Rethinking the Role of Research - Guest Post by Sandy Brehl

The often-repeated advice to writers is “write what you know”. That’s at the heart of every “small moments” workshop, every “what I did last summer” assignment, and even elaborate memoir projects. Much of fiction has its origins in this approach: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Judy Blume), Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (Beverly Cleary), and Paperboy (Vince Vawter) are good examples. Quality writing makes them standouts, but the stories themselves have a ring of recognition in readers’ hearts.

The flip side of that is narrative non-fiction. The current emphasis on informational text has increased the presence of biography, autobiography, history, science, and technology texts in classrooms, libraries, and publishers’ catalogs. Extensive research, documentation, specific terminology, and authentication are the foundation of these. In most cases the facts are well-vetted so readers can trust that every detail is true, at least as true as we can know “so far”.

Nonfiction writing typically follows a neat process:

          topic>research>write> bibliography.

Personal narrative often follows a prescribed path, too:

          experience>significance>draft>revise>publish.

One very solid and entertaining bridge between these two genre is historical fiction. Think Hattie Big Sky (Kirby Larson) , May B. (Caroline Rose), and Number the Stars (Lois Lowry) , or Ann Turner’s picture books: Nettie’s Trip South, Katie’s Trunk, and Abe Lincoln Remembers. In each case the authors weave fact and fiction seamlessly throughout compelling stories with rich characters true to their times and places in history.

The blending of fact and fiction in this genre is not unlike a mobius strip. The two sides are not only inseparable, but interchange themselves while traveling along the path of the story. Similarly, it is nearly impossible to detect start- or end- points for the research and storytelling.

Historical fiction defies neat packaging. At its best, that ring of recognition resounds within the fictional lives of its characters, yet their journeys reveal specifics and complexities that can only be found through diligent research. Sorting out fact from fiction allows readers to explore a new purpose for research.

My debut middle grade novel, Odin’s Promise, is the end product of many years of just such a dance between fact and fiction. On a trip to Norway many years ago I heard personal stories of resistance from the war years. Memories of the German occupation were strong. From that time on I worked at writing one particular story, including extensive research about Norway’s war years.

Over time and countless revisions the story changed, the research continued, characters stepped into and abandoned center stage. Only when the right combination of research, revision, and advice came together did the story find its footing and take off. By then the facts were as familiar to me as the fictional elements so they arose naturally within the events of the story. After the book was complete and under contract I read two other recent historical fiction middle grade books set in Norway during World War II: The Klipfish Code by Mary Casanova, and Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus. In both cases I recognized quirky details of the occupation years that I had included in my book. A quick check of their resources indicated our stories had been influenced by some of the same titles Despite that, our books are distinctly different.

Historical fiction provides an excellent balance of reading fiction and non-fiction text: complexity, engagement, character development, detail, sequence and consequences. More often than not there will be author notes and other back matter to help describe which elements are based on history and which are not. Online and traditional research can clarify that further, as well as offer answers to questions raised by the stories. Maps, timelines, and biographies become essential tools for both the reader and the writer.

I hope readers will enjoy Odin’s Promise for the fiction it is. I also hope the factual threads throughout the story will make them eager to learn more about Germany’s invasion and occupation of Norway under the false claim of friendship. It’s a story far less familiar than those of concentration camps and battles, but no less compelling. It even has parallels in current events of the world.

Who knows where their research could lead?

About Sandy Brehl: Retired teacher in elementary public schools for almost 40 years. A voracious reader since childhood. Writing for decades. Active in SCBWI-Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) since retiring, which led to major improvements in my writing.

Debut Middle Grade Historical Fiction:
Odin’s Promise, available April 20, 2014, official publication date- May 17.

Odin’s Promise is historical fiction for middle-grade readers, a novel depicting the first year of German occupation of Norway as seen through the eyes of a young girl.

Eleven-year-old Mari grew up tucked safely under the wings of her parents, grandma, and her older siblings. When Hitler’s troops invaded Norway under the guise of “occupying a friendly country,” she is forced to grow beyond her “little girl” nickname and comfortable patterns to deal with harsh new realities.

At her side for support and protection is Odin, her faithful elkhound.

After she witnesses a terrifying event on the mountainside, truths are revealed: the involvement of her family and friends in the resistance; the value of humor in surviving hard times; the hidden radio in her grandma’s cottage.
Odin, not one for quiet resistance, makes an enemy of soldiers who patrol the area.

The year will bring many challenges, as Mari confronts danger, develops her inner strength and voice, and finds she is able to endure hardship and heartache.

Always Emily Blog Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway

Today, I welcome Michaela MacColl to Kid Lit Frenzy. She shares with readers about The Forgotten Bronte.

Michaela MacColl

Thanks for hosting a stop on the Always Emily blog tour. I’m having a blast writing about the Bronte family and how I placed Charlotte and Emily Bronte in the middle of a mystery on the moors. I have found that so many people are fascinated by the Bronte sisters – and rightly so.

The Brontes were a close-knit family who lived in a parsonage at the edge of the moors in Haworth. Their father was a reverend and they had very little money. The four children (there were originally six, but two daughters died of tuberculosis at an early age) couldn’t afford to go to school so they were educated at home. Charlotte was the eldest, followed by the only boy, Branwell, then Emily and Anne. The children began writing from an early age, devising complex poems, novels and plays about imaginary worlds. They bound their stories in tiny books that require a magnifying glass to read.

As the world knows, Charlotte went on to write Jane Eyre and Emily wrote Wuthering Heights. Anne wrote The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. These novels were acclaimed and talked about during the girls’ lifetime. But what about Branwell? What about the only boy of the family? What did he accomplish.

Not much. Although considered bright and a fine conversationalist, he struggled to find his way. He wanted to write but couldn’t get his stories accepted to his favorite Blackwood Magazine. He eventually had some poems published in a local newspaper under another name. He had some drawing skill (see the self-portrait he drew).

But he wasn’t able to make it as an artist. He went to London to go to the Royal Academy as a painting student, but he lost his nerve and drank away his tuition and returned home with his tail between his legs. He tried working as a railway clerk (but was fired for incompetence ) and as a tutor (but was fired for having an affair with his employer’s wife). He ended up becoming addicted to opiates and drinking too much before he died of tuberculosis at the early age of 31.

To many biographers Branwell represented the perfect Romantic hero. His early promise seems so wasted. Some clever researchers decided that Branwell must have helped his sisters with their famous novels. This claim has been thoroughly debunked – there’s no evidence that he even knew that the novels had been published before his death. Daphne DuMaurier, the author of Rebecca, tried to rehabilitate Branwell in her The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte. But even du Maurier who was a brilliant storyteller couldn’t make Branwell’s story compelling. She loses patience with him by the end of her biography – no doubt just as his sisters did.

Charlotte and Emily have become renowned authors, whose work is still relevant and beloved today. Branwell has been more or less forgotten. I had fun using him in Always Emily as a rather pathetic figure who needs to be protected by his big sister. But perhaps Branwell had the final word: he painted the most famous portrait of the Bronte sisters. Originally he had painted himself in the picture, but then (in a fit of 19th c. style photoshopping) he edited himself out of the picture, leaving a conspicuious void. Poor Branwell!




It’s been a pleasure. Please visit me at www.michaelamaccoll.com or follow me on Twitter at @MichaelaMacColl or check out Author Michaela MacColl on Facebook.

Check out the Official Book Trailer for Always Emily:



About Always Emily:

Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle— before someone else gets killed.

To purchase a copy: Chronicle | IndieBound | Kobo |  Apple iTunes


To read an excerpt of the book on Scribd.

To download a CCSS aligned teacher's discussion guide, click here.

Follow the Tour:

Tuesday, April 8: Actin’ Up With Books
Wednesday, April 9: vvb32 reads
Thursday, April 10: The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection
Friday, April 11: Teenreads Blog
Saturday, April 12: Caught Between the Pages
Sunday, April 13: The Bookish Daydreamer
Monday, April 14: Forever Young Adult
Tuesday, April 15: Kid Lit Frenzy - You are here!
Wednesday, April 16: Tales of a Ravenous Reader
Thursday, April 17: YA Book Shelf
Friday, April 18: The Book Cellar
Saturday, April 19: Mother Daughter Book Club

To enter to win a signed copy of Always Emily, please fill out the Rafflecopter below.  Open to those with US or Canadian mailing addresses.


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The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut: Invasion of the Ufonuts: Special guest Laurie Keller

INVASION of the UFONUTS (Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut)

by Laurie Keller

Henry Holt and Co. (February 25, 2014)

Description from Goodreads: Arnie finds himself in trouble when his neighbor, Loretta Schmoretta, begins telling news reporters that she was the victim of an alien abduction. And not just any aliens—alien doughnuts from outer spastry, who will continue the abductions until people stop eating doughnuts! Although Arnie thinks this is a ridiculous story, he notices that everyone is treating him differently, as if he is an alien doughnut rather than just a doughnut-dog. And then Arnie gets abducted! Arnie must think fast in order to rescue his fellow doughnuts and the townspeople from the alien invaders.  The slapstick shenanigans continue in this hilarious second book in Laurie Keller's Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut series.

Kid Lit Frenzy welcomes author and illustrator, Laurie Keller to the blog.  After reading Arnie the Doughnut, and The Bowling Alley Bandit (Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut), I was curious about the transition from picture book to chapter book.  Thank you Laurie for answering my question, throwing in some of your great humor, and sharing some artwork with us.

Arnie Rolls Into Chapter Books 

By Laurie Keller 

When you write a picture book about a doughnut and you turn him into a doughnut-dog at the end and he’s happy, what do you do with him when you decide to write an early chapter book about him? In what point-of-view should you write it? How much back-story do you need to include? And the conundrum that keeps many writers awake at night: do you keep him as a doughnut-dog? Those were just a few of the DOZENS of questions I had to answer when I started writing Bowling Alley Bandit, first book in the series The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut.

After writing several drafts, the point-of-view became clear: first person (actually, first DOUGHNUT, in this case) to separate it from the picture book and to really let the reader into Arnie’s doughy head. Back-story: sum it up in the first chapter and get out — he has new stories to tell now. But the really perplexing one: is he still a doughnut-dog? I thought it could work but to carry that through book after book seemed too limiting. SO, Arnie explains in chapter book one that there are places that don’t allow dogs or even like them, so sometimes he’s a doughnut-dog and sometimes he just a regular doughnut.

ALL RIGHT!

Now we’re getting somewhere — on to the jokes. In my picture books I pepper them with all sorts of asides that aren’t necessarily a main part of the story and occasionally, depending on the age of the reader, might “go over a child’s head.” But with this new format designed for a more independent reader the jokes needed to be as much a “sure thing” as I could make them. It’s hard to gauge which jokes a child will understand or appreciate but when I asked my friend’s 5th grader if she knew who Marilyn Monroe was and she DIDN’T, I knew one of my favorite bits that referred to her famous NYC subway scene had to be cut (whaaaa!).

Arnie as Marilyn Monroe - image by Laurie Keller

Another editing issue and the last major hurdle was that my editor thought it was too long (160 pages the first go-round) and that I was going off on too many tangents with sideline stories and bits of information like the one where Arnie goes — NO — never mind. I’ll save it for another Arnie book. It was hard at first to make the big cuts she was asking me to make but it read much more smoothly after doing so (why is she ALWAYS right?).

As challenging as it was, it has been a lot of fun navigating my way through this new style of writing and I look forward to trying my hand at writing for other age groups. I don’t know how many books will be in The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut series but I have a goal of making a dozen of them. I’d love to see them sold together like a box of doughnuts. Hopefully Arnie won’t get STALE before then.

Okay, okay, doughnut puns OVER.

No more.

DO-NUT worry.

AHHHH, I did it again! Please, make it stop — I can’t stand it either!

Thank you Laurie for stopping by and sharing with us some of the behind the scenes insight on Arnie. Second and third graders love this kind of humor.

Where to find Laurie Keller: website |  twitter | facebook

  

Don't forget that you can can check out a copy of INVASION of the UFONUTS or BOWLING ALLEY BANDIT at your local library or pick up a copy at your local independent bookstore.  If you have a US mailing address and are over 13 years old, you can enter to win a copy of UFONUTS by completing the rafflecopter below.
 
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I Have a Bad Feeling About This Blog Tour and Guest Post by Author, Jeff Strand

I Have a Bad Feeling About This

by Jeff Strand

Sourcebook Fire (March 1, 2014)

Description from Publisher:  Everything 16-year-old Henry was dreading about survival camp turns out to be true--or even worse. The only thing to help get him through is his equally unathletic best friend Randy and the discovery of a girls’ music camp just down the path. But they’ll soon have a lot more than obnoxious “drill counselors” and too many push-ups to worry about. The owner of Strongwoods Survival Camp has taken out some loans with very dangerous men to keep himself afloat, and when a trio of them show up to collect, things go bad. Very bad. With a camp now full of armed killers, survival now has a whole new meaning for the campers. 

Kid Lit Frenzy would like to welcome author, Jeff Strand to the blog. Thank you Jeff for sharing about your experience with your first school visit.  

"They're all going to be half-asleep for the first couple of classes," I'd been warned. "So don't take it personally."

I wasn't going to take it personally. I could relate. When I was a high school student, there was nothing in the world worse than having to get up in the morning. I was so tired every morning that I couldn't even summon the energy to put edible items into a bag, and so I never had anything for lunch. ("Couldn't you have made your lunch the night before?" you're probably asking. I guess I could have. The thought did occur to me every single day at lunchtime. Instead, I went with the plan of being ravenously hungry all afternoon, and then coming home and gobbling down the stuff I should have brought for lunch.)

Anyway, I was there for the Great American Teach-In, where I would speak to seven English classes in a row about the life of being an author. Because I was there to inspire young minds, I vowed not to burst into tears at any point during my talk. I dressed nicely, to help perpetuate the myth that authors can afford nice clothes. I went in fully prepared, because even though I hoped to mostly fill the time with Q&A, I had to be ready in case there were no Q's to A.

And...the warning had been correct. The students were as zombie-like for the first couple of classes as I had been in my high school years. I was tempted to walk around with a cattle prod zapping people, but I'd left all of my cattle prods at home, and I figured that as a teenager I'd have been disinclined to buy books by an author who'd given me an intense electric shock.

Fortunately, I had this information going in, so I knew not to ARGH they hate me I'm boring them it's like I'm trying to teach them algebra first thing in the morning and I'm going to have to do this seven times and during at least one of them I WILL burst into tears despite my promise not to do so, and the teacher will report me as a Really Tedious Author and I'll never be invited to speak at a school again!

"That's how it always is," the teacher assured me, as a waterfall of flop-sweat cascaded down my forehead. "The next classes will be more alert."

Teachers had lied to me in the past ("Algebra has lots of uses in everyday life!") but in this case, it was the truth. The next batches of students remained upright, and asked questions, and laughed at my jokes. The teacher also laughed at my jokes, although by the sixth or seventh time she'd heard them I think she was just being polite.

What I mostly took from this experience was the wonderful discovery that, if you're having lunch with a bunch of teachers in the teacher's lounge, they use the F-word. A lot. I'm not saying that all teachers make frequent use of the F-word when the students aren't around, but these teachers did, and there was no evidence that it was a rare occurrence, and it was the greatest thing ever.

Did I personally inspire 175 (25 x 7) students to become authors? Not necessarily. Did they all rush home and share tales of the amazing Famous Writer who shared his life experience with them? Dunno. But they MIGHT have, in my mind, and ultimately that's what matters.

After hearing about Jeff's experience with his first school visit I had to ask “What was your favorite question from the day?” 

Jeff's response: My favorite question was “How much does school help you become a writer?” Obviously, with the teacher sitting right there, it was very important to give the correct answer! I explained that even though writers have editors, it is absolutely essential to learn grammar and all of the other writing basics, or you’ll never make it past the submission stage to get an editor. The teacher seemed to approve of this answer.

Thanks Jeff for stopping by and sharing your experiences.  And if you are reading this, check out a copy of Jeff's book at your local public library or pick up a copy at your favorite independent bookstore.

About the Author: JEFF STRAND is a three-time nominee for the Bram Stoker Award, and both of his YA books, A Bad Day for VooDoo and I Have a Bad Feeling About This are both Junior Library Guild Picks. Jeff lives in Tampa, Florida, and would last approximately three seconds in a true survival situation. But he's okay with that, because he mostly just types stuff in a safe bear-free environment. jeffstrand.com  You can also follow him on twitter: @jeffstrand

Monster Juice Guest Post by M.D. Payne

For Halloween, I have a special guest post by M.D. Payne, author of the Monster Juice Series (Penguin, August 2013).  He tells us what it was like to write for Middle Graders.  Thanks M.D. Payne for stopping by Kid Lit Frenzy.

Imagine that you were a building a house. You walk up to the beautiful acre you’ve just purchased, ready with every imaginable material—and a dozen burly workers—to get started. You’re ready to go, but before you can, the town authorities pay you a visit.

“We’re so sorry, Mr. Payne,” they say, “but regulations state you can’t actually use that type of wood. Oh, and those colors of paint are going to have to go. Ooooh, and would you hand me that hammer? It’s far too big. You’re limited to five fireplaces and one toilet, or you could have two toilets and three fireplaces. It’s your choice. Also, we’ll need to take any of your workers who are over 120 pounds. You can only keep the four smallest workers. Great! See you later. Have fun building your new house.”

You stand there, in shock and horror, wondering how on earth you’re going to build your dream home with just 1/3 of the material and help. You turn to your workers (who, by the way are in equal shock, as they’ve just been called out as the smallest), and the five of you shrug.

You’ve just got to get started.

This is exactly how I felt diving into the Monster Juice series. When you’re writing for 8-10 year olds, you’ve got less material (words, sentences, even story ideas) to work with than when you write for adults or even older kids. You can become quite limited, not only by plain words, but by streamlined plot devices. You can’t confuse the reader or they’ll slam the book shut, but you still need to keep the story going—and interesting.

The first outline I sent my editor for the series was warmly received (clearly, or I wouldn’t be here writing about my new books), but I remember him telling me, “there’s just too much going on here. You’re going to make their heads spin. You’ve got to focus on a few things and flesh those out.”

I was shocked. My number one worry was that there wasn’t enough going on—I never thought that I would be told that it was too much. And, the funny thing is, I understood I’d have to be careful about words. I had just forgotten that I had to be simpler in every aspect—including with my storyline. I had to keep things entertaining and straightforward—if I strayed from the main path, I might not have readers left when I get back on it.

On the other hand, what I lost in words, sentences and story ideas, I gained in two key tools: the hilarious mixing of horror and humor, and the ability to gross-out. Writing Monster Juice brought me back to my time in middle school, when Young Frankenstein was my favorite movie, and the first goal of one summer was to mow enough lawns to buy The Addams Family on VHS. I got to release my inner boy, and I had forgotten what a gross little monkey he was. He delights in a well-placed fart or inappropriate burp, something fueled by years of watching Ren and Stimpy, for sure.

And, don’t get me wrong—I’m not talking about dumbing things down, here. First, I had to learn the limitations of my audience, and then I pushed them a little farther. My overall goal for this series has always been to get reluctant readers in the door and absorbing more complex ideas and words than they thought possible. Once I got my readers hooked with the farts and barf, wouldn’t they be more likely to take in a larger word or more complex thought without blinking, because they were having so much fun?

So, after my initial frustration of feeling like a Picasso with only 1/3 of my palate, I dove in and had a hilariously marvelous time.

In that time, I’ve placed a number of post-it notes on my computer, my desk, my wall (practically everywhere but on my 14 month old baby, but I’ve thought about it). But there are two that are front and center, right in front of my eyes, always vying for attention. One states “Keep it SIMPLE.” The other states “SCARIER. FUNNIER. SPOOKIER. GROSSER!”

These are my main goals as I build the Haunted House that is Monster Juice.

Official Book Trailer for Monster Juice: Fear of the Barfitron



For more information about M.D. Payne: twitter | website

The Misadventure of the Magician's Dog Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway

I am excited to be able to host debut author, Frances Sackett today on Kid Lit Frenzy.  Join us as we celebrate the release of her first middle grade novel and the magic of middle grade boy readers. Thanks Frances for stopping by.

First of all, I want to thank Alyson so much for hosting me! This is an amazing blog: I’ve gotten a number of good book recommendations for my own kids by reading through it.

I wanted to write today about middle-grade boys. This is a topic that’s very dear to my heart, since I spend most of my waking hours with two of them (my son and my boyfriend’s son, both of whom are ten). And everyone knows that if you have a house with two ten-year-old boys, then as often as not, you’ll find yourself with three ten-year-old boys, or four… It’s a little like the premise for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Ten-year-old boys like nothing more than other ten-year-old boys; as a result, my house is generally overflowing with them.

What does this mean? It means I hear a lot of poop jokes on a daily basis. The word “balls” in almost any context will elicit an unbelievable amount of laughter. I find wrinkled, smelly socks left in every corner of every room, and way too often in the yard (why do boys take off their socks outside? Can someone explain this?). There are constant, SERIOUS discussions of Minecraft that mirror the passionate intensity with which members of the U.N. might debate solving world hunger.

Sometimes, when you’re dealing with all of these stereotypical ten-year-old boy qualities, it’s easy to forget how enormous those same boys’ hearts are. That even though they don’t always show it, they remember that two minutes ago they were toddlers who liked nothing better than to curl on your lap while you sang lullabies. That they’re paying attention to every word you say and every thing you do, trying to understand how to transition from that little child to the grown man they are rapidly becoming.

And that they need books to help them do this.

But boys don’t like “issue” books, you might argue. Girls will read about life and death and loss and love, but many boys are reluctant readers. They want adventure! And excitement! They want to laugh, for goodness sake! They don’t want to read about FEELINGS.

I’d agree with all of this except the last sentence. Yes, boys like page turners, and adventure, and excitement, and humor, just like they like poop jokes and video games. But I think we make a mistake when we underestimate their emotional capacity. They want to read about life and death and loss and love too, because—just like middle-grade girls—they sense the adult world, lurking just out of their reach, and they’re looking for points of entry.

But that said, they want their “issue” books in a different package. I will be honest: my ten-year-old boys are not picking up serious literary novels to read in a quiet moment. At their age, I read Jane Eyre and Gone With the Wind. They’re not even close. But if you put emotional depth in a story that’s also got adventure, fantasy, fun, and poop, they’ll gobble it up—and look for more. I don’t know that middle-grade boys like mine are always served well when the publishing industry puts “issue” books on one shelf and “fun” books on another.

My passion for fun middle-grade boy books with emotional depth was one of the driving forces behind my debut novel, The Misadventures of the Magician’s Dog. The main character in my book is a twelve-year-old named Peter Lubinsky who adopts a dog that can talk and do magic. The dog offers to teach Peter how to do magic too—but only if Peter first helps rescue the dog’s former master, a magician who has accidentally turned himself into a rock. There’s plenty of wacky humor and adventure: in his quest to rescue the magician, Peter gets to fly; he visits a magic carnival; and he’s attacked by dinosaurs too. But the novel has some serious emotions at its heart. Peter is the son of a deployed air force pilot, and throughout the book, he struggles to understand his complicated feelings around his beloved father’s absence. He’s insecure and pretty lonely, and his relationship with one of his sisters isn’t always easy. In fact, when he first learns magic, the only way he can do it is by tapping into his unacknowledged anger at all the things that aren’t right about his life—and how powerless he feels to change them.

Though many of my readers may not have deployed parents—and, sadly, probably don’t have magic dogs!—I wanted to write about emotions with which many middle grade boys could identify. But I also wanted to write a story that would keep those same boys flipping pages to find out what happens next.

Middle-grade boys are pretty amazing. I love their zany humor, their boundless energy, the profound joy they find in each other’s company. I also love the intensity with which they feel emotions: there’s nothing more heartbreaking than their grief or more heartwarming than their love. They deserve books that reflect the full scope of their wonderful complexity—poop jokes and all.

Photo credit: Rita Crayon Huang

For more information about author, Frances Sackett, check her website: author's website

To check out all of the stops in the blog tour:

Monday, Sept 30 - I Am a Reader - Interview

Tuesday, Oct 1 - Read Now Sleep Later - Review

Wednesday, Oct 2 - Kid Lit Frenzy - Guest Post

Thursday, Oct 3 - Sharpreads - Review & Guest Post

Friday, Oct 4 - Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms - Review

Monday, Oct 7 - The Serial Reader - Interview and Review

to be cross-posted at I Am a Reader

Tuesday, Oct 8 - Dee's Reads - Review

Wednesday, Oct 9 - Paperback Writer - Guest Post

To enter the giveaway:

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Clementine and the Spring Trip Blog Tour & Giveaway with Guest Post by Sara Pennypacker

Today, I am excited to welcome Sara Pennypacker to Kid Lit Frenzy.  I love her Clementine series and often recommend them to students.  

Hi Alyson, and thanks for inviting me to stop in and guest post. You may end up sorry you did, but it’s too late now. I’ve been on a blog tour for my newest Clementine book, CLEMENTINE AND THE SPRING TRIP, for a week now, and many of the blogs have been interviews with lots of good questions. This has made me want to turn the tables, so I’ve decided to interview you...

First of all, Alyson, do you know you live near Marla Frazee?!?! (I figured this out because you often seem to stop in at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, which is where Marla lives.) If you already know this, do you stalk her? Because I sure would. She’s a genius and I am so lucky she illustrates my Clementine books and will be illustrating my next series (starring Waylon, a boy in Clementine’s class.) I would spy on her to try to figure out how she gets so much emotion and humor into her drawings.

Look at this one here, where Clementine is telling her father how much she misses her cat:

Illustration © Marla Frazee

Or this one here, where she’s being a bit dramatic about how she likes her eggs:

Illustration © Marla Frazee

Also, I would try to find out what Marla does to make her hair look so awesome.

Because I’m such a big fan, if I lived near Marla I would be tempted to bust into her house on Sunday mornings and make her heart-shaped pancakes, just to thank her for making such wonderful art, but that’s the kind of thing that’s well-intentioned in theory but a little creepy in actuality, so it’s good I live 3000 miles away.

Ahem. I have signed books at Vroman’s twice now...were you there? If not, will you come the next time?

To entice you, here’s my favorite Vroman’s story: While I was taking a little break from signing, a woman came up to ask Marla if there was any vomiting in the Clementine books. I’m not kidding! Marla was, of course, a little taken aback by the question, and replied, “Well, I didn’t illustrate any.” Unfortunately, the woman left before I came back to the table, so I didn’t get to educate her. Yes, there is vomiting, because it’s kind of a big deal to elementary school kids! In fact, in the first book, Clementine very responsibly doesn’t spin her little brother in the wok a second time because it makes him throw up. And in THE TALENTED CLEMENTINE, there’s an accident onstage at the talent show that our hero quickly closes the curtain on. Mostly I wish I’d been there to ask the woman, “What kind of a crazy question is that? Weren’t you ever a kid???” Now don’t you wish you’d been there, too, Alyson?

A favor: May I please steal the word Frenzy?

Of course you don’t own it, but the truth is I hadn’t realized what a fabulous word it is until coming to your blog, so I’d owe you. I love that it has a Z in it, and that it sounds like “Friend-sy” but most of all that it conjures up such an energetic, crazed image. In return, I will give you a writing tip to pass on: It’s always funny to connect two words that are usually opposites. For instance, Clementine might notice that her mother is “frenzying very calmly” or that Margaret was “in a frenzy to calm herself down.”

Would you like me to talk a little about the CLEMENTINE series, and about the newest book? You would?

Great! In case you don’t know them, the Clementine books are about a third grade girl who possibly has just the slightest, teensy issue with attention. I base her on my own son (who lives in LA now, so is another neighbor of yours!) who got his own attention issues from his mother, I’m afraid. While the books are funny, I’m very serious about two things when I write them.

First, kids like this, while presenting some challenges, are often extremely empathetic, gifted artists, and creative problem solvers – three things the world could use more of.

Second, all the adults in Clementine’s world are functional, supportive, caring and present. The smart author avoids adult characters like this, because there’s more reader sympathy for the main character who’s an orphan, or neglected or mistreated. Also because it’s harder to drum up dramatic tension in a story when everyone around is helpful to the main character. But I really felt there was a need for contemporary fiction about healthy family dynamics, and that it could be compelling if told truthfully with a lot of humor. Bringing these perfectly ordinary, yet beautifully extraordinary, people to life on the Clementine pages has been the biggest joy of my writing career.

While the Clementine books are funny first, they also explore real issues kids her age often encounter: sibling rivalry, missing pets, worries about one’s place in the family, etc. In the newest book, the sixth in what will be a series of seven, CLEMENTINE AND THE SPRING TRIP, I decided to push Clementine’s sense of fairness a little. On a field trip, she encounters a chicken and can no longer avoid an unpleasant injustice – people eat animals! – and must work out her response. As with all the books, I loved writing this one – Clementine and her friends and family are so much fun to hang out with!

I will be in your area next summer, Alyson. Will you have a literacy café with me, where you and I eat cake and get frenzied about books?

You will? Excellent – I can tell you and I would have a lot to talk about, and we may have to order seconds on the cake, to keep us fortified. BTW, I like to bake cakes, not just eat them – here’s a picture of me with a chocolate zucchini cake, mascarpone frosting:

I will send you my California dates when I have them...

Oh Sara, yes, I have met the wonderful Marla Frazee several times at Vromans, and she also visited my school.  Also, I would be more than happy to attend one of your book events at Vroman's or another store in Southern California.  And, I would be honored to host a Literacy Café for you to celebrate you and Celementine.  Thank you for this delightful post. - Alyson

Bio
Sara Pennypacker (www.sarapennypacker.com) was a painter before becoming a writer, and has two absolutely fabulous children who are now grown. She has written several books, including the Clementine series, all illustrated by Marla Frazee, The Amazing World of Stuart, Sparrow Girl, and Summer of the Gypsy Moths. She grew up in Massachusetts and splits her time between Cape Cod and Florida.

For additional stops on her blog tour check out the dates below:

Mon, June 17: GreenBeanTeenQueen - http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/

Tues, June 18: Once Upon a Story - http://www.novalibrarymom.com/

Wed, June 19: Mother Daughter Book Club - http://motherdaughterbookclub.com/

Thurs, June 20: Media Darlings - http://www.mdarlings.com/

Fri, June 21: Sharpread - http://sharpread.wordpress.com/

Mon, June 24: Children's Book Review - http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/

Tues, June 25: Kid Lit Frenzy - http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/

Wed, June 26: There's a Book - http://www.theresabook.com/

Thurs, June 27: As They Grow Up - http://www.astheygrowup.com/

Fri, June 28 Bookingmama http://www.bookingmama.net/

Thank you to Disney Hyperion and Blue Slip Media for arranging the blog tour and for giving away a copy of Clementine and the Spring Trip for a giveaway (US/Canada).  Please fill out the rafflecopter below to enter to win a copy.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway - Toni Buzzeo

Toni Buzzeo's new book - Just Like My Papa (Disney-Hyperion, April 2, 2013) was released in time for Father's Day.  Toni stops by today to talk about the importance of fathers reading with their children.  Thanks Toni for sharing with us.

There’s something so magical, so heart-touching, about a father engaged in nurturing his child. Perhaps it’s because in so many species, the father disappears after conception, not lingering to share in the child rearing duties or joys. And perhaps nothing is more touching to my own heart than seeing a father reading to his little one. Of course, as a school librarian and a children’s author, that would be so! I’m passionate about children and their reading.

Ken reading to Topher 1984 - photo credit Toni Buzzeo

My own son Topher, who once filled one of his two allotted duffel bags for a month-long African safari with books, is proof to me that reading fathers beget young readers. Not only did my husband Ken always have a book or two and several magazines going, but he spent long hours reading book after book to our son. You’ll have predicted, of course, that Topher has grown up to be a devoted adult reader who will soon be reading to his own little ones.

In fact, I especially recommend that fathers read to their children. There are so many reasons to do so! First, of course, is the physical closeness of snuggling up with a book. Second is the modeling of reading in a shared experience with the child. Third is the opportunity to share the world of the stories and informational texts that are read, to engage in conversations about the reading. Fourth, discussion of the shared books will foster critical thinking skills and build vocabulary. All this from the joyful experience of sharing books. What father could resist?

Of course, reading takes time. As any parent who has tried to rush through a bedtime story by skipping pages knows, reading in a hurry is destined for failure. Instead, reading requires a commitment to slow down, sit down, sink in, and give oneself over to the power of story and the shared experience of that story. Yet much like Papa Lion in my new book Just Like My Papa, fathers have other responsibilities that take up their time. What’s the solution?

Papa Lion has actually found a pretty successful solution. First, model the behavior you hope to inspire as often as possible. Young Kito watches his father with an eagle eye as he performs the duties of king and protector of his pride and emulates them to the best of his ability. So fathers, do your own personal reading publicly in your home. Let your children see you reading. Second, whenever possible, take as much time as you can find to settle in for shared reading. Young Kito approaches Papa with an invitation to play and Papa responds patiently and positively to his repeated requests. So fathers, when your child appears with one book, prepare to read several, one right after the other. Third, encourage children, even pre-readers, to spend time alone with books as well. While Papa is busy with his kingly duties, Kito emulates his behavior. So, too, will children of reading fathers!

Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads reading this blog. May your children always admire you as much as Kito admires his father!

Next stop on the blog tour: As They Grow UP - www.astheygrowup.com

Toni Buzzeo - photo credit Sasha Salzberg

Bio: Toni Buzzeo is the author of nineteen picture books for children, including Stay Close to Mama, a companion to Just Like My Papa, the Caldecott Honor winning One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small, and No T. Rex in the Library, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa. For sixteen years, she worked as a Maine school librarian. She combines her knowledge of children’s literature with her love of children to write about characters of all stripes (including lions, giraffes, dinosaurs, penguins, loons, and human children) who explore their worlds, their relationships, and themselves in a variety of settings. Toni works both from a writing cottage just past the gardens at her colonial farmhouse in Buxton, Maine and from her sunny winter nest in Sarasota, Florida. Visit her at www.tonibuzzeo.com.




Disney-Hyperion is offering a copy of Just Like My Papa by Toni Buzzeo to one lucky reader.  This giveaway is open to individuals with US or Canadian mailing addresses. a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Best Part of Me...Poetry Project by Jan Tappan

This past weekend, Jan Tappan, a teacher friend of mine shared about a class poetry project that she did recently with her 4th graders. 

From Jan...

I got the idea for the "Best Part of Me" poems from Carol Raby, an Elementary Librarian & a source of a great number of really terrific ideas. Hope Anita Smith visited Carol's school to conduct poetry workshops with the students there. The poetry project I was interested in was the one where the students used paint colors as metaphors for aspects of themselves (physical characteristics, emotions: "When I'm mad, I'm Maine Lobster," for example) and then illustrated the poems with torn white core scrapbook paper collage.

When Readers (a monthly book group comprised of teachers and librarians) visited her school, Carol showed me her photo album of the paint color poems, and I had great success with those last year. As I looked through her scrapbook, I found the photos (see example above) with poems displayed in a very unusual way. The sign on that bulletin board said that the poems had been inspired by Hope Anita Smith, but I later learned about the Wendy Ewald book, The Best Part of Me: Children Talk About Their Bodies in Pictures and Words and Literacy and Justice Through Photography: A Classroom Guide, the source for the original idea. Carol told me that the poems celebrated the "best part" of each student and that they used one metaphor, one simile, and one other kind of figurative language. The poems started and ended with "The best part of me is.."

I asked my students to write poems about what they felt was their best visible feature. The kids had a great time thinking up similes and metaphors to go with the body part that they had chosen, a process they found not as easy as they first thought! They shared their poems with each other for help with editing, revising, and ideas for metaphors and the "other figurative language" line. We took closeup photos of the kids' faces and of the body parts they wrote about. The kids used our word processors to type their poems, we formatted them so they looked the same and mounted them so the photos stood out from the board. It was a great success at our open house!

Mounting directions: Fold the 8 1/2" ends of letter size paper to the center line, creating two side flaps. Glue the student's face picture to the outside of the right flap, and the student's body part photo on the side facing the center line so the two photos are glued back to back with the body part photo facing the poem. Mount the poem's final copy in the center between the two flaps. I laminated the poem/photo display to make the photos stand out and to protect the display which is in a crowded hallway. When I put the bulletin board up, I backed each of the poems with a contrasting paper and re-folded the flaps on the poetry frame.

Additional Resources:

Check out this "Best Part of Me..." Resource on Scholastic.

Click here for an article about Wendy Ewald's work.

Thanks Jan for sharing about this great project...I can't wait to try it with students. - Alyson

Guest Post: What's the Next Big Thing in YA Literature?

What is The Next Big Thing in YA literature? Is it angels? Mermaids? Garden gnomes? In November I spent three days in St. Louis with a gaggle of librarians and authors who tried to answer this very question at the YALSA Literature Symposium. And what did we decide?

No one knows.

Seems like a disappointing end to three days worth of conversations, doesn’t it? But you know what? It isn’t. In fact, it’s some of the best news I’ve heard in a long time.

Since I work both as a librarian and writer, I know what it’s like to feel the pressure to find The Next Big Thing. I’ve spent a million hours worrying whether or not I’ve bought the right books for my collection or if that new story idea will become/still be mainstream once I get it written. I’ve read industry articles and blogs and followed conversations on social media sites in an attempt to spot trends early on. Heck, I drove all the way to St. Louis (a city in which both Mello Yello and sweet tea are scarce) to get ahead of the curve.

Quite frankly, I’m exhausted.

At some point, and I’m not sure when it was, I began obsessing over trends instead of books. I wanted to be the cool librarian who always recommended the hot new book before anyone else. I wanted to become the writer who released a book at just the right time instead of a few years too early or too late. I worried about popularity and numbers instead of what is truly important... the story.

What I took away from St. Louis was that trends are unpredictable. Who knew a year ago that I wouldn’t be able to keep bondage erotica on the shelf at my small town Kentucky library? Small town Kentucky. Bondage erotica. It’s crazy! And it came out of nowhere. Why? How? Because people got so attached to the story, they told their friends. And those friends read it, became attached, and told their friends. It went on and on until you couldn’t turn on a morning talk show without hearing the words “Fifty Shades”. Could anyone have predicted it was going to happen? I don’t think so. Because you can’t predict emotional responses to books, and those are what make The Next Big Thing happen. Writers, editors, and marketing specialists might be able to somewhat steer popular taste, but it takes passionate readers to create a trend-setting phenomenon.

So, what does that mean for those of us whose job it is to be on top of book trends? What are librarians, teachers, and writers supposed to do? I think the answer is simple. Find the passion. Read books that set you on fire, and then tell others about them. Buy books that excite you, and then hand sell them to your patrons and students. Write the stories that are clawing to get out of your brain. Don’t worry about what is supposed to be The Next Big Thing, focus on the thing right now that gets under your skin and won’t let go. Maybe that book you’re telling every person who will listen about will become the next every-human-must-read-it-and-watch-the-blockbuster-movie book, and maybe it won’t. It doesn’t matter. What matters is getting excited about books and spreading that excitement. The rest will work itself out. And if you end up feeling blindsided by that garden gnome trend, don’t worry about it. Most of the rest of us will be scratching our heads and wondering where it came from, too.

Thanks to Miss Tammy for sharing your insights. Tammy Blackwell is the Young Adult Services Coordinator for a public library system in Kentucky. When she's not reading, writing, or cataloging books, she's sleeping. She is the author of the YA Novels -  Destiny Binds, Time Mends, and Fate Succombs .

You can follow Tammy on twitter: @miss_tammy or check out her website: www.misstammywrites.com

Tammy has a special treat for fans of her Timber Wolves Trilogy - From January 4th to 6th, At First Sight: A Timber Wolves Companion will be available as a free download for Kindle on Amazon.  It is a wonderful peek into her fabulous characters.

Guest Post: Tammy Blackwell - New Year Resolutions Timber Wolves Style

When Aly first asked me to write a guest post for the first of January to celebrate the release of TimeMends, possibly with a New Years resolution theme, I immediately thought of My So-Called Life.* There is this episode that starts with all the characters sitting around watching a pre-stroke Dick Clark herald in 1995. And as they’re watching, they do voice-overs of all their resolutions. It’s one of my favorite moments of the show because you get this really awesome over-view of each of the characters. Because resolutions, they’re like this really intimate thing, you know?**

            So, inspired by the spirit of Angela Chase,*** I am sharing Scout and company’s spoiler-free resolutions.

Scout: No more messes. No clothes just laying around in piles of clean and unclean and kinda clean. No more accidentally growing science experiments in the bottom drawer of the cabinet in my bathroom. No more screwing up the lives of everyone I love. This year, I’m Talley-izing my life.

Jase: Increase my free throw average to .90. Stop wanting things I can’t have. Be more awesome.

Charlie: I need to learn to accept the things I cannot change, have the courage to change the things I can, and have the wisdom to know the difference. Or, at least, that’s what my therapist says. And me? I think I just need to grow up and move on.

Talley: Try harder. And maybe learn a foreign language.

Angel: I want to: 1. Learn how to use the stove. 2. Read all the Harry Potter books, even the ones that Mom thinks are too scary. 3. Grow taller.

Alex: Follow the rules and quit getting distracted by her.

Liam: Avenge and atone.

* I’m of the Catalano generation. I almost always immediately think of My So-Called Life. Or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Or maybe even Veronica Mars... You know, there is a chance my own New Years resolution should have been to watch less TV.

** This sentence can be blamed on the fact I turned My So-Called Life on in the background while I typed this. I think I may throw on a flannel and dye my hair red next.

*** Who wanted to not get caught up in her thoughts so much and become less introspective, except that might make her shallow, so she was going to have to think about it some more.

Thanks to Miss Tammy for the helping us to get to know her Timber Wolves Trilogy Characters a little better.  Tammy Blackwell is the Young Adult Services Coordinator for a public library system in Kentucky. When she's not reading, writing, or cataloging books, she's sleeping.  She is the author of the YA Novel Destiny Binds and now Time Mends.  

You can follow Tammy on twitter: @miss_tammy or check out her website: http://misstammywrites.blogspot.com/

For more information about her awesome characters, check out the Destiny Binds character interview Tammy did a few months ago, click here.

Guest Post - Review of Anna Dressed In Blood

Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen (August 30, 2011)
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Hardcover, ebook

My synopsis:
Cas Lowood isn’t your average teenager. Actually - he’s unlike any other person you’ve ever met. He’s a ghost killer (but please don’t call him a ghostbuster). Like his father before him, Cas has the unenviable job of hunting those spirits which still haunt this earth, hurting and killing people in their wake. With his father’s magical and deadly athame blade, Cas is able to send these murderous spirits away from this world. He travels with his mother (a white witch) and Tybalt, their ghost sensing cat, while secretly preparing himself to find and kill his father’s murderer. When he gets a tip about a ghost known as Anna Dressed In Blood out in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Cas knows that she is his next target. The story of a young Anna Korlov, murdered in 1958, inexplicable draws him. Once there, Cas tries to kill Anna but she is too strong - the strongest ghost he’s ever encountered. And she doesn’t kill him. But why? As Cas tries to figure this out he also starts to unravel the mystery of Anna Dressed In Blood.

Review:
Kendare Blake blends horror and teen angst into a delightfully creepy novel that will have you staying up late at night and turning on all the lights. It’s been awhile since I’ve been scared by a book but Anna Dressed In Blood managed it thoroughly. Cas, a jaded 17-year-old, has followed in his father’s footsteps to become a hunter of angry ghost spirits. In Blake’s world, when someone dies a violent death, they don’t always go away to where they are meant to. In her world, both good and bad people can come back as dark, twisted ghosts that lure the living to horrible deaths. Cas stops them by tracking them and setting a trap. Then he uses his mystical athame to send them away to parts unknown. Ghost killing is a gory business and Blake’s descriptions are often gruesome and chilling.

Cas is a complex character. Afraid to let anyone too close, he isolates himself and avoids making any real human connections. I admire Cas but I don’t always like him. He’s cocky and his snarkiness, especially towards those who want to help him, gets old. His father’s death has also made him bitter and serious. But he is also loyal and protective and I liked him more as the book went on. Forced to work with others for the first time, he learns to trust his friends.

Let’s not forget Anna. When we first meet her she is tearing a human body to pieces - one of many people we’ve been told that Anna has killed over the years. She is vicious and terrible but, we learn, she may not be evil. Complicated? You bet. But Blake deftly manages Anna’s evolution from angry, murderous spirit into someone you can sympathize with. Along with Cas and Anna, there is an interesting cast of secondary characters. New friends Tim and Carmel are opposites in the school heirarchy. One is awkward and dabbles in magic and the other is the school’s queen bee, but both are more than their reputations. Morfran, Will, Cas’s mother and their ghost sniffing cat Tybalt round out the eclectic group.

At times frightening, tragic, funny and creepy, Anna Dressed In Blood is a gripping read that you’ll have a hard time putting down. I look forward to Anna’s return in the sequel, Girl Of Nightmares, coming out next year.

For More Information about author, Kendare Blake, check out her website: http://www.kendareblake.com/


You can follow her on twitter: @kendareblake







If you liked this review, please come check out our other YA and younger book reviews at Read Now Sleep Later  and our adult book reviews at Nite Lite .

Thanks, Aly, for letting us guest post on your blog!

And thank you Thuy for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on Anna Dressed in Blood.  I can't wait to pick up a copy, but I will definitely be reading this one with the lights on. :-)