Thank You, Sharon Draper!

Here's a big DANKE to the very thoughtful and inspiring Sharon Draper for joining us at readergirlz this month!

We loved hearing stories from Sharon and learning more about the research and themes behind Copper Sun.

Some highlights:

Sharon's Post of Awesome about family.

How Sharon got the strength to write the scene when Amari is sold (details in the comments).

The why-evil-characters-appeal-to-us discussion, started by Sharon's insightful commentary.

We've so loved having you here this month. Thank you, Sharon!

February: The Importance of Your History

From the day you were born to today is your personal history, and it is important. You learned, you made mistakes, and you grew. Why is it important to know your own history? Why can't the past simply be ignored?

Party It Up: Copper Sun

Planning your own book group/get-together for Copper Sun? Here are some party ideas from author Sharon Draper.

Invite: Use Kente designs.

Attire: Dress in authentic African outfits.

Food: Red Red, also called Doh-doh-chie (cooked plaintain with red sauce), tatale (Ghanaian plantain cakes), and chocolate

Décor: Use African Kente cloth (shown).

Movies: Amistad, Roots, Follow the North Star

February: Freedom

In Copper Sun, Amari has no freedom. What freedoms would you most miss if you were to lose yours?

February: Is the History of Slavery Important?

A student recently said, "I don't care about slavery. That happened a long time ago, and I don't want to think about it in my life today. It is no longer important." What do you think about that statement? Tell why you agree or disagree. What would you tell that student if you had the chance to have a conversation?

February: Chat Wrap by JenFW

Check out the lovely wrap up of last night's chat with JenFW. Here's just the opening of her post...

"Last night was the live readergirlz chat with Sharon M. Draper, author of Copper Sun, this month’s featured book.

I love the readergirlz chats, so much so that I’ve decided to attend even when I haven’t yet read the book–I am severely book-acquisition challenged, as you know. Hearing the author discuss his/her book, research (Sharon made three trips to Africa), the writing process (she gets up at 4 a.m., too), and what she craves for dinner (teriaki chicken) is always the highlight, but there’s more."

Click here to read the rest. Thanks, Jen! Oooo, could this turn into a monthly feature? You can read the full chat transcript here.

February: Copper Sun Playlist

Check out the artists that Little Willow, Lorie Ann Grover, and author Sharon Draper chose for a soundtrack for Copper Sun.

Listen to the playlist in the right sidebar, or when you visit this month's issue of readergirlz!

February: What Keeps Oppressed Peoples From Fighting Back?

Featured author Sharon Draper asks, "In the time of Copper Sun, Why didn't more slaves rise up and protest or fight back? What social and cultural pieces were in place to prevent it?"

More to think about: Are these or other social and cultural pieces still in place today for any group of people?

February: Have you ever felt trapped?

In Copper Sun, Mrs. Derby is the lovely young wife of plantation owner Mr. Derby. She is not in love with him, and in a way, she's almost like a slave herself.

Have you ever felt trapped in a place or a situation that didn't fit you? How were you able to free yourself from it?

February: Why are Evil Characters so Appealing?

In our last discussion on whether there's such a thing as a purely evil person, featured author Sharon Draper raised this question:

Why are evil characters so much more interesting that characters who smile all the time and never break the rules?

What do you think, readergirlz?

February: Is Anyone Pure Evil?

In Copper Sun, the slave owner who buys Amari gives her as a gift to his son Clay. In his own way, Clay has complicated feelings for Amari. Both he and his father emerge as characters who have layered emotions -- they seem pure evil at times, but show vulnerability in some moments.

Have you come across complex people such as this, in fiction or in reality? Do you think there are people who are just pure evil, or is there always a human side to everyone, somewhere deep down?

February: Post of Awesome by Sharon

In a previous thread, Sharon asked the following, and I didn't want anyone to miss it. Take a stab at an answer and give a shout out to the person who matters so much to you!

Amari found "family," as well as strength, in people she met on her journey.
But what IS family? Your mom and dad? Your brothers and sisters? Grandparents? Aunts and uncles and cousins? Can friends be considered family? What about those you work closely with, like people in the band with you , or on a sports team? What is family when your immediate family is not around?

February: What does the strength of family mean to you?

In Copper Sun, Amari and her parents have a very close and loving relationship, as do Amari and her little brother Kwasi. Later, when she's sold into slavery, the strength of her family -- even though they're gone -- makes a difference in her life and helps her survive. Do you feel that your family's strength has helped you through difficulties? How?

February: Things to Know About Featured Author Sharon Draper

On the nightstand: Wrapped in Rainbows - the biography of Zora Neale Hurston

Favorite library: All of them!

Pets: Dog: Honey, Cat: Miss Kitty

Place to write: Office - at my computer - at 4 AM

Inspiration: Sunshine

Favorite outfit: Jeans and sweats

Laptop or longhand? Laptop

Next up: Out of My Mind (coming in March)

Author idols: Those who write with passion and still answer their emails!

Other YA Novels:
Tears of a Tiger
Forged by Fire
Darkness before Dawn
Romiette and Julio
Double Dutch
The Battle of Jericho
November Blues
Just Another Hero
Out of My Mind

Website: www.sharondraper.com

Read more about Sharon in this month's full issue!

February: Can You Imagine Being Sold?

The very first page of Copper Sun, just before chapter one, tells of a slave sale and how it must feel to be fifteen years old, stripped naked, and standing on the auction block. Imagine the emotions of the girl being sold. How would you feel, or how did you feel just reading this scene?

Welcome, Sharon Draper!

We are thrilled to welcome Sharon Draper to readergirlz. Her novel Copper Sun is our February pick! Check out the our interview with Sharon, book party ideas themed around both books, and our Reach Out project idea--as well as the awesome soundtrack Sharon's chosen for the book--on readergirlz.com.

Here's a little about Copper Sun:

Fifteen-year-old Amari's village is destroyed, her family is slaughtered, and she is taken as a slave. Forced from her loving home in Ghana, marched across the continent to a slave ship where she endures the horrors of the Middle Passage, Amari is sold in South Carolina to a life of degradation and despair. But with strength and dignity, Amari first learns to endure, and then survive. She discovers friendship in the indentured servant Polly, and when the opportunity to escape presents itself, Amari and Polly decide to work together to find the thing they both want most -- freedom.

And the buzz...

"The fast pace and truly horrifying scenes of Copper Sun will have adolescent readers quickly turning pages. Their reward is a riveting tale." - Rollie Welch, The Plain Dealer

"Draper builds the explosive tension to the last chapter, and the sheer power of the story, balanced between the overwhelmingly brutal facts of slavery and Amari's ferocious survivor's spirit, will leave readers breathless, even as they consider the story's larger questions about the infinite costs of slavery and how to reconcile history." - Booklist starred review

"Poignant and harrowing, this narrative of early America alternates between the voices of enslaved Amari and indentured servant Polly, building a believable interracial friendship centered on the common goal of freedom." - Kirkus starred review

2007 American Library Association/Coretta Scott King Literary Award Winner

Top Ten Historical Fiction Books for Youth by Booklist

Ohioana Award for Young Adult Literature

Heartland Award for Excellence in YA Literature

International Reading Association Notable Book for a Global Society

Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal

New York Times Bestseller List

We are excited to have the amazing Sharon with us this month! Join us all month right here on the blog for discussions and mark your calendars a LIVE chat on Wednesday, February 17th at 6pm PST/9pm EST.

Happy February, readergirlz!