Serious Subjects - MG & YA

Please help! Let me know you favorite books for MG & YA readers that explore serious subjects.

OVERHEARD: At the club

Setting: Long line of women in a crowded hallway outside the ladies' restroom at a dance club - one guy standing around staring at the door waiting for someone to come out.

Door opens - line moves forward - random girl crowds into crowded hallway and approaches the guy

Guy: How is she?

Random girl: Not good. She's bad.

Guy: Bad? How bad?

Random girl: She's puking.

Guy: Puking? She better not be puking. I mean it. I'm going to be so upset...

[dramatic pause]

Guy continues: I made her chicken alfredo for dinner. It was sooo good. I can't believe she's in there puking it up!


Have you overheard any fun conversations lately?

"I think he just stepped in. . .

Poop!"

Not the words you want to hear just after someone's great big dog jumps on you and leaves 'muddy' footprints on your jeans.

No, I didn't get this from MLIA

Yes, I could post it there

Becasue it happened to me recently on the first home visit of the morning.

You guys are FUNNY!

Here are the details on the contest winners.

First of all Liz won the fight. She is going to obtain and send the books to the winners. I tried to insist that I get them, but she came back with "I can sign the books."

I just couldn't top that!!

This post took awhile becasue Liz and I both had a hard time selecting our favorites. I was able to narrow mine down to two and she was able to narrow hers down to three...and none were the same!

So we had a top five ...

I made my selection... Natalie's entry about eating everyone.

Liz narrowed her three top choices down to two top choices and decided to award two more winners. They are Llehn's whale joke and Evelyn's joke about Ace's being the higher power.

So Natalie, Llehn, and Evelyn please get in touch with Liz (liz.rettig@btinternet.com)to share your address!

And everyone please thank Liz for being so generous and sharing her books!

And the winners are....

But first ... a video of me reading the entries to my kids!

More News

Thanks for everyone who entered and spread the word about the JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS contest. Winners will be announced soon!

In other news...

The SCBWI Bologna website is now updated and packed with information.

Cynthia Jaynes Omololu's YA novel Dirty Little Secrets is a Borders Original Voices for February!

Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt comes out next month, but if you can't wait (like me) the UK edition has already been released.

Special thanks to Purplume for interviewing ME on her blog!

Around the web

Contest is still open enter to win a copy of JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS by Liz Rettig.


Jean Reidy is having a Too Purpley Party to celebrate the release of her book by the same title. Visit for a chance to win some great prizes.

Cynthia is back from Vermont College of Fine Arts and blogging up a storm on Cynsations

Lee Wind just posted about college scholarships for LGBT students

And I'm thrilled to report that my poem TRUE SELF was honored as the runner up in WordWrangler (Donna Earnhardt's) poetry contest

Review & Contest: JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS by Liz Rettig

When I first saw JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS, I did not want to read it.

No fault to the cover



See? It’s pretty, sparkly, and fun.

Or the title. JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS let me know there would be mix-ups, miscommunications and fun.

Or the blurb. The blurb so made me want to read the book.

I’ll blame it on the author, Liz Rettig.

What did she do? Well she wrote two other books MY DESPERATE LOVE DIARY and MY NOW OR NEVER DIARY. Both feature one of my favorite literary characters, Kelly Ann. I regarded JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS with apprehension. While it was written by an author I admire, I knew it wouldn’t be about Kelly Ann. I wasn’t sure I could trust JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS.

But Liz hooked me again right away, this time with Cat.

Cat never tries to compete with her twin sister Tessa who is ultra thin, gorgeous and gunning for one wealthy boyfriend after another. In Cat’s world, boys can’t help falling for Tessa –it’s a natural law, like gravity.

Enter Josh, new kid from America and so hot Cat has to call her best friend and report that he is “sex on wheels” (too bad Josh overhears her). Besides being good-looking, Josh is an athlete, has a great sense of humor and on top of all that, he’s nice too!

Tessa throws herself at him. Something no boy on planet earth could possibly resist. So, when Josh turns Tessa down, Cat jumps to her first confusion. As Cat tries to help Josh fit in at school and adjust to life in Scotland, the confusions escalate and Cat can’t see what is right before her eyes. But Cat’s a busy girl, trying to match make her friends and nurture a secret crush she is sure will blossom into true love.

Yes I laughed-out-loud especially during cultural confusions between Cat and Josh. I fell for Cat’s sweet silliness. JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS layered on the confusions and teen drama all the way to the end. Most of all, I love Cat. I love her love of literature, her way of jumping into the mix of everything, and how she thinks she has everything all figured out. Even when she so does not!

Because I love JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS, I’m sharing it with you… my blog readers.

Liz and I are currently fighting about who will actually give away and post books to the winners, but there will be winners – two of them.

Here’s how to enter to win a copy of JUMPING TO CONFUSIONS

Make us laugh! Post a comment that includes one of the following:

1. A time when you jumped to a confusion
2. A personal experience with culture clash
3. A joke of any kind (yes, even knock-knock)

You may enter as many times as you like, each entry in a new comment. Contest closes on 31 January 2010.

Kid Talk: Names

"Are Einstein and Frankenstein related? Because their names kind of sound the same."

Revision

This is a repeat, but I'm revising like crazy these days and this photo still makes me smile.

SCBWI Bologna

I can't beleive SCBWI Bologna is just 2 months away. In a few short weeks I will have a chance to learn from all of these great people!

Ellen Hopkins, New York Times best-selling author

Leonard Marcus, writer and judge of the Bologna Ragazzi
Award

Frane Lessac, award-winning author-illustrator

Richard Peck, US National Book Award finalist and Newbery Medal Winner

Fiona Kenshole, Vice-President Story Development & Acquisitions for Laika Film Studios

Steve Mooser, Author, SCBWI President

Author Lin Oliver, SCBWI Executive Director

Tessa Strickland Publisher of Barefoot Books (UK)

Val Brathwaite Art Director at Bloomsbury (UK)

Sarah Odedina Editor at Bloomsbury (UK)

Neal Porter Editor Roaring Brook

Stephen Roxburgh President & Publisher namelos

Sarah Grant Editor at Working Partners (UK)

Deirdre McDermott Editor and Art Director at Walker Books (UK)

Gita Wolf Publisher Tara Books (India)

Editor Sarah Foster of Walker Books (Australia)

Sarah Davies Agent with Grenhouse Literary (US & UK)

Marcia Wernick Agent with Sheldon Fogelman Agency (US)

Frances Plumpton Agent Richards Literary (New Zealand)

Kristen Nelson Agent at Nelson Literary (US)

Rosemary Stimola Agent at Stimola Literary (US)

John Cusick Agent of Scott Treimel (US)

The small world of publishing

Yesterday at work a friend told me her daughter is on a book cover.

No, I don't live in New York City -or even in the US!

She pulled up the book online and it is the paperback edition of a book I've been telling everyone about THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH!

THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH -love, adventure...& zombies too!

Warm Thoughts

Editorial Letter Number 1

I’ve heard horror stories about the dreaded editorial letter. So I took the necessary precautions to prepare my family, my dh especially.

Me: Many writers become depressed when they read editorial letters. They sort of forget that the publisher and editor really do like the ms, plan to publish it, actually paid for it.

Him: (nodding gravely – after all this is serious!)

Me: Some writers get all freaked out. Think they can’t write. They get like brain freeze or something.

Him: You mean writers block? Don’t worry you won’t have that.

Me: How do you know I won’t get brain freeze / writers block?

Him: It’s kind of the equivalent of being stunned silent or not having something to say. And, I can’t imagine that ever happening to you.

Me: (feeling a bit better) Okay, but I need to tell you your lines.

Him: My lines?

Me: Yes! If you come home and find me throwing stuff around, breaking things, screaming or acting some other form of crazy you are not to confront me. Simply state in a calm voice, ‘Angela, did you get your editorial letter today?’ And try,really try to act normal.

Him: I’m supposed to act normal?

And I’m happy to report that HE WAS RIGHT! I never shut up.

And my editors are wonderful.

The letter was long and single spaced and perfect.

In short, I was nodding along with everything I read.

Nothing is broken.

Revision is in progress.

Things around here are … normal, well normal for us!

Kid Talk: Avatar

I took a group of girls age 9 – 14 to see Avatar. Here are some of their comments:

1. I f you pay that much to see a movie, you should be able to see it more than once

2. It was sooooo beautiful and sooooo sad and sooooo beautiful

3. It was a ten and a half

4. It was so good, I didn’t even mind that it took so much of my time to watch it

5. You know how when they make a movie they always get at least two or three things wrong? Well this movie didn’t have even one thing wrong. They did it every bit completely right.

Have you seen Avatar?

What did you think of the movie?

A question for my dog

Dear Max,

I understand you have a thing about fireworks. Something about the noise or the pressure makes you want to run and hide. And I can understand you feel the same way about thunderstorms, even though I love them.

But church bells? Church bells also frighten you?

Please, please explain!

Kid Talk: Santa Stuff

7 yo Girl: Do you think Santa has germs
me: ?
Girl: Like, maybe we should just wrap his food and he can take it with him to eat it?
me: !


5 yo boy: Santa's animals need food too. And they eat vegetables. Every vegetable except eggplant.
me: why not eggplant?
Boy: because it's purple!

And from my own crafty youngest dtr: Santa travels from north to south, right?
me: I guess so, why?
my youngest: well, if we can't get plane tickets to Sicily, we could wait on the roof for Santa and then....

Winter Wonder Land

Last month we visited some Christmas markets. I could have posted so many more pictures, but here are a few!

International Award for Illustrators

Bologna Children’s Bookfair – Fundación SM International Award for Illustration

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair, renowned for its special focus on children’s book illustration, together with the SM Foundation, whose intention is to promote children’s books and reading, have joined force to create the Bologna Children’s Book Fair - SM Foundation International Award for Illustration.

The aim of the award is to support the illustration work of young artists (under the age of 35), the special quality of whose work has yet to be acknowledged.
This annual award will be granted to one of the illustrators selected each year from the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition.

The award, a 30,000-dollar cash prize, will be assigned by an international jury of experts, which will meet in Bologna during the Fair.

Discussion BEFORE I DIE by Jenny Downham

Below are the questions I wrote for my book club about the book.

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

Discussion Points BEFORE I DIE by Jenny Downham (prepared by Angela Cerrito)

1. Tessa’s list is a vehicle to move the story forward. Discuss how the list related to the action of the story, personal relationships and Tessa’s overall character development.

2. Some items on the list were illegal. What do you think of the consequences (natural and imposed) for Tessa resulting from these actions? Do you think her terminal diagnosis should have any bearing on the consequences? If so, how?

3. Writing. Writing the list and writing on walls in her home was a powerful means of communication for Tessa. Why did Tessa choose to communicate in such a way instead of spending the time talking? How do these writings relate to past experiences and past loses?

4. Tessa writes down the things she will miss on her wall, yet at the same time she destroys her possessions. Is this a contradiction?

5. Sexuality and a deep craving for sexual experiences is a consistent theme throughout the book. Is this an expected emotion for a teenage girl? For a terminally ill girl? How were Tessa’s experiences with her two lovers different? Was Tessa’s relationship with Adam love? Friendship?

6. Cal brings a sense of honesty to these pages, especially on the subject of death. All siblings fluctuate between being allies and enemies at this age. When was Cal her ally? Enemy? Discuss how Tessa’s relationship with Cal differs from her relationship with her mother, father, Zoey and Adam.

7. In the beginning, Tessa describes Zoey as a near opposite of herself and Tessa relies on Zoey to execute her plans. Yet, early on this dynamic changes and Tessa moves forward on her own and with Adam. Discuss the ways in which Tessa is a source of strength for Zoey. Is Zoey in competition with Adam for Tessa’s time and attention?

8. Tessa’s relationship with her mother had been injured before the novel opens. Throughout the novel, Tessa attempts to include her mother in daily life (and in her illness) as a way to get close. Did her mother make progress in building a relationship with Tessa? Did they ever repair the past?

9. Tessa made her own funeral arrangements and left instructions for her father. Do you think that her wishes will be fulfilled? As she is dying, the reader learns of further instructions for family and friends. Do you think Tessa actually wrote these down? How did Tessa’s wishes (instructions) for her loved ones differ from her list (or wishes for herself)? How are they similar?

Book Giveaway Winners

And the winners are....

If you want to see the drawing on video

Part 1


Part 2



And the winners are

Andrea
&
Katie

Please send me an email with your address for your prize

Book Contest BEFORE I DIE by Jenny Downham

Two lucky blog readers will win a copy of BEFORE I DIE by Jenny Downham.

Earlier in the year I reviewed the audio version this book

This month I shared the book with my book club (they cried but they all loved it - and they forgive me!!!) Today writers were talking about BEFORE I DIE on the blue boards and it reminded me that it has been way too long since I've had a book contest.

In BEFORE I DIE, Tessa has given up cancer treatment and she makes a list of things she hopes to do before she dies. (for more details, click the review link above)

For a chance to win a copy of the book answer ONE of the questions below in the comment section. You can enter twice (once for each question) but this will require two comments.

1. If you were in Tessa's place, what is one thing that would be on your list?

2. Some of the things on Tessa's list are illegal. Do you think because Tessa is terminally ill, she should face lighter punishment? Why or why not?

Contest ends at noon EST in the US on 20 December.

Thank you!

Kid Talk (about Everything)

Found these gems while reading a kid’s friendship book(the children, mostly girls, ranged in age from 6 – 12 years)

What is your hobby?
Carnivals
math (9 year old),

What are you a fan of?
Animals
sweets
my family
horses
dogs
boys
sea horses
crying
big rabbits and small rabbits
animals with fur

What is something you don’t like?
fighting (most popular answer)
hitting
getting yelled at
when I’m not allowed to do something
when the change in my pocket isn’t enough money
lice
hating
lying
boys
bad friends
rain
toothaches

What is your favorite things to do?
open presents
play
dream
explore

what job you want when you grow up?
animal helper
zoo keeper
I don’t know yet
horse rider

What are your wishes for the future?
to do magic and see a unicorn
that polar bears survive the world
that my dad will come back and live with us again
witches
to change
horse (most popular answer)
to live in a barn (two kids said this)
dog (two kids)
rabbit
that I always have a family like I do now
to always smile and be happy

Food & Love

My grandmother loved to take us on hikes and point out the edible plants.

“Don’t listen to her,” my grandfather would warn. “She ate poison ivy.”

“Just once,” she answered, smiling at Grandpa to show he hadn’t gotten under her skin. In a lower voice, aimed at me and my sister, she said, “It was awful.”

Way back in the old days, when her children were young, Grandma was a Girl Scout leader. She informed her troops that she’d discovered wild strawberries in the woods. There was no fruit to be found, but she bit into a leaf.

“My entire mouth was on fire. I got poison ivy hives from the inside out.”

I preferred scratching my mosquito bites down to rows of scabs. That’s how much I hated itching. “All the way down your throat? Into your stomach?” I imagined worms wiggling under my skin, thinking about itching way deep in the gut.

Grandma said, “I spit it out, didn’t swallow a bit, but my whole body broke out. Everywhere. I really know the difference now.”

Grandpa didn’t caution us further; he wasn’t the type to repeat himself. He expected his words to be understood and followed, the first time he spoke them.

No matter what he said, we trusted her. She was our Grandmother. She could nurse an injured bird back to health, prepare a pasta dinner for 70 people, spin a cartwheel and do the splits, and name the birds just by hearing their songs.

So I opened my mouth, let her place a leaf on my tongue, and tasted spearmint.

There are words to describe abundance. When I think of a bountiful harvest, the pictures in my mind are not fields.

Instead, I see:

A mulberry tree providing food all afternoon as I read in its branches

Grandpa with his wheel of cheese, the biggest I’ve ever seen, patiently grating a chunck by hand

The loaves of bread my great-grandmother baked every day, rain or shine

A fig tree in my grandparents’ backyard, branches drooping, loaded with fruit

The vacant lot at the corner where Grandma sent Kelli and me to pull up chicory. We brought armfuls into the warm kitchen and she tossed the greens with boiled noodles.

Apples from the backyard tree, peeled, sliced, and coated with cinnamon and sugar for pie

Grandpa stirring a giant pot full of mustard greens, the fumes stinging our eyes. The air filling with the odor – it smelled like pee.

A long line of rhubarb by the back fence

Each of us with a bowl of popcorn, my Grandpa reclined, the bowl planted on his chest and his tongue darting out like a lizard’s for each kernel.

One mound of vanilla ice cream covered in Grandma’s home-made chocolate sauce

Some things in life are perfect.

My grandparents taught me that food is everywhere.

And the number one ingredient in every meal is love.

Book News

Thanks to the hard work of my amazing agent, Holiday House will publish my middle grade / tween novel: THE END OF THE LINE

I’m so excited! I got a few emails from friends prodding me to blog about the news. I don’t know why it has taken me so long. I guess, I feel like I’m always talking about it.

I heard about the possibility of an offer weeks before I posted my first hint. And during that time I kept my husband fully informed of the time in NY.

When the offer came, I called home and told my daughter one word (YES) and she knew. I told her to let her father know it was a VGWD (very good writing day). I hinted about it on one of my posts at Envisage photo blog

And went into even more detail with this photo when I signed the contract.

But it was important I wait for the countersigned contract before blabbing to the world.

Of course my mom, kids, and my first readers knew about it. And a few close writer friends. But, before I told everyone, I wanted to let my librarian know. I posted the story about telling her on the blue boards

I told my Kelly Milner Halls and Roxyanne Young at www.smartwriters.com because the ms took 2nd place in a WIN contest years ago.

And finally, I’m blogging about it.

During this process I have so much to be excited about. My first book will be published. YAY! Kids will read this book! The editor I will be working with is someone who wrote to me years ago (about another project) and I’m thrilled to start working on this novel with her. And Holiday House has long been a dream publisher of mine.

I have so many books published by Holiday House on my shelves. My bookshelves are arranged in a way that only makes sense to me. But the books that are most precious to me are on the highest shelves and they are behind glass doors. Of these are NF PBs, memoirs, historical books, books from my childhood and foreign language books I’ve picked up in my travels. The majority of the NF PBs are published by Holiday House. And, in time, my name will be on one of their books!

I don’t want this post to be all about me, or all about THE END OF THE LINE. The timing of this post works out perfect to congratulate the following people:

Siobhan Mitchell – recently signed with an agent and her work is going out on submission

Candy Gourlay’s debut novel TALL STORY sold to David Fickling Books Candy's v cool youTube video is here

Chris Cheng has been awarded the Lady Cutler Award for his service to children's literature.

Please visit their blogs and shout out your congratulations!

Frankfurt Book Fair 09

Frankfurt... a feast of books!






China was guest of honor this year. Ah....China, I lived in Jiangsu once upon a time



Making books



I blogged about this book's creation from Bologna 08, back when the paper engineers were still hard at work. So it was very cool to see the public enjoying the book.


Hella von Sinnen entertained a HUGE crowd in Hall 3 at the Egmont stand


To me, the kids are what it's all about & I really enjoyed how they got into the fair


I made it to the antique books this time



The Gourmet Area


The last is my favorite pic....kids enjoying books

Signs of Ireland

beware of wind











The tag line does not make me want to shop there!



Isn't it obvious?



Warning on the top of the rubbish bin becasue maybe some people thow something of value in there?



Why? What are they going to do?



Sometimes, I agree



stone upon stone upon fallen stone



my favorite



Don't try to trade your sports cards here!



Is that hour or hourS?

Happy New Year

September is a new beginning. I've always loved the first days of a new grade & even though I'm not returning to school, September 2009 has brought me many new things:

I joined a group of woman photographers (Envisage 365) and started posting a photo a day on 1 September - that's taking and posting a new photo each day. You can follow my pics at envisage2009 / angela

I started cooking every evening - it's a huge change and so far I'm doing great and no one is starving.

I re-entered revision land with my YA ~trying something new with the entire ms.

I started posting FB notes (there will be a verb for this soon, I'm sure - noting?)about health care. I want to be part of the global conversation on the issue and as a health care provider in the US and a consumer in many cultures, I feel like I have a lot to say. Read the first case study and leave any comments you wish to share.

What does the new year have in store for you?

La mia maestra d'italiano

This is Chiara.
She's 8 years old
And she's teaching me Italian
"Hello"

and....
~ sorry video of Chiara naming fruit somehow got cut to a single word "mele" ~
and....

that was about the experience of swimming in a swimming pool pool and then getting into a hot tub and then getting back into the pool again.
and...

goodbye

Introducing Buddy

This is Buddy



He is 14 weeks old and has been living with us for two weeks




He can already purr like our cat, fly from his perch to our hands and is starting to mumble