JILL WOLFSON

Awesome Book Trailer

2011-11-29T12:21:00.001-08:00

The publisher of the new UK edition of Cold Hands, Warm Heart has created a great new cover, plus a fantastic book trailer. It's so amazing to see a character come to life -- and death. What do you think?

Radio show about the Beat Within

2010-01-04T18:23:00.000-08:00

Robert Pollie, the host of the 7th Avenue Project on public radio, produced a fantastic hour-long radio show about The Beat Within. He asks great questions -- and did some amazingly profound interviews with some of the incarcerated kids at Santa Cruz juvenile hall. Listen to Daniel, Sami, Ronnie, Ulysses and others talk about their lives "inside" and their relationship to the written word.

You can hear the program by clicking here.

Publicity for the Beat Within Fundraiser

2009-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled at all the great press we're getting for the literary Beat Within fundraiser. Donate some cash to this fantastic and important art and writing program for incarcerated kids and you get an autographed book as a thank-you gift.

Read the article in The Santa Cruz Sentinel.
And in Metro Santa Cruz.

All the details for donating? Click here.

Donating to the Beat Within

2009-11-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to Amy Reed for posting on her blog about the fundraiser for The Beat Within. (And for her very generous donation of a book). One of the fun benefits of organizing this fundraiser is being introduced to the work of so many writers. I enjoyed checking out the interviews on her blog.

Non-Fiction in November

2009-11-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

Blogger Nina Amir has declared: It's "Write Non-Fiction in November"month, her once-a-year challenge to complete a work of non-fiction in 30 days. She's posting a month's worth of pertinent info to help you along your way to publishing success. I'm her guest blogger today, in my guise as editor of Bay Area Parent.

Click here to read my post.

Donate a Book; Buy a Book

2009-10-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Almost every Friday night for the past 10 years or so, I've been a volunteer with a writing program called The Beat Within. Each week, I join staff and other volunteers at the juvenile hall in my home town to hold writing workshops with kids, ages 14-18. The hand-written pieces from the workshops are then published into a weekly magazine, The Beat Within, which circulates through juvenile halls and prisons around the country. Each entry is published along with an adult response. It's an amazing program.

And now, I'm helping to raise funds to keep it going. We're asking authors to donate autographed copies of their books to give away as a thank-you gifts to donors. The drive is just getting started and already so many wonderful writers have stepped up, including from Newbery-award winner Paul Fleischman and Karen Joy Fowler, author of the bestseller The Jane Austen Book Club.

To read all the details about the fundraiser, click here.

We need your help if you are an author, or if you love books and kids!

For more info, contact me here or at Books4Beat@gmail.com.

And please, please feel free to pass along this message and post it on Facebook, your blog, etc.

Dear Diary -- With Jillian Cantor

2009-10-05T13:25:00.001-07:00

I met Jillian Cantor when we were both on the same panel at the Tucson Book Festival. The joke was that, in order to be a YA author, you need thick dark hair, to be named Jill and to have grown up in Philadelphia.

Jillian is the author of the wonderful YA novels, THE SEPTEMBER SISTERS (Harperteen) and THE LIFE OF GLASS (Winter 2010/Harperteen). Her first novel for adults, THE TRANSFORMATION OF THINGS, will be released in Fall 2010 by Avon/HarperCollins.

I'm so glad that she didn't toss her high school journal.

Here's Jillian:

In my upcoming release, THE LIFE OF GLASS, my main character Melissa keeps a journal during her freshman year in high school. It is a continuation of one her father kept before he died, a journal filled with strange facts and unusual love stories, a journal Melissa adds to by writing in the love stories she knows and discovers throughout the year, just so they won’t be lost.

Like Melissa, I, too, kept a journal during my freshman year in high school. Near the beginning I wrote, I’m a Freshman! Can you believe it? This is going to be a year for believing in myself, setting my goals, and reaching for my dreams. However, what follows reads like a soap opera – the boys I liked (which changed almost weekly, I should add), the fights I had with my friends. I’m not sure why, but I even gave my journal a name -- “Capricious” or “Capri” for short. Seems fitting now, looking at how capricious and whimsical I actually was back then, but how I came up with that name, I can’t tell you. I began all the entries by writing “Dear Capri,” (because I guess Dear Diary must’ve felt too boring to me!). Oh, and in the back I have a list of names I like for my future children – at the top of the list is Capricious, which I note will be the name of my first born. (I can assure you, that is not actually his name, though!)

Here are some excerpts from some of the entries. All the names are totally changed because. . . well, because I’m actually Facebook friends with most of these guys now, and even all these years later I would be mortified if any of them read this and realized I was talking about them!

Thursday, November 12, 1992

Guess what? Last Friday A. asked me out, but when I said yes he said JUST KIDDING. How rude and immature! Well now I have spies trying to figure out who he likes. A lot of people know that I like him now, but I don’t even care. In fact now I’m even questioning how much I like him. I keep flirting with B. Just a reminder that “there are other fish.”

Wednesday, November 25, 1992

Sorry I haven’t written in awhile. . .as for A. I wish he would ask me out, so I could say NO! Yuck!! . . .B is so funny, he makes me laugh all the time. He’s just a really awesome person.

Sunday, February 17, 1993

Well, long time no see. B. is SO long gone. I thought that I liked C., but then on Friday we had a dance, and suddenly I found D. very attractive. . . Options for the Dinner Dance are still open. Who knows? Anything could happen between now and June 11.

Friday, March 19, 1993 (12:04 AM)

I really like D. I want to go to the Dinner Dance with him, but I’m scared to ask him. What if he says no? What if he says yes?

Then there is a whole saga involving the Dinner Dance, in which one guy (E.), who I only liked as a friend, asked me and I said yes. But then this other guy (F.) who I dated on and off in junior high confessed his love for me and asked me, so I backed out on my yes with E. and ended up going with F. instead. I still cringe just thinking about it now. The rest of the journal pretty much chronicles my relationship with F., which really wasn’t much more than a friendship. We never even kissed – a point I obsess over for pages and pages.

And then the journal ends on September 3, 1993, which was the first day of my sophomore year and also the day I met my first serious boyfriend (who is now my husband). And after that, I never kept a journal again. Although, part of me almost wishes I’d kept writing, because that’s something I’d love to read now, what I was thinking and feeling when I first started dating my husband, what I would’ve written about him. And then the other part of me is REALLY glad I didn’t!

Kids Who Write

2009-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Every time I talk to a group of students, I inevitably get asked the same question by an earnest and passionate tween or teen: "I'm a writer. Where can I get published?"

Here's a resource list for budding authors, in addition to recommending that you create your own blog or website.(That's what I do!)

For writers 13 and under, there's the wonderful Stone Soup, which is published in my town (Santa Cruz, CA), and distributed all over the country. It's been described as "The New Yorker for kids", and I agree. For details on how to publish and subscribe, go to stonesoup.com. At this website, you'll find more resources. Click on "links" and click on "Young writers in print." Voila.

A wonderful salesperson at Anderson's Books in Naperville, Ill. suggested kidpub.com and its teen counterpart at teen-author.com.

A friend pointed me to teenlink.com.

Another: Kids who are immigrants or whose families are immigrants might enjoy entering Mitali Perkins' Fire Escape contests.

Now it's your turn. Have your found anything else either print or online?

Proust Questionnaire

2009-10-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Each week, Julie Halpern features an author on her Blog of Wonder: Proust Questionnaire. Today's guest? Me. Lots of fun to answer the questions. Check it out here.

Couldn't resist posting the picture of Proust's coffin.

School Visits in Naperville

2009-09-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

I had a blast visiting today with students at Crone and Gregory Middle Schools in Naperville, Ill. I loved all the thoughtful questions, including: "So, do you think one day in the future in an advanced civilization, doctors will no longer do transplants, but will use stem cells to regenerate nerves and create viable organs?" Um, er, maybe?

I so love the passion and energy that school librarians put into welcoming visiting authors. Check out these two fabulous book displays that greeted me as I walked in the door. Thanks Karen and Nancy.

Anderson's YA Literature Conference

2009-09-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Just got to Chicago for 3 days of book promotion, school visits and speaking at Anderson's YA conference in Naperville on Saturday. Looking forward to being on panels and hearing Judy Blundell, Gennifer Choldenko, among others. Come if you're in the Chicago area.
Here's the link with the details.

Dear Diary --With Janette Rallison

2009-09-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I was helping my mom clean out my childhood home and came upon my middle-school diaries. Wow, what a drama queen I was.
Hmmm. Drama Queen 7th Grader=Children's Book Writer.

I invited other writers to share their earliest and most personal writing. The invitation stands! Let me know if you want to participate.

First up: Janette Rallison, author of many wonderful books, including Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List (IRA Young Adults' Choices List 2007); It's a Mall World After All (IRA Young Adults' Choices List 2008) and How to Take the Ex out of Ex Boyfriend (IRA Young Adults' Choices List 2009)

Here's Janette!

I've written in journals since I was thirteen. You'd think that at some point I would have gone back and reread through these tomes, but beyond a few times that I’ve flipped through some of the later ones to reminisce about an event, nope, I haven't cracked any of them open.

I realize now, that I should have, if only for the entertainment value. Wow, I was silly at thirteen. For example, my sister got married that year so this event got a lot of page time in my journal. I understand my writing about my worries--they were mostly because my parents thought she was too young to get married. (She was the oldest so I hadn't realized at that point that my parents thought 32 was the respectable age to marry.)—but I described every detail of the day including the wedding luncheon and the reception. I wrote about the red punch, (it was so good I breathed it in) how many forks were used, (three, and they were silver) how many pictures were taken of the bride and groom (at least 250) and I even drew diagrams of where we stood in the reception line, what the cake looked like, and the poles that marked off the dancing area.

I have no idea why I felt the need to record all these details. Did I think someday we were going to reenact the event? Was I writing it down to make sure my reception was just as fancy? Did I think archeologists would one day unearth my journal and need it to understand wedding rituals of the 20th century? I have no idea. It was the only bit of information I didn't write down.

I did find some of my other observations on marriage interesting. I wrote:

I wouldn't mind being married. Sometimes I just want to get away from it all, from my parents, from all the things I do around here that I wish I didn’t have to do.
(Obviously I had getting married confused with taking a vacation to Disneyland. Hello, when you get married you have to do all that stuff that you wish you didn’t have to do plus some. I guess I thought elves came to pay the bills and stock the fridge.)

I wish I could get away from school and all its popularity groups and the struggle for boys and all the homework. (Okay, granted, I had a point about that. I don’t miss junior high.)

My sister looked so happy, so peaceful. (Of course she did—she no longer had to spend all of her time planning reception details.)

Then I went on to talk about my cousin, Jill’s wedding reception—luckily without the details about every food on the table or what color the napkins were.

Jill looked absolutely radiant! It was then I really decided that I was really going to look forward to my wedding. I even started a wedding fund which I now have a little over 10 dollars in. (I have no idea what happened to that fund. I probably spent it on chocolate in later years when I grew more cynical about men.)

I wonder what it would be like to be with a man, have his children, and live together for the rest of our lives. It’s a big step getting married. I hope I find the right guy. (I did, and it’s wonderful—even if I didn’t get ribbons on the poles to mark off the dancing area for the reception. Come to think of it, I didn’t get a band or a dancing area. I think I should show my journal to my parents. They owe me some ribbons and a band.)

By the way, at Jill’s reception I caught the wedding bouquet and then afterwards one of the waiters who worked there asked me to marry him. He was just kidding. I said, “Yes!” That was fun! (No wonder my parents worried their children getting married too young.)

Janette Rallison

--------------------

Interview with Betsy Franco

2009-09-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

My interview with Betsy Franco, the wonderful children's book author, was just published in Stanford Magazine. Betsy has 6! new books scheduled to be published this year, including her first YA novel. The artwork is by one of her sons -- and yep, another son is heartthrob James Franco. Here's the link to the article.

Dear Diary-- Invitation to all Writers

2009-08-20T07:30:00.001-07:00

This week, I've been helping my mom clean out my childhood home. (She's moving to an apartment). What a haul of memories, including my 6th grade autograph book and several journals from my tween/teen years.

Age 12: June 9: "Dear Diary, Today I'm changing my life. I'm NOT going to be shy, but popular with everyone. Tomorrow, Project Popularity goes into effect. I'll clue you in on how it goes!"

Oh my...my writing hasn't changed in 40-plus years, like I'm starring in my own YA novel.

Dear Diary Invitation
I'm opening this up to a guest blog, featuring a different writer each week who is daring enough to share an entry from his or her childhood journals. I know you have them stashed away somewhere!

If you want to participate, please send the excerpt in a Facebook email, or in a direct email to jill@jillwolfson.com. Also, write a few lines about the entry -- year, your age at the time, anything else you want to say. And of course, mention any new or upcoming projects. Pictures are great, too.

Please share this invitation with any other authors you think would be interested.

Jill

Meet me on Facebook

2009-08-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

I notice that I'm not blogging here as regularly as I hoped, especially since I'm working on a new novel. There are only so many words I can write in a day! But I am posting on Facebook. Ask to be my friend! (I'm not doing so well updating the fan page either)

Book of the Year!

2009-05-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled that Hicklebee's, a fabulous independent bookstore in San Jose, CA., has chosen Cold Hands, Warm Heart as its Book of the Year. The staff was unanimous--which makes me really proud.

If you don't know Hicklebee's, you should! It is more than one local store, it's a national leader in promoting children's literature.

Sick Kids Love to Read, too.

2009-05-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

I've gotten requests from hospital schools and libraries, so I'm starting a campaign. I'm donating copies of "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. If the spirit moves you, please purchase and donate a copy to your own local hospital.
I'm happy to send an autographed book plate that you can paste into the book. Contact me here or at jill@jillwolfson.com for more details about donating to Lucile Packard or your local hospital/transplant center.

She's funny! Dani's got that sarcastic humor that I really dig.

2009-05-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Really great review by blogger Abby the Librarian
She captures how I aimed to combine a serious topic with humor.
Thanks Abby!

Hug a Children's Author

2009-05-15T14:34:00.001-07:00

If you are in the SF Bay Area tomorrow, head over to a participating bookstore for Kids Otter Read Day Around the Bay. So many great authors, so many great independent bookstores.
I'll be at Linden Tree in Los Altos from 1-3 pm. Hugs by request.
Here's the link for who is reading where.

Vampires and Organ Donation-- The Yuck Factor

2009-05-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks to author blogger Georgia McBride for such a great review. Read it here.

It's interesting to me how several recent reviews mention that the reviewer was reluctant to read a book on organ donation, but how the story (because of the humor and romance) sucked them in.
I wonder why people seem so less squeamish about subjects like vampires and even date rape and anorexia, which are pretty standard YA fare. What is it about organ donation that ratchets ups the yuck factor?

"Intense, Likeable Reading Experience" -- Chicago Tribune

2009-05-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

A great review in the Chicago Tribune. Read the whole thing here.

Hands of a Stranger

2009-04-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

In Cold Hands, Warm Heart, Dani, a girl waiting for a heart transplant, watches an old horror film, Hands of a Stranger. I remember being freaked out when I watched it as a kid. Now, it's a strange combination of scary and corny. But it raises great questions about science, medical ethics, passion and self-indentity. Check out the trailer.

PW Captures Hicklebees

2009-04-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

PW did a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of last week's 30th annivesary celebration of Hicklebee's, the great children's bookstore in San Jose, Ca. Read all about it here.

Photo is of me and other authors, including Paul Fleischman, signing books and meeting readers.

See me in my hometown -- Santa Cruz

2009-04-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'd love to see you at one of my upcoming hometown readings in the Santa Cruz area.

Sunday, May 3, 5:30 pm at Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 41st. Ave., Capitola. I'll be introducing people whose lives have been touched by the transplant experience. Come out and support our great independent bookstore, where you can sip coffee, tea or wine while listening. Cake will be served!

Sunday, May 17, 7 pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz,1520 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz. Are you a writer or illustrator of kid books? Have you wanted to be? Or are you maybe just a grownup who loves kid and young adult books? I'll be joining two other nationally-recognized local authors/illustrators in the children’s and young adult arena: Newberry Award Winner Paul Fleischman and renowned illustrator Jim Lamarche. We'll talk about our own creative process, how we connect with youth, offer personal tips on writing and drawing, as well as our journey into entering the world of publishing. Local author and literature professor, Micah Perks, will facilitate the discussion. Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your appetite as there will be snacks and goodies!
I hope to see you at one of these events!

Organ donation -- the ultimate recycling

2009-04-21T15:57:00.001-07:00

The topic of organ donation is usually presented in a staid, solemn manner. That's understandable. But I think it's a turn-off to a certain demographic, namely teens and people in their 20s. A new in-your-face campaign promotes the idea that it's cool to sign your donor card and "recycle yourself." Check out this site. It takes a little long to load, but then you get a hunk telling you to click on his "handsome tattoo" to reveal his inners. Graphic and fabulous! Plus, free downloadable iron-ons for your t-shirt.

Reading is Bliss review

2009-04-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

I am so impressed by the quality of the reviews by young bloggers. Thanks to Jill for her great review of Cold Hands on her blog Reading is Bliss. Date: April 15. She's invited me to post a guest blog on April 27. I'm honored!

The Big 3-0 for Hicklebee's. See you there!

2009-04-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

When my kids were little, Hicklebee's was our weekly destination. How lucky that one of the great children's bookstores was my neighborhood hang-out, within walking-with-a-stroller distance.

Now, the beloved San Jose shop is hitting the big 3-0 and holding a daylong celebration this Saturday. (April 18). 1378 Lincoln St. in the city's Willow Glen section.

Authors and illustrators — including Paul Fleischman,Scott Mickelson and Wendelin Van Draanen — will be stopping by for book signings throughout the afternoon. I'll be there starting at 2. And the awesome Banana Slug String Band will be makin' music at 4 p.m.
You can check out the rest of the day's schedule here.

Come by and say hi.

Beyond Herman's Hermits

2009-04-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Richie's Pick review of Cold Hands reminds me that it's time to put together a soundtrack for the book. Heart-related songs. Send me your ideas! Sorry, Richie already has dibs on Baby, Baby, Can't You Hear My Heartbeat.

Richie's Picks

2009-04-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Great review of Cold Hands posted at Richie's Picks.

Dingy Promotion Brain

2009-04-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

I got a lot of comment about my intelligent dissent – er, rant – about the SLJ book battle, both here and here. I’m right in the middle of promoting a new book, so I’m especially grateful for Kaethe’s comment: “I feel so sorry for writers who just want to tell a good story, and then discover that they have a whole 'nother job to do promoting the book. It's a bear.”

It made me think. The whole online thing has been both blessing and burden. Believe me, I’ve had my share of experiences with traditional media where the interviewer clearly didn’t read the book and a radio spot is aired at 6 am Sunday, right after the ad for the local hardware store. So I'm awed by the online reviewers out there, passionate readers all, some of them still in high school. For the most part, I happily embrace all this opportunity for linking online.

But I do wonder. What is it doing to my brain? I know that there are some writers who just never seem to run out of words and ideas. They effortlessly ping-pong from Facebook to blog to novel to Twitter to novel to email, all the while producing meaningful prose, witty blog posts, fabulous characters, funny tidbits about their life. Their publicists love them. They are pros at getting their name out there. There's pressure to follow their lead, or get lost in the crowd of new mid-list books.

But what about the rest of us mortals? I’m starting to feel dingy and unfocused. I worry about using the raw material of my life for a blog post and Facebook update, instead of letting it sit and simmer and perhaps, in that magical way, wind up as character, scene, theme, metaphor.

I wonder why right now I’m writing this, instead of tackling that plot problem in my next novel. Am I the only one who needs to focus uninterrupted in order to write?

Plus, my index finger is getting arthritic from my newest tic – endlessly clicking the Send/Receive button.

Calling All Hearts

2009-04-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

My first heart-shaped gift to celebrate Cold Hands, Warm Heart! My friend Carol and fellow knitter used this pattern to whip up this amazing creation.

Send me photos of other cool, crafty hearts. Let's make it a contest. Send to jill@jillwolfson.com

I'll pick my favorite and send you a copy of one of my books.

Publication Day

2009-03-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Today I'm celebrating the official publication of my new novel, Cold Hands, Warm Heart. So many people have been wonderful and generous with help. I've received great editing, marketing advice, graphic design tips, cheerleading and hand-holding. I appreciate all of it!

Now, I'm sure that many of you are sitting there thinking, "Gee Jill, what more can I do? Surely there's something." Feel free to quickly move on if that thought never crossed your mind! But everyone tells me that authors have to do more self-promotion, so here goes:

Here are some ideas on what would be helpful at this point.

1. If the economy hasn't completely done you in, buy the book soon.
Buy 1 for yourself. Buy multiple copies and save them as gifts for birthdays and holidays. If you don't have a tween or teen in your life, donate a copy to your public library, nearby school or local hospital library. Strong, early sales are very important in the publishing world; it's how they measure success.

If you live near me, I would be delighted to sign your copy. Or, send me an email and I'll quickly mail you a personalized signed bookplate that you can paste right into the book. You can buy books through any online seller. I also encourage you to buy via your local (and probably struggling) independent bookstore. If they don't have the book in stock, it's easy to place a special order.

2. Spread the word.
Tell any teachers, librarians (public and school), health professionals, social workers, tweens and teens you know about the book. If you are a teacher, consider using it as a read-aloud or order it for the school library. Use it as a text for classroom discussion.

Go on Amazon, Goodreads and other book sites and give it a rating or write a short review. If you are on Facebook or other social networking sites, mention the book in your status update or What I'm Reading Now notes. Become my friend on Facebook and send me congratulations!

If you know anyone who has had an organ transplant or anyone who has been a donor family, make sure they know about the book. Recommend it or buy them a gift.

If you know anyone in the media, tell them that April is National Donate Life month and you know about a great book that looks at a family's decision to donate the organs of their loved one. The author would make a strong and timely interview subject. Pass along their contact info to me and I'll get them a press kit.

3. See me in person.
Come to one of my scheduled events. First event -- This Friday, April 3, 7 pm at Books Inc. in Palo Alto, CA. Check out my blog and Facebook page for updates on where I'll be reading.) Invite friends to come with you. I'm always nervous about speaking in public and your encouraging smile is so helpful. Say hi.

If you are a middle-school, high school or college teacher or librarian, invite me to speak to your students. Recommend me as a speaker to your local bookstore events coordinator, book group, wrirting group or community organization. My book is being marketed as young adult, but grown-ups also find it to be provocative. I can talk to your group about the book itself, about organ donation and can also offer practical advice about writing and publishing.

4. Hugs and well-wishes. These are always appreciated most of all. Send them my way.

SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books -- Give me a Break!

2009-03-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

School Library Journal recently announced its first annual Battle of the (Kids’) Books contest, which will "pit" 16 of last year’s best books for young people against each other. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

It's all supposed to be fun and Oscar-ish, a real buzz builder, I suppose. But come on! Really? I've been storming around the house all morning, cranky as hell, muttering to the cat and saying things like:

Do we really need one more meaningless contest that winds up deciding nothing? Which is better Octavian Nothing or Disreputable History? Red or Blue? Pizza or Spaghetti? Hasn't the Newbery already made this completely arbitrary decision once this year?

How many times do we need to hear about the same handful of books? Oh no, not yet another analysis of the joys of Graveyard Book?!

Is this really a meaningful use of space? We authors complain (rightfully so) about the shrinkage of review space in SLJ and PW, etc. There are no newspaper book sections left. Publishers have slashed their publicity budgets unless you've written -- fill in the names of the books mentioned above. So, what's the solution to informing the public about a new book? Hey, let's use the small amount of space available to write about Chains again!!

And how about all the awesome talent lined up to be judges. Jon Scieszka, Meg Rosoff, Tamara Pierce, Lois Lowry. I'd love to hear about their special finds, books that they loved that maybe didn't get the author's handsome face on the cover of every magazine around. But no, they will be weighing in on the same books that everyone else has already talked to death.

Okay, maybe my problem is that I'm an envious, cranky mid-list YA author who talks to her cat and has to fight for every bit of attention for her books. But I wish those who love books and writing and authors used their power to take this contest in a different direction. What about Battle of the Books that You Should Read but Didn't Even Hear About?

Jill's Personal Appearances

2009-03-26T12:43:00.001-07:00

I would love to see you at one of these upcoming events. Come say hi!

April 3, 7 pm -- Books Inc. Palo Alto, CA. Book launch, reading and signing. Fundraiser for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. http://www.booksinc.net/

April 5, 4 pm -- Asana Tea Shop, Santa Cruz, CA. Spoken word benefit for WomenCare. http://www.asanateas.com/

April 18, 2 pm -- Hicklebees Bookstore, San Jose, CA. Part of 30 year-anniversary celebration of this landmark children's bookstore. http://www.hicklebees.com/

May 3, 5:30 pm -- Capitola Book Cafe, Capitola, CA. Reading and signing. Learn about organ donation. http://www.capitolabookcafe.com/

May 7, 7 pm -- Bookshop West Portal, San Francisco. Group reading and signing with members of WOMBA (Word of Mouth Bay Area) http://www.bookshopwestportal.com/

May 31, 7 pm -- Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA. Panel discussion about writing for kids and teens. With Paul Fleischman and Jim Lamarche. http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/

June 20 or 21, 9 am-noon -- Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA. Workshop on writing for teens. http://www.bookpassage.com/

Check back frequently for updates.

Patchwork of Books review

2009-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

I was excited to see this review of Cold Hands by one of my favorite librarian bloggers. She calls it "beautifully written... one I will recommend to all my teens." You can read the full review at this link: http://apatchworkofbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/cold-hands-warm-heart-review.html

She isn't thrilled with the cover. Not at all. Nope, I think she hates it, and even the best of us judge by cover. This reviewer isn't alone. I've never had such dramatic and differing opinions on a cover before. Some people dislike it -- What! Pink letters and red on red! What were they thinking? But others are intrigued by how different it looks from other YA books. One college student and YA fanatic specially mentioned how the heart on the cover looks both medical and like a juicy ripe strawberry.

I'd love to hear what you think.

Booklist Review

2009-03-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

Booklist calls my new book "well-written...three strands are compelling and give a full view of sibling loss, hospital friendship (and budding romance), and how donated organs can -- and can't -- address recipients' spectrum of needs...Showing teens confronting unexpected emotions in both themselves and others, this novel is sure to please fans of realisitc but gentle teen romance or medical stories."

First Review of Cold Hands, Warm Heart

2009-03-03T12:18:00.001-08:00

My first review has come in! Kirkus gives it a star, which it reserves for books of unusual merit, as determined by the editors.
I'm thrilled!

When Dani looks in the mirror she sees a "blue-lipped, cold-handed, gray-skinned fifteen-year-old." Born with the fatal heart condition dextrocardia, Dani has survived, with difficulty, but now her health is failing fast. Mere miles away from Dani's hospital bed, Amanda, a 14-year-old gymnast, flips and leaps through the air until a freak accident bonds these two strangers forever. Told mostly in Dani's witty voice, the novel reveals her intimate thoughts as readers accompany her through her transplant, as she falls in love with a fellow patient and as she wrestles with the magnitude of receiving another girl's heart. Woven throughout the text are chapters about Amanda, the most powerful of which focus on Tyler, her older brother, and give her life beyond the label of donor. Detailed, accurate descriptions of medical procedures are leavened with humor and sincerity, providing a powerful, multifaceted exploration of ethics, love and the celebration of life. (Fiction. 10 & up)

CONTEST WITH PRIZES

2009-03-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

My new novel, Cold Hands, Warm Heart, is set in the milieu of organ donation. I heard the most amazing stories doing the research and spent a lot of time crying and laughing.

I'd love to hear -- and post -- your story. Are you waiting for a transplant? Are you a recipient? A donor family? Do you have an anecdote about someone you know? Please share!

And, of course, there's a prize for the best stories -- a copy of one of my books mailed to your home.

Green from Birth to Death

2007-11-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

You must check out my favorite new blog. It's by my daughter and I love how she joins the personal with the political in her struggle to understand her role in the Green movement. Check it out and leave a post. http://greenfrombtod.blogspot.com

Me and Rachel Carson

2007-08-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted that HOME, AND OTHER BIG, FAT LIES has won another environmental-related award, this one from the Santa Monica Public library. According to the press release, The Green Prize has been created to encourage and commend authors, illustrators, and publishers who produce quality books that make significant contributions to, support the ideas of, and broaden public awareness of sustainability. Sustainability is defined as “meeting current needs – environmental, economic and social – without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same”.
Very cool, especially since I'm in good company. Check out the list of winning authors:

Youth Non-fiction
Birds of Prey Rescue: Changing the Future for Endangered Wildlife by Pamela Hickman, published by Firefly Books

Youth Fiction
Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies by Jill Wolfson, published by Henry Holt and Co.

Youth Picture Book
Why Are the Ice Caps Melting?: The Dangers of Global Warming by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Paul Meisel, and published by HarperCollins

Youth Honorable Mention
All the Way to the Ocean by Joel Harper, illustrated by Marq Spusta published by Freedom Three Publishing

Adult Nonfiction
An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It by Al Gore, published by Rodale Books

Adult Reference
Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen, published by Abrams

Adult Honorable Mention
Greenopia: The Urban Dweller’s Guide to Green Living, Los Angeles
edited by Ferris Kawar and Terrye Bretzke, published by The Green Media Group

Pioneer Award
Rachel Carson

CLASSROOM DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

2007-04-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've gotten requests lately for discussion questions about my novels. What an interesting exercise for me. As a writer, I'm motivated mostly by character, so it's intriguing to see what themes emerged during and after the writing.
If you're a librarian or teacher, I'd like to know what discussion questions you use. And if you're a student, feel free to post your book reports. I'd love to read them!

What I Call Life

1.The Knitting Lady says that the girls in the Pumpkin House don’t have the same parents, yet she also says that they are members of the same tribe with common ancestors and a shared history. What does she mean by that? Who are some “ancestors” mentioned in the novel? Can you think of any others – from books you’ve read, movies and people you know personally? Have you ever felt as close as family to someone who is not directly related to you? What made you feel connected to that person?

2. When the book opens, Cal Lavender says that living in a foster home is not her real life. How does that change by the end of the book? What does she learn about her own life and life in general from the girls in the Pumpkin House?

3. The Knitting Lady says that she can “read” people by their knitting. She can understand their personality and traits by the tightness or looseness of their stitches, by the colors and designs they choose. Describe or draw what your knitting would look like if it reflected you. How about the knitting of your favorite teacher? A relative? Your best friend? Someone with whom you often clash?

HOME, AND OTHER BIG, FAT LIES

1. What are the different ways that the new foster kids in Forest Glen try to fit in to their new community? How does Termite act? Honeysuckle? Josh? Why do they act the way they do? How do you act when you are in a new situation with new people? Do you act the way you feel inside? Give a specific example.

2. Whitney and Striker take an immediate dislike to each other. Why? And what changes between them? What circumstances and personality traits eventually bring them together?

3. Did you ever have a secret place like Striker’s spot in the forest and Whitney’s space at the top of the stairs? What drew you to it? What did you do there? Describe your secret spot using all of your senses?

Brianna's Greatest Adventure

2007-02-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not the only writer in my family. My niece Brianna loves to write, too. Here's her terrific short story. I love it because it's full of advenure and has great images.

************************************

The Greatest Adventure
By Brianna McGarry

One day, I was walking in the woods, and I noticed I was lost. It was getting dark, and I didn't know my way home. I heard noises, but I didn't know what they were.

Then it started to rain gently then harder and harder until it rained like a herd of animals coming closer and closer. I ran as fast as I could until I came to a cave. I walked into the cave, and it was pitch black inside. It was still raining very, very hard. When I approached inside the cave, everything was absolutely quiet.

I saw some leaves and had a fantastic idea, I would make a bed out of the leaves. When I was finished, I was so tired that I fell to the ground on the leaves and luckily fell asleep. The next day, I went outside. Everything was completely wet, including me. It was so, so foggy that it was like staring at Casper the friendly ghost.

I was thinking about sitting by the fireplace at home with my PJs on and drinking some warm hot chocolate.

Then suddenly, I heard something. It sounded like my sister. I ran where the voice was, and I could see my house. I ran as fast as I could and when I got there, I jumped into my sister’s arms. My sister Cara said, "Where have you been all this time?"

I said, "I was lost in the woods and I had to make my own bed in a cave. I'm so glad you called me."

Cara said, "Wow! That sounds like a great and scary adventure.”

I said, "It was!"

Then, I went into the house, and guess what? I sat by the fireplace, with my PJs on, and drank some hot chocolate.

THE END

Author Brianna

Bragging Rights

2007-02-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

I've received some great new book honors in the past few weeks:

HOME AND OTHER BIG, FAT LIES is a 2007 Green Earth Book Award Honor Book in the Young Adult Fiction category. The Green Earth Book Award honors books that celebrate nature and "promote an inspired understanding of the environment and an awareness of environmental issues." Chosen books encourage the concept of environmental stewardship and the importance of the role each of us can play in nurturing, protecting, and defending our environment. To learn more about the award, you can go to www.newtonmarascofoundation.org/programs/a_ge.cfm.
Winners will be announced in April at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland, during their Children’s Literature Festival.

WHAT I CALL LIFE has been nominated for the 2007-2008 Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award in the Grades 6-8 category. Students across my home state will now read the 15 nominees and vote for their favorite. Winners will be announced in the spring of 2008. Additionally, all books will be displayed at the Pennsylvania School Librarians Conference this spring. www.psla.org/association/committee/mediaselectionandreview/pyrcamenu.php3.

READER'S CHOICE

2007-01-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

I got a lovely fan letter from Olivia Selzer, a high school teacher from Erie High School in Erie, Kansas. She just read WHAT I CALL LIFE and found it helpful in understanding the foster children that she comes across as a teacher.

She also commented on my daughter Gwen’s list of favorite books that I have posted on my Web site, and offers some more suggestions. She writes:

Some books I have read just this year on the suggestion of a student that BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER:

Anything by Carolyn Mackler, but her absolute best---The Earth, My Butt, and Other, Big, Round Things

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Stuck in Neutral, and Cruise Control -- companion books by Terry Trueman

Silver by Norma Fox Mazer

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson

Thanks Olivia! I plan to read several of these. An invitation to all: Send me your middle-reader and YA favorites

Loved in Texas

2006-11-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies was just selected to be on the 2007-2008 Lone Star Reading list, which I'm told by those in the literary know is a pretty cool thing. Compiled by the Texas Library Association, the books were selected in hopes of motivating young adults to become life-long readers and to participate in the community of readers in Texas. You can check out the details at www.txla.org/groups/yart/lonestar.html

I haven't read most of the books on the list (okay, I haven't read any of them yet!), but coincidentally, I'm doing a book reading/signing this Sunday at Capitola Book Cafe with Ann Jaramillo. Her book, La Linea, another Lone Star honoree, is right by my bed for tonight's reading.

If you're looking for a meaningful holiday gift for a 5th-9th grader, this is a good shopping list. I'm including the entire list here.

Lone Star Reading List 2007 - 2008
1. Buckley-Archer, Linda. Gideon The Cutpurse: Being the First Part of the Gideon Trilogy. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 2006.
In 1763 pickpocket Gideon Seymour is hiding from Tar Man when Peter and Kate, two timetraveling children from the 21st century, fall from the sky and into his life.
2. Bunting, Eve. The Lambkins. Joanna Cotler. 2005.
After being kidnapped by the lonely widow of a brilliant geneticist, Kyle finds himself shrunk to
doll-size and living with three other children in a dollhouse from which there seems to be no
escape.
3. Cabot, Meg. Avalon High. Harper Collins Publishers. 2006.
Having moved to Annapolis, Maryland, with her medievalist parents, high school junior Ellie
enrolls at Avalon High School where several students may or may not be reincarnations of King
Arthur and his court.
4. Carter, Ally. I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You. Hyperion. 2006.
As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is
sheltered from "normal teenage life" until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance
mission.
5. Chima, Cinda Williams. Warrior Heir. Hyperion Books for Children. 2006.
After learning about his magical ancestry and his own warrior powers, sixteen-year-old Jack
embarks on a training program to fight enemy wizards
6. Enthoven, Sam. Black Tattoo. Razorbill. 2006.
A sprawling fantasy epic set in modern day London, about a fourteen-year old boy, Charlie, who
thinks he's been given superpowers, but in fact has been possessed by a demon. The adventure
brings Charlie--as well as his friend, Jack, and Esme, the one girl raised to stop the demon--from the streets of London into Hell itself, as they prepare for a battle with ultimate stakes.
7. Han, Jenny. Shug. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2006.
A twelve-year-old girl learns about friendship, first loves, and self-worth in a small town in the
South.
8. Harkrader, Lisa. Airball: My Life in Briefs. Roaring Brook Press. 2005.
Uncoordinated Kansas seventh-grader Kirby Nickel braves his coach's ire and becomes captain of the basketball team in order to help him prove that NBA star Brett McGrew is the father he has never known.
9. Jaramillo, Ann. La Linea. Roaring Brook Press. 2006.
When fifteen-year-old Miguel's time finally comes to leave his poor Mexican village, cross the
border illegally, and join his parents in California, his younger sister's determination to join him
soon imperils them both.
10. Korman, Gordon. Born to Rock. Hyperion Books for Children. 2006.
High school senior Leo Caraway, a conservative Republican, learns that his biological father is a
punk rock legend.
11. Lisle, Janet Taylor. Black Duck. Sleuth/Philomel. 2006.
Years afterwards, Ruben Hart tells the story of how, in 1929 Newport, Rhode Island, his family
and his best friend's family were caught up in the violent competition among groups trying to
control the local rum-smuggling trade.
12. Lupica, Mike. Heat. Philomel Books. 2006.
Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from
playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.
13. Mass, Wendy. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. Little, Brown & Company. 2006.
Everything changes when the box arrives. Jeremy's father, who died five years ago, left behind a box for Jeremy to open on his 13th birthday. According to the writing on the box, it holds the
meaning of life! The problem is, the keys are missing, and the box is made so that only the keys
will open it without destroying what's inside.
14. McKernan, Victoria. Shackleton’s Stowaway. Random House. 2005.
A fictionalized account of the adventures of eighteen-year-old Perce Blackborow, who stowed
away for the 1914 Shackleton Antarctic expedition and, after their ship Endurance was crushed by ice, endured many hardships, including the loss of the toes of his left foot to frostbite, during the nearly two-year return journey across sea and ice.
15. Meehl, Brian. Out of Patience. Delacorte. 2006.
Twelve-year-old Jake Waters cannot wait to escape the small town of Patience, Kansas, until the arrival of a cursed toilet plunger causes him to reevaluate his feelings toward his family and its history.
16. Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Dairy Queen: A Novel. Houghton Mifflin. 2006.
After spending her summer running the family farm and training the quarterback for her school's rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her.
17. Papademetriou, Lisa. The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey. Razorbill. 2006.
Two mismatched teenage girls must find their way back home to New Jersey after being zapped into the pages of a fantasy novel.
18. Sonnenblick, Jordan. Notes from the Midnight Driver. Scholastic Press. 2006
16-year-old Alex decides to get even. His parents are separated, his father is dating his former
third-grade teacher, and being 16 isn't easy, especially when it comes to girls. Instead of revenge though, Alex ends up in trouble with the law and is ordered to do community service at a senior center where he is assigned to Solomon Lewis, a "difficult" senior with a lot of gusto, advice for Alex, and a puzzling (yet colorful) Yiddish vocabulary. Eventually, the pair learn to deal with their past and each other in ways that are humorous, entertaining, and life changing.
19. Van Draanen, Wendelin. Runaway. Knopf Books for Young Readers. 2006.
After running away from her fifth foster home, Holly, a twelve-year-old orphan, travels across the country, keeping a journal of her experiences and struggle to survive.
20. Wolfson, Jill. Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies. Henry Holt. 2006.
Whitney has been in so many foster homes that she can give a complete rundown on the most
common varieties of foster parents—from the look-on-the-bright-side types to those unfortunate examples of pure evil. But one thing she doesn’t know much about is trees. This means heading for Foster Home #12 (which is all the way at the top of the map of California, where there looks to be nothing but trees) has Whitney feeling a little nervous. She is pretty sure that the middle of nowhere is going to be just one more place where a hyper, loud-mouthed kid who is messy and small for her age won’t be welcome for long.

Great Reviews for Home

2006-11-27T14:31:00.000-08:00

Some great new reviews are coming in for Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies:

From Kirkus -- "Eleven-year-old Whitney, aka Termite, arrives at her 12th foster home, in remote Forest Glen, prepared for the worst. Termite soon discovers that foster children are a cottage industry in this logging town where layoffs have meant psychological as well as economic depression for the loggers. Termite might be the loudest of the band of fosters at Forest Glen Elementary, but she is by no means the most eccentric. From this ragtag band, Termite fashions a cohesive mutual support group and, with her foster brother as an unlikely ally, goes head to head with the newly re-hired loggers who want to cut down an aged redwood lovingly known as Big Momma. A sweet, spirited tale told with warmth and humor about a determined misfit who finds a home at last in a family and a community."

From VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) -- Sixth grader Whitney is heading out to her twelfth foster home-this time in the middle of nowhere. Born with a heart condition and ADHD, she knows that she is a handful and that this one will end up to be just one more place where other people belong. She just wishes that stupid feeling would not slip in at the worst possible moment-the one that makes her hope that this family will be the one "down on their knees, praying night and day about having a superfunny, hyper, loudmouthed, messy, small-for-her-age foster kid." Needing to squash that idea down before it gets out of hand, Whitney makes sure that she gets noticed on her own terms before anyone gets any ideas about who she is or what she needs. What she does not count on is a school where half the students are fosters in a broken-down town torn between the logging industry and the environmentalists. Finding a hidden nature girl under her city background, Whitney makes a stand for her beliefs and rallies the support of some surprising allies along the way. Written with humor and sensitivity, this book from the author of a 2005 Perfect Ten novel, What I Call Life (Henry Holt, 2005/VOYA December 2005), tackles issues from fitting in with family and friends to getting through school to making a difference in the community. There is no preaching here, just honest to goodness situational humor perfect for starting a discussion on environmental topics. It might just encourage youth to find ways to stand out while fitting in. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9).

Jill's Daily Happenings-- NEW BLOG

2006-10-31T10:14:00.000-08:00

I've created a new blog with more personal ramblings. It's mostly for family, friends and my obsessive need to record my life, but you are most welcome to take a look if you think you care about the status of my tomato garden and surf conditions in Santa Cruz.
A warning to adults: You might not think some of the content is okay for your kids. For example, I might discuss an R-rated movie I recently saw.
A warning to kids: You'll probably be bored to tears unless you think heirloom tomatoes are fascinating.
http://jillinsantacruz.blogspot.com

Want Jill to Visit Your School? Here's how!

2006-09-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

I love speaking to students. My presentations run anywhere from 30 minutes on up, depending on the age, size of group and purpose of my visit. I’m very flexible on tailoring something to fit your needs and budget.

For assembly and classroom visits, I introduce students to the reality of foster care and adoption. Without glossing over the difficulties, I show the strengths and inner-resources of children who do not live with their families of origin. Some topics:
• Why some children can’t live with their families
• The historical perspective, including the orphan train movement
• Life in a contemporary foster or group home.
My goal is for students to understand that foster children are everywhere, and while they have unique experiences, they are, at heart, kids with a full range of hopes, dreams, humor and emotions.

I also showcase other themes in my novels, such as
* The fun and power of knitting (What I Call Life).
* The ecology of the redwood forest (Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies).
I come to the school armed with my own knitting for students to model and perhaps even some banana slugs.

I enjoy sharing my own process of writing – where stories come from, the role of imagination, how I draw on my own childhood and my long career as a journalist. My hope is to inspire young authors to believe in themselves, to find their own voice and to see the wealth of stories in their own seemingly ordinary experiences.

In addition to reading from my books, I leave plenty of time for a lively and always surprising question and answer period.

In classroom visits, I can conduct writing workshops geared for 4th grade and up. The encounters are very interactive as I lead students through the literary process, from idea to research to writing and the need for rewriting.
Through a lively series of guided exercises, the students and I create characters and then put those characters into plots drawn from their imaginations. Because we work in a group setting, students also get to understand and respect how their fellow students tackle the creative process.

Additional info:
· For many years, I have taught in writing workshops for at-risk students at juvenile hall.
· At each school visit, I donate one of my own books to your school library.
· I provide a discount for my visit if book sales are arranged and promoted in advance, and time is set aside for signing on the day of my appearance. \

Contact me at jill@jillwolfson.com

First review of Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies

2006-09-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

I don't think I could be more delighted with my first review of my middle-reader novel due out next month. It's from the blog of a well-respected New York City librarian. http://fusenumber8.blogspot.com
Here's the review in its entirety:

Review of the Day: Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies
One technique your average children’s book reader can use when they want to fill space in a review is to compare the book at hand to already well-known titles. I do this all the time, partly because it’s a space filler and partly because it gives you a feel for the book as a whole. Yet when it came to Jill Wolfson’s newest title for the young ‘uns, “Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies”, I found myself wanting to say something like this: The only way I can describe it is to say that it’s basically “The Great Gilly Hopkins” meets “Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key” with an eco-message that “Hoot” fans will enjoy... and there’s a dog that seems straight out of “Surviving the Applewhites”. There. Have I cleared anything up for you? No? Well then buckle up and hold tight, kiddies. This book was one of the most enjoyable titles you’ll find this year, and it’s all about foster kids and unemployment. No lie!Call her Whitney. No, wait, call her Termite. You might as well. After all, she knows she's a bit on the shrimpy side, and she likes to embrace her nicknames right off the top. As of this moment in time Termite has lived in twelve foster homes and she knows the lay of the land. Now her social worker has taken Termite and her pet (a pillbug by the name of Ike Eisenhower the Sixth... no relation to the president) to Forest Glen, California. Emphasis on the forest. Once there she finds a town in trouble. Due to the discovery of a rare owl, the logging industry in Forest Glen has shut down, leaving the residents destitute and in need of cash by any means. So the town came up with an idea. Why not adopt a whole mess of foster kids and make money that way until something better comes along? Now Termite’s going to school with a bunch of kids who’ve been through what she’s been through and out of the blue she’s joined the school’s ecology club. But when the logging industry starts to come to life again, Termite finds herself defending something she loves deep in the heart of the forest. And she’ll risk everything to keep it safe.When an author creates a wholly new character, it’s important that they flesh out that person to the extent that you truly believe in them. Termite is a spot-on example of how to do this. Every detail about her comes to vibrant manic life under Wolfson’s pen. Her constant chewing and spitting of sunflower seeds. Her tiny stature, fear of all dogs, and upfront supposedly fearless nature. I kept picturing her as a tiny version of “House”, from the television show of the same name. I couldn’t help it! She says what she thinks, is incredibly observant, and definitely ADD. Part of her charm is that you never really feel sorry for her. It’s such a relief to believe in a character that can take care of herself. Termite doesn’t care what she wears or what she looks like. When she sees the popular girls in school she notes that, “It would take me about six more lifetimes to be that glossy”. And from the moment you hear that she can climb and then finds herself in a forest of tall tall trees, you know something’s gonna go down before the end of the book.Of course one of the things I adored about this title was Wolfson’s sense of nuance. This is not an all-environmentalists-are-good-and-loggers-are-bad book. Nor is this an all-loggers-are-bad-and-environmentalists-are-good book. This story takes all sides into account. As Termite’s teacher Mr. Cator points out, there were a lot of factors other than the environmentalists that brought the logging industry to a halt. “Improved technology, cheaper timber from foreign countries, greedy corporations”, for a start. Environmentalists are just the easiest scapegoats on hand. It’s remarkable to see what a town without industry can resemble. Wolfson gets the bitterness and hopelessness right, while also filling this book to brimming with honest humor of the laugh-out-loud variety. Or, in Termite’s words, it's a, “wacky-monkey, cackling-chicken, mad-scientist, sputtering-car-starting, snorting-through-the-nose, moth-wide-open-cawing-crow” laugh. Wolfson would do well to teach a course someday on how to write comedic passages. Honestly, it’s not easy but she makes it appear effortless. When Termite discovers the words vomica, vomit, vomitive, vomitory, vomitorium, vomiturition, and vomitus in the dictionary, she comments that, “Page 1,355 has got to be the best page of the dictionary ever. I recommend it”. The descriptions are pretty swell too. Termite’s best female friend at school, Honeysuckle, suffers from something Termite calls, “IVPS, Imaginary Vice Principal Syndrome. She felt eyes on her all the time, reading to scold her for something”. Oh, and this is completely personal, but she puts in a “Get Smart” joke that only adults will get on page 33 that I think is just fabulous. Well done, there!Not every detail in this book was ideal, of course. Termite has a habit of misunderstanding words, possibly purposely, that will either strike readers as amusing or a joke that pretty much played itself out the first time she said “decidingus” instead of “deciduous”. On the other hand, it does lead to her character saying things like, “The Termite’s powers of perversion must not be disrespected”. I mean, that’s pretty funny. I thought it was a little overdone, but it’s easy enough to ignore if you’re not a fan. With the sheer number of foster kid children’s books out this year, it’s nice to find one that acknowledges both the bitterness a kid can feel when shuttled from place to place, as well as the humor found in every situation. Heck, I haven’t even told you about the banana slugs or Termite’s great foster father, or half the funny stuff in this book. For an evenhanded blend of good writing and hilarity, “Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies” is a must-read title. Good good stuff.On shelves October 3rd

Red state, blue state, Hannah and Ashley

2005-09-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

A reader who saw my posting about www.wordcount.org, also suggests http://babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html (Thanks Carol!) She calls it the coolest website ever and God's gift to fiction writers. She's right.

The site is the creation of Laura Wattenberg who labels it the "guide to every aspect of baby name style." You plug in a name and up pops a graph that displays the waxing and waning of the popularity of the name. My first stop was the obvious. JILL was #109 in popularity in the 1950s when my mother chose it. MARY dropped from #1 in 1890 to #63 in 2004. SUSAN graphs out like a witch's hat. From hardly there in the 1890s to a rapid rise to #4 in the 1950s and then a plunge. That's proof that every other girl in my high school class was named Susan.

Type in MEREDITH and you can see it shift from blue (a boy's name) to pink (the #153 in popularity in girl name in the 1980s).

Wattenberg (Laura -- #21 in 1880s; #16 in the 1960s; #129 in 2004) also has a blog that examines names as cultural indicators. Her latest posting analyzes name popularity according to red-blue states. For example, you'd be more likely to meet little Hannahs, Annas and Abigails populating the pre-schools in red states; at the birthday parties in coastal urban centers, guests would be Ashley, Sarah and Caroline.

As Laura explains, the strength of tradition seems to be biggest theme. Red staters are more prone to neologize--to create new names from surnames (Tanner), place names (Brooklyn), or simply appealing sounds (Kaden). Blue staters are more likely to stick to traditional naming stock. "In other words, the political conservatives turn out to be the naming activists, and the political progressives are the naming conservatives."

So, if you're naming a baby -- or a character in a novel -- make sure to check it out here first.

Website for Word Lovers

2005-09-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

I love words, looking them up in dictionaries, moving them around in a sentence just to see what happens. In the writing class I teach at juvenile hall, I frequently challenge the kids to open a book at random, pick a half dozen words and make a poem out of it. Try it yourself sometime when you need inspiration.

Knowing about my word fixation, my friend Susie told me about this great web site that takes "found poetry" to a new level.

Now I'm addicted; it's better than computer Solitaire for avoiding getting down to real work. Wordcount (www.wordcount.org) is described as an "interactive presentation of the 86,800 most frequently used English words."

In case you're wondering, THE is #1 and CONQUISTADOR ("a leader in the Spanish conquest of America and esp. of Mexico and Peru in the 16th century") is #86,800. Those are the guys with the weird hats.

Go to the site, launch Wordcount, and start by filling in the word of your choice. What you get is your chosen word with its ranking, followed by the four or five next in order. When I plugged in my name -- Jill -- it came up at the 8,335 spot. The words around it created a mysterious poem with a definite religious flavor.

ANGELS WARNING JILL, CREED MONKS

(I imagine my personal warning angel looking like actress Emma Thompson in "Angels in America.")

.

Try it yourself and then post your findings here. I'd love to see the results of your random poetry.

A warning to parents: Yes, pretty much any off-color word that you can imagine is included on Wordcount. We English-speakers definitely use them a lot. For example, the SH** word (#4499) follows right after TAXI.

October author events

2005-09-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Here’s where and when I’ll be reading and signing books.

Sunday, October 2 at 2:30pm
Capitola Book Café
1475 41st Avenue, Capitola, CA 95010831-462-4415
Join me for a family event celebrating the complexities and blessings of the foster care system. I’ll be reading from my new middle reader novel, featuring Cal, an eleven-year-old who finds herself in a group home with four other girls and being watched over by a strange old woman everyone refers to as the Knitting Lady. This event is supported by and in appreciation of CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, who are dedicated to provide a voice for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court process. Treats are provided and conversation is encouraged during this important and fun event.

Saturday, October 8, 12:30
Northern California Independent Booksellers Association Trade show
Oakland Convention Center
Look for me at the Henry Holt exhibit

A rave from the staff at Hicklebees

2005-09-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

Check out what the staff at Hicklebee's -- the great children's book store in San Jose -- has to say:
/http://hicklebees.com/events_staff.html

The Mercury News review

2005-09-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Kim Boatman of the San Jose Mercury News wrote an especially perceptive review of What I Call Life

A sensitive portrait of children's life in foster care
By Kim Boatman
Mercury News
A novel for young readers about a child cast adrift in the foster-care system could take plenty of wrong turns. There's potential here for maudlin hand-wringing and the sort of angst that typifies too much young adult fiction. But Santa Cruz author Jill Wolfson deftly negotiates all these potential pitfalls in delivering a warm and genuine first novel, ``What I Call Life.''

Through the person of one Carolina Agnes London Indiana Florence Ohio Renee Naomi Ida Alabama Lavender, or Cal Lavender for short, Wolfson offers insights about foster care, the resiliency of the human spirit and how, in times of need, families are sometimes stitched together under the most unlikely circumstances.

Wolfson, a former Mercury News writer and editor, has written extensively about the juvenile justice and family court systems. But her story this time is wisely personal and intimate, told by Cal, a young girl whose world comes unraveled when her unstable mother loses control in a public place and the authorities move in to protect Cal. Her disbelief at finding herself in a foster home neatly captures how not just children but plenty of adults feel about their lives.

``Everyone is always living her story.

``When I first heard this, I thought: What kind of nutty philosophy is that? Who would buy it? Everyone. Always?

``All I had to do was look at my own personal situation to see how wrongheaded this kind of thinking happened to be. I looked around at where I was living at the time and with whom I was living and shook my head. No, sir. This isn't my story. This is nothing like my life.''

So begins ``What I Call Life,'' and Wolfson proceeds to neatly intertwine Cal's story with a back story involving the orphan trains of the late 19th and early 20th century that brought children to the Midwest and West from Eastern cities.

Just how the girls cope is part of the story, too. Cal works furiously to control the environment around her, presenting a facade to the world that includes ``My Face for Unbearably Unpleasant and Embarrassing Situations.'' Another girl doesn't talk. A third invents a sister with whom she plans to reunite. Together, under the wily, subtle guidance of a foster mother known simply as the Knitting Lady, they and other girls in the home learn to live their own stories.

There is wisdom to be found here, but Wolfson doesn't smack her young readers over the head with newfound knowledge. Instead, she delivers believable dialogue in a nicely paced, sensitive book.
WHAT I CALL LIFE
By Jill Wolfson
Henry Holt, 272 pp., $16.95
Ages 10 and up

Great Reviews for What I Call Life

2005-09-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm getting some great feedback on my new novel for middle-readers.

*Starred review from Booklist Nov. 2005

"After her mother has a breakdown in the middle of the public library, Cal is taken to live in a group home, which houses five other girls from troubled families. The young residents of the orange-colored Pumpkin House wear their wounds inside and out: Whitney is brash, bubbly, and determined to find her long-separated sister; timid Monica is whiny and full of complaints; Fern is an incessant giggler who sports a black eye; quiet, intelligent Amber has pulled every hair from her head, eyebrows, and lashes. Cal feels different. She's sure she is not a whiner, not a fusser; she shows no emotion and she's very organized. After all, she's held herself and her mother together for all of her eleven years. The Knitting Lady, the girls' tiny, elderly guardian, slowly begins the girls' healing process by sharing her love for knitting and storytelling. As the girls experience quiet time, reflection, and bonding with each other and their guardian, the Knitting Lady helps the girls recognize their own goodness and worth.Wolfson paints her characters with delightful authenticity. Her novel is a treasure of quiet good humor and skillful storytelling that conveys subtle messages about kindness, compassion, and the gift of family regardless of its configuration."--Frances Bradburn

One of the hot new kids’ books at the 2005 Book Expo America – Publisher’s Weekly

A Junior Library Guild selection. Check it out at www.juniorlibraryguild.com

SEPTEMBER SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
Gr 5-8-When her unstable mother has a psychotic episode, Cal is placed in a group home run by an elderly woman called "The Knitting Lady." The 11-year-old's new roommates are four girls, all in different stages of denial about their own situations. Cal, who prides herself on her independence and is fiercely protective of her mother, insists that she'll be going home any day and that what is happening is not at all part of her real life. Meanwhile, time passes, the girls learn to knit, and the Knitting Lady tells stories about two girls from long ago: one who was abandoned at an orphanage by her own mother, and another who was sent west on an orphan train. Set against these narratives, the present-day story involves shifting alliances, a search for a younger sister who may or may not exist, and a clear-eyed view of life in a group home and/or with "fosters" (regarding placements, one girl tells Cal, "Everything gets decided behind your back"). The author has a knack for vivid descriptions, suspenseful plotting, and a clear telling of the stories-within-the-story. A thoughtful and ultimately hopeful book, this novel has flashes of humor that lighten the sometimes painful events. Not all readers will take to it, but those who do will find it resonant and absorbing.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

August 15 Kirkus Reviews: Cal Lavender (11) has perfected what she calls "My Face for Unbearably Unpleasant and Embarrassing Situations," which unfortunately is coming in handy following her mother's latest public outburst. While the story never gives Betty, Cal's mother, a specific diagnosis, her mental health causes Cal to be taken into protective custody until such time as Betty is deemed a functioning parent. Assuming that her stay at the group home, dubbed the Pumpkin House, is simply a detour from her real life, Cal initially resists getting to know the other girls. These include Whitney, a girl with an imaginary sister and a motor mouth; Amber, who can't stop pulling out all of her hair; and Monica, who jumps at her own shadow. The head of the group home, simply known as The Knitting Lady, offers pearls of wisdom in the form of stories, offering the girls a glimpse into each other's lives. While the odd characters are interesting, it's the smart and unique voice that makes this story shine. (Fiction. 10-14)

Piping Loud

2005-08-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

The title comes from the William Blake poem, Infant Sorrow

My mother groaned, my father wept,
Into the dangerous world I leapt;
Helpless, naked, piping loud,
Like a fiend hid in a cloud

Guess I was feeling a little discouraged about the state of things when I picked it. I'll be posting here about children at risk--kids in foster homes, juvenile detention facilities, etc.
On a lighter note, I'll also be writing about children's literature and anything else that comes to mind.