Creating Room to Read: Doing a World of Good

 

 

If you're interested in children’s literature, there’s a good chance you’re also interested in making sure children have books to read.  On Sunday, February 17, Nan Cappo reviewed John Wood’s latest book, Creating Room to Read: A Story of Hope in the Battle for Global Literacy (Viking). Wood is a former Microsoft marketing exec who quit his job to focus on bringing books to young people , creating a nonprofit organization called Room to Read. “The group operates in cultures where contempt for women keeps girls poor, and much worse.” Since 2000, the organization has built 13,000 libraries in 10 countries, published millions of books by local writers, built schools, and funded 17,000 girls to finish secondary schools.

If you’re looking for an organization worthy of your donations, check out Room to Read. It gets good marks for being an efficient and well-run organization.  If you’d like to check out Ms. Cappo’s article see Creating Room to Read .

 

The End of an Era: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

After rereading the last three Harry Potter books (then watching the accompanying films) to get back up to speed, my daughter and I went to see the final Harry Potter film. Author J.K Rowling pulled off the hard task of keep the series engaging and ending Harry’s quest in a satisfying way, while the filmmaking team did a superb job in recreating the story visually.

The first book, despite dangers to Harry,
is A-Okay for 10-11 year olds.

Harry’s been a part of our lives since 1997. It took 10 years to publish the books covering the seven years at Hogwarts, and beginning in 2001, it took 10 years to bring the story to the screen.  My girls grew up with Harry and anxiously awaited each new book. Looking back, it was a blessing that they were the right age at the right time to grow with the boy wizard. Each book grew a little darker, the danger levels ticked upward. The main characters of Harry, Ron and Hermione not only had to grapple with the threat of Lord Voldemort, but also with puberty, hormones and snogging – which at times was more terrifying than dark magic – at the same times that my daughters grappled with growing up. Priceless, as that credit card commercial points out.

Plots also grew increasingly complex with each book. The last book was so convoluted that I remember walking away confused. It took a revisit to Year 6 and a reread of Year 7 to really grasp the complicated intertwining storylines of the horcruxes, wand ownership and the three hallows.



The dark tone of the last book is
probably not okay for 10-11 year old's.



So here’s a word of advice to parents whose offspring are ready to begin the series: take your time. Having a book released every year gave readers time to be ready for the ever increasing complications and darkness. My offspring experienced the delicious anticipation of waiting for each new publication release date, one that, unfortunately, new readers can bypass. A child reader who may delight in devouring the Year 1 book, may want to tackle the whole series in one school year, but may not be ready to plow through the entire series. It won’t be easy, but try to slow down your young reader.

Perhaps begin a tradition (ok, a bribe) of buying your reader(s) a hardcover  book as a birthday present every year or half year, maybe along with the film of the last book.  Give them an incentive to wait.  If you can, encourage your young readers to take Harry’s journey slowly, so they are ready to tackle the later books when they have matured (just like Harry) and are truly ready.

Readers, any suggestions to pass along?

The Is YA Too Dark & Edgy Controversy

By Jenny Ramaley

Since we’re focusing on Hot, Hot, Hot topics this month, how about the brouhaha a couple of weeks ago when Meghan Cox Gurdon posted her thoughts about violence and depravity in YA novels? If you missed it, here are a few select paragraphs from her article, followed by responses from author Sherman Alexie and editor Cheryl Klein from Arthur A. Levine Books:

Darkness Too Visible

Contemporary fiction for teens is rife with explicit abuse, violence and depravity. Why is this considered a good idea?By Meghan Cox Gurdon
Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com Bookshelf), June 4, 2011

 “The argument in favor of such novels is that they validate the teen experience, giving voice to tortured adolescents who would otherwise be voiceless. If a teen has been abused, the logic follows, reading about another teen in the same straits will be comforting. If a girl cuts her flesh with a razor to relieve surging feelings of self-loathing, she will find succor in reading about another girl who cuts, mops up the blood with towels and eventually learns to manage her emotional turbulence without a knife.

Yet it is also possible—indeed, likely—that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures. Self-destructive adolescent behaviors are observably infectious and have periods of vogue. That is not to discount the real suffering that some young people endure; it is an argument for taking care. . . Every year the American Library Association delights in releasing a list of the most frequently challenged books. A number of young-adult books made the Top 10 in 2010, including Suzanne Collins's hyper-violent, best-selling "Hunger Games" trilogy and Sherman Alexie's prize-winning novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. "It almost makes me happy to hear books still have that kind of power," Mr. Alexie was quoted saying; "There's nothing in my book that even compares to what kids can find on the Internet." . . .

Oh, well, that's all right then. Except that it isn't. It is no comment on Mr. Alexie's work to say that one depravity does not justify another. If young people are encountering ghastly things on the Internet, that's a failure of the adults around them, not an excuse for more envelope-pushing.”

Here’s the link to her entire article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.html?KEYWORDS=Meghan+Cox+Gurdon

Author Sherman Alexie took issue with her thoughts. Here’s part of his response, and the corresponding link to his entire article:

Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood

By Sherman Alexi

The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com Speakeasy), June 9, 2011

“As a child, I read because books–violent and not, blasphemous and not, terrifying and not–were the most loving and trustworthy things in my life. I read widely, and loved plenty of the classics so, yes, I recognized the domestic terrors faced by Louisa May Alcott’s March sisters. But I became the kid chased by werewolves, vampires, and evil clowns in Stephen King’s books. I read books about monsters and monstrous things, often written with monstrous language, because they taught me how to battle the real monsters in my life.

And now I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don’t write to protect them. It’s far too late for that. I write to give them weapons–in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/09/why-the-best-kids-books-are-written-in-blood/

Sherman Alexie is the author of “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” winner of the 2007 National Book Award in Young People’s Literature. He is currently at work on a sequel. His website is here.

                                

Here’s part of what Cheryl Klein thinks about the “is YA Too Dark” controversy, posted on her blog at http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/ from Monday, June 13, 2011.

“And then with #YASaves itself . . . Is there dark stuff in YA, all about sex and death? Sure. But there is also I Now Pronounce You Someone Else and StarCrossed and Eighth-Grade Superzero and July’s The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills, to name four books off my own list that are terrific and smart and not at all about angst; and I feel a little bit frustrated that YA is being tarred as a dark genre when there is such an incredible diversity that people just aren’t educated to see. (Or they can’t find the books in stores, because the darkness is what sells and therefore what gets on shelves.) If you’re scared about the darkness, by goodness, do more to celebrate the light. Read review magazines or YA blogs to find titles you approve of. Tell your local bookstore (whether a chain or an independent) that you’re looking for those kinds of books. Request specific titles, if you need to, and then buy them. Give those as gifts to friends whom you’re trying to educate about the genre and to teenagers. . . .
          Finally, the hard fact I always come back to whenever discussions like this come up: We (meaning writers, editors, publishers, even booksellers and librarians) cannot control readers’ reactions to the books they find through us. There may be readers who read books about cutting or bulimia or feeling suicidal (to pick three forms of darkness at random) and use them to start or continue those practices themselves. This is horrifying and sad but true. There will also be readers who already practice cutting or bulimia or who feel suicidal, who will truly benefit from seeing their experience reflected on the page and given that recognition by someone else; who will connect with that character, and be helped by seeing that character start to move back toward hope and out of the sickness, and may start to take that step themselves. This is inspiring and brave and also true.”

Here’s Jenny’s Two Cents:

I certainly enjoyed reading all kinds of books when I was a teen. Reading Go Ask Alice did not make me want to go out and experiment with drugs, but it did help me understand what was going on when an older girl I knew ran away from home with a drug dealer. The Outsiders didn’t make me want to stab any rich kids, but it gave me comfort growing up in an area where clear class lines existed between the haves and the have-nots.

Picking what YA books to read (and encouraging young readers to check out) is like my thoughts on drinking alcohol or eating rich foods – all things in moderation.  Just as devouring four Godiva chocolates at one sitting will make my stomach churn, reading four dark, heavy YA novels in a row will make me depressed.

Mix it up.

i.e. after reading 13 Reasons Why, try Twilight.

Sex and YA Novels

By Jenny Ramaley

A  few weeks ago, some of us Route 19 Writers gave ourselves an assignment: write a sex scene.

(not porn, mind you, but a literary scene with story, character, etc.)

         Huh, you might be thinking. Don't most of you write for children?

         Yes.  But Carol is working on an adult murder/mystery/suspense/thriller and we were encouraging her to raise the 'steamy' level in some of her scenes where the characters were peeling off various layers of clothes. "Hey," she protested. "It's not that easy. You guys should try it!" And being a supportive group, the rest of us, even the picture book gals, thought, "Yeah, this would be a good experience, a challenge that will loosen up our writing."

         Long story short, we had a blast one evening drinking wine and reading each other's stories out loud. Overall, group members surprised themselves. We produced good stories, rich in character and setting, where the physical act meant something – whether it was misguided love, first kisses, pure lust or corporate climbing.

         The project was especially useful for those of us who write YA novels, because sooner or later we're faced with a physical situation in our stories. Whether a character suppresses his or her desires or tries to satisfy them, all teens have raging hormones. Because of our 'assignment', I spent some time picking through YA books to see how different authors handle sex in their stories.

         First I turned to Gossip Girl. Although written in 2002 by Cecily von Ziegasar, the concept was brainstormed and controlled by Alloy Entertainment. The book morphed into a well-known print and TV series with a reputation for copious amounts of drugs, alcohol and sex. The story focuses on a group of neglected rich New York teens and drips with sexual innuendo. But if you really study the book, there's a lot more talk than action.

         Here's the scene where Serena has sex for the first time with her old friend Nate, who is also her best friend's boyfriend:

They both had sex for the first time. It was awkward and painful and exciting and fun, and so sweet they forgot to be embarrassed. It was exactly the way you'd want your first time to be, and they had no regrets.

         If you ask me, that sounds pretty vague. And tame.

         Compare that scene with another first-time experience found in Forever, the YA book written by Judy Blume in1975:

I whispered "Are you in . . . are we doing it?"

"Not yet," Michael said, pushing harder. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't worry . . . just do it!"

"I'm trying, Kath . . . but it's very tight in there."

"What should I do?"

"Can you spread your legs some more . . . and maybe raise them a little?"

"Like this?"

"That's better . . .much better."

I could feel him halfway inside me and then Michael whispered, "Kath . . ."

"What?"

"I think I'm going to come again."

I felt a big thrust, followed by a quick sharp pain that made me suck in my breath. "Oh . . . oh," Michael cried, but I didn't come. I wasn't even close.

         Due to its explicit, almost clinical, physical scenes, I can't help but wonder if this story would be published in today's conservative anti-sex-education world. Marcy said this book has been hard to find the book in recent years, but it's still highly in demand. I found my copy on a shelf at Target a few weeks ago.

         Although our pop culture drips with sex – think MTV rap videos, Jersey Shore and a relentless avalanche of sexy advertising -- teenagers still seem to covet information about the nuts and bolts of sex from sources other than reality TV and Glamour magazine. Carefully crafted YA books that deal with the subject of sex openly, honestly, with the pros and cons of these decisions worked into the stories can help fill this need.

         I wonder if any teens will be searching for Gossip Girl 36 years from now.

        

John Green and the Barometer of Truth

New York Times bestselling YA author John Green came to Pittsburgh last Friday, Jan. 28, courtesy of the Black, White & Read All Over program.* In case you need a memory jog, John won a Printz award with his first novel Looking for Alaska. His other teen novels have also won a slew of awards and include An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns and his latest, Will Grayson, Will Grayson. His presentation was funny, interesting, self-deprecating, and covered a wide-range of topics from world history and current events.

      But the most fascinating aspect of the evening was the audience.

      Of the almost-sold-out 612 seat Carnegie Lecture Hall, I'd say 90% of the crowd was teens and young adults – equally mixed between male and female. The multi-cultural group sported color-streaked hair, skinny jeans, and even a few girls wearing headscarves. Ah, the positive energy of youth.

      After a clever musical opening act, a duo who wrote songs based on scenes from John's books, John Green hit the stage to the kind of thunderous applause usually reserved for rock stars.

      Why do teens love this guy? Partly because they love his BLOG!  Sure, they obviously enjoy his books, but the big draw stems from their devoted attachment to his website  www.nerdfighters.com , with its dedicated community of world-aware teens who he charges with "raising nerdy to the power of awesome." During the Q&A session, almost every question from the teens focused on the blog, while every question from the 10% remaining 'mature' audience members centered on his books and the YA publishing world.

      While some kidlit author websites and blogs are aimed at adults, John Green's is not. The Nerdfighter website welcomes teens' thoughts, videos, and drawings, and encourages respectful disagreements. John Green and his brother have built a site where intelligent, artistic kids can meet and chat with other smart kids who share similar, sometimes quirky interests. The site and John Green's video rants employ a 'Barometer of Truth' approach because John respects youth's ability to see through less-than-honest information.

      In addition to being a touchstone for young people, Nerdfighters is also a perfect example of how an appealing website can differentiate an author from zillions of other writers and wannabes. The fortunate byproduct is that John Green has built a receptive audience for every new book he publishes.

       

*Now celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Black, White & Read All Over brings families and young readers together to meet the award-winning authors they love and share their stories (although the only parents I saw the night of John's lecture were dropping their teens off at the door.) Black, White & Read All Over is presented by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures in partnership with Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh with the generous support of UPMC Health Plan.

My 'Magic' Board: Getting Started

Last May, Marcy and I drove to Cleveland to attend a session on YA novels held by the Northern Ohio SCBWI chapter. The 2 ½ hour drive was well worth our time and gas $$. This is a really active chapter and several members of the Rt19Writers hope to attend more of the Northern Ohio events (www.nohscbwi.org ).

            We met some great people at the presentation, including author Rebecca Barnhouse, who gave a terrific talk about developing plot. Although everyone has a shelf full of books on how-to-write-a-novel, nothing beats a concise 45 minute presentation to remind you of what's important to focus on at the beginning of a story.

            Everyone starts story development in their own unique way – some people make outlines, some just jump in and start writing. I use my "Magic Board" (as Fran calls it), an approach I picked up in Screenwriting class with Kitty and Lee. Here's what my board looks like for the YA novel I'm working on:

For people who think visually, colored 3x5 notecards are a perfect tool. Once a story idea begins to take over and push other useful thoughts out of my brain, like making a grocery list for the week, it's time to flesh out the idea to see if it's got enough substance for 275+ pages. I jot down a few key questions on blue cards and tape them to a cork bulletin board (I don't like to use push pins because they always fall out and I step on them. Writing's painful enough without drawing actual blood). I've incorporated notes from Rebecca's talk into this process:

Who is the MC (main character)? How old, gender, race, name, personality & quirks, IQ, home life, etc. 

The other blue card asks questions like:

What does the MC want, and why can’t he have it?

Is it an internal or external problem; is he aware of it or not?

                        What is his flaw?

"Answers" and thoughts about these questions are jotted down on white cards below the blue cards.

The Yellow card reminds me to think about possible Macro and Micro structures for the book. For example, if a book is written entirely with diary entries or as a travelogue, that's the Macro structure. The Micro structure nudges me that each section, such as a chapter, has to have an arc with a beginning , middle and end, just like the overall book.

(The green card on the top is a special reminder that 'the acquisition of knowledge is key to the plot.' Usually I use purple for special notes to me, but I ran out.)

The green cards in a row set up the 3-Act structure and turning points:

ACT 1: Show MC's world before the 1^st Turning Point or 'Change" occurs, so you can understand and get to know MC and his flaws.

TURNING POINT #1:  MC encounters an agent of change or "an inciting event".  This starts the transformation of MC. MC will resist this change.  (Note: in some books, the inciting event is hidden and unfolds during the story, like the initial attack in Laurie Halse Anderson's terrific book, Speak.)

ACT 2: Move toward the middle of the novel. MC stuggles with things making him change. Author should make things worse and worse to the point of despair and giving up for MC. This is when/where the MC starts to change. (This is the longest part of the book and, I think, the most challenging. Must be filled with interesting challenges to keep from getting boring!)

TURNING POINT #2: Climax. Significant event that forces MC to come to terms with his transformation. Determines what happens with the MC.

ACT 3: Resolution. The aftermath of what has happened. Shows that MC has changed and is coming to terms with the changes. What is different?      

            The white cards below the green cards are where I work out individual scenes to move the story forward. This is where nothing's-too-crazy-at-this-point brainstorming happens. I jot down all kinds of ideas and thoughts of what can happen to the MC. Then cards get moved around, expanded, changed, whatever. Sequences develop. Note: a lot of these cards get pulled off and aren't used, but I save them to revisit if I get stuck later in the story.

            Now, what are the pink cards sprinkled among the white cards? In my current story, the pink cards show whenever the "love interest" pops up (she's a subplot, not the main focus of the story). The pink cards give me an idea of when I need to bring her back – I don't want too much time to pass between her scenes with the MC, but too many pink cards alert me that she's becoming too dominate – you know how domineering teenage girls can be . . . 

            Once I finish the first draft and get comments from my writers group, I revisit the board to update it and rethink what's happened. New white cards and scenes are slipped in and used for the next draft.

            While it may not be 'magic', that's how I start a story, knowing it will change and evolve as it's written – how many times has a minor character been so interesting that he/she grows into a more important role, like Jacob in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series? I'd love to hear how our blog readers get started!

            A big thanks to Rebecca Barnhouse for sharing her story pointers (and her always encouraging emails). She's a scholar and teacher of all things medieval – check out her new book, The Coming of the Dragon, a retelling of the end of Beowulf, and her last YA novel from ye old old old not-so-merry-England-if-you're-a-servant-girl, The Book of the Maidservant, on her website: http://rebeccabarnhouse.com

Love to Write for Children? Spread the Love – to Them

Year-end is a good time to stop and think about why we do what we do. Why do many of us chose to write for children? Why does Andrea spend hours agonizing over the perfect rhyming word? Why does Miss Kitty unleash her popcorn brain on the youth of America?

            Speaking for myself, I spend hours on YA stories because I like young people. Good books provide not only knowledge and information for children and teens, but also provide a safe escape from their rapidly changing, sometimes angst-driven lives. We should encourage children's love of reading – and writing. Writing's an important life skill – and if students are cheered on, maybe they’ll grow to love the process as much as the Route 19 Writers!

The school district where I live thankfully has a strong writing program. Focus on writing starts early, in grade school, and continues through graduation and all those hair-pulling college essays. In 6th, 7th & 8th grades, the writing labs in our two middle schools offer an extra special component – interested adults are invited to attend a training session, and then come in throughout the school year and help students by giving an "adult conference" for their writing assignments. After more than six years of helping, student papers can still make me burst out laughing and, sometimes, struggle to hold back tears.

The goal of this volunteer program is two-fold: to help students with their writing assignments and enthusiastically encourage their efforts.

As you probably well know, there's a right way and a wrong way to work with children. As my gift to our readers, I’d like to share the following time-tested guidelines for working with student writers. The guidelines were developed by some pretty terrific educators at our writing labs. 

Conferencing Guidelines

(some of these might sound odd or even bossy, but bear with me)

·        Review the paper’s guidelines beforehand, and make sure you understand what the teacher is looking for in this assignment. Trust the teacher!  Each assignment is building different skills and you’re just seeing one tiny slice of what's planned for the year.  (You may think the concluding paragraph is a mess, but the teacher may not care – that may be a lesson she hasn't focused on yet)

·        Introduce yourself to the child and greet the writer by name. ( Hi Sam, I'm Mrs. Ramaley, I love your jersey. Are you a hockey fan? a little something to break the ice helps). Sit side by side with the paper on a table in front of you.

·        Make sure the writer has a pencil and holds it ready to write. Feel free to jot notes on a spare sheet or the student’s “conference” sheet provided by the teacher, but YOU should NEVER write on the student’s paper.  If you write on the paper, you are “taking ownership”. Not good.

·        Ask the writer to read his or her entire paper out loud. You’ll be amazed at how often a writer will self-correct when they read out loud. Encourage them to make notes/corrections right away when they stumble on an error so they don't forget to fix it.

·        First, find something in the writing to Praise (wow, you’ve done a really great job in finding 2 strong quotes), then Question an item that needs improving (hmm, the teacher wants 3 events to support your topic sentence, but you’ve only got 2. Can you think of a 3rd example you could add?). If a student seems stuck, Suggest something that may jog the writer's thoughts. This can be tricky; it’s their paper and you don’t want to rob them of the chance to come up with an idea, but sometimes they need a nudge. (You haven’t mentioned the best friend in the story. Could you use something that happens with Jeremy for your 3rd event?). Your mom/dad/auntie/grandpap/wise adult intuition comes in handy during a conference.

Here’s a few Questions you can use:

o   What do you think is the strongest part of your paper? The weakest?

o   Is there anything you’d like me to pay attention to?

o   Can you tell me more about  . . . ?

o   What would happen if . . . ?

·        Focus on a few areas for revision; DON’T overwhelm the student with too many changes – trust me, their eyes will glaze over. For a strong writer, maybe 3 suggestions. For a child who is struggling, maybe just one - if you can help them improve one thing and make them feel good about it – that’s something to be proud of. You're not there to “fix” the writer’s paper or to get the writer an A. You’re there to encourage the student and help him or her meet the assignment requirements. Be especially wary of not trying to do too much with your OWN CHILD.

·        Recommend a second adult conference, if needed.

·        Alert the teacher if you see a problem you can’t solve. Be discrete, and keep your experience confidential. (No blabbing to another adult that you just conferenced with that Ramaley kid and boy, did she need help – no no no no no!)

·        Always remember that you have no idea what kind of day a child is having – maybe her best friend just yelled at her, or maybe her dog died this morning. A friendly word and praises and a few minutes of interested attention can do more good than your realize.

Happy Holidays to you and yours! And may the New Year bring some Happy Conferencing!