Happy 10th Birthday PaperTigers!
I’ve been blessed to be a part of the PaperTigers’ team since December 2006 when I took on the role of Eventful World Coordinator just prior to the launch of the PaperTigers blog. As the years passed and PaperTigers continued to grow, evolve and expand (most noticeably with the launch of our Spirit of PaperTigers Book Sets and Outreach Program) my role within the organization changed too. In 2010 I was offered the job of Associate Editor and since then have worked closely alongside our wonderful and very talented editor Marjorie Coughlan to produce PaperTigers’ three components: the website, the blog and the Outreach site .
I consider myself so lucky to be doing a job that I love in a field that I love! Children’s literature has always been my passion and during my years with PaperTigers I’ve not been the only one in my family to benefit from the pile of books that just have to be read for work. (Insert a big smiley face here because really…how wonderful is it to have to read books!) When I started working at PaperTigers my children were in elementary school so naturally we focused a lot of our reading time at home on children’s and junior books. However as PaperTigers and my kids grew I found myself developing more and more interest in Young Adult books. Now I have to say that although children’s picture books will always hold a very special place in my heart , Young Adult books tug strongly at my heart too! So when it came time to do a Top 10 list for PaperTigers’ anniversary celebration, it only made sense for me to select my favorite Young Adult books. Drum roll please….in random order I present:
1. Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins (Delacorte Press, 2009)
When her unemployed father leaves India to look for work in America, Asha, her mother and sister move in with family in Calcutta. When news comes that her father is accidentally killed in America and her family’s financial difficulties intensify, Asha makes a heartwrenching, secret decision that solves many problems and creates others.
2. Borderline by Allan Stratton (Harper Collins Children’s Books, 2010)
When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious as does the FBI who descend on his home, and Sami’s family (the only Muslims in the neighbourhood) becomes the center of an international terrorist investigation.
3. Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth (Hyperion Books for Children , 2008)
12-year-old Leela’s husband unexpectedly dies and custom requires her confinement at home for a year, “keeping corner.” Prohibited from ever remarrying, Leela faces a barren future: however, her brother has the courage to buck tradition and hire a tutor to educate her. This powerful and enchanting novel juxtaposes Leela’s journey to self-determination with the parallel struggle of her family and community to follow Gandhi on the road to independence from British rule.
4. I am a Taxi by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, 2006)
12-year-old Diego is deep in the Bolivian jungle, working as a virtual slave in an illegal cocaine operation. As his situation becomes more and more dangerous, he knows he must take a terrible risk if he ever wants to see his family again. As well as being a great read, I am a Taxi packs in a store of information about Bolivia and the exploitation of children in the drug-trade, and raises polemics about the growth of the coca plant.
5. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (Harper Collins, 2011)
During the Vietnam War Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.
6. Karma by Cathy Ostlere
On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi is gunned down by two Sikh bodyguards. The murder sparks riots in Delhi and for three days Sikh families are targeted and killed in retribution for the Prime Minister’s death. It is into this chaos that fifteen-year-old Maya and her Sikh father, Amar, arrive from their home in Canada. India’s political instability is the backdrop and catalyst for Maya’s awakening to the world. Karma is the story of how a young woman, straddling two cultures and enduring personal loss, learns forgiveness, acceptance and love.
7. Orchards by Holly Thompson
After a bullied classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg – a half-Japanese, half-Jewish American- is sent to her family’s home in Japan for the summer. Kana wasn’t the bully, not exactly, but she didn’t do anything to stop what happened, either. As Kana begins to process the pain and guilt she feels, news from home sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again.
8. Tall Story by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books, 2010)
Andi hasn’t seen her brother for eight years and when he steps off the plane from the Philippines, she cannot believe her eyes. He’s tall. EIGHT FOOT TALL. But Bernardo is not what he seems. Bernardo is a hero, Bernardo works miracles, and Bernardo has an amazing story to tell. In a novel packed with quirkiness and humor, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures.
9. Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Lee and Low Books, 2011)
As the oldest of eight siblings, Lupita is used to taking the lead—and staying busy behind the scenes to help keep everyone together. But when she discovers Mami has been diagnosed with cancer, Lupita is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother, the anchor of her close-knit Mexican American family. Suddenly Lupita must face a whole new set of challenges, with new roles to play, and no one is handing her the script.
10. Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan (Groundwood Books, 2009)
Set in war-torn Afghanistan, post-Taliban and just after the American invasion in 2001, Wanting Mor brings a ravaged landscape to life and portrays the effects of war on civilians caught up in conflict, especially on children. Based on a true story about a girl who ended up in one of the orphanages Rukhsana sponsors in Afghanistan through the royalties of her book The Roses in My Carpets.
May 26 to 29 was 
Such a helpful post! Thank you for being so honest-it's so easy to look at the polished perfect book-shop product and think that this stuff comes easily to all Published Authors.
Such a brave post and so helpful. Easy to imagine this stuff comes naturally to all Published Authors.
Hurray! So looking forward to reading it. Pre-ordering right now. Also printing out this wonderful post, and when I am struggling (as I do, all the time) I will read it and be inspired.
Sorry! internet being tricksy. But I meant it-twice!
Hi:<br />I am a new mumsnet network blogger and came across your awesome post. You say it like it is in the right way that my ADD wants to hear.<br /><br />I am not afraid to consider writing a book now. Thank you for perspective and best of luck girl. You did it and #2! Wow.<br /><br />Best,<br />Kristen<br />www.getoveryourselfplease.blogspot.com<br />twitter Get Over It kkshaw47
Wonderful post! And so reassuring for those of us struggling through our first book.<br /><br />Here's a Nanowrimo story that I hope makes all of us feel better -- I met someone during Nanowrimo last year. Her goal was 150,000 words that month!!! But then I asked what she planned to do with her work - in other words, was she trying to get published? No, she said, she doesn't like editing,
Wonderful and insightful post.One that I will share with my students. Can't wait for the new book. And like Keren I am going to print this out as a reminder. Brilliant news that it is finished.Congratulations Candy
Candy, great post. Always enjoy reading your blog entries. <br /><br />Congrats on finishing the book. Don't know how you have the stamina for a full novel. :) <br /><br />Take care, let's catch up soon.
This is SUCH a great post, Candy. Thank you! I'm with Keren, I need to print this excellent advice out NOW. And pre-order the book. And someday when I get back to America, I'm going to talk about your amazing books non-stop, I promise!
You are a genius, this is a brilliant post! You do, however, realise that all this writing leads to insanity, of both the permanent and temporary kind - all that screaming, all that eating of fridges, all that talking to and double-questioning yourself...<br />All that said, you are an inspiration and having had a little taste of Shine already, I can't wait to read the whole, completed book!
Great post, Candy. And thanks so much for fitting in the odd critique when you should have been squeezng out a few dozen words instead! Reading this has made me wonder whether I should go back to do those 'little tweaks' myself. Nah! Think I'll stick with the new WIP. Maybe later......<br /><br />Can't wait to read Shine Candy. I'm kniw it will be great.
I especially love point 5 here - 'what's great about this story?' A timely reminder (for me) to concentrate on the good stuff and ditch the bad, rather than rewriting it to fit. Oh and I like point 6 too - 'light fuses' - great metaphor. Actually 4 is starting too feel relevant too. ... You know what? It's all great. Thanks for your insights and good luck with Shine.
Great post! Thank you for sharing part of your journey. Congratulations on completing Book 2. I love all the advice you have given in this post but especially love the advice your editor gave you. This is one of those posts I had to read write now as I am completing final edits on my WIP before submission. Wishing you many sales of both your books. - KimK :)
I could click on 'pre-oder', Candy, but are you having a launch where I can buy it instead? I think you should! After all that you deserve to PARTY.<br /><br />p.s. any help on my book 2 cheerfully accepted.<br /><br />p.s.s. by 'cheerfully' I mean duck when you come through the door of the writing cave...
Thanks for sharing all this, Candy. I can really feel your frustration, but I'm a firm believer that little that was created easily will be of much worth. And this post is especially interesting for me right now, as I'm just launching into my second book and already grinding my teeth at an empty screen.<br /><br />Congratulations on finishing! I'm looking forward to reading Shine.
Phew.<br /><br />Thanks for just making sense of everything I've been trying (and failing) to understand myself.<br />Enjoy!
Wow - what a writerly journey for you!! I'm soooooooooo happy you've finished your book!! Phew!! You deserve all the success after such a path to publication! Take care<br />x
What a great post, I'm so glad you got there in the end, Candy. I love your blurb and cant' wait to read it. I won't preorder though, I'll by it at your launch!!
I write shorter books, not novels, but found points 5 and 6 extremely interesting. I like the idea of "focusing on what is GREAT" and the image of a light fuse is also memorable. Your blog entries (and acceptance speeches) are always full of wisdom! Thanks Candy.
Congratulations on finishing the book. I do love the cover and the blurb. Good idea to focus on the great not the bad of the book. Have to keep that in mind.<br /><br />Exercise - you can break down the 30 mins in half if you want. Do 15 mins am and the other 15 pm. That is what I do and have lost 8lbs so far.
I absolutely felt your pain throughout this whole process, especially when I was struggling through my own book while you were struggling through yours. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I thought you were MAD to rewrite the whole thing. But having gone through a few struggles to preserve the integrity of my own writing, I can understand what it's like being faced with something that you&
Great post, Candy! <br />Tall Story achieved so much recognition and I'm sure Shine will shine brightly too! <br />Good luck and best wishes for the next stage on you and your new book's journey.<br />Tracy
Fantastic post, Candy. I had to do the starting-again-from-the-beginning last year (after 50,000 words of complete yet awful novel) so this resonates! I love point 5 especially.<br /><br />Shine looks wonderful. Pre-ordering now!
Congratulations on SHINE, Candy! A great post - honest, informative and pretty inspiring! I'm off to pre-order Shine now...
I am going to print this post off as well - it is brilliant! Shine sounds wonderful and I would pre-order but someone mentioned the possibility of a launch?<br />I hope that you are back to full health now, sorry to hear that you have had some problems.
Well done. Congratulations. Can't wait to read it. Thanks for sharing the pain, the doubt, the u-turn and the break-through. Agree with your point that everyone has their limit about how much they can write/draw/paint a day. If I over-do it, I'm too exhausted to do anything the next day. My best rhythm is a morning of creativity, then normal life for the rest of the day. Ok, off the
great post Candy, it's good to see there's a sense of recognition about your journey, in all these comments to your post, and comforting to know its a learning curve everyone goes through! Thanks for sharing your experience of it ;)
thanks jongleuse! and sometimes the bookshop product isn't perfect either!
Aww thanks, Keren. Hard to believe you struggle - your novels seem to just trip off your laptop.
Thank you twice!
Gosh thanks all for your comments. I've been keeping off the internet until now, re-reading my manuscript and it was wonderful to discover all your brilliant comments on switching the internet back on!
Joining Nanowrimo used to be one of my ambitions - but it's a tough call for a slow writer. I find that I can't go forward unless my text is polished to a certain level ... and then I still keep questioning myself, is this really what I want to say? Thanks for the comforting story.
Hi Kristen! Welcome to Mumsnet and hope to see more of you. Have duly subscribed to your blog!
Thanks Chitra ... and thanks for messaging me on the spellilng!
Oooh now I'll be asking you, are you there yet? Thank you!
Hugs, Nicky!
The fact is there is always later, isn't there? Each manuscript will have its time!
The odd thing was it never occurred to me to ask myself What's great about this story? It's an exercise that critique groups ought to institute!
Good luck, Kim!
Thank you and good luck on book two!
Well ... I haven't thought that far ahead yet! Definitely should do something partyish! At the moment I'm emotionally exhausted and can't imagine organizing ANYTHING!
Thanks, Karen!
Thank you, Old Kitty!
Well done, Candy. You have triumphed! I look forward to reading Shine. I think the whole thing about exposition being story in the wrong place is spot on. Marcus Sedgewick is a master at making exposition/backstory into story in Revolver and Midwinterblood.
Thanks, Jackie! And when is YOUR launch?
Thanks Odette - I love your books!
Thanks so much Julie!
Thanks, Savita - and congrats on your new book deal! Can't wait to read it!
wahey! Thanks, Susie!
Slow Writers Anonymous sounds like a brilliant idea! And you're right - as long as the words are brilliant, it doesn't matter how many they are.
Thanks so much, Tracy!
I am amazed everyday at how I recovered from that episode! Thank you!
According to Neil Gaiman the learning curve never ends. Which is a comfort in its way! Thanks, Astrid.
I'm exactly the same - the truth is my word count is low because the best of my writing only occurs in a two hour span. Thanks so much, Beverley!
Now that I'm finished, I can finally read Midwinterblood which has been languishing on my to be read pile. Thanks, Jo!
Candy - Did you slice off the top of my scalp and pull a few things out . . . ? I think you did! Great post. Looking forward to reading your next one. Take care, Irfan
Gosh! Perhaps we should all be plumbers? There's always a shortage. Or electricians? Much less painful. Hmmm ... Will just go and fiddle with the fusebox - need to see if I'm a natural. (Meanwhile, best of luck with Book 3 and if it all gets too much, come and join me at 'Meddour and Gourlay Sparks Ltd'/ Or should that be 'Gourlay and Meddour Sparks Ltd'? Or maybe '
In the Phlippines, Gourlay-Medour would mean we got married. Electric idea!
I've been struggling with my next frog kiss book and the frustration was mounting, something wasn't gelling. So I've just asked the question - what's great? And it's the hero, Prince Laurence, he's a twit of a prince who's convinced he's a frog. And I was attempting to send him on a hero's journey with an environmental theme which is just far too serious for
What a wonderful post, Candy! A real keeper for when I'm in the trenches. I remember writing down that "focus on what is GREAT" comment in November, too - such wise advice.<br /><br />And can I just say... that is one fabulous story pitch! Can't wait to read it!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Candy. I'm sorry you had to go through all that though. Will pre-order :)
I've never commented before, lurking in the trenches and enjoying your posts but this time I have to say thank you for such wise suggestions and sensible ideas. I've been sending novels off to agents for six years but I'm still refusing to think of it as a ... hobby ... and you give me hope! Congratulations!
Yay!
Thanks, Amy, sometimes the trenches can be very deep!
And don't forget that YOU're what's great about the book too - your distinctive voice! It's gonna be great, Maureen!
Ha! Flushed out a lurker! Thanks for coming out to comment ... and no, it's not a hobby, it's a life.
Ah,I soooooo understand! Well done and thanks for this wonderful post. Yay you!
Truly fabulous post, Candy. I'm not surprised it's getting all this attention. And I totally TOTALLY sympathise. It's exactly what I'm going through now, and have been for ages. I know it all so well! (Except having to take the children to the Philippines. I don't have to do that.) Thank you for putting it out there. And quoting Neil Gaiman. xxx
Brilliant post Candy! Think knowing when we've taken the wrong turn is the hardest thing! And being brave enough to turn back against the flow in a world constantly pushing you forward.
haha...hollow laughter....if only
Ooh, perhaps it would here too! Sorry to be so forward ;)
Thanks for this generous post, Candy.It's definitely one to keep. I can't wait to read Shine.
Thanks for writing such an honest post, Candy. I completely identify with what you say. Second novels are just like this. Not to depress you, but writing my third novel was worse. The fourth seems a little easier (so far), but like Tim Bowler's quote in a previous post, 'Every story you write is a mountain no-one has climbed.'
There is only one response t this: ARGHHHH!!!!
Bloody mountain.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting!
Sometimes though it's not courage. You've got no choice really if you want to write a good book.
Quoting authors quoting authors is cool. You can quote me on that.
I still have bits of your hair on my desk. Thanks, Irfan!
Thanks, Jeannie!