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I’ve been reading a lot of great middle grade books lately and want to share some of them with you. They are perfect for summer days and beyond.
SAVVY by Ingrid Law follows the adventures of Mississippi “Mibs” Beaumont who is about to turn 13. It’s the magical birthday in the Beaumont family when a family member’s Savvy first shows itself. Will Mibs’ savvy be as fierce as her brother Rocket’s – who creates electricity? Or like her brother Fish’s who produces hurricanes? And, will her Savvy be enough to save her Poppa who lies in the hospital in a coma? This is a delightful tale of family, friendship and love, and a ride on a pink bus that changes everything.
DOLL BONES by Holly Black follows the exploits of Poppy, Zac, and Alice who go on a modern day quest to bring the ghost of Eleanor – housed inside a china doll called Queen – to rest. This ghostly tale is also one of friendship, growing up, and having the courage to risk everything.
HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL by Robin Herrera is another winner. Star Mackie’s voice rings unique and true in a tale of friendship, love, acceptance, and letting your own star shine, no matter what. Using Emily Dickenson’s poem “Hope is the thing with feathers”, Star and her Poetry Club friends find their own versions of hope.
The Newbery Honor and National Book Award winner INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai, uses poetic form the tell the story of a young Vietnamese girl Ha’ and her family. They are forced to leave their beloved Saigon when it falls during the war in 1975. They board a ship to the US where Ha’ must find her place in a strange and foreign land called Alabama. Beautifully written, heartfelt and tender, it’s an unforgettable story about the people war leaves behind.
WHEN AUDREY MET ALICE by Rebecca Behrens tells the tale of First Daughter (to a woman president) Audrey, who has a hard time adjusting to the strict rules of living at the White House. She finds help and inspiration when she discovers the hidden diary of another First Daughter, Alice Roosevelt. It’s an engaging look at how both girls had to behave in the past as well as the present.
I hope you enjoy reading these wonderful books as much as I did.
0 Comments on Great MG Books for Summer Reading. as of 1/1/1900
New York Times Bestselling author, Jennifer Nielsen, was born and raised in northern Utah, where she still lives today with her husband, three children, and a dog that won’t play fetch. She is the author of The Ascendance trilogy, beginning with THE FALSE PRINCE; Book 6 of the Infinity Ring series, BEHIND ENEMY LINES, The Underworld Chronicles, beginning with ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR; and the forthcoming PRAETOR WAR series.
Today’s post comes from a wonderful source: The Children’s Book Review, hosted by Bianca Schulze.
Here are Bianca’s recommendations for five of the best MG books for children.
The art of creating life-long readers really comes down to getting the right books into the right hands at the right time. Once kids have the power to read, letting them choose books for themselves is a really important step in the process of learning to enjoy reading for pleasure. With the amount of wonderful middle grade books available, sometimes finding somewhere to start can be a challenge. Next time your child finds herself confronted with the question of “what to read next,” encourage her to select books that revolve around her passions and personal interests, or start by showing her some of these wonderful books for both girls and boys.
Where do I start? How about with a big fat ‘I loved this book’ and had so much fun reading it. Roald Dahl’sCharlie and the Chocolate Factory just happens to be the inspiration behind The Gollywhopper Games. Feldman, a librarian, came up with the idea for the story after a young boy returned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to her library and requested something similar. When there really wasn’t much literature to compare with the wonderful and magical world Dahl had created, Feldman set about writing The Gollywhopper Games. While the format of the two stories follows a very similar path, Feldman has managed to create an energetic and unique tale all of her own. Gil’s dad promises him they will be able to move away from the trouble that surrounds them if he wins the Gollywhopper Games—an amazing competition held by the ‘Golly Toy and Game Company.’ The competition involves trivia, puzzles, stunts, and the ability to work as a team— thousands of children battle for the ultimate prize. Making the best of a bad situation is certainly encouraged and the message is provided to kids that if you want something bad enough you just might be able to achieve it if you are willing to work hard and really set your mind to it. My hat goes off to Feldman for writing a book with such a creative magical essence that gets children thinking, learning and laughing. What more can you ask for? Read more … (http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2008/07/the-gollywhopper-games-jody-feldman.html)
Inside Out & Back Again
By Thanhha Lai
Reading level: Ages 8-12
How much do we know about those around us? This is the question that debut novelist Thanhha Lai challenged her readers with in Inside Out and Back Again. Based on Lai’s own personal experience as a Vietnamese refugee, she has crafted a poignant story divided into four parts using a series of poems that chronicle the life of 10-year-old Hà, a child–refugee from Vietnam, during the year 1975—the Fall of Saigon. Along with her mother and three brothers (her father has been missing in action for nine years), Hà travels by boat to a tent city in Guam, is moved to Florida and then finds herself living in Alabama sponsored by an “American cowboy” and his wife. In Alabama, the family are treated as outcasts and forced to integrate quickly through language, food, and religion, to be accepted as a part of the community.
Told with pure honesty, emotions run freely from verse to verse and page to page. Hà’s voice is clear, allowing readers to make a leap from sympathy to deep seeded empathy by experiencing her joy, pain, anger, frustration, loyalties, challenges, loss, and determination. The clarity of Hà’s self-awareness and development toward self-actualization is reminiscent of Susan Patron‘s character Lucky, also a 10-year-old girl, from the Newbery winner (2007) The Higher Power of Lucky (2006). Both characters suffer loss, make mistakes, struggle through emotional challenges, and, through sheer determination, intrinsically blossom.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret was the winner of the Caldecott Medal in 2008. This book is a massive 500 pages, so it can look quite intimidating for its intended age, however, more than half of the pages are illustrated. The illustrations are a vital component of the story and provide important clues to the ever-evolving mystery.
The tale begins like a movie and the pictures set the scene of a dark night with a full moon that, as the pages pan out, turns into morning in Paris. The story is about a 12-year-old boy, Hugo, who is an orphan living inside the walls of a Paris train station. Before Hugo’s father (a clock maker) passed away in a fire, he had been working on fixing an adult size wind-up figure. Hugo makes it his purpose to fix the figure. He believes that, once reassembled, the figure will reveal a message left for him by his father.
Hugo begins to develop relationships with a girl named Isabelle and her godfather George (whose character is based on the famous film maker George Mieles) who owns a toyshop in the train station. Hugo first encounters George when he is caught stealing mechanical pieces from the shop to fix his wind-up man. Little does Hugo know … George and Isabelle just may be able to help him complete his task.
This book is a wonderful choice for kids who enjoy mysteries—it will even capture the attention of those that are not overly enthusiastic about reading. The illustrations really add such a ‘cool’ dimension—and based on its beauty and shiny Caldecott Medal, this book really makes a beautiful gift. Read more … (http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2008/03/the-invention-of-hugo-cabret.html)
Ingrid Law’s first novel, Savvy, has a colorful array of characters who collaborate on an unexpected and heartfelt journey. The story revolves around the Beaumont family, and in particular Mississippi (Mibs for short). Every family has its quirks, but none are quite as unique as the Beaumont’s. When a member of Mibs’ family turns 13 they receive a savvy—a supernatural gift. For some, a savvy can be a clever awareness and for others a major life change that has the potential to be a good resource once they learn to contain its unique power— such as creating hurricanes and electricity, like her brothers.
A few days before Mibs turns 13, her poppa ends up in the hospital after a car accident. The morning of her birthday Mibs awakens to believe that her savvy is just right for saving her poppa’s life, the only problem is that the hospital is miles from her house. Her solution … to sneak onto a bus belonging to a bible salesman—and this is where the real fun begins and the unforgettable adventure takes off! This is certainly a novel aimed at tweens, and manages to convey pitch-perfect messages dealing with peers, guilt and growing up. While the story is based on the family’s supernatural powers, the emotion and events are certainly the main features that carry this powerful story, and I am positive that any child who reads this will find an element to truly connect with. Read more … (http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2008/07/savvy-ingrid-law.html)
Bio: Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids. She is an aspiring author, a mother to two daughters, and has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, her goal is to grow readers by showcasing great books for kids! Visit: http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com
Ledger Kale never imagined he'd turn into a human sledgehammer on his thirteenth birthday and now, unless he learns to control his power to break stuff, he could lose everything his uncle has fought so hard to save.
In this dazzling companion to the Newbery Honor-winning Savvy, Law weaves a magical tale of a boy who is "dangerously different," but learns to put aside his fears and make the most of the talent he has.
Like his cousin Mibs in Savvy, Ledge is struck by a mysterious "savvy" when he turns 13, an ability to do things no other human can -- in his case, pull things apart in bits and pieces -- for starters Dad's stop watch and nose-hair trimmer.
His dad, a gifted runner with no savvy of his own, always hoped Ledge would become supersonic fast. But when it turns out Ledge's talent is busting things up, no one is prepared for how to deal with it.
Ledge is told to keep his savvy a secret so bad folks can't use it to their advantage. But destroying stuff isn't an easy savvy to hide and with a wedding to go to at Uncle Autry's ranch, Ledge had better learn fast how to keep his cool and his savvy from getting the better of him.
Learning to "scumble," or finesse his power to do what he wants it to, takes time, and it isn't long after his family takes off in a minivan from their house in Indiana toward the The Flying Cattleheart ranch in Wyoming that everyone regrets their decision to go.
Along the drive, Ledge accidentally busts engine parts and sends a tire down the interstate. Then at a pit stop in Sundance, near the ranch, he inadvertently blows apart a vintage Harley and unhinges a sheriff's truck door after tripping over the shoelaces of a girl named Sarah Jane.
Sarah Jane, a pert gal with sparkling green eyes, operates a homemade tabloid The Sundance Scuttlebutt and now that she's seen Ledge's savvy in action, she wants to make it her next big story. In no time, she's stowed away in the van and conned Ledge into letting her crash the wedding.
But this isn't an ordinary ranch -- Uncle Autry wrangles insects not cattle -- and soon Sarah Jane is seeing far too much, like the bride floating down the aisle and radio music coming out of late Grandma Dollop's wedding jar.
What an interesting review to read for the book Scumble. Thanks for sharing about it. What a fun book this will be to read. I like the title. Awesome cover!
I've not read Savvy, but I think I'll have to check that one out too!
As both a fan of fantasy sci fi books and great characters in mid-grade novels, I loved Saavy and can hardly wait to read Scumble. I am an author, a teacher, and a parent and Ingrid Law has the talent of writing that makes her books difficult to put down - until finished. Congratulations on the new book!
I have 5 nephews and a little boy, and I love giving books for gifts, so I'm always on the lookout for good books that I could give them. I've actually had my eye on this one, and it sounds great!! I didn't realize it was book 2, though, so I'll have to check them both out!! :) I'm a new follower. bluerosesheart at yahoo dot com
Here’s the scoop on the most popular destinations on The Children’s Book Review site, the most coveted new releases, the bestsellers, and kids’ book events.
Here's the scoop on the most popular destinations on The Children’s Book Review site, the most coveted new releases, the bestsellers, and kids' book events.
Revision update: Got through two chapters yesterday and one and a half today. I’m really hoping to get the whole book done by the end of the year, but … hmmm, not sure. We’ll see. My husband said he’d read the book this weekend, which hopefully will give me a boost in my revision. He’ll be the first other person to read the whole thing. It’ll be nice to see how it plays out.
I’m reading Ingrid Law’s Savvyright now, and it strikes me that this is a great example of a strong, fresh voice.
Voice is one of those weird things to identify. When I first started researching writing novels and going to conferences, I heard about “voice” all the time, but the explanations didn’t really pinpoint exactly what this quality was. Voice always seemed to be this vague thing my writing was supposed to have, something that was strong and fresh, but what was it?
Finally, in a conference I attended a few years ago, I heard an explanation I could understand: Voice is the way YOU write, the words YOU choose and how YOU use them in a sentence. It’s basically, your style of writing.
For beginning writers, their style often mimics their favorite writers or the writers of the novels they’re reading at the moment. But over time, with practice, writers develop their own style that’s unique to them. Some write in a subtle way, others big and bold, some rhythmic, others slam you across the face.
From the first page of Law’s Savvy, I was slapped in the face with her style. She writes first person, so you could say the voice is the voice of the character. Either way, it’s bold, flowery and beautiful. The story is fun, but more fun is Law’s language. Here’s a taste:
When Grandpa wasn’t a grandpa and was just instead a small-fry, hobbledehoy boy blowing out thirteen dripping candles on a lopsided cake…
And another:
The itch and scritch of birthday buzz was about all I was feeling on the Thursday before the Friday before the Saturday I turned thirteen.
Brilliant, huh? Can’t you see the voice oozing out of these word choices?
Now, of course, voice is absolutely personal, so you shouldn’t try to immitate Law’s style. Like any art, often our style is influenced by others, but after a while, it’s ours.
Whatever our style is, subtle or brash, it should be solid, come across strong as our style and no one else’s. I don’t think it’s something you can manufacture; it’s you.
I am sick, sick, sick that I missed Ingrid Law's breakout sessions in L.A. I knew she was giving one of the keynotes so I'd get to hear her speak anyway, and there were some illustration talks that I wanted to hit instead. Big mistake!
I have just finished reading Savvy, and I have to say, it is a wonderful book. I love Ingrid's use of strange, wackadoodle words like fizgiggly, hobbledehoy, and shilly-shally. It is such a tricky thing to write for this age (middle grade)--especially in first person and especially using such rich poetic language. Ingrid walks a thin line, never falling off into wordy, overwritten prose, and she stays clear of sappy forced writing. How does she do that???
And, it's not just the writing that is beautiful in Savvy. Her plot is peppered with pink buses, talking tattoos, and a stuttering Bible salesman. Her characters are both silly and deep and full of secrets and wonderful magic. This is one of those books that I can't wait to pass down to my ten-year-old.
But, here is the best news. Ingrid Law will be HERE. In Oxford, Mississippi. This spring. She is our 2010 Young Author's Fair author, and she'll be speaking to our entire fifth grade (and each fifth grader in Oxford--over 500 kids--will get a free copy of her book). I am beyond excited!
sf
12 Comments on Feelin' Savvy, last added: 8/24/2009
SF, I'm sick that I missed the first of Ingrid's breakout sessions, but I did catch the second. It was ahhhh-ma-ZING. I posted some notes from it on my blog, but I'm sure some of it was lost in translation. It's in my top 3 from LA, hands down.
You're welcome, Katie! I must admit: I'd never heard of Savvy before the conference, but I am so glad I went to her session! I have a copy of her book now that I'm dying to read, so I'm glad to hear SF enjoyed it. :)
Oh, you are so lucky! I did go to one of her workshops and enjoyed it very much. And since I didn't have my book with me, she was kind enough to sign a bookplate and mail it to me. It just arrived on Friday! I thought that was so nice of her!
Oh wow! Thanks for visiting us, Ingrid. You are an inspiration to all of us. I can't wait to see you here in Oxford (my daughter is getting pretty pumped too--she loves books with great descriptions and she is licking yours up with a spoon).
A reminder of Ingrid's story: her first book published, SAVVY, went on the NYT Bestseller list, ALA and Hornbook say it is one of the ten best books of the year, Newbery Honor!, etc.
"The last writers's workshop/conference I went to was 8 or 9 years ago at BYU."
Tim Wynne-Jones and Eve Bunting were at that conference and Ingrid was too shy to share her manuscript even though Tim wanted to see more. She was very shy. She says she is still shy and just asked us if we wouldn't all mind turning around for the rest of her presentation. :)
Ingrid's keynote will be in story form! She's calling it 'Ingrid Unedited' and asks us not to hold it against her.
1 Comments on Ingrid Law - Writing Magic: From the Head to the Heart, last added: 8/13/2009
Everyone hard at work on one of Ingrid's many exercises.
There are so many types of conflict - Nature, Self, Society, Other characters who just want things that conflict with what your character wants, so many possibilities for your character to be thwarted, so many challenges to explore.
Here's one of the exercises that Ingrid gave us:
Take the story of the Three Little Pigs, and take the Big Bad Wolf out of it. Now, figure out a new conflict that makes the story still work.
Actually, Ingrid's session is called "Major villains need not apply: Writing fantasy without an archenemy"
ooh... we're starting out with an exercise! I love these...
And here are some great quotes from Ingrid:
I'm not anti-villain.
All sorts of things turn into monsters for kids, don't they?
After she wrote Savvy, she realized there were no major villains in it. Her characters, even with their magical powers, are coping with the problems of real life. (Problems that everyone can relate to - no dark Lords or monsters)
And when she talks to kids,
Boys want the villain.
Girls tell her they never like fantasy, but they LOVED Savvy.
Book Update: Bright is backin hadns of Awesome Agent. Cross your fingers! I feel its done - I rewrote beginning and ending in addition to edits _ added material resulting in an additional 12,000 words. Now tween book is at 63,000
It is 10 pm (LA time) and our day really just ended.
Went for breakfast this morning with Lindsey Leavitt, Katie Anderson, Sarah Francis Hardy, and Kimberly Derting. (SFH had the best egg pizza - yum! and LL had a tower of sticky buns!! Yum yum! Me? the healthy oatmeal boring. Tomorrow I am going all out :)
he was so funny. But under all the humor was a guy who turned his painful childhood into a dream existence. A kid with brain damage, bad vision, poor, lived on an Indian reservation. A kid who found a way to escape from his hard childhood with books.
Here are some of my "Ah ha" moments (for more detail you can go to scbwi's blog.)
"when you give a kid a book he naturally identifies with than you expect him to connect with it. But when you give a kid a book that is outside his normal comfort zone, and he finds a way to connect with it - that is when you begin changing the world."
"The power of books is amazing. They find a way yo the people that need them the most. Whether its 1 person or 100,000. Every book has the destiny to change at least one person."
"As a children's author - you must accept responsibility of writing for a young audience; prepare to be lonely because it is hard work, and know when you write it - it will impact people."
Next was David Weisner (Flotsam)
"He talked about the films and books that impacted his illustrations and writing. He showed a journey of how he got to Flotsam. How all of his books led up to that one."
"Writing is a personal journey. We don't write with a certain kid in mind. We write from our kid. From our hearts, experiences, and memory. Kids just happen to be touched by them."
"Think about all the stuff that you thought was cool when you were a kid. There is a story in each thing that stood out to you."
Ingrid Law - Savvy
Write with creativity and courage Read the book "Spunk and bite" Push voice further than you thought possible. exercise: write a crazy sentence - then ask questions. This is how Savvy started - one crazy sentence and a bunch of questions. Trust your instincts, be wild and playful, have a beginner's mind, be courageous, take risks, and don't be afraid to break the rules - you can always rein them in pretend you are always a tourist and see things with a new eye. be sure to look up when you walk around so you can observe the nuances of life
Sarah Davies - Greenhouse Literary (love her!!!)
world rights - all languages in world world english rights - english language anywhere in world hard to see Us fiction in UK. less space for YA market
Ways to spread international buzz: Scouts - represent foreign publishers Publishers marketplace - sign up and watch foreign right sales understand foreign market Pub weekly features on international authors BolognaFrankfurt conferences/book fairs
Advice for global sales consider world when you write have market in mind middle grade needs strong sales YA fiction with unique voice and premise
Audio Books 1) primary - when they exploit own rights 2) secondary - sells rights to someone else
what helps international sales global appeal unique voice Non fiction and PB do not sell as well as MG/YA unusually ideas awards/sales figures love young boy fiction concepts and setting that transcends cultures
see you tomorrow!
8 Comments on SCBWI LA - in a day, last added: 8/9/2009
If you haven't, also check out Paul Yoo's interviews with keynoters Ingrid Law and Betty Birney. There will be more interviews with SCBWI conference keynote speakers from TEAM BLOG between now and the event which I'll link you to when they are posted.
(And for those of you who still may be thinking about registering for the event but haven't yet, read Suzanne Young's post featuring feedback from three first-time conference goers.)
Awesome! Inspiring! So many books, so many authors, so little time!
Neil Gaiman (!) and me. The highlight of the weekend was meeting him, getting my copy of The Graveyard Book signed and hearing his Newbery speech in person. Wow.
Me and Tammi Sauer with her new picture book, Chicken Dance. Check out this youtube
linkwww.youtube.com/watch of her publisher (Sterling) having fun with her book. I wish all publishers were like this! Tammi's coming to Wisconsin's SCBWI Fall Retreat in October. We'll be bawkin' n rollin'!
Me, Kashmira Sheth, gbeaverson , and Ann Bausum. Kashmira, and Ann are in critique groups of mine and Georgia's, though not the same one, if that makes any sense. If not, oh well, it's not important. :) Kashmira received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for her beautiful picture book, Monsoon Afternoon.
This is Ann Bausum and Kashmira Sheth, who both had signings of their awsome books!
The illustrious Richard Peck so graciously signed two books for me, Newbery Honor A Long Way From Chicago and and an arc (advanced reading copy) of his newest, A Season of Gifts!
Mo Willems. Love him!
I couldn't decide which copies of Sarah Dessen's books to get for my daughters (I read them, too!) so I bought six, and she signed every one!
Lisa Albert, a fellow Wisconsin SCBWI-er, whose Enslow biography of Stephenie Meyer just came out!
Me and Georgia with Janet Halfmann, another fellow Wisconsin SCBWI-er, signing her wonderful book, Seven Miles To Freedom.
The SCBWI booth fantastically decked out by the Illinois chapter. That's Esther Hershenhorn on the right, the fabulous Illinois Regional Advisor.
Talk about BONUS! I had my copy of The Calder Game signed by author Blue Balliett and her editor, David Levithan, was there! Squeeee! I loved Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist! (He wrote the boy parts) :)
Georgia, Holly Black and me. I got my copy of Geektastic signed AND got the coveted Geektastic pocket protector. Does that make me a geek? Hell, yeah, and proud of it!
Gennifer Choldenko signed both my copies of Al Capone Does My Shirts and Al Capone Shines My Shoes. Saweet!
You may know her asthatgirlygirl , Tanya Seale was in my very first critique group when we were greenhorns, waaay before we even knew what SCBWI was!
Jon Scieskza and Lane Smith
Laurie Halse Anderson
Judy Blume. Love her! I grew up with her books.
Georgia, Ingrid Law, me
Libba Bray
Libba Bray sat in the loooooooong line for her signing (before it started) and chatted with fans. How cool is that? Had my copy of A Great And Terrible Beauty signed AND got an arc signed of Going Bovine!
That's the great thing about ALA, you're surrounded by people who love books as much as you do. Publishers give away tons of arcs, I scored bags full! Bags people! Can you say a little piece of heaven? I just wish I could hole up for weeks and read, read, read.
Isn't that a beautiful sight! :)
For now, don't be surprised if you happen to run in to me at one of my son's baseball games and I seem to be engrossed in the player's list. It's hiding a book. :)
For this third day in the Savvy blog book tour I thought that it might be interesting, and perhaps amusing, to talk about savvies. In Ingrid Law's book a savvy is a magical gift that you acquire when you turn thirteen. In Mibs' case she became able to hear the voices of tattoos and other markings that people around her had on their skin. In my town this would be very disquieting because so many people have tattoos. What would the Mayan glyphs that a friend has tattooed on his arms say? What would the ivy tattoo on my own hand tell me?
After I had my inteview with Ingrid I began to think about savvies. I do believe that we all have savvies - though alas, they are not magical in nature. Still, they can be very powerful in their own way, and they can have a profound effect on our lives. I know, without a doubt, that my father's savvy was his ability to be curious about the world. Even when he was almost eighty my father never stopped wanting to learn. He never stopped asking questions. I can only hope that my curiosity about the world will last like his did.
I like to think that my strongest savvy is being able to feel compassion for others who are having a hard time. I myself have experienced some very difficult times in my life, and I think these experiences have made me more sensitive to the troubles of others. Of course this compassion does have a down side - I am so easily moved by the troubles of others that I spend a lot of time worrying about them. This takes a lot of energy and it can be exhausting. Nevertheless I would not want to lose my savvy.
My husband's savvy is that he is very rarely upset by what is going on around him. I often wish I had his cool head. By contrast, I am impatient and lose my temper quite easily. Annoyances that drive me crazy seem to have little to no impact on him.
Other savvies I have encountered in my friends are: the ability to make people laugh, the ability to solve problems with ease, the ability to make others feel that they are special, the ability to make even the shyest person feel comfortable, and the ability to eat as much as one wants without gaining a pound (sigh).
I'd love to hear what you think your savvies are, so please join me in this discussion.
Good morning. Today I will be 'talking' to Ingrid Law, the author of Savvy.
Marya: Where did the idea of someone having a savvy come from?
Ingrid: In some ways, a "savvy" is just a metaphor for some aspect of growing up. When we are kids--especially kids becoming teens--so many things can feel huge and out of control, just like a new savvy. But I also wanted to show in the book that everyone has a talent, whether or not they call it their "savvy" or not.
Marya: Why did you call it a savvy rather than a gift or a talent?
Ingrid: I knew I wanted to write a book about magical children without ever using the word "magic." Yet, I wanted to pick a word that anyone could relate to and "savvy" fit the bill nicely. Also, the word was originally a noun and was used as such for over one hundred years before ever being used as an adjective.
Marya: What do you think your savvies are?
Ingrid: I always answer this question three ways. My dream savvy would be to fly or breathe underwater. My silly savvy is that I am clumsy and spill things all the time. And my real savvy is that I smile a lot.
Marya: It seems to me that a lot of people don’t even try to discover what their true inner savvies are because they are so busy making a living and surviving? Would you agree?
Ingrid: Yet, even so, even while making a living or simply surviving, we have all have strengths. Sometimes it's just a matter of recognizing what those strengths are. A savvy doesn't have to be something grandiose. It can be as simple as being good at making pancakes into shapes, or always knowing when our child might need a hug. That may sound simple and sentimental, but having been a single mom for fourteen years, I know how important it is to recognize the importance little things that make a day more special. Often it is those things that end up being most important to someone else.
Marya: How did you come up with idea for Mibs’s savvy? It is certainly unusual.
Ingrid: Mibs is learning to trust her own voice and know when to block out the voices of other people. But I wanted to have a fun and visual way for her abilities to manifest to demonstrate this concept. When Mibs’s savvy arrives it is not what she hoped for at all, and at first she cannot imagine how her savvy could ever be useful. She has to experience certain things before she is able to see how her savvy could be an asset.
Marya: Do you feel that a lot of people are like Mibs in that they don’t truly appreciate the gifts that they have?
Ingrid: Things don't always go the way we want them to or the way we hope. We have no control over how tall we are or what color eyes we have--or even some of the things that happen to us in our life. Some things are out of our control. Yet, other things can be attained through hard work and the belief that the skills and talents we each have hold merit. Mibs resists her new savvy because it's not something she believes will help her poppa, and that is what she wants more than anything. But her savvy is really there to teach her about herself and help her become the person she is going to be.
Marya: Your book is full of powerful imagery. Do you feel that you are particularly sensitive to seeing and capturing imagery as you go about your life?
Ingrid: Yes, I tend to respond to life through metaphor. I see pictures where there aren't meant to be pictures and think of stories when I listen to music. I've always made up stories in my head, long before I ever put them down on paper.
Marya: Savvy has been very well received. How does this make you feel?
Ingrid: It's been very exciting and, at times, more than a little overwhelming.
Marya: Some of the books I have reviewed have given me something that I believe I will always carry with me. Savvy is one of these books. What would you like your book to give your readers?
Ingrid: I hope that Savvy might encourage readers to appreciate themselves and others for who they are and to know that everyone has gifts, even if those gifts take work or don't come easily at first.
Marya: Are you planning on bringing back Mibs and her colorful family?
Ingrid: I love these characters and their crazy family tree. I am working on a follow up to Savvy, though the main character is someone knew. There will be a few familiar faces along the way, but I felt that Mibs's story has been thoroughly told and want to look at the idea of getting a savvy from an all new perspective.
You can find out more about Ingrid by looking at her website and her blog
Marya, I'm sorry. I messed up the links on Savvy and I'm telling you in the comments so your visitors, if they've already clicked on the links, don't think it was your fault.
The email that went out from Feedburner had the wrong link for Savvy. The links on the site are correct, but Feedburner, efficiently, sent out the email without waiting for me to correct all the errors. =0)
The correct link to Savvy is:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0803733062
You are not the only blogger who trusted me and diligently linked to the link that went out in the email.
And Noel even told me the links in the email were bad and I forget to send a follow-up telling people not to use them.
This is a good interview! Thanks. I'm learning something new about the author at all the stops on the tour. She's beginning to feel like an old friend.
Hi Ingrid, Thanks for joining us today. Before we get started, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My first book, Savvy, was released in May, 2008, from Dial Books for Young Readers (a division of the Penguin Young Readers Group) in partnership with Walden Media. I am represented by Daniel Lazar at Writers House in New York. Savvy has earned both a Newberry Honor Award and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, and has spent three weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List. Savvy was voted one of Publisher's Weekly's Best Books of the Year (2008) and chosen by Booklist as one of the Top 10 First Novels for Youth (2008).
Do you have a website/blog ? When did you start it and who manages it? I have a website and a blog. I use my blog more as a tool to share things with and by my readers, and less as a social networking tool, so I do not enable comments.
But one of the things I love to do most is to share drawings, videos, and stories created by young readers. I love it when kids answer the question: What’s your savvy? And do so in their own creative ways.
I started both my website and my blog several months before the book came out.Penguin Young Readers Groups has also created a terrific Savvy mini-site . This site contains a downloadable discussion guide, wallpapers, and an exclusive ‘origin story’ for the family in Savvy.
Walden Media also has a wonderful, playful site where readers can listen to the first chapter of the audio book, play games, send postcards, and find even more downloads.
In your opinion, how important is social networking ?
I think a lot might depend on one’s audience and one’s personality. For the adult and young adult markets, social networking sites may be more effective than for middle grade or picture book authors. While Savvy crosses into early YA, my main audience is 4th-6th graders.
As a parent, I did my best to keep my daughter off social networking sites when she was that age, so I didn’t really feel as though I wanted to place too much emphasis on these when it came to marketing Savvy. However, when marketing a book, even if a book is aimed at young readers, one wants to reach out to parents as well.
I'm sure that some people have made a different choice.The only social networking site that I am on is GoodReads, and I’ve been surprised at how many kids reach me through that site.
Logistically, I’ve found that managing social networking sites takes up a lot of time, and time is not something I have a lot of right now. Plus, I’ve always been a rather shy person, so social networking sites tend to push me out of my comfort zone.
How important is technology to an author’s marketing plan ?
Aside from the question of social networking sites, I think technology is becoming increasingly important in the marketing of books, especially in the face of our current economy. Author tours are expensive and many authors are turning to virtual visits as an alternative. Bloggers have turned marketing into a viral phenomenon.
And one of the biggest technological marketing successes for Savvy so far has been the week-long free e-book download offered last summer, which was a factor in propelling the book onto the New York Times Bestsellers list for the first time.
What other advice do you have for authors/writers regarding marketing?
Try from the very start to find a balance between your focus on marketing and your focus on continued writing. It is easy to get so tied up thinking about the marketing of your first book that your next book, or your writing in general, becomes neglected.
For me, writing and marketing use two very different parts of my brain. Trying to do both in the same day is difficult for me. I set aside days where I try to do nothing but write, saving other days—perhaps those already scheduled with additional distractions—to work on marketing, or any other business aspect of being an author.
What creative things have you done to promote a book?
I am very fortunate to have amazing promotional backing from both Penguin Young Readers Group and Walden Media.
Because my book encourages readers to discover what is special about themselves, asking kids and adults alike the question "What’s your savvy?" has given me the opportunity to engage everyone in the creative process that I began.
I love sharing the ideas kids send to me about what their own talents might be. This has become one of the anchors on my blog. I think that any time you can engage other people in your process and invite them to be a part of it, they will respond.
Thank you for joining us today!
Thanks Shelli!
15 Comments on Marvelous Marketer: Ingrid Law (Newberry Award Winning Author of Savvy), last added: 5/18/2009
I love Ingrid! And I love Savvy! It is one of the best books for kids, hands down! I've recommended Savvy to everyone I know and peopls have all loved it. Ingrid, Summer and I are anxiously waiting for your next book!
I read "Savvy" and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I've wondered before how effective social networking can be with young readers. Just goes to show that really wonderful stories will sell based on their own merit!(And great promotional websites :-)
I really like the mention of "BALANCE" here...we all know it's easy to get hooked on blogging, when we really should be concentrating on writing. This is a great reminder!
Great interview! It's kind of reassuring to see that some folks are successful even without throwing themselves madly into facebooking/twittering/etc. I love staying connected but I just can't keep up sometimes and I hate feeling guilty about it.
Good morning everyone. For the next three days we are going to be looking at the book Savvy. Written by Ingrid Law, this very unique and memorable story is one of the best books that I have reviewed this year. Here is my review.
Savvy Ingrid Law Fiction Ages 9 to 12 Penguin, 2008, 978-0-8037-3306-0 Mibs is about to turn thirteen and in her family this particular birthday is very important. The reason for this is that this is the age when people in her family get their “savvy,” their special gift or talent. When Mibs' brother Fish turned thirteen he caused a hurricane, and he has struggled with his storm creating tendencies every since. Her other big brother Rocket attracts electricity, and his gift not only breaks appliances but it also runs the family car. Mibs is eager to find out what her savvy will be, and then all her hopes for a special birthday celebration are dashed. Her father is involved in a terrible multi-car pileup on the highway, and soon Mibs’ mother heads for Salina to be with her injured husband. Mibs stays at home with her bothers and her grandfather in the care of the preacher’s wife. Which is why Mibs finds herself in the church on her birthday attending a party that she does not want, and surrounded by people she does not really like. All Mibs wants to do is to go to Salina to be with her mother. She is convinced that she will be able to use her savvy will help her father. And this is when Mibs gets the brilliant idea. While the party is going on, she sneaks onto the pink bus that a bible salesman drives, thinking that he must be going back to the city. Her brothers Fish and Sampson, and the preacher’s children also get on the bus. Unfortunately the driver goes north instead of south, in the wrong direction, and Mibs begins to wonder when she will be able to be with her father. She is also very worried about her savvy, which has arrived on time. It is not at all what Mibs expected, and she cannot help wondering what use it will be to her. In this powerful book, Ingrid Law explores friendships, she looks at an important rite of passage, and she shows her readers how well meant plans can go hopelessly awry – in both sad and funny ways. This is a memorable book filled with beautiful language, splendid imagery, and colorful characters.
Please come back tomorrow for my interview with Ingrid, and do visit the other bloggers who are participating in this tour.
I'm just back from a *fabulous* trip to North Carolina and California, but I'm going to wait until I have some photos to post about it. In other news: School Library Journal is going to have a "Battle of the (Kids') Books" in April. It will work something like the NCAA basketball tournament, with books going head to head in a bracket. Along with Lois Lowry, Jon Scieszka, and John Green, I get to be one of the judges. I have no idea how this is going to work, but it sounds like fun, don't it?
Here's what I read on the trip:
SAVVY, by Ingrid Law. Upper middle-grade/YA, one of this year's Newbery Honor titles. Mibs Beaumont turns 13: What will her 'savvy' be, the special power that manifests itself in each of her family members on that birthday? Cool premise, wonderful characters: I was especially impressed with the author's skill in depicting the secondary characters with brevity and precision. I admit to having to swallow hard to get past a couple of plot points--Grandpa's savvy didn't seem believable to me the way the others do, and did the parents really let the road trip go on that long!?--but cheering for Mibs and her cohorts got me through.
NATION, by Terry Pratchett. YA, Printz Honor (gotta love those award lists!). A boy alone after a disaster on a tropical island meets a girl shipwrecked there; together they must rebuild civilization. OK, I was dubious. But this is Pratchett. I knew he would make it work, and it does. Totally.
THE BROOKLYN NINE (MG) and SOMETHING ROTTEN (YA), by Alan Gratz. The author was signing next to me at the North Carolina Reading Association conference, so I bought one of his books and he graciously gave me a copy of another. Alan once told me that while he was collecting a few rejections for his first book, (I think I've got this right) he heard me give a talk on how I try to structure my novels. It was a 'light-bulb' moment for him, and he went home, revised the manuscript, and sold it the next time out (SAMURAI SHORTSTOP). Since then he's gone from strength to strength, with four novels now published in just a few years. He signed my copy of BROOKLYN, "To Linda Sue Park--my inspiration!" Wow.
ROTTEN is a retelling of Hamlet. Yeah, that Hamlet. Moxie, huh? Very clever and nicely done. THE BROOKLYN NINE is nine linked stories about baseball in nine generations of one family. Now you might expect me to like this, baseball and all that, but just because a book is about baseball doesn't mean I'm automatically going to like it. That said, I did like this one--a lot--and what I like most about it is how each story is truly different in subject matter from the others...proving that a love of sport can be far more than a one-dimensional interest, that it can enrich a person's life and enable them to give back in many varied ways.
HARPER LEE, by Kerry Madden. MG biography. More moxie: to take on writing about one of the world's most beloved authors--who is still living and refuses to grant interviews? Maybe you can't ever get to know someone just by reading about them, but this book provides a clear glimpse of the woman who gave the world the gift of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Respectful without fawning, straightforward and still beautifully written. Applause!
Went to the library yesterday. Got a BIG pile of books and can't wait to start plowing through them. First up: Jonathan Stroud's HEROES OF THE VALLEY.
The American Library Association has a short video interview with Newbery Honor author, Ingrid Law, talking about her wonderful book, SAVVY. To find out more about SAVVY, read my review of it along with another super fantasy story, THE GIRL WHO COULD FLY.
So many great stories to read.
On your mark. Get set. Go!
Grab a book and start reading.
3 Comments on Newbery Honor Author -- Ingrid Law, last added: 4/6/2009
Savvyby Ingrid Law When I saw Eva's review of this book at Eva's Book Addiction, I was intrigued by the story and immediately visited my library's website to see if it was available. I was thrilled to see an audio book version available and listened to it during my commute to and from work last week.
Missippi (Mibs) Beaumont is getting ready to turn 13. In her family, it is a very special birthday, the birthday where family members get their "savvy," a very special and secret magical know-how. For example, Mibs' brother Fish can create storms, powerful hurricanes even; her oldest brother Rocket can create electricity; and her deceased grandmother could catch radio waves out of the air and put songs and news stories in jars to be heard over and over again (unless you took the lid completely off.)
Right before her birthday, Mibs' Poppa gets into a horrible car accident, leaving the family separated. On her birthday, Mibs is convinced that her savvy is the ability to wake people up, so she's determined to get to the hospital in Salina to wake up Poppa. She hides on a bible salesman's pink bus and is joined by two of her brothers and Bobby and Will Jr., the preacher's kids. When the bus heads away from Salina instead of towards it, they go on quite an adventure where Mibs not only discovers her true savvy but also discovers that people are not quite how they often appear to be on the outside. This is a fantastic book about friendship, family, and growing up mixed in with a little magic and adventure. I liked Mibs from the very beginning and think that young tween girls will definitely identify with her. Even though she has a special magical power, she is down to earth and real. The fresh concept, fast pace, and plot twists will keep readers engaged throughout the book, and it makes a perfect read aloud. This was just the type of "feel-good book" I was looking for after a rather stressful month and after reading some more intense, dark novels.
Highly recommended.
What Other Bloggers Are Saying: Eva's Book Addiction:"This is an all-around satisfying book that kept me intrigued all the way to the end. " (read more...)
Library Queen's Weblog: "Mibs and her family and friends are believable, full of life, and interesting. I thought I would do a quick read to see who might like the book and found that I can excitedly recommend it to." (read more...) Little Willow: "It's almost as if the kids from the Maggie Valley books by Kerry Madden (Gentle's Holler, etc) were given the powers of the X-Men." (read more...)
Everead: "The pacing in the book was great -- by 3/4 of the way through you're just dying to know how it all works out. Recommended wholeheartedly." (read more...)
Kinnelon Library Teen Blog: "Following Mibs and her gang on this journey is one of the better reading experiences I've had in a long time. I can't imagine that there's a middle school girl around who wouldn't get a kick out of this story on so many levels." (read more...)
Abby (the) Librarian: "Savvy is poetic. It's full of fun words, real words, that are used in unique ways. It also feels like a tall tale, which I love. Rich descriptions and multi-dimensional characters make this a novel not soon forgotten." (read more...) Yat-Yee Chong: "If this way of writing is Ingrid Law’s savvy, then I hope she stays with it. Because with it, she conveys warmth and generosity, and creates a story that is grounded in the things that matter: love, faith, and hope." (read more...)
Cool Kids Read: "I liked the originality of this book. It was an enjoyable read and the story pulled me in and carried me right along." (read more...)
Studentofsagas Weblog: "I think any teen can identify with the idea of being a bit different and standing out, and the process of coming to terms with it. " (read more...)
Random Wonder: "Savvy is an excellent tale with special recommendations for girls in the 10 - 13 age bracket, readers who enjoy magical tales, or those interested in coming-of-age tales." (read more...)
Goddess of YA Literature: "This was a sheer joy to read, a perfect book for someone feeling a tad sick and needing, like Poppa, some healing." (read more...)
Sarah Miller: "As for the plot, in retrospect it should feel far-fetched; instead it comes off as charming and fanciful. Nevertheless, the story itself didn't leave me smitten the way so many other readers are." (read more...)
Literate Lives: "Ingrid Law allows the reader to see the world of growing up through both sides' eyes, and develops the characters so well that the reader forgets that we are dealing with the fantasy world." (read more...)
Becky's Book Reviews: "Savvy is another book that had me at hello." (read more...)
Be Kind to the Environment and It will be Kind to you! Today is "Blog Action Day" (oct 15th) which focuses on the environment. You'd think there isn't much we can do as illustrators (our business's tend to be small, often in our own homes or small studios) but there are many little things that can make a big impact on the environment if you add them up!
1) Use scrap pieces of paper for spot illustrations 2) Research the type of paper that you use (or your printer uses) for postcard promotions. We send out hundreds every year and with all of the illustrators out there this one is much bigger than we think. 3) Do junkadoodles (invented by Holli Conger) with left over garbage bits. OR! Right now junk a pumpkin instead of carving one this halloween (then you can still turn it into a good pumpkin soup) 4) Make sculptures using your old pencil stubs 5) Do crafts with your kids using old paints and "no longer usable" art supplies (kids don't care if things don't work just right) 6) Recycle old print-offs (ummm, obvious, no?) 7) Make gum portraits (gross...? Take a look at the link, it's really cool) 8) Use common sense. Recycle what you can, fix what you can before buying new junk and always question consumption!
1 Comments on Blog Action Day, last added: 10/18/2007
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Well, I have read three of them. Nice post.
Terrific post, Darlene! Will add these to my reading list.
Thanks Kathy and Robin. The choices are great ones.