#TXLA11 Day 4 Recap

This is Lauralee's final TXLA recap post!  HUGE thank you to Lauralee for updating us on TXLA and for snagging all the great books!!! 

They say all good things must end, and so it is with TXLA. On Friday, there was only a half day of convention left. The book sellers were packing up and going clearing out. And the SALES!!!! Everything must go, so they wouldn't have to pay to ship it back. $5 books, $3, Free....It was wonderful. But it was also surreal watching what had been a bevy of activity turn into a ghost town.

I worked with the Bluebonnet award winning author Willy Claflin. He is a great storyteller, and as wonderful as it is to read his books, the CDs of his storytelling are even better. Anyways, I was with him for about 3 hours. And he never lost his smile or his welcoming nature to his fans. He gave me a stack of bookmarks to give to my students that had participated in the Bluebonnet reading program. And he will be at the TXLA 2012 convention in Houston to talk about storytelling. I will be first in line.

Then there was the closing luncheon and speaker and it was time to go home. I was sore and tired, but had a great time. Anyone that loves books would have had a great time. So I will close with yet another t-shirt I saw. "Authors are my rock stars."

#TXLA11 Day 3 Recap

Here's Laualee's recap from the third day (Thursday 4/14) of the TXLA Convention! Be sure to follow #TXLA11 on twitter for all the tweets regarding the con and we'll have updates from Lauralee!

Today, I played hookie. I had all these wonderful sessions lined up, but instead, I wandered about the exhibit hall. The vendor hall is one of the biggest, and people pay $20 just to come to that and not even attend the convention. ARCs were being handed out like candy, and authors were there to sign. I came home with two boxes of books and posters. It took me 4 hours just to tour the exhibits. And then I volunteered at the author signing area, where even more free and reduced books were to be had for the taking. I ran into Chris Barton, whom I had met at the Texas Book Festival last fall. I congratulated him on his 2x2 award for Shark vs. Train, and told him how I couldn’t keep it on the shelf.

I picked up Vanish, Haunted, and Wolfsbane for Stacey and Where She Went by Gail Foreman for Jaime, and Dark Song and a Carrie Ryan novel The Dark and Hollow places for myself. I have Smells like Treasure for my son and Mirror, Mirror for my goddaughter. I ordered books for my library, even finding a Spanish version of Island of Blue Dolphins that I have been searching for for about 5 months now. I also picked up a signed copy of David Levithan’s 2003 novel Boy meets Boy for free.

Wandering through the booths, I picked up some interesting looking ARCs. Falling for Hamlet looks interesting. And a comedy called I Can’t Make You Love Me, but I Can Make You Leave. The biggest score came when I walked past HarperTeen’s booth. They were handing out these black bags, and so I just took one. When I sat down, I found the following ARCs Hereafter, Starcrossed, Divergent, and Die For Me. Can I just say---SCORE! It was to promote a reading program they are doing called The Dark Days of Supernatural. You can find out more by visiting www.pitchdark.com

The author I worked with today is the poet Marilyn Singer who penned the Bluebonnet award nominee Mirror, Mirror. A man came through the line to buy the book who told me he had been her student when she was a teacher. Talk about creating life-long learners. Then I moved over to work with The Uglified Duckling illustrator James Stewart, who signed a poster for me to put up in the library. The Uglified Duckling won this last year’s Bluebonnet award (an award voted on by Texas school children in grades 3-6). Tomorrow, I will work with the author of the book. Other authors I saw included James Dashner and Rebecca Stead.

Tomorrow is the final day, and I will be sad to see them pack up and leave. But this has been great. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have seen many of my friends, like KatieB from MundieMoms. And I leave you with the t-shirt I saw: Honey, I bought another stack of books today.

#TXLA11 Day 2 Recap

Here's Laualee's recap from the second day (Wednesday 4/13) of the TXLA Convention! Be sure to follow #TXLA11 on twitter for all the tweets regarding the con and we'll have updates from Lauralee!

I squealed like the fan girl that I was. A 40 year old woman trapped in the body of 16 year old Justin Bieber fan. Except, it wasn’t a heartthrob—it was an author. Today I met Simone Elkeles, one of my fave living authors. She has three series out, all about overcoming stereotypes and prejudices, so Simone was on a panel about crossing borders in your literature, along with Will Todd. She is funny and cool. I’m starting to think that writing YA literature keeps you young. Can I share how nervous I was. I gave her a book to sign that she had already signed last year in Florida. {smacks forehead} But that was okay, I had a spare. I enjoyed the panel talking about how ethnic and cultural stereotypes (primarily Hispanic) were treated by literature and how they were trying to change things.

I also spent time in a session about censorship with Top Ten Banned Author Lauren Myracle. She was very funny, sharing stories of times when her books were challenged. The co-panelist was a librarian and they suggested ways to deal with book challenges. Afterwards, I shared some stories with her about my District, which pulled TTYL from the middle school libraries.

Most of time today was spent working with authors who were doing signings. I did take some time to talk to Phil Bildner, who had previously visited my son’s school to think him for making such a positive impression on my son. I worked with Sofie Jordan, who gave me an ARC of her new novel Vanish to pass on to our own Stacey to review. And I worked with Newberry award winning author Richard Peck, who gave me an ARC of his new novel Secrets at Sea to give to my son. Mr. Peck is a dear man who truly loved getting a chance to meet his fans of all ages. Will Todd, his friend, stopped by, and we talked more about immigration and bilingual issues in the schools. Elizabeth Scott was only 2 tables away, but I was so busy with them, that I never made it over. {cry}

I have to tell you that I am now a personal, not just literary, fan of Michael Buckley (Sisters Grimm and NERDS series). I worked with him in the morning, and after his line was gone, we talked. I was so surprised at how casually he was willing to sit and talk to me. We discussed his both of his series and how he got into writing (he started in television). We talked about the new popularity of fractured fairytales, and how sad that the kids don’t know the originals. And how to get boys to read. Both of his series are action-based, and don’t treat girls as secondary characters. I am really looking forward to his 3rd NERDS installment, due out in September 2012.

When I was talking to him, I remembered a part of yesterday’s YA panel that I forgot to mention. The writers were discussing how they decided if books were series or stand-alones. Lauren Oliver and Michael both said they arched out the storyline and sometimes it just had to be told in installments. Ally (who was so sweet and approachable when I saw her in the hallway today) said her publishers asked her to continue exploring the world. Jonathan and David said they loved the world and characters so much, that they couldn’t quit writing about them. Paolo, on the otherhand, had imagined Ship Breaker as a series of adventures. However, when he finished it, he felt is was complete and didn’t need more. He tried to write the sequel, but it felt forced and wrong; so, he left the title as a stand-alone.

Tomorrow is Kevin Henkes, Marilyn Singer and Dinner with the Authors. …..

#TXLA11 Day 1 Recap

Here's Laualee's recap from the first day (Tuesday 4/12) of the TXLA Convention! Be sure to follow #TXLA11 on twitter for all the tweets regarding the con and we'll have updates from Lauralee! 

Two great sessions today at the TxLA (Texas Library Associaion) convention. If this is an indication of the rest of the convention—this is going to be a great week! The first was a booktalk for YA literature published in the last year. My reading list just grew exponentially! First on my list Divergent by Veronica Roth: it is compared to Hunger Games, and so I am sold. Die for Me by Amy Plum also sounded very interesting, as a paranormal romance. Kim Harrington’s Clarity was an intriguing paranormal mystery novel. I have had Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill on top of my stack forever—time to pick it up!!! You Wish by Mandy Hubbard sounds sweet, and so does Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss. And being a Shakespeare lover, I am interested in Ann Fortier’s Juliet. I did not realize that Dark Song by Gail Giles was based upon a true story—so I will be interested in reading that one, too. So too is Girl Stolen by April Henry—a kind of “what if the story had gone a different way for the kidnapped girl?” So many books, so little time.

Then I went to a session titled “The Allure of YA Dystopia,” a panel of YA writers. Are you ready??? Lauren Oliver, Ally Condie, Paolo Bacigalupi, Jonathon Maberry, and David Patneaude. May I just say, I was in awe the entire two hours. They were funny and insightful. I soaked up everything they said like a sponge, and I only hope I can capture some of it for you. First, why do they, the authors, like to write dystopias. Jonathan says because it “gives you a blank canvas” to write about your issue. You get to create the characters, setting, background, and deal with real issues like what happens to people in a crisis or when they have undergone some trauma, when society’s roles are changed or its infrastructure collapses. This allows the writer to focus more on character develop and create character driven novels. Lauren and Ally agreed it was fun to make it up, to explore through world building. Lauren said she writes so much more, that doesn’t make it in the book because she has to explore every possibility and its consequences.

As to why the teens like dystopia, they offered many reasons. David’s was simplest: “kids want to read about bad stuff happening to someone else” so that they can safely experience it. In addition, Jonathan added that dystopia’s provide an opportunity to see clashing values in a “boxing match”. Lauren commented that children begin by hearing fairy tales, where there is safety and a happy ending for the main character at the end of a perilous situation. As they grow up, dystopias replace that, still providing hope that things will work out well in the end.

Another question was how Current Events affect their writing. They each spoke to how a current event or real life experience had shaped their writing. The core concepts/issues of today can be illustrated as possibilities, as what if’s. David commented that kids want to have hope that the world isn’t going to end like the headlines say; YA Dystopias show how another generation could build a new world.

In discussing how they write, they all agreed that background information is best provided in pieces, like a puzzle to be solved by the characters and readers. While talking about self-censorship, Paolo said my favorite quote of the day. He was cutting out some of the profanity because “I want my book banned for the right reason” which would be topic of the book, not the writing style. Lauren said that you can’t write to an issue or a genre, that doesn’t come off as authentic. And Ally said she would only steer away from a topic if she felt she couldn’t give it the justice treatment it deserved; she had too much respect to do otherwise.

Lauren said she started writing by writing her own sequels to books she read; she said is was a great way for a beginning writer to get some practice. Jonathan said one-on-one peer critiques worked better than group workshops.

Off to get some sleep. Tomorrow is Lauren Myracle and Simone Elkeles........

Texas Library Association Conference #TXLA11

I can hardly believe that TLA starts tomorrow....I keep looking at my blanked out calendar and pinching myself twice. TLA is the Texas Library Association's annual conference. It begins on tomorrow with a session on Storytelling and ends on Friday with a poetry reading session. I think I have died and gone to Heaven. The opening session's keynote speaker is Children's author/actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Other Children's authors such as Kevin Henkes and Pat Mora will be there, along with cultural author Joe Hayes. Established writers like Pam Munoz Ryan and up-and-coming writers like Simone Elkeles. YA favorites like Gayle Forman, Lauren Oliver, Maria V. Snyder, and Lauren Myracle will be presenting sessions. I can't wait to hear Myracle talk about censorship. Let's just say the publishers are sending out the red carpet. Check out the full list here: http://www.txla.org/authors

So TLA lasts for 4 days, and I will come on and post about my experiences. I am looking forward to the announcement of the Bluebonnet Winner. The Bluebonnet book award is voted on by Texas school children in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. They read from a list of 20 titles chosen by Texas librarians, and then voted on their favorite book back in January. My school chose The Uglified Duckling. Can't wait to see which one won the Statewide vote.

Wednesday we will be marching on the State capitol to voice our hopes that the State legislature will continue to fund library programs which are facing funding cuts. First, the Arts and Music were cut, and now our schools face library funding cuts. How sad it is to me to think of students growing up without a free source of literature. The school/children's librarians motto is "A book for every child/For every child, a book".

Check back later to see what is happening, as I continue to receive news about upcoming events. I am working in the author signing area, so hopefully I can share lots of observations with you. And, keep your fingers crossed for me that I meet one of my author heroes, Simone Elkeles!

House of Dolls Review

Title: House of Dolls
Author: Francesca Lia Block
Publish Date: June 2010 by Harper Collins Children’s Books
Synopsis:

In a little house from another time, with lace curtains in every window and paintings hung in gold doily frames, Wildflower, Rockstar, and Miss Selene live a warm and cozy life. They wear fancy dresses, bake play-dough cakes, and spend their days enjoying one another's company.
For the three dolls, life is small but good.
But life is not good for Madison Blackberry, the owner of the dollhouse. Her grandmother pays more attention to the dolls than to her. The dolls have one another, but she is lonely in her big, empty apartment.
Then one day, as things always do—even for dolls—everything changes.
This beautiful story from the acclaimed team of Francesca Lia Block, author of such novels as Weetzie Bat, and Barbara McClintock, author and illustrator of many picture books, including AdÈle & Simon, brings to life the power of love, family, and friendship. –BarnesandNobles.com

When I first saw the beautiful cover of this book, I thought it would be a beautiful coffee table book. The cover art is just beautiful. But inside is a very black and wide world depicting a very contemporary fairytale. When our life feels out of our control, when war—however far away—impacts us in silent but subtle ways, how can we regain a sense of ourself? Francesca’s answer—the power of love and family—is one that heals and gives strength. I enjoyed reading this fairytale.

My Over All Rating:

The Real Real Review

Title: The Real Real

Author: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Publish Date: December 2009 by HarperCollins Publishers

Synopsis:
Jesse is the typical sweet girl next door, that is before the editing crew gets a hold of her footage. Perhaps the only girl in school who doesn’t want the attention, she is thrust into the limelight where her unreal life has very real consequences. The story started off with confusing transitions between time and characters. Jesse finds that the rest of the cast, part of the rich high school clique, do not have the perfect lives Jesse thought, just as she is not as principled as she thought. About half way through, the book picks up speed and is a good read—I couldn’t put it down at this point. It captures the cameras manipulations on the so-called “reality shows” perfectly. And I was left wondering how the second season would work out. The reading audience would be high school and older.

Jesse is the typical sweet girl next door, that is before the editing crew gets a hold of her footage. Perhaps the only girl in school who doesn’t want the attention, she is thrust into the limelight where her unreal life has very real consequences. 

The story started off with confusing transitions between time and characters. Jesse finds that the rest of the cast, part of the rich high school clique, do not have the perfect lives Jesse thought, just as she is not as principled as she thought. 

About half way through, the book picks up speed and the transitions smooth out, and from there it is a good read—I couldn’t put it down at this point. It captures the camera’s manipulations on the so-called “reality shows” perfectly. And I was left wondering how the second season would work out. The reading audience would be high school and older.

My Over All Rating:

No Talking Review

Title: No Talking

Author: Andrew Clements

Released: 2008 by Scholastic

Rating:

Synopsis:

Before Lynsey or any of her friends could say something back, Dave said, "And there's a way to prove that girls talk way more than boys. Unless you're afraid of some competition, you and your noisy friends."

"Afraid?" Lynsey said, looking around at the girls. "We're not afraid of anything."

"Okay, here's the deal: a whole day of no talking at school. Not in class, not in the halls, not on the playground, nowhere. No talking at all. And it's a contest--boys against girls.Whichever side talks less, wins."--excerpt from back cover of book.

The fifth grade class is such a behavior problem, the teachers have dubbed them the "unshushables". In a classic story where boys and girls still have cooties, a contest to prove which gender talks the most unites an entire class body into silence. And the teachers hate it. And somewhere along the way, stereotypes are silenced, too. This was a fun read that I enjoyed sharing with my 9 year old. The characters are realistic, and, as the contest grows, you get a look at how it impacts their lives in their classes and outside school. I would highly recommend it for 3rd-6th grade, boys and girls alike.

Persepolis Review

Title: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Author: Marjane Satrapi

Released: June 2004 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Rating:

Synopsis

Originally published to wide critical acclaim in France,... Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's wise, funny, and heartbreaking memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran's last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran: of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life and of the enormous toll repressive regimes exact on the individual spirit. Marjane's child's-eye-view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a stunning reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, through laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.

Marjane Satrapi has chosen to tell her story as a black&white graphic novel, drawing herself and others with a simplicity that makes them the everyman, woman, and child of Iran. Her choice of using a child's voice and power of perception allow her story to be told in a way that does not overwhelm or horrify, but leaves little to the imagination that this was a horrible time to be in Iran. I read this in an afternoon, unable to put it down. Appropriate for middle school on up, this is a good book for kids and adults trying to understand what happened in Iran and how the society came to be what it is today. It created a great cultural conversation between me and my 9 year old when I showed him parts of the book.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Review

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Released: June 5, 2010 by Little, Brown and Co.
Rating:
Synopsis:
Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.--BarnesandNoble.com

Could you love the Cullens more? Hate the Volturi more? Despair over Bree's fate more? The answer to all of the above is YES. In this companion piece, Stephenie Meyer takes all of these characters to new levels as she reveals the life led by members of Victoria's Newborn Army. Told through the perspective of Bree Tanner, we see the bloodlust, the animalistic drive, and the chaotic confusion most newborns experience. The secrets of how Victoria raised and controlled her army through Riley, how Bree came to surrender to Carlisle, and how malicious Jane can truly be are all revealed. But that is only half of Bree's story. A must read for any Eclipse fan. With proceeds going to help the American Red Cross earthquake relief efforts in Haiti and Chile, you can feel like a civilized Cullen vampire while reading it, too. But don't forget your Kleenex--you will need it. Appropriate for middle school and older.

Leaving Paradise Review

Title: Leaving Paradise

Author: Simone Elkeles

Released: April 2007 by Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.

Rating:

Synopsis: Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.--BarnesandNoble.com

When you buy this book, be sure to buy a box of Kleenex to sit beside you as you read. When your life falls apart, can you pick it back up or do you have to start something completely new? These two teenagers must make some hard choices about reclaiming their lives without the support of the friends they thought they had and while living in the shadow of the person responsible for the destruction. Unable to break away from the rumors, they must learn to define themselves. Is leaving their hometown, Paradise, really the only answer? Or, is that just running away from their problems? Side plots of family dysfunction and questions of friendship are also part of this story about learning to forgive and to move on. For grades 9 and up. The sequel Return to Paradise is due out soon, but not soon enough for me.

Adios, Nirvana Review

Title: Adios, Nirvana

Author: Conrad Wesselhoeft

Release Date: October 25, 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Rating:

Synopsis:

When you piss off a bridge into a snowstorm, it feels like you’re connecting with eternal things. Paying homage to something or someone. But who? The Druids? Walt Whitman? No, I pay homage to one person only, my brother, my twin.
In life. In death.
Telemachus.

Since the death of his brother, Jonathan’s been losing his grip on reality. Last year’s Best Young Poet and gifted guitarist is now Taft High School’s resident tortured artist, when he bothers to show up. He's on track to repeat eleventh grade, but his English teacher, his principal, and his crew of Thicks (who refuse to be seniors without him) won’t sit back and let him fail.--Publisher

Poet, Philosopher, Skater: Jonathon is the reluctant hero of this teenage-angst ridden novel. I absolutely loved it. It is raw, gritty urban fiction written in poetic prose. A book where Whitman meets Kerouac meets Seattle grunge. He is dealing with the death of his twin, and not well. His mom is the local *MILF*, and his dad non-existent. His friends and his guitar barely get him through the day.

When he is hired to write a WWII vet's life story, he learns to look past death at the guilt and joy of being the one who survived. This book doesn't come out for another 6 months, so be sure to reserve your copy now. I know I will read it again when it does. Definitely for an older teenage audience and anyone that loves Walt Whitman or Eddie Vedder.

The Host Review

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publication: Hatchette May 2008, paperback release April 2010

Rating:

Synopsis: Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature,THE HOSTis a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.--Back cover

Saying this book is SciFi is like saying Twilight is a Gothic Vampire Romance. Sure, it has aliens with advanced technology, but that is not the story. The story is about the human spirit: what defines it and what drives it to continue despite the hopeless odds. It is about love and community and tolerance, about trust and hatred. I read this book two years ago when it came out, and I am still haunted by Wanderer's soul. It takes her awhile to feel comfortable in her host body, as it will take the reader a while to get immersed in the book. But then both the reader and Wanderer/Melanie will be on a wild ride together, as Jared and Ian help them sort out their identity. I have read it several times, and cry every time. While not a YA book, it would be appropriate for high school readers. The newly released paperback has an additional chapter, providing a different POV which will tug at your Team Ian heartstrings.