Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Camo Girl

Today’s pick: Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon

Aladdin, 2011

From Amazon:

A biracial student questions her identity in this contemporary novel from the author of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptor Award–winning The Rock and the River.

Ella and Z have been friends forever, both of them middle-school outsiders in their Las Vegas suburb. Ella is the only black girl in her grade and gets teased for the mottled colors of her face. (Her deceased father was white.) Z is the classic “weird kid” who maintains an elaborate—and public—fantasy life, starring himself as a brave knight. Though Z is content with his imagined world, Ella wishes for a larger group of friends, so she’s thrilled when Bailey, another black kid, arrives at their school. He’s popular and wants to befriend Ella—but to join the cool crowd, Ella would have to ditch Z. Does she stay loyal to the boy who has been her best and only friend for years, or jump at the chance to realize her dream of popularity? 

Author Kekla Magoon deftly navigates the muddy waters of racial and cultural identities in this contemporary exploration of one girl's attempt to find herself.

My Take:

I got absorbed by the characters in this novel about a girl trying to fit in when she feels like an outsider. I could feel Ella’s isolation and her inner conflicts as she struggled to make sense of her friendships with Z, Millie and Bailey. The characters in the story are all believable, and so are the situations they find themselves in. I loved Ella’s loyalty to her friends, and the lengths she will go to in protecting them and herself. This is a story that really tugs at your emotions.

I’d read this again to study how the author wove the realism of the school setting into the story. I don’t often read novels where the setting and situation feels so real. There is a strong voice that comes through right from the beginning of the story, which brings Ella to life and helps me feel a connection to her. It’s beautifully written.

Memorable quotes:

“Fact is, we’re the trunk of the popular tree. The very, very bottom of the trunk.”

“He knows how to pretend in a way that makes him likable, not weird.”

How I discovered this book:

I first heard about Camo Girl in a Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post over at Readatouille, a blog by middle grade author Ruth Donnelly. It's a great place to visit to find new books to read!

Other info:

Kekla Magoon lives in New York City. She wrote her first novel when she was in high school, but she didn’t realize that she wanted to be professional writer until later in her life.

On her website, Kekla Magoon gives young writers this advice: “you need to believe that, no matter what anyone says about your writing, what you have to say is important.”

 Other books written by this author include:

37 Things I Love

Fire in the Streets

The Rock and the River

For more, visit Kekla Magoon’s website.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday was dreamed up by the incredible Shannon Messenger. Visit her blog for an up-to-date list of all the bloggers who are participating and posting about middle grade books today!

November is Writing Month

I'm not usually too fond of November. It's cold, dreary and follows fun-filled October (otherwise known as the Month of Treats in our household because of all the desserts, with Thanksgiving, 2 birthdays and Halloween). But this year I'm excited about November, because of my writing goals. I'm sure I'm being overly optimistic about what I can accomplish, given all the craziness in my life right now, but I've decided to work on two different writing goals:

1) I'm doing a mini NaNoWriMo, where I focus on writing a new story and try to get as much writing as I can done each day, with no pressure to complete a novel. I'm not going to sign up for anything but I will keep track of my progress so I can see how much I'm getting done.


2) Since I get lots of story ideas while I'm teaching, I'm going to also try PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month). The goal is to think up a new picture book idea every day. For me, that mostly means being more vigilant about writing down the ideas I already get, so I decided to sign up for it.

I love the idea of having a notebook that contains nothing but ideas. My usual writing notebook is filled with so much more, sometimes ideas for new projects get lost in there.

How am I doing? So far, so good. I've started writing my novel, even though there's something important I haven't worked out yet, and it scares me a little that I don't know where it's going. And I already have 2 picture book ideas in my notebook.

What are your writing goals for November? Have you made a start on them?

Using Fear in Writing for Children

Since it’s Hallowe’en, I’ve been thinking about how kids love to read spooky books and what scares them. Some fears reported by kids I know:

•  walking home alone
•  nothing
•  the creaking closet door when it's a little bit open and it looks like someone is staring at you
•  spiders and bugs
•  injections
•  heights
•  hurricanes

When I think back to some of the things that frightened me as a child, I can see that some of my fears are similar, while others have completely changed. Some of them, like my childhood fear of talking to adults who were not part of my family, I've grown out of because of my life experiences. Some of them are still with me, like getting spooked by unfamiliar noises when I'm home alone at night. Or my panic at the thought of taking up downhill skiing.

It’s interesting how some fears change over time and some don’t. Some things to think about when using fear in writing:

 

1) The backstory is important. If a character is fearful, then there are memories and experiences related to the fear that can provide more depth for the story. It doesn't have to mentioned in the story, but it gives more insights into the character.

 

2) Think like the reader. Since I write for children, to really get into my character’s mind, it’s helpful to list some of my own childhood fears (and other emotional experiences) as a reference for the kinds of fears kids might have. My adult fears can be different -- maybe not even something I was aware of or thought much about as a child. It's all about perspective.

 

Are you still afraid of anything you were afraid of as a child?

 

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Unwanteds

Today’s pick: The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Aladdin, 2011

From the publisher:

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their graves.

On the day of the Purge, identical twins Alex and Aaron Stowe await their fate. While Aaron is hopeful of becoming a Wanted, Alex knows his chances are slim. He’s been caught drawing with a stick in the dirt—and in the stark gray land of Quill, being creative is a death sentence.

But when Alex and the other Unwanteds face the Eliminators, they discover an eccentric magician named Mr. Today and his hidden world that exists to save the condemned children. Artime is a colorful place of talking statues, uncommon creatures, and artistic magic, where creativity is considered a gift…and a weapon.

My take:

This novel was easy to read and had an intriguing concept. I liked the idea of a hidden magical world (and there were lots of magical devices and spells). I especially enjoyed the art and creativity woven into the story, and how the characters in Artime could invent their own spells based on their artistic talent.

This book is often referred to as a cross between Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. It does remind me of Harry Potter, since the main character, Alex, is learning about a magical world that is all new to him, and there are many magical elements and spells. But the story is also told at times through the eyes of his twin brother, or one of his friends (there are some girl characters with strong personalities, too). Although there is fighting, it lacks some of the gruesome elements of YA novels like The Hunger Games.

As a writer, I thought this was an excellent example of a good MG fantasy novel. The writing style was straightforward and direct, with lots of cool elements that would appeal to readers.

How I discovered this book:

I heard about the sequel to this book The Unwanteds: Island of Silence in one of Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts, and then saw the first book on the shelf at my local library and checked it out.

Other info:

Lisa McMann lives in Arizona but was born in Michigan. She has wanted to be writer since she was in Grade 4.

When Lisa McMann was working on writing this book, her own children helped her think up some of the magical rules and spells. Over at Nerdy Book Club, she posted You Don’t Have to Be a Grownup she talks about how her own children helped her come up with ideas for the story and gives this awesome advice to kids: “And you certainly don’t have to be a grownup to come up with amazing ideas for a book, or a movie, or a comic, and start writing. You can do all these things right now. You can start working on your own magical world today.”

Lisa McMann also has this advice for writers on her website: “Be prepared to write a second or third or fifteenth novel if the first ones don’t sell. Be prepared to put the words you love in a drawer for a long time while you work and work to get better at writing.”

Other books written by this author include:

The Unwanteds: Island of Silence
Dead to You (YA)
Wake (YA)
Fade (YA)
Gone (YA)
Cryer’s Cross (YA)

For more, visit Lisa McMann’s website.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday was dreamed up by the incredible Shannon Messenger. Visit her blog for an up-to-date list of all the bloggers who are participating and posting about middle grade books today!

Agent and Podcast News for Kidlit Writers and Illustrators

As I clean my house today, I'm listening to fellow MiG Writer Debbie Ridpath Ohi, illustrator of I'm Bored, being interviewed by Katie Davis on  her podcast, Brain Burps About Books. Debbie and Katie give some great advice for picture book illustrators as well as general advice for writers in How Do You Win an Award, Find a Literary Agent, and Get a Book Published? Get Rejected First!


I also heard about a new agent, Fiona Kenshole, specializing in children's books. According to recent blog posts, some of her interests include:

• middle grade adventure stories 
• animal stories (talking or real)
• real children in an unreal world
• funny novels
• realistic, younger YA

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Rip Tide

Today’s pick: Rip Tide  by Kat Falls

Scholastic Press, 2011

From Amazon:

The sequel to the acclaimed subsea adventure DARK LIFE.

Ty has always known that the ocean is a dangerous place. Every time he swims beyond the borders of his family's subsea farm, he's prepared to face all manner of aquatic predators-sharks, squid, killer whales . . .

What Ty isn't prepared to find in the deep is an entire township chained to a sunken submarine, its inhabitants condemned to an icy underwater grave. It's only the first clue to a mystery that has claimed hundreds of lives and stands to claim two more -- lives very precious to Ty and his Topsider ally, Gemma.

Now in a desperate race against the clock, Ty and Gemma find themselves in conflict with outlaws, Seaguard officers, and the savage, trident-wielding surfs -- plus a menagerie of the most deadly creatures the ocean has to offer.

Kat Falls brings to life the mysteries, marvels, and monsters of the deep in this fast-paced and inventive action-adventure.

 

My take:

I loved the unique setting – I haven’t read many other middle grade novels that take place under the ocean. The underwater world in Dark Life and this sequel Rip Tide is intriguing and full of threatening sea life. The story in Rip Tide moves along at a fairly quick pace and is filled with action.

Ty is a great heroic character, always taking risks to help other people. The special abilities he has due to growing up in the ocean add a unique twist to his character. His friendship with Gemma becomes slightly romantic in this novel, so I hope the author writes another story so we can see where that goes. I recommend reading Dark Life first, since even though this novel stands alone, Dark Life gives a clearer introduction to the undersea world and gadgets.

From a writer’s perspective, I’d take another look at this when writing action scenes. It’s great the way the author can pack a lot of relevant information into a tight scene.

How I Discovered This Book:

I saw Dark Life in the Scholastic Book flyer last year and ordered it for my daughter. She enjoyed it so we bought the sequel. 

Other info:

Kat Falls lives in Illinois and worked as a screenwriter before she started writing novels.

Her first novel, Dark Life has won several awards, including a Juvenile Literary Award by The Friends of American Writers. It is being developed for film production.

Kat Falls wrote that she was thinking about what her own children like to read when she wrote her books, “Meaning, I tried to keep the stories fast, fun, fresh and edging over-the-top.”

Other books written by this author include:

Dark Life

For more, visit Kat Falls’ website.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday was dreamed up by the incredible Shannon Messenger. Visit her blog for an up-to-date list of all the bloggers who are participating and posting about middle grade books today!

NaNoWriMo is Coming

I often think of participating in National Novel Writing Month, but with a family to look after and a day job, the thought of writing an entire novel in a month is overwhelming. The quickest I’ve ever written a novel draft is three months.

I tend to be a slow and careful writer, so it's hard for me to "just write" and ignore my perfectionistic tendencies. I love the idea of having a month where one writing project is high priority, with the goal of getting a good chunk of a novel written. I'd also like to see if I can speed up my drafting process and get some of the story out, so my revising work can be even more purposeful, since I'll know more about my characters and where they're going. So, I’m thinking of doing a “mini nano” for myself, where I try to get as much done as I can, without any pressure to finish a novel.

Have you ever done Nanowrimo? Do you have any tips?