All the Fun Stuff Going On . . .

The past 5 months, I've had some late nights and long weekends writing and revising and re-revising DEATH BY TOILET PAPER.

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of hitting "SEND."  My agent, Tina Wexler, responded with an e-mail that every writer dreams of -- praise so generous it made me tear up.  Twice.

Now, I'll work with my editor, Michelle Poploff, and the awesome team at Random House to make this the best book possible.  I can't wait for its release next year!

I've been doing lots more than writing and revising these past five months.

There have been oodles of school visits, including the week I spent in Fort Worth, TX with incredible hosts, extraordinary students and . . . Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Eager Briscoe Elementary students

I've traveled the country virtually doing tons of Skype visits, like this one with 6th grade students in VA . . .

Thanks, Ms. Buchanan, for sharing your FUNderful students with me.

I've received lovely notes from students, including these thank you letters from Mr. Schu's students in IL and Ms. Luchie's students in ME from World Read Aloud Day. 

Thank You Notes from Mr. Schu's students.  (Dogs not included.)

Teddy guarding the thank you notes from Ms. Luchie's students.  (Thanks, Teddy!)

I created a fun OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN quiz for Random Buzzers that includes trivia and a chance for kids to earn Buzz Bucks and "buy" books with them.  Check it out!

Recently, I spoke at a luncheon with Jim Cummings.  He spent a year in Africa with no running water or electricity and counts it as the best of his life.  Jim has created an amazing project -- KIJANA EDUCATIONAL EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE -- which connects children across cultures, provides educational spaces, puts books into kids' hands in Kenya and more.

Kijana Educational Empowerment Initiative

There are only 4 days left to contribute to his Kijana Lwanda Maktaba Campaign.

There are great "thank you" gifts for even the smallest donation.  Won't you take a moment to donate?  I just did.  Kijana Lwanda Maktaba Campaign.

HERE'S WHAT I'LL BE DOING THROUGH THE END OF APRIL . . .

1.  APRIL IS FOR AUTHORS -- Saturday, April 27th at Palm Beach Gardens High School, 25 authors from around the country will give presentations, participate in panel discussions and sign books at this FREE event from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.   This is a wonderful annual event.  If you live in or near Palm Beach County, FL, be sure to stop by this Saturday.

2.  I'll be attending the 26th annual CONFERENCE ON CHILDREN'S LITERATURE in Ft. Lauderdale Friday.  I had spoken there a few years ago.  This time, I'm going to enjoy a great lineup of speakers, including the Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Walter Dean Myers.  Can't wait!

3.  And I'll be doing THREE days of local school visits. 

I'm excited about each of these visits, but especially about the last one because . . . Thanks to the generosity of Kids in Need, Books in Deed, a nonprofit organization, every one of the students I'll be speaking to at this Title I school has been given a copy of one of my books.  A brand new book to keep.  (Something I never had growing up.)

I can't tell you what it feels like to present to a group of low-income students who ask how they can get a copy of a book, only to be told there are no copies for them.  Kids in Need, Books in Deed is a great organization, and I've already made a donation to thank them for the important work they do here in Florida, getting books into kids' hands in conjunction with author visits.

After the whirlwind of activity the past 5 months and what's on the horizon for the remainder of April, I'm pretty sure on May 1st, you'll find me here . . .

2012 -- ALL BOOKED UP!

Here's the annual list of books I read in 2012 (with occasional comments).

(An asterisk denotes titles intended for adult readers.)

I'd love to hear about YOUR favorite 2012 reads in the comments section.

Let the BOOKFEST begin . . .

1.  Breaking Stalin's Nose --  Eugene Yelchin  (This is an exceptional book that looks deceptively simple, but tells a powerful story from the viewpoint of a young boy.)
2.  Hidden -- Helen Frost
3.  Everything I Was --  Corinne Demas
4.  The Fourth Stall --  Chris Rylander  (This was so funny it won the Sid Fleischman Award.  Middle grade mafia.  Need I say more?)
5.  Illegal -- Bettina Restrepo  (Gripping.  Puts a face/heart to people who come here from other countries.)
6.  Bluefish -- Pat Schmatz  (Thoroughly enjoyed this.)
7.  Kick -- Walter Dean Myers & Ross Workman (Interesting collaboration between a well-established author and a young fan.  Read more about it here.)
8.  She Love You, She Loves You Not -- Julie Anne Peters  (Huge fan of her work.)
9.  The Day Before -- Lisa Schroeder  (Made me a fan of Lisa Schroeder's work.)
10. Words in the Dust -- Trent Reedy  (How did an American man get into the mind and heart of a girl from Afghanistan?  His military background?  His writer's heart?  However he did it, this story is SO GOOD!  It would make a great movie.)
11. Inside Out and Back Again -- Thanhha Lai
12. Zane's Trace -- Allan Wolf
13.  Hound Dog True -- Linda Urban
14. Dear Mr. Henshaw -- Beverly Cleary
15. * Orange Is the New Black -- My Year in a Women's Prison -- Piper Kerman (Very interesting.)
16.  Beneath a Meth Moon -- Jacqueline Woodson  (Does Ms. Woodson write anything that isn't gripping/moving/wonderful?  My favorite of her books so far is If You Come Softly.  A certain scene in that book slayed me.)
17.  Wonder -- R.J. Palacio  (This is the middle grade book you must read.  You will be richer for having met Auggie Pullman.  The author did everything right from exploring an experience that left an impression on her heart to using multiple viewpoints.  It's my pick for this year's Newbery.)
18. Orchards -- Holly Thompson  (Great book in verse.  Like visiting Japan.)
19.  Black Box -- Julie Schumaker
20.  The One and Only Ivan -- Katherine Applegate (This book made an impression on my heart.  Told from the viewpoint of a Silverback Gorilla in captivity and how he attempts to rescue a young elephant.  Told with so much heart.  I pick this for a Newbery Honor.)
21.  Paper Covers Rock -- Jenny Hubbard
22.  Dying to Meet You (43 Old Cemetery Road) -- Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise (I loved this book for younger readers.  Such fun word play to complement a solid, fun ghost story.)
23.  The Big Crunch -- Pete Hautman
24.  Where Things Come Back -- John Corey Waley
25.  Drawing from Memory -- Allen Say
26.  Curveball:  The Year I Lost My Grip --  Jordan Sonnenblick  (The characters stayed with me long after I closed the book.)
27.  * Seriously, I'm Kidding -- Ellen Degeneres
28.  A Monster Calls -- Patrick Ness  (READ.  THIS.  BOOK.)
29.  See You at Harry's -- Jo Knowles  (A three-hanky read.  Loved it.)
30. Just Write.  Here's How.  -- Walter Dean Myers.  (When the master talks, I listen.)
31. The 13 Clocks -- James Thurber  (Read this while living in the Thurber House this summer.)
32. Keeping the Night Watch -- Hope Anita Smith
33. Monster -- Walter Dean Myers
34.  Please Ignore Vera Deitz -- A.S. King  (Glad to be introduced to this interesting writer.  One of the characters we hear from in this novel is a pagoda.  For an illuminating interview with the author by Sara Zarr, check out This Creative Life podcast.
35. Stolen -- Lucy Christopher  (A page-turner.)
36. The Night She Disappeared -- April Henry (I like April Henry.  I love her books.  They're thoroughly gripping.  This one kept me turning the pages late into the night.)
37. A Tale Dark and Grimm -- Adam Gidwitz (This book surprised and delighted me.  What a fun/gory/inventive take on these tales.  Loved it and can't wait to read the next one, In a Glass Grimmly.)
38. My Life in Dog Year -- Gary Paulsen  (I'm a big fan of Gary Paulesen's books.  This one is a touching collection of his true dog stories.  Really good!)
39. The Laura Line (pub date: 4/23/13) -- Crystal Allen  (Had the pleasure of reading this in manuscript form and offering a blurb.  If you haven't read Allen's first book, treat yourself to a heartfelt laughfest with How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy.  Unique and hilarious voice.)
40. * The Things That Keep Us Here -- Carla Buckley (Oh. My. Gosh!  Stephen King, move over.  Small community.  BIG story.  I will tell you nothing, except GO READ THIS!  Some of the scenes still haunt me, months after reading it.)
41. * The Solitude of Prime Numbers -- Paolo Giordano  (Depressing.)
42. The Classroom -- Robin Mellom
43. Belle Pratter's Boy -- Ruth White
44. * Life Is So Good -- George Dawson and Richard Glaubman (True story of a man who learns to read at 98 and shares his fascinating life.)
45. Drama -- Raina Telgemeier  (Also enjoyed her first graphic novel, Smile.)
46. Small as an Elephant -- Jennifer Richard Jacobson  (A boy goes camping with his mom in Acadia National Park.  In the morning, he wakes to find his Mom's tent gone . . . and his mom gone.  He has to figure out what happened and how to get home.  Wholly in the head of the young boy.  This novel surprised me with its excellence, and I highly recommend it!  A gem!)
47. Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies -- Andrea Beaty (I met Andrea when we were speaking at the same conference.  I found her to be fun, funny and smart -- just like her book!)
48. Never Fall Down -- Patricia McCormick  (Ms. McCormick is a treasure.  Her books bring you face to face with difficult realities in the most intimate way.  They are researched meticulously and wrought beautifully.  Read her other books as well, then watch the documentary, Half the Sky:  Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, which shows some of the things Ms. McCormick writes about so well.)
49. No Crystal Stair: A documentary novel of the life and work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller -- Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Very interesting.  I learned a lot.)
50. Secrets of the Cicada Summer -- Andrea Beaty  (A solid mystery/friendship/family/tragedy story for younger middle grade.)
51. The Fault in Our Stars -- John Green (Come on.  Could this get any more heartbreaking?  LOVED.  EVERY.  PAGE.)
52. * The Buddha in the Attic -- Julie Otsuka (Have you ever read a novel written in third person plural?  The whole thing?  Me neither.  But it worked.  And I learned a lot about those women who came over from Japan, looking for a better life, but finding mostly hard work and disappointments large and larger.)
53.  Boy 21 -- Matthew Quick (Okay, my husband loved reading The Silver Linings Playbook, and we all loved the movie -- Philadelphia references were a big bonus for us.  So I discovered Matthew Quick has written three YA novels.  Boy 21 is terrific!  Basketball, young love, the Irish mafia.  That man can write.  Just ordered Sorta Like a Rockstar and can't wait to devour it.  For an interview with Matthew Quick, check out Sara Zarr's This Creative Life podcast.)

Please leave a comment about your favorite 2012 reads . . .

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Doctors have stethoscopes.  Teachers have Smartboards.  Accountants have calculators.

Writers have tools, too.

Here are the ones I turn to when I write a book . . .

1.  Before I begin, I remind myself about story structure and character arcs with Robert McKee's excellent STORY:  SUBSTANCE, STRUCTURE, STYLE AND PRINCIPLES OF SCREENWRITING.  (I found this book so helpful that I made pages of notes and refer to the notes now instead of the original hefty volume.) 

2.  Early in the process, I create a synopsis -- a map, a blueprint, a guide -- that helps me navigate from the beginning through the murky middle to the inevitable ending.  For that, I need to ask and answer hard questions about my intentions.

I find those handy dandy questions in Appendix A:  Outlining Your Novel at the back of Donald Maass' WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK.  (I enjoyed his WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, too.  But I can summarize the main point of that book in three words:  Work incredibly hard.)

I find Cheryl Klein's SECOND SIGHT:  AN EDITOR'S TALKS ON WRITING, REVISING AND PUBLISHING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS helpful at this point.  This book has lots of useful exercises to help reveal your characters and story in a meaningful way.

Walter Dean Myer's has a great book for young writers called JUST WRITE HERE'S HOW.  In this book, Myer's offers a six-box system for organizing your novel or short story.  In the back are tips for writers, and I found his wisdom applicable for writers of any age.

3.  If I get muddled in the middle of a novel, I'll pull out Rochelle Melander's WRITE-A-THON:  WRITE YOUR BOOK IN 26 DAYS (AND LIVE TO TELL ABOUT IT).  Besides the practical advice throughout, there are perfect quotes at the beginning of each short chapter.

4.  While writing, if my character's keep smiling or gasping or their stomachs keep knotting or twisting, I grab THE EMOTION THESAURUS:  A WRITER'S GUIDE TO CHARACTER EXPRESSION to find fresh ways to show how they are feeling.  Thanks to authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi for this invaluable, easy-to-navigate guide. 

I can't wait for Ackerman and Puglisi to come out with their guide for creating characters, which I think is next on their list.  (Places hands on hips, taps foot, clicks fingernails against table, lets out a loud breath, glances repeatedly at clock and crosses arms . . . Oh, thank you page 94!)

5.  When the draft is done and revisions are in order, I'll revisit Cheryl Klein's SECOND SIGHT and I'll read Kate Messner's REAL REVISION:  AUTHORS' STRATEGIES TO SHARE WITH STUDENT WRITERS.  Besides great ideas, charts and examples, there are oodles of interviews with authors like Jane Yolen, Tom AngleBerger, Cynthia Lord, Kathi Appelt, me and many others.  Again, I found much of the advice and information applicable for writers of any age.

In addition to these great tools, I have an accountability buddy.  Each morning, my friend and I exchange a quick email sharing our day's writing goals.  We check in at day's end to share our progress and encourage each other.

What are YOUR favorite writing tools?

Inspiration for Writers -- Six Great Sites to Visit

1.  Today, Laurie Halse Anderson begins her WRITE FIFTEEN MINUTES A DAY CHALLENGE.  I'm in.  Are you?

2.  Have you seen some of the great middle grade books coming out?  There are new ones by Gordon Korman, Rebecca Stead, Walter Dean Myers,  Bruce Coville, Tom Angleberger and many others.  Check out the list at FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES.

3.  Kate Messner's blog for teachers who write is going strong.  Today's post is a Q & A with published authors. 

4.  Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog is always brimming with industry news, interviews, opportunities, giveaways, etc.  I've followed it for years!

5.  I'm a big fan of Katie Davis' podcast, Brain Burps About Books.  It's chock full of industry info, interviews, book reviews and so much more.

6.  If you're not able to attend the sold-out S.C.B.W.I. Conference in L.A., you can get interviews and recaps at their OFFICIAL BLOG SITE.  I plan to check it out daily and live vicariously until I absolutely, positively get there next summer.  (I'd so hoped to see the Golden Kite Award winners receive their honors at the luncheon since I was on the committee to choose the winners with Julia Durango and Steve Watkins.) But I was already away most of the summer here.

What sites inspire YOU to write and keep writing?

Favorite Philly Review . . . and Young Author Celebration

Philadelphia is in the house!!!

For years, my Aunt Iris clipped the young adult book reviews from the Philadelphia Inquirer and mailed them to me in South Florida.

I loved getting those reviews!  

In fact, I e-mailed the reviewer, Katie Haegele, to tell her how much I enjoyed her reviews.

You can imagine my delight to find that my book, OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN, appeared in today's young adult book reviews, among the likes of books by Walter Dean Myers, Pete Hautman, Cecil Castellucci, etc. 

My favorite part of the review was this:  "Local kids will smile when they see that Olivia lives in Philadelphia, goes to Phillies games, and mentions her favorite place to go out to eat: the Country Club Diner."  (That's right; I proudly set this novel in Philadelphia, which is why I'm so blasted happy it's reviewed in the Philadelphia Inquirer.)

Thank you, Katie Haegele!  (And thanks for your awesome advice about cutting soy out of my diet.  It's reduced my migraines to nearly zero!)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

And in related reading/writing news, I was the speaker at my favorite event of the year yesterday -- The Young Author Celebration at Manatee Academy for St. Lucie County.

Uber-media specialist and President of the St. Lucie Reading Council, Debbie Remington and her trusty sidekick, Vince, organized and ran the event.  They gave the students certificates and food (including giant cookies) and books and more books!

Debbie Remington and Donna

And my trusty sidekick and fantabulous hubby helped out.

Hubby missed his weekly basketball game to help out at this event.

 What a delight to meet these young, talented writers and readers and their very proud parents and grandparents.

RESOURCES FOR YOUNG WRITERS . . .

When I was a young writer (about 10-1/2 billion years ago), I spent lots of time in the 808 section of the Philadelphia Public Library. I read books like Writer's Market to figure out how to sell my writing and get rich.

When I was 14, I sent a batch of greeting card ideas to Hallmark.

Guess what Hallmark sent back.

A rejection letter, of course. But I didn't let it discourage me.

I continued writing and sending my work out for decades. While I kept getting rejected (Boo hoo!), I also sold greeting cards, stories, funny essays and, eventually, books for kids. Wahoo!

Never did get rich, but I sure had fun!

I know that when I was a kid, I would have LOVED a list of all the great books and Web sites available for young writers today.

Because I like you so much (I really do!), I'm going to share these wonderful resources with you.

Make sure to share this with other young writers.

Thanks!


EXCELLENT WEB SITES FOR YOUNG WRITERS . . .

1) http://noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/basic/yngwrite.html This Web site is a treasure trove of opportunities for young writers. It lists publications and Web sites that accept writing from children.

2) http://mag.amazing-kids.org/contests/amazing-kids-contests/ On this site, you’ll find fun contests for kids.

3) http://www.fundsforwriters.com/writingkid.htm This e-zine provides contests and publishing opportunities as well as articles for young writers.

4) http://www.stonesoup.com/stone-soup-contributor-guideline/ If you’re age 13 or younger, you can contribute writing and illustrations to Stone Soup Magazine.

5) http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2011/06/co-authors-interview-walter-dean-myers.html -- Read this inspiring interview with author, Walter Dean Myers, and a young writer, Ross Workman, who collaborated on the novel Kick.

6) http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php?topic=52563.0 With a parent’s permission, send an e-mail to sign up for this message board, then scroll down to the “Young Writers Rock!” section. Introduce yourself, explore and ask questions.
7) http://www.aprilhenrymysteries.com/tips-for-writers.html Mystery writer, April Henry, offers great tips and resources.

AWESOME BOOKS FOR YOUNG WRITERS . . .

1) Five Pages a Day: A Writer's Journey by Peg Kehret

2) Poem-Making: Ways to Begin Writing Poetry by Myra Cohn Livingston

3) What's Your Story?: A Young Person's Guide to Writing Fiction by Marion
Dane Bauer

4) Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook by Anne Mazer & Ellen Potter

5) The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner

6) Pizza, Pigs and Poetry: How to Write a Poem by Jack Prelutsky

7) Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly by Gail Carson Levine

8) Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out by Ralph Fletcher

9) Seize the Story:  A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write by Victoria Hanley

10) Just Write -- Here's How by Walter Dean Myers

Now, go have fun (reading and) writing!