Don't have time for that novel? Come, dear reader, I have 5 six-word stories for you!
Shot cheating husband. Jail not bad.
Suicide noose broke. Must lose weight.
God: I knew they'd do that.
Woman travels time. World now fabulous.
Armstrong: "One small step—" Director: "Cut!"
Karen is the middle school student who earned the Grand Prize with her catchy essay. Click on the pic to enlarge. Good job, Karen!
My note to Karen: Here’s what I loved about your essay and why it stood out from among so many other well-written essays: You captured the elusive quality known as voice. What I mean by voice is while reading, I got a strong sense of the narrator’s personality. The way you expressed sadness, hopefulness, and even the mischievous desire for chocolate chip cookies was breezy and humorous. I liked that voice!
My favorite line in the whole essay was “I was even going to miss the sidewalk.” What an excellent line! You used an example that demonstrated just how sad you were, rather than merely saying, “I was really sad.” That’s called “showing, not telling,” and that’s an important concept in creative writing. Your essay contained many details, many examples, and I loved your use of hyperbolic statements, such as the one above and “filled to the brim with only old people,” and “awaiting my fate.” By over-exaggerating your feelings in this way, you created a thread of humor that ran all throughout your essay. I’m pretty sure you didn’t spend hours gazing at a framed photo of the sidewalk, but I got what you meant and it made me laugh. In fact, I spent a couple of days reading all the essays, and the next day, I kept thinking about that sidewalk line. It was so funny that I had to rifle through all the papers just so I could read it again.
The things you worried about and the observations you made struck me as true. As someone who moved around a lot as a young person, I know that you really do feel the loss of the physical home because of all the good times and friends it represents. I liked that you worried about being surrounded by old people and then—oh, no!—it seemed like it was true when all you observed in the lines of apartments was the occasional old man watering his yard. I’m laughing about that even as I type this!
I loved your descriptions: the pale green paint, being committed to finding the cookies, and lines of apartments. (That one word shows your initial displeasure with what you saw because it makes the apartments sound like barracks.) In addition to expressing your feelings, you also appealed to senses one doesn’t normally associate with a story about moving: smell, taste, and hearing.
Karen, I am pleased to give you the award for Grand Prize Winner. I’m certain you must be planning to be a writer because your talent already shows. Stay true to your voice, and your writing will always be authentic. It was a pleasure to read your essay.
The new site for all things middle-grade, From the Mixed-Up Files, is hosting me today: an interview, Q&A, and best of all, a chance to win a free hardcover of The Summer of Moonlight Secret! Come on over!
The Summer of Moonlight Secrets is now available as an e-book! It can be purchased through Amazon (Kindle), Sony, Kobo, or Go Spoken. Violet Raines will soon be available in the same formats. Wow!
Do you love middle-grade literature? This is your lucky day, my friend. A bunch of MG authors and myself have started a new site called From the Mixed-Up Files, and our inaugural post is a NINE BOOK GIVEAWAY to ONE LUCKY POSTER!
Are you still here? Make haste, MG reader--click this link for your chance to win THE BIGGEST MIDDLE-GRADE BOOK GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA YOU'LL SEE ALL SUMMER!
Here’s what I loved about Dylan's essay and why it stood out from among so many other well-written essays: Dylan, you offered a different look at the situation of being new. Drawing from your own personal experience, you helped me to see what it would be like to not only be new, but to be facing the additional challenge of trying to fit in when you speak a different language. You were very honest in your essay, and that honesty hooked me.
Even though I have never had your experience, I was able to relate to it because of how well you expressed it. I understood that it was lonely and frustrating to come to this country and try to make friends but have difficulty because you and they spoke different languages. I knew exactly what you meant when you worried about sounding weird when you spoke English. I feel the same way when I try to use the Spanish words I know! I’m not sure I have the accent or the pronunciation right.
Your writing was sensitive and insightful. You had a unique perspective on being a new kid, and I was very touched by your essay. GOOD JOB!
Some days, the forces line up. I whip the lightest froth, mix the proper sugar, & the espresso pours rich and dark. Today was that day. Yes, dear readers--the perfect cappuccino. I ask you, does it get any better than this?
Oh, wait--it does! My agent sold foreign rights to The Summer of Moonlight Secrets! My book will be printed in Turkey! I can't wait to see what the text looks like. HOORAY!
Congratulations to all the finalists and grand prize winner of the What's it Like to be a New Kid Writing Contest! Seven schools participated in the writing contest, and many, many well-written and creative entries came my way. I must say to all the students who entered: Thank you so much for your hard work, your creativity, and, most of all, your honesty in the stories you shared. I enjoyed every single essay.
Here's how the contest worked: I scored the papers on these elements: opening line, details, anecdotes, how the essay relates to Violet or Melissa, effort, and emotion. After reading each essay at least three times, I selected a pool of finalists, and from that pool, I selected a grand prize winner for each grade level. Finalists received the new Violet Raines paperback, a bookmark, and a little alligator (glass, not live!). Grand prize winners received the same booty, with the additional prize being the hardcover of the newly released The Summer of Moonlight Secrets and a written critique from me on their paper. The prize winning essays and photos of their authors are featured on the student page of my website.
But I enjoyed the essays so much, I thought you would, too. For the next three weeks, I'll post one grand prize winner over the weekend. I know the young writers would be thrilled to see any comments you might leave on my blog or my Facebook profile.
Without further ado, here is Caroline, the fourth grade Grand Prize Winner, and her essay. (Click on essay to enlarge it.)
My editor just sent me this review from Booklist. MY DAY IS OFFICIALLY EXCELLENT!
"Eleven-year-old Allie Jo’s family runs and lives in the legendary, timeworn Meriwether Hotel in Florida , where 13-year-old Chase is a summer guest with his travel-writer father. Although the kids’ first meeting is somewhat contentious, each has encountered the beautiful, mysterious 16-year-old Tara, who is unfamiliar with the modern world, drawn to moonlight swims, and determined to remain hidden from others. When Tara reveals her fantastical story, Allie Jo and Chase decide to help her, but a suspicious stranger’s arrival brings difficult dilemmas as they try to sort out the truth and the right course of action. Allie Jo and Chase are appealing, credibly realistic characters who face both extraordinary events and everyday issues, including resident mean girls. The alternating narratives, including Tara ’s voice, add suspense and depth to this entertaining and intriguing blend of fantasy and reality, myth and mystery, that celebrates friendship and compassion."— Booklist
My mom closed on her house last week, and she and my sister and I spent the weekend cleaning. Mom's standards are somewhat higher than ours; we worked harder on her house than we do our own! But in any case, YAY! Mom lives here now! And the best part is that my mom knows how to sew on a sewing machine, so she can fix up some of my clothes and that one bedspread. Heh-heh! Just kidding, Mom!
We love ya, Mom!
I've read and reread the entries to my writing contest at least three times. The prompt was to describe what it's like to be a new kid or to encounter a new kid. I was surprised by the number of students who described themselves as quiet. Many spoke of not raising their hands or avoiding things that would cause them to get noticed. They worried people would think they were weird.
The honesty in some of these essays was heartbreaking. These students were so brave to share their true feelings in print, and I was impressed with their insights and observations. A few of the essays contained humor and melancholy in one fluid narrative--that's quite an achievement for young writers.
I'm proud of all the students who entered. It was hard to select winners with so many well-written essays to choose from. But choose I did. Tomorrow, I start my visits to morning announcement to award prizes.
Look for winning essays to be posted on my website in June! In the meantime, come to the Barnes & Noble Waterford on May 26th, 5:30-7:00 p.m., where I'll be signing copies of The Summer of Moonlight Secrets!
In a split that will be remembered as legendary in family history, my sister and I took opposing sides when the family played THE GAME on Mother's Day. THE GAME would, of course, be Catch Phrase. When I shook her hand before the timer started, I knew I held the fingers of dead person. She was going down.
I crushed her.
And now, an ode to my sister:
An Ode to My Sister
O my valiant warrior,
thou learned in word and verse,
You stood on the other side,
and there you suffered the curse.
Do not rely on the mother,
She knoweth not your clues,
Myself, you said, not off, you said
They waited on a muse.
Then I, your sister, leaned,
"Ion?" I asked. Confirmed.
With me, my sister stay,
Away from the game-infirmed.
Upstart Crow Literary agent Chris Richman demonstrates how to boil a novel down to twenty-five scintillating words in an excellent post on the Upstart Crow blog. Check it out!
When I write stories for young people, my goal is to deliver an experience, an experience I hope will delight the reader and give them something to identify with. There's no better feeling than when a reader connects with your book.
Yesterday, book review blogger Liz Burns reviewed The Summer of Moonlight Secrets. I could tell by her review that she had entered the world of Allie Jo and Chase; when they ran up the secret staircases, she was right behind them. I felt like a happy balloon, floating up to the clouds after seeing her take on the book.
My agent liked this part of her review: "Haworth does a terrific job of balancing Allie Jo's independence and autonomy with caring parents, including how that family relationship impacts Allie Jo's friendship with Tara."
I liked the whole thing! But I really liked reading, "It is also funny!"
To read Liz Burns' review of The Summer of Moonlight Secrets, click here.
~~
B&N and other stuff
I'm signing books tonight 6:00-7:30 at the Barnes and Noble Colonial Plaza as part of St. James Cathedral School's book fair. Stop by and say hi!
Also, contests: Today is the due date for all entries for the student writing contest I'm sponsoring. Eight area schools are participating. The prompt for the young writers was to describe what it feels like to be new or to be challenged by a new person (and relate this to Violet Raines). Winners receive the new Violet Raines paperback, and one grand prize winner receives the hardcover for The Summer of Moonlight Secrets, which no one in Orlando has yet!
Tomorrow is the last day to enter the Goodreads giveaway for SOMS. I'm pretty excited by that, too! More than 1100 people have entered.
It's cappuccino time. Have a great day!
First off, what a wonderful, beautiful city!
My first view of it was from above, in my comfy Economy Plus seat I'd been bumped up to. Chicago is silver, just in case you didn't know. For all my worries about hailing a cab, all I had to do was enter a queue with an official taxi sign, and I was ushered to the next available cab. Whew!
The smoke-scented taxi whisked me away. I forget how pretty the northern landscape is until I see it again--the fir trees, red buds, tulips--TULIPS! You really don't see those in Florida unless it's Easter and they're on top of the dinner table.
Chicago's skyline is beautiful. And as we entered the downtown area, I felt like I was in a movie. Doormen stood in front of buildings and smartly dressed people pushed their way inside through revolving doors.
My room--oh my gosh--my room! Walker Books is a generous publisher! My suite YES THEY GAVE ME A SUITE! was on the twenty-second floor and I had a gorgeous view.
After I got settled in, I met up with the Walker group: Melanie Cecka (Thank you, Melanie, for assuring me that leafy green lettuce was not furrowing between my teeth!), Katie Fee (You are too funny!), Emily Easton (When I spotted you on the couch, I recognized you immediately as a fellow literary type), Beth Eller (You are a riot!), and my wonderful editor, Stacy Cantor (Thank you so much for the excellent conversation and breathless fun!)
And now some name dropping! Not only did we dine in an exquisitely decorated restaurant, I laughed and talked with the gracious and warm Kate Messner (right), funny and nice Kirby Larson, Matt McElligott, who had some good stories, Chris Kurtz, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Donna Knoell (educational consultant), Susan Boham (teacher), and Claudia Katz (professor of Children’s Literature). Excellent conversation and food!
I met other editors and other publishers and oh, my gosh everyone was excited about books! (Pictured left to right at the Bloomsbury/Walker booth: Stacy Cantor, Danette Haworth, Emily Easton, Katie Fee, and Beth Eller.) It was wonderful. I felt like that bee girl in the video for No Rain by Blind Melon when she discovers people just like herself at the end of the video. It was hard to leave. I mean that in every way. My suitcase was loaded down with books and nearly tore my arm out of its socket.
You know how some writing is just looking out a window? I did a lot of that kind of writing today.
This just in--Kirkus Reviews likes The Summer of Moonlight Secrets! Or to put it in their words:
A quick pace . . . a magical frisson . . . The mix of fantasy and light mystery makes for an entertaining read. Kirkus Reviews
YAY! HOORAY! WHEW!
I'm back from IRA 2010 Chicago!
Oh, my gosh--what a beautiful city. I tried not to act like a country mouse, but I was truly awestruck by the skyline and the beauty at street level. I HAD A GREAT TIME!
I have pictures to post and stories to tell, but first I have to take a nap work on my revision and do some housework.
Danette out!
The assistant editor of Scholastic Instructor has selected The Summer of Moonlight Secrets as one of her "Teachers' Picks: 18 Road Trip Reads". I'm beyond thrilled to see my title in the same list as Ann M. Martin's prequel to the Baby-Sitter's Club. Thank you, Assistant Editor Hannah Trierweiler Hudson, for your nice review--you made my day!
My morning rounds take me past many ponds; they say that every body of water in Florida has an alligator.
They do not lie.
I scan every pond, every canal, just hoping for a sighting. Today I scored! An alligator was crossing a pond at breakneck speed! He tipped up in front, like a speed boat zipping across a lake. I couldn't see what he was after, but I've never seen an alligator move so quickly. Usually, they float or glide--nary making a ripple--sly reptiles that they are. I took this photo on the other side of town; it's not the same alligator, but it could be his brother-in-law.
Also sighted today, the sandhill cranes couple and their colts (that's what sandhill crane babies are called). The cranes are such wonderful parents. Once, I watched as the mom and dad drove their beaks into the ground and repeatedly offered their findings to their colts. They walk together through the neighborhood, an odd foursome, these lanky birds and their kids.
Speaking of kids, I passed a lady pushing a stroller. Her toddler bounced behind her, exuding the kind of cuteness that makes you say, "Aww!" out loud even though you're by yourself. Then he fell down like a Weeble-Wobble. I actually said, "Oopsie!" It was then I realized I'd actually stopped the van in the middle of the road to watch this little boy. Good thing there were no officers behind me.
On the way home, I searched that pond--the velocigator was gone. I guess breakfast was served.
Fellow blogger Stephen Parrish's debut novel is out! The Tavernier Stones: A Novel is on bookstore shelves and promises to be a great adventure. Usually, I talk about middle-grade books, but Steve's got one of those voices you just can't ignore. He's cynical, funny, a bit disrespectful, and totally supportive of other writers. Stephen has a blog and he's recently caved to the siren song that is Twitter. And he's got this book out!
Congratulations, Stephen!
ADAM LAMBERT appears on American Idol tonight and tomorrow night! Yeah!You know where I'll be!
Whew, got that out of the way.
My friend Donna Gephart has great news: Her novel How to Survive Middle School (middle-grade fiction) is now in bookstores. HSMS received a starred review from Kirkus and a very nice review from Booklist. Way to go, Donna!
Last night, I dreamt of The Hotel of Blueberry Goodness. (I told you this was important chit chat!) My family and I had snuck onto the grounds, explored the hotel, and found a beautiful suite unlocked. We spent the night. I still remember what it looked like, and here's the odd thing: the setting of the dream was the same as when I dreamt of the hotel here. I wish I could really go there.
Here's what else is going on: The Summer of Moonlight Secrets comes out end of May. I'm speaking at Sawgrass Bay Elementary tomorrow, and I have two Barnes & Noble appearances coming up in May. And I'm sponsoring a writing contest for some local schools. The grand prize winner receives a signed hardcover of SOMS before it's even released! Other winners receive the new Violet Raines paperback, which features a sneak peek of SOMS. Also, I'm in revision rounds for Me and Jack, eating rice cakes, and chugging energy drinks.
Hope all is well with you! Have a great day!
Goodreads is hosting a giveaway for THE SUMMER OF MOONLIGHT SECRETS! Two review copies are up for grabs. If you'd like to read the book before anyone else (and maybe review it!), enter the contest here.
Good luck!
American Idol has finally recognized there is only one way to bring back last year's glory days--Adam Lambert will appear as mentor Tuesday and perform Wednesday. And he promised to be a nice boy!
THE GLAM IS BACK!
In other AI news, Casey James, Crystal Bowersox, and Lee Dewyze, are my call for the top three.
I did have a moment of inspiration from last night's show. If I see people fading during my presentation at IRA, I'm sending in the bagpipe man.
My publisher is flying me out to Chicago for the IRA 55th Annual Convention, April 25-28th. I can't wait! My presentation is called, "How I Use Real Places, True Feelings, and Almost Breaking the Law to Write Fiction for Young People." I get to show all my slides and talk about stuff I like--I ask you, does it get any better than that?
One thing has me worried though--I just saw on Yahoo that Chicago has 10,000 cameras recording citizens on its streets. I have never hailed a cab before, and I'll be doing just that after landing at O'Hare. I hope those guys who watch the videos don't fall out of their chairs laughing.
There is nothing I like better on holidays than having the family over and playing a cutthroat game of words. This Easter it was Catch Phrase, and my sister and I teamed up against EVERYONE ELSE to smear their faces into the ground with our prowess. When it comes to this game, I am no one's mother, no one's wife, no one's daughter--my loyalty is to my teammate and only victory satisfies my bloodlust.
I told my sister we should be on separate teams, for I know the force between us. No, she said, we must be one. And we were one. UNSTOPPABLE, UNBEATABLE, UNDEFEATED TO THIS DAY! No one can touch us. I gave her Not a radio supper, but a and she answered TV dinner. She understands erudite clues such as It's a literary word, something pastoral--a grassy-- "Knoll!" she shouted.
Rack 'em up and cry, losers. This game is ours to win. Stumble over your words like ginger while we rack up points because you run out of time. You entered this challenge knowing our reputation. Did you think it hyperbole?
My sister and I look forward to next week. It's her birthday. There will be cake and there will be ice cream and presents and singing. And when that's over, there will be THE GAME.
When little boys sit in my van eating French fries from Burger King, they think I'm not listening.
I am.
Boy 1: My dad rents movies and copies them. He knows it's illegal, but he doesn't care.
**
Boy 2: What are the three forms of matter?
Boy 1: Water, gas, and POOP!
Boys: HAHAHAHAHAHA!
**
Boy 2: Do you kiss your brother?
Boy 1: No, I think it's against the law.
**
Boy 1: Do you still have lice?
