The heart of Young Adult Fiction descended into picturesque Charleston, SC on November 7, 2014 as 60 Young Adult authors, including 37 New York Times bestsellers, joined together for the 4th Annual Charleston Young Adult Book Festival (“YALLFest”).
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Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Blog: Musings of a Novelista (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Writing Inspiration, Writer Journey, This Creative Life, Stephanie Kuehn, Sara Zarr, Add a tag
Hope everyone’s writing is going well.
For me, I’m struggling with the logic of the ending and some other plot points of my current novel project. I’m happy with some results and not so happy with some other things.
If you follow me on Twitter, you already know that I’m struggling with Chapter 12. That stupid, stupid chapter. No, it doesn’t seem I’m bitter at all, does it? Ha.
Looking at my list of “Doing Less in 2014” one item was trying to be perfect at everything. At the end of the day, this book won’t be perfect and it’s a stress maker trying to make it so. I’m learning that sometimes you just have to do your best and move on.
Also looking at my list of “Doing More in 2014” one item is writing from the heart. Yesterday on my commute, I listened to the latest podcast of This Creative Life featuring Stephanie Kuehn. This podcast is hosted by Sara Zarr, who is the author of one of my favorite YA novels, Story of a Girl.
Stephanie talked about her road to publication and how she wrote previous novels, worked with a previous agent, and basically got a little disheartened about the whole process. She also kept hearing at writing conferences about what sold well when it came to male protagonists.
It wasn’t until she cancelled out everything she heard and began to write for herself. Not only the result was the award winning Charm & Strange, but for also a lesson of just writing from your heart and not so much writing for publication.
Another item of my “Doing Less in 2014” – thinking publication is the answer. Publication is a goal to strive for but not a desperation that overwhelms you and makes you write for an audience that others tell you will make your novel a bestseller. You must write the story you want to write. The story of your heart. The story you are meant to tell.
It won’t be easy but it will be worth it.
Blog: Jen Robinson (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: tara altebrando, roommmates, summer after high school, Newsletter, dual narrators, Reviews, sara zarr, Young Adult, college, young adult fiction, romance, Add a tag
Book: Roomies
Authors: Sara Zarr (@SaraZarr) and Tara Altebrando (@TaraAltebrando)
Pages: 288
Age Range: 13 and up
Roomies is the story of the summer before college, told from the alternating perspective of two future roommates. Elizabeth, or EB, lives in New Jersey with her single mother, and looks forward to traveling across the country to UC Berkeley at the end of August. Lauren, or Lo, lives in San Francisco, and worries about how her parents will cope with her five much younger siblings once she has moved across the Bay. The two young women get to know one another slowly, with fits and starts, via email throughout the summer. The entire book is not told in email, though - details about the girls' lives are filled in via alternating first-person chapters.
Although both Lauren and Elizabeth have summer relationships with boys, I liked that the core relationship that Roomies is exploring is that of the two future roommates. The romances are both nice (one inter-racial, one inter-socioeconomic-status), but neither demonstrates much conflict. Authors Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando reserve that for EB and Lo's relationship. The alternating viewpoints allow the reader to glimpse each girl from the outside, and their voices are quite distinct. The digital version that I read also used a much larger font for one of the viewpoints, which helped, too. I never had that problem of wondering which character I was reading about (something I frequently notice in first-person multiple-narrator stories).
I also liked the authors' choice to set this book during the summer before college. This is a such a pivotal time for teens - preparing to leave family and high school friends, uncertain about the future - or at least it was for me. I'm thrilled to find another novel that takes this on. (Roomies could paid well with Justina Chen's Return to Me).
Another aspect of Roomies that I appreciated was that the authors weren't afraid to take on discussions about race and sexual preference. Elizabeth's long-absent father is gay, while Lauren's simmering relationship is with a boy who is black (as she is not). More to the point, Lauren and Elizabeth discuss these things - Elizabeth's awkward feelings about having a gay dad, and the uncertainty that Lauren feels in dating someone black (Keyon), because this is new for her. Here's a quote:
"Race. It's so tricky, even though we're all supposedly enlightened and color-blind. I don't want it to be a Thing. But it kind of is a Thing, isn't it?" (Lauren, describing her first visit to Keyon's house)
Both Lauren's and Keyon's parents are well-meaning but also awkward. All in all, I found this refreshing.
I did find some of the text (mostly from Lauren) a little ... deliberately profound. Like this:
"As much as I love to imagine being alone in an orderly lab, I also know you can't stay in there forever and expect to do good work. Life is one of those experiments meant to be conducted in a stimulating, messy environment."
But that's a minor quibble from an adult reader. The style of writing will probably work well for actual teens who are thinking about heading off to college, and all of the change that this implies.
Roommates getting to know one another over the summer before college is the perfect vehicle for teen self-exploration. Roomies is a relatively light take on relationships with friends, boyfriends, and, of course, roommates. There is some adult behavior discussed (including sex), though nothing described in detail. This is still YA, not new adult, in other words, but I don't see it having much interest for kids who aren't yet in high school. For kids (mainly girls) approaching the end of high school, though, Roomies would make a great gift.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (@LBKids)
Publication Date: December 24, 2013
Source of Book: Advance digital review copy from the publisher
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This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Sara Zarr, Ages 9-12, Chapter Books, featured, Tara Altebrando, Anna Jarzab, Stephanie Hemphill, Teens: Young Adults, Katie McGarry, Best Kids Stories, Best YA, Carrie Mesrobian, Add a tag
Even though I’ve been out of school for ages and ages, there is something about September that says new beginnings. Here are five Fall titles I’m eager to read ... Read the rest of this post
Add a CommentBlog: readergirlz (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: #rockthedrop, TBD, San Diego County Library System, Sara Zarr, Lorie Ann Grover, readergirlz, Liz Gallagher, crissa-jean chappell, Operation Teen Book Drop, Rock the Drop, Egmont, Add a tag
As we look back over the day, you all rocked the drop from Glasgow to Georgia, from zoos to restaurants, from one reader to the next, and we thank you! What a celebration for Support Teen Lit Day. You all posted, tweeted, tumbled, and pinned. The photos are awesome on #rockthedrop and the readergirlz facebook page. Be sure to scroll through and enjoy what we did together. It's AMAZING!
Crissa, rgz HOST, always rocks the drop with style! Take a look at her video drop. Thank you, Crissa!
And here are just a few pics to remember the day:
Thank you, publishers, such as Team Egmont!
Thank you, libraries, such as San Diego County!
Thank you, authors, such as Sara Zarr in Salt Lake City to...
Liz Gallagher in Seattle.
Thank you, schools:
Courtney Craig Merritt
and thank you, readergirlz!
Bravo, everyone! Bravo!
Blog: Betsy Devany's Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: SCBWI, Sara Zarr, Jane Yolen, Writing conferences, Kate Messner, Brian Lies, Harold Underdown, Sarah Aronson, New England SCBWI, Harry Bliss, Nancy Werlin, Carolyn Coman, Betsy Devany, Crystal Kite Award, Ann Barrows Scholarship, NE-SCBWI 2012 Conference, Ruth Landers Glass Scholarship, Add a tag
This year’s NE-SCBWI Conference (my sixth) was different for me. As the On-the-Spot Critique Coordinator, I was one of numerous volunteers responsible for making a successful conference. In my position, I felt deeply obligated to the attendees, wanting to facilitate proper connections to editors/agents, and I’d promised these same professionals that I’d do my best to secure them additional critiques. In truth, I was scared. Since becoming the On-the-Spot Critique Coordinator less than a month ago, I have secretly fretted, while my daily early-morning writing time turned into early-morning e-mail communication, chart-making, and teaching myself how to make a spreadsheet. (I am also a committee co-chair for the upcoming New Jersey SCBWI Conference.) My manuscripts lay untouched; my muse went on strike.
Preparing for the conference reminded me of my earlier years in the business of writing for children, when I was unsure and questioned my abilities. Self-doubt hinders your growth as an artist. So I stopped thinking about What Might Not Happen (that the on-the-spot critiques would be a failure) and I began to believe that I could, indeed, pull this off. But to do this, I had to call on my Inspired Frame-of-Mind, which is strong, determined, and follows the muse with much delight, like a kitten chasing an unraveling ball of red yarn. I write what my characters tell me, and on some level, believe they are the ones shaping their stories, not me. I continue to struggle with writing for my blog, for that voice comes from a different place, where self-criticism has rented a tiny room and ignores my weekly eviction notice.
So in my Inspired Frame-of-Mind, I faced the task of being a successful conference coordinator: I worked diligently and focused on being positive, while doing everything possible to sell these critiques. The bar to succeed is set high due to the tireless efforts of our region’s longtime coordinators, who have given so much of their time over the years: Marilyn Salerno, Joyce Shor Johnson, Kathryn Hulick, Melissa Hed. Valarie Giogas. Laura Pauling. Melissa Stewart. Casey Girard. Betty Brown. Sally Riley. Jean Woodbury. Linda Brennan. Jennifer Carson. Joannie Duris. Anna Boll. Jennifer O’Keefe. Greg Fishbone. Francine Puckly. Margo Lemieux. And Shirley Pearson, who I hope can one day step out from behind the registration table to pursue her own dreams. I apologize in advance for not listing every name, though my gratitude is intended for all. Thank you! The NE-SCBWI Conference reflects your efforts, selfless dedication, and enthusiasm for our wonderful community. A community filled
Blog: Books 'n' stories (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Sara Zarr, cancer, How to Save a Life, book reiviews, Add a tag
So Dad's in the hospital since Wednesday when he wwent into radiation treatment with a crazy high fever. They took the antibiotic drip and the saline/fluid drip out of his arms yesterday and he's much better. However, he might have been contagious - not - so we all had to wear masks around him.
My Dad never seems to stay down for very long. He told me on Friday that he had a nice talk with a lady, while waiting in the radiology department, about his work as a Deacon in the Catholic Church. "No matter what," he said, "There is always reason for joy and gratitude."
Now before you start thinking my Dad is a Saint, he can be irascible, outspoken and argumentativeHow to Save a Life, Sara Zarr,. But, I'm thinking, if I was battling cancer and forced to lie in bed with needles in my arm, I don't know that the words "Joy" and "Gratitude" would enter into conversation often. But maybe they would. I am his daughter after all.
The book has received five starred reviews! |
Joy and gratitude don't seem to enter int Sara Zarr's book How To Save a Life, at least not at the start. Mandy arrives on the scene first in an email to someone about an arrangement she and that someone have made. The email is purposely vague but the reader guesses that Mandy is promising her unborn child to someone, provided that the whole thing is done the way Mandy wants it done. In that email Mandy sound clever, demanding, even wily.
Then we meet Jill, 17, and grieving for the death of her father about a year before. She is angry and has spent a lot of time pushing people away. She is neither joyful NOR grateful that her mother, Robin, is opening their home to a pregnant teen and adopting that teen's child.
This is the story of three women, what they want, how they mesh or don't mesh. Jill's suspicions about Mandy's intentions fuel a lot of the plot. Mandy's first person accounts soon turn her into a sympathetic character. Robin soldiers on.
This is the story of three good women. And the ending - well, maybe joy and gratitude find a place in there somehow.
Blog: Musings of a Novelista (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Sara Zarr, writing process, writing time, Writing Inspiration, Add a tag
Many of you have already read the fabulous guest post by Sara Zarr in the What Inspires You series. It’s hosted on Nova Ren Suma’s blog, who is the author of Imaginary Girls.
I had the pleasure of being in one of Sara Zarr’s critique groups last December at the Big Sur Children’s Writing Workshop so I already know first-hand how inspiring she can be.
So why would Sara be inspired by failure? If anything, failure is the major thing that keeps us as writers feeling like losers, alone in our mind with the images of what we *want* our writing to be and struggling to get it down on the page.
Most of the time, the images and the words never match. The words usually are a poor representation of the idea in our head. For me personally, this massive failure can be too much. It’s hard to keep pushing against a wall that seems never to budge.
But this is what I love about Sara Zarr’s post:
“Today, I’m looking at my draft and its large and small failures, and I know: if everyone I admire and respect, everyone whose work has endured for more than five minutes, everyone who has come out with something beautiful, has struggled in this same, frightening gap, I must be on the right track.”
It’s never easy to create in the midst of failure, but if we can remember that all art starts from this place — the gap between the idea and the finished work — we will realize that we’re not losers and it’s just a part of our journey.
We can forget that sometimes. So thanks Sara Zarr for reminding me.
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Alecia Whitaker, Sophie Flack, Spring 2012 books, Sara Zarr, Uncategorized, Grace Lin, Laini Taylor, Ed Young, Jerry Pinkney, Maira Kalman, Denise Vega, Daniel Handler, Little Brown and Company, A.S. King, Peter Brown, Karen Healey, Matthew Quick, Kody Keplinger, librarian previews, Nancy Tafuri, Fall 2011 previews, Pseudonymous Bosch, Add a tag
Previews, previews! Lovely little previews!
And we find ourselves back at the Yale Club, across the street from Grand Central Station, and a whopping 10 minutes away, on foot, from my library. There are advantages to living on a tiny island, I tell ya.
As per usual, Little Brown pulled out all the stops for the average children’s and YA librarian, in order to showcase their upcoming season. There were white tablecloths and sandwiches consisting of brie and ham and apples. The strange result of these previews is that I now seem to be under the mistaken understanding that Little Brown’s offices are located at the Yale Club. They aren’t. That would make no sense. But that’s how my mind looks at things. When I am 95 and senile I will insist that this was the case. Be warned.
A single day after my return from overseas I was able to feast my eyes on the feet of Victoria Stapleton (the Director of School and Library Marketing), bedecked in red sparkly shoes. I would have taken a picture but my camera got busted in Bologna. I was also slightly jet lagged, but was so grateful for the free water on the table (Europe, I love you, but you have to learn the wonders of ample FREE water) that it didn’t even matter. Megan Tingley, fearless leader/publisher, began the festivities with a memory that involved a child’s story called “The Day I Wanted to Punch Daddy In the Face”. Sounds like a companion piece to The Day Leo Said “I Hate You”, does it not?
But enough of that. You didn’t come here for the name dropping. You can for the books that are so ludicrously far away in terms of publication (some of these are January/February/March 2012 releases) that you just can’t resist giving them a peek. To that end, the following:
Liza Baker
At these previews, each editor moves from table to table of librarians, hawking their wares. In the case of the fabulous Ms. Baker (I tried to come up with a “Baker Street Irregulars” pun but it just wasn’t coming to me) the list could start with no one else but Nancy Tafuri. Tafuri’s often a preschool storytime staple for me, all thanks to her Spots, Feathers and Curly Tails. There’s a consistency to her work that a librarian can appreciate. She’s also apparently the newest Little Brown “get”. With a Caldecott Honor to her name (Have You Seen My Duckling?) the newest addition is All Kinds of Kisses. It’s pretty cute. Each animals gets kisses from parent to child with the animal sound accompanying. You know what that means? We’re in readaloud territory here, people. There’s also a little bug or critter on each page that is identified on the copyright page for parents who have inquisitive children.
Next up, a treat for all you Grace Lin fans out there. If you loved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat then you’ll probably be pleased as punch to hear that there’s a third
Blog: Notes from the Slushpile (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: SCBWI, Sara Zarr, Add a tag
Reports from the 2011 Winter Conference of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators I didn't manage to get a good shot of Sara so here's a nice portrait I found on several blogs The best books I've read are the ones that make me go, "OMG that was me. That book is totally who I am." That's what I felt about YA author Sara Zarr's keynote speech on the last day of the SCBWI
Blog: The Official SCBWI 10th Annual New York Conference Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Once Was Lost, NY11, Sara Zarr, Sweethearts, Story of a Girl, Add a tag
Sara Zarr delivers the keynote speech to kick off the final day of the 2011 SCBWI Annual Winter Conference.
Sara is the acclaimed author of three novels for young adults: STORY OF A GIRL (National Book Award Finalist), SWEETHEARTS (Cybil Award Finalist), and ONCE WAS LOST (a Kirkus Best Book of 2009). Her fourth book will be out in late 2011. She's also written for IMAGE JOURNAL, Hunger Mountain Online, and RESPONSE MAGAZINE, as well as for several anthologies. (If you need a reading recommendation, ask Sara--she recently read over 200 books as a judge for the National Book Awards.)
Click here to read a pre-conference interview with Sara.
Sara came the the SCBWI conference as an attendee in 2001, at which she had been pursuing writing for five years and becoming frustrated. She came back in 2005 and she was really getting discouraged that things weren't happening in her career.
"They say write the book you want to read. I'm going to give the speech that I need to hear," Sara told us. "I speak to you as a colleague, comrade and friend."
The time between when you're no longer a beginner but have yet to break into the business is probably the hardest in your career, she says. Your greatest creation is your creative life. It's all in your hands. Rejection can't take it away; reviews can't take it away. The life you create for yourself as an artist, may be the only thing that's really yours. Create a life you can center yourself in calmly as you wait for you work to grow.
Here are a few some of the characters tics of a fulfilling creative life that Sara shared with us...
It's sustainable. Celebrate career milestones, but remember that they aren't the point. What's important is the love of the work. "Most creative I know don't have a retirement plan."
It invites company. Most creatives are introverts. Seek mentoring and be a mentor. Other creatives are the only ones who understands the joys and struggles of the creative life. There's never a point where you have nothing else to learn. But at the same time, don't consider hundreds of people on Twitter who you've never meant as your inner circle of friends.
It knows when to send company away. Ultimately this is about you. When it comes to getting your work done, no one can do that but you. There's power and importance to privacy. Think before sharing, name dropping. Know when to turn off Google alerts and GoodReads. "We can't let all of these voices and opinions be present in our creative moment."
It gives back. It give back to you and to others. As you're engaged with you work and your world you'll be a better spouse, friends, sibling. You'll be more self-actualized.
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Blog: The Official SCBWI 10th Annual New York Conference Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: SCBWI TEAM BLOG, Annual Winter Conference, NY11, Sara Zarr, Add a tag
The lastest SCBWI TEAM BLOG pre-conference faculty interview features acclaimed YA author and Winter Conference keynote speaker Sara Zarr, who was interview by Alice Pope on her SCBWI Market Blog. Here's a bit from the post:
When I found out Sara Zarr was on the faculty for the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference, I called dibs on doing her pre-conference interview right away. (There was a quiet throwdown, but I'm captain of TEAM BLOG so I won.)
There were several reasons I wanted an excuse to talk to Sara. I first met her several years ago at a Kidlitcon and heard her speak from the heart about her first foray into blogging. I immediately liked her and immediately devoured STORY OF A GIRL, her debut novel and a National Book Award Finalist.
Click here to read the full interview with the terrific Sara Zarr.
And click here to register for the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference where you can see Sara and the rest of the great faculty in person!
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: National Book Award, Hope Anita Smith, Kelly Link, Tor Seidler, Laban Carrick Hill, Sara Zarr, Uncategorized, Add a tag
We don’t talk enough, you and I. About the National Book Awards, I mean. Seems to me that the only time we pay much attention to them is when they release their shortlist, and by that point the only thing left to predict is what the ultimate winner will be. It hasn’t quite the same press recognition of a Newbery or Caldecott, but I enjoy the NBAs. They’re one of the few times authors have a chance to give a big award to their peers. There’s much to be said for that, you know.
There are some interesting differences between NBA committees and ALSC committees too. For example, while a person on a Newbery committee is allowed to give their personal opinion on a title, an NBA committee member is not allowed to give so much as a smidgen of an opinion from start to finish. Linda Sue Park, as I recall, when asked during her tenure as to what books she liked would begin with, “Well I was really impressed by . . .” then slap her own hands over her mouth and end with, “hmmm mmm mmm hmmmm mmm.”
Another essential difference is that not all children’s and YA books are considered for the award. In fact, they must be nominated by their publishers and each book must pay a $125 entry fee. Yikes! The result is that it is the publishers who pick and choose what to send it. By this time of year they can no longer send in anything (the deadline has passed) so not only will we be predicting what the committee members like but also what the publishers feel have the best chances.
This year the NBA committee members in the Young People’s Literature category include Laban Carrick Hill, Kelly Link, Tor Seidler, Hope Anita Smith, and Sara Zarr. Not too shabby, eh?
I’ve been watching the NBA Young People’s Literature nominees for a number of years now and have determined that the kind of books they prefer are titles that are YA, a little more obscure than those with Newbery potential, and out of far right field. In short: Impossible to predict.
Not that we don’t like to try! With the given understanding that I’ve never tried this before, I don’t read YA, and every NBA committee has a different vibe to it, let’s have some fun with this!
In brief, my thoughts on potential nominees would include:
The Boneshaker by Kate Milford -
Clearly this is this year’s Lips Touch sans any actual lips touching. If any book was a shoo-in for serious consideration in the middle grade category, I’d have to hand it to Ms. Milford. In fact, of all the books I list here, Kate’s is the only one that I would
Blog: A Chair, A Fireplace and A Tea Cozy (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: favorite books read in 2009, pastor's kid, Sara Zarr, reviews, family, mystery, 2007 Best Books for Young Adults, coming of age, dysfunctional families, faith, little brown, belief, alcoholism, 2009, Add a tag
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr. Little Brown. 2009. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. Young Adult.
The Plot: Samara "Sam" Taylor is not having a good summer.
Everything seems broken or run down, as the heat builds. Her mother's secret drinking is not so secret anymore, thanks to a DUI and court-mandated residential rehab. Her father is more dedicated to his work as a pastor than to being a father. Money problems may mean that Sam doesn't go back to private school. The backyard garden is a pile of dirt; even the air conditioner and fans aren't working properly.
And then thirteen year old Jody Shaw, from her father's congregation, who Sam kinda knows from her Church youth group, disappears.
Sam is having doubts; a crisis of faith. Thinking things, wondering things, that she cannot say aloud because she's a pastor's kid. Everyone thinks they know who she really is; who her family really is; and thinks they have a right to say what she should think, do, believe.
The Good: Zarr delivers both an intensely personal, internal story of faith and belief; and a suspenseful mystery involving a missing teen.
Sam has good reason to question her faith. Her family is falling apart; faith, belief, love have not helped her mother. They don't help her father be a better father. They don't help Jody Shaw's family. Once Was Lost is about more than questioning, though; it's an exploration, with Sam remembering her earlier child-like faith and now looking at others, wondering, how to believe again. What does she want? Is it the faith of her childhood? Zarr handles Sam's spiritual dilemma with respect -- respect for Sam, of course; but also respect for religion, and faith.
The disintegration of Sam's family has brought her to her spiritual crisis. Her mother, Laura Taylor, is an alcoholic. I want to cry from happiness as I read the kind, nuanced portrayal of Sam's mother. It's easy to make an alcoholic parent the bad guy; we've all read tons of books where drinking = abuse = evil. But the reality is more complex than that. For this reason alone, it's on my list of favorite books read in 2009.
As Sam's father responds to some need of his congregation, Sam thinks, "sober, tipsy, drunk, whatever, [my mother is] the one who's been here, and she's the one who really knows me." The perfect illustration of how little Sam's father sees what is going on in his own household? He has no idea just how lost Sam is feeling. Just like Sam's mother isn't "teh evil" because she drinks, neither is Sam's father "teh evil." Neither of these parents are portrayed as bad, terrible, no-good people; rather they are real people, not perfect, with flaws, people who try and do the best they can.
As Sam looks back at the last three years, at what her family is now as compared to then, she wishes "there was a way to put your finger on the map of life and trace backwards, to figure out exactly when things had changed so much: when we started getting the dregs of Dad, if that was before or after the drinking getting bad. ... Still, it doesn't explain how on
Blog: Alice's CWIM blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Jon Scieszka, Tony DiTerlizzi, Joseph-Beth, Wyrm King, Sara Zarr, Spiderwick Chronicles, Holly Black, Add a tag
Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi at Joseph-Beth (or How Long a 5-year-old Can Last at a Bookstore Event)...
Last night Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's book tour for The Wyrm King, the 3rd book in their Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles series, took them to the Joseph-Beth Booksellers here in the Nati. I thought Holly was terrific when I saw her speak at the SCBWI conference in LA in August so I didn't want to miss the Joe-Beth appearance despite the fact that I didn't have a babysitter for the boy. But he's seen the Spiderwick movie previews and knows the bookstore has macaroni and cheese in the cafe, so he was in. (Note: The last bookstore event I brought him to was Holly Hobbie when he was 3 months old. See From the Editor in the 2006 CWIM.)
As I suspected, the event was crowded. Check out all the people as they wait for Holly and Tony to come in. (You can't see those who are standing in the aisle and between the bookcases in the back. There were lots of people.)
Holly and Tony were really charming, engaging and funny. This was truly one of the most enjoyable book signings I've attended. Their event included talk of cool mythical creatures (with visual aids and instructions to not Google "rat king"), live dragon drawing, impromptu diaper jokes, and prizes (including Tony's drawings). Here's Holly and Tony addressing the crowd of readers.
Here's Holly reading a little from The Wyrm King (enough to get us really interested by not give too much away).
Tony takes it in from the sidelines (and rests his drawing/signing hand).
And here's me with Tony and Holly, interupting them mid-autographing for a picture. (I knew the boy wouldn't have the patience for standing in line and it was getting close to his bed time, so I didn't get a book autographed myself, but they offered to pose with me anyway. Note the cool blown up Wyrm King cover in the background.)
And here's the boy, who fidgeted on my lap for 45 minutes and kept saying "This is not hilarious for me. I'm tired of being here. Is that a dragon?" And he picked his nose like it was his job.
Finally, the boy got to do what he loves to do at the bookstore: play with trains.
He also made it home with a copy of The Spiderwick Chronicles movie and one of Jon Scieszka's Truck Town books.
(And next week when I go see Sara Zarr when her tour stops in the Nati, I'm going by myself. She's in the Nati October 6th and 7th.)
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Sara Zarr most definitely has a knack for pulling her readers in quickly and leaving them loving the characters and wanting much, much more once the last page has been turned. I felt this way after her first two books and Once was Lost was certainly no exception.
Publisher's description:
"Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.
In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed---about God, about your family, about yourself---is transformed."
Zarr's character work is exceptional and her subject matter is so impressive. She takes "issues," this one being alcoholism, and creates a book that lets the issue sit on the back burner and the characters and their own stories be front and center. Sam is true to life and so emotionally realistic that teens will be able to relate to her feelings about her family and friendships. Oh and did I mention the beautiful cover? Well...it's beautiful.
A definite must read for teens and adults.
To learn more, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.
Once Was Lost
Sara Zarr
224 pages
Young Adult
Little, Brown
9780316036047
October 2009
Blog: Feed Your Imagination (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Sara Zarr, Maggie Stiefvater, Sophie Kinsella, In My Mailbox, Becca Fitzpatrick, Jess Winfield, Carolyn Turgeon, Add a tag
In My Mailbox was created by Kristi from The Story Siren. Here's what I found in my mailbox, at the bookstore, and at the library these last two weeks. Summaries are taken from Amazon, B&N, and GoodReads.
I seem to be having an issue uploading photos on Blogger, so no pictures this week. Sorry!
My Name is Will by Jess Winfield (won in a contest by A Journey of Books) - A Tale of two Shakespeares... Struggling UC Santa Cruz grad student Willie Shakespeare Greenberg is trying to write his thesis about the Bard. Kind of... Cut off by his father for laziness, and desperate for dough, Willie agrees to deliver a single giant, psychedelic mushroom to a mysterious collector, making himself an unwitting target in Ronald Reagan's War on Drugs. Meanwhile, would-be playwright (and oppressed Catholic) William Shakespeare is eighteen years old and stuck teaching Latin in the boondocks of Stratford-upon-Avon. The future Bard's life is turned upside down when a stranger entrusts him with a sacred relic from Rome... This, at a time when adherents of the "Old Faith" are being hanged, drawn, and quartered as traitors. Seemingly separated in time and place, the lives of Willie and William begin to intersect in curious ways, from harrowing encounters with the law (and a few ex-girlfriends) to dubious experiments with mind-altering substances. Their misadventures could be dismissed as youthful folly. But wise or foolish, the bold choices they make will shape not only the 'Shakespeare' each is destined to come... but the very course of history itself.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (ARC from 1 ARC Tours) - For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (ARC for review) - For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr (ARC for review) - Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.
Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon (ARC) - Lil is an old woman who spends her days shelving rare books in a tiny Manhattan bookstore and lonely nights at home in her apartment. But Lil has an intriguing secret. Tucked and bound behind her back are white feathery wings–the only key to who she once was: the fairy godmother responsible for getting Cinderella to the ball to unite with her Prince Charming. But on that fateful night, something went terribly and beautifully wrong. Lil allowed herself the unthinkable: to feel the emotions of human beings and fall in love with the prince herself, going to the ball in place of Cinderella in her exquisitely gorgeous human guise. For her unforgivable mistake, she was banished to live among humans, far from her fairy sisters and their magical underwater world. But then one day she meets Veronica–a young, fair-skinned, flame-haired East Village beauty with a love of all things vintage and a penchant for falling in love with the wrong men–and suddenly it becomes clear to Lil that she’s been given a chance at redemption. If she can find a soul mate for Veronica, she may right her wrong and return to the fairy world she so deeply longs for. . . .
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella - Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they? When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie–a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance–mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and she’s just been dumped by the “perfect” man. Sadie, however, could care less. Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way.
That's my mailbox! What did you find in your's this week?
Blog: Ypulse (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: sara zarr, BEA, suzanne collins, Ypulse Essentials, leviathan, emma watson, catching fire, The Real World, the princess and the frog, 16 and pregnant, burberry, dj and fro, scot westerfeld, Add a tag
'Beavis and Butthead' for the millennial generation (MTV's new animated series ‘DJ & The Fro’ features two twenty-something slackers who spend their time avoiding work and watching viral videos. Also, "Real World" rumors pin the... Read the rest of this post
Add a CommentBlog: Miss Erin (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: sara zarr, readergirlz, sweethearts, Add a tag
This month, readergirlz are discussing Sweethearts by Sara Zarr.
Read the June issue of readergirlz. There's a playlist for the book, plus book guide questions and party ideas.
Drop by the readergirlz blog to discuss the book with other readers, ALL MONTH LONG!
LIVE CHAT:
First, to celebrate the release of diva Melissa Walker's latest book, Lovestruck Summer, we'll be partying it up at the blog on Tuesday, June 9th at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST for a special chat.
And don't forget to join our hour-long chat with Sara Zarr at the readergirlz blog on Wednesday, June 17th at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST.
Roundtable Discussion
Some of the readergirlz divas and postergirlz had a great time talking together about Sweethearts. Read our roundtable discussion.
Blog: Miss Erin (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: sara zarr, readergirlz, sweethearts, roundtable, Add a tag
Five of us readergirlz--Little Willow, Lorie Ann Grover, Melissa Walker, Holly Cupala, and myself--chatted for awhile about this month's featured book at readergirlz, Sweethearts by Sara Zarr.
Little Willow: What words come to mind when you think of Jenna, the main character in Sweethearts?
Miss Erin: Lost, buried, caught, hidden, confused, bruised, neglected.
Melissa Walker: Hiding, scared.
Little Willow: I second "hiding" and "confused." Also: Fragile, lonely, searching, nostalgic, torn.
Holly Cupala: Questioning identity, hidden truths, self-punishment, longing for acceptance.
Lorie Ann Grover: Self-doubt, lost, confused, pained, hungry for peace and acceptance from others and herself.
Little Willow: When she slipped back into her binging habits, I wanted so badly to help her.
Lorie Ann: I know, LW! It pained me when she stole and binged. Pained me!
Holly: My heart went out to her. We've all been in places where we've felt misunderstood and helpless and have tried to soothe ourselves in unhealthy ways, whether physical or emotional. Sometimes we have to reach bottom before we can start the journey back up.
Little Willow: By the time she got to high school, Jennifer shed the weight and (some of) the shyness of her elementary school self. She also changed her name to Jenna. What did you think of her transformation?
Miss Erin: Reinventing yourself can be a good thing, but in Jennifer's case I think it was more harmful than helpful. She wasn't doing it for the right reasons, per se--she was doing it to try to run away from her past. Your past isn't something you can run away from and still be perfectly content/at peace/happy. Jenna certainly wasn't.
Melissa: I thought it was another way for her to hide from a past she was unsure about, a time that brought her pain to remember.
Lorie Ann: I have a different perspective. I admired that she redefined herself. I found her journey in Sweethearts to be about meshing the new image authentically with who she really was. And what a surprise: her authentic self was even greater than she hoped. She was liked, loved, and courageous.
Holly: She worked so hard to hide from the people who were hurting her that she also hid from herself. Most heartbreakingly, she hid her own strength. She couldn't even see it because it was wrapped up in all that pain. I admired her most when she was able to have compassion and admiration for her earlier self.
Blog: Robin Brande (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Publishing, Young Adult Fiction, Writing, Young Adult Novels, Sweethearts, Fade, Lisa McMann, A.S. King, Dust of 100 Dogs, Sara Zarr, Reading, Add a tag
Big, superhairy deadline in 26 days, and I’ll be spending 8 of those on the road, and 5 of those are Sundays and I don’t work on Sundays, so really I have no business being on this blog now or starting a Twitter account last weekend or playing on Facebook or reading other YA author’s [...]
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I posted my review of Zarr's newest title, Sweethearts, a couple of weeks ago and realized I had never posted a review of her first novel. Better late than never I guess! I enjoyed this one just as much as Sweethearts and am probably one of many that hope Zarr is already at work on a third (and fourth!).
Blog: 3 Evil Cousins (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Sweethearts by Sara Zarr is the story of a girl, Jennifer "Jenna" Harris, who once had a friend named Cameron Quick. They were both outcasts in elementary school-- Jennifer the fat girl, Cameron the weird boy. Then, suddenly Cameron moves away-- and Jennifer hears that he has died. Years later, Jennifer has become Jenna, a thin, popular, well-adjusted teen. She has never forgotten Cameron Quick, though, and imagine her suprise when he shows up out of the blue one day. Together, they must confront their past and their present-- and find some way to settle the "unfinished business" (as Jenna's mother calls it) between them.
As delectable as the cover looks, Sweethearts didn't quite satisfy me. There wasn't enough substance-- not much really happened. Scenes from Jenna's present life were interspersed with scenes from her past, including a particularly trumatic one that the book centers around. But, I mean... I feel callous saying this, but it just didn't seem trumatic enough. When you finally find out what happened to Jenna, it's sort of... anticlimactic. I told a librarian friend of mine this, and she said, "Yes, but that's how life is." She has a point-- life isn't always climactic. But life isn't always interesting, either.
Sweethearts is a very psycological book (there really isn't much in the way of plot). I like some books like this (Speak, for instance), but it can drag on after a while. Sweehearts didn't drag too much, but it didn't grab me and pull me in, either. It's very well-written, and makes me want to read Zarr's first book, Story of a Girl (which was nominated for the National Book Award). But Sweethearts just... wasn't my cup of tea. Or plate of cookies. Or something.
I give Sweethearts three out of five daggers.
Eating heart-shaped cookies, vaguely disappointed, and yours,
Blog: Crossover (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Sara Zarr, Story of a Girl, Sweethearts, National Book Awards, Add a tag
Please join me in welcoming Sara Zarr to Big A little a! Recently I reviewed Sara's new YA novel, Sweethearts, and loved it. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, put it on top of your TBR list. You won't be disappointed.
Because I've interviewed Sara twice before--once here and once at The Edge of the Forest (on occasion of her first novel, Story of a Girl, being shortlisted for the National Book Award), this interview concerns Sweethearts almost exclusively.
Kelly: Jennifer Harris was the exiled child in elementary school—the chubby grade-schooler some children shunned and others tormented. By high school she acquires a step father, a new svelte figure, and a crowd of friends at an entirely new school. What I really appreciated about Sweethearts was how you showed how difficult this transformation was for Jennifer (now Jenna) not in a physical sense, but emotionally. Jenna still struggles with her inner Jennifer. Her transformation was not an easy fix. Did you have a model when constructing Jenna's story? Or, an anti-model?
Kelly: In addition to having a complex heroine, Sweethearts features a complex set of friends. Sure, Jenna's part of the cool crowd now, but your cool crowd is not homogeneous. Even the self-centered boyfriend is basically a good kid who needs to grow up a little. Were you consciously working against clichés when writing Sweethearts?
Kelly: Speaking of working against clichés, can I just butt in here and mention that Alan is quite possibly the best stepfather character I've run across in any children's book. He's wonderfully real and kind.
Kelly: Sweethearts is the tale of Jenna and her reunion with the one child who was kind to her in elementary school—Cameron Quick. When Jenna is nine, Cameron leaves without saying goodbye. In fact, Jenna hears at school that Cameron died. So, when Cameron shows up again when Jenna is in high school, her whole world turns upside down. What inspired you to imagine this dramatic scenario?
Kelly: Cameron Quick's home was and is not a happy one. His father is abusive and, in fact, Cameron and Jenna share one encounter with Cameron's dad that stays with them forever. This event is psychological abuse at its most horrifying. But, while the event itself is terrible, ultimately Jenna and Cameron deal with the past and this event in healthy, mature ways. Did you do a lot of research into psychological abuse when writing Sweethearts?
Kelly: Do you think Jenna will grow up to be an English teacher, as she tells Cameron she may when they discuss their futures?
Kelly: Okay, Sara. You've done it. As you know, I loved Story of a Girl. But, I have to say that I liked Sweethearts even more. It's a fantastic novel, populated by complex characters with complex decisions to make. I'll admit it. I'm impressed. So, tell me: What do we have to look forward to next?
Sara's on (blog) tour this month. You can follow along at the following sites:
Largehearted Boy (playlist for Sweethearts)
Oncewritten
Kate Messner's Book Blog
Shelf Elf
The Well-Read Child
And, you can always catch Sara at her own blog at sarazarr.com.
Blog: The Well-Read Child (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: sara zarr, sweethearts, little brown young readers, Add a tag
I recently had the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader copy of Sweethearts and interview the author, Sara Zarr. Her first novel, Story of a Girl , was a 2007 National Book Award Finalist, and I predict her second novel, Sweethearts, will win even more. It's truly amazing...See my review here.
A special thanks to Sara for so thoughtfully answering my questions:
The Well-Read Child (TWRC): In Story of a Girl, Deanna is an outcast at school, and in Sweethearts, Jenna and Cameron were both school outcasts when they were younger, all for different reasons. Why have you chosen to make your main characters unpopular kids who've faced some very tough situations in life? Are you basing these characters on people you've known in your own life?
Sara Zarr (SZ): The older I get and the more conversations I have with people about the experience of adolescence, the more I realize that virtually everyone feels like an outcast at some point in their childhood or teen years---even the kids we look at from the outside and identify as popular or as fitting in. I definitely felt that way, even though I didn’t personally experience any prolonged or extreme ostracizing. That feeling, whether or not it’s based in reality, seems so universal…almost biologically innate. I’m interested in exploring that feeling, so my stories tend to externalize it to make it more concrete. From the concrete I can delve into the more abstract and emotional parts of it. So to answer the latter part of your question: yes and no. I based those feelings of isolation on my own experience and what I’ve observed in others, but neither Jenna/Jennifer nor Deanna were based on anyone real.
TWRC: How did the idea for Sweethearts come to you?
TWRC: What is your favorite scene in Sweethearts?
TWRC: Do you identify with any of the characters in the book?
TWRC: What do you hope your readers get out of Sweethearts?
TWRC: Why do you write young adult books? Have you ever thought about writing for other age groups?
TWRC: Where do you write?
TWRC: What other books or authors have influenced you the most?
Thanks so much Sara for taking the time to talk about Sweethearts.
Other stops on the tour:
(I'll be updating throughout the week, so let me know if I've missed you!)
February 1: Shelf Elf
Other blog reviews:
A Patchwork of Books
Big A little a
Bildungsroman
Booktopia
Bookami
Bookshop Girl
Charlotte's Library
Jen Robinson’s Book Page
Kate Messner
Kids Lit
Teen book review
The Page Flipper
Young Adult (&Kids) Book Central
Shelf Elf
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Fantastic post! I’m going to have to start listening to that podcast!
Your last paragraph hits so close to home. It’s a struggle to remember that publication is a goal and not the end all be all to writing. Thanks for the reminder, and stay strong with your revisions! I have no doubt that you’ll figure it out and work through whatever it is that’s stumping you. <3
I agree with this and have reached the same conclusion. My favorite novels were ones where story came first, not the rules of how to get published. Honestly, that’s what I strive for. Yes, we should write for our audience, but we more need to write for ourselves some time, without thinking about the after.
I think you would love listening to this podcast. Sara Zarr is so real when it comes to the creative craft and she does excellent interviews. As for my revisions, I’ll keep at it until it clicks for me. It’s probably all up in there in my subconscious.
Yeah, it’s easy to get caught up in what the market wants but we spend so much time with our stories, it’s a much better experience when you write the story you want.
I hope that you’re enjoying the warm weather after such a yucky winter. :)
I’m trying to follow this advice for my current WIP. It’s a quiet book (like my first) and there’s a chance it won’t be “big” enough to sell, but I really love it and want to see it through. Good luck with your novel!
I love Sara Zarr’s podcast and I’m looking forward to hearing her interview with Stephanie Kuehn.