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Today's author spotlight is on Deborah Reber author of a number of self-help books for young girls including In Their Shoes which we covered at Ypulse not too long ago.
Not only does Deborah inspire a tangible feeling of, "I can do this and it's going to be okay," she offers many helpful tools and advice for the unique challenges stressed-out teens face today. In Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Peaceful You, Deborah attempts to conquer the monster we all live with and does so with confidence, warmth and a sense of calm. Not only are there blurbs from a variety of cool successful women describing how they deal with everyday stress, there are useful exercises for readers to think about and design their own MO for "chilling".
As a grown woman with many years of stress under my belt, so to speak. I found her insight and advice right on the money. I may not be applying to college, but I did find my front door wide open and my three year old son across the street in the neighbor's driveway this morning. I took Chill's wisdom to heart: Don't freak, there's nothing I can do now. Deep Breath. Put things in perspective. (I'm happy he's curious.) Felt grateful he wasn't hit by a car. Called My Mom. Called a friend. Made a plan to buy a deadbolt today. Ahhh I feel so much better. This is work we can all do, teen and adults alike.
We spoke to Deborah Reber about her new book earlier this week and now we want to hear from you too. The first three commenters to share how they keep stress under control will receive a free copy of Chill: Stress Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced You.
Ypulse Books: Why did you write Chill: Stress Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced Peaceful You?
Deborah Reber: The seed of the book idea actually came from Michelle Nagler, an incredible editor, formerly at Simon Pulse, who I got to know while writing my book In Their Shoes. Michelle told me that Pulse was interested in publishing a book on stress reduction for teens, and asked if I'd be up for writing it. I jumped at the opportunity -- in my eyes it was the chance to write the ultimate self-help book for today's generation of teen girls. Since being overly stressed affects every aspect of our well-being -- emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual -- in Chill I was able to provide young women with important strategies for caring for all of those areas which, for a girl advocate like me, was a dream. Working with Simon Pulse again and their incredible editorial and design staff was an added bonus. I knew the book would look great and get into the hands of the girls who need it.
YPB: You talk about a variety of things that stress teen girls out. In your research was there one thing that stood out as the most stressful for the most girls?
DR: Hands down, challenges revolving around friendships and social life were the top causes of stress. Pressure to excel in academics and sports was a close second, as was the stress girls place on themselves to fit in and/or achieve a certain physical ideal. But it was the friendship anxiety that cut across nearly all girls, no matter their age, ethnicity, or economic background. In many ways, it's the same sort of drama we faced as teens -- group fights, backstabbing friends, unrequited crushes, who's going to prom with who, competition, and so on -- but at the same time, it looks different.
YPB: Do you think teen girls today have more stress than they had in past generations?
DR: Definitely. Of course, there's a lot of stress that we as adults can relate to because we experienced it on some level when we were adolescents. But the landscape for today's teens is so different and the pace of life so accelerated, that the overall result is a generation of extremely stressed-out teens. For example, consider the current climate for high school students looking to go to their dream college. This generation is so huge (and a number of colleges are admitting fewer students) that competition for admissions is unprecedented. So students schedule too many accelerated classes, load up on a ton of extracurriculars, and volunteer their free time away in an effort to beef up their "resumes." (I know I didn't have a resume when I was in high school in the 80's). Plus, tuition is so high that college graduates are coming out of school with an incredible debt to pay off, and high schoolers know this is the case. And the academic scene is just one part of the equation. Compound that with things like growing up in the midst of a technological revolution, having instant access to information, facing a bleak environmental future, and growing up in a post-9/11 world, and it's clear that this generation is seriously stressed out...the likes of which we may not have seen before.
YPB: How much and/or what elements in our culture play into the amount of stress teens experience in their lives today?
DR: When I answer this question, I actually first think back to my own precarious existence as a high school and college student...going to parties, drinking, and frankly, often making an idiot out of myself. You know that feeling of waking up the morning after a night out and sensing you did something really stupid the night before? Ten years ago, you'd have waited a day or two for the embarrassment to fade and you could go on mostly unaffected by whatever foolish thing you may have done. Today? Making a simple mistake can spiral out of control in no time. The morning after any party, a picture of you doing something embarrassing, regretful...even possibly illegal, could've been emailed to thousands of people, been posted on Facebook...maybe even gotten you expelled from school. The truth is, this generation of teens is playing out their lives in a world where there really are no communication boundaries. Who you are and how you live your life is essentially accessible to everyone, and when you're a teen trying to figure out your self-identify, that's obviously not ideal. This places an incredible amount of pressure on teens to not screw up, since screwing up can have such serious consequences on the rest of their lives. (A bummer too, since isn't screwing up how we learn the tough lessons and grow as people?)
YPB: If you could ensure that girls who read Chill get one message, what would it be?
DR: I would want girls to know that they are in control of their own experience. There's nothing worse than feeling like life is just about dealing with whatever gets thrown at us. It's this type of belief system that's at the root of much of society's angst and inability to find balance. But the truth is, we create our own experience by the way we choose think about the things that happen to us. If girls could read this book and feel a little more in control of their destiny and be empowered to know they can handle whatever comes their way (even the most stressful or uncomfortable aspects of being a teen), then I would be one happy author.
YPB: What can we do to help? Any advice for teachers, mentors, and parents of teen girls who are stressed-out?
DR: First, acknowledge that today's teens have it difficult. Yes, they may be a generation of young people who are on the surface incredibly empowered and confident, but this doesn't mean that their pressures aren't intense or real. Understand that today's teens, no matter how much they seem to have it together, are drowning in stress and they may not actually know how to swim. Second, listen. Try to tune in to what's happening in the lives of teen girls and be aware of when things might be way off-balance. In many cases, parents may not realize the pressure they are placing on their children in an attempt to help them excel and be successful. So I recommend parents of teen girls make an effort to regularly check-in with their daughters and see where they're at--ask them if they're feeling overcommitted, overscheduled, overwhelmed. Teachers and mentors can do the same thing. Lastly, share. As adults, we often have great tools we've learned over the years--knowing when to take a day off, learning when and how to say 'no,' identifying the things we need in our lives to create balance. Share these nuggets of wisdom with the teens in your life freely and support them in whatever way you can.
YPB: Deborah, Thanks so much for such thorough responses -- and thanks for Chill. One things for sure, you seem to really care about teenagers and personally that makes me relax a little.
Jody Gehrman doesn't pull any punches when it comes to painting a true picture of today's average high school junior. In Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, parents repeatedly disappoint, the charming star-jock is really a jerk and the seemingly promiscuous "town-bike" character is actually still a virgin. There's a lot of discussion of sex, partying, and overall bad behavior too. Initially I was a little bummed out at some of the language. I know, I know, I sound like a total prude but there are a lot of "hos, bimbos ... and beeatches." As I continued to read, though, I began to think about the audience and slowly came around. The language here reflects the real atmosphere in which girls live today. The book is for them and that's how a lot of teens talk. (Ultimately, that's what made me sort of sad.) In the end, I concluded Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty had an honest tone and actually offered some good insight and a funny story focused on girl-power and friendship.
Ypulse readers, the first three of you to share a personal girl-power story will win a free copy of Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty.
YPulse Books: Confessions of a Triple-Shot Betty is based on William Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing', what are some of the challenges of reworking such a classic? What made you decide to form your story in this way?
Jody Gerhman: Plot has always been my Achilles heel, and I find tremendous comfort in reworking old stories. Shakespeare is particularly fun to work with, since most of his plays are based on even older legends and tales--I figured if he did it, there's no shame in trying it myself. Much Ado seemed very appropriate for a book about teenagers, what with all the romantic deception and reputation-ruining scandals running through it. But it wasn't easy. In many places I had to work hard to modernize and update, since our values and everyday lives have changed so much in the last 400 years.
YPB:You discuss class a lot and the main characters also seem very aware of their soci-economic standing. Now, I'm not super familiar with the town, Sonoma (California), and I haven't read 'Much Ado About Nothing' since high school, but how much did one or the other inform your choice to make that an issue in Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty?
JG: I grew up very near Sonoma, in a town called Healdsburg. When I lived there it was a small, modest, fairly unremarkable place, but since then it's become extremely posh and touristy.
I did have a friend in high school whose family made a lot less than mine, and she was painfully aware of that. It helped me see that when you have what you need as a kid money might not seem like an issue, but when you have noticeably less than your friends, it can be very embarrassing and isolating. These days I think that's much more apparent in Sonoma County, because the rich there are very rich and those whose families are barely scraping by no doubt feel the gap between themselves and their wealthy peers.
YPB: My experience with teens today is that the "f" word (feminist) is not very well liked. Amidst a lot of misogeny there is a feminist message, a few actually, in this book. You even made one of the secondary characters a women's studies major. (Gasp!) Can you talk a little bit about how you arrived at the decision to incorporate that in Geena's world?
JG: Well, I know what you mean about the f word, so maybe it was dangerous, but mainly I find it's a semantic issue more than anything. The teen and twenty-something students at the college where I teach generally believe in women's rights, and they're all for women having a wide range of choices; I think the word "feminist" just tends to conjure images in their minds of man-hating females their mothers' age with bad haircuts and poor hygiene. I don't think I had this intention as I was writing, but in retrospect I'd like to think that Geena and her friends help to bridge that generation gap somehow and (in some tiny way) can demonstrate that whatever you want to call it, girls' empowerment is a good thing.
YPB: Furthermore, Geena and her friends don't seem to have many good adult role models (men or women) and Geena's own grit seems to come from within. What advice can you give girls who look around and feel discouraged by the adults in their lives?
JG: When I got into Geena's head, many adults started to look sort of inept and out of it. I mean I think her mom and uncle are reasonably cool--even her dad cares about Geena in his own flaky, self-absorbed way--but they're not really the focal point of her world. I didn't try to do this; it's just what sprouted naturally from her POV. If girls are discouraged by the adults in their immediate sphere, I guess I'd say look beyond to the public forum, to writers, teachers, trailblazers, scientists and artists they can admire. Also, I'd say having some compassion for the over-thirty set helps. It's not easy getting old, and many of us lose something along the way. That's part of what the under-thirty crowd does so well -- they can inject the older generations with new life.
YPB: You've written a lot for an adult audience and this is your first book for teens. How do the experiences differ? How are they the same?
JG: I just answered a similar question for another interview, and I quoted Sherman Alexie, a little gem I found on your site (I gave you credit, naturally!) Okay, so if it's too much to have this in two places, edit me, but here it is: "Writing for teens involves a stripped-down technique. You tend to write more like Hemingway than Faulkner. More like Emily Dickinson than T.S. Eliot. It's not a matter of more complex thoughts, but the number of adverbs and adjectives. In the adult world, the number of adverbs and adjectives can be confused with great writing." The way I'd put it is that YA tends to be cleaner, and I don't mean that it avoids the f-bomb, I mean it's edited more carefully and doesn't contain as much pretension. Young readers have very little patience with pretension, and that's as it should be. I find writing for this audience wonderfully liberating.
YPB: Additionally, In your opinion, what's the most important thing in developing a "voice" when writing for or about teens?
JG: The big challenge with YA is getting into that 16-year-old perspective again and trying to keep it contemporary without forcing the voice, you know? Sometimes it's tempting to go overboard with slang just to show how "hip" you are, and that's kind of repellant. I think teen readers sense right away how inauthentic that is.
YPB: Tell us a little about what are you working on right now?
JG: The sequel: Triple Shot Bettys in Love. It's loosely based on Cyrano de Bergerac. Amber has a larger role in this; her low self esteem and lack of intellectual identity get fleshed out more. Geena and Ben are still major players, but (as you might guess) the road to love isn't exactly smooth. There are wigs and valentines and lots of coffee, as usual. We're looking at January 09 as a possible pub date. Next I'm working on a YA novel about a girl who goes undercover at a boys' boarding school.
In Indie Girl, a new non-fiction title from Zest, writers Arne Johnson and Karen Macklin inspire and encourage girls to rock their inner artistic side. Projects like "Publish a Play" are introduced, and readers are encouraged to make them happen, DIY style. What a refreshing concept! Not only is this book super-fun with great ideas, it's chock-full of great resources too. I spoke with the authors about this fabulous, coolsville-cool book and asked them about what the Indie Girl spirit is all about.
Ypulse Books Readers: This is your chance to brag! Be one of the first three people to post a comment about the most creative DIY (Do-It-Yourself) project you've ever embarked on, and we'll send you a free copy of Indie Girl.
YPulse Books: This book feels "old-school" to me while still being respectful of teen girls as they are today. What do you think of some of the newer ways teens are being creative using technology?
Arne Johnson: It's all amazing! I'm a filmmaker, and without the innovations of technology we would've never been able to make "Girls Rock!" Technology has many strange side-effects, but in the world of cultivating creativity it's been a resoundingly good thing! Think of all the independent labels and bands that can exist by making their own CDs or building audiences online...When I was young, the idea of starting a band and producing your own album and actually getting it heard seemed impossibly remote. Now bands of 12 year olds are self-releasing their first albums and making short films. The main thing I hope teens won't lose sight of is the struggle to make things cool and beautiful and meaningful even as technology makes things easier. Just because you can make a mini movie in 5 minutes with your cell phone doesn't mean you should...take some time, think it out, get people involved, be passionate about what you're making...and then use your cell phone!
YPB: And in addition, What are some ways that "new-school" tech-savy kids could incorporate the arts more and the "indie girl" spirit in particular?
AJ: I think people are doing lots of cool things at the intersection of different art forms. Despite our book being about 9 separate projects, there's no reason those can't be merged together and exploded into new forms. A music video competition while a concert is underway, for instance...Part of the indie girl spirit, in fact, the most important part, is to take things like our book, read them, absorb them, and then ignore what you want to ignore, and learn what you want to learn, and make something that's completely your own. The great thing about tech-saavy kids is they don't care so much about all the old rules, they're just inventing stuff right and left. This book is hopefully just a reminder that there's a lot involved in making something that attains to higher impact than making your friends laugh at something on YouTube, but that it's not that daunting. For real indie girls, the process will be as important as the process, a way of learning who you are while doing something that you love.
YPB: Who are your "indie girl" heroes?
AJ: What a long list I could spring on you! But I'll try to limit it to two biggies for me:
1. Patti Smith, musician, artist, poet, etc...She is the true epitome of doing whatever you're interested in no matter what other people say or what you look like or anything. She used to take a clarinet on stage and start blowing into it even though she wasn't formally trained. Now she's a great clarinet player! She is just utterly fearless...
2. Lynda Barry, cartoonist, artist, novelist...Her cartoons and novels are pretty much the best depiction of being a teenager I've ever read, and she doesn't compromise at any point. She writes a novel and does great illustrations. She write comics like they were a novel...Beautiful, funny, sad and strange.
Karen Macklin: I have a lot of fave indie girls, but I think one of my favorites is PJ Harvey because she really pushed the envelope regarding what girls are supposed to sing about and look like, and is always up there raising hell with the guys. I have also historically been a big fan of Eve Ensler (the author and performer of the original Vagina Monologues) because she took a female subject that was taboo to really the entire world, put it on stage, made it a household conversation, and went on to raise millions of dollars for girls' and women's causes locally and throughout the world. And it all started with a simple, one-woman show.
YPB: Along the same lines, what is the coolest and most original DIY effort you've experienced?
KM: My good friends and I put on a show for the SF Fringe Festival one year in which we wrote, directed, and produced three short plays of our own. It was such an amazing collaborative experience, and almost all of the primary artistic roles were taken by women: the writers, the director, the choreographer, the lighting designer, the stage manager, the producer, and even the two people who ran the light and sound boards. I am pleased to say that we never got into one argument the entire time because we were so focused on the art and really listening to and respecting each other's ideas. It was a lot of work, but so much fun.
YPB: I know this is sort of a DIY manifesto, but any suggestions or words of wisdom for the mentors and teachers of indie girls?
KM: The biggest advice I could give is simply to just do it. Pick a project, any project, and make it happen. Pick a crew, set deadlines, and go forward. Art-making is a great team experience, but it is not a sport. There is no championship you are trying to get into or a number of goals that you are trying to score. In art, it is as much about the process as it is about the finished product. Form a group, come up with a plan and a schedule (very important!), and set the wheels in motion.
YPB: I once took an acting class. I loved it. Learning about the process and technique involved in what might seem like the smallest scene was really mind-expanding. Well, I discovered I'm no actor, but the experience was invaluable because now I watch film, television, and plays in a totally new way. I have a completely heightened appreciation.
I like how in the instruction of the projects presented in Indie Girl, you inadvertently also show us how to be more appreciative of the art we encounter. It helped me understand the planning and work that goes into a particular project in a way that I know will make it more full-filling to me as an observer. I guess what I'm saying is, this book has a lot to offer 'Indie Girls' in the audience too. Thank you.
Walter Dean Myers' latest book, Game is a tender sports story about the fragile line between winning and losing. Not only are there negative influences on the street, Drew's own self-doubt often challenges him. He is a talented, superstar basketball player but must first learn to play for the team before he can truly have "game."
We were able to interview Walter Dean Myers and ask him a little bit about Game and his career as a young adult author. The first three commenters to share their own "hoop dreams" (or any related high school sports story) gets a free copy of Game.
Ypulse Books: Drew knows a lot of kids who end up in jail, but you introduce us to two unlikely characters, Tomas' mother and father, who also "served time." Why this interesting juxtaposition?
Walter Dean Myers: When I was in Prague doing research on European basketball, I met a woman who did glass sculpture. It's her background I'm using in this book. My rationale is that I wanted Tomas to come from a background similar to Drew's instead of the usual "the white boy has everything" character.
YPB: Drew is reading Othello in his English class and talks about him a lot. He seems to identify with him. Why did you choose to highlight Othello as an important literary character in Game?
WDM: The central theme of Othello is Iago's duplicity based on his own character and not on race. I wanted to make the coach's decision more complex and force my characters to deal with the possibility that although Tomas and Drew are of different races, the reality of their conflict is not as simple as it might seem.
YPB: Drew's perception of "making-it" often seems to depend on just one game or even one play. What advice to do you have for kids who share this basketball dream?
WDM: Drew's perception of making it...excellent question. Drew's perception is good in that it models the success that he sees in his world. What I want him, and other teenagers to do, is to expand that world. To this end I bring in a ballplayer from Prague, Othello, and Tomas' parents.
YPB: You write about the basketball games themselves with such expertise and fine detail. Did you ever play seriously yourself? If so, do you still play recreationally?
WDM: I don't play anymore, but I played for years. I love the game. In watching the NCAA tournament, I'm reminded of the time I showed up with a team at William & Mary only to be told that I couldn't play because of the school's segregation policies at the time. Things do get better.
YPB: I really like the character of Jocelyn. She's smart and sassy, and she and her brother have a great relationship. Would you ever consider writing her story?
WDM: A lot of readers are asking me to write more stories for girls. Jocelyn is a story I would love to do, but there are so many "boy" stories still to be done....so many.
YPB: You've been writing for young adults for a long time. In your opinion, how has the genre changed in the last 10 years and how has it stayed the same?
WDM: The genre has, in my mind, improved tremendously. Young adult fiction gives serious writers the opportunity to flex their literary muscles without the narrow constraints and short shelf life of adult fiction. The economics of the artistic life, however, work against minority artists, and the economics of the publishing industry works against males in general, so there is a clear under representation of Latino, African-American, Islamic, Asian and Gay males.
YPB: Mr. Myers, I am a huge fan of your writing and want to thank you so much for agreeing to answer these questions for Ypulse Books. I really enjoyed Game. I'm not very sports savvy and the fact that I was so immersed in the actual "game talk" and Drew's playing in particular, is a true sign of Game's ability to move readers. Thank you.
The Year My Sister Got Lucky is a sweet story of two sisters' journey from Manhattan to upstate New York during the prime of their high-school and ballet school careers. While Michaela shines in their new setting, Katie struggles. Life in a small town presents new and unique challenges and as a result, the sisters' tight friendship is tested. Although they ultimately become closer, the real education comes from their own self-discovery and growth as individuals.
After I finished, The Year My Sister Got Lucky I called my sister and told her about it. I said. "I love it, It takes place in a town just like Cape Elizabeth (where we grew up) and it's told from the younger sister's point of view. (I'm the younger sister.) I can totally relate." After a pause she goes, "It's funny. I never gave being the younger sister one single thought. When you're the oldest you just don't. Younger sisters tend to think about their older sisters all the time: how they compare, what they think, how they're different." I thought that was interesting. I'm not sure if it's all together true, but I do think the relationships we have with our siblings can be hella powerful.
Update: The giveaway is now closed -- we received our third comment via email. Ypulse readers, we want to hear about your relationship with your sibling(s). Tell us about the nicest (or meanest) thing your sister or brother ever did for/to you? And if you were in only child, did you long for a sibling? Why or why not? The first three commenters will receive a free copy of The Year My Sister Got Lucky.
We were able to talk to author Aimee Friedman about The Year My Sister Got Lucky and to hear some of her insight about sisterhood.
YPulse Books: When did you start writing, and specifically when did you decide you wanted to write for young adults?
Aimee Friedman: Probably around the age of six or so, I started out writing short stories about girls and their lives, their friendships, their struggles in school -- stories that grew longer and longer and blossomed into novels as I grew older. Back at my parents' house, I have a whole drawer full of notebooks filled with these handwritten novels. Throughout elementary and middle school, I adored writing more than anything in the world. In high school and college, I began to take writing even more seriously, began to think of it as a career and a craft. But I didn't consider writing young adult fiction until I began working as a children's book editor. I was acquiring and editing a lot of teen fiction, and that genre began to excite me and speak to me. Perhaps because, in some ways, the very first novels I wrote were "young adult novels." There is something about that time in one's life when everything gets heightened, more important. I was very inspired, so I ran from there! I want to try to write for all kinds of ages and genres, though...I think the whole fun of the creative process is taking risks and trying out new things.
YPB: You write about dance and ballet so knowledgeably and lovingly. Do you have any experience as a dancer?
AF: I studied ballet intensely for 10 years -- from age four to 14. It was my life! Though my ballet school was in Queens, not Manhattan, I modeled the dance school in The Year My Sister Got Lucky heavily on my old dance school, right down to the international teachers and the leotard-uniforms. Also, my older sister, much like Michaela, was the star of the school; everyone wanted her to become a professional dancer. I think I realized at a young age that while I was a fairly good ballerina, I wasn't as talented as my sister. This was difficult to come to terms with, and a lot of The Year My Sister Got Lucky deals with this struggle. But I will say that when I was put on pointe, that's when I realized ballet actually wasn't my passion. I found pointe so painful...I'm still in awe of dancers who can pull that off so flawlessly. I took mostly modern dance (which is amazing) throughout college, but now, seven years after college, I don't have much time to take dance classes, and I am totally out of shape as a result!
YPB: A clear theme in The Year My Sister Got Lucky is sisterhood. What do you think is the biggest challenge for sisters and what is the greatest reward?
AF: I am very close to my older sister, and like most sisters, I think, we have a complicated and interesting relationship -- she is my best friend, but she is also the person who can drive me more crazy than anyone; and vice-versa. I think being a sister is hard in some ways because you have this person, this other girl, in your life who knows you better than anyone, who has seen you at your absolute worst, and knows all your flaws...and what pushes your buttons! I oftentimes find that there's no censor with my sister; if I'm a little annoyed at one of my friends, I'll tend to hold my tongue, but with my sister, I'll let loose. I think this happens because there's this constant trust, this closeness. And that's, in the end, what's most rewarding. That there IS another person in your life who knows all about you, knows where you come from, and loves you all the same. I don't have a brother, but I know from friends that the sister-brother dynamic is a little bit different. There's something special and very unique about a bond between women, I think.
YPB: Emmaline was interesting to me. She seemed like sort of a misfit in Fir Lake. How and why did she develop as a character?
AF: I knew early on in writing the book that I wanted to create a "supporting" character who was a bit of a mystery. I wanted to create a full sense of Fir Lake, to populate it with different and vivid people, and I especially liked the notion of Katie being drawn to an older figure, someone she could invent stories about. Emmaline is kind of an outsider, so of course Katie feels bonded to her. And she also brings out some of what gets Katie in trouble--her penchant to dramatize things and assume she knows what's best for everyone. Emmaline was a lot of fun to create. I wish she were my yoga teacher!
YPB: Katia's older sister, Michaela loses her virginity while a senior in Fir Lake, were you worried that that part of the story might be controversial? If so why?
AF: I think that, for better or worse, sex is a big part of teens' life right now -- whether they are having it, not having it, have friends who are having it, or just discussing it, it's out there, and it shouldn't be ignored. I decided it was important, in the book, for Michaela to sleep with her boyfriend so as to mark a really huge and crucial separation between her and Katie. For Katie, sex is almost like something that happens on another planet...it's completely not in the realm of her world yet. And for her sister to go off to that realm feels, in some ways, like the ultimate betrayal. It means her sister has grown up. But I also didn't want the fact of Michaela's losing her virginity to feel gratuitous. I wanted to make sure it was handled in a subtle way, and I hope readers will feel that I managed to get that across.
YPB: A lot of young adult literature is about not-belonging. I really liked how as a reader there was the expectation that the girls would struggle to be accepted in their new community, but actually folks in Fir Lake were quite welcoming. It was Katia that was somewhat closed to the idea of new people. Why did you decide to surprise us in that way?
AF: I based Fir Lake on Lake Placid, a beautiful town in upstate New York where I would spend summers with my family when I was growing up. The citizens of Lake Placid were always extremely friendly, warm, and welcoming. In New York City, people tend to be a little bit closed off, a little bit suspicious -- Katie definitely has some of these traits. But I often found that outside of New York, people seem more willing to chat, more willing to share an anecdote or advice with a stranger. It's a very refreshing trait, and I'm glad that that element spoke to you in the story!
YPB: Transformation is also a central theme in The Year My Sister Got Lucky. What advice would you give young people that want to change their lives?
AF: Change is scary -- I think a lot of people fight change, even if they know that it might be a good thing in the end. I myself am very resistant to change, just like Katie. But change and transformation is a basic part of life, and a huge part of growing up. It takes a lot of courage to accept change, and to try and deliberately change things in your life. In order to make changes to your life, it's a good idea to start small. Every little step counts. For instance, if you want to change up or add to your group of friends, join a new after-school club or activity. And always remember to keep an open mind! It's all about attitude. Katie is a great example of this; she is so closed-off to someone like Autumn at first, but as soon as she begins to change her mindset, she discovers a wonderful new friend. Take chances! Be willing to accept people who may be different from you. It's all part of the adventure...
My next book, which should be out in the summer of 2009, is also about transformation, among many other things...it's a summer love story set on an island, and it has a touch of magic! Magic is all about change, and so, of course is love.
YPB: Cool. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks Aimee.
Known for her work for adults, Ann Hood's first book for children How I Saved My Father's Life (and Ruined Everything Else) is equally worthy of praise. On the surface, it may seem to be your typical young adult snapshot of a family trying to navigate a bad divorce, but this story has a few twists that make it memorable. How I Saved My Father's Life is actually more about a mother's unconditional love for her daughter and the beginning of a relationship stronger than the ability to make miracles happen. We will be giving away three copies of the book to the first three commenters who answer the question: "What book, television or film first introduced the topic of divorce to you as a young person?" Update: The book giveaway is now closed. Thanks for commenting!
YPulse Books: The main character, Madeline is obsessed with saints. How much research did you do on the lives of the saints and what did you discover that surprised you?
Ann Hood: I grew up in an Italian Catholic family and was actually quite obsessed with saints from a young age. I loved their stories, and had a romantic image of their lives. So my research was done as an elementary school student, in a way. However, as I have traveled as an adult, in particular in Europe, I am surprised to see how devoted people are to saints. Saint Therese of Liseux, Saint Bernadette in Lourdes, Saint Clare in Assissi, still have pilgrims visiting churches and hometowns, leaving prayer requests and tiny gifts.
YPB: Cody is sort of a side character but seems to be the most insightful at times. Do you feel that there is a naive wisdom in childhood that we lose as we mature?
AH: Children see the world without any filters, so that wisdom is really a pure reaction to their experiences. I was embarrassed the other day when my three-year-old daughter Annabelle asked a man in a cafe what his name was; he said, "John"; she said, "Hi John! Why are you so fat?" I wanted to disappear! But John said, "Because I eat too much and I'm related to Santa Claus." Now, whenever we go to that cafe he wants to talk to Annabelle.
YPB: Madeline blames the collapse of her family entirely on her mom. It's common for children experiencing a divorce to blame one parent exclusively. Why do you think that occurs?
AH: I think on some level children of divorce blame themselves. It helps them to think an adult is responsible. And often they turn against the parent they are with the most.
YPB: Madeline believes in miracles and specifically that she has the ability to make them happen. Is there an underlying psychological or emotional reason for this?
AH: Madeline is a creative, precocious girl with a wonderful imagination. I don't think that at first there was any emotional reason for her belief, but later the idea that she could perform miracles helped her to feel she had some power in a situation--the divorce--in which she is really powerless.
YPB: I really liked how you put Madeline and her friend Antoinetta together. What do you think are the main differences and similarities between their faith?
AH: While Madeline struggles with what to believe and how to believe it, both in faith and in her personal life, Antoinetta provides a constant. She is unwavering in her faith, and this gives Madeline hope.
YPB: What was your main inspiration for writing, How I Saved My Father's Life (and Ruined Everything Else)
AH: The novel began as a short story in which Madeline believes she saved her father's life in that avalanche. But the more I wrote, the more I liked Madeline. My husband has a daughter from a marriage that ended in divorce, so I have thought a lot about how children feel in a divorce. This allowed me to explore that through Madeline.
YPB:You've written novels for adults too, how is writing for young people different? The same?
AH: Writing for young people is no different. In fact, at first, this was a short story for adults. YA books ask tough questions, bring terrific characters to life, use complicated language, and explore the world of adolescents.
YPB: Do you believe in miracles?
AH: Every time I look into my children's eyes, I do believe in miracles! They happen every day, in the most ordinary places. We just need to keep our hearts open to them.
YPB: Thank you Ann. I enjoyed your book so much and look forward to your next project.
I just received a great book from author Nancy Redd, called Body Drama. The cover reads, "Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers," and as far as I can tell, it covers everything and is definitely, well... real. At first, I was a little shocked to see the entire page of vaginas and to read a page dedicated solely to slang for breasts, but I got over it. This generation of young girls has been raised in an especially casual, sexualized world and anything short of down and dirty would get tossed in the trash. Redd delivers a lot of great information for girls about what it's like to live in their female bodies, and how to inhabit them with pride and care.
When I first got Body Drama I called my sister. She's a school nurse and all-around girl power, rock-star and I wanted her to know about it. We both agreed it's a must-have for school health offices. We also talked about how we hadn't really seen a lot naked women growing up. (There's a sentence you don't write everyday.) My parents weren't the walk-around-house-naked types. HBO got turned off when they went out, and there were no Playboys lying around. I think all of that's good, of course, but at the same time, I had no other positive point of reference. When it comes to our bodies, as young women, we really need to feel safe and normal. I believe that comes from exposure to what real human beings look like...
Here's a great article at Healthline.com I agree with this writer: This is just the kind of book you want lying around for your daughter to just happen upon. She may giggle her way through it with her friends, but she'll get the message, and it's an important one: We all have bodies, embrace yours.
I recently interviewed Nancy Redd about Body Drama and, by the way, she seems to be the real deal too.
Ypulse Books: Why did you write Body Drama
Nancy Redd: Was I the only girl who grew hair in strange places? Found yucky stuff in my underwear? Had deep dents on my thighs? As a teen, I had no way of knowing if the day-to-day worries like bad breath, embarrassing nipple hair, ashy skin, or heavy cramps were normal, so I assumed I was the only one doomed to suffer from them. So, I decided to write Body Drama, the book I always wished I'd had.
YPB: Why the "vagina page"?
NR: Vulvas (AKA vaginas, hoo-has, or as Oprah says, vajayjays) get a lot of talk time, but never any face time! So much discussion goes into what is and isn't normal down there, but without any photos to back the conversations up--only diagrams and illustrations that don't even resemble the real deal! Nearly every teen I talked to about her body was ashamed of how she looked down there, sometimes because of an insensitive comment from a sexual partner, but mostly because she'd never seen another vulva and didn't know how they were supposed to look. I decided it was time to give vulvas (the proper name for what's actually visible down there) their fair share of camera time to prove there isn't one "normal" vajayjay!
YPB: What is the most important piece of advice you want to tell young women?
NR: To talk! No matter how cringe-worthy the subject, or how worried you are about how what you say will be construed, you've got to get your issues, concerns, and problems out in the open, because it's much more damaging and troublesome to keep your troubles inside, and it's even worse to pretend like they don't exist. My mom and I are the best of friends, but we never had "the talk," nor did she share any of her personal Body Dramas with me, which left me at a total disadvantage growing up. If she had only told me what the good, the bad, and the ugly of what was to be expected as a woman, I could have saved myself a lot of stressing out. Now, we go through Body Drama together, and when we come to many of the issues that were previously off-limits for conversation, I'm shocked to hear her candidly discuss how they relate to her and her experiences! Hopefully Body Drama can be that same kind of conversation-starter for more young women and their mothers, friends, and role models.
YPB: What was your personal introduction to these taboo subjects?
NR: My own body! In middle and high school, I'd often sneak into the health section of the bookstore or library and frantically flip through the dozens of puberty and body books on the shelves, ignoring the paragraphs of clinical text, searching urgently for photographic evidence that I was not a weird, stinky girl -- proof by comparison, if you will. I desperately needed to know whether or not my body was normal, but my searches always ended in vain.
I would close the books completely bummed out by the one or two real-person pictures I'd find amidst hundreds of drawings and diagrams. Inevitably, these few photographs would be in the "diet and nutrition" chapter, and they'd be of a beautiful, smiling girl riding a bicycle or holding a piece of fruit, as though my biggest body concern revolved around the proper way to peel a banana.
Occasionally, I would buy the book anyway, lie in my bed at home, stare at that smiling girl and wonder if she, too, ever accidentally clogged the toilet with her tampons. Deep-seated anxieties began to fester. I assumed that if none of the body books talked about dandruff (which I had), period stains (always a concern) or showed me how my growing body was supposed to look naked (which I really wanted to know), then other girls must not have these same issues, problems and curiosities. I always finished my reading feeling as though I had missed the boat in the body department. None of my issues were ever publicly discussed, so I thought that my original assumption was correct: I was a gross girl with lots of odd problems.
It wasn't until my college women's studies courses that I was able to get the information I needed and the reassurance that Body Drama happens to ALL women and not just me. It was really painful to stress over my body for all of my teen years, and not everyone is as lucky to have awesome professors and classmates to dish with. Body Drama is a book created out of my own personal feelings of necessity and relief!
YPB: Where did you find your models and why did they want to be in Body Drama?
NR: I started writing Body Drama while living in a tiny midtown Manhattan studio, so it made sense to have all of my photo shoots there! All of the young women in Body Drama are from New York City (or surrounding areas) and are students, actresses, teachers, artists, and are from many other walks of life. All of the participants candidly shared stories of their own Body Drama...some funny, like their nipple nicknames (pencil erasers, fish-eyes, silver bullets), some unique, like the girl who couldn't wait for the book to be published so she could interrogate her ex-boyfriend as to which vulva was hers "and prove to him why he's my ex because he's CLUELESS about down there," some painful, like the young woman who had a vagina-altering childhood see-saw accident, and some traumatic, like the woman participating because she is trying to love her body again after a horrible hospital experience following a date-rape that made her distrust doctors and dislike her body.
More than a few of the women photographed confided in me that they signed up for the shoot to try to build up their own self-confidence and to push aside negative feelings they harbored towards their own bodies, like one of the body role models who wrote to me a few weeks after the shoot, saying, "I feel so blessed that I did this. I used to have extreme self-esteem issues relating to my mixed heritage and as a result attempted suicide; it is so cathartic and great to know that I was a part of something that will definitely help young girls and women!"
YPB: How about a book for boys? How would it be different?
NR: That's a common question, and the answer is, "We'll see!" You'd be surprised by the number of emails I get and conversations that start from guys that are just brimming with their own Body Drama. Many people tell me that they want their sons/boyfriends/men in their lives to read Body Drama so they can better understand us girls and what we go through and how we actually look! Also, it's a good read for guys because many of the issues in Body Drama are gender-neutral, and male readers can learn a lot from the information provided on issues like toe fungus, bad breath, poorly-healing piercings, and underwear skid marks. ESPECIALLY underwear skid marks.
YPB: Do you have a body "role model"? Who? Why?
NR: There are so many awesome women who are taking a stand against society's absurd female ideals, but my #1 body role model du jour is Jennifer Love-Hewitt for her recent statement to the media after unflattering pictures were taken of her tush: "A size 2 is not fat...and being a size 0 doesn't make you beautiful...like all women out there should, I love my body. To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini -- put it on and stay strong."
I am proud of her for standing up for herself amidst the paparazzi backlash against her backside-- she's a spokesperson for a modest underwear line whose normal, unairbrushed, happily-vacationing derriere was caught on tape without the lighting and makeup of advertisement-land. Just like readers will see in the before and after airbrushing photo section in Body Drama, and also in the completely natural and real "shape" spread of women's bodies at the end of Body Drama, what you see in the magazines isn't real and one shouldn't compare one's own, natural body (even if the pictures are of you!) to that!
Today's author spotlight is on Deborah Reber author of a number of self-help books for young girls including In Their Shoes which we covered at Ypulse not too long ago. 
is a sweet story of two sisters' journey from Manhattan to upstate New York during the prime of their high-school and ballet school careers. While Michaela shines in their new setting, Katie struggles. Life in a small town presents new and unique challenges and as a result, the sisters' tight friendship is tested. Although they ultimately become closer, the real education comes from their own self-discovery and growth as individuals. 
Known for her work for adults, Ann Hood's first book for children 
I just received a great book from author Nancy Redd, called 