For Librarians

On the Eve of Escape

By on June 12, 2015   /   Author Interviews, For Kids, For Librarians, For Teachers, For Writers, Writing  

Here at The Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors, we have scheduling fairies who put names on a magical calendar so that we all know who is posting and when. And, weeks ago, when I saw the date I would next post, I immediately thought, “Oh! That’s the day before I escape to…”

maine beach web small

Every year, this land-locked Ohio farm girl spends a week in a cottage on the  Maine shore with nine writing friends. It is often the most inspiring and productive week of my writing year. I can smell the ocean air already!

I began to wonder how other middle-grade authors escape the daily grind. Where do they go to think more clearly? Breathe more deeply?

And, so, I just asked.

Some of you might follow author Cynthia Lord on Facebook. If you don’t, you probably should click on her name and do that now, because she posts thoughtfully and with her heart, and you’ll love following her. And if you already do, you know that she has this great little escape in her own backyard.

cynthia lord's writing shed

Cynthia told me that she got her writing shed (aptly dubbed “Walden Backyard”) after RULES won a Newbery Honor and she and her husband were a bit cramped sharing an office in their house. Cynthia’s escape is close to home, and she loves writing in her multi-season shed. (We would say all-season, but she does live in Maine, and I’ve seen pictures in which the snow was piled nearly as high as the shed!)

lisa yee   Author of WARP SPEED and THE KIDNEY HYPOTHETICAL, Lisa Yee was caught in mid-escape when I contacted her. She wrote back:

“Ha! As I reply to your question, I am sitting in a hotel room where I’ve escaped to get writing done.”

Enough said, Lisa! Now, get back to work and don’t let me get in the way of progress!

I was surprised how many authors escape to water.  Kirby kirby LARSONLarson, author of HATTIE BIG SKY and the new DASH and DUKE, escapes ocean-side to be with the eagles and hummingbirds. It’s interesting that negative ocean ions can positively affect one’s blood pressure!  Thanks, Kirby!

tricia springstubbMixed-Up Files Author Tricia Springstubb echoed the water theme as well. Her newest middle-grade novel MOONPENNY ISLAND is set on a fictitious island. It’s no small coincidence that Moonpenny Island mirrors Kelley’s Island and Tricia’s favorite rocky and remote get-away.  Tricia finds water so motivating, she often swims to clear her head and has solved more than one plot dilemma after coming out of the pool!

Some writers, though they enjoy a good vacation, have found a more accessible escape. Margaret Peterson Haddix (the MISSING series and the SHADOW CHILDREN series) and Marlane Kennedy (THE DOG DAYS OF CHARLOTTE HAYES and the DISASTER STRIKES series) both agreed that when they are caught up in a good writing moment, their best escape is the story itself. Marlane shares, “When I am deep within  a story, I am not even aware of my surroundings. I am transported to wherever and whatever is happening in my story, and my writing escape is more within my mind than anywhere else.”  (Margaret’s escape mode, however, is not entirely waterless. Like Tricia,  she’s another swimmer/thinker!)

Peterson and KennedyMargaret Peterson Haddix and Marlane Kennedy

Lots more  Mixed-Up Files Authors weighted in as well! You can see their pictures and read about their books here.  But first, take a moment to read about their escapes:

Jacqueline Jaeger Houtman – Coffee shop. Earbuds. Vivaldi.

Michele Weber Hurwitz – I’m a big walker. Nothing like a long walk to clear my head and work through trouble spots in a WIP.

Greg R. Fishbone – Long train rides are great for writing.

Amie Borst – When my office won’t suffice, I love to sit on my back deck or by the lake. (There’s that water thing again!)

Valerie Stein – On the sailboat! Calm, quiet motion at the dock, free of distractions. (And again!)

Rosanne Parry – Love writing in my treehouse in the summer. Fresh air, lots of birds & squirrels for company and no distractions. Bliss!

Okay, I admit it. I just couldn’t leave Rosanne’s comment without hoping on over to her website to see if, just maybe, she had a picture of said treehouse. And, bingo! Here it is.

rosanne tree house

So, we would love to hear about your writing escape. Comment below and let us know where you go! I’ll try to respond, but remember, in less than 24 hours, I’ll be escaping to…

maine porch web small

Michelle Houts is the author of four books for middle-grade readers. She loves mail (the real, slow, stamped-envelope kind) so she created the 52 Letters in a Year Challenge to encourage writers young and not very young to help revive the art of letter-writing. Visit Michelle at www.michellehouts.com. On Twitter @mhoutswrites and on Facebook as Michelle Houts.

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Book Heaven

By on June 8, 2015   /   Book Lists, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Teachers  
Capstone Booth 2015

Capstone Booth 2015

I recently returned from Book Expo America (BEA), one of the nation’s largest book conventions held at the end of May. Booksellers, librarians, book bloggers, and booklovers gather at the Javits Center in New York City to visit booths where publishers showcase forthcoming books. The publishers give out free books or ARCs (advance reader copies), and they talk up their books, hoping that many people will buy these titles when they come out. Attendees stand in long lines to get free, autographed copies from the authors and illustrators.

Authors and editors give talks and promote their books. I enjoyed attending the Middle-Grade Book Buzz, where editors shared the top middle-grade books coming out in September. It’s so exciting getting to read copies of these books before they get to bookstores and libraries. I’m going to give you a sneak peek so you’ll know what books to watch for at the end of the summer. If you want to know what these books are about, watch Mixed-Up Files for September 2015 New Releases.
doldrums FIB jellyfishRebels

 

 

 

Whenever I attend BEA, I always promise myself I’ll limit the books I take home, but before I know it, I have bags full of books. For three days in a row, it’s books, books, and more books. Then I have to drag those heavy bags up and down the subway stairs. Sore legs and arms are worth it, though, for all the book treasures I bring back.

It probably wouldn’t be so bad if I lived in New York, but then I have to travel home. After three days of collecting books, I usually have so many that I can barely cram them all into my suitcase. Last year I had so many books, I had no room for anything else, so I had to mail my clothes home.

Judy BlumeI have one other reason I love being in New York for BEA week. The night before the conference starts, there’s a huge auction of art from picture book and middle-grade illustrators. It’s a chance to see one-of-a-kind illustrations as well as to meet the artists. This year was special because Judy Blume was there to receive an award. I’ve always been a big fan of her books, so it was thrilling to actually see her in person. My favorites of her books are the humorous ones:

frecklefudge-a-maniashiela4 grade

 

 

 

 

What’s your favorite Judy Blume book? And if you had a chance to go to BEA, what kind of books would you fill your bags or suitcase with?

About the Author

LaurieEdwards_ScuppernongFor the past two years, copies of Laurie J. Edwards’s new books were given out at BEA. She dressed up like a cowgirl to sign ARCs of Grace and the Guiltless in 2014. The second book in that Wild West series, Her Cold Revenge, is coming out in August 2015. She is writing two more books in this series under the pen name of Erin Johnson. Even though she thinks signing her books is lots of fun, she believes the best part of BEA is filling her suitcase with copies of exciting new books. Read more about Laurie and her books on her blog, her website, Facebook, and Twitter (@LaurieJEdwards).

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Woods to Words – A Summer Adventure

By on June 5, 2015   /   Book Lists, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, Writing  

Next month is July, when we’ll be deep in that magical, lazy time of summer. I can just picture it. Watermelon juice dripping down my chin as I sit, feet kicked up on the deck rail, tall glass of iced tea at my side, and the grid map and binoculars in my lap. Wait. What?

It’s okay, stay with me here! I’m still talking about that magical summer, and some of it might be lazy, I promise! Let me share with you my kind of summer fun this year.

It’s Woods to Words, a science and poetry summer camp. Though it’s offered for a range of ages, I dreamed it up to delight middle grade students in particular.

The school’s camp description is pretty spot-on:

Join our literary nature-lover Mrs. Stein for a week of scientifically-inspired creative writing!  Develop an appreciation for nature as you map the woods, watch wildlife through binoculars, and hunt through the forest with a magnifying glass in hand. Hear the world like never before as you use onomatopoeia to produce nature soundscapes. Writers will have an opportunity to share their hand-crafted books at the end-of-week author celebration.

Yes, that’s right – our lazy days of summer will be spent in the school’s forest making scientific observations – and making poetry! On day one, we’ll create a site map and a shape poem. An “onomatopoetical” exercise and an art project for our book covers will stem from the sound maps we’ll create. I’m excited to build a team word bank from our square-foot observation exercise, which we’ll continue to use for inspiration as we write each day.

Young people are natural observers and I can’t wait to harness their innate curiosity in a camp setting, tapping into their drive to learn new things. Add nature read-alouds and fun games like “Whose Dinner Am I?” and we’ll have a well-rounded camp experience. Anyone know any fun science songs?

My own writing and art are driven by the observations I make, and its a natural leap to blend one passion for another. I’m excited by the opportunity to incorporate these passions into an informative, fun and relaxed camp setting.

So how about you? Will you kick back this summer and gaze at a site map while sipping your iced drink and writing poetry? I can’t wait to start.

For further reading:

What Schools can Learn from Summer Camps

What is STEAM?

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Education

In fourth grade, Valerie Stein touched an ancient artifact from an archaeological dig. Though she never got to travel the world in search of buried treasure, she ended up journeying to new and exciting places between the pages of books. Now she spends her time researching history, in museums and libraries, which is like archaeology but without the dirt. Valerie’s book, The Best of It: A Journal of Life, Love and Dying, was published in 2009.  Both her current work and an upcoming middle grade series are historical fiction set in Washington State. Valerie is proprietor of Homeostasis Press and blogs at The Best of It.

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