Book Beat (and Bears)

Oh, I am a fool who did not take a picture of the stuffed and labyrinthine fantasticness that is Book Beat, this week's new favorite book store. Suffice it to say I went up to sign 40 copies of TWO OF A KIND and THE NEW GIRL...AND ME -- yes, you read that correctly, so if you live near Oak Park, Michigan and you want a signed copy, or any other book, go get it at Book Beat, okay? -- and the trip turned into an hour long book-fondling expedition.

And I came away with this:

Bears in Chairs
by Shirley Parenteau, illus. David Walker

This is the sweetest book I have seen all year. Four grab-your-heart-adorable bears all climb onto four chairs until they are happily all seated, one to a chair so no one has to share. And then a big bear comes along. Sparse and cute but not saccharine. Destructo is going to eat it up.

The best part...

...about being a writer...

... is that sometimes you are stuck. You can't write a word. You have no words to write. You hate the novel and are absolutely sure it hates you back, possibly along with your agent, your editor, your family, and everyone you have ever met. You whine. You set your timer and you make yourself write, but it is like pulling teeth out of a cranky crocodile and what comes out is drivel. You blog a lot. You become convinced that your past successes were blips, that you will never again write or say anything worth repeating, let alone publishing. You wallow in self-hating wordlessness.

And then someone says something, one little thing, and you hit yourself in the forehead and think, "Of course. Of course that is what has to happen." You realize that the reason you were having such a hard time is not, in fact, because you suck, but because the story needed fixed and before it was fixed it could not be written. You have this amazing revelation of exactly what you need to do and you don't even have to set your timer because when it goes off, you knock it across the room with your left hand so your right hand can keep writing.

I asked Tinkerbell. Yeah, I asked a first grader. I was talking about it with Thor, who was looking around for something heavy and blunt with which to hit himself very sympathetic, and Tink asked me what we were talking about. So I told her: this is what's happened so far in my story and I'm having a hard time writing the rest. And she said, "He reads the note," which is EXACTLY what the character would do, but which I had missed entirely. "Of course," I said. And then I re-plotted the rest of the book and wrote two chapters this morning.

I should add that Tinkerbell went on to plot the rest of the novel in her head, including well set-up clues and a touching emotional ending. Then she said, "Is yours going to be that good?" and I was forced to admit that, no, it probably wasn't, but that I thought I'd write it anyway.

My Moment with Richard Peck

In which I spend 900 words talking about ninety seconds.

Jacqui's Room Goes To SCBWI-NYC Memorable Moment #1:

Have you read A Year Down Yonder? No? What about A Long Way From Chicago? ANYTHING by Richard Peck? No? Okay. Dear readers, I have failed you. I don't do this often. Turn your computer off and go to the library. Take out one of those books, or any one of Richard Peck's thirty plus fabulous books for young readers and READ IT.

There is nobody (and I mean nobody, not Salman Rushdie, whom you know I adore, or Katherine Paterson, or even me) who strings words together with the precision and beauty of Richard Peck. Witness:

Summing up exactly why I write: because "books show us that even our most secret fears are shared."

On writing: "we look to make a blank page sing with voices that are not our own."

On why kids should read: "if you cannot find yourself on the page early in life, you will go looking for yourself in all the wrong places."*

Peck's books have humor, adventure, emotion, vivid settings, unique characters with strong voices, and satisfying yet surprising endings, all in that gorgeous, exact language. I read The Teacher's Funeral on the way home on the plane and laughed out loud from line one:

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it."

ANYWAY, I was in New York for the 10th annual Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) winter conference this weekend. Richard Peck spoke there last year and he was brilliant and afterwards I introduced myself and thanked him for existing and got a little light-headed. This year he wasn't on the agenda.

And then, all of a sudden, there he was! He's made an SCBWI master class DVD on writing novels for young people and came to introduce it.

And THEN, as he was walking in to give his speech, he passed by, looked at me and said, "Oh! Hello!" and shook my hand.

AND THEN he said, "Good to see you again. Looking forward to Two of a Kind."

Okay, I made up that last part. But still: Richard Peck recognized me.

After his talk, I found him and Linda Sue Park** at his signing table and we got to talk a bit. As in, he asked me about myself and I said, "Aggle flabble klabble" and "It's an honor to meet you sir."** And then Richard Peck signed my book and wished me luck.

And then my new friend Michie gave me cheddar goldfish. So life was perfect.

Coming tomorrow, two more Memorable Moments...

* I may be misquoting all of these. This is because I cannot even take notes when Richard Peck is speaking. I just sit there and think, "Yes!" And occasionally drool.
** Who was very sympathetic to my star-struckness, and who has, in addition to many great books and a Newbery medal, the kindest smile in kidlit.
*** I am not a formal person, but "sir" rolls off your tongue effortlessly when you talk to Richard Peck.

Look under there!*

In which I discuss underwear.

You thought Banned Books Week was over, but no! We have one more thing to do, and that thing is (drum roll)

UNDERWEAR

Because what's not funny about underwear? Nothing, that's what.

This week, I read Tink Dav's Pilkey's masterpiece Captain Underpants, the king of all underwear books...

JACQUI: This is another one of those books people don't want you to read.
TINK: Why? (truly baffled, probably because there's no gay marriage in it)
JACQUI: Well, Tink, it's because this book talks about...underwear.
TINK: (giggle giggle giggle) No, really!
JACQUI: No, really, that's it.
TINK: Okay, that is dumb. Those people are dumb. I'll tell you what book they should not want me to read. They should not want me to read Tarantulas Have Long Legs.** We read that book in reading group and everybody is going to have nightmares. Those people do not want me to know about underpants?
JACQUI: I dunno, Tink. Shall we read?
TINK: Tra la la!

And what a great book it is. Hilarious. Definitely my fourth favorite book about underwear.

Do I have you curious? Have no fear! Right now, in honor of underwear, and as one final "take that!" to the book banners, I bring you Jacqui's Room's top three books involving UNDERWEAR (in no particular order)...

Underwear Do's and Don'ts (by Todd Parr)
"Do go shopping for underwear with a hippo. Don't let her try it on." Nuff said.



Underwear! (by Mary Elise Monsell, illus. Lynn Munsinger)
Bismark the Buffalo is grumpy. Nothing will cheer him up, except the one thing nobody can frown through: saying "underwear" ten times in a row. Try it. If you're six (at heart or for real), it's impossible to stay straight-faced. Plus, the animals in underwear illustrations are awesome.




Sad Underwear (by Judith Viorst, illus. Richard Hull)

"Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Someone with sad underwear.
Sad underwear? How can that be?
When my best friend's mad at me,
Everything is sad.
Even my underwear."

And other fabulousness from the most true-to-kids author out there.


And now, as an extra special underwear day bonus treat, here are four things that rhyme with underwear:
Wonderbear (orsine superhero)
Plunder/share (the age old unattended Halloween candy bag dilemma)
Funder care (kissing up to your donors)
Shunned her hair (what Rapunzel's prince did after she dumped him)

Did I miss any?


* Did you think it?! Did you think "Under where?" Please tell me you did.
** I looked. I can't find it anywhere.
By the way, the underwear above is an image from Bloomers 4U, where you can also buy "hip capri bloomers." I'm not sure "hip" and "bloomers" belong together...

The Smell of 57th Street Books

I got to go to my favorite city a few weekends ago for my 10th wedding anniversary. I moved to Chicago right out of college, and lived on the South Side for nine years. Chicago is where I fell in love with my husband, bought my first apartment, made some of my dearest friends, discovered I wanted to be a teacher, wrote my first book, was pregnant with my first child...it's where I grew up, really, if you think what I am now counts as grown up.

So, two favorites that will eventually lead us to something related to writing...

Favorite place in the whole wide world to go swimming:



Tiny picture of my favorite bookstore in the whole entire world:
57th Street Books is still my favorite. It was even better, of course, when I worked there with Franny Billingsley, storytelling, event planning, and helping run the children's section. But it's still the best. If you get to Chicago, you should go there. If you can't get to Chicago, you should dream of wall-to-wall books and a kids' section with a comfy carpet.

And here is the related-to-writing moment: I walked around Chicago reminiscing and missing it. I saw the lake, my old apartment, my old stomping grounds. But it wasn't until I walked into 57th Street Books that I thought, "Ah, I'm back." Not because of how it looked, but because of how it smelled. The bookstore is in a basement and it smells like cool air and good books. I inhaled and had a rare and great sensory memory, struck with the thought, "Yes! This is how it smells here!"

The challenge, I think, is to use all the senses in our writing. It's easy to focus on sight and sound, and even temperature or internal feelings ("her stomach jumped"). But I think the less-often described senses are the ones that are most powerful in our memories. Can you make your audience feel and smell and taste your character's experience from within?

And this leads me to In Search of Lost Time/Swann's Way, which is a vast epic memory, sparked by the taste of a madeleine dipped in tea. And which I will discuss soon.

Favorite Picture Books to Read Aloud

In which I give much respect to the mighty picture book.

We talk a lot about novels here in Jacqui's Room. And I do love me some Young Adult fiction, some Rushdie, some dead white guy classics, and even a 444 page ramble that, as far as I can tell so far, is about falling asleep and eating cookies.

But I don't write any of those.* I write picture books. And they have long been, and remain, my favorite genre. A great picture book is a poem, airtight writing, succinct story, engaging emotion -- all the elements of the classic novels we've been reading, but funnier, and in 800 words max. They are our children's introduction to reading, to literature, to the wonders imagination can bring, to the world outside of their everyday existences. All with pictures, and children's book illustrations contain some of the most striking, innovative, and careful art being created today.

No joke, my absolute hands-down favorite thing in the world to do is to read a great picture book aloud to a crowd of eager children.

So we have a new occasional feature here in Jacqui's Room:
Respect the Mighty Picture Book.**

In today's Respect the Mighty Picture Book, I present to you my top ten absolute favorite picture books to read aloud to a crowd of eager 5-8 year olds.
Note: 1) these differ entirely from my favorite picture books to read aloud to my children; that's a list for another day, and 2) if these seem skewed towards older books it's because one of my criteria is the book having stood the "read it a million times and still enjoy readin' it" test.

Jacqui's Top Ten Favorite Picture Books to Read Aloud to a Crowd of Eager 5-8 Year Olds
(in no particular order)

1. Piggie Pie, by Margie Palatini, illus. Howard Fine
Pure fun, fairy tale refences, great chance for kids to "figure it out," many opportunities for ridiculous voices, chickens, and an evil spell.

2. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig
The emotion in this beautiful book gets kids up on their knees, leaning to me, totally engaged and wanting to know what happens, every time. And the pay off ending does not disappoint.

3. The New Girl...And Me, by me, illus. Matt Phelan
Hey, I'd be lying if I didn't include it!

4. Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss
A tongue twister that's actually hard, and nothing gets them laughing like me messing it up

5. The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, illus. Robert Lawson
Ferdinand the bull refuses to fight, even in the face of the most famous matador in Spain. By the end of the year, my students would admonish each other to "be like Ferdinand" on the playground.

6. Atalanta (from my Free To Be You And Me compilation)
Retelling of the ancient Greek myth, strong princess who races to be able to choose her husband, or whether to marry at all. Exciting race scene, and the my favorite opening to a classroom conversation about how to talk to someone you don't know.

7. The Hungry Thing, by Jan Slepian and Ann Seidler, illus. Richard Martin
Silliness, silliness, silliness. Predictable text that the kids can shout out, good practice rhyming, adorable monster.

8. More Than Anything Else, by Marie Bradby, illus. Chris Soenpiet
True story of Booker T. Washington desperately wanting to learn to read, despite the fact that it is not easy. I like that we don't find out it's Booker T until the end. Gorgeous illustrations.

9. Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen, illus. John Schoenherr
My favorite poem. Sparse, simple, breathtaking, and very much from the point of view of a child. The class sits silent, barely breathing, and sighs with pleasure when the owl appears. I had a very, very troubled, violent student who chose this as his "reader's theater" project and announced, "Now I want to be a poet." Also, I met Jane Yolen at SCBWI-NY last year. Hmm. I should blog about my conversation with Jane Yolen...

10. a tie between Tacky the Penguin and Me First and Listen Buddy, all by Helen Lester, illus. Lynn Munsinger
Important lessons without preachiness and with lots of hilarity and energy. Also, many opportunities for silly voices.

Oh, and Chrysanthemum (Kevin Henkes) and Wilma Unlimited (Kathleen Krull, illus. David Diaz) and -- hey! Whose idea was it to limit this to ten? And when do I next get to read to kids? Who has a classroom I can borrow?!

Sigh. Yum. What are your favorites?

* Okay, this is not entirely true. I am in the middle of a young adult novel, as many of you know because I yammer about it constantly. But it's safe to say I don't currently write YA novels, since I don't currently write anything except checks, to do lists that are forgotten immediately, and this blog.
** Until I think of a more clever name. Ideas, clever readers?

Favorite Letter to a Company

This has nothing to do with books or children or classics. But, it's sort of about words and writing. Plus, I found it hilarious, which will tell you something about me, and I have nothing exciting to say today.

My favorite letter to a company about a product...

Favorite Beginning of a Book

My favorite start to a book ever has to be the Prologue to The Canning Season, by Polly Horvath, which I just started today. Not because the main character's name is Ratchet Ratchet Clark. Not because it includes skull-boring insects, hurling placenta, Salisbury Steak, and the Pensacola Hunt Club. Not even because of the image of Ratchet's mother sliding down her hospital sheets and almost out the window. No, the reason is because after all of this fun, the beginning of the book is thrown upon us the same way it's thrown upon Ratchet. Her mother has this wonderful monologue describing how Ratchet got her name. Then the monologue ends:

"... and that's how you became Ratchet Ratchet Clark. Oh, and by the way, you're going to Maine tonight."

Genius. I can't wait to read the rest.

What book has your favorite first chapter?

My new favorite media center

Today, in honor of the Ann Arbor Book Festival's Authors in Schools program, I got to visit the fabulous first graders at Bryant Elementary School. I talked about how long it took me to write and revise The New Girl...And Me. I also signed books, including one for someone named Mia (who is not the Mia in the book, and whom I was very sad I didn't get to meet in person to see if she looked anything like Book Mia). In exchange, I got my brand new Bryant Elementary School t-shirt (when my camera is fixed, I'll post a picture) and 120 thank you notes. After the visit, I really wanted to to hide among the first graders browsing and choosing books in my new favorite media center, but I am simply too tall.