Spotlight: The Ruby Pendant by Dorine

About The Book: Welcome to New Orleans- home of Mardi Gras, jazz music and voodoo. Eighth grader Melanie Belaforte is home for Spring break and itching for excitement. Late one night she discovers a hidden chamber and a secret journal in her deceased Aunt Florence’s bedroom.
The diary contains the writings of a mad woman, along with vague clues to the whereabouts of a ruby necklace that once belonged to Cleopatra. The ruby bestows upon the wearer the power to hear other people’s thoughts- even the thoughts of the dead!
And so the hunt begins. Melanie, her best friend Sybil, and a haunting specter unravel clues that take them from crumbling graveyards, to the busy streets of the French Quarter, and then into murky swamps, all to find the prize. But they need to watch out, because a murderous cult is matching them step for step, and they won’t give up, ever.

What Others Are Saying: "Rich with atmosphere, and full of delightful shivers, The Ruby Pendant pulled me right in. Part mystery, part ghost story, it is completely enjoyable."      - BRADEN BELL, author of the Middle School Magic series

“The Ruby Pendant is a non-stop thrill ride through the heart of New Orleans and beyond. A great read for adventurers of all ages.”
- JENNIFER SHAW WOLF, author of Breaking Beautiful and Dead Girls Don’t Lie
“Secret rooms! A missing necklace! Ghosts! The Ruby Pendant is a thrill-ride through New Orleans, a creative blend of suspense, mystery, and historical tidbits sure to tantalize readers of all ages. A worthy sequel.”   - LAURISA REYES, Editor-in-Chief of Middle Shelf Magazine

About The Author:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Who: My name is Dorine White. I am a children's author and a book reviewer. I grew up back East in Maryland and attended BYU in Utah. I have a BA in Humanities with an interest in Art History and French. Currently I live in the beautiful, yet rainy Northwest with my husband and 6 children.

My first book in The Cleopatra's Legacy series, The Emerald Ring, was published on May 14, 2013. It is a middle grade fantasy novel that involves Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, and a magic emerald ring. The Ruby Pendant (Cleopatra's Legacy 2) is due out March 2014 and takes place in the vibrant New Orleans.
See my interview with Dorine here.
If you haven't had a chance to check out any of her books here's the first in the Cleopatra's Legacy books.

About The Book: Ordinary tween life turns upside down when Ancient Egypt intrudes on modern middle school life. Twelve year old Sara Guadalupe Bogus reads about adventures, but unexpectedly is drawn into one when a mystical emerald ring that once belonged to Cleopatra becomes stuck on her finger.A series of burglaries spook Sara’s small Ohio hometown. Concluding that the root of all the crimes is the emerald ring, Sara realizes it’s up to her and her friends, Heidi and African exchange student Kainu, to save the town and protect Cleopatra’s legacy. Filled with magic, the ring thrusts Sara into a world filled with nightmares, allows her to shape shift into an Egyptian cat and battle assassins. —Goodreads

Milo, Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg

Get The Book Here

About the Book:  MILO is the funny and poignant story, told through text and cartoons, of a 13-year-old boy's struggle to come to terms with the loss that hit the reset button on his life. Loveable geek Milo Cruikshank finds reasons for frustration at every turn, like people who carve Halloween pumpkins way too soon (the pumpkins just rot and get lopsided) or the fact that the girl of his dreams, Summer, barely acknowledges his existence while next-door neighbor Hilary won't leave him alone. The truth is ? ever since Milo's mother died nothing has gone right. Now, instead of the kitchen being full of music, his whole house has been filled with Fog. Nothing's the same.(Goodreads)

First Line: "Summer Goodman never knew what hit her."

One Great Line: "It's lemon Pledge, which comes in a can and makes things shiny, and it's one of those smells that belongs to my mom and it actually makes me feel happy not sad to smell it again--though I am slightly embarrassed Hillary catches me sniffing things." (113) A great example of Silverberg's ability to mix sadness with humor!


My Favorite Line: "The smallest breeze blows through my mind--a window somewhere is open just a crack, and the fog knows enough to leave us both alone" (238)


What Kids Are Saying:  "Yes, this book has a fun and funky title. Yes, this book has humorous illustrations sprinkled throughout the story. Yes, this book is about a guy who’s trying to figure out friends and school and life and who the heck he is. BUT this is no Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I repeat: Milo is NOT Greg Heffley. The most important difference between Milo and Greg is that whereas many of Greg’s problems are his own darn fault, Milo is facing a much more serious issue: the recent death of his mother. It affects how his dad acts; how he feels about school; and, well, everything." -Karen @ Kidsmomo

What Others Are Saying:    "...combines interstitial comics with a fun text and a gripping story to come up with a book that manages to be all things for all readers. Humor fans will like it, but so too will those kids who need a little extra meat in their fiction. This is a book that isn’t afraid to get a little sad and serious once in a while. A dead mom book that kids will really gravitate towards."      -School Library Journal 

First Twenty: We are immediately swept into Milo's  first day at a new school with characters that jump off the page (or get sneezed on), his hope to make it through the year in one piece, his alter ego, the girl of his dreams and the annoying next door neighbor, all in the first twenty pages.

Other Observations:

Silberberg is a "no-holds-barred" writer that soaks hilarity into every page. If you don't like laughing, this book isn't for you. His delightful cartoons add another layer of humor and keeps you turning the pages. And yet in spite of that you feel deeply for Milo's loss of his mother and struggle to navigate without her. Often in a book about a lost parent, what you learn about that parent is very limited making that character somewhat flat. Not so, we learn cool and quirky things about his mother which gives the story even more depth.

Awards:
Sid Flieschman Humor Award

Alan Silberberg

Writer Info  
Author's Website
Silberbook-blog

Milo Book Trailer

 Agent:  Jill Grinberg

Who:  " I've been making up stories since I fell out of a tree I wasn't supposed to climb and needed a good excuse for my parents.

     I grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts - on a dead end street with woods behind our house that went on forever. There was a monster in my basement. A swamp across the street. And a family with a car that seemed to run over every cat that dared to go outside.

     Making things up was just something I always did. It was as natural as having to be home when the street lights came on. Even as a kid I found that telling stories was powerful - bullies, friends, teachers gave me space whenever I made stuff up that filled the gaps in my life that needed filling." -Silberberg

When:  "The first story I remember writing was in 5th grade. I didn't mean to create a story. It just jumped out of me in response to an assignment to write an essay on our field trip to the Boston Museum of Science."
"... A lightbulb went on. I wrote the entire essay from the point of view of that alligator, lost in the huge museum." -Silberberg   See more here.

Challenges:   "As I wrote about his junior high experience I realized I was remembering a lot of my own time back then and slowly began to let that part of me seep into the story. It was at that point I realized I wanted to let Milo's story be close to my own experience - and that meant telling the story of what it's like to lose a parent when you're young." -Silberberg

How: "I am inspired by the books I read and by the kids I meet who like good stories. I think most writers get a certain energy from knowing that an audience is out there devouring the words." -Silberberg

Tip: "My main philosophy in writing and in life is:  Whatever works." -Silberberg

First Book: Pond Scum

Newest Book:   "...I am almost done with a new book about two best friends who find a way to get anything they ever wanted. It's more like Pond Scum in that it has a certain amount of magic in it - but like Milo, it will feature text and my cartoons." -Silberberg in Interview on Book Nut 
 
Marketing: Besides his blog, he took advantage of Twitter Book Parties where fellow authors and others tweet big time on your book birthday. Teacher Vision has study guides available here. Facebook Page 



Next Week's Review: A Sneak Peek at, Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Hueller  Release Date: 8/1/2011

Here are more great reviews from some other Bookanista's:

• Elana Johnson hosts a blog tour stop for 101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS with a giveaway!

• Shannon Messenger adores THE DAY BEFORE plus a giveaway
• Shelli Johannes-Wells gives us THE ROYAL TREATMENT
• Carolina Valdez Miller is passionate about POSSESSION and gives away an ARC
• Carrie Harris is PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE
• Beth Revis shares some SOLSTICE cover love
• Shana Silver shows her desire for DEMONGLASS
• Sarah Frances Hardy wants to be just LIKE MANDARIN
• Lisa and Laura Roecker and Stasia Ward Kehoe marvel over MOONGLASS
• Megan Miranda and Veronica Rossi delve into DIVERGENT
• Christine Fonseca is in love with DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES with a giveaway

                                  

Which Came First: Reading Or Writing

     My granddaughter is struggling with reading. So I have been reading lots of things about how to improve a child's ability to read. One of the things that I stumbled on was the idea that reading and writing are interconnected. As writers we know that our writing will never improve if we aren't reading, but is the opposite also true? Does our ability to read improve through writing? The answer is yes. 

   Studies on the brain have shown that writing, not on a keyboard, but on paper stimulates what is referred to as sensory-motor memory.  Young children can benefit greatly as they write and read words, recognizing phonemic sound chunks. 

Last April, 2010 a study was conducted to answer three questions:
[See details here.]

1. Does writing about material really enhance students’ comprehension of text?
2. Does teaching writing strengthen students’ reading skills?
3. Does increasing how much students write improve how well they read?

When the results of the study were in the answer was yes to all of them. They also came up with these observations:

1. Writing is an effective tool for enhancing reading and we need to take advantage of its power.
2. We need to stop “pussy footing” around with writing and make it a central element of the 
    reform movement.
3. Writing and reading should not take the place of each other.
4. There is still more we need to learn.

There are several ideas I've found that can apply these ideas.  One of them involves immersing the child in a particular genre and then using what they have learned in creating their own stories. Their understanding of genre improves and so does their writing. If you write mystery it seems only logical that you would read writers that specialize in that genre.

When I'm trying to create a particular part of my writing the best way for me to work it out usually involves reading. If I'm working on creating a great hook the best way to accomplish that is to see how other writers have done it. When children read to learn about particular elements of writing, say a conclusion the best way is for them to read other writers conclusions.

I loved being read to as a child. One I wasn't a great reader so when my mother read to me I was able to appreciate the sound of words, the inflections a writer includes through dialogue, syntax and pace. This knowledge can be broadened when the child writes or immitates what they read, in their own stories. Isn't that what we do as writers. We try voices, we listen, and try again until we find our own.

The important thing isn't which came first, reading or writing, but that they are interconnected. They build and support each other. Nowhere else is that clearly evident than in the world of the writer.

For more great information  check these out:

• Using Reading to Build Spelling Skills
• Best Practices in Phonics Instruction
• How Spelling Instruction Relates to Reading Ability
• Effective Strategies for Teaching Phonemic Awareness
• Teaching Kindergarten Reading Comprehension
• The Relationship Between Reading and Writing

How has reading changed your writing?  How has your writing changed your reading? 

XVI by Julia Karr

About The Book: Nina is going to turn sixteen very soon but right now her life is spinning out of control. The story is set in futuristic Chicago where consumer culture has finally divided the city into tiers based on affluence. Nina discovers that not only her father may be alive but there is a world that exists outside the tiers. A world where scramblers, GPS trackers, government cover-ups, secret organizations and turning sixteen for girls means succumbing to sexual objectification. Sequel? Yes, I can't wait...
Order XVI here.
One Great Line: The threat of being chosen retreated to the edge of my thoughts, hovering there, waiting to return faster than a wing beat. (XVI, 271) Poetry!!!

What Others Are Saying:   "Karr’s novel is perfect for girls who have begun to ask questions about themselves and about how they are supposed to act under the barrage of sexual influences. Our heroine Nina lives within every girl who is willing to fight to define herself all on her own." ( Bookpage)    

       "In her unsettling debut, Karr depicts a sex-obsessed future where women are the perpetual victims of predatory marketing, and other societal ills seen in our present...taken to terrifying ends. ...there’s no doubt this well-written, accessible sci-fi thriller will provoke discussion." ( Booklist)

Logline:  In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse.


First Five Pages: Karr quickly introduces the main character and what her public and private stakes will be. Her premise of consumer culture run a muck is, while not original, takes a fascinating tangent using sex as the focus, appealing to 14-16 year olds questioning their own sexuality. When Nina asks, "What would it be like to be able to go someplace where you were untraceable?" Karr intuitively addresses the age old question of coming of age and being free of parental constraints. By the fifth page Nina is carefully situated in the time and place of Karr's dystopian world.

Other Observations: Some have questioned plausibility by pointing to Karr's "dysfunctional gender politics". They seem unable to reconcile the fact that there are teenagers that subvert the system. Really? Name one group or country for that matter, that doesn't have minority populations that live outside bounds of accepted norms. That is why we cheer for Nina, she is fighting to live her own life free from the constraints of a controlling government. Can you say, pilgrims? I'm just saying. I love Karr's exploration of consumer culture!

 Writer Info

Website: juliakarr.com

Blog: juliakarr.livejournal.com 

Twitter: @juliaakarr

Facebook: facebook.com/juliakarr 

Email: juliakarr@me.com

Check her at @ The League of Extraordinary Writers

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥

Rating Key:
♥         Couldn't finish the book, wouldn't even give it to my worst enemy.
♥♥       Read most of it but had to skim through slow parts.
♥♥♥     Solid book with a few holes in the plot or inconsistencies, pacing issues.
♥♥♥♥   Great premise, plot and pace. Writing is engaging with a strong voice.
♥♥♥♥♥ Totally awesome ride, tell everyone to read it, give me some more.

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Discovery Friday

     Today I was thinking about all the cool things I have discovered through my reading, blogging and writing  this week and thought I would share them with you. Maybe you will find something useful that you can use...

Cool books:

XVI  by Julia Karr  Totally enjoying this and will review it in the near future. Suffice it to say it is awesome! 

Hero by Mike Lupika  (I hope he has a sequel) MG  One of his best. A very fast ride!

Diary of a Bad Year by J.M. Coetzee A post modern divisive chapter structure that in the end delivers a coherent plot. Talk about writing outside of the box.


Cool Blogs:  
The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment by Matthew Rush His posts are meaty writing and his blog is loaded with useful links!
A Torch in the Tempest by Christi Goddard Snarky writing with real literary pizazz!
A Writer of Wrongs by Terry Towry Terry unabashedly shares his conference experience in NY. Go Terry!
Writing YA in the Midwest by Julia Karr  Follow the journey of XVI and her other writing projects. Congrats Julia!

What Star Wars and Seseme Street Can Teach Us About Story Structure

   The other day I was looking at an article on Cracked.com entitled "17 Images That Will Ruin Your Childhood". I'll warn you, if you love nostalgia this will definitely crush some memories. 

So, it got me thinking about what I have been learning about story structure and plot. What made our childhood images so powerful was the effort that writers, artists and directors took to "suspend disbelief".  

Wait...isn't that what we are trying to do in our writing? 

Catherine Brady in her book Story Logic and the Craft of Fiction states," to think like an artist is to understand that story structure depends not on baldly advancing a literal conflict but on constructing a plot that articulates the exact parameters at the stories heart."  

Wow! That is a mouthful but think about it. What stories have you read that leave you changed and hungry for more? Why?

When I read a story, I don't want the author to come out and tell me what to think, just like a child I want to discover it myself.  It's how many of us are wired. Would the parables in the New Testament have as much impact if the true message was blatantly laid out?

Think about Faulkner and Munroe, their ability to use literal action to build the tension of the bigger story is epic! There are, of course many more that use this artistic scaffolding, invisible to the reader. It is only at the climax of the story do the questions that the tension aroused make sense. It's magic, a sleight of the hand.

What magic have you read lately?

So When Do They Talk Grandma?

Tweet  We have often heard the sentiment, "from the mouths of babes." Bill Cosby even capitalized on the funny things that kids say with his television show, Kids Say The Darndest Things. 

   The other day I was looking at some old pictures and remembered some of the great lines my kids have said over the years.

What makes them so great? They're honest, children call them how they see them.


Here are a few of my favorites:


My daughter looking into my grandmothers face, "Grandma why do you have so many lines on your face?"


My granddaughter at her first time seeing the Nutcracker Ballet, "So when do they start talking, Grandma?"

My grandson when he jumps real high he says, "Grandma, look I can jump up sky." or "Look at the bird, up sky." 

 

When I was little our neighbor asked why our mom didn't drink coffee, my brother said, "'Cause it turns her bottom brown." 


What are some of your favorite lines? 

Monday, Monday, I'm Not Cryin' But I Could Be

 Tweet    Monday's are sometimes tough for writers, at least they can be for me. This is when I plan my week. What I have to do, what I want to do and especially what is most important to do.

It is always easy to plan the have-to's,  they are usually scheduled appointments, things that have deadlines this week, people you have committed to. Done!

Similarly, want-to's are often easy simply because they don't even have to to written down and they still have a pretty good chance of happening. You know...read that book, eat that last piece of pie, call a friend, watch a movie...buy those boots you saw on sale... Done!

It's the most-important-to-do's that seem to have the hardest time finding space on the calendar. Now, let me clarify. I'm not talking necessarily about need-to's either. Need to's are like the laundry, changing a diaper, cooking a meal. They will happen and if they don't there are consequences: screaming baby, nothing to wear, starvation. What I'm talking about are the things like...cut calories and eat healthy, exercise, work on my WIP,  the things that no one is going to call you on if they don't happen.

So, how can I make this happen? Here is the hard part...schedule it just like an appointment.

You have to set aside a special time to actually do it. Even more important is you have to be specific. Exactly, what is going to happen during that time. What is this bite going to look like? This is where I often go wrong. I either plan way too huge a bite that I choke on it or I make it too vague and spend most of the time fumbling around without really accomplishing anything.

Is this easy?   Hell no!  Do I always succeed? Double hell no! Why do I keep trying? I try because I believe that is why we have new days, new hours, new minutes so we can try it again.

How is your Monday going? Sometimes I have to push my Monday to Tuesday, what about you?

Why I Write For Middle School

Tweet There are many reasons I have chosen to  focus on middle school writing.  Each reason plays a vital role in my development as a writer and I hope you find them interesting. Since there are too many for one blog post I will be giving you small glimpses into my paradigm in hopes that you will share yours with me. 

     Some of my earliest memories are my mother as she read to us. I remember the way she brought each character to life with only the sound of her voice. I think that's where my siblings and I learned to create voices. Get all of us in a room and you quickly learn that we have a unique way of communicating; we love to imitate inflection and sounds of voices other than our own. We seem to have a knack for putting words in other peoples mouths by imitating not just what we think they would say but how they would say it. This often is confusing for people that don't "get us". (Sometimes mistaken for multiple personality disorder.) In any event, we have all become expert observers of behavior and communication. 

     When the Harry Potter series first came out, I immediately began reading this to my children. This was long before Hogwarts was a household word.  I found her characters easily brought to life by my repertoire of voices. So distinct were my voices that when the first movie came out, my children complained that the voice of Dobby was all wrong. These characters changed and grew up with my children which made them incredibly compelling. 


     The huge changes and growth that occur during the middle school years are ideal for creating characters with conflict.  

 Do your early memories play a role in your writing? Does anybody else create voices for their characters?

   

BOOOOOOK Banning Week: To Ban or Not to Ban

This week is Banned Book Week. I couldn’t let it end and not express my frustration about censorship. Often those that fight to remoooove or ban booooks  have not even read the book they are criticizing. Often they haven't studied our history nor our constitution. Here we are in 2010.  Presumably, we are smarter than we were 100 years ago, 50 years ago, even 10. Yet, it is clear that many still struggle with understanding why America came to be or that the writers of the constitution were preserving our freedom of speech and choice. When I see what lengths people will go to push their beliefs on others I am frightened. *haunting music and creaking doors*
 
Due to the diligent efforts of those that formed this country we are free to read and write whatever we want?   When is it OK to tell others what they can and can’t read?

When I was raising my children there were things I had to protect them from. Don’t touch the stove. Don’t eat dirt. No playing in the toilet. The list is endless. Never did it occur to me to fight to have toilets removed from all homes or public buildings. I suppose if I had wanted to, I could have removed my toilet and returned to the days of the outhouse. The use of my time and effort to coerce or even expect others to follow my choice is ludicrous. I am glad that none of my children are dirt eaters.  However, I guess if they chose to eat dirt when they became adults, it should be their choice. (There could be nutrients?)

Here is a link to the American Library Association for a list of books that are on the list this year.

What scares you the most about this issue?