Last month, I interviewed author Helen Hemphill for GuysLitWire about writing for guys and writing from a male perspective. This month, I posed some of the same questions to author Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, whose newest novel for kids, The Floating Circus, involves an injured orphan boy, a freed slave, an elephant, and a circus boat ( Read more... )

I first posted this interview at GuysLitWire, a collective lit blog where we discuss books recommended for teenage boys. Since two of Helen Hemphill's three novels have teenaged male protagonists, I thought she would be a perfect interview subject for GLW. When we spoke earlier this month, I asked her how she felt about writing for guys and writing ( Read more... )

Last month, we talked about Play Me by Laura Ruby, a YA book written by a woman with a teenage boy as the protagonist.

This month, we're talking about Poison Ink by Christopher Golden, a terrific horror novel. Here we have a story written by a man with a teenage girl as the protagonist. Her four best friends, all female, round out the cast. ( Read more... )

These are the thoughts of a recent college graduate (male) and a bookseller (female) regarding a book written by a woman from the point of view of a teenage boy.

When Book Chic and I discovered we had read the same book - Play Me by Laura Ruby - within days of each other, we decided to write a collaborative post for GuysLitWire. Here are some ( Read more... )

Poison Ink is now dripping on bookshelves and marking the hands of readers. Christopher Golden's newest release is a horror story for the ages, especially for the teenaged. What made the Golden boy write with a Poison pen? Let's find out.
What inspired Poison Ink?
I honestly don't remember the whole sequence of how the idea came ( Read more... )

From the moment he wakes up in the morning until the moment he goes to sleep at night, Tucker is in constant motion. His boundless energy and upbeat personality make him bounce down the stairs, twirl around his parents, and weave between his younger sisters. His natural affinity for dancing leads him to ballet class. He absolutely loves dancing and ( Read more... )

On a regular basis, I try to talk kids out of saying, "Oh, that's a GIRL book," or, "Ewww! Idon'twannareadaBOYSTORY ( Read more... )

Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock tells the story of a girl named D.J. who has to pick up the slack on her family's farm when her father's hip injury prevents him from doing the bulk of the work. Her two older brothers, now away at college, were big hometown football stars. She helped them train for football while she trained for track and ( Read more... )