Book love: LIAR & SPY by Rebecca Stead

I never intended this blog to feature reviews, but every now and then I simply adore a book so much I must pop on here and say, "Hey! Read this!" So, here I am. Have you read LIAR & SPY by Rebecca Stead? Because you should. And your kids (age 9 and up) should, too, for sure. Rebecca Stead has a way of telling a story with such ease that you don't see all the hard work you KNOW went into it. Everything falls into place perfectly, in a way that leaves you smiling and wanting to hug the darn book when you're done. 

Here's the description:

When seventh grader Georges (the s is silent) moves into a Brooklyn apartment building, he meets Safer, a twelve-year-old coffee-drinking loner and self-appointed spy. 

Georges becomes Safer's first spy recruit. His assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: how far is too far to go for your only friend?

Liar & Spy is an inspired, often-funny story about destiny, goofy brilliance, and courage. Like Stead's Newbery Medal-winning When You Reach Me, it will keep readers guessing until the end.

Enjoy!

SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE Author Joanne Levy on the "awesome whirlwind" of publishing

Welcome to YA Q&A, today featuring Joanne Levy. Joanne's debut novel, SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE, was published by Bloomsbury in July 2012. It's the story of twelve-year-old Lilah Bloom, who is struck by lightening and develops a new talent: she can hear dead people. Among them, there’s her over-opinionated Bubby Dora; a prissy fashion designer; and an approval-seeking clown who livens up a séance. With Bubby Dora leading the way, these and other sweetly imperfect ghosts haunt Lilah through seventh grade, and help her face her one big fear: talking to—and possibly going to the seventh-grade dance with—her crush, Andrew Finkel.

Joanne has kindly agreed to answer a few questions about her writing and publishing experiences. So I'll jump right in!

Q: Joanne, you won a number of writing contests prior to your debut novel's publication, including RWA Chick Lit and Backspace contests. Can you tell us about those contests, how they helped you on your path to publishing?

Joanne Levy

A: The contests didn’t have a direct effect on my getting published, but they did help me with my craft along the way. They taught me important lessons about writing great, hooky beginnings (because that’s generally all you can submit for contests) and also what it’s like to wait for feedback. Waiting is hard and getting feedback can be hard and very scary, especially for newbies, so I think entering contests is a great way to start out and get used to the anxiety of these terrifying, but unavoidable realities of publishing. Usually the judges are kind, but honest and they aren’t your mom. In other words, they’re not going to tell you your work is perfect and they love you and why don’t you come over for dinner Sunday—contest judges will give you useful feedback, which is what you need if you’re serious about getting published. And contests are a great way to get objective feedback before you send to agents and editors—many writers (myself included) send out their early work too soon and contests are a great buffer, especially if you get agent/editor judges to give feedback. And you never know—an agent or editor might just request after reading your work.

Q: SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE is one of my favorite book titles ever. So clever and descriptive. I find titles to be one of the most challenging aspects of writing. Did yours come to you easily? In a dream? After many months of "meh" titles? Or in collaboration with your publisher? Tell us your title story! 

A: Thank you! I actually woke up with this title in my head one day. I was working on other projects at the time, so I put it aside for a while, but it nagged at me for about a year until I figured I’d better write the book. I wish all other titles have been so easy, but typically, they come to me through writing the story.

Q: Now that your "baby" has been out there in the world for a few months, can you tell us what your debut author experience has been like? 

A: It has been a whirlwind! But an awesome whirlwind. My launch was like a second wedding, but without the expensive dress! I had a great time and for only the second time, I enjoyed being the center of attention (as a somewhat shy introvert, I try to hug the walls at most parties, if I can bring myself to attend at all). So far, the feedback on my book has been wonderful—it got good reviews from the trades and most recently was named as a Sydney Taylor Notable Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries. That was quite an honor which my mother was VERY happy about. But even more amazing is the feedback from kids. I actually just received a package of artwork from a class, each piece depicting the student’s favourite scene in the book. How cool is that? And I especially love that their favorite scenes are mine, too. That tells me I’m doing something right. And on a different level, this past year has been amazing for me because it’s made me stretch and grow as a human. I’ve done things I never would have dreamed of doing before, like public speaking, making videos of myself singing (I am NOT a good singer) and doing other ridiculous things. In my efforts to get the word out about me and my book, I say yes to just about everything I’m asked to do, and in the end, I’m a better person for all the scary things I’ve done. Also, I’ve met a ton of amazing people along the way that I now count as friends, so I have to say the experience of being published has been so much more than having a book on bookstore shelves. It really has been a dream come true in more ways than I could have imagined (with some nightmarish moments—not every part of it has been a bowl of cherries, but the good has far outweighed the bad).

Q: What's your writing process like, and what are you working on now?

A: My writing process is very linear and simple. I sit down and write a story pretty much from beginning to end. I almost never outline or draw up character sketeches, because for me, the joy of writing is in the drafting. That’s where I learn who the characters are, what they want/need and where they need to go to get it and also the challenges and pitfalls they’ll face along the way. Of course this means a lot of editing is required to fix details and layer stuff in later, but it’s the best (and most enjoyable, because if I’m not enjoying myself, why on earth would I do this?) way for me to work. I have a day job, so I do most of my writing in big chunks on the weekends. Some evenings I edit, but I need sizable time slots to get into a creative groove. As for what I’m working on now, I’ve just finished the first draft of a sweet and funny MG summer camp book that I think will be a good follow up to SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE and am digging into the edits as soon as I finish this interview!

Q: Saving the big question for last. I was absolutely blown away by your effort, along with Kate Messner, on the KidLit Cares fundraiser for Superstorm Sandy relief. You raised more than $60,000! Can you tell us a little bit about that experience and how the KidLit community came together? I was particularly awed to see some of the author/agent/editor victims of the storm donating their time as well, even as they were without power and heat! 

A: The KidLit Cares effort was amazing in so many ways! I am in amazed by Kate who is involved in so much (on top of writing and having a family!), but still finds time for more projects, including important ones like this. She was so quick to respond to the need and got the ball rolling with some amazing talent auctions just days after Sandy hit. When I saw what she was doing, I really wanted to help; I’m an executive assistant by day, so I’m organized and good with putting things together, so it was a natural thing for me to help with the auctions. I asked Kate what I could do and she said she had too much on her plate to continue after round one and would I be interested in taking over for a round two. It didn’t take much convincing on her part since it seemed like a great way to raise funds quickly and do something I enjoy doing anyway.

I, too was awed by how many people came forward to donate their time/expertise/artwork in the efforts--so much that even with 71 auctions (just for my round!) I had to start turning people away. It was a win/win/win situation where much-needed money was raised, people got great stuff from the auctions, and I think everyone felt great about the efforts. I myself made great contacts with industry people and was able to connect with Kate on a new level and we even had the chance to get together (and meet for the first time) at NCTE in Las Vegas, which was a true highlight. So although it was a huge amount of time and work, I got way more out of the experience than I put in. I’d do it again in a heartbeat, though I think I’d take time off work and completely clear my schedule first!

Thank you, Joanne (for answering my questions and for all that you do!). Keep us posted on the new book!

One Teen Story is Accepting Submissions

The last four issues of One Teen Story

I've raved about One Teen Story before, but hope you won't mind if I do so again. I'm such a fan of this lovely little literary gem that arrives in my mailbox each month. It's a special treat, like getting a letter from a pen pal or old friend. It's not the same as buying a book, where you've read the flap copy or heard about it and know what to expect. One Teen Story comes as a delightful surprise each month. The only hints as to what it contains are the title, author and cover illustration (always fabulous). 

It makes me want to write short stories! For those of you who do, One Teen Story is accepting submissions through April 30th for its second volume. They're looking for short stories for the young-adult audience (specifically for ages 14 and up). All genres of fiction are welcome, from 2,000-4,500 words in length. Their submission guidelines are here. Good luck!

Oh, happy day! The 2013 Printz Award Winner and Honor Books are here!

YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) has announced its Michael L. Printz award winners for 2013! If you're looking for the next great book to read, you can't go wrong here. I've loved every Printz book I've ever read: SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson, THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION by Nancy Farmer, THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS by Carolyn Mackler, LOOKING FOR ALASKA and AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES by John Green, THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zuzak, GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray, SHIPBREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi and THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater to name a few. (Phew!)

So, march on over to your favorite book store or library and check out the latest literary lovelies.

This year's Printz winner is:

IN DARKNESS by Nick Lake

"In darkness I count my blessings like Manman taught me. One: I am alive. Two: there is no two." In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake a boy is trapped beneath the rubble of a ruined hospital: thirsty, terrified and alone. 

This year's Printz honor books are:

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. After meeting at a swimming pool, they discover a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. 

CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

DODGER by Terry Pratchett

A storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he's...Dodger.

THE WHITE BICYCLE by Beverley Brenna

The third stand-alone title in the Wild Orchid series about a young woman with Asperger's Syndrome, THE WHITE BICYCLE chronicles Taylor Jane's travels to the south of France where she spends a summer babysitting for the Phoenix family. 

Congratulations to the award recipients, and to those who will have the pleasure of reading these books. To see the full list of award recipients since 2000, go here.

Author/Librarian Megan Frazer Blakemore on writing, reviews, and how kids choose books

First interview of 2013! Say hello to Megan Frazer Blakemore, author of the Young Adult novel SECRETS OF TRUTH & BEAUTY (Disney-Hyperion, July 2009) and a new Middle Grade novel, THE WATER CASTLE (Walker Books for Young Readers, January 2013). Megan lives in Maine where she's a school librarian by day and writer by night. You can learn more about her on her website or Facebook page. 

Q: Hi, Megan! Can you briefly tell us about your path to publishing? How long were you writing before your debut in 2009, and how did you find your agent and/or publisher?

Megan Frazer Blakemore

A: This is a complicated to answer. I knew I wanted to be a writer in 6th grade, and I pursued it diligently through college. Interestingly, I started the writing program at my college wanting to write YA, but was subtly discouraged. So, I was writing for adults, but nearly every story or novel had teenage characters. I was at the stage of getting a lot of positive rejections from magazines for my stories, and agents for a novel. Someone in the business suggested I try writing YA, and I started by trying to rework part of a long, messy manuscript that included flashbacks to the teen years -- essentially pulling out the past and restructuring it into a standalone novel. While doing that, I had the idea for Secrets of Truth & Beauty. Here's where things pick up in pace (this is about 8 years post college). I wrote and revised that novel quickly, and then started sending it to agents (within a year!). I always tell people the best way to make it through an agent search is to simultaneously be planning a wedding. It kept me from checking my email every five minutes. I used AgentQuery to find suitable matches. I sent out five query letters at a time. If I got a rejection, I sent a new one. My agent, Sara Crowe, was in that first set of five, and she actually called the Thursday before my wedding. We revised together, and she sent it out to publishers. This was in late 2007, so before things went really sour in the economy. It sold quickly and I was on my way. Like a lot of writers, I thought that meant things would be easy from then on out, but I really struggled to find a second successful project. That project is a middle grade, The Water Castle, which came out earlier this month from Walker Books.

Q: You also work as a high school librarian, which I imagine gives you some helpful insights into how teens choose and read books. For instance, how much are teens influenced by their peers? How important is a book's cover? Librarian recommendation? Other factors we may find surprising?

A: I worked as a high school librarian for seven years, and now I am in a middle school. For both groups, you've hit upon the biggies: peer recommendations (or perceived popularity of a book), cover, and librarian and teacher recommendations. Actually the other day I had a group of kids looking for books, and one boy said, "Don't judge a book by it's cover!" And a girl responded, "Why not? That's what it's there for. They design it to tell you what the book is about." So, yes, cover matters. Kids tend to pick up based on cover, then they read the description on back. Honestly, if I know one student has read a book, and I'm trying to recommend it to a second, I ask the first to describe the book to the second because I think peer to peer recommendations carry more weight. Another interesting piece is book trailers. My fifth graders love, love, love making them, and if I show them a trailer for a book, it gets them excited to read it, but I haven't yet seen them seek out the trailers on their own. So, if you make a trailer, you need to think about how you're going to get it in front of your audience.

Q: How has your work as a librarian informed your own writing?

A: The biggest benefit of working with kids and teens is that when I am writing about them, I can't underestimate them. Plus, I see their multitudes, as it were. The Water Castle tackles some fairly complex topics in terms of science and big life questions like, if you could live forever, would you? I never doubted that kids could handle this material because every day I go to work with smart kids who are looking to grapple with just this sort of thing.

Q: You write both YA and MG. How does your approach to the two differ?

A: The Water Castle actually started out as a YA with sort of magical elements, but I couldn't make it work. As I kept pecking at it, I realized the characters needed to be younger, and that opened it up to me. The initial writing process is probably the same -- I don't outline, I know where I want to end up and a vague idea of how I want to get there, and then I just write, write, write. I find revising MG easier than YA and that, for me, mostly has to do with length. When I'm revising my YA novels -- as I'm doing right now -- I feel like Mother Ginger in the Nutcracker trying to get all the kids back under her skirt. It's a lot of work to bring all the strands together. I use Srivener, and the outlining feature has saved me on more than one occasion.

Q: THE WATER CASTLE received a starred review from Kirkus. I've always wondered how that coveted star affects a book's success. Does it help in marketing and sales efforts? How important are favorable advance reviews?

A: I am so grateful for the starred review from Kirkus. I also was able to do an interview with Vicky Smith, children's book editor. That kind of support is really helpful, especially in the library community. The star went straight onto the back of the book, so certainly it helps with marketing. As for advance reviews, maybe that depends on the kind of book, but I think books can still build a slow buzz. It doesn't need to be a big splash.

Q: What are you working on now/next?

A: My next MG will be published in 2014, also by Walker. It doesn't have a title yet. It's set during the height of the Red Scare and it's about a girl, Hazel Kaplansky, whose family runs the town graveyard. She becomes convinced that the new gravedigger is a Soviet spy, and enlists Samuel, the new boy in town with his own secret history, to help her to prove it. As I mentioned above, I'm also revising a YA that I hope to send to my agent for feedback in the next week or two.

Thank you, Megan! The historical aspects of your MG novels sound fascinating... can't wait to check them out and I know my kids will love them, too. (And I'm very curious to see what the new YA is about... keep me posted!)

Discovering a new favorite author

I don't have any interviews scheduled at the moment, so I hope you won't mind if I blather on about a new favorite author I've discovered: Patricia McCormick. (She's not new... but new to me.) 

I just finished reading her verse novel, SOLD, and have been sitting here in a bit of a daze. It left me feeling like I might hyperventilate, to be honest, that I'd been sucker-punched. It occurred to me that I was experiencing the true meaning of "gut-wrenching." 

SOLD is the story of a 13-year-old Nepali girl who is sold into prostitution. It is beautifully written but at times very difficult to read, as the horrible story unfolds and you realize how many girls have suffered a similar fate. (Patricia notes that nearly 12,000 Nepali girls are sold into sexual slavery in the brothels of India each year.) 

If you haven't read it, SOLD was published in 2007, and was a National Book Award finalist. So, too, is her latest novel: NEVER FALL DOWN. It is based on the true story of an 11-year-old boy who survived the Khmer Rouge by playing music in the Killing Fields. 

I love that Patricia is both journalist and novelist, that the two come together in her books in such a powerful way to educate her readers about issues they may never learn of otherwise. If you visit her website, you'll also find links to a number of organizations that are working on issues like child trafficking. 

What new favorite authors have you discovered recently? 

The Best of Best of YA 2012

Here it is, New Year's Day... 2012 is over, the world did not end, and I'm surrounded by ever-growing piles of YA books waiting to be read. I discovered over the holidays that my teenage niece is a speed-reader, and I'm quite jealous. (She devoured four novels in less than twelve hours.) I've always been a slow-poke reader, lingering over every word and sentence as if it's being spoken to me aloud. (Which is quite enjoyable, but prevents me from enjoying as many books as I'd like.) 

Even so, I did read many fantastic YA novels over the past twelve months, including:

CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green
LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP by Amy McNamara
DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT by Laini Taylor
BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore
THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray
SHINE by Lauren Myracle
MIRACLE by Elizabeth Scot
A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness
DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver
THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Sara Zarr 
PURE by Julianna Baggott

There were many others, but that's my Top 12 list of favorites. 'Tis the season of "Best of" lists, isn't it? The YA community is no exception. I've been gathering up book recommendations from authors, bloggers, libraries... wherever the "Best of YA" lists appear. I decided to compile them here so they'll be easy to find when I'm deciding which book to read next. It's interesting to see which books show up on multiple lists, and which make single appearances (those, to be honest, are the ones I'm most curious about).

I'm pleased to present my Best of Best of YA Books of 2012:

Maggie Steifvater shared "Best Books of 2012," starting with THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tart. 

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) offers a lengthy list of the Best Fiction for Young Adults. There's a link to their top 10 as well, which is listed in alphabetical order from Rae Carson's THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS to Sara Zarr's HOW TO SAVE A LIFE.

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green topped many lists, including the Goodreads Choice Awards 2012.

YALSA's Michael L. Printz Winner and Honor Books are listed here. The previous years are listed as well, and there are so many here I want to read. Topping the list is the 2012 winner: WHERE THINGS COME BACK by John Corey Whaley. 

Many of my own favorites also appeared on Kiersten White's Favorite Reads of 2012, along with THE PRINCESS ACADEMY: PALACE OF STONE by Shannon Hale, I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga, TIGER LILY by Jodi Lynn Anderson, and EVERY DAY by David Levithan. Must. Read. Soon.

Bookalicious shares its Best Books of 2012 in five YA categories, as well as best short story, best middle grade, and best self-published (LEOPARD MOON by Jeanette Batista).

Huff Post Teen suggested 10 Books You Should Read On Holiday Break, including the graphic novel DRAMA by Raina Telgemeier and NEVER FALL DOWN by Patricia McCormick. (I'm currently reading her 2007 book SOLD, a National Book Award Finalist.)

Lipstick and Literature has a lovely collection of The Best Reads of 2012, organized by genres including contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, sci-fi/dystopian and honorable mentions. Again, many listed are in my TBR pile, including THE MARA DYER SERIES by Michelle Hodgkin. 

Publisher's Weekly's Best Books 2012 starts off with THE PECULIAR by Stefan Bachman. Also featured: WONDER by R.J. Palacio, THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen, and LIAR & SPY by Rebecca Stead (among others).

The Atlantic Wire presents its Y.A./Middle-Grade Book Awards for 2012 in categories such as "Best Prose" (THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater), "Most Worthy of Our Tears" (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green), "Most Lyrical" (SMALL DAMAGES by Beth Kephart) and even the "Most Swoony" (MY LIFE NEXT DOOR by Huntley Fitzpatrick.

The New York Times offers its Notable children's Books of 2012, including YA, MG and picture books. Of the five listed under YA, I'm most curious about JEPP, WHO DEFIED THE STARS by Katherine Marsh. 

The Boston Globe also shared its Best Young Adult Books of 2012, with THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray and THE DISENCHANTMENTS by Nina LaCour.

Kelly Winfrey of Hello Giggles writes about Best YA Books of 2012 (that she read). Number one is WHY WE BROKE UP by Daniel Handler.

Maggie Stiefvater, Libba Bray, John Green and Elizabeth Wein all make appearances again on Forever Young Adult's Best YA Books of 2012, along with THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH FAIRYLAND AND LED THE REVELS THERE by Catherynn M. Valente, THE PRINCESSES OF IOWA by M. Molly Backes, and ASK THE PASSENGERS by A.S. King.

The Telegraph (UK) offered its Top 10 YA Books of 2012, which featured the most books I hadn't heard about. I'll have to see how many of them are available in U.S. 

And now over to The Daily Fig, where YA Authors Talk About Their Favorite Books of 2012. "Malinda Lo raved about THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST by Emily M. Danforth." 

Two lists I came across focused solely on favorite book covers of 2012. You'll find the pretty over at Pure Imagination and YALSA.  Appearing on both lists are FINGERPRINTS OF YOU by Kristin-Paige Madonia, THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass, and MEANT TO BE by Lauren Morrill.

Finally, if your voracious appetite for YA still isn't sated... pop on over to NPR for their 100 Best Ever Teen Novels.  

That should keep y'all busy for a while. 

Now, have I missed any? If you blogged a best-of list in 2012 or read a good one, let me know about it in the comments!

UPDATED:
Another great "best of" list I missed, "Top Ten of 2012" by Denise Jaden... with GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn, PUSHING THE LIMITS by Katie McGarry, IN HONOR by Jessi Kirby and others.

UPDATED AGAIN: As if I didn't already have too many books on my TBR list, the 2013 Teen Choice Award nominees have been listed. Not easy choosing my five favorite of 2012 from this list!