Teens Interview Tucson Festival of Books Authors

Teen book club members and students taking media classes at  Pima County Public Library met and interviewed authors at the 2012 Tucson Festival of Books.  Listen to their interviews with Janni Simner, Sarah Cortez, Jessi Kirby and Rene Colato Lainez.

http://www.library.pima.gov/about/news/?id=3959

Review: Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

Publisher:  Dutton Juvenile

Published: February 1st 2011

The football field is a battlefield

There’s an extraordinary price for victory at Oregrove High. It is paid on—and off—the football field. And it claims its victims without mercy—including the most innocent bystanders.

When a violent, steroid-infused, ever-escalating prank war has devastating consequences, an unlikely friendship between a talented but emotionally damaged fullback and a promising gymnast might hold the key to a school’s salvation.

Told in alternating voices and with unapologetic truth, Leverage illuminates the fierce loyalty, flawed justice, and hard-won optimism of two young athletes.

It is hard to know where to exactly begin... Joshua C. Cohen's debut novel is anything and everything BUT disappointing.  I honestly cannot come up with a negative thing to say about this amazing, outstanding, one of kind, unique novel.  There is so much to say about this book that I am going to have to break it down into parts....

Kurt is the new football star at Oregrove High School.  Danny is on the Oregrove gymnastics team. Both boys have a past, full of sorrow and pain.  An unlikely friendship between these two boys is formed when pranks made between the football team and the gymnastics team get out of hand.... way out of hand.  'Prank war' is an understatement; things go beyond 'war', creating consequences more severe than one could think possible.  

As the book's synopsis implies, steroids becomes a factor in this 'war'.  I am always drawn to books that focus on 'social issues' and taboo subjects that most authors dare not touch.  If Joshua C. Cohen was afraid to write about steroid use in high school athletics, he does not show it.  Kurt and Danny are both given the opportunity to have their say, from their own personal point of view. As a reader you learn about Kurt's and Danny's past and how it in turn it is affecting their present day decisions.  Cohen's use of first person narrative makes you feel sympathy, understanding, and sometimes anger at each character; but you walk away with a better understanding of who they are.   

Cohen does not shy away from giving real and raw characters.  Danny is a hard worker with one goal in mind: to get a full ride to college through his gymnastic skills.  His quiet demeanour in the school halls is far from his loud actions as a gymnast.  While he is terrified of the 'steroid-infused' jocks that rule the school, he proves he is anything but scared while doing dare devil moves in the air.  

Kurt comes from a very sad and brutal past, one that you cannot put into words.  Having experienced things that many are lucky to not know about, Kurt hides behind his shaggy hair while out in the real world and a football helmet while on the field.  The only place he feels at 'home' is in the gym exercising or helping his teammates score touchdowns. 

Both boys' sense of security and safety are shattered when the pranks between the two teams get way out of hand, invading the few places they feel safe.  The ripple affect is greater than you could imagine, even as the reader.  That brings us to the many supporting characters.  While Kurt and Danny are clearly the starts, each supporting character plays a very important role in this novel.  You have the 'steroid-infused' football players who literally blow your mind in terms of "How can anyone act that way, and think its normal?".  Then you have the tiny small gymnastics team, who work hard to show their place in high school by trying to stand up to the jocks.  Without these supporting characters the novel would not be complete.

As I said, no matter how hard I try to come up with something negative to say about this book, I just can't.  I first thought that because I couldn't read this book in a few short sittings that this was not going to be as amazing as it was... on the contrary, I found taking this novel in small bits, at least for me, was perfect.  I was able to absorb every aspect in their entirety.  This book is RAW, GRITTY, and REAL in such a severe and affecting way.  Because of that, my mind had to grasp the severity of the topics and themes.  There were times I cringed and cried, and had to take a step back.  Other times, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next, on the edge of my seat. 

I believe that a novel of any kind should affect you on some level, in some way.  You should walk away from that novel with a new perspective or insight into something, especially from a novel that dares to tackle a 'social issue' or taboo topic.  Joshua C. Cohen provides this in the most perfect way!  I am forever changed by this novel.  If you are not afraid to confront such a raw reality that most people ignore, you MUST MUST MUST read this book!

TAKING “NO” FOR AN ANSWER by Tom Leveen

Howdy, everyone! Gather ’round. Quick story for you.

During my first year of college—long-time-ago, galaxy-far-away, blah blah blah—I finished my first young adult novel, Gothic Rainbow, about a teen girl named Zero who’s trying to become an artist and navigate her first romance. The title . . . well, maybe not a bad name for a band, but an awful name for a book.

Flash-forward many years. I’ve revised and rewritten that stupid book so many times, I’ve gone cross-eyed. Now it’s time to look for a literary agent! Woo hoo!

Forty agents in a row said, “Eh. No thanks.”  Forty. How many times should you take “no” for an answer . . .?

The forty-first agent I approached said: No.

But, she added, there was an associate agent who might be interested. And lo and behold, before I knew what was happening, I found myself with my very first agent! Bazinga!

We revised Gothic Rainbow again. And again. And again. Finally, after several months of work, my agent decreed it was time to pitch the novel to publishers.

. . . Every single one of whom said: “Eh. No thanks.” (Insert sound of deflating balloon here.)

Not to worry! I was by that time working on my second novel. This one, my agent said after reading it, was going straight to the top. A sure-fire hit for publishers. And so, with that encouragement, we revised. Again. And again . . .

Finally, after many more months of work, my agent decreed it was time to pitch the novel to publishers. Sound familiar?

Twenty-four hours before it was time to pitch, she quit her job.

On my wedding anniversary.

Now, a lesser man might’ve given up hope at this point. Me, I chucked hope off a bridge and called it bad names on the way down.

So why tell you all this? Why tell you, specifically, all this?

So that when I tell you not to let anything stop you when you have a goal, you’ll know why I’m saying it. There’s something powerful in the relentless pursuit of your real dreams and goals. It doesn’t matter what they are. Maybe you want to publish a novel (or ten). Maybe you want to win a gold medal, or be the fastest Rubik’s Cube solver in the world. Whatever it is, do not—do not—let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. That includes parents, siblings, teachers, pastors, friends . . . anyone.

Now here’s the reality: Maybe you can’t do it.

I mean, let’s say every reader of this blog wanted to be an NFL quarterback. Statistically, maybe one would actually make it that far, right? Bleak, I know.

But here’s the thing: If you pursue that goal, whatever it is, with all your heart, then other doors you may never have thought about have a way of opening up. Ideas and jobs and careers and opportunities that aren’t even on your radar right now have this curious way of showing up when you least expect them as you work toward those goals.

Plus, hey . . . someone has to be a quarterback, right?

There is a smart way to do things, of course, and I highly recommend graduating high school (with the best grades possible) and going on to at least a two-year college, if not beyond. These are safe, smart choices, and you can still attack those dreams while you do it. It’s all about how you prioritize things. I started a theatre company in my backyard while working on that first novel, for crying out loud! I only did it that way because I didn’t want anyone telling me how to run a show. That company lasted eleven years. Not bad for a backyard start-up.

So yeah, be smart about where you take your life, but don’t ever give up going after that thing or things that you really want to do. It doesn’t have to be a career thing; maybe it’s hiking Mount Everest or getting a black belt or assisting those who are in poverty or preserving the environment. I don’t care what it is; just go do it.

So. Where was I?

Oh, right: After my agent quit, another one at the agency read my second novel and decided to take me on as a client. We revised that second novel together. Again. And again . . .

It was called Party, and it sold to Random House. It became my debut YA novel on April 27, 2010.

As for Gothic Rainbow, well . . . I rewrote it (again), and did a whole new set of revisions with my new agent again (and again).

Including a title change.

Zero will be out on April 24, 2012. My second young adult novel.

Now. What was I saying? Ah, yes:

Don’t give up, okay?

Take care.

~ Tom

Tom Leveen has lived his entire life in Scottsdale, AZ. He is the author of PARTY and ZERO, as well as the upcoming MUSTARDSEED  and MONSTERS, and he is indebted to both of his agents who’ve guided him along the way. He will be co-teaching a writing class with the amazing Robin Brande on Sunday, March 11, at the Tucson Festival of Books. For information on school visits, appearances, or other miscellany, visit him at http://www.tomleveen.com/.

Book Review: Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

Perfect (Impulse #2) by Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Published: September 13th 2011

Review by: Anonymous Entrant

Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they’d rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there. Cara’s parents’ unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and off—Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes that to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he’ll be living a life his ancestors would never have understood.
Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect?
A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse, Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves.

Where do I begin with another amazing book by the ever-so talented Ellen Hopkins... Perfect is a novel that everyone must read, not just teens.  It's message transcends age, gender, sexuality, race and time.  We all want to be perfect, and for each and everyone one of us defining what is 'perfect' is different. Ellen Hopkins explores the idea of 'perfection' through characters that struggle with things that many of us have and still do: being the prettiest, the best at sports, the best academically, and to be just perfect for ourselves by being who we are.

“Fake
Is that what you are
if you choose to improve
the basic not perfect you?”  

One of my favorite characters is Cara, Connor's sister (from Impulse).  Not only is she under thumb of her parents' constant pressure to be the best academically and at everything else, she is left behind while Connor works on his own issues (must read Impulse to find out more about this).  And if that wasn't enough she is finding something about herself she never knew... she could be be a lesbian.  Can I just say this girl has a strength of wills like no other!  

Such a simple question that carries so much meaning and weight.  Ellen Hopkins has created a reality in verse perfectly (no pun intended), a reality that many of use tend to ignore or pretend doesn't exist.  Ellen Hopkins continues to grab the attention and respect of all her readers through her brute honesty and artistic craft.  Without her our Literary World would be less than it is.  She gives us hope to find the truth in ourselves, that we are all perfect, just the way we are, in Perfect. 

Jessi Kirby's Sophomore Novel

To the satisfaction of many new fans, Jessi Kirby's debut novel, Honor, will be released in May 2012.

In Honor by Jessi Kirby

Expected to be Published 8 May 2012

by Simon & Schuster

Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

Book Review: Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Published May 3rd 2011

Review by: Anonymous Entrant

From Jessi Kirby, a debut novel about confronting the past in order to move ahead.

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface. 

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.  

Jessi Kirby's debut novel, Moonglass, is a wonderful tale of loss, love, and hope. At a very young age Anna looses her mother to suicide. Now Anna is in high school and has just moved to a new town where their home is right off the beach. You would think that Anna's love for the ocean, surfing and finding moonglass (sea glass), Anna would fit right in and love it automatically. But her new home has it owns ghosts, along with Anna's, that she cannot run away from.

Despite Anna's reluctance at first she finds new friends right away; while at first she is unaware of their importance. Constantly being haunted by her Mother's decision to leave her and her father, Anna learns more about her Mother, her Mother's past as well about herself. Not only does Anna grow as a girl troubled by something she could not control, her relationship with her father rides the waves of it all.

Moonglass was an AMAZING debut novel. Jessi Kirby's use of detail, emotion, character development and symbolism are all superb, each playing a vital role in the overall novel. Kirby's details of the beach, the water, and even something as simple as the sand make you feel as if you are walking or running on the beach along with Anna, jumping off a high cliff and then hitting the water. Your experience as a reader is heightened to a new level. Kirby's character development is also done very well. While the novel centers on Anna, other characters are treated as main characters as well. Even though Anna's mother is not physically present in the book, the emotional hauntings of Anna and her memories turns her mother into a main character; on level with Anna herself.

Of course we cannot forget about the Moonglass (the namesake of the novel). The Moonglasses in themselves serve many roles, creating new dynamics for this novel: they serve as a connection for Anna to her mother, they serve as a connection to the past but at the same time the future. Just like Anna's Mother, the Moonglass serve as a main character themselves.

I could go on and on about how amazing this novel was. Jessi Kirby has really set the bar high for her next novel. Every aspect of this novel was beautifully written, created and executed. As an author Jessi Kirby has earned my respect and I for one cannot wait for her next novel. I highly recommend everyone who may have experienced something similar to Anna's experience, or loss of any kind, or anyone looking to read an amazing novel, to read this! 

A Day In The Writing Life with Jessi Kirby

 We've all heard the phrase "Butt + Chair = Pages". (At least I think so.) And in theory, it's a great one. One that I SO wish was true for me. But I require a few more steps in my equation, and the first one is actually the exact opposite of putting my butt in a chair...

After the morning dance of getting the kids ready and off to school, I usually have need to clear my head. So I throw on my trusty Sauconys and hit the beach for a run with a playlist that's tailor-made for my WIP. Right now, it's made up of Tom Petty, John Mayer, Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift, and Gaslight Anthem. Each song on the list puts me into an important scene from the story and brings back all the feelings I want to convey.

After a run and a shower, I'm ready to get to work. Almost. Generally I need another cup of coffee, some email checking, blog cruising, maybe even breakfast. I'm a terrible, awful procrastinator. Luckily I have my husband, who usually says something like "Aren't you writing today?"--which is enough to get me into gear and finally retire to my office. And because I'm now legit (depending on who you talk to), I actually have one! I used to write in the Teen Center at the library because of its cushy couch and ocean view, but this is much nicer because it's convenient and I don't get kicked out for "not being or working with a teen." Apparently, I don't look as young as I feel, and writing for them doesn't count. I checked.

Anyway, my writing cave is much more glamorous I think:

Okay, glamorous may be pushing it just a little, but inside it has everything I need: cozy chair, lap desk, candles, and a giant bulletin board I use for outlining, which I tend to be obsessive about.

Once I'm installed in my chair, I get down to work. I almost always start by reading what I've written the previous day, tweaking it a bit, then looking over my notes and diving in where I left off. I used to be very conscious of word count, but I've eased up on that and realized that I may be the slowest writer ever and that's not the worst thing to be. Or I might not be-- who knows? I feel pretty good when I can get at least a thousand words down in a sitting, but sometimes that takes me a few hours. I seriously marvel at those amazing people who can do three or five in the same amount of time. In any case, once I'm out there, it's to write, and even when everyone gets home I can do it relatively uninterrupted.

But my favorite treat, when everyone is gone, is to sit at our little dining room table and write and watch the beach. There's never a shortage of things to see.

Case in point: Earlier this month, I was sitting in this very spot when I looked up and saw this. Yes, that is Santa on the beach, directing some outrigger paddlers who couldn't get their canoe out past the waves. And it's hard to tell from this photo, but one of them is wearing reindeer antlers.

No matter where I write, I always depend on the same things--yellow legal pads, GIANT Post-Its, and my favorite orange pen that's so close to empty I'm going to have to schedule my kids' dentist appointments just so I can go to the office and snag another one. Thanks Dr. Hersch.

I also need my two best coworkers around: chocolate and caffeine, which are even better when mixed.

Some days, I stop because I've gotten stuck on a scene or bit of dialogue or feeling I can't quite get right. Others, I triumphantly snap my computer shut, sure I've just nailed it. (Usually this feeling only lasts until the next day when I read it over again.) But EVERY day, when I finish "work," I smile at the fact that I get to call it that, and thank my lucky stars for letting me have a go at the dream I've had since I was a kid. There's nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing.