December 2007: 53 books read

Juvenile Fiction
Lucy Rose: Working Myself to Pieces & Bits by Katy Kelly
Seeing Sky-Blue Pink by Candice F. Ransom
The Rising Star of Rusty Nail by Lesley M.M. Blume
Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now by Lauren Child

Teen Fiction
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass

Advanced Reads
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

Picture Books
Oscar and the Moth by Geoff Waring
How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird by Jacques Prévert, translated and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
Snow is My Favorite and My Best based on characters created by Lauren Child
G is for One Gzonk! An Alpha-Number-Bet Book written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

Jo Knowles' debut novel, Lessons from a Dead Girl, details the complex and painful life-long friendship of two girls: Leah, the abuser, and Laine, the victim. Out of shame and confusion, Laine refuses to tell anyone what Leah does for years. It's a remarkable book, and anyone who reads the author's blog can tell that she's remarkably compassionate. I had the good fortune to speak with her at length.

What resources - books, websites, hotlines, support groups - did you use while writing your book?

You know, it's an interesting question. Many years ago, I read an article about kids who abuse kids. I'm not even sure where I read the piece. I was working on a freelance project about abuse and this article was included in the research package I was provided. The story just went right to my heart. I started thinking about how complicated childhood friendships can be. How incredibly binding they are, even when the friendship is far from perfect. So often as a kid, friends can be forced upon you based on family friendships and other circumstances. I don't think it's always true that you can pick your friends. Growing up, there were certain kids my mom made me invite over, or visit, for different reasons. Some of those, I really didn't want to be with. That's just how it was.

From there, a story emerged.

( Read more... )

Visit Jo's website to learn some more lessons.

Sometimes, two books have the same title. Typically, they are vastly different. In this case, both of them are definitely worth reading. While Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley hit the slopes on New Year's Day this year, Girl Overboard by Aimee Ferris sailed into stores last May.

Published as part of Penguin's Students across Seven Seas (S.A.S.S.) line, Girl Overboard by Aimee Ferris charts Marina's trip aboard a ship with kids from around the world. This book is not only about studying abroad, but about appreciating and protecting marine life. It touches on many other things, such as being away from home, relating to different cultures, even unmasking poachers.

Much like the seas in which Marina swims, there's more to this book than meets the eye. The poacher storyline is handled well, and the creatures and facts sprinkled throughout the story are well-researched. The school-on-a-ship setting will appeal to teens who dream of traveling to other countries. I hope that readers start thinking about how they too can make conservation efforts.

Read my interview with Aimee Ferris.

Visit the S.A.S.S. website.

Check out tips from S.A.S.S. on studying aboard. (PDF)

Check out my review of Justina Chen Headley's Girl Overboard.

Published as part of Penguin's Students across Seven Seas (S.A.S.S.) line, Girl Overboard by Aimee Ferris charts Marina's trip aboard a ship with kids from around the world. (Read my full review.) The well-traveled author dropped by, speaking at length about places I've never been, conservation efforts, and her love for dolphins and octopi.

Your book's main character, Marina, grew up in Vermont and plans to attend the University of Hawaii. What is your hometown, and where did you study?

Like Marina, I lived in Stowe -- which is a gorgeous little mountain village in the middle of Vermont. However, I grew up in Illinois just 15 minutes over the Mighty Miss. from St. Louis. Our house sat in a rural town smack dab between a corn field, a bean field, and a whole lot of cows -- not exactly where you'd expect someone who's done thousands of scuba dives to come from! I had planned to attend U of Hawaii and was actually accepted into the Marine Biology program, but my plans changed and I am now finishing the last of my degree in Philosophy from the University of Illinois. Just for the fun of it, I've been known to argue that dolphins should be considered persons in the occasional ethics class -- a little homage to my past life.

( Read more... )

Visit Aimee's LiveJournal and her page at the Class of 2k7 website.

Last fall, I got to know Liz Gallagher when she gave me the opportunity to design her website.

Next week, Liz will officially become a published author when her debut novel The Opposite of Invisible hits the shelves on January 8th. I'm so happy for her. The book is delightful, and I just know it is going to find its way into a lot of hearts.

Liz and I both like to talk - to others or to ourselves - so here we are, talking to each other, and letting you listen in!

Your book begins with the line:
"Some girls have journals. I talk to my poster."
How about you?

I talk to myself! There's a pretty constant dialogue going on in my head, between me and . . . some other version of me. My conscience? Maybe, but it's more like a best friend in my brain.

( Read more... )

Read my review of The Opposite of Invisible.

Visit LizGallagher.com

See what Liz has to say at her LiveJournal.

Attend Liz's upcoming signings:

Saturday, January 12th
Chester County Book Company
975 Paoli Pike (West Goshen Center)
West Chester, PA
@ 1:00 PM

Saturday, January 19th
THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE release party!
All for Kids Books & Music
2900 NE Blakeley St
Seattle, WA
2:00 PM -- 5:00 PM
with live music by Rachel Harrington

Some girls have journals. I talk to my poster.

So begins The Opposite of Invisible, an absolute gem of a story.

Alice and Jewel have been best friends since the age of three. They have never had any romantic feelings for one another, always acting more like sister and brother without the sibling rivalry. They are more comfortable with each other than with anyone else in the whole world. Alice feels like she's invisible to everyone except Jewel, and though he's also under the radar at school, she considers Jewel to be "the opposite of invisible" to her.

Then, unexpectedly, Alice gets a boyfriend: Simon, a popular boy at school, her secret crush. Just as unexpectedly, Jewel starts to take notice of Alice in a new way. Along the way, an art class coaxes Alice out of her shell, just a little, just enough, as art gives her something that is hers and hers alone.

The Opposite of Invisible should be given to hopeful young artists along with a sketchpad, a journal, or an art print to inspire them as Picasso's Le Visage de Paix (The Face of Peace) inspires Alice. Le Visage de Paix is "Dove Girl" to Alice; this is the poster on her wall that she talks to and tells her deepest secrets, the things she can't even tell Jewel.

Alice is truly sweet sixteen, full of questions and confusion, with a hint of naivety that is endearing rather than disenchanting. She narrates the story in first person present tense, in a voice that is honest and refreshing. She finds solace in the silence and beauty in the little things.

The Opposite of Invisible is all about friends, first crushes, art and young artists. A quick read, this story will definitely appeal to fans of Cecil Castellucci's books. It will also interest those who liked Bringing Up the Bones by Lara M. Zeises but are seeking something lighter, happier. A notable debut by Liz Gallagher.

( More bits and pieces )

Read my interview with Liz.

Take a peek at Liz's journal and website.