Young Adult Author, Catherine Webb

Photo: http://www.atombooks.co.uk/webb.htm

Catherine Webb was only 14 when she wrote her first book. Now at 19, she has five books published, all are young adult novels. What's really special about her is not just how young she was when she wrote her first book, but also how untrained she was as a writer. In a live chat interview she did for bbc.co.uk's onion street, she was asked, "There are many books that help you write a book. Have you looked through any of those?" In reply, she told the interviewer, "To tell the truth, no. That all seems far too intellectual. . .My parents used to work in publishing so they told me some things, great for advice." Read it all here at onion street.

It inspires me to think about this 14-year-old girl who claims to be undisciplined and just did most of her writing during summer breaks, yet who has become a published author. If she can do it, can't we all?

If you'd like to learn more about Ms. Webb and her books, you can visit any of the following websites, or find even more using a web search with her name:

• nzgirl - Mirror Dreams by Catherine Webb
• Atom Books - Catherine Webb
• BBC Newsround

Science Fiction Movies and Children

Do you think science fiction movies are appropriate for children to watch? Some think they stimulate a child's imagination. Others think that very young children should not be watching science fiction as it can be very scary for them.

I've created a poll about a specific science fiction movie. Would you please vote? Thanks. If it doesn't show up here, you can click this link to access it: Take My Poll

Which War of the Worlds Movie do you like best?
	The original one
	The new Tom Cruise one
	Never seen either one
	Don't care about Science Fiction
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Children's Book Series and Why They are So Popular With Kids

I've never been quite sure why, but I love children's books series, and it doesn't seem to matter if they are for young children or young adults. Now thanks to an article on Newsweek.com and an associated podcast on children's book series and why they are so popular with children, I'm beginning to understand. If you're remotely interested in reading or writing children or young adult books, you'll enjoy this article and the podcast. Give a look and a listen.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10826327/site/newsweek/

Here's the link to the podcast (you can listen to it online or download it to your iPod):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10841160/site/newsweek/

Goddess of Yesterday--Young Adult Literature

I don't seem to have as much time to read each day as I do time in the car, so I read many of the young adult books by listening to books on tape. I've just finished Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney.

This is a wonderful story of a pirate's daughter taken as a hostage because her father hasn't paid enough tribute to the local king. At nine years old, this child accidentally tells the king where her dad hides all his plundered treasure. So the king sails away with both the treasure and the pirate's daughter, who is to become a companion to the king's own invalid daughter. Within three years, as things went during that time in history, this king's island is sacked, burned, and plundered, and this young captive is the only one left alive to bury the murdered king who had taken her from her parents. Because she feels a sense of loyalty to the murdered king, she buries him and stands guard by his grave until the king of the conquering army finds her. Thinking her to be the dead king's daughter, and seeing how valiantly she's guarded the dead king's grave, the conquering king takes her home with him, where she's honored as a guest in his palace by everyone except the queen--Helen (soon to be) of Troy. Even after all of this, however, this young lady's adventure is only just beginning. And it's delightful to travel with her from one land to another, one king to another, through childhood and puberty and into early womanhood.

I loved the ending of this book and the heart of the young lady who struggles through all the circumstances that are thrown at her. She's valiant. The only thing I would have liked to see done differently is for the book to have another 100 or so pages more that continued on where the story actually ended. Oh well for me, the reader, but that's a sign of a very good story.

The version of Goddess of Yesterday that I listened to was on CD from Recorded Books, LLC.

Writing for Young Adults Podcast

Do you even know what a Podcast is? If you do, you're ahead of where I was even just a few days ago when I was first introduced to podcasts. I found out about them quite by accident. And I was really surprised to see that the online dictionaries already knew what they were. (Websters.com says a podcast is, "the Web-based broadcast of music which works with software that automatically detects new files and is accessed by subscription.") I was looking for more information on writing for young adults, and ran across a podcast described as follows:

ArthurSlade.com Writing for Young Adults ArthurSlade.com Writing for Young Adults : A weekly podcast about writing for young adults--featuring tips on writing, how to get published and more, including songs and special effects. Intended for writers, readers, teachers and students.

I'd be interested in knowing whether you think the information on this podcast is worth delving into. If you're more familiar with podcasts than I am, even if your not, tell me what you think of the podcast concept, and whether you think it's the right medium for young adults.

Writing for Young Adults

Here's a true fantasy for a young adult book author, to have your first or even subsequent novels receive multiple book lists, such as the ALA Best Books For Young Adults list, the ALA Quick Pick list, and the Booklist Top Ten Mysteries for Youths. Gail Giles' YA book titled, SHATTERING GLASS (Roaring Brook, 2002) did just that.

When asked why she chose to write for young adults, besides mentioning that she was a high school teacher for years and thus surrounded by them, she says that age is "so fraught with possibilities." IT is that comment which most interested me about her as a writer. "Fraught" and "possibilities" aren't usually words that go together in the same sentence. It made me interested in seeing how she saw and wrote about the world.

I think that the interview done with her and posted on the Cynthia Laitch Smith website (http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/auth-illGailGiles.htm) was very interesting to read. I loved her answer to the question, "What advice do you have for writers just entering the professional children's market?" Her response was to "Submit your manuscript ONE MORE TIME."

As a YA author, I know we pour our hearts and souls into writing books we hope the young adults of America will enjoy reading. It's tough when publishers don't see everything we put into it. (In other words, when they don't think it's the best seller we believe it to be.) So I really believe her advice is right. You just have to keep submitting your work. Make adjustments to it as you go and wait if you feel it's appropriate, but don't give up.
Do any of you write stories, poetry, books, or articles? Have you submitted any of your work? Have you had any success? I'm interested in hearing about your experiences, if you'd like to share.

Author Yellow Pages -- Young Adult Authors Too

Today I discovered a website that has yellow-paged (yes, I know that's not technically a word, but one of the fun things in life is trying to come up with new words that Mr. Webster will eventually think are worthy of his book) authors. I thought I'd share it with you. Here's the URL: http://www.authoryellowpages.com/

At this website, you can find websites of authors. Looking for Neil Gaiman's website? It's there. Want to see who has a newsletter available for you to subscribe to? You can do that there as well. Want to let them send you to a featured website for the month? Or, if, as I am, you're interested in authors that write young adult, you can search this website by genre. Well, you get the idea. Check it out. You might find some authors you didn't know existed, and be headed off into their world of words. Enjoy!