Movie News: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

On the heels of The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) and If I Stay (Gayle Forman) movie adaptation, comes news today that the rights of Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth have been purchased. 2009 has been a great year for YA writers with many of the films being rushed into production. Even every YA reader's favourite nerd, John Green, is working on the screenplay for Paper Towns. It's an epidemic, a good one!

Publisher's Weekly says this:

Alan Nevins of Renaissance Literary & Talent has just closed film rights on Carrie Ryan's YA novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Nevins, who brokered the deal on behalf of Jim McCarthy at Dystel Literary, sold the book, which Delacorte Books for Young Readers published in March, to Seven Star Pictures (K-11, forthcoming). Nevins said the book, a zombie thriller set in colonial times about a girl who lives in a religious community in the woods and is equally worried about a zombie invasion and her planned marriage, is in line to "do for zombies what Twilight did for vampires." Supposedly Seven Star is developing the project for an-as-yet-unnamed A-list starlet, and fast-tracking the project with a first draft of the screenplay already in the works.

And you can find Carrie's reaction here.

I do take issue with the continuing Twilight references - If I Stay and The Forest of Hands and Teeth are nothing like Twilight with an exception to them 1) all having pages 2) all being YA and 3) people die. OMG they are totally alike!!

Regardless, I would love to take this opportunity to congratulate Carrie on this deal. I think we all knew it had filmatic appeal and now we are going to see Mary (and the Unconsecrated) become a reality. Is it just me, or are you more scared about seeing the Sisterhood come alive?

Interview - Paul Collins (Ford St Publishing)

Time for number three in the revolving door of Australian publishing lovelies to come spinning through the Persnickety Snark building. Today's guest helms the independent press, Ford Street Publishing, and is also a prolific author himself - welcome, Paul Collins!

What's is a normal day for you at Ford Street?
Well, starting from getting up, I take the dogs (kelpie and heeler) for a 45 minute jog every morning. Feeding them, showering, breakfast, skimming The Age, takes me up to Ford Street activities. I usually reply to emails first. With nine books coming out this year, the moment I stop working on one (which is the moment it leaves for the printer's) I'm working on the next two. This involves contracting, editing, typesetting, cover and internal design. By the time the next book goes to the printer the book before it has arrived from the printer's. I then send out about 40+ review copies; email 1500+ interested people from my database, organise sending out book marks, stickers and posters to another 1000+ people. In between all this I work in with the distributor (Macmillan Distribution Services) by getting my authors to talk to the reps about their books, and seeing how best I can promote Ford Street. As an author, I get invited to various festivals/libraries/schools to give talks/workshops, so during all this I promote Ford Street along with my own books. (In the coming months I'm a guest at the MWF, CYA/BWF and Voices on the Coast festival.) Add to this mix a zillion sundries like accounts, filling orders, submitting books to numerous awards, updating the website, being a member of important organisations like the APA and SPUNC (I'm on the Board) and you'll see it's pretty full on. Since I work from home, I don't leave work. So my work day is seven days and nights a week. Just as well I enjoy doing what I do :-).

What do you believe are the popular themes in YA at the moment?
I'm not sure for other publishers, but I think contemporary books with a message, a theme, are selling (for Ford Street at least) a lot better than genre fiction. An example of this would be Big and Me (by David Miller) which is a metaphor for mental illness. A lot of mental health organisations got behind the book, so it's selling really well. Without that metaphor, it wouldn't have sold as well, even though it can be read "just" as a picture book about digging machines.

What do you believe is the future direction of YA?
Ah, if I knew the answer to that I probably wouldn't divulge it >g<. I do think a sad trend is over-censorship. I have to think twice before a book of mine can have swear words. Some book clubs and schools simply won't take on a book if a single swear word appears in it. That to me is just ridiculous. Why? Because kids these days have the Internet, and with the tap of a few keys kids can see a lot worse than simple swear words. Kids are being mollycoddled to the extreme, and they're not in any way being done favours by publishers dumbing down their books to suit gatekeepers who have become overzealous with not only their allowed vocabulary but their political correctness. The world isn't wrapped in cotton. In fact, it's getting worse. Blindfold our younger generations and they'll not be geared up for the world's harsh realities when they leave home.

Which Australian authors get you excited?
Obviously those who send their manuscripts to me :-). But on a serious note, authors who write good contemporary fiction, especially if it's theme-based. I have just contracted a trilogy called The Rare by Foz Meadows. Everyone who has read the manuscript has raved about it. I'm really, really looking forward to publishing it next year.

Your big recommendation at the moment?
Speaking only about Ford Street authors, I have several titles due this year that I think will make waves. One is called They Told Me I Had To Write This by Kim Miller and the other is My Private Pectus by Shane Thamm. Both tick all the boxes with me.

I also have plunged into genre fiction with a title by George Ivanoff. I published Gamers' Quest as a short story in Trust Me! last year. I asked George if he'd like to expand it into a novel. Although George has been published before, this is his first trade novel. George is also great on publicity, so I think despite my reticence where genre fiction is concerned, this book will do well. It's solid science fiction and has an author willing to get behind it. I am of course publishing the new Quentaris series, but whereas it's fantasy, it has a track record, and with authors such as Alyssa Brugman and James Roy writing for the series, it can't go far wrong. I should also mention Doug MacLeod's My Extraordinary Life and Death. It's the funniest book I've read in ages -- Bookseller and Publisher just raved about it, and I'm sure others will, too. I'll let your readers into a secret (I'm not supposed to!!!) Only readers who find the URL in the book will discover a special page on the Ford Street website. Your readers can "cheat" and go to www.fordstreetpublishing.com/melad and see an example of Doug's marvelous sense of humour.

What are some of next year's releases that readers should be chomping at the bit to read?
I suspect Felicity Marshall's The Star (picture book) will have people goggling, and of course Foz Meadows' trilogy, the first title of which is called Solace and Grief. Another author I'm tipping to be a winner is Chrissie Michaels' Lonnie's Shadow. It's set in an early Melbourne and has quite a twist to it.

Ford Street's recent successes have been Pool by Justin D'Ath being short-listed for the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards (2008) and Crossing the Line by Dianne Bates being short-listed for the NSW Premier's Literary Awards (2009).

Thank you to Paul for taking the time to let me pick apart his very busy brain on all things Aussie Kid's Lit. Make sure you check out all the titles available through this independent press via the link below, also check out Paul's personal website and the titles he's written.

Next up - Kristen Young from Black Dog Books

Ford Street Publishing Website
Paul Collins' Official Website

Vampire Academy Aussie-Style

Penguin Australia is super excited at the moment as Richelle Mead (of Vampire Academy fame) is coming to Australia in September. She will be touring Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, attending many events with readers.

Penguin has even created an Australian based Vampire Academy website where there is plenty of information about the tour and the book series as a whole.

Check it out now!

UK The Dead-Tossed Waves Cover

There are some changes still to be made prior to it's release in 2010 but it's so purdy. Very different approaches to the cover art by two different countries.

Thanks to The Forest of Hands and Teeth Facebook Group for the image.

Glee - Me Want Now!

I can't help myself when it comes to the vids being released for the new FOX show, Glee. Here's something on how they made the pilot including casting, rehearsals and music. I am already obsessed with this show.

Interview: Sarana Behan (Random House Aust.)

Today I welcome the second of many Australian YA publishers who are gracing us with their presence (and thoughts) as part of PSnark's Aussie Month.

Sarana Behan is the Children's Marketing Coordinator at Random House Australia. She and the members of RH's exclusive Bermuda Triangle are a great source of recommendations and were the lovelies that sent me my blessed copy of If I Stay (Gayle Forman).

What's is a normal day for you at Random House?
It seems to be different every day. The great thing about working in kids books is everyday is different and lots of fun. I really enjoy what I do here, and I love all the fantastic people I work with. It's like a family really. The best thing about every day is that I get to talk about the one thing I love and know inside out and back to front. Books. I'm a big reader, not just kids books but adult books as well. I talk with authors and booksellers and other book lovers on a daily basis and I never get sick of it.

What do you believe are the popular themes in YA at the moment?
I think there seems to be trend towards romance and the supernatural as themes at the moment.

What do you believe is the future direction of YA?
I cant talk about the industry as a whole but I know at Random apart from publishing some fantastic books this year we are really focusing on making sure our books look really great.
(Adele - forget great, they look fabulous)

Which Australian authors get you excited?
JC Burke, Alyssa Brugman and of course our brilliant Woolshed Press authors. I think one of my favourite books that has always stayed with me was Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman. It was so original and I don’t think I’ve read anything like it since. I recently went back and reread it and its even better than I remembered. JC Burke also continues to write great books. I think I've read every single one of hers. She captures that teenage voice unbelievably well. Our Woolshed Press authors are all very close to my heart as well. I have read them all and I have loved every single one of them.

Your big recommendation at the moment?
The Spooks series. I absolutely love these books. They are so clever. I think I would have to say these are better than Harry Potter. I also really liked Posse by Kate Welshman. She is a great new author. I think that she is an author to look out for.

What are some of the upcoming releases that readers should be chomping at the bit to read?
I've just read quite a few books in the past few weeks. Firstly The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, I must mention because this is the one everyone will be talking about in the next few weeks especially because the film is released this week. Frenemies and Faketastic by Alexa Young are brilliant. I was reading Frenemies on the ferry with my headphones on and I didn’t realise I was laughing so loud until the lady next to me asked me what I was reading that was making me laugh so much and where she could get a copy !!!

One that I must mention which isn’t released yet is Tallow and all I can say about this, is that everyone is going to love it.

The Vampire Beach books are also great for all those people out there that have read the Stephanie Meyer books and now want more.

Thank you to Sarana for answering my many questions on a doubtlessly busy day. Also a big wave to the rest of the RH crew, who are as lovely as they are knowledgeable (I'm not sucking up, it's the truth).

Next up - Paul Collins from Ford Street Publishing

Random House Australia Website

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

Continuing with the Aussie theme this month is my need to read this book.

One Whole and Perfect Day
by Judith Clarke
(Allen & Unwin)

Freakish, thought Lily; that was the word for her family. Not freaks exactly, but all peculiar in their own way. And Lily had always been the sensible one. Sometimes she wished she could be like the other girls in her year Maybe she should fall in love. What could be less sensible than that?Fall in love? Ridiculous! But when she saw Daniel Steadman and their eyes caught, only for a second, the tiny encounter gave Lily a strange light woozy feeling inside her head. It made her brain feel funny, like a tablet fizzing, dissolving away inside a water glass.

I want to read something less heavy. Not that the "heavy" books aren't fantastic but it can be a little much after awhile. Hand me over something that makes me giggle.

Sarah Dessen Celebration

At The Sarah Dessen Diarist, I am launching a big month long celebration of all things Sarah Dessen. This event will honour Sarah's birthday, the release of Along for the Ride and the blog's one year anniversary. Over the thirty days leading up to Sarah's birthday, a multitude of YA authors (most of who you know or will know of soon) and YA bloggers will guest blog their thought on the author, her characters and books.

I would love it if you'd cruise by the blog. It launches in 2 hours with the first guest blog by own very own, Shalonda!

Teaser Tuesday (12)

The concept? - To pick a random page, find a quote and tempt others with it's tastiness.

Bollywood Dreams
Wendy Fitzgerald
(Short Stop Press)

"I glimpse something hidden, but I don't ask what. I am the only sane person in this family and I want to stay firmly on the edge." p.9

Interview: Erin Wamala (Penguin Aust.)

Throughout Aussie Month, I will be interviewing a range of Australian YA publishers about YA, future trends and upcoming releases. My goal is to further explain the role of the great publishing teams in YA and to introduce you to upcoming Australian releases.

First cab off the rank is Erin Wamala. Erin is the National Education Consultant for Penguin Australia and a top chick! She is also responsible for introducing me to many books to which I was completely unaware of before conversing.

What's is a normal day for you at Penguin?
At the moment I am busy planning events for teachers in terms 2 and 3 in various parts of Victoria, and also in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. As the Education Consultant, I spend most of my time visiting schools and talking about our books to English teachers and librarians. The events I run involved bringing secondary teachers from the area together and presenting them with titles (old and new) that are suitable to be used in the classroom. Our department also plan launches and author tours and have a number of websites and newsletters that we send to both kids and teachers. A normal day involves working on all of these things, in some capacity, though during term time I spend most of my afternoons in schools.

What do you believe are the popular themes in YA at the moment?
You obviously can’t go past the vampire theme, but I believe the popularity of the Twilight series to be more to do with romance rather than vampires. That said, this is not new – most teenagers, particularly girls, want to read about love and relationships as some stage. I think the themes that turn up in YA fiction are universal and ancient – love, relationships, friendship, adventure, finding out who you are – they just happened to be heightened at this stage in our lives and therefore very prevalent in books for teenagers and turn up in many different forms.

What do you believe is the future direction of YA?
If I knew that I would be at home writing the next Harry Potter!
(Adele - Wouldn't we all!)

Which Australian authors get you excited?
We have some fantastic new YA authors who I am very excited about and can’t wait to read more of their work. The first is Adrian Stirling - author of Broken Glass, which explores the violence that bubbles under the surface of a tiny Australian town in the middle of nowhere - and Gabrielle Williams – author of Beatle Meets Destiny (available in August), a very funny and sweet boy-meets-girl story.

Two well-published and popular authors I always get excited about are Sonya Hartnett and Garth Nix, they both always go right to the top of my “to-read” pile.

Your big recommendation at the moment?
I am immersed in The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen at the moment. Set in New York in the 1890s, it’s a wonderful mix of romance, betrayal, bitchiness and fabulous frocks. It’s like a combination of The Age of Innocence and Gossip Girl.

What are some of the upcoming releases that readers should be chomping at the bit to read?
Beatle Meets Destiny is definitely my pick of the Aussie stuff this year. From overseas, I would highly recommend Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LeFleur (make sure you have some tissues near by), The Enemy:Fourteen by Charlie Higson (a fantastically scary and gory zombie story) and The Bride’s Farewell by Meg Rosoff (another one of my favourite authors, this is a beautiful 19th century, almost-fairytale). All of these will be available in the second half of the year.

Thanks so much to Erin for allowing me to pick her brain!

Next up we have Sarana Behan from Random House Australia.

Penguin Australia Website

Posse / Kate Welshman

Summary - Amy and her best friends - the Posse - are at year 11 camp and they're bored. In the scorching summer heat, sparks start to fly. Clare and Amy might be best friends, but they're sniping as if they're enemies. Camp leader Bevan is singling Amy out for attention, and Clare's jealous. Amy's feeling reckless enough to do something major . . . In one night everything will change. Friendships will be tested and broken; careers will hang in the balance; and everything Amy knows about her friends and her family will be ripped away. What really happened when Clare disappeared that night? Who's telling the truth? And when things go too far, should you save your friends - or save yourself?

Review - Posse is the debut release of Australian author, Kate Welshman. I was immediately attracted to Posse due to Astred Hicks' beautiful cover work, I was very excited to get my mitts on this title. To be honest I was a little surprised once I started reading though. I has presumed this might be the Australian take on Mean Girls...I was oh so very wrong.

First of all, the protagonist Amy is a lesbian. We don't see this realisation as she's known for quite awhile and it's generally accepted (or blissfully ignored) by her family and friends. I found it very refreshing that Amy is so at peace with herself, it's just everyone else that troubles her. Her family is fragmented and troubling. Her mother and grandmother are controlling, brain washing, bowl hair cut wearing, man hating shrews whose mood swings make her home life hellish. Her father is a somewhat spineless, womaniser with a new life complete with trophy wife. But in all this chaos, Amy knows she can count on her dysfunctional group of friends who are fully fleshed out characters. In fact, nearly every character you come across in this tale is beautifully rounded without bogging down the narrative.

What starts out as a dead boring camp in fiery temperatures becomes friend versus friend when Amy gets herself in over her head. Amy sticks to her guns and suffers the consequences. She's uncompromising, strong, conflicted, immeasurably complex and vastly entertaining. At its core, Posse is about Amy finding an inner strength that she wasn't sure she had and would you know it, it's not the guy that crossed the line.

It's an impressive debut by Welshman, a real page turner. Amy isn't like any YA protagonist I have come across in my reading, a quality which I loved. Some elements tied into others and the remaining elements were left hanging which I enjoyed. Welshman's experience in the Family Courts is extremely evident in the realistic depiction of troubled home lives, ugly marriage breakdowns and sexual harassment. It adds much weight to a story that possesses a lot of humour in it's accurate representation of the waves in teenage friendships. It's a title that's sure to get your blood boiling, your stomach shaking with laughter and your beliefs unsettled. Thought provoking, Posse is a great read.

Published: 1st May 2009
Format: Paperback, 278 pages
Publisher: Random House
Origin: Australia

Interview - Amra Pajalic

Amra Pajalic's baaaack, ready and firing her answers for my pesky questions. Amra Pajalic is the Australian author behind the brand new release, The Good Daughter.

A Good Daughter hasn't been released as yet, what are your hopes for it's release?
That readers will respond to the world I created and find it a good read..

Your book has been reviewed glowingly by Melina Marchetta, Simmone Howell and Randa Abdel-Fattah. What was it like to see their beautiful words about your work?
I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I still read the blurbs when I need a boost. These are writers I admire who have had successful writing careers and it made me feel a little more confident about my book reasoanting with readers.

Sabiha felt very authentic to me as a teen tiptoeing the line between being Bosnian and being Australian. How difficult was it depict Australian-Bosnian families being so close to the subject matter? How do you think they will feel about these characters?
There are certain aspects of TGD I found difficult to write about, her mother's illness for one. But the Bosnian side of it was fun to write. I enjoyed showing this world and our little peccadilloes. I hope Bosnians take pride in their literary debut and that it encourages other Bosnians to dream big.

I find Jesse to be an intriguing character, where did the idea for his homelife come from?
Jesse came from my subconscious. He was a sneaky character who somehow grew as I kept writing. I wanted him to have something in common with Sabiha, a secret they both shared and felt ashamed of.

Sabiha's interactions with her longtime best friend made her appear much younger and immature. Was that deliberate?
Yes it was. Sabiha and I both have a parent Bi Polar and this means you grow up way too fast so I wanted to counteract this seriousness in her character by showing her having the same issues as any other teenage girl.

You are giving a reading as well as speaking as part of the 'Growing Up Muslim in Australia' panel at the Reading Matters conference in May. Who are you excited to see speak at this event?
I'm excited to attend all the wonderful panels, and also have the opportunity to meet other writers and on-line friends who'll be attending this event. I'm also excited to be on the panel with Randa.

What are you currently working on?
I'm working on a sequel to The Good Daughter. I felt like I had so much more I wanted to do with the characters, but had to end the novel so I'm enjoying being back in their world.

Thank you to Amra for taking the time to answer my queries amongst the publicity whirlwind that she is currently caught in. On Friday, Amra's guest blog will be available for you all the peruse.

Interview - Sally Murphy

Sally Murphy is the Australian author behind Pearl Verses The World which was released in Australia on May the 1st. A moving tale told in free verse of a young girl coping in tough circumstances. I am very pleased to be part of Sally's blog tour which stops by Persnickety Snark today, complete with our patented Reader's Snapshot and interview.

Reader's Snapshot –
Which book is memorable from your teen years?
The books i remember best from high school are books we studied in English classes, especially Go Ask Alice, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby. I think what these three have in common (apart from all being American) is that none of these three is neatly resolved. I suspect this is when I realised that books could be really real – that is that stories could be resolved without necessarily being happily ever after. This is how life is.

Describe your high school English teacher in three words...
Encouraged my writing.

Your book of the moment?
Lia Hills The Beginner’s Guide to Living. While I read this one I kept thinking how beautifully poetic is was for a prose novel – only to discover later that Hills is also a poet. She has taken her poetic skills across tot he prose genre magnificently.

What do you use to mark your page when reading?
I’m a book reviewer so mostly i read review copies and use the media release as a bookmark. Otherwise, whatever paper I can lay my hands on at the time.

Favourite place to read?
In my recliner near the loungeroom window overlooking my front garden. But I’ll read anywhere.

Favourite word?
Yes.

Favourite book store?
Westbooks, a children’s book specialist in Perth

Character you wish you had created?
Tishkin Silk

****

Pearl Verses the World Questions
Was there a Prudence Jones in your school life ....and did she do everything perfectly?
Maybe not in primary school, but the ladies college I went to for the last two years of high school seemed full of Prudences. I felt like a real misfit there, and only realised years later that a lot of other people felt that way too. Being a teenage girl is really hard. And, no, the perfect girls weren’t always perfect, but it was still easy to be intimidated by them.

One of my favourite lines is "big titles...make big promises". Which book title have you found to be your biggest disappointment?
Ooh. Tough question. I’m not even sure I have an answer for you. I tend to only remember the titles of books I have loved. But I can tell you that, for my own books I have often struggled to come up with a good title – one that draws readers in, and encapsulates some aspect of the book. No such difficulties with Pearl Verses the World. The title came easily, and seemed perfect for the story. I hope would-be readers think so, too.

How long was the writing phase of Pearl Verses the World?
Perhaps six months form initial idea to being ready to submit. I dithered a little from when the first verse came to me until when I decided I had to get the whole story written, but once I decided it was time to get it all down, the process was quick, and the first draft just flowed. Then the revisions, too, were quick. From acceptance to publication was fairly fast, too. This time last year I had submitted Pearl, but it hadn’t been accepted yet.

As a teacher I found the well meaning but slightly oblivious Ms B very true to form. What method is the best to introduce kids to poetry, do you think?
As a teacher I haven’t always taught poetry well, because text books and unit outlines have proscribed fairly structured writing or analysis of poetry. What I have come to realise is that kids need to learn to love poetry before they can be asked to analyse it. Free verse poetry is wonderful for the classroom because it has fewer constraints – however, I think rhymed poetry and very structured forms also have their place in getting kids to try different things.

How many pieces of cake can a sad girl eat?
Hopefully not too many. Comfort eating is okay for a day or so – but food can’t fix problems. What can help a child is the wisdom and love of significant adults, time, and the space to be able to look within themselves.

Thanks Sally!

Thanks to you, too, Adele.

If you would like to read my review of Pearl Verses the World or see which blog is getting stopped by next, go here.

Something More / Mo Johnson

Summary - Just remember, Isla, when you're searching for happiness, it knows all the best hiding places. (Gran McGonnigle)Isla McBay is not delighted to have left Scotland for sunny Australia. For starters, she can't swim - not great for pool parties. She misses her gran and her friends, her dad's giving her unbelievably irritating driving lessons, and she's constantly fighting with her younger sister, Terry, who always does everything first. Even her photography class with dreamy Sam Doyle and annoying yet intriguing Jack Ferris can't cure Isla's homesickness...Then Terry comes to Isla with a serious problem, forcing Isla to make a choice: will she be the better sister Terry needs her to be - or will she close her eyes to what's really important?

Review - The Girlfriend fiction series is a recent initiative from Allen and Unwin to bring teen stories to the shelves, it's mantra is "Real Life, Real Emotions, Awesome Stories". It has drawn upon a wealth of Australian YA talent (Penni Russon, Lili Wilkinson, Scot Gardner) to release two titles per month. I have read one prior to this title and I wasn't all that impressed but upon receiving Mo Johnson's Something More, I need to re-evaluate my stance.

In most YA titles, I find myself able to accurate predict many elements of the story. I found when reading this title that I had no freaking idea, sure the right guy for Isla is pretty clear but the journey was completely unexpected. The stepping stones that are placed logically but unexpectedly making this a great little read. (I say little as it is only 180 pages long.)

Most interesting to me is the themes encompassed. From Isla's homesickness for Scotland, the discussion of options in an unplanned pregnancy and moving forward in life, rather than dwelling on the past. It might sound a tad depressing but the pages are infused with warmth, vitality and humour, almost as if Johnson has tried to make each word feel like an Australian itself.

Mo Johnson has a real knack for dialogue, it's never naff, always sparky and natural. Her characterisation is remarkably developed, which is able assisted by the previously mentioned dialogue. Each family member, friend and mortal enemy are three dimensional and are removed from cliches. You find yourself chuckling aloud when certain phrases jump from the page. My favourite? I am currently tossing up between:
"As far as I'm concerned Sam Doyle should be cloned and given to every girl as a sixteenth birthday present."
and
"There is was: A Guy's Guide to Empathy, coming soon to the back of a postage stamp near you."

The humour is what I enjoyed most about Something More, it's chortle invoking and never forced. It reflects the author's very clear vision of Australian teens in all their glory. I can't help but hope that Miss Reid is a Hitchcockian manifestation of herself as I can see her as that teacher.

Something More is a sweet, humorous story with unexpected depth that I would definitely recommend. It also includes one of the most original, heart warming, artistic declarations of like(I don't want to say love) that I have read in a very long time. Now someone needs to hand me another Girlfriend fiction title.

Published: April 2009
Format: Paperback, 180 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Origin: Australia
_ _ _
PDF Extract
Girlfriend fiction website
Mo Johnson's Website

Reader's Snapshot - Amra Pajalic

As part of Persnickety Snark's Aussie Month, I will be spotlighting a whole heap of Aussie debut YA writers. The first is the lovely Amra Pajalic, who's first novel, The Good Daughter will be released today (May 4). Amra is a fresh new voice in the Aussie YA scene she describes TGD as "...cross between Melinda Marchetta’s Looking for Alibrandi and Randa Abdel-Fattah’s Does my Head Look Big in This?" If this doesn't sell you on the brilliance of this novel then read my review.

Which book is memorable from your teen years?
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Describe your high school English teacher in three words...
Inspiring, committed and caring

Your book of the moment?
The Slap by Christos Tsoilkas

What do you use to mark your page when reading?
Bookmark

Favourite place to read?
Lying down on the coach

Favourite word?
Cookie

Favourite book store?
Reader's Feast

Character you wish you had created?
Scarlett O'Hara

Bonus Question: Battle of the Aussie soapies - Home and Away or Neighbours?
Neighbours

(Adele - WHAT? No way - totally Home and Away.)

Come by tomorrow for my interview with Amra about her debut novel, The Good Daughter.

Pearl Verses The World / Sally Murphy

Summary - At school, Pearl feels as though she is in a group of one. Her teacher wants her to write poems that rhyme but Pearl’s poems don’t. At home, however, Pearl feels safe and loved, but her grandmother is slowly fading, and so are Mum and Pearl. When her grandmother eventually passes away, Pearl wants life to go back to the way it was and refuses to talk at the funeral. But she finds the courage to deliver a poem for her grandmother that defies her teacher’s idea of poetry – her poem doesn’t rhyme; it comes from the heart.

Review - Pearl verses the World is a free verse, illustrated book by Sally Murphy and Heather Potter. The pitch describes it as a "...poignant story" and I would have to agree. Within the small volume, Pearl is dealing with her grandma's deteriorating health, bullying and a teacher's obliviousness to creativity in different forms.

There are many times while reading that I found myself noting a line or two. Instead of rabbiting on and on, I thought I would share some of them:

"My class is made up
Of groups.

I am in a group of one."

To steal Prudence Jones's boyfriend.
I did not even know
That she had a boyfriend I could steal."

"Big titles...make big promises".

As you can see the language is simple as to allow the focus to remaining solely on the thoughts of Pearl and her feelings. As a result you are completely involved in Pearl's state of mind. You will feel touched by the conclusion of this book.

If I had one criticism it would be at times I felt the language of Pearl wasn't completely in sync with that of a child her age. But that is such a minor concern that I feel nit picky for saying it. Regardless, Murphy (with assistance from Potter's illustrations) has written a moving account of a child's relationship with her grandmother and grief.

Published: May 1, 2009
Format: Paperback, 79 pages
Publisher: Walker Books
Origin: Australia
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Sally Murphy's blog
Sally Murphy's website

Check back on May 4 for Sally Murphy's visit to Persnickety Snark as part of her Aussie blog tour.
May 1st - Spinning Pearls.
May 2nd - The Writing Life
May 3rd - Tips 4Young Writers
May 4th - Persnickety Snark
May 5th - Let's Have Words
May 6th - Just Listen Book Reviews
May 7th - Look At That Book
May 8th - Write and Read with Dale
May 9th - Tales I Tell
May 10th - Writing Children's Books

In My Mailbox - 3 May

Bollywood Dreams - Wendy Fitzgerald
Short Stop Press
Meet India Singh, 16 years old with Bollywood stars in her determined eyes and an all consuming passion for dance. Small problem- she lives in Sydney and her strict father's dreams for her don't involve dancing or making movies. But, India has a plan- to run away to Mumbai and be a Bollywood star like her idol Aishwarya Rai. Can she do it? (Australian)

This one looks like it will be a fun read. As part of my Australian focus month I will definitely be reviewing it. I always enjoy a story that incorporates the cultural aspects of my country.

Bloodhound - Tamore Pierce
Scholastic
Beka Cooper is finally a Dog—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus’s streets. But there’s unrest in Tortall’s capital. Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may be falling for Rowan, but she won’t let anything—or anyone—jeopardize her mission. As she heads north to an abandoned silver mine, it won’t be enough for Beka be her usual “terrier” self. She’ll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals—to be a Bloodhound. . .

Can't wait...but will have to read Book I of the Beka Cooper series.

The Puzzle Ring - Kate Forsyth
Pan Macmillan
Hannah Rose was not quite 13 years old when she discovered her family was cursed...
The arrival of a mysterious letter changes Hannah's life forever. One day she is an ordinary teenage girl. The next day she discovers she is heir to a castle in the Scottish highlands – a castle that was cursed more than four hundred and forty years ago.
The curse has haunted her family for generations, culminating in the disappearance of Hannah's father the day after she was born. A prophecy tells of a Red Rose who will save a Black Rose, solve the puzzle ring, and break the curse. Red-haired Hannah is determined to be the one.
Yet to break the curse, she must go back in time to the last tumultuous days of Mary, Queen of Scots... a time when witches were burnt and queens were betrayed and the dark forces of wild magic still stalked the land... (Australian)

Who doesn't love a good family curse? Another title to be incorporated into Aussie Month.

Malice - Chris Wooding
Scholastic
Everyone's heard of Malice, but hardly anyone has actually seen it: a comic about a horrifying world of tricks and traps, overseen by the sinister master of ceremonies, Tall Jake. The story goes that the kids who go through Tall Jake’s deadly trials are real kids, who’ve disappeared from the real world and turned up in the comic. But it’s just an urban legend, right?
Seth and Kady think so. Until their friend Luke tells them that he’s found a copy of Malice, and the next day he disappears without trace. Seth and Kady investigate, and in doing so, they discover the awful truth. The legends are true. Malice is real.

The cover is 3D, can it be any cooler?

Malcom and Juliet - Bernard Beckett
Text Publishing
'-Sex was a latecomer to the party of Malcolm's life, and when it did arrive, it didn't come dressed in any of the usual guises.' Malcolm is sixteen. With the mind of a scientist, the body of a teenager, and an ambition to reconcile the two, he embarks upon his latest research project - sex. Join Malcolm in his journey, as he meets the cast of characters who will take him a little closer to the center of life's mystery. Will Charlotte find true love? Will Kevin get his man? How did Juliet lose her virginity and will the school principal succeed in having Malcolm's project banned? Malcolm is just eh man to find out. Hilarious, with a marvelous sting in the tail.

Excited to read this one from successful New Zealand writer, Bernard Beckett. Sounds like a book that will appeal to me if only for the male perspective that I have been enjoying of late.

The Words to Remember: Memoirs if Child Holocaust Survivors / Sydney Child Holocaust Survivors Group
Scribe
Accurate numbers can never be known, but it is estimated that more than one million children under the age of 16 perished during the Holocaust. For the children who survived, what they saw and heard, and what they lost, remains an indelible trauma that affects them in profound and unspeakable ways.
In 1987 in Sydney, a number of child survivors formed a group so that they could meet in a safe environment to share their stories and begin to process their grief. Later, the group began creative writing sessions.
For many, finding ways to remember was the beginning of a painful reintegration of their sense of self — a realisation that they were, in fact, child survivors of the Holocaust. In telling their stories, there was relief to be found in finally connecting their memories with context and meaning, and in having them validated. In the process, many found themselves remembering more and more details, and the stories grew and grew into a broad picture of life before, during, and after the Second World War, from Paris to Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vilno, and Shanghai.
In this indescribably moving collection, 30 members of the group share their unfathomable experiences of loss, and the stories of their ultimate endurance.

I am going to be incorporating this one into my History unit on WW2. Sure to be a powerful read. Tissues will be at the ready.

Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits / Barney Hoskyns

This was a surprise. Definitely not YA and is bigger than the telephone book. Might look up the stories about musicians that do whacked things.

This concept is brought to us by Alea and Kristi.