Wow. It was such a great novel and it was worth it to force through the painful parts (which were only painful because they were painful for Baby, and beautifully written by Joe). But I will be honest, there were some parts I did not want to read. But I did, and yeah, worth it.

For some reason, I seem to be reading a lot of foster care/abuse stories. Not sure why this is my genre of the season, but Baby deals with these issues as well. There is a tiny blurb on the Random House website. And From Booklist,

“New Hampshire. Cow-freaking Hampshire.” It’s the last place 15-year-old Baby, abandoned by her alcoholic mother again, wants to be. But her social worker tells her that this stop, with an older couple that races sled dogs, is her last chance before she ends up in a juvie home. Baby, still feeling the pain of her new tatttoo (an Asian tiger on her right butt cheek), thinks she doesn’t really care what happens to her; but Mary and Fred are not average foster parents, and their life with big dogs brings balance to Baby’s own existence. Baby too easily becomes a dog-racing expert, and her descent into trouble when her boyfriend arrives is predictable. But the girl’s first-person voice, the backdrop, and the details (working the streets in a gargoyle costume for tourist change) work together well to set this story apart from the many in which troubled teens find solace in animals.

It was a beautiful novel, and while some things were painful and others silly (who calls us Cow-Hampshire? really? don’t do that. its ridiculous. There aren’t that many cows here), it is worth the read. Check it out, and all his other titles. There is a wide variety and ALL are worth it. A list of titles are here at Amazon.com. His other exciting title is Letters, that was written with Luanne Rice.

Plymouth State University shared this bit of interview/news

A prestigious library group has chosen PSU English Professor Joe Monninger’s novel Baby as one of 2009’s best young adult books. The Young Adult Library Services Association reviewed nearly 200 nominated books before choosing the ten best. The books are nominated by librarians as having literary value and appeal to teens. Monninger said making the list is a wonderful surprise.

“This came completely out of the blue,” Monninger said. “The novel appeared in 2007, so I imagined the possibility for awards and nominations had passed by. For it to be considered, and to be named as one of the top ten books of 2008, is enormously rewarding. When you read the names of the other authors on the list, it’s thrilling to be included.”

Baby is the story of a troubled 15 year-old girl who is sent to a foster home in New Hampshire, where she is placed with an older couple that races sled dogs. The foster home experience brings balance to Baby’s life. Nancy Keane, a children’s literature librarian and author of the Children’s Literature Webpage, said Baby’s inclusion on the top ten list could mean thousands of new readers enjoying Monninger’s work.
“These are the books that librarians rely on when purchasing and recommending books for teens,” said Keane. “To make the top 10 list is huge.”

To view the Young Adult Library Services Association’s top ten list, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/09bbya.cfm

In addition to the latest accolade, Monninger received the 2008 Peace Corps Writers Award for Baby, winning the award in the Best Children’s Writing category. Monninger has taught at Plymouth State since 1990. He is the author of nine works of fiction but, most recently, has turned toward writing creative nonfiction. Two of these are memoirs that have been widely praised by reviewers: Home Waters: Fishing with an Old Friend (Broadway Books, 1999) and Barn in New England: Making a Home on Three Acres (Chronicle Books, 2001) His recent book, Two Ton: One Night, One Fight — Tony Galento v. Joe Louis (Steerforth Press, 2006) has drawn excellent reviews for its in-depth perspective on 1930s boxing.

Monninger’s awards include two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, a New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Fellowship in 2007. He has lectured at Dartmouth College, West Point and Harvard University.

Check out the novel. It is a 2007 release and not out in paperback yet, so if your local bookstore does not have it in, they CAN order it for you! Enjoy!

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PLEASE keep your eye out for that pooch if you live in the area. I cannot imagine what those people are going through. Please think good thoughts for them.

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This is important if you ever find yourself needing to gain white person acceptance. If you see their kid playing peacefully, you say “oh, he/she seems very focused, are they in a gifted program?” at which point the parent will say “yes.” Or if the kid is lighting a dog on fire while screaming at their mother, you say “my he/she is a creative one. Is he/she gifted?” To which the parent will reply “oh, yes, he’s too creative and smart for school. We just don’t know what to do.” Either situation will put a white person in a better mood and make them like you more.

But NEVER under any circumstance imply that their child is less than a genius. The idea that something could come from them and be less than greatness is too much for them to bear.

I did a post about Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. Just to say, “hey look! book coming your way!” but somehow it turned into a discussion of what “Gifted” children should read. First of all let me say this. This is really just a place for me to blab about whatever books or book related things have thrilled me lately but I really enjoyed that people were commenting about this topic. It is a good discussion.

I feel that even if a child is gifted, they should still try to read books that are aimed for their age. Yes they need to be challenged to grow, but I think it is important to still read books that are written for where the kid is physically if not “mentally.” Books written for 6th graders are written for kids… (get this?) IN SIXTH GRADE… not just kids reading at a 6th grade level. Saying a ten year old can read all seven Harry Potters… well that is great, but how much of book seven did they really UNDERSTAND?

Same thing with the Eragon series. It is written for the young adult crowd. To me at my bookstore that is basically 9th grade and up, with 8th grade being on the cusp. A lot of the young adult books are taking place IN high school with fairly nasty girls (think Clique, Gossip Girls, A-list, etc) and I think that you should be IN that situation before you are reading it. Think “sexualization of our youths” but that is a WAY different conversation.
Back to point, when I was in 3rd grade I read Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson.

Now, I was a kid that LOVED reading, I read as much as I could as often as I could. My local librarian knew me by name and there were entire shelves that I had ready everything on. But, I still had to read JHIL twice because I just did not feel that I understood it. Well, even now, reading Paterson’s other stuff, there is a LOT going on. You could reread Bridge to Terabithia every year and get something different out of it. Just because I read this long book, did not mean I “got” it. It is more important to understand and comprehend what you are reading than it is to say “look at this list of books that I have read.”

Yes it is important for all kids to be challenged, but here is my list of grievances.

1. You should not get special treatment because you are in an accelerated program.
2. You should make sure you are still reading books that deal with people in your age group.
3. You MUST make sure you understand what you are reading. What is the point without that?
4. Make sure you are doing this because you ENJOY it. Without the enjoyment of learning and the challenges that it can bring, what is the point?

So…. any replies? I welcome your thoughts, though please, keep it pleasant

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Book Store People.com is a blog about books, book stores, and people who love and work in them! I was included in that! Check out the article So Here I am in New Hampshire and read about her trip to my store!

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August 28, 2008 (part II)

As some of you may have heard, my partial draft of Midnight Sun was illegally posted on the Internet and has since been virally distributed without my knowledge or permission or the knowledge or permission of my publisher.

I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique. Due to little changes I made to the manuscript at different times, I can tell when each left my possession and to whom it was given. The manuscript that was illegally distributed on the Internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose. I have no comment beyond that as I believe that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution.

I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before it was completed, edited and published. I think it is important for everybody to understand that what happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being. As the author of the Twilight Saga, I control the copyright and it is up to the owner of the copyright to decide when the books should be made public; this is the same for musicians and filmmakers. Just because someone buys a book or movie or song, or gets a download off the Internet, doesn’t mean that they own the right to reproduce and distribute it. Unfortunately, with the Internet, it is easy for people to obtain and share items that do not legally belong to them. No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest. This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control.

So where does this leave Midnight Sun? My first feeling was that there was no way to continue. Writing isn’t like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything. If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn’t dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely.

I’d rather my fans not read this version of Midnight Sun. It was only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes. But how do I comment on this violation without driving more people to look for the illegal posting? It has taken me a while to decide how and if I could respond. But to end the confusion, I’ve decided to make the draft available here (at the end of this message on the Midnight Sun page). This way, my readers don’t have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest. I hope this fragment gives you further insight into Edward’s head and adds a new dimension to the Twilight story. That’s what inspired me to write it in the first place.

I do want to take a moment and thank the wonderful fans who have been so supportive of me over the past three years. I cannot begin to tell you how much each of you means to me. I only hope this note will stop all the confusion and online speculation so that the Twilight universe can once again become the happy escape it used to be. After this incredibly busy year, I am now focusing on spending more time with my family and working on some other writing projects.

–Stephenie

So yes. Whoever you are, you are a jerk. Thanks for ruining this for those of us who love and respect her work.

grrrr

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Like I said, we had our little table with Bloody drinks and Bloody snacks… well in true vampire fashion (though I know not Meyer’s type of vampire), we had a bat!

Yes indeed, a bat. Now I was a little surprised since I was not expecting to pick up the table cloth and see a scared little batty! Eventually we did get it outside (though it shuffled back in on its own and then hid for a few minutes before flying around and then flying out the open door we held for it), but in the meantime, a bat gave the SEAL OF APPROVAL to our Stephenie Meyer day festivities. That is all you can ask for

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Link to EW with the first chapter: here.

Here are the quotes from the website, all from the book.

1.Alice: “I’ll play you for it. Rock, paper, scissors.”
Edward: “Why don’t you just tell me who wins?”
Alice: “I do. Excellent.”
2. Bella: “Oh, Mike! How will I go on?”
3. Tanya: “Ah, Edward. I’ve missed you.”
4. Emmett: “Oooo, scary.”
5. Bella: “Jasper? What do vampires do for bachelor parties? You’re not taking him to a strip club, are you?”
6. Charlie: “Bells, we’re up to bat.”
7. Edward: “You’re awfully small to be so hugely irritating.”
8. Bella: “Why am I covered in feathers?”
9. Alice: “No one will dare to call you plain when I’m through with you.”
Bella: “Only because they’re afraid you’ll suck their blood.”
10. Edward: “Oops.”
11. Renee: “Alice wouldn’t let us do anything else. Every time we tried, she all but ripped our throats out.”
12. Edward: “Do you want me to sing to you? I’ll sing all night if it will keep the bad dreams away.”
13. Rosalie: “Over my pile of ashes.”
14. Edward: “You look so guilty—like you’ve committed a crime.”
15. Sam: “This is not something our treaty anticipated. This is a danger to every human in the area.”
16. Rosalie: “I’d like to beat you dead.”
17. Jasper: “I can’t understand. I can’t bear this.”
18. Seth: “You’ll hurt her. Let her go.”
19. Carlisle: “I’ve seen vampire venom work miracles, but there are conditions that even venom cannot overcome.”
20. Jacob: “I’ll kill you myself! I’ll do it now!”
21. Bella: “Should I be afraid?”
Edward: “Terrified.”

Some more great photos are at Vball Lover’s Flickr.com page. Definitely check it out. Lots of great stuff!

I still have not read it yet. I’m going on vacation this weekend. So I will have had to wait an ENTIRE WEEK to start it. EEK! So NO spoilers, well… no spoilers ever, that’s just rude, but definitely not until I’ve read it.

Also, going to listen to the Host in the car. Gotta love Stephenie Meyer.

PS. Don’t forget the movie is coming out December 12th. EEK!!!!

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She has her own, Wikipedia page. For those of you not familiar with Anne, here is the plot summary from the Wikipage:

Marilla Cuthbert and Matthew Cuthbert, middle-aged siblings who live together at Green Gables, a farm in Avonlea, on Prince Edward Island, decide to adopt a boy from an orphan asylum in Nova Scotia as a helper on their farm. Through a series of mishaps, what ends up under their roof is a precocious girl of eleven named Anne Shirley. Anne is bright and quick, eager to please but dissatisfied with her name, her pale countenance dotted with freckles, and with her long braids of red hair. Being a child of imagination, however, Anne takes much joy in life, and adapts quickly, thriving in the environment of Prince Edward Island.

There is an amazing discussion on the importance of Anne Shirley, which great extras in the comments, Here at Jezebel.com

Additionally, in honor of this magical year, there was a prequel written by Budge Wilson. Before Green Gables. More here at the official website.

A must-read for generations of book lovers…

Before Green Gables is the story of Anne Shirley’s life before her arrival at Green Gables—a heartwarming tale of a precocious child whose lively imagination and relentless spirit help her to overcome difficult circumstances and of a young girl’s ability to love, learn, and above all, dream.

Check out Anne if you havent, and then read Wilson’s new, Before Green Gables. Anne Shirley is a girl that everyone should know!

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