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by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

Let it Snow is a collection of three novellas, all taking place somewhere around the time of Christmas (Eve, day of, day after...). Each story is a romantic dramedy set in a little town in North Carolina. Characters from one story make cameos throughout the other stories, which provides a nice sense of interlacing and connection.

I wanted to actually read this during Christmas time, but it came in late for me at the library, and then I had to put it off because of Cybils reading. I'm glad I finally got around to it, though. It's a good winter read that is just as enjoyable now as it would've been during the holiday season.

I can't say which of the three stories I liked best, because they all built on each other progressively in a really smooth, lovely way. They all made me laugh (especially John Green's). They all pretty successively manoeuvered the tightrope walk between touching and sweet vs. schmaltzy. While each of the authors' stories had a distinct writing voice and flavor, they all blended well together. It felt like a comfort read of sorts: fast, fun, and perfect for curling up with in front of the fire.


(note: contains some language and mild innuendo)

Remember back in May when I raved about a certain graphic novel by the name of Rapunzel's Revenge? Penned by my-favorite-author Shannon Hale along with her husband Dean, and astoundingly illustrated by Nathan Hale? Well, just as I predicted, the book is becoming a smash hit: in September, Shannon and Dean will be interviewed on the Today Show(!), as part of Al's Book Club for Kids! The book has just been released, so now all of you can get your hands on a copy, too.

As you can imagine, I was completely thrilled when the threesome agreed to let me interview them. Enjoy~

Shannon and Dean, how was Rapunzel's Revenge born? What was the initial inspiration for it? Did you know right away that you wanted it to be a graphic novel? If not, how did that idea evolve?

SHANNON: Dean and I wanted to collaborate. I said "fairy tale." He said, "superhero comic book." And one kick-butt fairy tale super heroine was born.

DEAN: I'd been waiting several years for a properly manly coat-tail riding opportunity, and this was my best shot.

Nathan, when did you first hear about this project? What was your reaction?

NATHAN: I was in a Utah writers group, Shannon was asking for book donations from authors. They were for some kind of charity Christmas tree. I mailed her a copy of my picture book, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW. She emailed to ask if I’d done graphic novel work before, I told her I hadn’t, but had always wanted to. Around that time her publisher (Bloomsbury) actually bought my publisher (Walker) so we technically had the same publisher. She told me that she and Dean had written a graphic novel version of Rapunzel as a western. I begged her to let me submit illustrations with the manuscript. We spent a month or two putting the bundle together (at this point, I think I’d only met Shannon once or twice in person.) I did a bunch of character drawings, and a map (the same map ended up in the book.) The gang at Bloomsbury liked the artwork and signed the three of us up.

The making of a graphic novel. What was the process like? Please share your point of view of the collaboration and working together.

SHANNON: Dean and I wrote all the dialog and captions as well as a description of what was going on in each panel. It's sort of like writing a screenplay. We certainly didn't sketch rough scenes--not if we ever wanted Nate to respect us. It was always fun to see what Nate did with our script, how he could perfectly capture the humor we were going for, and how he'd take our descriptions and add to them.

DEAN: What she said. The process and the format evolved a little as we worked all worked together - it got a little more free form, I think, as Shannon and I constantly rewrote each others' scenes and we saw the kinds of things Nate would suggest (or ignore).

NATHAN: When I came on board, Shannon and Dean were finishing the final draft. So the story arc and dialogue were all pinned down. I didn’t start work until the final draft had been fully edited and finalized by Bloomsbury.

I did a pencil sketch version of the book. The original sketch version was about 160 pages—20 pages too long. So we had to go back and trim down a few action sequences. The revised pencil sketches went back to the publisher and everyone made notes, the editor, Shannon and Dean. Then I made changes based on the notes. After the pencils had been okayed, I moved on to inking and coloring. My wife, Mindy had a background in desktop publishing, so she took over the lettering and balloons.

The last step was doing the cover. We went back and forth on Rapunzel’s expression, should she be smiling or angry? Mouth open or closed? I must have painted six different mouths for her. But I think we ended up with the right one.


What was the hardest part of the process for you? What did you learn/take from this?

SHANNON: The hardest part for me was making sure we were using this medium to its best advantage and not just writing a short novel. And keeping the text tight. You have to say so much with so few words, and we crammed as much story and action in there as possible!

DEAN: Actually getting off my butt and doing my part. Shannon has such an incredible work ethic - she would spend all day watching the kids and still be gung-ho. I come back from sitting at a desk for 8 hours and all I want to do is lay in bed and twitch.

NATHAN: Ugh. The COLORING. Doing the pencil sketches was tough, but exciting, it was like storyboarding a movie. It took a lot of thinking and problem solving. Inking was fun. That was just drawing, fleshing out the pencil sketches. But the coloring was murder. The color is digital. Photoshop layers on top of the drawing. And it was slow, and so, so boring. I have a tablet monitor, where you draw directly on the computer screen. When it’s been on a while, it gets really warm. I’d get cozy and fall asleep.

There's a sequel, in the works! Hooray! Anything you can share about that? What part of the process is that in right now?

SHANNON: It's called Calamity Jack. Nate named it, and the title rocks. The main character is Jack, though Rapunzel is a big part of it. We get a little of Jack's backstory and then the story takes off from there after the events in Rapunzel's Revenge. This one is an urban tale and just as kick-butt as the original, if not more so. Nate's illustrating it now and cursing our names under his breath every day. What's that, Nate? Your entire life has become these graphic novels? You must have been insane to agree to do it in a year? Too late now, baby, you've signed your soul away. Ha-ha-ha!

DEAN: There are giant ants in it, which means it is clearly a work of genius. Nate's inking it now, and it looks great.

NATHAN: Yeah I’m about a quarter of the way through inking it now. Tonight I’m inking page 67. Which features a tiny house, a big hat, and a newspaper. I’m having a great time, it’s going to be a really fun book! (Just don’t talk to me when I’m coloring it.)

What do you think a graphic novel can offer a reader that no other format of book can?

SHANNON: I like to alternate a graphic novel with each novel I read, sort of to cleanse the palate. It's a different kind of reading and refreshing. For visual readers, the impact is HUGE! I always wanted to have a book I could give to those readers who are visual learners and need that hook to get into the story. I'm so thrilled now to have one. It's turned out as good and better than I'd hoped. Nate Hale is a god among illustrators.

DEAN: I think there's a kind of storytelling you can do in a graphic novel that you can't get anywhere else, at least not in my experience - something about the way you can play with time and imagination. I feel like you can get the in-your-face engagement of movies without abandoning the personal experience of a novel.

NATHAN: Pictures, lots and lots of little pictures.


Thank you SO much, guys and gal, for your time and super-fun answers!

It smells amazing. It feels amazing. It is ze most beautiful ARC I've ever received. It is.....



....Rapunzel's Revenge by SHANNON AND DEAN HALE!

a novel by 10 authors

What a book. What a beautiful, thought-provoking book.

I will say that I didn't like the last two stories of the book, which was frustrating. All of the stories use metaphor and symbolism to varying degrees (some intentionally, some not) and I didn't care for the taste of the final two. I don't want that to discourage you from reading the book - the rest of the stories are wonderful, and perhaps you'll even enjoy them all.

It is a remarkable little book. On the surface, it contains ten stories; but there are stories within stories. It gives you this feel of depth and magnitude. Each story made me feel differently, and they all made me think. One even made me ache a little, it was so good.

This would be a great pick for a book club. There's loads of discussions in here waiting to happen. Oh - and it made me want to take up photography. Perhaps I will.

Illustrated by Christine Mix