So Amazon bought Goodreads, and I found myself with a dilemma. It's a good dilemma, one where my life is intertwined with a pretty awesome bookstore and, coincidentally, I'm in the habit of talking and posting about books.
I don't equate Amazon with evil; there are so many problems in the world, and a website that's one of the many options out there for obtaining books just doesn't rank that high among them. I've had some issues with their tactics over the years, but what it boils down to for me is this: there are many cooler options for finding books, and there are also many other ways to record and discuss them in spaces that I personally feel better about than I now feel about Goodreads.
This announcement got me thinking about how I've found Goodreads most useful since I joined a few years ago. I have posted reviews there and occasionally commented on other people's reviews, but really, I mostly use it as a listing device. It's a great place to go when staff rec time rolls around at the bookstore to remind myself of what I've read lately. But Goodreads isn't the only place I can do that. If I find myself craving the nonstop action of a website, I can always revive my old LibraryThing profile. But I think I'm going to try migrating all the way off the Internet for my personal record-keeping needs. Thanks, friend who gave me a Reading Journal for Book Lovers!
I'll sure as heck still engage with others about books both on and offline, in spaces where I've been doing so already. Like right here, and wherever else such discussions spring up. You'll all be spared my agony at the lack of an option to give three and a half stars. Sputters are still fair game, but next time, they'll be at books, not websites.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
A Very Unfairy Tale Interview with Anna Staniszewski
Anna Staniszewski's My Epic Fairy Tale Fail, sequel to the hilarious My Very UnFairy Tale Life, has just hit shelves, and she has several other projects in the works. I sent her a few questions about all of the above.
How is marketing a sequel different from marketing the first book in a series? From what you can observe, has the release of My Epic Fairy Tale Fail brought new readers to the series, or are you mostly finding readers who've already read My Very UnFairy Tale Life and are looking for the next installment?
Marketing
a sequel is definitely a tricky business. For a debut, there tends to
be a lot of built-in excitement because of the newness of the book. For a
sequel, luckily there are readers who enjoyed the first book and are
looking forward to the second installment, but you also have to find new
ways to reach people who haven't read (or heard of) the first one. I've
found that interviews, events, and word-of-mouth go a long way in
helping to spread the word.
I'm so excited about my first picture book, though I don't have a lot of details to share yet. The process of publishing a novel is slooow, but the process of publishing a picture book is downright glacial. I've really just had to trust my publisher and remind myself that even if it feels like I'm twiddling my thumbs, there's a lot of work happening behind the scenes. Hopefully, I'll be able to reveal more info soon!
Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. She was named the 2006-2007 Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award. Currently, Anna lives outside of Boston, Mass. with her husband and their adopted black Labrador, Emma. When she's not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. You can visit her at www.annastan.com.
Here's the book trailer for My Epic Fairy Tale Fail:
How is marketing a sequel different from marketing the first book in a series? From what you can observe, has the release of My Epic Fairy Tale Fail brought new readers to the series, or are you mostly finding readers who've already read My Very UnFairy Tale Life and are looking for the next installment?
Marketing
a sequel is definitely a tricky business. For a debut, there tends to
be a lot of built-in excitement because of the newness of the book. For a
sequel, luckily there are readers who enjoyed the first book and are
looking forward to the second installment, but you also have to find new
ways to reach people who haven't read (or heard of) the first one. I've
found that interviews, events, and word-of-mouth go a long way in
helping to spread the word.
I've been pleasantly surprised, though, to hear from readers who started
with the second book and are now going back to read the first. I guess
that's proof that the second book works independently of the first,
which is exactly what I'd been hoping for!
I'd love to know more about The Dirt Diary. You've said that the
protagonist learns "dirt" about her classmates when she helps her mother
clean their houses, and I'm curious about the tone of the book and
series. Are we talking juicy gossip? More serious secrets? Bed-wetting?
All of the above?
The tone of the book is very light and funny, so the gossip that Rachel
discovers is pretty G-rated. I wanted the "dirt" to be mortifying in
that middle-school sort of way. The inspiration behind the story was a
piece I heard on NPR that mentioned a girl who cleaned houses with her
mom and wound up cleaning the homes of some of the most popular kids in
school. The idea really stuck with me, and I thought: What kinds of
secrets could she discover that would not only mortify the popular kids
but also make her feel utterly embarrassed?
A lot of authors seem to stick with just realism or just fantasy, but
you seem comfortable jumping between the two, and your fantasies are
very accessible to readers who don't necessarily dive into every fantasy
world out there. Do you feel more connected to one genre or the other?
What were your reading tendencies when you were in elementary school?
I've been drawn to fantasy since I can remember, but when I think about the books I loved when I was young--The Secret Garden, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, A Wrinkle in Time--it
wasn't so much the fantasy that drew me in but the appeal of a
different time or place. It's so fun to get lost in a different time
period or setting, but I think it's equally intriguing to contrast it
with your own life. I guess that's why even my fantastical stories tend
to be grounded in the regular world.
I
must say, though, that THE DIRT DIARY was a big change of pace for me.
Whenever I'd tried to write realistic fiction in the past, it always
morphed into fantasy. This story, however, seemed content to stay
realistic.
You also have a picture book, Dogosaurus Rex, coming out from Henry Holt. How has that publication process been different? Do you have an illustrator?
I'm so excited about my first picture book, though I don't have a lot of details to share yet. The process of publishing a novel is slooow, but the process of publishing a picture book is downright glacial. I've really just had to trust my publisher and remind myself that even if it feels like I'm twiddling my thumbs, there's a lot of work happening behind the scenes. Hopefully, I'll be able to reveal more info soon!
What's one question you wish more people would ask about your books or your writing life? And of course, what's your answer?
This is actually a question that I would love to hear other authors answers: How do you balance it all?
The
issue of balance is always on my mind these days, particularly as I
juggle two series. Writing on deadline and having multiple projects
going at once has been thrilling but also daunting at times. It feels
like I'm in the midst of an intricate dance, and I just keep flailing
around and hoping I'm getting the steps right. I keep wondering how
other authors balance different aspects of their lives. Maybe--like
me--they're just pretending to say on top of everything!
Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. She was named the 2006-2007 Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award. Currently, Anna lives outside of Boston, Mass. with her husband and their adopted black Labrador, Emma. When she's not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. You can visit her at www.annastan.com.
Here's the book trailer for My Epic Fairy Tale Fail:
Saturday, March 2, 2013
It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how.
When the sun does not shine and it's too wet to play, a good way to have fun is to play along when a talkative, human-sized cat makes a mess of your house and gives your fish a good scare. When you're a builder of peculiar machines, a good way to have fun (and make a bundle) is to prey on the petty insecurities of a group of lemmings Sneetches. And when it's week 23432 of winter, a good way to have fun is to make a big deal about one of your favorite authors turning 109.
Much as I'm enjoying discovering new books lately (I will finish Seraphina before it's due back to the library), it's a lot of fun to direct my attention back to an old favorite, and they don't come much favorite-er than Dr. Seuss. I learned to talk on Hop on Pop, and I credit Seuss's longer works with the fact that anapestic tetrameter is my favorite meter, which is a long-winded way of saying that he was a major contributor to my interest in writing in rhyme. These days, it's really gratifying to see how many parents love Dr. Seuss's work and pass on that enthusiasm to their kids; having Seuss books on display and hearing parents read them aloud has provided a welcome break from all the TV show-based spinner books kids usually insist on hearing. (Only Elephant and Piggie, many-time winners of the Seuss-inspired Geisel award, seem to have the same power to inspire spontaneous read-alouds.) The one complaint parents seem to have is that most Seuss books are too long, which is reasonable, but their repetitive nature can make them great for kids learning to read. (And it's okay to skip a few lines when you're reading aloud. Really.)
As I tell customers all the time, the most important thing you can teach kids about reading is that it's fun. And if anyone knew how to have fun, it was Dr. Seuss.
Much as I'm enjoying discovering new books lately (I will finish Seraphina before it's due back to the library), it's a lot of fun to direct my attention back to an old favorite, and they don't come much favorite-er than Dr. Seuss. I learned to talk on Hop on Pop, and I credit Seuss's longer works with the fact that anapestic tetrameter is my favorite meter, which is a long-winded way of saying that he was a major contributor to my interest in writing in rhyme. These days, it's really gratifying to see how many parents love Dr. Seuss's work and pass on that enthusiasm to their kids; having Seuss books on display and hearing parents read them aloud has provided a welcome break from all the TV show-based spinner books kids usually insist on hearing. (Only Elephant and Piggie, many-time winners of the Seuss-inspired Geisel award, seem to have the same power to inspire spontaneous read-alouds.) The one complaint parents seem to have is that most Seuss books are too long, which is reasonable, but their repetitive nature can make them great for kids learning to read. (And it's okay to skip a few lines when you're reading aloud. Really.)
As I tell customers all the time, the most important thing you can teach kids about reading is that it's fun. And if anyone knew how to have fun, it was Dr. Seuss.
Monday, February 18, 2013
The books I keep talking about
As they're supposed to do, this year's awards have brought good books to my attention that I might not otherwise have discovered. The day of the ALA announcements, I placed library holds on 7 titles that I hadn't read yet and that interested me. I'm still waiting on a few, but most reached me surprisingly quickly, and as a result, I've had a good few weeks of reading. Thoughts so far:
Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple, an Alex winner: Knowing a few good adult-to-YA crossovers is helpful at both ends of the store, and I heard this one was funny., so... And oh, it is. It's mainly a documentary novel, showing letters, emails, and other tidbits compiled by an eighth grader to figure out how her mother has vanished. Those tidbits are hilarious and often poignant, and I breezed through most of this on a bus ride from Boston to Albany.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post, by Emily M. Danforth, a Morris finalist: This one was a harder read, about a teen in early-'90s Montana who struggles with her sexuality in a thoroughly unsupportive environment. Well written and compelling, but very much for mature teens, and definitely requires tissues and a happy read afterwards. (I chased it with Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.) Note: readers looking for a similarly mature but slightly less heavy read on this topic might want to try A.S. King's Ask the Passengers.
Bomb: The Race to Built-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin, winner of multiple honors: I was impressed. Military history and science aren't my fields of choice, but Sheinkin includes an amazing amount of human detail, often using direct quotes from those involved in the construction of the atomic bomb. He also explains the science clearly enough that at one point, I found myself thinking, "If it was that simple, why hadn't anyone thought of it before?"
In Darkness, by Nick Lake, the Printz medalist (currently reading): I'd heard from multiple sources that this was slow going, which I think made me put on my Super Concentration Hat, because I've been really into it so far. It jumps back and forth between the stories of Toussaint L'Ouverture and Shorty, a modern teen trapped after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, with the magical realism twist that each has visions of the other. I'll be curious to see how the parallel narratives ultimately come together. In the meantime, the language and the glimpses into Haitian culture have grabbed me, probably because it's written with an eye toward accessibility for non-Haitian readers. I'd recommend this to any teen or adult who likes historical fiction, with the caveat that it is very violent.
I may need some more happy chasers, or just a break to read Janie Face to Face (you know you want to know how the Face on the Milk Carton story ends up). But there's definitely more award reading in my near future. After all, Seraphina can't stay on my to-read-floor-because-the-to-read-shelf-is-full forever.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple, an Alex winner: Knowing a few good adult-to-YA crossovers is helpful at both ends of the store, and I heard this one was funny., so... And oh, it is. It's mainly a documentary novel, showing letters, emails, and other tidbits compiled by an eighth grader to figure out how her mother has vanished. Those tidbits are hilarious and often poignant, and I breezed through most of this on a bus ride from Boston to Albany.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post, by Emily M. Danforth, a Morris finalist: This one was a harder read, about a teen in early-'90s Montana who struggles with her sexuality in a thoroughly unsupportive environment. Well written and compelling, but very much for mature teens, and definitely requires tissues and a happy read afterwards. (I chased it with Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.) Note: readers looking for a similarly mature but slightly less heavy read on this topic might want to try A.S. King's Ask the Passengers.
Bomb: The Race to Built-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin, winner of multiple honors: I was impressed. Military history and science aren't my fields of choice, but Sheinkin includes an amazing amount of human detail, often using direct quotes from those involved in the construction of the atomic bomb. He also explains the science clearly enough that at one point, I found myself thinking, "If it was that simple, why hadn't anyone thought of it before?"
In Darkness, by Nick Lake, the Printz medalist (currently reading): I'd heard from multiple sources that this was slow going, which I think made me put on my Super Concentration Hat, because I've been really into it so far. It jumps back and forth between the stories of Toussaint L'Ouverture and Shorty, a modern teen trapped after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, with the magical realism twist that each has visions of the other. I'll be curious to see how the parallel narratives ultimately come together. In the meantime, the language and the glimpses into Haitian culture have grabbed me, probably because it's written with an eye toward accessibility for non-Haitian readers. I'd recommend this to any teen or adult who likes historical fiction, with the caveat that it is very violent.
I may need some more happy chasers, or just a break to read Janie Face to Face (you know you want to know how the Face on the Milk Carton story ends up). But there's definitely more award reading in my near future. After all, Seraphina can't stay on my to-read-floor-because-the-to-read-shelf-is-full forever.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
How Ellen's Broom swept me off my feet
This Valentine's Day, I give you a book from the award shelf.
Ellen's Broom, by Kelly Starling Lyons, came to my attention because it won a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Daniel Minter's beautiful linoleum block prints. It's set in a part of history that I don't think I've seen covered in a children's book (the Addy books, maybe?): soon after the Civil War, when marriages between slaves became legally recognized and registered. Like many slaves, Ellen's parents jumped a broom to signify their marriage; in fact, that broom is hanging on the family's wall. But they knew that on its own, that ritual provided them no legal protection, and many couples like them were sold apart from each other.
When their marriage is finally registered, “Papa kisse[s] Mama and twirl[s] her in the air like a new bride,” and the legal recognition means a lot to Ellen, too; in particular, she smiles at the addition of her own name to the legal record. Still, she says that when she gets married one day, she'd like to jump a broom in honor of the family's tradition.
Ellen has a loving family before the book begins, but the story's events make her feel that the outside world thinks that family is real, that the relationships within it matter. Others may read the story differently - and I don't mean to appropriate this story for modern discourse's sake, only to highlight a parallel that struck me - but it reminded me of more contemporary discussions of what marriages should be legally recognized.
Happy Valentine's Day. Hope you're enjoying relationships of any kind that matter to you.
Ellen's Broom, by Kelly Starling Lyons, came to my attention because it won a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Daniel Minter's beautiful linoleum block prints. It's set in a part of history that I don't think I've seen covered in a children's book (the Addy books, maybe?): soon after the Civil War, when marriages between slaves became legally recognized and registered. Like many slaves, Ellen's parents jumped a broom to signify their marriage; in fact, that broom is hanging on the family's wall. But they knew that on its own, that ritual provided them no legal protection, and many couples like them were sold apart from each other.
When their marriage is finally registered, “Papa kisse[s] Mama and twirl[s] her in the air like a new bride,” and the legal recognition means a lot to Ellen, too; in particular, she smiles at the addition of her own name to the legal record. Still, she says that when she gets married one day, she'd like to jump a broom in honor of the family's tradition.
Ellen has a loving family before the book begins, but the story's events make her feel that the outside world thinks that family is real, that the relationships within it matter. Others may read the story differently - and I don't mean to appropriate this story for modern discourse's sake, only to highlight a parallel that struck me - but it reminded me of more contemporary discussions of what marriages should be legally recognized.
Happy Valentine's Day. Hope you're enjoying relationships of any kind that matter to you.
Monday, January 28, 2013
We like them! We really like them!
The One and Only Ivan won the Newbery! This is Not My Hat won the Caldecott! A Goucher grad racked up another Newbery Honor! Staff recs from my store are represented in the Newbery, Printz Honor, Morris, and Alex winners! Jon Klassen's going to give a hilarious speech! Drama got a shout-out! So did a Pete the Cat book! This Aristotle and Dante book looks totally worth reading! My coworkers are as excited as I was about this youth media awards thing! It seems like customers are too! (And we'll have the rest of the books really, really soon!)
There are certainly other books I'd have loved to see recognized, and I'll keep recommending them, awards or no. But I spent a lot of this morning doing the IRL version of \0/ as my colleague read results off Twitter and Hypable.
Let the library-holding begin!
There are certainly other books I'd have loved to see recognized, and I'll keep recommending them, awards or no. But I spent a lot of this morning doing the IRL version of \0/ as my colleague read results off Twitter and Hypable.
Let the library-holding begin!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Fruit's been good for January. Newberys and blueberries, anyone?
ALA Youth Media Awards on Monday! I'll refrain from guesses at what's likely to win, and save my speculation (outside the Kidlit Drink Night pool) for how much display space we'll end up devoting to the awards in our kids' section and how fast the results will be up in an easily referenced format, since I'll be running around the store when they're announced.
But I will use this space to sing the praises of a few titles that would make me really happy if they won something.
I was delighted to see my staff pick at the time, Inside Out and Back Again, win a Newbery Honor last year, and I would love to see similar good fortune befall any of this year's picks. (A Very Special House doesn't count, since it won its Caldecott Honor long before I... well, long before I anything.)
See You at Harry's is a tough one to pigeonhole. Is it upper middle-grade? Lower YA? With the Newbery encompassing books for ages fourteen and down and the Printz including books for ages twelve to eighteen (my inner bookseller keeps wanting to say "about" before mentioning numbers), I'd say it has a good and well-deserved shot. It has a decent shot at the Stonewall, too, as does Ask the Passengers, which I'm about to finish and which is also quite the Printz contender. It's really successful in conveying the common adolescent realization that not everything fits into simple categories, and the difficulty in getting others to understand how that truth fits into one's own identity. Warning: reading this after the sometimes-infuriating Just One Day will make you think YA literature is made of horrible mothers. But The Fault in Our Stars, another obvious and worthy contender, is a good remedy for that.
Code Name Verity, the other YA rec I made this year, blew me away most because of its sleight of hand, but wow, the characterization makes it so much more than just tricky. As I've said elsewhere, very little besides the age of the characters makes this distinctly YA. I know we have the Alex Awards for adult-to-YA crossovers, but there's plenty of fodder for an award going the other way, and both this and TFioS are deserving.
More thoughts on Newbery? The One and Only Ivan manages to create a voice for a gorilla that lets readers see what's going on beyond what he understands, without ever sounding gimmicky. Wonder may have peaked early - we've all had lots of time to analyze it, and it does have its flaws - but I still applaud it for going so much further than just telling Auggie's story. I swear it's not pro-Pennypacker bias (I do have a soft spot for Clementine) that makes me cheer for Summer of the Gypsy Moths, a kids-on-their-own story that I think is good for the same reason From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is good. And Jerry Spinelli's Jake and Lily uses just a touch of magical realism to depict late childhood more effectively, I think, than this year's Hokey Pokey. (I'm open to being talked out of that claim.)
And Caldecott? This is Not My Hat reminds me of Officer Buckle and Gloria in the degree to which it lets kids "read" the pictures and know more than the characters. Unspoken does the same for older readers (could it even be a contender for the Newbery?... Maybe not. From the Newbery criteria: "'Contribution to American literature' indicates the text of a book." ). I Have a Dream is amazing in the way Kadir Nelson's work is always amazing - the guy knows how to use light.
Obviously, I'm not on any of the committees; these are reflections on personal preferences, with the occasional allusions to previous works and other external factors. But how cool would it be if any of these won? And how cool would it be to be surprised with something totally new?
But I will use this space to sing the praises of a few titles that would make me really happy if they won something.
I was delighted to see my staff pick at the time, Inside Out and Back Again, win a Newbery Honor last year, and I would love to see similar good fortune befall any of this year's picks. (A Very Special House doesn't count, since it won its Caldecott Honor long before I... well, long before I anything.)
See You at Harry's is a tough one to pigeonhole. Is it upper middle-grade? Lower YA? With the Newbery encompassing books for ages fourteen and down and the Printz including books for ages twelve to eighteen (my inner bookseller keeps wanting to say "about" before mentioning numbers), I'd say it has a good and well-deserved shot. It has a decent shot at the Stonewall, too, as does Ask the Passengers, which I'm about to finish and which is also quite the Printz contender. It's really successful in conveying the common adolescent realization that not everything fits into simple categories, and the difficulty in getting others to understand how that truth fits into one's own identity. Warning: reading this after the sometimes-infuriating Just One Day will make you think YA literature is made of horrible mothers. But The Fault in Our Stars, another obvious and worthy contender, is a good remedy for that.
Code Name Verity, the other YA rec I made this year, blew me away most because of its sleight of hand, but wow, the characterization makes it so much more than just tricky. As I've said elsewhere, very little besides the age of the characters makes this distinctly YA. I know we have the Alex Awards for adult-to-YA crossovers, but there's plenty of fodder for an award going the other way, and both this and TFioS are deserving.
More thoughts on Newbery? The One and Only Ivan manages to create a voice for a gorilla that lets readers see what's going on beyond what he understands, without ever sounding gimmicky. Wonder may have peaked early - we've all had lots of time to analyze it, and it does have its flaws - but I still applaud it for going so much further than just telling Auggie's story. I swear it's not pro-Pennypacker bias (I do have a soft spot for Clementine) that makes me cheer for Summer of the Gypsy Moths, a kids-on-their-own story that I think is good for the same reason From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is good. And Jerry Spinelli's Jake and Lily uses just a touch of magical realism to depict late childhood more effectively, I think, than this year's Hokey Pokey. (I'm open to being talked out of that claim.)
And Caldecott? This is Not My Hat reminds me of Officer Buckle and Gloria in the degree to which it lets kids "read" the pictures and know more than the characters. Unspoken does the same for older readers (could it even be a contender for the Newbery?... Maybe not. From the Newbery criteria: "'Contribution to American literature' indicates the text of a book." ). I Have a Dream is amazing in the way Kadir Nelson's work is always amazing - the guy knows how to use light.
Obviously, I'm not on any of the committees; these are reflections on personal preferences, with the occasional allusions to previous works and other external factors. But how cool would it be if any of these won? And how cool would it be to be surprised with something totally new?
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