Marcia Thornton Jones's Blog, page 196

Award for THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK by Kristin Levine

It always makes me feel a little awkward to toot my own horn... but I was so honored to find out that The Lions of Little Rock had received an award from the New-York Historical Society!


http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/16/tale-of-school-integration-wins-childrens-history-book-prize/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=arts&_r=3&

Summer of Adventure by Claudia Mills (May theme)

One of the joys of my childhood was having a sister one year younger than I am (361 days younger, to be exact), who loved all the same books I did, with the same intensity. We adored - and still adore - the Betsy/Tacy books of Maud Hart Lovelace, the "Shoes" books of Noel Streafeild, the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books of Betty MacDonald.


Back then, the public library would let patrons check out only four books at a time. During the summer, we'd walk the mile to the library (kids walked alone wherever they wanted in those days), check out our four books apiece, walk home and spend two days reading all of them, and then walk back to get four more.

Of all the books we devoured during those sweet, sultry days of endless reading, we loved none more than we loved the "Adventure" books of British author Enid Blyton: Castle of Adventure, Island of Adventure, Sea of Adventure, Ocean of Adventure, River of Adventure, Circus of Adventure, Valley of Adventure. . . . When we brought home a new Adventure book, we deemed it unfair for one of us to read it before the other one, so we'd sit side by side reading silently out of the same copy of the book; I remember having to wait a second or two until Cheryl was ready to turn the page.




 Even as children we thought that certain elements of the books were cheesy. We couldn't help but note that Jack, Philip, Dinah, and LucyAnn had measles more than once (convenient for necessitating a long convalescence during which they could be off having adventures); we snorted with laughter when in The River of Adventure they take a trip on the River of Abencha (yes!); we made fun of Kiki-the-parrot's constant penchant for getting mixed up and squawking "God save the weasel" and "Pop goes the queen."

But how we wanted to go off on those adventures! We tried to pretend that our picnic table bench was the plank by which we could enter into the turret window of the castle of adventure, but it really wasn't the same. We yearned to eat tinned pineapple and carry torches - how disappointed we were when we discovered that the children in the book were merely eating canned pineapple and carrying flashlights.


Only many years later did we notice the sexism and racism of the books. The boys are defined by their passions and interests - Jack is "mad about" birds, Philip is "mad about" animals. The girls are defined by their faults - Dinah has a hot temper, LucyAnn is a fraidycat. The villains are invariably dark-skinned or foreign. Re-released in revised editions in recent years, the racism is considerably toned down, but the sexism is too deeply woven into the stories to eliminate. 

But I still named my Shirley Temple doll LucyAnn.

I wanted to be LucyAnn.

And so I read the Adventure books, side by side with my sister, transporting myself from my New Jersey backyard each June, July, and August, to a summer of adventure.

Summer (Reading) in the City by Danette Vigilante

When I heard this month's theme was going to be summer reading, two things popped into my head. The first was the time I got the worst sunburn of my life while on a beach (my favorite reading spot) in Puerto Rico. I was so engrossed in Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth that I completely forgot to apply sunscreen. Holey Smoley! Can you say painful?


The second thing was the popular song, "Summer in the City." The Lovin' Spoonful recorded it in 1966 at a time when I was barely coherent, since I was just three years old. Rolling Stone lists "Summer in the City" at number 401 on their list of the top 500 greatest songs of all time.


With this song in mind, my plan for this post was not to write something about summer reading, but to video a parody of "Summer in the City." Now don't go getting crazy ideas about how I can actually sing, because I most definitely cannot. Although, if I could, I'd sing everywhere. While shoe shopping: "Dooo you have these in a size seven and a halfff?" Ordering a pizza: "One large pepperoniii pieee, pleaseee."


Since I have concern for the health of your ears, here are some of the words I would have sung to the tune of “Summer in the City” (click to hear original song).


Cool books, summer in the city

Reading all day makes me happy and giddy

Wont leave town, so I'll stay with my kitty (hey, whaddaya want? At least they rhyme and I do have a cat)


Hanging out on a bench in the city

Everyone in town looking for a good read

Reading to myself while the sun warms my head


When the lights go out, gotta read in bed

So I go and find a light

Let's read, let's read, let's read all night

Even in the heat, it'll be all right


Cool books, in the summer, in the city

In the summer, in the city


Happy summer reading and don't forget the sunscreen!

Summer Reading by Bob Krech

When I was a kid I spent most of my summer days playing baseball or messing around in the woods. My friends and I would generally eat breakfast, start calling each other and finding other kids till we had enough for teams (four a side was generally considered the acceptable minimum) playing ball all morning, eating lunch, and then heading to the woods, creek, or someone's backyard till dinner.

The beginning of the summer I turned twelve however, my two best friends, Mike and Drew, both went to camp. This had never happened before and I don't know why it happened then. It was only for two weeks, but it threw my well-ordered summer routine out of kilter.  At the same time I had just discovered Ray Bradbury. I had read a short story near the end of school called "Kids Grow Mushrooms in Your Basement" or something like that. Basically the plot was that these mail order mushrooms took over your mind and were intent on taking over the world. I was blown away by how this crazy idea was written so well that it was completely believable. It actually kept me out of my basement for a while. 

There was a used book store near us which I found had paperbacks at the very reasonable price of ten for a dollar. I looked for Bradburys and found plenty. That summer in the morning I started taking a blanket out to the backyard and laying down and reading a Bradbury book instead of trying to get up a baseball game without my two comrades. I read Dandelion Wine, R is for Rocket, S is for Space. One collection after the other. The stories were like potato chips. I couldn't stop. It was sunny and hot outside, but I was content to lay there in the shade reading. Unusual for a twelve year old, baseball-mad Yankees fan. My father seriously asked my mother if there was something wrong with me. To her credit, she assured him it was all good. Fortunately, he trusted her judgement.

I read The Martian Chronicles which was very cool because all of the short stories were linked in that they were about Mars but from all different perspectives and time frames. Then I read Something Wicked This Way Comes which still seems to me one of those most wonderful, descriptive, fantastic novels ever written. Talk about a well-crafted book that could be enjoyed by anyone twelve and up. Man! I was swept away.

It was an unusual two weeks. I was steeped in this one author's works and I actually began to notice things about craft. About how he opened and closed stories. About the power of description and setting. How he used the reader's senses. It turned out to be a two week crash course in writing and it gave me something to really aspire to.

Then Mike and Drew came home. We got the rest of the kids together and started playing ball again. But I still have a shelf full of Bradbury. And sometimes I still read him on a blanket, in the shade, in the summer.

“Middleview” Interview with Debut Author Tracy Holczer

Posted by Tamera Wissinger
Today, our own Smack Dab in the Middle Blogger, Tracy Holczer is participating in our “middleview” interview. Tracy’s debut middle grade novel THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY released on 05/01/14! Congratulations, Tracy! This is the final stop on Tracy’s blog tour and if you read all the way to the bottom you’ll find a link where you can register for a chance to win a copy of THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY!

Here is a bit about Tracy:
Tracy Holczer lives in Southern California with her husband, three daughters, two rather fluffy dogs, and two rats that are not so fluffy. Her debut middle grade novel, The Secret Hum of a Daisy, will be published in the US by G.P. Putnam’s Sons on May 1, 2014 and by Konigskinder/Carlsen in Germany 2015.


Here’s a description of THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY:
Twelve-year-old Grace and her mother have always been their own family, traveling from place to place like gypsies. But Grace wants to finally have a home all their own. She thinks she's found it with Mrs. Greene and her daughter Lacey so when her mother says it's time to move on again, Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really feels. She'll always regret that her last words to her were angry ones.
Now faced with making a home with a grandmother she's never met, and according to her mother, didn't want her in the first place, Grace is desperate to get back to Mrs. Greene and Lacey. A mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on, may must be the key. It all begins with a crane. And Grace is sure it's her mother showing her the way home.
Here are the links to Tracy online Website, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook
Now it’s time to hear from our guest:
Smack Dab Middleview with THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY author Tracy Holczer
1. In a nutshell, what does your main character, Grace, want?
Grace wants to belong somewhere (just not with Grandma in that stinking small town). 
2. What is in her way?
Oh, EVERYTHING. Grandma, for one, who won’t let her move back in with Mrs. Greene and Lacey. Everyone knows that’s where she belongs. Mrs. Greene, who won’t let Grace come home. But mostly Grace is in her own way because she won’t accept the one and only thing she’s ever wanted: a community. Well, not at first, anyway.
3. Did you know right away that this was your story, or did you discover it as you wrote? How did the story evolve?
This story grew out of a short story I wrote years ago. That story was, at its heart, very similar to HUM in that it was about a girl whose Mom had recently died. Both stories have a grandmother who is difficult to love. Both stories are about people finding their way toward each other. HUM evolved from the short story simply because Grace wouldn’t shut up. Even though I was writing another story, she dogged me day and night until I was nearly crazy from lack of sleep and the feeling that I was losing my mind. Finally, I got up one morning, stormed over to my computer and wrote the first chapter. It took me six long years after that, but it wasn’t Grace’s fault. It was a long slow process of learning how to listen more to what the characters need and want, and finding the conflict by not giving it to them.
4. Was THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY always for middle grade readers or not? If so, why did you choose middle grade? If not, what had to change for it to be considered a middle grade novel?
HUM was always for middle grade readers. I don’t quite feel like I chose middle grade as much as it chose me. After taking a class at UCLA Extension, the instructor pointed out that I naturally floated toward telling a story from the child’s perspective and that I might give writing for kids a shot. Having not read middle grade since I was a child, I fell in love with the likes of Kate DiCamillo, Katherine Paterson and Sharon Creech. I was hooked and my writing seemed to fall in line for that audience.
5. What is the best part of writing for middle grade readers?
The idea that you are reaching them when their minds and hearts are still partially made of putty. Everything is new. They have so many decisions to make about who they are and what they want. A book could come along and impact those decisions.
6. Is there any downside?
 Nope.
7. Is there one question you wish you could answer about writing, your book, or the author's life, but have never been asked? Here's your chance to Q &A yourself. What would you tell your childhood self about being a writer?
I wish I could go back and tell my lonely, stubborn, fearful eight-year-old self that everything is part of a bigger picture. That if I just focus on putting one foot in front of the other, I will get myself there. I may be flighty and other kids might think I’m weird, but one day I will decide that flighty means creative and that embracing the weird is the best possible outcome for anyone.
As promised, here is the link to Tracy’s giveaway, which is open to US participants and includes a copy of THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY, a $20.00 Amazon Gift Certificate, and a secret treasure:


a Rafflecopter giveaway





















Here are all of the stops on Tracy's THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY BLOG TOUR:

May 6: Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire May 7: Leandra Wallace May 8: Heidi Schultz May 9: AuthorOf May 10: Read Now, Sleep Later May 11: Kidlit Frenzy May 12: Literary Rambles May 14: Smack Dab in the Middle

Thank you for joining us at Smack Dab in the Middle Blog, Tracy. Again, congratulations on the release of THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY!

Some Great Books for Summer Reading

Since we're "gearing up for summer reading", I thought I'd recommend some books I've read recently that I really enjoyed.  They're perfect for summer and would be great for anyone who loves MG fiction.




SAVVY by Ingrid Law follows the adventures of Mississippi “Mibs” Beaumont who is about to turn 13.  It’s the magical birthday in the Beaumont family when a family member’s Savvy first shows itself.  Will Mibs’ savvy be as fierce as her brother Rocket’s – who creates electricity?  Or like her brother Fish’s who produces hurricanes?  And, will her Savvy be enough to save her Poppa who lies in the hospital in a coma?  This is a delightful tale of family, friendship and love, and a ride on a pink bus that changes everything.
DOLL BONES by Holly Black follows the exploits of Poppy, Zac, and Alice who go on a modern day quest to bring the ghost of Eleanor – housed inside a china doll called Queen – to rest. This ghostly tale is also one of friendship, growing up, and having the courage to risk everything.
HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL by Robin Herrera is another winner. Star Mackie’s voice rings unique and true in a tale of friendship, love, acceptance, and letting your own star shine, no matter what. Using Emily Dickenson’s poem “Hope is the thing with feathers”, Star and her Poetry Club friends find their own versions of hope.
The Newbery Honor and National Book Award winner INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai, uses poetic form the tell the story of a young Vietnamese girl Ha’ and her family. They are forced to leave their beloved Saigon when it falls during the war in 1975.  They board a ship to the US where Ha’ must find her place in a strange and foreign land called Alabama. Beautifully written, heartfelt and tender, it’s an unforgettable story about the people war leaves behind.  I hope you enjoy reading these wonderful books as much as I did.  

My Summer of Reading Serial-ly from Jody Feldman

It was the summer between 5th and 6th grades. We moved to a different house that was only about 3 miles west-southwest, but without Facebook and iPhones, it might as well have been 300 miles from the neighborhood friends I’d had for life. And so started the season of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

Thanks to my older cousins having outgrown the series (if one can truly outgrow any book), my aunt had boxed up the full set of each and handed them over to us. I might have outgrown them myself, now venturing into Agatha Christie, but there was, I’m thinking, something comforting about the predictable plot in each book. My world was going to be scary come September, and yet there was Nancy. There were Frank and Joe. And if they could face hardened criminals at their age, I could face a classroom full of strangers.

That sounds a lot braver than I was. And more insightful. But most mornings I would start a book; most afternoons, lay on a raft in our 18"-deep vinyl backyard pool, then come in and cool off by finishing that day’s mystery.
Yes, that's me on the left.
For me, summer reading was also, and thankfully, a break from the sad animal books–think Rascal, The Yearling, Sounder–our teachers insisted we read in class. The books were fun and playful and exciting. They imparted useful advice ... like teaching me how to tense my ankle and wrist muscles in the event someone bound them with rope ... after kidnapping me, of course.

And even though that big, bad summer between 5th and 6th grades was filled with underlying apprehension, the reading whisked me away. And maybe that’s one reason why I write the books I do, to recapture that sense of adventure and hope, to give other readers the escape hatch I loved so much.

Jody Feldman’s second book in the series, The Gollywhopper Games: The New Champion is being released on May 27, just in time for summer reading.

May Theme: Summer ReadingBy Marcia Thornton JonesLong sum...

May Theme: Summer Reading By Marcia Thornton Jones
Long summer days seem made for reading!
Some of my best memories include lying on a daybed on the screened-in porch that ran the length of my childhood home to read amidst the summer sounds of buzzing bumblebees, purring of distant lawn mowers, and the call/response of amorous crickets. So it makes sense that I have a mountain of books to read this summer.
Of course, I hope young readers out there will include a few of my summer-themed titles on their reading lists this summer!
I also have other ‘books’ on my ‘list’ this summer—the books I am writing and always…always…ALWAYS…my journal. In fact, whether young or old, writer or not, I encourage everyone to add ‘journal’ to their summer book list. Here are a few joy-filled ideas for filling your blank pages with summer doodles, musings, and memories!

Marcia’s Summer Journaling TopicsTo Write, Draw—or BOTH!
Make lists. List favorite things you do, adventures you want to have, family celebrations—then choose your favorites to elaborate by either writing, drawing…or both!Keep a laughter log. Journal about what make you laugh…and how you brought smiles to the faces of others.Collect. Make illustrated entries about birds, insects, flowers and other summery items that make summer feel like summer.Ephemera. Collect free and inexpensive items and paste/tape them to your journal pages. Then write a snippet about how it represents you and your summer.Definitions. Journal what makes summer SUMMER or what makes you YOU or your family uniquely YOUR FAMILY.Games. Write the rules and instructions for how to play your own made up game…then go play.Plays. Turn your favorite summer books into scripts…then have your friends help act it out.Maps. Where have you been? Where are you going? Attach maps to your journal pages…or draw them yourself. Don’t forget to map out less familiar terrain…like the journey to happiness, trips down memory lane, and the maze out of anger.Rewrite stories. Write what you think should’ve happened in books or movies—or write what might’ve happened if a character had only done something differently—or write what you should’ve written in your OWN story if only you had been brave enough.You-dles: Develop your own cartooning doodling style using simple shapes like circles for heads and triangles for bodies and rectangles for arms and legs. Then illustrate you and your summer events as if you were in a comic strip.
(for more writing tips visit http://www.marciatjones.com)

“Middleview” Interview with Debut Author Rebecca Petruck

Posted by Tamera Wissinger
Today, Rebecca Petruck is joining Smack Dab In The Middle Blog for a guest “middleview” interview. Rebecca’s debut middle grade novel STEERING TOWARD NORMAL, Abrams/Amulet, releases on 05/13/2014! Congratulations, Rebecca!
Here is a bit about Rebecca:
Rebecca Petruck is a Minnesota girl, though she also has lived in Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, England, Connecticut and, currently, North Carolina. A former member of 4-H, she was also a Girl Scout, a cheerleader, and competed in MathCounts. She reads National Geographic cover to cover. Her first novel, STEERING TOWARD NORMAL, is an American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce New Voices selection and a Spring 2014 Kids' Indie Next List title. Vanity Fair's Hollywood dubbed it a "book we'd like to see made into a film." STEERING TOWARD NORMAL will be released by Abrams/Amulet May 13, 2014. You may visit her online at www.rebeccapetruck.com.

Here’s a description of STEERING TOWARD NORMAL:
Eighth grade is set to be a good year for Diggy Lawson: he’s chosen a great calf to compete at the Minnesota State Fair, he’ll see a lot of the girl he secretly likes at 4-H, and he and his dad Pop have big plans for April Fool’s Day. But everything changes when classmate Wayne Graf’s mother dies, which brings to light that Pop is Wayne’s father, too. Suddenly, Diggy has a half-brother who moves in and messes up his life. Wayne threatens Diggy’s chances to win Grand Champion, horns in on his girl, and rattles his easy relationship with Pop.
Despite his high hopes, eighth grade quickly turns into Diggy’s worst year ever, filled with jealousy, fighting, and several incidents involving cow poop. But as the boys care for their calves, pull pranks, and watch too many B movies, they learn what it means to be brothers and how weird the concept of family can be as they slowly steer toward a new kind of normal.
Here are the links to Rebecca online Website, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook
Now it’s time to hear from our guest:
Smack Dab Middleview with STEERING TOWARD NORMAL author Rebecca Petruck

1. In a nutshell, what does your main character, Diggy, want? 
Externally, Diggy wants to win the Grand Champion purple ribbon in the junior steer competition at the Minnesota State Fair. Internally, he wants to feel Pop and Wayne would have chosen to be part of his life, rather than just stuck with him.

2. What is in his way? 
His personal insecurities. And Wayne—Diggy’s sudden half-brother seems to him to intentionally tick him off and otherwise mess up his life. 
3. Did you know right away that this was your story, or did you discover it as you wrote? 
This story seriously evolved over time. Initially there were three boys, a girl, and a little sister. Four POVs. Dairy cattle rather than steers, and even chickens for a while. I had scenes at the VFW, at the hardware store where the town gossips were having a field day, a joy ride into town that resulted in the truck being towed (with the little sister still in the vehicle), and even Diggy’s mom returning to town after her twelve-year absence. But the root was always the discovery of a half sibling and the state fair. Once I pared away all the stuff that happened, focusing on the theme of choice and choosing, the story became much clearer.
4. Was Steering Toward Normal always for middle grade readers or not? 
Yes and no. STN was my thesis for an MFA program without a children’s writing component. So initially, it wasn’t written as a children’s novel, but I had no aspirations of publishing it for any category other than middle grade.
After graduation, my approach for revising the manuscript so it was more kid oriented was to “Point and Focus.” What was my main point, and what scenes gave focus to it? I’d guess more than half the manuscript that was my thesis was cut away, with new pages emphasizing Diggy’s internal journey through external events.

5. What is the best part of writing for middle grade readers? 
I love how willing middle grade readers are to suspend their disbelief and go with a story that catches their attention no matter how outrageous the idea—even if the “outrageous” idea is only that they might ever live on a farm and raise cattle. I think middle grade readers don’t have a lot of filters yet so they seem more willing to let themselves experience a wide range of possibilities through story—which gives me a lot of room to play.
Also, middle grade years are when decisions begin to have more impact with greater repercussions. Good role models are vital, and books have always been a source of positive role models for me.
6. Is there any downside? 
For me, middle school was tumultuous and embarrassing. Mining my own memories and confronting my personal insecurities is not comfortable. But books truly have been mentors for me throughout my life, and I hope readers will feel better able to cope with their own situations by seeing how Diggy coped with his. Keeping one’s heart open, even knowing there will be pain (especially knowing there will be), is scary and difficult, but I think it’s the truest way to live a happy and full life.  
Thank you for joining us at Smack Dab in the Middle Blog, Rebecca. Again, congratulations on the release of STEERING TOWARD NORMAL!

Closet Identity: Reader (May Theme)

by Naomi Kinsman

When I saw this theme––summer reading––come across my desk, my mind went blank. Summer reading? As in reading kids do? As in reading teachers do? As in the reading I do... wait. Do I read?

Ah, the essential question. And yes, of course, I do read, but ever since I threw myself into becoming a writer, reading has changed for me. I read manuscripts for friends and students and clients, all with my writing craft hat firmly attached. I read books for book clubs I facilitate and others in which I network with fellow writers. In these cases, I know my well-considered thoughts are still required. I read nonfiction on writing craft and fiction chosen to inform the skills I'm working to gain.

When I read those words––summer reading––an image flashed to mind of my younger self, two braids swinging, as I lugged a bag full of books back to the library to report my progress to my favorite librarian. Even as I reported my reading progress, ideas bounced around my head of what I'd read next. That girl, she knew who she was as a reader.

Me? I'm not so sure who I am as a reader. Or maybe it's just that I don't want to admit to myself who I am as a reader right now. Maybe I don't like this practical, task-oriented reader I seem to have become. I don't want to lose the joy of stumbling upon a book, opening it, and then not being able to put it down. This summer, I want to rediscover who I am as a reader.

What does that mean?

I think it means visiting the library. Picking up books just because. Trying out new kinds of books. Exploring. As I'm typing this, my energy is lifting. My heart is expanding. Yep. Feels like it is time. I'm excited! I think I'll start with... a new mystery series.

If you want to explore who you are as a reader this summer too, you might enjoy this blog post I saw a few weeks back, about tech tools a class of sixth graders used this year as they explored their identities as readers.

photo credit: aafromaa via photopin cc