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ICE DOGS: An Interview with Terry Lynn Johnson

By on January 24, 2014   /   Author Interviews  

Terry Lynn Johnson

Today I have the privilege of introducing author Terry Lynn Johnson and her new MG novel, ICE DOGS. Terry is a conservation officer in Whitefish Falls, Ontario, Canada, and her love of the great outdoors shines through her novels as well. She is also an experienced musher, so for anyone interested in dog sledding, this book is a must read.

A description of the book:

Pre-order a copy today by clicking on the image above

Lost. That’s how fourteen-year-old dogsledder Victoria Secord has felt ever since her father died. A champion musher, Victoria is independent, self-reliant, and thanks to her father, an expert in surviving the unforgiving Alaskan bush. When an injured “city boy” and a snowstorm catch Victoria and her dog team by surprise, a routine trip becomes a life-or-death trek through the frozen wilderness. As temperatures drop and food stores run out, Victoria must find a way to save them all in this high-stakes, high-adventure middle grade novel of endurance, hope, and finding your way back home.

If you are the visual type, watch the amazing trailer (which is just as awesome as the book):

Welcome to From the Mixed-Up Files, Terry! I am so excited to talk with you today about both your book and your own experiences with dog sledding!

First of all, I have to ask, what kinds of things do you do as a conservation officer in Canada? That sounds like a fascinating job!

A Conservation Officer is sometimes called a Game Warden in the States. I work outdoors enforcing Ontario’s natural resources legislation. I go on patrols in boats, canoes, snow machines, airplanes, ATV’s, and by truck. It’s a very diverse job, one day I could be tranquilizing bears, the next collecting DNA from a moose kill site.

Wow. I can see why you write about the wilderness, since you get to experience it up close every day.  Is there anything in your book, ICE DOGS, that was based on your job or your own mushing experiences?  Did you have to do a lot of book research as well?

Most of the events in the story I have had personal experience with. I don’t want to give spoilers here – but honestly, some of those experiences I’d rather not have had! One thing I did specifically for the story was drink twig tea and chew on the inner bark of trees. I also forced my husband to do it with me so I can watch his reaction. He’s a good sport.

That twig tea and bark chew sounds disgusting. I’m glad I only have to experience it through your writing. I also loved experiencing Victoria’s special relationship with her dogs, particularly her lead dog, Bean. Can you share with us some of your experiences with your team?

Most of the moments that stick in my mind involve just being with the dogs. My dogs were such characters and fun to watch as they learned. Seeing them think and respond to problems we came across on the trails, that was the best part for me. And I’ll never forget those quiet morning runs – the sled skimming hard trails, being surrounded by hoar frost-covered branches that sparkled like diamonds as the sun rose. Those mornings fill up my soul.

I love your vivid description of the winter wilderness. Your book is full of them, too. I especially loved the way you described the snow and its effect on the surroundings (and the people and animals, too). Any advice for the writers out there on ways to capture the setting in your writing?

An early version of Ice Dogs went out to agents and the feedback I got from one agent suggested that setting is a character and this story would benefit from a little more description and layers. That turned out to be great advice because after I revised, I found my agent Caryn Wiseman from ABLA. How to do it? What works for me every time is to go snowshoeing. Whenever I have trouble with a manuscript, that always seems to bring me back to centre. Though, that might not work for everyone. I’ve heard some writers think of their best scenes in the shower.

It’s clear you spend a lot of time outdoors! Have you ever been lost while mushing?

I did get lost one day for a few hours in heavy snow. This is the experience that my premise came from for the book. For me, my lead dog knew the way at a fork in the trail, and I trusted him. For Victoria, unfortunately she must go through the situation of what could have happened…

And I know your readers will love going on the adventure with Victoria. (I did.)  To be honest, reading your book made me me want to take up dog sledding.  Do you have any advice for those who are interested in learning more about mushing and wilderness survival training?

Outward Bound is a good place to start. I used to run dogs with them, so I know the quality of their instructors. They teach winter survival, take you out on trips, and have fun doing it. Another fantastic place to research dogsledding opportunities in your area is www.sleddogcentral.com.

Thank you so much for coming on the blog and sharing your experiences and your book, Terry!

And don’t forget, ICE DOGS will be releasing February 4th, so add it to your wish list now. Readers, as a special bonus, Terry is offering an autographed hardcover copy of her book, ICE DOGS, as well as some matching doggy bag swag! Enter below for a chance to be the lucky winner. The winner will be announced on January 30, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Elissa Cruz is currently experiencing the snow in her own home state of Utah. She is not a fan of the cold. You can learn more about her than you ever wanted to by visiting her website at www.elissacruz.com.

 

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Why It’s Okay to Judge

By on January 21, 2014   /   For Librarians, News  

                   

With the ALA Youth Media award announcements just a little under a week away, I can’t help reflect over my own experiences this past year as a part of the Asian-Pacific American Library Association (APALA) Children’s Literary Awards committee, as well as an adjudicator for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Now while I can’t share the exact details, I’d like to talk about what these activities meant for me as a writer. I’m also hoping that for those of you who might find yourself in the position of being on such a committee, to take the plunge! Not only will you learn so much, but you will be a better writer for it. Here are some of the simple but significant reasons I discovered for myself this year.

BUILDING YOUR READING MUSCLE

I’m one of those writers that finds it hard to make time for reading. But I finally decided to do something about it. When I joined APALA, I saw an opportunity to join the 2014 Children’s Literature Awards committee, and I pounced on it. This meant I had read anywhere from 15-20 middle-grade novels with Asian/Pacific-American themes, published in 2013. Not just read, but discuss them with the rest of the committee, to select the award-winning title that held the highest literary merit in depicting the Asian/Pacific-American experience.

Reading that many books in a short time really forced me to get to the end of a book, no matter what. The more often I did it, the easier it became. It was in short, a mental exercise for my brain.

As an adjudicator for the Scholastic Awards, I had to read through much shorter pieces (1000-3000 words) – but several over one weekend. That helped to build my reading muscle in a different way – and teach me to recognize patterns of writing from work to work. In fact, reading several works that share an element in common (i.e. the Asian-Pacific-American experience, or works all written by teenagers) taught me to spot similar motifs as well as unique ones. Which brings me to the next section.

SEEN-THAT-DONE-THAT VERSUS THE TRULY UNIQUE

There is nothing like reading a high volume of material to train you to recognize story ideas that are repeated – the best friend sidekick, the insatiable zombie, the nagging parent. And when you see these ideas repeated in different ways, you learn to recognize them in your own work – and avoid them.

On the flip side, you will come across some a startlingly beautiful piece of writing – a premise you might have never quite seen before, and as you keep reading, the best discovery of all – you are surprised. Not only that, you are happy you are surprised, and suddenly you keep reading with your breath held because it’s the same feeling you have if think you’ve discovered something no one else does, that you’ve been let in on some delicious secret. I think we have all experienced this feeling when we read that special book that moves us outside our own experiences, and stays with us even after we close the covers. As an evaluator, this discovery feels especially sweet.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK

When you come across that rare piece of beautiful writing, when you find yourself not just surprised and happy, but moved, it’s the greatest feeling in the world –like falling in love. It’s a kind of love that’s loyal and fierce, and that prepares you to champion this piece to the end so it receives the recognition it deserves.

This type of love – I don’t know if it serves any writerly purpose from a craft perspective. But it’s a love that fills us in other ways, when we love something beautiful and true and authentic, and suddenly the whole purpose of writing becomes brighter for us. At least it did for me. Reading something that sweeps you off your feet is the greatest affirmation that you are doing exactly the kind of vocation you should be doing.

 DISCOVERING THE WRITER YOU WANT TO BE

At the end of the day, the best part of reading such a wide and varied range of writing – funny or dark, historical or contemporary, high stakes or quiet tension, plot or character – is that you discover or confirm the kind of writing you want to write. You might see yourself aligned with a new group of writers, or you might be nodding quietly to yourself: yes, I really am a fantasy writer after all.

Most of all, reading many titles at a time is a fantastic way to take yourself out of your own writing, and your own comfort zone. The best part is that you don’t even have to be an evaluator to do this, you just have to be a reader. What gives me satisfaction at the end of my experiences is knowing that not only have I grown as a reader and writer, but that my contribution has been a part of a writer’s recognition, and that I am person along the way to light the journey for them.

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Sheela Chari is the author of VANISHED, which was awarded the 2012 Children’s Literature Honor Award by APALA. She served on the APALA’s Children’s Literary Awards committee for 2013. Stay tuned for the announcements of this year’s winners at the end of this month, following the ALA awards announcements. Medal winners for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards will be notified in March, followed by an awards ceremony in June.

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Courage and Civil Rights: An Interview with Tanya Lee Stone

By on January 20, 2014   /   Author Interviews, Nonfiction  

On this day, many of us retell the stories of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his speech, the bravery of Rosa Parks on the bus, and the students of Little Rock. But few realize that the seeds of the civil rights movement began during World War II.

courageIn Courage Has No Color, award-winning author Tanya Lee Stone tells the story of our nation’s first black paratroopers who integrated the army six months before Truman’s executive order calling for “equality of treatment and opportunity” in the military in 1948.

Tanya met Walter Morris, the sergeant who decided to train his men in the service company of the Parachute School as paratroopers. He wanted them “to act like soldiers, not servants.” Because of Morris’ leadership, the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the Triple Nickles, was born.

At the end of the war, black and white servicemen had shared experiences that began a shift in society. “White Americans found it difficult to ignore the fact that they had been fighting Hitler while perpetrating atrocities and inequalities on their own black citizens—especially when those black citizens had done their part to unite in the fight against the same foe,” Tanya writes.

Courage Has No Color earned four starred reviews, was named Publishers Weekly Best Books 2013 and Kirkus Best Books of 2013, and received many honors, including the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award and NAACP Image Award Finalist. Tanya took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Tanya Lee Stone

MUF: This is an amazing story about the courage and patriotism of the Triple Nickles. You tell the largely hidden story of the Japanese balloon bombs, giving meaning to the firefighting these paratroopers did in 1945. Yet these paratroopers never went overseas to fight Hitler. Was it hard to write about that disappointment?

TS: Yes, it was. It was a tricky thing to piece together as well. There was a lot of disappointment and sadness involved with this story as well as pride and accomplishment, heroism and honor.

MUF: Sergeant Walter Morris was a true leader and, it seems, a storyteller. I was saddened to learn that he died in October 2013. Was he happy to see his story told?

TS: Oh, he was elated. And the book came out the day after his birthday, so he had it in his hands. I was on the phone with him during his birthday party and a lot of the Triple Nickles men were there, and we were all whooping and hollering. It was an honor and a joy to have gotten to know Walter these last ten years, and not only was he happy to see his story told, he was able to participate in that telling. I will forever be grateful for that.

MUF: This book began as a picture book, and it sounds like you resisted turning it into a longer work for middle grade readers. Can you talk about that decision?

TS: The phone call I received from Hilary Van Dusen at Candlewick came at a moment when I was probably more tired than I had ever been from writing. I had just finished The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie right on the heels of Almost Astronauts, with a picture book in between. Ashley Bryan had read the picture book version of Courage Has No Color and the praise he gave me bolstered my confidence. And did I mention I was tired? So when Hilary told me she wanted me to expand it to the scope of Almost Astronauts, I was resistant. We both agreed that I was tired, and I asked her for some time to think about it. Of course, my sister-by-choice, Sarah Aronson didn’t hesitate at all in reminding me that she had been telling me that for some time! Once I took a nap and thought about it some more, I knew most certainly it was the right choice.

MUF: One of the things children’s books do—and you do well—is to tell the truth, with room for hope. Was it hard to write your last chapter, “We will have a colorless society one day”?

TS: I don’t think I would characterize it as hard, and my research in that area didn’t surprise me, but it was certainly sobering. Of course, that is balanced by many of the forward steps our culture has taken. There is certainly room for great improvement.

MUF: You’re an award-winning writer of children’s nonfiction books. I know that takes a lot of research and firsthand interviews with amazing people. Tell us: Have you ever jumped out of a plane?

TS: Ha! I almost did—in college—but I chickened out! I will never forget what it felt like to climb to the Drop Zone and look out the door of that plane, though!

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