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This fun illustration was sent in by Wendy Wahman. She is the author/illustrator of DON’T LICK THE DOG, A CAT LIKE THAT and illustrator of SNOWBOY 1,2,3. Here is her Website: http://www.wendywahman.com

Kat Yeh’s THE FRIEND SHIP, about a lonely hedgehog who sets off on a voyage to find the wonderful ship where everyone is a friend, only to make an unexpected discovery as she invites more and more lonely animals to join her on their increasingly crowded boat, to Rotem Moscovich at Disney-Hyperion, for publication in Summer 2015, by Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency (World).

Tassy Walden Award: Tassy Walden Awards competition encourages and nurtures the creation of exceptional quality books for children by unpublished Connecticut writers and illustrators in each of five categories: Picture Book (text only), Illustrated Picture Book (art and text), Children’s Book Illustrator Portfolio, Middle Grade Novel, and Young Adult/Teen Novel. Sponsored by Barnes & Noble the Tassy Walden: New Voices in Children’s Literature is a prestigious competition, judged by editors and agents in the field.

New Voices in Children’s Literature 2013 honorees were announced Tuesday night. BETSY DEVANY was a double-honoree this year. She was a middle-grade finalist for FILBERT AND THE GOOBERS,  and won honorable mention for FINDING BEAUTY. This was Betsy’s ninth Tassy.

If you attended the NJSCBWI Conference a few weeks ago, you heard Lauren Oliver (“Delirium series”) read an excerpt from her new YA novel PANIC. HarperCollins imprint Harper Teen will publish the book in spring 2014. Well, I thought you would like to know that Universal Pictures landed the film rights to PANIC in a bidding war. The seven-figure deal closed on Monday night, according to an individual familiar with the negotiations.

Michelle Nagler will join Random House Children’s Books on July 15 as associate publishing director for the Random House/Golden Books group, reporting to Mallory Loehr. Nagler is currently editorial director at Bloomsbury Children’s. Editorial director for Stepping Stones Jennifer Arena; executive editor Shana Corey, and associate editor and Chelsea Eberly will report to Nagler going forward.

Lynda Zuber Sassi will rejoin Chronicle Books as associate director, mass markets. Previously she was director of wholesale at DwellStudio; she was last at Chronicle in 2010. In addition, Erynn Im-Sato has been named associate manager, mass markets.

Lindsey Schwoeri has joined Penguin Books as editor. Previously she was an editor at the Random House Publishing Group.

Christina Quintero has joined Little, Brown Books for Young Readers as art director for licensing. Previously she was associate art director at Grosset & Dunlap/Price Stern Sloan.

Rysa Walker won the overall Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for her YA book Timebound. Walker will receive a $50,000 advance and publishing contract with Amazon Publishing.

The ebook of The Activist’s Daughter, about college life in the South during the civil righs turmoil of the 1960s is available for FREE from Amazon Kindle for 5 days only - June 20 – 24.  Don’t miss out! http://www.amazon.com/The-Activists-Daughter-ebook/dp/B00D45LGU6%3FSubscriptionId%3D0DK6RX2SNSBPXDSWSNR2%26tag%3Dwwwellynbache-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00D45LGU6

Here’s your chance to win advance reader’s copies of FOUR of Greenwillow’s Fall 2013 books! They’ll be giving away one prize pack of all four ARCs. Here’s the link: http://greenwillowblog.com/?p=5606

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Back in April I had two posts Titled What is a Story Architect’s at Paper Lantern, followed by an article from their writing toolbox about building chapters. Today I bring you another terrific article from Paper Lantern’s Toolbox. You know the information has to be good, when Lexa Hillyer and Lauren Oliver are the ones behind the scenes.

Here are the two links, in case you missed them in April.

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/what-is-a-story-architect/
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/building-chapters-tips/

In life, most of us avoid conflict. We want to get along and we want everything to go smoothly. However we also know that other people’s conflicts are fantastically interesting. We watch shows called “Desperate Housewives, not “Happy Functional Women.”

This doesn’t make us sadists… it makes us story-lovers. We don’t go to brunch on Sunday to hear about how calm everyone’s Saturday night was—we go to find out about scandals, secrets, surprises, and spectacles. Conflict requires action, and inspires triumph.

Pin this over your desk: NO PAIN, NO GAIN. Both in life and in narrative.

As a fiction-writer, CONFLICT IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. Does this mean your characters should always be throwing half-finished martinis on each other’s dresses, staging battles, or balling their fists and shouting to the heavens? No, of course not.

The whole notion of conflict is to give characters an issue to resolve, aka, to give them a trajectory, a goal, a forward motion of some kind.

CONFLICT => TENSION => ENERGY => DIRECTION => NARRATIVE.

Why is this such a big deal? Too often, our early drafts of novels are boring !!!!

Ever secretly worry that your story is only interesting to YOU? Well conflict is your cure. As readers, we’re compulsive about conflict—we love it, and the more we get, the more we hungrily read along. “How the heck is she going to get out of this one?!” we exclaim, eagerly flipping the pages.

Though of course there are always exceptions to a rule, most people would prefer to read a completely unoriginal story with great narrative drive than read a fantastically inventive, beautifully written book with no direction or point. How do you ensure your novel is the conflict-filled, compulsively readable kind?

First, examine your novel chapter by chapter. How many beats make things harder for the main character? More specifically, does it get more difficult for the character to achieve her established goal? If not, try out PLL’s five tried and true conflict tricks:

 1) ADD STRANGE FRUIT TO FRUITLESS SEARCHES. First draft: Character A asks around for information but comes up with no answers. Change to: Character A does a search and comes up with utterly surprising results that set her on a new course.

(Throw in a curveball that even YOU weren’t expecting!) For instance, a girl searches files for information on her adoptive family. She discovers—gasp—her parents were part of a magical circus. OR she discovers—gasp—her parents are the parents of the boy she loves. She’s in love with her own brother! As you can see, these reveals can pull the plot in extremely different directions

2) ESCAPE ISN’T SO EASY. First draft: Character A narrowly escapes harm. Change to: Character A gets injured, captured, or forced down an unexpected path.

-How can this lead to new plot potential? How will the character get better, what will the injury require him to do next or prevent him from being able to do next? How will he break out of captivity or what will he learn from being held? Where will the unexpected route lead him? Who will he run into there

3) HOLD GRUDGES! First draft: Two characters argue, but come to reconcile their views or agree to disagree. Change to: two characters argue. The disagreement becomes explosive, leading to violence, a drastic measure, or swearing allegiance to a third party.

-How can this open new possibilities for the story? Force the characters to work through the conflict by making more mistakes and truly grappling through the book rather than resolving quickly and cleanly.

4) WE LIKE BIG BUTS AND WE CANNOT LIE. When in doubt, insert a BUT. She tried to sneak in undetected, BUT… She planned to kill him, BUT… She asked him to the dance, BUT.

5) MAKE MISTAKES. Are all the character’s difficulties coming from external forces (bad timing, storms, coincidences, society, other characters’ evil machinations/ villainy) or internal forces/ character-agency (making mistakes, overreacting, wanting something too much, essentially making a dangerous, risky or bad choice)?

-When in doubt, try to use more character-agency to create hurdles. The most interesting problems to solve are the ones we’ve in some way created ourselves!

-A few storms and bad guys are often necessary for good story-telling too, though.

So go ahead, awaken the Inner Demon/Diva/Desperate housewife. Don’t worry—you’ll get to save your characters in the end… Just don’t let them off the hook before then!

If you are attending the New Jersey SCBWI Conference this weekend, make sure you look for both Lexa and Lauren. They will be there. Since I will be there too, I will report back next week hoping to share some of the information so no one feels left out.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Yesterday we talked about Paper Lantern Lit, Lexa Hillyer, Lauren Oliver, who are part of this  years NJSCBWI conference and what they were doing with authors, editors, and Stephen Barbara. Today, I thought I would share a great article they wrote to help authors improve their writing. Here it is below:

Chapters are kind of like socks—something we writers and editors use ALL the time, but hardly ever think about. We all know that most novels are anywhere from 40,000 words to 140,000 words long, and we all know they’re broken up into units called “chapters.” But how often do we stop to ask why? How do you know you’re getting the most from a chapter?

We see this challenge in two parts: WHAT goes in the chapter, and HOW it goes in.

Let’s start with the juicy WHAT, first.

Chapters must give good, purposeful content that moves the story forward, that’s what! Unlike socks (ew), a chapter is something you should be able to sink your teeth into and get some real nutrients from it. Let’s consult the magic 8-ball of chapter content questions:

1) What is the main character’s goal in this chapter? How does that goal evolve? (I.e., is the main character thwarted, or does her goal get more urgent?) If there’s no goal, what would make a good goal for the chapter? It should be based on the character’s overall goal in the book! If her goal in the story is to find missing treasure, then perhaps the goal in this chapter is to first dig up the map, or confront the pirate who buried it.

2) What happens in this chapter? Is there action, and does it naturally lead to more action? If not, what new actions might lead to consequences that increase the urgency or difficulty of the goal? (Here’s the thing about goals: we should be making it more and more difficult to get to while simultaneously more and more seemingly necessary.) For instance, perhaps the pirate who buried the treasure has mysteriously vanished, and now your main character must solve the mystery of his disappearance! Or maybe the character’s mother plans to sell her home, and now she needs that treasure more than ever.

3) What new information is learned? (And why now?) If not much is learned, what “clue” might be inserted into this chapter to help set us up for the actions and reveals of future chapters?

4) Does the chapter seem urgent? Does it have tension? If not, what would make everything more pressing, more dire? What might be causing the tension to deflate? Watch out for moments where things are getting easier for the characters, where they seem to be fed the answers. Instead, there can be clues leading them forward, but there should also be obstacles keeping us interested! Remember that you are supposed to be making things more complex and challenging—that’s good narrative!

5) Unity of action. Is the action contained to one location? Does it focus on a single event? Is there a logic to where and why it comes to an end? If you close your eyes, can you easily picture this chapter? Can you describe the action in a sentence? (Think: It was Mrs. White, with the wrench, in the drawing room).

6) Is there causality from one chapter to the next? Remember that the goal in chapter A should lead directly to the goal in chapter B, either linearly (“I had to talk to character M and he told me to go talk to character N”) or because some obstacle encountered in Chapter A redefines the goal in Chapter B (“I got shot at while talking to character M and now I need to go to the hospital, which has replaced talking to character N as my immediate goal.”)

7) Where have we come from? Have the actions, revelations, and emotions of the chapter been properly “seeded” in previous chapters? If not, what would be a few specific places earlier in the book where we might get enough information or “clues” to prepare us for what happens now?

8) Where are we going? What are the elements of this chapter that you’d like to see “pay off” later in the book? In novels, unlike in life, everything must serve a purpose. Even small developments should have some impact on the plot—a.k.a. that development should cause something important to happen later, throw a wrench into the narrative making the goal harder to get to, or aid in a significant reveal later on. Otherwise, it’s simply filler!

Now on to the HOW!

That is, how are we building this baby? What’s the appropriate structure of a chapter? Get ready… we’re about to tell you how to win a game of writing Jenga.

1) Importance of Innies. Is the chapter “in” strong? Does the opening “hook” you from the beginning with a surprising or vivid first sentence/paragraph? Are you peeking around the doorframe or leaping right into the middle of the room? Variety is the key. Experiment with the three A’s of openers: Action, Atmosphere, or Attribution (i.e. dialogue that is quickly attributed to a character). Either start in the middle of a scene with a sound (Splat! The burger hit him in the face), or with vivid description and mood (A dark, feathery form swooped across the fading skyline like a streak of black ink across the gray) or in the midst of a conversation (“How dare you call me selfish! I’m only trying to help you,” Cindy said, raising an eyebrow at me.)

Read the Rest

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

I was going over my New Jersey SCBWI Conference Registration and noticed Lexa Hillyer co-founder of Paper Lantern on the faculty. I was not familiar with Lexa, so I read her bio. Here it is:

Lexa Hillyer received her BA in English from Vassar College and her MFA in Poetry from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. She has received various poetry awards, including the 2011 Melissa Lanitis Gregory Poetry Prize for her first book of poems, Acquainted with the Cold. She was named one of the Best New Poets of 2012 by Matthew Dickman. Lexa worked as an editor at both Harper Collins and Penguin, and is co-founder of boutique literary incubator Paper Lantern Lit.

This still didn’t tell me enough, so I visited Paper Lantern Lit to see what additional information I could discover. I found out Paper Lantern Lit is a “book incubator” that creates hits for publishers–and careers for undiscovered writers. Lexa Hillyer and co-founder Lauren Oliver are story architects. I still needed more information so Lexa and I talked and she answered my questions in this interview. I think you will find what they are doing, very interesting.

What is Paper Lantern Lit?

We come up with story ideas, we plot them using our knowledge and experience with narrative structure, and we coach authors through the writing process. Like architects, we envision, design and layout all the basics of a book, but it’s our writers who inhabit them and bring them to life.

How did you and Lauren Oliver decide to start Paper Lantern Lit?

We met when we both worked as editors at Penguin, before Lauren decided to pursue a career in writing. After a few years, we had stayed friends, and realized we both had pieces missing from our lives. She missed editing, and often found she had more ideas than she could possibly write herself. I longed for more creative flexibility for my ideas, and the freedom to make stronger connections with writers. We discovered that we both possess creativity and passion for storytelling alongside a pretty unusual obsession with structure and form. We know that a great novel has both, and while the elusive power of an original, emotive voice may not be teachable, the a-to-z of plotting a book is. So why not build incredibly fun book concepts, offer to help new writers, and get the thrill of discovering them ourselves?

Once we had that all figured out, we just started having meetings. We took it one step at a time and taught ourselves what it would mean to really own a business. We made sure we had a lot of different projects we felt confident pursuing, so that our company would have longevity. Then we reached out to Stephen Barbara of Foundry Media, to ensure that we would have strong representation. Finally, we hired the most amazing interns ever, two of whom now work for the company full time!

Was this before she wrote the Delirium Series?

Yes, though I believe she was already working on it. It was right after her first book, BEFORE I FALL, came out. 

How does Paper Lantern Lit differ from a traditional Publisher?

We are not a publisher or an agency, though our company does have certain similarities to an agency: we seek out excellent writers, work with them on a project, and then typically sell the project to a publisher. However, at Paper Lantern Lit, we develop many of our book ideas in-house. So while a traditional agency looks for finished manuscripts, we are far more focused on finding the best new writers out there and fostering their voices. We pride ourselves on cultivating emergent authors, and providing them a context in which to further learn their craft.

So you could say you are a book packager?

Our business model is certainly similar, but we feel our approach is unique in that we put a major emphasis on the author and on our relationships within the industry. We’re not about making a product, package or sale. We’re about creating an experience that is hopefully lasting and has universal appeal. We attach writers and projects together much the way a matchmaker might: it’s all about finding the perfect pairing.

Since Paper Lantern gets the advance for the books they sell, how does the writer get paid?

We pay the writer directly per project. You can consider it as doing Freelance or Work-for-Hire. Some of our deals offer sub rights and other financial participation—we want our authors to enjoy success as the book’s audience grows, and for them to feel invested in its future and their own!

Does the writer get their name on the books they write?
Sometimes yes, though many times we mutually agree to move forward under a pseudonym. Often that feels like the best way to give both parties the most freedom and most protection at the same time. We understand that many of our writers may be concurrently pursuing other work, and this allows for greater flexibility to do so.

Do you accept full manuscripts?

We are looking for writers, typically, not manuscripts, because our focus is on building story from the ground up. We are the story architects, after all! You might say we prefer to work on new designs rather than renovations: this way we can always vouch for the end result—we can guarantee a sound structure. However, there’s an exception to every rule. If you love what we do, we encourage you to reach out. You never know what opportunities will arise, especially as we turn our focus with more and more interest toward the digital publishing sphere.

How long have you been in business?

We officially launched PLL in May of 2010, so we’re at the three year mark.

How many books have you gotten published?

We have 25 domestic titles (this includes multiple book deals for each author). We’ve also sold our books in dozens of foreign countries. Of these, we have 9 that have hit shelves so far, and our 10th, TRUTH OR DARE by Jacqueline Green, comes out May 14, 2013!

Do you run your book ideas past editors before you look for an author?

Not often, but we certainly have many editor friends and are always discussing what they’re excited about and where we all feel the market may be headed. Further, we do ALWAYS share our ideas with our agent, Stephen Barbara, before taking on a writer. We consider him the third partner and take his objective reactions very seriously—it’s important to have some checks and balances!

So I would image that you work closely with the author to develop the book. Is that right?

Oh absolutely. It’s a very hands-on process. We check in with our authors weekly and provide very consistent notes and feedback. They constantly work to adapt the story so that it is truly theirs—in the end, sometimes they depart wildly from the original concept, but we communicate and work together the whole way through to be sure at all times that the structure is solid and that their voice is being heard.

I see you have a group of teens called Trendsetters who read pre-published YA books from you. Have you changed books due to this feedback?
Definitely! It’s fascinating to get a peek into what teens are really thinking, what their experiences are like, what they most care about. We take their input very seriously and we just love all of the awesome ways they get involved in our projects, from coming up with soundtracks to the books to creating character collages and inspiration boards. These teens are very savvy, very articulate, and love books—so of course, we love THEM!

Do you feel that an unknown author benefits from working with you, other than the freelance money they receive?

I very much believe and hope so, yes. Some of our authors have gone so far as to refer to us as a “paid MFA in writing.” Others call it novel-writing boot camp.  We offer a lot of insight and structure regarding the craft and the writing process, in addition to offering serious access to new contacts in the industry and help them reach their fans directly.

If the authors get school visits from librarian who come to you, do they get the full amount of money for the visit?
Yes!

I read that Paper Lantern has a Fellowship Program for a MFA student enrolled at Queens College’s MFA Program in Creative Writing and Literary Translation. What do they get if they are chosen?

The recipient receives full tuition remission for the spring semester in addition to a $1,000 internship stipend.

What do authors do to get you interested in working with them?

Send us your resume, a brief bio, and a ten-page sample of your best writing (preferably fiction.) Please submit all of the above in the body of your email (no attachments), and include your name and sample title in the subject heading. Also please let us know where you heard about us!

Show off their voice. Knowing your own individual strengths, rather than trying to prove you can be malleable, is key. Also show us that you are savvy with the interwebs and not afraid to have a presence there. If you fear your own audience or seem like a ghost when we google you, that can be concerning. Writing for young people these days means having confidence in your voice, what you have to say, AND your ability to interact with your audience.

You can still register for the New Jersey SCBWI Conference in June and get a critique with Lexa. Don’t miss this opportunity. Here is the link: www.regonline.com/njscbwi2013conference

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

A few weeks back I posted an article about Hugh Howey’s dystopian novel WOOL, because it was such an inspirational success story. Since I own a Kindle Fire and the first part of the book was free, it was a no brainer to slip over and get it. After reading part one, I wanted to read the rest. For those who have read about the journey of WOOL and how Hugh started by publishing part one of WOOL  as an ebook, you may want to run off and do the same with your book.  I want you to know his writing is the reason for his success. If you decide to read the first part for free, I think you will see that we put up a polished story. Something we all should strive to achieve.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY:

After getting my Kindle, of course, I wanted to buy some ebooks to read.  Since I was enjoying all the YA dystopian novel series, I was looking for some new ones to read.  I looked at all the ebooks listed for $2.99 or lower and bought Under the Never Sky.  A few weeks later, I was on facebook and Carol Ferderlin Baldwin said she had just read Veronica Rossi’s Under the Never Sky and loved it, so I started reading, while reading the hardcover of Requiem. I never tried that before, but both books kept me reading and wanting to turn the page. Then I found myself away with only my Kindle and I tore through the second half of Veronica’s book. I have to agree with Carol Baldwin – I loved it! I tell you putting up her book on Kindle for $2.99 really  is a good marketing strategy, because there wasn’t any question about paying $10.00 plus tax for the second book, UNDER THE EVER SKY, which I am reading as we speak. Of course, I finished reading Requiem before I started Veronica’s second book. Veronica is represented by the wonderful Adam’s Literary Agency.

And have you noticed the other marketing tool that authors and publishers are using? Most of the authors are writing short stories about various characters in their books. This works really well, because they charge a few dollars for the ebook, so it brings in money and it keeps the excitement going while the author finishes their next book. Plus, if the author probably has the stories of the other characters in their mind in order to write the series, so they can put it out without having to come up with another plot. I see this as a great boom for authors and their fans.

REQUIEM:

Requiem is the third book in Lauren Oliver’s Delirium Series. It came out on March 5th. I highly recommend all three. Sometime the second book can not live up to the first, but I actually think the second was even better. If you like dystopian YA novels, don’t miss this series. When I noticed that Lauren lives in Brooklyn, I immediately suggested the New Jersey SCBWI Conference Committee consider Lauren for the keynote speaker. Lauren agreed and better yet, Stephen Barbara is Lauren’s agent, so we’ll be treated to both at the conference in June. Come join us: www.regonline.com/njscbwi2013conference

What a great book month March was for me.  I have twenty ebooks sitting in the cue on my Kindle and a bunch of hardcovers on my nightstand waiting to be read. I really didn’t think I would enjoy reading books as much on the Kindle, but I was wrong. The funny thing is I read the ebooks much faster, which has surprised me. I am looking forward reading in April:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Crossed by Ally Condie
See you at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

The little character study “Hold you over” ebooks for Marie Lu’s Legend Series and Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series that are sitting in my Kindle to keep me going until their next books.

What are you planning to read this month? What are some of the recent books you  loved?

KUDOS:

At Little, Brown Children’s, Pam Gruber has been promoted to associate editor.

At Abrams,  David Blatty has been promoted to director of managing editorial, Dervla Kelly moves up to senior editor, Laura Dozier has been promoted to editor, and Samantha Weiner moves up to assistant editor.

Regional publisher Tilsbury House in Maine, which has a successful line of children’s books, was sold to Jonathan Eaton and Tristram Coburn, founders of Cadent Publishing. They plan to grow the company’s lines.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

In recent years, young adult books have driven a surge in sales for publishers. Besides increasing the revenue streams of these companies, it also seems to have uplifted the popularity of short fiction. The YA authors who have contributed to this trend tend to set their short fiction pieces within the universe of a popular book series.

For instance, Beth Revis recently concluded the Across the Universe trilogy and celebrated by inviting her fans to download a free novella called “As They Slip Away.” Ally Carter incorporated characters from two teen series, Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls, for “Double-Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Novella.”

As we previously reported, HarperCollins established HarperTeen Impulse as a digital imprint dedicated to solely publishing short fiction. But, even before this venture came along, Divergent series author Veronica Roth penned a short story called “Free Four” and Delirium trilogy author Lauren Oliver wrote a piece called “Hana.” What do you think?

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

I was going through the books that I read in 2012 and thought perhaps someone out there was looking for a book to buy as a gift or line up to read in 2013.  I received a bookstore gift card for Christmas and bought The Daughter of Smoke and Bone, because Natalie Zaman said it was great and Executive Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.  I was not disappointed, except for the fact that I had to wait until the end of the year to read book two, The Days of Blood and Starlight.

So, I spent the rest of the money on buying Delirium and Divergent, because they both started with D and I couldn’t remember which of the two was recommended.  I bet the reason I couldn’t remember was because both were recommended, because there I was again wanting more and the next books were not as of yet written – Pandemonium and Insurgent.

Debut author Veronica Roth burst onto the literary scene with Divergent, the first book in her dystopian thriller series filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

I love the way Lauren Oliver writes.  The way she forms her sentences.  How she describes things. Marry that talent with a great story and you really have something memorable.  I didn’t know who she was until I picked up delirium and now I am a big fan.  Can’t wait to read the third book, Requiem and her first book, Before I Fall, which is sitting on my piano calling to me.

Many times the first book of a series is the best, but I think pandemonium was even better than the first. When I reached the final paragraph of the book, I closed it and said, “Perfect.”

You will notice that each of these books does not capitalize the first letter of their title.  Can anyone tell me whether you do the same when you are writing about the book.  You will find it both ways in this post, because I do not know which is correct.  Any help out there?

If you decide to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I loved, I would pick up both books and read them one right after the other, since I had a hard time remembering the names of the characters and who was who after leaving a year between books. I should have gotten up and read a few chapters of the first one before I started reading, but I was too lazy to get up and familiarize myself the first book again.  Not because there was anything wrong with the writing, but I had read so many other books during that in between time that I was mixing all the characters up.

The same thing happened with Divergent and Insurgent.  The author is so intimate with their books and characters that they probably never think about all those books in-between. This did not happen with Delirium and Pandemonium.

So now you won’t have that problem when you read the first book, you will be able to run out and get the second one to read.  They are wonderful books.

Then came Matched - About Cassia who has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when her best friend, Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, she knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees another boys Ky’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

I gobbled it up and will not have to wait to read the next two books - Crossed, which is waiting for me and Reached, which come out last month. Love the covers of these books, too.

Since I enjoyed so many dystopian books, I picked up Legend.

Once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths–until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

This book is full of action, suspense, and romance. I loved this book and can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, Prodigy, which comes out at the end of January.

Continuing on my search for more books along these lines of fantasy and dystopian novels, I found The Girl of Fire and Thorns and another debut author who nailed her first book.

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

He’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young, like most of the chosen do.

A 2012 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist

One thing that I really liked about this story was how Rae Carson managed to write a story about a princess that was fat without calling her fat and how the situation she puts the princess in caused her to lose weight without the princess being put down and struggling to lose the weight to be accepted.  You just see her end up being slim and how it pays off for her.  Her weight was not the main story.  I just thought she wove that layer into the story with such finesse.

Then Glenn Beck came out with a book titled, Agenda 21, which is written by Harriet Parke.  I thought she did a good job writing the story of after the worldwide implementation of a UN-led program called Agenda 21.  When America is simply known as “the Republic.” There is no president. No Congress. No Supreme Court. No freedom. There are only the Authorities.

Citizens have two primary goals in the new Republic: to create clean energy and to create new human life. Those who cannot do either are of no use to society. This bleak and barren existence is all that eighteen-year-old Emmeline has ever known. She dutifully walks her energy board daily and accepts all male pairings assigned to her by the Authorities. Like most citizens, she keeps her head down and her eyes closed. Until the day they come for her mother.

I enjoyed the book, but it left me feeling like the full story was not told. After all other dystopian type novels I read this year, I felt like I had read half of a story, like it was just going to take off.  Perhaps there is going to be a sequel, but there should have been more story to this one.  Still worth reading and certainly it was a huge opportunity for Harriet Parke to have Glenn Beck put his name on the book - her first novel.  After the end of the story Glenn writes about the real Agenda 21 and how it came about and what it is all about.

After having heard about Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reason Why for years, I decided to read it.  I knew it was about teenage suicide, which was the reason I hadn’t picked it up sooner. It is an excellent book, well written, creatively written, and though it was sad in parts, it was also a page turner and did not leave you on a downer.  I kicked myself for not reading it sooner.

I did the same thing with Jerry’s Spinelli’s Milkweed.  I had read all of Jerry’s books, except for Milkweed, because it was about the Holocaust.  I guess by now you can tell I don’t like to be depressed by a book.  When I finally read Milkweed and closed the book, I said, “What was I thinking?  It was written by Jerry Spinelli.  You should have known it would be good.  In the middle of something so horrific, he wove in humor and showed how even in the worst of times, people try to live, love, and find happiness.”  If you haven’t read these books because you thought they would depress you, run, don’t walk to add them to your list of books to read.

I am a big Laurie Halse Anderson fan.  I have read all her books and this year re-read Twisted.  I love this book.  Everyone talks about Speak (which I agree is good), but in my opinion this one is better.  The protagonist is a teenage boy and she really has that voice nailed down.  The first time I read it, I kept closing the book and looking at the name Laurie and wondering if possibly I was mistaken  that Laurie was a woman and really was a man.  Though I am still upset about reading Chains without knowing that is was part of a series.  I ran out to get Forged without knowing that it was a series of three.  If you haven’t read these books, please wait until 2014, because that is when the third book comes out and you won’t be tormented by having to wait to read the whole thing.

Now how did I end up buying four of Libba Bray’s books?  Libba was speaking at an SCBWI event.  I hadn’t read any of her books, but she is a very interesting speaker, so I decided I would buy a couple of her books and get them signed.  I didn’t have time to really to browse the books, so I picked up  Rebel Angel (I liked the cover) Going Bovine and got her to sign both.  They sat in my pile of books to read, until this year.  When I read the flap of Going Bovine, I decided I wasn’t up to reading about a dying boy, so I read Rebel Angels first and really enjoyed the book.  There were some references to backstory in the book, so I did some further investigating and found out that I had picked up the second book, , of a three book series.  But you know, that book really was able to stand alone.  I totally enjoyed the book, so I had to go out and buy the first, A Great and Terrible Beauty and the third A Sweet Far Thing, which I will get to in 2013.

Libba is a good writer and I did read Going Bovine and enjoyed it, but it is very different and I worried about his parents at the end, even though we see him go off to a better place.  It did not leave me feeling bad, so that was a good thing.

The this past June, editor Leila Sales was part of the faculty and picked up her two books at the bookfair – Mostly Good Girls and Past Perfect.  And because she is an editor and I am a writer, I was looking for things I could say she should have done better.  Mostly Good Girls was Leila’s first book and it had a sexy legs cover, so I started with that expecting to get a book where the girls were edgy.  First let me emphasize I did enjoy the book, but I didn’t get edgy and I found some spots where I could be nit-picky and say she could have done more here or there.

But when I started reading Past Perfect, I was sucked right in and wanted to keep reading until I was done.  The setting was perfect -  set in Williamsburg, so I guess the title is a perfect fit.  I was thinking it was going to have something to do with language (too much writing on this end).  Reminded me of the time I taught art in high school.  I told the kids the first day that we would get into graphics and I had a half of dozen kids drop the class.  I later found out that the thought I was going to do math in the art class – graphics – graphs – see the connection?

Every year I try to read a few if the Newbery books – the new ones and some that are sitting in my pile of books too read.  This year I read Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool which was the 2011 Medal Winner, Turtle in Paradise, which won the 2011 Honor award, and The Graveyard Book, which won the Newbery Medal for 2009.

Newbery Medal Winner: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos book is still waiting for me (I ran out of time).  You can not go wrong when you pick up a Newbery winning book, so if you are a writer, or a well published author, you should read these books.

At the end of 2011 I picked up Okay for Now, because Editor Daniel Nayeri had talked about it in one of his workshops and said how good it was.  He was right.  I would say it is a perfect middle grade novel. I thought it should have gotten a Newbery for it.  Gary D. Schmidt won a Newbery Honor for Wednesday Wars, so I went out and bought that book.  I really enjoyed that book, too and I like the way some of the characters were tied into Okay for Now.  If you are writing Middle grade book, especially for boys, I would read both of these books.

You might wonder why I read Cirque Du Freak. A few years ago editor Connie Hsu at Little, Brown BFYR mentioned the series, so I picked up the first one and read it.  There are 12 to this series that Darren Shan wrote.  They are excellent, scary, and well written.  J.K. Rowling’s said: “Fast-paced and compelling, full of satisfying macabre touches.” There is a movie, too.

This book is the second of the series.  You might ask, why did you wait to read more when you say they are excellent?  Well, we are back to my little quirk of not wanting to feel bad after reading a book.  I loved the first book, but the premise of the story is to save his friend’s life the boy must go with the Vampire and be his apprentice, but in order to do that he has to become part vampire.  The Vampire fakes the boy’s death and you see the parents morning his death.  I am still bothered by that and worry about his parents.  This year I did some research and it looks like he makes it back to his parents in the end, so I decided I was going to read the rest of the series.  I would say, if you are thinking of getting these book for a young middle grade child, it might be too scary for them, but the story telling is exciting.

Kate DiCamillo was the keynote speaker at the 2012 NJSCBWI Conference, so I bought Because of Winn-Dixie and Tale of the Despereaux, which own the Newbery Award on 2004.  Because of Winn-Dixie was given a Newbery Honor Award in 2001.  So like I said you can’t go wrong reading these books.  Both are short, so it isn’t going to take you long to read.  I actually wasn’t ready to read Tale of Despereaux, but it was sitting on my table and I picked it up and opened it in the middle of the book and read a few sentences.  Little did I know I would want to keep reading.  It is the only book where I read the second half and then the first half.

Play, Louise, Play was sent to me by author Muriel Harris Weinstein when I started working on her website.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed the book.  It is non-fiction and I didn’t expect such lovely writing, plus she had an extremely interesting story to tell – Good writing – good story = good book.  It won THE 2012 PATERSON PRIZE FOR  BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE for Grades 4 -6.  It also was one of 11 books that won the Texas Blue Bonnet Award, which means an automatic purchase of over 20,000 books.

Ame Dyckman and Leeza Hernandez both had picture book come out this year and both are friends.  I have seen both of them and their careers grow and I am so happy for them.

Ame sent me her manuscript before she was going to send it out and as soon as I read it, I knew she and (it) was getting published.  Steve Meltzer (Dial) met her and read her manuscript.  He went up to Scott Treimel  and told him he should think about representing Ame and that is exactly what he did.  The rest is history.  Boy+ Bot is Ame’s first book published, but she already a number of additional picture books in the cue with publishers. I don’t remember when the second one hits, but if you read this blog regularly, you will know.

Leeza Hernandez started out as an illustrator and was inspired to write her own picture book after coming up with an adorable illustration of a dog.  Penguin saw the dog and immediately contracted the book.  Here book Dog Gone came out in June.  Both of these books are adorable – great artwork and great story. Leeza has a ton of things going on more picture books that she is illustrating for big name people and more books written and illustrated by her.  Both of these people are  writers to watch.  They are going to be big names in the industry.  Leeza was featured on Illustrator Saturday Click Here to see.

As most of you know I do Jerry and Eileen Spinelli’s websites, so I read all their books.  Of course that is not a problem, because the two of them write wonderful books.  It seems like Eileen is good for five or six book every year.  She always ends up with a fantastic illustrator, so all her books are special.  I do have a favorite and I bring it out and many times to show other writers, friends and children.  That book is When You are Happy.  That book is so beautiful – so much soul.  The perfect book for a parent or grandparent to give their child.  Every time I read it, I remember how much my parents loved me and that they sent this book to me to remind me of their love.  I see this book as a treasure that children will want to hold on to and remember that same feeling when they are adults.

Cold Snap is a gorgeous book.  The snow sparkles on the cover and pages.  It really has the WOW factor and would be a great present for someone this time of year.

Together at Christmas combines Eileen’s perfect rhyme and caring soul with beautiful illustrations from a wonderful new illustrator from China.  Bin Lee captures the true spirit of Christmas with his illustrations.  Take a look when you are in the book store.

Eileen you can catch a glimpse of the funny side of Eileen in Miss Fox’s Class Gets It Wrong. Ann Kennedy created the illustration for the perfect fit to this book.

Dianne Ochiltree sent me her picture book, Molly by Golly: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter. I featured Kathleen Kemly the illustrator this year on Illustrator Saturday and showed you a lot of the artwork before the book came out.  It is really a great picture book that perfectly combines story with art.  Click here to view Kathleen Kemly Illustrator Saturday post.

Then I featured author/illustrator Roger Roth on Illustrator Saturday and he was kind enough to send me two books that I admired – The Roller Coaster and a book that his wife wrote and he illustrated titled, Star of the Week.  They adopted an Asian baby girl (she is no longer a baby), but they wrote this book for her and you can just feel the love they have for her oozing from the pages. BEAUTIFUL!  Click here to see Roger’s feature.  Most of the artwork is there for your pleasure.

Another talented featured author/illustrator, Carlyn Beccia sent me one of her picture books, probably because she knew I loved her artwork, so when I found a copy of Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?  I snatch it up. The artwork in this book  is awesome.  I’m a big fan. Click here to see Carlyn’s Illustrator Saturday post.

Then Kathi Ember sent me a copy of one of her picture books, Mother’s Day Surprize, after she was featured on Illustrator Saturday.  It is about a snake named Violet who watches the other animals make Mother’s Day gift for their mom’s and tires to think of something nice that she can make for her mother.  I love Kathie’s illustrations.  You can see her work by clicking here.

Ame Dyckman sent me I Want My Hat Back written and illustrated by Jon Klassen when I was getting my knee replaced.  I hadn’t read any of his books, but it is another perfect picture book.  Thanks Ame for introducing him to me.

On Black Friday, Amazon had a great deal on a Kindle Fire, so I bought myself a Christmas present.  My first purchase for the Kindle was Stephen King’s book ON WRITING.  Who would think a “how to” book could be so interesting and such a good read.  I love the way he talks about problems and solutions with his own books and ties in the events in his life that influenced his books and how he give you such straight talk about how to approach writing a novel. I am so glad I listened to the writers around me telling me to buy the book.  Love it!  Stephen King’s On Writing Book is the first “How to” book that I have read from cover to cover.

Everyone one says you have to read to be a good writer.  Stephen reads about 80 a year and  he says that is low.

I won Writing and Selling the YA Novel by K. L. Going at the June NJSCBWI conference and like her advice in this book.  She is an author and used to be a literary agent.  I use it mostly as reference and pull it out and read sections, when I need some guidance.

If you have any suggestions on what I should add to this year’s book list, please let me know.  Right now I have the following:

Before I Fall – Lauren Oliver

Everyday – David Levithan

Crossed – Allyson Condie

Reached – Allyson Condie

Prodigy – Marie Lu

Crown of Embers – Rae Carson

Requiem – Lauren Oliver

Dead End at  Norvelt – Gantos

A Sweet and Far Thing – Libba Bray

Cirque Du Freak – Book 3

Killing Kennedy Bill O’Reilly

Can you help me fill my list?

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

IT IS TIME TO NOMINATE WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING www.kathytemean.wordpress.com for the WRITER’S DIGEST’S 101 BEST WEBSITES FOR WRITERS!

If you have enjoyed the articles and information you received everyday this year, please help by dominating my blog. Submit an email to [email protected] to nominate my blog www.kathytemean.wordpress.com

I would greatly appreciate your help.

Thanks!

Lauren Oliver’s second book for middle grade readers, THE SPINDLERS, is for sale in bookstores all over the country today, and we’re going to just go ahead and brag that it has already received FOUR starred reviews!

Download our FREE Discussion Guide for THE SPINDLERS here!

If you love a sweeping, classic, spooky, funny, and plucky adventure (and who doesn’t?!), then this one is for you. Check out what the experts had to say:

“Oliver’s magical, mesmerizing quest affirms the saving power of story, friendship, and love.” -Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

“This imaginative fantasy emphasizes individual initiative and the power of hope and friendship. Below is a fully realized alternate world with echoes of both classic literature and mythology.” -School Library Journal, starred review

 ”Richly detailed, at times poetic, ultimately moving; a book to be puzzled over, enjoyed and, ideally, read aloud.” -Kirkus, starred review

 ”Oliver’s fluid, poetic prose elevates this tale above the genre, often imparting weight to the simplest sentences. Similar in its action and pacing to Collins’ Gregor the Overlander but with the emotional resonance of Ursu’s Breadcrumbs, this is sure to win over middle-grade readers.” -BCCB, starred review

Many of you are fans of New York Times Bestseller author Lauren Oliver’s YA novels, particularly her DELIRIUM trilogy.  Oliver’s first MG book, Liesl and Po, was recently published. I loved this sweet, fun ghost story. Now Oliver has a new MG coming out in September, THE SPINDLERS, a very different kind of fantasy.

The book:
Looking across the breakfast table one morning, twelve-year-old Liza feels dread wash over her. Although her younger brother, Patrick, appears the same, Liza knows that he is actually quite different. She is certain that the spindlers-evil, spiderlike beings-came during the night and stole his soul. And Liza is also certain that she is the only one who can rescue him.

Armed with little more than her wits and a huge talking rat for a guide, Liza descends into the dark and ominous underground to save Patrick’s soul. Her quest is far from easy, and the road to the spindlers’ nests is riddled with danger. She must brave tree snakes, the Court of Stones, and shape-shifting serpents before facing her greatest challenge in the spindlers’ lair, where more than just Patrick’s soul is at stake.

At this writing, Lauren Oliver  had a placeholder on her website for this book, but the information will probably be up soon. Perhaps she’s having a trailer made. Meanwhile, you can catch a sneak peek here and see a review of THE SPINDLERS on Reading for Ladies and Gentlemen of Quality.

Via twitter, I heard that this book was all the talk at BEA among the children’s literature crowd. I happened to have an ARC of THE SPINDLERS, so I thought this might be a fun giveaway. To enter, just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form. This giveaway starts Tuesday, July 17, and ends at 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 23. This contest is only open to entrants in the mainland United States and Canada.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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By: Molly, on 5/18/2012
Blog: the pageturn (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  HarperCollins, YA, ALA, teens, libraries, Books, Mo Willems, young adult, Picture Books, middle grade, Beginning Readers, American Library Association, book discussion, tween, YA Books, Booktalks, Greenwillow, Greenwillow Books, Tween books, Katherine Tegen, Lauren Oliver, Blogs and bloggers, Add a tag

This Wednesday, we plied our local librarian friends with coffee and treats to meet us very very very early in the morning to hear about our Fall 2012 titles, straight from the mouths of our truly masterful editors. Our attendees live-tweeted under the hashtag #harperfallpreview and it was really exciting for us to see those enthusiastic tweets roll in. Thanks, guys!

Everyone with their listening caps on.

Greenwillow Editor Martha Mihalick (follow her on Twitter @MarthaMihalick) and VP/Publisher Virginia Duncan holding up the f&g of Michael Hall’s September 2012 title, CAT TALE, one that prompted a lot of great discussion. We always learn something new from librarians!

Balzer + Bray Editor Kristin Rens and VP/Publisher Alessandra Balzer holding books from their fall list: DEFIANCE, by C.J. Redwine, and THE OTHER NORMALS, by Ned Vizzini.

Now, for some great This Meets That’s:

• “Dan Brown for 10 year olds” — THE SECRET PROPHECY, by Herbie Brennan.
• “Scott Westerfeld meets Lauren Oliver” — THE LOST GIRL, by Sangu Mandanna.
• “The Goonies meets The Walking Dead” — GRAVEDIGGERS: MOUNTAIN OF BONES, by Christopher Krovatin.
• “My So-Called Life meets Twilight” — DRAIN YOU, by M. Beth Bloom. (full disclosure… this one killed me!)

Can you believe that in a little more than a month, we’ll be at the ALA Annual meeting in Anaheim, California?  Because we sure can’t (cue folders flying, frantic packing).  But if you’ll be there too, please make sure to stop by, say hello, and grab galleys of the titles above.  Booth #2558– see you there!

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By Nicki Richesin, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 11, 2012

Lauren Oliver. Photo credit: Jonathan Alpeyrie, 2011

Lauren Oliver is enormously talented yet such a humble and kind person. She’s been writing stories since she was a five-year-old and landed her first book deal at age 25. Lauren quickly followed the triumph of her break-out novel Before I Fall with another YA sensation Delirium. She has most recently published Pandemonium, the second installment in her Dystopian trilogy. Not one to rest on her laurels, Lauren also wrote a brilliant middle grade novel Liesl & Po. She is currently on tour to promote Pandemonium. Check out tour dates in your area to meet Lauren and buy your copy of Pandemonium before all the copies fly off the shelves.

Nicki Richesin: Thank you so much for chatting with TCBR. I first met you when I asked you to contribute an essay about first love to my anthology Crush. You wrote a stunning piece called “Three Little Words” although I don’t think this title ever quite lived up to your writing. Did you have any inkling at the time what a huge success you were about to become?

Lauren Oliver: Eep! That is kind of an awkward question to answer, as I don’t necessarily think of myself as a “huge success.” I’m not sure I thought too much about the future when I contributed to Crush; I try to focus on the process, not the outcome.

NR: Your latest book in your Dystopian trilogy, Pandemonium is a follow-up to your literary sensation Delirium. In Delirium, love is a contagious disease and many of the passages transport readers back to feelings about their own first love. You brilliantly describe how expansive and passionate first love can feel. How do you poignantly describe the intensity of this experience without making it seem clichéd?

LO: First of all, thank you! Writing, for me, is all about radical empathy—you really need to think your way into your characters, to project yourself into their experiences and feel them as a “real” person would. I think this enables you to find nuances and subtleties in feeling that feel truthful to the reader.

NR: You co-founded, with your pal

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39. YA Wednesday: Books to Satisfy Your Hunger Games Appetite

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By: JoVon Sotak, on 3/7/2012
Blog: Schiel & Denver Book Publishers Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  suzanne collins, hunger games movie, lauren oliver, veronica roth, divergent, delirium, dystopian teen books, young adult books, Books, young adult, Crossover, Add a tag

With The Hunger Games movie two weeks and a day away, buzz abounds. Last week, a clip of Katniss showing the Capitol's gamemakers what's what made the rounds on the 'net, and author Suzanne Collins posted her review of the film. Collins wrote, "Director Gary Ross has created an adaptation that is faithful in both narrative and theme, but he’s also brought a rich and powerful vision of Panem, its brutality and excesses, to the film as well. His world building’s fantastic, whether it be the Seam or the Capitol."

If all this buzz has made you, well, hungry for more teen dystopia, there's a book to tie you over. Really, we have a whole list of them. Instead of re-reading The Hunger Games series (again) as you patiently count down the minutes to the movie (22,360 minutes, not that I'm counting--ehem), check out Delirium, the first book in Lauren Oliver's series, or Divergent, the first book in Veronica Roth's series.

> What to Read After The Hunger Games

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40. BOOK BIRTHDAYS

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By: Molly, on 2/28/2012
Blog: the pageturn (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  HarperCollins, YA, teens, Books, Reviews, young adult, Picture Books, YA Books, Illustrators, Kevin Henkes, Greenwillow, Greenwillow Books, Lauren Oliver, Add a tag

Wow– we have some really fantastic books to wish a Happy Book Birthday to today! They’re ALMOST Leap Year book babies, but not quite…

PANDEMONIUM, by Lauren Oliver. In the highly anticipated sequel to DELIRIUM, Lena completely transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance in order to push Alex and her old life far from her mind and heart.  Epic and yet heart-breakingly close, you’ll savor every minute of this one.

PENNY AND HER SONG, by Kevin Henkes.  Meet Penny– Kevin Henkes’ newest mouse, and his first foray into the world of beginning readers!

PARTIALS, by Dan Wells.  Humanity’s only hope… may not be human at all.  In this exciting thriller, a small group living on what used to be Long Island may be the only humans left after a devastating robot revolution, and Kira finds herself unexpectedly at the forefront of their survival.

Z IS FOR MOOSE, by Kelly Bingham, illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky.  Fiesty but well-meaning Moose inserts himself into every page of this ABC book that’s already garnering multiple terrific starred reviews!

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41. Review: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

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By: Kimberly Pauley, on 2/20/2012
Blog: Young Adult (& Kid's) Books Central (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Delirium Trilogy, Lauren Oliver, Add a tag

The old Lena is gone. The new Lena, the one born in the Wilds knows grief, pain, and the struggle to merely survive. This new Lena is stronger and has joined the resistance' fight to live in a world where love is not considered a disease. Outwardly, she fights alongside others while inwardly, she wages her own battle to keep from drowning in her grief for Alex. He's everywhere and she doubts she'll ever truly live again.

As the work of the resistance intensifies, so does Lena's role. When she finds herself at the center of a full-blown rebellion, she'll discover not everyone is who they claim to be. Just like the fake marks of the cured that most members bare, she'll have to decide who she can trust. Then there's her heart. Could she really be falling in love again? What about Alex? Isn't she betraying him and the love they shared? Lena no sooner begins to let her guard down when her world, like her life is thrust back into pandemonium.

Click here to read more...

0 Comments on Review: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver as of 1/1/1900

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42. February 2012: Best Selling Kids’ Books, New Releases, and More …

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By: Bianca Schulze, on 2/4/2012
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Lauren Kate, Lauren Oliver, Teens: Young Adults, Julie Fogliano, Mo willems, Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, featured, Best Sellers, Jane O'Connor, Add a tag

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 4, 2012

Here’s the scoop on the most popular destinations on The Children’s Book Review site, the most coveted new releases and bestsellers.

THE HOT SPOTS: THE TRENDS

Award-Winning Illustrator Marla Frazee & the Best Interview Ever

Kids Winter Books: Snow, mittens, polar bears and other arctic animals

Caldecott Medal, 2012

Newbery Medal Winners, 2012

Where to Find Free eBooks for Children Online

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THE NEW RELEASES

The most coveted books that release this month:

Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet

by Jane O’Connor

(Ages 4-7)

And Then It’s Spring

by Julie Fogliano

(Ages 4-7)

Listen to My Trumpet!

by Mo Willems

(Ages 4-8)

Pandemonium (Delirium)

by Lauren Oliver

(Young Adult)

Fallen in Love: A Fallen Novel in Stories

by Lauren Kate

(Ages 12-17)

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THE BEST SELLERS

The best selling children’s books this month:

PICTURE BOOKS

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43. Best Books of 2011

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By: Stacy Nockowitz, on 12/13/2011
Blog: Some Novel Ideas (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Book Reviews, YA literature, Legend, Meditations, Glow, Lev Grossman, Kenneth Oppel, Lauren Oliver, Divergent, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Best Books of 2011, Erin Morgenstern, Supernaturally, This Dark Endeavor, Marie Lu, The Night Circus, Rae Carson, Variant, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, iBoy, Delerium, Ransom Rigg, The Magician King, Add a tag

I have never done a Best Books list, mainly because although I absolutely love to read these types of lists, I generally have a hard time choosing ten favorites from a given year.  I read so much, but for me to put a book on a BEST list, it had better be damn good. And some years, as much as I read, I don't read ten great books. Let's see if I make it to ten for 2011. My favorites, in no particular order:

Marie Lu's smart, fast-paced addition to the dystopia coterie begs for a sequel. Violent and bloody, Legend is an in-your-face commentary on how the chasm between the haves and the have-nots in our society continues to expand.

 

 

 

 

Not a YA novel, but I'm pretty sure The Magician King, the sequel to Grossman's The Magicians will show up on a lot of high school reading lists. It's Harry Potter for grown-ups, wizardry with humor and intellect. Completely unpredictable and totally original. I loved it.

 

 

 

Of the spate of dystopian novels from this post- Hunger Games YA literary landscape, Delirium stands out. Sure, it's set up for a sequel, but that won't interfere with your enjoyment of this story. Is a life without love a life at all? Delirium is a perfect read for those who grew up reading The Giver and now want a YA experience.

 

 

 

 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a creepy, weird, atmospheric book. I love the harsh and hearty Welsh island setting.  The odd, quirky characters remind me of a kids' version of Twin Peaks. I think the use of the old photographs is a little gimicky, and sometimes, author Ransom Rigg seems more enamored of the photos than how they actually f

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44. Lauren Oliver Interview

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By: Kimberly Pauley, on 11/7/2011
Blog: Young Adult (& Kid's) Books Central (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Lauren Oliver, Interviews, Add a tag

An interview with the author of Before I Fall, the Delirium trilogy, and Liesl and Po.

If you got the chance to re-do any day somewhat like Samantha Kingston, the MC in Before I Fall, without the dying part, would you?

What would I have to give up? Would it mean changing certain aspects of my future? Because if so, definitely not. I’ve had some difficult times, but I am ultimately grateful and happy for where I am now. But if I could redo any day (without dying), and redo certain things without substantively altering my future—then yes. But I’m not telling you which day it is!

What is the difference between the original hardcover and the special edition hardcover of Delirium?

Well, first of all, the cover—but there’s also a sneak peek of Pandemonium,
the second book in the series, and an exclusive interview with moi!

Lena, the main character in Delirium, struggles with deciding whether or not to believe the propaganda that love is wrong. What propoganda is currently being aimed at teens?

Oh, the usual stuff. I think pretty much every magazine targeted at young woman is full of propaganda, and promotes unhealthy and unrealistic body ideals, as well as sexual/romantic myths (*Please your guy! Make him love you!*). In this country, there has always been tremendous propaganda surrounding success, and the idea that wealth can and will make you happy and does mean that you’re successful.

Is there an official name for the trilogy Delirium is the beginning of?

I always called it the *Love* trilogy. But my publishers simply call it
the Delirium trilogy.

Two of your novels have been optioned. Have you gotten any news on their production statuses recently?

I know that the hunt for the BIF director goes on, and the script for Delirium is almost done! I can’t wait to read it.

There aren't too many authors who write in more than one genre. After your debut novel, Before I Fall, was it difficult to find a publisher for your dystopian series?

No, actually. My publishers were thrilled to have Delirium, and they were incredibly excited when I expanded into middle grade fiction as well. I am lucky to have a very open-minded and supportive editor, Rosemary Brosnan, and publishing house (HarperCollins).

You've expanded your writing resume even farther with your first MG novel, Liesl and Po, released on October 4th. Was there a significant difference between writing MG versus YA?

Oh, you know, each book is its own thing. Writing Before I Fall was very
different from writing Delirium; writing Liesl and Po was then different from writing either of those two books. And yet, at the end of the day, there are an incredible number of similarities, too: it’s you and your computer,and you let the characters speak to you through the keys.

Along with a bunch of other authors, you're part of a nonfiction
anthology, Dear Bully. Without giving away too much, what is your particular essay about?

My essay is simply about learning to celebrate complexity and boundary-less identity. I’m a no-boundaries kind of person.

You've worked on the publishing side as well. Did that give you a greater appreciation of how much work it takes to get a book on the shelves?

I always knew how m

2 Comments on Lauren Oliver Interview, last added: 11/8/2011

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Natalie Aguirre said, on 11/7/2011 3:12:00 PM

Great interview. I loved Delirium. And I'm so glad Lauren expanded into middle grade. I just finished Liesl & Po and it was awesome.

Catherine R. Smyka said, on 11/8/2011 1:10:00 PM

I had no idea that "Delirium" was going to be a film. Great news!

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45. Must Read this Book

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By: bookkm, on 10/3/2011
Blog: Books 'n' stories (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  book trailers, Lauren Oliver, Liesl and Po, Add a tag

Book trailers are great marketing tools.  This trailer for Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver has me jumping up and down in anticipation.  The book arrives on Oct. 4th and I have it On HOLD! 

I HEART book trailers.

0 Comments on Must Read this Book as of 10/3/2011 6:54:00 AM

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46. Video Sunday: More Glitter

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By: Betsy Bird, on 10/1/2011
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Mo Willems, Uncategorized, Katherine Paterson, book trailers, Brian Selznick, Higher Power of Lucky, Eoin Colfer, Jon Scieszka, Rick Riordan, John Rocco, Jarrett Krosoczka, Peter Brown, Mac Barnett, Lauren Oliver, Video Sunday, beach creatures, music video book trailers, Orrin Hatch (really?), Add a tag

Somewhere along the way I completely missed this Percy Jackson video in which everyone from Brian Selznick to a moustachioed Eoin Colfer (when did that happen?) chat it up.  Video #2 contains a bit of advice  that John Rocco actually had to contend with when he made the jacket for The Lightening Thief: “Green covers don’t sell.”  I love mistaken common publishing wisdom.

Thanks to Bookmaker’s Dozen for the links.

Kids these days.  I dunno what to do with them.  With their electronic thingymajigs and their Facebook whozaz and their cries to not ban books  . . .

Thanks to Marjorie Ingall (who discovered this on her iPhone).

Full credit to Travis Jonker for finding this one.  He’s right.  Orrin Hatch totally whipped out a Harry Potter reference (psst. . . . nobody tell him which HP character Scalia actually resembles).

Now here’s an idea.  Book trailer as music video.  Surely this has been done before, right?  Surely?  In any case, here’ A Train With Wings for the book Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver.  Harper Collins hired transmedia firm Radiator to create the trailer.  I think the visuals are great.  The song could have benefited if it had made the song less pop rock/Glee-ish and more haunting, but it’s still okay.

Thanks to Stephen Barbara for the link.

Finally I’ll get off-topicy with you but I will at least say that I could see these creatures as characters in a book for kids.  Easily.  Make sure you watch until they start walking.