Welcome to the 2009 Winter Blog Blast Tour! (You may ask yourself, "What's a WBBT?" Click here for the answer.) I'm happy to help kick off this year's events with this interview, in which Courtney Sheinmel considers character names, middle school memories, and cheese, as well as more serious matters, such as AIDS awareness and the effect of ( Read more... )

Emerson is HIV-positive, having acquired it from her mother during the pregnancy. When she was eight, her parents got divorced. Emmy stayed with her mom, and the two became extremely close. Five years later, shortly after she finishes seventh grade and turns thirteen, Emmy's world turns upside down. Her mom passes away from AIDS. Emmy has to go ( Read more... )

Ever since she was little, Leah's known where she came from: her mother and a donor from Lyons Reproductive Services. She enjoyed life as an only child and didn't mind having a single parent. When her mother got married, Leah gained a stepfather - and later, a little half-brother - who loved her unconditionally. Though very content with her home ( Read more... )

As the leaves turn from green to brown, I find myself sitting outside, near the trees, and turning the pages of books. I've declared four new YA books to be The Most Promising October Releases for TeensPaper Towns by John Green ( Read more... )

As an educator (named Teacher of the Year her first year!), a modeling agent, a writer, and a mother, it's safe to say that Debbie Reed Fischer has had a direct effect on others.  Her debut novel for teens, Braless in Wonderland, followed a young woman into the topsy-turvy world of modeling. Her second YA novel, Swimming with the Sharks (due out in ( Read more... )

Looking up to its big brothers and sisters of the Class of 2k7, here comes the Class of 2k8! 2k8 is made up of 28 debut authors whose juvenile or teen novels hit the shelves in 2008.

In June 2008, the Class of 2k8 interviewed various book reviewers, including me. Thank you for including me!

( And now, for the list of 2k8 releases... )

A trip to a national park made Kristin O'Donnell Tubb consider how things were for families living in the Appalachians in the 1930s. Further research moved Kristin to write Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different, a novel for kids and the young-at-heart, which will be published in October. Travel back in time with us.
Though Autumn is your ( Read more... )

Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head - and she likes it that way! Ten-year-old Samantha loves collecting things and making lists. Her most cherished collection includes all kinds of rocks. Given the chance, she will talk your ear off about rocks - or about clouds, or caves, or any number of science-related topics. This outgoing fourth-grader is a ( Read more... )

I'm going on a posting spree today and have a bunch of author interviews lined up.

First up is Nancy Viau, whose forthcoming juvenile novel Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head is fun and funny. ( Read my full-length book review.) Let's find out what inspired Nancy to carve out this story.

Samantha Hansen is a different kind of rock star, and I ( Read more... )

In her debut novel, My So-Called Family, Courtney Sheinmel realistically captures the thoughts and feelings of a young girl who has always known of her origins: her mother went to a reproductive clinic, selected a donor based on a profile, and had a child. Though she's always loved her family - which now consists of a stepfather and little half- ( Read more... )