Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

It's almost here! July 15th. Can you stand it!? Click here to watch a new trailer on myspace! Chills, I say - CHILLS! I Can't Wait!

Invisible Sisters by Jessica Handler

     Today marks a milestone. Today is the official release of Invisible Sisters, a memoir by my good friend Jessica Handler. Her home-town launch party is tonight at A Cappella Books in Atlanta (she'll also be at the Margaret Mitchell house next week). Please visit their site for details, but to quote the write-up:

     Jessica Handler grew up in Morningside in the 1960s as one of three daughters of a progressive Jewish family. By the time she was nine, one of her sisters had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease that would kill her at a young age and the other had died from Leukemia. From this unimaginable family tragedy, Handler emerged and now shares her stirring story in Invisible Sisters, a memoir published by Public Affairs Books.
     Based on a Pushcart Prize-nominated essay, this clear-eyed, candid work portrays the immense emotional toll that two daughters' illnesses take on a family living in Atlanta.
     The family's move to Atlanta in 1965 allowed the father to support labor unions, and Handler, as the oldest, was alerted to the importance of demonstrations and even taken to the funeral of Martin Luther King. However, with Susie's diagnosis (compounding the worry over Sarah's chronic sickliness), the parents "began the slow and terrible turning away from one another that erodes families facing the death of a child."
     Atlanta Magazine's Teresa Weaver compares the book's "lyrical elegance and cool remove" to Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking-- "the highest praise possible for any memoir of loss."

     As if that wasn't enough, Jessica also had a recent article in Newsweek: "I Won't Roll the Biological Dice."

     I had the great honor of being one of Jessica's readers as she struggled through writing this epic and moving story. It's personal and scary and Jessica and I enjoyed lots of lunches out as she worked through the angst of its creation. However, it's all paying off now and I am so happy for her. Critical response has been incredible as well as the attention she and the book are receiving. Of course, this is no surprise to me as I've been a fan for a long time now.
     CONGRATULATIONS JESSICA - well earned, my dear!!!

Terra Elan McVoy's PURE

     It's seldom we get to meet real heroes in this world - people who fight against all odds to achieve a dream they've been living and breathing for most of their lives. Terra Elan McVoy is one of those people. And last night was the Decatur launch party for her new novel, PURE.
     Terra is a former editorial assistant from New York. Lucky for us, a few years ago she moved to Atlanta and became the manager of our local independent children's book store Little Shop of Stories.
     I've spoken about the kismet of the store opening a week before I moved here. Well, more kismet occurred when Terra became the manager. She oversees several of the teen and younger reading groups, helps parents and kids pick out books they will love, and basically keeps our little book store one of the best and strongest in the country - turning Little Shop into a true hub of our local community.
     She has some serious support here - especially when she went through a very tough time with her health last year. It was a testament to her strong will when she not only came out the other side completely well, but with her first novel too!
     We are all so incredibly happy for her - it seemed all of Decatur came out to help her celebrate the release of PURE last night. Truly, I've never seen the store so jammed packed - even the balcony was full. When Terra arrived, a cheer rang throughout like a homecoming parade.

     A talented musician entertained us, and then Terra read from her book - she did a great job. Some of the questions were tough, and some were about her great shoes. They were from a particular designer - anybody remember the name?
     We enjoyed cupcakes and champagne (with cherries, of course). Several of my favorite writing buds were there as well. Here are Liz Conrad, me, and Vicky Alvear Shecter (my hubbie is taking the picture). We all went out for pizza beforehand. Jessica Handler was there with her husband, Mickey, too. (More about Jessica soon!) Even Terra's editor flew down from New York!

     I imagine there weren't many copies left by the time the party ended - the signing line went on and on. (That's my drawing of "Rosebud" from Paco and the Giant Chile Plant keeping an eye on the books before the mayhem got underway - gotta luv it.)

     Truly, it was a dream release party - the kind you rarely hear about anymore. And nobody deserved it more than Terra. Bravo chickie - bravo!
     So, what about PURE? It reminded me so strongly of my own high school experience - being involved with Young Life and everything being so dramatic. Friendships are pushed to limits under the pressures of normal growing up and all the trials that puts us through. It's an uncomfortable thing to live through once, and uncomfortable to go back. But wow, will it feel familiar. The young teens in your life will completely connect with Tabitha and her friends as they navigate their own moral positions for the first time and their friendships through first loves, first kisses, and the first real changes on their way to discovering who they really are.

Video Book Review - Wondrous Strange

     Welcome to my very first Video Book Review! Today I'm reviewing "Wondrous Strange" by Lesley Livingston and relating it to other good reads to give you an idea of what it's like.
     Now I know the sound isn't too great (gotta work on that), but for a first run, I hope it's not too bad. Leave me some comments and let me know what you think!

e's news - november 2008

     I just sent out my latest newsletter which you can view in full HERE, but here are some of the highlights:

Hi Y'all!
     Christmas is coming and the goose is . . . tightening it's belt. It's important that you spend your money thoughtfully this holiday season. Buy locally and from industries you'd like to strengthen. Books make fantastic gifts - dollar for dollar they are one of the best entertainment values available AND they promote literacy and give back long after the holidays are over.
     I hope you'll consider my books when shopping. (Click on a cover to learn more about each title.)



     If you order through my local independent bookseller, Little Shop of Stories, I can personalize your copies and add a bookmark. (Click their logo to send them an email.) I also have tons of free stuff you can download on my website to include with your gift!

EVENTS:

     I'll be at the Savannah Children's Book Festival this coming weekend (November 15th) speaking at the brand new tent for the Georgia Center for the Book and Read it Loud - an organization that encourages parents to read to their children.
     I'm honored to be a last-minute addition to the incredible line-up of speakers this year. (Click the banner for more info.) The festival is FREE to the public, so I hope you'll stop by!



     Planning for our Illustrators' Showcase, now called "Storybook Look: Illustrations by Southern Artists" is going well. My art has been picked up (leaving blank spaces on my studio walls) and they are scheduling venues now. If you're interested in hiring the show for your gallery, library, or venue, visit the Southern Arts Federation for more information.

BOOK NEWS:
     I'm currently working on my first picture book as author/illustrator, "Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón" and about to dive into the fourth book in the ParentSmart/KidHappy series. More information soon!

AWARDS!

Paco and the Giant Chile Plant has been awarded a Bronze Medal in the 2008 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. Woohoo!

RECOMMENDATIONS:
     I often listen to audio books while I'm illustrating and I've just finished THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. I can't recommend it highly enough.
     It presents a believable and engaging scenario set sometime in the future (at least 100 years as it's after a war we have yet to fight). It's a reality show to the death, a game invented by the Capital to keep down the losing side. Part game show, part love story, part survival story, both boy and girl teens (and adults) will love this book.
     I love audio books, but I kind of wish I had read this one rather than listened to it, as it's one of those books you can really curl up with and disappear into.

I also talk about school visits and coloring pages. Like what you see? Want to subscribe? Sign up to receive e's news HERE.

Little Brother

     Probably my favorite book so far this year is Corey Doctorow's "Little Brother," followed by Sherman Alexie's "Diary of a Part-time Indian."
     Savvy, smart, cutting edge, and edge of your seat - I loved this read. Cool thing is, Corey Doctorow is all about open-source. So, you can actually download the book for free from his website, although I prefer holding it in my hot little hands. At his website you can also view him reading some excerpts of "Little Brother."
     He said some really nice words about writing Young Adult fiction recently in this article for LOCUS online.
     Add to that he's got a page in my latest obsession: facebook. Gotta luv this guy!

The Golden Compass!

Yes, it's worth it. You must go.
I see maybe two or three movies (in the theater) a year anymore. This was my favorite this year by leaps and bounds. It was so well done, truly. Lovers of "His Dark Materials" will not be disappointed. In fact you may be delighted when you see the imagination that went into some of the gadgets and gizmos. Different, new, and believable. The fictional characters were so well done, that I found myself equally moved by them. And I'm sorry, but Sam Elliott is still the sexiest man alive.
Anyhow, this one is worth getting off your couch for!

Markus Zusak and The Book Thief

     Several of my writer/illustrator friends from the SCBWI Southern-Breeze and I attended Markus Zusak's book signing at the Marcus Jewish Community Center's annual Book Festival last night.
     An enormous crowd gathered in their gymnasium to hear Markus tell stories and talk about his path to writing the Printz award-winning novel, The Book Thief.
     He's been on tour for ages now (after two years, clamor over the novel has not quieted), but somehow managed to be energetic and entertaining. I asked him if he was able to write on the road ("not very well," he said) and if he felt he had another book in him of such importance. He very humbly replied, "probably not." He said he put so much into The Book Thief, he really feels it is his "big book."      Considering he's the recipient of two Printz Honor Awards (also for I Am The Messenger), I'm inclined to believe Markus has many more great things to share with us.
     And oh to have accomplished so much at such a young age! Wow. (And what a cutie too.)
     The Book Thief is set in Nazi Germany during WWII and told through the voice of Death, so you can imagine this is no light read - but if you get the chance, it's definitely worth it.

Just finished a good one: Rules by Cynthia Lord

     Okay, no big surprise here because Rules has won countless awards, but don't you love it when the awards are well-deserved?
     Rules is about a young girl, Catherine, trying to be a normal kid while dealing with her younger autistic brother. I'll admit the subject is daunting when you first pick up the book, "am I going to enjoy this?"
     Well yes, you will.
     Catherine is an amazing protagonist. She has been forced to grow up quickly as much of the burden of caring for her brother falls on her. She is savvy, aware, and especially bright. Her vigilant (and necessary) attention to the things in her life, always watching out for potential difficulties for her brother, give us a strong vision of her world while showing just how mature (and naturally artistic) this young girl is. But she's also going through the typical angst of boys and new friends. The juxtaposition of these traits makes her one of the most multi-dimensional characters I've read in a long time. I was completely inspired by her bravery.
     The relationship she develops with Jason, a wheelchair bound boy who's normal mind is trapped in a body that doesn't work, is heart-warming. It develops with ease and a reality that makes any relationship with somebody different more accessible to all of us.
     In the end of the story, I do wish I knew if the new friend stepped up to the plate, it was the only thread that left me hanging, but maybe that's for the best. We are forced into the friend's shoes and left to wonder, would we step up to the plate with such grace and courage if we were in Catherine's situation?
     Wonderful, wonderful story. Beautifully written. I highly recommend Rules!

¡Mana!

     I've gotta figure out how to add an accent to the "a" on my machine - hm.
     So! I have been going crazy for the last few months. When I started taking Spanish Lessons at the Latin American Association, I also started listening to the local Latino station for a feeble attempt at immersion, 105.7 (say it with me like a radio announcer - "cientos cinco puntos siete"!), (you can stream the station online, btw) and there was this one song that I completely flipped over. Unfortunately, my Spanish was so . . . green, I had no idea who it was.
     Well, I've come a long way, baby, and today I finally figured it out. And now there are two FAB songs: "Bendita Luz" and "Labios Compartidos" by Mana (accent on the second "a")!
     Okay, so they are not new, and certainly not news, but they are new to me - and I LOVE them!! The lead singer, Fher Olvera has a voice highly reminiscent of Sting back in the Police days (turns out The Police were one of their influences - ha!), slightly grindy, very sexy. Add to that a great beat, interesting chord changes, and awesome harmony, and you have ¡Mana!
And you can hear them for yourself - in fact, the two songs I mentioned are their two #1's right now. Snippets play automatically when you visit their website. The site takes a bit to load, even on high speed, but stick it out. It's worth it.
     I dare you to not totally love these guys, especially the gals. What a VOICE!! Ahhhhh.....

Note: To the person who keeps leaving notes in Spanish on my blog - I hope you read this! I'm getting closer to being able to understand what the heck you're saying to me! :)

The Wee Free Men - Crivvens!!

     Well, I think that's what they say - I haven't seen it in print.
     What?
     Believe it or not, I am going to recommend you bypass reading the "Discworld Novels: Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith," written by Terry Pratchett, and go straight to the audio versions by Stephen Briggs.
     Stephen Briggs is a genius as he switches from voice to voice without missing a beat. And these aren't just any voices, the Wee Free Men shoot off an Irish brogue so thick, they're a bit hard to understand, hilariously so. "Sheep" are pronounced as "ship" and such. The personality Mr. Briggs brings to these characters is so vibrant and entertaining, you've got to HEAR them to get their full impact.
     Expect to laugh out loud throughout the reading as the wee free men do what they do best: "Drink! Fight! Steal! Drink and fight! Fight and Steal! Crivvens!"
     I'm on the second book and have been laughing my way all the way through. You've just got to HEAR the Discworld Novels!!!!

The Edge Chronicles and Such

     I just got back from my very favorite independent children's bookstore, Little Shop of Stories, where Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel were talking about their series, "The Edge Chronicles," and signing books like crazy.
     Diane (store owner) set up a "Boys Action/Adventure Reading Club" and the whole lot of six to ten-year-olds turned out to hear these talented creators.
     What an intelligent and adorable (don't tell them I said that) crowd! Most had read all of "The Edge Chronicles" and were moving on to the "Farflung Adventures." I waited in line, feeling very . . . tall, to get my copies signed as well. I talked to a few of the kids, but kept quiet for the most part. This was definitely THE KIDS' event!
     I finally read the first in "The Edge" series for the occassion and completely understand the obsession. Poor "Twig" is thrown into adventure after adventure, most taking him to the edge of death. I cried when the Banderbear . . . well, I won't spoil it for you.
     Paul talked about all his travelling adventures which inspired so many of Twig's while Chris drew a Banderbear.
     Oh how I coveted that drawing. Little Shop of Stories has quite the collection at this point (they have a few of my drawings as well) and they're trying to figure out something special to do with them.
     Anyhow, if "Fergus Crane" is anywhere near as fun as "The Edge Chronicles," I've got some great reading ahead of me! Wippee!

I was a reading FOOL!

   This past week. I read four Fabulous books I have to share with you.

   The first was "How I Live Now" (or "how i live now" if you have the hardcover) by Meg Rosoff.
   It deserves every bit of praise it is receiving. What an amazingly talented writer – and this is her first book! Not a word out of place, every idea was perfectly formed. Her pacing was perfect. I was truly awestruck. I HIGHLY recommend it if you haven't had a chance to read it yet.

   Next was "Millicent Min Girl Genius" by Lisa Yee.
   I hung out with the bright kids in school (I guess I hoped it would rub off). Actually, I love geeks, always have. But consistently, truly intelligent people have a hard time interacting socially.
   Millicent is off the charts intelligent. This is the funny story of how she learns to interact socially and find where she "fits."

   "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech.
   Wow do I need to read more by this author. "Walk Two Moons" won the Newbery in 1994/5 (?) and I'm sorry I've only just now read it. It's a wonderful story. Funny and moving - the voice is fantastic. Yes, it has a dead mother, but wow is it handled well. It's a story of personal growth as Salamanca, "Sal," and her father heal from their loss.

   "The Rules of Survival" by Nancy Werlin.
   This is a disturbing book to read. These kids are stuck and leaning on their big brother who is really too young and stuck himself to know what to do about their abusive and dangerous mother. Until he sees Murdoch, that is.
   It's a well-written book and probably very important in the hands of the right child.

   So, all in all, I recommend these books highly. And what a great few days I had gobbling them up!

"Octavian Nothing" - a review

     “The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume One: The Pox Party,” by M.T. Anderson is not a thoroughly modern book. In fact its voice, amazingly accurate to the dawn of the revolutionary war, is the most intriguing thing about it. This flawless voice, so different from Anderson's other books, deserves admiration and makes for a captivating read along the lines of “Wuthering Heights” or “Jane Eyre.” But unlike both, its romance is not one of love and relationships, but a longing for freedom. Extremes of social standing and racial division define that freedom in vastly different ways, but remains the collective goal.
     The story of the atypical protagonist is secondary and quietly reveals itself with his growth and developing awareness of his extraordinary situation. I won’t drop any spoilers other than to say, it’s worth the wait.
     Set against an epic and insecure time in our history, we have the luxury of knowing how events turn out. This does not prevent us, however, from thoroughly engaging ourselves in the moment, experiencing the anger, paranoia, and fear of the time, and cheering for the main character’s ultimate success.
     Did "Octavian Nothing" deserve the National Book Award this year? Oh yeah.

Eragon!!

Wippee!!! The movie comes out this December and the trailer looks GREAT!! And what a great role for Jeremy Irons! I can't wait!!
You did read the book, right?

Review:
     Okay, well we saw "Eragon" last night, and while the die-hard Eragon fans will find some things to love about it, for instance, Saphira can make one heck of an entrance, overall the movie was disappointing. Young Ed Speleers career has been made though - within two weeks every teenage girl in America will have a poster of him in those low slung leather pants on their walls (woowee!).
     I've heard critics call the acting horrendous, which on some levels I'll agree with, Joss Stone - stick to music sweetie, but my biggest complaint was with the editing, the directing and the CGI effects (or lack thereof). Breaks came at strange places, shots were held too long, scene cropping was lazy, the fight scenes looked like about twelve men trying to fill a room, and the crowd scenes, my hubbie noticed, actually flickered. Set design looked small stage and underdone in some key scenes. I would have expected about the same level of production for a made for SciFi Channel movie.
     That said, I do think Saphira was handled well, and I liked some of the ways they adapted some hard to translate to film ideas. (Except, how did he suddenly know all the Elven words for vaious spells?) Overall, I wish more talented people (where's Peter Jackson when you need him?) had spent more time and money on the film - it had the potential to be positively epic . . . but wasn't.

King Dork!

     I just finished reading KING DORK by Frank Portman and I loved it.
     King Dork is a high school boy at the bottom rung of the social scale. He's just trying to make it through school without getting beat up, while trying to establish a band and figure out the death of his father six years earlier. This may sound heavy, but the main character (a.k.a. Chi-Mo) is intelligent, irreverent, and funny as all get out. I laughed out loud several times (often receiving funny looks in public places). Most of the story was about getting into this boy's head, which I found to be a very entertaining place to be. His voice struck me as extremely accurate. He does experience some sexual awakening, so this is definitely young adult, but I highly recommend it, especially to anybody who loves good music or ever felt picked on in school. KING DORK is a great read!

Karin Slaughter's "Triptych"

Hubbie and I are going to Karin's book signing tonight at Ansley Mall for her latest book, "Triptych." This one is outside the Grant County series, but knowing those, I'll start reading early so that I can read it straight through and hopefully finish before it gets dark out. *chills!*

Update: THE REVIEW

     The thing about Karin's books is you have to leave a window when no commitments are looming on your schedule. I learned this the hard way when reading her first book, "Blindsighted." I couldn't put it down - not even when I reached the spine-tingling scariest part, realized it was dark outside (I'd started reading that morning), and my husband was out of town.
     So with "Triptych," I waited for the right window.
     Finally, with several pressing deadlines behind me, I treated myself. I began reading about 4:00pm yesterday . . . and kept reading until 1:00am when hubbie made me grudgingly turn off the bedside light. The characters wove through my dreams waking me at 7:30am. I picked the book back up up and read to the very end.
     "Triptych" is, in my opinion, Karin's best work yet. I hate the word "seamless" so I will call it "flawless." Karin says she thought about this book for almost four years before she started writing it, and the time she spent working out every detail is obvious. Not a beat was missed, no idea was left unfinished, no detail was left unutilized.
     The book is divided, as the title suggests, into three parts or points of view. The fascinating thing about her approach is with the different points of view, we learn how the characters see themselves and more importantly, how others see them (often very different from their self-perceptions). It makes you question your own abilities of perception and the assumptions we all make when given limited information.
     The story is, of course, violent but what I love about Karin's writing is that her stories are really more about the characters, the baggage they carry and how that affects their reactions to the battles they face.
     What I found most fascinating in "Triptych" was all the grey. Nobody was all bad or all good. Right and wrong blurred. While many of the characters judged themselves harshly (and some not harshly enough), the ultimate conclusions were really left up to the reader to make.
     The characters in "Triptych" were not cut-outs. They were complicated and multi-dimensional. I was reminded that you never really know what people bring to the table when they enter your life. Appearances are just that. Being allowed to peek into the consciences of these characters made this a complex read, and thoroughly enjoyable. I cared about them, I was fascinated by them, I wanted to know more about them. And while Karin never leaves you hanging, she does leave you wondering how the characters will move forward in their lives with the new baggage they are burdened with. It left me thoughtful, pensive, and anxiously awaiting Karin's next book.

Samurai Shortstop!!

I just had lunch with Alan Gratz. His new YA, "Samurai Shortstop," comes out Thursday (Dial). I got to read an ARC, and can I tell y'all - it is WONDERFUL. It is so well written and so well researched. It's placed in Japan during their industrial revolution, which happened kind of all at once vs. the day by day changes in the west. There was some serious culture shock at the time, with the dying era of the Samurai and the embracing of all things western, including baseball. The story is told through the eyes of a young private school boy who's father and uncle are both Samurai. In fact, the story opens with his uncle commiting seppuku - grabs you immediately! I learned about an interesting time in history while enjoying what is essentially a classic "baseball story" in reading Samurai Shortstop. Alan is a talented writer and I recommend the book highly. Go buy it (click the cover)!!
Oh, and visit Alan's groovy website HERE.

FAITHLESS - OT from kids books!

     So, this is Completely off topic from children's publishing, but a good friend of mine, Karin Slaughter, has a new book coming out, FAITHLESS.Karin Slaughter (perfect name) is the mystery (gory) crime author giving Patricia Cornwall a run for her money (I think she's better). She just hit #2 on the London Times Best Seller List, and has gained quite the following in the USA.
     FAITHLESSis the latest book in her “Grant County” series. I had the good fortune to read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy). Without giving anything away, I will tell you it kept me tense, guessing and even more curious about her complex characters, especially the tormented cop, Lena.
     As with her entire series, BLINDSIGHTED,KISSCUT,A FAINT COLD FEAR,INDELIBLE,and now FAITHLESS,start reading early on a day when you have nothing to do, it's light out, and you're not alone. I made the mistake of reading her first book, BLINDSIGHTED,when Stan was out of town. There I was at 11:00 at night, it was dark out, I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading it, and then . . . I couldn't move.
     FAITHLESSalso wouldn’t let me go, although I had the good sense to make sure Stan was around this time. I love a book that you know will hold you until it’s finished - it’s like a mini (gory) vacation. Ha!
     I highly recommend Karin’s books if you are looking for something good to read waaay outside the children’s book genre.