I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Shula Klinger, the author of The Kingdom of Strange, which I named a backlist pick on my Best Books of 2009 list. (Having read it a year after its publication, I listed it accordingly.) We spoke of different methods of correspondence and of crafting fiction. We conducted this interview via email, but I now feel like writing a pen-and-ink letter! (I hope my childhood pen pals are doing well...)

In your novel, The Kingdom of Strange, a 14-year-girl writes in her journal and corresponds via email with another teenager for a writing project. What came first, the character's personality, her name, or the basic premise?

The premise came first. The name came next because it fitted so well with the theme of flawed communication between people. In Pyramus and Thisbe, the characters speak to each other through a tiny hole in a wall. In my book, the characters communicate via email... which turns out to be a more limiting and less effective method of communication than Thisbe imagines!

Did you ever have a pen pal as a kid or teenager?

Yes, many of them! I used to collect them, actually. Sometimes I had already met my correspondents and stayed in touch by letter but I also had a few that I'd never met, in Eastern Europe, for example. I still have quite a few old letters - but not all of them, sadly.

Email has, of course, greatly changed the ways (and frequency) of correspondence. Do you like to write and post real letters?

Are you a spy? How did you know?! :-) I love to write letters and still correspond regularly with family and friends all over the world. I love getting and sending parcels, too. I send all sorts of things by mail.. the contents of my parcels aren't as peculiar as they used to be but we did get a box of cows recently...

( Read more... )

Visit Shula's website.

Tags: books, interviews
I am feeling...: thirsty
soundtrack: 8 Simple Rules score music

I wish I could conjure up breakfast this minute . . .
Maybe pancakes with jam, or an egg with cheese in it!
Maybe berries with cream, or a scone, piping hot!
Though I'd settle for oatmeal if that's what you've got . . .
- as sung spontaneously by Lucy, the protagonist of the novel Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains by Laurel Snyder

* As I post this, I myself am eating breakfast. It's plain oatmeal. I don't like jam. I do like pancakes, and I love berries. I'm a vegetarian, so I haven't eaten eggs in a while, but I'd love to find some kind of egg substitute, because I really loved omelettes!

Read my review of the book.

View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.

Consult the Poetry Friday roundup schedule at Big A, little a.

Learn more about Poetry Friday.

Tags: books, poetry friday
I am feeling...: thirsty
soundtrack: Music is My Boyfriend by Skye Sweetnam

1. Yes, it's Friday and I am actually updating right this very second. Although I'm going to keep it quick, because I'm here in New York and am very soon about to walk down to Times Square to try to get a glimpse of Sam Champion on GMA. So far, I've had such a fun time, missing home aside, AND I got some shopping done yesterday which was just, like, a great bonus. Today is lunch with my Penguin folks, then the YA Teen Author events tonight at the New York Public Library. For those of you who have asked if I'll be able to sign books after the panel, I haven't heard officially, but I promise if there is time I will do my best. Really! More info about the Festival is here.

2. Back at home, though, there's a VERY cool thing going on that I want to let the local folks know about. The School of Science and Math in Durham is trying to break a world record for collecting canned food for a food drive, and there are going to be all kinds of cool events happening there tomorrow. Want more details? Go here. All food collected will go to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, which is one of my favorite good causes. Give if you can!

3. As I said, I'm having a lot of fun here in New York. But leaving yesterday was NOT easy. My daughter is old enough to understand now when I have to take a trip, and while she did put on a brave face for most of the leaving process, there was, in the end, a breakdown and tears. I tried to keep it all cheerful and calm, until I got out to the car and at the end of the driveway, at which point I might have shed a few tears myself. Oh, dear God, this parenting thing can be tough. I did tell her I'd bring her a present, though, and she's requested a skull and crossbones T-shirt. (I know, I know: but she has these Halloween pants from Target that she adores, and a girl does like to match.) I feel like if there is ANYWHERE I can find a skull and crossbones T-shirt for a two year old, it's this city. So today, the hunt begins. Sniff!

4. Okay, so I just looked at my watch and I'm running way late for all I want to do. So this will be number four....

5. ....and a promise that Monday's entry will not be so wholly lame will be number five. What can I say? Sam Champion and JuJu Chang and G-Step are only blocks away. I can't miss the chance to see them in person, even if it's only a glimpse. It's almost as good as a skull and crossbones shirt!

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!

For more information contact:
Martha Brockenbrough, publicist for readergirlz
Martha Bee Productions
martha@marthabee.com
206-328-7374

10,000 BOOKS DELIVERED TO TEENS ON
NATIVE RESERVATIONS & TRIBAL LANDS
Nationwide, scores of young adult authors and librarians drop books on April 15
to surprise young readers on Support Teen Literature Day

April 15, 2010 – Operation Teen Book Drop will deliver 10,000 new books to teens on Native Reservations and Tribal Lands, an event that coincides with Support Teen Literature Day.

In addition, more than 100 top young adult authors will leave their books in public places for young readers to discover, and members of the public can buy books online and have them shipped to tribal libraries.

Publishers donated the books, valued at more than $175,000.

"These publishers have shown astounding vision and generosity by supporting Operation Teen Book Drop," said readergirlz cofounder Dia Calhoun, an award-winning novelist herself. "Now underserved teens can benefit from the current explosion of high quality YA books. These teens can see their own experience, their tragedies and their triumphs in these books, books that become shining doorways to the young human spirit."

The donations are especially significant to Native teens. "In their lives, they really don’t have new books," said Mary Nickless, the librarian at Ojo Encino Day School, one of 44 institutions that will benefit from Operation TBD.

A nationwide effort of authors, publishers, librarians and readers
In its third year, Operation TBD is part of a massive effort by librarians, young adult authors, and avid readers to spur reading on a nationwide scale. The day aims to encourage teens to read for the fun of it.

The effort is coordinated by readergirlz, the Young Adult Library Services Association, GuysLitWire, and a new partner, If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything, a national reading club for Native children.

• More than 100 young adult authors - including David Levithan, Sara Zarr, and Cynthia Leitich Smith - are participating by leaving copies of their books in public places for teens to find.

• Teens and other fans of YA literature are also invited to "rock the drop."

• GuysLitWire has created a wish list of 750 books that supporters can buy from Powells.com. Beginning April 7th, these purchases can be made and sent directly to one of two tribal school libraries, Ojo Encino Day School or Alchesay High School.

In 2008 and 2009, the groups coordinated the delivery of 20,000 new books to teens in hospitals.

"Operation TBD was originally conceived with the hope of reaching a number of teen groups," rgz co-founder Lorie Ann Grover said. "While we donated books to hospitalized teens for two years, I was personally compelled to donate books to the local Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. We were thrilled to discover we could broaden this effort with If I Can Read and gift TBD to our second targeted group, Native teens."

"By making Operation TBD part of Support Teen Literature Day, YALSA and its partners help raise awareness of the importance of teen literature to all teens," said Linda W. Braun, YALSA President. "Our thanks to the publishers, If I Can Read I Can Do Anything, readergirlz and Guys Lit Wire for joining us in supporting such a worthy cause."

Participating publishers this year include Abrams Books; Bloomsbury/Walker Books/Candlewick Press; Chronicle Books; Hachette Book Group; Boyds Mills Press; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Milkweed; Mirrorstone Books; Orca Book Publishers; Scholastic; Simon & Shuster Children's Publishing; Tor/Forge/Starscape/Tor Teen/ Roaring Brook Press, an Imprint of the Macmillans Children's Publishing Group; and Better World Books.

Everyone who participates in Operation TBD is invited to celebrate at the TBD Post-Op Party on April 15th at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST at the readergirlz blog: http://readergirlz.blogspot.com

( Read more... )

Download this press release as a Word .doc

Click here to get the bookplates from the readergirlz website.

Learn more about Operation TBD 2010 at readergirlz and Bildungsroman.

View the trailer at YouTube.

Grab the TBD countdown widget.

Tags: book group, causes, guyslitwire, pr, readergirlz
I am feeling...: thirsty
soundtrack: FlashForward score music

My new tween book coming October 5, 2010!

Also, HAILEY TWITCH IS NOT A SNITCH comes out on May 1st. If you're a blogger that would like a review copy, please leave a comment with your email address, or drop me a line at lauren (at) laurenbarnholdt (dot) (com) so that I can pass it along to my publicist. You can find out more about Hailey here.

Back later with a proper update, including how I almost fainted while getting blood drawn (I'm squeamish!), and how I stole a vacuum from these people at Target (they were totally trying to steal it from me first).....

Scott Westerfeld will be chatting live at the readergirlz blog TONIGHT, Wednesday, March 17th. The one-hour chat will begin at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST.

Tags: books, pr, readergirlz
I am feeling...: lucky
soundtrack: Even If by The Corrs

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has broken that rule - or has she? She liked Ryan way before he was Brianna's boyfriend. She's known him since elementary school and liked him since at least middle school. He asked her out to a dance in the eighth grade, which he then couldn't attend because his grandmother passed away. When Ryan came back from the funeral, he overheard Brianna telling everyone that Sarah hadn't really wanted to go to the dance with him. Embarrassed and shy, Sarah never spoke up to correct things, and never told Brianna or Ryan how she felt.

Now Sarah is seventeen years old, and the object of her affection is dating her best friend.

There is no evil villain here, no friend who is really an enemy and out to get me. Brianna goes for what she wants, but she has never taken anything that was mine.

She's never needed to. Everything came freely given, and she has done nothing but be my friend.

Sarah and Brianna have been friends since kindergarten. Ryan and Brianna have been together for six weeks. As she always does, Sarah bites her tongue and hides her feelings. Lately, Brianna's been insisting that Sarah hang out with the pair, making Sarah feel like the biggest third wheel ever. When Ryan finally finds out how Sarah really feels, everything becomes wonderful and terrible all at once.

There are a million rules for being a girl. There are a million things you have to do to get through each day. High school has things that can trip you up, ruin you, people smile and say one thing and mean another, and you have to know all the rules, you have to know what you can and can't do.

In all of her contemporary novels, Elizabeth Scott shows that there's more to someone or something than meets the eye. With her newest work, Scott transcends the basic premise of a love triangle, giving it depth and meaning. The Unwritten Rule is not just a story about a girl who likes her best friend's boyfriend. While that premise may draw romantics to the story, it is the superb writing and steady pacing that will prompt teens to share this book - and maybe their own true feelings - with friends.

This is the real unwritten rule: You don't want what you know you shouldn't. And I haven't just broken that rule. I have wrecked it, smashed it, and still . . .

And still I want.

By putting others before herself, Sarah has, at times, cheated herself out of life experiences, both trivial and meaningful things. She's just now realizing this. She was often so busy trying to look out for Brianna that she didn't recognize her own true worth, and she certainly doesn't flaunt her talents. (She's an artist on canvas: she owns dozens of pairs of sneakers, most of which she's custom-designed or decorated herself.) Loyal to a fault, Sarah would do anything for her best friend. She is perfectly willing to let Brianna cry on her shoulder when she's sad, and she is perfectly happy to let Brianna be the center of attention when she's happy.

That's pretty easy, because Brianna has this naturally upbeat, lively energy. When she's into something, be it a role in the school play or even a class project, she will throw all of that energy and enthusiasm into it. Recently, though, Brianna seems to be both pulling away from Sarah and tugging her in close, and Sarah doesn't know what to do.

The girls always thought that they would be friends forever. This story is not about a boy coming between them; it's about how their reactions to his presence show who they really are, for better or worse. It's about how people can change. How friendships can change. How you can't always control those changes, but you should acknowledge them. And how maybe, just maybe, change can be for the better.

If you like The Unwritten Rule, you will also like Kissing the Bee by Kathe Koja. You should also try Elizabeth Scott's other books, starting with Bloom, as well as books by Sarah Dessen (Keeping the Moon) and Deb Caletti (Honey, Baby, Sweetheart).

Related Posts at Bildungsroman
Interview: Elizabeth Scott
Book Review: Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Book Review: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
Book Review: Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

Note: I have read and enjoyed all of Elizabeth Scott's books to date. I have written yet have yet to type and post reviews of Living Dead Girl, Something, Maybe, and Love You Hate You Miss You. I promise that I will.

Tags: books, reviews
I am feeling...: thirsty
soundtrack: The Office score music

I swear I am having one of those days where everything I do, technology-wise, seems to immediately self-destruct. My new phone suddenly won't sync with my computer (Oh, Centro, I miss you and your easy push-button Hotsync) I couldn't get my LJ client to start, and I am scared to even attempt to clean out my DVR in fear I'll blow it up entirely. My friend Lisa used to always say when things got wonky like this, Mercury must be in retrograde, but I don't have time to keep up with all that stuff anymore. Instead, I have learned to take a deep breath and step back. Unless, of course, a blog entry needs writing. In which case, I soldier on. Because that is how I roll.

Of course, even the wonky stuff doesn't stop me from adding more to my technology stuff. I guess I am a glutton for punishment. But my assistant Parker turned me on this week to flavors.me, which is a quick way to have a site with all your OTHER networking links in one place. It's a bit of a clunky set-up (and I don't think you can blame Mercury) but if you're looking for a free, somewhat-easy way to have a virtual business card, this might be for you. Or, maybe you just need something to waste a bit of time on. Don't we all?

In other news, in my last entry, a commenter took me to task for calling myself a "Tarheel" fan rather than a Tar Heels fan, implying that I wasn't a real fan if I couldn't get it right. I appreciate the correction, but honestly, I've always heard it both ways, at least here in Chapel Hill. I mean, we grew up chanting, "I'm a Tarheel born and a Tarheel bred, and when I die I'll be a Tarheel dead." (You could also, alternately, tell another Triangle team to go to very hot place, but I'll spare you that part.) I'd say that I'm a fan of the Tarheels, but also a Tarheel fan: I think, at least here, that the loyalty is what matters, not the specific term. But if any of YOU are big fans and know the proper usage, enlighten me. Because we are all about learning here.

Finally, this might be my last entry for the week, as on Friday I'll be in New York attending the NYC Teen Author Festival. I'm excited about getting away, but of course torn about leaving the toddler and being away from home. It's going to be a quick trip, though, crazy busy, so I hopefully won't have much time to worry about what's happening back here. (Parents reading say it with me: Yeah, right.) On this trip, I am determined to learn how to get around on the subway system, even though it gives my editor palpitations because she worries I'll get lost underground and they'll never find me. So here's my question, you New Yorkers: can I trust Google Maps to tell me the proper trains to take from one place to another? Or are they undependable? If you have experience, let me know. And, um, don't tell my editor. As far as she knows, I'm taking taxis or walking. I swear!

Have a good night, everyone!

So it's 5:18 as I write this, but without Daylight Savings Time it's actually 4:18. I've been thrown off all day, as I usually am: it normally takes me a couple of days to stop thinking in terms of what time it really is versus what the clock says and vice versa. But in the end, all the confusion is worth it, because, well, it's SO LIGHT outside at 5:18. Which is a small comfort when I'm up at six but it's actually five. Oh, there I go again....

Was there basketball happening this weekend? I think I heard something about basketball this weekend. I, however, am taking an approach to March Madness and this entire season that I was introduced to by the lovely Melissa Walker, a fellow YA writer and Tarheel fan, which is to put my fingers in my ears and say LALALALALALALA I can't hear you when you talk about basketball. It works, too!

A lot of my weekend was spent waging a war against the spammers which had, like, totally taken over my Ning community, Sarah-Land. I've been so busy writing and chasing my daughter around that I'd kind of let it slip off my radar, but then several members let me know that the forums and blogs were being inundated with pharmacy spam and---yikes---porn. Which always is bad, but especially when it's a site with a younger audience with my name on it. So, my assistant Parker and I wiped off our hands, took a deep breath, and charged in. We deleted and blocked and kicked people out and now things are getting back under control. Which is actually very satisfying. I'm pleased that Sarah-Land has become not only a place for people to discuss my books, but also post their own writing, and the spammers were getting in the way of that. Jerks. Anyway, we're on it now. Right now, the community is invite only, but we'll be opening it up again---with member approval this time---slowly over the next week or so. Spammers, beware. We are coming for you!

All this work with Sarah-land has made me wonder if maybe it's time for a website update, and maybe adding a community of my own there that we can monitor a little better. I've also been thinking about moving this blog from LiveJournal (which I worry will fold at some point and I'll lose all my content) over to my website properly, but then I'm afraid I'll lose all the great comments you guys leave. Plus there's the fact that I am trying to spend LESS time on all this internet stuff, not more, which is invariably what more changes would lead to. Oh, well. If anything is going to change, I promise I will warn you in advance. Don't want anyone getting confused.

Speaking of too much internet time, I think I better push back from this laptop and go soak up that extra hour of daylight. Plus, we got a VERY cool bubble toy this weekend: I can push the button and pretend I'm on the Lawrence Welk show. And if you got that reference, you were probably born before 1980. Me too!

Have a good evening, everyone!

I've been in the comm for awhile but haven't been active. I wrote a book review, so I thought I'd introduce myself as well.

After finishing the three books of The Mortal Instruments Series, I guess I took a break from reading. I studied for exams and managed to survive the last few weeks of Semester I.The next three books I read focused on trauma, grief, and guilt. Certainly not a pick-me-up and I didn't mean to read depressing books but it sort of happened. Luckily, they all ended hopeful (for the most part).

The first one I read while studying for my Science exam. It was a very quick read and, though a lot of people seemed to have loved it - I gave it a 3 (liked) out of 5 on goodreads, while the average rating is 4.13 - I didn't feel the same way. That said, I didn't not like it; I just didn't have strong feelings either way.

CRACKED UP TO BE
--- by Courtney Summers


{The Premise}

The protagonist of Cracked Up To Be is a high school senior, Parker Fadley, former head cheerleader, former future valedictorian, and former girlfriend of the most popular guy in school. Key word: former. How did Parker Fadley fall so far? Regular sessions with the resident guidance counselor, alcoholic tendencies, failing grades, and friendless to boot?

Rather than her current state being a result of ostracism, Parker is found alone because she made it that way. She constantly pushes others away and stops trying at school. Her parents, the school administration, her ex-boyfriend, and the new guy in school try to reach out to her but to no avail. Well, that is until she finds her resolve to become a social pariah slip when around this new guy who she just might be attracted to.

But that can't be. Not when she's determined to live with her guilt alone. The question - answered through snippets of one long, troubling flashback - is where is this guilt coming from? More importantly, can she find a way to overcome this?

MY THOUGHTS/REST OF THE REVIEW @ my LJ


NEXT UP: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
LONG OVERDUE: The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

PAST BOOK ENTRIES/REVIEWS:
Just Listen. Gone With The Wind. The Private Series. The It Girl Series. Wuthering Heights.