I'm a fan of Stephen Colbert, who seems to suceed at any cause he takes on. But I knew that as soon as I saw his interview earlier this year with famed children's author Maurice Sendak, that this time his cause would lead to a bad end. Colbert's complaint was that it's easy for celebrities to get their children's book published regardless of the quality, and he "wanted in." And so he presented Sendak with a ridiculous premise: I Am Pole (And So Are You), a silly little story about a pole trying to find a job. By Colbert's own admission, it didn't take long to write. Yet I'm sure I don't have to tell you that he quickly found a publisher, without even trying.

Last week an article in the Wall Street Journal declared that "Contemporary fiction for teens is rife with explicit abuse, violence and depravity. Why is this considered a good idea?" http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.html#articleTabs%3Darticle

It was quickly followed by outrage by some of those YA authors who have managed to save lives with their "works of depravity."

Since they can speak about this issue better than I, below are links to their responses. I happen to agree with them, but you can let me know what you think.

http://madwomanintheforest.com/stuck-between-rage-and-compassion/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/06/06/137005354/seeing-teenagers-as-we-wish-they-were-the-debate-over-ya-fiction?sc=ipad&f=1008

The bottom line is that the only way we can shield our teens from the real world is to remove all technology, media, school bus rides and any outside interaction with peers. And that assumes their home life is supportive and without dysfunction. Sadly, that's not often the case. I agree with Laurie Halse Anderson that books can save teen lives. Unless the adults in their lives have a better plan.

One of my mantras is that if you want to write for children successfully, you must read what others have successfully written. There are no better examples than those who win Newbery and Caldecott prizes. Read this article from Publisher's Weekly and then visit your library or bookstore to read them all. It's a worthwhile research project. Have fun.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/45733-vanderpool-stead-bacigalupi-win-newbery-caldecott-printz.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+Children%27s+Bookshelf&utm_campaign=97ba746ea7-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email

They certainly were enjoyable to read--until the 4th one. I can't seem to get past the grossness!

So sorry not to have responded. Seems I had a backlog of comments not sent to me until now. David is great. We had ours done by him many years ago and it has held up. Regarding cross-overs, what can be done when publishers rely on names that will be surefire sellers? And many times the cross-overs are successful, which is only to chldrens' benefit, and ultimately what it's really all about.

Why thank you very much. I must be better about blogging though. I'm a magazine publisher now and it takes most of my time. But I'm still reading children's books and keeping up on the industry. I'll add more info as soon as I can.

It seems like vampires and werewolves have been dominating the children's book market for over two years, especially in the YA market. But the word from publishing houses is that they will soon be looking for realistic fiction again. So if vampires and werewolves don't easily fit into your plots, never fear. Our time is coming again soon.

I like your style, the fact that your site is a little bit different makes it so interesting, I get fed up of seeing same-old-same-old all of the time. I've just stumbled this page for you :-D

Hi Liza,
I heard about you and your work from Dave Haussler who has just done a fabulous cabinet refacing for me. If I were a children's or young adult author, I would be concerned that established writers are honing in on my market. As for cross-over writers, I also am a big Sherman Alexie fan. I taught high school English for over 30 years and used his stories in class within the last decade or so. Some of the language was objectionable but we didn't read those parts aloud. We then viewed "Smoke Signals," which was based on a story included in "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven."
I'm not sure what can be done about the authors who are seeking to double- dip, but I'd be interested to hear more about it.

I don't mean to sound ornery, but doesn't it seem like a lot of very successful adult fiction writers are lately honing in on our market? First it was James Patterson with his series for kids that, despite bad reviews, is on the NYT Bestseller List. And now John Grisham will be writing a middle-grade series as well.  Gentlemen, it's already a crowded market out there. Please save some shelf space for the rest of us.

What do you think about author celebrites writing for a new age group? Carl Hiassen certainly did a good job when he moved to the children's book market, and others have deservedly won awards for doing so, like Sherman Alexie. But I wonder: Is this just another case of publishers going with the proven name, regardless of quality, just because they know it will sell books?

I think the twilight saga was a really good book though

The winners of the National Books Foundation Awards were announced last night, and the winner in the Young People's Literature category was Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (Melanie Kroupa Books, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The finalists were: Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith (Henry Holt); David Small, Stitches (W. W. Norton & Co.); Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic) and
Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped (HarperTeen/HarperCollins). 

Why does this matter? Quite aside from the fact that these books make good reading is the research it provides you, the writer. Not only should you read them to see what is recognized as quality writing and a good topic. You can also see which publishers are on this list since they're the ones who at one point took a manuscript query, recognized the quality and sent it to print.  

Three of these books are nonfiction, by the way, a reminder that fiction isn't the only genre you can concentrate on when writing for children.

Thank you very much. Please be sure to check out the Web site for the magazine, www.liparentonline.com. We have contests, an events calendar, blogs and much more. I'm working hard, and having fun.

I am a freelancer/contractor but I have a few main contracts and clients. Recently, a major education company for which I have worked for five years shut down its entire curriculum department. Poof. Fortunately, I have plenty of other contracts and I am also a fit for another department within that company. Still, it is shocking when a fairly large company shuts down an entire division!

Just picked up a copy of your new magazine--I love it!

Great work--and thank you for providing a great service for Long Island parents.

        Congratulations to you. That's wonderful. I will remind myself of that on those days when all three of my phones won't stop ringing and the inbox for my e-mail fills as soon as I empty it. Sigh!

Sometimes life changes lead us on new and exciting paths. Breathtaking isn't it? Our sons finished education, one married. At 54 I began a Masters program my first novel--my thesis. Two years later, the novel is done and the MA achieved. Now my husband and I are heading to Africa for a year. A world of creativity has opened up for us. Breathtaking, but we feel like kids.

    Thank you. It's nice to hear from you.

I love this site. Fantastic job on it.
From another children author of Concord, Ca.

        It has been a while since my last blog because who knew that being a magazine publisher would be a 21-plus-hour-a-day job? I've always worked hard, but never this hard. Doesn't matter though because it's worth it when I get letters, e-mails and calls from readers and advertisers who say they enjoy the articles and the way the magazine looks. I just wanted to keep something I loved going, and if all goes well, that will continue. And there's something so gratifying about having produced a magazine from an idea through to the printed product.
       But I do miss writing for children, even though I'm now writing a book column in each issue of Long Island Parent magazine called "Family Bookshelf." It's my sneaky way to stay connected to the children's book industry while doing my regular work. And I do manage to find some time to read and in fact just finished the moving Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, a story that's both about teen suicide and about how easy it is to cause lasting harm with careless (or deliberate) comments. A lesson to us all, no matter what our age. I recommend it as not only is it a good story, it also has a sophisticated structure worth studying. The author alternates the main character's story with the story of his dead classmate through cassette tapes. Check it out.
        To see my latest magazine and new Web site, visit www.liparentonline.com.
        Now I must get back to work. My next issue is due at the printer. Then I plan to do some children's writing. Wish me luck.

  

Congratulations and good luck! You are an inspiration :)

             I lost my job in December, becoming one of the millions who are victims of the economic downturn. Only in my case (well, perhaps all cases), it was political. At least that's what I believe. The powers-that-be at Newsday, the parent company of the magazine division for which I worked, decided to shut down all of the magazines. I had been editor of Newsday's Parents & Children magazine for nearly 10 years. It was a role I enjoyed and my readers were loyal followers. The excuse for the shut down was the economy, but a certain VP had been lobbying for it for years for personal reasons. The economy became his convenient excuse, and the other white shirts bought it. 
        After a couple of weeks of both feeling lost, and certain that now I can finally make all those changes to my YA novel All the Answers But One I've wanted to have the free time to work on, I made a decision. I have started my own magazine and Web site, Long Island Parent magazine and liparentonline.com. Because why not make a crazy decision like that in a bad economy when you've never run a business of that complexity before? I figured if I don't do it now, I never will. It has been a baptism by fire, but a manageable fire. Tomorrow I send my first issue to the printer, and next Sunday the Web site goes live. I've had the help of many others who were laid off with me, as well as my talented writers with whom I've worked for years, and a few new staffers who are already part of the team. The magazine looks fabulous and the editorial is solid. I have big plans for the future of my new company, Wordsmiths Media LLC. And I have but one regret: Why didn't I allow myself to enjoy being unemployed for a short time so I could finish my book? What was I thinking? 
    Ah, well. At least I've made time to listen to Laure Halse Andersen's YA novel Twisted during my many errands by car. A fabulous example, once again, of how a writer can draw a word portrait of raw emotion and a believable character. Makes me miss my character Beth. Maybe next week I can get back to her. We'll see.

This article is all wrong
stephenie meyer is a very creative reader and has a different Pov in each books. Liza i think that ur personal opinion should affect other people's. To say that i have read the whols series and find nothing wrong with the fact that she has made a series that many preteens- teens have purchased and read within limitaded days and to let u know i am 12 and i think dis book is just fine and if parents hav a problem with it let them be but its a choice to read a book and not to