September: Obsessing Over a Guy

Maureen says, "Scarlett becomes obsessed with Eric, to the point where her friends want to sit on her and shake her to make her stop talking about him. Have you ever felt that way about someone, or have you had to sit on/shake any friends who were behaving like Scarlett?"

Cover Stories: My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours by Kristina Springer

Kristina Springer's My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours is out this week, and she's here to share her short and sweet Cover Story:

"I didn't have any cover ideas at all! I couldn't even begin to think of what would fit my book so I pretty much think the FSG art department is full of geniuses because my cover turned out way cute.
"When I first saw my cover, I loved, loved, loved it! They asked for comments, but I think I pretty much just said 'OMG, I love it!'

"The cover changed such a tiny bit that I never even noticed. My husband pointed out to me that one of the phrases on the cover of an early image wasn't on the final book.

"Overall, I love it so much--I think it's cute andfun and fits the book perfectly."

Thanks, Kristina! I love how the cover is actually like packaging that would be hanging in a store--just noticed that. It's a cover that makes you want to keep looking at it for new hilarity. See the sides, flaps and back cover at Kristina's blog.

What do you guys think?

Little Willow's Book Bag

This Week's Picks
The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt
A Paddling of Ducks: Animals in Groups From A to Z by Marjorie Blain Parker and Joseph Kelly (for your younger siblings)
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl (for actors and mythology buffs)

This Month's Spotlighted Title
Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson

Rgz Salon: Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman, Reviewed by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Rgz SALON member Lyn Miller-Lachmann has been the Editor-in-Chief of MultiCultural Review; the author of the award-winning multicultural bibliography Our Family, Our Friends, Our World; the editor of Once Upon a Cuento, a collection of short stories by Latino authors; and most recently, the author of Gringolandia, a young adult novel about a refugee family living with the aftermath of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. The book is now in it's second print run and available for order (if you have trouble finding it, don't worry--the second run is on its way)! And don't forget to read the fascinating Cover Story for Gringolandia.

We're honored to have Lyn here as part of the rgz SALON, a feature where four of the top kidlit experts clue us in to the best YA novels they've read recently. Today, she reviews Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman (Scholastic, 2010). Incidentally, Life, After also has a great Cover Story.

Here's Lyn:

"When I went to Ground Zero several weeks after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and saw the tributes sent to New York City from all over the world, I thought of how this terrible event brought the United States into a global community that had suffered similar devastation. Here in our large, prosperous country, set apart from much of the world by two oceans, we are accustomed to feeling safe, above the turmoil that is a fact of life for most of the world’s populations, past and present. We never experienced in our homeland the devastation of two world wars, the dropping of the atomic bomb on a civilian population, the state terror visited upon the people of Chile following the 'other September 11' of 1973, and the regular terrorist bombings of buses, fast food restaurants, theaters, and nightclubs in places as disparate as Israel, India, Russia, and the Philippines.

"Through complex, realistic characters, Sarah Darer Littman makes that global connection in Life, After. Sixteen-year-old Daniela (Dani) Bensimon and her family have endured much in their native Argentina. When Dani was seven, her pregnant Aunt Sara died in the terrorist bombing of the Argentina-Israeli Mutual Aid Association (AMIA) in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994. Then, in the financial crisis of 2001-02, her family’s clothing store went out of business. Now Dani’s father sits on the living room sofa in the throes of chronic depression, her mother endures a perilous journey to her low-wage job amid violent food riots, the electricity in their apartment has been cut off, and instead of being charity donors, the family is now charity recipients. The family’s only hope is to move to the United States, but that requires adjusting to a new language and culture and continued poverty. A classmate humiliates Dani for wearing her hand-me-down clothes, and her only lunch companion is a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome who is fascinated by world geography. Dani learns that the boy is the twin of the girl who humiliated her, and behind her anger and his secret journal that Dani rescues from a pack of bullies lies the death of their father in the 9/11 attacks the previous year.

"Littman probes the aftermath of two senseless events with depth and sensitivity, creating three memorable characters and compelling relationships between Dani and Jess and Jon Nathanson. Also effective, though at times static and repetitive, is her portrayal of Dani’s efforts to help her depressed father, who had not recovered from the death of his sister in the AMIA bombing when the failure of his business dealt a second blow. Readers learn of a little-known terrorist attack, and through Littman’s nuanced storytelling come to realize the common hurt and humanity of those who have survived the inhumanity of terrorism, whether they come from faraway lands or our hometown." -Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Here's the trailer for the book as well:

Photo Friday: Polyvore, On Pointe

My daughter pointed me to Polyvore, and I'm loving it! Definitely check it out. I use it as a form of collage for artistic expression. Here's one of my latest works as I was thinking about my novel. Happy Photo Friday, rgz!

September: The Mrs. Mystery

Maureen says, "Mrs. Amberson, Scarlett's eccentric boss, never explains the 'Mrs.' part of her name. Any theories on who she might be married to, if she is married at all?"

Follow up: Have you ever known someone who went by a title (Captain John! Countess Elizabeth!) that didn't seem to have any official meaning?

Story Secrets: LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden + giveaway!

I'm so excited to get to host debut author Denise Jaden today, author of the brand spanking, on the shelf as of Tuesday, LOSING FAITH!

I had the priviledge of meeting Denise when I went to NYC for Book Expo America and landed at the Class of 2K10 event at Books of Wonder! Denise read a bit from LOSING FAITH, and I was hooked. Then I found out she only lives a couple of hours away from me. So I not only gained a friend, I gained a YA neighbor!

Please help me congratulate Denise on her debut...all about sisters and secrets, and a story I can't wait to chat with Denise about!

*****

After Brie’s sister, Faith, dies in a mysterious accident, Brie uncovers her sister’s role in a dark and twisted religious cult…a cult that now wants Brie as a member.

Where did the story idea originate?

I wanted to write an unusual story about sisters, and I came up with the idea of one sister realizing how little she really knew her sister after her death. From there, I talked it through with my critique partner until I discovered Faith’s secrets. I lost a close friend of my own when I was sixteen, and I think that also, in part, was inspiration for the story...

Learn more about Denise's secrets and enter to win LOSING FAITH here...

~Holly Cupala

September: Little Sisters

Maureen says, "Marlene, Scarlett's younger sister who once had cancer, gets away with a lot of bad behavior. Do you think she's entitled?"

Rgz Salon: Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams, reviewed by Sharon Levin

Awesome book reviewer/book evangelist Sharon Levin is here as part of the rgz SALON, a feature where four of the top kidlit experts clue us in to the best YA novels they've read recently. Today, she reviews Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams (Simon & Schuster, 2010).

Here's Sharon:

"In one moment
it is over:
In one moment
it is gone.
The morning grows
thin, gray

and our lives—
how they were—
have vanished.Our lives have
changed

when I walk
in on Lizzie
my sister
holding a shotgun.

She fingers the trigger.

Looks up.
My sister.
My sister just looks
up at me.

Touching
the trigger

of that gun.

"And so begins Glimpse the impossible to put down novel by Carol Lynch Williams.

"Ever since Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust we have seen an upsurge in ‘verse novels’ and I’ve known friends who will often dismiss a book unread as they say, 'Oh no, I’m not reading another of those.'

"If they do that with Glimpse they will miss out on an amazing reading experience made more intense because of the spare text, the white space and the tight, tight verse.

"Hope and Lizzie are sisters who are amazingly close. Their father got killed in a motorcycle accident when they were very young and their mother is full of pain, blame and often, beer.

"Once, when Hope and Lizzie were almost six and seven, their mother returned after working all night and looked at her girls,

Then she said,
It is your job,
Liz,
to take care of your
little sister.

And you, Hope,
Momma said
her finger pointing like
she meant it,
you take care of Lizzie.

You hear me?

"And with that, she places the responsibility for the sisters squarely on each other’s shoulders (and off of hers).

"It works for quite a while. Hope and Lizzie adore each other, they have a neighbor, Miss Freeman, who looks out for them and who says to their mother, 'Ms. Chapman, I love these girls like they was my own.'

"Glimpse moves back and forth between present (with Lizzie in a mental hospital) and past, showing a happier time and the disintegration of that time, even while Hope doesn’t fully realize what is happening, because Lizzie is still doing her job and taking care of/protecting Hope (and wow, I didn’t realize the significance of her name until I wrote that sentence – Lizzie’s goal is hanging on to hope/Hope).

"Hope, and the reader, come to realize what has been happening even while we try to remain in denial over the horrors of Lizzie’s life.

"Glimpse is heartbreaking, inspiring and unputdownable (new word). After finishing the book, I just sat and let it soak in for awhile. Even now, whenever I see Glimpse on the shelf, I think, 'That is one AMAZING book' and I find myself wishing Hope and Lizzie well."

Cover Stories: The Aristobrats by Jennifer Solow (Win the book!)

This week, Jennifer Solow is here with her new novel, The Aristobrats, out next week. It's got a perfectly preppy cover with gorgeous blues, greens and a grosgrain ribbon!

A lot of thought went into this cover, so here's Jennifer to share the story (comment on melissacwalker.com for a chance to win the book -- three winners will be chosen on Wednesday!):

"It starts something like this: The email arrives in your Inbox. The subject line: The Cover. I love it! What do you think? There's a PDF attachment. You try and breathe, practice mindful meditation, give up all unrealistic expectations, keep an open mind. You say to yourself, I will be positive. I will not react like a crazy person. I will not do the Diva Dance (clutch phone, march around living room, wave color printouts in air, sweat).

"Needless to say, I never listen to my own advice!

"The best book covers I think look effortless, like they just sort of burst out from the story and landed there on the bookshelf. I adore the cover of this book and its breezy, effortless look. Diva Dance notwithstanding, I was amazed and delighted at how dedicated my publisher was to getting to a solution we all loved. Effortless? Don't think so. Worth it? Absolutely.

"The Aristobrats is about four close friends who've been waiting their whole lives for eighth grade. It's finally their big year and they're determined to set a good example for the underpopular. With main characters who are undyingly loyal and, hello...nice, it's a kind of anti-Clique book in my mind. (Mean girls are so two-thousand-and-late!) The uber-preppy world of their story was inspired by my own experience at prep school: Madras plaid, Tiffany lockets, grosgrain ribbon watchbands, L.L. Bean Blucher moccasins, wool duffel coats. I felt like there was something in that world of preppiness that would make for a unique and appealing cover.

"Getting the style pitch-perfect was as crucial to the cover as it was to the characters in the story. But while these details were part of my own DNA, they were practically impossible for anyone else to truly understand. I knew it was my responsibility to show the cover design team what I meant. I needed to create a visual vocabulary..."

Read the rest of Jennifer's Cover Story, and enter for a chance to win the book, at melissacwalker.com.

Seeking Participants for Suite Scarlett / Scarlett Fever Roundtable

If you're digging this month's books, Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson, we'd love for you to participate in an online roundtable discussion.

It's really easy to do. Just leave a comment below with your email address. Next week, I will send you an invite through Google Docs, where you may respond to some basic discussion questions to get things started. Then add in questions of your own, and check the document every couple of days throughout the month to respond to questions and comments from other readers. Google Docs is available 24/7, so you may keep adding to the discussion any time an idea strikes you until we wrap things up in late September. I'll post the complete roundtable at both the Bildungsroman and readergirlz blogs at the close of the month.

Check out previous roundtables to see how they work.

Check out the September issue of readergirlz for more about the books and their author.

September: Sibling Issues

Maureen says, "Spencer and his sister Scarlett are normally very close, but he gets very angry with her when he finds out about her dating his friend Eric. Why do you think this is?"

Cover Stories: Delacroix Academy by Inara Scott

Today, Inara Scott is here to tell us about the cover of her new book, Delacroix Academy.

Here's Inara:

"I dreamed, as all authors do, of having the perfect cover. But I really didn't know what that might be. I knew it had to have gates on it -- the Delcroix gates play a significant role in the book, and they have a high creepy factor. ;-) So I definitely hoped they would make an appearance. Other than that, I didn't know exactly what I wanted. I did know I didn't want a couple of stock models kissing. Especially not stock models without heads. Or faces. (shudder)

"I seem to recall them asking if I had any ideas, and I pretty much said exactly what I said above -- I'm hoping you come up with something amazing and cool, but I have no idea what that might be. LOL.

"When I first saw the cover, I ADORED it. Still do. I absolutely love love love it. Am I gushing? Let me gush some more...."

Read the rest of Inara's Cover Story, and see a trailer for the book, at melissacwalker.com.

Circle of Stars

Here's a review of our featured authors since March, 2009! Catch the full issues archived at the rgz website. WOW! Rock on, rgz!

March 2009, Mary Pearson
April 2009, Ellen Hopkins
May 2009, Laura Resau
June 2009, Sara Zarr
July 2009, Cecil Castellucci
August 2009, Coe Booth
September 2009, Kristin Cashore
October 2009, Libba Bray
November 2009, Marlene Carvell
December 2009, Tamora Pierce
January 2010, E. Lockhart
February 2010, Sharon Draper
March 2010, Scott Westerfeld
April 2010, Deb Caletti
May 2010, Lisa Yee
June 2010, John Green
July 2010, Ally Carter
August 2010, Holly Cupala
September 2010, Laini Taylor

Cover Stories: The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk

The hilarious Josh Berk is here to share his Cover Story for The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, which is a cartoon right now but will soon be a real boy...

Take it away, Josh!

"I'm not at all good at what you would call the visual arts. I can't draw or paint and I don't have a good eye for color. For example, one time my wife asked me to name the color of the walls in our apartment (we were not in the apartment at the time, but we were living there) and I simply could not do it. I had no idea! Turns out they were bright green and I had been living there for two years and never really noticed.

"You see my point.

"Anyway, so when people asked me if I gave input on the cover of my book or had ideas about the cover or anything like that, I always say 'none whatsoever, and that's a good thing.' I literally had no ideas and I literally gave no input. I figured I'd let the professional cover artists and jacket designers and so forth do their thing, free of input from an author who doesn't even know the colors of his own walls.

"So the first thing that happened once we got to 'cover time' was that my editor sent me an email stating that the artist had been chosen, and it was Philippe Petit-Roulet.

I had no idea who that was, other than that it sounded very French and thus impressive..."

Read the rest of Josh's story, and see his spine!, at melissacwalker.com.

Little Willow's Book Bag

This Week's Picks
The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall
Someday, This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron
By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

For Your Younger Siblings
Splinters by Kevin Sylvester
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

This Month's Spotlighted Title
Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson

September: Things to Know about Maureen Johnson

Besides the fact that MJ is charming and hilarious and way entertaining on twitter, here are some other lovely facts:

On the nightstand: Large pile of books and an ABBA coaster.

Favorite drink while you write: As many as possible. I drink a lot. Hydration, hydration, hydration!

Pet: Sadly, I don't have one. I travel a lot. I WOULD LIKE to have about 17 pets and plan to at some point.

Dream book tour: We all go to the Caribbean together. Let's make this happen!

Writer buddies: Many. Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, John Green, Libba Bray, Robin Wasserman, Cassie Clare, Holly Black, E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle, Lauren McLaughlin, Ally Carter, Sarah Rees Brennan, David Levithan... I'm missing people. We all know each other. It's like HIGH SCHOOL, but more awesome.

Cure for writer's block: Deadlines, banging head on desk, snacks.

Favorite outfit: Just a simple ball gown. I'm not fancy.

Other YA novels: The Key to the Golden Firebird, The Bermudez Triangle, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Devilish, Girl at Sea, Let it Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle)

Next up: I'll be in the Zombies vs. Unicorns collection coming out in September. The sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Last Little Blue Envelope, is coming out next May. And next fall, I'm launching a NEW MYSTERY/PARANORMAL SERIES I am VERY excited about.

Also check out Maureen's vlog about Suite Scarlett!

rgz Newsflash: Welcome Micol Ostow as a rgz diva!

You know her as our rgz NYC HOST, but we are announcing Micol Ostow as our newest rgz diva!

Micol has graciously stepped up to be our newest author liaison. It's an important role at rgz which brings all the guests to visit with you. Here's a little more about Micol:

Micol Ostow is half Puerto Rican, half Jewish, half reader, half writer, half chocolate, half peanut butter. When she is under deadline, she is often half asleep.

Micol has written over 40 published works for readers of all ages. Her novel EMILY GOLDBERG LEARNS TO SALSA was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, and her latest release, SO PUNK ROCK (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother), was chosen as a Sydney Taylor Notable book for teens and an Independent Publishing Award silver medalist.

Micol received her MFA in Writing For Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts in January, 2009, and currently teaches a popular young adult writing workshop through Media Bistro. She lives in NYC with her husband, and a persnickety French Bulldog named Bridget Jones. Her next novel, FAMILY, is a verse novel loosely based on the Manson murders of 1969, and will be published by Egmont USA in May 2011. Micol also blogs with other writers of contemporary young adult fiction over at www.thecontemps.com

Give a warm welcome and thanks to Micol our rgz NYC HOST and diva!

September: Hiding Hamlet, Living in Hotels

Maureen asks, "If you had to hide an entire production of Hamlet, where would you put it?"

Follow up: What would be your favorite part of living in a hotel, like Scarlett does?

September: Having Less Money Than Your Friends

Maureen says, "Scarlett has less money than her friends. Is this an advantage or disadvantage?"

Story Secrets: THE FENCES BETWEEN US by Kirby Larson

Friend, writing mentor, and fellow Seattle author Kirby Larson is here today with a a brand new treat: THE FENCES BETWEEN US!

Kirby has not only generously shared her writing wisdom with many of us, both through workshops and classes as well as at her Kirby's Lane blog, but she was one of the very first authors to be featured at readergirlz with her Newbery Honor-winning historical novel, Hattie Big Sky. Kirby's writing is voice is warm, funny, and fascinating, and her books much-beloved.

So I am thrilled to welcome Kirby to Story Secrets!

*****

I was so honored when Scholastic asked me to write a book for the relaunch of their beloved Dear America series, the first new title in 5 years! It officially came out yesterday, September 1st--woo-hoo--and is called THE FENCES BETWEEN US.


Holly Cupala: Tell us the story behind the story!

Kirby Larson: Since writing Hattie Big Sky, I've become a history nerd. I had been working on another historical novel (which takes place between 1927 and 1941) and had thought it would include something about the incarceration camps to which over 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry -- most of them American citizens -- were sent during WWII. That bit of history didn't end up fitting into that particular book (called The Friendship Doll; it will be out in May 2011 from Delacorte) but Scholastic was looking for a WWII story and, boy, did I have it...

Find out more of Kirby's secrets here...

~Holly Cupala

Welcome, Maureen Johnson!

We are super-psyched to welcome the mighty Maureen Johnson to the featured author slot this month. Her duet of Scarlett novels are our September picks! Check out our interview with Maureen, book party ideas themed around her book, and our Reach Out project idea--as well as the awesome soundtrack Maureen has chosen for the book--on readergirlz.com.

Here's a little about Suite Scarlett:

Scarlett Martin's family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City, and Scarlett lives there with her siblings, Spencer, Lola, and Marlene. When each of the Martins turns fifteen, they are expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest called Mrs. Amberson.

Scarlett doesn't quite know what to make of this C-list starlet who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn. Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deceptions. But in the city where anything can happen, she just might be able to pull it off.

And Scarlett Fever:

In the sequel, Scarlett Fever, Scarlett ends up at the beck and call of a Broadway star (her own age!), dealing with territorial doormen, and walking a small dog with insecurity issues - all while starting her sophomore year at one of New York’s most rigorous high schools.

Meanwhile, her older brother Spencer has become New York City’s most controversial TV villain, her ever-reliable older sister Lola is sliding off the rails, and her younger sister Marlene, most worryingly, has suddenly become... nice. But somehow Scarlett will prevail... right?

And the buzz...

ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2009 (Suite Scarlett)

"Utterly winning, madcap Manhattan farce, crafted with a winking, urbane narrative and tight, wry dialogue." - Booklist, starred review (for Suite Scarlett)

"You'll never want to check out of Suite Scarlett! Maureen Johnson writes with a deft and clever hand. I can't wait until my room at the Hopewell is ready." - Meg Cabot

"Maureen Johnson has a magical writing unicorn in her desk drawer who crafted this delightfully witty, madcap, and thoroughly enchanting tale of love, family, weird hotels, burned food, New York City, DIY theater, and finding yourself where you least expect it. (Unless, of course, MJ is herself a magical writing unicorn, which I have long suspected.)" - Libba Bray

"The sequel measures well above its predecessor . . . the characterizations are a dream." - Kirkus Reviews (for Scarlett Fever)

"Charming, smart, and laugh-out-loud funny, Scarlett Fever is the kind of book you give to your best friend and say, 'Please hurry up and read this, so we can talk about it.'" - Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan a.k.a. The Fug Girls

"Very, very rarely, I read a book that makes me want to live somewhere other than Maine. Even less often, I read a book that makes me want to live somewhere urban. This series falls into both categories - the trials and tribulations of Scarlett Martin make me daydream about living in New York City. Thumbs up, yet again, for Maureen Johnson." - Bookshelves of Doom

We are so excited to have the awesome Maureen Johnson with us this month! Join us all month right here on the blog for discussions and mark your calendars a LIVE #rgz twitter chat on Wednesday, September 22nd at 6pm PST/9pm EST.

Happy September, readergirlz!