Library as Makerspace: Creating and Nurturing Communities of Teen Writers.
As I work to get a makerspace up and running at my library, I’m doing a lot of research. I love the idea of writing being an integral part of a makerspace, so I thought I’d share this post here.
The Fifth Vertex, by Kevin Hoffman (Aug. 2014) $11.99, ISBN: 978-0990647911
Recommended for ages 14+
Urus is a boy born into a warrior society, but he’s failed his warrior tests and is about to branded as a public burden – until all hell breaks loose. At the same time, an orphaned girl named Cailix, who has been living as a servant among a society of monks, finds herself on the run after a strange group of men slaughters her caretakers. What follows is a hero’s journey that will reveal to both Urus and Cailix who they really are: Urus comes from a line of Sigilords, who wield the power to create using ancient symbols, and Cailix discovers more about her origins than she could have ever imagined.
This is new fantasy series, self-published by the author, that really takes the classic hero’s quest and runs with it. Urus, who is deaf, must learn to rise above his low self-esteem and take control of the gifts he possesses – gifts only recently revealed to him. Cailix discovers her own gifts possess devastating power – but if used for good, can she turn things around? The two must figure these questions out while under the gun to save their world from a group of sorcerers determined to destroy five hidden vertices that protect their world.
This was a good read and a good start to a new fantasy adventure series for teens. There is a lot of slaughter and blood here – Urus’ society is a warrior society, and they’re fighting a band of sorcerers who use blood magic, so expect a bloodbath. If that’s not your thing, then this is not your series. I have no issue with it, and I thought the way Mr. Hoffman worked Urus’ deafness into the story, interweaving his with his signing ability as a sigilord, was really well done. We’ve got some multiculturalism in the character descriptions, a strong female lead, and a few different hidden origins and conspiracies, all laying the groundwork for subsequent books. It’s a good start for fantasy fans who want something new to read.
Tear You Apart, by Sarah Cross (Jan 2015, EgmontUSA) $17.99, ISBN: 9781606845912
Recommended for ages 14+
Fairy tale fans who loved Sarah Cross’ Kill Me Softly, get to go back to Beau Rivage and hang out with the Cursed in the next installment of Cross’ series, Tear You Apart.
This time, we get more of a focus on Viv, who’s got the Snow White curse. Her stepmother is determined to kill her, and she’s going to try and convince Henley, Viv’s on-again, off-again Huntsman boyfriend, to do it. When Viv hides out in the Underworld, she meets her prince – but is he really her key to Happy Ever After?
I have to say, for all the little issues I had with Kill Me Softly, it was a fun read with a great premise; Tear You Apart is an even better story that I really enjoyed. We’ve got more fairy tales, including the Twelve Dancing Princesses! The amount of research Ms. Cross puts into her fairy tales is amazing, but it’s her modern-day interpretations of the curses that really blows me away. I love her world-building.
While Viv is still not the greatest heroine, she’s a stronger female character than Kill Me Softly’s Mira. Henley has resolved more of his anger issues by now, which is a huge relief. The Big Bad in this book is truly a repugnant son of a gun, and he’s so gleefully awful that I found myself digging in at all hours of the night, waiting to see what he could do next.
Tear You Apart comes out in January, and it’s worth the wait. In the meantime, queue up some episodes of Grimm and Once Upon a Time, and get ready.
Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood, by Varsha Bajaj, (2014, Albert Whitman & Co.) $16.99, ISBN: 978-0807563632
Recommended for ages 9-14
Abby Spencer has been raised by a single mom for all over 13 years, and it’s been fine – until a health scare sends her to her mom, asking questions about her dad. She finds out that her father – a college romance of her mom’s – lives in Mumbai, India, and he’s a Bollywood heartthrob! When she finally gets in touch with her dad, he sends for her – for a kid who wanted some excitement out of life, even this may be over the top!
I LOVED this book from the first page. Told in the first person, I loved the way the author gave Abby her voice. She is a fun, excitable teen who loves her family and feels conflicted about her feelings for the father she only just met over Skype. I love the way the author gives readers an eye-opening view of India, from the overwhelming spectacle of Bollywood to the families that live in squalor. Her descriptions, told through a 13 year-old’s voice, were spot-on and evoked a range of reactions for me: joy, uncertainty, sympathy, even frustration. This is one of those books that I want to buy five copies of and hand them to kids in my library, yelling, “READ THIS AND TALK TO ME ABOUT IT!”
#WeNeedDiverseBooks? You’re darn right we do, and with a biracial lead character who heads to India to see her dad on a Bollywood set, we’ve got a great one, right here. Ms. Bajaj, PLEASE tell me we’re going to see more adventures with Abby, her family, and her friends!
This book is a Cybils Middle Grade Fiction first round nominee, and I’m thrilled to have shortlisted it.
Hey there!
I’m working hard, getting through my Cybils Middle Grade nominees – there’s so much good fiction out there! – so I thought I’d give a quick update on a few I’ve read so far.
The Red Pencil, by Andrea Davis Pinkney, (Sept. 2014, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), $17, ISBN: 978-0316247801
Recommended for ages 8-14
Amira is a 12 year-old girl living in Darfur. She dreams of going to school, something her mother will not hear. She will marry a husband who can read for her, her mother tells her. That all changes when the Janjaweed come.
When her village is attacked by the Sudanese militia, her life is changed forever. She, and the survivors of her village, make their way to a refugee camp, where she grieves and learns how to start life anew.
Written in verse, The Red Pencil is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. It’s about time we see fiction about this time and place in history hitting our bookshelves. Children need to read this book, and teachers need to discuss it with them. If you don’t have access to this book yet, PLEASE – find it, read it, and share it.
The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander, (March 2014, HMH Books for Young Readers), $16.99, ISBN: 978-0544107717
Recommended for ages 8-14
Josh and his twin brother, Jordan, are lightning on the basketball court. The sons of a basketball player whose pro career was derailed by an injury and the assistant principal of their school, they have a strong family background that emphasizes teamwork and schoolwork.
Josh loves to rhyme, cranking out beats in his head as he plays. Jordan has other things in mind these days, though – namely, a girlfriend. Josh has a hard time with accepting this third party in his and Jordan’s relationship. Throw in their father’s health problems that he refuses to seek help for, and you’ve got a compelling read that will appeal to all readers, male and female, sports fans or not. There’s a flow and pacing to this novel, also written in verse, that just moves the pages on its own. Josh is a likable kid, and readers will see themselves in his shoes as he talks about his fears and frustrations.
The Crossover has been designated as a Kirkus Best Children’s Book of 2014, one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2014, and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
Press Play, by Eric Devine (October 2014, Running Press), $9.95, ISBN: 9780762455126
Recommended for ages 14+
Greg Dunsmore – known as “Dun the Ton” – wants to get the hell out of his town, and knows film school is his ticket. He’s working on a documentary about his own weight loss journey, hoping it will get him in. While he’s recording his workouts one day, he also captures a brutal instance of hazing by the upper classmen of the school lacrosse team. Now, he’s committed to exposing the truth – but as he discovers how high the conspiracy to cover the abuse up goes, the hazing continues, and he and his friends find themselves in the team’s crosshairs. Is there a point where the truth is less important than your own safety?
This is Chris Crutcher meets Robert Cormier, with moral dilemmas coming at the characters – and therefore, the readers – right and left. Greg is on a personal journey when he discovers the hazing, but he struggles multiple times with what action to take – the guys on the team are jerks – does he have personal responsibility to them? Why? He has no personal investment in this, and has so much to lose. Does he want to expose the abuse for his personal gain? And if he does, does that make him a bad person? Does it matter, as long as the story is told?
This is a brutal book. There are language and content issues that some readers may not be able to handle, but this book WILL keep you up at night, waiting to get to that next page, chapter, section, ending. Greg and his friends grow as characters and people throughout this book, but there are no black and white good guys or bad guys. And that may be both the most difficult thing to handle AND the best part of this book. Does a culture of abuse excuse the abusers, if they were once the abused? Ask yourself this as you read.
Bottom line – get this book on the shelves in your local libraries and bookstores, especially in school districts with popular sports teams. There are kids out there who need to be reading and talking about this book, whether or not they’ve ever held a baseball bat, a football, or a lacrosse stick.
Press Play is one of those game-changing books that will forever alter the way you look at things. Make sure this book is accessible to teens, and get them talking about it.
Eric Devine’s author site has links to his other books, along with a schedule for his book tour. There’s also a link to the Press Play book trailer, which I’m also featuring here.
The Magician’s Fire, by Simon Nicholson, (October 2014, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky). $15.99, ISBN: 9781492603320
Recommended for ages 8-12
Young Harry Houdini was a shoeshine kid on the streets of New York long before he captivated audiences with his illusions – but he was always interested in magic. The Magician’s Fire introduces readers to Harry and his friends – fellow street urchin Billie, and Arthur, a wealthy boy from an unhappy home.
We also meet Herbie, a magician who serves as Harry’s mentor – he’s a tired older man who performs in a local theatre. One night, Herbie disappears, the only evidence being a puff of purple smoke. Harry and his friends turn investigators, using their skills and their wits to get to the bottom of Herbie’s disappearance. But are they also attracting some unwanted attention?
I love the idea of introducing kids to Harry Houdini. It worries me that icons of previous generations may fade away to the general public, so seeing Harry brought back to life in a mystery-type series – think Alfred Hitchcock’s investigators, but with magic! – that also gives him a chance to show off his developing illusionist skills, really makes me happy.
Harry is obnoxious in this first book. He wants the attention, he wants to do everything by himself, and his idea of teamwork really relates to how his friends can get him noticed or pave his way to save the day. He realizes this, thankfully, when Billie and Arthur call him on it, and while I think this will be a struggle we see in future plotlines, it presents a great growth opportunity for the characters and gives middle graders an entry point to the character. Readers will recognize themselves in Harry, sympathize with Arthur, and cheer for Billie. There’s some good character development at work here, and interesting insights into the world of illusion that will appeal to everyone.
The book leaves off with an obvious cliffhanger, so I hope this new series has a long, successful life. I read the first chapter to a storytime group of middle graders, and they were captivated by the opening scene. One boy asked me to make sure I included that book in my next library order – duly noted!
The Sourcebooks website offers a free, downloadable Educator’s Guide to The Magicians’ Fire, along with an excerpt.
I just got the greatest press release in my inbox – there are Minecraft novels for tweens! Not only that, but Skyhorse Publishing, who publishes the books by GAMEKNIGHT999, aka Mark Cheverton’s, has a whole roster of authors that will be at Skyhorse’s booth 2129, signing all weekend at New York Comic Con, all from Skyhorse’s sci fi/fantasy/horror imprint, Night Shade Books.
That’s not enough? How about FREE BOOKS? How about entering a raffle to be selected s the inspiration for a new character in Mark Cheverton’s next Minecraft novel? Drawings will be at 3:00PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
More? Okay, there’s also going to be a LEGO diorama of Comic Con itself, created by Jeff Friesen, author of United States of LEGO. And on Sunday – KIDS’ DAY! – Skyhorse will host a LEGO play center for kids.
Here’s the schedule. Plan accordingly!
Thursday, 3:00 PM and Friday, 11:30 AM
Meet Mike Martinez
Buy The Daedalus Incident for $10 and receive a FREE copy of The Enceladus Crisis
*****
Friday, 3:30 PM
Meet Ellen Datlow!
Buy Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 6 for $10 and receive a FREE copy of Vol. 5!
Winner of Six Hugo Awards ● Ten World Fantasy Awards ● Three Bram Stoker Awards ● Eight Locus Awards ● Two International Horror Guild Awards ● Two Shirley Jackson Awards ● The Karl Edward Wagner Special Award
*****
Friday, 5:00 PM
Meet Laird Barron!
Buy The Beautiful Thing the Awaits Us All for $10 and receive a FREE copy of Occultation or The Croning
Three Time Winner of the Shirley Jackson Award ● Winner of the Bram Stoker Award ● Nominated for Three World Fantasy Awards ● Nominated for Seven International Horror Guild Awards ● Nominated for 14 Locus Awards
*****
Saturday, 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM AND Sunday, 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM
Meet Mark Cheverton!
Bestselling Author of the GAMEKNIGHT999 Minecraft Series
Mark Will be Signing Invasion of the Overworld, Battle for the Nether, and Confronting the Dragon
Kids Take Home One Free Book! (only one copy per day allowed)
I’ll be reviewing Invasion of the Overworld very soon, so watch this space!
The Cybils are Children’s and YA bloggers literary awards – we bloggers nominate, read, and vote for these books, folks! I’m thrilled to be a Middle Grade Fiction judge this year, and as a first round judge, I have to read all the nominees and whittle them down for the next round!
Nominations are open until October 15, so please go make your voice heard! The following categories are accepting nominations for children’s and YA published between October 16, 2013 and October 15, 2014:
You can nominate one title per category, so make it your favorite!
Colors of the Wind: The Story of Blind Artist and Champion Runner, George Mendoza, by J.L. Powers (Sept. 2014, Purple House Press), $18.95, ISBN: 978-1930900738
Recommended for ages 7+
Colors of the Wind is one of those inspiring books that will take your breath away. Written for young readers and excellent for read-alouds in the classroom and the home, Colors of the Wind tells the story of George Mendoza, Olympic runner and painter.
As a child, George was always in motion. He was that kid that never stayed still; he wanted to be a basketball player when he got older. But his vision began to deteriorate, and he saw bursts of color. Suffering from a rare form of blindness called fundus flavimaculatus, his central vision has been destroyed, but he retains peripheral vision, which he refers to as “kaleidoscope eyes” because of the way objects reflect and are multiplied in his vision.
To take his mind off his blindness, George started running and ended up competing in two Olympics. He later began painting, remembering a priest who told him to paint what he saw. He uses fingerpaints, brushes – anything that will communicate to others the unique and beautiful way George sees the world.
This book is gorgeous. Illustrated with Mr. Mendoza’s paintings, this is a truly inspiring story of a man who literally changed his point of view. The text is enhanced with drawings by Hayley Morgan-Sanders. JL Powers presents Mr. Mendoza’s story with short sentences that are perfect for allowing young listeners to grasp the concepts presented and allows for deeper discussion on overcoming challenges and celebrating what gifts we have to work with.
The book includes a short biography on George Mendoza, and a list of paintings featured in the book. Two of my favorites are featured below: Purple Moon and Blind Man Touching the Sun.
Colors of the Wind is available in stores now – ask your local bookstore, or order from Amazon!
Mom Read It 