A Declaration in Support of Children

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An important message from the kidlit community:

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faceofhope Illustration by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Children’s literature may be the most influential literary genre of all. Picture books, chapter books, middle-grade and young-adult novels all serve the most noble of purposes: to satisfy the need for information, to entertain curious imaginations, to encourage critical thinking skills, to move and inspire. Within their pages, seeds of wisdom and possibility are sown.

Therefore we, the undersigned children’s book authors and illustrators, do publicly affirm our commitment to using our talents and varied forms of artistic expression to help eliminate the fear that takes root in the human heart amid lack of familiarity and understanding of others; the type of fear that feeds stereotypes, bitterness, racism and hatred; the type of fear that so often leads to tragic violence and senseless death.

Our country is deeply divided. The recent election is a clear indication of the bigotry that is entrenched in this nation, of…

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Read This!: GENA/FINN by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson

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Gena/FinnGena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz

Summary: The story follows the unlikely friendship of two young women forged via fan fiction and message boards, and is told entirely in texts, chats, and blog posts. Gena (short for Genevieve) and Finn (short for Stephanie) have little in common. Book-smart Gena is preparing to leave her posh boarding school for college; down-to-earth Finn is a twenty-something struggling to make ends meet in the big city. Gena’s romantic life is a series of reluctant one-night-stands; Finn is making a go of it with long-term boyfriend Charlie. But they share a passion for Up Below, a buddy cop TV show with a cult fan following. Gena is a darling of the fangirl scene, keeping a popular blog and writing fan fiction. Finn’s online life is a secret, even from Charlie. The pair spark an unlikely online friendship that deepens quickly (so quickly it scares them both), and as their individual “real” lives begin to fall apart, they increasingly seek shelter online, and with each other.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I was heavily involved in the Harry Potter fandom back in the day. Though the subject of fandom has been addressed in several YA novels in recent years, never had I seen one that I felt accurately depicted the intensity of bonds made online with others who *get it* when it comes to your favorite book, TV show, or movie. Gena and Finn perfectly capture the dynamics of fangirls whose devotion to their favorite show, UP BELOW, lends meaning to their everyday lives in a way that might look, well, a little deranged, to those who have never experienced fandom. No wonder 22-year-old Finn is afraid to tell her live-in boyfriend just how much fanart she has drawn, or how close she has gotten to 18-year-old fanfiction writer Gena through their online chats and emails. The question of what exactly their relationship is provides an source of drama – until Gena suffers a tragedy that renders labels moot and makes it clear that Finn will be there for her no matter what.

GENA/FINN is out now.

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Read This!: THE FRIENDSHIP EXPERIMENT by Erin Teagan

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The Friendship ExperimentThe Friendship Experiment by Erin Teagan

Summary: Future scientist Madeline Little is dreading the start of middle school. Nothing has been right since her grandfather died and her best friend changed schools. Maddie would rather help her father in his research lab or write Standard Operating Procedures in her lab notebook than hang out with a bunch of kids who aren’t even her friends. Despite Maddie’s reluctance, some new friends start coming her way—until they discover what she’s written in that secret notebook. And that’s just part of the trouble. Can this future scientific genius find the formula for straightening out her life?

Madeline Little believes that every problem, from a scientific experiment to navigating friendships, can be addressed with a standard operating procedure. As a scientist, it’s how she imposes order on her world. But her expectations are upended when she has to face middle school without her best friend and without her beloved grandfather. Her family’s life has always been shaped by Von Willebrand disease, the bleeding disorder that she and her sister share, and which her father and grandfather made their life’s work. But now her sister Brooke is displaying worse and worse symptoms, and Maddie’s determination to become a world-famous microbiologist is tempered by the setbacks she faces when she tries to help out in her father’s lab. Teagan paints a painfully accurate picture of a logical, fact-loving girl thrown into the emotional whirl of middle school. I loved the way that the story gives no easy answers, and when Madeline tries to repair her relationships, not everyone comes around. With the help of her family and a few good friends, she is able to find her way back to what matters to her, but it comes with a painful lesson: there is no standard operating procedure for life.

THE FRIENDSHIP EXPERIMENT is out now.

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Scenes from the #YARoadTrip Tour!

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I was honored to participate in the YA RoadTrip tour October 6-16 with a fantastic group of authors in honor of Teen Read Week!  Thank you to the many librarians and booksellers who made the tour possible, and to everyone who came out to see us!

Missed the tour?  We left signed copies of our books behind at the following stores:

teen read week full graphic

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Kicking off Teen Read Week at the Glenwood Branch in Howard County, MD.
Kicking off Teen Read Week at the Glenwood Branch in Howard County, MD.
Author fun times in Annapolis, MD.
Author fun times in Annapolis, MD.
Visiting with the book club at Howard High School in Ellicott City, MD.
Visiting with the book club at Howard High School in Ellicott City, MD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And scenes from the epic program arranged by Enoch Pratt Free Library for 250 visiting students and teachers:

Deborah Taylor, EPFL's Coordinator of School & Student Services, welcomes the crowd.
Deborah Taylor, EPFL’s Coordinator of School & Student Services, welcomes the crowd.
Karen Hattrup took on moderator duties.
Karen Hattrup took on moderator duties.
Dramatizing Melissa's description of ARROWS with a little help from some audience volunteers.
Dramatizing Melissa’s description of ARROWS with a little help from some audience volunteers.
Rahul Kanakia assures everyone that authors' cars are all made of solid gold.
Rahul Kanakia assures everyone that authors’ cars are all made of solid gold.
Lightning round!
Lightning round!

A New SWORD AND VERSE Extra

Extras, Sword and Verse, Young Adult Fantasy

It’s a grey and rainy day here in the Midatlantic, so it seems like a good day to share an extra! This one is from Mati’s point of view, and it takes place just before, during, and after the very first scene in Sword and Verse. (Warning: this story has MAJOR spoilers for Sword and Verse, so don’t read it if you haven’t read the book yet.) In this scene, we get to meet Tyasha ke Demit before her execution.

Without further ado, I give you…

Eyes Open: A Story from the World of Sword and Verse