A talk with illustrator Nicole Tadgell

I'm always happy to receive a package from Lee & Low Books. They publish some of the most interesting and joyful children's books around. Sally Derby's No Mush Today, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell, is no exception. This story of a girl who just doesn't want to eat mush for breakfast brings light and fun to a familiar domestic battle.

The heroine of No Mush Today sets out on her own after refusing to eat the cornmeal porridge set in front of her: "Puttin' on my shiny shoes,/goin' over to Grandma's./No mushy mush at Grandma's house./No bawlin' baby there." Because, you see, it's not just the mush that's at issue in Nonie's world--there's the new baby brother, as well.

Nonie thinks a permanent move to Grandma's might be in order. But, then, there's a picnic and Grandma doesn't really want to run around, but Dad does. And, it turns out that Mom and the baby brother miss her, so Nonie thinks she just might give her family another try.

Sally Derby's text is fast-paced and childlike, while Nicole Tadgell's lovely, warm illustrations--with greens, blues, yellows, and browns at their heart--bring life to Derby's minimalistic text. Take a look at Tadgell's rendering of Nonie's homecoming. The most hardened six-year-old will be unable to resist that beautiful baby in green--even if you've given him your favorite stuffed animal.

No Mush Today is best suited for children ages three to seven. I recommend it particularly for all first children and for children who really hate breakfast.

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I had the opportunity to talk with illustrator Nicole Tadgell (who blogs here) as part of her fall book tour which concludes on November 1 when she'll sign books at the Kennedy Center for the annual Multicultural Children's Book Festival in D.C. Here's our conversation:

Kelly: Tell me, Nicole, about working with Lee & Low. (I think they're a fantastic house.) How were you hired? How did you team up with Sally Derby for No Mush Today?

Nicole: I had done work with Bebop Books, an imprint of Lee & Low for Moving Day Surprise a few years ago. Knowing Lee and Low's reputation for quality multicultural books, I had been wanting to work with them for years. My agent and I regularly sent updated portfolio pieces to them, and with luck, there was a manuscript they felt I'd be a good fit for. As with most publishing houses, the author and illustrator don't actually work together during the book process.

Kelly: As an artist, how did you know illustrating for children's books would be a good move for you?

Nicole: It's natural for me. I've always been sort of child-like in how I see the world, and I still remember what it was like to be little. I enjoy drawing things that children like to see, quite simply!

Kelly: No Mush Today centers around a sibling relationship. Do you have a sibling? Did this change the way you illustrated the book?

Nicole: Oh, yes! I have a younger sister and brother, and I recall how it was very disruptive in my world as a child. I'd say it influenced the way I illustrated the book, because I knew from experience how Nonie felt.

Kelly: What do you think about the state of multicultural picture books in the U.S. today?

Nicole: I think there are so many lovely books out there I've seen, and there must be hundreds more that I haven't seen!

[Kelly: Agreed! That's why this article from the Guardian was particularly disturbing.]

Kelly: Tell us a little bit more about you. Where do you work and live? How do you spend your days?

Nicole: I work as a graphic artist in Worcester, at Davis Advertising for 15 years. I do my illustration work in the evenings and on weekends. It's sometimes challenging to balance both, and sometimes the dust bunnies seem to take over when I get busy! I live in Central Massachusetts, and I love New England - especially this time of year when the leaves are brilliant and the air is crisp.

Kelly: Thank you so much, Nicole, for stopping by.

Laurel Snyder Blog Tour!

When Laurel Snyder told me she'd be on tour, I just had to jump on board. She's a wonderful blogger, a fantastic writer, and she has a new Middle Grade novel that sounds just up my alley. So in honor of Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains and of Laurel Snyder, please welcome her here at Big A little a.

Kelly: Laurel--You've written many books--nearly all for different age groups. For which age group do you like to write most and why?

Laurel: Hmmm. For me, writing begins with language-- with a line or a bit of dialogue or even a single word. Figuring out what form the project wants to take can be a matter of trial and error. I made several false starts, for instance, at poems (for grownups) before turning the phrase "greasy spoon of stuck" into a picture book called Inside The Slidy Diner. So the age I want to write for, on a given day, is a matter of what's working that day.

Kelly: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Laurel: Oh, all three please! And a whiskey back if you'll join me. Most often, weather dictates. Red wine on a cold night. Wheat beer on a hot summer day, or limeade!

Kelly: If you had the chance, would you travel to space?

Laurel: As long as you come too. I'm not good with isolation. I'm an ENFP.

Kelly: Oh, man, I'm an INTJ/INTF. And, I'm scared of space. Terrified, to be honest. Will you be okay if I sit in my living room and cheer you on?

Here's another question: Beach, city, or forest?

Laurel: Oh, the beach. I love most kinds of places, the way I like most adult beverages. NYC in a snowstorm. The Tennessee Mountains on a fall day. But I grew up in MD, near the Atlantic. Nothing else will ever feel quite right to me. I miss seagulls.

Kelly: Why do you think you're now focusing on writing for children?

Laurel:Well, I'm sure that part of it is that I have my own kids. But really, I've always read children's books, and re-read them. I just love them, and think that most of the books that touch people deeply are books they find when they're young. I feel insanely lucky to get to be a part of that. I'm still writing poetry, but adult prose feels a lot less important now that I'm writing for kids.

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

Laurel: Coffee! Good dark roast brewed thick and chewy, but just plain old regular drip. It feels like there's something broken in the world when my coffee costs more than my lunch. Tea is for winter afternoons.

Kelly: You're a popular blog reader and writer—one who participates in the kidlitosphere actively. How did you get started blogging and why?

Laurel: Hmmm. I actually started blogging back in 1999, using Dreamweaver, so that the posts accumulated backwards. As a result, my original site, lonelysongs.com was a MESS. But the worst part of it is that my original blog was a chronicle of one very depressed year when I moved to New York City, not to mention a diary of the men I had loved and/or dated in my life. People ate it up, but I'm very very very glad it disappeared into the aether. I didn't really understand what the web was, how public it was. Lesson learned (for the most part) the hard way.

Kelly: I have to say that your first blog sounds fabulous, Laurel. I'm sorry I missed it! Okay, on to another question: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Laurel: Concert, of the acoustic variety. Something alt-country or folky. I love twang. Ideally, outdoors on a sunny day. With a fiddle or banjo. I really learned to love music in Iowa, where the music feels very American.

Kelly: Ooh, Iowa. Over the years, I've become a fan. Better to love where you live, no? Okay, here's another question: If you had an entire week and unlimited resources to do whatever you'd like, what would you do and why?

Laurel: Hmm. That's a tricky one. For myself, all alone, I'd take a week in Jerusalem. Stay at a nice hotel, but putter in dark corners. With the whole family, I'd rent a cottage in Ireland, near Doolin, with a private chef and a nanny. Just let the kids roam and run while I sat and listened to music. I'm not ready to take the kids to the Middle East just yet.

Kelly: I hear you, Laurel. I have that struggle too--only with Russia. Okay, here's another question: Halloween, New Year's, or Valentine's Day?

Laurel: Halloween! I love dressing up! Though I love it a lot less now that they move it to a weekend night and make everyone trick or treat at the mall at, like, 4 pm. What's that all about? Halloween is for letting kids do insane things in the dark on a school night, obviously.

Kelly: Tell us a little about your newest book Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains.

Laurel: It's a very old fashioned kind of book, a fairy tale about a snippy milkmaid named Lucy, and a clumsy prince named Wynston. When Wynston is forced to begin searching for a "suitable" princess to marry, Lucy runs away, and they both have some silly adventures in the mountains. And eventually they learn a few lessons--about bad government, honesty, and how to bend the rules. There's a lot of little songs in the book, and some incredible art by Greg Call.

Kelly: Yeah, the art is gorgeous! Here's another question--Conversational sin: politics, religion, or music?

Laurel: People tend to be most boring when they talk about music, and unnecessary boredom I cannot forgive. Politics and religion are fine, and best when mixed together (for the purposes of a real battle). Bring on the bluster!

Kelly: Now, tell us about your writing day: How, where, and when do you write?

Laurel: LOL! Never, lately.

I just finished 90 days without a babysitter. Not a single hour! So I write in bits and snippets, in weird places, and stolen moments. Once life settles down, and I have some regular childcare lined up, I'll write again in the morning, with coffee, silence, and my internet turned off. Totally dull and predictable, but right now it sounds the height of luxury. I dream about a traditional workday. Is that awful?

Kelly: No, not awful. It's a dream come true!

Thanks, Laurel, for stopping by Big A little a today. It was a pleasure to talk with you.

Publication Day for Gail Gauthier!

It's publication day for Gail Gauthier's fantastic A Girl, a Boy, and Three Robbers. In honor of this big event, we just have to have a giveaway.

Giveaway:

Putnam and Gail Gauthier are running A Girl, a Boy, and Three Robbers contest. The first person to e-mail Gail Gauthier with their mailing address, saying that they saw this message on Big A little a, will receive a free, autographed copy of A Girl, A Boy, and Three Robbers!

If you know a child aged four to nine, you won't want to miss this one.

Okay, now on to the interview:

Hi Gail! Thank you for participating in the recent Edge of the Forest interview and for stopping by today--your big publication day! On occasion of the publication of A Boy, a Girl, and Three Robbers I want to ask you a few questions about writing for newly emergent readers--from a writer’s point of view and from an educator’s point of view. Here goes...

Kelly: Writing for younger readers is very difficult. Did you have to work with word lists or reading levels when composing A Boy, a Girl, and Three Robbers?

Gail: No. I worked with two editors at Putnam, submitting first to my long-time editor who moved on to another company before the first book was accepted and then my present editor, with whom I’ve worked on both Hannah and Brandon books. Neither one of them suggested word lists. I, myself, tried to keep in mind that I was expecting inexperienced readers to read these books. I remember using the word “sofa” instead of “couch” in the first book because I thought it would be easier to sound out. I was worried about the word Chihuahua and was going to avoid using it in the first book. But Susan, my editor, who used to teach elementary school, felt it was fine to provide an occasional challenge for child readers. I think she’s respectful of what kids can do. The biggest concern we had was the length of the stories I wrote for the first book. We were more concerned about attention span than reading levels.

Kelly: How do you get yourself in the right frame of mind to write for the five- to nine-year-old audience?

Gail: I’m embarrassed to say I don’t recall it being much of a problem. My first book, My Life Among the Aliens, was a middle grade book, but the narrator/main character, was, I believe, in kindergarten or first grade in the first story and grew a little older over the course of the book. So I’d written young characters before. When my kids were that age, I did a lot of volunteer work in their schools and with their Sunday school programs. I really do think kids that age are funny. My big concern in writing for them is not being familiar with their culture now that I don’t spend a lot of time with them.

Kelly: Which is more difficult to write--and why--a 200-page novel for teens or a 100-page novel like A Boy, a Girl, and Three Robbers (and its predecessor A Boy, a Girl, and a Monster Cat)?

Gail: I found the one true YA novel I wrote more difficult. I was trying to do something much more complex and multi-leveled than I was in the Hannah and Brandon Stories. I also wrote that book in the third person, which was different for me and took some effort. The Hannah and Brandon Stories deal specifically with children. The adults are minor characters, so it is relatively easy to keep the stories child centered. In the YA book, I had some very strong adult characters, and it was hard to keep them from overwhelming the story and making the teenage main character seem bland in comparison.

Kelly: What I really love (among many things) about The Hannah and Brandon series is the role imagination plays in Hannah and Brandon’s play. Now, Brandon is a big fan of the television, while Hannah finds inspiration from books. Do you think television can inspire children in the same way written stories can?

Gail: I hate to be negative about television because I think in many ways it can enhance peoples’ lives. But if you’re asking if it can inspire imagination or creativity in children (or maybe anyone) the same way written stories can, I’m going to have to say no. I think television programs--programs that are the visual equivalent of a story, anyway--can provide models that will help a viewer learn story structure, just as reading can. You can get a feel for dialogue from TV just as you can from reading. But I think it’s true that watching TV is a little more passive. When you’re reading a book, no matter how good the description is, you still have to visualize the characters and settings yourself. You have to imagine and create that yourself. I think the fact that so much of what’s on television is the same probably discourages imagination/creativity, too. You get a lot of variations of the same setup, the same kinds of kid shows, the same kinds of sitcoms, the same kinds of cop shows. I think kids viewing so much that’s similar are going to accept that as normal--just as adults do, for that matter. They aren’t going to realize that a story should be a unique experience.

A few years ago, the local challenge and enrichment teacher asked me to come in and spend some time with a child she said was incredibly creative and gifted and such a good writer. I think the girl was only in second grade. She was very vocal and sophisticated, but the story she showed me, while very nice for such a small child, was clearly something she’d seen on TV. Either she actually told me so or I recognized it. We sat there and talked about her television viewing. I don’t think the little girl realized that the story wasn’t something she’d made up herself. (Evidently the teacher didn’t, either.) I don’t think there’s anything wrong with young children modeling their work on a TV show and learning how to structure a story in that way. You could call it a kind of training. But I think we adults should recognize that what they’re doing isn’t necessarily creative or gifted.

I think the publishing world’s big interest in series, many of which are similar to other series, and serials duplicates in print the same kind of repetition we see on television. So that may come to discourage imagination, too.

Kelly: You have two heroes in The Hannah and Brandon stories—Hannah and Brandon, of course! As a writer, did you choose a boy and a girl as your heroes on purpose? (I only ask this question because I think the need to appeal to both sexes with one book at this age group is most crucial.)

Gail: I always planned a girl main character, first, because my original idea for the first book (which has nothing to do with the book as it was published) was inspired by my niece’s birthday party, and, second, because I’d only written one book with a girl main character. In early versions, the girl main character has a much older brother. Brandon first appeared as a secondary character. He didn’t become a co-hero until he became the narrator.

Kelly: Actually, I lied about two heroes. There are actually three main heroes of the Hannah and Brandon stories if you count the cat, who plays a big role in both stories. The cat, although he goes about living his life with no regard to Hannah and Brandon, is always central to their stories. I found this kid-cat dynamic to ring very, very true. Are you a cat person?

Gail: Well, I like them, and we did have a beloved cat for many years. After he went on to his reward, we didn’t get another because we learned that both our children are allergic to them. (As is my husband, who is the big cat fan at our house.) Because we couldn’t have cats, at one point my boys had a hamster and a Siberian spiny mouse. They were the inspiration for a chapter in my third book, Club Earth.

Kelly: What’s next for the Hannah and Brandon stories? What can we do as readers, writers, and educators to get these books to the young readers who will love them?

Gail: I don’t know at this point if there will be any more Hannah and Brandon Stories, though many people have been asking this week, which I definitely appreciate. As far as getting these books (or any particular book) to young readers is concerned, I’m sure your readers are well aware of all the problems that exist in publicizing children’s books these days--limited review space, reviews appearing in professional journals that the general public will never see, and more books being published than bookstores and libraries can handle. The only suggestion I can make is that readers, writers, and educators read and talk about children’s books. That seems so obvious to readers of kidlit blogs, but I wonder how often it happens outside our circle. I think it’s important that children see adults reading children’s books so that children will know adults value them. In his Read-Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease talked about the importance of boys seeing their fathers read because boys model their behavior on men. All kids model their behavior on grown-ups. Kids of either sex need to see adults reading books like A Girl, a Boy, and Three Robbers or hear them talking about them.

I also think we could be doing more to create a reading culture. In spite of all the books published each year, I don’t think we are a serious reading culture at this point. I don’t know if we ever were, because, remember, universal education is a relatively recent thing, as is leisure time to read, as is electric lighting so that people can comfortably read after dark. It’s not as if we can truthfully say, “Oh, in the nineteenth century everyone read, and now they don’t,” because I’m not at all sure that’s the case. Again, I think readers, writers, and educators finding ways to talk about books, and specifically children’s books, would be a step toward creating a reading culture. In May I was in a junior/senior high school in Vermont that purchased multiple copies of some YA books (and not just books you’d expect to see read in class) for its media center to encourage groups of kids to read so they could then talk about their reading. The librarian would hang out at a table in the cafeteria sometimes to booktalk. That school media center also ran one of those community reading programs, but it was for parents and kids together. I hadn’t seen any of that kind of thing being done before.

Those people who have read Jasper Fforde’s Tuesday Next books in which an alternate England is very book-oriented, may remember the kids who collected trading cards designed around characters in books instead of sports figures. Authors and publishers are already producing book marks and post cards. We’re probably mass producing them. I heard a few years ago that I shouldn’t bother sending any of those kinds of things to booksellers because they’re overwhelmed with free promotional material. Well, why not encourage those as collectors’ items? Teachers could collect bookmarks and ask their students to look for them in bookstores and book fairs. They could encourage kids to collect them. Sure, it’s a small thing, but it would be a first step toward getting name recognition for authors and books, and a step toward creating a reading culture. Nobody thinks encouraging the collecting of sports cards is too small a thing to do.

Okay, now for the speed round:

Tell us a little bit about Gail Gauthier. Where do you live? How do you spend your days?

I live in central Connecticut now and spent many years as a suburban/small town mom doing school and community volunteer work. In fact, I just quit my last volunteer job last year. I’ve lived a very traditional late twentieth, early twenty-first century adult life. As a child, though, I grew up on small farms in Vermont. My father’s parents were French Canadian immigrants, and his extended family was quite French. He and many of his siblings couldn’t speak English when they started school, and some of them never finished grade school. I attended one-room schools from third through seventh grade. So I’ve had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde existence that’s reflected in my writing--I have my suburban mom books and my Vermont books.

I am an exercise hobbyist, so I start the day working out then usually waste some time on the Internet before getting started working. I’m not very good at staying on task or juggling balls, so lots of times if I’m writing, I’m only writing. If I’m working on a new school presentation, I’m only doing that. If I’m doing some studying, that’s all I can manage. Needless to say, I’m not very organized about what I call life maintenance, either--getting the clean laundry folded, painting that bathroom that’s had color swatches on the wall for a couple of years. I like to think I’d last a month at a traditional job, but with work habits like mine, I can’t be sure.

Beer, wine, or a soft drink? Soft drink.

Who is your favorite writer? I wouldn’t say I have a favorite, but I have liked a lot of M.T. Anderson’s work. I like David Sedaris’s essays, but if I had a chance to read more of Sarah Vowell’s, I might like her even more.

Beach, city, or forest? Forest

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”?

Children are my material. Before I started writing for children, I wrote a lot of what I thought of at the time as women’s fiction. It was angst-ridden meaning of life stuff. I have an adult mystery novel and an unfinished sci fi book from that period in my office. Both the main characters are angst-ridden women. I “found my material” as a result of being a mother. Much of my published work, particularly the early stuff, deals very much with my children’s lives or my life as their mother. I wouldn’t have a career without my kids, and many of my books are dedicated to them.

Coffee, tea, or a triple skinny latte? Hot chocolate

Movie, Theater, or a Concert? Movie

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

I would like to go on a weeklong fitness/reading retreat. A taekwondo class would be offered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 A.M. and yoga and stretching classes at any other time of the day I felt like taking one. The week would be sprinkled with book discussion group meetings and maybe some author presentations in the evening after dinner. Some of those presentations would be outdoors around bonfires. The site would be in the mountains, but, miraculously, there would be a village filled with good restaurants reachable on hiking trails. The surrounding meadows would be dotted with Adirondack chairs for people who wanted to read outside. There would be a library with a fireplace. Hey, and maybe there be fireworks every night!

Thanks, Gail, for joining me here today. Don't miss the rest of the Gail Gauthier tour here:

June 29 Books Together
June 30 Sam Riddleburger
July 1 Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
July 2 Jen Robinson's Book Page
July 4 The Miss Rumphius Effect
July 5 A Fuse #8 Production

And don't miss Gail's own discussions about chapter books this week at Original Content!

Blog Tour: Eric Luper

Welcome to Stop #5 on Eric Luper's Blog Tour!

Eric's debut novel--Big Slick--was just released and let me tell you that it is one fun read. Once your stress levels go down, that is.

Andrew gets caught up in the rough-and-tumble world of Texas Hold'em and, unfortunately, doesn't know when to walk away from the table. Before you know it, he's in big trouble. Big Slick had me biting my nails to the end, hoping Andrew would wake up and manage to avoid complete and total ruin.

On to the interview...

KH: Eric, you have to know my first question: The card game Texas Hold'em is central to the plot of Big Slick. Do you play cards?

EL: I do play cards. I'll have to say Texas Hold'em is my favorite. I'm a numbers sort of guy (on the days when I'm not a words kind of guy) and I love to crunch the pot odds in my head. But I've also been known to play Magic: the Gathering, Free Cell, Spider Solitaire, War, Crazy Eights, Uno, Go Fish, Pokemon and 52 Pick Up. I also like just shuffling cards. There's something inherently satisfying about shuffling.

KH: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

EL: It all depends on the time of day, the day of the week, and my mood. Volume-wise, I probably drink soft drinks the most, but I probably enjoy wine the most. I'm sort of a beer geek though and I like to try the exotic stuff. I also went through a beer-making stint but for me the most enjoyable part was designing the labels for the bottles.

KH: Do you watch card tournaments on television? In real life?

EL: I love watching poker tournaments on television because you can see what cards the players are holding. The drama level is high because you know who is bluffing and how it pans out. They also edit out all the boring stuff. Unless I'm actually playing, I can't stand watching tournaments in real life. I have no idea how they can muster a crowd to watch people playing cards. It's like asking people to enjoy an art exhibit where all the paintings are covered with sheets.

KH: Beach, city, or forest?

EL: I'm going to have to go off the board on this one, Kelly, and say "lake." We have a weekend place in Lake George and that's where we spend most of our summer weekends. If pressed to stay on the board, I'll say city. I love wandering aimlessly in New York City. There's nothing like it.

KH: Why did you decide to write Young Adult fiction and not, say, mystery, chick lit, or "literary fiction"?

EL: I started out writing a literary chick-lit mystery, but I got hung up on the proper way to haughtily describe a character being bludgeoned to death with a Hermes purse. Actually, when I was in the creative writing program at Rutgers oh so many parsecs ago (that's a little joke for all you Star Wars geeks out there), all my best stories seemed to come from a teen or child protagonist. Why fight it?

Plus, I think YA fiction is intense. It's emotionally charged and very high in action. Fun stuff.

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

EL: Wow, what's with all the beverage questions? [KH: Ummm...it's because I love coffee. And mineral water. Apologies.] Actually I used to drink a lot of frappuccinos but when I found out how many grams of carbohydrates are in them (go look on the Starbucks website) I switched to plain old coffee. Now, I drink way too much of that for any one human being.

KH: Big Slick is your first novel. How long did it take you to write? And I mean from the very beginning--from the spark in your eye to the lovely product I just received?

EL: Here's the timeline (these are rough estimates, but close enough for government work):

• January 2004: I saw my first poker tournament on television and wrote a poker scene as a short-story writing exercise.



• April 2004: I brought my short story to my weekly critique group. They clamored for chapter 2. I called them a bunch of crazyheads.



• June 2004: I started to think that maybe they weren't crazyheads after all.



• September 2004: I finished my first draft and began editing.



• February 2005: I met Wes Adams (my editor at FSG) at the NYC SCBWI conference and slid him my manuscript under the bathroom stall door. (Okay, I'm kidding about that last part)



• April 2005: Wes sent me an editorial letter with some suggestions



• August 2005: FSG offered me a contract.



• September 2005: It finally sunk in that FSG offered me a contract



• September 2005 to date: All sorts of bizarre mind-blowing stuff happened (along with all sorts of temper tantrums, fist-shaking and growling) and there you have it--a book!

KH: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

EL: Without a doubt: movie. Although I do like watching dramas on the stage, I can't stand musicals. There's something about how all those folks break into song and dance that tears me right out of the story. Although, I do sometimes wish that people broke into song and dance in real life. That would be cool. As for concerts, they're just too darn expensive.

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

EL: This is a tough question. I'm one of those people who loves to fantasize about winning the lottery. I don't play the lottery, but I think about winning it all the time. If I had unlimited resources and only seven days, my week would include staying in a gothic castle with a huge contemporary YA library (you know, one of those libraries with the ladders on wheels), access to night life in some exotic metropolitan area, a wine tasting in a vineyard, a hot tub, a team of nannies, a convertible Ferrari, and a pet chimp. Let's not forget the pet chimp.

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

EL: Without a doubt, Halloween. New Year's is for amateurs and if you need a special day in which to tell someone you love that you love them then you're doing something wrong.

BOOK QUESTIONS

KH: Oh, I felt so badly for Andrew and how much trouble he got himself into with Texas Hold'em. How did you manage to keep up the suspense in the novel? Did you find doing so difficult?

EL: This is an interesting question. I'm not much of an outliner. When I write, the most I have planned is maybe the next chapter and a vague idea of where the book will end up. I know I'm writing well when whatever I'm producing surprises me--makes me laugh, tear up, get excited, etc. I suppose that lends itself to surprising my readers as well.

KH: Addiction and all its dangers play an important thematic role in Big Slick. Was this a theme you thought important when designing the book, or did it develop organically while you were writing?

EL: I give very little thought to theme as I am writing. For me, writing with theme in mind is a one-way path to a boring, preachy manuscript. I create characters that I love and present them with challenges. Then, I keep throwing interesting, yet prickly, things in their way to prevent them from getting what they want or need. Theme, I think, develops on its own through desire, cause and effect, and good old-fashioned karma.

KH: How much research on cards and the game Texas Hold'em did you have to conduct to make Big Slick believable?

EL: Believable is an interesting concept. I think believability comes from character rather than from setting. I mean Scott Westerfeld's Peeps is believable. David Lubar's True Talents is believable. Yes they are fantastical, but once a reader commits him or herself to the story it's all about suspension of disbelief. And that concept holds whether your characters are fighting vampires, have psychic powers, or are playing poker. When you think about it, all of writing is an illusion. If you really want to nitpick, all of life is an illusion. It all has to do with consciousness and perception, but that's getting very existential and too much into my argument of why I shouldn't have to weed the garden in my backyard.

KH: Okay, so this isn't exactly a book question, but tell me a little bit about your blog: Do you find blogging adds to your writing...or, is it just a big distraction?

EL: I have a blast writing my blog. It's the place I write when I want to just let go. It also lets me decompress. Sure, it's a distraction from my writing. What in life isn't? Sleeping is a distraction. Paying rent is a distraction. Working a job that actually pays is a distraction. So is blogging. But blogging is a distraction that lets me keep my head in my writing. And as I said, I have a total blast working on it.

KH: What can we look forward to next from Eric Luper?

EL: My next novel, believe it or not, is going to be grittier than the first. It is about a young jockey at Saratoga racetrack who is pressured to tamper with a horse and help fix a race. There are a lot of seedy characters and tough choices in that book too. Look for it in July 2009, just in time for opening day at Saratoga!

And to keep up to date on what's going on in the world of Eric Luper, check out my website at http://www.ericluper.com/ or my blog at http://eluper.livejournal.com/.

KH: Thanks, Eric! It was a pleasure to talk with you.
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You can catch the rest of Eric Luper's blog tour here:

Alice Pope's CWIM blog
SaturnCast
The Longstockings
Bildungsroman
The sixth interview, conducted by Julie M. Prince, will be up next week in the all-YA edition of The Edge of the Forest
------------------
Book Giveaway! The first two readers who e-mail FSG (childrens.publicity@fsgbooks.com)
and mention they read Eric Luper's interview here at Big A little a will receive free copies of Big Slick. (You have to mention Big A little a. Good luck!)

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

Say hey to Margo Rabb!

I'm thrilled to welcome Margo Rabb to the blog today. I loved her Cures for Heartbreak (as did Jen Robinson) and it's great to have the opportunity to ask her some questions.

(Would you like to read Cures for Heartbreak? Then send an e-mail to contest@margorabb.com. One lucky [random] winner will win a copy today if you mention you visited with Margo here. I hope you win!)

Now on to the interview:

Tell us a little bit about Margo Rabb. Where do you live? How do you spend your days?

I live in Brooklyn, New York, not far from Queens, where I grew up. I think there are more writers per capita in Brooklyn than anywhere else in the nation. There's an application for local authors to get their books displayed in the window of the neighborhood Barnes & Noble. As for spending my days: I have a 4-month-old baby girl, so I spend my mornings with her, and then I write for a few hours in the afternoon, when I have a babysitter.

Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Red wine. I'm a petite person, and a very cheap date--I can't handle more than two glasses.

Who is your favorite writer?

Alice Munro. The only fan letter I've ever written (aside from one to Shaun Cassidy when I was 12) was to Alice Munro. She wrote back, though Shaun never did.

Beach, city, or forest?

All of them--in my dream life I'd own a brownstone in Brooklyn, a country house in the woods, and a place on the beach. At the moment we own none of the above, however. Buy some books, people!

You also write short stories. Which do you prefer--the short story or the novel? Which do you prefer to read?

I love both, and am usually reading a story collection and a novel simultaneously. I enjoy writing both also--I only wish that publishers were as enthusiastic about short stories as they are about novels. (They aren't--mention the words "short story collection" to most literary agents and they turn pale and fidgety.)

Coffee, tea, or a triple skinny latte?

Coffee coffee coffee! (as Lorelai Gilmore says.)

You have said that Cures for Heartbreak took eight years to write (from Backstory). When did you decide it was complete? Was there one moment when you knew it was perfect?

I decided it was done when I found myself taking out words and then putting the same words back in. Then again, I was giving a reading from the book last week and crossing out entire sentences and re-writing them in the margins--so apparently I'd still be re-writing it if I could. As for knowing it's perfect--that never happens!

Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Theater. One of the things I love most about living in New York City is going to the theater. The last play I saw was the Roundabout Theater's production of The Pajama Game starring Harry Connick, Jr. I'd never liked Harry Connick, Jr. before, but after seeing him in that...let's just say my husband is tired of hearing about Harry.

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

Since I've been dealing with the sleep deprivation of having a young baby, first I would check into a nice hotel and sleep and sleep and sleep. When I finally woke up I'd love to travel to Italy when truffles are in season and eat them with everything.

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

Halloween, definitely. Another advantage of being a mere 5' 1" is that I already have big plans for future Halloweens with my daughter. I'm going to go undercover as another kid so we can go trick-or-treating together and I can get as much candy as possible. Then I'll share it with her and her friends. If they're nice.

BOOK QUESTIONS

1. What is it about sisters? What I especially appreciated about Cures for Heartbreak was your description of Alex and Mia's relationship. Polar opposites, yet still close (although sometimes combative). Did you base this relationship on ones you know in your own life or on observation of strangers?

Seeing as my sister is sitting right next to me as I type this, I should probably say that my fictional portrayal of the relationship is utterly and completely a product of my imagination. (Sister nods at this approvingly...) She isn't a polar opposite at all (though I'm wearing heels and she's wearing hiking shoes and I have on lip gloss while she wears chapstick...) We weren't as close when we were in high school, but we've become very close now.

2. While Mia certainly struggles in Cures for Heartbreak, I felt so sorry for dear old dad. Does he find happiness after such amazing loss? (I did read the "Afterword," so I know it can't have been long-lived, but in a fictional world perhaps?)

I think that both in fiction and in real life, the father found happiness. After my mother died, I was surprised by my father's amazing resilience--he went from the grief and depression after losing our mother to really being happy again.

3. One sentence on the final page of the novel is particularly moving. Mia thinks, while on the roof with her beau--"cancer boy" Sasha--"If grief had a permanence, then didn't also love?" Do you find both grief and love permanent, or do they both fade over time?

I think both are absolutely permanent. I'll never get over the grief I've felt for my parents, and will always love them. I've kept a journal almost daily since I was fifteen, and whenever I read back on old loves the feelings return--they haven’t gone away, they're just buried under new ones.

4.What can we look forward to next from Margo Rabb?

I'm about halfway done with a new novel...and I promise there is no one bearing any resemblance to my sister in it.

To learn more about Margo Rabb, check out her website. You can also drop her a comment or two (or five) at her MySpace page.

Thanks, Margo. It was great fun to interview you! To catch the rest of Margo's whirlwind tour, here's the itinerary:

3/19: Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray
3/20: Lizzie Skurnick at The Old Hag
3/21: Jen Robinson at Jen Robinson's Book Page
3/22: Betsy Bird at A Fuse #8 Production
3/23: You are here
3/26: Liz Burns at A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy
3/27: Jackie Parker at Interactive Reader
3/28: Little Willow at Bildungsroman
3/29: Leila Roy at Bookshelves of Doom
3/30: Mindy at propernoun.net


==================================
Editorial notes:

1) I was Alex. Heck, I'm still Alex.
2) That darn Shaun Cassidy. He was lousy with his fans. Hooray for Alice Munro!
3) Colleen Mondor wrote an amazing reaction to Cures for a Heartbreak.

Lisa Graff is in the house!

Welcome to day three of Lisa Graff's blog tour! I'm thrilled to welcome her here to Big A little a.

Lisa Graff's debut novel, The Thing About Georgie, has just been released (check my previous post for a review) and you can win a copy now! How? Here's the scoop:

The first three people to send an email to thethingaboutgeorgie@harpercollins.com, saying that you saw the Lisa Graff interview here on Big A little a, will get a free copy of the book. You should write "Georgie Giveaway" in the subject line, and include your name and address. (And don't forget to mention that you read the interview [and review] here at Big A little a.)

Okay, on to the interview:

Kelly: The thing is, Lisa...I noticed in your author bio that you're a former Californian. I am too! Do you miss the Golden State, or are you a New Yorker for life now?

Lisa: Hooray for fellow former Californians! I'm not sure I'm a New Yorker for life, but I do love it for right now. People usually assume that since I'm from California, I can't stand the winters out here, but I actually grew up in a ski resort town in southern California (go Big Bear!), so I'm a snow bunny at heart. It's the summers that drive me crazy--so humid and hot! California definitely has better summers.

Kelly: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Lisa: I'll pick a nice white wine. That sounds writerly, right?

Kelly: Are you sick of the phrase "the thing is" yet?

Lisa: Actually I kind of like it. I hope it begins to sweep the nation soon, so I can be the founder of the next big catchphrase. Also, I've always sort of wanted to be responsible for something that "sweeps the nation." (This would probably an easier goal to accomplish if I were from a really small nation, like Luxembourg.)

Kelly: Beach, city, or forest?

Lisa: Ooh, a forest sounds lovely right about now, with the trees rustling softly all about and stars you can actually see and a gentle breeze that lulls you off to sleep. No bears, though. My forest doesn't have any bears in it.

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

Lisa: I guess I write children's books because I love to read them, even now as an adult. I think good middle grade novels are some of the best examples of fine storytelling--a clear story arc, tight plotting and characterization, and no excess words. There's no room for mucking about in children's novels, because kids won't put up with that. They'll just close the book. Writing something that will amuse kids and also say the things I want to say is both a challenge and a joy for me.

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

Lisa: This is a difficult choice, but I'll pick tea. I've been doing a lot of writing at night lately, and I find that a good cup of tea gives me just enough oomph to get my brain churning without keeping me wide-eyed for hours when it's time to go to sleep.

Kelly: The Thing About Georgie is your first novel. How long did it take you to write? And I mean from the very beginning--from the spark in your eye to the lovely product I just received?

Lisa: From spark in my eye to publication, a little over three years. I first got the idea to write about a dwarf in Fall 2003, and then I did some research and took some notes before I started writing. The first draft didn't take too long, probably only about six months. It was rather horrendous, though. There was a long period where my agent was sending the novel out to editors and no one wanted it at all. They were all very nice and encouraging, but still, lots of rejections. Then I found my amazing editor at HarperCollins, and she led me through two more drafts of the book, with major overhauls--characters were added, plotlines were taken away or changed or revamped, scenes were switched around for emphasis or clarity...It was a lot of work, but I couldn't be happier with the finished product. And it made me realize that I'm not the kind of writer who can sit down and whip out the next Great American Novel in one go (I'd like to say this type of writer doesn't exist, but sadly I know a few). I'm the kind of writer who has to write something, read it, scratch half of it out, and re-write it. Writing is like a puzzle for me, and it always takes me a few tries before I can get everything in just the right place, but along the way I learn so much about my characters and what it is I'm trying to say, that revision has actually become my favorite part of the process.

Kelly: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Lisa: Definitely the theater. I'm a huge musical theater fan.

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

Lisa: I'd do some traveling. My dream travel destination at the moment is the Galapagos Islands. I'm dying to meet 100-year-old Galapagos tortoises, and do some snorkeling, and get a little sun too. Oh, I'm ready to go right now!

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

Lisa: Well, even though today is Valentine's Day (Happy Valentine's!), I think I'd have to go with Halloween. It involves more candy than Valentine's and New Years combined, and you really can't beat that.

BOOK QUESTIONS

Kelly: What I particularly admired about The Thing About Georgie is that, while Georgie is a dwarf and faces challenges uniquely his own, in all other respects The Thing About Georgie is about the challenges all children face when they're moving on to the Middle School age. You could replace Georgie with Jeanie the Meanie (ADHD? Family problems?) or Andy (your grandmother from Italy sharing your room? Yikes!) and tell the same story. Can you elaborate on why you decided to make Georgie your hero specifically?

Lisa: Oh, I'm so glad you felt that way! I tried very hard not to pound readers over the head with the fact that Georgie is a dwarf, because really, most of the experiences he has and the challenges he faces are similar to those of any child.

I think most children, at one point or another, feel like an outsider. Whether it's on their soccer team or at school or within their group of friends, most kids feel that there's something different about them that prevents them from fitting in. What drew me to the idea of writing about a dwarf was that these differences would be undeniably apparent. No one can try to comfort Georgie by telling him, "Oh, don't worry, I'm sure no one notices you're short," because Georgie knows people notice. So I wanted to see how he would deal with that -- to what degree he'd overcome his differences and to what degree he'd embrace them--because it seemed like a good way to talk about the experiences every child goes through.

Kelly: All the adults in The Thing About Georgie are intelligent and well meaning, yet the children still face challenges of one sort or another. This is fairly unusual in Middle Grade fiction. (Often, in children's fiction, parents are absent, defective, or otherwise strange.) Was this a conscious decision on your part?

Lisa: I'm not sure it was a conscious decision; I think I simply wanted to write about parents who felt real, and most of the parents I knew growing up were pretty darn good ones. No matter how great our parents are, though, we're still going to have our share of problems. Part of this is probably due to the fact that adults and kids look at the world in very different ways, and the adult solution to a problem doesn't always work in a child situation. Georgie's parents help their son deal with his dwarfism by buying him special furniture and adapting their house to fit his needs, which is exactly what they should do. But it takes Jeanie the Meanie to tell him that when he can't reach something he should stop whining and get a chair. And I think she's right, too.

Kelly: I found myself gaining an appreciation of Jeanie the Meanie over the course of the novel. Will we see more of her in the future?

Lisa: I'm so glad you grew to like her! I had a great time writing Jeanie. She's such a loose cannon, and just says whatever pops into her head without any sort of filter, but I think at heart she always means well. That said, I don't think she'll show up in any more stories. I spend so much time writing and re-writing a book that when I'm done I can't wait to try new characters on for size, and see what they have to say. Who knows for certain, though? Jeanie might just decide she wants to be in another novel (and if she does decide that, I'd better pay attention).

Kelly: What can we look forward to next from Lisa Graff?

Lisa: Right now I'm working on my second novel, which is also middle-grade, although it's very different from Georgie. It's called The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower, and it's a con-artist novel, in the spirit of The Sting or Paper Moon. I've just gotten it back from copyediting, so it's fun to see all the many colored pencil marks everywhere. That one comes out a year from now. I'm also in the midst of writing a third novel, which is about an eight-year-old hypochondriac and the strange old lady who moves in across the street

Lisa Graff tour

Have you all been following the Lisa Graff tour?

In celebration of the publication of her first novel, The Thing About Georgie, Lisa has been hitting the blogs for interviews and reviews.

• First stop? The Longstockings, Lisa's group home, so to speak. Coe Booth, fellow Longstocking and writer, conducts the interview.
• Today, Lisa's over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. The 7-Imp girls have a great interview up and it includes the Pivot quesitons!
• Lisa will be here tomorrow for Valentine's Day and The Cybils annoucements. I'll also review The Thing About Georgie. (spoiler: I loved it.)
• Thursday: Bildungsroman
• Friday: A Fuse # 8 Production
• Saturday: Mother Reader