Fiction Writing Workshop with Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency

About the Publishing Industry from industry expert Sara Megibow:

Last year Sara Megibow received 36,000 query letters. Of the 36,000 queries, she requested 2,500 partial manuscripts. Out of the 2,500 she then requested 98 full manuscripts. Of the 98 hopefuls, she offered representation to nine clients and of the nine clients, Sara sold five manuscripts.  Math review--36,000 hopeful queriers and five scored a book deal.


TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING TIME LINES:

When you query an agent, you can expect a response with in six to twelve weeks. If they request to read more (partial or full), you can expect your next response in six to nine months. If the agent offers representation, you and the agent may spend time editing your manuscript before submitting to a publishing house. Once submitted, it can take an editor an average of two to three months to read (Sara has experienced wait times from one month to eighteen months). If you are offered a book deal, you can expect to see your book on the shelves in two to three years after the offer. Another math review: if you are starting the query process with your completed manuscript today,  March 13, 2011,you can expect to see your masterpiece sold at your local bookstore in 2014.

SARA'S ADVICE TO WRITERS:
Writers need to be aggressive marketers. What's your marketing plan? What Conferences do you attend? Do you know the people at your local bookstore? Do you have a positive web presence? When an agent is considering your work, they will probably Google to investigate your web presence. You should have a positive presence in the following medias:
Twitter
Facebook
Author Web Page

Sara says establishing an author web page is super-duper important. Okay, "super-duper" is my word, but she highly stressed the need for a web page or a blog site. If you have no web presence, she will probably skip your project. Remember, your competition includes 35,999 other queriers waiting for her attention.

WHAT A LITERARY AGENT LOOKS FOR (Other than snappy writing):

1. Do you know your genre (exactly where in the bookstore will your work be placed)?  In your query, you need to be professional and that means you show you know your genre. How? Your protagonist needs to be the right age for your genre; your word count needs to be spot-on and proper for genre; and you need to know precisely where your book would fit on a bookstore shelf.

"To increase your odds of landing an agent, you need to be able to nail your genre."

Genre examples:

Middle Grade- a protagonist who is nine to fourteen years-old (5th 6th 7th 8th grade); word count 30,000 - 50,000. Conflict is something light such as first fight with parents, lemonade stands, changing schools, first crushes, etc. Very rarely "issue-y".

Young Adult - has a teen protagonist, 50,000 to 90,000 words, can be dystopian, fantasy, romantic, etc. but must be a teen protagonist. Conflict can be anything as deep as issues seen in SCARS (a cutter novel) by Cheryl Rainfield or as fun and light as SCORE (coming out)  where conflict is about a young woman who plays quarterback on her high school football team , but may lose her scholarship because of a boy issue.

Science Fantasy 80,000-150,000 is preferable word count (but 200,000 okay)

Urban Fantasy-set on earth, looks like Earth, but some fantastical element 80,000 to 150,000 words.

Commercial Fiction Chic Lit - usually about first job, fashion, leaving the nest, etc.


2. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PITCH YOUR BOOK? Can you tell what your book is about in one or two sentences? Your inciting incident should be in the pitch. For example, when you go to see a movie, you usually know, based on one or two sentences, what the movie is about. These one or two sentences are also known as the elevator pitch (being able to sell your storyline in the time it takes to complete an elevator ride).

**Inciting incedent is the magic key to your pitch.**

3. QUERY LETTER - QUERY LETTER 101:
A query letter is a two paragraph description of your book. Yep, all 50,000 words condensed into two compelling paragraphs. Based on the statistics above, it's easy to understand why writing a great query letter is vital. Sara recommends http://www.agentquery.com/ for more information on this subject.


She also says Kristin Nelson does a fantastic query letter workshop. Remember that your query should read as if it were the back cover of your novel. Research agent and make sure they rep the type of book you wrote (i.e. don't query your cookbook to an agent who only reps dystopian YA). Query must be no longer than one page. For more help, see http://www.agentquery.com/ or http://www.nelsonagency.com/


4. BOOK MUST BE COMPLETE - don't query if your work of fiction is not 100% written and ready to go.


Side note and something to think about: The publisher needs to be able to sell at least 15,000 copies of your book in order to meet their PandL requirements. Figure out what your work is similar to and hope that author had sky high sales. Typical advances for a debute author in children's literature $5-10K.


Quick notes about Sara:  Yes, Sara is accepting new clients. Please visit her website to learn about the type of projects she represents. Her query information is available at http://www.nelsonagency.com/ Sara's favorite genre- Epic Fantasy. She says a prologues doesn't work if nothing is at stake. Says women's fiction can be more prose, but can often has too much angst. Sara likes STAY as a great piece of women's fiction. She also likes SIMPLY FROM SCRATCH. One of the most important tools in selling your book is nailing your pitch.

RESOURCES:
http://www.nelsonagency.com/ and their list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
AAR (association of authors' representatives)

Last minute words of wisdom:  Read books in your genre, avoid data dumps, work on POV, achieve great dialogue, and balance description, show don't tell, and remember, a reputable agent never gets paid for reading your work.

By the way, Sara donated her time for this workshop to raise money for a Colorado school.


Organizations you can join: 

http://www.scbwi.org/ for picture book, middle grade, and YA writers
http://www.rwa.org/ for romance writers
http://www.rmfw.org/ for fiction writers

The Hole in the Sky: a book by Barbara Mahler

 

Colorado author, Barbara Mahler, enjoyed a school visit with a classroom in Cairo, Egypt. Click on the YouTube link.

 

 

What are the reviewers saying on Amazon?

Amazon Reviews:

I read this book from cover to cover in the span of a few hours. I felt like I was cheating myself of Kaela and her new extraordinary and supernatural friends whenever I put it down to eat. This book doesn t contain an extraneous word or a boring scene. The story flows from page to page like a beautiful clear stream. In the end, I still craved for more of Kaela Neuleaf and her cousin Shawn. --Gema Mora, Radical Parenting

The presentation of the book from its beautiful cover to the map to the book mark ribbons would be a disappointment if the author, Barbara A. Mahler, had not written a story to warrant such an amazing presentation.The book made me wish I had a young daughter and we could read it together. --Julie Marie Totsch, Blogcritics

I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of The Hole in the Sky by Barbara A. Mahler. I read this story and couldn't put it down! I finished it in a few nights reading it before bed. Much like absolute favorite young adult books, the Twilight Saga books, The Hole in the Sky is for teens, but could certainly be read by a young adult or adult even, and you'd love it just as much! I would absolutely recommend this wonderful book for the upcoming holidays. --Mary512, 512KIDZ 

 

Would you like to read a sample? Click on "sample" or type www.holeinthesky.net or buy a copy from Boulder Books or online at Amazon.

Need more reviews?  visit Good Reads

Book Review: BLACK EAGLE FORCE A Guest Post by Joseph Provost

GUEST BOOK REVIEW BY JOSEPH PROVOST: I was the lucky winner of an advanced reader copy of BLACK EAGLE FORCE by Buck Stienke and Ken Farmer. Kim Tomsic suggested this book and I'm thankful she did as I found it beyond exciting. I took the book with me on a 10-day volunteer trip to Haiti and I found that every chance I had to relax was spent reading the next chapter.

From the beginning of this military thriller to the end, the reader feels like they're on an adventure. Stienke and Farmer start with Santa Anna's campaign in 1860 and take you through to present day in a way that makes you feel like you're reliving history.

When I finished reading Black Eagle Force, I shared the book with my friend, Peter Hughes (retired military). I said, "Trust me. Just read ten pages and see if you like it." Peter couldn't put it down. He didn't want to give the book back as we flew home from Port au Prince, but fortunately he finished before we landed. He agreed Black Eagle Force is a great read and easily deserves a five out of five star rating. Thank you Buck and Ken. You brought back memories of my time based at Fort Hood.

For more information, visit www.blackeagleforce.com


Sincerely,

CWO 2 (retired)

Joseph Provost

Quartermaster Core
(and for more about Haiti, visit http://www.thefriendsofhaitiinc.org/)

Black History Month Book Picks by Kim Tomsic

In honor of Black History Month, please enjoy a few of my book suggestions.  Same Kind of Different as Me written by Denver Moore and Ron Hall (nonfiction) is a beautiful story of friendship. The writing is not fancy and the plot is not hard-driving, but the sheer fact that this is a true tale is enough to keep your eyes glued to the pages.  If you're in the mood to laugh and cry, this is the book for you.

Another great choice is  Lincoln and King mentioned in one of my previous blog posts. 

It only seems appropriate to pick a Coretta Scott King award winning book as my next choice, so I suggest  My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel. Although this is a beautiful story of generosity and determination, I admit my true draw to the book had to do with the illustrator. I'm a huge fan of  E. B. Lewis   and was captivated by the watercolors he used to bring this story to life.

Kadir Nelson is another illustrator whose beauty with a paintbrush  can influence your  purchase of a book.   Moses:  When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Kadir Nelson will delight you with both artistic beauty as well as lyrical text.

Fast-Paced Plotting as seen by Nancy Drew and Chris Eboch

A standing-room-only break-out sessions at the SCBWI Conference was a class taught by Chris Eboch .

What I learned from Nancy Drew-Tool for Fast-Paced Plotting was the title Chris Eboch gave her presentation.

Literally, all the fire codes were violated as the Hyatt salon was packed with standing room only participants. Here are a few precious notes on what Chris had to say:

BEGINNING

1. You are setting expectations and making the reader a promise in the first chapter…a promise you better fill. If your tone is crazy-scary in the first chapter, you better deliver crazy-scary. If your characters are super snarky in the beginning, they better not end up vanilla throughout the rest of the book.

2. Your first chapter also sets the genre, setting, problem, tone, and a sense of the structure and pacing.

HOW TO CREATE A FAST START

1. Fast starts are openings that start with action; they start with what happened and then work in the back story. Note how this is different from starting with back story and then working up to the action.

2. Ms. Eboch says that fast starts usually start with two people on the page and has scene+action+dialogue. She advises to use description and summary modestly if you want to achieve a fast start.

3. Ms. Eboch also advises to start with a cliffhanger (something big is around the corner) and in the middle of the fight or the conflict. She says, “the inciting incident-the problem that gets the story going-should happen as soon as possible , but not until the moment is ripe.”

For more on Chris Eboch’s guide to writers and fast paced plotting, you can visit her at http://www.chriseboch.com/

Contest: ARC Giveaway

CONTEST:  WIN AN ADVANCED COPY!

Quinn Cummings is hosting her first ever ARC giveaway.  She is offering a signed copy of Sara J. Henry's debut novel LEARNING TO SWIM (click link if you'd like to see my review). 

Here's what Ms. Cummings has to say about the novel:

"... Fresh setting, well-realized characters, cleanly written, with a mysterious and suspenseful story - just what I was looking for." - Daniel Woodrell, award-winning author of The Death of Sweet Mister and Winter's Bone

Did you catch that? WINTER'S BONE! The man who wrote maybe one of the most interesting thrillers I've read in years thinks Sara's book is great. He's right.

To Win a signed copy of LEARNING TO SWIM, please comment on Quinn Cummings blog  Good luck!

Would you like to see a contest on my blog too?  Let me know

More about Starch Resistant Carbs and Benefits

Today, Shine from Yahoo has an attractive article and I was easily lured by the title:

8 Reasons Why Carbs Help You Lose Weight.

Shine's eight reasons why you should eat starch resistant carbs include: "carbs make you thin, carbs fill you up, carbs curb your hunger, carbs help control your blood sugar, carbs speed up metabolism, carbs blast belly fat, carbs keep you satisfied, carbs make you feel good..."

The problem with the article, however is that it talks a lot about Resistant Starch carbs, but fails to do a thorough job identifying what that means. When I browsed the article, my brain tried to skip over the whole “Resistant Starch” part and jump right to the focus: Carbs Help you Lose Weight. But once reality set in, I was certain that Mac & Cheese and Captain Crunch aren’t going to get me bikini-ready.

DEFINITION


Resistant Starch: A starch which goes undigested in the body


Simply put, a resistant starch acts like a dietary fiber. When you eat a resistant starch food, you feel satisfied and full, and just like a fiber, the part of the food that is a resistant starch goes unabsorbed and passes through your body. Some call the food “fat burners.” Another positive spin--a healthy enzyme called Butyrate is created by resistant starches. Many in the medical community believe butyrate not only helps prevent colon cancer, but it also boosts the immune system.

Skinny, Healthy, Disease Resistant…I love it!

Why a starch is resistant?


1. It has a fibrous outer shell (i.e. grains and legumes that are cooked intact);


2. It’s a starch our digestive enzymes can’t break down (i.e. unripe bananas, uncooked potatoes **I repeat, uncooked, and plantains);


3. It’s been chemically altered (yhick, no thanks);


4. It’s created in the cooling process (i.e. when potatoes are cooked, they are 95% starch and the last 5% becomes resistant starch in the cooling process).


LIST OF RESISTANT STARCH CARBS:


******Before****** you add these food items to the top of your grocery list, please note that all beans (and bananas, etc.) are not created equally. These items need to be in their purest form. For example: canned beans are going to have a high glycemic index and they are not the goal in regard to finding a resistant starch.

Bananas (but under ripe; ripe means high sugar and less resistant carbs)


Brown Rice


Corn


Lentils

Navy Beans (supposed to be one of the best R.S. foods)


Oatmeal (yum!!! By the way, it’s slow cooked oats, not the instant oatmeal; steel cut oats are even better.)


Pearl Barley


Whole Grain Bread (and don’t be fooled by fancy packaging…read the label and avoid high fructose corn syrup and other crazy ingredients now found in bread)


Yams



Note: From researching various medical blog sites, I discovered that although a food is listed in the resistant starch food group, please understand that the entire banana, potato, or serving of brown rice is not 100% packed with resistant starch. Each food has their own balance of resistant starch; some numbers show that only 5% of the food contains resistant starch, so you must watch the glucose level.

Please leave your thoughts or recipes below.

 
Opposing viewpoint
Michael R. Eades, M.D. is one doctor who is not a fan of the resistant starch fad and why:


http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/metabolism/resistant-starch/




A websites where medical benefits to resistant starches are discussed (people with insulin issues and weight loss goals):

 http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/resistantstarch.htm




Another website claims to be the information portal for medical professionals regarding resistant starch:


http://www.resistantstarch.com/ResistantStarch/




RECIPE WEBSITES:


Want some resistant starch recipes? Click below:


http://www.resistantstarch.com/NR/rdonlyres/D0D89C17-9B6C-4862-9A64-CC02503E8FBF/3794/080455RSrecipebook1.pdf

Lentil Salad:


http://www.kcby.com/news/health/100449559.html




Prevention Magazine:


http://www.prevention.com/starch/




Flax Bread:


http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/breads/r/flaxbreadresist.htm




Barley Risotto Primavera:


http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/The-Diet-Detective-4-Healthy-Recipes-for-Carb-Lovers.htm
Want to know more?  

Book Review: LEARNING TO SWIM

My family tells me I have the mind of a detective.  They prefer I keep my mouth shut in "who done it" type movies because I usually have the puzzle solved at an early point in the show.  But Sara J. Henry's novel, LEARNING TO SWIM, kept me guessing as much as  Keyser Söze did back in the 90's.

LEARNING TO SWIM is a riveting novel that will capture a reader's attention tout de suite.  The excitement begins on page one when protagonist Troy Chance jumps into the icy waters of Lake Champlain to rescue a child tossed off a passing ferry.  Tension remains high throughout the story as Troy tries to determine: who is the evil culprit, who she can and cannot trust, and how she can protect the life of a small child.  If you enjoy nail biting stress like in  Man of Fire and Taken, and if you enjoy thrilling writing similar to Tana French, Kate Atkinson, and Michael Robtham then you will love Sara J. Henry.  

LEARNING TO SWIM (Crown, release date Feb. 22, 2011), earns a four lollipop rating (4/5).  $24.00.  ISBN-10: 0307718387 .  Although this book is not classified as YA, I can imagine YA readers purchasing or swiping the novel from their parent's nightstand.



Available: Boulder Book Store,  Tattered Cover, Amazon  , Borders, Barnes and Noble, Some Book Nook in South Orange New Jersey, Indie Book Stores
 
WARNING:  "Learning to Swim" is one of those "difficult to put down" type of novels and should come with a warning label smacked across the cover that reads:  This book causes distracted behavior and could make you (1).  Miss your subway stop; (2). skip out on fun activities in Vegas (3) volunteer to be bumped on an airplane; (4).  hide from your family.

Lincoln and King

One day following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I can't stop thinking about an interview I heard on NPR.  It featured one of Dr. King's close friends and advisers, Clarence Jones.

Clarence B. Jones is the author (along with Stuart Connelly) of "Behind the Dream:  The Making of the Speech that Transformed the Nation" (Publisher: Pagrave MacMillian, January 4, 2011).  Dr. King's Dream speech is as famous as Lincoln's Gettysburg address.  It's interesting to observe how both men came about speaking their famous words.

In Lincoln's case, his address followed the two hour speech given by Gettysburg's "real"speaker, Edward Everett.  Lincoln was invited, not as the keynote speaker, but as someone to simply to make a few, appropriate remarks.  The president stood before the audience, spoke ten lines, and sat down.  In the two minutes it took for him to complete his speech, a nation moved forward, united toward greatness.  

One hundred years later, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke before his audience.  He held his  predrafted speech and his words flowed in their regular brilliant manner. From the crowd, however, one of Dr. King's favorite gospel singers hollered, "Tell them about the dream, Martin.  Tell them about the dream."  And King acknowledged her.  In a recording of the event, you can hear Dr. King pause and you can practically picture him crumpling his typed speech.  The next words you hear are spoken from the heart.  Extemporaneously, he spoke of his vision and his dream.  Like Lincoln, Dr. King propelled the nation forward, united toward greatness.

Mr. Jones was present on the creation of the famous Dream speech and his book covers many fascinating points of that era. On a side note, it's fun to know that thanks to Mr. Jones transcribing the speech and writing the small "c" with a circle around it, he retained copyright privileges for the King family and the benefits have provided a primary source of income for their estate.

Behind the Dream  received a starred Kirkus review.

DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES

A YA book review by Kim Tomsic

Sixteen-year-old Dash and Lily find themselves parent-less (or parent-free depending on the perspective)in their hometown of New York City during the Christmas/New Year school break. The teens have never met, but when their worlds collide, they communicate with notes and a series of outlandish cached dares.    Being bibliophiles, they toss around crazy vocab words like quiescent, epigynous, and lascivious, but you can trust the book is not crude, but rather sweet.   Dash's favorite word is a great description for this book-- 

fanciful 1. marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience. 

There are many fun moments of unrestrained imagination in this adventure-packed parade of dares.  I did not enjoy the shout-outs to the many books the character's read (nods would have been fine if not so labored in description) but I loved the faux-Pixar movie, Lily's family, Dash and Lily's personality and notes, the caching, the unexpected twists, and of course the Crimson Alert. 

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohen and David Levithan (also co-authors of Nick and Norah's Infinite Play List) is a YA book appropriate for readers in 9th grade and up.  I give it 3.5 lollipops out of five (and will buy a few copies to give as gifts the next time the holidays roll around).  Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 26, 2010)  $16.99.

ISBN-10: 0375866590

ISBN-13: 978-0375866593
Available at Dash and Lily's favorite book store:  The Strand
or mine:  Boulder Book Store, Tattered Cover, Barnes and Noble, or Borders

2011 Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz Winners

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature

2011 Newbery Medal winner: "Moon over Manifest," written by Clare Vanderpool ( Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.)

2011 Newbery Honor Books:

"Turtle in Paradise," by Jennifer L. Holm (Random House Children's Books)

"Heart of a Samurai," by Margi Preus (Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS)

"Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night," by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

"One Crazy Summer," by Rita Williams-Garcia (Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

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Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children

2011 Caldecott Medal winner: "A Sick Day for Amos McGee," illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead (Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing).


2011 Caldecott Honor Books:


"Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave," illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill (Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.)

"Interrupting Chicken," written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein (Candlewick Press)

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Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults

2011 Printz Award winner: "Ship Breaker," by Paolo Bacigalupi (Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.)

2011 Printz Honor Books:

“Stolen," by Lucy Christopher (Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.)

"Please Ignore Vera Dietz," by A.S. King (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books)

"Revolver," by Marcus Sedgwick (Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of the Macmillan Children's Publishing Group)

"Nothing," by Janne Teller (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division)

Writing Contest: NPR's Three-Minute Fiction

NPR's three-minute fiction writing contest

LAUGHING/CRYING

snap shot of the details: 

1.  entry dates between January 8, 2011 and January 23, 2011

2.  600 words or less of fiction

3.  one story/one entry per person

4.  story must include one character who tells a joke and one character who cries

5.  Entrants must be 18 or older and legal resident of U.S. 

6.  The Judge: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of the critically acclaimed books Purple Hibiscus and Half a Yellow Sun; judging will be based on originality, creativity, and quality of writing

5.  Prize--a radio broadcast interview and your story read on NPR's Weekend All Things Considered plus a copy of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's collection of short stories, "The Thing Around Your Neck."

If you prefer to read the legal official rules, click here

To submit your story click here

BOOK REVIEW: FREEDOM a Novel by Jonathan Franzen

If Ayn Rand and Jonathan Franzen Had a Baby, Her Name Would be FREEDOM

FREEDOM : A Novel by Jonathan Franzen was enthusiastically picked as Oprah's book club choice. Winfrey even touted it as possibly the “novel of the decade.” I'm a huge fan of Oprah and respect her taste, so I dutifully purchased a copy of the alleged masterpiece on my Kindle. I wish I had been warned that the spirit of Ayn Rand had possessed Franzen when he penned this novel. I might have reconsidered my choice. Franzen’s writing seems to be the twisted whisperings of Rand from the grave—a bit ATLAS SHRUGGED-ish but with a lot more sex. Both writers seem to favor long diatribes as well as a hands-off government, but Franzen is the environmentalist whereas Rand is the capitalist.



That said, I don’t regret reading FREEDOM (or ATLAS SHRUGGED), I’m just not running around telling my friends to purchase a copy. If Franzen were to read this, he’d probably laugh at my inadequate writing as well as feel complimented since Rand has a huge cult following. Furthermore, the book wasn’t completely painful since there were some great chapters (like Walter’s LBI speech). I understand why Oprah is attracted to the story—it’s smart, well written, and thought provoking. For Oprah, it's very much part of her world, like looking through a photo album of Stedman, Gayle, her dogs, and her friends. For a regular Joe like me, I found it tiring and only mildly entertaining, like looking at a photo album of a mere acquaintance’s family—tiresome. If you're a huge Rand fan or you’re into reliving the last quarter century of politics, then you're reading the right book.


• Farrar, Straus and Giroux $28.00 ISBN-10: 0312600844 (August 31, 2010)
Two-and-a-half (out of five)lollipop rating

Eleven Favorite Albert Einstein Quotes for 2011

Kim’s 2011

Eleven Favorite Albert Einstein Quotes:

1. If you want to be part of the future, you have to be part of writing it.


2. Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.


3. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.


4. It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.


5. I never think of the future, it comes soon enough.


6. Imagination is more important than knowledge


7. If you’re out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.


8. An important thing is to not stop questioning.


9. We should take care not to make intellect our God; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.


10. Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.


11. Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.


And a bonus quote, because it’s my favorite (drum roll please):

The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

BOOK REVIEW: Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading

CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING by Tommy Greenwald (Roaring Brook Press/July 2011 ) for middle grade readers is about Charlie Joe, a reluctant reader, whose cool-dude reputation is centered around the fact that he’s never read an entire book from cover to cover.



An advanced copy of CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING arrived in my mailbox along with a towering pile of vacation mail. As I scattered bills and letters across the kitchen counter, I realized I couldn’t start a new book—I had several pieces of luggage to unload, stacks of laundry to wash, children to feed, and pets to attend. I was also 85% (Kindlespeak) into another book. With a cluster of beckoning priorities, a guide to NOT reading seemed safe in my hands. I knew itwould be harmless to peruse the first few pages of the “guide” as I walked from the kitchen to my upstairs bedroom. My intention was to set the ARC on my nightstand and save it for another day. But in the 47 steps it took to travel the distance from room to room, I had read to chapter four. It was quick. It was easy. Another few pages wouldn’t hurt. Yep, I was hooked.


The combination of short chapters, fun fonts, and a breezy/amusing plot suckered me into flipping page after page with a sense of accomplishment. Charlie Joe should be ashamed if his intention is to get people to not read, because read I did. He packs the book with humor and he stuffs it with tips like, “don’t care about the main character” but then compels you to worry what will happen to him following utter humiliation, dire consequences, and yet another crazy scheme.


Author Tommy Greenwald nails the middle school voice in CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING. His tip lists are hilarious (helpful oxymorons-- “good book” “nice library”) and his descriptions are spot-on middle school: i.e. The Amish: “[People who] deny themselves basic necessities like cars, electricity, and Game Boy.”


CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING cannot be discussed without making a Wimpy Kid reference. Fans of one story will be fans of the other. There was also a little High School Musical drama moment in the story, but as Charlie Joe’s sister would say, I’ll leave that for you to read and discover.


With lists, tips, plot points, and good intentions, Charlie Joe attempts to stay true to his premise: to deliver a guide to not reading. He did his best, but I read cover to cover and rate this book a 4 out of 5. It was not preachy or teachy, but instead light, fun, creative and (dare I use a Charlie Joe oxymoron) one fun read!  Available in July 2011 from Roaring Brook Press (an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group) $14.99. ISBN 978-1 59643 691-6 .

2011 "I Can't Wait" YA/Middle Grade Reading List

2011 is looking book-sweet and I can't wait to read these titles: 

1. NO PASSENGERS BEYOND THIS POINT by Gennifer Choldenko (Dial/ February 2011). I only had to see the author’s name, Gennifer Choldenko, to know that I can't wait to get my hands on this. Not only am I a huge fan of the Newbery winner, AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS (a “five” lollipoper), but I’m also a huge fan of the lady behind the words. Ms. Choldenko spoke at an SCBWI conference I attended. She was gracious, lovely, funny, and encouraging...mirrors to her work which is absolutely entertaining.

2.  Crystal Allen’s middle grade novel, HOW LAMAR’S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY (release date: Feb. 2011).  This book is about a thirteen-year-old who vows to spend his summer changing his image from dud to stud. The manuscript gained a lot of attention and ended up selling to Kristin Daly-Rens at Balzer and Bray/ Harper in a six-figure, two book deal.  Behind Crystal Allen's debut novel are talented, respected people:  editor(Kristin Daly-Rens) and agent (Jen Rofe).  The writer/agent/editor trifecta combined with the buzz about this exciting book make it number two on my 2011 "can't wait" list. 

3.  PEARL(Candlewick Press/July 2011) by Jo Knowles.  Again, I base my interest in this book on past performance.  She delivered JUMPING OFF SWINGS as well as LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL.  Both are riveting Young Adult books that each have received an entire shelf worth of awards.

4. FORGOTTEN (Little Brown/Spring 2011). "Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future."  Could this really be the teen version of When You Reach Me?  Not only do I trust work represented by Cat Patrick's agent, Dan Lazar, but I also seem to relate to the protagonist...now wait, what was I doing?

5.  LEMONADE AND OTHER POEMS SQUEEZED FROM A SINGLE WORD (May 2011/ Roaring Brook Press) a quirky poetry book by Bob Raczka and Illustrated by Nancy Doniger.  This Middle Grade poetry book is described as "part anagram, part rebus, part riddle--these poems capture scenes from a child's daily life and present a puzzle to solve.  Sometimes sweet, sometimes funny, but always cleaver..."

6.  LEARNING TO SWIM by Sara J. Henry (Crown Books/February 2011) made my list when I discovered review after review written by those lucky enough to have ARCs.  Publisher's Weekly calls it, "an impressive first novel."  Meg Clayton on Twitter says, "Mystery readers are in for a treat."  Northshire Bookstore says, "I will hand-sell "Learning to Swim" until my fingers bleed."  And award-winning author, Daniel Woodrell, says "from the grabber beginning to the heartfelt conclusion, Sara J. Henry's Learning to Swim is an auspicious debut. Fresh setting, well-realized characters, cleanly written, with a mysterious and suspenseful story - just what I was looking for."  Daniel Woodrell is the author of The Death of Sweet Mister and Winter's Bone

7.  VILLAIN SCHOOL: GOOD CURSES EVIL by Stephanie S. Sanders (Fall 2011/ Bloomsbury kids)
The title alone makes me want to crack it open. 

When Rune is caught doodling in class at Master Dreadthorn's School for Wayward Villains, the last thing he expects is a reward. However, when he reports to the Dread Master's office for detention, instead of scrubbing slug slime, Rune gets awarded his very own villainous Plot! Rune is overjoyed until he discovers that he must steal a baby, find a henchman, kidnap a princess and overthrow a kingdom. And he only has one week! He embarks on a journey with his Conspirators, the lovely and lethal Countess Jezebel and the furry and slightly slobbery Wolf Junior. Along the way, Rune encounters unlikely friends and even more unlikely villains and learns what it takes to be truly Villainous.

8.  CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO NOT READING by Tommy Greenwald (Roaring Brook/Spring 2011).  Based on  information provided by my good friend, Google, there seems to be something very Gordon Korman-ish about Tommy Greenwald.  Translation--the book promises to be hilarious.  Review to follow.  UPDATE:  THIS BOOK HAS BEEN READ AND REVIEWED...PLEASE SEE LINK http://t.co/xTsHHry




 

9.  NOTES FROM THE BLENDER (Egmont/May 2011) by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin has been promised as one of 2011's most hilarious books.  It's a YA story of when the loser-dude's widowed father marries the popular-girl's mother. A little Brady Bunch/Meet the Fockers/Modern Family rolled up into one funny story. 

10.  PLAYING HURT (Flux, March 8, 2011)written by fellow SCBWI member Holly Schindler.  Holly's debut novel, A BLUE SO DARK, received the following review: "Breathtakingly, gut-wrenchingly authentic...A haunting, realistic view of the melding of art, creativity, and mental illness and their collective impact on a young person’s life."—Booklist, starred review.   PLAYING HURT naturally landed on my "can't wait" list.