Two Longstockings for the Price of One!

Calling all New Yorkers!

Jenny Han and Coe Booth (yes, I'm writing about myself in third person!) are doing a reading together this Sunday (April 1st) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at a beautiful bar called STAIN.

Also reading will be:
Carolyn MacCullough
Catherine Stine
Amy Ryan
Katie Sciurba
and Krista Madsen

STAIN is located at 766 Grand Street -- between Graham and Humboldt -- Brooklyn, New York. The reading starts at 7 pm sharp.

And don't worry. There is a money-back guarantee!!!

Alright, alright, you got me. It's free. But you know what I mean...
:-)

~~Coe

ARCs for Sale

Call me a novice, but I had no idea reviewers "recycled" ARCs by selling them to used bookstores or on Ebay. This came to my attention the other day when Lisa Graff heard from someone that they'd found one of her ARCs at a bookstore in Seattle. Then I read on Shannon Hale's website that someone had found one of her ARCs in a LIBRARY. (It's way down in the comments section.)

And, coincidentally, Read Roger has a very interesting post on his blog about this very subject. He says that at Horn Book, they "cherry-pick titles to keep in our collection (everything reviewed in the Magazine and a culling from the Guide), give some away, make "creative art" projects out of others, consign some to a Wall of Shame, and sell the rest as a lot to a used-book wholesaler."

There are a ton of comments on Roger's post discussing why it is or isn't okay for reviewers to sell ARCs, and not ONE of them mentions the fact that the authors don't receive any money from these transactions. ARCs are the author's copyrighted work, are they not? And why should reviewers make money off of selling our "not for sale" drafts?

I'm curious to know what other authors think. I would hate for my uncorrected ARCs to be floating around the internet, libraries, and bookstores, but if this is common practice, I'm glad I'm finding out now.

*caroline hickey

Harry Potter and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Jacket

Scholastic has just released the jacket art for Harry Potter #7. Let's take a wee gander, shall we?

And, for the first time ever, Harry will get a wrap jacket. Awesomeness. I love wrap jackets. Here's the full art:

My love for wrap jackets sort of balances my concern that this cover is, well, very orange. What do we think, my fellow muggles?

Get the full story on Publishers Weekly.

~lisa graff~

QoW: Abracadabra, alacazam!

Question of the week: Put two characters against each other in a fight. Who would win?

Clovermead Wickward and Hermione Granger live in completely different castles, different countries, different worlds, so the odds of them meeting are pretty long. But I'm thinking if they did meet, they probably wouldn't get along. Almost the only thing they have in common is being twelve. And a girl. And having much more experience with magic than the average person (or, in Clovermead's case, the average bear).

See, Hermione's all studious, always having to be first in class and pooh-poohing anything that doesn't get her there. She'll break a rule if she has to, but only if she really, really has to.

Clovermead, on the other hand, hasn't spent much time in school. She breaks rules on any old excuse. She reads a lot, mostly legends and the more exciting, hero-driven parts of history, but when she becomes a princess and has to spend all her time at lessons, she rebels against everything but fighting practice. Also, while Hermione would have to study and take tests and get licensed to become an animagus, Clovermead can turn herself into a bear anytime she wants.

But let's say they did meet, probably to battle some evil threatening both their worlds. Each of them would probably think the other was put on earth just to annoy her. Hermione would complain about how Clovermead wouldn't take anything seriously, and Clovermead would grouse about Hermione being such a know-it-all and insisting on doing everything by the book. I'm betting Clovermead would get so annoyed with Hermione's attitude that she'd probably end up working for the enemy, at least temporarily. And if she didn't, Hermione would get so frustrated by Clovermead's rashness that she'd put some kind of freezing spell on her, to keep her out of the way.

It's hard to say who would win if it came to a knock-down, drag-out, bare-knuckle battle royale. True, Clovermead's a pretty powerful bear, and she usually has a at least a few bear pals around waiting to come to her aid. But frankly, Hermione's got a lot of experience with enemies a lot scarier than bear armies. And she can do that freezing spell. Though probably not with a dislocated shoulder in her wand-arm, so there's an advantage for Clovermead.

The only hope would be that before they finished tearing each other to shreds, they'd remember the job they needed to do, and that they were both on the same side. In true girl-hero-fantasy fashion, they'd realize that their differences complement one another, and that they are stronger at each others' sides than at each others' throats. Thus, evil would be vanquished and everyone would live happily ever after.

--Kathryne

P.S.,3/29/07. Clovermead's creator, David Randall, had this to say about the idea:
As for Hermione, I think that after their initial quarrels, it would end well in the following manner: Clovermead would wander into the forest, trip a spell, and be trapped in bear form; Hagrid would come across Clovermead in bear form, not realize who she was, and make a pet of her; Hermione would very tactfully release her without telling anybody else what had happened; Clovermead would realize that Hermione wasn't so bad after all. Then they would compare notes about being a Muggle in Hogwarts and an innkeeper's daughter in Chandlefort.

QoW: Chocolate War Gone Good

Question of the week: Put two characters against each other in a fight. Who would win?

Archie Costello is one of those villains of kid lit that gives me nightmares. He is without compassion yet has an incredible sensitivity to the weaknesses of others, which he exploits ruthlessly. He has no conscience yet has an acute sense of the social structure around him and how to manipulate it. He is power hungry and rules with fear. People loathe him but they follow him. Though Jerry Renault tries to take him on, and for a brief period of time looks like he might succeed, in the end he goes down hard and Archie once again rules.

It’s hard to think of someone ruthless, manipulative and power hungry enough to be able to beat Archie at his own game. Since Archie has all of those skills perfected, the one who could match him must have a little something extra to give them an edge. Something like, say, aqua eyes the color of the ocean, sparkly blond hair, a set of equally ruthless friends who happen to be cheerleaders and sorority sisters, a twin sister who is moral but super stubborn once she believes in something and a high school full of people who adore her. In short, I think one Ms. Jessica Wakefield could have turned that whole chocolate war around.

Sure people feared Archie but they both feared and loved Jessica. She caught flies with honey too, a skill Archie lacked. But when it came down to it, she could play as dirty as he could and with a lot more style (remember all the shoulder pads she used to wear?) Once she set her sights on something, she got it, not matter what it took. Remember when she took on Bruce Patman in Club X? Yeah, she got a fright but who won in the end? Okay, sometimes she took it too far, like when she pushed Annie Whitman to try to commit suicide but our girl knew when she was wrong and did her best to make up for it. And I think it shows what she could do to Archie.

In the chocolate war ala Jessica Wakefield I’m seeing Jessica thumbing her nose at Brother Leon but instead of just not selling the chocolates, I think Jessica would sell something else, like fat free cookies, to raise money for Pi Beta Alpha, a truly good cause. She’d rally the cheerleaders and her sorority sisters behind her. Elizabeth would take an honest assessment of the scene and start writing exposes of the Vigils in the ‘Oracle’ plus articles pushing the fat free cookies. Obie would take one look at the Wakefield sisters and bail on Archie, and Jessica would have the smarts to string him along until she won. Elizabeth would take poor Jerry Renault under her wing and get Todd to teach him to play the kinder sport of basketball. Bruce Patman would try to get people over to Archie’s side but Emile Janza, who would worship Jessica from afar, would beat him to bits. It would all end happily with Mr. Collins replacing Brother Leon, Winston Eggbert making everyone laugh, Archie deciding it was better to join Jessica than fight her and we’d all learn an important lesson about working together as a team. Hooray for Jessica!

Making me tense

I'm having some trouble figuring out whether I want my YA novel to be in present or past tense. It's first person, and I wrote it originally in past tense with a somewhat flippant voice, but it wasn't working for me and I felt this nagging need to rewrite it in present tense. So I rewrote the whole shebang in present tense, and edited out some of the more flippant comments and observations. And now the voice and tone feel uneven. I have a nagging suspicion it belonged in past tense to begin with, and the reason it wasn't flowing for me is because at the same time I was working on it, I was doing final revisions on my present tense middle grade book. Maybe my little pea brain can't work on two books at once in different tenses.

Anyhoo, people, I need some help. I need recommendations of great YA books written in first person past tense to get me back in the mood to revise this thing AGAIN.

And also, possibly, a straitjacket.

*caroline hickey

The Space

Most of us Longstockings are on MySpace, as are many other children's, tween, and teen writers that I either know or know about. So check out this interesting blog post and weigh in with your thoughts!

Thanks!
Lisa GW

What would you do (if your mother asked you)?

This week I've been reading Chasing Vermeer. You know, that book that sold about a gazilliondy trillion copies and got all those starred reviews? Yeah, that one. I've finally gotten around to reading it.

And while reading on the subway yesterday, I realized something a little bit shocking. Even though I'm only about two-thirds of the way through the book and there are things about it I really like, I know for a fact that had this book crossed my editorial desk in manuscript form, I would have passed on it.

Wait, let me repeat: I would have passed on gazilliondy-trillion best-selling Chasing Vermeer.

Does this make me a terrible editor? Possibly. But if anything the realization nailed home the fact that this is a business full of opinions. Vermeer's not exactly my cup of tea. Luckily for all those happy little children out there who gobbled up the book like candy, it was someone else's.

What blockbusters would YOU have passed on if you had the chance?? (Please, someone tell me you would have rejected Harry Potter so I don't feel like such a huge moron...)

P.S. For fun with pentominoes, check out this website.

~lisa graff~

QoW: From Guest Blogger, Leslie Margolis!

Question of the Week: What is one you thing you would change about a book you love?

Henry versus Ramona. It's no contest, really.

When I was seven, I fell in love with Beverly Cleary's HENRY HUGGINS.

Henry rocked, and I so wanted to hang out with him. He demonstrated generosity by adopting Ribsy, the stray mutt. He displayed cunningness, in his negotiations with his mother. (In pleading his case for why he needed a dog, he told her, "Mom, please say yes and I'll never ask for another thing as long as I live!") Who could argue with that? No one could. It was brilliant.

Henry proved himself to be hard working, digging for night crawlers to earn extra money. And he was lucky. After earning the thirteen dollars and ninety five cents he needed to pay Scooter back for his lost, genuine cowhide football, the football materialized. This meant Henry had the spare cash to buy himself one.

When I read this, I ached to play football with Henry, and was sure we'd be best friends, if only I could figure out how to meet him. But that was before I got to chapter six, Finders Keepers.

In chapter six, Henry noticed Ramona Quimby meowing like a cat. When I saw the Ramona cameo my heart raced. Henry knew Ramona? How cool could you get? Now, more than ever, I knew I had to move to Klickitat Street.

Strangely, rather than inviting Ramona to play with him, or even inquiring as to why Ramona might be acting feline, Henry exchanged a disgusted look with his friend Robert. Then Henry had the nerve to think, "Girls certainly started to be dumb when they were awfully young."

When I read those words for the first time I was shocked. In fact, I'm still shocked. Ramona Quimby is like royalty. That Henry could be disgusted with her (not to mention every girl) is clear evidence of some glaring character flaw.

Those few sentences completely shattered my image of Henry. At the time, I became so annoyed with him, I refused to read any more of his books. Sure, seeing a girl meow like a cat might be considered odd, but this wasn't just any girl. It was Ramona.

She has her own logic, and you just don't question her.

I've since learned that Beverly Cleary wrote her Ramona books after she wrote Henry Huggins, but that's no excuse. If Henry was half the boy I'd thought he was, he'd have known better.




Leslie Margolis is the author of two teen novels: FIX and PRICE OF ADMISSION. (These books are wonderful! I highly recommend both of them!!!) Leslie also has a short story in the brand new anthology 21 PROMS!

Be sure to check out her beautiful website. And you can also "friend" her on MySpace.

Thanks so much for being such a great guest blogger, Leslie!!! :-)

Kimchi & Calamari

I love this title!

May I take a quick survey?

What are some of your favorite titles?

QoW: Frankly, my dear...

Question of the Week: What is one you thing you would change about a book you love?

So in 7th grade, my passion was Gone With the Wind. I mean, I was crazy for it. I devoured it. For three days, I read and read and read. I laughed, I cried. And then I went out and bought Scarlett, the sequel. (Not exactly the best read ever, but for the GWTW-obsessed, it's a tasty filler. Like a bag of Fritos when you're really hungry. Of course you'd rather have filet mignon, but you're starving and you'll take what you can get.) To this day, the ending of GWTW makes me crazy. Why, Rhett, why? Why do you act like you don't give a damn, when you so clearly do? He loves her. She loves him. They need to be together. If only. There are a lot of if only's in this book. If only Rhett knew that Scarlett was totally into their night of passion. If only Scarlett knew that Rhett totally grieved for their unborn child. If only Scarlett wasn't so totally into that shell of a man, Ashley aka Butthead. Ew. And he wasn't even cute. He was pale and whispy. He was a whisp of a man. And Rhett, he was dangerous and cunning and smart and generous and rich and ruthless and just the tiniest bit honorable. Here's what I would change: Scarlett tells Rhett she loves him, Rhett says forget you, Scarlett wipes away her tears and quits with the female histrionics (she is the ORIGINAL diva), and he starts to walk away... And she goes, Walk away all you want, but we both know you'll be back. And he's like, whatever, not gonna happen, too little too late, BUT he pauses just the tiniest bit and shakes his head, supressing a smile as he walks away. He is always, always impressed by her tenacity, her complete and utter heartlessness, her child-like nature. He doesn't want to come back. He doesn't want to be caught up in her drama. But... He's comin back. And we, the readers, know it. And we love it!

Scarlett+Rhett 4ever! xoxo Jenny

What's on my desk

I keep a bunch of writing books in a basket on my desk that I consider my "reference materials." Some of them I open when I need to answer a question, some when I need inspiration, and some when I just want to read something fun for a few minutes to take a break from whatever I'm working on. Here's an incomplete list of what I have on my desk right now:

When I need inspiration to keep writing:
Bird By Bird, Anna Lamott
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom, edited by Leonard Marcus

When I need information or to answer a question:
Guerrilla Marketing for Writers, Jay Conrad Levinson
A Grammar Book for You and I, C. Edward Good
Publicize Your Book, Jacqueline Deval
So You Want to Write A Novel, Lou Willett Stanek
Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style

When I need a break and want to read something ABOUT writing:
The Forest for the Trees, Betsy Lerner
The Spirit of Writing, edited by Mark Robert Waldman
Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg


Any recommendations on what I should add to my collection? Especially the inspiring part?

*caroline hickey

QoW: A Nosy Reader

Question of the Week: What is one thing you would change about a book you love?

This one is a little tough for me. If I love a book, that usually means I think it’s pretty close to perfect. But as I thought about it, I realized the things I might change have more to do with me being a nosy reader than the books having any shortcoming.

For example, I adored THEY NEVER CAME HOME by Lois Duncan. I remember reading it for the first time, so gripped by the story I could barely remember to eat as I stormed through it. I still reread it almost yearly and it is soooo satisfying. But (spoiler here) even though the end is absolutely perfect, there’s this little part of me that wants to see the scene when Dan comes home, to see Frank and their mom when they realize he’s still alive. Duncan is so smart to leave that up to your imagination, yet I have to admit I’d have loved to have seen that last thing.

And then there’s A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT by Madeleine L'Engle. One of my all-time favorites and again the end is perfect (another spoiler) but there is this part of me that wants Adam to say something so we know for sure that even though they’re young, Adam and Vicky are going to be together forever. L’Engle is of course smart not to do this- it would be over the top and in the world she’s created in the story we definitely don’t need it. And yet there’s this part of me that kind of wants it, just to know for sure.

I guess you could say both these books, and the others I think if in this way, show me that I am in fact an imperfect reader. But in a way maybe that’s one of the goals of a really terrific book, to have it linger in your mind as you envision those last moments.

The Astrid Lindgren Award

Publishers Lunch reported today that the 2007 winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for Literature went to Banco del Libro, or the Book Bank. This nonprofit Venezuelan network has been distributing children's books in Venezuela since 1960.

The award (the largest in all of children's literature!), includes a cash prize of $710,000. It was established by the Swedish government in 2002 to honor the passing of Ms. Lindgren.

Some of you may remember that last year's winner of the award was the marvelous Katherine Paterson, of Bridge to Terabithia fame.

Here's an article with more details.

A moment of silence please as we remember the great Astrid Lindgren, creator of our namesake, Miss Pippi Longstocking. May she be enjoying pancakes with her monkey and mopping the floor with sponges on her feet, wherever she is.


*caroline hickey

I'm a little bit in love with Cosi right now

Okay, so you all know (or probably know) that I am one of those write-at-Starbucks types. It got so crazy that I literally felt like the Starbucks at 98th and Broadway was my office. But right now, I'm at a Cosi at 76th and Broadway, sitting right by the front window on a comfy chair with a big wooden table. I'm loving it. Counting Crows' Long December is playing, and I'm sipping a large iced tea, and okay, this Cosi has free WiFi. Now I know I leave my apartment to get away from the internet, but right now it's so nice to be able to check my email and write this blog post on a mini writing break.

Until one or more of us Longstockings open up a coffee shop/writers room, I'll be spending some time at Cosi typing away!

Feel free to come and join me!
Lisa GW

The Technologically Challenged Longstocking

Last week we wrote about jealousy in writing and since we’re all coming clean on the issue, I figure I can be honest about how jealous I am of my fellow Longstockings’ techno-wizardry. I didn’t know my phone could text message until it beeped one day because Lisa GW had sent me a message (you don’t want to know how long it took me to respond.) I could never have set up my myspace page without a patient Coe talking me through the steps. And I wouldn’t even be able to put up this blog entry if Lisa Graff hadn’t taken time out of her busy life to coach me through my first post. It goes without saying none of them ever made me feel like the techno-dork I am. Jenny and Siobhan can post videos on their blogs (how is this possible??) and Kathryne talks about power point like it’s dialing up a phone. And don’t even get me started on the skills of Caroline, who contiually tweaks and improves this blog.

I felt like I was the only one out there struggling with the basics of technology but then I saw this: (it’s in Norwegian but there are English sub-titles on the top)
http://www.devilducky.com/media/57946/
I swear this has to be how people see me but it’s so funny I don’t even care.
(and yeah, it would be better if I could have the video right here instead of just the link but I’m writing this too late to call Jenny or Siobhan!)

##daphne

Why are all the cool kids sitting together in the cafeteria?

There's a lot of hullabaloo going on over at Fuse over Monica Edinger's recent blog post about exclusivity in children's literature.
There's been a lot of talk about people feeling left out and also what a blog should be about.

I encourage you guys, and the Longstockings especially to check out the conversation and put in your two cents. Here's what I said over at Fuses's house:

"I'm gonna jump in the fray and respond to a few of the comments made here. I think that people should blog about whatever they want to blog about-- if you want to be fluffy, be fluffy. If you don't like fluffy, don't read fluffy. I personally like fluffy, am fluffy, and enjoy reading fluffy. But that's just me. I think people should first and foremost blog for themselves and let the rest of it figure itself out.

I also think that as far as real world jobs go, the kiddie lit industry is incredibly welcoming and gracious, by nature almost. But the thing is, it is a business. Not everybody is going to be invited to everything, and you (including me) have every right to feel lousy about it, but that doesn't make you (or me) necesaarily entitled to be invited or included. With all the warm fuzzies and awards and cuddles, I think it's easy to forget that (and I hate to say it, but I will) sometimes, it's not personal, it's business. Which sucks, but I think it's true. Just my two cents-- I represent only myself, not the Longstockings!! : )"

ta-da, Shug!

For those of you who haven't seen it, here is the new cover for Shug's paperback edition! Cute, ain't it? It's coming out this fall, wheee!

QoW: Ridin' the Wave

Question of the Week: How do you deal with jealousy in your writing life? Any advice?

A couple of months ago, an established writer who is well-known to all of us Longstockings asked me, "Aren't the other girls in the group jealous of you?"

"Of me? Of course not!" I responded.

My immediate thought was that this person was trying to drive a wedge between us. You know, plant little seeds that would get us all to resent and hate one another. Or make us all jealous of each other's success.

And that is so not cool with me.

Jealousy is natural and inevitable. For me, when I feel jealous it often comes with no rational thought at all. Like when Jenny was the first one in the class to sell her book. Yeah, I felt jealous. I wanted some big-time editor to tell me my book was worth acquiring, too. Of course I hadn't actually written anything at that point. But there were a few minutes there where that really didn't matter. I was jealous anyway.

And I'm not even going to talk about Lisa Graff's TWO-BOOK DEAL... (That made my brown eyes GREEN for a while!)

Then I got over it. And got happy for them!

But it never occurred to me that someone would feel jealous of me! Yeah, TYRELL has gotten a lot of attention, but all I did was write the book. I'm not responsible for it being reviewed in The New York Times or anywhere else for that matter. All of that is just luck anyway. Way better books than mine have never been reviewed there, and way worse books have, right?

I hope that as a group we won't allow people (like the above-mentioned writer) to succeed in breaking up our friendship. A writing career is a wave, and it's nice riding it together. And, really, it's a lot of fun watching everyone take a turn in the spotlight as her book is released. Lisa Graff is in it now. Caroline is coming up next. Then in 2008 we have Daphne and Siobhan to cheer on, as well as book #2 from Lisa Graff, Caroline, and me.

And I'm so looking forward to getting good news from Lisa GW and Kathryne and celebrating with them every step of the way!

Jealousy has ruined many a friendship, especially among people in the same industry. I'd just like to prove 'em all wrong!!!
~~Coe

Interview: who me?!

Hey, come check out this month's issue of Edge of the Forest! I'm this month's featured blogging writer, interviewed by the oh-so-luscious Little Will. Yeah, baby.

xoxo Jenny

The Edge of the Forest

The Office of My Dreams

today, i stumbled across SEE JANE WORK, a retailer of all things girly, office-y and cool. granted, i was supposed to be working, but whatever.

get off my back.

aaaanyway, since my WIP is giving me all kinds of grief, i made a wish list of supplies for my DREAM OFFICE, where writing is easy and fun and i can totally figure out what happens in chapter two!

i'll wrap these Russel+Hazel patterned rubber bands around my thick, juicy, completed manuscript

some polka dot Caspari file folders can catalog all my glowing reviews and fan mail. i'll need many.



i like these Kate Spade pencils (but i won't need the red ones, obviously)



these pretty Jill Smith notepads are super long for all my paid school visits and book store signings



and these Gloss folios should certainly be able to tote around the movie script of my novel.
life shall imitate art, and james franco will play the love interest and then fall for me backstage betty style.

*sigh*

a girl can dream, can't she?

-=siobhan=-

trains, planes, and a bookstore near you...

I'm a-goin' on tour!!!

THE PUSH TOUR
Four Scholastic PUSH authors and our dynamic editor David Levithan are hittin' the road, Jack. We're starting in New York City on Sunday and finishing up in Aventura, Florida next Saturday. Our days will be spent making school visits. And in the evenings we will be reading and signing books at bookstores.

Along the way, we will be traveling by train and plane. (But secretly I wish Scholastic would have sprung for a tour bus with all of the rock star amenities. And with our book covers painted on the outside, of course.

Now how cool would that have been?

Okay, back to reality...

Who's Going:
Kevin Brooks (BEING)
Thu Huong Ha (HAIL CAESAR)
Drew Lerman (MAGIC CITY)
and moi! (TYRELL)


Where We'll Be:
Sunday, March 18
1:00 p.m.
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York City


Monday, March 19
4:00 p.m.
New York Public Library
Donnell Library Center
20 W. 53rd Street (bet. 5th and 6th Ave)
New York City


Tuesday, March 20
4:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Tysons Corner Center
7851 L Tysons Corner Center
McLean, VA 22102

7:00 p.m.
Books-A-Million
11620 Plaza American Drive
Reston, VA 20190


Wednesday, March 21 (MY BIRTHDAY!!!)
7:00 p.m.
Olsson’s Courthouse
2111 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201


Thursday, March 22
7:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Main Street at Exton
301 Main Street
Exton, PA 19341


Friday, March 23
6:30 p.m.
Borders
12171 West Sunrise Blvd
Plantation, FL 33323


Saturday, March 24
12:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Kendall Village West
12405 North Kendall Drive
Miami, FL 33186

4:00 p.m.
Borders
19925 Biscayne Blvd
Aventura, FL 33180

Yes, the week will be packed with events. I'm hoping to meet lots o' readers, so please come on out if we're coming to a town near you! I'm (pretty) sure you'll have a good time!

~~Coe

QoW: Saying 'booga booga' to the green-eyed monster

Question of the Week: How do you deal with jealousy in your writing life? Any advice?

Frankly, I am totally jealous of Kathryne's post because, well, it rocked. How am I going to come up with anything new and insightful to say after that???

This morning I thought it would be cool if I could write a poem about jealousy. "Yeah," I thought, clearly still half asleep, "that would be awesome." Unfortunately, this is as far as I got with that:

Jealousy
If we called you 'jeesaly'
I could rhyme you more easily.

...And this is why I do not, on a regular basis, write poetry.

Let's hear it from someone a little more brilliant:

O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger.
--some dude named Shakespeare

Well put, Mr. Shakespeare. So how do you deal with it, then, this cuckolding monster thing? Here's a few things I've found that help me:

1. Knowing that it happens to everyone
(By "it" I of course mean jealousy, and not multi-million dollar book deals. Because that totally doesn't happen to everyone.) For me, part of the awfulness that comes with jealousy is feeling guilty for desiring something I don't have. So then not only am I upset that I don't have a gazilliondy dollars or whatever, I feel bad about it too. Knowing that other people also want that gazilliondy dollars cuts out that second part and makes me feel a little calmer.

2. Realizing that sometimes you aren't so jealous after all
So say a writer, whom I will very creatively call Mr. Author Man, sells film rights to his book, which is going to be made into some huge blockbuster action hit staring Keanu Reeves. Who's gonna be jealous? That would be me. Especially if me and Mr. Author Man are, like, BFF. I'm gonna be green . And that's probably gonna last me a few weeks. But then eventually I will come to realize that, well, why the heck am I so jealous about that? Sure, it's a cool thing to have happen, but would it make sense for me? Would my book actually work as an action flick starring Keanu Reeves? Um, no. (Not that Keanu doesn't have the acting chops to pull off the role of Georgie -- I'm just saying I don't exactly see it...) Knowing that what makes sense for one person's career/life/happiness doesn't always makes sense for me helps me a lot. Then I can stop being jealous for Mr. Author Man and start helping him celebrate his good fortune (always much more fun).

3. Remembering your own accomplishments
We've all done some pretty remarkable things on our own, things no one else could ever do. Taking stock of the things I've accomplished and learned over the years helps me remember that I'm a pretty cool gal too, even without a gazilliondy dollars and a movie deal (and the ability to write cool poems about jealousy...)


*And, yes, I realize this monster doesn't technically have green eyes. You can't have everything, people.

~lisa graff~

QoW: The Underacheiver

Question of the Week: How do you deal with jealousy in your writing life? Any advice?

You want to hear about jealousy? Come dish with me for a while; I know all about it. I'm the last Longstocking without an agent. Hell, I'm the last Longstocking without a decent draft. I wonder on a regular basis why these brilliant, successful writers let me be in their group. But, being one of them gives me strength I draw on every time I sit down to my manuscript.

Lisa, Daphne, and Jenny have covered the nature of this jealousy: how none of us wishes any less success for our colleagues, just more for ourselves. So I'll jump to the advice part: What Jealousy Has Done for Me.

For a while there, I couldn't open my work in progress without choking on my friends' successes. I'd look at everything I'd written, and I'd realize how far I had to go, and I'd think "man, why even bother? Four of my friends who started their books when I started this one have sold theirs--I mean, Coe and I started our books at the same time, and she just got that fantastic TImes review--while I've barely made any progress. Besides, even if I finish it, who knows if it'll ever get published, anyway? You know, there's a lot of time and risk from writing these thousand words to seeing this book in print. I should just go find a real job." (This, by the way, is why writers drink.)

It has taken a lot of mental effort, but I've learned to turn that around. It helps that I've gone through a lot with my Longstockings: I remember vividly the books before they were sold, I know how much went into writing them: how many drafts, how many Saturdays. How much waiting, how much rejection. I know how much their processes were just like mine.

I don't have my own experience of writerly success, but I do have theirs, and I find I can feed off of that. Now, when I start to get frustrated, I focus on my friends' successes in a whole different way. Instead of "it happened for her already, so I'm too late, it'll never happen for me," I think, "I'm working really hard, the way I saw her work really hard, and I know that if it happened for her it can happen for me, too."

--Kathryne B. Alfred

Writers at Starbucks courtesy of The Family Guy

I couldn't resist posting this.

xo
Lisa GW

Qow: Upsides of Jealousy

Question of the Week: How do you deal with jealousy in your writing life? Any advice?
I truly wish I could be above jealousy, never comparing myself to other people and simply feeling happiness for those around me with greater success, wealth, etc. But since I totally can’t, I figured I could try to find an upside to jealousy for this post. In small doses jealousy can be decent motivation and it can also press you to make changes in your life that might otherwise have felt too scary. But I realized the best upside I could find was the role jealousy plays in some of my favorite books:

In A BARGAIN FOR FRANCES Frances goes over to play with her friend Thelma and as she’s leaving, her mom reminds her that Thelma is often a selfish little thing and to be careful. But Frances disregards her mom’s advice (always a bad idea) and ends up getting swindled out of the blue china tea set she wants. Boo. But does Frances sulk and accept the fact that she got stuck with the sucky red tea set? No she does not. Frances devises a trap that selfish Thelma falls right into. Frances gets her tea set, Thelma learns a lesson and they are still friends. Awesome story, right?

THE BOYFRIEND LIST chronicles the most toxic story of jealousy I’ve ever read. Roo’s best friend Kim manages to turn the entire school against Roo and steals her boyfriend to boot. Horrible, yes, but a super compelling book.

Ramona Quimby often covets things: her older sister’s freedom, Susan’s boing-boing curls, a part in the Sunday School play, etc. I love how Cleary writes these scenes- as I read I start longing for boing-boing curls of my own. Ramona’s coveting often lands her in a jam, but she learns something worthwhile from it and comes out a wiser little girl, losing none of her spunk along the way. Which is as it should be.

The scariest story of jealousy I’ve read is in STRANGER WITH MY FACE by Lois Duncan. Laurie is happily living her life with her family when she starts seeing ghostly images of herself. Turns out Laurie was adopted and she had a twin, Lia, who stayed with their birth mother. Lia visit Laurie through astrial projection, getting her soul to leave her body. Lia comes off as all friendly, telling Laurie about their birth mom and teaching her about astrial projection, but Lia neglects to mention that she is an evil psycho with her body locked up in a loony bin. Laurie finds out when she projects out of her own body and comes back to find that jealous Lia has taken over, stealing Laurie’s body from her. It all works out in the end but there are some dark times for Laurie while she’s just a wisp hovering on the edges her life.

So I guess the bottom line is that while jealousy is a sucky thing to feel, it can make for a terrific story.

#daphne

QoW: Gimme gimme gimme!

Question of the Week: How do you deal with jealousy in your writing life? Any advice?

Do you guys remember that Berenstain Bears book, Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies? It was where Brother and Sister Bear turned into total brats and were like, gimme gimme gimme every time Mama and Papa Bear took them to the grocery store. They'd fall to the floor and throw fits. Like, gimme that Chocobar, gimme those gumballs. And the other customers were looking at Mama and Papa like, who raised those a-holes? I loved that one.

As an author, it's hard not to have a case of the gimmies, like 24/7. The problem is, we've been hardwired to believe that we're entitled to certain things like you know, a cross-country tour at 4 star hotels, a full color 2page spread in the catalogue, a big splashy party by the pool at the Gansevoort Hotel, etc etc etc. Oh, was that just me? Gimme gimme gimme! I'm kidding. The truth is, we all want the good stuff (like hello, being on Oprah!) but we're not all gonna get it. No way, no how. Jenna Bush is probably gonna get it. Jamie Lee Curtis, maybe. But the regular Joe Schmoe, I doubt it. And not every book SHOULD get that stuff, in my opinion. I mean, you only get but so much of a budget for your book, and the publisher has to figure out how best to spend that money. That's their job, and you trusted them enough to sell them your book, so you've gotta trust them with the rest of it, too? Right? Right. Jenna Bush SHOULD get a rooftop party because Vanity Fair and Page Six and Us Weekly and InStyle will cover it and she'll get tons of exposure, all decked out in her Roberto Cavalli dress and stilettos. It will be an investment. But if I had a party like that, ain't nobody gonna care and it surely won't be in Us Weekly.

But it's a lot easier to look at a celebrity author and scoff and talk about how they suck anyway and they totally don't deserve those things. It's a different story when your friends are writers too, and you know they DO deserve those things, and you're happy for them, but hey, you still want them for yourself too. The Longstockings are all writers, all hoping and wishing for the same things, and it's nice to have each other to celebrate with, to bitch to, to just dish with. When we meet, we have a time where we share good and bad stuff that's going on, and that's nice to have. I think that we all wish we could have things other people get (hello, Coe, I'm talking to you with your NY Times review!! xoxo) but that we also have to recognize that maybe we're not all suited for the same things, and that's okay. You have to be happy with what you do get, too, and not be all gimme gimme gimme, because that's just ungrateful, and who raised that a-hole anyway? (Shout out to Samantha, my favorite ex-publicist, I was totally happy to get Entertainment Weekly! I'm grateful! I'm not Sister Bear, I swear! xoxo)

love and peace, jenny

About a Book

Just read this tidbit from PW Daily:

Bestselling author Nick Hornby is writing his first young adult novel, for his longtime publisher Penguin. Slam, about a boy who survives a teenage crush by hashing out the pangs of love with his idol Tony Hawk (or at least a one-dimensional version of the star, via a poster), will be released by the Penguin Young Readers Group in October. Riverhead (which regularly publishes Hornby's adult fiction) and Penguin Young Readers will follow, in 2008, with simultaneous paperback editions.

I hope this rocks. I love me some Nick Hornby.

QoW: Hey Jealousy (I used to love that song.)

Question of the Week: How do you deal with jealousy in your writing-life? Any advice?

Dictionary.com defines jealousy as:

1. jealous resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself.
2. mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims.

3. vigilance in maintaining or guarding something.

4. a jealous feeling, disposition, state, or mood.

For me, jealousy isn't really a feeling of resentment, or anger, or uneasiness about the other person's success. It's more a feeling of, "wait, I want that too. I'm so happy ______ is having all of that success, and I'd never want that to change, but I want it too!" The thing is, I want every one of my friends to win a Newbery or a Printz or a L.A. Times Book Award. I want all of them to sell a million copies, and be on the Ellen Degeneres Show, and have boxes of fan mail to open every day. But, I want all of that too! I want us all to have the success!

But that doesn't mean that I don't worry or stress or compare. I'm really miserable when I feel like I'm not accomplishing what I want to accomplish. And maybe that's because I'm comparing myself to others, and where they are in their career, but it's mostly because I'm comparing myself to myself, and where I want to be.

In Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, she offers many wonderful quotes about writing and jealousy, and how they often go hand in hand. One of my favorites is: "Jealousy is one of the occupational hazards of being a writer, and the most degrading." She's right. It's a terrible, horrible, miserable feeling because we don't want to feel it. We don't want to compare ourselves to other writers. We don't want to think, "oh she has all that and why don't I? And what's wrong with me?" But, it happens.

If I could offer any advice on this, it'd be that we're all going to experience these feelings. It's inevitable. We can't beat ourselves up for feeling it, and also, we can't dwell on it. We can't let the feelings define our lives, define our writing. We have to feel happy and content with each bit of our success, however small it may seem to us at the time. And we have to have faith in ourselves, and our writing, no matter what.

*Lisa GW*

Say Cheese

I'm having my author photo snapped tomorrow. I am freaking out about it. Why? I was just reading in Publisher's Weekly that a fan wrote to Sarah Dessen and told her that she plucked her eyebrows too much. Yikes.

Of course, I'm hoping that I look cute for my photo, but more than that...I want to look like me. I want whomever looks at the photo to get a sense of my personality. Asking too much? I guess I'll know soon enough!

Anyhow, I thought I'd post a few author photos I like and why. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to come out looking as good as these ladies.

JODI LYNN ANDERSON

i think this is my absolute favorite author photo! jodi looks so nice and sweet and pretty as a peach. it kind of makes me want to be her best friend. and i love that it's a natural, candid shot. i'm definitely going to try for something like this.

MISS JENNY HAN

ain't she the cutest? i love the colors jenny has going on in her photo. and her personality shines through this fun, playful photo. super cute.

SARAH DESSEN

i'm going to have to disagree with that "fan" because i think sarah looks awesome in this picture. again, so good with the friendly and the smiley.

CECIL CASTELLUCCI

how awesome does c look in this shot? i mean, talk about personality! she's sassy, she's friendly, she's looking all around fierce! two thumbs up!

any author photos you guys especially like? i'd love to check them out!

-=siobhan=-

YA: So Easy The President's Daughter Can Do It

The Longstockings have yet to weigh on it this somewhat disturbing announcement that Jenna Bush has sold a non-fiction YA to HarperCollins for the handsome sum of $300,000. Note that the deal was JUST ANNOUNCED and the book will be out THIS FALL. When was this book written? The normal sale-to-shelf timeline for a YA book is 18 months, not 6. And this is non-fiction, which is often sold on proposal, not a complete manuscript.

Here's Fuse#8's note, which links to a pretty fantastic post from Gaul Gauthier and another from MotherReader.

The kidlit blogosphere is abuzz with discussion about the book -- will it have merit? will it just be another piece of celebrity junk? did Jenna really have the audacity to compare it to The Diary of Anne Frank?

And my burning question, does anyone ACTUALLY believe that Jenna herself will write this book? She's got enough money to hire one heck of a ghost writer. So maybe this book WILL be a bestseller. Yikes.

*caroline hickey

QoW: A bushel and a peck

QoW: Dedicate a Song to a Character or Make a Mix Tape for a Book

Mix Tape, Shmix Tape! This week I've decided to take the QoW one step further, and answer the question that I know you've all been pondering for decades:

If your favorite children's book were turned into a Broadway musical, what would be the signature song?

Here are a few of my faves, and how I think they'd turn out on the big stage...

Shug!*
"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" (Showboat)
Can't you just see a soulful little Annemarie singing her lungs out to this wistful/butt kickin' number? Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly, and Annemarie certainly can't help lovin' that Mark of hers.







Tyrell!
Picture this: The curtains part for the opening number, and we see a makeshift bus with a spotlight directing us to Tyrell, Troy, and Moms sitting center stage. They are heading, with a gaggle of others, to the infamously horrible Bennett Motel. And what song do they burst out singing? That would be "Hard-Knock Life" from Annie (of course). Cotton blankets, stead of wool? Empty Bellies, stead of full? Tell me that's not Tyrell all over.




Katherines!
For this musical I see something a little quieter. Colin's obsession with Katherine XIV isn't quite love, it's more an infatuation, Henry Higgins-Liza Dolittle style. So I think a nice rendition of "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" from My Fair Lady would be just perfect.

I've grown accustomed to the trace
Of something in the air;
Accustomed to her face.

I think that sums up mournful Colin the Genius to a tee.

Fly By Night!
"Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man
Tell me Eponymous Clent isn't the Harold Hill of children's literature. You just try. (Also, I think it would be fun to try and rhyme "Trouble in Mandelion" with things...)







The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle!
My first instinct was to go with "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" from Guys and Dolls, but I think a better choice might be the slightly subtler "Two Lost Souls" from Damn Yankees. A perfect duet for Charlotte and Zachariah, no?

Two lost ships on a stormy sea
One with no sails and one with no rudder

Mix that up with some Bob Fosse dancing and you'd have a show-stopper for sure.

But the best children's book-turned-musical I could think of was most definitely...

Holes!
The title song? (Sing it to the tune of "Fame")
Holes!
I'm gonna dig forever...

~lisa graff~

*For some reason I am of the belief that the best musicals have exclamation marks at the end, ala Oliver! Extra points if the title's only one word long.

did you know this could happen?

Okay, I'm going to be vague here...

I was having lunch with a teen-writer friend the other day. His new book was recently released to great reviews. (It's a fantastic book; I wish I could reveal his name so I can adequately promote it here!) Also, his first book was published last year and is still selling very well.

Anyway, this writer was a little "down in the dumps" because a certain large bookstore chain has REFUSED TO SELL HIS BOOK.

Why?

Too much violence? Too much gratuitous sexual content? Too many four-letter words?

Nah.

So why won't this unnamed bookseller stock this title in any of their NUMEROUS stores?

Simple. They don't like the book cover, that's why!

Again, I wish I could show you the book because you would see how appealing the cover is, how inviting, especially to the teen audience it was designed for. But some sales representatives somewhere decided the cover is not "enticing" enough and, therefore, not worth stocking on the shelves. Of course, the book can be "special ordered," but doesn't that remove a large chunk of sales that would have been otherwise generated by the "browsing public?"

I know. The argument could be made that a bookstore has the right to sell whatever book it chooses. True enough. But did you all know that a few people can make this kind of decision, one that can severely affect the life and success of a book? Shouldn't a book be given the right to sink or swim on its own merit? And, more importantly, should a book cover be the determining factor for refusing to carry a book nationwide? (Why not order a few books per store and see how they sell before taking such a drastic action?)

It just seems like such a shame that this book is not being given a fair chance.

Am I the only one who never knew this could happen?

~Coe~

QoW: Teach Me

QoW: Dedicate a Song to a Character or Make a Mix Tape for a Book

Did I mention to you all that I just started a new job? I'm teaching English at a private high school here in Manhattan.

Of course, whenever I start anything new I re-read all my favorite kids' books about it, and teaching is no different. So for the past couple of weeks, I've been reading the canon of the greatest English teacher ever, Ms. Paula Danziger.

Paula Danziger wrote two books, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit and There's a Bat in Bunk Five, featuring Ms. Barbara Finney. Ms. Finney uses her grammar and literature lessons to get her students to think about themselves and consider the eternal questions of life. (And she uses her students' desire to think about themselves and consider the eternal questions of life, to get them to learn their grammar and the major works of English literature.)

I would like to dedicate one of my favorite songs to Ms. Finney: I WANT TO KNOW by the Mavericks. Like Ms. Finney's classes, it's full of the questions that really matter. And it's usually grammatically correct.

--Kathryne B. Alfred

QoW: From Guest Blogger, Cecil Castellucci!

QoW: Dedicate a Song to a Character or Make a Mix Tape for a Book

I was thinking long about how characters capture a certain mood. And how music is a visceral way to the core of a character. Know what they listen to and you know them.

Jane, from my forthcoming graphic novel The PLAIN Janes (Minx/DC Comics) is a girl in transition. She was involved in a terrible incident in Metro City and is trying to reinvent herself. She's cut off her long blonde hair and dyed it black and her parents have moved her to the suburbs, far away from her beloved Metro City.

Her mix is therefore kind of shoegazer-y and also contemplative. She's thinking about the bigger picture: how fragile life is. How strange innocence is. How the world is large and small. How a weed can be as beautiful as a flower.

Main Jane's iPod Shuffle (Download All The Songs Now on iTunes!)

Aldebert -Carpe Diem

Amazing Pilots - All My Wasted Days

Ana Egge - Straight to My Head

Anthony Hamilton- Ain't Nobody Worryin'

Art Brut- Formed a Band

Belly - Someone To Die For

Ben Lee - Gamble Everything fo r Love

Bill Ricchini - A Cold Wind Will Blow Through Your Door

Bob Dylan - Blowing in the Wind

Broken Social Scene - Puff the Magic Dragon

Buffalo Tom- Tail Lights Fade

Cat Power - Say

Cecil Seaskull - Beautiful Everything

Coco Rosie - tekno love song

The Deathray Davies - Plan to Stay Awake

Dinosaur Jr. - The Post

Elliott Smith - Rose Parade

Explosions In the Sky - Remember Me As a Time of Day

Frank Sinatra Tommy Dorsey - The Sky Fell Down

Howard Jones- No One Is to Blame (Live)

jimmy eat world - for me this is heaven

Joanna Newsom - Sprout and the Bean

Jolie Holland - Nothing To Do But Dream

k.d. lang - Hallelujah

Karate - There Are Ghosts

The Kingdom - I Am Constellation

Laurie Anderson - Walking and Falling

Lavender Diamond- Emptiness Is a Conductor

L7 - Pretend We're Dead

Lisa Germano- Big, Big World

Listing Ship - The Temptation Of Miss Piggy

Madeleine Peyroux - Getting Some Fun Out Of Life

Nouvelle Vague- Guns Of Brixton (The Clash)

Rachel's - To Rest Near To You

Sinéad O'Connor - John I Love You

The Softies - Me and the Bees

They Might Be Giants - I've Got a Match

Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now

The Weekend - Into the Morning

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah - Maps

Cecil Castellucci is the author of BOY PROOF and THE QUEEN OF COOL, which are two totally rockin YA novels.

She has two new books coming out this May. The first is THE PLAIN JANES, which is the debut title on DC Comics' new MINX line of graphic novels for teen girls. The second is BEIGE, a story about a buttoned-up girl with an aging punk rock father.

You can visit Miss Cecil at her website or on Myspace, where she always has good music playing...and sometimes it's her own!

Thanks so much for posting, Cecil! You are my #1 rock aficionado. I can't wait until my copies of JANES and BEIGE arrive.

QoW: Girl, put your records on

QoW: Dedicate a song to a character or make a mix-tape for a book.

So don't think I'm a total narcissist or anything, but I made a mix tape for Shug. Because, well, I love making mix tapes, there's no book I know better than my own (besides, like, Flowers in the Attic or something) AND I can totally cut and paste and stick this on my own website and pretend like I wrote some new content especially for it! Two birds with one stone, baby. Now, the way I've set this up is by important scenes. Just picture the music drifting up from the pages, like in a movie.

1. I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good by Nina Simone... Annemarie and Mark are lying in the grass eating popsicles, cue voiceover to Annemarie. And so it begins!

2. Passing Me By by Pharcyde... Annemarie and Elaine spot the boys downtown and have their first "date" at the movies

3. Edge of the Ocean by Ivy... Annemarie comes up for air after her big dive at Sherilyn's pool party.

4. Come Sail Away by Styx... This is what Annemarie is listening to on her headphones whenever her parents fight. This song plays frequently.

5. I Never by Rilo Kiley... Annemarie mooning over Mark, on repeat.

6. Hypnotize by B.I.G... at the dance. The cool girls are droppin it like it's hot. (But they are so not.)

7. Cool by Gwen Stefani... Mark and Annemarie's slow-dance song

8. Highschool Lover by Air... When Mark says that terrible thing

9. Pictures of You by The Cure... Annemarie mooning over Mark after the big dance incident

10. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and Shondells...Annemarie, post-kiss, as she watches Him walk away.

11. These Days by Nico... and, you're done! Book's over! Thanks for reading/listening!

xoxo jenny

Five Picture Books to Get Started

My best friend is having a baby in a few weeks and I am on a buying spree. They live in Australia so Aunt Daphne isn’t going to be getting a lot of face time with this kiddo and thus supreme gifts are of utmost importance. Cute toys and clothes are great but what I’m really concerned about is getting things off on the right foot book-wise. Now his mom is an English teacher so she’s definitely on top of the book thing, especially once the kid hits jr. high. But I now fancy myself an expert in kid books so I take my book buying extremely seriously. My first overseas package will contain five books and after much thought, these are the ones that have made my final cut:

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig This is a no-brainer for me, since (as I said in a post a few weeks ago) it was my fav as a kid. Great pics, great story, great message- all the things I’m looking to give my new nephew.

The Family Book by Todd Parr To be honest I don’t think you could go wrong with any Todd Parr book- my own kids have his entire library on their book shelf. I’m totally into his basic story telling style that cuts to essentials, and I adore his illustrations- what I particularly love about them, aside from how fun and lively they are, is that his people come in all colors: blue, red, orange, etc. It’s like a subtle message to kids: people come in different shades and that’s pretty cool. This is a message I like a lot.

Hippos Go Berserk by Sandra Boynton I love me some Boynton and this book has it all: hippos, whimsy, drama, travel, tension, a huge party and even some math thrown in.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst Because we all have days like this. And because Alexander wants to move to Australia and my new nephew is already there which I think will put a fun twist on this one. Also because this book cracks me up every time I read it.

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss As a kid this was about the most satisfying book ever and as an adult I find it really touching. Plus the illustrations rule.

So there they are- the top five to start off with. And now my question to you: what should be book #6 to start off my next big care package right?

=daphne

Come see me!

This week, I officially launch myself onto the world as an Author (with a big A, baby!). I have two appearances scheduled:

*Girls Write Now Night, Thursday, March 8th
I'll be reading from my debut novel Cassie Was Here, along with other guest readers, and some mentor/mentee pair readers from the excellent NYC mentoring program, Girls Write Now (of which I am a former mentor). We'll be at The New School, 66 W. 12th Street, room 510.

*6th Annual Teacher's Network Conference, Saturday, March 17th
I'll be participating in "Lunch with an Author" where I'll do a reading and talk with teachers about my book and others. Should be awesome! Open to conference attendees only.

If you're in the West Village on Thursday night, stop by the GWN reading!

*caroline hickey

Check it out now

Checked out of the library last week:

Lightning Thief -- which P.S. I read yesterday and loved!
Just Listen -- I read it last week and loved!
Al Capone Does My Shirts -- haven't read it yet!
Book Thief -- ditto
Great and Terrible Beauty -- loved!
Kiki Strike -- loved!

Last week, I got to book talk some books, and I chose So B. It, Just Listen, Dairy Queen, and Kiki Strike. A lot of the girls had already read So B. It, but so far no takers for Dairy Queen. Wah. Book talking is fun! I love when one the kids picks the book I just talked up. Also, I showed book trailers for Book Thief and Great and Terrible Beaity. That was so cool. Kids are so high tech these days. Me, I just would've had a poster or something. I remember making a poster for To Kill a Mockingbird. Ahh, I was so proud. The good old days of poster paint and collage. Power Point can suck it!

xoxo jenny

QoW: Rock Out To IKOAFS

QoW: Dedicate a Song to a Character or Make a Mix Tape for a Book

To capture all the nuances and feelings and ambiance of an entire book with a varied selection of songs was a real challenge, but one that me and my iTunes were definitely up for. This mix tape is dedicated to Craig Gilner, the main character in Ned Vizzini's IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY.

*WARNING* potential plot spoilers ahead!

1. Suspended From Class - CAMERA OBSCURA
At the beginning of the book, Craig's all freaked out over school. A poignant lyric like "I don't know my elbow from my ass" made this a great first song choice and immediately sets the tone of what's to come.

2. My Best Friend's Girl - THE CARS
Along with all the pressure Craig's feeling, he also happens to have a big crush on his best friend Aaron's girl, Nia. She's bad news.

3. Under Pressure - QUEEN
Executive Pre-Professional High School becomes a bit too much for Craiggy, and he's got to check himself in to the hospital.

4. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side - SMITHS
This little diddy is the song I chose for Craig starting to discover what the heck is wrong with him. Morrissey is realllllly good at singing about things that are wrong with boys.

5. Think I'm In Love - BECK
Craig meets a new girly on Six North named Noelle and he's crushing bad. But is a mental hospital an appropriate place to hook up?

6. Toxic Girl - KINGS OF CONVENIENCE
Uh-oh! Nia's back and looking for love in all the wrong places! Be careful, Craig!

7. The Fairest of the Seasons - NICO
Craig finally come to terms with what he has to do to leave the hospital.

8. The Good Life - WEEZER
And he's ready to start living, baby!

9. Madness (is All in the Mind) - MADNESS
Cause, isn't it really?

-=siobhan=-

Even more good news for Coe Booth!

TYRELL was nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize!

Congratulations, Coe!!!!

Coe and Jenny are on the list!

TYRELL and SHUG made the The CCBC CHOICES 2007 list.

Check it out!

Moving on up!

I am very pleased to tell you all that earlier this week I got myself a promotion. That's right, I went from Editorial Assistant to Assistant Editor. And while to many people this sounds like the exact same job, it is actually much much cooler. For one thing, it means that I will one day get to find, edit, and work on projects of my very own. Yahoo! Cheers everywhere! So I am, of course, very excited about that. Lisa Graff, writer-slash-editor takes on the world!

To celebrate my entry into the world of awesomeness, I decided to finally join the new millennium and buy myself an iPod. I got a wee little green iPod nano, that is so freakin' cute I can't hardly stand it. It sort of reminds me of Robin the Frog (remember him? Kermit's nephew?). My only problem now is that, with my new busy life and all, I haven't had three seconds to find cool songs to download, so I've been listening to the same lame CD over and over... Anyone got any suggestions for super-awesome songs to go with my new super-awesome job???

~lisa graff~

QoW: Typing and Rock, A Match Made In Heaven

Question of the week: What are some non-writing related influences on your work?

I am totally obsessed with music and it is one of the biggest influences on my writing.

In my undergraduate screenwriting program, the professors would instruct us to fill huge binders full of character back story that would never see the light of day. It was simply for our own benefit, so we could know exactly how and why our characters would react to certain situations. I struggled with inventing histories for my characters, because it always felt phony, manipulative and forced.

So I started making up playlists of songs that I felt my character would respond to--either favorably or negatively. Love songs, songs to rock out to, sad shoe-gazer songs, etc. It was magical, how I would get an instant take on exactly who my character was. Now, in addition to character playlists, I also make playlists to capture the mood and ambiance of specific scenes I have to write.

Now that I am beginning my first draft of my new WIP (and have only the vaguest idea of who my new main character is), I've decided that for the first couple of chapters I can only write while listening to the entire Beat Happening catalog. Beat Happening is a lo-fi band from the early 80's that some say pioneered the indie rock movement. Anyhow, the songs are all playful, sweet, immature and also a little bit dark...just like how I see my new protagonist.

Review: Long Live the King and Queen of Attolia

I just finished Meg Whalen Turner’s spectacular Attolia books- The Thief, The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia- and all I can say is that I really hope book 4 is on the way.

The books are set against the backdrop of three cities: Sounis, Attolia and Ettis. Although there are whiffs of ancient Greece in some of the details, this is a fictional world that the reader is immediately sucked into. The stories center on Eugenides and his adventures with a terrific cast of well fleshed out characters. I think what I like best is the plot turns that Whalen crafts so well I never see them coming and am amazed and delighted when they hit. They never feel like devices but part of an intricate and supremely well told story. And that’s all I can say in the non-spoiler section of the review which is officially over- don’t read on unless you’re read the books or don’t mind knowing the big surprise of one of the books.

Spoiler section: I’m not sure there’s another couple in kid lit that I like this much. Irene and Gen are so well matched- I just drink up their scenes together. And they have some real heat! Such a strong woman with a guy who appreciates and supports her is a joy to read. And two people who are willful, stubborn yet making the relationship work is great to see. Major two thumbs up on the love story part of these books!

Final rating: two major thumbs up!

**daphne

Happy 50th, Mr. Hat!

That's right, our good friend The Cat in the Hat is 50 years old today. Happy birthday, sir! You wear your age well.

For a fascinating look at the origins of The Cat, as well as what this fine fine book has meant to children's literature, check out this awesome NPR article.

Here's a snippet:

Dr. Seuss had been a fairly successful children's book author up until then, though he was not yet a household name. He thought it would be easy to write the book Spaulding wanted, and expected to dash it off in no time. It took him a year and a half. Seuss underestimated how hard it would be to write a book using just over 200 words, Nel says.

"Seuss was used to inventing words when he needed them, so to stick to a word list was a huge challenge for him," Nel says. "And, in fact, his favorite story about the creation of The Cat in the Hat is that it was born out of his frustration with the word list. He said he would come up with an idea, but then he would have no way to express that idea. So he said...: 'I read the list three times and almost went out of my head. I said I'll read it once more and if I can find two words that rhyme, that will be my book. I found cat and hat and I said the title will be The Cat in the Hat.'"

And aren't we glad for that? Hats off to you, Dr. Seuss!

~lisa graff~