readergirlz

Cover Stories: Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

2012-02-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

Sarah Beth Durst has shared the Cover Stories for her novels Enchanted Ivy and Ice, and now she's here to tell her perspective on the scintillating cover of Drink, Slay, Love.

"Creating the cover for DRINK, SLAY, LOVE was a traumatic experience. The problem began when the vampire hired to pose as Pearl came to the photo shoot hungry. She drained three assistants before someone had the presence of mind to pass her the bottle of donated blood that you see on the cover. The photographer snapped shots of her as she sated the last of her hunger with the bottled blood. Though they'd originally planned for a panorama, he was forced to do a close-up due to the carnage that littered the studio behind her.

"Okay, that's not true. She only drank from two people and both survived..."

Read the rest of Sarah's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Diva Delight: Promise the Night

2012-01-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have a fresh work to recommend with one feisty protag, and it's an ADVENTURE! When was the last time you picked up an historical work of fiction and were taken away to Africa? Michaela MacColl's latest work Promise the Night delivers.

Based on the true life of Beryl Markham, readers are taken on a journey alongside this British girl being taught by Nandi warriors in the early 1900s. Eventually, Beryl is the first pilot to fly solo from England to North America. The tales that Michaela MacColl weave together convince you of the spunk needed for such a feat. Beryl faces down a warthog, leopard, lion, and ultimately an abusive governess. She survives a year of training to be a proper young lady in order to return and find her place among the British in Africa, alongside the Nandi.

With convincing characters and an awesome sweeping setting, you'll fly right alongside Beryl. And cheer!

Promise the Night
by Michaela MacColl
Chronicle Books, 2012

Rgz Host: Stephanie Reviews Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

2012-01-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

Our Seattle Host, Stephanie Guerra, teaches children’s literature, young adult fiction and a seminar in writing instruction at Seattle University. She also heads a volunteer creative writing program at King County Jail, and researches and speaks about literacy instruction for at-risk and incarcerated young adults. Stephanie lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and children. Her debut young adult novel, TORN, will be published by Marshall Cavendish in spring.

Stay tuned for Stephanie's reports of Seattle book events! Today, she shares a book review of Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber:

"Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick is not a 'girl' book—it’s definitely aimed a male audience, with the requisite high-adrenaline nonstop action and suave, funny protagonist. I’m reviewing it because I’m always interested in breaking down the barriers between 'girl' and 'guy' books. Sometimes that means finding titles that appeal to both sexes, and sometimes it means finding books that give us a glimpse into the collective psyche of the other side. This book does both—sort of.

"Sixteen-year-old Perry is an aspiring musician and a classic East Coast kid: urbane, witty, and intelligent. During his senior year of high school, his family hosts a Lithuanian exchange student, Gobija Zaksauskas. Contrary to Perry’s hopes, she’s far from a sultry Euro-model with a fetching pout; she’s nondescript, frumpy, and forgettable. When she asks that Perry take her to prom on the night of his band’s first-ever NYC gig, he refuses. But his father lays down the law, and Perry finds himself at his school with a bespectacled girl dressed in traditional peasant garb (think floor-length hand-stitched burlap) on the night when he should be shredding in NYC.

"At prom, a jerk makes a cruel comment about Gobi’s outfit, Perry defends her… and she finishes the job by delivering a world-class azz-whupping? Shortly afterward, she loses the burlap sack and magically transforms into a foxy babe with a rocking body (sadly hidden for so long under her bulky sweaters). Now it comes out that she’s no potato-fed peasant; she’s a 24-year-old secret agent, here to deliver justice to some nasty mob types.

"Oh, the surprises that those bulky-sweater-wearing girls can harbor. What follows is a tear-through-NYC adrenaline ride in which Gobi knocks off several of her targets, fights others, gets blood all over everything, and dances very sexily with Perry, who has been aiding, abetting, and resisting her by turns. I won’t spoil the ending for you, if you haven’t already guessed it.

"Joe Schreiber is a smart, funny guy and I found myself lingering over some of his hilarious, well-crafted, strangely poetic sentences. On a sentence level, the book is masterfully done. On a plot level… well, let’s say Schreiber knows how to dish up what guys like. But I think he’s selling them—and us—short.

"I was a lot more interested in Gobi when she showed up to prom in her peasant garb, which takes major cajones of a different kind than those required to kill people. I wanted to know that girl. Sadly, I lost her as she shrank into a one-dimensional stereotype. I don’t think any author or filmmaker is throwing women a bone by making female characters bad-ass a la Charlie’s Angels. Even toting guns and doing roundhouse kicks, they’re still just sexy things for men to look at. Real women rarely beat up and kill men while dressed like porn stars.

"I did appreciate that Schreiber made his protagonist kind and courteous; he didn’t make fun of Gobi when she was 'ugly,' and he defended her from others doing so. That’s worth something. But the device of librarian-takes-off-glasses-and-shapeless-dress is such a tired male fantasy that it undoes some of the good accomplished by a decent male protagonist.

"I’ll end my rant before it gets tiresome, if it isn’t already so. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick is a fast, fun ride and worth reading because of the excellent humor and strong word-smithing. But I’m holding out hope that Schreiber will turn his considerable talents to creating real female characters with depth, emotion, and intelligence. I would push the envelope a little further and request that they not always be 'hot,' but I think that would probably be going too far."

Cover Stories: Interview with Regina Roff

2012-01-26T05:56:00.000-08:00

Regina Roff designs book covers for Bloomsbury/Walker, and she was the one who created the final version of Lauren Baratz-Logstead's Little Women and Me (read that Cover Story from Lauren's POV).

Now Regina's here to share her side of that cover's story, and share a few other covers she's been working on (like that gorgeous one at left):

"When I came onto Little Women and Me, it was already started by another designer. It was one of the first books I worked on at Bloomsbury/Walker, so it was a really exciting project for me. The art director explained the story to me loosely and showed me a few of the original cover comps (like the one posted below, right). The team liked that direction but they also wanted to see some other options.

"So, I sat down and read the story, to get a feel for the tone, mood, etc of the novel. I was instantly transported into the world that Lauren Baratz-Logsted created! I wanted to capture the feeling of being from the outside looking in on this classic story of LITTLE WOMEN. At first, most of my cover comps were similar to what had already been tried: they featured images of girls reading, etc. Then I thought it'd be interesting to see the main character sort of 'spying' on the characters in LITTLE WOMEN. I had a few options where a girl pulled back a curtain on a scene of LITTLE WOMEN, but they didn't have the impact I was hoping for. After looking and looking for more 'spying' images, I ended up finding the image on the final cover, the girl popping through a piece of paper. That's where everything started coming together, with the original LITTLE WOMEN artwork and the modern girl coming through the page...."

Read the rest of this Cover Story, and see more of Regina's great designs, at melissacwalker.com.

Susan Lee: Artist, Filmmaker, All-Around Awesome

2012-01-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

Susan Lee is a busy, creative person wears a lot of hats. (That's probably why we get along.) As a playwright, a filmmaker, a screenwriter, a teacher, and a painter, Susan has made her mark in many different fields. I know she's made her mark on me as a director and as a friend.

I recently interviewed her at length about her new graphic novel and webseries - both based on Mastermind by Michael Patrick Sullivan - as well as other projects she has lined up.

I thought readergirlz would like what she had to say about strong characters:

"What motivates me is when a piece speaks to me. As a director, it's always the language first. If something isn't well-written, I won't do it. [...] So I always want something that's smart and intelligent. Something that has characters who are complicated and rich. Characters you want to spend not just two hours with but want to take them home and make them dinner and dig even deeper into them. It has to make me want to explore why the characters are the way they are."

- and why she finds being a teacher so delightful:

"What I love about working with kids is how open and vulnerable they are. They're not afraid to tell you what they think. And when they grab on to something, they hold on for dear life. My favorite part is when they have a breakthrough and they achieve something they never thought they could. And to have them step back from their drawing or their painting and have them gasp in wonder at what they've created, there is not enough money in the world to compete with that. They astound me with their ability to create and with their openness and access to their emotions. They make very single day at work a pleasure and so very worthwhile."

Read our full-length interview at Bildungsroman! Share the link and help get the word about Susan's works so she can get an awesome publishing deal for the Mastermind graphic novel!

Important links...

Life On Its Side Productions: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Mastermind: Website | Webseries on YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Susan's Blog: Diary of a Mid-Life Crisis

Cover Stories: Off Leash by Renee Pace

2012-01-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

Renee Pace's Off Leash was a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest, and she had control of the cover design, so she's here to talk about it:

"I knew I wanted a skinny teenage boy and a boxer dog for my cover. That was it. I also wanted it to have a nitty gritty feel. Those were my three outlines to my cover artist.

"When I saw the cover I was floored. She nailed it. I loved that the dog was looking back at the boy but the boy’s looking out at the reader.

"I didn’t want anything changed. It was like Angela Waters had read my mind and took the picture from my head to make my cover.

"We used stock photos only and I gather from my cover artists that securing teen photos is really hard..."

Read the rest of Renee's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

rgz Newsflash: Printz 2012

2012-01-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the winners. And thanks to the hard working committee!

Printz Award Winner, 2012

Where Things Come Back, by John Corey Whaley, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Honor Books

Why We Broke Up, written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman and published by Little, Brown and Company

The Returning, written by Christine Hinwood and published by Dial Books

Jasper Jones, written by Craig Silvey and published by Alfred A. Knopf

The Scorpio Races, written by Maggie Stiefvater and published by Scholastic Press

What are your thoughts, rgz? Anyone missing in your opinion?

Diva Delight: Vintage Veronica

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Veronica is a girl using her fashion sense as an employee in the local vintage thrift store. She's a girl with amazing confidence in choosing her clothing, but having been hurt in the past as an overweight child and now teen, she's doesn't have the same confidence in finding or choosing friends. Tempted to be drawn in by the "it" girls, Veronica may lose the first true friendship and romance she's ever had.

Author Erica S. Perl creates vivid characters who will pull you directly into their lives turning inside the Clothing Bonanza store The thrift shop is a character in itself. You will definitely wish you could shop there!

I raced through Vintage Veronica worrying about the protagonist's choices every step. Her strengths are admirable, her hesitations understandable, and her failures palpable. Veronica and her friends feel like your own friends by the last page. Find it, rgz. And don your own fifties skirt for the day!

Vintage Veronica
by Erica S. Perl
Knopf, 2010

Blogger Loses Everything in Fire

2012-01-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

Just read this post and wanted to pass it along in hopes that others would help:

Fellow Blogger loses everything...
January 21, 2012, Posted by Donna at 11:05 am

One of our fellow bloggers and dear friend Yara lost everything yesterday in a devastating house fire. She and her family are all safe, but they have lost everything.

If you want to help Yara and her family we suggest you do so through the Twilight Moms site. If you want to support Yara, please follow this link.

We totally trust that Lisa and the Twilight Moms will make sure every penny reaches Yara and her family. And every penny will help them rebuild the pieces of their world.

Sending positive thoughts your way, Yara!
~EFG Staff

To help and/or donate, please click here.

rgz Newsflash: Help Needed for School Libraries

2012-01-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

We recently got word from Beth Yoke, the executive director of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA):

We need your help! Carl Harvey, President of the American Association of School Librarians, has initiated a White House petition on school libraries, which specifically petitions the Obama administration to “ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program.” About 17,000 signatures are still needed in order for this petition at http://wh.gov/Wgd to be reviewed by White House staff. Please sign the petition and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to sign it by Feb. 4, 2012, and help us spread the word about it (if you send a Tweet, please use #saveschoollibraries). We really appreciate your support! To learn more about how you can support school libraries, visithttp://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslissues/toolkits/parentoutreach. Thanks for all that you do to open up the world of reading to young people.

Easy enough right? And how important are those school libraries? Mine was a haven in the midst of all things school. First, it was air conditioned! Very important in Miami. Second, it was quiet. Third, I knew exactly how to behave among the stacks of books waiting to be opened. Everything is clear and orderly in the world of school libraries. You find what you need. Help all young people to access the haven!

Watch for It: Sisters of Glass

2012-01-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

I'm a great fan of poet novelist Stephanie Hemphill. I've always recommended her work to rgz. So watch for this upcoming release titled Sisters of Glass. On the isle of Murano, two sisters, with different lives chosen for them by their father, negotiate to find their true calling and passion.

Maria, sworn to marry nobility, tries to turn from her love of glass and the newest glass blower in her family's business. Her older sister seeks to help Maria by sacrificing her own desires. The selflessness of two young women and their honest yearnings are beautifully woven in this upcoming verse novel. Watch for it!

One note: our own co-founder Dia Calhoun is the lettering artist for the cover. Seriously. :~)

Sisters of Glass
by Stephanie Hemphill
Knopf Books, March 27, 2012

Diva Delight: Don't Breathe a Word

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun partying it up with Holly as Don't Breathe a Word was released in style at Mockingbird Books in Seattle. So many friendly, familiar faces came together to congratulate Holly, who looked gorgeous in her third trimester!

If you haven't yet, grab a copy and read Joy's story. You'll race alongside of her as she runs through the streets of Seattle, trying to survive. Homelessness is portrayed with pointed honesty. You will be moved by Joy's desperate plight. Holly is a master at weaving the past and present through the work, creating beautiful tension and poignant reveals. Here's to a wonderful work which will touch and empower readers.

Brava, Holly!

Cover Stories: Life's a Witch by Brittany Geragotelis

2012-01-12T07:59:00.000-08:00

Brittany Geragotelis' novel is a YA retelling of the Salem Witch Trials, and it has been read like a bazillion times since being posted on wattpad.com. She's publishing the book herself (read a little about that) and she had a huge hand in the cover design, which is what she's on the blog to talk about.

Here's Brittany:

"I always knew that I didn't want the full face of my main character to be shown on the cover. As a reader and book reviewer, I understand how important a book cover is. The covers I'm most drawn to are ones which display a partial identity (Gossip Girl, I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You, etc). I think this is because it looks trendy and modern, while not giving away the whole look of your main character. I think this is important for the reader, because then they can really create the final look of the character in their own imaginations.

"I really wanted the character to have a very strong pose on the cover, too, so when I was looking for images, that was especially important to me. I always pictured my main character's hands on her hips, looking very super-hero-esque and strong; a pose that would convey to the reader that she's very powerful.

"Lastly, I wanted to find a picture that showed the character in an outfit that my main character would wear--and that had to include red pumps. In Life's a Witch, Hadley is obsessed with fashion and thinks that a great pair of heels is the answer to any situation. Her favorite color is red--which is very important to the storyline--so I knew I had to have that element in there, as well..."

Read the rest of Brittany's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Cover Stories: Little Women and Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

2012-01-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

Lauren Baratz-Logsted has been here before, sharing Cover Stories for The Twin's Daughter, The Sisters 8, The Education of Bet and Crazy Beautiful. Her latest novel is Little Women and Me, about a girl who gets trapped in Louisa May Alcott's classic novel and considers changing everything (Beth lives! Laurie ends up with Jo!). How fun does that sound?

Here's Lauren to discuss the cover:

"Sometimes, I have ideas for what my book covers should be and I get my wish. Sometimes I don't. But this time, I had absolutely no idea! How do you visually express the idea of someone getting sucked into a classic book or living inside it???

"Bloomsbury is very good about respectfully asking for input, but this time I truly had no ideas.

"The cover changed a lot! Originally, it was just a picture of a girl with a book open in front of her, like she's reading it. Across the front of the book, it had Little Women and Me in script. It was a pretty-enough cover but in no way did it express the plot of the book..."

Read the rest of Lauren's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Cover Stories: Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

2012-01-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

S.R. Johannes's Untraceable is out now -- it's a young adult wilderness thriller with a missing father, a kick-butt heroine, and, of course, two hot boys. S.R. and cover photographer Vania talked to me about how the cover came to be:

Shelli: I always had a cover in mind from when I first starting writing the book. Something about a girl hiding in the woods. But Vania made it come to life.

Vania: We wanted something that obscured the girl but yet it drew you in.

Shelli: We wanted to use a real life model. I think stock photos are great but to me – we wanted that feeling of being in the woods. Of Grace hiding, and I think Vania got that. There is nothing like an original artwork.

Vania: There’s something to be said for having something on your cover that is just yours. Plus this way we can control more of what the model looked like, where we shot, and what the shot looked like...

Read the rest of Shelli's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Rgz Salon: Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sharif, Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

2012-01-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Rgz SALON member Lyn Miller-Lachmann has been the Editor-in-Chief of MultiCultural Review; the author of the award-winning multicultural bibliography Our Family, Our Friends, Our World; the editor of Once Upon a Cuento, a collection of short stories by Latino authors; and most recently, the author of Gringolandia, a young adult novel about a refugee family living with the aftermath of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. The book has had multiple print runs and is available for order. (Don't forget to read the fascinating Cover Story for Gringolandia.)

We're honored to have Lyn here as part of the rgz SALON, a feature where top kidlit experts clue us in to the best YA novels they've read recently. Today, she reviews Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sharif (Flux):

"Now that she’s turning 16, Almira Abdul has pledged to observe the Muslim holy period of Ramadan—not a crumb of food or drop of water to pass through her lips from sunup to sundown for an entire month. She still remembers her humiliation the year before, when her very conservative grandfather noticed the cookie crumbs on her lips and berated her repeatedly in front of her entire family. This year, a number of other factors add to Almira’s stress level—her grandfather’s bullying of his daughter-in-law—her mother, to whom she is close—over how Almira is being raised, driving lessons from her grandfather, her attraction to a boy who her best friend also likes, and the arrival of another, far more beautiful Muslim girl who proves that looks and personality often do not go together. Over the course of the month, Almira discovers that her display of willpower is helping her lose unwanted pounds, but even that victory leads to unexpected complications for both romance and friendship.

"The author, of Kurdish and Muslim heritage, offers a portrayal that is both realistic and humorous. The experience of being caught between family rules and pressures on the one hand and the drama of peers on the other is one to which readers of all cultural backgrounds can relate. Sharif portrays a family that has become more assimilated with each generation and the difficulties of keeping everyone together and happy in such a situation. For the most part, the author gives Almira an authentic teenage voice, and she appears throughout the book as an enormously likable character who will keep readers cheering for her no matter what predicament she faces—or creates." -Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Happy Book Birthday, Janet Lee Carey!

2012-01-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

This is the week for diva releases! We give a great cheer for rgz co-founder Janet Lee Carey's Dragonswood! With two starred reviews, you are in for a treat. Janet is a master high fantasy author. I can't wait to read this work and attend the masquerade release party! I hope to have photos to share with you. In the meantime, find Dragonswood and fall into the world of dragons and fey. Congrats, dear Janet!

Dragonswood
by Janet Lee Carey
Dial, 2012

Happy Book Birthday, Holly Cupala!

2012-01-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

So happy to celebrate the release of Don't Breathe a Word with our beloved Holly Cupala! Watch this excellent video before you head over to the party. She's so comfortable in front of the camera, right?

We love you, Holly!

Three Cheers for Little Willow!

2012-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Three cheers for Little Willow (Allie Costa) in her great role in the webisode series Unintentionally Awesome! Check out all 3 episodes and tell her how awesome she is!

The plot is right up our alley at rgz. New girl at school tries to fit in. Little Willow manages to be besties with the Mean Girl and still be likeable. Seriously. :~)

Congrats, Allie! We heart you!

New Year Revolution: Give Something Away

2012-01-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

Just found this video thanks to John Green sharing it on Twitter. It brought Operation Teen Book Drop to mind, so I thought I'd share it.

Rosianna was inspired by the New Year Revolution to give something away. She selected four novels by John Green, wrapped them up with a pretty bow and topped them off with a personal note encouraging someone to pick up the books and read them.

Kudos to you, Rosianna! I hope the person who finds the books enjoys them - and I hope this post prompts you to come say hi at the readergirlz blog!

If you can't see the video above, click here.

Follow John Green on Twitter: @realjohngreen
Follow Rosianna on Twitter: @papertimelady
Watch Rosianna on YouTube: missxrojas

Gentle readers, what are your New Year's Resolutions? Are you going to make this a New Year Revolution a la the Channel 4 project? Like the Superchick song says, "I'm a one girl revolution." :)

Happy New Year - and New Books!

2012-01-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, readergirlz!

Do you have your eye on any books coming out in 2012? Share the titles in the comments section at the end of this post.

Here are some forthcoming books I can't wait to read...and a few I had the good fortune to read early!

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala (January release - available NOW!)
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour (coming in February)
Uglies: Shay's Story written by Scott Westerfeld and Devin Grayson, illustrations by Steven Cummings (February)
Bone: Quest for the Spark #2 by Tom Sniegoski and Jeff Smith (February)
The Secret Journeys of Jack London, Book Two: The Sea Wolves by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon (February)
Joe Golem and the Copper Girl by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola (February) and Joe Golem and the Drowning City by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola (March)
Out of Sight, Out of Time - Gallagher Girls #5 by Ally Carter (March)

That gets us through winter and early spring. There are plenty more where that came from, but I'll stop there so you can tell me what will soon be on YOUR bookshelves!

Also of note: This is our 2,000th post here at the readergirlz blog!

Favorite YA Novels of 2011

2011-12-31T21:13:00.000-08:00

What were your favorite YA books released in 2011? Let me know in the comments below! Here are a few of mine:

The Waking: Spirits of the Noh by Thomas Randall
The Fallen: End of Days by Thomas E. Sniegoski
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
Doggirl by Robin Brande
Red Glove by Holly Black (second volume in the Curse Workers series)
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best by Maria Padian
The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman
Stay by Deb Caletti
My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher

Want even more recommendations? Visit my blog, Bildungsroman, for my entire Best Books of 2011 booklist.

Come back to the readergirlz blog tomorrow to see what books I can't wait to read in 2012!

Diva Delight: How to Save a Life

2011-12-31T11:51:00.000-08:00

We love Sara Zarr! She's inside our Circle of Stars. And her latest release, How to Save a Life, is an excellent addition to her life work. You will agree the FIVE starred reviews are spot on.

From two perspectives, two stories are told as two girls find their identity following a crisis. Jill is recovering from the death of her father, while Mandy is pregnant, possibly by her abuser. The two find themselves in the same home as Jill's mother plans to adopt the forthcoming baby. How do you learn to trust when you never could before? Who are you following great loss, and can you ever return to who you were before? Side by side, Jill and Mandy's stories illuminate each other beautifully. Golden threads repeat from one voice into the other.

I was captivated by Mandy's asperger-like frankness, and Jill's journey through her anger. Each created such poignant, palpable moments of discomfort for the reader. This work is honest from page one.

Brava, Sara! We celebrate this story holding your voice so beautifully!

How to Save a Life
by Sara Zarr
Little Brown, 2011

Cover Stories: Hooked by Catherine Greenman

2011-12-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

Catherine Greenman's Hooked has a cover that gets right to the point. Here's Catherine to talk about her debut cover's creation:

"I didn't have a very clear idea about anything as I was writing Hooked. The writing process, at least for me, as it was my first time, was all-consuming and very mono-focused on the characters and what was happening within the story. Looking back now, I'm amazed at all the things outside of it that I didn't think about at all. For example, I wasn't fully aware that Hooked would be marketed as a young-adult novel. But I guess that's what happens when your protagonist is seventeen years old and speaking in the first person!

"I originally was picturing using an old looking photograph of a young girl standing on a beach in a crocheted bikini. This photo is a touchstone throughout the book that eventually inspires Thea, my protagonist, to design her own bikini line. I was very interested in the idea of what positive steps one can take when they're in crisis, and Thea taking the steps to conceive of and start a business was one of the positive things that came out of her difficult situation. So I thought the photo would be a good illustration of one of the themes of the book.

"A friend was kind enough to lend me her six-year-old daughter and we put her in this bikini (you can see this photo here). To me it illustrates one of the story lines of Hooked -- a photograph taken when Thea was very young inspired her to recreate a bikini she loved wearing as a child. Of course, she didn't just love the bikini, she loved what it represented -- an earlier, less troubled time in her life.

"When I first saw the cover, I worried that it was a little racy. It's a profile of a tee-shirted pregnant belly and half of the belly is exposed and her fly button is undone. So I did what a lot of first-time authors did: I sent it around to my friends to hear what they thought..."

Read the rest of Catherine's Cover Story on melissacwalker.com.

Cover Stories: Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

2011-12-29T09:55:00.000-08:00

The first book in Scott Tracey's Witch Eyes trilogy came out this fall, and he stopped by to share the Cover Story!

Here's Scott:

"When WITCH EYES sold, and I first knew that it was going to Flux, I was extremely excited.  Some of my favorite covers of the last few years have come out of Flux, so right off the bat, I was ecstatic.  There was panic, too, like 'what if my cover's the exception?' but we pretend that never happened.  You do that a lot as a writer.  Sweep things under the rug or lock them in the closet and pretend you can't hear them whimper.

"Anyway, when it came to the cover, in my head I'd always pictured something in lots of darks and purples.  Maybe an aerial shot overlooking a town at night, with all their house lights on and a boardwalk or a lighthouse or something.  Or maybe a pair of eyes in photo negative so they're all dark and moody. I think all this is the result of reading too many Dean Koontz and John Saul novels when I was a teenager.

"It had worked out that just before Brian (my editor at Flux) asked me for images from covers I liked, and images that 'fit' the book, I stumbled onto this picture.  It was a photo manip that someone had made, and posted on Tumblr.  A pair of large (possibly feminine - it was hard to tell) eyes, overlaid above an image of an old castle on fire.  I sent it along too, mostly because the idea of eyes overlooking something was fantastic - and perfect for my book..."

Read the rest of Scott's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Poetry Friday: Sonnet 130, read by Alan Rickman

2011-12-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

Oh, thank you dear, Miss Erin, for sharing this with me. What a Christmas gift! Happy Poetry Friday, everyone!

(Thanks to discosherpa for the original post!)

Alan Rickman reads Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask’d, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

Watch for It: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Girls of No Return

2011-12-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

We HEART Laini so much! And wow to her latest novel! Between multiple starred reviews and a movie sale, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a must to find. You must read it before it hits the big screen. Laini is as fresh are ever. All the divas are talking about this one. Congrats, Laini!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini Taylor
Little Brown Books, 2011

And here's a heads up sneak peek for February, 2012. Watch for The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin. Kirkus calls the work, "A smashing debut." I was intrigued and held in wonder and suspense from the first page. Be prepared for a journey into the wilderness and into self. Congratulations, Erin! Enjoy the moment!

The Girls of No Return
by Erin Saldin
Aurthur A. Levine Books, February, 2012

Cover Stories: Between by Jessica Warman

2011-12-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

Jessica Warman has some amazing covers, and her latest is no exception. Check out the Cover Story:

"It’s funny – I’m the most non-visual person I’ve ever met. Truly. My mom is an amazing realist painter, and while I can appreciate the beauty of her work, I just don’t find the visual arts nearly as engaging as I assume most people do. Same thing goes for great scenery, great decoration – anything visual. I see images of the Grand Canyon and am like, 'Yes, it’s beautiful, but… once I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it.' I can remember going to Niagara Falls as a kid and thinking, 'Okay, here we are, I’m looking at the waterfall… what now?' It’s very odd – at least I’m told that it’s odd by my friends and family. My point being: I can never really visualize what I want for a cover, because my mind sort of doesn’t work that way. I tend to think exclusively in a narrative. Weird, I know.

"My publisher didn’t ask for my input at first, but I was shown an early version of the cover VERY early on, and I absolutely loved it. I felt like it perfectly captured the tone and content of the book. I made it my background on my computer, and I’d look at it multiple times a day… which is saying a LOT, considering the fact that I’m pretty deficient when it comes to my appreciation of the visual arts!

"There was also the first version of the Egmont cover for the UK edition of the book (right) with the woman underwater with her hair and dress sort of suspended all around her. I tend to really trust people who do things professionally that I know nothing about – for instance, people who design book covers and know what sells – but I was a bit startled the first time I saw this version. For some reason it felt very 1970s to me, and I’m not exactly sure why..."

Read the rest of Jessica's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Little Willow's Book Bag

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

This Week's Picks
See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles (available in March 2012)
Sprinkles and Secrets by Lisa Schroeder

Cover Stories: Jessie ♥ NYC

2011-12-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

Keris Stainton was here last year to share the Cover Story for Della Says: OMG!, and now she's back with the tale of Jessie ♥ NYC!

Here's Keris:

"I didn't really think about the cover when I was writing the book -- I'd made a collage so I just pictured that... although it did have the Empire State Building smack bang in the middle!

"After I'd delivered the book I actually dreamed the cover and the title. I told my editor and she asked me to send over the details, so I made a few mock-ups and she loved them.

"The first version I saw was black and white (right) and then the next one was gold, but not as fabulously shiny as the finished product...

Read the rest of Keris's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Ryan Gosling Reads YA

2011-12-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

Last night, I stumbled upon a new Tumblr filled with references to YA books, combined with...Ryan Gosling. Yes, indeed. For what it's worth, I think he's a good actor. ⁽¹⁾ If this Tumblr gets people to read, I'm all for it!

So far, people have posted images recommending books written by Lauren Myracle, Libba Bray, Laini Taylor, Sarah Dessen, John Green, David Levithan, and more. There are also, of course, Twilight references, Harry Potter mentions, and other such things. I created this example, which references the fantastic novel Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron:⁽²⁾

The blog's administrator made this variation:

Reblog this, tweet this, popularize the Twitter hashtag #ryangoslingreadsya and pick up the books that these fun images are covertly recommending.

⁽¹⁾ Have you seen The Believer? If not, do!
⁽²⁾ I very much enjoyed the novel, and I hope the film does it justice.

Rgz Salon: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

2011-12-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

"YALSA recently announced its shortlist for the William Morris Award honoring the best debut YA novel of the year, and one of the finalists is Ruta Sepetys’s Between Shades of Gray. I agree with the accolade, as this is one of the most fascinating and challenging books that I’ve read in a long time. It recounts a little-known episode in the history of the Second World War, but one close to the author and her family. Her mother was able to escape Lithuania for the United States during the war. Other members of her mother’s family did not, and they became victims of Stalin’s brutality once Soviet forces overran the Baltic nations and eastern Poland in 1939—the same time that Hitler occupied western Poland and most of central Europe as a result of the non-aggression pact between these two despots. Sepetys uses their experience as the foundation of her stunning debut.

"Between Shades of Gray begins in June 1941, when Soviet forces control Lithuania but the threat of a Nazi invasion is growing. Fifteen-year-old Lina Vilkas, her 11-year-old brother, and their mother are deported from their comfortable home in Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city, first to a collective farm in southern Siberia and then to a barren work camp near the North Pole. They are three of several hundred thousand people from Soviet-occupied Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Poland sent to Siberia along with millions of others on the even of the Nazi invasion. They have been considered enemies of the state and potential Nazi collaborators because of their wealth and nationalist political views. Lina’s father has already been 'disappeared,' and the rest of the family searches for news of him among the other deportees. On the journey, Lina meets Andrius, a handsome and courageous boy two years older. They are later separated. She witnesses the death of her mother and countless others and finds an outlet for her fear and sorrow through her art, drawing the barren landscape that Sepetys so vividly describes.

"Sepetys’s fictional account reads like a memoir in the style of Esther Hautzig’s The Endless Steppe, which describes a Polish-Jewish family sent to Siberia under similar circumstances. In that sense, it doesn’t have a traditional story arc but rather is a chronicle of the protagonist’s first two years of a twelve-year captivity, with the 'climax' the arrival of a kindly Soviet doctor who treats the ailing internees, teaches them to cure and store fish so they will survive future winters, and helps them connect with an indigenous village nearby. Reflecting the real events, Sepetys leaves unresolved what happens to most of the characters, though she gives the reader a powerful surprise ending. Defying the 'political correctness' of much historical fiction, she also paints an authentic portrait of the Lithuanian characters’ culture and attitudes, including the subconscious anti-Semitism that explains their later collaboration with the Nazis in exterminating over 90 percent of the country’s Jewish population between 1941 and 1944. She does so not directly but through a complex, troubling, and ultimately convincing portrayal of the Bald Man, a Jewish deportee who joins Lina and her family at every stage of their terrible journey." -Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Congratulations, Siobhan Vivian!

2011-12-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

We give a celebratory shout out to Siobhan Vivian and her love Nick! As she said, "We got hitched!" This is the BEST wedding video ever. Take a look.

Congratulations, Siobhan! We heart you!

Rgz Salon: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, Reviewed by René Kirkpatrick

2011-12-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

René Kirkpatrick has been a bookseller and book buyer, specializing in children's and teen literature, for many years.She has a degree in elementary education and reads widely across all genres. She is currently a buyer at Third Place Books.

We're honored to have her here as part of the rgz SALON, a feature where four of the top kidlit experts clue us in to the best YA novels they've read recently. Here's René, discussing Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater.

"This was, hands down, the Children’s Book Department’s favorite book this year. How can you not keep reading when the first line in a book is, 'It is the first day of November, and so, today, someone will die'.

"On a small island wreathed in fog and mist, two people prepare to race their horses for a massive pot of money. Sean and Puck have very different reasons for wanting to win the race but they are both determined to do it, only Puck is the first girl to ever sign up, and she wants to race her pony, and Sean has never lost a race on his water horse. As the two of them begin to get to know each other, we learn more and more about the lives they live on the island and how they are all entwined with the water horses that come out of the icy sea searching for flesh.

"So deliciously fabulous, so atmospheric and romantic in all the definitions of the word, it is a book for breathing in and reading slowly. I read it in one long draught and carried it with me everywhere I went after I was done. It is a definite re-read and should be on every horse lover’s shelf. But, please, even if horses aren’t your favorite animal, pick it up and read it just so you can enjoy the way Maggie writes." 14 and up. $17.99. Scholastic.

Cover Stories: The Cold Awakening Series

2011-12-10T12:06:00.000-08:00

The amazing Robin Wasserman is back to share the story of the cover--and title!--changes for her latest trilogy. Here goes:

"The last time I got to pontificate on this blog, I talked about how much I loved the cover my publisher had come up with (true) and how much we’d struggled to come up with the right title for the book (also true), and then ended with this: 'My editor promised me that after a few weeks of looking at SKINNED on the cover, I wouldn’t be able to imagine the book being titled anything else. She was right.'

"As they say…famous last words.

"Because fast forward three years later, and these books are getting brand new covers. And brand new titles to go with them.

"And I couldn’t be happier.

"Not that I didn’t like the original look for the trilogy, but who doesn’t love a makeover? (You’re talking to a girl who spent all of high school convinced that if she whipped off her glasses and shook out her ponytail in just the right way, she might become homecoming queen.) (Didn’t happen.)

"My editor first contacted me about the repackage about a year and a half ago (which means before the third book in the trilogy even came out!), and as I had the first time around, I jumped at the chance to weigh in:

'I'm so excited about the idea for new covers for these books! I'm the first to admit that I'm visually/artistically challenged, to put it mildly, but since you kindly asked if I had any thoughts on the subject, I took a look around to see what jumped out at me, and actually, I found that everything I gravitated toward had a sort of similar look, so I'm sending them along to you, in case anything sparks your imagination. You'd mentioned you were thinking iconic, which I think is a cool idea -- and I'm wondering what you think about using the *body* as a object, so to speak (ie instead of a chair or an apple or whatever), since that really gets at the heart of the trilogy.

I'm not talking about headless girl parts, so much as something like this - or even this.

In a sort of similar vein.

"We were all agreed that we wanted to move away from the photographic look of the original covers and find some kind of object that would really capture the theme of the trilogy. My editor and designer weren’t sure my idea of using the human body would work, so they suggested we try to find objects the evoked the same feel. I loved the way they were approaching it:

"'We’ve been talking a lot about the ideas of frailty v strength, something beautiful masking something unnatural, rebirth, etc—all with an iconic approach.' ---my awesome editor

"They told me they were going to look around from some stock photos of things that might capture this frailty/strength, natural/artificial divide, like cracked eggshells, frozen flowers, and silhouetted fruit.

"Which I thought was a great idea…but not as great as the idea they sent over a couple weeks later..."

Read the rest of Robin's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

rgz Seattle Host: Katherine Schlick Noe

2011-12-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

"Hi girlz! Last night I went to a launch party for Katherine Schlick Noe’s debut novel, Something to Hold. I have never seen Secret Garden Bookshop so packed; it was literally wall-to-wall people. It was an emotional moment for me, because Katherine has been a loyal writing partner for years, and it’s wonderful to see her book in final form, and to see all the excitement surrounding her publication.

"Something to Hold is a lovingly told piece of historical fiction about eleven-year-old Kitty, a white girl who spends 1962 on Warm Springs Indian Reservation because of her father’s work as a forest manager. At first, Kitty feels alienated from the Indian kids, and longs for the security of an all-white school. But as she awakens to the richness of Native American culture, and sees firsthand the social injustices toward Native Americans, her feelings shift. When she befriends the girl that she feared the most, the change in Kitty fully takes root. As she learns to stand up for her beliefs, and discovers that 'belonging' is a something she carries in her own heart, she finally transcends her feelings of rootlessness.

"The book is drawn from Katherine’s life experience growing up on Indian reservations, and the voice and setting reflect that intimate knowledge. The language is poetic and evocative, and the imagery rich and varied. Katherine has a gift for conveying deep meaning in small, everyday objects: a piece of fruit, a leather bag. Her details bring time and place alive in a way that is both haunting and moving. While the book is classified as middle-grade, I think it “reads up” very well and should appeal to girls in the 7th –-9thgrades.

"Witnessing Katherine’s writing of this book has been one of the great lessons in my own writing life. Above all, I’ve learned from her the art of revision (please don’t miss her amazing post on the topic). Something to Hold began as a set of disconnected stories—pearls in their own right—not united by a central plot. It was fascinating to see Katherine weave a rock-solid narrative thread through her disparate shorts, a process which she likens to weaving a basket. It helped me understand both the commitment and flexibility required for effective revision, and also the very different processes that authors embrace as they bring their works to completion."

Our Seattle Host, Stephanie Guerra, teaches children’s literature, young adult fiction and a seminar in writing instruction at Seattle University. She also heads a volunteer creative writing program at King County Jail, and researches and speaks about literacy instruction for at-risk and incarcerated young adults. Stephanie lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and children. Her debut young adult novel, TORN, will be published by Marshall Cavendish in spring of 2012.

Poetry Friday: Christmas Troll, Gift Tag

2011-12-09T08:12:00.001-08:00

Hey rgz!

Did you see the holiday e-poetry collection, Gift Tag? It was compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. I'm so happy to be in this work with other poets who write for children and young adults. Each entry was motivated by an image. You might click and purchase the book for yourself and gift it to others for just $2.99. It's spot on for little ones and older readers. Gift Tag is full of holiday memories, thoughts, and wishes you'll want to read again and again. You will love it! As a teaser, here's my entry. Happy Poetry Friday!

Tucked Between Branches

A green puff swirls

Like angel hair

Golden eyes wink

Beside warm white lights

A round belly bulges

Like a plump ornament

My Christmas tree troll

Curls a smile

And reaches out to me

Lorie Ann Grover, 2011

Gift Tag

compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
poetrytagtime.com

Alanna Holt Speaks About Misrepresentation

2011-12-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

Dear Alanna Holt:

Three cheers for sharing your thoughts on how the media (mis)represents woman. We don't know you personally, but your YouTube video for the Miss Representation project was right on, to the point, and will hopefully go viral. Best of luck to you, Alanna!

If you can't see the video above, click here.

Rgz Salon: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Reviewed by René Kirkpatrick

2011-12-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a fabulous fantasy filled with demons and angels, starlight and hell. The story focuses on blue-haired art student Karou who runs mysterious errands for a person who may not be human while she tries to get through school. When black handprints begin to appear on door lintels around the city, she becomes swept up in a war between winged beings and the only family she’s ever known.

"A big, thick book that guarantees hours of riveted reading, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a great book for the teen (or older!) reader of fantasy. The story takes place in Prague and seems to be firmly anchored in the here and now with this other world just out of sight. I would read it again just to see what I missed the first time around." 14 and up. $18.99. Little Brown.

Rgz Street Team: Olivia reviews The President's Daughter series by Ellen Emerson White

2011-12-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.

Today, Olivia reviews The President's Daughter series by Ellen Emerson White, which has been a readergirlz featured series!

"Though the relationship between a famous mother and her teenage daughter seems to be a common theme in many young adult fiction novels, the President’s Daughter series by Ellen Emerson White provides a refreshing take on this situation.

"The four novels in the series focus on Meg Powers, who is a 16-year-old high school student in Massachusetts at the beginning of the first book. Meg’s relatively normal life is completely transformed after her senator mother successfully campaigns to become the next president of the United States, and Meg and her family move into the White House to begin their new life.

"But though some teenagers might embrace the fame that comes from being the president’s daughter, Meg resists the attention and has difficulty with the acclimation. And while Meg seems to admire her mother’s grace, she secretly takes issue with some of her mother’s decisions and desires a stronger connection with her.

"While the first two books of the series (The President’s Daughter and White House Autumn) are engaging, a more intense and gripping storyline develops in the third book (Long Live the Queen), when Meg is kidnapped and held hostage by terrorists. Meg’s relationship with her mother takes a riveting turn as Meg has to come to terms with the fact that her mother did not stray from her policy ('can not, have not, and will not negotiate with terrorists') even when her own daughter was kidnapped. The repercussions of this unexpected attack continue through the most recent and longest book, Long May She Reign, which follows Meg as a student at Williams College attempting to recover. Interestingly enough, the first few books in the series were published in the 1980s, while the last was published after an 18 year break in 2007.

"Though the plot lines themselves are enthralling, the series is taken to a new level by the impressive characterizations and the author’s ability to bring Meg’s situations to life, especially in some of the more dramatic moments of the serires. The character of Meg, witty and somewhat cynical, is a spirited heroine that pulls the reader in to her story. Meg’s supporting cast, including her younger brothers, friend Beth, and father, are also well-developed and help to add humor and background to Meg’s path in the novels.

"Perhaps most impressively, Emerson White was able to create a relatable story out of Meg’s unique situation. Though Meg could easily act spoiled, pompous, or distant from normal teenage issues as the daughter of the president, she is grounded and many of her experiences in high school are typical for a teenage girl. Her less common experiences, such as her kidnapping, remain believable as Meg responds to these situations in a way that most readers would likely envision themselves responding, and though she is the president’s daughter the author makes it very clear that she is a real girl with real feelings and reactions.

"The novels are also refreshingly unpredictable: the reader is unsure of how each novel will end, and is compelled to keep reading to find out. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys young adult fiction, and the last two books especially to those interested in psychology and post traumatic stress disorder."

Diva Delight: Dan Eldon, Safari as a Way of Life

2011-12-06T13:36:00.001-08:00

Do you know the story of Dan Eldon? His life and work as a photojournalist? Chronicle Books has released a collection of his imagery, collages, and pursuits in Jennifer New's Safari as a Way of Life. Here is a visual biography that will inspire your own journey.

Dying in the field at the age of 22 in Somalia, Dan Eldon's philanthropy, creativity, and robust life are caught in this collection. The above left spread is included in this work. (Further imagery can be found in The Journey is the Destination.)

Every page of Safari as a Way of Life is moving and inspiring. Whether it is Dan's photo in Newsweek, his record of starving Somalian children, or his homage to a recent love interest, the man's spirit and life are captured and shared. You cannot leaf through this work and leave unchanged.

Along with journal collages, postcards, an iron-on, a poster, and sticker in Safari as a Way of Life, Jennifer New has pieced together Dan's biography with her own words and others who knew him well. You can learn more about Dan at http://www.daneldon.org/site/ and daneldon.com

Do not miss this book, readergirlz. It embodies so much of what believe in our community. Read, reflect, and reach out!

Dan Eldon, Safari as a Way of Life
by Jennifer New
Chronicle Books, 2011

Rgz Salon: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai, Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

2011-12-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

"The novel begins during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year that also serves as the birthday for all Vietnamese people. This year, in 1975, Ha is ten years old, and even she perceives the concern among her family and neighbors that the next Tet will see cataclysmic changes. The government in Saigon is barely hanging on, and within months, the Communists gain control of the entire country. Ha’s father, a South Vietnamese Navy officer, has been missing for years, but his fellow officers urge Ha’s mother to flee the country with her four children—Ha and her three older brothers Quang, Vu, and Khoi. After weeks in a refugee camp, they find a sponsor in Alabama and move to their new home where they encounter language difficulties and prejudice. To gain acceptance and assistance, they have to be baptized as Christians and attend church, though Mother clings to the old ways in secret. Ha and her three brothers struggle, grow, and find ways to make a life in their new land, and by the next Tet, all have begun to find a direction.

"Loosely based on the author’s own immigration experience in 1975 at the age of nine, this novel is told in verse that reflects the protagonist’s grappling with an unfamiliar language. Because Vietnamese is a pictorial language, images play a strong role in the narrative—the papaya that Ha misses, other typical Vietnamese foods and their poorly-matched American counterparts, the chick that Khoi hatches and tries to bring with him, Vu’s motorcycle and karate moves that make him the most popular of Ha’s family, the bully that Ha calls Pink Boy. Many of the poems rely on sound—alliteration and onomatopoeia—to depict Ha’s first efforts to learn English. Her teacher is 'MiSSS SScott' and her tutor 'MiSSSisss WaSShington.' She thinks of her first two friends, Pam and Steven, as 'Pem' and 'SSsì-Ti-Vân.' Along with evoking the process by which a confused immigrant learns a new language, Lai gives all her characters—not only Ha but also her three brothers and her mother—distinct desires and personalities that make them memorable and compelling." -Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Rgz NYC HOST: Pajants Party at Books of Wonder!

2011-12-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

Have you been following the Twitterhood of the Butt-Lifting Pajants, readergirlz? (If you haven't, you can check out the thread on twitter, natch, using the hashtag #pajants.)

What are the pajants, you ask? A magical pair of pajama-jeans (as seen on tv!) traded and worn (and photographed and signed) by a staggering roster of YA authors, inspired by the titular mythical jeans of Ann Brashares' mega-popular book series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The pajants even have their very own Facebook page, where you can see participating authors modeling the magical garment in question.

Diva Melissa Walker took a turn with the pajants this past spring -- check out her Photo Friday documentation of her experience. And here she is today, at Books of Wonder in NYC, participating in a massive signing with tons of other pajants-sharing authors!

That's her sitting next to E. Lockhart, who dazzled the audience with a hilarious slideshow of the pajants' many travels and adventures. What you can't see in the picture is how insanely packed the event was with writers, readers, and bloggers. To accommodate the crowd, we all sat cross-legged on the floor, as folks like the inimitable Lauren Myracle held court.

I should live so large as these pajants, I tell you! The event was great, and I had a fab time seeing so many of my favorite authors and kid-lit people in one place! Also -- snacks!

The pajants will soon be auctioned off on behalf of Reading is Fundamental. Follow them on twitter to get all of the details!

The Make It Safe Project

2011-12-03T09:43:00.001-08:00

I just learned about The Make It Safe Project at Lee Wind's blog. I hope that you (yes, you, wonderful readers) will help support Amelia's efforts. Here's more about the project, as detailed at their website:

The Make It Safe Project donates books about sexual orientation and gender expression to schools and youth homeless shelters that lack the resources to keep their teens safe.

Giving: We donate books to K-12 schools, their Gay-Straight Alliances (a group that educates the school community about equality), and LGBT-inclusive youth homeless shelters nationwide. For information on how you can help give books or receive books for your school or shelter, please click here.

Support: If you are wondering what starting, leading, or joining a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) would be like, you can browse through stories written by teens who have been involved with GSAs here.

Advice: If you have experience starting, leading, or being in a GSA, you can anonymously submit a story about your experience here.

One book can save a life.

For every $100 raised, the Make It Safe Project sends a pack of GLBTQ books to a school or youth homeless shelter. The pack will include around ten of the books on the following list:

Fiction Books
Ash by Melinda Lo
Annie On My Mind by Nancy Gardener
Empress of the World by Sara Ryan
Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan
Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger
Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

Nonfiction Books
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller
GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel
Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge
Kicked Out edited by Sassafras Lowry
Like Me by Chely Wright
Let's Get This Straight: The Ultimate Handbook for Youth with LGBTQ Parents by Tina Fakhrid-Deen

If you are a student, teacher, parent, or principal at any K-12 school or a volunteer or client at a youth homeless shelter in the USA and your school or shelter is in need of books, please contact the Make It Safe Project.

rgz Newsflash: Win a Kindle!

2011-12-02T15:17:00.001-08:00

This just in from our beloved iheartdaily.

"We've teamed up with our fine friends at Figment for the Books of 2011 Contest where you have a chance to win a Kindle loaded with each of our five favorite books of the year -- that's 10 books!

Here is your mission, if you wish to accept it: Write a review of your favorite book published in 2011. Submit your entry by December 16 at 11:59 p.m ET. Help choose the top 10 finalists by voting for your favorite entries. The finalists will be read and judged by I Heart Daily's very own Melissa Walker, author of Small Town Sinners and four other young-adult novels.

How to enter:
1. Read the full rules here
2. Sign up for Figment
3. Write a review of your favorite book published in 2011, of no more than 300 words, and press “Publish Now"
4. In the details tab, tag your story iheartdailybooks
5. Wait the 2 hours it sometimes takes to see your piece appear below"

How perfect is that, readergirlz? Get those submissions in. Happy holidays!

Saturday at Books of Wonder in NYC... The Pajants!

2011-11-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Had to let you guys know that there's going to be this amazing Pajants reading at Books of Wonder on Saturday, December 3rd, from 3-5 PM. Seriously, this lineup rules. Come if you can!

The pajants, as you may have heard, have been worn all over the world... and even on the famous legs of one Ms. Tyra Banks (who signed right between me and E. Lockhart--exciting!):

Remember my Pajants adventures? Oh, the places they've gone! Remember my Tyra adventures? Full circle, people.

Check out the full Pajants saga on Facebook.

Cover Stories: Swear by Nina Malkin

2011-11-28T07:18:00.000-08:00

Back in 2009, Nina Malkin talked to me about the gorgeous cover for Swoon, and now the sequel is here with another enticing cover image.

Here's Nina:

"Writing is intensely present for me. With SWEAR I was so in the moment of the action and emotion as it unfurled, no way was I thinking about the cover. I was lucky if I thought about lunch. Besides, it’s such a privilege to be able to publish, I trust the pros at Simon & Schuster to do what they think is best for a book, and that includes the cover. After all, once you deliver a novel it’s no longer this magical collaboration between your conscious and your subconscious—it’s a product.

"Of course, I didn’t always have such a laissez-faire attitude. My first novel, 6X: The Uncensored Confessions, was about a band. Unbeknownst to me the publisher did an expensive photo shoot—too bad the girl on the cover looked more like a cheap hooker than rock chick (right). I threw some major hissy but got nowhere. And if I thought that cover sucked, the next one was worse. That’s when I realized the novels weren’t 'mine' anymore; I had to let them go..."

Read the rest of Nina's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

rgz Newsflash: Anne McCaffrey Passes

2011-11-23T18:19:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Jane Yolen for the facebook note. My heart is so sad to know the collected body of work by Anne McCaffrey is now complete. We will treasure the volumes. Our love to her family. Here are the words of her passing from her son, Todd:

This is how Todd MCCaffrey told of his mother's death. A lovely farewell: At about 5 p.m. Monday November 21st, 2011, Anne McCaffrey passed away. Mum was getting ready to go back to the hospital because she was feeling "puny" and collapsed while she was moving into her wheelchair. Her daughter, Georgeanne Kennedy, and son-in-law, Geoffrey Kennedy were with her. She was in no pain and it was over in an instant. She first had a heart attack in late 2000 and a stroke in 2001, so we were well-prepared and knew that we were on "golden time" with Mum these past ten years and more. She leaves behind an incredible legacy of marvelous books and a huge legion of fans. She won practically every major award in available to authors of science fiction and fantasy, including both Hugo and Nebula Awards, the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards award for Lifetime Literary achievement in Young Adult fiction, was an inductee into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, and was a SFWA Nebula Grandmaster. She was also a great cook, magnificent mother, doting grandmother, ardent quilter, knitter, bridge player, horsewoman, fencer, actress, singer, and all-around nice person. We are blessed to have known her, just as we are blessed with the knowledge that she has touched so many lives and made such huge changes in them. Mum always said, "Don't just pay back a favor -- pass it on!" In light of that spirit, we ask that, instead of condolences or flowers, that commemorators make a donation to their favorite charity. We know that we haven't lost Mum -- that she has truly passed on her legacy of love and honor to all those who were touched by her -- and that we have only to open one of her books to find her again. Rest well, Mum, you've earned it!

Cover Stories: You Are My Only by Beth Kephart

2011-11-23T07:12:00.000-08:00

Beth Kephart has shared many Cover Stories in this space--for Undercover and House of Dance, for Nothing But Ghosts and for The Heart is Not a Size. Her latest novel is high in my pile, and it should be in yours too! I dare you to read a Beth Kephart book and not sigh at the beauty of her words. She's truly a poet (check out her blog for proof).

Here's Beth talking about the cover of her new novel, You Are My Only:

"For many months I have wondered just how I would write this cover story. In some ways, I still don’t know quite what to say.

"Should I start with the title, You Are My Only, which sets the mood? And if I start with the title, then aren’t I really starting (or shouldn’t I start) by thanking my agent, Amy Rennert, and her colleague, Robyn Russell, who helped me toward knowing what the title must be during a week of grave uncertainty?

"You Are My Only, then—a title that I was helped toward. Words that struck me once, and strike me again today, as singular and brave.

"To create the image, we turned, of course, to Neil Swaab, who had designed the gorgeous cover for Dangerous Neighbors [read that Cover Story on bn.com], and who seems to get books the moment he reads them—seems to settle on that symbol or scene that obsessed the writer or, in this case, kept the writer going. Both of my protagonists—Sophie and Emmy—are caught inside worlds, trapped in places they should not be. Both look out through windows on people and places just out of reach. What might symbolize that? What single image might tell the story of two young women separated by time and place and hurt?"

Read the rest of Beth's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Cover Stories: Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi

2011-11-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

Hi, look at that cover. The title alone intrigued me enough to want to red Jen Violi's debut, but that cover? I love it!

Jen's here to share the Cover Story:

"I did indeed have my own cover idea, and revealing that will also reveal why I’m a writer and not a designer.

"So, when I was little, my parents had quite a record collection, and I loved listening to so many of them, from The King and I soundtrack to Vicki Carr or Frank Sinatra or, my absolute favorite: Aunt Carmela’s Italian Favorites. So many gems on there, my favorites from Lou Monte. And the cover, priceless. Which of course I have to show you here. Please note the fabulousness of Aunt Carmela, right.

"Believe it or not, as I was writing Putting Makeup on Dead People, I had a distinct vision for the cover to feature Aunt Carmela. As an enlivened corpse. Basically, my vision involved Aunt Carmela, sitting much like she is on the chaise lounge on the album cover, but instead, on a coroner’s metal slab, with a white sheet draped over her body, sitting up and grinning out at us. Why, one might wonder, would I think that was a good idea?"

Read the rest of Jen's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Little Willow's Book Bag

2011-11-19T07:13:00.000-08:00

This Week's Picks
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
Waking Nightmares by Christopher Golden

rgz Newsflash: Congratulations, Thanhha!

2011-11-17T10:42:00.001-08:00

The 2011 National Book Award Winners

Young People's Literature

Thanhha Lai

Inside Out & Back Again

(Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)

Little Willow's Book Bag

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

This Week's Book Bag
Every You, Every Me by David Levithan, photographs by Jonathan Farmer
It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder
Scott Pilgrim, Volume #5: Scott Pilgrim vs The Universe by Bryan Lee O'Malley

rgz Seattle HOST: Stephanie Guerra and Stages on Pages!

2011-11-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here's another entry from our Seattle HOST, Stephanie Guerra! Her debut young adult novel, TORN, will be published by Marshall Cavendish in spring of 2012.

A couple of nights ago, I visited Secret Garden Books to see Stages on Pages, a book tour comprised of YA authors who hail from various backgrounds in the performing arts. The tour will stop at cities along both coasts, with changes in the author line-up depending on location. For more information on who will be where and when, go here.

The gathering at Secret Garden opened with a gorgeous violin performance by Jessica Martinez, and moved quickly to author readings. It was a treat to hear the authors (pictured below) read their own work, and I got a good sense of each of their strengths.

Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe is a stunning novel in verse about Sara, a ballerina struggling with the intense pressures of her art. Kehoe’s writing is lyrical and elegant, with strong images that resonate with emotional truth. This is verse at its most accessible, meant for lovers of poetry and prose alike.

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez is the story of Carmen, a teenage violin prodigy who falls in love with her greatest competitor. Martinez is a master wordsmith. Her descriptions are simple but evocative, and I felt the depth and complexity of Carmen’s relationship to music in the first few pages of the book.

Amplified by Tara Kelly has got me excited about voice. Kelly has a pitch-perfect ear for dialogue, and she’s nailed the voice of a young female guitarist who pursues a future with a rock band instead of going to college. When she finished the reading, I was convinced I’d heard the living character speak to me.

Second Fiddle by Roseanne Parry is set in Berlin just before the Wall came down. It has a blockbuster plot and a great hook: When thirteen-year-old Jody and her friends witness the attempted murder of a Soviet officer, they save his life and attempt to protect him by disguising him as their music instructor.

Adios Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft is one of those books that grabs you by the throat and gives you a dose of gritty truth. Unflinching and honest, it is the story of a talented boy wrestling with an accomplished twin, his own musical future, and an instructor he’d rather not have. The voice is pure teen male: curses, crudity, and general bravado concealing a good heart and passion for music.

Jewel and the Key by Louise Spiegler is a jewel-box of a book, with lovely descriptions of old-time theater. In this historical fantasy, a time travel device shuttles the heroine between 1917 and the present. In both periods, she is drawn to Seattle’s grand Jewel Theater, where she must come to terms with the realities of war, past and present.

The Beckoning of Lovely Film

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Amy Krause Rosenthal describes herself as "a person who likes to make things." She is an author, a filmmaker, and more. She also brings people together - literally - with her work. Here's the trailer for her feature film, The Beckoning of Lovely 11/11/11, and a little more about the project in her own words:

The Beckoning of Lovely began with a spontaneous public gathering on 08/08/08 at "The Bean" sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park. 2 subsequent videos took place on 09/09/09 and 10/10/10... On November 11th, 2011 the feature film The Beckoning of Lovely 11/11/11 will be released and made globally available for viewing on YouTube... This final film — like the whole project itself — is interactive and rooted in human connection.

Watch the full-length film and learn more about the project at http://www.TheBeckoningOfLovely.com

Check out the FAQ at Google Docs and click through the slideshow to watch all of the trailers and check out the movie poster!

rgz Shout Out: Charmed by Chris Van Allsburg

2011-11-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful time with Chris Van Allsburg! He's such a dear. Divas Martha, Dia, Justina, and I met at The Bookstore Bar in Seattle and talked all things Harris Burdick. Imagine 13 authors writing short stories to drawings you created 25 years prior: M.T. Anderson, Stephen King, Kate Dicamillo, and our own Cory Doctorow included.

Based on the picture book the Mysteries of Harris Burdick, The Chronicles of Harris Burdick elaborates on the beloved illustrations so mysteriously left behind by Harris long ago.

Personally, Sherman Alexis' short story startled me most. Where did it come from, Sherman? Shivery brilliance!

Chatting with Chris, we learned that the imagery has never looked better. The darks and lights are deeper and more vibrant due to the paper in this edition.

We wish Chris the best as he continues his tour. Safe travels and joy in your new studio, Chris. May the light be glorious as you work on your next book. We'll be waiting!

Oh, and be sure to check out the story writing contest at Chris' blog!

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
by Chris Van Allsburg and 13 contributors
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade, 2011

rgz Newsflash: Arthur A. Levine

2011-11-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

A definite perk to the business is getting to hang out with editors and authors made of awesome. Last night I attended Plot for Tots orchestrated by former rgz team member, Sara Easterly. Imagine a toddler mosh pit, an amazing musician, and authors reading board and picture books with proceeds going to charity Page Ahead. Sweet!

What an honor to be included in the awesome lineup along with one of the industry's most charming editor/authors, Arthur A. Levine. Are those not the cutest glasses he wears?

While I read Hug Hug! and Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish, he read Monday is One Day. Watch for my review of his picture book on Friday at readertotz!

Do I need say, here is the U.S. editor for the Harry Potter series? *squeeeeeee* Ah, good times!

Stronger Stories

2011-11-06T11:22:00.001-08:00

Lorie Ann Grover and I have often included songs by Kelly Clarkson on our rgz playlists. We're both really digging Kelly's new album, Stronger.

While listening to the album, I dropped by Kelly's website and discovered this awesome forum for Stronger Stories, which simply asks: "What has made you stronger?" and encourages people to share their stories of strength.

We here at rgz encourage you to do the same, be it here at this blog, there at Stronger Stories, in an important in-person discussion with your family or friends, or simply in your personal diary or journal. You are all strong, each and every one of you reading this blog, and we salute your strength.

Cover Stories: Tantalize, Kieren’s Story

2011-11-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

Cynthia Leitich Smith is a huge supporter of the YA writing community who truly rocks. I recently wrote a guest post for her awesome blog, Cynsations, about writing "true" vs. "likeable" characters. She also happens to be the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling author of the Tantalize series: ETERNAL, TANTALIZE, and BLESSED, Gothic fantasies from Candlewick. TANTALIZE: KIEREN’S STORY, illustrated by Ming Doyle, is a graphic edition in which Cynthia re-envisions her dark fantasy through Wolfish eyes. How cool is that?

Here's Cynthia with the Cover Story for TANTALIZE: KIEREN’S STORY:

"I anticipated that the cover would nod overtly to Kieren’s identity as a human werewolf-hybrid. We often see this with books that involve a shape-shifter protagonist. I tend to prefer those in which it’s more subtle, like Vivian’s wolf shadow on the original cover of Annette Curtis Klause’s Blood and Chocolate (right).

"Usually in shifter books, the transformation is a powerful moment in the story, and as a reader I prefer to experience that in my imagination rather than to be offered a visual up front. However, in my story, because Kieren is a hybrid (and has some issues with that), he doesn’t shapeshift as easily or completely as, say, his mother who has no known homo sapiens heritage.

"I was wary of the idea that the cover might suggest that Kieren would go full Wolf and managing that more delineated duality would be the book’s focus. The story is more of a murder mystery with strong romantic elements than a straight-up creature feature, though certainly creatures abound.

"My first thought when I saw the cover was, He’s a boy. Definitely a boy..."

Read the rest of Cynthia's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

PS-Read the original Cover Stories for Eternal and Blessed.

Cover Stories: Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

2011-11-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Nancy Werlin has some decidedly gorgeous covers. Her hardcover for Extraordinary enchanted me at first glance, and the paperback is striking, too. Nancy's here to tell the tale of these two covers:

"Previously, on the hardcover of Extraordinary . . .

"The cover story for the paperback U.S. edition of Extraordinary begins with a quick look back at the book’s hardback cover story.

"The final cover (left) depicted a scene from the book: a red-haired girl – my main character, Phoebe – running in high heels into a lushly green wood. There were many exclamations about how pretty it was. It also matched the cover for my previous novel, Impossible. I liked it!

"But I concluded that cover story by saying, “No matter how beautiful and loved a cover may be, the jury on it remains uncommitted until the book has been in the world for a while … the author hopes that the cover will be magical, attracting all the right readers, and as few as possible of the wrong ones, to what really matters: what’s inside the cover.

"Suddenly, totally different paperback cover(s)!

"Months later, my publisher, Penguin/Puffin, sent me an email with their new concept for the paperback covers. Yes, covers, plural. When you open the front cover, you see a two-page spread called the 'step-back cover.” Look at the right side of the front cover and you’ll see the hint of a second set of lips, and another nose.

"I was surprised. The folks at Puffin hadn’t told me they were rethinking things for the paperback. The email said: 'We all think that these images really capture the two girls (and the dynamic between them) perfectly.'

"I opened the attachments in terror..."

Read the rest of Nancy's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Little Willow's Book Bag

2011-10-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

This Week's Picks
Teen Boat! by Dave Roman and John Green
What Boys Really Want by Pete Hautman
First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci

Little Willow's Book Bag

2011-10-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

For Teens
Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala (coming out January 2012)

For Kids
Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinksky

Non-Fiction Pick
Geek Girls Unite: Why Fangirls, Bookworms, Indie Chicks, and Other Misfits Will Inherit the Earth by Leslie Simon

Poetry Friday: "A Fond Farewell" by Christie Waldon

2011-10-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and my dear friend Christie, I'm reposting her poem she wrote the night before her bilateral mastectomy earlier this week. Here's to all the ladies experiencing breast cancer. Share your love and support, rgz!

A Fond Farewell

At twelve you embarrassed me. I wanted to wish you away.

(I had grown up with brothers, after all, and wanted to go shirtless forever!)

But that was before.

Before I knew how fun it was to actually fill a bikini top. :-)

Before I knew how fun it was to bra shop. (NOT!)

Before I knew that when a woman sets out to lose weight, it usually starts with the boobs.

Before I was married.

Before I knew what it meant to be blessed with a body part that could actually sustain life.

Before I knew that someday I'd lose you.

And so, on this mastectomy eve, I will say "Thank You."
Thank you for appearing out of nowhere that summer before 6th grade.
Thank you for holding up my strapless wedding dress.

Thank you for faithfully producing life-sustaining, fat-roly-thigh nourishment to my three precious babies.

Thank you for pointing the way all these years. (Hahaha, I crack me up!))

Most recently, thank you for showing me what gravity actually looks like.

Thank you.
Though you never defined me, you did accent me.

I will miss you.

rgz Seattle HOST: The Pen Fatale Tour

2011-10-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Here's another entry from our Seattle HOST, Stephanie Guerra! Her debut young adult novel, TORN, will be published by Marshall Cavendish in spring of 2012.

Hi girlz!

The Pen Fatale tour stopped in Seattle and I enjoyed a fun night at Third Place Books with Mary Pearson (The Fox Inheritance), Gabrielle Zevin (All These Things I’ve Done), Alyson Noel (Dreamland) and Jessica Brody (My Life Undecided).

My camera decided to die just as the ladies started speaking, so I don’t have any pictures to share, but check out these lovely book covers, instead.

I love hearing authors describe the conception of their stories, and the round-up was particularly fun this time:

Jessica Brody admitted (shame-facedly) that she was watching The Hills when she came up with the idea for My Life Undecided. She became so irritated with The Hills characters for their poor decision making that she thought the audience should be able to vote on their choices. She decided to build a story around the idea, in which her indecisive main character blogs about her life and agrees to make decisions based on an audience vote. Fun premise! And Brody has actually put it into action, on her website, www.mylifeundecided.com, where members can anonymously post questions for a group vote.

Gabrielle Zevin found the inspiration for her story in 2008, when the economy was taking a nosedive. On a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a ticket seller told her, “You should give more than the suggested contribution, because we might go under any day now.” This made Gabrielle wonder what the future might look like if the arts and libraries were no longer funded, and if each year things got a little worse instead of a little better. Then she threw in a mob family, and some laws against chocolate, and All These Things I’ve Done was born.

Mary Pearson’s conception story is moving and thought-provoking. When her daughter was diagnosed with a “good” kind of cancer, for which treatment was effective, Mary wondered: what if her daughter had been born fifty years ago, when the treatment didn’t exist? And what kind of medical technologies might be possible fifty years in the future? She began to research, and found that futurists are predicting computers advanced enough to scan and upload human minds, which became the seminal idea for The Fox Inheritance.

Alyson Noel told a story I think many authors can relate to. She found herself so drawn to Riley, a character in her Immortals series, that she had to develop a spin-off series around her. Riley kept popping up in The Immortals wearing crazy outfits, speaking funny lines, and Alyson found herself giving a secondary character more time and attention than she’d expected. She said it was very difficult to remove Riley from the story, and at that point, she knew she’d have to give Riley her own story to tell.

And finally, here’s what you can look forward to from these wonderful authors:

Jessica Brody’s next book, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, will be coming out next year. She assured us she does not hate her father, like the spoiled heiress in this book, whose father delays her inheritance and insists that she work a different low-wage job each week for a year. She also has a fantasy trilogy in the works.

Alyson Noel will continue the Riley Bloom series, and she gave us some exciting insights into Whisper, in which Riley goes to Ancient Rome and becomes enchanted with the excess and glamour of the time. Apparently there’s a fight with a Gladiator ghost! Good stuff.

Gabrielle Zevin is working on a sequel to All These Things I’ve Done. It continues the story of the futuristic organized crime family, and it takes place in Mexico, where chocolate is legal. I love that Gabrielle is exploring what it’s like to be a girl in a family/social structure that typically disenfranchises women. As she put it, “When women try to claim any power in the Mob, they get slapped around.” I’m glad somebody is talking back to that.

Mary Pearson is working on the third and final installment in the Fox Trilogy, tentatively titled Fox Forever. She said any more info than that would be a spoiler. Whatever it is, I know we're all looking forward to it.

rgz Newsflash: Shine Removed?

2011-10-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

I came home from the library today, totally happy to have found Shine on the shelf. I was excited to read Lauren Myracle's new work, knowing it was going to be intense and profound. Knowing it was nominated for the National Book Award. And then Little Willow pointed me to Libba Bray's blog.

The Foundation asked Lauren to recuse herself from the finalists as her nomination was an error. Graciously, Lauren did so. We applaud her integrity and send our loving support.

For me personally, Lauren is still on the list. No doubt.

Happy Teen Read Week!

2011-10-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hey readergirlz!

We wish you all great reading as we celebrate YALSA's Teen Read Week! "Picture it @ your library" is this year's theme. In keeping with that, we recommend p*tag, the first YA poetry e-reader collection. With 31 poems inspired by 31 images, this work is a perfect fit for this year's TRW.

So check it out. Support a poet. And take a stab at writing to the images yourself.

Oh, and did you see the Teens' Top 10? What do you think?

Happy Teen Read Week!

rgz Shout Out: You Go, Demi Lovato!

2011-10-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Last month, we posted about Demi Lovato's grateful and encouraging statements as she thanked her fans for supporting her through her recovery. Then we watched her appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, where she was very candid about her struggle with eating disorders and with cutting.

Sometimes, the truth can be the hardest thing to admit - but it's the most important. If you find yourself in an unhealthy situtation, don't be afraid to reach out for help. The people who truly love you will be there for you, no matter what, and they can help out. If you are hurting in any way, reach out to someone you trust and take the first step towards a brighter tomorrow.

If you don't see the video below, click here to watch it on YouTube.

Poetry Friday: To Be Heard, Best Documentary, NYT

2011-10-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

How perfect is this for Poetry Friday? Woot!

So much to say about this documentary To Be Heard. Justina Chen and I were privileged to be asked to screen the film and offer comments awhile back. It was a blast and very much like critiquing a novel. We felt at home with the producers and other guests as we dissected and discussed the early work.

The film was completed and eventually, we were guests at the Seattle Film Festival where the documentary ended up sweeping the awards. As the above poster shows, it's done the same in many cities. Here I am with Pearl, one of the three featured poets in the documentary. She's a resilient powerhouse!

And now The New York Time s just named To Be Heard the best documentary of the year!

"Ultimately, though, the intimacy of the portraiture is so raw that it transcends sociology. These students — Anthony Pittman, Pearl Quick and Karina Sanchez — are three of the most authentic and complex young adults you’ll find in any film this year. And each is a genuinely great writer: technically accomplished and emotionally overwhelming. They aren’t just the subjects of “To Be Heard.” They’re its stars."

To Be Heard will be playing in New York City from 10/12 through 10/18 at the IFC theater and in Beverly Hills from 11/4 through 11/10 at the Laemmle Music Hall theater. If you are nearby, GO!

rgz Circle of Stars: Trailer for You Are My Only

2011-10-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

So happy to share our former rgz Author in Residence Beth Kephart's new trailer for her next novel. My review for You Are My Only ran here. Don't miss this book when it releases at the end of the month. Don't-miss-it.

rgz Newsflash: National Book Award Finalists!

2011-10-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

Franny Billingsley, Chime
(Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, Inc. )
Debby Dahl Edwardson, My Name Is Not Easy
(Marshall Cavendish)
Thanhha Lai, Inside Out and Back Again
(Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)
Albert Marrin, Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy
(Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books)
Lauren Myracle, Shine
(Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS)
Gary D. Schmidt, Okay for Now
(Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Young People’s Literature Judges: Marc Aronson (Panel Chair), Ann Brashares, Matt de la Peña, Nikki Grimes, Will Weaver

Hot off the National Book Award site. Congrats, authors and thanks to the judges! Well done!

Cover Stories: Wintering Well by Lea Wait

2011-10-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

When I went up to the Albany Children's Book Festival in the spring, I sat next to Lea Wait (yay for alphabetical order!) and we got to talking about one of the books she had on her table, Wintering Well. Of course, we got into Cover talk, and I heard the amazing story behind this book's two covers. And now Lea's here to share it:

"I’ve usually had a good relationship with my editors at McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster) regarding covers. Discussion for the cover of Wintering Well started innocently enough, when I asked whether the artist who had done the artwork for my previous two historical for McElderry would also be doing the cover of Wintering Well. I was told that, no, a digital photograph would be used this time instead of original art. When I pressed the issue (I really liked the artist’s work, and thought all my covers should have the same look) I was told Barnes & Noble wanted all middle reader books to have digital photo covers, so if I wanted my book to be in B&N, that’s the way it would be.

"O – KAY! My editor then asked what the main character in my book, Will, looked like. I described him as I did in the book. It was 1819; he worked on a Maine farm; he wore a smock over long trousers, had sun-bleached hair and blue eyes. She hired a young model, clothed him appropriately, and I thought the result was a great cover (above left), even if it was a photo and not a painting.

"Shortly after the book was published I got an email from the mother of the model. She wanted to tell me that her son, Sasha, was modeling to save for college. She also thought I’d like to know he’d been adopted from Russia as an older child, since she’d read in my bio that I’d adopted four older children. I was delighted to know, and added Sasha’s story when I was asked about the boy on the cover – as I frequently was.

"Eighteen months later, Wintering Well was published again, this time in paperback. My other books had made this journey before, and their covers had traveled with them: the same cover appeared on the paperback as on hardcover.

"So I took a very deep breath when I opened an envelope with an advance copy of the paperback edition of Wintering Well and came face-to-face, not with Sasha, but with a boy I’d never seen before..."

Read the rest of Lea's Cover Story on melissacwalker.com.

rgz Newsflash: Courageous Creativity

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

I was graciously invited to contribute to Flying Chickadee's zine, Courageous Creativity, in the month of October. In their words:

"Through this zine we present stories of courage and creativity sourced from people like you and me, living, working, being courageously creative and changing themselves and others in our community. Our writers come from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life - they are small business owners, state employees, corporate CEOs, non-profit founders and volunteers, professionals, scientists, sociologists, artists, activists, mothers and fathers, and friends."

The editor was kind to inquire about readergirlz and my personal life. My essay is entitled "Joy in the Midst of Trial." Take a look! The entire zine is created with such beautiful quality. Here is their Facebook page, as well. I know you will be uplifted by these "transcultural stories of courage, creativity and change!" Here's a shout out to our amazing community. Thanks for the years of love and support, rgz!

Cover Stories: The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin (Paperback)

2011-10-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

I noticed that Josh Berk's novel, The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, got a completely revised paperback cover this summer, so I asked Josh to come back and share the new Cover Story. Because his original one? Highly entertaining.

Here's Josh:

"As mentioned in my previous Cover Story, Will Halpin (the star of THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN) was once a cartoon and is now a real boy! On the cover of the hardcover, Will (along with his co-stars Ebony and Devon) was rendered cartoon-style by French artist Philippe Petit-Roulet. It was a very cool cover (right), but for the paperback I was informed that my publisher was going to 'go in a different direction.' (I'm not sure why I put that in quotes because it may not be a direct quote.)

"Various other directions were suggested. For example, one had as its central image an old diagram of the lobes of the human brain. It looked a lot like this:

"The title was zooming out of the guy's ear. It looked really awesome to me, but it was decided that it didn't exactly say 'teen friendly.' There was also a version of the cover pitched which had a bunch of crows spelling the title in yarn. I thought this was great too! (I'm not hard to please I guess...) It's hard to explain, but it looked awesome. Alas, it was deemed as not exactly the 'teen vibe.' (Note: Teens don't love crows? They should. Crows are awesome. Maybe teens hate yarn.)

"So the next cover pitched was this black and white image of a dude walking in the woods..."

Read the rest of Josh's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

rgz Seattle HOST: with Alexa Martin and Amber Kizer

2011-10-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a great entry from our Seattle HOST, Stephanie Guerra! Her debut young adult novel, TORN, will be published by Marshall Cavendish in spring of 2012.

Hi girlz!

I recently went to see Alexa Martin (Girl Wonder) and Amber Kizer (7 Kinds of Ordinary Catastrophes, Gert Garibaldi’s Rants and Raves: One Butt Cheek at a Time, Meridian, Wildcat Fireflies) promote their new books at Third Place in Seattle. It was a fun, intimate evening, with lots of great information from the authors about their inspirations, vices, and writing processes. Here are some fun facts:

Alexa’s vice is Louisiana style coffee, which is mostly cream and sugar. Amber says hers is “food, and I’m not a vegetarian. Baked goods.” I loved hearing that! I’m always comforted by women who like caffeine and pastries as much as I do.

Alexa shared a fascinating story about her formative writing experiences. She was diagnosed early with a learning disability, and went through school feeling “less intelligent” than the other kids. Special education helped her achieve success in literacy, and in fact, she began to overcompensate for her disability, producing “very clean copy.” I can attest to that. Her writing is crisp and clear, with her verbs doing most of the work. When she uses an adjective, it’s the perfect one. What an amazing example for anyone struggling with a learning disability.

Amber told us about her inspiration for one of the settings in Wildcat Fireflies.Helios is a restaurant she visited many times with her family, and over the years, she formed a bond with the owner. When this woman was fighting cancer, Amber told her that Wildcat Fireflies would be “her” book. The owner then revealed that she’d made a bucket list, and one of her dreams was to leave something lasting. With Amber’s book dedication, she felt she could check off this dream.

It was also inspiring to hear about writing process from these two very different authors. Amber aims to produce ten new pages of work each day, while Alexa works more slowly, piecing together memories and weaving them into her books. I’ve heard these two types of writers termed “gushers” and “bleeders” (sorry if that’s a bit dark) and I’d say these ladies each fit one of the categories. You should have seen Amber’s storyboard, which is an organized miracle of boxes, numbers, and different colored marker. Alexa, on the other hand, prefers to work more organically.

Finally, both ladies shared a “Top Thirteen” book list in honor of Banned Books Week, which I’ve included below. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll check out these talented writers, if you haven’t done so already!

Alexa loves:

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

For Esme, with Love and Squalor by J.D. Salinger

Forever by Judy Blume

Watership Down by Richard Adams

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt

And Amber’s favorites:

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Black Juice by Margo Lanagan

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Izzy Willy Nilly Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt

Cover Stories: Playing Blue by Holly Schindler

2011-10-07T04:25:00.000-07:00

Holly Schindler is here to talk about two of her novels, A Blue So Dark and Playing Hurt. They have really different feels (Playing Hurt makes me want summer back!--and A Blue So Dark has a much eerier feel--I love underwater covers lately).

Here's Holly to talk about each cover:

"While the covers of my YA novels—A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT—are both stock images, the end result is pretty night-and-day different, as is the content of the books (A BLUE SO DARK explores the possible link between mental illness and creativity, and PLAYING HURT features a romance between two former athletes.)

"The covers have two completely different functions. A BLUE SO DARK is a metaphorical cover; it speaks to the emotional content of the book. It’s a poetic representation of what happens in the book. PLAYING HURT is a literal interpretation.

"I love both covers—but of the two, PLAYING HURT’s my favorite, because I think it better steers the book toward the right readership.

"When A BLUE SO DARK was released, it was frequently purchased on Amazon by readers who also purchased paranormal titles..."

Read the rest of Holly's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Diva Delight: Under the Mesquite

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

When Kirkus gives a star and says, "a promising deeply felt debut," listen! And I did. Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is a verse novel of beautiful realism.

Living on he border of the U.S. and Mexico, Lupita navigates high school, her heritage, her homes in Texas and Mexico, and her mother's diagnosis of uterine cancer. As the eldest in her large family, Lupita carries the weight of daily life and anxiety while her father supports her hospitalized mother.

The book skips quickly along through seasons and years as just the most poignant moments are shared, whether they be crisis or quiet. The symbol of the resilient mesquite tree echoes its strength from beginning to end.

At readergirlz we most definitely applaud Lee & Low for adding a brilliant Mexican American voice to young adult literature. Read Under the Mesquite for the rich culture and shared human experience of pain, loss, and rebirth.

Under the Mesquite
by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Lee & Low, 2011

National Student Day is October 6th!

2011-10-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 6th will be the first-ever National Student Day, created in order to celebrate the volunteer efforts of college students around the country. Here's the scoop from the National Student Day website:

"The goal of this day is to celebrate and promote social responsibility by students across North America! Do you volunteer as a Big Brother or Sister? Help out at a homeless shelter? Are you looking to find ways to give back to society and others? Then this day is for YOU! Your college store wants to recognize the good deeds you do - and encourage your peers who might be looking for a gentle push towards helping others.

"Look no farther. NationalStudentDay.com is your online hub for information about volunteerism, links to social media, and a way to win BIG. College stores will act as the physical location for the main event.

"But that's not all. Students have the opportunity to win huge prizes for the most popular example of volunteerism.

"Click here to create a login to register and post an example of how you give back to your community. Students will be able to submit text, photos, drawings, or video. Then urge your friends to vote for you. Spread the word via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to capture the most votes and win! The 10 most popular examples of student volunteerism will win prizes ranging from scholarships to iPads."

They are giving away:
A $3,000 Scholarship
A $2,000 Scholarship
A $1,000 Scholarship
7 iPads

Voting will end on Friday, October 14th at 5 PM EST.

Good luck, everyone! Thank you for serving your community and helping your world!

rgz Newsflash: p*tag for October's Teen Read Week!

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Okay. 31 poets, 31 images and you have p*tag, 31 poems linked by tagging and repetition. It went like this: wait until you are tagged, pick an image, and then write a poem, using 3 of the words from the previous poet's poem. Ready, set, go! And we were off, under the guidance of Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. This ekphrastic approach to poetry, where poems are inspired by art, fueled the poets fully. While the resulting poetry collection is eclectic, the repeated words give a notable continuity to the stream. There's an organic pulse running from beginning to end as readers witness this captured Art Happening on their e-readers.

Personally, David L. Harrison tagged me, so I was able to read his wonderful poem "Family Reunion at the Beach." Then I was off to choose a photo from Sylvia's posted images given to inspire us. The photo of a crowd, blurred by the camera's movement, caught my eye. It seemed as if spirits were leaving bodies despite the people's focus locked on the stage. I then chose three of David's words from his poem: clasping, future, and eyes, for my own haiku "Crowd." Finally, I tagged the lovely poet, Julie Larios. I would later learn she used my words: trapped, eyes, away.

All other poems were hidden from the participants until the release of p*tag. So it was a delight to download and read the stream, read how images and poems and repeated words created a complete work of art. I love how one poet responded to another, and immediately offered another point of view. You can see this particularly between Julie Larios and Michele Krueger. One writes of rising above, the other finding "peace in place." Stephanie Hemphill's' "In Praise of Luck" lifted my spirit, although I'd call it providence. :~) And oh, the delight to see one I esteem so highly, Lee Bennett Hopkins, write with few words just like me.

So here is a poem a day for the month of October while we celebrate YALSA's Teen Read Week. How perfect for the theme "Picture it @ your library." Download p*tag onto your device. Visit the website to learn more, see photos, and try your own hand at the ekphrastic approach to poetry. Thanks, Janet and Sylvia! *standing ovation*

p*tag
compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
available on e-readers

Banned Books Week and the Virtual Read-Out

2011-09-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again... Happy Banned Books Week!

The publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is holding a Virtual Read-Out at www.bannedbooksweek.org People of all ages are encouraged to create a video of themselves reading from their favorite banned or challenged book and upload it to a special YouTube Channel for Banned Books Week. Authors and other celebrities are submitting videos as well. You'll recognize many folks whose works have been recognized and recommended by readergirlz, including Laini Taylor, Sarah Dessen, Lauren Myracle, Jay Asher, and Judy Blume.

We hope you'll submit your video! If you do, please leave a comment with a link to your video.

What are your favorite banned or challenged books? Let us know in the comments below!

Diva Delight: This Girl is Different

2011-09-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Homeschooled yourself and looking for good representation in a current novel? Or are you in public school and curious about homeschoolers? Either way, This Girl is Different by J.J. Johnson will be an engaging read that challenges you to think widely and then act for a good cause.

Evie, entering senior year of her local high school, is no Stargirl, and that is refreshing. Here's a homeschooled protagonist heading into public school to discover what it might offer, what she's missed, and what she might contribute. And Evie does. Empowered by her counter-culture mother, Evie has no hesitation challenging authority, righting wrongs, and speaking for the students. Eventually, her growth occurs as she gains a new perspective of others' situations beyond her unrealized stereotypes. The caution might be well taken: despite your zeal, take a breath before expressing indignation, no matter if it appears to be deserved. Investigate, understand, and then act with the fullest vision, in a responsible way.

J.J. Johnson gives a wide cast of adult characters for Evie to bounce against, make an impact on, and learn from herself. The teens in Evie's circle also have real weaknesses and strengths, giving weight and realism to This Girl is Different.

I am a mother who homeschooled for fourteen years. It is refreshing to find Evie representing on the shelf. Thanks, Peachtree Publishing for giving voice to many.

This Girl is Different
by JJ Johnson
Peachtree Publishers, 2011

Cover Stories: Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

2011-09-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

Kirsten Hubbard's Like Mandarin came out in the spring to great buzz. Read bibliophile brouhaha's review for taste of that. The cover always intrigued me for its use of white space and pastels. I think it's lovely.

Here's Kirsten to talk about how it came to be:

"I've always felt like the most iconic images in Like Mandarin are wild girl Mandarin Ramey's long black hair, and the Wyoming badlands where the book takes place. My publisher did offer me input, and I made note of a few covers I really liked, and described the sort of black hair, badlands scene I'd always imagined on the cover of Like Mandarin.

"There's a part in Like Mandarin where Grace's thoughts blank out, then come back as a series of exclamation points instead of words. That's pretty much what happened when I saw my cover. It was taped to the bookshelf in my editor's office the first time I met her. I didn't expect to see it -- nor what I saw! It contained none of the elements I'd suggested, but it was so strong, and simple, and beautiful.

"Interestingly, my editor pulled out the image of another cover they'd been working on: a dark-haired girl from behind, against a backdrop of badlands. If I remember correctly, it was in black and white, and the font (a different one) was some bright color, like pink. It looked like an album cover, while the cover we went with looks almost like a movie poster -- just stronger overall..."

Read the rest of Kirsten's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Diva Delight: You Are My Only, Beth Kephart

2011-09-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

Can we take a moment to thank Egmont for publishing another Beth Kephart exquisite novel? Thank you, Egmont!

You Are My Only will be released October 25th, and I encourage you then to find Beth's newest book. In this realistic fiction novel, you'll breath despair along with several suppressed characters. You'll turn pages and yearn for them each to find hope. One story tells of a young mother's loss of her baby, while the second winds a tale of a teen sequestered from society. How the works intertwine is brilliant. From beginning to end, images and movements echo and resonate back and forth between the stories. At the reveal, I actually stopped reading, stunned by the moment of truth.

As always, I was mesmerized by Beth's rich writing. Even in the smallest detail:

"There is a bird making a tree branch heavy, her gray belly bottom like the high back of the sun."

"Outside the wind sneaks up under the loose skirt of the roof tiles..."

Nesting in the story are sweet truths of life that you can grapple with and then possibly hold.

"Tragedy and blessing," Miss Cloris says. "Sometimes they're the same one thing."

"What do you suppose any of us, Sophie, wish to be remembered for? For the things that tried to stop us or the ways we carried on?"

I'm still thinking over the latter. I'm challenged to find the truth that I would ultimately hold.

You Are My Only is current, relevant, and gracefully written with gripping realism. There is no shrinking back. Thank you, Beth, for staying truly dedicated to the fine art of writing.

You Are My Only
by Beth Kephart
EgmontUSA

Diva Delight: Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

2011-09-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

You know we love steampunk at readergirlz. We had a blast with Scott Westerfeld, right? Well, how about a collection of steampunk short stories by some more of our favorite, favorite YA authors? You'll recognize many from our rgz Circle of Stars, past guests and contributors. Grab your goggles, because this collection by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant delivers!

So, what will you find in Steampunk: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories? How about mystery, murders, and machines? Worlds of gears and steam in amazing new locations from the minds of 14 writers: M. T. Anderson, Holly Black, Libba Bray, Shawn Cheng, Cassandra Clare, Cory Doctorow, Dylan Horrocks, Kathleen Jennings, Elizabeth Knox, Kelly Link, Garth Nix, Christopher Rowe, Delia Sherman, and Ysabeau S. Wilce.

How fun to find new authors I hadn't discovered before among old friends, all writing speculative fiction which often left me with chills. This quote from Cory's short story "Clockwork Fagin" really captures the collective atmosphere of Steampunk!:

"For machines may be balky and they may destroy us with their terrible appetite for oil, blood, and flesh, but they behave according to fixed rules and can be understood by anyone with the cunning to look upon them and winkle out their secrets. Children are ever so much more complicated."

Perfect, right? With three starred reviews already, look for this release October 11th!

Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories
edited by Kelly Link and Gary J. Gavin
Candlewick Press, 2011

rgz Shout Out: Demi Speaks Up

2011-09-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

The readergirlz wanted to give a shout out to actress/singer Demi Lovato, who is speaking out about what happened to her and singing her heart out. Here's a quote from an Associated Press (AP) article:

"A year ago today ... I was not in a good place," the 19-year-old said at her concert Saturday night. "I needed help and I want anybody in this audience to know that if you're struggling with one of the issues that I dealt with or a different issue, that you can get help, that you can recover and it's possible if you just tell someone. [...] There are so many beautiful girls in this audience that don't know that they're beautiful, but they just are."

- and from a video to her fans:

"Life is what you make of it. My life began to change again, and I became happier, healthier, and stronger."

You go, Demi.