Wicked Cool Overlooked Books: Racing to the Future

It's the first Monday of the month, and while you're still trying to figure out what happened to January, it's already time for February's Wicked Cool Overlooked Books!

A recent conversation at The Spectacle had a lot of great things to say about series books. From writer tips on creating characters, to a discussion on what a writer who writes series owes to their readers, it was a wide-ranging and intelligent conversation with great input by all those involved. It got me thinking about "hard" science in young adult science fiction books, the kind of books I'd like to read and write, and a series I read years ago and really liked, and can't believe I never told you about.

Charles Dingillia -- aka "Chigger" -- lives underground in Bunker City, near El Paso, and is sick to death of his whole family. His parents basically hate each other, and his Dad, Max, has unforgivably walked out on his Mom, Maggie, leaving he and his brilliant older brother Douglas and his spoiled younger brother, Bobby -- AKA "Stinky" -- with nothing but vague promises, for his twice a year visits, of great trips to places like Disneyland. Of course, they've never been. Thus, Chigger greets his father's grandiose suggestion that they go to the moon with a little Yeah, Dad, whatever shrug like it deserves.

Chigger knows very well they're not going to the moon. For one thing, the Dingillia's don't do family trips. They're always a disaster. They start out with Dad being jovial, then Stinky usually whines until he wets himself or throws up, and Douglas -- aka "Weird" -- is off in weirdville on his own, as usual. Chigger is stuck in the middle, asking his father awkward questions, which pisses him off enough to dump the lot of them at home again. Plus -- Dad's broke. He's always broke. Add to that the fact that his mother has gotten a court order that straight out prevents his Dad from removing them from the planet -- well, there you go. They're not going. No matter how craptastic Earth is, no matter how high the UV danger on the surface, or how brown the smog-choked sky, just because other people are emigrating from the planet, doesn't mean they're going. The Dingillia's are stuck, and they're not going anywhere.

Except: they do. Dad comes and takes them for a month -- a solid month -- and they do tourist things like checking out meteor craters and everything. And then, they go... further, and Chigger is well aware that his father is maybe kind of kidnapping them. But -- they're in Ecuador! And they're going up the space elevator! And maybe, just maybe his Dad really is finally going to make up for all the crap he put them through, and all the broken promises. And maybe, the Dingillia guys are going to hang together, and be okay.

...aaaand then again, maybe not.

From the moment the orbital elevator reaches the top, it's clear to Chigger that this isn't a typical tourist trip. Immediately, there are people in uniforms, searching the tourists -- has Mom called the authorities already? -- and Chigger finds another kid blending in with the crowd, trying to evade notice. Of course, Stinky acts like the little spoiled brat he is, and Weird starts mooning after some guy he's met, but something is more than a little off about this Dingillia Family Vacation. It seems that there are people following them -- and they're not just the people their mother has hired to find them. International -- intergalactic?? -- smuggling, kidnapping, and a whole lot of fleeing make up the bulk of this book -- leavened by smart remarks, sibling spats, and moments of surprising kindness and humor. It takes a family law court and the word of a judge, but eventually Chigger gets to make his own choices about his family. The book explores the reality about who we come from being only a part of who we are -- and that we choose who we want to be.

And that's just the first book of three.

Gerrold wrote two other books in this series, and the wild adventures just continue. Things Chigger escaped from on Earth have a tendency to follow him, and more smugglers, courtrooms, judges, bounty hunters and more brushes with the law continue in Bouncing Off the Moon and Leaping for the Stars. In the end, Charles Dingillia finds the life he wants, and the family he needs, and gets to try out a whole bunch of really cool tech along the way.

The word "juvenile" is used in many of the reviews of this book, coupled with the name "Heinlen," which gives you a real clue to the seriously old, old, old-school tone of this book, despite the fact that it was published by Tor in 2000. While there are plenty of inclusive, modern touches in the novel, and a lot of discussion of ideas of gender identity and family, there are a lot of classic elements as well, including an in-depth exploration of the "what if" tech involved in geosynchronous orbit, which allowed for the creation of an orbital elevator to get people to the moon. These books also have a very aggressive storyline, which rapidly entangles the characters into multiple predicaments, which is fully a bow to the adventuring genius of Robert Heinlen. While novelist David Gerrold definitely has his SF writing chops, he isn't entirely comfortable with the young adult voice, and the reason for that could in part be that he started publishing about five -ten years before AF and I were born. At first, I couldn't suspend my disbelief in Chigger as a child, because the tone was pretty clunky -- and more adult than it should have been, but the emotions behind Chigger's Holden Caufield-esque observations on the world rang true, and his eventual and grudging affection for his family won me over.

Somehow, I doubt this was marketed very heavily toward young adults -- because how could it have just vanished without a trace like that? This is a good, energetic, intelligent trilogy for YA science geeks - guys or girls - and I think it would be fun to see it reissued with fresher science (in just a decade, so much of that "what if" tech has changed!) and a friendlier cover that doesn't make futuristic twelve-year-olds look like they're twenty-one and living in 1950.

It's an incredibly strong sense of adventure which will get us to leave the planet and inhabit stars. Feed the flame and buy Jumping Off the Planet, its sequel, Bouncing off the Moon, and the final volume in the trilogy, Leaping to the Stars from an independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages - POW! A Superheroine's Debut

"It's one of those unexpected gift moments, like looking up and finding a mirror right in front of you, and instead of food in your teeth or a booger hanging from your nose, it's really you, and you like what you see." - 8th Grade SuperZero, p. 87

I do find it's kind of hard to write a book review if you keep rereading the book.

I've already told the story of The Book-Snatching Auntie, and am still snickering at my poor Auntie G., who was so embarrassed at "borrowing" a book from me, forgetting I hadn't finished it, and giving it away -- but I fully and thoroughly understand now why she started passing it around. Olugbemisola Perkovich's writing is that good.

---

Eighth Grade was the first year that I got into politics -- in my school, we had a recall of our class president. (THAT didn't go over well with the faculty.) At Clarke Junior School where Reggie McKnight attends, the election hasn't happened yet, but the candidates are getting ready to rumble - or in Vicky Ross's case, getting ready to yap. Endlessly.

Reggie wanted to be different this year. He was ready to step out from the pack, to show his classmates the Night Man graphic novels he's been working on since kindergarten, and let them know how cool he could be. He would have given it a shot, if it weren't for the fact that on the first day of school, right on stage, he lost his breakfast -- and gained a nickname. The whole school, practically, calls him Pukey, thanks to Donovan Greene, the ex-friend who makes Reggie's life miserable. Donovan's the king of the put-down, passing out names like "Acid Face" to the girl who has acne craters on her skin, and even hassling Kindergarten boys about their Dora the Explorer shoes. Donovan's a bully whose nicknames have sticking power, and he's buddied up with Justin Walker, the most popular boy at Clarke, who is also running for class president.

Of course.

Reggie's sick of the way things are at school, but getting involved in Vicky's campaign was the worst mistake he's ever made. On top of that, life isn't exactly copacetic at home, either. Ever since Pop got laid off, he's spending more time looking at what Reggie does -- and constantly telling him he could do better. Reggie's older sister, Monica, is just plain EVIL, and his Mom is always stressed and exhausted and leaving him notes about cleaning his room. When a youth group service project brings Reggie face to face with homelessness at the Olive Branch Shelter, Reggie wonders why things just suck so much. Why isn't here ever any change? Why are there wars and homelessness, and people like Donovan, making everyone worse? Why doesn't God just fix it?

What's the answer? Youth leader, Dave, doesn't tell people how to think - it's up to Reggie to find answers on his own.

With his redoubtable sidekick, Ruthie, spouting social justice wisdom from her New World Order Collective, and his boy, Joe "C" Castiglione stringing together his old-school hip-hop beats, "Jamerican" 8th grader, Reggie takes his first shaky steps on a quest for a world that makes sense. With a lot of humor and insight and in a seriously no-saccharine voice, Perkovich's debut novel strikes gold on a lot of levels, shining out with some home truths about faith, identity and friendship.

I really try hard not to gush about books anymore. After all, I'm a pseudo-professional writer now, right? Authors are my contemporaries. My peeps. I do not have to be in awe anymore.

Yeah, right, whatever. This book blew me away, and I'm excited to share this author's work. But, don't take my word for it -- check out more reviews from YA Books Central, and The Reading Zone.

This book has the Aunt Gertie Snatched Seal of Approval, and you can buy a copy of 8th Grade SuperZero from an independent bookstore near you!

Two from Asian American Authors

Absolutely Maybe was my first foray into Lisa Yee's YA fiction, though I've been meaning to check out her work for literally years now. I guess this just falls into that capacious category known as "Everybody Else Has Read This Book or Seen This Movie and I Have Evidently Read and Seen Practically Nothing." Anyway, better late than never--and I was not sorry I'd picked this one up.

My reactions were twofold: 1. It made me want tacos. (A taco truck plays a very prominent role in the story) And, 2. While it was hilariously funny, the characters were still very real--a difficult balance to strike. I didn't always LIKE the characters but they were very true-to-life. Narrator Maybelline "Maybe" Chestnut is the daughter of an ex-beauty-pageant-participant, current-charm-school-diva mother--and Maybe knows she's not what her mother would have hoped for in a daughter. Their relationship is less than ideal, so she goes looking for her birth father, though all she knows about him is that he's a Hollywood hotshot out in California. Still, she's hoping she might learn something about herself--and boy howdy, does she.

I have to give Lisa Yee extra props and thanks because this novel was helpful in terms of one of the manuscripts I've written and set aside for further thought--also about a character who has a less-than-ideal relationship with her mother and sets out with the intention of finding her father. The resemblance ends there, but I learned a lot about how to approach these themes (and how I can improve my first draft upon later revision...).

This month I also read Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger. During the difficult days and months after 9/11, I found myself frequently worrying about the safety and well-being of the Pakistani-American side of my family. The news kept reporting stories about innocent Sikhs or people of apparent Middle Eastern or South Asian descent being harassed and in some cases even harmed. Would something like that happen to my father, my uncle? My stepmother or stepsister? My aunt wears shalwaar kameez most of the time; would some ignorant person call her a terrorist?

In Shine, Coconut Moon, narrator Samar--aka Sam--has grown up steeped in mainstream American culture. Her mother, an atheist who was estranged from her traditional Sikh family, wanted Sam to fit in. But just days after 9/11, a strange turbaned man shows up at their door and reveals that he is Sam's Uncle Sandeep. As Sam gets to know him, she gradually becomes more curious about the family and culture she's never known, and why her mother would have kept her away from them when her uncle is obviously so kindly. But not everyone reacts positively toward Uncle Sandeep--and not everyone bothers to note that there's a difference between a Sikh and a Muslim, an Arab and an Indian...or a terrorist and a regular person.

The meaning and the role of culture and family lie at the core of this heartfelt novel--and the many complexities that underlie the individual sense of self. And kudos to the author for working in Sepia Mutiny, which has a rad new redesign since I last visited.

What I Meant When I Said That About Science Fiction

(Greetings to Charlie Jane & any io9 Peeps, who may have wandered thisward from the recent Is the Golden Age of YA Science Fiction Already Over? conversation at io9).

Gail @ Original Content gave me a heads-up about the conversation at io9 where we were both quoted.

To clarify the comments about YA Science Fiction I made here the other day: we saw vampires and zombies on the nomination list on the Cybils F&SF list this year. Of 134 books nominated in the young adult fantasy and science fiction category, we had few of what we can consider to be “real” science fiction – the kind that relies on actual science. (I can’t speak to what the middle grade science fiction and fantasy team faced, since I wasn’t on that committee, but their nomination list is also online right here.)

This year, we read:

• Patrick Ness’ The Ask and the Answer, which some might argue is fantasy


• Candor by Pam Bachorz,


• The Carbon Diaries 2015, by Saci Lloyd,


• and of course the Suzanne Collins sequel, Catching Fire.


• The Tomorrow Code, by Brian Falkner


• Falling Bakward by Henry Melton


• We enjoyed the excellent short story anthology in Firebirds Soaring,


• the intriguing cyberpunk Levithan by Scott Westerfeld


• Fire, by Kristin Cashore, which may or may not count, depending on your point of view, and your definition of "monsters,"


• The Walls Have Eyes, by Clare B. Dunkle


• and Zenith by Julie Bertanga

EDITED TO ADD

• The Maze Runner, by James Dashner,


• Academy 7, by Anne Osterlund

(Fellow FSF Cybs peeps, please tap me if I missed any.) Of 134 books, eleven science fiction books just didn’t seem to be a good balance for a category that is Fantasy AND Science Fiction.

Please note, this was not to say that there have been no YA science fiction books written -- I repeat my plea, we want to hear about them at Finding Wonderland, especially those with multicultural characters. My complaint, as Charlie Jane reported, was that they weren’t nominated for the Cybils, and that they’re not being talked up as much in the general blogosphere.

This post is also not to down fantasy. You know we love our fantasy - including fairytale retellings and the occasional superhero. I’m just finding that my interest in vampires and zombies, werewolves, and faeries, even, has thinned down remarkably. Twilight’s massive success and editors seeking a piece of it have supersaturated the market with the undead and the everliving. I'd love to see people just as excited about books which underscore discovery, identity, exploration. Surely they can be as awesome as the undead, the immortals, and other revenants.

The thing is, I still believe we've got to dream the future before we can see it, and science fiction is all about the dream. The younger we start dreaming of a better world, the stronger the hope that we can have it. With science fiction, we can rewrite the future. We need it.

STOP: Don't do it. [Egregious Clichés]

Writers, writers, writers.
Please. If you're a budding writer, a hopeful author, or even just a person who occasionally writes lists, PLEASE do not stoop to using clichés. Please. Do. Not.

I just had to put down a book because of this sentence:

The tailor smiled and his stitches flew, faster than she could think.

Look: no one, but no one sews faster than a person can think. And if they can sew faster than she can think, then boy has she got a problem.

Writers, you have been warned. Don't Do It.

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This has been a public service announcement of the Most Egregious Language Blunders. Thank-you.

Another Yay; Stirring the Pot

We've got renewed reason to celebrate around here, as you've no doubt already heard. Unless you've been living under a very media-isolated rock, you'll have heard the announcement about the ALA awards--and my very own co-blogger, Tanita, received a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book award for Mare's War. That book is kicking butt and taking names this year, and I think I can safely say that we are all incredibly proud and excited. The ALA announced all of its other awards and honors on Monday, too; for the original release, click here, and for a roundup of other Cybils authors who were honored, check the Cybils site. There are a number of other truly wonderful and deserving titles on the Cybils finalist list, too, which is now available in printer-friendly format.

On that note, my work here as shill is done. :)

However, I also really wanted to share a quote I ran across this morning while reading a book review article (about the works of J.G. Ballard, with whom I'm not incredibly familiar) in the Jan/Feb Atlantic. The author of the article openly notes that he has never liked "so-called science fiction." Here's the quote:

The natural universe is far too complex and frightening and impressive on its own to require the puerile add-ons of space aliens and super-weapons: the interplanetary genre made even C.S. Lewis write more falsely than he normally did.

I was dumbstruck, essentially, by the article author's excessively pedantic and dismissive description of the entire science fiction genre. I know he's far from alone in that opinion, and certainly there are loads of pulpy science-fiction novels to lend weight to his assertion, but I can't help but feel that he's missing something essential here. Not just the many works that can't be distilled to mere "space aliens and super-weapons," but the element of imagination, of dreaming about the possibilities of the present and the future. It's as if there's no point in dwelling on anything other than grim reality and its equally dismal and/or incomprehensible implications for our future. But if that were true, we'd have no great creative works, no pioneering science. The creators of the Mars Rover certainly were not satisfied to remain earthbound.

Anyway, just sayin'. Rant over now. (And if you're interested, the article is here.)

Under Cover(s)

First, let me state: I have no idea if this is a good book or not. I just want to read it, to find out.

The author is Caucasian, and South African, which made me do an auto-flinch and not want to post about this, but I got over that. Judging a book by the author = worse than judging it by its cover.

And yet, what a cover. The artwork is by John Picacio, a World Fantasy Award-winning and Hugo Award-nominated illustrator of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

From Mr. Picacio's blog:

Relevant note here -- it's not often that authors have input during the process of making a cover. There are lots of reasons for this, and that could be a whole blog post by itself. The point is it doesn't happen often. In this case, Lauren was very involved, and she and Marc Gascoigne (publishing director) were fun collaborators. It was my first time working with Angry Robot, and a pleasure. They're building a terrific line of books. I'm really excited about ZOO CITY, and am already looking forward to its release in May.

This is out in JUNE in the U.S., and May in the UK. It's ...transitional cyberpunk. It's not YA, but it looks intriguing.

And look at that cover.

Just a little relief from Cover Fail(s) You Might Have Observed.

Via SF Signal.

Random Saturday Thoughts

I wanted to share a few choice quotes from Katherine Paterson's interview with Signor Sutton in the latest Notes from the Horn Book...

Teachers have almost stopped reading aloud to their classes because of the pressure of testing and tight curricula, but it is the books we read and talk about together that bring us closer together.

********

Since my first novel was rescued from a slush pile, it makes me sad that most publishing houses can no longer read unsolicited manuscripts, nor are many willing to take chances on novels that are not deemed immediately "marketable."

Some thoughts to ponder from the new Children's Literature Ambassador. May her term help usher in new opportunities to read to children at school and at home. And may she serve as inspiration and encouragement to new writers, helping them not to give up on their work despite the difficulties of getting a traditional publisher in this day and age. Ultimately, nearly all of us start out in someone's slush pile, whether it's a publisher still taking unsolicited submissions or an agent...(much as I am seduced by the outlandish pipe dream of some fabulous agent e-mailing me to say how much s/he was so impressed by my latest blog post and that I am obviously a preternaturally talented scribe who MUST be published immediately, repeatedly, and often...)

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The Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshop ALWAYS looks fabulous to me, and this year the excellent instructors include Eric Kimmel, April Henry, our local NorCal agent extraordinaire Jennifer Laughran, and more. If only I had all the money in the world for workshops and conferences...I mean, there's this, and Book Blogger Con, and this fall's KidlitCon (which I've got my eye on), not to mention the North Central CA SCBWI in April that I'm already going to, and the LA SCBWI in August...SIGH.

Slouching Toward Blogging Again

Winter = Dark + Cold

Because our boiler is out, and it is in the low thirties and high twenties and I have very little creativity in my head when I have to type wearing gloves, this is going to be a short post!

I am happy to be back in my own little Glasgow home, frozen as it is; six weeks spending time with friends and family is both too short and too long. Too short, as I have tons of people who tried to make time to see me -- and I just didn't have the ability to schedule any more people. Too long, in that optimally, a guest should stay three days in someone's home, not six weeks. We tried to stay out of our host/hostesses' hair as much as possible, but even in a big house, it's not easy. Add to that the solitude needs of a true introvert, and you know that I just need a few days OFF before I'm back to my usual self. Perhaps a few WEEKS.

One nice thing about the trip to California - besides the lovely green grass and trees and blue sky and visible moon and temperatures above freezing -- was hanging with A.F. -- twice -- and The Artist, R., who looks relaxed and artistic as everyone on sabbatical is supposed to look. I enjoyed getting to know my nephews, age 2 and 8 months, I enjoyed messing around in museums with my 13 and 18 year old sibs and my niece who is 20 (!), and I read happily to my heart's content. I got two copies of 8th Grade SuperZero -- two, because I was reading it, my aunt picked it up and read it, and then loaned it to a nephew in Southern California. Sooo, I went out and bought a second copy, and told her to stay out of my books.

Actually I can't say I minded her loaning it out too much. It just reiterates for me what an awesome debut book this is, and I'll be reviewing it here, soon.

So - more reviews, more books, more comments. Soon. As soon as a.) the heat is back on (and the toilet seat thawed) and b.) my brain is back on.

Meanwhile, you can vicariously enjoy the fruits of A.F.'s Christmas gift to me.

Trust me, they were tasty, headless, armless, legless and all.

Line by Line

I caught wind of a new blog around the Kidlitosphere this week--it's The Daily KidLit Quote, and it's an idea I really like. Just a day-by-day collection of blog readers' favorite quotes from books, with a few thoughts on each one. Simple. Sweet. And I couldn't help but get sucked in because of the post about the opening line of Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis: "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it." I can't help remembering that one, and remembering how much I detested Eustace...

Speaking of great lines from kidlit, this week I also discovered that fellow writing group member Yat-Yee has a regular weekly happening called Grab-A-Line Monday, in which she shares a line or two that has stuck with her from recent reading and invites readers to do the same. The latest installment is here, and it's definitely inspiring and thought-provoking to ponder what makes these passages stick in our minds. As a writer, I can only hope to one day produce a memorable line or two...

It's That Time of Year...

...that is, time for the Comment Challenge, which is hosted this year by MotherReader and Lee Wind. It's a great opportunity to visit and re-visit blogs around the kidlitosphere and book blogging world, and show support for the community. I've been far too much of a wimp in past years, but I'm giving it a shot this year, and so far, so good--but we're only two days in. I still have time to fall off the wagon.

Of course, there are some of us (ahem) who are already awesome blog-commenting maniacs, but if you're like me, sometimes you need a little encouragement from time to time...and this is that time. If you haven't already, go sign up and check out the amazing list of participants.

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There are a couple of other things I'd been meaning to post. Firstly, I got a really touching e-mail from Hardy Girls Healthy Women listing girls' top wishes for 2010. #1 on the list, from Devan, reads: "My wish for 2010 is for everyone to realize the importance of girls in their communities, that their ideas can change the world for the better." Check out other resolutions for cultural change from their Girls' Advisory Board on the HGHW blog.

Also, a bit belatedly perhaps, we are SO STOKED to hear that the new Ambassador for Young People's Literature is Katherine Paterson--yet another much-loved and much-admired luminary who is excellent for the job. By the way--embarrassing admission here--I'm probably one of the only people in the universe, or at least of my reading generation, who has not read Bridge to Terabithia (I know, I know! Just don't judge me too harshly). But I've certainly read other books by Paterson and I look forward to seeing her put her own spin on the job so unforgettably trail-blazed by Jon Scieszka.

The Cybils judging period is well underway, and since I'm a Graphic Novels judge, I'll be avoiding reviewing any GN finalists under consideration, but expect a mother of a review post (or three) once the winners are announced! Just over a month to go...

Join Our Celebratory Mad Tea Party!

Okay, see all those spots around the table set with teacups? We saved those seats for all of you! See, we're celebrating something just a teensy weensy bit exciting and that is the fact that Ms. Tanita has been nominated for a NAACP Image Award for her 2009 novel Mare's War. So please join me in my Mad Hat and Tanita in her bunny ears and a rather disgruntled-looking Alice (with apologies to John Tenniel) and raise your cup with us! Oh, and do go check out this link to the awards--click on "Literature" and scroll all the way down to the teen/youth category. It made me all fidgety with excitement. Tanita, you go, girl!!

Anticipating in 2010

Those serving on the Cybils committee this year discussed that there was a SERIOUS dearth of actual science fiction in the finalists this year. We had quite a few decent fantasies, but real science fiction is getting harder to find. Let's talk spaceships, labs, planets, robotics, geneticists and cyborgs. If anyone hears of anything that's actual science fiction coming out this year, talk it up! I think YA really needs science fiction.

While you're thinking of that, though, here's one fantasy that sounds intriguing for the MG/young YA set: A Most Improper Magick: The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson by Stephanie Burgis, who is a big reader of Georgette Heyer, and Jane Austen. Regency fantasy! Here's the goods from the author's website:

Kat's mother was a scandalous witch, her brother has gambled the whole family into debt, and her stepmama is determined to sell Kat's oldest sister into a positively Gothic marriage to pay it off - so what can Kat do but take matters directly into her own hands? If only her older sisters hadn’t thwarted her plan to run away to London dressed as a boy and earn a fortune!

When Kat makes a midnight foray into her mother’s cabinet of secrets, though, she finds out something she never expected. Her mother wasn’t just a witch, she was a Guardian, a member of a secret Order with staggering magical powers - and Kat is her heir.

Of course, there’s no chance of Kat choosing to join the Order that forbade her parents’ marriage...but Mama’s magical mirror doesn’t seem to understand that. It keeps following her wherever she goes, even when the family travels to Grantham Abbey to meet the sinister Sir Neville, her oldest sister’s chosen fiancé.

And what with Sir Neville showing a dangerous interest in Kat’s untapped powers, her mother’s old tutor insisting that she take up her mother’s position as a Guardian, and her sister Angeline refusing to listen to her about anything, as usual...well, it’s a good thing Kat kept her boy’s clothing, because she may well have to use it--especially if the rumors of a highwayman are true...

Wanna read the first chapter? Here it is. Hope that holds you 'til April. If not, an author interview @ Willing to See Less should help. A Most Improper Magick debuts this April.

Celebrate the Old, Ring in the New...

Today marks the completion of the first two-year term of the very first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and the good ladies at A Year of Reading have put together a tribute to the outgoing ambassador, Jon Scieszka and all that he's done in promoting the love of reading in young readers and (ahem) those of us a few years beyond our youth.

Tomorrow, a new ambassador will be announced, but today, we say:

THANK YOU!!!

For a few recent articles by Mr. Scieszka, check out this L.A. Times holiday roundup of children's books and his recent hilarious and touching Huffington Post article about his term as the inaugural ambassador, in which he gives advice on how to connect kids with reading. We owe you more than kudos, sir! And whoever's next up for the job has some big shoes to fill...metaphorically, we mean, since we have no idea what Mr. Scieszka's shoe size is...

Entering the new year in the proper spirit...

www.nataliedee.com

Whatever else comes, have some fun along the way.
HAPPY 2010!

Is That A Tumbleweed Blowing Past?

www.nataliedee.com

Yeah, so we're still recovering from the SFF Cybils deliberations, at this late date. They went late. We started drinking coffee early.

There was reading. There were characters discussed. And dissected. There were concerns about homogeneous shortlists, and conjecture about inclusiveness. There were more discussions. The odd (very) cyborg. An occasional sniffle from The Weeping Corner, as nominations were pried from cold, dead hands. There was not even a small, well-contained bloodbath, which was unexpected. No one died, and we came away with a KICKIN' shortlist for the judges to slave over, which will be announced via the Cybils website on New Year's Day.

And then, it's all on the judges. Poor judges.

We'll be going back to sleep now, waking to turn over and luxuriate in reading something that isn't on anyone's list except our own. Oh, and stay tuned -- more Cybils reviews forthcoming as they get written. Eventually. Sometime after the ball drops...

Holiday Library Extravaganza

I happily spent some time at the library today retrieving one of my holds that came in--Need by Carrie Jones--as well as a few other goodies for my holiday enjoyment: Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen, Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah, The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia, and The City & The City by China Miéville. But in order to merit a book binge, I feel like I ought to at least provide briefs of the last library haul. So here goes.

Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop by Jennifer Allison is the latest installment in the Gilda Joyce psychic detective series. By now, Gilda's nearly fifteen, and she's about to start a summer internship at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Of course, no Gilda Joyce book would be complete without a mystery, and this time, it's some ghostly museum visitations. I've enjoyed seeing Gilda mature over the course of the series while still retaining her quirky charm, and Allison spins a fun mystery with an appealing supporting cast.

Lost: The Magic Thief Vol. 2 by Sarah Prineas is just as exciting and un-put-down-able as the first volume. I was completely absorbed by the continuing story of budding wizard Conn, apprentice to the wizard Nevery--as a character, he's cerebral and internally focused, stubborn, yet endearing; an unusual combination. However, these characteristics serve him well as he embarks on a quest to save the disappearing magic of the city of Wellmet, regardless of the consequences. I really, really love this series and I adore its narrator.

The Miles Between is by Mary E. Pearson, author of The Adoration of Jenna Fox, which is a fabulous futuristic read. This one takes place in the present, but it, too, has elements of what I'd call magical realism. Destiny Faraday's moved from boarding school to boarding school ever since she was seven years old and hasn't been home since. Now, going on ten years later, she's on a strangely fortuitous road trip with a few of her classmates and for the first time she finds herself opening up, confiding her feelings of abandonment and allowing herself to feel the unfamiliar support of friendship. This is a story with twists and surprises, and much-needed catharsis.

Frances Hardinge, I think, is one of my favorite authors, and The Lost Conspiracy--her latest novel--just confirmed that suspicion. All I can say is, it's such an incredible book that the moment I finished it, I wanted to pick it back up and read it again right away. That almost never happens. Mysterious, distant Arilou is one of the Lost of Gullstruck Island--meaning she has the ability to send her senses out into the world, away from her body. Her caretaker is her younger sister, Hathin. Both are members of the Lace, a tribe reviled by the island's ruling class, who colonized it generations before. This is such an impressively, staggeringly complex and layered novel, from the nuances of how the island's peoples interact, to the traditions and legends of each group, to the indomitable spirit of Hathin, the primary narrator of the story, and how she changes and comes into her own over the course of the novel. For fantasy fans, this is a must-read, in my opinion.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly is a charming historical novel about plucky "Callie Vee," an eleven-year-old girl who, in 1899, doesn't quite fit in with her family or society. Only her grandfather truly appreciates and nurtures her love of science, while her family seems to just want to turn her into a pie-baking, lace-tatting future housewife. The wealth of historical (and scientific) detail really make Callie's world come alive. One caveat, though: you must never tell my dad about the author. As I was reading the jacket bio, it said that she is a practicing physician AND lawyer. Without a doubt, this would only prompt my dad to exclaim "See?? You could have been a doctor AND a lawyer AND still been a bestselling writer!" To which I say fie.

I just finished reading Tantalize today, a novel by the blog goddess Cynthia Leitich Smith. If you like vampires and werewolves, you'll enjoy this book, but even if you're not a huge fan of that genre, this is still a gripping murder mystery with elements of dark fantasy that complement rather than compete with the story. It takes place in a sort of alternate present in which vampires and werewolves are known to society; it reminded me a little of Robin McKinley's Sunshine in that respect. Narrator Quincie Morris is absorbed with the opening of her family's restaurant, the vampire-themed Sanguini's, when they suddenly find themselves in need of a new head chef. While the police investigate the violent death, Quincie's dealing with finding a new chef, putting up with her uncle's increasingly weird behavior and icky wanna-be vampire girlfriend, and trying to hide her feelings for her half-werewolf best friend, Kieren. This is a fast-paced and suspenseful read with a lot of fun gory AND culinary details (if you like that sort of thing!).

Turning Pages: 1 Last Princess & Death by Weather

How could I have forgotten Once a Princess by Sherwood Smith, whose strong female character in Crown Duel/Court Duel made her one of my all-time favorite authors?? (And how could I have forgotten the unfortunate cover which looks like it does not say "got books?" but something ... else?)

I just got princess'd out, I guess.

Sasha's parents had a fairytale romance. In the middle of L.A., her flower-child mother, Sun, met a prince from a magic kingdom, and Prince Mathias took her away through a magic portal to his kingdom for several marvelous years, where Sasha was born. Unfortunately, she barely remembers it, or him, anymore. When she was ten, her father sent she and her mother away, with a promise to follow them when it was safe. He never came.

Fighting heartbreak, Sun did what she had to do to make a normal life for her daughter. Normal with... extras. Fencing. Sword training. And a lot of hurried, dark-of-night moves all over the country with name-changes. By the time she's a teen, Sasha is sick of it, and sick of believing that they're hunted. Of course, once she's tricked into going through the portal into the kingdom of Khanarenth, on the planet of Sartorias-deles -- she becomes a believer, fast, and is grateful for the moves she's learned, which keep her alive. Now that she's there, she wants to stand and fight for her father's kingdom, and find loyal subjects to rally for the cause of her birthright, but isn't sure who she can trust. Aren't pirates inherently untrustworthy, and princes trustworthy?

Both Sun and Sasha are fun, strong female characters, and you'll enjoy this "Happily Ever After" read, too.

---

So, this Cybils has brought up a lot of end-of-the-world novels -- Death by Weather, I call them. Ice, by Sarah Beth Durst had a light touch with the environmental stuff, and the danger wasn't from the weather -- but it's a good example of the right way to talk about the environment -- with a light touch. The Tomorrow Code, which Aquafortis has already ably reviewed, struck me as having a slightly heavier hand, and a few moments of "Eh?" in amongst the other good stuff.

Zenith, by Julie Bertenga is the most recent Death by Weather novel I've read, and it is the sequel to Exodus which I reviewed last year. It wasn't really a stand-alone, but there are plenty of new characters introduced.

Mara has sailed away from the drowned city she came to know, in search of a new world. She has taken the street urchins from New Mungo with her, and together they hope to find Greenland -- and a place to start over. Fox stays behind to fight the corrupt government of New Mungo, and Mara hopes he will join them someday. Yet, the memory of their love fades, when Mara meets Tuck, a thief whose people live on boats. I thought this was pretty fickle of her, but really, it showed her as a flawed but realistic young character -- she loved the one she was with. Together Tuck and Mara weather disasters and battle with the Ilirians, the barbarians who live in stacked cave dwellings. All these troubles bring the New Mungo crew closer together...but Fox's memory will be with Mara always, too. There's a definite open door to a sequel, which was, to say the least, surprising.

My favorite Death by Weather novel of this Cybils cycle is Saci Lloyd's The Carbon Diaries, 2015. Laura Brown's family is a typical UK family -- they drive their own cars, stay in their own rooms, listen to their own music, make calls on their own phones and watch their own TV's. They're just like everybody else, and when the UK government makes a top-down decision to cut energy emissions by 60% and begins to ration energy with Carbon cards -- it hits them as hard as it hits everyone else.

As Laura's diary relates, the things that happen are terrible -- the SmartMonitors which everyone has to install will cut the energy off if you overuse. The Brown's have to sieve out cheese sauce from the hard bits of the macaroni -- because the power shuts down mid-cooking. And the fridge.

Mandatory Carbon Education classes take place at school -- which Laura flunks. She also flunks her finals. And the boy she likes totally ignores her. And her sister is being this total witch -- and selling black market energy credits with the neighborhood bad girl. And her parents... are falling apart.

Life keeps happening, when the environment crashes.

Power outages. Droughts. Floods. The world of 2015 is obviously messed up. And getting worse. Laura and her friends keep waiting, hoping, that things will get back to "normal," and yet chaos is the new normal. Yet, somehow Laura has a funny, funny life, filled with loud, punk rock music, snarky, irreverent observations, and the truth: that we are a energy-guzzling disaster of a culture, that we have no idea how to change, hold back, or diminish our carbon footprint, and that crap is coming down. Soon.

Yet, we are also a people who love each other, who find ways to make life worth living, and when push comes to shove -- and God help us, do we have to be shoved hard -- we figure out a way to fight to keep our heads above water. We are better than we think we are.

This novel reminds us of all of that, and what we owe to ourselves and our world -- all without ridiculously heroic characters, single-dimensional bad guys, and didactic preaching. It's a keeper.

It's the end of the world as we know it. Read all about it in Zenith, the spectacular The Carbon Diaries, 2015, and get your Grrl Power on with Once a Princess, at an independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages: The Happily Ever After Girls

I have fought myself free from the clinging stickiness of pineapple upside-down cake and acres of ice cream and candy canes to bring you this reading report. Yes, I am still reading. I have to hunker down in the corner in the homes of friends and relatives, ignoring everyone, but I will embrace the hardship of finding a quiet place to read, in a houseful of people and squealing toddlers and yapping dogs, for you. Yes, it's all about you. And has nothing to do with the fact that I'd almost rather have dental surgery than be in a roomful of thirty ebullient, holiday-happy people. Nothing to do with that at all.

So, from the floor of the closet in my godparent's house, with my trusty laptop in hand, I observe that the Cybs SFF this year has seen a lot of girls in flounces and frills, a lot of girls in fairytales. Whether the tale was sort of time travel-y and modernesque, as in the lighthearted Prada & Prejudice, or more traditional feel, as in The Amaranth Enchantment, there are plenty of "happily ever after" stories for those who enjoy closing a book with a happy sigh.

Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard, introduces us to Callie, feeling out of sorts and lonely on her class trip to London. Feeling herself in need of a pick-me-up, she decides to buy some genuine Prada shoes. Of course, she doesn't really wear heels, but that's not the point. Money buys happiness, right? A trip and a sprawl takes our Prada-wearing heroine to a knock on the head -- and back in time -- in her jeans -- to Jane Austen's time. Callie is NOT a good fit for the time -- her inability to be a close-mouthed young maiden of the time ill-suits the matriarch of the family clan where she lands. They think she's an eccentric American cousin, come to be married off. Callie figures it doesn't hurt to play along... for awhile. In the course of her back-to-the-future visit, Callie performs CPR, plays the one song she can -- Heart & Soul -- on the pianoforte, and bravely takes on social convention to preserve a friend from marrying a man thirty years her senior. This novel is kind of predictable, but it's the perfect bathtub read, you can finish it in one setting, and smile.

The Amaranth Enchantment, by Julie Berry is a 19th century version of Cinderlla. Lucinda Chapdelaine was once the precious child of loving, wealthy parents, but when they went to the ball -- all asparkle in jewels and lovely clothes -- they never returned. Lucinda has grown up indebted to her aunt for taking her in, and she slaves for her in her jewelry shop, hoping for a day when things will change. Enter a handsome, mysterious buyer, a street thief, and a striking woman named Beryl. Oh, and a goat. And a dog... Lucinda manages to go on The Magical Mystery Tour of a fairytale, and after many, many, many loops and surprises, it all ends Happily Ever After. There was no chance it would not, in spite of the goat.

There were quite a few elements in this one which I was not sure about -- not to mention the cover with the girl holding an amaryllis flower, which is not an amaranth stalk -- but the cover is a small thing over which to quibble, and completely out of the author's control. I did wish for a simplified storyline with perhaps one fewer fantastical elements and a more straightforward relationship with Beryl as godmother-of-sorts, but even with these shortcomings, this was a new take on the Cinderella story, which is universally recognizable, and not easy to revise. And it does have that happy ending. And a big dress.

Ash, by Malinda Lo, also sets up the typical Cinderella story -- after the loss of her mother, a young girl gains a stepmother and stepsisters, loses her father, and her home. All Ash has left of her mother is stories -- and a favorite book of tales, which lighten the long, dark lonely hours. Fairies are alive and well in Ash's world, though there are those who don't believe in their existence. They are attracted to Ash's emotions -- her longing for her mother, her grief -- her vitality. Ash does indeed have an enchanted dress, and catches the eye of a fairy prince called Sidhean, but her "happily-ever-after" becomes something greater. The King's huntress, Kaisa, also has stories, and her world is firmly bound in the here and now. Ash, reawakening to herself after a long time of being lost in longing and grief, learns to stop chasing fairytales.

The Princess & The Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison is apparently a sequel to the Princess and the Hound, but reads as a stand-alone, which is always good. In it, a bear and a hound live in wordless harmony, once something more than they are, but staying together in an unusual way, sharing a cave. When it appears that the forest in which they live is being endangered by a magic-wielding cat-man, the bear and the hound find their way to a castle at the edge of the wood, where the prince knows the hound's speech and can understand the danger. The bear and the hound are un-enchanted -- the bear becoming the King he once was, and the hound who was once a woman becoming a woman once more. At times, each wishes again for the cloak of enchantment. The hound cannot run and hunt and smell as she had -- and the bear is terrified of making a mistake as a king. Hadn't things been easier when he was just a beast? The subtle love story for me takes precedence over the somewhat heavy-handed environmental message that is woven through, but it all blances in the end nicely.

In Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George, the story of the dancing princesses is revisited. I kind of hate the Grimm Brothers tale, but George reanimates the story in a plausibly satisfying way by introducing another character -- that of Galen, a career soldier who has been in a twelve-year war, and has returned home with only his honor, his ability to knit, and his all-round "hero" ness intact -- he's nice to old ladies and helps out. He becomes a gardener at the castle -- keeping an expensive horticultural legacy alive, while the kingdom wallows in debt and on the brink of disaster -- and there he meets Princess Rose, the eldest of the dancing princesses. To Galen the charge is given to find out how and why the princesses are wearing out their shoes so quickly. It is for Rose's sake that he tries with all his heart. Of course there's a love story there. And flouncy dresses.

Tiger Moon, by Antonia Michaelis, is an unusual type of fairytale, in the tradition of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Raka, a South Asian bride of 19th century India, is doomed, and she knows it. Her husband has "acquired" her as a perfect thing of beauty, and she's beautiful enough, but she's not what he thinks she is -- mainly, she's not a virgin, and the penalty for that is pretty much death. He's a busy man -- and with myriad other wives, illness, business concerns, etc., he hasn't yet had time to find out Raka's secret... so, while her life trickles down like sand through an hourglass, she finds companionship in a young servant, Lalit, and tells him the tale of Farhad, a sixteen-year-old thief who was told by the Hindu god, Krishna, to rescue his daughter Safia from being married to the Demon King. Aided by a sacred white tiger, Farhad, in ensuing stories, becomes a brave, capable character who is a hero and Safia a noble princess who is worth any price. Together with Lalit, the reader is transported from Raka's silken prison to Safia's, gifting the reader with lovely, lyrical storytelling that reflects colonial India in a way that Kipling would have envied. A real surprise in the crop of fairytale books -- don't miss the great GLW review by Steve Berman.

My final "fairytale" pick is really atypical, and I'm almost not sure that it fits, except that in the end, young Kipp is no longer an ordinary guy, but a prince among men. And you can have fairytales with princes who don't wear big dresses. Just sayin'.

Stealing Death by Janet Lee Carey begins with death - accidental, stupid deaths, which are the worst kind. Kipp leaves his little brother to watch the stove while he chases a beautiful white stallion, and when he returns, he is left with only a little sister, after his brother and family are consumed in a house fire which could only be his fault. Despite the loss, life must go on, for Kipp's family were indentured to a Zolyan Lord, and there are debts to be paid. He and his baby sister become the lowest servants -- but Kipp has been given a gift. At the height of his grief, the power of his people, the Naqui, has come upon him. He sees things others don't -- including the being who takes his family away -- Gwali, the Stealer of Souls, with his magical sack that sends souls to Kwaja.

Kipp wants that sack, badly. He might not be able to get his brother and parents out and back from Kwaja, but he can darned well make sure that his sister doesn't go into the sack, or the girl he loves, who is the daughter of the Zolyan Lord whom he serves. After all, it only seems fair to take back from death what he's stolen from you.

Of course, nothing is that simple, and once Kipp has the power of the sack... well, things change.

Like Tiger Moon, this novel has a massive scope and lush characters set against the backdrop of loss and the harshness of a land and culture. Another unexpected gem in the fairytale haul, and you'll enjoy this one too.

Books make great Christmas -- or after-Christmas gifts, and you'll be able to find The Amaranth Enchantment, the surreal Prada & Prejudice , and Ash; the very subtle The Princess & the Bear, the traditional Princess of the Midnight Ball, the desirably different Tiger Moon and the not-quite-in-this-category Stealing Death -- all at an independent bookstore near you!

Greetings! of Whatever Season...

This picture is from the Library of Congress of course, and what cracks me up the most about it is that oh, a good half of these folks wouldn't be saying Merry Christmas or its equivalent, but it's good fun anyway. Hope your winter holidays are happy, wherever you are, and whatever you're doing! Cheers!

Zombies v. Unicorns v. Vampires...

Good news, Team Zombie! Michael Spradlin's It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies, illustrated by Jeff Weigel, is the quintessential Christmas book for the zombie lover. (Does Team Vampire have something this cool? No, Team Vampire does not.)

Now you can hum along to your favorite carols, while fresh brains are roasting on an open fire, and your loved one is nipping at ...your nose. Hm. That one sounds ominous. Anyway, the titles that made me laugh out loud are:

I Saw Mommy Chewing Santa Claus, and Deck the Halls With Parts of Wally.

...honestly, this is so gross it made me giggle; it's the perfect antidote for... well, I'm not sure what. It'll make you laugh, though, and probably most of the 8-year-olds you know, too.

O, bring us a hippocampus, o, bring us a hippocampus, o, bring us a hippocampus and a cup of good cheer...

Good tidings to you. Or something like that.

You can find It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Zombie at an independent bookstore near you! Just, beware of the grayish, slow-moving people in the parking lot...

Whole Lotta W00t! and a Bit of Mourning.

There is exciting news from the Readergirlz. Firstly, they deserve heaping congratulations for being awarded the National Book Foundation's first Innovations in Reading prize. (Do NOT miss the photo and coverage of the lovely co-founders accepting the award!) Secondly, this month's featured author is the squee-worthy Tamora Pierce, and her Trickster novels Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen--which, incidentally, were the first of her novels that I picked up, and then I was hooked.

Also, did you know that Charlotte's Library has started doing weekly roundups of blog posts about middle-grade fantasy and sci-fi? Go Charlotte! This week's roundup is here, and features reviews of Blackbringer and The Lost Conspiracy (which I'm currently having trouble putting down), a tween mythology book buying guide, and much more. A very worthwhile project.

Meanwhile, we're all reeling, I'm sure, from the news about the demise of Kirkus Reviews (thanks to Yat-Yee for the link). There's already been some interesting Twitter discussion about what the death of traditional reviewing outlets might mean for online and blogging reviewers. I'm still trying to process what I think about it all.

And that's all I've got for now...I still owe you some book reviews, and I promise to catch up eventually...

Multicultural SFF? Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is...

Via SF Signal -- Oh, here's a project that is so close to my heart. Aquafortis mentioned it to our writing group on Tuesday, and I've just gotten around to checking them out. Please, watch the video.

Previously in my life, I wouldn't have thought that there would be a necessity for a publishing house that was strictly for multicultural SFF for young adults and children. I would have thought, the major houses really need to step up. I would have assumed that there weren't a lot of multiethnic SFF writers writing. I would have come up with all kinds of thoughts on the topic, including the worst one, I'm sure there's multicultural SFF for kids and teens out there somewhere. I just haven't found it yet.

Yes, once upon a time, I wouldn't have thought that there would be a necessity for a publishing house that was strictly for multicultural SFF for young adults and children.

But.

I'm on the Cybils SFF committee this year, kids, and with the notable exception of Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo... and, now that I'm looking, Hiromi Goto and Nahoko Uehashi, there's not a lot of ethnic makeup in SFF represented. This is not to say that there aren't characters of color within a novel, but cover representations -- are not "representing." And it makes me wonder. Where are the Latino weredragons? The African American starfighters? The Native wizards and the Asian faeries?

Every kid wants to see themselves represented in a work. Every young adult wants to imagine themselves flying or throwing fireballs or hacking apart vines to save the sleeping... prince. Why can't everyone play?

Et vous? Et tu, multicultural peeps. Tu Publishing. Please, pass the word along.

SFF Monday Freebies! Freebies, I Say!

Via Kids Lit Blog: Award-winning science fiction author Will Shetterly (author of the uniquely readable and surreally Southern Dogland) has created a YA novel in the SFF genre that's apparently great. Tons of assistant editors agreed. Too bad the senior editors weren't on board.

You can read Midnight Girl free, this minute, before some enterprising editor scoops it up, at Scribd. Check it out.

Via Galaxy Express: Paranormal Romance fans, take heed: it's the SFR Holiday Blitz. If you like both SFF and romance, there's probably something in here for you. 12 bloggers have teamed up with 17 authors for your chance to win over 30 SFR books, which is just an amazing number. Just click and leave a comment at any or all of the participating blogs -- and you're in like Zen.

Happy Monday!

Wicked Cool Overlooked Books: The Jennifer Adventures

It's the first Monday of the month, and while you're still trying to figure out what happened to November, it's already time for Wicked Cool Overlooked Books!

You're completely over zombies and vampires and the whole werewolf thing, aren't you?
No?
Oh. Well, while you're biting your nails and waiting for the people on your library holds list to READ FASTER ALREADY, check out what I found - a new old books!

Fourteen-year-old Jennifer Scales really resents her mother. She kind of resents her father, too, but he's gone much of the time, on business, and when he's home, he geeks out and lectures her on all kinds of detailed things. She tunes him out, just like she tunes out her Mom. The only thing that really matters to her is soccer, and after executing a mid-air flip and kicking the ball into the goal -- which caused the whole game to stop and everyone to stare at her -- Jennifer's not really sure she's got soccer anymore.

At least her Dad comes home after that.

Her parents try and insist that she stay home for awhile, just to be "safe." But they won't tell her anything really, except that she needs to stay close, and that they'll explain "later."

Right. First they ignore her, then they lock her in her room? Jennifer's not having that, obviously. It's only after she's coughing up blood while her teeth shift around in her mouth and burping out gusts of fire on the sidewalk a block from her house that she realizes she maybe should have tried a little harder to get an explanation.

When she morphs into a half-ton weredragon, complete with wings, fangs, and breath-of-fire, it's a bit late for explanations. Now she knows what she is, knows she's going to need a lot of training to discover and control new skills, and oh - last detail. This morphing thing will happen at the crescent moon -- twice a month, every month, forever. Welcome to the rest of your non-human life.

To say that she's pissed is a major understatement. But, things get better. And then, a lot worse.

Written by fairly well-known author, Mary Janice Davidson, and her husband, Anthony Alongi, the Jennifer Scales series began in 2005 - which means you have a few to read before you're caught up. Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace is the first, followed by Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light, Jennifer Scales and the Silver Moon Elm, and the final book in the series thus far is pending: Jennifer Scales and the Seraph of Sorrow which came out in January. Read excerpts here.

Davidson's books generally are quirky romance novels about vampires or mermaids, which have put her on the bestseller list more than once, but I had zero idea she wrote specifically for young adults. I've only read the first book so far, but it really kept my interest -- I mean, seriously, weredragons?! -- and there are Unexpected Twists that kept me guessing right up until Jennifer figured things out. This series is the perfect thing to read while you wait for what new half-human thing is going to come howling out of the woods next door.

Buy Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace and all the other Jennifer Adventures from an independent bookstore near you!

Writers: Opportunity Knocks

More good news for the short story contingent in YA fiction!

The other day we hailed the 2010 debut of THE ENCHANTED CONVERSATION. Now today, it's YARN - a nicely evocative title that makes me think of tall tales.

From the site:

Welcome to YARN. Our mission is to publish the highest quality creative writing for young adult readers, ages 14-18, and those in other age groups who enjoy young adult lit. Published quarterly, YARN will feature short fiction and creative essays, poetry, and an author interview. Our interactive sections will allow for discussions about published work, as well as reviews of recent YA books. We seek to discover new teen writers, and publish them alongside established writers of the YA genre.

For those of a more specialized writing theme, ALIMENTUM is seeking fiction and creative nonfiction around the subject of food. Their regular reading submission period is September 1, 2009 to March 1, 2010, and there's still time for you to get familiar with them and submit something. I've just read the most amazing feast poem and a short story about gristle and bone of family life -- stuff I hope to see in print. Check them out.

Happy December! And Stuff.

Today's post is on the order of "random notes and errata" since I still haven't quite managed to sit down and write a few more overdue reviews...but NUMBER ONE on the list of items is something important I forgot to include in my LAST batch of reviews--I meant to include information about where I got each title, in the interests of full disclosure. So: I received Katman at random (but happily) from the publisher. I requested Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones from Derek Landy's publicist prior to our WBBT interview. I bought Zoe's Tale at my local B&N. And, last but not least, I borrowed Peeps from my mom.

Now, I know that I don't usually go into much personal detail on this blog, because this is the Not About Me blog (as opposed to the All About Me blog). But I had to include a quick personal digression today because it is, in fact, writing-related. On Sunday, I experienced for the first time the oddness that is being an interview subject--a local college student had an assignment to interview someone in her desired career, which in this case happened to be novel writing. I was quite happy to help, newbie though I might be. But it was such a bizarre experience. I think I blather when I'm nervous. And I sure did blather. Blah blah blah, me me me. It was weird, because I was being asked about myself, my writing, etc., but talking about myself for an hour made me feel really self-obsessed. And I also realized that I CAN in fact spend a fair amount of time on self-blather, and that disturbed me because of its implications for everyday conversation: DO I actually spend more time talking about myself than I realize? Being interviewed made me very conscious of that possibility. As a result, I am now officially whipping out my bud-nippers and nipping this topic in the bud (to misquote Redd Foxx on Sanford & Son).

To conclude: a few links I ran across recently. Ever read The Annotated Alice? Ever wish more books had educational annotations like that? Bookdrum is a site that uses multimedia internet resources to annotate and illuminate various books. And they need reviewers to help add to the site. (Via Donna @ Bites.) Also, there's a new silent auction running for YA writer and librarian Bridget Zinn, to help her offset the costs of cancer treatment. Check out the details at Jone's Deowriter blog, and bid on exciting items including manuscript critiques.