Top 100 YA Titles Poll

For the past month or so I have been working on an idea to poll people from all different walks of literary life for their top 100 YA titles.

What prompted this idea?
A lovely lady (and NY librarian), Elizabeth Bird from the School Library Journal, who in the past two years has conducted a Top 100 Picture Books poll and is just winding up the Top 100 Middle Grade Novels poll at the moment. As I blog about YA, I thought I would take up the mantle, ask Elizabeth's permission to poach her idea (and method) and come up with a YA list.

I have invited librarians, teachers, publishing personnel, bloggers, authors and readers to take part in this poll. I instructed these people that they could invite others to take part...now I am breaking it wide open. Barely two days in and the votes are already extremely varied and this is exciting me.

Ask yourself...what are your top 10 favourite YA titles of all time? Take part in this poll by April 30 and we'll see what we, as a community, think.

A quick reminder that you can only vote once.

Take part by following this link.

Hiroshima - A Proposal for the Blogosphere

As some of you are aware, I am residing in beautiful Japan this year. Some of you are even following my personal (not blogging) exploits over at A Broad Abroad. But I wanted to bring these two aspects of my life together for the first time and also do something positive in the YA blogosphere.

Most kids have had Sadako Sasaki's story read to them at some point of their schooling. For those of you unfamiliar:

Sadako was 2 years old when the US dropped the A-bomb over Hiroshima in 1945. In spring 1955 at age 11, like many other children she became sick and diagnosed with Leukemia, which people from Hiroshima called 'the A-Bomb disease'. She heard a story that if you fold a thousand paper cranes a wish is granted. She folded more than a thousand, but her wish to recover was not granted and she died in October that year at age 12. Three years later the 'Children's Peace Memorial' was erected in her name.

On Saturday I am visiting Hiroshima, specifically the Peace Memorial Museum. I am equal parts excited and scared. The story moved me as a child who couldn't possibly process the extent of World War 2. A child who hadn't seen pictures of Hiroshima flattened. A child who couldn't even imagine what would happen one September morning in her twentieth year.

Here's my proposal. I am going to leave some paper cranes at the memorial statue this weekend. I am extending an invitation that I write your name/blog and country on a crane that I leave at the site. Hiroshima is not a place everyone will have the chance to visit in their lifetime and I would like to act in lieu of you, should you wish it.

I am not pushing a political agenda. Just extending my hope for peace and memorialising all the children that have been lost to conflict. If this is something you would be interested in please leave that info in the comments section of this post or email me (if that makes you feel more comfortable). You do need to ensure this is done by Friday morning (US time) to have your name on one of the cranes. I will take photos and post them here next week.

Peace.

Update: Would people please consider tweeting about this so that people are aware that they can be included? Thank you.

Author Appreciation Week - Elizabeth Scott / Melina Marchetta

Author Appreciation Week was created by the fantastic, Heidi R. Kling, author of the upcoming Sea. Author Appreciation Week runs from March 15-19, and anyone can post about authors they wish to share their appreciation of.

I want to tell you about two authors who have really influenced me ...
The first being Elizabeth Scott, mastermind behind Something, Maybe, Stealing Heaven, Bloom, The Unwritten Rule, Living Dead Girl and Love You Hate You Miss You.

Why?

• Her books traverse genres and demonstrate her range, whether sweet romances, dark and twisty introspection or frightfully depressing and shocking.
• Her blog is unique. She's about sharing knowledge, not just her own but those with perspectives in other fields of publishing.
• Her contests rule...a lot.
• She promotes herself in a way that generates discussion, encourages sharing a love of reading or just plonks awesome book prizes into the mix. She's no publicity whore, she wants to share the love.
• Her author picture...it's my favourite of any author. Like I have said many times, every time I see that beaming smile, significant hair and dog, I smile.
• She's exactly as she appears...what you see is what you get.
• Also, I think she should be much bigger in publishing than she is. With such a consistently strong catalogue of work, her fan base should be monumental.

My second author will not surprise you....

Melina Marchetta.

As an Aussie and as a fan girl is behooves me to say something about this lady.

Why she's worthy of admiration?

• She continues to challenge herself with her writing. From the simplistic plotting of Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca, she dove head long into the beautiful chaos that is Jellicoe Road. Her next project involved world building within the fantasy genre (Finnikin of the Rock) and her latest sees a sequel that isn't exactly a sequel (The Piper's Son).
• She's a pocket rocket full of kindness, humour and great interest in her audience.
• She diversifies into film. Marchetta wrote the screenplay for the 2000 adaptation of Looking for Alibrandi and is currently working on the Jellicoe Road screenplay.
• I can re-read her work and always find something new or gain an understanding of something I hadn't contemplated before.
• Listen to her Printz acceptance speech and you'll be in love too.
  
  
• She created Jonah Griggs.
• She name dropped CJ Cregg in The Piper's Son...that's worthy of admiration right there. (If you don't know who CJ Cregg is then shame on YOU.)
• She was an English teacher until recently and had to teach her own novel (Looking for Alibrandi) once it made the state syllabus. Wouldn't you love to be in that class?

Follow this link should you like to view some grainy video (but great audio) from The Piper's Son Sydney launch and YA author, William Kostakis' recollections of the woman.

In My Mailbox - 13 March

The New Brighton Archeological Society: Book One The Castle of Galomar - Mark Andrew Smith & Matthew Weldon

Out of the ashes of misfortune will rise the next generation of great adventurers! After their parents are lost on an archeological expedition, four children begin to unlock the secrets of their parents' mysterious lives, discovering a hidden world of mystical artifacts, mythical creatures, and arcane knowledge. Soon they find themselves drawn into a conflict over a great library that has kept two kingdoms at war for centuries, the children must save an enchanted forest, the birthplace of magic itself. Join us as these children become the latest members of the fabled New Brighton Archeological Society, and take their first steps towards their true destiny!

First graphic novel in awhile. Excited to see what Mr Smith is going to hit me with!

Same Difference - Siobhan Vivian

Emily is ready for a change. She's been in the same town with the same friends for a long time...and none of them really understand her art. But when she goes to Philadelphia for a summer art institute, she suddenly finds like-minded people. One in particular, Fiona, intrigues and challenges her. But there are some things Emily is going to have to find out for herself -- like what the balance is between life and art, and which is more important when push comes to shove.

I like the premise and Vivian has entertains me on Twitter so I thought I would order this baby. Sounds promising.

The Secret Year - Jennifer R. Hubbard

Seventeen-year-old Colt has been sneaking out at night to meet Julia, a girl from an upper-class neighborhood unlike his own. They’ve never told anyone else about their relationship: not their family or friends, and especially not Julia’s boyfriend.When Julia dies suddenly, Colt tries to cope with her death while pretending that he never even knew her. He discovers a journal she left behind. But he is not prepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship, nor to pay the price for the secrets he’s kept.

Bought this one from the Book Depository. You can read my detailed thoughts here.

I Know It's Over - CK Kelly Martin

PURE. UNPLANNED. PERFECT. Those were Nick’s summer plans before Sasha stepped into the picture. With the collateral damage from his parents’ divorce still settling and Dani (his girl of the moment) up for nearly anything, complications are the last thing he needs. All that changes, though, when Nick runs into Sasha at the beach in July. Suddenly he’s neck-deep in a relationship and surprised to find he doesn’t mind in the least. But Nick’s world shifts again when Sasha breaks up with him. Then, weeks later, while Nick’s still reeling from the breakup, she turns up at his doorstep and tells him she’s pregnant. Nick finds himself struggling once more to understand the girl he can’t stop caring for, the girl who insists that it’s still over.

I have heard many good things about this author and I cannot wait to read the entire story. I am very fond of male protagonist and the thought of reading about the other side of a surprise pregnancy is intriguing.