Lesson from a Rodent

This little critter popped his head out this hole about an hour before sunset on a well-used trail in Southern Arizona.

It kept moving more of its body out of the hole and then it would pull back and do it again.

This went for two or three minutes.

In. Out. In. Out.

I stood still. Watching. Waiting. Just happy that our paths had crossed, thinking that this creature was trying to figure out if it was safe to come out yet so it could forage for food. So it could survive.

And now, a couple years later, when I look at these pictures, I think, “I kind of do that all the time. Kind of.”

When I open the front door in the morning I look for moose. In the summer, I look for mosquitoes and yellow-jackets. In the winter, I feel the air.

Sometimes I pull back.

Eventually I advance.

Starting to write a novel can be like that too.

You get an idea for a story and you start poking your head out of the ground, checking it out, and sometimes you like enough of what you see to be encouraged.

Now, your next step, if you choose to take it, is to advance.

It’s not a life or death situation like it is every day around sunset for that rodent. But still, it is a decision. If the rodent was paralyzed with fear every time it considered coming out, it would starve to death.

The Luck of Reading The Luck Uglies: Review of an Adventurous Debut Novel by Paul Durham

There are books we all hope to find that do more than simply tell a story. These books take us with them. They take us with them on the adventure and we feel like we know the world around us when we go. And these are rare treasures we keep and pass along. Author Paul Durham’s first MG/YA novel, The Luck Uglies, is one of those rare books.

An adventure and an introduction to Village Drowning and all its inhabitants, The Luck Uglies has a timeless feel, as if it might just as believably come from the hidden library in a castle as from the work of a modern writer.  It is both clever, never underestimating the intelligence of the young reader, and exciting, never forgetting that everyone loves a good adventure.

 

We were able to catch Paul Durham in the midst of all the excitement of The Luck Uglies. While there are heaps of questions I could list, like Rye O'Chanter, we will have to be content with a few at a time:

1. Who are a few of your favorite authors and/or books (few people have just one!) that might have inspired some of your writing? 

 There are so many great middle grade authors and books it is indeed difficult to narrow it down, but I always find myself coming back to the same examples.

The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander has stayed with me ever since I was a child. I’ve reread the series twice as an adult and it still holds up as compelling reading. Its five books tell a story that is timeless and epic in scope, and yet the storytelling remains intimate and accessible.

A more contemporary favorite is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. This was one of those books that just knocked me over when I read it because it was so good. It's hard to call it a children's book because, really, it's for everybody. It is exactly the type of book that inspires me to be a better writer.

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2. You mention that you started telling the story to your kids. Who were your first characters? 

Rye O'Chanter was the very first character to make it onto the page. This seems so fitting because she was heavily inspired by my own daughter, who prompted my to write The Luck Uglies in the first place. Of course, Rye needed cohorts, so her little sister Lottie and her best friends, Folly and Quinn, weren't far behind. 

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3. There is such a rich Village Drowning history the reader can sense. Can you give us a few things about the place that aren't in the book? 

That's such a great question--I often think of Village Drowning as its own "character." Like any character, there are things about it that even I haven't discovered yet, but here are two tidbits I can share. Beneath the streets of the village, there is a place even older than the Spoke that the link rats call home. Also, in addition to the bogs and river, Drowning is bordered by a brackish body of water called the Great Eel Pond. Enormous culverts drain water from the pond under, rather than over, the village. Needless to say, Drowning remains damp even under the best of circumstances. 

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4. Is this the beginning of a journey for Rye? Are there more Luck Ugly book coming? 

Yes, I'm happy to report that this is just the start of Rye's journey. The Luck Uglies is a trilogy, with more books to come in spring 2015 and 2016. I'm finishing Book 2 right now.

Durham weaves a tale that truly brings you into Rye O’Chanter’s strange and mysterious world. The story makes you wish the book would not end so you can uncover more secrets that promise to be hidden there.

- eden unger bowditch

Gear up for Summer Reading

I remember the smell of the library in summer, how the hot pavement of the parking lot turned into the air-conditioned quiet, leaving me walking stiffly to silence the sound of my flip-flops. I searched the shelves for books to fill the hours, something I would have done regardless, but in the summer it was even more alluring, because that was when the Summer Reading Lists came out.

Did your library have these? I remember pirate and astronaut themes, papers with little round dots to color in whenever you read a book, and at the end of them all was the promised certificate and shiny medal on a ribbon. My kids participate now, and KCLS does an outstanding job with their summer reading program. For our whole family, summer isn't quite summer without a reading list, and a huge chunk of mine will be hopefully filled with new middle-grade reads. Here are a few of the ones I'm looking forward to exploring:

STEERING TOWARD NORMAL, by: Rebecca Petruck

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.

My Thoughts: 4-H, B-movies, state fairs - this just screams summer. Also: I've never read a MG book about raising cows.

DREAMWOOD, by: Heather Mackley

Lucy Darrington has no choice but to run away from boarding school. Her father, an expert on the supernatural, has been away for too long while doing research in Saarthe, a remote territory in the Pacific Northwest populated by towering redwoods, timber barons, and the Lupine people. 

But upon arriving, she learns her father is missing: Rumor has it he's gone in search of dreamwood, a rare tree with magical properties that just might hold the cure for the blight that's ravaging the forests of Saarthe. Determined to find her father (and possibly save Saarthe), Lucy and her vexingly stubborn friend Pete follow William Darrington's trail to the deadly woods on Devil's Thumb. As they encounter princesses, giant sea serpents, and all manner of terrifying creatures, Lucy hasn't reckoned that the dreamwood itself might be the greatest threat of all.

My Thoughts: The cover caught me. Besides, a fantasy-adventure set in a mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest? I'm in.

THE NINJA LIBRARIANS, by: Jenn Swan Downey

Twelve-year-old Dorothea Barnes can hold her own in any fake Renaissance Faire sword-fight, but she despairs of ever finding something more important to do with her sword. Then she stumbles into Petrarch's Library, the sprawling headquarters of a secret society of librarians. Ninja librarians.

The Library's wings stretch into every century that has passed since the invention of the written word. The librarians who serve it pursue an important mission: Protect those whose words have gotten them in trouble. They pull heretics off of stakes in fourteenth century Spain, track down stolen manuscripts through the wilds of ancient Persia, and maneuver always against those who prefer to control the flow of ideas and information for their own gain.

Dorrie wants nothing more than to be allowed to stay and apprentice with these unusual librarians. Some of them, however, fear Dorrie has connections to the Foundation, an old and ruthless enemy. The Library's Director of Security would like to send Dorrie home and permanently close the door on the twenty-first century behind her. When a traitor arises from within the Library, events pull Dorrie into a pivotal role. But in order to save Petrarch's Library, she may have to erase herself from its history, forever.

My Thoughts: I'm drawn to any stories that play with the book/reader relationship. Add in ninja librarians and a journey through history - this looks so fun!

CAMINAR, by: Skila Brown

Set in 1981 Guatemala, a lyrical debut novel tells the powerful tale of a boy who must decide what it means to be a man during a time of war.

Carlos knows that when the soldiers arrive with warnings about the Communist rebels, it is time to be a man and defend the village, keep everyone safe. But Mama tells him not yet—he’s still her quiet moonfaced boy. The soldiers laugh at the villagers, and before they move on, a neighbor is found dangling from a tree, a sign on his neck: Communist.

Mama tells Carlos to run and hide, then try to find her. . . . Numb and alone, he must join a band of guerillas as they trek to the top of the mountain where Carlos’s abuela lives. Will he be in time, and brave enough, to warn them about the soldiers? What will he do then? A novel in verse inspired by actual events during Guatemala’s civil war, Caminar is the moving story of a boy who loses nearly everything before discovering who he really is.

My Thoughts: The summary for this caught my eye - I'm already invested in Carlos' story - as well as the fact that I know so little about Guatemala's Civil War and would like to learn more. 

THE FORBIDDEN LIBRARY, by: Django Wexler

Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That--along with everything else--changed the day she met her first fairy

When Alice's father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon--an uncle she's never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it's hard to resist. Especially if you're a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems her uncle is more than he says he is. But then so is Alice.

My Thoughts: Another fantastic sounding book-world. With talking cats. !!! Besides, maybe all these stories aren't wrong. Maybe we really CAN go inside the book-worlds? ;)

JACK THE CASTAWAY, by: Lisa Doan

Jack's parents have been chased out of Tokyo, gone broke in Greece, and hosted Nairobi's least successful safari. Next they're taking Jack to the Caribbean, whether Jack wants to go or not. The Berensons have devised their latest get-rich-quick scheme - a new sport called 'drift-snorkeling.' With these experienced world travelers at the helm, what could go wrong?

Jack's used to staying indoors and not taking chances. When his parents take him out on the water, he ends up shipwrecked. Now Jack has to survive on a tropical island...and avoid a whale shark that's cruising along his beach.

My Thoughts: I like the set-up here. Underdog, risk-adverse character and wild jet-setting parents. I'll give it a try. 

EVER AFTER HIGH: THE UNFAIREST OF THEM ALL, by: Shannon Hale

It's the aftermath of Legacy Day, the day when the students at Ever After High are supposed to pledge to follow in their fairytale parents' footsteps, and everyone is in a huff and a puff! Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen, has refused to sign the Storybook of Legends, rejecting her story--and putting everyone else's in jeopardy.

The Royal Apple White doesn't want to think Raven is being a rebellious pain, but Raven's choice means Apple might never get the poisoned apple, Prince Charming, and a kingdom to rule. Behind Apple stands the Royals, those who want to play by the book and embrace their stories. The Rebels, supporters of Raven, believe in breaking free from destiny and writing their own stories.

My Thoughts: I really liked the first book in this series, and the sequel looks just as fun.

WHEN AUDREY MET ALICE, by: Rebecca Behrens

It is ridiculously difficult to get a pizza delivered to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

First Daughter Audrey Rhodes can’t wait for the party she has planned. The decorations are all set, and the pizza is on its way. But the Secret Service must be out to ruin her life, because they cancel at the last minute for a “security breach,” squashing Audrey’s chances for making any new friends. What good is having your own bowling alley if you don’t have anyone to play with?

Audrey is ready to give up and spend the next four years totally friendless—until she discovers Alice Roosevelt’s hidden diary. The former first daughter’s outrageous antics give Audrey a ton of ideas for having fun . . . and get her into more trouble than she can handle.

My Thoughts: I've heard good things about this book, and I love stories where characters discover a friend in the past.

What about you Mayhemers? I know my list is heavy on the fantasy-adventure stories, so I'd love to hear your middle-grade summer reads. 

How Far Will You Go For Middle Grade? by Joy McCullough-Carranza

Recently I encountered a child named Anakin – a girl, in fact, and I mused what rabid Star Wars fans her parents must be to give their child this name. (Although, Star Wars associations aside, I actually think it’s quite a pretty name.) But then I realized that if my son had been a girl, I totally would have lobbied for the name Hermione. I really would have. I don’t think I would have won, but I would have had my arguments lined up. The name actually comes from A Winter’s Tale, which would go nicely with our other daughter, whose name is Shakespearean.

But let’s be honest—I really would have been naming her after Hermione Granger.

It got me thinking about how memorable a character must be, how strong a love for a book or a film, to name one’s progeny after this made up being. What an effect those authors or filmmakers have had, to inspire the names of actual people in the world. It made me wonder if there’s been a boom of Harrys or Percys over the last decade. If children were named Matilda or Harriet or Lucy because of a parent’s love for a book.

We’re coming up on our one year anniversary of getting our dog. I lobbied to name her

Luna, because she is white and strawberry, with these giant, unnerving blue eyes, and frankly, she’s kind of spacey. But my daughter was heavily into a Greek mythology phase at the time – we read Anne Ursu’s Cronus Chronicles, Kate O’Hearn’s Pegasus series, and the Percy Jackson books – and ended up naming the dog Athena. We agreed begrudgingly that this might be a good fit, since she is an Australian Shepherd, and they are supposed to be very smart. Emphasis on supposed to be. (Our previous dog, who I’d had for thirteen years, was named Owen, for John Irving’s adult novel A Prayer for Owen Meany.)

And also under the heading of permanent life choices inspired by books, I love this collection of tattoos inspired by children’s books. I especially love the Ramona and Matilda ones! I have two literary tattoos myself, though they are not middle grade. (I am planning a Harry Potter tattoo, though. Shh.)

So have any middle grade books or characters inspired you to make a permanent life choice? Name a child or a pet? Burn something into your skin? Choose a spouse based on a shared love of Roald Dahl?

What lengths will you go to for middle grade?

THE BIG LEAP:FROM JOURNAL TO NOVEL! by James Mihaley

Some aspiring writers have a hard time making the leap of imagination from a journal to a novel.  Yes, it is true that keeping a journal is different than writing a children’s book but the transition shouldn’t be that difficult, should it?  Alas, the gap separating journal from novel sometimes seems wider and more menacing than the Grand Canyon. 

How can you possibly make that leap while holding down a full time job and raising two kids?  Here’s the good news.  The stuff in your journal is quite often brilliant.  You can’t deny that you have talent.  On the other hand, that’s what makes it so frustrating.  You obviously possess the skills required to become a successful children’s author but you just can’t channel that energy into a novel. 

        

Here’s a suggestion.  Try writing a short story first.

        

Think about it.  The Brothers Grimm wrote short stories.  So did Hans Christian Anderson.  Most of the classic fairy tales are short stories.  I find it lamentable that the short story is hardly ever discussed in contemporary children’s literature. If you attend an SCBWI conference there probably won’t be a panel titled ‘How To Sell The Movie Rights To Your Short Story’.  I’m not suggesting that we’re about to see a resurgence of the short story.  What am I saying is that a short story can serve as a bridge connecting your journal entries to a completed novel.

For a writer, anytime you can reduce stress and anxiety it increases productivity.  The problem with a novel is that completion often seems too far away, years off in the distance.  It’s like walking from NY to LA.  Is that even possible?  You’d better have a good pair of shoes.  Writing a short story is like walking from NY to NJ.  It may take a while but you’ll get there.

Here’s the magical part.  Through the process of writing a short story you will gain momentum for your novel.  You’ll discover your characters.  You’ll gain confidence and clarity.  Presto, a completed short story may become the first chapter of your novel.  A few interlinked short stories may form the backbone of your book!  By lowering the stakes and taking the pressure off, you may end up tricking yourself into writing an entire novel!  If you end up using this method to become a bestselling author, please send me ten percent of the royalties or a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie.  The choice is up to you.