A Chat with Cheryl Harness - Part Two

Welcome everyone to the second Chat with Cheryl Harness, author and illustrator extraordinaire.

Marya: Good morning Cheryl. It is good to be talking to you again

Cheryl: Hey there, Ms. M. J-G. Greetings from the bitter cold Midwest. 'Tis the season to be freezin'!

Marya: What have you been working on lately?

Marya: I've got a picture book idea for which I'm doing some preliminary drawings and test-driving some final art approaches. More than that I shan't say for fear of jinxing! And my dining room table is covered with family photographs needing to be labeled and pasted into books.

Marya: Is sounds like you have a lot going on. I would like my readers to get to know you a little. Can you tell me a little about your childhood? Did you like to read?

Cheryl: We moved a lot when I was growing up here in western Missouri. Like
Carmen's dad in my novel, Just For You to Know, my dad, like his own dad, was "the restless kind." So I was the new kid at school more than once - a shy, dorky, insecure, crabby, artistic new kid who comforted herself with books. Things, dialogue, outcomes all remain unchanged in books. That's very comforting. I read and reread the Laura Ingalls Wilder books - 10 times! - and Maud Hart Lovelace's series of Betsy- Tacy books, set in Deep Valley [Mankato actually], Minnesota, in the years 1897-1917. I called up Mrs. Lovelace years later to ask her if her fictionalized childhood was truly so happy. "Yes," she said,
"it really was." My best friend M. and I agreed that, for us, the Laura & Mary and the Betsy-Tacy books WERE our happy childhoods. It wasn't a question of liking reading, we needed it. Real life can be pretty trying. I avoided it. Still do! On the other hand, I loved reading the encyclopedia - still do. Go figure.

Marya: Do you have any funny childhood stories that you would be willing to
share with my readers?

Cheryl: My nicest memory of my family - I'm the oldest of seven kids, did I tell you that? Well, I was, and I was none too gracious about it, but it was rather nice when, on Sunday afternoons, Dad and Mom would bundle their brood into the back of the car for a drive into the country. Coming home of an evening, Mom's red hair was so pretty in the setting sun. Once, when I was ten, we went on a trip to Mansfield, MO, to visit the home of Laura & Almanzo Wilder. They'd passed away, but they left the door unlocked on their house, Rocky Ridge. I saw the desk upon which Mrs. Wilder wrote her books, a page or two of her first drafts. Pencil on tablet paper. I saw pictures of what Laura & her sisters & Ma & Pa really looked like.

Marya: I too grew up reading Laura's books and I hope one day to go an a pilgrimage to all the places where she lived. I was wondering something. Have you always liked to draw?

Cheryl: Yup. An obsessive doodler I was.

Marya: What did you draw when you were young?

Cheryl: Beautiful ladies with long flowing hair. You have my permission to smile & roll your eyes.

Marya: I am a pretty mediocre artist, but I liked to draw when I was growing up. For a long time all I drew where mountains with waterfalls, trees, and the dove of peace. No idea why! Did you get formal training in art?

Cheryl: I went to college at what is now known as the University of Central Missouri. I graduated with an art education degree so yes, I had quite a few art classes. Knowing what I don't know now, I wish I'd taken more, but I got a good grounding in drawing and watercolor.

Marya: On a more personal note, I know that you have pets. What are they like and have you ever thought of creating a book about them?

Cheryl: Some of my pets, Ruby the Basset Hound and Maude the Scottie, have appeared in my picture books. They passed on to the Blue Beyond some years ago. Nowadays I have Mimi the black & white Shih Tsu and two cats who avoid one another entirely: Lily and Scary Merrie.

Marya: When I am not working I like to knit, cook, ski, ride my bike, and do
yoga. When you are not working what do you like to do with yourself?

Cheryl: I READ. Only yesterday I devoured a delightful book, Buried
Alive, the words as snappy as the day they were written 100 years ago by Arnold Bennett. And I've just begun reading H.W. Brands' bio of Andy Jackson, in genuine expectation of doing a book on him soon. Andy, not H.W. :-)

Marya: Yes indeed! I forgot to mention that I too love to read. In fact I am hoping to convert an old barn on my land into a library so that I can have a place to store all my books. Thanks again Cheryl for joining me.

Cheryl: Thank YOU, absolutely, Ms. Marya.

Cheryl will be back with us for part three of this Chat next week.

The William C. Morris Award

In 2009 a new award is going to be given for "a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature." This is what the American Library Association has to say about the award:

" The award's namesake is William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults. Bill Morris left an impressive mark on the field of children’s and young adult literature. He was beloved in the publishing field and the library profession for his generosity and marvelous enthusiasm for promoting literature for children and teens.
The William C. Morris YA Debut Award celebrates the achievement of a previously unpublished author, or authors, who have made a strong literary debut in writing for young adult readers. The work cited will illuminate the teen experience and enrich the lives of its readers through its excellence, demonstrated by:

• Compelling, high quality writing and/or illustration
• The integrity of the work as a whole
• Its proven or potential appeal to a wide range of teen readers

The Morris Award will be awarded annually at ALA’s Midwinter Youth Media Awards." This year that will on January 26th 2009

The shortlist for the award was annouced at the end of December and the books on this list are:

A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Scholastic)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin)
Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne (HarperCollins)
Madapple by Christina Meldrum (Random House)
Me, the Missing, and the Dead by Jenny Valentine (HarperCollins)

I am really looking forward to reading and reviewing these exciting new books.

A new Winnie the Pooh book?

The news in the children's book publishing world is rather grim these days. People are losing their jobs, small houses are being bought up, and a lot of restructuring is taking place in many of the bigger houses. In an effort to put a little energy back into the business, some publishers are coming up with what they hope will be "big deal" releases. One of these is the new Winnie-the-Pooh book that Penguin will be releasing on October 5th 2009. David Benedictus is the author of this title and Mark Burgess is the illustrator.

Some Winnie-the-Pooh fans are unhappy about this development. They feel that Pooh should be sacrosanct and that it would be shame to tamper with A.A. Milne's beloved character. Others believe that there is nothing wrong with a new sequel for the series.

I find myself feeling torn between both points of view. On the one hand I love Pooh too much to see him changed in any dramatic way, and on the other I love him so much that I would like to read more Pooh adventures - if they are written in a style that is in keeping with the original Pooh books.

To all you Pooh fans out there - what do you think? Should there be another Pooh book?

A Chat with Cheryl Harness

For some months now I have been talking to author and illustrator Cheryl Harness via email. She a wonderfully warm, funny, and clever lady. To try to give you sense of what she is like I am going to be having several 'conversations' with her over the next few weeks.

Cheryl have illustrated numerous books that were written by other people, and she has both written and illustrated many titles as well. Her National Geographic biographies are both fascinating to read and a joy to look at. Her books include such titles as The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin, Franklin and and Eleanor, and The Remarkable, Rough-Riding Life of Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of Empire America

Here is my first talk with Cheryl:

Marya: Good morning Cheryl. It is a pleasure to have you here on the TTLG
blog with me. I hope you are having a terrific 2009 so far.

Cheryl: I am indeed; so far so good. The December snow & ice has melted, so for today, at least, there's sure footing and the sky is blue.

Marya: We had a sort of white Christmas, but snow has been almost non-existent since then. This is a little disappointing for me because I love to ski.
Recently you told me that you got to look at the cover of the new book
that you are working on. This book is about Harry Truman. I was
wondering what got you interested in writing about this particular
president.

Cheryl: Well, as you and your readers may or may not know, Independence,
Missouri, is my home town. This is true, too, of our 33rd President. Neither of us were born here - he was born south a ways from here in Lamar, MO, 125 years ago; I in Maywood, CA, when he was the president, in 1951.
I actually saw him only once, in person even though we lived in the same neighborhood. I wasn't curious enough, youth being wasted on the young. I was more interested in drawing pictures and reading Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Anyway, I've been asked more than once, "When are you going to do a book about Harry?" Turned out that the answer was "these past few months."

Marya: When will this book be in bookstores?

Cheryl: The book will be available mid-February, in time for Presidents' Day, but I wouldn't expect to see The Harry Book (The Life of President Truman in Words & Pictures) in bookstores any time soon. I'm self- publishing this. It's something I've never done before and I confess that I am a much better writer and illustrator than I am a businesswoman. I imagine that one who goes to my website will find how he or she can get a copy. Or lots of copies! And I reckon that I'll have a bundle of Harry Books with me when I travel about, school visiting. It's comic book - did I tell you that? NO, I didn't! It's 48 pages' worth of pen & ink detailed pictures & lettering about this truly remarkable fellow. I learned so much about my long-gone neighbor. I wish I hadn't been such a doofus and had met him when I was young and had the chance... ah well.

Marya: You have written about several presidents so far including Teddy
Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Which president interested you the most and why?

Cheryl: Indeed, I should say Mr. Lincoln, this year being the 200th anniversary of the year in which he entered the world - same day, by the way, as Charles Darwin, the naturalist. And truly, I loved learning, writing, and illustrating his inspiring life, but of all the presidents - of all the Americans I've studied Teddy Roosevelt is the most interesting. Not saying I agree with all of his politics, but that TR was a fabulous individual. I love stories of overcoming and considering Abe's poverty- stricken background, FDR's polio, Geo. Washington's steadfastness in the face of truly aweful obstacles, TR's early illness - golly, I could go on and on. These individuals overcame so much. And too, each president represents to me a different chapter in the history of our nation.

Marya: I am also fascinated by Teddy Roosevelt's story. He was smart, funny, very active, and full of energy. And, like FDR, he had to overcome a severe illness. In TR's case it was asthma. In general I love reading biographies and books about history. What is it about history that excites you so much?

Cheryl: It's EVERYTHING! All we've done and hoped and dared. All humankind's accomplishments, our cruel, ridiculous, short-sighted mistakes; our explorations and our digging out of the holes we've dug.
And it's positively thick with role models. Me being such a sissypants, I'm ever drawn to courageous examples down the years. Harriet Quimby totally interests me these days. the first woman to fly across the English Channel, in 1912. Hugely brave & skillful PLUS she was totally beautiful, not that it matters, and she died far too young. a real pioneer. Plus, historical, real-life stories go well with my sort of illustration.

Marya: For those of you who don't know, Cheryl's artwork is full of detail and action, and she is a wizz when it comes to maps. Do you have any plans to branch out into fiction?

Cheryl: I did do that a few years ago in my novel for young readers, Just For You to Know [HarperCollins, 2006] It was set here in Independence, MO, 1963. Harry Truman had a brief, cameo appearance in it. That book was my heart's darling. I've got another book in the works - several really - and one of them might well involve another President. Stay tuned!

Marya: That's right! I remember the book because I reviewed - and loved - it. Here is my review. I look forward to seeing more works of both fiction and non-fiction with your name on them. Thank you for the chat Cheryl.

Cheryl: You are welcome.

I will be talking to Cheryl some more about her life and her work in the weeks to come. In the meantime do please visit Cheryl's website to find out more about this wonderful lady.

The New Issue of Through the Looking Glass Book Review

Hello everyone. The new issue of Through the Looking Glass Book Review is now online. I hope you enjoy looking through it. It was a challenge to put out because I was trying to juggle moving house, preparing for the holidays, and one hundred and one other things. Still, I managed. Here is a sample of what is in this new issue:

This month's special feature: Penguins - If you like black and white birds that waddle then this is the book collection for you.

This month's seasonal features: Winter Days and Snowy Days. The latter includes an large collection of books that will allow you to enjoy some of the pleasures of snow without leaving your home.

This month's Editor's Choice: How to get rich in the California Gold Rush by Todd Olson. This excellent title will help young readers get a sense of what it was like to go to California seeking gold there during the gold rush. The book is packed with period illustrations and it's narrative brings this historic event to life.

In the Bookish Calender we look at, among other things, the birthdays of Benedict Arnold and Alexander Hamilton; Appreciate a Dragon Day, and Chinese (lunar) New Year.

Some of you will enjoy reading my review of Brian Jacques' book Doomwhyte on the 12+ Fiction Page. Give a Goat is a very meaningful title that is reviewed on the Picture Book Page. For little children there is How big is a pig and several other board books on the Board Book and Novelty Books Page.

I hope you enjoy this new issue. If you have any questions or comments please drop me a line.

Judy Blundell wins the 2008 National Book Award

A week before Thanksgiving it was announced that Judy Blundell's book What I saw and how I lied won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Presented by the National Book Foundation this prestigious award has been given to such books as The Penderwicks (2005), The Canning Season (2003), The House of the Scorpion (2002) and Holes (1998).

Though she has written many books under other names, this is the first book that Judy Blundell has written using her own name on the book cover. Judy Blundell has written books for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers under several pseudonyms. Her novel, Premonitions, was an ALA Reluctant Readers Best Picks and was chosen by the New York Public Library as a 2004 Best Books for the Teen Age. Judy Blundell is well known to Star Wars fans by her pseudonym, Jude Watson. Among her forthcoming projects is Book #4 in the New York Times bestselling series, The 39 Clues. Judy Blundell lives in Katonah, New York, with her husband and daughter.

Here is a synopsis of the book from the publisher:

When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.
As she begins to realize that almost everything she believed to be a truth was really a lie, Evie must get to the heart of the deceptions and choose between her loyalty to her parents and her feelings for the man she loves. Someone will have to be betrayed. The question is . . . who?

If any of you have read this book please let me know what you think of it. I hope to review it myself very soon.

Happy New Year Everyone! Newbery discussion

Happy New Year! I hope you all have a wonderful and book filled 2009. I know that 2008 has been a hard year for many of you and that you are worried about the future. Hopefully things will start to get better soon, and these trying times will soon be behind us. In the meantime we can read, talk to one another, and celebrate the best of children's literature.

Lately there has been a lot of talk about whether the Newbery Awards are becoming too "complicated and inaccessible" to children and are therefore turning children off reading. I have been thinking about this a lot and though I can understand where this concern is coming from, I don't think this is true. Though I have not always liked the winners, I have never had a problem understanding why they were awarded the medal. You can see a complete list of the winners and honor books here on the ALA website.

I would be interested to know what you think about this. Do you think the Newbery Awards still have merit? Which Newbery Award winners do you like the most? Are there any that you really don't like? I have to confess that I did not really like The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread but I loved Crispin: The Cross of Lead.

All the best and again, Happy New Year.

An Interview with Jesse Kimmel-Freeman

Not long ago I stumbled across a website that an author had put up. This usually would be a very ordinary thing except the author's book has not been published yet. I was intrigued enough that I asked Jesse Kimmel-Freeman for an interview.

You are the first person I know of who has created a website for a book that has yet to be published. Why did you do this?
Well, it's a marketing tacit. I was hoping that if I could get a fan base before my book was published, then a publisher would want it even more. I can't tell you if it worked or not because I've only sent it to one publishing house since I got my site up and running, and I'm waiting to hear anything from them before I continue on my path to get Bella Notte published.

What kind of reception has your website and your book idea received?
Would you be surprised if I told you that I have fans? My site gets hits everyday, and the most surprising thing is that after the USA the next biggest hitter on it is Poland! I've gotten emails from teens to adults, male and female alike, about how they want it published and filled with support. I've even gotten some that are worried that as cool as my book is that it won't get picked up because of Meyer's current popularity. I have people coming to me for advice and everything. So, I'd say that both have been received awesomely!

Where did you get the idea for your book?
I wish I had some great story about how the book came to me, but like I've said before, I don't. It was an organic process that grew. I started Bella Notte almost 2 years ago, and at that point I just had the dream. I tried to map out the story, but I've found out that I'm not too good at staying on track with those. So I made a map of the town, I scheduled my characters' classes, I decided little details that I'd want to put in once I got to the part where they would fit and then I wrote. Unfortunately, I had to take a break while I was pregnant with my son because I was put on strict bed rest and writing on my laptop wasn't very easy- not that my best friend and sister did both offer to write for me. But because of that rest a whole part of the book came into being- it wouldn't be there if I hadn't taken some time away from my characters.

Have you started on the second book in your series yet?
Yes, and let me tell you, it isn't easy. I'm having trouble remembering all the fine details from the first one, and I feel a little like I should be waiting to see if Bella Notte gets picked up.
But it doesn't stop my mind from coming up with more things to write down, and it sure as heck wouldn't stop my characters from making me crazy!

Why do you think vampire stories have become the rage in the last few years?
I think many things have contributed this. But in the YA genre, I'd have to say that Meyer's book Twilight started it all. Her books opened this genre up- she's like the J.K. Rowling of YA vampire books.
Besides her, I think that people need what vampires have to offer in their lives right now, they are the unknown- something that makes them both hard and easy to write about. Adults want some of that in their lives, they want to feel the mystery of what isn't certain and maybe some of the sexiness of vampires. For YA readers, vampires are outcasts, they don't fit and they're awkward- something every teenager knows. Vampires are the type of characters that can shift into what you need them to be at that very moment- it's their nature to survive, and that they are doing with this current lust for them.

Why do you do when you are not writing and trying to sell your book?
I am a mother and a graduate student. When I'm not writing or trying to get Bella Notte out there, I am taking care of my son, Brody, or I am working on my every growing pile of homework. And secretly thinking up more things for Bella Vita and the books to come.

Were you a big reader when you were a teen, and if so what did you
like to read?
I didn't really like reading until I was an older teen. When I did read it was Nora Roberts books and erotica (I don't even know why- I was always giggling through it). When I hit my later teen years I found Harry Potter, but this was when the first three books were in paperback and in a set, so it was awhile after they had come out and that was what got me started. After that, I read everything I could.

Do you have other books ideas in addition to your teen vampire stories?
After I complete the four books for this series, I have some ideas for a demon hunter book (maybe a series as well), but it isn't really shaped at this point. I'm also writing a children's book with an archaeologist as the main character, but I'm not sure on that... it's just an idea.

I have a feeling that Jesse is going to go a long way. To find out more about her book and to read excerpts from her book visit her website.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone. I hope you have a wonderful couple of days with friends and family

Babymouse - An interview with her creators

Good morning all. I am here to tell you about Babymouse - just in case you have not heard about this delightful and very loveable character. Created by Jennifer L. Holm and her brother Matthew Holm, Babymouse is a graphic novel personality who loves cupcakes, who tries to survive school, and who has terrible luck keeping pets. She is persecuted by Felicia Furrypaws, a cat with a spiteful nature. Babymouse has an imagination as big as all outdoors, and this helps her to get through trying times. Because I love Babymouse I contacted the people at Random House to ask Jennfer and Matthew for an interview. Here is what they had to say

1. Where did the idea for Babymouse come from?

JENNI: When I was growing up (with four brothers!) our house was always full of comic books. (And stinky socks.)

MATT: Hey!

JENNI: But there were never any good comics for girls. Wonder Woman? Betty and Veronica? Little Lulu? Bleah. So I always hoped that, someday, I'd come across a good comic character that girls could identify with.

Then, when I was older and living in New York City, I was having a really rotten day. Late for work, pouring rain, forgot my lunch, etc. When I finally got home, I was standing in the kitchen, and the image of this irritable little mouse with crazy whiskers and a heart on her dress came into my head. So I scribbled it down on a napkin and gave it to Matt the next time I saw him.

And then he lost the napkin.

MATT: Sigh.

2. How did you decide that you wanted your character to be a mouse rather than a cat, dog or some other animal?

MATT: When we were growing up, our dad made Jenni a dollhouse. But instead of little human dolls, we had these little mouse figurines that all the local gift shops carried. They came in all sorts of outfits-lumberjack mouse, magician mouse, doctor mouse, leprechaun mouse, Betsy Ross mouse, and so on. I had some of them, too.

JENNI: I got the dollhouse. Matt got the garage.

3. Why did you decide to give Babymouse such a wonderfully active imagination?

JENNI: What kid doesn't have an imagination like that? I know I certainly did, and just about every kid I meet when I go visit schools does, too.

MATT: And, on a practical level, it allows us to do a lot of fun, crazy scenes.

4. Sometimes the stories in the Babymouse books have a sad element to them. Why did you do this?

JENNI: Frankly, a lot of stuff that happens to you when you're in elementary and middle school stinks. But it's good to know that life goes on afterward. And, maybe, it can even be funny.

5. What is it like to work together with a sibling? Do you get on each other's nerves?

MATT: You wouldn't believe how difficult she is to-OW! Quit hitting me!!

JENNI: Ahem. No, we're both pretty easy-going when it comes to the books. We worked in advertising and publishing for years, so we're used to being edited by other people. Our attitude has always been that, if someone feels strongly that something needs to be changed, it probably means that there's something wrong with the scene.

MATT: Plus, we've always lived like, six hours away from each other. That helps.
6. Obviously you both like comics. What do you think comics and graphic novels offer children besides entertainment?

MATT: Comics can teach kids how to read, the same as any other book. Maybe even better; concepts like "dialogue" and "narration" are broken out into discrete examples inside speech balloons, and the pictures show what the words mean, to help reinforce things.

JENNI: I always like to tell a story about a friend of mine, who was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New York City when he was very young. He spoke English as a second language, and had a lot of trouble learning to read. In his adulthood, he told me, "Superman taught me how to read." Superman comics made it possible for him to learn how to read.

7. Matthew, how do you create your illustrations?

MATT: It's a multi-step process. First, I create quick thumbnail sketches in pencils. These are just snippets from all the scenes of the manuscripts, sometimes from different angles, and so on, as I'm working out how things might look. Then Jenni takes these thumbnails, cuts them out, and pastes them down into rough layouts. From these layouts I draw final sketches with Sharpie markers, complete with all of the panels, speech balloons, etc. Then, I scan the final sketches into the computer and do the final "inks" digitally using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom drawing tablet.

8. Do you both have plans for many more Babymouse books?

JENNI: You bet! Hopefully, for as long as kids keep reading them. Our next one is called, Babymouse: The Musical, in which Babymouse tries out for a school play. I drew upon a lot of my youthful Andrew Lloyd Weber soundtrack mania to create this one.

9. Do you put any of your own childhood experiences into your Babymouse stories?

JENNI: No, never.

MATT: Um, don't you mean, "All the time?"

JENNI: Oh, right. All the time, in fact. I really did have my own "Felicia Furrypaws" at school. Our family really did have some bad luck with escape-prone hamsters and goldfish. And Matt really did get mugged for his Halloween candy one year.

10. Do you, like Babymouse, have a fondness for cupcakes?

JENNI: (Munch munch)

MATT: Can't talk. Eating.

11. What kinds of books did you like to read when you were young?

MATT: When we were very young, lots of Dr. Seuss. Later, lots of comic strip collections-Peanuts, Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County. When we got to the novel stage, it was mostly fantasy.

JENNI: Lloyd Alexander was my favorite author. I wrote him a fan letter, but, being a dumb kid, didn't think to include my return address. Instead, I wrote in my phone number. Craziest of all-he actually called me and thanked me for writing him!

12. In Babymouse Monster Mash - your newest book - Babymouse gets the better of some very unpleasant kids who go to her school. What were you trying to do with this story - besides giving your readers a reason to cheer that is?

JENNI: We wanted to revisit the slumber party social scenario from the first book. Babymouse sees an opportunity to get in good with Felicia and her gang, and she jumps at it, despite the hard lessons she learned in the earlier books. Why? Because that's what happens in real life! All of us really are naive enough and hopeful enough to believe that, maybe THIS time, that mean girl will really be nice, and we'll really get to be part of the "in" crowd.

And, usually, you wind up like Charlie Brown getting the football pulled away from him.

MATT: Plus, who doesn't love a good zombie gross-out scene?

You can read my reviews of the Babymouse books here. You might also like to take a look at the Babymouse website.