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Please welcome author C.C. Payne to GreenBeanTeenQueen! She's here to talk about her latest novel,
The Thing About Leftovers and her favorite books featuring food.
About the Book: (From Goodreads): Fizzy is a good Southern girl who just wants to be perfect. And win the Southern Living cook-off. The being perfect part is hard though, since her parents’ divorced and everything in her life has changed. Wary of her too-perfect stepmom and her mom’s neat-freak, dismissive boyfriend, she’s often angry or upset and feels like a guest in both homes. She tells herself to face facts: She’s a “leftover” kid from a marriage that her parents want to forget. But she has to keep all of that to herself, because a good Southern girl never yells, or throws fits, or says anything that might hurt other people’s feelings—instead she throws her shoulders back, says yes ma’am, and tries to do better. So Fizzy tries her best, but it’s hard to stay quiet when her family keeps getting more complicated. Fortunately, the Southern Living cook-off gives her a welcome distraction, as do her new friends Miyoko and Zach, who have parent issues of their own.
My Top Five Food-Themed Books:
1.) The Thing About Leftovers by C. C. Payne (that's me!): In the South, we love you with our food. In this novel, 12-year-old Fizzy Russo does just that—attempting to love her parents, new stepparents, and new friends with fried chicken, cheese grits, Kentucky Hot Browns (an open faced sandwich with Texas Toast, turkey, ham and bacon, covered with Mornay sauce, smothered in cheese, topped with a slice of tomato and baked until gooey and browning at the edges) and the like, and to win their love in return—not to mention The Southern Living Cook-Off. Fizzy believes that winning the cook-off that will cause everyone to forgive her and love her more. (I listed my own book first because if you stop reading here, I hope it's to go buy my book, and because I can't yet afford to be the kind of author who humbly never mentions her own work—but I TOTALLY aspire to be that kind of author, so please buy the book!)
2) Close to Famousby Joan Bauer: 12-year-old Foster McFee is making the world a sweeter place one cupcake at a time! She makes some unlikely friends with her fabulous cupcake creations (I told you food is love!) including a retired, reclusive movie star, a would-be documentary filmmaker, and the folks down at Angry Wayne's Bar & Grill who sell her cupcakes for her. I love the way Foster overcomes, pushing herself, practicing, and persevering . . . in baking and in life.
3) Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary: I wouldn't dare make a list without including this classic, Newbery Honor Book. Most chefs say they can tell a lot about another chef simply by what he or she does with an egg. And so it is with Ramona Quimby, who cracks an egg on her head in the school cafeteria. Plus, the food at her family's favorite restaurant, Whopper Burger, sounds delicious—I'd definitely like to have my next birthday party there!
4) For a younger crowd, I recommend Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett because . . . mashed potato snow? Hamburger storms? Pancakes floating down from the sky? Sign me UP for that! This imaginative picture book, with detailed, delightful drawings, and great humor, remains a fave in my family—it's one that you truly never tire of reading aloud.
5) For older readers, I recommend Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray, because when the going gets tough, the tough get baking! Ruth's first step to dealing with any problem is baking a cake—"sweet potato bundt cake with rum-plumped raisins and spiced sugar glaze" or "apricot almond pound cake" and the like. And she shares her recipes—as well as humor, warmth, and wisdom—as she deals with her teenage daughter, college-student son, out-of-work husband, live-in mother, estranged father, and financial strain.
Sherri L. Smith's newest book is based on The Nutcracker. Taking on a classic story is always interesting and I love knowing how authors research and make a well known story their own, so I wanted to know more about the research process for The Toymaker's Apprentice.
Most people don’t realize that the Nutcracker ballet has its origins in an E.T.A. Hoffman story,
Nussknacker und Mausekönig published in 1816. Some thirty years later, Hoffman’s strange story caught the imagination of Alexandre Dumas—the man who wrote
The Three Musketeers and other popular novels. It was Dumas’ version that Tchiakovsky based his ballet upon. Luckily for me, as a kid, I fell in love with both the Hoffman story and the ballet. As an adult, I found myself still daydreaming about the mysterious godfather Drosselmeyer, and the story behind the story. So it wasn’t much of a stretch to think that one day I would tackle those questions for myself.
In my office is a blue binder stuffed to the gills with indexed pages: 18th Century Clothing. Asia. Turkey. Arabic Cooking. Clockmaking. Nuts. You name it. When I finally decided to tackle this book, I amassed so much information that the novel sank. It disappeared from view under the weight of too many possibilities, which took me ten years to assimilate and resurface with a story worth telling.
It’s a strange thing when you are a writer. The book the world sees is only one version of a multiverse of books I’ve written or imagined, all a different variation on the same story. The version of Toymaker that you will read took several passes of research. From that initial binder (I even recruited my mother into researching various time periods for me) to the last round of spelunking into the history and politics of 1815 Europe, and toy and clockmaking of the period, I did as much research as I could from libraries and a laptop in California. I read up on lifespans of the various animals in the books, and the land speed of mice versus humans. How to crack nuts. Christmas traditions in Nuremberg. I could give you a long list and sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump talking about shrimp.
The idea is, you find out as much as you can, set it in the back of your mind, and then tell the story. I find my brain will pull out the supporting details it needs to keep the story alive and moving forward. Because of this method, which is rather like sifting for gold, I am always researching stories whenever I read or learn about something new. I remember in patting myself on the back one day for inventing catacombs beneath the city of Nuremberg that worked perfectly for my story. Then I went back and looked at my notes. There are catacombs! And they still work as if I made them myself!
The best news for all us struggling writers out there is, if you’re midstream in a story and can’t come up with a good idea based on what you know, it doesn’t mean the story doesn’t work. You just need to do more research.
About the Book: (from Goodreads) Stefan Drosselmeyer is a reluctant apprentice to his toymaker father until the day his world is turned upside down. His father is kidnapped and Stefan is enlisted by his mysterious cousin, Christian Drosselmeyer, to find a mythical nut to save a princess who has been turned into a wooden doll. Embarking on a wild adventure through Germany, Stefan must save Boldavia’s princess and his own father from the fanatical Mouse Queen and her seven-headed Mouse Prince, both of whom have sworn to destroy the Drosselmeyer family.
I love the idea of a superlative blog tour for First & Then by Emma Mills-such a fun blog tour! I was given the superlative of "Most Likely to Make You Cry on Public Transportation" and of course, I had to ask Emma herself which books make her cry:
I would have to say Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is the book that makes my cry the most! My father first read this book to my sister and I when we were kids, and I remember so clearly the overwhelming sense of loss I felt right along with Jesse. A beautiful—but tough to take!—book about grief.
Runner-ups:
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – it has wrung the most book-fueled tears from me in my adulthood. Hazel’s relationship with her parents really gets to me.
Marrying Malcolm Murgatroyd by Mame Farrell—I first read this in junior high and shed more than a few tears. Very bittersweet, lovely middle grade story.
Before I share my own list, I first need to tell you something-I don't cry too often at books. Which honestly, I find a bit strange because I'm an emotional person and I cry at just about everything else, but books really have to get me to get me bawling. And these books did! So fair warning when reading on public transportation (or anywhere!):
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling-OK, I admit this one is cheating a bit, because seriously, what HP fan can read this one (or pretty much any book from 4-on) without bawling like a baby?
If I Stay by Gayle Forman-I cried so much at the end of this book and had to mourn that it was over. So I was incredibly grateful for the sequel-which yes, also make me cry.
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley-Oh my goodness, this book just gets you in every emotional way and just tears at your heartstrings and makes you laugh and cry and smile all at the same time.
P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern-I actually listened to this one on audiobook while driving-bad idea. It turned me into a blubbering mess and it was hard to sob and drive at the same time!
What books make you cry?
About the Book: Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.
Please welcome Sonia Gensler to GreenBeanTeenQueen
(photo credit: Eden Wilson Photography)
Writing horror for young readers
Growing up is scary and painful, and violent, and your body is doing weird things and you might, to your great horror, become something beastly and terrible on the other side.
—Greg Ruth, “Why Horror is Good for You (and Even Better for Your Kids)”
http://www.tor.com/2014/05/29/why-horror-is-good-for-you-and-even-better-for-your-kids/
Every day young people deal with horror landscapes, both physical and psychological. They face the gauntlet-like labyrinth of school hallways, and the confinement of overcrowded classrooms. They defend against emotional and/or physical bullying, all while feeling haunted by the “stupid” things they’ve said or done. In fact, young people often feel downright monstrous—their bodies are changing too quickly, or not quickly enough, their emotions are fraught with ups and downs, and the world just doesn’t make sense.
I know all this from having been a teenager, and also from having taught young people for ten years. These experiences have somehow led me to write a certain kind of horror.
A lot of horror is about gore, grotesquery, and jump scares—and there’s a cathartic benefit to that experience. I try to write the horror of mystery and dread. Gothic horror is all about dealing with extreme transitions, facing the uncanny, and acknowledging repressed emotions that insist on spilling out against your will. I write this sort of horror for the apprehensive teen that still lives inside me. Mostly I just wish to entertain, but I can’t help hoping that teen and tween readers will recognize parts of their own experience, see themselves in the protagonists who overcome their fears, and somehow feel less strange and alone.
About the Book:
Things that go bump in the night are just the beginning when a summer film project becomes a real-life ghost story!
About the Book: (from Goodreads) In modern-day London, two brilliant high school students, one Sherlock Holmes and a Miss James "Mori" Moriarty, meet. A murder will bring them together. The truth very well might drive them apart.
Before they were mortal enemies, they were much more.
FACT: Someone has been murdered in London's Regent's Park. The police have no leads.
FACT: Miss James "Mori"Moriarty and Sherlock "Lock" Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene.
FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted.
FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock's one rule--they must share every clue with each other--Mori is keeping secrets.
OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can't trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again.
GreenBeanTeenQueen: “I'd love to know what inspired Ms. Petty to write about what her research process was like, how she updated Sherlock Holmes and what inspired her to write about Sherlock Holmes.”
Inspiration to Write Sherlock
I was rabbit-trailing through the internet, following links from other links into oblivion, when I came across this cool sounding article that was discussing how often heroes and villains in a nemesis relationship share character traits. And one of the observations by the writer was that it’s hard to judge that comparison for Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty, because we only get to view Moriarty as a character through Sherlock’s eyes. No one else even meets him in passing. I hadn’t noticed that when I’d read the Sherlock stories as a kid, so it opened up this giant gap in the story for me. Because what if Sherlock lied to Watson?
Those kinds of “What if?” questions almost always lead to way more and eventually become larger book ideas for me. I started to wonder what if Sherlock and Moriarty had way more of a past then Sherlock let on? What if they’d known each other high school? What if something that happened back then turned them into enemies?
I can’t really pinpoint when I decided to make Moriarty a girl. It was just part of the questions process. I had the idea in my head as Sherlock and Moriarty playing rivals, but probably best friends when it came right down to it—those kinds of friends who hurt each other over and over, but out of some twisted love place. And then I randomly thought that it might be more interesting if Moriarty were a girl. No one would ever expect a girl to be the center of a criminal ring like that. She could so easily hide among the men who serve her. All of that really opened up a whole world to me, of a female villain/anti-hero—one who uses her intelligence instead of her sexuality as a weapon, one who plays the “bad boy” in the relationship with “good girl” Sherlock, one who is vaguely sociopathic and gets away with it like her male counterparts have forever. I was so excited about the idea of that, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I knew I had to write it.
The Research
This book was actually the first contemporary I’d ever written, which came with a lot more limitations than I thought it would. For example, London is not only a real city, but a really well-known and popular city. I was so used to being able to craft my own town that I found it intimidating to realize that I had to make sure this one was true to life. I had to get it right. But every time I started planning a research trip, some big family thing would happen making it impossible. So I dove into the research the way I would for any other detail in a story. I drew on everything I knew, read whatever I could get my hands on and watched anything I could find that was set in the city. I also was lucky enough to have friends who had lived in London offer to read the manuscript and help me fix anywhere that I’d misstepped.
Many of my friends were incredibly generous with their time and experiences for all the different elements in the book. They also listened to my whines and worries and let me talk through plot elements until I’m sure they were sick of hearing about it. Doing your book research is vital. But I think it’s equally important for a writer to be humble enough to recognize their lack of experience and to seek out help from those who have lived through it. Really, approaching all of your research with humility is the best way to make sure you’re really learning and not just twisting another person’s lived experience into your own existing parameters.
The Update
I’ve never really been interested in writing a book in a historical time period, so I knew right away that I would be modernizing the characters. Really, though, I feel like that was a much easier task than doing the historical research to get late-Victorian London right. The harder part of the book idea was crafting the characters. I needed to present these two icons as real-to-life London teenagers. I knew if I stayed true to their ages and made them more real, I’d be sacrificing the slick/unflappable/cool image that people even slightly familiar with the stories and adaptations have come to expect. But in the end, I was okay with that. I didn’t want them to be already who they become anyway. I wanted this to be their start, and for the series to track how and why they go from that to who we know them to be as adults.
The Inspiration to Write
I was always a huge reader, but I never thought about becoming a writer until my high school English teacher, Author Terri Farley (Phantom Stallion series) read an assignment I'd turned in and basically told me I needed to be writing. So, I joined the school paper. Then, in college, when I was kind of over the Journalism thing, I applied for a fiction writing class with Author and Professor Susan Palwick, who later taught me one-on-one. She really helped me find my niche as a kidlit writer.
I joined SCBWI shortly after I graduated, and my very first regional conference critique (of a really horrible middle grade book) was from Ellen Hopkins, whose debut novel CRANK was coming out later that year (2004). She was very patient with my rookie writer ways and encouraged me to keep going. But I got pregnant soon after that and floundered for a bit with my writing until Author Cynthia Cotten read one of my silly LiveJournal posts one night and told me I should be writing YA. She pointed me in the direction of authors like Melissa Marr, Charles de Lint, and Holly Black. I was especially taken by Holly Black's Tithe series, and started writing my own YA within days of reading VALIANT.
Thanks!
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About the Book: (from Goodreads) After her huge success with her first feature-length movie, seventh-grader Kate Walden is eager to start on her next film, a sci-fi romance called Bride of Slug Man. When a new kid comes to town from New York City, Kate thinks she might have a new found film buddy-someone to share her interest with. And it doesn't hurt that he's pretty cute. But it turns out that Tristan is making his own movie, and now the classmates Kate thought were eager to join her cast and crew are divided.
With rumors spreading in school and between sets, Kate finds herself juggling more than just call times and rewrites. And judging from the whispers Kate hears about Tristan Kingsley,she suspects that he isn't interested in having a fellow film-buff friend; he just wants to prove himself as the best filmmaker in school by winning the Big Picture Film Festival. Kate vows to enter too, and tries to focus on just making the best movie she can.
But between the cut throat popularity contest, a bully situation that goes from bad to worse, and several on-set mishaps, Kate is going to need all the movie magic she can get to make sure Bride of Slug Man hits the big screen.
Plucky…not Perfect
by Julie Mata
Can I admit to a tiny pet peeve? It’s certain “mean girl” and “mean boy” characters in children’s books. You know the ones—everything they do and say is mean and their nasty behavior is usually aimed at the main character. They appear to have no role other than to cause problems for the MC. In contrast, the MC is the sympathetic “good kid” who sometimes suffers from terrible flaws like being toogenerous or too concerned about their friends and family.
Here’s my peeve—I raised two girls, hung out with a lot of middle school-age kids, and none of them fit either of the “good kid/bad kid” descriptions. I saw nice kids who had bad days and said mean things, even to their friends. I also saw kids who—yes—were more troubled, who had issues, but were still capable of kindness, humor and friendship.
In other words, they were real kids. When I sat down to write about Kate Walden, I wanted her to be a strong, likeable, funny character, but I also wanted her to be real. In Kate Walden Directs: Bride of Slug Man, Kate has already finished one movie to great acclaim. All the kids at school want to be in her next project. Suddenly, a cute new boy shows up who also likes to make movies, and they become rivals. Kate struggles with spiteful feelings. She makes bad assumptions and nurses a grudge. Really, couldn’t that be any of us on a bad day? Luckily, Kate learns from her mistakes, which is what I think parents should hope for—not that our children will be perfect “good kids,” because that’s a huge expectation to put on anyone, but that they will learn from their stumbles and grow emotionally as they grow physically.
Let’s face it—middle school years can be tough. Innocent childhood is receding and adulthood looms on the far horizon like a scary gray fog. Like a lot of kids at that age, Kate worries about her social standing and what other kids think of her, but she’s also a plucky girl who’s not afraid to pursue a big dream. Hopefully, middle grade readers can relate to her character and maybe even see some of themselves in her humorous antics and social misfires.
About Julie: Julie Mata grew up outside Chicago and currently lives in Wisconsin, where she owns a video production business with her husband.. She loves movies and once wrote and directed her own short film. She also loves traveling, gardening, and reading a really good book. Her first book was Kate Walden Directs: Night of the Zombie Chickens. For more information, including a downloadable curriculum guide and a filmmaking tip of the month, visit her website: juliemata.com.
Follow along on the Bride of Slug Man blog tour!
Monday, May 18 | GreenBeanTeenQueen | |
Wed. May 20 | Once Upon a Story | |
Thurs, May 21 | Read Now, Sleep Later | |
Fri, May 22 | Curling Up with a Good Book | |
Tues, May 27 | The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia | |
Wed, May 28 | BookHounds YA | |
Thurs, May 29 | The Brain Lair | |
Fri, May 30 | Kid Lit Frenzy | |
Want to win a copies of the Kate Walden Directs books? Fill out the form below to enter!
-Contest thanks to Big Honcho Media and Disney-Hyperion Books
-One entry per person
-US Address only please
-Ages 13+
-Contest ends May 28
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About the Book: (from Goodreads) Michael is unsure about most things. Go to college? Enlist in the military? Break up with his girlfriend? All big question marks. He is living for the moment and all he wants is a few days at the biggest concert of the summer.
Cora lives in the town hosting the music festival. She's volunteering in the medical tent. She's like that, always the good girl. But there is something in the air at this concert and suddenly Cora finds herself wanting to push her own boundaries.
When Michael and Cora meet, sparks fly, hearts race, and all the things songs are written about come true. And all the while, three days of the most epic summer await them...
I am excited to welcome author Sarvenaz Tash to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Her newest book, Three Day Summer, is all about Woodstock. She captures the atmosphere and the music and I wanted to know more about the music in the book and the playlists she made to get inspired to write. I love this playlist and listening to it gets me in the mood for summer (and to read Sarvenaz's awesome book!) Be sure to check out the rest of her tour stops as well!
It will probably come as no surprise that I love the music of the 1960s. And although I myself was a teenager during the bizarre grunge/pop hybrid that was the mid- to late ‘90s, I actually spent most of my high school years listening to this music instead.
I made two Spotify playlists to go with my Woodstock love story, Three Day Summer. One features the songs—and in some cases, some of the very performances—that my two main characters Cora and Michael hear during the festival itself. The other I like to refer to as my “’60s milieu” playlist, and I filled it with not only some of my favorite songs of the decade, but some of the tunes that I think best embody the many facets of it: from its socially conscious anthems to its feel-good pop to its trippy soundscapes. (I do have one strong caveat: Beatles songs are not available on Spotify and that’s the only reason they are not included on this list!)
Here then are the songs I chose for the Three Day Summer—In the Mood soundtrack (followed, of course, by the playlist itself!):
1“Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” The Byrds
Between the out-of-this-world harmonies and the profound lyrics (partially taken from the Bible no less!), this is just one of those songs that makes me feel calm, reflective, and peaceful. I thought it was fitting since the peace sign is one of the most enduring symbols of the 1960s.
“Happy Together” The Turtles
True to its title, this song just makes me feel toe-tappingly happy and, I think, is indicative of the some of the best pop to come out of the decade. Plus it’s about being head over heels in love which, of course, also goes along with the book.
“Piece of My Heart” Janis Joplin
I’m not sure it’s possible to find a more gutsy and gut-wrenching performance of a song that’s both about heartbreak and about girl power. (This line: “I’m going to show you, baby, that a woman can be tough” is a particular favorite to belt out in the shower! Amiright, ladies?). Janis plays an important role in the book and she performed this song at Woodstock too!
“"America” Simon & Garfunkel
Another song with harmonies that slay me in the best way. I also think the lyrics portray both the hope and the heartache that came with the changing face of what it was to be young in 1960s America.
:"You Keep Me Hangin’ On” The Supremes
The sound of Motown was a huge, indelible part of the 1960s and The Supremes were for sure the queens of it.
“Build Me Up Buttercup” The Foundations
Yes, this has played at every Sweet 16 you’ve been to since the beginning of time (or, at least, since 1968) but there’s a reason for it: you simply must sing and dance along to its unshakeable beat.
“Somebody to Love” Jefferson Airplane
From another Woodstock performer, I love the contrast of this song to the one before it and I think it’s a great example of some of the more psychedelic sounds of the decades. Plus lead singer Grace Slick is another fantastic rocker chick that embodies the feminist spirit of the decade.
“Don’t Worry Baby” The Beach Boys
You can’t love the ‘60s without loving the beautiful harmonies of The Beach Boys and this one is one of my very favorite love songs of theirs . . . that also just happens to be about drag racing.
“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” Nancy Sinatra
Remember all that girl power I mentioned before? In the age of Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan, this kiss-off anthem just fits right in. Plus I know that Nancy wore a lot of fabulous go-go boots to perform it—and what is more ‘60s than that?!
“Joy to the World” Three Dog Night
The lyrics don’t make a whole lot of sense (why is this person friends with a bullfrog?!) but you can’t help singing along anyway as this ode to the world is quite joyous indeed.
“I’m a Believer” The Monkees
Full confession: The Monkees were my first-ever concert (see the first paragraph of this post) and I’ve adored them for practically as long as I can remember. Though they started out as a made-for-TV Beatles parody band, they ended up with some truly spectacular songs in their oeuvre. This bouncy number is a particular favorite.
“Bad Moon Rising” Creedence Clearwater Revival
Also performed at Woodstock, this song comes in at a key point in the story. I also think it has a particular rock/bluegrass vibe that was a big part of the ‘60s sound.
“Time of the Season” The Zombies
I find this song both sultry and trippy, which I think showcases yet another facet of the decade.
“My Generation” The Who
The ultimate anthem for the teen population of the 1960s? I think so! Of course, I’m not sure how the Who feel now about belting out lyrics like “I hope I die before I grow old” but I think that it’s hard to find a song that better embodies the universal feeling of being young and misunderstood.
15. “A Change Is Gonna Come” Sam Cooke
A song that remains as beautiful and pertinent today as it did when it came out, Cooke was directly singing about the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the hope for a better tomorrow that led so many to fight for equality.
Follow the Tour:
Mon, May 11 | What a Nerd Girl Says | |
Tues, May 12 | GreenBeanTeenQueen | |
Wed, May 13 | Mother Daughter Book Club | |
Thurs, May 14 | Curling Up with a Good Book | |
Fri, May 15 | The Compulsive Reader |
|
Mon, May18 | The Hiding Spot | |
Tues, May 19 | Adventures of a Book Junkie | |
Wed, May 20 | Proseandkahn | |
Thurs, May 21 | The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia | |
Fri, May 22 | Word Spelunker | |
Please welcome K. E. Ormsbee to GreenBeanTeenQueen! K.E. Ormsbee is the author of The Water and the Wild. I asked her to share about libraries and I love the libraries she talks about! She even shared pictures and I want to visit these libraries now!
About K. E. Ormsbee: I was born and raised in the Bluegrass State. Then I went off and lived in places across the pond, like England and Spain, where I pretended I was a French ingénue. Just kidding! That only happened once. I also lived in some hotter nooks of the USA, like Birmingham, AL and Austin, TX. Now I'm back in Lexington, KY, where there is a Proper Autumn.
In my wild, early years, I taught English as a Foreign Language, interned with a film society, and did a lot of irresponsible road tripping. My crowning achievement is that the back of my head was in an iPhone commercial, and people actually paid me money for it.
Nowadays, I teach piano lessons, play in a band you've never heard of, and run races that I never win. I likes clothes from the 60s, music from the 70s, and movies from the 80s. I still satiate my bone-deep wanderlust whenever I can.
I’m only slightly exaggerating when I say I grew up in the library. Both my parents were educators who read to me constantly and taught me how to read for myself. They created one insatiable bookworm. I munched through books with a voracious appetite, and I looked forward to my weekly visit to the library more than I did trips to the pizzeria. Oh yeah. I was a Supreme Nerd.
Growing up, I was well acquainted with many public library branches in my hometown of Lexington, KY. I knew which branch had the best Middle Grade section (Beaumont), which had the best storyteller (Lansdowne), and which had the coolest CD collection (Central).
On occasion, I even got to visit the behemoth William T. Young Library on the University of Kentucky’s campus. Truth be told, a college library was pretty boring stuff to nine-year-old Kathryn, but I lovedskipping through the automated sliding bookshelves, deliciously terrified that the motion sensors might not detect me. To be crushed in the Anthropology section would be a spectacular way to go, reasoned Little Kathryn. I was a pretty morbid kiddo.
I’ve always considered libraries to be magical places, and I’ve discovered some rather spectacular ones in my travels, from London to Prague to Seville to Cambridge. I mean, take a peek at this teeny but cozy library at King’s College, Cambridge:
(Magical, right? Magical.)
It wasn’t until my senior year of college, however, that I discovered the Library of Dreams, the Library to End All Libraries, MY FAVORITE LIBRARY. In 2011, I set foot in the newly opened Library in the Forest in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. And yes, this library is just as cool as it sounds.
Library in the Forest, which is located on the edge of nine wooded acres, is Alabama’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified facility. My personal favorite feature of the library is the Treehouse Reading Room, a special space where you can read suspended above the forest.
I spent many days studying at Library in the Forest, soaking in the natural light from its giant windows and watching kids explore the surrounding area on class field trips. Whenever I reached my writing limit, I knew I could just rip out my earbuds, swing on my backpack, and step out into the great outdoors for a hike.
But it’s not just Library in the Forest’s location or facilities that make it so cool. It’s the people who tirelessly work to provide the community with great programming and countless opportunities for kids and teens to learn and explore. What makes the library extra special to me is all the time I spent there with friends who loved the winning combo of books, nature, and community-minded programming just as much as I did.
It seems rather fitting, then, that I worked on revisions for The Water and the Wild while at Library in the Forest, since the importance of nature, stories, and friendship are all central to Lottie Fiske’s story. I think all three of those things carry a little bit of magic in them, whether they’re found in the pages of a fantasy book or in a library just outside Birmingham, Alabama.
So! Next time you’re in the area, be sure to stop by the very special Library in the Forest. I hope you’ll feel the magic, too.
About The Water and the Wild: A green apple tree grows in the heart of Thirsby Square, and tangled up in its magical roots is the story of Lottie Fiske. For as long as Lottie can remember, the only people who seem to care about her are her best friend, Eliot, and the mysterious letter writer who sends her birthday gifts. But now strange things are happening on the island Lottie calls home, and Eliot's getting sicker, with a disease the doctors have given up trying to cure. Lottie is helpless, useless, powerless—until a door opens in the apple tree. Follow Lottie down through the roots to another world in pursuit of the impossible: a cure for the incurable, a use for the useless, and protection against the pain of loss.
Want to win a copy? Leave a comment below to enter to win a signed copy!
-One entry per person
-Ages 13+ up
-Contest ends April 30
Photo Credit: Shirleen Hieb Photography
I love to hear what writer's have to say about libraries. I relate so much to what Margi Preus shares about growing up surrounded by stories. May we all be as lucky!
The stories of writers who as children were non-readers or slow readers or were saved from gangs or a life of crime by fairy godmother-like librarians—these stories are fascinating, and we readers thrive on hearing them.
By comparison, my own story is as dull as dirt. I grew up in a pleasant Minnesota town where people were generally good to each other. We had fine schools and nice teachers. I had a wonderful family and many friends. I was never bullied, nor do I think I was a bully. I was a good student. And I always liked to read. In short: a thoroughly dull and nondramatic life.
Except that it wasn’t. My world was populated with trolls and gnomes and golden castles that hung in the air—thanks to the stories my father told. I knew where fairies danced at night and that nissen(little people) were to blame for hiding my mother’s sewing scissors—because she told me that herself. I lived in a storied landscape and a world of stories, not least because my elementary school had a big, vibrant library stuffed full of books, and a librarian who made sure good books, important books, stayed on the shelves—even books that parents objected to, like (believe it or not) Harriet the Spy, the book that made me want to become a writer, or Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret, a book that caused me to wander about in a daze for a full week, mind-blown.
I may not have lived an outwardly exciting life, but through books, I sailed with Jim Hawkins and rafted with Huck Finn, sat under a Spanish cork tree with Ferdinand, wandered the magical realm of Narnia, made way too many donuts with Henry Huggins, and had tea on the ceiling with Mary Poppins.
I felt every kind of emotion and lived through times both devastating and joyous. I was grumpy with Harriet, knew the comfort of friendship with Mole and Toad and Rat, felt loneliness and privation on the Island of Blue Dolphins, suffered prejudice with Hannah in The Witch of Blackbeard Pond, felt wildly free and independent with Pippi, and wept with Wilbur over the death of our mutual friend, Charlotte.
Like readers before me and after me, I learned to empathize, at least in part—and maybe a big part—because of books. And by books I mean novels. Fiction transported me to many worlds where I made friends and even lost a few, and where I experienced every kind of hardship and sorrow as well as the best kinds of delight, pleasure, and joy. Thanks to stories, my life was never dull, has never been dull, and never will be dull. And thanks to my elementary school library and librarian, I got a good start down the road to adventure just when it counted the most.
About Enchantment Lake: On the shores of Enchantment Lake in the woods of northern Minnesota, something ominous is afoot, and as seventeen-year-old Francie begins to investigate, the mysteries multiply: a poisoned hotdish, a puzzling confession, eerie noises in the bog, and a legendary treasure said to be under enchantment—or is that under Enchantment, as in under the lake?
Would you like to win a *signed copy* of Enchantment Lake?
Fill out the form below to enter.
Contest thanks to University of Minnesota Press!
(open to ages 13+, one entry per person, contest ends April 8)
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Please welcome Sarah Fine, author of Of Metal and Wishes, to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Sarah Fine is the author of Of Metal and Wishes.
About the Book: Sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic, housed in a slaughterhouse staffed by the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor. Wen often hears the whisper of a ghost in the slaughterhouse, a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. And after one of the Noor humiliates Wen, the ghost grants an impulsive wish of hers—brutally.
Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including the outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the ghost. As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen is torn between her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. Will she determine whom to trust before the factory explodes, taking her down with it?
The sequel, Of Dreams and Rust will be available in August 2015. You can find Sarah online at http://sarahfinebooks.com/
The Stomach and the Heart
Well. My book is a loose retelling of Phantom. But everything about this book—including the Ghost of the factory himself—was heavily influenced by another novel, which has haunted me from the time I first read it as a teenager.
Upton Sinclair began writing The Jungle at the end of 1904 after spending nearly two months in Chicago, studying the lives and travails of immigrant workers toiling away in the heavily industrialized meat-packing industry. There, he had witnessed how the dream of having one’s hard work repaid with some financial security for one’s family was being completely turned upside-down. Instead of work = fair pay, fair treatment, and a path to success, work = danger, risk, and the inescapable trap of debt and defeat. The system was devouring these people—big business controlled everything, profit was king, and worker’s rights? Virtually nonexistent.
Here’s a clip from Food, Inc., which I was watching the night I decided I needed to write Of Metal and Wishes. It’s less than five minutes long, but it will probably make you shake with rage. It brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it:
The Jungle is unflinching in its description of the meatpacking plants, and I did my best to give OMAW the same visceral feel. I didn’t want to shy away from hitting the reader “in the stomach.” I did research into how animals are slaughtered in these places, and it is gut-wrenching and horrific. I won’t link to any videos here, but if you go to Youtube and search for video of slaughterhouse machinery, you’ll find plenty of nightmare fuel.
But like Upton Sinclair, my goal wasn’t to make readers focus only on animal cruelty or the unsanitary way meat is sometimes handled before it enters the food supply. My greatest desire was to get readers thinking about those workers, the ones who come from desperate places, willing to offer their muscles and sweat in exchange for a fair wage and a chance to live and provide for the ones they love. The ones who so often get trampled and ignored. I purposely set the story outside of time and history because these issues existed over a hundred years ago, and they still exist now all over the world, including the US.
Of Metal and Wishes is a love story, yes. A sweet, poignant one, I think. But it’s also a story about people without power who struggle to survive and thrive in a system designed to crush them. I hope it hits readers in the heart.
*There are many organizations involved in the fight for justice for undocumented workers, and one of my favorites is the Southern Poverty Law Center, because they also focus on a number of other important social justice issues. If you go to their site you can get more information, and if you are so inclined, contribute to their efforts.
I'm excited to welcome middle grade author Shelby Bach to GreenBeanTeenQueen! If the middle grade readers at my library are anything like yours, fairy tales are huge!
About Shelby: Shelby Bach was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, but while writing the ever afters, she moved almost as many times as her main character. She came up with the idea for the series right before she left New York City, and she finished the first book, of giants and ice, in Montana—the second, of witches and wind, back in Charlotte. Driving up the West Coast to research the settings for the third book, of sorcery and snow, Shelby fell in love with Portland, Oregon and settled there. She would love to set up a Door Trek system in her apartment to visit her family and friends around the country, but she makes due with much slower and less fictional transportation. These days, while finishing up the fourth and final book, she also works part time for a real-life afterschool program. It is strangely similar to the one where her stories are set—except the students study math instead of fairy tales.
What Fairy Tales Taught Me About Plot
By Shelby Bach
I love adding new characters, and I especially love giving a side character a strong subplot of their own. Of course, this enthusiasm led to several unruly early drafts of my first novel, Of Giants and Ice, and as an inexperienced novelist, I spent weeks overwhelmed by the number of plot threads I was failing to keep straight and develop effectively. Somewhere around draft number five, I started to use the Rule of Threes to help me structure each of the story arcs. It was a good decision—both for my book and for my sanity.
The Rule of Threes is usually explained as a pattern that occurs three times, which happens a lot in fairy tales. In some, these repetitions occur in just one section: for instance, at the end of “Cinderella,” three people try on the glass slipper the prince is carrying: the two stepsisters and Cinderella. Sometimes, these repetitions make up most of the fairy tale: for example, Jack climbs the Beanstalk three times.
I took a fairy tale course in college that analyzed the Rule of Threes in more detail. (Believe it or not, this was one of the hardest classes I ever took at Vassar. Professor Darlington was a stickler for structure and precision in every paper. My grades suffered, but my writing improved.) First of all, plain repetition gets pretty boring, so our class examined what the three instances actually achieved within the fairy tale: the first one describes the process of actually climbing a beanstalk and sneaking around a giant’s house. The second instance establishes what part of that process is a pattern: Jack climbs the beanstalk again but steals a golden goose from the giant instead those gold coins. (It’s usually the shortest passage.) The third instance, however, breaks with what was established with the first two occurrences and leads to some sort of big change: the giant notices Jack stealing his harp and chases him down the beanstalk. Describing just one trip up the beanstalk would have made a fun story, because the first two instances establishes certain expectations, Jack’s third trip has a bigger impact.
Limiting myself to three occurrences helped me tame the plot threads in Of Giants and Ice. It also forced me to make sure every scene in a certain arc served a purpose. An almost spoiler-free example is the subplot around Rory’s dad. Her parents are divorced, so readers don’t actually see her father in person in Of Giants and Ice. Rory does, however, speak to him on the phone—exactly three times. During the initial call, Rory’s father, a Hollywood director, invites her to a shoot in England during the summer. Rory knows immediately that she doesn’t want to go (he barely pays any attention to her while he’s filming a movie), but afraid of disappointing him, Rory tells him she’ll think about it. Her father doesn’t listen well—he starts telling her all about the actress he wants her to meet when they’re in England. This leads to her mother stepping in and Rory’s parents fighting. The second call takes place a few weeks later. Rory tries to talk to her father about something completely different, but he asks her when her school lets out—he wants to book her flight. She reminds him that she hasn’t made up her mind up and quickly ends the call before her mom can step in again. That’s a tiny step forward—she avoids a fight between her parents, but she still isn’t honest. The third call takes place after Rory has come back from her quest. She discovers from the tabloids that her father has started dating the actress he wanted her to meet in England, and Rory calls him up and tells him that she won’t go on the trip with him. Then she explains exactly how much it upsets her that she had to find out about his new girlfriend from an outside source. Because readers have seen Rory struggle to be honest about her feelings in the previous scenes, her strong stance in the final call has more oomph.
This isn’t much different from most goals in fiction—to show how conflict has changed our characters—but the Rule of Threes was a helpful way to think about it, especially when working with an overwhelming amount of plot threads. As I mentioned earlier, the Rule of Threes was most helpful during the revision process—conscious repetition is easier to develop when you have a whole plot to work with. It’s also easier to recognize where plot threads intersect. In my second novel, Of Witches and Wind, I challenged myself to take several story arcs and see how many third instances I could pack into one scene. It tightened the book’s pacing and gave the ending a way more epic grand finale.
Find Shelby online:
Blog Tour – Shelby Bach
Please welcome author Julie Sternberg to the blog! Julie writes very funny books for middle grade readers and they include fantastic illustrations. I asked Julie to talk about what it's like working with an illustrator with her books since her books are such a big combination of pictures and text.
Credit:Meredith Zinner
I am embarrassed to admit this, but here goes: I did not instantly love the illustrations for my first book, LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE.
I love them wholeheartedly now. I can’t imagine better ones. And a framed copy of this one is the first thing I see when I walk into my apartment. It makes me very happy:
But, in the beginning, I found the illustrations jarring, for this reason: Although the PICKLE JUICE story is fiction, it is based on a moment in my life; and I had a clear picture in my head of most of the characters. The book’s immensely talented illustrator, Matthew Cordell, has never met me (authors and illustrators don’t typically meet) or the people I had in mind when I wrote the story. The illustrations show his vision of the characters, not mine. That can be hard, especially for a first-time author.
But I adjusted! Matt made it easy for me, with pictures like these:
I skipped the startled phase with Johanna Wright’s illustrations for FRIENDSHIP OVER, the first book in THE TOP-SECRET DIARY OF CELIE VALENTINE series. I’d gone through the process before, and the story and characters are farther removed from my life. So it was easier to simply enjoy Johanna’s vision.
Our process for the FRIENDSHIP OVER illustrations was particularly fun for me, too. Usually authors are urged to include very few, if any, art notes for the illustrator. The general rule is that an art note is only appropriate if the text requires a particular image—and one that isn’t clear from the text itself. (For example, the author might want to make a joke that the text sets up and the illustration finishes. In that case, an art note can set out the punchline for the illustrator.)
I can’t remember including a single art note for Matt. But, in FRIENDSHIP OVER, Celie is supposed to be drawing the pictures in her diary. They are very much a product of her thinking. So I was able to include many art notes, saying, essentially, this is what Celie wants to sketch here. It was astonishing how well Johanna translated those notes into pictures that absolutely could have been drawn by Celie herself.
Just as one example: The art note said, “insert dispirited doodle by Celie, maybe of a very small Celie on very large sofa,”and Johanna drew:
I want to emphasize that I have NO visual artistic ability. I struggle with bubble letters (particularly S and N). Yet all of my stories have been enhanced by remarkable art. I feel very, very lucky.
Follow Julie's blog tour for Friendship Over:
Mon, Sept 29 | Mother Daughter Book Club | |
Tues, Sept 30 | 5 Minutes for Mom | |
Wed, Oct 1 | Sharpread | |
Thurs, Oct 2 | KidLit Frenzy | |
Fri, Oct 3 | The Hiding Spot | |
Sat, Oct 4 | Booking Mama | |
Mon, Oct 6 | Ms. Yingling Reads | |
Tues, Oct 7 | GreenBeanTeenQueen | |
Wed, Oct 8 | Great Kid Books | |
Thurs, Oct 9 | Teach Mentor Texts | |
Fri, Oct 10 | Unleashing Readers | |
Sat, Oct 11 | Bermuda Onion | |
Want to win a copy of Friendship Over? Leave a comment below!
One entry per person, contest ends October 14, ages 13+, US address only, contest thanks to Blue Slip Media
Add to GoodreadsAbout the Book: Do you think you have what it takes to be a changemaker? Laurie Thompson shares stories of young entrepreneurs whose ideas made a difference and shares how readers can be changemakers themselves.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: If you're looking for an inspiring book that will get you excited-and give you advice-on how to ignite change,
Be a Changemaker is going to kickstart your ambitions. Laurie Thompson gives readers examples of young entrepreneurs who decided to make a change and start something that mattered and gives practical, easy to follow advice for teens looking to start something in their own community. The result is inspiring and is sure to spark ideas among teens about how they can get involved.
The book covers a wide range of topics and balances real life experiences and stories with ways teens can start now and get involved in their community. The library is the perfect place to get teens involved! I would love to host a library book discussion over this book and see what ideas the teens come up with!
Please welcome Laurie Thompson to GreenBeanTeenQueen! She has a great idea for how libraries can encourage changemakers and be at the forefront of the changemaker revolution! I know I can't wait to think about using Makerspaces as a place for reaching out in the community and I hope others will join in as well!
Making Change in Schools and Libraries
As a parent and kidlit author, I try to keep up with trends in education and library services. Two recent trends in these areas that seem to be popping up all over lately are a focus on STEM topics and the emergence of makerspaces. I think there’s great potential in adding the idea of changemaking—solving real-world problems in the community and beyond—to both of those missions, in schools and in libraries.
As technology continues to advance, the world keeps changing faster and faster, and it has been widely accepted that having a solid foundation in the STEM subjects will be necessary for an individual to thrive in that environment. But, rather than contriving exercises and assigning made-up tasks, perhaps we could instead focus on teaching STEM-related skills in the context of how they can be used to solve actual problems that students care about. What better way to learn and practice new STEM-related skills than by applying them to a clear and relevant purpose? Mastering new skills is that much more satisfying when students can immediately use them to help themselves and others in their own communities. Focusing on empowering people to become changemakers naturally leads them to improving their STEM-related skills, thereby teaching those STEM-related skills in direct, hands-on ways with meaningful applications.
Many schools and libraries across the country are now experimenting with offering makerspaces, places where people can go to create and build together using shared technology, equipment, and tools. Typically, the emphasis is making tangible items that can then be taken home. But what if the same concepts of collaboration and shared resources were applied to changemaking, with an emphasis instead on solutions—projects that can be applied to problems in the greater community? Why not take the image of a typical makerspace user—a hobbyist or an entrepreneur—and extend it to a community activist or social entrepreneur? If the purpose of a makerspace is to allow people to be creative with technology, it seems to make sense for us to encourage and empower makers to create solutions to problems they see around them every day.
We know that schools and libraries exist to provide information and opportunities for connection to others, and both of those goals mean so much more when directed toward a higher purpose. Whatever area you’re thinking about—STEM education, the maker culture, humanities, the arts, etc.—everything jumps to the next level when you give it a direction and apply it to a problem that really matters. Plus, whenever anyone in a community is empowered to become a changemaker, it benefits not just the individual but everyone in the community, and not just once but on an ongoing basis.
So, can schools and libraries to start making change a priority within their communities? Most already have in place the resources necessary to enable a changemaking mindset, they just need to increase awareness of those resources and the endless possibilities for their application in the realm of changemaking and allow people to form groups around the causes they care out. In this way, schools and libraries plant the seeds of inspiration and give them room to grow, while enabling students and patrons to bloom into active changemakers within their communities. When a school or library makes change accessible, anyone in that community can become a changemaker. And that’s a very good thing—for everyone.Follow the
Be a Changemaker Tour:
Fri, Sept 19 | A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust | |
Sat. Sept 20 | Elizabeth O. Dulemba | |
Please welcome Michelle Knudsen to GreenBeanTeenQueen! She's sharing a playlist of her favorite musical theater songs in honor of her latest book, Evil Librarian.
About the Book: (from Goodreads): #EvilLibrarian He’s young. He’s hot. He’s also evil. He’s . . . the librarian.
When Cynthia Rothschild’s best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why. He’s really young and super cute and thinks Annie would make an excellent library monitor. But after meeting Mr. Gabriel, Cyn realizes something isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s the creepy look in the librarian’s eyes, or the weird feeling Cyn gets whenever she’s around him. Before long Cyn realizes that Mr. Gabriel is, in fact . . . a demon. Now, in addition to saving the school musical from technical disaster and trying not to make a fool of herself with her own hopeless crush, Cyn has to save her best friend from the clutches of the evil librarian, who also seems to be slowly sucking the life force out of the entire student body! From best-selling author Michelle Knudsen, here is the perfect novel for teens who like their horror served up with a bit of romance, plenty of humor, and some pretty hot guys (of both the good and evil variety)
Like Cyn, the main character in Evil Librarian, I love musical theater. In college, a bunch of my theater friends and I lived on the far edge of campus from where rehearsals usually were, and we got into the habit of listening to musical theater mix tapes during the drives there and back. I would often listen to my favorite songs from shows and sing along in the car when alone, too, but it was even more fun to do it with a few like-minded friends who could all sing different characters in the multi-part numbers. In honor of the Evil Librarian blog tour, I thought I’d put together a little playlist of some of my favorite musical theater songs — the ones that would definitely make it onto a playlist if I were making a new one today. These are in no particular order — it’s just a list, not a ranking. :)
1. “Quartet (A Model of Decorum and Tranquility” from Chess (U.S. version)
Chess is one of my all-time favorite musicals to listen to (both the Broadway and London versions, which are very different from each other) although I’ve never yet seen it performed on stage.
2. “I Heard Someone Crying” from The Secret Garden
This is one we used to sing together in the car on the way to rehearsal. I’ve never seen this one live either, although (of course) I’ve read the book it’s based on.
3. “Potiphar” from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
They did this one my freshman year of high school, and it was a lot of fun to watch and listen to. I still really love all the music, but this is one of the songs I most often find randomly popping into my head.
4. “Belle” from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
I’d go with the movie soundtrack version on this one. Does that still count? I saw the movie in the theater 10 times when it first came out. And I still love to sing this one in the car. And outside the car. I still know every word by heart.
5. “Any Moment: Moments in the Woods” from Into the Woods
It was hard deciding between this one and “On the Steps of the Palace.” Those are my two favorite songs to sing from this show. I saw the Public Theater “Sondheim in the Park” production in 2012 which was amazing (with the same two best friends mentioned in #7 below).
6. “One Day More” from Les Misérables
One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite musicals of all time. I think I picked this one for this list over “Stars” (another of my favorites) because it’s got everyone in it, and I love big ensemble numbers so much.
7. “The Devil You Know” from Side Show
I first encountered Side Show at Broadway on Broadway in NYC with two of my best friends (the two friends Evil Librarian is dedicated to, actually) and I fell in love with it at once. I didn’t get to see it on Broadway before it closed, so I’m super excited about the revival opening this fall!
8. “Heaven on Their Minds” from Jesus Christ Superstar
I love to sing this one, but never where anyone can hear me. I know I can’t really sing it. I’m sure it sounds ridiculous and horrible when I try. But I love to anyway.
9. “Skid Row (Downtown)” from Little Shop of Horrors
We did this one in high school. It’s really not a good show for the chorus, at least in terms of stage time — except for a few small character parts, most of the chorus only got to sing in the opening and the finale. But it’s a fabulous show to watch/listen to. (I love the movie version, too, which is not always the case.)
10. “A Little Priest” from Sweeney Todd
I couldn’t end this list without including something from Sweeney Todd, which is the show Cyn and her classmates are doing in the book. One of my all-time favorites. If you’ve never seen it, buy or borrow a copy of the 1982 recording of the Angela Lansbury/George Hearn performance and watch! I love this song because it’s such a great example of the blending of the darkness and humor and madness and brilliance that runs through the entire show.
Follow the tour:
WhoRuBlog | | 9/9/2014 |
Elizabeth O. Dulemba | | 9/13/2014 |
Random Chalk Talk | | 9/10/2014 |
Books 4 Your Kids | | 9/11/2014 |
Green Bean Teen Queen | | 9/12/2014 |
Katie's Book Blog | | 9/15/2014 |
Word Spelunking | | 9/16/2-14 |
Book Chic Club | | 9/17/2014 |
I'm very excited to host the next stop in the Visions of the Future Tour from MacTeens. Emmy Layborne is talking about her post-apocalyptic world in her series Monument 14.
Ah! Post-apocalyptic visions of mass destruction - you are so varied, so specific and so horrible! It’s a pleasure to be here today talking about my own personal brand of ruination.
In the Monument 14 trilogy, an escalating series of environmental catastrophes results in a breach of chemical weapon storage facilities at NORAD.
Two chemical weapons are released. One is a magnetized blackout cloud, designed to hover above the detonation site and jam all radio, television and cell signals. The other is a compound called MORS, which divides the population based on blood type, turning people with Type AB blood into paranoid freaks, people with A blood blister up and die almost immediately. Type O people become deranged, consumed with bloodlust, driven to slaughter indiscriminately. The fourth blood type, B, shows no outward symptoms. They’ve been made sterile and infertile, but otherwise they’re fine - and must witness the chaos and bloodshed around them.
Fourteen kids ranging in age from 5 to 18 wind up stranded together in the relative safety of an empty super store. Inside, they must band together to form a new society in order to survive the threats of their new world.
Once I finished Monument 14, I took a moment to ask myself: What is wrong with you, Emmy?
Why did you feel the need to cast the world into such darkness? Why did you have a mega-tsunami wipe out the eastern seaboard? (That happened in the chain of catastrophes I mentioned before.) Why did you set the epicenter of all this misery in Monument, Colorado - where your own mother-in-law lives?!
Okay, so I can totally answer the first one. It had nothing to do with destroying my MIL’s hometown, I promise. I simply wanted a small town in Colorado, and I was familiar with Monument and knew I’d be visiting Monument 2-3 times a year to do additional research. I swear!
But why did I feel the need to create such a dark world? And why did my vision of the future have such a high body-count? One answer is that I created a dark world so that the inner light of my characters could shine through. There’s truth in it, but that seems a little easy, doesn’t it?
Did I do it because I was following the trends? God, no. If I’d been following the trends I would have made the central character a girl and put her smack dab in the middle of a Niko/Jake love triangle!
I think my impulse to destroy the world comes from a sub-conscious recognition of a true need that young adults have. I think post-apocalyptic and dystopian YA literature originates from this: Teenagers need to destroy the world of their parents so that they can create their own, new worlds.
And so, in the twisted, terrifying world of Monument, CO in the year 2024, I forced the characters to create a new social construct and to find out who they are - in a new (okay, terribly dark and violent) world.
So there you have my rumination on the post-apocalyptic world I created in the Monument 14 trilogy. Hey, I’d love for you to read the series and tell me why you think I put the kids in such terrible danger.
I knew from the first page of Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature that I was going to love this book. If you work in the world of children's and teen lit, you've most likely heard from others that they think children's lit is cute, sweet, and simple. But Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson, and Peter D. Sieruta are out to prove everyone wrong. They've uncovered some wild acts of mischief in children's literature and it's an absolute blast to join them on the ride. Want an example of some fun they discovered? Check out this crazy tidbit from Betsy and Jules:
Courtney Love’s Unlikely Connection to the Newbery Award Winning Book The Slave Dancer
I’ve been wracking my brain trying to remember how I first heard about this story. Odds are SLJ reporter Rocco Staino is the one to credit. You see, when Jules Danielson, Peter Sieruta, and I first started working on our book Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children’s Literature, we wanted to fill it to overflowing with some of the funniest, kookiest, craziest children’s book stories out there. Everything from Robert McCloskey’s drunk ducklings to the true fate of Misty of Chincoteague. And as we were writing the book we kept our eyes peeled for any new items that might fit the bill. Well lo and behold in 2011 the article Paula Fox on a Roll came out. On the surface it was a fairly innocuous piece about how the Newbery Award winning author was being inducted into the New York State Writers Hall of Fame. Ho hum. Nothing much to catch the eye . . . until you get to the part near the bottom where Ms. Fox has this to say about, of all people, the singer Courtney Love. Quote: “She is crazy, and to use a modern term, a psychopath.” And why, precisely, would Ms. Fox weigh in on the woman who coined the phrase “Kinderwhore”? Because it’s her own granddaughter.
Hubba wha?
There’s nothing better than discovering that two seemingly unrelated beings, famous in their own right, have a connection. In the course of writing this book we had to ultimately cut out stories that talked about how Roald Dahl claimed that Beatrix Potter yelled at him as a child. We eschewed mentioning that the great Arthur Ransome, author of the British-beloved novel Swallows and Amazons, married Trotsky’s daughter. But you WILL find stories about how Roald Dahl got to know Congresswoman Clare Booth Luce veeeeeeeery well. And, you’ll follow our little research path to get to know how precisely a writer like Paula Fox becomes a grandmother to a Courtney Love.
Because to be perfectly honest with you, when it comes to the wide and wonderful world of children’s literature, nothing should surprise you. There are some pretty wild people out there.
Check out more wild and unexpected stories from Wild Things on the Wild Things tour and follow Betsy and Jules around the blogosphere for more intriguing stories. And be sure to get your hands on a copy of Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature-you don't want to miss out on these unexpected and surprising stories!
Please welcome author Sasha Dawn to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Her debut novel, Oblivion, is out this month. I always ask authors about libraries and reading and the impact it's had on their lives. I love her post-I tell the tweens and and teens at my library that you're never too old to be read aloud to and Ms. Dawn's post proves that!
I LIVE; THEREFORE, I READ.
My teen years were among the most tumultuous of my life, and that’s saying quite something, considering some of the challenges I’ve faced since.
While I was in high school, in the interest of my safety, I lived with another family. I didn’t often have the power of choice, given I was essentially sponging off the family who’d welcomed me as child #7 in their home. For this reason, I found escape in books and tended to read whatever I could get my hands on—anything from romance novels to sci-fi to classics. While my pseudo-sisters were attending rock concerts and going on vacations, I was reading. Books were inexpensive leisure, and they took me on adventures I couldn’t otherwise afford.
My high school English teacher, Janelle Maren, introduced me to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and I absolutely fell in love with it from the very first paragraph. I read the novel over and over again, and every summer, when I ventured back home for occasional visits with my biological siblings, my brother and I took turns reading it aloud to each other.
At least two decades have passed since Ken and I made a practice of lounging under a tree with Harper Lee. We both have families and careers and responsibilities, but those days are never far from our minds. They were the natural extension of the days I’d read to him during our childhood, depictions of simpler eras…and while he has yet to admit it, I suspect he named one of his daughters for the girl with the Big Red Dog. I read Emily Elizabeth with a southern lilt, and I’m certain that’s the reason my niece can fake an amazing drawl.
Those moments with my brother and Harper Lee cemented a friendship, having given us the opportunity to enjoy inside jokes, such as “Pass the damn ham” at the Christmas table, and “Are you waked up good?” during early morning phone calls. We never fought like normal siblings, having bonded in our rare time together. He is Jem to my Scout.
Reading (with Ken or alone) kept me safe and connected when I felt drastically alone. People overlook the importance of reading aloud to one another past early elementary school. But if novels award readers with incomparable solitary experiences, imagine what a good story can do to strengthen relationships. I salute books the way I acknowledge people who have made a difference in my life. In the words of Scout Finch, “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing” (Lee).
Want to win a copy of Oblivion?
Leave a comment below with your favorite book to read aloud!
And follow the tour for more from Sasha Dawn and more chances to win!
(Contest open to ages 13+, ends June 1, one entry per person)
Oblivion Blog Tour with Sasha Dawn
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Actin up with Books
Q&A and giveaway
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Live to Read
review and giveaway
Friday, May 23, 2014
Karin’s Book Nook
giveaway only
GreenBeanTeenQueen
guest post and giveaway
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Books with Bite
review and giveaway
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Curling Up with a Good Book
Q&A and giveaway
Monday, May 26, 2014
Book Dreaming
guest post and giveaway
Icey Books
guest post and giveaway
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Bookaholics Anonymous
guest post and giveaway
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Jump into Books
guest post and giveaway
Friday, May 30, 2014
Bittersweet Enchantment
guest post and giveaway
Saturday, May 31, 2014
A Dream within a Dream
Q&A and giveaway
I am so excited to be part of the tour of Bree Despain's new book, The Shadow Prince. This is the start to a great new series, Into rhe Dark, which is inspired by the Persephone myth.
As a librarian, I always love to hear from authors about their library experiences. After reading about Bree's, I'm sure we're kindred spirits. I love her story of a remolded library and how far she'd go for the book she wanted!
And be sure to check out the other spots on the tour!
Some of my fondest memories are of making new discoveries in libraries. One of my earliest childhood recollections is of the story-time room in my little local library. I remember getting to pick out my own carpet square and look at the rainbow colors on the walls while one of the librarians read from books like Chicken Soup With Rice and Where The Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak was always my favorite) and then begging my mom to let me search the aisles of books to discover something new to borrow. I remember when my library got a computerized cataloging system for the first time (wow, that makes me feel old) and I’d sit in front of the kiosks, entering the names of famous people, subjects, and authors, and being amazed by the lists of books that would pop up in front of my eyes. (Can you tell I was the kind of kid who would read the dictionary for fun?)
At the time, I had no idea how publishing worked. The way books were made was a mystery to me, and authors didn’t seem like real people at all. They were magical as far as I was concerned. I didn’t know that I wanted to be an author yet, but I still daydreamed about being able to type my own name into the computer catalog and find a list of books either by me or about me. How cool would it be to know that I had left a piece of myself behind for someone else to discover?
When I was in middle school, I found YA books for the first time in the shelves of the library’s used book sale. YA wasn’t very much of thing when I was a teen (remember, I’m old) and I was intrigued to find a book that seemed like it was written just for me. I bought it for fifty cents and took it home—and became obsessed. I spent the next few years searching the shelves of my little library to find more books like that, and then sharing them with my younger sister.
Then I went off to college and walked into my university’s massive library for the first time and discovered that there was more than the hundreds of books I’d had at my disposals as a kid—there were now hundreds of thousands of them. I remember walking up and down the aisles and aisles of books and wondering if I ever wrote a book how anyone in the world would ever find it among all the others?
Discovering books in that seemingly endless library became quite the unexpected adventure. At the time I was obsessed with the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters—a series of books about a family of archeologists who solve mysteries in Victorian/Edwardian Egypt. I remember asking a librarian for help to find the next book in the series, and her replying, “How badly do you want it?” I blinked at her and said “desperately.” That’s when she said, “You’ll need these,” and handed me a flashlight and a hardhat. As it turned out, the library was under going renovations (to become even bigger!) and the floor with the book I wanted was under construction. With no electricity, I had to use the little flashlight and crawl under what felt like miles of plastic sheeting in the dark, between looming shelves, to find the book. I felt like an archeologist myself, searching for hidden treasure. I have to admit, it was kind of scary experience, but undaunted, I returned week after week to go crawling through the dust and the dark for the next books in that series. I always wondered if someone out there would be willing to do the same to find a book that I had written.
Years later, when I was a new mother and young writer, I would take my toddler son to the new Salt Lake City library for story time. I’d help him pick out his own carpet square and listen to the librarian read books like Chicken Soup With Rice and Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak was always his favorite) and then we’d brave the glass elevators (I’m afraid of heights) to go up to the YA section where I would check out books for myself by Meg Cabot and Laurie Halse Anderson—throwing in a few “how to get published” guides—and daydream about entering my own name in the computer catalog system and showing my son my list of books.
A few years later, I sold my first book, and a year after that it hit the bookshelves. Now I had two sons, and took them to our local library with the hopes of finding my name in the computer catalog. Maybe we would even see it on a shelf. I held my breath, not knowing what I would discover when I entered my name. And then it happened, the thing I had been daydreaming about since I was kid: a book by me appeared on the screen. But the library didn’t have my book—because all the copies had been checked out. And not only that, it had more than sixty holds on it. People—lots of people—had discovered my book among all the others. I burst into tears in the middle of the library and my kids thought I was total nut-ball, but they let me cry and point at my name on the screen until they pulled me away, begging to search through the aisles of books to discover something new for themselves.
With the publication of The Shadow Prince last month, my list of books in the library catalog has grown to four—and looking up my own name to see if others have discovered them never ever gets old.
Want to win a copy of The Shadow Prince? Leave a comment below with your own library memory.
-ages 13+
-US or Canada address only
-one entry per person
-ends April 8
-giveaway thanks to Egmont USA
Please welcome Chris A. Bolton, author of the comic book, SMASH: Trial by Fire to GreenBeanTeenQueen!
I haven't been what you could call a "child" for, um, several years now. (How many? Never you mind.) But my childhood experience with my local library was so strong that, to this day, when I hear the word "library," my first thought is: Asterix.
Surely you know of Asterix the Gaul? The star of the French comics created in 1959 by writer René Goscinny and artist Albert Uderzo? Asterix is the short, shrewd, blond-haired warrior who, along with his enormous friend Obelix, stumbles into countless adventures, usually while battling the Roman army that surrounds their tiny Gaulish village.
Like soccer and Tintin, Asterix is hugely successful and wildly beloved all over the world -- but only moderately popular in the U.S. As a young boy who loved and devoured superhero comics featuring Batman or Spider-Man, I'd never heard of Asterix until one fateful Sunday afternoon when my mom took me to the public library in Eugene, Oregon.
At the time, I thought the library was a vast palace of books, nearly impenetrable in size. Now that I'm quite a big bigger and live in Portland -- a much larger city, which has a central library that is several stories tall -- I realize my mind was exaggerating this perspective a bit. (The Eugene library has even gotten bigger, having moved to a larger building in the 1990s.)
But, at seven years of age, I found the dozen or so shelves of the children's section quite daunting. Where would I begin looking? And more importantly, how would I ever stop?
In short order, a shelf of books caught my attention. These peculiarly-sized volumes were called "albums" in Europe and today would be labeled "graphic novels" (despite being not quite novel-length). But back in the mid-1980s, they were just oddly-shaped, taller-than-normal comic books with hard covers that stood out to me at a glance.
Two memories jump at me as I write: the tape on the covers, and the shape of the characters' hands.
The Asterixvolumes all had reddish tape along the spines, presumably to patch them together after countless eager readers had worn the bindings to splinters. The titles of the books had to be retyped on the tape in that ubiquitous Courier font indicative of typewriters. I'm sure hundreds of library books underwent his life-saving procedure, but I'll always associate the look and tactile feel of that tape with the well-loved Asterixbooks in the Eugene library.
And those hands! There's something of a consistent style to all the European comics I've seen from the 1950s and '60s. Most were probably inspired by Tintin, although very few that I've found seem to try and actually imitate Herge's distinctive visual style. But the look of Asterix was familiar to me from The Smurfs, the Belgian comic series created by writer/artist Peyo in 1958.
In the early 1980s, the Smurfs were enjoying a newfound popularity in the U.S. thanks to a hit Saturday morning cartoon series. Oh yes, I was a huge fan of the Smurfs! I watched the cartoon religiously and bought as many of the comics as I could find -- although, oddly, only a handful of Peyo's Smurfs books were translated into English and published in the U.S. until very recently.
As a budding artist -- until I grew frustrated with my limitations and turned to writing, a much better fit (while my younger brother, Kyle, became the family artist) -- I was captivated by the way Peyo draw the Smurfs' hands. Big, round palms with long, nimble fingers that broadened at the ends. Tight, compact fists that swung like little clubs. I filled mountains of scratch paper with drawings of hands, trying to copy Peyo's distinctive proportions -- the likes of which I had never seen in any other comic book.
Until Asterix.
I don't know if Uderzo copied Peyo (who was already well-known in Europe for his pre-Smurfscomics), or if they went to the same art school, or what. All I knew was, they both drew the same, magnificent hands!
The instant I pulled one of those red-taped spines from the shelf, opened the peeling cover, and laid eyes on those hands, I grabbed as many Asterix books as I could scoop into my skinny arms. Of course, there was a limit to how many books could be checked out at a time, so I had to put a few back. (Which was just as well; I never would have finished reading all of those volumes without racking up overdue fines.)
From then on, I returned to the library every couple of months. I found numerous other books to read and treasure. Many of those are now sadly out-of-print, although I've managed to hunt down some favorites on eBay (all ex-libris).
But I always walked out with a least an armful of Asterix books!
Looking back, I think what ultimately drew me to Asterix was the mixture of fun, cartoony art with action-packed adventure that managed to be both humorous and exciting. At the time, few American comics achieved -- or even attempted -- that balance of tones, much less that dynamic visual style. Spider-Man made a lot of corny jokes, but he took crimefighting more or less seriously -- and so did the comics in which he starred. Even when hugely outnumbered by Roman legions, however, Asterix and Obelix faced their challenges with unwavering grins firmly affixed -- and so did their readers.
Many years later, I had this balance of tones in mind when my brother and I developed our comic Smash, about a ten-year-old superhero. We wanted to put our pint-sized (and, come to think of it, Asterix-sized) hero in situations of real danger with genuine, life-threatening consequences -- while still finding humor in the characters and their predicaments. I'm sure we have a long way to go before we even approach the mastery of storytelling magic in Asterix, but we're determined to get there -- or, at least, as close as we can.
Today, I constantly visit my closest branch of the Portland library. Thanks to the internet, I can put a hold on the book or DVD I want, stroll into the building, find my reservations shelf, and head out with my checked-out treasures in just a few, short minutes. But I like to stop and linger now and then. Stroll through the shelves, browse unfamiliar spines, and see what jumps out at me.
Not long ago, I wandered into the children's books room. My gaze fixed on a shelf of graphic novels whose spines were instantly familiar (even without the distinctive red tape or Courier titles). I scanned a bunch of the Asterix books, admiring those beautiful hands and recalling those long-ago childhood memories.
Then, a boy of about eight or ten walked in and darted straight to that shelf. He skidded to his knees and pulled out the Asterix books, one at a time. As he flipped the oversized pages, his eyes were as huge as a Roman centurion's when Asterix bore down on him with fists cocked. I walked away to leave the boy to the lifetime of wonderful memories he was creating at the library.
Please welcome debut author Clare M. Caterer to GreenBeanTeenQueen! She's currently on her blog tour to celebrate the release of her middle grade debut, The Key and the Flame. I asked Clare to share her thoughts on libraries!
Thanks so much to Sarah for letting GreenBeanTeenQueen host a stop on my blog tour! Sarah asked me to talk some library love, so I’m paying homage to two special libraries I know.
When I was 22 years old, I was a walking cliché: Midwestern girl with big-city dreams. Two days after receiving my college diploma, I hopped a plane to New York City, where I intended to get a job and become a famous writer.
New York is a tough town to hang out in all by yourself. I knew no one, had no job, and the culture shock was extreme, though I never admitted it at the time. Still, I knew I needed to find a home base, somewhere I could feel like myself.
So of course I went to the library.
Even my cocky, I’ll-conquer-the-world attitude was humbled by this library. You know the one I mean: that grand, yawning building guarded by stone lions and opening into glorious, chandeliered interiors.
Photo 1
It’s not a cozy place with armchairs and reading nooks. It’s intimidating. But that’s what I loved: I walked into it and felt small, just like I did when I was a kid in my small-town library, feeling the awe-inspiring weight of all those unread books. Despite its churchlike literary opulence, the NYPL was home. It held amazing secrets in its dusty back rooms full of ancient manuscripts. I could find anything there. I could hold in my hands letters written by a World War I doughboy to his girl back home. One entire room was devoted just to maps, for God’s sake.
Photo 2
And like an alcoholic set loose on Bourbon Street, I marveled that another library was right down the block—the smaller, friendlier Mid-Manhattan Library. Here I could take home Jane Austen and Stephen King for free. All the books I’d been forced to leave behind in Kansas were here waiting for me in hushed rooms shielded from harsh voices and honking taxicabs.
When I was swindled out of $200, when I was grinned at by gin-soaked men, when I wondered what I was doing in New York and why I didn’t go home, I wandered into the NYPL to feel that familiar weight of more books than I could ever read. I didn’t need to go back to Kansas City. I had my own chair under the window at the library. It was right there in the fiction section of the children’s room, where I could curl up, pull down a copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and know that I’d come home.
Photo 3
photo credits from top: 1. NYPL exterior by Ken Thomas (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons; 2. NYPL Maps Division by GK tramrunner229 (own work), reusable under GFDL orCC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; 3. NYPL, Mid-Manhattan branch, by Beyond My Ken (own work), reusable under GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
I really think that Clare and I are kindred spirits! We both moved to big cities after college (although I went to Chicago) from the same Midwest town and both found refuge and comfort in the library! What a wonderful story!
About The Key and The Flame: Holly wants an adventure. So when her family travels to England, Holly is sure that an adventure awaits. When they arrive, the elderly caretaker of their cottage gives Holly a gift-a key. Holly soon discovers this key is no ordinary key, but has the ability to unlock another world where magic is outlawed and Holly is mistaken for an adept-one who practices magic and must be hunted. When her brother Ben and friend Everett are kidnapped by a ruthless king, Holly must discover the magic within herself to have the adventure she's been waiting for!
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Ok, first off, big props to the Simon & Schuster marketing team for creating an awesome cover. I was reading this book in bed one evening when Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan (who is notoriously picky about his books) picked this one and said "that looks interesting and it has a great cover!" So anytime you can get him to pick up a book, extra points from me!
The Key and the Flame is an epic adventure that tween readers of fantasy will love. With echoes of Narnia, tweens will love the fantastical worlds, creatures and medieval setting that Holly, Ben and Everett find themselves in. The story started off a bit slowly for my taste, but once it got going and the trio found themselves in a magical world, the plot picked up and the adventure was non-stop. There is a full cast of characters that awaits readers and the story is full of magical surprises.
If you have tween readers who are wanting the next fantasy series to get hooked on, give them The Key and the Flame for a nice blend of magic, friendship, and history.
Book Pairings: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from finished copy sent by the publisher for review
Please welcome Hilary McKay to GreenBeanTeenQueen! I am so excited to share her newest books, The Lulu Series, with everyone. Lulu is a seven-year-old who loves animals. The rule in Lulu's house is the more the merrier, as long as Lulu cleans up after them!
In Lulu and the Duck in the Park, during a class trip the park Lulu discovers an egg that needs help hatching. Her teacher has told everyone no more animals in class, but Lulu can't leave the duckling egg alone!
In Lulu and the Dog From the Sea, Lulu and her family vacation to a cottage by the sea. They discover a stray dog who everyone in the town is trying to catch and Lulu believes she can be the one to tame him.
This series is charming and adorable and perfect for beginning readers. Each book is about 100 pages and is full of beautiful illustrations on almost every page. The writing is wonderful and never sounds too simple or talks down to the reader and I think new independent readers will feel like they are reading a very smart chapter book when they read this series. Lulu reminds me a bit of Clementine-getting into some silly adventures and she's very passionate. I think she'll easily earn her place among the spunky, plucky girl characters that fill beginning chapter book series.
What made the Lulu books stand out for me was Lulu and her cousin Mellie. They have a very sweet friendship and even though they are very different, they are the best of friends. I also adored Lulu's passion for animals. Each book is a new adventure with Lulu and a new animal and her love for animals shines through on the pages.
I also really appreciated the fact that this series features multiracial characters without it ever being an issue. This is much needed in children's lit, especially books for beginning readers.I can't wait to give these to my young library readers who love The Puppy Place series and want books about animals-the Lulu books are sure to a be a hit!I asked Ms. McKay to share her thoughts on libraries:
I was lucky with libraries growing up. There was one within walking distance, on the way to school. Looking back, having seen more beautiful libraries, it was a utilitarian affair: steel shelves, hard wooden seats, and a most unfriendly librarian. At the time this did not strike me at all; it had a delicious smell of polish and paper, books by the thousand and it was beautifully quiet. I think nowadays quietness is less fashionable in children’s libraries, but after the noise of four children in a very small house it was lovely to me. My sisters and I visited it very often. We were allowed four books each, so that was sixteen. They usually lasted us about three days. Our most popular authors, such as Joan Aiken, Arthur Ransome, L M Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Noel Streatfield caused many quarrels, and much clutching of the-book-to-be-read-next to indignant bony chests before it was seized by a predatory sister. We were all very bad sharers. One of my sisters used to read on her stomach, her entire pile shoved underneath her. I often went so far as to stow them under my sweater. Anyone would have thought there was a shortage of books, but there was not; there was a limitless supply. How lucky we were, how little we knew that we were so lucky, but if ever a library was appreciated, that one was, and I remember it now with love, steel shelves, hard seats, unfriendly librarian included. Want to win a copy of Lulu? Leave a comment below with your favorite animal!
-Thanks to Albert Whitman & Company for the contest
-Open to ages 13+
-US and Canada address only
-Contest ends April 1st
Please welcome author Margaux Froley to GreenBeanTeenQueen. Her debut novel, Escape Theory, was just released on March 12! I love asking about libraries and Margaux answered the question, "When has a library really made a difference for you as a writer."I’m a big fan of libraries, so this is a tough question. Last year my boyfriend and I decided to move to Los Angeles from New York. We got to Los Angeles and stayed the first few days with my dad and his wife in their house near Santa Monica. I’m from here, so it was nice to be back near my family, and my family was happy to have me. But I also vividly remember the first morning, Joel and I woke up, had breakfast, and our intention was to sit down and write that day. My dad’s house is big-ish, so there seemed to be plenty of space to write. He even had the housekeeper clean off a big table just for us. We got our laptops out, our coffees ready just how we like, and sat down to write. It was going to be a great writing day.
But, within the first five minutes we could hear my dad and his wife bicker about getting their printer to work, they have small birds that suddenly made a huge amount of constant noise, and the phone kept ringing. Without even saying a word, we just exchanged a look, and very quickly we packed up our computers and just grabbed our stuff and left the house. I started driving and didn’t quite know where we could go to find any peace. I vaguely remembered that Santa Monica had a new library, and we ended up there. The Santa Monica library is a beautiful, modern building with lots and lots of space and bright windows. We were in heaven. I quickly got a library card, and we ended up spending most of the next week writing our own pilot scripts at that library. I still love that library because it provided such a safe haven when we’re wandering travelers just trying to find a quiet place to write.
Please welcome Annette LeBlanc Cate, author of Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Check out my review of Look Up!
So much about life now is very different for The Young People Of Today (how i put it when i want to particularly annoy my 12 year old son) than for us pathetic old people. For example...The Young People have many, many tv stations, they may roam freely when they talk on the phone, their Lego people have faces, and on cold days they don't have smelly damp wool scarves wrapped around their faces, because they have Polar-tec. And they are never bored, because they have many devices with various entertainments on them. And every little bit of information they could ever want or need is right at their fingertips, and they are so used to this that it never occurs to them that this is an incredibly overwhelming concept, their heads never spin with this knowledge, like mine still does, because I am, you know, a pathetic old person.
Of course, much of life is the same, too. For the past 6 years I have volunteered in my sons' very large and cheerful elementary school library, and every week the kids march in and drop their books with a satisfying thump onto the desk to be checked in, and then later they skip up to the desk, eyes shining, with new selections clutched hopefully to their chests.
When I went to school in the '70's, we would also march down to the school library, (of course ours was really more like a giant closet) and we would have ten minutes or so to pick a book, and although there must have been a librarian who rubber-stamped the cards, i do not remember her. Then I would have a new deliciously musty smelling cloth-bound Black Stallion series book, with thickish yellowy pages and lovely mysterious black ink illustrations, and it was mine for the week, and that was that, and I was happy. I would write my book reports, and i did well at that because i was very smart and always read well past my grade level, and everything was perfect until 10th grade or so when i suddenly was supposed to be able to write a 10 page research paper on a theme of Henry James, and then life was not so perfect, because i had no idea how to research a theme of Henry James. And it was really shocking to me, because i thought i knew how to do stuff, and really... when i got right down to it, i had no idea at all how to even begin.
I am betting this is not going to happen with the Young People of Today...and I am not even making fun of them here, I am sincerely very, very happy for them...because their libraries are so different, and kids' librarians are so different, and that is all so wonderful. While i shelve the books the kids have just dumped onto the desk, I have had the pleasure of eavesdropping on Mrs. DeCesare's delightful library lectures...the little kids start off with a song, and then they get a talk... maybe about what's a fairy tale, what's a fable, what are the parts of a book... and then she tells them a story. The older kids - and this is what really fascinates me... are learning about how to do research, they learn all the good places to go to find information... and how to weed through it, and what to do with it, how to assimilate it and make it part of their own understanding. When I hear Mrs. DeCesare patiently explain what a source is and how to document it... I honestly think WOW! To think someone thought to explain this to kids, in small yearly easily understood chunks, a little at a time, all in one place... how to navigate not just the library... but the whole world of information out there.... so kids will not be lost and overwhelmed when it is time to identify a theme of Henry James.... I think, good grief, what a great idea this whole library program thing is.
At times I cannot help to be a little worried at just how much completely accessible stuff is out there... I'm a mom and I can't help it. I didn't grow up with the internet and I am suspicious of it sometimes. I know I am nostalgic for my musty old book being rubber-stamped and being sent on my way, and i can't really help that, either. But I love all this new library business. I am encouraged by the work of Mrs.DeCesare and all the other youth librarians out there who help and give talks and point out the good books, who guide kids toward making good choices, who help them figure stuff out. How different life is going to be for these kids, how ready they will be to write their papers and their essays, to think about college. I'm really thrilled it is a whole new world for them.
(But of course I'm happy kids still bring me, eyes shining-ly, their occasionally musty old books. I'm happy those still get to live at the library, too! I just wish I could rubber stamp them)
Please welcome author Gail Gauthier to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Gail has written several books for tweens and teens and recently released her book Saving the Planet & Stuff as an ebook.
I began my reading life in one-room schoolhouses that could barely be said to have their own libraries. These days, I can sometimes be found reading on a Kindle, which means I can order library eBooks without actually having to go into a library. Seems like a big jump, doesn’t it?
I want to make clear that I didn’t spend my early years in one-room schoolhouses because I am so very, very old. No, I spent most of my growing up years in Sudbury, Vermont, a town too small, at that time, to afford what even then would have been considered a “traditional” elementary school. Younger students attended Hill School, which had a cupboard filled with dark old volumes of early twentieth century children’s books. Burr Pond, for the older kids, had a bookcase filled with outdated National Geographics. For real library services, both schools relied on periodic visits from a bookmobile. Bookmobile days were events.
But the bookmobile only came during the school year. In the summer, my mother would drive us to Brandon, the nearest town with a public library. This two-story building with several rooms filled with books seemed like a mansion. Once I grew into Otter Valley Union High School, I put in a few years as a library aid, meaning I could stay in the library during study hall. I commuted to campus for my first year of college and spent a lot of time, not in the commuter lounge, but in Castleton State College’s library. After transferring to the University of Vermont, I spent many free weekend hours on the periodical floor of the library there. Years later, while a mother of grade school students, I would hit both their school’s and our town’s libraries, acting as their personal book “shopper.”
Clearly, I have a long and varied history with libraries and the books in them. And, yet, as I said, I now read eBooks. What’s more, I’ve republished one of my traditionally published books, Saving the Planet & Stuff
http://www.gailgauthier.com/saving-planet.htmas an eBook. Isn’t the leap from the one-room schoolhouse to the e-reader just too dramatic, too improbable?
Not at all. While I enjoy the look and the feel of an attractive book, I don’t have any kind of romantic or nostalgic feelings about books as things. What I’ve always liked about books is what’s in them, stories. Stories existed before books. They existed when they were carved onto stones, painted on walls, told around fires. An eBook is just another way for an author to transmit stories and for a reader to receive them.
It is also just one way. Books are still out there. Libraries are still loaded with them. Books, as objects, provide a visual impact that’s difficult to get from looking at a cover image on a screen. When I’m in a library, I am still overwhelmed by “all the pretty things” I see there. I still plan library excursions, patronizing more than one.
When I was a girl, I kept my library books on the floor next to a rocker in the living room. When my children were young, we had a library basket, also in the living room. Today I keep my library books on a stand next to a large, upholstered chair in, once again, the living room. Now, though, you’ll sometimes also see my Kindle there.
Please welcome author Karen Cushman to the blog! I am so delighted to be hosting Karen Cushman on tour for her latest book, Will Sparrow's Road. I have been a long time fan and no one writes historical fiction like the amazing Ms. Cushman.
Her latest book is a bit different-this is the first male narrator for the author! Here's Ms. Cushman to talk about why she chose to write from a male point of view this time around.
Why did I write a book about a boy? I had in mind a story about a child alone and on the road in Elizabethan England. I knew a girl likely would not survive there in those somewhat brutal times. And I don’t believe that in a world with so little privacy, she could successfully disguise herself as a boy for long. She wouldn’t have access to a private bedroom or dressing rooms or bathrooms. London did have one public restroom—a plank with 18-holes, emptying directly into the Thames River. In fact using the whole world as a toilet—streets, fields, the halls of great houses—was so common that a book of manners from 1731 stated that it was impolite to stop and greet someone who is urinating. So it had to be a boy, and Will Sparrow was born.
It was important to me to build a Will who was believable, true to his character, his gender, and his times. My first attempts made Will more like a girl in britches so I had to do a lot more research. I read books on psychology and child development. I spoke to boys and mothers of boys. I watched boys at the bus stop and my husband and his friends at play. The resulting Will has boundless energy, his voice is changing, he distrusts displays of emotion, and he longs to grow facial hair. But he lives in a time that was more chaotic and dangerous so he is extremely vulnerable. There was no concept of adolescence so a boy of thirteen, no longer a child, was considered a man, with the responsibilities of a man.
I hope I have managed to construct a Will who is believable, not a stereotype, and wholly entertaining. Let me know what you think.
I love Will Sparrow and his journey and I think Ms. Cushman has captured the tween boy voice perfectly!
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Loved hearing about Clare's experiences at the New York libraries. I'd definitely have culture shock if I moved there. Can't wait to read her book. It sounds awesome.