E. S.

Well, as you can see from my widget, I did it.  I wrote a 50,000 word YA novel in less than thirty days.  I’m sort of in shock right now.  I never expected to be done so early.  It feels extremely odd to me, but I’m pretty happy with my work.  The book is called Can’t Let Go, and it’s a blend of genres that would probably be classified as urban fantasy.  Here’s the summery: Aeron O’Broin always considered herself a fairly normal teenager, even if she was a disappointment to her parents.  That was until her life turned into an odd combination of a high school soap opera, a fairytale, and a fantasy novel.  Really, all she wants to do is survive to graduation and get into the university of her choice.  A romance along the way wouldn’t hurt either.

It’s been pretty great all in all.  The novel didn’t exactly turn out the way I expected, but I’m pretty pleased with it anyway.  Of course, this is just the first draft.  Will it ever get published?  Who knows?  Give me another few months to edit the thing, and maybe I’ll send the manuscript out to publishers.  Still, it was a great experience.  This was my second year both participating in and winning NaNoWriMo.  I think it was even more fun this year, and I think I’ll be continuing with this challenge for years to come.

E. S.

E. S.

I’m not entirely comfortable with the blogging format, and I don’t really find blogs that easy to follow.  I’m trying get more comfortable with this format though.  Even so, I think that this blog would be a valuable tool for a YA librarian even if it is just as an awareness tool and not something that is participated in.  One of the other things about this blog that I was impressed with was the links to the YALSA podcasts.  Podcasts are a medium that I am familiar with, comfortable with, and enjoy.  I may be a sporadic visitor to the YALSA blog in the future, but I’m pretty sure that I’m going to subscribe to the podcasts.  And I wouldn’t have known about them if it weren’t for the blog.

E. S.

“Yes, we’re in over our heads,” I said.  “Maybe there’s someone in the world who actually understands how all this works, who’s fully equipped with the armor of righteousness and the flamethrower of smiting or whatever else is in the arsenal of Team Good.  But unless they’re hiding behind a mesquite tree somewhere, me, my freaky brain, my sorcerous friend, and my paladin boyfriend are all that stands between Hell and Texas.”

I hadn’t meant to make a speech.  The silence as they stared at me made my ears start to burn.  But I couldn’t back down.  “So…that’s what we’re going to do, dammit.”

Highway to Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
New York: Delacorte Press, 2009
Hardback, 357.

Maggie and Lisa were planning on a normal college spring break at South Padre Island.  Days spent on the beach in bikinis and mocking the other drunken college students.  Then a car accident derails their plans and strands the two friends in Dulcina.  A small ranching community, Dulcina has one motel, one restaurant, and not much to do.  The only place that even has internet is the library.  Not exactly the sort of place for a fun spring break.  However, Maggie finds the timing of the accident odd.  Especially since Dulcina is in the middle of a drought, and there has been a rash of animal killings by something.  Many people in town think it’s El Chupacabra.  Maggie just knows that her physic senses are telling that there’s something wrong here, and she has to deal with it before animals aren’t the only things that are dying.  Still, dealing with a demon in small town Texas with only Lisa (an apprentice sorceress), Justin (her boyfriend and grad student in the occult), and Henry (Justin’s best friend and a priest in training who doesn’t quite believe that all this is going on) wasn’t her idea of what her first spring break in college would be like.

This is the third book in the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series by Clement-Moore, and like the first two, it doesn’t disappoint.  Like the first two books, it is light hearted, humorous, and quick paced.  This book also gives reader a chance to get to know several of the supporting characters better.  Both Lisa and Justin who are in the first two books play a role in this one as well.  Lisa especially comes through stronger in this book as she is involved in the action from the start, and the reader gets a real sense of just who she is and how the events from the past books have effected her.  The reader also gets to learn a little bit about Justin’s backstory, and we finally get to meet Henry, who is mentioned in both of the previous books but has not actually been introduced until now.

As with the other books, some of the pop culture references may not age well, but  most of them are iconic.  The reading level of the book is fairly accessible, and the content should be appropriate for any YAs thirteen and older.  Highway to Hell will appeal to fans of shows like Buffy and Charmed, and it will also appeal to those who want supernatural or urban fantasy stories that do not involve vampires.  The entire Girl vs. Evil series has proven to be well written and engaging so far.  Currently the three titles (Prom Dates from Hell, Hell Week, and Highway to Hell) are the only ones in the series, and it is unclear if there will be more, though Clement-Moore has recently published a new YA novel in a different universe.  She will be an author that I continue to watch.  Highway to Hell was a really satisfying continuation of a series I enjoy, and I would definitely recommend it to others.  I give this book  four stars out of five.

E. S.

]]> http://elspethstewart.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/highway-to-hell-a-review/feed/ 0 Elspeth highway-to-hell http://elspethstewart.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/voya-voices-of-youth-advocates/ http://elspethstewart.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/voya-voices-of-youth-advocates/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:42:42 +0000 Elspeth Stewart http://elspethstewart.wordpress.com/?p=154 ]]> I really like VOYA.  I have used articles from it off and on since I started the MLIS program, and I have always been pleased with both the subjects and the quality of the writing.  I really like the fact that they have a variety of information from resources for the librarian to themed lists of good books. They have reviews for both fiction and non fiction, and I find they are really good at addressing current and reverent themes, issues, and topics.  For example, in the most current issue of VOYA, there is a really great article on YAs and pleasure reading.  The portions of  interviews that are printed give some really good insight into YA’s relationship with books and how they chose books.  The journal is attractive looking and the print is always easy to read.

VOYA is published bimonthly by Scarecrow Press.  It is specifically directed at those who serve YAs (12 to 18 according to their information) and strongly emphasizes YA participation and intellectual freedom and access for YAs.  The publication was founded by Dorothy M. Broderick and Mary K. Chelton in 1978, and has recently welcomed a new editor in chief.  VOYA also has a website which is frequently updated and provides both subscription information and information on how to order back issues.VOYA also sponsers contests for YAs such as a poetry contest and photography contest that will be used for one of VOYA’s covers.

Over all, this is a resource that I would really recommend to others, not just YA librarians but anyone who works with YAs and books in some capacity.

E. S.

E. S.

The other thing about this book that rather bothered me is an issue I have in general with fiction that portrays Christians, especially these odd sects of Christianity that are far removed from the traditions I am used to.  I always feel that there is very little counter balance for the image these Christians portray to the world.  While in this book there were mentions of other traditions, they really weren’t that important.  I understand that the focus of the book was on something else, but I often feel that the Christians that get portrayed both in fiction and in the media are the weird, kooky, and problematic ones.  As the product of a moderate to liberal Protestant upbringing, I don’t see myself reflected, and often when the subject of religion comes up, I feel the need to defend myself for nominally being a Christian because I’m not like the ones people know about.  I also realize that this is my own pet issue and that Sister Wife itself doesn’t really have that much bearing on it; I’m reacting to it in a particular way because of who I am.  But still, it’s something to think about.  I can’t think of many YA novels that portray mainline Christianity on the part of a main character without Christianity itself being some sort of issue.  Can you?

E. S.

So, yeah, I’m attempting to write a 50,000 word YA novel in the month of November.  Why?  Probably because I’m crazy.  I have participated in National Novel Writing Month before.  Of course, last year I didn’t have a job, I wasn’t in school, and the novel kept me from going crazy waiting from my acceptance letter from this program.  But never fear, this year reading week fell at the beginning of NaNoWriMo, and I’m ahead of the game for now.  This widget will keep abreast of my word count throughout the month.  At least if I go crazy before the end of the term, you all will know why.

E. S.

P.S.  Below you will find an explanation of NaNoWriMo for those unfamiliar with this cult.

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2008, we had over 120,000 participants. More than 20,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month’s time.

Who: You! We can’t do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let’s write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era’s most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

The Rules:

• Write a 50,000-word (or longer!) novel, between November 1 and November 30.
• Start from scratch. None of your own previously written prose can be included in your NaNoWriMo draft (though outlines, character sketches, and research are all fine, as are citations from other people’s works).
• Write a novel. We define a novel as a lengthy work of fiction. If you consider the book you’re writing a novel, we consider it a novel too!
• Be the sole author of your novel. Apart from those citations mentioned two bullet-points up.
• Write more than one word repeated 50,000 times.
• Upload your novel for word-count validation to our site between November 25 and November 30.

Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa – The series follows two teenage brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric—one bearing two cybernetic replacement limbs while the other’s soul animates a cumbersome suit of armor. The two are government agents wielding prodigious abilities in alchemy who carry out the hazardous assignments issued by their handlers. Their exploits range from thwarting the machinations of a fraudulent and ambitious priest who abuses the faith of his oblivious flock to cunningly extracting an impoverished mining community from the exorbitant clutches of a corrupt official and dealing with a train-hijack situation.  But their powers aren’t unique. The world crawls with evil alchemists. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher’s Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are.

Bleach by Tite Kubo – Hot-tempered 15-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki, the hero of the popular fantasy-adventure Bleach, has the unsettling ability to see spirits who are unable to rest in peace. His sixth sense leads him to Rukia, a Soul Reaper who destroys Hollows (soul-devouring monsters) and ensures the deceased find repose with the Soul Society. When she’s injured in battle, Rukia transfers her sword and much of her power to Ichigo, whose spiritual energy makes him a formidable substitute Soul Reaper. But the orange-haired teenager isn’t sure he wants the job: too many risks and moral dilemmas.  Unfortunately for him, he may be stuck with it.

Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto – Twelve years before the events at the start of the series, the nine-tailed demon fox attacked Konohagakure. It was a powerful demon indeed; a single swing of one of its nine tails would raise tsunamis and flatten mountains. It raised chaos and slaughtered many people, until the leader of the Leaf Village – the Fourth Hokage – defeated it by sacrificing his own life to seal the demon inside a newly-born child, whose origins are as yet unknown. That child’s name was Naruto Uzumaki.  Naruto now must pass the difficult test to enter the Ninja Academy; deal with his rival, Konohamaru; and learn to get along with his new classmates, Sasuke and Sakura. Assigned to a three-person team, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura must survive a brutal test against their upper-level ninja instructor, Kakashi.  And this is only the beginning of their training.

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda – Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy, endowed with stretching powers from the legendary “Gomu Gomu” Devil’s fruit, travels towards the Grand Line in search of One Piece, the greatest treasure in the world.  Luffy captains the Straw Hat Pirates first through the sea of East Blue and then through the Grand Line. He follows the path of the deceased Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, from island to island on his way to the great treasure One Piece. On his way his crew grows to have a swordsman and first mate Zoro, a navigator Nami, a sniper Usoopp, a cook Sanji, a doctor Chopper, an archaeologist Robin, a shipwright Franky, and a musician Brook.  During the course of the story, the crew contend with both other less moral pirate crews and the Navy. The latter are the subordinates of the World Government, who apparently seek justice by ending the Golden Age of Pirates. Many background story elements involve the delicate balance of power between the World Government and the world’s most powerful pirate crews. Also, the Craziest Crew in the world.

InuYasha by Rumiko Takehashi – Kagome is a modern Japanese high school girl. Never the type to believe in myths and legends, her world view dramatically changes when, one day, she’s pulled out of her own time and into another! There, in Japan’s ancient past, Kagome discovers more than a few of those dusty old legends are true, and that her destiny is linked to one legendary creature in particular–the dog-like half-demon called Inuyasha! That same trick of fate also ties them both to the Shikon Jewel, or “Jewel of Four Souls.” But demons beware…the smallest shard of the Shikon Jewel can give the user unimaginable power.

Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama – The genius Bulma, while searching for the Dragon Balls meets a simple minded little boy with a strange monkey tail, Son Goku.  If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and Bulma needs Goku’s help (and his super-strength)! With a magic staff for a weapon and a flying cloud for a ride, Goku sets out on the adventure of a lifetime.

Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi – Yusuke Urameshi is a street-brawling delinquent with a tough guy approach to everything.  However, no one expects a sudden act of heroism on his part: he dies trying to save a little boy from a speeding car. In fact, when he arrives in the afterlife, he is informed that no one was expecting him to die that way, and were not prepared for his arrival.  Now, Yusuke is a ghost with a mission, performing good deeds at the behest of Botan, the ferrywoman of the River Styx, and Koenma, the pacifier-sucking judge of the dead.   After numerous tests to gauge his worth, Yusuke is eventually revived, and is assigned to work for the Spirit Realm as a detective investigating demonic cases in the human world.

Death Note by by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata – Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects–and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal… or his life?

Detective Conan/Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama – Shinichi Kudo is a high school student who, by using observation and deduction, is good at solving mysteries. While investigating one, he is caught by the criminals that he was watching and forced to take an experimental drug. Leaving him for dead, the criminals disappear. Instead of killing him, however, the drug turns Shinichi into a little kid.  To preserve the illusion of his ‘disappearance’, Shinichi adopts a new name based on his favorite author (Arthur Conan Doyle) and becomes Conan Edogawa. Ran, his (actually Shinichi’s) childhood friend takes this little boy under her wing and brings him to her home. Conan now lives at a detective agency run by Ran’s father, but his mind is as keen as ever and he continues to solve mysteries…always allowing Ran’s father to take all the credit.  As far as everyone’s concerned, Conan is just a little kid anyway…even to Ran. This is *extremely* frustrating to Conan since nobody will listen to a ‘little boy’. In spite of this, Conan has a mission…to find the criminals who did this to him and get the antidote to that drug.

Hellsing by Kohta Hirano – Vampires exist and there’s a secret organization somewhere in England created to defend the Queen and country from monsters of all sorts.  It is the duty of Hellsing, an organization sponsored by the British government, to hide that frightening fact and protect the blissfully unaware populace. Along with its own personal army, Hellsing also has a few secret weapons. Alucard, an incredibly powerful vampire, has been controlled by Hellsing for years.  Although he dislikes being a servant to the Hellsing family, he certainly enjoys his job as Hellsing, and things certainly go bump in the night these days in England.

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya – When high school student Tohru Honda’s mother dies in a car crash, Tohru remains optimistic and begins living in a tent and supporting herself, until she finds lodging – and friends – in the least likely of places: the home of the school “prince,” Yuki Sohma, along with Yuki’s cousins Kyo and Shigure.  The enigmatic Sohma family shares a great secret, its members are possessed by spirits of the Chinese Zodiac, and when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they transform into their Zodiac animal! Tohru  is given lodging in the Sohma household in exchange for taking care of household chores. The humble Tohru is quite grateful for the Sohma family’s generosity, and the longer she stays with them, the more they realize what a blessing she is in their lives, as well.  The Souma’s curse, however, is much deeper and darker than it may seem, but Tohru’s presence soon becomes a positive influence on the lives of those possessed by the Zodiac, and certain events are put in motion that will change the Sohma clan forever.

Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi -  Usagi Tsukino is just a normal eighth grader: maybe a bit lazy and sort of a crybaby, and not the best student on the planet, but a great friend with a big heart. But Usagi’s simple, normal life changes forever when she meets a talking cat named Luna, who gives her a magical broach with which she can transform into Sailor Moon, Pretty Sailor Soldier of Love and Justice. With the help of Luna, Usagi must find the other Sailor Soldiers, a mysterious princess, and a powerful stone known as the Silver Crystal in order to defeat an ancient, evil enemy. The enemy is also searching for the Silver Crystal, however, and if it falls into their hands the world as they know it could end, the planet covered in shadow. Also playing a role in the fierce battle of good and evil is Tuxedo Mask, a masked man with hidden intentions – but just who is he, friend or foe? Deep inside, Usagi hopes for him to be an ally, but forgotten pasts and hidden agendas could keep the two apart.

W Juliet by Emura – W Juliet is about the friendship between a 16 year-old tomboy named Ito Miura, and Makoto Amano, a mysterious ladylike transfer student that turns out to be a boy. The contrasts between their personalities, and their common dream (“To be an actor!”) make them almost instant friends.  Makoto’s father has declared that the only way Makato can pursue this dream is to spend the last two years of high school pretending to be a girl.  Now Ito and Makoto just have to keep Makoto’s real identity a secret, but no one’s going to make it easy for them.

Fushigi Yugi by Yuu Watase – While visiting the National Library, junior-high students Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo are transported into the world of a mysterious book set in ancient China, “The Universe of The Four Gods.” Miaka suddenly finds herself with the responsibility of being the priestess of Suzaku, and must find all of her celestial warriors for the purpose of summoning Suzaku for three wishes. However, the enemy nation of the god Seiryuu has manipulated Yui into becoming the priestess of Seiryuu. As enemies, the former best friends begin their long struggle to summon their respective gods and obtain their wishes.

Ceres: The Celestial Legend by Yuu Watase – Aya and her twin brother Aki thought they were going to a celebration of their sixteenth birthday at their grandfather’s home, but the funeral-like atmosphere tips them off that something’s not right. Their “birthday present” turns out to be a mummified hand–the power of which forces an awakening within Aya, and painful wounds all over Aki’s body! Grandfather Mikage announces that Aki will be heir to the Mikage fortune, and Aya must die!  But Aya has allies in the athletic cook and martial artist Yûhi, and the attractive, mysterious Tôya. But can even two handsome and resourceful guys save Aya when it’s her own power that’s out of control?

Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori – Haruhi is a poor tomboyish student at a school for the ultra-wealthy, able to attend because of a scholarship, and unable to even afford a uniform. One day, she stumbles across the decidedly peculiar but very popular Ouran Host Club. She tries to leave, but accidentally breaks a vase, and unable to pay for it, she’s told that she’ll have to stay and do odd jobs. That is, until they decide she would be more valuable as a club member. Not realizing she’s female due to her appearance, they fix her up and give her a male uniform. She’s an instant hit, so they decide to have her keep up the charade even after they find out the truth. Haruhi, being average almost to a fault, doesn’t know what to make of the unconventional activities of the Host Club (or of the even more unconventional members), but having little choice, she plays along. Before long, real bonds are formed, friends made, and Haruhi finds herself accepted in a way she could never have been otherwise in this affluent school.

Nana by Ai Yazawa – Nana Komatsu is a flaky young woman who’s just emerged from an emotionally devastating affair with an older, married man. She dreams of a perfect romantic love, like in the movies, but her best friend, Junko, counsels her that it might be time to try being friends with a guy instead of just falling in love with him. So when she meets Shoji, Nana is determined to be completely platonic, despite Shoji’s interest. Meanwhile, Nana Osaki, a high school dropout, is rocking onstage as lead singer of a punk band and offstage with the band’s guitarist, Ren. When Ren alone is offered a recording contract, Nana decides not to go to Tokyo with him. She wants to prove to herself that she can be a star without Ren. Both Nanas find their way to Tokyo where, even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends.

Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino – Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, there to protect the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires.  Yuki’s earliest memory is of a stormy night in winter when she was attacked by a vampire and then rescued by another. Now 10 years later, Yuki has grown up and become a guardian of the vampire race, protecting her savior, Kaname, from discovery as he leads a group of vampires at the elite boarding school. But also at her side is Zero Kiryu, a childhood friend who’s hatred for the creatures that destroyed everything he held dear, is now determined never to trust them. This coexisting arrangement seems all well and good, but have the vampires truly renounced their murderous ways, or is there a darker truth behind their actions. Is Kaname’s infatuation with Yuki the beginning of a forbidden romance, or is it something in her forgotten past that draws him to her? Because in this world of secrets, nothing is as it seems. And the price of misplaced trust may even be worse than death.

Skip Beat by Yoshiko Nakamura – Kyoko Mogami lived solely for her childhood friend Shoutaro “Sho” Fuwa. She follows Sho to Tokyo so that he may realize his dream of becoming a famous singer. When his dream is realized, Kyoko overhears the truth behind his decision to bringing her with him: he was using her as a maid.  Shocked and enraged, Kyoko swears to take revenge by outdoing him in show business. With a new look and a new attitude, she joins LME, the agency where Ren Tsuruga (Sho’s rival and the #1 actor of LME) works, in the hopes of achieving her goal of destroying Sho’s pride.  Along the way, she discovers her true self, makes new friends (and enemies), and finds herself at the heart of some interesting situations that will change her life, and the lives of all others involved, forever.

Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya – The son of a famous pianist, music student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor like his mentor. Unfortunately, his fear of flying grounds his lofty plans! As he watches other classmates achieve what he has always wanted, Shinichi wonders if he should quit music altogether.   Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda, also known as Nodame. This oddball girl cannot cook, clean, or even read a music score, but she can play the piano in incomparable Cantabile style. And she teaches Chiaki something that he has forgotten: to enjoy his music, no matter where he is.

E. S.