I haven’t spent much time in Round Rock, so I’d I’d never been to this book store before. It is a cozy neighborhood with resident dogs who make sure everyone fells welcome. It was easy to spot regular customers because the first thing they did was pick up the dogs! If you are in the greater Austin area in July, you might want to stop by to see their Kids Spot, a special area for early readers through elementary school, and their young adult selection for middle school and high school readers.
Lynne was having a busy day. Just before her appearance at The Book Spot, she’d been a speaker on the Tweens or Teens panel at the Writers’ League of Texas 2012 Agents Conference YA to Z Track (738 KB .pdf). Though between the WLT conference and ALA, many of the writers I know were busy elsewhere, it was good to see a few familiar faces at The Book Stop, like Tim Crow, Debbie Gonzales, and Nikki Loftin (she brought cupcakes!). I hope I’ll get to see a few more at some of the events coming up in Texas later this fall, like maybe the Southwest Texas SCBWI Fall Conference!
Classroom Connections is a series meant to introduce teachers to new books.
CHAINED - Lynne Kelly
Lynne Kelly has written a story that unwraps the heart and asks it to be brave, loyal, and above all, kind. Readers of all ages will worry for Hastin as he marks the wall that records his bondage to a cruel master, but they will ultimately celebrate his jubilant triumph. This story unwrapped my own heart. –Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor and New York Times bestseller THE UNDERNEATH
reading level: 10 and up
setting: Northern India
Please tell us about your book.
CHAINED is a midgrade novel about 10-year-old Hastin, who lives in a rural village of northern India with his mother and sister. To help pay off the hospital bills from his sister's illness, Hastin takes a job as an elephant keeper at a run-down circus far from home. Life at the circus isn't the adventure he expected, but he and the elephant, Nandita, become best friends. They're both captive workers for the cruel circus
By: Vonna Carter,
on 5/14/2012
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Saturday we got to celebrate the long awaited launch of Lynne Kelly’s debut novel CHAINED with the good people at Blue Willow Bookshop. Lynne started off telling us a bit about the evolution of this story which started life as a picture book, and the first version is one that, thankfully (she says), no one 
else ever saw. Lynne took it to a critique group where Charles Trevino suggested it should be a novel. She said she thought, wow, a novel—that’s a lot of words!
Lynne said she started writing one chapter at a time, not knowing what was going to happen in the next chapter. She says she did know how it would end though, sort of. She joined a critique group and says they didn’t run her off, so she stayed and wrote the book. Uma Krishnaswami gave her an early critique, then gave it a final read before publishing to make sure it was all culturally correct. Revision took the storyline from three years to one and a half years to one year. CHAINED sold 
to MacMillan two years ago this month.
The publisher asked Lynne to suggest illustrators for the cover, so she researched book covers she loved and came up with some suggestions. One book, Elephant Bill, became the mentor’s backstory. She brought a poster to show
By: Vonna Carter,
on 4/30/2012
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We still have a few days before the official start of National Children’s Book Week, which is May 7-13, but the wonderful bookstores in the Houston area aren’t going to make us wait for a great event. Speaking of great events, I want to remind everyone that Lynne Kelly’s debut novel CHAINED launches next week! Look for it in stores May 8. If you haven’t already done it, mark your calendars for her launch at Blue Willow Bookshop on Saturday May 12 at 2:00 p.m.
Now for this week’s events:
May 3– 9
Children’s Museum of Houston
Fiction, Fantasy and Fun
The Children’s Museum of Houston is getting a head start on National Children’s Book Week. You’re invited to join them in celebrating the enchanting world of reading. Ongoing activities include:
•Prince and Princess Crowns •Gingerbread Man Decorating •Magic Wand •Invent with Ernest the Balancing Bear •Fantasy Postcards •Optical Illusion Exploration •Flip Books •Hidden Rainbow
Wednesday, May 2, 5:00 p.m.
Blue Willow Bookshop
Herman Parish, Author
Herman Parish, nephew of Amelia Bedelia’s creator, Peggy Parish, and the author of many books about Amelia Bedelia, will discuss and sign AMELIA BEDELIA’S FIRST VOTE, the newest book in the Amelia Bedelia series.
For important information about this event, please see
By: Vonna Carter,
on 2/7/2012
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Hey everyone, I want to pass on some tasty info:
Item #1
In case you missed her announcement, Lynne Kelly, author of the upcoming middle grade novel CHAINED, is offering a book club kit giveaway for teachers and librarians. The kit will go to a classroom or reading group and includes ten books, a tote bag, a Skype visit, and bookmarks and signed bookplates for each kid in the group. Lynne will also send bookmarks to everyone who enters. Details and instructions are here in this blog post. Lynne’s contest is open from now until May 1st.
Item #2
If you are in the Houston area, mark your calendars for Saturday, February 18. The Houston YA/MG Writers are hosting a FREE workshop by award winning, multipublished author, Kimberly Ivey.
Purpose, Power and Pizazz!
Learn to organize the components of your book, beginning with visualization of your story’s structure, followed by dividing those components into chapters with purpose and punch. Discover how to avoid trouble spots and fine tune tension, pacing, and hooks like the pros.
We start at 9:30 but come at 9 if you’d like to chat. The meeting is in our permanent location- the Community Room at the H.E.B. at 9710 Katy Freeway, on the north side of the freeway. For questions, please email Jessica Capelle at [email protected].
IMPORTANT: Bring one full chapter of your work in progress for brief exercises, plus pen, paper and laptop for notes. If you don’t have a full chapter to work with, bring what you’ve got or just take notes- this will be valuable for us all.
Item #3
If, after the Austin SCBWI conference on February 17-19, the Houston SCBWI conference on March 31-April 1, and the Houston Writers Guild conference April 13-14, you are still hungry for more, check out West Texas A&M University’s Writers’ Academy on June 18-22. Sherry Garland, award-winning and best-selling author of thirty books for children, teens and adults, will teach Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Friday, July 6, 7:00 pm
Friday, July 6, 8:30 pm
Saturday, July 7, 1:30 pm
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Congrat’s, Lynne!
This sounds so good. Thank you for the recommendation and the interview, Caroline!
I cannot wait to read this. Thank you both for the interview.