Love Letter to readergirlz

As we get ready to change to our new format, I wanted to reflect on how we came to be, remember what we've done together, and just pause to appreciate our journey. I made this for all of you. Thank you for being a part of rgz. Thanks for the lemonade. :~)

Feel free to repost!

Roundtable: Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever

Last month, I posted an open invitation to the Hopewell Hotel, asking if anyone was interested in participating in a roundtable discussion of September's picks, Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson. Before I knew it, I had a number of volunteers, ready and willing to talk about hotel life, New York City, Law & Order, and unicycling actors - not necessarily in that order.

(Psst....If you want to be a part of the October roundtable, where we'll discuss Lips Touch by Laini Taylor, please leave a comment below with your email address!)

Little Willow: Let's jump right in. What was your favorite part of Suite Scarlett?

Melissa Walker: Being introduced to the Martin family was sheer delight. I've never met characters whom I wanted to know in real life so quickly. I think my favorite parts were the intros to each of them -- I was so excited to hang out with them for a while!

Lindsay F: When Spencer punched Eric. Big brother to the rescue!

Marjolein: I loved that there was a big piece for theater,(I think Suite Scarlett itself would be a perfect story to turned into a play!) the long gone glory of the Hopewell and the mysterious Mrs.Amberson with her even more eccentric demands.

Little Willow: What was your favorite scene in Scarlett Fever?

SamanthaRowan: When Max muscles Dakota out of being Scarlett's lab partner. It's a good piece of foreshadowing and it reaches all of us on a deep level. We all remember the pressure of finding a lab partner or being picked for the dodge ball team.

Melissa Walker: I loved it when Scarlett met Lola for lunch and they finally talked openly about things with Chip. It felt so real and sisterly, especially for these two girls who love each other but don't always communicate well. Fantastic moment.

Lindsay F: When Scarlett pushed Max off his stool. ...I think I just may like violence in MJ's books.

Mariah: When Spencer got pelted with doughnuts!

Little Willow: Do you think Suite Scarlett warranted a sequel? Why or why not?

Micol Ostow: Definitely! Scarlett and her world are so colorful that I think there must be infinite sequels and stories to tell!

Mariah: Yes, because the characters could never stop giving wonderful stories and making messes of things!

Tell Me a Secret Roundtable

Little Willow: Hi everyone! Welcome to the roundtable book discussion of TELL ME A SECRET by Holly Cupala, this month's spotlighted title at readergirlz. We have with us today many fantastic book bloggers as well as readergirlz divas and members of the postergirlz lit advisory council. I’d like to thank everyone who is joining us today as a participant – and remind everyone who is reading this roundtable that you’re welcome to join us in September for our discussion of Maureen Johnson’s novel Suite Scarlett and the sequel, Scarlett Fever. If you’re interested, please leave a comment below.

Let's jump right into the discussion for TELL ME A SECRET now, without any further ado!

Little Willow: Miranda looked up to her big sister with wide eyes. While it wasn’t hero worship - Miranda definitely knew some of the things Xanda did were “wrong” or risky - it was clearly the common idolatry a younger sibling may have for an older sibling. Who here had similar experiences? Do you still look up to your older siblings now, or has your relationship changed? For the adults in the room: How has the sibling dynamic changed in adulthood?

Holly Schindler: I recently read an article that claimed your sibling is actually your life partner. (Your parents are there for the beginning and not the end; your spouse is there for the end and not the beginning.) Your sibling (especially a sibling close in age) is the person who hashes it all out with you: childhood, teen years, adulthood.

Little Willow: Oh, wow. I’d never thought of it that way, but it makes sense.

Holly Schindler: My own brother is just about 16 months younger than I am...and we’ve DEFINITELY grown closer as the years have gone by. Sibling rivalry has become more of a sincere friendship--two people rooting for each other...of course, I can still put him in a headlock every now and then, just to keep him in line...

Seeking Participants for Tell Me a Secret Roundtable

Calling all readergirlz! Want to participate in the roundtable next month? We will be discussing our August book pick, Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala.

If you're interested, please leave a comment below with your email address so we may send you an invite through Google Docs. This cool (and free) service lets you edit documents in real-time while collaborating with others. You will be able to tell us what you thought of the book by answering discussion questions, adding in questions of your own, and reading and responding to comments from other readers.

Check out previous roundtables to get a feel for how they work!

January 2010: rgz Newsflash!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2010 will be a big year for readergirlz, and let us count the ways:

We're introducing a new diva...
Liz Gallagher, author of THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE, is our new Host Diva. This means she'll be setting up events for authors touring the Seattle area, and helping other hosts do the same thing in key cities across the countryFor readers, this means even more opportunities to meet and chat with authors in person.

If you haven't read Liz's book yet, pick it up. There's a brand-new paperback edition, and you'll devour the story of Alice, who has to figure out the difference between a crush and love. (Yes, there is kissing.)


We're traveling to the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting...
Our Diva Holly Cupala, author of the forthcoming TELL ME A SECRET, will be hanging out with fabulous librarians at this conference in Boston. If you're going or know anyone who'll be there, do say hello!


We have an incredible lineup of authors...
E. Lockhart, author of the delicious Boyfriend Books and the National Book Award finalist, THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS.

There's so much to love about this book, from the clever wordplay to the quick, inventive plot. Perhaps the most lovable of all is Frankie herself, who's courageous, funny, clever, sneaky, vulnerable and unforgettable.

Mark this date on your calendar: January 20, 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST. That's when we'll be chatting with E. Lockhart herself right here at the readergirlz blog.

Last bit of author-in-residence excitement with Beth Kephart...
Beth Kephart is the amazing author of several books (including the delicious mystery NOTHING BUT GHOSTS), and she's been our author-in-residence since December. We have one last chat with her on January 6 at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST. Don't miss it!

See more about the Writer-in-Residence program at http://www.readergirlz.com/residence.html.

We introduce our next author in residence, Elizabeth Scott...
Elizabeth Scott wrote LIVING DEAD GIRL; SOMETHING, MAYBE; and STEALING HEAVEN. We are going to have a great time exploring her work and her writing process.

...Meet our Street Team for 2010!
These fabulous folks can help guide you through the wonderful world of YA books: Miss Erin, Priya, Silence, Vanessa, Sarah, Enna Isilee.


And we're grateful to our 2010 postergirlz, who act as our advisory council:
Little Willow, Jackie, Miss Erin, ShelfElf, HipWriterMama.


Thank you all for a terrific year!

*****

So there you have it, readers! Please join us at our chats, our blog, and our featured author site.

the readergirlz divas~

Dia Calhoun, Avielle of Rhia
Justina Chen, North of Beautiful
Holly Cupala, Tell Me A Secret (June 2010)
Liz Gallagher, The Opposite of Invisible
Lorie Ann Grover, Hold Me Tight
Melissa Walker, Lovestruck Summer

http://www.readergirlz.com/
readergirlz blog
rgz Twitter

P.S. More on this later, but check out our trailer for Operation Teen Book Drop - and get involved!

How do we choose books at rgz?

This is a question often asked of the divas. How are books chosen to be featured? Let me give you a run down.

Here are our lines of input:

* Everyone on the rgz team is busy reading year round.
* In December, our postergirlz individually submit their top ten reads of the year to the divas.
* Throughout the months, the postergirlz also alert us the minute they finish a most amazing book.
* Mitali Perkins, our rgz SCOUT, watches the reviews of the most current titles, and she has those works sent to the divas a.s.a.p.
* The rgz Street Team posts their reviews.
* The rgz SALON contributes from their reads.
* The divas watch the blog comments to see what our rgz are talking about and recommending themselves.

Considering all the above, the divas select books that reflect strong female protagonists. We make every effort to represent a broad perspective:

* multicultural titles,
* various socioeconomic circumstances,
* the overlooked, quiet literary works,
* and the commercial successes that everyone is excited about.

We then reach out to see if an author's schedule can accommodate the rgz monthly commitment.

Once the features are booked, the postergirlz are alerted, and collectively they work to suggest the most excellent companion reads to equally accompany the feature. They always include a nonfiction title, as well, in their monthly recommended reads.

That's pretty much the process. A beautiful synergy to bring you the very best in young adult literature!

Graceling Roundtable

This month's readergirlz book group pick is Graceling by Kristin Cashore. (Click here to read the September 2009 issue of readergirlz.)  The readergirlz divas and postergirlz gathered together to discuss this tale of fantasy, danger, and, dare we say, romance.

Lorie Ann Grover: As diva Justina Chen Headley said this month, "Action, adventure, love . . . all rolled up in a fiercely independent heroine who learns how to govern her gift and trust her heart. How could we not become smitten with Graceling?" It was an obvious choice for readergirlz. We send our congrats to Kristin for the Morris Award Nomination for an outstanding debut YA novel!

Little Willow: What was your basic impression of Graceling? Do you tend to reach for books in the fantasy genre?

 

Jackie: Okay, well, I'm a HUGE Tamora Pierce fan (as you, um, may already know), so this is right up my alley. Strong girl? A power that sets her apart from all others? Evil just waiting around the corner? A charming yet flawed romantic interest? Fight scenes? Yeah. That's totally my kind of thing.

Melissa: This is totally not my thing! I'm a big "real girl" reader, so I'm always a little hesitant to go fantasy. But I fell in love with Katsa from chapter 1, and really, what's a "real girl" anyway?!

Lorie Ann: I found it to be an engrossing, fast-paced fantasy. I do love fantasy, myself. And here I fell for Po. :~)

Shelf Elf: Ditto on the falling for Po, Lorie Ann. My perfect book is set in a fantasy world that is recognizably like the real world, with romance, nail-biting action, and plenty of flawed characters. Graceling checks all those boxes. Guess it's is my perfect book!
 

 

Dia: As a fantasy author myself, I, of course, adore fantasy. The premise of Graceling is fascinating -- a talent to kill. But it is interesting that we NEVER see Katsa kill anyone -- even in the beginning of the book when she is unredeemed. I can see the problem -- if she were shown killing someone she would no longer be a sympathetic character. And yet, for the fullest experience of her character arc, I think we needed to see her actually kill.

Little Willow: I agree, Dia - I think it would have been more effective had we seen (read) it.

 

Dia: I was hesitant at first about the fighting practice between Po and Katsa because it's hard for me to imagine hitting someone I care about. But, considering their skills, and talents, it was a way for them to bond and gain trust.

HWM: Yay for Graceling -- the strong girl, Po (the chemistry! the respect for each other's abilities!), political intrigue (though I wished there were more), good supporting characters, bad guys, action--this would make a great movie. Dia raises an interesting point. I never thought about how we never see Katsa kill anyone in the beginning. It would add to the character arc since we could see the horror and regret; however, I was fine the way the story was since she spends so much time despising her power and how other people react to her, how she hates how her uncle treats her like a dog to do his bidding. 

 

Little Willow: What did you think of Katsa, the protagonist?

 

Jackie: My only sadness is that she's not in the prequel. 

 

HWM: Oh, I agree!

Melissa: I loved her, and found her perfectly characterized for teen readers -- she's strong but stubborn, smart but impetuous, and ruled by her emotions. It's all very familiar...

Lorie Ann: I enjoyed Katsa. In my second reading, I almost found her to be acting mildly autistic at the start, as if she might have slight Aspergers. She's gifted so much that it has distracted her from learning to observe and communicate with people. An example is how she didn't realize Giddon's attraction. This adds nicely to her arc as she grows.  

 

Little Willow: Ooh. That's a very interesting take on her character, Lorie Ann.

 

Dia: I think the talent to kill, and being forced to do it by -- was it her uncle the king? -- would take anyone to dark places in their psyche. Cashore achieves the right balance between Katsa's darkness and her innate goodness.
 

 
Shelf Elf: I think it's a real achievement that Kristin created such a powerful character, physically powerful and full of complex emotion, whom readers can also see as vulnerable.

 

HWM: Loved her. The strong kick-butt girl with a conscience who battles between good and evil.

 

Little Willow: Who were your favorite supporting characters?

Melissa: Bitterblue!

Little Willow: Oh, yes, little Bitterblue!

Melissa: What a poised and lovely girl. And of course Katsa's gaggle of "just friends" boys... those are always fun.

Lorie Ann: Have to go with Po.

Shelf Elf: Again Lorie Ann, ditto with the Po. ;)
 

 

Dia: I, too, really enjoyed Bitterblue. And Po of course!
 

 

HWM: Raffin.

 

Little Willow: How does Graceling tie-in with this month's theme of Triumph at readergirlz?

Lorie Ann: Katsa triumphs over her own Grace and fears, her physical environment, and the politics of evil rulers.

Dia: Katsa triumphs over the darkness in her self that has come to her through the execution of her gift.

Shelf Elf: Katsa makes the choice to use her powers for good, not evil. There's triumph in mastering yourself, in making choices to be proud of. 

Little Willow: What are your hidden strengths? (Though I suppose if you answer this, they are no longer hidden!)
 

Dia: I wish somebody would tell me!

Shelf Elf: Dancing? I never dance publicly, but I'm great in the living room. I've got rhythm.

Little Willow: Now I'm singing and dancing to the song I've Got Rhythm! I'm a singer, dancer, and actress, but I don't hide those things. Hmmm. I think one of my hidden strengths is my resilience. I bounce back pretty well from rejection or let-down. I try to always stay optimistic and hopeful. Another would be my derring-do. When things need to be done, I get them done. It's only when others comment upon them that I realize not everyone would have done those things - that they might have thought the tasks too difficult to even attempt and stopped before they even began.
 

Lorie Ann: I hope it's perseverance. So far it is.

Little Willow: The condition of having eyes of two different colors, like Kat and the others who are Graced, is called heterochromia of the eye (heterochromia iridis or heterochromia iridum). What color are your eyes? Mine are brown.

Shelf Elf: Mine are the type of eyes that seem to change color depending on the light and my clothing. Most of the time they're greyish green. I've always sort of wished for eyes that were a real, deep, obvious color.  I'd go with seriously green, because you don't see that very often.

Melissa: Mine are green, but they sometimes look blue. I like that -- no one ever really knows which they are. Maybe I'm a Graceling! And you too, Shelf Elf!
 

 
 

Little Willow: We have Graced ones in our presence! Can you envision yourself with eyes of a different color?

Lorie Ann: Mine are brown, and often red. Ha! I always thought green would be nice.

Little Willow: I like the color of my eyes and my hair (also brown) and I wouldn't permanently change the color, though I wouldn't mind doing something temporary to either for the sake of a role, because that would be for her, for my character. For me, though, I like what I have, and I like what I am.  That being said, I think purple or gray (or magically silver) eyes would be pretty, because I like those colours in general.

Dia: I have gray-green eyes. When I was in high school and college I wore green-tinted contact lenses. That was fun!

Little Willow: Also consider the eye colors that are more prevalent on animals other than humans, like orange. My cats had beautiful eyes. Twinkie's were the bluest blue, truly the prettiest eyes I've ever seen - while Hollywood and Spooky had eye colors not typically seen on people, orange and gold.

 

HWM: Dark brown. Wouldn't change the color at all.

 

Little Willow: What did you think  of Kristin Cashore's writing style?

Melissa: My heart stopped when Leck appeared toward the end. I didn't see it coming, and I got very scared and upset for a moment there! I guess that means the writing worked. I just adored the tale.

 

Lorie Ann: I'm in my second read-through, but I remember wanting marriage at the conclusion. I know, I know. So opposite to what Katsa wants. But that's me. When they first left together, I didn't think I'd be able to lie next to Po night after night platonically... I did enjoy the characterization, plot, pacing, and final revelations. I admire all the fighting detail!

Dia: I love the combination of fantasy, adventure, and romance. The grand climax where Katsa confronts the king was stunning. Excellent plotting.

Shelf Elf: Gosh, she's so good at romance, and really freaky bad guys.

 

HWM: The ending was great -- the characters surprised me (the scene with Leck was great) and I remember wanting to throttle Po and Katsa. There were a few scenes I wanted to see more development, but overall, the plotting, pacing and characterization was spot on. 

 

Little Willow: What (or who) do you hope to find in Fire, Kristin Cashore's next book?

 

Jackie: I am lucky enough to have already read it, thanks to a friend, so while I already know what happens, I will say I was VERY interested in the one crossover character.

Shelf Elf: Like you Jackie, I'm lucky to have read Fire already. I was hoping that the characters would be as memorable as all those in Graceling. They are.

Lorie Ann: I'm totally up for whatever Kristin has brought from her heart.
 

 

Dia: I would like to see Katsa continue to evolve -- and more of Po of course!

 

HWM: I've also been fortunate to have read Fire. So different from Graceling, but the one character who does make himself known, Leck -- shudder.
 

Little Willow: Final thoughts?

 

Lorie Ann: Thanks so much to Kristin for bringing us a fantasy with such girl power. We rise to the top of the mountains with Katsa. I'm sure we'll continue to soar with Kristin through her long career!
 

Learn more about Graceling in the September 2009 issue of readergirlz.

Art Saves: Shelf Elf

Shelf Elf, one of our postergirlz, sent in these beautiful photographs:


Click the thumbnail to view the full-sized image.

Art Saves, every day, in a million different ways. Download the template, decorate it with your photographs or artwork, and post a comment below with a scan or a picture of your creation!

rgz postergirl Little Willow in Gothmas!

Hey rgz,

If you are in the LA area, be sure to catch our own postergirl Little Willow in Gothmas at The Eclectic Company Theatre in North Hollywood. Shows are selling out and the audience is cracking up over this rocking musical!

Little Willow is on the far left. How cute is her poise and poofy skirt?

Little Willow is on the far right.

I wish we could ALL be there to support her SOLO! Break a leg, LW!

April: How do we choose features and April recommended reads

How are books chosen to be featured on rgz? Basically, the divas listen to teens and book the main features. Sometimes they will find a "must read" that they strongly believe they have to bring to attention. If an author is available, a month is agreed upon and booked. Thanks to Dia Calhoun for her hard work as our author liaison!

The divas then ask the postergirlz for excellent other reads that compliment the feature. There is no runner up, honor read, or second place. Every single feature and recommend stands tall as a significant contribution to YA lit. And we are honored to have each one spotlighted!

So special thanks to our postergirlz for this month's recommended reads that accompany Impulse so well!

And what a delight to turn a corner at TLA and run into Margo Rabb! She's absolutely delightful!

Be sure to snag a copy of Cures for Heartbreak!

readergirlz roundtable discussion of Impulse

The readergirlz divas were so pleased Ellen Hopkins could join us in honor of Operation Teen Book Drop 2009, and in the month of April, National Poetry Month! The verse novel Impulse is a weighty, heart-wrenching read. Join us as we chat about this raw work and our take-aways.

Lorie Ann Grover: What were your take-away impressions of Impulse?

Little Willow: Immediately after finishing it: Oh, Conner. Oh.

Dia Calhoun: My immediate impression was that I had found an immensely truthful story.

Shelf Elf: It made me think about how sheltered I was as a teen. Sure there were kids in my high school who had issues and struggled, but nothing like the characters in this book, to my knowledge. I also wondered what it might have been like for Ellen to take herself inside the heads of 3 such troubled people. That had to have been an intense writing experience.

Lorie Ann: I was exhausted basically. I encountered so many images, subjects, and ideas I've never been fully exposed to before. An entirely new world opened before me, and my sympathies were raised.

Melissa Walker: My mom worked in a state school for troubled kids while I was in high school. She was their biology teacher, and they lived there, healed there. I thought about her a lot while I was reading, and wondered how she kept her heart safe from the heartbreaking stories of her students.

Read the entire discussion at Bildungsroman.

Recommended Reading from the postergirlz!

As a compliment to our featured January title, A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, the postergirlz, our fantastic teen lit advisory council, recommend these great reads!

Fiction
What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando

The Creek by Jennifer L. Holm

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante

Non-Fiction
Oxford Dictionary of English

A Popular(ity) Discussion

In honor of our December book club pick, How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot, readergirlz divas, advisors, and postergirlz shared their thoughts about popularity.


Martha Brockenbrough, author of Things That Make Us [Sic] and founder of SPOGG, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar:

I grappled with the idea of popularity in middle school, and realized it could come from wearing a certain type of clothes, having a certain type of hair, and more nebulously, projecting a certain kind of attitude. I was a little behind in the clothes department, but probably could have convinced my mom to buy me more stuff if I really wanted to. What I decided, though, was that I would rather not have to do some of the things I saw the really popular girls doing. I wanted to be popular, but I wanted to be liked for the positive stuff I did and the kind way I treated others. I wanted to transcend the social norms. It wasn't that I *didn't* want to be popular, though I'm sure I would have said at the time that I didn't care about it. I just didn't want to have to sell my soul for it.

It was painful at times. I got invited to a lot more parties in middle school. Some of those parties were annual events, and I felt it acutely when my name was no longer on the list. I heard people talking about who was there and what happened, and I had to erect a protective barrier around myself so that I wouldn't have to feel the pain of exclusion. In part, I protected myself with achievement. Even if I was not popular, I was still a good athlete. I was still smart. I still played music well. Also: I had a fierce perm, which was decade appropriate so do not judge. Few people had larger hair. It makes a fine piece of armor.

I'd say I still carry this barrier to a degree, and I have to remind myself that I'm perfectly likeable -- that my presence is welcome and that I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not to find friends. I don't seek popularity in the way that you'd define it in high school...there is no longer a cool lunch table, and no one I know checks the label of your pants to make sure they're an OK brand. But I still want people to love me for who I am, and I still carry fear that they won't.

It's funny. I'm a writer now ... I get fan mail and hate mail in equal quantities. My pulse races when I see new mail in the inbox, for fear it's someone hating how I think or write. I'm not going to change who I am or what I believe to win false friends, but I would love to be in a place -- 20 years after high school graduation--where I am not wounded by the rejection of others.

I really feel for people who are struggling with this, and I think this is one reason I have such love and compassion for teens and such affinity for YA literature.


Melissa Walker, author of the Violet books:

I admit it: I longed to be popular when I was a teenager. Outwardly, I made fun of certain cliques and pretended not to care when I wasn't included in certain parties, but the truth was, I wanted people to know me. More importantly, I wanted people to like me.

But what I know now (and oh, how I wish I knew it then!) is that the truly "popular" people were the ones who were confident enough to be nice to everyone around them. I was in LOVE with a guy named Jeff in high school. Why? Because he was on the football team, was cute, was smart, and - here's the key part - he actually talked to me. He smiled, said hi, took time to ask about my day. I realized that the other "popular people" were objects of my admiration in a superficial way, but Jeff was someone I truly liked because he was a confident and caring person. And that's always the best - and most lasting - kind of popular. We're still friends today!


Lorie Ann Grover, author of On Pointe:

I'm thinking middle school is when popularity is defined most narrowly. If you can grind through it, you will have the rest of your life to find your peeps. That's really the bottom line: find people that matter to you, those you can relate to.

If you find yourself in the "popular" group, know you have a much bigger responsibility. Your influence is wider and people are watching. Don't lose yourself to maintain your position. If you are tempted to do so, maybe you haven't found your peeps after all.

Once you find a group that has meaning to you, foster your friendships. Who cares if everyone knows or watches? You've found a place to nourish others and be nourished. That's what matters.

It's good to remember that whatever popularity is gained, there's always a bigger group out there that never recognizes it. Actors, statesmen, even countries pass from popularity and are forgotten. So, find your small corner of the world, and be a good friend. Matter to your peeps.


Dia Calhoun, author of Firegold:

I went to an alternative high school where the kids were so involved in individual pursuits and being individuals that there were no issues around popularity. Everyone was unique, and we were all pursuing interesting projects. The same was true at the ballet school where I took class every day. So I never tried to be popular, or felt that I was unpopular. I did worry about what other people thought of me, but that is a little different. The whole concept of popularity is a teen concern, which fades away once you become an adult. (Have you ever heard adults talk about trying to be popular?) I believe that if you just be who you are, and pursue your own interests, you will find friends.And being true friends with a few people is far more rewarding than being popular. The pressures of having to maintain popularity are enormous! Always worrying whether what you do or how you look will affect your popularity rating. This is existence for the sake of how others perceive you. You can never be authentic that way. Just be who you are!


Holly Cupala, author of A Light That Never Goes Out:

I think acceptance and community are basic human needs – too often, the popular community is perceived as more valuable when really, the most valuable community is one that supports you for who you are and helps you become who you were meant to be, and vice versa. I learned this the hard way, but luckily my true friends forgave me and are still in my life. Those kinds of friends are a gift for life.


HipWriterMama, member of postergirlz, the teen lit advisory council for readergirlz:

I will never forget my brushes with popularity during my high school years -- from the time one of the wrestling jocks had a major crush on me (!) in my freshman year, to when one of the most popular girls in my junior year became a true friend, to when a group of senior girls looked at me with a whole new set of eyes. All fascinating experiences for a girl who was not popular, who didn't always fit in.

I was one of those fortunate teens who could mingle with almost any group, but only in the fringes. To be in the core center of a group required an effort, a true belief that one belonged. I was a consummate rebel and unwilling to jump through hoops. Perhaps I was scared, or maybe I just didn't want to commit. It's funny, I'm really not sure now.

But I do know, looking back, that I always wanted to be accepted for who I was, not for what I represented. I hated being pigeon-holed as the Asian, the smart kid, the first chair violinist. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the people who were most likely to see me for who I was, were the teens I thought were the least likely to.

This knowledge has been invaluable over the years and has shaped how I interact with people. There are people who will defy the definition of what it means to be popular, what it means to be beautiful, or exceptional. Yes, there are those who will always play the popularity card to the hilt, and be the epitome of every teen angst movie out there, but there are also the people out there who yearn to be seen for themselves, who believe in letting others shine, of letting people have their moment, and being true.


Little Willow, readergirlz webdiva and member of postergirlz:

I was never the most popular girl in school, though I admit I was possibly the loudest - volume-wise, not sassy-wise. I'm naturally talkative and outgoing. I always knew what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew what I liked and what I didn't like, and no one could change my mind or my opinions. In high school, I knew a lot of people, and a lot of people knew me, but I didn't hang out with the same people all of the time. I often said I had a lot of acquaintances, but not a lot of close friends. That was and still is fine by me.

I once saw a poster that declared, "What's right is not always popular, and what's popular is not always right." As hokey as that sounds, I think it's true. I am a big fan of doing the right thing. I certainly hope that others like me, but I'm unwilling to change my beliefs, my plans, or my priorities to fit in. No way! I have a strong moral compass that I follow every day. My true north has nothing to do with popularity or fame and everything to do with personal truths and happiness.


Submit Your Feedback

How about you, gentle reader? What have been your experiences with popularity? Feel free to leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below or at Bildungsroman.

Long May She Reign Roundtable

Two readergirlz divas and two members of the postergirlz (our teen lit advisory council) recently got together to discuss Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White, our book pick for November 2008. Here's a sneak peek at the roundtable:

Little Willow: I was pleased to read a story with a female President of the United States. What did you think about Meg's mother? And her father, the First Gentlemen? And her little brothers?

Lorie Ann Grover: It was believable, I thought. Each character was equipped with skills and a personality fitted to the role carried in the story. And each acted accordingly with the trials they were presented. I think Meg's mom is an awesome president!

Dia Calhoun: Amazing the horrible dilemma her mother faced as president: duty to her country or duty to her daughter. I can't even begin to comprehend this. I thought Meg's relationship with her mother was realistically portrayed in all its complexity. I'm so glad they come together at the end of the book.

Jackie Parker: Each and every character around Meg had a backstory - a reason why they acted they way they did. EEW wasn't afraid of showing the repercussions of their humanity. It's staggering.

Want to read the entire discussion? Click here!