Mitali Perkins's Blog, page 31

books + teachers + tech + teens = awesome

step one: books



BAMBOO PEOPLE is assigned as required summer reading for all entering freshmen and sophomores—over 200 students at the International School of the Americas in San Antonio, Texas.



step two: teachers



Educators in World Geography, Biology, English, Technology, and Math develop an interdisciplinary unit to teach the book.



step three: tech



Google alerts me about their plan and I contact the tech teacher, Mitzi Moore, to offer a free skype visit. The teachers and students prepare thoroughly and we have two virtual Q and A sessions.





Photo courtesy of sophomore Jon Ontiveros

step four: teens



Some of the students find me on twitter and we exchange tweets about the experience. Others follow up on Facebook .







A few years ago, we couldn't have dreamed of this kind of virtual village gathering around fiction. What's next, I wonder? Live chats with an author as we read a digital book? An online fan community co-creating gaming experiences or films to extend a novel? Your guess is as good as mine, but one thing's for sure — it still starts with story, and that's never going to change.

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Back to Work: Reclaiming the Vocation

I've taken a bit of a break from my full-time work of writing books for young readers to launch our twins to college. Now that they're there and I'm back in an empty nest, I've been entertaining crazy thoughts of reinventing myself (and our bank account) with a new vocation.



Maybe I should "get a real job" as a social media guru, exploiting my twitter and facebook skills to help pay for tuition. Or I could be doing something that "makes a difference" by working for a nonprofit to battle hunger or illiteracy.



That's when I have to remind myself of a truth I've claimed and declaimed since I started in this line of work: stories can and do change the world by widening the hearts and minds of young people.



I spoke about this very topic at the Highlights Foundation Chautauqua Writers Workshop in July. And now my hypothesis has some research to back it up:

Researchers have measured the impact of reading fiction, and find that it "improves empathy" in young people.

So guess what? I'm heading back to my real job—writing children's and teen books. It's good to be home.

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

Summer Writing, Will Have Me A Blast

Summer twilight in our garden.
As many of you know, I divide my writing year into four quarters and take a step back from the nets and author visits to write during the summers and winters. I'm working on a YA anthology for called OPEN MIC, a collection of funny pieces about growing up on the margins of race and culture, and writing a middle-grade novel about a boatman's daughter in Bangladesh.



In July I'll be teaching classes on dialog and writing between cultures at the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua , a vocational dream come true. And in August we celebrate our silver wedding anniversary, a personal dream come true. I am a blessed and grateful woman.



I haven't been a very good blogger lately, what with two graduations, college launches, and other major life milestones, but I'll be back on the Fire Escape in September with renewed energy and vision (I hope) to write, read, and chat about life "between cultures." Enjoy the beauty of summer, friends.

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It's Thank You Note Season

I did my last author visit of the 2010-2011 school year yesterday and am happily reading snail mail thank you notes from students. Here are three I opened this week. The first is from a seventh-grader in Dorchester, MA, and the second two are from fifth-graders in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where I visited virtually via Skype.







Sometimes the truth doesn't hurt.




In case you can't read it: "...You were very beautiful when we skyped you. Awesome ... hair."




A script showing the conversation between the class and their teacher:

"Mrs. Leslie is thinking of stopping Bamboo People."




 

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Which Kid/YA Book Folk To Follow On Twitter, Mitali?

Glad you asked. I've compiled several lists of key people since I started using Twitter, so feel free to use them to start following folks like crazy:

139 independent booksellers
56 Kid/YA book editors


44 Kid/YA literary agents
16 advocates for multicultural Kid/YA books
33 literacy champions
55 book bloggers
Got  suggestions or additions? Leave them in the comments, and I'll add them to my lists.

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

An Interview With Uma Krishnaswami, Author of THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING

Today I'm delighted to host my über-talented friend Uma Krishnaswami , on blog tour for her recently released middle-grade novel, THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING (Atheneum, 2011). But before we spend time with Uma, here's an introduction to her newest sparkling tale ...



"Full of references to Bollywood movie traditions and local customs, this is a delightful romp with a fresh setting and a distinctive and appealing main character." — Kirkus , starred review



"Krishnaswami perfectly captures movie-star infatuation, best-friendship, geographical displacement, and youthful determination in this exuberant blend of American tween life and Indian village culture." — PW , starred review



ABOUT THE BOOK: Eleven-year old Dini loves movies—watching them, reading about them, trying to write her own—especially Bollywood movies. But when her mother tells her some big news, it does not at all jive with the script of her life she has in mind. Her family is moving to India…and, not even to Bombay, which is the center of the Bollywood universe and home to Dini's all-time most favorite star, Dolly. No, Dini is moving to a teeny, tiny village she can't even find on a map. Swapnagiri. This joyful, lively Bollywood inspired story, full of colorful details, delicious confections and the wondrous, magical powers of coincidence, will have you smiling from ear to ear.





Book Trailer:









 And now, let's talk with the lovely Ms. Uma.



Thanks for visiting the Fire Escape, my friend. Can you describe the experience of writing a book set in India as an Indian-American? Were you conscious of interpreting India for a non-hyphenated audience?

I wasn't overly conscious of trying to interpret India, because I figure my view of anywhere is going to be just that--one view. It's why we need many stories. I did realize that I was picturing a hilly region far from the hot cities, and that some people may find that goes against how they visualize India. Well, if I were to set a story in New Mexico, I imagine there'd be people who might say, "That's in America?" So I figured the best thing to do was to give agency to Dini, my hyphenated character in The Grand Plan to Fix Everything. She sees both India and America through her own Bollywood-tinted lenses, so the reader gets to see it that way too. And if it seems a little fractured and crazy--well, that's pretty much how it is.



I know we're both fans of author Chimamanda Adichie's talk, The Danger of a Single Story, so I appreciate your thoughtful answer. Okay, moving on to process: what's one big change you made to the book thanks to your editor's suggestion?

Not so much a change but a deepening. Most of the plot and the interactions between subplots were already in place. The big editorial work I needed to do was to deepen the storyline of Dini's and Maddie's friendship, and place Dolly as the glue holding that friendship together. Those things were there, but in many places they were beneath the surface. I had to work to bring them more into the spotlight.



Could you give us a playlist of your top three Bollywood films for newbies?

Lagaan

Chak De India

Tare Zamein Par



Thanks! I'm sure Netflix will report a run on these titles now that you're recommending them. Last but not least, I've heard so many great things about your work as a teacher of writing. How does that vocation support and/or conflict with your own writing?

It supports it in really wonderful ways. I find that when I'm working on student manuscripts and talking to students about craft, I get a break from thinking directly about my own work, but it's there in the back of my mind. And then when I go back to it, I find I'm fresher, and better able to dig in. In part, it's that forced time away from it, but I think there's more it it than that. Maybe the conversations with students (and with my fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty) allow my subconscious to make the necessary connections with my own work. Sometimes, of course, teaching takes up time, and I have to set my own writing aside to give that time. I'll be taking a semester off this fall for that reason, so I can get caught up on projects I want to complete, as well as some that are already under contract.



I'm excited about any new Krishnaswami projects, so I fully support this sabbatical. But I also appreciate your commitment to and example of mentoring and championing other writers. Thank you, Uma, for this beautiful book, and for your consistent excellence in this vocation.

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

For Celebrating The Distinctives, Thank You, Booksellers!

I blitzed into town to accept my Honor Awards from the American Booksellers' Association yesterday. I was given two minutes for some remarks, and here's the gist of what I said (although I was nervous so it wasn't polished):

One of my favorite things about independent booksellers is your ability to celebrate the distinctive over the generic. When most people ask me where I'm from, for example, they don't really care about the details. They don't want to hear about how I was the fattest baby born in Kolkata, India. They don't want to know about being the only kid who wasn't white in my suburban North American middle school. They want a quick answer so they can slot me into a category and move along.

You, however, have time, energy, and imagination for the distinctives. You care about what defines each of us as storytellers and champion stories that aren't generic.

Thanks for honoring BAMBOO PEOPLE, a book featuring characters on the edges of global power and privilege. Thanks  for fighting for marginalized voices, showcasing and selling stories that otherwise might not be received by readers, and cheering us on with creativity and sacrifice.

I love the sense of place that defines each of you, so keep battling for the unique and rejecting the generic in your stores. We're with you all the way.

A Sarah Dessen truck was giving out free whoopie pies outside the Javitz Convention Center, but sadly it was closed when I arrived at noon from Boston.


The ABA Booksellers Luncheon program was lovely, showcasing honorees and winners.


David Levithan accepted his honor for WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON on behalf of himself and John Green.


Laurie Halse Anderson showed us why she deserved the win in the Most Engaging Author category.


After Laurie's acceptance speech, bookselling daughter Stephanie Anderson (of Word in Brooklyn) took it upon herself to keep Mom humble.


From right to left: Jennifer Donnelly, who won in the YA category for REVOLUTION, Laurie Halse Anderson, and me.


I popped into the YA Book Buzz Editors Panel before my wonderful agent Laura Rennert treated me to afternoon tea.


My old friend Babar sent me back to Boston after confessing a desperate longing for a shower and change of clothes.


At home, I unwrapped my goodies: a gorgeous Levenger pen and notebook and two award plaques, one honoring BAMBOO PEOPLE in the YA category and one honoring me in the Most Engaging Author category. (As Lisa Yee tweeted, it's a lot better than being known as a Most Enraging Author.) Thank you, booksellers! I've loved you for years, but knowing it's not unrequited feels fabulous.

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BookExpo America and BAMBOO PEOPLE on Audio

I'm at BookExpo America today in New York City accepting honor awards from the American Booksellers Assocation for Bamboo People in the YA novel category and for myself in the "most engaging author" category. (Pressure's on -- I'd better try and be engaging in my acceptance comments.) I'll also be signing from 2-2:30 in the ABA Booksellers' Lounge.



On the train, I plan to listen to a gift that just arrived from Charlesbridge in the mail:

Here's a lovely review of the audiobook:

Narrator Jonathan Davis rises to the challenge of depicting both sides of an ethnic war with distinct voices and steadfast pacing. Eschewing accents, he clearly portrays characters of both genders and diverse ages and nationalities. Davis's serious, calm delivery of a few tense scenes makes for a gripping listen.

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

Foundation For Children's Books Author Events

Today I'm spending the day with 110 middle-schoolers who attend Boston Collegiate Charter School . My visit was organized by The Foundation for Children's Books , a wonderful organization headquartered in the Boston area. The FCB worked with my generous publisher Charlesbridge to provide every student with a copy of Bamboo People , ensuring that the students have read my novel before my visit. It doesn't get better than that.



On Tuesday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m., the FCB will host New England Voices, a free event in Boston College's Walsh Hall featuring four New England authors reading from their new work:

Karen Day writes funny and poignant middle-grade novels that explore all the ups and downs of that age. Her latest, A Million Miles from Boston, is the story of 12-year-old Lucy, who finds that this summer's trip to Maine will be turned upside down.


Nancy Poydar has written and illustrated twelve picture books, many in school settings--perhaps because before becoming an author/illustrator, Nancy taught 6th grade for 14 years. Her latest is No Fair Science Fair.


Susan Lynn Meyer is the author of Black Radishes, her debut novel about a young boy in Nazi-occupied France that School Library Journal calls "a dramatic tale of courage and determination."


Christine McDonnell, an area children's librarian, has written several endearing picture books. Her latest, Goyangi Means Cat, is the gentle story of a young girl who comes from Korea to live with her new American family and eventually finds home.
This event includes refreshments, book sales and signing.

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

A Whirlwind Trip To Orlando and Tampa

Only managed to take a few photos during my trip to Florida, but hopefully they'll give you a feel of the International Reading Association Convention where I delivered a speech ("Books Between Cultures") at an Institute moderated by Kathy Ganske and Junko Yokota called "Discussions That Matter: Fostering Critical Reading, Critical Thinking, and Critical Literacy Across the Grades." I also visited St. John's Episcopal School in Tampa where I spoke to sixty eighth-graders ("Stories on the Fire Escape.")



Author-Illustrator Chris Myers waits for our panel at the Institute. He also keynoted, as did author Jacqueline Woodson.


Ah, the tropical air!


Illustrator Ralph Masiello and Author Stephanie Brockway (who happen to be married) show off book one in their new series for Charlesbridge, The Mystic Phyles: Beasts .


No, this is not the line of people waiting for my books. Guess which author garners this kind of fan devotion and you won't be in the least bit wimpy.


I was delighted to meet author Rukhsana Khan in person for the first time.


My time in Florida ended with a nice visit to St. John's School in Tampa.

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!