Poetry Friday: To Be Heard, Best Documentary, NYT

How perfect is this for Poetry Friday? Woot!


So much to say about this documentary To Be Heard. Justina Chen and I were privileged to be asked to screen the film and offer comments awhile back. It was a blast and very much like critiquing a novel. We felt at home with the producers and other guests as we dissected and discussed the early work.

The film was completed and eventually, we were guests at the Seattle Film Festival where the documentary ended up sweeping the awards. As the above poster shows, it's done the same in many cities. Here I am with Pearl, one of the three featured poets in the documentary. She's a resilient powerhouse! 

And now The New York Times just named To Be Heard the best documentary of the year! 

"Ultimately, though, the intimacy of the portraiture is so raw that it transcends sociology. These students — Anthony Pittman, Pearl Quick and Karina Sanchez — are three of the most authentic and complex young adults you’ll find in any film this year. And each is a genuinely great writer: technically accomplished and emotionally overwhelming. They aren’t just the subjects of “To Be Heard.” They’re its stars."

To Be Heard will be playing in New York City from 10/12 through 10/18 at the IFC theater and in Beverly Hills from 11/4 through 11/10 at the Laemmle Music Hall theater. If you are nearby, GO! 

rgz Circle of Stars: Trailer for You Are My Only

So happy to share our former rgz Author in Residence Beth Kephart's new trailer for her next novel. My review for You Are My Only ran here. Don't miss this book when it releases at the end of the month. Don't-miss-it. 

rgz Newsflash: National Book Award Finalists!

Franny Billingsley, Chime
(Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, Inc. )
Debby Dahl Edwardson, My Name Is Not Easy
(Marshall Cavendish)
Thanhha Lai, Inside Out and Back Again
(Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)
Albert Marrin, Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy
(Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books)
Lauren Myracle, Shine
(Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS)
Gary D. Schmidt, Okay for Now
(Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Young People’s Literature Judges: Marc Aronson (Panel Chair), Ann Brashares, Matt de la Peña, Nikki Grimes, Will Weaver

Hot off the National Book Award site. Congrats, authors and thanks to the judges! Well done!


 

Cover Stories: Wintering Well by Lea Wait

When I went up to the Albany Children's Book Festival in the spring, I sat next to Lea Wait (yay for alphabetical order!) and we got to talking about one of the books she had on her table, Wintering Well. Of course, we got into Cover talk, and I heard the amazing story behind this book's two covers. And now Lea's here to share it:

"I’ve usually had a good relationship with my editors at McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster) regarding covers. Discussion for the cover of Wintering Well started innocently enough, when I asked whether the artist who had done the artwork for my previous two historical for McElderry would also be doing the cover of Wintering Well. I was told that, no, a digital photograph would be used this time instead of original art. When I pressed the issue (I really liked the artist’s work, and thought all my covers should have the same look) I was told Barnes & Noble wanted all middle reader books to have digital photo covers, so if I wanted my book to be in B&N, that’s the way it would be.

"O – KAY! My editor then asked what the main character in my book, Will, looked like. I described him as I did in the book. It was 1819; he worked on a Maine farm; he wore a smock over long trousers, had sun-bleached hair and blue eyes. She hired a young model, clothed him appropriately, and I thought the result was a great cover (above left), even if it was a photo and not a painting.

"Shortly after the book was published I got an email from the mother of the model. She wanted to tell me that her son, Sasha, was modeling to save for college. She also thought I’d like to know he’d been adopted from Russia as an older child, since she’d read in my bio that I’d adopted four older children. I was delighted to know, and added Sasha’s story when I was asked about the boy on the cover – as I frequently was.

"Eighteen months later, Wintering Well was published again, this time in paperback. My other books had made this journey before, and their covers had traveled with them: the same cover appeared on the paperback as on hardcover.

"So I took a very deep breath when I opened an envelope with an advance copy of the paperback edition of Wintering Well and came face-to-face, not with Sasha, but with a boy I’d never seen before..."

Read the rest of Lea's Cover Story on melissacwalker.com.

rgz Newsflash: Courageous Creativity

I was graciously invited to contribute to Flying Chickadee's zine, Courageous Creativity, in the month of October. In their words:

"Through this zine we present stories of courage and creativity sourced from people like you and me, living, working, being courageously creative and changing themselves and others in our community. Our writers come from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life - they are small business owners, state employees, corporate CEOs, non-profit founders and volunteers, professionals, scientists, sociologists, artists, activists, mothers and fathers, and friends." 

The editor was kind to inquire about readergirlz and my personal life. My essay is entitled "Joy in the Midst of Trial." Take a look! The entire zine is created with such beautiful quality. Here is their Facebook page, as well. I know you will be uplifted by these "transcultural stories of courage, creativity and change!" Here's a shout out to our amazing community. Thanks for the years of love and support, rgz!

Cover Stories: The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin (Paperback)

I noticed that Josh Berk's novel, The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, got a completely revised paperback cover this summer, so I asked Josh to come back and share the new Cover Story. Because his original one? Highly entertaining.

Here's Josh:

"As mentioned in my previous Cover Story, Will Halpin (the star of THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN) was once a cartoon and is now a real boy! On the cover of the hardcover, Will (along with his co-stars Ebony and Devon) was rendered cartoon-style by French artist Philippe Petit-Roulet. It was a very cool cover (right), but for the paperback I was informed that my publisher was going to 'go in a different direction.' (I'm not sure why I put that in quotes because it may not be a direct quote.)

"Various other directions were suggested. For example, one had as its central image an old diagram of the lobes of the human brain. It looked a lot like this:

"The title was zooming out of the guy's ear. It looked really awesome to me, but it was decided that it didn't exactly say 'teen friendly.' There was also a version of the cover pitched which had a bunch of crows spelling the title in yarn. I thought this was great too! (I'm not hard to please I guess...) It's hard to explain, but it looked awesome. Alas, it was deemed as not exactly the 'teen vibe.' (Note: Teens don't love crows? They should. Crows are awesome. Maybe teens hate yarn.)

"So the next cover pitched was this black and white image of a dude walking in the woods..."

Read the rest of Josh's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

rgz Seattle HOST: with Alexa Martin and Amber Kizer

Here's a great entry from our Seattle HOST, Stephanie Guerra! Her debut young adult novel, TORN, will be published by Marshall Cavendish in spring of 2012.

 

Hi girlz!

I recently went to see Alexa Martin (Girl Wonder) and Amber Kizer (7 Kinds of Ordinary Catastrophes, Gert Garibaldi’s Rants and Raves: One Butt Cheek at a Time, Meridian, Wildcat Fireflies) promote their new books at Third Place in Seattle. It was a fun, intimate evening, with lots of great information from the authors about their inspirations, vices, and writing processes. Here are some fun facts:

Alexa’s vice is Louisiana style coffee, which is mostly cream and sugar. Amber says hers is “food, and I’m not a vegetarian. Baked goods.”  I loved hearing that! I’m always comforted by women who like caffeine and pastries as much as I do.

Alexa shared a fascinating story about her formative writing experiences. She was diagnosed early with a learning disability, and went through school feeling “less intelligent” than the other kids. Special education helped her achieve success in literacy, and in fact, she began to overcompensate for her disability, producing “very clean copy.” I can attest to that. Her writing is crisp and clear, with her verbs doing most of the work.  When she uses an adjective, it’s the perfect one. What an amazing example for anyone struggling with a learning disability.

Amber told us about her inspiration for one of the settings in Wildcat Fireflies.Helios is a restaurant she visited many times with her family, and over the years, she formed a bond with the owner. When this woman was fighting cancer, Amber told her that Wildcat Fireflies would be “her” book. The owner then revealed that she’d made a bucket list, and one of her dreams was to leave something lasting. With Amber’s book dedication, she felt she could check off this dream.

It was also inspiring to hear about writing process from these two very different authors. Amber aims to produce ten new pages of work each day, while Alexa works more slowly, piecing together memories and weaving them into her books. I’ve heard these two types of writers termed “gushers” and “bleeders” (sorry if that’s a bit dark) and I’d say these ladies each fit one of the categories. You should have seen Amber’s storyboard, which is an organized miracle of boxes, numbers, and different colored marker. Alexa, on the other hand, prefers to work more organically.

Finally, both ladies shared a “Top Thirteen” book list in honor of Banned Books Week, which I’ve included below. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll check out these talented writers, if you haven’t done so already!

Alexa loves:

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

For Esme, with Love and Squalor by J.D. Salinger

Forever by Judy Blume

Watership Down by Richard Adams

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt

And Amber’s favorites:

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Black Juice by Margo Lanagan

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Izzy Willy Nilly Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt

Cover Stories: Playing Blue by Holly Schindler

Holly Schindler is here to talk about two of her novels, A Blue So Dark and Playing Hurt. They have really different feels (Playing Hurt makes me want summer back!--and A Blue So Dark has a much eerier feel--I love underwater covers lately).

Here's Holly to talk about each cover:

"While the covers of my YA novels—A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT—are both stock images, the end result is pretty night-and-day different, as is the content of the books (A BLUE SO DARK explores the possible link between mental illness and creativity, and PLAYING HURT features a romance between two former athletes.)

"The covers have two completely different functions. A BLUE SO DARK is a metaphorical cover; it speaks to the emotional content of the book. It’s a poetic representation of what happens in the book. PLAYING HURT is a literal interpretation.

"I love both covers—but of the two, PLAYING HURT’s my favorite, because I think it better steers the book toward the right readership.

"When A BLUE SO DARK was released, it was frequently purchased on Amazon by readers who also purchased paranormal titles..."

Read the rest of Holly's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Diva Delight: Under the Mesquite

When Kirkus gives a star and says, "a promising deeply felt debut," listen! And I did. Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is a verse novel of beautiful realism.

Living on he border of the U.S. and Mexico, Lupita navigates high school, her heritage, her homes in Texas and Mexico, and her mother's diagnosis of uterine cancer. As the eldest in her large family, Lupita carries the weight of daily life and anxiety while her father supports her hospitalized mother.

The book skips quickly along through seasons and years as just the most poignant moments are shared, whether they be crisis or quiet. The symbol of the resilient mesquite tree echoes its strength from beginning to end.

At readergirlz we most definitely applaud Lee & Low for adding a brilliant Mexican American voice to young adult literature.  Read Under the Mesquite for the rich culture and shared human experience of pain, loss, and rebirth.

Under the Mesquite
by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Lee & Low, 2011

National Student Day is October 6th!

Thursday, October 6th will be the first-ever National Student Day, created in order to celebrate the volunteer efforts of college students around the country. Here's the scoop from the National Student Day website:

"The goal of this day is to celebrate and promote social responsibility by students across North America! Do you volunteer as a Big Brother or Sister? Help out at a homeless shelter? Are you looking to find ways to give back to society and others? Then this day is for YOU! Your college store wants to recognize the good deeds you do - and encourage your peers who might be looking for a gentle push towards helping others.

"Look no farther. NationalStudentDay.com is your online hub for information about volunteerism, links to social media, and a way to win BIG. College stores will act as the physical location for the main event.

"But that's not all. Students have the opportunity to win huge prizes for the most popular example of volunteerism.

"Click here to create a login to register and post an example of how you give back to your community. Students will be able to submit text, photos, drawings, or video. Then urge your friends to vote for you. Spread the word via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to capture the most votes and win! The 10 most popular examples of student volunteerism will win prizes ranging from scholarships to iPads."

They are giving away:
A $3,000 Scholarship
A $2,000 Scholarship
A $1,000 Scholarship
7 iPads

Voting will end on Friday, October 14th at 5 PM EST.

Good luck, everyone! Thank you for serving your community and helping your world!

rgz Newsflash: p*tag for October's Teen Read Week!

Okay. 31 poets, 31 images and you have p*tag, 31 poems linked by tagging and repetition. It went like this: wait until you are tagged, pick an image, and then write a poem, using 3 of the words from the previous poet's poem. Ready, set, go! And we were off, under the guidance of Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. This ekphrastic approach to poetry, where poems are inspired by art, fueled the poets fully. While the resulting poetry collection is eclectic, the repeated words give a notable continuity to the stream. There's an organic pulse running from beginning to end as readers witness this captured Art Happening on their e-readers.

Personally, David L. Harrison tagged me, so I was able to read his wonderful poem "Family Reunion at the Beach." Then I was off to choose a photo from Sylvia's posted images given to inspire us. The photo of a crowd, blurred by the camera's movement, caught my eye. It seemed as if spirits were leaving bodies despite the people's focus locked on the stage. I then chose three of David's words from his poem: clasping, future, and eyes, for my own haiku "Crowd." Finally, I tagged the lovely poet, Julie Larios. I would later learn she used my words: trapped, eyes, away.

All other poems were hidden from the participants until the release of p*tag. So it was a delight to download and read the stream, read how images and poems and repeated words created a complete work of art. I love how one poet responded to another, and immediately offered another point of view. You can see this particularly between Julie Larios and Michele Krueger. One writes of rising above, the other finding "peace in place." Stephanie Hemphill's' "In Praise of Luck" lifted my spirit, although I'd call it providence. :~) And oh, the delight to see one I esteem so highly, Lee Bennett Hopkins, write with few words just like me.

So here is a poem a day for the month of October while we celebrate YALSA's Teen Read Week. How perfect for the theme "Picture it @ your library." Download p*tag onto your device. Visit the website to learn more, see photos, and try your own hand at the ekphrastic approach to poetry. Thanks, Janet and Sylvia! *standing ovation*

p*tag
compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
available on e-readers

Banned Books Week and the Virtual Read-Out

It's that time of year again... Happy Banned Books Week!

The publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is holding a Virtual Read-Out at www.bannedbooksweek.org People of all ages are encouraged to create a video of themselves reading from their favorite banned or challenged book and upload it to a special YouTube Channel for Banned Books Week. Authors and other celebrities are submitting videos as well. You'll recognize many folks whose works have been recognized and recommended by readergirlz, including Laini Taylor, Sarah Dessen, Lauren Myracle, Jay Asher, and Judy Blume.

We hope you'll submit your video! If you do, please leave a comment with a link to your video.

What are your favorite banned or challenged books? Let us know in the comments below!

Diva Delight: This Girl is Different

Homeschooled yourself and looking for good representation in a current novel? Or are you in public school and curious about homeschoolers? Either way, This Girl is Different by J.J. Johnson will be an engaging read that challenges you to think widely and then act for a good cause.

Evie, entering senior year of her local high school, is no Stargirl, and that is refreshing. Here's a homeschooled protagonist heading into public school to discover what it might offer, what she's missed, and what she might contribute. And Evie does. Empowered by her counter-culture mother, Evie has no hesitation challenging authority, righting wrongs, and speaking for the students. Eventually, her growth occurs as she gains a new perspective of others' situations beyond her unrealized stereotypes. The caution might be well taken: despite your zeal, take a breath before expressing indignation, no matter if it appears to be deserved. Investigate, understand, and then act with the fullest vision, in a responsible way.

J.J. Johnson gives a wide cast of adult characters for Evie to bounce against, make an impact on, and learn from herself. The teens in Evie's circle also have real weaknesses and strengths, giving weight and realism to This Girl is Different. 


I am a mother who homeschooled for fourteen years. It is refreshing to find Evie representing on the shelf. Thanks, Peachtree Publishing for giving voice to many.

This Girl is Different
by JJ Johnson
Peachtree Publishers, 2011

Cover Stories: Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

Kirsten Hubbard's Like Mandarin came out in the spring to great buzz. Read bibliophile brouhaha's review for taste of that. The cover always intrigued me for its use of white space and pastels. I think it's lovely.

Here's Kirsten to talk about how it came to be:

"I've always felt like the most iconic images in Like Mandarin are wild girl Mandarin Ramey's long black hair, and the Wyoming badlands where the book takes place. My publisher did offer me input, and I made note of a few covers I really liked, and described the sort of black hair, badlands scene I'd always imagined on the cover of Like Mandarin.

"There's a part in Like Mandarin where Grace's thoughts blank out, then come back as a series of exclamation points instead of words. That's pretty much what happened when I saw my cover. It was taped to the bookshelf in my editor's office the first time I met her. I didn't expect to see it -- nor what I saw! It contained none of the elements I'd suggested, but it was so strong, and simple, and beautiful.

"Interestingly, my editor pulled out the image of another cover they'd been working on: a dark-haired girl from behind, against a backdrop of badlands. If I remember correctly, it was in black and white, and the font (a different one) was some bright color, like pink. It looked like an album cover, while the cover we went with looks almost like a movie poster -- just stronger overall..."

Read the rest of Kirsten's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Diva Delight: You Are My Only, Beth Kephart

Can we take a moment to thank Egmont for publishing another Beth Kephart exquisite novel? Thank you, Egmont!

You Are My Only will be released October 25th, and I encourage you then to find Beth's newest book. In this realistic fiction novel, you'll breath despair along with several suppressed characters. You'll turn pages and yearn for them each to find hope. One story tells of a young mother's loss of her baby, while the second winds a tale of a teen sequestered from society. How the works intertwine is brilliant. From beginning to end, images and movements echo and resonate back and forth between the stories. At the reveal, I actually stopped reading, stunned by the moment of truth.


As always, I was mesmerized by Beth's rich writing. Even in the smallest detail:

"There is a bird making a tree branch heavy, her gray belly bottom like the high back of the sun."

"Outside the wind sneaks up under the loose skirt of the roof tiles..."

Nesting in the story are sweet truths of life that you can grapple with and then possibly hold.

"Tragedy and blessing," Miss Cloris says. "Sometimes they're the same one thing."

"What do you suppose any of us, Sophie, wish to be remembered for? For the things that tried to stop us or the ways we carried on?"

I'm still thinking over the latter. I'm challenged to find the truth that I would ultimately hold.

You Are My Only is current, relevant, and gracefully written with gripping realism. There is no shrinking back. Thank you, Beth, for staying truly dedicated to the fine art of writing.

You Are My Only
by Beth Kephart
EgmontUSA

Diva Delight: Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

You know we love steampunk at readergirlz. We had a blast with Scott Westerfeld, right? Well, how about a collection of steampunk short stories by some more of our favorite, favorite YA authors? You'll recognize many from our rgz Circle of Stars, past guests and contributors. Grab your goggles, because this collection by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant delivers!


So, what will you find in Steampunk: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories? How about mystery, murders, and machines? Worlds of gears and steam in amazing new locations from the minds of 14 writers: M. T. Anderson, Holly Black, Libba Bray, Shawn Cheng, Cassandra Clare, Cory Doctorow, Dylan Horrocks, Kathleen Jennings, Elizabeth Knox, Kelly Link, Garth Nix, Christopher Rowe, Delia Sherman, and Ysabeau S. Wilce.


How fun to find new authors I hadn't discovered before among old friends, all writing speculative fiction which often left me with chills. This quote from Cory's short story "Clockwork Fagin" really captures the collective atmosphere of Steampunk!:

"For machines may be balky and they may destroy us with their terrible appetite for oil, blood, and flesh, but they behave according to fixed rules and can be understood by anyone with the cunning to look upon them and winkle out their secrets. Children are ever so much more complicated."

Perfect, right? With three starred reviews already, look for this release October 11th!

Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories
edited by Kelly Link and Gary J. Gavin
Candlewick Press, 2011

rgz Shout Out: Demi Speaks Up

The readergirlz wanted to give a shout out to actress/singer Demi Lovato, who is speaking out about what happened to her and singing her heart out. Here's a quote from an Associated Press (AP) article:

"A year ago today ... I was not in a good place," the 19-year-old said at her concert Saturday night. "I needed help and I want anybody in this audience to know that if you're struggling with one of the issues that I dealt with or a different issue, that you can get help, that you can recover and it's possible if you just tell someone. [...] There are so many beautiful girls in this audience that don't know that they're beautiful, but they just are."

- and from a video to her fans:

"Life is what you make of it. My life began to change again, and I became happier, healthier, and stronger."

You go, Demi.

rgz HOST: Stephanie Guerra reviews Incredibly Alice

And now an awesome review from our Seattle HOST, Stephanie Guerra! Her debut young adult novel, TORN, will be published by Marshall Cavendish in spring of 2012. 


 

Hi Girlz,

Sometimes I pick up a book in the middle of a series to see how well it stands on its own. Incredibly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor gets a gold star. I jumped into the series on book 5, which takes place when Alice is seventeen.

Alice is a sweet, steady narrator with a gentle approach to life. She’s “any-girl”; not gorgeous or brilliant or wildly unique, but solid, honest and dependable. She’s the kind of person you’d want for a best friend. The book opens on New Year’s, and takes Alice through the bittersweet last semester of high school.

As her classmates prepare to launch their lives, Alice struggles with feelings of inadequacy. Her long-distance boyfriend, Patrick, is off to a semester abroad in Spain. One of her closest friends has just been accepted to theater school in New York. Another friend is getting married.

Alice wonders: what should she do with her life? Is it wrong to stay close to home for college? Should she be aiming higher, or adventure-seeking like everyone else? What, if anything, meaningful has she done with her years in high school?

Incredibly Alice is a slow, thoughtful novel that tackles the big questions about growing up, leaving high school, and taking that definitive step into adult life. There’s no pitching, heaving drama or bizarre plot twists in this book, but it is thoroughly engaging nonetheless. Reynolds brings alive the drama of small moments, like the excitement of being chosen for a part in a play, or the thrill of a limo ride after prom, or the delightful dance of flirtation with a gorgeous guy.

Two things about the book struck me in particular. First, Reynolds is bold and honest in her approach to the issues girls face today. For instance, one of Alice’s friends is considering labial surgery. It’s a real issue for many girls, who feel they have to compete with porn stars for their boyfriends’ attention. Another of Alice’s friends is pregnant. And yet, Alice herself is a virgin. There’s a nice mix of experience levels in the characters of the books, just as there is in real life.

The other thing that I noticed was an old-fashioned vernacular that crept into the book; terms like “taking in a movie” and “that was a scream!” The result is a charming mix of the quaint with the contemporary. Reynolds has stayed well abreast of issues for teens, and she doesn’t hesitate to allude to edgy topics. But her language has a slight flavor of the fifties, a sound that actually adds to the nostalgia at the heart of Incredibly Alice.

I recommend Incredibly Alice as the perfect read for anyone wrestling with her future after high school, and I can say with confidence that you’re safe to jump into the series at any point and still enjoy a delightful book. ~Stephanie

Cover Stories: Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Andrea Cremer shared the Cover Story for the hardcover of Nightshade last year, and since then I have eaten pizza with her and can confirm that she's as awesome as the books she writes. Seriously.

And now she has a newly redesigned paperback! Plus, the second novel in the Nightshade trilogy, Wolfsbane, was just released. Here's Andrea to talk covers:

"I didn't have a specific idea for the cover, but it always involved wolves and blood.

"When I first saw the new covers, I was thrilled. To me the new covers depict Calla perfectly. The new Nightshade cover (right) drew on the poem that inspired Calla's character. The poem is one of Margaret Atwood's and its first stanza is 'Not you I fear but that other/she who walks through flesh/queen of the two dimensions.'

"The Wolfsbane cover: First of all it's green! My favorite color! I think it continues the theme of depicting Calla's strength. The concept is that she is crouched under the moon about to shift into wolf form. I love it!

"There were some small tweaks - usually about getting the color of Calla's eyes just right..."

Read the rest of Andrea's Cover Story, and see the original series covers, at melissacwalker.com.

A Treasure Hunt with Beth Kephart

Her latest book, You Are My Only, is on our must-read list. And you can participate in a blog treasure hunt that our illustrious first writer-in-residence Beth Kephart is doing all around the internet. Beth is writing five posts that each tell a story about the making of You Are My Only (read the Publishers Weekly review). Many posts include passages that were written but never used in the final book.  

Prizes include a signed copy of You Are My Only and a critique by Beth of the first 2000 words of a work in progress (priceless!). Go to Beth's blog to hear about the full magic of this treasure hunt!

rgz Newsflash: Skype Authors announced on Cynsations

Shout out to Cynthia Leitich Smith for sharing about Skype Authors on Cynsations. You can read the full article here. I'm happy to be a part of this esteemed group making a difference to CAMFED and literacy in schools. Feel free to spread the news to all who might benefit. Thanks!

Here's a snippet from Cynsations:

Skype Authors connects noted children’s book authors to schools and book clubs while benefiting Camfed in 2011-2012.

Noted authors Suzanne Williams, Martha Brockenbrough, Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, Mary Casanova, Lorie Ann Grover, Joan Holub, Deb Lund, Claire Rudolf Murphy, Lisa L. Owens, and Trudi Trueit have launched Skype Authors, an author-visit-booking site that will aid schools, book clubs, and educational charities.Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from each visit will benefit Camfed, an organization that educates girls in Africa.


I just love the children's book community. Don't you?

rgz Newsflash: Happy Release Week, DEAR BULLY!

Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories released this week from HarperCollins, and I’m thrilled to be keeping company with so many brave, talented, and distinguished writers. Diva Melissa and I both have pieces in this bold anthology that addresses the hot-button topic of teen bullying -- but that's not the (main) reason you should check this one out!

You are not alone

Discover how Lauren Kate transformed the feeling of that one mean girl getting under her skin into her first novel, how Lauren Oliver learned to celebrate ambiguity in her classmates and in herself, and how R.L. Stine turned being the “funny guy” into the best defense against the bullies in his class.

Today’s top authors for teens come together to share their stories about bullying—as silent observers on the sidelines of high school, as victims, and as perpetrators—in a collection at turns moving and self-effacing, but always deeply personal.

My own contribution to the collection is a short-and-sweet list, but you’ll want to read all of the stories, heartfelt, heart-wrenching, and heart-breaking as they are. Congrats to all on a worthy and meaningful project, and yay for all of the positive buzz. From the New York Times: 

“This anthology of personal essays provides empathetic and heartfelt stories from each corner of the schoolyard: the bullied, the bystander and the bully himself are all represented. Their words will be a welcome palliative or a wise pre-emptive defense against the trials of adolescent social dynamics.”

Thanks also to editors Carrie Jones and Megan Kelley Hall for spearheading and editing the entire process. You guys rock!

Rgz Street Team: Olivia Reviews The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.

Today, Olivia reviews The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. 

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time follows the story of a 15-year-old boy named Christopher. While it is not explicitly stated in the book, Christopher seems to have some form of autism. But though Christopher has difficultly with things like noisy and crowded places, certain colors and normal interactions with other people, he has a gift with mathematics and an amazing memory.

"Christopher is thrust into adventure when he finds the body of his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, dead with a garden fork sticking out of it. Speaking from the future, he declares that this murder was fodder for his very own “murder mystery novel,” in which he planned to solve the “puzzle” and find the murderer. However, the tables are turned when the police arrive and make him one of the primary suspects, as he is found with the dead dog in his arms.

"Interweaving his story with his own thoughts about diverse topics such the Milky Way, the different uses of prime numbers (which he concludes are “like life”), and metaphors that connect to Greek words, Christopher pulls the reader through his interrogation at the police station, where he is eventually released, and back to his home. Throughout the rest of the novel, the reader learns more about Christopher’s past and follows Christopher as he solves the mysteries of his present: not only the murder of Wellington but also the story of his mother, who died two years before.

"While the story is primarily set in Christopher’s neighborhood and at the places that he frequents on a typical day, the reader never tires of the setting because much of the book is composed of flashbacks from Christopher’s past, and he takes an eye-opening trip across London during the second half of the novel.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is an extremely unique, enjoyable, and emotionally affecting novel with a refreshingly different narrator that gives the book a vibrant spirit. Though Christopher has his ups and downs, the reader stays hooked—desperate to find out what Christopher will say or do next, what unusual fact or anecdote they will be amused by (such as the origin of the word orangutan) or simply interested in the story’s plot.

"Because Christopher has a very blunt and straightforward tone, the reader considers a new point of view while reflecting on the actions of the novel. And while Christopher is somewhat distant from other people and may seem hard to relate to, Haddon inserts diagrams, maps, pictures, schedules and even mathematical equations into the book to help the reader feel as if they have been drawn into Christopher’s world and are experiencing what he is experiencing as well as thinking how he is thinking. The supporting characters are also surprisingly imperfect and dynamic, making them seem more realistic than the one-dimensional characters that populate many other novels.

"Unlike many of the other young adult and adult novels I have read, this novel seems to have no specific targeted readership: in one book Haddon has managed to combine a murder mystery, a “coming of age” story and an abundance of entertaining facts about an impressive variety of subjects. While I believe almost any reader of any age would enjoy this novel, I would particularly recommend it to those who enjoyed somewhat quirky works such as J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.”