Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Devil's Backbone (with giveaway!)

Last fall Rae Ann Parker contacted me about editing a middle grade novel she was writing. She sent me her work, I gave feedback and ideas, she worked on it some more, and now what was once a draft I edited is Rae Ann's full-fledged book! A real, live, physical book titled The Devil's Backbone. And I have a copy to give away to one of you!

The premise: To save his friend from getting expelled, David Baxter takes full blame for the graffiti painted on the school. It's David's first strike, so he only gets suspended for three days. But David's juvenile judge dad forces David to take a roadtrip with him along the Natchez Trace Parkway--an old trail into Nashville used by postal riders and other travelers. What David keeps from his dad is that he meets a ghost on the trip--a 200 year-old, teen-aged ghost carrying the last letter of Meriwether Lewis. A letter that can solve a 200 year-old mystery. And maybe it can help David figure out his dad and forgive his mom, too.

What I loved: The ingenious blend of history and contemporary. Rae Ann Parker takes a fascinating setting--the Natchez Trace--and skillfully weaves it with legends of yesterday and tales of today. It's a historical novel set in the present. (Ingenious, like I said!) And the ghost in this story has a burden, a burden only a contemporary boy can lift. In addition, Rae Ann's mastery of middle grade voice cannot go unmentioned.

To enter the giveaway for a (signed!) copy of The Devil's Backbone simply comment on this post by 8pm CDT on June 2, 2013, and have a United States mailing address. Winner announced on June 3. Check other middle grade recommendations at Shannon Messenger's blog.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

Over a year ago I found this hardcover beauty of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh at a thrift shop for the whopping price of one whole dollar. And surely you've heard me gush about how I adore hardcovers, so, of course, I purchased it. But usually I don't purchase books I haven't read because I need to know I love the book before I commit to it living in my house. Unbelievably I hadn't read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. Crazy, right? It's a Newbery winner (a famous and beloved Newbery winner at that) from 1972!

Most people, whether they love to read or not, have read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, but even though I had it in my house for over a  year, I didn't read it until last month when my daughter and I read it aloud together. Now I'm thrilled that this used-but-still-perfect hardcover lives in my bookcase.

Many times over the last year as I glanced at it, I wondered just who owned this book before me. Now I wonder if they loved the story as much as my daughter and I did. To me, it's one of those classic storylines that kids and adults, generation after generation, will continue to enjoy--as they have for over forty years already. The characters, the setting, the plot . . . they all stand the test of time, which is what "classic" means to me.

So, what about you? Have you read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh? Did you read it as a kid or as an adult? Do you love it?

The Great Gatsby: The Book and the Movie

There aren't too many movies based on books that I'll see. For me, the reasons are obvious . . . the books are always so much better and the movies usually disappoint. But there's also a deeper reason. As one who loves the way words flow and create a movie in my own mind, I don't like seeing someone else's version. I don't want the movie version to become my book version. So I steer clear of most movies made from books.

Even the Harry Potters. I did not see a single one -- nor will I -- even though I've heard how well they were made, how true to the books, and so on. But my mind's version of all the Harry Potters is so much better than any movie ever could be.

But . . . a new movie version of The Great Gatsby releases on May 10th. And I plan to see it. Shocking, I know. It is for me, too. I love the book. I've taught it quite a few times to high school juniors as part of an American Lit class, and it continues to be one of my favorite units. But the movie trailers have me intrigued. As does the remake of the song "Happy Together" performed by Filter. It's a perfect tone for this grim, haunting, tormented story. What's typically a happy, light-hearted song, Filter spins into a forboding drama full of soft, then loud, and at times, even half-screamed lyrics. It's just right for The Great Gatsby. And I can't wait to see the movie.

My thirteen-year-old daughter and I read the book aloud together. My fifteen-year-old son is reading it on his own. My husband is not reading the book (nor has he), but we're all going to the movie. Soon. And I can't wait. (I said that already, didn't I?)

What about you? Do movie versions of books bother you? Do you watch them anyway?

Posting with The Kindness Project

Today's my day on The Kindness Project . . . it's all about the little things. And how they're huge.

Here's the link: The Kindness Project

Hope to see you there,

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Humming Room

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter received a lot of MMGM buzz when it released in early 2012, so I knew it would be a fantastic story. And knowing it was inspired by The Secret Garden, well, that kinda made my eyes pop! How intriguing.

The premise: When Roo's father is killed, she learns she has an uncle she never knew about. The uncle takes her in, but the mansion where he lives (an old tuberculosis sanitarium for children) is as cold and heartless as he is. But the walls hum -- or that's what it sounds like to Roo anyway. Roo follows the humming and discovers what everyone in the mansion is keeping her from -- a garden. A garden with a secret.

What I loved: The mystery. The secret must be revealed in order for healing to come to these carefully-crafted characters. And I have to include my love of the setting, too. The river, the mansion and the garden are also carefully-crafted characters.

For more middle grade recommendations,

follow this link to the links on

Shannon Messenger's blog.  

Happy middle grade reading! 

 

Living (and Writing)

There's a song by Revive called "Blink" with these lyrics in the chorus:

"It happens in a blink, it happens in a flash
It happens in the time it took to look back
I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time
What is it I've done with my life?"

Each time I hear the song, I'm challenged. What is it I'm doing? Am I taking time? Am I absorbing the little things?

Because I know I can't stop time . . . and it's the little things, when strung together, that truly are the big things.

So perhaps that's why I'm not the kind of writer who will ever say, "I need to write." I'll repeat that in case you read it too fast. I will not say, "I need to write."

Yes, I really did just admit that.

Because what I need to do is live.

Laugh with my kids. Admire a budding tree. Sit on my front stoop in the sun. Watch football with my husband.

These moments are living. And writing? That's what I do in the other moments.

I'm not saying I always balance it perfectly, but I consciously work on it. What about you? How do you make sure your life doesn't get too tangled to simply live?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Crow

The winner of my ARC of When the Butterflies Came is . . .

Kristin Lenz!

Hooray! Please email your mailing address to barbarawatson94(at)gmail(dot)com.

And now, today's great middle grade book . . .

You guys. This book made me cry. More than once. Not that it's unusual for me to cry when I read, but Crow by Barbara Wright really could have happened in U.S. history. In fact, parts are based in real events, so that makes it all the more impacting.

The premise: In 1898 Wilmington, North Carolina, Moses Thomas and his family are living out the Emancipation Proclamation. Racism still exists, but it's nothing like Boo Nanny (Moses' grandmother) experienced as a slave. But as the summer progresses, racial tensions increase. And although he's still in Wilmington, Moses finds himself in a place he doesn't recognize.

What I loved: The weaving of a historical event (the Wilmington Massacre of 1898) with the spot-on voice of each character. Moses, Moses' mother, Moses' college educated father, and Boo Nanny--Moses' former-slave grandmother. Barbara Wright joins multi-generations in this story and hits the mark with each one.

For more great middle grade books, follow the links on

Shannon Messenger's blog.

Happy middle grade reading!

Blooming Inside

When the snow finally melts away and green springs up where brown used to be, I feel like I, too, re-emerge somehow. As if part of my soul has been hibernating but is now free. Like I'm a butterfly that swung much too long in her cocoon and can't wait to soar.

This little tree--I planted her; she lives in my front garden and I named her Camille--shows exactly what happens to my insides each spring. They bloom a perfect kind of happy. My sweet Camille isn't decked out quite this fancy just yet, but she will be in a few weeks. I call it her prom dress because she blossoms right when all the neighbor girls are heading to their proms.

As for me, I sashay and whirl and skip, probably even prance, because . . . it's spring! Just curious, does spring make you this happy? If not spring, then what is it that makes your insides bob and jig? And it doesn't have to be a season. Maybe for you it's shoes or chocolate or hugs or Mountain Dew. Anyway, what's your thing?

Posting with The Kindness Project

Today's my day at The Kindness Project! High school English class, a poem and a (very short) YouTube video await.

Here's the link: The Kindness Project

(And there's a giveaway of a fabulous middle grade book still open in the post below.) 

Hope to see you at The Kindness Project,

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: When the Butterflies Came (with ARC giveaway!)

First, the winner of my ARC of Plastic Polly is . . .

Akoss Ketoglo!

Yay! Please email your mailing address to barbarawatson94(at)gmail(dot)com.

And now, today's middle grade goodness . . .

Having read Kimberley Griffiths Little's books before (and loving how rich her characters, settings, and plots are), I knew I would adore When the Butterflies Came. And, of course, I did. Some authors are like that--you know everything they write will be what you love. When the Butterflies Came releases officially on April 1st, but lucky me, I have an ARC--and now want to give it away to one of you!

The premise: When Tara Doucet's Grammy Claire dies, her world tilts sideways. But the day after the funeral, the first butterfly arrives. And a few days later, a letter from her grandmother (written before she died)--along with a stack of keys. Grammy Claire has entrusted Tara to solve an important mystery. The butterflies, letters and keys take Tara and her sister Riley on an adventure, including a trip to the Chuuk Islands for the reading of Grammy Claire's will. Tara must find the courage and bravery her grandmother trusted her to have.

What I loved: The mystery! Kimberley Griffiths Little leads readers--letter by letter, key by key, and butterfly by butterfly--on a twisty, turn-y, up and down adventure. An added bonus is Kimberley's use of setting. And since this story takes place in several different locations, readers delve into each new place with fascination.

To enter the giveaway for my (signed!) ARC, simply comment on this post by Sunday, April 7th, 2013, by 8pm CDT and have a US mailing address. Blog followers receive two entries in the drawing. Winner announced on April 8th! 

For more middle grade reads, check the links on

Shannon Messenger's blog.  

Happy middle grade reading! 

Plot Walking

Some people think I walk my big dog every day so we can exercise. And still others think I'm such a dedicated pet owner -- walking through snow, rain, heat and whatever else comes. But . . . I have a secret. whispers now and you strain to hear Most days I walk my beloved dog because it's when my writing ideas flow most freely.

So when we walk (even on days like this) . . .

. . . it's not because I'm some health champion. It's not just because my big dog needs to get out and move. It's not so I can eat four pounds of dark chocolate M&Ms.

It's because when I get back, I can write.

Because while I walk, I solve plot snags. I flesh out characters. I allow alternate story routes to roam my brain. I freeflow with new story ideas. I create. I even dream up book covers sometimes. Shhhhh. That's another secret. Jaye Robin Brown once called what I do "plot walking." I love that, so it's what I've officially dubbed what I do.

What about you? How and when and where do you plot walk? If you don't write, where or when do you do your best thinking?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Plastic Polly (with ARC giveaway and author interview!)

Middle school years can be tough. There's no getting around it. In Plastic Polly, author Jenny Lundquist explores one girl's fallout based around her middle school choices. And . . . since Plastic Polly releases next week, I'm celebrating with an author interview and ARC giveaway!

The premise: Polly Pierce is a very popular girl, but in order to get where she is, she made some hard-to-swallow choices. For her, it's worth it. Most of the time. But when her best friend, the even more popular Kelsey, has a freak accident, Polly takes the challenge and becomes PlanMaster for her school's Groove It Up committee. She's hoping she can prove she's more than Plastic Polly.

What I loved: Polly's voice. Because even though everyone thinks Polly is fake, the way she tells this story lets readers know there's always more to a person than what you see and what you think you know.

I purposely kept my review super-short, which I plan to do from now on. My job is to hook you and tell you what I loved. Your job is to then read. :-) Now, the interview with Jenny Lundquist. My questions are in blue, her responses in black.

What do you love about writing?

There are so many things I love about writing. I love that I can play in my imagination for several hours a day and call it work. I love that I can consume novel after YA/MG novel and call it "studying my craft." I love that I can stare out the window and daydream and call it "brainstorming." I love that I can stare at images on Pinterest and call it "research." But mostly, I love taking an idea, or a character in my head, and weaving words together to try to help others "see" the things I see in my imagination. That's a real privilege, and I don't take it for granted.

What do you not love about writing?

For all the things I love about writing, there are definitely days when it feels like "a job." When my kids are sick, and my house is a mess, and the laundry is piled up, but I'm having a hard time dealing with any of it because I'm staring down a deadline, those are the days I'm not particularly fond of, when I feel like my entire life is on hold because of writing.

I also don't love how careful I have to be about guarding my own confidence, if that makes sense. When your work is out there for everyone to see and you read a bad or even just a mediocre review, it can really mess with your head and make you doubt yourself. Sometimes I've had to ban myself from Amazon, Goodreads, etc., because I knew I wasn't in the right frame of mind to hear criticism (no matter how constructive) without it affecting my ability to write that day. And when I'm staring down a deadline, I really need to be able to produce pages without believing I'm the worst writer in the entire universe. I don't think I ever imagined that so much of the writing life after you're published is about learning how to effectively manage your own negative emotions and make choices to keep yourself in a healthy place, emotionally and mentally.
 
Writing can certainly test one's confidence. It's nice to know published authors still struggle with that too. What is one fun or little-known fact about you (that you're willing to share)?

I secretly name my cars. The first car I ever bought was a metallic blue color which I named "Otter Pop." My current car is named "Callie" after the main character in Seeing Cinderella. But my all-time favorite is my husband's car, which I named, "Machine Gun Kelly." Any So I Married an Axe Murderer fans out there?

I love that! In college, a bunch of my friends named cars. The only one I remember is Morrie Mazda. Another little personal bit: Would you rather take a jaunty spin in a sports car or hike a mountain trail?

I would love to hike up a mountain trail, then let someone with their jaunty sports car ferry me back down. When it comes to hiking, I'm a wimp.

Thanks so much for having me!

Thank YOU for sharing with us, Jenny! As for the ARC giveaway: simply comment on this post by Sunday, March 24, 2013, at 8pm CDT and have a US mailing address. Blog followers will be entered twice. Winner announced March 25th.

For more middle grade goodness, check the links at

Shannon Messenger's blog.

Happy middle grade reading!