How to use this Page

Julie:  It can take a while for Mia and me to find a book we both love.  This is an obvious downside of our dialogue format for recommendations.  (A huge upside, for me anyway, is that it's far more fun to talk about a good book with a friend than to ramble on all by my lonesome.  But I digress.)  To fill those quiet intervals, we thought we might start sharing a bit of our process for identifying the books that we think have potential.  And so, here are some of my recent thoughts.  

I suggested HOKEY POKEY, by Jerry Spinelli, after reading this review by celebrity librarian Betsy Bird:  http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2013/01/14/review-of-the-day-hokey-pokey-by-jerry-spinelli/.  Bird admits that Spinelli's prior books have left her cold, then says that HOKEY POKEY is "one of the strongest works of children’s fiction I have ever had the sheer joy to encounter."  Surely that's worth a read!  So it's now on our list.

I also like teacher Monica Edinger's blog, "Educating Alice."  She recently posted this rave preview of an upcoming fantasy novel for young adults: "Even though MORTAL FIRE isn’t out till June I want to write about it now to get the word out as it is simply spectacular.  And to encourage those fantasy fans among you unfamiliar with Elizabeth Knox to go and read her two other also fabulous young adult books, DREAMHUNTER and DREAMQUAKE, the latter a Printz honor book."  http://medinger.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/coming-soonish-elizabeth-knoxs-mortal-fire/  And so I'm proposing to Mia, at this very moment, that we take a look at DREAMHUNTER.  Mia, what do you think?  

Finally, my younger daughter, Isabel, recently devoured the middle-grade novel SEE YOU AT HARRY'S, by Jo Knowles.  Maybe we should add that to our middle-grade list, Mia? Also, any suggestions to add?

Julie again:  Wait!  I've found more possibilities, before you've even had the chance to respond!  Take a look at this fabulous list from husband-wife uber-talents Philip and Erin Stead (seriously, those author-illustrators are jaw-droppingly good.  They’ve chosen "the books [from 2012] that meant something special to us at this point in our lives. These are books that challenged us to be better writers and illustrators."  Here's the link:  http://philipstead.com/2013/01/22/announcing-the-4th-annual-phildecott-and-steadbery-awards.   And here are some of the picture books from this list that intrigue me:  STEPHEN AND THE BEETLE, by Jorge Lujan; A TRIP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD WITH MOUSE, by Frank Viva; and BONE DOG.  Note, too, that Steve Sheinkin's BOMB (middle grade non-fiction) is showing up everywhere as a 2012 favorite, including this list.  Hmm.

And one more option!  I never read Nancy Farmer's HOUSE OF THE SCORPION, a 2004 science fiction novel for young teens, which won (get this!  how often does this happen?!) the National Book Award and the Newbery Honor and the Printz Honor.  Wow.  Seems worth reading, right?  Especially because the sequel is due out in September.  

That's it!  I think.  I make no promises.   

Marirosa Mia: Am I good to go? You sure? (waits a few minutes just in case)  I'm all for reading HOUSE OF THE SCORPION! I've been meaning to read it for a while. And I already have my copy of HOKEY POKEY on the way.  I'll make sure to add DREAMHUNTER to that mix, Julie!

Let's see. On my end I’m interested in reading TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG, which I looked up after a friend recommended it. The description is quite intriguing in that it doesn't say much! "Ned Henry shuttles between the 1940s and the 21st century while researching Coventry Cathedral for a patron interested in rebuilding it until the time continuum is disrupted." Time continuum disrupted? I'M THERE. Plus it feels a bit Terry Pratchett-like, so I'm intrigued.

I just got my copy of TELL THE WOLVES I'M HOME, and I can't wait to devour it soon. A few others I'm looking forward to are OUT OF THE EASY, by Ruta Sepetys, and PAPER VALENTINE, by Brenna Yovanoff.  I'm a fan of both of these ladies' work, so I can't wait for their latest.

J:  We're so set!  But, just because it’s raining children's book reading ideas right now, let me close by noting that School Library Journal's annual Battle of the Kids Books has begun!  Here's their list; we can check it against ours:  http://battleofthebooks.slj.com.  Oh, and by the way, my copy of DREAMHUNTER has arrived!  (Boy, was that fast.)  I might have to start with it, since Isabel has stolen HOKEY POKEY. 

Hey Everyone! Today Julie and I are part of a Blog Hop called “The Next Big Thing,” a way for writers to speak about their works-in-progress and spread the word about their fellow writers. Julie and I were tagged a couple of weeks ago by the lovely Jackie Resnick (you can read her post here) and were going to place our post up on Halloween, but Hurricane Sandy put a bit of a damper on our blogging. But now we are BACK and ready to answer questions.

Here we go:

What is the working title of your book?



Marirosa Mia: STONE GIRL is my working title at the moment, but I am TERRIBLE at thinking up titles. I thought of doing a little poetry/song research for some inspiration but have yet to find anything.

Julie:  LIKE BUG JUICE ON A BURGER, the sequel to my first book, LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE, is due out in April. 

Where did the idea come from for the book?



 M: Oh gosh. I started writing the piece about 3 years ago and put it away to continue working on another novel for my thesis, then a few months ago it found its way to me again. The idea first came to me like all my others:  A scene plays in my head over and over again like a movie. For this particular novel it was a house, decaying, and the lost girl inside it. I simply couldn’t get her and the house out of my head. 

J:  My first book, LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE, tells the story of a girl, Eleanor, whose longtime, beloved babysitter moves away.  For the first time, Eleanor is left by someone she loves.  For the sequel, I thought I’d write about Eleanor herself leaving loved ones (temporarily) for the first time.  LIKE BUG JUICE ON A BURGER thus tells the story of Eleanor’s first experience at sleepaway camp.

What genre does your book fall under?



M: Fantasy

J:  Realistic Fiction, for young middle-grade readers

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

 M: Uh. Ada is a strong, athletic, 20-something woman. She’s a bit like an owl, watching patterns and behavior; she trusts few but loyal to those she loves. She’s a bit like Jennifer Garner when she played Sidney Bristow in ALIAS. So maybe an unknown who shares that same strength.

J:  Bailee Madison might make a great Eleanor.  Should I confess that I’m most familiar with her work as a guest star on Wizards of Waverly Place?  (I have daughters!  Disney shows are unavoidable!)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?



 M: Cursed by a witch, a young girl is unable to step outside the confines of her home without turning to stone; her relationships, her loves exists through the bars of her confinement.

J:  Nine-year-old Eleanor attends sleepaway camp for the first time and is not a happy camper.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?



 M: Once it’s finished I hope to send out query letters to agents.

J:  I’m represented by Rosemary Stimola of the Stimola Literary Studio; Abrams Books will publish BUG JUICE.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?


 M: Still writing it. And I just joined NaNoWriMo (friend me if you are doing it as well) so I’m hoping it will help me finished a good full rough draft of it.

J:  The first draft took about three months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

 M: It definitely has a fairytale vibe. A bit of Robin McKinley perhaps. Clearly I’m terrible at this.

J: IVY AND BEAN, by Annie Barrows; CLEMENTINE, by Sara Pennypacker

Who or what inspired you to write this book?



 M: You know how it is, when characters simply won’t leave your head until they are written down.

J:  My younger daughter suffered from intense homesickness during her first summer at sleepaway camp.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

M: There’s a bit of a tortured romance in there. John who has just came back from the war (World War I) and he can’t seem to connect with anything from his old life finds a flame of hope in Ada.

J:  The illustrator for PICKLE JUICE, Matthew Cordell, is also working on BUG JUICE and is doing a terrific job.  His sketches make me laugh every time I flip through them. 

Thank you so much for reading about our work! 

Marirosa Mia: This past weekend Julie and I had the honor of attending KidLitCon 2012! Julie attended the Pre-Conference on Friday, September 27th and I attended the Saturday events. And though I grumbled through my subway ride over (waking at 8 AM on a Saturday should not be allowed) to the New York Public Library (what a beaut!), once I was there I was in full swing. Particularly since I couldn't attend the full day's events due to prior commitments, I was determined to acquire all the information I could. Strangely enough the two panels I was slotted into discussed reader participation; what I learned most from those panels was that comments don't always signify participation. Meaning, just because only three people leave comments doesn't mean your readers aren't engaged. I'm afraid I'm guilty of this: I follow dozens of blogs and don't post a single comment! But that doesn't mean I'm not engaged by the content. What about you, Julie? What pearls of wisdom did you glean from the Con?

Julie:  I attended fabulous sessions at both Holiday House and Penguin Young Readers Group.  At Holiday House, among many other treats, we saw spreads from picture books coming out in the spring.  What terrifically talented illustrators they've lined up!  

The upcoming Holiday House picture book I'm most excited to read is THE FRAZZLE FAMILY FINDS A WAY, by Ann Bonwill, with illustrations by Stephen Gammell.  Here are my notes (please keep in mind that there was quite a lot of information flying at us, fast):  "Story of crazy family.  Mom forgets to comb her hair; Dad forgets to put on pants.  Energetic, very fun art."  A mom who neglects to comb her hair!  Can I ever relate!  Fortunately, I haven't yet forgotten to put on pants.  But I do fear it's within the realm of possibility.  Anyway, I'm keeping an eye out for that book.  We also heard from the lovely Betsy and Ted Lewin about their upcoming, beautiful and simply worded I Like to Read books. 

We had a guest author at Penguin as well:  the vivacious Gayle Forman, bestselling author of the young adult hits IF I STAY and WHERE SHE WENT.  It was immensely helpful to hear her tales of books she has written and then stored permanently away in a drawer.  It's easier to think about my drawered books, now knowing about hers.  She also has a new book on Penguin's list:  JUST ONE DAY.  Ruta Sepetys, author of BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY, which Mia reviewed for us, does as well:  OUT OF THE EASY.  I'm excited to read both.  

Penguin in fact has a slew of exciting books, much like Holiday House.  Mia, have you worked on any?  Would you like to put in a good word?  

M: I'm currently working on OUT OF THE EASY, which I hope you like, Julie! It's very different from BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY but still a fantastic read. Haven't read JUST ONE DAY yet, but I'm a big Gayle Forman fan so I can't wait to read it. Now a question to our lovely readers out there. Did any of you attend KidLitCon? What new books are you excited to finally get your hands on? 

Julie:  Libba Bray, fantastically successful author of books for young adults, recently wrote this list for Publisher's Weekly of books she loves:  Books I love: Libba Bray.  So worth a look!  I've already ordered RATS SAW GOD and THE BOYS OF MY YOUTH.  Oh boy!  It's a little odd, how excited I get by promising book recommendations.  

Marirosa Mia:  Hello everyone! The lovely writers over at The Veille (an online writing community for writers/painters/etc.) have been kind enough to feature an excerpt of my current novel On Duarte Street along with my sister's awesome illustrations! This is still a work in progress, so it's nice to get a little encouragement from my fellow writers.

Click here and take a look if you have a moment!

Sorry, neither of us can be reached right now.

Too engrossed in R J Palacio's terrific middle grade novel, WONDER.

Full review soon...

I really don't have any excuse for not posting about this sooner. Yes, I could say I was swamped with reading manuscripts that won't be coming out for another year while working on my own books, reading for this blog, and working in my writing group...but really. I have no excuse.

The lovely people over at Verbal Pyrotechnics featured an excerpt of my John Hughes-esque novel PROM (not the final title, I promise) in their second issue.

Nice news for LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE!  

The Texas Bluebonnet Award has chosen it for their 2012 Master List.  The complete list is only 20 titles, all aimed at students in grades 3-6.  Hurray!!  There will be a winner announced in 2012.  

For more information, check out http://www.txla.org/TBA. 

Julie:  I've been spending a little too much time lately scrolling through the gorgeous reimaginings of classic children's book covers at this new site:  http://uncoveredcoverart.wordpress.com.  I can't decide which ones I like best!  There are some gorgeous Alice in Wonderlands, a handful of funny Princess in the Peas, and a few deliciously dark Red Riding Hoods.  One goal of the site is to introduce fresh talent to children's book publishers.  These artists sure seem talented to me!  What do you think, Mia?  

Marirosa Mia: I love, love, love this site, Julie. I can't get enough of the Where the Wild Things Are reimagining and I want more please! And you know I'll be sharing this site with my fellow publishers! Thanks for sharing this site with me, Julie! It's really a find. 

Happy news!  LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE has been named a 2011 ABC New Voices Selection! Here's what the Association of Booksellers for Children's Group at the American Booksellers Association has to say about the distinction: 

"Over the last two months a dedicated committee of 14 independent children's booksellers from around the country, chaired by Cathy Berner of Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston with the assistance of Carolyn Bennett of the ABA staff, has been reading and discussing over 160 books submitted by a wide range of publishers with the goal of choosing 20 titles --- 10 Middle Grade and 10 Young Adult --- written by outstanding first-time authors.  Committee members came from stores both large and small, and represented all areas of the country.  The one thing they had in common was a passion for good reads and a keen eye for great new works.  

...

Over the years, the ABC New Voices Project has helped to introduce debut authors to young readers, parents, and teachers, with the assurance that the titles have been thoughtfully and thoroughly vetted by independent booksellers.  Past lists have included titles that have gone on to become national bestsellers as well as award winners."  

Isn't this nice?!

Guess what, trusty readers?

Our very own Julie Sternberg will be part of the Great Middle Grade Reads at Books of Wonder (NYC) this Saturday May 21st from 12-2pm!

She'll be there chatting about her lovely book LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE along with other middle grade authors.
Be sure to stop by if you are in the neighborhood.

It took us a while, but we finally made
a Please Don't Read This Book page on Facebook.
Please check it out below and be sure to LIKE it, if in fact you do.

The Creative Director of Abrams Books, Chad Beckerman, has a terrific blog where he sometimes discusses the evolution of book covers that he's worked on.  I've always loved those posts--and now there's one for LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE!  Please check it out:  http://cwdesigner.blogspot.com/2010/11/evolution-of-like-pickle-juice-on.html.  Pay special attention to the list of titles that were considered; some of them really made me laugh.

Diana Wynne Jones
1934-2011
A gifted writer with a wicked wit.
She will be truly missed.

Off to re-read HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE now.

 ***

“When I first started getting work published, I used to have wistful thoughts at the way all important awards were given to men. Women, I used to think, could be as innovative, imaginative and productive as possible - and women were the ones mostly at work in the field of fantasy for children and young adults - but only let a man enter the field, and people instantly regarded what he had to say and what he did as more Important. He got respectful reviews as well as awards, even if what he was doing - which it often was - was imitating the women. But you have changed all that. Thank you for being so enlightened."

– DWJ On November 3rd 2007 upon receiving the World Fantasy Association Lifetime Acheivement Award. Full speech here. 

It's official!  LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE is out!  Take a look at this fantastic Happy Birthday to Pickle post by illustrator Matt Cordell, which includes some scenes from the book: http://matthewcordell.blogspot.com/2011/03/happy-b-day-pickle.html

And here are excerpts from the lovely reviews we've been getting:  

"Sternberg hits all the right notes here, capturing a sensitive kid’s first experience of loss with tender respectfulness and full acknowledgment that separation is a bereavement too. Eleanor’s narration … is heartfelt, accessible, and energetic."  -The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"This first novel is a promising debut." –Kirkus Reviews 

"[PICKLE JUICE] tells a simple, poignant story that will resonate with any child who has ever had to say good-bye." –Booklist 

“No less resonant for its simplicity and accessibility, Eleanor's ingenuous free-verse monologue should strike a chord with readers... Eleanor's gradual warming to her new sitter is affectingly narrated, and Cordell's halftone cartoons convey thestory's pathos and humor, as well as Eleanor's changeable moods." -Publishers Weekly  

And PICKLE JUICE was selected for the Spring 2011 Indie Next List (recommendations from IndieBound, a national group of independent booksellers)!  Here's the review that accompanies their recommendation:  “This little gem hits all the right notes on the subject of change in the life of a child. Eleanor’s voice is true to life, without any of the sarcasm we hear so often. If only we all had such understanding people in our lives! The illustrations by Matthew Cordell add the perfect touch.” —Indie Next List, Candice Foster, Bayou Book Company, Niceville, FL

What a happy day!  

Let's face it:  Book trailers aren't easy to do right.  Small budgets.  Tough decisions (for example, actors or animation?).  And, the biggest issue:  It's a trailer for a *book.*

Which, really, is just kinda weird, right?

 But once in a while someone makes a fun and quirky book trailer that makes you smile.

One that's so well made that, heck!

It actually makes you want to read the book.

 This is one such trailer. It's for Adam Gidwitz's A TALE DARK AND GRIMM.

 Check it out!

It's on, guys! School and Library Journal's Battle of the Books!

Take a look at the contenders below:

1. AS EASY AS FALLING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH by Lynn Rae Perkins
2. THE CARDTURNER by Louis Sachar
3. A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS by Megan Whalen Turner
4. COUNTDOWN by Deborah Wiles
5. THE DREAMER by Pam Munoz Ryan
6. THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BARBIE by Tanya Lee Stone
7. HEREVILLE: HOW MIRKA GOT HER SWORD by Barry Deutsch
8. KEEPER by Kathi Appelt
9. THE ODYSSEY by Gareth Hinds
10. ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia
11. THE RING OF SOLOMON by Jonathan Stroud
12. SUGAR CHANGED THE WORLD by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos
13. A TALE DARK AND GRIMM by Adam Gidwitz
14. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE K.K.K. by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
15. TRASH by Andy Mulligan
16. WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan

I don't know about you but I'm rooting for a couple of these!

For more information visit the official Battle of the Books site. 

Julie:  Here it is!  The final version of the cover for my very first book, which is coming out in March.  I have to confess that I was nervous about the cover before I saw any drafts.  After pouring so much into a book, it would have been very, very sad to dislike the cover.  But I don't dislike it!  Far from it!  I love it! Many thanks to everyone at Abrams who helped with the design, and to the very talented illustrator, Matthew Cordell.  More updates to come!  

(Image from http://csubannedbooks.pbworks.com/)

It's Banned Books Week!!! Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  So go pick one up! A few you might enjoy:  CATCHER IN THE RYE (obscene); the Harry Potter series (witchcraft); LORD OF THE FLIES (misuse of a pig's head...kidding).

For more information on Banned Books Week, check out these websites:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/