tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23161046664829605222024-03-13T07:39:12.472-07:00somewhere in the middlebfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-50344458490350670072014-04-30T22:46:00.000-07:002014-04-30T22:46:13.365-07:00She's Crafty: When to Query<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O5di7y2cK_4/U2Heuf_7nWI/AAAAAAAAAxE/-xpstoUsooA/s1600/madhat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O5di7y2cK_4/U2Heuf_7nWI/AAAAAAAAAxE/-xpstoUsooA/s1600/madhat.jpg" /></a></div>
Querying is a necessary but, at times, excruciating part of the writing (for publication) process. Gives me hives in my mind. I want to scratch but I can't. <div>
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For me, the fun part is getting the story out of my head. Editing can even be fun because it gives the story depth and color. But querying is the beast. It's super subjective. I respect that but it also makes me paranoid, anxious, exhilarated, and mad. Straight mad. But all the best people are, right?<div>
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I'm currently querying a MG contempory adventure. Happy dance. And I'm getting requests. More dancing. I'd post a video but it isn't pretty. I've polished until my eyes wanted to bleed and I've sent what I hope is a great book that kids would love to read. </div>
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But after I click send, the self-doubt editor inside me wants to rip each chapter apart because I believe you don't stop editing until the cover is bound around it. Then I found this fab checklist by ABLA agent Lara Perkins:</div>
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<a href="http://writeoncon.com/08/15/knowing-when-your-ms-is-ready-to-query-by-literary-agent-lara-perkins/">Knowing When Your MS is Ready to Query</a></div>
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This calmed some of my self doubt and I would have loved this checklist before I queried my first manuscript. Rookie bucks spent in large rhetorical amounts. Brutal, brutal amounts. I'm grateful though, thickened my skin.</div>
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To manage the query madness that strips away the fun of writing, I'm writing another story. Too many characters fighting to get out and it helps a ton. The story consumes my thoughts and I prefer it that way. </div>
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<b>How do you soothe query madness?</b></div>
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bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-52887045731291071722014-04-25T03:09:00.001-07:002014-04-25T03:13:25.247-07:00The List: What I'm reading So I binged again. It's a problem but I like it and my kids benefit. Here's what I bought:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hGDfSYkNrFc/U1oyC6TA8-I/AAAAAAAAAwY/FYN0xtliDY8/s1600/skyraid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hGDfSYkNrFc/U1oyC6TA8-I/AAAAAAAAAwY/FYN0xtliDY8/s1600/skyraid.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E59sHU7exmI/U1ox-A0wKDI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/lI4y0crLWwQ/s1600/shadowthrone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E59sHU7exmI/U1ox-A0wKDI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/lI4y0crLWwQ/s1600/shadowthrone.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a> <b><i>The Five Kingdoms: Sky Raiders</i></b> by Brandon Mull (look at the mouth watering cover. can you taste the adventure?): LOVEd<br />
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<b><i>The Shadow Throne</i></b> by Jennifer Nielsen (for Lore, I heart this series): LOVED<br />
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<b><i>Spirit Animals: Hunted</i></b> by Maggie Stiefvater (for Bryn): This series is marketing genius. It has a website where you can do quests with your spirit animal. Bryn LOVED it.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STf3_ag7K9M/U1oyDt3VPWI/AAAAAAAAAwg/UYRnPw1YayQ/s1600/spiritani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STf3_ag7K9M/U1oyDt3VPWI/AAAAAAAAAwg/UYRnPw1YayQ/s1600/spiritani.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOZC5MbqyE8/U1oyI3O3ohI/AAAAAAAAAwo/bPOaG2ae1No/s1600/twistrose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOZC5MbqyE8/U1oyI3O3ohI/AAAAAAAAAwo/bPOaG2ae1No/s1600/twistrose.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><b><i>The Twistrose Key</i></b> by Tone Almhjell (again, the cover): Reading this weekend<br />
I've read them all except <i>The Twistrose Key</i>. Mainly because Lauren got to it first. She's almost 12 and felt like it was too young for her. Bryn's excited to read it after me.<br />
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<b><i>Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir</i></b> by Tui T. Sutherland (for Bryn): It's okay. Bryn LOVED it. She loves dragons. I'm buying books 3 and 4 for her birthday.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_eAGwo02Kg/U1oyOgdqTdI/AAAAAAAAAww/_-eOHYPDC5g/s1600/wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_eAGwo02Kg/U1oyOgdqTdI/AAAAAAAAAww/_-eOHYPDC5g/s1600/wings.jpg" height="200" title="" width="131" /></a><br />
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<b><i>Panic</i></b> by Lauren Oliver...I didn't love it. Am I the only one?</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What are you reading this weekend?</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/14th-free-dear-lucky-agent-contest-contemporary-middle-grade-fiction">Dear Lucky Agent Contest for Contemporary MG</a> over at GLA.<br />
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And I thought, right on. The contest ends on Tuesday, 3/18. So if you have a finished manuscript, submit. You have nothing to lose...and if you're worried about failure, you haven't been a writer long enough. It comes with the job description. So put on your big girl panties and submit. I double dog dare you.<br />
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Also, if you've read some great Middle Grade Fiction as of late, I would love a great recommendation in the comments.<br />
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cheersbfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-50073498235822508562013-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:002013-08-12T06:00:09.549-07:00Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were MadeI picked up Timmy Failure because I'm always looking for a like-Wimpy-Kid graphic novel with a great voice, and I thought this might be a good book for my 2nd grader. My 4th and 6th grader blasted through this in a day.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made</i> by Stephan Pastis</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xfvgziWqGSY/UghxcMR4tiI/AAAAAAAAAsM/hQ5NEZE6V_Q/s1600/timmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xfvgziWqGSY/UghxcMR4tiI/AAAAAAAAAsM/hQ5NEZE6V_Q/s320/timmy.jpg" width="208" /></a></span></b></div>
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Published in Feb 2013<br />
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Other books in the series:<br />
Now Look What You've Done (coming Feb 2014)<br />
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<b>The Hook:</b> Timmy Failure has his own detective agency and unravels several mysteries around the neighborhood.<br />
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<b>Why I loved it:</b> Voice and humor. If you want something like Wimpy Kid, this is it. Although the audience is much younger. Still, Timmy is quite funny. He's a detective who misses the obvious clue and the results are hilarious. I would recommend this to both boys and girls, definitely for reluctant readers who liked Wimpy Kid but it is younger middle grade (7-9 yr olds). Although my 11 yr old did read it, but only because it was in the house and I was raving about how funny it was.<br />
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<b>Want More?</b> Check out this <a href="http://www.timmyfailure.com/index.html">AMAZING author site</a>. Seriously love!<br />
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<b>Have you read any great graphic novels like Wimpy Kid? What are they? My 2nd and 4th graders want to know.</b><br />
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<b><b>Other Fabulous MMGMers:</b></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span></b></div>
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<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/">Kid Lit Frenzy</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://mybrainonbooks.blogspot.com/">My Brain on Books</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://myrnafoster.blogspot.com/">Night Writer</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://shannonkodonnell.blogspot.com/">Book Dreaming</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://solvangsherrie.blogspot.com/">Write About Now</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.debamarshall.com/">Just Deb</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://barbaraannwatson.blogspot.com/">Novel & Nouveau</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/">Literary Rambles</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://middlegrademafioso.blogspot.com/">Middle Grade Mafioso</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://soimfifty.blogspot.com/">I'm So Fifty</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://books4learning.blogspot.com/">Books 4 Learning</a></span></span></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><a href="http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/">Ms. Yingling Reads</a></span></b></li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.jenniferrumberger.com/">Jennifer Rumberger</a></span></span></b></li>
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bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-64645740739520836462013-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-17T06:00:01.332-07:00She's Crafty: Refining Middle Grade Voice into smooth Delicious Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsTqlzE1aBo/UeOFG0LAb2I/AAAAAAAAAro/4r9Fxre7Wng/s1600/fancybutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsTqlzE1aBo/UeOFG0LAb2I/AAAAAAAAAro/4r9Fxre7Wng/s320/fancybutter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I recently got a rejection from an agent because my writing voice sounded too much like an adult writing for children. It needed to be less obvious. This was incredible feedback and I soaked it in. (I'm glad to be past the form rejection stage.)<br />
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I relate everything in life to good butter. (I judge restaurants by their butter too. Good butter: good restaurant. Except for Mexican restaurants. I judge them by the quality of their tamales.) So if a good middle grade voice is sweet creamy butter, my writing must have tasted like margarin to this agent---tastes like butter, but there's definitely something oily and not right about it. Really people, no one should be eating margarin in polite society these days. So of course I don't want my story to taste like it. <br />
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How do I refine my style so that it tastes like good butter?<br />
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I've been asking myself over and over: how do I tone down my voice so that it isn't "trying too hard?" I want it to sound more like a middle grader and not an adult writing middle grade.<br />
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<b>My solution:</b> Read more middle grade novels. Duh. But this time, I'm going read and study the styles of the books that are similar to my own. See what they do better and see if I can improve. I may start a new adventure wip just to get words on the page too. Read, write, refine. Best way to sharpen your voice, right? This way my finished adventure can grow cold too. Then hopefully, the oil will be more noticeable to me and I can scrape it off.<br />
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<b>Do you have any great tips for refining a middle grade voice? I need them, please, share what you do.</b><br />
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Butter sidebar: I found this pix by googling fancy butter. It made me giggle. Sometimes the Internet is really amazing to me.bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-15454727919864069562013-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-15T06:00:02.171-07:00Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Nalamist Falls: Keeping the Peace + Author Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uflNSH8ceSQ/UeN6bSiX1uI/AAAAAAAAArY/pKpIm81W6LE/s1600/nalamist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uflNSH8ceSQ/UeN6bSiX1uI/AAAAAAAAArY/pKpIm81W6LE/s1600/nalamist.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><i>Nalamist Falls: Supernatural Prep School for Witches, Werewolves and Vampires -- Keeping the Peace</i> by J. Curtis Mace</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">published 2012</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Other Books in the Series:</b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555;">Finding the Pack (#2)</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555;">Remembering the Way (#3)</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px;"><b>The Hook:</b> A</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"> young werewolf named Rusty, is trying to negotiate all the prides and pitfalls of life in the Fifth Grade. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">So, when the older group of vampire bullies is charged with stealing the witches’ most powerful book of spells, Rusty doesn’t worry too much about it. But when he and his warlock friend, Zeke, learn that the elder peace in Nalamist Falls actually hangs in the balance, he has no choice but to get involved.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A species war would destroy Rusty’s world and all the relationships he’s made with his supernatural friends, his only friends really.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Why I liked it:</b> Characters and chaptering. The characters are a lot of fun. Rusty is a believeable 5th grader even though he is a werewolf and smells everything. Evie, the new girl and a vampire, was my favorite character and Zeke, the warlock, complimented the other two. The chaptering was brilliant in the story. Mace would end each chapter in a way that left no time for snacking...only reading. This is a short story and it reads fast. It would appeal to both boys and girls. It was a fun paranormal adventure that never got too dark, so I could let my 9 yr old read it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Want More?</b> Check out <a href="http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/jcmace11">his spotlight on Lulu</a>. Or <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/j-curtis-mace/nalamist-falls-supernatural-prep-school-for-witches-werewolves-and-vampires-keeping-the-peace/paperback/product-20732105.html">Buy the book here.</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Interview with J. Curtis Mace</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #555555;">Keeping the Peace, is a fun magical/paranormal story for kids, where did you get your inspiration for the story? What came to you first, your plot or the characters?</span></b></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: #555555;">Where I got the inspiration for the story is a hard one. I don’t really remember. I know my wife and I were watching Trueblood on HBO, and I’ve always said my stories are like “Trueblood, for kids.” So I think that might have been the initial inspiration. But the characters definitely came first. One rule of writing is to <i>write what you know</i>, so I am constantly writing about my friends and I. All my characters are drawn from people I know (and from myself), and once they start “living” on their own they take the reins and go forward and basically write the stories for me.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #555555;">The story is written in first person as Rusty, the 5th grade werewolf. Why did you decide to do first person vs. third? And why from Rusty's perspective?</span></b></span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: #555555;">This is the first story/series I’ve written in the first person, and I did it because it just felt right. Whenever I write these stories, I actually get in Rusty’s head (he’s the ME character), and I write from there. So again, it just felt right to write from the first person perspective. I feel like it makes the emotion of the story much more real for the reader that way too, like they’re feeling it/living it themselves. As for why Rusty’s perspective… like I said, he’s the ME character. Everybody wants to be the cool vampire or the magical witch/warlock. But I wanted to write from the very real position of just a kid, a very nervous/humble/fallible kid (I also like the “primal magic” of being a werewolf and the ideas of him drawing on that, as opposed to immortality or actual magic). I like that Rusty is always scared or nervous to do the right thing, but he does it because it IS the right thing or because he is standing up for his friends. I like how Rusty overcomes his fears and how he leans on his friends for help with doing that.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #555555;">What was your favorite scene to write?</span></b></span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: #555555;">The first scene at the church was a lot of fun (the tension outside and then the scene inside, and the way Rusty almost blows the whole thing at the end). I like that one a lot, but I think my favorite is near the end, when they actually go into FreakyFingers’s house. That was such a reveal/“belly of the beast” type of chapter, it was a lot of fun to write. If you can imagine being in Rusty’s head, it was a lot of fun to explore the house and make all the gross discoveries. And it was quite intense when everything started going down too. Lots of fun and my favorite.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #555555;">Evie is my favorite. Who is your favorite character?</span></b></span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: #555555;">Of course, this sounds like a complete cop out of an answer, but I love ALL my characters (even the newer ones from later books). They’re all so independent and individual; I love them all for their own reasons. Evie is so feisty and bold, and she cares very deeply for Rusty. Zeke is modeled after one of my best friends who passed away some years ago, so he has a special place with me. I even like my “bad guys” for being so bad and so good at it. But (again, it might sound like a cop out, but…) Rusty is my favorite. He’s so strong and vulnerable at the same time. He loves his friends and will do anything for them. He’s a good guy, and he’s funny. My favorite though is writing them all together, when their all hanging out as a group. They are all such strong personalities and strong characters, whenever they get together, the story and the jokes and all the plans for adventures basically write themselves.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #555555;">You are great at chaptering. Everytime I could see the end of the chapter coming, I would think, oh good I'll go get a snack, but by the end of the chapter I would have to turn the page. I probably lost a pound---saving me from the snacks, so thank you. Could you give any advice to aspiring MG writers about how to end a chapter?</span></b></span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: #555555;">Thank you for the compliment. Chaptering is something I’ve worked on a lot (I actually made changes to most of my chapter endings right before publication – I didn’t change the narrative as much; I just changed the place in the narrative where the chapter ended). One piece of advice/criticism I got from a friend was that <i>chapters shouldn’t end on scene changes; they should end on tension changes</i>. That would be my advice to other writers. If the scene is over and everything is settled and the chapter ends, that’s a great place to put a book down (and go get a snack). But if a scene is progressing and drama is building and then something completely unexpected/scary/pivotal happens or is revealed and then the chapter ends, a reader’s natural instinct is to keep reading. I wanted most of my chapters (as many as I could) to end with a “Holy Crap!” moment, so the reader will start reading the next chapter just to see that everyone made it through alright. Having chapters end right in the middle of the climactic moment when all the questions in the reader’s head are just about to be answered is a good way to keep the pages turning. Again, thanks on that one. It means a lot to have you appreciate it so much.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #555555;">What was your favorite book when you were a middle grader?</span></b></span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: #555555;">My favorite book as a middle grader would have to be <i>Where the Red Fern Grows </i>by Wilson Rawls. We read it as a class in the 4<sup>th</sup> Grade, and I fell in love with it. It was the first book that made me <i>feel</i> and made me think beyond the story and think about the book when I wasn’t reading it. I bought my own copy and read it again. I watched the movie, and I even begged for a coonskin hat, which I got for Christmas. I never got the dog(s) I asked for, but one day the following summer, I was playing in my yard when a stray dog ran up to play with me. (Not making this up) It was a red bone coonhound, just like “Old Dan” and “Little Ann” in the books, and needless to say, it liked my hat very much. I think that is when I first started to believe in the magic of stories and writing.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #555555;">Do you have a favorite place to write?</span></b></span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: #555555;">My favorite place to write is at my desk (comfortable chair and keyboard and monitor/good desk space/great lighting and all that), but more importantly, is the time I like to write. I love to write in the late hours of the night. When the house is quiet and everyone else has gone to bed, I can immerse myself so deeply in the story and the characters and the adventure going on. All my characters come to life, and I get live in the world of Nalamist Falls. That is such a great time to hang out (and be a kid again) and have all kinds of adventures with my friends. There have been times when I was up so late writing I couldn’t really remember what I wrote the next day. Quite a fun/surreal experience to reread those pages and find out all the things we’d gotten into, like it happened all on its own.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #555555;">This book is the first in a series, how many books will be in the series and when can we expect them?</span></b></span></span></h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555;">I’ve never really planned a certain number of books. I’ve written them all with no real Voldemorte character at the end, no final battle they’re working towards. I’ve always written it as just separate adventures (almost like a serial novel series), which makes the final number of stories very indefinite, which I like (I can’t imaging Rusty’s stories just being over and done and no more; so terrible). That being said, there is a sense that something bad is coming, something big. Even as I write this, I don’t know what it is, but it’s out there, waiting. It’ll take shape one day and materialize out of the shadows of Nalamist Falls, but I hope to write many of Rusty’s adventures before (and after) that. We’ll see… As for other books, there are two others already published. <i>Finding the Pack </i>takes Rusty to camp and forces him to deal with the “pack” issue he’d rather not worry about, and <i>Remembering the Way </i>is all about Halloween (at a Supernatural Prep School, what could be better?!?!). New friends and new enemies, and all new adventures in Nalamist Falls. Those two books are out and available now (hopefully up for review here soon – <i>wink wink</i>), and I’ve plotted out the next two after that. Should be writing them in the not-to-distant future; I need these things.</span></span><br />
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bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-73025879689084234762013-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-12T06:00:08.871-07:00The List: Favorite Twisted Fairytales for Middle Graders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If your kid likes a twist on a classic fairytale, here is a must read list:</span></b><br />
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<b>ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yb1ObOnTgUA/Ud-WqamlpzI/AAAAAAAAAoU/VtSnuPN5p7A/s1600/half+upon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yb1ObOnTgUA/Ud-WqamlpzI/AAAAAAAAAoU/VtSnuPN5p7A/s200/half+upon.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<b>HALF UPON A TIME by James Riley</b><br />
Goodreads blurb: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Jack lives in a fantasy world. Really. He's the son of the infamous Jack who stole the magic beans from the giant, and he's working hard to restore his family's reputation. He finds the perfect opportunity when a "princess" lands in front of him, apparently from the land of Punk, as her Punk Princess sweatshirt implies. May is from our world, and she's utterly confused to find herself in the midst of the fairy tale characters she has read about. But Jack and May have more in common than they realize--and together, they embark on a hilarious and wild adventre in this highly accessible, modern middle grade fantasy novel.</span><br />
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<b>THE WIDE AWAKE PRINCESS by E.D. Baker</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
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<b>IN A GLASS GRIMMLY by Adam Gidwitz</b><br />
Goodreads blurb: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Take caution ahead—</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Lest you enter with dread.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Step lively, dear reader . . .</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Happily ever after isn’t cutting it anymore.</span><br />
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<b>RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN by Liesl Shurtliff</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: In a magical kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.</span><br />
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<b>THE FROG PRINCESS by E.D. Baker</b><br />
Goodreads blurb: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Princess Emeralda a.ka. Emma isn't exactly an ideal princess. Her laugh is more like a donkey's bray than tinkling bells, she trips over her own feet and she does not like Prince Jorge, whom her mother hopes she will marry. But if Emma ever thought to escape her troubles, she never expected it to happen by turning into a frog! When convinced to kiss a frog so he might return to being a prince, somehow the spell is reversed and Emma turns into a frog herself! Thus begins their adventure--a quest to return to human form.</span><br />
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<b>THE LAND OF STORIES: THE WISHING SPELL by Chris Colfer</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"The Land of Stories" tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.</span><br />
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<b>THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL by Soman Chainani</b><br />
Goodreads blurb: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
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<b>THE THIEF AND THE BEANSTALK by P.W. Catanese</b><br />
Goodreads blurb: <span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Everyone knows the story of Jack and the beanstalk. Everyone<em>also</em> knows that Jack's little adventure made him a very rich man. But what they don't know is what happened a long time<em>after</em> Jack....</span><br />
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That's where Nick comes in. Orphaned and desperate, Nick joins a rugged band of thieves in hopes of a warm meal and a little protection. In exchange Nick must help them break into the lavish white castle rumored to belong to an old man named Jack. Legend says it's full of riches from Jack's quest up a magical beanstalk decades ago.</div>
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When Nick's dangerous mission leads him straight to Jack, he sees a chance to climb the famed beanstalk himself. But what Nick doesn't know is that things are different from when Jack made his climb. There are new foes at the top now. Ones with cruel weapons and foul plans plans that could destroy the world as Nick knows it. Will Nick come down the beanstalk a hero? Will he come down at all?</div>
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<b>THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH by Patrick Catling</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: John midas loves chocolate. He loves it so much that he′ll eat it any hour of any day. He doesn′t care if he ruins his appetite. He thinks chocolate is better than any other food! But one day, after wandering into a candy store and buying a piece of their best chocolate, John finds out that there might just be such a thing as too much chocolate. . . .</span><br />
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<b>INTO THE WILD by Sarah Beth Durst</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: Twelve-year-old Julie has grown up hearing about the dangerous world of fairy tales, The Wild, from which her mother, Rapunzel, escaped.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Now The Wild wants its characters back. Julie comes home from school to find her mother gone and a deep, dark forest swallowing her hometown. Julie must fight wicked witches, avoid glass slippers and fairy godmothers, fly griffins, and outwit ogres in order to rescue her mom and save her Massachusetts town from becoming a fairy-tale kingdom.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
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<b>RAPUNZEL: THE ONE WITH ALL THE HAIR by Wendy Mass</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: There are two sides to every story -- even fairy tales. A he said/she said series with a prince and princess twist.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Rapunzel is having the ultimate bad day. She's been stolen from home by an evil witch, locked in an incredibly high tower, and doesn't even have a decent brush for her hair. Prince Benjamin is in a pretty uncomfortable situation himself. His father wants him to be more kingly, his mother wants him to never leave her sight, and his cousin wants to get him into as much trouble as possible. Plus, there's the little matter of prearranged marriages. . . . Both Rapunzel and Prince Benjamin are trapped--in very different ways. It's only when their paths cross, that things really start to change.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fU6zliNMTec/Ud-d7KxP4RI/AAAAAAAAAqI/Ulu4T1D5NUA/s1600/frogged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fU6zliNMTec/Ud-d7KxP4RI/AAAAAAAAAqI/Ulu4T1D5NUA/s200/frogged.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><b>FROGGED by Vivian Vande Velde</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: One should be able to say of a princess “She was as good as she was beautiful,” according to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><em>The Art of Being a Princess</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">(third revised edition), which the almost-thirteen-year-old Princess Imogene is supposed to be reading. Not feeling particularly good, or all that beautiful, she heads for a nearby pond, where, unfortunately, a talking frog tricks her into kissing him. No prince appears, as one might expect. Instead, the princess turns into a frog herself! Thus launches a funny, wonderfully spun fractured fairy tale in which Imogene wonders if she will be forever frogified</span><br />
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<b>RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE by Shannon Hale</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl and her mother . . . or the woman she</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><em>thought</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">was her mother.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew more curious about what lay on the other side of the garden wall . . . a rather enormous garden wall.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">And every year, as she grew older, things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed to the top of the wall and looked over into the mines and desert beyond.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
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<b>THE HERO'S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM by Christopher Healy</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads blurb: Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What's your favorite twisted fairytale?</span></b></div>
bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-77969590823575318082013-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-10T06:00:05.714-07:00She's Crafty: Jeopardizing Children in Middle Grade Novels---HUGE No-no<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vY6Ju2oH-Zc/Udo-j2Dya0I/AAAAAAAAAn4/jEXQAm8GoDY/s1600/Huckleberry-Finn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vY6Ju2oH-Zc/Udo-j2Dya0I/AAAAAAAAAn4/jEXQAm8GoDY/s320/Huckleberry-Finn.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
At the Big Sur in the Rockies Workshop, I was in a critique group with Andrea Brown from <a href="http://www.andreabrownlit.com/agents.php">Andrea Brown Literary Agency</a>. (Amazing.) When I finished reading my first chapter of my contemporary adventure, Andrea said, "Love it but you can't do it."<br />
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Say what? My chapter ends with two of my characters on the roof of the elementary school. Fun, exciting, who doesn't want to be on a roof? I do. I did it all the time as a child. The roof is a magical place. </div>
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<b>This is what Andrea explained:</b> You can't jeopardize children in a story because if a child reads your story, climbs onto a roof and has an accident, parents will sue. And no publisher will want the liability. So your story will be rejected, no question. </div>
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I completely understand the logic but for some reason this was an eye-opener for me. It is the reality in which we live and a bit of a downer, but I get it. Andrea and my group then helped me brainstorm where the children could go that wouldn't risk child safety. Now my kids sneak into the school through a storm cellar---exciting but also safe. </div>
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So as a general rule when writing for middle grade, ask yourself: Could a child do this now and get hurt? If the answer is yes, revise. </div>
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After I told my husband I needed to rework this, we had a sad chuckle about all the classic books that wouldn't be published in today's market if it met this criteria. So long Huck Finn. </div>
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<b>Have you ever had this problem in your own writing? Have you ever walked head first into a platform wall or hid in a wardrobe?</b></div>
bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-56020976779350652532013-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-08T06:00:03.924-07:00Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Land of Stories The Wishing SpellLauren picked this book based on a friend recommendation. She blasted through it. She wanted to read more than hang with her friends at the pool (this is a HUGE deal). And then when I would pull her away and ask her about the story, she would talk my ear off about the characters and plot. This book is the first in a series, read her review below.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5LuLFyy17aE/Udo3K5xVE5I/AAAAAAAAAno/kC-quE3nqbM/s1600/landofstories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5LuLFyy17aE/Udo3K5xVE5I/AAAAAAAAAno/kC-quE3nqbM/s320/landofstories.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell</i> by Chris Colfer</span></b><br />
published July 2012<br />
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<b>Other books in this series:</b><br />
The Enchantress Returns (#2) Aug 2013<br />
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<b>The Hook: </b>A brother and sister that are twins fall into their Grandmother's book. To get out, they must go on the most dangerous scavenger hunt (ever) to create The Wishing spell. But the Wishing Spell can only happen twice and has already happened once, and the Wicked Queen will do anything to stop them.<br />
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<b>Why Lauren loved this book:</b> I love the book because first off, I LOVE twisted fairytales. I also liked how Chris Colfer mixed up characters from classic fairy tales. One of my favorite characters is Goldilocks because she is a wanted fugitive. I liked Alex, the girl twin, because she loves to read and believes in fairy tales.<br />
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This is a fun adventure that both boys and girls will like. It is a great book for reluctant readers. This book is great for anyone 8 - 12 yr old...or older.<br />
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<b>Want More?</b> Check out <a href="http://thelandofstoriesbook.com/index.html">Chris Colfer's website.</a><br />
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<b>Other Fabulous MMGMers:</b></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/">Shannon Whitney Messenger</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/">Kid Lit Frenzy</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://mybrainonbooks.blogspot.com/">My Brain on Books</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://myrnafoster.blogspot.com/">Night Writer</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://shannonkodonnell.blogspot.com/">Book Dreaming</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://solvangsherrie.blogspot.com/">Write About Now</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.debamarshall.com/">Just Deb</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://barbaraannwatson.blogspot.com/">Novel & Nouveau</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/">Literary Rambles</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://middlegrademafioso.blogspot.com/">Middle Grade Mafioso</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://soimfifty.blogspot.com/">I'm So Fifty</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://books4learning.blogspot.com/">Books 4 Learning</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><a href="http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/">Ms. Yingling Reads</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.jenniferrumberger.com/">Jennifer Rumberger</a></span></span></li>
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bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-21534130776434813162013-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-05T06:00:05.050-07:00The List: Fabulous books for Girls who LOVE to readI have four daughters. These books are a <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">must</span></b> before they are 12 but definitely not for my boy. This is the order I would introduce them to my girls. Truth be told, Lore is 11 and she's only read half these books. I'm going to need to go to the bookstore....I feel a binge coming on.<br />
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<b>Fabulous books for Girls who LOVE to read (Don't torture your boys with these books.) </b></div>
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<li>Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary</li>
<li>Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo</li>
<li>Falling In by Frances O'Roark Dowell</li>
<li>Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers</li>
<li>The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall</li>
<li>Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder</li>
<li>The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett</li>
<li>Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery</li>
<li>Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan</li>
<li>Little Women by Louisa May Alcott</li>
<li>The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elisabeth Speare</li>
<li>Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll</li>
<li>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum</li>
<li>Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech</li>
<li>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin</li>
<li>Island of the Blue Dolphins</li>
<li>Julie of the Wolves by Jean C. George</li>
<li>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor</li>
<li>Black Beauty by Anna Sewell</li>
<li>Are you There God? It's me, Margaret by Judy Blume</li>
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<b>What's your favorite on this list? What other books are great for girls who love to read?</b></div>
<br />bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-21207358331852885892013-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-29T06:00:01.055-07:00Fish Finelli Blog Tour + Author Interview with E.S. Farber<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8rvZE8iVkHY/UcvCC4FEmQI/AAAAAAAAAmY/w1rrdiTQzyU/s1600/fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8rvZE8iVkHY/UcvCC4FEmQI/AAAAAAAAAmY/w1rrdiTQzyU/s400/fish.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Fish Finelli: Seagulls Don't Eat Pickles</i> by E.S. Farber</span></b><br />
published April 2013<br />
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<b>The Hook:</b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When bully Bryce Billings bets Fish Finelli that he can’t find Captain Kidd’s legendary long-lost treasure, Fish and his friends embark on a quest to find real-life pirate treasure. Between sneaking into the library to track down Captain Kidd’s map, stowing away on a boat, and trespassing on an island, Fish and his friends have their work cut out for them. But will Fish actually be able to find Captain Kidd’s booty and win the bet? Appropriate for both boys and girls, this first book in the Fish Finelli series will inspire readers to use their imaginations, learn about the world around them, and appreciate the bonds of friendship.</span></span><br />
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<b>Why I Loved It:</b> Voice and perfect for younger middle grade boys and reluctant readers. Seriously, they will love it.<br />
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<b>Want More?</b> <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/141981075/Fish-Finelli-Secret-Builders-Excerpt">Read the first chapter here.</a> Check out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FishFinelli">Fish's Facebook page.</a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vfmAzVpZBT4/Uc0MUwpMQFI/AAAAAAAAAms/T1XcxO0yUAs/s1600/E.S.+Farber+with+son+Niko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vfmAzVpZBT4/Uc0MUwpMQFI/AAAAAAAAAms/T1XcxO0yUAs/s320/E.S.+Farber+with+son+Niko.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Interview with E. S. Farber</span></i></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">(pictured with her son Niko)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Fish is a great character, what was your inspiration for writing him and this adventure? Also, which came to you first: the character or the plot?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My son, Niko, was my inspiration for
Fish Finelli as a character and as a book series. (Fish Finelli is actually a
nickname I gave him when he was small). His insatiable curiosity and interest
in facts about everything from hieroglyphs to hot air balloons inspired me to
create a boy character who, besides questions, has lots of answers and who,
like Niko, loved learning so much, he wanted to share what he knew with
everyone else. I also wanted to create a hero for boys who was smart and
independent, spirited and compassionate, but also funny, with old-fashioned
values and the grit to do what he set out to do. I wanted Fish to narrate in
first person, sharing his “knowledge,” but not too much of it before he was
interrupted by his two best friends. This was why I liked the idea of nonfiction
sidebars as a way to include more information. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
character came first along with a few plot points—including the lobster piggy
bank, the dare/bet, Roger and T.J, Uncle Norman and his boat, and the coveted
Seagull motor. As soon as I decided to write in first person versus third, I
heard Fish talking to me:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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It all started the morning I broke into my lobster piggy
bank. It<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: Batang;">’</span>s
kind of funny I had money on my mind, since pretty soon all I was going to be
thinking about was treasure. But a dare<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: Batang;">’</span>s a dare, and there was no way I could
take back what I said, kind of like Sir Isaac Newton<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: Batang;">’</span>s Third Law of Motion
about how every action (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the dare</i>) has
an equal and opposite reaction (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">taking
the dare</i>). It explains why the planets stay in their orbits and why if
Bryce Billings calls you a baby for playing pirates then you tell him it<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: Batang;">’</span>s
not a game, it<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family: Batang;">’</span>s for real.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Which character did you enjoy writing the most and why?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I enjoyed writing all three main
characters--Fish, Roger, and T.J.--because of the way they play off one
another, making puns, poking fun, joking around. I know the story is moving in
the right direction when I hear them talking to one another—then it’s almost
like taking dictation, writing down what they come up with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yfAIVNcORgU/Uc0M0x72muI/AAAAAAAAAm4/1vYf1DnsRrw/s640/fish1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yfAIVNcORgU/Uc0M0x72muI/AAAAAAAAAm4/1vYf1DnsRrw/s200/fish1.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>What's your favorite scene in the story?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My favorite scene in the story is the
entire stakeout at the duck pond, particularly Fish’s swim through the mucky
yucky water, Roger’s run-in with the mutant, and T.J.’s notes on the clipboard
about Munch Eggs, the island where the treasure is supposedly buried.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>You have a lot of facts for your story, how did you research for the story or was this part of your childhood?</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NxrC--eZG0g/Uc0M2wkAB6I/AAAAAAAAAnA/PUzNnxt0LBY/s674/fish2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NxrC--eZG0g/Uc0M2wkAB6I/AAAAAAAAAnA/PUzNnxt0LBY/s320/fish2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">I did lots of research for the story—I
love researching—and because I spend so much time in the library I had a lot of
amazing help from some amazing librarians and archivists. One book I found in
the Long Island Collection of the East Hampton Library was all about a supposed
secret pirate museum where the author had seen Captain Kidd’s “actual” treasure
map, which he included in the book, and I used as the basis for the look of the
treasure map in the story.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><b>That's soo cool. My 9-yr-old will love that!</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Can we expect more books about Fish and his gang?</b></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Operation Fireball</i> is the second Fish
Finelli adventure, which is coming out in Spring 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Why do you write for middle graders?</b></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You know how J.M. Barrie writes in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peter Pan</i> about Wendy when she is two and
realizes that she must grow up that “Two is the beginning of the end?” Well, I
guess in my experience it seems as if twelve is that end. The middle-grade age
group is my favorite, because it’s before that growing-up time and all of the
pressures of adolescence. It’s a time when kids are more likely to still
believe in “magic.” I identify very strongly with that age group, and have many
memories of that time period in my life—I actually often feel as if I am still
twelve-years-old.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dwm9XYEUkUU/Uc0M6w6yplI/AAAAAAAAAnU/hGDZw67hs9g/s660/fish3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dwm9XYEUkUU/Uc0M6w6yplI/AAAAAAAAAnU/hGDZw67hs9g/s320/fish3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>As a writer, do you plot out your whole story before you start or do you write by the seat of your pants?</b></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Usually once I get the characters
figured out and a sense of the story—then I start writing and see where the
story wants to go by listening to the characters and feeling out what they want
to do. I do an outline, but a loose one, which I tighten up as I go along. I
always start by writing scenes for each chapter in a notebook, because I find
my ideas (or the characters’ ideas) seem to flow more easily on paper—then once
I feel sure of the direction of the chapter, I start typing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D_6mLzHH6R4/Uc0M5-QwPXI/AAAAAAAAAnI/gT0xUwogydg/s782/fish4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D_6mLzHH6R4/Uc0M5-QwPXI/AAAAAAAAAnI/gT0xUwogydg/s320/fish4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>You have an amazing middle grade voice. What advice can you give to aspiring writers about how to find a middle grade voice?</b></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you! As I said, I have a strong
affinity for the middle-grade age group. My best advice to aspiring
middle-grade writers is to channel their own inner middle-grade selves,
including all the fears, worries, joys, triumphs, questions, insecurities,
obsessions they remember. It’s also helpful to hang out with a bunch of
middle-graders and listen to them talk, ask them questions, find out what they
think, how they feel. I have to confess that sometimes after school when my son
got off the bus and was telling me about his day, I would actually grab a
notebook and take notes on what one kid said about something or someone, or a
joke or riddle another one told, or a game they played at recess or a fight
that happened at lunch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kRRnFje1Vnk/Uc0M7Jz6T1I/AAAAAAAAAnY/g10ZrMaRyOE/s577/fish6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kRRnFje1Vnk/Uc0M7Jz6T1I/AAAAAAAAAnY/g10ZrMaRyOE/s320/fish6.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Do you have a favorite place to write or snack to eat when you write? </b></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I wrote much of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seagulls Don’t Eat Pickles</i> sitting in one carrel at the East
Hampton Library on one particular maroon office type rolling chair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I also like to write sitting in a comfy
yellow chair I have at home. I like to eat apples and yogurt-covered raisins
and drink Kombucha, which I feel is a synapse-firing type of beverage, perfect
for the writing process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><b>Oooh, I love bookcases filled with books---mostly because of the smell. Your hideout looks divine! Thank you again for the interview and good luck to Fish and his gang!</b></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Next stop on the Blog Tour: <a href="http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/">Ms. Yingling Reads</a> on 7/2/13 for another interview + GIVEAWAY!!</b>bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-10680714614091938822013-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-28T06:00:09.181-07:00The List: I binged again.My daughter Lauren officially turned 11. Middle school this year, ack! We of course went book shopping to celebrate. They will all have my sickness by the time they leave for college. It wasn't really a binge because all my girls got a book, I got a few for me, and Lore picked two, right? She's been jones-ing for Inkspell and Inkdeath and the rest of the Ranger's Apprentice (I only have through 7) but when we got to the store, there were too many other choices.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-61BqkHLSLSM/Ucu_hAnSS3I/AAAAAAAAAmI/d1Q742d_PjA/s1600/goodevil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-61BqkHLSLSM/Ucu_hAnSS3I/AAAAAAAAAmI/d1Q742d_PjA/s400/goodevil.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<b>Our book binge on Middle Grade:</b><br />
<i>The City of Ember </i>by Jeanne DuPrau (Lauren's Pick)<br />
<div>
<i>The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell </i>by Chris Colfer (Lauren's Pick)</div>
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<i>The Thief Lord</i> by Cornelia Funke (me)</div>
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<i>The Boxcar Children </i>by Gertrude Warner (for Ava)</div>
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<i>The School for Good and Evil</i> by Domain Chainani (Everyone wanted this book)</div>
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<i>Pandora Gets Frightened</i> by Carolyn Hennesy (Ava's Pick)</div>
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<i>Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy</i> by Tui T. Sutherland (Bryn's Pick)<br />
<i>Brave </i>(Morgan's Pick Picture book)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>My YA musts:</b></div>
<div>
<i>The Elite</i> by Kiera Cass</div>
<div>
<i>The False Prince</i> by Jennifer Nielsen<br />
<br />
Of all the books, <i>The School for Good and Evil</i> everyone was fighting over who would read it first. And who can blame them, the cover is gorgeous. It makes me drool. Seriously, I'm swallowing spit. Shows the importance of a great cover. It just came out in May. I was drawn to it but read the flap before tucking it under my arm. Bryn and Ava both grabbed it purely on cover and we all laughed that we had picked up 3 copies.<br />
<br />
<b>What are your drooling for right now?</b></div>
bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-44887879511838992092013-06-26T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-26T06:00:08.811-07:00She's Crafty: Adding Spit ShineSo my query is out there and while I wait, it is time to spit shine. I've been mad revising my current MG adventure for the past two months. So much so, I could no longer process. I rewrote one sentence 3 times before I just gave up and went to bed. I've let the manuscript go cold for two weeks so that I might spit shine this story one last time...is there ever a last time, really? No. It won't be done until it has a cover wrapped around it and you can find it in a bookstore. But for now, I'm giving it one last shine until I hear from the agents.<br />
<br />
So what is a revision spit shine? This is when you tighten prose and rework tells. My other writerly friend, <a href="http://www.rondibooks.com/">Rondi</a>, is querying and revising as well and she had some great advice on how to spit-shine: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Every scene needs to be riveting, moving the story forward, every word a gem. And </span></span><a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/02/re-write-wednesday-spit-shine.html">Janice Hardy really explains this best.</a> I seriously have her blog open and go through searching for each word in my WIP. Tedious? Yes, but worth it. I find I'm catching a lot. I have pet words too that I need to delete or change. All my characters still love to slide. They slide through doors, across the floor, out of their seats...you get the point.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you have a pet word?</b><br />
<br />
<b>What do you do to spit shine a manuscript?</b>bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-66427095773192526322013-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-24T06:00:13.226-07:00Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: What My Kids Are ReadingFirst things first, I need to announce the winner of the<a href="http://brookefavero.blogspot.com/2013/06/marvelous-middle-grade-monday-chase.html"> Chase Tinker and the House of Magic</a> ebooks:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>ZombiMom</b></div>
<br />
Congrats, the stories are fast and fun.<br />
<br />
Now for today's pick or rather my kid's picks. I challenged my kids to read a book a week this summer and then I wanted them to post a review for MMGM. Bryn just finished the second book in <i>The Accidental Adventure</i>, she blew through it in 3 days which is kind of a big deal. But she needed to get to bed tonight because we have swim team in the morning. So look for her review next week. This week I thought I would spotlight what they are actually reading because I have a huge stack of middle grade books in my book room. It is always interesting to me what they pick and why. So I thought I would post those for today.<br />
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<b>Lauren's (11 yr old) pick this week:</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gir1XRjmrM/UcfDIEC6nRI/AAAAAAAAAlo/dI3QkoqwCyE/s1600/inkheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gir1XRjmrM/UcfDIEC6nRI/AAAAAAAAAlo/dI3QkoqwCyE/s320/inkheart.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Inkheart</i> by Cornelia Funke</b></span><br />
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<b>Goodreads Blurb: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Why she picked it: </b>Because she has literally read all my middle grade and this was the last book on the shelf. This is impressive because I have bookcases of MG and she even blew through my TBR pile. So why did she save this book for last? Because the print is small and the book is thick, it's a bit intimidating for a first book in a series. Also, she saw the movie many years ago and it sorta scared her, so she has been nervous to read it. She's 2/3 through and loving it. I have promised to go get the other two books in the series once she finishes.<br />
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<b>Bryn's (9 yr old) pick this week:</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgC8TrwThm8/UcfC9VCCq4I/AAAAAAAAAlg/o9pCff5JubI/s1600/invistower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgC8TrwThm8/UcfC9VCCq4I/AAAAAAAAAlg/o9pCff5JubI/s320/invistower.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>The Invisible Tower</i> by Nils Johnson-Shelton</span></b><br />
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<b>Goodreads Blurb: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Part of the spell has already been broken.</span><br />
<div style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
The first stones have begun to crumble.</div>
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In Artie Kingfishers world, wizards named Merlin, fire-breathing dragons, and swords called Excalibur exist only in legends and loreuntil the day his video game Otherworld springs to life.</div>
<div style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
You are special, Arthur, Says the mysterious message in his game.</div>
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<b>Why she picked it:</b> The cover art. Mostly the dragon and the boy holding a sword which reminds her of Minecraft. Did I mention she's my tomboy? I love it. She just started it but I had to threaten lights out tonight---that's always a good sign of a good book.<br />
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<b>Ava's (7 yr old) pick:</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3RFAZPF7onI/UcfE46Z6lJI/AAAAAAAAAl4/uTTGn06Lqc4/s1600/ramona.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3RFAZPF7onI/UcfE46Z6lJI/AAAAAAAAAl4/uTTGn06Lqc4/s320/ramona.jpeg" width="207" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Beezus and Ramona</i> by Beverly Cleary</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Goodreads Blurb</b>: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Nine-year-old Beezus Quimby has her hands full with her little sister, Ramona. Sure, other people have little sisters that bother them sometimes, but is there anyone in the world like Ramona? Whether she's taking one bite out of every apple in a box or secretly inviting 15 other 4-year-olds to the house for a party, Ramona is always making trouble--and getting all the attention. Every big sister can relate to the trials and tribulations Beezus must endure. Old enough to be expected to take responsibility for her little sister, yet young enough to be mortified by every embarrassing plight the precocious preschooler gets them into, Beezus is constantly struggling with her mixed-up feelings about the exasperating Ramona.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Why she picked it</b>: She loved the movie and wanted to read the book. It's a bit hard for her, but we plow through a chapter every night. This was my favorite series as a kid. Love these books.</span>bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-80681431720983132582013-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-21T06:00:07.211-07:00The List: Breaking Down the Best 100 Books Of All Time for Reluctant ReadersSo there have been a ton of "Best Books Lists" floating around Pinterest. When I opened most of these lists, I realized, I've read the majority of the books and while some of them really are great, certain kids will not want to read them. So I thought I would harness my knowledge of middle grade books and break these lists into what I call the Best Books for Reluctant Readers. I plan to deconstruct or compile a new list every Friday, so check back if you need more recommendations.<br />
<br />
First, what is a reluctant reader you (didn't) ask? This is your kid age 8 - 12 that hates to read, sees it as work or a chore, or can't be bothered with boring stories. One of my daughters, age 9, I still consider reluctant because she will put the book down if it doesn't keep her attention. She has started <i>The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe</i> like 3 times and still can't make it to when all the kids are in Narnia. She's seen the movie, she knows it gets good, but the beginning set up in England is way too boring for her. So yeah, CS Lewis isn't going to make this list. Gasp! I'm not saying it isn't a great book, it just isn't for your reluctant reader. You savvy?<br />
<br />
So my first list to break down comes from <a href="http://childrensbooksguide.com/100-best-childrens-chapter-books-of-all-time">The Children's Book Guide: 100 Best Children's Chapter Books of All-Time.</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">All-Time Best Books Your Kid Will Actually Finish:</span></b><br />
<b>Reluctant Readers (Girls & Boys 7-9)</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl</li>
<li>Charlotte's Web by E.B. White</li>
<li>The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo</li>
<li>Redwall by Brian Jacques</li>
<li>Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien</li>
<li>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl</li>
<li>Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl</li>
<li>The BFG by Roald Dahl</li>
<li>Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar</li>
<li>A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett</li>
</ol>
<br />
<b>Reluctant Readers (Girls 7-9)</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitz...</li>
<li>Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald..</li>
<li>Matilda by Roald Dahl</li>
<li>The Witches by Roald Dahl</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
<b>Reluctant Readers (Boys & Girls 8-12)</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney</li>
<li>The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo</li>
<li>The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks</li>
<li>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (and series) by J. K. Rowling</li>
<li>Fablehaven by Brandon Mull</li>
<li>The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson series) by Rick Riordan</li>
<li>The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (should read Percy Jackson series before starting this series)</li>
<li>The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau</li>
<li>Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer</li>
<li>The 39 Clues series: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan</li>
<li>The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke</li>
<li>Hatchet by Gary Paulsen</li>
<li>Holes by Louis Sachar</li>
<li>The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkein</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Reluctant Readers (Girls 8-12)</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine</li>
<li>Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli</li>
<li>When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead</li>
</ol>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Yup, that's it. </b>I know. There are other books I would put on my RR list but I was just deconstructing The Best 100. Sometimes it only takes a few of these RR books to hook your child on reading. When they are ready, have them dive into the list below. I put them in order of how I would introduce them to my kids.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>When They are Ready for Something More</b><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Stuart Little by EB White</li>
<li>The Borrowers by Mary Norton</li>
<li>Frindle by Andrew Clements</li>
<li>The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster</li>
<li>A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle</li>
<li>The Boxcar Children by ...</li>
<li>From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg</li>
<li>The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis </li>
<li>Peter Pan by JM bu...</li>
<li>The Neverending Story by Michael Ende</li>
<li>The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander</li>
<li>The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stewart</li>
<li>The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman</li>
<li>The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman</li>
<li>Coraline by Neil Gaiman</li>
<li>Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson</li>
<li>Inkheart by Cornelia Funke</li>
<li>Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli</li>
<li>Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Curtis</li>
<li>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain</li>
<li>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain</li>
<li>Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls</li>
<li>Stone Fox by John Gardiner</li>
<li>Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor</li>
<li>Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (may be a bit too girl book)</li>
<li>The Giver by Lois Lowry</li>
<li>The Invention of Hugo Cabret by brian Selznick</li>
<li>Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick</li>
<li>Number the Stars by Lois Lowry</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-66373786791807786422013-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-19T06:00:00.585-07:00She's Crafty: Titles are Very ImportantOh yeah, I posted twice in a week people. It's on. I've officially climbed out of my writing cave. In May, I had the opportunity to go to The Big Sur in the Rockies Workshop put on by the Andrea Brown Literary Agency in Boulder, Co. Amazing. I'll be gushing over this workshop in several posts to come. Seriously, if you have the opportunity to go to a Big Sur, it's worth every penny if you are a children's or YA writer.<br />
<br />
During the workshop, I got to be in a critique group with "the" Andrea Brown. I've met a couple agents from her agency, all extremely nice, which I can't say for other agents I've met at conferences, but I was ridiculously nervous to be in her group---she's a publishing legend to me...a rockstar of children's agents. So when she sat down with our group, I was even more blown away by how approachable, kind, and knowledgeable she was. She knows the biz and she's a champion for aspiring writers (unlike others, the-agent-who-must-not-be-named at Pike's Peak Conference this year, ahem). Can you hear the gushing, I know, I don't care. I admire this woman.<br />
<br />
Each of the writers in our group got to read the first chapter of their manuscript and then got a critique from everyone. So when it came to my turn, I had crazy nerves, but I made it through. Thankfully, Andrea liked my story but she HATED my title. You know, I don't think hated bold cap really conveys how much she hated my title but let's not waste more words. It was a stinker and we spent a chunk of time brainstorming a new title for my contemporary MG adventure. So I thought it would be a good post for today.<br />
<br />
<b>A GREAT TITLE WILL:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Attract an agent to open your query</b>. If it's bad, they will auto-reject. No joke.</li>
<li><b>Attract a middle grader to buy it/ check it out</b>. Duh, it's all about sale... and bringing smiles to the children's faces.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>HOW TO WRITE A GREAT MIDDLE GRADE TITLE:</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Appeal to the audience.</b> Are you upper middle grade, lower middle grade, children's or YA? You need to make sure your title will appeal to that age group. In my case, 8 - 11 yr old boys (and girls). My original title wasn't necessarily a bad title but what Andrea pointed out: an 8 yr old boy is not going to look at it with that title. It sounded too boring. </li>
<li><b>Keep it short. </b>Some books break this rule. So if you do, you better be extremely clever and it needs to roll off the tongue with intrigue. Although be careful because even the most clever titles, if too wordy, get lost. For example, I love the book <i>The Girl Who Circumnavigated</i> ... ah, see I can't remember the rest of the title because I always shorten it to that phrase. Mostly because it becomes too long for my friends to remember when they go to the store to buy it for their kids.</li>
<li><b>Hint at the plot, genre, or character.</b> What's the strongest element of your story? Do you have great characters or an exciting plot? Highlight what would appeal most to your target audience. </li>
<li><b>Be clever, funny, or memorable.</b> Hopefully all three.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<b>What tips do you have for writing a great title?</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now that you understand how to write a great title, let's flip this upside down. At the Big Sur Workshop, I also got to be in a group with Sarah Shumway, a children's editor at Harper Collins. (Squeal, I know, she was also super nice and helpful.) She told us that only 1 of 4 titles are the original title of the book. The publishing house likes to pick it. AND if you're with a big house, they'll take your ARC to Barnes & Noble or Amazon, and if they don't like it (or your cover), the publisher will change it again. Bit of a debbie-downer but it's how the industry works. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>What middle grade titles do you love? Have you ever bought a book just on the title?</b></div>
<br />
<br />bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-15633487279129724382013-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-17T06:00:08.091-07:00Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Chase Tinker and the House of Magic + Interview & GiveawayI'm so excited to be back in the MMGM and even more excited about the interview I got to do with the author Malia Ann Haberman. And she offered to give away the first 2 ebooks in the series. Woohoo! Her first book in the series is my pick today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GLU04biAWGU/Ub6M-husWjI/AAAAAAAAAkc/a3tsm0bGguk/s1600/chasetink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GLU04biAWGU/Ub6M-husWjI/AAAAAAAAAkc/a3tsm0bGguk/s1600/chasetink.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Chase Tinker and the House of Magic</i> by Malia Ann Haberman</span></b><br />
published in Aug 2012<br />
<br />
<b>Other Books in the Series:</b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">2. Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets (2013)</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">3. Chase Tinker and the House of Destiny (2014)</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">4. Chase Tinker and the House of Mist</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Hook</b>: After his dad goes missing, 13-yr-old Chase Tinker learns he has magical powers and a magical family. They must protect their house Relic from evil forces or their magic will be lost forever.<br />
<br />
<b>Why I liked it:</b> Imagination and an easy page turner. The book is an easy recommend for anyone wanting more magic after reading Harry Potter. Chase and his brother go to live with their grandfather for the summer to learn about their magical abilities, but what they learn quickly is that the house itself is very magical and protects their family's house relic, the source of their magical power.<br />
<br />
The house is a very fun and imaginative part of the story. Every room has its own abilities that the children can use like squirting root beer out your nose, teleporting to the beach, or being tormented by premonitions while they sleep.<br />
<br />
This is a great adventure and great for reluctant readers. Definitely a boy book but girls will like it too.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My Interview with Malia Ann Haverman & Ebook Giveaway</span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The plot is very exciting, an easy and
intriguing page turner. And I love Chase and Andy. I always like finding out
which came to you first: the characters or the plot?</b><br />
The magic house came to me first. I had a dream one night I
was living in a gigantic house and every room was filled with magic. When I
told my daughter about it, she thought it sounded like a great premise for a
kids' lit book. So together we started throwing out ideas about characters, where
the Tinkers' magic would come from, the bad guys, a missing parent and other
stuff. We also had a great time thinking up all the different powers for the
magical rooms.<br />
<br />
My daughter is the one who picked the names Chase and Andy.
When she first told me I said, "But I want to use the last name Tinker and
when you say Chase Tinker fast, it comes out sounding like Chase Stinker."
And she said, "So? Just figure out how to use that in the book." And
so I did. Ha!<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Which character did you enjoy writing the most and why?</b><br />
Maxwell the ferret was a great character to write, but I
think, of the humans, Chase Tinker would be my favorite. As the main character,
I love making things happen to him. Good, bad, embarrassing, goofy, crazy; I
just had a lot of fun with it.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What's your favorite scene in the story?<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b><br />
I have a few favorites, but one I really enjoyed writing is
in the first chapter when Chase is in his room having problems with his power
and then trying to figure out how to control it. I had fun thinking up crazy
things that would happen if a person really was learning to control the telekinesis
ability. I wanted it to be entertaining, yet have a serious tone as well,
because he was also upset about his missing dad. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This book is the first in a series, how many
books will there be and when can we expect their publication?</b><br />
There are four books in my Chase Tinker series. Book one
"Chase Tinker and the House of Magic" is now out in ebook, audiobook,
hardcover and trade paperback.<br />
<br />
The 2nd book "Chase Tinker and the House of
Secrets" was just released as an ebook. The other formats will be out in
the fall.<br />
<br />
Book 3 is called "Chase Tinker and the House of
Destiny" and that will be out the beginning of 2014. It's actually already
written.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
The 4th and last book
is called "Chase Tinker and the House of Mist." I'm currently in the
middle of writing that one.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why do you write for middle graders?</b><br />
I've actually been interested in writing for middle graders
and tweens for quite a while now. So when I came up with the idea for my Chase
Tinker series, I was really excited. I think kids are wonderful to write books
for because they're open and engaging, and they happen to love fun, adventure
and silliness as much as I do. :) They also have such amazing energy and
enthusiasm and, of course, imaginations. I have such a good time coming up with
ideas for my books that I hope they'll really get a kick out of.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As a writer, do you plot out your whole story
before you start or do you write by the seat of your pants?</b><br />
When I first started "Chase Tinker and the House of
Magic," I had ideas, but no clear outline to follow. I would just let
things come to me as I wrote, and it worked out really well. But then, my
then-agent, wanted me to outline the rest of the series. I thought, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What?! Write everything down? Now that's
just crazy talk!</i> But I put on my thinking cap and got to work, and it's a
good thing I did or I would've forgotten and missed out on loads of great
ideas. So now, I guess you can say I'm a bit of both. :)<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You have a great upper middle grade voice.
What advice can you give to aspiring writers about how to find a middle grade
voice?</b><br />
Thank you! That's so nice of you to say, Brooke. I've worked
really hard to get just the right voice that sounds like my own, and yet sounds
like something middle graders would really enjoy reading. I guess the best
advice I can give is to read lots of books in the age group and genre you're
interested in writing, and then take what you like the best and put your own
spin on it. I would also advise aspiring writers to just keep writing and
writing until you feel you have a great voice to your books that people will
want to read.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have a favorite place to write or
snack to eat when you write? </b><br />
<span style="color: black;">I like to write
sitting on my floor in my living room with my coffee table as my desk, my computer in front of me and my TV going
as background noise. As for snacks, I'm not a big snacker, I just count the
hours between meals so I can dig up something tasty in the kitchen. Most of
all, I really look forward to dessert. :)</span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzRnzF_ZLis/Ub6Pkeget5I/AAAAAAAAAkw/Bd9DsKxaCMw/s1600/Malia+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzRnzF_ZLis/Ub6Pkeget5I/AAAAAAAAAkw/Bd9DsKxaCMw/s200/Malia+photo.JPG" width="140" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><b>Want More? </b></span>Author of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"The
Chase Tinker Series" Malia loves dancing, reading, writing, sunsets,
ladybugs, playing video games on her iPod, watching TV, and chocolate. She also
has terrible motion sickness and hates onions. She's always wanted to have the
ability to teleport and the power to move things with her mind. She lives in
the Seattle area with her four wild and crazy ferrets.<br />
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<!--EndFragment-->bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-79658342081961112012013-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:002013-01-30T06:00:01.856-08:00She's Crafty: The Five SensesSo I started teaching creative writing to my oldest daughter and her friend back in August and we've met almost every Monday. It was to disguise how to learn where a period should go but we also focus on a different aspect of creative writing too. And I've discovered my own writing has improved because we discuss the different crafting techniques. So I thought I would share every Wednesday what comes out of our creative writing group.<br />
<br />
This week we went over possessive nouns (seriously, you would think 5th graders would know when to put in an apostrophe, but they struggle) and the five senses.<br />
<br />
You hear it all the time: Show, don't tell.<br />
<br />
What does that mean? It means you show details versus telling the reader what happened.<br />
<br />
<b>Example Tell:</b> The kids came home from school.<br />
<br />
<b>Show It:</b> The door swung open testing the strength of its hinges. Sneakers squeaked against the tile. "Mom, we're home," called Lore pushing in front of Bryn to claim the first brownie off the kitchen counter.<br />
<br />
To help the girls understand when they were telling, I had them look over a page of their writing and underline every sentence that was a Tell. Then I told them to replace each of those sentences with a Show. Easier said than done. "How do I show this?" they kept asking.<br />
<br />
<b>My trick to show details: the five senses.</b> I would ask them:<br />
How did it smell?<br />
What did it sound like?<br />
How did it feel?<br />
What did it look like?<br />
What did it taste like?<br />
<br />
For the exercise, I required them to use at least 2 senses other than sight to replace each Tell. When you incorporate the five senses, you create more than just a visual to the reader. It was fun to see them as they thought about details like smell and taste.<br />
<br />
When I'm editing my own manuscript, if a paragraph falls flat or I find a bad tell, I replace it with a few of the five senses and it creates more depth.<br />
<br />
What's your trick for eliminating the dreaded Tell?bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-86862637561601963972013-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:002013-01-28T06:00:14.323-08:00Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland And Led The Revels There<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4TN0tJq9Yow/UQYvEBT-ppI/AAAAAAAAAj0/mWIW9zlyxvA/s1600/The-Girl-Who-Fell-Beneath-Fairyland-and-Led-the-Revels-There-212x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4TN0tJq9Yow/UQYvEBT-ppI/AAAAAAAAAj0/mWIW9zlyxvA/s1600/The-Girl-Who-Fell-Beneath-Fairyland-and-Led-the-Revels-There-212x300.jpg" /></a></div>
I picked up this series for two reasons: the titles and the artwork. Seriously, I'm in love with the covers of this book series. Also, my little Bryn loves dragons and the fantastical, so I thought this series would be her cup of tea.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There</i> by Catherynne M Valente</span></b><br />
<br />
Published in Oct 2012<br />
<br />
<b>Other books in this series:</b><br />
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (#1)<br />
<br />
<b>The Hook:</b> After returning to Fairyland, September discovers her shadow (lost in the first book) has become the Hallow Queen of Fairyland Below and has been stealing the shadows and magic of those who live in Fairyland. September must confront her shadow and rescue the stolen shadows before their magic is lost.<br />
<br />
<b>Why I loved it: </b>The writing. It is like delicious butter, smooth and silky. The style is as whimsical as the story. The story is imaginative and reads like a twisted fairytale and I want my daughters to read it. But this is definitely a girl book and not for reluctant readers. While it is a fun adventure, the writing slows the pace of the story and may not move fast enough for a reluctant reader.<br />
<br />
<b>Want More?</b> Go to <a href="http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/">Catherynne M Valente's website</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/">Literary Rambles</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://middlegrademafioso.blogspot.com/">Middle Grade Mafioso</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://soimfifty.blogspot.com/">I'm So Fifty</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://books4learning.blogspot.com/">Books 4 Learning</a></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-69244667970111384942013-01-24T21:03:00.002-08:002013-01-24T21:03:50.936-08:00My return from obscurity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TO_Ka4Lla9s/UQIR2546doI/AAAAAAAAAjk/HYYcB_q_3R0/s1600/IMG_1022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TO_Ka4Lla9s/UQIR2546doI/AAAAAAAAAjk/HYYcB_q_3R0/s320/IMG_1022.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
I'm back from outerspace. I know, it has been too long. Why the break? Ummm, I unexpectedly...most impossibly got pregnant with my 5th child. Yeah! It blew my mind too. AND I had a boy! What am I going to do with a boy? It's been a learning curve for my now really large family. Gray (family name not after Christian Grey) was born October 20, 2012. It was a really really sick whirlwind before he was born and now I'm in recovery from newborn (he finally sleeps through the night and I'm no longer a walking zombie).<br />
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I never stopped writing or reading so I have a lot to tell you. I'll be back to book reviews on Monday and other shenanigans. Can't wait to catch up with everyone.<br />
cheers<br />
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<br />bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-31123561560254510482012-04-16T05:47:00.000-07:002012-04-15T23:19:24.081-07:00Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Goddess Girls: Medusa the Mean<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aVZyZ9SjICk/T4u5WizwzcI/AAAAAAAAAjI/n5qaCkyvHv8/s1600/medusa.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aVZyZ9SjICk/T4u5WizwzcI/AAAAAAAAAjI/n5qaCkyvHv8/s400/medusa.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731878747711262146" /></a><br />I know, it's been awhile---life, right? But I have been reading. I found my MMGM pick from the constant nagging of my daughters. Medusa the Mean is the newest book in the Goddess Girls series. <div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i>Goddess Girls #8: Medusa the Mean</i> by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams</span></b></div><div>Published in April 2012</div><div><br /></div><div>Other books in the Series:</div><div><br /></div><div>Athena the Brain #1</div><div>Persephone the Phony #2</div><div>Aphrodite the Beauty #3</div><div>Artemis the Brave #4</div><div>Athena the Wise #5</div><div>Aphrodite the Diva #6</div><div>Artemis the Loyal #7</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Hook</b>: Medusa, the mean girl in all the other books, finally gets a chance to tell her side. She's tired of being the only mortal at Mount Olympus Academy, so when she discovers a necklace that will help her to be immortal, she jumps at the chance.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Why I love the Book/Series</b>: Tone and Characters. This series is pitch perfect for middle grade voice and the characters are entertaining. It was really fun to read the side of Medusa in this book where she's been such a brat in the other books. Lauren loved this book as well. She read it first and gave me chapter by chapter summaries and highlights. She thought Medusa was a magnet for bad luck and was really funny. This series is perfect for girls. </div><div><br /></div><div>My other daughter Bryn, 8 and the reluctant reader, just finished the first book in the series and jumped right into <i>Persephone the Phony</i>. This is a huge sign of a great series for reluctant readers. I've mentioned before how Bryn will put down a book if it doesn't hold her interest on each page. Up until Goddess Girls, Wimpy Kid was the only series she wanted to read. I've been recommending this series to a lot of parents who are looking for a good series for girls. The books are creative and fun as well as a blend greek mythology. My girls and I are continually discussing the different characters and how they compare to the original myths. There's also nothing too intense in this series, so they are great books for younger middle graders like Bryn. </div><div><br /></div><div>What middle grade mythology books do you love?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-9439757033001014322012-02-06T05:53:00.000-08:002012-02-06T05:53:00.038-08:00Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VoxDX0FKgHQ/Ty99yu6RgZI/AAAAAAAAAi8/jlouNRSZniw/s1600/genius.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VoxDX0FKgHQ/Ty99yu6RgZI/AAAAAAAAAi8/jlouNRSZniw/s320/genius.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705917563441086866" /></a><br />BUT first the winners of the MG Mash up Giveaway:<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Cabinet of Earths</i> goes to:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Barbara Watson</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Invisible Tower</i> goes to:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Charlotte</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">cheers ladies.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I found my MMGM pick on my last book binge. I needed to get Dan Gutman's chapter book series <i>My Weird School</i> and found <i>The Genius Files</i>. While I read it this week, my girls were constantly asking about the characters and wanted to know what was happening. I wouldn't answer directly because I want them to read it. Lore is loving <i>The Invisible Tower</i> but she wants to read this book next before </div><div style="text-align: left;">. I can understand why, the cover is intriguing and the book doesn't disappoint.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i>The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable</i> by Dan Gutman</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Published in 2011</div><div style="text-align: left;">Other books in this series:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Never Say Genius</i> (#2) releases Jan 24 2012 (I must have just missed it during my binge)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Other books by this author:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>My Weird School series (chapter books)</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Million Dollar series</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>A Baseball Card Adventure series</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Homework Machine</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Kid Who Ran for President</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Hook:</b> Just before summer break, mysterious men attempt to kill the twins, Coke and Pepsi. Why? That's what Pep and Coke want to know. As their family travels across country the twins narrowly escape many attempts on their life and discover they are recruits for a top secret government agency TGF: The Genius Files.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Why I loved it: </b>Adventure and characters. When the main characters are named Coke and Pepsi McDonald, do I really need to say anymore? Still, Gutman delievers relatable, lovable characters. My daughters could not get over the names, they thought it was so funny and would want me to tell them more about the kids. Plus the story is a rolling adventure and completely entertaining. Gutman also throws in lots of random facts about different places and things in America--educationally entertaining. I would recommend this to boys, girls and, more importantly, reluctant readers. The action and pacing will keep kids reading. And the best part is the second book in the series just released, so I guess I'll have to go by the bookstore this week. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Want More?</b> Visit <a href="http://www.dangutman.com/">Dan Gutman's webpage</a>. It has a fun Genius Files book trailer on the homepage.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><b>Other Fabulous MMGMers:</b></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#181818;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; "><ul><li><a href="http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/">Shannon Whitney Messenger</a></li><li><a href="http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/">Kid Lit Frenzy</a></li><li><a href="http://mybrainonbooks.blogspot.com/">My Brain on Books</a></li><li><a href="http://mycomfychair.blogspot.com/">My Comfy Chair</a></li><li><a href="http://myrnafoster.blogspot.com/">Night Writer</a></li><li><a href="http://shannonkodonnell.blogspot.com/">Book Dreaming</a></li><li><a href="http://solvangsherrie.blogspot.com/">Write About Now</a></li><li><a href="http://www.debamarshall.com/">Just Deb</a></li><li><a href="http://barbaraannwatson.blogspot.com/">Novel & Nouveau</a></li><li><a href="http://anitalaydonmillersmiddlegradeblog.blogspot.com/">Anita Laydon Miller's MG Blog</a></li><li><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/">Literary Rambles</a></li><li><a href="http://middlegrademafioso.blogspot.com/">Middle Grade Mafioso</a></li><li><a href="http://soimfifty.blogspot.com/">I'm So Fifty</a></li><li><a href="http://books4learning.blogspot.com/">Books 4 Learning</a></li></ul></span></span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">So here's a deep thought for you (since the kids are genius smart and my husband and I just watched Limitless on Netflix this weekend): if you could use 100% of your brain, essentially becoming a super genius, but would be crippled by some sort of physical deformity (think Stephen Hawking), would you still do it?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Do you like my term "super genius," clearly I fit into that category (wink). I'm not going to lie, ultimate brain power and knowledge is on my wish list, I think I would take it with the deformity. My husband thinks I'm crazy. But a little crazy is a good thing, right?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-29225148760296607542012-02-01T08:03:00.000-08:002012-02-01T08:03:01.032-08:00Middle Grade Mash Up + Giveaway<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ask-pGSGTDk/Tyi-yoAxOHI/AAAAAAAAAi0/TLvzpcmyVa0/s1600/tower.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ask-pGSGTDk/Tyi-yoAxOHI/AAAAAAAAAi0/TLvzpcmyVa0/s320/tower.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704018705008113778" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aD6CKY5-kiI/Tyi-ySxRzGI/AAAAAAAAAik/QkM0Bv6XKNw/s1600/cab.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aD6CKY5-kiI/Tyi-ySxRzGI/AAAAAAAAAik/QkM0Bv6XKNw/s320/cab.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704018699305995362" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">What is the Middle Grade Mash Up? I'll pick two books published in 2012 in a similar genre and then review and pick a winner at the end of the month.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm pitting <i>The</i> <i>Cabinet of Earths</i> vs <i>The Invisible Tower</i> in this month's mash up: magical realism. Then at the end of the month I'll review them both with my daughter and we'll pick a winner. If you want to read along, please do. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Which would you want to read first? </div><div><br /></div><div>I picked <i>Cabinet of Earths</i>. Lore picked <i>The Invisible Tower</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>To make the mash up interesting, I'm giving away a copy of each book. So leave a comment (with your email if I can't get it from your profile) to enter to win. I'll draw two winners super randomly. Good luck. I'll pick the winners on Saturday Feb 4.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-1349544506066728872012-01-31T19:54:00.000-08:002012-01-31T20:03:36.991-08:00My Fluffy Book Club Needs Your HelpSo besides reading middle grade, I'm in two book clubs (a regular read-it-all and a fluffy). My Fluffy book club reads books that fit in the thriller/YA/Mystery/ChickLit categories. You know, the books you read and love but there's no discussion except: Did you read? Can you believe? That was awesome. <div><br /></div><div>So we're putting together a list of books to vote which ones to read. This is where I need your help, I need to know what fluffy books you are drooling over. I've been out of it and offline. I'm trying to unplug from the Internet more this year and complete the stories that tug at me each night. HELP ME PLEEEEAAASSE. please.</div><div><br /></div><div>What YA/Thriller/Mystery/ChickLit books would you want on the fluffy book list?</div><div><br /></div>bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316104666482960522.post-22470073737876675672012-01-26T00:53:00.000-08:002012-01-26T01:37:49.829-08:00She's Crafty: PacingYeah, it's almost 2 in the morning, I've been writing my brains out. Then I powered up with a burrito and thought I would break for second to talk about pacing. <div><br /></div><div>What is pacing? It's the flow of your story (that's my late night opinion). What does it mean for my writing? Specifically, it means my story starts too slow. My story definitely picks up in the middle but I need to drive the first fifty pages with higher stakes and more action to keep my reader invested. </div><div><br /></div><div>In order to up the stakes, I've slashed chapters, cut character <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">backstory</span> and woven character decisions into the action (that hopefully develop my characters more than the slashed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">backstory</span>). I'm not going to lie, it was messy. I didn't like myself in the morning sometimes, but it had to be done. </div><div><br /></div><div>So how do I decide if my pacing is okay? It's all about the stakes and whether I feel <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">genuine</span> concern for my characters. My story is an adventure, so I want to feel peril, anxiety, stress, or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">adrenaline</span> on every page. It should read like a roller coaster, saving the biggest drop/loop till the end. If I don't feel it on the page, I evaluate what is lacking. </div><div><br /></div><div>Why is pacing so important? Because kids will stop reading.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was talking to my sister today and we were talking about what page number we stop at if the story doesn't hold our interest. I used to give a book 100 pages before I put it down, now it's twenty. Yup, <i>Girl with the Dragon Tatoo</i> is a drink coaster at my house. Seriously, what is up with its crazy boring beginning? Props to those of you who hung on for the whole thing. My sister stops reading at 80 pages, she's kinder than me. </div><div><br /></div><div>My daughters: Lore (9) stops at page 30 but she drags her feet if it doesn't pick up. She put down Mockingbird at page 10. Who wants to read about a dead brother, Mom?</div><div><br /></div><div>Bryn (almost 8) stops at page 5 if it doesn't amuse her or make her laugh. And she's still in the reluctant stage where she won't finish the book if a chapter gets mildly boring. It's frightening how quickly she can become uninvested.</div><div><br /></div><div>When do you stop reading?</div><div><br /></div><div>And how do you keep your pace strong and stakes high in the beginning and/or middle of your story?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>bfavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14164661338051897220noreply@blogger.com3