SHOW vs. TELL

I went to the North Texas SCBWI Conference and, as always, heard a lot of great information and inspiring talks. Especially one by Jill Alexander on what VOICE isn't. But, just as VOICE is difficult for writers to understand, I believe the dreaded "Show don't Tell" is worse.

I don't want to call it a revelation, but this concept was hammered in my brain after seeing the movie, "Guilt Trip" with Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand.

As I watched the movie I kept thinking, That is my mother. Only, I didn't know how right I was until I saw my mother the following week.

TELLING IS . . . 

WHAT MOTHERS DO to get us to feel something…

• Grateful
• Guilt
• Happiness

“I did this and this and this for you, and you should be (feel)…”

Or

“Be careful or you will hurt yourself…”

AS A CHILD, I WANT TO figure out for myself how I feel about the circumstances I am in.

If I get hurt, then I get hurt. Let me do it by myself.


AUTHORS DO THIS WITH THEIR CHARACTERS…

1. Authors want to make sure the reader can make the connection. As a beginning author I didn't trust that the Reader would be able to figure it out. Just like our mothers don't want to trust us, authors want to make it obvious.

During one of my rewrites in my book, I had the sentence... “Why do I get myself all worked up, like Mom does?”

My book is titled Crazy Like Mom. I didn't need to add like Mom does because as the reader follows my character through her day, he/she will be able to make the comparisons by themselves.

2. Authors want the Reader to have certain emotions shared between the characters, so authors do this with backstory.

In a prior version I wrote this paragraph to (what I thought was show) describe how the main character feels about her relationship with her brother.

     "Jack is too busy to help the way he did last year—doing each problem with me to see who got it done first, then making sure I got the answer right. If I ask him, though, he’ll review my work to make sure it’s correct. I scribble out the problems, and spend what seems like forever working on them, and then set the homework aside for Jack to correct when he gets home."

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH... That is TELLING or AKA Word Vomit. And the information in the paragraph was so yesterday. The reader wants to know what my character feeling now?

Can I sum up the previous 73-word paragraph into 26 words? You bet.

     "I decide to blow-off math. Algebra isn't one of my best subjects, and since no one in my family gives a crap about my mathematical future, why should I care."

AS A READER I WANT TO…

• Be in the moment with the main character. 
• I don’t want to feel what the author wants me to feel. I might feel what the m/c feels, but I want the freedom to disagree depending on my personal experiences. 
• I want to be in the situation instead of being forced to wear the situation as an overcoat.  

Writing Religion in Contemporary Children's Literature

As I struggle with what seems like the millionth re-write of my novel, I am torn between creating a character that believes in God, while explaining that science (i.e. medication) is sometimes needed to make a person whole.

I am a Christian and a person who suffers from manic depression, and many of the events in my story are true, including how I believed I was possessed, and how I searched for cures to make me whole. A serious depressive episode feels like you've fallen into the outer darkness of Hell. No matter how hard I prayed, it seemed like God—nor anyone else—could hear my cries for help. I prayed to be saved from the pain and mental anguish I was trapped in.

God answered my prayers, but not in the way many Christians would expect. It was not in some golden light pulling me up and out of the pit of despair in one miraculous event. God answered my prayers by getting me the help I needed. It took hospitalization, and being properly diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, and finally receiving extra help through medication, to lift me out from the hell I was in. How do I share that with my readers, if I don’t bring God into my story? It’s impossible. Just as explaining the benefits of proper treatment for mental illness is important. The two are entwined.

During my reflection on how to incorporate the theme of my book, asking God for help, I thought of other mainstream books that incorporated Christian ideals into their themes. Here are just a few:

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare - In 1962, The Bronze Bow won the Newbery Medal. All these years later, it hasn't lost its message and I thought it was a great book. It reinforces the importance of tolerance and shows the importance of "Love Thy Neighbor" through the eyes of a boy set on vengeance to drive out the Romans from Jerusalem. The main character, who once was driven by hatred, experiences a change in heart after hearing Jesus preach about love and forgiveness.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle -The following year, in 1963, A Wrinkle in Time won the Newbery Medal. I was surprised how the themes of the book, love and freewill, are not only a universal principles, but they also represent Jesus’ sacrifice for us by comparing it to Meg’s (the main characters) willingness to sacrifice her life for her brother, Charles Wallace.  When interviewed, Madeleine L’Engle said, “I am a Writer first and a Christian second.” But, I wonder, how much of her beliefs were absorbed in her writing experience?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - As foretold in Narnia prophesy, two sons of Adam (Peter and Edward) and two daughters of Eve (Susan and Lucy) will come help Aslan (the Lion) fight against evil. When one of the children (Edward) falls for the trappings of the White Which, Aslin sacrifices himself for Edward. Aslan conquers death to live again and help the children and other Narnia creatures fight in a war with the White Witch. Sounds like a Christian message to me.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - From the beginning of the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcorers Stone, the act of sacrificing one’s self for others is the prominent theme as Harry’s mother gave her life for him. By the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry learns that it is through his death, that others may live. This is why Harry freely chooses to sacrifice himself to save others. Did J.K. Rowling mean to add this theme to her books? The following link is an interview by a reporter from MTV, so you can decide for yourself.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1572107/jk-rowling-talks-about-christian-imagery.jhtml

Autor Quote: William Faulkner on Writing

“Read, read, read. Read everything--trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it.

Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window.”

Author Quote: Mark Twain on the "Show Don't Tell" Writing Principal

"Don't say the old lady screamed- 

bring her on and let her scream." 

Book Review: Nothing but the Truth by Avi (A must read book for teachers)

If I had a conversation with someone and they told me a dilemma or interest they have in their lives, I’ll bet I can suggest a book for them to read. For Example, a girl in a writing club I used to supervise was frustrated because her mother devotes most of her attention to her autistic brother. Was it any surprised I gave her a copy of Cynthia Lord’s book Rules?

Or how another young woman in the group shared a poem about cutting, so I lent her a copy of Cut by Patricia McCormick.

Or how I bought a copy of Laura Amy Shultz’s Newbery Medal picture book of Medieval poems, Good Masters, Sweet Ladies, for Lucy’s social studies teacher to share with the students—albeit, I doubt if he ever did.

You name the subject, I can suggest a book. So, when Lucy told me that her favorite teacher is continually disrespected in English class, I pulled out Avi’s book, Nothing But The Truth, and told Lucy to lend it to her. When I picked Lucy up from school, I asked her if she gave her teacher the book. Lucy started crying and told me that her teacher is too much like the teacher in the book, and she didn't want to upset her.

Nothing but the Truth is a must read for every middle and high school teacher. Lucy’s eighth grade teacher assigned it to the class, and I thought it was a wonderful book for students to read. It was interesting to get Lucy’s perspective (as a teen) versus mine (as an adult).

I would bet my hard-earned money— I get nauseous when I lose a roll of nickels at a slot machine in Las Vegas, so you know I believe it’s a sure thing I’ll win—that every teacher has had a student in their class like the main character, Philip Maloy, though maybe not to the extent of the plot.

One of the things I appreciated about this book was the fact it showed the extent of self-absorption of teens today, and how blindly parents jump to defend bad behavior in school. There is no happy ending for any of the parties involved, but in my opinion (as an adult) I believed the real victim was the teacher. The book shows teen narcissism, to the point the main character destroyed his desires in the process. What disturbed me the most was no one, other students included, stood up for the dedicated teacher.

I am not a teacher, so I have no bias in my opinion. I am a mother, who teaches my child how to show respect for her elders, and go to school to learn.

I'm airing out a little frustration in this next paragraph, not at one particular teacher but at the California school system in general...

However, I fought for four years to have my daughter tested for a learning disability after seeing her struggle every night with homework. My concerns were not toward any particular teacher, but toward the establishment who told me that because her California test scores were too high to warrant such tests. Not giving up, I went to an independent agency.

After a series of tests, it was shown that Lucy has a condition called dysgraphia. Finally, after four-and-a-half years of petitioning for extra time for Lucy to finish class assignments or to have notes be made available, she was given a 504 plan.

The point is, a responsible parent is involved in their child's learning. To find out how Philip's parents handled the problem, read the book and find out.

Writing Craft: Thanks, But This Isn't For Us by Jessica Page Morrell

I recently read a blog on Darcy Patterson's Fiction Notes which disgusted Jessica's book on why editors reject manuscripts. In Patterson's post she gave some common examples. Curious for more, I ordered the book from Amazon, and I was digging into the reasons why my novel might not be up to par within two days.

Whenever I read a book on craft, I insert my characters into the situations and examples given. Over the six years I've been working on my novel, I can't help but smile when I read about a basic writer's blunder I stumbled over--but I persevered and learned the correct process to fix it.

In the first few chapters Morrell gives examples of basic writing mistakes followed by examples of how to make your first paragraph sing as if it where a Siren calling, "Read on, and on, and on..."  However, the reason why I'm taking time to ignore the call of Morrell's Siren, is to type an interesting blurb she says about plot on page 57.

"Plot is movement and a record of change. These changes--inflicted on the protagonist or group of characters--alter their fortunes, choices, and beliefs."

The above quote though, struck me as a vital part of my novel's circulatory system, and not just a means to an end.

My plot is the vein, and it carries my main character's experiences through its blood flow to Lucinda. She can be attacked by viruses and cholesterol. How she handles the experiences are what effect her overall health and well being as a character. So... I can have her take antibiotics (listen to advice of another character) or put a band aid on it, but whatever she does it effects her health.

Author Review: Avi

Avi is another author who has won three Newbery awards. They include the following:

Crispin, The Cross of Lead, published by Hyperion, Copyright 2002.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, published by Harper Trophy, Copyright 1990.

Nothing but the Truth, published by Harper Trophy, Copyright 1991


Crispin, The Cross of Lead won the Newbery Medal, along with various other awards and accolades. I enjoyed it for two reasons. One, it was a novel included on my list by Deborah Halverson to teach me about voice, and the second reason being it was on my list to read every Newbery book awarded—a lofty goal, to which I’ll be working on till I die.

Because it is set in 1377 A.D. England, I purchased thirty-five copies for my daughter’s 7th grade English class. Her teacher was attempting to match his reading selections to the history curriculum, since the students were studying the medieval period, this book along with most of Karen Cushman’s books would be a logical choice to add a little historical fiction to their studies.

Unfortunately, the books the teacher chose were, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pile, which was dropped after the second chapter because the students couldn't understand the colloquialism of old English, and a book by Susan Cooper titled King of Shadows. Although my daughter thoroughly enjoyed the story of a modern day theater student, being transported though time to perform in a Shakespearean play, I don’t think it would have touched on the historical aspects the way Avi’s book does.

Here is a summary of Avi's Crispin, Cross of Lead: After his mother’s death, thirteen-year-old Christian is forced to flee his home to avoid being murdered. It is through his adventure to stay alive that he finds out who is really is.

~~~~

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle won Avi a Newbery Honor. For me, the voice of the main character stood out and demanded my attention more that Crispin, although I loved each one equally. It is the story about well-to-do family from Rhode Island who sends their daughter Charlotte, a thirteen-year- old girl to boarding school in England in the year 1832.It is on her way back to America when her adventure begins.

Many agents and editors bring their favorite books to conference and read the first paragraph to show how important voice is. This is one of the books I would use to prove my point. Here is the first few lines: “Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago.”

Now, go buy this book and follow her adventure.

~~~~~

Another important book which any high school teacher would find relevant is Nothing but the Truth. This book was yet another Newbery Honor for this incredible author, and it deserves its own review, so please read the next blog to explore its importance in today’s school system.

~~~~~

Aside from these books, Avi has written many, many others. Another book I appreciated was The Fighting Ground, published by Harper Trophy, Copyright  1984. It is the story is about a thirteen-year-old boy who chooses to run away from home during the Revolutionary war.

As in most children’s books, adventures usually span a certain period in time. For Harry Potter, each stand alone book covers a school year. Other books cover a semester, or a summer. The Fighting Ground was the first book I've read where the adventure occurs within a twenty-four hour period, (A more recent book which covers a twenty-four hour period is 13 Reason's Why by Jay Asher. It is a serious subject YA book which I will give my thoughts in a separate review.)

In The Fighting Ground, Avi also sets an example of how to incorporate foreign speaking dialogue into a novel. Instead of writing the German word followed by the English translation directly after with commas, Avi puts his translation as an addition in the back of the book. I think this added to the confusion the main character experienced at not understanding what the German soldiers were saying along with the reader.

Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

For this review, I will let quotes from the book explain character development, plot, setting, and theme.

Quote 1: Character

     Charles Wallace slipped his hand confidingly in Meg’s, and the sweet, little-boy gesture warmed her so that she felt the tense knot inside her begin to loosen. Charles loves me at any rate, she thought. (Ch 2: Pg 30: ¶ 8)

This quote shows how much Meg loves her little brother and that Charles is a good little kid.

Quote 2: Character

     “What gives around here?” Calvin asked. “I was told you couldn’t talk.”

     “Thinking I’m a moron gives people something to feel smug about,” Charles Wallace said. “Why should I disillusion them? How old are you Cal?” (Ch 2: Pg 33: ¶ 9-10)

These quotes show that despite what other people at school think, Charles Wallace is a really smart kid.

Quote 3: Character

     “Do you think things always have an explanation?” [Meg said]

     “Yes. I believe that they do. But I think that with our human limitations we’re not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don’t understand doesn't mean that the explanation doesn't exist.” (Ch 3: Pg 46: ¶ 6-7)

These quotes show Meg’s character as being someone who always wants an explanation so she understands things. It also shows that Meg’s Mom is a person who can believe in something that hasn't been proven yet.

Quote 4: Character

     Charles Wallace looked steadily at Mrs Whatsit. “Are you afraid for us?”

     “A little.”

     “But if you weren’t afraid to do what you did when you were a star, why should you be afraid for us now?”

     “But I was afraid,” Mrs Whatsit said gently. (Ch 6: Pg 95: ¶ 7-9)

These sentences show that Mrs Whatsit was afraid when she had to give up her life as a star to fight the evil darkness. She is also afraid for the children as they go off to do the same thing.

Quote 5: Plot

     “Well, then, someone just tell me how we got here!” Calvin’s voice was still angry and his freckles seemed to stand out on his face. “Even traveling at the speed of light it would take us years and years to get here.”

     “Oh, we don’t travel at the speed of anything,” Mrs Whatsit explained earnestly. “We tesser. Or you might say, we wrinkle.” (Ch 4: Pg 60: ¶ 6, 7)

Mrs. Whatsit is explaining to Calvin how they move through time and space in order to get to the different planets that they must visit to save Meg’s father.

Quote 6: Plot

     “You see,” Mrs Whatsit said, “if a very small insect were to move from the section of skirt in Mrs. Who’s right hand to that in her left, it would be quite a long walk for him if he had to walk straight across.”

     Swiftly Mrs Who brought her hands, still holding the skirt together. 

     “Now, you see.” Mrs Whatsit said, “he would be there without that long trip. That is how we travel.”  (Ch 5: Pg 73: ¶ 8 – 10)

These sentences continue to explain how the kids will travel through time by giving an example that the children could see for themselves.

Quote 7: Plot

     Meg looked. The dark shadow was still there. It had not lessened or dispensed with the coming of night. And where the shadow was the stars were not visible. 

     What could there be about a shadow that was so terrible that she knew that there had never been before or ever would be again, anything that would chill her with a fear that was beyond shuddering, beyond crying or screaming, beyond the possibility of comfort? (Ch 4: Pg 70: ¶ 3, 4)

These sentences show Meg’s reaction and how scared she was when she saw the dark shadow.

Quote 8: Plot 

     Calvin turned, rejecting the dark Thing that blotted out the light of the stars. “Make it go away, Mrs Whatsit,” he whispered. “Make it go away. It’s evil.” (Ch 4: Pg 70: ¶ 8)

This sentence shows Calvin’s reaction when he saw the dark shadow.

Quote 9: Plot

     “Wwee musstt ggo bbehindd thee sshaddow.” [Mrs Which speaking]  

This sentence reveals the purpose of the story which is to fight the shadow. The other plot quotes show how the characters move along in the story, but this shows what they must do.

Quote 10: Theme

     Again Mrs Which’s voice reverberated through the cave. “Therre will nno llonggerr bee sso many pplleasanntt things too llookk at iff rressponssible people ddo nnott ddoo ssomethingg abboutt thee unppleassanntt ones.”  (Ch 5: Pg 83: ¶ 2, 3)

This shows the importance of good people standing up for what is right.

Quote 11: Setting

     Below them the town was laid out in harsh angular patterns. The houses in the outskirts were all exactly alike, small square boxes painted gray. Each had a small, rectangular plot of lawn in front, with a straight line of dull-looking flowers edging the path to the door. Meg had a feeling that if she could count the flowers there would be exactly the same number on each house. In front of all the houses children were playing. Some were skipping rope, some were bouncing balls. Meg felt vaguely that something was wrong with their play. It seemed exactly like children playing around any housing development at home, and yet there was something different about it. She looked at Calvin, and saw that he, too, was puzzled. 

     “Look!” Charles Wallace said suddenly. “They’re skipping and bouncing in rhythm. Everyone’s doing it at exactly the same moment.” 

     This was so. As the skipping rope hit the pavement, so did the ball. As the rope curved over the head of the jumping child, the child with the ball caught the ball. Down came the ropes. Down came the balls Over and over again. Up. Down. All in rhythm. All identical. Like the houses. Like the paths. Like the flowers. (Ch 6: Pg 98: ¶ 5 and Pg 99: ¶ 1, 2)

The setting shows that the people in this world have no creativity or freedom to do what they want.

Quote 12: Theme

     Meg shook her head violently. “No!” she shouted. “I know our world isn't perfect, Charles, but it’s better than this. This isn't the only alternative! It can’t be!”

     “Nobody suffers here,” Charles intoned. “Nobody is ever unhappy.”

     “But nobody’s ever happy, either,” Meg said earnestly. “Maybe if you aren't unhappy sometimes you don’t know how to be happy.” (Ch 8: Pg 136: ¶6-8)

Meg is talking about free will, which the people of Camazotz don’t have.  If you don’t have sadness then you won’t know what is it to be happy.

Quote 13: Theme

     “All right, I’ll go!” Meg sobbed. “I know you want me to go!”

     “We want nothing from you that you do without grace,” Mrs Whatsit said, “or that you do without understanding.”

     “That it has to be me. It can’t be anyone else. I don’t understand Charles, but he understands me. I’m the one who’s closest to him. (Ch 12, Pg 187, ¶ 1, 2, 5)

Meg finally understands that she must be the one to sacrifice her safety in order to save her brother and she must do it willingly.

Quote 14: Theme

     “Who helps you?” [fight against the Dark Thing] Meg asked.

     “Oh, dear, it is so difficult to explain things to you, small one. And I know now that it is not just because you are a child. The other two are as hard to reach into as you are. What can I tell you that will mean anything to you? Good helps us, the stars help us, perhaps what you would call light helps us, love helps us. Oh, my child, I cannot explain! This is something you just have to know or not know.” 

     “But—“

     “We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.” (Ch 11: Pg 178: ¶ 7; Pg 179: ¶1,2)

Theme is explained here as being eternal, like love. You can’t see it or explain it, but you just know it exists because you feel it. Compare to Hebrews 11:1 KJV in the New Testament.

Quote 15: Theme

     And that was where IT made Its fatal mistake, for as Meg said, automatically, “Mrs Whatsit loves me; that’s what she told me, that she loves me,” suddenly she knew. 

     She knew!

     Love.

     That was what she had that IT did not have.

     She had Mrs Whatsit’s love, and her father’s, and her mother’s, and the real Charles Wallace’s love, and the twins’, and Aunt Beast’s. And she had her love for them. (Ch 12: Pg198: ¶11; Pg 199: ¶ 1, 2)

This shows the eternal theme of love and how important it is for people to love and care for each other.

Author Quote: Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle In Time)

"I believe that good questions are more important than answers, 

and the best children's books ask questions, and make the readers ask questions. 

And every new question is going to disturb someone's universe."

Book Reviews: Our Only May Amelia and The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L Holm

Our Only May Amelia and The Trouble with May Amelia

Published by Harper Collins, Copyright 1999, this book is one of Jennifer L Holm's Newbery Honor books. This books, like many of the author's other novels weaves a little bit of family history into her fictional tale.

The main reason I love this books is for the humor she adds to each  family member. Each character is believable including May Amelia's wicked grandmother, and her negative and often verbally abusive father.

The Trouble With May Amelia, Atheneum Books For Young Readers, Copyright 201l, is the sequel to to Our Only May Amelia, and in my opinion, I liked the it better than the original. This book had me laugh and cry within paragraphs of each other.

Set in the 1899's in Washington State, the story brings to life a Finnish Pioneer family's desire to make it in the United States along the banks of the Nasel River. May Amelia is the only girl to be born in this little Scandinavian settlement, and it is her determination to fit and be treated as an equal helps to make her voice strong.

However, one thing I've noticed in some of the books by this author is the easy way problems seem to be wrapped up in a quick, neat little bow. Sometimes in the publishing industry it is referred to as Deus Ex Machina, which is Latin for God From the Machine.

Currently, I am struggling with this in my novel, where all of a sudden my main character finally understands why she loves her family. In The Trouble with May Amelia, it is an "ah-ha" moment where Amelia has an idea that saves her family from financial ruin, and everyone (especially her father) all of a sudden appreciates her.

Book Review: Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L Holm

I enjoyed this book for many of the same reasons why I enjoyed Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata. It shares a little bit of American history with the reader. I was not aware that Italian Americans were also rounded up--not to the same degree as the Japanese--and taken away from their families during WWII and many possessions, like radios, were taken away.

As mentioned in the Author Review of the author, this story was based of experiences in Jennifer’s own family.

Published by Yearling, Copyright 2007, this book is one of Jennifer’s three Newbery Honor books. It is told in first person, present tense which brings the intimacy I enjoy when reading historical fiction. The story is about an eleven-year-old girl named Penny, who through a series of events finds out how her father died.

One of the things that makes this and all of Jennifer’s novels great is the character driven family-dynamics. Each character has their flaws, and there aren't stereotypical characters. The emotions and actions of the characters are believable.

Bad Joke: Don't take OFFENCE to this Post...

This weekend we are finishing the installation of a fence, with over 60 steel posts. City ordinances say that the poles must be dug at least 36" into the ground, and above ground can only be 4 feet high, to withstand high winds that Tornados in the area offten bring. At first we planned on filling the holes with one 80 lb. bag of concrete, but 36" is a deep hole so we added an extra 80 lbs. Bring it on Tornados.

The fence will be a split rail and it seems we've picked the most hot and humid weekends to build it. Our adventures here in Texas never get dull. Last weekend, when we dug the holes, we thought a gas one-man operated hole digger (its like a sledge hammer with a drill) would be suffice and it would only take a day for my gorilla of a husband to knock them out.

HA!

After one hole and twenty minutes digging in North Texas clay earth--not to mention the imagery flashing through my mind of Lorne cutting off his privates, I insisted on rented a Bob Cat to drill the holes.

Fast forward, two hours... we returned the manual drill and finally figured out how to take the tractor drill off the trailer, and Lorne is drilling his third whole--including the manual one--when he hits the main water pipe to our neighborhood.

From the second the white water rapids, flowed into our street, neighbors poured onto our onto our property to watch the waterworks, while Lorne continued to dig the rest of the fifty-seven holes.

We called the water company and they were at our house within the hour, but until that time there was nothing we could do to stop the flooding, so Lorne kept to his digging--after all, renting a Bob Cat isn't cheap.

The water company shut off the water to our whole neighborhood, and repaired the pipe within three hours, all the while my kind and understanding neighbors kept me company the whole time.

Back of house with wood put up, but we still need to put on trip and paint. 

These ten poles took over five hours to attach the wood. 

Although it's hard to see, there are fifty additional poles to finish.

Book Review: The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

One of my goals as a writer is to read every Newbery book. For this reason, I snatched this book from the Friends of the Library sale, despite the fact that I can’t check out a book for another 30 days—see previous blog.

One thing I noticed is writing criteria in the children’s publishing world has changed. Books written over twenty years ago contain more telling of scenery, feelings, and character reflection.

Now days, children’s authors have to compete with the fast pace world of computers, video games, and instant messaging to keep a child’s attention. Because of this, authors must be concise, using the most descriptive action verbs possible to make their story fast paced and to the point, while weaving the scenery and characterizations into the plot.

If I remember this point, I can understand why it is harder for me to want to read a book that starts with a lot of telling. However, despite the scenery set  up (time period and location of the main character) , I enjoyed  The Slave Dancer once the action finally started around chapter three.

This book tells the tale of a thirteen-year-old, boy named Jessie Bollier. Jessie is kidnapped to serve as fife player on a slave ship, the Moonlight. This is when the story took off, and it is where I learned to appreciate the author’s talent for description, which bored me in the beginning. The honest descriptions both fascinated and horrified me, as she vividly described the horrors put upon the 93 black slaves taken from their native land to be sold as slaves in the U.S. before the Civil War.

I recommend this book to any writer who needs to understand the SHOW vs. TELL in children’s literature, not to mention any older middle grade reader interested in historical fiction.

Book Review: BUTTERFLY HOLLOW by Maria Cisneros Toth

Anyone who ever says self-published books don’t live up to traditional publishing standards has not read this book.  Butterfly Hollow, (Copyright 2013), is an example of how a determined author worked tirelessly to make her novel perfect before she released it.

Not only is the main character’s voice strong and independent, but great care was taken to design a cover which beautifully depicts the scenery in the novel. The model for the cover, by the way, is Maria’s granddaughter.

As I sit here trying to think of a way to sum up her novel, I fall speechless. So instead I will turn it over to the main character, Charlene Parker, to tell her version so you can see how the author gave voice to this wonderful character. Take it away Charlene:

I’m eleven years old and my daddy is behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit. The Gator-Man killed Otis Beecher, but no one believes me. Even Momma things I’m telling tall tales. But the Gator-Man is real as the Great Depression. I’ve seen its monster shadow creeping in the woods. What will it take for someone to listen? Another body found by the creek? If it’s mine, then maybe they’ll finally believe what I already know—my daddy is not a cold-blooded killer.


Now, with information like that, how could you not want to follow Charlene on her quest to prove her father’s innocence?

Author Review: One of My Favorite Newbery Authors - Jennifer L. Holm

Not too many children's authors can say they've won three Newbery honors, but Jennifer can. Although I don't think she would ever boast.

In 2011, I took Lucy to the SCBWI Summer Conference book signing, so she could meet Jennifer and have her thirteen episodes of Jennifer's Baby Mouse graphic novel series signed--these books are perfect for reluctant readers ages 6-12.

Jennifer couldn't have been more humble and caring as she signed each one of Lucy's books--not to mention the copy of The Trouble with May Amelia, which is my favorite.

Jennifer is quite a genealogist. Although her novels are fiction, many of her books share pieces of her ancestors' rich histories, whether it is on the banks of the Nasal in 1900's, or sharing the persecutions of her Italian family members during and after WWII.

Here are the Newbery Honor books I mentioned earlier:

Our Only May Amila, Harper Trophy, Copyright 1999.

Penny from Heaven, Yearling, Copyright 2006

Turtle in Paradise, Yearling, Copyright 2010

My favorite thing about Jennifer's writing is the way she sprinkles in humor on one page, but puts tears in my eyes at the top of the next page. 

That is, in my opinion, what makes a her such a good author. I want to laugh and cry at the same time. It is Jennifer's ability to create memorable characters, with believable and humorous personalities, while keeping them real that makes her an author I try to emulate. 

Book Review: Matisse on the Loose by Georgia Bragg

I met Georgia at the 2009 SCBWI Summer Conference. We participated in a late night critique group. She was working on her second novel and was there for feedback from other writers. I purchased her first book, published by Delacorte Press in 2009.

The story’s main character is an eleven-year-boy named Matisse. His mother is a curator at the local museum, which is why he was named after the French painter Henri Matisse. Like the 19 Century artist Matisse loves to paint, and accompanies his mother to the museum to paint replicas of the famous artists’ paintings.  And this is where his adventure begins.

My original post,written in 2010, on an old blog only mentioned that I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, and middle grade readers ages 8 – 11 would love it.The story is very funny and the characters quirky. I didn’t realize how much until I browsed through my copy of the book before I began typing. After skimming the first chapter, I’m in the mood to follow his adventures again.