- Great expectations (for Christopher Paolini's latest in the "Inheritance Cycle" series, Brisingr. Publishers expecting record sales.) (Market Watch)
- 'My Say: When YA is Not OK' (How young is too young for Gossip Girl and Twilight? This libaraian explains her opinion in Publishers Weekly's new Op/Ed column.)
- Breaking Dawn backlash (I haven't really discussed this much, I don't know what to think. Twlight fans want to return the final book because they don't like it.) (Publishers Weekly)
I don't usually do this, but The Cape Cod Witch and the Pirates Treasure got such rave reviews from my two nephews and my sister that I felt like I had to pass it on. What makes my nephews' recommendations so remarkable is that they're sort of reluctant readers. One in particular devours comics but mostly "reads" the illustrations. "Star Wars" Books are their favorites.
And hey, anytime two boys jump up and down (literally) and implore me to read something, I listen.
The other thing that made me pay special attention to their glowing reviews is that to the naked eye, this book would seem to be more attractive to girls. But really, a strong female protagonist and an exciting but not too scary story involving pirates and buried treasure, what's not to love? My nephew said all of the kids in his third grade class love this book, bar none.
Apparently the first of a series, my sister said they read it aloud together as a family and she thought it was fabulous too. Really fabulous, and they all can't wait for the next one.
Of course, I ran out and got a copy, and although it was published by a seemingly small local company, I found it. (Cape Cod. Maine. We're like cousins.)
It's a very fast and fun read. Elsbeth is a sweet character and I think she and her classmates are the reason my nephews and his friends liked it so much. It's like "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" crossed with Sarah Plain and Tall-- sort of. Earthy and homemade feeling, the writing and story read like local folklore but with contemporary characters. I can see why it's a hit with younger readers and I too, liked it a lot. The action occurs a little late, but it's so short it still works.
Reading The Cape Cod Witch and the Pirates Treasure made me wonder -- what exactly made this work for both the girls and boys in my nephew's posse? Is it the fact that Elsbeth's class share the spotlight and together are the main characters? At what age do boys and girls truly part ways in the book department? At what age do they stop sharing interest in the same titles? I wish there were more titles that crossed gender lines. We talk a lot about finding books that boys will like because they are traditionally harder readers to please, but what about books that boys and girls can enjoy together? Maybe books that simply allow girls and boys to share the stage is the answer.
'Discovery Girls' (SLJ writes about the tween mag for girls 8-12, where a lot of the material is written by them. Cool.)
- 'Problem: Boys Don't Like to Read.' (The solution? "Publishers are hawking more gory and gross books to appeal to an elusive market: boys -- many of whom would rather go to the dentist than crack open 'Little House on the Prairie.'") (WSJ)
- 'Quirky Families' (Reviews and such by Colleen Mondor at "Bookslut in Training.") (Bookslut)
- Oh, I love him so (I just saw the William Steig exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish History Museum in San Francisco. Here he is profiled in the Seattle Times.)
- The Vespa Chronicles (Simon and Schuster's YA book series, The Fashion Forward Adventures of Imogene by Lisa Barham, has launched The Vespa Chronicles, a free weekly newsletter following "the exploits of fictional heroine and fashion-forecasting intern, Imogene.")
- Tiger Eyes (is the latest Fine Lines feature over at Jezebel)
One of the things we do as librarians (and book-bloggers) is illuminate the issues that are out there in the publishing world -- What are people talking about and what books are making a splash. An issue that has come up in the past is the new practice of including brand-name marketing in the young adult book sector--literary product placement, if you will. Some titles even begin with product deals worked out first --characters, plot and story all come later.
The issue is: what's the right way to deal with YA product placement. Should the process be transparent to readers - and parents?
I've written about this before and I recently posted about an article in the LA Times about Alloy Entertainment. Primarily a book publisher, Alloy is branching out into new avenues such as television and movies. In the LA Times article Alloy is described rather harshly described as a "book factory" where "editors cook up ideas they think will appeal to teens and then hire writers to follow their outlines, similar to the way dramas and sitcoms are written for TV."
One library science professor was quoted in the article as saying, "The book series itself is about commodities -- brands become a way to identify with the characters." Furthermore she noted, some librarians refuse to buy the books. A bit harsh, perhaps, after all many libraries shelve magazines like Vogue and Elle.
The article points out that "In the first four pages of The Clique, for example, a seventh-grader named Massie kicks off her "3-inch heels" and mentions that she owns a Mac, wears Chanel No. 19 perfume and Yves Saint Laurent lipstick, sleeps on Calvin Klein sheets, shops at Bergdorf Goodman and stays at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood."
So the question is: Will books and other literary content become as much a part of a marketing strategy for brands as we see in other platforms? Is there another approach - another name - for the genre? The more that advertising intermingles with the writing process, the less literary these books become. How can the process become more transparent? That transparency would go a long way with librarians and teens. If teens knew the terms under which the books they love were written, they'd still read them and respect them for what they are.
- Publishers Weekly (will be discussing Page-to-Screen on a weekly basis. This week: Rob Kraitt's Eoin McNamee's City of Time. And speaking of, James Patterson's Maximum Ride will be adapted for the screen by Columbia Pictures) (Monsters & Critics)
- The Alloy formula (Moving from publishing to the big screen, the latest is a Gossip Girl feeling movie called, "Sex Drive." Sure to be chock full of things you'll want to buy.) (LA Times, reg. required)
I received a lot of great things to read this month, and if I'm missing any today they'll be in next month's Me & My Mailbox, I promise. These are all tiles I saw before I left for Maine, and I'm guessing there will be quite few waiting for me when I get home -- that and a bathing suit I ordered online and forgot to have shipped here. Oops.
Vampirates: Blood Captain by Justin Somper (Arrrrrgh. Super fun! Action, adventure, pirates and vampires. Yes, I think this is the result of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" craze, but that doesn't make it any less fun.)
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (Unbeknownst to her, Jessica is a vampire princess with a long-lost hot fiance...thank god for her copy of, Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions.)
Hero Type by Barry Lyga (What happens when you save a classmate from a serial killer? Then what happens if you're portrayed as anti-American? Heavy.)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Born with a special extreme skill, Katsa is a graceling, a rare being in her kingdom. Part fairy-tale, part fantasy, part political thriller, looks riveting.)
Breaking Up is Hard to Do by Niki Burnham, Terri Clark, Ellen Hopkins, and Lynda Sandoval (Cool approach: Four unique stories telling the quintessential teen tale of the end of a romance.)
Ruby's Imagine by Kim Antieau (Ruby can talk to nature and she knows a great storm is coming...but how will she convince people?)
Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan (Kristi can read people's minds but can she read people?)
Pemba's Song: A Ghost Story by Marilyn Nelson and Tonya C. Hegamin (A paranormal relationship between a girl in Brooklyn and a 18th century slave girl, told in prose. Spooky and musical. Cool.)
Carlos Is Gonna Get It by Kevin Emerson (Getting to know the class weirdo just might put a damper on plans to punish him with a practical joke.)
The Invisible Man by HG Wells, Adapted by Rick Geary (A Classics Illustrated Book) (This sc-fi classic is now available in an accessible comic book format.)
Palace of Mirrors by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Peasant girl or a princess in hiding?)
- At 1.3 million in sales ('Hachette Book Group USA, a Ypulse Books sponsor, hit an all time high for one-day sales for one of its books with release of Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga.') (Cynopsis Kids)
I thought I'd finally cover this best seller and seemingly instant classic. I think EVERYBODY who reads this book loves it. Winner of the Horn Book Award, and The National Book Award, Sherman Alexie is one of those beloved authors who inspires people. His humor, honesty and beautiful language are remarkable. He has been around for a long time but is new to a lot of young adult literature lovers. In my opinion, he's our gain. I've read quite a bit of his poetry and looooved "Smoke Signals." I am so pleased at all of the attention and praise he continues to get for his YA novel.
Four Twilight Essentials right off the bat! Whatcha expect?
- 'Touched by a Vampire' (I read this after I wrote my post for today...interesting stuff. One really positive thing about the popularity of the "Twilight Series" is all the discussion.) (Salon.com, reg. required)
- Breaking Dawn(Out tonight at 12 a.m. Why do teens love it so much? Teen expert Aimee Clark discusses the reasons it's so popular?) (SLJ)
I've been thinking about this a lot. So far I have been a big fan of the "Twilight Series" by Stephenie Meyer and I really enjoyed reading the first two books. I loved Twilight, thought New Moon was a little ridiculous but went with it anyways and figured the next one would be be better. I just started Eclipse and am about half way through it. I don't think I'm going to finish it. I don't think I can do it anymore. It finally crossed some kind of line that I didn't even realize I had drawn. Up until now I've found the books so fun, I've been willing to overlook some of the more glaring, 'things-that-make-you-go-hmmmm', aspects.
I know there's been a lot of controversy and criticism about the sexless eroticism in the series. The whole concept of Bella's virginity essentially equally her soul worries more than a few of my feminist friends, but I'm not even going to touch that. I do however want to address the fact that our friend Bella is a poster-child for domestic, or in her case, dating abuse.
I know. It seems absurd. We are talking about vampires, predators by nature, right? But they can feel emotional and physical pain according to Meyer's series. They have long-term relationships. They marry. It makes sense that they are also capable of our darker motivations in matters of the heart. No doubt, they can be controlling and that is of course at the center of all abuse--the engine that drives the power-and-control cycle of violence. That and fear.
And Edward is controlling. As much as I love him, I really think he needs some teen-dating, healthy-vampire-boyfriend-counseling. It all hit me last night as I was reading yet again about his protective ways. I began to see the forest through the trees. Things like: how he doesn't "allow" her to do certain things like visit old friends. How Bella won't be able to see her family for years after she's changed, and even after that there will be constraints. We are made to believe that these precautions are all part of his concern for her safety. His condescension, lies and even manipulation of events like their trip to see Bella's mother is all under the guise of safety and...alas love.
Let's not forget that he watches her every night while she sleeps and can read her mind!
I worked in a battered women shelter for many years and I've heard this story almost verbatim on hotline calls hundreds of times. (Yes, I've even heard, "I think he/she reads my mind.") It's a slippery slope. Everyone wants to feel special. Everyone wants to feel like their love is unique, one-of a kind. Teenage girls are especially susceptible to this kind of 'Romeo and Juliet' romantic notion. The drama, the angst, the thrill of feeling misunderstood...together is timeless, but it gets dangerous when it starts to become suffocating. Abusers regularly alienate their partners from friends and family slowly but surely as they exert more and more control. The balance of power shifts subtly, but before long, victims have lost everything -- their identity, independence and their self esteem. This is my fear for Bella.
Tell me, does Edward change his ways? Should I keep reading? I do believe in rehabilitation.
One thing we used to say to people in our trainings is that domestic violence crosses all class, religious and ethnic boundaries...I think we need to include the supernatural.
Janes in Love (Sequel to the fabulous P.L.A.I.N. Janes. Yay!) (Boing Boing)
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