I love wordless picture books! When I heard Christian Robinson was debuting his first book as author & illustrator, I was excited to see what it would be about. When I heard it was a wordless picture book, I was even more intrigued.

And ANOTHER does not disappoint. Evoking a sense of wonder with its playfulness and creativity, there is much for kids to imagine in conjunction with each page. And I especially love that the idea for this story came from him thinking about diverse representation and wondering “what if you saw yourself in a book…literally”

interior spreads

Reading wordless picture books with students never fails to help me discover more than I could on my own. When kids get time to explore what they notice in the illustrations, they often point out things I missed or overlooked, and their enthusiasm in pouring over the pictures to find clues to the story is a joy to see.  I can’t wait to see what they discover in the world of ANOTHER!

Some more of my favorite wordless picture books to share with students during #classroombookaday read alouds.

Happy Book Birthday to Eva Eland & When Sadness is At Your Door! 

A comforting primer in emotional literacy and mindfulness that suggests we approach the feeling of sadness as if it is our guest.

Sadness can be scary and confusing at any age! When we feel sad, especially for long periods of time, it can seem as if the sadness is a part of who we are–an overwhelming, invisible, and scary sensation.

In When Sadness Is at Your Door, Eva Eland brilliantly approaches this feeling as if it is a visitor. She gives it a shape and a face, and encourages the reader to give it a name, all of which helps to demystify it and distinguish it from ourselves. She suggests activities to do with it, like sitting quietly, drawing, and going outside for a walk. The beauty of this approach is in the respect the book has for the feeling, and the absence of a narrative that encourages the reader to “get over” it or indicates that it’s “bad,” both of which are anxiety-producing notions.

Simple illustrations that recall the classic style of Crockett Johnson (Harold and the Purple Crayon) invite readers to add their own impressions.

Eva Eland’s debut picture book is a great primer in mindfulness and emotional literacy, perfect for kids navigating these new feelings–and for adult readers tackling the feelings themselves!

     

What inspired you to write this book about this topic right now?

Actually, I wanted to make a comforting picture book and wanted to understand more about image making that could achieve this. But I soon realised, that to make something comforting, I needed to understand the ‘difficult emotions’ better first, so I started to explore sadness, fear and anger as characters. Sadness was the one that I most resonated with myself, as it’s a feeling that has frequently visited me since childhood, and a feeling that has become very familiar, almost like an old friend.

My students are always interested in the behind-the-scenes process. How long did it take from the time you started drafting the book to finishing it to be ready for publication? 

Short version: I only worked on the book for about 2,5 months with Andersen Press (which is not a long time), but before we started working together on it I had already developed the book over the course of 1,5 years, but alongside many other projects and with many intervals, as I was studying the Children’s Book Illustration masters at the Cambridge School of Art at the time.

Longwinded version: With this book it’s a bit difficult to tell, because I had the original idea it’s loosely based upon in 2012. In 2016, during my studies at the Children’s Book Illustration masters at the Cambridge School of Art, I revisited this idea, but I initially focused on a completely different story, also about sadness. Early 2017, I decided to rework the first idea and make it into a picture book that I could present at the International Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, at the stand of the Cambridge School of Art. It’s there that Andersen Press found my book and approached me. We started working on it together in the summer of 2017. It was changing till the very end, as we had to tell the same story in fewer pages. It really became so much better because of this focus and we took great care in making sure the message was just right. We finished it in a relatively short time, for the final artwork I think I only had 3 to 4 weeks. It was only possible to finish it in a relatively short time because of all the work and experimenting I had done before that time already.

How/Why did you decide on the limited colors/illustration style for this book?

At the time I was developing this book, I was also experimenting with printmaking techniques, in particular risography, the method of printmaking I also used for illustrations in the book. I also experimented with just how far I could pare back my work, for it still to be effective and communicate. Working with a limited colour palette seemed to be a natural fit for this book. The subdued colours fit the subject, and I think with a topic like sadness, it is important to leave as much space for the imagination of the reader, to allow for their own interpretation. So however big, small or personal your sadness might be, you can still relate to the words and images in the book.

Did you try any other ways of depicting sadness before landing on this final version?

Funnily enough, the shape of this sadness, was there from the beginning. I did however experiment in between with lots of different ways of depicting sadness (abstract shapes, elephants and hairy creatures all past the revenue), but I decided that the sadness character you can find in the book now was the most effective one after all. It was important that the character wasn’t too specific but also that it had an endearing element to it, so children can relate to it and wouldn’t feel threatened by it. The halftone texture of sadness has been quite a long journey however to find. I was very sure from the beginning it shouldn’t have a solid outline and it should be semi-transparent – but sometimes it can still take a while to get it right.

What do you hope kids (& adults) take away from reading this book?

On the one hand I like it that the book seems to have a reassuring and comforting element to it, but what I like most is that it has the potential to show kids (and adults just alike) that it’s not necessary to be afraid of our emotions. We can learn to understand them better and take care of them, and as a result we will understand ourselves and others better. This is a continuous journey, but reading a book like this can be a great conversation starter between kids and adults, to explore the subject further – and as a result we might be able to feel more kindness and compassion towards feelings like sadness, ourselves and others. 

What’s next for you?

Making more books! I’m finishing my second book with Andersen Press at the moment, which will be coming out in spring 2020 if all goes well – and I have lots of new ideas for books that I will soon start to develop further. I can’t really share more I’m afraid.

Thank you to Random House for coordinating and providing an F&G of When Sadness is At Your Door to preview.

When I read How Do You Take a Bath? (out today!), I smiled at how adorable it was, but also appreciated how it could connect with science concepts about animals. Even though it reads as a book aimed at a younger audience about bath time with a specific fact about how each animal cleans itself, it also connects well with other recent picture books that share fun facts about a variety of animals through engaging picture book formats with great illustrations.

Follow elephants, pigs, monkeys, hippos, and more in this charming rhyming picture book from veteran author Kate McMullan. How does a pig take a bath? It sinks in the mud! What about a chicken? It thrashes about in dust! And a cat? Why, it licks itself clean, of course! Sydney Hanson’s adorable illustrations toggle neatly between animals in nature grooming themselves and humorous depictions of children attempting the animals’ bathing tactics. By the end of the book, the child finally makes his way to the bathtub, no mud baths or lick baths about it! 

I adore Dev Petty’s Frog books and kids’ giggling reactions when they read these stories of a complaining frog whose highly entertaining reasoning for his opinions cracks me up. Add in Mike Boldt’s bright, enthusiastic illustrations that jump off the page, and it’s a pairing made for read aloud heaven.

I was lucky enough to meet Dev in person at nErDcampMI this summer, and am honored to host her on the blog today to celebrate the newest Frog book, that I think will be a hit with all kids who have ever claimed to be bored, THERE’S NOTHING TO DO!

Frog can’t find ANYTHING to do—even when his animal friends make good suggestions, like sleep all day, lick between your toes, or hop around and then stare off into space. Will he find a fun and exciting way to spend his day? Featuring the beloved Frog, this new story is sure to bring a smile to every kid (and adult) who has ever felt like there was nothing to do. This is another surefire crowd pleaser that lets every kid know that being bored . . . doesn’t always have to be boring.

I’m so thrilled to be sharing Ben Hatke‘s newest book, LITTLE ROBOT with you today! It is a fabulous, charming story enhanced by its nearly wordless graphic format. Thank you to First Second for providing a review copy and a copy for giveaway!

     When a little girl finds an adorable robot in the woods, she presses a button and accidentally activates him for the first time. Now, she finally has a friend. But the big, bad robots are coming to collect the little guy for nefarious purposes, and it’s all up to a five-year-old armed only with a wrench and a fierce loyalty to her mechanical friend to save the day!
     #1 New York Times Bestselling author Ben Hatke brings his signature sweetness to a simple, moving story about friendship and overcoming fears that will appeal to readers of all ages.

My thoughts:
Ben Hatke’s illustrations are charming, and this nearly wordless graphic novel with chapters is an entertaining read of friendship and determination. The story of a girl who goes on adventures with her tool belt and comes across a lost robot hooks the reader right away. Adventure begins and suspense is built when we see the robot ends up being hunted by a larger scarier robot trying to get him back. The main character’s ingenuity with mechanics and fixing things has a great message. Not only are the illustrations just plain fun to look at, the story itself is a delight. I so appreciate that the young girl is a tinkerer and engineer. Little Robot is about exploration, ingenuity, technology, and friendship. A strong addition to a classroom graphic novel collection.

Title: THE WINNER’S CRIME (sequel to THE WINNER’S CURSE)
Author: Marie Rutkowski
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux (a Macmillan imprint)
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Number of Pages: 352
Source of Book: ARC from Publisher

        Book two of the dazzling Winner’s Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.
        The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.
        As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

My thoughts on The Winner’s Curse
A page-turning read and smart fantasy book with a unique premise. I really enjoyed this one, and am dying to know what will happen next! The main character is likeable and intelligent and fun to read about. At times, it did feel to me as if I was reading an older book (the main character is 17 but I often seemed to forget that). The commentary on war and strategy and slavery and people’s perceptions intrigued me. I will definitely be recommending this one.

I’ve always wanted to see Angkor Wat.
(Side note from me: I’ve been there, Marie. It’s a must see once in your life kind of magical, spiritual place. I hope you make it there someday!)

Angkor Wat (from my trip there in 2008)

Elizabeth Eulberg is one of my favorite authors when I want a guaranteed enjoyable book (we bonded over our cheeseheadedness) and have been a huge fan of all of her books since I first read THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB. Then came PROM & PREJUDICE, followed by TAKE A BOW, and the latest, REVENGE OF THE GIRL WITH THE GREAT PERSONALITY. So I was thrilled when I heard that Elizabeth’s latest book was set in Wisconsin (finally!) and even more excited when I was able to get an early copy of BETTER OFF FRIENDS to read in September. And let me tell you, I was up early the next morning to keep reading the book because I couldn’t stop thinking about Macallan and Levi. When I finished later that day, I declared it Elizabeth Eulberg’s best book yet. And now (well, tomorrow) you get to read it, too! We Wisconsin bloggers were so excited that Elizabeth’s launch part would be in Milwaukee, and I knew I had to be a part of the blog tour. And the best part? Elizabeth is visiting my school today! 

*If you can’t make it to the launch party event,  SIGNED copies can be pre-ordered or purchased after the Better Off Friends Launch Party through Boswell Books by calling (414) 332-1181. If you want it personalized, you have one more day to order!

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Title: THE SNATCHABOOK

Author: Helen Docherty
Illustrator: Thomas Docherty
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Number of Pages: 32
Source of Book: eARC from Publisher

Where have all the bedtime stories gone?
          One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down…when a Snatchabook flew into town.
          It’s bedtime in the woods of Burrow Down, and all the animals are ready for their bedtime story. But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. All turns out well when the books are returned and the animals take turns reading bedtime stories to the Snatchabook.

Title: THE REAL BOY
Author: Anne Ursu
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Number of Pages: 288
Source of Book: ARC & finished copy from publisher in exchange for honest review

          On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy. The city is called Asteri, a perfect city that was saved by the magic woven into its walls from a devastating plague that swept through the world over a hundred years before. The forest is called the Barrow, a vast wood of ancient trees that encircles the city and feeds the earth with magic. And the boy is called Oscar, a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the Barrow. Oscar spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master’s shop, grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar’s world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in it.

          But it’s been a long time since anyone who could call himself a wizard walked the world, and now that world is changing. Children in the city are falling ill, and something sinister lurks in the forest. Oscar has long been content to stay in his small room in the cellar, comforted in the knowledge that the magic that flows from the trees will keep his island safe. Now, even magic may not be enough to save it.

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Title: THE YEAR OF SHADOWS

Author: Claire Legrand
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from publisher

Claire Legrand used to be a musician until she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now a writer, Ms. Legrand can often be found typing with purpose at her keyboard, losing herself in the stacks at her local library, or embarking upon spontaneous adventures to lands unknown. Her first novel is THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, a New York Public Library Best Book for Children in 2012. Her second novel, THE YEAR OF SHADOWS, releases August 27, 2013, with her third novel, WINTERSPELL, to follow in fall 2014. She is one of the four authors behind THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, an anthology of dark middle grade fiction due out in July 2014 from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins. Claire lives in New Jersey with a dragon and two cats. Visit her at claire-legrand.com and at enterthecabinet.com.

PURCHASE LINKS:
amazon | barnes & noble | the book depository | indiebound | books-a-million | itunes

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Title: SIDEKICKED
Author: John David Anderson
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Number of Pages: 384

With not nearly enough power comes way too much responsibility.

Andrew
Bean might be a part of H.E.R.O., a secret organization for the
training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn’t mean that life is all
leaping tall buildings in single bounds. First, there’s Drew’s power:
Possessed of super senses – his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell
are the most powerful on the planet – he’s literally the most sensitive
kid in school. There’s his superhero mentor, a former legend who now
spends more time straddling barstools than he does fighting crime. And
then there’s his best friend, Jenna – their friendship would be
complicated enough if she weren’t able to throw a Volkswagen the length
of a city block. Add in trying to keep his sidekick life a secret from
everyone, including his parents, and the truth is clear: Middle school
is a drag even with superpowers.

But this was all before a
supervillain long thought dead returned to Justicia, superheroes began
disappearing at an alarming rate, and Drew’s two identities threatened
to crash head-on into each other. Drew has always found it pretty easy
to separate right from wrong, good from evil. It’s what a superhero
does. But what happens when that line starts to break down?

I’m so excited to have been asked to be a part of the blog tour for THE WIG IN THE WINDOW, a fun middle grades mystery by Kristen Kittscher (a middle school teacher!). I’m especially excited that Kristen offered up a guest post on her revision process (an aspect of the author’s writing life I’m looking to share more examples of with my students – and in fact am co-chairing a session about at NCTE in November).

Title: THE WIG IN THE WINDOW
Author: Kristen Kittscher
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
Release Date: June 18, 2013 (tomorrow!)
Number of Pages: 368

 

Title: THE CARPENTER’S GIFT: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree
Author: David Rubel, illustrated by Jim LeMarche
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Number of Pages: 48

This new classic
Christmas gift book “brings together two great traditions: the
Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and the neighbor-helping-neighbor
program of Habitat for Humanity.” Opening in Depression-era New York
City, The Carpenter’s Gift tells the story of eight-year-old Henry and
his father selling Christmas trees. They give a Christmas tree to
construction workers building Rockefeller Center and celebrate together.
Through the kindness of the construction workers and neighbors, Henry
gets his wish for a nice, warm home to replace his family’s drafty
shack. He plants a pinecone from that first Rockefeller Center Tree. As
an old man, Henry repays the gift by donating the enormous tree that has
grown from that pinecone. After bringing joy to thousands as the
Rockefeller Center tree, its wood will be used to build a home for
another family in need.

Written by children’s nonfiction author
David Rubel in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity. Gorgeous
illustrations crafted by Jim LaMarche.

Behind the Scenes: The Making of THE CARPENTER’S GIFT

 

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Don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops on the Holiday Blog Tour!

·         SharpRead 

Title: MIRA’S DIARY: LOST IN PARIS
Author: Marissa Moss
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Number of Pages: 224

Mira is shocked when she
receives a postcard from her missing mother from Paris. Her father
decides it’s time for a trip to France to search for her. While visiting
Notre Dame, Mira touches a gargoyle and is whirled into the past. There
she meets the famous painter Degas and catches a brief, shocking
glimpse of her mother. Mira begins to suspect that her mom didn’t run
out on them but is a prisoner of the past. Can one family on an
incredible worldwide adventure stop a plot in time?

I’ve lived in Paris and Rome, each a wonderful experience. Living in a foreign city broadens your sense of who you are and how you want to live in ways that are delightfully unpredictable. In both cities, I explored the cultural riches in a way you can’t during a brief visit, but more than that, I learned the rhythm of a different lifestyle. There’s no such thing as rushing in Rome, no sense of urgency – or, frustratingly – of efficiency. You learn the Italian shrug of acceptance.


Travel in general demands that kind of flexibility. Planes are delayed. Connections are missed. A drive into the Amazon jungle that was supposed to take five hours ends up taking ten because roads have been washed out. But being open to what happens during travel mishaps means you end up having tea with Bedouins in Petra or are invited into a house-raising for a newly married couple in Vietnam. I love the expected parts of travel, the amazing sites, the great art, but I also love the completely unplanned, the moment you have to be open to in order to experience it.


I’ve been to more than 30 countries. The ones that have been the most difficult, have also been the most rewarding – India, Peru, Vietnam, Jordan, Egypt. I hope I can keep adding to this list. I’d love to see Indonesia, South Africa, Namibia, anywhere new. But the place I keep going back to, the city that has my heart, is Rome. Must be the gelato.
Guest post generously provided by Sourcebooks.

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Title: THE LIAR SOCIETY: LIES THAT BIND
Author: Lisa and Laura Roecker
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Number of Pages: 320

Just when Kate Lowry
thought she had life at elite private school Pemberly Brown figured out,
she cracks open a fortune cookie to find a message from her best friend
Grace–who’s supposed to be dead.

Another Sister Gone

A
classmate has gone missing, and Kate soon realizes that the
disappearance is tied to the secret societies that rule her private
school. Her best friend died for their secrets, and there’s no way
she’ll let them get away with it twice. It’s up to quirky outsider Kate
to get some answers, but in a school where every answer leads to more
questions and nothing’s as it seems, who can she trust?

Guest post generously provided by Sourcebooks.

Thanks to Sourcebooks (love them!), I get to giveaway one copy of THE LIAR SOCIETY: LIES THAT BIND. Enter below.
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A legendary ghost, an ancient treasure, a mystery only Samantha Sutton can solve.

What
happens when Indiana Jones meets Nancy Drew? You get Samantha Sutton,
twelve year-old archeology buff with sharp wit and an insatiably curious
personality. SAMANTHA SUTTON AND THE LABYRINTH OF LIES is the
incredible page-turner about a young girl from California who is given
the chance to follow her archeologist uncle to the excavation of an
ancient Peruvian temple.

What she doesn’t expect, though, is the
legend haunting this ancient site. When important artifacts begin to
disappear overnight, Samantha must navigate the disapproving eye of her
uncle’s acerbic assistant, the bungling boyishness of her annoying big
brother, and the ever-present stories swirling among the locals of the
hysterical spirit that wanders through the town late at night. Using her
keen sensibility and her knack for mapping the unknown passageways of
Chavín de Huántar, Samantha uncovers a mystery far bigger than she could
have ever imagined. This is a novel for children (and adults!) who love
history, mystery, and heart-stopping plot-twists.

In SAMANTHA SUTTON AND THE LABRYNTH OF LIES real-life archeologist Jordan Jacobs brings
to life Samantha Sutton, the curious, twelve year-old daring-do heroine
of his debut novel. Combining everything you love about history,
mystery, and heart-racing adventure, Jacobs weaves
a plot full of non-stop fun and incredible facts. From what it’s
actually like to be on a real archeological dig to the delightful tastes
and smells of South America, the plot is woven from Jacobs own experience working at the actual site of this exciting adventure—an ancient Peruvian temple shrouded in mystery.

 

For my stop on the blog tour, I’m hosting author, and real life archeologist, Jordan Jacobs’ guest post:

Chavin
de Huantar almost killed me.

I lost 35 pounds over the 10-week archaeological field season–a
not-so-pleasant combo of high-altitude labor, giardia, and the cunning Peruvian
parasites that detected my innocent gut as soon as I arrived.  A mystery
fever confined me to bed for three full days mid-summer, with only the team’s
shared copy of Lord of the Rings to keep me company. To this day
I’m not sure which remembered scenes I read and which I merely hallucinated.

And when I wasn’t ill or raving, I was struggling to adjust to life in the
Andes.  Over the course of the summer, I was gored by cacti, attacked by
bats, chased through the village by unfriendly dogs, and badly bruised when my
shower exploded–clogged with mud from its riverine source.   A taxi
I’d hired to take me back from an outing never appeared, and I had to hitch a
ride back in a truck full of half-dead chickens.  A collision on a
cliffside road almost sent our excavation van tumbling over the edge.  

I’m not a sickly person.  Not at all.  I tend to do well in
remote and foreign places (in subsequent travels to Asia, Africa and elsewhere
in Latin America, I’ve never encountered such a shock to my system). But my
Andean summer took its toll.  In September, when my parents came to meet
my return flight to California, I looked so weak that my dad insisted on
carrying my filthy duffel. My mom just cried.
 
It was the best summer of my life.  

For a young archaeologist, there can be nothing better than Chavin de
Huantar.  The site dates to about 1200 BCE, and continued in active use as
a religious and political center for at least a thousand years.  Roughly
10,400 feet above sea level, it’s a vast complex of platforms, terraces, and
plazas, all flanking a central temple–six stories tall and the width and
breadth of a New York City block. Threading through the site are narrow
passageways— called “galleries”–their entire network still unmapped.
 Exploring the pitch black depths of the ancient temple was an
unparalleled thrill, and realized some childhood dreams.

So, too, did the science.  The Stanford professor leading the
project was exacting in his methods, and led our team patiently through the
survey, excavation, and analysis.  All energy was applied to a simple
series of questions: How had this place been built?  What was its purpose?
 How had it been so successful?

The answers that emerged that summer–and in all the years of research
before and since–have been as shocking and as thrilling as anything in the
movies. The whole experience made me feel like I was twelve years old. The
place was begging for a kids’ book.  

And so I wrote one.

I’d always wanted to write something for kids about
archaeology–probably because, as a kid, I was always reading about archaeology
myself.  And while I knew that most children might not have the patience I
had had to track down dense college textbooks and dry academic journals, I
wanted to present a realistic view of the discipline I love so much, and share
with them the real-world excitement that it offers.

Setting the book in Chavin made things easy.  In writing Samantha’s
adventures, I was able to throw all my adventures on her and her compatriots,
the good as well as the bad.  I chase them with dogs and bats.  I
explode their showers.  I threaten them with falls off Andean cliffsides,
and strand them, then retrieve them, in trucks of half-dead poultry.  But
they get a stake in the scientific discoveries, too.  I took pains to get
these right–both those made during my summer in Peru and in the years of
excavation that have occurred there, before and since.   

In many ways, Samantha Sutton and the Labyrinth of Lies is a true
story. It’s my story.  And it’s a story that my younger self would
have been eager to read.

Reese and David don’t
remember what happened to them after a bird flew into their headlights
on the Extraterrestrial Highway–not the resulting car accident and
certainly not a bit of the 21 days of care at the military hospital in
Nevada. It’s a good thing, the doctors and colonels tell them, that they
crashed on a military base, but they won’t tell Reese and David what
the extent of their injuries were, or how they were healed. They do tell
them they’re not going home, though, until they sign a confidentiality
agreement.

When they get home, Reese can’t help but find
everything a little weird. Worldwide bird strikes resulting in plane
crashes have grounded air travel, David won’t talk to her, and she could
swear she’s seen her military doctors around the neighborhood. It’s
only when she meets Amber Grey that things in her life begin to really
fall apart, and the mysteries of the bird strikes, the military, and her
own treatment come together. Reese realizes that she must find out what
they did to her in that hospital, but her search for the truth
threatens to expose a vast global conspiracy that the government has
worked for decades to keep secret.

What if we aren’t alone in the universe? What if the alien is inside us?

1. How would you describe Adaptation in five words or less? 

Option 1: You’ll love it, I swear!   

Option 2: A mysterious, sexy, scifi thriller.
 

2. What sparked your initial idea to write this book? 

A dream! I dreamed that some people were in an airport when planes
started crashing from the sky due to birds flying into them. It was a
very intense dream, and when I woke up I ran to my office and wrote it
down. I thought immediately that it would make a fantastic beginning to a
story. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and that’s how I knew I had
to write the book that became Adaptation.

3. Adaptation is a bit of a departure from Ash and Huntress. What caused you to go in a different direction?  

The dream! If I hadn’t had that dream, I probably would have written
something else entirely. In fact, I did have other book ideas that I put
aside because of the dream. But I also  wanted to try something
different. I was an X-Files fan back in the ’90s, and the idea for
Adaptation gave me an opportunity to revisit those interests. I’m glad I
decided to do it, because writing Adaptation and its sequel have been
just about the most fun I’ve ever had while writing.

4. Did you direct your characters or did they direct you in writing this story?

I’ve heard plenty of writers say their characters drive the story, and I
can see the allure in that. It also sounds so romantic, doesn’t it? But
let’s face it: the story is fiction. Those characters are fiction.
Fictitious characters can seem real, but they’re not. For me, part of
the awesome fun of being a writer is that fictitious people must do what
I tell them to do.

So, I absolutely direct the characters. I have to make sure to not
direct them to do things that would be “out of character,” but I do
direct them.
 

5. You’ve said you were inspired by The X-Files when writing Adaptation.
What’s the most interesting alien story you’ve ever heard?

In 1997 there were multiple sightings of a UFO over the city of Phoenix,
Arizona (where Adaptation starts!). Thousands of people saw clusters of
lights in a V shape, and many of them reported their sightings to the
authorities. There is even video footage of the lights in the sky.

UFO enthusiasts were not amused by the governor’s antics, and ten years
later, in 2007, Symington shocked everyone by basically retracting his
comments and saying that he had actually seen the Phoenix Lights. He
also admitted that he lied back in 1997 because he didn’t want anyone to
freak out about the lights. So who knows what really happened? The
jury’s still out. (You can see a CNN report about Symington’s
retraction, including footage of his spoof press conference, here:
http://youtu.be/JMfEV5qATrY)

Thank you so much for stopping by, Malinda, and many thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for arranging your visit!  You can also visit Malinda on her website.

About POSSESSION: Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think
about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more
than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match,
how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed
the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But
the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi
to become one of them…starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can’t leave
Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion,
especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical,
charismatic, and dangerous–everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust
Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

About SURRENDER: Raine
has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After
all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him
that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one
else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All
of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason
in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when
she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn.

Raine
has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father
expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning
to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden,
and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting
to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the
rebel Jag Barque…. 

And today, right here, you get to meet Michelle Hodkin, gracious and fabulous author of THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER, who answered a fast five questions about Mara and her writing. A little something to tide you over until you can read Mara’s story tomorrow.


What prompted you to write this story?
The short answer is that I was inspired by true events. The long answer is going to be posted on www.maradyer.com. Until then, all I can say is:  

Did anyone or anything in your own life inspire any of your characters: Mara, Noah, Daniel, Jamie?
But bits of myself definitely make it into each of the characters. I’d
have to say, though, that I’m probably the most like Jamie.
Foul-mouthed, brutally honest, and pretty obnoxious. But a super loyal
friend. 

How long did it take for Mara to go from idea to book? How many revisions did you go through?
Ten months from the first words until the day I submitted it in late
March. Probably two significant rewrites and three additional
significant revisions before my editor even got her (capable and
brilliant) hands on it. 

What do you hope readers take away from this book?
Honestly? I just wanted people to have fun reading it. But I wouldn’t be
sad if it made even one person re-think the (silly) idea that pit bulls
should be banned from towns, cities, states, and even countries. That
will seem kind of random if you haven’t read the book  

What’s next for you as an author?
The sequel to THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER, which comes out in Fall 2012!

Thank you so much, Michelle!!! 

Don’t forget to check out this week’s other Mara Mondays offerings and comment away to be entered in Lori’s contest at Pure Imagination. And get make sure you get to the store to get your hands on Mara tomorrow!
Vy’s Blog 
Pure Imagination

10. You’ve already heard a lot about it, so you’re curious to see what all the buzz is about, but want the chance to go into it with an open mind and have your own experience with it before hearing too many more opinions.

9. Why would you want to wait any longer to get your hands on a copy? I’ve only been talking about my slight obsession with this one since June!

8. You want to dedicate the weekend of October 1st to reading this book (because you won’t be able to put it down once you start).

7. You appreciate complex characters in your books.

6. You’re willing to suspend your disbelief and feed a little dissonance in your mind while you read for a quality reading experience of a mystery/psychological thriller – and you don’t mind a little magical-paranormal and romance thrown in with it.

5. You’re a fan of multi-genre books that keep you on your toes. This one will alternately make you want to rant, rave, yell at, question, shake, and hug the main characters throughout the book.

4. You really want to finally meet Noah Shaw (trust me on this one)!

3. You want to find out who Mara Dyer is, and can get behind an unreliable narrator. Oh, and you appreciate some snark with your main characters.

2. You love reading books that surprise you, make you think, make you smile, make you afraid, make you feel, make you crave more, right?

1. You definitely want to make sure you have this one right away so the shocker of an ending doesn’t get spoiled for you!

and a bonus 
1/2. Michelle Hodkin is hosting a pre-order contest where you can win an annotated ARC, t-shirts, signed bookmarks, cover art posters, or a Nook! See all the details on her blog. That is definitely worth a pre-order!