The One Child Policy: Firstborn and The Only Child

From the collection of Gendercide Posters on Polyvore 
by Lorie Ann Grover

At the close of October, China announced an end to their One Child Policy. According to the New York Times, Chris Buckley, October 29, 2015:

BEIJING — Driven by fears that an aging population could jeopardize China’s economic ascent, the Communist Party leadership ended its decades-old “one child” policy on Thursday, announcing that all married couples would be allowed to have two children.

The decision was a dramatic step away from a core Communist Party position that Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader who imposed the policy in the late 1970s, once said was needed to ensure that “the fruits of economic growth are not devoured by population growth.”

For China’s leaders, the controls were a triumphant demonstration of the party’s capacity to reshape even the most intimate dimensions of citizens’ lives. But they bred intense resentment over the brutal intrusions involved, including forced abortions and crippling fines, especially in the countryside.

The efforts to limit family size also led to a skewed sex ratio of males to females, because traditional rural families favor boys over girls, sometimes even resorting to infanticide to ensure they have a son.

The One Child Policy is what motivated my writing of Firstborn. I was appalled that the practice of gendercide was still occurring in many countries around the world. The book was welcomed with a starred review from Kirkus and is now available in paperback.



Another book recently came across my desk: The Only Child, by Guojing. An illustrator from the Shanxi Province of China, she brings to the page her own memories of isolation in a wordless, graphic picture book. With starred reviews from Kirkus and PW, the book is resonating the loneliness that grew from China's earlier legislation. The black and white artwork is beautiful and captivating.



According to the Author's Note:

"The story in this book is fantasy, but it reflects the very real feelings of isolation and loneliness I experienced growing up in the 1980s under the one-child policy in China."

In celebration, we applaud the reform in China. If you'd like to make an impact, readergirlz, there are organizations dedicated to helping women carry their daughters to full term. One Christian organization is All Girls Allowed. Of course, there are many ways to #ReadReflectandReachout if you hold a different persuasion. The It's a Girl movie will do much to help you understand the worldwide situation.

As I sign copies of Firstborn, "Let them live!"

Firstborn
By Lorie Ann Grover
Blink YA Books, 2015

The Only Child
By Guojing
Schwartz & Wade Books, 2015

rgz Newsflash: International Day of the Girl, October 11

Just caught this early shout out from iheartdaily:

Just two years ago, the United Nations declared October 11th to be International Day of the Girl. The UN has said, “Girls face discrimination and violence every day across the world. The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.”   

This year's theme is "Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence."

Amen to that! Bravo, to the United Nations for this intentional focus. With their estimate of 200 million girls missing around the world due to gendercide, dowry infractions, and forced abortions of girls we need to stop and think and act.


Since the publication of FIRSTBORN, inspired by my outrage over gendercide, I've been trumpeting the work of All Girls Allowed. The nonprofit funds young women, pregnant with females, so they can carry their babies full term and keep them. They work to stop the intentional annihilation of girls. And then there's the Global Gendercide Advocacy and Awareness Project who takes internships, rgz! Or there's the movie which is absolutely chilling. Take a look at the trailer for IT'S A GIRL and then watch the full movie on NETFLIX.



I created a collection of posters on Polyvore to draw attention to gendercide. You can see the full group of 30 by clicking here. Share them and raise awareness.



Celebrate INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL! Read, reflect, and reach out, rgz!

Watch for It: Remnants, Season of Wonder

Just finished Remnants: Season of Wonder by Lisa Bergren and wanted to give rgz a heads up to watch for it. Talk about a fierce female protagonist. Andriana, a gifted Remnant, teamed with her Knight, Ronan, join the elite teen group of Ailith who are charged to heal the world. Set in the future, following the The Great War, the small band goes questing for their rightful leader.

Even as an empath, Andriana doesn't hold back from fighting her own battles. The conflicts are physical, intense, and realistic. The reader has to wonder if Bergren is a kick boxer herself.

Quick quotes that held great meaning to me:

"The road became more a series of unified elements, a path that led us forward rather than a barrage of threatening blocks."

"Every time I give in to concern about tomorrow, even my next hour, I rob this hour, this day of strength, peace."

One note: Andriana visits a society practicing gendercide. Bergren gives the fullest ramifications of the practice. What a complimentary work to my own Firstborn. Want to know more and reach out? Check out It's a Girl movie on Netflix, Instant View.

Can't wait for Remnants: Season of Fire, Jan. 15, 2015!

Remnants: Season of Wonder
by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Blink, 2014

7 Things You Might Not Know About Me: Lorie Ann Grover

Happy 7th birthday, rgz! Here are 7 Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I loooove rocking Doc Martins.
2. I was a fine art major, with a sculpture emphasis, at The University of Miami before I turned to publishing.
3. I love dressing retro, including wearing crinolines.
4. I once created 100 paintings for Cherry Coke's internet game, Time Tremors.
5. I usually write board books in the car.
6. Due to lupus, I love dark, rainy days.
7. I heart matcha green tea!

Oh, and here's my quote:

Enjoy the celebration this month and share your favorite, handwritten book quotes on the rgz facebook page! xox

Read, Reflect, and Reach Out: Gendercide

Hey readergirlz,

As a community which reads, reflects, and reaches out, I have to share the impetus for my lastest novel, Firstborn. In 2004 I happened upon a snippet of an article which spoke of ekthesis, the word for infant exposure in Greek antiquity. I was dumbfounded to learn that girls were still being left in the elements to die, just because they were female. Today we use the term gendercide, and over 37 million girls are missing in China alone, due to the One Child Policy.

Having learned of the modern practice, my rage looked for a place to turn. The release came through writing. What if I could create a fictional story illustrating a society practicing gendercide? What if that story could raise awareness and sympathy, and ultimately action against the horror? I began to write Firstborn.

Just think for a moment, how many readergirlz' lives would have been threatened or forfeited by the practice of gendercide if each had been born in another situation? The United Nations estimates 200 million girls are missing worldwide.

There are things to do. You can make an impact. Start by watching It’s a Girl movie. It's Instant View on Netflix. Share the link, the trailer, and your reactions.



Grow familiar with the Global Gendercide Advocacy and Awareness Project. They offer internships! Visit All Girls Allowed, where you can learn the latest news and sponsor a mother carrying a female child.

I am sharing posters I created on Polyvore across social media for 30 days. I'm gathering them in an album on my Facebook Author Page hoping they will be shared and awareness will grow.

Gendercide is an atrocity. Don't look away. Read, reflect, and reach out, rgz. May they all be allowed to live.

Cover Stories: Firstborn by Lorie Ann Grover!

Our beloved Lorie Ann Grover, a co-founder of readergirlz.com, is the soul behind this site. Her spirit, her love of reading and her writing... Well, let's just say we all look up to her mucho. Her latest novel, Firstborn, already has a star from Kirkus. And she has this to say about it: 

"Firstborn originally sprang from an article I read on gendercide. Over 37 million girls are missing today due to China’s One Child Policy. Visit Global Gendercide Advocacy Alliance Project or All Girls Allowed to learn more and act."

And now, her Cover Story:

"I’m so honored to be included in Melissa’s Cover Stories! I have to say, we authors usually sit at home holding our breath, waiting for our cover reveal from the publishing house. On rare cases we are able to interject a thought before the creation. In On Pointe I was able to ask for a specific type of toe shoe to be portrayed (read that epic Cover Story!). Even more unusual is the request for a correction after the image is designed. Upon seeing the cover for Loose Threads, I asked for embroidery needles to be replaced by knitting needles, in keeping with the story. My request was granted. But as I waited for the unveiling of the Firstborn cover, I prepared to give zero input. Zero. Like normal.

"What a delight to not have a speck of criticism. When I opened the cover file for Firstborn, I was blown away! I remember sitting in amazement that Mike Heath from Magnus Creative had caught the atmosphere, the character, the place with his art. The font itself conveyed the angst and aggressiveness I had hoped to convey within the story. There was my moment of awe, followed by chills, a prayer of thanks, a happy dance, and then a call to my family to see and share my first fantasy cover.

"When I’m working on a novel, at the start or shortly after, I’ll often create a vision board to help me capture those first impressions and hold onto them through the process to publication. I’ll tear out images of characters, the setting, and objects from magazines and books. Then I compose the pieces into a unified whole. This is the vision board I created for Firstborn:

"I believe the essence of my board lies in the Blink cover, which was created before I shared this image with the team. "

"I’m incredibly blessed to be working with such a talented team at Blink. I appreciate that they have visually brought my story to the cover. It’s a perfect bridge to the reader."

Thanks, LA! Cannot WAIT to read this book (which is out this week!).

rgz Newsflash: ALA Midwinter Hello

Hello from ALA Midwinter, rgz! I saw a lot of YALSA teens on the floor yesterday, and I was happy to share readergirlz buttons. So many cheerful faces, square glasses, and books bulging in bags. Thanks for dropping by the Blink booth for Firstborn. Such a great celebration. Super fun to see postergirl Jackie Parker Robinson, as well!

Okay, in anticipation of the awards tomorrow morning, check out this video of some of your childhood favorites. We'd like to see a similar video for the Printz!



Here's to the festivities and thanks to all the librarians for their work in selecting this year's winners!

Bad Reviews Read by Authors

As the launch of my fantasy approaches, I await good and bad reviews from readers. It's just the case that every book is not going to connect with every reader. However, I found this video, recommended by FUSE#8 on Sunday, along with my Firstborn trailer. Seriously, it gives great perspective in the midst of the journey. So yes, thanks for talking about our books in every way, rgz!



This is just part one. Go to Marc Tyler Nobleman's blog for more!

rgz Newsflash: Co-founder's Trailer at Hypable

So excited to share my trailer for FIRSTBORN! Right now it's an exclusive at Hypable.


We'll do a Cover Story soon with Diva Melissa Walker. Thanks for celebrating with me! And thanks to Kirkus for the starred review. Happy holidays, rgz!