Table of Contents:

book news

laura's column

• Has the library offered to upgrade your library card to platinum?
• Do you have a stack of books on your night stand high enough to be considered an architectural wonder?
• Do you have enough rewards points from your Amazon.com purchases to fly free to Europe?
• Do you ask strangers, "What's that you're reading?"
• Do you have more than 100 cubic yards of bookshelf space, but wish you had more?
• Do librarians ask you if they can borrow a book?
• Are you on a first-name basis with the sales clerks at Borders?
• Do you feel naked without a book somewhere on your person?Does the smell of a new book make you woozy?
• Does the smell of an old book make you woozy?
• Have you ever hugged a book?
• Do you have more books loaned out than most people own?
• Have you ever hidden under your covers with a flashlight so you could read just one more chapter, undetected?
• Do you own just the right number of books to last your lifetime (that is, if you live to be 307)?
• Have you ever camped out for a book release?
• Do you have your name on the library waiting list for more than a dozen books at a time?
• Are you ever frustrated with your friends or relatives because they do not behave as predictably as literary characters?
• Have you ever tucked a novel inside of another book to disguise what you are reading?
• Do you have stacks of books in places that most normal people would not stack them (e.g. on the back of the toilet, in old milk crates, under the legs of furniture, in the glove compartment, on top of the television, in unused bathtubs)?
• Have you ever replied, "Too many books? How could a person ever have too many books?"

Count the number of questions to which your response is "yes". Use the scale below to determine your bibliophilic tendencies.

0 - 5
What are you doing on an author website, anyway? You must have browsed here by accident. Perhaps you were searching for Hannon Shale, a sedimentary rock from the Precambrian Period.

6 - 10
You have a healthy regard for books. You feel for them the way you would an esteemed distant relative or a trusted counselor. You are in little danger of being overrun by books, but you are probably a card-carrying library patron.

11 - 15
You love books, but fortunately for you, there is a good chance you will remain sane. Your bibliophilia is borderline, but not yet at the pathological stage.

16 - 20
Sorry to say that it is too late for you. You are certifiable. You love books the way Augustus Gloop loves chocolate. Resign yourself to the fact that books will consume your life. Or, rather, you will consume books with reckless abandon verging on insanity throughout your life.

Max

Students: Have you had a teacher that made you excited about reading? Did she read books to the class each day? Did he help you overcome a reading problem so you were free to lose yourself in books? Or how about a school librarian who always recommended the perfect books for your spring break?

Now’s your chance to repay that teacher. Write a short essay, 200 words or less, describing what she or he did to get you excited about books and help you find the joy in reading. If your essay is selected, we’ll present your teacher with the 2006 Reading Teacher Award, give her/him a certificate, a copy of your essay, and a signed copy of a book. If geographically possible, Shannon will present the award in person. It’s time to thank the teachers who empowered us with the magic of reading!

Entry deadline: March 30, 2006
Please include the following information in your email entry:
Your full name
Your year of birth
If you’re under 18, do we have your parent/guardian’s permission to use your name if your nomination is chosen?
Your teacher’s full name (please include first name!)
Grade(s) you were in the teacher’s class (or if nominating a school librarian, grades you attended that school)
If currently in the teacher’s class, please let us know that as well
Name of school where you had a class with the teacher
School’s complete mailing address
School’s phone number
If you know the teacher/librarian has retired, we'll need her/his home address or someway to send the award.

Email the above information and your essay to: squeetus@hotmail.com with the subject line Reading Teacher Award. Please include the essay and all info in the body of the email, no attachments. Good luck to teachers everywhere!

Note on Privacy: If you are under 18 years of age, squeetus will only use your first name and last initial. No matter what your age, squeetus will ONLY use your email address to send you a copy of the newsletter The Squeeter Pig with the award results. Squeetus will NEVER share your email address with anyone.

reviews by young readers

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
reviewed by ElizaBeth W., age 15, Virginia, USA

This is an exciting, adventurous tale. When a small mouse with overly large ears is born with his eyes open, his parents think, “He is such a disappointment.” Desperaux acts nothing like a mouse should; he prefers reading books to chewing them to bits. His favorite story is of a princess rescued by a knight in shining armor.

One day Desperaux sees the beautiful Princess Pea, falls in love and allows Pea to touch him. Banished to the dungeon by the mice for such a horrible crime, he is sure to be eaten by the rats. While there, Despereaux learns of a rat who loves light, a girl named Miggory Sow, and the plot to bring Pea into the dungeon forever.

Can Desperaux escape from the dungeon and save the princess from this terrible fate? Although this story is especially for readers ages 7-12, it is sure to captivate anyone.

Upon reading the first sentence, I knew The Five People You Meet in Heaven was a book I was going to love. The unique prose drew me right into the story.

The novel follows a man named Eddie, starting with his death in the amusement park where he works as head of maintenance. Heaven is not what he expects. Five people come to him and tell him about themselves and about him. He relives many moments – his wedding, the time he served in the war – to understand the reason and purpose of why he lived.

The book’s ending is completely satisfying, and, unlike many novels, it was simple and was full of joy. I was elevated after reading it.

Though it isn’t a young adult book, any older teenager would enjoy it. The compelling characters and beautiful prose makes it an excellent, imaginative read.

Send us a book review for the next Issue of The Squeeter Pig!
Have a book you're passionate about? Tell us about it! 150 words or less. Give a very brief plot outline (no spoilers, please) and explain what you loved about it, what the author did that was impressive, who might like it. You must be 18 years or younger to submit. Please include your age and where you're from. No negative reviews and do books other than Shannon's.

Q & A

Q: Are you a full time writer now, or do you still have a 'day job'? I find it incredibly difficult to squeeze in my daily writing, as I work fulltime and have a six month old baby boy. As my husband is an artist, I'm the main breadwinner, so I can't see my employment situation changing. Have you been in a similar situation - ie, trying to work your writing time around full time employment as well as family demands? If so, please tell me how you did it!

A: Man, it sure can be exhausting, I know. My worst time was fall 2003, I was in my third trimester, promoting Goose Girl, working full time, and doing rewrites of Enna Burning. My husband was a contract worker and so I couldn’t quit, as my job provided the medical benefits. After having Max, I only had to work full time for 5 weeks and part time for 4 months before I was able to quit, so I’m not the best source of how to be a superwoman. I would say what kept me sane was making sure I had a little time every day to write, to keep myself feeling like a writer and keep using that part of my brain. Try taking just 15 minutes at night before bed, make it the same time every day and respect that time religiously. That helps keep your story fresh in your mind, and when you do have a 2-3 hour block on occassion, you'll be more productive with it.

Q: What do you do about writer's block?

A: Writer’s block is something we all struggle with, and the way I’ve learned to handle it is ignore it. Keep writing. You cannot wait for a muse or inspiration or the perfect words. You write any words that come and then rewrite later. I've heard said that writer’s block is our fear that we won’t write it perfectly the first time, so the best way to fight it is to acknowledge right now that you won’t ever, not ever ever, not after your 50th book, write it perfectly the first time. I find myself hoping every time I’m on a first draft that I somehow magically will, but I never do. The other reason we get writer's block is we've run out of ideas. This will go away with time. The more you write, the more you read, the more you live, the more ideas you'll have and soon you'll be beating them off with a broom.

Tamora Pierce has some writer’s block ideas on her website: http://www.tamora-pierce.com/faq.htm#wblock, click the “What do you do with writer’s block?” question

Sneak Peek

Here’s a snippet from river secrets, Chapter 2.

The night before departure, Isi and Geric held a feast for the travelers but had not shown up by the time the feasting began. Razo was on his second turkey leg and fifth berry pie when Isi climbed onto the bench next to him, resting her elbows on the table, her brow on her hands.

"What’s happened?" asked Enna.

Isi met eyes with Talone, seated across from her. Her voice quavered. "We’ve had word from Tira. Over the winter, many Tiran citizens started calling for a return to war. It got quite bad and to appease them, the assembly agreed to vote on the matter in the fall."
Finn shook his head and seemed likely to strike something.

"That won’t give us much time," said Talone.

"If you go." Isi looked up, as though to keep her eyes dry. "I’m thinking of...of canceling the mission. Lady Megina would only have a few months to meet with the assembly members, to sway their opinion in favor of peace, and I’m afraid your company would have a tricky time just keeping her alive. Keeping all of you alive." She took Enna’s hand and began to talk faster. "But I’m also so afraid that if you don’t go, there’ll be no chance. It’s easy to believe complete strangers are your enemies. If they knew us...But how can you go, Talone? How can I bear to risk all of you? You’d be traveling into a hornet nest."

Razo scratched at the flea bites on his arms, and then realized they were goose bumps. He was not much fond of hornet nests.

Talone stood. "Bayern’s Own." The rattle of dishes stilled, all faces turned. "Our queen informs me that Tira has used the winter to stir up thoughts of war. If we go, the people just might decide to cut our throats one by one. The queen is giving us a choice, lads and ladies. Even if we go, it’s likely we will fail. Are you willing to take that chance? Will you march with me to Tira?"

The quiet that followed made the room feel tight and small and airless. Then Finn thumped his javelin against the tiled floor. Razo smiled at him and echoed with his own javelin. Enna banged her fist on the table. For a moment, the sound of two javelins and a fist took up the whole room, lonely and inviting at once. Suddenly a clatter of replies tossed against the walls. The rumble unified, everyone knocking in time, the entire room becoming one drum under one hand. Geric came up behind Isi, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She pressed her head against his hands, and when voices joined the javelins, shouting, "Bayern! Bayern!" her shoulders shook with a sob.

The thumps and shouts pulled at the hairs on Razo’s arms and neck and clattered against his own heartbeat. He banged his javelin louder, needing to join that noise, inexplicably afraid of being left outside.

Book Recommendations

Shannon’s favorite recent reads, to help you with your Christmas lists.

Wishing Moon, Michael O. Tunnell
A crisp, lovely novel. A young girl finds Aladdin’s lamp and has her own adventures in wishing. I’d say it’s for girls and boys 10 to 14. Still in hardcover.

Charlotte’s Rose, A.E. Cannon
Tender and sassy, this book is a gem. A young girl in the 1800’s travels from Wales to Salt Lake City to join the Mormons, carrying the baby of a woman who died in childbirth across the plains. This is not a religious book. It reads as a historical novel or just a delightful look into the mind of one lively girl.

Speak, Laurie Halse Andersen
I generally shy away from "problem novels," and especially high school novels, but I love finding books that shatter my preconceptions. Told in first person, a teenage girl almost stops speaking altogether after something terrible occurs at a summer party. Often hysterical, somehow despite the subject matter. A page turner.

Sorcery and Cecilia, Caroline Stevermer & Patricia C. Wrede
Romance, magic, girly fun. This novel is written in letters between two cousins and gave me a good Austen fix. Good for girls 12 and up.

Never Trust a Dead Man, Vivian Vande Velde
A good pick for reluctant readers, this is a murder mystery in a medieval setting with a touch of magic. Clean, tight writing, action, and humor, especially good for hard-to-buy-for boys.

Runaways, Brian K Vaughan
What if you discovered your parents were super-villains? This series of graphic novels was great fun, excellent for reluctant readers over age 12 or any comic book fan.

Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi
This graphic autobiographical novel was utterly compelling. This is what literature is about. I never felt so connected before with Iran, or any middle eastern country, as I did in this book. For reluctant and eager readers alike. I can’t remember if there was PG-13 material in here, but nothing rubbed me wrong. Many teachers would let you or a reluctant reader you know do this book for a biography or historical book assignment.

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
A new classic. This novel is told from the point-of-view of a boy with autism. Insightful, lovely, compelling. Note that there is some swearing. I’d give it to older teens and adults.

Tithe, Holly Black
A wicked, gritty, perfectly written novel. In modern day, a teenage girl gets swept up in a conflict between two faerie courts. Swearing and graphic violence limit this book’s audience.

1602, Neil Gaiman
This graphic novel is only for serious superhero comic fans. It takes the Marvel characters (Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Nick Fury, and so on) and puts them in the year 1602. Lovely illustrations, a fun twist on these stories.

Persuasion, Jane Austen
My new favorite of the Austen novels, and the most hopeful of the lot. I read a version with a wonderful introduction by Margaret Drabble, which made me appreciate it all the more.

The Jane Austen Book Club, Karen Joy Fowler
Terrific! Deserves its best seller status. This is an adult/book club book that isn’t utterly depressing, a real novelty lately.

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