My novel, Forget-Her-Nots, is considered YA, but it’s for ages 12 & up, which puts it into the younger YA category. And I can’t tell you how many people — especially parents, booksellers, and librarians — have told me they’re grateful for that!

There seems to be a gulf between MG novels for ages 9 to 12 and most YA novels, which are for ages 14 and up.  Many YA readers these days are in their twenties even. So what about those 12 to 14 year olds (and many 11 year olds) who are voracious readers? Many read up with mixed results. They may be reading content that isn’t quite appropriate for their maturity level. As I told my own 11-year-old daughter when she wanted to read Twilight, “You’re just not going to get it.” With two older brothers around, she thinks boys are large, loud, smelly, and eat all the good food in the house. A novel, such as Twilight, which is about romantic longing and lust, is lost on her at this point. And lots of YA novels deal with sex, alcohol, and language a little too realistically for her. (And me, as mom.)

Interesting enough, some of the most amazing and enthusiastic fan letters for Forget-Her-Nots have come from 11-year-old girls who are strong readers and long to be reading up. In my main character, Laurel, they find a heroine they can relate to, who is exploring her world and testing the boundaries without getting in too far over her head or too distant from her family and mentors.

I was happy to see a few recent releases – Mistwood by Leah Cypess, Brightly Woven by Alex Bracken, and Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt, to name a few – fit so nicely into the YA 12 and up category. Older YA readers will definitely enjoy all these books, but it’s wonderful to be have lots of fun, new books to recommend to my daughter and all those fabulous tween readers.

So, fellow kidlit writers, think about it. Could a tween YA novel fit into your future plans?

And librarians and teachers, what else would you recommend for tween readers?

THE OWL KEEPER by Christine Brodien-Jones

• Publication Season/Year: Spring 2010
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Release Date: April 13, 2010
• ISBN (hardcover): 978-0-385-73814-9
• ISBN (paperback): TBD                         

Maxwell Unger has always loved the night.  He used to do brave things like go tramping through the forest with his gran after dark. He loved the stories she told him about the world before the Destruction — about nature, and books, and the silver owls. His favorite story, though, was about the Owl Keeper.

According to Max’s gran, in times of darkness the Owl Keeper would appear to unite owls and sages against the powers of the dark.

Gran is gone now, and so are her stories of how the world used to be. Max is no longer brave. The forest is dangerous, the books Gran saved have been destroyed, and the silver owls are extinct. At least, that’s what the High Echelon says. But Max knows better.

Max Unger has a secret. And when a mysterious girl comes to town, he just might have to start being brave again.  The time of the Owl Keeper, Gran would say, is coming soon.

THE OWL KEEPER Book Trailer:

Discussion Guide for THE OWL KEEPER

Beth Ann Bauman

This week, we’re celebrating Beth Ann Bauman’s debut! Beth Ann Bauman is the author of a short story collection for adults, Beautiful Girls, and a recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. Beth teaches fiction writing at NYU, The West Side YMCA’s Writer’s Voice, and online at UCLA. Growing up, she spent summers on the Jersey shore, and she now lives in New York City.

Here’s a little bit about ROSIE AND SKATE (Wendy Lamb Books, Random House).

It’s off-season at the Jersey shore, when the boardwalk belongs to the locals. Rosie is 15 and her sister Skate is 16. Their dad, an amiable drunk, is spending a few weeks in jail while their cousin Angie looks after them in their falling-down Victorian on the beach. Skate and her boyfriend Perry are madly in love, inseparable—until now, when Perry goes off to Rutgers. Rosie is shyer than Skate, but she’s drawn to Nick, a boy in their Alateen group. What happens to Rosie and Skate in a few tumultuous weeks is deftly shaded, complex, and true. Readers will be caught up in each girl’s shifting feelings as the story plays out within the embrace of their warmhearted community.

ROSIE AND SKATE by Beth Ann Bauman

If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?

PG. There’s some sex and underage drinking.

What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?

I’m interested in the topic of addiction and how it affects everyone in a family. The drunk dad in the story is goodhearted but mostly useless as a parent, and the mom died when the girls were little so they’re basically raising themselves. I’m interested in how the sisters cope, how others help them along the way, and how they handle friendship, boys, love and sex.

I also wanted to set the story on the Jersey shore, a place I love. I wanted to include a boardwalk, arcade, Ferris wheel, walks on the beach in winter, surfing in a wet suit in November. And some dogs! What good is a story without some dogs, though I might be biased…

Name three examples of readers who would identify or like your book.

• Girls 12 and up interested in boy/girl relationships
• Anyone who likes sister stories
• Anyone with a loved one with an addiction
• Anyone who likes stories about unlikely families

List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.

• He went to Walgreen’s in his raincoat and slippers, and shuffled down the aisles, loading the lining of his coat with crazy stuff: a can opener, coconut tanning oil, nail clippers, panty hose, potpourri.
• Free rides tonight. We scramble into [the Ferris wheel], facing each other, and we’re lifted oh-so-gently into the night. On the next go-round we stop at the top of the ride while snow blows around us and into the car. Rosie catches some flakes in her glove.

How can your book be used in the classroom?

While the audience is for tween and teen girls, I can imagine boys liking the book too. It could provide an opportunity to talk about coping with a parent’s addiction, community resources, and patching together a family of people who care.

Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.

• Sarah Dessen books (Someone Like You, Lullaby)
• The Rules of Survival, Nancy Werlin
• Dairy Queen, Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Now whet our appetites with a teaser.

My dad’s a nice drunk. There is such a thing. I know how that sounds, but honestly he’s a good person. My sister, Skate, is going to give you a different story, but I want you to hear my side too.

Before our dad went to jail three weeks ago, one of his favorite places was the old faded couch on the sunporch, where he’d lie with sandy feet, clutching his bottle of Old Crow whiskey, gurgling to himself with a dreamy smile. If he saw me standing above him, staring down at him, he’d give me a little finger wave. “Lovely to see ya, Rosie girl.” Or sometimes he’d look at me and not see me at all, but he’d smile all the same. You see what I mean? Screwed-up, but nice.

Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?

Yes, depending on where and when.

Are you willing to speak nationally?

Yes, depending on where and when.

List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.

• How to tell a story.
• Creating characters the reader wants to spend time with.

This concludes our interview with our latest author, BETH ANN BAUMAN. We wish her much success with her debut novel ROSIE AND SKATE.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Beth is giving away a signed copy of ROSIE AND SKATE to two winners. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by November 3rd, 2009 11:59 PM CST.

Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our other AuthorsNow! giveaways.

“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.

ROSIE AND SKATE by Beth Ann Bauman

• Publication Season/Year: Fall 2009
• Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books, Random House
• Release Date: August 11,  2009
• ISBN (hardcover): 978-0-385-73735-7
• ISBN (paperback): TBD                         

ROSIE AND SKATE is about two sisters, ages 15 and 16, in a New Jersey shore town.  When their dad, a “nice drunk,” lands himself in jail, they cope in different ways.  Skate and her boyfriend Perry are inseparable, until he goes off to Rutgers leaving her behind.  Rosie is drawn to a boy in her support group.  Within the embrace of their warmhearted community, the girls find hope for the future.

TELL ME A SECRET by Holly Cupala

• Publication Season/Year: Spring 2010
• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Release Date: June 22, 2010
• ISBN (hardcover): 978-0061766664
• ISBN (paperback): TBD

It’s tough, living in the shadow of a dead girl…

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.

In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her own future.

Usually when people ask me if I read both adult and YA, I say that I don’t have a lot of time for reading adult novels because there’s so much YA to keep up with. But here I was with no time before the trip to go book shopping and a stack of adult novels to read. And this is how I discovered why I love YA

At the beginning of the week, I tried to read the adult novels. Each one was a struggle to get into and I found myself getting impatient. I wasn’t getting to know the characters as quickly, the voice was not as pronounced, the emotion more slowly developed. I’m not saying these are bad things. But for me personally, I’ve so come to love that in YA you hear the character’s voice right away, the emotion is palpable and accessible, the pace is quick. It’s like in adult novels you have to swim way out into the deep water before you’re enveloped by the characters and story, whereas in YA, you just dive in and you’re there. I was so delighted to pick up the one YA novel I’d brought with me, to find myself  “in” the story right away, caring about the MC and her issues.

So again, I’m not knocking adult literature and I’m definitely NOT saying I won’t be reading it anymore. But rather I’m appreciating the deliciousness that is diving in to a YA novel.

Is it the age of the main character? The protagonist in most YA novels is anywhere from 14-18 years old. But adult fiction protagonists, such as in Life of Pi, can be teens, also. In the case of The Book Thief, there are two main protagonists—one is ageless and the other is a child. So this rule is not hard and fast.

The point of view? Many YA books are told in the first person. First person narratives can create a more intimate connection between the reader and the main character. The Book Thief is narrated by Death. If Death had been malicious or heartless, the novel would’ve been even darker. But Markus Zusak’s Death is both tender and observant in a non-judging way, which adds a touch of humanity. I believe this is one of the reasons The Book Thief was categorized as a YA.

A sophisticated narrative style? Young adult readers are extraordinarily advanced. They can enjoy intelligent characters (An Abundance of Katherines), unreliable narrators (Now You See Her), stories told backwards (The First Part Last), novels in verse (Crank), and anti-heroes (Inexcusable). The Book Thief’s inventive narrative style would not faze this audience.

Themes? The themes and topics that are relevant to teens—themes such as coming of age, self-acceptance, good vs. evil, personal responsibility, as well as topics like suicide, eating disorders, abuse, and war—are also relevant to adults. So the line blurs here.

Perhaps the difference comes from how these themes and topics are addressed. Even though YA books can be disturbing and gritty, at the end there is a ray of hope for a better future. That—combined with an intimate story-telling style, growth of the main character, and an engaging plot—distinguishes YA from adult fiction.

Still, I wonder. If Markus Zusak had written The Book Thief before he had earned a reputation as a YA novelist, would it still be called YA? Opinions?