New Post @ GeekaChicas–Geek Up Your Kids with this Superhero A-Z

Geekdom isn’t congenital–geek plus geek does not automatically equal geek. There are, however, many ways to encourage the kids to follow in your pencil-chignon Dalek loving shoes, starting with this ready-to-go superhero alphabet. Just don’t be surprised if, in a year or two, you’re met with an angry glare and some freaky adamantium action as your kidlet realizes you’ve...

Reading YA: 18 Literary Novels You’ll Love

If the term “literary” frightens you, you’re not alone. It’s something of a buzz word, and a confusing one at that. Literary YA, though, is a little different to literary adult fiction–generally speaking, it’s more accessible, and a great place to get started if you’re curious about lit fic, especially if you love language. These novels run the gamut from fantasy through contemporary,...

New Post @ PopMatters – Getting Inside the Book Review

We’ve all done it — bought a book based on a good review, passed over another because of a bad review. But why do reviews affect us? And how do they do it? Once upon a time, only professional reviewers wrote book reviews. The greater the number of publishing credits and letters after your name, the greater your chances of being taken seriously. Of course, it doesn’t take a degree to work...

Writing YA: If It’s Paranormal, It Needs A Villain, Right?

Over the weekend, I read Sarah Mlynowski’s Magic in Manhattan series. Although technically not on the lookout for more books–the stack by my bed is about four feet high–I’m a sucker for remainder shelves the way some people (okay, me) are suckers for lost puppies. Every book deserves a home, and books 1 & 3 looked so funky yet so lost and forlorn among old cookbooks and craft sets...

Writing YA: Literary Fiction–What It Is & Why You Shouldn’t Hate It

There’s something of a war between genre fiction and literary fiction readers. Genre fiction readers, the story goes, find the extra focus on words, well, wordy. And for the most part, they’re right–straightforward prose and familiar style are, in many cases, a writer’s best friend. But literary fiction gets a bad rap, largely because it’s actually quite hard to pull off well. Anyone can...

Writing YA: Advice from literary agent Jennifer DeChiara on Twitter

Last week, agent Jennifer DeChiara opened the virtual floor to writers, taking questions on Twitter about everything from her flossing habits (once a year, like clockwork) to agent nudging. She represents a variety of genres, including kidlit and YA. Missed the conversation? Get the highlights below, and follow Jennifer on Twitter @4writers, and check out the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency online for...

Gender in YA: Should the Bechdel Rule Apply in Kid Lit & YA?

Last week, David Elzey (@d_elzey) over at Fomagrams posted some interesting thoughts on the Bechdel test, wondering how and if the test applied to YA and kid lit, and if commenters could list examples of books that pass and books that fail. (Head on over to Fomagrams for some interesting comment discussion, too.) What is the Bechdel Rule? Even if the name is unfamiliar, you’ve probably heard of the...