Mitali Perkins's Blog, page 40

How Should We Write Across Cultures?

Here's a great mission statement:

Imagine. Envision. Write. Revise. Submit. YARN publishes outstanding original short fiction, poetry, and essays for Young Adult readers, written by the writers you know and love, as well as fresh new voices ... including teens.

That's the purpose of Young Adult Review Network , also known as YARN. The site editors recently asked me to contribute an original short story and also posed three interesting questions during a brief Q and A. Here's one of them, along ...

A Chat with Christina Gonzalez, Author of THE RED UMBRELLA

I love historical fiction when both words are handled excellently by an author, don't you?



I've been lounging in the garden this summer, making my way slowly but surely through a pile of books. But time didn't plod as I read Christina Gonzalez' THE RED UMBRELLA (Knopf Books for Young Readers) — it flew as I turned page after page without stopping.



This tender, intimate look at one family's separation is a superb way to learn about Operation Pedro Pan and the Castro revolution in Cuba. Bet...

What Should Mitali Write Next?

For the first time in years, I'm not writing under contract. It's an exciting, creative space. I'm planning my writing time for the coming year, and I need your help. I've got four unwritten projects on my mind. Which one should I tackle first?

YA Bollywood-esque action novel with a funny guy hero. Theme: international adoption and power.


Short novel for elementary-aged readers set in Nepal about wells, water, and arsenic. Theme: do good well (no pun intended.)


Picture book fairy tale

You're Invited: Boston Book Launch Party

Taking a two-week break from blogging to visit my parents, so I'll leave you with this invitation to come to my book launch party for Bamboo People on August 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m., Porter Square Books, Cambridge, Ma. Bring friends to enjoy the Burmese appetizers; everybody's welcome! RSVP here or by email .

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

Bon Voyage, BAMBOO PEOPLE!

On sale today: Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins

 

"A graceful exploration of the redemptive power of love, family, and friendship." —★ Publishers Weekly Starred Review



Junior Library Guild SelectionSummer 2010 Indie Next Pick 

Nominated for ALA's Best Fiction for Young AdultsPublished by Charlesbridge


Chiko isn't a fighter by nature. He's a book-loving Burmese boy whose father, a doctor, is in prison for resisting the government. Tu Reh, on the other hand, wants to fight for freedom ...

A Chat with N. H. Senzai, Author of SHOOTING KABUL

Our windows and mirrors mantra here on the Fire Escape certainly holds true when it comes to SHOOTING KABUL (Simon and Schuster / Paula Wiseman Books, June 22, 2010).



N.H. Senzai's  middle-grade novel beautifully illuminates life in war-torn Afghanistan and evokes empathy for those who flee to our country for sanctuary. It's also a quick page-turner for kids who will connect with Fadi's efforts to help his family, handle a complicated older sister, win a dream prize, make friends, and deal w...

ALA 2010 Twitpic Gala Gallery

I invited people attending the American Library Association's Annual Convention in D.C. to stop by Charlesbridge's booth and be photographed with their own or any book they were excited about. These lovelies took me up on it:















Thanks, everybody! It was fun to meet old and new friends. If you spot yourself, could you leave a comment sharing the book's title and author? Track all my photos from ALA on twitter by searching for hashtag #ala10pic.

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

...

Summer Fun: New Harry Potter Trailer

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

You're Invited: ALA 2010 Twitpic Gala!

In a valiant effort to prevent loneliness—been there, done that—during my signing at the American Annual Library Association Convention in DC, I'm hosting a ...



••••• ala 2010 twitpic gala! •••••

You're invited! Stop by and I'll post a photo of you on twitter holding *your* favorite ALA book (with hashtag #alatwitpic your twitter handle). It could be your own hot-off-the-presses release or an oldie but a goodie. If you don't like photos of you, we'll snag a stranger to clutch it. And you don...

Blog of Note: Bamboo People in the Blogger Limelight

Nineteen hours ago, I tweeted this:

Didn't I make my book website pretty with @blogger's new template design tools? http://bamboopeople.org

About an hour later, blogger (obviously on twitter) featured my book site as yesterday's "Blog of Note."



What is a blog of note, anyway? Here's the official description:



Blogs of Note ... waited for its moment, which finally came when an attempt to put a Blog Search box on the Blogger homepage went awry and ended up as Explore Blogs, an overly delight...