Banned Books Week 2010

The last week in September has been designated as Banned Books Week. During this week, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events.

Here is the information from bannedbooksweek.org:

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read!

According to the American Library Association, out of 460 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2009.

The 10 most challenged titles were:

1. ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: nudity, sexually explicit, offensive language, drugs,
and unsuited to age group

2. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually
explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group

4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: racism, offensive language, unsuited to age group

5. Twilight (series), by Stephanie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

6. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: sexaully explicit, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

7. My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: sexism, homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group, drugs, suicide, violence

8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn  Mackler
Reasons: sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group

9. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group

10. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: nudity, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group

Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. Click here to see a map of book bans and challenges in the US from 2007 to 2009. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and they protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups–or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore contemporary issues and controversies to classic and beloved works of American literature.

If you are interested in finding activities in your area check out bannedbooksweek.org events page.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Author Spotlight- Heather Ayris Burnell

Our latest author spotlight is fellow Raven Tree Press author Heather Ayris Burnell.

Here is Heather’s Bio:

Heather Ayris Burnell lives and writes on a secluded mountaintop in Washington State. She’s a full-time mom of three and a part-time librarian at North Central Regional Library where she spends most of her hours shelving books in the children’s section and dreaming up new picture book displays.

What was your road to publication?

The word that probably best describes my road to publication is long. I wrote Bedtime Monster in 2005 and sold it to Raven Tree Press in 2007. Really, more happened after I sold the book than before. I wrote a guest post about it for Corey Schwartz’s blog and it was so long she broke it into two parts. You can read part 1 here and part 2 here if you want to hear the whole story.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing process? Do you plot or not?

My stories come to me in different ways. Sometimes I’ll have just a title that I think is catchy and will work from that. Sometimes I come up with a beginning and an ending then have to figure out the middle. Other times I’ll just sit down and write and see where it takes me. I do tend to plot out stories in my head while I’m doing other things. Driving by myself along my lonely mountain road seems to be the right atmosphere for me to think about plots, and it’s nice because scarcely anyone drives the road so I can pull over whenever I need to write something down.

Are you working on any new projects that you can tell us about?

I have so many projects it’s bordering on ridiculous. I like to spend my time writing so the projects tend to pile up. Right now I’m trying to focus on revising an alternative energy series that I’ve gotten requests on and finding a home for my early reader story collection that I like to think of as my Frog and Toad. I’ve gotten some great feedback on the stories, but no takers yet.

Describe your studio or usual workspace for us.

My usual workspace is my bed. Maybe that’s weird, but it’s really just the most convenient spot and it’s where I think best—plus it’s comfy! I have a table where I keep my notebooks, manuscripts I’ve printed out for revising, submission logs, writing books, etc. After I read to my little one and he starts to fall asleep, I just reach over, grab my writing, and get to work.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I would love to own a little getaway somewhere tropical where I could grow fruit and have cool rustic bungalow’s for people to rent. Of course, it would be a great place to write too! My husband and I have seriously considered doing this actually, but we’re going to wait until the kids get older, then we’ll see what happens.

What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?

I love roller-skating. If I could, I would go everywhere on roller skates. Unfortunately, there aren’t any good places to skate up here on the mountain where I live.

What was your inspiration for your book Bedtime Monster?

My son. You know, all kids go through a time when they don’t want to go to bed. They can even get a little grouchy about it, and sometimes you’re lucky and they get really monstrous about it and it inspires you to write a book.

How do you balance your writing and family life?

My family is a part of my writing life. I’ve learned to write with lots of noise and activity going on around me. I write outside in the play fort while keeping an eye on the kids, I write in the car while waiting around at school, I sit on the floor and write while the kids are playing in their room. My kids love brainstorming with me. They want to be a part of my writing, especially lately with Bedtime Monster becoming a real book that they can hold in their hands. We’ve spent a lot of time rolling around on the floor in fits of laughter while we come up with ideas together. Of course, I have to have some quiet time to write, so I sneak that in when I can. Usually after everyone has gone to sleep.

Have you met your illustrator Bonnie Adamson?

We’ve never met in person, but I did meet Bonnie via Twitter. When I noticed she was there I was actually a little hesitant to talk to her at first because from what I’ve heard, authors and illustrators don’t usually interact, at least not while the book is in the process of illustration. But, I figured there was no harm in just saying hi, and she was happy to connect. When I decided to do a new Illustrator of the Month feature on my blog I naturally asked Bonnie if she’d like to be the first. She said she’d love too and so we did an interview and put up some of her work. It was really a fun way for me to get to know her. Plus she showed me a couple of illustrations she’d done for Bedtime Monster. That was an unexpected bonus! It’s been really nice having Bonnie to email about book promotion concerns when I’ve needed to. She’s been a great partner.

We here at Writing on the Sidewalk tend to procrastinate with our writing, where do you fit in Procrastinator or Proactive?

I think I’m a proactive procrastinator. I always have writing on my mind. I know what I want and need to get done, but with all that goes on in life there isn’t always a lot of time to do everything and sometimes I just need to sit around and not do much of anything. I’ve learned that I can’t work all the time. The best way for me to kick start my writing seems to be for me to procrastinate a bit over on my blog , on Facebook , and especially on Twitter. Once I get all that procrastination out of the way, I’m usually ready to write!

Thanks Heather!

“Bedtime Monster” is available online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and the Raven Tree Press site, and be sure to check out Heather’s blog “Frolicking through Cyberspace.”

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Book Signing Take 4- A Great Big Thank You

Shortly before my first book signing I saw the video by author Parnell Hall, “Signing at the Walden Books” which I found touching and horrifying.

The video tapped into one of my greatest fears:

What if I had a book signing and no body showed up?

This fear usually manifests itself two days before the event and leads to a lack of sleep and a little knot in my stomach that doesn’t go away until I arrive at the event and find out that I am not alone.

This past Saturday I had my fourth book event, a book  reading and signing a our local Borders. I knew that I wasn’t going to be there by myself because my mom and dad where making the trip down from L.A. to be there, and bringing my niece along to help with my props. I also knew that my husband and Super Blog Buddy Sarah were going to be there, so I really had nothing to fear.

Imagine my surprise when I showed up to find my own cheering section made up of friends and family. This turned out to be a good thing since there didn’t seem to be any children around to read the story to, but we made do.

So here are my thoughts on book signing #4:

• I have a wonderful group of family and friends.
• You don’t need children to have a fun book reading
• It’s fun to have grown adults say “Aye Carumba” on command.
• If you are looking for a great place to have a gathering I would suggest your local Borders it’s air conditioned and has lots of room and make sure you use the children’s section so that you have plenty of seating.

So this is a great big “Thank You” to everyone that made it out that day. I truly appreciate your support and next time I have a book signing maybe we’ll bring snacks and turn it into a true party.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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The Scoop

One of the suggestions aspiring writers receive is research the market.

This is  not my favorite part of writing. Except that I suppose reading could be considered research… that part I love.

But! Editor Cheryl Klein makes it easy to get to know her tastes and views on literature. Check out her blog, “Brooklyn Arden” - she is starting a series of posts introducing the books on her fall list. In this first post she describes Bobby the Brave (Sometimes) by Lisa Yee – and then she even provides her favorite lines. Such fun! What a fabulous way to get to know what she likes in a book. And get reading suggestions!

I have never met Ms. Klein but she seems to be incredibly generous from everything I’ve seen in my cyber-snooping and peeking in – I mean, researching the market. She posts transcripts from her talks on her editor-type website. A delicious and worthwhile way to procrastinate research.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Writing Work-out

I don’t have the anatomy background to get super-detailed here, but there is a muscle that powers writing.

Yes, of course the brain is part of it. As are your fingers which are connected to your hands connected to your arms connected to your… well, as I said I don’t have the background to get too technical…

My point is that in order to write stronger, better, faster, you have to work out. To exercise that muscle. And even though you were once “in shape” – if you’ve been away for awhile, you’ll need to get back to that spot where the endorphins can kick in. You’ll get there faster and more easily but you’ll still need to work your way back in.

It’s so worth it. It always amazes me that the more I write, the more ideas I have. I heard Bruce Coville say something poetic like “Be there at the desk.” Also known as BIC – Butt in Chair. Someone else said, “Work it, work it.”

One of the reasons I love to take writing classes is that they push me to do some kind of writing that is out of my comfort zone. Invariably I wander around the house grumbling, complaining, thinking up excuses, and then I do it. And there is such a thrill… exactly like Cross-fit. Well… maybe not exactly.

Here’s an exercise for you. A little contest – but the competition is not the important part. The part that makes a difference is the doing it. The writing. (Thanks to Sharry for mentioning it!)

Basically, write an original story in 600 words or less. (I’m thinking this should give picture book writers an edge.)

The first line has to be: “Some people swore that the house was haunted.” Thoughts on first lines from Pulitzer Prize winning author, Michael Cunningham, the judge who created this challenge,  “It is so important and so indicative of the book to come,” he says. “I can take up to three months coming up with that first line.”

And the story must end with the line, “Nothing was ever the same again after that.” Again, from the contest guidelines, “The last line was inspired by the great Russian writer Nikolai Gogol. Cunningham says Gogol “didn’t actually use that line, but said that every good story should come to such a definitive conclusion that its true, unwritten last line is ‘Nothing was ever the same again after that.’ I want my writers to use it literally.”

Contest aside, the advice regarding first lines and endings is brilliant.

Now, get to your writing gym and start working out. Deadline is 11:59 PM EDT September 26.

Or, for you super-achievers:

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Books Incarcerated

My Girl Scout group is a collection of intelligent and passionate girls who are well on the way to making the world a better place.

Recently they voted to dedicate time and energy to helping teens in Juvenile Hall. We are still in the research phase so I’m not sure where this will lead them; but personally, I found these directions for parents and guardians to be incredibly interesting and thought-provoking:

You may bring in one (1) paperback book for your child, with their name and unit number written on it, to be placed in a receptacle in the lobby. Please note that the book becomes the property of KMJDF or EMJDF after your child leaves the facility.

It makes sense. As Maya Angelou said,

“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” ~ Maya Angelou ~

I love the idea that books are allowed – and are, in fact, the one allowed sort of gift. Of course I am also sad to imagine why they have to be paperback…

What is the right book to bring to your child in that situation? Total escapist fantasy or romance? Or do you try to bring a book with characters struggling with a similar sort of problem? Do you go old-fashioned and try to find stories with shiny golden characters who always do the right thing– in hopes that a lesson will be learned?  Do you bring him/her old favorites or something new?

I can’t wait to hear the girls’ ideas…

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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It’s Cake Friday! Chocolate Cake in Five Minutes

This week at Casa Santillan we are celebrating that both of my children are officially back in school, and what better way to celebrate than cake.

I found this recipe online on the Dizzy Dee website it looks easy, has only 6 ingredients and bakes in 5 minutes.

Cake in 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, sugar and cocoa
2. Spoon in 1 egg
3. Pour in milk and oil, and mix well
4. Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)
5. Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug
6. Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!

You can check the Dizzy Dee website for great pictures step-by-step. This cake certainly doesn’t replace regular cake, but it sure works when you want to celebrate life’s happy moments.

Don’t forget the ice cream!

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Book Thoughts- The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee

Author Marla Frazee is one talented woman, and her newest book “The Boss Baby” (Beach Lane Books, 2010) is a winner.

Here is a description:

From the moment the baby arrived, it was obvious that he was the boss.

The boss baby is used to getting his way–drinks made to order 24/7, his private jet plane, and meetings around the clock. But when his demands aren’t getting proper responses, he has to go to new lengths to achieve the attention he deserves.

Marla Frazee brings her signature wit and humor–along with adorable illustrations–to a book that explores the effect of one family’s very unusual new arrival.

Here are my thoughts:

• I love the wit in this story. Every parent and older sibling will relate to the drinks made to order and the meetings around the clock.
• The illustrations are spot on and help to increase the humor. Sporting a onesie that looks like a three piece suit, the boss baby is very convincing in his role.

This book would be a great gift for new parents or older siblings. I plan to give this book to my niece who has her own little “Boss Baby” at home and I am sure she will relate to the humor of the story.

This one is a must read.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Is Your Manuscript Ready for Submission? Tips From Deborah Halverson

On Saturday our San Diego chapter of the SCBWI featured speaker YA author and editor Deborah Halverson.

Here is Deborah’s Bio information from her blog Dear-Editor.com:

Deborah Halverson is the author of the upcoming “Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies” and has been working with authors—bestsellers, veterans, debut, and aspiring—for over fifteen years. The books she’s edited have garnered awards and rave reviews, and many of the aspiring writers she’s coached have landed agent representation and lucrative book deals.

Deborah walks the walk: She is also the awarding-winning author of two teen novels, Honk If You Hate Me and Big Mouth (Delacorte/ Random House). With two novels and a decade as an editor with Harcourt Children’s Books under her belt, she is now a freelance editor, author, writing instructor, and founder of the writers’ advice website Dear-Editor.com. Deborah speaks extensively at workshops and conferences for writers. She edits adult fiction and nonfiction while specializing in teen fiction and picture books.

Deborah shared with us ten tests that a novel must pass to prove it’s ready for submission. All of this information will be included in her upcoming book Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies due out in June 2011. While there is no way I can share all of the valuable tips she shared I thought I would share a few.

Test #1- Stop “Looking”

In this test for “voice,” Deborah suggests using a word counting program to search for your most used words in your manuscript and determine if they are more active or passive.

Passive words to look out for are: look, smile, stare, frown, laugh, mean, gaze, feel and thought.

If your manuscript uses these passive words more that all others it’s time to make some changes.

Test #2- The Twist and Drop

For this test you are checking for characterization, to determine if your character has changed or grown during the course of the story.

Ask yourself this question: “If you take your character at the end of the story and place them back in the first chapter will they handle their problems differently?”

I your answer is “no” it’s time to make some changes.

Test #3- The CIP challenge

This test is for concept.

What to do? Create one sentence listing the character, main theme and main problem.

For examples check out the summary sentences in the Library of Congress section at the front of a book. If you can’t write the sentence, it’s time to make some changes.

Test #4- Read with Your Fingers

This test is for plot and characterization.

What to do? Read only the first paragraph of each chapter to see if your story moves along?

The example she used is The Golden Compass by author Phillip Pullman.

Test #5- The “Blah, Blah” Bleck! Check

This test requires you to read through the manuscript checking your passages of dialog making sure that the dialog does not include too much back story or information.

If you are “information dumping” in your dialog re-write it so that you reveal more of your characters feelings and mood.

Test #6- Check your Ases

This test for voice uses the word counting program again to determine how many time you use the word “as” which is an indicator that your writing is too passive (boring).

Test #7- The Scratch and Sniff Test

This test is for setting.

Take 3 chapters and highlight every passage that includes the five senses. Your goal is to try to have three different senses in every scene.

Test #8- The Italics Detector

This is another test for voice.

What to do?  Using the word counting program, search for your use of italics.

Too many italics are a sign that you are trying to use the text instead of your words to convey a point.

Test #9- Check Your Sleeve

This test is looking for emotional resonance and narrative sensibility.

Scan your manuscript for direct statements or feelings. Replace these passages with action or youthful judgments.

Test #10- The Eagle Eyes of Igor Check

This test is for mechanics and the easiest by far.

What to do? Have someone else read your manuscript looking for typo’s, grammar etc…

This is a second set of eyes to try and catch any errors you might have missed. Hire a college student, ask a neighbor or a stranger, but make sure they understand they are only looking for the errors and not changing the plot.

These are only brief descriptions of the information she shared, I believe these will be covered in more detail in her upcoming book. In the meantime if you are searching for more great information from Deborah be sure to check out Dear-Editor.com.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Book Thoughts- The Kneebone Boy

I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of the The Kneebone Boy (Feiwel & Friends, 2010) from author Ellen Potter a few weeks back. I had only read the first two pages when I closed the cover and decided to read the book later. I like to classify books like food; some are light snacks or junk food (not very filling but highly addicting), some are meals that you get through and aren’t very memorable (think Hamburger Helper), and some are like fine meals that must be savored. I knew from the first two pages that this was a book to be savored and in the middle of the hustle and bustle of summer vacation I wouldn’t be able to give the book its proper respect. I am glad I waited.

Here is the synopsis:

Life in a small town can be pretty boring when everyone avoids you like the plague. But after their father unwittingly sends them to stay with an aunt who’s away on holiday, the Hardscrabble children take off on an adventure that begins in the seedy streets of London and ends in a peculiar seaside village where legend has it a monstrous creature lives who is half boy and half animal…

Here are my thoughts:

• I really enjoy Ellen’s writing style. Her word usage and language are both intriguing and beautiful especially while dealing with dark and gritty topics, this is what makes the book a something to be savored.

• I was charmed by her characters. We get a sense of the overwhelmed single father, the quirky aunt, and the Viking-like taxidermist Saint George in addition to the other characters.  The Hardscrabble children themselves are outcasts but they don’t lose their heart or charm even when they bicker among themselves.

• I was intrigued by the plot. Where was their mother? Who was the author of the story? What was the secret that Aunt Haddie was keeping? Why does Otto always wear the black scarf? Was there truly a Kneebone boy?  I must say that I was tempted to peek at the back of the book to find out but I was glad that I waited for the answers.

I am happy to say that The Kneebone Boy received a starred review, I think it was well deserved.

This story is not for everyone. If you are looking for puppies, flowers and Unicorns I would suggest you look elsewhere. If you are looking for a dark and compelling novel in the style of Dahl or Snicket The Kneebone Boy is just right for you.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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