Omnivoracious

YA Wednesday: "Gorgeous" Paul Rudnick

As a screenwriter, Paul Rudnick has some big hit movies under his belt and now he’s put his cinematic savvy to good use in his first young adult novel that we picked as a Best Teen book of May, Gorgeous.   In Gorgeous, Rudnick skewers Hollywood and our beauty-obsessed world with an over-the-top (in a good way) twist on the Cinderella story.  In Rudnick’s version,  Cinderella-–or Becky, in this case--is an unremarkable girl living with her obese mother in a Missouri trailer park who is offered the promise of irresistible beauty by the most famous fashion designer of them all (you’ll recognize the real-life inspiration).  What’s a girl to do? Say yes, of course…  

Gorgeous is great satire but it also asks the ultimate question--who are we when we take a hard look in the mirror?  Do we see ourselves as others see us, for better or worse?  And maybe living in the limelight doesn’t look so pretty to those under its glare...

I was curious about Rudnick’s choice to go from writing movies to writing for teens and asked him to share the story behind his story in the exclusive guest post below.

My mom struggled with her weight all her life. She tried every possible diet and stuck with the Weight Watchers program for years. She learned to weigh everything she ate on a little metal scale, but she hated the prepackaged dinners, which she said looked like frozen diapers. She finally lost many pounds and bought a skinny new wardrobe, but she eventually gained all the weight back. A few weeks before she died, I watched while she went through a box of photos of herself as a teenager and a young woman. She looked up and said, “You know, back then, I thought I was so ugly. But I looked great!”

It broke my heart, but then my mom laughed, because in my family, humor was essential. This was the inspiration for Gorgeous, my first YA novel. Women in particular are constantly bombarded with images of glamour and perfection, in magazines, at the movies, on TV and online. I’m also mesmerized by the dangerous glory of fashion, and about how designers can become modern-day wizards, promising impossible transformations. So I came up with Becky Randle, an eighteen-year-old from a Missouri trailer park, who receives a tempting and scary offer. Tom Kelly, a legendary and reclusive designer, will make Becky three dresses — one red, one white, and one black. And if Becky wears these dresses, she will become the most beautiful woman in the world.

At first I wasn’t sure where this idea might lead me: Should it become a book or a play or maybe a movie? I’ve written in all of these forms: I wrote the movies In&Out and Addams Family Values, and the novel I’ll Take It, which was based on the annual New England car trips I’d take with my mom and her sisters. We’d claim that we were going to watch the leaves change, but we were really hitting every outlet store between New Jersey and Maine.                    

After several false starts, Gorgeous came fully alive only when I began to write in the first person, in Becky’s own voice. That’s also when I realized Becky’s story was a YA novel. I’d been reading a great deal of YA, because the books are addictive and wonderfully entertaining. I’ve loved everyone from J. K. Rowling to David Levithan, Veronica Roth and John Green, all of whom have devoted and often global followings. There’s a good reason for that: Their books grab the reader and won’t let go.

I like a challenge, so I plunged right in. I wanted to see if I could write a YA novel that would both do Becky justice and reflect my own sense of humor. I showed the manuscript to a fifteen-year-old, and she approved, which was a huge relief. Teenagers, I know, are tough-minded, vocal, and passionate readers, and they have no trouble saying exactly what they think. Becky’s take-no-prisoners best friend is the always loyal and always outspoken Rocher, who sometimes wears a T-shirt that says, “I Hate You More.”

The best way to write a YA novel, I’ve found, is not to worry about any specific notion of what a YA book should be. I’ve tried to make Gorgeous as accurate, heartfelt, and as much fun as possible. I hope that readers will understand Becky and cheer for her, and swoon every few pages. And as for me, well, I’ve already started my next book, and it’s YA. --Paul Rudnick

YA Wednesday: Marie Lu Talks to Rick Yancy About "The 5th Wave"

Rick Yancey's new book, The 5th Wave, sucked me in and pulled me under from the first page to the last with it's terrifying and thrilling story of an alien invasion like you've never seen.  We made it our Best Teen Books of May Spotlight pick, and past Teen Best of the Month author, Marie Lu (Legend trilogy)  is also a big fan.  In this Omni exclusive, Lu chats with Yancey about The 5th Wave, movies, and, of course, aliens.

Marie Lu: Everybody loves aliens--myself included! But in your opinion, how has Hollywood gotten the “alien invasion” idea wrong?

Rick Yancey: I understand that movies are made by humans to be watched by humans, and depicting anything less than total victory over the bug-eyed swarm would be a bit much to ask for. The simple and, to my mind, undeniable truth is that life forms thousands, if not millions, of years more advanced than us probably wouldn’t view humans as anything special, or at least nowhere near as special as we view ourselves. I think we would be more like pesky insects to them, which raises the question (from their angle): Can we coexist, like humans do with cockroaches, or should we simply drive the disgusting infestation from existence? So I don’t believe that, if they find us, it’ll play out anything like the stereotypical alien drama.

They won’t come to teach us anything (Contact) or save us from ourselves (Close Encounters, The Day the Earth Stood Still) or pluck leaves and go home (E.T.). And they’ll be smart enough and careful enough not to damage too much of their new home (Independence Day) and they will remember to take their flu shot (War of the Worlds).

ML: The 5^th Wave has been optioned for film, which is hugely exciting! Anything you can tell us about it?

RY: Under the terms of my contract, not much! I can tell you producers Graham King (Argo) and Tobey Maguire are on board, which is totally cool.

ML: Alright, the alien invasion is nigh and you're in survival mode. What would be in your survival kit?

RY: Toiletry kit (seriously, you’d want to keep yourself groomed. It grounds you. Also you better have a way to keep your teeth clean. You don’t want a bad tooth – check out Castaway if you doubt me). Basic first aid stuff, including penicillin and antibiotic ointment. A means of making fire. Solar-powered flashlight. A good hunting knife. A handheld mirror (to check yourself out and also to check around corners). A compass. Water bottle. And (speaking only for myself) enough medication to ensure an overdose in case the absolute worst comes upon me. If my end was inevitable, I’d make sure it was on my terms, not the alien bastards’.

ML: The five waves you outline in the book scare the bejeezus out of me. Which one frightens you the most?

RY: By far the 3^rd Wave: the super-virus developed by the Others from Ebola Zaire. I won’t go into all the details here – there’s plenty in the book – but if you’ve ever read The Hot Zone, you know what I’m talking about. A slow, agonizing, horrifying way to die. Your organs liquefy. Your brain turns to mashed potatoes. The other waves are terrible, but they’re quick.

ML: Can you give us a sneak peek at what we’re going to see happen in Book 2?

RY: Did things seem a little desperate in Book 1? They get worse. We still haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink in order to rid the Earth of the human infestation. And we haven’t yet seen the heights to which the human spirit can reach. Certain characters introduced in Book 1 will come to the fore--and others will face the ultimate test. The Others will give their answer to Cassie’s defiance. 

Sunny Days and Summer Books

With warm weather finally setting in and the end of school just over the horizon it's finally time to start thinking about all the books we want to read this summer.  Will this be the year I finally read Dante's Inferno?  Maybe it will be Dan Brown's new book, Inferno, or maybe both...  My summer reading plan (because, yes, I have one..) is to mix it up with books that I meant to read, but didn't, and the best of the new releases, so I'm going to hit our Summer Reading store for ideas. If you need some ideas, too, below is a sampling of our Editors' Picks for readers of all ages during (at least in Seattle) the best months of the year.  What books do you want to read this summer?

Best new books (for adults) to read this summer: 

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen: Hiaasen is back at his wickedly funny best in a new tale about greed, corruption, and comeuppance in Florida--and the Bahamas--thanks to a cast of characters that includes a Bahamian voodoo witch, a kinky coroner, and a very bad monkey.

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini: The bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations.  Can lightning strike a third time? For Hosseini, it does.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: His first novel for adults since Anansi Boys, an imaginative and poignant fairy tale about childhood, memories, mystery and magic.

Editors' Picks for Kids and Teens to read this summer: new books you won't want to miss and some favorites from years gone by.

Books for Kids: 

Paperboy by Vince Vawter (ages 9-12): In this coming-of-age novel, an 11-year-old boy living in the segregated South throws the meanest fastball in town, but talking is a whole different ball game. One summer can change a life, and for this young man a paper route brings a run-in with the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, that puts his life in danger.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (ages 8 and up): Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal, Ivan is a gorilla who lives a predictable life making art for the visitors to the Exit 8 Big Top Mall from behind glass walls, but everything changes when a new baby elephant arrives and he sees his world through her eyes. 

Pete the Cat: The Wheels on the Bus by James Dean (ages 4-8): Pete the Cat has quickly become a beloved new picture book character and this time he brings his groovy, laid-back style to a classic. As always, singing is required.

Books for Teens:

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (teen): The Passage meets Ender's Game in an epic new series where aliens arrive on Earth and it's nothing like you've ever seen before.  Don't let the young adult category fool you--this one is nearly impossible to put down whether you're 14 or 45.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen (teen): Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (teen): Summer is the perfect time to start a new series and if you haven't read Divergent yet, put this one to the top of the list.  The first book of a dystopian trilogy filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance, it all comes to an end this fall with the third book, Allegiant.

YA Wednesday: Team Levithan & Cremer

In the last few years we've seen great examples of two popular authors coming together in one novel and giving fans the best of their combined talents--Will Grayson, Will Grayson and The Future of Us are among my favorites, what are yours?  David Levithan (Every Day and the aforementioned Will Grayson, Will Grayson) and Andrea Cremer (Nightshade series) seemed like an unlikely pairing to me, that is, until I actually read Invisibility (one of our Best Teen Books of May) and watched the video below. 

Now it all makes sense.  Invisibility is the story of what happens when a boy who has been invisible to everyone (including himself) is seen for the first time by a girl who's tough exterior hides a multitude of secrets.  Don't be fooled by the familiar he-said, she-said style, this one is anything but cliché and the twists are surprising and exciting all the way to the end.  Here is an exclusive video of Cremer and Levithan goofing off (check out Cremer's great boots!), teasing each other, and talking about Invisibility:

 

YA Wednesday: "Rapture Practice"

What if you didn't see a movie until you were fifteen?  Or were forbidden to listen to popular music when you were a teenager?  Sounds a little like Footloose, but, in fact, that was Aaron Hartzler's life.  And we get to read about it in his fantastic book, Rapture Practice.  

Hartlzer grew up truly excited for the Rapture, playing the piano in church, and following the plan his parents, particularly his father, laid out for his life. The snake in Aaron's Garden of Eden came in the form of bible camp--as unlikely as that seems--and the apple was The Hunt for Red October. 

Hartzler's coming-of-age memoir is funny, laugh-out-loud funny at times, and his slide into "sin" is fraught with a combination of thrill and guilt because his love for his parents and desire to please them is 100% genuine.  We picked Rapture Practice as our YA Best Books of the Month spotlight for April and after reading it I wanted to hear more about that first movie experience, so we asked Aaron Hartzler to write a little something for us.  The picture of the ticket stub you see below?  That is THE ticket.  Read on...

Unless Jesus comes back in the next two minutes, I am going to break one of Mom and Dad’s biggest rules. My cheeks are hot. I feel out of breath. A drop of sweat trickles down my back, but the girl behind the glass doesn’t even look up at me. She has no idea what is happening in my head, what a big deal this is for me. She couldn’t be less interested.

I slide a five‑dollar bill under the window. She hands back a small yellow ticket between neon nails so long they curve.

“Enjoy the show.”

I take a deep breath.

I take a look over my shoulder.

I take the ticket.

[From Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler]

I didn’t see a movie in a movie theater until I was 15 years old. My mom and dad felt that most movies were not pleasing to God, so I wasn’t allowed to go. And yet, when I stood on that curb at the theater with all of my friends from camp that summer, all of those warnings were no match for the thrill of taking my seat in a darkened room, and watching the opening credits. My heart was racing, and my hand was sweaty as I clung to that little yellow ticket stub.

I saved the tickets for every movie I saw that summer. They looked like little carnival ride tickets back then—the kind you win playing ski ball and trade for prizes. This was before they printed the name and date of the film on the ticket, so I wrote it on each one. Eventually, I lost the rest, but I still carry that first little yellow ticket around in my wallet. It’s a symbol of the day I started to make my own decisions—for better or for worse; the day I knew my life was going to be different than the one that had been imagined for me by others. That little yellow scrap felt like more than just a ticket to a movie; it felt like a ticket to freedom.

Looking back, I’m certain that it was.

--Aaron Hartzler

The Making of a Bestselling Children's Book

In children's books there are those rare gems that come out of the gate like the literary equivalent of a coveted holiday toy, but unlike those talking Elmo's and Cabbage Patch dolls (for those of you old enough to remember) these books are also destined to stand the test of time.  Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is one such book.  It came out in 2011 and was one of our Best Picture Books of the Year--it hasn't slowed down since.  Today, the newest book from the same author and illustrator team comes out, Steam Train, Dream Train, and it is wonderfully different.  In fact, Steam Train, Dream Train, our Best Picture Book of April, has, in my opinion, the potential become even bigger than it's predecessor. It's rhythmic, engaging, and beautiful.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site was the first book by an author who was by profession a graphic designer, but also the mother of two young boys.  We wondered what life has been like for her, winning such high acclaim and success with her first book.  Sherri Duskey Rinker had this to say:

In 2009, I was a typical, exhausted working mom. I had a three year old and a seven year old; I was sleep-deprived and stretched too thin.

As a graphic designer for more than twenty years, I was SO over it: budgets, corporate politics, marketing speak, revisions, hot deadlines, late hours, disrupted weekends and vacations—all of it. What was once a lovely career was now drudgery (kids change everything, right?), and I was often grumpy and resentful about the whole thing. I sometimes prayed for a better option, but I often felt like my pleas just scattered to the breeze, unheard.

My boys were the bright spot in every day. I was awful about honoring bedtimes—evenings were the only time I really had to spend with them, uninterrupted. My husband scolded halfheartedly, but we laughed, played, talked, cuddled, and, finally—way later than we should— settled in to read before bed.

Still, I was exhausted. I felt like those dolls that close their eyes when you lay them down, as though only the distance to the nearest horizontal surface stood between me and unconsciousness. But my little one, especially, wanted to talk. About trucks. (Inspired by our reading, of course.) He thanked God for them (ALL of them, by name, each and every one), asked which was my favorite, and wondered how much each one could lift or carry. Remember that cool one we saw today? He’ll drive that when he gets big. How much longer ’til he’s big? Don’t forget about that new one he wants for his birthday. He needs to remind Grandpa he wants the yellow one not the red one. One is broken; Daddy will need to fix it. He needs another loader for a job he has tomorrow; he’s working overtime on a big project. Can we buy a new loader? Aren’t crane trucks super awesome? . . . And on, and on . . .

One night, after I’d fallen asleep in his bed and, hours later, stumbled across the hall into my own, I received a gift: It occurred to me that what we needed was a truck book melded with a goodnight book. The idea for Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site hit me like a fastball (title and all), and I got a total adrenaline rush pondering it.

SO: I wrote it, I sent it, I signed a contract—and it sold. And sold BIG. (Really big.) Like, #1 New York Times bestseller big.

Now it’s 2013. It’s hard to express how much has changed. I visit schools to talk about my books and my life.

Teachers give me introductions that I’m sure must be meant for someone else. Little girls hug me on their way out, and little boys ask for my autograph and high fives. Kids make me thank-you cards out of construction paper and color pictures for me to take home and hang on my fridge.

AND, I get paid. Seriously: How can you beat that?

I see my name on bestseller lists with amazing, talented, legendary writers. No one has yet realized that I’ve infiltrated their group without credentials, so I’ll be acting like I belong (and excitedly e-mailing the lists to my dad) until I’m caught and exposed as a fraud.

I’m signing books NEXT TO LOIS EHLERT, author of the famous and fabulous Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (which, btw, was the first baby thing I bought when I found out I was pregnant). Okay, I’m sure she still has no idea who the heck I am, but that’s not the point.

I email one of my idols, Judy Schachner (writer/illustrator of the FAB SkippyJon Jones), AND SHE EMAILS ME BACK. Really — I kid you not.

Taye Diggs tweets that he and his son love my book (insert teenage-girl shriek here)!

A friend of my mother-in-law calls to tell her that she has just seen my book mentioned by an actress in an article in Good Housekeeping which creates quite the commotion, and elevates me to a B-level big shot among the suburban grandmother crowd.

Envision giant pain-in-the-ass client, the one that makes your stomach sink just seeing their name appear in your inbox: “Hi, Celia, thank you so much for your interest in utilizing my design service for your project, but I’ve been rapidly phasing out my graphic design business in order to focus more on my books/writing/appearances.”—And, in case you were wondering, it feels JUST AS FABULOUS to hit that “send” button as I always dreamed it would! Goodbye, Sunday Night Dreads!

 My best friend calls to tell me that my book is a question on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.” I’m pop culture?

A few splurges: an Hermes scarf . . . or two . . . or three (But, hey, still eBay . . . I’m still me.) an adorable (and arguably functional) little Louis Vuitton bag (again, eBay); afternoon tea with (surprise!) an overnight stay at the Ritz with my husband, both boys and both grandmas, including an amazing view, room service EVERYTHING, and my little guy’s first sighting of a bidet. (Which he now thinks is a household essential, and he cannot believe we will not get one.)

I’m heading out on a national promotional tour for my second book, Steam Train, Dream Train. (I just like to say that because I think it sounds cool.) This time, the creative process was far more collaborative between Tom and me, and I offered feedback on the sketches, as he did on the verse. And, beneath my calm façade, there are moments when I hear myself internally gush: “Tom Lichtenheld’s actually asking my opinion!”

I still clean the house and pick up socks. I still spend half my life in a car driving the boys everywhere. I still help with homework, fret over what we’re having for dinner and make the calls that go, “Doctor, I need to bring him in. This rash does NOT look good.” We still laugh and cuddle past our bedtime, but it’s no longer because I haven’t seen them all day.

I haven’t lost sight of the fact that I’ve been amazingly blessed. I’m grateful every day for my wonderful family and an incredible new career. I’m just stunned and thrilled beyond belief to be standing here, and the only thing I know for sure is this: I can’t wait for the next chapter.

---Sherri Duskey Rinker

YA Wednesday: Assassination Training at the Convent

Escaping a vicious arranged marriage, learning your dad is Saint Mortain (the God of Death), training as an assassin at a mysterious convent, AND falling in love--what could be better than Grave Mercy, the first book in Robin LaFevers trilogy?  How about an exclusive lost chapter, a prequel of sorts, to book two.

Sequels are tough: if I love a first book I look forward to the second with equal parts anticipation and trepidation. Maybe it will be even better than the first...but what if it totally sucks?  In this case, Dark Triumph, the sequel to Grave Mercy, is the former not the latter, and made our Best YA Books of April list.  Book two tells Sybella's (another of Saint Mortain's assassins who we meet in book one) story and trades the political for the personal.  Revenge, murder, passion, history--it's all here.  And now we are left waiting another year(!) for the last book...boo.

LaFevers is a kind soul and took pity on us (or didn't want to hear us asking--okay, whining--for the next book over the next 365 days) so she agreed to throw us a bone and write a special 'lost chapter' from Dark Triumph to share with our Omni readers.  Here is a brief introduction from the author and a little taste of the chapter--the rest is after the jump.  You can also check out the whole chapter in PDF form here .

From Robin LaFevers:

There has always been a lot of mystery surrounding the character Sybella ever since she first showed up on the pages of Grave Mercy. She was so guarded and secretive that it even took me a while to get to know her.

In order to understand Sybella well enough to tell her story, I had to go back to the beginning and see her arrive at the convent where she trained to be an assassin. I had to see what sort of pain and baggage she brought with her, even though I knew there would be no place for it in the finished book.

This ‘lost chapter’ from Dark Triumph is Sybella’s introduction to the convent, a much more rough and tumultuous beginning than Ismae experienced in Grave Mercy...

Dark Triumph – Deleted Scene

When the cart stops moving, I open my eyes and see the boat; suddenly, I know exactly what is happening. The hedge priest has tricked Old Nonne and is not taking me to safety as he promised. Instead, he has delivered me to one of the night rowers, one of the desolate, bound sailors who must carry away the forsaken souls whom God and the church have deemed unworthy.

“No!” I scream, certain there has been a mistake. It is my father who has committed evil, not I. My mind is sluggish and thick, like a heavy fog, and those memories disappear beneath the weight of it. But I am certain I do not want to get in that boat and be ferried across the Passage de L’Enfer to where I will have to reside in hell.

I throw off the heavy weight of the blankets that hold me down, and sit up. The world tilts alarmingly and my stomach heaves, trying to cast out whatever potion they have been pouring down my throat. Even so, I lurch to my feet, but before I can climb out of the cart the hedge priest and the sailor are there. With callused hands they hold me still and try to soothe me with their deep, clumsy voices. “It’s no use,” the old sailor grumbles at last. “We’ll have to tie her up or she’ll tip us all over.”

The hedge priest gives a curt nod, and as if by sorcery the sailor produces rough hempen ropes, which he uses to bind my wrists and feet. I thrash and call for help. “Hush her, before she calls every busybody around.”

Mumbling an apology, the hedge priest places a scrap of filthy cloth in my mouth and binds it around the lower half of my face. I panic, not able to draw a full breath. The entire world tilts dizzily as the sailor takes my feet and the hedge priest my shoulders and I am lifted into the boat. They place me on the damp wooden hull, where the smell of salt and old fish fills my senses. I fear I will gag, and if so I will surely suffocate. I concentrate all my will on trying to calm myself and think.

I feel a gliding motion as the boat slips out from between jagged rocks and into the dark blue water. We move soundlessly through the waves, as if Death Himself has silenced our movements so none will know of our passage.

My heart thuds against the wooden hull under my breast and I twist and flex my hands until my wrists are raw, but the cords hold tight. After a while, my heart calms somewhat, matching itself to the steady sounds of the slap of the water and the creak of the oars. 

A while later—I have no idea if it is moments or hours—there is a crunch followed by a jarring sensation as the boat runs up against a rocky shore. A voice calls out—a woman’s voice, for of course, as the priests have warned us all, hell is filled with women. “What have you brought us, Father Guillame?”

Children's Choice Book Awards: The Finalists

The Children's Choice Book Awards are a relatively new, but have a unique method of choosing the winners--the votes of children.  Educators, librarians, and classrooms full of kids can all be involved--reading the finalist books and submitting a vote for their favorite books in each grade level category.  The 2013 lists have a fantastic line-up of titles, including some of my favorites from 2012 Best Books of the Month and Year.  The awards will be announced at a gala event on May 13th, kicking off Children's Book Week and I can't wait to see who wins.  Have you ever voted for the CCBAs before?  If you haven't, these finalists are a good reason to start:

 Kindergarten - Second Grade

• Big Mean Mike by Michelle Knudsen
• The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems
• I'll Save You Bobo! by Eileen Rosenthal
• Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta
• Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin

Grades 3-4

• Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel
• Get the Scoop on Animal Poop by Dawn Cusick
• Homer by Shelley Rotner
• National Geographic Kids Just Joking: 300 Hilarious Jokes, Tricky Tongue Twisters, and Ridiculous Riddles by National Geographic Kids
• Pluto Visits Earth! by Steve Metzger

Grades 5-6

• Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess by Rachel Renee Russell
• Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
• Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School by Kim Baker
• Rebel McKenzie by Candice Ransom
• Stickman Odyssey, Book 2: The Wrath of Zozimos by Christopher Ford

 

YA Wednesday: "Unremembered" and Jason Bourne

When I picked up Jessica Brody's Unremembered I thought I'd just read a couple pages to get started and then get on to something else.  Five chapters later I had to tear myself away and couldn't wait to get back to it. By the time I reached the end it had become one of our picks for the Best YA Books of March.

The story starts off with a bang, a teenage girl discovered among the wreckage of a plane crash, she's the only survivor and has no idea who she is and neither does anyone else.  Violet, as she is dubbed for the color of her eyes, struggles to find some memory of her past and when a young man appears with shocking information about who she really is, including her real name, Seraphina, she doesn't know what to believe. 

When I read Unremembered it had a very Bourne Identity feel to it, so it was fun to learn about Brody's influences and intentions writing the book.   In the conversation below, Brody chatted with her editor, Janine O`Malley about those influences, sci-fi heroines, and a growing trend in YA--biopunk.  You can read the rest after the jump.

Janine O'Malley: Sera is a great representation of a sci-fi heroine—she’s beautiful, intelligent, resourceful, and she can kick major butt. How did you create her character?

Jessica Brody: In my mind, Seraphina has always been a cross between Sydney Bristow and Jason Bourne: two of my favorite “kick-butt” characters. I wanted her to be strong, smart, beautiful, but also very vulnerable. Her memory loss often makes her feel helpless and alone.

I always enjoyed seeing the two very different sides of Sydney Bristow’s life in Alias. How she could come home from saving the world and destroying the bad guy and still cry in the bathtub. That duality, to me, is what makes for the most interesting characters.

I’ve also always loved the whole “I don’t remember I’m a superhero” aspect of The Bourne Identity movie and wanted to capture that with Seraphina as well. She doesn’t remember who she is, and so she gets to discover her extraordinary abilities right along with the reader. This was where I got to live vicariously through my character. How many of us have ever fantasized about accidentally stumbling upon some mad skill we didn’t know we had? Every time I try out a new sport, I’m convinced that I’m going to turn out to be some hidden prodigy that the U.S. Olympic team has been waiting to find for centuries. But alas, it has yet to happen.

JO: Sometimes sci-fi characters can be so far from human they’re difficult to relate to. How did you keep that from happening in this book?

JB: This was definitely a challenge for me. Especially when I’m so used to writing the “normal” everyday teen characters that are in my contemporary comedies. I knew that Seraphina was going to be hard to relate to…unless of course you’re an amnesiac supermodel who can run like the wind, calculate like a computer, and speak every language on earth. Then you know exactly how Seraphina is feeling!

I knew I needed a grounding character to secure the book in reality for the reader. That’s why I created Cody, Sera’s socially awkward thirteen-year-old foster brother. Sera is so out of touch with the modern world, it’s sometimes comical. But Cody is the quintessential teen boy who teaches her about everyday things like cell phones, computers, the Internet, sarcasm, and credit cards.

Cody was also like a safety net for me. A little link back to my comfort zone of writing in the contemporary space. Since this is my first dark, mysterious novel, it was nice to have a comic relief like Cody in the picture. Whenever Sera’s story line got too tense or harrowing, Cody could always be counted on to lighten up the mood a bit with a joke.

JO: Unremembered is a great example of what seems to be a growing trend in YA of genetically altered characters. Why do you think this has become a popular topic?

YA Wednesday: Amazon Asks Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver become a YA favorite with Before I Fall, her novel of a teenage mean girl who is killed in a car crash but then wakes up to re-live her last day again and again over the course of a week.  A book embraced by so many can be a tough act to follow, but Oliver gave us Delirium and we loved her all the more.  Fans of the trilogy have been waiting in bittersweet anticipation for the last book and yesterday Requiem was finally released.  Oliver does a fantastic job of keeping the action and romance going to the very end (we thought it was best of the month good), and I think readers are going to come away happy with the end but a little sad that the trilogy is over.

If you haven't started the Delirium books but you like Ally Condie's Matched series, The Hunger Games trilogy, or Lois Lowry's The Giver, I think you'll feel instantly connected to this story of a rigorously controlled society where love is a sickness to be cured at age 18, but not everyone thinks that's truly living. 

I met Oliver a couple of years ago when she wrote her first middle grade novel, Liesel & Po, and found her funny, interesting, and full of ideas. We wanted to see what she's up to these days so we sent her some "Amazon Asks":

Describe Requiem---or the Delirium trilogy--in one sentence?
LO: The Delirium trilogy is about a world in which love is viewed as a contagious disease; scientists have figured out how to cure it.

What's on your nightstand/bedside table/Kindle?
LO: The Age of Miracles, by Karen Thompson Walker, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick; The Family Fang, by Kevin Wilson, Why Does the World Exist? by Jim Holt.

Top 3-5 favorite books of all time?
LO: Love in The Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides; Matilda, by Roald Dahl; The American, by Henry James; To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

Book that changed your life?
LO: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer. After I read it, I became convinced that I wanted to be a novelist. I was twenty at the time, and I began seriously working on my first novel. It was never published (thankfully), but it set me on the course of my present career.

What are you obsessed with now?
LO: I just had my kitchen redone, and I now have a beautiful breakfast-bar area where I can do my writing and be within arms-reach of the coffee pot. It is amazing. I'm totally, totally obsessed. I never want to leave my house now, or even my chair.

What are you stressed about now?
LO: Right now, at this very second, I'm stressed about two things: whether there will be an epic blizzard in New York that will prevent me from going to see my sister in St. Louis, and why my agent seemed unconvinced by the pitch I gave him for my newest book idea. Actually, I'm pretty stressed about my newest book idea.

What's your most prized/treasured possession?
LO: It's so sad, but probably my phone. I'm pretty obsessed with my phone. I have a strange, troubled, intimate relationship with it. And it's the only possession I have that I feel I couldn't live without.
 
What do you collect?
LO: Art! I love hunting around for prints. I also have a large collection of children's book illustrations. Some people might say I also collect shoes.

Best piece of fan mail you ever got?
LO: I'm not sure that this qualifies as the "best," but it is certainly the oddest: a girl wrote me to ask what my feelings were about biting people. That was it, her whole query. I responded that I feel good about biting people if they are attacking you.

What's next for you?
LO: Next year, I'm releasing a new standalone YA title called Panic. It's realistic and gritty and very different from Delirium. And I also have my very first adult title coming out next year. It's a novel called Rooms, and it's told at least in part from the perspective of ghosts who inhabit the walls of a very old house.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Today is a Seuss-tacular celebration of reading, thanks to the annual National Education Association's "Read Across America" event.  Some classrooms celebrated yesterday with pajama parties and read-a-thons while other kids are sitting down with their Seuss books today, on what would have been Theodor Seuss Geisel's 109th birthday.

This year the Seuss character representing the event is Bartholomew Cubbins, from The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, published 75 years ago. Recently there was a story about Dr. Seuss' collection of hats that he kept in a special closet behind a bookcase--back in 1937 in the Springfield Union News Seuss' sister remarked, “Ted has another peculiar hobby—that of collecting hats of every description. Why, he must have several hundred and he is using them as the foundation of his next book.”  And, of course, you know what book came next...

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins book cover got a swanky new makeover for it's 75th anniversary but the classic Seuss story remains the same.  If you've never read it, I hope you'll give it a try--a spoiled prince, a poor village boy, and an astonishing number of hats add up to a lot of fun.  Are you celebrating Read Across America today?  What book(s) are you reading?

 

Broadway, Baby--Tim Federle on "Better Nate Than Ever"

Young fans of Broadway musicals or Glee rejoice--Tim Federle has written your novel.  To be honest, I'm not even a huge fan of musicals (don't tell anyone) but I laughed my way through Better Nate Than Ever, and had the most enjoyable experience reading this middle grade story of a small town boy pursuing his dream of stardom on the Broadway stage.  Nate reminds me of a much younger version of a good friend of mine (who I think will love this book regardless of the intended reading age)--funny, stubborn, a little bit of a diva, and absolutely delightful to be around.

It's an open casting call for E.T. the musical that ultimately draws Nate to New York despite the dust-up he knows will result at home, and if you are scratching your head asking, did they make E.T. into a musical? the answer is not yet.  But maybe they will now. In the guest post below, author Tim Federle shares the story behind Better Nate Than Ever including the answer to the question, why E.T.?

“What’s the one movie they’ll never turn into a Broadway musical?” That’s the question I asked myself when I set out to write my first novel—all about the adventure of auditioning for a Broadway show—for young readers.

 I may be a debut novelist, but I know musicals like the back of my own jazz hand.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I was the only kid who had memorized Oklahoma! before I’d memorized its state capital (Oklahoma City). When I moved to New York, I ended up performing in lots of movies-turned-musicals. In Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I played a dancing candy-maker; in The Little Mermaid, a dancing catfish. In Billy Elliot, I played a different kind of role—associate choreographer—training the child stars and sending the next generation into the spotlight.

 And yet! As inspired as I was by the kids’ talent and ambition, I grew a little restless about my own. A guy can only dance for so long, and I began quietly daring myself to follow my next dream—my understudy dream, we’ll call it—which was to write a novel.

 “But real writers have MFAs and live in Park Slope,” I told myself, and: “I’m not a novelist, I’m a chorus boy.” But then, one day, while coaching one of the Billy-Elliots-to-be on a nearly impossible dance, I heard myself say: “I know it’s scary, but you cannot give into your fear!” And I was right—not just for him, but for me. If I could make these tweens face a Broadway audience, I could make myself face a blank page.

 Better Nate Than Ever is the story of a thirteen-year-old Pittsburgh-area theater dork who does what I’d only dreamed of at that age: He runs away from home to try out for a Broadway musical. But what show should Nate audition for? I needed a hook. Something to make me smile hard enough to propel my way through a first draft. “What’s the one movie,” I asked myself late one night, “they’ll never turn into a Broadway musical?”

E.T.!

Of course, E.T. A classic film so big-hearted and true that the addition of tap shoes would clomp all over its very gentle soul. Plus, there was that one, poetic detail: E.T. is an alien, just like I was; just like a lot of kids are in their little hometowns, and sometimes their own families. I wanted to write a book for all us kids who get chosen last for dodgeball. Who can use a laugh and a voice and an unlikely hero. And I wanted that unlikely hero to audition for an unlikely musical.

Once I settled on E.T., it took one frenzied month to write one frenzied first draft—but Better Nate Than Ever was born.

In thirty-two years as an alien on this planet, I’ve been lucky. Two impossible wishes have come true: I’ve danced on Broadway and written a book. It feels like pushing my luck to wish for more, but I do: to never let my fears get bigger than my dreams. No matter how alien they may be. --Tim Federle

YA Wednesday: "Out of the Easy" Best YA of February

Ruta Sepetys' first book had the unusual coincidence of a title that includes the words "Shades of Gray"  though her YA novel, Between Shades of Gray, is about as far from the 50 Shades variety as you can get.  A powerful story of a teenage Lithuanian girl torn from her family and sent to a labor camp during the Russian invasion of 1939, Sepetys received wide praise and some strange book tour events for Between Shades of Gray and I was really excited when I found out she had a new novel coming this month. 

Out of the Easy is very different from her debut and confirmed that I want to read whatever Ruta Sepetys writes.  This time the setting is the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1950, and Josie is the teenage daughter of a prostitute who does her more harm than good.  Determined to avoid following in her mother's footsteps Josie forges her own path with street smarts, a passion for books, and the help of a remarkable family of her own choosing.  Mobsters and madams, book store owners and debutantes--I loved them all, and this New Orleans story full of danger and promise held me hostage until the bittersweet end.  After we chose Out of the Easy as our top pick for the Best YA books of February, I sent Ruta Sepetys some questions about the book, author crushes, and more--here are her answers:

Q: Out of the Easy is set in New Orleans—what are some of your favorite things to do, see, and eat, in Big Easy?

RS: Favorite things to do: People watch in the French Quarter, visit the Williams Research Center, browse stores for books and antiques.

Favorite things to see: The interior courtyards of the buildings in the French Quarter. They seem full of secrets!

Favorite things to eat: Breakfast at Croisant d'Or Patisserie, Oysters at Bourbon House, Eggplant caviar at Bayona, Pasta at The Italian Barrell

Q: Josie and Patrick play a game of guessing a customer’s reading tastes when they walk in the bookstore– what do you think a YA reader would look like these days?

RS: I think these days Josie and Patrick would be wagering on dystopian vs. paranormal!

Q: During your research, what’s the craziest story you heard from a French Quarter resident about the 1950s?

RS: A man owed money to a New Orleans mobster for a gambling debt. The mobster supposedly cut off the man's finger and sent it to his family in a coffee can with a note that said, "Pay up."  Yikes!

Q: Are you working on your next book idea?  Any places/time periods that are asking for their story?

RS: Yes, I'm currently working on my third novel. It takes place in East Prussia at the end of WWII.

Q: I already know your childhood author crush was Roald Dahl, do you have an author crush now?

RS: I don't currently have an author crush but I have a character crush. I swoon over John Thornton from Elizabeth Gaskell's novel "North & South." Watch the BBC series version and you'll see what I mean. You'll forget all about Mr. Darcy.

Q: What’s the last book you stayed up all night to finish?

RS: "West With the Night" by Beryl Markham. I've read it several times and can never seem to pull myself from it. The language and sense of place are just gorgeous.

YA Wednesday: You Asked, They Answered--"Beautiful Creatures" Amazon Q&A

Tomorrow Beautiful Creatures opens in theaters with an all-star cast, so this Valentine's Day you'll find me stuffing my face with chocolates in a dark movie theater (and how many of you will be joining me?).   The Castor Chronicles (there are four books in the series) is one of my top recommendations for people asking about the next big YA series--it hooks you from the very beginning and has all the ingredients of a blockbuster. Beautiful Creatures is a little bit Anne Rice's The Witching Hour, a dash of  Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, and a whole lot of delicious Southern gothic.  A small town with a dark history, a family curse, magic, and star-crossed romance--not to mention all the twists I can't even hint at without a spoiler alert.  If you're new to the series I'll offer you this word of warning: Beautiful Creatures may cause you to stay up all night reading, followed by an obsessive need to start the next book, Beautiful Darkness.

It's hard to believe but the first book was written on a dare from seven teenagers close to the authors who wanted something different, a strong and magical female protagonist--who doesn't narrate the story--a specific setting (and in my opinion there is nothing like the South for visceral atmosphere), and no vampires or werewolves.  This is just one of the anecdotes Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl shared when they answered questions from our Facebook fans in the exclusive Q&A below.  You can read the rest after the jump.  And let me know what you think about the movie!

Q: What inspired you to write Beautiful Creatures?
[Kami Garcia]: We wrote Beautiful Creatures on a dare from my students and Margi’s daughters and my sister. Seven teenagers who wanted to find a book that was a little bit different than what they were reading. They wanted a female protagonist who was very strong and magical. And they wanted to hear a story that was from a boy’s point of view instead of a girl’s. And they said, no vampires, no werewolves, and we had to find a really specific setting for the book so that it didn’t feel generic. We did not write it to be published, we wrote it for them. We wrote it a few chapters at a time until at the end of the 12 weeks, we had the entire book.

Q: How did you come up with the names in your books?
[Margaret Stohl]: Kami’s family is from a small town in North Carolina. My family is from a small town in the West. They both happen to have genealogists for their families. We are from a very small town community background where there is a lot of storytelling and a lot of familiarity about your own family so the stories get handed down generationally. Thus, as Kami always says, we plundered our family trees and we stole many names from Kami’s family, from my family, also French Creole names which are a part of the region, and we stuck to sort of specific names for each that would appear within each family. But the most famous name comes from Kami’s relative Anna Gatlin Harmon. And we stole her name for Gatlin, our town.

Q: Are any of the characters based off of real people?
[KG]: The only other characters that are based off of real people are all of the real people; the Castors are all completely made-up by Margi and me. The real characters in the book, the funny characters, the postman is based off of Margi’s grandfather, the great aunts are based off of my great aunts. We kind of used real characters to populate the town from our own families which is funny because some of those characters and their antics seem even more outrageous, like opening up everyone’s mail and reading it before you deliver it, but that is actually what Margi’s grandfather actually did. But don’t tell the postal service.

Q: How did you come up with all of the twists in the story?
[MS]: We plotted out everything in a conversation before we started and then we kind of went with it. I think one of the things that happened is that we had an overall outline for the story but we would surprise each other when we handed chapters back and forth to each other, because that is how we worked since we are two people. So, it is kind of like that game where you all take turns adding on to a story and it changes with every person. So sometimes, we would just pull stuff out of the blue that wasn’t in our outline and we would be like dun-dun-dun! And then the other person would have to deal with it. But I think we kept surprising each other and I think that kept surprising the reader quite often in the process.
[KG]: We like books with twists. So I think it’s natural for us to write things with twists.

50 Years of a Children's Book Classic

Do you remember Amelia Bedelia?  She hasn't gone anywhere, but it's been 50 years now since the ditzy housekeeper first made kids laugh with her literal interpretations and misunderstandings.  This year Amelia is getting a series of chapter books and Fritz Siebel's original illustrations grace the cover of a new 50th anniversary edition of the first Amelia Bedelia picture book. 

It's been a long time since I read Amelia and I got such a wave of nostalgia at the wacky things she does with the best of intentions (remember when she "dresses the chicken" in little pants?) and the black and white illustrations with their green accents.  I love to see how books come together, especially the classics.  Check out these exclusive pages from illustrator Fritz Siebel 's dummy book--he taped pieces of the manuscript to each page and drew the image in watercolor and ink.  You can see how old it is by the yellowed tape and typewriter text--I bet the pages still smell like libraries and thick paper.

 

YA Wednesday: Best of the Month in "Scarlet"

Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles are like Grimm's Fairy Tales meets Blade Runner--action-packed sci-fi/fantasy with romance and intrigue.  Meyer's writing projects the stories beautifully on the big screen in your mind and begs for an actual movie version which would be amazing--who would you pick to play the bad-ass cyborg Cinderella? 

In Scarlet, Book 2 of the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder's story intersects with that of Scarlet Benoit and a streetfighter named Wolf. Freedom is just out of reach, one mystery leads to another, and Lunar Queen Levana still has her eye on the prince...what's a girl to do? There is no second book slump here--we think Scarlet is one of the best YA books of February.

While Blade Runner has it's own soundtrack, Marissa Meyer has one of her own, followed by a little Cinder/Scarlet trivia quiz.

The Scarlet Playlist by Marissa Meyer

Although I’m not a writer who typically listens to music while writing, I’ve been making inspirational playlists for years now. I love to listen to them in between writing times, particularly if I’m stuck in promo- or travel-mode and know I won’t be getting much writing done anytime soon. Choosing the right songs can keep me in the mood of the story, and sometimes a song will attach itself to a particular scene or moment of the work-in-progress and call to mind those same emotions every time I listen to it.

Here are some of the songs from my SCARLET playlist and why, in my mind, they fit the story.

 “Li’l Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs

Little Red Riding Hood,

I'd like to hold you if I could,

But you might think I'm a big, bad wolf, so I won't.

Is it predictable for a Little Red retelling? Definitely. Do I still sing it at the top of my lungs every time it comes up on the iPod? Oh yes. This song is just a little bit sweet, a little bit sexy, and a little bit kooky. It also happens to be about a Big Bad Wolf trying to convince Little Red that his intentions toward her are honorable. Sound familiar?

“Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon

I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic's,

And his hair was perfect.

This song always puts me in a good mood when I hear it, which is one reason it exists on the playlist. But what I love about it for SCARLET specifically is that the song portrays these werewolves that are brutal, feral, and dangerous… and also ridiculously suave and well-dressed. Now there’s an intriguing notion…

(In my head, it’s become “Werewolves of Paris,” given that the book takes place in France.)

“Howlin’ for You” by The Black Keys

 I must admit , I can’t explain

Any of these thoughts racing through my brain.

It’s true. Baby, I’m howlin’ for you.

You might be noticing a theme with these songs. Namely, howls. Because, you know… wolves? What I love about “Howlin’ for You” is that, as opposed to the Sam the Sham song in which the Big Bad Wolf knows he’s a goner, in this song the singer seems much more surprised by it. He’s unable to account for these peculiar new feelings, but he does seem to realize this girl is driving him mad. Pretty much sounds like Wolf in a nutshell.

“Animal” by The Neon Trees

I do it every time—you’re killin’ me now.

And I won't be denied by you,

The animal inside of you.

This song is so feisty and passionate and I always think of Scarlet when I hear it. When she figures out what she wants, she has no qualms going after it… even if she has to nudge someone’s primal instincts a little bit to get it. (Rawr.)

“Feeling Good” by Muse (cover)

It's a new dawn,

It's a new day,

It's a new life for me…

And I'm feeling good.

Changing gears a little bit. Obviously, Scarlet and Wolf’s story is a huge part of this book, but Cinder has a big role in it, too. This is one of the songs that I would listen to when I was working through her plotline, because it has a lot to do with freedom, which is a big theme for Cinder. All she’s ever wanted was freedom and now she finally has it within her grasp… but it’s brought some pretty big decisions along with it.

Plus, I just really love Matt Bellamy’s voice.

“A Comet Appears” by The Shins

Still to come,

The worst part and you know it.

There is a numbness

In your heart and it’s growing. 

 I love, love, love The Shins and will listen to this entire album on repeat when I get burned out on my writing playlists. Their music has a poetic quality that turns each song into a mini-movie in my head… even if I have no idea what half of the lyrics are saying.

“A Comet Appears,” specifically, always felt like the “soundtrack” song to the very last chapter of the book, in which Cinder has to make some of those tough decisions I mentioned above. Long before I had ANY idea what was going to happen in that chapter, I knew this song captured the feel I wanted it to have. For me, it carries this idea that times are bad—and they’re probably going to get worse—but at some point you have to take responsibility for what’s gone wrong in your life and do something about it.

So there are some top choices from my SCARLET playlist. Happy listening—and reading!

And now for a little Scarlet/Cinder trivia with Marissa Meyer:

Q: Cinder and Scarlet are meeting for dinner. Where (anywhere in the world) will they go and what will they order?

Okay, okay . . . Scarlet’s a small-town girl who’s madly in love with her grandmother’s farm in southern France, where she was raised. So, I can see her inviting Cinder over to her place and whipping up something fresh from the garden, maybe a vegetable soup or some croque-monsieur sandwiches, which I’ve learned is a classic French comfort food, kind of like grilled cheese sandwiches, but with ham and fancy-schmancy cheese. Yum!

Q: You’re going to a black-tie ball and can choose your date: Wolf or Thorne?

I’m going to go with Thorne because (spoiler alert!) you’ll get to see Wolf in black-tie wear later in the series. Think on that for a moment, Wolf fans! But so far, I haven’t found an excuse to get Thorne all dressed up in the books, so this excuse will work as good as any. Also, I think he’d be a very amusing date.

Q: Cinder is a mechanic, and Scarlet is a farmer. Which do you think you’d be better at?

Farming, especially if I could hire some handy android helpers to tend to the crops, while I sat back and enjoyed the fruits of their labors.

Q: Match the character to the reality show: Cinder, Scarlet, Kai, Levana, Wolf, Thorne.

Cinder – Say Yes to the Dress. The poor girl had to suffer through that stained, damp, and wrinkled thing at the ball, so she deserves a chance to really shine.

Scarlet – Intervention. She’d be the one staging the intervention, though, for a rather hopeless family member (I won’t say who). Scarlet would love the chance to give them a piece of her mind . . . in a loving way. Sort of.

Kai – Dancing with the Stars. He’s already a good dancer (there are just some skills that come with being a prince), and he’s a star, and . . . ah! How much would you love to see him do the tango? *melts*

Levana – The Real Housewives of . . . somewhere. I’ve never actually seen any of these shows, but from the commercials, it seems that there’s not a single likeable person on them. Therefore, Levana would fit right in.

Wolf – Survivor. He’s strong, resourceful, has crazy good reflexes and keen senses, and can hunt. You’d want him on your team.

Thorne – America’s Most Wanted. Yeah, he has something of a past.

YA Wednesday: 2013 Printz Award

I don't know about the rest of you, but this year's Michael L. Printz picks were a bit of a surprise to me.  Don't get me wrong--the winner, In Darkness by Nick Lake, is a book to rave about (one reviewer even compared it to The Wire) and I'm really happy for the author to receive this show of book love. Lake's raw narrative tells a story of brutality and courage, and in his hands a Haitian boy trapped in the wreckage of an earthquake captures universal experiences of teens (or adults, for that matter), be it love, loss, or hope against all odds. Winning the Printz award will hopefully bring In Darkness the attention and readership it deserves.

I was also thrilled to see a couple of my favorites of last year make the Honor list, including Code Name Verity and Dodger--my surprise came from the omission of a couple books that I was almost certain would make the cut and didn't (I'm thinking of Every Day and The Fault in Our Stars). 

What books on the list did you love?  Any you would have included in your own Printz line-up?

2013 Printz Winner and Honor books:

• In Darkness by Nick Lake--Winner!
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein--Honor
• Dodger by Terry Pratchett--Honor
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe--Honor
• The White Bicycle by Beverley Brenna--Honor

2013 Children's Book Award Winners

Today the American Library Association announced the winners of the biggest children's book awards of the year at a ceremony here in Seattle.  It was really exciting to be in the audience with publishers, authors, librarians and booksellers as we all waited anxiously to see if any of our favorites made the list and each announcement was greeted by a "love bomb" of applause.

2013 is the 75th anniversary of one of the most prestigious awards, the Randolph Caldecott award for illustration and I could not have been more thrilled when they announced that This Is Not My Hat, my own number one pick for the Best Picture Book of 2012, was the winner. Author and illustrator Jon Klassen also took home a second win, a Caldecott Honor for his illustration of Extra Yarn. 

The One and Only Ivan took home the Newbery Medal for children's literature and is so deserving of the prize.  Ivan made our Best Middle Grade Books of 2012 list with its touching narrative and memorable characters--it is right at home with other classic animal stories of friendship and courage.

Here is the full list of the winners and honor books for 2013's Caldecott and Newbery Medals. You can see more 2013 Children's Book award winners here.

Randolph Caldecott Medal: This year there were an astonishing four Honor books in addition to the winner

• This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen - Winner!
• Extra Yarn written by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen - Honor
• One Cool Friend written by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by David Small - Honor
• Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger - Honor
• Sleep Like a Tiger written by Mary Loque, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski - Honor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Newbery Medal:

• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate - Winner!
• Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage -Honor
• Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin - Honor
• Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz - Honor

YA Wednesday: A Q&A with Gayle Forman

Do you believe in love at first sight?  In Gayle Forman's new young adult novel, Just One Day, predictable, reliable Allyson Healy meets free spirit Willem on the final stop of her Teen Tours! excursion and it turns her world upside down.  Allyson throws her usual caution to the wind and one day with Willem becomes the first day of life on her own terms.  One of our Best Teen Books of January, Just One Day is romantic, funny, and meaningful.  It is also only half of the story.  Like she did with If I Stay and Where She Went, Forman's next book, Just One Year, will be Willem's point of view.  I guess I'm back to waiting anxiously for the next Gayle Forman, but there are worse things...  I haven't had the chance to meet the author in person but I sent her some questions about Just One Day and her second two-book story arc--you can see her answers below.

Amazon: What was the inspiration for Just One Day?

Gayle Forman: There are two answers to that. The inspiration came, yes, in a dream. I dreamed a guy and a girl in an abandoned warehouse, recognized they were abroad somewhere and had just shared an intense day (and night) together. In a hazy, half-sleep state, I spun out the rest of the story. But the larger inspiration of the book is all the traveling I’ve done, starting when I was sixteen and was an exchange student and carrying on to the year I traveled around the world with my husband. Travel can be exhilarating and exhausting, romantic and harsh, but it’s almost always transformative.

Q: Paris is the perfect setting for both a whirlwind romance and self-discovery--does the city hold special meaning for you and if so, why?

A: Paris does hold special meaning for me, but not for any of the reasons you’d set a romance there. In fact, I was wary of setting the love story part of the novel in Paris because it’s become a bit of a cliché, and also hard to pull off because it’s been done so well so many times before (which is why it’s become a cliché). But Paris, which can have a reputation for, ahem, rudeness toward foreigners, has actually always been very kind to me. I’ve met open-hearted, generous people who are funny and interesting and it was almost automatic that the guy and the girl in my dream would be in Paris. But Paris can also be intimidating, and it needed to be for the sake of the story, for what happens to Allyson after she wakes up without Willem and what she faces when she goes back without him.

Q: What is your favorite Shakespeare play or character and why?

A: As You Like It, which I became very familiar with through the writing of Just One Day and its sequel Just One Year, is currently my favorite play. It’s so rich and resonant and romantic and funny and full of great lines about identity and masks. I’m quite fond of Rosalind (even if Jaques has all the best lines). I’m also a big fan of Kate from The Taming of The Shrew and Paulina in The Winter’s Tale.

Q: What is the most outside-your-comfort-zone thing you've ever done?

A: In 2002, my husband and I traveled around the world for a year; the first stop was the South Pacific island nation of Tonga, which we’d chosen as a first stop because it seemed like we were baby-stepping our way into the wilds—it was a tropical island; English was spoken. But there were so many intensely deep cultural divides, in ways I didn’t even begin to understand, that the place felt both familiar and so strange. Subsequent stops—from Cambodia to Uzbekistan to Malawi—never felt quite so strange to me, so fully outside my comfort zone so much as Tonga did. Then again, I’m a big believer that every time you push out of your comfort zone, you expand it, so perhaps Tonga felt so strange simply because it was the first stop.

Q: Your next book, Just One Year, is Willem's side of the story--did you write them at the same time or one after the other?  Did you know after writing If I Stay  and Where She Went that you wanted to write another set of novels in the same style?

A: For about the first week, I envisioned Just One Day as a standalone, and then I was in the shower—otherwise known as The Place Where All Writerly Breakthroughs Happen—and I realized that it was actually two books. And by making it two books, the whole task became infinitely more complicated and challenging because I had to plot them together, intertwine so much, so subtly, within each book and also between the two. Plus, I had to fully understand both characters before I began writing the first book, so I didn’t have that luxury of figuring out Willem as I wrote his story. I was excited when I had that revelation in the shower, but there were many times when the writing was so challenging, I sort of wished I’d just stayed dirty that day.

Q: What is it about telling a story from both sides in separate books, versus a dual narrative in a single novel that appeals to you?  Do you have any interest in writing a series or trilogy?

A: If I Stay was not planned as a series. I decided to write Where She Went after the characters kept waking me up in the middle of the night, almost screaming at me because of where I’d left them. So I started thinking about their futures and it started to come into focus and it was Adam’s story, skipping ahead several years.

With Just One Day and Just One Year, it’s different; the books intertwine, the narrative of one really weaves into the other. All that said, I think the appeal is the same. You have two novels, with different narrators, different gendered narrators, and each novel having its own arc, because each narrator has his or her own journey. But taken together the two books tell a larger story. I like that If I Stay and Where She Went can be read separately and I expect Just One Day and Just One Year will be the same. But the hope is, that read together, readers will come away with a richer, deeper experience. I suppose that if I needed a trilogy to do this kind of storytelling, I would, but I can’t see wanting to write a story in three parts, from one character’s point of view.

Q: What's the best book you read in 2012?

A: What is it with all this favorites? It’s impossible for me. So I’ll give two.  Best YA read was Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity. Best adult fiction was Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. Speaking of an amazing series. I read In The Year of the Flood first (also terrific) although it’s the second book and loved it for its own story. Then I read Oryx and Crake and had my mind fully blown and understood the world in a far richer way. I can’t wait for the third book in her Mad Adam trilogy.

Award Winner Clare Vanderpool's Favorite Children's Books

With the 2013 Newbery Award winner soon to be announced (on January 28), author Clare Vanderpool has released her first book since her debut novel Moon Over Manifest won the 2011 Newbery Medal. No small amount of expectation accompanies the follow-up to an award winner and with Navigating Early Vanderpool rose to the occasion with two endearing characters, Early and Jack, and a novel of journeys, memories, and the power of a story to hold us captive or set us free.  Navigating Early is our spotlight Best of the Month pick for middle grade readers this month and I'm still hearing Early's voice in my head and thinking about the magical properties of pi.

I always want to hear what authors (especially award-winning authors) recommend as their favorite kids' books and on Vanderpool's roster she includes some of the greats.

Clare Vanderpool’s Favorite Children’s Books

•  A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck: I read both of these as an adult and really appreciated the Midwestern feel of the stories – funny, genuine, and full of great characters.

• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell: I loved this story of a young girl’s sacrifice and resilience.   I had about ten pages left and wouldn’t leave the bathroom until I’d finished the book.

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: Who doesn’t love the Wrinkle in Time books?  These books instilled a love of all things time travel.  If it ever becomes a reality, I’ll be the first to sign up.

• Half Magic by Edward Eager: I still have the original hardback that I read years ago.  The pages are yellow but that only adds to the charm of the story.  I’d wish that I could read Half Magic again for the first time, but we all know that wishes, especially ones that only come true by half, can lead to trouble!

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis: I read the first chapter of this wonderful story in our 4^th grade reader in school and I was hooked.  I got the whole set of the Chronicles of Narnia for Christmas and loved all of them.  They forever changed a good game of hide and seek.

• Treasure Island and Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson: They’re called classics for a reason!  These swashbuckling tales have held up through the years and are a must read for any adventurous boy or girl.  Plus there are some kind of scary parts that are fun to read with a flashlight, under the covers, late at night.

• The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy: Another great story that I read as an adult.  I started it on a day off from work and couldn’t put it down.  A real page-turner with lots of twists and turns.

• Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White: This one takes me back to first grade when our teacher read it to us.  We all wanted to know where Papa was going with that ax.  And we all fell in love with a pig and a spider.

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster: Crazy, wonderful book!  This is the kind of book that has so many interesting and clever things in it that it should be read at least once as a kid and then again as an adult. 

• Anne of Green Gables  by Lucy Maude Montgomery: Anne Shirley is a once in a lifetime character.  She’s an orphan who gets adopted by a brother and sister who really wanted a boy.  But they fall in love with her humor and her spirit just like the rest of us.

• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder: Required reading for any Kansas girl – and anyone else who loves stories about place, and family, and home.