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Yesterday New York Times reporter Warren St. John appeared on The Today Show to discuss his book, Outcasts United: A Refugee Town, An American Dream, releasing today from Random House.

For once, the buzz is about a book I've already read. My recommendation? Don't waste time. Get a copy and read it as soon as you can.

Yes, Outcasts United is about a small town in Georgia, an influx of refugees from war-torn countries, boys, and the sport of soccer. But the book also sheds light on immediate demographic and cultural forces that are pulling and shaping our society -- forces that must be understood if we are to serve the next generation well.

While St. John steers clear of pontificating, I couldn't help making the didactical leap as I devoured the book on a nonstop flight from Boston to SFO. What do the Fugees football team, the town of Clarkston, and Coach Luma Mufleh teach about serving young people in America's fast-changing communities?

1. Lesson from the Fugees: Sports can change lives.

Fugee players fled here from different countries, worship in different ways, speak a wide variety of languages, and are racially diverse, but end up bonding like family. Why? The answer's easy to see in the book -- because they all want to win.

Kofi Annan, as Secretary-General of the United Nations, launched the Year of Sports in 2005, reminding us that "when young people participate in sports or have access to physical education, they can experience real exhilaration even as they learn the ideals of teamwork and tolerance."

The Fugees Family website describes how exploiting the strong internal motivation that comes with sport can help kids at risk:

Soccer draws these players together. Before they join the Fugees Family, they already love the game. It's the most popular sport in the world, and the fastest-growing youth sport in the country. On the field, the players experience the freedom, release, power, and sense of achievement that they do not experience in school. Soccer builds their confidence, and gives them the lift, the spirit, to persevere in their academics - long, slow work that does bring rewards, but not instantly. Their enthusiasm for the game is what attracts the kids' participation, and, once involved, they are impelled to excel not only on the field but off it.

As refugees moved to Clarkson in the 1990s, many members of the church's white congregation became so uncomfortable with their changing surroundings that they decided to move away ... Membership in the church plummeted from around seven hundred to just over a hundred ... A group of church elders met to discuss the congregation's future. They looked to the Bible for guidance, and read a passage in which Jesus described heaven as a place for people of all nations ... [As a result] the Clarkston Baptist Church renamed itself after 125 years: it's now the Clarkston International Bible Church. On Sundays, separate congregations of Liberians, Ethiopians, French-speaking West Africans, and Sudanese meet ... and a bigger, come-one, come-all service takes place in the main sanctuary in English ... Pews in the sanctuary, once nearly empty on Sunday mornings, are now near capacity, and membership has grown to over five hundred.

Kanue dropped his head in relief. His team was alive. He had vetted the newcomers and let them know Coach's rules -- he'd read the contract to many of them himself -- and he was going to make sure everyone was there on Thursday afternoon, on time ... "I told her I appreciate her," Kanue said later. "I told her thanks, and that we were going to do everything to follow the rules and give her the respect she deserves."

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

Here's the list (in alphabetical order) of published or about-to-be published authors who write for teens should you want to follow any or all of us. Note to new tweeps: this list closed at midnight 3/31/09. Please feel free to compile an addendum and link to it in the comments.

1. Susan Adrian @@susan_adrian
   
2. Jill S. Alexander @jillsalexander
3. Tara Altebrando @TaraAltebrando
   
4. Laurie Halse Anderson @halseanderson
5. R. J. Anderson @rj_anderson
6. Joelle Anthony @joellewrites
   
7. Andrew Auseon @andrewauseon
8. Kim Baccellia @ixtumea
9. Cyn Balog @cynbalog
10. Jennifer Lynn Barnes @jenlynnbarnes
11. Lauren Barnholdt @laurenbarnholdt
12. Clare Bell @rathacat
13. Robin Benway @robinbenway
14. Holly Black @hollyblack
15. Coe Booth @coebooth
    
16. Robin Brande @Robin_Brande
17. Heather Brewer @heatherbrewer
18. Susan Taylor Brown @susanwrites
19. Meg Cabot @megcabot
20. Janet Lee Carey @janetleecarey
21. Ceil Castellucci @cecilseaskull
22. Susane Colasanti @susanecolasanti
23. Paula Chase Hyman @Paulachy
24. Tera Lynn Childs @teralynnchilds
    
25. Cassie Clare @cassieclare
26. Eoin Colfer @eoincolfer
27. Deborah Copeland @authorgrl
28. Holly Cupala @hollycupala
29. Sarah Dessen @sarahdessen
30. Cory Doctorow @doctorow
31. Kathleen Duey @kathleenduey
32. Anthony Eaton @anthonyeaton
33. Daniel Ehrenhaft @danielehrenhaft
    
34. Beth Fehlbaum @bethfehlbaum
    
35. Neil Gaiman @neilhimself
    
36. Liz Gallagher @lizgallagherliz
37. Linda Gerber @gerbsan
    
38. K.L. Going @klgoing
39. Alison Goodman @alisongoodman
40. Alan Gratz @Alan_Gratz
    
41. John Green @realjohngreen
42. Lorie Ann Grover @lorieanngrover
43. Megan Kelley Hall @megankellyhall
44. Brendan Halpin @bhalpin
    
45. Jenny Han @jennyhan
    
46. S.A. Harazin @saharazin
47. Brent Hartinger @brenthartinger
48. Louise Hawes @louisehawes
    
49. Justina Chen Headley @justinaheadley
50. Simmone Howell @postteen
51. Mandy Hubbard @mandyhubbard
    
52. Mark Jeffrey @markjeffrey
53. Maureen Johnson @maureenjohnson
54. Varian Johnson @varianjohnson
55. Carrie Jones @carriejonesbook
56. Heidi S. Kling @seaheidi
57. Jo Knowles @joknowles
58. William Kostakis @williamkostakis
59. Marie Lamba @marielamba
    
60. Margo Lanagan @margolanagan
61. Jessica Leader @JessicaLeader
    
62. E. Lockhart @elockhart
63. Greg Logsted @greglogsted
64. Lauren Baratz Logsted @laurenbaratzl
65. Rita Lorraine @ritalorraine
    
66. Eric Luper @ericluper
67. Lisa Madigan @lkmadigan
68. Bennett Madison @bennettmadison
    
69. Marianne Mancusi @mariannemancusi
70. Christine Marciniak @ckmarciniak
71. Melissa Marr @melissa_marr
72. Georgia McBride-Wohl @Georgia_McBride
73. Lisa McMann @lisa_mcmann
74. Neesha Meminger @NeeshaMem
75. Kate Messner @kmessner
    
76. Saundra Mitchell @saundramitchell
77. Sarah Mlynowski @SarahMlynowski
    
78. Tee Morris @TeeMonster
79. Kirsty Murray @kirstymurray
80. Alyson Noe @alysonnoe
81. Sarah Ockler @sarahockler
82. Olugbemisola Amusashonubi-Perkovich @olugbemisola
    
83. Micol Ostow @micolz
84. Kelly Parra @kparra
85. Mary Pearson @marypearson
86. Marlene Perez @MarPerez
87. Mitali Perkins @mitaliperkins
    
88. Diana Peterfreund @dpeterfreund
89. Karen Rivers @karenrivers
90. Dana Reinhardt @dsreinhardt
    
91. Chris Resttstatt @Rettstatt
92. Christine Rose @christinerose
93. Penni Russon @eglantinescake
94. Sara Ryan @ryansara
95. Lisa Ann Sandell @lisaannsandell
96. John Scalzi @scalzi
97. Janni Lee Simner @innaj
98. Linda Joy Singleton @LindaJoySinglet
99. Jon Skovron @jonnyskov
100. Rhonda Stapleton @rhondastapleton
     
101. Courtney Summers @courtney_s
102. Sarah Sumpolec @SarahSumpolec
103. Nikki Tate @WriterGrrrlTx
     
104. Tiffany Trent @tiffanytrent
105. Gaby Triana @gabytriana
     
106. Melissa Walker @melissacwalker
107. Diana Wallach @dianarwallach
108. Gabrielle Wang @gabriellewang
109. Robin Wasserman @robinwasserman
     
110. Sara Bennett Wealer @sbennettwealer
     
111. Deborah Wiles @deborahwiles
112. Lili Wilkinson @twitofalili
113. Sara Zarr @sarazarr
114. Michelle Zink @michellezink
     

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

This month's readergirlz featured author is Rita Williams-Garcia, author of NO LAUGHTER HERE, a novel that takes an unflinching look at the effects of female genital mutilation, or FGM. FGM is experienced by approximately 138 million women around the world with another 2 million girls at risk each year. To learn more about female genital mutilation, view this heartbreaking video or visit FORWARD.

Don't miss the chance to chat with Rita Williams-Garcia this Thursday, February 12th at the readergirlz forum, 6 PM PST/9 PM EST. The chat will last for about an hour. Check out these fascinating tidbits about this award-winning author from the readergirlz February issue:

On the nightstand: 2 pairs of glasses, phone, Bible.

Pets: I'm grandma to Chase, my daughter's German Shepherd.

Place to write: Any outdoor bench under the sun.

Inspiration: Fried catfish, nachos with cheese. Can't write hungry.

Dream book tour: To all of the states with 75 degree weather.

Cure for writer's block: Hitting speed bag with boxing gloves

Laptop or longhand? Long-hand first. Then laptop.

Next up: JUMPED. A knows B will jump C by the end of the day. Alas, if only A cared or C knew.

Here are four recent YA novels (not memoir) featuring Muslim protagonists, the first two set in the western world, the second two taking place overseas:

Mark your calendars now because we're hosting a bundle of fantastic authors at readergirlz to celebrate YALSA'S Teen Read Week.

Monday, Oct. 13: Multicultural Bites with authors Coe Booth (TYRELL), An Na (THE FOLD), and rgz diva Mitali Perkins (SECRET KEEPER)

Tuesday, Oct. 14: Verse Bites with rgz diva Lorie Ann Grover (ON POINTE), Stephanie Hemphill (YOUR OWN SYLVIA), and Lisa Ann Sandell (SONG OF THE SPARROW)

Wednesday, Oct. 15: Contemporary Bites with Ally Carter (CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY), rgz diva Justina Chen Headley (NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL), and Maureen Johnson (SUITE SCARLETT)

Thursday, Oct. 16: Fantasy Bites with Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (THE GOOD NEIGHBORS), rgz diva Dia Calhoun (AVIELLE OF RHIA), and Tamora Pierce (MELTING STONES)

Friday, Oct. 17: Gothic Bites with Holly Cupala (A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT), Christopher Golden (SOULLESS), Annette Curtis Klause (BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE), and Mari Mancusi (BOYS THAT BITE).

During the month of September at readergirlz, we've been spending time with the one and only Paula Yoo, screenwriter, musician, and talented novelist -- a true renaissance woman. Her acclaimed new novel GOOD ENOUGH is about Patti Yoon, a talented musician who's stressing out about college applications and falling in love at the same time.

Teens, authors, divas, and other fans had a chance to ask Paula questions during her hourlong rgz Live! chat at the forum. I know you'll enjoy her honest, bubbly, and often hilarious answers, remembering that her fingers were flying because she was answering in real time:

Q. Do you prefer novel writing or screenwriting better? What do you like best about each one? What’s the most challenging thing about each one?

I would say novels and screenplays are like apples and oranges. They’re sooo different in terms of storytelling. Right off the bat, I would say I love novels the best, period. I was always planning to be a novelist and accidentally fell into screenwriting because my personality fit into this industry/business (you have to be talkative, brave, and very outgoing and able to think on your feet and have a thick skin in the TV world). So that took care of my loneliness as a novelist because book writing is very solitary.

But if I had to choose, hands down I would say I would prefer to write books only. But I do like screenwriting for the fun collaborative effort -- it’s amazing to see how set designers, prop artists, actors, clothing designers, lighting etc. -- how they all read your script and interpret it with their props/costumes/locations etc. And I think screenwriting is fun because it’s great training to make you think more about how to plot storylines and make sure the story beats are logical and compelling.

All that sort of feeds into my novel writing because novels are more loosely structured, so my TV training has helped me outline my novel plots better. And my novel writing is always more about language and voice, so that helps me when I try to create memorable TV characters and to make sure the dialogue is not cliched, etc.

Q. Which came first -- screenwriting or novel writing?

I did novels first. I accidentally fell into screenwriting in 2001 -- a friend of mine who was a writer for the show PROVIDENCE on NBC suggested I try out for the Warner Brothers drama TV writing workshop because I used to be a journalist and was writing novels/short stories. She thought my fiction talents and my ability to write on deadline would make me the perfect TV writer which combines both skills.

So my husband and I were on a camping trip up north (redwoods of california area) and I handwrote an episode of the show ANGEL. It was about a demonic possessed violin! hahahaha. I then typed it up and sent it to the workshop. To my surprise, six months later, they called me and said I was accepted into their 5 week workshop. After the five weeks were up, I got signed to an agent and landed my first job immediately on THE WEST WING and I’ve been a TV writer ever since. This is not the usual way into this industry, so I was very lucky!

Q. How is the creative process when you’re working on a piece of music different from the process of writing?

Musically, I’m mostly either playing music that was already written (classical stuff) or creating new music based on an existing song (i.e. I don’t write my own music, but I will improv solos with rock bands who have written their own music). So when I write music, it’s usually riffing off an existing melody.

Approach wise, I would say the similarities are this: In music, you have to phrase a line properly - it has to make sense music theory wise and also you have to interpret what the composer meant by their dynamic markings etc. and how the line of music organically works in the rest of the context of the whole piece. Aieeee, this is getting academic, sorry. Anyway, there are a billion ways to play the opening line of the Mendelssohn. So you have to decide what way you want to play it and WHY you’re expressing the music that way - it’s showing YOUR interpretation etc.

In writing, there are a billion ways to write, "Patti went to the store to buy some bread." You have to think of style, voice, character, motivation. All that is how I approach music, too. So the sentence "Patti went to the store to buy some bread" could change to, "Patti trudged along the cracked concrete, clutching a crumpled dollar bill she had found on the street, desperately hoping the store would have at least one loaf of bread left so she could feed her family of four for the week." HAHAHAHA. Or you could write, "I can’t stand grocery shopping with my mom. It’s so boring. Why does she buy so much bread? We never finish the stuff. It goes stale and moldy in like two days. Why can’t we just get a box of mac and cheese and call it a day?"

So anyway, I hope this sort of explains how I approach writing music and writing writing (LOL) - it’s all about the interpretation!

Q. Did the characters for GOOD ENOUGH just pop into your head and create themselves? And do they talk to you in your head, or do you just know what they'd say?

The characters popped up immediately. Here’s how GOOD ENOUGH got written. I was on a TV show that had really low ratings, so the network decided to lay off the lower level writers (myself, another staff writer and a story editor) in order to hire three more executive producers. I was without a job, unemployed for the rest of the year, and depressed as heck.

My husband said, "Why not take advantage of the free time to write that novel?" So I sat down and wrote the first chapter of GOOD ENOUGH. I ended up writing until 4 a.m. So for the next five weeks (May to early June) I wrote from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. every single day for five straight weeks in a row. I think I took two showers. LOL.

I cried when I wrote the last sentence of page 300. The first and last chapters are exactly the same from that first draft. I sent it to my agent and he sold it in three weeks. It was the first novel to sell - my other novel attempts had gotten "good" rejections (i.e. the "this is really good but not for us" type rejections). This was the first time I wrote from my heart and wrote about my own life, and the whole adage of "write what you know" rings emotionally true. So that’s how it happened. I normally don’t write this way but I think this book was special.

I can "hear" what my characters will say. It’s sort of a subconscious thing, I think. Also, sometimes it’s more practical -- I will ask myself, "Would Patti/whatever character really react that way? Does that fit consistently with her character?" For example, if I had a shy character, why would she suddenly be sarcastic? And so on. So sometimes it’s a gut level instinctual writing moment, and other times it’s literally thinking about the logic of it all.

Q. What are your writing rituals?

When I’m just brainstorming fun ideas, like, "I wanna write a middle grade novel with a boy character. What should it be about?" etc., I grab my trusty old fashioned composition notebook (and lately it’s been those trendy moleskin notebooks you get from Barnes and Noble), my favorite pens, my new iPhone, my iPod, and I head to a cafe or Starbucks or a coffeehouse and I curl up and doodle for a couple hours and read books and drink a hot chai tea latte with a snickerdoodle, my writing snacks.

Then I come home and type everything up in a coherent "treatment" where I take my scrawls, like for example (I’m making this up on the spot), like let’s say I scrawl in my notebook, "12 year old boy vampire with bratty sister" LOL then in my computer, I’ll write a one page synopsis of what that boy would do based on my notebook scrawls, but I would write in complete sentences and try to make it almost look like a pitch or query letter I would show my agent.

It’s just a great way to practice how to pitch your stories.

When I’m really writing, like writing GOOD ENOUGH or whatever, I stay at home. I usually have my tea (I’m really into yerba matte and drink it with a bombilla like the proper Argentinians do) and a scone or little pastry, I surf the web and answer emails and try to get all my To Do list stuff done first (like paying bills, errands etc.) and then I reward myself by 11 a.m. or noon with some lunch and watching Giada De Laurentiis on Food TV and then I really try to write by 1 p.m. Eventually, by 5 p.m. when I realize I’ve gotten nothing done, I make dinner, watch my favorite TV shows, and then around 10 p.m. start writing and usually that’s when out of nowhere, I write 3000 words. And I go to bed between midnight and 2 a.m.

This is if I am not working on a TV show at the time. If I’m working on a TV show, then I skip all the 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. stuff because I’m at work, and then I just write at 10 p.m. onwards. or whenever I get home from work. :)

I also have a jar of grey poupon mustard (cleaned out) with a giant red ribbon inside. This was a gift from my friend Greg who created my website because one day I called him, upset because someone had given me a mean critique of my work, and I felt frustrated that I had lost my "mojo" so he made that for me and said it was my "mojo."

So when I’m frustrated or blocked, I will open up that little jar and take out the red ribbon and wave it around over my computer. Seriously! It totally works!

Q. Can you read when you’re writing (well, not simultaneously, of course!)?

Sometimes I will take a break from writing and read. Sometimes I read books I’m researching that are similar to a topic I’m writing, or I’ll re-read a classic book for inspiration or because I want to study the tone/language etc. I tend to read a bit before I write, it’s like a warm up for my brain. I think you can’t be a writer unless you read all the time. Right now, I’m trying to turn this cute picture book poem about a mouse into a middle grade novel, like Edward Tulane or Velveteen rabbit style, so I’ve been re-reading CHARLOTTE'S WEB for inspiration because his language is so spare and evocative.

Q. What are some YA books you wish you had written?

I wish I had written CHARLOTTE'S WEB even though it’s not YA. Same with BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA and TUCK EVERLASTING. More contemporary YA stuff - I read ELSEWHERE and was furious I hadn’t written that book! hahahahahaha! I looooooooved that book!

I really loved WHEN SHE WAS GOOD by Norma Fox Mazer, I thought INEXCUSABLE was really riveting, I loved WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND but that’s now considered middle grade, right? Believe it or not, I think FREAKY FRIDAY the original novel is hilarious and original, and I looooved SPEAK.

Q. What are you writing next?

I had to write a one-act play for my TV agents to use as a writing sample to hopefully get me staffed on another TV show soon. Bookwise, I am working on a new YA novel and have started outlining an idea for a middle grade series as well as my hopeful cute mouse novel. :)

If you were part of the chat, you know the fast and furious writing that comes from Ms. Yoo's keyboard, so we're expecting many more great reads inspired by the Mojo Jar. In October we're hosting author Rachel Cohn featuring (the movie's coming out, people, so what else?) the novel NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST. Stay tuned for more ...

Want to get the scoop on the NYT bestseller 13 REASONS WHY? Discuss the book, the path to publication, and the aftermath of success with the author himself.

Jay Asher (a.k.a. Disco Mermaid) will be chatting live at the readergirlz forum today, Thursday, July 24th, at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST. The chat will last for about an hour, and you don't even need to have read the book to join in. Check out the latest readergirlz issue, and we'll see you at the forum!

This summer I'm sharing a series of ten questions which I encourage readers and educators to ask about a book. (BTW, I'll be offering my BOOKS BETWEEN CULTURES presentation at YALSA's YA Lit Symposium, where we'll be discussing these questions and more.)

Question Three: Do the illustrations or cover art make the characters seem either more or less foreign than depicted in the story?


Nowhere in Cynthia Kadohata's book WEEDFLOWER does Sumiko wear a kimono. Why did the publisher feel they had to make her look more Japanese than American, especially when a girl in jeans behind barbed wire would be more historically accurate and powerful?

And listen to Ursula LeGuin's perspective before considering the advance release copy of her novel POWERS (cover art below to the left), which the publisher eventually changed to reflect the protagonist's Himalayan ancestry:

The characters are white. Even when they aren’t white in the text, they are white on the cover. I know, you don't have to tell me about sales! I have fought many cover departments on this issue, and mostly lost. But please consider that "what sells" or "doesn't sell" can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If black kids, Hispanics, Indians both Eastern and Western, don't buy fantasy -- which they mostly don’t -- could it be because they never see themselves on the cover?

One of my indulgences during time away from the Fire Escape is voracious reading. I finally had the chance to devour NEVER LET ME GO by British author Kazuo Ishiguro, a gripping novel about cloning that was honored by YALSA with an Alex Award (given to "adult books that will appeal to young adult readers.")

I've enjoyed a few of Ishiguro's other novels, relishing the author's mastery of understatement and his description of non-verbals. I've also marveled that as an Asian-born immigrant writer, Ishiguro has managed to escape being classified as such. Are Brit writers given more freedom than Americans to create protagonists of many ethnicities, I've wondered?

Ishiguro himself has said he doesn't write at all like Japanese novelists. In an interview with Allan Vorda and Kim Herzinger ("Stuck on the Margins: An Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro," FACE TO FACE: INTERVIEWS WITH CONTEMPORARY NOVELISTS), Ishiguro said, "if I wrote under a pseudonym and got somebody else to pose for my jacket photographs, I'm sure nobody would think of saying, 'This guy reminds me of that Japanese writer.'"

After reading NEVER LET ME GO, which like THE REMAINS OF THE DAY features no Japanese characters, I found myself wondering how much Ishiguro's first five years in Japan informed his writing.

A theme in both novels is the stultifying power of duty. As a public-school educated Brit, Ishiguro is definitely challenging the unquestioning obedience of the oppressed in British history. His grasp of how honor can blind us to injustice, however, also reminds me of how Japanese culture can be caricatured.

Here's my question: did a life between cultures enhance the ability to see how duty can dull our humanity, perhaps giving Ishiguro a double-edged advantage when it comes to writing this theme?

Read Margaret Atwood's review of NEVER LET ME GO in Slate.

We're talking about NYT bestseller 13 REASONS WHY on readergirlz this month, and welcoming author Jay Asher.  Here are a few things you might not know about Jay:

Ypulse.com, a rich online resource and one of my regular must-read blogs, was founded by Anastasia Goodstein, author of TOTALLY WIRED and nationally renowned expert on American tweens, teens and early twentysomethings.

Yesterday Ypulse.com announced the launch of Ypulse Books, a blog and newsletter that covers books for children and young adults, providing insight on what children and young adults read, the latest trends in how books are marketed to youth, and efforts to increase youth literacy.

And if you're planning to be in the Bay Area on July 14th, don't miss the Ypulse Books/Publishing Preconference at the 2008 Ypulse National Mashup conference.

"For a lot of us, we eat, sleep, and breath, young adult literature, but we know it's changing every day," said Alli Decker, Editor of Ypulse Books. "It will be so exciting to exchange information, resources and especially ideas about the new developments on the YA horizon."

Thanks to a tip via the YALSA listserv and a quiet weekend, I visited the POC (People of Color) Carnival of YA Lit and followed the links there. (I'm sure how I feel about the label "People of Color," but that's for another day.)

Get yourself to the carnival, friends -- it's your gateway to thought-provoking posts about Jacob Black, the Quileute character in Stephenie Meyer's vampire novels, "beauty" thanks to Disney princesses, and how race can disappear when a story travels from book to screen.

Dad and I have always been tight. He taught me how to relish a habanero chili, hit a topspin lob, and tease Mom without getting in trouble. In my book Rickshaw Girl, one of the easiest parts to write was Naima's sweet relationship with her father.  

In honor of Dad and all the other fathers about to eat burned toast in bed on June 15th, here's a baker's dozen of books featuring the special relationship between fathers and daughters, ranging from picture books to middle readers to books for young adults.  Thanks for your suggestions, and feel free to add more titles in the comments below.

PICTURE BOOKS

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems. Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind.

A Place To Grow by Soyung Pak.  As a father and daughter work together in their garden, he explains what a seed needs to flourish and the reasons their family immigrated to a new country--looking for hope, like sunlight, and peace, like good earth.

Night Shift Daddy by Eileen Spinelli. When the narrator of this rhyming story is sleepy, her daddy reads to her, tucks her in, and switches off the light. Then he goes to work on the night shift. When he returns, the next morning, the same bedtime routine is repeated--but this time the daughter puts Daddy to bed.

Don't Let Go! by Jeanne Willis. Megan is nervous about learning to ride her bike. What if the bike goes too fast and she falls? Daddy is patient and encouraging, letting her know she can wait until she's ready. And then it's time -- Daddy lets go and Megan is off. Now Daddy is the nervous one. What if Megan doesn't come back?

My Father's Hands by Joanne Ryder. A father working in his garden finds a delicate worm, a beetle in shining armor, and a leaf-green mantis and shares these treasures with his daughter.

Visiting Day by Jacqueline Woodson. As a little girl and her grandmother get ready for visiting day, her father, who adores her, is getting ready, too. The community of families who take the long bus ride upstate to visit loved ones comfort each other.

TWEEN BOOKS

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket -- and comes out with a dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive.

Hugging the Rock by Susan Taylor Brown. When her mom runs away from home, Rachel is left behind with her father and many questions she cannot answer. Over time, she learns the truth about her mom. But, it's only when she learns the truth about her dad, the rock -- always there for her to lean on--that Rachel can move toward understanding.

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban. Ten-year-old Zoe Elias has perfect piano dreams. She can practically feel the keys under her flying fingers; she can hear the audience's applause. All she needs is a baby grand so she can start her lessons, and then she'll be well on her way to Carnegie Hall. But when Dad -- who is scared to leave the house -- ventures to the music store and ends up with a wheezy organ instead of a piano, Zoe's dreams hit a sour note.

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate, and "father" her kittens.

TEEN BOOKS

Squashed by Joan Bauer. As sixteen-year-old Ellie pursues her two goals--growing the biggest pumpkin in Iowa and losing twenty pounds herself--she strengthens her relationship with her father and meets a young man with interests similar to her own.

Midnight Hour Encores by Bruce Brooks. When Sib asks her Dad to take her to meet her mother for the first time, she knows it might mean breaking away from the man who has raised her. Yet as she and her dad wind their way across the country to San Francisco, Sib learns more about the man she thought she knew, and finds out it's not simply her music that makes her special, but also the love from the parent she might have to leave behind.

Going for the Record by Julie Swanson. Seventeen-year-old Leah Weiczynkowski, about to begin her senior year of high school, is on the brink of realizing her dream — playing soccer for the under-eighteen national team, her gateway to the World Cup and the Olympics. She can't wait to tell her dad, her biggest fan and faithful chauffeur to games and practices. Unfortunately, her dad has news of his own. And it's not good.

EXTRAS

I only gave myself room to offer a baker's dozen in the original post, but I'll add additional titles suggested by Fire Escape visitors as I receive them. Here they are: 

• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (Picture Book)
  
• Monkey Soup by Louis Sachar (Picture Book)
• Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban (Picture Book)
  
• The Summer Night by Charlotte Zolotow (Picture Book)
  
• Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik (Easy Reader)
  
• Ramona And Her Father by Beverly Cleary (Tween)
  
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (Tween)
  
• Beige by Cecil Castelluci (Teen)

And here's one last bonus -- a grownup non-fiction book showcasing the bond between dads and daughters:

Daughters of Men: Portraits of African-American Women and Their Fathers. Author Rachel Vassel has compiled dozens of photographs and personal essays about African-American women and their fathers. Whether it's a father who mentors his daughter's artistic eye by taking her to cultural events or one who unwaveringly supports a risky career move, the fathers in this book each had his own unique and successful style of parenting. Daughters of Men provides an intimate look at black fatherhood and the many ways fathers have a lasting impact on their daughters' lives.

Sal Bose getting choked up as he watches
daughter Mitali during her television debut.
Photo taken by his grandson ... on the sly.

Chat live with author Shannon Hale (BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS) on the readergirlz forum tonight at 6 p.m. PDT and 9 p.m. EDT. The chat will last about an hour. Shannon has been her usual funny, articulate, and honest self as our featured author this month, so we're expecting a lively discussion. Next month we'll be talking all about PROM with Laurie Halse Anderson, so stay tuned ...

MAY FEATURE ON READERGIRLZ
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren's refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment. The arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors - one welcome, and the other decidedly less so - brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.

With Shannon Hale's lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes.

Download this month's poster.

Shannon Hale

Discuss the book with the author herself! Shannon Hale will be chatting live at the readergirlz forum on Thursday, May 22nd at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST.

The chat will last for about an hour.

All Sarah Dessen fans are invited to participate in the live readergirlz Lock and Key Sneak Peak Party with the author this Thursday 3/27 at 3 o'clock EDT. Prizes and giveaways abound, and Sarah's ready to answer questions and talk about her new book via readergirlz' MySpace site. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the chats. And check out this month's issue featuring Sarah.

Anybody catch Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew this week? The show is down to fifteen great dancers, including nine Asian Americans who are rocking Planet MTV. This type of fusion hip makes the embarrassment of William Hung a distant memory -- in fact Asian American teens today can hardly remember that American Idol contestant.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing is about to launch the first annual Simon Pulse Blogfest, a two-week event taking place March 14-27th, 2008. The event will bring together over one-hundred top teen authors and their fans to one online destination. Readers are submitting questions for the authors in advance via MySpace, and fourteen final questions will be selected -- one for each day of Blogfest. Simon & Schuster authors will answer the "question of the day," which will be posted on the Simon Pulse Blogfest. Teens will be able to post their own thoughts about the question and respond to the authors' answers.

Does this idea sound vaguely familiar? We at readergirlz realize imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and are thrilled that divas Lorie Ann Grover and Janet Lee Carey are participating, along with (deep breath) Kim Antieau, Marc Aronson, Avi, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Lauren Barnholdt, Hilari Bell, Phi Bildner, Franny Billingsley, Holly Black, Jennifer Bradbury, Kate Brian, Linda Buckley-Archer, Marina Budhos, Christian Burch, Deb Caletti, Cassandra Clare, Rachel Cohn, Rhody Cohon, Susan Cooper, Melissa de la Cruz, Stacia Deutsch, Allison van Diepen, Frances Dowell, Erin Downing, Sharon M. Draper, Kathleen Benner Duble, Kathleen Duey, Clare B. Dunkle, Jennifer Echols, Thomas Fahy, Susan Fletcher, E.R. Frank, Randi Hacker , Margaret Peterson Haddix, Pete Hautman, Julie Hearn, Nancy Holder, Ellen Hopkins, James Howe, Jeffry W. Johnston, Cynthia Kadohata, Ronald Kidd, Annette Curtis Klause , Chris Krovatin, Nancy Krulik, Evan Kuhlman, Dakota Lane, Hope Larson, Richard Lewis, Julie Linker, Greg Logsted, D. Anne Love, Whitney Lyles, D.J. MacHale, Eric Marcus, Amanda Marrone , Kelly McClymer, Lisa McMann, Kai Meyer, Annabel Monaghan, Kate Morgenroth , Sarah Mussi, Donna Jo Napoli, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Ken Oppel, James A. Owen, Bronwen Pardes, Staton Rabin, Randi Reisfeld, Ashley Rhodes-Courter, Paul Ruditis, Alex Sanchez, Elizabeth Scott, Gloria Skurzynski, Brian Sloan, Tom Sniegoski, Sonya Sones, Todd Strasser, Wendy Toliver, Roderick Townley, Kristen Tracy, Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Judy Waite, Robin Wasserman, Scott Westerfeld, Matt Whyman, Elisabeth Wolfe, Bil Wright, Janet Ruth Young.

As usual, I read like a deprived addict while on hiatus, which is otherwise known as basking on my favorite Kona beach. Here's the list, not in order of consumption and unexpurgated (a word I've always wanted to use):

Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (in honor of Anne's centennial) for the twentieth time
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Slam by Nick Hornby
Skylight Confessions by Alice Hoffman
Entertainment Weekly
People
Wired
Coastal Living
Christianity Today
Leadership
the Bible
my own manuscript, The Secret Keeper

A former writer for People magazine and the television series West Wing, Paula Yoo had never created an Asian character before penning her debut YA novel Good Enough (Harper Teen).

Here she is guest-blogging at YAYAYAs, explaining how the genre helped her to find her voice. She's the next-gen Asian American writer -- one who can succeed in creating stories within mainstream pop culture and yet also express the view from the margins, moving back and forth so fast the borders blur for all of us.

Teen Book Review hosts me with some great interview questions. This fantastic resource for candid takes on YA reads recently reviewed my novels First Daughter: White House Rules and First Daughter:Extreme American Makeover.

Here's a list of YA book trailers compiled by Jonathan Hunt of adbooks:

AIRMAN by Eoin Colfer

INTO THE WILD by Sarah Beth Durst

THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE by Liz Gallagher

LEONARDO'S SHADOW by Christopher Grey

GREETINGS FROM NOWHERE by Barbara O'Connor

FIRST DAUGHTER: WHITE HOUSE RULES by Mitali Perkins

I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME by Lisa Schroeder

MEGIDDO'S SHADOW by Arthur Slade

THE HARROWING by Alexandra Solokoff

PROJECT 17 by Laurie Stolarz

HALLOWMERE by Tiffany Trent

PARROTFISH by Ellen Wittlinger

Wonder how many of them, besides mine, were completely homemade and cost nothing. Well, at least you can compare the amateurs with the pros.

John Sellers of PW's Childrens Bookshelf recently compiled a list of books for kids of all ages related to the election in Children's Publishers Stuff The Ballot Box. I culled the list for tween and teen appropriate fiction (you'll notice a couple of familiar titles on the list if you're a Fire Escape regular):

... by authors who aren't white, or teen novels featuring female main characters who aren't of European descent.

I know how hard it is to promote a novel if you're not one of those "squeal factor" authors whose new release goes viral on pub date. That's why, wearing my Readergirlz Diva hat, I'm asking you to blast me with titles that may be off the radar but glitter with the possibility of word-of-mouth magic.

I'm talking books like Kashmira Sheth's amazing Keeping Corner, which got four starred reviews -- PW, Kirkus, SLJ, and Booklist -- but somehow missed the buzz during awards season.

Got another title like that? Bring it.