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Join the #iLoveMG Party!

By on January 24, 2016   /   For Librarians, For Writers, News, Publishing & Promotion  

With a name like From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors, it’s obvious that we’re all about middle grade books over here. As MG writers and readers, our goal has always been to bring awareness, enthusiasm and celebration to books for 8-12 year olds, creating a *home* here at MUF for anyone and everyone who loves books for what we like to refer to as the Golden Age of Reading.

iLoveMG

So color us delighted when we learned about the kindred spirits behind the brand-new iLoveMG initiative, a push to celebrate MG in all its glory and to make sure the fantastic books for this age group don’t get overlooked.

Want to be part of it? Join the inaugural #iLoveMG Twitter week, with these fun theme days (plus, yay, giveaways!):

Monday, January 25: Diverse MG recs
Tuesday, January 26: If MG were pop songs/artists #MGpop (i.e. One Direction Came Home, Because of Winn Dixie Chicks, etc.)
Wednesday, January 27: MG I wish I had (when I was a kid)
Thursday, January 28: Throwback MG
Friday, January 29: MG Mashup (i.e. A Wrinkle in Circus Mirandus, Three Times Wonder, etc.)

You can also sign up anytime for the iLoveMG newsletter, which will share news about all things MG. Check it all out, join the party, and as always, Happy #MG #kidlit reading!

xo MUF

Andrea Pyros is the author of My Year of Epic Rock, a middle grade novel about friends, crushes, food allergies, and a rock band named The EpiPens.

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Indie Spotlight: Oblong Books & Music, Rhinebeck + Millerton, NY

By on January 22, 2016   /   Book Lists, Indie Spotlight  

Here at MUF, we love celebrating great independent bookstores (read our spotlights on Once Upon a Time, Fountainhead Bookstore and more). Continuing the tradition, we turn today to Oblong Books & Music in Upstate New York. Suzanna Hermans, Oblong’s co-owner and manager of the Rhinebeck store, talks to Andrea Pyros about the state of the publishing industry, her favorite new middle grade books and how she sees Oblong’s role in the community.

Mixed-Up Files: Can you tell us the history of Oblong and what led you to launch a second store?
Suzanna Hermans: Our store first opened in Millerton, NY in 1975 in a very tiny storefront. Over the years we expanded into the space we now occupy, in two buildings with three floors of books. In 2001 we were approached by a landlord doing some property development in Rhinebeck, and we were able to design our store from scratch; everything from the carpet to the windows. We opened that second store in September 2001, and expanded it in 2011.

Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck, NY

Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck, NY

MUF: Can you talk about Oblong’s goals? Introduce people to new books and music? Make a gathering space for book lovers in the community? Support authors?
SH: All of the above! We think of our store as a place where people can discover new ideas and gather to discuss them and meet like-minded folks. All are welcome.

MUF: Do your two stores have different personalities? Do you order different titles for them, or generally you’re carrying the same books and music at both locations?
SH: Though the stores’ stock is almost identical, they have very different personalities. Millerton is sprawling over three floors, with lots of nooks and crannies and crooked wood floors and built-in bookcases. Rhinebeck is all on one level, carpeted, and with matching fixtures. We like to think we have the best of both worlds: a quirky old bookstore and a shiny new one.

Oblong author event with Andrew Keenan-Bolger & Kate Wetherhead of Jack & Louisa

Oblong author event with Andrew Keenan-Bolger & Kate Wetherhead of Jack & Louisa

MUF: You do author events often at Oblong. How do you decide what events to have? Are they an important part of what makes Oblong Oblong?
SH: In 2015 we had over 120 author events, so they are a big part of what we do. We have such a wonderful rich wealth of local authors, and also bring in nationally touring authors, as well as many authors from New York City since we are a reasonably short train ride away. When choosing which events to book, we look mostly at the author’s connections to our local area, as well as the subject matter. Is it something our customers are interested in and a genre that sells well for us?

MUF: How do you feel about the state of the publishing industry and the state of independent booksellers? Or do you feel hopeful about where we’re at and where we’re headed?
SH: This is a very exciting time to be an independent bookseller. We survived Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and ebooks and in recent years sales have been extremely strong. I think there will be a renaissance of more small stores opening as the economy rebounds and more people realize what a bookstore can bring to a community.

George by Alex Gino

George by Alex Gino

MUF: Since we’re a middle grade blog, we’d love to hear what you loved recently for middle grade readers.
SH: Middle-grade was one of our strongest growth categories in 2015! We adore middle grade books. I recently loved The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin and Alex Gino’s George.
The Truth About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

The Truth About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Andrea Pyros is the author of My Year of Epic Rock, a middle grade novel about friends, crushes, food allergies, and a rock band named The EpiPens.

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Finding Writing Inspiration through the Five Senses

By on January 20, 2016   /   Fiction, For Writers, Writing  

I’m starting to think about a new book. It’s hazy now, like shapes in the fog, but it’s getting closer. I am not an outliner, so I have to feel my way through that fog, stumbling in a direction that I hope is right. I find that the more I can immerse myself in the world of the story, the quicker it comes. Here are some of the tricks I’ve used; I would love to hear yours.

tree trunk

  1. Sight

Like many writers, I gather images to inspire me. I’ve got a framed photo of a giant tree on my writing desk, a remnant of my first book. I have pictures of people who look like the people in my books saved in my Scrivener files, as well as pictures of the settings, animals, even particular pieces of furniture. Pinterest is great for this. For those on Twitter, the hashtag #novelaesthetics is really fun.

rufus wainwright

  1. Sound

I know that a book is coming closer when I start gathering songs for a new playlist. Rufus Wainwright’s Hallelujah instantly transports me to the world of my first book. I don’t listen to the playlist when I’m actually writing (too distracting), but when I’m thinking about the book, on a run or on a drive, it helps me get in the zone.

big red

  1. Smell

Much of my first book takes place in the woods, so when I was hiking, I would try to note and hold onto the smells—the pine, the earth, the dew. I also, though, am an inveterate gum chewer, and I have assigned a different type of gum to my different works in progress. I’m chewing a lot of Big Red these days. If I open a pack anywhere in the world, I immediately think about my work in progress.

biscuit dough

  1. Taste

The taste of the gum also helps me. The fiery, cinnamon taste of Big Red puts me in the right frame of mind for the quick and snappy soccer players I’m writing. The inspiration goes the other way, too. I remember writing one biscuit-baking scene and getting so hungry that I had to go bake some myself. The kids were thrilled to wake up to fresh biscuits on a school day.

oysters

  1. Touch

Going to the woods also helped me get into the tactile nature of the woods. I would feel the bumpy bark, shuffle through the pine needles, note the hot sun on the back of my neck. For the book that is coming, I recently brought an oyster shell home from a canoeing trip. Something about the sleek, iridescent ridges spoke to me. It feels right in my hands, though I don’t know yet how it fits in with my forming story. I can’t wait to find out.

Katharine Manning is a middle grade writer. Her books are fueled by cherry blow pops, as well as Big Red. She had six cavities the first time she went to the dentist, but has since learned much better dental hygiene. You can find her online at www.katharinemanning.com or through her book blog, www.kidbooklist.com. On Twitter, she’s @SuperKate.

 

 

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