SBBT:Welcome, Mitali!

A bright Good Morning to Mitali Perkins!

Mitali is the author of many a great book including Rickshaw Girl and First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover. Recently, I interviewed Sameera Righton, the teen hero of First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, right here. Now it's Mitali's turn...

Kelly: Tell us a little bit about Mitali Perkins. Where do you live? How do you spend your days?

Mitali: Reading kid lit blogs. :) No, seriously, I'm still a mommy, even though our boys are (yow!) teenagers, so I drive around Newton, Massachusetts (our town), fold a bottomless pile of t-shirts and cargo pants, keep Trader Joe's in business, and chat and chill with my boys and their friends --when I'm wanted, that is. Mostly I'm on mommy-hold these days, waiting for an invite. I'm also a daughter who lives on the wrong coast, so I Jet Blue to California several weekends a year to stock up on home loving and cooking. Last but not least, I'm a minister's wife (double-yow!) so I co-lead a Bible Study and cheer on the hubby. In my spare time, I play tennis, tend the Labradors, and frequent Thai restaurants to gorge on cheapo extra-spicy lunch specials with various buddies. Oh, and professionally, I'm a writer, blogger, speaker, and reader.

Kelly: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Mitali: I'm a one Diet Coke a day kind of girl; I sip it slowly until it's flat and warm.

Kelly: Who is your favorite writer?

Mitali: I favor dead children's book writers--literary mothers like L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Johanna Spyri, Maud Hart Lovelace, and others. When it comes to the living, I had lunch with Katherine Paterson recently, which was a dream come true. But in all the genres, children's fiction included, I tend to read broadly and widely; my skeptical soul likes to roam and listen to many storytellers instead of sitting at the feet of just one or two.

Kelly: Beach, city, or forest?

Mitali: As an oft-displaced daughter of a harbor engineer, if I have any sense of place at all, it's the ocean. Instant cure for writer's block: a barefoot, solitary walk along the California coast at twilight.

Kelly: What draws you to children's literature in particular? What I mean is, why children's fiction and not, say, mystery, chick lit, or "literary fiction"?

Mitali: One of life's greatest joys is to create spaces where children feel safe, welcome, and beloved. Stories are one such space. For a comprehensive list of eight reasons to write for children, though, check out my blog series called Why I Write For Kids:

Kelly: Coffee, tea, or a triple skinny latte?

Mitali: Latte in a handmade ceramic cup served by an artistic barista. I'm a Berkeley girl like you, remember? My husband's lattes are fabulous on a wintry afternoon by the fire.

Kelly: First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover is the first in a series about Sameera Righton, a teen who becomes first daughter. How many books will be in the series?

Mitali: The next one is First Daughter: White House Rules, and is due out in Spring 2008.

Kelly: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Mitali: I like watching movies in my jammies with a snoring puppy on my feet.

Kelly: If you had an entire week and unlimited resources to do whatever you'd like, what would you do and why?

Mitali: That's easy. I'd give every village girl in Bangladesh the same opportunity I gave Naima, my fictional character in Rickshaw Girl (Charlesbridge, 2007), to escape poverty.
If you want a more frivolous answer, I'd take my Dad to Wimbledon to watch the finals at centre court, lavish him and my Mom with five-star hotel splendour, and linger over Darjeeling tea, scones, and clotted cream.

Kelly: Halloween, New Year's, or Valentine's Day?

Mitali: No contest. After twenty-one years of marriage, my husband still puts in the effort to make V-Day a big romantic event and sweeps me off my feet every February 14th.

BOOK QUESTIONS

Kelly: Blogs and social networking software play a big role in First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover--structurally and thematically. What implications do you see for Sameera (and for teens today) in that journals have become public--either to just 29 friends or to the world at large?

Mitali: Persistent blogging, on-line journaling, and/or commenting can build community and give young writers venues to play with words and improve their craft. But as always (take the printing press, for example), the potential for good or evil depends more on the character and intentions of the people using new tools than on the tools themselves.

Kelly: When you were writing First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, I imagine it was difficult to choose a party for Sameera's father. Why did you decide to make him a Republican candidate?

Mitali: So much of the money and power in the American storytelling industry is concentrated along the coasts. Is that why it's rare to find a teen book featuring Republican characters? I don't know, Kelly, but I like to remove labels and shatter stereotypes, so making Righton a "crunchy-nouveau-conservative" (and if you ask what that means, I'll make something up) seemed right, especially in a novel about politics penned by a "multicultural" Massachusetts writer published by a New York house.

Kelly: One of the most touching and compelling moments in First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover is when Sameera's smalltown cousin, Miranda, glams it up for the cameras in tight clothing, makeup, and with an affected Smalltown accent. How will she do when she moves to Washington to live with the Rightons for an extended period of time?

Mitali: Yes, indeedy, that's what a lot of book two's about; you'll get no spoilers from me, my dear. Ms. Rowling would be appalled if I told you what happens next.

Kelly: You are writing a blog from Sameera/Sparrow's point of view--Sparrowblog--and are active on MySpace as Sparrow. How are teens responding so far? Are you ready for what will happen when the book is released?

Mitali: Sparrow's site stats show a steady increase of visitors from week to week, but I wish I knew if they were teens, and certainly hope she starts getting more comments. On pub date, I'm giving away free books to the five libraries who've sent the most visitors to Sparrowblog via hyperlink. What's going to happen when the book's released? I have no idea, but I'm excited to introduce Sparrow to readers and vice a versa!

Kelly: What can we look forward to next from Mitali Perkins?

Mitali: I'll be blogging sporadically from odd places during the months of July and August as I travel across America and back with my family in a rented 29' RV. The labs are coming along; the ferrets can't as they're illegal in California.

Professionally, Sparrow's sequel, First Daughter: White House Rules, releases in the spring of 2008 (Dutton) and a more literary YA novel will be published by Delacorte / Random House in the fall of 2008, tentatively titled The Secret Keeper. A major revision is due to Francoise Bui (editor of Monsoon Summer) on Labor Day. In 2009, Charlesbridge will publish The Bamboo People, the story of a Burmese boy soldier and the Karenni refugee he meets in the jungle. It's my first novel to feature a male protagonist (two, actually), and I'm going to be working again with editor Judy O'Malley. Whew. It's good to be working, that's for sure--if only the stress of deadlines sent me gym-wards instead of fridge-wards.

Thanks for a fun interview, Kelly!
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Today's SBBT schedule:

Tom & Dorothy Hoobler at Chasing Ray
Sara Zarr at Interactive Reader
Justina Chen Headley at Hip Writer Mama
Justine Larbalestier at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Dana Reinhardt at lectitans
Brent Hartinger at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast:
Laura Ruby at Writing and Ruminating
Jordan Sonnenblick by Bildungsroman
Ysabeau Wilce at Finding Wonderland

Welcome, Sparrow!

You've reached the second stop in Sameera Righton's blog tour. Let's get acquainted...

Kelly: Welcome, Sameera! Or should I call you Sparrow? This is the first time I've hosted a fictional character here at Big A little a, and I can't wait to hear what you have to say.

Sameera: Thanks, Dr. H. Either name is fine. Anything but Sammy, which is what the campaign people tried to call me when I first hit the trail with my parents.

Kelly: Your road to the White House was an interesting ride. What was the most difficult part about campaigning for your father?

Sameera: All the in-your-face personal questions! I wasn't used to strangers acting like they knew me better than my friends. And reporters used such personal info about me, too, like the fact that I coxed, and like classic movies, and even the name of the orphanage in Pakistan where my parents found me. It was more than freaky at first, but I got used to it. I've even learned how to banter with the rhinos (that's Ran's and my code name for paparazzi, BTW). Bantering is a great talent to have when you're in the spotlight.

Kelly: What was most surprising to you about the people you met when on the campaign trail?

Sameera: How much I connected with older people! Maybe I inherited some ancient South Asian respect-your-elders gene, or maybe it's because I love my grandparents so much, but I absolutely love schmoozing with seniors.

Kelly: Are you mad at your cousin Miranda for vamping it up for the media when you were staying at your Grandparents' Ohio farm?

Sameera: Mad? No way. Can't get mad at Ran no matter what she does. I was more...worried, I guess. She so wants to be famous, but she doesn't get how the celebrity machine can shred you.
Kelly: As First Daughter, what do you think are the most important issues facing the United States today?

Sameera: Keeping America safe and sound AND friendly and welcoming at the same time. How do you do that? Helping the planet become more peaceful and just AND leaving other countries alone to take care of themselves. Can you do both? Getting rid of waste, hate, and hunger. That last one, especially, is my favorite dream.

Kelly: Why did you think it was important to take your private blog public? What have you learned by doing so?

Sameera: I got tired of other people trying to represent the real me. I am the real me, thank you very much. I like writing stuff I think about--not what some middle-aged marketing expert thinks a First Daughter should sound like. What did I learn when Sparrowblog went public? That if you care too much what other people think, your shouts quickly morph into whispers. Next thing you know you totally lose your voice. It's all about truth and love if you want to survive out there in cyber-world.

Kelly: Are you worried about not seeing your parents much in the future? Will your mom be able to keep working?

Sameera: My parents have already spent years trying to save the world but we've always managed to carve out time for the three of us. Sundays have always been our family chill days. Mom will definitely find a way to keep fighting for her causes, and I'm sure a First Ladyhood would give her the chance to talk about her refugees non-stop. So I'm not too worried about either of those issues.

Kelly: Do you miss your school and your friends in Brussels? Are you worried about the new school year? Have you kept up your math skills?

Sameera: Do we really have to talk about math, Dr. H.? Two more years and then I'm done with that four-letter word forever. That's why laptops come with calculators, right? (I hope my tutor's not reading this; I'll probably have to write a five-paragraph essay on why mad skills in math are so important.)

Do I miss my school in Brussels? Yeah, I miss it. I miss my guys on the crew team, and my newspaper buddies. But campaigning is fun, too. And I've made new friends, like the South Asian students at G-dub, and Mariam. And Bobby, of course.

Kelly: How do you think President Righton will handle dating in the White House? (Hey, did Bobby ever call?)

Sameera: President Righton will handle dating in the White House by letting his daughter make her own decisions about guys. He knows I've got sense. And Bobby? Well, that's a long story. You'll have to read First Daughter: White House Rules to find out what happened.

Kelly: If you could concentrate on any one political or social issue as First Daughter, what would you choose and why?

Sameera: I don't think any kid on the planet should go to sleep hungry. I'm going to use my FD megaphone to shout a lot about that. I've already talked a lot about slave trafficking, so I'll keep yelling some about that one, too.

Kelly: Okay, now on to some personal questions:

a) Who is your favorite writer?

Let's talk screenplays, since I prefer getting my story fixes from the big screen. I like the old-fashioned stuff--like the scripts written by of Ernst Lehman (Sabrina, The King and I, North by Northwest, West Side Story, The Sound of Music). Nowadays, how about Sabrina Dhawan (Monsoon Wedding), Frank Cottrell Boyce (Millions), Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), M. Night Shyamalan (Sixth Sense) or Scott Frank (Minority Report), J.J. Abrams (Regarding Henry)?

b) What's your favorite band?

I'm such a mix that I don't like picking just one favorite. I love country mostly because Ran does, so Rascal Flatts is up there. Old-school tunes from musicals like The Sound of Music and all the Disney flicks we grew up with (Lion King 2 has some great songs). But hip-hop and R&B are awesome, too, and I've been into Akon and Chris Brown and Mary J. Blige and Beyonce. I'm also getting better at bhangra dancing so I'm getting up to speed on Bollywood music these days, and downloading songs by classic vocalists like Lata Mangeshkar, whose voice just soars.

c) What is your favorite meal?

Sunday after-church supper at my grandparents' house--roast chicken, hot rolls, rosemary potatoes, fresh salad, and a cold glass of Campbell Dairy Farm milk. Followed by my cousin's AMAZING homemade frosted oatmeal scotchies, of course. All eaten around the big wooden table with Jingle, the family Lab, asleep on my feet.

d) If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

My grandparents' farm in Maryfield, Ohio. Because it's home. I've been around the world a lot, and guess what? Dorothy was right. Pass the ruby slippers.

e) What is your favorite item of clothing?

I like the hot new outfits the fashionistas put together during the campaign, but there's nothing like the combo of a pair of old jeans and a long, loose kurta shirt.

f) Who are your favorite actors (male and female)

Yikes. Too hard. Too many. Bogart and Hepburn rock. But Amitabh Bachchan can sing and act.

g) What is your favorite movie?

Casablanca, of course.

h) What is your favorite song?

America the Beautiful. Hey, I'm a First Daughter, remember? But I'm not just giving you the party line, Dr. H.--every time I hear that song, I get the good kind of shivers. Especially that part about "my home, sweet home," because I know I didn't get here by accident. It was definitely my destiny. Oh, geez, I'm getting all Star Wars on you now, so I'd better sign off. Thanks for coming up with such great questions.

Check out Sameera's video here at YouTube and her blog at Sparrowblog.

Catch the rest of Sameera's blog tour here:

Monday, 6/11: 5 Minutes For Mom and Jennifer Snapshot
Tuesday, 6/12: Big A little a
Wednesday, 6/13: Semicolon
Thursday, 6/14: Jen Robinson's Book Page
Friday, 6/15: Little Willow
Monday, 6/18: Sara's Hold Shelf

Review: First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover

Imagine your dad were running for President of the United States. This scenario is conflict in and of itself, but now add to the mix issues of foreign adoption, race, and a press gone mad. That's Sameera (Sparrow) Righton's life at the end of her sophomore year of high school in Mitali Perkins' First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover.

Sameera leaves her multinational high school in Brussels for the craziness of a presidential campaign in the States. She'll miss her friends--who are from all over the world--but she's determined to help campaign for her father and, so, relies on her MyPlace page to keep in touch with her friends.

Upon her arrival she's met by Tara, Dad's PR person who is in charge of the Rightons' image. Sameera gets all dolled up in Beverly Hills and Tara's webguy creates and writes a Sameera blog, complete with manga-like Sameera images. Sameera likes the real makeover, but the virtual one chafes. When discussions of her "race" (Sameera was adopted by the Rightons in Pakistan) turn up in the press, Sameera goes along with Tara and the webguy, allowing her image and even her name to be changed--to Sammy.

When the press shows up to Sameera's summer haven--her grandparents house in Ohio--she's had enough. She returns to Washington to be with her parents and takes control of her own image, starting up her own blog (Sparrow Speaking! Listen Up!) and even making friends with members of a George Washington University group, South Asian Republican Students.

First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover isn't about politics or, even, the presidential elections. It's about fame, finding one's own true voice, and being responsible for your own image. Sameera is a likable, strong female character and you'll cheer for her triumphs and discoveries.

First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover is the first in a series--one I'm certain will be a hit with readers ages ten and up.
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Sameera (Sparrow) Righton is on a blog tour. Here's her schedule:

Monday, 6/11: 5 Minutes For Mom and Jennifer Snapshot
Tuesday, 6/12: Big A little a
Wednesday, 6/13: Semicolon
Thursday, 6/14: Jen Robinson's Book Page
Friday, 6/15: Little Willow
Monday, 6/18: Sara's Hold Shelf

This is the first time a fictional character will visit my blog and I'm excited to get to know her better.

Download Mitali

Mitali Perkins has two recent posts of interest up at Mitali's Fire Escape. Head on over and check them out:

1. Download Mitali. Mitali has links up where you can read interviews about Rickshaw Girl (an excellent book to be sure. Here's my review.) You can also read an excerpt from Mitali's forthcoming YA novel.
2. Mitlai has also written about ethnic book awards in this thought-provoking post.

Blog Crushes

I'm a day late here*, but if you haven't mentioned your blog crush over at Mitali's Fire Escape, head on over and do so now. The list is growing and it's fun to read everyone's choices.

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*Sorry, Mitali!