2012 Books That Caught My Eye

I decided to end the year by showcasing some 2012 titles that I am looking forward to. Thanks to netgalley and early arc I've already read a few and know there are a lot of excellent books coming out in 2012.











January
Stars in the Shadows by Charles R. Smith jr. illus. by Frank Morrison

Freedom's a Callin Me by Ntozake Shange illus. by Rod Brown
When Grandmama Sings by Margaree King Mitchell illus. by James Ransome
Just as Good: How Larry Doby Changed America's Game by Chris Cowe illus. by Mike Benny
Ellen's Broom by Kelly Starling Lyons illus. by Daniel Minter
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
Irises by Francisco X. Stork
Living Violet by Jaime Reed
In Darkness by Nick Lake
The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards


Feburary
The Knife and the Butterfly by Ashley Hope Perez

King of the Mound by Wes Tooke
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Bad Boy by Dream Jordan

No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Dead to You by Lisa McMann
Pure by Julianna Baggott
Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman


March
Explorer:The Mystery Boxes edited by Kazu Kibuishi

Freddie Ramos Makes A Splash by Jacqueline Jules
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
Into the Wise Dark by Neesha Meminger

Tessa Masterson Will Go To Prom by Brendan Halpin and Emily Franklin
Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk
Boy21 by Matthew Quick

Ripper by Stefan Petrucha
The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George
The Girl who could Silence the Wind by Meg Medina

Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta


April
Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger

A Topps Town Story by Kurtis Scaletta illus. by Eric Wright
Giants Beware by Jorge Aquirre illus. by Rafeal Rosado
Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis
172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

13 Hangmen by Art Corriveau
Thou Shall Not Road Trip by Antony John
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe
The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
Above by Leah Bobet
The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson


May
The Rumor by Anushka Ravishankar illus. by Kanyika Kini

A Hero for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi
The Quick Fix by Jack D. Ferraiolo
Wanted by Heidi Ayarbe

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
37Things I Love (in no particular order) by Kekla Magoon
The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze
Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis


June
Love Bean by Chudney Ross

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott
Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

July
Love Amalia by Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel M. Zubizarreta

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier
Before You Go by James Preller


August
A Certain October by Angela Johnson
The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney
Fire in the Streets by Kekla Magoon


September
The Broken Lands by Kate Miford
Speed of Light by Amber Kizer
Adaptation by Malinda Lo

The Jewel of the Kalderash - Marie Rutkoski

The Jewel of the Kalderash by Marie Rutkoski
This is the third book in the kronos chronicles. I was really looking forward to it because I loved the first two. When the Celestial Globe ended Petra and her friends Tomik and Neel were headed to Neel's home country of Roma, sailing with a Roma crew. The Jewel of the Kalderash begins were the second book ended, the three are on the last journey of the trip. Once in Roma Neel who was always teased for not knowing who his birth mother is, discover the truth and it changes his future. Petra is still trying to save her father who has been turned into a monster by the Prince of Bohemia. Neel will use his natural skills with glass to help his best friend Petra anyway he can.
I really enjoyed seeing these characters again, (of course Petra's tin spider Astrophil was there) and meeting a few new one. The story is filled with a lot of great dialogue, always liked watching the changing dynamics of three characters various relationships. The Jewel of the Kalderash did not disappoint. It was a very satisfying ending. Highly recommend for anyone who has read the first two books. This series must be read in order and since I enjoyed it so much I will also add the excerpt from book one, Cabinet of Wonders

excerpt

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach - Brenda Woods

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach lives in New Orleans with his parents. Saint's a natural clarinetist and he earns money playing on the Quarter for tourists. This was before Hurricane Katrina. The novel opens with Saint talking about his before and how the after keeps getting better. Saint begins his story with his best day pre Katrina, which was one week and two days before it hit.

The novels strengths lies in Saint's voice. Woods does an excellent job with it, along with Saint's relationship with his parents. Saint's love of music shines through. My favorite secondary character was Miz Moran an older woman who refused to evacuate, Saint finds himself spending a lot of time with her. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed one minute Saint's in danger after an impulsive act, the next he's with his parents again. Though overall this was an enjoyable read.

Read an excerpt

Dog Whisperer:Storm Warning - Nicholas Edwards

Dog Whisperer:Storm Warning by Nicholas Edwards
Emily has a special connection with Zack, her dog she helped rescue. Zack can always sense when someone is in trouble and when that happens the two go running to help because they can read each others minds. When a storm hits their small Maine town, Emily and Zack are quick to lend a hand and a paw (ha ha ha) but seriously I loved the first book "Rescue" and I was glad to finally see another book come out in the series. Emily and Zack take a lot of risk to come to the aid of others, the author builds the suspense well. While the first one is my favorite this was still a good read. I really like how the author is not limiting Emily's ability to connect only to Zack, instead Edwards is stretching the boundaries of Emily's gift allowing her converse with different animals. As this series continues it will be interesting to see how this skill develops. Dog Whisperer is just a fun series for anyone who love dog stories.

excerpt

Zapato Power - Jacqueline Jules, Miguel Benitez

Zapato Power : Freddie Ramos Zooms to the Rescue by Jacqueline Jules illus. by Miguel Benitez
Freddie's specially designed purple sneakers give him super speed and can even out run a train. He keeps his superhero ability a secret and is always looking for ways to come to the rescue. A rogue squirrel that finds its way into the school, is covered in paint. Freddie is determined to find who is responsible. The mystery behind the painted squirrel was fun and I really enjoyed Benitez playful illustrations. This is the third Freddie Ramos adventure and its just as much fun as the last two. Each story works very well as a stand alone. Though together there is a great connection. The author is doing an excellent job keeping the reader interested in Freddie, his super power and his world.

Lottie Paris:Lives Here - Angela Johnson - Scott M. Fischer

Lottie Paris:Lives Here by Angela Johnson illus. by Scott M. Fischer
This is a wonderfully fun story about Lottie Paris. It's very text light with no more than a few sentences per page. The story has a great rhythm from beginning to end

"Ooookay, those aren't Lottie's feet. They're Papa Pete's. But Lottie is the short one wearing his boots, cause Lottie Paris is ready to walk."

I love Fischer's very colorful illustrations. He's given Lottie a lot of personality. The text and illustrations are a perfect fit. Sometimes I forget along with her YA novels, Johnson also writes picture books which is a shame because they are very good. Lottie Paris:Lives Here is my favorite so far. I loved it.

A Little Otis Redding... Because

I just finished Sara Zarr's latest YA novel How to Save a Life , reading Zarr makes me happy not because the subject matter is light, its never that but the author handles everything with such care and I am always moved by the strength of her writing. How to Save a Life has received five starred reviews An excerpt

One of the main characters, Jill MacSweeney has fond memories connected to Try a Little Tenderness, giving me a great excuse to share some Otis Redding



And I couldn't resist the urge to include my favorite scene from Pretty in Pink

MG & YA Authors of Color Published in 2011

Last year I compiled a list of the Latino MG/YA authors published in 2010. There were just 14 MG/YA novels written by Latino authors. Author Zetta Elliott compiled a list of Black MG/YA authors published in 2011 - There were just 35 MG/YA novels written by Black authors. This year I will be looking at all the books published by authors of color who are not Black and comparing the total of authors published to Elliott's list.

2 American Indian authors published
1.Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, Aug. 23)
2.Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac (Tu publishing, Sept 15)

28 Asian authors published
1.The Great Wall of Lucy Lu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang (Scholastic, Jan.1)
2.Clara Lee & Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han (Little Brown, Jan. 4)
3.Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger (Self Published, Jan. 10)
4..Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda (Hyperion, Jan. 25)
5.Tall Story by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling, Feb.8)
6.Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhai Lai (Harpercollins, Feb.22)
7. Lost and Found by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine, March 1)
8. Warp Speed by Lisa Yee (Arthur A. Levine, March 1)
9. Rocket Girls by Housuke Nojiri (Viz Media, March 15)
10. Odd Girl In by Jo Whittemore ( Aladdin, March 22)
11.Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon (Greenwillow, March 29)
12.Huntress by Malinda Lo (Little Brown, April 5)
13.The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami ( Atheneum, May 24)
14.Level Up by Gene Luen Yang ( First Second, June 7)
15.The Detention Club by David Yoo (Brazer+Bray, June 21)
16.Bestest Ramadan Ever by Medeia Sharif (Flux, July 8)
17.Vanished by Sheela Chari (Hyperion, July 26)
18.Stir it Up by Ramin Ganeshram (Scholastic, Aug 1)
19.Island's End by Padma Venkatraman (Putnam Juvenile, Aug. 4)
20.Money Boy by Paul Yee (Groundwork, Aug. 23)
21. Drawing from Memory by Allen Say (Scholastic Press, Sept 1)
22.Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances by Lenore Look (Schwartz & Wade, Sept. 13)
23.Dragon of Silk by Laurence Yep (Harpercollins, Sept. 13)
24.Sita Ramayana by Sita Brahmachari (Groundwood, Sept. 27)
25.There Is No Long Distance Now by Naomi Shihab Nye (Greenwillow, Oct. 11)
26.Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow by Daniel Nayeri (Candlewick, Oct. 25)
27.Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi ( Harpercollins, Nov. 15)
28.Legend by Marie Lu (Putnam Juvenille, Nov 29)

17 Latino authors published
1.The Trouble With Half A Moon by Danette Vigilante (Putnam, Jan. 26)
2.Hidden by Tomas Mournian (Kensington, Feb. 1)
3.SkateFate by Juan felipe Herrera (Rayo, Feb. 22)
4.Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt and Co. March 15)
5.Boyfriends With Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez (Simon&Schuster, April 29)
6.You Don't Have A Clue edited by Sarah Cortez ( Pinata, April 30)
7.If I Could Fly by Judith Ortiz Cofer (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, May 24)
8.The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spain) (Little Brown, May 31)
9.Tomas and the Magic Race Cars by Ramon Mesa Ledesma ( Two Harbors, July 1)
10.Stolen Girl by Yxta Maya Murray (Razorbill, July 7)
11.Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada (Atheneum, July 12)
12.Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garica (Simon&Schuster, July 12)
13.Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia Mccall ( Lee&Low, Sept 9)
14.How Tia Lola Ended Up Starting Over by Julia Alvarez (Knopf, Sept 13)
15.What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez (Carolrhoda, Sept 29)
16.The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Deedy & Randall Wright (Peachtree, Oct. 1)
17. Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel by Xavier Garza (Cinco Puntos, Oct 18)

3 authors of Mixed heritage published
1.Illegal by Bettina Restrepo (Katherin Tegae, March 8)
2. The Boy at the End of the World (Bloosmbury, June 21)
3.Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson (Flux, July 8)

50 MG/YA authors of color (excluding Black authors) published in 2011. Since a few of the authors listed released two titles in 2011, the heading of each purposely states the number of authors published as opposed to novels written.

Before comparing this to Elliott's list of Black MG/YA authors published in 2011 I must point out a few things.

I went over this list several times and had it checked by others, however I know there's still a margin of error, including having forgotten or been unaware of some authors.

You Don't Have A Clue edited by Sarah Cortez is a collection of short story mysteries by 18 Latino authors.

One of Elliott's criteria was U.S. based authors only. In the end, since I don't think it matters where a novel was published first as long as it was published in The United States, I decided to include the four titles by none U.S. based authors, Tall Story, Lost and Found, Dark Goddess and Sita's Ramayana. However Elliott's focus on U.S. based authors did not impact the results since there were no MG/YA imports by Black authors published this year in the U.S.

I included one self published novel, Jazz in Love. This was a very difficult decision, truth be told it probably should have been left off, since one point of this list is to count titles by mainstream publishers. In the end the decision to keep Meminger's novel, came down to two reasons. I interviewed the author this year which leads me to my first reason. I am biased and I freely admit that because Jazz in Love is good. Which leads me to my second reason, Meminger's first novel was published by mainstream publisher and it felt wrong to leave off her second, which is as good and in some cases better than other books I've read this year

The biggest limitation for this feature is that I did not have the opportunity or means in which to allow authors to self identify. I did my best to correctly classify everyone, including in some cases researching name origins. However if I did incorrectly classify an author, my apologies. My only intention was to show how middle grade and young adult authors of color are still underrepresented.

I've said enough, so now I will let the numbers speak for themselves.

There were 35 Black MG/YA authors published in 2011

Combined (excluding Black authors) there were 50 MG/YA authors of color published in 2011

Including the 18 Latino authors from the short story collection - its a grand total of 102 MG/YA authors of color published in 2011. Without the boost from the collection the number drops to 85

Everyone who looked this over was very helpful. I want to especially thank librarian/blogger Edi Campbell, her input was much need and appreciated. Also without her I would've overlooked several authors.

Fake Me A Match - Lauren Barnholdt

Fake Me A Match by Lauren Barnholdt
Avery's old best friend Sophie stopped being friends with her in the 7th grade. She is looking for a new best friend and her mother is getting remarried. Avery hopes Blake her new step sister will be her new best friend. Though somehow Blake starts hanging out with Sophie. When Avery is put in charge of schools online matchmaking charity project, she suddenly becomes popular

"My hand shoots up into the air before I can stop it. "Excuse me." I say. "I thought you just said we were going to be doing a matchmaking service, but that cannot be right." Is is possible she means, like career matchmaking? You know, where you take one of those aptitude tests and they tell you what career you're suited for? "Oh, its right," Ms. Tosh says. "You see, we polled the students on what kind of charity project they'd like to see this year, and matchmaking service was at the top of this list." "What poll?" I ask. "I don't remember any poll," And if there had been a poll, I definitely would not have voted for a matchmaking service. How the heck am I going to put that on my college applications? As a seventh grader, I raised money for Children's Hospital Boston by running a matchmaking sevice?"

There are just the right amount of misunderstandings and mishaps, from Avery and Blake liking the same boy and Sophie trying to get between the two. I also loved the adopted dogs. Avery and Blake both get a dog from the pound. Blake's is very well behaved, while Avery's gets into everything. This was a great light and fun novel. I laughed out loud several times. The cover doesn't do the story justice. First impression I didn't think Fake Me a Match would be good and I was happy to be proven wrong. An excellent tween read.

A Good Long Way - Rene Saldana Jr.

A Good Long Way by Rene Saldana, Jr.
This novel explores one day in the life of three teens. Beto Jr. is high school senior who is challenging the house rules set by his father, Roelito is the younger brother who must witness is brother and father argue on a regular basis. After another missed curfew the arguing turns physical for the first time. Roelito can only watch has their father kick his older brother out. Beto heads to the house of his best friend, Jessy. The chapters alternate between the three main characters. Their are straightforward, real and inviting I didn't want their stories to end. The heart of the story revolves around the changing relationship between Beto Sr. and Jr. Of the three my favorite was Jessy there was just something about her story that I loved.

"She decided she'd find her way back to her house. That's how she thought of it now, a house, nothing home about it, four walls of her room inside another four walls. Not even her mom helped out except to say, "Storm's coming. Lock yourself in." Well, she was done with locking herself in. She had to reenvision that whole business. Call it by another name."

However unlike myself the author doesn't play favorites. All the characters get the same amount of face time. Saladana manages to explore complex relationships in just over 100 pages (105). A Good Long Way reads like three intertwined novellas, the text has a lyrical quality to it. This is a novel in which the full goodness of it can sneak up on you.

Read an excerpt

Deva Fagan Interview - Part II

Welcome back for part II of my interview with author Deva Fagan. If you missed it Part I

As the story played out did you ever flip flop on who the "good guys" and "bad guys" were?


I did definitely make it a point to try to understand why every character would be doing what he or she was doing. When Nyl tries to convince Trix to join his "side", for example, I like to think that he truly believes his own arguments. And for that to ring true, I had to try to convince myself

I love following a writers career from the beginning and watching them go into their craft. I've enjoyed all your books, with each new one you've given more than the last time.

How do you continue to challenge and push yourself?

I think the first step is recognizing that you want to push yourself, and identifying what your strengths and weaknesses are. I've always loved world-building and coming up with cool ideas, but it wasn't until I really started paying attention to character and voice that I actually managed to publish my first book. And even now I recognize that character (especially character motivation) is my danger zone. I can get carried away with cool ideas and not pay enough attention to why my character is doing what she's doing. So that's something I try to be aware of with each new book.

Another thing I do is to look at my own absolute favorite books, and figure out why it is I love them so, and ask how I can develop the same qualities in my own stories. For example, one of the things I love about the Harry Potter series is how I feel like each of the secondary characters has his or her own story to tell. I would read a book about Neville's adventures, or Hermione's, just as happily as I'd read about Harry.

With Circus Galacticus, I knew I wanted to push myself to present a similarly wide cast of characters-- wider and richer than in my previous books. To do so, I needed to be sure I knew each of them well enough that I could imagine writing an interesting and fun story from that other character's point of view.

Your endings are crescendo good and I wasn't kidding when I said I may have to start calling you The Closer in my review.

What is it about endings that bring the best out of you?

Wow, thank you! That is high praise! As a reader I hate it when a book I'm enjoying peters out, or ends in a sort of hasty confused muddle. So I do certainly try my best to make my own endings satisfying.

I write outlines for my books, so I do make sure I know how they'll end, in a general sense, before I write them. Not that I know all the details of the ending before I get there-- but I try to make sure I know where I'm headed in terms of the main character's emotional arc. I need to know right from the start what's at stake, so that I can build to that climax where the character grapples with their big issue.

So for Trix, one of the big questions she has to confront is whether she truly belongs anywhere. She desperately wants to have a home, and she also wants to be special and cool and "a star." So I knew that she was going to have to face those desires at the end of the book, and thus that was something I worked toward in writing the big climax and the last few chapters.

Circus Galacticus is a very visual read. One thing that stood out for me was the naturally diverse cast and the character art created by Loraine Sammy is great. Would you ever consider writing a graphic novel edition?

I would LOVE to work on a graphic novel edition, if a publisher were interested! I have been a comic book fan since I was a kid. I started off reading Archies but quickly moved on to superhero comics. My favorites were the X-Men and especially their junior counterparts, the New Mutants (who are a wonderfully diverse superhero team, I will add)

And when I was writing Circus Galacticus I often imagined the scenes in my mind like panels in a comic. So yes, it would be a dream come true to work on a graphic novel!

I think its fitting and a great sign that the Muppets who helped inspire Circus Galacticus are making a come back right now.

Also this year there seems to be a resurgence of middle grade and young adult novels set in space or with aliens.

As a girl who grew up watching Star Wars, Star Trek and Doctor Who (among others) I am always looking for more of that sort of thing!People keep saying that there's a certain bias against science fiction, but there's so much space adventure on the big and small screen that it certainly seems like the audience is there.

Okay I am going to very careful with this next question because I've always been superstitious. (but I can't resist asking) It's that time of year again when people begin to make guesses and predictions for the upcoming ALA awards.

Are you an author that likes seeing your books on mock list? Why or why not?

Hee! I blush even to be asked this question. I'd certainly be flattered, especially since mock lists are put together by people who truly love books. Knowing that such folks thought well of my story would make me very happy.

But that said, I will admit that my primary aim in writing is not critical acclaim. I want to write books that entertain and that make people think about life. The best "award" is knowing that a reader has truly enjoyed one of my books.

Deva Fagan Interview - Part I

Deva Fagan's newest book for young readers, Circus Galacticus was released earlier this month. Read the first chapter but do come back to enjoy the interview.

Hi Deva. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration for Circus Galacticus?

Sure! First, it's the story of Trix Ling, an Earth girl who runs away to join an intergalactic circus. I watched The Muppet Show a lot as a kid, which left me with many happy memories, but also with the tendency to mentally add "...IN....SPAAAAACE...!" to the end of random statements (if that makes no sense to you, watch this. I had been watching videos of Cirque du Soleil performances, which thus led to Circus... IN... SPAAAAAACE...!

I actually tried to write it as a more gritty adult version of the story first, but it wasn't working, so I set it aside for a few years. When I came back to it later, I decided to try reworking it with teenagers, and it all fell into place, playing off the old notion of "running away to join the circus."

I think it's an enchanting, magical concept to many of us because we are looking for a place where we belong. But at the same time, we want to be special and unique. How do you balance those two somewhat contrary desires? With the circus, we can have both. We can be freaks with other freaks, united in our freakdom. What makes us bizarre can also make us shine under the spotlight.

United in our freakdom is something everyone should get behind.
When the reader is first introduced to Trix (pre pink hair) we meet the fighter as she confronts a bully. Soon after the reader meets Trix the dreamer. It wasn't until I read Circus Galacticus the second time that I made this distinction to the introduction to the many sides of Trix, though I think its a vital one, since a dreamer must be strong enough to protect their dream.

Did you consciously have Trix stand up to her tormentor in the opening scene?

I did. When I was a kid I was teased a lot myself. I was geeky, I wore glasses, I had a "weird" name that teachers inevitably mispronounced, I was one of the tallest girls in my class, I had braces. Worst of all, I was shy, and I think the bullies could sense my "weakness." I remember my mom encouraging me to stand up to them and tell them to stop (I think she even bribed me to do it with the offer of a trip to the bookstore!).

And I tried, but I was too nervous and meek to make it count. And they didn't stop teasing me. It was nothing compared to what some kids suffer, but it still left a mark on my thin-skinned soul.

So when I asked myself what kind of girl would run away to join an intergalactic circus, I knew that she had to be both a dreamer and a fighter, as you put it. I wanted Trix to stand up to people who tried to put her down, as I hadn't really been able to.

As someone who has not always appreciated the beauty that is fantasy, sometimes I am still scared by overcomplicated worldbuilding. The world you created in Circus Galacticus is straight forward and there's a very good chance that this first fantasy novel reluctant readers of fantasy will love.

Oh, I am so happy to hear you didn't find the worldbuilding overwhelming! One of my main goals in constructing the world Trix gets to explore was to make it approachable. I love science fiction myself, but I know there are many readers who worry that they are going to need to solve differential equations to be able to enjoy it. And that's not true! There's so much good science fiction out there that I think readers would enjoy if they gave it a chance.

So I intentionally set Circus Galacticus on the soft side of science fiction. I did not include a lot of hard science or technical descriptions. And since Trix is coming at it from the perspective of an Earth girl (albeit an astronomy-obsessed Earth girl) she has to figure it all out too. So the reader and Trix learn together about alien technology and galactic history and all that.

One of my biggest hopes is that readers will pick up Circus Galacticus and enjoy it, and then maybe move on to other science fiction! And that we might then see more science fiction for younger readers get published.

The Ringmaster, the head of the intergalactic circus has a magnetic personality that shines through. Were you ever worried that he would overshadow Trix?

In a way. I will admit that I myself have quite a fondness for the Ringmaster, and he's definitely fun to write about! Fortunately Trix also came to me with a very strong voice and personality, so she never let him take over while I was writing. And because she is a fighter, and stubborn, and an action-girl, she stands up to him when necessary.

One of my favorite scenes to write was Chapter 10, "The Lighthouse", which I actually added in its entirety during one of the later revisions. Part of the reason I added that bit was to explore the Ringmaster's character, to show a bit of both his strengths and weaknesses, and (most importantly) to show Trix and he working as a team, in a situation where she can help him and provide support and encouragement.

I loved the Lighthouse chapter, the Ringmaster was both strong and venerable. It's an excellent example of your mutlilayered characters who kept me on my toes. I had a difficult time of always knowing who had Trix's best interest at heart.

As the story played out did you ever flip flop on who the "good guys" and "bad guys" were?

to be continued...

Come back tomorrow for Part II

Salute to City Reading- Silver Sparrow (Atlanta)

Today I am happy to take part in city reading day wherein bloggers will be highlighting novels in which the city setting shines. There's something very nice about reading a book where the city is not mere background, but so developed it becomes another vital part of the story.

Silver Sparrow is Tayari Jones third novel like her previous two it is set in the city of Atlanta. This was my introduction to Jones writing I've heard great things about the author for years and her work lived up to the high praise.

I had the opportunity to go to one of the author's book signings when she was in Atlanta. You know an author is good when people will stay in a room with no air conditioning in summer(in the south mind you). I think that speaks volumes for Jones talent and how much she will always be loved by her native city.

At the signing Jones talked about the setting and how authors have the ability to capture the history of a city within a novel. When I read Silver Sparrow I could not help but notice and appreciate how much care Jones took with her city setting. It was simply one more reason for me to call this a 2011 favorite.

"Jones beautifully evokes Atlanta in the 1980's while creating gritty, imperfect characters whose pain lingers in the reader's heart." - Kirkus Reviews.

Read the first chapter

The round up for a salute to city reading can be found here at Colleen Mondor's blog Chasing Ray
Colleen also contributes to Guyslitwire, today they have announced their holiday book fair and will be teaming up again with Ballou High School in Washington D.C., the school's story

Circus Galacticus - Deva Fagan

Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan
Trix's parents always told her she was special. Since their fatal accident Trix is having a difficult time believing them. Trix has no friends and doesn't fit in at her boarding school. The students class are going to see the touring circus, Circus Galacticus. After Trix spots from small print on the Circus Galacticus poster that she can see, she doesn't know what to make it.

At the circus a strange man is after Trix. Running blindly Trix discovers the hidden world of circus galacticus. Lead by a young man named Ringmaster, populated by people from different galaxies, they travel the universe putting on shows.When given the chance Trix quickly agrees to stay abroad. Trix hopes she's finally found somewhere to fit in and finally discover her special abilities.

I enjoyed this one so much and loved Trix. Once again Fagan incorporates a naturally diverse cast. The story moves at a good clip, its filled with action, mystery and danger. The character's relationships were as important as the action. So there was the right about of heart. As someone who didn't grow up reading fantasy, I appreciate the uncomplicated worldbuilding. After Trix joins Circus Galacticus, it was easy to learn along with her about the new world.

As the circus travels the universe Trix learns a few secrets about the place she might want to call home. This was great from the beginning and kept getting better. I loved being surprised with an unexpected turn especially one that's beautifully done. I might have to start calling Fagan the closer. At the halfway mark there's always an extra bit of wow.

An excerpt

This weekend I will be posting a two part interview with the author. It wasn't suppose to be a two parter but I thought the whole thing went very well together and there was no need to edit out a question.

Latasha and the Little Red Tornado - Michael Scotto

Latasha and the Little Red Tornado by Michael Scotto
I was very excited when I learned about this book. In the past few years there have been more early chapter series with young Black female protagonist. Like Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes or Keena Ford by Melissa Thomson. But it's nearly impossible to find stories just beyond that early reader stage with a Black girl as the main character.

At first glance at the cover and summary, I thought Latasha and the Little Red Tornado, would help this unnecessary gap. When my review copy arrived I was not dissappointed. It was exactly what I thought it would be and a wonderful debut. On the second page I learned Latasha is biracial. Scotto doesn't delve into this but its nice to see the author create a character that many young readers will be able to relate to and who probably don't get to see all that often.

8 yr old Latasha lives with her mom and puppy Ella. Latasha is doing her best to train two year old Ella who is still getting into everything. Latasha spends the afternoon with their landlady/downstairs neighbor Mrs.Okocho and hears how loud Ella can get. Afraid that she might lose Ella, Latasha get serious about puppy training.

From the beginning I was really into this story and loved Latasha's voice.

The first paragraph.

"Momma told me that there is a time in a puppy's life right around its second birthday - when it just starts to get it. The puppy starts to listen to you all the time and not just some of the time. She stops crying for food under the table and just patiently waits for a scrap. She realizes that yes, her tail actually is part of her body, and no, she'll probably never catch it. Basically, the puppy stops being a puppy and becomes a dog. Momma said it happens very quickly, like someone flipped a switch in the animal's brain. I wish someone would hit that switch for Ella."

There's so much to like about this story from Latasha's relationship to her mother to Latasha new friendship at school. And of course all that puppy enegry that is Ella. This was so much fun to read. I enjoyed the ending but was bit surprised by it. Don't worry it wasn't in the style of Old Yeller and everyone is smiling inculding Ella.

The chapters are short, about 6 pages per. Evette Gabriel's beautiful illustrations are great and make this story a little more fun for young readers who are in search of novel that are just a little bit longer.

Latasha and the Little Red Tornado comes out November 15th and is published by the newly formed imprint, Mildlandia Press.

Read an excerpt

How The Leopard Got His Claws - Chinua Achebe, Mary Grandpre

How The Leopard Got His Claws by Chinua Achebe with John Iroaganachi, illus. by Mary Grandpre
This fable begins with all the forest animals living amongst each other as friends. Without confrontation there was no need for sharp teeth or claws. Even the Leopard was the king only had small teeth and no claws. With the exception of the dog, all the animals help build a house were they could rest. Everything is going well until the dog uses violence to over take the Leopards power. The Leopard leaves longing for revenge on the dog and the other animals who turned their back on him.

I read this a while back and enjoyed it. Though now that I am rereading for review, I am enjoying it that much more. The animal power struggle reminded me of Orwell's Animal Farm .

"King Leopard turned to the animals and said " let us go in together and drive out the enemy. He is strong, but he is alone. We are many. Together we can drive him out of our house." But the goat said, "We cannot face him. Look at his strong teeth! He will tear us to pieces."

Grandpre's illustrations are lovely. The warm palette is very fitting to the stories tone. The vibrant action also balances out the text.


An excerpt

Black&White - Larry Dane Brimner

Black&White by Larry Dane Brimner
In Brimner's latest non fiction book for young readers, he explores the confrontation between Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor, in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1950's and 60's. To grab the readers attention, the author begins by mentioning the first time the KKK tired to kill Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth. From there Brimner gives the reader more background information from both men, starting with Rev. Shuttlesworth.

This is a wonderfully through introduction for any young reader unfamiliar with Birmingham's awful history of race relations. I appreciated that the author did not shy away from Birmingham's nickname of Bombingham. It's visually appealing with black and white photographs throughout, and some memorable quotes from both men can be found in bold on the sidebar.

"We nicknamed him (the judge) Injunctionitis Jones." remembered Fred. He issued so many injunctions against the NAACP and the black struggle that many Negroes believed white "officials could ask Jones to issue an injunction against the sunshine and he would do it.

Black&White is written in an engaging matter to hold readers attention. It also takes a closer look at two men who played a very important role in Birmingham's race relations, making it a standout amongst many of the other books about the civil rights era.

Black&White is well researched and sourced. Several pages of back matter are included. The book has recieved two starred reviews - Kirkus and Booklist

An excerpt

I've linked this post to the nonfiction Monday roundup. This week's roundup can be found at non fiction reviews can be found at Charlotte's Library

On Sale Now : New Releases

New Releases for the Month of October and November featuring characters of color or a diverse cast.
One Love by Cedella Marley illus. by Vanessa Newton Bradley

Lala Salama: A Tanzanian Lullaby by Patricia Maclachan illus. by Elizabeth Zunon

Dear Baobab by Cheryl Foggo illus. by Qin Leng

Love Twelve Miles Long by Glenda Armand illus. by Colin Bootman

Lottie Paris Lives Here by Anglea Johnson illus. by Scott M Fischer ( a missed Aug. release)

Irena's Jars of Secrets by Marcia Vaughan illus. by Ron Mazellan

A Bailer! Lets Dance by Judith Ortiz Cofer illus. by Christina Ann Rodriquez

Adelita and the Veggie Cousins by Diane Gonzales illus. by Christina Rodriquez

Clara and the Curanderaby Monica Brown illus. by Thelma Muraida

Chocolate Me by Taye Diggs illus. by Shane Evans (a missed Sept. release)

Every Day Dress Up by Selina Alko

Never Forgotten by Patricia C. Mckissack illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon

Hanukkah Hop by Erica Silverman illus. by Steven D'Amico

The House Baba Built by Ed Young

Latasha and the Little Red Tornado by Michael Scotto

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu ( a missed Sept. release)

Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan

The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman

Home for the Holidays by Heather Vogel Frederick

If I tell by Janet Gurtler

Caleb's Wars by David L. Dudley

My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson

Fox and Phoenix by Beth Bernobich

Legend by Marie Lu

Black&White by Larry Dane Brimner


Irena's Jars of Secrets and Hanukkah Hop falls under religious diversity.