Giveaways

Azalea, Unschooled—A Giveaway!

By on May 12, 2015   /   For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, Giveaways  

Azalea

First, it was a clothing boutique for pets in Pennsylvania. Then a breakfast buffet in North Carolina. Then an apple orchard in Connecticut. Now, Azalea’s dad says he’s going to drive a tour bus in Portland, Maine. 
Azalea’s sick of moving. She is determined to stay in Portland and call it home. But a mysterious bandit is threatening her father’s business. Can Azalea use her new freedom as an unschooler to save the day—and her family? In Liza Kleinman’s fresh and funny debut middle-grade novel, the author deftly explores, with poise and insight, the growing unschooling movement as well as the challenges of moving to a new home, making friends, and finding room for differences within a family.
*****
Azalea, Unschooled, by Liza Kleinman, illustrations by Brook Gideon, published on May 5.  Liza is giving away five signed copies of her delightful new book. Enter below!
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The Stars of Summer-Giveaway & Chat with Tara Dairman

By on May 5, 2015   /   Author Interviews, Book Lists, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, Giveaways, Writing  

The_Stars_of_Summer_CVR_LIB

In this charming sequel to All Four Stars, eleven-year-old foodie Gladys Gatsby now has her first published review under her belt and is looking forward to a quiet summer of cooking and reviewing. But her plans quickly go awry when her friend Charissa Bentley delivers Gladys’s birthday gift: a free summer at Camp Bentley.

As Gladys feared, camp life is not easy: she struggles to pass her swim test and can’t keep the other campers happy while planning lunches. The worst part is she can’t seem to get away from the annoying new “celebrity” camper and sneak away for her latest assignment—finding the best hot dog in New York City. But when it turns out her hot dog assignment was a dirty trick by a jealous reviewer, Gladys’s reviewing career may be over forever.

My kids and I were thrilled to read an ARC of THE STARS OF SUMMER, as we’d loved ALL FOR STARS. Today I’m delighted to be talking with the books’ author, Tara Dairman.

Hi, Tara! One of my favorite things about your writing is the way you present girl/boy friendships, making your books appealing to all kids. (My son really enjoyed THE STARS OF SUMMER!) Did you have boys as close friends growing up? How important do you think it is that we move away from labels like “Boy Books” and “Girl Books?”

Thanks so much, Louise! I’m so glad you and your son enjoyed Gladys’s relationships with her friends, male and female. Sandy, Gladys’s best friend, isn’t based on anyone in particular from my real life, but I did have good friends who were boys as a middle-grader and teenager. And now, as a homeschool writing tutor, I love putting great books in the hands of my students regardless of the reader’s gender and of whether there’s a boy or a girl on the book’s cover. I think that we’re really shortchanging kids if we give them the message, from such a young age, that certain books are not for them. If we only ever consumed stories about characters who were exactly like ourselves, the world would be a very boring place.

Gladys gets an “assignment” to find and review the world’s best hot dog. The results are hilarious! I have to know: Do you like hot dogs? And how many of the varieties presented in the books have you actually tasted? Any favorites?

I love hot dogs. Even when I was writing some of the grosser hot dog scenes in the book, I would find myself craving a hot dog!

Like Gladys’s friend Parm, I was a very picky eater growing up, but hot dogs were always a hit. Then, as an adult, when I backpacked around the world, I was surprised at how universal hot dogs were—they kept popping up in so many countries, with so many fantastic variations! Every international hot dog that Gladys eats in the book I have eaten as well; in fact, the ones I chose to have her cover for her review (Chilean completo Italiano, Icelandic pylsur, Thai battered and fried hot dog, New Mexican Sonoran, Nathan’s famous, and South African Gatsby) are all favorites of mine.

Aaaand now I want a hot dog.

Speaking of the scrumptious and often “exotic” food mentioned in THE STARS OF SUMMER, how do you research all of these delicious dishes Gladys reviews and makes? Do they spring from your own personal globetrotting experiences?

Yes, exactly. I wrote a lot of ALL FOUR STARS before I went world-traveling, so the foods in that book are based more on foods I tried as a teenager and young adult in New York City. But THE STARS OF SUMMER draws heavily on cuisines I sampled in my travels. I sometimes had to go back to my travel blog or do some sleuthing online to confirm my memories of certain dishes, but for the most part, not a lot of extra research was required.

I love the plot surprises and twists in your books. As a writer, I’m curious to know how much pre-plotting you do before you write. Did you find writing the sequel more challenging than writing the first book? Do you have any advice for writers working under tight deadlines?

All Four Stars by Tara Dairman CoverFor me, these two questions are related, so I’m going to answer them together. I found writing THE STARS OF SUMMER much easier than writing ALL FOUR STARS, and I think there are two main reasons why. Firstly, I spent so many years working on ALL FOUR STARS that, by the end, I knew my characters inside and out. That made it so much easier to stick them into a new situation in the sequel, because I already knew what their passions were and how they’d react to just about anything I threw at them. And secondly, I outlined THE STARS OF SUMMER very fastidiously before I started to write it (I explain my process in detail here: http://taradairman.com/2013/09/19/first-drafting-now-96-faster/). Of course, details always change in the execution, but knowing where all the major plot turns were in advance helped me feel confident as I drafted the book and get the work done quickly.

I’ve heard Book Three is in the works. Congratulations! What can you tell us about Gladys’s upcoming adventures? Do you know a release date yet?

Thank you—I’m excited that the series is continuing! Book Three should be out in Summer 2016. I don’t want to give too much away, but I can tell you that Gladys will be starting middle school, and will be getting an unexpected houseguest and an even more unexpected (or should I just say less expected?) job offer.

Oooh, unexpected houseguest AND a new job! Now I’m speculating… 

Tara is graciously giving away a copy of THE STARS OF SUMMER to one very lucky commenter! We’d like to know your favorite hot dog toppings/flavor, or favorite foreign dish.

 

Tara Dairman headshotTara Dairman is the author of ALL FOUR STARS, which was named an Amazon Best Book of the Month and a Mighty Girl Top Book of 2014 for Teens and Tweens. She is also a playwright and recovering world traveler. She grew up in New York and received a B.A. in Creative Writing from Dartmouth College. After surviving the world’s longest honeymoon (two years, seventy-four countries!), she now lives in Colorado with her husband and their trusty waffle iron.

Connect with Tara:

 taradairman.com

twitter.com/TaraDairman

facebook.com/TaraDairmanAuthor

instagram.com/allfourstars/

 

 

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A Giveaway & Chat with Terra Elan McVoy, Author of Drive Me Crazy

By on April 30, 2015   /   Author Interviews, Book Lists, Fiction, Giveaways  

As much as I love Terra’s young adult books, I did a happy dance when I learned that her next book would be for middle-grade readers. So I was thrilled to talk to Terra about writing for a younger audience, friendship, road trips, and, of course, Drive Me Crazy.

JA: After writing so many wonderful YA books, what made you decide to try middle-grade?

TEM: I’ve wanted to write middle grade for a long time, in part because books were especially vital to me during that phase of my life. I also thought switching things up a bit would help me continue to grow as a writer. Prior to now, all the stories I had in my head were aimed toward teenagers, but finally the right project came up at the right time!

Photo of Terra Elan McVoy

Photo credit: Jamie Allen

JA: How is the process of crafting a middle-grade voice different from a YA voice? Did your research differ in any way?

TEM: For me the biggest difference is there’s definitely far less self-analysis in middle grade. When Lana is scared, she’s just scared—she doesn’t have a big monologue with herself about why. If Cassie’s angry, she’s angry, and she doesn’t try to rationalize or justify it. Also, there’s far less romantic turmoil, and that was admittedly refreshing.

Since this is for slightly younger readers though, I also needed to make the stops and activities lively and kid-friendly. This wasn’t something I was used to thinking about, but once I got used to it, was a lot of fun. I researched actual places in California that might be interesting (Hearst Castle, for example), but had fun making up things like a musical-themed restaurant, too!

JA: What inspired this particular story? Which character came to you first?

There was a lot that inspired Drive Me Crazy, but three relationships in particular get the most credit. Very first is the connection I have with my editor, best friend, and writing collaborator, Anica Rissi. Every novel I’ve done, including this one, stems from some conversation (probably multiple conversations) we’ve had. Drive Me Crazy specifically emerged from a talk about middle grade books, and what my writing one might look like. Anica told me a horribly embarrassing story from her own history about a girl who’s diary had been found and read aloud on the bus, and that seemed too good a tale not to be used somehow. Luckily she was sweet and generous enough to let me run with something that came from her actual life, and we went on from there.

There were other relationships we thought I could work with too, including the close one I have with my cousin Meg. There’s a special bond you have, being cousins, and I wanted to explore that, at least a little. Similarly, I had history to till with my oldest and dearest friend, whom I met when we were in second grade. In middle school we went our separate ways for awhile (quite awhile—until our senior year, really), because she wanted to be a certain way and I wanted to be another. Though Cassie and Lana are quite different than we were, the tension between girls going through changes at that age was interesting to me. Luckily I knew from experience that it can be worked out, and was interested in traversing a similar arc in a book.

The characters all began as initial descriptions or ideas, and then evolved slowly, but I think the one who emerged as her own person first was Grandma Tess. She’s so feisty and unpredictable—a lot of fun to write!

JA: Lana and Cassie are very different characters. Do you identify with one more than the other?

TEM: It’s funny—throughout the writing of Drive Me Crazy I would go back and forth between whom I related to most. When I was in middle school myself, I think I was more of a Lana: earnest, very concerned about my friends, close to her family. But I also loved clothes and was obsessed with fashion, so in some ways I was dying to be stylish, sophisticated and culturally savvy like Cassie, too. I struggled with both those identities at the same time then, and in some ways still do!

A photo of the cover of Drive Me Crazy

JA: What’s the best road trip you’ve ever taken?

Hands down the best road trip I’ve taken was from San Francisco to Tallahassee, FL, with my good friend Tom. I was moving back to my hometown after a fantastic year of living in San Francisco, and needed someone to help me drive back all my stuff. Tom met me in California, and we drove down the state, through Arizona, into Petrified Forest land (we saw an amazing sunset there), and all the way across Texas, into Louisiana. We stayed in New Orleans one night, and were tempted to stay put! When we crossed the border into Florida, I wanted to see the Gulf right away, and Tom suggested a detour to Pensacola beach. Seeing the coast, plus the beloved familiar green of the Florida panhandle was such a wonderful welcome after all the desert we’d crossed, and made for a great homecoming.

JA: Do you think you’ll do any more middle-grade? Any hints about what your next project might be?

TEM: As I said, I’ve been interested in middle grade for awhile, and I’m very excited to be working right now on the companion book to Drive Me Crazy. This is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker will come out in summer 2016. It’s the tale of Fiona Coppleton, Cassie’s former best friend. They have a very nasty break at the beginning of Drive Me Crazy, and though we hear a lot about Fiona from Cassie’s perspective, This is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker narrates everything from Fiona’s side.

I’ve got another middle grade idea up my sleeve too, but that one’s nowhere near book form yet. I have to say I am really enjoying writing for both of these differing age groups, though!

JA: What recent middle-grade is on your shelf? Any favorites to recommend to our readership?

My current To Read pile is stacked high with a lot of young adult right now, but one middle grade that has snuck in there is Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu (releasing in September). I’m also reading Rebecca Stead’s Goodbye Stranger, a tween-based novel coming out in August. Her middle grade When You Reach Me, is definitely a favorite of mine, and if you haven’t read it you should—perfect combo of realism with a twist of magic. One Came Home by Amy Timberlake also has one of the strongest narrative voices I’ve ever read (in any age bracket), and Katherine Applegate’s Home of the Brave is one I think pretty much everyone should read. Of course I still stand by my classic faves too, like the Ramona books, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Peter Pan, or any adventure in Oz!

Thanks for your time, Terra, and best of luck with Drive Me Crazy.

And now it’s your turn, dear reader. Tell us about your favorite road trip in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Drive Me Crazy!

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