Guest Blog: Cecil Castellucci

In July 2009, we featured The Plain Janes written by Cecil Castellucci - art by Jim Rugg - as our main pick at readergirlz. (Please check out the Art Saves project we did, which was inspired by The Plain Janes.) This month, the postergirlz selected Cecil Castellucci's novel Beige to be one of the books recommended alongside May's main pick, Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee. I recently caught up with Cecil and asked her to share with us what's new with her. Without any further ado, here's Cecil!

Hello readergirlz!

It's nice to be back to say hello! I've been getting ready to launch my new YA novel, Rose Sees Red (Scholastic, August 2010), and my first picture book, Grandma's Gloves (Candlewick Press, August 2010).

I hope you have been having a lot of fun with the fantastic Lisa Yee! Her book Absolutely, Maybe is a perfect Los Angeles book. I loved Maybe and her journey, her hair, her friends, her spirit, and her tacos!

I was so excited to be a read-alike because Beige is also a book about Los Angeles. Lisa and I clearly both love our city and I think that in both of our books, the city is one of the characters as well. Clearly Hollywood has a certain magic to it. And both Maybe and Beige feel totally hopeless and this city gives them a tiny light to go on. That's the great thing about Los Angeles, or any place that makes and gets you dreaming. Hope.

I have had moments of hopelessness and despair and it is terrible. I have always felt that anything that can get you dreaming again is a lifeline. The thing about hope is that all you need is a little bit of it. Just to get you to the next moment, and the next, until suddenly, instead of floating on an ocean of despair, you are standing on an island. And the sun is out. And there is a coconut to eat. And you can breathe and recollect.

I think books are good entry ways to finding hope. So get reading! And remember, hope is always there to love you. It's right there, even when you think it's not. Swears-y.

~ Cecil Castellucci

TRW Tribute: Cecil Castellucci 10:30

"I know what I loved about reading when I was a teenager was that it made me feel grown up. I could travel anywhere, be anyone, and do anything. I loved that freedom and exploring those worlds. Teen Read Week is a great celebration of that, and a great reminder to teens that those voyages are there for the taking, right inside a book."

Cecil Castellucci

Art Saves: Cecil Castellucci

There's no better way to wrap up our Art Saves project for July than with a contribution from that month's featured author, Cecil Castellucci. She says:

I like it when I see street art on my walks. It makes my heart sing.

These are two things that I saw on my journey recently.


Click the thumbnail to see the full-sized image.

Thank You, Cecil Castellucci!

Here's a big merci to the awesome Cecil Castellucci for joining us at readergirlz this month! The Plain Janes is a wonder of a book, and we've loved all the art it's inspired.

Having Cecil, and illustrator Jim Rugg, here this month has been way awesome. Thank you, C and J, for spending time with readergirlz!

July: Roundup of Discussion Questions

Just in case you missed any of the discussion surrounding The Plain Janes or Janes in Love, here's the complete list. Feel free to weigh in on any topic you might have missed!

Welcome, Cecil Castellucci!
Are you a misfit?
What has changed your world?
What is your favorite kind of street art?
Rejecting the cool kids
Art or vandalism?
Friends who are different
rgz LIVE! with Cecil and Jim
Which Jane are you?
What's your passion?
How do you extend a hand?

July: How do you extend a hand?

The Janes invite James into their misfit group because he is alone. How do you extend a welcome hand to people who are left out or different than you?

July: What's Your Passion?

Cecil says, "All the Janes have a specific passion for something: art, theater, science, sports. Do you have a passion for something? What is it?"

July: Which Jane character are you?

Which Jane character do you think you are most like: Theater Jane, Main Jane, Brain Jane, or Sporty Jane?

Which Jane has the most awesome shoes?

July: rgz LIVE! with Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

Join the rgz divas, Cecil Castellucci, and Jim Rugg at 6:00 Pacific to chat about The Plain Janes and Janes in Love. Get ready to go graphic, rgz!

Chat with Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg TONIGHT!

Come back here to the the readergirlz blog TONIGHT, Wednesday, July 22nd at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST for a live chat with author Cecil Castellucci and illustrator Jim Rugg!

See you at the chat tonight!

July: Friends Who Are Different

Cecil says, "The Janes don't seem like they are going to be friends at first, because they are so different. Do you have friends that are very different from you? What do you love most about them?"

July: Art or vandalism?

Many of the townsfolk think that what the Janes do is vandalism. What are your thoughts about street art? Where is the line for you? What is art? What is vandalism?

July: Rejecting the Cool Kids

Cecil says, "Main Jane rejects the cool kids, why do you think she does that? What does cool mean anyway?"

July: What is your favorite kind of street art?

What is your favorite kind of street art? Have you ever made any street art? If so, what was it? If not, what would it be? Don't forget to participate in this month's rgz gallery!



Click here to download the Art Saves template, then print it out and get creative. Scan or photograph your final version and email it as a JPG to artsaves@slayground.net

Little Willow is uploading the images for us. Here's her original post. Thanks, LW! Now, back to the question...

July: Misfit, by Amy Studt

Little Willow pointed out how perfect this Amy Studt song Misfit is for The Plain Janes and Janes in Love. I love it, too!

Enjoy this with Cecil's fabbity playlist in the right sidebar. My fav is her own song, Beautiful Everything (Cecil Seaskull). What a beautiful voice! Woot!

Things to Know About Featured Author Cecil Castellucci

The awesome Cecil Castellucci, author of The Plain Janes, has shared a few things about herself with us:

Favorite bookstores:
Skylight Books, Los Angeles
Books of Wonder, NYC
Shakespeare and Co., Paris, France

Pets: Scout (cat)

Inspiration: The whole wide world and beautiful true people with good hearts.

Dream book tour: Me and Jack Kerouac.

Cure for writer's block: Chocolate cures everything. So do bubble baths.

Favorite outfit: A ball gown. But that is not practical, so it's jeans and a Gama-Go T-shirt.

Author idol: Jane Austen

I am loving Cecil! A ball gown, good hearts and Scout the cat! Awesome. Find out more about her on readergirlz.com!

The Plain Janes art gallery

Thanks to Jim Rugg for this art gallery, which includes images from The Plain Janes, Janes in Love, and never-before-seen pages from Janes Go Summer, the third volume which Cecil & Jim had started working on before the Minx line of comics was cancelled.

Click any thumbnail below to open the full-sized image in a new window.

   
   
   

To learn more about the books and see even more images, check out the July issue of readergirlz!

Have questions about the art of Janes, or about drawing graphic novels? Ask the artist directly! Jim Rugg will be joining author Cecil Castellucci for this month's rgz LIVE! chat, which will be held right here at the readergirlz blog on Wednesday, July 22nd at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST. Hope you'll join us, too!

July: What Has Changed Your World?

Main Jane was in a terrorist attack and it changed her whole world. Cecil asks, "Has something big or small ever happened to you that made you see everything differently and change the way you deal with the world?"

July: Are you a misfit?

Cecil says, "The Janes are all misfits. How do you feel you are a misfit?" Or do you, rgz?

Art Saves! Get Involved!

How do you think Art Saves? Show us! Click here to download the Art Saves template, then print it out and decorate it however you'd like. Scan or photograph the final version and email it to us as a JPG.

You are not limited to the template, nor must you draw something. Make this your own special Art Attack! Send us your sketches, collages, photos - anything you think represents the thought that Art Saves. We'll post contributions at the readergirlz blog all month long, then archive them at the readergirlz website at the end of July.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Take a picture of your favorite bookstore, your best friends, or your pets.
- Piece together a tote bag made out of old clothes.
- Draw with chalk on your sidewalk. (Try making shadow outlines like those in Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian, one of this month's rec reads!)
- Gather with friends, dress up as the Janes, and recreate the book cover.
- Set up a park or beach clean-up day.
- Run/walk a marathon for a good cause and sing or dance every time you finish a lap.
- Go to an animal shelter, ask if you may take pictures of the critters and make posters to help get them adopted.
- Volunteer at a local library or hospital during arts-and-crafts time.

Don't stop there - Pay it forward! If you're a teen, make copies of the template (on recycled paper, naturally) and pass them out to your friends. If you're a teacher or librarian, distribute copies to your students or patrons, and have a drop-box where they may turn in their completed pages. Parents, break out the markers and crayons and have each member of your family make his or her own art - or have everyone contribute to the same picture!

Psst . . . Cecil Castellucci is also drawing up a little something for this, and we can't wait to see what she comes up with! The readergirlz divas and postergirlz are also getting in on the action, as are some of your favorite contemporary YA authors, artists, activists, and bloggers. Keep checking the rgz blog throughout July to see their designs!

Update: All of the Art Saves contributions have been added to the July 2009 issue of readergirlz. You may also see each piece at the blog: Click here to view all of the Art Saves posts.