Ida B -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell

myself that I’m going to do my five or ten pages no matter what, and that

I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost

nothing — writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further

behind than if I took the day off."

~ Lawrence Block ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Writer’s Digest sent me a post HERE by Robert Lee Brewer with good tips from copywriting that will help you with your novel. A l. ot of good reminders in this one. 

Kristin Lamb always entertains and edifies. HERE you will find a great post on dialogue. Enjoy! 

While at the poetry workshop at Highlights, one of the attendees spoke at length the first evening at dinner about how poets and all writers have to “put in the work.” He talked about how Jane Yolen writes a poem every day — every single day. Her stuff doesn’t just happen. She puts in the work. I found Steven Pressfield’s blog post HERE a very similar message. It’s important for us to remember that that is how it happens. 

And speaking of the poetry workshop, it was wonderful. David L. Harrison is very possibly the nicest person on the planet, and he led a wonderful workshop with plenty of stellar speakers. It was a very good workshop, group, and kickstart for me (I hope). I can't recommend the Highlights Foundation Workshops enough. They really know how to take care of their attendees and make sure they have the best experience possible. On first glance, they seem expensive, but when you realize housing and meals (spectacular meals!) and transportation to and from just about any airport in the area are included, it's really very reasonable. Click HERE to get more information. 

My daughter Maggie and I completed our cross country tour with no problems. I had a wonderful couple of days with her in NYC after the workshop. We rode the Staten Island Ferry (it's free!) on a gorgeous day and followed that up with a Broadway show and late dinner. Perfect day. The show we saw is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. This is the most amazing play I think I have ever seen. So different! Wonderful performances and a terrific script. See it if you ever get a chance. But now I'm home and it is time for me to get back to work, starting with a review and giveaway here.

I took a passel of books with me on our road trip, but I didn't get nearly as much reading done as I thought I would. Maggie introduced me to Radiolab, a wonderful show that is on NPR. She had a bunch of podcasts on her phone, and we listened to all she had along the way. If you are not familiar with Radiolab, click HERE to listen to my favorite. I now have 142 podcasts of Radiolab on my computer. All I need is time. Anyway, one of the few books I took along on the trip that I actually found time to read is an oldie (published 2006), but a real goodie. It is Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan.   Isn't that a great title? I had never read it before and, since there may be a few others who missed it, here is my review.

Ida B. Applewood is a smart cookie and perfectly happy in her everyday life, but then she has to start school where the teacher refuses to call her by her real name, and the teacher has rigid rules about the silliest things, and Ida B can't be outside when she wants to. She is miserable until her parents decide to homeschool her. Then she can be where she wants with her friends the trees and the babbling brook and where her imagination thrives. After four years, her mother gets cancer and has to have treatments that make her sick and weak. Then the worst happens. Even though her parents had promised she would never have to go back to regular school, she will have to. And they need to sell part of their property with some of Ida B's favorite trees to strangers. Ida B reacts in typical, selfish-child fashion and creates some real problems for herself, her parents, and even for some others. 

I really like this book a lot. The voice of Ida B (the story is in first person PoV) is

Katherine Hannigan

pitch perfect and the story is more about learning to deal with disappointment and learning how to forgive than it is about dealing with an ill parent, which, frankly, would have been pretty predictable. The writing is terrific and the voice of Ida B is still rattling around in my head. If you missed this one, please try to find time to get to it. It's a very quick read, but worth your time. My copy isn't as gently-read as usual since it travelled to the east coast and back, but it's in good shape and I will give it to one of you.

To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

More #MGGetsReal and a Fabulous GIVEAWAY!!!

Thought for the Day:

“All the best ideas come out of the process; 

they come out of the work itself.” 

~ Chuck Close, painter ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

My blogging buddy Greg Pattridge from Always in the Middle was kind enough to forward a link all about writing body language. He found useful and so do I, so I will pass it along. You can find Greg’s blog HERE and the useful link HERE.

We have all heard that one can’t be a real writer if one doesn’t write every day. Read another view HERE. 

Kristen Lamb has faced some personal problems, as have I, this year, and she has a great post HERE about ways to get your mojo back after going through such problems.

My daughter Maggie and I finished our cross country journey on Friday and arrived at The Barn, home of the Highlights Foundation's incredible workshops. I will be spending the next few days with David L. Harrison and a small group of other writers and editors working on the process of writing poetry. I thought the Thought for the Day was a good reminder of something we all need to remember as we write. 

Since I am still traveling, Shannon Wiersbitzky is stepping in with more wonderful information on middle-grade books that take on tough topics. Enjoy! And please leave a comment so Shannon knows I really do have readers. 

The group of authors working on #MGGetsReal also have a GIVEAWAY of all five of the Get Real books. Don't miss this chance. Click HERE to find out all about it. Take it away, Shannon!

Hello again The Write Stuff readers! We didn’t do too much damage last week (I took care of the pizza boxes and soda cans) so let’s give it another go! 

We were chatting about how myself and four other authors have created #MGGetsReal in an effort to get books about real (and sometimes tough) topics into the hands of kids. There are so many topics kids need to hear about today. And books continue to be a terrific way to deal with those topics. 

Now and then we hear of books being banned because the subjects are deemed inappropriate. We’ve also heard about authors being “disinvited” to schools because their novels deal with a topic the school feels unprepared to talk about. 

Hmm. My guess is that the kids wouldn’t feel the same way. Kids tend to lean into differences or unknowns, to walk right over and ask questions. For some reason, as we age, we increasingly shy away from this same behavior. We shush the conversation and try to move along. 

But we shouldn’t. Books help kids understand themselves. Understand others. Understand the world around them and all the tough and complicated topics that includes. 

This week, the five of us want to recommend another five books that fit in #MGGetsReal. And we welcome you to share more. Leveraging Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or whatever social channel you prefer, share book titles with the tag #MGGetsReal. Together we can create a growing list for teachers, librarians, and parents. 

From Kerry Cerra comes a book with a compelling take on bullying. According to Kerry, “I've never read anything like it and when I talk about it during my school visits it is, hands down, the #1 book that most kids jot down the title of.”

CALL ME HOPE by Gretchen Olsen. 

A bully is ruining eleven-year-old Hope's life, and she doesn't know what to do. She can't even go to her mother for help, because the bully is her mother.

Kathy Burkinshaw recommends a 2016 debut Author, Melanie Conklin, and her novel COUNTING THYME, which tackles cancer and the subject of experimental drugs. 

When eleven-year-old Thyme Owen’s little brother, Val, is accepted into a new cancer drug trial, it’s just the second chance that he needs. But it also means the Owens family has to move to New York, thousands of miles away from Thyme’s best friend and everything she knows and loves. The island of Manhattan doesn’t exactly inspire new beginnings, but Thyme tries to embrace the change for what it is: temporary.

Shannon Hitchcock picked the book MARY MAE AND THE GOSPEL TRUTH by Sandra Dutton. 

Ten-year-old Mary Mae loves Sunday school and studying fossils. Trouble is her mama believes God created the earth in six days, only six thousand years ago. 

Shannon says, “Over the course of the story, Mary Mae learns that her love of science doesn't mean she can't believe in a higher power. Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth is not only a heartwarming story, it serves as a mirror for children raised in fundamental Christian homes. I can't think of another Middle Grade novel that tackles faith and science without disparaging either one.” 

From Joyce Hostetter comes EMPTY PLACES by Kathy Cannon Wiechman. 

Adabel’s mom is dead and her father is a temperamental alcoholic. 

“I believe lots of readers will relate to the story of children largely depending on each other for emotional and physical survival. Set in KY coal mine country during The Great Depression.” 

I picked a title that deals with race relations. After all the television clips in recent months my youngest son asked me, “Why are some people so afraid of others without even knowing them?” It is a great question. One that can be applied to so many topics, race, religion, nationality, disability, and the list goes on. 

I suggested we read ALL AMERICAN BOYS by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. 

Rashad is just trying to buy a bag of chips at the local corner store when things spin terribly out of control. He is beaten and arrested, accused of shoplifting, and everyone in town begins picking sides. 

This book was eye-opening to me. It highlights how the same incident can be viewed so many different ways. And it makes real for readers how complicated it can be to know what to do in this type of situation. Not only for Rashad, but for those who saw it happen. 

If you know a book on a tough topic that would fit the #MGGetsReal mission, share it with us! Add it to our Facebook page. And wherever you are on social media, join the conversation. Just use #MGGetsReal. It’s as easy as that. 

Thanks so much for having us! We look forward to connecting with you.

A Visit from Shannon Wiersbitzky

Thought for the Day:

“Fiction gives us a second chance that life denies us.”  

~ Paul Theroux ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Getting the details right is so important. HERE are some good resources and tips from Marianne Knowles at Writers’ Rumpus to help you out. 

Janice Hardy always has important posts. This is no exception. HERE she talks about three words that will kill your manuscript. 

Stasia Ward Kehoe has a helpful post HERE on Adventures in YA Publishing. It is Four Essential Elements for your First Five Pages. 

My daughter Maggie and I are on a cross-country trip and in Colorado visiting family right now, so the lovely and talented Shannon Wiersbitzky, author extraordinaire, is sitting in for me for two weeks. Take it away, Shannon!

#MGGetsReal

Shannon Wiersbitzky

Hello to all The Write Stuff readers! I’m thrilled to be here both this week and next while Rosi is on holiday. I feel like Mom has left for the weekend and now its my job to ensure that everyone behaves and nothing gets broken. 

I want you to think about a book. A specific book. You probably read it when you were a child. The very first one that shook you to the core or stopped you in your tracks. 

Why did it move you? 

My guess is that it did one of these things: 

• you found yourself (at last!) in one of the characters, it spoke to your reality
• it discussed a topic you’d never seen in a book
• it opened your eyes to something that you’d never thought about before
• it dealt with a topic that was considered taboo for kids

For me, that book was Z FOR ZACHARIAH by Robert C. O’Brien. I remember a teacher in elementary school reading it aloud. And I remember sitting spellbound on the carpet. It was a story about nuclear war and a young girl who believes she may be the last person alive. 

Over the years, I’ve tried to piece together why the story was so powerful to me. When I was a little girl, US and Russian relations were often high tension. The possibility of nuclear war was discussed on the news. I certainly would have seen it and been aware of the topic. Perhaps my parents expressed worry in their own conversations. 

The thing is, I don’t ever remember anyone actually talking about what it might mean for me. But the book did. And in the story, that meant real situations of life and death. 

As adults, we sometimes shy away from introducing kids to books like this. I’m not sure why. We want children to hold onto their innocence I suppose. To live in the world of happily ever after, even as they’re coping with much tougher topics in school, in their families, their communities, or even trying to make sense of what they see on television. 

Kids live in a complicated world. And they aren’t ignorant of that fact. Yes, give them magic and fantasy, but also give them more. Kids need books that deal with a wide variety of “real” subjects. Which is why myself and four other authors have started a movement. #MGGetsReal aims to highlight books for middle graders that deal with these tough topics. 

My own book, WHAT FLOWERS REMEMBER, deals with Alzheimer’s.  

After her adopted grandpa, Old Red, is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, thirteen year old Delia takes it upon herself to save his memories, and includes the entire town in the process.

The other books being highlighted in #MGGetsReal include:

JUST A DROP OF WATER by Kerry O’Malley Cerra

A tale of two boys; one Christian, one Muslim, and how their friendship is tested in the wake of September 11.

THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM by Kathleen Burkinshaw

The story of Yuriko's life--a 12 year old girl--during the last year of WWII in Hiroshima. A family secret is revealed right before her world ignites and becomes a shadow of what it had been.

RUBY LEE AND ME by Shannon Hitchcock

Sarah Beth’s new sixth-grade teacher at Shady Creek is the first African American teacher at their all-white school. But she just may be the exact person to help Sarah answer all her questions. 

COMFORT by Joyce Moyer Hostetter

When Ann Fay returns home from the polio hospital, she assumes life will get back to normal. But Daddy is different since the war and everything is falling apart. 

We invite you to join us. 

On Facebook

On Pinterest

On any social media using #MGGetsReal

Share with teachers and librarians you know. Read. Write Reviews. And speak up! Share books that you believe fit our mission. 

We look forward to connecting with you! 

P. S. from Rosi -- If you are not familiar with Shannon's wonderful books, I reviewed them HERE and HERE.

The Girl in the Well is Me -- Review

Thought for the Day:

"If you rewrite a paragraph fifty times and forty-nine of them are terrible, that's fine; 

you only need to get it right once."  

~ Tana French ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Authors Publish has a post HERE by Emily Harstone that lists 25 publishers who accept submissions without an agent. This is worth looking at. 

Gail Carriger has a fun guest post HERE on writing author bios over at Fiction University. 

HERE is a neat infographic with 128 words you can use instead of “very.” It will make all our writing better. 

Last week, I promised a gently-read ARC of Mayday by Karen Harrington to one of you. Danielle Hammelef is this week's winner. Congratulations, Danielle! And thanks so much for spreading the word. Those extra chances seem to working. I will get your book out to you this week.

I don't have a giveaway this week. I will be hitting the road the end of the week with my daughter Maggie who is moving all her worldly goods to New York, where she now resides. It's where you have to be if you are an actor. Anyway, she invited me along for the journey, and then she will drop me off in

Pennsylvania where I will attend a poetry workshop led by David L. Harrison at

Highlights. I am very excited about the workshop and will report back here when I get home. But don't think my blog will disappear. It won't. I have very interesting guest posts that will be coming to you from some pretty amazing writers, so be sure to check it out. 

I had a chance recently to read a book from my TBR list. I had been hearing a LOT about The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers. I was able to snag a copy at my local library without too long a wait and was immediately and completely captured. Let me tell you about it. 

Kammie is new in town. She, her mother, and her brother Robby have had to move because Dad is in prison for embezzlement. But when Kammie decides she wants to be friends with the three most popular girls at her new school, she has no idea what a Pandor's Box she has opened. Little does she know they are also the mean girls. They say she will have to undergo an initiation, and, of course, Kammie goes along. They have her stand on a board far out in the woods away

Karen Rivers

from anyone and sing a song, but the board breaks and Kammie falls into an old well. The good news is she is not badly hurt. Nothing is broken. But the bad news is her arms are down at her sides, stuck between her torso and the walls. There is no way for her to climb out. The three popular girls call down to her and tell her to get out. She explains there is no way, but they don't seem to believe her or understand or, worse, care. After a while, the girls leave and tell Kammie they will go for help. But she is alone and stuck, although a couple of times she slips farther down, and she has no idea what is below. 

No one comes. Kammie has a lot of time to think. This story is first person and stream of consciousness. Kammie tells her story -- of her family travails, of the mean girls bullying, and more -- through flashbacks she has. The voice is pitch perfect for a girl of around twelve. The writing is magnificent. What I found most interesting is the longer Kammie is in the well, as she becomes dehydrated, she hallucinates and the reader is left to wonder where the hallucinations start and reality leaves off. I will leave it to you to read this wonderful book and find out if help arrives and how this turns out. I don't want to spoil it for you, but take it from me, this is a perfectly riveting story, terribly well written, and worth your time.

Please read and leave comments for the guest posts the next two weeks, and I will be back the end of the month. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.