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Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Barbara Mariconda, author of the brand new, swashbuckling, spunky and spirited middle grade adventure story THE VOYAGE OF LUCY P. SIMMONS, as well as the co-founder of Empowering Writers, company that trains teachers how to help their students improve their writing skills. Today she’ll be giving you insight into both of her areas of expertise, writer and teacher, and she’s created a free downloadable sample lesson that you can use to teach LUCY (and later, any novel) in the classroom!

From Barbara:

“Lucy P. Simmons – described as an “intrepid heroine with a swashbuckling spirit and a sailor’s heart” and as “a feisty, unforgettable character” – this protagonist of my latest middle grade novel, The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons has been evolving along with me for over fifteen years. Set on the coast of Maine at the end of the Victorian era, it is the tale of beautiful, red-haired Lucy, how her life changes in an instant, propelling her on an adventure sparked with magic, hardship, courage, and love. It redefines family, celebrating the miracle of people whose lives cross in unexpected ways, weaving rich tapestries of friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, and the kinds of relationships that change lives.

Years of travel to coastal Maine provided the inspiration and sparked the imagination that brought The Voyage of L. P. Simmons to life.  Here, a shoreline mansion, not unlike the Simmons place.

In many ways, Lucy’s journey reflects mine – and surely, yours as well. True, my experiences have not been as colorful as Lucy’s – I didn’t survive the tragic sinking of a ship, or meet a mysterious siren on the beach, nor did I discover a magical flute or have my beloved home surrounded by glittering mist. But, in my own small way, in my own unique life, I’ve had some narrow escapes, met some mystical, mysterious people who’ve brought marvelous unexpected gifts, and thankfully, experienced a sense of mystery and magic in the stuff of everyday living. And that’s what I write – stories that reveal the edges and undercurrents of life that can be sensed and experienced, but never grasped.

As a teacher, I know children need to believe in magic – not so much the magic in the pages of a fantasy novel, but rather, in the miracles and possibilities often disguised in the ordinariness of life. And, a book can open that doorway metaphorically, can help hone the eyes of hope and wonder to see beyond the literal…toward “what if” and “why not.” Especially in this era of high stakes testing, where school can become wrought with stress and pressure, children need the escape that fantasy provides, and the opportunity for them to immerse themselves in the creative, imaginative worlds where the spirit can soar freely. But, given the demands of new national and state standards that increase the breadth and depth of what students must learn, is the luxury of losing oneself in a fantasy story a thing of the past? Is there time enough in the school day to indulge in a book like The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons?

To succeed as an author and as an educator, I’ve had to wear two hats and find ways to merge both worlds. When I’m not writing for kids, I’m writing for their teachers, through my company, “Empowering Writers” – our mission: to empower the next generation of authors in classrooms today. But, what I won’t ever do is compromise one goal for the other – in other words, I’m committed to find ways for teachers to nurture the imaginations and creativity in the souls of their students, while continuing to challenge them academically and prepare them to excel as the junior test-takers they have to be.

This is artwork that Barbara owns which has inspired her writing.  Can you see the any connections to Lucy’s story?

So, with both my writer and teacher hats squashed on my head, I went through my novel, The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons, looking for every opportunity within the text that can be used a jumping off point for teaching the Common Core State Standards in writing. You can click on the link below for an entire outline – and, not only that. The basic techniques I’ve applied to “Lucy” as the basis for instruction, can be adapted for all of your favorite pieces of high quality literature. But, of course, I’m hoping you’ll be applying them to mine!

And, lastly…while I’m talking about using literature to teach to the standards, I want to be clear. Reading a fabulous story that transports the reader into realms beyond the ordinary, beyond the classroom, beyond the challenges of life, is really enough! And, I think, if only there was a state standard that read: Standard L.11.1a: Students lose themselves in story, imagining worlds of possibility, embracing hope – Oh, what a world it would be!”

Thanks Barbara! THE VOYAGE OF LUCY P. SIMMONS is available in bookstores now. And don’t miss Barbara’s wonderful, FREE downloadable PDF lesson plan, available here!

Today it’s my pleasure to introduce you to S.J. Kincaid, author of INSIGNIA, the super engrossing sci-fi thrill ride that we all love around here.  Yesterday we gave you a few words from S.J.’s editor, Molly O’Neill, and today we have a few words from S.J. herself (follow her on Twitter @sjkincaidbooks).

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?

My favorite book from childhood has to be a novel I first read in seventh grade called ‘Legacy’ by Susan Kay. It belonged to my sister, and I picked it up one day and couldn’t stop reading for a couple days until I’d finished it. That novel honestly changed the course of my life. It stirred a fascination with history that completely changed my interests in high school and college.

Right now, I’m re-reading Catching Fire, and getting ready to read Neil Tyson Degrasse’s Space Chronicles.

What is your secret talent?

I can draw faces reasonably well. Mostly when I’m in lectures. And I’m supposed to be listening to whatever’s going on. Actually, I’ve been out of school for about a year, so I’m probably rusty, but as soon as I’m in an enforced sitting-somewhere situation again, I’ll pick it up again.

Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.

Dogs. They’re just so cute and quirky and loveable.

My current obsessions are…

Michio Kaku. You know a guy is a genius when he can make principles of astrophysics comprehensible to me.

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

Persist. It took me seven novels to get published. The mantra I heard that really kept me motivated was this: “The only way to be sure I’ll fail is to quit.”

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…

…enjoys the hours they spend reading it.

Tell us more about how INSIGNIA was born.

INSIGNIA came to me in pieces. I had this story I’d started about a gamer kid traveling around with his father, but it was just sitting there alongside maybe twenty other stores with about five-thousand words on my hard drive that I never picked up upon.

I also had this other vague idea about a massive war fought remotely in outer space. I got this one from an article discussing the likelihood future combat will minimize human involvement, and will instead consist of remotely controlled machines battling it out. I was fascinated by this idea, because it reminded me of a video game, and I thought of all the troubling implications that could arise from further distancing the aggressors in a battle from the damage they’re wreaking.

Anyway, INSIGNIA came about at some point when I mentally jointed that story fragment of a gamer kid with the giant World War III scenario. I didn’t plan to write it because I was going to grad school for a year, and it just seemed too big, but I kept getting idea after idea for this world, and then I began to imagine a fortress right on top of the Pentagon we have today.

The last key? My grad school had a lighter schedule during the summer. I realized it was now or never—I could write the story or just forget about it. I already had so many ideas, I couldn’t bear to just flush them away. So I gave it a shot. The rest is history.

Thanks, S.J.!  Insignia is on bookshelves now, with a sequel set for next summer– thank goodness!

For better or for worse, as parents, librarians, and teachers, we rely a lot on series to get reluctant readers to keep reading.  Heck, even very strong readers love the predictability and familiarity they have with characters and storylines they’ve encountered before.  To that end, there are some #2 books coming out in new series this fall and they just might be the perfect recommendation for the kids in your library or classroom (or home):

THE FAMILIARS #2: SECRETS OF THE CROWN by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson

• Check out the book trailer for the first book: THE FAMILIARS

THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING EVERYTHING by Ben H. Winters

• In its starred review, Publishers Weekly called  THE SECRET LIFE OF MS. FINKLEMAN, “funny, fast-paced, and highly original.”

MO WREN, LOST AND FOUND by Tricia Springstubb

• Read the Q&A with Tricia Springstubb for WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET

THE MAGNIFICENT 12: THE TRAP by Michael Grant

• Receiving two starred reviews, Kirkus said that THE MAGNIFICENT 12: THE CALL was “a lighter-than-usual fantasy action-adventure that is sure to win many fans and fly off the shelves.”  And don’t forget to check out the outstanding website that includes a section of educators!

What other series are your kids

WE ARE SEVEN STRANGERS

NO ONE CAN FIND US

SIX THINK THE CURE WILL WORK

ONLY I KNOW THE TRUTH

THIS PLACE WILL DESTROY US

When Will Besting approaches Fort Eden for the first time, he knows something isn’t right. With more terrifying secrets at every turn he discovers a hidden fear deep inside himself, a dark mystery a thousand years in the making, and the unexpected girl of his dreams. But can he save everyone from the dangers of Fort Eden before it’s too late?

Bestselling author Patrick Carman’s DARK EDEN is not only a psychological thrill ride of a book, but also an app– a 14 episode experience (the first of which is free) with maps, videos, audio diaries, and journal entries that tell the story.  The book and the app truly go hand-in-hand, and if even that’s not enough for you… there’s more!

Take THE FEAR TEST, which will show you your darkest fears… and may (warning!) scare you a little in the process, check out the Facebook DARK EDEN fan site for updates.  Join us in Dark Eden… where fear is the cure.

Dark Eden is available in bookstores now (what a great publication date– 11.1.11!).

This Wednesday, we plied our local librarian friends with coffee and treats to meet us very very very early in the morning to hear about our Fall 2012 titles, straight from the mouths of our truly masterful editors. Our attendees live-tweeted under the hashtag #harperfallpreview and it was really exciting for us to see those enthusiastic tweets roll in. Thanks, guys!

Everyone with their listening caps on.

Now, for some great This Meets That’s:

• “Dan Brown for 10 year olds” — THE SECRET PROPHECY, by Herbie Brennan.
• “Scott Westerfeld meets Lauren Oliver” — THE LOST GIRL, by Sangu Mandanna.
• “The Goonies meets The Walking Dead” — GRAVEDIGGERS: MOUNTAIN OF BONES, by Christopher Krovatin.
• “My So-Called Life meets Twilight” — DRAIN YOU, by M. Beth Bloom. (full disclosure… this one killed me!)

Can you believe that in a little more than a month, we’ll be at the ALA Annual meeting in Anaheim, California?  Because we sure can’t (cue folders flying, frantic packing).  But if you’ll be there too, please make sure to stop by, say hello, and grab galleys of the titles above.  Booth #2558– see you there!

Even though Labor Day is behind us, we’re just not ready to relinquish summer yet! Hey, we have until September 22nd (technically), right?  In that spirit, we still have a few more Summer New Voices titles to share with you, and next up is INSIGNIA, by S.J. Kincaid.  This is delightful, thought-provoking science fiction teen set in a futuristic world at war, and we gobbled it up like Ender’s Game and The Maze Runner– fun, fast-paced, and full of questions about morality, technology, and humanity.

A few words from the editor, Molly O’Neill:

“One of my absolute delights as an editor is when a manuscript takes me entirely by surprise, becoming a book that I had no idea I was dying to publish. And that’s precisely what happened for me a little over a year ago with Insignia, the story of a teenage video gamer recruited to become a superhuman government weapon in World War III.

I’m decidedly not a gamer, so I distinctly remember thinking on page one of the manuscript, “Hmmm, a sci-fi war story about a gamer kid? I’m not quite sure this is gonna be for me….” But by page three, I was hooked: gaming, neuroscience, military boarding school, and all! Insignia is action-packed and intense, full of fascinating technology, high stakes, and provocative questions. But it’s also just pure fun to read—full of masterfully sly humor and laugh-out-loud hilarious scenes—something I’ve found to be a deliciously welcome change from so many of the relentlessly grim futuristic worlds currently jockeying for space on YA bookshelves.

Tom Raines is instantly likeable and relatable as a main character, brimming with perfect measures of sarcastic wit, cockiness and insecurity. His yearning to be someone important, to truly matter will feel utterly familiar to teen readers—and to anyone who’s ever been a teen. And Tom’s not the only character that you’ll adore in Insignia: his comrades at the Spire are by turns hilarious, brilliant, nerdy, and fiercely loyal: they’re characters that feel so vibrant and real that I desperately want to follow off the final pages of this book and become friends with them myself! (Currently, author S. J. Kincaid is working on the second book in the Insignia trilogy and each time she sends new chapters into my inbox, it feels wonderfully like the first day after summer vacation or winter break, back at school, where you can’t help getting giddy about how good it is to see everyone again: “Oh, look, it’s all my friends—we get to hang out again! Omigosh, Tom, and Vik and Yuri and Wyatt, I’ve missed you guys!”)

We’ve just received a blurb from Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent, so Insignia may be just the right book to put into the hands of her fans who are clamoring for a new read. She says Insignia is “A disarming and highly realistic view of the future. The characters are real, funny, and memorable. You won’t be able to put Insignia down.” And bookseller Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books summed up the reading experience of  Insignia  perfectly, saying: “S. J. Kincaid’s debut is one of the best YA novels I’ve read in years—original, thrilling, funny, smart, and not at all predictable. I will follow this writer to the ends of the Earth—she is the real deal.” I hope you and your readers will likewise want to follow S. J. Kincaid and her storytelling powers to the ends of the earth. ”

Thanks Molly!  Check out an excerpt of INSIGNIA here, or go find it on bookshelves now!