“What is citizen science, anyway?” So begins this journey into the surprising world of science for everyone, everywhere. Part job description, part nature study, and part beginner field guide, Citizen Scientists invites readers of all ages to think of themselves as scientists, encouraging them to begin by tagging butterflies, counting birds, identifying frogs, and hunting ladybugs…
It’s here! It’s finally here! My newest book for young readers, Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard will be published on February 14, 2012. Photographer Ellen Harasimowicz and I will be launching the book in two public events, one at her local library and one at mine. In keeping with the books outdoorsy nature, and in celebration of the amphibians that star in chapter three (“Frogging in Spring”), we’re holding these events on Leap Day, February 29, 2012.
We’ll share the people and places that helped us create the book in a short, all-ages presentation. A book sale and signing will follow. Here are the details:
Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 1:30pm
Harvard Public Library
4 Pond Road
Harvard, MA
Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 6pm
Beaman Memorial Public Library
8 Newton Street
West Boylston, MA
Please feel free to help us spread the word by sharing a link to this post. And if your free, we hope you’ll come and help us celebrate!
Hi Pageturn readers,
Just like most professional book pushers, whenever I travel to a new locale, the first place I visit is the public library. For most librarians, it’s almost like a homing device: “Must. See. Stacks.” So when my husband and I visited relatives in Gothenburg, Sweden this summer, I made a beeline straight to the Gothenburg Public Library. And I’m so glad I did, because it was an absolute inspiration to see the dazzling space allotted to kids and teens. Here I am in the entrance to the youth area. I was seriously digging that cool blue dragon sign. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let me bring it home with me. Shoot. It would have looked so good in our picture book room!
It was also very fun to get to see some of my favorite titles in Swedish. I got such a kick out of seeing “The Deluxe” series on the shelves in the youth area. Apparently the title gets an extra syllable in Swedish!
But the piece de resistance had to be the teen room downstairs. Filled with cozy couches, colorful paperbacks (including many adult titles) and entire wall of gaming devices and screens, this was a teenage dream that even Katy Perry would approve of. The full wall of windows opened out into a pretty green courtyard, where teens could go to mingle or chat on their cells.
Here’s the stage (for open mic events) and gaming area. Teens can check out gaming consoles and devices for use in the teen area just
like books. I was super impressed with how much room was provided for teens for digital recreation, a clear indication that this library values their teen patrons and understands their importance to the library’s future success. During a time when public library, and especially teen services, are being cut all over the United States, it was both thrilling and sad to see such a wonderful space being offered to teens that was so respectful of their needs and sensibilities.
On a practical note, I was also geeked out by the beautifully designed library shelving carts. “Gorgeous” isn’t usually a word you use
to describe a book truck, but doesn’t it fit this one perfectly? This is one of the ways you know you are a born librarian—when you get wistful over well-designed library accessories.
I'll be visiting a couple of Maricopa County Libraries on Tuesday, Aug 2nd. If you're in Waddell or Surprise, come out and see me! These two are open to the public:
11:00 AM
White Tank Library
20304 W White Tank Mountain Rd
Waddell, Arizona 85355
2:00 PM
Northwest Regional Library
16089 N. Bullard Avenue
Surprise, AZ 85374
Also, don't miss the awesome launch party for THE UNWANTEDS at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ, Tuesday, August 30th, 7pm.
Check my tour page for my Aug/Sept/October schedule! Special gifts to those who come to signings. (Link to tour page above)
Dave Richardson and I are doing a talk for writers and illustrators at Kenton County Library next Saturday.
Here is the description:
"Writer Dave Richardson and illustrator Christina Wald will lend their expertise to help those who are looking to publish work for children's books or publications. Discussions will cover topics such as writing for children's magazines, marketing your illustrations traditionally and online, and an overview of the process of illustrating a children's book from start to finish. Registration is required as space is limited."
Location: Mary Ann Mongan Library, 502 Scott Boulevard, Covington
Hope to see some of you there!
It's official: Liz over at FlirtyGirl is the Empress of all things Interactive. Check out her blog post about all of the fun goings-on we have planned for the launch of the second novel in the Bradford series, Fashionista, and watch the Bradford 2 trailer, if you've got a moment for some fun, scandalicious procrastination on this fine Friday morning.
Right now I'm in my parents' house. Mom and I are heading back to Stone Hearth after lunch to enjoy a weekend with some friends and pets, but currently I'm recuperating from a fab author visit to my hometown library last night! Dave and I had a great time talking So Punk Rock with teens, librarians, and parents, and we worked in some Brad-chat, as well.
Living in the information age means that even when I'm sequestered away on deadline lockdown, as I am this month, I'm always connected to other writers and readers, but it's actually pretty rare that I meet teens face to face. Seeing middle school girls getting as excited about books as I always did is beyond rewarding. Now I get to bask in the post-human contact glow all weekend long.
What are YOUR plans for weekend relaxation?
You may have noticed that I have been derelict in my posting duties of late. But I have a good reason! I came home last Thursday from my summer VCFA residency...and immediately came down with the flu. Ick.
Four days, countless tissues, and one season of Buffy DVDs later, and it was time to hop in the shower, scrub those residual germs off of myself, and head upstate to Veroma, NY, to the Turning Stone Casino and Resort!
No, unlike Cass Parker of GETTIN' LUCKY
I am *not* a poker player (though N is, and he was kind enough to accompany me on my travels). The whole gambling thing doesn't appeal to me at all.* So why, then, was I up at Turning Stone? Believe it or not, it was all in the name of YA writing!
I was invited to visit the Jervis Public Library (check out their nifty events calendar: http://www.jervislibrary.org/eventscal.html), to talk about my books, my career, and teen lit in general. It was a rainy Wednesday afternoon, and Lisa Kinna, the FABULOUS program director, warned me that I shouldn't expect a large crowd. That didn't deter me. Here I am, getting ready for my big talk:
The "small crowd" turned out to be one of the biggest groups I've ever spoken with--twenty-plus of actual teens (as opposed to my family and friends, that is). We talked a bit about my own writing, and from there, they had all kinds of questions about breaking into publishing. In fact, a bunch of them were creative writing students through the library's teen programming! Totally something I would have done back when I was a teen, in the dark ages. Lisa's own daughter (so sweet and cool) is getting ready to send her writing out to agents. I gave her some so-called professional advice.
Finally, we came to one of my favorite parts of a visit--signing! Though I tend to make things harder on myself by writing something unique in everyone's books. Thank goodness the readers are generally pretty forgiving.
It was really exciting to have a chance to meet some of my readers, but more than that, it was exciting to meet teen readers (there were even some dudes chilling out in the back row--though they wouldn't cop to having read any of my ro coms)! I can't wait to hit the road again for more library visits in the not-too-distant future.
Once I've had a chance to rest up, that is!
*To wit: N hit the poker tables while I hit the gym.
I'm just wrapping up an awesome week at the Texas Library Association meeting. These Texas librarians rock! On Tuesday, I was on a panel of YA fantasy authors, entitled “Strong Voices, Other Worlds” with fellow authors Libba Bray, Suzanne Collins, John Flanagan, Jacqueline Kolosov, and moderated by Rick Riordan. Such smart, witty people—I just wanted to sit back and listen myself.
Rick asked us why we write fantasy fiction and Suzanne had an interesting answer. She said that sometimes an author can address issues in fantasy fiction that are too intense to deal with in YA realistic fiction. The element of fantasy provides a bit of a buffer, in a way.
We were asked about series vs. stand-alones. Series novels are common in fantasy. After going to all the trouble to create a fantasy world and magical system, we authors want to work it for awhile. My Heir series takes place in Ohio, so I didn’t exactly have to create a world, but some of us also don’t like to let go of our characters. That was what happened to me when I finished Warrior Heir. It would just be a lot more convenient if I planned things out more. By the time I get to Book 3, I’m thinking, “Well, if I’d known when I wrote Book 1 that this was going to happen in Book 3, I’d have set it up better. But Book 1 is already in print. I want to go out to bookstores and put sticky notes in The Warrior Heir.
Libba discussed how she created the strong female characters in her Victorian fantasy series, set in a time when women had little power. I could listen to John Flanagan’s Aussie accent all day. And Jacqueline discussed her dual role as college professor and fiction writer. Rick did a fantastic job as moderator. He was clearly a home-town favorite among the librarians in the audience.
Wednesday morning I attended the opening session, with Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. I just kept thinking, Thank God I don’t have to keep up with them! Dave Barry could read the phone book and it would be hilarious. I looked around the auditorium to see thousands of librarians in black pirate eye patches. I think I’m going to adopt Dave Barry’s method of disciplining teens through the strategic use of embarrassment.
I passed by the hundreds of librarians lined up for Dave and Ridley’s signing on the way to my own, in the author area of the exhibits. I had lots of fun, meeting librarians from all over Texas, including Nancy McGinnis from Killian Middle School near Dallas. I’ll be visiting Killian at the end of May for a One Book, One School event.
Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, I visited 3 different middle schools in Coppell, Tx. More on that in my next entry.
This is a love note. Or maybe it’s a fan letter. I’ve said it before, but it needs saying again.
Librarians are my heroes. Have been since I was 9 years old and my father was transferred and I had to go to a new elementary school, and the public library was two doors down from my school and I’d hang out there because I didn’t have any friends except books and the book lovers in the library.
These days, I’m hanging out with librarians once again—at library visits, school visits, and meetings like ALA and TLA (soon!) I feel so in context there—me and thousands of other lovers of the written word.
This is for the librarians who defend freedom of ideas and expression, even when it makes their lives difficult. Who don’t think decisions about access should be made at an administrative level. Who trust their patrons enough to set them free in the marketplace of ideas. Who don’t see danger between the covers of a book.
This is for the librarians who don’t have to bring authors in—but do it anyway. Even though it takes considerable time that they don’t have. Even though it means finagling and conniving and horse trading to find funding and get approvals and make it happen.
This is for the librarian who exchanged countless emails with me, arranged funding, presented book talks and book clubs and arranged for volunteers. She did all the ground work to plan a successful school visit—then was told by her principal that books with wizards in them were too controversial.
This is for the librarians who write grants and host bookfairs and otherwise raise money to supplement the funding that is never enough. These librarians find ways to get books into the hands of kids who have no books at home. Try to imagine accountants or pharmacists hosting bake sales to buy the tools of their trade.
This is for the librarian who gets a new book in and knows just who she’s going to give it to. And who after that, and who after that. Who models the love of books each and every day.
I just spent a day at O. Henry Middle School in Austin, with librarian Sara Stevenson. I presented three large programs and a writing workshop. The library was “closed” because of the author presentations, yet kids kept finding their way in. They couldn’t stay away. Her library is the heartbeat of the school. Running that library is like herding cats. The energy is infectious. I was exhausted and exhilarated after spending one day there. Sara is amazing. Her kids are lucky to have her.
It is so easy to get burned out in these jobs in a time when curricula and test scores have become straight-jackets that imprison flexible and creative educators. When it may be difficult to persuade teachers to send their students to the library and away from drills.
No one gets credit for instilling a lifelong love of reading in our kids. What a shame.
Children’s author and instructor for the National Writing for Children Center, Lila Guzman will be speaking at the Louisiana Association of School Librarians on Jan. 26, 2008. That’s tomorrow!
Her presentations will include the following:
9:00: “Doorways to the Past: Louisiana in the American Revolution”
11:00: “Cultural Diversity on the Shelves”
Lila Guzman’s books include her Lorenzo series for middle graders.
Lorenzo and the Turncoat by Lila Guzman
Lila Guzman,
Lorenzo and the Turncoat,
Louisiana Association of School Librarians
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Please come to NY! Also, if I send in my copy of the Unwanteds right now, would you sign it?
I make regular visits to NY. :)
Sorry - I'm not set up for signing via mail. Spending time at the post office means I'm not writing the rest of the series. :) You can order autographed copies through Evermore Nevermore: http://www.evermorenevermore.com/lisamcmann.htm but if you have existing copies I'll gladly sign them in person next time I'm in your area. Watch my tour page for all of my signings.
And now, I'm off to write more books.
Well, thank you. The Unwanteds was a very good book.