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Reading and writing Children's lit...and then there's the brain stuff
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By: Joanne R. Fritz,
on 10/20/2012
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY
LENNY LEE!
I know an incredible blogger and writer named Lenny Lee and today is his 13th birthday! He's a teenager! If you've never checked out his blog, you're missing something really cool. It's called
Lenny's World and he'll teach you so much, it's astonishing. Besides which, he's the sunniest person I know.
TOP TEN THINGS I LEARNED FROM LENNY LEE:
From some of Lenny's general posts about life:
Now for some things I learned from Lenny's helpful writing posts:
And actually, there are many many more. But you can check them out yourself by spending some time on Lenny's blog. Go wish him a happy birthday and if you're not already one of his followers, hop over there and follow. And thanks to
Sharon K Mayhew for organizing this birthday celebration.
First, I have a winner to announce. According to random.org, the winner of the hardcover copy of THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET by Shelley Moore Thomas is:
Michelle Mason
Congratulations, Michelle! Expect an email from me asking for your mailing address.
* * * * *
Now for today's MMGM. Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of
Shannon Messenger. For other participants, see my sidebar or Shannon's links.
Ungifted by Gordon Korman (Balzer + Bray/Harpercollins, August 2012, for ages 10 and up)Source: advanced reading copy from publisher
Synopsis (from the back of the arc):
The word
gifted has never been applied to Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like
Don't try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.
It wasn't what Donovan intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level.
Why I liked it: It's entertaining and hilarious! Despite being a troublemaker, Donovan's a likeable kid. The POV alternates between several characters, and their names and IQs are given at the beginning of each chapter. So you get Donovan's point of view (IQ: 112) followed by, say, Chloe's (IQ: 159) or Noah's (IQ: 206), or even that of their teacher, Mr. Osborne (IQ: 132) -- and it gives you a different take on what's really going on.
Gordon Korman has always been wonderful at making us care about his characters and at bringing out the humor in middle-school situations. I've been a fan of his since way back in the 1990s, with those very funny MacDonald Hall books. Start with the first one,
This Can't Be Happening at MacDonald Hall (which, amazingly, Gordon Korman
wrote when he was 12!).
Find the author's official website here .
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| The cover I remember |
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| Recently reissued with a new cover |
Like Bruno and Boots in those books, Donovan Curtis is a troublemaker
. He
may not be gifted in the traditional sense, but he might just be the one who can pull this group of misfit geniuses together and make them a team. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a light, funny read and a book that both boys and girls can enjoy.
Deb Marshall also recommended this for MMGM, last week.
What's your favorite Gordon Korman book?
Hi, everyone! Today, I'm hanging out over at
Random Acts of Reading, where I've been asked to participate in their book blogger panel. We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ALA's Banned Books Week. Hop over there to see what MG and YA banned books we're talking about. (And please note that this wonderful poster was created by Roger Roth, Pennsylvania artist and illustrator of
The Roller Coaster Kid by Mary Ann Rodman.)
And don't forget my giveaway for THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET -- please go to
this post to enter.
See you soon!
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of Shannon Messenger. For other participants, see my sidebar.
The Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelley Moore Thomas (Sept 2012, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, ages 8 to 12)Source: hardcover purchased from bookstore
Synopsis (from Indiebound): Guided by a tattered map, accompanied by Thomas the Pig Boy, and inspired by the storyteller’s blood that thrums through her veins, eleven-year-old Trinket searches for the seven stories she needs to become a bard like her father, who disappeared years before. She befriends a fortune-telling gypsy girl; returns a child stolen by the selkies to his true mother; confronts a banshee and receives a message from a ghost; helps a village girl outwit—and out-dance—the Faerie Queen; travels beyond the grave to battle a dastardly undead Highwayman; and meets a hound so loyal he fights a wolf to the death to protect the baby prince left in his charge. All fine material for six tales, but it is the seventh tale, in which Trinket learns her father’s true fate, that changes her life forever.
Why I liked it: The best thing about the book, of course, is Trinket! She comes across as very real, human, flawed and yet lovable. She wants desperately to be a good storyteller as her father was, but she's shy about actually telling the stories to people they meet. So she listens and observes and gathers the tales for later telling. I had no trouble guessing what happened to her father, but I doubt a tween reader would figure it out. Filled with vivid descriptions, this book has a decidedly medieval flavor and stories based on Celtic folklore. My favorites are the Selkie's tale and the Banshee's tale.
The Seven Tales of Trinket would make a perfect read-aloud.
You might recognize
Shelley Moore Thomas as the author of the adorable Good Knight series of picture books and young readers. This is her first middle grade novel.
And here's the giveaway I promised you last week. I will use random.org to choose one lucky winner of my hardcover copy. The rules are simple: You must be a follower and you must leave a comment on this post. International entries welcome. This giveaway will end at 11:00 pm EDT on Saturday October 14, 2012. Good luck!
Glass Heart by Amy Garvey (Sept 2012, HarperTeen) Source: review copy from the publisher
Synopsis: Wren is enjoying using her powers to hover a few inches above the floor of the pedestrian tunnel under the train station when two teens notice her. Bay and Fiona are into magic in a big way, and Wren agrees to hang out with them before realizing Bay's powers might be evil. Until now, only her boyfriend Gabriel and her own family knew she could use magic. Even her best friends Jess and Darcia don't know. Over the course of one December, Wren's relationship with Gabriel is complicated by her secret friendship with Bay and Fiona and by Gabriel's insistence that she stop using her powers. Why can't he realize her powers are part of who she is?
Why I liked it: Amy Garvey makes magic utterly believable. It's easy to imagine that Wren would get a rush from using her powers, and for the most part she uses them in beautiful ways, like creating a gentle snowfall. I love all the characters in this book, but especially Wren, who touches me in a way few characters in YA do. She's so real, you begin to feel if you put the book down and walked to the nearest coffee shop, you might run into her.
This is a sequel to
Cold Kiss, so if you haven't read that, you definitely need to read it first. (And
here's an excellent write-up of both books by Donna Gambale from the First Novels Club.)
What powers would you wish for?
Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz, illustrated by Dan Santat (Putnam, for ages 4 to 8) Synopsis (from Indiebound): Practice makes perfect in this kick-butt fractured fairy tale.
When the big bad wolf threatens their village, three pigs sign up for different martial arts lessons to prepare to take him down. Pig One and Pig Two don't stick with their training, though, and are no match for their foe. But after practice and dedication, Pig Three becomes great at karate (including perfecting the perfect pork chop!) and saves the day.
Why I liked it: I rarely talk about picture books on this blog, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to wish
Corey Rosen Schwartz (
Hop! Plop!) a happy book launch. I was privileged enough to read this clever tale in manuscript form. It's a fun and funny picture book with a rollicking and ingenious rhyme scheme. A painless way to help kids realize practice is important. Plus there's plenty of martial arts action! Go, Corey!
I rarely get personal on this blog. But I'm about to. So if you'd rather scroll down for my MMGM recommendation, TRUE COLORS by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, feel free.
Now that summer's over, I can tell you it wasn't the happiest of seasons.
For the past ten years, I worked in the Children's Department of Chester County Book & Music Company.
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| (Taken in September 2010) |
A lovely young woman named Suzanne hired me and trained me (in fact, I was the only one there all these years who was hired and trained by her). Everything I know about bookselling, I learned from this wise and funny gal. She left the bookstore in 2003 to move on in her career, even owning her own store at one point. I had dinner with her in Portland, Maine, where she was then working, in 2007. Years went by and we lost touch.
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| Suzanne and me in 2007 |
In mid-June of this year, I learned that she had passed away suddenly, senselessly, tragically, at the age of 39. The family had a private funeral and promised a memorial service in Pennsylvania at a later date.
Then in mid-July bookstore employees, followed quickly by the public, learned that the bookstore
has been operating on a month-to-month lease since January. A fitness center is interested in the space and it's only a question of time before the deal is completed and the bookstore will then close.
These two seemingly disparate events combined in my mind to make this a difficult summer. I learned that some people in authority will stoop to nefarious means to find out what people said on their facebook page. I learned who my friends were ( You know the ones who ask how your vacation was? Those are your friends).
I realized that life is too short and what I really want to do is write for kids.
So that's what I'm doing. And yes, I am blessed to be able to afford to do this. I gave notice at the bookstore and timed it so that my last day was Friday, September 14. The next day was the memorial service for Suzanne. It seemed entirely fitting to me that my career as a bookseller should both begin and end with Suzanne. Rest in peace, dear friend.
* * * * * *
What will I miss about the bookstore?
I will miss meeting people who love children's books. I will miss recommending books to my favorite customers and talking about books with enthusiastic book lovers. Luckily, I can still do that with this blog! I will miss unlimited advanced reading copies at my fingertips.
I will miss this:
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| (But I can still meet wonderful authors like Richard Peck at book signings anywhere) |
I will miss this:
and this:
and this:
What won't I miss?
I definitely won't miss this:
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| Yes, we were still using DOS computers |
or this:
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| The ceiling leaked when it rained |
I won't miss selling toys. I won't miss shrieking toddlers. I won't miss checking the public restrooms at closing time. And I won't miss working every Saturday for ten years. I won't miss that at all!
I'm now self-employed and loving it. I figured the blog needed a facelift, so that's why it looks different. And next week I'll be having a giveaway to celebrate my new status!
* * * * *
Now for today's MMGM. Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of
Shannon Messenger. For other participants, see my sidebar. I think my friend Suzanne would have enjoyed this book about family and friendships and one summer of self-discovery for a sensitive girl.
True Colors by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock (Coming November 13 from Knopf, for ages 8 to 12)Source: advanced reading copy from publisher
Synopsis (from Indiebound): One girl's journey to find the mother she never had, set against the period backdrop of a small farming town in 1950s Vermont. For her entire life, 10-year-old Blue has never known her mother. On a cold, wintry day in December of 1941, she was found wrapped in a quilt, stuffed in a kettle near the home of Hannah Spooner, an older townswoman known for her generosity and caring. Life with Hannah so far has been simple—mornings spent milking cows, afternoons spent gardening and plowing the fields on their farm. But Blue finds it hard not to daydream about her mother, and over the course of one summer, she resolves to finally find out who she is. That means looking through the back issues of the local newspaper, questioning the local townspeople, and searching for clues wherever she can find them. Her search will change her life forever.
Why I liked it: This beautifully-written novel is a true middle-grade in the purest sense. There's not a lick of romance. Instead there's adventure and mystery. There are fascinating characters. And historical fiction fans will love this -- it's the summer of 1952, a time period not often treated in children's literature. It's also one of those quiet books I'm so fond of (see
this post about another). The synopsis doesn't tell you that an important part of the book is Blue's friendship with Nadine or that Nadine has trials of her own. It doesn't mention Raleigh, a man who suffered a brain trauma and now can only say a few words. And it doesn't mention Mr. Gilpin, the newspaper editor, who offers Blue her first paying job. Along with Hannah, all these people are important to Blue, for varying reasons. The only drawback is that this book won't be published until November! So add it to your TBR lists.
Natalie Kinsey-Warnock is the author of
The Canada Geese Quilt, Gifts From the Sea and many other wonderful books. Her website seems to be under construction, but
this link should work.
Thanks for sticking with me. What middle-grade books are you looking forward to?
I was lucky enough to meet these two authors at this year's PAYA festival. What's PAYA? Bringing YA to PA is all about raising money for Pennsylvania libraries. It was started by an ambitious high school student in 2008. There were over 30 authors at this year's festival, some of whom had already signed books for me at the bookstore (like A.S. King, Ellen Jensen Abbott, K.M. Walton, and Beth Kephart!).
Alissa Grosso is the author of POPULAR (and the more recent FEROCITY SUMMER, which I need to read next!).
Elisa Ludwig is the author of PRETTY CROOKED and the sequel PRETTY SLY (Coming March 2013 from Katherine Tegen Books/Harpercollins).
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| Alissa Grosso (from her website) |
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| Elisa Ludwig (from her website) |
Elisa Ludwig website (Check out her cool book trailer on the main page!)
I'd met Alissa and Elisa once or twice before, but never got a book signed by either, so this was my opportunity. And I'm thrilled that I did. Both books are about high school cliques, but take vastly different approaches.
Popular by Alissa Grosso (Flux, 2011) Alissa Grosso manages to pull off an amazing feat: juggling five different points of view from the five high school girls who form a tight clique at Fidelity High. Hamilton Best is the queen of the clique, and her followers, Olivia, Nordica, Shelly, and Zelda, are squabbling among themselves and fighting to bring her down. Her boyfriend, Alex, seems moody and distant. Or maybe just confused.
But -- hold everything! -- this isn't just another Gossip Girls or Clique novel. The truth is not always what it seems in this fascinating psychological story. I read this in one day. And I was stunned.
Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig (Katherine Tegen Books/Harper, 2012)Willa Fox's artist mom has finally sold some paintings and they can settle into a real house for once, with the opportunity for Willa to attend a prestigious private school in Arizona. She quickly makes friends with some of the Glitterati of Valley Prep and finds herself swept up in shopping sprees and parties (and attracted to a hot guy). But when the popular girls prove to be the power behind a mean-spirited website that bullies scholarship students, Willa decides to even the playing field by turning into a modern day version of Robin Hood. Steal from the rich and go shopping for the poor girls: what could be so wrong with that? This is a fun, fast-paced read that isn't afraid to delve into some social issues of class and race differences.
What recent YA books have stolen
your heart?
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of Shannon Messenger. For other participants, see my sidebar or Shannon's links.
The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver (coming October 2 from Harper, for ages 8 to 12)Source: advanced reading copy from publisher
Synopsis (from the publisher): When Liza's younger brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: the spindlers -- evil, spiderlike beings -- have gotten to him and stolen his soul. And she is certain that she is the only one who can save him.
Why I liked it: This would make a terrific read-aloud! Short chapters with cliffhanger endings, imaginative worldbuilding, a brave heroine, lots of action, and a heart's desire: what more could you want? There were moments that made me gasp, and quite a few that made me smile. This book could easily take its place alongside
Gregor the Overlander,
James and the Giant Peach, and even
The Wizard of Oz. It introduces human-size talking animals inhabiting another world Below. And most of the book is a challenging hero's journey to save Patrick and get his soul back home. Liza is accompanied on the journey by a human-size rat named Mirabella, who agrees to be her guide. So with two strong female characters, this is a must-read for girls.
Please be aware that some of the creatures Liza encounters might be a tad scary for younger readers.
What middle grade novels have you read that involve a hero's quest, or humans interacting with talking animals?
The best quote I've ever found on dealing with failure is from none other than author Jerry Spinelli.
At a Highlights Foundation workshop in 2002, Jerry said: "...failure is not a pitfall or a pothole, but a stepping stone... It is only after stepping from one stone to the next... and the next... and the next, that you look back and discover that on the stepping stones of your failures you have crossed the creek."
Here's to crossing the creek. Maybe the next rejection or the one after that will be the stepping stone that gets you across.
First, I have a giveaway winner to announce: The winner of the hardcover copy of IF I LIE by Class of 2K12 author Corrine Jackson is:
KATHARYN VELA
Congrats and expect an email from me asking for your mailing address!
* * * * * *
Now for today's MMGM. Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of
Shannon Messenger. Visit her blog for the links, or see my convenient sidebar to the right (and if you're not in there and you believe you should be, let me know).
Jerry Spinelli is one of my favorite authors. And not just because I've met him and I've actually seen him shopping in the bookstore several times! You may remember my interview with him and
my review of Jake and Lily from May. My all-time favorite Spinelli books are
Stargirl and
Maniac Magee.Jerry said
his favorite, of all the books he's written, is his first. Well, I was embarrassed that I'd never read the man's first book (at least, the first one he published, after four novels were rejected). So I recently bought a copy and read it that same day.
Space Station Seventh Grade by Jerry Spinelli (Little, Brown, paperback published 1991, hardcover published 1982, probably best suited for ages 10 and up)Source: paperback purchased at the bookstore
Synopsis (from the book cover): Seventh-grader Jason Herkimer struggles with all that junior high brings: pimples, puberty, football, school dances, and most of all, girls!
Why I liked it: It's written in first person and that twelve-year-old (and later thirteen-year-old) boy voice is perfect. The dialog between Jason and his friends (and between Jason and his parents) is hilariously realistic. Jerry might have delved into his own boyhood and recalled everything good and bad about being a seventh-grade boy in the suburbs. Or maybe he simply listened to his own six children! The structure is straightforward: it follows the school year, with chapter titles like Hayrides, Football, Girls, Snow. This is very much a boy book, but girls could read it too. It's a little dated, but I find it refreshing to read a book in which no one has a computer or a cell phone, and they all spend a lot of time outside!
Note that the space station of the title is a project Jason is building. It's something he brags about to Debbie Breen, the cheerleader he has a crush on.
(I'll warn you that I was surprised to find the "s" word sprinkled throughout this book. Yet in ten years as a bookseller, I've never heard any complaints about it from customers.)
What's your favorite Jerry Spinelli book?
And I hope you all saw
the Los Angeles Times article (as mentioned by PW's Children's Bookshelf) proclaiming that the field of children's lit is still growing! That's fantastic news for everyone who reads or writes children's books.
Yes, I'm participating in Random Acts of Publicity, created by Darcy Pattison. It's a public event on facebook and you can
sign up here. For this Random Act, I'm offering teasers about four new YA novels:
Every Day by David Levithan (Knopf, 9780307931887) -- With this beautiful and highly-imaginative novel about A, a being who wakes up in a different body every morning, David Levithan teaches us what it means to be human, and what it means to truly love someone. A has managed to drift through his many lives, never getting involved -- until the day he occupies the body of Justin, boyfriend to Rhiannon. A knows he must see Rhiannon again, even if it means risking being caught by a preacher who warns of the devil taking over bodies.
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang (Harpercollins, 9780062114877, Coming Sept 18!) -- In an alternate society where two souls exist inside every body, Eva and Addie started out like everyone else. Eva is the recessive one, the one who should have faded away by the time they were seven or eight. In their strict society, it's mandatory that one soul become dominant. But at fifteen, Eva's still there inside of Addie, weak and helpless, yet able to talk to Addie telepathically. Will Eva fade away for good or can she learn how to control their shared body again, despite the dangers? An intriguing storyline and gorgeous writing. I read this in one sitting.
Lindsey Lost by Suzanne Marie Phillips (Viking, 9780670784608, coming Sept 13) -- Lindsey's an Olympic hopeful, a star runner and the town's Golden Girl. When her body is found in the woods, her brother Micah may have been the last person to see her. But he can't remember what happened. Did he witness the murder? Or commit it? There are at least four other possible suspects. A thriller so intense you'll be tearing through the pages to find out what happens.
If I Lie by Corrine Jackson (Simon Pulse, 9781442454132) * -- Quinn is trying to survive her senior year in high school, shunned by everyone and tormented by the mean girl, because they all think Quinn cheated on her boyfriend, the town hero. But the truth isn't always what it seems. In this well-crafted novel, Corrine Jackson paints a stunning portrait of a girl forced to keep a secret for a boy who's now MIA in Afghanistan.
* See my interview with author Corrine Jackson
in this post -- and there's still time to enter the giveaway, but hurry!
Wow! Today's Class of 2K12 interview is with a debut author who has not one but TWO young adult novels launching this year. Meet Corrine Jackson, author of:
IF I LIE, (August 28, Simon Pulse)
Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.
Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise…
Corrine's also the author of:
TOUCHED (coming November 27 from K-Teen) Seventeen-year-old Remy O’Malley heals people with touch, but her power comes at a steep cost. Every illness or injury she cures becomes her own. The pain she can handle, but she worries a day will come when she won’t recover from healing some terrible disease. Then she meets eighteen-year-old Asher Blackwell. Scarred and dangerous, he knows more about her abilities than she does, and she can’t resist wanting to know everything about him.
Class of 2K12 websiteCorrine's websiteFollow her on Twitter |
| Corrine Jackson (from her website) |
Q. Do you outline before you write? If so, does it end up changing before you finish the first draft? What change surprised you the most?
A. I’m an outliner. Usually, the characters come to me and I keep a file with notes that I collect. They’re everything from scene ideas to character traits to bits of dialogue. I write a bit to get a sense of the character’s voice. Once that’s in place, I go back and outline the whole book. My outline is flexible, though. I never feel locked in. If a scene takes me somewhere new, no big deal. I just revise the outline. I’ve been surprised at times by a new character popping up (George in IF I LIE) or an emotional scene I didn’t plan on (in TOUCHED). George was definitely my biggest change. My entire book morphed once he appeared. I love those moments.
Q. Those are cool moments! How long did it take to go from the idea for the book to the draft your editor accepted? Was it months or years? Did you go through endless revisions, beta readers, etc, before starting the submission process? Did you ever want to pull out your hair?
A. Depends on the book. With TOUCHED, I wrote it in 3 ½ months. I went through draft after draft in revisions and lots of beta readers. Once I got an agent, we went through one more revision. That’s the one my editor bought. With IF I LIE, I wrote it over a year, sent it to a few beta readers, did one round of revision, made a few changes at my agent’s suggestion, and that was it. Since I spent more time writing it, I edited it along the way, so my first draft was pretty clean. I also showed pieces to readers as I was working on it.
To be honest, I don’t like editing as much as I do writing. I’d rather do a slower, cleaner first draft, but that’s not always realistic with deadlines. I’m adapting, but I do want to pull my hair out at times.
Q. I hear you! Do you listen to music while writing or at least while thinking about and planning a book? What song or album had the most influence on this novel?
A. I always listen to music. I create playlists for each book. In the book FROM WHERE YOU DREAM, Robert Olen Butler suggests that listening to the same music for a book each time you write, drops you back into that creative space faster. I agree. As soon as I put the music on and read a snip of what I wrote the day before, I’m off and running on new words. When writing TOUCHED, I listened to a lot of Tyrone Wells, Taylor Swift, Tim Easton, Ben Harper, and others. Lots of soulful love songs or longing for love songs. I shifted gears a bit on IF I LIE. That book takes sad to a new level. I listened to a lot of Glen Hansard, The Swell Season, and The Frames. Glen Hansard has this voice that rips at your guts and it fit what was happening to my characters.
Thanks for joining us today, Corrine! Your books are amazing. Congratulations!
* * *
Readers, I have one hardcover copy of IF I LIE to give away! Sorry, this giveaway is only open to residents of the US or Canada. Must be 13 or older to enter. The rules are simple: You must be a follower and you must comment on this post! You have until Saturday September 8 at 11 pm EDT to enter. One extra chance to win if you Tweet about this giveaway. Another extra chance for mentioning on facebook OR on your own blog. Please note your extra entries in the comments. Thanks!
By: Joanne R. Fritz,
on 8/27/2012
Blog:
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First, I have some winners to announce in my Road Trip Giveaway! The first prize (a package including an arc of MALCOLM AT MIDNIGHT, a signed mini-poster and an arc of GREAT UNEXPECTED) goes to:
VIVIEN
Congrats, Vivien! Expect an email from me. You were only 60 miles off our actual driving distance of 2140 miles. Good guess!
For the second prize, amazingly, we have a tie!
BARBARA WATSON
and
NATALIE LORENZI
both guessed 1900 miles, which is the next closest guess! So, ladies, here's what I will do. The first to respond to my email will win Prize Package #2 (an arc of WHAT CAME FROM THE STARS and an arc of THIRD GRADE ANGELS). The second to respond will win Prize #3, an arc of THE PECULIAR. Hope that's fair, and if you'd prefer a different arc, please email me and I'll see what I can find!
And if you didn't win something, come back on Friday, August 31 to enter a YA giveaway! I'm interviewing Corrine Jackson, author of IF I LIE and TOUCHED. I'll be giving away a copy of her first book.
* * * * *
Now onto MMGM! Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of
Shannon Messenger. For other participants, see my sidebar or Shannon's links.
Keeping Safe the Stars by Sheila O'Connor (Coming Oct 13, 2012 from Putnam, for ages 10 and up)
Source: advanced reading copy from publisher
Synopsis (from Indiebound): When crisis hits, a young girl becomes the only one left to take care of her family.
Pride, Nightingale and Baby are the Stars. Orphaned and living with their grandfather, Old Finn, in rural Minnesota, the children, like their grandfather, are wary of outsiders. They believe, as Old Finn taught them, in self-reliance.
But then Old Finn falls seriously ill and is taken to the hospital all the way in Duluth, leaving the children to fend for themselves. Pride, as oldest, assumes the lead. Though she makes mistakes, she keeps them afloat; they even earn money for the bus trip to Duluth. But when they finally see Old Finn, he can't walk or even say his own name, and Pride knows her days of keeping safe the Stars are drawing to a close. Self-reliance can't make Old Finn well again. But maybe, just maybe, a secret from Old Finn's past might make a way for them to stay together after all.
Why I liked it: I know, I know; it's not coming out until October! But I adore this book so much, I couldn't wait to share it with you! You may remember how much I loved the author's previous middle-grade novel, Sparrow Road (
see my review here). Well, this book is even better. O'Connor has outdone herself here.
Pride is a wonderful character. She seemed like a real girl in my mind. The prose is rich and powerful; the descriptions are gorgeous -- you'll have no trouble picturing Eden (Old Finn's farm) or the city. This takes place during the summer of the Watergate hearings, yet it has a timeless quality. I love quiet books that explore the depths of one girl's heart. And oh, the ending is lovely.
I've always enjoyed stories about kids having to survive on their own, starting with
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner (which I read in third grade!). What about you? What middle-grade books about kids on their own do you carry in
your heart?
Whew! That's a lot of M's. And I've just been in Millinocket, Maine. More M's. Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of Shannon Messenger (Ha! One more M!) For other participants, please see my sidebar to the right.
I'm back from our road trip vacation and I have a terrific new book to share with you. And a giveaway! I'm celebrating two things since I last posted for MMGM: My seven years of survival since my brain aneurysm ruptured in 2005. And my three years of book blogging. So I figured it was only natural to have a giveaway! Read on for my MMGM pick this week and for details about the giveaway.
Malcolm at Midnight by W.H. Beck, with pictures by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Coming 9/4/2012, for ages 9 to 12)
Source: advanced reading copy from publisher
Synopsis (from the publisher):
When Malcolm (a smaller than average rat) arrives as the fifth grade pet at McKenna School, he revels in the attention, the Pop-Tart crumbs, and his new Comf-E-Cube. He also meets the Midnight Academy, a secret society of classroom pets that keeps the nutters (kids) out of trouble. After all, everybody knows, "a lot happens in a school when the teachers aren't looking."There's just one problem. Rats have a terrible reputation. So when the Academy assumes Malcolm is a mouse, he doesn't exactly speak up. Then the Academy's leader, a glasses-wearing iguana named Aggy, disappears and the Academy smells a rat... a dirty rat fink, to be specific. Now Malcolm must use all of his ratty persistence to prove his innocence, get Aggy back under her heat lamp -- and find out if it's possible to be a critter of valor and merit even if you're a rat.Why I liked it: They had me at "a secret society of classroom pets"! This is great fun, especially for fans of the Ralph S. Mouse books by Beverly Cleary and the Humphrey books by Betty G. Birney. An added bonus is the format. The book is written as an anonymous letter and story that the fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Binney, found on his desk one day, and the anonymous authors have cleverly inserted lessons they've learned from Mr. Binney, fifth-grade vocabulary words, and some funny footnotes. Alert readers will eventually realize which students wrote the note and story. I found this book hugely entertaining, and Malcolm a worthy middle-grade hero.
Read about the author hereRead about the illustrator hereAnd now for the good stuff: the Giveaway!
This giveaway is open internationally. You must be a follower and you must comment on
this post. But to make it a little bit challenging, I'm going to do
what I did last year and give away some arcs and things based on your response to one question:
HOW FAR DO YOU THINK WE DROVE ON OUR ROAD TRIP?
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| Road to Campground in Baxter State Park - never saw another car! | | | |
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| That's me at Sandy Stream Pond in Baxter State Park |
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| Mt. Katahdin |
We started in Southeastern Pennsylvania and drove all the way to Millinocket, Maine, and Baxter State Park, up in the far northern woods of Maine (no, we didn't see a moose, darnitall -- it was too hot!). But keep in mind we made many side trips along the way up and back.
The person who comes the closest to guessing how many miles we drove wins first prize. The second closest guess wins second prize. And the next closest guess wins third prize.
Holy Smoke! Three prizes! I've never done this before.
FIRST PRIZE: An arc of
Malcolm at Midnight AND a mini-poster of an illustration from the book, signed by Brian Lies AND an arc of
The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech (also pubbing in September)
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| Detail from Brian's drawing |
SECOND PRIZE: An arc of
What Came From the Stars by Gary D. Schmidt (
see my review here) AND an arc of
Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli (both due in September)
THIRD PRIZE: An arc of
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann (also coming in September)
So put your thinking caps on and try to guess how many miles we drove on our road trip. Just include your answer in a comment below. Thanks for entering! This giveaway will end at 10:00 pm EDT on Saturday August 25, 2012. Winner will be announced on Monday August 27.
By: Joanne R. Fritz,
on 5/14/2012
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My Brain on Books
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First, I need to announce the winner of the SIGNED hardcover copy of JAKE AND LILY by Jerry Spinelli (please note that I have the book, but it will be signed on May 22 at Chester County Book & Music Company):
GINA C.
Congratulations! Expect an email from me asking for your signing preferences and your mailing address.
And for those who didn't win, don't forget my other giveaway for an ARC of DEVINE INTERVENTION by Martha Brockenbrough. You still have a few more days to enter at
THIS POST.
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Today's MMGM:
The False Prince (Book One in the Ascendance Trilogy) by Jennifer Nielsen (Scholastic, 9780545284134, April 1, 2012, for ages 8 to 14)
Source: advanced reading copy from publisher
Synopsis (from Indiebound): The False Prince is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.
Why I liked it: What's not to like? Adventure, intrigue, false identities, exciting swordplay: this book has it all! The publisher says it's for 8 to 14, but I'd call this upper middle grade -- there is some violence, so be forewarned if you're thinking of giving this to an 8-year-old. I love the character of Sage, who narrates the tale. I love his sarcasm and street smarts -- and that cool trick he does with the coin.
It's hard to talk about this book without giving away the secret, so I won't say more other than I really loved the story. It pulled me in and made me forget the contemporary world existed.
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of Shannon Messenger. For other MMGM bloggers, see my new bloglist over on the right!
20 Comments on A Real Winner -- and a False Prince, last added: 5/17/2012
By: Joanne R. Fritz,
on 5/18/2012
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The winner
of the ARC of DEVINE INTERVENTION
GRETCHEN
Congrats, Gretchen!
Expect an email from me asking for your mailing address.
For the rest of you, the book comes out June 1, 2012! If you have a local bookstore, show your support and buy a copy. Thanks.
By: Joanne R. Fritz,
on 5/21/2012
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If you've come to this space looking for middle grade or young adult book reviews, or general bookseller observations, or the occasional rare post on writing... I'll be back in about a month! I'll miss reading your blogs, but I'm taking Laurie Halse Anderson's advice and staying off the internet to accomplish what I need to accomplish. I'm determined to finish this latest revision in the never-ending work-in-progress. And then I'm determined to finally start querying this middle grade novel, which happens to be the first novel I wrote. And maybe I'll even do some writing on my third novel. Or is my fourth?
What about you? Are you writing, revising, or in-between projects?
Back in four weeks or so. In the meantime, I'll leave you with some inspirational photos.
I'm back! Did you miss me? Okay, show of hands, how many people didn't even realize I was gone??
Yes, I'm back from Revision Beach (sorry, I hate caves!) and I managed to finish Draft 5 of the MG novel that I've been working on for three years. Woo hoo!! So I'm here, at least for a few weeks. I've really missed keeping up with all your wonderful blogs, but I stayed away for a reason. My hero, Laurie Halse Anderson taught us something during a workshop at the Eastern PA SCBWI Poconos retreat in April. It was her "magic formula" for writing success.
And I'm going to share it with you, because I feel selfish keeping it a secret. Are you ready?
For every 10 hours you spend writing, you may spend 5 hours reading and ONE HOUR on the internet OR watching TV. That's right. One hour. I can hear the groans now, but that, my friends, is how Laurie Halse Anderson got where she is.
And to prove that she does have a sense of humor and isn't just a harsh taskmaster, this is how Laurie signed my copy of FORGE:
Now, on to today's double MMGM:
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (Seeds of America, Book One, paperback published January 2010 by Atheneum, for ages 10 and up) Source: paperback purchased from the bookstore where I work!
Synopsis (from Indiebound)
: If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl? As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can provide her with freedom.
Why I liked it: Isabel is such a smart, strong character and so full of life and humor and love for her sister that you just can't help admiring her. You also can't help being incensed by her lack of freedom and the atrocities that she and the other slaves had to endure (which is why this isn't appropriate for younger readers). I learned an incredible amount about the Revolutionary War through the eyes of a young slave. How many of you knew that landowners in Rhode Island had slaves, just as those sout
Jump Into the Sky by Shelley Pearsall (Knopf, August 14, 2012, for ages 10 and up)
Source: advanced reader's copy from publisher
Synopsis (from Indiebound): Levi Battle's been left behind all his life. His mother could sing like a bird and she flew away like one, too. His father left him with his grandmother so he could work as a traveling salesman—until Levi's grandmother left this world entirely. Now Levi's staying with his Aunt Odella while his father is serving in the U.S. Army. But it's 1945, and the war is nearly over, and Aunt Odella decides it's time for Levi to do some leaving of his own. Before he can blink, Levi finds himself on a train from Chicago to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where his father is currently stationed—last they knew.
So begins an eye-opening, life-changing journey for Levi. First lesson: there are different rules for African Americans in the South than there are in Chicago. And breaking them can have serious consequences. But with the help of some kind strangers, and despite the hindrances of some unkind ones, Levi makes his way across the United States—searching for his father and finding out about himself, his country, and what it truly means to belong.
Why I liked it: This is historical fiction at its finest. Told in a realistic 13-year-old boy's voice, Pearsall's moving and at times humorous novel isn't afraid to tackle tough topics like discrimination and abandonment. You'll also learn about a little-known aspect of World War II: the black paratroopers of the 555th battalion. The characters are wonderful, from Levi to Aunt Odella, to Cal and Peaches, the Fayetteville couple who give Levi a temporary home, to the mysterious old Maw Maw Sands, who seems to know everything, and finally to Levi's father himself, the almost legendary Charlie Battle.
As you read, you'll feel you are right there, in 1945. The scene in the grocer's in Fayetteville is etched in my memory, and I read this book more than two months ago. Levi's just gotten off the train from Chicago. He's hot and thirsty and he sees a Coca-Cola sign in the grocer's window. But when he enters the shop and puts his money down on the counter, the grocer hands him a dusty grape soda instead and points a gun in Levi's face. It's Levi's first experience with a white man in the South. And it's dramatic and intense. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if this novel wins a Newbery honor in January.
For more MMGM recommendations, please visit the blogs in my sidebar to the right. And if you're not in my sidebar, and should be, please let me know!
Please remember to stop by
Literary Rambles today for Natalie Aguirre's interview with Lenny Lee and a giveaway!
Auracle by Gina Rosati, coming August 7, 2012 from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan, for ages 12 and up
Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and hears but cannot touch the one she longs to hold. Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between them. Auracle by Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship between body and soul and the power of a single touch.
Meet Gina Rosati! As soon as she could ride a bicycle, she’d visit her local public library and check out as many books as she could fit in her bike basket. When she was 15, Gina got her first ‘real’ job in the Newton Free Library shelving books. Leaving the library for a job as a supermarket cashier was a huge mistake … not only did she have the misfortune to be working the night three guys showed up with panty hose masks and sawed-off shotguns to rob the store, but Gina became trapped in the food industry. After many years of scooping ice cream, decorating cakes and assorted secretarial drudgery which included fetching coffee for a boss who called her his “Tomato”, she finally escaped. Now Gina happily writes and volunteers at her local middle school library in southern New Hampshire, where she lives with her husband and two teenagers. Auracle is her first novel.
Did the idea for Auracle spring from your own childhood or from some other source? And did you start with a character or with an image or phrase or setting? The idea of a novel using the concept of astral
Today, I want to talk about loss and grief. Those who know me personally may know why I'm in this kind of mood. I've learned it's possible to grieve for a place almost as much as for a person. I'll go into more detail in a future blog post but it occurred to me that the book I planned to discuss today deals with both kinds of loss and does so beautifully.
What Came From the Stars by Gary D. Schmidt (coming September 4, 2012 from Clarion Books, for ages 10 to 14)
Synopsis (my own this time!): In a faraway world under siege, Young Waeglim forges a chain, holding all the art and beauty of his world. He flings it into space and the chain hurtles all the way across the universe and falls into the lunch box of Tommy Pepper, sixth-grader, of Plymouth, Massachusetts.
And then everything begins to change. Wearing the chain, Tommy can suddenly speak an odd language that his teacher and classmates don't understand. He can draw pictures that move. He can catch the football every time James Sullivan yells, "Go long!"
Grieving for his dead mother, Tommy is barely holding it together. But he's trying to be strong for his father, who has given up painting, and for his little sister, who has stopped talking. Then the local real estate developer announces plans to put condos on their beach. Tommy and his father know it will ruin everything, but they're powerless to stop it.
When a dark lord from the faraway world arrives in Plymouth and takes over as their teacher, Tommy is the only one who realizes it. Somehow, he has to convince his classmates to help him fight back before everything is destroyed.
Why I liked it: For the first time, Gary Schmidt (Newbery honor winner for both
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy and
The Wednesday Wars) has written a fantasy. And what a touching and gorgeous fantasy it is! I truly admire the voice of this novel. It's a haunting voice of grief and loss, yet with a marvelous sense of hope too. I'm also impressed by the strong sense of place. Even if you've never been in Plymouth, you'd be able to picture it.
The Mayflower replica, Plymouth Rock, the beach, the cemetery, it's all described perfectly. The town becomes a character in itself.
But perhaps the best part is the way Tommy and his friends, James, Alice, and Patrick, band together to fight the Dark Lord. It's not Harry Potter, but you'll cheer all the same.
For other MMGM love, see the links in my sidebar (and if you're not there, and you believe you should be, let me know).
Do you have a favorite MG book that deals with grief and loss?
By: Joanne R. Fritz,
on 7/27/2012
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I did it. I just signed up for
WRiTE CLUB, DL Hammons' epic head-to-head writing contest. (Thanks,
Christine Danek, for the nudge). This might be just what I need to get me out of the doldrums.
What is WRiTE CLUB? Go to
DL's website for details. In essence, all you have to do is write a 500 word sample and submit it, under an alias of your choosing. It's completely anonymous. No one knows who wrote each sample. Everyone votes on the two each week, and the winner of each round moves on. So if you win your round, you can keep going! If you lose, no one has to know.
Come on. Do it. Get over your fear!
By: Joanne R. Fritz,
on 7/30/2012
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I'm away for two weeks, searching for some cooler weather. Hoping to enjoy some of this:
And maybe we'll see one of these:
Points to anyone who guesses the significance of this photo:
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| My own photo from 2010 |
See you in a few weeks! Oh, and today is seven years exactly from the day I survived a ruptured brain aneurysm. Here's to good health for all of us.
Meet Suzanne Lazear, author of INNOCENT DARKNESS!
INNOCENT DARKNESS: Book 1, The Aether Chronicles (Flux, August 8, 2012, for ages 12 and up)
Wish. Love. Desire. Live.
In a Steampunk version of Victorian Los Angeles sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. Her wish sends her tumbling into the Otherworld. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.
Suzanne Lazear writes Steampunk stories for adults and teens. Her Young Adult Steampunk dark fairytale INNOCENT DARKNESS, book 1 of The Aether Chronicles, will be released from Flux on August 8, 2012. She always plays with swords, is never described as normal, and has been known to run with bustles. Suzanne lives in Southern California with her daughter, the hubby, a hermit crab, and two chickens, where she’s currently attempting to make a raygun to match her ballgown. Visit her blog at http://www.suzannewrites.blogspot.comand her website http://www.suzannelazear.comClass of 2K12 Hi Suzanne, and welcome to My Brain on Books!Do you outline before you write? If so, does it end up changing before you finish the first draft? What change surprised you the most?
Well, INNOCENT DARKNESS didn’t start out Steampunk. I steampunked it on the fly from a contemporary outline. My main characters—Noli, V, and Kevighn--stayed the same but new characters like Charlotte appeared. The basic story stayed the same, but adding in the Steampunk elements forced me to change a lot of things, and I had to create an entire alternate world as I went along (which required research and strange google searches). From this process a lot of details I didn’t know about emerged, like Noli’s love of botany, Kevighn’s sister, and certain details about V and his past…I personally enjoy learning things about my characters as I write. Not all stories are like this for me. Sometimes I outline, sometimes I don’t, and sometimes I just jot down ideas. It all depends on the story, world, and characters.
Do you revise one novel while writing another? Or do you feel you need to write and revise one novel and get it as polished as possible before moving on to your shiny new idea?
I like to have several projects in different stages going on at once. It makes me feel more productive. I work on the one that’s most pressing (or if not on deadline, with the characters speaking the loudest), but if I get burned out or need a break, I can switch to another project for a day or two and feel like I’m still being productive. Also, I have something to do while a project is off being read by betas. It’s that whole multi-tasking thing. I like multi-tasking. And lists.
Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate while writing? And where do you write? Briefly describe your writing space.
Because I have a full time job and a family I write whenever and wherever I can. I do a lot of writing on my laptop on the couch. I write during lunch at work, I’ve been known to bring my laptop to birthday parties and family functions when on deadline, I’ve even contemplated trying to use Dragon to write while driving since I spend so much time commuting—but I’m not that brave and given my writing style, I’m not sure that would work for me.
Do you listen to music while writing or at least while thinking about and planning a book? What song or album had the most influence on this novel?
I really like to listen to music when I write and often make complicated playlists of “mood music” for each project. For some reason I never made a special list of music to listen to just for the writing of this book – though I do have a soundtrack for it. I wrote a bulk of INNOCENT DARKNESS during NaNoWriMo 2009 – 66k in three weeks—while working a dayjob so that may have had something to do with it. Yeah, I nearly died. I did write large chunks of ID while listening to Emilie Autumn on continuous repeat—especially “Across the Sky,” which I consider to be the book’s theme song, as well as “Shallot” and “Opheliac”. I adore her work, she’s a “Victorian industrial” artist and since I’m writing Steampunk, the vibes meshed really well. I also listened to a playlist of sappy love songs I’d compiled for drafting another project—especially when writing the kissing parts.
Wow! That sounds daunting. I love that your book has a theme song. Tell us what darling you had to kill that you really really wish you could have kept and what was the most fun to write.
More kissing!!! Just kidding. I actually had to cut an entire scene with Kevighn, my anti-hero, that I really liked. It introduces a new character towards the end, so it does work better to save it for book two, but I really liked the relationship between Kevighn and that character. It added a more little background and depth to my naughty huntsman. My favorite scenes involve Noli—Noli and her flying car, Noli and her friend Charlotte, Noli and V… Though I do have to say, Kevighn, being the bad boy, was really fun to write. Probably even more fun to write than V, who’s such a sweet, honorable guy. Inventing all the steampunk gadgets was a ton of fun as I tried to meld the Victorian feel with modern technology to get things like hoverboard and flying cars, yet make them as natural to Noli as a car is to us.
Thank you so much for having me on today!
Thanks for being here, Suzanne! And congrats on the book!
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Awesome things you've learned from Lenny. He's such an amazing person.
Happy Birthday Lenny! I'll be thinking about you all day and wishing you a happy day.
Ooo, what a wonderful way to do the list. You linked blog posts! I love it.
Happy birthday, Lenny Lee!
Hi, Joanne! What a great archive of Lenny's best posts!
Oh, Dianne, there are so many! This is only scratching the surface.
Thanks, Theresa! I need to hop over and check out yours next.
Hi Natalie! Wasn't it fun being part of Lenny's birthday celebration?
Greetings Joanne,
I have and my human have, the great pleasure of knowing Lenny. Truly a pawsitive, sorry, a positive young man. He is an inspiration and you have listed some of his wonderful pawsts, sorry, posts! :)
He understands and loves the non-judgemental, unconditional love we share with humans. Here's wishing our young buddy a great birthday! Thank you, Joanne, for this tribute to Lenny Lee.
Pawsitive wishes, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet star, now promoted to superstar status! :)
hi miss joanne!
WOW! thanks for remembering my birthday and doing such a cool post. i got tear in my eye from all the nice stuff you said about me. im just happy you and me are blogger friends. youre way special in my heart. :)
...hugs from lenny
You're very special in mine, Lenny! Hope you are enjoying your 13th birthday!
Hi Superstar Penny! Thanks for visiting my blog. You are one talented dog!
What a very cool post! I wish I would have thought about doing it. (wink) What a great way to share Lenny's birthday and wisdom with everyone. Nice job, Joanne!
Happy Birthday to the wisest 13 year old I know...Lenny Lee!!!
What a terrific idea to link Lenny's blog posts on your list, Joanne! It's a great way to share how special Lenny is!
Thanks, Sharon. And especially thanks for pulling this whole thing together so well!
Thanks, Connie!