Category: Books

Links Galore

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A few more links to get through Tuesday:

Next Time, I’m Tessering to New York

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The cover version I had would have also worked on a Trapper Keeper.

If, like me, you were unable to attend the recent celebration of A Wrinkle in Time‘s fiftieth anniversary (did your invitation get lost in the mail, too?), have no fear! You can read all about the evening’s events at Publisher’s Weekly and The Horn Book. It sounds like it was a truly special and exciting event. One moment I liked, from PW:

“[Rebecca] Stead said: “My son made me lunch today.” Then she pointed to Meg as her favorite character in Wrinkle: “[Meg] gave me access to the internal life of a girl like me,” Stead said. She added that it was through Meg’s vulnerability and “self-doubting” that she was able to address her own private feelings that girls don’t always share with one another at that age. Meeting Meg was Stead’s way of “having that conversation.””

This is one of my favorite aspects of A Wrinkle in Time. Meg isn’t the perfect protagonist, ready to save the universe. She’s frustrated with herself and her surroundings; she’s quick to anger; she doesn’t always know how to express herself. But she does save the universe. It can be a huge relief for young readers to know that you don’t have to be perfect to accomplish great tasks.

At Horn Book, Lolly Robinson brings up an interesting point about the book’s lasting appeal:

“What I found most interesting about the panel discussion was the way all of them managed to praise the book’s emotional appeal to kids while hinting that it might not stand up to in-depth critical appraisal. I found this refreshing, and it’s a good lesson for all of us. Nothing will ever sway my devotion to Meg and her family, but it has taken me almost 20 years to get over the feeling of let-down I had when I re-read this book as adult and found it lacking in a literary sense.”

I haven’t reread A Wrinkle in Time in a while, but this makes me wonder if I’d find it lacking as well if I read it now. Part of me thinks I wouldn’t. I don’t remember being blown away by the style initially. What I enjoyed as a reader was the strength of characters, the inclusion of physics and math as natural part of the story, and the excitement of traveling through time and space. (And really, who doesn’t want to travel through time and space? This is part of why I now watchDoctor Who!) I don’t think I’d put it to a real, critical test, but I’d hope that I could walk away with a similar kind of satisfaction I had when I was young. Even so, I think Robinson is good to point out that no matter what, so many readers are devoted to this book. There’s a great emotional attachment there that’s transcended generation.

Might have to add this classic to my to-read list again!

Books You Haven’t Read

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We’ve all done it: claimed to have read a book/story/poem/etc. we haven’t. At Book Riot, Cassandra Neace talks about literary lying and the corresponding guilt. She describes one particular lie:

“I imagine that I was caught in one of those moments when I was trying to socialize with my fellow students (not something that I excelled at), and when one of them made reference to something Borges had written, I, like everyone else, smiled and nodded. I may have even responded with some complimentary quote from a comparable author.  I met the group’s approval, we became friends, and I have lived a lie ever since.”

I’ve totally been there. Someone mentions a book you feel like you should have read. You nod and hope they don’t ask you for your opinions on it or make you comment on a particular character. And if they do, you pretend you read it a while ago. (“Man, how long ago was tenth grade, am I right?!”) Usually, you’re not caught in the lie.

Still, this idea of literary lying got me thinking about when I was in grad school, and people would mention books by very literary authors. Some of them I’d read, but mostly I couldn’t drum up the same kind of enthusiasm for literary fiction as I could for YA or children’s literature. I could enjoy it and admire it, but I didn’t necessarily want to apply to writing conferences and workshops where the focus was on literary fiction. When I realized that I wanted to spend my time on YA, it was a huge relief. No more pretending my authors didn’t win prizes like the Printz! Fortunately, my program approved of a YA thesis, and I had several other YA/children’s lit-leaning friends in the department as well.

Again, we all have our literary lies, but maybe these lies are telling us something. Maybe you would love Borges if you read him–or maybe not. Maybe there’s a reason you haven’t delved into a certain writer’s work. I’m all for trying different writers and genres, but there’s no reason to feel guilty about books you haven’t read.

Making Readers and Keeping Them

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When I changed schools in fifth grade, the principal asked my parents what I liked to do. They said, “She reads a lot,” and the principal smiled and said, “I could tell.” I was the kid who checked out an armful of books from the library and had a rotating stack of them on my nightstand. It wasn’t all great literature (a glance at the Friday Fifteen would tell you that), but it meant I wasn’t fearful of reading in any way. As a result, I was always a little surprised to hear from friends who weren’t big readers as kids. And these aren’t just people who had trouble in school when they were young. They were bright and talented kids who didn’t find reading that appealing.

So I was interested in a couple of recent blog posts about fostering a child’s love for reading, even if the child in question doesn’t naturally gravitate towards books. The first is by David B. Crowley, who talks about how to spark a child’s interest in books. He suggests making reading time special (I love the idea of reading together in the morning, not just before bed), going to the library, and letting a child get interested in reading things that aren’t books (like manuals). Lots of David’s tips were things my parents did, which I think helped maintain my love of books. A few tips I’d add:

  • Don’t be judgmental of a child’s reading. Maybe The Baby-Sitters Club or Goosebumps isn’t exactly A Wrinkle in Time, but you don’t need to read all the classics all the time to be a good reader.
  • Encourage books as gifts. I love giving/getting books as presents, and it helps foster the idea that books are special.
  • Don’t pit books against the television. Granted, my home was pretty lax in terms of TV rules, but most of the time I wasn’t just watching TV anyway. I’d put on cartoons and then grab a volume of Childcraft to browse through. Making TV totally off-limits can make it more appealing, and as a result reading can seem like a chore.

But what happens when you want an older child or teen to read more? At Co.Exist, Michael Coren looks at the Uprise Books Project, which endeavors to get banned or challenged books in the hands of low-income students. Obviously there are a lot of excellent books that have been banned or challenged, including those by Judy Blume, Sherman Alexie, Chris Crutcher, Toni Morrison, and John Steinbeck. But usually these books are touted with the suggested that kids should read them because they’re classics–while really, these are gritty, real stories that have major potential to connect with teen readers. Justin Stanley, founder of Uprise, says:

“Pushing banned/challenged books provides those kids with a shield to use against that pressure. Instead of reading a great work of literature, they’re breaking the rules and discovering what they (parents, adults, the establishment, etc.) don’t want them to know.”

I’m very curious to see how the Uprise Books Project does. A lot of times, reading is pushed as something teens should do because it’s enriching and educational–which it is. But saying that doesn’t exactly grab the average teen reader. I suspect a lot more teens would be interested if they knew these books were about tough, relevant issues and were subversive in some way. At the very least, I think it will get reluctant readers to think differently about what books can be.

Were you always a reader? Have you had success with a reluctant reader?

Friday Fifteen

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Another Friday, another Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less.

1. The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath, Karen V. Kukil (Editor)
It became immediately apparently that Plath was way smarter at 18 than I’ll ever be.

2. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Love the vignette style, fantastic voice. Even jock senior boys in English class liked it.

3. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Feels forced in parts, but moving overall. Foer’s best novel so far.

4. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Made me very nervous as a child. People shouldn’t mess up your house!

5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Hated it initially, then got pulled in by Gilbert’s voice. Some nice local history, too.

6. The Witch’s Sister by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
First in a series; read these obsessively in fifth grade. My limit on horror reading.

7. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Poetical and historical bedtime reading in my household. Fun for New England kids!

8. Happy Birthday Samantha!: A Springtime Story (American Girls: Samantha #4) by Valerie Tripp
The first AG book I read, sparking enthusiasm for the series and the Victorian period.

9. Tiffany’s Table Manners for Teenagers by Walter Hoving
Christmas gift that I kept glancing through. Surprisingly useful stuff for an eleven-year-old

10. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Some classic Dickensian style, but the ending fell flat for me.

11. Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?: Selected Early Stories by Joyce Carol Oates
The title story is exquisitely eerie, others follow the same unsettling tone.

12. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
A recent favorite. Love a heroine who’s not afraid to be clever, bold, and ambitious.

13. Knights of the Kitchen Table (The Time Warp Trio) by Jon Scieszka
I’m holding it in pictures from first day of first grade, so probably liked it.

14. The Emperors Embrace Reflections On Animal Families And Fatherhood by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
Summer reading for Bio, ended up enjoying it. Found out why beavers are so awesome.

15. Holidays and Birthdays (Childcraft: the How and Why Library #9) by World Book-Childcraft International
What’s your birthstone? When’s Yom Kippur? My source of all calendar knowledge as a child.

Happy weekend reading!

Links Galore

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A few more fun links to get you ready for the weekend:

Bonjour, Les Dents

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Did you know that in France, instead of the Tooth Fairy, children are visited by La Petite Souris (the little mouse)? I didn’t until I saw this post at Design Mom. So cute!! I haven’t done much research on this, but I’d love to see an English translation or English-written book about La Petite Souris. Or maybe I’m just reminded of of The Tale of Despereaux, an MG favorite.

For more tooth fun, check out Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World by Selby B. Beeler and G. Brian Karas. It’s an adorable book about how different cultures celebrate a tooth falling out.

(Illustration by Delphine Doreau)

City of Videos

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Even though there’s still a lot of debate over the ebook, technology can be a very useful tool for writers. One recent example: well-known author Avi is launching a video contest for his novel City of Orphans. Details via readergirlz:

“Any teacher or librarian is eligible to submit a City of Orphans video for a student or classroom in fourth through ninth grade. Options include formats such as live action, documentary-style, readers’ theater, costumed theater, and book trailers; the format is not as important as the entrants’ demonstration of creativity and their interpretation of City of Orphans. An online voting process will help determine the winners, who will receive prizes ranging from an in-person visit and lunch with Avi (one Grand Prize) to Skype visits by Avi (nine Finalists). Five contest voters are eligible to win autographed copies of City of Orphans.”

Sounds like a cool project for a classroom or library group! I like that the video style is open, too; I think that will inspire a lot of different interpretations and allow readers to really have fun and explore their thoughts on the book. I haven’t read City of Orphans yet but it sounds like something I would have loved when I was younger.

Check out readergirlz and Avi’s page for more details.

If Only There Were an Idea Orchard We Could Pick From

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Probably the most frequently asked question of writers: “Where do you get your ideas?” The short answer: Lots of places.

The long answer: Richard Thomas at Storyville is here to help with that. He looks at how various writers can get ideas. Obviously not the absolute final list, but it’s a fun collection of how the imagination can work. For me, most ideas come from what Thomas describes as Quiet Time:

“Always be open to suggestions. Maybe it’s in the shower, or on the toilet (I’m not kidding here), or when you go jogging. Always keep a notepad handy. When you are doing other things and NOT thinking about a story idea, a new title, a way to use that new word or setting or character you’ve been holding onto, you’d be surprised what comes to you. Let your mind wander, let whatever abstract thoughts you have just float about. Maybe it’ll turn into the “What if…” game we talked about earlier. Just be open and aware and quick to write something down if it comes to you. “

Queen of the Air, for example, started with the phrase “My mother thinks she’s Amelia Earhart.” No connection to anything else; it just flashed in my brain one afternoon. It started as a short story and soon I realized I needed a lot more space to develop it.

I’d say most people think writers use what Thomas calls Personal Issues or Personal Challenges. Lots of people tell my husband or me “You should write about this aspect of my/your real life.” Maybe that works for some people, but generally this doesn’t work for me. I write fiction, not nonfiction. Nonfiction is great, and sometimes I’ll pull details from my real life, but rarely will I write a story that’s inspired by people or events in my life. I think that’s part of the fun of fiction–you get to make stuff up! It’s nice to be able to impart a personal connection with your characters, but I think it’s also just as good to develop a sense of empathy for emotions you haven’t experienced.

Mostly, I think this is a hard question for writers to answer because a lot of times it’s not the simple or exciting answer an audience wants or expects. Rarely does a writer get a spark of inspiration, sit down and pound out a perfect novel. More often, the idea strikes and it gets mulled over and tweaked and written down and rewritten a thousand times. It’s part of the process, but not as simple as one might expect.

Do you ever get asked where your ideas come from? What do you respond?

Great Editors Still Want Great Writers

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Editorial friends: ever wish you could have been the person to work on books by JK Rowling, Philip Pullman, Tomie dePaola, Jerry Spinelli, and more? Arthur Levine has you beat. Check out this fantastic interview with him about his experience as an editor and how a hopeful writer can approach the world of publishing. A few nice points:

OLSWANGER: Do fiction editors want to find new writers?
LEVINE: Sure. The lists get full, but there’s always room for a new, special voice. There’s nothing more exciting than coming across that. I can’t imagine a point where I will have covered every possible form of great writing, not only serious literary fiction but humorous literary fiction, fiction from many different cultures, and mysteries, and . . . you know, there’s so many genres and so many types! I can’t imagine a time when I would have a writer that is the last word in every possible form of writing. There’s always going to be room for somebody new.

OLSWANGER: You’ve worked with many writers over the years. In your opinion, how does a writer grow?
LEVINE: I think writers grow by pushing themselves to be more honest and revealing about themselves in their work. They grow by reading and turning outward, not by turning inward and becoming self-referential. The writer who says, “Oh, I only concentrate on my own writing–I don’t read other people’s books” is missing out on the opportunity to be exposed to new voices and approaches that help one grow. And taking risks. That’s another way that writers grow.

OLSWANGER: Do you believe good writing always gets published?
LEVINE: “Always” is too strong a word because nothing happens always. But I think if a person is determined, smart and professional enough, in addition to having that piece of writing, then they have a great chance of getting published. A person who has a truly original piece of writing will have their choice of opportunities. With enough persistence, they will wind up getting published.

Overall, I think there’s a lot of hope in this interview for upcoming writers. Rowling and Pullman may be great, but even Levine is excited about what’s next. Make sure to check out the rest of the interview, too!