Barbara Ann Watson

The ABC's of Middle Grade: N is for Nutmeg

2012-03-08T05:45:00.000-06:00

Nutmeg. It's the forgotten cousin spice of the much more popular cinnamon. It's the spice that often sits in the spice rack watching other spices get shaken into all sorts of recipes. It's the spice with a subtle and interesting flavor. And when it comes to writing, everyone needs a little nutmeg.

Words like voice, pacing, characters, plot, and conflict get thrown around a lot in writing, much like cinnamon is a common go-to spice. Keeping readers engaged in our story through action is a way of shaking spice into our writing. But what adds subtle and interesting flavors to it? What techniques do we employ to ensure our writing has a little bit of nutmeg?

To me, nutmeg means a delicious way of writing that makes a story stand out from others, little quirks that make a reader giggle even in a serious scene, or twisting a storyline in an unforeseen manner. These name only a few sprinklings of nutmeg; there are endless other ways to nutmeg our writing. And something just as important as adding nutmeg is making sure we don't overuse the nutmeg. That, like too much of any spice, ruins the entire recipe.

So tell me, how do you sprinkle nutmeg into your stories while at the same time making sure not to add too much?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Underneath (and a giveaway!)

2012-03-05T05:00:00.000-06:00

The Underneath is a story that means so much to me that I let my daughter purchase a stuffed animal at a garage sale--something I strictly forbid. I mean, some other kid's stuffed animal!!??! SO GROSS!!!!!! I allowed it this ONE time because with tears brimming in her eyes my daughter said, "Mommy, we can't leave Ranger here all alone."

Ranger, the blood hound Kathi Appelt created and who inhabits The Underneath, has a beautiful and big but broken heart, and no, he could not be left at that garage sale alone. And he was not.

The Underneath is a book in prose that reads like a magical poem. It's a story that stayed on my mind long after I finished it. It's a novel I'll read again and again--and have already read twice. It's a story of love, betrayal, and redemption. It's a book I might call my favorite, even though I don't have a favorite. And I could tell you so much more, but all I'm going to tell you is this: The Underneath blends a mistreated dog, a cat left on the side of the road, a horrible man, several magical creatures, trees who tell stories, a magical family, and an unforgettable story.

To celebrate this beautiful book (and my blog reaching 100 followers!!), I'm giving away TWO HARDCOVER copies of The Underneath. To enter the drawing simply leave a comment on this post by Sunday, March 11th, 2012 by 8pm CT and be a blog follower. International entries welcome. The winners will be announced on Monday, March 12th.

Here's a photo of our beloved Ranger with the books I'm giving away.

Could you have left him at that garage sale?

I'm certain you could not.

For more middle grade recommendations, follow the links

located in my Middle Grade Monday tab.
Happy middle grade reading!

The ABC's of Middle Grade: M is for Middle

2012-03-01T05:30:00.000-06:00

Ah, we've all heard about the saggy middle and how we for sure don't want one. I don't mean the saggy middle that develops when we eat too many cookies and candy bars (although that isn't good either); I'm talking about the saggy middle of a book. That part of the story where action drags or readers become bogged with too many details. Middles must be shiny, new, and exciting--just like beginnings. They also must be as interesting and anticipated as the ending.

Some great posts exist on middles, but this post from Lisa Gail Green was written just a few weeks ago. You should read it. It's short (her posts usually are--I like that!), but it has great depth. She lists three simple questions to ask ourselves about our middles. Those three questions focus on: moving the plot forward, building character arc, and creating tension. If our middle does those things, it will not sag!

But I've read books, and you have too, where the middle does sag. The problem I find in my own writing is that a saggy middle is SO HARD to recognize. I know the characters, I know the outcome, and there's this super cool path the characters must tread in order to reach the outcome. And I can't possibly cut anything because, for sure, none of it sags, right?

Yeah, probably not true. So, how do you recognize sagging portions of your own writing?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday:May B.

2012-02-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose has been featured several times on other people's Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays, but when I love a book, I want to spread its loveliness too! So here's my take on May B.

The premise: Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, May B., lives in 1870's Kansas. She has a brother she adores and a loving family too, but she has trouble in school--particularly with reading. When May's family needs some extra money, May is sent fifteen miles away to be a helper on the Oblinger's homestead. In a twist of circumstance, May ends up alone on the homestead. Winter is approaching, supplies are running low, and no one knows she is alone.

What keeps readers reading: Finding out what happens to May, of course! But there's more to it than that. While May is alone, she decides who she is and who she wants to be. It is this journey that compels the reader further and further into this novel told in verse. A girl in pioneer times didn't have many choices about who she should be, but readers of May B. get to witness one girl who does.

What I loved: Caroline Starr Rose's word choices are perfect (PERFECT I tell you), but so is May's fighting spirit. The "I'm going to be better than who people say I am" aspect of this book swept me away.

Travel the links located in my Middle Grade Monday tab for more recommendations.

Happy middle grade reading!

Good Enough

2012-02-24T05:30:00.001-06:00

Two years ago yesterday, my dad died. I'm not usually this transparent and personal here, but today I want to be and need to be. For my dad . . .

What if my writing isn't good enough?

There are days that question haunts me. Some days that question creeps right behind me, and I peek over my shoulder at it all day. At certain moments it breathes in and out with me. At times it sits on my chest, pressed there so tightly my heart skips beats.

Most days I hold all the haunting and skipped heartbeats inside myself and say nothing to anyone because my writing is part of who I am, so asking, "What if my writing isn't good enough?" is the same as asking, "What if I'm not good enough?" But what if I pour hours, that if piled together might heap into years, into my writing and none of it is ever good enough?

I don't expect an answer. I don't even want an answer. What I wish is that I could ask my dad that question because he would understand the depth of my asking it simply because he's my dad. He wouldn't answer. And I wouldn't want him to.

We would just sit, my question hanging between us, and that would be good enough.

The ABC's of Middle Grade: L is for Length

2012-02-23T05:30:00.000-06:00

Whee! We're halfway through the alphabet. In case you think I can't count, remember the pesky 'V for Voice' insisted it came right after 'C for Characters.' It's also pretty cool to click on the label "abc's of MG" and see the alphabet lining up. I recommend trying it.

Enough celebrating. It's L's turn. When I began writing (about two years ago), I read somewhere that the typical middle grade book falls between 40,000 and 60,000 words. But word count meant nothing to me. I mean, how long is 40,000 words compared to 60,000? I had no idea.

So I ended up staring at my bookshelves and Googling word counts on some that were sitting there. (Just for the record: finding word counts of published books is HARD)! Here's a few I found back then: Because of Winn-Dixie is 34,000; Charlotte's Web is 53,000; and Hoot is 61,000. I'd read all of those, so now word count made a little more sense.

But how important is word count to a middle grader? Do they give a rip about a book's length? Do kids look at the thickness of a book or the size of its type and decide whether or not to read it based on length? Do developed readers consider shorter books too simple? Are reluctant readers turned off by longer books?

I'm inclined to think that kids do care about book length--to an extent. How far that extent reaches, I'm not sure. I have two middle graders living in my house, but they're not good measures of how much book length matters because they'll read anything they consider interesting no matter its length. So, I'll throw the question to you, my knowledgeable friends. As I prepare my manuscript for querying, just how much does word count matter?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Last Musketeer (and giveaway winner)

2012-02-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

The winner of my signed copy of Okay for Now is . . .

Kate Birch!

(Yay! Email your mailing address to me at barbarawatson94(at)gmail(dot)com
so I can get this fantastic story to you).

And for today's MMGM:

Time travel. Such an intriguing concept ever since I saw the movie Back to the Future when I was a kid. The idea that going back in time would alter time from that moment forward is just...wow! So when I picked up The Last Musketeer by Stuart Gibbs, I was hooked. And it's new, just released in the fall of 2011.

The premise: Greg Rich and his family receive an all-expense paid vacation to Paris and a private tour of The Louvre--because they sold all their family heirlooms to the museum. But for centuries, the Rich family has been instructed to make sure none of these heirlooms ever returns to France.

What keeps readers reading: The time travel adventure. When Greg and his family arrive in modern-day Paris, a sinister man at The Louvre causes them to tumble into 1615 Paris. Accusations of treason, parental imprisonment, and a connection to the Three Musketeers (when they were teenagers!) roll this adventure on its way.

What I loved: This book makes you re-evaluate what you think is boring or mundane about yourself because it is just those things which can impact and change everything for someone else! Also, I love that Greg is fourteen and the story centers on action, so it's a great fit for upper middle grade readers who aren't into the YA scene yet.

The MMGM pipeline is the place to travel on Mondays . . .

follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

The ABC's of Middle Grade: K is for Kinetic

2012-02-16T07:51:00.000-06:00

Hey, hey, my giveaway! It's still open. If you're interested scroll to the post below. Back? Let's move on . . .

Kids move. They move fast. They are full of energy. They are kinetic. When I was a kid, I went through a phase where I cartwheeled everywhere instead of walking. Yes, indeed, I'm certain those were proud moments for my parents. So, taking this idea of busy, moving, kinetic kids, let's apply it to kid's books.

I'm aware that no book exists that every kid likes, nor will there ever be one. But there are books that appeal to larger groups of kids than others, and one thing that makes these books appeal to large and diverse audiences is the movement (the action, the plot, the kinetic energy--call it what you will) within these books. These books go somewhere, and they do it in an enticing manner.

Exactly HOW these books do this is another thing altogether. I can come up with the brilliant observation I did--that books need to move and go for kids to appreciate them--but there are unending possibilities as to how this works within a story. And that, my friends, is what I leave up for discussion today.

How do you build movement in your stories? How do you make your stories kinetic?

An Evening with Gary D. Schmidt (and a giveaway)

2012-02-13T00:25:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago, Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt was my featured book on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. In fact, it's so recent you can scroll down five or six posts and wah-lah! there it is. When I wrote that post, I had no idea I would be hearing him speak just days after sharing my love for his writing . . . BUT I DID! And what an evening it was.

Last Wednesday, the evening before rehearsals began on the stage adaptation of Gary's Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, Gary chatted with the artistic director of Minneapolis' Children's Theatre Company, and I was in the audience.

As he shared and inspired, he told the story behind the story for each of these books.

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy arose from a family vacation in Maine where he uncovered the tragedy of Malaga Island. In The Wednesday Wars Holling Hoodhood is Gary as a kid. And in Flint, Michigan, there's a library--operating with hardly any budget and marvelous librarians--which houses an early version of Audubon's Birds of America but they refuse to sell it; this set the stage for Okay for Now.

Fascinating stuff. I love the story behind the story because it makes the story that much MORE than it already is.

Gary also discussed the way he creates his stories. He writes in what amounts to a shed (heated only by a wood stove) on a typewriter. Yes, on a typewriter. It slows down the process for him, he said, and makes him understand just how imperfect his drafts are. When he finishes a draft, he burns it in the wood stove and begins again. Wow.

Responding to a question about how setting is almost a character in his stories, Gary told how the nuances of place do become integral fabric and character in writing. Where we are becomes part of who we are.

Someone asked about the "standing up moments" in his books, those crisis points where his characters choose, decide, draw a line in the sand. Gary delved into discussion about kids (and adults) learning to do this very thing (and needing to do this very thing).

There is much more I could say about this humble, unassuming, personable man, but I will end with this. When I was getting my books signed, I gushed about how much my son and I love Gary's writing. And then I ejected the colossal burp. No, not a real burp but something just as embarrassing. I told Gary I'm working on a kid's book of my own. Sheesh. I try NOT to tell authors that because I'm sure they hear it all the time. Gary set down his pen, looked me in the eye, and said "Really?" He was genuinely interested.

Yes. What an evening it was.

But that's not all. I purchased a second (hardcover!) copy of Okay for Now and had Gary
sign it for one of you!

Comment on this post by Sunday, February 19th, at 8pm CT and be one of my blog followers
(if you're not already, just click on 'join this site') to enter the drawing.
International entries are welcome, and the winner will be

announced on Monday, February 20th.

Follow the MMGM links in my right sidebar for more great middle grade recommendations.

Happy middle grade reading!

The ABC's of Middle Grade: J is for Juggle

2012-02-09T06:20:00.000-06:00

I've tried juggling a few times. I can almost keep three balls flipping through the air (flipping is too strong and fast of a verb for what I do--it's more like lobbing in super high, slow arcs), but if I try to pick up speed, lower the arc, or add another ball--forget it. And I know talking about how juggling is like (fill in the blank) is quite cliche. But it's a fun concept and middle graders can get pretty jazzed about learning how to juggle, so hang in here with me.

When you write, there are characters, plot lines, and time lines to keep straight. There are story nuances to be aware of--things like voice and pacing. There's the ever-present word choices--getting just the right ones exactly where you need them. You need to make sure you've chosen the right point of view. And . . . keep that action moving. Oh . . . don't forget to show not tell. And on and on and on the list continues.

So writing is definitely like juggling. Cliche or not. Only--and here's the point I wanted you to hang in here for--I don't want to drop balls, and I don't want to keep lobbing only three of them in super high, slow arcs. I want to increase speed and the number of balls I'm juggling, and I want to toss smaller arcs. Maybe one day I even want to juggle knives and things that are on fire. (Not really. That would scare the world, but . . . I have seen these guys juggle knives AND fire--The Danger Committee. They also throw knives, sometimes at one another, and are simply AWESOME).

Ahem. But I do want to learn how to write better (specifically write middle grade better), make all my story elements fit together, work on voice and pacing, evaluate my POV choice, keep the action flowing, and anything else that will improve my writing. But what's the best way to do all that?

I think it's just to keep writing. What do you think?

Decisions, News, and a Goal

2012-02-06T00:25:00.000-06:00

The input on my reviewing vs. recommending post last Monday was awesome (thank you!), and concluding that my love for sharing middle grade reads would continue (Decision #1), I proceeded with my week.

On Wednesday I received an email from Faith saying she's mailing my 25 pages back (a critique I won from Shannon Messenger). This is great news because I'm poised for another round of revisions on this manuscript. Her feedback should arrive this week--I'm feeling a whole lot of yay! and eek! all at once.

Thursday, I deliberated about my blog schedule, and after staring at the ceiling and finger-drumming on my desk, I decided that I'll be posting Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays about twice per month (Decision #2) and free-flowing with other writing stuff the other Mondays. Thursdays will continue my alphabet march as they are preparing me for querying in a pretty fascinating way.

In addition (this is the goal part), my first blog anniversary is in early April, and my goal is to have 100 followers by my anniversary. If you feel inclined to spread word, well, that would be sorta like Woodstock helping out his pal Snoopy. A special giveaway accompanies my meeting this goal, so I'm pretty excited about it.

It was a big week (and I even managed to get a little writing done). Next Monday I have something very cool going on, 100 followers or not, but today, travel the middle grade pipeline found over here. ~~~~~~>

The ABC's of Middle Grade: I is for Interesting

2012-02-02T07:32:00.000-06:00

Creating alphabet letters out of fruits and vegetables seems like something a middle grader might do. After all, it's interesting, wouldn't you say? Certainly much more interesting than eating them. Hmmmm. That's my own viewpoint popping out there, so please excuse me, and pass the dark chocolate M&Ms. But because I'm getting close (well, closer than I used to be) to querying my middle grade novel, I'm interested in hearing what you think middle graders consider interesting when it comes to books.

I'm gonna keep it short and simply ask three little questions. Plunging right in:

1. What initially interests a middle grader in a book? (title? cover? genre? jacket description? a recommendation? something else?)

2. What keeps them interested if they decide to read it? (characters? plot? suspense? identifying with the storyline? all of these? something else?)

3. What makes them interested enough to say, "I LOVED THAT BOOK!" when they finish reading?

These questions have the ring of a beginning, middle, and end. Sorta like a book. Well, whaddya know. Anyway, I realize these questions have as many answers as there are book readers in the world, but I'm just looking for viewpoints because they are all so interesting. Tell me yours, if you're so inclined.

Books: Review vs. Recommend

2012-01-30T00:07:00.000-06:00

Alright, I'm struggling with something, and one way I work through struggles is writing through them. So here goes.

Opinions abound about writers reviewing books, but I'm not going to discuss those because that's not what this struggle is about. As a regular participator in Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays (MMGM), I don't review books. I recommend and promote middle grade books (but not for money or by request) by sharing ones I love. To me, that is a HUGE difference. A book reviewer may pull apart a book, point out its shortcomings, or tear into style. I do not do those things.

But, here's my conundrum. What I do on Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays may be understood or perceived by others as reviewing books, and sometimes reviewing books has negative connotations. And I don't want to be known as a middle grade book reviewer because I see the dangers--and there are many--in reviewing books of published authors when I have a dream of one day having my own middle grade books out in the world.

But I don't review middle grade books. I promote them. I share about them. I spread word about them. I recommend them. Because I love them. But the perception of what I do is a whole different matter.

So, I'm kinda scratching my head over MMGMs right now and could use some input. I know many of you who read my blog are writers (and many of you are MMGMers too) and some of you aren't. Whether you write or not, MMGM or not, what do you think about the whole thing?

The ABC's of Middle Grade: H is for Hero

2012-01-26T07:25:00.000-06:00

Eek! (Yes, I know that doesn't start with 'H' but my query is on Matthew MacNish's blog today and tomorrow for critique. Today for reading and absorbing, tomorrow for actual critiquing. My insides are all flip-floppy).

And now, on to Letter H. As kids, we all had heroes--people we admired, people we looked up to, people we aspired to be like, people who could do things we never dreamed we could. Some of these heroes were real people, some were characters we met in books or movies, and still others were beings that existed in our imaginations.

As we grew up, those heroes perhaps lost their hero label, but we still have people we admire, those we aspire to be like. But as a middle grade writer, I wonder how the world of heroes fits into today's world of middle graders? As a writer of middle grade, exactly who should be the hero in what I write?

Brooke Favero, who writes a terrific blog at Somewhere in the Middle, wrote a post several months ago about who should rescue whom in middle grade writing. It got me thinking. A lot. Originally when I read her post, I was drafting a middle grade manuscript. She asked provoking questions and helped me approach my manuscript in a fresh way. So, as I was planning this middle grade alphabet series, when I got to the letter 'H,' it didn't have a choice but to stand for Hero.

Let's discuss: And, I'll ask the question Brooke asked but in my own words, who should the hero be in a middle grade novel?

Marvleous Middle Grade Monday: Okay for Now

2012-01-23T00:13:00.000-06:00

Okay . . . (sorry, I couldn't resist starting that way), the Newbery will be awarded this morning, but I wrote this MMGM post prior to that announcement (and posted it early too) and I'm hoping, hoping Okay for Now at least makes the honor list. Not that I know enough to have a say in those but because this book impacted me so thoroughly. The brilliance of Gary D. Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars which mixes history, Shakespeare, spot on voice, and a great middle grade read seems impossible to follow, but Schmidt is amazing. There's no other explanation. In Okay for Now Schmidt takes a side character from The Wednesday Wars, mixes in the same historical period (the Vietnam War era) but on a different level, adds art and John James Audubon, more spot on voice, and comes up with another middle grade wonder.

The premise: Doug Swieteck and his family are forced by his father to move to "stupid" Marysville--a small town with nothing for any member of the family except a badly paying job for his father. Doug's father is no father at all, just a jerk who happens to have kids and a wife. Doug's mom tries to do right by her kids but is a beat-down, told to shut-up kind of wife. Doug's bully older brother is accused of robbery, and his oldest brother is returning from the Vietnam War. Things look more than bleak for Doug.

What keeps readers reading: Everything. I'm serious. I cannot possibly choose one, two, or even eight things that keep you reading this book. It is the whole package. Doug meets Lil, gets a job delivering groceries, learns he loves art and drawing through John James Audubon's plates at the local library, encounters stereo-typing and discrimination of enormous magnitude, survives impossible family situations, and somehow doesn't end up a life-hating criminal.

Perhaps the one thing that struck me most about Okay for Now is this: I have never--EVER!--disliked a character in ANY story I've read as much as I disliked Doug's father. Not even Voldemort. No kidding. The reason is because people like Doug's father really exist in the world. Villains like Voldemort--though hideous and awful and based in reality--are imaginary. Villains like Doug's father are real and all too plentiful.

Thankfully Doug learns real friends do exist, there are adults who care, people do love and believe, and redemption can come even if you don't believe it will.

Travel the MMGM pipeline for more recommendations

Follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

The Query and Synopsis

2012-01-19T07:39:00.001-06:00

I had a pretty cool "The ABC's of Middle Grade: Letter H" post planned for today, but something came up so I'll post Letter 'H' next Thursday. And now onto my something . . .

*cracks knuckles*

(not really, I have never cracked my knuckles in my life)

Last week I wrote my query letter. THE WHOLE THING! And I'm pretty happy with it, as naive as that may sound (really naive, I'm sure, but I'm okay with that). My manuscript isn't quite in querying shape--yet--but my query letter gets it more ready.

Right now, I'm letting my query cool off for a few days, then I'll work a little more on it, email it to Matthew MacNish, it will get analyzed on his cool blog, then I'll be not-so-happy with it, I'll work on it again, and get it closer to where it needs to be.

But, that's not all my something, last month, in order to give my first twenty-five pages context before they were critiqued by Faith (I am the Book Babe) (an awesome gift I won from Shannon Messenger), I wrote a one page synopsis, something not always necessary for querying but handy in case an agent does require it.

These two things, the query letter and the synopsis, are . . . hmmmm, I'll go with . . . difficult to write. Horror stories abound about the two of them. But I wrote them, figured out some stuff that needs fixing in my story because I wrote them, and now I give myself this:

. . . and celebrate for a minute or two. But that pesky manuscript keeps reminding me it has a ways to go before my query or synopsis will do it any good (and, oh yeah, I gotta work on that pitch), but wait--I'VE GOT A QUERY AND A SYNOPSIS!! And that's something.

So, what's your take on writing the query letter and/or synopsis? Do you hate writing them? Do you like writing them? Were they as scary as you thought? Tell me your thoughts on these two little (but huge) things.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Young Fredle

2012-01-16T00:31:00.000-06:00

Books filled with talking animal characters are not usually my thing, but Cynthia Voigt captured me with Young Fredle, quite possibly because this is the second of her talking animal books that I have adored. Honestly, no kidding, I'm a hard sell when it comes to talking animals. Angus and Sadie (the story of two sheep-herding dogs living with Mister and Missus) was the first one I loved (and Angus and Sadie do reappear in Young Fredle), but this book focuses on the mice (yep, mice) in Mister and Missus' home and on their farm.

The premise: Fredle is a kitchen mouse, learning the art of sleeping all day and foraging for food scraps at night. He enjoys his family and knows the importance of keeping safe--and keeping the family safe. But one night he and an adventurous cousin can't resist a treat covered in dark brown lusciousness and filled with gooey white goodness. They eat it and love it, but soon it makes them very, very sick. And since mice families don't tolerate sick, weak, or old mice, they are pushed out into the middle of the kitchen during the day. This is what happens to sick, weak, or old mice--they get went. And no mouse has ever returned after being went.

What keeps readers reading: Fredle's adventure. Fredle makes it out of the kitchen--alive! (Sorry, bit of a spoiler there but it does say it on the inside of the jacket cover too). He gets outside, and it's a foreign land. Although he's scared, he's also entranced. Lights twinkle in the night sky, water droplets hang on green stalks, and flowers bloom. Predators abound outside too--barn cats, owls, snakes, and raccoons--but Fredle finds friends in unlikely places, friends who understand that he longs for home.

What I adored most about Young Fredle is the way Cynthia Voigt masterfully weaves messages throughout her story. The adventure and talking animals will appeal to younger, developed readers as well as older ones because the plot moves and grows, but this is also a story of discovery. And as young Fredle discovers, so does the reader.

As always, travel the MMGM pipeline for more middle grade reviews

Links are located in my right sidebar ~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Giveaway Winner of (signed) Because of Winn-Dixie

2012-01-14T07:55:00.000-06:00

I know many of you have read this beautiful story, which makes me all the more I honored to give away this signed copy of Because of Winn-Dixie. And, if you've been around my blog for any of my other giveaways, you know my daughter takes enormous delight in choosing the giveaway winner from folded up pieces of paper in a brown paper lunch sack. The name she drew from the sack today is . . .

Margo Berendsen!

Email your mailing address to barbarawatson94(at)gmail(dot)com
so I can get this little beauty to you.

Also . . . just so you know I didn't draw some swoopy loops on the title page, this is how Kate signs her books--isn't it awesome?

And if that isn't enough awesomeness for your day, Because of Winn-Dixie is one of the books for giveaway on World Book Night!! I signed up to be a book-giver and Because of Winn-Dixie was my first choice (with Hunger Games and The Book Thief as my second and third choices). I'm hoping, hoping to be selected as a book-giver. What could be more wonderful than changing a non-reader's life by putting a BOOK in their hands??!!? Interested yourself? Here's the website (again) in case you missed it up there: World Book Night.

The ABCs of Middle Grade: G is for Goofy

2012-01-12T07:55:00.000-06:00

Sculpting a letter G into a potted plant is goofy. The plant looks--well--stupid actually. Plants deserve to look like plants. A plant's beauty shines when it is allowed to be what it is. And although many things can make middle grade books shine, they (unlike plants) shine when they are a bit goofy.

Even if a middle grade book has serious subject matter at its heart (take Gary D. Schmidt's Okay for Now or Christoper Paul Curtis' Elijah of Buxton as examples), middle grade magic happens when writers weave humor and silliness with very serious issues. But, this is a very tough magic spell to cast because the writer does not want to demean or make fun of the serious issues, and the writer needs to make sure readers know the goofiness is not aimed at the issues.

And because middle graders appreciate goofiness in a very special way, it's super important, I think, to have an element of goof in middle grade writing, even if--or maybe especially if--the story contains serious issues. But in my own writing, goofiness doesn't come naturally. A story builds. Characters show themselves. A setting is clear. But the goof? I have to work on the goof. And since I have to work on it, I have to REALLY work on making sure the goof isn't forced or stupid. Because if it is, a middle grader will say (because generally middle graders are honest as well), "This is dumb."

What do you think? Is goofiness necessary in middle grade? Is it possible to overdo goofiness in middle grade? And . . . what awesome examples do you have of an author weaving the super serious with silliness and humor?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Because of Winn-Dixie (and a Giveaway!)

2012-01-09T00:07:00.000-06:00

Ahhhhh. It's my first MMGM in quite awhile, and although my blogging break was lovely, I missed sharing middle grade stories with you! So, to welcome the 2012 MMGM year, I'm deviating from my usual MMGM format.

*collective gasp*

(I know, it's startling, isn't it?)

In December, my son and I heard Kate DiCamillo speak at a local bookstore (it's an indie store just for kids and teens--called Wild Rumpus Books--and if you are EVER in the Minneapolis area, GO!! They have cats and chickens parading around the store and many other animals in glass enclosures, plus any and all books for kids!). Ahem. Anyway, Kate was witty, charming, insightful, and inspiring as she answered questions (mostly from kids, so that made it super awesome!) about her books, her writing, living in Minneapolis, and pretty much anything the kids threw her way. Here she is, answering someone's question, in her patient, kind, amusing manner.

As Kate answered one question, she said something that went like this: The only part of writing that's easy for her is naming characters. My heart bounced to my throat (and a huge grin burst across my face and my head bobbed up and down) when she said that because if writing doesn't come easy for her--well--there's hope for me! Sometimes I feel like I fight for every word. If you write, you know exactly what I mean, so hearing a published (and very successful) author say something like that? Wow. That made my 2011 and my 2012.

Kate also shared about her inspiration for writing Because of Winn-Dixie. When she was thirty, she moved to Minneapolis after living her entire life in Florida, and for the first time, she didn't have a dog. It was winter. And she couldn't return to Florida. So she wrote a book that took her home and she created the best dog she could imagine. That blended together and gave readers her first novel, Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newbery Honor in 2001.

Because of Winn-Dixie has L.O.N.G. been one of my favorite middle grade reads, so I had Kate DiCamillo sign my family's copy and . . . I also had her sign one to give away to one of you! Comment on this post by Friday, January 13, 2012, at 10pm CST to enter your name in the drawing. International entries are welcome. And remember: Any Kate DiCamillo book is a gift to read.

Other MMGMers and their recommendations:

Check the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Still Revising

2012-01-05T07:36:00.000-06:00

IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE BLOGGED!

*waves* *smiles*

*enjoys looking at all of you*

But I'm back--refreshed, invigorated, and ready for new adventures. While I was blog-cationing, I danced (but not very gracefully--okay, I really kinda plowed) through a third round of revisions on my middle grade novel, and ohhhh, it felt good to get this round finished. For me, revising has felt like ripping apart (make that annihilating) my story. SO MUCH has changed since that first draft. So. Much.

my story begins in a different scene
the chapters are ordered differently
whole chapters were trashed
new chapters were written
shiny, new characters were added
and my story developed a voice

Whew. And that list doesn't include all the changes THOSE changes initiated. Of course, those lovely little bullet points aren't original or new or something you've never done to your own writing, they just allow me to see how far my story has come. I'm beginning to see the beauty through the mess. The water is clearing, so to speak. For me, writing is all about discovering, discovering what works. And focused rounds of revising work for me.

Have you discovered any secrets for traveling through this crazy process?

Blogging Break and Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-12T07:36:00.000-06:00

I will be taking a blogging break until January 5, 2012, but be sure to visit the links in my right sidebar each Monday
for great middle grade recommendations!

And . . . as for my secret about having a paperback of a book not yet available in paperback, well, maybe it's not so mysterious after all. The publisher is Arthur A. Levine (an imprint of Scholastic) and the back cover of the book says, "This edition is available for distribution only through the school market." Although I have no ties to getting books through the school market, so, hmmmmm, perhaps there's still a bit of mystery involved. (But not really. I found the book--brand new!--at Half Price Books).

And now, the answer to one more secret! The name drawn from the brown paper lunch sack for
The Romeo and Juliet Code is:

Arlyce Muth!

Yay! You've won one of my favorite reads of 2011!!
Email your mailing address to barbarawatson94 (at) gmail (dot) com so I can get
this historical fiction doozy to you! Enjoy!
As for unraveling the secrets in this wonderful book, everyone make sure to read it and discover those on your own.

The ABC's of Middle Grade: F is for Friends and Family

2011-12-08T07:55:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm going to come right out and say it. I couldn't choose between friends and family for my Letter F in middle grade writing. Besides, how can you choose between friends and family in any situation? It's utterly impossible. I wasn't going to put that weight on my shoulders. Whew. *wipes brow*

Friends are a HUGE part of every middle grader's life and, therefore, must be a focus in middle grade stories. Friendships often change during middle grade years and reading a story where characters are experiencing friendship change can bridge understanding for kids.

Family is another HUGE part of middle grader's life. Change happens in families too--a death, divorce, a mom or dad's new job, a new sibling, adoption, sibling rivalry (just to name a few)--and reading about these situations helps kids see they are not alone.

There is so much else to say about the mingling of friends and family in middle grade stories; this really doesn't even begin the conversation. But since I planned these alphabet posts to be ones of discussion and learning from one another, how about telling how you fit the roles of friends and family into your writing? And, if you care too, share a book you feel melds these two areas in a wonderous way.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Romeo and Juliet Code (a giveaway too!)

2011-12-05T00:20:00.000-06:00

Even though several MMGMers have already featured this book, I'm SUPER excited to do it myself because it falls in my FAVORITE middle grade genre--HISTORICAL FICTION!! Alright. *attempts to reign in enthusiasm* That was an awful lot of capital letters.

The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone is set in the United States in 1941. Most of the story takes place prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but Felicity is a British girl--sent to live with her American relatives--so she has already seen World War II at her front door. This is a many-layered story, one of family, questions, friendship, and mystery, and it has a little something for every type of reader.

The premise: When Felicity's parents bring her across the ocean to stay with relatives she's never met, she knows there's more to the story than the dangerous conditions in London during World War II. There are secrets everywhere. Her parents have secrets, her relatives have secrets, there is a secret person who doesn't come out of a bedroom upstairs, there is another room whose door is always locked, and secret coded letters arrive for Felicity's Uncle Gideon. Felicity decides to crack the code and all the other secrets too.

What keeps readers reading: It's the mystery and intrigue. Or maybe it's the quirky, fun characters. Wait, perhaps it's the voice of the story. No, it's the appeal to both girl and boy readers. Okay, I got it, it's the story's fresh take on World War II. Sheesh, I just loved everything about The Romeo and Juliet Code. The balance of elements presented by Phoebe Stone is amazing, the issues her book brings to the surface make readers think, and a little bit of Shakespeare never hurts a story. Many layers, I tell you. Unravel the code and secrets along with Felicity.

And . . . I'm giving away a copy of The Romeo and Juliet Code! The one I have for the giveaway is a paperback, but don't ask why I have a paperback of a book that isn't out in paperback yet (and it's not an ARC) because that is a secret. U.S. mailing addresses may enter for the giveaway by commenting on this post by Sunday, December 11, 2011, 8pm CST. Read and discover the intrigue.

Other MMGMers and their choices this week

Check my right sidebar ~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Giveaway Winner of Brigitta of the White Forest

2011-12-03T10:16:00.000-06:00

The name my daughter drew from the brown

paper lunch sack today is:

Megan Frances!

*lots of metallic sparkles*

(Seems appropriate for a faerie fantasy)
Megan writes a fantastic blog called Beyond Words & Pictures
(as well as writing books and creating beautiful art)!

Megan, please email your mailing address to the email listed
under my contact tab and I will mail this
fantasy adventure to you! Enjoy!

The ABC's of Middle Grade: E is for Embellish

2011-12-01T07:29:00.000-06:00

Embellish. It's a pretty word as it floats off the tongue, a verb meaning to make fancier by decorating (like the fancy Letter 'E' I chose), exaggerating (such as saying "I've told you a million times"), or . . . adding details to a story to create more interest and excitement. The last part is the part I'd like to focus on--the adding details part.

Well-written stories balance detail with action; they flow flawlessly between these two things. So, how do I know when I've embellished enough? How do I know when I've embellished too much? It's a fine line, and one I struggle seeing in my own writing.

Is it just me, or do you struggle with this too? I've heard published authors say they've cut hundreds of pages from their stories while they're revising. Joanne Fritz heard Richard Peck say (and I'm indirectly quoting him here) when he thinks he's cut everything he can, he then cuts twenty more words--because you can always cut twenty more words. I found that fascinating.

We all know that embellishing is key to story-telling, but (and here comes my impossible question this week) how do you know when you've achieved the right balance of detail and action? In other words, how do you know when embellishing is not adding interest or excitement to your story?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Brigitta of the White Forest and a Giveaway!

2011-11-28T00:03:00.000-06:00

Today's MMGM features author (and fellow MMGMer!!), Danika Dinsmore! Her novel, Brigitta of the White Forest, is an entrancing journey into a land of faeries, forests, friends, and foes and is the first in a series of Faerie Tales in the White Forest. In this book, readers are reminded that magic lives in our ordinary selves because sometimes we are called upon to do extraordinary things.

The premise: Brigitta is a faerie on the verge of receiving her wing markings which will determine her Life Task. It is also the season celebrating the resetting of the Hourglass of Protection. Brigitta is waiting, waiting for everything new to begin for her. At times during her waiting, she has ordinary things to do, like watching over her little sister Himalette. On a day Brigitta is doing just that, Himalette follows a sprite inside a log, and Brigitta goes in after her. Outside the log a bright light flashes, causing all living creatures in the White Forest to turn to stone. Brigitta must travel to the only faerie left, the exiled Hrathgar, for help. But will an exiled faerie even help--if Brigitta can get to her?

What keeps readers reading: The adventure! Brigitta and Himalette travel outside the protection of their beloved White Forest in order to save it and those they love. Brigitta must be brave, decide who (and what) to trust, and reach deep within herself for magic she didn't even know she had in order to make sure the Hourglass of Protection is reset. Brigitta of the White Forest encounters floating eyes, talking plants, a creature who hugs with his ears, evil, good, and Hrathgar--all because Brigitta is the only one who can do what must be done.

I was privileged to receive Danika Dinsmore's novel from her publisher and am giving it away (!!) as my second gift in Akoss's Winter Giveaway Hop. Comment on this post by Friday, December 2, 2011 at 10pm CST to enter. U.S. mailing addresses only, please. And stop in at Danika's blog to learn more about her and her writing.

Other MMGMers and their recommendations:

Find their links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Winner of Mockingbird

2011-11-27T09:28:00.000-06:00

My daughter thinks it's a hoot to draw names for my giveaway winners from a brown paper lunch sack. So that's how we do it around here, no fancy random-winner-generators. After she draws the name, she wants to know all about the person behind the name on the paper, and I tell her what I know. It's a fun little thing we share.

The name she drew today and
the winner of Mockingbird is:

Blair Loder!

*Confetti falls*

Blair is a co-founder of the National Homeschool Book Award.

Email me your snail mail address so I can get this impacting story to you.

My email address is under the

contact tab at the top of my blog.

Happy reading!

The ABC's of Middle Grade: D is for Danger

2011-11-23T07:34:00.000-06:00

Since Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, I'm taking a blogging holiday but I wanted my middle grade alphabet march to march on despite that, so here it is--on Wednesday. And on Thursday you can think of me wishing I were eating pizza (but thankful I'm surrounded by family). And now, on we go to the letter D.

D is for DANGER! Middle grade characters must be placed in it. *cue strange, eerie music* No matter how much we love our characters, danger needs to find them. Peril is necessary. They must meet a threat, encounter risk, or hazard their way through crisis. *strange, eerie music concludes* And it can come in many forms and follow various avenues.

Danger can be internal, coming from inside our character
Danger can come from what other characters think, say, or do
Danger can mean being found out
Danger can come from a character's fears
Danger can result from a physical setting

The list can go on and on. My point is simple, we cannot protect our characters. But my question is this: what sort of danger is your character(s) encountering in your current work? I would love to hear.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Mockingbird (and a Giveaway)

2011-11-21T00:21:00.000-06:00

Mockingbird helped my kids and me live inside an Asperger's brain, and for that I am so grateful to Kathryn Erskine. This is one of those books where you sink into the character; you put on her skin and walk around in it. And because you do, you have an understanding of something new. I love those kind of books.

The premise: Ten-year-old Caitlin struggles understanding the world. Her older brother Devon used to fill in the voids for her, but now Devon is dead--although Caitlin doesn't really Get It. But she wants to Get It. When she reads the definition of Closure in the dictionary, she knows Closure is what she needs (and what her dad needs too) in order to Get It. So Caitlin bravely searches for Closure.

What keeps readers reading: Being in Caitlin's mind. Readers experience what the world looks like through Asperger's eyes, and Kathryn Erskine so masterfully places you in this hard place. Devon died in a school shooting, something Caitlin's community is still reeling from. So in Caitlin's search for Closure, she not only helps herself and her dad, but she reaches an entire community. Mockingbird delves into harsh places and sad places but Caitlin's determination--at times heart-breaking--is beautiful. This 2010 National Book Award Winner challenges readers to understand what they think they cannot and then live out that new understanding.

Because this book is so impacting, it is my first of three giveaways for Akoss's Winter 2011 Giveaway Hop. Comment on this post by Friday, November 25, at 10pm to enter a drawing for this marvelous book (U.S. mailing addresses only, please). Even if you own your own copy, enter anyway and pass the gift of Mockingbird on to someone else.

Other MMGMers and their recommendations:

Find their links in my right sidebar

Happy middle grade reading!

The ABC's of Middle Grade: V is for Voice

2011-11-17T07:40:00.000-06:00

I'm an orderly, list-follower type; I swear I am. So isn't it the letter D's day? I mean, skipping from last week's 'C is for Characters' to this week's 'V is for Voice'??!!? Holy smokes, what's with that?

Here's what's with that. When I planned the alphabet series, I immediately knew C was characters and V was voice. But what I didn't realize at that moment was how characters and voice are like pancakes and syrup. They just go together. So no matter how many letters separate C and V in the real alphabet, in my middle grade alphabet, V follows C. It just does.

If you write middle grade, you must nail your voice. Middle grade voice is, perhaps, the most difficult voice to nail. We've all heard that, right? And.....IT'S DAUNTING! It just is.

But what I'm discovering is that voice can be built. The manuscript I'm revising didn't have a strong voice at first (or even at second or third). It had plot and characters, but it's taken time to build its voice. And it's not nailed yet, but the more I revise, the stronger its voice grows.

For that reason, I loved this orange-with-blue-polka-dot V you see in the upper right corner. It's colorful and quirky (which I talked about last week with characters), but it's a bit lopsided, not fully-formed, and tells me, yes! voice can be built.

So, what tips do you have for building a story's voice?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Wednesday Wars

2011-11-14T00:06:00.000-06:00

I've had The Wednesday Wars on my mind for awhile, and even though Jennifer Rumberger highlighted this book a few weeks ago, I am compelled to share about it too. Because when a book causes my son to ask, "Mom, where's your book of all Shakespeare's plays?" followed by "I want to read some of them," (and when I find it, he reads some of them), I know I need to read that book too. And that book is, of course, Gary D. Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars.

The premise: In the fall of 1967, Holling Hoodhood (what an awesome name for a character, right?) starts 7th grade, and things are a bit rocky. Holling's teacher has it in for him (she makes him--and only him--read Shakespeare), and his dad says the future of Hoodhood and Associates depends on Holling's good behavior (and it's hard to be good with rats, cream puffs, and a sister around). Not to mention the Vietnam War is infiltrating even Holling's life.

What keeps readers reading: The humor mixed with the super-serious. Gary D. Schmidt leads readers through Holling Hoodhood's school year. Each chapter in The Wednesday Wars represents a month of his 7th grade year. And during that school year, Holling learns more than he ever thought he could learn and becomes more than he ever thought he could be. Readers are challenged to do the same--all while being challenged to brush up on their Shakespeare.

One part humor and one part history, The Wednesday Wars is one whole awesome.

Other MMGMers and their recommendations:

Follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

The ABC's of Middle Grade: C is for Characters

2011-11-10T07:38:00.000-06:00

Middle grade writing demands characters who are colorful, crazy, and a bit quirky. Middle grade characters need to stand out from the crowd. They need spunk. They need a little something that's all their own. But yet they can't be too much of all this. And perhaps above all, they need to be believable--to a middle grader. Which means middle grade writers have a lot of leeway.

Colorful, crazy, quirky. We can all comprehend those qualities, but what I mean by believable is this: middle graders need connection to their characters--an understanding, a knowing about them. Because when middle grade readers are connected to the characters in a story, they are connected to the story.

So, my million dollar question for this post is......What magical ways do you have for creating characters such as these?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Wildwood

2011-11-07T00:16:00.000-06:00

Ohhhhh. If it's adventure you seek, Wildwood will take you on one. Written by Colin Meloy and illustrated by his wife Carson Ellis, this is the first in the The Wildwood Chronicles and it just released a few months ago. I was privileged to win my copy from Deb Marshall and read it aloud with my kids. This novel holds delectable action and characters, and the plot twists and turns keep readers always on their toes. But Mr. Meloy also employs a poetic quality in his writing, beautiful descriptions which lend an "I'm there" feeling.

The premise: Prue McKeel is at the park with her little brother Mac. She's ridden her bike with Mac tucked safely in a red Radio Flyer wagon. The sky darkens. Crows swoop in. And they steal little Mac away in their beaks. But not just away--they fly him into the Impassable Wilderness, that place on the edge of Portland, Oregon, where people never go. Except now Prue must go there. And Curtis ends up joining her.

What keeps readers reading: I'll quote my daughter here. She said, "Wildwood is a thrilling and fantastic fantasy that leaves you asking, what will happen next?" No kidding. Those are her words (she's twelve; the audience this book seeks). I even had her write down what she said so I would say it exactly as she told me. I will interject, however, and say this book is not for the faint of heart or a reluctant reader. It is 541 pages long and is definitely geared for upper middle grade readers. But as I stated in this review's opening, adventure abounds in Wildwood. The villainess Colin Meloy creates captures and intrigues, and Prue and Curtis (as well as a host of other characters) grab and hold interest. Journey with Prue and Curtis as they search for little Mac.

Other MMGMers and their recommendations:

Follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

MG Historicals = Love

2011-11-04T07:43:00.000-05:00

When I was a student, I disliked history classes. They were like eating lima beans (and only lima beans) for supper. Even if you like lima beans (which I don't), that's a depressing meal. History was memorizing names, dates, and battles. Nothing stuck in my brain. Until I discovered historical fiction--which ties history to a story. And suddenly, when history became a story, it was fascinating.

Today, Michael Gettel-Gilmartin at Project Mayhem and several others (the links are located at Project Mayhem) are highlighting middle grade historical fiction, a fabulous way to cast a whole new light on history.

Of my many favorite middle grade historicals, one you need to read, is Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. I read it as an adult (it was published in 2008, and I've been an adult for, well, quite awhile), and even though it's written for middle graders, my perspective of the American Revolution was turned upside down. The Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, freed Americans, right? And the American Revolution secured that freedom, didn't it?

Wrong. The Declaration of Independence freed certain Americans. And the American Revolution secured that freedom for some Americans. If you were African American, your freedom didn't arrive until 1865.

While this is not news, the backdrop to this story makes you rethink history. Picture living through the American Revolution as a slave. Not only as a slave, but as a slave girl. This is the world you enter when you read Chains. Read it and you too will wonder: why didn't the American Revolution seek freedom for everyone in America? Read Chains and challenge your historical mirror.

Do you have a favorite middle grade historical?

The ABC's of Middle Grade: B is for Beginning

2011-11-03T08:05:00.000-05:00

The beginning of any book is key, but if you don't grab middle grade readers by the bull's horns with your book's beginning, they won't stick it out. It's that simple. So--because we don't want B to stand for Boring--the beginning of a middle grade book is the place where you absolutely, positively must hit the bull's eye. Your book's beginning is its building block.

Okay. Now that I've totally overdone the B alliteration, let's get down to business. Sorry. Couldn't resist. But really, what is the recipe for a great beginning? To me, that's sorta like asking, "What makes a best seller?" There isn't one, pat answer, but I'm asking it anyway: What makes a great beginning?

If you've read any of the other posts in my Alphabet Series (follow the label "abc's of mg"), you know my motivation for writing these posts is this: I'm readying a middle grade manuscript for querying. And I'm not in a hurry to do that; querying is still MONTHS away, but I am concerned with making my manuscript the best it can be before I do that. More B alliteration. Oops. Although I've never queried anything yet, I do know you usually send five to ten pages of the BEGINNING of your story along with your query letter. That tells me my beginning Must. Be. Awesome.

Let's discuss: What makes a beginning awesome?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Sorta Sisters

2011-10-31T00:20:00.000-05:00

I don't have anything with creep or scare for you today, but since it's Halloween, you may be on the prowl for that, so I'll refer you to my review of The Owl Keeper which you can find here. What I do have for you today is a book about finding where you belong, something at the heart of middle graders (as well as the rest of us).

The Sorta Sisters, written by Adrian Fogelin and published in 2007, is the story of two girls, neither of whom has a steady place to call home. Mica lives on a boat with her father and travels from place to place. Anna has hopped from foster home to foster home. In the course of this story, the girls become friends (and sorta sisters) through letters, and though their lives are different, they are also sorta the same.

The premise: Mica leads an exciting life, at least she's always thought so. Following her father on his ocean adventures and homeschooling have kept her happy. Anna's life, on the other hand, has kept her in limbo--until she met Miss J, who actually wants Anna to live with her, for good. When Mica's father gets a research grant, Mica has to go to school, the first of many changes for her. For Anna, life with Miss J is better than she ever dreamed, except Anna fears that good things don't last. And then Miss J starts spending time with a guy, and Anna knows she'll be the one left out.

What keeps readers reading: The friendship that develops between Mica and Anna. Led to one another by brothers, who both girls know, the boys suggest that the girls write to one another. Through pitch perfect voicing, alternating points of view, and letters between the girls, Adrian Fogelin shows how Mica and Anna grow, share their fears, make mistakes, and learn just what a friend is. The Sorta Sisters covers issues that both boys and girls are intrigued by (finding your place in the world, friendship struggles, problems with parents--to name a few), but it's girls who will truly identify with this story.

Other MMGMers and their recommendations:

Follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

The ABC's of Middle Grade: A is for Adventure

2011-10-27T07:48:00.000-05:00

A middle grade book without adventure. Well, that's just..... boring, wouldn't you say? More importantly, that's what I believe middle grade readers would say. Characters and point of view and all those other five thousand writerly things are important, but that feeling of "Ohhhhh, I'm on an ADVENTURE!" is the hook of a great middle grade book.

Adventure can mean countless things to a middle grade reader. A faraway place, a time in the past or the future, creeping into the creepy neighbor's house, a leaf with a message on it, almost getting caught at something, or crawling in a tunnel in the backyard (or five thousand other things). Whatever the adventure is, when you write middle grade, you must (MUST!) take your readers on an adventure.

I heard Lois Lowry (!!) speak last March (she knows a thing or two about writing for kids), and she said when she begins a story, she introduces characters and immediately places those characters into conflict.

That, more than any other thing I've heard or read about middle grade writing, has echoed around and around my brain. As I'm readying my manuscript for querying *quivers in boots* (querying is an adventure all its own, huh?), I'm starting with adventure. Does my story have it? Does my story have enough of it?

Let's discuss: In what ways do you keep the adventure flowing in your story? And how do you balance adventure with the other parts of writing?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Penderwicks

2011-10-24T00:29:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. The Penderwicks has been out for years. Since 2005 to be exact. And the second one, The Penderwicks on Gardham Street, since 2008. But.....the most recent, The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, just released in May 2011. And I heard a rumor that Jeanne Birdsall has two more books planned for the Penderwick sisters, so really, I'm chiming in mid-action (at least that's what I'm going with).

For years I saw The Penderwicks on my local library shelf but never read it. Or the second one when it came out. But my son did--and loved them both. In fact, he finished the third one before me too. It wasn't until I noticed an unblemished, hardcover copy of The Penderwicks at Half-Price Books for $4.98 that I took the plunge. And I'm in love. With all of them. When I finished the first, I immediately drove to the library and checked out the second and third. And smacked my palm to my forehead at what I'd been missing.

The premise: The four Penderwick sisters live with their botanist father (their mother died four years prior to the opening story) and their silly dog Hound. The sisters are ages 12, 11, 10, and 4 when we first meet them, and they're spending two weeks at a cottage on the huge Arundel estate. Here they meet Jeffrey, who becomes an honorary Penderwick and best friend. The girls embark upon an adventure to save him from his mother and her plans for Jeffrey's life. In the second book, the sisters plan to save their father from dating, and in the third, Jeffrey rejoins the Penderwicks on another summer vacation where all kinds of changes encounter the sisters and Jeffrey.

What keeps readers reading: Delightfully real and rounded characters who live a believable life. The sisters--Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty--are unique and each is given a voice in the stories. Jeanne Birdsall uses their varying points of view, even Hound at times, to share the adventures of this charming family. The sisters get in all sorts of scrapes, trouble, and hard places as they deal with growing up. And even though the family has four sisters, there are many boy characters involved which rounds out the all-girl family. A soft humor is wielded throughout The Penderwick series which provides laughs along with the bumps of life.

If, like me, you're a late-comer to The Penderwicks, never fear, these tales are truly timeless--and so quintessentially middle grade. I eagerly await Jeanne Birdsall's next installment!

Other MMGMers choices for the week:

Please follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

The ABC's of Middle Grade Writing

2011-10-20T08:02:00.000-05:00

As I spend the next weeks, errrrrrr, make that months, whipping my manuscript into querying shape, I thought dialoguing about the essentials of awesome middle grade writing would help my whip crack a little better. Or stronger. Or louder. Whatever. Anyway, what I'm doing for the next 26 Thursdays......well, maybe a few more--a smart planner always allows extra time. Okay, for the next lots and lots of Thursdays, I'll assign a middle grade topic to each letter of the alphabet with hopes it will energize my whip cracking (and yours too).

I have to admit, I'm totally stealing this alphabet idea from Andrea Mack (who writes a cool middle grade blog at That's Another Story). She has a superb alphabet list in her sidebar. What I didn't do, however, is peek back at her list while I was making mine. Seriously. No peeking. No kidding. Some of our letters may match but by coincidence only. I spent forever (not really, but I did spend a really, really long time) putting my alphabet topics together.

So, come along for my middle grade alphabet ride. Each Thursday. Right here. To lure you back next Thursday ------> A is for Adventure (and that is my ONLY sneak peek at ANY letter). Make sure your whip is in hand because this is intended to be a dialogue, where our ideas inspire each other and spur one another to write better, stronger, and louder.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Zora and Me

2011-10-17T00:14:00.000-05:00

Over the summer I participated in a reading diverse challenge, and one of the books I read was Zora and Me, published in 2010. As a lover of middle grade books, especially those with a historical twist, this book drew me in simply because it is those two things. But Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon not only weave a fictionalized story arising from Zora Neale Hurston's childhood, but they place readers into the time and place of Zora's childhood. That place is Eatonville, Florida, the United States' first incorporated black township. A place where black inferiority had no place. This story is told through the eyes of Zora's friend Carrie, and we see how turn-of-the-century views affect growing up and living at this time and how they are part of the fabric of who we are today.

The premise: A young black man named Ivory, who is not from Eatonville, is murdered near Eatonville. Zora thinks she knows what happened and tells her story to anyone willing to listen. Her story is tied to a man she says is half-gator and prowls the near-by marshes, searching for prey. When Zora, Carrie, and their friend Teddy walk into the truth of the murder, however, they discover that truth is more brutal and ugly than the story Zora imagined.

What keeps readers reading: A web of lies that unravels. As Zora, Carrie, and Teddy investigate this murder and try to find the gator man, they encounter life outside their beautiful, safe little town. And what they find is racial divide. A coming-of-age story, Zora and Me melds all things great in middle grade fiction - a solid plot, characters who certainly are characters, and a setting you sit in - all while giving readers a look into who we are and from where we have come.

Other MMGMers and their choices this week:

Follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

The Doubt Monster of Writing

2011-10-13T07:40:00.000-05:00

It's been one of those writing weeks when writing doubts pop into my (usually) happy writing brain. A big monster taking over where my writing should be. The writing doubt is this: I have no idea what I'm doing. Which leads to this: Therefore, my writing stinks.

The "I have no idea what I'm doing" is pretty true. I don't have an MFA. I took exactly one creative writing class in college (required for my major in English Ed). I haven't been to any writing conferences (money is an issue). And -- here's the biggie -- I don't read books on the writing craft.

WHAT? Is that even allowed? Someone who writes but doesn't read books about writing? I know I should read them. I want to want to read them. But they don't captivate me. What's worse is I'm not interested in becoming interested in reading books about writing. And the writing books aren't to blame. I am. I'm sure I'll get there one day. . . .

What I'm interested in reading is books - just not ones about writing. To my credit (if I have any left) I do read blogs on the craft of writing. Just not books on it. What I do read is middle grade books. All the time. I read them aloud to my kids. I read different ones to myself. I read and I read and I read. Paying some attention to writing style or technique of the authors whose books I'm reading. But mostly I read for the story. Because I love -- I LOVE -- a story.

And then, motivated by the stories I have read, I write.

Because I also love sharing a story.

I don't know if my writing will ever be good enough to be published, but I write anyway. And maybe my writing really does stink. But that's not my point. My point is: How do you deal with your writing doubts? When the doubt monster creeps in, how do you creep him out? Or at the very least -- how do you get him to stop eating your cookies?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Wonderstruck

2011-10-10T00:38:00.000-05:00

I have never (ever) had such trouble writing about a book as I did with this review of Wonderstruck, which released last month and is written and illustrated by Brian Selznick. And you certainly don't want me to illustrate my thoughts, as Selznick is so superb at doing. And this book received so much publicity already that it absolutely does not need me to spread word about it, but after reading it - no - experiencing it, I had to review it. But each time I drafted a review, I sounded like a bad echo of the book jacket. What I decided was this book is so unlike any other, even unlike Selznick's Caldecott-winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret, that my words got tumbled in a jumbled mess. Humbling. But I'll do my best....

The premise: 1977, Gunflint Lake, Minnesota. When Ben's mother dies, he finds a clue in her room about the father he has never known. 1927, Hoboken, New Jersey. Rose discovers a headline in the newspaper concerning an actress she accounts in her scrapbook. Ben's clue and Rose's headline lead them on a journey for answers, a journey which they embark upon alone, fifty years apart.

What keeps readers reading: Selznick's revolutionary blend of words and pictures, used separately, but which weave one tale. Ben's story (told in words) and Rose's story (told through pictures) flow back and forth but unite in a surprising and beautiful way. As Ben and Rose's story intertwine and become the same story, Brian Selznick's use of words and pictures blends also. No longer do the words tell one story and the pictures another, the words and pictures fuse into one tale. Wonderstruck makes readers ponder the connections people hold with one another and fills readers with the wonder of time, love, friendship, and family. Read - no - experience this story for yourself and be struck with wonder at it.

Other MMGMers recommendations:

Follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Revising Post 3

2011-10-06T07:35:00.001-05:00

This past spring my daughter entered a local basketball challenge. The challenge: make 100,000 baskets by the deadline. Directions: count only made shots (not shots taken). Monetary prizes involved.

This past spring I began a manuscript. The challenge: finish that manuscript. Directions: write a fabulous story for middle graders. Monetary prizes involved??? I'm still figuring that out.

My daughter set a goal for herself: 1,000 made-baskets per day until she reached the 100,000 goal. No weekends off. No breaks because "it's too hot today." One thousand per day until she reached ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND.

As my daughter's basketball pounded the driveway outside, I pounded words into my manuscript inside. Her 100,000 made-baskets became my "finish this manuscript." And when I finished that manuscript, my goal became "revise this manuscript."

Basket by basket my daughter made it to 100,000. Word by word I wrote a manuscript. And word by word I am revising that manuscript. I have four (of the 189 original) pages left in this first revision. Four!! FOUR!!!! That's less than the number of toes I have on one foot!

Should I throw a party when I'm done? Nah. Revision is a many-layered thing. But my story is closer to where it needs to be than it was. Are you in the game? If you're revising, how's your journey? If you're drafting, how goes the story?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street

2011-10-03T01:48:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful cover. It sucks you right in, doesn't it? Makes you want to take this book, sit in this tree's shade, and read the afternoon away. One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street, written by Joanne Rocklin and released earlier this year, is the tale of a tree -- although the story is told through kids, kids who live on Orange Street near the towering, old Valencia orange tree. And in telling the tale, readers meet generations of people who knew and loved the tree. It's a story that makes you wonder, what if the tree could speak? And in one chapter, the tree does.

The premise: One morning an orange traffic cone appears in front of the Valencia orange tree on Orange Street. Bunny, Leandra, Ali, and Robert - all neighborhood kids - wonder WHAT the cone means. They fear something awful is going to happen to their beloved tree. And who is the mysterious stranger in the green car?

What keeps readers reading: Finding out the fate of the tree! But, more importantly, through the course of one day and the following morning, readers discover family relationships, fears, friendships, and a forgetful old woman who's lived on Orange Street longer than anyone else. Readers learn about past families and current residents of Orange Street, all guided by an orange tree and an orange traffic cone. This softly woven story by Joanne Rocklin delves into the everyday life of people, but One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street shares how everyday things are anything but ordinary.

Remember the other regular MMGMers and their reviews!

Follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Winner of my Breadcrumbs ARC!

2011-10-01T08:54:00.002-05:00

Thank you for celebrating the release of Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu!

The winner of my to-be-signed-tomorrow ARC is.....

Brooke Favero!!

Email your snail mail address to my email address (listed in the right sidebar)

so I can get this treasure to you.
Happy reading!

Breadcrumbs Releases Today!

2011-09-27T07:48:00.000-05:00

Anne Ursu's much-talked-about Breadcrumbs releases TODAY! To celebrate, I'm giving away my signed ARC to one lucky commenter! (Okay, it's not signed yet but it will be on Sunday). Comment by 1:00pm CST Friday, September 30th, to enter! And while that's cool, this is waaaaay cooler: Walden Pond Press is giving away an iPad! Follow this link for details!

I can't rave enough about this book. Anne Ursu's capture of the middle grade voice and her treatment of issues at the heart of middle graders - all while weaving a wondrous tale - is hard to place in words. Breadcrumbs is funny, witty, sad, delightful, and beautiful. You simply must read it for yourself.

And the illustrations by Erin McGuire take your breath away. I'm issuing a caution, however, that some of the illustrations were not set at the ARC's printing and say "art to come." But those you do see? Wow. If you want them all, by all means PURCHASE THIS BOOK!! (You really should anyway.)

I reviewed (gushed about) Breadcrumbs this summer; that review/gush is found right here. And.....if you live in the Minneapolis area, Anne Ursu is visiting several local bookstores, as well as The Loft, in October and November. Check her website for details as well as details on her blog tour (which begins today)!

And.....this counts as my Thursday post for the week. I know it's not a writerly one, but Anne's writing style is something to be studied (if you can do that without getting lost in her stories)! So I guess I made it writerly after all.

Happy Breadcrumbs book birthday!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Owl Keeper

2011-09-26T00:21:00.000-05:00

I was sold on this book by the cover alone, but what's inside is just as wonderful. The Owl Keeper is dark and mysterious but I love the way it keeps hope tucked in a back pocket. That combination makes this book truly magical as Christine Brodien-Jones creates a world where villains are ugly and friends are supportive, but what if you don't know the villains are villains, and what if you've never had a friend? When the High Echelon declares silver owls are extinct, Maxwell Unger doesn't know what to think when one appears in a tree he visits each night.

The premise: When Max's grandma was alive, he was brave. They walked in the forest while she told stories about nature, silver owls, and the Owl Keeper. But then the Great Destruction came, Gran died, silver owls became extinct, and all Gran's books were destroyed. But after a time a silver owl appeared. And then a girl. Max knows he must be brave once again.

What keeps readers reading: A fantastical world where a boy, a girl, and an owl fight to make right what has been wrong for so long. Most people don't remember - or simply don't care - what's wrong anymore because the High Echelon has made life pleasant, comfy, and cozy. Those that don't think so are.......discarded. It's up to Max, his friend Rose, and a silver owl to discover if Gran's stories about the Owl Keeper are truly real.

Other MMGMers and their reviews

Links are in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!
And.....tomorrow is special. Return (tomorrow) to discover why.....

My Writing Tree

2011-09-22T07:43:00.000-05:00

When I walk my dog, which is nearly every day, we take a meandering path leading us through a park and out into the woods. And because dogs aren't too interested in people chatter when they walk, I ponder and reflect. And solve all sorts of problems. Okay, not really. But I work through the problems in my writing.

As we walk, my dog and I pass by this tiny tree, and each day this tiny tree inspires me -- and my writing. Just in case the photo doesn't do the tree justice, this is the tree's story.

The tiny tree was growing. Then it broke. In half. Likely in a wind storm last spring. Its main trunk snapped, and its treetop now lies on the ground. But the tiny tree did not die; it did not give up. Inside its tree-self, it decided to keep growing, even though it grows differently than every other tree in the woods. Now, in early fall, the tiny tree has numerous new branches sprouting upwards, as well as the original treetop growing sideways. (Wouldn't this make a perfect picture book?)

Keep the image of my writing tree tucked inside your writing self. This little tree has so much to say. And what do you have to say - are there things you see that inspire what you write?

The Winner of Anne's Book!

2011-09-20T07:40:00.001-05:00

In celebration of online friends everywhere (scroll two posts down),
the winner of my friend Anne Ylvisaker's The Luck of the Buttons is.......

Author and illustrator Iza Trapani!!
Email your snail mail address to the email address listed in my right sidebar so I can mail this little gem to you!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

2011-09-19T00:41:00.000-05:00

Peter Nimble and His Fantstic Eyes is an incredible read and a magnificent read-aloud! My kids and I finished reading it together last week, and while I completely stink at character voices when reading aloud, this debut novel by Jonathan Auxier (released in August 2011) demands unique voices for each character. Each character is that developed and that easily pictured. During the reading of this book, my kids begged, "One more chapter? Please?" and "No! Don't stop there!" each time our reading concluded. We laughed, we cheered, we booed, we perched on the edges of our seats, and we totally LOVED this book!

The premise: Orphaned Peter Nimble is blind. He is also a thief. Not just any thief, but the greatest thief who ever lived. One afternoon during his burgling, he steals a box containing three pairs of magical eyes. When he puts in the first pair, he's transported to an island and presented with a journey. A journey that involves rescuing a kingdom from a traitorous king - in a world beyond known borders. And so begins Peter's escapade into destiny.

What keeps readers reading: The suspense. The characters. The plot. The action. So very, very many things keep readers reading Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes that I cannot name them all. Peter Nimble himself is a character who grows right in your heart. You love him, you want to help him, and you live his life as you read. Jonathan Auxier has a knack for writing a serious, action-packed scene that somehow has you laughing out-loud at the same time. And as a mom, I have to say, when I was reading, I wanted to take Peter Nimble aside, hug him, and tell him everything's gonna be okay. Luckily for Peter, he encountered friends along his journey that have his back.

If I haven't gushed enough, when I read the last sentence and closed this book, my son said, "That's an awesome story." My daughter took the book from my hands, hugged it to her chest, and asked, "Can we read it again?"

Don't forget the other MMGMers!

Find their links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Meeting my Friend Anne (and a Giveaway!)

2011-09-15T07:43:00.002-05:00

It's not unusual, I don't think, to have friends we've never met in person. We get to know people through blogs, Twitter, Facebook, emails, or other internet places. And some of these people become people we call friends. And these types of friends are every bit as real and wonderful as those we sip coffee with. (Although I don't sip coffee. Or even drink it. It just sounds so cozy I wish I did).

For me, one of those friends is middle grade author Anne Ylvisaker. I first met her through Twitter. Then I read a book of hers, reviewed it on a Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post (this one), she wrote a guest post on my blog (it's right here), and we began emailing. She's a wonderfully gracious, kind, encouraging, thoughtful friend who makes time for me - even when she doesn't have the time.

One week ago today, I read on Anne's blog that she'd be in Red Wing, Minnesota, on Saturday, September 10, for a children's book festival. Oh. My. Gosh. That's one hour from where I live! So my kids and I drove to the festival and met Anne!!

There are people who doubt a friendship can exist from online communication only. I am not one of those people, but I am grateful for having met Anne in person. I hope it's not the only time I do so. And......quite obviously, she's the published author and knows not to cover the cover of the book with her FINGERS!

Because she and her writing are so wonderful, I bought an extra copy of Anne's latest novel (I'm not nice enough to give you mine) The Luck of the Buttons and had it signed - to give away to one of you!! Comment by 10pm CST on Sunday, September 18, to enter the drawing for a hardcover, signed copy of The Luck of the Buttons.

And just because I'm curious, do you have friends you've never met in person?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Junonia

2011-09-12T00:35:00.000-05:00

Junonia, written by Kevin Henkes, is my 'ode to longing for summer.' It takes readers to Florida's beaches for seashell searching and ocean observing. Published in 2011, this novel demonstrates Mr. Henkes' love of the ocean (and all it can teach us) as he guides soon-turning-ten-year-old Alice on a journey for a rarest of rare shells - the Junonia. As Alice searches, she grows in understanding of things that can't stay the same and how to embrace those things, even if she doesn't want to.

The premise: Every year Alice and her parents spend one month of Wisconsin's cold winter along the coast of Florida, and this year Alice hopes for great things. Turning ten and searching harder than ever for that elusive Junonia will make it so. What Alice finds, however, is that the great things she hoped for result in adapting to difference and accepting change. And she's none too happy.

What keeps readers reading: Hoping and hoping Alice finds a Junonia. When Alice's beloved 'Aunt' Kate shows up this year with boyfriend Ted and his young daughter Mallory - and Mr. and Mrs. Wishmeier's grandkids do not come - and neither does Helen Blair - everything Alice dreamed for this Florida vacation fizzles. And to make matters worse, Mr. Barden says something Alice cannot forget and Alice herself says all the wrong things. Junonia shows readers that change comes, no matter what. Kevin Henkes brings us into a beautiful setting, where problems arise and things change, but perhaps the Junonia Alice seeks looks different than she thinks. And perhaps it's the same for us.

Check the other MMGMers recommendations this week:

Follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Blogging Change

2011-09-09T07:58:00.000-05:00

Autumn, at least where I live, is a time of change. Even the trees know it. I snapped this photo in late fall last year off my deck. While beautiful, the view is very different from my summer one. And wouldn't you know, my blogging view has changed from summer to fall also. Just when I thought I had it all figured out.

At the beginning of summer, I blogged about my blogging schedule. Middle grade reads on Mondays, writing blurbs on Wednesdays, and free-for-all Fridays. It worked superbly - for summer - until I took an (almost) break from blogging in August and discovered in September that I JUST CAN'T KEEP UP!

You may say, so what? Blog when you can, blog when you feel like it, blog because you want to, and blog because you love it. And I do all those things. But I also love (and need) a schedule. So here it is: on Mondays I'll still share my love of middle grade reads (along with a lovely list of other bloggers who do the same) and Thursdays will be writerly blurbs mixed with a little free-for-all Friday flavor.

There you have it. The new schedule. And......
You guessed it. It's subject to change.

Revising: Post 2

2011-09-07T07:43:00.002-05:00

When it comes to revising, I'm a turtle. Yep. Definitely a turtle. It's a good thing I adore turtles and find them too cute for words. Every revised page of my printed manuscript now looks something like this. That's an awful lot of red pen and arrows and notes-to-self. But it doesn't get better until it gets messier, right?

Whenever I'm revising, I remind myself of revising's definition: to change, amend, and improve. IMPROVE. I focus on the improving part. A little over halfway through this first round of revisions, I still discover something each time I tweak.

Writing is still more fun for me than revising.
But I'm appreciating revising more than I did at first.
I'm slower than I thought I would be at revising.
Each change makes my story stronger.
Sometimes one little revision triggers a WHOLE LOT of revision later on.
Solid, genuine critique enriches my story.
I dream about actually finishing this round of revisions.
Each change makes my story stronger.

So, who's on the revising road with me? What discoveries have you made? And tell me, what kind of revising animal are you?

The Winner of Wolf Storm!

2011-09-02T09:37:00.002-05:00

Ahhhhh. It's Labor Day weekend. September has arrived. The high school football team my husband coaches had their first game of the season last night (They won. All was determined on the last play. It was very exciting). These are signs that summer has truly come to an end. And so has my blogging break. I'll be vacationing from the (fun!) labor of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday this coming Monday but will resume my more regular blogging schedule starting Wednesday!

And, just in case you're interested, my Golden Retriever and I have now walked 235 out of the 245 days in 2011 (roughly 95.92%). See this post if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

It's been awhile since I blathered on because I've only been posting Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays for the month of August, so forgive me for getting carried away with my blathering. Now, the moment you've been waiting for has arrived! The winner of Dee Garretson's now released Wolf Storm is.......

Susan Sipal!

*confetti falls*horns blow*

Email your mailing address to my email address (listed in the right sidebar) so I can forward it to Dee! She will mail this action-packed thriller to you. Thank you for celebrating Dee's newest book!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Wolf Storm (& a Giveaway!)

2011-08-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

Wolf Storm by Dee Garretson hits bookshelves TOMORROW! After receiving an advance reading copy, I'm excited to be promoting this marvelous middle grade read. And not only that -- one signed hardcover copy of Wolf Storm will be given to a commenter on this post! The giveaway is courtesy of Dee Garretson herself who I've been honored to 'meet' via Twitter. Comment by 11:59pm CST on Thursday, September 1, to enter the giveaway!

The premise: Stephan is living a dream - starring in his first movie role and on location in the Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia for the filming of what's sure to be a blockbuster. Trained wolves are characters in the movie, but Stephan is sure wild wolves are hauntingly close to their set. On and off set trouble with already-famous co-star Raine Randolph threatens Stephan's dream. And then......a blizzard strikes.

What keeps readers reading: Action, action, action! This novel is packed with it. Suspense keeps readers turning pages and Dee Garretson takes readers on an intense ride in Wolf Storm, but she also develops characters who captivate readers. You will (literally) cheer these characters through the storm. Prior to the blizzard, most adults on the set headed to a village down the mountain. The storm hits and isolates those left on the mountain - including the trained wolves and some hungry wild ones. When Stephan realizes that Raine, younger co-star Jeremy, and older co-star Cecil are depending on him and his choices for survival, Stephan plunges ahead with bravery, leadership, and courage. His choices determine far more than he ever dreamed when he took this starring role.

Don't forget to check out other MMGMers!

Follow their links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~>

Wolf Storm releases tomorrow. Comment to enter the drawing for a signed copy!
Happy middle grade reading!

Reading Diverse Part II

2011-08-26T14:45:00.001-05:00

Back in June, I blogged about reading diverse and challenged my blog readers to do the same. This reading diverse challenge had nothing to do with reading outside the genre in which you write but had everything to do with reading books whose characters differ from you. The reading challenge is found right here and my original post about the challenge is right here.

Although I've read middle grade books for this challenge (which is what I love and what I write), the books' main characters are not Caucasian, thus different than me. Diversity is important. I don't want everyone to be like me. I enjoy a world where ideas, people, strategies, skin colors, and yes - even politics - differ from mine. Diversity makes the world interesting.

The stories take place in diverse times and settings, as well as having diverse characters. So not only did I delve into characters who were diverse, I also traveled to diverse times and to all parts of the world.

By reading these books with diversified characters and times, I was reminded that while authors write in order to share fabulous stories with creative and interesting characters, they also write to share their experiences or make readers aware of the experiences of others. Authors write to share a story but also to teach - if we are willing to be taught.

The characters in these stories experience different things than I because they are, quite simply, different than I. And when I read these stories, I hopped into the skin of the characters.

In Breadcrumbs (I read an advance reading copy, it comes out in late Sept), Hazel is adopted (from what I gathered to be India) and although it's not a major part of the story, Anne Ursu did a superb job showing me what it would be like to not look like my parents.
In Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, Manjiro is shipwrecked too far off Japan's coast in 1841 and doesn't know if he can ever return home. When he sails to the U.S., he's the first Japanese person many Americans have ever seen, and I learned to give people chances.
In The Remarkable and Very True Story of Lucy and Snowcap by H.M. Bouwman, I was reminded how the English overtook the Native Americans - without much care or regard for these well-established and often peaceful societies. This part of American history has always torn my heart to pieces.
In Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, I experienced what it is like to have a form of Autism and how frustrating it can be when people don't understand how you think or act.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan showed me the callousness of misinformation. Many people during the Depression had nothing but still kicked down others simply because they looked different.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis showed me a culture where females didn't have the rights and privileges I take for granted every day of my life. Things have begun to change for Afghan girls and women, but if we don't look beyond our own cozy little lives, we won't know about the plight of others.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia taught about the times of the Black Panther movement. A different response than the Civil Rights Movement, but all the same, a reaction to how African Americans had been treated for hundreds of years because of their skin color.
In Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes I saw the difference of having money versus having no money and how that drastically affected people's response to Hurricane Katrina. The Ninth Ward was (and maybe still is) mostly African American.
Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon showed how an African American 'passing for white' was not accepted in either the Caucasian or African American societies of the past.

My summer of reading diverse entertained me with fantastic stories by gifted writers, but more importantly it taught me what it's like to be someone who isn't like me. And if the world steps into the shoes of others and looks around from that place for awhile, we all learn something.

Minnesota Mondays

2011-08-18T00:27:00.000-05:00

All summer on Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays, I've shared books written by my fellow Minnesotans. It's been an adventure, gathering and reading books by talented writers who make their home in the same state I do. Today I'm closing my segment of Marvelous Middle Grade Minnesota Mondays by compiling all the books that were part of this romp. Take time to read each one, for they are all truly marvelous. Follow the label 'Minnesota Mondays' to read all of the past posts.

Please find the links to all other MMGMers in my right sidebar. And thank you for spending some of your summer here on the blog with me as I've shared Minnesota writers with you.

Happy middle grade reading!

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: The Magician's Elephant

2011-08-15T00:27:00.000-05:00

If there is such a thing as queen of Minnesota middle grade writers, I choose Kate DiCamillo. She has written numerous beautifully sculpted books for middle graders, including Because of Winn Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and The Tiger Rising. She is also the author of the Mercy Watson series. I chose to highlight The Magician's Elephant simply because I hadn't read it yet and wanted to.

The premise: While at the market one day, orphan Peter Duchene steps into the fortune teller's tent and asks if his sister is still alive. The fortune teller informs Peter to follow the elephant. He has no idea what this means until the Magician's elephant appears. And even then, he struggles with how an elephant will show or teach or lead him to what he wants to know.

What keeps readers reading: The age old question of "What if?" and following the what if even it seems impossible. Kate DiCamillo dares to ask this question and even more, in The Magician's Elephant she dares ask readers to follow her on this journey of "what if?" She has woven this question together with a boy who needs his sister, an elephant who needs to go home, a magician who needs forgiveness, a beggar who needs understanding, a nun who needs purpose, an old soldier who needs care, a married couple who have never had kids, and a hunch-backed man who needs to carve. After reading this book, you will believe that all "what ifs" can come true.

Other MMGMers and their choices for this week:

Please follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: Heart of a Samurai

2011-08-08T01:39:00.006-05:00

Heart of a Samurai received a Newbery Honor in 2010 when Margie Prues revealed, in historical fiction style, the story of Manjiro, a Japanese teenager and sailor who helped changed the world. I had the honor of hearing Ms. Preus speak at a Minneapolis bookstore several months ago, and she shared how Manjiro was so genuinely 'nice' while recording his experiences in journals, that she had to invent a human enemy for him. Enhancing this story are sketches drawn by Manjiro himself. Readers are drawn into a world of East meets West, at the time Japan was closed to outsiders.

Premise: Fourteen-year old Manjiro and his fellow sailors are stranded at sea in a storm off Japan's coast in 1841. If they stray too far, Japan won't allow them to return to their homes and families. On a deserted island, the crew waits. An American ship takes them aboard, and Manjiro is ready to learn about whaling, as well as Americans and other people around the world. But as he travels the high seas over the next ten years, one question burns in his mind: Will he ever be able to go home again?

What keeps readers reading: a fascinating blend of history mixed with the humble and genuine character of Manjiro. Margie Prues stitches journeys around the world, people from all corners of the globe - good ones, bad ones, and ugly ones - and adventures on ships and on land, and shows how unselfishness and true inner beauty can win the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Heart of a Samurai, definitely an upper middle grade reading level, teaches about a significant moment in world history, but even more than that, it teaches readers about being a better person.

Make sure you check out other MMGMers and their choices:

Please follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Blogging Break

2011-08-04T15:44:00.006-05:00

Everyone needs a vacation once in awhile, and because summer is waning - and summer is a true love of mine - I'm heading out on a blogging break. Except for Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays. I'll stick my nose back inside the house to type out those. I've highlighted my home state (Minnesota) middle grade authors all summer and have a few left to feature (not that my list is exhaustive).

If you live where winter resides, you know how fleeting summers are in a northern climate. If you live where summer, or something close to it, is a year-round normality, imagine me with green skin staring back at you through my computer screen, arms crossed over my chest.

For the next month, I'll be doing a lot of this. ~~~~~~~>
(Yes, those are my toes).
And a lot less blogging.

I'm a Writer

2011-08-03T00:26:00.004-05:00

A teenage boy knocked on my door a few weeks ago and spilled into a spiel about how he wasn't selling anything (first sign that he was) but if I listened, he could gather points. Mmmm.Hmmmm. Points. Right. He began by asking, "What sort of work do you do?" If it was an answer he hadn't received before, he immediately chalked up 500 points. I told him I write books for kids.

Great! He hadn't heard that one yet. He saw that I was a mom as my kids roamed behind me through the open front door and a neighborhood boy ambled up the walk, greeted me, and entered the house. The point-gatherer-but-seller-of-nothing proceeded with questions about my being published to which I said, "I'm working towards that." His face deadpanned. "Oh. You're a housewife. Well, I can still get points for that."

I should have slammed the door. But I was kinda interested in knowing what he was not selling and allowed him to continue. Turns out what he wasn't selling was: "You have the opportunity to provide literacy to kids all over the U.S. by placing high quality kids magazines in places like free clinic waiting rooms."

A good cause? Absolutely. And he probably thought he had a for-sure sale when I told him I wrote for kids. But young man - who still wasn't selling anything - you can't insult a writer to her core and expect her to support you. Not that being a mom and housewife isn't a worthy profession; I've been one for eleven years. BUT I TOLD HIM I WAS A WRITER.

He was also working on speaking skills by raising these 'points' which would help fund his college venture this fall when he plans to major in - get this - Communication. He has progress to make. As for me, although I am a mom, I'm also a writer.

Interesting discussion. When ARE you considered a writer?

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: Someone Named Eva

2011-08-01T00:18:00.004-05:00

Someone named Eva, published in 2007 and written by Joan M. Wolf, enthralls its readers with a glimpse into World War II that is little known and little discussed. My kids and I read this novel aloud together a few years ago during our 'US history tour through the decades.' This highlight continues my summer focus on authors from my home state of Minnesota.

The premise: In 1942, eleven year-old Milada is forcefully taken from her hometown in Czechoslavakia to a school in Poland where she and other blond, blue-eyed children are "trained" to be proper Germans. When they are deemed ready, they are adopted by German families. Torn from her real family and all she calls home, Milada tries to hold on to who she really is. But it becomes harder and harder when she is 'someone named Eva.'

What keeps readers reading: The World War II perspective from a very different lens. Joan M. Wolf pulls readers into Someone Named Eva and the evils of war with a well-woven plot and characters who garner sympathy, even those on the Nazi side. Readers glance into this historical period with fresh eyes, see and experience parts of the war that are not well-known, and realize just how hard it is to remove 'home' from someone's soul.

Other MMGMers and their choices:

Please follow the links listed in my right sidebar. ~~~~~~~~~>

Also, Natalie Aguirre has a special feature at Literary Rambles!

Happy middle grade reading!

Guides for the Writing Life

2011-07-27T00:41:00.001-05:00

"Spit out your story," Brooke Favero, a fellow middle grade writer, commented to me on my blog about three months ago. I bet she has no idea how powerful those words became. As I motored through my draft, her words echoed and echoed and . . . ech (ech) . . . oooed (oooed) in my brain. They swirled and twisted and kept me on track.

Now I'm living in the Land of Revision and the words tornado-ing my brain are these: "Writing well comes in revision." Someone tweeted those words to me not long ago. Revision is the place my characters develop more thoroughly, my plot strengthens in places it is spindly, critique partners advice is weighed and analyzed, and all those notes I made while spitting out my story can now meld themselves into the story itself.

These two short statements guide my writing life. They are my cornerstones as well as the pebbles in my writing world. Amid all the writing advice out there, my brain wove these simple statements into its writing thread. If I'm drafting, I say, "Spit out the story." When I'm revising, I say, "Writing well comes in revision." Do you have simple words that guide your writing life? Would you share them here?

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: The Tanglewood Terror

2011-07-25T00:06:00.000-05:00

The Tanglewood Terror by Kurtis Scaletta is set for release on September 13, 2011. I was supposed to wrangle an advance reading copy, but it got lost in the mail. For real. And Mr. Scaletta was plumb out of ARCs. Also a true story. But I wanted to promote the release of this book anyway. So I am. Because he's from my home state of Minnesota and because I've heard this book is fantastic! Mr. Scaletta is also the author of Mudville and Mamba Point.

This is the blurb describing The Tanglewood Terror found on Kurtis Scaletta's website.

"The wilderness abounds with monsters that take many forms, some never imagined by storytellers. . . .

When thirteen-year-old Eric Parrish comes across glowing mushrooms in the woods behind his house, he’s sure there’s a scientific explanation. But then they begin to encroach on the town, covering the football field and popping up from beneath the floorboards of his house. It doesn’t take long for Eric to realize something’s seriously wrong. Not that much else has been going right: his parents are fighting, leaving him to babysit his annoying little brother Brian, and he’s had a falling-out with his football team—over a pig.

Then Eric meets Mandy, a runaway girl from the nearby boarding school, who warns Eric that the fungus could portend the town’s doom, leaving it in rubble—just like the village that disappeared in the exact same spot over two hundred years ago. Halloween is approaching, the fungus is spreading, and Eric, Brian, and Mandy set out to solve a very old mystery and save the town of Tanglewood.

Kurtis Scaletta offers a glowingly eerie tale of friendship, family, and the strange—sometimes terrifying—things lurking in the woods behind your house."

Sounds like a fascinating read to me! Grab a copy for yourself (and so will I) on September 13.

Other MMGMers and their reviews:

Please follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Just...Stuff...And Jury Duty

2011-07-21T09:36:00.005-05:00

This afternoon my family and I leave for a long weekend away, so I won't post a free-for-all Friday this week. My computer will be staying home. It asked me, "Can I just rest for these three and a half days. Please?" I nodded, a bit begrudgingly, and replied, "Only if you promise that next week we'll get lots done." It smiled and said, "Of course."

My manuscript and red pen are journeying with me. Revisions are ever present in my brain these days. Now, if only I could read and revise in the car.....but motion sickness didn't promise to behave like my computer did.

Next Monday I start jury duty. Actually, I call on Friday afternoon, and they will tell me if my jury pool is required to report on Monday morning. If I don't report on Monday, I call each day thereafter to see if my pool is needed. Part of me wants to be on a case (how intriguing!) but part of me doesn't (ummm, laziness??). What's your experience with jury duty? Been called? Required to report? Get on a case?

Revising: Post 1

2011-07-20T07:18:00.000-05:00

Revising my manuscript has commenced! Documenting my progress will keep me accountable for making progress, so updating my progress here on my blog will keep me plucking away at that revising.

Definition of revise: to change, amend, and improve (remembering that demands center stage in my brain).

My stats so far: Four chapters revised; 42 more to go. Seventeen pages out of 189 have been changed, amended, and improved.

Revising discoveries I've made: (bullet points required here).

Revising isn't as much fun as writing.
Getting stuck and overwhelmed is easy.
Conflicting ideas from critique partners make revising even harder.
Revising isn't as much fun as writing.
When I finish revising a chapter, I desire to print a clean copy but don't.
Writing a 'these things need help' list helps.
Revising isn't as much fun as writing.

I have so many questions about revising styles and techniques. Any tips are welcomed and will be viewed like a friendly, encouraging hug from a writerly friend. Are you revising? Knowing that encourages me also.

Marvlous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat

2011-07-18T04:09:00.000-05:00

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, written by Lynne Jonell, is the first in a series about a girl named Emmy, her talking rat friend, and an evil nanny named Miss Barmy. This highlight continues my focus on middle grade authors from my home state. Published in 2007, this novel begins Emmy's adventure, Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls continues it, and new to bookstores is Emmy and the Rats in the Bellfry.

The premise: Everyone forgets Emmy, even her parents, although Emmy attempts to be good, as good as she can be. One day, a boy named Joe and a talking rat notice her, and Emmy is astounded. Emmy's creepy nanny, Miss Barmy, however, is plotting Emmy's demise, and Emmy doesn't know why but determines to find answers.

What keeps readers reading: An unlikely cast of characters. Rodents are good, nannies are bad, and professors are both. And parents? When parents forget, they must be saved! But with so many adults forgetting and other adults full of creepiness, Emmy and her friends must figure out who can be trusted. In Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, Lynne Jonell weaves a funny, mysterious, and creepy tale.

Other MMGMers and their choices this week:

Please follow the links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

Playing Tag and Blog Awards

2011-07-15T00:14:00.006-05:00

Blog Tag and Blog Awards. I've never participated before and won't make a habit of it, but these were light-hearted and fun. A few weeks ago, I was tagged by Myrna Foster and several days ago Kate Jarvik Birch gave me a versatile blogger award. So, today I'll play tag and receive my blog award.

First up, Blog Award which involves linking to the award giver (done above) and listing seven random facts about myself. Fun. I love randomness!

My dog Teddy and I have walked 188 out of 195 days this year (96.4%). I'm keeping track in 2011 because I knew we walked almost every day and was curious what almost means.
No book is my favorite. I just can't pick one.
I'm not a bad cook; I just don't like cooking.
Friday nights in the fall mean high school football games (my husband coaches). Rain, snow, cold - I'm there. Football is awesome.
Expending daily calories on beverages doesn't make sense to me when there's dark chocolate to eat (and I dislike diet versions), so I sip my husband's soda (it drives him nuts - "Why don't you open your own?!!?").
I can't stand wearing socks and only do so in the winter out of necessity.
In seventh grade, I had braces, super short hair, and HUGE glasses. It wasn't my best year.

Second up, Blog Tag which means I answer these questions which orginated . . . somewhere in the blogosphere.

Are you hot? Only if the air temp is above 85 degrees. If it's below 70, I'm chilly. As far as looks, my husband thinks I am. Other than that, it doesn't really matter, right?

Upload a picture or wallpaper you are using at the moment.

My kids along the rocky shores of Lake Superior just north of Duluth, MN

When was the last time you ate chicken? Hmmmm. Last week sometime I marinated chicken in lemon pepper sauce, my husband grilled it, and we ate it with fettuccine alfredo pasta and fresh parmesan. Except my daughter ate her pasta with fresh peppers of all colors; she's a vegetarian. I could be too, except for grilled chicken.

Songs you listened to recently: Whatever was on 'Cities 97' while in my car yesterday. I don't listen to music except while driving. Weird, I know.

What were you thinking as you were doing this? Assuming this relates to the music question, I was chatting with my kids. Music is a background thing for me.

Do you have nicknames? A close-knit group of friends calls me Dex because I have the details (or google them if I don't know) on things like addresses, times things begin, phone numbers, costs of things, exact directions, that kind of stuff. And my GPS gets lots of use, even in my own city of Minneapolis. What can I say? I've got the info.

Tag some blogger friends (Only if you want to play). I only tagged a few who I thought might actually do this and who I'd love to know more about. And I award the same folks the versatile blogger award because, let's face it, I'm being lazy.

Kristen at Don't Forget the Samovar

Akoss at Nye Louwon - My Spirit
Jessie at The Life Story of a Bookworm

Happy free-for-all Friday! That's what Fridays are deemed here at my blog.

Wordless Entry titled 'My Manuscript'

2011-07-14T00:03:00.000-05:00

Marinating the Manuscript

2011-07-13T06:18:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I completed my middle grade historical fiction work-in-progress, and it morphed into a manuscript. Not a finished one, not even close, but the story outline is there, the characters develop and change, the conflict builds and resolves, and most importantly, I GOT TO THE END!

Once my draft was finished, I needed time and distance from my story, figuring this would clarify what needs fixing in it. My manuscript demanded marinating. So that's what I've been doing these two weeks - marinating my manuscript. Yep. Letting it soak in its for-right-now finished-ness while I soak in summer.

Other than blog posts, I haven't been writing for these few weeks either. After working several months on this manuscript, my brain needed reprieve. My fingers needed to not fly over the keyboard. My creative juices needed time for gathering orangey-ness and grape-ness. And so, I took that time.

Next week, I'll dive into revising. I'm missing my story and characters which signals the orange and grape juices are ripe for revisions and my manuscript marinated long enough. All this brings about an intriguing question - and I don't think there's a right way or wrong way - but when you reach the end of a manuscript, do you dive right into revising or do you let your manuscript marinate?

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: Sparrow Road

2011-07-11T05:34:00.001-05:00

Sparrow Road, by Sheila O'Connor, continues my middle grade spotlight on authors from my home state. Ms. O'Connor has two adult novels published, but this is her first for middle graders. This novel (published in 2011), which my kids and I read aloud together, has a gentle tone and is beautifully written. It centers on secrets, revealing those secrets, discovering family, and finding forgiveness.

The premise: Raine O'Rourke spent her whole life in Milwaukee, with her mom and her grandfather. But the summer before seventh grade, Raine's mom takes a new job and moves Raine to the country, far from Milwaukee and Raine's grandfather. They move to Sparrow Road, a strange, creepy old mansion and summer home for artists. Raine resists but soon discovers new friendships, someone who has waited years to spend time with her, and secrets that need unraveling.

What keeps readers reading: Mysteries amid mysterious characters. Sheila O'Connor unravels the story of Sparrow Road bit by bit, tantalizing readers with the 'what will happen?' and 'where will this story end up?' She introduces a cast of characters, some of whom are from times past, and reveals them piece by piece, just like the plot, but she does so with an elegance and well-written beauty. Her mix of mystery, secrets, and truth keeps readers engaged from first words to final ones.

Other MMGMers and their reviews:

Follow the links in my right sidebar. They always have great picks. ~~~~~~~>

Happy middle grade reading!

When Bad is Good

2011-07-08T06:26:00.000-05:00

Motion sickness. It hits me hard and horribly. On curvy roads (unless I'm driving). In the movie theater (yes, really). On airplanes (dramamine usually suffices here). In boats (if it's wavy). On amusement park rides (ohhhh, these are the worst). And I'm sure motion sickness will rear it's ugly head for me in places yet unimagined.

Today my husband and kids, along with my brother and two of his three girls, are flipping, skimming, flying, and zooming on rides at Valleyfair (the Minneapolis version of Six Flags). I stayed home. Just the thought of roller coasters, rides that spin madly, or creations that turn me upside down send my stomach astir (and worse if I get on them).

I'm enjoying a quiet day at home. All alone. Twelve hours with nobody here but me and my dog. This happens.....ummmm......never. So although motion sickness is bad, today it is good.

Turn this idea on yourself. Apply the idea of something bad becoming good. And tell me, when is bad good for you?

Characters

2011-07-06T05:28:00.003-05:00

Fictional characters can be based on real people or animals (of course they can), but often they are not. In fact, most of mine are not. Many characters are created from our own minds and our own minds only. In the manuscript I finished last Thursday (Woohoo! It's now percolating for several weeks before I revise), however, I created a dog who is created from a real dog. Well, actually dogs. Plural. Two of them. Both of them mine. Pets at different times.

The dog in my manuscript looks like this dog of mine, pictured below. Tucker. Tucker was a mixed breed, beautiful but high energy and pretty much a rapscallion. I loved him with my whole heart, but he bit our house sitter and my father-in-law (two separate people) while we were on vacation two summers ago so we had him put to sleep. My dog-loving heart broke.

The dog in my manuscript behaves like this dog of mine, pictured below. Teddy. A Golden Retriever, who is also beautiful but not so high energy, gentle, loved by all, and just a teensy bit of a rapscallion. Teddy joined our family as a puppy, one month after Tucker was put to sleep, and he stitched my broken dog-loving heart back together.

In fiction's magic, I created a dog for my manuscript who is both of my dogs, rolled into one. Jasper, the dog in my manuscript, has the look of Tucker and the personality of Teddy. While Jasper is not a main character, he frequents the plot, he is a reliable friend, he portrays both of my beloved dogs, and he immortalizes those dogs in story.

Characters move our story. They rotate the plot, progress the conflict, and generate the outcome. How are your characters built? Where do your character ideas come from? How do you create those crazy characters who inhabit your stories?

Independence Day

2011-07-04T01:42:00.002-05:00

It's the fourth of July all over the world, but in the United States, it's also our Independence Day. I'm taking a holiday this week from Marvelous Middle Grade Monday because I'll be picnicking, reading in the sunshine, and spending time with my husband, kids, in-laws, and dog. Later on, I'll be captivated by fireworks.

With my very unprofessional camera, I snapped this photo last year while ooo-ing and ahh-ing.

Wherever July 4th finds you and whether you're from the USA or not, I hope you have time, freedom, and independence to enjoy what you love today.

Happy Independence Day!

Summer Love

2011-07-01T03:28:00.001-05:00

When I was ten years old, I spent hours snipping the word 'summer' from magazines. I found hundreds of different sizes, fonts, and colors. Then I pasted them into a collage, framed the collage, and hung it in my room. It lived on my wall through all my teenage years. Looking at that collage was like looking at a photo of myself.

But all my life, I've lived where winter also resides. The kind of winter where snowbanks pile up and cold breath is something you can see. And all my life I've dreamed of living where winter does not. Someday, I will. I hope.

But for now, when spring green pushes winter gray away, I celebrate. My insides throw parties when lilacs bloom or fruit trees blossom. As summer's heat rises beyond what most humans enjoy, this human sparkles. My writing perks and bubbles. I read outside in direct sunshine and walk my dog during high afternoon's heat. A meal not eaten on the deck is not worth eating. And coffee ice cream holds its glory when it's slightly drippy.

Summer. Sometimes I'm convinced it was created just for me. Is there a time of year you feel extra alive?

Where Writing Began

2011-06-29T08:09:00.004-05:00

Up until nineteen months ago, I emailed my dad stories. Stories of my day. Stories about my kids. Stories involving my dog. Stories centered on my family. These were not made-up stories. They were the stories of my real every day. And my dad emailed his stories back. We lived in different cities, but our stories kept us close.

But nineteen months ago, cancer weakened my dad, and he couldn't go to his office anymore, the home to his only computer. So our email story-sharing died. Three months later my sweet dad died too. I miss my dad, every day, and so did my stories.

One month after my dad's death, I began blogging, not this blog, but a different one. I shared my stories, the personal ones that I used to email my dad, and posted them to that blog. And once again my stories had a place to live. Each time I published a post, it was like emailing my dad because I knew each entry would be the kind of story he'd want to hear.

Out of emails to my dad and that first blog, my writing life arose. Unfortunately, I can't tell my dad that. But I did tell him how much our emails meant to me. One day as I sat by his bedside I said simply, "Dad, I really miss our daily emails." He turned tired eyes to mine and in a frail voice replied, "Me too." We both understood the power of written words.

Without knowing it, my dad gave me one of the greatest gifts of my life. He let my stories live. And that's where my writing began.

How did your writing journey begin? I would be honored if you'd share it here.

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: Breadcrumbs

2011-06-27T06:21:00.005-05:00

Many nights I stayed up too late speeding through my advance reading copy of Breadcrumbs (to be released by Walden Pond Press in September) because the book is that good. Written by Anne Ursu, Minnesotan and author of the Cronus Chronicles trilogy, this novel will delight, challenge, and entertain. Ms. Ursu's capture of the middle grade voice is true and marvelous, and she causes us all to ponder - What kind of friend am I? She also artfully weaves a middle grader's perspective on divorce, adoption, and minority ethnicity into the story without these becoming the story.

The premise: Hazel and Jack were best friends. But then he wouldn't talk to her. And Jack vanished into the forest, reportedly with a shimmering woman covered in ice. No one paid attention or seemed concerned, least of all his parents. So Hazel entered the forest to find him.

What keeps readers reading: A real world (which is extra fun for Minnesotans) and an imaginary one rolled into one believable place coupled with characters who encounter decisions and change. Woven with Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" in mind, Anne Ursu sculpts a tale all her own, rich with struggle and abounding in mysterious magic. Hazel must conquer her fears, reach beyond herself to help Jack, and care about the good of others rather than what might happen to herself. Breadcrumbs is the story of one brave girl, daring to do right, no matter the outcome.

Other MMGMers and their reviews:

Please follow the links listed in my right sidebar. ~~~~~~~>

September 27th, 2011! Snag your copy of Anne Ursu's Breadcrumbs. And snuggle in. You'll get lost in its world.

Reading Diverse

2011-06-24T07:57:00.005-05:00

What if everyone were exactly like me? Eek!! That is more than frightening, maybe even more so for my husband and kids. Ahem *clears throat* Yes, well, they won't be guest blogging about that anytime soon. But in all seriousness, take a moment and ponder that. What if everyone was the same? What if there were no pronounced differences in people? What if we all thought the same, looked the same, had the same interests, and acted the same?

B.o.r.i.n.g. beyond boring. It's our differences that make the difference and scoop in the interesting. We all know that. But, hover on this a minute or two: When you read books, do you consider if you're reading across a broad scope, one that represents the beautiful array of people that inhabit our world? Hmmmmm. Yes. Hover there. Weave it into the fiber of your being.

And once you do that, visit this post. It challenges you to diversify your reading over the summer and, afterward, share your experience with others. There's also a horde of very cool prizes (BOOKS! What could be better?) involved. I'm joining the challenge and challenge you to do the same.
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Blogging Freedom

2011-06-22T07:27:00.004-05:00

A pattern developed. Right here on this blog. Right under my nose. All on its own. In the last few weeks. And I am free.

I'd searched for something like this after reading this post by Kristen Lamb. Her post caused quite a stir for authors, bloggers, and writers who blog about writing, but when I read it, I sighed. A happy, heart-lifting, freedom kind of sigh. Because, honestly, I don't want to blog about writing every time I post. Sheesh. Did I just write that? Yes, indeed I did.

So after reading her post, I contemplated and listed things that encapsulate my life. Writing is one of those things, but my list hosts many other things too. And why can't this blog accumulate all those things in one place? I think it can.

Mondays evolved into sharing my love of middle grade books and linking with others who do the same. Wednesdays blurt writing blurbs. And Fridays are a free-for-all. And because it's a pattern, not a set-in-cement plan, I can follow it or deviate from it. Even the days I post, they can flex. Ahhhhh. I found freedom. And that was important to me.

What about you? If you're a writer who blogs, how do you determine what you blog about? And should writers mostly blog about writing? Let's talk.

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: Tango

2011-06-20T05:38:00.003-05:00

Tango, written by Eileen Beha and published in 2009, continues my focus on middle grade authors who live in my home state.Tango brims with quirky, fun animal characters and intriguing people too. Animal lovers will adore this book as well as readers who want an adventurous romp.

The premise: Tango, a pampered and spoiled Yorkie from New York City, is swept overboard far, far from home. He swims, spits, and sputters his way to shore on Prince Edward Island. And all he wants is to go home. But Tango's silver charm name tag is plucked up by a cat on the beach where Tango came ashore and no one knows who Tango is or where his home might be.

What keeps readers reading: Action, a delightful dog, and a runaway girl. As Tango searches for his silver name tag, he encounters friends and enemies. A fox named Beau becomes Tango's wise counsel. A sad widow becomes his caretaker. A runaway girl becomes his friend. But a pack of wild cats plan Tango's demise. Eileen Beha's Tango masterminds a tale of a dog who grows larger in heart than he ever will be in size.

Other MMGMers reviews and links:

Please find them in my right sidebar ~~~~~~~~>

And Natalie Aguirre interviews Nathan Bransford at Literary Rambles! Click HERE!

Happy middle grade reading!

Mistakes

2011-06-18T14:23:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I make mistakes. Shocker, I know. Today I made one right here on this blog. Earlier I published a post meant for next Wednesday, even linked to it on Twitter in my hurry to escape the house (my family was waiting, not-so-patiently, in the car), and the post sat, published, for a couple hours while we attended a high school graduation party.

When we arrived back home, I opened the computer, and SHOOT! There it was. My post, published, but meant for Wednesday. And the link on Twitter. I took the post down. The tweet too. Only to open my email and discover someone had 'favorited' that tweet. Shucks. What do you do then?

Admit mistakes. And smile. And move on.

A Minnesota Author's YA Novel: Split

2011-06-17T08:12:00.003-05:00

This summer I'm promoting Minnesota authors in my Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays. But when I read Split, a young adult novel by Swati Avasthi (a Minnesotan), I knew I had to spread word about it and her.

This riveting YA read, published in 2010, traces one family's pattern of abuse. Swati Avasthi portrays those who do the abusing, those who receive the abuse, covering up abuse, escaping abuse, staying within the abuse, and the devastation of abuse.

The premise: Sixteen-year-old Jace Witherspoon escapes his home and abusive father in Chicago and lands, many states away, with his estranged older brother. His mother stayed behind, promising she would join the two of them very soon. Jace reshapes his life knowing the secrets he escaped with could drown him at any turn.

What keeps readers reading: Page turning suspense and a tantalizing pace of revealed secrets. As Jace rebuilds a relationship with his brother, starts a new school, gains new friends, gets a new job, and starts to understand himself - all in a new place - he also knows what he left behind. His mom. The abuse. Lauren. And a big secret. Jace is haunted by it all. Split leads readers on a troubling, real, unpredictable journey. Swati Avasthi rivets readers from the opening sentence to the closing word.

A Pen Name?

2011-06-15T08:07:00.000-05:00

In the dream, I enter a bookstore, sashay to the children's section, spot a table stacked with novels, and beam as I snatch one with my name on the cover.

And then the dream grows fuzzy and bends around the edges. What name is on the cover? What? My name.

But my name is Barbara Watson, and it's just so.....common. A google search boomerangs 32.2 million results. Adding my middle name Ann still bounces 3.23 million. The name filters into the same role as white drywall. Dull. Boring. Humdrum. Snooze. Now, I'm not saying I am those things, just that my name is. (Glad I clarified that one. Phew.)

This begs the question, should I have a pen name? And with the publication dream so far in the future, should I even be concerned about this right now? The answer is complicated, as most good things in life are. And the reasons I consider writing under a pen name are the same reasons you paint a wall. Color. Splash. Flavor. Pizazz.

If I toss the idea of a pen name around, I guffaw (or at the very least giggle), but this post last week by Jami Gold, forced me to consider it more seriously. Even consider it right now. Because if I (or, in dreamland, a publisher) declare my real name too vanilla later on, there's much to re-brand at that point. Twitter. Facebook. This blog. A website. Maybe other things I'm not even aware of.

So, reboot the dream. I enter a bookstore, sashay to the children's section, spot a table stacked with novels, and beam as I snatch one with my name on the cover. What name is on the cover? Barbara (Something). Because I can't be anyone but Barbara, but maybe I should snag a last name with some snazz.

A pen name. What do you think about them? Do you have one? Have you considered one? If so, why? If not, why not? Share any insight you wish on pen names.

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: The Mostly True Story of Jack

2011-06-13T02:48:00.004-05:00

The Mostly True Story of Jack, written by Kelly Barnhill, will be released in early August 2011 by Little, Brown (I was thrilled to receive an advance reading copy). Ms. Barnhill has numerous non-fiction books published for kids, but this is her debut novel. The Mostly True Story of Jack weaves a tale riddled with mystery, friendship, magic, and home. An even blend of unique boy and girl characters mixed with eerie but delightful creepiness produces a book any reader will devour.

The premise: All his life Jack has been invisible, forgotten really, especially within his own family. When he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Hazelwood, Iowa, Jack expects to remain forgotten but instead he's noticed - almost like everyone has been awaiting his arrival. Jack makes friends, the bully is after him and not someone else, and the town's most powerful man shadows him.

What keeps readers reading: Suspense interlaced with characters you care for (and some you don't). The Mostly True Story of Jack balances mystery reveal and character building in a tantalizing manner with Kelly Barnhill striking just the right mix of 'sticking up for your friends' and 'what will happen next?' Jack, the forgotten boy, finds mystery, friendship, and magic, but just where is home?

Other MMGMers reviews this week:

Please locate their links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~>

And the Winner is . . .

2011-06-10T11:02:00.014-05:00

~ Margie ~
She is a writer, contributes to the Word Wranglers blog,
and has won this truly remarkable book!

I just picked up Heather M. Bouwman's signed copy this morning! Margie, please email me your mailing address. My email is in the right sidebar.

Thank you to all who commented! The winner was literally drawn from the proverbial brown paper bag as I do not know how to manufacture those fancy random generators people speak of.

May you all have a remarkable journey as you read, read, read. Return here on Monday for my second installment of MMGMM: Marvelous Middle Grade Minnesota Monday!

Thank you, Heather, for writing this remarkable story and sharing it with readers, young, old, and all between.

Action? Verbs Needed!

2011-06-08T07:41:00.006-05:00

When I photograph my family, my perpetual favorites are action shots. Here are a few choice ones from a trip to the eastern shore of Lake Michigan last summer.

I treasure them because they show what we did, not just where we went. But many times when I write, an apt action word escapes just when I need it as a best friend.

When I read, on the other hand, I marvel at the impressive and flawless word choices of other writers. And I scrunch up my jealous face because it appears effortless. It's not effortless, but the flowing so fluidly that it seems to be, that's what I'm chasing.

Last week I vowed to pocket pen and paper when I read. My oath: jot down riveting verbs. Verbs and their jolt caffeinate writing. So now I harbor a verb list. Small sampling of verbs I've collected: fume, jostle, anchor, flick, waft, rattle, swagger. When I'm writing, the list lies beside my computer, so if my mind numbs or freezes over, I glance at my verbs, find one that's just right, insert it, smile, and proceed writing.

Floating and cramming verbs through my brain transports them into my writing. What writing tricks have you discovered for finding words that are just right?

Marvelous Middle Grade (Minnesota) Monday: The Remarkable & Very True Story of Lucy & Snowcap

2011-06-06T07:54:00.008-05:00

The Remarkable & Very True Story of Lucy & Snowcap by H.M. Bouwman begins my Marvelous Middle Grade Minnesota Mondays! All summer I'll be posting MMGMMs rather than MMGMs as I feature authors who live in my home state.

H.M. Bouwman has graciously donated a signed copy of this truly remarkable book which will be given to a random commentor on this post. Comment by midnight CST on Thursday, June 9th; winner revealed here on Friday, June 10th! (Mailed only within US or Canada). My blog's very first give-away!

The Remarkable & Very True Story of Lucy & Snowcap was published in 2008 and is currently a finalist for the National Homeschool Book Award. Click here to find out more about this award. With its magical mix of fantasy with a history twist, this book will appeal to all readers.

The premise: When Lucy's baby brother is born, the midwife instructs her to take him to the Lifestone Garden and leave him there to die. She suspected this might happen, for all the men and boys in the Colay Islands have recently turned to stone. As she climbs the mountain to the statue garden, little Rob's foot turns cold and hardens. But Lucy is strong and wills her brother to live.

What keeps readers reading: Adventure, magic, and irresistible characters. Ms. Bouwman weaves two very different (but somehow very alike) twelve-year-olds, Lucy and Snowcap, into a mysterious adventure fraught with kidnapping, escapes, thieves, rebellion, and magic. If Rob is to survive, he needs Lucy and Snowcap, natural enemies, to work together, trust one another, and rely on the stories that live in each of them.

Because my kids and I read this novel aloud together (and they are the book's target audience) and because I know Ms. Bouwman personally, I'm including excerpts from my kids' reading journals. My son said: The author gives vivid descriptions. I can see what's happening and fully imagine the characters. My daughter said: I like the story plan. It's very interesting and the characters come to life. I enjoy the sense of adventure and Lucy's mission.

Thank you, Heather, for writing this remarkable story and sharing it with readers, young, old, and everyone between.

Other MMGMers reviews this week:

Find their links in my right sidebar ~~~~~~>

Settling Esther B (Guest post by author Anne Ylvisaker)

2011-06-02T08:14:00.003-05:00

Today is beyond thrilling here at Novel and Nouveau - author Anne Yvlisaker is guest posting! Her most recent middle grade novel, The Luck of the Buttons, was released this year. She is also the author of Dear Papa and Little Klein. This past Monday I reviewed The Luck of the Buttons (scroll down two posts) and asked Anne if she would share about the writing of it. Here is what Anne shared:

Settling Esther B

Each time I’ve started a novel, I’ve set out simply to tell the story of a character who captured my imagination, and to explore a turning point in that character’s life.

In the case of The Luck of the Buttons, I’d been thinking a lot about my paternal grandmother when Tugs Esther Button started inhabiting my imagination. Esther Tomina Bunde, Grandma B, has been gone for nearly 14 years, but I miss her every day. She was funny and mischievous, a baseball fan, an adventurous spirit.

One thing always bothered me about Grandma B, though. Grandma was smart, yet she was paralyzingly self-deprecating, adverse to achievement, affected even in old age by repeated admonishments from her father that she not get a swell head. Even after her death, I felt pain for her childhood self.

I saw a picture once of Grandma B as a twelve year old, all limbs and buck-toothed grin, arm in arm with a friend, both in long striped socks, roller skating. That photo is long gone, but while writing The Luck of the Buttons, I imagined Tugs as my grandma in girlhood, faced with the same admonishment, and I imagined my grandma as Tugs, standing up for herself, set free at last to explore her boundless potential.

~ Anne Ylvisaker

A young Grandma B

The Writer's Life

2011-06-01T11:57:00.001-05:00

Only recently have I logged into the writer's life, and even more recently have I come to more fully understand what that means. And you'll have to excuse me, being new in my writerly skin means I make all kinds of mistakes. For example, I use way too many adverbs (and I actually like them), but I'm learning. Many things. About writing and the writer's life. And how that fits into the other life I've been living all my life.

One thing about the writer's life that struck me like a fun surprise party where I'm the clueless surprised one was the support system writers provide. The writers I've met encourage, strengthen, brace, foster, reassure, spur, sustain, and fortify me. Daily. I have no idea why I was surprised (shocked really) by this support system, but I was. And continue to be. Daily.

Some of these writers I've met in person, others I've connected with through blogs, Twitter, or emails, but the result is always the same - a community who extends a hand and assists me as I build my writer's life, brick by brick, word by word. And I thank you, each of you, for helping me wrap myself more comfortably in my writerly skin.

Was there anything that surprised you about the writer's life?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Luck of the Buttons

2011-05-30T07:24:00.005-05:00

The Luck of the Buttons, by Anne Ylvisaker, is on my "books I love" list. Published in 2011, this novel is genuine and soft-at-heart. In it, readers meet twelve-year-old Tugs Button, of the unlucky, plain, don't-strive-for-too-much Button family. Tugs is a character I wish I could meet, and if I could, I would hug her right off because she is the friend everyone needs.

The premise: Funny, tomboy Tugs Button has never had too much luck, until the 1929 Independence Day Race and Raffle in Goodhue, Iowa. Aggie Millhouse enlists Tugs to be her three-legged race partner and Tugs buys a raffle ticket. These two events, along with Harvey Moore's arrival in town and his promise of progress, lead Tugs into a mystery designed just for her.

What keeps readers reading: A character you cheer for and a situation only she can make right. When Tugs wins a Brownie camera in the raffle, she sees everything from a different angle. She notices what others overlook and wonders just what progress Harvey Moore is offering. Though she struggles with wanting to fit in, Tugs is nobody but herself and starts to think that maybe her luck can change.

Curl up with The Luck of the Buttons, sink into the past with Tugs, and look for a guest post, coming soon and coming right here, from The Luck of the Buttons author, Anne Ylvisaker!

Other MMGMers and their reviews:
Please find their links in my right sidebar.

Complicated Characters

2011-05-26T09:23:00.011-05:00

My large, lovely dog

Two years ago, a twenty-something gentleman bought the house next door to mine, and our dogs became friends. Sometimes while our large, rumbly-tumbly dogs play, my neighbor and I chat. We discussed our occupations once, and my neighbor's job intrigued me. (Let your imagination work up some possibles).

*Thinking. Imagining. Conjuring.*

The reveal: My neighbor is a professional poker player. Not just a guy who flips out the poker table on Friday nights with his buddies, but a guy who plays poker for a living. It's how he pays his bills and buys dog food.

ESPN poker players. Let's see. Quiet and brooding. Expressionless eyes or perhaps dark sunglasses shading the eyes altogether. Al Capone-like hat or maybe a baseball cap pulled low. Shifty, shady character who haunts the night. Alcoholic beverage always close at hand.

That is not my professional poker playing neighbor. He smiles freely, never wears hats or sunglasses, chats more than most women I know, is responsible and respectful, his 'lights out' time is usually earlier than mine, and he takes in foster dogs as well as loving his own.

So, what's my point? It's nothing new, but it's worth contemplating: People are complicated characters; they never fit into a jello-mold and are never a perfectly shaped bundt cake. And the characters in our stories should be complicated folks too. Are yours? And how do you add character to your characters?

Loving Middle Grade

2011-05-24T15:17:00.006-05:00

When I started reading middle grade books aloud with my kids, the genre stitched itself into my being. We sat, hours on end, captivated by middle grade characters and the worlds their authors created.

Today, we still read aloud together, even though my kids have been reading on their own for years. It's a treasured part of each day - to pull our current read from the shelf - and read together.

Our middle grade read alouds launched my current lot in life: writing my first middle grade novel. While the writing process is often arduous and draining, it is also wondrous and rewarding. Sometimes it is all of these simultaneously. But one thing that keeps my fingers plunking the computer keys, day after day no matter how my writing progresses, is imagining a child (or a mom or dad together with that child), my book in hand, captivated by its characters and world. To give that gift is why I write.

What do you love about middle grade reading and writing?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Nowhere to Call Home

2011-05-23T07:40:00.003-05:00

Several years ago, my kids and I read through the decades of American history, middle grade historical fiction style. We found many amazing reads, one of which was Nowhere to Call Home by Cynthia DeFelice. First published in 1999, this novel brings today's readers back to the desperate times of the Great Depression and reminds us that those times of hardship are still the plight of many today.

The premise: When her father takes his own life after financial ruin brought on by the Great Depression, Frances is left with nothing. The servants who raised her were her family, and now they're gone too. She cashes in a train ticket to her aunt's house, transforms herself into a boy named Frankie, and rides the rails with others who have "nowhere to call home."

What keeps readers reading: Adventure. And the reality of that adventure. Frances (Frankie) meets another hobo named Stewpot; he becomes her big brother and protector. Stewpot teaches Frankie about surviving life on the move and making the most with what you have. But when Stewpot gets very, very sick, Frances realizes riding the rails isn't the adventure she thought it would be.

Other MMGMers choices and reviews:

Please find links to all the other MMGMers in my right sidebar.

My Return To List

2011-05-19T14:47:00.002-05:00

Almost every day I read writing blogs and gather new jewels for my writing crown. These blogs strengthen my craft, my draft, and my knowledge of the writing industry. Sometimes when I read a post I think, "I'll need this later." So I have bookmarked many, and my "Return To" list grows. Here are a few:

From Adventure in Children's Publishing: Finishing your draft. Find this post by clicking here.
From Nathan Bransford, Author: Details on his writing life. Click here for this post.
From QueryTracker.net: Strengthening dialogue. This post is right here.
From The Blood-Red Pencil: Using adjectives. Here's this post.
From AmieKaufman.com: Writing your pitch. Find this post here.

Because my first ever work in progress is now in progress, many posts do not apply at the moment I read them (hence, my bookmarking of them), but they will apply in the future. Do you have a "return to" list of blog posts? Would you share one or two of your favorites here?

Summer Special

2011-05-17T15:31:00.009-05:00

Summer is amazing where I live. Things come to life. Things grow. Things blossom. Things flutter. Beauty is everywhere in my Minneapolis/St. Paul. These photos were captured last summer, in places very close to my house.

In a pond

Outside my back fence

Off my deck

In a flower garden

But summer isn't the only beautiful thing here. Minneapolis/St. Paul is full of amazingly talented writers, and to celebrate that, my summer Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays will be authors who live in my city. I've chosen several authors (some MG, some YA) and their books already but am interested in your suggestions too. In the comments, leave book titles and author names of your favorite Minnesota-written reads. Help me promote the beauty that lives right in my backyard.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Belle Prater's Boy

2011-05-16T07:37:00.005-05:00

Belle Prater's Boy, a Newbery Honor book in 1997, is a timeless story, which, to me, means Ruth White wrote a classic - and one with strong appeal for both boys and girls (and adults).

The premise: Belle Prater mysteriously disappears. Most people believe she was murdered, but her son has other ideas. Belle's boy, Woodrow, moves in with his grandparents when his father starts drinking too much. When he meets and becomes best friends with his girl-cousin Gypsy, they teach one another about family and friendship and getting through hard times.

What keeps readers reading: Ruth White's believable and beautiful portrayal of a cross-gender friendship. Although Belle Prater's Boy is told through Gypsy's eyes, Woodrow is revealed in a marvelous manner, crossing that boundary of boy/girl reading. Woodrow is cross-eyed and wears funny clothes. Gypsy is popular and pretty. But both harbor sadness. Through their adventures together, sticking up for one another, and understanding each other in ways no one ever has before, we are led into 1950's Virginia. But 1950's Virginia disappears and timelessness appears through White's tale of confronting tragedy with a friend at your side.

Other regular MMGMers:

Brooke Favero at Somewhere in the Middle

Shannon Whitney Messenger at Ramblings of a Wanna Be Scribe

Ally Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy

Joanne Fritz at My Brain on Books

Myrna Foster at Night Writer

Shannon O'Donnell at Book Dreaming

Sherrie Petersen at Write About Now

Deb Marshall at Just Deb

Anita Laydon Miller at Middle Grade Blog
Michael Gilmartin at Middle Grade Mafioso

Writing is Hard

2011-05-13T14:04:00.003-05:00

There are days, lots of them, when I wish I wasn't a writer. Because on many days, the words don't flow. Or the outline I made yesterday just doesn't work today. Or the plot twist that seemed brilliant truly is not. Or I struggle getting the picture in my head into words at all.

I've heard other writers say how the story simply came to them and, like moving water in a mountain stream, it flowed from their hands when they sat at the computer. For me, writing isn't like that. Writing is hard. I often sit, hands placed over my keyboard, and......

Nothing. Nothing comes. Or when it does come, I erase and backspace because, well, actually the nothing that came first was better than what came. These are the times I wish I wasn't a writer. But I keep sitting, hands placed over the keyboard, because........

Sometimes. Sometimes something comes. And sometimes the words flow and I don't backspace. And when it does, I forget about the times it didn't because the sometimes are worth all the nothing times.

What do you think? Is writing hard?