Book Lists

Indie Spotlight: The Voracious Reader, Larchmont NY

By on March 31, 2017   /   Book Lists, Fiction, Indie Spotlight  

Sue Cowing for Mixed-Up Files: We’re talking today with Francine Lucidon of The Voracious Reader (www.thevoraciousreader.com).  Don’t you love the subtitle: “for young people with an appetite for books”?
MUF: You opened your shop ten years ago in 2007, generally considered a precarious time for bookstores, yet you’ve thrived.  Guess you knew something the doom-predictors didn’t!  How do you account for your success? 
Francine: While it may not have been the “right time” for a new indie, it was absolutely the perfect time for me and my family to embark on this adventure.  I can be a little headstrong that way. As for our success (which in the world of bookstores often means simply scraping together the rent and salaries each month) again, I credit that hard headed determination. Plus a wonderful supportive staff and community!

Franklin, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Extraordinaire

MUF: For those who haven’t visited (yet), please describe the atmosphere of your store.  When a middle-grade girl or boy comes to your store, what would you like him or her to experience?  How to you connect them with the next best book?
Francine: The store is super friendly – on Fridays you can meet our dog. Navigating the store is fun, with many themed displays, lots of great face-outs and of course, our treats and tea shop attached.

MUF: How do you decide what titles to carry in your store?
Francine: I do a lot of reading myself but also rely on feedback from our Uncommon Corps group. I look for both authors that consistently do well here as well as exciting debut authors. Often I find out about debut authors from regional conferences. I also make sure to read reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly and School Library Journal.

MUF: Tell us more about your book club for ages 8-11, Uncommon Corps of Ravenous Readers (love that title—so true for this age group) and what they do.  
Francine: this is an ARCS club, a group of book and pizza loving 8 to 11 year olds. Each person reads and reviews/discusses a unique book not yet published (cool factor J). On the first Friday evening of the month middle graders gather at our meetup to talk books and eat pizza , and at the end of the evening everyone gets another free Advance Review Copy to talk about at our next meeting.

MUF: When the members turn 12, they can move on to the YA Alliance, right?
Francine: Yes, that’s our teen club which is run similarly with YA books.

MUF: As middle-grade authors, we’d love to know what titles, old or new, fiction or nonfiction, you find yourself recommending most often to middle-graders these days.
Francine: Recommendations depend so much on the reader. I like to know what they’ve read recently, what they tend to enjoy most, then, by showing them maybe 3 titles or so, I feel confident to choose the recommendation that makes their eyes light up. To be honest I usually find 2 or 3 titles a season that I absolutely love and foist them on everyone! A couple of favorites not too long ago have been Kathy Appelt’s Maybe a Fox and The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin, both soon to release in paperback. Middle grade readers often prefer books that appeal to their strong emotions.  Then there are books that are just plain, silly fun like The Terrible Two from Mac Barnett and Jory John.

 

MUF: Any author visits or events coming up that would be of special interest to middle-graders?
Francine: We’ll be launching book 2 of the Pixie Piper duology by Annabelle Fisher , Pixie Piper and the Matter of the Batter, probably at the end of May. People who’d like to attend our events can sign up for our newsletter (www.thevoraciousreader.com) or follow us on our Facebook Page.

MUF: If a family came to Larchmont to visit your shop, would there be family-friendly places in the neighborhood where they could get a snack or a meal afterward?  Any unique sights or activities nearby that they shouldn’t miss?
Francine:They could certainly get snacks in our attached teashop, A Proper Cup, including all natural ice cream from Jane’s of the Hudson Valley. We’ve got lemonade, a huge variety of loose leaf teas and Stumptown cold brew coffee. We’ve also got cupcakes, cake pops. Scones and more. There’s a great Chinese restaurant right next door, wonderful restuarants of all kinds throughout town and a beautiful beachfront park called Manor Park. The town is strollable and filled with families which makes an afternoon here a great family destination.

MUF: How will The Voracious Reader be celebrating National    Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 30th?
Francine: This year over 400 bookstores nationwide (including OURS!) are joining up to let you know that, with your support,your independent bookstore (that’s US!) can serve as an important hub of ideas, fun and community building! Publishers and authors have created special items to be sold ONLY by participating stores and ONLY on our day of celebration! Stop in for special items from such luminaries as Kate DiCamillo, Neil Gaiman, Tad Hills and more! We’ll also have giveaways, story times, crafts for the kids and some special treats available in our tea shop!

MUF: Thanks, Francine for taking time to help us  get to know your shop.  How many of our voracious readers reading this column have visited Francine’s shop, or would like to?  Comments welcome.

Sue Cowing is author of the puppet-and-boy novel You Will Call Me Drog (CarolRhoda 2011, Usborne UK 2012)

 

 

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Mixed-Up Instagram: an April #mglitchallenge!!

By on March 29, 2017   /   Book Lists, For Teachers, For Writers, News, Publishing & Promotion  

Fromthemixedupfiles.com is @mixedupfilesmg on Instagram!

And to celebrate our new foray into the world of #mglit pics, we want you to join us in a 30-day Instagram challenge.

The fantastic April #mglitchallenge

Here’s the deal: follow us on Instagram (@mixedupfilesmg) and post a pic that corresponds to the day on the image below. Don’t forget to hashtag it #mglitchallenge! We’ll be watching the hashtag to see what you’re posting, and  featuring the very best of your posts.

#muflit #mglitchallenge middle grade books authors librarians

Of course, 2021.fromthemixedupfiles.com is focused on middle grade books, so that’s what we’re looking for. MG authors, readers, and librarians, join us and show us where your passion for middle grade lit comes from!

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Love, Ish

By on March 20, 2017   /   Author Interviews, Book Lists, Fiction  

Hello Mixed-Up Readers! I’m excited to bring you this fun interview (and GIVEAWAY!) with Karen Rivers, author of Love, Ish.  But first, a little-ish about the book.

My name is Mischa “Ish” Love, and I am twelve years old. I know quite a lot about Mars. Mars is where I belong. Do you know how sometimes you just know a thing? My mom says that falling in love is like that, that the first time she saw Dad, she just knew. That’s how I feel about Mars: I just know. I’m smart and interesting and focused, and I’m working on getting along better with people. I’ll learn some jokes. A sense of humor is going to be important. It always is. That’s what my dad always says. Maybe jokes will be the things that will help us all to survive. Not just me, because there’s no “me” in “team,” right? This is about all of us. Together. What makes me a survivor? Mars is going to make me a survivor. You’ll see. * “A star-bright story of love, courage, and unflagging spirit.” —Booklist, starred review

 

Amie: Welcome to the Files, Karen! Why don’t you start by telling us who your favorite character is in Love, Ish and a little about why they’re your favorite.

Karen: Definitely Ish.  I think to write a book about a person, even one you’ve made up, you have to really really know that person and really really love them, even when they are flawed or even occasionally infuriating.   I love Ish and I loved taking this journey with her.

Amie: I agree! It’s a given that we’ll love our main character, isn’t it? Why else would we choose to write their stories? It would be hard to spend so much time with someone we didn’t like.  So tell our readers which scenes were the best/worst to write?

Karen:  I loved writing every word of this book, but writing the ending was a very emotional journey for me.   It was both the best and the worst!

Amie: I can definitely relate to that! Ish (Mishca) wants to go to Mars. Did you do a lot of research for your story?

Karen: I spent a lot of time researching different Mars programs and reading about the viability of Mars as a potentially habitable planet.   There are very widely differing opinions in the scientific community about, for example, whether the presence of perchlorate in Martian soil would simply preclude any possibility of humans being able to survive there.   Mars seems to be everywhere these days!  I watched the NASA feed closely for up-to-the-minute news of the rover’s findings.   At a certain point in revising, I had to stop adding new information though.  Our knowledge and understanding about Mars are constantly evolving in real time.

Amie: There’s a character known as Fish Boy (Gav) and Ish isn’t exactly fond-ish of him. Do Ish and fish boy ever become friends?

Karen: I’m reluctant to spoil too much of the plot, but yes, Mischa and Gav become friends.

Amie:  Was there any particular inspiration for Mischa’s (Ish) name?

Karen: I once met a girl named Mischa, whose nickname was Ish.   I loved the play on words of love-ish and Love, Ish.   When something is something-ish, it means it’s not quite that which it is trying to be.  Mischa’s whole journey starts out as one thing and becomes another, so I like the “ish”ness of that.

Amie: Does Mischa love anything else as much (or almost as much as Mars)?

Karen: Mischa loves a lot of things and people:  Her best friend, Tig, her sister Iris, and even her sister Elliot.   Definitely her pet parrot and her parents.   She is primarily motivated by the need to be someone who doe something special or different, someone who is remembered for being a “first”.   In so doing, she wants to figure out who she is and who she is going to be.   I think she loves more than she gives herself credit for.   When one is 12, it’s easier to pick one topic, one THING and make that your everything, whether it’s your favourite music or a personal goal or a hobby.   Kids tend to define themselves in fairly singular terms.  “I love horses” or “I’m a Katy Perry fan.”  In Ish’s case, she’d say, “I’m going to go to Mars” as her most defining characteristic, but it will be obvious to anyone reading that she’s so much more than that.  (I hope!)

Amie: All right. Last question. Does Ish ever make it to Mars?

Karen: I’m afraid I can’t answer the question without spoiling the entire book.  Once you’ve read the ending, you’ll understand why.  I’ll have to stick with, “You’ll have to read it to find out!”

Amie: Darn it! Those dang spoilers! Thanks for joining us at the Files today, Karen. Good luck to you and to Ish! And many thanks to Algonquin for providing an ARC of this book. They’re also offering a copy of LOVE, ISH to one  US reader. Be sure to leave a comment below to be entered!

Karen Rivers has written novels for adult, middle-grade, and young adult audiences. Her books have been nominated for a wide range of literary awards and have been published in multiple languages. When she’s not writing, reading, or visiting schools, she can usually be found hiking in the forest that flourishes behind her tiny, old house in Victoria, British Columbia, where she lives with her two kids, two dogs, two birds. You can find her online at karenrivers.com or on Twitter: @karenrivers

 

Amie Borst is the author of the Scarily Ever Laughter series; Cinderskella, Little Dead Riding Hood, and Snow Fright. There’s nothing “ish” about her love for writing. You can find her on her blog, her website, and her co-author website.

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