Straight from the Jar...

Snail mail...

2012-01-23T22:34:00.003-07:00

Sooooo behind in getting snail mail letters from readers answered! Guilt... guilt... guilt. It's easier to keep up with email--fewer steps, I guess.

If you've sent me a letter sometime in the past... er, 2 months? Maybe even (cringe) 3? I still have it and it is staring me in the face right now from a stack on my table. I haven't forgotten you, wonderful readers. I promise!

Winterling, by Sarah Prineas - out now!

2012-01-03T11:49:00.006-07:00

My friend, Sarah Prineas, award-winning author of the THE MAGIC THIEF series, has a new book out today! It is called WINTERLING. Kirkus calls Sarah's new book "...an atmospheric middle-grade fantasy that ties the coming of age to the turning of the year..." and also says that "readers will find refreshment in a tale as muted and miraculous as the return of spring."

Here is the description of the book from Sarah's website:

With her boundless curiosity and wild spirit, Fer has always felt that she doesn’t belong. Not when the forest is calling to her, when the rush of wind through branches feels more real than school or the quiet farms near her house. Then she saves an injured creature—he looks like a boy, but he’s really something else. He knows who Fer truly is, and invites her through the Way, a passage to a strange, dangerous land.

Fer feels an instant attachment to this realm, where magic is real and oaths forge bonds stronger than iron. But a powerful huntress named the Mor rules here, and Fer can sense that the land is perilously out of balance. Fer must unlock the secrets about the parents she never knew and claim her true place before the worlds on both sides of the Way descend into endless winter.

Happy Publication Day, Sarah!

Here is the book trailer...

Happy Holidays

2011-12-05T20:44:00.003-07:00

May your days be filled with blessings,
answered prayers,
rewarded hopes,
and dreams that find fruition
this holiday season.
xo
Ingrid

Another Great Drawing

2011-11-17T09:24:00.003-07:00

And here's another great drawing from a letter I just opened!
Thank you, Emma from Pennsylvania!

Book Club's Scumbled Paintings

2011-11-17T08:59:00.003-07:00

It always feels like it's my birthday when I go to the post office and find letters and pictures sent by readers. Yesterday, I was delighted to receive this beautiful collection of watercolor paintings! These were painted the boys in 9-year-old Henry's book club, a book club he does with his artist grandmother, Maura. Isn't it wonderful to have a grandmother who values books and art?

My thanks to Henry, Henry's book club buddies, and Maura for sending me these treasures. I'm reminded of a favorite quote...

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. ~Pablo Picasso

I have a feeling that these boys stand a good chance of remaining artists. :)

Kentucky Library Visit (Close to Ohio, too!)

2011-11-03T06:39:00.005-06:00

I'll be at the Boone County Public Library, at 1786 Burlington Pike, Burlington, KY 41005, 859-342-BOOK(2665), with picture book author Keiko Kasza this Friday, November 4, for an author reception from 6 to 7 p.m.

Book sales will be offered through the Blue Marble Book Store, and Keiko and I will be available for signing. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

Keiko and I will both also be speaking at the OKI Children's Literature Conference on Saturday. Registration for the conference is required. For more information, click HERE.

Texas and Wyoming

2011-10-25T09:27:00.003-06:00

The kids, teachers, and librarians (Hi, Jeanette!) at Keystone School in San Antonio, Texas, gave me a warm welcome a couple of weeks ago--complete with the awesome pink school bus shown above. It was a great day with the kids and I enjoyed my brief but full visit to San Antonio very much.

A week and a half later, I got in the car with a friend and drove up to Cody, Wyoming, for an appearance at the Park County Library. I want to thank Holly Baker and the library board for hosting me and making the event so filled with excitement. I had a great time.

The day after my event, we were off to Yellowstone National Park, where we were surrounded by beauty--and followed by bison.

I'd never seen geysers before. My good friend, Christine, and I enjoyed following all the paths that let us see the fumaroles (which we kept humorously calling profiteroles) and the smaller geysers while we waited for Old Faithful to blow.

We followed our Yellowstone adventures up with two nights at the Snake River Lodge and Spa in Teton Village... so relaxing! The staff there was amazing--everyone was so nice and helpful--and we literally spent all of Saturday alternating between the pool, the three hot tubs, the two saunas, the eucalyptus steam room in the ladies lounge (sipping cucumber water) and watching old movies in our room (with room service key lime pie).

I have just two more trips coming up between now and mid-November. Next up--the OKI Children's Literature Conference in Kentucky!

Upcoming Appearance: Park County Library in Cody, Wyoming

2011-10-18T09:39:00.003-06:00

I love road trips. I took two to Wyoming when I was writing SCUMBLE and researching the Sundance area. Now I'm headed toward the other side of the state with a friend to visit Yellowstone before it gets too snowy AND to visit the wonderful people at the Park County Public Library.

If you, or someone you know, live in the Cody area, I'll be speaking at the library this Thursday, October 20, at 6:30pm. Books will be made available for purchase by Carol Bell of The Thistle Bookshop starting at 6:00pm.

I'm honored that the Edwards family of the Cody Legacy Inn, dedicated patrons of the library, have offered to donate the lodging for my visit to Cody. Kellie Edwards is the great-great-granddaughter of Buffalo Bill Cody himself!

Can't wait! Must remember to bring my camera...

Why I love living where I do...

2011-10-14T08:25:00.003-06:00

I can go from the view above (Boulder Falls) to the view below (a farm field near my house) in less time than it takes to get groceries some days.

October is my very favorite month. It's also the time of year when I can never imagine living anywhere but where I do. However, with weather and scenery so beautiful, it's hard to sit indoors and work. I sometimes try to take my laptop outside to write, but then there's the glare from the sunlight to contend with... not to mention the sparkle on the lake, the birds singing me to my feet, and the occasional cloud that demands my full attention with its wind-swept fingers and cheerful, puffy cheeks.

I know my corner of the world is not the only one over-brimming with natural beauty... in fact, I'm going up to Yellowstone for the first time next week. (And I'll be at the library in Cody, Wyoming on the 20th. Check out my website if you're in the area!) I'm open minded. Willing to see beauty anywhere. It's just that, right now, I barely have to move an inch to do so.

New Drawings from Readers

2011-10-02T08:16:00.003-06:00

The drawing above is of SJ, from SCUMBLE, hiding in the back of the Kale family station wagon. It was sent to me by Elena, from Ohio.

The next drawing (below) is of Mibs, from SAVVY, and was sent to my by Allison, from Iowa.

Thanks, girls!!

BREADCRUMBS, by Anne Ursu - Available today

2011-09-27T06:07:00.005-06:00

One of my very favorite books comes out today!

Last fall, I had the pleasure of reading BREADCRUMBS, the newest book by children's author Anne Ursu. Asked to give a blurb, I read the story of Jack and Hazel in loose, letter-sized pages; a thick stack balanced on my lap, or on the pillows next to me in bed. As I read it late into the night, pages slipped to the floor as I finished them, as unheeded as falling leaves. The story had me entranced.

Once I finished Jack and Hazel's tale, it was torture knowing that the world would have to wait almost a year for the actual book to come out. But today's the day! And the book launches with multiple starred reviews. Hoorah!

Here's a brief description I found online:

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him.

For a longer review and description, click HERE to be directed to School Library Journal's feature. Or read below for some other reviews (my blurb is at the very bottom). Or, if you're like me, just dive in without reading all the reviews and enjoy the story completely fresh... that's what I always prefer to do.

Like a fairy-tale heroine, Hazel traverses the woods without a breadcrumb trail to save a boy who may not want to be saved in this multi-layered, artfully crafted, transforming testament to the power of friendship. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The evocative magical landscape, superbly developed characters (particularly dreamy, self-doubting, determined Hazel and lost Jack), and the piercing sadness of a faltering childhood friendship give this delicately written fantasy wide and lingering appeal. - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

The creepy fantasyland that Hazel traverses uses bits from other Andersen tales to create a story that...is beautifully written and wholly original. It’s certainly the only children’s fantasy around where Minnesota Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer figures into the plot. - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This is a lyrical book, a lovely book, and a smart book; it dares us to see stories as spreading more widely, and running more deeply, than we had imagined.” - Gary Schmidt, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Wednesday Wars

"Devastatingly brilliant and beautiful throughout, Anne Ursu’s BREADCRUMBS shines like a gem. Ursu has sculpted a rich and poignant adventure that brings her readers deep into the mysterious, magical, and sometimes frightening forests of childhood and change. This is storytelling graced with depth and filled with wonder. BREADCRUMBS is one of those rare novels that turned me on my head then sat on my heart and refused to budge." - Me, Ingrid Law

I hope you all enjoy BREADCRUMBS. Read deeply. There's good stuff here.

Exciting update from Hollywood Reporter on a potential SAVVY feature film

2011-09-24T11:10:00.005-06:00

Elizabeth Chandler, who has co-written the screenplays for A Little Princess, What a Girl Wants and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and has written the scripts for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Someone Like You... and the ABC TV movie Eloise at Christmastime has been hired to work on the script for the adaptation of Savvy for Walden Media.

Click on this link for the full story. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/writer-elizabeth-chandler-working-savvy-239311

*NOTE added 9/26/11... just a quick heads-up warning to teachers and parents, I've been told that some of the rotating advertisements at the above link may be not always be kid-friendly. Please review the site first before opening it with a classroom or with children to make sure the content has no unexpected, or unfortunate surprises.

Hound Dog True - and Chatting with the Wonderful Linda Urban

2011-09-18T15:57:00.006-06:00

After reading A Crooked Kind of Perfect several years ago, I immediately decided that Linda Urban is one of my very favorite children's book authors. I was thrilled to find out that Linda has a new book coming out this fall (This week! September 20!) called Hound Dog True. I was even more thrilled when she kindly offered to mail me an advanced copy. Then, I was over the moon when she let me interview her for my blog!

In Hound Dog True, Linda "...traces a highly self-conscious child's cautious emergence from her shell in this tender novel about new beginnings and "small brave" acts... Urban's understated, borderline naïf narrative gives voice to Mattie's many uncertainties ("Always Mattie has been shy. Always school had made her feel skittish and small") while expressing the quiet yet significant moments in her day-to-day life. Mattie's growing trust of others and her attempts to be "bold and friendly" lead to gratifying rewards for Mattie and poignant moments for readers.."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Now, for the interview!!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I pretended all the time. Even when I was a kid in school at my desk, I seemed to be pretending to be a kid at school at my desk – sometimes I’d pretend I was smarter or prettier or more outgoing than I was, just to see what that felt like. Good training for being a writer, I think. And yeah, sometimes I still pretend I’m a better, more effortless, more confident writer than I am. It’s amazing what a little pretend can do.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: I don’t know if it is all-time favorite, but lately I have been ruminating on two quotes from my hero Fred Rogers. Here’s one:

"The connections we make in the course of a life--maybe that's what heaven is."

And here’s another:

"Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone."

I try to think about this when I write. And I want to mail it to every scared parent or school board that wants to ban a book for its content.

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: Little Women. I blazed through the reading of it and I don’t think I paid attention to some of the plot bits, but I was laser-focused on Jo. Oh, how I wanted to write in a garret in the cold like Jo did. I was certain that would make me a brilliant author. We lived in a semi-finished house at the time, and the room above the garage had plywood floors and no insulation. It was winter in Michigan and I was wearing layers of sweaters and scarves, but I sat at that card table and I wrote. It was brilliant. (Not the writing, but the experience.)

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: Feels like I do live inside the books I read. But okay, I suppose I’d like to be a student at Hogwarts for a day – provided I could be a Gryffindor. (I suspect I’m more the Hufflepuff type – though I might be able to convince the sorting hat to sneak me into Ravenclaw.) How cool would it be to fly on a broomstick, to turn pincushions into hedgehogs, and to pal around with Fred and George Weasley? Let’s just not schedule this for a Dark Lord Returns day, okay?

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: My biggest writing challenge is staying focused. When things get hard, I often shop for boots on Zappos. (Shop, not buy, mind you.)

But I think a better strategy – and one I employ on my best days -- is to shift the framework of the day. So, instead of staring at the same paragraph on my computer screen, what would happen if I drew a picture of the scene? What would happen if I wrote the scene longhand from the point of view of some inanimate object in the room? What would happen if I made a list of all the many things my character might be thinking about over the course of the scene (from the obvious to the way the tag on the neck of her sweater is itchy) Anything to sink me into the scene and to distance my awareness from the fact that I am writing it.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book?

A: I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever felt really DONE with writing a book. You know, you send it in, then there are line edits and then the tiny details. By then, I’m trying to work on something else. I do celebrate when the books come out, though. (This year, I’m actually going to buy a pair of those Zappos boots, I think.)

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: So, HOUND DOG TRUE is out on September 20 and I’ll be doing a bit of touring and meeting readers.

I’m also finishing a draft of my third novel which features a young girl, a regret, a wish, a parade, and donuts. (Research – yum!) That book has no real title yet, but I refer to by the main character’s name, Ruby Pepperdine. It will be out in Spring 2013.

Thank you, Linda! Now I can't wait until next spring.

Fridays should be fun...

2011-09-16T08:47:00.006-06:00

I typically go for a long walk every morning after bringing my daughter to school, and before I start to write. When I walk, I listen to an assortment of up-beat, good-to-stride-to music (think People are People by Depeche Mode, Savage Garden's I Want You (Chica Cherry Cola), Pink's Raise Your Glass, etc). But on Fridays I like to get a little sillier.

Today I tromped through a fabulously thick, early morning fog wearing my daughter's fox hat (as modeled here for you) and listening to my "Silly" playlist on shuffle. These things keep me from thinking thoughts that are far too serious for a Friday. Today, I walked to my 2nd favorite alphabet song, African Alphabet, sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Kermit the Frog (see link to the video at the end of this post); The Naked Mole Rap (from Kim Possible); The Lonely Goatherd (from The Sound of Music); Spiderpig (from the Simpsons); The Stuff Mart Suite, from VeggieTales; Annette Funicello singing The Monkey's Uncle; and my #1 favorite alphabet song--maybe even the best alphabet song EVER--Crazy ABC's by Barenaked Ladies. (Seriously... N's for neumonic, M is for mdomo, O is for ouija board, and P is for pneumonia, pterodactyl, and psychosis). Alphabet songs are good for writers... even when we're in our 40's. After all, letters and words are the tools of the trade.

Now the fog is burning off and it's time for me to write. But I feel cheerful, more than a little silly, and ready to dive in. Maybe I'll keep the hat on today while I work! :)

Click here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8pxaxxReo - for the Sesame Street African Alphabet video.

Scumble in Poland...

2011-09-06T22:40:00.004-06:00

...is called Demolition Boy.

I don't have this version in hand yet, and this is the biggest digital image I have right now. I'm trying to figure out what all of the flying objects on the cover are. Could that be a toilet near the top?

I'm sharing an ampersand with Jane Fonda

2011-08-16T14:25:00.002-06:00

Lev Grossman, Jane Fonda & Ingrid Law Debut on the Indie Bestseller List - GalleyCat

Nice little blurb today at mediabistro.com. Click on the link above to read it. :)

If you bought the paperback of Scumble already, Thank You!

xo

90-Second Newbery - Awesome Young Filmmakers

2011-08-10T12:48:00.000-06:00

Claudia Hébert, a filmmaker from Montreal, recently shared with me how she helps organize a 2-week children's film camp for inner-city kids in Toronto--a camp inspired by children's book author James Kennedy's 90 Second Newbery Film Festival. (For more info about Mr. Kennedy and the super-cool film festival, check out http://jameskennedy.com/2011/01/13/the-90-second-newbery-film-festival/).

Claudia's program, "Filming in the City," which comes out of a community-based non-profit organization called Word-Play, inspires elementary school children to foster a love of reading, and of expression through creative writing and film making, in a supportive, creative, and inclusive environment. Word-Play operates out of the independent bookstore TYPE Books and offers its programs free of charge. Sounds like magic in action to me!

The six kids in Claudia's camp, ages 7 to 11 years old, had never made a film before. Working with Claudia, they read SAVVY, then came up with this awesome 90-second film interpretation of the book.

Great job, kids!

Paperback Day

2011-08-09T08:12:00.003-06:00

Yay! I have to go do a little bookstore sightseeing today. I still haven't seen a copy of it yet, but SCUMBLE was released in paperback today.

And just a reminder for anyone in Colorado, I'll be signing copies of the book at:

Old Firehouse Books

August 27, 2011 - 1:00pm

232 Walnut Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Click here for a map

(970)484-7898
oldfirehousebooks@gmail.com

First of three great books coming in September

2011-08-04T09:26:00.005-06:00

It's always fun to have the chance to read a book before it hits the shelves. Recently, I had the opportunity to read three books that will be coming out in September and I thought I'd write a little bit about each of them, in separate posts, in order of publication date. For books two and three, I'm hoping to be able to post author interviews as well. So, stay tuned!

I pulled Frank Cottrell Boyce's new book, The Unforgotten Coat, out of my post office box and finished it before I got home, reading it in short stints while sitting in various parking lots between errands. It is a short (112 pages), gentle book tinted with subtle magic that gives readers another perspective on immigration, and how it is experienced by children. While The Unforgotten Coat is tagged as a middle grade book, I believe people of all ages will find beauty in this story.

From Amazon: When two Mongolian brothers inexplicably appear one morning in Julie’s Year Six class, no one, least of all Julie, knows what to make of them. But then Chingis, the older of the two, proclaims that Julie is to be their "Good Guide" a nomadic tradition that makes her responsible for welcoming the brothers to their new home. Now Julie must somehow navigate them through soccer, school uniforms, and British slang, all while trying to win Shocky’ s attention and an invitation to her friend Mimi’s house. Often laugh-out-loud funny, this moving and simply told novella tugs at the heart — a unique story of immigration both fierce in its telling and magical in its characters.

Frank Cottrell Boyce is the author of Cosmic and Millions, among other much-applauded titles. The Unforgotten Coat will be released in the U.S. by Candlewick on September 13.

Scumble - in paperback August 9!

2011-07-27T11:49:00.005-06:00

Well, it's that time already. SCUMBLE will be available in paperback August 9th. I haven't seen the final paperback version yet myself, but the cover image is very similar to that of the hardcover, with a few small changes.

I can't believe July is almost over. School starts again here on August 16th (it seems to get earlier and earlier every year) and with it will come a return to routine. Our local library's summer reading program just came to a close, but my summer reading hasn't. And the summer movies keep on coming, too--I'm on a streak. Five movies in five days. A nice diversion when the weather's hot!

The only public book signing for the SCUMBLE paperback that I have scheduled right now is at:

Old Firehouse Books, August 27, 2011 - 1:00pm

232 Walnut Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Click here for a map

(970)484-7898
oldfirehousebooks@gmail.com

If you're in the area, stop by and say hello! If not, and you'd like to pre-order a signed copy, feel free to contact the great folks at Old Firehouse Books and they'll be happy to help you out.

Stay cool!

The Story of Charlotte's Web, and a couple of weekend reads

2011-07-07T16:18:00.007-06:00

In case you missed this, NPR recently had an interesting piece about a new book about E.B. White and how Charlotte's Web came to be.

Here is the link to the story if you are interested in hearing or reading more: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/05/137452030/how-e-b-white-spun-charlottes-web?ps=cpr

Over the holiday weekend, my daughter and I each read a whole book in one day--easy for my daughter, since she is on summer break, but a rare treat for me. While my daughter was completely glued to Franny Billingsley's new YA novel, Chime (which was just awarded a Boston Globe - Horn Book honor), I was wrapped up in the mystery of The Visconti House, by Elsbeth Edgar, which I picked up spur-of-the-moment when I saw it displayed on an end cap in the children's section at my local library.

Now I'm spoiled, and I just want to sit around and read all day ALL the time! And I just got my hands on an advanced copy of Crossed (the sequel to Matched), by Ally Condie, so I may have to have another reading day soon. Oh, if only there were more hours in a day!

ALA and New Orleans

2011-06-28T12:42:00.004-06:00

My time in New Orleans was great fun. ALA overflowed with amazing librarians, teachers, authors, publishers, and friends. I managed to do a teeny-tiny bit of sightseeing yesterday before running off to the airport. I made it to the French Quarter and picked up some beignets to carry home with me on the plane. But that was about it. The rest of the time I was blissfully happy signing books and chatting with people at the conference.

Below, you can see Kirby Larson, me, and Jennifer Holm posing together for a photo after our panel: Newbies and Newberys, the wows and woes of earning a Newbery Honor for a first book. It was a fun panel and both Kirby and Jenni are amazing authors with wonderful stories to tell. Sandra Imdieke of Northern Michigan University did such a great job organizing the panel and moderating. And Jenni was picking up her third Newbery honor that night for her novel, TURTLE IN PARADISE. Huge congratulations to Jenni!

At the Newbery/Caldecott/Wilder banquet, Erin Stead's Caldecott acceptance speech had the audience cheering and in tears as she shared her experiences that led her to illustrating A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE. A special book from an amazing woman. Clare Vanderpool shared stories about Kansas and the process behind MOON OVER MANIFEST, while making everyone laugh. It was also an honor to meet Tomie DePaola for the first time, who was there to accept the Wilder Award for lifetime achievement.

I want to thank everyone who made a point of stopping by one of my signings--or even stopping me in the aisles of the convention center--to say hello and share their support. And I also have to thank Lauren Myracle for putting sparkles in my hair, and Richard Peck for sharing a harrowing taxicab adventure or two (and lending a gentlemanly arm when my high-heels were too high).

Charmed Life: Still a Favorite

2011-06-19T18:11:00.004-06:00

I'm often asked what my favorite book was as a child. That, of course, is difficult to answer; I have fond memories of so many books. I loved The Lord of the Rings, the entire Anne of Green Gables collection, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, almost any books about King Arthur (but particularly those by Gillian Bradshaw), The Chronicles of Prydain, Watership Down... etc, etc.

But, when asked, one book that I often tell people was one of my favorites as a kid is Charmed Life, by Diana Wynne Jones. Recently, I decided I ought to re-read it (though, I actually listened to the audio book) to see if it is one I still enjoy--and it is! I love the story of Eric "Cat" Chant and his nasty sister Gwendolen. And I'd forgotten how much I enjoy all the Chrestomanci books--and how they are all different, with some common threads (perhaps that's what inspired me to do something similar--different, with common threads--with my savvy books).

I got a wonderful laugh when Ms. Wynne Jones describes cacti as looking like "tormented cucumbers." I enjoyed the audio recording too. It made getting stuck in traffic the other night quite pleasant!

Lamplighter Award

2011-06-19T18:05:00.002-06:00

I'm pleased to announce that Savvy has won the 2011 Lamplighter Award, the 6-8 grade category of the Children’s Crown Award Reading Program.

Each year, the Texas Christian Schools Association selects books that convey wholesome values, uplifting characters, and positive themes for three award lists: Children's Gallery (grades K-2), Children's Crown (grades 3-6), and Lamplighter (grades 6-8). Students then vote for their favorite in each category. All of the awards are endorsed by the National Christian School Association. For more information, please visit: http://www.childrenscrownaward.org/

Savvy has also been nominated for the 2012 Grand Canyon Reader Award in Arizona and the 2012 Colorado Children's Book Award.

Father-Daughter Reading Streak

2011-06-18T19:26:00.002-06:00

As someone who still reads at night (whenever possible) to her 16-year-old daughter, I loved this story on NPR about a father-daughter reading streak that lasted 3,218 days, and the book that's come out of it.

German SCUMBLE - DER SCHIMMER DES LEDGER KALE

2011-06-10T10:00:00.003-06:00

I love this cover from Carlsen in Germany for their edition of SCUMBLE, titled:

DER SCHIMMER DES LEDGER KALE.
I can't look at it without smiling.

And it goes well with their cover for SAVVY / SCHIMMER, too:

Upcoming Bookstore Appearance, New Orleans

2011-06-05T12:15:00.005-06:00

I just found out that while I'm in New Orleans for ALA I will be appearing at a bookstore, too! So if you're in New Orleans, stop by Octavia Books on Sunday, June 26th, at 3:00pm and say hello!

Here's a link to the event announcement: HERE

Authors Jay Asher and Maureen Johnson will be there with me at 3pm. And it looks like Kate DiCamillo will be there right before us! And Tomie dePaola and Richard Peck before her? Wow! Should be a great day to spend the whole afternoon at Ocatavia Books. For the bookstore's complete calendar of events, click HERE.

Hope to see you there!

A month away from ALA New Orleans

2011-05-29T10:33:00.002-06:00

If you are going to be going to ALA in New Orleans this June, I'll be there too! Here's my schedule of events at the American Library Association Conference:

Sunday, June 26th

10:30-noon

Newbies and Newberys: Three Authors Talk About the Wows and Woes of Winning the Newbery Honor with First Books, MCC-Rm 283

Panel with Kirby Larson and Jenni Holm, moderated by Sandra Imdieke, Professor of Children's Literature, Northern Michigan University

Sunday, June 26th

12:30 - 1:30

Book signing at the Penguin Young Readers booth

Monday, June 27th

9:30 - 10:30

Book signing at the Scholastic Book Fairs Booth

The panel with Kirby and Jenni should be really fun. And Jenni just won her THIRD Newbery Honor this year. I'm happy that I get to go to the Newbery/Caldecott/Wilder Banquet to be able to cheer for her and the other winners. When I was at the banquet for my own award evening two years ago, I was so nervous and excited I didn't eat, and the night flew by. So this time it will be fun to go and be a relaxed onlooker. If you're going to be at ALA stop by one of my sessions and say hello!

A few early-May this-and-thats

2011-05-05T18:17:00.005-06:00

I don't think I'll ever grow out of the feeling of excitement that comes when finding an unexpected package in the mail. I got one yesterday! I was delighted to open it and find an advance reading copy of Arthur Plotnik's forthcoming book, BETTER THAN GREAT: A Plentitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives. (June 2011) It was Mr. Plotnik's book, SPUNK & BITE: A Writer's Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style, that inspired me to take all the chances in voice and style that I did when I first wrote SAVVY. It was also the book that first introduced me to the word 'scumble.' So, as I'm sure you can guess, I have a lot of good things to say about Mr. Plotnik (a self-proclaimed 'word-wonk') and his books. And who doesn't enjoy a whole book dedicated to the abandonment of worn-out superlatives? Goodbye 'great'... 'amazing'... 'awesome'... Hello 'punch-drunk dizzying'... 'style on stilts'... 'three-ply charming'...

A second fun thing, one I saw in the store the other day, is the new book just out from Alan Gratz called FANTASY BASEBALL. I gave my permission some time ago to let Mr. Gratz 'borrow' my pink SAVVY bus and its driver, Lester Swan. In the book, Lester gets to drive the crazy cast of the fantasy baseball team around. So, if you enjoyed Lester in Savvy, and just can't get enough of the stammering, twitching guy, pick up FANTASY BASEBALL and meet a whole team of interesting characters... Lester may not be the only character you've met in other fantasy books!

If you are a librarian and you're headed to ALA this summer, I'll be on a panel with two other Newbery Honor authors, Kirby Larsen and Jennifer Holm... more details to come!

And finally, I am still totally addicted to watching the webcam broadcast of the young bald eagles in Decorah, Iowa. They have the beginnings of real feathers now and are learning to stand up on their feet (so wobbly and funny!). I had a dream the other night that I had to rescue the eaglets and bring them to a bookstore, where I got to meet Maya Angelou. I won't even get started on my dream from a few nights before, the one about the carpet of lights in the corner of a meadow--a carpet of lights that I had to turn on, two lights at a time, by finding the right puzzle-like sequences of adjacent pairs. I swear, it took me all night!

That's all for now!

A Big Thank You to Readers in Massachusetts

2011-04-12T10:14:00.003-06:00

I have to thank the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade readers in Massachusetts for selecting Savvy as an honor book for the 2011 Massachusetts Children's Book Award. And in honor of this honor, I've posted this drawing I received in the mail yesterday from Hanna M. in Centerville, Massachusetts. Thanks, Hanna!

Bald eagles in my living room

2011-04-06T09:15:00.003-06:00

Last night, I was doing my nightly browsing of NPR.org and learned about the Decorah Eagle Cam. This is a really wonderful live view of a bald eagle nest with two newly hatched chicks and a third egg that has yet to hatch. The image quality is amazing and they appear to have someone attending the camera, because the view will sometimes zoom in to give viewers a better look at the chicks or the egg.

We don't have cable television in our house, but what we do have is a TV with a laptop connected to it, allowing us to watch streaming online videos when we choose. This morning, while fixing breakfast before bringing my daughter to school, we called up the Decorah Eagle Cam and clicked on the button that allowed us to fill the entire television screen with the image. Soon we were eating breakfast with the eagles. We watched the mother feed the two chicks. We saw the camera zoom in to give us a good view of the unhatched egg, and we watched the father eagle return to the nest briefly. Then it was time to go.

Here's a direct link to the cam: http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/index.html

We don't have a very big television, but the image was so crisp we could almost imagine that the eagles were right there, nesting in our living room. Things don't happen quickly, but isn't that nicer sometimes?

Reader Art, Spring Break, and the Super Moon

2011-03-26T20:09:00.004-06:00

I have these two new awesome drawings from readers to share. Above, the family from Savvy, by Elle. Below, a Savvy montage, by Jessica.

It's been spring break around here. My family took a brief vacation to Seattle last week. I got to see the 'Super Moon' rise from the top of the Space Needle. It was awesome. We also did the underground tour and went to the Science Fiction Museum, among other adventures. The museum had a Battlestar Gallactica exhibit that made me very happy (I was a big BG fan as a kid... and again as an adult when they recreated the show). We also returned to the amazing Teatro Zinzanni (we went during a Seattle trip two years ago) and got all dolled up for the show. Alas... I have no pictures.

While in Washington, I also stopped in to sign some books (quietly) at Secret Garden Books. So if you're in the Seattle area and are looking for a signed copy of Savvy or Scumble, they should have plenty. www.secretgardenbooks.com

I can't believe that March is almost over!

National Homeschool Book Award Nomination

2011-03-16T09:42:00.002-06:00

I am so thrilled to have just found out that SAVVY has been chosen as a finalist for the first annual National Homeschool Book Award.

www.nationalhomeschoolbookaward.com

It's nice to see my friends Watt Key and Wendy Mass nominated as well for their books: ALABAMA MOON and EVERY SOUL A STAR. And you've got to know I'll be headed to the library or bookstore soon to check out the fourth book on the list, THE REMARKABLE & VERY TRUE STORY OF LUCY & SNOWCAP, by H.M. Bouwman.

We homeschooled for a substantial portion of my daughter's middle school years, and I have a dear friend who homeschools her eight-year-old son. And, of course, the Beaumont children in SAVVY are homeschooled as soon as their 'savvies' strike. So this nomination is one that truly warms my heart.

On a side note: Sorry I haven't been around the blog much lately! I've had my head in my writing and don't pull it out into the real world for much these days (you should see the chaos that is my living room... don't get me started on the kitchen). And if you've written me a snail-mail letter and haven't heard back yet, please be patient! I will reply. But it takes me forever, and I have a stack. And if letters come to me through my publisher, it can be months before I even get them.

Caroline's Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Butterfly

2011-02-23T09:47:00.003-07:00

Thanks for the great drawing, Caroline P. from Utah!

Scumble Reader Art

2011-01-23T21:22:00.005-07:00

I went to the post office tonight and had received some wonderful letters. I always love pictures of the characters in Savvy or Scumble. This one's great! It's from Chris, in Arkansas, and is of Ledger from Scumble... along with one of the Queen Alexandra Butterflies, and Sarah Jane's house in the background (with SJ's face in the window--and even the birch tree with the bench under it). I also like that Ledge's shirt says 'Sledgehammer' since that was the (detested) nickname his cousins, Marisol and Mesquite, gave him.

Thanks, Chris!

Two Polish covers for Savvy

2011-01-12T19:29:00.003-07:00

I'm not entirely sure why there are two covers for Savvy in Poland--titled Magiczna Trzynastka--Magical Thirteen? Magic Thirteen? Sorry, I don't know Polish! Perhaps one of these is hardcover, the other paperback? I don't have my author copies yet, so I can't say for sure. But I thought I'd put up the artwork for both. Both are fun.

Word of the Week

2011-01-02T15:49:00.004-07:00

I haven't put a word of the week up in a little while... so let's start 2011 with:

STERNUTATION

Sternutation is "the act, fact, or noise of sneezing."

And, just for fun, I'll also tell you about a condition called Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Opthamalic Outburst Syndrome (which people shorten to ACHOO... seriously). Also called 'photic sneezing' this is when sudden sunlight or bright light makes a person sneeze.

These are things I learn.

Really, I was just researching the parts of the nose in hopes of finding a way of artfully not repeating the word 'nose' twice in one sentence when referring to a character trying not to sneeze. But then I got distracted by learning new words and facts, and here I am. Did you know that one out of every three people is a photic sneezer?

Well, now you do.

And now, having thus enlightened any bloggy readers, I will go back to writing. This is why it takes me so long to write a book! (Well, it's one of the reasons.)

Happy New Year!

You WILL use Y as a consonant, or else!

2010-12-30T11:26:00.003-07:00

I read recently that the use of Y as a consonant goes back to medieval French when it was forcibly imported to England with the Norman Conquest of AD 1066.

Forcibly imported consonants... language is so interesting.

Poetry: Robert Burns, Allen Ginsberg, Gilligan's Island and smelling the roses

2010-12-15T20:58:00.007-07:00

I've been enjoying reading and listening to poetry lately. I also enjoy the fact that, these days, one can sometimes download poetry the same way one downloads songs... or find an audio or video file for free online of a poet reading his or her own work, or someone else reading it if the poet lived too long ago for such technologies.

I downloaded Gordon Kennedy's reading of To A Mouse, by Robert Burns, from iTunes the other day and have listened to it quite obsessively ever since. I have also tormented my family with attempted recitations of:

Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

Etc.

There's actually a helpful web page that 'translates' some of the dialect in the full Burns poem. If interested, here's the link: http://www.electricscotland.com/burns/mouse.html

I also picked up Ballistics, by Billy Collins, last weekend. And downloaded the audio recording: Dueling Anthologists Billy Collins and Garrison Keillor at the 92nd Street Y.

All that reminded me tonight about the poem that Allen Ginsberg wrote for me when I was seven years old. It was at a fund raising event, I believe. And, at that time, I did not even really understand much about who Allen Ginsberg was, let alone how cool it would be to have this poem years later. Thank goodness my mother held onto it for me. For surely, if it had been left in my hands as a child, I might have lost it.

I doubt you'll be seeing this one in any anthologies soon, but still...

In case you can't read the poem in this tiny image (which is, if I'm not wrong, in Ginsberg's handwriting), it goes:

You eat macaroni!
You eat donuts!
Do you eat the donut holes?
You watch Superman!
You visit Gilligan's island?
You sing roll & Rock!
You smell roses!
You touch your mom!
You think of going to
sleep!

Allen Ginsberg
July 6,'77

Looking at the handwriting, I'm still not entirely certain of that very last line, but I can't figure out what else it might say.

Well. You now know how poet Allen Ginsberg interpreted seven-year-old Ingrid after a brief conversation...

...and to think I am still fascinated with castaways, superheroes, sweet things, and comforts.

It's all poetry to me!

Middle Grade Ninja

2010-11-30T12:54:00.003-07:00

On a less rambling, more middle-of-the-day note, there is a terrific feature on Savvy on Robert Kent's Middle Grade Ninja blog today if you want to check it out.

http://middlegradeninja.blogspot.com/2010/11/book-of-week-savvy-by-ingrid-law.html

Words of the Week

2010-11-30T00:31:00.009-07:00

Well... I had to edit this post and remove my silly poem because apparently some people couldn't see it without visible code showing... how embarrassing! ;) I'm not sure what's up with Word these days. Any time I try to copy and paste from it, I get code issues. Oh, well. I'll still leave up the words I had previously waxed on about...

SYNCOPE and APOCOPE
pronounced:

sing-kuh-pee

and uh-pok-uh-pee

In the simplest sort of of definition, syncope is when the middle sound or sounds are left out of a word. And apocope is when the last sound or sounds are left off from a word.

Check out this link: http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/apocopeterm.htm for more about apocopes.

Italian Savvy

2010-11-28T19:43:00.007-07:00

I got this in the mail last week...

I've been having so much fun looking through the new Italian language edition of Savvy - Lo straordinario talento della famiglia Beaumont - from IL BATTELLO A VAPORE. It has a lot to explore!

My scanner's on the fritz, but I managed to get a photograph of the cover (very tricky because it's so shiny it reflects the camera flash) as well as show you a glimpse of one of the seven or eight or so graphic pages they included. Fun!! I wish I could put them all up, but I imagine that I'm not actually supposed to do that. Still, I just had to show a peek since the illustrations are so awesome.

The scene in the image below is the one where Fish loses his temper (and unleashes his savvy) in the bus for the first time and makes the magazines fly all around.

My sister is fluent in Italian, so a copy went to her promptly. If the title translates into: The extraordinary talents of the Beaumont family, I wonder what they will re-title Scumble when they get to it?

Chatting with Watt Key

2010-11-23T07:26:00.003-07:00

It's so wonderful to be able to offer another author chat this fall! When I was in Mississippi last spring for the Oxford Conference for the Book, I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days getting to know award-winning southern fiction author Watt Key, who was the other young people's author invited to the conference (I was there to talk to the 5th graders, while Watt spoke to the 9th graders).

Watt is the author of Alabama Moon, which won the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award for older readers in 2007, and its companion novel, Dirt Road Home, which just came out in August.

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I don’t remember pretending much, but I certainly liked building tree forts and hunting and trapping in the swamp. I liked to read and make my own books. I’m a decent artist and used to enjoy writing and illustrating stories and actually creating the books with cardboard covers and masking tape bindings.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: Anything Mark Twain says cracks me up. My favorite quote is from a sign I saw in a person’s yard while driving through rural Mississippi. This yard was full of scrap iron art – folk art. It looked a lot like a dump until you realized that everything was welded and pieced together with some sort of purpose. The sign said “look what I did while you were watching television.” I like that guy's attitude.

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: I don’t know of any books that made me change, but there are a few that made me appreciate good storytelling and have always been at the level I reach for. Where the Red Fern Grows, Education of Little Tree, The Red Pony, Shane, and more I’m just not thinking of.

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: Most of the books I admire have some pretty tough conflict that I’d rather avoid. Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth sounds pretty cool.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: It seems like for every good day I have writing, I have an equally bad day. So, on a bad day, I just make myself get some words down, no matter how hard it is. I try to put in at least two hours. I am fairly confident that the next day will be better. Most of the time what I wrote isn’t near as bad as I thought it was.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: Stop writing for a few days.

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming?

A: I’m still taking a breather after getting Dirt Road Home out a couple of months ago. Plus, there have been travels and book signings related to the release and that has taken up much of my time. However, I did turn in another book a couple of weeks ago and hopefully it will sell. I worked on it for most of this year. I don’t like to talk much about what I’m working on because it seems to jinx me. I’d rather it be a surprise.

My web site is www.wattkey.com. I’m also on Facebook if anyone wants to shoot me a note.

***

Thanks, Watt, for taking the time to share your thoughts for the blog! I'll never forget having lunch in William Faulkner's backyard at Rowan Oak with you in Oxford.

To read previous interviews with fellow writers, click on the Author Chats label at the end of this post.

Word of the Week

2010-11-21T10:06:00.004-07:00

For this week's word of the week, I'm going to redirect you to NPR for a look at the very American (and older than you may think) word:

and an excerpt from new book by Allan Metcalf titled OK: The Improbable Story of America's Greatest Word

Click HERE for more!

Chatting with Wendy Mass

2010-11-16T11:33:00.004-07:00

Last summer I did a whole series of fun Author Chats and got to ask some of my favorite authors questions. I'm happy to be able to share another! Wendy Mass is the popular, award winning author of ten novels for young people, including Every Soul a Star, Eleven Birthdays, and her most recent offering The Candymakers.

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I think imagination played a large part in my childhood, and into the early teen years. Besides the usual “playing school” (I was always the teacher!), I used to pretend to be a spy a lot, thanks to an obsession with Harriet the Spy. I’d sneak around the house, listening on phone extensions or sticking a glass against a bedroom door (doesn’t work!). This only ended when at 12, my mom had the supermarket manager announce over the loudspeaker for “Harriet Mass” to come to the information desk to meet your mother. I was so embarrassed to have everyone looking at me that I retired my spy life right then and there. Touche, mother, touché.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: “Life is short, but wide.” And also, “Do unto others” and “Be a part of the solution, not the problem.”

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: I think I’m a culmination of the books I read over and over as a child. Judy Blume’s books, the Narnia books, Edward Eager’s books, and a novel called Allegra Maud Goldman by Edith Konecky. They either prepared me to live in the real world, or taught me how to imagine a magical one. I think about this a lot when I’m writing, because the books we read growing up really can have a powerful effect on us. It’s a big responsibility to write for this age, and an honor.

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: I was going to say The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but since I get sea sick, it’s probably best I stay on this side of the story. I wouldn’t mind living inside my last book, The Candymakers. It takes place in a candy factory, with it’s own jungle, library, and cafeteria where chocolate pizza is always on the menu.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: Cry and eat candy.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: I always treat myself to a movie when I finish a book. A real movie, like in a theater, with popcorn and junior mints (mixed together of course). I go alone, in the middle of the afternoon, which feels so decadent! Then I give myself a break of a few days and it’s onto the next book. Book reviews drive me crazy, so I try not to get too excited over the good ones, or too depressed over the snarky ones.

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: The Candymakers just came out, and it will be followed next year by the next book in the “Willow Falls series” that began with 11 Birthdays and Finally. After that, I’m trying my hand at a kind of wacky sci-fi middle grade that I’m excited about. Then a few more books and a REALLY LONG NAP.

Thanks so much, Wendy, for taking time out of what I know is a very busy schedule! I'm glad to know someone else who enjoys afternoon movies with popcorn and Junior Mints (my favorite combination too).

You can find out more about Wendy and her books at her website: www.wendymass.com

To read past author chats, click on the 'Author chats' label at the bottom of this post.

Word of the Week

2010-11-14T16:37:00.003-07:00

My word today also comes with a brief bit of history. The word, a noun, is:

SOCKDOLAGER

(sok-DOL-uh-juhr)

Aside from the fact that 'sockdolager' means: a heavy, decisive, or finishing blow; or a pointed remark in an argument, it was also the cue word on which John Wilkes Booth fired at President Lincoln in Ford's Theater on April 14, 1865. Booth knew that the word, and the line from the play "Our American Cousin" in which that word appears, received the loudest rise of laughter from the crowd. He chose that moment in hopes that the sound from the audience would drown out the sound of the gunshot.

The full line is: "Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, you sockdologising old man-trap."

Sources: http://wordsmith.org/words/sockdolager.html, www.dictionary.com (sockdolager)

Last Appearances until...?

2010-11-02T17:03:00.006-06:00

Spring maybe? After November, I am finding a secluded place to write for a while as I work on something new. Maybe someplace like this...

Or this...

The only problem would be: How far would I have to drive to get to a movie theater? The holiday movie season is coming up.

Well, maybe these examples are not exactly how secluded I'm going to make myself after November, but it will be hard to find me out and about and doing things like signing books for a while. Most likely until next spring. So, if you want to find me before I disappear to someplace (in my imagination) like this...

Or like this... (Under a rock? Really?)

...please find a list of my final 2010 appearances below. If you can't make it to one of these events but want a signed copy of Savvy or Scumble, I am certain that the staff at any of the bookstores listed here would be happy to let you order a signed copy to be mailed to you.

LONGMONT PUBLIC LIBRARY
Author visit
November 4th, 2010 - 7:00 - 8:00 pm
409 4th Avenue, Longmont, Colorado 80501
Boulder, Colorado 80302
http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/Library/
Phone: (303) 651-8470

BOOKSTORE APPEARANCE:
Explore Booksellers
Scumble reading and signing
November 6th, 2010 - 4:00pm
Aspen, Colorado
221 East Main Street
Aspen, CO 81611
(970) 925-5336 or (800) 562-READ (7323)
www.explorebooksellers.com

BOOKSTORE APPEARANCE: HearthFire Books
November 18th, 2010 - 5:00 pm
Evergreen, Colorado
1254 Bergen Pkwy #D118
Everygreen, CO 80439
(303) 670-4549
www.hearthfirebooks.com

BOOKSTORE APPEARANCE:
Wind City Books
November 27th, 2010 - 1 - 3 pm
Casper, Wyoming
152 S Center Street
Casper, WY 82601
(307) 315-6003
http://www.indiebound.org/stores/wind-city-books

BOOKSTORE APPEARANCE:
The Tattered Cover (on Colfax Ave)
Scumble reading and signing
November 30th, 2010 - 7:00 pm
Denver, Colorado
2526 East Colfax Avenue (at Elizabeth St.)
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 322-7727
www.tatteredcover.com

New Reader Art Gallery Web Page

2010-10-31T22:05:00.002-06:00

Since I just got a whole folder-full of new artwork from some wonderful local 5th grade readers, I decided I would try to create a reader art gallery page on my website. I love being able to share the terrific work kids put so much effort into creating.

To see all the new artwork, click HERE to be directed to the new page on my website.

Thanks, kids!

Word of the Week (or, Word of the Random Moment in Time)

2010-10-22T19:52:00.002-06:00

For a quick blog post after a long absence, a long word about a very short thing:

HEMIDEMISEMIQUAVER

(hem-ee-dem-ee-SEM-ee-kway-vuhr)

What is it? A sixty-fourth note, in music. Try to sing one! It takes much longer to say the word.

Pictures

2010-10-14T08:20:00.007-06:00

The YA/MG group event was a lot of fun last night. Pictured above at the table from left to right: Julie Anne Peters, Sarah Okler, Terri Clark, Paolo Bacigalupi (who has just been nominated for the National Book Award for the book that's in his hands--Ship Breaker), Melinda Lo, and Lindsay Eland. Not pictured (due only to my poor photography skills): Denise Vega, Amy Efaw, and, well... me.

Also at the event, I had the great pleasure of receiving a wonderful envelope full of letters and pictures from some of the students from Lafayette Elementary. Here are some of the students' great drawings for you to enjoy:

The World's Largest Butterflies from Scumble.

Poppa's car crash from Savvy.

Miss Mermaid tattoo from Savvy.

The Scumble cover.

Next up... the Texas Book Festival and an author appearance at Book People in Austin at 6:00pm, Monday, October 18th.

MG/YA Group Author Appearance in Boulder

2010-10-06T06:50:00.003-06:00

Time	Wednesday, October 13 · 5:00pm - sometime later

Location	Barnes & Noble 2999 Pearl St. Boulder, CO



	Colorado friends, Join us in Boulder for a multi-author book signing to remember! This epic event brings together nine of your favorite young adult and middle grade authors for a night of book talk, audience Q&A, autographs, fun photo opps, and of course... CANDY! Participating authors include: Paolo Bacigalupi Terri Clark Amy Efaw Lindsay Eland Ingrid Law Malinda Lo Sarah Ockler Julie Anne Peters Denise Vega This event is free and open to the public, so bring a friend, a camera, and some great questions! See you there!

Uh oh, I may be in trouble (Or . . . My Word of the Week)

2010-09-25T07:29:00.003-06:00

I have mixed emotions about my word of the week this week. See what you think:

ONOMATOMANIA

Pronounced AHN-uh-MAD-uh-MANE-ea, this word can be defined as an "uncontrollable obsession with words or names or their meanings or sounds"* or "a mania for repeating certain words or sounds"* or "an abnormal concentration on certain words and their supposed significance"** (wait, supposed?) or "a need to recall a certain word."**

Hmm... I think I may be in serious trouble.

*definition found at: http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd/
**definition found at: Dictionary.com

Boulder Bookstore

2010-09-22T15:25:00.003-06:00

I will be reading from and signing copies of SCUMBLE at the Boulder Bookstore in Boulder, Colorado, this Saturday at 3:00pm. This is my hometown indie store. I even worked there a couple of times when I was growing up!

For more information, here's a link to the store's info page: http://boulderbookstore.indiebound.com/storeinfo

Mibs, by Sydnie in Texas

2010-09-21T19:51:00.003-06:00

I love it when readers send me drawings. Great job on Mibs, Sydnie!

Fun in Albuquerque

2010-09-20T10:21:00.004-06:00

Despite a head cold, I enjoyed my brief visit to Albuquerque very much.

The wonderful staff and owners at Bookworks (some of whom--Laura, Connie, and Nancy--are pictured above with me and a couple of elementary school librarians who stopped by) were so much fun!

One of the store's soon-to-be owners, Wyatt, even ate a Pop Tart/Birthday Cake sandwich. Impressive.

I enjoyed the fact that they have an 'Undead' section marked next to their 'Teen' section.

It was also fun because Laura, from Bookworks, played the viola that night in the lobby of my hotel as part of a group playing fabulous tango music for listeners and dancers. I tried to get a bit of video, but you'll have to forgive the quality of both sound and picture. Book people have many talents, but my camera is cheap and could not capture the true essence of the performance.

In Albuquerque? Come see me at Bookworks!

2010-09-13T16:58:00.004-06:00

I'll be appearing at Bookworks in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this Thursday evening (September 16th) at 6:00pm. If you're in the area, come on by!

Here is the website for more information: www.bkwrks.com

Word of the Week

2010-09-09T22:22:00.003-06:00

My word of the week is one most people probably know. But with high winds whipping up the raging wildfire tonight, I'll put it out into the world in entreaty anyway:

EXTINGUISH

I'm also good with DOUSE, QUENCH, STIFLE, STAMP OUT, and SUPPRESS. Here in Colorado, we can use any or all of the above.

Photos from the Decatur Book Festival and coming home to wildfire

2010-09-06T17:36:00.006-06:00

The festival in Decatur, Georgia, was a lot of fun!

I met Josh Lewis (above), author of the Super Chicken Nugget Boy books, at the author dinner on Friday night. Josh and I have the same agent, but we'd never met before. I also caught up again with fellow Dial author Nancy Werlin (below). Nancy's newest book, Extraordinary, comes out Tuesday! I also got to chat a bit with Jeanne Birdsall, Carrie Ryan, Marie Rutkoski, Laurel Snyder, Jackson Pearce and more wonderful authors (there were hundreds).

Diane and the crew at Little Shop of Stories were amazing. Such a wonderful shop! And they have signed stock of both Savvy and Scumble if you're in the area or want to order from them.

I talked for 30 minutes in the children's tent. The weather was warm, but not too bad!

Here's the crowd just before my reading. It was nice that we had shade!

That was yesterday. I flew home today to cool weather and unfortunate wind... unfortunate because a wildfire started in the mountains in my county and the wind is only serving to fan the flames. Below is a picture of what it looked like from a distance as I was driving home from the airport (it looks much worse now, several hours later). Everything in the picture that looks like clouds is actually smoke. My daughter has friends who have been evacuated from their homes. We are all hoping that this fire can be put out quickly.

AJC Decatur Book Festival

2010-09-02T21:17:00.004-06:00

If anyone is in the Atlanta, Georgia, area this weekend, I'll be reading and signing at the AJC Decatur Book Festival (get more info by clicking HERE) on Sunday, September 5th, at 4:00. I'll be at the Children Stage. Come out and say hello!

Word of the Week (or, Word of the Random Moment in Time)

2010-09-01T19:27:00.003-06:00

I haven't done a Word of the Week in a while. So I'm going to share one that was highlighted recently on one of my favorite sites: World Wide Words (thanks again D.K. for telling me about this site and about the weekly email one can sign up to receive).

My word today is: UGSOME

To learn more about this wonderful word, click HERE to go to WWW and read all about it, because, yes, I'm feeling lazy, and I want you to discover this cool word site too. (But mostly it's really because I'm lazy... and I have eight boxes of books to sign for a trade show tonight before I go to bed. Not an ugsome job, just a time-consuming one.)

Random Musings on the Sands of Time

2010-08-31T18:01:00.005-06:00

I found this quote today and it made me laugh:

“You can’t make footprints in the sands of time if you’re sitting on your butt. And no one wants to make butt prints in the sands of time.” – Bob Moawad

Of course, I found this quote while I was flipping through a book procrastinating. I'd come to a scene in a new piece of writing that was giving me fits and was looking for ways to avoid tackling it.

I wonder if the sands of time are by a beach? Then we wouldn't have to worry about what kinds of marks we might leave because eventually the waves will lap them all away (and we'd be at the BEACH).

If the sands of time were in a desert, windstorms would carry our marks away all the time (and there might be snakes).

If the sands of time are in an hourglass... well, those would be the 'Days of our Lives' of course - the sand would always be moving and someone would have to wear an eye patch (yes, the only years I ever watched Days of our Lives were 1988-1990 when I had a job at which everyone watched the show at lunch--strange, but true.)

Have I really been rambling about the sands of time? Already I can feel mine slipping away. (Or maybe just getting trapped inside my shoes... so uncomfortable.)

The sands of time are also probably very difficult to vacuum out of the carpet.

Enough about sand. Aren't you glad I didn't decide to start rambling about butts instead?

Hmm... you'd think I don't have anything better to do.

A Few Party Pictures

2010-08-29T21:04:00.003-06:00

So many people came to the Scumble release party last Friday! The signing line went on for nearly two hours. Some before my reading, some after. Thanks to everyone who patiently waited in line.

The audience was great - so many terrific kids and families! I enjoyed seeing familiar faces from school visits, book club visits, and other past appearances (not to mention all my wonderful friends and family who came) and new faces of people I got to meet for the first time that night.

Artist Lisette Walker ( www.lisettewalker.com ) made a Scumble spare-parts jackalope! (Photo below from the Lafayette Public Library's Facebook page. Photos above courtesy of Holly Wolfe.)

There were Scumble crafts, temporary tattoos, raffle prizes, and trivia! Many thanks to the librarians at the Lafayette Public Library for throwing such an amazing party, and to the many teens and young people who volunteered their time to set up, help out, and clean up.

Amazing Party / Wonderful News

2010-08-28T07:53:00.003-06:00

Just a quick post right now since there's too much fun party stuff to share as soon as I have a bit more time (and photos!)... but the Scumble launch party last night was awesome. I can't believe how many people came. If you were one of those wonderful people - THANKS!

So, until I have more to say about the party, I'll just announce that Scumble is #9 on the New York Times Bestsellers List this weekend!

Another HUGE thanks to everyone who helped put it there - especially the fabulous independent bookstores across the country. On the Indie Bestseller List this week, Savvy is #6 and Scumble #9. Who'd'a thunk?

xo

Party Sparks

2010-08-27T07:00:00.006-06:00

Launch party tonight at the Lafayette Public Library in Colorado!

I didn't have a launch party for Savvy. I'm very fortunate that the wonderful librarians in my hometown wanted to throw me this party or I might not have had one for Scumble either (I lack the requisite organizational skills). Parties are a lot of work. My deepest gratitude goes out to my friendly neighborhood librarians (superheroes, in my mind, easy).

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark." - Victor Hugo

If you're in the area, come join the party and spell out a few sparks of your own! (See link to appearance info in the sidebar.)

Gina, Allykatzz, and Scumble... Teen reporters rock!

2010-08-26T16:29:00.002-06:00

I had the enormous pleasure of answering questions for an interview with Gina Lewis (pictured) of Allykatzz.com recently. Allykatzz is a monitored online social networking site for girls ages 10-15. The site has all kinds of fun features, including articles by tween/teen reporters who cover everything from celebrities to science. Gina asked me some great questions!

Want to know which three people, living or dead, I'd invite to dinner if I could? (That one made me think for a while.) Click HERE to be redirected to the interview on Allykatzz to find the answer.

There is a teen girl reporter in Scumble--Sarah Jane Cabot. I invented Sarah Jane so, of course, I'm very fond of her. But Allykatzz.com reporter, Gina Lewis, is better than fiction. It's great to see young people who are already fostering their own talents. I'm all about that... in case you haven't noticed. ;)

I Love Fan Art!

2010-08-20T16:44:00.007-06:00

I just received this fabulous artwork from Anna G. in Minnesota. The picture above is of (left to right) Grandpa Bomba, Fish, Mibs, Samson, and Bobbi in Savvy. The second (below) is of Samson with some fun added illustration.

We're big anime and manga fans in our house, so I really enjoy the style of these drawings. But no matter what style you draw in, I love seeing how you envision the characters, the scenes from the books, or even pictures of what you imagine your own savvy to be.

Thanks, Anna!

Bobby Thomson

2010-08-18T09:27:00.005-06:00

I just heard on the radio that the famous "Shot Heard Round the World" outfielder, Bobby Thomson, died yesterday.

It was startling to hear because, earlier this week, I was trying to find an mp3 of the Russ Hodges call of Bobby Thomson's most famous game to try to use a bit of it for one of my traveling 'Grandma Dollop jars'. If you know Savvy or Scumble, you know that Grandma Dollop's savvy gave her the ability to can radio waves. Here's a blurb from Scumble that memorializes Bobby Thomson:

"Why are we taking these?" I'd asked Dad as he loaded our collection of jars into the van. I'd helped him haul the box up from the basement, then watched as Mom dusted and tested each of them, filling the kitchen with music, news reports, and old-time radio shows. Dad and I had listened twice to the goose-bump-raising, sauerkraut-scented call of Bobby Thomson's historic home run against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dad had wanted to keep that one. Mom packed it anyway.

How sad that Thomson died on the same day Scumble came out. But now I'm extra glad this little tidbit made it into the book. I was recently accused of being a nerd about my own books. But when you work hard on something and spend time doing research and trying to make everything just right, it is difficult not to feel a deep kinship to all the pieces that came together to create the story, even those that slip by to others in passing, or are forgotten as soon as they are read.

But some events and people are remembered for decades. Just like Bobby Thomson and that 1951 ball game.

Happy

2010-08-18T07:23:00.004-06:00

I don't think there could have been a better way to end the day yesterday than to read an email from a reader who said she'd woken up early Tuesday just so that she could be sure to be ready to go to the bookstore to buy SCUMBLE as soon as the store opened. This wonderful reader wrote me late last night to say she'd already read to page 205.

I think that was even nicer than seeing the book in the store with my own eyes.

Thanks to everyone who called, emailed, and sent good wishes yesterday!

xoxo
Ingrid

Pub Day, Busy Day... in a non-book sort of way

2010-08-17T07:22:00.003-06:00

Well, Scumble is finally out and available. Phew! And while I've been busy with some interviews, preparation for the party next week, and upcoming travel, I've also been busy because it's Back To School in our neck of the woods. So, instead of flitting about and celebrating today, I have other things to think about: volunteering at my daughter's school as the kids go in to register, appointments, some last paperwork to fill out, that sort of thing. So it's much more of a Mom day than an Author Day, which is fine.

Though, we may have to stop into a bookstore just so that I can see for myself that Scumble is actually on the shelves. When Savvy came out, my daughter and I sort of lingered awkwardly by the book in the store the first time we saw it. Then we each poked the cover and ran out of the store giggling. We may have to do something like that again today. I'm sure we can find a few spare moments to go book-jabbing.

I've been looking forward to another release today: Joseph Delaney's Last Apprentice: Rise of the Huntress. Only, I've listened to all the previous Last Apprentice books on audio, so I'm distressed to discover that there doesn't seem to be an audio version of the new book yet. Do I change my pattern and read the book instead? I really enjoy the audio. Dilemma.

Meanwhile, thanks again to everyone who's read Savvy and supported me in every possible way as I wrote Scumble.

I hope you enjoy the new book!

Less than a week!

2010-08-11T19:35:00.001-06:00

Mailing List

2010-08-04T13:54:00.002-06:00

So, it has taken me three years, but I think I'm finally ready to become a More Organized Author. Part of my new Pledge of Organization is to create an official mailing list in order to send out occasional, brief announcements or news blips about my books. (And, no, I'm still not on Facebook... I'm socially backward even when it comes to online social networking. This blog, and answering email is about all I can keep up with at the moment and still get anything new written.)

If you want to be on my mailing list (email only), simply send me your name, email address, and the names of both the city and state in which you live, so that I can send you appearance announcements when I'm in your area. Send your information to:

mailinglist@ingridlaw.com

Hopefully my best-laid plans at changing my disorganized ways will work and you will, on occasion, hear something fun from me. If you don't, I'll simply lie to you now and tell you that any future lapses will most likely be caused by my having:

A) been eaten by hungry baby alligators, or...
B) drifted to an uncharted island in a hot air balloon captained by monkeys, or...
C) fallen over the side of an aircraft carrier and been carried off by mer-people.

Though, rest assured, I will only use the information you send me for Good. Unless the mer-people are evil and force the information out of me by making me eat seaweed and squid and raw sea onions. Then your inbox will probably be flooded with mer-messages and lots of tiny fish. (Have you seen the little fish I just added to the blog? Scroll down if you haven't... you can feed them with a click and they will follow your cursor--very useless, but fun.) But I will try not to let evil mermaids get your information. I promise.

Word of the Week

2010-08-01T11:17:00.005-06:00

Ooh... just got this one from Dictionary.com:

QUATTUORDECILLION

Which is how you say the number:

1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

(that's one, followed by forty-five zeros)

To find out more about this word number--and how to pronounce it, CLICK HERE.

A Word or Two About My Agent

2010-07-31T20:20:00.005-06:00

I'm not sure if I've ever posted about my agent. I love my agent. It is so nice to have someone to go to with all my questions. Someone who will work hard on behalf of my books and take good care of them and me.

I am very fortunate to have Daniel Lazar of Writers House in my corner--not to mention all the other wonderful people at Writers House who offer their support in the area of foreign rights and more.

The Middle Grade Ninja Blog has a post with an interview of Dan today. If you want to know a little more about Daniel Lazar, pop on over and check it out. You can CLICK HERE to be redirected to Middle Grade Ninja. I guarantee that you will find other fun things to explore while you are there.

A Look at Contemporary Rural Fantasy

2010-07-24T12:12:00.004-06:00

There is an interesting post by author Deb Coates over at Tor.com about contemporary rural fantasy. I really enjoyed reading it--and it mentions Savvy and Scumble!

Many people are more familiar with the label 'urban fantasy' but 'rural fantasy' is gaining ground.

To read Deb Coates's terrific post, click on this link: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/07/down-this-gravel-road-a-look-at-contemporary-rural-fantasy

And if you like Ms. Coates's post, poke around Tor's website! I'm finding some other fascinating posts there... and even a free book giveaway. Oh, I probably shouldn't have mentioned that last bit. It will decrease my own chances of winning any of the book grab bags.

Enjoy!

Chatting with Cynthia Lord

2010-07-22T10:40:00.009-06:00

Getting back to summer author chats, I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to ask Cynthia Lord my questions and share her answers with you.

Cynthia is the Newbery Honor (among other awards) author of Rules and has a picture book out called Hot Rod Hamster (which my nephew loves--he even pretends he's Hot Rot Hamster). And Cynthia's second, highly anticipated novel Touch Blue (Scholastic) comes out in August.

Without further ado, let's chat with Cindy!

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I loved to pretend as a child. Often, I would imagine new stories for book characters I loved. One book series I remember pretending with was The Borrowers by Mary Norton. I loved the idea of tiny people who lived in a house with a family of big people who didn't know they existed. I remember wishing the Borrowers lived in my house. I would look around our kitchen and imagine what they would take to eat. How would they get up our stairs? Where would they hide if I came in the room? Imagination and books were a huge part of my childhood.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: I have lots of quotes that I love. One of my favorite quotes for writing is actually by the artist Andrew Wyeth. "Go deep, not wide."

It reminds me that there's power in depth.

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: The Witch of Blackbird Pond was an important book for me. I don't remember how old I was when I read it, but probably about fifth grade. It was the first children's book where I really felt that the author was trusting me to understand difficult (and rather grown-up) issues and ideas. That book has stayed with me, and it showed me that kids are capable of appreciating deep and complicated things. Plus, Nat was one of my first book-character crushes!

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: Little House on the Prairie. I would love to be there in the evening to hear Pa play the fiddle and to dance with Laura.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: I push through. Some days are just about "showing up." And I know that some of my best writing happens on days where I'm not feeling especially inspired.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: Sometimes I will go to one of my books' settings and do something special. My novels have real places underneath them, so going to the waterfront park where Catherine takes Jason in Rules or visiting an island for Touch Blue--it's powerful for me.

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: This year, I have had two books come out. My first picture book, Hot Rod Hamster (illustrated by Derek Anderson), came out in February. My second novel, Touch Blue, comes out in August. That title comes from a superstition: Touch blue and your wish will come true.

The main character of TOUCH BLUE is an 11-year-old named Tess who is a lobster fisherman with her dad. They live on an island in Maine, and their little island school is in danger of being closed because there aren’t enough island kids to keep it open. So the island families adopt a group of foster children to keep their school open. Tess is very excited, because she wants the boy who is coming to live with them to be a best friend and a big brother, etc. When he arrives, he isn’t exactly what she expected.

I was a Maine island teacher. Before I had my own children, I taught in an island school that had only 13 kids, and I took the ferry out and back every day. Touch Blue was inspired partly by my own experience as a teacher and partly by a real event that happened on a Maine island in the 1960s.

Right now, I'm starting a new novel and I'm waiting to see the finished art for a 2011 picture book. It's a follow up to Hot Rod Hamster called Happy Birthday, Hamster. I saw the initial sketches a month ago and they are adorable! One of the best parts for me in doing a picture book is getting to work with illustrator Derek Anderson. He's a delightful person and hugely talented.

I have more information and discussion guides for my books on my website: www.cynthialo rd.com

Thank you, Cindy, for joining me on my blog. Wishing you well on all of your wonderful books!

To see past author chats, click on the Author Chats label at the end of this post. Also, I have a few more coming in the next couple of months, so check back to read about more of your favorite authors.

Thank You, Dear Readers and Booksellers...

2010-07-18T16:56:00.005-06:00

...for the 15th week of Savvy on the New York Times Best Sellers List (children's paperbacks).

Hugs to everyone who's helped put it there.

Look Up! from NPR... and How come insects still make me jump?

2010-07-17T05:58:00.004-06:00

If you've had an opportunity to look closely at Brandon Dorman's marvelous cover art for Scumble, you've probably discovered that there is a lot to see in it... a western landscape, the book's main character, a veritable storm of parts and pieces, and . . . insects! There is, of course, good reason for it all. But I won't give it all away.

I did a lot of research for this book--some of it on spiders, butterflies, and other insects. I learned that some male spiders pluck 'songs' on the webs of female spiders to attract them. I learned that Goliath beetles sound like helicopters when they fly. I looked a photos of mesquite beetles, stick insects, and pink toed tarantulas. And I asked questions and got a behind-the-scenes tour at a real insect and butterfly zoo.

For some reason, the part of me that's always been squeamish when it comes to bugs is still as jumpy as ever, despite my new-found love of all things buggy. Or, maybe I should say, all things buggy at a distance.

Still, when I came across this wonderful news feature and animation at NPR.org, I was delighted and wanted to share. Enjoy!

OH! If you want to see the animation you need to click on the 'more from NPR' link inside the window below. That's what I'd hoped would embed here. Otherwise, here's the full link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128389587

Word of the Week

2010-07-16T10:51:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I think most people know what a CALF is, right? The young of a bovine animal or other mammal such as a whale, elephant, or seal. CALF can also be used for "an awkward, silly boy or man" (according to Dictionary.com).

It's a part of a leg too. BUT did you know that glaciers have calves? I just learned this because my browser homepage opens up every day to NASA's website--www.nasa.gov. And earlier this week I read a feature they did on a glacial calving front and the overnight breakup of a glacier. If you're interested in the feature yourself, you can click HERE to be redirected to it.

But I decided to make CALF my word of the week, even though it's not unusual, because I now know a new definition for it: "a mass of ice detached from a glacier, iceberg, or floe" (again, Dictionary.com, and the image is courtesy of internetclipart.com).

SCUMBLE Release Date Moved Up

2010-07-14T16:33:00.003-06:00

I got word today that Scumble will be coming out on August 17th, instead of the 24th. So, one week closer to publication! That happens to be the same day school starts up again here, so it will be a busy time.

If you're in Colorado, some fun events are in the works. Confirmed so far: the Lafayette Public Library will be hosting a Scumble Release Party from 7:00-9:00pm on Friday, August 27th. I'm having a good time amassing Scumble-related door prizes and giveaways, and there will be books for sale (which I will be signing).

I'll also be at the Boulder Bookstore on Saturday, September 25th, at 3:00pm. Other local appearances are in the works. And I know I'll be in Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Georgia this fall. For more information about these events, head over to my Appearances Page on my website (though, be patient please, I don't have full details yet about most of my events). Click HERE to be redirected.

I'll post more information about upcoming events as soon as I know more. If you're not in any of these areas and want a signed copy of Scumble when it comes out, I believe arrangements can be made with the Boulder Bookstore.

Starred Review in Booklist

2010-07-13T09:04:00.004-06:00

Hooray! Scumble received a starred review in the July 1st issue of Booklist. In the review, Francisca Goldsmith writes:

"This companion to Newbery Honor Book Savvy (2008) provides the same high level of satisfying plot, delightful characters, alliterative language, and rich imagery."

She goes on to say, "While adult readers will see this all as a beautiful conceptualization of the drama and metamorphosis of adolescence, younger readers will delight in the tall-tale tropes and Ledge’s authentic physical, emotional, and artistic challenges."

I've posted the full review and some others at my website. To read more, click HERE.

Meanwhile, I recently received my copies of the Scumble audio book, expertly read by David Kremenitzer. The audio book will go on sale at the same time as the Scumble hardcover.

On another side note, I also just discovered that the German translation of Savvy, titled Schimmer, is available at iTunes as an iPhone app. Schimmer is also available in audio (though, not through iTunes)--for anyone who wants to listen to the story in German. Oh, how I wish I could be multi-lingual!

Music Magic

2010-07-10T13:01:00.014-06:00

This is what it might look like if someone's savvy gave him the power to change the nature of reality whenever he opened his mouth to sing (which, I believe, people who sing do all the time).

Check out Matt Morris's brand new video of his single Live Forever, from the album When Everything Breaks Open to experience the magic!

**Update... oh, drat, if this video doesn't fit on my blog screen right, you can be redirected to YouTube to watch this video larger, smaller, or without any parts obscured by clicking HERE.

Word of the Week

2010-07-06T05:45:00.002-06:00

So the favorite word at my house lately, thanks to my daughter who has been saying it non-stop (sometimes non-stop with a sing-song tune in the car), is also one which is held as an example of one of the longest words in the English language. The word is:

floccinaucinihilipilification

And yes, my daughter can pronounce it--I can too (mostly). You can find a thorough definition and click on a audio sample of someone pronouncing the word by clicking HERE (which will divert you to Dictionary.com).

Floccinaucinihilipilification is the combination of four Latin words. I often tell the story about how I remember my father saying that there were two classes I should not miss taking in high school: Typing (this was back when we didn't have computers everywhere and learn to keyboard in elementary school) and Latin. Both have served me quite well. Both had value and were not, in fact floccinaucinihilipilificatious.

Floccinaucinihilipilification means: To judge something valueless or trivial. So, it's sort of funny that such value has been placed on this word in our house in the last week or so.

Chatting with Amy Ignatow

2010-06-30T15:53:00.005-06:00

This week, I'm so happy to be sharing an interview with Amy Ignatow, whose first book... wait while I take a breath... The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang, is out now. But I see that the title is often shortened simply to: The Popularity Papers.

I read Amy's book some time ago and was delighted that she wanted to participate in my summer author-interviewing madness. Enjoy getting to know a little more about Amy!

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I was a very, very dreamy kid. Countless frustrated teachers called endless parent/teacher conferences to try to bring me back down to earth, but imagining alternate worlds and doodling them in the margins of my notebook was so much more interesting to me than paying attention and doing homework. My poor, long-suffering teachers. It was such a relief to get to art school where dreaming and doodling was required.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: In the movie Footloose Kevin Bacon learns about the anti-dancing ordinance in town and exclaims, “Jump back!” I’ve been trying for years to make that my go-to expression of surprise. Otherwise I’m very fond of the words “regardless” and “noodle”.

(Ingrid here... I have, since reading Amy's answers myself, been trying to incorporate "Jump back!" as a go-to expression myself. It cracks me up every time.)

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: I must have checked The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren out of the Huntington Public Library about twenty times when I was a kid. It’s this heartbreakingly thrilling tale of two brothers; Karl, the narrator, is younger and deathly ill, and his older brother Jonathan is wonderful and beautiful and brave and noble. Knowing that Karl is going to die, Jonathan tells him stories of what it will be like in the land of Nangiyala, where he will be healthy and have knightly adventures. Then there is a fire in their home, and Jonathan rushed in to save Karl and dies. Then, a few months later, Karl dies. This all happens within the first chapter or two. It’s so grim! But they reunite in Nangiyala, where everything is great for about five minutes until they’re battling an evil warlord with a nasty dragon. I loved how dark and beautiful this book was, and how Ms. Lindgren never pulled any punches just because she was writing for children. Kids love and feel respected by writing that inflames the imagination.

A few years ago I bought a copy of The Brothers Lionheart only to find out that it didn’t pack the same punch, and I was so disappointed. My husband hunted down an earlier translation with the gorgeous illustrations of J. K. Lambert that I remembered so well, and I felt all the same old thrills when I read it. While my art and writing tend to be much sillier and far less devastating than The Brothers Lionheart, I think that my characters would be as taken by that book as I was.

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: Can I live inside a Mario Batali cookbook? I know I should come up with a book that takes place in a place and time and land that it would impossible to get to outside of the imagination, but I once saw Mario Batali carve a bowl out of a wheel of parmesan cheese and fill it with flaming grappa, and it just blew my mind.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: I am a master of putzing around the house. When I’m having a bad writing day the laundry gets done, the garden gets weeded, errands are run, friends are sent long emails, I answer questions for blogs…sometimes I’m able to turn a bad writing day into a good drawing day; for any of my friends that get paintings as presents, chances are they were created on bad writing days.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: Impromptu dance party. Any time, anywhere.

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: Right now I’m finishing up my second book, which is a sequel to The Popularity Papers that will come out in 2011. It’s almost finished, and I’m really excited about how Lydia and Julie are developing. I’m also planning a late summer book tour (we’ll be driving from Philadelphia to Denver and back) and that’s really exciting. My husband has been spending a lot of time on the Roadside America website and telling tales of World's Largest Things and palaces made entirely of corn.

Thank you, Amy! And enjoy your road trip. If you are in the Nebraska area, check out the World's Largest Porch Swing in Hebron and think of Savvy.

You can find out more about The Popularity Papers and the book's official website: http://www.abramsbooks.com/popularitypapers/

I'm not sure who will be up next... or when my next author chat post will be, but check back soon! As always, if you want to read previous interviews, click on the Author Chats label at the end of this post.

Shoe's on the other foot...

2010-06-23T22:09:00.003-06:00

I've been interviewing a lot of authors this summer, but this week you can find me being interviewed online as well if you're interested.

Hilary Hattenbach and Jason White asked me some great questions about my writing process and posted my answers at their blog: Totally Writeous. Isn't that a great name for a blog?

It's been a little while since the interview-shoe was on the other foot and I was answering questions instead of asking them.

To read the full interview, click HERE.

Thanks, Hilary and Jason!

Chatting with Kirby Larson

2010-06-21T06:24:00.005-06:00

Kirby Larson is the author of multiple books. Among her many accomplishments, Kirby won a Newbery Honor in 2007 for her first novel, Hattie Big Sky; and her picture book, The Two Bobbies, illustrated by Jean Cassels, has been awarded or nominated for multiple awards as well.

Let's get to know a little more about Kirby...

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I have vivid memories of pretending my old iron bike was a palomino stallion and that we galloped together across the Wild West. In all of my pretend playing, I took an active role: detective, spy, famous explorer. While my imagination was a great source of pleasure, it also scared me to death sometimes. Once, when I was five or so, we moved to a house and in the distance was a mountain that a neighbor kid told me was called Bear Mountain. I could hardly bring myself to play outside, in our unfenced backyard, certain one of the bears from that mountain would clamber down, into our yard, and get me. Mind you, this was in a suburb of Seattle, which is relatively bear-free.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: I have a favorite mis-quote! I loved these words from Russell Hoban’s A Mouse and His Child: “You’ve got to take those daring leaps, or you’re nowhere.” But then I learned I had copied it down wrong and it’s really, “You’ve got to make those daring leaps, or you’re nowhere.” What a difference one word makes! As a writer, I take lots of leaps but they aren’t always successful, thus was disappointed when I learned of my error.

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: We didn’t own books at our house; not that we weren’t readers, but we couldn’t afford them. When I was in grade school, my aunt took a trip and for some reason, bought me a paperback copy of Alice in Wonderland. I didn’t love the story as much as I loved owning my very own book (which is why my many bookcases are overflowing as I type this). I also remember my dad taking me to the library when I was in 3rd grade and telling the librarian to let me check out Gulliver’s Travels, which I had selected and she thought was too old for me. Of course, she was right – the book went over my head completely! – but I loved that my dad believed I could handle it. And my mom always talked about her favorite book from childhood, Susan and Arabella, Pioneers. I finally found it as an adult, read it and loved it as much as my mom had.

(pictured above, Kirby in the 4th grade)

On reflection, I would say it’s hard to point to a book or book that’s responsible for any bit of who I am today – I think it was more that the adults who cared about me, and made sure I had access to books.

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: The Ozma of Oz book that has the scene where the Princess gets to choose each morning which head she’ll wear for the day – because who wouldn’t like to try on a different persona once in awhile!

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: Isn’t it tough every day?! When something is really discouraging or hard to bear, I call one of my kids to be reminded that I am loved and that I am a pretty good mom, even if my writing stinks. Then I call or email a writing friend; without that support system, I would’ve chucked it all in years ago. And then a walk with Winston the Wonder Dog, or a hug from my husband, or something chocolate or a glass of wine certainly helps – and sometimes, it takes all of the above to recover.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: I am not very good about celebrating. I share the good news with friends and family, but I think I should probably do something more.

(pictured below: Kirby--at far right--with her son, Tyler, and co-author, Mary Nethery, celebrates winning the Christopher Award for Nubs.)

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: I had great fun writing a new title for the Dear America series, the first in five years: The Fences Between Us will come out this September. It’s the diary of a young girl whose friends are incarcerated in the War Relocation Camps during WWII. And my Dreaded Second Novel is finally finished (after one complete overhaul and too many revisions to count). The Friendship Doll (Delacorte) comes out in May, and is the story of the impact a Friendship Doll – in 1927, 58 of them were sent to the children of America by the children of Japan in hopes of improving our nations’ relations -- has on the lives of four girls living in different parts of the country during the Great Depression. My editor and art director gave me a much-needed affirmation by creating yet another stunning cover (which I don’t think I can show yet). And I’m currently working on an historical chapter book, and another historical novel about which I’m going to be very vague and evasive. And my colleague, Mary Nethery, and I have our eyes peeled for a third project to work on together! No rest for the wicked.

Thank you for your answers, Kirby. And for the great photographs!

If you'd like to find out more about Kirby and her books, check out her website at: www.kirbylarson.com

To read past author chats, simply scroll down or click on the 'Author chats' label below.

Word of the Week

2010-06-18T10:10:00.007-06:00

Ha ha! This week's word totally cracks me up. It gives me joy. It makes me smile. And it is borrowed from one of my favorite word-of-the-day websites: Worthless Word for the Day. (I get the BEST words there!) Normally, I don't use the words I discover on these sites the same week they have them up, but this one's simply too good not to share.

The word is SPARBLE. It's a verb.

I think I particularly enjoy words that toy with the mouth. I'm not a linguistics expert or anything, but I did take a linguistics class in college, which I loved. In that class, I learned that the mouth and tongue do the very same thing to make a 'P' and a 'B'--only, when we make a 'P' sound, we only use breath. When we make a 'B' sound we add voice to the breath. Try it! Say 'puh' then say 'buh'. You'll see. It's almost like a physical-action alliteration. (If I were a linguistic expert, I'd probably know proper terminology for this effect... if you know, feel free to email me at ingrid@ingridlaw.com since I don't have comments turned on for this blog.) It's the same for 'S' and 'Z', by the way ('sss' and 'zzz'). And for 'D' and 'T'... you get the picture.

So the word sparble makes the mouth form the same shape twice but does a little something different with the sound and/or vibration. I think that's the root of what I enjoy about the word. It's physically fun to say.

Of course, I also like the definition, which is "to scatter or disperse".

You can check out the Worthless Word for the Day website here: http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd/

I admit it, I'm a word nerd. But I'm a proud word nerd.

Oo-oo-ooh! I just realized that someone can sparble marbles! That's niiiiiice.

Chatting With Frances O'Roark Dowell

2010-06-14T09:00:00.002-06:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Frances O'Roark Dowell in October, 2008, at the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, where we both received honor awards that year (Frances for Shooting the Moon). Frances is the author of ten books for young readers, including Dovey Coe, winner of a 2001 Edgar Award and the William Allen White Award; Where I'd Like To Be, an IRA/CBC Children's Choice; The Secret Language of Girls; Chicken Boy, an ALA Notable Book and NCTE Notable Book; and Phineas L. MacGuire...Erupts!: The First Experiment. Her newest book is titled Falling In.

Frances and I were both at IRA in Chicago this year, but our signings overlapped and we didn't get to say a personal hello. But I was able to get a signed copy of her book and, more recently, she was gracious and answered my usual interview questions for my blog.

So, a little more about Frances Dowell...

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I did a lot of pretend play! I liked playing house and school and library. At night, I told myself stories as I fell asleep. When I was little they were stories about castles and princesses, but as I got older I tended to insert myself into the sort of stories I liked to read—some nights I helped Harriet Tubman on the Underground Railroad, other nights I pretended I was sleeping up in the loft with Laura and Mary Ingalls.

My imagination wasn’t wild, but it was active. I daydreamed a lot. I also spent a lot of time drawing, which was probably my favorite thing to do besides read.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”—Leonard Cohen

“The only way out is through.” —Robert Frost

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: I was blown away by Harriet the Spy, especially the part where the kids in her class turn against her. I had friends like that. Reading Harriet the Spy was the first time I realized other people had friends like that, too. It’s one of the most powerful things about reading—we learn we’re not alone.

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: Probably Little Women. I don’t have sisters and always wanted some, and I’m very interested in that time period. Also, Little Women is one of my favorite books.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: I have a twenty-minute rule. If the writing is going slow right from the beginning, I have to slog it out for at least twenty minutes. If, after twenty minutes, it’s still tough, I take the morning off. This rule works because nine times out of ten, once I’ve been writing for twenty minutes I get warmed up and am happy to continue. But if I’m having a really bad day, it’s probably best just to take a break.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: I don’t really have a celebration ritual for when I finish a book—I’m usually so behind on the rest of my life that I have to immediately turn from writing to catching up with correspondence and cleaning bathrooms! Also, the finishing of a book is such a long, drawn out thing, I’m never quite sure when it’s finished.

My editor is very nice about sending me notices of good reviews. I celebrate by emailing them to my husband, who is the only person I feel comfortable bragging to.

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: I just had a book come out in March called Falling In, which is being called a fantasy, though I think of leaning more toward fairy tale. This spring I finished the final draft of my first YA, Ten Miles Past Normal, which will be out sometime next spring. I’m working on something now, but it’s too new to talk about!

Thank you, Frances, for joining me on my blog! (Yay! Another Leonard Cohen fan--his music was a staple in my family's home when I was growing up.)

If you want to find out more about Frances and her books, check out her website: www.francesdowell.com

Come back soon for more summer author chats. Next up: Kirby Larson. Tune in next week! (Or, rather, click back next week.) To read more from other authors who have visited my blog, click on the 'Author chats' label at the end of this post.

Word of the Week

2010-06-11T10:37:00.007-06:00

This week's word is LEPIDOPTERA.

Lepidoptera is the order of insects made up of butterflies and moths. More specifically, of insects "with four scaly wings". The word was coined in 1735 by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus. It is from the Greek: lepis, meaning "scale" (as in fish scale) and pteron, meaning "wing, feather".*

The word lepidoptera appears in Scumble, as Uncle Autry's insect-controlling savvy makes him into the world's best insect wrangler. In the book, Autry O'Connell is particularly concerned with Queen Alexandra's Birdwing butterflies.

I am fortunate to live quite close to the Butterfly Pavilion. I love to go there. I have family passes, and I even got a private behind the scenes tour last year. I went there again yesterday with my daughter (whose shoulder made a nice resting place for one of the butterflies), my sister, and my two-year-old nephew. Following a two-year-old is sort of like trying to follow a butterfly. They both seem to follow the same winding, unpredictable, non-stop path.

Along with all the beautiful butterflies, the place is also filled with stunning flowers.

*LEPIDOPTERA. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/LEPIDOPTERA (accessed: June 11, 2010).

Chatting with Greg van Eekhout

2010-06-06T22:25:00.005-06:00

For this week's author chat, we're joined by Greg van Eekhout, author of the funny middle grade novel adventure Kid vs. Squid, which has been picked by independent booksellers for the Summer 2010 Kids’ Indie Next List.

Let's find out a little more about Greg!

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I was really big on comics and science fiction, so my pretend games usually involved having superpowers or piloting space ships. My best friend and I would draw space ship control panels on construction paper and put them on our school desks so we could pretend to fire our phasers during math.

Imagination has always been a HUGE presence in my life. Seeing things the way they really are is just a jumping-off point for me. I'm always saying things like, "Wouldn't it be cool if a triceratops busted through the window of this shoe shop." Because shoe shops are boring. If they came with rampaging triceratopses, they'd be AWESOME. Also, writing books and stories is the only work I've ever truly loved doing, and imagination is everything when it comes to the kinds of stories I like to tell.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: I like this one, spoken by the character Miles Vorkosigan in Lois McMaster Bujold's science fiction novel, Memory: "The one thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart."

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: I think every book I ever read has changed me in some way, usually small. But I'll tell you one book I should probably re-read every day: The Monster at the End of This Book. Like Grover, I am full of fears. But also like Grover, I find I can usually deal with whatever I have to once I've faced my fears. Monsters usually aren't quite as scary once you've stopped hiding from them. Also, it's a fun book to read, because you kinda get to mess with Grover's head just by turning the pages.

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: I don't think I'd want to live inside most of the books I like. Sometimes they feature amazing worlds to explore, like Earthsea or Middle Earth, but the characters are usually exhausted and starving and kind of miserable and they never even get to use the bathroom. But if I could get inside Willie Wonka's chocolate factory for a few hours, that would be okay.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: I try to remember that tough writing days are part of the process and that if I keep writing I'll get through it eventually and I'll be rewarded by a totally fun writing day. If I stop writing when things are going rough, then it's like giving up while you're in the middle of the mud pit. Do that, and you're in the mud pit. Keep working, and then you'll get out of the mud pit.

Or sometimes I just go out for a walk if the weather is nice.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: Finishing or selling a book is usually good for a nice dinner out. Getting paid is usually good for a more expensive dinner out!

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: I just got editorial feedback for my next book, so that means over the next several weeks I'll be prying the book apart, taking out the cruddy parts, and replacing them with better parts. In other words, I plan to spend the next several weeks howling in anguish. The book in question is futuristic adventure story about a kid who may very well be the last boy on Earth. He sets off to find other humans with his companions, a broken robot and a cloned mammoth.

The book out now is Kid vs. Squid, and it's about a boy who's spending summer vacation helping his uncle run a weird seaside museum. When an exhibit is stolen from the museum, our hero finds himself caught up in the age-old conflict between the severed head of an ancient witch and the last survivors of the sunken city of Atlantis. I tried to make it a funny book with a lot of adventure and action, but also with parts that could maybe make you cry a little bit, if you're willing.

Thanks, Greg, for taking the time out of your busy schedule (and away from your revisions) to share your insights into your writing world!

You can find out more about Greg at: http://www.writingandsnacks.com/

And (Ingrid here) I must say, having worked in a shoe department for a year or two, they can be boring places. But my imagination always saved me. I never imagined a triceratops bursting through the window, but, when unpacking and prepping crates of new shoes, I did sometimes pretend I was prepping ordinance for fighter pilots on a spaceship. And, yes, I was twenty. I sort of think writing fiction is just a legitimate way for grownups to keep pretending.

Thanks for reading, and check back soon for more great author chats! And, as always, to read previous interviews, click on the Author Chats label at the end of this post.

Word of the Week

2010-06-04T09:19:00.005-06:00

One of my duties in my last job was to issue marriage licenses. June was always a busy month for those, but I was surprised to discover that, year after year, August was when we issued the most.

I don't ever write a character who is a complete copy of someone real whom I know or have met, but sitting down with about-to-be married couples from all walks of life was a great way to observe character.

There were people who answered every question (even those meant for their future spouse); people who could not make eye contact even for a second--especially during the oath; people who had been married six, seven, eight times; elderly widow/widower couples who had dated as teens but married other people and were finally marrying; people who claimed to be from outer space; couples who met online; soldiers about to be sent overseas; women in red saris; men in dark sunglasses; couples who intended to make their pets their witnesses, or the rocks and trees and sky; really, really young people with their parents there to give permission; smoochy people; drunk people; crazy people; happy people; crying people; arguing people... even dying people.

You get the idea.

All interesting people.

So, what's my word of the day? What made me think of all that? The word SHIVAREE. A word to celebrate all of those people and more.

SHIVAREE

–noun
1.
a mock serenade with kettles, pans, horns, and other noisemakers given for a newly married couple; charivari.
2.
Informal. an elaborate, noisy celebration.

–verb (used with object)
3.
to serenade with a shivaree.*

The above definitions as well as the explanation below are taken from Dictionary.com (one of my favorite places online--AND they have a free iPod app).

If you want to know more about the history of this word:

According to Dictionary.com, "Shivaree is the most common American regional form of charivari, a French word meaning "a noisy mock serenade for newlyweds" and probably deriving in turn from a Late Latin word meaning "headache." The term, most likely borrowed from French traders and settlers along the Mississippi River, was well established in the United States by 1805; an account dating from that year describes a shivaree in New Orleans: "The house is mobbed by thousands of the people of the town, vociferating and shouting with loud acclaim.... [M]any [are] in disguises and masks; and all have some kind of discordant and noisy music, such as old kettles, and shovels, and tongs.... All civil authority and rule seems laid aside" (John F. Watson). The word shivaree is especially common along and west of the Mississippi River. Its use thus forms a dialect boundary running north-south, dividing western usage from eastern. This is unusual in that most dialect boundaries run east-west, dividing the country into northern and southern dialect regions. Some regional equivalents are belling, used in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan; horning, from upstate New York, northern Pennsylvania, and western New England; and serenade, a term used chiefly in the South Atlantic states."

*shivaree. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shivaree (accessed: June 04, 2010).

Chatting with Sarah Prineas

2010-05-31T22:45:00.008-06:00

This week's interview is with Sarah Prineas, whose third installment in her wonderful Magic Thief series--The Magic Thief: Found--came out last week. The new book has DRAGONS! And, of course, the fabulous gutterboy-turned-wizard Conn, who Kirkus calls "one of the most deliciously infuriating protagonists ever." (I stole that last bit right off Sarah's blog... but it's true and I couldn't have said it better!) Along with many starred reviews and accolades, The Magic Thief received the E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor award in 2009. It was also selected as an NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts. Sarah's books have made numerous state reading and awards lists and, most recently, was just named the 2010 Beehive Book Award winner. The series is also being published in a bazillion foreign languages around the world.

As usual, I asked Sarah to answer the same questions as everyone else. So lets get to it!

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: A huge role! I grew up with three imaginative sisters. We read a lot and we were allowed one hour of TV a week, which meant we spent a lot of time playing together outside. We had a huge costume box and would write and put on plays with other kids in the neighborhood. We played Little House on the Prairie, and because we all had short hair, we wore towels on our heads for our “long hair.” We also played Planet of the Apes, which was mainly racing all over the woods behind our house, being pursued by, and hiding from, imaginary apes.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: My favorite word is “scintillating,” which means “bright and sparkling,” because my mother used it in a letter to me when I was ten (“we miss your scintillating conversation”). I don’t really have a favorite quotation, but I love and adore the last paragraph of the Ride of the Rohirrim chapter in The Return of the King. Tolkien’s writing there is truly scintillating.

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: You know, I read all the time when I was a kid, but I can’t remember a specific life-changing book. In college I read The Lord of the Rings, and that has been the real life-changer. I just finished reading it aloud to my son, and I think it’s changed his life, too.

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

A: Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder—because of the delicious breakfasts. I have kind-of an obsession with bacon.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: I am the worst-disciplined writer in the world. If I’m having a tough writing day, I don’t write, I do something else instead, trusting that at some point I’ll be ready to get back to the work. So far, that’s what works.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: We have this amazing cake shop here in Iowa City, so I go over and get a beautiful layer cake with buttercream frosting. The store people all know my name, I’m there so often. Mmm, cake.

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: Right now I’m in this awkward in-between stage. The third Conn and Nevery book, The Magic Thief: Found, came out on May 25th. A few weeks ago I gave my editor a revision of my next book, which may or may not be called The Crow Lady’s Daughter. So now I need to shift gears and finish working on the next Magic Thief book, currently known as Chimney Swifts. At some point this summer I need to decide what my next book after that is going to be and start working on it. I’m looking forward to starting a new project very much.

Thank you, Sarah, for taking the time to visit with me and the readers of my blog. I'm having fun imagining you as a child playing both Little House on the Prairie and Planet of the Apes. You didn't say you played them at the same time, but what an interesting mix that would have been if you had! (I always had short hair too... I would wear tights on my head to pretend I had two long braids.)

To find out more about Sarah and her books, check out: www.sarah-prineas.com

Check back soon for future author chats! I've got more amazing authors coming your way this summer. It's better than the ice cream truck. To read previous interviews, click on the Author Chats label at the end of this post.

Word of the Week (even though it's been a year)

2010-05-28T17:34:00.005-06:00

Last year, I was all about the Word of the Week. Like so many things while deadlines loomed, my Word of the Week fell by the wayside.

I'm not sure I'm bringing it back consistently, but I came across a word this week that I fell newly in love with and have used to excess (and to the annoyance of those around me). I even fit it into a bit of writing I was doing this week. The word is:

BOSKY

'Bosky' is an adjective that means: covered in shrubs, bushes, or trees; woody and/or shady.

A hillside can be bosky. So can a park or a ditch. Anyway, I've enjoyed pointing out all the bosky places I see.

Meanwhile, it's Memorial Day weekend, school's out here, and I have a nasty cold. But I already got out to see Prince of Persia (not too many bosky landscapes in that movie) and bought a sofa.

The second-to-last sofa I had was sacrificed when my daughter's pet hamster got inside it. It was an old sofa, thank goodness. Because I ended up tearing the thing apart to get the hamster out. We had another sofa after that, but it stayed behind when we moved two years ago. It was starting to look bosky... okay, that word doesn't actually work here. But it's fun to imaging leafy shrubs and tall trees growing up out of our old brown sofa.

Chatting with Kimberly Willis Holt

2010-05-25T06:45:00.007-06:00

Kimberly Willis Holt hasn't been sitting around twiddling her thumbs! As the author of a slew of books--from Piper Reed Navy Brat to When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (to name just two)--Kimberly has received numerous awards and accolades, like a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, Parenting Magazine and School Library Journal's 'Best Book of the Year', oh, and that little thing called The National Book Award for Young People's Literature. (Not so little.)

Now Kimberly has a new book out called The Water Seeker and, despite her busy schedule, took the time (so sweetly!) to let me interview her for one of my summer author chats.

So, let's learn a little more about Kimberly Willis Holt:

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most?

A: I know this doesn't sound very glamorous, but I pretended to be a mother. I loved dolls and played with them much longer than most girls did. When we lived on Guam, I was the only girl my age living on our small Navy base in Barrigada. So I played with my younger sister and her friend. It gave me excuse to play with dolls in fifth and sixth grade. Although I'd probably have been horrified if any of my classmates knew.

Q: How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

A: I was a daydreamer--even when I was interested in what my teacher said, my mind would drift to something else. There was a playground behind our home on Guam. I would swing for hours and look at the sky. I made up poetry while my toes touched the clouds. I'm very auditory and somehow I think that swing set contributed to the rhythm of words in my head.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

A: It sounds corny, but I always tell kids, Dreams do come true if work hard enough at something. I believe that it is true in the arts. So many people want to be published, but they don't really don't want to do what it takes--to write.

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

A: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers changed my life. I picked the book because of the cover, but I quickly became captivated by the words and the characters.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

A: If I can't seem to write on the project I'm supposed to be writing, I might drive to Happy, Texas. That's forty miles from where I live and something about the wide open spaces relaxes me. Sometimes I set the timer and web about the problem I'm having with the story. And sometimes I just bake a buttermilk pie. Usually writers block is connected to fear, at least with me it is.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

A: I have to remind myself to celebrate now. I've been at this for sixteen years. Twelve years being published. But we need to celebrate. I recently had a couple of local signings for The Water Seeker. That book took me a very long time to write--seven years. Two days before the first signing, I thought, I need to celebrate this. So I invited a few close friends and put some cheese and crackers on the table. It was two hours of bliss. I'm going to try and remember to do that more often.

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

A: I'm researching a new novel that takes place in Louisiana. That's all I'm going to say about that. I'm a bit superstitious. I believe in saving the energy for the page.

Thank you so much, Kimberly!

For more information about Kimberly Willis Holt and her books, check out her website at www.kimberlywillisholt.com

Check back soon for more fun author chats--to read previous interviews, click on the 'Author chats' label at the end of this post.

Book Lurv

2010-05-21T11:23:00.007-06:00

This week I finished One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia. I'm so glad I did! It's so, so, so good. I lurv it! I hope many good things happen for this book. It's already received stellar reviews, but I think it needs a bunch of shiny stickers on its cover too. I do, I do!

Deja Vu

2010-05-19T10:00:00.004-06:00

I just got back from a vacation--a real, non-working, Internet-free vacation--for which, I returned to a city I recently visited for an author appearance (I fell in love with the place and had to go back).

The funny thing was: when I got a cab at the airport, the taxi driver was the EXACT SAME one who'd driven me from the airport to my hotel several weeks ago! What are the chances of that? It's not as if this is a small town with only a few cab drivers. Plus, I stayed at the same hotel on my vacation. So, I had a moment of feeling like I'd jumped back in time, as my familiar cab driver drove me to my familiar hotel.

I remembered this particular driver easily. First, he drives a Prius. Second, he has good stories. In fact, he seemed almost disappointed to discover that I'd heard his stories already when I pointed out that he'd driven me a few weeks back. It didn't matter... turned out he had more. This time about hotel ghosts.

Even if you're not a writer, ya gotta love a cab ride with ghost stories!

Chatting with Renata Bowers

2010-05-11T15:09:00.007-06:00

Having concentrated for so long on Scumble, Scumble, Scumble, it's nice to move on to other things for a change. Now that I have a little more spare time, I thought it would be fun to ask OTHER authors some questions about THEIR lives as writers. We'll see who I can rope in to answer my questions in the coming months, but today I'd like to present Renata Bowers, author of the picture book Frieda B. Herself (illustrated by Michael Chesworth).

I met Renata recently, in Somers, Connecticut, while I was in town for a two-day school visit, and she willingly agreed to be my first victim--erm... ahem... I mean interviewee.

So, here we go! Let's find out more about Renata! (For more about Renata's book, check out www.friedab.com)

Q: When you were a child, what did you like to ‘pretend’ most? How much of a role did your imagination play in your life?

It was my quiet world as a child that fired my imagination and provided great adventures. I had this great rope swing; I flew on that for hours at a time. I had a modest tree fort built by my dad, that I just loved; I don’t remember exactly what I did up there, but I remember being blissfully content. And I had fabulous closet in my room that featured a long back cubby area for storage; I would shimmy back there and settle in with a book or a project. That was a haven for me. I always loved being in my own quiet corner of the world. And I still do.

Q: Do you have a favorite word, words, or quote?

I have many. But this one seems to best sum up my life’s desire right now:“Nurture hope in a child and the world flourishes.” (This is the motto of the Andrus Children’s Center in Yonkers, NY. Inspiring, isn’t it?)

Q: When you were growing up, was there a specific book (or books) that changed you somehow—a book that you feel is responsible for a little (or big) piece of who you are today?

I don’t so much remember a specific book, as a specific song. My family was very musical. It’s “Love You” by Free Design. I remember dancing and spinning in the living room as I played this over and over again on the record player.

“Give a little time for the child within you. Don’t be afraid to be young and free. Undo the locks and throw away the keys and take off your shoes and socks and love you…”

Q: If you could pick any book to live inside for a day, what book would it be and why?

I’d have to say the earlier Little House on the Prairie books. I absolutely longed as a child to spend time with Laura and Mary, taking lunch to school in a metal bucket and eating sugar snow in the early spring. Those books are so full of love, adventure, lessons, history, community. I’d live in Walnut Grove for a day, without thinking twice.

Q: What do you do when you have a tough writing day? How do you get through it?

What do I do, or what do I know I should do? Must admit, those often are two very different things. But what I find works best for me when I courageously choose not to have a pity party or clean the oven is to spend time reading something that inspires me and executes well the writing element(s) that’s currently elusive to me. I read Kate DiCamillo a lot. And Patricia Reilly Giff.

Q: How do you like to celebrate when you finish writing a book, get a good review, etc?

I give in to the need to be highly animated. I have a tendency to jump, a lot. Dance. Laugh, whoop. Hug whomever is closest; if it’s my husband I’ll jump up on him. Grab the phone and call my parents. Jump some more. Cause the dog to bark a lot. Then after things calm down I just sit around and smile a lot.

I have a very patient family. Although I don’t know how successful they truly want me to be. It’s tiring.

Q: What’s up? Tell us about where you are in your writing process right now. What’s out? What’s coming? What are you currently working on?

Well, seeing as Dave and I self-published Frieda B. Herself (it was under contract, but the publisher had to pull out – so we blazed forward), I’m now calling on my years of working as a PR exec.

I’m focusing heavily on publicizing FBH right now, via book tours, school visits, media relations, online networking/evangelizing, website (friedab.com), blog (friedab.com/blog), facebook (Frieda B. Herself) and twitter (Frieda B. Herself).

Also, I’m researching/weighing future options of distribution. Currently, aside from various independent stores, FBH is only available for purchase at friedab.com.

Wish list? I already have four additional Frieda B. books written. I pray there’s a published series in my future… But for now, I’m free to be one day at a time.

Pelicans Passing Through

2010-05-07T15:06:00.005-06:00

I visited my favorite ponds last night at dusk. It was a beautiful evening. Chilly, rain clouds bumped up against the last bit of the pink glow from the sunset. I accidentally scared a mother duck and her eight ducklings out from under the boardwalk, then found my usual bench and watched swallows and red-winged blackbirds until it grew too dark and cold to stay.

But before I left, I noticed the pelicans. Now, one doesn't usually think of pelicans in Colorado. But they do pass through. I knew I'd have to return today with my camera, in hopes that they would still be hanging around.

To my delight, I saw three of them! To see them fly is really something. What a huge wingspan!
Anyway, I just thought I'd share my Friday pelicans.

The pictures and the video were taken on my silly little digital camera, but didn't turn out too bad considering how far away I was.

In Memory, Rose Trevino

2010-05-04T10:26:00.003-06:00

Rose Trevino (center) with fellow Newbery Honor recipient, Jacqueline Woodson, (left) and me at ALA 2009

I received the sad news yesterday that Rose Trevino, Chair of the 2009 Newbery Committee, died last week.

Rose held positions as the Youth Services Coordinator for the Houston Public Library and at the library in San Antonio before that. In Houston, Rose served one of the biggest Spanish-speaking populations in the country, and was dedicated to creating innovative services and programs for Latino youth.

Rose's voice was the first one I heard on the other end of the phone that early morning in January 2009--the enthusiastic voice telling me that she and the rest of the Newbery Committee had selected Savvy for a Newbery Honor.

I had the enormous pleasure of meeting and chatting with Rose at the festivities last summer and am sorry to hear that such a kind and lovely person has left us. My heart goes out to Rose's family, the rest of the committee, and the library community. Rose Trevino will always hold a very special place in my memory.

ARC drawing, birthdays, and eco-friendly non-stick skillets

2010-05-03T07:23:00.005-06:00

Many thanks to all the people who entered my SCUMBLE advanced-reading-copy giveaway! There were so many of you, I decided to give away five copies and sent e-mail messages out to the winners this morning.

I would have sent one to everyone if I could have. I loved reading all of the different savvy talents people came up with, and all the great favorite words as well!

I had a very nice, very quiet and mellow 40th birthday weekend. My daughter and I went to the movies (the same movie--twice in a row--actually) then out for dinner at Buca di Beppo where we were surrounded by about fifty prom couples all dressed to the nines. My daughter let slip to the waitress that it was my birthday, so of course there was a big, singing, happy-birthday scene (always embarrassing, but fun). From my family, I got exactly what I most wanted: a Cuisinart GreenGourmet Eco-Friendly 12" non-stick skillet. It is marvelous. I plan to make eggs in it this morning. And maybe chicken in it tonight. Maybe crepes in it tomorrow... it is so lovely, I want to hug it.

Spring (and IRA) in Chicago

2010-04-30T11:09:00.004-06:00

Chicago was so beautiful. IRA, so busy, busy, busy. But fun!

And I kept forgetting to take pictures or to give my camera to my editor (who was there with me—yay!) for HER to take pictures for me at events.

What I DID remember to do was pick up some advanced copies of some books I’m looking forward to reading. Like MATCHED, by Ally Condie, and THE SUMMER OF MOONLIGHT SECRETS, by Danette Haworth. As well as grabbing some other books that are available now, like FALLING IN, by Frances O'Roark Dowell.

On Monday, Susannah Richards, from Eastern Connecticut State University, and I talked with a group of educators at IRA about SAVVY and SCUMBLE. I met so many great teachers and librarians!

That evening, Penguin Young Readers Group hosted a dinner, where I joined Loren Long, Kathryn Erskine, Nancy Krulik, T.A. Barron, Mike Lupica, and Elizabeth Partridge (who just won the LA Times Book Prize for YA Literature for her book, MARCHING FOR FREEDOM). Each author got to host a table. I also got to re-connect with two members of my Newbery committee. A nice evening all around.

The next day was spent in marathon signings, a fun mother-daughter book club dinner, and topped off by a great visit to The Book Stall, in Winnetka, IL.

A quick room-service breakfast with my editor, a morning symposium for the conference, and an impromptu, sunny lunch by the Buckingham fountain (see photo above), rounded out my Wednesday--then it was off to the airport!

Now I'm looking forward to a summer spent reading, writing, and relaxing!