Books I'm reading and looking forward to reading

I have so many books right now that I want to read. I mean, I always do, but right now, it just seems like I could sit and read for twelve hours a day for two weeks straight and I still wouldn't get everything read. 

This morning I'm working on a manuscript that I'm writing for fun. That's code for - it's really different and I have no idea what I'm doing and whether or not anyone would want to publish it but I'm writing it anyway. Because to keep writing interesting, we have to have projects that keep us interested. When I get a few pages of that done, I think I'll spend the rest of the day reading.

So here are just a few of the books I'm reading and excited to read soon. It's a mix of MG and YA - some are appropriate for younger kids, others are not. 

First, I want to mention the YA novel WILDMAN by J.C. Geiger that I just finished, which had SUCH a good ending. I love books that really nail the ending (maybe because endings are always the hardest for me).

J.C. Geiger lives in Oregon and this is his debut novel. From goodreads:

"How can a total stranger understand you better than the people you’ve known your entire life?”

When Lance’s ’93 Buick breaks down in the middle of nowhere, he tells himself Don’t panic. After all, he’s valedictorian of his class. First-chair trumpet player. Scholarship winner. Nothing can stop Lance Hendricks.

But the locals don’t know that. They don’t even know his name. Stuck in a small town, Lance could be anyone: a delinquent, a traveler, a maniac. One of the townies calls him Wildman, and a new world opens up.

He’s ordering drinks at a roadhouse. Jumping a train. Talking to an intriguing older girl who is asking about his future. And what he really wants. As one day blurs into the next, Lance finds himself drifting farther from home and closer to a girl who makes him feel a way he’s never felt before—like himself."

***

I'm in the middle of reading this nonfiction book called VINCENT AND THEO: The Van Gogh Brothers and enjoying it SO much:

From goodreads: "The deep and enduring friendship between Vincent and Theo Van Gogh shaped both brothers' lives. Confidant, champion, sympathizer, friend, Theo supported Vincent as he struggled to find his path in life. They shared everything, swapping stories of lovers and friends, successes and disappointments, dreams and ambitions. Meticulously researched, drawing on the 658 letters Vincent wrote to Theo during his lifetime, Deborah Heiligman weaves a tale of two lives intertwined and the love of the Van Gogh brothers."

I also started THE LAST TO DIE by Kelly Garrett recently, after attending Kelly's launch party in Portland, and am excited to get back to it. It's a murder mystery, and since I was playing around with one of those myself last summer, and may come back to it at some point, I'm especially interested.

***

From goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Harper Jacobs and her bored friends make a pact to engage in a series of not-quite illegal break-ins. They steal from each other's homes, sharing their keys and alarm codes. But they don't take anything that can't be replaced by some retail therapy, so it's okay. It's thrilling. It's bad. And for Harper, it's payback for something she can't put into words-something to help her deal with her alcoholic mother, her delusional father, and to forget the lies she told that got her druggie brother arrested. It's not like Daniel wasn't rehab bound anyway.

So everything is okay-until the bold but aggravating Alex, looking to up the ante, suggests they break into the home of a classmate. It's crossing a line, but Harper no longer cares. She's proud of it. Until one of the group turns up dead, and Harper comes face-to-face with the moral dilemma that will make or break her-and, if she makes the wrong choice, will get her killed.

***

Up next, the DRAGON WITH A CHOCOLATE HEART by Stephanie Burgis.

From goodreads: "Aventurine is the fiercest, bravest dragon there is. And she's ready to prove it to her family by leaving the safety of their mountain cave and capturing the most dangerous prey of all: a human. But when the human she finds tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, Aventurine is transformed into a puny human girl with tiny blunt teeth, no fire, and not one single claw.

But she's still the fiercest creature in the mountains -- and now she's found her true passion: chocolate! All she has to do is get herself an apprenticeship (whatever that is) in a chocolate house (which sounds delicious), and she'll be conquering new territory in no time...won't she?"

***

And after that, CARAVEL by Stephanie Garber.

Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

***

And finally, I don't even have this book in my house yet, but I am SO excited to read it, based on the description and the fact that I've heard people talking about how they can't stop thinking about it after they read it. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those - I wish I'd written that type of books.

Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came. 

Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction, and the escape. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore. She can’t see her future.

Henry’s future isn’t looking too promising, either. His girlfriend dumped him. The bookstore is slipping away. And his family is breaking apart.

As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.

Too many books, too little time. Story of my life.

Another Successful World Read Aloud Day

I should go back and count and figure out how many years I've been volunteering to Skype with classes on World Read Aloud Day. At least five years, probably more than that.

Today was another wonderful morning talking to students all across America. One girl asked me who my favorite character is out of all my books. I told her it's really hard to choose because my characters become kind of like my children - I love them all! But, I said, Nora in My Secret Guide to Paris is a lot like me because she really wants to go to Paris and you know, I've never been there. When I wrote the book, I did a lot of research and used Google Earth to explore the city. But guess what - in May my dream is finally going to come true because I'm going to Paris!

When I told them that, the kids spontaneously cheered for me, and it was just the happiest thing I've seen in a while. I wish I could take them all with me. But since I can't, the good news is they can read the book and visit Paris that way, just like I did when I was writing it.

On jumping to conclusions

Why are we so quick to jump to conclusions when it comes to books, movies, TV shows, etc.? This is something that completely baffles me. And the thing that's terrible is that I am guilty of it too!

Case in point: I was not going to watch "American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ" because I thought - why would I want to watch that when I watched the real thing unfold twenty-two years ago? But then a guy I went to school with and was in a play with in middle school told us all on facebook that he was playing the part of the polygraph tester in the first episode. See? That's him with the glasses. SITTING NEXT TO CUBA GOODING JR!! Cool, huh?

So I set my DVR to record the show. And fifteen minutes into the show, I was hooked. The writing was excellent, the acting superb. I have learned so many things I hadn't known all those years ago. The real case unfolded the year after my son was born. I was busy learning to juggle full-time work and an infant. I caught the highlights of the case and that was about it. Like, I don't think I knew how horribly mean the press was to Marcia Clark.

Anyway, the series wraps up this week and I never in a million years would have guessed that this show would be the highlight of my TV watching the past couple of months. But there you go.

Batman vs. Superman released a couple of weeks ago and everyone, for months, was so quick to judge Ben Affleck in that role. I didn't see the film when it came out but my husband and two sons did and my oldest son said Ben Affleck is his new favorite batman. I mean, imagine if he'd listened to all of those people saying bad stuff months before the movie was even released? He would have missed out on a movie that he really enjoyed.

And when it comes to books, we aren't any better. We dismiss books based on titles and covers so easily. Too easily. And on the other side of the coin, books that hit a home run with a title and a cover will often score big because we love cool things. Pretty things. Strange things. Whatever. If it makes us sit up and notice, that matters - a lot.

THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORROWS OF AVA LAVENDER by Leslye Walton (a novel for teens) is a book that hit it out of the park with the cover and title.

Another one that just came out recently (also for teens) - WINK, POPPY, MIDNIGHT by April Genevieve Tucholke. I haven't read it yet but I want to. I'm SO curious!!

I'm thinking about all of this as it relates to THE GIRL IN THE TOWER. Because I'm worried people assume they've heard this story before. That it's another Rapunzel story and gong-shoo, how boring, we certainly don't need another one of those.

I find myself wishing we'd gone with something a little more imaginative, a little less... telling, maybe. Because while it is a story about a girl in a tower, AT FIRST, it isn't only a story about that. It's also a story about the evil queen who is really a witch. And a story about the two hummingbirds, Peace and Pax, who try to help locate Violet's father. And a story about the family of minstrels who travel the land looking for Violet and her mother because they don't know where they are.

I'm not sure most people realize how difficult it is to title a book, and on top of that, to find an image that will do all the things a good cover should do. We do our best and then we hope for the best.

So the next time you find yourself jumping to conclusions about a book based on the title and/or cover, stop for a second and realize what it is you're doing. Of course, you may be right after all - the assumptions you make may turn out to be true. But often times, they aren't. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they almost didn't read FALLING FOR YOU because of the kissy-kissy cover, but were so glad they did after all, I'd have...about thirty dollars. Ha ha. But still, the fact that I feel like I've heard that thirty times? How many people actually did dismiss it because of the cover and never read it? We'll never know...

Are there any books you can think of that you almost dismissed because of the cover and/or title, and were later glad you didn't? I'd love to hear...

On beginnings and the awesomeness of Kate DiCamillo

Recently I substituted in the library of an elementary school. At this school, each class has about 25 minutes in the library, so the Media Assistant reads a picture book or two and then lets the class loose to pick out books.

Right before my last class of the day, second graders, the technology teacher told me she had to cover another class and so I would have the class of 28 kids for 45 minutes instead of the usual 25. For a moment, I panicked. How could I possibly entertain them for that long?

"I need a good book," I thought.

So I went over to the D section to see what might be available in the Kate DiCamillo section. Lucky for me, there was one copy of BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE checked in.

I hadn't read it in a while, even though it is one of my favorites. But I have faith in Kate. At least I thought I did until I had those 28 faces looking up at me from the carpet where they sat.

See, second graders are in this kind of weird stage when it comes to reading and books. I remember with my two sons, second grade was a really challenging time. They're often not quite ready for middle grade novels, even though they want to be.

"Do you think you guys will be okay with a book that doesn't have any pictures?" I asked. Some of them nodded. Some of them shook their heads. "I bet you can do it. It's fun to use your imagination,  right?"

And so, with a wish and a prayer, I opened the book and began reading. As I read those first pages, immediately drawn in to when Opal walks into that grocery store and sees everyone fussing over a dog (a stinky, ugly dog), I was reminded of what is so magical about this book. We are rooting for Winn-Dixie. And we are rooting for Opal. I read two chapters to those kids, and for fifteen minutes, they were completely captivated. The author does an amazing job of dropping in bits and pieces of background information here and there rather than a big info. dump. This is so important with younger kids, because it can really pull you away from what you care about - the situation at hand. In this case, Opal finding a dog, taking it home, and wondering if her father (the preacher, as she calls him) will let her keep him.

The other thing I noticed is what a master DiCamillo is at speaking kid-language. I mean, look at this great passage - we get a wonderful image of what Winn-Dixie looks like.

"Once we were outside, I checked him over real careful and he didn't look that good. He was big but skinny; you could see his ribs. And there were bald patches all over him, places where he didn't have any fur at all. Mostly, he looked like a big piece of old brown carpet that had been left out in the rain."

So I'm jotting mental notes to myself as I'm reading: create suspense/tension right off the bat, create characters you can't help but root for as quickly as possible, keep background information to a minimum, and watch the language and rhythm of the story, using details kids can easily pick up on. Yes, I've heard these all before, but it's so powerful when you actually see it in action.

I'm actually thankful I had that class for a longer period of time. It was a good lesson for me in what holds kids' attention. And now I've decided I'm going to keep reading this gem of a book. Two chapters was all it took to remind me of how much I love it. I can't wait to revisit the other characters Opal will get to meet in the coming pages.

So once again I just have to say - hooray for Kate DiCamillo! She has a new book coming out in April, 2016 called RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE, and I am so, SO excited!

Nominate Your Favorite Children's Books of 2015 for State Awards

Kate Messner, PB and MG author, recently shared the following information on Facebook and I thought I'd share the information here as well.

"What books did you love to pieces? Have you suggested them for your state's children's choice awards? These state lists make a huge difference for authors."

Click through to find out how to nominate books in your state:

Ohio’s Buckeye Award (students)

Pacific Northwest Young Readers Medal (children, teachers, parents, & librarians)

Hawaii’s Nene Award (teachers & librarians)

Maine Student Book Award (teachers & librarians)

Florida’s Sunshine State Young Readers Medal (teachers & librarians)

California Young Readers Medal (kids, parents, teachers, and librarians)

Grand Canyon Reader Award (students, teachers, & librarians in Arizona)

Colorado Children’s Book Award (teachers send students’ nominations!)

Georgia Children’s Book Award (teachers, kids, librarians, and parents)

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award (must be registered to nominate)

Kentucky Bluegrass Award (any adult, with Kentucky teachers and librarians especially encouraged)

New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award (teachers, librarians, students)

New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment Book Award (librarians and teachers)

North Carolina Children’s Book Award (kids only!)

Oregon Readers Choice Award (students, teachers, and librarians)

Texas Bluebonnet Award (students, teachers, parents, librarians)

Vermont’s Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award (nominations from teachers and librarians; nominations from students)

Virginia Readers’ Choice (teachers, students, and librarians)

Maryland’s Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (students, teachers, parents or other interested readers)

Mississippi’s Magnolia Book Award (any adult)

Reading a book, over and over again

I get a lot of notes from kids and teens that go something like, "I love this book so much, I've read it XX times."

And I'm always like, wow. That's a LOT. I mean, to me, anything over three times is a lot. I rarely re-read books, so I'm easily impressed, I think.

For the middle grade set, they often say this about IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES.

For the Young Adult crowd, the book that gets that kind of comment the most is CHASING BROOKLYN.

I'll usually respond with a thank you note, and say how glad I am that she's enjoyed the book. And I go on to tell her I do have other books, if she might be interested?

But it's kind of a strange thing - sometimes I don't think she really is interested. Because there will never be another book like THIS book. And I realize, of course she is right. A favorite book is a special thing. They probably do read other things, but for whatever reason, they return to their favorite books again and again.

We never know what might happen with a book when we're in the middle of creating it. Some end up being semi-hits, some are misses, and very rarely, they are hits far and wide. Once we release it, we hope the book finds someone (maybe a lot of someones) who likes and appreciates it. Every time I get a note from a reader telling me a book is a favorite, that she has chosen to spend countless hours emerged in the pages, I smile. No matter what else I do in my life, I am honored to have done that.

Sometimes I think about these books and what it is about them that makes readers feel this way about them. I think it's probably not one thing, but a lot of things rolled up together. It would be great if we could find the magic formula. But each book is unique and different and you just never know... With every book we read, we begin anew, to decide where this particular book falls on the list of favorites. Or least favorites, as the case may be.

After all, what fun would it be, really, if it was all predetermined, and we didn't have to do that? It's the beauty of reading - beginning each book and letting it take you on an unknown journey. The possibilities are endless - and I love that!

The one thing every author wants - word-of-mouth buzz

I think about it often. What makes a person tell a friend, "You HAVE to read this book."

We all know word-of-mouth is the best promotion there is. So what makes people talk about a book? I read many books - so what is it that makes ME talk about a book? I don't think it's necessarily one thing. I think it's a number of things mixed together with a little magic sprinkled on top that create a fantastic reading experience.  

Here's my list of story elements:

1) A gripping story. I think it's usually a story we haven't heard a hundred times before. A story that pulls us in, and it's hard to put the book down once you start reading. It is a unique reading experience, and the story is one you are excited to hear. Examples I can think of: WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen, MATCHED by Ally Condie, and THE PROGRAM by Suzanne Young.

2) A character or characters we admire. Maybe they make us cheer. Maybe they make us laugh. Maybe they make us feel things we haven't felt in a long time, if ever. Maybe they open up a hidden space inside of us we didn't even know existed! Maybe their strength and determination or their steadfast love and devotion to someone makes us cry. Whatever it is, I think the character(s) have to think and/or act in a way that makes us go WOW. It's not enough to just like a character. To really make a reader grip the book at the end and scream to the world, I LOVE this book, the characters connect with us on a deep, personal level. Possible examples: THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett, THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green.

3) Good writing. Some will argue this is not necessary. Certainly there have been books that have been popular where the writing was less than stellar. But often, it IS a key ingredient in the books that become huge hits by word-of-mouth. THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson is one I'm thinking of as well as DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE (and the rest of the trilogy). Also, a recent middle-grade that comes to mind is A SNICKER OF MAGIC by Natalie Lloyd. I've read books where the premise was fabulous, but in the end, I was let down by the writing. Stilted dialogue or inconsistencies in how the characters talk or act will take a book down a few notches for me. And those kinds of things will often keep me from recommending a book.

4) We can see ourselves there. Some books do an incredible job at making us feel as if we are there. Maybe we want to be, maybe we don't, depending on the story, but regardless, it is easy to picture the setting, the characters, the world, and once we are immersed in it, it is hard to leave. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys was like this for me. It is a tragic story and yet, it was so REAL and I could not set that book down, as hard as it was at times to read. I also think Sarah Dessen is a master at this.

5) It elicits strong emotions. I often don't remember details in books, because I have a terrible memory, but I can tell you I DO remember how a book made me feel. Sometimes I feel like I'm leaving treasured friends behind as I turn the last page, as it was with ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins. Sometimes I feel changed in how I view life, as it was with THE BOOK THIEF by Marcus Zusack. Sometimes I feel I've read something so special, so perfect, I fear I won't ever read anything that good ever again, like A NORTHERN LIGHT by Jennifer Donnelly.

As I mentioned earlier, I do think there is a bit of magic that happens in a book where everything comes together and it becomes the book everyone talks about. It isn't a formula or an equation - a little of this plus a lot of that will get you word-of-mouth. If it was, someone would have developed it by now and we'd be able to buy it on every corner. 

To those of you who recommend my books to your students or friends or whomever, please know I really and truly appreciate it! I feel like two of my books, I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME and IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES, both sold much better than anyone expected specifically because of word-of-mouth. Both of those stories poured out of me as I was writing them, so it's interesting to me that those are the ones that have sold the best. I wasn't thinking consciously about any of above items, checking boxes off a checklist, so to speak. I simply wanted to tell a good story, and as I went to the computer every day, I was excited about the story and characters I had created. Something to remember, I suppose, as I look forward to getting back into a new story one of these days!! 

I'm curious, what book have you read lately that made you want to shout its gloriousness from the rooftops?

26 random acts of kindness

It is spreading like wild fire.

Kindness.

Something we all need after the sadness and loss we've all felt.

People have been inspired to do 26 acts of kindness to honor and remember the 26 lives taken from Sandy Hook Elementary School.

I found out about it Friday night, and went to bed thinking about what I wanted to do. I've seen all kinds of great ideas: restaurant gift cards, flowers, 26 dimes with some candy in a baggy, dollar bills, buying cups of hot cocoa for children or cups of coffee for adults.

I saw this picture a week ago, and it inspired my idea. Here is a picture of the principal, Ms. Hochsprung, dressed as the book fairy, spreading the love of books with her students. It brought me to tears when I saw it.

This afternoon, my family will go and buy 26 gift cards from Powell's Books and put them in envelopes with the note below, and put them on windshields at a nearby grocery store, where many low-income families shop.

I post about it here ONLY because I think some of my fellow authors and maybe some readers might like to join me and be anonymous book fairies in their town. And it is helpful, when you're strapped for time as most of us are this time of year, to have a template to make it easier. Of course you can change the name of the bookstore and personalize it anyway you want to. You also don't have to write in the names, that's just something I want to do.

***

In honor of the lives of the 26 children and adults that were tragically taken from us at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, I offer you this random act of kindness in hopes of bringing a smile to your face this holiday season. Earlier this year, the principal, Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, wore a white gown and a gold crown to school one day and called herself the book fairy, hoping to spread the love of reading to her students. She is the inspiration behind this Powell’s gift card, a gift for you that you may use for yourself or perhaps a special child in your life. 

Read. Imagine. Explore.

You are number ___ in honor of ________________________________

Wishing you joy, love and peace this holiday season. Please keep the kindness going!

#26acts #26actsofkindness www.facebook.com/26acts

***

If money is tight, I've heard of some people handing out candy canes or a simple card with a kind sentiment. I even read about someone passing out compliments to people on the street.

Certainly, it is good to practice random acts of kindness all year long, but I love the idea of being part of a kindness movement right now, when it is desperately needed, I think.

So, go forth - spread kindness!!

Scholastic Book Fair

I've been hearing from people across the U.S. that they've found SPRINKLES AND SECRETS at the Scholastic Book fair.

Here's a picture a nice author named Melissa Buell sent to me:

I'm so glad many more kids will get to read Sophie's story and find out what happened to Isabel and the baking contest in book one. If you've read one or both of the books, and you tell your friends you think they should get the books too, I want to say THANK YOU! The best thing you can do for an author whose books you love is to tell your friends to read them.

There IS going to be a third book, coming in 2013, called FROSTING AND FRIENDSHIP. As soon as I have a cover image to share, I'll post it here.

Happy reading!

Thoughts on picky readers

I get notes every week that start out along these lines:

I usually hate to read, but I just read.... and then she goes on to tell me how she read one of my books in one day and she loved it or whatever.

Now, I am thrilled that you read my book and enjoyed it. YAY! But I'm sad to see that you think you hate reading. Because I don't think you really do. I think you are maybe just very particular with your tastes and lots of books aren't your cup of tea.

So guess what. You have to work a little bit harder to find books you'll like. But that's the great thing about books for kids and teens today. There are SO MANY to choose from! I know it can be discouraging to have friends who can easily walk into a library, pick a book off the shelf because the cover looks cool, and be happy with it when they start reading. Oh well. You aren't like that. You might have to ask your librarian or a teacher or your parent for help in finding books that you might enjoy.

I have one child who is a very selective eater, due to sensory integration disorder. He doesn't hate eating. He just doesn't like a lot of textures found in foods, and so, he's very selective about what he eats. I think it can be the same for some kids and reading. It's not the reading itself that they hate, because when they find a book that "fits them" they'll happily read it and ask for more.

Yesterday a mother of a 4th grader wrote to me, so happy that her daughter read IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES, because she said she has always hated to read. She ordered SPRINKLES AND SECRETS for her, because her daughter couldn't stop talking about the first book, and she wanted to keep the momentum going.

I told her, now you know your daughter likes realistic, girly reads, so you can help her find books "like that," and I went on to give her some suggestions.

Are you a picky reader or do you know anyone who is? I'd love to hear from you, and do you think I'm right, that it's not so much about hating to read as it is about finding books that are a good fit?