Real People

I like the writing advice that recommends having a real person in your view when creating a fictional one. Often I've pictured someone who might look like a character I'm fleshing out. Height, hair color, shape of his nose.Yes, I change the name, but often need the picture.

If I'm having a hard time imagining my character doing things that seem extraordinary? I remember a real-life person who could well have done that and Bingo! A Character emerges.

That's what happened with Gloriana June Hemphill, my protagonist in GLORY BE.

No, she is not me at 11. She's not my sister, or any of the 60s-era little girls I knew. We may have had glimmerings of Glory's personality. A tiny bit of rebellion inside us.

But we looked more like this. Goodie TwoShoes Choirgirls...
Than 60s activist.

 Every time my inner critic shouted No young white girl would have been that outspoken in 1964 Mississippi. Certainly no 11-year-old girl! -- I remembered one who would have been.

That little girl lived a few years later. She didn't live in Mississippi. But I know there were brave, spunky, outspoken girls-- even in the Deep South in the early 60s. And if Sarah had lived then, she would have been just like Glory. No matter what the year.

My more modern-day role model was a friend of my daughter's in Baltimore. We lived in a neighborhood of mostly-manicured, very green lawns. I bet Sarah wasn't even eleven when she decided she'd had enough of the strong chemicals some of our neighbors used on their grass. The little signs everybody posted cautioning Dogs and People to stay off the recently-sprayed grass offended her.

Her sign read:
"This lawn is safe for birds and other creatures."  Or maybe it was DOGS and other creatures. I think there was a stick-ish figure of a bird illustrating her sign. If you agreed to do away with the harsh fertilizers, you got one for your lawn. Quite a few of these hand-lettered signs attached to a Popsicle stick were planted around our neighborhood. That was just the beginning of her activism.

So when I needed someone in my head as a model for my own girl character, Sarah came to mind. No, she didn't look a thing like "my" Glory. But she acted quite a bit like I hope Glory would have behaved,  a decade later. Or even in 1964.

I'd love to know if others visualize characters as people they know while writing.
Do you combine personalities?
Use a real photograph?
Any great tips out there?

PS Today is Sarah's real birthday- Not July 4th, but pretty close to a holiday!
Happy birthday and thanks for the inspiration.   

Quote for the Day

"I have not failed. 
I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
--Thomas Alva Edison

Kind of the way I'm feeling about Chapter 16 this morning...

Merry Christmas to All

Since it's not quite time to say To All a Goodnight, I'm posting a few random  
Things I Love About the Holidays.

1. Toasting Pecans. At my house, it was always the Salt and Butter option. This morning, my friend Lee's fabulous food blog gave me another option.
My sister-in-law sent pecans. I'm on a hunt to find Lee's spice before the stores close. 
Check out her blog posts for pecans, cookies, gifts, and just fun reading.

Here's the Caramelized Spiced Pecans recipe. 
(Though Lee says you can use any type of nut, I love pecans for the holidays.) 
http://spoonandink.blogspot.com/2012/12/party-nuts-that-arent-your-guests.html

2. KING LEO PEPPERMINT STICKS.  I almost hate to mention this because if you've forgotten about them and now you find them, then there's just that much more competition for me.

I'm on a hunt and I think I may have a lead. After I score some, I  will may share my secret.

3. FACEBOOK. There, I've said it. But I've found my college roommate whom I hadn't seen since we left each other in Mississippi in the 60s. And I learn a lot about books and their writers.
Plus, there's a group of insomniacs waiting to greet you at 3 AM, with Cheetos.
I both love FB and hate it.

Now, a huge stack of books awaits me. And those pecans needing toasting.
I'm off to read, write, eat, and enjoy the end of December.
I hope everyone's doing something special this week.
Merry Christmas, thanks for reading. See you in the New Year!

Reading a Book

My thought for the day.

If you take a book with you on a journey… an odd thing happens: The book begins collecting your memories. And forever after you have only to open that book to be back where you first read it. It will all come into your mind with the very first words: the sights you saw in that place, what it smelled like, the ice cream you ate while you were reading it… yes, books are like flypaper–memories cling to the printed page better than anything else.

{Cornelia Funke}

(This quote and many more like it may be found at http://lauramarcella.blogspot.com/ )

Today, for many reasons, I'm remembering reading Les Misérables, for Mrs. Glassco's senior English class. My friend Ivy and I poured over the heavy book together after school in the basketball gym. 

I so hope I'm going to love the movie.

What book, for you, most recalls where it was read?  

Oxford Exchange

Last night at his book signing,  Michael Connelly said a lot of wise things 

about books and writing. 

Perhaps the wisest?

"The opening of a bookstore is a cause for celebration."

I couldn't agree more.

Tampa has a new, big, beautiful one.  Right now the Oxford Exchange feels more like a store than a bookstore, if that makes sense. But the books are right up front. The book buyer is very enthusiastic about hosting events.

AND I must applaud and share the Most Creative Use of a Card Catalog I've seen in a while.

 (front window of The Oxford Exchange, Kennedy Blvd, Tampa)

Drawers open to blank 3X5 cards and a pencil.

Check out the scribbled notes from readers recommending their favorite recent reads.

In answer to a question about whether the places in his books are real, Michael Connelly said he tries to anchor his fiction in as much reality as possible. Real restaurants, real streets. If readers identify with the place, this creates more empathy for the characters.

He cautioned future crime novelists about using a real restaurant as a murder scene however.
Not good for business.

Here he is, nearing the end of a very long line of admirers, waiting to have his newest book signed.
Check his website: http://www.michaelconnelly.com.
Some very cool stuff there. 

Good luck to the Oxford Exchange.
More pictures HERE: http://www2.tbo.com/list/oxford-exchange/gallery/
Yes, it's a teashop, a coffee bar, a gift shop.
But there are books!

My Favorite Book Project

Last year, when my first novel was published, I traveled "home" to Mississippi. Thanks to Jill, my buddy at Square Books, Jr., I got to meet some amazing kids at schools in Oxford.

This is one of the best parts of being an author, I promise.

Seeing young readers celebrating your book is also pretty special.

Here's 4th grader Reagan, at her Della Davidson Book Fair this week.

At almost every single school visit and Skyping, readers (all ages!) ask how long it took me to write and/or to get my book published. When I say ten years, that sounds like forever to some of them.
But when you see your very first book appreciated like this, it makes that hard work so worthwhile. 

When I tell you Reagan won third place at her school's Book Project Fair last week, this is a huge accomplishment. I saw all the entrants on Square Book Jr's Facebook page (check the link, above, and go to the pictures page if you want to see some impressive readers). They were outstanding. So hats off and thank you to Reagan, and to her mom and to my niece, Amy, for sharing the pictures.

And because I can't resist, here's another of Reagan before the winners were announced. 

I think that's the letter Glory wrote. And that swimming pool looks three-dimensional!
Such great details.

Thank you, Reagan!

Related Posts: My Visit to Oxford, spring 2012.
Travels to Mississippi: Ten Things to Remember, including Pimento Cheese...

We have a winner!

SUSAN. You just won The Ballad of Jessie Pearl.
Enjoy and Pay it Forward if you are so inclined.

Christmas (book) Shopping

Since I've been asked, I will share that the wonderful LEMURIA Books in Jackson has signed copies of GLORY BE.

Here's the website:
http://www.lemuriabooks.com/index.php?show=book&isbn=WFES545331807

Or you can call my friend Emily, the children's book buyer, and she'll fix you up!
Lemuria Books
202 Banner Hall
4465 I-55 North
Jackson, MS 39206

601.366.7619
800.366.7619

(I'm also happy to send along a note and some bookmarks. Just send me an email or Facebook message and they are yours!)

Football!

I don't love college football like some I know. And maybe I'll watch an NFL game occasionally. But I grew up on high school football.

Not to get sidetracked, but my absolute favorite TV show was Friday Night Lights.



So I can't wait to hear about the team's victories in my sister's hometown of Batesville, Mississippi. This year, the SOUTH PANOLA HIGH SCHOOL TIGERS took their division. Again.
State Champs!

Here's the link to the Jackson Clarion Ledger article with a ton of pictures. I plan to hang on to this for future reference. You never know when you'll need a good football story.






My brother-in-law, George Carlson, loves the Tigers so much he returns to each game as one of the radio announcers.
Judge by day! Color Commentator by Friday nights!

So a big shout-out to soon-to-be-retired George as the Tigers end another winning season.
Here he is doing what he loves next-to-the-best. Grilling. He and his brother Chris are highlights of my culinary tour when I return to Mississippi.
(If you care, you can read a little more about the FOOD here.)



And just in case you read this blog to learn more about BOOKS and WRITING? Here's my writing advice for you. Everybody needs an expert. George was just that when it came to my character, Robbie, in Glory Be.
No, George was probably not anybody's Bad Boy Boyfriend. (Though I can't promise that's true.)
But he was always at the other end of my emails when I needed to know the technicalities of football practice in the heat of the summer in 1964 Mississippi. Talk about color commentating. George provided details. Thanks, Judge!

If you're still reading--and yes, this is a longer than average blogpost-- here's your reward for sticking with this entire Football treatise.
In case you ever doubted my authenticity about the high school football scenes in GLORY BE?
Besides George? I also had a college roommate was a majorette who twirled a Fire Baton.
More proof? Here's my Cleveland (MS) high school Pep Squad. We marched in every single Friday afternoon parade before our home games and on the field under the lights at each game.
Promise not to laugh.
And feel free to share your high school football stories. I'm keeping a file.

Shannon, Pt. 2

Okay, I know some of you can't see that entire interview from yesterday's blog,
so I'm reposting the questions and answers.

And this link to  
Shannon's blog with the family recipe for Chocolate Pound Cake!
Because who doesn't need Chocolate today? 

You can comment here or there and you'll be entered in the Giveaway for THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL. Rumor has it, Shannon will throw in a set of bookmarks for your class if you're a teacher, or as many as you might need for your Book Group or friends and family.

Augusta: In my past career as both a school librarian and a reference librarian in a public library, I was frequently asked to recommend books for Book Groups. I see this novel as a great choice for a Mother Daughter Book Club, or even a women's group.

Can you think of a couple of discussion questions those groups might focus on?

Shannon:

In the first line of the book, “Sometimes when the kerosene lamp casts shadows, I think I see Ma’s ghost,” we learn that Jessie’s mother is dead. How do Jessie’s memories of her ma influence her actions throughout the book? Do you see any similarities with the relationship you have with your own mother?

Great answer. Great quote, too.

How about " book food" they might serve! (Maybe not corn pone.) Do you have any family favorites to share?

Shannon: We Southerners love a good pound cake! Make mine chocolate.

Augusta: Yum! 

I know you have a curriculum guide and lots of teaching ideas. How do you see your book used in a classroom setting?

Shannon: I posed this question to Keely Hutton, an eighth grade ELA teacher, and she has a great answer: “With THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL, you have the perfect opportunity to tie in non-fiction pieces about the time period, TB, women’s rights and roles in family/society, healthcare during epidemics, and historically what was happening during those years in the US and the world.”

Augusta: So many opportunities for classes who read your book. I know you'll be speaking to school groups. Describe your ideal class visit.

Shannon: Ideally the teacher and I would have worked together beforehand so that each student would have a family story to share. I would talk about how my son’s eighth grade history project inspired my book, about the 1920’s, rural North Carolina, tuberculosis etc., and give the students a chance to share their family stories with me.

Augusta: I think that story about your son's class project is pretty remarkable.

I loved how strongly you portrayed the characters. You write with such emotion and it shows in how they react to situations. For writers, do you have any tips about getting to that emotional depth?

Shannon: Don’t overwrite. Trust your readers “to get it.” I have the tendency to overdo it and my brilliant editor, Stephen Roxburgh, reminds me that less is more.

Augusta: There are a lot of us who could use a needlepoint of that thought!

If you were Book Talking this book, as school librarians often do, what would be the 1-minute take on Jessie Pearl?

Shannon: THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL is about the terror of tuberculosis, the thrill of young love, and a desire to see the world beyond your own hometown.

Augusta: What were your favorite books to read in middle and high school? Do you think those books influenced you to be a writer?

Shannon: Oh my yes! I loved the Little House on the Prairie books and HEIDI GROWS UP. The villainess, Liza Phillips, in my book is based on the two characters I loved to hate when I was younger: Nellie Olson from the Little House books and Liza Colby from the now defunct soap opera All My Children. When I was growing up, I watched soap operas with my granny. Honey, I told you I am Southern!

Augusta: So did I! She called them "my stories." We were particularly fond of As The World Turns.

When you were writing the novel, did you have a reader in mind?

Shannon: Not really. I wrote a book that I would enjoy reading. I’d like to be the Jan Karon or Lisa Wingate of YA literature.

Augusta: Who is your ideal reader? Teen girls, their moms, middle-graders, literary types? A younger version of yourself? All of the above?

Shannon: I don’t have an ideal reader. Anybody who enjoys my book is a newfound friend.

So true! Thanks for those great answers, Shannon. 
You can check out Shannon's website for more information: http://www.shannonhitchcock.com/index.html

Now it's your turn, blog readers. Just leave me a comment and you, too, could read this remarkable book.

Let's keep this going until December 7. That way, you'll have time to read it and still wrap it up for holiday giving. Though you will probably want to keep this forever and buy more for gifts! 
It's that good.

 

Welcome, Shannon Hitchcock

(Shannon doing what we all do in Florida, enjoying the sunshine!)

It's a wonder our paths didn't cross before Florida. She grew up in North Carolina, a state I feel a real fondness for. Then she lived up the road from me in New Jersey. 

But we connected over writing and SCBWI and books when we first met in Tampa Bay. 
   
Shannon Hitchcock's first novel. THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL, just came out from Namelos. 
I loved every word of it. 
Richard Peck says she's recreated the "daily drama of a vanished world." So true! 

She agreed to answer a few questions about the book and her journey. And guess what? She's giving away a signed copy of the book to a commenter here or on Facebook.

Thanks for coming, Shannon. Here we go! 

Augusta: In my past career as both a school librarian and a reference librarian in a public library, I was frequently asked to recommend books for Book Groups. I see this novel as a great choice for a Mother Daughter Book Club, or even a women's group.

Can you think of a couple of discussion questions those groups might focus on?

Shannon:

In the first line of the book, “Sometimes when the kerosene lamp casts shadows, I think I see Ma’s ghost,” we learn that Jessie’s mother is dead. How do Jessie’s memories of her ma influence her actions throughout the book? Do you see any similarities with the relationship you have with your own mother?

Great answer. Great quote, too.

How about " book food" they might serve! (Maybe not corn pone.) Do you have any family favorites to share?

Shannon: We Southerners love a good pound cake! Make mine chocolate.

Augusta: Yum! 

I know you have a curriculum guide and lots of teaching ideas. How do you see your book used in a classroom setting?

Shannon: I posed this question to Keely Hutton, an eighth grade ELA teacher, and she has a great answer: “With THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL, you have the perfect opportunity to tie in non-fiction pieces about the time period, TB, women’s rights and roles in family/society, healthcare during epidemics, and historically what was happening during those years in the US and the world.”

Augusta: So many opportunities for classes who read your book. I know you'll be speaking to school groups. Describe your ideal class visit.

Shannon: Ideally the teacher and I would have worked together beforehand so that each student would have a family story to share. I would talk about how my son’s eighth grade history project inspired my book, about the 1920’s, rural North Carolina, tuberculosis etc., and give the students a chance to share their family stories with me.

Augusta: I think that story about your son's class project is pretty remarkable.

I loved how strongly you portrayed the characters. You write with such emotion and it shows in how they react to situations. For writers, do you have any tips about getting to that emotional depth?

Shannon: Don’t overwrite. Trust your readers “to get it.” I have the tendency to overdo it and my brilliant editor, Stephen Roxburgh, reminds me that less is more.

Augusta: There are a lot of us who could use a needlepoint of that thought!

If you were Book Talking this book, as school librarians often do, what would be the 1-minute take on Jessie Pearl?

Shannon: THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL is about the terror of tuberculosis, the thrill of young love, and a desire to see the world beyond your own hometown.

Augusta: What were your favorite books to read in middle and high school? Do you think those books influenced you to be a writer?

Shannon: Oh my yes! I loved the Little House on the Prairie books and HEIDI GROWS UP. The villainess, Liza Phillips, in my book is based on the two characters I loved to hate when I was younger: Nellie Olson from the Little House books and Liza Colby from the now defunct soap opera All My Children. When I was growing up, I watched soap operas with my granny. Honey, I told you I am Southern!

Augusta: So did I! She called them "my stories." We were particularly fond of As The World Turns.

When you were writing the novel, did you have a reader in mind?

Shannon: Not really. I wrote a book that I would enjoy reading. I’d like to be the Jan Karon or Lisa Wingate of YA literature.

Augusta: Who is your ideal reader? Teen girls, their moms, middle-graders, literary types? A younger version of yourself? All of the above?

Shannon: I don’t have an ideal reader. Anybody who enjoys my book is a newfound friend.

So true! Thanks for those great answers, Shannon. 
You can check out Shannon's website for more information: http://www.shannonhitchcock.com/index.html

Now it's your turn, blog readers. Just leave me a comment and you, too, could read this remarkable book.

Let's keep this going until December 7. That way, you'll have time to read it and still wrap it up for holiday giving. Though you will probably want to keep this forever and buy more for gifts! 
It's that good.

   

Stay Tuned. Giveaway!

My Tampa- via North Carolina and New Jersey- writing friend, Shannon Hitchcock,
has agreed to answer a few questions on my blog.

Even better. She's giving away an autographed copy of her just-published book: THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL. Which I loved. And you will, too.

Come back tomorrow. I can't wait to share Shannon's story with you.

What a treat.

Ah, the marvels of technology. I'm in sunny Florida. They're in snowy Maine.
Skyping really is such fun.
Just talked to a big group of 4th and 5th graders, an afterschool Book Club.
This is such a treat for a former librarian. 
They had some amazing, unusual questions about GLORY BE.

For example:

Which character is most like me?

Which character do I like the best?
Where'd I get my characters' names? Did any of them change over the editing?
(I'm telling you, these kids are smart!)

Will I always write historical fiction or do I plan to try another genre?
(Wish I knew the answer.)

 Who's my favorite writer?
They knew them all!  Cynthia Lord, Barbara O'Connor, Katherine Paterson- (I had to stop somewhere...)

So I asked that questioner who her favorite writer was. She thought a minute, then answered "Sharon Creech." When I told her I'd recently read The Great Unexpected, she said "Love that Dog was the first chapter book I ever read."

Isn't it amazing what kids remember about books?

Great great school librarians= enthusiastic readers.
Such fun sharing.

(I'm trying now to remember the first chapter book I ever read. I doubt it was as fun or as distinguished as Love That Dog. Who remembers the first book you ever read, all on your own, not an easy reader?)

http://beta.skype.com/en/

What I've Learned

As my Debut Year comes to a close-- January 2013, GLORY BE will be one year old-- I'm reflecting on what I've learned so far. And how much I have to be thankful for.

Before Glory hit the shelves, I worried about its reception.
But a very wise person gave me good advice. Like it doesn't matter what reviewers say. It's the kids you are writing for. Your book will still be on library shelves and in readers' hands long after the review has yellowed on the page.

I think the most amazing thing about having a book out in the world isn't how many books you sell or when the reviewers say nice things about you.
Okay, that's pretty great, too.

But my favorite part of the year was when young readers, librarians, even somebody who hasn't read a Middle Grade novel since she finished Little Women back in her own childhood, stopped by a signing or a talk to say how much my book meant to them or their students.

This is Eliza. She came with her mom to my Children's Museum event in Jackson. Her mom told me about the difficulty her neighborhood friend was having in school. And how much my book helped Eliza understand the history of the 1960s.

I also loved hearing from a teacher I'd met at Anderson's AMAZING Literature Breakfast in Illinois. She shared that she was reading Glory Be aloud to her grandmother and some of her grandmother's friends. In the dining room of their assisted living facility.

See, stories like that make all that hard work totally worth while. And make this first year truly memorable. I am a very thankful person this season!



Also:
I'm inspired by my fellow debutantes. Caroline Starr Rose has written eloquently about what she's learned and what she hopes to remember. Click on her name to read her blog.

For a little more about the very beginning of my journey, if you missed that and if you care,
CLICK HERE 

or Here (launch party recap)

Quaker Motto Calendar

Yes, it's probably too late to order for this Christmas. But it may not be too late to get them before January gets away from us.

I've blogged about the Quaker Motto Calendar a few times. You can read about it
HERE .

This is the new order form, 2013 version.
(Sorry, I can't help expedite an order. I really have nothing to do with these little gems, other than spreading the word. Because I do love them and like to share what I love.)
  

Time for a Poem

When a whole bunch of people tell you You Need to Read This, I've learned to listen.

That's why I put my librarian skills to work to find Kathi Appelt's poem,
ODE TO MY SOUTHERN DRAWL.

It's in a book, POETRY AFTER LUNCH, that I borrowed from the library.
I've now renewed it the maximum time. It needs to go back.

I'll share just a little bit of the Southern Drawl poem here. I love it.

Here in the south
we treat words like wine
letting them rest in our mouths
until they are ripe and
have soaked into the sides of our cheeks.
And sometimes they get so warm,
we have to cool them
off with iced tea
or Coca Cola

You can find other poems by Kathi on the Poetry Starter page on her website. Like this one about tomato sandwiches and FIGS. (You never saw that coming, did you. But you know I'm going to love a poem that even mentions figs.)
Here's the link to Tomato Sandwich, and some great ideas about teaching and using poetry in the classroom:
http://www.kathiappelt.com/poetry/ps1.html


PS: I have a really terrible, but readable, scan of the entire ODE TO MY SOUTHERN DRAWL poem which I'll send anybody who leaves me a comment and lets me know where to send it.

Another Thing I Love

It's a grey day in Florida.
No, I don't especially love that. But I love hunkering down with a pot of tea and a great book.

 Such a good book- PINNED by Sharon Flake. I'm rereading it today and loving it all over again.
Fast-paced story, female wrestler, two strong character voices. 

And my tea?
I discovered a box of  Mariage Frères Earl Grey, hiding in the back of my cupboard. I am in heaven.
Thanks, Julie, for sending me to the Mariage Frères teashop in Paris for their yummy Marco Polo tea.
Thank you, Kate, for finding the tea in your Dean and Deluca!

Thank you, Sharon Flake, for writing such a fabulous book.

All's right with the world.
Happy weekend, everybody.

Glory Be!

My book has been named to Amazon's Top Middle Grade Books of the Year list.
Woo, boy! Holy Moly mashed potatoes!
(as somebody I had a big crush on used to say, back in Glory's day)

I'm so proud of my book. And amazed and surprised!



Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=sr_aj?node=6129717011&ajr=0

And here's the living proof!

(Well, the blurry living proof. Tricky screenshot... You'll just have to trust me on this one.)

Calling all Parents

Wow!
What a great honor to receive this award. And check out the other books,
including THE FALSE PRINCE, by my fellow Scholastic debut year author, Jennifer Nielsen.

Here's the link to my book. Click around and see what else they recommend.

http://nappaawards.parenthood.com/listing/-692.html

From their website:
The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) is one of the oldest and most respected awards programs in the country. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, we have been continuously celebrated as the “go-to” source for parents and professionals seeking the best products for their children and families.

KIDLIT CARES

On so many levels, this storm has been remarkable. The stories coming from friends in New Jersey and New York continue to astound me. It's already snowing in my little town in NJ.
Just what they need.

No. That's not what they need! They need this:

This fund-raising effort is pretty amazing.

This writing cottage in Austin is speaking to me.
How about the rest of my fellow writers?

And teachers and librarians? School visits! Class sets!
Check out the link. Round 2 starts next week.

But there's still time to get something amazing in ROUND ONE.

Here's the link again. Go ahead, click away.
http://www.katemessner.com/kid-lit-cares-superstorm-sandy-relief-effort/

(All proceeds going to the Red Cross.)

POV, à la Betsy Byars

 I blame it on Anita Silvey and Mr. Schu, librarian.

I'd spent some recent time pondering Point of View, the vantage point for telling the story.
Just for fun.

Then those two brought up Betsy Byars. A favorite from my early days of librarianing. (Hey, everybody's inventing verbs, why can't I?)



I took to the shelves, so to speak, in search of Summer of the Swans and The Pinballs.
(What a great voice, that Carlie. )

Alas, I was confounded. Newbery-winning Byars is all over the place with Point of View. Do we call this omniscient? Not really. The protagonist in each book is a strong voice. But the author slips into the heads of the other players. And you know what? It works. I loved rereading them both.

But what about new books? Just published Middle-grade novels.
Does the all-knowing single narrator still rule?

I took count, and hmmmm- what's that you say?
Several of my absolute favorite really new books didn't stick to "first" or "third," in a single character's head. They branched out, spread their narrator wings, so to speak.

ON THE ROAD TO MR. MINEO'S. 8 different characters, woven into one fabulous story.

PINNED. Two classmates, different voices. Phenomenal writing, lovely book.

WONDER. What more can be said of this that hasn't been said? Not much. Superlative.

THE GREAT UNEXPECTED. Those funny, mysterious old ladies in Ireland keep sneaking in!

See what I mean? There's more to Middle Grade than one viewpoint.

For an in-depth discussion about Point of View in kids' books, check out Nathan Bransford's blog, linked HERE.


Since I'm on a Betsy Byars kick this week, here's her writing advice. Timeless.
Even if the word processor and the trip to the mailbox aren't...

Picture Books!

Source: Uploaded by user via Jon on Pinterest

And with that thought, I'm off to INKWOOD BOOKS today to welcome Rob Sanders' Cowboy Christmas to the book world.

COWBOY CHRISTMAS book launch at Inkwood Books (Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL)
2:00-4:00 p.m.
TODAY!

I just saw Rob's Facebook picture. There will be cookies. Yippee!

 Click here to go to Rob's very helpful Picture Book blog.

CLICK HERE for a terrific interview with Rob. A really terrific interview, in fact. With the illustrator of his new picture book series, RUBY ROSE, first book out in 2014.

Love this line: I’m trying to work smarter, not harder these days.
 
And isn't that what we all should be doing, Rob!

Save some cookies for me! See you at Inkwood, Tampa book people.

Ghosts and Goblins

Whether you're celebrating Halloween today, later (like my town in NJ), or never,  here are two books I've shared with some of the ghouls I know this season.


I adore this little vampire.
I believe even very young children can enjoy VAMPIRINA BALLERINA and not even know she's a vampire, or get some of the subtle, funny, smart references.
They will love the story and the fabulous illustrations.

Kathryn Erskine said it perfectly in her blog interview with the author. CLICK HERE to go there.

Advice that's good for life, not just Halloween, for all ages. For story times, for sharing:

 Michael Rex has a new board book version of GOODNIGHT GOON.
Fun for grownups and the SuperHeroes in our lives.
(Michael's mom shared this book with me--Thanks, Kathy! He grew up in our little NJ borough.)

Here's the video:




 And here's my reading Superhero. Scary, no?

Other Halloween Posts:  Tabletops and Cookies!

A Poem and a Book

Texas!

The Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List was revealed yesterday in Austin. (My friend Lee tells me the big Texas Book Festival is the place to be this weekend.)



Batman and Robin made the announcement!
That would be Batman (Jon Scieszka) and Robin (Adam Rex).

(Photos courtesy of the Texas Library Association's website: http://www.txla.org/TBA-release-TBF)

GLORY BE was named to the list of twenty books for grades 3-6.

Here's the link. An excellent reading list, lots of variety.  I'm honored and awed.

Thank you, Texas!

It's official-

If you read it in Publisher's Weekly, it must be true.

 My next book has officially been announced:

Andrea Pinkney at Scholastic has acquired the tentatively titled The Way to Stay in Destiny by Augusta Scattergood, author of Glory Be. In her new story, 12-year-old Theo comes to a small Florida town in 1974 with Uncle Chester, his new guardian whom he doesn't really know, to take up residence in Miss Sister Grandersoles's Rest Easy Rooming House and Dance Academy; there he discovers piano, baseball lore, friendship and a renewed sense of family. Publication is scheduled for 2014. Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt Agency did the deal for North American rights.

SO EXCITED!

Bookshelves!

Okay, I'd love it if my tiny office looked like this-

But it doesn't.

However, it looks better than it did last week.

I had no bookshelves in my working space, but tons of books.
Not good for a former librarian to have books willy-nilly.


Rocky the Rock Star dog did not approve.









 And writers have TONS of notes. At least I do.

 I keep all my writing ideas in bags. Easy to transport.

(At least till I have time to transfer them to Scrivener.)

So we cleared out a closet.

(Husband is handy. He painted, spackled, and got it ready. Thanks, Jay!)

And now- Voilà! I can see everything I need to see.

Of course, the books keep coming. I think I will need more shelves. Very soon.

Tweens Read 2

One more word.
Panels.
Specifically my panel.

 Debut Authors, four of us, were questioned by some really smart Tweens.

I'm sharing a couple of their brightest questions.

(Not counting one from the little girl on the front row of our last presentation who nibbled at a  PayDay bar and asked us our favorite candy.)

Here are just four of the questions, asked and answered by each of us.

1. How did you decide what author name to use?

2. Are you nervous about your next book?

3. Do you write the entire book through, or in bits and pieces?

4. How did you come up with your title?

Fellow authors, who might find yourselves on the answering side of smart kids' --and a few grownups who waited patiently till the kids finished-- questions,  how would you answer these?

 Dare to Debut Books! All four of us.

If you missed yesterday's post, with all the pictures from TWEENS READ, 

click here, or scroll along to the next blog entry.

TWEENS READ, Houston

I offer you a quick photo tour of this amazing event. I mingled, I learned, I ate, I talked.
Highlights? Too many to list?
But meeting and sharing the panel with my fellow Debut Writers was up there.
Lynne Kelly, W.H. Beck, Deron Hicks, and me.

Here are our books:

All the authors gathered at the Bobby Shaw Middle School in Pasadena, TX for a full day of kids and books. What could be better.

Here we are being briefed by the amazing Cathy Berner, bookseller extraordinaire, of Blue Willow Books in Houston.

This was where we ate and hung out between sessions. (Did I mention the fabulous food?)

That's Cathy on the right, in blue. Trent Reedy's the tall guy in the back. (Oh, and Cynthia Leitich Smith and her husband Greg- who presented on the Guys Write panel- were also there. Every aspiring author needs to know about Cynthia. Her connectivity is phenomenal. Her advice exhaustive and totally professional.)

But more about the food.

A librarian and her husband made these precious things.

 (for all 21 authors!)

This was in our goody bag. Yes, not really food. 

But it reminded me so much of the little holders my grandmother and her friends slipped over their "co-cola" bottles that I had to share.

Hand knit by a volunteer. 

For a list of all the authors attending TWEENS READ, click here.

Tons of Tweens!

Maybe my favorite quote of the day? Keynote speaker Heather Brewer, on being bullied and finding a safe place in school:
 "Libraries are lined with bully kryptonite!"

I loved the large, spacious, new, heavenly library.

I especially adored this mural's poetry.

I really intended to save my cupcake forever. Really, I did.
I'm glad I took the picture. After going through airport security, it was flattened. But it still tasted amazing. I tried to save the book, at least. However, it also was squished. So of course I had to taste it. (Fondant.)

The cake was Red Velvet. The icing creamy and light. 

I'm sure they made the cupcakes with Emma and Glory in mind...

THANK YOU Blue Willow Books and Tweens Read. An amazing group of volunteer librarians and teachers and booksellers. 

Word to my fellow authors. If anybody ever invites you to a book event in Texas, say yes. 

Don't even bother to ask questions. 

Just go.