Back in March, sj tweeted to me about this new informal club that Becoming Cliché was starting: the From the Bowels of Obscurity Children’s Book Club [pause while we wait for our inner 12-year-olds to stop giggling at “bowels.” Hee!] Y’all may remember some of my previous posts on nostalgic Juv/YA books (see the “nostalgia” […]
By: nicole,
on 2/22/2013
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| beautiful little Claret.... |
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| sweet little June.... |
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| lovely little Citrine.... |
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| mysterious little Opal... |
By: nicole,
on 2/18/2013
By: nicole,
on 1/29/2013
Enter to win a copy of Hélène Boudreau’s Real Mermaids Don’t Wear High Heels. Giveaway begins January 27, 2013, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends February 25, 2013, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
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By: Julie,
on 6/18/2012
Anne Greenwood Brown dropped by the virtual offices to chat about her new book, Lies Beneath. Check out what she has to say.
[Manga Maniac Café] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Anne Greenwood Brown] I’m a born and raised Minnesotan, wife, and mother of three. I love to make things up, and I miss high school. A lot.
[Manga Maniac Café] Can you tell us a little about your book, Lies Beneath?
[Anne Greenwood Brown] 
Lies Beneath is billed as a paranormal romance, but I see it primarily as an evolution story (as in Darwin). It’s the story of a merman, Calder White, and his mermaid sisters, who medicate their natural depressive states by robbing people of their life energy (killing them in the process). They’re animals; it’s really no different than a lion taking down a gazelle. It’s creepy, but it’s just the natural way of things.
When the story starts, Calder and his sisters are seeking revenge against the man they blame for their mother’s death. Calder is charged with the task of getting close to the man, by first getting close to his daughter, Lily. It should be easy. Calder has plenty of experience seducing young girls. However, this time he screws everything up by falling in love. (If that’s even possible for his kind.)
Over the course of the novel, Calder starts to evolve from his animalistic past to his more human future, and starts to acquire some of the most profound capabilities of the human spirit.
[Manga Maniac Café] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for Lies Beneath?
[Anne Greenwood Brown] I actually started writing a contemporary story that was set on Lake Superior about a girl who came up to tend the lighthouse and fell in love with a ferry boat captain. But I kept having this dream where the ferry boat captain dove over the side of the boat. That would be a really stupid thing to do on Lake Superior. Like, death wish stupid. Then in one of those dreams, the ferry boat captain dove into the lake and burst out with this amazing tail! I woke up with the first line of the book in my head: “I hadn’t killed anyone all winter, and I have to say I felt pretty good about that.” I figured that was the story that wanted to be told, so I sat down to write it.
[Manga Maniac Café] What are three things Calder would never have in his pocket?
[Anne Greenwood Brown] Oh, boy, let’s see. He wouldn’t have any money. He wouldn’t have an ID. And . . . he wouldn’t have any lint (because he doesn’t have much access to a washer/dryer).
[Manga Maniac Café] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Anne Greenwood Brown] My laptop. Coffee. And the time on the clock to be before noon!
[Manga Maniac Café] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?
[Anne Greenwood Brown] THE TIME GARDEN by Edgar Eager. It was about a frog who taught a group of children how to travel through time by inhaling thyme. I remember they went to visit Queen Elizabeth on one trip, and Louisa May Alcott on another.
[Manga Maniac Café] Thank you!
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It’s been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she’s counting. And when Calder does return, it’s not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily’s dad monopolizes Calder’s time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind. Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman’s natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn’t know what to believe—only that whoever’s responsible is sure to strike again. . . |
By: Julie,
on 6/30/2012
Ciye Cho is the author of Florence, a YA paranormal romance featuring one of my favorite mythical creatures – Mermaids! Ciye dropped by the virtual offices to chat about his new book, so read on to see what he has to say.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Ciye Cho] Daydream believer… who may (or may not) have been a merman in a past life.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Florence?
[Ciye Cho] Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is lost beneath the waves. Kidnapped and dragged down to Niemela–the hidden world of merfolk–she is the coronation gift for a mer prince named Kiren. But nothing is what it seems in the war between Niemela and the dark ocean–a conflict that will drive her between two brothers… and force her to find out where she belongs.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Ciye Cho] I’ve always loved mermaids and mermen. Who doesn’t? And I thought it would be cool to present a different take on the mythology of merfolk. Instead of playful sirens in conch bras… why not make them multicolored warriors armed with rifles, spears, and the occasional super power? Instead of putting them in a shell castle… why not put them in a city made of coral and jellyfish… stuck in a valley of deep-sea volcanoes? I wanted to take the classic mer theme of belonging and take it to another level by making the Niemelans (the merfolk in "Florence") exceptionally regimented and driven by a sense of order and purpose.
This is where the idea for the characters came from. I liked the idea of having characters who don’t quite fit in with the rest of their world. Like Kiren who rebels against the rules of Niemelan life; or Rolan who follows each commandment to the letter… only to find he can’t truly connect with the world he was born into. And, of course, Florence Waverley who doesn’t have a place in any world–deep-sea or otherwise.
I think a lot of people feel out of sync with the world they live in. Like they’re (fishes) out of water.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?
[Ciye Cho] Trying to make all the interactions feel real. The young-adult genre is incredibly sophisticated and YA readers have high expectations of they books read. They might be willing to suspend their disbelief over vampires, elves, and mermaids… but the interactions between the characters have to feel real. I don’t know how well I succeeded, but I spent a great deal of time rewriting the core interactions between Florence and the mer she encounters.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Florence?
[Ciye Cho] Outsider looking inside.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are three things Kiren would never have in his bedroom?
[Ciye Cho] Kiren doesn’t actually have many possessions in his kelp tower. Niemelans are super-obsessed with purpose, work, and order… and therefore material possessions are rare if they don’t serve a purpose. I don’t even know if he could answer this question.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Rolan’s single most prized possession?
[Ciye Cho] Like Kiren, Rolan has little need or want for material goods. Like a true Niemelan, he doesn’t even have a bedroom.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Ciye Cho] I did a lot of research into marine life while writing Florence. One thing I picked up from stuff like nature docos was this idea that life will thrive wherever it must–be it in a warm reef&hel
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Sing a song of seal-folk, A graveyard full of bones, Cats as big as horses, and eerie midnight moans. PRESENTING: THREE REVIEWS IN VERSE Andrea Spalding. Seal Song. Illus. Pascal Milelli. Victoria, BC, Canada: Orca Book Publishers, 2011. Finn, he was a fisher’s son. Hark, hark, the seals do bark! To the waves he’d run [...]
By: Julie,
on 8/1/2012
Amber Garr is the author of The Syrenka Series. She dropped by the virtual offices to chat about her books, and after the interview, you can enter for a chance to win all three books! Amber will be giving away paperback and ebook sets of Promises, Betrayal, and Arise!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Amber Garr] A writer, marine biologist, dancer, and animal lover. I’m always busy with something when not creating stories through words or choreography.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about your Syrenka series?
[Amber Garr] The Syrenka Series focuses on a hidden society of mermaids, selkies, and water sprites. At the center of the story is Eviana, a teenage mermaid being forced into clan politics and responsibilities before she’s had much of a chance to grow up. There’s an arranged marriage, an opportunity for her to run away, and a battle to protect humans that she must deal with. Throughout the series you will see her mature, accept some of her responsibilities, and become the leader her parent’s always envisioned. Of course there is also a little bit of a love triangle (square?) that resolves itself by the end of Arise.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters?
[Amber Garr] The first chapter of Promises was originally a short story. I enjoyed the selkie folklore and thought it might be interesting to write a “forbidden” love between a selkie and a mermaid. But once I had that story written, the rest of it filled my head and one short story turned into an entire trilogy!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was your greatest challenge writing this story?
[Amber Garr] There were a few. First, I wanted to make sure that the series deserved three books and that the overarching plot lines were interesting, relevant, and would bring the readers back for more. Second was finding the time. I wrote Promises and Betrayal in about one month each, but Arise took a little longer because I had to focus on writing my dissertation. However, once I carved out the time, it was a welcomed relief to immerse myself in Eviana’s world. And third, was the actual publishing. It really was one of the scariest challenges! What if no one bought it? What if all the reviews are bad? It was such an experiment in learning how well I could really handle it all. But so far, I have to say that I’m very glad I did it.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Eviana?
[Amber Garr] Feisty, loyal, and brave.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Eviana’s single most prized possession?
[Amber Garr] I think it would be her collective group of close friends. She relies on them to help her through some tough times and in the end she will do anything for their well being.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Amber Garr] Music. That probably comes from all my years of dance training, but I will create a story to any and every song I hear. I also think nature is a big influence for me. Being outside, in the water, on the beach, climbing a mountain…all inspire me to create a story, scene, or even a dance.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Amber Garr] Music, dedicated time (even if it’s just an hour), and my muse, Bitsy Cat.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is t
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By: Julie,
on 8/14/2012
Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café. I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share. More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents. There is an allure to a beautiful cover. Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art?
This is the coolest cover! I love the soft, dreamy pastel shades, and the rounded title font. I also love the mermaid reflected in the water. Enchanted Ever After by Robin D Owens is high on my wish list!
In stores December 2012.
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Magic was just around the corner…. |
Charles Kingsley. The Water Babies. London: Harper Press, 2011. So, there’s this kid named Tom. He’s a chimney sweep, and his boss is a jerk, and clearly not the best role model, so one day, while they’re sweeping some rich guy’s chimneys, fate (or maybe that strange Irish lady they met on the way to [...]
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By: Christina Wald,
on 10/9/2012
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| Quick sketch at Findlay Market Saturday Morning |
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| Gelato=Yum... |
Today’s Double features two mermaid books, and you know what that means – the return of the Tide Metaphor! First up, Seanan McGuire. One Salt Sea. New York: DAW Books, 2011. 354 pgs. A few disclaimers: I follow and occasionally interact with the author via her LiveJournal blog. Whereas, like most people, I usually start [...]
By: Eric Orchard,
on 1/16/2011
Trying out some new tools, like a huge fat marker and thick Pentel Sign Pens. I'm looking for ways to draw faster. I'll probably talk more about this in other posts. I'll also probably post a proper scan of this eventually.
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By: Sara Burrier,
on 3/8/2011
By: Sara Burrier,
on 5/4/2011
There has been some talk about opening the vault.
It's scary.
It's old.
It's saturated.
It's outlined.
It's purple.
copyright becky kelly studio, llc all rights reserved, worldwide rights fairy and mermaid postcards available now! New! Mermaid Image~ Enter below for a chance to Win!~ This image is inspired by the encanted story of Peter Pan, from the "Mermaids Cove" ~imagine stumbling upon an enchanted mermaids cove~ ~discover mermaids gossiping, primping and playing upon the sunlit rocks.The
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By: Zoe,
on 7/23/2011
Back at the start of the month I wrote a post all about activity books for kids, why I like them and why we’ll be using some during the summer holidays (which have now officially begun in our neck of the woods).
Photo: *L*u*z*A*
Then I started thinking about the free resources that are available; many illustrators have activity sheets on their websites and if you have a printer (or can use the printer at the library) you can make these up in to your own activity books.
Over the course of the next six weeks I’ll be pointing you to a wide variety of free activity sheets created by children’s book illustrators (in between “regular” posts). I hope some of them appeal to you and your kids and that they give you all a few minutes happy drawing / scribbling / creating together!
Jane Ray has illustrated over 30 books including The Lost Happy Endings (which we reviewed here) and Can you catch a Mermaid (which guestposter Cathy from Nurturestore included in her selection of books here), as well as many fairy tales.
On Jane Ray’s website you can find…
Carly Hart‘s first picture book, Don’t Dip Your Chips in Your Drink Kate! won Highly Commended Picture Book and Community Libraries Favourite Book at the Sheffield Children’s Book Award in 2010, and the Children’s Bookseller Magazine has described her as “a rising picture book star”.
On Carly’s website there are lots of activity sheets including…
Alex Milway has written and illustrated 3 Comments on Free activity sheets from Jane Ray, Carly Hart and Alex Milway, last added: 7/23/2011
By: Laura,
on 8/2/2011
Lest you think from our Back to School post that we’re completely over summer, we thought we’d highlight a few books that will get you through the rest of the dog days. There are still several more weeks left until it cools down, and these great reads will help you hang on to the summer days:
I’M A SHARK by Bob Shea
Even sharks can be afraid… (watch the adorable video)
DUDE: FUN WITH DUDE AND BETTY by Lisa Pliscou, illustrated by Tom Dunne
Dick and Jane…surfer style!
JUNONIA by Kevin Henkes
10-year-old Alice Rice grows up during her family’s annual summer vacation in Florida.
JEREMY BENDER VS. THE CUPCAKE CADETS by Eric Luper
Check out this hilarious video of Eric Luper interviewing Eric Luper.
WITHERING TIGHTS by Louise Rennison
A summer performing arts camp? Boys, snogging, and bad acting guaranteed! Recommend to your fans of “Glee” or Georgia Nicholson.
FINS ARE FOREVER by Tera Lynn Childs
Mermaids are the next vampires…or werewolves…or angels…! This sequel to
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By: Julie,
on 3/7/2012
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Title: Above World Author: Jenn Reece Publisher: Candlewick ISBN: 978-0763654177 |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
| Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony’s survival is in doubt. The Kampii’s breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. But can Aluna’s warrior spirit and Hoku’s tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt—growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains—here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true. |
Review:
After reading Dark Life by Kat Falls, I became fascinated by the idea of living in the ocean. When I saw Above World by Jenn Reese, I was chomping at the bit to read it. In this Middle Grade adventure, Aluna, a girl who lives in the ocean, must venture Above World to discover why the technology that allows her people to breathe underwater is failing. I loved the spunky Aluna, and I also thought that her best friend, Hoku, was a wonderful character, too. Both of them have to deal with very frightening situations, and as they face down death time and again, the thought of saving their people gives them the courage to continue on their journey.
When Aluna finds the body of one of her friends, she discovers that the elders are keeping a secret from the residents of her city – the breathing tech that allows the Kampii to live underwater is failing. Each Kampii has a bio-tech breathing necklace that keeps them from drowning. Several of the necklaces ceased functioning, and the elders, including Aluna’s father, have quickly covered up the resulting deaths, not wanting to start a panic. Instead of trying to discover why the necklaces are starting to fail, the elders are firmly denying that there is a problem. The Kampii in her city have kept themselves hidden from the Above World for generations, and they don’t want to have anything to do with the surface world. Aluna runs away from home, determined to save her people.
I loved the world building in this post-apocalyptic adventure. As the population swelled and the available land was consumed by growing numbers of people, new environments were exploited with the help of bio-technology. The Kampii, who are like mermaids, were allowed to live under the water with their necklaces. Centaurs were engineered to live in the desert, and Aviars were given wings so they could live on top of mountains. Disease swept through the human population, and chaos followed. Now the remaining life forms are at war, battling for control of the old technology.
Aluna is a strong, determined protagonist, and I liked her a lot. She is impulsive and stubborn, and these flaws work to get her out of many dicey situations. She isn’t able to give up, and and she can’t accept failure. That’s just not an option for her. The thought of quitting never occurs to her, even when she is standing up to very scary enemies that would have had me running, screaming, in the opposite direction
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Two more for the End-of-the-World challenge: Hester Velmans’ Isabel of the Whales and Welwyn Wilton Katz’s Whalesinger. Hester Velmans. Isabel of the Whales. New York: Scholastic, 2005. 181 pages. Isabel is out-of-her-mind psyched for her school’s annual fifth-grade whale watch. Her friends tease her about her whale “fetish” — her room is filled with stuffed [...]
Penni Russon. Undine. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2006. Random House Australia, 2004. 326 pgs. Please forgive the following cheesy and way-too-obvious metaphors, but the experience of reading Undine was like being in the ocean. My overall feelings about the story moved back and forth like a tide, and in some of those ebb moments I [...]
By: Pat Zietlow Miller,
on 4/27/2012
When adults go exploring, they often consult a map, travel manual or visitor’s guide.
Now, when young beachcombers in your life go looking for mermaids, they’ll have a resource all their own.
It’s The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Mermaids (Tanglewood Press, 2012) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Marie Letourneau.
This picture book provides all the clues small seafarers will need to increase their odds of finding an elusive mermaid.
Today’s guest reviewer loves to visit the beach — as you can see in the photo above – and would very much like to meet a mermaid one day.
Here’s what she had to say about this book.
Our reviewer: Amelia
Age: 4
Things I like to do: Play with my brothers, color and do projects.
This book was about: Mermaids that like to play hide and seek. They hide from people, but they also help the people find them.
The best part was when: When the little girl finds the mermaids.
I smiled when: When the mermaids primped and styled themselves.
I was surprised when: I was surprised by all of it.
This book taught me: Mermaids are real, and they live in the ocean. Daddy and me are going to find some next time we go to the ocean.
Three words that best describe this book are: I don’t know what describe means.
My favorite line or phrase in this book is: Magic!
My favorite picture in this book is: Mermaids playing in the coral with sea horses.
Other kids reading this book should watch for: Another kid trying to steal it, because everyone is going to want to have it.
You should read this book because: I love this book, and we’re going to read it tomorrow at bedtime too. Mommy is going to love it too.
Thank you, Amelia!
If this book is popular at your house, you’ll also want to find its predecessor, The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies from 2010.
If you’d like to learn more about Ammi-Joan Paquette, you can visit her website. You also can read this review of her book for older readers, Nowhere Girl.
If you’d like to learn more about Marie Letourneau, you can visit her website.
Have fun searching. And when you find a mermaid, take its picture and send it to me. Maybe I can post it on this blog!
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Did I get anything wrong re: May and Jazz’s relationship?
oh good grief I remember reading and rereading this as a child…but not the horrible rascist bits you quote! I have had no desire to re-read it as an adult. In defense of my rereading it as a child, I didn’t have enough books when I was little, and there are parts of Water Babies that are magical and fascinating…
It is magical and fascinating overall, definitely! It’s unfortunate that Kingsley fed into the discriminatory attitudes of his time, but luckily, such moments are few and far between.