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Fine. So, eventually, I ended up working for Marvel comics, etc.

Then I started writing YA dystopias.

And I thought that by writing dystopias I was getting people to question the way the world was going and perhaps work for a better world. After all that's how it worked in my case. (I have parallel careers as an environmentalist and a writer.)

Then dystopias became two-a-penny.

And it turns out I was wrong. Firstly there's this article which has just appeared in the Guardian Online, which appears to suggest that modern dystopic YA novel such as the Hunger Games do nothing of the sort. This, despite the obvious satirical intention was partly a critique of mass entertainment.

I don't particularly agree with this critique, which also says that this book and Divergent are right wing attacks on more egalitarian types of government. I think it's more than a little paranoid. I think it's more likely that readers only end up being sucked into the consumer market, instead of questioning it.

But here's something even more damning to the notion that by getting kids to read dystopic fiction we're helping to create a better world.

My friend George Marshall was researching his new book Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change and, because he is a comics fan, despite the fact that his book is about psychology, managed to wangle it that his research included going to the biggest comics convention on the East Coast, ComicCon. Well, of course.

In between looking for great graphic novels, he asked fans of dystopias what they thought the future will be like. He said: "My reasoning is this: These people are young, smart, and curious about technology and future worlds. They must have some good ideas."

Brian Ferrara is selling nine-hundred-dollar replica weapons from science fiction video games. “I’m not a doomsday prophecy kind of guy, but I am a realist,” he says. So, being realistic, he doesn’t see a bright future, but he is very vague about the details. Maybe, he speculates, we will be immobilized, strapped to a chair with a feeding tube.  

One couple are more politically alert, having spent time with the Occupy movement. They anticipate some kind of corporate dystopia, But, they say, there are other issues too. Overbreeding. The constant battle over fertility rights. “Yes,” says the woman, warming to the theme. “Politicians! Get out of my uterus! Leave my lady parts alone!” In her onepiece latex Catwoman outfit, she looks reasonably safe for the moment. 

And climate change? In over twenty interviews, not one person mentions climate change until I prompt them to do so. Then they have lots of views. No one doubts that it is happening or is going to be a disaster. “It will escalate into catastrophe.” “If we can’t cope with that, we’ll all die like the dinosaurs.” But asked to identify when these impacts might hit, they reckon it’s still a long way off. “Maybe my great-grandchildren will have to deal with it,” Catwoman says.

It doesn't really prompt them to do anything about it. Except buy more comics.

So, I conclude, dystopias have become just another commodity, dealing out escapism. Which is a bit depressing, given that my next novel, Stormteller, out next month, is a dystopia/fantasy about climate change.

Do you think your writing can change anything?

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Stacy Whitman is Editorial Director and Publisher of Tu Books, an imprint of LEE & LOW BOOKS that publishes diverse science fiction and fantasy for middle grade and young adult readers. This blog post was originally posted at her blog, Stacy Whitman’s Grimoire. 

Yesterday, Sarah Hannah Gómez wrote about people of color in dystopias. Today I thought we’d look at the post-apocalyptic genre (which overlaps with, but is not always the same as, dystopias) from the craft side. A while back, as I was going through submissions, a few thoughts formed for me about worldbuilding in the genre due to things I was seeing again and again. This isn’t by any means a comprehensive list of things to think about—just a few things that struck me as a pattern in some recent reads (and something I notice when it’s done well).

I guess everything I want to say actually falls under the old (and very useful) “show, don’t tell,” – which of course is relevant whether or not your novel is set after the apocalypse. So, here you go:

• If you include newspaper clippings/stories as metatext to support the main narrative, make sure that it actually sounds like a news clipping. Use inverted pyramid structure, starting with the most important details and filling in backstory and history only once important details have been included. Who, what, why, where, when: these are the most important things to focus on in the first paragraph.

One of my first publishing-related jobs in college was as a newspaper reporter, and the end of my stories—even my feature stories—often got chopped off for space. In news writing, your lede has to be an actual lede, not an introductory sentence, and you don’t include common-knowledge information (stuff all the characters would know because they live in that world) as an infodump in the second paragraph.

• Less is more in post-apocalyptic worldbuilding.

We usually don’t need to know every detail of the apocalypse in the first chapter, or even by the end of the book. In fact, it usually just slows down the reading and even occasionally turns off a reader to be reminded in every sentence just how bad the world is because of global warming’s effect a hundred years ago or because we ran out of fossil fuels or because a great plague hit the world three hundred years ago. These things are common knowledge to the characters—or perhaps they’re lost knowledge for the character, depending on how long ago the apocalypse happened and how much technology/media had broken down in the years since.

But generally letting the reader know exactly what happened within the first chapter or two turns into an infodump or an as-you-know-Bob. Actually, what you want to do is revealed in that last link—I didn’t know there was a name for it! Incluing, at least according to Wikipedia (which is of course so reliable, but let’s go with it for now unless someone knows of a more technical term), is what you really want to do.

• Reel out worldbuilding details little by little, cluing the reader in to worldbuilding details as they need the information (or slightly before, so as not to be jarring).

The best incluing example, the one I always go back to, is the first page or so of The Golden Compass, in which Lyra is talking to her daemon as they spy on a conversation in another room. We have no idea what a daemon is, even the basic concept of what one looks like, within the first page—that’s something Philip Pullman spools out to us little by little, creating a mystery, through small, specific details, that hooks us enough to make us want to know more.

Joseph Bruchac does this well in the first few chapters of Killer of Enemies. We’re on a hunt with Lozen, and we learn about the Cloud and Gemods and the place she lives, Haven, little by little over the course of a few chapters. Her inner narrative is a good way to spool out details slowly, thought it only works if your character has the knowledge to share. 

These ideas are pretty basic, but so important in a good postapocalyptic tale, in my opinion. The only exceptions I can think of to sharing details of the apocalypse slowly, over time: zombie post-apocalypses, such as Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth (we know the cause of the apocalypse was zombies, because they’re everywhere; though we might not know the cause of zombies, we know the cause of the breakdown of society) and stories in which the apocalypse is currently happening, such as The Carbon Diaries (we see the breakdown of society through the main character’s eyes, and she has limited information)—though in either case infodumps still won’t be appreciated.

But in general for most post-apocalyptic tales, I argue that less is more when it comes to revealing the cause of society’s death and allowing it to be a mystery that the reader discovers along the journey. Sometimes that journey will be figuring out why their current society is a dystopia, and hence figuring out the cause of the apocalypse that triggered this new society (The Giver would be a classic example of that structure). But, as I mentioned above, post-apocalyptic and dystopia aren’t synonymous, so sometimes it’ll simply be common knowledge that Earth that Was died in some way so we had to set out for the stars, or that in the characters’ great-grandparents’ generation a great plague swept the earth (like in For Darkness Shows the Stars), or that global warming caused the world to become so flooded that people live on boats, fight over what little earth there is available on those boats, and evolve to grow gills and webbed feet.

Okay, Waterworld isn’t exactly the best example, but you could do worse for a short sweet example of how to worldbuild an apocalyptic backstory, even if the plot and characters weren’t all that successful . . .

Check out these titles from Tu Books that utilize the worldbuilding tips that Stacy talked about:

Diverse Energies
Killer of Enemies
The Tankborn trilogy (Tankborn, Awakening, and Rebellion)

Filed under: Tu Books Tagged: ask an editor, dystopias, post-apocalyptic world, post-apocalyptic YA, Tu Books, worldbuilding, writing, writing tips

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Book: The Dark and Hollow Places
Author: Carrie Ryan
Pages: 384
Age Range: 13 and up

The Dark and Hollow Places is the final book in Carrie Ryan's riveting Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy (see my reviews of The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves). It is as suspenseful as the first two books. And that's saying something. This post-apocalyptic series is set in a world overrun by zombies, in which only a few scattered communities of uninfected humans remain. Faced with constant danger, Carrie Ryan's characters fight for to survive and to retain their humanity.

The Dark and Hollow Places is narrated by Annah, the long-lost twin sister of Gabry from The Dead-Tossed Waves. Annah lives in what was once New York City (now called Dark City), where the Unconsecrated are not the only peril. The Recruiters, a group of military men who once protected the people from the zombies, have degenerated into power-hungry bullies, to be avoided at all costs.

Annah is scarred, physically and emotionally, from the events of her childhood, particularly her own long-ago abandonment of her sister, and Annah's more recent abandonment by the man she loved, Elias. Her loneliness is crushing. And when the opportunity arises to care about people again, she has a difficult time opening herself up. Annah is a great character - strong, vulnerable, complex, bright, and determined. The reader aches for her, fears for her, and cheers for her.

I particularly liked Carrie Ryan's use of different narrators for the three books in this series. It's interesting to see the characters from different perspectives, particularly Annah's view of the twin sister who grew up so differently than she did.

The Dark and Hollow Places is quite bleak - hordes of zombies are overrunning the last safe havens for the living. There's a real possibility that humanity will be completely wiped out. Even the safe places are not very safe. Annah is so hard-edged that she makes Mary and Gabry, the protagonists of the first two books in the series, seem soft by comparison. (Though I liked her the best of the three).

And yet, The Dark and Hollow Places is not too bleak to read (though this series won't be for everyone). The book's fast pace doesn't leave time to focus on the bleakness of the setting - the reader is too busy trying to find out what will happen next. There's a compelling love story between two broken characters. And, as with the best post-apocalyptic fiction, there are essential questions about what it means to survive when others don't, and how to choose to live your life when you know that you might have very limited time.

Here are a couple of quotes, to give you a feel for the book:

"Everything explodes inside me with the need to survive and escape and the terror-fueled realization that I might not be able to." (Page 33)

"The walls were covered with photographs: shiny bulletlike machines that sped through the tunnels called subways, sloping parks with families picnicking while kids clutched balloons. Buildings that stood tall, the glare of light bouncing off them so bright that even from the dingy picture I wondered how people back then didn't go blind." (Page 93)

"I glance at the Dark City across the river, a few buildings still flickering with light as the handful of survivors huddle behind thin curtains slung across broken windows. All of them tiny little stars in their own constellations waiting to fall to infection and become ghost

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Book: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages: 400
Age Range: 13 and up

Mockingjay is, of course, the long-awaited conclusion to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy (see my reviews of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire). This series has reached that point of media saturation where it becomes cool for reviewers to dismiss or criticize it (Twilight, anyone?). The movie rights have been acquired by Lionsgate. Mockingjay had something like a 1.2 million copy initial print run. The series has helped launch a tremendous wave of dystopian young adult literature. So ... it's hard to be objective about the book. But I'll share a few thoughts (and no spoilers).

Mockingjay is very dark. This is to be expected. The first Hunger Games book, after all, introduces a society that hosts and annual contest in which 24 teens fight to the death, until only one victor is standing. in Catching Fire, victor Katniss finds herself returned to the Hunger Games arena, even as she also becomes a pawn in a much larger game, a rebellion against the abusive capitol.

Mockingjay picks up shortly after the end of Catching Fire, with Katniss physically and emotionally damaged by the traumas that she's endured. While she's been reunited with her childhood friend Gale, her Hunger Games partner Peeta has been captured by the government. Katniss has become a symbol of the resistance (she is the Mockingjay of the title). However, she's too worn down to be much help, at first, and finds herself suspicious of the motives of some of the rebels, too. Katniss's personal struggle to understand her place, and her feelings for Gale and Peeta, plays out against the larger backdrop of the war between the Capitol and the rebels.

This is a book that portrays war in all of its ugliness. Collins touched on similar themes in her earlier Underland Chronicles series (last book reviewed here, with links to earlier reviews), but that book was aimed at a younger audience. Mockingjay depicts scenes of shocking violence, and acts of nearly unimaginable cruelty. This is not a book for those with weak stomachs. But it is compelling. And it casts a sharp, but utter non-preachy, light on the atrocities of war.

I found Katniss's physical and emotional weakness in parts of the book a bit trying at first, but I've concluded that it was brave of Collins to show all of Katniss's damage. She's far, far from a perfect heroine, and she knows it.

Personally, I was satisfied with the ending, and with the resolution of the Gale/Peeta/Katniss triangle (and that's all I'll say about that right now). I haven't read many other reviews, so I have no idea whether or not this is a general viewpoint. But I'll certainly continue to recommend this series to people. I think that Suzanne Collins has some very dark views on war and technology. But she's created a fascinating world in Panem, and a memorable, ultimately sympathetic character in warrior Katniss. Quite an achievement, I think.

Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: August 24, 2010
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

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Lenore from Presenting Lenore and I are book twins. We're frequent sources of book ideas for each other, despite living many thousands of miles apart. One thing that we both LOVE is reading post-apocalypse and dystopian stories. Lenore appreciates them so much that she's dedicated the entire month of February to celebrating dystopias on her blog. She was kind enough to ask me to participate.

Today, I have a guest post up at Presenting Lenore about Michael Grant's Gone series. I hope that you'll check it out. And while you're there, do check out Lenore's other posts for Dystopia February. If she can't turn you into a dystopia convert, no one can. Happy reading!

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Book: Lockdown: Escape from Furnace
Author: Alexander Gordon Smith (blog)
Pages: 288
Age Range: 13 and up 

Alexander Gordon Smith's Lockdown: Escape from Furnace is set in a dystopian near future in which society has lost patience with teen criminals, meting out life in prison without parole for major offenses. Young (male) offenders are sent to Furnace Penitentiary, a horrific underground prison. From there, they never see the light of day again. Lockdown is the first-person account of Alex Sawyer, new Furnace prisoner, baffled at the terrible turn his life has taken, and looking for a way out.

Lockdown is part dystopian thriller and part horror story - the guardians of Furnace include freakish mutated dogs, which chase after and kill any prisoners who don't get to their cells quickly enough. The men guarding the prison have inhuman attributes, particularly the warden. Furnace has a brooding, supernatural feel, although this is set against more traditional prison characteristics, like bad food, gangs, and the comfort of routine. Here's a snippet from Alex's first view of Furnace:

"The elevator had taken us to the very depths of the prison -- a stretch of bare stone that was easily the size of a soccer field -- and above us as far as we could see lay its tortured, twisted interior. Furnace certainly deserved its name. The walls were made from the very rock of the earth, their surfaces rough and red, and the half-light of the room made them flicker as if they were on fire." (Page 52, ARC)

Smith employs a fast-paced, dramatic style that makes the pages fly by. The tension rarely lets up. I think that teenage boys will find Lockdown compelling, and will identify with Alex, a reluctant hero. All of Alex's emotions - fear, regret, determination - are immediately accessible on the page. The first page, after a breathless prologue set in Furnace, hooked me right into Alex's story:

"I can tell you the exact moment that my life went to hell.

I was twelve, two years ago now, and there was trouble at school. No surprise there, I came from a rough part of town and everybody wanted to be a gangster. Each lunchtime the playing field became a battleground for the various groups of friends. Most of the war was fought with words -- we'd call each other names, we'd tell one gang to move out of our area (we had control of the jungle gym, and we weren't going to give it up). I didn't realize until much later how like a prison school can be." (Page 7, ARC)

I don't know about you, but I wanted to know more. I ended up reading the rest of the book in one quick sitting. I didn't flag very many passages, because I was reading in "what happens next?" mode. However, when I flipped back through the book, I found the writing to be descriptive and, sometimes, moving, as well as compelling. I also found the premise of the book, about teen criminals essentially thrown away to a hellish prison, timely, in light of current Supreme Court deliberations regarding life sentences for juvenile offenders.

Lockdown is probably not for everyone. It's quite grim, and occasionally grotesque. But there are flashes of humanity and humor sprinkled through the book that

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Book: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
Pages: 256
Age Range: 12 and up

Candor, by Pam Bachorz, is an example of my favorite genre, dystopian young adult fiction. It's a book that will make readers think.

As a parent, would you want your teenagers to be perfect? Always doing their homework on time, never talking back, never drinking, not even thinking about having sex. Would you be willing to sacrifice a bit of creativity and personality in favor of obedience? In favor of your children's safety? This is the deal that parents make when they move to Candor, Florida. The kids aren't given a choice. Most of the kids, anyway. Oscar, the son of Candor's founder, is a bit different. Oscar is able to hear, and sometimes resist, the endless stream of subliminal Messages that bombard Candor's citizens, brainwashing them. He's even able to develop his own special, counter-programming Messages, which he uses to help a select few "clients" to escape from Candor.

Oscar hides in plain sight, pretending to be a model citizen, admired by all of his brainwashed peers. But inside, he's a rebel. Oscar's carefully constructed balance is threatened, however, when he falls for a new girl named Nia. Nia is quirky and grouchy, with black fingernails and a passion for art. Oscar really doesn't want to see Nia changed into a Candor Stepford teen. His choices are to help her escape, and thus lose her forever, or keep her close, and risk watching her personality fade away.

Candor is fascinating and chilling. The idea that people could be manipulated by hearing a stream of subliminal messages is just near enough to possible to be frightening. The idea that people could choose such a lifestyle knowingly is horrifying. (The adults are subject to messages, too - they eat well, don't smoke, etc.) Oscar, who isn't even sure whether his thoughts are his own, is a sympathetic and believable protagonist.

Backhorz's writing is lean but descriptive, with lots of short paragraphs. Very reluctant reader-friendly. For example:

"Sure, I have a girlfriend. But she's so buttoned up, I only keep her as part of my disguise." (Chapter 1)

"She's got a smile on her face that I bet tastes like champagne". (Chapter 10)

"Most kids go to the movies. I guess that's like other places. But here, we share a cardboard boat of carrot sticks. Popcorn could kill you: greasy, salty, and let's not think about the choking risk.

Everyone gets their own cartons of milk. It's not sanitary to share drinks. We all know that." (Chapter 13)

Candor is a fast-paced, first-person novel. It's thought-provoking, atmospheric, and more than a bit scary, with flashes of dry humor. It reminds me a bit of S. A. Bodeen's The Compound. Candor did leave me with some questions that I would have liked to see resolved (but that I won't share, for fear of spoilers). Perhaps there will be a sequel one day. But in any event, I enjoyed it. I think that it will be a hit with readers, boys and girls, teens and adults.

Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: September 22, 2009
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher. Quotes are from the ARC, and should be checked against the final book.
Other Blog Reviews: Sharon Loves Books and Cats, Reading Rocks, and Tea Cozy.

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.

You can also find me at http://twitter.com/JensBookPage or http://www.pbs.org/parents/booklights/

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The Giver meets The Lord of the Flies with a dash of Romeo and Juliet thrown in for good measure.  In a futuristic dystopia, 24 teenagers, one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts, must compete in a televised fight to the death in the

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Book: Unwind
Author: Neal Shusterman
Pages: 352
Age Range: 13 and up 

Background: I've been wanting to read Unwind ever since both Sherry Early and Abby (the) Librarian recommended it for my list of futuristic, speculative, science fiction or dystopian fiction titles aimed at young adults. I finally got my act together to request it from the library last week. And I read it in one sitting.

Review: Neal Shusterman's Unwind is a thought-provoking dystopian science fiction story for young adults. The premise is that after a second civil war in the United States over abortion rights, the Heartland War, a settlement has been reached. Under the settlement, abortion is completely illegal. However, parents have the option to have children between the ages of thirteen and eighteen "unwound". Unwinding involves breaking up the teen for parts, and donating virtually all of their organs to other people. The justification for unwinding is that if all of the parts are transferred to other human beings, then the teen isn't dead - just unwound into a new and different existence. The unwinding process is ritualized and mythologized to make it more acceptable to people (reminding me a bit of The Handmaid's Tale). But at its core, the process is about money -- body parts being a valuable commodity.

Unwind is told from the shifting perspectives of three teens, all slated to be unwound. Connor is a bit of troublemaker, and his parents decide that it's easier to get rid of him. Risa is an orphan living in a state home, put up for unwinding because of budget cuts. Lev, in contrast, grew up in a loving home, but is being unwound as part of his parents' religion (under which one of every ten children is a "tithe" to society). Through a series of circumstances (and Connor's bold action), the three teens find themselves on the run together, dodging the Juvey-cops, looking for a safe haven from a society that wants them unwound.

Unwind is a book that will make readers think. About when life begins and ends, what gives a life meaning, and the consequences to society of cheapening life. Shusterman doesn't come down on any one side - this no moral spoon-feeding - but he does use the premise of the novel to explore these questions in detail. Having a variety of viewpoint characters helps, too, since the characters have different answers to the questions. All of this questioning takes place in a fast-paced, suspenseful package that will keep readers turning the pages.

Reading the book, I wasn't sure what to think of some of the characters, or who to trust. Even the primary characters, the two boys anyway, are complex. Connor is the hero, a reluctant leader who loses his temper easily, and sometimes makes decisions rashly. He probably has ADHD. Lev, raised to know all his life that he's expected to be unwound, is fanatical, bitter, angry, and yet surprisingly loyal. Risa is a bit more idealized. She is the book's moral center, and the one who sees power dynamics the most clearly. There's also an intriguing character named CyFi introduced later in the book, but to discuss him at all would be a spoiler. Here again, the shifting viewpoints help, giving the reader different perspectives on the characters.

Here are a few quotes, to give you more of a feel for the book:

"Connor wonders how he can call the place he lives home, when he's about to be evicted--not just from the place he sleeps, but from the hearts of those who are supposed to love him." (Page 5)

"Deeper in the woods a girl sits up against a tree, holding her arm, grimacing in pain. He doesn't have time for this, but "Protect and Serve" is more than just a motto to him. He sometimes wishes he didn't have such moral integrity." (Page 39. This passage is noteworthy because the 'he" in question is a Juvey-cop, someone who chases down runaway teens, and delivers them for unwinding. I liked the understated irony.)

"These two Unwinds are out of control. He no longer fears that they'll kill him, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. They need to be protected from themselves. They need ... they need ... they need to be unwound. Yes. That's the best solution for these two. They're of no use to anyone in their current state, least of all themselves. It would probably be a relief for them, for now they're all broken up on the inside. Better to be broken up on the outside instead. That way their divided spirits could rest, knowing that their living flesh was spread around the world, saving lives, making other people whole. Just as his own spirit would soon rest." (Page 68, Lev)

So what we have here is a book in my favorite sub-genre, dystopian young adult fiction, one that kept me guessing all the way to the end, and then had me thinking about the issues the next day. That makes Unwind a winner in my book. I'd give this one to fans of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, The Declaration and The Resistance by Gemma Malley, and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's also a book that fans of Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children series will enjoy when they get older, though I wouldn't offer it to middle grade readers (there's an unwind sequence that is particularly disturbing). Recommended, for teens and adults.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: November 2007 (paperback due out June 2, 2009)
Source of Book: Library copy
Other Blog Reviews: Among many others: Library Ninja, the Book Nest, 3 Evil Cousins, Reading and Breathing, and Abby (the) Librarian. Abby also linked to "reviews at Ms. Yingling Reads, Becky's Book Reviews, Oops...Wrong Cookie, and Buried in the Slush Pile."
Author Interviews: How to Furnish a Room

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.

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Since I published a listing of Futuristic, Speculative, Science Fiction and Dystopian Fiction for Young Adults back in June, I've read and reviewed several additional titles that fit in with the category. I decided that the easiest way to keep this list updated would be to move the list to a "page", available from the "My Book Lists" sidebar in the upper right corner of my blog (where I keep track of books that I've read and reviewed). The speculative/dystopian fiction list remains in two parts. The first part lists books suggested by visitors to this blog (during the contest in which I gave away copies of Mary Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox), while the second part consists of additional titles that I added on my own. I will try to keep the list up-to-date as I read additional titles, and I continue to welcome your suggestions. You can now find the list here. I hope that fans of this type of literature find this list a useful resource.

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In mid-July, I reviewed The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman. I said, of this post-apocalyptic young adult fiction title:

This book has it all. Goodman's writing is eloquent. The island setting is fully realized. The social issues are thought-provoking and memorable. The plot is suspenseful, and has surprising twists. The characters are complex and flawed... Even if you aren't normally a fan of such books, I think that The Other Side of the Island is worth a look. 

Seriously, this is one of my favorite reads ot the year so far. If you like dystopian fiction, add it to your list now. And even if you don't, give it some serious thought, because this book is amazing. The Other Side of the Island is scheduled for publication today. 

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Gemma Malley's The Resistance, the sequel to last year's The Declaration (my Declaration review is here), is scheduled for release today. I reviewed The Resistance last month, calling it:

"highly suspenseful and action-packed, the kind of book that you'll stay up late to finish, because you have to know what happens... I recommend The Resistance to fans of dystopian fiction, especially to those who enjoyed The Children of Men by P. D. James, and to anyone looking for a suspenseful, thought-provoking story."

If you liked The Declaration, you'll want to read this one for sure. And if you were intrigued by the premise of The Declaration, but weren't wholly satisfied with the book's execution, I think that you should give The Resistance a try. Becky liked it better, too.

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Last week, I had a contest by which people could win a copy of Mary Pearson's latest book, The Adoration of Jenna Fox (reviewed here). I asked people, as kind of a bonus question, to "recommend another futuristic, speculative, science fiction or dystopian fiction title aimed at young adults." And the suggestions poured in. Here is a summary (alphabetical by author), with many thanks to everyone who commented. Note that a few are crossover titles, published for adults but with teen appeal.

• Feed by M. T. Anderson, recommended by Sara Lewis Holmes, Anna Marie, , Laura, and Kim.
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, recommended by Rebecca B. and Gautami Tripathy.
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, recommended by Rebecca B.
• A Place to Come Back To and The Voyage Begun by Nancy Bond, recommended by Charlotte.
• Sky Horizon by David Brin, recommended by Cindi.
• The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier, recommended by Renee.
• Airhead by Meg Cabot, recommended by Gretchen.
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, recommended by Jen Rouse and Mrs. Hill.
• The Obernewtyn series by Isobelle Carmody, recommended by Emmaco.
• The Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher, recommended by Laura.
• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, recommended by Eliza.
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, recommended by Jen.
• Eva by Peter Dickinson, suggested by Anamaria.
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, recommended by Anna Marie and Laura.
• Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, recommended by Kate.
• The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, recommended by Tessa.
• Enchantress from the Stars (and sequels) by Sylvia Engdahl, recommended by Sara Lewis Holmes.
• The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, recommended by Janssen and Laura.
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding, recommended by JenFW.
• Found (The Missing, Book 1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix, recommended by Kristine Michael and Mrs. Hill. (Reviewed here)
• Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, recommended by Rebecca B.
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, recommended by JenFW.
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, recommended by Sue Sirgany and Christie.
• The Giver by Lois Lowry, recommended by Megan Germano, Tasses, , Laura, Kristen, and Eliza.
• Messenger by Lois Lowry, recommended by Tasses
• Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, recommended by Nan Hoekstra and Tasses.
• The Declaration by Gemma Malley, recommended by WEB and Sherry Early. (Reviewed here)
• Z is for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien, recommended by Renee.
• 1984 by George Orwell, recommended by JenFW and Kristen.
• Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, recommended by Rebecca B. and Jen. (Reviewed here)
• The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, recommended by Tessa.
• The Hungry City Chronicles by Philip Reeve, recommended by Laura.
• The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, recommended by anonymous.
• How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, recommended by JenFW, Laura, and Alessandra.
• Unwind by Neal Shusterman, recommened by Abby (the) Librarian and Sherry Early.
• The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, recommended by Abby (the) Librarian, cuileann, Laura, Tessa, and Eliza. (Reviewed here)
• Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, recommended by Sara Lewis Holmes and Jen. (Reviewed here)

I'm going to add (in addition to the many excellent titles above):

• Exodus by Julie Bertagna. (Reviewed here)
• Neptune's Children by Bonnie Dobkin. (Reviewed here)
• The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman.
• Rash by Pete Hautman. (Reviewed here)
• Fearless by Tim Lott. (Reviewed here)
• The Stand by Stephen King.
• The Tomorrow series by John Marsden. (Reviewed here)
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
• The dead & the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. (Reviewed here)
• The Traces series by Malcolm Rose (Reviewed here)

Any other suggestions?

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Just a reminder that the contest that I'm hosting to win a copy of Mary E. Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox ends tomorrow (Tuesday the 24th) at 9:00 am PST. Up until then, you can enter by commenting on this post. There are currently about 40 entries, and five copies available (with thanks to the publisher, Henry Holt). So you still have a good sporting chance.

I've also been collecting a great list of suggested science fiction/dystopian fiction/speculative fiction titles in the comments. I'll be pulling those into a post and putting that list up later this week. Thanks to everyone who has participated!!

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A few days ago I reviewed Mary E. Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I said:

"I was reading this book, and thinking to myself "how on earth was Mary Pearson able to come up with this book?" It is remarkable. It is not to be missed, by anyone from fans of speculative fiction to fans of novels in verse (though only a small part is in verse) to fans of adult "literary fiction"."

Does that make you want to read the book? Well, now is your chance. Publisher Henry Holt and Co. has generously offered me five copies of the book to give away to readers of this blog. All you have to do is comment on this post between now and next Tuesday, June 24th, at 9:00 am Pacific Time. Optionally (this won't change your chances of winning, but I'll appreciate it and I'll post the list of responses), use your comment to recommend another futuristic, speculative, science fiction or dystopian fiction title aimed at young adults. (And if you want to recommend a title and not be entered in the giveaway, just say so).

I'll randomly select five winners. If you are a winner, I will email you to ask for your mailing address, and then pass it along to Henry Holt. So, please make sure to include your email address when you comment (it will NOT be displayed) so that I know how to find you. You don't have to have a blog to participate.

You can also double your chances of winning by entering a similar giveaway at A Patchwork of Books. I'm going to check Amanda's list of winners, and strike them from mine before the drawing, so that no one ends up with two copies. Because this is a book that should be shared widely. I hope that no one minds that caveat. Good luck!

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In January I reviewed Julie Bertagna's Exodus, a Dystopian YA novel set in a future world in which the melting polar ice caps have led to world-wide flooding, and the collapse of our current governments. I said:

"Exodus has a lot to offer: a strong female main character, interesting settings, twisting plot, and big-picture questions. The writing style is unusual, sometimes poetic, but also filled with short sentences, and sometimes spare on articles like "an" and "the". It's as though the book was written by someone who loves stories, but who hasn't much time to spare for words, because there's important work to be done. This completely works with the story, and left me feeling like I might just possibly have actually traveled 100 years into the future while I was immersed in the book."

Read the full review here. Exodus is available now. It's a must-read for fans of Dystopian and futuristic/post-apocalyptic fiction. See also Julie Bertagna's comments on my review, and on publication day in general, here.

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Growing Up Asian in America Art & Essay Contest for Youth~ entry deadline Mar 6, San Francisco, CA, USA

StoryFeast 2008 - International Storytelling Festival~ Feb 1 - 3, Vancouver, BC, Canada

18th New Delhi World Book Fair~ Feb 2 - 10, New Delhi, India

National African American Read-In~ Feb 2 - 3, USA

SCBWI Annual Winter Conference~ Feb 8 - 10, New York, NY, USA

First Nations Public Library Week~ Feb 11 - 16, Canada

ALOUD: A Celebration for Young Readers~ Feb 12 - 14, Toronto, ON, Canada

Taipei International Book Exhibition~ Feb 13 - 18, Taipai, Taiwan

Cybils - Children’s and YA Bloggers’ Literary Award Winners Announced ~ Feb 14

International Australia and New Zealand SCBWI Conference~ Feb 23 - 24, Sydney, Australia

Freedom to Read Week~ Feb 24 - Mar 1, Canada

Kiriyama Prize Finalists Announced~ Feb 26, USA

New Zealand Post Book Award Winners Announced~ Feb 26, New Zealand

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The National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore hosted its annual Asian Children’s Festival from Nov 17-25. Started in 2001, the Asian Children’s Festival (ACF) promotes children’s literacy by providing opportunities for the creative and joyous learning of Asian content and culture among children. The free events, held at libraries throughout Singapore and enjoyed by over 300,000 participants, featured internationally renowned children’s storytellers, writers, illustrators and puppeteers. This year 50 lucky youngsters were chosen to take part in the first-ever sleepover at the National Library – and, to heighten their experience of Asian culture, other activities such as poetry slams and a tour of the Singapore Art Museum were also planned.  

Ms. Poh Poh Lim, a NLB librarian and ACF Project Manager, was pleased to share with us the details of this year’s festival. KidsAsia! was a new event which kickstarted the festival this year. It showcased “the rich culture, heritage, traditions and flavours of Asian communities” and helped children and their parents discover “what makes growing up in Asia so special.” Five KidsAsia! zones were set up at the National Library to allow children to enjoy a variety of experiences. Activities included the hands-on arts and crafts “Creativity Zone” and the “Kids Express Zone,” where music and dance were performed by children from throughout Asia. The “Going Places Zone” was enjoyed by all, as it featured a special mini-library and story corner where children and their parents were encouraged to browse and read books;  an on-line reading area; and special readings hosted by members of the Asian Storytelling Network.

To reach out to as many children as possible, the ACF featured a Festival Fringe Programme, which included a variety of events held  at regional and local libraries throughout the nine-day festival. Two books, put together by NLB librarians, Heritage Tales: Treasures from Singapore and The Tale Of The Missing Tail and Other Original Singapore Stories were launched at this year’s festival and shared with the children. For Ms. Lim, probably due to her librarian’s point of view, this aspect of the festival, most specifically the “Tales From Asia” programme, was its highlight.

 Heritage Tales: Treasures from Singapore is an annotated bibliography which “highlights the richness and variety of Singapore’s children’s books. These titles represent our nation’s collective talents and experiences and are indeed treasures to be cherished and passed down from generation to generation.” The book, which during ACF was available for free at all Singapore libraries, includes a special section featuring works by children.

The Tale Of The Missing Tail And Other Original Singapore Stories is a compilation of original stories geared toward children ages 4-10.“This compilation includes stories in Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The 20 short stories are simple, honest tales inspired by contributors’ personal musings, experiences and culture. Some of them are rich with local characters; others are tales of bullying and other familiar issues such as sibling rivalry, childhood hobbies, achievement… Not to be missed are the tales of friendship and family love, and of monsters and endearing animals. And there’s a taste of fantasy, too! After all, what would a compilation of stories for children be without tales of princes and princesses? It’s all in there.” Copies of this book may be purchased at any Singapore library or by contacting the NLB.

In conclusion, Ms Lim  says: “We have received the public’s ardent support for the past seven years. Now all we really want is to keep creating this opportunity for children to have the most fun-filled time of their lives while immersed in Asian culture and heritage.” Click on this photographer’s blog to see some photos of the event. Judging from the looks on the children’s faces, I’d say the festival goals were definitely met! 

 

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On November 3rd,  the 12th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Festival was held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, USA. Over 7,000 people attended this free event and enjoyed an afternoon filled with authors’ readings & signings (more than 400 titles were available for purchase); illustrators and  celebrities’ appearances;  interactive performances, and more. 

The Multicultural Children’s Book Festival originally began as a collaboration between the Kennedy Center and Black Books Galore!, a children’s book service created in 1992 by three African American mothers who were  frustrated by the lack of children’s books portraying African American themes.  Now produced by the Kennedy Center, the festival has grown to include books and authors representing a wide array of cultures and experiences from throughout the world, including Asian and Latino in all their rich shades.  

One of this year’s featured guests was award winning author Mitali Perkins, a regularly featured author and contributor to the PaperTigers website (she was the first author to participate, along with her mother, in our  Community Outreach project!). We asked Mitali to share something about her experience of attending the book festival, and here is what she wrote us:

“Okay, I confess: I haven’t been doing well with the label “multicultural.” (more…)

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Karachi International Book Fair~ Nov 30 - Dec 3, Pakistan

Carter G. Woodson Book Awards Presentation~ Dec 1, San Diego, CA, USA

Robert’s Snow: for Cancer’s Cure Final Auction~ Dec 3 - 7, USA

Australian Poetry Slam Grand Final~ Dec 7, Australia

Dromkeen Literary Luncheon and Presentation of the Dromkeen Librarian’s Award~ Dec 7, Australia

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Booktalk and Group Critique~ Dec 10, Philippines

2007 Governor General’s Literary Awards - Public reading by all award winners~ Dec 12, Ottawa, ON, CANADA

2007 Governor General’s Literary Awards Presentation~ Dec 13, Ottawa, ON, CANADA

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International Library of Children’s Literature Exhibition “Palette of Dream Colours III: Winning Works of the 15th Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations from Asia, Africa and Latin America”~ ongoing to Jan 13/08, Tokyo, Japan

Santiago International Book Fair~ Oct 23 - Nov 4, Santiago, Chile

National Association for Multicultural Education Conference~ Oct 31 - Nov 4, Baltimore, MD, USA

National Family Literacy Day~ Nov 1, USA

Multicultural Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 4, Washington, DC, USA

Children’s Book Week~ Nov 12-18, USA

Indonesia Book Fair~ Nov 14-18, Jakarta, Indonesia

Pacific Islander Education Conference~ Nov 17, Paramount, CA USA

Children’s Book Week~ Nov 17-24, Canada

Guadalajara International Book Fair~ Nov 24 - Dec 2, Guadalajara, Mexico

Governor General’s Literary Award Winners Announced~ Nov 27, Montreal, QC, Canada

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WordFest: Banff-Calgary International Writers Festival is an annual literary festival taking place Oct. 9 - 14, 2007 in Alberta, Canada. One of Canada’s premier literary festivals, WordFest 2007 features over 75 writers of local, national and international stature and will attract more than 12,000 individuals.

Children’s and young adult’s literature will be highlighted in the First Calgary Savings Book Rapport Programme. Festival Director Anne Green tells us:

“Book Rapport brings students up-close and personal with their favourite authors, which is a rare and fantastic opportunity for them. Students can hear the authors read, ask them questions, while teachers have a creative way to bring life into literature.”

Anne adds that this year’s Book Rapport Programme offers a superb line-up of KidLit writers, including the following award winning Canadian authors:

Canadian superstar Kenneth Oppel. Oppel, recipient of numerous prestigious literary awards, is the author of the million-copy-selling Silverwing Saga and has more than twenty children and young adult books to his credit. “To have Ken Oppel attend WordFest is great news for Calgary’s schools, students and families,” says Anne.

First nations writer Larry Loyie and his partner Constance Brissenden. In 2003, Loyie and Brissenden won the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction for their children’s book, As Long as the Rivers Flow which was inspired by Loyie’s Cree childhood and the true story of his grandmother’s confrontation with a grizzly. As Long as the Rivers Flow is about a First Nations boy’s last summer spent with his family in the bush before being taken to residential school. The second book in this series When the Spirits Dance recounts the dramatic changes to the boy’s life when his father is sent overseas in World War 2.

Quebec writer Michel Noël. Noël has over fifty books to his credit and has written several award-winning books for young people, including Pien, which won the 1997 Governor General’s Award for French language children’s literature. His novel Good for Nothing, winner of the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, takes place in northern Quebec in 1959 and is the story of young Métis who seeks to establish his own identity and find out more about the mystery surrounding his father’s death. The book provides compelling insights into many issues faced by First Nations people during this time (residential schools, racism, land claims etc.) as well as the ongoing struggles of native communities today. Noël was named Citizen of the World by the Canadian Association for the United Nations for his work in seeking better understanding among people.

For those of us who can’t attend WordFest in person, we can still take part! Pop culture writer Hal Niedzviecki will be writing the first official WordFest blog. Niedzviecki describes it as “a gossipy insider look at what’s going on and where to be, what’s not to be missed, who is who, and the opportunity to have your questions answered.”

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Banned Book Week~ Sept 29-Oct 6, USA

Canadian Library Month~ Oct 1-31, Canada

Frankfurt Book Fair~ Oct 10-14, Frankfurt, Germany

Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Ceremony~ Oct 12, Boston, MA, USA

Teen Read Week~ Oct 14-20, USA

Library Week~ Oct 15-21, New Zealand

Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award~ Oct 17, Texas, USA

International Festival of Authors~ Oct 17-27, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Tauranga Arts Festival~ Oct 18-28, Tauranga, New Zealand

Reading Association of Philippines Conference~ Oct 19-20, Bacolod City, Philippines

Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards Ceremony~ Oct 19, New York City, New York, USA

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As the researcher for our Eventful World calendar, I am always searching for events that highlight children’s and young adults’ literature. As you can imagine, it is fairly easy to find events taking place in Canada or the United States so when I find out about events happening in other Pacific Rim countries it can be especially exciting. Imagine my thrill when award-winning children’s book illustrator John Shelley emailed me with regards to a workshop that he hosted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia!

Originally from the U.K. John resides in Tokyo and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) . In June, he and fellow SCBWI Japan chapter member Holly Thompson traveled to Mongolia and hosted a three day workshop for children’s authors and illustrators. Over 40 participants attended the event with John addressing the illustrating aspects of children’s literature and Holly addressing the writing. Despite the major challenges involved (few of the attendees even spoke English!) John and Holly were able to cover the whole gamut of children’s publishing, from story ideas to story boarding, submissions to marketing and promotion. A very successful workshop indeed!

I encourage you to visit John’s blog to learn more about the workshop, the participants, and the state of the children’s book market in Mongolia. As John states in his blog:

We learned a lot through this and other experiences. Children’s publishing in Mongolia is in a state of development. The population of the whole country is less than 3 million, and as the number of people who can afford to buy children’s books is very small, the market is limited…Holly and I both felt a keen desire to help Mongolian illustrators make a name for themselves outside the country. The fundamental problem is simple - with a weak and limited local market for children’s books in Mongolia, writers and illustrators are faced with the choice to either create a stronger publishing market locally, or establish a bilingual agency that will promote work internationally. It’s a slow process, but people are aware of what needs to be done and will get there in the end, with help.

How interesting is that?

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