Blog – Page 117 – Kate Messner

December 7, 2009

NYC: A story of snow, signing, sparkles, & soup dumplings

This weekend’s Books of Wonder signing in Manhattan was one of those author-moments I’ll tuck away and keep for pretty much ever. It was just that special, in part because we made a family weekend of the event, driving down to New York Saturday afternoon. We actually stayed here…

…in a tiny bed & breakfast that a delightful artist runs out of her three-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side. The place was beautifully decorated, cost about a third of what a hotel room would have run on this busy weekend and gave us a view of city life that you don’t get staying at a midtown high rise. Plus, it was only a block from the train, so right after we unloaded the car, we hopped on the subway and headed downtown to see the lights.

We walked to Rockefeller Center in the snow-sleet-rain-slush mix to see the Christmas tree.

It’s a little blurry because I was shivering.

So we hustled a few blocks over to Joe’s Shanghai for some of these soup dumplings that I learned about from Alvina Ling on Twitter.

These are the crab soup dumplings. To eat them, you plop one in a big spoon and sort of nibble a bite out of the top to let the soup inside cool a little bit. Then you can slurp it out and eat the noodle and the rest of the filling. They were delicious and warmed us right up.

Sunday was a day of strolling along Fifth Avenue, checking out the window displays until we made it down to Books of Wonder on 18th Street, where I was signing THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. along with seven other debut authors and their awesome books.

2009 Debut Author Event

MICHELLE ZINK – Prophecy of the Sisters
JON SKOVRON – Struts and Frets
MEGAN CREWE – Give Up the Ghost
SARAH CROSS – Dull Boy
SHANI PETROFF – Daddy’s Little Angle: Bedeviled #1
KATE MESSNER – The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z
NEESHA MEMINGER – Shine Coconut Moon
DEVA FAGAN – Fortune’s Folly

My family actually ran into Deva Fagan, the author of FORTUNE’S FOLLY, at City Bakery right before the event, so we walked over to the bookstore together and were greeted at the door with this big, beautiful display.

Here’s Peter Glassman, the man behind the incredible Books of Wonder. He introduced our panel to the audience, and everyone gave a short reading before the Q and A session.

Here’s part of the audience for the panel – and check out the cool children’s book art on the walls!

Here I am with Anna Dalziel, publicist for Bloomsbury/Walker, who wore her autumn leaves shirt just for the occasion. (Thanks, Anna, for coming out to the event on your day off!)

Here’s Anna with Rebecca Stead, whose 2009 novel WHEN YOU REACH ME is one of my all-time favorites.

It was so great to see all the authors who came out for the event (wishing I’d taken more photos!) like Laurie Calkhoven and Heidi R. Kling. I also had a chance to chat with Barry Lyga, whose YA novels I’ve admired for a long time. I’ve said it before, and I thought it a million times this weekend… The people I’ve met through my books are truly one of the best gifts of writing.

Thanks so much to everyone who came out on a busy Sunday for our Books of Wonder event…and know that if you missed it but want a book signed by any of the authors, you can call Books of Wonder (212-989-3270) to order one, and they’ll happily send it your way.

I have to mention two last things.

1. The Book

Books of Wonder has a big, beautiful book of author/illustrator autographs from its events over the years, and we all got to add our notes of thanks. It was pretty cool to be signing a book with Suzanne Collins and Ann Martin just a page or two away…

and 2. The Other Book

The one that my E had signed by Deva at the event. She read it all through dinner.

Thanks, Deva! And thanks to Sarah, Neesha, Michelle, Jon, Megan, Shani, Peter and all the other Books of Wonder people, and everyone who came out for our event. It was an afternoon to remember, for sure.

December 4, 2009

Books of Wonder This Weekend!!!

I am soooo excited! Hope to see some of you there!

December 2, 2009

Twitter, Teaching, & Books of Wonder

Today is a mish-mash of teaching-writing-bookish things.

We’re talking about setting in creative writing class this morning — how descriptions of a character’s surroundings can be not only a way to give a sense of place but also of the character’s state of mind. A cold, brisk, rain-soaked day is going to be seen (and felt) differently by different characters, depending on where they are in their journeys. In class today, we’ll be describing a setting from different points of reference. I’ll take a photo or two of our activity and post the same writing challenge here later in the week for anyone who wants to try it out.
School Library Journal’s review of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. is in the December issue — and it’s a happy, author-breathing-a-sigh-of-relief sort of review. My favorite line? "Messner’s warm and humorous tone will capture even reluctant readers." You can read the full review here (just scroll down to the M authors!)
Coincidentally, my technology feature on using Twitter with students also ended up scheduled for this edition of School Library Journal. It’s called "Pleased to Tweet You: Making a Case for Twitter in the Classroom" and talks about how I use Twitter with my 7th graders, especially as a way to connect them with authors. There’s also a how-to section for teachers who want to approach technology coordinators about trying something similar.
I’ll be signing THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. at Books of Wonder in New York this Sunday from 1-3PM with a whole group of debut authors of middle grade and YA novels.

December 6th
Sunday
1:00 – 3pm

2009 Debut Author Event

We’re giving short readings and having a whole bunch of giveaways, and we’d love to meet you (and your students!) if you live in the area!

November 30, 2009

Novels in verse, discovery drafts, writing music, & Skype

A few weeks ago in the advanced creative writing class that and I co-teach, one of our 7th grade girls had a question about writing novels in verse that stumped us. "Is it better for me to just write these poems as they come to me, do you think? Or should I have an outline first?" Having never written a novel in verse, I wasn’t sure how most people approach the process, but never fear… a talented author and Skype came to the rescue!

Lisa Schroeder, the author of I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, FAR FROM YOU, and the soon-to-be-released CHASING BROOKLYN, woke up bright and early on the West Coast to join us for a 9AM class in Northern New York.

Since Skype is already installed on my desktop computer, we didn’t need to do anything special to prepare. When Lisa called us at the appointed time, we projected her onto the big screen, and the kids came up to the computer one at a time to ask their questions.

Lisa chatted about her writing with my 7th grade writers with a genuine thoughtfulness and warmth that stayed with the kids long after their Q and A session was over. (In fact, I saw the girl from this photo in the library later on. "That Skype chat was awesome!" she said. "I was thinking about it all through math class.")

Some highlights? Lisa shared her process for writing novels in verse, including the fact that music plays a role. She mentioned bands like Lifehouse and Evanescence that help to inspire her words. She encouraged our young writers to read and read and read some more and shared some of her favorite authors, too — like John Green, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Sarah Dessen. I saw a couple of our kids smile great big smiles when Lisa admitted that she doesn’t always know all the answers when she starts writing a book. It felt like she was giving them permission to do that "discovery draft" as well, to figure things out along the way and then go back to revise.

After our Skype session, our students tweeted what they felt were some of the key points on our class Twitter account (@MessnerEnglish), so that schools that haven’t tried Skype chats could get a sense of how valuable (and fun!) they can be. Thank you so much, Lisa, for sharing your time and talent with our kids!

If you’re a teacher, librarian, or author looking for more resources on how all this works, here are a few links to check out:

Lisa Schroeder’s Skype an Author page (And she’s fantastic with kids!)
The Skype an Author Network
School Library Journal technology feature on Skyping authors: "Met Any Good Authors Lately?"
An updated list of authors who Skype with Book Clubs

November 29, 2009

GIANNA Z. Event at Books of Wonder in NY Sunday Dec. 6th!

This coming Sunday, December 6th, I’ll be in New York City signing copies of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. with a whole group of 2009 debut authors from 1-3 at Books of Wonder. Here’s the official Facebook invitation in case you’d like to RSVP there…and by all means, feel free to pass along the invitation to any FB friends who might be interested.

The event will feature an eclectic mix of middle grade and YA folks, including Deva Fagan, Sarah Cross, Neesha Meminger, Michelle Zink, Megan Crewe, Shani Petroff, Jon Skovron, and me. We’ll be having a Q and A session with door prizes and bookmarks and other goodies, and we’d love it if you could join us. I’ll be bringing my rough draft of GIANNA Z. complete with the editorial letter and notes for those interested in the writing process. And if you’re a teacher or librarian, please pass the invitation along to your students, too!

If you can’t make it but would like to order signed copies of any of these books, just give Books of Wonder a call at 212-989-3270. But if you live in the NYC area, we’d really love to see you there!

November 25, 2009

Thankful for Books, Kids, and a pumpkin named Gianna Z.

Since I got home from NCTE Saturday night, I’ve been devouring books. This happens to me when I’ve just finished a big project (I turned in the final revision for SUGAR ON SNOW after an afternoon of work in a Philly coffee shop!) – I have a sudden need to go on a reading binge before I move on to something else, so that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve finished Cynthia Omololu’s fast-paced, compelling YA debut, DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS, which comes out from Walker in February. Then it was Bonnie Shimko’s upcoming MG novel, THE PRIVATE THOUGHTS OF AMELIA E. RYE, which releases from FSG this spring and has a main character with one of the greatest voices of all time. Really. And finally, Elizabeth Partridge’s MARCHING FOR FREEDOM, an amazing narrative nonfiction account of the children and young people involved in the Civil Rights march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. All of these books are wonderful in wildly different ways, and I’ll be blogging about them all soon in more detail. For now, I’m just thankful to have read them.

I’m also thankful for these kids…

…who joined me for an author presentation at Dodge Memorial Library in Rouses Point, NY on their day off today. One boy, who was already waiting on the carpet when I arrived to set up my projector, looked up and asked, "So you write books?" I nodded and handed him copies of my two regional historical novels as well as THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. He started flipping through one of the books, and his eyes got huge. "You wrote ALL THIS?" Sometimes as authors, published or unpublished, we forget what an accomplishment that really is.

And one last thankful moment…that came in my email from a teacher in Kansas. Her school library did a great project where kids got to create pumpkins that looked like their favorite book characters. Guess who this is:

Yep…it’s my main character from THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. See the resemblance?

I love the way this reader/pumpkin artist captured Gianna’s crazy red curls and her creative spirit, and mostly, I’m honored that she connected with the character enough to turn her into a pumpkin. Moments like this, so wonderfully quirky and unexpected, have been the very best part of this book journey. Much to be thankful for, indeed.

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of wonderful people, good food, and great books!

November 23, 2009

Holiday Book Recommendation: The Espressologist

I am a writer who is mighty attached to my mocha lattes…so when I heard about Kristina Springer’s YA debut, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST (FSG, 2009), I couldn’t wait to read it. The premise? A teenaged barista does some match-making with her customers, based on their favorite coffee drinks and ultimately, finds love of her own.

This book made me want to be sixteen again (just for a minute, because most of sixteen was traumatic) so that I could get all my friends together to read THE ESPRESSOLOGIST and then meet them at the local coffee shop to talk about it. Then, of course, we’d start our OWN notebooks to match people up based on their favorite coffee drinks, just like the main character, Jane.

This YA novel is romantic fun at its finest – with great teen characters, a delightful budding romance, and enough humor to make it a sweet, sweet read.

Looking for a great holiday gift for a coffee-lover? Pair this with a gift certificate to the local coffee shop, and maybe slip in a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans. Click on the book cover to order through IndieBound!

November 23, 2009

Stories and Standards: Pairing Fiction & Nonfiction (from NCTE)

On Friday afternoon, I was part of an author panel at NCTE on the topic "Stories and Standards: Pairing Fiction & Nonfiction" along with Loree Griffin Burns, Jenny Moss, and Tanya Lee Stone. We spoke about curriculum connections for our books and suggested other titles that would pair well with them in the classroom. Here’s the presentation, via SlideShare.

Saturday was my busy day at NCTE, starting with a morning book signing, then an interview about THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. for the ReadWriteThink podcast, lunch, and the Middle Level Mosaic, a highlight of the trip for me because I got to hear presentations from English teacher rock stars like Jeff Wilhelm, Nancie Atwell, & Teri Lesesne. I’m back to school this morning to finish our unit on dystopian literature and let my students fight over the ARCs I brought home. Since they’re publisher review copies, I’ve decided I’ll be loaning them out with strings attached…so in the next few weeks, you’ll get to read some 7th grade guest reviewers’ thoughts on new titles coming out in 2010.

I’ll post more about NCTE — all the workshops and speeches — when I’ve had a little more time to process everything in my notes. In a word, it was overwhelming. But in the very best way possible. For now, here’s a Monday morning photo wrap-up.

Here I am with Emily Manning from the International Reading Association. Emily hosts a children’s book podcast on the IRA’s ReadWriteThink website (thus all the fancy recording equipment). We talked about THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. for an upcoming episode.

From left to right, that’s me, G. Neri, Jo Knowles (at her book signing!) and Lisa Yee.

Maggie Stiefvater signs copies of SHIVER and its sequel, LINGER, at Scholastic.

Maureen Johnson was signing her Scarlett books right next to Maggie. Over her shoulder, that’s author David Levithan, wearing his Scholastic editor hat and supervising the event. He’d been signing copies of WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON, his new book with John Green earlier in the day.

Here’s Rebecca Stead, signing FIRST LIGHT and WHEN YOU REACH ME at Random House.

It’s always fun spotting friends’ books at these events. Kay Cassidy’s THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY was on display at the Egmont Booth, along with Lindsay Eland’s SCONES AND SENSIBILITY (below).

Scott Westerfeld signs copies of LEVIATHAN and shows off the art from that book.

The funny & charming Kevin O’Malley signed a copy of his new Miss Malarkey book for my daughter.

On my way to grab a quick lunch Saturday, I spotted Jeff Kinney signing DIARY OF A WIMPY KID books.

Here’s a photo of one of my tables at the Middle Level Mosaic, which was sort of like an author speed-dating event. There were at least a couple dozen tables like this in the Marriott ballroom, each one with a teacher facilitator and an author. Each author spent 8-9 minutes at a table, talking about his or her book, writing, and teacher resources, and then at the end of that time, we got up and moved to the next table. Each author visited three tables, and there were great speeches interspersed during this event, too. (More on those later in the week when I’ve had time to go through my notes.)

Meanwhile, the fun continues in Philadelphia today and tomorrow with the ALAN workshop. Here’s hoping that some of the authors & teachers still in Philly will keep blogging and tweeting all the great things going on. Have a great Thanksgiving week, everyone!