Readatouille

Book Review: Breadcrumbs

2012-01-17T18:43:00.001-06:00

Breadcrumbs juxtaposes realistic fiction with fantasy in an interesting way

Based on the Hans Christian Anderson tale “The Snow Queen”, Breadcrumbs is chock-full of literary allusions. Fantasy fans will recognize references to The Phantom Tollbooth, A Wrinkle in Time, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, and the Narnia books.

Hazel, the ten-year-old main character, is an avid reader who sees the world through fantasy tropes. She is struggling with several issues--being of a different ethnicity than her adoptive family, her parents' divorce, not fitting in at her new school. Above all else in her life, Hazel values her friendship with her best friend, Jack. She doesn’t need anyone else as long as she has him. But Jack is going through a difficult time, dealing with his mother’s chronic depression, and his feelings for Hazel change, seemingly overnight. The real world reason would be that Jack, traumatized by what’s going on in his family, has become depressed as well. The allegorical interpretation is that a glass shard from a demon’s broken mirror flew into his eye, causing him to see beautiful things as ugly. Jack flees from the real world’s harsh reality into a frozen world ruled by the White Witch.

When Hazel sets off to rescue Jack, armed only with a flashlight, a few granola bars, and a baseball signed by Joe Mauer, she expects to be able to understand the rules of the wood beyond the portal. Because she is there for a good purpose, she ought to find the help and support she needs. Unfortunately for Hazel, the wood is a twisted place where nothing makes sense. Everyone in it has come because they have lost something or someone, and they deal with their losses in a variety of dysfunctional ways. The author seems to delight in turning expectations--Hazel’s and ours--on their ear. When Hazel encounters inhabitants of the woods, the ones she mistrusts and fears often prove to be helpful; while the seemingly good ones do not have her best interests at heart.

Anne Ursu’s lyrical language and imagery reminded me of Alice Hoffman. Breadcrumbs is written for children, but it’s definitely not a lighthearted romp. It’s an exploration of serious themes: friendship, belonging, depression, sacrifice, boy/girl roles (knight/princess), escaping into stories, ordering one’s world through literature, and the power of love.

Book Review: Okay For Now

2012-01-14T00:48:00.001-06:00

My quest continues: to read as many Newbery-eligible books as I can before January 23.

Today's candidate: Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt.

If you haven't read Okay For Now, go read it. What are you waiting for?

If you haven't read it, maybe you're like me. I gravitate toward fantasy, paranormal, or magical realism. Though I do enjoy realistic fiction, I usually choose something sweet and quirky, like The Penderwicks, or perhaps a mystery like Shakespeare's Secret or The Romeo and Juliet Code.

Okay For Now sounded a bit too gritty and, well ... depressing ... for my liking. I was sure it would be as inspiring as all get-out, but I didn't want to read it.

That was before I read it.

Yes, the father is abusive. Yes, the brother is wounded in Viet Nam. Yes, the family struggles with poverty. And, yes, the kid flourishes in spite of these challenges. All my suspicions proved true.

But I didn't know how well Schmidt would nail the voice, or what an appealing character Doug would be. I didn't know the plot would involve a library, Audubon's Birds of the World, an Aaron Copland score, a Broadway play, Jane Eyre, baseball, horseshoes--and much, much more. I didn't know there would be a cop whose kids (all avid readers) are named after The Five Little Peppers.

Schmidt weaves all the plot elements together into a cohesive whole that ends on a hopeful note--without any forced and unrealistic tying up of loose ends. Doug's life still has moments of sadness and ugliness and tragedy. But it has moments of joy, as well. In short, it's a lot like real life.

So far, this is my pick for the Newbery. I couldn't put it down--and I can't write a review that does it justice.

Just read it!

Up next: Breadcrumbs.

Related Posts:
The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman
The Romeo and Juliet Code
The Orphan of Awkward Falls

Book Review: The Orphan of Awkward Falls

2012-01-09T19:57:00.005-06:00

The Orphan of Awkward Falls by Keith Graves begins with a series of dark and haunting yet humorous black and white illustrations. Additional artwork within the book and at the end reminded me of The Memory Bank or The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

The text of this fast-paced, horrifying story opens with a scene in which an incarcerated cannibal named Fetid Stenchly is removed from his cell for a “treatment”. We don’t meet our heroine, twelve-year-old Josephine Cravitz, until chapter 2, when her family moves to Awkward Falls, a little town known for its sauerkraut factory and its Asylum for the Dangerously Insane. On her first night in their house, Josephine sees someone on the roof of the creepy mansion next door. Driven by her unquenchable curiosity, she goes out to investigate, only to be captured by an automaton named Norman. Josephine discovers that the only human resident of the house next door is a short, rotund, mad scientist/evil genius boy named Thaddeus Hibble, who lives a strange, isolated life with Norman and Felix, a mismatched cat. Josephine takes the terrifying capture and the weirdness of the situation in stride, and her curiosity remains intact. She spends the night watching Thaddeus conduct grisly laboratory procedures to bring a dead weasel back to life, and the two children form a tentative friendship (though Thaddeus vehemently denies it). The next day, as a fierce ice storm threatens to close down the town, Josephine learns that a serial murderer has escaped from the Asylum for the Dangerously Insane, and may be headed for the house next door. She’s got to warn Thaddeus!

This story has nonstop action, chills and thrills, and quirky characters (dead and alive; human and nonhuman), but it was the human parts--like Josephine’s compassion for the odd, unattractive orphan, and the welcome-home party Thaddeus has prepared for the parents he has never known--that kept me turning the pages. Middle graders who love dark tales of horror will enjoy this book. Some of the grisly details (murder, cannibalism, killing and eating of animals, reanimated corpses, mutant monster clones, a house burning down) might be too much for a sensitive or nightmare-prone child. I didn’t enjoy the parts that were told from the point of view of Fetid Stenchly, but they were mercifully brief, and my fondness for inquisitive, unflappable Josephine made up for it.

Oh, and I love the cover--it has a hole in the middle, through which Thaddeus peeks out, opening to reveal a creepy black and white picture of Thaddeus, Josephine and Felix.

Book Review: The Romeo and Juliet Code

2012-01-07T11:21:00.002-06:00

The latest of my pre-Newbery reads is The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone.

When London is devastated by German bomb attacks during World War II, eleven-year-old Felicity is sent to stay in Maine with her father’s family, whom she has never met. The family includes Felicity’s grandmother (known as “The Gram”), Uncle Gideon, who will also be her sixth grade teacher, and Aunt Miami, whose habit of quoting Shakespeare is reflected in the book’s title.

Felicity (nicknamed Flissy) has many unanswered questions. Why are Uncle Gideon and Gram angry with her parents? Who is hidden in an upstairs room? What are Flissy’s parents doing in Europe, and how long will they be gone? Why does Gideon refuse to let her see their letters? Why is the piano nailed shut?

Gradually, the answers to some of the questions are revealed, partly through the investigative actions of Flissy and her cousin, Derek, and partly through the passage of time. Flissy continues to miss her parents, Danny and Winnie, but she gradually adjusts to her culture shock, grows to love her American relatives, and becomes less prickly about clinging to her British heritage.

I liked the well-researched historical aspects of this novel, and I found Flissy’s eccentric relatives appealing. My interest level took a sharp upturn when Flissy’s cousin entered the picture. I also enjoyed the subplot in which Flissy and Derek find a Romeo for Aunt Miami’s Juliet, though the solution was predictable. I don’t want to give too many spoilers, because the family secrets were a large part of what kept me reading. The revelation of the final secret was quite moving, even if I did see it coming.

I was delighted by the allusions to the books of Frances Hodgson Burnett (A Little Princess and The Secret Garden). Flissy likes Burnett's books so much she vows to become an authority on them, and parallels can be drawn between some of the characters.

Although I enjoyed this novel very much, I found Flissy’s first person narration irritating at times, especially during the first part, when she has no one her own age to interact with. Perhaps some of the story could have been more effectively conveyed in the third person. As narrator, when Flissy does something immature or embarrassing, she has to explain what she’s doing while simultaneously refusing to admit it, and that’s tough to pull off. To me, Flissy’s voice often sounds like that of an annoyingly “precious” younger child. Though her immaturity is acknowledged by her relatives, her self-awareness juxtaposed with her babyish behavior seems odd, and her repeated insistence that she is a “proper British child” does not always ring true.

A note about the cover art: The picture is misleading and historically inaccurate. Flissy and Derek wouldn’t have worn jeans in 1941. And, though Converse has been around for a long time, they only made hightops in the early 40s--and I’m pretty sure All-Stars didn’t come in pink until after Chuck Taylor’s death in the late 60s. Besides, though Flissy does have a bit of a crush on her cousin, it’s not at all the kind of book the cover implies. Of course, this isn’t the author’s fault, and it doesn’t detract from the quality of the story, but readers who choose it on that basis may have to readjust their expectations.

The Romeo and Juliet Code is a quiet story set against the backdrop of larger world events, and I found it a very interesting read. For those who enjoy historical fiction set in World War II, stories of quirky families with deep, dark secrets, and liberal use of Briticisms, it will be ever so intriguing.

Book Review: The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman

2012-01-04T21:52:00.008-06:00

One of my favorite resolutions: to read as many potential Newbery novels as possible before January 23 when the winner is announced.

I just finished The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer, a delightful look inside the world of competitive Scrabble. Sort of like the documentary Word Wars--only with preteens, and with a far more uplifting and satisfying story.

Duncan Dorfman, the only child of a struggling single mother, has a strange secret power: he can read printed text with his fingertips. Duncan, a nobody in his new school, impulsively reveals his gift to Carl, the president of the school Scrabble team, who immediately grasps its usefulness. Carl chooses Duncan as his partner for the upcoming tournament and insists that he use his fingertip power to skew the odds in their direction, even though Duncan is uncomfortable with the idea of cheating.

Meanwhile, far away in Oregon, April Blunt feels like a square peg in a round hole in her sports-loving family. Besides Scrabble, April has another obsession: years ago, she met a boy at a motel swimming pool. Though she doesn’t know his name, he was a kindred spirit, and April longs to find him.

In New York, a boy named Nate Saviano is living someone else’s dream. Twenty-six years ago. his father lost the Youth Scrabble Tournament. Haunted by his failure, he believes that if he shapes Nate into a winner, he will finally be able to move on. But Nate is tired of the constant study his father demands. He longs to be an ordinary kid again; going to school and skateboarding with his friends.

These three twelve-year-olds and their equally quirky Scrabble partners, Carl, Lucy, and Maxie, meet at the tournament in Florida, where their hopes, dreams, and fears collide. Wolitzer handles the large cast of characters admirably, differentiating them fully and making each one authentic, engaging, and memorable. The boy-girl relationships strike a perfect middle-grade balance--these preteens like each other, but without overt romantic overtones. For example, when Nate and Maxie win a stuffed alligator at the cheesy amusement park, Funswamp, they decide to take turns keeping it--“joint custody,” according to Nate. Because the characters are so well-drawn, even the more implausible plot elements--Lucy’s skill as an amateur hypnotist, Nate’s father’s extreme trauma over a childhood loss, April’s obsession with the mystery boy, Duncan’s discoveries about his own father--become believable.

Besides being a gripping and satisfying story, the insider information about Scrabble will sharpen readers’ interest in the game itself. After reading about two-letter words, anagrams, and the quest for the elusive bingo-bango-bongo, I was ready to dig out the old Scrabble board and put my knowledge to use. Considering the current popularity of Words With Friends, there will be no shortage of youngsters who will enjoy a book about this topic!

Dead Santas

2011-12-27T10:14:00.025-06:00

And now for my annual week-after-Christmas rant:

I love colored lights--the old kind and the new LED ones. I love reindeer and spiral-shaped Christmas trees and fake snow.

But I'm not so crazy about those Christmas inflatables that have sprouted up everywhere. Since Thanksgiving our city has been taken over by huge, garish lawn ornaments. And now ... they're dead. What could be sadder than seeing the lifeless bodies of all the Santas, snowmen, Homer Simpsons, and SpongeBobs littering the lawns? Post-holiday letdown is bad enough without this.

When I was in college, I was a member of a puppet team. Our guiding principle, the First Commandment of Puppeteering, was this: Never let the kids see the puppets when not animated by a human hand.

Sometimes this was tough. Our fans would crowd around while we were trying to set up or take down the stage, and we'd have to find ways to distract them, or leave the work for later. But that principle always came first. The children must never see the puppets lying "dead". The reason? It made them cry.

I will leave you with two thoughts:

1) If there must be giant inflatable Christmas decorations, they should be kept inflated at all times.

2) How did Homer Simpson and SpongeBob SquarePants became part of the holiday tradition, anyway?

Max's Christmas

2011-12-24T16:42:00.002-06:00

Max's Christmas by Rosemary Wells is one of my favorite holiday picture books. I just love irrepressible little Max with his constant refrain ("Why?"), so I was delighted when one of my little students fell in love with it this year, too. Enjoy the video!

Hugo Love

2011-12-13T18:25:00.004-06:00

Just want to go on record as saying I LOVE the film adaptation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The Horn Book website has a great article about it here.

I'm also hearing great things about Wonderstruck. I plan to savor it over Christmas break.

The Doors Sing "Reading Rainbow"

2011-11-19T12:22:00.002-06:00

Jimmy Fallon does his impression of Jim Morrison here, reimagining the theme from Reading Rainbow as the Doors might have done it--complete with allusions to childhood favorites including Horton Hears a Who, Goodnight Moon, There's a Wocket in my Pocket, The Indian in the Cupboard, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

I fell asleep and missed this IRL. Happily, it's on Hulu and YouTube!

And for you young folks who don't know the Doors, check this out: When The Music's Over

Library of the Early Mind

2011-11-17T18:03:00.001-06:00

My son is taking a college course called The Golden Age of Children's Literature. It sounds so fascinating, I often wish I could sneak in and sit in the back of the class! Today he told me about a new documentary they watched: Library of the Early Mind. According to the website, the film explores "the art and impact of children’s literature on our kids, our culture, and ourselves." My son described it as a series of interviews with well-known authors and illustrators of children's books, covering a range from the earliest picture books through middle grade and YA.

The interviewees include Mo Willems, Jeff Kinney, Lois Lowry, Mary Downing Hahn, M. T. Anderson, Brian Selznick, editor Arthur Levine, Natalie Babbitt, Jane Yolen ... and many more!

Here's a link to the trailer.

I'm thinking about asking for the DVD for Christmas. You can also rent it via streaming video.

Missouri SCBWI Conference

2011-11-05T22:01:00.002-05:00

Just returned from the wonderful Missouri SCBWI conference in St. Charles.

Speakers included:

Heather Alexander, editor at Dial Books for Young Readers
Quinlan Lee, agent for Adams Literary
Suzanne Morgan Williams, author of Bull Rider
Louise Jackson, author of Exiled
Freelance author Sue Bradford-Edwards
Rich Davis, children's book illustrator for Viking.

I especially enjoyed Suzanne Morgan Williams' workshop, Make Your Writing Shine. She showed us a revision technique that involves indicating dialogue, action, description, and internal thought with different colored markers--a good way to visually check what's happening in each scene. Ideally, there will be several colors next to a given paragraph. If there are large, unbroken blocks of description or internal thought, it's probably a good idea to work in some action.

Middle Grade Openings That Hook Readers

2011-10-22T10:03:00.021-05:00

You're standing in the bookstore. You pull a book off the shelf, flip it open, and scan the first page ... then you tuck it under your arm and head for the checkout line.

Or you're sitting at your computer. You click "See Inside" on Amazon and scroll down to the opening paragraph ... and, the next thing you know, you're adding the item to your cart.

What makes some middle grade books instantly captivating? There's no formula for magic, but an orienting first sentence can help.

I like some grounding before plunging into action or dialogue. I'm not talking about pages and pages of explanation or description--but I don't want to be in the middle of a battle scene before I know who I'm rooting for, or in the middle of a conversation with no idea who is talking. A little grounding works wonders.

The orienting sentence can be detailed and specific:

Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs. (Wilder; Little House in the Big Woods)

Or it can be prosaic:

Ramona Quimby was nine years old. (Cleary, Ramona's World)
I first met Jennifer on my way to school. (Konigsburg; Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth)
Emmy was a good girl. (Jonell; Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat)

It can be funny and intriguing:

I’m pretty sure my camp knapsack is not supposed to be levitating off the sidewalk of Fifth Avenue. (Mlynowski, Spells and Sleeping Bags)

Sunday morning began with the awful realization that I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. (Kessler; Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister)

It can establish the main character's voice:

I have been accused of being anal retentive, an overachiever, and a compulsive perfectionist, like those are bad things. (Yee; Millicent Min, Girl Genius)

It can even involve secondary characters and not mention the main character at all:

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. (Rowling; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

A sentence of dialogue followed by an orienting sentence can work, too:

“That slowpoke Sarah!” Henny cried. “She’s making us late!"
Mama’s girls were going to the library, and Henny was impatient. (Taylor; All-of-a-Kind Family)

If you've read a middle grade novel (old or new) with an opening that grabbed you and wouldn't let go, please share it in the comments!

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Middle Grade Titles
The Top 100 Books for Kids
Why Middle Grade and Middle School Are Not the Same
Great Picture Book Ingredients

Bewitching October Reads: Only A Witch Can Fly

2011-10-19T19:32:00.006-05:00

Fall is here! The weather has turned cool, the leaves are changing color, the Cardinals are in the World Series (yay!) and I'm in the mood for Halloween stories.

Only A Witch Can Fly by Alison McGhee is the charming tale of a "young witch who had not yet flown". The linoleum block print illustrations by Taeeun Yoo have a lovely, retro feel. They are wonderfully evocative, summoning up memories of old houses and chilly autumn nights.

The pictures and the story work together, each contributing to the overall effect. The pictures are beautiful, but a few of them don't mesh with the words. When the text says, "would you too begin to cry..." I expected to see the little girl crying, but instead she looked startled. Similarly, "cat arches his back and croons ...." made me wonder why the cat in the picture wasn't arching his back. A small child might need a picture clue to know what that means.

The book is written as a sestina, a form of poetry that originated with the French troubadours in the 12th century. The unusual rhythm took a little getting used to, but once I had reread it a few times, it got inside my head, and I enjoyed the internal rhymes, near-rhymes, and repetition. This is the kind of book you could read more than once to a child with good receptive language skills. A fidgety, ADHD-type kid might not have the patience to sit still for it. It's probably not a book most children would read alone, as the sentence structure is rather complex.

Another unusual thing about Only A Witch Can Fly is that the whole story is told in the second person subjunctive: If you were a young witch...

When the young witch flies at last, it is oddly moving: "And you? You have flown ... you have flown!"

I really enjoyed this picture book. The author, Alison McGhee, is a New York Times-bestselling author. Her novel Shadow Baby is on my to-be-read list.

Note: I found out about this book through the wonderful writers in the PB Book Club at AbsoluteWrite.

What I've Been Reading...

2011-09-30T22:50:00.008-05:00

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones, a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, is the story of red-haired, bespectacled Charmain, a girl who loves books but doesn't care for hard work. Her dream is to work in the Royal Library. Instead, she's tasked with housesitting for her great-uncle William, a wizard. The house is full to the brim with magic. Strangely, it seems to contain pathways to many different places, including the Royal Palace.

All her life, Charmain has been taught that magic isn't quite respectable, but she can't resist trying a few spells from Uncle William's magic books. To her surprise, she seems to have a knack for it. Peter, a directionally confused boy who hopes to be the wizard's apprentice, shows up, and things spiral out-of-control. Sophie and Howl (disguised as a little boy), put in an appearance, along with Calcifer the fire demon.

13 Gifts by Wendy Mass is the tale of a special summer in the life of a girl who is about to turn thirteen. Tara, the appealing but antisocial MC, reminds me a bit of Ant in Choldenko's Notes from a Liar and her Dog. After getting in trouble for participating in a social--but, unfortunately, illegal--activity with some kids from her school, Tara is sent to spend the summer with relatives she scarcely knows, in a strange little town called Willow Falls. Quirky but likeable characters fill the pages of 13 Gifts. It's a satisfying story, and a great example of magical realism for the middle grade reader.

Happy Birthday, Babar!

2011-08-12T20:19:00.001-05:00

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the publication of The Story of Babar. The beloved little elephant first came to life in the bedtime stories Cecile de Brunhoff, a French pianist, told her young sons. They loved the Babar stories so much, their father, Jean de Brunhoff, illustrated and published them. Sadly, Jean died at the young age of 37, but his son Laurent carried on, and has written and illustrated more than 30 Babar books. He is currently working on a new one.

I have fond memories of reading Babar Learns to Cook to my kids when they were small. Here's a New York Times article about Babar.

Here's a picture of the author/illustrator in 2008.

OA's Mystery Agent: Kathleen Rushall

2011-07-15T17:10:00.001-05:00

My fabulous agent, Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, is the July Mystery Agent over at Operation Awesome! Check it out here.

Other links:
Interview at Love YA
Interview on Deana Barnhart's blog
Interview on J. R. Johansson's blog
Submission Guidelines
Marsal Lyon Literary Agency website

Fun With Google+

2011-07-13T18:04:00.002-05:00

Okay, maybe I don't really need another online distraction ... but I must say, Google+ is kind of cool! Right now it's especially fun, as everyone is setting up their circles and finding each other. There's sort of a camaraderie combined with the thrill of discovery as we figure out what this new social network can do.

It seems to combine the best of Twitter (you can follow people without them following you back) and Facebook (you can post messages in a similar way as well as chat online)--only it's easier to set up separate groups for different parts of your life, and post things just to those groups that may be interested.

Google+ has hit 10 million users, and they're expecting to top 20 million by the weekend.
If you're on Google+ (or want to be), I've started a list of middle grade writers here. If you write for kids 8 - 12, please scroll down to find it and add yourself in the comments (whether you're published or not). Then you can click on the other folks on the list and add them to your circles, and they'll do the same for you.

Anastasia Suen started a similar list of picture book writers here.

And Kate Messner has started lists for teachers of reading and book bloggers.

Silly Stories: A Matching Game

2011-06-22T00:16:00.009-05:00

Here's a bit of silliness ... just for fun.

Match a slightly modified children's book title to each of the fake book descriptions below. Scroll down to see the choices. Scroll down farther to see the answers, if needed.

Book Descriptions:

1. Four sisters’ identities are stolen

2. A zany Siamese cat gets an x-ray

3. Will Stanton meets Jaws

4. Max helps his mother organize her home office

5. A young boy is stranded on a deserted island with a rotten onion

6. Three children fall into a painting and must confront a mower that has run amok

7. A spunky young girl goes to heaven

8. The son of Poseidon goes on a quest to discover who stole the bleach

9. A young crustacean tells all

10. A little monkey struggles with his anger management problem

Titles:

A) The Whitening Thief

B) Furious George

C) The Shark is Rising

D) The Voyage of the Lawn Shredder

E) Jesus and Ramona

F) The Pretenderwicks

G) Where the Filed Things Are

H) Diary of a Shrimpy Kid

I) The Black Scallion

J) Skippyjon’s Bones

Answers:
1.   F
2.   J
3.   C
4.   G
5.   I
6.   D
7.   E
8. A
9.   H
10. B

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Cool MG Summer Reads

2011-05-30T22:30:00.007-05:00

Whether you’re lying by the pool or sitting in your favorite air-conditioned coffee shop, summer is the time to lose yourself in a great middle grade novel. Here are some I enjoyed:

Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder

This is a book with a timeless feel in the tradition of E. Nesbit, Edward Eager, and C. S. Lewis. It made me feel like a third grader, discovering Half Magic for the first time--and, indeed, the author views the book as an homage to Eager. One hot summer in Iowa, four kids find a magic wall in a cornfield, and are transported to other times and places! The reader will be transported, too.

Links to other reviews:
JKR Books
Charlotte's Library
Noel Devries

The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar

A story of a lonely girl who loves to write and draw, a boy with a secret, and a mysterious old house. Laura feels isolated from the other kids at school. Her self-consciousness about her unconventional family and her own nonconformity makes her reluctant to openly befriend Leon, even though she knows he need a friend. As Laura and Leon slowly overcome their mutual defensiveness, they work together to unravel the history of the Visconti House. This is a sweet and innocent realistic middle grade with just a hint of romance. Laura is a very young fourteen--her reactions would be more believable if she were ten or eleven--and at times you may want to yell at her to stop being so spineless. Still, the story is surprisingly moving and well worth reading.

Links to other reviews:
Charlotte's Library
Book Yurt

Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls by Lynne Jonell

I’m already a fan of Lynne Jonell, having enjoyed Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat and The Secret of Zoom, so I knew I was in for a fun read with Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls. (Is that a great title, or what?) Emmy and her rodent friends are back for another adventure, matching wits with Emmy’s former nanny, Miss Barmy, who is still atrociously evil, even though she’s now a rat.
Links to other reviews:
Too Cool Books
We Be Reading

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Elana Johnson's POSSESSION

2011-05-14T11:38:00.001-05:00

I've been a follower of Elana Johnson's marvelous blog for some time now. That's why I was so delighted to receive an ARC of her YA novel, Possession, which will be released in June 2011 by Simon Pulse.

I write for middle grade and younger, but I'm a big fan of YA, especially when it has compelling characters, an intriguing setting, and a conflict that makes me care. Possession has all three, and I found it hard to put down. I should also mention that I'm very picky about dystopian fiction; a lot of it leaves me cold. In spite of my unreasonable bias, Possession was captivating--it swept me right into the story.

Here's the back copy:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed the voice of Vi, the smart, sarcastic, fiercely independent narrator. Her love triangle is intriguing--she's torn between her longtime boyfriend, Zenn, and an attractive bad boy, Jag, but gradually discovers neither of them is exactly what she thought. Vi is believable as a wounded heroine, traumatized by the disappearance of her father and her sister. She also struggles with her disability--or is it a gift?--that involves sensitivity to "tech", the energy force that powers the society's technology. Johnson brings all these elements together in a fast-paced, exciting, and thought-provoking story. There were a few spots that were confusing for me--I had to do some rereading--and, in some places I would have liked a little more explanation. I won't spoil the ending, except to say it will surprise you. Although it wasn't the ending I hoped for, I loved that she went for the unexpected outcome. I'm looking forward to a sequel!

Adding Sparkle: Writing Lessons From Little Kids

2011-05-04T19:31:00.000-05:00

My students are at the beginning stages of learning to write. But as they were working on a project for Mother's Day, I noticed once again that it's the specific details that make writing come to life.

The kids were completing sentences about their mothers. One began:

When my mom goes shopping, she likes to buy ______________________________.

Of course, they all put "food". That's kind of cute--they assume their mothers love to go to the grocery store, since they do it so often. But one little girl wrote:

When my mom goes shopping, she likes to buy grapes and hot dogs.

See what I mean? Accurate or not, that creates an interesting picture in your mind.

Another sentence began:

My mom is the best mom ever, because she _______________________________.

Several children said "loves me" or "plays with me" or "cooks food for me." Which are all fine.

But one kid said:

My mom is the best mom ever, because she plays Tinkertoys with me.

Specific ... and charming!

Something to think about when revising--it's the details that add sparkle.

Why Critiques Are Important

2011-04-23T11:57:00.001-05:00

After writing, revising, and polishing your work-in-progress, you lose your ability to see it with fresh eyes. Putting on your thinking cap no longer helps. At that point, you need feedback from someone else. A good critiquer or beta reader can help make your story the best it can be by pointing out things like:

Places that need more clarification
Places where you've overexplained instead of trusting the reader to get it
Problems with pacing
Failure to maintain tension in a scene
Passages where your voice shines through (so you can deliberately add more of these)
Telling vs. showing
Choppy transitions
Questions about character motivation and whether their actions fit the situation

Chris Eboch's critique of my novel opening is up on her blog, Write Like a Pro! Chris is the author of the Haunted series--delightfully spooky paranormal novels for middle grade readers. Check out her thoughtful comments. You can also submit the first 300 words of your own novel to Chris to win a free critique.

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A Fantastic Conference

2011-04-17T12:16:00.001-05:00

I thought nothing could match the first Missouri Writers Guild Conference I attended in 2010. Believe it or not, the 2011 conference was equally good!

A few highlights:

Master class "Keeping Them Hooked" taught by Jeanne Lin, author of historical romance Butterfly Swords
Agent Kristin Nelson's informative workshop, "An Agent Reads the Slushpile"
Pitch sessions with Margaret Mincks, Associate Editor of Spider Magazine, and agents Kristin Nelson and Kathleen Ortiz
A chance meeting with agent Marcy Posner, despite not being able to get a formal pitch session
Meeting author Nancy Pickard
Mary Troy's luncheon keynote address
Elaine Viets' keynote speech at the banquet
Having the chance to meet other writers from all over the region, and beyond

Great information ... inspiring stories ... and the joy of spending a weekend with others who share my passion for writing. What could be better?

Stay tuned for a contest coming up soon.

A Terrific Link

2011-04-03T17:02:00.002-05:00

If you've ever struggled with finding truly unique ideas, doubted your own creativity, or felt, deep down, like you don't really know what you're doing, check out this article by Austin Kleon--it's great advice for art and for life:

How to Steal Like an Artist, and Nine Other Things Nobody Told Me

Blogfest Twitter Pitch

2011-04-01T06:43:00.009-05:00

I wrote a twitter-length pitch for my middle grade novel. You can check out the other blogfest entries here.

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BlogFest/Critique Contest

2011-03-24T22:49:00.000-05:00

Shelley Watters is having a contest to celebrate reaching 100 followers on her blog: Is It Hot In Here Or Is It This Book? ... and the judge of the contest is agent Suzie Townsend of FinePrint Literary Management. The prize is a full manuscript request! Click here to join the fun!

Query Critique Contest at YATopia

2011-03-22T17:53:00.005-05:00

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Another great contest--YATopia is hosting a query critique contest with agent Ammi Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency. I attended a critique workshop led by Ms. Paquette at a SCBWI event last year. She had great insights and gave clear, kind, and helpful feedback. You can click here for more details.

WOC 2011 Is Coming!

2011-03-11T22:20:00.001-06:00

There's going to be another WriteOnCon in August! The dates: Tuesday August 16 - Thursday August 18. Last year's Con was amazing ... and this year's can only be better! The excitement is already heating up over at the WriteOnCon website. To spread the word, there are wondrous contests with opportunities to win query critiques from top agents like Jill Corcoran, Sarah Davies, Ginger Clark, Jennifer Rofe, and more. I know, right? Check it out--drawings for these critiques will be March 15. You have until midnight on Sunday March 13 to sign up.

Great Picture Book Ingredients

2011-03-05T15:37:00.001-06:00

What ingredients go into a great picture book? What makes a story stand up to repeated rereadings? Here's a thought-provoking article by Tracy Marchini about nine factors needed for a successful picture book. Do you agree with these? Can you think of others?

Operation Awesome Mystery Agent Contest!

2011-02-26T22:17:00.001-06:00

The wonderful Operation Awesome blog is hosting a mystery agent contest on March 1. That's this Tuesday, folks! The mystery agent is interested in YA--especially thriller, cyberpunk, horror, historical romance; MG; women's fiction; and romance--especially with a strong, female heroine. The catch? You have to do it in 140 characters or less. This should come naturally to Twitter fans; the rest of us will have to work a little harder! The number of entries is capped at 75. Head on over to Operation Awesome for more details.

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Picture Books--Has It Been Done?

2011-02-20T09:43:00.000-06:00

Check out Tara Lazar's awesome flow chart to see if your picture book idea has already been published.

Why Middle Grade and Middle School Are Not the Same Thing

2011-02-19T20:37:00.005-06:00

Writers are often confused by the terms middle grade and middle school. This can lead to uncertainty about age ranges and target audiences.

In the United States, middle school is the educational level in between elementary school (usually kindergarten through 5th grade) and high school (grades 9 through 12). Middle schools typically encompass grades 6, 7, and 8, with students between the ages of 11 and 14. Certainly, there is overlap. Younger middle schoolers may still be reading middle grade fiction. However, many of these preteens and young teens are rapidly moving into YA literature.

Middle grade refers to literature for children between the ages of 8 and 12 (usually third through sixth grade). Why is it called that, writers often wonder, if it isn't intended solely for middle school students? Well, here's why: once upon a time, before the sixties and seventies when middle schools became common, elementary school was known as "grade school" or "grammar school", and included grades 1 - 8. Even today, many parochial and private grade schools go through the eighth grade. If you think of first and second grade as the "primary" grades, and seventh and eighth as "junior high", what's left? Yep, third through sixth. The "middle" grades--for children ages 8 - 12.

To make things even more confusing, publishers and booksellers sometimes advertise books for the widest range of age levels possible, in the hopes of increasing sales. Thus, especially with longer books geared toward upper middle grade, you will see suggestions for "grades 5 - 9" or "grades 4 - 8". And, naturally, children do not all mature or develop reading skills at the same rate. Still, if you are communicating with agents and editors and want to appear to know what you're talking about, it's best to use the accepted definition in which "middle grade" targets readers ages 8 - 12.

Middle grade has often been called the golden age of children's literature. Children at this age have time to read--they're not yet caught up in the academic and social demands of the teen years. Middle graders have left picture books and early chapter books behind, and have jumped enthusiastically into the world of novels. They read widely and are interested in a variety of topics. Third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders can handle challenging vocabulary and ideas. When it comes to novels, they look for humor, adventure, fantasy, mystery, and fast-paced action, as well as realistic stories about animals, families, and friendship. Good middle grade novels do not "talk down" to kids. They have complexity and depth, and are interesting to many adults as well as to children.

Do yourself a favor and check out a great middle grade novel today! Here are a few terrific ones I've read recently:

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Seventh Level and The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee
The Boy Who Howled by Timothy Power
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Spellbinder by Helen Stringer
Falling In by Frances O'Roark Dowell

If you've read (or written) a wonderful middle grade novel, please leave a comment.

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Picture Book Love Contest

2011-02-08T20:30:00.001-06:00

Hey, picture book writers, listen up! There's a contest on Donna Earnhardt's blog! She's giving away a copy of Picture Writing: A New Approach to Writing for Kids and Teens by Anastasia Suen. And if you have a picture book manuscript you want feedback on, she's even throwing in a free critique! Go to Donna's blog for details. The deadline is February 11.

Funny

2011-01-06T17:13:00.000-06:00

If you have kids and you're a writer, you've got to see this awesome video by Dee Garretson!

Cool Author Interview on Mixed-Up Files!

2010-12-15T22:38:00.000-06:00

I just found out about this--From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors is featuring an awesome interview with Hélène Boudreau, author of the brand new tween novel, Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings. You can read the interview here--and if you leave a comment SOON, you'll have a chance to win a copy of the book. The drawing is tomorrow, so don't dilly-dally!

The Top 100 Books for Kids: How Many Have You Read?

2010-12-10T18:31:00.023-06:00

School Library Journal has done a poll to determine the top 100 children's novels. The results are here.

My grand updated total is 68. Interesting that many of the ones I haven't read are among my teenage daughter's favorites, so they are right here in our house (Frindle, Tales of Despereaux, Inkheart, City of Ember, Ella Enchanted, The Giver ...). Guess I should listen to my kid's recommendations more often!
__________________
#1 Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
#2 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
#3 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
#4 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
#5 From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
#6 Holes by Louis Sachar
#7 The Giver by Lois Lowry
#8 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
#9 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
#10 The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
#11 The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
#12 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
#13 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
#14 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
#15 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
#16 Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
#17 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
#18 Matilda by Roald Dahl
#19 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
#20 Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
#21 Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
#22 The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
#23 Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
#24 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
#25 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
#26 Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
#27 A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett
#28 Winnie-the Pooh by A.A. Milne
#29 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland /Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
#30 The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
#31 Half Magic by Edward Eager
#32 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien
#33 James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
#34 The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
#35 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire JK Rowling
#36 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
#37 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
#38 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
#39 When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
#40 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
#41 The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
#42 Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
#43 Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
#44 Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
#45 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
#46 Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
#47 Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
#48 The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
#49 Frindle by Andrew Clements
#50 Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
#51 The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
#52 The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
#53 Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
#54 The BFG by Roald Dahl
#55 The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
#56 Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
#57 Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
#58 The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
#59 Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
#60 The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
#61 Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
#62 The Secret of the Old Clock (The Nancy Drew mysteries) by Caroline Keene
#63 Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
#64 A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
#65 Ballet Shoes by Noah Streatfeild
#66 Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
#67 Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
#68 Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
#69 The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
#70 Betsy Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
#71 A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
#72 My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
#73 My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
#74 The Borrowers by Mary Norton
#75 Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
#76 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
#77 City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
#78 Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
#79 All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
#80 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
#81 Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
#82 The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
#83 The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
#84 Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
#85 On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
#86 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
#87 The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg
#88 The High King by Lloyd Alexander
#89 Ramona and her Father by Beverly Cleary
#90 Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
#91 Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
#92 Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
#93 Caddie Woodlawn by C. R. Brink
#94 Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
#95 Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
#96 The Witches by Roald Dahl
#97: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
#98 Children of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston
#99 The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
#100 The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

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The Gingerbread Man's Lament

2010-12-07T19:08:00.011-06:00

My newest poem is here on SuperTeacherWorksheets!

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NaNoWriMo 2010

2010-10-30T20:44:00.002-05:00

It's almost here! The start of NaNoWriMo 2010 is just around the corner. At midnight on Oct 31, aspiring novelists everywhere will begin tapping away at their keyboards, striving to reach 50,000 words by November 30.

This year will be my fourth year to participate in NaNoWriMo, and it's always a great experience. Aside from the satisfaction of setting and reaching a major writing goal, NaNo offers the opportunity to connect with other writers, both online and in person. It also provides the perfect rationale for letting other things slide and making writing the number one priority--after all, it's only for a month!

The idea behind NaNo is explained by founder Chris Baty in his book, No Plot? No Problem! He encourages participants to turn off their inner editor and get the words down. It doesn't matter if you haven't got everything figured out; if you don't know what should happen next; if you don't feel particularly inspired--just keep writing. Get the words down, even if they're not perfect--whatever's wrong can be fixed in revision. The point is not to turn out a finished, perfect, ready-for-publication novel in 30 days--that isn't realistic. The point is to create a first draft of your novel, or a significant chunk of it. (Middle grade authors are lucky-- 50,000 words is the perfect length for a first draft of a novel for younger readers.)

If you've always wanted to write a novel, there's still time to sign up for NaNoWriMo. It's free, and it will give you access to a huge support group, many resources, active online forums, and local events, including write-ins.

Whether you're a new or a returning NaNoer, you might be interested in the NaNoWriMo Warriors facebook group. Just send the moderator a request to join, and you'll be added to the group.

The Big Read, part 6: Heather Brewer

2010-10-22T21:56:00.002-05:00

Heather Brewer and her husband were in front of us in Starbucks before her author talk at The Big Read.

"That's Heather Brewer!" I said as we waited for our lattes. "She writes the Vladimir Tod vampire series."

"Oh," said my husband. "Is that why she is dressed like a demented train conductor?"

My husband is not always the best judge of fashion. I thought she looked cute and hip in a goth sort of way. She had a purple streak in her hair, and she was wearing a backpack shaped like a stuffed bat. Very appropriate attire, given her subject matter and target audience.

I missed the first part of Brewer's presentation because I was participating in Pitch-a-Palooza. When that was over, I hurried over to catch the end. She's a compelling speaker (I had the opportunity to hear her speak once before), and it was clear that the audience was hanging on her every word. She spoke movingly of being bullied as a child and of having teachers turn a blind eye to it--an experience that has shaped her writing for young people. She is very outspoken on the subject of bullying. It is never okay, she said. It does not "build character". It is just very, very wrong.

Brewer shared an anecdote about how she chose her subject and genre. She had heard the advice to "write what you know", so she made a list of things she knew. She thought it would be a long list. But, she said, it turned out she only knew three things! First, she knew how it felt to be bullied. Second, she knew about teenagers--she feels she is a teenager at heart, and teens are often drawn to her. And, third, she knew about vampires, having been a long-time fan of Dracula and other vampire novels. BULLIED ... TEENAGE ... VAMPIRE. From this, Vladimir Todd was born. As soon as she envisioned him and knew his name, Brewer said, she instantly knew his whole story. Not just the first part--Eighth Grade Bites--but his whole story. She views the five books in the series as one story split into five parts.

Brewer took questions from the audience. An earnest young writer--probably eleven or twelve years old--was sitting next to me. He raised his hand and asked for writing advice. Brewer encouraged him to write, write, write. Butt in chair = writing. She assured all the aspiring young (and, uh ... older ...) writers in the audience that they CAN do whatever they want to do.

The boy raised his hand again. What should he do, he wanted to know, about the new ideas that keep occurring to him all the time? Brewer seemed to relate to that. She advised the boy to keep an idea notebook. She then acted out what happens when a new idea comes to her. "Heather!" the idea whispers. "Write me. Write me. I'm a really GOOD idea!"

"No, idea!" she yells. "You're going in the notebook. You have to wait until I finish this novel."

Heather Brewer then set about signing books for her adoring fans. Oh, and she gave us all "Vlad Bags"! Mine is pictured below.

The Big Read, part 5: Pitch-a-Palooza!

2010-10-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

The Pitch-a-Palooza at the Big Read festival was an opportunity for authors to pitch their novels and receive feedback from David Sterry and Arielle Eckstut, authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published. The person with the best pitch won a consultation with a leading literary agent.

I had looked at the Big Read website, but I hadn't seen anything about this event. But, as it turned out, I was able to get a spot even though I hadn't signed up in advance.

There were about forty participants in all. We were each assigned a number. When it was our turn, we had to step up to a podium on the stage and gave a one-minute pitch. I pitched a children's chapter book. The facilitators said it was a strong pitch, which was great to hear--but cautioned me not to "bury the lead" ... in other words, get to the interesting part more quickly. They emphasized the vast quantity of material an agent has to read just for his/her current clients, not even counting queries. In light of that, they said, it's essential to get to the point right away.
It was fun hearing the other authors' pitches, and everyone seemed to find the feedback helpful. Being able to hear the advice given to others was very valuable.There was a wide variety of genres represented, and many of the pitches were quite polished. The audience was friendly and encouraging--we were all in the same boat, after all--and each pitch was followed by cheers and applause. By the end of the session there was a strong feeling of camaraderie as we chatted about our works in progress and wished each other luck in finding an agent.

I bought a copy of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published--it looks like it will be a good resource.

Big Read Mystery Panel, part 4: Caroline Todd

2010-10-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

Big Read Mystery Panel, part 3: Qiu Xiaolong

2010-10-15T21:47:00.001-05:00

Qiu Xiaolong was is a novelist and poet who was born in Shanghai, but currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri. Qiu is the author of the popular and award-winning Inspector Chen series, including The Mao Case, Red Mandarin Dress, and A Case of Two Cities (which is set in both St. Louis and Shanghai). He has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Washington University. His books have been published in twenty languages, and have sold over a million copies.

When asked about his motivation for writing mysteries, Qiu spoke of mysteries as a form of sociological study.
His books are set in the city of Shanghai. However, when translated into Chinese, Shanghai was changed to the fictionalized "H City". When A Case of Two Cities came out, he argued that since one of the two cities was the real city of St. Louis, it was important to use the real name of Shanghai as well. As a result, that book has not yet been published in China.
Food and memories, he says, are intertwined.
Qiu laughingly says that the Chinese food in St. Louis is ... "not bad".
Write what you know, he says, and you will be able to write with confidence.
Qiu outlines his books, but as his writing progresses the outline constantly changes.
He recommends shelving a first draft for several months before beginning to revise.
He agrees with Lutz that character is the most important element of a novel.
Qiu is inspired by the poetry of T.S. Eliot.

Part 4 will be about Caroline Todd's part of the panel discussion.

Big Read Mystery Panel, part 2: Claire Applewhite

2010-10-12T21:25:00.002-05:00

At The Big Read in Clayton, MO on October 9, authors shared their inspirations, insights, and information about their writing process...

Claire Applewhite is the author of Crazy for You, a romantic suspense novel, and The Wrong Side of Memphis, a murder mystery. Her next novel, St. Louis Hustle, will be released later this year. Applewhite is a contributing editor to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She is active in local and national writers' groups, including Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis, St. Louis Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, Heartland Writers Guild and Mystery Writers of America, and is the president of the Missouri Writers Guild.

When asked about her inspiration to become a mystery writer, Applewhite mentioned Barbara Vine (a.k.a. Ruth Rendell), an English author of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries.
Applewhite says that each of her plots revolves around a central question. The characters' job is to answer that question ... and to be entertaining.
When developing characters, Applewhite likes to list five or six people she finds intriguing. She then takes the most vivid trait of each and combines them to create an original character.
She seeks out new experiences in different areas of life, such as food and travel.
Applewhite keeps a box in which she tosses anything that captures her interest. From time to time, she dumps out the box and looks for things that, when combined, might inspire a plot or a character.
She writes her story out of sequence, and then connects the segments.
Though all the panelists agreed that characters are extremely important, Applewhite said someone recently told her how much they enjoyed figuring out the plot twists in a movie. For such a person, puzzling out the plot is more important than characters. If they were able to figure out "whodunnit" too easily, they might walk out of the theatre (or, presumably, put down the book)!
When asked what she likes to read, Applewhite again mentioned Barbara Vine as an influence, particularly in the area of psychological suspense. She also likes Ed McBain (a.k.a. Evan Hunter), whom she recommends as a master of sparkling dialogue, and Agatha Christie.

A funny anecdote--while the authors were speaking, a large dog ran through the tent with a man in hot pursuit. Apparently it got away from Dawn Sylvie-Stasiewicz, the Obamas' dog trainer and author of
The Love That Dog Training Program, who was presenting nearby.

Next time: mystery author Qiu Xiaolong

Big Read Mystery Panel, part 1: John Lutz

2010-10-10T12:42:00.003-05:00

At The Big Read in Clayton, MO on October 9, I took notes as four mystery authors shared their inspirations, insights, and information about their writing process.

Photo is from the author's website
http://www.johnlutzonline.com/

John Lutz is the award-winning author of forty-plus novels, including two private eye series--the Nudger series, set in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Carver series, set in Florida. His novel entitled SWF Seeks Same was made into the hit movie Single White Female. Another of his novels, The Ex, was made into an HBO movie, for which he co-authored the screenplay.

When asked what inspired him to write mysteries, Lutz said he always knew he wanted to write, but was especially inspired as a young teen by Ray Bradbury's short story, A Sound of Thunder. As for writing mysteries, that was what was selling when he started out.
Lutz is not overly concerned about the effect e-books will have on publishing. He feels that e-readers will drop in price, and may eventually be given away as promotions to encourage customers to buy e-books. Television did not bring about the end of radio and the movies, and e-publishing won't bring about the demise of publishing. Books will adapt, even if no one knows yet exactly what that will look like.
Asked his opinion on bestsellers such as Stieg Larsson's, Lutz says that blockbuster successes by other authors are good news for all writers, not cause for resentment. Reading a good book naturally makes a reader want to read more good books, and that is good for the publishing industry.
When planning a new book, Lutz looks for the hook and writes his synopsis first, so he knows where it's going.
Lutz writes about serial killers. Although he has read factual studies about serial killers, he is more interested in readers' perceptions of them than in the reality.
He feels that characters are primary. Readers may forget the details of a plot, but they will remember the characters. Plot must be character-driven.
Lutz thinks of his novel scenes in visual terms, as if filming a movie.
Authors he likes include Joseph Conrad and Saki (H.H. Munro). He has been rereading older PI and thriller authors such as Ross MacDonald and Geoffrey Household.
To write a good mystery, Lutz says, first of all you have to write a good novel.
In his 1995 book, Death by Jury, private investigator Alo Nudger, goes to the Maplewood Library, and Lutz mentions Terry--by name--when Nudger checks out his books. Yes, it's true--my husband has a cameo in a John Lutz novel! (According to Terry, Nudger never did return those books. If I'd known, I could have brought it up during the question-and-answer part of the presentation.)

In part 2, I'll tell you what Claire Applewhite had to say.

Big Read 2010

2010-10-09T19:59:00.005-05:00

I spent most of the day at The Big Read in Clayton, Missouri. Billed as "a festival for book lovers", it's an event I attend every year. My husband works at the Municipal Library Consortium booth, but I just go to have fun!

This year's highlights:

A panel discussion featuring mystery authors John Lutz, Qiu Xiaolong, Caroline Todd, and Claire Applewhite
Heather Brewer's author talk about her Vladimir Todd series
The Pitch-A-Palooza, in which forty people (including me!) had the opportunity to give a one-minute book pitch in front of an audience, followed by feedback from David Sterry and Arielle Eckstut, authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published

The used book sale, where I found several good additions to my classroom library

I'll write about the author talks in future posts.

Cool Contest

2010-09-17T21:43:00.001-05:00

Angela Ackerman is celebrating her 1000+ followers by hosting a terrific contest on her blog, The Bookshelf Muse. The prizes include five first-page critiques, two first-chapter critiques, and a mentorship opportunity. Check out Angela's blog for details on the contest. Actually, check it out whether you want to enter the contest or not ... it's the home of the "Emotion Thesaurus", the "Symbolism Thesaurus", and other great writing resources.

Middle Grade Titles

2010-08-30T23:38:00.004-05:00

I like names in titles. Here are some examples (old and new) that spring to mind:

Beezus and Ramona (Beverly Cleary)
Philippa Fisher’s Fairy Godsister (Liz Kessler)
Maggie Bean Stays Afloat (Tricia Rayburn)
Midnight for Charlie Bone (Jenny Nimmo)
Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism (Georgia Byng)
Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (J. K. Rowling)
Rufus M. (Eleanor Estes)
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (R. L. LaFevers)
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians (Brandon Sanderson)
The Tunnel of Hugsy Goode (Eleanor Estes)
James and the Giant Peach (Roald Dahl)
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth (E. L. Konigsburg) -- because if one name is good, five must be better …

Names in titles let me know that waiting in the pages of the book, there’s a character worth getting to know.

It works in adult fiction, YA, and picture books, too. Jane Eyre! An Abundance of Katherines! Skippyjon Jones!

What are your favorite name-titles?

Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic

2010-08-27T22:13:00.001-05:00

Schedules, lesson plans, updates to parents, anecdotal notes, data records ... well, at least I'm writing something! My classroom is slowly but surely coming together. Soon I'll have things organized to the point that I can begin writing non-work-related stuff again.

Meanwhile, here's a link to "Fishy Count", a cute counting game for little ones on PrimaryGames.com. My students will love it--if the site's not blocked by the school's internet filters.

Write Fifteen Minutes A Day

2010-08-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

Teacher orientation meetings start next week, and it's also the week of WriteOnCon ... and that means I'm going to be busy. That's why I was so happy to find out about the Write Fifteen Minutes A Day challenge on Laurie Halse Anderson's blog. All you have to do is write fifteen minutes a day. No word count requirements; no genre requirements; no pressure to finish anything--just write! That should be possible, right? No matter how crazy things get... it's only fifteen minutes!

Princess Posey

2010-07-31T22:21:00.004-05:00

I won a contest, and I'm tickled pink! My prize just arrived in the mail--an autographed copy of Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade by Stephanie Greene.

If you know any little girls who are about to start first grade, you must get them a copy of this book. It's the story of Posey, a little girl who would wear her pink tutu every day if she could. Posey is nervous about starting first grade, until she meets her teacher, Miss Lee--and gives her a wonderful idea about how to help the children feel comfortable on the first day.

Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade is a beautifully-written early chapter book. From Posey's feelings about her baby brother ... to the neighbor boys who tease her... to her shyness when she runs into her teacher outside of school, the story rings true. The vocabulary and sentence length are perfect for children who are just starting to read longer books on their own. And the charming illustrations by Stephanie Roth Sisson complement the text perfectly. If you like this one, the next Posey book--Princess Posey and the Perfect Present--will be out in March 2011.

The contest was sponsored by the wonderful bloggers at From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors. Here's a link to their interview with Stephanie Greene.

And now for some cool facts:

Cool Fact #1: My maiden name was Posey.

Cool Fact #2: Author Stephanie Greene's mother, Constance Greene, is the author of Leo the Lioness, my absolute favorite book as a preteen.

Cool Fact #3: I can't wait to share this book with my students who are transitioning to first grade this year!

A big THANK YOU to Stephanie Greene and to the bloggers at From the Mixed-Up Files!

What Worked?--Revisiting Childhood Favorites: Katie John

2010-07-30T13:05:00.002-05:00

Katie John by Mary Calhoun is a realistic middle grade novel published in 1960. Mary Calhoun is the author of many other books for children, including picture books Cross-Country Cat and Hot-Air Henry (a Reading Rainbow book), as well as sequels to Katie John (Depend on Katie John, Honestly, Katie John, and Katie John and Heathcliff).

Katie John takes place in my home state, Missouri, but as a child I couldn’t have been less interested in that. I loved this book because of the interaction between tomboy Katie and her prim friend, Sue … because of the awesome setting--an old “haunted” house with speaking tubes and dumbwaiters … and because of Katie’s habit of impulsively rushing into things without thinking, which landed her in some wonderfully sticky situations.

Each chapter of Katie John is a story in itself, and in each, Katie gets involved in a different adventure. However, the book is not entirely episodic; the common thread through the book is that Katie and her parents are growing to love the old house they inherited, and are trying to find a way to keep it instead of having to sell it. In the end, Katie helps to find a solution that will allow her family to remain in Barton's Bluff.

What works:

The main character: Katie is feisty and impatient--"headstrong", as their stuffy neighbor, Miss Crackenberry, says--but she is good-hearted and means well.
The setting provides the opportunity for wonderful activities: Imagine riding in a dumbwaiter ... finding a (possibly human!) bone ... getting stuck in a covered bridge ... playing on a raft with the wild kids from the shacks down by the river ... and starting a secret, mysterious club called The Sign of the Black Hand.
Humor: Whether she's throwing rotten eggs all over the yard, tricking crabby Miss Crankenberry, accidentally substituting soap flakes for sugar when making lemonade, or nearly setting the house on fire, Katie's misadventures are hilarious.
Mood: Although Katie is usually dreaming up mischief, getting into trouble, or apologizing for her misdeeds, there is an honesty and warmth that runs through the book. For example, Katie is a royal pain to Sue's older sister, Janet ... but when Janet panics while getting ready for a dance, Katie is the one who reassures her that she looks beautiful.

Did it stand the test of time? In my opinion, yes. I can imagine reading this aloud to a class of third-graders--and I think they'd enjoy Katie John's hijinks as much as I did.

What Worked?--Revisiting Childhood Favorites: Tatsinda

2010-07-24T07:00:00.172-05:00

“Once upon a time, far, far away at the top of the world, where it is always cold, there was a mountain that no one knew about except the people who lived on it.”

Tatsinda is a middle grade fantasy by Elizabeth Enright, published in 1963. I still have my childhood copy with the enchanting illustrations by Irene Haas--pen and ink drawings, rich with texture and crosshatching. It was reissued in 1991 with new illustrations by Katie Thamer Treherne.

This is not what I expected to say ... but honestly, as I reread Tatsinda, there are some things that just don’t work for me any more:

• It starts out slo-o-o-ow. Lots of description and back story. I probably skipped a lot of it. At eight, I was not a fan of long descriptive passages (confession: I’m still not).

• There’s a distant, grown-up narrative style. Lots of telling. I don’t mind this too much--but I hope we get to some action and dialogue soon.

• For some reason, Enright gave all the characters names that began with TA. This is considered a no-no today, and for good reason. I was forever having to check back--was Tagador the king and Tataspan the queen?--or was it the other way ’round?

• The problem that starts the book isn’t something kids are likely to relate to. Tatsinda’s foster mother is obsessed with the fact that she and her husband are getting older. Nobody’s going to marry Tatsinda with that weird hair; someday she might be lonely. This is not Tatsinda’s problem. She’s only ten.

Okay, right now, I’m not too impressed with my child-self’s taste in literature. Why did I like it? Maybe it was because…

• The lyrical fairy-tale quality of the story is appealing.

• I love Irene Haas’ evocative illustrations.

• It’s got exotic animals! The small racing tidwell that looks like a squirrel and purrs like a kitten. The “shy, wiry timbertock that skipped along the treetops”. The graceful timtik (“…every Tatran child had a timtik to ride to school on. Some of them had two.”). Man, I wanted a timtik to ride to school!

• Tatsinda is an interesting heroine. The Tatrajanni have “glittering white hair like snow crystals” and “cool, greenish-blue eyes”--but not foster child Tatsinda. With her golden hair and brown eyes, she is considered a freak. But she’s really excellent at weaving totles (the luxurious rugs with which Tatrajanni cover their floors). This is classic--a protagonist who is somehow different, set apart from the others, but has a unique talent.

The Story:
Tatsinda wonders why Tanda-nan, the wise woman, lives in a bare cave with no totle--so she weaves her one. Tanda-nan is so touched, she promises her the gift of a little magic some day. This little scene is masterful: by showing Tatsinda performing an act of kindness without thought of personal gain, Enright instantly engages the reader's sympathy. The book doesn't devote much space to characterization, but what is there is spot-on.

There are giants outside the kingdom. There’s also a visiting owl--a cranky one, named Skoodoon. He broke his wing, so he’s got to stay in Tatrajan until it mends. A whole chapter about giants and Skoodoon. Not a word about Tatsinda!

Yikes--eight years passed while we were reading about giants! Suddenly, Tatsinda’s eighteen. Her parents are dead. She loves Prince Tackatan, but he's betrothed to someone else. Tanda-nan gives her a spell--she’s to make the prince a totle for his 18th birthday, weaving in three hairs from her own head. At the party, along comes a giant. He grabs Tatsinda, wanting to take her to his niece as a “lively dolly”. As he carries her off, Prince Tackatan shouts, ‘I will find a way to save you!”

Tanda-nan gives the prince magic powder… if he sprinkles it around the giant, it will turn him into music. But, oops--the owl gets turned into music instead, and that was the last of the magic. The prince and Tatsinda (who is tethered nearby) decide to weave a net to ensnare the giant.

After the giant is dealt with, Prince Tackatan asks Tatsinda to marry him--he’s always loved her. And then he opens his birthday presents. Cool--he loved her even without the magic! They marry, and three of their kids are white-haired and blue-green-eyed, and three are golden-haired and brown-eyed.

My Kids Weigh In:
My oldest son (23), saw me holding Tatsinda and said, “Oh, that’s a good one.”
I asked him what he remembered and why he liked it. Amazingly, he could retell practically the whole story. He thinks the appeal lies in the unique world-building--they’re up in this mountain kingdom, isolated, and giants are outside the mist. It gives it a feeling of space; a sense of dreamlike unreality. I can see his point, I think--he reads a lot of sci fi and fantasy, and the kingdom of Tatrajan certainly has the feel of an alien culture. Maybe Tatsinda was one of his earlier exposures to that sort of literature.

Son #2 (18) has no memory of reading Tatsinda, but offers an opinion anyway. His theory is that a young reader will accept the protagonist's problem at face value without being too picky about whether it's a valid problem or not. He contends that kids relate to the main character's struggle simply because they are struggling. (I still say Tatsinda wasn't struggling--at least not until she fell in love with the unavailable prince and got snatched by the giant--but he makes an interesting, if debatable, point.)

This book was memorable, but for me it didn't stand the test of time. Yes, the world is very cool. But the protagonist's goal is sort of a muddle. Tatsinda doesn't do much. She assists in her own rescue (by weaving the net) but she doesn't initiate the action.

What do you think--am I a critical crankypants, or does the story not measure up to today's standards? If you read Tatsinda as a child, did you like it? Would you recommend it to kids? Is there something about it that you’d want to emulate in your own writing?

In a future post, I’ll take a look at one of Enright’s realistic novels, like The Saturdays.

Book Giveaway at From the Mixed-Up Files...

2010-07-22T17:19:00.000-05:00

From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors is giving away SIX great middle-grade books (five of which are pictured above) to a lucky winner! Hurry over here to enter ... all you have to do is leave a comment on their blog. The winner will be chosen on August 3 (which happens to be my birthday. I wonder if that special birthday magic will make them choose me!)

Tales (and Tools) from the Land of Revision

2010-07-21T12:17:00.001-05:00

I'm revising my middle grade paranormal yet again, and I am really hoping this is the last go-round! Changes include: (1) swapping the snarky tween voice for a slightly younger, more earnest tone ... (2) flipping from first to third person narration ... (3) simplifying the plot line still more ... (4) rearranging order of events to create a more logical sequence of cause and effect ... and (5) limiting the protagonist's freedom (in keeping with her younger age), so that the action takes place over a narrower range of settings.

Here are a few strategies and resources that helped rethink my story (and get up the enthusiasm to tackle it again):

(1) a great article in the June 2010 issue of Writer Magazine: Artful Revelations by Jordan E. Rosenfeld. This three-page article points out the need for the revelations to force characters into action, leading naturally to the next revelation--in other words, revelations must have consequences. This sounds rather obvious as I write it, but this article helped me see how the events in my plot needed to fit together, and what the revelations are supposed to be accomplishing in each part of my story.

(2) I did a quick read-through of a favorite middle grade fantasy, jotting down the important events and revelations in each chapter (revelations are defined as surprising moments that drive the protagonist toward action or change ... a.k.a. turning points). Then I rewrote the turning points, leaving out information specific to that story, rephrasing it in very general terms that could apply to any novel. I categorized the characters as MC (main character), Antagonists (numbered, as there were more than one), and Helpfuls (numbered also). For example, my notes from chapter 17 say:

Antagonist #2 thwarted.
More explained/understood about evil plan
Helpful #5 arrives
Humor subplot with Helpful #2
New humor subplot

This exercise helped me see how the various elements fit together and led to each other--and how they were interspersed to keep readers turning the pages.

(3) Plot Squares- if you process information visually, like me, this is a great way to get a look at the structure of your novel. This technique is explained very well in this thread on Verla Kay's Blueboards and also in this post by Suzette Saxton on the QueryTracker blog.

Edited to add: I FINALLY found where I originally learned of this technique: at the wonderful blog of Cynthia Jaynes Omololu, author of Dirty Little Secrets. Check it out!

(4) After I messed around with Plot Squares quite a bit, here's how I made an outline/flow chart of the whole novel:

I turned a piece of notebook paper sideways (landscape orientation) and divided it in thirds vertically.
I drew lines to divide it crosswise, about one inch apart.
I made three pages like this, and taped them together top to bottom to create a chart three columns wide, but very long.
I labeled the first column Act 1, the second Act 2, and the third Act 3.
Then I began jotting down the main plot events in pencil in the order I wanted them to happen. Act 2, with all its complications, was about twice as long as Act 1 or Act 3.

I did a lot of erasing--and worked on it for about two days--but eventually I had a sequence of events that seemed to flow pretty well. I have made much prettier and more complex templates on the computer, but my messy, taped-together, scribbled-on notes seemed to work well this time. It was already rumpled and tattered (especially after I set it down on the bed and the cat helpfully slept on it) and I didn't have to worry about messing it up.

Okay, back to revising. I'll let you know how it works out.

What Worked?--Revisiting Childhood Favorites: Carbonel, The King of the Cats

2010-07-17T14:24:00.007-05:00

Carbonel, The King of the Cats, is a middle grade fantasy written in 1955 by Barbara Sleigh.

I read the first couple of pages, channeling my eight-year-old self, and asking, “Why do I want to check this book out of the library?”

• On the cover, a black cat sits at the top of a clock tower, gazing up at two children--a girl and a boy--who are soaring over a city on a flying broomstick, by the light of a full moon.

Covers are important--we may not want to choose a book by its cover, but how can we not be influenced? This cover, along with the title, promises magic, adventure--and a cool animal character!

• Reading the opening, I find a name and an emotion word in the very first sentence--“Rosemary’s satchel bounced cheerfully up and down as she hopped on and off the pavement of Tottenham Grove.”

Yes! I like knowing who I’m reading about and how they’re feeling right up front.

• Specific details in the second sentence add interest: “She enjoyed school, except for arithmetic and boiled fish on Fridays.”

Hey, she’s just like me--I liked school, too, except for math. And, eww! Boiled fish sounds even more disgusting than the icky sloppy joes my school used to serve.

• Despite some unfamiliar British terms (breaking-up, Tottenham Grove, pillar box) , I gather that school’s out for the summer, and Rosemary is excited--she’s “fizzing” with a “delightful party feeling”, to be exact. She’s also bouncing up and down on the “kerb”.

Fun words!

• By the second paragraph, other children have come along, and conversation follows.

I love dialogue--it pulls me right into the story. From this exchange I learn that Rosemary’s mother is poor, and they can’t afford to go away for the holidays, and the girls in her class are snotty about it. This creates more interest, and adds a hint of potential conflict.

• There’s an emotional shift. The exchange with the schoolmates took the wind out of Rosemary’s sails. At first she goes on “doggedly hopping”, but “the party feeling was only fizzing at half-cock now”. As she nears home, she stops hopping (“her satchel was beginning to hurt when it bounced”). Her neighborhood has seen better days, and her landlady (whom she bumps into) is critical and unpleasant.

It’s only page two, and I’m feeling sympathetic toward Rosemary--she’s a cheerful sort of girl even though her classmates put her down for being poor, and she’s got a mean landlady to contend with. We haven’t met the promised cat yet, and so far there’s been nothing about flying broomsticks. And who’s the boy on the cover?--he looks much nicer than those bratty girls from Rosemary’s class. So many things to look forward to! I’ll keep reading.

Next, I take a quick look at the rest of the book, asking, “Why do I want to keep reading?"

• By the end of the first chapter, Rosemary has a goal: She wants to surprise her hard-working mom by earning some money. She decides to get a cleaning job, and, though she’s only got a little money, she’s going to the market all by herself to buy a broom.

There hasn’t been a big inciting event to force the character into action--getting a job is really just a whim of Rosemary’s--but her goal is clear, and the character and her mother are so sympathetic, we’re rooting for her. We’re willing to go along with it.

• In chapter two, Rosemary meets the cat. It can talk! She buys it from a witch, along with a rough twig broom (which wasn’t really the sort of broom she wanted). Turns out you can only hear the cat talk if you’re holding the broom. But she’s spent all her money, and has nothing left for bus fare. How to get home? Oh--fly on the broom, of course!

I’m thoroughly hooked.

• Turns out the cat is Carbonel, a Royal Cat, stolen and enslaved by a witch. Now he’s doomed to be Rosemary’s slave--even if she doesn’t want one! To break the spell, they need to find the items used to make it: the broom (which they’ve already got), a hat, a cauldron, and the spellbook.

Ah … now we know the objective of our quest.

• Rosemary becomes friends with John, the young nephew of the lady her mom works for. He helps her as they roam the city, looking for the hat, cauldron, and spellbook. Adventures ensue. Carbonel, the lordly cat, bristles when they misuse magic or treat him like an ordinary pet (though he is not averse to a little petting now and then). There’s also the need to hide what they’re doing from the grownups, who wouldn’t understand.

Good complications and tension--characters influence the plot, and plot events impact the characters.

• The children find the necessary objects, do the spell to free Carbonel, and help him reinstate himself as King of the Cats. They return his enemy, the fiendish ginger cat, to John’s rich aunt--he was her pet before he ran off to usurp Carbonel’s kingdom. She is thrilled to have her “Popsy Dinkums” back.

Oh, good--the kids didn’t become irrelevant once Carbonel returned to his life among the cats. They still had an important role to play.

• Happily, John’s family has invited Rosemary to go with them on a holiday to the seaside. And even more happily, Rosemary and her mom are moving, because her mom’s starting a new job--wardrobe mistress for a theatre company--which she got through someone Rosemary met while searching for the magical objects. The spellbook and broom have both been destroyed (which means they can’t understand Carbonel any more, but maybe that’s for the best).

All loose ends tied up neatly . Rosemary didn’t achieve her initial goal of getting a job, but she indirectly helped improve her family’s financial situation.

• In the last three paragraphs, Sleigh suddenly addresses the reader directly and tells what happened to some of the minor characters, implying that she--the narrator--knows them personally.

Disconcerting, but then this was written in 1955, so maybe we can forgive a bit of uncharacteristic authorial intrusion. Overall I think Carbonel stands the test of time very well.

Back to What Worked?--Revisiting Childhood Favorites

What Worked?--Revisiting Childhood Favorites

2010-07-17T14:19:00.005-05:00

Like most writers, I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. My parents were readers, and they took my brother and me to the library regularly. I remember the joy of carrying my precariously-balanced stack of books into the house ... and that delicious quandary: which one shall I read first?

I didn’t read analytically back then--I was just a sponge, soaking up stories. But not just any stories. I was very clear about which books I liked and which ones I couldn't be bothered with. Lately, I’ve been looking back on the books that made an impression on me as a child. If the memory of a book has stuck with me for decades, there’s probably a good reason. That's why I'm taking a new look at some of my old favorites, asking, “What was it about this book that struck a chord with my eight-, nine-, or ten-year-old self?” and “Which of this author's techniques can inform my own writing?”

Carbonel, King of the Cats

Eloise

2010-06-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is a hoot! Apparently, Eloise is now 23 and interning at Condé Nast. (Don't think too hard about it, because the book came out in 1955, and she was six years old then, so she ought to be more like sixty... but still.)

Good Links!

2010-06-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

I've been focusing on writing at the expense of blogging lately... but just have to share a few great links I ran across!

First, here is an interview on Totally Writeous, in which Ingrid Law, author of Savvy, talks about her writing process. I was excited to learn that Ingrid's new book, Scumble, is due out in August. Here's a link to my review of Savvy.

Secondly, Jason Black has posted some excellent articles about the craft of writing on Plot to Punctuation. Two that I found especially helpful were "Five More Ways to Create Sympathetic Characters" and "Why Stakes Work"

And, last but not least, if you're not following Darcy Pattinson's Fiction Notes, it's worth checking out. She's got tons of good information. Here's a link to her archives.

Critique Giveaway

2010-06-17T11:16:00.000-05:00

Author and Institute of Children's Literature instructor Marcia Hoehne is giving away two critiques on her blog. Enter by June 22 for a chance to win! Click here for full details.

Free Online Kidlit Conference!

2010-06-14T14:31:00.000-05:00

Wow--a free online conference for kidlit writers! Isn't that the best idea ever? It's the brainchild of these amazing writer/bloggers--Casey McCormick, Shannon Messenger, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Elana Johnson, Jen Stayrook, and Jamie Harrington--and it promises to be amazing. A fabulous list of presenters has already signed on. For more information, click HERE ... and check out the cute video below ... and click on the organizers' names above to visit their blogs--they're offering some awesome giveaways!

What Do You Do If You Get a Bad Review?

2010-06-13T21:17:00.003-05:00

Check out this YouTube video by Amy Kathleen Ryan--it's very funny! You'll have to click on the link; I couldn't get the video to imbed at the proper size.

Agent Answers From Steven Malk

2010-05-30T20:47:00.001-05:00

On her blog, Literary Rambles, Casey McCormick has posted a question and answer session with agent Steven Malk of Writers House. He gave a thoughtful and informative response to my question about subbing a stand-alone chapter book vs. a series. There are lots of other great questions and answers. You can read the whole post here.

Related Links:

a Writer's Digest article with Advice From Steven Malk
a 2009 post from Literary Rambles in which Casey spotlights Steven Malk.

Don't Miss This--Librarians Do Gaga

2010-05-30T20:09:00.000-05:00

This is great!

Something I'm GLEEful About ...

2010-05-27T13:07:00.001-05:00

Chris Eboch, author of the middle grade paranormal series Haunted, has posted a series of free writing lessons--and they are awesome! You can find them at Go to Write Like a Pro! A Free Online Writing Workshop. I'm working my way through them in order, starting with the older posts, because they are somewhat sequential (though you could dip into them anywhere and still benefit from the information). Chris adds a lesson once a week, usually on Fridays.

I'm so happy to have found this wonderful resource, I'm beside myself with GLEE. Speaking of which ... in this week's episode, I noticed an example of a writing strategy I'd just read about.

In her March 22, 2010 lesson, Plotting Advice from Sid Fleischman, Chris paid homage to Sid Fleischman, a great children's author who recently passed away. She shared several of Sid's writing tips, including what to do if there is a flaw in your story's logic ... apparently you simply point it out, and it will disappear! (Also see Sid Fleischman's tips for writers).

I had to laugh when Glee used this very strategy. Rachel (Lea Michele) and Vocal Adrenaline coach Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel) were getting ready to sing Poker Face. Of course, they needed an accompanist, so Rachel called, and Brad emerged from the shadows. Before you had time to wonder, "Hey, where did he come from?" Rachel remarked, "He's just always here." No explanation given, but Sid was right--problem solved!

Storyline Online

2010-05-24T19:04:00.001-05:00

How cool is this? Actors from the Screen Actors' Guild reading children's books aloud! Check out:

Betty White reading Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Elijah Wood reading Me and My Cat by Satoshi Kitamura
Amanda Bynes reading The Night I Followed the Dog by Nina Laden

... and about twenty more!

Here's the link: Storyline Online

Making Your Novel a Page-Turner

2010-05-11T20:06:00.012-05:00

Check out this article about micro-tension posted by Kristi Helvig over at Sisters in Scribe. It's full of awesome advice--especially the part about tossing your manuscript into the air, scattering the pages everywhere.

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Happy Birthday, Pete Seeger!

2010-05-03T17:32:00.000-05:00

In honor of Pete Seeger's 91st birthday today, my students and I enjoyed his extraordinary sing-along folk tale, Abiyoyo.

Here's a video of Pete performing Abiyoyo in concert.

And here's a link to a Reading Rainbow clip where Pete reads/sings the story, accompanied by Michael Hays' illustrations. Pete explains that when kids get to a certain age, they realize that a lullaby is actually a propaganda song. This story/song came about when his kids clamored for a story instead of a song at bedtime. Pete compromised by telling them a story--and singing them the song, too!

"Let's Talk" Blogfest

2010-05-03T17:07:00.004-05:00

Like to write dialogue? Why not participate in the "Let's Talk" Blogfest hosted by Roni Griffin at the Fiction Groupie Blog? Click HERE for the how-tos and to sign-up. Roni also has a great post here with tips for writing dialogue. Thanks to Aimee from my critique group for sharing the link to this!

Link to Elana Johnson's Handy Tips...

2010-05-01T22:08:00.001-05:00

If you missed this post on Elana Johnson's blog on What You Should Know About Non-Writers, check it out. It's hilarious, and yet has more than a grain of truth!

Prolific Blogger Awards!

2010-04-29T12:56:00.002-05:00

I was pleased as punch to receive the Prolific Blogger Award from Catherine Winn of The Writing Room. I would like to pass it along to the following bloggers whose writing I enjoy:

Susan Kaye Quinn at Ink Spells, whose intelligent & well-written blog focuses on books for a sometimes-overlooked group: advanced middle-grade readers.
Nelsa Roberto at out of the wordwork, who just launched her debut YA novel, Illegally Blonde--isn't that an awesome title?
Lori Degman at Habitual Rhymer, whose book you may find when you pour your morning bowl of cereal--she was this year's winner of the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories contest--and who had the guts to post a hilarious video of her first negative review on YouTube!

Check out these ladies' blogs--I think you'll enjoy them as much as I do!

Insights from the Conference

2010-04-24T16:49:00.003-05:00

Here are just a few notes from Angie Fox's wonderful class. If you have a chance to take a class with Angie or hear her speak, grab it--it will be very valuable!

To sell a paranormal in a crowded market, you must find your twist--the thing that makes your world unique.
Characters must be in conflict with the world and themselves
Pinpoint the conflict between a character's personality and their situation
Readers (including agents and publishers) won't care about plot until you make them care about the characters.
To build sexual tension, give the characters a big conflict--a reason why they can't get together. When they do get together, don't let it be smooth sailing--give them more problems to overcome.
The weather, people brooding about their families, people brooding about being lonely--these are NOT good openers.
Open with interesting conflict, not back story.
The opening action must pay off.
Write strong threads into your opening to give yourself something to build on.
Figure out what your character dreads--and do it to them.

Teaser Tuesday Twofer

2010-04-20T18:12:00.001-05:00

I got this from Aubrey (AKA Stacey) at My Pile of Books:

"Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading."

Here's how to play:

Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.

Here are my teaser sentences--first, the opening sentences from The Accidental Demon Slayer, a paranormal novel by Angie Fox (who taught an awesome master class at the Missouri Writers' Guild Conference last weekend), in which Lizzie meets her grandma for the first time:

"I know I hadn't envisioned an apple-shaped woman in a Kiss My Asphalt T-shirt, with wind-burned cheeks and a sagging tattoo of a phoenix on her arm. But what I really didn't bargain for was a brief hug, followed by a forceful shove that had me landing firmly on my butt on the cold, black-and-white checked floor of my hall bathroom."

And from 36 Arguments for the Existence of God by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein:

"The world shifted, catching lots of smart people off guard, churning up issues you had thought had settled forever beneath the earth's crust. The more sophisticated you are, the more annotated your mental life, the more taken aback you're likely to feel, seeing what the world's lurch has brought to light, thrusting up beliefs and desires you had assumed belonged to an earlier stage of human development."

You can put your teasers in the comments section--or you can post them on your own blog and put a link in the comments.

A Fantastic Writers' Conference!

2010-04-18T17:36:00.003-05:00

Just got home from the Missouri Writers Guild Conference held in Chesterfield, MO this weekend. I'm so glad I went! I had a great time, learned a lot, and met a whole bunch of talented people who are serious about writing--and, at the same time, friendly and approachable. Here were some of the highlights of the conference for me:

Master Class--"Lining Up the Bones: Crafting the Paranormal Novel" (taught by Angie Fox, NYT Bestselling Author of The Accidental Demon Slayer)
Pitch sessions with Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, Suzie Townsend, and Kristin Nelson
Breakout session--"Writing for Young Adults" (led by Jennifer Brown, author of Hate List)
Panel Discussion--"Elements of Mystery Fiction" with Jo Hiestand, Judy Moresi, and Esther Luttrell
Keynote Address by Harper Barnes
Breakout session--"Pitching an Agent" (led by Dakota Banks, author of the Mortal Path series)
Breakout session--"The Magic of the Short Story" (led by Rebecca Carron)
Breakout session--"Writing the Middle Grade Novel" (led by Suzanne Lieurance)
Breakout session--"Platform for Posting" (led by Fedora Amis and Kim Killion)

I'll post more about the conference, but it will have to wait a bit. After Angie Fox's amazing class, I have a new direction for one of my middle grade novels, and revision is on the front burner. I also have a request for a full (for my chapter book) and two requests for partials!

Win A Critique!

2010-04-15T18:54:00.001-05:00

Marcia Hoehne, an Institute of Children's Literature instructor, is hosting an April Critique Giveaway. Go to Marcia's blog for a chance to win a critique of the first 1000 words of your children's story, chapter book, middle grade novel, or YA novel. But do it fast-- the contest is open for submissions for just three days (April 15, 16, and 17).

Happy Birthday, Beverly Cleary!

2010-04-14T22:42:00.003-05:00

School Library Journal has an interview with Beverly Cleary on her 94th birthday! I've been a huge fan of Beverly Cleary since I was very young. Her wonderful, character-driven stories about Henry Huggins, Beezus and Ramona, Ellen Tebbits, and that bad boy, Otis Spofford, made a lasting impression on me. I clearly remember seeing Otis Spofford up on the reserve shelf in the bookmobile that came to my school each month, and longing desperately to read it--but it was being held for someone else. Eventually, of course, I got my hands on it! Ms. Cleary says she started out as an elementary school librarian. A little boy changed her life when he came into the library and asked, "Where are the books about kids like us?" There really weren't any, so Ms. Cleary took it upon herself to write them--and we're so lucky she did! All of her amazing books are still in print. The birthday card above was made for Beverly Cleary by Caldecott Award-winning Paul Zelinsky--it features Ralph S. Mouse.

The photo above is by Kate Wade.

Missouri Writers' Guild Conference

2010-04-11T10:35:00.012-05:00

The Missouri Writers' Guild Conference is next weekend--it really crept up on me! I just sent in my registration. Three well-known agents will be there:

Joanna Stampfel-Volpe (Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation), who says in her bio information that she reps "children's chapter books to upper YA", as well as some adult genres. Joanna wrote a query critique for GLA here, and a guest blog post on Susan Adrian's blog here.
Kristin Nelson (Nelson Literary Agency), who represents middle grade, YA, and adult fiction, and who writes the wonderful blog PubRants. An interview with Kristin on the GLA blog can be found here.
Suzie Townsend (FinePrint Literary Management), who seems to represent primarily YA and adult fantasy, as well as adult non-fiction--but in her blog, Confessions of a Wandering Heart, she says she is interested in middle grade, too. An interview with Suzie on The Blog Realm can be found here, and more information is posted here.

There's a hilarious video here posted on April Fools Day-- it features Joanna and Suzie both simultaneously finding the BEST MANUSCRIPT EVER ... and literally coming to blows over it!

I've signed up for my first pitch session ever, which means I've got less than a week to work up an "elevator pitch". I still haven't even decided which manuscript to pitch ... it's between my chapter book and one of my middle grade novels. Kristin Nelson has already seen my middle grade in its earlier incarnation; in fact, she requested a partial, but then sent a polite rejection. Even though it's been through extensive revisions since then, I'd rather try her with something new. I have not yet queried either of the others, although they are both on my list of "agents to try".

There's an Agent/Editor panel discussion scheduled for Friday night. The agent appointments will be held on Saturday, running concurrently with a variety of Breakout Sessions. On Sunday, there are several Master Class options, including one by Angie Fox called "Lining Up the Bones: Crafting the Paranormal Novel".

Another Awesome Contest...

2010-04-08T22:27:00.004-05:00

Anna Staniszewski is having a contest to celebrate her hundredth follower on her blog. She's awarding two soon-to-be-released YA novels as prizes--Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. Visit Anna's blog and find out how to enter!

New "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest on GLA

2010-04-08T16:50:00.003-05:00

The fabulous Guide to Literary Agents blog is having another "Dear Lucky Agent" contest--and this one is for middle grade and YA fiction. Regina Brooks (pictured here), founder of Serendipity Literary Agency, will judge the entries. Head on over to GLA to find out how to enter!

Story Pages

2010-04-04T10:34:00.007-05:00

I've added links to some of my stories for very young readers and listeners. Most of my current writing falls into the middle grade range, but over the years I've also written quite a few stories for younger children. Since I'm not actively marketing most of these, I decided to post a few as writing samples.

To access them, please click on the Pages tabs at the top. If you're reading this through FaceBook, you'll have to go to the actual blog at http://readatouille.blogspot.com/

Reader's Theater:
Just Two Words
I wrote this humorous, easy-to-read play about a wizard wannabee for children reading at an end-of-first grade grade level. It uses familiar vocabulary, and incorporates repetition. The story was inspired by a Taoist tale about a monk who took a vow of silence to enter a monastery--only to find conditions not to his liking.

Marco's School Bus

This read-aloud about some confused animals is for children ages four to six. It would be especially appropriate for a little one who is going to ride a school bus for the first time. It was published in the back-to-school issue of Stories For Children in August 2008. I retain all rights to the story.

Brave Haley and the Halloween Scream
A silly easy-to-read story with a Halloween theme, intended for children reading at a first grade level.

Feel free to copy the stories for your students or read them to your children, but please make no changes to them, and make sure they are attributed to me. I added some royalty-free clip art to brighten the pages, but the art is not my work, and should not be considered a part of the story.

Danger Cat

2010-03-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

Agents Day

2010-03-21T19:36:00.002-05:00

I had a wonderful time on Saturday at Agents Day (sponsored by the Missouri chapter of SCBWI)! Three awesome agents--Joan Paquette (Erin Murphy), Stephen Fraser (Jennifer De Chiaro), and Kelly Sonnack (Andrea Brown)--spoke to the group in the morning, participated in a question/answer panel before lunch, and held critique sessions in the afternoon. I learned more about what agents want (and what they don't want), got lots of good book recommendations ranging from picture books through YA, met a bunch of other writers, and got some new direction for my novel revisions. The final session of the day was an interactive reader's theatre presentation based on the picture book Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins. It was led by Lynn Rubright, a master educator and professional storyteller with a passion for getting kids involved with literature. I'll post more about what I learned after I've had a chance to go through my notes.

Paranormal Picks

2010-03-15T19:00:00.001-05:00

Check out this awesome March Madness bracket! I came across it in Elana Roth's post on the Caren Johnson Literary blog (originally from Indexed).

Haunted Theatre

2010-03-08T02:05:00.001-06:00

On Friday, I attended a performance of Neighborhood Crime Watch by Craig Alpaugh, presented by TGWG (Theatre Guild of Webster Groves). The play is a comedy; a hiliarious farce involving a group of quirky neighbors--Lisa, a young woman whose dog has been stolen; Mona, a brash older woman who was the victim of a purse snatching; Father Bob, the parish priest; Myron, a psychiatrist who was traumatized after witnessing a crime; and Officer Buddy, a policeman who does not want to get involved. The motley crew gathers for a neighborhood crime watch meeting, only to be joined by a pair of burglars--one a reluctant crook; the other a self-proclaimed “daredevil”--masquerading as concerned citizens. My husband plays the role of the neurotic psychiatrist. The play runs for two weekends at 517 Theatre Lane in Webster Groves. Remaining performances will be Thursday March 11, Friday March 12, and Saturday March 13 at 8 pm, and Sunday March 14 at 2 pm. Tickets are $15 (or $12 for seniors and students). Please call (314) 962-0876 for more information or to reserve tickets, or visit the TGWG website at http://www.tgwg.info/
TGWG rehearses and performs in an old house that has, at various times, served as a kindergarten and a printer’s shop. After the play, the cast and crew began talking about uncanny sights and sounds that have been observed in the theatre over the years. Apparently, the theatre is haunted by a number of ghosts--among them, a disembodied head that appears in the basement, a teenaged boy ghost who runs up and down the stairs, a little girl, and a male spirit who goes by a variety of names. Paranormal researchers who have visited the house have caught various weird manifestations on film--leering faces; strange sparks; glowing orbs that seem to chase people.
The opening night party ended at about 11:30 PM, and people began moving toward the door. I suggested hanging around for another half hour to see if any apparitions would show themselves at the witching hour. Strangely, nobody seemed to like this idea. Suddenly, the group seemed ill at ease. Glancing nervously over our shoulders, we all fled to the safety of our cars.

Agents Day

2010-03-06T13:59:00.001-06:00

I’m looking forward to the Agents Day that will be held on March 20, 2010, at St. Charles Community College. It’s sponsored by the Missouri chapter of the SCBWI.

Agents Participating:
* Kelly Sonnack from Andrea Brown Literary Agency
* Ammi-Joan Paquette from Erin Murphy Literary Agency
* Stephen Frasier from Jennifer De Chiara Agency

Here's the schedule:
9:00 Opening and introduction of speakers
9:10 – 10:00 Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency
10:10 – 11:00 Stephen Fraser of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency
11:10-12:00 Jennifer Rofe of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency
12:00 – 12:30 Agents’ Panel for Questions
12:30 – 1:45 Lunch
1:45 – 3:00 Lynnea Annette – Building your networking and on-line presence.
3:15 – 4:30 Lynn Rubright’s Creativity Seminar

I’ve signed up for a critique session in the afternoon. The instructions say to bring copies of the first 500 words of my manuscript, which will be read aloud to the agent and critique group. I’m taking the beginning of my middle grade paranormal, My Bewitching Autumn.

Click here for more information.

Just For Fun...

2010-02-18T18:28:00.002-06:00

This Book is Overdue!

2010-02-14T14:22:00.003-06:00

Literary agent Janet Reid's blog has an interesting post entitled "Another Book on the I Want to Read This List". In it, she discusses learning to talk about books in ways that will entice readers. The discussion revolves around Marilyn Johnson's book This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. Ms. Reid links to three different reviews of the book, and asks readers to comment on which review is most enticing--and why.

Personally, the review in the Minneapolis Star Tribune was the one that spoke to me. As a lifelong library user, a former library employee, and the wife of a library director, the topic interests me already. But the “librarians as our allies in navigating the information glut” angle was the hook that really got my attention. I found the other two reviews somewhat wearying--they seemed to be trying to fling too much of the book’s contents at me. The third was more focused; I could wrap my mind around it. I’m sure there’s far more to the book than the Minneapolis review discussed, but before I can assimilate all that, I have to be coaxed into picking it up and opening it, and this review accomplished that effectively. The next-to -the-last paragraph of the review, in which writer Kim Ode quotes a moving passage from This Book Is Overdue:, clinched my desire to read the book.

The review in the Boston Globe, to me, was the weakest. It seemed to ramble, and did not have a strong hook.

The Wall Street Journal review wasn't bad, but its first paragraph annoyed me with its "unsung heroes" approach. The media calls everyone a hero nowadays--the term has become so watered down, it's nearly lost its meaning. Now librarians are heroes, too. Ho hum. The choice of the "hero" angle irked me so much, I probably read the rest of the review more critically. In the third paragraph, the determined listing of librarians who don't fit the stereotype made me roll my eyes, and the fifth paragraph's statement, "Ms. Johnson succeeds in making us like librarians..." is just silly.

Check out Janet Reid's blog post, and weigh in with your thoughts.

And now I'm off to put in a request for the book at my local library!

Win a Critique!

2010-02-10T19:38:00.005-06:00

GLA (Guide to Literary Agents) has announced a contest! Submit the first 150 to 200 words of your middle grade or YA novel, and you could win:
(1) a critique by agent Jennifer Laughran of Andrea Brown Literary Agency
(2) a query critique
(3) books from Writer's Digest.

Contest details and instructions are available here.

There's a nice interview with Jennifer Laughran on Justine Larbalestier's blog.

The Pen Olympics

2010-02-10T17:35:00.000-06:00

Edittorrent is hosting the Pen Olympics--a motivational event for writers to coincide with the Winter Olympics. You can compete in the team (Fiction, Nonfiction, Drama, Submissions) and event (Prewriting, Drafting, Editing, Submitting) of your choice. Head on over to Edittorrent and sign up now!

7 Tips for Getting Yourself to Write When You Don't Feel Like It

2010-02-09T21:57:00.002-06:00

They say BIC (butt in chair) is the most important secret to overcoming writer's block. No matter how much you love to write, everyone has days when it's hard to get motivated. Here are a few ways to increase the odds of keeping BIC.

1. Set Online Stopwatch for twenty minutes (or whatever amount of time you wish to write). Now, write! Hurry! Faster! Get as many words down as you can before the alarm sounds!

2. If Tip #1 (writing with a time limit) stresses you out, try setting a word count goal instead. When you've got 250 words, you can stop and do something else. If that's too easy, up it to 500. You just might surprise yourself, get on a roll, and keep right on going.

3. If you sorta like Tip #2 (setting a word count goal) and are motivated by a sense of community and rockin' badges, check out Inky Girl's 500 Words A Day Challenge.

4. Use Premack's Principle to your advantage by scheduling a highly-preferred activity right after a less-preferred one. First you must write, THEN you can check your email ... or watch Lost ... or play those time-sucking Facebook games ....

5. Go to a coffee shop. A change of setting can work wonders, and it'll get you away from all the other stuff you "ought" to be doing. The caffeine won't hurt, either.

6. Better yet, find someplace with comfortable chairs and tables, but no WiFi. Then there will be nothing to do BUT write. Maybe there's a hole-in-the-wall somewhere that doesn't offer free wireless.

7. If all else fails, bribe yourself with Ben & Jerry's. Oh, wait ... that's just Tip #4 in disguise!

Happy writing! If you have other ideas to share, please post them in the comments below.

Currently Reading ... Impossible by Nancy Werlin

2010-02-07T17:46:00.003-06:00

See a trailer for Nancy Werlin's Impossible here ...

or click here to go to Nancy Werlin's website ...

or here to visit the publisher's page about the novel.

Lucy Scarborough, 17, a confident, practical young woman with an ironic sense of humor, is dearly loved by her foster parents, Leo and Soledad (and, though none of them realize it yet, by Zach Greenfield, a childhood friend staying with their family for the summer). On the night of her junior prom, Lucy’s homeless and mentally ill biological mother, Miranda, shows up at their house, singing “Scarborough Fair” and lobbing glass bottles at Lucy and her date, Gray. After the prom, Gray rapes Lucy. He flees the scene--and gets into a fatal car crash. Lucy can’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t really Gray who raped her. It was as if his body was taken over by someone else. But ever-sensible Lucy realizes that this is probably just her imagination; her mind’s way of trying to assimilate the horrific experience. Lucy tries to pretend that everything is okay--but it’s not. Lucy is pregnant.

When she reads Miranda's journal, Lucy learns that the women of her family are under a curse, and that the song “Scarborough Fair” holds the key. To break the curse, Lucy must make a seamless shirt with no needlework, find an acre of land between the salt water and the sea strand, plow the land with a goats horn, and sow it all over with one grain of corn. If Lucy can figure out what all this means and complete the cryptic tasks, she and her unborn daughter will be safe. If not, they--like Miranda and generations of Scarborough women before her--will belong to the Elfin Knight.

I love books that show realistic, contemporary characters encountering magic, and Impossible does this superbly. As a folk music enthusiast, I also enjoyed Werlin’s use of the folk song as a means of passing knowledge of the curse from generation to generation. Some reviewers felt that the novel glossed over or minimized the serious problems of date rape and teen pregnancy, and I can see their point. But, while they were essential to the plot, these subjects were not the main point of the book. Overall, Lucy’s journey from denial to doubt, and from doubt to acceptance, is convincing, and her struggles seem real. The fast-growing attraction and romance between Lucy and Zach rings mostly true as well (even if Zach, like Leo and Soledad, seems a bit too perfect to be believable). Another objection I have seen raised is that the fantasy elements were minimally developed, but I did not find that to detract from the story at all. Keeping events rooted in the real world made it more intriguing for me than if Lucy had been transported to a fantasy realm.

It is unusual to have a marriage and a pregnancy in a YA, but in the context of the novel it made sense. I have reservations about recommending this book for younger readers. Many 11- and 12-year-olds read YA fiction, and there is no hint in the jacket copy about the themes of rape and teen pregnancy. In my opinion, Lucy, a strong, determined, and down-to-earth heroine, is a positive role model, and neither the rape nor the wedding night scene is explicit. Still, the book deals with subject matter that is not suitable for the younger set.

For older teens and adults, Nancy Werlin’s Impossible weaves a beautiful tale of love triumphing over darkness. It is a contemporary story set in today’s world, but its theme and characters seem timeless.

Submissions Fest Announced!

2010-02-06T17:02:00.001-06:00

Nephele Tempest, an agent at Knight Agency, has announced a Submissions Fest around the theme "I'm in the Mood for Love". The event will open on Monday, February 8, and run through Valentine's Day. Her blog, Writing and Rambling, will have a special comments window in which you can pitch your novel, and she'll let you know if she wants to see more. She doesn't want middle grade, but is open to YA and adult fiction. Please see Ms. Tempest's blog for details ... and good luck to everyone who submits a pitch!

10 Silly and Not-So-Silly Ways to Find Time for Writing

2010-02-05T18:29:00.001-06:00

1. Just say no to Facebook.

2. Carry your notepad or laptop with you and use odd bits of time that would otherwise be wasted.

3. Stop doing housework.

4. Use public transportation so you can write while commuting.

5. Stop cooking. Eat out instead, but take your laptop, and only go to places with plenty of electrical outlets.

6. Post a sign that says “Temporarily out of service”, and teach your kids and spouse what it means.

7. Reduce sleep time to five hours per night, and use the extra time for writing.

8. Learn to type while riding an exercise bike or walking on a treadmill.

9. Attend a writers’ retreat.

10. Join a local writers’ group that has regular write-ins … or start your own.

If you have other ideas, please leave a comment and share!

Creating Lovable Characters

2010-02-03T23:20:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to an interesting post in Slate Magazine called How to Make Characters Lovable. I haven't yet read anything by Amy Bloom, whose writing is discussed, but she's definitely going on my "to read" list. The article also mentions Laurie Colwin, author of Happy All the Time, a novel that does indeed feature lovable and memorable characters. Sadly, I discovered Colwin's wonderful work after she was gone--she died in 1992, at the much-too-early age of 48. Years ago, when I read several of Colwin's novels, I wasn't writing regularly. Now that I'm actively working on my writing skills, her work is due for a rereading.

Currently Reading ... When You Reach Me

2010-01-23T19:54:00.000-06:00

This year’s Newbery Medal winner, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, is exactly my kind of book. It has all my favorite elements: great voice, well-drawn characters, a moving story, a clear sense of place/time, an intriguing mystery, and lots of allusions to one of my most-beloved books (A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle). Best of all, it’s got … yes … TIME TRAVEL! I enjoyed it so much, I could hardly believe the Newbery committee picked it.

Maybe that’s overly cynical--I’m actually a big fan of the Newbery books. I liked last year’s winner (Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book). And I love Cynthia Lord’s Rules (2007 Honor Book), and Ingrid Law’s Savvy (2009 Honor Book, which I reviewed on my blog here), and Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy (2006 Honor Book). Really, I agree with the committee’s selections more often than not. But, for some reason, this year I was expecting something less entertaining. More, uh … “literary”, in the worst sense (depressing and inaccessible).

When You Reach Me was a wonderful surprise. It’s about Miranda, a twelve-year-old sixth grader in New York City in the late 1970s. Stead’s prose is neither flowery nor overly descriptive, but it is very effective--and evocative. I can clearly visualize the Manhattan public school (complete with dentist’s office), Miranda's apartment where her mom practices for her upcoming appearance on $20,000 Pyramid, Jimmy’s sandwich shop, and the corner with the homeless guy lying under the mailbox. I’m not going to write a synopsis, because I don’t want to spoil this one. Just read it.

Currently Reading ... Noah's Compass

2010-01-23T18:44:00.000-06:00

Noah’s Compass is Anne Tyler’s new novel.

Before reading further, please note that there are MAJOR SPOILERS ahead!

Liam Pennywell, a teacher in his early sixties, decides to economize by moving to a small apartment after he’s downsized out of a job. He goes to bed on his first night in his new digs … and awakens in the hospital, after being attacked in the night by an unknown assailant. Although his other memories are intact, Liam remembers nothing about the assault. His doctors assure him this is normal, and his friends and relatives ask, “Why would you even want to remember that?” But Liam becomes increasingly obsessed by his memory lapse. He feels something essential about himself--a pivotal moment, perhaps--has been stolen from him.

Liam encounters someone who employs a professional assistant--a “rememberer”--who prompts him with names and assists him through transitions in his day. Convinced that he, too, needs a “rememberer” to help him recover his memory of the assault, Liam becomes a bit of a stalker, lurking in his car, hoping for a glimpse of the assistant. When an opportunity arises, Liam introduces himself to Eunice, improvising a fictitious connection to her employer. Eunice, a quirky, socially awkward, and impulsive young woman half Liam’s age, jumps to the conclusion that Liam needs her help with developing a resume. Their relationship quickly progresses: from acquaintances to friends, and from friends to lovers. Although this is kind of weird (and Eunice is unbelievably annoying), it’s rather sweet. But there’s a big problem, one that can’t be resolved. Eunice has been lying to Liam--she’s married. Though he’s not religious, and is in fact divorced, Liam believes in the sanctity of marriage. So they break up, and … yeah. That’s it, pretty much. Liam gets a job at a preschool, and presumably goes on living a stark, pared down existence in his stark, pared down apartment. Alone.

The best thing about this novel is its characters. Anne Tyler is brilliant at finding just the right words to describe people’s personalities, their quirks, and their foibles. Even if you’ve never met anyone remotely like the people in her novels, you find yourself nodding, feeling that you really know them. Liam, Eunice, Liam’s impatient older daughters, his opportunistic-but-nice teenage daughter (who moves in with him), the teenage daughter’s questionable boyfriend, Liam’s ex-wife, his small grandson who’s been spoon-fed bible stories from an early age … all these people leap to life on Tyler’s pages, making me feel I would recognize them instantly if we met on the street.

What I didn’t like so much--first, the repetitiveness. We’re told again and again about how disturbing Liam finds his memory loss, to the point that I wanted to yell, “All right, already--I get it.” There seemed to be a lot of this sort of redundancy, belaboring the same point over and over. Eunice is a fashion disaster ... yeah, yeah. Got it. Liam's been emotionally absent from his family for years, and has few friends ... yup, got that, too. I almost felt like Tyler was insulting my intelligence, assuming I was profoundly slow on the uptake.

Secondly, I disliked the unsatisfying ending--see above.

Currently Reading ... The Lacuna

2010-01-23T16:26:00.000-06:00

Hooray!--Barbara Kingsolver's long-awaited next novel is finally here! Even though I am a big Kingsolver fan, I wasn’t sure whether I would like The Lacuna. I had read a couple of not-so-favorable reviews, and thought it sounded a bit dry and political. But I gave it a go ... and, I'm happy to say, I loved it!

The Lacuna is the story of Harrison Shepherd, a fictional young writer growing up in Mexico in the 1930s and 40s. As a teenager, Shepherd is hired by famous Mexican nationalist painter Diego Rivera as a plaster mixer for his mural project, and is befriended by Rivera’s wife, the brilliant and passionate painter Frida Kahlo. He becomes their cook, secretary, and a trusted member of their household. Rivera and Kahlo, both Communists, provide political sanctuary to Léon Trotsky, exiled during the Stalin regime. Though Shepherd is never officially a member of the Communist Party, this association comes back to haunt him during the McCarthy era, after he has moved to the United States. Shepherd, who is gay, becomes a popular author, but suffers from agoraphobia, and is always something of an outsider, at home neither in Mexico nor in the U.S. He forms a close, though nonsexual, relationship with his secretary, Violet Brown. When he is under investigation, blacklisted for his Communist ties, Shepherd orders Brown to destroy the journals he has been keeping since he was a child, lest they fall into the wrong hands. But she defies his wishes and hides the journals instead. These journals, along with letters and newspaper clippings, comprise most of the novel.

I recommend The Lacuna to fans of historical fiction, strong, well-developed characters, and beautiful writing. It is a highly engaging and very moving story. It is Kingsolver’s most complex work, and, in my opinion, certainly one of her best. While sad, its ending (unlike that of The Magicians) is emotionally satisfying.

Currently Reading ... The Magicians

2010-01-23T10:58:00.000-06:00

I’ve read some great books in the last few weeks. And I’ve read some that I loved right up until the end, but wanted to throw across the room as soon as I read the last page.

Here’s a review of one of the throw-across-the-room ones:

The Magicians by Lev Grossman is an absorbing “What If” novel. Its premise--that magic is real and exists in this world alongside the non-magical--is, of course, reminiscent of Harry Potter. It also draws fondly on elements from other beloved children’s fantasies, including Narnia, Earthsea, and Middle-Earth. Lev Grossman’s characters, though, are not the innocent and noble kids of J. K. Rowling’s or C. S. Lewis’ worlds. They are young adults who deal with their issues by drinking excessively and having indiscriminate love affairs. Picture a promiscuous, passive Harry with baggage and a drinking problem.

What is interesting about The Magicians is that magic doesn’t fix everything. Sure, you can make things easy for yourself; money never has to be an issue; you can wield enormous clout … but with this ability comes a sort of existential angst. What do you do with all this power? What’s the point of life if everything is easy? Is anything worth struggling for?

This book is lots of fun to read; once I started it I didn’t want to put it down. It’s also thought-provoking; my husband read it too, and we discussed it for days. My main gripe with The Magicians is that Quentin Coldwater is such a wimpy, passive, self-absorbed main character. That’s fine, at first--because you believe he will change. He’ll eventually come into his own as a magician; he’ll discover something worth being passionate about. Basically, he’ll grow up. As I read, I expected character growth with every turn of the page. But, nope. Quentin doesn’t grow. He doesn’t change. He doesn’t learn a thing. He betrays the woman he loves with a casual fling, because he’s such a dope. You keep expecting their relationship to somehow be redeemed--but, nope. He does work very hard at one point to develop his skill as a magician, with the goal of somehow regaining the love he’s lost. Yes! Finally he’s doing something through his own effort; he’s working toward a goal! But he fails … and gives up. At the end of the book, Quentin’s former teenage crush reenters the picture, now a “hedge witch” (an untrained magician) herself. Probably they’ll get together now. But did this occur through any action of Quentin’s? Uh uh. Has he developed any strength of character, any determination, any moral principle that will make things work this time around? Sorry, but again the answer is no.

Maybe that’s Grossman’s point--that magic doesn’t solve everything. This is a literary novel, not a true fantasy, so it doesn’t have to follow the fantasy tropes and provide us with a neatly packaged happy ending. Okay. But I still feel gypped. It’s a great premise and a gripping story, but ultimately unsatisfying.

YA or MG Novel Contest on KidLit Blog

2010-01-03T09:28:00.000-06:00

Mary Kole, a literary agent with Andrea Brown, has a great new writing contest on her KidLit blog. You can submit the first 500 words of your completed middle grade or YA novel--and you have the opportunity to have a portion of your novel professionally critiqued! Here's the link with rules and directions for entering.