SLJ Battle of the Books: The Myth of Safety

As expected, today's Battle of the Books was fantastic: The Storm in the Barn vs. Tales from Outer Suburbia. I didn't have a clear favorite here - I love them both - but I was really excited to hear what Shannon Hale had to say. Mostly I adore her because her enthusiasm for books always shines through and this was no exception.

Here is my Fire quote for today:

Go safely. Go safely, she thought to him as he left the building and his convoy pounded through the gates.

What a silly, empty thing it was to say to anyone, anywhere.

Ah, this one hit home for me. Each reading of this book and this line has brought a different meaning for me.

The first time I read this, it reminded me of Kate McClelland and Kathy Krasniewicz. I remember before ALA Midwinter in Denver, I signed off all my emails to fellow attendees with "Travel safe and see you there!" And, really, who ever thinks twice about signing off emails like that? I certainly didn't. And it was awful afterward to think about how flippantly I said it - it was just a way to sign off emails. After their deaths, "travel safe" did indeed feel like a silly and empty thing to ever say to friends on journeys.

This time, I thought of Bug. Oh god, how many times a day do I tell her to "be careful" or "be safe"? It still doesn't prevent her from falling off counters or tripping on the sidewalk. The sheer number of bruises on her calves are proof enough that "go safely" is a ridiculous thing to say to her, or any child.

Which all comes back to Fire (I swear, it does). Cashore regales us with tales of flying raptors, wars, political intrigue, and people with special powers. And yet fantasy can have so much to say about the real world we live in. We read these stories because there is something escapist about them. Except when there isn't. Except when they have so much to say about the here and now. About motherhood, friends gained and lost, tragedy, love

We're nearing the end, folks. Tomorrow Megan Whalen Turner (squee!) is sharing her thoughts on Charles vs. Emma and The Lost Conspiracy. This is a little nervous-making, seeing how Megan is either going to lay the hurt on A Chair, A Fireplace, & a Tea Cozy ("Team CharMa!") or on Fuse #8 ("LoCo! LoCo!"). Hearts will be broken. Dreams will be shattered. But it's Megan Whalen Turner. I'll adore her no matter what, and I have no doubt she'll rise to the occasion.

Game on!

SLJ Battle of the Books!

Let the Battle of the Books begin!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'll be quoting all things Fire by Kristin Cashore in an effort to prove the brilliance and superiority of the writing.

And I won't hold back. So here's the first heavy-hitter:

It had been easy once, taking Archer into her bed; not so long ago it had been simple. And then, somehow, the balance had tipped between them. The marriage proposals, the lovesickness. More and more, the simplest thing was to say no.

Why this one? Because in a brief paragraph, so many themes of the book are revealed: power, sex, love, feminism. So many teen girls are confronted with this dilemma - namely, the power they hold by the giving and withholding of sexual intimacy - but how many books for them really put voice to it? It's a scary power to have at such a young age, and it's moments like this in the book where I feel glad that Fire is in the hands of teenage girls (and grown women too, for that matter).

In that way, I'm reminded of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. When that one came out, so many reviewers (myself included) heralded it as feminist literature for the modern teen set. The same could be said of Graceling and Fire.

Likewise, I'm reminded of Megan Whalen Turner's work as well. Adult characters and adult themes that somehow still reach out to the teen reader. In Turner's work, the balance of power is such a prevalent theme. It's no wonder that teens are drawn to the works of Cashore, Lockhart, and Turner: teens feel powerless to change their world - they're beholden to family, teachers, and friends. These stories, though, demonstrate ways in which the balance of power is a subtle, ever-changing idea and perhaps they have more strength than they believe. Once again, I find myself wishing that I had access to these writers when I was 14 or 15.

And that's my Fire quote of the day. All my Battle of the Books quotes won't be nearly this long, I assure you, but it's a rainy miserable Sunday...I'm still in my PJs...a steaming cup of coffee beside me...it's the perfect time to wax poetic about my favorite book of 2009!

Game on!

2010 ALA Midwinter Conference

Patty, my boss, warned me that the Midwinter conference would come screaming around the corner after NCTE, and she wasn't lyin'. My second conference since joining Harper is coming up this week, and I'm fired up. For one thing, ALA folks are my peeps, my friends. Second, having one conference under my belt, I have a better idea of what to expect when I get to the convention center (clue: endless boxes...go armed with a box cutter).

Here are some more reasons I'm excited to get up to Boston:

• Three words: Megan. Whalen. Turner. As you may know, her next book, Conspiracy of Kings, is coming out this year (Apr 2010). While we're not having her sign in our booth, she will be doing a signing at Harvard Bookstore on Saturday, January 16th at 12:00 pm. See more details at Megan's website.


• Foodie field trip! I'm going to score some sticky buns from Flour Bakery with Kayleigh (The Roaring 20s) on Friday morning!


• The fab ladies of the HarperCollins Children's school & library marketing team (that would be Patty, Emilie, and yours truly) will be presenting titles for our upcoming 2010 spring and summer season. There will be food, there will be laughs, there will be FREE BOOKS. See our website for the full details. All are welcome, no need to RSVP. Be there or be square.


• I love the Youth Media Awards. Love them. The anticipation, the surprises, the cheering, the crowds. I'll be there in person, but you can watch the live webcast here.


• In addition to Flour Bakery, I'll also be eating at Hamersley's Bistro and, tentatively, Taberna de Haro. Anyone else have any must-eat recommendations in the downtown Boston area?

Again, if you're in the Boston area and/or will be at the conference, make sure to stop by and say hi (just like Monica did at NCTE)! I'll be in booth #1404, waiting for you with a smile and free books!

Eat, drink, and don't be shy!