1. What was your inspiration for writing this book?
As a creative, I have a tendency to think of those piercing moments in life when what you thought/believed to be beautiful and true is shattered. Especially disconcerting is that first instance of this happening in our lives, the first instance when our happiness-bubble bursts when we are very young. For me, these moments occurred early on, when I understood that because of my identity as a child in a Muslim family, I would be received differently by the world. So when I heard about Ibtihaj’s experiences as a young girl wearing hijab, they were so eerily and searingly similar to mine – truly, that moment of learning you’ll be bullied for who you are is so painful, it makes a deep impact – I knew I had to help write this book for all children who grapple with this type of pain and who then have trouble processing it. This is a book to help kids process childhood bullying.

2. What message do you hope kids (of all ages) take away from this book?
I hope kids understand that taking in and taking on someone else’s view of you is a burden you shouldn’t – that you can’t – carry. That it’s almost “criminal” to do so – like you’re taking something that is not yours and carrying it around. This is why I deliberately wrote the part of Mama’s advice as “Don’t carry around the hurtful words that others say.  Drop them. They are not yours to keep. They belong only to those who said them.” to emphasize the importance of trying to keep our brains clear of negativity foisted on us by others. This is a hard thing to learn even well into adulthood but if we start discussing this concept with children from when they are very young, perhaps we can lessen the trauma of carrying around the taunts of our bullies, which, I know from experience, can burrow and gouge a hole in us if let be.

3. What was your writing & revision process like for this story?
After learning of Ibtihaj’s childhood experiences wearing hijab and her family life, I wrote a story that emphasized a great forward momentum (to capture Ibtihaj’s energy and athleticism), moving through a first day of school focusing on the ways the day was a “regular day but also special” due to both being the first day and due to the older sister beginning to wear hijab to school. It was a very observational piece, very much from the younger sister’s whimsical point of view, with the magical playfulness of imagining her sister and her as royalty, of course including the pain of being bullied, but without the deep wisdom that carries the story now. It was only upon revisions with my editors, when we discussed a mentor relationship, that I wove the mother’s voice in – guiding Faizah through and out of her sense of dissonance as she sees her sister facing prejudice. To dig deeper, I really focused on the kind of problem-solving skills and lessons in resilience that I taught my own children and my students as a second-grade teacher and the strength of Ibtihaj’s mother who had cautioned her kids not to be sponges. In the end, I felt fortunate to have gotten the guidance to deepen the story and move it along to bring it to a satisfying conclusion, one that perfectly captures Ibtihaj’s resilience, confidence and sense of family pride.

4. Was there any part of the process where you worked together with the illustrator on the vision for this book?
Yes, I wrote the illustrator notes, commented on sketches (particularly when body language had to be tied to what was being conveyed by the text) and also helped guide the design of the hijab shop by providing sample photos of modern stores that sell modest clothing and headscarves run by Muslim women – which are the type of businesses Ibtihaj and I are familiar with, Ibtihaj herself helming a modest clothing brand called Louella. It was important to get these details right, and Hatem, besides being an immensely talented artist, is of Muslim background himself, and thus, was an amazing partner to work with!

5. What is your favorite part of making picture books?
Though it’s the most difficult part of writing them, I enjoy the simplicity of language that carries the weight of a full story. I’m already a sparse writer – my YAs are written simply, without dense language – so I like the challenge of conveying a lot through literary minimalism. And, as someone who loves making art myself, I absolutely love imagining what illustrations would go with the text I’m envisioning and how that could cut my words even more – because I can let the pictures do half the talking. Okay, I think I just love it all, everything about making a picture book!

6. #cbadspotlight is putting the spotlight on inclusive #ownvoices books. What can you share with students about the connection you have to this book or the choices you made while writing it to add diverse representation?
In the story, a boy yells that Asiya’s hijab is a “tablecloth”. This is what bullies said to Ibtihaj when she wore hijab to school. My hijab was called a “curtain” by those who first bullied me for wearing hijab. It was important for me as a writer to incorporate the bullying as it exactly occurred so that readers can make connections – because the truth is that kids are often taunted by what seems like the most silly things, but when the goal of the bullying is to make you feel othered and singled out, it doesn’t matter what “trivial” thing is being said, it still makes a traumatic impact. I wish I’d known to tell my teachers about the name-calling, how it hurt me, instead of pretending it was silly and letting it go on. Because in the end, it went on so much that kids who weren’t bullies began to call me that too – even in front of teachers, most of whom said nothing to stop it. Sorry for such a sad personal account, such a sad connection, but sharing this story might help students see the importance of speaking up even if it seems to be about a “silly” thing.

7. #classroombookaday is a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year to students at any grade. What would you like to say to the teachers who are taking on this challenge?
This is such an amazing challenge! I love it because picture books are great at getting everyone – not just kids! – talking and connecting and deepening their understanding of the world. I’d like to recommend three of my favorites, that got all of us excitedly buzzing in my classroom when I was a teacher: Bee-wigged by Cece Bell, and two oldies but goodies: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig and A Bargain for Frances by Russell and Lillian Hoban.

Be sure to check out all of the #cbadspotlight choices for this school year!

Visit classroombookaday.com for more information on #classroombookaday,
a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year, at any grade,
inspired by Donalyn Miller’s #bookaday.

Thank you, Supriya, for joining me for a #cbadspotlight interview today!

·  What was your inspiration for writing this book?
I wrote this book at a time when the world was feeling less kind, and when it felt like racism and othering and hate were becoming emboldened. I wanted to put more kindness out into the world, and that’s how the idea for THE MANY COLORS OF HARPREET SINGH was born.

·  What message do you hope kids (of all ages) take away from this book?
I hope kids will take away the message that everyone deserves kindness. I hope they feel like reaching out to a classmate after reading the book and doing a simple act of kindness for them in school.

·  What was your writing & revision process like for this story?
I wrote several drafts of this book before getting to the crux of the story. I can’t remember all the different drafts, but I do remember one took place on a field trip, and one had to do with a school play. Once I came up with Harpreet moving to a new town, the other pieces of the story fell into place.

·   Was there any part of the process where you worked together with the illustrator on the vision for this book?
Although we haven’t had a chance to meet or even chat about this project, I think my words and Alea’s gorgeous art work so well together in this book. She made all the characters come to life and created the warmth and kindness and joy I was trying to express with my words.

·  What is your favorite part of making picture books?
I love seeing the final product, and seeing how the illustrations and text work together. But my most favorite part is before the publishing process begins, when I finally figure the story out over the course of several revisions, and suddenly everything clicks. It’s a very satisfying and rewarding feeling. 

·  #cbadspotlight is putting the spotlight on inclusive #ownvoices books. What can you share with students about the connection you have to this book or the choices you made while writing/illustrating it to add diverse representation?
Like Harpreet Singh, I am also Indian-American. And while I never moved as a child, I did grow up in a small midwestern town, like the one Harpreet moves to. A lot of the moments of othering that Harpreet goes through are ones I have experienced. Most of my classmates and teachers could not spell my name right or pronounce it correctly. I would get Valentines written to “Sapria,” “Suripa,” “Suprema,” and many other misspellings. If I ever brought my culture’s food to school, I was made fun of for it. And as an adult, my family and I have been viewed with suspicion at airports. I was honored to have Simran Jeet Singh, an author, educator, and activist, write a beautiful afterword in THE MANY COLORS OF HARPREET, in which he discusses the meaning of turbans in Sikhism. 

·  #classroombookaday is a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year to students at any grade. What would you like to say to the teachers who are taking on this challenge?
A big thank you! Thank you for taking the time to read to your students and make sure they get that reading time in every day. I still remember every book my teachers read aloud to me and I think what you’re doing is amazing!

Be sure to check out all of the #cbadspotlight choices for this school year!

Visit classroombookaday.com for more information on #classroombookaday,
a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year, at any grade,
inspired by Donalyn Miller’s #bookaday.

Thank you, Isabel, for joining me for a #cbadspotlight interview today!

Q: What was your inspiration for the illustrations in this book?

A: Minh’s tale was a joy to read, so most of my inspiration came from the story itself. The manuscript was so full of possibility, loads of humor and crazy characters (that were not strictly specified) that it very nearly drew itself. The animals in the cast were chosen for their comedic value (bear, goat and rhino), ability for escape and mischief (birds) and their skill at camouflage (giraffe). 

Q: What message do you hope kids (of all ages) take away from this book?

A: I would love it if they finish the book and think that books are so wonderful that we can’t help but share them with others, and that we SHOULD share them with others, but perhaps, not ruin the endings ;p



Q: What was your process for creating & revising the illustrations for this story?

A: I made a dummy based on Minh’s original manuscript and most of the scenes were pretty close to how they were originally imagined although we made some adjustments to enhance page turns and things like that. There were a ton of different versions of the cover and the endpapers, but most of the character development was pretty straightforward because it was so clear to me what this little boy was going to look like. 

Q: Was there any part of the process where you worked together on the vision for this book?

A: We built the dummy together and I secretly emailed Minh work-in-progress drawings. hopefully our editor isn’t reading this (Eep, Hi Rotem!).



Q: What is your favorite part of making picture books?

A: I generally love the research part. But since this book was not research heavy (save for the animal anatomy stuff), I think the sketching part was my favorite—figuring out who our characters were and what the world was going to look like.



Q: #cbadspotlight is putting the spotlight on inclusive #ownvoices books. What can you share with students about the connection you have to this book or the choices you made while writing/illustrating it to add diverse representation?

A: When I was making books in the Philippines, it was always important for me to create characters that reflected its readers, so I drew mostly dark-haired and brown skinned children. Working in the US, there is a broader range of skin color to take into consideration. So instead, I made the boy a bright pink since no one in real life is that color, I hoped it could stand in for many different colors, but I also gave him characteristics of Minh—same dark, spiky hair, mischievous expressions, and myself—oversized glasses, small, nearsighted eyes, small body.

Q:  #classroombookaday is a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year to students at any grade. What would you like to say to the teachers who are taking on this challenge?

A: Thank you and what a super idea! Not only is there such a broad range of picture books but also a great depth in many of them and I am delighted that they are being shared with older kids. 

Be sure to check out yesterday’s spotlight on the author of Let Me Finish!, Minh Lê!

Be sure to check out all of the #cbadspotlight choices for this school year!

Visit classroombookaday.com for more information on #classroombookaday,
a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year, at any grade,
inspired by Donalyn Miller’s #bookaday.

a Newbery Honor, Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Author & Illustrator Honor book

Thank you, Derrick, for joining me for a #cbadspotlight interview today!

·  What was your inspiration for writing this book?

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.

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)

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.

Click Here to enter

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.

 

After ten-year-old
Hastin’s family borrows money to pay for his sister’s hospital bill, he
leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper
and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t
prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus
see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but
Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is
chained when she’s not performing and hurt with a hook until she learns
tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can, knowing
that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for
them to escape.

Goldenrod Moram loves
nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a
well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring
team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to
map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however,
by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old
lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter
lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And
when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis
himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . .
. or an ordinary quest. Debut author Sarvenaz Tash combines an
edge-of-your-seat adventure, a uniquely clever voice, and an
unforgettable cast of characters to prove that sometimes the best
adventures of all are waiting right in your own backyard.

Lauren is so sweet and kind and fun in person, and it was an absolute pleasure to get to spend some time getting to know her a little bit better. Each of us videotaped a few questions to create a three-part interview for you to get some insight into the fabulous Lauren Oliver. I was inspired listening to her talk, and can see where her beautiful writing and insights into people comes from! Enjoy!

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

I was lucky to be offered a copy of THE FOURTH STALL by Chris Rylander from the publisher as one of my Debut Author Challenge 2011 books I wanted to read. Even better, I was asked to be part of Chris’ blog tour for the book. I love it because first of all, the book was great; second, Chris is a hilarious, fresh new voice in middle grade books; and third, it’s a book that gets boys hooked and I was able to get my students involved by having them ask the questions. If you’re looking for a funny, boy book with heart – go get THE FOURTH STALL. You can read my review post here.


Now for my students’ questions and Chris’ answers:

Well, I wish I had a cool story of some sort to answer this question, like that it came from a dream, or that it really happened to me in middle school, or that this talking tree in a park near my house told me to write it or that an alien and Mickey Mouse visited me one night and implanted the idea into my brain against my will.  But, in fact, it was nothing quite so interesting.  Basically it was just me sitting there, thinking, “Hmm, what would make a really cool middle grade story?  What adult genre could I put a kid-friendly spin on that I haven’t seen done before?”  Of course it has been done before, but I didn’t know that at the time.

Really, it just seemed like the most logical place for his to office to be located.  I mean, it’s the one place in a school where the teachers almost never go.

I just thought that doing a kid-friendly take on organized crime would lend itself better to middle grade.  For YA, I think it would need to be even grittier and therefore would end up being a lot more of an imitation that its own thing.  That’s not to say that it can’t be done well for YA. I also felt like middle grade would offer me the chance to be a little wackier and that it might serve my humor better.

I never did actually ever pick an exact setting.  I like to keep that vague for some reason.  However, I do know that I wanted it to be somewhere in the Midwest because that’s where I was raised and went to school and so it’s what I’m familiar with.  Also, I felt like it should probably be near Chicago to help explain why there are so many Cubs fans in the book.

He didn’t really do anything to specific to become bad.  Sometimes the situations people grow up in can lead them to do bad things.  And also some people are just born with a bigger mean streak than others.  But I don’t really see him as a totally bad guy… he’s not very nice, and he does some bad things, sure, but he’s not totally evil.

I’m not even sure!  Sometimes things just come to me and I don’t really ask why or how, but instead just start writing!

That’s similar to my previous answer.  As for being funny, that’s something that’s hard to try to do and be successful.  I mean, I think humor comes naturally.   If you’re trying hard to be funny, then chances are you’re probably not being funny.  I usually just write stuff that makes me laugh, and then I can only hope it will make other people laugh as well.

My favorite part is probably Mac and Staples first meeting in Mac’s kitchen, or the introduction of all of the bullies.  But it’s so hard to pick favorite parts!

This is the same… it’s so hard to pick favorites.  I really like the bullies because they’re so weird.  Great White because he’s British and Kitten just because he’s such a psycho.  I think it’s funny for such a little and well-mannered kid to be a complete whacko.  I also really like Mac and Vince of course, because they’re the most like me, and I even Staples because the “bad guys” are really fun to write.

Well, I can say that it involves a mysterious girl.  And a whole bunch of other mysteries.  And also it directly involves the school itself, a lot of strange things are happening at Mac’s school.  You’ll have to read it to find out more, I don’t want to spoil anything!

A lot.  Probably five or six times.  But I didn’t mind doing it because I knew that with revision the book was only getting better and better.


THANK YOU SO MUCH CHRIS!!! I know my students were excited to get to “talk” to you!


Check out Chris’ other Blog Tour Stops to read more of his perspectives on writing and THE FOURTH STALL and watch our for his sequel coming soon!

The Fourth Stall Blog Tour: Second Week Stops:

The Fourth Stall Blog Tour – First Week Stops: