Book Grub Grads

It's that time of year again...we have to say good-bye to our Book Grub seniors! Although some will still be around through the summer, June is always our graduation party meeting. I made cupcakes (with help from Nat), and bought some other snacks. We heard from everyone about their plans for the summer and where they are headed in the fall. It's amazing to have such a diverse and talented group of library teens! We also talked over all the books the group read this year, and definitely heard some strong opinions. Here's what we read:

• July 2009: Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
• August 2009: Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
• September 2009: The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
• October 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• November 2009: Impossible by Nancy Werlin
• December 2009: Paper Towns by John Green
• January 2010: Unwind by Neal Shusterman
• February 2010: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
• March 2010: What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundel
• April 2010: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
• May 2010: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This was a really wide range of books, so I'm proud of us for not getting stuck in a reading rut this year! A lot of people said the one that stuck with them the most was Unwind, and I definitely agree with that. I liked looking back over the year and hearing everyone's overall opinions. It helps make the group better in the future (not that it isn't already awesome, of course). Anyway, congratulations and best of luck to our graduates!!!

Book Grub Grads: Martha, Alexa, Ashveen, Jeff, Anila, Busra, and Stephanie

We always have to do a silly picture!

Book Grub Finds Paper Towns

Last Friday, the Book Grub Book Group met to discuss Paper Towns by John Green. We had a far-ranging discussion, moving from telling road trip stories to talking about revenge to considering how well we can really ever know other people. We could have talked about many more things if we'd had the time! All of John Green's books are full of random trivia, quirky characters, existential questions, and truly hilarious moments that balance out the seriousness. They are great for discussion on a lot of levels. If you liked Paper Towns, be sure to read Green's other two books Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines.

John Green and his brother Hank became notorious on the internet in 2008 for their Brotherhood 2.0 video blogging experiement. They have generated a lot of internet content between them, all amusing and well worth wasting your time exploring. Here are some quick links:

http://www.sparksflyup.com/
John's website and home to random trivia connected to his books.

http://omnictionary.com/index.php/Main_Page
Become addicted to updating the Omnictionary!

http://nerdfighters.ning.com/
Created by Hank, "this is a place where nerds gather and play. We fight to increase awesome and decrease suck. What more is there?"

http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers
John and Hank's original blog spawned its own YouTube channel.

Book Grub Grad Party

Yesterday, almost all of the members of Book Grub showed up to celebrate the end of the school year. Former group members Sara and Marissa showed up to hang out with us, too! Seven members of the group are graduating this year, which is our biggest number ever. Our grads are David J., Arwa E., Meg G., Koumudi N., Jeff B., Nitha S., and Katie B. We will really miss them! At the meeting, we had a build-your-own-cupcake table, as well as a table of favorite Book Grub foods like Cheetos, Fanta, and Pirouettes. We talked about memorable Book Grub moments, favorite/not favorite books of the year, and what we've been reading. Of course, we got off topic a lot, but it was fun!

I didn't write down who said what, but here are some books suggested by members of the group:

• Dead Is the New Black by Marlene Perez
• Little Brother by Corey Doctorow
• What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
• Hero-Type by Barry Lyga
• All We Know of Heaven by Jacqueline Michard
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
• Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
• Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
• Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti
• Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (coming out on June 16)

Browsing in the teen section

Upstairs at Book Grub

Squish!

Cupcake!

Book Grub Strikes Again

On Friday, 15 members of the high school book group gathered to discuss Rash by Pete Hautman. We talked a lot about issues of freedom versus safety and why things are legal or illegal, as well as the relationship between mental illness and art. We also expressed our love for Bork! Bork's idea about why humans continue to make the same mistakes sparked a really interesting discussion of world history. It was an altogether great discussion, as we usually have with dystopian novels.

Next month, we are discussing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald for the We the People Bookshelf project. I have never read this book (gasp!), so it should be interesting!! And it will help us get ready for 20s Night this spring!

November Book Grub Meeting

On Friday, 19 members of the high school book group (aka Book Grub) met to discuss The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga. Many members talked about Barry's visit to our library last year, and some of the insights he gave us into the book and the characters. We also spent a lot of time discussing whether Fanboy was an unreliable narrator and whether he had a victim complex. It started as a crazy meeting, but it ended up being a good discussion (much to my relief).

Next month, we will discuss A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. It was a 2004 Printz honor book and is based on a real murder from the early 20th century. We haven't done a historical fiction choice for a while, so I think it will be good. Your copies should be ready for pick-up by the end of the week.

Book Review: Neverwhere

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Click on the book cover to see which libraries own it.

SUMMARY: Richard Mayhew, learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. He ceases to exist in the ordinary world of London Above, and joins a quest through the dark and dangerous London Below, a shadow city of lost and forgotten people, places, and times. His companions are Door, who is trying to find out who hired the assassins who murdered her family and why; the Marquis of Carabas, a trickster who trades services for very big favors; and Hunter, a mysterious lady who guards bodies and hunts only the biggest game. London Below is a wonderfully realized shadow world, and the story plunges through it like an express passing local stations, with plenty of action and a satisfying conclusion. (from the Amazon.com review)

OPINION: This was Book Grub's selection for our September meeting, recommended by Kara. And it was amazing! Everyone knows London's famous tube slogan "Mind the Gap," but Neil Gaiman infuses it with an entirely new meaning. After helping the mysterious Door, Richard Mayhew slips through a gap in space and time, entering the impossible underground world of London Below. Suddenly, what were just stops on a subway map become matters of life and death for Richard and Door. In London Below, Blackfriars Bridge houses combative friars and Islington is not just a borough, but an angel. It is really cool how Gaiman twists the real and the familiar into a strange, dark fantasy world. This book combines elements of Alice in Wonderland, legends, urban fantasy, Victoriana, and adventure into a cohesive whole that will keep you guessing until the very end.

WEBSITE: Just for fun, here's the official website of the London underground.

IF YOU LIKED NEVERWHERE: I made a list! Here are a few titles, and ask me for more.

• Valiant (and other books) by Holly Black
• Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophesies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
• Stardust by Neil Gaiman
• Mortal Engines (and sequels) by Philip Reeve
• Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? (and sequels) by Eleanor Updale
• The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray (and other books) by Chris Wooding

Jerry Spinelli Author 411 Is Here!

The Author 411 page on Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli has been posted, and the high school book group (aka Book Grub) is on it. It looks like a lot of our questions, some in a modified format, made it on the list! Scroll down to the bottom to see our name in print!!!

Click on the book cover to find out which libraries have Love, Stargirl on the shelf. You can have a copy sent to our library...just click the "Request" icon, type in your name and library card number, select our library for pick up, and wait for a phone call!

Answers from Jerry!!

Back in June, Book Grub members had the opportunity to read an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli through Random House's Author 411 program. At our meeting, we discussed the book and wrote questions for Mr. Spinelli. Well, tomorrow, the Jerry Spinelli Author 411 page goes live, including our questions. So cool! Meanwhile, the publisher emailed me our group's answers today. So, from Jerry to Random House to me to you...

1. Stargirl ends with an epilogue 15 years in the future, yet Love, Stargirl starts right after she moves away. How did you try to reconcile the plot of Love, Stargirl with the ending you had already written? Did you have any difficulties? Do you have any plans to write a third book about Leo or Stargirl that would tie the two together?

Terrific question, as it zeros in on a writer’s issue. When I ended Stargirl I had no intention of ever doing a sequel. Five years later I had a problem. Having decided to portray Stargirl the following year, what do I do with Leo, who, as you say, apparently doesn’t see her for quite a few years after Stargirl ends? I would just say that I tried to turn this “problem” to my advantage and to tell the story in a way that’s not too predictable.

Though there probably won’t be another Stargirl book, for a hint to what lies in the future for them, I refer you to the last page of Stargirl. Obviously, if Leo receives a porcupine necktie in the mail, Stargirl knows where he lives. We can assume she’s got an eye on him and that they are about to meet again.

2. Stargirl is written as a narrative from Leo’s point of view, while Love, Stargirl is written as a diary from Stargirl’s point of view. The books are very different because of this. Which storytelling style do you like better for these characters? Or does the story work better when told from both points of view?

Since . . . I could not have Stargirl and Leo physically interact, I thought a letter/journal format would be the next best way to bring them “together.” I added imagined conversations between Stargirl and Leo to further promote a sense of real-time interaction. Of course, when you tell any story in first person, you’re limited to what your narrator knows and sees.

3. Stargirl is incredibly different than the average teen, and there isn’t anyone like her in other books for teens. How did you come up with the idea for a character like Stargirl? Do you know any real-life Stargirls?

[My wife] Eileen comes closest to being a model for the character. Some things that Stargirl does I lifted right from Eileen’s personal history.

Not only could Stargirl exist today—she does exist. She may not resemble Susan Caraway point by point, but across the country and the world, girls with her spirit and heart and humanity dance and laugh and love among us all. As for fitting in, maybe the question should be, Could a “normal” school fit in with Stargirl?

4. In Love, Stargirl, Stargirl collects a lot of unlikely and unusual friends. How did you manage to make these characters interesting without making them unrealistic?

Stargirl evolved over 30 years. Others may come overnight. It varies. I seldom try to transplant a whole, real person onto the page, but in one way or another, real people—often combinations of them—are always part of a character’s fabric. As for making them real, I simply report in detail the results of one of my favorite pastimes: people-watching.

Stargirl is not an age bigot. She’s attracted to all interesting people, not age levels. She appreciates humanity in any color, size, nationality, age, whatever. Remember Archie said: “She’s an earthling if there ever was one.”

5. At the beginning of Love, Stargirl, she says, “I love beginnings. If I were in charge of calendars, every day would be January 1.” If you were in charge, what day would you like to celebrate more often?

Fourth of July. I’d like to have it twice a year. I love fireworks and marching bands.

6. If you could talk to Stargirl, what would you ask her?

Are you ever bored? Do you wear your seatbelt? What scares you most? Do you think you’re pretty? Do you care? Do you think you’ll ever see Leo again?

7. Do you celebrate the Solstice or other natural events?

I love astronomy, and the Solstice is an astronomical event. Beyond that, when Eileen first suggested I write a little holiday gift-type book about Stargirl, an early thought was to focus it on Christmas. From there it was a short step to swing that focus to something less specifically religious and more broadly natural. Stargirl and Solstice felt like the right match.

8. What is your experience with homeschooling?

Our daughter-in-law, Marina, homeschools five of our grandchildren.

9. If you could change your name, what would you want to be called?

Congratulations! That’s the hardest question I’ve ever gotten. It took me 30 years to settle on the name for the main character in the book that finally came to be called Stargirl. So you’ll have to give me at least that long to come up with a name for myself. In the meantime, I’ll tell you that in college I tried to get my fraternity brothers to call me Weasel, but it didn’t stick. As I note in Maniac Magee, you can’t give yourself a nickname; it’s what the world wants to call you. Of course, “Stargirl” is not a mere nickname.

10. Are there any plans to make a movie of Stargirl or Love, Stargirl? Would you like to see her on the big screen?

Stargirl is already under option for film. Last month the announcement was on page one of Hollywood Reporter. And yes, I would like to see it happen, especially if it turns out to be good.

11. Do you have plans to write sequels to any other of your stand-alone books? What new projects are you working on?

No, I’m not planning any more sequels . . . Love, Stargirl will be in the bookstores in August. And it won’t be alone—also on the shelves will be a companion Stargirl Journal. In September, I’ll cross the country on a book tour for those two. In the spring, Smiles to Go will come out. And right now, I’m working on a nonfiction book co-authored with my wife and fellow writer, Eileen.

12. Are any of your book characters based on real people?

Eileen comes closest to being a model for the character. Some things that Stargirl does I lifted right from Eileen’s personal history. I would say I’m not Leo as much as Eileen is Stargirl, but there certainly is some of me in Leo.

13. Which of your books are you most proud of? Do your children or grandchildren have any favorites?

My personal favorite is my first published book: Space Station Seventh Grade. But “proud of” is a little different. For that I might say Maniac Magee. If the grandkids have particular favorites, they haven’t told me.

Our Author 411 Questions

I composed and sent off Book Grub's Author 411 questions about Love, Stargirl over the weekend. Hopefully, they will pick some of ours to send to Jerry Spinelli! I will let you know as soon as I hear anything!

Stargirl ends with an epilogue 15 years in the future, yet Love, Stargirl starts right after she moves away. How did you try to reconcile the plot of Love, Stargirl with the ending you had already written? Did you have any difficulties? Do you have any plans to write a third book about Leo or Stargirl that would tie the two together?

Stargirl is written as a narrative from Leo’s point of view, while Love, Stargirl is written as a diary from Stargirl’s point of view. The books are very different because of this. Which storytelling style do you like better for these characters? Or does the story work better when told from both points of view?

Stargirl is incredibly different than the average teen, and there isn’t anyone like her in other books for teens. How did you come up with the idea for a character like Stargirl? Do you know any real-life Stargirls?

In Love, Stargirl, Stargirl collects a lot of unlikely and unusual friends. How did you manage to make these characters interesting without making them unrealistic?

At the beginning of Love, Stargirl, she says, "I love beginnings. If I were in charge of calendars, every day would be January 1." If you were in charge, what day would you like to celebrate more often?

If you could talk to Stargirl, what would you ask her?

Do you celebrate solstice or other natural events? If so, how?

What is your experience with homeschooling? What drawbacks and benefits do you see in that type of education? Did you have to research it to write Stargirl or Love, Stargirl?

If you could change your name, what would you want to be called?

Are there any plans to make a movie of Stargirl or Love, Stargirl? Would you like to see her on the big screen?

Do you have plans to write sequels to any other of your stand-alone books? Are any of your other characters, such as Maniac Magee, wanting to be revisited in some form?

Are any of your book characters based on real people?

What new projects are you working on?

Which of your books are you most proud of? Do your children or grandchildren have any favorites?

Jerry Spinelli Interview

Since Book Grub members are currently reading Love, Stargirl for the Author 411 project, I thought you might be interested in reading this interview with Jerry Spinelli from Publishers Weekly. Apparently, he didn't really want to write a sequel!

Author 411!

The high school book group (aka Book Grub) has an amazing opportunity this month! We were selected as one of five groups across the country to participate in Author 411 from Random House Children's Books. We will receive Advance Reading Copies (ARCs) of Love, Stargirl, the new sequel to Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. It will officially be released on August 14, 2007, so we get to read it before everyone else! Not only that, but at our next meeting, we will get to write questions to be submitted to Jerry Spinelli. He will answer the questions in writing, and the final Q & A will be published on the Author 411 website later in the summer. So cool!!!

Find out more about Love, Stargirl:

WEBSITE

MYSPACE

Book Grub Party!

Today was a really sad Book Grub meeting. It was the first time we've ever had seniors graduate out of the group! Sadiya, Sara, Huda, Julie, Marissa, Kaoutar, and Manpreet are all heading off to college this fall. A lot of them are staying local, though, so hopefully they will hang out with us often! Also, Jaicy and Lisa are both moving away this summer. Our group is really going to miss everyone! But we will welcome incoming 9th graders to our next meeting, which should be fun.

Today, we discussed The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen. We spent most of our book group time talking about what a bad boyfriend Jason was, and not enough time discussing the glories of Wes! A lot of people made really great contributions to the conversation, especially when we were talking about parent-child relationships and family dynamics.

Special thanks to Katie for bringing chocolate covered strawberries and to Jaicy for bringing mangos mixed with ice cream. It made our party extra special!

Next month, we are reading an ARC of Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. This is a long-awaited sequel to Stargirl. Yeah Author 411 for hooking us up!!!

Five of our graduates!

Katie made chocolate covered strawberries and I made cupcakes.

Nice shirts!


A rare photo with me in it.

We'll miss you!