They Call Me Mr. V

Coming in 2018: The Parker Inheritance

2017-06-05T17:05:00.003-05:00

Nerdy Book Club was gracious enough to host my cover reveal for my new middle grade, The Parker Inheritance. Please click-though to read more about my inspiration for the book!

Book Description:

The Westing Game meets The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 in a stirring mystery of past and present, as two kids search for a place in their families, their city, and their country with the help of each other.

The letter waits in a book, in a box, in an attic, in an old house in Lambert, South Carolina. It’s waiting for Candice Miller.

When Candice finds the letter, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, after all, who left Lambert in a cloud of shame. But the letter describes a young woman named Siobhan Washington. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle.

Grandma tried and failed. But now Candice has another chance.

So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues in the letter. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert’s history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter’s promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?

Rock The Vote

2016-09-30T09:11:00.002-05:00

Why everyone should rock the vote in 2016.

rvote.com/firstvote2016

#firstvote2016

#rockthevote

Spirit Animals Fall of the Beasts: THE RETURN

2016-05-11T05:20:00.002-05:00

My sixth book (!!) just came out! Go get it!

Spring in Photos

2016-04-25T21:39:00.000-05:00

This was a great spring! Here are some photos from my various visits earlier this year. I'm actively booking events for 2016-2017, so please contact me if you're interested!

Jeff Anderson, Linda Urban, and me at the TCTELA Conference

TO CATCH A CHEAT Book Launch

On tour for TO CATCH A CHEAT

School Visits with Katy ISD

Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival

Writing Workshop for the Hong Kong International Young Readers Festival

NTTBF Educator Day with Karin Perry, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Marie Lu, and Jonathan Maberry

In Conversation with James Dashner at NTTBF

Books and Tours and Trips, Oh My!

2016-01-12T23:12:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'll get to all the stuff in the title in a second. But first, a recap of 2015...

2015 was a weird, strange, amazing year. Thanks in much part to The Great Greene Heist, I was all over the place—Minneapolis, Phoenix, Chicago, North Texas, Houston, Los Angeles, etc. I participated in a number of national conferences and visited some great schools. A personal highlight was giving a keynote at the National SCBWI conference this summer.

I was in the big room, y’all. The big room.

A whole bunch of people and little old me at the 44th SCBWI Summer Conference (Photo by Paul O. Zelinsky)

I also sold a book--a stand-alone middle grade. It's supposed to come out in 2017...if I finish it in time.

2016 looks to be even more awesome.

As stated in the title of this post, there will be more books, trips and travel this year. I'll be kicking off the year with a book launch on Jan 23rd for To Catch A Cheat, the second Jackson Greene book. The book has already received a starred review from Kirkus. (You can still pre-order a signed copy from BookPeople.)

I'll be going on tour to support the book in February. Dates and locations are still being confirmed, but the tour schedule includes:

Tuesday, February 2 @ 6:00 PM
Books Build Conversations (w/ Stephanie Seales and Sara Hines)
Falmouth Public Library (w/ Eight Cousins Books)
Falmouth, MA

Wednesday, February 3
School visits w/ Eight Cousins (Falmouth, MA)

Thursday, February 4
School visits w/ Odyssey Books (South Hadley, MA)

Thursday, February 4 @ 6:00 PM
Author Event at Odyssey Books (South Hadley, MA)

Friday, February 5
Visits w/ Anderson's Bookshop (Chicago, IL)

Saturday, February 6 @ 2:00 PM
Event at Anderson's Bookshop - La Grange
La Grange, IL

Monday, February 8
School visit with RJ Julia (Madison, CT)

Tuesday, February 9
School visit with Parnassus Books (Nashville, TN)

Wednesday, February 10
School visits with Children’s Book Wold (Haverford, PA)

Thursday, February 11
Scholastic Summer Challenge school visit at Lake Nona Middle School (Orlando, FL)

Friday, February 12
Visits with Watchung Books (Montclair, NJ)

This will be my first official book tour. I'm super excited, but it'll be hard to be away from the girls for so long. (Especially considering that I'll be participating in a week of visits in Hong Kong later this spring--my first international book trip!)

In addition, I've got another book coming out on April 26th. Here's the cover for my Spirit Animals book, The Return:

Don't Meilin and Jhi look fierce?

And that's just through April. So all in all, there's a lot going on in 2016. Hope to see you on the road!

A Slightly Different Take on A FINE DESSERT

2015-11-03T05:00:00.001-06:00

There's been a lot of talk about A Fine Dessert, written by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. I won't rehash everything--you can check out posts at American Indians in Children's Literature and Reading While White to learn more.

A lot of people are upset about the book.

I am not.

Some background--in many ways, I see myself as the ideal purchaser of this book. I am African-American, with two picture-book age daughters. I grew up in South Carolina, about 120 miles from Charleston. I am descended from slaves from South Carolina (at least as far back as we can tell; history is not kind in that regard.) Most importantly, I love blackberries. (I even featured them in a YA novel, which is sadly out of print....)

So I was extremely excited when I first heard about this picture book. I was especially happy that the author and illustrator showcased a diverse set of people in the book. And then, very quickly, I learned of the book's troubling content. What reviewers were saying made sense, but I wanted to read the book for myself before passing judgement.

I finally purchased A Fine Dessert. I read it. And read it again. And again. And studied each illustration.

And you know--it works. For me. What especially makes it work is the Author and Illustrator's notes at the end. This book was made for discussion; more so, the creators seem to be urging for that discussion to take place. (I wonder--should the creator notes be considered part of the "book"? A discussion for another day.)

I see why many people view the book as insensitive. The illustrations of the slave girl certainly made me pause. But I also see the illustrations of the slave family as a gateway for meaningful conversations with my daughters--about slavery, artistic choice, and finding joy in the midst of great sorrow. That being said, I don't know if the book works for young readers without an adult there to facilitate discussion--which perhaps is a fatal flaw.

I understand why many people are upset about the book. And I don't want (or have the right) to invalidate another reader's feelings about the book.

But for me, A Fine Dessert works.

Cover Reveal: To Catch A Cheat

2015-06-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to post the cover for the next Jackson Greene book, TO CATCH A CHEAT! Coming January 2016 from Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic....

The blurb from Goodreads: Jackson Greene is riding high. He is officially retired from conning, so Principal Kelsey is (mostly) off his back. His friends have great new projects of their own. And as he's been hanging out a lot with Gaby de la Cruz, he thinks maybe, just maybe, they'll soon have their first kiss.

Then Jackson receives a link to a faked security video that seems to show him and the rest of Gang Greene flooding the school gym. The thugs behind the video threaten to pass it to the principal--unless Jackson steals an advance copy of the school's toughest exam. So Jackson devises a three-part plan to foil the blackmailers, clear his friends' names for good, and trap the true bad guys along the way. As Gang Greene executes another multistep caper full of twists and turns, they learn that sometimes it takes a thief to catch a cheat.

And while I'm posting, here's the cover for the trade paperback of THE GREAT GREENE HEIST (which was released a few months ago)!

Both were designed by Nini Goffi, with art by Kali Ciesemier. Beautiful, right?

End of the Summer Update

2014-08-17T22:43:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all the bookstores participating in the Great Greene Challenge! I know I’ve said this before, but I don’t think I can say it enough —thank you so, so, so much for supporting me, The Great Greene Heist, and diverse books. I am beyond humbled. I’ll be shipping out prizes to the winners (Watermark Books– the Grand Prize Winner with the most book sold!), Odyssey Bookshop (winner of the challenge against Eight Cousins) and Flyleaf Books (winner of the random drawing) at the end of the month.

I’ll be on the road a lot this fall—check the calendar for dates. I’m kicking things off in New York on Tuesday speaking at the Scholastic Teacher Weekand on a panel at Books of Wonder — I would love to see you there or at any of my other events. (Also, I have limited availability for school visits for 2014-2015, but please email me if you’re interested.)

Finally, I’m happy to report that The Great Greene Heist is both in its second printing (Woot!) and is also a featured pick for the Fall 2014 Scholastic Book Fair. They even made a spiffy video. (I always thought there was a bit more bass in my voice....)

P.S.: The main reason that I've been MIA from the blog this summer:

Introducing Sydney Leanne. (Pic taken 2 months ago....)

Middle Grade Mayhem Book Launch!

2014-06-07T09:33:00.001-05:00

Please join me, Jennifer Ziegler, and Greg Leitich Smith at Bookpeople on June 14 at 2:00 as we launch our new middle grade titles! There will be shenanigans, mayhem, treats and books!

It's on the shelves (and I'm talking about it)!

2014-05-29T01:06:00.000-05:00

THE GREAT GREENE HEIST is now available! You can pick up signed / personalized copies at BookPeople and The Book Spot. The book is also available from your local independent bookstore, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, and anywhere else books are sold.

If you're interested in hearing me talk more about the book, check out the following interviews and blog posts:

- At Kirkus Reviews, I talk about the importance of diversity and dropping the reader right into the story.

- At Nerdy Book Club, I talk about my own "code of conduct" in writing the novel.

- At Project Middle Grade Mayhem, I talk about the inspiration behind the book and how my time at VCFA shaped the story.

- And, on Sunday, June 1st at 1:00 CST, I'll be talking with Hopeton Hay on KAZI 88.7. If you're interested in checking it out, you can stream the station live.

Love that button!

As a reminder, I will donate $1.50 for every copy of THE GREAT GREENE HEIST sold before and during the first week of release to Girlstart, a nonprofit that encourages girls' interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Specifically, I'll be supporting their Summer Camp Scholarship fund called Send a Girl To Camp, which helps to sponsor girls for week-long camps focused on STEM programs.

Save for a few events such as my joint launch with Jennifer Ziegler and Greg Leitich Smith (details coming soon), the #SharpSchuBookClub, and LeakyCon (!!!), I'm taking the summer off, but I'll be back on the road in the fall.

Thanks so much for the support!

Girlstart, STEM, and a Surprise

2014-05-07T21:50:00.000-05:00

I have been honored and humbled with all the attention and goodwill that the #GreatGreeneChallenge has garnered. So many authors, booksellers, librarians, educators, and friends have stepped up to support the book. I want to do my part as well.

Therefore, I will donate $1.50 for every copy of The Great Greene Heist sold before and during the first week of release to Girlstart, a nonprofit that encourages girls' interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Specifically, I'll be supporting their Summer Camp Scholarship fund called Send a Girl To Camp, which helps to sponsor girls for week-long camps focused on STEM programs.

As an engineer, the spouse of a former engineer, and the father of two girls, Girlstart's mission is very personal to me. Perhaps my girls will become engineers or writers. (Or both!) Maybe they'll become teachers or lawyers or librarians. Whatever they decide, I just want them to have as many opportunities as possible. Girlstart helps to open up those possibilities.

Please consider buying a book (including personalized books) to help support this program, or make a donation yourself. (Or both!)

(And yes, I said two girls! Baby #2 will make her appearance in early June!)

The Great Greene Heist Challenge

2014-04-29T22:43:00.001-05:00

Updated to add: Thank you so much for participating in the #GreatGreeneChallenge. For all participating bookstores, please email me at vcj (at) varianjohnson (dot) com to let me know (1) that you participated in the challenge (if you're not listed below) and (2) the number of books sold (if you'd like to provide that information). Again, there will be two giveaways--one for the store that sold the most books and another as a random drawing from all the stores that participated. There will also be separate giveaways for the "one-on-one" challenges.

***

Thanks to many friends, there's been a lot of support for me and The Great Greene Heist.

Author Kate Messner issued the first challenge, stating:

“Speaking up is one great way to ask for change. But buying books may be an even better way.

At the end of the day, publishing is a business that needs to make money to survive. Given that reality, the best way for readers to ask for more diversity in children’s literature is not with words and tweets and blog posts alone but also with dollars."

She encouraged readers to purchase a copy of the book from their local indie, with the idea that enough pre-sales could help the book make the New York Times Best Seller list and send a message that diversity in books matters.

Many wonderful independent bookstores, including Eight Cousins, Inc and Odyssey Bookshop got involved, and then author Shannon Hale upped the stakes, challenging other indies to join into the contest.

It's all very, very humbling.

It also happened really fast, so we didn't quite have the logistics in place for the contest. We're still working out a few details, but here's what you need to know:

The contest will run from now through June 30. (Pre-sales count as first week sales!)

I'll be compiling a few sets of author goodies (signed books, swag, free Skype visits) contributed by many wonderful friends and authors.

1) One package will go to the bookstore that sells the most copies of The Great Greene Heist.

2) The second package will be a random drawing of all the bookstores that have "signed up" for the challenge (no purchase necessary, just need to know who you are).

3) A separate set of goodies (provided by me) will go to the winners of each "one-on-one" challenge.

I'll update the list of giveaways as they come in, but so far:

1) Kate Messner is offering a free hour-long Skype writing workshop that the winning store can use for an in-store event or give away to a great teacher-librarian customer.

2) Grace Lin is giving a copy of The Great Greene Heist (along with artwork!!) away as part of the We Need Diverse Books Challenge and will give each participating bookstore a free print from her etsy store.

3) John Green is generously offering 10 signed copies of The Fault In Our Stars to any bookstore that can handsell 100 copies of The Great Greene Heist in the first month.

4) Skila Brown is donating a signed copies and bookmarks of Caminar, her debut novel-in-verse (which is a Junior Library Guild Selection and the recepient of starred reviews from Horn Book and School Library Journal).

5) Ally Condie is donating a signed hardcover set of the New York Times bestselling Matched trilogy.

6) Janet Fox is donating signed copies of her historical YA Forgiven.

7) Karen Sandler is donating a signed set of her Tankborn trilogy.

8) Author Bethany Hegedus, owner of The Writing Barn, has offered a 3 day/2 night writing retreat for two to the bookstore that handsells the most copies of The Great Greene Heist. The bookstore may gift the retreat to a deserving customer/writer/reader.

9) Signed books by author Donna Gephart.

These are the indies that have taken the challenge so far (that I'm aware of--I'll update the list as I receive additional names):

One-one-One Challenges:

Eight Cousins, Inc (Falmouth, MA)
vs
Odyssey Bookshop (South Hadley, MA)

Watermark Books (Wichita, KS)

Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX)

From My Shelf Books and Gifts (Wellsboro, PA)
vs

Aaron's Books (Lititz, PA)

And the Rest of the Best:

The Book Frog (CA)

Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts (CA)
R.J. Julia Booksellers (CT)

Tattered Cover Bookstore (CO)
Rediscovered Books (ID)

Wellesley Books (MA)
Brookline Booksmith (MA)
Porter Square Books (MA)
Children's Book Seller (ME)
Bookbug (MI)
The Book Beat (MI)

Red Balloon Bookshop (MN)
Flyleaf Books (NC)
Oblong Books (NY)
The Bookstore Plus (NY)
Big Blue Marble Bookstore (PA)
Bear Pond Books (VT)
University Bookstore (WA)

While you can order the book from any retailer, PLEASE consider ordering from your local independent bookstore or one of the ones listed here.

Personalized Books:

In addition, I'm happy to announce that my two local indies, BookPeople and The Book Spot, will be selling personalized copies of The Great Greene Heist. BookPeople will also provide a signed copy of The Kelsey Job, a short prequel to TGGH, with each book sold.

If you're an indie that would like to be included, either leave a comment here, email me at vcj (at) varianjohnson (dot) com, or send me a tweet at @varianjohnson.

And if you're an author that would like to participate, (1) I would be forever in your debt and (2) email or tweet at the address above and I'll give you additional details (or send a tweet to Shannon at @haleshannon, and she'll get the info to me).

I would love for this book to become a best seller, but even if it doesn't, I am so grateful for all the support is has received so far.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for taking part in the #GreatGreeneChallenge.

The Kelsey Job (or, the story behind the story)

2014-04-22T06:13:00.001-05:00

Want to know the story behind the story of The Great Greene Heist? Check out The Kelsey Job, a short prequel that takes place a few months before the novel.

Also, since the last time I posted, a few nice things have happened with the novel. It received a number of positive reviews, including a starred review from Kirkus. It was also named a Publishers Weekly Best Summer Book of 2014 (one of three middle grade novels).

And one last thing: I received a few copies of the novel this week. This page, by far, is my favorite part of the book:

5 weeks and counting!

A New Cover!

2014-02-24T22:10:00.001-06:00

...but first, check out all these awesome blurbs for
THE GREAT GREENE HEIST!

"A political heist page-turner set in middle school? Is that even possible? Varian Johnson shows us how it's done, expertly walking the tightrope between true-to-life school experiences and belly laughs."

— GORDON KORMAN, author of Swindle and The Hypnotists

"Pay attention! This terrific story speeds ahead on every page, but the lively characters will make you care enough to keep up. Do yourself a favor and start reading immediately."

— REBECCA STEAD, Newbery-winning author of
When You Reach Me and Liar & Spy

"The Great Greene Heist is one crazy cool caper!"

– RITA WILLIAMS-GARCIA, Newbery Honor-winning author
of One Crazy Summer and P.S. Be 11

"A smart, charming, and hilarious novel featuring one of my favorite protagonists in years. I'd follow Jackson Greene anywhere, and The Great Greene Heist is a fantastic ride.

— MATT DE LA PEÑA, author of The Living and Mexican WhiteBoy

“This fast, funny heist novel takes the reader on a ride full of twists and turns. I’m a sucker for a good scam, and Jackson and his gang work one of the best in the business. Nice pull, Varian Johnson!”

– JUDE WATSON, author of Loot and In Too Deep (The 39 Clues).

And here's the revised cover!

After the release of the initial cover, Scholastic got feedback from a lot of channels, and there was an overall desire to see more of the OCEAN’S 11/James Bond nature of the book. At the same time, we all wanted to stay with the same illustrator (the uber-talented Kali Ciesemier) and retain the spirit of diversity from the old cover.

I love this cover, and I hope you all do as well.

(I can't believe that the novel will be out in a little over three months. Things are starting to happen behind the scenes...looking forward to sharing more soon!)

More Jackson Greene!

2014-01-21T21:50:00.000-06:00

I posted this on my brand-new, ultra-underutilized Tumblr page, but I figured I'd post it on the good old blog as well:

Varian Johnson's TO CATCH A CHEAT, a sequel to his forthcoming middle-grade caper, THE GREAT GREENE HEIST, in which an eighth-grade con artist and his crew must reunite to clear their names after being framed for a prank and stop a group of cheaters from stealing a school exam, again to Cheryl Klein at Arthur A. Levine Books, by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger (World).

So happy to be working with Cheryl and the crew at Arthur A. Levine and Scholastic again! More soon!

2014, Day 1

2014-01-01T12:36:00.003-06:00

I really hate making New Year’s Resolutions.

Let me clarify—I don’t hate making them, but I don’t do such a good job of keeping and tracking them. Last year, my goal was to write 1500 words a week. Did I hit it? Maybe. I never really tracked it, so it’s hard to say. Plus, I spent a lot of time revising The Great Greene Heist—and it’s hard to count those as new words, even though it often takes just as long to revise as to write a first draft.

So I’m not going to make any big, grandiose resolutions for the new year. However, there are a number of things I want to work on in 2014, including:

1) Finding a way to balance day job / family / writing: This is always a struggle, finding a way to keep all the balls in the air. I want to continue to find ways to be more productive when writing and when working, so I’ll be able to physically and mentally “be” with my family when I’m at home. I’ve also gone back to writing in the mornings—it’s amazing how much work you can get done when everyone’s asleep. Of course, what will really help with this balance is—

2) Being okay with saying "No". 2012 was a really busy year for me—I accepted a lot of teaching and speaking engagement (including a 10-day stint as a grad assistant at VCFA, a week-long teaching assignment at the Highlights Foundation Full Novel Workshop, and speaking at NCTE in Las Vegas, among other things). I promised my family that I’d cut back in 2013. Even though I missed out of a number of events I usually attend, the time away was well worth it—I got a lot of writing done, and I had the opportunity to spend a lot more time with my daughter. I’ll be doing more events in 2014, but I still plan to be very deliberate about what I choose to do.

3) Being an author and a writer: When I talk to new writers, I often say that there’s a big difference in Varian-the-writer and Varian-the-author. When I’m in writer-mode, I’m just worried about me and the page. But when I’m working as Varian-the-author, I have to deal with everything else in the business—marketing, contracts, taxes, speaking engagements, invoices and payments, etc. With a new book coming out this year, I know I can’t totally neglect all of the business stuff, but I also want to make sure I nurture the writing as well. Writing retreats are really good for that, and I’m hoping to take two in 2014. And really, the best marketing is writing a new, great book.

Sara's clients at the S3Q2 retreat: me, Jessica, Rachel, Marianna & Amy Rose

I’m sure there are more things to work on, but now it’s time to write. Happy 2014, people.

Favorite of 2013 (and some stray thoughts)

2013-12-09T00:29:00.001-06:00

This post by Joy Piedmont at Someday My Printz Will Come pretty much sums up why I adore Eleanor & Park.

Note 1: I don't necessarily think it'll win the Printz - my money's on Boxers & Saints - but an honor would be a well-deserved recognition.

Note 2: I also loved Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl.

Note 3: I loved the music threads in both Eleanor & Park and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and would kill to read a novel that paid homage to late 80's and early 90's R&B / Rap / Hip-Hop in a similar way. If this book exists, please email me and let me know.

The Great Greene Heist

2013-10-09T06:22:00.001-05:00

The Great Greene Heist

Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic
Middle Grade

Summer 2014

Edited by Cheryl Klein

Cover Illustration by Kali Ciesemier

"If you're going to pull a con, know how to pull a con in style."

Catching Up and Open Mic

2013-05-30T20:58:00.001-05:00

First of all, thanks so much for all the kind words and support you all showed concerning my blog post about the lack of black boys in middle grade literature. (Also, be sure to check out the comments—lots of good stuff there.) I've been thinking about it a lot, and while I don't have a definitive solution to the problem, there are some things I know I can do to make a difference, such as:

1) Mentor more authors of color.
2) Mentor more authors writing about people of color.
3) Keep talking about the problem.
4) Continue to include diverse casts in my novels.
5) Buy books featuring people of color!

I'm not saying that my solutions are the only solutions, but I think they're the best way for me to make a difference. I've already got two manuscripts lined up to read (one written by an African-American male, the other featuring an African-American male as the main character). Depending on my schedule, I hope to take on a few additional authors next year.

Finally, I can't believe I haven't posted about this, but I'm proud to be one of ten authors featured in the upcoming anthology, Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices (Candlewick, Sept 2013). The anthology, edited by author Mitali Perkins, has already been named a Junior Library Guild selection and will also be released as an audiobook. You can learn more about the anthology on Facebook and at the Candlewick website.

Here's the full list of authors in order of appearance:

"Becoming Henry Lee" by David Yoo

"Why I Won't Be Watching the Last Airbender Movie" by Gene Luen Yang

"Talent Show" by Cherry Cheva

"Voilà" by Debbie Rigaud

"Three-Pointer" by Mitali Perkins

"Like Me" by Varian Johnson

"Confessions of a Black Geek" by Olubemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

"Under Berlin" by G. Neri

"Brotherly Love" by Francisco X. Stork

"Lexicon" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Where are all the black boys?

2013-05-15T07:47:00.001-05:00

Last week, author and librarian Betsy Bird posted this on Twitter: "At the risk of sounding desperate, can anyone name me just ONE middle grade novel published in 2013 starring an African-American boy?"

She later followed up with a post listing all the books published in 2013 featuring African-American boys as main characters. If I'm counting correctly, the number is somewhere around eight. Maybe ten, when you count some of the small publishers.

You have no idea how depressed this makes me feel.

There are a lot of theories why these books aren't being published. Maybe authors aren't writing them. Maybe editors and agents aren't acquiring them. Maybe readers don't want them.

While this makes me worry about the state of the industry, I find myself first worrying about my daughter. My nieces. And especially my nephew.

I grew up in a time when there were very few books for young people featuring people of color. There's no way to describe how it feels NOT to see yourself in books. There's no way to describe how it feels NOT to see other authors that look like you writing books. As someone that had wanted to be an author since I was in second grade, it was...crushing.

Hell, it's still crushing. Have you ever scanned the shelves at your local bookstore? If the real world were like the YA section, I wouldn't exist.

Knocking on wood—I have a new book coming out next year. It's my first middle grade, and while it features an ensemble cast, the main character is a thirteen-year-old African-American boy. As of today, it's titled THE GREAT GREENE HEIST (published by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, edited by Executive Editor Cheryl Klein). It's about...well, a heist.

(Sorry, but I don't do well with describing my own books. And while I'm at it, sorry for all the disclaimers, but in publishing, nothing is ever set in stone until the book's on the shelves.)

Selfishly, I worry that no one will buy the book. Either people will think it's not relevant to them because it features a black boy. Or they won't buy it because they'll think it's about slavery or racism. Or people won't buy it because it's NOT true Black History Month material. (Or it could just suck, but that's a worry shared by the majority of authors.)

I try not to obsess about things like this, but given the industry's track record, can you blame me?

I also worry that with such a small sampling of books that feature African-American boys, my book will have to do double or triple or quadruple duty. Being a fun caper novel won't be enough. It'll have to be more. More literary. More commercial. More accessible. More poignant.

I know this is crazy talk. This is the type of talk that puts authors in a forever do-loop with a manuscript. I know this—but still, I worry.

I feel fortunate that this book is being published by Cheryl and the folks at AAL /Scholastic. I trust that they'll make the right decisions about the cover—whether it features a brown face or not. I trust that they'll do what is best to get the book in the hands of all readers, not just ones with brown faces. (And please, please read this blog post about judging coversby Andrea Davis Pinkney, vice president and editor at large of Scholastic's Trade Books. Even as an author of color, I struggle with this issue.)

I'm working on a new project now, and it's tough going. But in a day or so, I'll try to forget about publishing statistics and book covers and authorial responsibility and all the other crap that can weight an author down. And then I'll get back to work.

This is why we need more books featuring people of color.

2013-01-24T21:15:00.001-06:00

Uh-oh! by Rachel Isadora (Harcourt, 2008)

Rhombus - Five Years Later

2013-01-08T22:48:00.003-06:00

I always call My Life as a Rhombus, "the little book that could." When it was published, I had no idea what to expect. Would people like it? Would I be brave enough to talk about it? Would anyone even notice the book?

I'm happy to say that this is the five-year publication anniversary of the book. And it's still in print (either the third or fourth printing...not sure). Even though I'm older - and more cynical when it comes to the publishing biz - my heart always warms a little when I get a message from a reader about Rhombus. I've gotten the gamut of responses about the book, from people telling me that the book is pro-choice or pro-life or great or horrible...or that they're so glad to read about a character like Rhonda. A character like them. And that really means a lot.

Of course, the royalty checks are nice, too. Every six months, I get to supersize my Wendy's combo meal.

Seriously, for all of you out there that have read Rhombus - or any of my books - thank you. I am honored that you would take the time to read what I have to write.

Last post of 2012

2012-12-23T09:31:00.000-06:00

So while I haven't been posting here, I have been blogging. I talked about planning a writing retreat at the Crowe's Nest, and I talked about 2013 Goals at Quirk and Quill.

Concerning goals, I decided to get a jump start on my 2013 goal this week--which is to write 1500 words a week. So far, I'm written about 1000 words. Can I add 500 more before the Sunday night? I'm a bit skeptical, but we'll see. I'm trying to cut myself a little slack--for me it's always hardest to produce words at the beginning of a manuscript--but a goal is a goal.

I hope you all have a blessed and productive and awesome 2013!

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents

2012-11-15T21:07:00.000-06:00

Even though my throat is a bit raw, and even though I may have to bring day-job work with me, I'm so looking forward to the ALAN conference. (Of course, it doesn't hurt that it's in Las Vegas.) Looking forward to seeing some of you there!

Sunday, Nov 18th: ALAN Reception.

Tuesday, Nov 20th, 2:40 - 3:40: Breakout Session: Issues on Social Justice (With Ann Angel, J.L. Powers, and Peter Marino).

Why I adore Rebecca Stead

2012-08-27T23:19:00.007-05:00

As I prepare to dive into the next draft of my manuscript, I find myself thinking about this quote from author Rebecca Stead. When asked how to craft a believable voice, she replied:

"Read. Listen. Wait a little, if you want to. Let the voice gather force in your mind. But don’t wait forever.

And mostly, don’t be discouraged if it feels terrible for a while."

(You can read the full interview at Novel Novice.)

I could go on and on about how much I adore Rebecca as a person and an author, about how I can't wait to share When You Reach Me with my kid, about how I bought Liar and Spy on the first day it was available...but I've been reading and listening and waiting for long enough. Now it's time to write.