Bibliophile's Corner

Stop Pretending
what happened when my big sister went crazy
by Sonya Sones

Flap Copy Description:
One night her sister goes crazy
One night her world falls  apart
It really happens just like that, in the blink of an eye. An older sister has a mental breakdown and has to be hospitalized. A younger sister is left behind to cope with a family torn apart by grief, and friends who turn their backs on her. But worst of all is the loss of her sister, her confidante, her best friend.

My Thoughts:
This novel in verse is a poignant and painful true story of the author's experience when her big sister does in fact experience a mental breakdown. The difficult passages to read are countered with the author's own transformation, as she slowly regains her own balance in life after the family is turned upside down by the unfortunate disease of Manic Depression. The raw and honest truth of this story is sure to help many young people who have a friend or family member dealing with mental illness. I would highly recommend this novel in verse to readers from the ages of twelve and up.

To learn more about the author-poet - Sonya Sones, click here: http://www.sonyasones.com/

Storyteller's Journey

Parlez-vous Francais?

Since my middle grade manuscript has been completed, but not yet fully edited, I decided to proceed with the research on the second book in the proposed series of Livvi Biddle. Much of the second book takes place in France, so I registered for a conversational French class to brush up on my high school French. Unfortunately, the instructor for the class ONLY speaks French.

My French was more rusty than I expected, so I decided to invest in a couple of digital language courses to get at least a bit brushed up. Once I can speak at a level that I won't embarrass myself, I'll return to the French class!

As I research Claude Monet, Giverny, and Paris in the 1920's, I'm hoping that immersing myself in the language will put me in a French frame of mind. Recently I watched Les Miserables... AGAIN!

Do you do anything special to enhance your approach to writing?

Whimsical Word of the Week

Mundungus -

foul-smelling tobacco.

Example: The scent of mundungus permeated the crowded pub packed with cigar smokers.

Bibliophile's Corner

The Unfinished Angel
by Sharon Creech

Amazon Description:
Peoples are strange!

The things they are doing and saying - sometimes they make no sense. Did their brains fall out of their heads? And why so much saying, so much talking all the time day and night, all those words spilling out of those mouths? Why so much? Why don't they be quiet?

In the ancient stone tower of the Casa Rosa, in a tiny village high in the Swiss Alps, life for one angel has been the same, for as long as she (or he?) can remember. Until Zola arrives, a determined American girl who wears three skirts all at once. For neighbors who have been longtime enemies, children who have been lost, and villagers who have been sleepily living their lives: hold on. Zola and the angel are about to collide. Figs start flying, dogs start arfing, and the whole village begins to wake up. Zola is a girl  with a mission. And our angel has been without one - till  now.

My Thoughts:
This delightful novel in verse was written with a big dose of humor and whimsy; and yet, like all good novels, packed a powerful message as well. The Unfinished Angel includes the beautiful themes of love and peace, and the idea of allowing life to miraculously unfold. I would highly recommend this book to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!

To learn more about the author, Sharon Creech - click here: http://sharoncreech.com/

Storyteller's Journey

A Familiar Setting

It has been said to aspiring authors: "Write what you know." If that is true, then I am definitely on the right track...




The above photo of the historic hatchery just down our rural road is not only in my middle grade novel, but in my memory: I remember riding my bicycle to this destination in the fifth grade with my Camp Fire Group. (Since we here in the Pacific Northwest had some decent weather recently, I decided to take a few photos. The second book in my proposed MG series also takes place along this country lane!)

Down the road a bit is Mimsi Marsh. This murky marsh also found its way into my middle grade manuscript.  Including the setting descriptions of familiar places not only added texture to my story, but I'm hoping, believability.

My protagonist actually rides her bicycle down the road to visit the grave of her deceased mother, buried in this cemetery. It was established in 1852 and contains the remains of many prominent founding fathers of our town.

This is the school I attended in junior high. Back then its name was Shumway Junior High School; since then it has become a private school for the arts. In my novel, the school is called: Chilcott's Academy of Creativity.

It has been fun to use some local sites in my own hometown as a setting for my story. However, in my middle grade novel I did change the name of our city to Steamboat Landing, for various reasons. And, like many writers, I took a bit of liberty with the accuracy of the details in regard to my setting.

How do you develop the settings for your stories? Any familiar sites?

Whimsical Word of the Week

Biloquist -

one capable of speaking with two dinstinct voices.

Example: The thespian's broad range of talent included his skills as a biloquist.

Bibliophile's Corner

Smile
by Raina Telgemeier

Back Cover description:
Family, Friends, Boys...
Dental Drama?!

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached(!). And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly. Raina's story takes us from middle school to high school, where she discovers her artistic voice, finds out what true friendship really means, and where she can finally...smile.

My Thoughts:
The cover of Raina Telgemeier's delightful graphic novel is what caused me to purchase this book. Being a former dental hygienist, I was curious about the true story of the author's dental drama. What I found was not only a very accurate depiction with a variety of dental terms and treatments, but an amazing story of one girl's transformation from the life of a middle school kid, to that of a maturing high school student. Humor, sibling rivalry, and even bullying are all part of this entertaining and enlightening story set in San Francisco. I would recommend this book to girls from the ages of eight to twelve, and to anyone who is experiencing a dental drama - especially orthodontic patients!

To learn more about the author/illustrator, Raina Telgemeier,
click here: http://goraina.com/