Mitali Perkins's Blog, page 54

Meet Neesha Meminger and Sheba Karim!

BEYOND GOSSIP GIRLS
An Evening with Young Adult Authors
Neesha Meminger and Sheba Karim

Wednesday, July 29th, 7pm

Books and films for young adults have exploded onto the scene recently with the success of the Twilight series, Gossip Girl, Harry Potter, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. How do teens of color fare amidst this explosion? What is it like to try to publish works with multicultural characters or characters of color in an industry clamoring for the next Twilight?

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YA Books, Xenophobia, and Global Poverty

It was a typical suburban corner bake sale fundraiser on a sunny summer afternoon, so I stopped to do my part.

"We're heading to India in 2010 to work at an orphanage," a cheerful high-schooler said as she handed me a packet of brownies.

Just the kind of girl who might read my books, I thought. "I actually wrote a novel about that," I said, forking over the cash. "It's called Monsoon Summer."

She took a step back. "No way. No way."

"I did. It's set in Indian orphanage."

"I read that book four times,"

Take Me Away, Fiction

If you can't afford a lavish vacation this summer, here's a list of books that make you forget where you are by creating a great sense of place. I haven't read all of these, so don't quote me as your travel agent -- they came in response to my call for YA/Kid novels that turn us into armchair travelers with their mastery of setting. Feel free to suggest other fairly new titles/authors/places in the comments.

Real Places
LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY / Gary D. Schmidt / coastal MaineTHE YE

Book Covers and Race: WHY?

Think the cover girl of Justine Larbalestier's forthcoming YA thriller LIAR (Bloomsbury / October 2009) looks black? Because the novel features an African American protagonist.



Compare the North American (above) with the Australian (below) packaging of this book.



Some of you remember Straight Talk on Race, my article in School Library Journal's April 2009 issue where I cited examples to illustrate the problem with cover art. I might have to add this one to the list, and once again ask, "Why, Bloo

YA Novels that Create a Sense of Place

The best authors turn us into armchair travelers, whether in this world or into other ones. John Green took us to Orlando in PAPER TOWNS. Sarah Dessen makes me feel like I know the suburbs of North Carolina. Leave the answer to my 12-second video question in the comments to this post and I'll compile a list. Don't you love how the video makes it look like I'm shocked by my own question?


YA Novels that Create a Sense of Place on 12seconds.tv

Come visit me on the Fire Escape!

How To Launch a Book Online

Curious about how to throw a virtual book launch party? Stop by Grace Lin's launch of her enchanting new fantasy WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON (Little Brown). We're enjoying goodies, contests, giveaways, and the eternal hope of cupcakes.

Find out more about this lovely novel, which I want to read aloud to every upper elementary kid on the planet. Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Booklist all starred it, and Booklist said, "Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evi

Tips, Tricks, and Twitter Parties

I'm departing the Fire Escape for a week's writing retreat, but I'll leave you with some tips, news, and tricks, as well as an update on our Twitter Book Parties: only room for two more books!
I have to mind my "p"s and "q"s after being quoted in Greg Pincus' article on social media as a language showcase.

Check out Grace Lin's virtual book launch of the thrice-starred WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON (Little Brown) and her online store of graceful gifts.

YA author and rgz Diva Holly Cupala shares

Gran Torino: Nice Work, Eastwood

At first glance, Gran Torino might seem like another one of those white men saves the day kind of stories that spew out of Hollywood on a regular basis. But it's not. It's a movie about how crossing borders to encounter the personal and particular, as Hazel Rochman put it, can "save" the racist in all of us.

Clint Eastwood liked the script by Nick Schenk, a rookie screenwriter based in Minnesota, so much that he didn't allow a single word to be changed. Schenk credits the friendships he made whil

Hospitality, Chattanooga Style

My last author visit of this academic year was a quick 24-hour sojourn to Chattanooga, Tennessee over the weekend. The library put me up in the Stone Fort Inn, a bed and breakfast in the heart of the city, Holly Reber of the Chattanooga Times Free Press interviewed me before the visit, and writers young and old shared their stories in writing workshops about creating a sense of place.

The main branch of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Public Library

Della Phipps, YA librarian, was a superb hostess

Inquiring Minds Want To Know

I love asking questions on Twitter (where I tend to focus on "professional" subjects) and Facebook (seems better suited for the personal stuff). Here are a few I've posed lately, in case you want to weigh in:Booksellers, tell me the truth. How tough is it to sell a YA novel with a nonwhite protagonist? If your answer is "quite," any exceptions?

Why do sci-fi or fantasy authors import our society's current mores about sex and romance into their imagined worlds lock, stock, and barrel?

What can Goog