Audrey Vernick's Blog, page 10

Talking Voice with Laurie Thompson

Today I'm a guest over on Laurie Thompson's blog. Come on over and say hi.

Time in the Drawer

Okay, so I've been a little dormant.

[image error]I once read an article by Jamaica Kincaid about gardening in which she granted full permission to shrug and say, "It's August," when a patch went untended toward the end of the season. I will apply that broadly here: It's summer.

In addition to enjoying a fab vacation, one thing I've been doing lately is thinking. I'm doing a number of articles and interviews in advance of the September release of my debut novel, WATER BALLOON. I've been asked a lot of thoughtful questions that have forced me to delve into my process, something I am reluctant to do when not forced.

I have written two full novels, with one false start on another. And I'm about to start work on what I expect will be my third completed novel.

One can't call something that happened once her process, but I suspect there is something to be learned from my own past. After my first novel went out on submission and was rejected as "too quiet," the kind of thing that wouldn't stand out on a list, it went in a drawer. I worked on a second novel. And when it was time to really, really work on that second novel, I put it in that drawer and pulled out the first one.

I have writer-friends who will relate to this. Some of us want nothing more than to work on anything other than what we should be working on. In this case, it worked out. That first novel is WATER BALLOON. I worked on it enough that it sold. That still seems kind of miraculous and impossibly fabulous to me.

Part of me is yearning to work on that second novel instead of starting a third one. But I won't. I'm thinking that time spent in the drawer is part of my process. Which is frightening and bad news, as I'm horribly impatient.

I hear you laughing. I picked a stupid profession if I'm impatient. The rate at which things happen in publishing is too slow to measure on even the most sensitive and finely-tuned rate-measuring scale.

I very much hope this new novel does not need years in the drawer, as the first one did.

But I bet it will.

Which is why I'm trying to convince myself that a drawer can't be expected to hold two manuscripts. If that third novel goes in, the second one must come out. And so it goes.

Buffalo Blog Tour

It's time for the TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS blog tour, with rhythmic stops at:

Jean Reidy's blog

Peter Salomon's blog (6/29)

Ruth McNally Barshaw's blog (7/6)

Laurie Thompson's blog (7/13)

I hope you'll stop by.

Letter B

[image error]B is for buffalo and blog tour and brainstorming and bucket list. Find all that and more over on Jean Reidy's blog.

And if you've never seen this before, you're in for a treat.

Leeza Hernandez: Illustrator, Author, Stranger-Hugger

Some first encounters are memorable.

I was attending my first conference of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians in Long Branch, NJ. Authors were set up in an "authors alley," my own seat precariously near a conference-hall door that attendees  kept swinging open with the kind of great force that could, on occasion, send a wee author flying into the air.

I left the table for a moment and when I returned an adorable woman with an awesome accent asked, "Are you Audrey?"

I was.

She asked, "Can I hug you?"

Her response to reading IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?: must hug author.

We hugged before I learned her name.

I was especially smitten with this illustration.

Which, it turned out, was Leeza Hernandez.

I sat across the alley from her for the next two days, staring at her adorable illustrations. And now, less than a year later, I'm delighted down to my marrow that she will be illustrating my picture book EDGAR'S SECOND WORD, to be published by Clarion in 2013. I am also delighted that she agreed to answer some questions about her art, process, and literary friends.

How do friends factor into your process? Do you share sketches/brainstorm ideas, or are you primarily a solo flyer?

Friends, peers, pets, mentors, professionals and family all play an important part in my process. I'd be incredibly lonely without them—not just as support and for hashing out ideas, but as inspiration, too.

Is it weird to know the writer of a book you're illustrating?

It's exciting for me to be able to illustrate the work of an author whom I admire and know personally. An honor, actually. But I will confess that it comes with a different level of pressure, because I've also caught myself mid panic: "What if she doesn't like my sketches or interpretation? Eek! She might not talk to me again!" Realistically, I can't let those fears hold me back from my work but I hope I don't disappoint the author, either.

Tell us about your forthcoming books.

There is a book coming out on July 1st that I illustrated. It's called EAT YOUR MATH HOMEWORK: RECIPES FOR HUNGRY MINDS (Charlesbridge). The book is a nonfiction, 48-page, math book, cookbook and activity book in one. The author, Ann McCallum, has an amazing ability to turn what might seem a boring or uninspiring subject—math—and make it fun and engaging for kids. Ann and I didn't have any contact during the making of the book, but boy have we made up for it since! She's a tour de force when it comes to working on a marketing campaign, which is a blessing. We teamed up with the publisher and figured out what everyone could take care of to help push the book. We've worked really hard on promoting the book; I hope all our efforts pay off. The website is underway and should be ready by July: www.eatyourmathhomework.com.

The other book I am excited about is what I'd consider my debut picture book. (Yay!) DOG GONE! is coming out next year with G.P. Putnam's Sons. I wrote and illustrated this one. I can't wait to hold it in my hands. I recently delivered the final art and I know the editor is working on jacket copy … it's very exciting! The book is about a rambunctious little puppy dog who wants to get his paws on his boy's toy as opposed to playing with his own. He then embarks on a wild and scary adventure. The character sketch you see here is the sample from my portfolio that the publisher, editor and art director zoned in on during a meeting. It just so happened that I had a copy of the manuscript with me, which they read and here we are!

studio image from early stages of sketching out DOG GONE!

Do you prefer to work as a one-man talent show? What are some differences between illustrating your own text and illustrating others' texts?

Ooh, good question. I don't have a preference to working either way—I love both. When it comes to my own projects, writing is a struggle for me. I have all these ideas for stories in my head, but I'm often frustrated because I can't always execute them into words, so it takes longer. Some of the stories I write come from a sketch or visual idea of a character. I spend time with that character and then a background starts to form, but maybe not a story. I write as many notes as possible then I put them away until the story hits. That can take a while—months, sometimes years. Other stories that I write come from a title that pops into my head and I build from there. But whichever way the ideas germinate, text and illustrations play a dual role when I eventually develop a dummy. I am constantly rethinking/editing them both simultaneously to make them work together.

That doesn't happen with someone else's manuscript! I don't know what I am going to get in terms of a story but it's my job to interpret it just visually. I've had images flood through my mind upon the first read of one manuscript, where I couldn't sketch them fast enough—and with another story I had to read it several times before the illustration ideas became clear. The process is more unpredictable.

What children's literary character would young you have wanted for a best friend?

A: That's easy! Danny in Roald Dahl's DANNY, CHAMPION OF THE WORLD for a boy; Lewis Carroll's Alice for a girl and Fantastic Mr. Fox for an animal best friend — each of these characters have remained heroes for me since I was a child. I always imagined what we'd get up to if we hung out together—plotting to get the better of the villains in some curious, clever or splendiferous way!

Were there any friendships in books you admired? Which ones and why?

I don't recall one particular friendship from my childhood books that stood out, just a lot of distinctive relationships between characters. That's probably why I love Roald Dahl's stories so much. However, there is a book that I read recently: BINK & GOLLIE by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile. I admire the complexities and oddities of Bink and Gollie's relationship, their support for each other and strength of the bond between them. Even when they're in disagreement, they manage to successfully navigate their way to a wonderful compromise—socks, pancakes, fish, doesn't matter. Isn't that what best friendships are all about?

Isn't it fantastic the way all my interview subjects seem to end on a perfect note? You can learn more about Leeza by visiting her website.

Daniel Jennewein on Books, Friends, and Donald Duck

I remember when I saw the first sketches of the buffalo the rest of the world met in  IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?. The instant connection I felt to that art, the way THAT was MY buffalo–is a memory that never fails to thrill me.

I'm an inarticulate critic, hard-pressed to explain why the simplicity, earnestness and magic with a single eyebrow moves me, but it does. And there's a nostalgia tie-in too, because our buffalo books remind me, in a pure-happiness way, of the appearance of certain Syd Hoff books, and that can only be a good thing.

I  kind of fell in love with this buffalo, and I know a lot of other people did too. And it's because of Daniel Jennewein, illustrator extraordinaire. Good guy extraordinaire, too.

Daniel Jennewein and me at Hooray for Books in September 2010.

In celebration of the imminent publication of our second collaboration, TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS , Daniel agreed to answer some questions and share a never-before-seen buffalo illustration.

What were some of your favorite books when you were young?

I remember my mother reading some books over and over to me to the point that we still know some passages by heart. The books were: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, by Maurice Sendak; THE THREE ROBBERS, by Tomi Ungerer; MISTER MOLE, by Luis Murschetz; FREDERICK, by Leo Lionni; and THEOBALD, by Hans Schmand.

[image error]Did you have a favorite character?

I really liked Donald Duck. It felt as if I knew him personally. Donald seems to have all bad character traits combined: He has a bad temper, is envious and has illusions of grandeur. Despite that, I was always on his side and wished him all the success in the world. Unfortunately that didn't help; he seemed to be the unluckiest Duck in the family.

What character would you have liked to be your friend?

I envied Max in WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE for all the friends he made. The element of danger seemed to give the friendship a little extra spice. Karlsson-on-the-Roof or Pippi Longstocking would have made fabulous friends for me. They seem to make everything possible and take away all worries and troubles.

Do you have friends and/or colleagues who play a role in your role as an illustrator?

It is hard to evaluate one's own work. Sometimes I can't even tell if an illustration is successful or not, because I am just too involved. I do think it helps to sleep a night over it and look at it when you are in a different mood at the start of a fresh day.  It would be great if I could get some like-minded people together for a critique group, but I still need to work on that.

If you could create a perfect friend for the buffalo, who/what would it be?

Is Your Buffalo Open to the Idea of New Friends from Outer Space?

Our Buffalo is very friendly and accepting, even to someone from very far away.

Thank you, Daniel!

Reader: Let's not miss this chance to appreciate the buffalo's expression here–that could only be described as a new-friend smile. Note the eyebrow–the man conveys an awful lot with those eyes and a single eyebrow.

I'm guessing you'll want to spend more time with Daniel Jennewein and his brilliant work. So don't forget to check out TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS, which releases on June 28.  Keep up with Buffalo and Daniel news on the book's facebook page. And head on over to Daniel's website pronto!

Dogs and Curvy Spines

I've been ignoring part of my own subtitle—the stalking strangers' dogs part.

Rookie Vernick

I do. It's something I cannot help. When I see a dog—not all dogs, but certain dogs—I need to connect. They are often dogs who share some attributes with my own beloved Rookie, but not always. I have knocked on strangers' car windows, walked up to people I do not know in parks, sat next to the person with the dog at youth ballgames. There are more than a few previous strangers, now facebook friends, who can attest to the fact that I sent them a message about the gorgeous profile picture of their dog. I have hung out with the dog at parties when I didn't like the people, and sometimes even when I did.

I heart dogs.

And we'll be getting a new one at the end of this summer. I think.

Rookie is ten. We used to walk three to four miles together every day. He can rarely do that now. In the summer, he often can't even handle half of that. And I'm not inclined to walk alone. Which is the reason I'll give my husband for why I need a new dog—this model's getting old; let's pick up a new one. He will not welcome the disruption that comes with a puppy, but he will understand from a fitness perspective.

There's a sub-story here too. My daughter has scoliosis. I told myself if she ever needed treatment—i.e., to start wearing a brace—I would get her a puppy. Treatment started in November, when she was eleven. But the timing was off. I traveled a lot this year, and I have to be here for the early months; I'm definitely the family puppy trainer. My second-in-command will be very good too, with thanks to Victoria Stilwell, whose show has created a brilliant training mind in a young but devoted viewer.

back when they were pups

Here's the tie-it-together story: When we came home with the brace for the first time, NOT a fun day, Rookie seemed scared of the brace. It broke my heart—it wasn't bad enough she had to wear the brace? Now her beloved dog was going to be rude about it? I imagined Rookie keeping his distance from her forever because the brace flat out spooked him.

My daughter calmly went to get some treats. She worked him through some commands, and rewarded him with treats that she placed right on the brace (to be clear, reader: the brace was on the ground at this point, not on the human child). She did this a few times and honestly, that was all it took. Rookie was fine with the brace from then on.

Our new puppy, or possibly young dog, will be very, very lucky to meet this young trainer. And when strangers come running after us to ask me about my old dog or my young one, I will be very kind and patient, because I understand.

as captioned by my daughter, precious and kind of disgusting at the same time

The Gbemi and Audrey Show, Hosted by Erin Murphy

Erin Murphy, guest host

Hi! I'm not Audrey Vernick, I'm Erin Murphy, Audrey's literary agent. When Audrey started this blog focused on literary friendships, I knew she had to somehow include her own friendship with Gbemi (Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich). I was there the day they met, so I picked up the microphone and pointed it at them.

EM: The day the three of us met is forever burned into my memory, and I mean that in a very good way. Who could have predicted that I would connect so strongly with each of you, and each of you with each other, at a one-day writers conference? But that's not really my question. What I'm really wondering is, since you each had to read each other's work in order to participate in the critique circles at that conference, and that happened via email before you ever met, would you say you fell into friendship with each other's characters before you did with each other?

AV: Well, this story won't make me look good. In the weeks before the conference, participants had to send each other their stories for review. I had received almost everyone's but had no record of receiving one from someone in my group named Olugbemisola Amusashonubi Perkovich. So I sent an email to this person asking him/her to send it to me at his/her earliest convenience. It's possible that the letter came off as a bit of yelling. But I didn't mean it.

ORP: A bit?!!! There were a lot of caps. Scary caps. And I, having just come out of a critique group that made me feel rather like an alien, was fragile. I was more than a little anxious about this particular conference; I'd been on the conference circuit for a long time, and had perfected my technique of looking-engaged-but-not-talking-to-anyone. I knew that this conference involved not only the inevitable talkiness of a small group, but the long-awaited opportunity to meet the elusive Erin Murphy, whom I'd waited a year to meet.

Also, I *knew* that I'd sent it. BECAUSE I DID.

AV: Sometimes things that are sent really don't arrive. But I will take this opportunity to publicly admit, for the first time, that months later, in my mess of an email filing system, I found that this person, Olugbemisola Amusashonubi Perkovich had already sent her chapter, and I just lost it.

ORP: *uncontrollable sputtering*

I MEAN….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*possible choking*

AV: I know.

Fabulous and ever-forgiving Gbemi

ORP: Do you, Audrey? Because I don't know if you do. Because before I'd gotten that undisputably yelly email, I'd fallen in love with a certain Vernick creation. I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, I was going to find a friend at one of these nerve-wracking things, a friend who wrote gloriously — with humor and heart.

But then you YELLED.

AND YOU WERE WRONG.

AV: Okay, this was just a bad place to start. Because once we got past that awkwardness, and I have witnesses to support this, I publicly proclaimed my undiluted voice envy after reading your work. That Reggie, that voice, was right THERE once we got past the email confusion. Oh, Reggie! I was and remain in love.

ORP: Seriously, despite my trepidation, I had hope. Against all odds, and all caps, I had hope. Because there was that story. Because you had written about baseball, a sport that I liked, you know, but it wasn't like it was basketball, or figure skating, or even pro-wrestling of the 80s, but, yeah, it was OK (not beach volleyball or women's tennis) — until I read your love of it right there on those pages, until I met a boy named Casey who loved his friends and his family and his life at umpire school … and I wanted to be his friend more than anything.

EM: There's a very good message here about not letting first impressions stick, or something. Also, it's clear how good you two are at making fun of each other, erm, I mean, yourselves. Which segues nicely into the next item of business. Together, you'll be doing a workshop about writing humor at an upcoming SCBWI conference. Would you each share your favorite funny moment that the other has written?

[image error]AV: A terrible fact about me, which annoys every child on every school visit, is that I can never pick a favorite (except for ice cream flavor: Ben & Jerry's Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz). I could not possibly pick a favorite funny moment. I love the sum total of funny, including, but not limited to: the way no one can get away with saying anything near Ruthie–"Yuck, 'rule the school.' That's so…Western, so imperialistic;" Reggie's passing thought that "maybe if John the Baptist wasn't all crazy-looking and bug eating," people might not have paid attention to him; the trivia on Juiced! bottle caps; confusing the word parabola with the word parable; the horrible (but hilarious) things Reggie and his sister Monica say to each other; and Joe C. saying about Ruthie, "She runs like a girl," which is SO something you simply CANNOT say about Ruthie. I could go on and on but my point is that it's the sum total of the book that is my favorite. Okay?

ORP: There's an exuberance to Audrey's funny books that is seriously unparalleled. Seriously. The premises (I mean, the Buffalo in kindergarten? Playing the Drums?) are hilarious alone, but then her voice rings so loud and clear and kid-friendly in the writing: ""Does your buffalo have a backpack? Well, then. He's definitely ready for kindergarten!" Her comic time, rhythm, and natural sense of what we will connect to is just amazing:

People may call you silly. But you must be used to that.  Did anyone say, "Hey, that's a really great idea!" when you brought a baby buffalo home?



I think Audrey's funny works because even when there's sarcasm, it's never mean. She can't hide her warmth (though Lord knows she tries), and her love for what she is doing (and seems to do so effortlessly) is evident. EDGAR'S SECOND WORD and BOGART AND VINNIE are trademark Audrey — laugh out loud funny, breathtakingly sweet without ever being cloying, and razor-sharp language — not an extra word or syllable anywhere.  I don't know, she just makes you want to hug her books.

AV: I want to add that while the funny is definitely part of it, what I love most about Gbemi's writing is that it is HER. I cannot separate author/person/friend from the book. 8TH-GRADE SUPERZERO is everything Gbemi is: large-hearted, socially responsible, funny, warm, real, and inspiring.

EM: Gbemi, that's interesting that you said that about wanting to hug Audrey's books–I know I have described 8TH-GRADE SUPERZERO exactly that way. I love that with each of you, your work reflects yourselves in such wonderful ways. You both bring a whole amazing package to the table!

What else would you bring to the table if, say, we were able to get together in person and have a little June Book Release Party for Olugdrey Vernovich. Gbemi's paperback edition of 8TH-GRADE SUPERZERO debuts this week from Scholastic, complete with loads of extra materials at the back (Night Man drawings! A wonderfully healthy recipe from Ruthie!), and Audrey's TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS will be out June 28 from HarperCollins, so that readers will at last know the answer to the age-old question, "How does a buffalo hold a pair of drumsticks, anyway?" I'll bring a homemade blueberry pie, and you'll bring…



AV: I will bring mojitos because they are the one thing I make extraordinarily well and they are an apt way to toast new releases and the start of summer. I shall also bring some cud.

ORP: I will bring a surprisingly sweet kale and mango salad, some no-surprise-there homemade candy sweetness, and walking shoes for us all so that we can have a walking adventure together in our celebration city (which as you both know, is NYC, of course), and find all of the lovely and amazing little stories that ordinary people live every day.

Thank you so much for hosting, Erin. I lift a mojito in your honor. And Gbemi, thank you for not yet killing me about the lost email disclosure. Happy paperback release day to you!

To learn more about Erin Murphy and the Erin Murphy Literary agency, visit the agency website. To learn more about Gbemi and her writing, visit her website.

Chatting with Kathryn Erskine's Mike

Sometimes you just need to explore new territories.

I have never before had the opportunity to interview a friend's fictional character. But the great Kathy Erskine (yes the very one who won a teeny-tiny little honor called the National Book Award for her middle-grade novel MOCKINGBIRD), offered to introduce me to Mike. Mike of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE, her brand-spanking new novel, which officially hits shelves in June but is already starting to pop up here and there.

Here's Mike:

Hi, Mike. Thanks for stopping by. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Um, I'm fourteen. My dad's teaching in Romania this summer. He's a math professor, a genius.

[image error]

Are you good at math too?

No, I suck at math. That's why I'm here in Do over, PA (okay, it's Donover, but the sign is missing the "n"). Dad sent me to live with "close relatives" I've never actually met so I can spend the summer working on a math project.

Are you having fun?

(blank stare)

I understand you made friends with a homeless man named Past. How did that happen?

I was lost, I asked him for directions, he gave me some food (not very good food), one thing led to another, and pretty soon I was sitting in his office — that's a park bench, by the way — telling him my life story.

What drew you to him?

He's a good listener. He's smart. He knows a lot of people. He knows how to get things done. And he's got a sense of humor — just don't joke about food.

What about him annoys you?

He's hung up on healthy eating. That would be okay except he doesn't even let ME eat anything unhealthy! The dude worries about people he's never met — like my dad — and wants me to get after him to eat healthy. Sometimes, you know, you just want some Snickerdoodles. Or Pringles. Or a steak. Or all of the above.

Was there anything that surprised you about him?

Yeah. He has a cell phone. I thought that was pretty cool.

What's his weakness?

Porch Pals.

Excuse me?

He loves these life-sized stuffed dolls that are dressed to look like people. It's a Pennsylvania thing. I didn't know what they were until I got here, either.

Why do you think he's homeless?

Oh, there's a good reason for that, but I don't think I can tell you.

Why not?

Because then you wouldn't have to read the book. And it's worth it. Really. Moo is a trip. Poppy is . . . well, Poppy. Gladys is hot. The three stooges are pretty funny — the whole town is like one giant LOL.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?

I better get going — I'm working on an adoption and I'm running out of time.

What kind of adoption?

(grins)

Oh, right, I have to read the book.

As Moo would say, "You're brilliant, kiddo!"

[image error]The main thing you should know about Kathy Erskine is she's awfully nice. She lives in Virginia with her family. Kathy is also the author of QUAKING and MOCKINGBIRD. You can learn more about Kathy, her books, and upcoming events by visiting her website.

Thanks for the Mike loaner!

The Red Hook Bond: Danette Vigilante and Torrey Maldonado

One of my very best literary friends, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, suggested I interview two of her fellow Brooklynite middle-grade novelists: Torrey Maldonado and Danette Vigilante. She said, "Their books should be each other's first date." She didn't need to say more than that.

I didn't really know either one, though Danette has been kind enough to let me pretend to be one of her cousins after I noted that 836 cousins seemed to chime in their congratulations and support whenever she posted good news on Facebook. She promptly invited me to be a cyber cousin, too. And a visit to Torrey's website and some introductory exchanges made a big fan out of me.

I asked them some questions and got to know them a bit more through their responses. Now it's your turn.

Can you explain your connection, which goes back a generation? How would you describe your friendship now?  

Torrey Maldonado and Danette Vigilante in Brooklyn

DV: Torrey's mom and her family lived across the street from my father and his family when they were kids. My mother also went to school with one of Torrey's aunts. Our families are still living in Red Hook and see each other every now and then.

Even though Torrey and I don't see one another that often, our friendship is very comfortable. We come from the same place and share a great bond.  We know the same things and I'm guessing, have the same feelings about certain things. Red Hook was a pretty tough place and we were both lucky enough to avoid some of the difficulties that faced our beloved neighborhood.

(Excellent fact, for the record: their novels were both acquired by the same editor at the same house. Crazy!)

In many middle-grade books, setting is peripheral. In both your books, the living-in-the-projects setting is central.  Can you talk about how growing up in Red Hook affected the books you ended up writing?

DV: I remember a little boy from my childhood who reminded me of Corey, the boy Dellie sets out to help in THE TROUBLE WITH HALF A MOON. This little boy affected me so deeply; setting my story elsewhere just never occurred to me. It was kind of like having tunnel vision. Though I don't mention the name of the Housing Project, in my head, Red Hook is where the story takes place. Come to think of it, Red Hook seems to be flowing in my veins. My next book, SAVING BABY DOE is also set there. This time, I do mention where it takes place and even briefly mention a couple of characters from TROUBLE, including Dellie!

TM: From my birth to the 1980s, nearly everyone in the Red Hook projects was my family. People looked out for each other and I felt protected. Then drugs ripped Red Hook apart and, by 1988, LIFE magazine did a nine-page photo spread calling Red Hook the "crack capital" of the U.S.A. and one of the ten worst neighborhoods in NY. I needed real thrills to distract my young mind from the drama. Reading could've helped yet where I'm from female readers get called "geeks" and boys get called the other "g word" since people feel school is a "girl's thing." So I read what guys in my projects read to avoid being bullied–comic books–and I got hooked because they pumped me up the way sports, video games, and movies did. That influences my writing.  I write to give kids the same rush as comic books, video games, and movies and my dream is coming true.  During a school trip, students who hate to read approached me. One boy said, "Mr. T., I know one of the raps from your book by heart." Then, he looked into the air and said a Black Bald's rhyme so perfect that you'd think he read it from a cloud. My upbringing inspires me to write to get that reaction.

Did you set out to write a middle-grade novel or did you discover the age of your main character in the writing? What made you want to write about a character at this age?

DV: When I set out to write TROUBLE, I didn't exactly know what it was I was writing. All I knew was that the little boy from my childhood broke my heart and I wanted to get his story out and give him a good life. It just so happens that Dellie was a brave thirteen-year-old girl willing to step in and help. Dellie does what I wish I had done as a kid.

TM: As a middle-school student I could've taken different turns that would've driven my life over a waterfall to a terrible ending. In 1992 my elementary school principal (Patrick Daly) was shot and killed in my housing projects. Years later, I became the first person in my immediate family to go to college and, as a Vassar student, I ran into someone arrested for Daly's murder in an upstate prison where I tutored. The inmate was a boy I ran wild with as a kid!  I wrote SECRET SATURDAYS to let youth see that a lot influences their choices yet they can make better choices.  Also, if we want better men, we must get more boys reading. Period.

If Dellie got to choose a fictional character to hang out with, whom do you think she'd choose?

[image error]Since Dellie is courageous, I'd love to have her choose Hermione from HARRY POTTER. She's brave, kind and very smart. I think they'd make a great team!

If Justin got to choose a fictional character to hang out with, whom do you think she'd choose?

Hancock and Ironman. Justin is half-Black and half-Puerto Rican like Carmelo Anthony (who was born and raised in my housing projects until he was eight).  How Justin deals with being bi-racial is an important part of SECRET SATURDAYS.  Hancock–the superhero played by Will Smith–has Justin's complexion. Ironman has Justin's Puerto-Rican American heritage.  Since Justin's surviving without a dad, they'd be welcome male presences.

What do you think Dellie and Justin would think of each other? What advice might they give each other?

DV: Since Justin and Dellie are both caring individuals and very much tuned into the world around them, I think they'd get along great. In fact so great, Michael, Dellie's love interest, might get a run for his money! As for advice? Hmmm … Dellie would probably try to convince Justin that his friendship with Sean is definitely worth saving.

I like the idea that if Justin and Dellie were good friends, he'd hold her hand as they crossed Bellmore Avenue (the place where her brother died one year earlier) giving her the strength she desperately needs. In doing so, his quiet advice to her would be that it's okay to lean on others when you're in need. That you don't have to go it alone because when people care about you, they willingly help to lessen your load no matter how heavy it may be.

TM: I see Justin and Dellie facing each other, holding hands, and repeating out loud, "Someday life will be different for us." You might say they are praying to get strength. Then after that, they make a promise.  "Let's make it and come back here and get others out."

Why did Danette, whose name starts with D, make her main character Dellie with a D?  My mother almost named me Justin.  Why did I name my main character that?  Danette and I share something in common: our inner Dellie and Justin "made it" and still lives in us. Now, we use books to hook Red Hook kids and other youth to books to trampoline them to greater heights in life.

I am so touched by those images of Justin and Dellie holding hands. Thank you both.

Torry Maldonado graduated Vassar to train teachers and administrators to run conflict resolution programs. He approaches his tenth year as a public school teacher of history and is a novelist. SECRET SATURDAYS was named an American Library Association 2011 Quick Pick for Young Adults. It has been showcased on NBC, ABC, the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, and more.

A tale of friendship and tough choices, SECRET SATURDAYS unfolds through the changing relationship of Sean and Justin—best friends in the tough neighborhood of Red Hook Projects in Brooklyn. Sean's changing, his grades slips, and he acts up. It all has something to do with a secret that happens on Saturday. What's his deal? How does his best friend handle his lies and his acting strange?

Learn more about Torrey and his debut novel at his website.

Danette Vigilante grew up in the Red Hook Housing Projects in Brooklyn, New York. She currently lives in Staten Island with her husband, two daughters, two cutie patootie puppies and one evil cat. Danette insists on singing to her pets even though they've asked her not to.

Danette also writes a monthly column for the RED HOOK STAR REVUE. Her next novel, SAVING BABY DOE (Putnam 2012), is about two friends, Lionel and Anisa, whose friendship becomes strained after finding an abandoned baby in a Port-O-Potty at a construction site.

Learn more about Danette and her book by visiting her website.