rgz NYC HOST: Jenny Han's We'll Always Have Summer Release Party!

At Books of Wonder, among Han-made cupcakes and beer, we celebrated the release of Jenny Han's We'll Always Have Summer!

See below for pics of the food (pigs in a blanket went FAST), fellow authors Coe Booth and Bennett Madison and the lovely-in-white Jenny, and, of course, the Pajants (they were total photo hogs, insisting on pictures with both Jenny and the awesome Coe Booth).

Congrats on the release, Jenny! 

Jenny reads a particularly hilarious passage... that ends with a cliffhanger! Conrad!

Blue Moon beer...

Bennett Madison and super S&S Editor Zareen Jaffery (does B not have amazing hair?). 

Jenny made cupcakes!

Pigs in a blanket get fancy on a silver tray!

Coe, my baby bump, and the Pajants

Jenny, humoring me and the Pajants.

August: Roundup of Discussions

And here are all the posts dedicated to Kendra and Coe this month. If you missed any, click the link, check it out, and drop a comment!

Our August Newsflash!
Welcome, Coe Booth
postergirlz companion recommended reads
guest blog: Tanita S. Davis
guest blog: Sherri L. Smith
Kendra: Lorie Ann
guest blog: Paula Chase
rgz LIVE! chat transcript

Discussions:
Being a young mother
How close are you to your parents?
Discovering your talents
Overprotected?
Friend drama
Getting physical
What makes a good father?
NYC, South Bronx
Thank you, Coe Booth!

Thank You, Coe Booth!

Here's a big THANK YOU to the amazing Coe Booth for joining us at readergirlz this month! Things we learned about Coe include:

1. She never outlines--she wings it and lets the story take her where it wants to go!
2. At first, Coe didn't think writing was a career. "I thought people just wrote books for fun," she says. "So I went to school and got a master's degree in psychology!"
3. She gets feedback from her writer friends, The Longstockings!

We had so much fun this month!

August: NYC's South Bronx

So many people in the chat commented about Coe's books being set in the Bronx. Have you ever been? What city would end up almost being a character in your stories? Give a shout out here!

Book Party With Kendra!

Kendra is big into set design, so author Coe Booth thought up some great ways to have a Book Club party that's themed just for this month's featured read. Her awesome ideas:

Invite: Playbill-designed evites, inviting guests "Backstage at the Theatre!"

Food: Kendra has a bit of a sweet tooth, so serve her favorite snacks: Chick-o-Sticks, small cups filled with dry Lucky Charms and other sweet cereals, and (of course) Devil Dogs!

Décor: Hang large sketches and blueprints of set designs. Place wooden miniature models of various theatrical sets on tables all around the room.

Movies: High School Musical, Fame, and the TV show Glee

Craft: Provide paint, paintbrushes, and artist smocks. Have partygoers paint the model sets during the party.

rgz LIVE! with Coe Booth

Welcome, everyone, to our live chat with Coe Booth! Here is your chance to ask Coe questions about her fabulous book KENDRA, or just find out her favorite flavor of ice cream. So, let's go! CoverItLive will go live at the top of the hour...

Tonight: rgz LIVE! with Coe Booth!

Make no mistake, Coe will be in the rgz house in just a few hours to chat with us at rgz LIVE! at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern!

August: Fathers

Kendra's father Kenny has strengths and weaknesses as a father. What traits are most important to you in a father?

rgz LIVE! with Coe Booth on Wednesday!

Don't forget, readergirlz: our rgz LIVE! chat with Coe Booth is coming up on Wednesday at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern. Don't miss the fun!

August: Getting physical

Kendra has a physical relationship with Nashawn early on. Is this common among your friends or do things move more slowly? Which is best for you?

Things to Know About Featured Author Coe Booth

The lovely Coe Booth, author of Kendra, has shared a few things about herself with us:

Favorite drink while you write: French vanilla coffee

Favorite bookstores: Strand bookstore

Favorite library: NYPL Bronx Library Center

Inspiration: Eavesdropping on people, especially on trains. Also, people-watching around the city.

Dream book tour: Traveling around the country in a rock-star-type tour bus!

Cure for writer's block: Loud music, Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone ice cream!

Favorite outfit: Broken-in jeans and pretty tops.

Stilettos or Uggs? Ugh. Neither. I'm a flip-flops kind of girl!

Next up: The sequel to Tyrell (fall 2010)

We can't wait for more Coe books! Keep drinking that French Vanilla Coffee, Coe! Find out more about her on readergirlz.com.

August: Friend Drama

Have you ever been in a position where you wanted to do something you knew would cause problems between you and a good friend? How did you resolve that issue?

August 2009, Thoughts on Kendra: Lorie Ann

Why did I first reach for Kendra? Well, there was Coe's amazing reputation through Tyrell, and now she had chosen a female protagonist. Perfect! We need more female African American characters. The scale seems to tip to the male's experience.

I immediately was engaged by the baby mama story fourteen years down the road, from the child's point of view. What a fresh perspective, right?

The story problems are stacked one on another. What does a child do when a mother continues to place herself first. What does one do with an overbearing grandparent? Sexual attraction? Vast disappointment?

The rgz divas were psyched to try to feature this work. Thankfully, Coe was back from Switzerland.

Kendra is bringing great discussion to rgz. Thanks, Coe! Here's to more days ahead and rgz LIVE!

August: Overprotected?

Nana is very overprotective of Kendra. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of an overprotective guardian?

August: Discovering Your Talents

Although she has always had a habit of doodling house designs, Kendra discovers a whole new creative outlet when she joins the stage crew. What talents do you have? Is there a new way you can use these talents that you haven't explored yet?

August: Stayteen.org

Kendra's mom wasn't alone in having a baby at the age of 14. In the U.S., statistics show that three out of every 10 teenage girls will get pregnant at least once before turning 20.

Visit www.stayteen.org for more teen pregnancy statistics, along with information about abstinence (the only 100% effective way not to get pregnant) and contraception.

If you haven't already watched MTV’s 16 and Pregnant series, catch up by downloading full episodes here. The hour-long documentaries offer an eye-opening view of teen pregnancy that complement Coe Booth's fabulous book, Kendra. Join in on teen pregnancy discussions on MTV’s message boards.

August: How close are you to your parents?

Throughout the book, Kendra wishes to get closer to her mother. Do you wish you were closer to one of your parents? What steps can you take to strengthen this bond?

August: Being a Young Mother

Renée had Kendra when she was only fourteen years old. What do you think are some of the challenges of being such a young mother?

August 2009: rgz Newsflash!

We are showering birdseed on diva Melissa Walker! She just got married! Here’s to a lifetime of love, Melissa. And postergirl Jackie Parker must have caught the bouquet. She’s engaged! We are happy for you, ladies!

rgz welcomes Coe Booth!
In August we are chatting with Coe Booth and highlighting her intense, thought-provoking novel, Kendra. Discuss related topics all month at the rgz blog. rgz LIVE! with Coe will be held there on August 26th at 6 pm Pacific/9 pm Eastern.



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Postergirlz recommend!

Here are the postergirlz recommended reads to accompany Kendra:

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis
Violet by Design by Melissa Walker
So Not the Drama by Paula Chase
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
GirlForce by Nikki Goldstein



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Sneak Peek TBD ’10!

Diva Lorie Ann Grover had an amazing time representing rgz at ALA 2009. She met with Loriene Roy, the past president of ALA, the American Indian Library Association, and the The Office for Literacy and Outreach Services about Operation Teen Book Drop '10. The Diversity Fair brought TBD to the attention of many. With such support and enthusiasm, we are going to rock the drop next April. Get ready, rgz! If you are a publisher wanting to participate, e-mail diva Dia Calhoun at diacalhoun @ msn.com.

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August Community Service


Kendra’s mom wasn’t alone in having a baby at the age of 14. Statistics show that in the U.S., three out of every ten teenage girls will get pregnant at least once before turning twenty. Visit http://www.stayteen.org/ for more teen pregnancy information and share it with your community.

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Did you catch the gorgeous gallery postgirl Little Willow put together for us last month? The participation was exceptional in honor of the theme Art Saves and Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg’s graphic novels, The Plain Janes and Janes in Love. Check them out!


As always, if you have any suggestions for our award-winning online book community, contact us at divas@readergirlz.com.

Thanks for joining us as we read, reflect, and reach out!

Best in books,
the readergirlz divas~

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

www.readergirlz.com
readergirlz blog
rgz Twitter

Welcome, Coe Booth!

We are thrilled to welcome Coe Booth to readergirlz. Her fabulous novel, Kendra, is our August pick! Check out the our interview with Coe, book party ideas themed around Kendra, and our Reach Out project idea--as well as the awesome soundtrack Coe's chosen for the book--on readergirlz.com.

Here's a little about the book:

Kendra's mom, Renee, had her when she was only 14 years old. Renee and her mom made a deal - Renee could get an education, and Kendra would live with her grandmother. But now Renee's out of grad school and Kendra's in high school . . . and getting into some trouble herself. Kendra's grandmother lays down the law: It's time for Renee to take care of her daughter. Kendra wants this badly - even though Renee keeps disappointing her. Being a mother isn't easy, but being a daughter can be just as hard.

And the buzz...

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2007

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

NYPL Stuff for the Teenage

"Booth delivers dynamic characters and an engaging story." - School Library Journal

We are beyond psyched! Join us all month right here on the blog for discussions and mark your calendars a LIVE chat with Coe on Wednesday, August 26th at 6pm PST/9pm EST.

Happy August, readergirlz!