icy weather, a guest appears. Then another. Then two more. All told more than five guests appear with flimsy excuses for their arrival. Some seem to know one another. Others act suspiciously. And when thefts start to take place, Milo and his new friend Meddy decide to turn detective. Yet even as they unravel clues about their strange clientele there are always new ones to take their places. Someone is sabotaging the Greenglass House but it’s the kids who will unmask the culprit.

To my mind, Milford has a talent that few authors can boast; She breaks unspoken rules. Rules that have been dutifully followed by children’s authors for years on end. And in breaking them, she creates stronger books. Greenglass House is just the latest example. To my mind, three rules are broken here. Rule #1: Children’s books must mostly be about children. Adults are peripheral to the action. Rule #2: Time periods are not liquid. You cannot switch between them willy-nilly. Rule #3: Parents must be out of the picture. Kill ‘em off or kidnap them or make them negligent/evil but by all means get rid of them! To each of these, Milford thumbs her proverbial nose.

Let’s look at Rule #1 first. It is worth noting that with the exception of our two young heroes, the bulk of the story focuses on adults with adult problems. It has been said (by me, so take this with a grain of salt) that by and large the way most authors chose to write about adults for children is to turn them into small furry animals (Redwall, etc.). There is, however, another way. If you have a small innocuous child running hither and thither, gathering evidence and spying all the while, then you can talk about grown-ups for long periods of time and few child readers are the wiser. If I keep mentioning The Westing Game it’s because Ellen Raskin did very much what Milford is doing here, and ended up with a classic children’s book in the process. So there’s certainly a precedent.

On to Rule #2. One of the remarkable things about Kate Milford as a writer is that she can set a book in the present day (there is a mention of televisions in this book, so we can at least assume it’s relatively recent) and then go and fill it with archaic, wonderful, outdated technology. A kind of alternate contemporary steampunk, if there is such a thing. In an era of electronic doodads, child readers are going to really get a kick out of a book where mysterious rusted keys, old doorways, ancient lamps, stained green glass windows, and other old timey elements give the book a distinctive flavor.

Finally, Rule #3. This was the most remarkable of choices on Milford’s part, and I kept reading to book to find out how she’d get away with it. Milo’s parents are an active part of his life. They clearly care for him, periodically checking up on his throughout the story, but never interfering with his investigations. Since the book is entirely set in the Greenglass House, it has the feel of a stage play (which, by the way, it would adapt to BRILLIANTLY). That means you’re constantly running into mom and dad, but they don’t feel like they’re hovering. This is partly aided by the fact that they’re incredibly busy. So, in a way, Milford has discovered a way of removing parental involvement without removing parental care. The kids are free to explore and solve crimes and the adult gatekeepers reading this book are comforted by the family situation. A rarity if ever there was one.

But behind all the clues and ghost stories and thefts and lies what Greenglass House really is is the story of a hero’s journey. Milo starts out a soft-spoken kiddo with little faith in his own abilities. Donning the mantle of a kind of Dungeons & Dragons type character named Negret, he taps into a strength that he might otherwise not known he even had. There is a moment in the book when Milo starts acting with more confidence and actually thinks to himself, “And I didn’t even have to use Negret’s Irresistible Blandishment . . . I just did it.” Milo’s slow awakening to his own strengths and abilities is the heart of the novel. For all that people will discuss the mystery and the clues, it’s Milo that holds everything together.

Much of his personality is embedded in his identity as an adopted kid too. I love the mention of “orphan magic” that Milford makes at one point. It’s the idea that when something is sundered from its attachments it becomes more powerful in the process. At no point does Milford ever downplay the importance of the fact that Milo is adopted. It isn’t a casual fact that’s thrown in there and then forgotten. For Milo, the fact that he was adopted is part of who he is as a person. And coming to terms with that is part of his journey as well. Little wonder that he gathers such comfort from learning about orphan magic and its potential.

I’m looking at my notes about this book and I see I’ve written down little random facts that don’t really fit in with this review. Things like, “I did wonder if Milo’s name was a kind of unspoken homage to the Milo of The Phantom Tollbooth. And, “The book’s attitude towards smuggling is not all that different from, say, Danny, the Champion of the World’s attitude towards poaching.” And, “I love the vocabulary at work here. Raconteur. Puissance.” There is a lot a person can say about this book. I should note that there is a twist that a couple kids may see coming. It is, however, a fair twist and one that doesn’t cheat before you get to it. For the most part, Milford does a divine job at writing a darned good mystery without sacrificing character development and deeper truths. A great grand book for those kiddos who like reading books that make them feel smart. Fun fun fun fun fun.

On shelves August 26th.

Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.

Like This? Then Try:

• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

• Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

First Sentence: “There is a right way to do things and a wrong way, if you’re going to run a hotel in a smugglers’ town.”

Professional Reviews:

• A star from Kirkus
• Publishers Weekly

Interviews: Milford reveals all with The Enchanted Inkpot.

Misc:

• In lieu of an Author’s Note, Kate provides some background information on Milo and adoption that is worthy additional reading here.

• Cover artist Jaime Zollars discusses being selected to illustrate the book jacket here.

• Read an excerpt of the first chapter at The Book Smugglers.

• Discover how the book came from a writing prompt here.

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       They've announced the shortlists for the 2014 PEN Literary Awards (with the winners to be announced 30 July).
       Not many books from many categories under review at the complete review, but David Colmer's translation of Hugo Claus' Even Now -- in the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation category -- is.
       The PEN Translation Prize category finds three New York Review Books among the finalists (well done !) -- but only Yale University Press' edition of Jeffrey Gray's translation of Rodrigo Rey Rosa's The African Shore -- a Best Translated Book finalist -- is under review.

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Sean Phillips has been working in comics for over 3 decades, creating beautifully rendered art on such titles as The Invisibles, 2000 AD, Judge Dredd, and Hellblazer. He was part of the British Invasion of Comics in the late 80′s/early 90′s along with cohorts Grant Morrison, Peter Milligan, and Neil Gaiman. His ability to create striking cover illustrations, and draw fully formed characters in a classic, cinematic style has led to a long accomplished career as an artist. He is completing his latest collaboration with “partner in crime” writer Ed Brubaker on the supernatural thriller Fatale for Image Comics. August will see the premiere of their next series together, The Fade-Out, a noir tale set in 1940′s Hollywood. This also begins a 5 year deal with Image Comics for both Sean Phillips, and Ed Brubaker to produce comics exclusively for the publisher, which is a rare occurrence in the industry. This obviously shows the extreme confidence that both creator’s work, and craftsmanship inspires to land such a contract.

Sean Phillips has contributed cover and interior art for various Criterion Collection DVDs, including On the Waterfront, and 12 Angry Men.

He’s also been nominated for 3 Eisner Awards, and has won once with Ed Brubaker for best new series Criminal.

You can keep up with all of the latest Sean Phillips news, and art on his website.

For more comics related art, you can follow me on my website comicstavern.com - Andy Yates

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Yippee! Look what arrived in the mail today, my Story Monster Award Package! 

Looking forward to placing the stickers on the book covers, scanning a new book cover image to Guardian Angel Publishing, my website, blog, etc., as well as frame the award certificate! The t-shirt is terrific for summer and the patch and pencils will be wonderful display items at my next author appearance! 

Thanks Lynn, Cristy, the Story Monster staff and student reviewers! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multiple Award-winning Children's Author


Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Farvorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

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Yippee! Look what arrived in the mail today, my Story Monster Award Package! 

Looking forward to placing the stickers on the book covers, scanning a new book cover image to Guardian Angel Publishing, my website, blog, etc., as well as frame the award certificate! The t-shirt is terrific for summer and the patch and pencils will be wonderful display items at my next author appearance! 

Thanks Lynn, Cristy, the Story Monster staff and student reviewers! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multiple Award-winning Children's Author


Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Farvorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

Add a Comment

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Gearing up for the ALA Conference is exciting, especially as a first timer! I just wrapped up my first year working with YALSA as a member of the Research Committee and will be the Research Committee Chair starting in July. So for me, there is certainly no better time to get out, meet people and learn some new tips, tricks and techniques! However, as this first time ALA conference attendee is quickly learning, there are tons of programs to choose from. So what I’ve gathered here is just a sampling of programs that are relevant to Young Adult services that caught my eye.

Book Time!

I am always up for spending time with books or talking books and there are some sessions lined up that look to be interesting. Blurring the Lines of Books, presented by Erin Reilly-Sanders from Ohio State University is presenting on books that “blur the lines between media, form, and genre, transcending tradition and setting expectations on edge.” I’ve certainly stumbled across some fantastic books that are unique and hard to categorize, so I’m intrigued to learn more!

Nonfiction Reader’s Advisory is not your typical RA topic, which is exactly why it caught my eye! Jennie Rothschild and Angela Frederick are presenting Stranger than Fiction: Reader’s Advisory for Nonfiction. This session will address nonfiction/fiction reads alike, noteworthy new titles, how these titles can tie into Common Core standards and, of course, linking the right book to the right reader.

A session on The 2014 Alex Awards could give you some great new titles to share with teens (or to add to your own booklist). Not sure what the Alex Awards are? All the more reason to come! Author John Searles will be in attendance to speak and sign books, he won in 2014 for “Help with the Haunted.”

Graphic novels, comics and manga are an integral component of any teen collection and there are plenty of sessions on these materials too! Check out Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years on Saturday morning or Best and Worst Manga on Sunday morning. You can also browse the Graphic Novel Petting Zoo or gain insight on comics at Let’s Talk Comics: A Roundtable Discussion.

Programming

Naturally, there are many sessions on different ways to engage with our teen patrons. The first program that caught my eye is Virtual Passport: Connecting Teens Through YouTube, presented by Christina Fuller-Gregory and Mary Kate Quillivan. I’ll let their description do the talking:

“Imagine this…breakfast in London, lunch in Morocco, and dinner in South Africa. You can do this and more through the global community of YouTube. Teens in Columbia, South Carolina are discovering that they don’t only have to be consumers, but can be creators of this original content.

To foster these experiences we have developed My World, a unique programming series that teaches and empowers teens to create original visual art using new media. The hope is that this leads to career paths and hands-on learning opportunities that will open the world both locally and globally for teens.”

Another session will bring some focus back to books in Teen Reading Lounge: Engaging Teens Through Interactive Humanities Based Programming.  According to the program description, the Teen Reading Lounge, is a book discussion series created by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, and was designed to “encourage teens to read and talk about literature that matters to them, engage teen audiences in out-of-school time learning in the humanities and increase the capacity of libraries to conduct public humanities programming for teen audiences.”

The topic of book groups naturally leads into connecting teens with authors, and there’s a program for that!  The Art of the Author Visit: Connecting Teens with their Favorite Authors will provide techniques and offer “the insider’s perspective on what makes an ideal library visit from popular YA authors Leigh Bardugo and Jessica Brody.”  The session will cover marketing techniques, community outreach and keeping the author happy.

Summer programming is another huge component of teen services. Caris O’Malley from the Maricopa County Library District is offering A New Approach to Summer Reading. “The Maricopa County Library District built an open source software for managing summer reading programs called The Great Reading Adventure. Come to learn of its origin and development and how it can change how your library approaches summer reading.” Sounds pretty cool!

Everyone is talking makerspaces these days, and of course you’ll find those sessions at ALA. Teaching Teens How to Fail: Library Spaces and the Maker Movement looks to be a fun and interesting session based on The Free Library of Philadelphia’s maker programs and the philosophy behind it. “Much of the philosophy behind making is mentoring youth in tinkering and experimentation; teaching the making process as one of inquiry and inevitable failed attempts. We see the library as the ideal environment to mentor youth as they learn that it’s okay to fail.”

Of course, there is always a program (or two, or three) that just doesn’t work. For that, check out We F’ed Up, But We Fixed It: Thriving When Things Go Wrong. (Great title!) The description sounds great: “”Failure” doesn’t have to be the “f-word.” We all fear the program that no one comes to, but we’re not alone in failing, and in that empty room is a lesson that can make future efforts successful. A panel of librarians will discuss initiatives that didn’t turn out as planned and how they recovered from their mistakes and went on to flourish.”

Outreach

Trying to find new ways to reach out and connect are always important. I’m excited to check out Teens, Turntables, and Tater-Tots: Lunchroom Outreach with CLP – BAM! (Books and More), presented by librarians from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. They will discuss “how to develop a cafeteria-based outreach initiative on any scale or budget. Learn how you can give students “a taste” of what your library offers by providing readers’ advisory, circulation, card registration, craft programs, music, gaming, and more to entire school populations—all during lunch!”  

Another cool outreach based presentation is the The Ally-brarian, presented by Jordan Moore.  The session will discuss reaching out to underserved populations that the librarian is not a part of and how librarians in the majority can reach out and advocate for those who are minorities, creating a more inclusive library.  “The “Ally-brarian” works to help those who would normally not “see themselves” in the library, either as a patron or professional, find a welcoming place.”  

Research

Taking a look at current research and what it suggests can help librarians plan for the future.  The Future of Library Services for and with Teens, presented by Linda Braun will do just that.  Based on the National Forum on Teens and Libraries, this session looks to be an interactive discussion on the forum’s findings and implications.  

Of course there are a lot more sessions that discuss teens and teen services, this is just a small sampling that caught my eye and interest.  What are you looking forward to at ALA this year?  See you there!

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