Madeline L'Engle's The Joys of Love (previously unpublished and written in 1950 is being reissued by Farrar, Straus and Giroux) (Publisher's Weekly)
BookVideos.tv (Creators TurnHere describe it as a "new multi-publisher book-centric network." At first I thought it was a giant book-movie trailer site... but it's much more.) (GalleyCat)
Wilmington College Children's Literature Conference ("Exploring and Supporting Children's Responses to Literature" attracted over 100 high school and elementary school students. Most of the conference was for college aged education students, but how cool is it they invited the local kids for the first day?) (Wilmington News)
Ranger's Apprentice's author (John Flanagan tells the story of how his book came to be, and how it felt to find out it was going to Hollywood.) (Sydney Morning Herald)
Today's Ypulse Guest Post is books related (yay!) and comes from author Mitali Perkins. Mitali has been a middle and high school teacher and is the author of several books including her most recent, First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover (Dutton), which was followed by a sequel, First Daughter: White House Rules (Dutton). You can read more about Mitali at her website. If you work in youth media or marketing and have an idea for a guest post, just send me an email!
Fusion Stories: Asian Pacific Heritage Month
This year Asian Americans are playing major roles in teen pop culture like never before. Take Ramiele Malubay (American Idol), for example, or Bobby Lee (MADtv), Kal Penn and John Ho (Harold and Kumar), Kristi Yamaguchi and Carrie Ann Inaba (Dancing with the Stars), Kaba Modern and Jabbawockeez (Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crews), and even MTV's Tila Tequila.
New Asian American voices have also moved into the mainstream of the book world. Today's titles for teens aren't mainly immigrant stories nor traditional tales retold. They deal with universal themes such as a straight-A teen struggling with a cheating scandal at her school (She's So Money by Cherry Cheva), a promising athlete coping with a snowboarding injury (Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley), and a Pakistani-born blogger whose father is about to become President (my own First Daughter: White House Rules).
An Na's The Fold, a novel about a teen considering plastic surgery to change the shape of her eyelids, speaks to all who long to be beautiful, and art-loving teens far and wide will connect with Joyce Lee Wong¹s novel-in-verse Seeing Emily. Paula Yoo, a one-time writer for People magazine and television hits like The West Wing, fuses her pop culture savvy and love of music in Good Enough, a novel about a violinist in rebellion. Her brother, David Yoo, connected with hormone-crazed nerds of every race in his funny novel Girls For Breakfast and is offering his fans the forthcoming Stop Me if You've Heard This One Before.
Founder of Readergirlz, a literacy initiative for teens, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley notes that these books are relished by readers from many different backgrounds. "There are a ton of interesting cultural trends that make it cool to read about Asian American characters," she says. "Take manga and anime, for instance. Or Gwen Stefani's harujuku girls. Mainstream, popular celebrities from actors to athletes are Asian American, and this is filtering into YA and middle grade novels."
Author Lisa Yee remembers the frustration of not finding many books about American girls like her. "When I grew up, there was no fiction featuring contemporary Asian Americans, unless of course the book was about the struggle of immigrants," she says. Thanks to exciting changes in children's book publishing, it's a different world for today's young readers of every cultural heritage, and they have many choices when it comes to novels.
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and ten of us have banded together to offer FUSION STORIES, a menu of delectable next-gen hot-off-the-press novels for middle readers and young adults. FUSION STORIES' authors include Cherry Cheva (Los Angeles, CA), Justina Chen Headley (Seattle, WA), Grace Lin (Boston, MA), An Na (Montpelier, VT), Mitali Perkins (Boston, MA), Janet Wong (Princeton, NJ), Joyce Lee Wong (Los Angeles, CA), Lisa Yee (South Pasadena, CA), David Yoo (Boston, MA), and Paula Yoo (Los Angeles, CA).
FUSION STORIES aims to be a helpful resource for parents, educators, and young readers, so if you know of a novel that (1) is for middle readers or teens, (2) was published in 2007-2008 by a traditional publishing house, (3) features an Asian American protagonist, and (4) is set primarily in contemporary America, please send a .jpg of the cover, a .jpg of the author, one or two reviews, and a brief description of the novel here. FUSION STORIES would be delighted to add titles and authors to the site.
For more information, review copies, or interview requests with any of the authors, please contact press@fusionstories.com.
Today I wanted to call attention to what looked like a great panel discussion at Publisher's Weekly's "Think Future" Series. Moderated by PW's Elizabeth Devereaux, panelists discussed "What Makes a YA a YA?" Wow. This short article sums up THE practical issues in the YA genre today. I feel like the discussion that occurred here is exactly where we are in this ever-developing literary landscape.
I loved what Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian) said about how YA books differ from their adult counterparts. I've heard this question asked of authors a lot. This is the most eloquent explanation I've ever heard:
"Writing for teens involves a stripped-down technique, Alexie said. "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."
On the stigma of writing for the YA audience, he said:
"I thought I'd been condescended to because I'm an Indian," he said. "That was nothing compared to the condescension I get because I've written a YA novel." He said that fellow writers have also accused him of chasing a lucrative market. "Because I've written a book about a 16-year-old," he said, "that means I'm a capitalistic whore."
A key issue that I've pondered about aloud here at Ypulse Books, is the question: Are YA books for or about young people? An audience member asked the panel about this and again, Alexie's response was dead-on:
"If the former, a more conservative point of view comes in. If they are about young people, it's more about respecting and not protecting. As an Indian I'm used to being what I call 'reservationized.' There can be a sense of the category, instead of elevating us, doing the reverse."
I would add, this kind of sensitivity to young readers is crucial. If we continue to consciously and carefully consider what is the most respectful approach to youth, getting books that achieve both the "for and about" factor, is possible. As YA advances in literary stature as well as a viable source of sales for publishers, we increasingly look at defining it. I think that's a good thing, but one question I would ask or rather like to see addressed is how we can include teens in this discussion? How can they inform us on these definitive issues? What makes a YA a YA to them?
- Do Hard Things (Twin brothers Alex and Brett Harris write about what they call the Rebelution...the notion that teens should reject the low-expectations of youth culture.)
- 'Patterson Aplenty' (Interesting background story to the YA and adult marketing approach with the Maximum Drive series...I guess a fan is a fan.) (Publisher's Weekly)
- The Host (By Stephenie Meyer, author of Twilight is the talk of the town. We're often talking about children's author's trying their hands at writing for adults here at Ypulse Books, so this is an interesting change. I'm curious to see how she fares.) (Omnivoracious)
- More about Stephenie Meyer (This is a great article, and I'm sorry but what stood out to me as though it were in bold faced type was that she wrote TwilightWHILE HOME WITH THREE CHILDREN UNDER 5 !!!!!!!!!!! She is supernatural!) (TIME.com)
- Good food for thought (For librarians, sometimes parents' and kid patrons' needs don't match. What do you do?) (Read Roger)
Check out Entertainment Weekly's "Read the Book: 23 Disappointing Movie Adaptations." It definitely brought back some very painful memories like Mike Myers' "Cat and the Hat," but I found it interesting. There are so many films that are adapted from books these days -- more than you realize, too many to even try and list. Are these truly the worst or simply the most recognizable? The books/film on this list are among some of our most popular (The DaVinci Code) and classic texts (The Scarlet Letter). That's what made me start to opine that perhaps this list has more to do with how high our expectations are. If you didn't read Vanity Fair would you like the film? I did.
Does the quality of the book have anything to do with these expectations? The Golden Compass was the first among the photos and I don't know if that means it 's #1 on the list, but that seems a little harsh. Yeah, I agree it was a little bit of a let-down, but I was prepared. On the contrary, I didn't expect anything nearly as wonderful as the book. I knew it couldn't be done. I think that allowed me to enjoy the movie for what it was: one version of the story -- a different illustration, if you will. I also wonder if it had been so long since I'd read the books, that I wasn't as committed to my own mental impressions?
In the case of Twilight, I don't even want to see the trailer. (I linked to it, but I didn't watch.) It's too soon. I'm just finishing New Moon and I am savoring every minute. I want Bella and Edward exactly as I've created them in my mind before giving into someone else's vision. (My Edward is a handsome cross between Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and the guy who played Mark in Showtime's 'Meadowlands'. My Bella is more Ellen Page (Juno) than Kristen Stewart.) I'll come around, I know, but for now I'm not ready.
This month I received a really diverse collection of books. There are a few that really stick out but I am backed-up right now with some great already-started material. I fear I won't get to them for a few weeks. Ugh. My list continues to grow. So little time... I've really been trying to be Zen about my reading -- remembering that I don't have to read everything right now. Life is good and what a glorious burden -- too many interesting wonderful books to read? Here's a glimpse of what has come my way this month.
Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley (What it's like to want to be popular so badly you'll pursue it even after you've died? This looks really cute and fun. I really like the packaging.)
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers (First published in 1988, Fallen Angels tells the story of one young boy serving in Vietnam. A special anniversary edition is out now.)
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers (Apropos, the sequel to Fallen Angels 20 years later takes place in Iraq.)
Thief by Brian James (Modern-day Oliver Twist meets Cassavetes' 'Gloria'? Kind of.)
It's Easy Being Green by Emma Sleeth (Written by a teen, "One Student's Guide to Serving God and Saving the Planet." Great suggestions but definitely not for your favorite atheist.)
DeathNote (1-6) by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata (Surprise! I liked this a lot. I posted about it a few weeks back.)
The Final Warning by James Patterson (Known for his adult books and one of the most famous and best-selling authors ever, Patterson writes the Maximum Ride novels for young adults -- sort of. They're marketed as a book for readers "ten to one hundred and ten." What does that mean? I think it supposed to mean 'James Patterson' without sex or swearing.
In the Small by Michael Hague (Graphic novel about what seems to be the end of the world.The natural order of things are reversed for the human survivors as they become the hunted race. Not my thing, but interesting premise.)
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Out this week -- A terrorist attack in San Francisco propels this 17-year-old into a tech driven "fight the power" political suspense novel. (Omnivoracious) Here's what 'Publisher's Weekly' had to say a few months back.
- 'Planet Earth' (to become a "children's book publishing program." Cool.) (CNNMoney)
- Stephenie Meyer pens a book for adults (YA author of the phenomenal Twilight series goes grown-up and human. I can't even think about her new book The Host until I finish with the eternity that is Bella and Edward's romance. Yup. I'm hooked and bad.) (MSNBC)
- Harry has left the building (Not really, but for the first time in 10 years, Harry Potter is not on the New York Times Best Seller List.) (Paper Cuts)
- 'Animal Stories' (Round-up and reviews of some neat new books that embrace animals in some way from Colleen Mondor at Bookslut.)
- Has censorship increased (and books for young adults being challenged in school libraries surged? Most likely not. Cases of challenged books are just being reported more accurately these days.) (SLJ)
- Sweet, cute, cuddly... Iorek? (Check out Walmart's "The Golden Compass" DVD promotion. Makes you wonder, did the folks who created this even read the book?) (Educating Alice)
- 'You're an author? Me too.' (Interesting NY Times, reg. required, article about the rise of self-publishing.)
- Allie Finkle's new site (at Scholastic allows fans to create an avatar, join the community and make their own rules.)
- Inventing literary pen names (I think this would be really fun for teens. Mine would be Anne Barnaby Holden...not bad, but my favorite author changes all the time.) (Ecstatic Days)
Last night I went to see three authors talk about and read from their newest books. Not only was it a fun group of young, cool, women writers, it was also nice to see an audience that was really diverse in race, gender and age.
While I was listening to the writers field questions, I noticed there was a group of teenage boys in attendance. Sitting towards the back (of course) they were being slightly... bratty. I'm not going to say they were being rude because they weren't, but something told me they weren't young adult enthusiasts. They were making me uncomfortable and frankly their behavior was a little distracting. But then I thought to myself, "Shame on me!" I don't know they aren't readers or YA fans. I don't know if they came to the reading in earnest or not. I was mentally hitting myself on the head 'I-couldda-had-a-V8-style' and thinking, "Oh yeah, teenagers.Young adults. I guess these books do sort of belong to them?" I'll admit, sometimes I forget.
It got me thinking: The YA audience is becoming heavily adult and I wonder how much of the material is written for us grown-ups? I wonder what our influence is? It's an interesting issue. We used to be more clearly the observers, the outsiders. We used to be the librarians, parents and teachers of tweens and teens. Now adults who read young adult literature run the gamut and are genuine fans often independent of their relationships with teens. I'm not sure what role we play, but our place in the YA community is one to examine as the genre matures.
The authors were great, and I really enjoyed hearing them talk about their writing process (loud music vs. absolute silence, for example) and what inspired each of them to write their books. The highlight of the evening though, was learning the term "stofer" (stoner + surfer) from Jody Gehrman. Can't wait to use it.
Here's some more on the authors and their respective books:
Eloise in Paris (Going to the big screen, from Handmade Films and starring Uma Thurman as the nanny. For what it's worth, I always thought Eloise was such a sad character.) (Associated Press)
- HackerTeen (new graphic novel from computer publishers O'Reilly Media aimed at entertaining teens while teaching them about Internet security and hacker ethics. Check out the HackerTeen site as well) (AppScout)
- Book Expo America (BEA) (Sneak peek: A lot of stuff for librarians! Plus Anastasia will be speaking on the BEA panel "The Gen Z Reader: Understanding the New Reader of the Post-Electronic Age" May 31st!) (Library Journal)
- Latino Books Month kicks off (focusing attention on literacy in both English and Spanish. Cool.) (Hispanic PR Newswire)
- 'Age-ranging gets the thumbs up' (Not a huge fan of leveling, but after some controversy, children's books will display reading level guidelines on their covers in the UK.) (Bookseller)
- Little Brown seeking PSAs (from socially conscious teens to promote James Patterson's environmentally themed "Maximum Ride" series. The campaign is also partnered with DoSomething and includes help from Fallout Boy) (PROMO)
Madeline L'Engle's The Joys of Love (previously unpublished and written in 1950 is being reissued by Farrar, Straus and Giroux) (Publisher's Weekly) 
