September 2009
17 posts
Even More Feasting and Books →
Somehow I scored an invite to a lunch celebration at the Boston Public Library for THE DAY OF THE PELICAN, Katherine Paterson’s new novel from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt about a Muslim Albanian family…
Consumerism and the YA Novel →
I remember loving A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN partly because times were tight in my own immigrant family. I also might have connected our loss of property and wealth in Bengal with the Alcotts’…
Boston Kid Lit Pie Night Redux →
We schmoozed. We ate pie. We lifted our forks in the direction of the NY Kid Lit Drinks Night, where a Boston Cream Pie was being consumed in our honor. But best of all, we talked and celebrated…
Paula Chase Hyman: Extroverted, Earnest, and... →
Today I’m honored to host Paula Chase Hyman, author of the Del Rio Bay series of books and co-founder of The Brown Bookshelf, a site “designed to push awareness of the myriad of…
Managing Your Online Presence SALON →
Managing Your Online Presence: Websites, Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and More Speakers: Mitali Perkins and Deborah Sloan NESCBWI Salon A program for published authors and illustrators of…
Magic Carpet: Books, Identity, and Assimilation →
We’ve been talking about books as windows and mirrors this week on the Fire Escape. First off, I’m convinced that “mainstream” North American kids and teens can and will enjoy books as windows into…
Poetry Friday: Coconut Cowgirl →
Enjoy the poem that tied for third prize this year in my annual poetry contest for teens between cultures. Read it aloud for the rocking Fijian rhythm.
Coconut Cowgirl by Hosanna,…
Teens, Tweens, and Secret Reading →
After our discussion about books as mirrors or windows at different stages of life, I’m setting up a tentative hypothesis. Ready? Here it is:
Elementary-aged kids and upper high-schoolers are…
Five Good Twitter Gifts →
I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a social media maniac. Why, Mitali, why? you might be asking. Let me share five sweet outcomes of my involvement with Twitter, moving from the sublime to the…
Are Books Windows or Mirrors? →
Think of a novel you enjoyed recently. How did the protagonist remind you of yourself? On the other hand, what did you glean about living a different kind of life? My guess is that you can answer…
9/11 Gift: 14 COWS FOR AMERICA →
The phone was ringing when I returned from a walk on that sunny day. It was my Dad, weeping as he told me about the first tower falling. We didn’t have a television so I ran to my…
AMREEKA: Flicks Between Cultures →
My favorite part of the preview for Amreeka is when the daughter says, “Here’s a shocker, Mom, we live in America! We’re Americans!” The mother answers with a phrase most teens between cultures…
Pair a Book with a Fair Trade Toy →
Looking for a gift for that kid who seems to have everything? Make a book come to life by pairing it with a fair trade toy or other goodie. Here are three suggestions, followed by a list of places to…
Poetry Friday: Rooftop Fireworks →
Enjoy the poem that tied for third prize this year in my annual poetry contest for teens between cultures.
Untitled by Bea, Moldova/USA, Age 19 Imagine the coincidental unison
Kid Lit Pie Night! →
In the Boston area? Tired of missing the fabulous NYC-based Kid Lit Drink Nights hosted by the likes of Besty Bird and Cheryl Klein? Well, now you don’t have to feel like a wallflower ever again,…
Notes to a Young Immigrant →
It’s been a while since I wrote this essay on the bittersweet experience of growing up between cultures, but I stumbled across it in Teaching Tolerance and wanted to offer it again here on the…
The Mysterious Google Book Settlement →
I’m hoping some of you might be as confused as I am by the Google Book Settlement, because if it’s just me who doesn’t get it, I’m in trouble. In any case, the Society for Children’s Book Writers…
August 2009
14 posts
Books That Make Readers Clash →
“SECRET KEEPER had one of the most satisfying endings I’ve read in a long time,” said one reviewer. Meanwhile, on Goodreads, another reader disagreed: “I didn’t really like the ending, but I…
Poetry Friday: Border Dance →
Enjoy the poem that won second prize this year in my annual poetry contest for teens between cultures.
Untitled by Selorm, Ghana/USA, Age 16 The drums sound, and her village…
Getting Started on Twitter: A Quick Guide for... →
Newbie to Twitter? Writing books for kids or young adults? Here are five easy steps to jumpstart your use of Twitter: 1. Join. I recommend using a real name if possible. Or a pen name if you…
Editor For Hire: Polish Your Manuscript Before... →
It”s tough to get published these days. Before submitting to an editor or agent, you might consider spending some money on an expert consultation for your children’s or YA book manuscript. Several…
Burma's Bamboo People →
I’m doing last-minute research on G3 and MA-series assault rifles used by the Tatmadaw Kyee in Burma for my novel BAMBOO PEOPLE, releasing Fall 2010 from Charlesbridge. The book features two boy…
iPhone apps for Picture Books →
New technology can partner with (read: never replace) traditional books to inspire the next generation with the power of story and art. Here are three places to download digital books for wee ones on…
Poetry Friday: The Child of a Stranger →
Enjoy the poem that won first prize this year in my annual poetry contest for teens between cultures. the child of a stranger by Wendy China/USA, age 17 at birth I was offered up to…
Stuff That Intrigues My Tweeps →
Here are five links I shared via twitter recently that have most interested my followers (according to bit.ly metrics, and verbatim as I tweeted them): Notes from the Horn Book | 8/09 | Back…
Black Women Kid Lit Illustrators →
Check out these links to African American female children’s book illustrators compiled by librarian and book reviewer Ed Spicer, published here with his permission: Nneka Bennett
…
Honing the Craft on the Cape →
I’m taking a class taught by Deborah Kovacs, author of more than 30 books and editorial director at Walden Media. I’ll be back on the Fire Escape on Wednesday. In the meantime, enjoy reading this…
How To Launch a Book Virtually: Q & A with Grace... →
These days, even award-winning authors in our industry must invest time and energy to market a new book. Last month, author and illustrator Grace Lin (WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON /…
YA Historical Fiction about India and the Indian... →
Editor and author Sandhya Nankani writes a brilliant article in the August issue of Multicultural Review about five new young adult novels covering the history of India and Indians in the…
Mitali of Green Gables →
As an oft-displaced child, I borrowed roots from my favorite authors. L.M. Montgomery’s novels made Prince Edward Island one of my many homes. Just got back from a recent sojourn to “Avonlea,”…
Representing Kid Lit →
Who shall be our next National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature? Vote in my sidebar for the names most commonly suggested on Read Roger, the blog of Roger Sutton,…
July 2009
8 posts
Teens Between Cultures 2009 Writing Contests →
ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS OF THE 7th Annual FIRE ESCAPE TEENS BETWEEN CULTURES WRITING CONTESTS! POETRY Winners PROSE Winners
CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who entered, and to the…
Children of War in the Congo →
I’m launching a new series on the Fire Escape about children growing up with war, hoping to showcase books that inform, illuminate, and inspire us to…
Meet Neesha Meminger and Sheba Karim! →
BEYOND GOSSIP GIRLS An Evening with Young Adult Authors Neesha Meminger and Sheba Karim Wednesday, July 29th, 7pm Books and films for young adults have exploded onto the scene recently…
YA Books, Xenophobia, and Global Poverty →
It was a typical suburban corner bake sale fundraiser on a sunny summer afternoon, so I stopped to do my part. “We’re heading to India in 2010 to work at an orphanage,” a cheerful…
Take Me Away, Fiction →
If you can’t afford a lavish vacation this summer, here’s a list of books that make you forget where you are by creating a great sense of place. I haven’t read all of these, so don’t quote…
Book Covers and Race: WHY? →
Think the cover girl of Justine Larbalestier’s forthcoming YA thriller LIAR (Bloomsbury / October 2009) looks black? Because the novel features an African American protagonist.
…
YA Novels that Create a Sense of Place →
The best authors turn us into armchair travelers, whether in this world or into other ones. John Green took us to Orlando in PAPER TOWNS. Sarah Dessen makes me feel like I know the suburbs of North…
How To Launch a Book Online →
Curious about how to throw a virtual book launch party? Stop by Grace Lin’s launch of her enchanting new fantasy WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON (Little Brown). We’re enjoying goodies,…
June 2009
14 posts
Tips, Tricks, and Twitter Parties →
I’m departing the Fire Escape for a week’s writing retreat, but I’ll leave you with some tips, news, and tricks, as well as an update on our Twitter Book Parties: only room for two more books! …
Gran Torino: Nice Work, Eastwood →
At first glance, Gran Torino might seem like another one of those white men saves the day kind of stories that spew out of Hollywood on a regular basis. But it’s not. It’s a movie about…
Hospitality, Chattanooga Style →
My last author visit of this academic year was a quick 24-hour sojourn to Chattanooga, Tennessee over the weekend. The library put me up in the Stone Fort Inn, a bed and breakfast in the heart of…
Inquiring Minds Want To Know →
I love asking questions on Twitter (where I tend to focus on “professional” subjects) and Facebook (seems better suited for the personal stuff). Here are a few I’ve posed lately, in case you want…
Celebrating Book Birthdays on Twitter →
We’re going through some “readjustments” in the book industry, right? Well, we can’t let that stop us from celebrating milestones and accomplishments. The release of a new book is definitely…
Poll Results: Amending Classic Children's Books →
Last week, I asked visitors to the Fire Escape when, if ever, it would be okay to update a classic children’s book to reflect changing mores about race. The results (152 votes) were almost…
Race, Caste, and Class in HUNGER GAMES →
Yesterday I asked you how you pictured the characters in Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novel THE HUNGER GAMES. Well, here’s what I gleaned about race, culture, and class in this enthralling…
Race in Suzanne Collins' HUNGER GAMES →
Every now and then, I’m going to pose a 12-second video question about a YA or children’s book I’ve just finished reading. I want to listen to you before I post my own answer, so please leave your…
Virtual Author Branding: Five Tips →
This isn’t your mother’s publishing industry. These days, we authors sound more like musicians who have long worried about “generating a brand” and “developing a fan base.” Since I’ve been …
Bowlderizing Children's Books: A Poll →
Should publishers edit beloved children’s books like LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE or THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA to eliminate racial or ethnic stereotyping? When (if ever) is it okay? Please vote in…
A Writer's Day in Connecticut →
The audience at the Greenwich Arts Council and Leslie Guegen of Just Words listened yesterday to Rachel Vail (GORGEOUS/Harper Collins) and me (SECRET KEEPER/Random House) share tips…