Every teacher has a curriculum to follow and for a school librarian, it’s called information literacy. Simply put, we work not only to develop a lifelong love of reading, but how to locate, access, organize and present information.

As teachers begin to plan special projects to celebrate Black History Month, a visit to the school media center can result in a wonderful collaboration that will help students increase their technology skills while they dig deep into history.

Thanks, Edi! What books, web sites, and other resources do you use in your library, classroom, and/or home to make this month more meaningful? Please share in the comments below.

In a few days, a variety of events for adults and children will commemorate Martin Luther King Day around the country. We will celebrate the accomplishments of this minister and civil rights leader, honor his commitment to nonviolent action, and, for many of us, follow his lead with a Day of Service to our communities. But while we think about this great man, we should also think about the millions of ordinary people—many of them young people—who also risked their lives and livelihoods to make real the vision that they and Dr. King shared.

Phillip Hoose’s Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009), won the National Book Award in the Literature for Young People category this year. Hoose profiles the working-class Montgomery, Alabama, teenager who refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus nine months before Rosa Parks’s act of civil disobedience initiated the year-long boycott. Although Colvin was considered and then rejected as a symbol of resistance, her actions helped convinced Parks, the local NAACP secretary, to resist, as the adults in the community felt they could no longer remain on the sidelines while teenagers were risking their lives.

Three years before the publication of Hoose’s award-winning book, Amy Nathan found out that a New Jersey fifth grader, Krystal Hargrave, had interviewed her great-aunt, Sarah Keys Evans, about Aunt Sarah’s efforts to integrate interstate buses in 1952. In Take a Seat—Make a Stand: A Hero in the Family (iUniverse, 2006), Nathan uses Krystal’s school project, as well as the family pictures that accompanied it, to frame the story of Sarah Keys Evans. On leave from the army in New Jersey, Private Keys was en route to her parents’ house in North Carolina when she fell asleep on the bus, only to be awakened by policemen arresting her upon the bus’s crossing the Mason-Dixon Line. Outraged by this accidental encounter with Jim Crow segregation, Keys found a young African-American lawyer, Dovey Rountree, who took the case all the way to the Interstate Commerce Commission, which in 1955 prohibited racial segregation on all interstate buses and trains. While waiting for the verdict, Keys had the support of her friends in the Army. How could someone be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the country, they asked, but be treated as a second-class citizen because of the color of her skin?

After more than a decade of slow progress in civil rights, many African Americans began to question Dr. King’s strategy of nonviolent activism. This was particularly true of young people in the 1960s, and Kekla Magoon’s 2009 novel The Rock and the River (Simon & Schuster) captures the generational divisions that emerged in the movement’s second decade. The novel goes beyond the simple nonviolence vs. violence dichotomy of public perception to Black Nationalism as a self-help movement with deep historic roots and that, in altered form, continues to the present day.

Without the passion of Claudette Colvin, Sarah Keys Evans, and the fictional teens of The Rock and the River, leaders like Dr. King and Mrs. Parks would not have had the encouragement and support to do what they did to make the United States a more equal and just nation.

Books on Young Activists in the Civil Rights Movement

Winner of the 2009 National Book Award, Hoose’s memoir/biography tells the story—in part in her own words—of 15-year-old Colvin’s refusal to move to the back of the bus and how her resistance contributed to Rosa Parks’s act of civil disobedience that touched off the 1955-56 Montgomery Bus Boycott.

The son of a prominent civil rights activist, 13-year-old Sam Childs is torn between his father’s commitment to nonviolent action and his older brother’s growing involvement with the Black Panthers in Chicago in 1968; this debut novel portrays the evolution of the civil rights struggle into Black Nationalism.

A New Jersey fifth grader discovers that her great-aunt played a major role in the desegregation of interstate buses in the early 1950s, and Nathan’s follow-up research documents the achievements of the youngster’s Aunt Sarah, Women’s Army Corps private Sarah Keys Evans.

Partridge describes the involvement of several children and teenagers in the 1965 civil rights marches in Selma, Alabama, including Bloody Sunday and the five-day march from Selma to Montgomery led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Three girls, ranging from seven to eleven years old, travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, where their estranged mother is now a Black Panther who enrolls them in a summer camp that teaches them pride, self-reliance—and revolution.

Thank you!

A few book lovers share their favourite ways to carve out a ‘circle of quiet’:

Now, my favorite place is wherever I happen to be. More often or not that’s my bed and the few minutes I have to read before I call it a night. When I was a kid, though, there was a tree across the brook from where I lived that was one of those Yggdrasil-like trees. A massive tree, a world tree. Underneath it’s boughs, that nearly touched the ground, the earth slowly sloped downward to the base of the tree. The incline was a perfect place to lie in the shade and read. The tree is long gone–replaced by an up-scale housing development. How can you uproot and destroy a “World Tree”?

-Bill Buschel, author, storyteller, radio host

I curl up on a couch beneath a sunny window in my office. I turn on mood music, Pat Metheny for instance, sip a cup of raspberry ginger tea and block out the world while I dip into a good mystery.

-Christine Taylor-Butler, SACRED MOUNTAIN: EVEREST

My apartment is my favorite quiet place, and there’s nothing more indulgent than taking a day off from the world–no phone, no TV, no stereo, no words except the ones on the page. I haven’t completely shaken off my colonial heritage, so retreating into a book means reading something I loved as a child…probably The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I bought an illustrated edition not long ago, and still enjoy the story, even with its problematic imperialist and elitist undertones. A cup of tea and something sweet (cookies, cake, or pie) make the indulgence complete!

-Zetta Elliott, A WISH BEFORE MIDNIGHT

I like to curl up in bed with a novel and get totally lost in it until “The End.” I can read an entire day away like this. It’s a mini-vacation. When I’m done, I’m renewed.

-M. LaVora Perry, TEACHER, STUDENT, PEACEBUILDERS: Daisaku Ikeda & Josei Toda, Buddhist Leaders (March 2010, FortuneChild)

I have a small loft that’s perfect in the winter for reading. It’s cozy with soft pillows and great lighting and if I need to lie down I just arrange the cushions and pull up a light blankie. In the summer it’s definitely my hammock. Can’t beat swinging under the trees next to a pond with a fountain. I just drift off when my eyelids drift down…

When I go for the relaxing reading, it can be something as beautiful as David Wiesner’s PB’s. Or I might dive back into Tolkien. I’ve read that to my kids so many times that I can open to almost any chapter and start. Very nice. Very much like visiting an old friend.

I’m a yoga person. Anytime I need to get away that’s all I have to do. Some breathing. Some sun salutations. I’m somewhere else.

-C.Lee McKenzie, SLIDING ON THE EDGE

My favorite place to curl up with a book is my room or anywhere with comfortable seats or sofas.

Water is a great drink to have with a book as is hot chocolate (in the winter) and sweet tea or lemonade (in the spring/summer). I don’t like to eat when I read, but drinking something always helps me get more comfortable. I especially love the cold months when I sip hot chocolate while reading a book in front of a roaring fire!

When I want to re-read something I usually re-read the del Rio Bay Clique novels by Paula Chase, the Drama High sereis by L.Divine, It Chicks series by Tia Williams, A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott, Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon, the Absolutely True-Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher and the Hotlanta series by Denne Millner and Mitzi Miller. Uusally when I re-read to relax I go for lighter, chick lit, funny YA books.

-Ari, Reading in Color

I enjoy reading on my couch. Usually with the music on. I love realistic fiction, mysteries, sports and stories that can make me think or laugh.

I read a lot of wonderful books this year, that I was able to fully lose myself in. Here are a few: Sammy & Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X Stork, The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott, Ruined by Paula Morris, Liar by Justine Larbalestier. Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda, Sylvie and The Songman by Tim Binding. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.

My drink of choice is hot tea. It’s not so much food but snacks like cookies.

-Doret is an avid reader, bookseller and blogger.

Literary Agent and Author Regina Brooks

Regina Brooks is a true Renaissance Woman. She is an author, the founder and President of Serendipity Literary Agency, and in addition to her careers in publishing, she’s worked as an aerospace engineer for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, and made history as the first African American woman to receive a Bachelors of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Ohio State University. Brooks is also the Executive Director of the Y. B. Literary Foundation, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the reading of literature as a meaningful, lifelong activity and transformative experience for youth. Ms. Brooks, has edited over 50 published books, and her latest work is WRITING GREAT BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS. This month, she shares what she enjoys most about the book biz.

Collaboration At Its Best

They say that the best problem solving and development happens in a group setting. Publishing is a breeding ground for social interaction. When I think about the number of people involved in the development of a book before consumers see it in the bookstore, its incredible. Whether it’s the researchers, the editors, the publicists, the marketers, the sales people, designers, photographers, manufacturers, or agents, we all share a collective responsibility towards making each book work. I love being a part of a team of people all working towards a similar goal.

Helping to Give Birth to Ideas

When people hear that I’m in the book business, either they have a book idea, or their mother, cousin, sister or brother. Everyone has a story or idea that they would love to share with someone. And while not every idea is publishable or book worthy, I find joy in helping writers give birth to deserving projects. It is very satisfying when Im allowed to put my “touch” and perspective on a brand new book.

Reading Skills Revolutionized

This business forces you to read and understand written information quicker than one would ever think possible. I’ve learned to be more discriminating about the information I take in .To think in some weeks I can average 200 queries. I love that I’ve been able to master large volumes of information so fast.

Curiosity that leads to Discoveries

I’ve always been of the curious sort. Oh, whose doing that? What are they talking about? Innovation? What if? The publishing business rewards those that experience the emotional rush that comes with exploring, investigating, and discovery. The most successful non fiction books are those that break new ground, those ideas that are a step ahead. Book people find out the subject matter that people want to know before they even know they want to know it.

Unmistakable magic

Every book represents a journey into an authors enchanted imagination. And with each book a diverse range of subjects and styles are all expressed distinctively. I can’t help but get excited by the unmistakable magic that I experience when I’m allowed on the voyage.

Thank you, Regina! WRITING GREAT BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS is out now.

“Of course, in SHINE, I was focused on the issue of post-9/11 discrimination against anyone who was perceived to be Arab, Muslim, or Middle Eastern, but that was an issue I was quite familiar with and had seen around. An issue I was not used to seeing, and that was utterly new to *me* was explored in ALL RIVERS FLOW TO THE SEA by Alison McGhee. It’s a lovely, heart-breakingly beautiful novel about the death of a sibling, a mother having to let go, and a family moving forward. It is definitely one of those “quieter” YAs, but one that has left a lasting, indelible imprint on me.”

–Neesha Meminger, SHINE, COCONUT MOON (McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, March ’09)

“THE OUTSIDERS was the first book I read that reflected my neighborhood. I couldn’t relate to fresh-scrubbed, fictional suburbias. It was such a relief to open a book and find the kids I knew. The ones who had to couch-surf to get away from abusive parents; the ones who knew if you had to shut off a utility, electricity was the one to keep. And that’s the world I chose for my first novel- always hoping that perhaps my book would be relief for someone else. There’s power in knowing you’re not alone.”

–Saundra Mitchell, SHADOWED SUMMER (Delacorte, February 2009)

“Prior to reading THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB series by Ann M. Martin, I had never heard of diabetes. In the third book, The Truth About Stacey, the main character struggles as she tries to both control and conceal her condition. In first-person narrative, she describes her treatment and her symptoms. She was often thirsty. Uh-oh. So was I! I momentarily wondered if I too had diabetes. I went to my mother and asked her. She told me I did not have diabetes. I was relieved. I drank some fruit juice.

I read more about diabetes in this book and checked out some fact-based articles about it. I had learned something new and developed a sympathy for those walking in Stacey’s shoes.

I devoured all of Ann M. Martin’s novels, including the single titles that were not related to her famous series. One such novel, WITH YOU AND WITHOUT YOU, detailed the illness and loss of a parent. The title is wholly accurate, as the story shows life for the family before and after the father gets ill, and how their lives change throughout the struggle and after he succumbs to the disease. As the Mouse said in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, “Mine is a long and a sad tale!” Yes, it was sad, but it made me feel for people I knew who had lost family members while also making me appreciate my family’s health and our close ties.”

–Little Willow, bookseller, writer, web designer

“…For me one of those books was ANNE FRANK: DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL. I don’t think it was about suddenly realizing the Holocaust was a terrible thing — I already knew that. But Anne was a real kid, and I felt like I knew her and lost a friend. That made the Holocaust become something more than a historical fact for me. It became immediate and real and horrifying.”

–Kurtis Scaletta, MUDVILLE (Knopf, February 2009)

“A SHELTER IN OUR CAR (Children’s Book Press, 2004) by Monica Gunning, illustrated by Elaine Pedlar, is such a powerful book. It takes you inside the life of a child named Zettie and her mother who live in their car and try to make do. As it explored Zettie’s fear and sadness, it made me think about the many homeless children who long for a safe place to live. The story ends on a hopeful note, but sadly, for too many kids there is no happy ending. I chose that book as the Thanksgiving selection for a girls book club I lead. So often, we take having a home for granted. But this book makes you remember to give thanks for every blessing and reach out to help those in need.”

–Kelly Starling Lyons, ONE MILLION MEN AND ME, (Just Us Books, 2007)

“Two current favorite children books: A COOL MOONLIGHT by Angela Johnson. I love this book for the magic and tenderness of it. What could have been a sad story instead is one about acceptance and joy. FEATHERS by Jacqueline Woodson. Love this for the perceptions of children, for their humanness. Children are not pure innocents. They are complex beings capable of greater understanding and insight than we give them credit for.”

–Susan, Color Online reviews and discourse on books, culture, and literacy of/for women writers of color

For more on children’s lit and issues, check out Susan’s Unofficial List of Great YA by or About Women of Color, Little Willow’s articles on gender bias, and her full article, Books That Opened Your Eyes.

What book changed your perspective, or get you thinking about something in a new or different way? Did it confirm beliefs or ideas that you’d already had? What made it effective? Did you take any action (large or small) as a result of reading the book? Share in the comments below.

“I love all the DEL RIO BAY CLIQUE Books by Paula Chase Hyman…Paula does such a good job of describing high school life, Del Rio Bay could have easily been my high school. Her characters are so believable, I have friends a lot like all the members of the Clique. The book is funny and it teaches lessons, but it’s not preachy. You don’t even realize right away that you learned something, you just think: I loved this book/series!

SKIN I’M IN by Sharon G. Flake is a really good MG read. It’s sad and powerful. Deals with bullies and being ashamed of one’s skin (especially the issue of people wishing they were lighter, which is a story that needs to be told).

- Ari, book reviewer and blogger at READING IN COLOR

“When I was a child my favorite “school story” was actually a movie. The Trouble With Angels starring Hayley Mills. I was fascinated by the concept of a girl – a fish out of water – attending a boarding school and discovering that surface appearances didn’t tell the whole story. That and the fact that she had a best friend/partner in crime with which to terrorize the nuns and the Mother Superior. But what stuck with me was the ending – that the defiant, rebel rousing main character blossomed and came into her own and made a decision to join the Novitiate after graduation. I didn’t see it coming and because I didn’t, it made the ending more powerful. I was ready to sign up right then and there – and I wasn’t even Catholic.

Little did I know that years later, I’d be enrolled at Phillips Exeter Academy – a New England boarding school filled with similar adventures, two partners in crime and students from all over the world. I pulled equally wacky stunts, managed to avoid the usual punitive consequences, and had a blast – much to the consternation of the administration. In the end – I left a bit more mature than I went in and it has stuck with me all those years. Those years cemented my love of reading and writing. How could it not? Its graduates include Dan Brown, John Irving, Gore Vidal and Peter Benchley to name a few. I relived those memories when my daughter attended a summer program there last year. The smells, the joys, and the realization that if I had it to do all over again – I’d do it in a heartbeat. Only I’d be more like my daughter. She followed the rules meticulously and wreaked much less chaos as a result! Or maybe not – being the villain is a lot more fun!”

-Christine Taylor-Butler, author of SACRED MOUNTAIN, EVEREST

Do you have a longtime or recent ‘school story’ favourite? Was there one that had a huge impact on your life? I’m always looking for a good one — recommend it in the comments below.

“I can’t think about THE BOOK OF SALT by Monique Truong without thinking of omelets and butter.”
Shadra Strickland, BIRD

“If I’m being *good*, baby carrots and green tea.”
Denise Jaden, LOSING FAITH

“Sliding on the Edge definitely has a creative-snacky connection. How does “Ketsup soup” sound as a main course? Yum.”
C. Lee McKenzie, SLIDING ON THE EDGE

“I eat handfuls of frozen mini-peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s during SEA edits and JADE draft(s)… Oh and TONS of Lattes. Is that a food group?”
Verdict: I’m on a diet!
Heidi R. Kling, SEA

“One of the comic touches in MUDVILLE is that the dad is a horrible cook who concocts things like spam manicotti, chili dog pie, and green bean chili. The week my book was released, to celebrate, my wife treated my to nothing but meals featured in the book.”
Kurtis Scaletta, MUDVILLE

“I love to snack on ginger candies or sugared tamarind candy. Oh, and the old favorite, chocolate. ”
Karen Kincy, OTHER

“In my desk drawer, I have a stash of candy cigarettes, blow pops, candy necklaces, peppermint patties, and caramel cremes. Great for getting in touch with my inner child. A fun food read is CANDY FREAK by Steve Almond. Make sure you run to your local candy store and buy the candy bars he writes about. Fun to eat and read!”

Anna M. Lewis, award-winning toy inventor working on several projects in toy and publishing land.

“A large mug of Earl Grey tea with milk and at least three dark chocolate kisses. Such sensory overload is inspiring and gives me a little jolt.
If I’m being good, green tea (cold) with honey, please.”
Amy Brecount White, FORGET HER NOTS

“Assorted nuts and trail mixes keep me going on a slow writing day”.
Guadalupe Garcia McCall, A MESQUITE IN THE ROSE GARDEN

“An earthy chewy tortilla filled with warm honey and soothing butter!”
Jennifer Cervantes, TORTILLA SUN

“I’m going to face my shame and misery and admit it: cheesy gordita crunch, and Mountain Dew.
I know. What can I say? Sometimes I bike to the Taco Bell. That’s gotta be good, right?”
Steve Brezenoff, THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1

Where do you make book/food connections? Share your favourites in the comments below!

Last month, Matt de la Pena and Filmmaker Brin Hill allowed us a glimpse into the process of taking de la Pena’s BALL DON’T LIE from page to screen. In Part 2, we find out what the collaborators think makes an adaptation great, how this filmmaking process has changed they way they think and work, and what this talented pair want to give YOU — so read on, and enjoy!

What’s going on with BDL now? Now that the film has been made — what’s worked, what’s been difficult or challenging, and what have you learned?

BRIN::The film is now releasing in the fall instead of the top of the summer because several new dynamic promotional opportunities presented themselves to us and we wanted the time to maximize each of them. One of these is the chance to visit high schools. Matt and I went on a tour of Los Angeles public schools in May to talk about writing and directing and found this to be an amazing way to interface with our core, taste-making audience directly. We guest-taught classes on the process of adapting the book to the screen and spoke to a couple thousand kids over the course of a week. With Matt’s latest book, WE WERE HERE, dropping in the fall and Matt hitting the road to promote it, we realized that this is an amazing opportunity for kids to meet Matt, read his latest book, and then perhaps discover BALL DON’T LIE as well. We’ve been blessed with the passion and zeal that librarians and educators have for BALL DON’T LIE and their collective desire for students to embrace it. With movie studios spending more and more money on fewer and fewer titles, this passion from fans of the book, basketball fans in general, and those who think our film is important from a social perspective, has really helped us dig an awareness trench into the morass of the big-budgeted film and book promotions that dominate.

MATT: I’m a little surprised BALL DON’T LIE the novel is still alive and kicking almost four years after its pub date. I believe this is the advantage of the YA market. I’ve heard so many horror stories about quality adult novels, that for whatever reason don’t get a whole lot of publicity, disappearing from bookstore shelves within months of publication. Debut literary adult novels can have a real short shelf life unless they win awards.. From what I’ve learned, adult novels are all about the buzz generated around the pub date. If there’s no buzz, the book is abandoned by the publisher (unless it’s a heavy-hitting author). Literary YA novels, on the other hand, aren’t so dependent on pub date buzz. Publishers allow for a slower build. The institutional market (schools and libraries) play a pivotal role in the book’s success. BDL is still doing well because so many libraries have purchased copies. And since the publication of the paperback last year, a bunch of high school and college English instructors are buying class sets to teach (which is so cool!). I’m in no way saying BDL is flirting with any bestselling lists, but it’s still alive, it’s still in people’s hands, Random House is still pushing it, and I’m not sure if an author could ask for anything more. And now that the movie version is coming out . . . who knows? Maybe even more people will seek out the book. Random House is really trying to take advantage of the momentum.

What are some of your favourite book-to-film projects, and what makes them work?

MATT: Man, I might need to lean on Brin for this question. I haven’t seen enough movies. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM comes to mind. I love Hubert Selby Jr. and the film was as gritty and dark as the novel. I loved it. I kind of liked NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN in both mediums. The novel is really striped down (I heard McCarthy wrote it as a screenplay first) so it plays great as a film. There was one glaring omission – a long conversation between the protagonist and the girl hitchhiker he picks up just before the end. I loved this scene in the book because we finally get to know the character, right before he’s taken away from us. But I don’t think there was time in the film. It was still really strong, though. Why do I have this feeling Brin is rolling his eyes at my cinematic ignorance. He’s probably going to site some obscure French adaptation from the 1940’s. I need to watch more films. Can somebody make me a list? I’ll drop every title right into my Netflix cue, I promise!

BRIN: Oddly, my favorite adaptation is not an obscure French novel turned into French film, but is a classic – To Kill A Mockingbird. Gregory Peck’s version of Atticus Finch is simply one of the best performances of the 20th Century. The dignity of that film and book is something that I really admire. Simple, elegant, intelligent storytelling – sometimes that’s all we want/need. Robert Mulligan is one of those directors that always put you in solid hands that folks never really talk about. Check out The Nickel Ride, Summer of ’42 and The Great Impostor. Fear Strikes Out is one of the better baseball films of all time as well – also based on a book. The Elmer Bernstein scores in both FEAR STRIKES OUT and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD are brilliant as well. On a completely different note, I absolutely love OUT OF SIGHT. Soderbergh captured the spirit of Elmore Leonard so well in that film. The pace, the heat, the humor is all spot on. One other that I really like is CLOCKERS – just like how different the styles of the book and film are. I love Richard Price’s ear for the real and I love how Spike Lee told that story. I think it’s one of Spike’s more underrated films – there’s such a wonderful use of Brooklyn, of the camera and of music in that film. It’s by far the best adaptation of Price that I’ve seen. Someone should adapt LUSH LIFE – could be a really subversive film.

Matt, In the earlier interview, you said “I’m not sure how much of what I was writing even shouted “book!” while I was writing the initial draft. This was my first novel and I was suffering from a serious case of “impostor syndrome.” Who was I to think I could write an entire novel? And a novel that actually sold? Crazy talk. Luckily the obsessive part of me beat out the skeptical part and after about a year I had the makings of an actual book. Of course, it wasn’t until the revision stage that I figure out what the book was actually about.” How have those feelings changed (or not) now that your 3rd book is about to be published? And you mentioned that you ‘got’ the book in revision — did you discover that the book was “about” anything else during the filmmaking process? Have there been reactions to the book and film that have struck or surprised you?

MATT: I believe in myself a little more, yes. And I guess I have more tools in the toolbox. But it still shocks me whenever somebody writes an email to tell me they’ve read one of my books. It’s probably because as a novelist you spend so much time alone in a room, without human contact, without affection, devastatingly lonely. You almost forget that you’re writing something that hopefully actual people will want to check out. But I have a theory about myself. I’m best when I don’t think about big ticket stuff like readers and sales and reviews and awards and marriage (yes, commitment is freaky, too). I’m best when I see things in tiny pieces. Okay, today I’m going to have character A talk to character B on the Venice pier and then something’s gonna happen. Hmmm, what should happen? Something. Making a film is a totally different deal (from what I observed). Brin was talking to people all the time. I bet he’s grown tired of people.

I have another theory. The reason most authors refuse to discuss the theme of their own book is because they’re unwilling to articulate their simple-minded vision. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to a school and some student has raised her hand and rattled off some brilliant take on what my book is “about.” I’m always like, “Yeah, you guys all hear that. My book’s really about, you know, what she said.” But you do have your own ideas. I usually zero in on what the heck I’m trying to do after I’m done with the first draft of a book. The movie was a totally different experience for me. I got to see Brin visually render HIS take on what the story “means.” Like I said last time around, there’s a quick montage scene where you see Sticky in front of every single foster house he’s stayed at during the story that blows me away. Brin visually captured (in about five seconds) what I was trying to say before I even wrote the first line. It’s the reason I chose this character and story in the first place.

Brin, you said “For me, this source material was an opportunity to go home and make an honest film – a film about an LA and a character that normally doesn’t get told. That opportunity absolutely excited me.” and later “One major hurdle was taking a character that is so abused by the system that he spins inside himself and lives in an extremely internal manner…We gambled on the notion that the ills Sticky’s suffered, the difficult system he endured, and getting to see him overcome some of those woes would allow us to win the audience over and buy some time with a character that kind of lives in a turtle’s shell. I’m always pleasantly surprised and pleased when the audience vocally roots for Sticky in a harrowing scene toward the end of the film.” Can you elaborate on the techniques and details that you used to externalize such an internal story? What did you do to evoke such a particular mood? What elements of the novel’s setting/sense of place were essential to you and how did you translate them to the screen?

BRIN:: With Sticky being so inside his own head, both rooted in the painful memories of his past and in an inability to control those memories and therefore try to control things through OCD-like behavior, we elected to approach the memories that plague him with dynamic visual choices that could help peel back the layers of his past. In the first minute of the film, we see inside his brain, giving the audience a glimpse of a guarded secret and we know instantly that he spends a lot of time working on keeping these memories locked away. We then assigned different colors and grain to define where we are in his timeline. The further recessed the memory and the more painful it is, the more grain it has – it’s almost like he’s sorting through home movies, only they are home movies in his mind. This also helps us set a visual mood both for happy and somber memories because it allows us to play with colors that helped to evoke some of those ideas. We also used a technique called a 45˚ shutter that is often seen in sports and/or war films that gives action a jittery look to accent Sticky’s struggle with his OCD-like behavior. We wanted the audience to experience some sense of the frustration and discomfort that he has with it.

The essential elements of the book that I know I needed in the film to capture the authenticity of time and place were first and foremost, the guys in the gym. Casting was paramount to this. While many of the faces in Lincoln Rec are recognizable, I think they do an amazing job of feeling real and blending in with their performances. Secondly, I know I needed to capture the beach in a real way. So all the locations that I imagined in reading the book were the locations we shot: The overpass across PCH, the tunnel, the lifeguard stations, the pier, Surf liquor store, the Venice graffiti wall, and the Venice Beach Courts. Lastly, I knew we needed a sense of Lincoln Blvd being the artery that pumps life behind the different sides of Venice. That is a sub-current in Matt’s book that I believe he doesn’t even realize he created, but is so honest to Venice. Lincoln is that city’s lifeblood and I knew I wanted the audience to feel it without drawing attention to it.

How has this project changed the way that you work?

MATT: Whenever I brainstorm book ideas these days, I always make sure to include a female character in her mid twenties so Dania Ramirez can play the role in the movie version and I can be on set on the days she shoots and hopefully work up the courage to ask her to marry me this time (when it comes to her it’s not so freaky). During the filming of BDL I was too shy to even speak to her. I get so bummed just thinking about it. Man.

I also try to keep my writing as visual as possible. Not because I dream of everything ending up on the big screen. I just think it keeps you in the mindset of showing rather than telling. And I love visual scene writing. I like watching characters and listening to them talk.

BRIN:: BALL DON’T LIE has really made me a better editor. I find that I edit myself more now in treatment form than I did before this project. I ask myself: Do I really need this scene or will it just end up eating valuable shoot time and then exist only on the deleted scenes of the DVD? We had so much fat that I thought we needed because I loved the book so much that we have a whole other movie twice as long sitting in the vault. That’s a really important lesson in doing anything creative – don’t be precious. BALL DON’T LIE taught me a lot of things about filmmaking, but that was the most important lesson I learned.

And, yes, writing roles for great actors like Dania Ramirez is important, Matt.

And now, the goodies for three lucky readers! Our grand prize winner will receive a signed ARC of Matt’s latest novel, WE WERE HERE, along with signed copies of MEXICAN WHITEBOY and BALL DON’T LIE, plus a BALL DON’T LIE t-shirt. Five more winners will receive a BALL DON’T LIE t-shirt. (All shirts in size L or XL.). Leave a comment on this entry by JULY 17; winners will be selected at random. (U.S./Canadian winners only, must be at least 16 years of age.)

What were the elements of the story that shouted “film!” to you?

BRIN: Honestly, the first chapter of the book spoke to me. It offered a prose depiction of basketball that was so honest, so raw, and felt so much like the gyms I grew up playing ball in that I instantly connected with the voice. Then I kept reading and sparked to the way the layers were peeled back on Sticky’s story. Then I read some more and found an authentic version of the Santa Monica and Venice, CA that I grew up in… For me, this source material was an opportunity to go home and make an honest film – a film about an LA and a character that normally doesn’t get told. That opportunity absolutely excited me.

MATT: I’m not sure how much of what I was writing even shouted “book!” while I was writing the initial draft. This was my first novel and I was suffering from a serious case of “impostor syndrome.” Who was I to think I could write an entire novel? And a novel that actually sold? Crazy talk. Luckily the obsessive part of me beat out the skeptical part and after about a year I had the makings of an actual book. Of course, it wasn’t until the revision stage that I figure out what the book was actually about.

I’ve always loved visual fiction. Novels driven by scene. My main character, Sticky, is very external. Throughout ninety percent of the novel he is actively NOT internalizing events from his past. He’s a reactionary character. Because of this, much of the character development is driven by what he does as opposed to what he thinks. So that part was easily translated into script form. Also, the basketball scenes were very active. Pick up hoops in Lincoln Rec, as well as the big playoff game in the middle of the book. Early in the process, Brin described what he wanted to do with the basketball scenes, and that really excited me. There’s only so much you can do in fiction. I went to odd figurative language, short choppy sentences, syncopated rhythms. But Grayson brought it all to life in the movie version.

But truth be told, I had no idea this was worthy of adaptation until Brin said he was going to make it happen.

What were some of the immediate challenges and surprises in creating the screenplay?

MATT: The biggest challenge for both of us was the structure of the novel, which is non-linear. The present tense element of the story takes place in just one day. But the novel moves back in time as well. Half of the literal space is dedicated to flashback (which I tell my writing students is a big no-no). As a novelist I wanted to explore all of the foster families that had taken Sticky in only to ultimately give him back. For me, this is what the novel is about first and foremost. In a traditional film we probably would have scrapped the foster system and built up the hoop action. But (thank God!) Brin was also interested in Sticky’s rough background.

The coolest surprise for me was the way we were able to move through time. I love some of the transitions in the film version. I think Brin did an amazing job keeping the audience grounded. And one of the biggest highlights of the film is Brin’s strategy of showing Sticky in front of every single foster house at the end of the film. That’s when it really hits home what a crazy and sad journey Sticky’s been on just to get to present day.

BRIN: One major hurdle was taking a character that is so abused by the system that he spins inside himself and lives in an extremely internal manner. His external reaction occurs pretty much on the court and he becomes a classic active character only when backed into a corner and forced to react. But what would normally be seen as a flaw became quite useful in our story arch because when he does finally take matters into his own hands late in the film, it has an unbelievably wonderful impact on the audience. We gambled on the notion that the ills Sticky’s suffered, the difficult system he endured, and getting to see him overcome some of those woes would allow us to win the audience over and buy some time with a character that kind of lives in a turtle’s shell. I’m always pleasantly surprised and pleased when the audience vocally roots for Sticky in a harrowing scene toward the end of the film.

What remained consistent about your vision for the film, and what had to change?

BRIN: I think the consistencies are in how authentic the basketball is and truthful the depiction of a normally unseen Santa Monica and Venice is. I also feel like Sticky’s overall arch and story is pretty consistent with where we started a few years back.

A lot changed from script to shoot to final film. For one, we had to cut a 3 ½ hour rough cut of the film down to a 1 hour 40 minute film, so a bunch of great scenes that we all loved hit the edit room floor. The one scene that we lost which comes straight to mind is a scene that originally made me believe that this could be a film – the scene is one where a street walker on Lincoln Blvd teaches Sticky how to kiss a woman’s hand. In writing the script, this scene felt like the moment when Sticky begins to realize that he can love again after all the ills bestowed on his character and starts to rethink how to define family. It’s a very important scene to the book. However, in structuring the film, it immediately became expendable.

Those are the lessons learned late in the adaptation process – don’t be too precious with the book – the book is one piece of art and the film should be seen as another piece of art merely trying to tell the same story in a completely new way.

MATT: I think the movie version of Sticky is incredibly true to the book version. We kept some of his monologues and placed them over basketball action. We remained very true to Sticky – which was really important to the story.

The biggest change was probably between Sticky and Anh-thu (his girlfriend). The end of their story is QUITE different. Right Brin? Brin . . . ?

BRIN: Oh… sorry, I was perusing through your new book WE WERE HERE – could be a good film… But, yes, sir. That is quite correct .

BALL DON’T LIE opens in select theatres June 5.

What book-to-film adaptations have you adored/abhorred? What questions do you have about the process? For the trailer and more about BALL DON’T LIE: The Book, The Film, and of course, The Legends, visit them all online. And check back next month for Part Two of the interview, including a fantastic giveaway!

No matter what area of the book business you work in, there are always opportunities to get schooled. Some of the lessons hurt, some of them are moments of joy — but we can learn something from them all.

“‘The call’ will never come when you are sitting by the phone in a nice quiet house. It will come on your cell in the middle of a crowded Target with two screaming kids hanging off the cart.”

-Cynthia Jaynes Omololu, WHEN IT’S SIX O’CLOCK IN SAN FRANCISCO, Clarion, July 2009

“When I first entered the field of children’s publishing, I thought royalties earned from a trade picture book contract would make me rich. I did, really. I was never very good with math, but I estimated the amount of money I’d earn based upon the number of book stores in every city, multiplied by the number of states in the country. Not to mention around the world. With my first royalty check, I planned to pay cash for a house and take my wife on a Hawaiian vacation. And since, I figured, my estimation was probably conservative, I also planned to down pay on a new car.

My first book published in 2000. You can almost guess what lesson I learned.

Write and illustrate for children because you love to do it.

-Don Tate, illustrator/author of over 25 books.

“The national debt pales in comparison to the number of lessons I’ve learned since I started this writing-publishing business. But one biggie is this: develop your web presence as soon as possible.”

-C. Lee McKenzie, SLIDING ON THE EDGE, WestSide Books, in stores now

“As poetry editor for Birmingham Arts Journal, I have to send out rejection notices to poets whose work we have chosen not to use. When I first started the job, I sent out the basic “your poem doesn’t meet our current needs.” But as I collected more and more author rejections of my own, I realized what a flat-out buzzkiller these type rejections are. So I carefully crafted another “form” rejection that’s nice and encouraging and appreciative of the author’s efforts, and I always sign it personally. Writers will sometimes send me back a quick note to say how much they appreciate the “keep at it” sentiment. Lesson learned: a bit of compassion only takes a little more time and it can really make a difference to a striving writer.

On the other side of the coin, I have also learned something about being an author from being an editor. Ours is a small magazine, and even my slush pile is towering. As much as I try to keep to the posted reading schedule, sometimes I fall behind. So when dealing with my editor at Putnam, I think about that stack of paper. I know hers is even taller, and the manuscripts so much longer. I wait patiently for her reply to my burning question, knowing that she is doing the very best she can.”

-Irene Latham, LEAVING GEE’S BEND,G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Spring 2010

“This is more a ‘lesson I am learning’…
Once your book is out there, you can’t control what happens, and you’ll drive yourself crazy if you try. A good book leaves room for interpretation which means that some people are go in directions you never imagined — or intentioned. Trying to accept this as a good thing is very hard for a control-freak like me.”

-Megan Frazer, SECRETS OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY, Disney-Hyperion, Summer 2009

“Though it can be easy to forget, agents and editors are readers of the same species as everyone else. Since I’m a very finicky reader myself, I know that just because they or I don’t like a book, that doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it.”

“It can be exciting to ride the submissions roller coaster, careening between requests and rejections, but in the end I much prefer sitting down and just writing. That’s what keeps me happy.”

-Karen Kincy, OTHER, Flux, 2010

I’m an author…and a community/tech college literature teacher. A lesson learned: Even if you adore a book, you can’t make others adore it. Some people will never love to read, no matter how hard you coax them. HOWEVER, you can move people closer to appreciation if you tailor your ‘book love’ to your audience. Every book has a kernel of truth for everyone.”

-Kirstin Cronn-Mills, THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME AND THE HILLS DON’T MIND, Flux, September 2009

“I learned a long time ago that authors can often get in the way of good story telling. Many start with agendas – or lessons they want to teach. They fight with their characters to keep them on a pre-planned path. And in the end, the story doesn’t ring true.

Get out of the way of your characters. They have a story that demands to be told and it isn’t always the one that you want. But it will often be the one that you need. The best storytelling comes from the hearts and minds of characters as real as the people around you! When I was brand spanking new, I complained that my character wouldn’t stay in the confines of a 32-page picture book. A more experienced author said “then let them speak!” And so it was with my latest nonfiction as well. I started out writing a typical cultural/geography book. Until I researched the topic and realized the true story was in the people and their struggle to reclaim a mountain that had belonged to them for hundreds of years. Let your characters SPEAK. You won’t regret it.”

Christine Taylor-Butler, SACRED MOUNTAIN: EVEREST, Lee and Low, April 2009

“I learned that you can’t be surprised or upset by all of the twists and turns you’ll encounter on your road to publication. Just when you think you’re on your way, something will come along that stalls you by the side of the road while other authors whiz past. Be thankful for people who genuinely want to help you get moving again and offer your own assistance to others. Try to enjoy the journey, keep your sense of humor, and don’t expect things to go smoothly. That way, when they do, it makes the ride all the more sweet!”

-Sara Bennett-Wealer, RIVAL, HarperTeen, 2010

One of the most fabulous lessons I’ve learned as an author is that the children’s book business includes such a supportive and loving community. Through conferences, meetups, friends, and workshops, to my lovely agent’s online community, to AACBWI, The 2009 Debutantes, and The Tenners, I’ve gotten to know some of the most awesome people around. And I’m blessed.

What about you? What are some of your favourite lessons learned in this business? Please do share in the comment section below.

“Of course this quote makes me think of all the heartbreaking, gripping novels I’ve read and reread. But it also reminds me of my recent reaction to a picture book: BIG PLANS, by Bob Shea, illustrated by Lane Smith. It is deeply, amazingly funny and joyous. It reminds me, YES, books — BOOKS! — books with 685 words — can make you smile and laugh out loud and call your friends to read lines aloud. I love that even when Shea’s jokes shoot slightly above the heads of the youngest readers, there’s still something there for them to love, even beyond Smith’s fantastic illustrations. There’s an irresistible rhythm, and an undercurrent of hilarity that makes me want to scream with joy.”
Audrey Vernick, author of SHE LOVED BASEBALL, (HarperCollins, Fall 2010), and IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN, (HarperCollins, Summer 2010)

“I first met Jacqueline Woodson’s character, Lonnie Collins Motion, in her award-winning book, LOCOMOTION. From the first page, Lonnie had a vulnerability and sincerity that touched me. His story, told through poems, revealed such tough realities — the tragic loss of his parents, separation from his sister. Yet as Lonnie explored and embraced his poetic voice, hope bloomed too.
In PEACE, LOCOMOTION…the letters Lonnie writes Lili form the narrative of the story and become an emotional hook. Some of Lonnie’s letters are reflective and heart-searing. Others are full of joy and hope. It’s Lonnie’s vulnerability — and faith — that grabbed me in this book too. Woodson lets us see inside Lonnie’s heart. We feel his love for Lili and heartbreak. We feel how he keeps his parents alive, while learning to open up to his new family too. We feel his sense of hope that they’ll weather the tough stuff and everything will be okay. Woodson’s Lonnie is an authentic character that pulls at something inside us. Peace, Locomotion made me think deeper about what defines family and what keeps it strong. They made me reflect on peace and how to find it when life deals crushing blows. In Lonnie, I found answers that spoke to my heart.”
Kelly Starlings-Lyon, author of ONE MILLION MEN AND ME

“The moment I started reading Simon Holt’s THE DEVOURING: SORRY NIGHT I knew it was a book that would refuse to let me put it down. It was a perfect mix of horror, paranormal happenings, friendship, mystery, and family drama. It made me want to read more classy horror–or write it myself!”
Angie Frazier, EVERLASTING (Scholastic Press, 2010)

“I loved the first line of this book: ‘I knew today would be ugly. When you’re single-handedly responsible for getting your church, your pastor, and every one of your former friends and their parents sued for millions of dollars, you expect to make some enemies. Fine.’ –Robin Brande, EVOLUTION, ME, & OTHER FREAKS OF NATURE (Knopf, 2007). I love the voice, plus I was immediately drawn into the character’s dilemma. I read this one really quick!”
Sydney Salter, MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, (HM Harcourt/Graphia, in stores now)

“I knew I was going to pick up THE GRAVEYARD book, but what I hadn’t realized was how profoundly Gaiman created people — real people — no matter what their age, motivation or state of being. It reminded me, a a writer, to treat every character as a fully-developed person and reminded me, as a reader, the profound difference between having a life and living it.”
Dawn Metcalf, SKIN & BONES (Dutton, 2010)

“M.T. Anderson’s ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING. There’s a lot to say about it — a unique character, a perspective on history that is really original, a peculiar and engaging voice, and a gripping story. I think what impressed me most, though, is just how much faith he puts in readers to make their way through a challenging and sophisticated work.”
Kurtis Scaletta, MUDVILLE, (Knopf, in stores now)

“I just read…THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, and…the writing is poetic and immediate. You are right there with Mary the protagonist. In a world devoid of hope and full of zombies, what struck me most is Mary’s persistent belief of something more outside of her village. Although the story has horrific moments of zombie devastation and death, there are also moments of beauty and love.
Karen Strong, YA author and African-American Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators forum moderator.

“THREE LITTLE WORDS by Ashley Rhodes-Sourter. Lately, where I live, I’ve noticed signs popping up around town – Foster Parents Needed. A close friend of our family took in two foster children and raised them for two years, only to be forced to surrender them once the biological mother was released from prison. It was heart wrenching for the devoted care giver. Shortly after this incident I was browsing the YA section at the bookstore and saw a memoir about young girl who spent nine years in fourteen different foster homes. I bought the book, THREE LITTLE WORDS, and read it in two days. I was quickly drawn into Ashley’s world and consumed by the horror of a young impressionable girl being juggled between case workers and foster homes. What stuck with me most, however was Ashley’s amazing courage and drive to overcome her circumstances. Rather than dwell on her misfortune, Ashley used her experiences to find a voice to help other children caught in the mayhem of foster care. She has become an advocate for adoption and foster care reform. Ashley’s story inspires readers to recognize we can rise above any circumstance and find our own voice for change.”
Jennifer Jabaley, LIPSTICK APOLOGY (Razorbill, August, 2009)

“THE HUNGER GAMES. The whole thing kind of grabs you by the throat and shakes you around like a rag doll. It’s so very horrifying because it’s so very believable and Suzanne Collins writes in such a vibrant, incredible way. I’m still popping lozenges.”
Sarah MacLean, THE SEASON, in stores now.

“WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson was a throat-grabber for me. The voice of the character was so beautiful and yet so disturbing. It was the kind of book that was hard to put down and hard to digest at the same time. I don’t think I’d really realized what it must be like to be inside the mind of someone going through anorexia and how different their thought process can be.”
Cheryl Renee Herbsmann, BREATHING (Viking, in stores now)

“MARIANTHE’S STORY: PAINTED MEMORIES, SPOKEN WORDS, by Aliki. You open the front cover and read the first story of a girl who arrives in America speaking no English, and she tells her story through paintings…In the second story, Marianthe has been in school all year now, and has enough English to tell her own immigration story, which always leaves me with a lump in my throat. I’m an ESL teacher**, so many of my kids have left their home countries under the same conditions, and they both love and fear their native countries and it absolutely breaks my heart. When I read this story to them, they look as if they want to crawl into the pages and tell Marianthe that they understand, even if her American classmates don’t….Watching my students finally see themselves in the pages of a book makes it all the more poignant for me as a teacher…[And there is] THE LORAX. I’ve always been amazed at the rhyme and perfect rhythm of Dr. Seuss’ stories. One day during my first year teaching I was reading this aloud to my class of 6th graders. I’d debated with myself if I should read a picture book to this crowd—would they think it too babyish?
One of my students that year had just arrived from Afghanistan about 6 months earlier. This was in 1990, a violent, awful time in Afghanistan’s history…Massi was shy, but always had a smile, no matter what. He rarely spoke up in class…and I knew he didn’t understand much of what I was saying.
So there I am, reading THE LORAX aloud to a bunch of 12-year-olds, and every single one of them were enraptured by the story. When I finished the last page and closed the book, Massi’s hand shot up. I couldn’t believe he was volunteering to speak in front of everyone. When I called on him, he shook his head, eyes wide. “Miss Dias,” he said. “Those words! They are…” and he paused for a few moments, searching for a way to say what he wanted to say. Then he continued: “Those words, they are like music!”
Natalie Dias Lorenzi children’s author and educator.

**For more from Natalie on her ESL teaching experiences, check out her essay in TEACHER MIRACLES: Inspirational True Stories from the Classroom

What have you read recently that just won’t leave you alone?

“I listen to Miles Davis’ album, Kind of Blue while I write. It’s soothing, quiet and yet upbeat…I listen to different music depending on the story (I make up book soundtracks, and also sometimes have whole albums that fit the mood).”

Linda Trice, author of KENYA’S WORD (PB) and CHARLES DREW: PIONEER OF BLOOD PLASMA

For GIVE UP THE GHOST, the main album I listened to while brainstorming & writing was Lisa Germano’s Geek The Girl, and I think the song “Trouble” is a nearly perfect fit for Cass, the main character.”

Megan Crewe

“I’m currently listening to The New World Symphony as Iwork, although Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue on Black” and Concrete Blonde’s “Mexican Moon” tend to show up often on my personal soundtracks.”
-Saundra Mitchell, author of SHADOWED SUMMER

“I tend to like obscure rock (Sick Puppies and Brand New are two of my favorite bands), but I can only listen to musical scores when I write because lyrics distract me. I usually choose a couple scores that represent the mood of the book I’m writing and then I listen to that and only that while I write and revise. It’s helpful because I can always go back to it and immediately be re-immersed in the mood of that particular book. For PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS it was the score to The Village. For book two in the Prophecy series it’s been the Lord of the Rings scores from all three movies, and for my WIP it’s been the Batman Begins and Dark Knight scores (gotta love Hans Zimmer!).”

Michelle Zink

“Music is a constant in my life. Even if I’m not singing or listening to music, it’s still playing in my head. My tastes are somewhat eclectic: It’s not unlike me to listen to the soundtrack of Singin’ in the Rain and then Hook Me Up by The Veronicas. My most recent CD acquisition is Whisper House, the soundtrack for one of Duncan Sheik’s musicals.”

Little Willow, bookseller, writer, web designer.

“There was a piece by Beck that I happened upon: “Que Onde Quero“. It had a funky Chico neighborhood beat.
The song inspired a chapter, which inspired a backstory, which actually gave the muscles my novel needed. If my novel could be one of the greeting cards that played music, I wish this would come out when the pages opened. (Note: Music is PG-13)”
Bettina Restrepo, Moose and Magpie

“Working on our newest children’s stories, we’re always energized by a rousing chorus of “Goat Kids Rock.” Our first two books, MEET THE GOAT KIDS and THE GOAT KIDS EXPLORE THE WOODS, inspired Delaware Township 2nd Graders to compose an original song about our 4 pygmy goat characters, Charlie, Ella, Jack, and Sally. When 100 students sang “Goat Kids Rock” to the local school board and a packed auditorium, we felt like rock royalty. The students thanked us for being their inspiration, but we’re the ones inspired every time we hear our very own theme song!”

Yvonne Brooks and Steven Grant, Co-Authors, MEET THE GOAT KIDS and THE GOAT KIDS EXPLORE THE WOODS

*Check out “Goat Kids Rock,” on YouTube!

What about you? Is there a song or piece of music that represents a memorable character, a book, or story in general? Do you have a surefire musical cure when writer’s block strikes? If you can’t actually play music at your job, is there a soundtrack that plays in your head? What’s your favourite Music To Book By?