Teen Author Pizza Party and Teen Book Brunch

Calling all pizza and book lovers!  Join authors Ransom Riggs, of "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" and Tahereh Mafi, of "Shatter Me" for a FREE pizza party at the University Book Store in Mill Creek Town Center on Friday, June 14th at 7 p.m. Come hear Ransom and Tahereh speak about their books while eating delicious pizza.



























The Teen Book Brunch will return on Saturday, June 22nd at 11 a.m. at the University Book Store in Mill Creek Town Center. Come hear about hot new books and ideas for summer reading while enjoying Top Pot donuts and take home copies  of soon to be released books! You should be prepared to talk about a book you've read recently.

Teen Book Brunch with Karen Finneyfrock and Marissa Meyer

The Teen Book Brunch series is continuing at the University Bookstore in Mill Creek Towncenter in February and March. Sno-Isle Libraries and University Bookstore are partnering up to bring two more local authors in to talk about their new books and how they write.

Karen Finneyfrock, author of the newly released The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door, will be at the Teen Book Brunch this Saturday, February 23rd from 11-12. The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door is one of the best debut novels I've read all year. Celia Door enters her freshman year of high school with giant boots, dark eyeliner, and a thirst for revenge against Sandy Firestone, the girl who did something unspeakable to Celia last year. But then Celia meets Drake, the cool new kid from New York City who entrusts her with his deepest, darkest secret. When Celia's quest for justice threatens her relationship with Drake, she's forced to decide which is sweeter: revenge or friendship.

Marissa Meyer, author of Cinder and the follow-up Scarlet, will be at the Teen Book Brunch on Saturday, March 2nd from 11-12. Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second installment of the Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner. 

The Teen Book Brunches are held at the University Bookstore in the Mill Creek Towncenter and are open to everyone, not just teens. Top Pot donuts are provided and occasionally there are giveaways. These brunches are a great place to get to know authors and hear about new books. At the the last Teen Book Brunch, where Kristin  Halbrook had her release party for Nobody But Us, there were practically more teen authors in attendance than teens- including Daniel Marks, J. Anderson Coats, A R Kahler, and Marissa Meyer. You never know who will turn up at a Teen Book Brunch! Hope to see you at the next one!

Teen Read Month Sneak Peek: Book and Author Events

Because October is Teen Read Month, we have all kinds of great book and author events coming up:

• Audio Book Cafe: "Thirteen Reasons Why" - Marysville (10/3, 10/17) 
• Lynnwood Book Group: "The Help" - (10/8) 
• Pizza and Books: A Bring Your Own Book Group - Marysville (10/10) 
• Teen Book Brunch - Mill Creek (10/13) 
• Meet the Authors: Teen Author Panel - Mukilteo (10/18) 
• Kendare Blake ("Anna Dressed in Blood")
• J. Anderson Coats ("The Wicked and the Just")
• Jennifer Shaw Wolf ("Breaking Beautiful") 
• Daniel Marks ("Velveteen").
• Pizza and Books - Stanwood (10/18) 
• Meet Local Author Katherine Grace Bond - Monroe - (10/29)

Want to see more events like this at your local library?  Tell your Teen Librarian. Or better yet, join your local Teen Advisory Board and help plan great stuff while earning volunteer credit!

Scott Westerfeld in Seattle

I know there are Westerfeldians in this audience.

From his site:

Friday, October 7
7:00PM
Not 5PM as previously advertised!
Central Library
1000 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104

This is a Secret Garden Bookstore event, so you’ll be able to buy books.

I Twittered at him to see if his talk would be similar to one I heard by him a few weeks ago. It will be. Which means:

Go. Seriously. Drop whatever plans you had and GO. It will SO be worth it. PROMISE. Even if you haven't ever had any interest in any of his books. GO.

Writing Workshops

For the next three Tuesday's Lynnwood Library has actual authors of teen fiction magically appearing at 4pm to help you hone your creative writing skills (and really, all your writing skills). This is a free series funded by the Friends of the Lynnwood Library, and a grant from Fred Meyer. Not only will the authors be there to answer all of your questions about writing and publishing, but I'll be giving away free books of the author's latest title to 2-3 teen attendees at each workshop.

Tuesday, August 2nd
Caridad Ferrer
4pm
Author Caridad Ferrer ("Adios to My Old Life," "When the Stars Go Blue") will use music, art, food, and other sensory stimulants to spark new creativity and precision in this writing workshop. Two attendees will win a copy of "When the Stars Go Blue."

Tuesday, August 9th
Sarah Jamila Stevenson
4pm
Author Sarah Jamila Stevenson ("The Latte Rebellion") will lead this writer's workshop on finding "voice" in your writing. She'll explain the idea of voice, illustrated with examples of distinctive writing voices from classic and contemporary YA novels. You will also talk about the difference between the author's writing voice and the characters' voices. As a group, you'll discuss what voice does for the reader's experience, and what role it plays in the writing process. Finally, the group will do a few writing exercises designed to help you find your own writing voice, and to help you experiment with character voices. Three attendees will win copies of "The Latte Rebellion."

Tuesday, August 16th
Lish McBride
4pm
Author Lish McBride ("Hold Me Closer, Necromancer") will guide teens in discovering the importance of characters and what makes them, be they good or evil, seem real. She'll share with you a few character tricks that helped her become a Morris Award finalist. Three lucky attendees will win copies of "Hold Me Closer, Necromancer."

Hope to see you there!

For directions to Lynnwood Library, click here.

Margo Lanagan at University Bookstore Seattle - TUESDAY!

One of my favorite authors is speaking this Tuesday at the University Bookstore in Seattle!

Tuesday • July 5 • 7pm
Clarion West Presents Margo Lanagan
Reading & Book Signing
U District Store

Margo Lanagan invokes the primal power of fairy tales through characters driven by joy, sorrow, and heart-clenching secrets. Her collection Black Juice received two World Fantasy awards; she also won World Fantasy awards for her novel Tender Morsels and her novella "Sea-hearts." Making a rare visit from her native Australia, Lanagan will share her writing live and fresh with the storyseekers in all of us.

Here are her rather challenging but totally excellent teen books we own:

Brian Jacques is Dead

"Brian Jacques, beloved children's author of the 'Redwall' series, dies at age 71."

So says the headline at Entertainment Weekly's Shelf Life.

The BBC has a little more information.

UPDATED: School Library Journal as a really nice obituary.

I will always remember reading Redwall and Martin the Warrior and Mossflower. I loved The Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, too.

What was your favorite Brian Jacques book?

Author Jennifer Donnelly in Lynnwood Tomorrow!

Jennifer Donnelly, award-winning author of A Northern Light, will be appearing at the Alderwood Barnes and Noble tomorrow night (Wednesday October 13, 2010) at 7:00pm. She will be discussing "her newest novel, Revolution -- an unforgettable story of two girls, two centuries apart, timeless adventure and enduring love. Signing to follow."

Sno-Isle doesn't have her newest book in quite yet, but we do have some of her previous ones ready to check out:

A Northern Light
In 1906, sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer against the wishes of her father and fiance, takes a job at a summer inn where she discovers the truth about the death of a guest. Based on a true story.

The Winter Rose (adult)
When India Selwyn Jones, a young woman from a noble family, graduates from the London School of Medicine for Women in 1900, her professors advise her to set up her practice in London's esteemed Harley Street. Driven and idealistic, India chooses to work in the city's East End instead, serving the desperately poor. In these grim streets, India meets--and saves the life of--London's most notorious gangster, Sid Malone. A hard, wounded man, Malone is the opposite of India's aristocratic fiance, Freddie Lytton, a rising star in the House of Commons. Though Malone represents all she despises, India finds herself unwillingly drawn ever closer to him, intrigued by his hidden, mysterious past.

LOTS of SECRETS!

Looks good, doesn't it? The author will be at Lynnwood Library (!!) on Tuesday, August 17 at 4pm leading a writing workshop: Keeping Secrets: Creating Characters Who Turn the Page

Official Blurb: "Join author Holly Cupala (Tell Me a Secret) as she shares her secrets about creating realistic characters who have depth, flaws and something they aren't telling."

We will be giving away TWO free signed copies (one from Ms. Cupala, one from Lynnwood Friends of the Library) of TELL ME A SECRET to workshop attendees!

If you can't make it to the workshop for a chance at one of the free books, place a hold on Tell Me a Secret!

In my humble opinion, the above book trailer is one of the best I've ever seen. Share a link, in the comments, to one of YOUR favorite book trailers and be entered into a drawing to win a copy of:

Queen of Secrets by Jenny Meyerhoff
"Fifteen-year-old Essie Green, an orphan who has been raised by her secular Jewish grandparents in Michigan, experiences conflicting loyalties and confusing emotions when her aunt, uncle, and cousin move back from New York, and her very religious cousin tries to fit in with the other football players at Essie's high school, one of whom is Essie's popular new boyfriend."

The winner will be announced on Tuesday, August 17th, so you have until midnight on the 16th to share your favorite book trailer!

(And don't forget to enter The Chronicles of Nick giveaway! Deadline is Thursday!)

Printz Winning Author Speeches

Last week I had the awesome opportunity to attend the American Libraries Association conference and go to the Printz Author reception put on by the Young Adult Library Services Association. The speeches the authors gave were funny, heartfelt and just plain wonderful. And now you can watch them, too! Libba Bray's especially is not to be missed.


Adam Rapp talking about his dark, but great, book Punkzilla:



Deborah Heiligman speaking about Charles and Emma (so romantic!):


Rick Yancey talking about his terrifying and gruesome The Monstrumologist:


John Barnes speaking from his heart about how writing Tales of the Madman Underground changed his life:


And of course, the big winner, Libba Bray being her witty, sweet, hilarious self, talking about the amazing Going Bovine:


If you needed a great little summer reading list...you could not go wrong with these books. I thought they were all great. Punkzilla was a bummer, but oh so good. Charles and Emma was incredibly sweet. The Monstrumologist was the goriest book I've enjoyed in a long time. Tales of the Madman Underground is very mature, with characters you just want to hug. And Going Bovine made me laugh so hard, but also broke my heart.. I'd love to hear what you thought of any of these!

Calling Teen Writers!

How do writers make a real scene of a simple situation? Layering of course! Young adult authors Heather Davis (Never Cry Werewolf, The Clearing) and Liz Gallagher (The Opposite of Invisible) will lead you through the process of layering in setting, character emotions, thoughts and other details that make a scene come alive.

Actual. Published. Authors of Awesomeness will be at Lynnwood Library at 4pm.

Writing a book? Think you might want to someday? Aiming to be the next famous author?Just want to rock at the next creative writing assignment? Bored with summer already and need something to do this afternoon?

Not to be missed. Seriously.

And while we're at it, there are two more writing workshops this summer, so put July 27 & August 17th on your calendar, 'cause Kevin Emerson (songwriting workshop!) and Holly Cupala (Keeping Secrets: Creating Characters Who Turn the Page) will be here!

Hunger Mountain Prize for Young Writers

Ripped from the headlines an email somebody sent me:

"A Prize for Young Writers
Poetry, Fiction & Creative Nonfiction
Judge: M.T. Anderson
Prize: Publication in Hunger Mountain online
$250 to first place winner in each genre, $100 to runners-up

We are looking for talented high school students to enter poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in the Hunger Mountain Prize for Young Writers. We accept any form of poetry. Fiction can be experimental or traditional.
Creative nonfiction can be personal essay or mini memoir.

The Judge for the competition is National Book Award Winner and New York Times Bestselling author M.T. Anderson, author of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; Burger Wuss; and Feed.

Submissions should be under 8,000 words, double spaced, in Times New Roman font and not stapled. Poets are welcome to enter up to three poems per entry. Manuscripts must be accompanied by an index card with the writer’s name, address, email address, telephone number, as well as the title and genre of the work. The writer’s name should not be on the manuscript itself. Please enclose a $10 entry fee. Postmark submissions by April 30, 2010. We will do our best to notify prize winners in June.

Please send work to the following address:
Hunger Mountain Prize for Young Writers
Hunger Mountain
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College St.
Montpelier, VT 05602

For complete guidelines and to learn about past prize winners please visit Hunger Mountain."

Chat with Scott Westerfeld

Based on how many of you ask me for The Uglies Trilogy, I suspect there's a healthy cadre of Westerfans out there. Therefore, I figure you should know that Scott Westerfeld is the featured author at readergirlz this month. They are talking Leviathan.

If you are still waiting for your copy of Leviathan to come in, the postergirlz have some recommended reads to go along with Leviathan:

• The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkowski


• Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel


• The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson


• Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey


• Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

And, because this is the month of BOOK TRAILERS, here's Leviathan's awesome one:



"Do you oil your war machines, or do you FEED them?" muhahahahaha!

Westerfeld will be chatting at the rgz blog all month long, including a LIVE chat on March 17th at 6pm.

As an added bonus, here's a video Westerfeld made:

Supernatural Authors - tonight at Alderwood B&N

Tonight two great up and coming authors will be at the Alderwood Barnes & Noble at 7pm.

Carrie Jones is the author of Need and its brand new sequel Captivate.

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town...


Alyxandra Harvey is the author of Hearts at Stake.

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family...

See you there!

Teen Books and Swear Words - What Do You Think?

Some people strongly feel that books for teen should have absolutely no swearing in them at all. Other people think teen books should be as realistic as possible, and that this means using strong language sometimes.

Author Jackson Pearce was surprised that so many reviews of her new book As You Wish seem to focus on just one word...the "f-bomb" used only once in the book.



What do you think? Should authors clean it up, or is a little swearing realistic?

David Levithan!

I <3 David Levithan. I desperately wish I could go see him when he visits the Ballard Library a week from Saturday on November 14th. But, I'll be working here at the Lynnwood Library, so you should go for me and report back, k?

Levithan is touring for his newest book, Love is the Higher Law. You might know him better as the author of such books as: Boy Meets Boy, Wide Awake, or Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (perhaps you've heard of the movie?).

He's kind of a superstar.

The event starts at 3pm, but I'd suggest getting there early (really. I've been to author events there. Go early.).

More info here.

Author Event at Mukilteo Library Monday

Liar’s Party With Author Justine Larbalestier
4pm - Monday October 19th
Mukilteo Library

In celebration of Teen Read Month, we are having a really spectacular author visit!

If you want an awesome "read beyond reality," pick up "Liar" ... a psychological thriller set in New York City told from the point of view of a compulsive liar, which will make you question truth, reality, and who you can trust. This is one of the best books I've read all year...you won't be able to put it down!

Meet author Justine Larbalestier, and celebrate the publication of "Liar" at our Liar’s Party! Dress up as anyone else (normally a goth? come as a jock!)a, and be prepared to tell your best whoppers as we play Two Truths and a Lie and other devious games. Mocktails and snacks will be served. Books will be available for purchase.

Win an 8GB iPod Touch and Signed Audiobooks!

The Fantasy Road Trip Contest from Listening Library:

"If you could go on a fantasy road trip with a character (or characters!) from your favorite series, where would you go? What would you do along the way? How would you travel? Create a video and show us!

Best selling authors Libba Bray, Tamora Pierce and Rick Riordan will judge the videos and choose 3 grand prize winners!"



Read the complete rules.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Ok, I know that no matter what you will always read the next book by Sarah Dessen. I know that you don't need any convincing or even notice that there's going to be another book. I know this. But I still think this author trailer is cool. And so I'm sharing it with you.



Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen comes out on June 15th, and you can reserve your copy now (at this very moment you'll be number 80-something in line. Sorry!).

If you are new to the cult of Dessen, check out her site and, especially, her blog.

wanna chat with Libba Bray?

If you want to talk with an author who is smart, witty, and downright hilarious, I can highly recommend chatting with Libba Bray, author of The Sweet Far Thing.

Next Tuesday at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, a group of teens is getting together to chat with her by speaker phone! I can only imagine this will be tons of fun, and you can ask her questions you have been dying to know the answers to about her awesome book series.

Tuesday May 26th, 5:30pm
Third Place Books
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park